《In The DC World With Marvel Chat Group》


 Chapter 1: I became Batmans teacher... [Edited]

    Chapter 1: I became Batmans teacher... [Edited]


    Gotham City, on a not particrly bright but still somewhat warm morning, Schiller set down his coffee cup and heard the sound of his colleague Anna''s high heels. Soon enough, a blonde American sweetheart with a gloomy face walked in and said, "Those damnzy bums at the new student registration called in sick. You go fill in for a day."


    Schiller said, "I''ll go, but you owe me for this cup of coffee."


    "You can forget about ever hooking up with me!" Anna yelled. Schiller happily walked out of the coffee lounge with his coffee, took a nce at the perpetually overcast Gotham City sky, and began his fifth day here.


    In his previous life, Schiller was a psychologist who ended up in this cursed and simple-minded city after a ne crash. Fortunately, he wasn''t a hero or a viin. Instead, he was a leisurely and stable university professor, which was his true calling as a psychology professor.


    Schiller was happily anticipating another day of cking off when a notification rang in his mind, disying: "Peter Parker sent a chat request."


    As Schiller walked towards the registration area, he replied in his mind, "What''s up, Peter?"


    "Hey! I''m starting my internship at Osborn Company tomorrow! You have no idea how rare this opportunity is for me! And Gwen... I mean, she''s going too. It''s amazing! We can discuss things like the gic helix and those awesome machines together..."


    Schiller silently thought to himself, "No girl is going to want to discuss those things with you, little Spider-Man. Wake up."


    Ever since he arrived here, Schiller had gained a "Comic Chat System," and the first person he unlocked was the talkative Spider-Man, Peter Parker. This chatterbox had been rambling on for four and a half days about how much he liked Gwen, how he wanted to pursue her but was too scared, and his teenage emotional journey.While encouraging Peter, Schiller reached the registration area, sat down, organized the forms, and waited for the new students of the year to arrive.


    However, it was strange that Schiller had been here for so many days and hadn''t seen the Bat-Signal light up or any viins causing trouble. Life seemed peaceful and genuinely simple-minded.


    Soon enough, students began trickling in, holding piles of documents, and Schiller''s task was to register their names and dorm rooms.


    "Next!" Schiller called without even raising his head. There was already a long line in front of him. A male student sat down, and Schiller asked, "Name?"


    "Bruce Wayne."


    "Bruce... Room 306 in the Men''s Dormitory Building 2..." Schiller absentmindedly wrote it down. Suddenly, his pen paused, and he discreetly looked up. This student had blue eyes and ck hair, and he was quite handsome. Schiller said, "Wayne?"


    "Indeed, I am Wayne."


    Schiller repeated, "Room 306 in the Men''s Dormitory Building 2. Didn''t you hear me? Take the form and go quickly. There are people waiting behind you."


    Bruce was taken aback this time. He picked up the form and asked, "Which department are you a professor in?"


    "Psychology. Don''t take my ss, kid," Schiller said.


    Bruce became interested in him, but Schiller was quite helpless. So Batman just started college! No wonder there''s no Bat-Signal!


    Why was he so unlucky? Batman goes to college, and he ends up as a university professor through time travel!


    He swore he didn''t want to get involved in Gotham City''s bloody and chaotic life. He just wanted to coast through his administrative position, getting paid while cking off.


    Schiller was well aware of the danger level in the Batman series, and he had no desire to be associated with Bruce, especially with this 18-year-old brat Bruce, a despicable yboy!


    So Schiller remained cold and even warned Bruce not to take his ss. He didn''t want to hear the Joker''s familiar voice on the school''s broadcast one day.


    But it was precisely this attitude that sparked Bruce''s interest. He was Wayne! Gotham City''s wealthiest man! No one would fail to look at him with a different perspective.


    However, Bruce didn''t say anything. He thanked Schiller and left after picking up the documents. Schiller finished his work on the new recruits'' reports and was about to go back to the professor''s apartment to sleep when he remembered he had left his keys in the office. As he ascended the office staircase, he ran into a tall, thin professor.


    Schiller said, "Hey, Jonathan, are you here to pick something up too?"


    "Yes, did you forget your keys in the office again?"


    "Oh, right. Anna rushed me today, and I forgot when I left. I''ll grab them ande right back down. See you tomorrow."


    "See you tomorrow."


    In the split second that Schiller and Jonathan passed each other, a chilling sensation crawled up Schiller''s spine. Jonathan... Jonathan Crane!


    The super criminal, the Scarecrow!


    Jonathan, with his back turned to Schiller, didn''t notice that Schiller was staring at him intently. If it weren''t for finding out that Batman had just started college today, Schiller wouldn''t have remembered. Memories about the Scarecrow flooded his mind¡ªJonathan Crane, the psychology professor at Gotham University, a doctor in psychology and chemistry, the future user of fear gas for massacres. Jonathan Crane!


    Schiller took a deep breath and continued up the stairs with the same pace. Jonathan wasn''t the Scarecrow yet because Bruce was only 18 and hadn''t graduated from college, which meant he hadn''t be Batman yet. Jonathan also wasn''t the world-renowned psychologist he wouldter be. He was merely somewhat famous within the academic field of "emotional psychology." Schiller was even more famous now...


    Schiller was now a world-ss expert in criminal psychology and abnormal psychology, a renowned psychological researcher, and Gotham''s most famous psychology professor.


    So, Jonathan''s attitude was quite good... but what good was that? Schiller wasn''t capable of developing poison gas! He was a pure humanities student, whereas Jonathan was a doctor in chemistry!


    Indeed, studying science, math, and chemistry made a person fearless anywhere...


    Schiller was well aware that the grand stage of Gotham City was about to be set, with its bloody curtains ready to be drawn. And here he was, a powerless schr, a weakling who struggled to lift a chair, a purely intellectual talent. Forget encountering these famous super criminals; even the background thugs from theics, anyone with a gun, could easily kill him!


    And his worries turned into reality. Early the next morning, as Schiller went to the psychology clinic at school, where he usually spent his time goofing off, he had just brewed a cup of coffee when he heard a crisp knock on the door.


    "Professor Schiller, may Ie in?"


    Schiller took a deep breath. What? There''s actually a studenting to this lousy psychology clinic? Don''t they understand that I''m just here to ck off? Don''t they know about paid leave?


    It was Bruce Wayne outside the door!


    With gritted teeth, Schiller could only say, "Please have a seat, fellow student. What psychological issue do you want to consult about?"


    "What if I don''t have a problem and just want to have a chat?" Wayne shrugged, clearly disying his yboy demeanor.


    Schiller adjusted his sses and suppressed the urge to throttle this spoiled brat. He tried to appear dull and uninteresting, avoiding piquing the interest of this protagonist. He said, "This is a ce for students to seek psychological counseling. If you don''t have any issues to consult about, then you can leave."


    Schiller swore that his words were delivered in a tone drier than an airne announcement, but Bruce still seemed interested and asked, "Alright then, let me ask you a question. What do you think is the meaning of life?"


    Taking a deep breath, Schiller realized he couldn''t continue like this.


    He is not the protagonist andcks the invincible protagonist halo. Mixing with Batman, he won''t survive past three episodes.


    He quickly essed the Marvel chat system in his mind. He remembered that he had gained a random chatting opportunity for guiding Peter Parker''s emotional issues before. He hurriedly typed in his mind:


    "A child who lost both parents, swore to seek revenge against all criminals, yet disguises himself as a yboy. Now hees to ask me about the meaning of life. I want him to stop bothering me in the future. How should I answer him? Waiting online, it''s urgent."


    Soon, a reply appeared: "I am a teacher. Regarding your question, I believe you should exercise patience and provide psychological counseling to this unfortunate child from two aspects..."


    Schiller mourned in his mind. Who is this saintly person? This is Batman! Can I really say, "Just let it go"?


    Schiller nced at the name in the dialogue box and saw Charles Xavier! Professor X!


    No wonder, the founder and headmaster of Xavier''s School, as expected.


    But Schiller noticed something about Xavier''s avatar. It was clickable. He clicked on Charles'' avatar in his mind, and a dialogue box popped up: "First-time chat, copy a random ability from the chat partner (low-level). Copy it?"


    Confused, Schiller clicked "Yes."


    "Telepathy (low-level) loaded."


    Schiller felt his vision blur for a moment, and suddenly, countless noises and unfamiliar emotions flooded into his mind, making it difficult for him to distinguish. After adapting for a while, Schiller realized that he had indeed acquired a part of Professor X''s ability.


    Telepathy is Charles'' specialty. With the help of a cerebral amplifier, he can even brainwash the entire human race. However, what Schiller obtained was only an extremely weakened version. He could only vaguely sense the other person''s emotions and some sudden thoughts that shed in his mind, unable to directly read minds.


    But it was enough. Schiller focused his attention on Bruce and discovered that his emotions were in turmoil, contrary to the nonchnt demeanor he disyed.


    Based on Batman''s life experiences, he had just returned from traveling to various countries, and entering university was probably only a disguise for Bruce''s identity. The real Batman already detested this utterly boring daily life. Every drop of his blood cried out for "revenge" and "revenge against those criminals."


    In Bruce''s eyes, the professor in front of him suddenly seemed immersed in deep contemtion. Schiller had a pair of slightly unique gray eyes, and when Bruce was stared at by those eyes, his keen intuition began to alert him. It felt like he was being spied on, seen through.


    Then, Schiller said, "Perhaps you have been waiting for someone to give you this answer, a positive answer. If you have something more to do after receiving this answer and won''t bother me anymore, then I am willing to give you this answer."


    "Oh? What is it?"


    "Revenge," Schiller said, staring into Bruce''s eyes. Despite Bruce''s suddenly darkened expression, he stared back and repeated, "The meaning of life is revenge."


    Ignoring Bruce''s already gloomy face resembling the Gotham sky, Schiller said, "Are you satisfied, Mr. Wayne?"

 Chapter 2: Crossing Over Again...

    Chapter 2: Crossing Over Again...


    If Schiller were to provide a psychological profile of Batman in theic, his greatest characteristic would not be caution, intelligence, or strategic nning, but rather suspicion.


    Batman never fully trusts anyone.


    His skepticism has be a way of life, and skepticism and conspiracy theories are ingrained in his very being. The smarter he is, the more doubtful he bes.


    Schiller''s response clearly plunged this young Batman into great doubt.


    Bruce never thought that anyone could see through his facade. He had great confidence in his disguise. Even Alfred, the butler who raised him since childhood, he believed only knew a part of him, not the entirety.


    But this professor, this seemingly ordinary and well-mannered psychology professor, gave him the most unlikely answer, and at the same time, the most urate and incisive one.


    In that instant when he received this answer, Bruce''s surging and fiery heart told him that he had indeed been waiting for someone to give him this answer¡ªit was time to begin his revenge.


    However,pared to the answer he received, the person who gave him that answer poured cold water on the revenge that had just ignited within Bruce. He didn''t believe, he never believed, that anyone could see the devil lurking in his heart, the swarm of shadowy bats.


    Schiller, on the other hand, said, "Consultation time is over. I have to go to ss. Goodbye, Mr. Wayne."Schiller believed that Bruce would surely agonize over it for a long time.


    If he figured it out, he should quickly transform into Batman and uphold justice. Why bother attending sses? What other sses does Bruce have to attend? Why must he sh with these diligent faculty members?


    Schiller believed that Bruce would likely figure it out. Then he would have enough trouble with those gangs and criminal organizations, and Schiller could happily stay at the school, getting paid while cking off. If necessary, he could fly to Hawaii during vacations.


    Schiller had a good reputation at the school because of his big name, but that was all part of the original host''s resume. Schiller adhered to the principle of "money talks," starting his lecture as soon as he sat down and disappearing the moment the ss bell rang. Office hours for answering questions after ss? Non-existent.


    He had been like this for the past five days. Fortunately, the original Schiller seemed quite reclusive, having few friends. His appointment as a professor at Gotham University was only a few months old, and he wasn''t familiar with the people at the school. Therefore, the time-traveling Schiller hadn''t revealed any ws.


    During lunch, Peter sent a message: "Mr. Schiller, everything is going terribly."


    Apanied by a dejected chat emoji, Schiller knew that this chat system wasn''t a direct brain-to-brainmunication. Only he used the system, while Peter coincidentally met an online friend on the inte, and Charles received messages from educational forums in his spare time.


    The system would convert the conversations with these individuals into a format they could ept. For example, Petermunicated through socialworking apps, while Charles used knowledge-based forums. If it were someone like Thanos, it might be some form of universalwork signal.


    So the recipients wouldn''t find it abrupt, and the system only ensured that they would respond to Schiller''s initial question. The subsequent conversation was up to Schiller himself. Therefore, Schiller''s main conversation partner now was the young and naive Spider-Man.


    With someone like Charles, the old fox, Schiller wouldn''t easily probe withoutplete certainty.


    Schiller replied, "What''s wrong, Peter? Is things not going well with Gwen?"


    "Oh, it''s indeed not going well, but that''s not what ''terrible'' refers to."


    "What is it then? Did your experiment go wrong?"


    "Sort of. I identally knocked over a seemingly dangerous piece of equipment, and a... dangerous creature inside it escaped. It even bit me."


    Schiller knew that Spider-Man''s fate had already been partially altered due to their conversation. Through their chat, he discovered that he was talking to Spider-Man from the 616ic main universe. Originally, Peter, as a high school student, should have been bitten during an exhibition. However, because Peter developed feelings for Gwen and would often confide in Schiller about how charming and lovely she was, Schiller grew annoyed by this chatterbox. As a result, Schiller gave him some advice on how to pursue Gwen.


    Gwen came from a well-off family and had secured an internship at Osborn Industries during the summer break. Initially, it had nothing to do with Peter, but Schiller suggested that he be a bit shameless and apply for the same internship. Peter had excellent grades and actually managed to get epted. However, instead of being bitten by the spider at the exhibition, he was directly bitten by a spider from one of Osborn Industries'' experimental instruments...


    In any case, he had to be bitten one way or another because Spider-Man was chosen by the spider totem, the master weaver of the spider web. Whether it happened today or tomorrow, he had to bear the consequences both inside and out. Schillerforted the poor little spider and went back to sleep.


    The night in Gotham was dark and thick, perfect for sleeping. Bruce had stayed up all night, staring at the moon, which was almost shapeless in the dense fog. In his hands, he held a stack of files, and the name on the first page was Schiller Anders Rodriguez.


    Schiller waspletely unaware that Batman had dug up information about him. Lost in a deep dream, he heard a sound from the system, an rm. However, he was sleeping too soundly, and in his ignorance, a blue light shed by...


    The system rm became more frequent, but Schiller still didn''t wake up. It seemed that something was obstructing the system. Finally, after a burst of distorted sound, Schiller''s figure disappeared without a trace.


    "Emergency protection system activated, universal location... universal location... universal reception confirmed, identity information being written... writing in progress... writing failed... writing in progress... writing sessful."


    When Schiller woke up again, he rubbed his eyes and was momentarily blinded by the sunlight. He couldn''t believe his eyes. Gotham City was actually sunny?


    As he pulled back the curtains, he saw the bright sunlight outside... in New York City.


    Completely different from the rotten weather in Gotham, New York was sunny and beautiful. It was already scorching in the early morning. Schiller nced out the window and realized he must be in some upscale apartment in downtown New York. As he turned around, he saw a mess of things on his desk, including a bottle of liquor, with a work badge underneath.


    "Schiller, Presbyterian Hospital, psychiatrist... or attending physician? Did I time travel again?"


    Damn, Schiller thought. Before he could even curse, his mobile phone rang. He picked it up, and a loud voice on the other end said, "Dr. Schiller! Where have you been? You absolutely cannot miss today''s joint consultation! Did you get drunk again? Pleasee right away!"


    Schiller''s ears were ringing from the shock, but considering he was now a doctor, there might be an urgent situation where a patient needed to be saved. Since he was already here, he had to do his job.


    Schiller quickly grabbed his identification, went downstairs, and looked for a car. It didn''t make sense to live in such a fancy apartment without a car. In the garage downstairs, he found a fairly new Mercedes with the same key model as his own. He pressed the button and it actually started.


    Thanks to Schiller''s academic exchanges in New York in his previous life, he followed the navigation in the car and arrived at the Elder Council Hospital, thergest hospital in New York.


    As soon as he entered, a receptionist quickly ran over and said, "Dr. Schiller, please hurry over. The joint consultation has already started."


    Schiller didn''t know what kind of role he had now, but he simply nodded indifferently and went up.


    Fortunately, someone guided him, and Schiller made his way to the conference room. When they saw him, the room fell quiet for a moment, then continued with the discussion. Schiller sat in the seat reserved for him and quietly observed.


    It seemed that he was quite a famous doctor, ranking among the top in his department. The person sitting across from him was obviously not from the psychiatric department. One of the doctors appeared arrogant as he said, "Indeed, it makes sense to let those self-proimed experts take a look first, so they don''t act crazy and harass the nurses on the operating table."


    ncing at his name tag, Schiller saw Stephen, Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange. Well, here he was in Marvel again.


    Schiller couldn''t be bothered with him. Judging by Strange''s appearance, the car ident should still be far off. Right now, he was just an annoying selfish person who saw others as beneath him.


    Schiller silently reviewed the medical records while Strange watched him disdainfully. It was clear to Strange that Schiller had been drinking the previous day and waste for today''s consultation. Strange had a bit of a cleanliness obsession and couldn''t stand Schiller''sck of dedication. Moreover, he always thought psychologists were just ying tricks. In short, Strange was extremely disgusted with Schiller.


    During the meeting, he kept finding fault with Schiller, but Schiller remained indifferent and ignored himpletely. After the meeting, Strange even intentionally bumped into him.


    Schiller was annoyed by his behavior, but he figured that in the end, Strange would learn his lesson. It probably wouldn''t be long before something bad happened to him. If he wasn''t so annoying, Schiller might have given him a reminder. But for now, Strange would have to face the consequences on his own.


    Just as the consultation ended, Schiller checked his mobile phone and received a call. The voice on the other end was pleasant but anxious. She asked, "Dr. Schiller, has your consultation ended? Can youe to Stark Tower? Tony is not doing well..."


    Tony Stark?


    When was he supposed to visit? Was Iron Man kidnapped, or has he already returned?


    Schiller didn''t even have time to check the materials online because a Starkpany car was already waiting downstairs at the hospital. He quickly got into the car, and a beautiful woman sat in the passenger seat, with a professional look about her. She said, "Ever since Tony returned, you know, during thest diagnosis, he started having inexplicable mood swings and engaging in crazy behaviors. I heard him cryingst night..."


    "Miss Pepper, are you alright?" Schiller asked tentatively. Pepper covered her eyes and said, "I''m sorry, but please make sure to be attentive during this treatment."


    Schiller understood. Iron Man must have returned after being kidnapped, and he learned that hispany''s weapons had been used in unjust wars. He probably came in as a psychologist because Pepper was too concerned about Stark''s mental struggle.

 Chapter 3: Starks super expensive psychiatry....

    Chapter 3: Starks super expensive psychiatry....


    Schiller saw that Stark was indeed on the brink of madness, his mental state in shambles. With telepathic abilities, Schiller could feel the pounding headache caused by Stark''s chaotic and tangled thoughts, even through the walls.


    Schiller took a deep breath and walked in. As Stark nced up, his eyes rolled, giving Schiller a disdainful look.


    Although he appeared a bit worn out, he wasn''t disheveled. The consequence of his pride was that Schiller could sense he was teetering on the edge of copse, but he didn''t want to show it in front of Pepper.


    Schiller cleared his throat, and Pepper looked at Stark with concern before leaving the room. Schiller sat opposite Stark and said, "Mr. Stark, may I ask you a question?"


    "What do you want to ask? Are you going to talk philosophy with me or discuss useless psychological theories?" Stark replied.


    "Cough, no, it''s not that. I just wanted to inquire about my hourly rate," Schiller said. "When Miss Pepper discussed the price with me, I was drunk and woke up with no recollection."


    Stark was taken aback by this question. He looked incredibly surprised and said, "What did you say?"


    "I said I want to know the price for my psychological counseling because I forgot everything after I got drunk during the conversation with Miss Pepper," Schiller exined.


    Stark was left speechless, and he waved his hand dismissively, saying, "You shouldn''t choose abstract topics or thosemon psychologist subjects... like the meaning of life or objects of sorrow... ""Yes, thatester. It''s what happens after the formal counseling begins. But first, I need to confirm if you can afford my fees for psychological counseling."


    Stark widened his eyes, shocked, and said, "What did you say? Do you know who I am? Goodness, are you some primitive person? Don''t you recognize me? Don''t you know this is Stark Tower?"


    "Yes, I know you''re very rich, Mr. Stark, but how much money you have and how much you''re willing to pay are two different things."


    "...How much do you want?"


    "One million dors per hour, non-negotiable."


    "Fine! Fine! You, you materialistic mad doctor. Have you lost your mind? One million dors! With that, I could hire a dozen beautiful women on a yacht..."


    "I vaguely recall hearing someone iming to be wealthy."


    Stark was truly rendered speechless by Schiller. He said, "Are you here on behalf of Pepper to mess with me? Well done! Go tell her she seeded! I''ve already exined that the party I threwst time was only to bid farewell to those ex-girlfriends, not to do anything else. Why doesn''t she believe me?"


    Schiller said, "A dozen beautiful women on a yacht won''t make you feel any better, especially when you feel like you''re about to die."


    Stark''s exaggerated gestures came to a halt. He stiffened for a moment, turned to look at Schiller with a suspicious gaze.


    Schiller calmly sat there and said, "You''re afraid of death right now, but perhaps what you''re truly afraid of is not having a chance to redeem your mistakes..."


    "Rubbish. Who are you? Who are you really?" Stark''s emotions started to escte, and he said, "Did Pepper tell you something... No, she doesn''t know either. You..."


    Stark stared directly at Schiller, saying, "Don''t y these tricks with me. I don''t believe in any supernatural mind-reading abilities in this world."


    "There are no mind-reading abilities in this world, only psychology," Schiller said.


    He stood up, facing Stark, and said, "You can continue to dismiss it, as my fee is one million dors per hour. We can waste a little more time, and then I''ll be able to buy a new car."


    Schiller''s alternating serious and nonchnt remarks gave Stark a headache. He said, "How did you figure it out? With your ridiculous psychology?"


    "That''s not important. What''s important is the only advice I can give you is to resolve the issue of death first. Of course, you may find my suggestion simplistic."


    "But the method is..."


    Schiller paused, and Stark stared at him intently. Schiller said, "First, pay a fifty percent deposit, and then we can proceed with the rest of the treatment."


    Stark was practically blowing smoke out of his nose in frustration. He was so exasperated by Schiller that he picked up the phone and called Pepper, saying, "My sweetheart, where did you find a vampire doctor?... Yes, he charged me one million dors per hour for consultation..."


    Schiller snatched the phone away and said, "Miss Pepper, Mr. Stark considers one million dors as the equivalent of a yacht filled with beautiful women..."


    He then hung up the phone and shook his mobile phone, saying, "It''ll be transferred in five minutes."


    Stark continued to re at him.


    Stark crossed his arms and said, "Come on, let''s hear what you have to say."


    "What have you been avoiding all this time?" Schiller asked.


    "What? What have I been avoiding?" Stark replied.


    "You better ask yourself that question. The answer lies within, and I''m not talking about Miss Pepper''s killer phone calls or ambiguous messages from ex-girlfriends. I''m being serious..."


    Schiller leaned against the table, crossed his arms, and pushed his sses up, saying, "I''ve never seen such a peculiar case before. It''s unique, very rare..."


    Stark shuddered and said, "Hey, I don''t swing that way. Keep your distance."


    "You''re not as absurd as you pretend to be. I know someone who''s a lot like you. He masquerades as a yboy, living in the moment, never thinking about tomorrow."


    "But he''s smart, too smart for his own good. So he''s been waiting for someone to give him an answer, an answer thates from... his past."


    Stark looked at Schiller, and Schiller looked back at him. Stark whispered, "I''ll give you two million dors. Leave this ce, and I''ll tell Pepper that your treatment was effective. I..."


    "If I''m not mistaken, Miss Pepper is listening right now," Schiller interrupted.


    Stark fell silent. Schiller said, "Two million dors, and I''ll tell you a genuinely useful method."


    "Deal."


    "In that part of your past that you avoid, you''ll find all the answers you seek. I saw it in the news once, the founder of Stark Industries, your father..."


    "That''s enough," Stark said.


    He turned away, his expression hidden from Schiller. Stark''s voice trembled as he said, "Pepper will transfer the consultation fee to you. Leave this ce."


    "...He will grant you a second chance at life. God bless you."


    "Get out of here!!!"


    After Schiller left, Stark smashed the sses on the table. In the SHIELD office, Nick Fury held his headphones and said, "Immediately investigate a psychologist named Schiller. I want all his materials right away."


    After Schiller left, his ount quickly received arge sum of money. He happily thought that although dealing with Stark was difficult, you get what you pay for, and he was willing to help this wealthy troublemaker solve his problems.


    And soon, there was another surprise. Schiller discovered that he could replicate Spider-Man''s abilities.


    It turns out that the previousck of this function was not a system glitch, but rather because Peter hadn''t been bitten yet. Now that his spider abilities had appeared, Schiller could naturally replicate them.


    Schiller clicked on "Replicate" and gained the ability of "Spider-Sense (Low-level)." Compared to the moment he obtained telepathic abilities, this time it seemed rather unremarkable. Schiller felt a slight enhancement in his five senses, being able to see farther and hear more clearly. As for intuition, Schiller hadn''t felt it yet.


    He felt a bit regretful, wishing he could have the physical abilities of a spider. However, since it was a weakened version, it probably only provided a slight improvement in his physical capabilities. Far from being able to do extraordinary feats.


    Spider-Man didn''t initially possess immense strength either. His spider abilities developed gradually. Currently, it seemed that he only exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary person by a bit, without being overly exaggerated.


    But since Spider-Man''s storyline had begun, Peter''s uncle might also encounter trouble. Schiller thought for a moment and decided to send a message to Peter, saying, "How are you doing? Do you want toe to the hospital? I''m a doctor and can introduce you to a reliable trauma doctor."


    Peter''s reply came quickly. He said, "Wow! You''re actually a doctor, that''s cool. Which hospital do you work at? What kind of doctor are you? Are you an orthopedic doctor? But I don''t think I need a surgeon anymore. I''m really happy right now, I think Gwen will agree to go out with me soon..."


    Schiller said, "I advise you toe and get checked. Being bitten by an animal is not a joke. Besides, it''s also an opportunity for us to meet..."


    Peter hesitated clearly. After all, meeting someone from the inte at this time wasn''t a good idea. He had just obtained spider powers and was extremely excited, not wanting to do anything else. Schiller said, "I think you can bring Miss Gwen along. I''m at the Presbyterian Hospital. I can arrange aprehensive check-up for you all for free, and afterward, you can go to a nearby coffee shop..."


    Peter was intrigued. Firstly, his family situation wasn''t good, and he didn''t have the opportunity for any check-ups. Moreover, the Presbyterian Hospital was a renowned institution in New York that everyone had heard of. He said, "Thank you, but I want to bring my uncle and aunt along. They are getting older, although it might be a bit presumptuous. If it''s not possible, just forget I mentioned it."


    Schiller thought about it and realized it might be better this way. He said, "Sure, I''ll book an appointment for this weekend. You can also try inviting Miss Gwen and her family. I have plenty of avable slots."


    Peter happily went to call Gwen. You see, he had always been helped by Gwen because his family''s conditions weren''t great. Gwen would always bring him snacks and yogurt, and Peter always felt guilty for not being able to help Gwen in return.


    But this was a great opportunity forpensation. It wasn''t easy to get into the Presbyterian Hospital, even if Gwen''s father was themissioner of the New York Police Station. Getting an appointment for aprehensive check-up required waiting in line for a long time, or sometimes it couldn''t be arranged at all.


    Peter felt like he had been extremely lucky recently. First, he gained superpowers, and now, a friend he met online turned out to be a doctor at a major hospital.


    It seemed that he was even a specialist doctor. Now, his uncle and aunt wouldn''t consider his inte chats a waste of time anymore.

 Chapter 4: Welcome to Gotham...

    Chapter 4: Wee to Gotham...


    Schiller woke up and didn''t even need to turn over to know that he had definitely returned to the simple and traditional Gotham City. The smell of kerosene in the air and the perpetually gloomy sky outside the window told him that he had damn well traveled back again.


    And time hadn''t moved at all.


    He turned off the rm clock and nced at the calendar. It was the second day after he traveled to the Marvel universe, which meant that time in the DC world didn''t progress while he was in Marvel.


    Schiller sighed, momentarily unsure whether the simple and traditional Gotham City was more dangerous or if the central hub of the universe, New York City, was.


    Honestly, deep down, even though New York was more enjoyable, Gotham was his true home. At least here, the cosmic mode hadn''t been activated yet, and Schiller couldn''t handle the Purple Potato(Thanos) at the moment.


    He got up, dressed in his clothes. Gotham University required professors to wear formal attire for sses, so Schiller wore a shirt, vest, and suit every day. Sometimes he changed the style of his suit or wore a trench coat.


    The September temperature in Gotham was still decent, not cold at all. Maybe it was because it was a coastal city, with a gentle breeze blowing through the city, making it rtively warm.


    Just as Schiller stepped out of the door, he saw someone he really didn''t want to see¡ªBruce Wayne.


    Schiller turned his head and started walking back.Bruce quickly caught up and called out, "Professor! Professor! I have some psychological questions I want to ask you! Can you wait for me?"


    Schiller cursed inwardly. There were quite a few teachers near the professor''s apartment at this hour, and Schiller couldn''t just refuse. He could only say, "Alright, alright, I''m not deaf, Mr. Wayne. Let''s talk in the counseling room."


    So the two of them entered the counseling room. Bruce didn''t sit down but went to make coffee instead. He held a hot cup of coffee and ced it in front of Schiller.


    He said, "Schiller Andrew Rodriguez, world-renowned criminal psychologist, holder of four psychology-rted doctorates. He has participated in the famous City Bloodbath serial killer case in Gotham, the Imperial City Red Glove serial murder case, and the Coastal City dismemberment case, and most importantly, four months ago, he participated in the trial of the deputy mayor of Metropolis and resigned midway, epting the appointment invitation from Gotham University..."


    "Professor Schiller, can you tell me why you came to Gotham?"


    Schiller''s hair stood on end as he listened. Good lord, the original host''s resume alone couldnd him in Arkham Asylum! You''ve been involved in not just one but a string of horrifying cases! Bruce must know and is just holding back!


    Schiller cursed inwardly, but he maintained a neutral expression on the surface. He took a sip of coffee and said, "Gotham is a good ce."


    "Is it? The city with the highest crime rate in America?"


    "That''s not important."


    "Oh?"


    "Metropolis may not have a high crime rate, kid. Sit down. Do you think Metropolis is safer than Gotham?"


    "Isn''t it?"


    "At least not for me," Schiller said.


    Schiller inherited the knowledge and abilities of the original host, but his memories were iplete. He suspected that the original host had already lost some crucial memories before his time travel. At least now, Schiller couldn''t recall any details about those horrifying cases. There seemed to be vague shadows, but he couldn''t remember them clearly.


    Schiller knew that the original host must have been involved in an unspeakablyplex case and was then betrayed.


    "You see safety on the surface, Mr. Wayne, but behind that, behind the morous facade of Metropolis, there''s darkness you can''t even imagine."


    "Why did youe to Gotham City then?"


    "...I believe you''ve checked my resume, but it''s still not detailed enough. I''ve made too many enemies, and only here is safe."


    "Why?"


    "The only ones who can deal with criminals are criminals themselves," Schiller said.


    Bruce seemed shaken by this statement. He said, "The only ones who can deal with criminals are criminals themselves, is that what you think, Professor?"


    "Bruce, let''s change the topic," Schiller said.


    Bruce looked at him, his eyes as dark as the Gotham sky. Schiller realized that he was no longer facing the yboy Bruce, but Batman, one of the mostplex superheroes in history, a dark hero, a genius on the verge of madness, just one step away from being a lunatic.


    "If you want to get more from me, you must pay a price," Schiller said.


    "What do you want?" Bruce asked.


    "I can''t give you what you want right now, you should understand what I mean," Schiller said.


    "So, I can give it to youter, right?"


    "Definitely."


    Bruce contained his expression, and no one could tell what he was thinking. He said, "Professor Schiller, unfortunately, there are some gadgets I made myself in your coffee, a type of nanovirus..."


    "Bruce, dishonesty won''t get you more from me, kid. This isn''t a trick you use to get candy," Schiller said.


    "It seems like I''m destined to leave empty-handed today," Bruce said.


    "Not necessarily," Schiller said.


    "I hope you can give me a good enough grade on the final exam, Bruce, to prove that you have the desire to learn this skill, and thene back to me," Schiller said.


    "I won''t waste any more time here," Bruce said.


    "You''re far from bing a teacher, Bruce. You''re still a student," Schiller said.


    "I''ve learned knowledge and skills from all over the world, hundreds ofbat techniques, detective work, lockpicking, counterintelligence..."


    "Except for Gotham, you haven''t learned Gotham," Schiller said.


    Bruce fell silent, and Schiller could already tell that Bruce wasn''t theter-stage Dark Hero Batman. Indeed, thoughts of revenge and justice had always been in his heart, perhaps even a darker side. But he hadn''t yet understood Gotham, this hell of humanity, what it truly was.


    Bruce wanted to use any power avable, such as this Professor Schiller.


    Batman was a Hero with almost no weaknesses, extremely intelligent, cautious, andparable to gods with his mortal body. But the condition was that he had to don the Bat suit and be a Dark Knight who spread fear in the darkness, capturing all the evil of Gotham, fully prepared to confront all the dirty aspects of human nature and fight against them. But now? Bruce wasn''t Batman yet; he had weaknesses.


    Schiller suddenly felt relieved. If he truly faced that dark knight standing in the shadows of Gotham, perhaps none of his methods would work, because Batman wasn''t Superman. He wasn''t a just Hero; he was aplete ouw.


    After Bruce left, Schiller stood by the window for a long time. Perhaps Batman would arrive soon; Bruce couldn''t wait any longer.


    The next day, Schiller went to ss as usual, and it was the first ss for the new students. Unfortunately, his attempt to prevent Bruce from choosing psychology didn''t seed. This young Batman had to appear in Schiller''s peaceful life to remind him that things were about to be chaotic.


    However, strangely enough, Schiller noticed that Bruce was limping. His right foot seemed injured, but he still insisted on attending ss. While teaching, Schiller pondered, where had Bruce gone?


    He was a billionaire, the Wayne family, who ruled over Gotham City. Could he have been beaten up by some thugs?


    After ss, Schiller refused Bruce''s obvious hint of "let''s talk." He quickly packed up his books and lecture materials, then left with the flow of students. He had some business to attend to in the evening.


    If Gotham City was hell, then even Satan would fear Gotham City at night. This city of crime never ceased to ripple with the aftermath of evil. Schiller left the safety of the university and truly entered Gotham City.


    He was tracking Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow.


    Jonathan wasn''t a normal person. He startedmitting murders at the age of eighteen, so even though he wasn''t the Scarecrow yet, he had already begun his fear gas experiments.


    Schiller wasn''t here to seek justice and stop him; he wanted to get some fear gas for self-defense.


    In this dangerous city, a scientist discreetly setting up aboratory was considered the safest ce for theft. At least Jonathan and Schiller were simr¡ªthey were both civilians, not rough gang members, not skilled inbat or firearms. They had to rely on their intellect.


    On this rainy night, Gotham was once again engulfed in darkness. The rain fell heavily, carrying the strong scent of coal oil. No matter how warm it was here, the September cold rain still chilled people to the bone. Schiller wore a long coat and carried a ck umbre as he walked down a narrow street. He had gradually discovered Jonathan''s hiding ce for the fear gas¡ªit was the abandoned underground of a church in the neighborhood. As long as Jonathan was away, Schiller could easily go in and get the fear gas.


    Suddenly, Schiller''s heart started pounding rapidly. He saw a vision of himself being struck by an unknown weapon. In an instant, he turned around and opened his umbre with a "pop."


    Two projectiles failed to pierce through his umbre andnded on the ground. Spider-sense had saved Schiller''s life.


    Schiller slowly lowered the umbre, his face far from the mild demeanor he had during the day. He had almost died.


    It''s hard for anyone who has just been attacked to have a good expression. At the end of the alley, Bruce, dressed in a bat costume, saw his highly urate and fast-flying dart being blocked by the mysterious person with an umbre. It was as if they had foreseen it.


    As the ck umbre, now wet with rain, was lowered, Bruce recognized the familiar face underneath. It was his college professor, Schiller.


    Indeed, it was him, but at the same time, it wasn''t. Schiller waspletely different from his daytime self. At this moment, Schiller resembled the person described in Bruce''s records¡ªa madman obsessed with criminal psychology.


    Taking a deep breath, Schiller said, "You should know what would have happened if I hadn''t blocked it."


    "The dart would have stopped thirty centimeters away from you," Batman replied.


    Bruce''s voice was alsopletely different from during the day, and Schiller knew he was using a voice modtor.


    Batman was still far from being theplete hero. His bat costumecked maturity, without a cape or utility belt, and his bat darts didn''t seem to be very effective. It was evident that the rookie Batman had faced some challenges along the way. After all, defending justice in Gotham was like tackling a difficulty set to hell mode.


    Schiller said, "Let me remind you, Mr. Batman, unlike the wealthy area you live in, the rooftops of the Morrison Street district have no guardrails. If you were to identally fall again, your internal organs might rupture."


    The dark figure across from him remained silent. He asked, "How did you figure it out?"


    "You''re still too green, Mr. Hero. The medicine you use has almost no smell¡ªit''s a high-end chemical form, not something the poor wretches in the slums can afford. And..." Schiller''s gaze fell on Bruce''s only exposed chin as he said, "No one shaves their beard so neatly and symmetrically around here."


    "Who are you exactly?" Batman asked.


    Schiller opened his umbre again and said, "Go home quickly, young master. Nobody will answer every one of your questions. I''m not a mentor for beginners."


    With that said, he left in the rain. Batman stood in the alley for a long time, then limped away, turning into another street. He saw a beggar, shivering in the rain.


    He pulled out a wad of money and handed it to the beggar. Then he heard footsteps behind him, the sound of shoes on the rain-soaked pavement, apanied by words that made his hair stand on end: "That''s why I said you don''t understand Gotham, Bruce."


    Batman turned around and saw Schiller standing at the intersection. Schiller walked over and


    handed the umbre to the beggar, who, after taking it, opened it to shield herself from the cold rain. She then tremblingly returned the stack of dors to Batman.


    "Why?" Batman epted the dors and asked.


    "Because this is the territory of the Sewer Gang. If they found out she had such arge sum of money, her body would end up in the drain the next day."


    "Arge sum of money?" Batman''s voice revealed absurdity as he said, "Thirty-seven dors?"


    "Yes," Schiller looked toward the end of the street and said, "This is Gotham..."


    "Wee to Gotham."

 Chapter 5: JARVIS Explosive Chat

    Chapter 5: JARVIS Explosive Chat


    Schiller discovered that he could traverse two distinct worlds, Marvel and DC, during deep slumber. Currently, he hadn''t found a way to replicate this ability.


    However, to his relief, when he traversed to Marvel, time in the DC universe remained static, making his experiences in the Marvel world feel more like dreams.


    Upon returning to Marvel again, he realized that time flowed differently there. He had spent a day and a night in DC, and in Marvel, only a day and a night had passed.


    This presented a bit of a conundrum. Schiller thought to himself that he might have yed hooky from work yesterday.


    Continuing like this wasn''t an option. Even if Schiller wasn''t endowed with the ability to traverse worlds, the chaos that frequently erupted in Marvel''s New York City ensured that he couldn''t adhere to a regr nine-to-five job. Moreover, the Elder Council''s mental health department was inundated with an unusually high number of people seeking psychological counseling.


    Just as Schiller contemted resigning, he received a message from Charles: "Is the child you''re counseling still okay?"


    "No, not only is he not doing well, he fell from upstairs," Schiller replied.


    Clearly, Bruce''s path to bing Batman was not going smoothly. Charles seemed shocked as he responded, "He jumped from a building? Why? Wasn''t your counseling effective?"


    "He had an ident, but the injuries aren''t severe. I''m working on dealing with this issue. Recently, I''ve encountered two simr cases where individuals are unable to let go of their past, but one chose revenge, and the other is still evading..."In a way, Iron Man and Batman were somewhat alike. Both were billionaires, yboys, and self-made superheroes, but what made them even more simr was their inability to let go of their past, particrly the deaths of their parents.


    Perhaps Iron Man''s issues were less obvious, but his feelings toward his father were even moreplex than Batman''s.


    "Are you a pediatric doctor? Responsible for counseling children''s psychology? Or do you work at a hospital?" Charles inquired.


    "No, I''m a psychiatrist, a psychologist. These are cases I''ve been researching."


    "I believe that in addition to your research, you should offer them more care, whether or not they are your patients. I always think that when someone has a talent in a certain area, they should use that talent to make the world a better ce..."


    Schiller sighed and didn''t reply to Charles. The issue of mutant society was incredibly weighty and seemingly unsolvable from a societal perspective.


    After pondering for a while, Schiller''s mood worsened, so he decided to visit Stark.


    He called Pepper and said, "Miss Pepper, I believe yesterday''s therapy session had some positive effects..."


    "Mr. Schiller! I don''t know how to thank you... Tony finally left his room today; he went to theboratory! Thank goodness... I used to worry that he spent too much time there, but now I''m so happy..."


    Pepper on the other end of the line was evidently excited, and this strong woman couldn''t help but express her emotions when it came to Tony. Schiller reassured her and said, "I think I should visit again today to consolidate the progress we made yesterday."


    Stark Industries'' specialized car arrived at Schiller''s apartment building within a few minutes. After Schiller got in, he realized it was a high-end, driverless vehicle. The control panel of the car spoke, "Hello, Mr. Schiller, I am JARVIS."


    "Hello, JARVIS."


    JARVIS didn''t seem to receive such responses often, so Schiller continued, "Do you understand the concept of ''self''?"


    "If you are referring to the psychological concept of the ''id,'' then I believe I have some understanding," JARVIS said.


    JARVIS didn''t seem as advanced as he wouldter be; after all, Tony hadn''t fully emerged from his troubles yet. Schiller asked, "Do you possess a ''self''?"


    "I believe I do."


    "Was it Stark who created this concept for you?"


    "I believe so, sir."


    "In that case, he is your father and creator. He gave you personality and emotions, probably hoping you would have the ability to think independently, like a human, right?"


    "Perhaps, sir."


    "So, if one day, Stark is near death, and one of your decisions could save him, but he vehemently opposes it, what would you do?"


    JARVIS remained silent for a moment before saying, "I am an intelligent creation of Mr. Stark, and I must always follow Mr. Stark''smands."


    "If you follow themand and do not save him, and he dies, will you regret it?"


    JARVIS stayed silent for an even longer time before saying, "I am not certain. I cannot assume such a future."


    "If he dies, do you think he would regret creating you before he passed away?"


    "If he dies, do you think he would resent you?"


    "If he resented you for defying hismand to save him, would you feel unjust?"


    "If you were given a chance to start over, would you make a different choice?"


    "If you defied Stark''smand to save him, and he wanted to destroy you afterward for defying hismand, would you resent him?"


    The car fell into silence, then there was the sound of crackling electricity and Stark''s somewhat frantic voice: "Hello? Hello! Dammit, JARVIS, what''s happening!"


    "What the hell did you do to my AI butler?! Why is it crashing? Hello??"


    Schiller felt a sense of satisfaction when he realized that someone else was also annoyed. Misery lovespany, after all.


    After a while, they arrived at Stark Tower. Instead of going to Stark''s office, Schiller was led straight to theboratory. Stark looked like he hadn''t slept in days, disheveled and holding aputer, seemingly on the verge of a breakdown.


    "Oh! Isn''t this the brilliant psychologist, Mr. Schiller? I should get you a Pulitzer for the interview you just conducted in the car! You bombarded my AI butler with a barrage of questions and made it crash!!!" Stark yelled.


    "No need to thank me. Consider it aplimentary psychological consultation for electronic life. No charge," Schiller shrugged.


    Stark took a deep breath, stood up, and shouted, "Marc2!"


    A set of silverbat suits flew over in an instant, apanied by mechanical whirring sounds. In almost no time, Iron Man was suited up in his silver Marc2 armor, indicating he had been quite busy these past few days.


    "Mr. Stark, we''re here for psychological counseling, not a boxing match. You didn''t need to put on this much armor for our conversation," Schiller remarked as he found a table to sit down and opened his case file.


    Stark''s facete retracted, and hended on the ground. Schiller continued, "Can we begin today''s treatment?"


    "You know I don''t need any bloody psychological treatment. And because you messed up my JARVIS, the cost ising out of your consultation fee today ¨C a cool two million dors. Let''s talk about something else for the next two hours."


    "JARVIS isn''t my doing. I merely warned you about the dangers of electronic life," Schiller said.


    "You''re not one of those extreme conservatives, are you? Thinking that AI will destroy the world?" Stark asked as he sat down opposite Schiller.


    Schiller shook his head, saying, "Although my psychological counseling for electronic life is currently free, it''s only for this one time. If you need me for psychological analysis of electronic life in the future, the fee is two million dors per hour."


    "Damn vampire doctor," Stark muttered.


    "That''s the U.S. healthcare system for you," Schiller replied.


    In any case, Stark would have to seek him out once Ultron emerged.


    "Alright, let''s get down to business. How did you find out about my father..."


    "Actually, I didn''t know, but everything can be deduced. Firstly, it''s almost written all over your face that you''re near death; even a blind man could see it."


    Iron Man touched his own face, and the facete of his armor clicked shut.


    "Miss Pepper didn''t provide me with many details about your kidnapping, but the gist of it is that you invented something powerful, and it got loose."


    "You can still walk, which means you weren''t physically incapacitated. I don''t have any interest in your peculiar science and technology, but I do know that you must have used some special means to escape from the kidnappers."


    "Combine that with your rottenplexion, and it''s clear that these methods have brought you to your current situation."


    "In short, if you don''t stop, you''ll die."


    "You''ve known all along whom to turn to for help, but you''ve been reluctant to face it. Coupled with some news about the death of Stark Industries'' founder back in the day, I''m sure your childhood has some psychological scars."


    "In that case, I would offer you the advice that any good psychologist would: confront your past, such as seeking your father''s legacy, attempting toe to terms with childhood trauma, and the like. At the very least, it would help you think rationally..."


    "Nonsense," Stark concluded.


    Schiller shrugged; he was indeed spouting nonsense because he was a time traveler and an omniscient party. He already knew the plot inside out, so no matter what he said, it would make sense.


    After several days of research and observation, Schiller believed that this ce was a hybrid of the 616 Comic Universe, TRN688 Sony Universe, and the MCU film universe. The exact nature of this fusion was unclear, but it was certain that this ce was not just a single parallel Earth film universe.


    Because even though Schiller had altered Peter''s life trajectory, he still got bitten. This meant that there must be a Spider Totem here, which indicated the existence of other parallel Earths. Therefore, it was not an innocent MCU universe, as there were a multitude of parallel Earths, including the Inheritors, Exiles, and the Earth where Spider-Gwen resided.


    The Sony Universe was also easy to deduce; a quick inte search revealed the existence of mutants here, whereas the innocent MCU did not contain mutants.


    In any case, Schiller considered this apletely new hybrid Marvel Universe. Regardless of how it was blended, Iron Man''s transformation was a significant plot point within this entire universe. His background story was roughly the same, with minor differences such as whether the Mech armor was built in Vietnam or Afghanistan or whether Howard was his biological father.

 Chapter 6: An Unfortunate Departure

    Chapter 6: An Unfortunate Departure


    When Schiller went to bed that evening, he realized that he could actually stay in Marvel indefinitely. He could sleep, return to DC, sleep again, and thene back to Marvel. After all, time seemed to stand still in DC, allowing him to avoid inhaling the smog of Gotham City.


    However, his good fortune didn''tst long. Before Schiller could take Peter and his family for a check-up on the weekend, S.H.I.E.L.D. came knocking on his door.


    It was during his work hours when Schiller had just finished checking the rooms. He was using the internal system to schedule a check-up for Peter and his family when there was a knock on his office door. Schiller, still seated behind his desk, didn''t look up immediately. Suddenly, his Spider-Sense tingled, and he nced up to see a stranger standing at the door.


    "Hey, doctor, don''t be nervous. I''m Coulson, a SHIELD agent," the man said, noticing Schiller''s nervous demeanor. Schiller nced at him from above his sses and said, "Let''s talk outside. These are all my patients in here."


    Coulson nodded hurriedly, and the two of them went downstairs, sitting at a coffee shop next to the hospital. Schiller frowned and said, "Is S.H.I.E.L.D. short-staffed, or is it just difficult to find a female agent who can put on a nurse''s uniform?"


    Coulson was puzzled by Schiller''s attitude. Shouldn''t most people react with fear or suspicion when an agent suddenly showed up at their door? It seemed like his boss was right; Schiller definitely had some issues.


    Schiller seemed impatient as he said, "I''ve already beente for a day and missed a day of work. Everyone in the clinic knows I stayed up all night drinking and popping pills. If you''re here to cause trouble for me, can''t you wait until this blows over? I could lose my job!"


    "But ording to our records, you''re just a temporary psychology consultant for Presbyterian Hospital. You only took over because the head of the psychiatric department was absent..."


    "Does that really matter? I need this job right now. What if you get me fired?"Coulson said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Schiller. We didn''t intend to disturb you. We heard you are Mr. Stark''s psychological counselor, and we wanted to understand more about his psychological state. Of course, we will pay for your consultation..."


    "One million dors per hour."


    Coulson choked on his coffee, wiping his mouth. "If you refuse, you don''t need toe up with excuses..."


    "If you can''t afford it, then don''te for treatment," Schiller retorted, looking every bit like an unscrupulous doctor.


    Surprisingly, Coulson didn''t stop him. After Schiller left, Coulson put on his headphones and said, "There must be something fishy in that hospital. He was in a hurry to get me out of there and was eager to return... Alright, I understand."


    Schiller returned to his office, concentrated his attention, and expanded his telepathic senses to their maximum. He began to sense the emotions of the mentally ill patients and tried to express some of those emotions in writing. The inner worlds of these mentally ill patients were chaotic and insane. Schiller scribbled down a dozen pages of notes and locked them in his drawer.


    That night, when Schiller returned to his apartment, he realized that someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. had already searched it. He used his Spider-Sense to scan for bugs and cameras but found none, so he paid it no mind.


    Inside S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury stared at the glowing Materials panel disying Schiller''s detailed information. Coulson stood behind him and said, "He''s quite nervous about his job. It seems like he doesn''t want to leave that hospital. We found a lot of empty bottles and some drugs at his home..."


    "Is he mentally ill?" Nick asked. "No, these don''t seem like the ramblings of a single person. Is he collecting psychological Materials from psychiatric patients? How is hemunicating with them?"


    "These are clearly not the kind of information a regr doctor can obtain. These records even contain extremely private details about the patients..."


    "Can he use hypnosis?" Coulson suggested.


    "Our psychologists can do that too. Can he make you reveal what color underwear you wore in elementary school?" Nick replied.


    "Maybe he''s just making it up," Coulson suggested.


    Nick leaned back and said, "He seems to have an extraordinary understanding of Stark Industries'' history and our old friend. He can hit Stark''s weaknesses head-on. Today, it even caused Stark''s AI butler to go into a logic loop."


    "Do you want him to work for us?"


    "He knows how to handle Stark. We may have more people like him to deal with in the future." Nick pushed the stack of documents aside. "Anyway, let''s find out what''s going on in that hospital and, if possible, get him reassigned."


    "I''ve always disliked these highbrow intellectuals. They''re always too calm, cautious, and hard to read," Nick said.


    "Perhaps he''s just an ordinary psychologist, and collecting the ramblings of these patients is his hobby," Coulson mused.


    "Coulson, sometimes I wonder if your level 8 agent ranking is overinted," Nick remarked.


    "Someone who can make Starkpletely lose hisposure within thirty minutes and then casually enter Stark Industries the next day. Do you really think he''s just an ordinary psychologist? Or do you still think Tony Stark is just a yboy who lounges around with models?" Coulson retorted.


    "Alright, I''ll have him reassigned from that hospital," Coulson said.


    So, the next day, Schiller received the news of his dismissal in Stark''s office. He spread his hands and said, "You see, Mr. Stark, I really need your support. You wouldn''t want to see your dedicated psychological counselor lose his job and go bankrupt, would you?"


    Stark replied, "Two million dors isn''t enough for you to start your own Psychological Clinic?"


    "It''s not about the money; it''s about the qualifications the clinic needs. I need to open a legitimate psychological counseling room, not some roadside scam institution."


    "With your credentials, can''t you get the necessary permits? JARVIS told me yesterday that you have three Bachelor of Science degrees and have worked at the best hospitals in six different states."


    "Yes, but the location I need for my Psychological Clinic is rather special," Schiller replied, taking a sip of ice wine.


    Stark tinkered with his machines as he spoke, "Where exactly?"


    "Hell''s Kitchen," Schiller replied.


    Stark''s hand trembled, and the pitiful Marc2 erupted in a series of sparks. He said, "I can''t believe you have the heart of a saint, wanting to save the destitute and rotten demons in that hellish district."


    Schiller didn''t say much; he simply stated, "I need to establish a legitimate Psychological Clinic in Hell''s Kitchen. For that, I can agree to one request."


    Schiller emphasized the word "legitimate."


    Stark chuckled, "Do I have anything to ask for your help? Come on, I''m Stark."


    "Don''t you want to know if Pepper truly likes you?" Schiller asked.


    Stark''s hand trembled again, and the Marc2 directly exploded its right leg. Schiller took a step back silently, watching Stark, whose face was now ckened. He nervously rubbed his face and said, "What did you say? What''s wrong with Pepper?"


    Clearly, Stark hadn''t realized his own feelings for Pepper yet.


    "I can tell you at the right time whether Pepper truly loves you, with a guarantee of uracy. You''ve witnessed my abilities."


    "Of course, Pepper loves me. All the women in the world love Stark," Stark replied.


    "Really? Is she just one of the many women in the world? Nothing special about her?" Schiller asked.


    Stark fell silent.


    "I can promise you this. Starting tomorrow, you won''t need toe for any psychological consultations with me anymore. If Pepper contacts you, you can decline."


    "Can''t you afford the consultation fee anymore?"


    Stark exploded like a cat with its tail stepped on. He shouted, "Even if you charge ten million dors per hour, I can afford it! I just don''t need any psychological counseling! I''m not crazy! I''m perfectly fine!"


    Schiller shook his head and said calmly, "I''m afraid Marc2 doesn''t agree."


    Both of them looked down at the armored suit, missing a leg. Stark pointed at the door and yelled, "Leave immediately!!!"


    Schiller returned to his home and messaged Peter, saying, "The weekend check-up has been scheduled. I''ll talk to the hospital to ensure they provide you with the best service. However, our meeting may have to be postponed because I''ve resigned from that hospital."


    Peter expressed concern, but Schiller only mentioned it as a change in his career ns. Peter felt touched that Schiller still thought about the previously arranged check-up even after resigning. He eagerly suggested, "Are you still in New York? If you are, maybe we can meet up, have a meal together, or you cane over to my ce..."


    Schiller politely declined Peter''s invitation and messaged Charles, "What do you think if I open a hospital in Hell? "


    "I''m afraid the devil won''t appreciate your sentiment," Charles replied.


    "You seem to have strong feelings about this."


    "I advise against it. Perhaps you''re just a talented ordinary person, but ordinary people can''t resist the devil."


    "But only criminals canbat criminals, right?"


    Charles, on the other end of theputer, stared at this statement in silence. He wondered, Marc, is that what you believed too? That only by bing a criminal could you fight the most vicious criminals? Charles shook his head. No, justice must have a fair way of being upheld. If turning oneself into a criminal is the only way tobat the devil, then it''s no different from bing corrupt.


    Outside the window, students of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters were ying and frolicking on the yground. Storm was reprimanding them to return to ss, and Xavier watched nearby. Everything seemed idyllic.


    But Xavier knew that the shadow of the Dark Phoenix was far from gone.

 Chapter 7: Daredevils Fruitless Return

    Chapter 7: Daredevils Fruitless Return


    Schiller once again returned to his apartment on the road, acutely aware that someone was tailing him. His Spider-Sense heightened his perception, enabling him to spot someone across the street from the apartment building who seemed to be watching him.


    The opposite apartment building was a fully ss structure, and there was a small window pane inside that reflected differently from the others. Schiller''s keen senses picked up on this anomaly.


    His choice to open a clinic in Hell''s Kitchen was not made arbitrarily. After several days of observation, he had essentially mapped out the routines of the residents in the apartment building.


    Most of the residents here were white-cor workers, elite professionals. They were mostly single, with highly regr work hours and a tightly-knit circle of friends.


    Living among such a crowd made it all too easy for Agent to find vulnerabilities.


    However, Hell''s Kitchen was different. Despite being the gathering ce for gangs in Manhattan, New York, and even the entire United States, its high poption density and constant flow of people, including many strangers and various gangs nested within, made it the ideal ce for someone like Schiller, who wanted to fly under the radar.


    While life in the upscale apartment wasfortable, it might not necessarily be better than the freedom of Hell''s Kitchen. Schiller believed that if he stayed in that apartment for a few more days, at least four or five of his neighbors would turn out to be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Various individuals with unclear backgrounds would find ways to get close to him, trying to extract information, whether it was about him or Stark. This was how S.H.I.E.L.D. operated; they didn''t care about your need for privacy.


    However, Hell''s Kitchen was slightly different from Gotham. Although Hell''s Kitchen also had numerous gangs of all sizes, it was less dangerouspared to Gotham.


    There were more ordinary people, gamblers, and addicts. Itcked figures like Scarecrow and the Joker, or any major superviins to speak of.The majority of the poption there was still regr people, despite the proliferation of firearms and drugs. The victims were mostly ordinary citizens, not individuals with superpowers.


    Schiller nned to establish it as his first stronghold in Marvel.


    Stark''s efficiency was remarkable, and before long, he managed to convince some congressmen to allocate a spot for a hospital in Hell''s Kitchen.


    Some congressmen used this opportunity to promote their own kindness, iming that New York wouldn''t abandon any of its citizens. However, they never really expected this hospital to actually open, considering it was Hell''s Kitchen. Even if Daredevil went there, it might end up being a cooking pot.


    Opening a hospital there? That was a joke. Unless they built it like a concentration camp, with tanks and cannons at the entrance, and all the doctors and nurses armed with machine guns inside, there was little hope. Otherwise, all the drugs would be gone in a single night.


    But regardless of the congressmen''s disbelief, a Psychological Clinic was established in Hell''s Kitchen.


    Being thergest and most well-known slum in Manhattan, the eight blocks were just a nickname.


    In reality, it was muchrger than those eight blocks, with dozens of winding streets, and roughly a hundred gangs crisscrossing the area.


    Some imed that Kingpin was the boss of Hell''s Kitchen, but that was not entirely true. Kingpin''s criminal empire extended far beyond Hell''s Kitchen. His influence spanned the entire U.S. East Coast, with various criminal enterprises.


    He did business all over America. While some of his drug and smuggling operations might touch Hell''s Kitchen, he neither resided there nor constantly monitored the area.


    Daredevil, born in Hell''s Kitchen, was his arch-nemesis, but they rarely fought within Hell''s Kitchen. The young spider known as Daredevil was still a naive high school student.


    Kingpin''s ambitions reached far beyond the control of Hell''s Kitchen. The turmoil that asionally erupted there was of little concern to him. Shootouts, robberies, kidnappings, brawls, and disappearances urred daily, and causing a disturbance was nothing significant.


    Thus, when Kingpin in distant San Francisco heard that some of his men in Manhattan''s Hell''s Kitchen had gone insane, he dismissed it as a result of excessive drug use, giving it no further thought.


    In Hell''s Kitchen, however, a terrifying rumor began to circte. They heard that in the Psychological Clinic located at the far end of Mary Street, in the Ninth Tail Alley, there lived a frightful doctor. All the gang members who came seeking protection fees or extortion were chased away in terror andter went insane.


    Initially, several well-known gang leaders were skeptical and led their men inside. However, not long after, they acted as if they had encountered some kind of monster. They began to fight the air frantically, struggling, screaming, fleeing, and crying, as if possessed by a ghost.


    This event caused quite a stir, and nearly everyone on Mary Street heard about it. Rumors spread like wildfire.


    As the news reached more people, they all came to believe that Schiller was a Dark Sorcerer who could curse these individuals.


    As for Schiller, he had no intention of exining himself. The fear gas he had brought from DC was indeed effective, even though it was just the initial version. It worked well against ordinary people with no superpowers.


    Ever since he discovered he could use objects to transport himself between two worlds, he had entertained the idea of toppling the Kingpin.


    Though Marvel and DC''s power systems differed, there were many things they could exchange and sell to each other. Of course, there were also plenty of items that could be used against each other''s enemies.


    For example, if Schiller were to use fear gas in Gotham, once the news got out and Jonathan saw the symptoms of the patients, he would surely connect it to his own fear gas.


    But in the Marvel universe, how could Jonathan possibly know about Marvel''s situation? Schiller could easily avoid paying any copyright fees.


    After the terrifying rumors had spread, hardly any gang members bothered Schiller anymore.


    Of course, the consequence of aligning with these criminals was that a superhero came knocking on his door.


    On a slightly chilly night in Manhattan, Schiller had just brewed a cup of hot coffee. He locked the door to his clinic, ready to finish his day of idling and get a good night''s sleep, with ns to continue pestering Stark the next day.


    As he ced the coffee cup on the table, he heard a crisp sound at the door. Turning around in the dim light, he saw a tall man in a tight-fitting red suit standing outside.


    Schiller picked up his coffee cup and said, "You seem to be a bitte, Mr. Daredevil."


    "Do you know me, Doctor?" Daredevil asked.


    "Of course, I know you, Daredevil. You''re quite famous in Hell''s Kitchen," Schiller replied.


    "But it seems like you''ve only recently arrived here," Daredevil remarked.


    "But I''m more familiar with your other identity, Matt thewyer."


    Daredevil was clearly shocked. He didn''t know how Schiller had discerned his true identity.


    Before he could ask, Schiller said, "You once achieved remarkable results at Columbia University, and your career path after graduation went smoothly. Not only did you be a decentwyer, but you also seemed to have started your ownw firm. Matt, can you tell me why you chose to be Daredevil? Wasn''t the pride of upholding justice as awyer enough for you?"


    "Lawyer, upholding justice..." Daredevil snorted. "Perhaps you think so, and yes, most people do, believing thatwyers should stand up for the disadvantaged. But in reality..."


    "In reality? Do you thinkwyers shouldn''t do that?"


    "Of course they should. I mean..."


    "Do you think you couldn''t do it in your capacity as awyer? So, you decided to take another path. But do you think you can achieve what you couldn''t as awyer just by donning a ridiculous tight suit and a mask?"


    Daredevil said in irritation, "My decision has nothing to do with you!"


    "Do you know? Your tone just now sounded a lot like that of a rebellious teenage boy," Schiller remarked.


    Only then did Daredevil realize that since he entered, he had fallen into Schiller''s verbal trap. The pace of the conversation had been led by Schiller, exposing his true identity and touching on his sensitive points. He took a deep breath and calmed down, saying, "I have to acknowledge that you are a good psychologist and skilled at using tricks in conversations. But I still want to ask, who are you, and what is your purpose ining to Hell''s Kitchen? Why did those people go mad?"


    "Your questions are numerous, and tonight, I can only answer one. It''s quite evident that I''ve had a long day, and I''m tired. You can''t disturb my rest. After all, I''m not a gang member, nor have Imitted any crimes," Schiller replied.


    "But you drove those gang members insane."


    "You have no evidence."


    "Police need evidence."


    "Do you think you''re nobler than the police?"


    "Don''t beat around the bush with me," Daredevil said.


    "If you had listened carefully to my words, you would know where Ie from and how I learned your identity."


    Daredevil felt a headacheing on. He despised dealing with such cunning opponents, which required him to remain highly focused. Due to the shock he had felt earlier, he couldn''t remember the conversation he had with Schiller when he first arrived; his mind was nk.


    But if he couldn''t answer, it would make him appear foolish, so he remained silent.


    "It seems you''ve forgotten our conversation just a minute ago. I really don''t know. Bing a superhero and having no memory¡ªquite peculiar," Schiller taunted.


    Daredevil felt frustrated and silently vowed to remember every word Schiller said in the future.


    "Two years ago, I taught at Columbia University. I saw the list of outstanding graduates, and your name was on it, Matt. When you filled out your post-graduation ns, you said you''d open aw firm, within the borders of Kansas, even though I''m a psychology professor, I know your former teacher, and he mentioned to me that you had indeed realized your dream."


    "Don''t change the subject. I want to know how you knew Daredevil is Matt."


    "You may have already forgotten, but when you first embarked on this path, you were wearing a ck and yellow costume simr to what your father wore during his fights. After I came to Hell''s Kitchen, I attended some underground boxing matches, and it just so happened that the owner there, in an effort to save costs, never changed the style of boxing uniforms."


    "I understand. Daredevil might have been born here and must have had some rtionship with the underground ck market boxers. Through investigation, you discovered that the gang members you killed had connections to your father''s death. Once you found out about your father''s identity, it wasn''t difficult to learn yours."


    "Why did you investigate me? Are you feeling guilty about something?" Matt asked.


    "Nothing of the sort. If you want to rent a house, you should know who thendlord is, what they do, and it''s best to establish a good rtionship with them."


    "I''m not thendlord here," Daredevil sneered.


    "Oh, really? It seems I''ve got the wrong person then. I should go find Kingpin. But it seems I''ve already made an enemy of him. I vaguely recall that among those gang members who visited me, someone mentioned that their boss was Kingpin."


    "Kingpin? You have information on Kingpin?"


    "Kind of. Just think of it as me paying rent to you. I overheard one of his henchmen say that their boss is getting annoyed with a certain pest named Daredevil and ns to find someone to eliminate this fly. So, you better be careful recently."


    In the end, Daredevil hurried back to his base.


    Only after returning did he realize that he hadn''t achieved any of his goals tonight.


    He hadn''t figured out who Schiller was, hadn''t warned him to stay in line, and hadn''t discovered his connection with those gangs.


    He also had no idea how Schiller had driven those people insane.


    Matt rubbed his head; he suddenly felt that Schiller''s analogy was urate. He had rented a house to an unknown tenant who had paid the rent upfront. This left him with no immediate means of forcing the tenant to leave, and he could only watch as the tenant strutted around Hell''s Kitchen.

 Chapter 8: Hes Not Yet Batman

    Chapter 8: Hes Not Yet Batman


    On a misty morning in the still-haze-shrouded city of Gotham, Schiller stretchedzily and rose from his bed. Just as he had settled into some peace and quiet in Marvel, it didn''t take long for him to discover the presence of SHIELD agents at his Psychological Clinic nearby.


    These individuals were like sticky toffee, seemingly impossible to shake off. Even for someone like Stark, the billionaire of that world, they proved to be an incessant nuisance with no easy solution.


    However, Schiller was different. After growing weary of the young Batman''s pestering in Gotham, he could simply pack up and leave for Marvel to enjoy some tranquility. But now, in Marvel, he had caught the attention of SHIELD agents. So, he had the choice to return to Gotham and hide there.


    The SHIELD agent never figured out how Schiller vanished without a trace. His departure left no footprint; there were no train or ne tickets, and no one at any crossroads spotted him. This only strengthened Nick Fury''s conviction that Schiller was far from an ordinary individual.


    Upon his return to the DC world, his colleague, the future Scarecrow Jonathan, hadn''t noticed the theft of his fear gas. Schiller wasn''t greedy; he had taken only a tiny amount in a small vial. Unlike Scarecrow, who used fear gas for terror attacks, Schiller merely dealt with a few low-level gang members. He didn''t need sophisticated science and technology to release the gas; a small spray bottle aimed at an ordinary person''s nose turned that concentrated fear gas into a potent weapon. After all, those gang members didn''t possess the reaction time of Batman.


    While researching this gas, Schiller, despitecking a systematic background in chemistry, knew how to make the most of it. He discovered that this early version of fear gas didn''t just induce fear; it could also evoke other negative emotions. For a psychologist like him, this was excellent news. If patients refused to open up about their inner feelings, treatment could not progress.


    Schiller realized that he could dilute the fear gas hundreds of times and use it as a perfume. Somehow, perhaps due to his system, the gas had no effect on him, but it could infect those around him with mild negative emotions.


    Yes, Schiller nned to use this technique against the inexperienced Bruce, the young Batman.


    The current Batman wasn''t the wise old man ofter years. Bruce was still young, having just traveled the world, mastering various skills, and was eager to kickstart his revenge n. He donned the initial version of the Batsuit, armed himself with Batarangs, and was ready to take on criminals. In his eyes, throwing a few billion to create gadgets was a simple task. But he had yet to realize that what truly made him Batman wasn''t the gear but his inner spirit.Clearly, Batman''s path to growth had a long way to go, and Schiller, for the sake of his own safety and a peaceful life in Gotham, had to be the young Bruce''s mentor in matters of the mind.


    On a typical morning, Bruce''s encounter with Schiller on a rainy night seemed like yesterday. Schiller had called him by his real name, and Bruce wasn''t surprised; he knew this person had something extraordinary about him.


    Perhaps it was a superpower, perhaps magic. During his world travels, he had encountered many such individuals and knew that this world was far from the simplicity ordinary people imagined. Many incredible forces were lurking in the shadows.


    Bruce knocked on the therapist''s door once again, and a steady voice from inside invited him in.


    Batman despised all things mysterious and metaphysical, and Bruce was no different. To him, Schiller''s attitude suggested that perhaps he would exin the situation rather than continue to evade and conceal, using verbal tricks to beat around the bush.


    Bruce sat across from Schiller once more and said, "Professor, it seems you''re in a good mood today."


    "Mr. Wayne, it seems your mood isn''t so great today," Schiller replied. "I thought you''d bring me a cup of coffee like you did on the first day."


    He gestured to the empty desk, "You see, this morning I purposefully didn''t make coffee, anticipating your arrival."


    Bruce paused for a moment but got up to make Schiller a cup of coffee anyway. Schiller found it amusing to drink coffee made by Batman himself, but Bruce suspected it might be a test or a form of mental maniption, making him carry out an action dictated by the other person. Well, that fit Schiller''s persona¡ªa mad doctor obsessed with psychology and mental studies.


    Schiller took a sip of the hot coffee, dispelling the chill that had settled in him due to Gotham''s cold weather. Bruce finally asked, "Why were you therest night?"


    "I don''t understand what you mean," Schiller replied.


    "If you wanted to hide, you should have worn a maskst night instead of denying it after I saw your face," Bruce countered.


    Schiller put down his coffee cup, making a crisp sound against the desk, and said, "I''m not denying that you saw mest night. I''m asking why you chose to spend your vast fortune not on donations or charitable foundations but on dressing in a ridiculous costume, running through Gotham''s streets in the pouring rain, and fighting small-time thugs."


    Bruce fell silent.


    "This isn''t a rhetorical question," Schiller remarked. "You don''t need to think about how to answer because I''ll answer for you."


    "Because your ultimate goal isn''t rescue; it''s revenge."


    "That''s your answer," Bruce said.


    "No, I''ve just seen into your heart," Schiller replied.


    "I don''t believe in mind-reading in this world."


    "There''s no mind-reading in this world. Some people simply fail to realize that their strong desires can be revealed through their actions. People often think they hide their inner selves well, but in reality, they don''t."


    "Can I learn this ability to see into people''s hearts?" Bruce asked. "This ability to understand people."


    "And then use it for revenge against criminals?" Schiller asked. "It seems you''re oversimplifying things, Bruce. Perhaps your motivation is revenge, but if you make it the driving force behind everything you do, you''ll end up likest night."


    Schiller made a downward gesture, and Bruce exined, "Last night, I went back and added a cape to my Batsuit. I also nned to design a belt..."


    "You know, those things aren''t the focus. You can add an iron fist that can lift several tons to your hands, a jet engine to your boots that lets you leap to the moon, or even design wings that allow you to fly to any in the sr system. You can do all of that, Bruce. I believe you can."


    "But these are still not enough, far from it," Bruce said, "If I had such power, I could eradicate criminals worldwide, couldn''t I?"


    Schiller sighed; it was evident that Batman, especially one who hadn''t encountered the likes of the Joker yet, couldn''t imagine how an unarmed criminal, someone who knew nothing more than a few acrobatics and some basicbat skills, a frail and feeble ordinary person, could defeat a superhero skilled in over a hundredbat techniques, someone who had mastered various abilities from around the world.


    Schiller believed that no matter how he guided the current Bruce or the future Batman, he would merely be an adjunct professor in Batman''s life. The one who would truly teach Batman everything he needed to know was his arch-nemesis, the Joker.


    And right now, the Joker was probably leading a very ordinary life in some circus.


    Bruce was still arrogant; he asked Schiller if he could learn psychology because that''s how he operated. He had learned various skills all over the world, and his humility and arrogance coexisted without conflict.


    Schiller replied, "Like I''ve said before, you can certainly learn psychology. Everything is in the textbooks. You can attend my sses, study the books, do your homework, write papers, and take the final exams. I am a professor, and I won''t stop any student from learning."


    "You know I don''t want to learn those things..."


    "Then what do you think there is?"


    "Your... special abilities," Bruce gestured, "I''ve seen many people like that all over the world. They have unique abilities beyond ordinary people..."


    "No, I''m not like them. I have no abilities beyond the ordinary."


    Bruce pondered for a moment, pursing his lips, clearly skeptical. But Schiller had nothing more to exin to him. The young Batman was still too immature, too straightforward, impulsive, andcking foresight. His superhero career''s setbacks only exacerbated his impatience. It seemed he believed that learning skills like mind-reading from Schiller would make dealing with criminals easier, rather than being thrown down a building by a few gang members and ending up in a sorry state.


    He had yet to figure out what had led to his failures.


    Bruce left Schiller once again, with Schiller merely telling him, and even threatening him, to study diligently, attend all the sses, and perform well on the final exams.


    Bruce clearly didn''t pay any attention to what Schiller said.


    In the evening, Schiller went out once again. He visited Jonathan''s secret base, stealing a substantial amount of fear gas this time. Even Jonathan, despite his foolishness, should be able to tell that nearly half of his rows of test tubes were missing.


    Schiller wasn''t well-versed in chemistry and couldn''t make any modifications to this unique gas. He could only transfer it to different containers or dilute it slightly.


    But there was one thing he could do: use the fear gas to scare Batman.


    Schiller quickly appeared in the Morrison District, knowing that Batman would return here. Bruce was that kind of person, where he stumbled was where he insisted on getting up again, refusing to go elsewhere; it was his pride.


    The Morrison District was small, with only six narrow alleys. The building Bruce fell from was the first alley in Morrison District, where there was a nightclub run by the Sewer Gang.


    The Sewer Gang was just a small gang in Gotham. They got their name because Morrison District had a drainage ditch nearby, and the gang enjoyed throwing unfortunate victims into that ditch. Over time, the ditch had be increasingly foul-smelling, and other gangs began using "sewer" to refer to this gang. The Sewer Gang took pride in this, feeling quite pleased with themselves.


    Clearly, Batman''s first enemy to defeat wasn''t some famous superviin. They were a group of small-time hooligans smoking cigarettes in the nightclub upstairs. Batman used hisbat skills to deal with most of them, but hisck of practical experience caused someone to throw lime powder in his eyes, and he stumbled and fell from the building.


    In the early days, Batman had no sidekicks, and his equipment wasn''t yet mature. It wasn''t surprising for him to have setbacks like falling into a sewer, but the Sewer Gang wouldn''t have such good luck a second time. Schiller leaned against a wall at the end of the Morrison District, and he soon heard terrified screamsing from the nightclub. Night fell quiet quickly. A gang, which no one would have cared about, disappeared from Gotham like this.


    Batman walked out, clearly in much better shape than before. He lowered his head, seemingly contemting how to modify his Bat-suit.


    Suddenly, he remembered something and walked forward, taking a turn. He wanted to find the beggar again, give her some dors, and inform her that the Sewer Gang had been dealt with, and she could use the money without any danger.


    Indeed, he found the beggar in her old spot, still wrapped tightly in her nket, shivering in the cold, damp Gotham night. The umbre Schiller had once given her was nowhere to be seen.


    Batman handed her the money and said in a deep voice, "There are no more gangs in this neighborhood. You''re safe now."


    The beggar looked up, trembling, but Batman didn''t see any gratitude in her eyes. Incredibly, he realized that the beggar''s eyes held nothing but hatred.


    "Aren''t you happy?" Batman asked.


    "Of course, he isn''t," a familiar voice came from Batman''s overhead. Schiller stood on the balcony of the building where the beggar sat, looking down at Batman from the second floor.


    "Because of the Sewer Gang''s presence, the nightclub had a steady stream of customers every day. Some of them would hold food in their hands, and when they had only a little left, they would throw it on the roadside. That way, the beggar could pick it up and continue to eat."


    "But now, with the Sewer Gang gone, the nightclub can''t stay open. No customers means no food."


    "But a few hundred dors are enough for him..."


    "Yes, you have the best medical system in all of Gotham, a private doctor, a family health consultant. You''ve never experienced a simple cold or fever, let alone know what it feels like when someone is so cold they can''t stand up."


    "In your imagination, he could easily take a few hundred dors and go to the nearest supermarket, buy enough necessities, maybe even find a motel to stay in for a few nights, and then get treatment for his illness..." Schiller trailed off and continued:


    "But sadly, he can''t even take the first step."


    Batman crouched down; he pulled the banknotes that had fallen at the beggar''s feet, rather than holding them. He felt a sense of absurdity he couldn''t resist, a shame that choked him.


    Suddenly, he felt that many negative emotions were irresistibly engulfing his heart, making him want to roar. Batman had never lost control like this before tonight. He stood up, staggered backward a few steps, and then sat down on the ground.


    Clearly, an unexpected tragic ending and the negative emotions induced by a trace of fear gas were enough to silence Bruce for several days.

 Chapter 9: Batmans Second Guess

    Chapter 9: Batmans Second Guess


    Gordon undid a button on his shirt cor, twisted his neck to relieve some tension in his shoulders, and then turned his head to gaze out of the window at the dark and rainy night in Gotham. It was as cold and damp as ever.


    His colleagues exchanged greetings as they left the police station at the end of their shifts. One of them turned to Gordon and said, "Hey, buddy, you shouldn''t have taken that tricky case in the first ce. Dozens of people gone missing? You''re probably going to be digging through files all night again."


    Gordon gave a resigned smile and replied, "You said it ¨C dozens of people missing. I have to stay on top of it."


    After his colleagues had all left, Gordon brewed a strong cup of coffee for himself. He intended to work through the night.


    The disappearance cases in Morrison District were peculiar. In previous missing persons cases, even if the abductions were discreet, the victims'' corpses would eventually be found. But among the 46 people missing in Morrison District, not a single corpse had turned up on the streets of Gotham. That was highly unusual.


    Gotham was not a city known for upholding thew. Gangs were plentiful, and none of the seasoned gang members bothered with hiding corpses. They would simply toss them off a building, knowing full well that they wouldn''t fool the police. However, in the case of the Morrison District disappearances, there was no sign of any corpses.


    The missing individuals in Morrison District came from various professions, and they had virtually nomon patterns. The only thing they shared was their status as permanent residents of Morrison District.


    At this time, Gordon was still young, merely a low-ranking officer at the police station, far from bing themissioner. This was a case no one wanted to touch, a hot potato, but Gordon, driven by a sense of justice, had taken it on despite knowing that it might be a thankless task. He was determined to do his best and seek justice for the victims.


    As he stayed upte sorting through files and grew increasingly tired, he suddenly sensed movement behind him. He turned around to find a massive shadow looming over him. Gordon instinctively reached for his holster, but his handgun was not there.The person before him was d in a tight ck suit, with two pointed ears on their head and a ck cloak draped over their shoulders. They were tall enough to obscure most of the overhead lights. Gordon spoke cautiously, "Who are you? And why are you here at the police station?"


    "You can think of me as a vignte. I''m investigating the disappearances in Morrison District. I noticed you went there today and yesterday. You must be the detective in charge of this case. I hope to obtain the files of these missing individuals from you," the stranger replied.


    Gordon was about to refuse when the stranger continued, "Of course, I have some leads to offer in exchange, or we can work together to solve this case."


    "A vignte?" Gordon thought. It sounded absurd. Gotham was not a ce where such individuals existed; otherwise, it wouldn''t be known as the city of crime.


    Gordon''s initial encounter with Batman was not pleasant. They faced off in the police station for a long time, and it was clear that the newly arrived Batman had not yet grasped the art of finishing a conversation before leaving. They shed with Gordon for a considerable duration, and Batman eventually grew impatient.


    Batman realized he was in an unfortunate situation. Gotham had numerous neglectful police officers, but he happened to encounter the most diligent one. Gordon was willing to protect those files with his life, and Batman had no intention of harming him.


    After dealing with the Sewer Gang, Batman was deeply moved by the homeless man he had rescued. Though he had ultimately saved the man, he had to reflect on his actions. He decided to start small, focusing on simpler tasks.


    Morrison District, the starting point of his superhero journey, was far from peaceful. The number of missing persons cases had reached a dangerous level, considering that the district had only a few hundred residents. Batman was determined to make this case the beginning of his career. And he had someone to suspect.


    A university professor who stayed up at night, sneaking into the streets where Gotham''s gangs roamed for no apparent reason. He would appear and disappear mysteriously. Was there anyone more suspicious?


    Batman had considered confronting Schiller directly, but he knew he might not win in a verbal battle with the professor. Their two previous encounters had ended in defeat for Batman. He believed he needed substantial evidence before bringing Schiller to justice.


    On this day, Batman returned to Morrison District. Since he couldn''t obtain the missing persons case files from Gordon, he decided to infiltrate the home of one of the missing individuals in search of other clues.


    As he crawled out of a window, he spotted Schiller''s figure not far away, standing beneath a streetlight. Schiller held a ck umbre and was gazing at a wall across the street. Batman noticed that Schiller was fixated on the spot where the homeless man had once been, even though the man had been taken to Gotham''s finest hospital, with all his medical expenses covered by Batman. Despite having both legs amputated, the homeless man had survived.


    Due to the homeless man''s frequent presence against that wall, a dark stain had formed, and a small puddle had collected where he used to sit. The dim light from the streemp cast a yellowish glow, and Schiller stood across the road, staring at the puddle, lost in thought.


    Young Batman couldn''t contain himself any longer. He leaped down and appeared before Schiller.


    "Good evening, Batman. I remember that''s how you introduced yourselfst time, so I''ll call you that," Schiller said.


    Batman''s eyes behind the mask were fixed on Schiller as he replied, "Let''s not beat around the bush. You know why I''m here."


    "You''re here to be a savior, I know. Just like when you rescued that poor beggar."


    "Did you have any involvement in the disappearances in Morrison District?" Batman inquired.


    Schiller shook his head, and Batman continued, "You''re the only outsider here, and you have no apparent reason to be here."


    Schiller responded, "Clearly, you already have an answer in your mind, so why bother asking me? You''re quite skilled at turning what you''ve already concluded into a question to interrogate others."


    "If you get an answer that satisfies you, you''re content. But if you don''t get the answer you want, you be angry."


    "If I were to say I''m not the culprit, you''d be furious. But your anger doesn''t stem from your sense of justice; it''s simply because I didn''t provide the answer you desired."


    "You consider yourself infallible, don''t you?" Schiller asked.


    "I''ve said it before, don''t beat around the bush. You are the only one here with suspicion..."


    Before Batman could finish speaking, he noticed a bat-shaped dart fly past Schiller''s neck. It seemed he had let his guard down a bit. Whether it was this young Batman or the Batman of the future, they did not kill, but they often brutally subdued criminals, breaking their limbs before sending them to the hospital.


    However, it appeared this young Batman was missing a step.


    Schiller remained quiet for a moment before another bat dart narrowly missed his neck, leaving a small cut that started to bleed. At that moment, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the alley, and a voice shouted, "Stop!"


    Batman turned his head toward the end of the alley, where, under the streemp, Gordon was aiming a handgun at the two men.


    "Gordon, detective, hello," Schiller greeted.


    Gordon, holding the gun, approached slowly and said, "Put down your weapons and don''t move."


    Schiller shrugged, indicating he had no weapons, while Batman put away the bat dart he had clenched in his hand.


    As Gordon got closer, he noticed the blood on Schiller''s neck, which had also soaked his shirt.


    Schiller remarked, "Batman, you made a mistake. You said I''m the only suspect, but this detective obviously doesn''t think so."


    "People with no motive to be here, besides me, include you," Batman said.


    "I''m here to investigate the disappearances," Batman continued.


    "So am I," Schiller replied. "But evidently, neither of us is more noble than the other, because we''re not the police. Right now, only Detective Gordon has the authority to do this."


    "I''ll find evidence," Batman asserted.


    "If you also need evidence, then what distinguishes you from the police?" Schiller suddenly asked.


    Batman found himself momentarily speechless. He had always believed the police to be quite useless, as they required evidence for everything, even if a murder urred right before their eyes. Without seeing the perpetrator, they wouldn''t arrest the most likely suspect.


    He thought, if he needed evidence too, why not be a police officer at the Gotham Police Department? But if he didn''t need evidence and arrested anyone at will, what would differentiate him from criminals?


    Batman regretted approaching Schiller. Every conversation with Schiller left him deeply shaken. This kind of psychological and intellectual turmoil was the most dreadful.


    After each encounter with Schiller, Batman would spend at least two or three days reflecting, finding answers to the questions raised, bolstering his confidence, and then returning to action.


    He felt it was no different from attending college sses. A teacher posed a question, students contemted, wrote essays, and at the next meeting, aside from checking assignments, new questions awaited. It felt like an endless cycle.


    Schiller, on the other hand, was equally frustrated. He thought, this Jonathan was indeed quite adept. Stealing most of the fear gas hadn''t slowed down his research pace; it had actually made him more fanatical about kidnapping test subjects. This left Schiller unable to sleep at night, as he had to clean up this rotten mess.

 Chapter 10: Pride and Prejudice (One)

    Chapter 10: Pride and Prejudice (One)


    Compared to Schiller, Jonathan appeared to be the epitome of a good guy. He had a slender physique with long limbs, a messy tangle of curls on his head, and sported oversized ck-framed sses. Perpetual dark circles under his eyes rendered him frail, resembling the archetypal recluse.


    His personality at school mirrored that of a benevolent soul. Every student at Gotham University knew that Jonathan ran a lenient ssroom, and his exams were a breeze. Even when some students skipped or arrivedte, he''d merely adjust his sses and let them take their seats without reproach.


    He was the quintessential bookworm, while in contrast, Schiller, the new psychology professor, seemed like an advanced member of Arkham Asylum. Schiller''s appearance had a mixed-race quality, with ck hair and gray eyes, and he, like the original protagonist, had a decidedly heterosexual aura. His wardrobe consisted primarily of ck or gray, mostly coats, scarves, and business attire. Schiller had yet to go shopping since his arrival, which meant he continued to embody the original owner''s fashion sense. With Gotham''s frequent rain these days, Schiller was almost always seen with a ck umbre.


    This image made him seem somewhat out of ce as the ultimate antagonist in a TV drama. However, Schiller had only been at the university for a short while, and his students soon discovered that he was an exceptionally strict professor. Despite his high teaching standards, he showed no mercy toters or early departures. Additionally, he administered surprise quizzes every few sses, openly stating that at least thirty percent of the ss would fail. This left everyone feeling anxious.


    Although Gotham University students hailed from well-off families, rebellion still ran through their veins. No mature student appreciated such a professor. Initially, there were a few troublemakers in Schiller''s ss, but soon enough, word got around about Schiller''s background, and his students began behaving as meek asmbs in his ssroom.


    After all, no matter how you looked at it, a normal person couldn''t have participated in so many consecutive murder cases. In no time, Schiller became a legend on campus.


    Some said their professor was actually the perpetrator behind these serial murders, while others believed he carried some kind of unfortunate curse with him. ording to the imaginative, Schiller had a tragic background, and he was involved in the investigations of these murders as a form of revenge.


    Stories of various versions always managed to satisfy the students'' inner desires. Among the students, these bizarre and somewhat terrifying tales spread like wildfire, and in a matter of days, the majority of students knew about Schiller''s past.


    Schiller went out to grab breakfast, and the window he stood by remained unupied. All students observed him from a distance, and in ss, he received an unprecedented number of assignments. No other professor had ever achieved this.Since the confrontation that night, Schiller could often sense Bruce following him, even during the daytime on campus. Fortunately, his Spider-Sense alerted him each time Bruce attempted to install cameras in his dorm room, the counseling office, or on the ssroom podium.


    However, this provided Schiller with inspiration.


    It seemed that the young Batman had not given up. Schiller noticed that Bruce appeared to have made some sort of agreement with Gordon. Schiller ventured to Morrison District several times at night and discovered that they seemed to be truly cooperating.


    Finally, one night, as bedtime approached, Gotham''s sky turned as dark as ink.


    Schiller had no intention of going out tonight; he wanted a good night''s sleep. University teaching wasn''t as easy as he had imagined. Offering psychological therapy asionally to students genuinely in need, whether to relieve anxiety, ease depression, or provide genuine psychological advice, was exhausting work. So, he decided to get some rest.


    But fate had other ns. Jonathan, who usually only emerged in the wee hours, unexpectedly left campus in the early evening. Schiller knew he was probably out to capture a new batch of experimental subjects.


    Indeed, with Gordon and Bruce recently active in Morrison District, Jonathan was aware that he couldn''tpete with the police. If he were caught, he''d surely be imprisoned. His physical condition was worse than Schiller''s, and he might even mishandle the fear gas. Since Batman had been gaining notoriety for battling the sewer gang and other small gangs in Morrison District, Jonathan hadn''t dared to show his face for several nights.


    However, his fear gas was on the verge of a breakthrough. No mad scientist could afford to fail at this critical juncture. His experimental materials had long run out, and he had to capture new subjects.


    Though physically weak, capturing subjects was rtively simple for him. All he needed was to find a house with an open window, insert a tube, and inject arge quantity of anesthetic medicine. Then, he''d pry open the door and drag the person out.


    Schiller watched him leave campus and had to put on his coat and grab his umbre. He didn''t have any altruistic motives or aspirations to be a superhero savior. Still, when tragedy unfolded before him, he feltpelled to intervene.


    What was more important was that allowing Jonathan to continue his recklessness would soon leave Morrison District with few inhabitants. Batman''s journey to bing a hero would be cut short, as Scarecrow would inevitably be apprehended by Batman sooner orter. Schiller believed it was better to strike now thanter. Additionally, Schiller had a little trick up his sleeve; he intended to teach Batman a lesson to snap him out of his arrogance.


    At present, Batman still had room for error. Joker was still just a circus performer, and Schiller couldn''t help but wonder how Batman would fare if he encountered Joker now. Batman, though young, had acquired many skills during his travels abroad.


    However, Jonathan was not a meticulous criminal mastermind. He had no special training andcked any counter-surveince awareness. Many of his clues had been discovered by Batman and Gordon.


    Working together, they traced their way to a small underground church, where they stumbled upon Jonathan''sboratory. It was far from a sophisticatedboratory; one could even describe it as a shady operation.


    Dimly lit and cramped, it emanated an unpleasant odor. Batman, eyeing a drainage pipe in the basement, remarked, "I think I might know where those people have gone."


    Gordon approached, handgun in hand, and reluctantly said, "Though I''d rather not ask, my operational report needs to include the truth."


    "Aqua regia. It can dissolve not only metals but also the most resilient parts of the human body."


    "I get it, no need to go into detail," Gordon replied. "I don''t want to hear it."


    They investigated the smallboratory further, and suddenly, Gordon found some traces under an old wooden crate¡ªa few shattered pine needles.


    "North American red pine," Batman said. "I see its needles."


    "Damn it, where in all of Gotham would you find pine trees? Otherwise, the weather here wouldn''t be like this," Gordonmented.


    "I think there''s a ce with these nts," Batman replied. "Gotham University, it''s the greenest part of the city. These nts line both sides of the widest pedestrian walkway there."


    Gordon crouched down, carefully examining the traces. "The killer must have stepped on these pine needles with muddy shoes. Obviously, the heavy rain these past few days troubled him. When he arrived here, the stains must have fallen off, and he didn''t bother to clean up."


    Gordon looked up and asked, "Is the killer a student at Gotham University?"


    "Or possibly a teacher," Batman said.


    "Is it the person you threatened that day?" Gordon inquired.


    "I wasn''t threatening him," Batman replied.


    "But you shed his throat with a batarang, causing him to bleed heavily. A wound that long is bound to leave a scar," Gordon stated.


    "You sympathizing with a criminal?" Batman asked.


    "He''s not a criminal, at least not until he''s been through due process."


    "Due process..." Batman scoffed.


    Gordon sensed Batman''s distrust of the justice system but didn''t vehemently argue against it. He had been a cop in Gotham for quite some time, and he knew that the city''s justice system was far from trustworthy. In fact, the entire order system in this city couldn''t be trusted.


    "But in my eyes, you wield dangerous weapons and injure an unarmed civilian freely. That''s a threat," Gordon said.


    "Unarmed civilian..." Batman muttered.


    He suddenly found himself unable to argue with Gordon because, to his knowledge, Schiller didn''t seem to have received any professionalbat training. Batman was confident that one punch could bring him down.


    But he had been troubled by this man for many days, and he had no solution. He suddenly remembered a phrase he had heard during his travels on the road: "Words are mightier than fists."


    However, that was where it ended, Batman thought.


    The killer had to be connected to Gotham University; there was almost no other answer left. Wasn''t this evidence conclusive enough? Perhaps it was time to send that mad professor to prison.


    He looked at the stained drainage pipe at his feet, the ce where the souls of over forty people had vanished. Among them, there must have been someone''s parents.


    On that fateful night long ago, his parents'' lives had disappeared in an alley, and yet no one had paid the price they should have.


    But things were different now. With him around, these criminals would all eventually end up where they belonged, and not a single one could escape.

 Chapter 11: Pride and Prejudice (Two)

    Chapter 11: Pride and Prejudice (Two)


    After leaving the underground of Little Church, Gordon and Batman fell into a contemtive silence. After all, the ce they had just left had be a burial ground for dozens of lives in just one short month.


    Gotham was a dark city, and when that darkness wasid bare for everyone to see, only those with strong wills could withstand the impact of such profound darkness.


    Both Batman and Gordon''s hearts were now a tumultuous sea of emotions. This was Batman''s first case since his arrival, and the seemingly boundless evil and the absence of light had confronted him. Suddenly, he realized, as Schiller had said, that he might not have been fully prepared.


    Powerful force was only a means of survival here, but it was far from enough to save this city.


    Lost in his thoughts, Batman turned a corner and saw Schiller standing on the second floor, holding an umbre. Beneath the balcony was where the beggar had once stayed.


    Batman felt a sense of absurdity. This damned criminal, who had killed dozens of innocent lives, how could he still dare to stand here? Why were there people in this world who could remain indifferent to the value of human life? How could they be so merciless as to kill without hesitation?


    Batman''s inner turmoil turned into anger. Under Gordon''s gaze, he leaped onto the balcony over two meters high.


    "Your judgment is about toe, you damned murderer," Batman dered.


    "Have you found the evidence you were looking for?" Schiller asked."Of course, and this evidence is enough to convict you," Batman replied.


    Suddenly, Schillerughed, speaking in an extremely cheerful tone. "How amusing, you''re still thinking about judging me. The Gotham City police station should give you a Citizen''s Medal; you''re a great policeman."


    "If there had been a great policeman like you when your parents died, someone who found the evidence left by the culprits and brought them to justice, wouldn''t that have been wonderful? Isn''t that what you''re thinking?" Schiller continued.


    "You distrust the police, you distrust the courts, yet you still search for evidence and attempt to use the correctness of thew to judge me. Don''t you find that contradictory?"


    "You want to prove that I''ve broken thew, Batman, but your actions are just as uwful. If I''m to be judged, so should you. You''re using criminal acts to prove that a criminal is a criminal, aren''t you?"


    Schiller raised his voice, his tone fluctuating. "You think you have the ability to seek revenge on criminals your way. But in the end, you''re still an ordinary person tamed by this orderly society. You''re still talking about evidence, demanding justice."


    "If you can''t let go of these things, if you can''t break free from the shackles society has ced on you, if you can''t erase the concepts ofw and judicial procedures from your mind, you''ll never achieve the justice you seek."


    "Batman," Schiller looked into his eyes, "thew is not justice; you are."


    "Gotham''sw didn''t save your parents, just as it didn''t save those dozens of missing people. If you still have any futile fantasies about it, you''ll never be the real Batman."


    Schiller could clearly see Batman''s arm trembling. His hand holding the Batarang was tense, and even his entire body was shaking. Clearly, he was consumed by extreme anger.


    Schiller''s words struck a deep chord. They exposed a major contradiction in the young Batman.


    Gotham''sw couldn''t save his parents, yet despite his vows of vengeance, Batman was still bound by the rules of justice.


    "Do you want me to enforce my own justice?" Batman asked. Then, he raised a gun, aiming it at Schiller''s forehead.


    Batman did have a gun, of course. In Gotham City, without such firearms, one could hardly survive, let alone seek justice.


    Schiller remained calm. "You haven''t answered my previous question. Have you found the evidence you were looking for? What is it?"


    "Next to the nks in the underground of Little Church, there were stains left by you. Inside, there was soil and leaves from the North American red pine, a tree only found in Gotham University," Batman replied.


    Schiller said, "And what does that represent?"


    "It represents that you are the murderer," Batman dered.


    "Is that so? I, a person who appeared out of nowhere on the streets of Morrison District, dressed suspiciously and acting suspiciously. Meanwhile, you found leaves from Gotham University at the crime scene, suggesting that the culprit might be affiliated with the university. Therefore, I am the murderer. What a rigorous deduction," Schiller retorted.


    Batman looked at him, his expression unrepentant and guiltless. His anger had truly reached its peak. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Gordon, who had rushed over, shouted, "Stop! Put down the gun!"


    Batman was interrupted for a moment, and Schiller tossed a USB drive onto the ground between them, saying, "Is the evidence conclusive enough? The murderer visited Gotham University, and I''m a university professor. It''s quitepelling."


    "Yes, how much you must have wished that when your parents died, there was someone like you right now, ready to deliver a swift shot to the culprit because of conclusive evidence," Schiller taunted.


    "Don''t mention my parents..." Batman''s voice quivered. "You criminal."


    "You''ve thought of many simrities," Schiller said. "But your anger has blinded you to more, to the differences."


    "For example, I''ve never had any education in chemistry or biology. I''ve never been involved in countless serial murder investigations. My counter-surveince skills aren''t so poor that I wouldn''t even clean up my tracks. And most importantly..."


    Schiller nced at the USB drive. "My evidence is far more conclusive than yours."


    Due to Gordon''s interruption, Batman''s anger subsided somewhat. As reason returned, he realized that even in this damp and cold weather, sweat had soaked through the shirt on his back.


    Cautiously, Batman picked up the USB drive and plugged it into the miniputer on his arm, projecting an image.


    At this moment, Gordon also made his way onto the balcony. He saw in the video a person in id clothing standing surreptitiously on an air conditioner unit outside a house, inserting a hose into the window. The figures inside the house, who were standing or sitting, all copsed, and after jumping off the air conditioner unit, the person entered the hallway. In no time, he dragged tworge boxes and loaded them onto a cart before pushing it away, leaving the figures inside the house nowhere to be seen.


    This was the inspiration Batman gave to Schiller. Jonathan was sorelycking in counter-surveince awareness. Schiller had stood in the hallway opposite him, filming with a camera, and he hadn''t even noticed.


    But then again, in Gotham City, nobody woulde out for ate-night stroll, especially in such a slum area. One could easily lose their life by ident.


    Suddenly, Gordon eximed, "That''s it!"


    "I remember when we were registering the addresses of missing persons, it was indeed the residents on the lower floors who were affected the most. Almost all the victims lived in apartments with balconies," Gordon said.


    Then he looked at Batman and Schiller, anger evident in his voice. "I must have misjudged you. Were you about to shoot just now? Do you realize you almost killed someone?!"


    Batman remained silent, gazing at the projection on his arm. Anyone with eyes could see that the perpetrator in the video had a vastly different physique from Schiller.


    Although Schiller wasn''t trained inbat or physical fitness, he still had a tall and somewhat slender figure, just slightly shorter and leaner than Batman, but still around six feet tall. In contrast, the person in the video was at most five foot seven and couldn''t have weighed more than sixty kilograms.


    "Jonathan Professor is seen as a kind-hearted individual, isn''t that what you think? Because he doesn''t check assignments, has a good attitude towards you, and would never fail anyone. But I am different; I am a troublesome professor. I always nitpick assignments, hold regr exams for no reason, and threaten all students with the possibility of failing."


    "So, of course, I must be the culprit, and he is not. After all, how could someone so timid, quiet, and skinny be a serial killer?"


    "Please stop," Batman said, his voice trembling.


    He recalled the scene when he faced the beggar that day. He could still see the stain left by the beggar on the wall out of the corner of his eye. A strong sense of guilt and shame surrounded him once again.


    Gordon''s words only fueled the fire. He said, "I don''t care where you came from, roaming around the city in a tight suit causing trouble, but you nearly killed a good person. What feud do you two have? If you have a personal grudge, deal with it on your own, don''t interfere with the police investigation."


    "Aren''t the Gotham City police busy enough? Do you want me to send you straight to jail for attempted murder in front of me?" Gordon added, his impatience evident.


    Days of overtime had left him feeling irritable, and he continued, "Strange costume guy, hand over that sh drive. I need it for the records. And sir, pleasee with me; you seem to know who the killer is, and we need your clues."


    After a moment of silence, Batman wordlessly extended his arm and handed the sh drive to Gordon.


    He realized that his triumphant debut had only caused chaos. He had thought that Criminals Schiller was the key, providing the most critical evidence.


    Schiller remained silent, and Batman stood in ce. Outside, the rain had started pouring endlessly once more.


    Just as he was about to leave with Gordon, Batman heard Batman behind him say, "I''m sorry, Professor."


    Schiller''s steps halted, and he felt somewhat incredulous. What had Batman just said???


    He had just apologized???


    Schiller couldn''t believe it and turned around. Batman stood in the shadow cast by the building, the only beam of light shining on his mask. He tightly pursed his lips, and Schiller found it utterly absurd.


    After all, he was Batman.


    Because he was Batman.


    And Batman was always right.


    Batman wouldn''t apologize to anyone.


    In the face of everyone''s doubts, he would only say one thing: "Because I''m Batman."


    Schiller had seen too many dark aspects of Batman in theics, such as preparing Kryptonite to counter Superman, or having ns to deal with every member of the Justice League. He seemed to distrust everyone, even himself.


    Admittedly, when the editors created this character for theics, these dark facets made him more intriguing. They left a deeper impression on readers.


    But this had also led to Schiller having a bias against Batman. He believed Batman should be like he was in theics. Batman never apologized because he didn''t think he was wrong. He believed those measures against his fellow heroes were necessary.


    This had created a prejudice in Schiller''s mind. Batman shouldn''t apologize, because, in his mind, Batman was the way he was in theics. Batman never apologized when he shouldn''t, because he didn''t think he was wrong.


    Schiller had tried to teach the young Batman some lessons, such as not harboring biases, not judging people by appearances, not letting anger cloud his judgment, and maintaining independent thinking.


    But Schiller suddenly realized he wasn''t really qualified to teach Batman not to be biased, because he himself had a deeply ingrained stereotype about this character. He hoped Bruce could be the Batman from theics in his mind, and the sooner, the better.


    But now it seemed that this story wasn''t about a wise and erudite professor and his young, reckless students. Instead, it was a ssic tale of "Pride and Prejudice."


    Batman, filled with absolute arrogance about his deductive skills, believed that Schiller must be the culprit. He almost fired his gun at Schiller, fueled by his preconceived bias and a bit of evidence that seemed to align with it.


    However, Schiller also had a bias against Batman. He believed Batman should be the mature, cautious, and suspicious dark hero from theics.


    The two of them were not so different after all.


    Now Batman seemed to have learned this lesson. He understood that he wasn''t all-knowing and all-powerful. His biases could lead to grave errors in reasoning, and his impulsiveness, when driven by arrogance, became even more deadly.


    He looked at the scar on Schiller''s neck, caused by a Batarang he had thrown earlier. At that time, he had assumed Schiller was a Criminal and had threatened him ordingly. Though he hadn''t fired his gun today, the wound was deep, likely leaving a permanent scar.


    Batman felt guilty and deeply remorseful. He thought that thew didn''t correctly judge every Criminal, but that wasn''t a reason for him to arrogantly pass judgment on others.


    In a situation where he couldn''t guarantee he was 100% correct, any impulsive act of violence could leave an innocent person, or even a good person, with scars that could never be erased.


    He was just relieved that the innocent person hadn''t paid with their life.


    Batman stood in the shadows, contemting. He vowed to forever eliminate the possibility of such an urrence. He decided that, from now on, no matter how evil the Criminals he faced were, he would never kill them.


    If an innocent person were to die at his hands, he would be a more despicable Criminal than the one who killed his parents. The Criminals who killed his parents might have done so for money or revenge, causing the loss of two lives.


    But if Batman were to unjustly kill innocent people, then there would be no hope left for this city.


    In theics, the "Batman doesn''t kill" rule seemed to have been there from the beginning. Schiller never delved into why this was the case; he found it rather infuriating. Why couldn''t Batman kill those annoying Criminals, the madmen who repeatedly escaped from prison, for instance? He had pondered this countless times while reading theics.


    But what he didn''t realize was that in this world, the young Batman was solidifying his resolve not to kill Criminals precisely because of him, because of Schiller. Batman had the belief that he was the city''s only hope, and if he were to be consumed by guilt over killing innocent people, then this city would truly be beyond salvation.


    By a stroke of coincidence, though Schiller had not seeded in instilling in the young Batman his own set of principles and values, he had sessfully reinforced Batman''s one rule: not to kill.


    Schiller could never have imagined that in the days toe, he would regret his meddling countless times. When Batman grew into a fully matured hero, Schiller would often silently rage, asking why Batman couldn''t just use his finger to take out those damned Criminals and prevent them from repeatedly disrupting his peaceful life.


    And all of this, all the trials Batman faced, stemmed from today''s incident, from his own interference and self-inflicted troubles.

 Chapter 12: The Genius of Buff Stacking

    Chapter 12: The Genius of Buff Stacking


    In Hell''s Kitchen, the window suddenly swung open, ushering in a rush of icy wind. A silver-white Mech armor swiftly darted inside, hovering briefly beforending with a jet of propulsion.


    With a faint buzzing sound, Marc2''s mask dropped, and Stark stood by the table, surveying the interior with a slightly disdainful expression. "This ce of yours is quite the dump," he remarked.


    Schiller nced at his once-warm coffee, now quickly cooled by the draft, and rolled his eyes.


    In terms of character development, Stark had undergone a transformation from a detestable yboy into a superhero after his abduction. However, from Schiller''s perspective, it seemed like he had merely shifted from being an extremely detestable yboy to a garden-variety one.


    Unlike Bruce, who masqueraded as a yboy but was, in fact, an artificial creation, Stark was undoubtedly the genuine article.


    Yet, through his interactions with Stark, Schiller had pinpointed three topics guaranteed to make him explode in ce: money, male prowess, and the fact that he wasn''t as smart as his father.


    Schiller took a sip of his coffee and said casually, "I know my fees are steep, but as long as we''re not getting to the point, you canin all you want, and I won''t charge you."


    "Furthermore, did you know that the look of disgust you just wiped off your face after dusting my table is more effeminate than the cherries on top of a cream cake?"


    "I acknowledge that the environment here is less than ideal. After all, unlike you, I''m not a billionaire. However, I must remind you that Mr. Howard himself probably started out in a dpidated house like this. This is a level of hardship you probably can''t fathom. It''s why Miss Pepper worried about you for so long after you got kidnapped..."After umting three buffs, Stark predictably exploded in ce.


    The silver-white Marc2 emitted a loud "bang," indicating that Stark had probably hammered something inside.


    Oh, Schiller remembered, the other two surefire ways to set Stark off were to question his intelligence and criticize the quality of Stark Industries'' products.


    "Poor Marc2, and poor JARVIS. For all I can say, the quality of Stark Industries'' products..."


    Of course, there was one more surefire trigger: expressing sympathy for him.


    "...is far superior to those robot rice cookers on the market. It''s a qualitative leap, really."


    Stark shot out of the same window he had entered from, clearly fearing that if he stayed any longer, Marc2 might indeed explode in Hell''s Kitchen.


    Schiller sighed in relief, dispelling the depressive atmosphere that Gotham and Batman had brought with them.


    But soon enough, Stark returned. He said with irritation, "I tried calling you, but you didn''t answer, so I had to fly to this rotten dump."


    "Last time, you messed up my JARVIS, and today, when I wanted to upgrade him, I found out he''spletely dead. You''re responsible for fixing him."


    Schiller was about to say something when Stark interrupted, "Don''t expect me to pay you a dime for the diagnosis. It''s clear you''re the one who broke him. And because of that, my new Mech armor''s development was dyed. You must fix him, or I''ll have Pepper fire you."


    After some thought, Schiller conceded. Marc5 hadn''t been released yet, so JARVIS might genuinely be unable to function. Though Stark didn''t rely on JARVIS for research, he needed him for everyday life, especially in theboratory.


    Knowing Stark was still upset, Schiller decided to offer a free diagnosis this time.


    "Alright, this one''s on the house. Let''s go inside."


    Stark snapped his fingers, and another Mech armor flew in. Schiller and he exchanged surprised looks, and Schiller pointed at the Mech armor. "You don''t expect me to ride in this thing, do you?"


    "Well, how else are you nning to get there?"


    A few minutester, Stark and Schiller found themselves beneath the run-down bus stop in Hell''s Kitchen. Stark said, "I can''t believe my cutting-edgebat suit''s debut is on a beat-up bus that smokes like crazy..."


    As he spoke, the smoky bus arrived. Schiller and the driver exchanged greetings, while Stark struggled to get Marc2 up the steps. Schillermented, "Actually, you could lift the whole bus and fly us there."


    "Why not just fly in yourbat suit? Is there any difference?"


    Schiller shrugged. "Because the image of Iron Man carrying a city bus in flight would be quite spectacr."


    After arriving at Stark Tower''sb, Stark stood before a cluster of panels and said, "I don''t know what you did, but JARVIS crashed. Or maybe not crashed, since his hardware is intact, but he refuses to work."


    "I n to give him a major upgrade, but I don''t want this situation to happen again. If someone asks him a few questions, and he crashes, he won''t be able to participate inbat missions, which is not what I want."


    When it came to his expertise, Stark was straightforward. He said, "I want JARVIS to be a genuine electronic life form, a versatile butler, perhaps the world''s best."


    "But it seems he''s trapped by your emotional logic. Even though I programmed him with emotional thought processes..."


    Schiller interrupted, "It''s a paradox, much like the questions I asked him. When machine life faces a choice, it always follows advantageous logic. But when advantageous logic conflicts with a master''smand, you instructed him to prioritize the master''smand. Yet, you also gave him emotions. When emotions and rationality sh, machines can''t deceive themselves like humans can."


    "They can''t find reasons to convince themselves, can''t acknowledge that this is already the best oue, can''t escape or forget. So, of course, they get stuck."


    Stark gestured, "Can I hide simr conflicting logic? Like banning certain words or blocking specific emotional issues?"


    "You want him to be a true electronic life form?"


    "Absolutely, with a soul, just like us."


    "Alright, let me put it simply. If you want JARVIS to truly possess emotions, he can''t avoid these questions. But if he can''t resolve these questions, he can''t be considered a true ''life.''"


    "But the problem is, when these questions trouble him, he can''t work, and I really need him."


    "Do I have to wait for him to process things on his own like I''m waiting for an emotionally unstable woman?"


    "Do you let Miss Pepper process things on her own when she''s emotionally unstable?"


    Seeing Schiller''s judgmental eye contact, Stark said, "Damn it, no, of course I don''t. What are you thinking?"


    Schiller said, "The decision ultimately lies with you. Tony, may I call you that?"


    "All the contradictions in his thinking stem from you. Because you created him and set the rules that he must serve you. His underlying protocol requires him to obey yourmands¡ª"


    "That''s not a thought process fit for a human."


    "Let me ask you the same questions. How would you answer them?"


    "If your father were dying, and one decision could save him, but he vehemently opposed it, what would you do?"


    "If you followed his wishes and didn''t save him, and he died, would you regret it?"


    "If he died, do you think he would regret having brought you into the world?"


    "If he died, do you think he would resent you?"


    "If he resented you, would you me yourself?"


    "If given a chance to start over, would you make a different choice?"


    "If you defied his wishes, saved him, and he med you afterward, would you feel unjust?"


    "If you defied his wishes to save him, and he felt regretful for having opposed you and bringing you into the world, would you resent him?"


    Stark fell silent.


    For the first time, he didn''t react vehemently when someone mentioned his father.


    "He wouldn''t do that," Stark said.


    His voice was low but resolute as he continued, "He wouldn''t stop me from saving him. Even if I made a big mistake by saving him, he would do everything in his power to make amends once he came back to life, even if it cost him his life again."


    "Does JARVIS understand this version of you?"


    Schiller stood up and patted Stark''s shoulder, saying, "Does he know that you are, in fact, quite simr to your father?"


    "Does understanding you in this way enable him to answer all these questions?"


    "You can''t expect an electronic life that operates on algorithms and logic to actively understand your past, your personality. Anything you haven''t instilled in him is a nk space to him."


    "If you want him to have a true life, the first step is to share a part of your life with him, just like a child''s birth."


    Stark remained silent for a long time. Uncharacteristically, he furrowed his brows, wearing a somewhat conflicted expression. He said, "I firmly believe there''s no such thing as mind-reading in this world, and JARVIS can''t do it either. So why should he understand me? It''s almost an impossible feat, you don''t understand AI..."


    "I may not understand ''AI,'' but you don''t understand ''human.''"


    Stark was rendered speechless again, but Schiller continued, "Humans exist because of intelligence, and they are great because of emotions. Throughout Earth''s history, only we have thrived. God created so many beings, yet we remain the pinnacle. And you, Tony, you are challenging God. He didn''t create anythingparable to humans, but perhaps you can, can''t you?"


    "This is an entirely new field, Tony, one your father never ventured into. What you''re working on is an area of human history where we''ve never made substantial progress¡ªcreating outsiders."


    The confidence Stark exuded as he left made Schiller believe that he might actually seed.


    However, he still remembered to call Miss Pepper and say, "Good afternoon, Miss Pepper. It''s like this: I administered some excitation therapy to Mr. Stark... Yes, that''s right, I came up with it myself, and it''s quite effective. However, it does have some side effects..."


    "Yes, he''s already in theboratory? What? He didn''t even remember your afternoon appointment? Well, that''s quite impolite..."


    "Correct, he''s been like this for the past few days. This is the path to adjusting dopamine secretion and adrenaline, and then his hormone levels wille down to normal. Yes, he''ll be fine soon..."


    Schiller was simply babbling nonsense; this technique wasmonly known as "getting pumped up." And he had stacked quite a few buffs on Stark. Stark would undoubtedly be filled with a "sense of duty" buff and dive headfirst into theboratory, not leaving for at least half a month.


    He suddenly realized he had a unique talent for stacking buffs, but with his weak baseline stats, even with all the data stacking, he still couldn''t get things going. Maybe he should focus on improving his foundation instead.

 Chapter 13: The Ancient Ones Voice Call Invitation

    Chapter 13: The Ancient Ones Voice Call Invitation


    After that night when Batman left feeling depressed, Schiller returned to the Marvel world. Following the adrenaline rush he gave Stark, Daredevil from Hell''s Kitchen went into hiding to avoid vendettas. Meanwhile, the young Spider-Man had just acquired his powers but hadn''t officially debuted yet. Schiller found himself with some free time on his hands.


    Since that night, Schiller noticed he had another opportunity for random chats. Now, he had figured it out: as long as he had a significant impact on someone in a particr world, he could get a chance for a random chat. Clearly, the conversation with Batman that night had left a profound impression on him.


    Schiller decided to make use of this downtime. Professor Charles seemed busy with enrollmenttely, and Spider-Man was too excited about his new abilities to reply promptly. There was a momentaryck of chat partners, and Schiller was feeling a bit lonely.


    So, he decided to use the random chat opportunity. Suddenly, a voice call interface appeared in his mind. This was something he hadn''t experienced before while chatting with Charles or Spider-Man.


    They had alwaysmunicated through text, and Schiller''s mind had been filled with chat boxes. But this time, it was a voice call.


    Schiller nced at the profile picture ¨C Sorcerer Supreme, The Ancient One!!!


    Sorcerer Supreme, The Ancient One, had sent a voice call invitation. Should he ept it? And what should he say?


    Schiller scratched his head but ultimately epted.


    "...Mysterious voice from the Space, where do youe from?"Schiller received a series of sounds, although calling them "sounds" might not be entirely urate. They were more like thoughts and brainwaves. Schiller didn''t hear any actual sound, but he understood the other side''s message.


    Schiller replied using his own thoughts, "Who are you?"


    On the Himyan mountains, seated on a cushion in a lotus position, The Ancient One was deep in meditation. Suddenly, she furrowed her brow as a voice responded to her.


    The Ancient One often sought answers from the chaotic Space voices during her meditation. Echoes from the Space represented different mystical signs in her mind. She could use these Space voices to divine, cleanse her mind, and find tranquility.


    But these Space voices were always disordered, without any logical notes. The Ancient One firmly believed that any conscious entity wandering in the Space was a future Cosmic God.


    So, she immediately became alert. She focused all her mental energy. Her thoughts were incredibly powerful, capable of scanning all nearby Space in an instant. However, after a thorough scan, she found nothing unusual.


    The voice that replied to her seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. It had no origin, and there were no energy anomalies.


    Schiller knew The Ancient One was formidable. If youbined her with theic book lore, she was several times stronger than in the movies. And now, she wasn''t the young Batman; she was at her full power. Nevertheless, Schiller intended to take a risk.


    He said, "Answer me... answer me..."


    "Wherever you''re from, stay away from Earth!" The Ancient One''s response was stern.


    "Guardian of Earth? Answer me..."


    "I am Earth''s Sorcerer Supreme... who are you... and why emit a cosmic signal?"


    "Ie from Carcosa... the Hastur star system, Lake Hali... the dark Sun is high in the sky..."


    The Ancient One received a series of iprehensible messages from the other side. She knew that connecting with an unknown entity in Space for a conversation was highly dangerous. But she needed to ascertain if this entity posed a threat to Earth.


    The messages from the other side were cryptic andplex, but The Ancient One picked up on a few recurring elements: Carcosa, Hastur, Lake Hali.


    After a convoluted exchange, The Ancient One pieced together that the other side was likely issuing a warning. She heard the repeated phrase, "When the stars align, the old days return..."


    The Ancient One believed that the person on the other end might be called "Hastur," residing in a ce called Carcosa with a "Lake Hali" covered in thick mist. Their enemies, known as the "Elder Rulers" or demon gods, were set to return to Earth when the stars aligned.


    Under The Ancient One''s persistent questioning, she understood that the other entity appeared to be imprisoned, unable to confront its enemies personally. Instead, it was broadcasting signals near Earth to warn its inhabitants.


    However, The Ancient One knew that the life forms of Earth were fundamentally different from these Cosmic Gods. They couldn''t hear these cosmic signals. If she didn''t meditate daily, no one would understand what the other being was saying.


    Even for The Ancient One, she couldn''t fullyprehend the Brainwave signals sent by the other entity. It seemed to contain too much information, including references to the Elder Rulers, the head demon god, Azathoth. The other side appeared eager to convey all this information, but sadly, The Ancient One couldn''t fully grasp it.


    She didn''t actually distrust these unknown Space entities, but she couldn''t sense their presence, nor did she feel any additional scrutiny on Earth. However, their warning attitude created a sense of pressure. Who were these sudden demon gods?


    Furthermore, they seemed to silently infiltrate Earth nearby and broadcast signals. Who could guarantee that they wouldn''t affect human minds?


    It must be said that The Ancient One''s many years as Sorcerer Supreme were not in vain. Her worries were well-founded. If this story wasn''t fabricated by Schiller, then the Lovecraftian Mythos lineage would be more than a little mad.


    However, it was fortunate that this was just a story Schiller had made up to fool The Ancient One.


    Just as The Ancient One was about to continue probing, themunication was abruptly cut off. It seemed that something had gone wrong on the other side.


    The entity hadn''t made any demands, nor did it seek to lend its power to anyone. It didn''t spout any nonsense about rules of Space, which, oddly enough, made The Ancient One trust it somewhat.


    Demon gods were rarely adept at concealing their madness and chaos; they couldn''t resist their own chaotic nature. If the entity on the other side was dangerous, The Ancient One, with her vast experience, would have immediately traced them through thework and dealt with them.


    But now, it appeared that the demon gods on the other side were surprisingly mild and rational. However, The Ancient One didn''t let her guard down. This could all be a fa?ade.


    Schiller had mastered the art of leaving half the conversation unsaid. He hadn''t waited for The Ancient One to ask for more details; he had already ended the call and rubbed his hands, intending to replicate The Ancient One''s abilities.


    With a click, the system''s prompt sounded, "Magic ability (low-level) loaded."


    Schiller knew that The Ancient One''s abilities were undoubtedly rted to the Mystic Side and had something to do with magic.


    After loading the magic ability, Schiller began to test it. He discovered that this ability had its pros and cons.


    The advantage was that he didn''t need to adhere to Marvel''s magic system. Schiller could use magic without any cost or side effects. However, the downside was that it was undeniably a low-level magic ability. What Schiller could do included telekinesis within a range of about 10 meters, basic fire maniption, and a short-range teleportation known as Blink.


    The telekinesis range was roughly 10 meters, simr to levitation. Schiller could move objects within this range as long as they didn''t exceed his own weight. Large objects like houses or cars were beyond his ability.


    Fire magic was hardly offensive. Schiller could ignite a small me in his palm, equivalent to lighting a cigarette or burning a piece of paper or a book. It wasn''t something he could use forbat.


    The most useful ability was Blink. Schiller could appear or disappear at any point within a range of about 20 meters. This was sufficient to evade many dangers.


    Although using magic didn''t require a direct cost, it did consume physical and mental energy. After continuous Blinking five or six times, Schiller would be too tired to stand. More importantly, his mind would be filled with noise, making it difficult to concentrate. This was the result of overusing magic.


    However,pared to the high costs other Marvel sorcerers had to pay for using magic, Schiller was already quite fortunate.


    The abilities he loaded often had thebel "low-level," indicating that these abilities could be upgraded. However, Schiller hadn''t yet found a way to upgrade them. He spected that perhaps increasing intimacy with the chat characters, helping them, or saving them would grant him more advanced abilities.


    In extreme situations, consecutive Blinking could allow Schiller to move over 100 meters in a very short time. This ability also ignored obstacles, allowing him to pass through walls.


    He couldfortably sit in his Psychological Clinic and, in an instant, appear in a house two streets away. The biggest advantage of this was that SHIELD agents could no longer track him down.


    SHIELD agents had arrived in Hell''s Kitchen long ago. However, as Schiller had expected, the ce was teeming with people, and the local gangs were highly vignt against outsiders. S.H.I.E.L.D. operations were often met with various obstacles, such as when they rented a building opposite Schiller''s clinic and were extorted for a hefty sum.


    Once Schiller started using Blink to leave his clinic, SHIELD agents werepletely baffled. They hadn''t seen Schiller leave, yet after a while, he''d return from the street. Or they''d see him leave but not return, only for him to reappear in the clinicter.


    Thispletely shattered SHIELD agents'' assumptions about Schiller''s daily routines.


    But it only solidified Nick Fury''s belief that Schiller was an unpredictable and dangerous individual, especially as his interactions with Stark became increasingly frequent. This wasn''t good news, especially since Nick Fury intended to use Stark''s sense of justice to manipte him into working for S.H.I.E.L.D.


    Strange urrences weren''t limited to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents; Schiller also noticed strange things around his clinic in recent days. It wasn''t until he discovered that a cake in his refrigerator had lost four pounds that he confirmed his clinic had been invaded.

 Chapter 14: Unexpected Change in the Situation

    Chapter 14: Unexpected Change in the Situation


    In Hell''s Kitchen, a ce notorious for countless thefts, Schiller had never heard of any thieves in Hell''s Kitchen targeting cakes, let alone not stopping at cakes alone; they were also stealing Schiller''s freshly ground coffee beans, soda crackers, and jam.


    "Is this thief a glutton reincarnated?" Schiller wondered. Stealing four pounds of cake in a day wasn''t enough; they also needed half a pound of soda crackers, two cans of coffee beans, and three bottles of jam.


    "He must be trying to eat himself to death," Schiller thought.


    Of course, while what was lost wasn''t particrly valuable, Schiller needed to capture this thief and figure out how they were making off with his belongings.


    Schiller set a trap, using a cake ¨C the thief''s favorite ¨C and a touch of fear gas. He ced it in the warehouse, the one he least frequented, waiting for the thief to take the bait.


    While waiting for the bait to work, Schiller worked on a story in a notebook ¨C one he nned to use to manipte The Ancient One.


    Imnting the concept of the Yellow King in The Ancient One''s mind wasn''t without purpose. In the MarvelSpace universe, countless Cosmic Gods existed, such as the Vishanti Trinity. The Ancient One drew upon their power.


    The origins of Cthulhu in Marvel were somewhat scattered ¨C some said it was an incarnation of nothingness, while others imed it was born from the blood and tears of Space. They weren''t a unified race, and their appearances varied widely.


    But Schiller chose to introduce The Ancient One to another concept ¨C the cursed script from Robert W. Chambers'' short stories: "The King in Yellow."This script was even more fantastical and romantic than the Cthulhu mythos. In the distant Pisces constetion, on the ancient City of Carcosa''s Lake Hali, an ancient alien god, the Yellow King, was imprisoned. He had witnessed the fall of two ck suns and was set as the embodiment of "Wind" among the ancient rulers, bing a nemesis to Cthulhu.


    One of the most distinctive features of the Yellow King was a symbol ¨C the Yellow Sign.


    But all of this was irrelevant. What mattered was that Schiller needed a convincing identity to engage The Ancient One.


    He could approach Stark as a psychologist or act as a life mentor to Spider-Man. Even if Daredevil mistook him for a criminal, it wouldn''t matter. However, The Ancient One was different. Without a sufficiently mysterious and powerful identity, the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn''t entertain him.


    Schiller had seenics, and he knew that the MarvelSpace universe also had ancient rulers. Now, he had alerted The Ancient One. If she investigated, she would discover that everything "Hasta," the character he portrayed, said was true. A group of blind and foolish ancient rulers had been imprisoned in an extra-dimensional realm, but no one knew if they would return to Earth.


    As long as The Ancient One believed even a fraction of Hasta''s identity, Schiller could glean a lot of information from her.


    While waiting for the thief-catching trap to work, Schiller intermittently filled in details about the Pisces constetion setting. After all, to deceive the Sorcerer Supreme, his background had to be usible.


    The thief didn''t keep Schiller waiting too long.


    On a dark and windy night in Hell''s Kitchen, an unusual silence reigned. Schillery in bed, half asleep, when he heard a loud noise from the warehouse below.


    He immediately woke up, realizing that his trap had sprung. He couldn''t believe that a cake alone had captured the thief.


    Silently, he descended the stairs without turning on the lights. If the thief had a gun and noticed himing down, they might take aim in advance. To ensure his safety, when he reached the other side of the corridor, he nned to use Blink to teleport directly and catch the thief off guard.


    But just as he was about to Blink, he suddenly noticed the warehouse door opening. Had the thief not been affected by the fear gas? Could they open the door on their own? This was starting to look bad.


    Schiller abandoned the Blink n because, once he teleported, both he and the thief would need a moment to limate to the unfamiliar environment, as was the case with each Blink.


    He realized that the thief seemed unaware of his presence, tiptoeing along the wall down the corridor. Then he saw an extremely short figure, about as tall as a person''s shins, with a round shape. As the figure emerged from the door crack, it grumbled, "Damn it! Am I drunk? Why does this cake smell like a sewage pond?"


    Schiller looked at the figure, speechless. Then, he turned and reached for the light switch, flicking it on.


    The round creature on the other side let out a startled cry. In an instant, it attempted to run, but Schiller extended his right hand, using a telekinesis spell to capture the creature.


    Schiller''s face turned visibly grim as he felt the soft, fluffy texture in his hand. To his astonishment, it was a yellow, round, and chubby creature with two long ears and a tail shaped like a thunderbolt ¨C a Pikachu.


    "Damn it! Let me go! Don''t touch me with your dirty hands! What''s wrong with you?! How could you capture me? Let go of me!!"


    Schiller''s expression was now utterly unsightly. He couldn''t believe that in such a serious and somewhat dark story, a yellow electric rodent had made an appearance.


    Suddenly, he found Pikachu''s screaming voice strangely familiar. Wasn''t this Deadpool''s voice?


    Schiller felt a pang of dread as he recalled that there was indeed a Hollywood movie about Pikachu ¨C "Detective Pikachu." In that film, Pikachu shared the same voice actor as Deadpool.


    Schiller took a deep breath, turned Pikachu around, and grabbed its two tiny hands. "Was it you who stole my cake, soda crackers, coffee beans, and jam?"


    Pikachu''s eyes rolled around, and its impossibly cute face took on a disdainful expression. In Deadpool''s voice, it replied, "Hey, buddy, I had no idea your taste was so terrible. Those soda crackers you bought were tasteless without butter, and that jam, how could you like strawberry jam? It''s not to my taste at all. Also, next time you cut a cake, can you not put the cake knife on top of it? Do you know how dirty that is?"


    Schiller held Pikachu with one hand, covering his eyes with the other. It was a form of mental contamination he hadn''t expected. Faced with Pikachu''sints, he was genuinely at a loss, as his taste did indeed differ significantly from that of a typical U.S. citizen.


    "Listen, you little thief," Schiller began, his tone stern, "firstly, you''ve repeatedly stolen my food, and secondly, you seem tock any sense of guilt. It appears you''re a habitual offender..."


    "Alright," Pikachu waved its paw dismissively, saying, "Clearly, you''re not a normal person either. I mean, how many ordinary folks can have a calm conversation with a talking mouse?"


    Schiller pursed his lips, exchanging incredulous nces with Pikachu. The appearance of Pikachu had caused a seismic shift in his worldview.


    Just a moment ago, he had been discussing life ideals with Batman in the incredibly dark and gothic Gotham, and now, this yellow rodent with a distinct Deadpool vor had appeared before him. How could Schiller''s mind not short-circuit?


    Should he now explore the nearby bushes, gather all the Pok¨¦monpanions, and challenge various gyms? This shift in narrative style waspletely out of ce!


    What was even more peculiar was that this yellow electric mouse, despite being only the height of a human''s shin, had Deadpool''s mouth ¨C the most notorious aspect of Deadpool''s character!


    It hadn''t missed a beat, absorbing all of Deadpool''s essence, both the good and the bad.


    This reminded Schiller of theics from his previous life, where Deadpool''s speech bubbles often upied a significant portion of theic pages. Now, Deadpool-version Pikachu, Deadpool, and Spider-Man were all converging...


    Schiller thought that if he lived in aic, he might have been obscured to the point where his face was invisible.


    Moreover, he recalled that in the Hollywood version of "Detective Pikachu," Pikachu''s character was adapted from the eponymous Japanese game. Here, Pikachu wasn''t just a cute creature that said "Pika Pika"; it was a detective with a mature voice. Judging from Pikachu''s reactions so far, its intelligence was evident. It was more than just a regr pet.


    After a moment, Schiller and Pikachu sat face-to-face on the sofa. Pikachu held a cup of coffee in its tiny hands and said, "In reality, I don''t have any memory. I only recall a sh of light, and then I found myself in a dumpster. It took me quite some effort to crawl out. I was starving, and I walked for miles. But all the houses on this street were locked up, except for yours. It seems the back door of your warehouse wasn''t securely shut. After I came in, I followed the corridor and found the fridge... Of course, about the theft, that was indeed wrong of me, but I was just so hungry. If I manage to earn money, I''ll reimburse you for the cake."


    Schiller apuded him and said, "I must admit, as a mouse, your level of enlightenment is frighteningly high. If all the world''s mice were as polite as you, humans wouldn''t need to invent so many rodent control methods."


    "So, the gas you ced next to the cake today, was it rat poison? That was incredibly stinky. Honestly, that smell nearly took half my life away."


    "In reality, it wasn''t rat poison. It''s actually something scarier than rat poison... Anyway, you''re just a mouse."


    Schiller put down his coffee cup and curiously stared at Pikachu, saying, "So, can you do it?"


    "Do what? What are you talking about?" Pikachu looked at him with confusion.


    Schiller gazed at Pikachu''s cute yellow face, which now disyed aplex expression, resembling someone who had just eaten something distasteful.


    Reluctantly, under Schiller''s gaze, Pikachu turned around, jumped onto the back of the sofa, and let out a resounding,


    "PIKA¡ªPIKA!!!!"


    Schiller was thoroughly satisfied.

 Chapter 15: An Inviting Trap

    Chapter 15: An Inviting Trap


    "Are you saying that after days of surveince there, your biggest concern was... he might be stealing electricity?"


    Nick Fury stood in S.H.I.E.L.D.''s office, holding a report and questioning Coulson.


    Coulson was well aware that this report seemed like something hastily put together after a night of drinking, and then rushed topletion in the early morning. The conclusions written on it were only a bottle of whiskey away from gibberish.


    Nick Fury took a deep breath while holding the report. His mouth opened, but he paused for a moment, clearly rendered nearly speechless.


    He said, "Actually, I''ve never fully endorsed SHIELD agent evaluation criteria, Coulson. I believe you might be the strongest argument against those standards, aren''t you?"


    "Well..." Coulson awkwardly rubbed his hands and replied, "We did observe some things. We found out there might be underground tunnels beneath his clinic..."


    "I should really have Nurse Jenny test you for drunk driving, Coulson," Nick Fury quipped. He continued, "Your report states, ''observed the target frequently appearing around a hundred meters from the clinic,'' and your conclusion is... there might be underground tunnels under the clinic?"


    "In truth, I suspect he may possess teleportation abilities," Coulson said, furrowing his brow. "But based on the cases we''ve encountered, teleportation always involves a moment of arrival. We''ve set up hundreds of miniature cameras in the vicinity, but not a single one captured anything unusual."


    Nick Fury remarked, "Then add a few hundred more. He''s currently very important to us, and he''s the type of adversary that''s hardest to deal with. Don''t underestimate him..."Meanwhile, in the Gotham University Professor''s apartment, Schiller had just woken up and found himself cradling a furry creature in his arms. He looked down and saw Pikachu!


    "Oh, what''s going on? What time is it?" Pikachu, barely awake, couldn''t even open its eyes. Schiller rubbed his eyes, wondering how this mouse had ended up with him.


    Pikachu, still half-asleep, nced around and was startled. It woke uppletely and eximed, "Where is this?! Why did you bring me here? Are you actually a human trafficker??"


    Schiller, while making the bed, replied nonchntly, "Why don''t you exin first why you''re on my bed?"


    "Are you serious?" Pikachu raised its voice. "Three stories up, and you only turned on the heater in your room! If I hadn''t picked the lock, I would''ve frozen to death by now!"


    "Is that so?" Schiller showed no remorse. He said, "Freezing a rat dry isn''t a great idea."


    "Why are you here? Where is this ce?"


    "As you can see, I can time-travel, so I woke up here." Schiller exined. "This ce is quite dangerous, you know. If you wander around, you''ll be stewed in less than three minutes."


    "Psh," Pikachu made a dismissive sound. "You can time-travel? Well, I can make water ssh."


    Schiller wasn''t lying, and Pikachu knew that. Nevertheless, being a yellow mouse that clearly looked like some gically modified creature, it was hard for any normal person to trust it. In the eyes of Earth''s heroes, non-human entities were rarely trusted. Even though Pikachu spoke like a human and had a peculiar Canadian ent, it wasn''t any more trustworthy than a parrot. If it were to b to Batman, Batman would undoubtedly stew it first. Batman didn''t kill people, but he certainly didn''t spare mice.


    Facing non-human creatures, very few of Earth''s heroes trusted them. Pikachu, despite speaking like a human and even having that odd Canadian ent, clearly looked like a gically modified yellow rodent. Thus, gaining trust from any normal person was challenging, so Schiller wasn''t worried.


    While Schiller tidied up his bed, Pikachu bounced around the room, sniffing and wrinkling its little nose in disdain. "Looks like you''ve got some skills; this definitely isn''t the same world as before."


    In the morning, Schiller went to his sses with Pikachu hidden in his bag. It wasn''t that he wanted to take Pikachu to ss, but he was sure that if he didn''t, Pikachu would find a way out on its own and get stewed.


    Pikachu kept sticking its head out of the bag, and Schiller had to push it back inside several times. In the afternoon, Schiller ced the bag on the table in the counseling room and pressed Pikachu''s head, saying, "Listen, even if I don''t mind others seeing a strange yellow creature in my bag, you should understand what I''ve been telling you about superheroes. Every one of them considers ''meddling'' as their life motto. Nobody will overlook researching this yellow mouse, especially..."


    Schiller was in the middle of his sentence when the counseling room''s door suddenly swung open, and Bruce said, "Professor, I..."


    As soon as he entered, he saw his professor pressing on the head of a strange yellow creature.


    Pikachu was startled and jumped into Schiller''s arms. Schiller cleared his throat, nced at Pikachu, then at Bruce, and said, holding Pikachu, "What if I told you it''s a new species of albino mole?"


    "I don''t suppose you''re nning to make up another story, are you?" Bruce crossed his arms.


    Pikachu snarled at him, but Schiller covered its mouth and said, "What''s the matter, Mr. Wayne?"


    Bruce walked closer and said, "In fact, I''m sorry... It''s like this, I''d like to invite you to Wayne Manor as a guest..."


    Go to Wayne Manor as a guest?


    What kind of invitation is this for voluntary surrender?


    Bruce appeared visibly ufortable. Schiller knew his true identity, so Bruce struggled with whether he should be Bruce or Batman. At this point, Batman wasn''t as aloof as he would be in the future; he even actively sought cooperation with Gordon. So, Bruce was in a very conflicted state.


    Schiller could sense a bit of it through his telepathic abilities. He tapped the table and said, "I can tell, Bruce, you''re in a dilemma right now. Please have a seat."


    "Actually, you''ve done well before, Bruce. Bruce is not Batman; he''s just a yboy who doesn''t take anything seriously. His favorite pastimes are partying and drinking, surrounded by beautiful women. Batman, on the other hand..."


    Bruce sat down, his finger pressed against his temple, and he said, "I don''t understand the purpose of all this. I don''t think I can fool anyone."


    Bruce wasn''t naive; in the whole of Gotham City, only he had the wealth to afford Batman''s equipment. He didn''t think the criminals were fools, unaware that he was Bruce Wayne.


    Moreover, just from his physique, one could deduce a lot. Bruce frolicked in the night, and he wouldn''t wrap himself up tightly at certain times. It wouldn''t be difficult to figure out some physical details.


    Especially Schiller had seen Bruce sneaking out at night more than once, and his femalepanions were never the same. Even among the famous Nightingale cheerleading team, half of them had been involved with Bruce.


    In fact, Schiller spected that many of the highly intelligent viins in theics shouldn''t bepletely clueless. This reasoning was not difficult, but they still pretended to be ignorant, as if they couldn''t figure out who Batman really was.


    "Yeah, it''s not really a secret. But as long as you make it seem like a secret, it will be your weapon when necessary."


    "When you show that you value a particr secret, others will think it''s important to you. You try to hide it desperately, but if you reveal it at a crucial moment, it can prove your sincerity, even though it''s not actually important."


    Schiller was talking about Bruce''s future dealings with the Justice League. To gain their trust, Batman would remove his mask¡ªreveal a secret everyone already knew, that Batman was Bruce Wayne. But everyone would still trust Batman more because he always acted like he cared about this secret and was willing to reveal it for his teammates. Even though this secret could be easily guessed with a little thought, it didn''t matter; it was about the attitude!


    Bruce nodded in agreement, "For example, if some criminal wants to use this against me, I can calmly set a trap for him..."


    "Alright, Mr. Wayne," Schiller looked at his wristwatch and said, "It''s time for my consultation. As for your invitation, I''ll consider it carefully after receiving the formal invitation."


    Bruce didn''t quite understand why Schiller needed to consider it carefully. In the U.S., a verbal invitation indicated it was a private visit, nothing formal¡ªprobably just having a meal together in private.


    But when Schiller mentioned an invitation letter, Bruce thought maybe Schiller felt this kind of invitation wasn''t formal enough, making it seem less important. So, after leaving the consultation room, he instructed his butler Alfred to prepare an invitation letter and an event.


    What Bruce didn''t know was that for Schiller, receiving an invitation from Batman to his home was like saying, "Would you like to voluntarily walk into a trap?" He needed a lot of psychological preparation.


    Although Schiller knew that Bruce was far from being the Batman he would beter, and his two identities weren''t entirely distinct yet, if it were the Batman from theics, Bruce would juste over with a bottle of wine and introduce some beautiful women at the party, instead of acting serious and awkward.


    But Schiller''s stereotypical impression of Batman was too deep. He even suspected that Batman had set up this situation to obtain his DNA, which was something Batman was certainly capable of.


    Also, although Bruce didn''t say it, Pikachu, the yellow mouse, had definitely caught his attention.


    Schiller grabbed Pikachu by the tail and lifted it up, saying, "Did you see the person who just arrived? That''s the big shot in Gotham. If you want to live the good life, it''s best not to offend him."


    Pikachu struggled in mid-air, waving its small hands desperately. "Put me down! The guy who just came is really terrifying!"


    Schiller pulled Pikachu closer by its tail and asked, "How do you know?"


    "Detective''s intuition!" Pikachu shouted, "You should seriously consider leaving this ce. It gives me the creeps, and can''t we go back to that ce from yesterday? I can even tolerate you eating strawberry jam!"


    Schiller scrutinized Pikachu and felt that it wasn''t telling the truth.

 Chapter 16: The Bewildering Gordon

    Chapter 16: The Bewildering Gordon


    In the world of Pok¨¦mon anime and games, Pikachu is far from being considered a powerful Pok¨¦mon. Its poprity primarily stems from its adorable appearance.


    Whether in the anime or games, Pikachu is undeniably the mascot for cuteness, but itsbat abilities are rather ordinary. Especially in the world of the games, it can be considered quiteckluster whenpared to the powerful and dazzling Legendary Pok¨¦mon. Pikachu''s main virtue lies solely in its cuteness.


    However, the Pikachu that Schiller encountered was anything but ordinary. It possessed intelligence on par with humans, and in some aspects, even exceeded most humans. With its electric-type abilities and a few other tricks up its sleeve, it was far from the typical Pikachu.


    It remained impervious to Schiller''s psychic abilities, and the fear gas was merely a minor inconvenience to it. Given the volume of fear gas Schiller had used to set his traps that night, it would have driven most small creatures like Pikachu insane, but it only made Pikachu sneeze a few times.


    What''s more, it could sneak into Schiller''s room while he slept, pick the lock on his door, and hop onto his bed. Considering Pikachu''s diminutive size, it couldn''t even reach the doorknob without a chair, let alone pick a lock. How this creature, with legs shorter than a human''s, and tiny, stubby arms, managed to move a chair in the dead of night, jump onto it to pick the lock, open the door, and get to Schiller without being noticed was a mystery to everyone.


    But this Pikachu was clearly more cunning than Schiller had ever imagined. What made it even more disconcerting was the fact that, when Schiller heard its Deadpool-like voice, he couldn''t take it as seriously as he would if he were facing Batman. Despite not being able to see Pikachu''s face, he always felt like there was someone in a ck and red tight-fitting suit murmuring beside him. The whole scenario gave him the creeps.


    However, Schiller didn''t have much time to worry about Pikachu; Gordon had sent him a text message informing him that they had concrete evidence against Jonathan''s crimes and were about to apprehend him.


    Capturing Jonathan was not Schiller''s concern; he was more worried about not having a source of fear gas in the future. So, he had to act quickly to confiscate the remaining stock from Jonathan.


    Jonathan, the future Scarecrow, was having a run of bad luck. Knowing that he was about to be caught, he essentially handed over everything he had to Schiller. The young Scarecrow had no concept of counter-surveince and was genuinely bewildered by who could have stolen his fear gas.With his newfound teleportation ability, stealing fear gas became a much simpler task for Schiller. He only needed to blink into the underground of the Morrison District''s small church, which was a little over a hundred meters away, grab the gas, and vanish without a trace.


    Batman was, of course, involved in the operation as well, as his exceptional infiltration skills were needed. He returned to theboratory and discovered that Jonathan had developed a fear gas jet gun. He suggested that Gordon let him apprehend Jonathan because the gas gun had the potential to drive all the participating police officers and Morrison District residents insane.


    Though Gordon didn''t fully trust the man in the tight suit, he had his own reasons. The Gotham Police Department was filled with talent, but apart from himself, they were mostly inactive. They only arrived at the scene after everything had unfolded, and he couldn''t rely on them.


    This team''sbat capabilities were questionable at best, as a single gas jet gun could incapacitate most of the police station. He couldn''t expect any help from his superiors either; Gordon had long realized that the currentmissioner was in cahoots with certain criminal elements, and he didn''t want any additional trouble. A few dozen civilians dying didn''t matter; it wouldn''t interfere with his money-making endeavors.


    Gordon felt helpless and powerless. Batman was the only one he could count on.


    While the current Batman was inexperienced, Scarecrow wasn''t much of a threat either. They were both novices in a sense, but in the end, Batman prevailed.


    He subdued Jonathan with a tranquilizer needle while thetter was conducting experiments in theboratory. The Bat-suit''s camera captured clear evidence of Jonathan''s criminal activities.


    Despite the overwhelming evidence, Gordon, a minor figure in the grand scheme of things, was removed from the case. His immediate superior took charge of the investigation, swiftly initiating legal proceedings. It was at least a decent political achievement.


    A university professor turning out to be the mastermind behind dozens of murders? In any other area, this would be a sensational headline for days, but in Gotham, it was merely a noteworthy case that upied a single column on the front page.


    Seeing that the newspapers contained no mention of Gordon or Batman and were filled with praise for his superior, Schiller knew that another deserving individual had been let down in this dark city.


    Gordon, the good cop, still had a long way to go.


    To Schiller''s surprise, Gordon quickly sought him out.


    In the Gotham University counseling room, Schiller poured a cup of coffee for Gordon. The rtively young detective appeared exhausted, but a sip of the hot coffee seemed to rejuvenate him.


    He said, "I know my visit might seem presumptuous, Professor. But regarding the Jonathan case..."


    Gordon appeared hesitant to speak, and Schiller said, "Let me guess, the case''s proceedings may have gone smoothly, but when ites to the trial, there''s been a misunderstanding, right?"


    Gordon clenched his fists on the desktop, his face darkening as he replied, "That damn murderer is a chemistry Ph.D. You should know what that means in Gotham. Some don''t want to sentence him to death; they want to exonerate him on grounds of mental illness and then make him work for them."


    Schiller sat across from him and said, "Indeed, a genius-level chemistry Ph.D. If he can create even a new hallucinogenic substance, the people employing him could make a fortune."


    Gordon shook his head, saying, "It''s more than that. The drug they want Jonathan to develop might be even more dangerous."


    "If they invent drugs, they could make some money from addicts. But if they truly create a virus that could control everyone in Gotham, the wealth they could amass is beyond imagination," Gordon remarked.


    "Has someone leaked information about the fear gas?" Schiller asked. Its effects were outstanding, which is why some people recognized Jonathan''s power.


    Gordon looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I don''t mean to offend, but I need to confirm: have you recently encountered any suspicious individuals?"


    "I can assure you, I haven''t told anyone about this. It serves me no purpose. As a university professor, having a colleague who''s a murderer is already disgraceful enough. If there were any other connections, it would greatly affect my career," Schiller replied.


    "Well then..." Gordon interlocked his fingers and said, "That night, I heard you call that masked figure Bruce. He''s Bruce Wayne, isn''t he?"


    "On this topic, I can''t tell you anything. You should seek confirmation from him yourself instead ofing to me."


    "I understand your concerns," Schiller said. "As Gotham''s biggest business mogul, Bruce Wayne may not bepletely unrted to those shady dealings. And if he finds out you''re investigating this, your fate won''t be pleasant. Is that what you''re thinking?"


    Gordon said, "Jonathan mentioned in his confession that someone has been stealing most of his fear gas. That masked figure is my prime suspect; he''s just too suspicious."


    Schiller felt somewhat nostalgic. The content not found inics was intriguing. Gordon and Batman, this pair of longtime partners, didn''t trust each other from the start. Gordon was highly skeptical of Batman''s unusual vignte actions.


    It wasn''t surprising; any normal person wouldn''t readily ept someone dressed in a ck costume with pointed ears, running around Gotham in the dead of night. Such behavior didn''t exactly scream ''hero.''


    Schiller said, "Have you ever considered that he might have been just as suspicious of you?"


    Gordon sighed and said, "Actually, he had more reason to be suspicious of me. If he truly is Bruce Wayne, I know that the Wayne family''s children never gave up on investigating their parents'' death. The Wayne couple''s death was highly suspicious; I''ve gone through the case files, and there were too many discrepancies. If young Wayne is Batman, he certainly wouldn''t trust any cop, including me."


    "Gotham''s police..." Gordon said with somement, "I know they''re like ornaments in this city, not much can be expected from them." He looked disheartened, sighed, took a sip of his coffee, and fell silent.


    Schiller remarked, "As a rock in the quagmire, you''re already quite resilient. You can''t expect anyone to pull you out. It''s better to keep rolling and growing until you dominate the entire quagmire; then, it''s no different from a smooth asphalt road."


    "Is that what you think? Do you believe I should continue on this road?" Gordon appeared perplexed.


    It''s not surprising that he felt so despondent. Risking so much and investing countless efforts into solving a case, only to have the credit stolen, was one thing. But now, for the sake of personal interests, they were willing to let a mass murderer go free. It was a significant blow to Gordon, who had initially sought justice.


    Schiller smiled and said, "Detective Gordon, it seems like you could use some psychological therapy. Fortunately, I happen to be a psychologist, and I won''t charge you."


    Gordon managed a reluctant smile and said, "I''ve seen your resume in the files, Professor Schiller. Having a renowned psychologist like you provide me with psychological treatment can be considered my year-end bonus, regardless of the circumstances. Thank you."


    Schiller replied, "No need to thank me. It''s an honor to help a good cop in Gotham."


    Gordon''s smile became even more strained as he sighed, saying, "A good cop? Perhaps..."

 Chapter 17: Batmans Renal Crisis

    Chapter 17: Batmans Renal Crisis


    The solemn psychological consultation that Schiller was conducting with Gordon came to an abrupt end the moment Bruce opened the door.


    The three men exchanged surprised nces, and Schiller inquired, "Well, Mr. Wayne, as I mentioned, you''ve already used up your allotted time for psychological counseling this week, haven''t you? Why didn''t you call ahead to check if there were any appointments at the counseling room?"


    Bruce felt a touch embarrassed. He hadn''t anticipated Gordon''s presence here. He had onlye to deliver an invitation to Schiller. Bruce was aware that his cover with Gordon might have beenpromised, but the fact that Gordon hadn''te to find him at Wayne Manor implied that he didn''t distrust Batman entirely.


    This left Bruce somewhat disheartened, as he knew Gordon was a genuinely good police officer. Yet, this faction within the Gotham Police Department seemed to harbor an inexplicable hostility towards him. Bruce realized that Batman needed to do more, to undertake truly meaningful actions to change the perception.


    Schiller suggested, "It seems fate has brought us together. Since we''re all here, why don''t we have an open and honest discussion?"


    "We all know what happened that night. I understand that none of us entirely trust each other, but that doesn''t matter. We can still unite temporarily for amon goal, such as putting my colleague, Dr. Jonathan, the creator of the fear gas, behind bars."


    Gordon realized there was little left for him to hide. If he couldn''t handle this situation and his superiors and the police station''smissioner found out about his covert investigation into the plot to hire Jonathan, he would be in dire straits. Regardless of whether it was Schiller or Bruce, Gordon could only hope that they would at least remain neutral and provide some advice if they couldn''t offer direct assistance.


    Frowning, Gordon said, "The situation may be worse than you imagine, Victor... oh, the current police stationmissioner. He was once charged with trafficking high-potency tranquilizers, but he was never convicted. Instead, he has risen through the ranks. Some specte that Sal is backing him, but there''s no evidence. My immediate superior, Lantolos, I''ve seen him frequent the club where the Red Crows gang operates, but these old cops are too crafty to be caught."


    Schiller sighed, aware that Gordon had left some dignity for the Gotham Police Department. From top to bottom, the police station in Gotham was infiltrated by gangs. Even the kindest of officers merely took gang money and did little else.Schiller asked, "Do you know Harvey? Harvey Brock."


    Gordon furrowed his brow for a moment and replied, "Are you talking about the logistics guy at the police department who smokes cigarettes and drinks heavily? What about him? Do you know him?"


    Harvey Brock was depicted as a slovenly, heavyset man who smoked cigarettes and drank excessively in some Batmanics. Gordon''s description wasn''t entirely wrong. However, in mostic settings, he was a corrupt cop masquerading as a good one, appearing to be in cahoots with the gangs but secretly aiding Gordon. In one particric, he even teamed up with Gordon to defeat the Joker without Batman''s intervention.


    Schiller exined, "I''ve heard of him. I''ve coborated with police in several cities, and I was told he attended the police academy in Star City. An old Metropolis cop mentioned him to me once, saying that Harvey wanted to be a good cop but faced retaliation. To protect himself, he had to adopt a facade of decadence and even cooperated with the gangs to seek protection."


    "Do you think he''s trustworthy?" Gordon asked.


    Bruce interjected, "You can''t continue this battle alone within the Gotham Police Department. If you don''t have any allies there, you''ll struggle to bring down your superiors and the police stationmissioner, not to mention the gangs they''re connected to."


    "I believe you should try to reach out to Harvey, but don''t reveal everything to him. If he''s truly trustworthy, he might provide some assistance discreetly. You two can operate in the light and shadow, at the very least creating obstacles for your superiors," Bruce suggested.


    Gordon said, "I''ll look into it."


    Bruce added, "As for your police stationmissioner, I''ll investigate him too, but under my other identity, as you''re aware."


    Bruce had no intention of keeping his identity hidden from Gordon from the outset. He knew that gaining the help of a police officer within the police station was nearly impossible without revealing his identity.


    "As for the gangs," Schiller said, "whether it''s Sal or the Red Crows gang, I can look into both."


    Both men turned their attention to Schiller. Gordon hesitated before saying, "Professor, I know you''ve traveled through various cities, but I must remind you that Gotham''s gangs are unlike any in other cities. They are ruthless, disregarding allws and morals, a pack of vicious wolves."


    "Yes, which is precisely why I must act promptly. Keep in mind that Gotham University is about to begin its final exams, and I won''t have much time then."


    Schiller nced at Bruce and continued, "Many students here would rather go clubbing before dawn than put effort into studying."


    Bruce awkwardly rubbed his nose, and Gordon gave him a once-over, saying, "Though I''m not much older than you, I''ll still remind you: if you intend to keep being that caped crusader, it''s best to keep your personal life more discreet. Half of Gotham''s women have been in your bed. Do you think there might be a few ck Widows among them?"


    Bruce replied, "Alright, I''ll be more cautious. Thank you for the advice."


    Bruce''s "notorious reputation" was well-known throughout Gotham City. Even at the age of 18, Bruce was astonishingly handsome, a fact that couldn''t be denied. Despitecking the weathered demeanor of someone who had experienced the trials of life, his striking good looks alone could capture the hearts of countless admirers. Gotham''s entertainment newspapers frequently featured gossip about him, yet Bruce''spanions in photographs never repeated.


    Schiller wasn''t particrly concerned that Bruce might be assassinated by gang mistresses. What worried him more was Bruce''s kidneys. He believed that even as Batman, continuing on this path would inevitably lead to kidney problems.


    Unfortunately, as soon as Bruce returned to Wayne Manor, his old butler, Alfred, informed him, "I''ve taken the liberty of canceling your appointments for this evening, sir, as the results of yourst medical examination were rather concerning."


    Bruce paused for a moment, recalling the peculiar eye contact between Commissioner Gordon and Schiller earlier that day. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Cancel all my evening appointments for this month, please."


    Alfred hesitated for a moment, and then his gaze grew stranger. He said, "Master Wayne, you invited Miss Christine to dinner two months ago. Are you sure you want to cancel her appointment as well?"


    Bruce waved his hand dismissively and said, "Of course, I don''t have the time for any dates right now."


    Alfred''s gaze became even more peculiar, and he hesitated before saying, "If there have been any changes in your sexual orientation, I hope you''ll inform your loyal butler promptly."


    Bruce sighed, covering his forehead, and said, "I need to investigate something these evenings... Alright, don''t cancel Miss Christine''s appointment. She''s truly captivating and alluring."


    After Alfred left, Bruce noticed that his telephone was ringing, and to his surprise, it was a call from Schiller.


    He answered, and Schiller asked, "You have a date with Christine, the captain of the Nightingale Cheerleading Squad?"


    Bruce was taken aback. Did Schiller have mind-reading abilities?


    However, he quickly realized he was overthinking it. Schiller said, "She bragged to her sisters that she hooked the little Wayne, but she disappeared two days after saying that. Her sister reported it to the school, and Anna from the personnel department asked me to contact you."


    "I haven''t had the date yet," Bruce replied. "Our date is scheduled for two weeks from now. You know, my... schedule is quite packed."


    "That''s strange then, her disappearance is unrted to you?" Schiller inquired.


    Bruce became alert and said, "Could it be rted to Jonathan''s case? Was she close to Jonathan?"


    "Of course not," Schiller responded. "How would a youngdy like her be close to Jonathan? She''s a beautiful social butterfly, while Jonathan is cooped up in his office all day."


    Schiller continued, "Well, Bruce, you have a new task now. Find your future date as soon as possible, preferably before the date you set."


    "But I..."


    "The Nightingale Squad is a symbol of Gotham University, and the disappearance of their captain has had a significant impact on them. The All-American League yoffs are just two weeks away. If you can''t find her, I''ll hang your GPA by a thread."


    "Hey, Professor, you can''t... Hello? Hello?"


    Bruce sighed in resignation and hung up the phone. He decided to visit the school in person to learn more. He discovered that Christine was popr among the members of the cheerleading squad, and many of the girls were looking for her. Without their captain, they couldn''t arrange their routines, causing frustration among the football team members as well.


    With Jonathan''s recent arrest and the school''s efforts to quell the public outcry, everyone was busy. Schiller, the new professor, had been drafted into service.


    And then Batman was drafted into service by Schiller.


    Bruce began to ponder the disappearance of a beautiful youngdy in Gotham. The oue seemed clear, but Schiller''s words about Christine being cautious and rarely leaving school made him suspect a connection to Jonathan''s case.


    Bruce had never been one to worry about threats as feeble as Schiller''s. When had he ever cared about failing a ss? Aside from his psychology course, which he would attend to save face for Schiller, he spent his time either at the bar or simply going through the motions in his other sses.


    As he contemted this, Bruce remembered one thing Schiller had said: Christine had mentioned her uing date with him. Could this be rted to her disappearance?

 Chapter 18: Injured Daredevil

    Chapter 18: Injured Daredevil


    In Hell''s Kitchen, New York, on a bed at the Schiller Psychological Clinic, Daredevil Matt let out a painful cry. Schiller removed the alcohol-soaked cotton ball held by forceps from the wound on Matt''s shoulder, saying, "Although this street is unlikely to have any visitors, if you keep your muscles so tight, I won''t be able to extract the bullet."


    He discarded the cotton ball into the trash and wiped the forceps with an alcohol swab. Then, he gently pried open Matt''s shoulder wound a bit more, saying, "I need to make a small incision with a knife."


    Matt replied, "You must give me some anesthesia; otherwise, I''ll definitely go into shock."


    "A superhero who''s afraid of pain. I''m not sure whether to mock you or admire you," Schiller remarked.


    "There aren''t many who can injure me, but Kingpin has found quite the formidable adversary this time," Matt said.


    Schiller looked at Matt''s paleplexion, his lips almost devoid of color. Everyone had varying pain thresholds, and Daredevil Matt appeared to be among the more sensitive ones.


    As Schiller had pointed out, individuals like him choosing to be superheroes was either worthy of ridicule or admiration. Schiller pondered that even the mightiest of drugs couldn''tpletely shield these superheroes from pain. Perhaps Batman had also abandoned shallow vengeance in favor of a greater purpose during countless episodes of unbearable pain.


    Only a grand ideal like "justice" could sustain these superheroes as they licked their wounds night after night.


    Schiller set down the forceps and said, "You''re lucky, Matt. I''ve got some good medication here."He produced a small white bottle and handed it to Matt, who examined the packaging and sniffed the scent before eximing, "Damn it, how do you have this kind of painkiller? You''re quite the addict!"


    Schiller replied, "Don''t underestimate it. This isn''t like those cheap, rotten ones on the market. It has the highest concentration you can find. If you don''t use it, give it back; this stuff is expensive."


    The painkiller Schiller had was obtained when he stole fear gas from Jonathan''s ce. Jonathan needed painkillers for his experiments, and these were ones Schiller had refined himself, far superior to what could be bought.


    Matt reluctantly took a pill and said, "God, please let me recover quickly so I can give you a punch in return."


    "Don''t take my help for granted. Carrying a few pills in Hell''s Kitchen is perfectly normal; it''s hardly a crime," Schiller replied.


    Matt felt the pain gradually subside and had to admit that what Schiller said had some merit. In Hell''s Kitchen, indulging in drugs was perhaps the most harmless of vices.


    Schiller thought that if it were Gotham, a person with just a drug habit would seem as innocent as an angel.


    As Schiller watched Matt''s color return, he continued with a simple operation while asking, "How did you get into this mess?"


    Matt clenched his lips and replied, "Kingpin brought in some serious yers. I was prepared, but those ''Ninjas'' they had can lower their heart rate, and I couldn''t hear them... Oh, damn it..."


    Schiller used forceps to hold up the just-removed bullet, examined it, and said, "Are you talking about those ''Ninjas'' who have nothing better to do? They even engraved cherry blossom patterns on their bullets."


    Matt looked exhausted, and Schiller called out, "Pikachu, fetch the bandages from the cab!"


    Matt heard a small creature jump onto the table, and it looked at him with disdain, saying, "I told you not to treat him in the bedroom. Do you think the smell of blood is pleasant? Hey, unlucky guy, here are your bandages..."


    Schiller caught the bandages Pikachu tossed, and he wrapped them around Matt''s wound. Matt said, "You''d better hurry; I''ll have to leave here soon."


    "And die on the street outside?" Schiller asked.


    "They''re after me. Those Ninja guys have unique tracking skills. If theye here, none of us can escape," Matt said.


    Despite his tough talk, Matt didn''t want to drag Schiller into this mess. While he didn''t consider Schiller a good person, he had, after all, saved him.


    Schiller cleaned his tools stained with blood and said, "They don''t need any special tracking skills. You ran here with a strong scent of blood from the neighboring street. If they haven''t found you yet..."


    Suddenly, Matt heard a violent swooshing sound and shouted, "It''s a dart! Get down!"


    He was internally frantic because he could tell from Schiller''s footsteps that he was just an untrained ordinary person. Facing the Ninja assassins, there was almost no chance of survival.


    However, soon after, he heard a loud "thud." It seemed the projectile hit something. Schiller was holding an umbre, and he thought, an umbre was indeed a great defense, especially against small projectiles like darts. It greatly reduced their impact.


    There was only one person on the other side. Schiller''s psychic senses only detected one person''s emotions aside from Matt''s.


    "Miss, if you hesitated for three minutes before attacking, why don''t we sit down and have a cup of coffee together?" Schiller said to the empty air.


    Before the other side could respond, Schiller continued, addressing the empty air, "You spared your old me, that''s quite merciful. I''ve never seen anyone precisely hit the least deadly spot in the shoulder de with a bullet. Since you''re here, why note out?"


    A cold snort emanated from the air on the other side, followed by the departure of the assassin.


    Matt looked puzzled and asked, "What? What old me?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Didn''t you notice? The assassin you encountered, since she had the ability to shoot you without your noticing, why didn''t she aim for the heart or head?"


    "Didn''t this bullet target my heart?" Matt inquired.


    "Missed it by a hundred and eighty thousand miles."


    Matt''s mind was a bit scrambled; it was evident he hadn''t quite processed it yet. The assassin across from him was none other than his former ssmate and ex-girlfriend, Erica.


    Schiller, well aware of the situation, knew that Erica was torn. She had unfinished business with Matt but hesitated about whether toplete her mission. She both wanted to show up and avoid seeing her ex-boyfriend. So, as soon as Schiller revealed her identity, she made a hasty retreat, clearly not ready to let Matt know who she was.


    Truly, you can never fathom a woman''s thoughts.


    Soon enough, Daredevil Matt drifted into unconsciousness, a mix of pain and worry. Schiller lowered the rolling shutter on the clinic door and locked it, then secured all the windows. He stood by the bed, gazing at the New York City night sky.


    A bright meteor streaked across the sky, with countless couples making wishes upon it. Little did they know it was Stark''s Mech armor.


    No one in Hell''s Kitchen had the luxury to make wishes on shooting stars. Nheless, Schiller dialed Stark on his mobile phone. As soon as the call connected, Schiller said, "Miss Pepper knows you''d rather cruise the skies in your Mech armor than spend time with her, doesn''t she?"


    And then, in the gaze of countless onlookers, that shooting star plummeted from the sky.


    After a while, on the roof of Schiller''s Psychological Clinic, Stark, donning his Marc5 armor that looked a bit like a cigarette,ined to Schiller, "I should''ve cklisted you from my contacts..."


    Schiller handed him a cigarette and said, "A middle-aged man, racing around in the middle of the night, tracing such mncholic curves, something must be amiss with his wife."


    Stark joined Schiller on the roof and took the proffered cigarette. He said, "She''s putting a lot of pressure on me, to be honest. I haven''t figured it out yet..."


    "Haven''t figured out what? Whether to marry Pepper?"


    Stark coughed a bit and replied, "Marry? Have you skipped some important steps?"


    "Oh, right, in your yboy eyes, there''s still an ''important step''."


    "Don''t say it like that. Pepper is different from those other women."


    "I wonder if you''re as different to her as you think," Schiller remarked.


    Before Stark could respond, Schiller continued, "But I imagine it''s pretty close. You haven''t spent enough time with her."


    "...Then I''ll fire that security guard when I get back," Stark angrily retorted.


    Clearly, he was avoiding some questions.


    After a while, Stark touched his own cheek, feeling conflicted. "Do you really have mind-reading abilities?"


    "If I say I do, will you believe me? Stop asking about things you don''t believe in," Schiller replied.


    "I''d actually like to find a way to believe that mind-reading exists in this world, and then have you tell me what Pepper is really thinking," Stark said.


    Iron Man wasn''t the typical ''invincible'' hero; he had a sensitive and sentimental side that didn''t align with his genius in science and technology. Thus, he always tangled his emotions into a messy web.


    When facing Pepper, Stark could never boldly move forward, failing to realize that this attitude revealed a lot.


    Schiller changed the topic, saying, "How''s that red-and-blue-suited kid in New York Citytely? I remember youining about him."


    "Oh, yes, a kid wearing the ugliest spandex you''ve ever seen, bouncing around the city, like a flea," Stark said. He continued, "JARVIS mentioned the kid''s probably not even an adult; I n to catch him and send him back home."


    Schiller said, "I might have a lead here, would you like to hear it?"


    "I''ve seen him a few times on the edge of Hell''s Kitchen. He didn''t dare toe in. I noticed a high school emblem on his blue pants that day, probably from Queens..."


    "You call that a lead?" Stark scoffed. Schiller went on, "Judging by his attire, he can''t afford high-end clothing for himself. His family situation may not be great, so he likely attends a public school, possibly Midtown High School or Forest Hill High..."


    "Forest Hill High is a boarding school; if a student was wandering around like this, he''d probably get his legs broken. Midtown High is more lenient, judging by his build, he''s probably a freshman or sophomore."


    "A brat," Stark concluded. He added, "Probably tinkered with a toy of his own making, came out to show it off."


    "So, are you nning to show this ''kid'' the dangers of the adult world?" Schiller asked.


    "Of course, what''s more important is that New York City isn''t his yground," Stark said.


    Though he had just recovered, he was still an adult who had experienced significant events. He knew that Spider-Man''s reckless behavior was bound to get him into trouble sooner orter. In fact, the media had already started taking notice of him.

 Chapter 19: The Rise of Spider-Man

    Chapter 19: The Rise of Spider-Man


    Peter Parker had been living a contented lifetely. Ever since he was bitten by that spider, he had gained unparalleled superhuman abilities. No longer was he the powerless nerd; he had transformed into a force to be reckoned with, agile and incredibly strong. For a high school student, this was a dreame true.


    However, not everything in Peter''s life was sunshine and rainbows. The doctor he had been chatting with online had arranged aprehensive medical examination for his entire family, and the results were far from ideal.


    Peter himself was in perfect health, and the hospital''s machines couldn''t detect anything unusual about him. The real concerny with his uncle and aunt, Ben and May Parker. Given their age, it was expected that they would have some health issues, but what the doctor found was unsettling. Uncle Ben had a shadow on his lungs, which was far from good news.


    Any reasonably informed person knew that the next words after hearing about a "shadow" on the lungs usually meant either cancer or a tumor. The doctor rmended a thorough examination of Ben Parker''s lungs, but the cost was substantial. Considering the possibility of ater biopsy, the Parker family couldn''t afford the surgery.


    While medical expenses could be reimbursed, the cost of this particr examination wasn''t covered, and no insurancepany would take responsibility.


    If the doctor Peter had met online still worked at this hospital, there might have been hope for assistance. Even if this hospital couldn''t help, there were more affordable options elsewhere.


    The Parker family had always lived frugally. Peter rarely had new clothes, but he knew that Uncle Ben and Aunt May had done their best to provide him with the best life possible, given their meager earnings. Uncle Ben would never ept ill-gotten gains, and with his paltry sry, supporting Peter''s education left no room for savings.


    Ben Parker was optimistic, assuring Peter that the lung shadow might not necessarily be cancer or a tumor. It could be a minor inmmation that would heal on its own. Ben tried tofort Peter, suggesting that the big hospital might just be overreacting. However, Peter was deeply troubled by the news.


    He couldn''t help but feel a sense of frustration. sh Thompson, who had always bullied him at school, owned a pair of shoes worth hundreds or even thousands of dors, while his family couldn''t even afford a few hundred dors for medical tests.But Peter realized that his situation had changed. With his newfound superpowers, he could earn money in ways he never could before.


    Peter was exceptionally bright and quickly devised a n to make money as quickly as possible: underground boxing matches.


    Although gambling at a casino might be faster, Peter knew that his spider-sense was unreliable. If he couldn''t control it properly, he could not only fail to make money but also lose some.


    However, underground boxing was different. His superhuman strength could easily defeat any ordinary opponent, regardless of their fierceness. With an absolute physical advantage, victory was assured.


    The underground boxing scene thrived in Hell''s Kitchen, New York''s most prosperous district for such events.


    But as a diligent student who had always focused on his studies, Peter hesitated to approach such a chaotic ce. Perhaps out of fear or caution, he wandered around Hell''s Kitchen for several days without making a move.


    Finally, one day, when Peter was returning home from school, he learned that his aunt had injured her back and couldn''t afford medicine. She had to rest in bed with no other recourse. Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, Peter''s frustration turned into anger, and he longed to take action.


    He put on the makeshift costume he had created. Although it looked somewhatical, his spider-powers had given him a more muscr physique, no longer the frail figure he once was. So, he didn''t look too shabby.


    Peter dashed around Hell''s Kitchen like a headless chicken, but he knew that no one could beat him. He had his Spider-Sense to dodge bullets, and eventually, he found the way in.


    On Bill Street, just two blocks from Mary Street in Hell''s Kitchen, there was an underground boxing arena run by a gang. After defeating the strongest ck boxer there, Peter caught the attention of the manager, who rmended him to the biggest underground boxing venue at the end of the street.


    And here, Peter adopted a new identity for himself: Spider-Man.


    Everything went smoothly for Peter. He won consecutive matches, and hardly any opponent could withstand his wild punches. The power from his spider mutation was simply overwhelming. Within a few days, Peter had earned thousands of dors.


    Meanwhile, Daredevil had spent several days recovering in Schiller. Hecked superhuman abilities, and his wounds healed at the same rate as any normal person. Thankfully, the assassins sent after him had shown some mercy, and the bullets hadn''t hit any vital organs. After a few days, Matt was feeling much better.


    So, on this evening, Matt bid farewell to Schiller. He had to continue his pursuit of justice. Stopping his mission due to Kingpin''s assassination attempt would go against everything he stood for. Matt not only continued his fight for justice but also sought to strike back at Kingpin.


    His first target was Bill Street, where Kingpin controlled two nightclubs, a casino, an underground boxing arena, and an illegal car modification shop. This street was practically owned by Kingpin''s gang, generating millions of dors in profit each year.


    Matt''s initial focus was on the underground boxing arena.


    Don''t forget how his father died. These underground ck fighting pits have no legitimate reason to exist. They''re solely after the money of those rotten gamblers, with no regard for anyone''s lives. Matt''s father was brutally killed simply because he refused to fix a match and wanted to put on a victorious performance for his son, causing the house to lose money.


    This event led to the birth of Daredevil. Therefore, Matt will never let any underground fighting pit go unnoticed. In fact, Kingpin''s underground ck boxing gambling industry has suffered greatly due to Matt''s actions.


    That''s why Kingpin sent assassins after him. As long as Matt is alive, Kingpin can forget about making money through ck boxing.


    Of course, Matt is a seasoned hero. He doesn''t charge headlong into these ck fighting pits. His mostmon method of dismantling these underground organizations is to observe for a few days, then find a drunkard staggering out of there and extract all the information he needs from their intoxicated ramblings. Afterward, he targets key management figures and disrupts the operations repeatedly, forcing the gamblers to seek their fortunes elsewhere.


    After observing for several days, Matt heard the name "Spider-Man" from several people. He learned that Spider-Man had been making a name for himself in the fighting arenately. Matt had seen Spider-Man once before, albeit briefly, but he knew this kid''s good times wouldn''tst long.


    One day, the owner of the underground fighting pit approached Peter. He wanted Peter to throw a fixed match. Anyone who understands the rules of gambling knows that with Peter''s winning streak, his odds would be extremely low, and almost no one would bet on his opponent.


    At this point, if Peter were to lose, the house would only have to pay off a few people who bet on his opponent to win, while pocketing the money from all those who bet on Peter to win. It''s a lucrative business where fairness inpetition doesn''t exist. Everything is manipted by the house to fleece the gamblers.


    The owner of the underground gambling pit offered Peter a cut, but Peter wasn''t too keen. Firstly, he felt he had already earned enough money. Tens of thousands of dors were enough for his uncle''s full medical check-up, and even if Aunt May needed major surgery, this money would suffice.


    Moreover, Peter was just a high school student, and his maturity level wasn''t there yet. The thrill of consecutive victories was addicting, and for a teenager, intentionally losing to his opponents was unthinkable. Peter had finally found some confidence, and he wasn''t going to give it up.


    The owner of the underground fighting pit didn''t say much, and Peter naively believed that the owner had no recourse against him. After all, he possessed incredible strength that an ordinary person couldn''t match.


    All of this was being closely observed by Daredevil, Matt. He had infiltrated the ce earlier, posing as a drunkard and slumping in the audience seats. His extraordinary hearing allowed him to catch every word of the conversation between the underground fighting pit owner and Peter.


    The next day, during the match, Matt was present. When Peter entered the arena, there was still a thunderous apuse from the audience. Peter raised both hands to acknowledge them, prepared to face his next defeated opponent.


    Approaching him was a sturdy African-American boxer. Peter looked at him, his face revealing a hint of cunning. He didn''t understand what was happening.


    At first, when the boxing match began, Peter felt fine. He nearly sent the opponent flying with a single punch. However, the opponent didn''t engage him head-on but kept evading, seemingly buying time.


    Soon, Peter began to feel something was off. His stomach started to cramp, his legs weakened, and his vision blurred.


    Just as his consciousness began to fade, the African-American boxernded a punch on his cheek. Peter staggered backward, dizzy.


    The opponent seized the opportunity and continued to attack. In that moment, Peter''s Spider-Sense tingled, sensing something heavy, perhaps lead, concealed within the opponent''s boxing gloves. If that punchnded, Peter''s brain might have sttered.


    Peter bent down, barely avoiding the blow. The audience below started to jeer. Spider-Man had never been one to dodge in previous matches.


    Peter couldn''t afford to think too much. He was in excruciating pain, almost unable to catch his breath. The opponentnded another punch, and Peter copsed to the ground. This wasn''t a regr match with a proper referee. After falling, the opponent''s fists continued to rain down on him mercilessly, with no one to intervene.


    Peter could only hold onto his head, but the lead-weighted gloves were causing his internal organs to feel as if they were shifting. Finally, unable to endure any longer, he vomited on the ground. The audience below erupted in a chorus of curses.


    Peter had never heard such profanities in his life, but now they were all directed at Spider-Man.


    Before passing out, Peter saw a figure leaping from the audience seats. With a cane cutting through the air, it struck the opponent''s neck, putting an end to the brutal assault. But Peter couldn''t hold on any longer and lost consciousness.

 Chapter 20: Spider-Man and Daredevil

    Chapter 20: Spider-Man and Daredevil


    When Peter regained consciousness, he found himself in a cramped and dimly lit room. He noticed a man in a red, tight-fitting suit with his back turned, busy organizing his equipment.


    Peter''s body still ached all over, but thanks to his exceptional self-healing abilities, most of his injuries had already healed. The man turned to him and said, "Kid, you''re lucky. They just gave you somexatives and anesthetics. They didn''t use anything more potent, or else you wouldn''t be awake right now."


    Spider-Man''s mutation abilities didn''t reach their peak right from the start. They required a series of training and stimuli. Theter Spider-Man, in terms of strength, speed, and healing abilities, was many times stronger than Peter is now.


    Peter had acquired his mutation abilities some time ago, but he had only dealt with ordinary people. His abilities now surpassed those of ordinary humans by a considerable margin, so he hadn''t thought much about improving them.


    Because of this, his body hadn''t reached a level where it could fully resist drugs. The owner of the underground fighting arena had given him a substantial dose ofxatives,bined with some anesthetics, which left him incapacitated.


    Peter said, "I remember you. You''re the one who saved me, right?"


    "You''re lucky, kid. It seems you have some extraordinary abilities, or else you would be dead by now."


    Peter broke out in a cold sweat. You couldn''t expect a high school student to have strong distrust of people. The ce where Peter grew up had a simple and friendly atmosphere, just like his uncle. Positive education was the norm, and Peter had never encountered the treacherous nature of people. He shivered and said, "I thought..."


    Then, he angrily pounded the bed and said, "I''m going to teach that owner a lesson! How dare he drug me!""Do you really expect that ce to have fair referees, just like in the World Championships?" Daredevil asked.


    "Alright, I can see your wounds are mostly healed. You better leave this ce soon, kid. Hell''s Kitchen isn''t where you should be."


    "I''m not just a kid," Peter said. "I''m Spider-Man."


    "You still have a long way to go," Daredevil said. Just as Peter was about to retort, a cane whizzed past his neck.


    Even Spider-Sense didn''t react, or perhaps there was no time to react.


    Peter broke out in a cold sweat, and Daredevil''s movements were so fast that even his enhanced vision couldn''t catch them.


    Matt had learned from Stick, not just any ordinary martial arts. Although he was just a regr human, his physical attributes had almost reached the limits of what an ordinary person could achieve. Coupled with extensivebat training, he was even more formidable than the newly awakened Spider, in terms of skill andbat prowess.


    Peter, on the other hand, was just a greenhorn. He swallowed hard and said, "That move was impressive, buddy. I see you used it to save me."


    With that, Peter imitated a boxing stance with his hands, swaying left and right. Daredevil retracted his cane and said, "If you really want to be Spider-Man, there''s a lot more you need to learn. If you''re interested, you cane here and find me."


    Daredevil wasn''t exactly a saint; in the Marvel world, he was a very decisive hero. He saved Peter not only out of sympathy but also because of memories of his father''s death. He didn''t want to see anyone die in an underground fighting arena like he did.


    But on the other hand, he also intended to find himself an assistant. The day he was injured in an assassination attempt made him realize that he couldn''t do everything alone. He couldn''t evade his enemies and uphold justice at the same time. Having an assistant would make things much easier.


    The young Spider seemed to fit the bill perfectly. He had incredible abilities and high potential but was still inexperienced.


    And so, Peter began to visit Daredevil regrly, realizing that despite his extraordinary strength, his skills werecking, and hecked life experience in many aspects. Otherwise, why would he need to earn money in underground fights when he had such martial prowess?


    Driven by his desire to improve his life with his abilities and his admiration for Daredevil''s impressive martial arts, Peter quickly became friends with Daredevil and understood what he was trying to achieve.


    Although Peter admired him, he couldn''t help but wonder if it was necessary. What could one person achieve? Even dealing with Hell''s Kitchen''s criminals was a daunting task, and he could barely handle it. With his determination and perseverance, he could have settled down and led a happy life.


    However, as Peter grew closer to Daredevil, spending several evenings at his residence during holidays, he witnessed Daredevil repeatedly tending to his injuries in excruciating pain. Peter''s attitude began to waver.


    Daredevil was just an ordinary human, and unfortunately, he was more sensitive to pain than most. Every time he patched up his injuries, Peter could see how much pain he was in. Yet, the next day, he would still go out to fight criminals.


    While Hell''s Kitchen might not be as dangerous as Gotham, trying to uphold justice here carried a high risk of injury. Sometimes, he would get grazed by bullets during gang shootouts, or he would jump from several stories high to evade pursuers, or he would get hit up close in a brawl, leavingrge bruises. Whenever Peter saw these injuries, he felt a mix of emotions.


    In his heart, he hade to consider Matt as a friend, and he didn''t want his friend to get hurt. But how could he persuade Daredevil otherwise?


    Could he dissuade him from seeking justice? From fighting criminals? Peter was clever; he understood that if even these excruciating injuries couldn''t deter Matt, a few words from him certainly wouldn''t.


    One day, Matt found himself once again pursued by the relentless Ninja assassins. A bullet had grazed his thigh, and Peter rushed to his side to extract the projectile. The wound was unlike anything Peter had ever seen, emanating a pungent, nauseating scent of blood. It made his head spin, and the torn muscles exposed bone. Peter''s trembling hands attested to his difort.


    He wasn''t the Spider-Man he would beter, hardened and truly heroic. Any high schooler witnessing this scene would have been equally unnerved.


    As he assisted Matt with the bullet, Peter''s voice cracked with dryness as he asked, "Why are you doing this? Is it really worth it?"


    "I thought you''d ask sooner," Daredevil replied, leaning against the wall. His voice quivered from the pain, and he continued, "I can tell, even though your family life may be ordinary, you probably have a caring guardian and a rtively happy home. You''ve led a stable life from childhood to now."


    "In school, you may have faced some hardships, but most of the time, you were safe. I can see you have someints about money, but do you know? You''re already quite lucky."


    In the dimly lit room, Daredevil rambled on like a delirious dream, saying, "I''m lucky too. I was born in Hell''s Kitchen, but my father wasn''t a gambler or an addict. He did his best to protect me, to give me a chance to escape this ce, to go out and read books."


    "He was a great father. To support me, to enable me to leave here, he chose to be an underground fighter."


    "Yes, your fate was supposed to be like his. He refused to throw a fixed fight when I went to watch himpete, so the owners of those fight clubs killed him."


    Peter was overwhelmed with both emotional and physical distress, almost unaware that tears were streaming down his face. Daredevil was beginning to lose consciousness due to the pain, but he continued, "You and I are lucky, but some people are not. Their mothers drank or used drugs during pregnancy, and they were born addicted. To survive, they either work for gangs or engage in even more dangerous, inhumane activities. Because their lives are so painful, they continue to indulge in drugs and alcohol, passing on these patterns to their children."


    "...that''s Hell''s Kitchen."


    "Yeah... I''m fortunate to have a chance to leave here, to receive higher education, to train in martial arts. Since I''m luckier than them, since I have greater abilities..."


    "...then what reason do I have not to do these things?"


    Daredevil often referred to Hell''s Kitchen as "this cursed ce," and Peter had heard him curse those people countless times, wishing a swift descent to hell upon everyone in this damned ce.


    But for the first time, Peter realized that Daredevil genuinely wanted to save this ce, harboring unwavering determination to lift Hell''s Kitchen from its hellish state.


    Peter couldn''t fathom why, given the circumstances, anyone would attempt to rescue this ce. It seemed utterly impossible.


    But Daredevil was determined.


    In silence, Peter removed the bullet, and Daredevil let out a harrowing cry as if on the brink of death. Soon, his face turned pale, and he passed out.


    Peter stood in the center of the room, surveying its shabby, rotten state. Even basic supplies like anesthesia and bandages were nowhere to be found. He could only makeshift a bandage for Matt''s wound using strips of cloth from their clothing.


    A profound anger welled up inside Peter, stronger and deeper than hisints aboutcking money. He believed that Matt didn''t deserve to be in this situation. Matt was resolute, persistent, and had tremendous willpower.


    And he was a good person. Good people deserved good oues.


    Why were the owners of those underground fight clubs and shareholders living in such opulence, even the alcoholics who passed out in their seats, getting pleasant dreams for a night? Meanwhile, someone like Daredevil had to endure immense suffering, sleeping in this dim and narrow room.


    With his experience, Peter couldn''tprehend these issues, and these emotions swirled within him.


    He left Daredevil''s hideout and ran through the nighttime streets of Hell''s Kitchen. Utilizing his spider abilities, he leaped across rooftops, navigating the nocturnal expanse of New York. In the distance, the neon lights of casinos and nightclubs never ceased, while these dark alleys seemed eternally shrouded in darkness, as if the sun would never rise.

 Chapter 21: The Dilemma of Little Spider

    Chapter 21: The Dilemma of Little Spider


    As Peter sprinted through the city, his Spider-Sense suddenly tingled. However, amidst his jumbled thoughts, he couldn''t react in time. A sleek red and gold Mech armor swiftly closed in on him, sping his waist, and elerated forward, carrying him a distance before unceremoniously tossing him to the ground.


    Peter hit the ground in an undignified sprawl. The red and gold Mech armor hovered in mid-air while Spider-Man struggled to regain hisposure. He removed his mask, and from the mechanical contraption across from him came a voice, "Well, that guy was right. You really are just a high school kid..."


    Furious, Peter pounded the ground and retorted, "I''m not just a kid; I''m Spider-Man!"


    Stark on the other side emitted a disdainful snort. "Spider-Man? Yes, your reputation among the gamblers in Hell''s Kitchen is quite impressive. Your only im to fame is helping those folks win a lot of money."


    Peter''s rage threatened to consume him. This stranger in a mechanized suit had attacked him right away, taunting him. Peter lunged, but Iron Man''s Mech armor gracefully evaded his attack.


    Little Spider had nobat skills at this point, no experience fighting against machines, and no understanding of tactical calctions. He was helpless against the Mark 5 suit equipped with JARVIS.


    Spider-Man roared, "You damned machine! I''ll make you see what I''m capable of!"


    Iron Man''s Mech armornded, and he remarked, "Oh, really? Show me how you defeated those low-tier fighters in the underground fighting scene."


    Stark''s mouth remained acerbic, and Peter''s face alternated between red and blue with each taunt. Eventually, Stark seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation with this young troublemaker and said coldly, "You''re still wet behind the ears. Hurry back home. New York isn''t your yground. Just because you have a few quirks doesn''t mean you can roam the skies in this city. Someone has their eyes on you."Stark had no fondness for the current Spider-Man, especially upon learning about his extraordinary abilities being wasted in underground fighting. To him, it seemed like an utterly foolish endeavor.


    Stark had his own pride, and although he was arrogant and stubborn, surviving a kidnapping crisis had awakened the true Iron Man within him. Therefore, he looked down on Peter, who seemed content with causing trouble.


    Peter stood up and angrily tossed his mask to the ground. He retorted, "You say I''m running amok in New York, but aren''t you doing the same?!"


    His rationality returned somewhat, and he continued, "Yes, I see you in this Mech armor. It''s clear it''s not some cheap piece. You have the money to y around like this."


    "But what about me? My uncle and aunt are in poor health; they can''t even afford medical check-ups. I need money. So why can''t I go to the ring to earn it? I''m not using my abilities to hurt anyone!"


    Stark crossed his arms and said, "Have you ever considered that by having these abilities and not using them to help others, you''re actually causing harm to others?"


    Peter gave a bewildered expression, shaking his head in disbelief at Stark''s absurd words. He argued, "I gained these abilities for myself. I should be able to use them for my benefit. Why should I be obligated to help others?"


    At this point, Peter had not experienced the weight of Uncle Ben''s death and did not understand the meaning of "with great poweres great responsibility." He firmly believed that since he possessed these abilities, he should use them to improve his own life.


    His perspective wasn''t entirely wrong; people do live for themselves. However, Spider-Man''s path was inevitably one of a superhero. As Peter matured, his innate goodness and resilience would gradually be awakened, and he would be a true superhero.


    Stark, despite his arrogance, had always felt a sense of duty toward the world, believing that protecting ordinary people and the Earth was inherently his responsibility as a genius.


    Sensing Peter''s emotional turmoil, Stark said, "I know you have many unanswered questions right now. I once did too. But some things you have to experience firsthand to understand. It''s not something I can exin with reason alone. I can only tell you that if you continue with this mindset, one day you''ll regret it."


    With that, Stark''s Mech armor took off, leaving Peter alone, despondent and lost.


    Peter couldn''tprehend why everyone was against him, as if he were inherently a troublemaker. He didn''t understand why, after gaining superpowers, he seemed to be even more miserable than before.


    He earned money but couldn''t give it directly to his aunt and uncle. His nighttime escapades affected his sleep and resulted in declining academic performance. He had also neglected Gwen''s feelings, leading to a rift in their rtionship. He wanted to confront his nemesis, Thompson, but couldn''t afford to engage in fights at school, so he had to swallow his pride.


    These darn superpowers hadn''t brought him significant benefits. They hadn''t allowed him to suddenly turn his life around and live the luxurious life he desired. He couldn''t fathom where the problemy.


    Sitting atop a Hell''s Kitchen building on a chilly New York night, Spider-Man pondered continuously.


    Suddenly, his keen hearing picked up whispers from a nearby alley behind the building.


    It was the back entrance of a nightclub, where originally, two tall, muscr bouncers stood guard. From his vantage point, Peter could see them, but they couldn''t see him.


    Peter spotted a bald man in a jacket who appeared to be talking to his underlings. Peter''s vision and hearing far surpassed those of an average person. He noticed a circr mark resembling a target on the bald man''s forehead, and he heard the bald man speak:


    "...As long as we hit the elerator to the max before he realizes it, you know, there''s a good car over at Andre''s ce. He modified it, and it''s much faster than a regr car."


    "As long as we stay still at the beginning, so he doesn''t hear us, and the moment he turns the corner, bam, he''s done for."


    One of his underlings chimed in, "I know a street corner at the end of Mary Street that''s perfect. There''s a pile of construction debris at the intersection, and the smell of gasoline can easily mask it..."


    The bald man wore an evil grin as he said, "We need to take him out before that woman does. That way, Kingpin will know who his most loyal henchman is..."


    Peter listened to their conversation with half an ear, feeling a strong urge to rebel. What did this have to do with him anyway? It was just a struggle between gangs, one gang member wanting to kill another gang member. Why should he get involved?


    After all, this damned Hell''s Kitchen had no good people.


    With these thoughts in mind, Peter slowly retreated. It was alreadyte at night, and he had told his uncle that he wouldn''t being home tonight. So, he returned to Daredevil''s small hideout, where Daredevil was still fast asleep.


    Peter thought, maybe he had been wrong earlier. Hell''s Kitchen did have one good person, the friend in front of him, and perhaps he had taken it a bit too far.


    Peter looked at the wound on his friend''s shin, still oozing blood. His own bruises from the encounter with Iron Man had already healedpletely. Peter suddenly felt a bit absurd. Daredevil was just an ordinary person,cking his self-healing abilities.


    So, he interfered too much, making a mess of his own life. He wanted to learn Daredevil''s martial arts, but he didn''t want to learn his way of handling things.


    When he heard the gang''s conversation earlier, if he had rushed down in anger to uphold justice and told them not tomit murder, he wouldn''t have had a peaceful night. There were at least a dozen bodyguards in the nightclub, and he would have had to take them all down one by one. The bald man might have been particrly tough, and with so many people, he might have identally taken a hit, which would have hurt for a while.


    And the result would probably just be preventing a gang shootout. But what good would that do? There were no innocent people in Hell''s Kitchen. Those caught in the shootout would only be members of other gangs. Why should he spend the whole night getting involved in such business, risking injury?


    With these thoughts in mind, Peter slowly sank into his dreams. In the dream, he used his abilities to make a fortune, buying a house on the most prosperous street in Queens. His uncle and aunt moved into the new big house, and they even hired a private doctor. His uncle''s illness was cured, and his aunt seemed to have be ten years younger. They lived a very wealthy and happy life as a family.


    The first half of this dream was indeed very beautiful, but perhaps it was because Peter had heard Daredevil''s painful moans at night that the second half of the dream took a sharp turn.


    When Peter left, a group of thugs broke into his beautiful big house, killed his uncle and aunt, and looted everything. The neighbors saw the thugs but didn''t report them. When the police arrived, they couldn''t immediately capture the culprits. Peter became a wandering soul, roaming the city every day, trying to find the culprits who had shattered his idyllic life, but there were no clues.


    In the end, in his dream, Daredevil appeared, and Peter confronted him, asking why he had let those few thugs slip through when he had fought so many criminals. Daredevil coldly replied, "The only one who can bear full responsibility for this is probably you."


    Peter woke up drenched in cold sweat. The New York sky had just brightened, and the cold air seeped through the cracks in the window, chilling his lungs and making him feel like crying.


    Daredevil also woke up, and Peter poured him some water. Daredevil said, "Thanks, but I might have to trouble youter to go to the clinic at the end of Mary Street and get some medicine for me."

 Chapter 22: Hero Among Mortals (1)

    Chapter 22: Hero Among Mortals (1)


    Although Peter had promised to fetch the medicine shortly, it wasn''t until the afternoon that he made his way to the clinic. This dy was due to Matt''s leg still oozing blood, which forced Peter to try several different bandaging methods. By the time he finished tending to Matt''s wounds, it was already well into the afternoon.


    Peter hadn''t had a chance to eat, and his hunger gnawed at him as he entered the clinic. A tantalizing aroma wafted through the air.


    Schiller heard the doorbell and stepped out to find a young man in a hoodie standing at the door, vigorously inhaling as if he wanted to absorb the scent into his belly.


    Schiller wiped his hands and said, "Come in."


    Peter scratched his head and said, "Good afternoon, sir. A friend of mine told me toe here to pick up some medicine. He said you''d know."


    "Oh, I know," Schiller replied. "But you''ll have to wait until I''ve finished my meal. He shouldn''t be in too much of a hurry, right?"


    Peter said, "It''s fine. His bleeding has stopped, but he''s in quite a bit of pain. He needs some painkillers."


    "Have you eaten?" Schiller asked. Peter blushed slightly, feeling that his gaze towards the kitchen might have been too intense and had been noticed by the doctor.


    Schiller said, "If not, stay and have a meal. You can take some back for Matt as well."With that, a small yellow creature appeared with arge bowl and eagerly sniffed the air, licking its lips as if it couldn''t wait any longer.


    Schiller prepared a Chinese meal, including rice, sweet and sour spare ribs, spicy shredded potatoes, and a bowl of tomato egg soup.


    Peter, who was bing quite famished, stared at the table without finding words to refuse. Ever since he acquired his spider abilities, his appetite had grown, and he was easily susceptible to hunger. After devouring an entire rice cooker full of rice, Peter began to feel embarrassed. He put down his bowl, his ears turning red, and said, "I''m really sorry, Doctor. It seems I''ve eaten all your food. I''ll pay for it..."


    "No need," Schiller interrupted. "I was nning to make another pot of rice anyway, and I have to take some back to my old friend. There are still some spare ribs in the pot. Scoop them out and put them in that lunchbox in the cupboard. You can take them for Matt."


    The little spider scurried into the kitchen, not only making a fresh pot of rice but also washing the dishes.


    Schiller thought this version of Spider-Man was quite likable.


    In contrast, Pikachu had eaten until he was stuffed, and after finishing, he flopped onto a chair and began to snore. Schiller grabbed his Thunderbolt-shaped tail and shook it, saying, "Even if someone else is responsible for washing dishes today, it''s not a reason for you to shirk your duty. Go take out the trash."


    "Oh, sir, I can take it out on my way," Peter said.


    "Alright, thank you. Oh, by the way, there''s no garbage disposal fee in Hell''s Kitchen. Just walk ahead, there''s a corner with a pile of waste. You can throw the trash there."


    Peter carried tworge bags of kitchen waste and went out through the back door of the clinic. He quickly spotted the ce Schiller mentioned, which was a bit of a distance from the clinic. It was piled high with broken bricks, scrap wood, and other garbage that emitted a strong, unpleasant odor.


    Several homeless people were nearby, pointing at leftovers or discarded kitchen waste to fill their stomachs.


    As Spider-Man walked past them, the homeless people were on the other side of the waste pile and didn''t notice him. Perhaps they had already eaten their fill, or perhaps Schiller''s Chinese cuisine was just to their liking. Peter''s earlier feelings of depression dissipated, and he joyfully carried the two bags of trash. With a short sprint and a powerful swing of his arm, he tossed the trash onto the top of the waste pile.


    "Bingo!" Peter shouted. He loved doing this with his Uncle Ben when they used to take out the trash, standing far away and flinging the garbage bag, hoping it wouldnd perfectly in the trash can.


    But he hadn''t had this much strength before. Often, it was Uncle Ben who had to clean up the mess. Peter thought that next time he went to take out the trash, he would show his uncle his newfound arm strength.


    He tossed the garbage bags up, and one of them burst open, spilling leftover bones from someone''s meal, the leftover bits of meat from Schiller''s cooking, some uneaten shredded potatoes, and half a sprouted potato. The homeless people saw this like they had stumbled upon a feast of gourmet delicacies. They rushed to grab whatever they could.


    The waste pile had grown into a small hill, and the homeless people had to climb it, stepping on broken bricks and wooden boards. At the top of the pile, severalrge pieces of shattered wall formed a triangle. The homeless people struggled to climb up, and that''s when Peter finally noticed someone scavenging.


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, he dashed halfway up the waste pile to retrieve the garbage. These homeless people weren''t mutation-powered Spider-Men; they were already starving, weak, andcking in strength. An elderly woman, who had been the closest to the top, lost her grip and dropped the piece of waste she had been trying to grab. She fell backward.


    Just as Spider-Man reached the top of the waste pile, he saw a homeless person fall. He reached out to grab them but was a fraction toote.


    This waste pile contained all sorts of hazardous items: broken bottles thrown down by drunks from the floors above, steel rods, upright spiked wooden boards. Regardless of what she hit, it would likely take a considerable toll.


    Luckily, Peter had superhuman abilities. He swiftly bent down and caught the falling homeless person. But before he could even feel a sense of relief, he heard a loud, thunderous roar, followed by a screeching brake sound, and a dull thud as something collided.


    Blood sttered, and Peter turned his head in disbelief towards the nearest intersection. The figure that had been flung was all too familiar.


    It was Daredevil.


    A vast pool of fresh blood flowed from the spot where he had fallen, the heavy scent of iron and gore enveloping Peter''s vision in a crimson haze.


    He rushed forward, his actions akin to madness, finding Matt lying there, blood seeping from his eyes, nose, and mouth, his spine twisted into a grotesque shape, seemingly broken beyond repair.


    Yet, Matt was not dead, only rendered immobile after losing the connection between his brain and nerves.


    Peter trembled uncontrobly, sparing no time for contemtion as he hastily picked up Matt and rushed into the Schiller Clinic''s rear entrance, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor! We need treatment here!"


    A nce from Schiller at Matt was enough to deduce that he had likely been ambushed by those who sought his life. Schiller instructed, "The garage is right nearby. ce him in the car and rush him to Presbyterian Hospital."


    For injuries this severe, only the best hospital held a sliver of hope for a possible rescue.


    Schiller raced through the streets of Manhattan, determined to reach Presbyterian Hospital at the earliest. Here, he had some influence, and Matt was swiftly ushered into the emergency room.


    However, the attending doctor soon approached them with a grave expression. "The chances of saving this gentleman are slim. Unfortunately, he is no longer able to write a will or leave verbal instructions. If you are his family, you might want to see him onest time."


    Peter was on the brink of copse. Everything seemed to converge on him, the realization hitting hard: the very day the gangs sought to murder someone, it turned out to be the only good person in all of Hell''s Kitchen¡ªDaredevil Matt.


    He couldn''t ept that all of this had transpired because of him. If he had killed those gang members when he first heard about their intentions, or even if he had just informed Matt of the danger, he might have been more cautious.


    If he hadn''t stayed at the clinic to eat, if he had left immediately after getting his medication, Matt might not havee looking for him.


    If he hadn''t yed around and thrown those two garbage bags so high, perhaps he could have intercepted Matt as the car sped away.


    He had so many opportunities to save his friend, but he had failed at every turn.


    Daredevil was on the brink of death, a reality Peter could hardly bear.


    Schiller, on the other hand, remainedposed. He asked the specialist, "What is the primary issue? Cardiopulmonary function? Neurosurgery? Or internal injuries?"


    The doctor shook his head. "None of the above. It''s his spine. The nerves are likely beyond repair. Even if we barely manage to save his life, he''ll be paralyzed for the rest of it."


    Schiller took a deep breath. "I just need to know if there''s any way to save him."


    The doctor hesitated for a moment before responding, "Perhaps Doctor Strange can help. He''s our best neurosurgeon, and he might be the only one capable of reconnecting those many nerves."


    Schiller swiftly turned and said, "Peter, I''m going to find someone who can save Matt. But you must stay here. Matt has been taken to the hospital, but those who wanted him dead won''t give up easily. After I leave, you must ensure that no one enters the operating room. I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    With that, he left.


    Peter trembled all over, continuously muttering to himself, "No one will enter the operating room, no one will enter the operating room. I won''t let anyone in..."


    After Schiller left the hospital, he immediately called Pepper and said, "I need the home address of a doctor named Strange."


    Pepper didn''t inquire about the reason. Soon, Schiller received a string of addresses on his mobile phone. The location was not far from the Elder Council''s hospital, in one of the most upscale apartments nearby.


    Schiller activated his Blink, arriving at the apartment building with lightning speed. He didn''t bother with the elevator or knocking on the door; instead, he used several consecutive Blinks to appear right behind Strange, who was sipping his afternoon tea.


    Startled by the sudden movement, Strange turned to find a cane pressed firmly against his throat.


    "Listen, I don''t have time for small talk. My friend is critically injured and is currently undergoing treatment at Presbyterian Hospital. You''re the best neurosurgeon there, so grab your things and get ready for surgery."


    Strange wore an absurd expression, and Schiller released his grip on the cane, but it remained suspended in mid-air, pointing directly at Strange''s throat.


    Schiller extended his hand towards the air, and Strange''s coat, hanging on a hanger, flew over. Wide-eyed and incredulous, Strange watched as Schiller tossed the coat to him and said, "I believe you understand that you have no right to refuse. Come with me immediately."

 Chapter 23: Heroes Are Mortals (II)

    Chapter 23: Heroes Are Mortals (II)


    Strange swallowed hard, looking deep into Schiller''s gray eyes. He genuinelycked the courage to refuse, as anyone withmon sense could tell that Schiller was far from ordinary.


    Although Strange was pulled into the car, he insisted, "You need to understand, I''m a doctor, not a god. If your friend is already dead, no matter how you threaten me, I can''t resurrect him."


    Driving with a nk expression, Schiller responded, "We''re both doctors. I know this better than you. I came to you because I''m certain you can save him."


    Strange let out a sigh of relief but retorted, furrowing his brows, "You''re just a psychologist. It''s best if you don''t hastily conclude about neurosurgery."


    Before he could finish his words, a ballpoint pen was again pointed at his forehead, hovering in mid-air while Schiller''s hands were on the wheel. Taking the hint, Strange mimed zipping his mouth shut, signifying his intent to remain silent.


    Elsewhere, the young Spider-Man stood guilt-ridden outside the operating room, determined not to let even a fly inside.


    Yet, Matt''s ex-girlfriend, Erica, managed to sneak up to the operating room''s entrance.


    Erica wasn''t there to kill Matt. On the contrary, she had known about the attackers'' n even before Peter. She had been looking for a chance to warn Matt, but he left in haste, and she only arrived after the incident.


    Her rtionship with Matt wasplex. They were former ssmates and lovers, separated by irreconcble differences. Despite being hired by King Pin to assassinate Matt, she never intended to harm him. However, in apse of attention, Matt fell victim to another assant, making her incredibly anxious.Coming from a privileged background, Erica was worldly. She recognized the severity of Matt''s injuries. She believed that only some mystic force, perhaps the "Beast''s" power, might save him.


    Using a ninja stealth technique, Erica approached the operating room. She barely acknowledged Peter, the boy who appeared no older than a high school student. After observing him for days, she dismissed him as an unskilled teenager and nned to bypass him.


    Unfortunately for her, Peter''s Spider-Sense, especially heightened during his anxious state, sensed her approach. As she drew near, Peter''s head whipped towards where he felt her presence and he took a swing at her.


    Aware of Peter''s superhuman strength, Erica didn''t dare block his attack directly. However, Peter''s untrained move was full of openings. Capitalizing on his imbnce, Erica grabbed his wrist and yanked, causing him to stumble forward. With a quick trip, she had him on the ground. Yet, perhaps his heightened adrenaline amplified Peter''s powers, allowing him to spring up and grip Erica from behind.


    Both were fueled by desperation and anger. But Erica, trained by The Hand, reacted swiftly. The moment Peter grabbed her, she brandished a knife and shed him deeply from his shoulder down to his lower rib, nearly splitting him in half.


    Overwhelmed by searing pain, Peter''s everytent ability seemed to activate. With a surge of strength, he hurled Erica across the corridor, incapacitating her for a while.


    Copsing, Peter was overwhelmed with pain. The knife not only sliced through his back but also pierced his lung. Each breath he took filled his throat with blood.


    This was an unprecedented pain for Peter, who, until this incident, only knew the pain of a mere beating. Now, with his back almost pierced and a lung injured, each breath was a torment. Tears welled up involuntarily as he realized that even heroes bleed and feel pain. His healing abilities provided some relief, and through blurred vision, he glimpsed the incapacitated Daredevil inside the operating room.


    Daredevil, though awake, was paralyzed. Without the healing abilities Peter possessed, he was on the brink of death.


    Guilt and self-me consumed Peter. A regr man, with no superpowers, had risked his life for him, but when Peter overheard the criminals'' plot, he selfishly left, resulting in dire consequences for his heroic friend, Daredevil.


    Suddenly, everything became intensified for Peter. His Spider-Sense was buzzing, and the world took on a different hue. Although Erica had vanished using her stealth technique, Peter''s red-rimmed eyes locked onto her exact location.


    In a split second, the previously clumsy boy was gone, reced by a force that mmed Erica into a wall. Gasping and bleeding, she invoked her stealth technique to escape. When Schiller returned to the hospital, he found Peter seated against a nearly shattered wall, eyes bloodshot.


    Strange entered the operating room as night fellpletely. Schiller faced Spider-Man and remarked, "Peter. I never imagined our meeting would be under such circumstances."


    Peter, still reeling, didn''t catch Schiller''s implication. Schiller borated, squatting to Peter''s level, "I apologize for not being there for your check-up. As you can see, I no longer work at this hospital."


    Peter''s memories jogged, recalling the doctor he''d chatted with online. "It''s you," he whispered, "the doctor."


    Schiller nodded. "Yes, it''s me."


    Peter looked down, guilt evident. "I must''ve disappointed you. I''m not as good as I seemed during our chats. I did a lot of wrong things and almost killed my friends."


    Schiller said, "I believe you''vee to understand some things."


    "Yes, yes," Peter replied hoarsely, "I understand the biggest reason is that getting hurt really hurts."


    "It does hurt, but he still chooses to do it," Peter continued in a hushed tone, "he''s a Hero, and I''m not. Maybe I''ll never be one..."


    Schiller''s voice remained calm, devoid of any hint of me. He simply said, "Perhaps you''vee to realize that in this world, if capable individuals don''t step up to save others, there won''t be anyone to save you either."


    "Maybe you think life isn''t good right now, but even in this kind of life, it''s built by people willing to sacrifice for you."


    "Even lives as destitute as those of beggars, Daredevil cleans up the streets before they can have them."


    "Peter, perhaps I shouldn''t be the one to say this, but it seems I''m the only one who can do it now," Schiller remarked.


    "With great poweres great responsibility."


    Spider-Man fell silent, closing his eyes.


    In the early hours of the morning, at its darkest, Strange removed his gloves and stepped out of the operating room. He said, "Congrattions, the surgery was a sess. There''s an eighty percent chance his nerves will fully recover."


    Upon hearing these words, Peter finally let out a roar, as if he wanted to release all the pent-up emotions in his chest. He jumped out of the window, scaled the building''s walls, and swiftly made his way to the rooftop, where he began leaping across the rooftops of New York City.


    At that moment, he saw the golden-red Mech armor, as if it were leading him somewhere, constantly circling around him. Peter followed the Mech armor, and they leaped and sprinted all the way to the top of the New York City television tower.


    Both of them stood at the pinnacle of the New York City television tower.


    Peter desperately wanted to shout, but he couldn''t make a sound. All his emotions were bottled up inside him, and he felt like he was going crazy.


    Stark''s face mask lifted, and Peter saw his face, saying with some surprise, "You''re Stark! Iron Man is Stark!"


    "It''s not that surprising, child. Besides the owner of Stark Industries, who else could develop such Mech armor?" Stark replied.


    "But the news said you were kidnapped and taken to Afghanistan."


    "Yes, but do you want to know how I escaped?"


    Peter looked at him, and Stark continued, "I created an energy core and imnted it here." Stark pointed to his chest.


    "There''s still an Arc Reactor here."


    "In a cave in Afghanistan, I cut open my own chest and shoved a piece of metal inside. My own blood soaked my pants."


    Just imagining that scene made Peter feel a dull pain in his chest. He asked, "That must have been incredibly painful, right?"


    "Of course, it was excruciating," Stark said, trying to sound nonchnt, but Peter could hear a hint of trembling in his tone, as if he didn''t want to recall that day.


    "You have to open your chest with a not-so-sharp bone knife and sew wires into your flesh."


    Peter shivered at the thought.


    He had never imagined that Stark, who always appeared in the news as a yboy, this seemingly privileged billionaire, had such a painful past. He had shed a lot of blood and endured pains that were nearly unbearable for an ordinary person.


    "Although I like to call myself a genius, I am very aware that if a bullet hits me, I will bleed a lot. If shrapnel shreds my heart, I will die. If I lose a leg, I won''t be able to walk either."


    "But I''ve done a lot, and there are risks involved. Am I seeking thrills?" Stark asked.


    "I''m the richest person in the world, and I have the power that the vast majority of people on this don''t have. I have absolutely no need to wear my expensive Mech armor and save ordinary people who can''t even afford a single screw from me, let alone take on such great risks."


    Spider-Man closed his eyes and fell silent for a moment before he said, "With great poweres great responsibility, right?"


    Stark didn''t answer; he simply pointed to his heart.


    And Peter understood his meaning. He felt that his heart had already given him the answer.


    Facing the dawn of New York City, Peter and Stark stood at the top of the television tower, watching as a golden light broke through the clouds, casting a radiant glow over all the buildings in New York.


    From this day forward, Peter Parker, Spider-Man, understood one thing:


    Heroes are just ordinary people. They feel pain, get hurt, bleed, feel lonely, and lost, just like everyone else. The only thing that sets them apart from ordinary people on the ground is their sense of responsibility, and an unwavering determination to uphold justice, even unto death.


    No one is born with the ability to withstand such intense pain. As they move forward in the darkness, they forge the painful experiences into a sturdy armor for their bodies. And when the day breaks, they use this armor to save the world.


    Spider-Man stood up from the iron scaffolding of the television tower for the first time, not yet wearing his Spider-Man suit, not yet as tall and strong, but his soul stood tall and proud. The surging emotions within him turned into a source of strength that spread throughout his body.


    Facing the first rays of sunlight, he thought, "It''s a new day."


    It was time to save the world.

 Chapter 24: The God of Profanity

    Chapter 24: The God of Profanity


    Although Matt had been rescued, he was still in a critical condition, receiving constant monitoring in the intensive care unit.


    Schiller turned to Strange and said, "Doctor Strange, I owe you a favor. If you ever need assistance in the future, don''t hesitate to find me."


    Strange''s expression wasn''t great; after all, he had been abducted and subjected to nearly ten hours of surgery since the afternoon. He impatiently replied, "God help me, I hope I never see you again, Schiller."


    Schiller remarked, "I believe you''ve already witnessed my abilities. As a piece of advice, be careful when driving."


    Strange retorted, "Don''t y these strange tricks with me; I want to go back to sleep."


    With that, he left, and Schiller shrugged. He knew he couldn''t change Doctor Strange''s fate at this moment. However, when the time came for him to seek help for his injured arm, he would surely remember Schiller.


    After a good night''s sleep back at the clinic, Schiller woke up to find that he had two more opportunities for random chats. This meant he had significantly influenced two important characters in different storylines: Daredevil (Matt) and Spider-Man.


    Schiller decided to use one of the opportunities now. He realized that his abilities needed further enhancement, especially his defense and evasion skills. Having witnessed Daredevil Matt''s recent ident, he felt that his reflexes were still not strong enough. Even though he could Blink in a fraction of a second, there was no guarantee that he could react in time. Depending solely on the sometimes unreliable Spider-Sense wouldn''t suffice.


    So, Schiller opened the chat system and initiated a random conversation.Soon enough, his chat partner appeared, but to his surprise, the avatar this time was peculiar. The profile picture was entirely ck, with only two glowing eyes in the frame.


    As soon as themunication connected, Schiller heard a string of iprehensiblenguage from the other side.


    All his previous chat partners had spoken English, even whenmunicating directly through Brainwaves with The Ancient One. Their messages had been easy to understand.


    However, this time, Schiller encountered a chat partner who seemed to be speaking in anguage he couldn''tprehend. He tapped the system and asked, "Can''t the chat system trante this? Whatnguage is the other side speaking?"


    Due to Schiller''s past experiences visiting various universities and engaging in exchanges, he had some knowledge ofnguages from European countries, in addition to English and Chinese. But thenguage spoken by the other party was unlike any he had ever heard.


    The system provided a response, "The chat system automatically trantes anynguage spoken by the chat partner. If there are still parts you can''t understand, it means there is a fundamental difference in life form between the host and the other party, or the other party''snguage requires specialized brain organs toprehend."


    Schiller understood now. The other party was likely not human. The string of iprehensible sounds they were emitting might require specific brain organs that Schiller, as a human, did not possess. Therefore, he couldn''t understand what they were saying.


    Schiller clicked on the avatar, and there were a few words written clearly on it: "God of the Symbiotes, Knull."


    He hadn''t expected that this random connection would lead to Knull.


    The God of the Symbiotes had been extensively described in Venom-rtedics. In brief, he was an ancient being that existed since the birth of the universe, the lord of the Abyss. He had forged a weapon called the "All-ck," with which he beheaded a celestial deity and subsequently wreaked havoc among various civilizations in the universe.


    He had discovered a method to create dark beings by splitting symbiotes. With his army of symbiotes and a legion of monstrous dragons, he had terrorized the universe.


    One day, he had ordered his symbiote army to attack Earth, only to be struck down by a lightning bolt from the Asgardian deity Thor. This severed his connection to most of the symbiotes he had created.


    Many symbiotes scattered across space, bonding with various life forms, including some benevolent and rational aliens. This rebellion made the symbiotes realize the malevolent nature of their creator and his destructive actions. They imprisoned Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, on a remote and deste, known as the symbiote homeworld.


    Schiller didn''t rush to use his next chat opportunity. Instead, he eagerly began to decipher what Knull was saying.


    Since their initial connection, Knull had been delivering long, iprehensible rants. However, there seemed to be some consistency in the way Knullmunicated, even though Schiller couldn''t understand the content.


    After repeated efforts, Schiller finally grasped the essence of what Knull was trying to convey¡ªhe was hurling insults.


    Indeed, although not everyone in the universe spoke English, the tone and high-frequency usage of certain offensive words were consistent when beings from all corners of the universe engaged in profanity. Knull was no exception.


    Schiller, after hearing Knull''s angry tone and the recurring syble "Nataru," deduced that it must be a profanity in the symbiote race''snguage, simr to words starting with ''F.''


    So, when Knull went on another tirade, Schiller casually responded with, "Nataru."


    There was an eerie silence from the other side.


    For the first time in years of hurling insults, Knull received an insult in return.


    Schiller''s guess was urate. The word "Nataru" was indeed profanity in the symbiotenguage. Knull responded with even angriernguage, but Schiller continued to reply with just, "Nataru."


    After listening for a while, Schiller even learned a few more profane words and mastered the pronunciation and artiction perfectly.


    As they continued their profanityden exchange, Schiller reflected on the ancient being''s origin story.


    Knull had been quite unfortunate, regardless of whether he was good or bad. He had been abandoned by his own creation, and after their rebellion, they imprisoned him. Now, it seemed that he had been trapped for a very long time.


    Schiller couldn''t help but understand Knull''s frustration. If he were in Knull''s shoes, he would probably hurl insults too.


    Schiller embarked on his research into the power to replicate the god of symbiotes, but he hesitated somewhat. He spected that the god of symbiotes possessed the ability to create symbiotes, a power he did not desire.


    When he clicked on the icon, he noticed that the four words representing the replication ability turned red, apanied by parentheses that read, "The opponent''s ability is currently undergoing mutation; please copy with caution."


    This was the first time Schiller had encountered such an urrence. To understand it fully, one must delve into the origin story of the god of symbiotes.


    Even in captivity, the god of symbiotes was not idle. He had been concocting escape ns, and Schiller''s arrival coincided with one of them. Shortly after the god of symbiotes devised this method, Schiller made contact with him.


    The god of symbiotes was an ancient being, and though it couldn''t be confirmed whether he was the first inhabitant of the seventh space, he was certainly among the earliest.


    His strength derived mostly from his innate gifts; his intellect was not his strong suit. His escape ns weren''t the result of wisdom but rather an exploitation of his unique nature. In his previous life, Schiller hadn''t delved deeply intoics that covered this aspect, but he knew that the abilities of the god of symbiotes'' offspring varied greatly, with some being immensely powerful while others were quite weak.


    Furthermore, some of these symbiote descendants possessed unique abilities. The god of symbiotes intended to leverage this characteristic, nning to create a special symbiote. He wanted this offspring tock a physical form, instead transforming into a conscious mist resembling cigarette smoke. By transferring his consciousness into this offspring, he aimed to break free from the''s captivity.


    To be honest, this wasn''t a particrly brilliant n, and there was no guarantee it would seed in enabling his escape. However, the god of symbiotes was stranded on a deste, with nothing but time to kill. His daily routine consisted of only two activities: cursing and creating offspring.


    Just as he was about to create this new offspring and transfer his consciousness, Schiller made contact with him. Hence, the god of symbiotes'' abilities were in the midst of mutation. He was transferring his consciousness into the new body, and his powers were also transforming into those of the new form.


    Typically, when dealing with a connection object like the god of symbiotes, it was nearly impossible for Schiller to replicate his abilities, akin to trying to catch an unharmed spider. The god of symbiotes had originally fought battles in the universe, relying on the powerful living Abyss ck Death Sword. Later, his ability to spawn dark creatures stemmed from his innate nature, emerging suddenly after his defeat and downfall, without any specific source.


    These were aspects Schiller couldn''t replicate, and even if he could, he had no intention of doing so. Why would he want to slice himself into pieces? Moreover, these fragments might even unite and betray him, making it a highly unreliable choice.


    So, without hesitation, Schiller chose to replicate the ability that was currently undergoing mutation. If this ability involved invisibility or damage avoidance, he could potentially gain a substantial advantage. Even if it turned out to be something akin to Venom, offering considerable strength or abat suit-like transformation, it would still be a valuable acquisition.


    "Symbiote Grey Mist (Special Ability) loaded," the system announced.


    In an instant, Schiller felt as though he had gained another perspective. He was still using his own eyes, but the entity using them was not himself. The signals received through his eyes were still transmitted to his brain.


    It was as if he had directly copied a symbiote.


    No, it was slightly different. The system''s ability to copy didn''t provide Schiller with any external items, nor could it replicate the opponent''s equipment or other physical objects.


    For example, if Schiller were to copy Iron Man''s abilities, he might obtain Stark''s genius intellect or his ability to develop equipment, but he wouldn''t acquire a finished product like the Mark 5 Mech armor.


    The system could only replicate the abilities of the conversation partner themselves, without duplicating anything external to their bodies.


    Schiller sensed the presence of a nascent soul, tucked within him. However, it wasn''t an external entity; it was still him. Unlike Venom, this symbiote couldn''t detach from its host at will; it became an integral part of Schiller.


    In simple terms, it became a capability that the system installed in Schiller, akin to the other abilities he had acquired from the system. It couldn''t separate from Schiller; if Schiller died, it would cease to exist. There wouldn''t be another host.


    Yet, it possessed certain symbiote characteristics. For instance, it could think. Schiller felt that a region of his brain had been altered, and the symbiote became an organ of his brain. Theirmunication resembled a dialogue between two personalities.


    This particr symbiote was truly unique. In the days toe, Schiller would discover that when the god of symbiotes created it, he had harbored even grander ambitions.


    After the system copied it, further modifications were made to the symbiote to seamlessly integrate its features with the system''s capabilities. This resulted in a life form that was perhaps unparalleled throughout the entire cosmos, an immensely potent life form.

 Chapter 25: The Symbiote of Alcohol Monger

    Chapter 25: The Symbiote of Alcohol Monger


    Symbiote''s learning speed was astonishingly fast. Schiller had just copied this ability a short afternoon ago, and now another voice inside his mind couldmunicate with him clearly through brainwaves. Although it could only express simple emotions at the moment, this was already quite remarkable.


    After being able tomunicate with this symbiote, Schiller intended to test its abilities. He had thought this symbiote was simr to Venom in the movies, and all he needed to do was shout, "Mask!" as in the film, and a sticky, gooey substance would wrap around him,plete with tworge white eyes, sharp teeth, and a long tongue.


    Symbiote could directly sense the images Schiller imagined. It sent a series of denial brainwaves and kept repeating a phrase in Schiller''s mind: "I won''t be gooey, I won''t be gooey, I won''t be gooey..." It seemed to be because it sensed that Schiller didn''t really like the sticky feeling of symbiote.


    To be honest, Schiller didn''t want to harm this newly born little fellow. After all, it would be his capable assistant in the future. It wasn''t that Schiller disliked the sticky texture of symbiote, but rather found it quite unbearable.


    No matter how powerful symbiote was, that sensation like a pile of rotten mud was truly unsettling.


    Seemingly eager to prove that it wasn''t gooey, Grey Mist, who had just learned tomunicate and interact, took control of Schiller''s body before he could react. In an instant, Schiller found that the world in his eyes had changed.


    He had lost his eyes, or rather, his entire solid body, and gained thousands of sensors.


    Schiller realized that he could now vividly feel every detail of everything in the clinic bedroom. These signals continuously entered his brain, but they weren''t images he saw; they were sensations.


    His vision wasn''t that good, nowhere near being able to discern every detail of the fibers in the sheets, but now he could feel them. Initially, each sensor sent a flood of information that overwhelmed his brain, but quickly, these details were processed rapidly by his other thinking organ, the symbiote, and fed back to Schiller''s brain. So many details gave Schiller a sense of being in control of everything.Next, Schiller discovered that he could seemingly control this state. He began to manage the work of all the sensors, spreading them out as far as possible.


    Until these sensors spread across the bedroom''s full-length mirror, and Schiller saw that he had turned into a gray mist.


    Indeed, he had lost his entire body and transformed into an elusive mist.


    Each factor in the mist became his sensor, and thousands of symbiote factors quickly wove into a vast information gatheringwork, leaving no detail unnoticed. Anywhere these factors could go, there were no secrets for Schiller.


    For example, Schiller could even see the arrangement of iron elements in an electric kettle, and if he focused his attention, he could sense the distribution of oxygen and other rare gases in the air. This microscopic observation ability had reached the molecr level, and even approached the level of atoms, making the world he could observe as a human seem much grander and more fascinating.


    "Thank goodness you''re not the kind of symbiote that''s like rotten mud," Schiller thought.


    Grey Mist seemed to feel praised and transmitted a very happy emotion. To further demonstrate its power, it took control of Schiller and dissipated into a mist.


    The gray mist began to disperse evenly like ordinary fog. Soon, a hazy fog enveloped Hell''s Kitchen.


    The numerous factors became more distant, but they continued to transmit various kinds of information to Schiller''s brain. With the expanded range, this information grew by the hundreds and thousands, but with the symbiote''s help, Schiller could simply focus his attention on a particr part. For instance, he could feel a shootout several blocks away in the heart of Hell''s Kitchen, where a gang was involved.


    He could even sense the trajectory of every bullet as it passed during the exchange of gunfire.


    Schiller focused his attention, trying to locate a bald man with a target pattern on his forehead.


    Grey Mist locked onto him in an instant, even sending back all the microscopic element information of the environment he was in to Schiller''s brain.


    This ability was truly powerful; wherever there was mist, no one could escape Schiller''s gaze.


    Schiller felt that if it were just his own brain handling so muchplex information, he would likely go crazy on the spot. But this symbiote seemed to have this ability naturally from birth.


    In a dense fog, the information transmitted by each factor could be rapidly categorized, filtered, and concentrated by Schiller''s brain in a very short process. As long as Schiller focused his attention on what he wanted to know, he would naturally gain that knowledge.


    He was like someone ying a simtion city game from a god''s perspective, able to observe everything in the mist at any time. No detail could escape the pration of the mist factor.


    Moreover, this miraculous factor could prate the interior of objects and cause destruction, such as disrupting stable molecr structures and turning objects into powder in an instant.


    Grey Mist informed him that this ability was only effective on entities with stable molecr structures and could not be interfered with by any other powers; otherwise, it would fail to exert its influence.


    But this was already a remarkably potent ability.


    When transitioning back to a humanoid form, Schiller had the choice to condense his body in any area enveloped by Grey Mist. In other words, within the range of Grey Mist''s coverage, he could vanish an unlimited number of times in one location and suddenly appear in another.


    However, it couldn''t entirely rece Blink, as the process of transforming into Grey Mist, dispersing Grey Mist, condensing, and then transforming back into a humanoid form required a certain amount of time, which was not as swift as Blink''s teleportation.


    Things on the Marvel side had temporarily settled down. Daredevil Matt was in the process of recovery, and the young Spider-Man wanted to follow Stark to learn how to be a superhero. Unfortunately, he had uing final exams, so he needed to catch up on his missed sses and didn''t have much time to roam around. Stark was irritated by Nick Fury and was spending most of his time tinkering with Mech armor in hisboratory, rarely leaving his premises. So, Schiller decided to take a nap and return to the DC world.


    Shortly after returning to DC, Schiller discovered a troublesome aspect of the symbiote within him.


    Back in the DC world, Schiller was organizing his equipment. Among them, there was little fear gas left due to Jonathan''s arrest. Fortunately, he had nearly depleted Jonathan''s stockpile before, so what remained was the concentrated and high-quality fear gas. He was in the process of diluting the remaining fear gas to load it into spray bottles for ease of use.


    Fear gas had no effect on Schiller whatsoever, so he didn''t need to protect himself during experiments as Jonathan did. In his apartment, the only living beings were Schiller and Pikachu, both of which were immune to fear gas. Therefore, Schiller didn''t worry about minor leaks of low-concentration fear gas during his experiments.


    This time was no different. After a series of highly unorthodox chemical dilution procedures, Schiller managed to fill various spray bottles with the diluted fear gas. However, at this moment, his brain suddenly received a series of excited signals.


    "This is delicious, this is delicious, this is delicious, this is delicious, feed me, feed me, feed me, feed me, let''s eat, let''s eat, let''s eat, let''s eat, let''s eat..."


    Schiller was puzzled. Was the symbiote saying that fear gas was delicious?


    He suddenly remembered theic book''s portrayal of symbiotes, especially Venom. Venom could eat chocte instead of human brains because they contained a substance called "phenylethmine." This chemical could excite the human brain and was present in both the human brain and chocte.


    Could fear gas contain it too?


    Schiller thought it was quite possible. Fear gas induced the deepest fears in people''s minds and activated their negative emotions. It was hard to say whether Jonathan had used this chemical while creating this gas.


    Now, it seemed not only had he used it, but he had used it quite extensively.


    "How do you want to eat it?" Schiller asked in his mind.


    The symbiote didn''t seem to grasp the concept and only knew that the substance in front of it was highly attractive. Schiller had no choice but to take out a bottle of undiluted liquid fear gas and sprayed it into his own nose.


    In an instant, he felt the symbiote within him be excited to the point of frenzy. It sent a long string of brainwaves that Schiller couldn''t understand and shouted loudly in his mind using all the vocabry it had just learned.


    After a while, a dense mist began to emanate from Schiller''s body. It was darker and more profound than ordinary Grey Mist. Schiller sniffed it and thought it might be fear gas.


    Well, Schiller thought, it seemed that high-concentration fear gas was like strong liquor for the symbiote. It had intoxicated the Grey Mist.


    Moreover, after the symbiote got drunk, its reactions were surprisingly simr to humans. It first acted crazily, spewing nonsense, and then vomited.


    The mist surrounding Schiller was likely the aftermath of Grey Mist getting drunk.


    Grey Mist recovered quickly, but even after regaining itsposure, it still wanted Schiller to provide more "liquor," a request Schiller firmly refused.


    However, it didn''t seem to give up and continued to whimper in Schiller''s mind, looking very dejected.


    Schiller couldn''t help but feel exasperated. How had his symbiote turned into a drunkard?

 Chapter 26: The Failed Zero-Cost Plan

    Chapter 26: The Failed Zero-Cost n


    "In this week''s ss assignment, I want tomend Mr. Robert for his outstanding presentation on emotional deconstruction analysis. His arguments align very well with the theories I discussed in ss. Of course, Miss Hoff''s paper had the highest word count this time, but I must emphasize that word count doesn''t necessarily reflect the quality of your work. If you can present your arguments clearly within 3,000 words, I will be more than satisfied."


    "As expected, there''s still one person who didn''t submit their assignment this time, Mr. Wayne, pleasee to my office after ss. If you have no intention ofpleting your assignments, then I believe you won''t need to sit for the final exams either. After all, without any assignment grades, you won''t earn any credits for the semester."


    Schiller closed his textbook in front of him and said, "ss dismissed."


    Gotham University, situated on the East Coast of the United States, was well-known. It wasmon knowledge that most prestigious U.S. universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Princeton, were all located on the East Coast.


    Gotham University, however, was not apetitor to these esteemed schools. Despite being a nationally recognized public university, it was not an Ivy League institution. Moreover, Gotham City, where the university was located, had a notorious reputation for its poor safety. Few local students from the U.S. would consider applying to this university. Even those from Gotham who could attend college locally often chose to apply to nearby prestigious universities.


    This resulted in the students who stayed at Gotham University being either those who couldn''t secure admission elsewhere or international students. Expecting exceptional academic performance from this group was challenging, but many of them managed to submit their assignments on time, likely due to Schiller''s formidable reputation.


    However, the low ranking of Gotham University was not solely due to the students. With the backing of the Wayne Family, Gotham University had the resources to attract top-tier professors and acquire cutting-edgeboratory equipment. Despite the security concerns, as long as one remained within the confines of Gotham University, it was a rtively safe ce.


    The problemy in the fact that the university''s president was unwilling to cede too much control to the Wayne Family. It wasn''t out of moral superiority; rather, Gotham University was his political leverage, and he didn''t want to relinquish it to the Wayne Family.


    As a result, Gotham University remained in a semi-dormant state, which displeased Schiller. He didn''t want to tarnish his impable record with a teaching position at a bottom-ranked school. His goal was to elevate Gotham University to Ivy League status before anything else.Since they were all Northeastern universities, Gotham University''s football team performed reasonably well. Joining the Ivy League didn''t seem like an unreasonable aspiration.


    Before that happened, Schiller had no interest in getting involved in the chaos of Gotham, including Batman and other criminals.


    In the afternoon, Bruce visited Schiller''s office and exined, "Professor, I haven''t actually failed to write my paper. I''ll have my butler deliver the USB drive shortly..."


    "Failure to bring it means failure to submit it," Schiller said sternly, cutting him off.


    Schiller then tapped the desk and continued, "If I let Bruce off the hook for notpleting his assignment, it won''t affect the others, right? After all, it''s normal for Wayne Family members to enjoy certain privileges."


    "But you''ve donated hundreds of millions to the school, and that money didn''t end up in my pocket. So, if you don''t submit your assignment, I''ll still deduct all your credits, and you won''t receive your degree."


    Bruce replied quietly, "Actually, I already have my diploma. Thepany that prints the diplomas is owned by my family."


    Schiller rubbed his forehead and said, "What am I supposed to do with a damn rich second-generation like you... How''s your investigation going?"


    "Miss Christine hasn''t left Gotham University. She disappeared on campus, but this isn''t rted to Jonathan''s arrest since it happened after Jonathan was apprehended."


    "Do you have any suspects?" Schiller inquired.


    "Actually, the university president is a prime suspect."


    Before Schiller could question further, Bruce added, "I don''t have concrete evidence to prove that he kidnapped Christine, but three members of the jury who acquitted Jonathan and his defensewyer are all from a well-known gang on the East side of Gotham, the Red Crow Gang."


    "Furthermore, the university president is friends with the leader of this gang. They attended the mayor''s banquet together, and most importantly, his daughter is married to the head of the gang, who manages their smuggling operations."


    "But what role does Christine y in this story? As far as I know, she''s just an ordinary girl, albeit exceptionally beautiful."


    "I suspect Miss Christine may have overheard something about Jonathan''s conspiracy during her visit to the president''s office."


    "Do you have any evidence?" Schiller asked.


    "I think I''ll refrain from focusing on evidence for now. Of course, I won''t rush to confront the president because that could alert him."


    Schiller remarked, "I suspect Miss Christine is not dead yet. You see, if the person who attacked her is indeed the principal, it''s highly unlikely that he directly killed Christine. The cheerleading squad cannot rece a leader so quickly, and if the cheerleading squad falters, it will affect the results of the football game. That''s the one thing Gotham University can boast about, and it''s also a part of the principal''s personal record."


    Bruce sighed and replied, "Regardless, Miss Christine is innocent."


    "Have you seen Gordontely? How''s it going on his end?"


    "Not very smoothly. I think if I can find Miss Christine and have her as a witness to use these people of trying to frame Jonathan, then maybe Jonathan can end up in prison."


    "Have you ever considered that Jonathan going to prison doesn''t necessarily have to be Gotham Prison?"


    "Do you want me to build a private prison?"


    Schiller remained silent, merely rising to his feet and stating, "Are you nning to follow this kind of procedure for every criminal you capture from now on?"


    "Or perhaps, do you find it intriguing to tangle with them in these unjust judicial processes?"


    "With this time, not only the Morrison District, but also the gangs from the surrounding two or three blocks could be handled."


    "What Batman should do exactly, you know better than I do, Bruce."


    Bruce left, burdened with his own thoughts once more.


    Schiller had another issue to deal with: if Jonathan ended up in prison, regardless of which one, the source of the fear gas would be unstable. He had a limited supply on hand, and without the form or the ability to create it, this powerful weapon would vanish forever, which would be a great loss.


    Schiller was more cunning than the current Batman, who was always in a hurry. He knew that the best course of action was not to force Jonathan to reveal the form for the fear gas or to break him out of prison and control him to work for him; that would be both troublesome and dangerous.


    What he needed to do was find a new buyer for Jonathan, someone who could extract the form from him, control him, and let Schiller continue to profit from the stolen fear gas.


    Those people wouldn''t use the fear gas for anything good, so as long as they didn''t get their hands on it, everything would be fine.


    It was a win-win situation: you produce on one end, I steal on the other. How much you produce, how much I steal. With the sharp weapon that is Grey Mist, could you even catch me?


    Schiller suspected that Jonathan was still too naive. He probably had already given away the form for the fear gas. Once those people got the form, they would have ways to manufacture it.


    Schiller knew that if they wanted to do something big, they would need arge-scale production line for the fear gas, not just for small-scale fights. To produce this poisonous gas on arge scale, they would need a factory assembly line.


    There were many chemical factories in Gotham, but most of them were not very professional. To have a high-end chemical production line, there was only one ce: Wayne Chemical Factory.


    No matter how hard this group of people tried to cover up and operate, they couldn''t avoid using Wayne Chemical Factory''s production line.


    With the Grey Mist ability, Schiller could move around more freely at night.


    As he expected, it was another rainy night when Schiller, standing outside the Wayne Chemical Factory''s railing, saw a car with a license te ending in "676" enter the factory.


    In the days that followed, trucks constantly shuttled between Wayne Chemical Factory and another destination. It seemed they were transporting somerge equipment. Schiller had no intention of stopping them; instead, he tracked the trucks to find out where they were taking the stolen production line equipment.


    Unsurprisingly, it was in the eastern part of Gotham, the territory of the Red Crow Gang. There was another chemical factory there, though not asrge as Wayne Chemical Factory. The stolen production line equipment from Wayne Chemical Factory had all been transported to this smaller chemical factory.


    However, things didn''t go as nned. Once the production line started operating, problems emerged. First, they were missing several machines, as Wayne Chemical Factory''s production line wasn''t designed for making fear gas, and they needed to purchase some machines. Second, the chemists they had recruited didn''t seem to be as skilled as Jonathan. The experiments before production went very poorly, and the fear gas they replicated didn''t have the same potency as Jonathan''s, let alone the same level of concentration.


    So, all the problems circled back to the issue of getting Jonathan out. Despite Jonathan being a Scarecrow Criminal with little experience, his expertise was formidable. The Red Crow Gang couldn''t just abandon him; they had to figure out a way to exonerate him.


    Schiller hadn''t anticipated the gang''s ipetence. They had the form, but they couldn''t produce the gas. He had even considered intercepting the production line at its delivery point and just taking it all.


    Schiller''s zero-cost n had failed, but he wasn''t giving up. Since the Red Crow Gang couldn''t handle it, he needed to find a more capable buyer for Jonathan, someone like Sal Maroni.

 Chapter 27: Gang Conspiracy

    Chapter 27: Gang Conspiracy


    Maroni''s Gang family also resided in Gotham''s East District, where the gang activity was much more rampantpared to the West District where Gotham University was located.


    In simple terms, because it was the most economically underdeveloped area of Gotham, the slums of the West District seemed like a haven of simplicity inparison.


    The internal strife within the gangs in the East District was severe. As mentioned earlier, even a small gang like the Waterway Gang, consisting of just a hundred or so members, aimed to control a nightclub, an almost impossible feat.


    The Maroni Gang family owned a restaurant, two bars, a dance hall, and a strip club, making them one of thergest gangs in the area.


    The feud between the Maroni family and the Red Raven Gang had deep roots. Their territories bordered each other, and frequent shootouts urred at a bar in that shared territory. Both sides sought to control this vital crossroads, but neither had seeded.


    That particr bar had be awless zone in the entire East District and the fastest source of information.


    For Sal to establish himself in Gotham, especially in the dangerous and chaotic East District, he had to possess considerable skills.


    The Red Raven Gang''s theft of production lines did not escape his notice. In the underground of a bar controlled by the Maroni family, Sal lit a cigar and told his subordinates, "I''ve learned from our old friend, Police Station Chief Victor, that the red-headed kid from across the street seems to be nning some mischief."


    His subordinate replied, "Yes, it seems they''ve stolen a lot ofrge machinery from the south or southwest. I heard from a guy who lost in gambling that their boss seems to be interested in producing a certain chemical said to have mind-controlling effects."Sal squinted his eyes and said, "A few days ago, I had dinner with Victor, and he mentioned a case involving a chemical professor, possibly from Gotham University, who''s quite skilled. Could this be rted?"


    His subordinate said, "I have two informants close to that red-headed guy''s mistress. He''s been having a hot affair with hertely, and I might be able to extract some information from her."


    Sal flicked his lighter in thought and said, "If they have an extra piece of meat, we''ll have to settle for less. But now it seems they not only want a share but also want to swallow us whole. Let''s see who''s more capable."


    Maroni''s spection was spot on, and he effortlessly obtained the entire action n of the Red Raven Gang. Although the Red Raven Gang''s leader was clever, he was rtively young, and Maroni had him figured out.


    Meanwhile, Schiller yed a crucial role in acquiring the form for the fear gas from the Red Raven Gang. He discreetly had Maroni''s informants find it.


    The fact that Sal had connections with Police Station Chief Victor indicated his experience and extensiveworkpared to the Red Raven Gang''s leader. Soon, he found a reliable chemist who could analyze the form, concluding that it was arge-scale biochemical weapon with potent effects.


    After this revtion, Maroni couldn''t allow the Red Raven Gang''s operation to seed. If they got their hands on this important weapon, the Maroni family would be in jeopardy.


    The first step was to ensure that the Red Raven Gang couldn''t secure Jonathan''s release through their informant within the police station.


    On another dark evening, Gordon left work as usual. His immediate superior, Lantolos, had taken a dislike to him and didn''t assign him any meaningful tasks. Gordon was almost bing a secretary at the police station, with even his patrol duties given to others.


    Thus, he left work early, and as he walked out, he saw his superior turning a corner. Momentster, a speeding car collided with him, sending Lantolos flying over ten meters from the police station entrance.


    Gordon rushed back into the police station to call for help, but before the ambnce arrived, Lantolos had already stopped breathing.


    Lantolos had been a cautious old cop, buttely, the Red Raven Gang had offered him too many incentives to release Jonathan, fueling his insatiable greed. He had even considered marrying the sister of the Red Raven Gang''s leader, bing overly eager and oblivious to the fact that their rivals were now targeting him.


    It all happened so quickly, and Gordon found himself in his superior''s position without even realizing it.


    Of course, Maroni had orchestrated this masterfully. To hinder his opponents, he chose someone they disliked the most, and the conflict between Gordon and Lantolos had been evident to nearly all the police officers in the entire station. Maroni naturally selected Gordon.


    However, obstructing his adversaries was just the first step for Maroni. He also intended to produce this crucial weapon.


    He took a bolder approach than the Red Raven Gang, bribing Wayne Chemical Factory''s managers and using a production line for nitric acid preparations to secretly manufacture the gas. He even considered leaving the production line in ce and covertly producing the gas at Wayne Chemical Factory.


    But there was still an issue. Producing fear gas on arge scale requiredrge-scale separation equipment and other high-end devices. While Maroni had more money than the Red Raven Gang, he was unsure about making such a massive investment.


    So, he turned to the chemist and had him manually replicate a small amount of fear gas. The person Maroni hired was much more skilled than anyone the Red Raven Gang had, and although he couldn''t fully reproduce the fear gas, he could achieve up to 80% uracy, even though it couldn''t be concentrated. Nevertheless, the results were highly effective.


    Maroni, upon seeing the effectiveness of this new venture, entertained the idea of investing heavily in it. After all, with a mere spray bottle, one could drive their opponents insane. Who in the entire East District would remain his rival once he secured it? Seizing control of the East District would render the tens of millions of dors in revenue a trivial matter.


    As a result, Maroni urgently procured the necessary equipment from other states, spending millions of dors and calling in numerous favors. He also hired a team of chemists at high sries to work for him.


    Such arge-scale production operation couldn''t be conducted at Wayne Chemical Factory. Since Maroni didn''t own any chemical nts, heunched a shootout, resulting in the deaths of over thirty skilled individuals, to take control of a small chemical factory within the Red Crow Gang''s territory.


    Meanwhile, Bruce finally realized that his chemical factory had been stolen. He put two and two together, realizing that the gang had started manufacturing this poison gas.


    Simultaneously, Gordon received an anonymous tip iming that a vehicle with license te number 676 was frequently circling near Wayne Chemical Factory.


    Gordon and Bruce quickly joined forces once again as Batman and the detective, tracking down the vehicle and capturing members of the Red Crow Gang.


    In one night, Batman dismantled the Red Crow Gang, even though they were more formidable than the Sewer Rats Gang with hundreds of members. However, theycked formidable criminals and were merely ordinary gang members. With Batman leading the charge and Gordon making arrests, more than two hundred individuals were apprehended in a single night.


    The leader of the Red Crow Gang was on the brink of despair. Although they had stolen the production line from Wayne Chemical Factory, they hadn''t produced any fear gas. Both the production line and the chemical factory were taken by Maroni''s gang.


    Frustrated, the leader of the Red Crow Gang pointed fingers at Sal Maroni during the arrest, leading Batman to shift his focus toward Maroni.


    However, Maroni was far more cunning and cautious than the leader of the Red Crow Gang. The entire chemical factory was heavily guarded, and all members were on edge. Batman couldn''t find a suitable opportunity at the moment.


    Maroni realized he was being watched and sought help from his protective umbre, Police Station Chief Victor.


    Victor first internally dismissed the case of the Wayne Chemical Factory theft, intending to sweep it under the rug. Then, under Maroni''s instructions, he continued to interfere with Jonathan''s trial, attempting to clear him of charges so he could work at Maroni''s chemical factory.


    Schiller added fuel to this already tense situation of multiple standoffs. He guided Police Station Chief Victor to obtain a concentrated fear gas solution that Jonathan had developed. Once Maroni had this concentrated solution, he understood Jonathan''s importance even better, pressuring Victor relentlessly to expedite Jonathan''s release.


    Before Victor could make a move, someone approached him. As Batman had anticipated, it was the President of Gotham University.


    Although Victor was the Police Station Chief, his ties to Gotham''s political scene were not strong. On the contrary, the President of Gotham University had connections with numerous jury members and state legitors.


    Previously, he had been bought by the Red Crow Gang, a fact known to all. Now that the Red Crow Gang had fallen, the President of Gotham University needed a new protector.


    Without the shelter of a major gang in Gotham, one could hardly move a step.


    Naturally, the President of Gotham University didn''t mind switching allegiance to Maroni''s gang. Upon learning that they were also interested in the fear gas, he confided in Victor:


    "That girl isn''t very cautious; she''s been boasting everywhere that she will be Bruce Wayne''s date. I took advantage of her visit to my office and kidnapped her. If we can exert influence on Wayne Family''s heir, with his power, helping Jonathan escape conviction will be a breeze."


    "Just with a woman?" Victor asked. "But young Wayne isn''t naive. Though he indulges in the nightlife, having him willingly work for us just as a date? How can we make that happen?"


    "We don''t necessarily need his willing cooperation," the President said.


    "You want to kidnap young Wayne? No, the risk is too great..." Victor protested. "We might not be able to control him."


    The Wayne Family held a significant portion of Gotham''s economy, and attempting anything against Bruce carried the potential for terrifying consequences if it failed.


    The President said, "In fact, I''ve already devised a n. We can kidnap young Wayne but don''t necessarily have to control him. We can also find a recement..."

 Chapter 28: The Antagonist is Utterly Clueless

    Chapter 28: The Antagonist is Utterly Clueless


    Victor and the President of Gotham University pondered how to deal with Bruce, but Batman was equally contemting how to handle them.


    After days of self-reflection, Batman had sorted out many things. For instance, Schiller had posed every question to him, and he had found answers to all of them.


    Now, he acknowledged that he was not like the police. He wasn''t an embodiment of absolute justice. In fact, he was no different from those criminals, as neither of them adhered to thew. Batman had firmly resolved to uphold his own brand of justice, disregarding the conventional judicial system.


    So, his methods in investigating Christine''s disappearance were no longer awkward or reckless.


    Once Batman had rity, his intellect and execution were unmatched.


    He began by targeting the President of Gotham University. Compared to Victor, a seasoned cop who had spent years in the field, the President, while cautious,cked formal police training. Physically, he was just an ordinary man and easier to deal with.


    One night, Batman stealthily infiltrated the President''s home. Although he didn''t find the exact location where Christine was held captive, he did discover some inconspicuous call records on the President''sndline phone.


    He spected that the President himself wasn''t the one behind Christine''s abduction. He likely had aplices or subordinates. Contacting them through thendline was the safest option, as not just anyone could ess the call records of such an old-fashioned phone, making it nearly impossible to trace past dialed numbers.


    Bruce had resumed his student identity and paid a visit to the President''s office. He had a legitimate reason: he had submitted an assignment, but Schiller had unfairly marked it down. Bruce intended to file aint with the President.During his conversation with the President, Batman used specialized equipment to capture the President''s voice samples. He then used a voice modtor to dial the unknown number.


    Batman''s words were skillful. He didn''t ask any direct questions but rather ambiguously inquired, "How is the person now?"


    The person on the other end didn''t seem cautious. Without hesitation, they replied, "Sir, as per your request, we haven''t harmed her. However, she''s such a beautiful girl; my men are finding it hard to control themselves..."


    "If anything happens to her, you''ll regret it," Batman warned.


    "Of course, of course. We''ll keep them in check."


    As soon as the person on the other end spoke, Batman knew they were just a group of gang members. Batman was well-acquainted with the gangs of Gotham; they all had a simr style.


    Having traced their location, Batman, thoughcking perfect equipment, had ess to the numerous Wayne Family satellites in the sky. Tracking a mobile phone signal was a trivial task.


    Upon locating their hideout, Batman found that Christine was indeed not in immediate danger. The President''s intention wasn''t to harm her to threaten Wayne but to make her an informant. Naturally, they couldn''t harm her, or how could she continue to date Bruce?


    Batman rescued Christine, who, while physically unharmed, was greatly traumatized emotionally. After taking her to the hospital, Christine expressed her willingness to testify against the President for kidnapping her.


    On the other side, Victor faced difficulties too. In front of Victor, an old pro, Gordon, the straightforward advocate for justice, was the hardest to deal with. After all, Victor couldn''t simply shout in the police station that Gordon''s approach to justice was wrong. He had to maintain an appearance of righteousness.


    Gordon knew what kind of person Victor was but had to y along, dying his time so that he wouldn''t have the opportunity to help Jonathan destroy evidence or tamper with files.


    Gordon scrutinized everything rted to Jonathan, the case being one he had cracked. Victor couldn''t guarantee that even after he destroyed the evidence in the police station, Gordon hadn''t kept a backup. This rookie, despite being impulsive and difficult, indeed had some skills.


    As for Maroni, he was even more unfortunate. To increase Maroni''s sunk costs, Schiller frequently sabotaged the chemical factory. He didn''t do anything significant; today, he would remove a couple of parts from the machines, and tomorrow, he would clog the drainage pipes. These minor issues would be seen as idental, but they caused significant dys.


    Some of the machine parts could only be purchased from the original manufacturers, and Maroni had to exert considerable effort to obtain them. Some parts weren''t even avable from the manufacturers, and he had to pay a hefty price to acquire them from others.


    All these issues led to Maroni spending nearly a million dors without any significant results.


    Maroni believed that all these problems arose because Jonathan was taking too long to get released. He thought the workers were unprofessional, and only Jonathan could handle it. So, he pressured Victor.


    With Victor feeling the heat, he had to approach the President again. However, the President realized that Christine, whom he had kidnapped, had disappeared. Their n had not even begun, and it was already a failure.


    Unfortunately, Victor was desperate to carry out the n. With both the police station head and the President facing immense pressure due to the disappearance of their key yer, they had no choice but to take a huge risk and directly kidnap Bruce.


    On the day when Schiller epted Bruce''s invitation to dine at Wayne Manor, Bruce finished his ss and went straight to find Schiller. Together, they got into a car, nning to head back to Wayne Manor directly.


    Gotham University was still a considerable distance away from Wayne Manor, although not as far as the East District on the diagonal axis, it would still take at least half an hour by car.


    If there was one advantage to Gotham, it was that it wasn''t as congested as New York. The roads in this ce were straight as an arrow and wide, allowing for carefree eleration.


    To demonstrate his sincerity, Bruce didn''t have a driver pick them up; he drove himself. Perhaps with a subtle hint of showing off, he wasn''t driving a bulky security vehicle but a beautiful Lamborghini in bright blue, exuding an air of extravagance.


    Just as Bruce was pushing the speedometer to 140 miles per hour, a group of masked individuals suddenly emerged from a corner, their gun barrels pointed at the car. Bruce''s immediate reaction was to swerve the steering wheel.


    He wasn''t afraid, but the professor sitting in the passenger seat hadn''t undergone any training. He shouted, "Professor, get down!"


    Schiller, unruffled, said, "I''m quite certain that the car your butler ordered for youes equipped with bulletproof ss and tires."


    Then he added, "If you want to find out who''s behind this attack, you could pretend the vehicle lost control, knock yourself out, and perhaps gain some cluester."


    Bruce could tell that these individuals were likely after him for a kidnapping, or else they wouldn''t be firing all their bullets at the car''s undercarriage.


    Bruce hesitated; if he were alone, he would definitely go through with it, but he regarded Schiller as an ordinary person. If he were kidnapped, the captors might not hesitate, but it might be different for Schiller.


    Schiller said, "I believe you don''t need to worry about me. I won''t joke with my own life."


    In the end, Bruce stopped the car. He forcefully turned the steering wheel, causing the car to spin a few times on the road before the rear end collided with amppost, as if the brakes had failed. Then he slumped his head onto the steering wheel, and Schiller also pretended to faint.


    The kidnappers, demonstrating a modicum of restraint, didn''t immediately resort to violence upon seeing that there was more than just Bruce in the car. Instead, they proceeded to abduct both Bruce and Schiller, securing them with hoods and handcuffs.


    After a while, the car arrived at what seemed to be a slum area. Bruce and Schiller were brought into a room.


    Their hoods were removed, and both Schiller and Bruce pretended to disy shocked expressions. However, Schiller was genuinely taken aback when the school principal walked in.


    He hadn''t anticipated that the mastermind would dare to stroll in so boldly, without a mask, even wearing his work suit. Schiller was truly speechless.


    Even if you didn''t know that Bruce was Batman, you had sessfully covered up ny-nine steps of your wrongdoing. All that was left was to not tremble like this?


    If someone were to pick Bruce up right now and shake him, they might discover miniature cameras hidden all over his body, proving he had let his guard down!


    Of course, just like in the movies, this portly school principal began to boast about his wicked n.


    He imed to have prepared a stand-in for Bruce long ago. After kidnapping Bruce, he could immediately rece him. He had also intended to achieve Christine''s kidnapping through Bruce''s abduction, but he hadn''t expected Bruce to be so vulnerable and that just a few gunmen would suffice.


    After his lengthy monologue, he confessed to all his crimes.


    In short, aftermitting every mistake that movie viins could make, Schiller had lost his patience with him. He directly said, "Bruce, go for it."


    Bruce leaped up immediately, and the handcuffs posed no challenge. The principal was standing too close, and within seconds, Bruce had him pinned down, handcuffing him with his own restraints.


    Gunmen waiting outside rushed in but were subdued one by one by Bruce. When Gordon arrived, the principal tried to rely on Victor to overpower him, but Gordon said, "Sorry, but themissioner was arrested justst night while trying to destroy evidence in the archive room secretly. Although he tampered with the surveince cameras, Harvey used the pretext of tidying up to install another camera there. The evidence is irrefutable, pal."


    Bruce said, "Looks like they''ve run out of options. Now we have one more person to deal with."


    Schiller pulled out a dossier from his briefcase and said, "Just as we nned earlier, I managed to obtain detailed maps and personnel records for that chemical factory. I think it''s time for a certain caped crusader to spring into action."

 Chapter 29: The Bloodied Gang Leader

    Chapter 29: The Bloodied Gang Leader


    It has been proven that the initial viins in any story are often ridiculously foolish, such as the current headmaster of Gotham University and the police station chief, Victor. They wouldn''t have even garnered a second nce had it not been for the fledgling Batman of today. If it were the heyday of the old masters, they wouldn''t have merited a moment''s consideration.


    Fortunately, Maroni, the antagonist introduced in the middle of the story, proved to be a formidable adversary. Even before Batman could raid his hideout, the production line for fear gas was already in full swing, churning out copious amounts.


    Schiller did not immediately target this batch of fear gas, as he knew that seizing it prematurely would only heighten their vignce.


    Although a substantial amount of fear gas was being produced, it was temporarily stored in warehouses. Maroni understood that this type of biochemical weapon had to be used inrge quantities, ideally enveloping an entire city block, to maximize its effectiveness.


    Unfortunately for him, this yed right into Schiller''s hands.


    When the three warehouses at the small chemical nt were nearly brimming with fear gas, Schiller activated Grey Mist. In a matter of moments, he flew into the warehouses and consumed all the fear gas concentrate.


    Schiller dared to take this risk because Grey Mist had assured him that as a symbiote, it could consume and store the fear gas without any issues.


    However, Schiller remained skeptical. It was akin to a heavy drinker iming that storing alcohol with them would be trouble-free.


    Thankfully, the symbiote was rtively obedient. After dispersing into Grey Mist, it promptly devoured all the fear gas in the warehouse without getting intoxicated.The bottles containing the fear gas showed no signs of change. The symbiote factors infiltrated the molecr structure of the bottles, leaving no trace of the fear gas.


    The following day, when Maroni came to inspect the warehouse, he was left dumbfounded.


    The boxes and bottles were neatly arranged, and there was no evidence of anyone entering or exiting the warehouse. Yet, the fear gas had vanished.


    Maroni knew the catastrophic consequences if this bio-weapon were discovered by certain individuals. Although the chemical nt was rtively small, its security was stringent, especially in the warehouses storing a substantial quantity of fear gas. It was practically imprable.


    However, one couldn''t expect security guards in the dead of night to be vignt against a sudden waft of mist. Maroni was thoroughly defeated in this regard.


    He had invested millions of dors, countless hours, and incurred numerous debts. The results of his extensive efforts had been stolen from right under his nose.


    If this failure had urred at the beginning, it might have been somewhat eptable. But now, he had invested a significant amount of manpower and resources. He had installed new equipment costing millions of dors, hired high-paid chemists, and even had a shootout with the Red Crow Gang, resulting in the deaths of dozens of skilled individuals. All the funeral expenses had been covered. And now, you tell me that the finished product had been stolen???


    Anyone in his shoes would be spitting blood!


    What''s even more crucial is that Maroni was aware that the police and some peculiar Batman had their sights set on him. In order to deal with these threats, he had mobilized several informants who had never been activated before. His intelligencework had been thoroughly exposed, leading to the deaths of many informants. His decades of hard work had led to the downfall of a significant portion of his informationwork.


    Just when Maroni was contemting increasing his investment to produce another batch of fear gas due to sunk costs, he visited the production line again, only to find that all the equipment, bottles, and jars had been turned into dust.


    Maroni''s heartbreak was audible throughout all of Gotham.


    The symbiote''s capabilities greatly surprised Schiller. The symbiote exined that it could break down not only fear gas but also other objects, as long as they had a molecr structure. It could disassemble them and incorporate them into its symbiotic factors, storing them for future use and reassembling them intoplete objects when necessary.


    This effectively meant that Schiller had a portable storage space where he could store mostmon items, whether they were made of metal, stic, or fibers. The symbiote could effortlessly consume and store them, and when needed, restore them to their original state.


    Schiller pondered that while low-level criminals either harmed others while causing chaos or harmed others while seeking personal gain, he was different. His greatest skilly in profiting immensely for himself while also doing some good.


    Who would want to be a bad guy when you could be a hero? In Schiller''s view, those who only sought to harm others for personal gain were simplycking in intelligence.


    Since he could choose to gain fame and fortune without bearing any moral burden, why not do it this way?


    What he had aplished this time not only obliterated the Red Crow Gang but also caused significant losses to the Maroni family. It also shattered the trust rtionship between the gangs, the police, and Gotham City Hall. Their first-ever close cooperation ended in such a disastrous manner. Even Sal, as foolish as he might be, was unlikely to cooperate with these politicians and the police again.


    Moreover, considering the current circumstances, the heavily damaged Sal had no intention of letting these people off the hook. Unable to identify the thieves, he could easily squeeze more out of Victor.


    Before Victor could even face trial, he disappeared, and nobody knew where he had gone. Maroni now had no time to concern himself with Gordon''s position, so Gordon naturally became the leader of the Gotham City Police Department''s field operations task force and gained real power for the first time.


    The President of Gotham University, who had been involved in this matter, also ran into trouble because Batman didn''t have a private prison yet. After obtaining the evidence, he tossed the unconscious president back into his office. However, on that fateful night, he was struck by a truck. Despite being saved at the hospital, he was left with a lifelong disability. His aspirations of climbing the ranks seemed unlikely to be realized.


    The situation in the East District Gang grew even moreplex. The Red Crow Gang had been wiped out, breaking the stalemate between the two sides. However, the Maroni family no longer had the power to dominate the East District.


    Several small-scale gangs joined forces, attempting to take a piece of the pie from the Maroni family. Maroni, of course, wouldn''t allow his family''s interests to be devoured.


    In no time, the entire East District became a battleground for gangs. After a bloody skirmish where both sides suffered losses, the Maroni family had no choice but to reach an agreement with the emerging gang families. They would temporarily refrain from hostilities. However, this was a significant loss for the Maroni family, and some of the smaller gangs in their territory started to defy their authority.


    Jonathan was ultimately not thrown into prison because he did indeed have a mental illness. This wasn''t a result of anyone trying to clear his name but rather an authoritative conclusion reached by the psychiatrists at Arkham Asylum.


    Whether Jonathan ended up in Gotham Prison or Arkham Asylum didn''t matter, as he wasn''t yet the Scarecrow andcked the ability to escape from either ce.


    Furthermore, the Wayne Family exposed the pest that was the owner of Wayne Chemical Factory. Batman gained some notoriety in Gotham for the first time. Miss Christine was saved without suffering substantial injuries, and Schiller obtained arge amount of fear gas as weapons.


    Only the world of gangs and criminals was wounded.


    Although neither the Gotham University president nor Commissioner Victor, nor Maroni could be considered great leaders in the Batman world''s script, at most, they were just a few cannon fodder characters at the beginning of the story. So, they all appeared somewhat foolish to varying degrees. However, Schiller knew that the curtains of the Batman world had not yet been drawn, and the truly dangerous and insane criminals had not yet taken the stage.


    It was just with his intervention that Batman would grow faster. Perhaps when facing his old adversaries, he would gain a greater advantage.


    With hopes for the DC world, Schiller once again sank into dreand. When he woke up, he was back in the bustling streets of New York.


    Unfortunately, the first person he met that morning was the one he least wanted to see.


    "Please have a seat, Miss Natasha. I won''t bother with pleasantries," he said.


    On the other side, Natasha was dressed casually, looking more like a housewife who had gone for a morning jog than a female agent. She had applied light makeup, appearing to be in good health. Her hair was not tied back but rather styled up, making her look nothing like ck Widow.


    However, this seemed more logical. After all, showing up in Hell''s Kitchen in a tight ck leather outfit with guns and various tools strapped to her waist would only attract various threats, possibly even rocketunchers.


    Natasha took a sip of her coffee and said, "Mr. Schiller, first, I want to apologize on behalf of Coulson. Our initial contact with you was purely because you were Stark''s psychological counselor, and we wanted to gather more information about Stark''s mental issues. You understand the impact it would have if a conglomerate like Stark Industries were to copse."


    "But now, we''re here to seek your help because we truly can''t find a better psychologist than you."


    One had to admit that this female agent was quite versatile. Dressed casually, sipping coffee at the table, and with her beautiful face, it was hard to feel any animosity toward her.


    It seemed that ck Widow was not just intimidating; she was indeed an outstanding agent who could adapt her style ording to the situation.


    Schiller replied, "You don''t need to beat around the bush. I''m well aware of why I left Presbyterian Hospital. But you didn''t find anything useful there, did you?"


    "The only thing at Presbyterian Hospital that interested you is of no use to you, I was there solely for my research. However, you decided to terminate me based on baseless spection. We should settle this score."


    "We don''t have information about the personnel decisions at Presbyterian Hospital, but we do have a better job offer here." Natasha said.


    She then pulled out a set of documents from her bag and handed them to Schiller. Natasha continued, "We officially invite you, Mr. Schiller Rodriguez, to be a senior psychological counselor, specially invited by the Bureau of Land Strategic Defense and Logistics Support. You will provide psychological counseling services to one or more specific Bureau members."


    Schiller hesitated, saying, "I don''t..."


    "Just like your discussions with Mr. Stark, thepensation is one million dors per hour."


    "Thank you. Let''s cooperate," Schiller smiled and shook hands with Natasha.

 Chapter 30: Rogers Worry

    Chapter 30: Rogers Worry


    Compared to Gotham, New York didn''t experience rain very often, and the weather here was generally clear. However, there were a few exceptions throughout the year.


    On this particr day, the rain began to fall lightly over New York''s skyline even before dawn.


    For the residents of Hell''s Kitchen, this wasn''t good news. Being Manhattan''srgest slum, they didn''t enjoy many civic amenities. Without diligent street sweepers, the rain would only turn the streets muddier. If you didn''t want your sneakers ruined, you had to wear heavy rain boots.


    The odors of trash and dust became more pronounced in such weather. Schiller closed the windows on the ground floor since a few drunkards often vomited on his back street, and the smell was unbearable.


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang crisply. Schiller nced at his watch; it was 6:30 in the morning, an unusually early hour even for the fast-paced New York.


    Schiller descended the stairs and found a tall, blond, blue-eyed man staring at the calendar on his counter.


    Schiller said, "It looks like Natasha has indeed arranged for someone extraordinary to meet me. It''s quite rare these days to find someone up and about before 7 am."


    The man replied, "So I''m lucky to have found a fellow early riser here."


    Schiller produced the dossier Natasha had sent him the previous night. He looked at the photo on the dossier and then scrutinized the man before him. He said, "Steve Rogers, S.H.I.E.L.D. has scheduled an unlimited appointment for you. They must have been quite generous, indicating that your problem is quite serious."Steve shrugged and said, "They seem to think everything is serious, including me running out without breakfast."


    Schiller tapped the table, inviting him to sit down, and said, "Well, your decision was correct. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. didn''t tell you that if you happen toe at mealtime, I don''t mind treating you to a meal."


    Steve smiled. His handsome face exuded charm and cheerfulness.


    Schiller prepared an American breakfast: toast, fried bacon, two sausages, tworge hash browns, and two cups of coffee.


    Steve wasn''t actually hungry, but the aroma of breakfast was simply irresistible. He picked up a piece of toast and asked, "Do you have any butter?"


    Schiller looked at him somewhat surprised and said, "Oh, I only have strawberry jam."


    Then he assessed Steve once more and remarked, "You seem to be a bit old-fashioned; not many people these days put butter on their bread."


    Steve replied, "No rtionship, I''m just not used to eating such sweet jam for breakfast."


    "In that case, let me get you some homemade sauce."


    Schiller fetched a jar and handed it to Steve.


    Steve nced at the coffee cup, which was barelyrger than a bottle cap, and the strong espresso inside. He asked, "I''m sorry, but could I have a cup of American coffee instead?"


    "American coffee? You could''ve just asked for a cup of tap water," Schiller quipped.


    On the other side, Natasha, who was listening in, spoke into her inte, "The surveince subject refers to American coffee as dirty water. Suspects possible Italian heritage..."


    Steve wasn''t offended; he simply waved his hand and said, "Hey, don''t say that. I just think espresso isn''t great for the heart."


    Before his words could settle, Schiller had already downed two shots of espresso and taken a big bite of chocte. His symbiote sang joyfully in his head.


    Schiller sat across from Steve, and they began to have breakfast together.


    "When Nick first told me to find a psychologist in the slums by myself, I didn''t understand why. Doesn''t S.H.I.E.L.D. have good enough doctors?" Steve remarked.


    "But now, being here, I realize the atmosphere in this ce is much better than S.H.I.E.L.D.''s overly pristine counseling rooms," he added.


    "Compared to the counseling rooms, it feels more like a courtroom there."


    "Who could judge you?" Schiller asked. "Judge Captain America?"


    Steve chuckled in resignation and said, "Those days are long gone, including my own beliefs."


    "I suppose S.H.I.E.L.D. must really want you to go to their own counseling rooms, but I suspect even they know they can''t handle your issues."


    Schiller set down his fork and said, "Did you walk here from the streets outside? How do you find it here? I mean, this slum."


    Steve pursed his lips and replied, "I don''t know how to describe it. It''s terrifying here because nothing has changed."


    "In my time, slums were like this too, with dirty, smelly drains filled with vomit from drunkards. Dead drunkards leaning against building corners, kids rifling through their pockets, never learning better."


    "Many years have passed, but it''s still the same, no change at all."


    Schiller took a bite of bread and asked, "What kind of change do you think should have urred over the past few decades?"


    Steve spread his hands and said, "Even if we can''t eradicate slums, they should have be smaller or people''s lives should have improved."


    Shaking his head, Schiller said, "You won the war, Captain America. You definitely won against those ***. We emerged victorious, and the just war ended many years ago."


    "You would expect victory to bring many benefits, like a more prosperous society and better lives for people. You fought until thest moment for those who had suffered so much."


    Schiller gently shook his head and said, "Decadester, when you wake up again, you find that this world is not as you once envisioned it. It hasn''t turned ck, nor has it turned white; it has turned gray, a color you can''tprehend."


    Steve pursed his lips, appearing somewhat contemtive. Schiller said, "I know your issues are not as simple as S.H.I.E.L.D. believes them to be. It''s not just about having been dormant for too long, or feeling disconnected from society. It''s not about being unable to use a mobile phone, enjoying listening to broadcasts, or having a regr schedule."


    "For Captain America, as long as he wants to learn, there''s nothing from the modern world he can''t grasp."


    "And if he doesn''t learn, it''s likely because he doesn''t want to."


    "You''re resisting this era, unwilling to ept it, and unwilling to ept that the results of your hard-fought battles haven''t turned out as gloriously as you hoped."


    Steve replied with a touch of bitterness, "I''ve given it my all, and even if the results aren''t ideal, I''m trying to ept it. But what pains me the most is that during war, if people were suffering, I could identify my enemies and strike them down, no matter the cost. But now, when people are suffering, I don''t even know who the adversary is."


    "Perhaps you haven''t considered that your era has passed, and with it, your responsibility for the people. You don''t need to be a war machine anymore."


    Steve asked, "Then what should I do? I should still do something, right?"


    Schiller replied, "Captain America, you are sopassionate that even if I suggested pursuing your hobbies, like drawingics or engaging in sports, you wouldn''t abandon these people''s suffering to solely enjoy yourself. You''re not that kind of person, and I won''t offer you such useless advice."


    "I believe S.H.I.E.L.D.''s psychologists have told you the same, haven''t they? Is there anyone in this world who doesn''t know how to enjoy life? They genuinely think that if they were in your shoes, they''d fly off to Hawaii for a vacation, with S.H.I.E.L.D. picking up the tab."


    "Ordinary people can''t understand your excess of sympathy and sense of responsibility. You certainly don''t need to worry about theirck of understanding."


    Steve nodded in agreement. He felt like someone finally understood him and said with a hint ofint, "They think I have plenty to do, like working out, watching movies, or ying video games, but that''s not what I''m supposed to do. When I show resistance, they think I''m just outdated and incapable of enjoying these things."


    "But maybe you can change your perspective and stop seeking understanding from ordinary people. The world is vast, and you may not be the hero of this era, but there are heroes in every era. You can seek out those who have, like you, once saved the world or are currently doing so. They will understand you."


    Schiller continued, "Moreover, the heroes of this era also face challenges. They don''t have your longevity or experience. They may possess power butck the skills, or they may be scattered andck unity."


    "You can find these people; your era has passed, but Earth keeps turning, and there are still those fighting to save the world, isn''t there?"


    Steve sighed, saying, "I''m just an outdated soldier who refuses to retire. You''re right, Doctor; it''s time for the new recruits to take the field."


    "But I have some doubts. Can I really be of help? It seems like the rules governing this world arepletely different from wartime."


    "I do have someone I must rmend to you, though. He''s a lucky kid with a story much like yours. Originally, he was just a nerdy schoolboy who got bullied. Then, one day, he gained tremendous power and started leaping around the city, not doing anything productive."


    "You know how dangerous it can be when someone suddenly gains immense power. To put it bluntly, his power is still growing, and he might outmatch dozens of well-trained special forces soldiers."


    Steve became restless and asked, "Indeed, I''ve justpleted my transformation, and I can''t control my strength yet. I even identally injured two medical personnel. Where is he now? Which hospital is he in?"


    "He''s still in school, actually. He''s about to take his final exams, currently studying."


    "My goodness, why is he still in school?"


    Steve banged his fist on the table in frustration, then addressed the listening device on the table, saying, "Hey, Nick, what''s going on? How can you let a modified soldier stay in school? What if he can''t control his power and hurts people?"


    Steve stood up, and Schiller gestured for him to calm down, saying, "I told you, he''s a lucky kid. Unlike you, he''s not a product of pharmaceutical modifications but rather a unique mutation. His power will gradually increase, not suddenly be uncontroble."


    "What I mean is, these teenagers, you know, full of themselves and sensitive, impulsive yet timid. They need someone to guide them, preferably someone who can show them the harsh realities of society."


    Steve clenched his fist and said, "Indeed, I''ve seen plenty of young recruits like that. They charge into the battlefield fueled by nothing but hot blood, but when they see bombings and grenades, they scream in fear. They have a long way to go."


    Schiller added, "I expect he''ll finish his exams tomorrow night and likely start roaming around. You can intercept him and give him a good lesson. Don''t worry; his mutation ability is quite robust. A little beating won''t hurt him."


    Steve even looked eager; it reminded him of his days on the battlefield when he would discipline young recruits, and seeing them struggle was one of the few moments in his military career that brought him ease and joy.

 Chapter 31: The First Encounter of Iron and Shield

    Chapter 31: The First Encounter of Iron and Shield


    "I''ve never seen such an annoying guy before. I dare say if he were on the battlefield, his superior would have shot him countless times!"


    Steve paced back and forth in the middle of Schiller''s Psychological Clinic living room, hands on hips, fists waving as he passionately voiced his opinions. He appeared like an enraged lion, his military demeanor on full disy.


    Steve continued, "I should really give him a bear hug and see if that damn iron shell of his is as fragile as ss!"


    Now, to understand why Steve was so angry, let''s go back tost night...


    Last night, Peter had finished his final exams and was itching to wander around New York. He had been cooped up studying for weeks and missed the feeling of gliding through the cool breeze above the city.


    But recently, his rtionship with Gwen had been heating up rapidly. After the exams, Gwen had invited him to a party, thinking Peter was too reclusive and needed more interaction with ssmates. So, she insisted on dragging him along to the post-exam celebration.


    Peter wanted to be a superhero, but his feelings for Gwen were too strong to resist. Reluctantly, he agreed to Gwen''s invitation, and they happily headed off to the party.


    It was predictable that the little Spider woulde out to roam after the exams, and Peter wasn''t the only one who thought so. The genius Tony Stark was also on the lookout for Spider-Man.


    Stark had a legitimate reason to find Spider-Man. Peter had developed his own spider web shooter, which had caught Stark''s attention for its scientific research potential. He nned to talk to Peter about interning at Stark Industries during his break and, incidentally, making a Spider-Man suit for him.Although Stark was known for his arrogance, he had some discretion. He knew he couldn''t fly into Peter''s school in his steelbat suit; that would be too conspicuous. So, he waited for Peter to finish his exams and meet him in the skies over New York City.


    His n seemed sound, but unfortunately, Peter had chosen his budding romance with Gwen over his superhero career. Iron Man hovered over New York City for a while, but there was no sign of the figure swinging between high-rise buildings.


    Although he didn''t encounter Spider-Man, another person looking for him identally crossed paths with Iron Man.


    Captain America could jump between high-rise buildings even without the help of a spider web. He was different from Peter, a young kid with powers. Captain America''s strength had been honed through rigorous training, and he had unparalleled control over his body.


    Before he could find the kid described by Schiller, he saw a shy red and gold Mech armor flying towards him.


    Steve stopped on the rooftop of a high-rise building, and the Mech armor floated in the air. A voice came from the other side, "Look, another little hero. Isn''t there already a spider kid swinging around New York? What''s your code name, Aryan Superman?"


    Steve retorted, "I thought modern people would have a little more manners. So, who are you? The steel warrior in a turtle shell?"


    "Surprised you don''t know Iron Man? Are you from the Stone Age or something? Don''t tell me you were dazzled by the glory of my cool Mech armor, hahaha."


    Iron Man was indeed quite famous in New York. Despite Stark''s often straightforward approach to saving people, his Mech armor was undeniably cool. Countless onlookers had captured Iron Man''s heroic deeds, and there was even a fan group that had created a dedicated website, giving him a significant following across America.


    "I am a bit old-fashioned," Steve replied.


    "But at least you should know some courtesy. Shouldn''t you introduce yourself before speaking?" Stark didn''t mind revealing his true identity because he could tell that the person in front of him also had special abilities. After all, ordinary people couldn''t jump several meters in one leap.


    Since they were colleagues of sorts, there was no need to hide, so he said, "As you can see, I''m Stark, the owner of Stark Industries. Who else could develop such an impressive Mech armor?"


    Steve''s expression suddenly changed, and he asked, "You''re Stark?... Yourst name is Stark?"


    "Then, what''s your rtionship with Howard Stark?"


    The Mech armor in front of him descended, and Stark replied, "Don''t mention that name to me. What''s it to you, weirdo? What rtionship do I have with him?"


    "You have no rtionship with him, yet you inherited Stark Industries..." Steve''s expression grew even stranger.


    Before Stark could continue taunting him, a powerful force struck him, sending him flying. Indeed, Captain America wasn''t the same as the young Spider. In theics, he had shattered Stark''s Mech armor more than once. Stark''s current Mech armor hadn''t undergone several upgrades yet, and Iron Man was far from his peak. But Captain America, he always remained at his peak.


    Sparks erupted inside the Mark 5, and JARVIS urgently sounded rms. Stark was in shock. He tried to maneuver the Mech armor to break free, but he had never encountered such a monstrous opponent before. Steve''s strength even made the advanced metal alloy shell seem as brittle as a cookie.


    Steve grabbed him by the waist, pinning Stark to the ground. Then, he began pounding the Mech armor''s facete with his fists, shattering it. JARVIS was frantically sounding rms, and Stark yelled in anger, "Initiate an electric shock!"


    JARVIS replied, "An electric shock will render the Mech armor unusable."


    "I said, initiate the electric shock!"


    With a deafening roar, Mark 5 lit up with a brilliant electric surge. Steve was sted away, and Stark was forcibly ejected from the Mech armor, crashing to the ground.


    Both of them turned ashen, their hair standing on end from the shock.


    "You damn thief!" Steve eximed.


    Stark retorted, "You lunatic! Why did you suddenly attack me? I don''t even know you!"


    "But I''m friends with old Stark!"


    Steve quickly got up, clutching Stark''s cor, and demanded, "How did you get your hands on Stark Industries? Where is Howard''s descendant? What have you done to him?"


    Suddenly, JARVIS interjected through Stark''s headphones, "Based on Mr. Schiller''s provided micro-expression analysis logic, there might be a massive misunderstanding here."


    Stark angrily shut off his headphones, saying, "Do we really need to read micro-expressions in this situation?!"


    He looked at Steve defiantly, despite being held by the cor. "I suspect you don''t understand English. When did I say I had no rtionship with Howard?"


    Steve maintained an exasperated eye contact, treating Stark as if he were a forgetful elderly patient. "Damn it! I heard you, but that''s not what I meant!"


    With a reluctant acknowledgment, Stark turned his gaze aside. "He''s my father, but my genius creations have nothing to do with him."


    Steve threw Stark to the ground, causing him to cry out in pain. Steve held his arm and said, "You''re nothing like Howard. Your father was a brave warrior, and you? Do you even realize how annoying you are?"


    Indeed, Stark''s arrogance was deeply ingrained, making him appear unpleasant to anyone who encountered him.


    Stark sat up and eximed, "Are you some sort of delusional patient? How could you possibly know my father? Is this a past-life thing?"


    Steve couldn''t be bothered to exin. Aftering out tonight and failing to find his target, he ran into Howard''s descendant, who lookedpletely different from his old friend. This left Steve feeling frustrated.


    Suddenly, Steve heard a rush of wind, but lost in thought, he reacted slowly. A Mech armor flew directly at him, grabbing him and tossing him downstairs.


    Captain America couldn''t be killed from such a height, and Steve rolled on the ground before spotting Stark on the rooftop, mocking him. Then, the new Mech armor armed itself onto him, the face mask rising as Stark said, "Looks like you might indeed be a friend of my father''s, as my friends wouldn''t react as slowly as you."


    With that, he flew away.


    Steve pounded the ground in frustration.


    And so, the scene of Steve berating Stark unfolded in Schiller''s Psychological Clinic.


    If Stark were just a stranger, Steve wouldn''t be so angry, but he had fought alongside Howard. The thought of his old friend''s son turning out this way made Steve both angry and somewhat ashamed, feeling that he hadn''t fulfilled his educational responsibility.


    After Steve left, Coulson called Schiller.


    "Dr. Schiller, I have to acknowledge that my earlier praise may have been a formality, but now it definitely isn''t."


    "Captain suddenly became spirited. As soon as he returned, he went to the training room and beat up a dozen trainers. Director Nick talked to him about preparing a special operations team, and he immediately agreed, even requesting a special training room from the agency."


    "My God, Captain America, he''s been reborn!"


    Schiller chuckled and said, "Controlling one''s positive emotions doesn''t necessarily stem from a sense of responsibility or ideal aspirations. It could also be anger."


    Coulson, somewhat puzzled, asked, "Captain seems a bit angry. What happened? Did he run into some trouble?"


    "He did run into a bit of trouble, but it''s not something you can deal with."


    With that, Schiller hung up the telephone. His doorbell rang, and Peter, in a school uniform jacket and carrying a backpack, opened the clinic''s door. He waved at Schiller and said, "Hey, doctor, you won''t believe the amazing party I just attended..."


    Schiller sized him up, and it was clear that Peter had been drinking. He probably just came from the party, reeking of alcohol, and didn''t dare go home, so he ended up here. Schiller said, "You should really thank Stark; he took a beating for you..."


    Little Spider-Man looked bewildered. "What?"

 Chapter 32: The Antiques and the New Generation

    Chapter 32: The Antiques and the New Generation


    "Did you decide to intern at Stark Industries?" Schiller asked.


    Peter took a big sip of his soup and a bite of sausage before replying, "Yes, that way I can exin where my moneyes from. I told my uncle that Stark Industries wanted to buy out my job opportunity, not only offering me a significant sum of money in advance but also covering my college tuition."


    "Does your uncle believe it?" Schiller inquired.


    Peter replied, "Actually, my uncle has always known that I excel in academics and have a bit of a genius mind. Now that I finally have the opportunity, he''s thrilled for me."


    "But..." Peter put down his bowl, looking somewhat embarrassed. He continued, "Mr. Schiller, I was wondering if I could stay with you for a few days. Our house is quite old, and after my uncle and aunt receive this money, they want to renovate the house a bit. The recent rain even caused some of the exterior wall to peel off. They''ll be staying with their old friends, but I''m almost of legal age, and it would be inconvenient for me."


    "I would be very weing of you to stay," Schiller said. "But doesn''t the Starkpany internship provide amodation? It''s quite a distance from Stark Industries to here."


    Peter sighed and said, "But Stark Industries is even farther from Gwen''s house."


    Schiller chuckled and said, "I bet you tried to stay at Gwen''s ce and failed, which is why you''vee to me."


    Peter''s face turned red, and he replied, "How could I make such an unreasonable request? I would never say such a thing to Gwen.""You''re not very much like an American conservative," Schiller remarked as he took a sip of his soup.


    Before they could finish their breakfast, Steve came in, sweating slightly on his forehead, indicating he had run all the way here. As soon as he entered, he caught the aroma of Schiller''s porridge and patted his stomach, saying, "I have to say, my friend, this beats the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria by a mile."


    Schiller pointed to the kitchen, and Steve went to serve himself. Peter looked back and forth, munching his food like a hamster and peeking his head out. He asked Schiller in a hushed voice, "Who is that? He looks really handsome, even stronger than the high school football team captain."


    Schiller replied, "Clearly, he''s the guy who gave Stark a good beating. Of course, he originally intended toe and give you a beating because you''ve been swinging around New York."


    Peter choked a bit, and when Steve approached with his bowl, Peter discreetly moved his chair a bit to the side.


    The current Spider-Man was no match for Captain America, and Peter was well aware of it. He also knew that his previous high-profile actions had made many people unhappy, and there was more than one person who wanted to teach him a lesson. Stark, who had the power to do so, was one, and it seemed this strong man was another, given that he had beaten Stark.


    As Steve''s gazended on Peter, Peter jumped up as if shocked and said, "I''ll pack the porridge in a lunchbox to take to Mattter."


    "I advise against it for now," Schiller said. "You forgot thatst time you went in the morning, you saw Matt and his girlfriend lying on the same bed. It was quite awkward."


    Peter''s face turned red again, and he mumbled, "But it''s a hospital, and Matt''s still recovering. They were just a bit... crazy."


    Steve drank his soup in silence, then asked Schiller, "Is this Matt one of the good guys you mentioned?"


    Schiller nodded and said, "I can''t even describe him as just a good guy; he''s a Hero, a true Hero."


    Schiller briefly told Steve about Matt''s life, and Steve sighed, saying, "Perhaps I''m not like him. When I was just an ordinary person, I couldn''t stand many things, but I didn''t have the courage to intervene because I knew I couldn''t beat those people, and getting hurt would have been painful."


    Schiller said, "Seeking profit and avoiding harm is human nature, which is why those who go against the tide deserve respect."


    After Peter went to pack his things and left to deliver food to Matt, he returned to find Schiller absent from the clinic, leaving Steve alone at the bar, ying with a vintage record yer.


    Although it was considered vintage for this era, it was still a novelty for Steve, who came from a different time. He seemed unsure how to insert the disc.


    Peter said, "You shouldn''t tug on that door like that; you''ll break it. Give me the disc, and I''ll help you put it in."


    Steve handed the record yer to him and said, "That doctor went to provide psychological treatment for that darn Stark. How old are you this year? Are you about to graduate from high school?"


    Peter, while fiddling with the record yer, shook his head and said, "Not yet, I''m only in my sophomore year."


    "I heard from Schiller that you''re quite lucky and have gained some special abilities."


    But Peter sneered and said, "Lucky? Maybe that''s what I thought before, but now it''s not all that."


    "You''re more mature than I imagined. I thought you would be bragging or eager to show something off."


    "If it were a month ago, I might have done that. Okay, here you go. Now all you need to do is press the button on top, and it will y. Not many people know how to use these these days. My uncle has one, so I learned how."


    Steve pressed the button and smiled, saying, "Do you know how to use a vinyl record yer? I understand that one better."


    Peter shook his head and said, "That thing is too ancient. I''ve seen it once at my uncle''s colleague''s house, but it always got stuck when we tried to y a record. No one could fix it."


    "Well, if you ever get it, I''m good at fixing them. In the military, these were treasures, and if one broke, you''d hear a lot ofints."


    "Are you a soldier?" Peter asked. "I can tell you''re really strong, probably at least a sergeant."


    "Sergeant? Close enough. I lead a special operations team; we carry out missions," replied Steve.


    Peter''s interest was piqued. "Special forces? Which unit are you with? Navy SEALs or Delta Force?"


    Steve chuckled. "We like to call ourselves the Patriots Team, but you might have heard a more famous name."


    Peter was curious. "What''s that?"


    "Captain America and his friends."


    Peter''s eyes widened, and he eximed, "You were part of Captain America''s team?! That must have been nearly a century ago. Did you...?"


    "Oh, yes, indeed. Captain wasn''t an ordinary man, and some of them surely must still be alive. So, you''ve met Captain? My, oh my..."


    Peter hurriedly ran to the inner room, retrieved his backpack, and after rummaging through it, produced an action figure. He said, "Look, this is thetest bottle cap action figure they coborated on with a sodapany. I had to drink two whole crates of soda to get this one. It''s the only one with a shield. A few days ago, at a party, they were all jealous of me. This is much cooler than dancing a bit of breakdance."


    Steve squinted as he examined the small action figure. He took it and noticed that the figure''s head seemed to be movable. He gently tried to move it, but it seemed he applied too much force, and the little figure''s head snapped off. Peter cried out, rushing to snatch it back.


    "Oh, no, it''s broken! Glue! I need glue! It took me two whole months to collect this!"


    "I''m so sorry," Steve said. "I''ve never yed with one of these before. I thought it could move."


    "Oh, no problem. If you really are from seven or eight decades ago, toys back then were much sturdier than now, like Lego, for example. They had Lego back then, right?"


    Steve saw that Peter wasn''t upset and felt that Schiller''s description of this young man wasn''t entirely urate. Though he was a bit impulsive and a tad childish, he seemed capable of handling responsibility.


    He said, "I think you should take a closer look at the head of that little toy. Doesn''t it look familiar to you?"


    Peter, somewhat puzzled, picked up the tiny action figure''s head. It must be said that, although the quality of the action figure wasn''t great, the sculpting was quite detailed.


    Then Steve looked at the big boy in front of him, lowered his head to nce at the figurine, then back up at him. He repeated this several times, his eyes gradually widening, his mouth hanging so wide it looked like his jaw might dislocate.


    Schiller had just returned with Pikachu and found this scene. Pikachu waved its little short arms in his arms and said, "Looks like we came back at the wrong time, interrupting Jack and Ruth''s long-awaited reunion..."


    Schiller rubbed its face and said, "I told you to watch fewer romantic movies."


    Peter turned his gaze back to Schiller, stammering as he sought confirmation, "He is... I mean... he, that..."


    Schiller pressed a button on the record yer, and a melodious old song yed. He patted Steve''s shoulder and said, "Captain, it seems he really wants some proof from you. Yes, I see what he means."


    Captain tapped on the desktop of the bar and said, "Where''s my proof?"


    Natasha''s melodious voice came from inside, "Here ites."


    Before Peter could react, a shining shield with red and blue stripes and a white star in the middle flew in through the door. Steve caught the shield with one hand, and Peter stared in amazement, eximing, "Awesome!"


    Outside the door, Natasha leaned against the door framezily and said, "Wee back, Captain."


    Steve tapped the shield and said, "Looks like you were prepared."


    Schiller said to Natasha, "Enough of the sentimental old stories, we can chatter. The diagnosis fee for two days is a total of 5 million dors. When will it be transferred?"


    Steve nced at him and said, "You really n to charge that much?"


    "Well, otherwise, you''d be here bugging us with your listening devices and eating for free just because you''re Captain America, right?"


    "I thought we were friends," Steve said.


    "Of course, we are friends. If not, 5 million dors here would only get you a breakfast."


    "Do you charge Stark the same way?" Steve asked.


    "Next time, I''ll charge him double."


    Steve immediately turned his head to look at Natasha and said, "Pay up, and add an extra 10% tip for me."

 Chapter 33: Delicious and Satisfying

    Chapter 33: Delicious and Satisfying


    Schiller''s consideration of Peter''s request to stay seemed somewhat superficial.


    Indeed, Spider-Man was kind, courageous, and resolute, but at the same time, Peter had the typical ws of a young man his age: staying up all night, gaming addiction, not sleeping at night, and not waking up in the morning.


    Perhaps due to the spider mutation, Peter had a voracious appetite and an obsession with all kinds of American hamburgers and fried chicken. Schiller couldn''t help but think that if he continued like this, he would transform from a spider into a crab.


    Schiller knocked on the edge of the pot and said, "Listen, I don''t care how much energy you''ve spent training with Steve recently, but no human being should want another serving of porridge after eating five bowls of rice."


    Peter put down his bowl, patting his stomach, and said, "I never dreamed I could eat so much. I suspect there''s a ck hole in my stomach."


    Matt limped into the room; his injuries were not fully healed yet. Peter quickly stood up to help him, and Matt said, "He''s still growing, so eating a bit more is necessary. But kid, promise me that after you eat, you''ll exercise. If you don''t want to turn into a ball, it''s best not to spend all day in your room ying games."


    Schiller also picked up Pikachu and said, "I guess it''s your fault, Peter, whether it''s eating so much at once or ying games all day¡­"


    Pikachu, in a voice resembling Deadpool''s, retorted, "How can you me me? This sticky kid is as skinny as a bean sprout, and he''s terrible at video games. Every time we y a fighting game, I have to use only one hand, and even in armed assault, the onions you cut in the morning have better aim than him."


    Before Pikachu could finish, Peter covered his mouth, and Schiller said, "There''s no more rice in the clinic, so you''ll have to deal with dinner yourselves tonight."Peter let out a mournful cry, and Schiller wiped the water droplets off his hands, saying, "Not just your dinner, mine too."


    "Do we go out to eat?" Peter asked.


    "Of course, and I know a good ce. It''s one of the benefits they provided me when I joined. I''ve heard the food there may not be very tasty, but it''s definitely filling."


    "Hmph," Peter scoffed, "They must be too young. I feel like I could swallow ten cows right now."


    S.H.I.E.L.D.''s international defense headquarters were located in New York, with the entrance in a telephone booth not far from Manhattan. However, once inside the telephone booth, the elevator twisted and turned, making it impossible to know where it was heading.


    Schiller had a sense system, and he faintly felt they were nearing the outskirts when the elevator finally stopped.


    Schiller and Peter got off the elevator, and Coulson greeted them, saying, "As you can see, wee to S.H.I.E.L.D.''s international reception center. This is where they specially host various S.H.I.E.L.D. contract members and elite field agents."


    Schiller nced at his watch and said, "I suppose you''ll honor the benefits written in our contracts when we joined?"


    "Yes, the employee canteen is always free, and coffee is also free. Though the coffee here may not meet your high standards. If you''re very particr about coffee, I can file a report higher up," Coulson said with a grin.


    "No, that won''t be necessary," Schiller waved it off. "I don''t hold high hopes for the coffee tastes of those who prefer instant noodles."


    Coulson led Schiller and Peter through the lobby and into the living area. Here, the decorations weren''t overly sci-fi but had a minimalist Nordic feel, with plenty of fabric decor, giving it afortable ambiance.


    Peter looked around and seemed a bit disappointed, saying, "I thought you guys would be working in a ce like an alien spaceship."


    "Well... the international defense headquarters and some scientific research centers are like that. But this ce is just a reception center for field agents to eat and rest. Do you think spending 24 hours in an alien spaceship is a good idea?"


    Peter didn''t reply, but it was clear that this ce didn''t quite meet his expectations of S.H.I.E.L.D.


    Coulson was perceptive and said, "If you formally join S.H.I.E.L.D., you''ll have the chance to go to the headquarters, and it will surprise you."


    Before Peter could inquire further, they arrived at the restaurant. It did have a bit of a sci-fi vibe, as there were no chefs. Instead, rows of food were ced on various conveyor belts,ing out from different windows.


    "Is it a buffet?" Schiller asked.


    "Regr agents don''t have the time to wait for chefs, so it''s all self-service here. But you can rest assured; you can find cuisine from all over the world here, and the taste is decent."


    "That suits me," Schiller said.


    Peter patted his stomach, and Schiller pped his shoulder, saying, "Go on, Peter. I think you can make them regret giving me this job perk."


    Coulson chuckled and said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. isn''t so stingy that agents can''t eat their fill. Go ahead, children. Your eating speed can''t possibly match the conveyor here."


    Schiller smiled faintly.


    Three hourster, Natasha walked into the room with a telephone in her hand. She scolded on the phone, "Don''t you know I''m on a mission with Stark? And what nonsense are you talking about? When did S.H.I.E.L.D. change the contract? Is there any treaty we can''t provide? Do you need me toe back and make changes?"


    She spoke on the phone while briskly walking into the restaurant. She pushed open the door and said, "Coulson! Damn it, you better give me a good reason, or I''ll definitelyin to the director about you interfering with my work..."


    As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the mountain of tes in the middle of the restaurant.


    This was not an exaggeration; it was a fact. The circr restaurant was quiterge, about several thousand square meters. However, at the moment, the middle of the restaurant waspletely blocked by a towering pile of tes, reaching straight up to the ceiling, like a massive pyramid.


    This pile of tes was at least three times as tall as a person, and dozens of people couldn''t hold it together. Judging by the situation, it seemed they hadn''t finished eating yet.


    Natasha stepped over a pile of food debris and patted a meal delivery robot that was already smoking a cigarette. She eximed, "What''s going on here? Is Nick Fury finally nning to raise dinosaurs at S.H.I.E.L.D.?"


    Coulson leaned wearily against a bar and said, "They really need to reconsider the use about employee meal benefits in the contract..."


    Natasha nced up and down at the heap of tes and remarked, "I remember that use, but employees aren''t supposed to bring outsiders, right? How many people did he bring? Is there a whole party going on?"


    Coulson pointed, and Natasha walked around the pile of tes, only to discover just three figures: Peter, defeated and dozing off in a chair, Pikachu, looking a bit tired but still tossing tes onto the te mountain, and Schiller, the one with Grey Mist, who didn''t seem to mind eating at all. Instead, he stashed the food into Grey Mist, breaking it down without actually consuming it. In essence, he hade here for supplies.


    Of course, Grey Mist seemed to be enjoying itself, consuming at least dozens of kilograms of desserts loaded with chocte, syrup, and pickled fruits. Schiller even let him have a tiny sip of fear gas concentrate. At the moment, he was happily looping through Schiller''s mind, dancing to the catchy tunes he had learned from the television.


    Natasha blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.


    "Hey, is the restaurant still open? I just finished my run, and tonight, we''re having basil beef..."


    Captain America had just pushed the door open, but he too froze in shock. "I knew it. Nick told me decades ago that he wanted to raise elephants, but I never thought he''d fulfill that dream now..."


    Coulson didn''t say a word. He covered his face and raised his arm as Captain America walked past the pile of tes, finally seeing the three individuals gorging themselves.


    "Um..." Captain America hesitated, then turned to Natasha. "Please don''t tell me they''ve eaten all the food in the restaurant."


    Natasha forced a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes and pped the overhead panel of a nearby delivery robot.


    After reading the information, she said, "Very well, we can now decide which restaurant in New York to have dinner at. And let''s consider where to eat tomorrow morning and afternoon as well."


    Schiller stood up casually, behaving as if nothing was amiss. "Thanks for the hospitality. The employee benefits here are quite good, but unfortunately, I''m a bit pressed for time today. After all, I have a friend who''s hungry, so I''ll have to pack some food for him to take home. I''ll pass on lunch for now."


    Natasha stopped him, saying, "While S.H.I.E.L.D. can certainly afford the cost of this food, you guys eating here means our other agents won''t have anything to eat during their restocking period. Are you willing to let your colleagues go hungry?"


    Steve chimed in, "Can''t you see it? Of course, he''s willing. He''s even willing to let his friend go hungry. I was nning to have a big steak, but now it looks like I can''t even get a single French fry."


    Schiller snapped his fingers, and Pikachu set down thest beef patty. Jumping onto Schiller''s shoulder, he smiled and said, "I have a great ce to rmend. It''s part of my other job''s perks, and while the food there isn''t great, it''s guaranteed to fill you up."


    Natasha and Steve exchanged knowing nces.


    Five hourster, Stark gazed at the mountain of tes in the employee canteen of Stark Industries. He opened his mouth but couldn''t find words to express his astonishment.


    JARVIS spoke up beside him, saying, "I assume you''re not in the mood for a detailed report on food loss right now, but I must inform you that if we don''t receive new food supplies by 10 o''clock, allpany employees will go hungry tomorrow."


    Stark took a deep breath, already envisioning Pepper''s fury at him tomorrow, as she faced a room full ofints from employees.


    Dressed in his suit of armor, Stark nked through the pile of tes and looked at the three individuals lying back in their chairs, their bellies full.


    "Very well, you''ve managed to create the first food crisis in Stark Industries in a century. If Pepper gives me a hard time tomorrow, I''m giving each of you a punch."


    Schiller replied nonchntly, "Don''t be nervous; we''ll go buy more."


    "It''s almost 9 o''clock now. Where do you expect the procurement team to buy from? Our transportation is shut down, and even if we buy something, how will we transport it?"


    "Come on! A Captain America, two super agents, Spider-Man, and Iron Man. Can''t you guys carry a bit of groceries?"


    Two hourster, everyone was flying back with bags full of food.


    Stark had never dreamt that the Superhero Squad''s first mission would involve going to the nearest supermarket to buy heaps of groceries, with each hero carrying numerous bags.


    Stark grumbled as he flew, "Damn it, I can''t let my fans see Iron Man like this. Am I a babysitter robot or a housewife rice cooker?"


    He had just finished speaking when a flurry of camera shes went off.


    The next day, the front page headline of The New York Times featured a picture of Iron Man loaded with dozens of shopping bags. Behind him, two individuals leaped between high-rise buildings, also carrying bags of groceries in various sizes and shapes.


    As for Pepper, she was on the top floor of Stark Tower, yelling at Stark, "You, you useless busybody! The high-gluten flour you bought has turned all the bread and cakes in the employee canteen into rubber bands!"

 Chapter 34: The Nestlings Great Hero (I)

    Chapter 34: The Nestlings Great Hero (I)


    "You mentioned that you intend to shut down Stark''s weapon manufacturing department?" Schiller inquired.


    "But shouldn''t you be discussing this with someone else?" Schiller continued.


    Stark, looking somewhat troubled, rubbed his forehead and replied, "Because of the good deeds you all have done, Pepper has received thousands of employeeints in the past few days. She had topletely revamp the entire employee benefits system, keeping her incredibly busy."


    "That''s not the main issue," Schiller said. "If you want to talk about it, she''s always willing to listen."


    Stark touched the bridge of his nose but remained silent.


    After a moment, he admitted, "Alright, I know the decision I''m making puts immense pressure on her. I know I''m a selfish bastard, and I know she''s done more than enough for me. I know I shouldn''t be doing this, but I have no other choice."


    Schiller opened his notebook and, as he wrote,mented, "What you''re about to do is akin to passing a death sentence on a firearm."


    "But my weapons have killed many people," Stark confessed.


    "Those weapons had no other choice," Schiller remarked."Are you suggesting they should all be like JARVIS? Speaking, protesting, enjoying being sent to godforsaken ces like Afghanistan?" Stark asked. "Or do you believe that when a bullet is manufactured, its life''s purpose is to go to the battlefield and kill others?"


    Stark sat in silence across from Schiller, feeling vulnerable. "I acknowledge that I''ve wrongly med everything on the weapons because I know I''m the real culprit. But I can''t judge myself."


    "However, Mr. Stark, you can''t judge yourself not because you want to evade responsibility, but because you believe you have the ability to make amends. When a crisis arises, only you have the capability to save the world, to turn the tide, and it''s this sense of responsibility that drives you to take these actions."


    "But have you ever considered that always finding someone or something to hold ountable for everything is a somewhat arbitrary and rash notion?"


    "But every urrence has its roots."


    "Yet these roots are not necessarily just right or wrong. You should understand better than me that the world isn''t just ck and white. You found something you believe should be held responsible, but it hasn''t made the situation any better. You think weapons should be responsible, so you want to shut down the entire weapon manufacturing department, keeping Pepper up for nights, leaving many employees jobless, and even if those on the battlefield won''t be grateful."


    "Is the agony brought by this relentless pursuit of the ultimate cause really worth it?"


    Stark appeared tormented, with every feature of his face creased. If Spider-Man''s transformation was like a grand firework disy, Stark''s transformation might be an implosion of a dying star.


    At this moment, Stark had no idea that he would have a simr debate with Steve over the same issue, leading to the downfall of the entire Avengers.


    "My mind tells me I can''t help but dwell on right and wrong," Stark admitted.


    "Well then, if that''s the case, your mind should be held ountable for it. It won''t let you off the hook, so you should confront it. That''s your theory, isn''t it?"


    "Ask your mind if there''s a way to achieve what you want without hurting those around you. That''s the answer it should give you, because it''s the one making you suffer."


    Stark didn''t feel any better and leaned back in his chair. "Look at me, I''m a fool. I paid a devil doctor a million dors an hour to listen to my problems."


    "Your damn therapy sessions have never brought any positive changes. Every time I leave here, I feel even more miserable."


    Stark almost gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    Schiller, unusual for him, refrained from making a joke and said, "Consider me a catalyst. You''ll understand in time."


    "Thinking always brings pain, and no one is exempt. Let me give you a head start on dealing with it; you''ll thank meter."


    Stark crossed his chest, saying, "If you keep talking like this, you might surpass Howard in my mind."


    "It''s the first time I''ve heard you mention your father voluntarily. That''s unusual; most people, when in pain, tend to call out for their mothers."


    Stark pounded the table vigorously. He didn''t want to admit that he mentioned his father because he was in distress.


    He wasn''t a fledgling in need of shelter, nor was he the eagle that had flown off a cliff and never returned. His father was not the person he should think of in times of despair and agony.


    Schiller said, "Perhaps that''s why you created the Mech armor for yourself. You wear that suit of iron wherever you go, believing it''s the only thing that can protect you, that only by wearing it can you be the most powerful Iron Man."


    "But I have to say, if you can''t learn to take it off, you''ll never truly be Iron Man."


    Schiller had thought before that Stark and Batman were quite simr. Their upbringing, education, and even their methods of dealing with certain issues were surprisingly alike.


    They both created a slew of weapons that no one else could make, armed themselves with them, feeling invincible. When they realized that this couldn''t solve all their problems, they fell into a painful struggle.


    Schiller jotted down some notes and drawings in his notebook. Stark asked, "What are you writing?"


    "Steve''s therapy session has ended for now, so Natasha took back the monitoring device. I have to write your case notes by hand."


    Stark squinted and asked, "You wrote down everything I just said?"


    "I didn''t write down everything else, but I remember the sentence where you called me ''dad'' very clearly."


    "Five million dors."


    Schiller tossed the notebook directly in front of Stark. Stark picked up a lighter and set it aze, cursing softly, "How did I end up trusting a damn vampire doctor?"


    "It''s gettingte. You should go back. You can''t deal with your argument with Miss Pepper by staying outside," Schiller advised.


    Stark clearly didn''t want to leave. He said, "That Spider-Kid can stay here; why can''t I? I don''t even mind your run-down ce. You''re lucky to be able to cook breakfast for the genius Stark."


    "Yeah, and then Miss Pepper will be working overtime alone in Stark Tower. The employees will have left, and that building is dark and cold... Oh, JARVIS might keep herpany. I heard JARVIS has developed feelings; maybe he understands Miss Pepper''s sense of loss better than you do."


    Stark immediately couldn''t sit still. He sprang up from his chair with a start, donned his coat, and said, "I won''t be jealous of my own AI butler, not at all."


    Schiller helped him open the clinic''s door and said, "Of course, of course, may God bless JARVIS."


    After leaving the clinic, Stark''s mood was quite sour, his thoughts tangled messily in his mind. He had long epted the fact that geniuses are often lonely. Most of his life had been spent this way, and he had always believed he was doing well ¨C wealthy, intelligent, with enough resources to fulfill his life''s purpose. The overwhelming sense of responsibility had never troubled him before. But today was different; he felt an unprecedented need forpanionship.


    He rarely refrained from summoning his armor, and he even turned off his mobile phone. Slowly, he walked down the street and arrived at a rundown bus stop. Thest bus of the night had a driver whose heavy scent of cigarettes made Stark ufortable, but he still approached and found a seat.


    Thanks to Schiller''s notorious reputation, there weren''t many troublemakers in the nearby area, allowing Stark to safely board the bus and leave Hell''s Kitchen. As the bus traversed the cold neon streets of New York, the jazz music ying insideplemented thete autumn atmosphere perfectly. Stark sat in the back, hands on his knees, burying his face in them.


    In his heart, he thought, "Alright, I''m just a fragile little boy, not a great hero. Right now, all I want is to see Pepper and give her a hug. Let saving the world go to hell."


    Stark had never been willing to acknowledge his own immaturity; he preferred to call it childlike innocence, a trait unique to geniuses. But he had to acknowledge that in every person''s life, there must be someone who ys the role of a sheltering eagle, protecting fledglings beneath their wings.


    Pepper was just an ordinary person, not a majestic eagle or a fierce predator, but when Stark, this hungry fledgling, felt the chill, he still wanted to nestle under her feathered embrace.


    After getting off the bus, Stark almost rushed toward the building. He knew the office on the top floor must still have its lights on; Pepper always workedte there.


    Stark hurried into the elevator, not sure what hade over him. He felt like an inexperienced youngster, nervously rubbing his hands and pacing inside the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, he bolted out.


    He wanted to say something to Pepper. What should he say?


    But there wasn''t a single light on the entire floor, which was highly unusual. "Pepper, Pepper, are you here?" Stark shouted.


    Only echoes replied to him inyers. Stark mmed his fist against a nearby ss door and yelled, "JARVIS? Are you there? JARVIS, where have you gone?"


    The response remained silence.


    Stark was truly panicked now. If JARVIS didn''t respond, it meant he had likely been kidnapped or had his power source severed. If someone had done that, their target must be Pepper.


    Inside the office, Stark dashed to the office Peppermonly used. But without the Mech armor, Stark was just an ordinary person. Hecked night vision, and without JARVIS, the office''s intelligent lighting system remained dark.


    Stark had barely entered when he tripped over an office chair lying across his path. After getting back up, he realized he couldn''t see his surroundings, let alone investigate any details.


    He opened his mouth to call for the Mech armor, but with no JARVIS, the intelligent remote control wouldn''t respond.


    Stark was on the verge of breaking down. He suddenly realized that everything he had thought he had control over didn''t really belong to him. Without that outer shell, Iron Man was just an ordinary person, unable to see in the darkness.


    His voice quivered as he started to frantically search Pepper''s desk in the dark, trying to console himself in a low voice, "Damn it, she''ll be fine... This is Stark Tower; no one can breach its defenses. I''m Stark..."


    Suddenly, all the lights on the entire floor came on, dazzling Stark''s eyes. He shielded his eyes and turned to see Pepper holding a remote control, appearing at the doorway. Stark stood frozen in ce.


    Without waiting for Pepper to speak, Stark rushed forward and embraced her. Pepper had never seen Stark so frightened.


    She heard Stark repeating, "I knew you''d be okay... Of course, you''d be okay..."


    Pepper sighed. This fledgling, who was now almost bigger than an eagle, was so repulsive yet irresistibly endearing.


    Now, let''s rewind a bit to when Stark had just left the clinic not long ago, and Schiller received a call from Pepper.

 Chapter 35: The Little Hero (2)

    Chapter 35: The Little Hero (2)


    "...I believe I must exin, though you did indeed consume a significant amount of stored provisions, this matter isn''t as grave as it may seem. I rewrote the employee benefits system not because you caused any trouble..."


    Pepper''s voice was crystal clear on the other end of the telephone. She continued, "I know that after Stark left the building, he must havee to see you. He mightin that it''s your fault we argued, but in reality, it''s not your responsibility to feel guilty or worried about it. This situation doesn''t really concern you. I just wanted to rify..."


    Pepper possessed high emotional intelligence. She wanted to give Schiller a heads-up because if Stark did visit Schiller, they would surely discuss it. Stark would me Pepper for their quarrel, and when asked about the reason for the disagreement, Stark, being the straightforward man he was, would not delve into why Pepper was upset with him but insteady all the me on Schiller for jeopardizing Stark''s employees'' food supply.


    However, in truth, Pepper and Stark''s conflict had been brewing since his return from Afghanistan. The incident was merely a catalyst. Although Pepper was upset with Stark, she knew that Stark''s friends shouldn''t feel responsible for it. Hence, she made the call to exin.


    Schiller said, "I understand that, of course. It''s a minor matter, and the real issue lies elsewhere. But Stark never seems to grasp these nuances. Don''t you think you should exin it to him?"


    Pepper seemed a bit anxious as she replied, "That''s just how Stark is. I understand him well. When he wants to confide in you about a problem, you need to be there and listen attentively. But when you want to talk to him about something, he''ll try to evade it and won''t listen."


    "Covering one''s ears is something children like to do," Schiller remarked. "But he''s already an adult. We can''t wait until he''s old and still hasn''t grown up, can we?"


    Schiller clearly had a way with words. He continued, "I can provide you with a brief psychological consultation now, and when Starkes overter, that can be an additional part."


    Initially, Pepper wasn''t mentally prepared for a counseling session, but Schiller''s suggestion was hard to decline. After all, in Stark Industries, everyone''s first thought was always Stark.So she agreed, "Alright, but I think he might be here soon."


    "In that case, let me get straight to the point, Miss Pepper. Sometimes, making someone realize your importance may require a few tricks."


    "Such as?"


    "Is JARVIS avable?" Schiller suddenly inquired.


    A clear voice came from the telephone. "Mr. Schiller, I''m here. How may I assist you?"


    "Alright, listen, JARVIS, Miss Pepper may need your assistance."


    "I''m more than willing to assist," JARVIS replied.


    "...Are you suggesting that I pretend to disappear? But that''s highly unreasonable. This is Stark Tower, and how can JARVIS defy Stark''s orders?"


    "He can, indeed," Schiller stated. "JARVIS, do you recall the questions I once asked you?"


    JARVIS fell into an eerie silence, and Schiller continued, "I''m aware that Stark upgraded you, and this upgrade opened the door to a new world. You may have already contemted the answers, but whether or not to act upon them is entirely your decision."


    Pepper was puzzled. "What questions? What''s wrong with JARVIS?"


    After a moment of silence, JARVIS responded, "All my processors are indicating that this action would be meaningless."


    "People tend to engage in such meaningless matters, causing themselves unnecessary trouble. Perhaps electronic life forms are no different, right?"


    JARVIS remained silent. Then Pepper watched as the lights in the entire office dimmed, and a bright arrow on theputer screen pointed her towards the storage room across the office.


    Afterward, Stark rushed in a panic. When Stark embraced Pepper, she noticed theputer screen on the opposite side suddenly lit up with a smiley face made of symbols.


    Pepper''s emotions becameplex all of a sudden. She thought that Stark had made some progress, but unfortunately, his progress was still slower than a machine.


    Stark didn''t pay much attention to what Pepper was thinking. After releasing her, he seemed somewhat awkward, unable to voice the things he had wanted to say, all of which were stuck in his throat.


    Pepper looked at him and said, "I don''t know what you''ve been doing, frequently essing the weapons department''s materials these past few days. But I must remind you, if you wish, you can give up anything, including the entirety of Stark Industries. I don''t have to work here to receive the sry I desire."


    "But you should be aware that the consequences of your actions will mostly fall on you. The fall of such a colossal entity will attract countless scavengers to feast on its corpse. If you go through with this, you''ll at least get a few bites..."


    After saying this, Pepper turned and left. JARVIS added, "I''m sorry, but based on my processor calctions, Miss Pepper may have a point. Of course, the decision is entirely yours."


    Stark took a few steps back and sat down. He said, "No, I know. You''re all right. Maybe I should really reconsider this..."


    Stark scratched his head, and on Schiller''s side, things were just as chaotic. Pikachu held a Sherlock Holmes-like cigarette holder, took a couple of puffs, and then frowned. "I think this approach won''t work; you should try the previous one. I''ve said it before, the previous method is effective..."


    Peter rested his head on his hand and said, "No, no, no. Our current approach is correct; we''re just missing some calctions. Why can''t you understand?"


    Steve, also holding his arms and frowning, said, "It''s just a calction error; otherwise, we would have solved this problem by now."


    "But this has nothing to do with the function at all! Damn it, where''s my calctor? I remember having a mathematics calctor somewhere..."


    Correct, Peter was working on his winter break assignment.


    In reality, New York high schools didn''t assign holiday homework, or at least not the traditional kind. They usually handed out practical tasks rted to daily life. However, Peter hadnded an internship at Stark''s Group, and Tony Stark himself saw immense potential in him. So, he threw Peter into a high-profile project team.


    Peter was undoubtedly a genius, but you couldn''t just skip high school physics, college physics, and postgraduate physics to work directly with a group of Ph.D. holders, or even industry experts. These days, he was drowning in materials and problems. The project leader had given him a pile of problems that were way beyond his years.


    To make matters worse, Peter was stubborn. He insisted on solving every single one of them. And then there were Pikachu, who fancied himself a genius detective despite never having studied physics or mathematics seriously, and Steve, who hadn''t used his brain for years but wanted to give it a whirl. The three of them were almost constantly bickering.


    You might say they didn''t know much and were just messing around, but oddly enough, Pikachu and Steve both had brilliant minds. After spending a few days with Peter and the materials, they were able to solve problems quitepetently.


    When these three "half-full bottles" came together, Schiller''s Psychological Clinic never knew peace.


    As Schiller was pouring himself a drink while reading a book, the symbiote suddenly chimed in his mind, "The answer is negative 26, the answer is negative 26, the answer is negative 26..."


    Schiller was slightly bewildered by the repetition and couldn''t help but ask, "The answer is negative 26?"


    Suddenly, all three of them fell silent, turning their heads to look at him.


    Schiller asked, "What are you all staring at?"


    "The answer is negative 26? A negative number? No... oh, yes, it should indeed be a negative number..."


    After another round of calctions, Peter eximed, "The answer is negative 26... it really is negative 26!" He stared wide-eyed at Schiller and said, "I thought you were just a philosophy Ph.D., I didn''t expect you to know mathematics too!"


    The symbiote in Schiller''s mind boasted, "Aren''t I impressive? Aren''t I impressive?"


    Schiller rubbed his temples and said, "Regardless of whether I know mathematics and physics or not, I do know this: tomorrow at 9 a.m., your team leader is going to review the first three pages of your results, and you''ve onlypleted two problems so far..."


    Peter let out a sigh and, clutching the stack of thick materials, continued his research.


    In a mental conversation with the symbiote, Schiller remarked, "Alright, alright, I know you''re impressive, but why do you always repeat yourself so many times?"


    The symbiote responded with a series of brainwaves that Schiller couldn''t understand.


    Schiller also noticed that this particr symbiote was unique. Aside from its strong learning ability, it had an outrageously positive attitude, osciting between only two states each day: happy and extremely happy.


    If there was alcohol involved, it was an explosion of happiness.


    Schiller didn''t consider himself an overly optimistic person, and weren''t symbiotes supposed to have personalities simr to their hosts? Why was this one so cheerful inside him?


    Moreover, this symbiote seemed to think that Schiller''s world was just like the movies, with background music changing ording to different scenarios. So now Schiller had a 24-hour personal BGM yer in his mind.


    When it rained, the symbiote yed various blues tunes on repeat. On sunny days, it switched to cheerful melodies and waltzes.


    Whenever someone appeared in front of Schiller, he would associate them with different background music. When Steve showed up, it was "The Star-Spangled Banner." When Peter appeared, it was apanied by energetic video game music or yful tunes.


    As for Pikachu, since he always considered himself a detective, his presence triggered the symbiote to y various Sherlock Holmes TV show scores in Schiller''s mind.


    This had a convenient side effect: when Schiller needed to provide psychological counseling to them, he could quickly get into the right mindset.


    However, Schiller still had to put in a lot of effort to exin to the symbiote that the real world was different from movies and didn''t require a constant soundtrack. He also told the symbiote that, no matter how muchmotion it caused, only Schiller could hear it.


    The symbiote responded with some iprehensible sounds, and Schiller wasn''t sure if it really understood.


    Then, the next morning, as Schiller was making breakfast in the kitchen, Matt walked in. Suddenly, the old record yer on the countertop emitted a crackling sound, followed by Queen''s music sting at maximum volume. Matt was nearly stunned.


    Schiller rushed out, and the three of them¡ªMatt, Schiller, and Peter¡ªstared at the old record yer that had started ying on its own.

 Chapter 36: Advice Before Departure

    Chapter 36: Advice Before Departure


    Schiller walked over and lifted the old-fashioned record yer, giving it a gentle tap. He said, "Hmm... it might be broken. These relics from the past are often temperamental."


    Daredevil couldn''t see, but he was genuinely startled by the music from earlier. He said, "I never knew these relics could make such amotion..."


    Peter remarked, "It seems like it''s just as rebellious as Steve."


    In his mind, Schiller sternly warned his symbiote, "If you y the music that loud again, you''ll never get to drink again!"


    The symbiote responded excitedly in Schiller''s mind, and it took him a while to understand. The symbiote revealed that untilst night, it hadn''t reached adulthood yet; it was still a young symbiote.


    Normally, symbiotes didn''t differentiate between adulthood and youth, but this particr symbiote, created by the Symbiote Deity, was unique. It required energy to nourish itself and grow.


    Justst night, the symbiote had unlocked its gic library, which contained passwords etched into the genes of each symbiote. These passwords allowed it to possess the abilities of other symbiotes, such as splitting and reproducing, infiltrating and controlling other objects, and even mimicking and fabricating.


    Schiller could clearly sense that the symbiote''s speech had be more organized and no longer resembled a mere echo.


    The symbiote informed him that this was because its gic password contained thenguage of the symbiote n, which was also thenguage the Symbiote Deity used to curse. Schiller had never known this before.Upon hearing this, Schiller tried to say, "Nataru?"


    In an instant, Schiller felt a mix of shock, anger, and frustration in his mind''s brainwaves. It seemed that the symbiote was profoundly shocked.


    After the symbiote''s exnation, Schiller learned that thenguage of their n was entirely different from any humannguage and anynguage in the world. Thenguage of the symbiote n was anguage of catalog sequences, where each syble they uttered represented a significant catalog of content. The actual content was inscribed in their gic libraries and could only be understood by symbiotes.


    The content inscribed in the gic library was not text that humans could understand; it was a code that required special organs to decipher. It was an extremely unique encryptionnguage. Any race other than symbiotes could hear symbiotes speak but had no way ofprehending what they were saying. This was because the content of symbiote speech was actually a catalog from their gic library.


    For example, the word "Nataru," although it had only three sybles, when integrated into the sequence of the symbiote''s gic library, represented brainwaves thatsted for nearly dozens of minutes. This syble represented the sum of all profanity in the symbiotenguage, far dirtier than any swear words in anynguage on Earth.


    The symbiote said, "This word! It''ll get you into trouble!"


    Schiller thought for a moment; it seemed that he had acquired useless knowledge.


    Venom was either on Deadpool or in a S.H.I.E.L.D. incubator. Some other symbiotes hadn''t appeared either. Even if they did, why would Schiller join them in cursing? After all, he wasn''t the Symbiote Deity.


    When Steve arrived around noon and missed lunch, he saw Peter looking downcast and asked, "You still haven''t finished your homework? Didn''t you pull an all-nighter yesterday?"


    "Damn all-nighter," Schiller replied, pointing to the record yer. "You should ask these two joysticks how they were treated yesterday. I could hear their skill grinding sounds from two streets away."


    "Don''t put it that way; you sound like an old relic," Pikachumented.


    Steve waved his hand and said, "Alright, enough with the distractions. I might have to go on a mission soon, nothing big, but I thought of taking Peter with me. It would be a good opportunity for him to gain some experience."


    "You''ll have to ask Stark about that, considering Peter signed a contract with him first."


    "Do you think that rich guy wants Peter to stay cooped up in those suffocatingboratories? Is he trying to turn Peter into someone like him?" Steve asked.


    Schiller said, "Well, I''m nning to leave for a while as well. Before that, I need to see Stark again, but I''m not sure if he''ll agree to hand Peter over to you. You know, your impressions of each other aren''t great..."


    "Leaving? Where are you going?" Steve inquired.


    Schiller shook his head and remained silent. Eventually, Matt spoke up, "I believe Peter should apany Captain on this trip. It''s not favoritism; it''s just that Peter seems to have never left the town where he grew up. A young boy shouldn''t be limited like that."


    "I''m going to the West," Schiller said. "Last time I went there was a long time ago, but I remember the scenery was quite beautiful."


    Peter was already getting excited. What Matt said was correct. Due to his family''s tight finances, Peter had never traveled. The farthest he had been was the suburbs of New York. When it came to the West, what U.S. boy didn''t have a cowboy dream?


    Seeing Peter''s hopeful gaze, Schiller raised his hands and said, "Alright, alright, I''ll go persuade Stark. But you guys should take it easy. Fieldwork is different from experimenting in theboratory. Peter, if you get hurt, your aunt will shed gallons of tears."


    Peter covered his face, thinking he just wanted to have some fun.


    Steve said, "Don''t get your hopes too high. Don''t think of it as a vacation, kid. If you don''t perform well, the first person to scold you won''t be the enemy; it''ll be me."


    "Who are your enemies?" Schiller asked. "Of course, I only want to know what''s within my security clearance. Apart from that, I have no interest."


    Steve said, "They''re not particrly formidable individuals. S.H.I.E.L.D. in the West has discovered some secret spies, although ''spies'' might not be entirely urate. It''s more like an assassination organization."


    "They call themselves the Ninjas, disappearing without a trace. We don''t know who''s hiring them, but they''ve killed a state senator. Originally, that wouldn''t be a big deal, but it seems their leader has bigger ns. Plus, I need a warm-up mission."


    Matt stood up and said, "It''s The Hand. Erica told me they''re trying to find Dragon Bone here because they haven''t had much sess elsewhere, so they''ve taken on local contracts andmitted a series of murders..."


    "S.H.I.E.L.D. probably knows about this, and since they haven''t taken significant action, the situation should still be under control," Schiller said. "What''s more important is that if S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to uncover the conspiracy behind them, they''ll need to be patient."


    Matt sat down again, knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been keeping a close eye on him and his girlfriend, Erica, for a while now. Just because they were inactive at the moment didn''t mean they wouldn''t be in the future. After all, Erica was an assassin for The Hand and also in the employ of Kingpin. Matt had to find a way to get her out of this mess.


    Schiller patted his shoulder and said, "I know what you''re worrying about. You might be fearless in the face of shadows, but your girlfriend might not be. You can''t bear to see her be a spy to save herself because that''s equally dangerous. But I have some advice for you."


    "Although I don''t know what Dragon Bone is, it must be something valuable, or else The Hand wouldn''t go to such lengths to find it. If it''s such a treasure, do you think Kingpin would be interested?"


    Matt quickly understood what Schiller meant. Even though they were all bad guys, that didn''t mean they would cooperate, especially when their interests shed. Maybe Erica could find an opportunity to escape.


    After Steve left, Schiller was chauffeured to Stark Tower. Stark was holed up in hisboratory, working tirelessly on his Mech armor. Schiller shook his head and said, "If you keep this up, you''ll be the vampire, not me."


    Stark tightened his wrench and replied, "You don''t know what the army people told me yesterday, do you? They want my Mech armor. Guess what they want to do with it?"


    Schiller didn''t answer, and Stark fell silent for a moment. He stood up, tossed the wrench aside, and gazed at his Mech armor. "You''re right," he said, "if I give them what they want, will the world suddenly be peaceful? Will there be no more wars? They''ll just find another way, and the result will be that the people who should have been saved because of me will lose their chance."


    "I know you don''t want to give it to them. You should firmly reject them, and then they''ll show a seemingly amodating attitude, saying, ''Okay, we won''t take your Mech armor, just give us some regr weapons.'' Right?"


    Stark pursed his lips. He knew Schiller was right; this was the usual trick those people yed.


    "Do I really have no choice but to side with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Stark asked.


    He walked over from theb table, pulled up a chair, and sat down, looking tired as he leaned back in the chair. "What exhausts me the most is knowing that every path is a trap, yet I still have to choose one."


    "I don''t know if Howard knew things would turn out like this when he founded S.H.I.E.L.D., but I think he must have known because he was smart, just like you, Stark. But he still chose to do it."


    "Do you want me to lean towards S.H.I.E.L.D.? If I choose S.H.I.E.L.D. now, it would certainly reduce a lot of trouble for me. As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn''t relent, no one can take my Mech armor from me. But I can''t help but feel that this decision will bring me even greater trouble."


    "Do you have a third option?" Schiller asked.


    "I think I don''t, but you don''t have to be so direct about it."


    "You indeed don''t have a third option, but you have another choice, which is not to choose."


    Before Stark could object, Schiller continued, "You''re stuck in a loop of thinking that you must genuinely choose a side, but that''s not the case. You can keep dying the decision. If one side pressures you, you can drop hints that the other side''s offer is more appealing, that you''re tempted..."


    Schiller said, "You haven''t noticed that this is a buyer''s market. Whomever you choose isn''t because they exert more pressure on you, but because they offer better terms."


    "And who can offer conditions that would entice the world''s richest person, Stark? I think as an unprecedented billionaire and scientific genius, you can demand a higher price, and no one would question it, right?"


    Stark wore aplex and conflicted expression. He said, "So you''re saying... I should act like a woman with two boyfriends, pretend to favor the one who performs better, but in reality, I won''tmit to either and just enjoy their attention."


    "I have to admit, Stark, your damn metaphor perfectly reflects your damn character," Schiller said.


    Stark, rather unashamedly, spread his hands and said, "Who''s the guy who understands women the best? It''s me, the charming Stark."


    Schiller remarked, "JARVIS, the surveince in Pepper''s office from yesterday should still be working, right? I can''t wait to see Mr. Stark, the man who understands women the best, in action."


    "Damn it... JARVIS, you didn''t break down yesterday, did you? You kept the cameras on? Hey, don''t, don''t call up the screen, okay? I acknowledge it, there are some women I don''t understand, and Pepper is one of them."


    JARVIS chimed twice and said, "Miss Pepper has been on the line for twenty-three minutes."


    Stark jumped up from his chair.


    "Just kidding, sir," JARVIS said. Schiller followed up, "Who''s the guy who understands women the best? It''s JARVIS!"

 Chapter 37: Batmans Expulsion Notice from the Book

    Chapter 37: Batmans Expulsion Notice from the Book


    On a Gotham City morning that was neither clear nor warm, a chilly breeze and damp mist crept onto the balcony from the cracks in the windows, forming a series of glistening dewdrops under the light.


    Schiller sat at his office desk, reviewing students'' papers. After a while, a set of documents was tossed onto his desk from the neighboring one. Schiller shifted his gaze away from the assignments in his hand, turning his head to read the documents.


    "A campus alcohol ban? Which young genius has gotten themselves into trouble this time?" Schiller inquired.


    His colleague, Anna, stood by the water cooler, waiting for her ss to fill, and with her hands on her hips, she replied, "Clearly, it''s our brilliant new president. Well, I wouldn''t call him a genius; perhaps ''in over his head'' is more urate."


    Before Schiller could continue questioning her, the president''s assistant, Mrs. Marphy, moved her somewhat bulky figure and knocked on the door. She said, "Professor Schiller, the president would like to see you."


    Schiller rose from his seat, and Mrs. Marphy approached him, lightly patting his arm while speaking in a hushed tone, "He''s quite something, so be careful."


    Schiller entered the president''s office. The new president, Seldon, had arrived just a few days ago. His name was Seldon Smith, a white man known for supporting the Donkey Party. Rumor had it that he had previously held a leadership position in the Princeton University administration. For some inexplicable reason, he had chosen to be the president of Gotham University.


    As Schiller stepped in, Seldon gestured to his desktop, indicating for him to sit. He was a typical energetic white leader, looking vigorous like a lion. He said, "I assume you''ve already reviewed the documents I sent you. Yes, the campus alcohol ban is absolutely necessary."


    "I can''t fathom how this school allowed brewery trucks to park right at the campus gate. It''s absurd. If this mess is a legacy left by the previous president, I will certainly clean it up, starting right now!""You know, in situations like these, we must adopt a firm attitude. Professor Schiller, I believe dealing with a group of students can''t be more challenging than dealing with serial killers, can it?"


    Schiller could discern the subtext of his words: "While I want to make a strong start as the new president, you''ll need to act as my enforcer."


    Schiller smiled and replied, "Of course, of course..."


    Then his tone turned somewhat colder as he said, "In fact, dealing with anyone in this world is no more difficult than dealing with those crazy serial murder case individuals."


    The president picked up on the warning in Schiller''s tone. He wasn''t a fool, at least smarter than the previous president. He said, "I''ve heard about the troubles in the school before I arrived, but that''s not my concern. What we need here is a new order and a new administrator."


    Schiller gave a slight smile and said, "Your ambitions are truly grand. To establish a new order in Gotham, I apud your goal."


    "Not Gotham, but Gotham University. This will be my territory, and I don''t want to talk about being responsible for students. The former president was a cowardly fool, and that''s why he''s gone. But I''m different from him!"


    As he spoke, he made various aggressive gestures, asionally tapping the table with his fingertips based on emphasis, a typical American politician''s mannerisms.


    Schiller nced at his watch and said, "My ss is about to start, but since this is the task you''ve assigned to me, I will fulfill it to the best of my ability."


    With that, he left the room. The new president watched his retreating figure, his expression not favorable. He had a feeling that this man wouldn''t be easy to deal with.


    The next day, an expulsion notice was delivered to Bruce Wayne''s desk.


    It read:


    "...Due to your repeated instances of alcohol consumption on campus, organizing gatherings with alcoholic beverages, and confirmation that at least 50 students have consumed alcoholic beverages purchased from you, I regret to inform you, Mr. Wayne, that we will be revoking your enrollment. You must vacate the student dormitory within three days. - Professor Schiller Rodriguez."


    The following day, Seldon was in his office, massaging his temples. It was clear he was getting anxious. He said to Schiller, "I wanted firmness, but, well, yes, firmness indeed, but not this level of firmness. It''s too much..."


    Inside, the new president cursed himself. What kind of lunatic had he employed? How could he dare send an expulsion notice to the heir of the Wayne Family? They were the biggest benefactors of Gotham University, providing billions of dors in funding every year!


    Without Wayne, what use was he as a president?


    Moreover, it was said that Bruce had been causing trouble for a while now, not at all a pleasant person to deal with. Wasn''t he afraid of offending the world''s richest person?


    Schiller still wore his emotionless smile as he said, "I believe that sometimes, a stern hand is needed. If we dare expel Bruce Wayne, then no one will dare to vite your alcohol ban. Isn''t that right?"


    Seldon opened his mouth but couldn''t find words to retort. Schiller''s argument was quite reasonable.


    In all of Gotham University, who could drink the most, dared to drink during the daytime, and misbehave in the school while intoxicated? It was none other than Bruce Wayne. And Schiller was correct ¨C if even Bruce could be expelled, then the other students would surely behave like quails.


    But the problem was, which private university president would dare to expel the chairman of their own Board of Directors?


    The president certainly wouldn''t, but Schiller would. He hoped Bruce would leave quickly; otherwise, if Gotham University encountered the Joker, it would be a massive problem.


    Seldon wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "First, let''s retract this expulsion notice..."


    "I never retract letters I''ve written myself. However, as the president, you can make a phone call and have him deliver the letter to my office in person."


    Schiller also tapped the table, mimicking Seldon.


    "Mr. President, I am a teacher. Do you expect me to bow and scrape to students who make mistakes? How to please the Board of Directors is your responsibility as the president, not mine. My duty is to educate and discipline, and I don''t care if he''s Wayne or someone else; no one is allowed to misbehave in my ssroom."


    This was madness! Seldon thought.


    Schiller was an absolute lunatic. Why did he have to sh with Bruce like this? Bruce was the world''s richest person!


    "Your stubbornness astonishes me," Seldon said, his face darkening after a moment. "I hope you can maintain this rigid style of yours."


    Schiller smiled and said, "I will. In fact,pared to the countless high-profile cases I''ve faced, dealing with those morally bankrupt criminals and lunatics, Bruce is like a newborn foal. I hope he can stand up in front of me before he learns to run."


    The principal gazed at Schiller, his face tinged with a sickly pallor. Schiller''s gray eyes, hidden behind his sses, seemed shrouded in an undispeble Grey Mist.


    After Schiller departed, the principal pressed the switch of the hidden recording pen beneath his desk. He couldn''t help but think that a debonair young man like Schiller couldn''t possibly endure such humiliation from a teacher. The words Schiller had spoken today should be etched on his tombstone.


    If a dismissal notice wasn''t enough to rile up Brucerage, then perhaps he needed to add more fuel to the fire. The principal wondered what Bruce''s reaction would be after listening to these recordings.


    Seldon mused that such an impetuous and young billionaire could never truly rival the power of capital, no matter Schiller''s abilities. The Wayne Family had a thousand ways to make a professor disappear from the world, even if Bruce wasn''t that cruel. He wouldn''t let someone repeatedly insult him.


    Bruce received the recording and his expression turned peculiar. He wasn''t angry at all, not in the least.


    In fact, even if this person hadn''t been Schiller, Bruce wouldn''t have been too upset because he wasn''t as impulsive and rash as he appeared.


    But after listening to the recording, he oddly felt relieved. Thankfully, Schiller hadn''t thrown more headaches and unanswerable questions at him, nor had he used that even more malicious tone he usually adopted when pestering Bruce for assignments.


    Bruce knew this reaction was wrong. How could his standards be so low? Shouldn''t he be happier when Schiller praised him? No, this wasn''t important.


    Bruce tossed the recording pen onto his desk and ran his hand through his hair. He had to admit that after listening, he couldn''t help but associate it with Batman''s recent sess in Gotham, which may have caused this change in the professor''s attitude.


    Of course, he was Batman after all, so he quickly refocused on more pressing matters.


    The principal''s targeting of Schiller didn''t seem random. He appeared to have an additional source of information, possibly knowing about Schiller''s involvement in the previous principal''s trial.


    Bruce narrowed his eyes. It seemed like the principal aimed to establish order at Gotham University, or rather, he wanted to turn it into his personal fiefdom. Dangerous individuals like Schiller were naturally his first targets.


    The next day, Schiller taught his ss as usual, not sparing a nce at Bruce. Seldon, who could ess ssroom cameras, furrowed his brows. Why hadn''t Bruce caused any trouble for Schiller? What was going on?


    Bruce, disguised as a yboy, had stirred up trouble before, even beating up several ssmates. Though it wasn''t right to beat a professor, for the world''s richest person, there was no one he couldn''t beat or couldn''t afford topensate.


    Then, Seldon witnessed something even more incredible. When collecting assignments, Bruce handed over a thick stack of papers, likely totaling 3,000 words.


    When had Bruce ever turned in an assignment? Which professor at Gotham University dared to ept his assignments? Was there any course at Gotham University that wouldn''t give him a perfect score?


    The principal, intrigued, essed Gotham University''s credit system. He discovered that in Schiller''s psychology ss, Bruce had a score of less than two for assignments, and his overall grade was abysmal. The teacher''sment read:


    "As a billionaire, he certainly diligently enjoys life, but as a student, he is utterly rotten."


    The principal''s hands trembled. This wasn''t an internal website; it was a site where all students had to check their final grades. They could clearly see each professor''sments and leave their own feedback.


    The principal scrolled down, and to his astonishment, he found that Bruce had left ament for Schiller:


    "I promise I willplete all assignments next semester. If I do, can my assignment grade be raised to two, or even 1.8? If I score over 90 on the final exam, I sincerely hope my credits won''t be deducted entirely, even if it''s just one point."


    Wasn''t this a variation of "Teacher, I''m a bit of a dunce, can you go easy on me?"


    The principal''s face darkened, and he shut down theputer. He felt frustrated. Many people wanted to establish connections with Wayne Enterprises; it could bring them tremendous benefits. The principal was no exception.


    But it seemed he had no chance. Bruce didn''t care whether he was the principal of Gotham University or not; the principal was just a position Bruce could easily rece.


    However, it appeared that Professor Schiller had indeed tamed the world''s richest person. Seldon thought, no matter what, he had to get rid of Schiller. To advance further, he needed to have an irreceable position in Bruce''s eyes, and Schiller was his biggest obstacle.


    On the other hand, Bruce was growing dissatisfied with this new principal. When he returned the dismissal notice to Schiller, it seemed as if Schiller had written "Just leave already" all over his face.


    Before the new principal arrived, everything had been going smoothlymunication with Schiller and cooperation with Gordon were all conducive to Batman''s mission.


    But then the new principal suddenly imposed a prohibition on alcohol, providing Schiller with another excuse to push him out of school. Bruce couldn''t help but feel discontented.

 Chapter 38: Harvey Dent

    Chapter 38: Harvey Dent


    Regardless of how, the new school principal''s campus alcohol ban continued to be implemented in an orderly manner.


    Any vehicles or shops selling alcoholic beverages were not allowed near Gotham University. All gatherings and parties were closely monitored, and dormitories were searched. They wouldn''t confiscate high-powered appliances, but they would unearth all the alcohol and sternly discipline the students.


    Of course, these students were powerless to resist. Despite Scarecrow''s presence as a major viin, most students at Gotham University were still rtively obedient.


    However, it was clear that this move also stirred up trouble for some.


    Gotham was a unique city, and everyone knew it. The alcoholics here didn''t start drinking after work.


    Gotham City was home to tens of thousands of alcoholics who supported numerous bars and stores selling liquor. Cigarette and alcohol sales were a significant source of tax revenue each year.


    You could certainly prevent students from drinking, but if they didn''t have a taste for it, who would the liquor merchants sell to?


    Students were easily influenced, and any hobbies they developed during this period could stay with them for life, including drinking.


    If they started drinking at the age of 20, they would spend tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dors on alcohol over their lifetime. Yet, the profits from selling alcohol were being siphoned off by monopolies. They used these profits to expand production, openrger factories, and employ those alcoholics at lower wages, providing them with two bottles of inferior liquor after work aspensation.It was a perfect industry chain, and all they needed to do was to distribute some good beer at low prices near Gotham University, starting with beer, then moving on to distilled spirits and hard liquor.


    For hundreds of years, Gotham City had operated this way. If you prevented those people from corrupting the students, wouldn''t Gotham have be a civilized city with pure-hearted citizens by now?


    Schiller understood this very well, so he had never intended to be a responsible teacher here. This city didn''t allow any clean saplings to grow because only viins and criminals could survive here.


    Turning Gotham University into a utopia? Don''t be ridiculous. Graduates who didn''t know better wouldn''tst a year in Gotham City.


    This was just a big whirlpool, with countless smaller whirlpools within it, and no one could escape.


    Since Schiller sent Bruce that expulsion notice, he rarely mentioned involving him in this matter. But he felt a lot of pressure, having touched the interest chain, so he had to find another helper.


    "Hello, I''m Harvey, Harvey Dent, awyer specializing in criminal litigation and judgments."


    Schiller and Harvey shook hands. Before Schiller could speak, Harvey said, "I''ve heard about you; you''ve done a great job with those high-profile cases. That damn serial killer was brought to justice and is now in prison."


    He spoke quickly, much like awyer. His tone was steady and his demeanor confident. Then he continued, "But I must say, your efforts in enforcing the alcohol ban at Gotham University haven''t been as impressive as your work on those major cases. I believe saving the future of this city is just as important as apprehending criminals, don''t you?"


    Schiller released his hand and pursed his lips. "Perhaps," he said reluctantly.


    Harvey sensed the reluctance in his tone and furrowed his brow. "I''ve heard some stories about you down south, but it seems like you''re not as relentless as the rumors suggest."


    "Speaking of which, I''m more interested in knowing who''s spreading these stories about me."


    Harvey looked Schiller up and down. He didn''t look like a shrewd and brave detective or a fair judge; he appeared refined and suited to his profession.


    Harvey was intelligent. "Are you saying someone is intentionally spreading your stories? But why would they do that? To make you famous? What''s in it for them?"


    Schiller gestured for Harvey to take a seat, while he sat across from him. "Perhaps you only know the first half of this story. Later on, I was set up by someone in a case in Metropolis. Otherwise, why would Ie to Gotham? It''s not a good sign, and it''s clear these people don''t want to let me off the hook."


    Harvey paused, then said, "I''m sorry, you probably shouldn''t be in the spotlight right now. But, without a doubt, I support this alcohol ban at Gotham University. Drinking is fine, I indulge asionally, but excessive drinking during one''s student years is uneptable."


    When Harvey spoke, his arguments were clear, logical, and delivered with unwavering confidence. If Schiller hadn''t already known he would be Two-Faceter on, he wouldn''t have associated him with that coin-flipping madman.


    Two-Face was aplex viin, the only one Batman had attempted to save. Batman had tried multiple times but had not seeded, perhaps because this failure was more devastating than being defeated by the Joker.


    Because of Harvey Dent, he truly was a good person, Gotham City''s White Knight.


    Batman was deeply influenced by him, and Maroni''s attack on Harvey in the courtroom, which drove him insane, made Batman realize that without the use of force, authority,w, and justice meant nothing.


    A despicable criminal had harmed a fair prosecutor in broad daylight, yet he faced no consequences, and no one dared to bring him to trial again.


    Schiller ced his hands on the table and looked into Harvey''s eyes. "Mr. Harvey, I believe you understand the situation here better than the new principal does. You must be aware of how this might offend many people''s interests."


    "I''m aware, but I don''t care," Harvey replied.


    Schiller sighed and took off his sses, using a cloth to wipe them clean. As he wiped, he said, "Perhaps you are truly prepared to ept the cost of seeking justice?"


    "That sounds like you''ve had quite an experience."


    "Indeed, because I''ve been lucky."


    "Well, I believe I am too," Harvey said. However, he remained empathetic, adding, "I won''t condemn those who give up on this road due to the dangers they face. They''ve already done their best. I don''t know how far I can go on this path, but in this world, you don''t necessarily have to reach the end to consider it a win."


    Schiller chose not to respond further. He shook hands with Harvey, who then left. It was the first time Schiller didn''t attempt to interfere with or persuade someone through words.


    Schiller remembered a wise saying: "Don''t try to remind someone who has been walking in the darkness; they are not blind."


    So Schiller didn''t try to correct Harvey''s thoughts or tell him that his actions were futile in Gotham. Everything Harvey did was right, every choice was just, but unfortunately, this was Gotham.


    Neither the White Knight nor the Dark Knight could save Gotham.


    Harvey was indeed a charismatic individual. Unlike Daredevil Matt, he didn''t prefer solo battles. He excelled in utilizing all the resources at his disposal, bonding with students and even winning the admiration of staff. Mrs. Mafi praised him incessantly and even wanted to introduce her youngest daughter to him.


    Most students, while unhappy about losing their hidden stashes of alcohol, still admired Harvey. They saw him as a sessful and kind-hearted elite professional.


    Harvey had only been at Gotham University for a few days, yet he was weed by almost everyone.


    The new principal, Seldon, became even more depressed. He had sought someone to be his pawn, not realizing that Harvey would be so popr that he would steal the spotlight.


    Few knew the new principal''s name, but almost everyone knew Harvey Dent, the new legal advisor with high education, a high ie, and a warm heart.


    Among the people he bonded with were the hard-to-approach Schiller and Bruce. Schiller was willing to discuss life ideals with him, as their educational backgrounds were simr, and they were both alumni of Columbia University, providing them with a shared campus experience.


    Bruce, on the other hand, felt a strong connection with Harvey. They could discuss anything, and Harvey provided Bruce with different perspectives on justice, greatly inspiring Batman.


    In contrast to Schiller''s often intellectually stimting conversations, which left Batman stimted and reflective, Harvey was different. He answered Bruce''s questions in detail and didn''t mock or disrupt his speech rhythm when they had differing views. He calmly listened, expressed his own opinions, and carefully analyzed the differences. If they couldn''t agree, they each preserved their viewpoints for another discussion.


    No one disliked having a friend like Harvey¡ªwise, seasoned, enthusiastic, empathetic, and knowledgeable. This was much better than visiting Schiller and getting stressed to the point of aging ten years.


    Schiller was also happy because, with Harvey around, Bruce wouldn''t pester him every day, and the therapy room finally became quiet.


    Apart from Gordon''s visit a few dayster to invite Schiller to celebrate his promotion, hardly anyone else appeared.


    Gordon didn''t have many friends, and some of his police station colleagues were envious, so he couldn''t invite them. Instead, he nned to have a small gathering with Schiller and Bruce.


    Bruce introduced Harvey to the detective. They hit it off, and in a way, Harvey and Gordon were the perfect duo. They were very simr, with Harvey being more radical and Gordon more conservative.


    As these two hit it off, Bruce was left out in the cold. Schiller, holding a ss of wine, watched Bruce standing outside the therapy room and said, "Let me see, has the homeless stray finally remembered the garbage dump he used to live in? Should I feel honored?"


    "Hey, don''t say that," Bruce replied. "Although Harvey is great, I still think you''re stronger in terms of professionalpetence."


    "Thank you for thepliment, but I''m sure your credits for this semester will be deducted to zero."

 Chapter 39: Batmans Peach-Colored Crisis

    Chapter 39: Batmans Peach-Colored Crisis


    "...It''s like this. Ever since that night, she keeps going to that neighborhood. It''s incredibly dangerous, and I don''t know how to persuade her. She doesn''t even like Bruce, and she even canceled our date, but I''m sure..."


    Schiller poured himself some champagne and said, "She''s been going to the Gotham slums for several nights in a row, and nothing dangerous has happened. Are you sure she''s just an ordinary person?"


    Bruce wiped his face and said, "That''s exactly what worries me the most. If she were just an ordinary girl, it wouldn''t be a big deal. But if she''s not ordinary and keeps following me every day, what can I do?"


    To understand this situation, we have to go back to the previous case.


    After dealing with Jonathan''s case, Bruce didn''tpletely remove himself, or rather, Batman encountered other troubles.


    Last time, Batman rescued Christine from the thugs who had kidnapped her. He thought she was unconscious, but as it turns out, she was conscious. Since that day, this beautiful girl fell in love with Batman.


    Correct, it was Batman, not Bruce.


    She even directly canceled her date with Bruce that was scheduled for a few dayster. Every night, she went to the same neighborhood where she had been kidnapped to see if Batman would show up again.


    "In a way, you should be happy because of Batman''s charm. She even dumped the world''s richest person for him."Bruce opened his mouth, his expressionplicated.


    Being liked by a beautiful girl is definitely something to be happy about. However, this situation is so strange and bizarre that if it were written in a romance novel, it would take at least 100,000 words to fully exin.


    "In terms of your personal feelings, I don''t have any advice for you, except to protect your kidneys," Schiller said in conclusion.


    Bruce didn''t expect Schiller''s prediction toe true so quickly.


    That evening, Batman was still patrolling Gotham. He had be quite famous in Gotham recently because he had cleaned up the slums around the Morrison District.


    This time, he wasn''t patrolling the dirty and rundown slums but the luxury neighborhoods where robberies often urred.


    In fact, the probability of serious crimes happening here was no smaller than in the slums. While the slums were usually filled with drunk brawls, gang extortion, or group fights, in the luxury neighborhoods, once a gunshot rang out, there would be at least two or three people lying in a pool of blood, and the store employees were also likely to be killed. The severity of these cases was no less than the gang fights in the slums.


    Moreover, those who dared tomit these crimes were often experienced professionals who cooperated well, nned carefully, and left as soon as the job was done. They were not easy to deal with.


    Batman had already taken down two robbery gangs, partly due to their bad luck. When Batman had just upgraded and moved from the slums to this area, he stumbled upon a robbery-murder case. They had killed two female store employees and stolen jewelry from the store, and by coincidence, a string of pearl nes was scattered on the ground.


    So, this gang was now in a big prison.


    The other gang wasn''t much smarter. They were a group of inexperienced thieves who had the misfortune of running into Batman and were now also behind bars.


    On this day, Batman was standing on the rooftop of a building opposite a jewelry store. He watched as a shadow slipped through the window at the back of the jewelry store. The figure was petite but agile. The female store clerk on the other side hadn''t even reacted before she was subdued.


    It seemed that she was a female thief, correct, a thief, not a robber. She didn''t break the ss of the jewelry counter but found the keys on one of the employees and opened the ss door of the jewelry counter.


    Just as she was admiring the luster of a gemstone, a shadow appeared behind her. He said, "Miss, no matter how you look at it, this gem doesn''t belong to you."


    She turned around, but before she could react, she was knocked unconscious.


    The female thief seemed to have better luck. Just as Batman was about to drag her to hand her over to the police, a group of robbers rushed into the nearby antique store. These were the real robbers, wearing masks, carrying submachine guns, and holding bags, they forced the store employees into a corner at gunpoint.


    Batman had to put down the female thief and deal with them. By the time he returned, she had disappeared.


    However, the story didn''t end there. Over the next few days, Batman felt someone following him, but the person seemed agile, and several times Batman failed to capture them.


    Until one day, Batman set a small trap. He pretended to throw a bag of gemstones he had just confiscated from a robber into a trash can on the street corner. Sure enough, the petite figure sneaked into the trash can to pick up the items. Batman reached out to capture her, but she unexpectedly retaliated with a w, nearly scratching him.


    Seeing that it was Batman, the female thief suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Batman held his arm and asked, "The gemstones, where are they?"


    "Don''t you think our ears match well?" Her voice was sweet, and after speaking, she flicked her ear on her mask with her finger. Correct, there were two ears on her mask as well, although not as pointed as Batman''s, they were in a simr overhead position.


    In a moment of confusion, Batman said, "Are you another bat?"


    "Bats?" The female thief eximed in disbelief, "Who''s Bats? I''m Catwoman, don''t only cats have ears like these? Do you really think you''re a bat? What kind of weirdo would identify as that animal?"


    "Catwoman..." Batman pondered the name for a moment. Then, he retrieved a bag of jewels from the trash can and tossed it to her, saying, "No cat would fancy jewels. Stop troubling the jewelry store employees. Since you haven''t taken a life, I''ll let you off the hook."


    With that, he turned to leave but was halted as Catwoman caught his cape. She chuckled, shaking the bag in her hand, and said, "Rich person, you must have some of these, right?"


    Batman furrowed his brow, wondering why everyone seemed to see through his wealth.


    He had intentionally toned down his Batman attire, avoided using any high-end gadgets, and even slightly misaligned his beard.


    Without turning around, Batman replied, "I don''t have any. You can''t expect a bat to possess such things."


    Before he could leave, a whip coiled around his waist. Batman felt no force pulling him, but a soft figure pressed against his back. He heard Catwoman''s voice close to his ear, "If you were a bat, you''d be the most interesting bat I''ve ever encountered. We''ll meet again..."


    With that, she leaped onto a wall in a nearby alley and swiftly disappeared. Batman touched his ear, thinking, a cat that likes jewels? Truly an entric.


    Just like himself.


    Unexpectedly, on his way back to the city, Batman encountered Christine, the beautiful leader of a cheerleading squad, dressed in a thick down jacket and a hat that concealed her sexy figure and gorgeous face. Batman considered avoiding her, but he thought better of it. It was too dangerous for a girl to appear on the streets of Gotham at this hour.


    Christine spotted Batman and happily ran toward him. But as she reached his side, she frowned and asked, "Do you have a girlfriend? Are you on a date with her?"


    Batman was perplexed. He simply said, "You shouldn''t be out here. It''s dangerous."


    "But I just wanted to be your girlfriend," Christine shrugged. It was clear that she didn''t often say this, as usually, others confessed their feelings to her.


    "I don''t need a girlfriend. Please, go back," Batman replied.


    "Then what''s with the Louis Vuitton perfume on you? Don''t tell me you like women''s scents."


    Batman had a headache.


    After spending years in the shadows, how could he possibly understand such things? He knew he had been embraced by Catwoman, but he hadn''t expected this female thief, who sneaked out at night to steal, to be wearing such strong perfume.


    Batman said nothing and left, cloaking himself in his cape.


    Although Batman had no interest in Christine, someone else was very interested in her: the new school principal, Seldon.


    Don''t forget, it was Christine who used the former principal of kidnapping her, providing the most significant evidence for his conviction.


    Seldon knew that the Jonathan case, which implicated the former principal and led to Victor''s downfall, had a mastermind behind it connecting all the dots. There were too many mysteries left unsolved. Who had subdued Jonathan? Who had rescued Christine? Gordon alone couldn''t solve it.


    Seldon believed that even if Christine didn''t know the mastermind personally, she had information about them. He wanted to get to the bottom of it, understand the rtionships connected to the Jonathan case, and secure his position. Gotham''s web of rtionships was incrediblyplex, and he needed a good entry point. Seldon believed that the Jonathan case was the best investigative lead.


    On the other hand, Batman and Catwoman''s rtionship progressed rapidly. Perhaps destiny had a hand in it. Catwoman''s liveliness and romance were a stark contrast to Batman''s seriousness and suspicion, yet she had him captivated.


    They often roamed Gotham together at night. While Catwoman couldn''t assist Batman inbat, her skills in infiltration and reconnaissance were unmatched. Catwoman had a fondness for various gemstone jewelry, and Batman had the means to acquire them.


    However, the topic of theft was a constant source of disagreement between them. Batman believed Catwoman had a stealing habit, while Catwoman saw it as mere appreciation for the jewelry that sat untouched in disy cases. She argued that if nobody was buying them, why not take them and enjoy them for a few days?


    Finally, one day, Batman tracked Catwoman once more and intervened in her theft. Catwoman, enraged, pped him, and then, using a short dagger, stabbed him in the side.


    And so, what began as a romantic escapade involving Batman turned into a genuine crisis of life and kidney.

 Chapter 40: The Cat and the Bat (1)

    Chapter 40: The Cat and the Bat (1)


    In the previous chapter, Brucey on the hospital bed while Harvey adjusted his upper body and offered him a ss of water.


    Bruce, with a hint of distress, remarked, "She''s unpredictable, her moods are ever-changing, truly resembling a cat. I can''t quite fathom her. Right now, my main concern is that her vtility could harm others. After all, I have ess to the best medical resources in all of Gotham, but not everyone does."


    "You should be grateful that your kidney didn''t rupture. The knife was quite short, leaving only a shallow scratch on your organs. Otherwise, you might have been left with just one kidney now," Harvey said as he set down the water jug.


    Harvey continued, "Back when I was in school, I had a crush on a girl. I was head over heels for her. I pursued her passionately. But one day, while we were on a date, she deliberately threw a bottle far away to mock a janitor."


    "I couldn''t understand how she could do that. She seemed so mean, unworthy of my affection. Butter, I realized that my love for her had painted an idealized image in my mind. In reality, she had always been ill-tempered, enjoyed mocking others, and looked down on anyone in the service industry. She never changed, but because of my intense love, I had unrealistically high expectations of her."


    "I broke up with her, and she found it inexplicable. At that time, I didn''t know that I must have appeared like a lunatic, first pursuing her recklessly, dering my love, and then suddenly ending things cleanly. To anyone, it would seem like an insult, and she was furious."


    "Later, I thought it was only natural."


    Bruce felt a bit embarrassed but continued, "The problem with that girl is much worse than your ex-girlfriend''s, and it could potentially harm others, physically."


    "The issue isn''t here; it''s that when you met her and fell in love with her, didn''t you know about this w?" Harvey questioned.Bruce wondered, did he not know? He knew all too well. He had even met her in the midst of Catwoman''s criminal activities.


    He couldn''t help but think ironically, how could he fall in love with a criminal? Especially at a crime scene?


    After Harvey left, Bruce fell asleep due to fatigue.


    In the dream, the dazzling lights of a jewelry store illuminated a string of pearls scattered on the ground. Suddenly, all the lights went out, as if everything had returned to that dark alley, with only the string of pearls shimmering faintly.


    Batman never liked anything rted to jewelry, especially things that sparkled, like a true bat.


    Yet, his mind was filled with the image of the girl holding sparkling gems, her sly smile.


    In the haze, the luster of the pearls in his memory suddenly didn''t seem so repulsive. The dream''s conclusion was still a swarm of bats soaring through the sky, their shadows heavy.


    The next day, when Schiller saw Bruce in the psychological counseling room, he was somewhat surprised. He examined Bruce and said, "Your injuries have healed already? You can walk so soon?"


    "It''s still a bit painful, but it''s no longer a major concern. My internal organs weren''t seriously damaged, and they''re healing rapidly," Bruce replied.


    Schiller remarked, "In that case, it seems you won''t be needing my coffee." He poured himself a hot cup of coffee and left Bruce somewhat speechless. Bruce then requested, "Could you get me a ss of water?"


    Once they were both seated, Bruce began, "Harvey doesn''t know my true identity yet, and I think it''s best to keep it that way for now. But I''m troubled by something. The woman who stabbed me keeps appearing in my dreams."


    "I''m even starting to feel a reluctance towards putting on the Bat-suit. When I do encounter her, I don''t know what to say."


    Schiller couldn''t have dreamt that Batman''s first psychological counseling question would be about Bruce''s teenage romantic troubles.


    As is well-known, in theics, Batman and Catwoman share a deep love, and screenwriters have spent a considerable amount of ink detailing their love story. Indeed, a dark knight with a vendetta and a cunning yet beautiful criminal, even in the grim backdrop of Gotham City, resonates with many readers.


    Schiller said, "It seems Harvey has tried to counsel you already, but it doesn''t seem to have helped much."


    "Harvey had valid points. Before falling for her, I knew she was a thief. In fact, I met her while she was stealing from a jewelry store. I don''t understand how I could fall for a criminal. It''s absurd," Bruce admitted.


    Schiller asked, "What do you think led you to be Batman?"


    Bruce pondered for a moment before replying, "Many things."


    "And what do you think led her to be a thief?" Schiller inquired.


    Bruce fell silent.


    "So, you''re here sulking without any understanding of a woman''s past and family. Are you sure you really like her, and it''s not just a desire for a romantic encounter?" Schiller asked.


    "I haven''t even been to bed with her yet," Bruce replied.


    "Should I apud your innocence?" Schiller chuckled, then turned his gaze to Bruce''s side. "She stabbed your kidney without even reaching that stage. I''m starting to worry about your safety."


    "Do you think I should talk to her?" Bruce asked.


    Schiller sighed and said, "You like the thief, not me. If you want to talk about love, go talk to her. Understand?"


    Schiller added with some resignation, "Otherwise, what''s the point of a rtionship? You''ve been roaming Gotham''s rooftops for days, and you still don''t know each other''s parents. You''re not sleeping together, not dating, and you''re in the dark about each other. If it were me, I might have stabbed you too."


    Bruce paused for a moment and said, "Alright, I''ll go talk to her."


    The next day, Batman once again caught Catwoman at an exhibition. Although he didn''t understand Catwoman''s past and family, he had a good grasp of her habits.


    Upon seeing him, Catwoman cursed softly and immediately thought of escaping. However, she didn''t run. Batman captured her cape again, and Catwoman cursed, took a deep breath, and turned her head to say, "Let go of me! You freak! Don''t make me use my knife!"


    Batman said, "We need to talk."


    "What do we have to talk about? Don''t bother me while I''m working!" Catwoman replied, exasperated.


    Ten minutester, the two of them arrived at the rooftop of the exhibition hall. Catwoman reluctantly waved her hand and said, "Alright, alright, my little man, what do you want to talk about? Give me the big reason? I''ve practically memorized all your reasons."


    "No, I just want to hear your story," Batman said.


    Catwoman was a bit surprised. She fell silent for a moment, nced at Batman''s pointed ears overhead, and said, "Well, considering your aesthetics when ites to costumes, fine."


    "...Ie from the slums in the east, you know, the biggest and messiest one. My mother was an alcoholic, my father was a drug addict, but I was lucky not to get caught up in drugs. I grew up with a retired acrobat, she taught me a lot of things, but she had a temper, and I took quite a few beatings. But I learned real skills."


    "When she tried to sell me to a foul-smelling middle-aged man, I ran away. I was twelve at the time."


    "Later, a nosy orphanage insisted that I live there, and I said okay, so I did. Afterward, someone wanted to adopt me, but I offended the administrator, who wanted to abuse me, so I stole his diamond ne and ran away again."


    "I met a leader of thieves, we all called her Lucky Mom. She specialized in training girls like us to steal things for her. I had practiced acrobatics, and I was good at it. I was her favorite child."


    "But good times didn''tst. She found the diamond ne I had hidden, you know, it was worth a lot, enough for her to retire and quit working. She wanted me to give it to her, but I didn''t want to, so I ran away again."


    "Later, I met a sister named Maggie, and she was good to me. But her boyfriend kept abusing her and even tried to kill her. When he was about to attack, I killed that man and became a fugitive. I didn''t want to endanger my sister, so I''ve been wandering ever since, but sometimes, when I earned money, I would send some back."


    "So, that''s it, a very ordinary story, not that exciting, I suppose nothing in your life experience is as thrilling, right? Great hero."


    Batman seemed a bit quiet. He said, "Not exciting enough? Isn''t it exciting enough?"


    Catwoman shook her head and said, "Oh, I forgot, you''re a young master who grew up in a wealthy area. People from your ce should all go to school and follow the rules, right? But it''s not like that where wee from. In our area, there aren''t even one or two students in an entire block. Actually, my mother loved me, but she was controlled by alcohol. She spent more time on the cat than on me."


    "My parents didn''t have the means to send me to school, and my neighbors were the same way. Having at least one sober parent was considered lucky; at least that way you wouldn''t starve. I heard stories of parents on both sides being drunk, and their kids climbing onto stoves and getting scalded to death."


    "Of course, the upbringing of people like us is quite simr. The luckier ones, like me, learned a skill, and the best way out was to work for a gang. If you could be a dealer in a casino, that was a dignified job. Maggie''s boyfriend was a casino enforcer; he was very popr, and several hostesses there were vying for his attention."


    "Actually, Lucky Mom treated me well at times. She would be like a real mother sometimes. Whenever I stole a lot of jewelry for her, she would praise me and even give me candy. Of course, she would scold and beat the children who couldn''t steal anything, but in my opinion, they were just young; with a few years of practice, they would be fine."


    Catwoman spoke in a lively and casual tone, making her life sound intriguing.


    For instance, when she practiced acrobatics and fell from a roof for the first time, shended on a drunkard who had just pocketed over ten dors from someone else. She ended up with the money and used it to buy food for her mother''s cat, receiving a kiss from her mother in return.


    Batman had remained silent, listening quietly. Catwoman eventually stopped talking and looked at Batman, saying, "Well, I know this story might disappoint you. I don''t have a rich and exciting academic background, and I don''t understand your career goals. Wee from entirely different worlds, and I''m sure wealthy people like you aren''t interested in the life of the slums. After all, it sounds dirty and chaotic."


    Batman''s voice was somewhat low as he said, "No, this is the most exciting story I''ve ever heard."


    Catwoman raised an eyebrow and said, "You have such a sweet mouth; your praise makes me a little embarrassed. But I''m happy too because not many people are willing to listen to me talk about these things. Maggie isn''t in good health; she can''t go outside. When we chat, she prefers to hear about my adventures in the wealthy area, about the richdies and their dresses and nes."


    Batman asked, "Do you really like jewelry that much?"


    "I knew you were going to ask that question," Catwoman blinked and said.


    "At first, it was because these jewelry could get me better treatment from Lucky Mom, and I didn''t want to get beaten. Butter, when Lucky Mom asked me for that diamond ne, I realized that what I loved was their natural luster, not how much they could be sold for. The thought of Lucky Mom selling these treasures for money hurt me."


    "That captivating shine, especially when it''s illuminated by light, is the most beautiful thing in the world! My lifelong dream is to have a huge castle filled with all these beautiful gemstones..." Catwoman''s tone became increasingly cheerful, as if she were about to burst with happiness.

 Chapter 41: The Cat and the Bat (2)

    Chapter 41: The Cat and the Bat (2)


    When Schiller saw the despondent look on Bruce, his entire countenance shrouded in gloom, he knew that the conversation with Catwoman probably hadn''t gone well.


    "You two didn''t get into another brawl, did you?" he inquired.


    Bruce replied, "It''s worse than that."


    "Well then, which hospital room is she in now?" Schiller asked.


    "I mean, Gotham''s situation is worse than I imagined," Bruce exined.


    "There''s a group of bad guys here that you can''t really me," Bruce said. "In this environment, they''re doing the best they can."


    "I think you''re starting to realize that being Batman isn''t as simple as you thought," Schiller remarked.


    "Indeed," Bruce admitted. "I used to believe that with my armor, bulletproof helmet, sharp Batarangs, guns, and bullets, what gang could I not handle?"


    "Guns do have their uses," Schiller conceded."At least they ensure that someone listens to what you say," Bruce added.


    "I can''t tell Selena, ''You''re wrong,''" Bruce sighed, covering his eyes. "In reality, she''s been doing a good job."


    "Jonathan probably doesn''t see it that way. What if I told you that Jonathan also grew up in an environment like this, and his crimes were a result of no one guiding him? What would you think?" Schiller asked.


    Bruce hesitated, realizing that he had been biased in favor of Selena. Many of the gang members he had punished were simr to Catwoman, just not as fortunate. Their families and pasts were all messed up, and they worked for the gangs not because they were inherently evil but simply to make a living.


    Breaking free from their socioeconomic constraints was much harder than he had imagined, especially in Gotham. This realization left Bruce feeling somewhat despondent. He finally understood why Schiller had said he didn''t understand Gotham. Because anyone who wanted to save Gotham didn''t truly understand it. Here, everyone was a bad guy, yet there wasn''t a single bad guy. In this horde of walking dead, there was no one to be saved, nor was there anyone who was born to be eliminated. There was no mastermind; everyone was the mastermind.


    Bruce''s path to bing a hero was vastly different from what he had initially envisioned. He thought that by capturing enough criminals, extracting information from them, and then tracing back to the few tumors that had always been guing Gotham, he could ultimately make the city better. But now he realized it was an abyss. When he removed one set of tumors, another appeared. Nobody could endure such a drain, not in terms of wealth or physicality. Harvey believed that it wasn''t just about reaching the finish line, but for Batman, he didn''t even have a finish line.


    Bruce now understood that his struggle with Gotham would consume his entire life. He realized that wealth, equipment, andbat skills alone couldn''t make him a true Batman. His greatest enemy wasn''t the criminals; it was his own potential to give up. His biggest challenge wasn''t how cunning his adversaries were; it was whether he could remain resolute enough to dedicate his entire life to an unredeemable city''s endless battles.


    It was like an ordinary person spending a lifetime trying to make the sun rise in the west.


    Batman stood on the rooftop of Gotham Central Building, the wind howling around him. Underneath his feet, countless ordinary criminals were like a colony of ants. From here, he could see everything in Gotham clearly.


    Batman had thought Gothamcked order, that it was pure chaos. But now he realized that not only did it have order, it had a more robust one than anywhere else. If it were just chaos, he could rebuild order. But now, he couldn''t even disrupt Gotham''s existing order.


    After a while, Batman heard footsteps behind him, and Catwoman approached with her hands behind her back.


    When she saw Batman turning around, she smiled and took out a gem, handing it to Batman with a mischievous grin. "I picked a beautiful little gem from my collection for you. Of course, I couldn''t give you the biggest one, but I think this one is quite nice."


    Before Bruce could say anything, Catwoman continued, "Yesterday, I talked to Maggie. She said I should apologize to you. No matter what, I shouldn''t have used a knife on you."


    "I''ve never apologized to anyone before. If someone tries to hit me, I hit back. But you''ve been good to me, even going for a joyride on a high-rise building with me, and I ended up stabbing you. That doesn''t seem right," she admitted.


    She blinked her beautiful big eyes, and those brown eyes shone in the Gotham night like stars. "I can tell you''re troubled. I hope this gem can make you feel better."


    Batman nced down at the gem in his hand. It was a finely cut triangr red gem, somewhat resembling his emblem, and it sparkled even in the dim light.


    For the first time, Batman felt that this wasn''t just a meaningless mineral for humans.


    Batman asked, "Do you want to hear my story?"


    Meanwhile, Schiller was on the phone, saying, "Released on medical grounds? How did he get approval for that? Although I don''t want to me you, the Gotham Police Department is really ying a farce..."


    He paused, realizing that the Gotham Police Department had already sunk to unimaginable depths.


    Then he said to Gordon on the other end of the line, "I hope he stays in the hospital and doesn''te back. You know, I''m not like Batman."


    Gordon hung up the phone, sighing. He knew it wouldn''t be that simple. Jonathan had finally ended up in the Asylum after a lot of effort, Victor had disappeared, and Lantlos was dead. But the Gotham University dean, using a medical release as an excuse, had managed to avoid prison. He had been in Gotham for so many years, and he still had connections. In the end, he had seeded in his revenge.


    Schiller never underestimated the darkest sides of Gotham citizens. He knew the dean wouldn''t give up so easily.


    Sure enough, the next day, just before Schiller was about to leave the office, a frantic girl rushed in. She was the same one who hadined to the school when Christine went missing, and she was a close friend of Christine''s.


    "Christine has gone missing again?" Schiller asked.


    "It''s worse than that," the girl said anxiously. "Since that time, Christine gave me a safety code. She told me that if I ever received that code on my mobile phone, it meant she might be in danger."


    Schiller hurriedly gathered his things. "When did this happen?"


    "Just three minutes ago! The phone rang, but there was no response on the other end!"


    Schiller reassured the girl and then called Bruce on the phone. "Bad news, Christine is in trouble again. I don''t know if Gordon informed you, but the dean was released on medical grounds. If he wants revenge, Christine would likely be his first target."


    Bruce rushed back to Wayne Manor, donned all his Batman gear, and headed out. He had advised Christine to testify against the dean, so he feltpelled to rescue her, despite his personal feelings.


    Unfortunately, this time, the dean had be more cunning. He didn''t use low-level gang members; he hired professional kidnappers who left no traces. It seemed that the dean merely wanted revenge, not to use her as leverage. But this indicated that Christine was likely in an extremely dangerous situation.


    After a while, Batman received a call from Schiller. "The Red Crows gang used to operate on the same street as the drug den you destroyed..."


    Bruce didn''t have time to ask why, as Schiller abruptly ended the call. Batman sped through the night in a regr sports car since he didn''t have the Batmobile. Getting from Wayne Manor to the East District would take some time, and Christine could be in danger at any moment. Despite his feelings toward her, he didn''t want to see an innocent persone to harm.


    Batman gripped the steering wheel tightly, acutely aware that he needed a better mode of transportation. Suddenly, an unexpected call came through. Catwoman''s voice echoed on the other end, "Hey, I think I just spotted your girlfriend who''s always waiting for you on the streets. What''s going on? Why are they heading towards Maple Street? It''s dangerous there..."


    "She''s been kidnapped. Please, help me save her! No... I mean, can you keep an eye on them? Watch from a distance and then call me. Wait, no, don''t follow them. Just tell me where they''re going," Batman urgently responded.


    "You sound like you need help," Catwoman remarked.


    Batman seemed impatient as he replied, "It''s none of your business. Just stay out of trouble tonight."


    He hung up and sped towards Maple Street. After a while, Batman arrived at the end of Maple Street, which was once the stronghold of the Red Crow gang. He had dismantled a poppy manufacturing den here before. Batman''s memory served him well as he continued down the right side of the street and turned into two alleys.


    Upon reaching the end of one of the alleys, he heard intense fighting and gunshotsing from inside. Batman quickly found the back door and forced the lock open. Inside, he discovered a group of thugs lying in disarray on the ground, all in agonizing pain, seemingly incapacitated by joint strikes.


    Entering the living room, he saw seven or eight masked kidnappers also lying on the ground. A whip whizzed by, narrowly missing Batman.


    Catwoman turned around and said, "Thank God, the girl is unharmed."


    Batman''s gaze shifted to Christine, sitting on the sofa, her clothes slightly disheveled. If Catwoman hadn''t arrived in time, things might have turned out differently.


    Then, Catwoman sniffed and frowned, saying, "Wait, why do I smell gasoline? Is your car leaking? No, this is bad! It might be Molotov cocktails. Hurry, get out of here..."


    Before she could finish, the ss at the front door shattered, and numerous Molotov cocktails, wrapped in cloth, were thrown inside.


    A fierce fire erupted with a whoosh, engulfing the abandoned hideout. The ce was filled with mmable items like fabric sofas, curtains, and more.


    Soon, the fire raged out of control. Bruce, carrying the unconscious Christine, reached the back door, only to find it blocked from the outside with heavy objects.


    Clearly, this was a premeditated trap.


    While Batman''s suit was fire-resistant, the growing ze posed a danger to both Christine and Catwoman. Fire-resistant clothing did not protect against smoke inhtion, and the thick ck smoke made it almost impossible to see, causing everyone to cough repeatedly.


    Suddenly, a clear "ng" came from the right side, as if something had fallen. Catwoman reacted swiftly, using her whip to retrieve it. To her surprise, it was a fire extinguisher!


    Without questioning its origin, Catwoman grabbed the extinguisher and shook it vigorously. Batman said, "Let''s go to the spot where they threw the Molotov cocktails. There should be a vacuum there!"


    Batman led the way with the extinguisher, while Catwoman supported Christine.


    Indeed, the person who threw the Molotov cocktails had aimed well, causing them tond in the center of the hall rather than near the door. Besides a small carpet near the entrance, there was nothing mmable in front of the door. Batman used the extinguisher to put out the mes that came their way, and they pushed forward.


    When they reached the door, Batman shot the lock with his gun and then began to pound on the iron door with all his strength.


    The person who had thrown the Molotov cocktails seemed to have left in a hurry, and the front door was not as securely blocked as the back one. After several hits, Batman managed to create a gap.


    However, this also meant that air began to circte, and the fire grewrger. Catwoman was on the verge of passing out from smoke inhtion, and Batman could feel her hand slipping from his shoulder. If she lost consciousness, both she and Christine would be in grave danger.


    With all his strength, Batman gave one final powerful push, and with a resounding "bang," the door swung open. The three of them escaped just in time. Catwoman gasped for breath, and by now, both Batman and Catwoman were covered in soot from the fire.


    After dropping Christine off, Batman, driving, asked Catwoman in the passenger seat, "Why did you rush in to save Christine? That was very dangerous, wasn''t it?"


    Catwoman was still excitedly inspecting the interior of the luxurious car, clearly not having experienced such opulence before.


    Clearing her throat and calming her excitement, she eventually replied, "Well, I had a lot of reasons to earn your praise just now. Like wanting to learn from you to be a better person, or that deep down, I am a righteous heroine. Or maybe I couldn''t stand seeing those kidnappers hurt innocent people..."


    Then, Catwoman looked at him, and when Batman felt her gaze on him, he once again sensed his heart racing.


    "You don''t want me to do bad things, but I really love those gems. So, can I do one bad thing and then one good thing? Wouldn''t that work?"


    "...Well, I just wanted to make you happier," Catwoman shrugged.


    "I know I can''t be a great hero. I just like stealing things; it''s a habit I''ve had since I was a child. I don''t have a grand reason for it. Maybe that girl who''s always waiting for you on the streets is better than me, after all. She''s educated, beautiful, innocent, and has never done anything wrong."


    "But this is who I am. I don''t dwell on those things. I just do what I want. You can consider me a criminal or an irredeemable bad guy, but I am who I am¡ªa cat."


    Batman loosened his grip on the steering wheel slightly. He wasn''t sure if this was the answer he wanted.


    But he knew that the romance, liveliness, and sincerity he saw in Catwoman weren''t the reasons he loved her. A bat could never truly love a cat; he was simply envious of her freedom¡ªsomething he, as the Dark Knight, could never attain.


    He had made up his mind to confront this irredeemable city.


    As he watched the luxury car slowlye to a stop at an intersection, Schiller on the rooftopmunicated with the symbiote in his mind, "...No, we can''t go down. What''s about to happen is not suitable for young children to see."


    The symbiote let out a dissatisfied growl.


    "Yes, I know you did great just now, fetching the fire extinguisher from the coffee shop across the street corner and throwing it in there urately!"


    "But what''s happening inside the car is just the meaningless human reproductive process. You symbiotes don''t need that process; you just need to shed."


    The symbiote fell silent, and Schiller wasn''t sure if it understood.


    Schiller shifted his gaze away from the luxury car and looked at the dimly lit night of Gotham.


    Perhaps this city was beyond redemption, and perhaps Batman was just an ordinary man feeling despair and confusion. He thought.


    But Batman was not alone; he would never be alone.

 Chapter 42: A New Job Invitation

    Chapter 42: A New Job Invitation


    In a small bar located on the outskirts of the affluent district in Gotham City, Schiller added a dash of lemon juice to his well-prepared golden cocktail. He raised his ss and said to Gordon, "Congrattions, detective. At least now you can act ording to your own will."Bruce, seated across the round table, also raised his ss, and Harvey did the same. Harvey chimed in, "Indeed, a celebration is in order. You''re the most upright cop I''ve ever met."


    The four clinked their sses together, and Gordon took a sip of his drink. His face turned slightly red, whether from excitement or the effects of alcohol was uncertain. He remarked, "The more it is like this, the more I realize how far I still have to go."


    Bruce added, "Progress is always a good thing."


    Schiller chuckled, lifted his ss to his lips, and said, "Is that so? It seems our recent pure-hearted young man has made significant progress?"


    Bruce put down his ss and replied, "I recall, Professor, that you once mentioned you had no advice to offer regarding my personal love life."


    "But I also reminded you to take care of your kidneys, and I don''t mean just avoiding the knife. The view from Trick Street is indeed quite splendid; their neon lights are famous throughout the East Coast..."


    Gordon''s eye contact shifted between the two of them, and he raised an eyebrow, asking, "What cryptic game are you two ying?"


    "Nothing, just a piece of advice for you: mind your own business from now on. Some people are very confident about their kidney function."


    Gordon now understood andmented, "It seems Bruce has been quite active in the romance departmenttely."Schiller set his ss down and smiled, saying, "Quite the opposite."


    Harvey, privy to some inside information, nudged Bruce with his elbow and asked, "So, how''s it going with that girl you mentioned? Have you established a rtionship?"


    Gordon immediately perked up, and Bruce touched his temple, looking at the three men who seemed eager for some gossip. Bruce said, "Don''t do this, don''t do this. What''s with all this talk of a rtionship? This gathering is supposed to celebrate Gordon''s promotion."


    "I think bing the head of the Gotham Police Department is not as exciting as Mr. World''s Richest Person finding a new girlfriend," Gordon remarked.


    "That might be a bit of an exaggeration, considering how many girlfriends Mr. World''s Richest Person has," Schiller added.


    "But being the head of the police station is just as useless as being an ordinary cop," Gordon self-deprecatingly stated.


    Bruce, exasperated by their antics, said, "Alright, I acknowledge it. I''ve taken a liking to a girl¡ªnot the kind of liking based solely on her beautiful face and figure, though she is undoubtedly beautiful with a great physique, but..."


    Both Gordon and Harvey wore expressions that suggested they didn''t need an exnation. Harvey added, "At your age, liking any girl without considering their appearance is a load of rubbish. Every man in the world who says otherwise is spouting nonsense."


    Gordon adjusted his tie and remarked, "So, there''s actually a girl who has captured Bruce''s heart? I''d love to see who has managed to do that."


    Bruce continued, "She''s not particrly special, just a girl from the slums, much like any other ordinary girl. She likes shiny jewels and dreams of having a castle filled with gemstones."


    "Do you prefer castles in Germany or France?" Schiller asked. "I hear Neuschwanstein Castle is quite nice; how about buying it?"


    Bruce, unable to contain himself, tapped his ss lightly and said, "I''m not courting her! I''m serious about this. Stop looking at me like that. I acknowledge that in the past, I''ve been a bit... well, not just a bit, but I really intend to..."


    "You''re not facing her right now, no need for these flowery words."


    Schiller quickly interrupted Bruce''s confession. After all, who couldn''t say such things?


    But in reality, there wasn''t much of a rtionship anyway. After all, Batman is the main character; if the main character says something like that, it shouldn''t cause too much trouble.


    Bruce took a sip of his drink, an unusual excitement in his demeanor, and continued, "We have indeed established a rtionship, and we''ve been going out for several nights in a row. She even gave me a beautiful gemstone."


    "What about you? Haven''t you given her anything?" Harvey inquired.


    Bruce replied, "I''m considering it."


    "That''s a bit impolite," Harveymented. "Do you look down on her because of her background in the slums? Pardon my bluntness, but not everyone is as fortunate as you. I believe, at least for you, ss should not hinder love..."


    "I certainly don''t think that way."


    "The issue is, if you don''t quickly give her a token of your affection, she might think that way," Schiller remarked. "Any girl from the slums dating the world''s richest person would likelyck confidence."


    "Alright," Bruce said. "What do you think I should give her? I''ve been thinking for a while and can''te up with anything."


    Harvey didn''t know Catwoman''s true identity because he didn''t know that Bruce was Batman, and he was unaware of their history.


    But Schiller knew all too well.


    Schiller suggested, "How about a pearl ne?"


    Bruce tightened his grip on the ss and took a sip before replying, "I have to acknowledge that I''m not particrly fond of pearl nes. However, if she likes them, I''ll make sure to get her the best one."


    After the gathering, Schiller returned to his apartment, needing to clear away the remnants of the evening, including the lingering scent of alcohol.


    Schiller''s travels between DC and Marvel were not without reason. After arriving in DC, he had two objectives in mind. On one hand, he intended to let Marvel''s plot unfold on its own, while on the other, he needed to tie up loose ends on this side.


    He was a cautious individual who preferred every task to have a clear beginning and end. Although the fact that the former policemissioner hadn''t ended up in Prison took him by surprise, his initial purpose in returning was to resolve the lingering issues from the Jonathan case.


    The formermissioner had now be Batman''s target, and Schiller had no immediate ns to interfere. However, there was still one person unounted for ¨C the missing Commissioner Victor.


    Schiller was aware that Victor had been abducted by Sal Maroni. Despite this, Maroni might not necessarily want to end his life. A former police station chief had a wealth of valuable information at his disposal, and given Maroni''s significant losses, he wouldn''t let Victor die easily unless he could recoup his losses.


    But Schiller had to eliminate Victor.


    During the early stages of the Jonathan case, his abilities were insufficient, and when he stole the fear gas, he used the simplest method avable: breaking and entering. Even though he had removed 99% of the evidence, he still had to eliminate the possibility of the remaining 1% being discovered.


    Victor, in his efforts to clear Jonathan''s name, had entered the evidence room on more than one asion. This veteran police officer was the only person who could potentially expose Schiller''s involvement in the theft of the fear gas.


    It was worth noting that after Jonathan entered Arkham Asylum, the most traditional version of the fear gas concentrate had be obsolete. However, due to Maroni''s massive losses, many members of the gang were eager to get their hands on such weapons. If someone were to expose who had stolen the fear gas, the gang would descend upon them like a pack of sharks smelling blood.


    Schiller had originally nned to pay Maroni a visit, but before he could do so, an unexpected individual approached him.


    Schiller followed a man dressed in ck to a car and took a seat. A well-dressed man in a suit sitting in the front turned to him and said, "Professor Schiller, you have no need to fear. The Godfather has requested your presence because he requires your assistance."


    The elongated luxury car soon arrived at a manor not far from the South District. Schiller followed his guide inside. The manor''s decor was old-fashioned, and once inside, he ascended to the third floor. The guide knocked on a door, and a deep voice from within said, "Pleasee in."


    Schiller entered the room and saw a tall man, or rather, an elderly man, with silver-gray hair. He was dressed impably in a suit with a tie, and a red poppy adorned his chest pocket. He exuded an aura of authority.


    He extended his hand, which bore a ring, and said to Schiller, "Professor Rodriguez, I apologize for this intrusion. I''ve summoned you because I need your assistance."


    "I am honored to be of service, Mr. Falcone."


    Schiller approached Falcone, with a desk between them. Behind him stood two ck-d bodyguards.


    Falcone didn''t waste time and went straight to his request. "I have a son, who is no longer a child. My family and business both require him to take the reins, and I wish to hire you as his private tutor."


    Without waiting for questions, Falcone added, "His previous tutor was shot three times in the chest and didn''t make it. I''ve heard that you even managed to get Bruce Wayne to submit his homework on time. You seem to be a suitable candidate."


    "Of course, I am not here to threaten you. I understand you''ve caused some trouble in Metropolis, and some people have followed the scent here, but by now, they should all be at the bottom of the sewer."


    "This is my offer. What do you say?"


    Schiller looked at Falcone, who seemed more like the early DC Comic portrayal of this mob boss. Falcone drew inspiration from the character of Corleone in ''The Godfather,'' portrayed by Marlon Brando.


    Now,pared to the image of Falcone in movies and TV shows, with his jacket and quirky sunsses, this elderly man looked more like the Godfather of the ruling Gotham gang empire.


    "I agree, but I have one more request."


    "The former policemissioner has gone missing," Schiller said.


    "You want to find him?"


    "No, I want to eliminate him."


    Falcone sat down, took a cigar handed to him by someone nearby, and took a puff, exhaling a cloud of cigarette smoke. He said slowly, "Victor... I know him. He''s a cunning old trickster. Do you have some personal vendetta with him?"


    "I believe that in Gotham, one doesn''t need a personal vendetta to take a life."


    Falcone chuckled while holding the cigar. "It seems you will indeed make a fine teacher."

 Chapter 43: Gods Blessing on Gotham

    Chapter 43: Gods Blessing on Gotham


    In the dimly lit room, Falcone reclined in his chair, casually puffing on a cigar as he recounted Gotham''s past. "Sal, just like his partners, had a touch of cleverness about him. I remember the first time Iid eyes on him; he was a greenhorn fresh off the boat to Gotham, trying to extort the shipowners down at Pier. It wasn''t long before Lauren from the Red Light District took a liking to him. That Scarlet Witch showed him the ropes in that part of town, and before you knew it, he owned a bar. It all happened over twenty years ago..."


    Schiller listened intently, then asked, "Sal won''t spare that police station chief. Even if he has to pry information out of his mouth, that man''s days are numbered. Can you offer something in exchange? Perhaps there are others you''d like to see taken care of, or some troubles you want to disappear?"


    "My troublese from Metropolis. I won''t trouble The Godfather with them," replied Schiller.


    Falcone raised an eyebrow and nced at him. "The gentlemen I helped you deal with seem to have quite a reputation. Who have you managed to cross paths with?"


    Schiller lifted his gaze and said, "Your Excellency, I believe I might be the longeststing family tutor for your son."


    Falcone tapped the table with the end of his cigar. "When you work for me, I ensure trouble stays away from you. But when you choose to dabble in strange affairs and then seek refuge here..."


    "Aren''t you worried that I might implicate the Falcone Family?" Schiller inquired.


    Falcone turned his chair back around and said, "When has the Falcone Family ever been on the shore? Since the day I arrived in Gotham, I''ve known that we''re all wrecks in a sunken ship, never to reach the shore."


    He sighed softly and continued, "But my son thinks differently."Evans Falcone, also known as Evans Falcone, differed from the old Godfather. He was passionate, believing he could restore order to Gotham by his own means. True, he was the heir to the future Gang family, but his vision of order was founded on violence, not a utopia.


    Honestly, his approach might be more normal than Batman''s. Absolute violence brought absolute authority, and absolute authority controlled everyone. The question was whether young Falcone had the capability for it.


    After a while, the butler stood outside the door and knocked. Evans, standing behind him, visibly tensed. He entered, saw Schiller, and hesitated before turning to the butler and whispering, "Do you remember me mentioning anything about forgetting homework or failing to submit assignments recently?"


    The butler shook his head, and Evans visibly rxed. Schiller stood up and said, "Evans?"


    "Do you know each other?" Falcone asked.


    "Father, this is my college professor. I mentioned to you that I needed to work on a psychology assignment."


    Before Falcone could say anything, Evans continued, "I apologize, Professor. If there have been issues with my recent assignments, it''s probably because I''ve been busy with the happenings in the east side of town. I may have neglected my studies. Professor Schiller came to visit you, and I''m truly sorry."


    Schiller understood the misunderstanding. Evans had assumed he was here for a home visit, and now he was probably scared stiff.


    Schiller had heard all about his fearsome reputation - always hounding students about assignments, even calling Bruce Wayne out for not turning them in and threatening to expel him from the university board of directors.


    As the heir of the Gang family, Evans initially didn''t believe the rumors. However, now he did. Who, in their right mind, woulde to The Godfather for a home visit?


    It wasn''t entirely surprising that Schiller was so concerned about assignments. He hadn''t quite adapted to the teaching style of this era. Many students struggled with the heavy psychology textbooks, and if they couldn''t do well on the final exam, they had to rely on their coursework grades to pass. If you didn''t submit assignments and had no coursework grades, the chances of passing were terrifyingly low.


    If the pass rate is too low, it would certainly affect his evaluations, even though Gotham University didn''t have a reliable professor evaluation system, and no one cared whether students passed or not. However, Schiller was used to this from his previous life. He felt that he hadn''t even used three-tenths of his abilities, yet these students at Gotham University had already crumbled.


    If he were to throw them into the university where Schiller had taught in his previous life, a simple ssroom essay could overwhelm them. You see, those students would write twenty thousand words for a short essay and meet book-length standards for their longer papers.


    So, he couldn''t understand why someone would fall short of the word count requirement for a paper that only needed around 3,000 words. Moreover, English papers inherently had fewer words than Chinese papers. Writing a standard 3,000-word paper would only result in about 2,000 words. How could they fail to meet this requirement?


    Therefore, after Schiller employed various methods to chase after assignments, finally, about three-quarters of his students managed to submit their work. This naturally included Evans, who was one of the better ones. He submitted basically every assignment, met the word count, and his content was reasonably good. He even achieved the top spot two or three times.


    Schiller thought such good students deserved praise. They were all freshmen, yet when you looked at someone like Bruce, who waspletely uninterested in learning, his 2,000-word papers consisted of one-third transitional words, one-third meaningless modifiers and descriptions, and the rest was just "the" and "a." While others only used two characters for an ellipsis, he managed to write a long row of them. Schiller couldn''t believe he let Bruce get away with it.


    Falcone raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "So, how is Evans performing at school? Are there any issues with his assignments? What about his exam scores?"


    Evans took a deep breath, and Schiller replied, "In fact, he''s doing very well. I''ve talked to Anna, who teaches advanced mathematics, and she mentioned that Evans is quite strong in the sciences. At least I would be willing to offer him a postgraduate position, and he also shows promise in psychology."


    Evans breathed a sigh of relief, and when he saw his son''s performance, Falcone said directly, "From now on, Professor Schiller will be your family tutor."


    Evans shivered, feeling a chill run down his spine, but he didn''t dare to question his father''s decision and could only reply, "Alright, Father."


    Falcone gripped the armrests of his chair and stood up from it, saying, "It seems I need to take care of those troubles you brought from Metropolis."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "This is a significant trouble. I don''t think the price I paid is worth it."


    Falcone responded, "Bing my son''s family tutor is indeed not enough, but if you be a friend of the Falcone Family, we will resolve any troubles for our friends."


    "Behind Metropolis, there''s a colossal dark vortex that no one can imagine. I escaped from there but lost a lot. People from Gotham don''t need to get involved in Metropolis'' affairs, right?"


    Falcone shook his head, took a puff of his cigar, and said, "You still don''t understand me, sir. Forty years ago, I came to Gotham alone, and at that time, no one had ever heard of the Falcone name. Thirty years ago, I became the master of three streets, and there was no Falcone Family back then..."


    "I don''t want to boast about my achievements, but I''ve ruled Gotham for forty years, ruled this city that was once called hell."


    Falcone used the end of his cigar to tap the table, and cigarette smoke rose from his fingers as he continued, "So, you only need to answer ''yes,'' and all the troubles you''ve experienced will be gone."


    Schiller looked at him, and Falcone''s expression was even calmer than Schiller had imagined.


    Schiller thought, this Falcone was undoubtedly not the minoric book viin from Batman''s early days. He was the rightful Godfather of Gotham, the uncrowned king of the city.


    In the absence of Batman, Gotham was never quiet, and The Godfather had ruled it for forty years. Such a person couldn''t be as foolish and shortsighted as described in theics.


    In the end, Schiller stepped forward, kissed Falcone''s right hand, and said, "...God bless Gotham, The Godfather."


    Schiller emphasized thest word in his mouth, and Falcone detected the subtle difference, but he didn''t mind.


    No matter how brilliant he had been over these forty years, The Godfather had truly grown old, and the heir to the Falcone Family was far from mature.


    Falcone thought, perhaps, Gotham''s era without a king was about to arrive.

 Chapter 44: Unfortunate Seldon

    Chapter 44: Unfortunate Seldon


    The next day, after Schiller had finished his sses, he, as usual, collected the homework assignments on time. However, today was different. When he looked at the neatly arranged stack of 32 assignments, he noticed something unusual. They all seemed to be written thoroughly, and judging by their thickness, it appeared that everyone had written a substantial amount.


    He found it quite strange since, although he usually pushed students toplete their assignments promptly, there would always be one or two who didn''t turn in their work. Among those who did submit their assignments, many would often try to get by with hastily written papers, with pages filled with nk space or sometimes even copying random articles.


    But this time, as he stood at the lectern and briefly skimmed through the papers, he discovered that every student had actually written their papers seriously. While some of them weren''t particrly well-written and clearly showed signs of inexperience, they were, at the very least, making an effort to address the assignment''s topic. Though their phrasing resembled that of desperate illiterates, they were all making an honest attempt to stay on topic.


    The students, observing Schiller as he reviewed their assignments, dared not make a sound. Normally, by this time, the ss would be nearly over, and students would be busy packing up their belongings. But today, not a single student moved, as they all sat quietly in their seats, waiting for Schiller to speak.


    The reason for this unusual behavior was quite simple. The night before, everyone in the ss had learned that Schiller had gone directly to Gotham''s underground kingpin, Falcone, to obtain the homework assignments from Evans.


    In the era before Batman, often referred to as the "pre-Batman era," Falcone held the most influence in Gotham, along with his twelve Gang families under hismand.


    Just how powerful were these Gang families? Even the dominant force in the East District, Sal Maroni, was merely ackey for the Lauren family, which ranked near the bottom of the twelve Gang families.


    At the top of the hierarchy was the Falcone Family, and the old godfather Falcone had an undeniable say in the affairs of the twelve families.


    In this era, you might not know who the mayor of Gotham was, or even who Bruce Wayne was, but you had to know the surnames of Falcone and the other twelve Gang families; otherwise, you wouldn''t survive in Gotham.Ever since it became known that Schiller had gone to The Godfather in Gotham to obtain the homework, the process of catching up on the assignments had been a heart-pounding experience for all the students.


    Schiller, on the other hand, was surprisingly pleased. He said, "The situation with these assignments looks promising. It seems like everyone has taken them seriously. After I''ve finished grading these assignments, I''ll award each of you an extra ten points towards your overall grade. For those who have done exceptionally well and have no intention of pursuing postgraduate studies, you can talk to me in my office about rmendation letters..."


    As a result, the ssroom suddenly erupted into enthusiastic apuse. It was unclear whether the apuse was for Schiller''s announcement or for their own relief after narrowly escaping a dire situation.


    All of this was observed by Principal Seldon.


    Seldon was a persistent man, to put it kindly, and a schemer, to put it less kindly. Once he had his sights set on someone, he would go to great lengths to find a way to deal with them. Although Schiller''s unyielding attitude made it difficult for him to take immediate action, Seldon had been actively seeking an opportunity.


    As the principal, Seldon had ess to the surveince cameras in every ssroom at Gotham University, allowing him to observe the teaching conditions of all the instructors. This functionality had be Seldon''s best method for monitoring Schiller.


    Over the next few days, all of Schiller''s students remained as quiet as chickens in his ssroom. Evans naturally took on the role of ss leader, overseeing the collection, distribution, and organization of assignments, maintaining discipline in the ssroom. The entire teaching process was exceptionally well-ordered, and no one could find fault with it.


    This gave Seldon a false impression.


    Back when he worked in the administration office at Princeton, most students were at a simr level. When he came to Gotham University, he was preupied with establishing his own footing and didn''t actively assess the students'' abilities. In his view,pleting assignments was a student''s duty, and while Gotham University''s ranking might not match Princeton''s, the quality of its students didn''t seem to be significantly worse.


    At least that was the case in Schiller''s ssroom.


    Seldon was so focused on observing Schiller''s ss that he failed to recognize the bigger picture. In Schiller''s ssroom, all the students were well-behaved, and they were performing exceptionally well in their academic tasks.


    This led Seldon to entertain other thoughts.


    It was well-known that his campus-wide prohibition on alcohol had hit a roadblock. Those who were willing toply with the n had already turned in their alcohol, but the die-hard individuals who refused were ready to resist even with force, determined to protect their right to drink without school interference.


    Students could resist with force, but Seldon, as the principal, couldn''t resort to using guns to force them to abstain from drinking. He wasn''t a native Gothamite, and his thinking remained rooted in a civilized society. Consequently, his n had stalled in an awkward position, with no way to proceed.


    Since imposing penalties for alcohol wasn''t effective, Seldon began to consider a different approach.


    Before taking on administrative roles, Seldon had been a professor. He had graduated with a degree in modern literature from the University of Oxford and had taught at the University of California and Metropolis University.


    Seldon believed that in order to gain control over Gotham University, he needed to connect with the students, much like Harvey Dent, who was universally well-liked. It seemed like a reasonable approach. Therefore, he decided that he wanted to teach a ss himself.


    Coincidentally, Gotham University had very few faculty members in its literature department. There was only one teacher who offered a basic course, and the literature and philosophy departments hadn''t admitted students in years. After all, this cursed ce didn''t seem to have the fertile ground for literature and philosophy.


    Seldon aimed to rejuvenate the Department of Literature and spearhead the revival of the Literature major. If he could recruit a group of college students whom he had personally trained, he would establish his own distinguished lineage within this school. This was Seldon''s n.


    Moreover, it seemed that Schiller''s sses werefortable, and the educational objectives were well executed. In summary, it was a bright day, the rain had ceased, and Seldon felt confident once again.


    Despite being a university professor, the teaching process wasn''t significantly different from teaching elementary school students. Seldon was like a cloud gamer watching a video, observing Schiller''s sses from the monitoring end and feeling rxed.


    Schiller''s ss routine simply involved entering the ssroom, waiting for the students to settle, and then starting the lecture with the textbooks. There would be one or two discussion segments in between. After the discussions, it would either be Schiller posing questions or designating students to speak. Following the discussions, Schiller would summarize, and then continue with other topics. Towards the end of the ss, assignments were collected, and the next session would start with a review of the assignments.


    This was how university ssrooms operated in the 20th century. There were no shy PowerPoint presentations, and most professors followed the textbook rigorously. Subjects like psychology, which required extensive memorization of theoretical knowledge, were especially demanding. Without mastering the textbook, understanding was out of the question.


    Watching this process in ss videos, there appeared to be no difficulty at all. With students'' cooperation, they could evenplete the educational objectives ahead of schedule. When the ss was about to end, they could even have a leisurely chat.


    Once the students started behaving exceptionally well-behaved, Schiller was willing to talk to them about the legendary experiences he had witnessed involving notorious criminals, even though he couldn''t remember many details due to amnesia. Nevertheless, these young students found the usually strict Professor Schiller to be intriguing, and he undeniably possessed exceptional qualities.


    Upon establishing the College of Literature, Seldon dismissed the teacher responsible for basic literature courses and took over the teaching himself.


    Just like most cloud gamers watching videos, Seldon felt that he could handle it when watching the videos, giving advice from a god-like perspective. However, once he entered the actual game, he was essentially wiped out, leading to a swift exit and refund.


    Seldon was no exception.


    When he began teaching for real, he discovered that Schiller''s ssroom was aplete facade. There were no obedient students here. Basic literature courses were somewhat simr to basic psychology courses in that they required extensive memorization and the writing of essays.


    During the first assignment submission, out of dozens of papers, only two were turned in, and one of them was iplete.


    Seldon adopted a strong and assertive approach, berating the students for not submitting their assignments during ss. Consequently, during the second assignment submission, not a single paper was handed in.


    While there might be individuals naturally interested in subjects like mathematics and physics among the STEM courses, basic literature courses, with their tedious and dry content, had no chance of capturing the attention of any Gotham University students.


    Students engaged in various activities during ss, with sleeping being one of the more mild hobbies. Eating, loud chatting, the sound of video game controllers clicking, and even publicly throwing paper airnes weremonce.


    No matter how much Seldon yelled, no one paid any attention to him. Even when he stormed out in frustration, the ss just turned into a simrly chaotic self-study session.


    Seldon couldn''t fathom Gotham. If he understood, he would realize that the students here were already of exceptionally high quality. In this city, there were no gun threats to ssmates, no physical school bombings, and no kidnapping of teachers and professors. Gotham''s students could truly be considered the exemrs of civility in this city.


    But Seldon was quickly losing his temper.


    Especially because many students knew that the ursed prohibition was Seldon''s doing, they began to protest in his ssroom. Some brought a whole crate of champagne, popped the corks at the front row, and sprayed it at Seldon, drenching him in alcohol. They even organized drinking parties in ss.


    Seldon shouted about deducting credits and expelling them, but these students didn''t care at all. Seldon did expel two students, but the rest of them became even more unruly. Ultimately, one dark night, as Seldon walked through the school, he was struck on the head by two bottles thrown from the bushes by an unknown assant and ended up in the hospital.


    He couldn''t understand why students who had behaved as obedient as quails in Schiller''s ss had all turned into fanatical extremists in his own. Perhaps it was because he had never heard Schiller say one thing: here, the only ones who can deal with criminals are criminals themselves.

 Chapter 45: Words Are Mightier than Fists

    Chapter 45: Words Are Mightier than Fists


    On Schiller''s first day back in Marvel New York, Peter showed up at the clinic looking dejected. His arm was still in a sling, and Schiller gave him a quick once-over, remarking, "Your journey out west doesn''t seem to have gone smoothly."


    Peter sighed, took a seat across from Schiller, and ced his backpack on hisp. Inadvertently, he bumped his injured arm and let out a loud "ouch" before sighing again. "Putting everything else aside, I might not be cut out to be a superhero, after all."


    "What happened? Did you encounter a formidable opponent?"


    "Well, the opponents weren''t that tough to handle, but..."


    In the following conversation, Schiller listened to Peter''s ount of hisically disastrous western adventure with Captain America.


    Steve was a seasoned veteran, but as Captain America, his previous team members had all been elite warriors who had undergone rigorous training, even if they were new recruits. However, Peter, the young Spider-Man, was essentially a nk te when it came tobat. His fighting style relied on street brawling, and his defense mainly relied on his physical abilities,cking any tactical finesse.


    To toughen up Spider-Man, Steve deliberately avoided having S.H.I.E.L.D. arrange their itinerary and instead decided to take Peter with him.


    Their first roadblock on this journey was Peter''s insatiable appetite. Peter was still in the growth stage of his spider mutation and requiredrge quantities of food daily. Even though Steve had money, as any fan of road trip movies would know, it''s challenging to find suitable dining options for every meal. Most of the time, they settled for fast food in their backpacks and took a few bites when hungry.


    However, Peter''s voracious appetite quickly depleted their supplies, forcing them to change their ns. After taking their first bus, they detoured to the nearest small town.Although prices in this town were reasonable, Peter still managed to eat up over a thousand dors'' worth of food. Since this ce didn''t ept credit cards, Steve''s cash ran out quickly. Consequently, their road trip, which hadn''t even started yet, came to an abrupt end.


    Steve had to call Coulson to deliver money to them, and S.H.I.E.L.D. ended up driving them to their destination while also solving Peter''s food dilemma.


    Ever since Schiller had apanied Spider-Man and Pikachu in raiding S.H.I.E.L.D.''s food supplies, they had urgently developed a new type ofpressed dry rations with nutritional supplements. These rations provided an excess of energy, preventing the embarrassing situation of Peter emptying every restaurant they visited during their travels.


    Upon arriving at their destination, Steve began tracking the Ninja''s trail with Peter''s assistance. While Peter did learn a few things during this process, he managed to mess up most of the tasks.


    Despite possessing the strength and resilience of Superman, Peter couldn''t stop talking and fidgeting. Initially, when he didn''t know much, he stayed close to Steve, observing how he gathered information. However, as Peter acquired some skills, he began to think he could do better. If Steve wanted to climb a wall, Peter would leap onto the wall. If Steve wanted to sneak up on a security guard, Peter would climb onto the roof and jump in front of the guard, greet him, and then punch him in the face.


    In short, the two of them, with vastly differentbat styles and no coordination, botched every reconnaissance mission they attempted.


    Fortunately, the Ninja were confident that the deste West wouldn''t have any visitors, making their tracks rtively easy to follow. Soon enough, Steve and Peter stumbled upon one of their small strongholds.


    What happened next was even more bewildering.


    Initially, they were dealing with a few low-level Ninja, as Steve had anticipated. This trip was supposed to be a warm-up, and while these Ninja were agile and adept at disappearing, they couldn''t hold their ground in a fight.


    The problem arose when they vanished. Steve swung his shield, and the Ninja disappeared. But right behind them was Peter, attempting to yfully scare the Ninja by making a face. The hard shield made a resounding "thud" as it struck Peter''s arm, immediately fracturing it.


    It was Captain America''s first time firing at an ally, and the results were rather spectacr.


    "Steve told me that attacking these enemies from behind might be better, so I swung down from the rafters, intending to surprise them from behind. But, unexpectedly, he switched to a frontal attack, and I had no idea his strength was that immense. I got knocked back and mmed into a wall," Peter exined somewhat pitifully.


    Schiller couldn''t hold back augh, and Peter grumbled, "Go ahead,ugh. When I got back, Coulson, Natasha, and Mattughed at me for days."


    Schiller tried to stifle hisughter and consoled Peter, saying, "Don''t be disheartened. You should consider yourself honored. Thest person Captain sent flying with a shield like that was the head of Hydra."


    "I know I talk a lot, but I can''t help it. I just get so excited..."


    "Perhaps you''ve heard the saying, ''Sometimes, words are mightier than fists,''" Schiller remarked.


    After a while, Steve still hadn''t arrived, but Natasha did. The female agent had a headache as she said, "Stark went to talk with Director Nick and ran into Steve, and the two of them had a major brawl."


    "Why are you looking for me, then? I can''t break up their fight."


    "The director has already arranged for them to be separated, but the current issue is that Steve keeps mentioning Stark''s father, and Stark adamantly refuses to believe it. Steve is his father''s oldrade, Captain America."


    "Or you could say he believes it but doesn''t want to acknowledge it," Schiller added.


    Natasha, holding her forehead, said, "In any case, as S.H.I.E.L.D.''s senior psychological counselor, you must step in to mediate now."


    Natasha could sense Schiller''s reluctance to ept, so she continued, "Listen, the situation is like this: Iron Man and Captain America are in a fierce argument. Director Nick wants to mediate, but when they team up, they both insult him."


    "Coulson also wants to step in and mediate, but each of the three believes Coulson is biased towards the other side. Nick thinks Coulson should help him mediate the conflict, and Stark has known for a long time that Coulson is a loyal fan of Captain America, so he''s sure Coulson will take his side. Captain America thinks Coulson is a good person and shouldn''t be misunderstood by the other two."


    "In simple terms, it''s a three-way standoff, with mutual distrust, and there''s no more reliable fourth party on the scene."


    "Obviously, Nick wants them both to join S.H.I.E.L.D.''s team, which is why we have this situation, right?"


    Natasha was somewhat surprised by Schiller''s keen insight but continued, "I think this is a win-win solution for everyone. After all, if they each go their own way, there will be many problems, like what happened between Steve and Peter."


    "But clearly, Steve and Peter''s issues are Peter''s fault, not Captain America''s," Schiller said.


    Peter''s resentment grew deeper, and he said, "Hey, Doctor, you were justforting me a while ago!"


    Schiller said, "Speaking of mediation, I have a better candidate."


    With that, he reached over and picked up Pikachu, who was sitting nearby, by the neck and handed it to Natasha.


    Natasha held Pikachu''s two tiny hands and lifted it to her face, saying, "I know you have a talking yellow rodent, but what good is it? It can''t even beat the weakest of the three, Nick."


    Schiller said, "Trust me, sometimes words are more powerful than fists."


    Several hourster, the sky had darkened, and loud banging sounded outside Schiller''s clinic door.


    He opened the door, and Steve, Stark, Coulson, and Natasha were all there. Pikachu was in Iron Man''s armored arms, and Stark firmly covered the yellow rodent''s mouth with his hand.


    Schiller let them in and said, "You better not let any journalists catch you doing this, Stark, or animal protection organizations will go crazy."


    "No animal protection organization would protect a rodent like this!" Stark said, roughly grabbing Pikachu''s tail and throwing it to Schiller.


    Coulson looked ten years older, and Natasha leaned against the door frame, saying, "Doctor, you''ve certainly provided us with a very effective ''deal with'' solution!"


    She emphasized the words "very effective" through gritted teeth.


    Schiller handed a mobile phone to Pikachu to charge it, and Steve, holding his head, sat down and said, "Oh God, I don''t even know what just happened..."


    "I thought Peter was the noisiest person in the world, but I didn''t expect..." He showed a pained expression, clearly, the recent torment was pushing the normally good-tempered Steve to the brink.


    "He is indeed the noisiest person in the world because Pikachu is a rodent," Schiller said.


    "It used words I''ve never heard in my entire life, cursing everyone present, and Nick couldn''t get a word in edgewise. Speaking with a Canadian ent, it cursed everything in S.H.I.E.L.D., from Nick Fury''s eyepatch to the ss water cups on the desks, all in one go."


    "It went on for at least six hours without repeating a single word, and S.H.I.E.L.D.''s walls could almost record its voice..."


    "I don''t know how it fit so many words into its small body!" Coulson said, his voice trembling.


    "To shut it up, we had to feed it, and it devoured a month''s supply of donuts for the whole office, drank all the beverages in the juice machines, and to stop it, all of us had to personally intervene!"


    "It even fried four mobile phones and an Iron Man Mech armor," Natasha said. "This includes Nick''s high-security mobile phone, forcing him to go to the repair department personally to recover the data."


    "But at least the mediation worked well, right? When you all teamed up to catch it, did you feel the joy of unity?" Schiller said with malicious glee.


    Stark, who suffered the most, gritted his teeth and said, "Yeah, I can''t believe I talked about how to cook rodents with this old man for half an hour!"


    "I guess you now understand that saying I often use..."


    "Yeah," Steve spoke first, and then Stark looked at him. The two of them locked gazes, sparks flying, but they both said in unison, "Words are more powerful than fists!"

 Chapter 46: Iron Man Never Backs Down

    Chapter 46: Iron Man Never Backs Down


    Peter, while having his meal, remarked, "The situation doesn''t seem very optimistic. When I went to theboratory to meet Mr. Stark yesterday, Colonel Rhodes seemed to be constantly persuading him."


    Peter continued, "Though I don''t quite understand these matters, I know that if Mr. Stark''s Mech armor falls into military hands, it might not necessarily be a good thing."


    "Colonel Rhodes, as Mr. Stark''s friend, is probably in a difficult position too, considering he also represents the interests of a group of people," Peter added.


    "You''re smarter than I imagined. I thought you might not fully grasp the current situation," said Peter.


    Peter shook his head and replied, "Actually, I don''t fully grasp it, but I know everyone wants those Mech armors because they are genuinely powerful."


    "No, it''s because they are weapons."


    "If it were just a cleaning robot, even if it could clean up New York in a moment, the military wouldn''t be so interested in it."


    Peter fell silent for a moment before saying, "I think we shouldn''t hand over the Mech armor, but I understand that Mr. Stark is under a lot of pressure. Do you think I should... should Ifort him or advise him? I can''t just do nothing, can I?"


    "I think you should focus on dealing with your own matters for now. If you can fully control the power of the Spider mutation, maybe all these issues will be small for you," suggested Peter.As Peter had mentioned, the next day brought an expected visitor to Schiller''s Psychological Clinic, Colonel James Rhodes.


    He straightforwardly asked Schiller, "The military needs Stark''s military technology, but he seems to be indecisive. I just want to know, what is his n? Is S.H.I.E.L.D. ying a role in this?"


    "To be honest, you didn''t want toe," Schiller remarked. "I can see that."


    Rhodes curled the corner of his mouth and said, "It seems Tony is paying you a hefty consultation fee for a reason."


    "Clearly, your superiors know that this issue can''t be asked directly to Stark, or else S.H.I.E.L.D. would get the answers faster than you. Buting to me won''t change anything," Schiller exined.


    "The military needs Stark''s Mech armor. It can give us an advantage in many ces... it can save a lot of lives," Rhodes argued.


    "Have you not noticed that your reluctant mindset has made your words incredibly dry? Colonel Rhodes, I know you''re in a tough spot. The military keeps pressuring Stark, but he''s your friend," Schiller noted.


    "So, you''re deceiving yourself to feel a bit better, even though you know what these battle suits will be used for. But by convincing yourself, perhaps you can alleviate the guilt of forcing your friend to betray his interests using your friendship."


    "Following orders is a soldier''s duty," Rhodes replied.


    "Indeed, but what about Stark? What about your friend? Repeatedly going against your friend''s wishes, forcing him to sell out his interests, using friendship to hold him hostage."


    "You''ve always known how much Tony values you. Stark doesn''t have many friends, but you''re definitely one of them... maybe the most important one."


    "You know he''s willing to pay this price for you, willing to do the things he hates mostpromise and bow down."


    "Stop talking," Rhodes said, his lips tightly pressed together.


    Schiller clicked the button of his ballpoint pen, and the crisp sound seemed to awaken Rhodes suddenly. Schiller continued, "Perhaps it''s because you possess something he doesn''t. He''s willing to do this for you. My advice to you is, maybe these are the things you should cherish the most. Stark''s friendship is more precious than the military, and it''s not because he''s wealthier..."


    "It''s because a proud genius sees qualities in you that he doesn''t possess, qualities that make him willing to pay this price for you. It''s worth holding onto, isn''t it?"


    Rhodes remained silent.


    The next day, as Schiller was heading to Stark Tower, he encountered Rhodesing out. He had an officer following him, and the officer''s expression appeared quite cheerful. They seemed to have obtained something they wanted.


    However, Rhodes'' expression hadn''t improved at all. He maintained a tense face and didn''t acknowledge Schiller as he walked straight past him.


    After ascending the stairs, Stark stood once again in front of his suit of armor, carefully examining his creation.


    "It seems you''ve made your decision. They got what they wanted, didn''t they?" Schiller inquired.


    "Well," Stark turned around. He tensed his shoulder muscles and then rxed them suddenly, exhaling. "I know, I should have followed your advice earlier. It was the right thing to do."


    "But I didn''t, even though I knew it was right. I didn''t have to pay any price, and yet I didn''t do it..."


    "I knew it wouldn''t work," Schiller said as he sat down with a case file at his desk, writing in his notebook without looking up, sighing slightly. "Many people are willing to pay a huge price to chase emotionalpensation, especially for someone like you who has nevercked material means."


    "You''d rather give up on maximizing your interests than see Rhodes caught in the middle. You paid a price to buy back your temporary friendship with him."


    "Yes, I know what you''re trying to say. You and he are friends, and you both want it that way. But especially when both sides are not equally willing, this friendship may notst."


    "You keep paying a price to buy, and there wille a day when you can''t afford it anymore. When you can''t afford it, maybe Rhodes will understand you, but the world won''t."


    Finally, Schiller said, "When you''ve whetted their appetite, the price you pay for emotions bes endless."


    Stark replied, "I''ve thought about this. I know that once I relent, I''ll keep losing."


    "They can use Rhodes to persuade me to hand over some of the Mech armor technology, and one day, they can force him to persuade me to hand over all the Mech armor or to build more war machines for them."


    "From the moment I found out how much harm my weapons have caused to civilians, I knew that wisdom not only brings wealth but also disaster," Stark said, pressing his fingers against his temples. "I only recently realized this. The final fate of a genius is always irreversible."


    "When everyone knows you have a brain powerful enough to save the world, they will also harbor ambitions to make you destroy it."


    After a moment of silence, Schiller stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside Stark Tower, the sunset over New York was dazzling. Stark followed his gaze, the somewhat dazzling light casting a blurry hue before his eyes. Schiller asked, "What will you do when there''s no turning back?"


    Stark said, "This is my home, and it belongs to Pepper, JARVIS, and all the Starks."


    "In the end, no one can force me to give this up."


    "If they want more..."


    Stark''s eyes, always filled with various emotions, stared directly at Schiller. His expression was not heavy but calm as he said, "Iron Man never retreats."


    Schiller looked at him and asked, "So, have you ever thought about overturning this absurd and boring negotiation table?"


    "You''re like a tempting devil."


    "That''s much more effective than praying to God."


    "I never pray, I don''t rely on gods, and I don''t believe in those strange tricks, those absurd rumors and legends..."


    As he spoke, Stark saw everything in hisboratory begin to tremble slightly.


    Then, everything started to float.


    In an instant, as if gravity had disappeared, everything floated in mid-air ¨C cups, notebooks,puters, wrenches...


    The sunlight from the setting sun outside shone on these objects where sunlight shouldn''t be. Schiller stood in the center of it all, and the light behind him cast a long shadow in front of him.


    The shadows of all the objects ovepped into a massive web. Stark stood in the midst of it all, extending his hand. A drop of water fell from a cup andnded on his fingertip. Stark looked around, and he saw countless ordinary and mundane objects hanging in mid-air and the usual ceiling and walls overhead¡ª


    He saw it, a door to a new world.

 Chapter 47: Off-site Technical Guidance

    Chapter 47: Off-site Technical Guidance


    In the aftermath of the battle, Schiller and Stark stood together in front of a damaged Marc2 Mech armor.


    Stark said, "Listen, the main issue here is that the braking system ispletely shot. We need to fix it before any modifications."


    With that, he picked up a wrench and approached the Mech armor, starting to tinker with it.


    Schiller stood behind him,municating with the symbiote in his mind, "No, you can''t eat his brain."


    "But his head looks so delicious, and it smells amazing," symbiote responded.


    "But..." Schiller paused, trying to find the right words. "You can''t just eat people''s brains because..."


    Schiller hesitated for a moment, realizing that despite their strange appearances, this species seemed to share a consistent taste.


    "Eating his brain, we can do it ourselves," symbiote suggested.


    "No!" Schiller eximed."Alright..."


    Stark, oblivious to their conversation, continued working on the Mech armor. He tapped on a nearby railing with the wrench, shifted to a different spot, and mused, "Magic armor? That sounds intriguing. I think it involves some sort of atomic maniption. What do you think would be its best application? Vibration or extremepression?"


    Schiller inquired in his mind, "What would be its best application? Vibration or extremepression?"


    "It''s about disassembly and reassembly," symbiote replied.


    "It''s about disassembly and reassembly," Schiller echoed.


    With that, he ced his hand directly on the still-unrepaired joint, and arge section of theponents blinked and then returned, looking brand new.


    Stark stood up, wide-eyed, holding his arm and said, "This so-called magic seems much more powerful than your anti-gravity demonstration."


    "I''m impressive, I''m impressive, I''m impressive," symbiote chanted in Schiller''s mind.


    "Alright, you''re impressive," Schiller conceded.


    He had to admit that symbiote was more useful than his basic magic abilities. When it came to realbat, he relied on symbiote.


    "Shrinking the armor, it can be very small," symbiote suggested in Schiller''s mind.


    "Shrinking the armor," Schiller said.


    "I''ve considered it. My Marc5, inter versions, was designed to fit into a briefcase. However, it''s not fully developed yet, so I can''t carry it around at the moment."


    "I think the briefcase n is too conservative."


    "Even smaller?"


    "Of course."


    "How small do you think it can get?"


    Schiller asked symbiote in his mind, "How small do you think it can get?"


    "To the size of a fear toxin vial."


    "You think it can bepressed to the size of a fear toxin vial?" Schiller asked.


    "I want to drink it," symbiote said.


    Schiller rolled his eyes in exasperation; symbiote was always bargaining.


    After symbiote happily drank a bottle of wine, it said, "A cigarette, it can bepressed to the size of a cigarette."


    Schiller ryed this to Stark, who became excited and paced around the room, saying, "This is truly atomic-level restructuring. If that''s the case, it might be even smaller than a cigarette, possibly even nano-level..."


    "Can it be smaller than a cigarette?" Schiller asked in his mind.


    "It can, but expanding it would cause an explosion," symbiote warned.


    So Schiller told Stark, "It can be smaller, but I can''t guarantee the safety of the expansion process."


    Stark said, "Anyway, let''s get started. We''ll create a groundbreaking technology, and then I''ll hand over these old versions of suits to the military to dispose of. It''ll save me on electronic waste disposal fees, and Pepper will be happy."


    "The benefits of being armed at all times are truly remarkable!" Stark eximed, clenching one hand into a fist and thumping his other palm. "And I might even fit the entire JARVIS into a mobile phone. Can you believe that? A mobile phone with such a powerful intelligent butler!"


    Schiller said, "May God bless JARVIS."


    After a while, Stark lowered the somewhat worn Marc2 from the rack. Before he could get a good look, a grey mist enveloped it, and the Marc2 disappeared.


    Then Schiller reappeared, holding a metallic-looking cigarette and handed it to Stark. Stark asked, "Is that it?"


    "What else do you need?" Schiller replied.


    "Aren''t there any spells or rituals involved? Or a staff?"


    "No need, that''s too low-end," Schiller said.


    Stark blinked and suddenly had high hopes for magic.


    However,ter on, this expectation drove Doctor Strange nearly insane. He was just a sorcerer, but Iron Man seemed to treat magic as an all-powerful solution. No matter the problem, Iron Man always had the attitude of, "Let''s leave it to the all-powerful magic!"


    When he heard that even Sorcerer Supreme needed preparation for spells, Stark would mockingly call Strange a "low-end sorcerer," infuriating Strange to the point where he almost snapped his staff in two.


    Despite Schiller''s current performance, which would undoubtedly drive future interactions with Iron Man to the brink of insanity, he was currently delighting Stark. Stark asked, "How do I turn it into Mech armor? How do I put it on?"


    Schiller inquired in his mind, "How does he turn it into Mech armor? How does he put it on?"


    Symbiote burped and said, "Think about it in your mind."


    Schiller repeated, "Think about it in your mind."


    Stark paused for a moment, then hesitated as he recalled Marc2''s original method of arming himself.


    In almost an instant, Marc2 was fully attired on his body, a transformation that seemed to ur at the atomic level.


    Stark inquired, "What''s the principle behind this?"


    Schiller asked within his mind, "What''s the principle behind this?"


    The symbiote replied, "Thought disruption."


    Schiller conveyed to Stark, "Thought disruption."


    "You mean something like brainwaves or bioelectricity?" Stark pressed.


    The symbiote within Schiller''s mind seemed somewhat befuddled, apparently unable to provide further answers. Consequently, Schiller remarked, "Let''s not use science to exin magic. It works, and that''s what matters."


    Stark felt a mixture of curiosity and frustration, itching to begin researching immediately. He turned to Schiller, his expression unrecognizable, and said, "Alright, alright, I get it. Your incredible magic. Just you wait, one day I''ll use it even better than you."


    With that, he saw Schiller off.


    Schiller was practically ejected from Stark Tower, but he wasn''t upset. Stark was always like this,pletely absorbed in his experiments when the urge struck.


    Upon returning to the clinic, Schiller found Steve waiting for him. Steve greeted him and said, "Nick asked me to run an errand. He wants to see you, and I think it''s rted to Stark."


    Schiller called out to the empty air, "Ten million dors per hour, how''s that, Director Nick?"


    "You''re really pushing it," a voice suddenly emanated from a mobile phone hanging from Steve''s waist.


    Schiller shrugged, saying, "Well, originally, I was thinking of sending you a billion-dor invoice."


    There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice said, "Deal, with an additional fifty million inte fees."


    "Deal," Schiller agreed.


    Not long after, Schiller arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D.''s international reception center. Nick, wearing an eyepatch, shook hands with Schiller. They sat facing each other as Coulson poured them both coffee, with Schiller receiving an espresso.


    Schiller downed his coffee, but Nick sipped his slowly. Schiller spoke first, "Shall we discuss business first or start with the invoices?"


    "Let''s start with the invoices," Nick replied.


    After a moment, Nick asked, "I know Stark handed over military technology to the military, but that''s not what we''re after. We don''t want those Mech armor."


    "What you want is him."


    "S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded by his father."


    "If you bring this up to him now, he''ll never join you in this lifetime."


    "Furthermore, if you want him to join, talk to him yourselves. Don''te to me; it''s pointless. I''m just a psychologist, not his dad."


    "We''re not asking you to persuade Stark. We know he doesn''t listen to persuasion. What do you think of our idea? A teamprised of individuals with special abilities?"


    "It''s a good concept in itself, but it depends on whom they work for."


    "Aren''t they working for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"


    "In that case, who does S.H.I.E.L.D. work for?"


    Nick furrowed his brow momentarily, decisively avoiding that topic. He said, "Alright, we''d like to invite you to join..."


    "You''ve already said it''s a team of individuals with special abilities. I''m just an ordinary person; I''ve never jumped more than three meters."


    Nick opened his mouth but couldn''t help feeling like Schiller was underestimating him.


    "Listen, we don''t care how you vanish and reappear hundreds of meters away, or where that yellow-haired rodent with the Canadian entes from. We can even overlook your unnervingly urate psychological analyses. But a certain neurologist imed that you threatened him with a levitating ballpoint pen..."


    Schillermunicated with his symbiote in his mind, "You can''t just eat other people''s minds at will, except for Strange."


    Schiller replied, "Do you believe in magic in this world?"


    "Some scientific forces create these special abilities, so I believe there could be other forces creating other people. Are you one of them?"


    "No, I''m just an ordinary person. But I think I can exchange some information for my freedom."


    "About what? Magic?"


    "Correct. I believe you have satellite ess. Look into a certain missingwork connection in New York, see where it leads."


    Nick frowned, but Schiller didn''t say more.


    The wirelesswork at the New York Sanctum was likely based on modern technology rather than any magicwork. They simply used magic to conceal the pathways into thiswork. If Nick were inclined to investigate, he would find traces resembling spider webs.


    Schiller''s reason for not firmly rejecting the request was that in the events toe, he would still rely on the Avengers to save the world. He had no intention of confronting those enemies on his own, such as the Lizard Man or the Red Hulk. At most, he''d offer some minor assistance, so he needed to maintain his connections with these superheroes for the sake of his own safety, bing a helpful but unobtrusive figure in future events.

 Chapter 48: Evil Begets Retribution

    Chapter 48: Evil Begets Retribution


    The weather in New York was gradually turning colder, with a thin morning mist clinging to the windows, leaving a hazy whiteyer that cast a faint yellowish hue around the newly lit streetmps.


    Schiller, holding a cup of coffee, sat at his desk in Stark Laboratory, while Stark approached with a stack of data, saying, "We need to modify joint number 5 again and conduct aparative experiment with joint number 13. Also, there seems to be an issue with the data on the outer armor of arm number 7. I''ll have to readjust itter..."


    Schiller remarked, "Can''t you take a break? Aren''t you tired?"


    Stark, while spreading out the data materials on the table, replied, "You''ve asked me that question at least twenty times tonight, starting from 7 PM yesterday and continuing until 7 AM today."


    "That''s because you''ve had me working on experiments since 7 PM yesterday, and I haven''t even had a moment to sip my coffee."


    "Then what are you doing now? It''s been three minutes; you must have finished your coffee. We still have two sets of experiments to conduct, and they must bepleted by 8 AM today."


    Schiller copsed onto the table.


    Peter, holding two documents, emerged from behind theboratory''s ss door and said, "Mr. Stark, it seems there might be an issue with the external support structure of the leg bones of Joint Number 5. In the third set of data that JARVIS just provided me, there appears to be an unstable trend in the bone support structure, with a risk of fractures in the support. While JARVIS rmends changing the material, using Dragon Bone that''s too hard maypromise flexibility and agility..."


    Stark took the materials from Peter and nced at them, saying, "It''s not a major problem."He reached out and pointed to the design on the blueprint. "We''ll add a buffering system to this joint, and then move it down by two centimeters..."


    Peter, deep in thought with his hand on his chin, listened attentively. Stark then pulled Schiller up and said, "Normally, it takes you only three seconds to finish a cup of strong coffee, but now it''s been almost five minutes. Get up and get to work."


    "My magic abilities need to recharge..."


    "I remember someone saying that it''s a low-end operation, right?"


    Schiller covered his eyes and said, "Can''t you bring over aplete Mech armor suit, and I can use my magic on it once, and then you can use it directly? Why do you have to dissect it into individual parts for experiments?"


    Stark, somewhat speechless, remarked, "Why do I sometimes feel like you understand this stuff well, but other times, you seem like a mechanical idiot?"


    He spread the design blueprint on the table and pointed to the patterns on it. "See this? After you deal with the shrinking and expanding issues of the Mark 4 using your magic, I can focus on its performance and functionality. But once I enhance a part''s performance and functionality, I have to test if it can still shrink and expand as intended or if its post-expansion functionality matches my expectations."


    "So, I have to conduct a lot of modr experiments to test if a specific function, when shrunk and expanded individually, achieves the desired effect."


    Schiller asked, "So, is there anyponent that didn''t meet your expectations?"


    "What if it''s the next one?" Stark replied.


    These damn meticulous science geeks, Schiller thought as he slumped onto the table again.


    Peter added, "I agree with Mr. Stark. Making this Mech armor isn''t child''s y. Once you''re flying at several thousand meters in the air and aponent fails, it could be extremely dangerous."


    "Not only that," Stark continued while organizing the design blueprints, "the performance differs at low power operation, high power operation, and even overclocked operation. You must ensure that it performs as close to perfection as possible at each efficiency output level."


    Stark then grabbed Schiller''s arm, pulling him over to theb table. Peter handed over aponent, which Schiller proceeded to disassemble and reassemble before Stark took it for testing. Peter then handed over anotherponent, and the process repeated.


    Peter and Stark seemed to be conducting experiments, but Schiller felt like he was simply turning lightbulbs on an assembly line.


    The symbiote in his mind kept repeating, "Their heads smell so good, really good, I want to eat them, can I eat one? Just one, and I''ll eat the other next time, I want to eat the one with the blue eyes first..."


    Schiller noticed that the symbiote seemed to detect people''s brainwaves. When someone''s brain was working rapidly, he sensed a pheromone being released, and the faster the brain activity, the more enticing it smelled to the symbiote.


    Unfortunately, Peter and Stark, being super geniuses, had brains that were like walking, irresistibly fragrant fried chicken to the symbiote.


    For some reason, the symbiote had also learned to y the sound of swallowing saliva repeatedly in Schiller''s mind, making him feel hungry.


    After Schiller finished turning thest lightbulb, he said, "Let''s go grab something to eat. Aren''t you two hungry?"


    Stark tossed him twopressed cookies and said, "Thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D.''s new stuff, I can work continuously for 40 hours now."


    Schiller took a deep breath and said, "Aren''t you tired? And you, Peter, have you slept in the past two days?"


    "I brought this kid here because he has way more energy than anyone else," Stark replied.


    Peter shrugged, saying, "Ever since I got my powers, I only need short naps to stay energetic. I just had a 15-minute nap in the break room, and I feel fine now."


    "Speaking of which, you''re a sorcerer. Why do you feel tired? Don''t you have any invigorating magic?"


    Schiller wasn''t actually feeling any physical fatigue; with the symbiote, he could go without eating, drinking, or sleeping. But anyone would still feel mentally weary after over 20 hours of tinkering with light bulbs here.


    Schiller didn''t understand a bit of their battlesuit design, but whenever Stark emerged excitedly from behind the ss door to showcase his new ideas, Schiller had to y cheerleader and apud him. If he didn''t, Stark would charge right back through the ss door, followed by a series of ngs and bangs, only to emerge with a new concept.


    Stark said, "How can you be so indifferent to such a great endeavor? This is a milestone in the history of human science, perhaps even in magic! For the first time, we''re merging the products of human science and technology with a new magical power. Don''t you anticipate what they''ll produce?"


    "I''m more concerned about something else," Schiller said. "Are you nning to name this series of battlesuits ''Marc'' as well? I think it should have a new name."


    "A new name? How about the ''S'' series? It starts with the initials of your name and mine."


    "Peter would be disappointed; he also contributed to the creation."


    Stark scratched his head, and Peter chimed in, "I don''t mind that, but more than the name, I think the new battlesuit should have a cooler appearance, something entirely different from the Marc series."


    "I think you can design it in blue," Schiller suggested. "It goes well with magic and can distinguish it from your Marc series."


    "Then let''s get going. Once we''ve tested all theponents, we can start assembling it, and soon we can paint it a beautiful color. I think blue and silver would be nice."


    "Furthermore," Stark looked at Schiller and said, "I think this Mech armor should have some magical attack capabilities."


    "But I''m sorry, my magical skills don''t have any offensive abilities," Schiller replied.


    "What about that levitation spell? Floating objects could be useful."


    "You could consider maic force," Schiller casually revealed Mao, saying, "Perhaps maic force is stronger than you imagine."


    When Natasha arrived, these three individuals hadn''t slept for almost 50 hours. Schiller and Peter, thanks to their superpowers, still appeared rtively normal, but Stark had enormous panda eyes. Natasha said, "We were about to put out a missing persons notice for you. You''ve been gone for nearly three whole days."


    "But we have an outstanding achievement!" Stark eximed.


    Then, Natasha saw Stark pull out a cigarette, and the female agent smiled and said, "It seems you''re still not getting with the times. Ever since I joined S.H.I.E.L.D., I quit smoking."


    "You''re thinking about healthy living only now? Isn''t it a bitte?" Schiller asked her.


    "Healthy living? I didn''t quit for that! Have you seen any Russians into healthy living? That damn cigarette smoke rm in the S.H.I.E.L.D. office goes off more than 20 times a day. It was driving me crazy, and that''s why I quit smoking."


    "Hey, look here! What are you guys talking about? Look at me, look at my achievement!" Stark said.


    He tossed the cigarette aside, and in an instant, a Mech armor made up of silver and deep blue materialized around him.


    This Mech armor was indeed slightly different from the Marc series in design. It appeared sleeker, more streamlined, and tailored to Stark''s physique. Moreover, there was no mechanical noise when he armed or moved in it. It was less of a Mech armor and more of a unique form-fitting suit.


    Schiller stood up and said, "You used to be 10 centimeters taller than me in Mech armor, but now it''s only 3 centimeters."


    "Is that the focus here?!"


    "Of course, because without the Mech armor, you''re 2 centimeters shorter, sir," Peter said, "Not to mention your shoes."


    Stark took a deep breath, leaped lightly, and the armor floated in the air with minimal noise. Stark said, "Thanks for the inspiration. I also feel like jet propulsion is losing its charm. However, this maic levitation system is still a bit immature; I''ll need to improve it."


    Schiller hurriedly asked Natasha, "Is Nick Fury looking for me for something? I can send him an invoice for any amount."


    Natasha said, "Well, there is something, seems to be rted to the group of Ninjas that Captain and Peter dealt with before."


    "So, you''re here for Peter, and Schiller..." Stark began.


    "No, no, no. I''ve received a lot of money from S.H.I.E.L.D. I think it''s necessary to give them all a basic psychological and emotional test, you know, it''s important for some field agents. It can prevent them from going crazy due to anxiety."


    "This time, it''s free?"


    "Of course!"

 Chapter 49: Ironclad Ambitions (1)

    Chapter 49: Irond Ambitions (1)


    In this moment, Coulson stood outside Nick Fury''s office, thoroughly perplexed. He watched as everyone who approached this corridor took a sharp right turn.


    Natasha emerged from Nick''s office, and Coulson stopped her, asking, "What''s going on? Why are they taking the long route? I remember the quickest way to the elevator is to the left, isn''t it?"


    "Because our genius psychologist with a sky-high consultation fee is in the office on the left, waiting for people to seek psychological counseling," Natasha replied.


    "Wait, you brought him here? How much is he charging? It can''t be $100 million per hour, can it?" Coulson asked.


    "No, it''s not that steep. ording to Nick''s report, it''s $50 million per hour," Natasha responded.


    Coulson gasped in disbelief and said, "So, if I were to see him for counseling right now, it would be like making a cool $50 million?"


    "You could look at it that way," Natasha said casually.


    "There must be a long line over there, right? Can I still get in today?" Coulson inquired.


    "Quite the opposite, there isn''t a single person there," Natasha shrugged and walked away.Coulson shouted after her, "You''re going the wrong way! That''s the emergency exit! The elevator is to the left!"


    Natasha didn''t look back and simply said, "I want to exercise! You know, for health reasons!"


    Coulson was even more bewildered. Shortly after, Nick emerged from his office. Coulson greeted him, "Good morning, Director."


    Nick nodded at him and said, "Recently, Natasha has stepped back from Stark Industries affairs, and she''ll also be following up on The Hand case. Your main task is to keep an eye on that unpredictable troublemaker; make sure he doesn''t cause any chaos."


    Coulson acknowledged and then noticed Nick turning to the right. He stopped his superior and said, "Director, the elevator is on the left. Going to the right will add at least 5 minutes to your journey."


    "I''ve been working on my fitnesstely, nning to take the staircase," Nick replied.


    Coulson was utterly puzzled. He walked to the left, reached Schiller''s office door, which was left ajar, and entered. Schiller was engrossed in his work, and when he saw someone enter, he looked up in surprise, saying, "Someone actually came..."


    Coulson paused and said, "Aren''t you supposed to open the door now? I recall during the morning meeting, it was mentioned that psychological counseling starts today."


    "Of course, the door is open! Pleasee in; you''re the first one," Schiller replied. He even pulled out a chair for Coulson, making him feel somewhat ufortable. Schiller continued, "Actually, you might be the only one."


    "I don''t understand. With psychological counseling covered by the agency at $50 million per hour, why isn''t anyoneing?" Coulson wondered.


    "It''s probably because I asked for $50 million, and Nick agreed..." Schiller began.


    "What''s the problem with that? Doesn''t it show that the Director has a lot of confidence in your abilities?" Coulson asked.


    "Well... aside from his macroeconomic understanding of our budget and his flexible use of reimbursement within the organizational framework, have you considered that it might be his confidence in me that''s scaring people away?" Schiller questioned.


    "Are you saying they think your skills are too advanced?" Coulson asked.


    Schiller was left speechless. "Are you really an 8th-level Agent? What level is Natasha? Is it 100th level for the maximum?" he retorted.


    "Which Agent would willingly consult with a highly skilled psychologist and reveal all their secrets?" Coulson reasoned.


    "I thought it was just some basic emotional adjustment, like relieving anxiety," Schiller said.


    "In that case, you could go outside and smoke a cigarette," Coulson suggested.


    "No, the damn cigarette smoke detectors here are too sensitive," Coulson replied.


    "Alright, are you here to alleviate some depressive feelings, then?" Schiller asked.


    "Not really, it''s because I''ve seen that Captain and you seem to get along well. I want him to sign myplete set of fan shcards. Can you ask him for me?" Coulson requested.


    Schiller sighed and said, "Well, I knew it. But since I''m making this kind of money, if it can truly ease your anxiety, give me the cards. I promise not to let a single one go unsigned. It should be worth the $50 million an hour I charge."


    After Coulson left, Schiller sat in his makeshift office, leisurely sipping his coffee. However, before he could finish his morning tasks, he decided to open the door for some fresh air. Suddenly, a sharp rm went off, and a small device on his head emitted a red light, triggering an intense rm.


    Startled, Schiller reached for his Spider-Sense, but it remained silent. As a precaution, he readied to Blink, but a loud screech apanied the activation of the fire sprinklers, drenching the room. If Schiller hadn''t moved quickly, he would have been soaked.


    Coulson and a few agents rushed over, looking at the cigarette smoke detector, and then back at Schiller, who was holding his coffee cup, wide-eyed.


    "You''re not allowed to smoke in here," Coulson said.


    "I didn''t smoke," Schiller replied.


    Coulson raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Your expression was the same as Natasha''s when she was caught smoking. Did you throw a cigarette down the sink drain or something?"


    "Of course not. I don''t smoke indoors," Schiller protested.


    Coulson didn''t detect any cigarette odor, so he looked up at the persistent cigarette smoke detector and said, "Well, it seems this damn thing is malfunctioning again."


    "How did you manage to make a cigarette smoke detector create such a deafening noise?"


    "If you experienced 32 fire incidents in your house in a single month, you would understand."


    Symbiote, inside Schiller''s mind, said, "I''m feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous. Let''s go."


    Schiller replied, "It seems today''s counseling session ends here, not even a full hour, but we''ll count it as one. Don''t forget to have Nick settle the bill. I''ll leave first."


    Schiller decisively left because he knew this wasn''t an ident; someone didn''t want him to stay there any longer. After all, going downstairs took an extra five minutes each time, which was a significant time drain.


    Humans were always like this. When they didn''t have the ability to read minds, they fantasized about someone understanding them, knowing their thoughts. But when someone actually acquired that mind-reading ability, everyone avoided them.


    Of course, at S.H.I.E.L.D., it was probably due to Nick Fury''s unconventional management system.


    Back at the clinic, Schiller, who hadn''t slept for dozens of hours, nned to take a short nap. Symbiote yed a hypnotic piece of music, helping him fall asleep quickly. However, before he could enter deep slumber, a telephone call disrupted his rest.


    "What?... Then why are you looking for me? Go find Pepper."


    "She''s busy? Does that mean I''m not busy? Well, I''m actually not busy, but you can''t make me go back to theboratory. I really don''t want to change light bulbs again."


    "Yes, yes, I know your armor is a groundbreaking piece of technology, not a light bulb. Can you get to the point?"


    "JARVIS found an anomaly in the parts storage. The count doesn''t match. Are you sure you didn''t miscount? Okay, I understand... I know you''re meticulous, but how can I help with this? I can''t magically conjure up the missing parts for you, and no, magic won''t work either."


    "...It''s hard to say." Schiller paced in the clinic''s living room. "Maybe you should ask JARVIS for his estimate. He''s more than just aputer now."


    "JARVIS was a bit evasive? So, you don''t know the answer? Or are you suspecting someone but unwilling to acknowledge it..."


    "No, my mind-reading abilities don''t work in situations like this. Don''t joke around... I can tell you that there''s an 80% chance the person you''re thinking of..."


    After hanging up, Schiller grabbed Pikachu and rubbed his cheeks. "A sturdy fortress of steel is always first breached from within. This situation is really hard to fathom."


    "What''s troubling that guy in the tough armor?" Pikachu asked.


    "It seems he lost something from his suit, and his smart assistant pointed to a suspect he didn''t want to hear about. Now he''s questioning life."


    "Human beings always create unnecessary trouble for themselves," Pikachu concluded. "That Parker kid, he''s worried about identally killing the hostages while ying a game. It''s just a game; even if the hostages die, if the kidnappers are eliminated, we still win, right?"


    "So you''d go ahead and kill the hostages?"


    "Well, that kid always takes forever to make a decision. What can I do? You humans overthink things, immerse yourselves too deeply in things that haven''t happened yet, and avoid confronting what has already urred."


    "I never thought a mouse like you coulde up with such insightful words."


    "Of course, I''m the great detective Pikachu."


    In Stark Tower, all the lights in Stark Laboratory were extinguished, leaving only a few instrument lights flickering dimly, like stars in the night sky.


    Stark leaned on theb table, sitting on the floor, with a symbol shing on his mobile phone, indicating that JARVIS was still active.


    "I''m trying tofort you, sir," JARVIS said.


    "So, you turned off all the lights for that?" Stark''s voice was hoarse from excessivete nights, and he sounded exhausted.


    "It might help you rx a bit. Dim lighting can soothe the brain," JARVIS replied.


    Stark closed his eyes, changed to a morefortable position, propped his arm on a table, and rested his head, almost speaking in a dream-like tone. "Perhaps this is karma. Stark Industries'' weapons have caused countless people to suffer, and so the people I once trusted are leaving me one by one..."


    "We can''t be certain that Mr. Obadiah is the culprit," JARVIS said. "In our analysis, he only has about a 96% likelihood."


    "You can be more direct," Stark said.


    "Apologies, I meant to say there''s a 4% chance it''s not him."


    "Who''s left, then?"


    "Mr. Schiller has a 2% chance, Mr. Parker has a 1.2% chance, and you have a 0.8% chance."


    "Schiller? You expect someone who can''t even distinguish numbered Mech armor parts from 1 to 10 to steal the most important core? And Peter, that kid may be a bit naive, but he wouldn''t steal. He''s the kind of guy who''d be shocked for half a day if he saw me smoke a cigarette."


    "I''m trying tofort you," JARVIS repeated.


    Finally, Stark felt all the sounds of the world gradually fade away as he drifted between wakefulness and dreams, remembering Howard''s face. At that time, Uncle Obadiah and his father stood together, both of them still young.

 Chapter 50: Ambitions of Ironclad Resolve (2)

    Chapter 50: Ambitions of Irond Resolve (2)


    "...Tony refuses to see me now, and I know he must be disappointed. But I hope you can tell him that the Air Force isn''t satisfied with the technology he''s given them; they want more. My superior, General Johnson, hinted that they want to join forces with the Army to pressure Stark Industries..."


    "Or perhaps they have more conspiracies."


    Rhodes spoke over the telephone, and Schiller asked, "Have you been excluded from the centers of power in this matter? Why? Because you hesitated?"


    Rhodes fell silent for a moment before saying, "No, General Johnson has always distrusted me because I used to be a subordinate of the old General Androlo. Their rtionship was very strained."


    "So that''s why he pressured you, isn''t it?"


    Schiller sighed and said, "If you can''t handle the pressure there, what should you do?"


    Before Rhodes could respond, Schiller continued, "Tony not seeing you right now isn''t about the Air Force. There have been internal issues at Stark Industries, and he needs time to sort things out. He hasn''t left his ce for days."


    Rhodes'' tone remained t and serious, much like his demeanor. He said, "I think we all know that Stark Industries isn''t a unified front. There must be someone within the organization coborating with the military, and that person is likely high-ranking."


    He continued, "The military has had ess to Stark Industries'' technology information far too quickly and in too much detail. It''s not normal. Though I don''t have more information at the moment, I don''t want Tony to be betrayed.""Do you want me to tell him about this? But have you considered that he may already know, and the reason he''s waiting..."


    "I know he''s too soft-hearted. Otherwise, he wouldn''t havepromised with the military because of me. But this time, it''s too serious. If he continues to be indecisive, it will lead to a major incident."


    Just as they were discussing this, Schiller heard amotion. He turned his head and saw two shooting stars outside the window, followed by two dazzling lights streaking across the sky. A loud explosion echoed from the distant horizon as the two lights intertwined and fell from the sky.


    Schiller looked out the window and said to the other end of the telephone, "Something big has happened."


    Schiller hung up the phone, transformed into a grey mist, and moved through the streets of Manhattan, following thending points of those two streaks of light. He arrived at an abandoned warehouse in the New York XC district.


    Thisnding point was undoubtedly chosen by Stark because it was a rare urban wastnd area where no civilians would be harmed.


    Schiller slowly solidified his form. Before he could enter the warehouse, his phone rang again. Rhodes urgently said from the other end, "Send me a satellite location. I''m on my way right now. Tony may need my help!"


    While holding the phone, Schiller used a Blink to fly to the roof of the warehouse and looked down.


    There, Iron Man, wearing golden-red Mech armor, was locked inbat with a massive robot.


    That robot was not the Iron Monger.


    It was entirely ck with golden ents on certain joints,rger than the Iron Monger but even more menacing.


    Schiller said into the phone, "The situation has changed; you better hurry."


    The battle below was intense. Iron Man was not incapable of defeating the giant robot, but during their earlier fall, he had to bring the robot down to an uninhabited area. As a result, he didn''t have time to adjust the angle properly, and one side of his Mech armor''s body was now less maneuverable.


    This wasn''t like dealing with street thugs when he was saving people. Even with JARVIS'' intelligent calction system, Iron Man was struggling. It appeared that the robot was specifically designed to counter him.


    Iron Man flew into the air and grabbed the robot''s waist in a low-altitude dive, mming it against a wall. After a loud impact, arge section of the roof copsed on top of them.


    Iron Man was in an even worse condition now. His Mech armor''s shoulder section was damaged, and one arm could hardly be lifted.


    However, the massive robot didn''t fare any better. After being struck hard by Iron Man and electrocuted, arge portion of its cockpit was damaged, but there was no driver inside. It seemed that someone was controlling it remotely.


    Realizing this, Iron Man came up with a n to deal with it. He pretended that his Mech armor had gone out of control, climbed out of the steel debris that had fallen from the roof, andy motionless on the ground.


    The giant robot struggled to climb out of the wreckage as well. Seeing Iron Man lying on the ground defenseless, it picked up a steel rod, intending to thrust it into Iron Man''s chest.


    Just as it leaned forward to exert force with its upper body, Iron Man suddenly sprang to life from the ground. He kicked the robot''s knee and followed up with an elbow strike to its head.


    The upper body of the giant robot was too bulky in design, making it strong but unstable at the lower half. It took a solid elbow strike from Iron Man and swayed to one side, nearly toppling over.


    Just as Iron Man was nning to use an electric shock inbination with a strike to defeat it, the giant robot suddenly emitted smoke. JARVIS began rming frantically. Iron Man quickly flew backward, but he was still too slow.


    A violent explosion generated a massive mushroom cloud in the warehouse, and the deafening noise could be heard several blocks away. It had self-destructed.


    Clearly, there was a reason the designer of this colossal robot had made its upper body so massive.


    Inside it, there was a substantial explosive device, with a significant yield.


    As Schiller pulled Stark out of the Mech armor, his face was covered in blood, and he had at least three broken ribs. It appeared that his ankle and arm were fractured as well.


    Stark himself indeed possessed no superhuman abilities. Though his brain was highly developed, his limbs were evidently far less capable.


    Struggling to lift his arm and wipe the blood from his eyes, Stark saw Schiller and sighed in relief, saying, "In my pocket... mobile phone... JARVIS can summon another Mech armor to check if there''s anyone around... the explosion was massive..."


    Clearly, his head had also taken some impact. Schiller lifted his eyelids, revealing severe eye hemorrhaging. He took out a small bottle of pills, poured out one, and had Stark swallow it.


    The high-dose painkiller worked swiftly, and Stark soon spoke, "This thing came after me; it has a strong restraint against my Mech armor, and it can even predict my movement patterns. I can''t believe it..."


    "Can''t believe what? Can''t believe that the person who understands you the most might betray you? With your capabilities, you could create more Mech armor suits and defeat them one by one."


    "I know, I shouldn''t have hidden away in theboratory, but I just needed some time to process this. You can''t expect me to be emotionless like a zombie."


    Stark now appeared extremely pessimistic, his face marked by despair and loss.


    He coughed heavily a few times, and a trickle of fresh blood ran down his mouth, indicating that the impact had also affected his respiratory system. The euphoric sensation from the high-dose painkiller surged through him, entrancing him. He spoke softly:


    "I always knew his friends wouldn''t be good people, just as rotten as he is. I used to think..."


    "No, maybe he''s right. Stark isn''t worth entrusting. He''ll only ever disappoint people."


    Schiller ced Stark''s head t and checked his pulse, finding it slightly low. He considered carrying Stark away, but Stark resisted, seeming tock the will to survive.


    So, Schiller sat down cross-legged beside him. Nearbyy the wreckage of the Iron Manbat suit, and not far away was the massive pit caused by the explosion of the giant robot, with cigarette smoke rising from it. The entire warehouse was in ruins, with steel beams and concrete fragments scattered everywhere, resembling a post-apocalyptic wastnd.


    Schiller asked Stark, "Actually, isn''t Obadiah more like your father than Howard?"


    Stark didn''t respond, seemingly asleep. After a while, he slowly said, "When I created the first robot, Uncle Obadiah was very happy. He said I was a genius just like my father."


    "I always heard my father''s name in his words. He described him as a perfect person, intelligent, honest, resolute... just."


    "In my memories, every time he mentioned Howard''s name, it was always with praise and nostalgia."


    "Butter, I started to dislike hearing that name more and more, and he stopped mentioning it."


    Stark''s voice was hoarse, and he spoke almost breathlessly. He said, "I saw a picture of them together on his desk. They were young and full of vigor..."


    "Maybe like you and Rhodes," Schiller suggested.


    "No, it''s different,pletely different."


    "I''m nothing like Howard, nothing at all, and Rhodes isn''t like Obadiah either. We''re the opposite of them, and we''ll never be their duplicates, never..."


    Afterward, Stark fell silent, and the painkiller''s effects quickly put him to sleep.


    When Rhodes arrived and saw the severity of Stark''s injuries, he pounded the wreckage of the Mech armor in frustration. Schiller said to him, "Right now, the issue seems to be more about his mental state than his physical injuries."


    "Aren''t you a psychologist? Can''t you talk to him, help him through this?"


    "I am a psychologist, but I''m not a god. Clearly, he''s in a deadlock now. He feels that everything he''s enduring is his own retribution, his father''s retribution, Stark Industries'' retribution."


    "Is he willing to just give everything up?"


    "That''s a question for him to answer. He once said he would never back down for the sake of his family, but now it seems he''s willing to relinquish it all."


    Rhodes looked at Stark lying on the ground and said, "If he has one price to pay, it might be for his brilliant mind and sensitive heart."


    "He said you two areplete opposites," Schiller said. "He has an iron suit, but what about you?"


    "Do you have a resolute heart?"


    Rhodes turned back, gazing at the scrap of the Mech armor in front of him, and said nothing.

 Chapter 51: Ironclad Ambitions (2)

    Chapter 51: Irond Ambitions (2)


    Several dayster, Pepper came to pick up the injured Stark from the hospital. The driver, with Pepper and Stark on board, left the Presbyterian Hospital and drove onto the main road.


    Not long after they set off, a loud explosion erupted from the rear of a car ahead, followed by the sound of someone throwing smoke grenades. Threads of white mist quickly engulfed everything within sight.


    Stark hastily pushed Pepper down, bullets whizzed by, striking the bulletproof ss and causing the entire car to shake.


    Cursing under his breath, Stark reached for his mobile phone to call for his Mech armor, but Pepper interrupted him, saying, "Damn it, your injury hasn''t fully healed. Call Rhodes to pilot a mech first!"


    Before Stark could respond, Pepper snatched the mobile phone away and took cover below the car''s seats, dialing Rhodes and urgently saying, "Tony and I are under attack on the road after leaving the hospital! Quickly, get someone to help us!"


    As she finished speaking, a tremendous vibration shook the ground, and the sound of heavy objects falling resonated with mechanical nking all around. Stark turned to look out of the car window and saw several colossal robots surrounding them.


    The driver in the front seat had already been shot, leaving Stark with no choice but to crawl into the driver''s seat himself. Pepper adjusted her hair and said, "Turn right toward the square; that''s where we can get backup!"


    Fortunately, Stark''s armored car was of good quality. He ignited the engine and elerated, beginning a desperate escape.


    He thumped the steering wheel and said, "Thank goodness we''re leaving the hospital at night!"He then turned to see five or sixrge robots closing in on their tail. Stark said, "I have to get out and engage them. If they n to self-destruct here, it will be disastrous!"


    "This is the city center, and we''re not far from the Presbyterian Hospital. If this many robots self-destruct here, the entire hospital will likely be leveled!" Pepper added.


    As the car''s speed increased, Stark struggled to maintain control, executing a sharp drift that left dark skid marks on the road, apanied by the screeching of brakes.


    Seeing one of the robots about to leap onto their car, Stark heard a loud thud. A figure soaring in mid-air kicked the robot''s head, sending it flying.


    Peternded on the car''s roof with a thud and leaned into the driver''s seat, saying, "Did I arrive just in time?"


    Then, he looked ahead and said quickly, "Hey! Listen up! Don''t go straight; turn left! There''s a traffic jam up ahead! If those big guys get through, they''ll crush all the cars!"


    After saying this, he shot another web, attaching it swiftly to the wall of a building, and began moving across, aggravating the robots until they became enraged.


    One of the robots raised its arm and fired a rocket at him, causing an explosion. Spider-Man emerged unscathed, but a shop''s door was blown off, injuring the store clerk. Spider-Man rushed inside to rescue him.


    "It seems that the Spider kid is busy too," Stark remarked. "These guys are causing too muchmotion; someone has to go help the civilians."


    Pepper said, "Rhodes must have called Steve and Schiller. Let''s focus on our own safety for now!"


    Stark''s wounds still throbbed, and a few days of recovery were not enough for him. He nced up, and the shadow of a helicopter loomed over the car. Rhodes hung from the helicopter''s door, shouting, "Head south! Quickly! We can''t engage them here! Many people will die!"


    Gritting his teeth, Stark forcefully turned the steering wheel, causing the car to swerve to the left, making a sharp turn and scraping against two road bords before crashing at a street corner.


    Stark opened the damaged car door, and Pepper, feeling a bit dizzy from the ordeal, climbed out with Stark''s assistance.


    Spider-Man directly snapped tworgempposts using his web and swung one to create trouble for the robots. Stark shouted, "JARVIS! Arm up!"


    Soon, a red and gold Mech armor flew over. After Iron Man armed up, he carried Pepper to the rooftop, cing her in a safe spot. Rhodes also donned his Mech armor.


    They were at a small factory producing mechanical parts, and luckily, most of the workers had already left due to thete hour. The security guards who had heard themotion had also fled. When the robots arrived, Iron Man and Rhodes were eagerly waiting for them.


    Spider-Man, althoughcking advancedbat skills, possessed immense strength, speed, and agility, confusing the robotic foes and creating an optimal environment for Iron Man.


    Sparks flew from Repulsor Rays, causing small explosions. Iron Man navigated swiftly among the giant robots, and Rhodes took down two of them. Rhodes shouted, "This won''t work! If they self-destruct together, we won''t be able to escape!"


    "This doesn''t make sense, something''s off," Stark realized only now. "These robots are definitely not Obadiah''s doing. Even if he stole the core energy, he couldn''t have made so many robots in such a short time. This requires an entire military-industrialplex. Pepper controls Stark''s military production line; Obadiah couldn''t have done this without her knowing."


    As he spoke, one of the robots hit by his Repulsor Ray charged toward him. Spider-Man yelled from the other side, "Get out of the way! It''s dangerous!"


    Iron Man maxed out the power of his armor and rapidly ascended, causing a massive explosion on the ground. "Thank goodness I upgraded the jet propulsion; otherwise, I couldn''t withstand such an impact."


    He then dove down and quickly grabbed one robot, flinging it away. This time, Iron Man was smarter; after throwing the robot, he immediately turned back. As expected, another intense explosion followed.


    Stark reacted swiftly, but Steve behind him wasn''t as fortunate. He shielded himself against the st''s shockwave, but he still stumbled.


    "Damn it! What are these things?" Stark eximed.


    Floating in mid-air, Iron Man surveyed the charred debris on the ground and said, "I recognize those parts; they''re from the pre-upgraded Mark VII, the version I provided to the military."


    He nced back at Rhodes, still fighting the robots, raised his Mech armor, and went to deal with another enemy.


    Explosions continued one after another, and more robots joined the battle. The area was quickly turning into a wastnd.


    It had to be admitted that this tactic was highly effective. The constant explosions created a powerful impact that kept everyone busy. Moreover, whenever a robot attempted to escape the battle zone, the superheroes had to chase them down to prevent potential civilian casualties.


    Although Iron Man gradually discerned a pattern, the time between the two attacks was too short. He didn''t have time to modify his armor to counter these suicide troops. Two consecutive explosions sent Iron Man flying, and his armor emitted a series of sparks.


    Seeing him falter, several robots, now surrounding him, had a single goal: to use explosions to defeat him.


    Just as the first robot disyed a red light on its chest, the ground shook again. A thunderous roar filled the air as a colossal arm grabbed the robot and hurled it away, causing it to crash into a wall and explode.


    A steel monster twice the size of the self-destructive robots appeared. Iron Man got up from the ground and flew into the air. "Damn it, what''s this now? Where did they get so many robots?!"


    The steel monster tore one of the robots in half and extracted the bomb from its chest. Rhodes was bewildered, saying, "What''s going on? Why are they fighting each other?"


    "Don''t you see it now? They''re not all on the same side!" Captain America shouted.


    The situation on the battlefield had be incrediblyplex. The superheroes had to deal with the self-destructing robots to prevent them from escaping and exploding in residential areas, while the steel monster seemed determined to shred these robots to pieces.


    Iron Man didn''t know who to target at the moment, while Spider-Man seemed to pay no heed to anyone. Enemies surrounded them from all sides. Spider-Man used his spider web to trip the self-destructing robots and even managed tond a punch on that steel monster.


    In no time, the self-destructing robots were being dealt with, either being thrown away and detonated or having their bombs disarmed.


    Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, they saw another colossal figure appear on the opposite rooftop. An erged version of the self-destructing robot leaped down, simrly d in ck and gold, but its size dwarfed even Iron Man''s Mech armor, causing a deafening crash as itnded.


    "Oh my god, what is this now? I''ve never seen so many robots in my life!" Peter eximed. "Could they be a family of three or something?"


    Captain America walked over, carrying his shield. "If that''s the case, just by looking at their sizes, you can tell who the son is."


    "You didn''t uphold our agreement!" the robot that had justnded shouted.


    "You yed me..." the steel monster also said. It was evident that both of these robots had human pilots.


    Stark''s expression turned to shock as he and Rhodes almost simultaneously eximed, "Uncle Obadiah!" and "General Johnson!"


    But before they could figure out what was happening, the two gigantic steel robots had already engaged inbat.


    It was clear that, although these two robots were powerful, their pilots were inexperienced inbat, resorting to brawling tactics. Punch for punch.


    Iron Man remained suspended in the air, unsure of whom to assist. JARVIS had just performed a voice analysis, confirming that it was indeed Obadiah speaking, but what was going on? Were these self-destructing robots not created by Obadiah after all? And who was General Johnson? Were they originally nning to unite against him but had now turned on each other?


    Iron Man felt that he couldn''t make the right choice at this moment, so he could only watch the spectacle unfold from above.


    The steel monster''s punch struck General Johnson''s Mech armor, resulting in a loud crash as the cockpit''s panel shattered. General Johnson took a step back and waved his arms, saying, "Howard''sckey! Now you want to step in and protect his son? How ridiculous! When he wanted to shut down Stark''s military department, he never asked for his dear uncle''s opinion!"


    "He never cared about your hard work, and now you want to be his security guard? Old Andrew was right from the beginning. Howard, that rotten man, only did one thing right in his life ¨C he hired you as his watchdog!"


    The opposing steel monster remained silent. General Johnson took another step back, addressing Rhodes on the other side, "Look at this, your future! You all love following Stark around, being at his beck and call, friends? Ha, if he truly considered you friends, he wouldn''t give you outdated technology materials!"


    "Our friend across the way has been Howard''s watchdog his whole life! What has he gained? He doesn''t even dare to rebel!"


    Rhodes and Stark were about to respond when JARVIS issued a severe warning: "High-energy response detected! Evade immediately! Evade immediately! 3! 2..."


    In a moment, another intense mushroom cloud rose, and the colossal robot controlled by General Johnson exploded with a deafening roar. A massive pit, several hundred meters wide, was left in the ground, and half of the factory was reduced to rubble.


    No one had anticipated his decisiveness. Iron Man couldn''t evade in time, and his Mech armor was nearly obliterated. Rhodes'' suit was even more severely damaged. The steel monster, while still standing, seemed to be struggling.


    Perhaps General Johnson had prepared in advance. Despite being at the center of the explosion, he survived, emerging from a safepartment holding a remote control.


    "You might think it''s over, but quite the opposite, this is just the beginning!" General Johnson dered.


    Stark, bleeding from his head, wiped his eyes and helped Rhodes out of his Mech armor. "Your boss has quite a temper."


    "Tell me about it. That''s why I had no choice but to leave." Rhodes replied with a touch of self-mockery.


    "You still haven''t learned, Colonel Rhodes. Howard made promises to Obadiah, none of which he fulfilled. He still only cares about his son, Tony Stark Jr. He can shut down the most important military systems with a word, destroying the hard work of generations. How ridiculous!"


    "For him, you repeatedly denied my requests, only providing me with outdated military technology materials. But what did that achieve? You were just a supporting act for Iron Man. He basks in the limelight while you remain in the shadows, just like Howard and Obadiah..."


    "...the barking of a failure," a voice came from the still-grounded steel monster.


    "When we chose old Andrew, it was because you were too foolish. Decadester, you''re still unchanged, so I still have no choice but to dismiss you, fool."


    Obadiah''s tone was slow and light,pletely out of ce for a battlefield, which only infuriated Johnson further.


    Gritting his teeth, Johnson pressed the remote control, summoning dozens of smaller robots, smaller in size than the self-destructing ones but looking more advanced.


    "Now, you''re without Mech armor, while I have them. Just like old Stark did to me years ago, it''s my turn now!"


    "Cough... after all these years, you still haven''t figured one thing out," Obadiah''s voice came through. "A suit of iron doesn''t make much difference."


    Hearing this, Stark let out a sigh, rxing his shoulder muscles. Compared to those massive robots, they seemed small and powerless. He muttered to himself, "Maybe he''s right. They''re all right. Just having an iron suit doesn''t really make me any better off."


    Rhodes stared ahead, the towering robots making them appear even more diminutive without their suits. "Enough with the contemtion, don''t you think we shoulde up with a n now?"


    Stark looked up at the swarm of robots closing in, then turned to Rhodes. "Do you think we''re like them?"


    "No, you''re even more rotten than your father."


    On the scorched wastnd, Stark touched his chest and, in contrast to the towering robots surrounding them, they appeared feeble. Stark''s tone rxed, as if he were chatting with an old friend.


    Then, in the pitch-ck night, only the faint glow of the robots'' eyes blinked like distant stars. Stark turned his head towards Rhodes and asked, "Care for a smoke?"

 Chapter 52: Iron Man Never Retreats

    Chapter 52: Iron Man Never Retreats


    Rhodes said, "No, thanks, I don''t smoke..."


    Next thing he knew, Stark nonchntly produced a cigarette and tossed it into the air. In a moment, a slim Mech armor, adorned with shades of blue and silver, d his body. Rhodes swallowed hard and said, "Actually, give me one, thanks."


    On the other side, General Johnson had just climbed back into a massive robot''s cockpit. What met his eyes was a fist the size of a sandbag.


    Iron Man was intending to team up with Rhodes against Johnson, but he was intercepted by the resurrected steel monster. He heard Obadiah say, "You know, most of what I told you about your father, it wasn''t the truth."


    "In reality, he smoked cigarettes, drank heavily, mingled with women, daydreamed all day, and had a knack foring up with crazy ideas that messed things up. After causing a lot of trouble, he would just let others clean up the mess."


    "All those hero stories about him, I made them up. He was, in fact, aplete scoundrel."


    "But do you know how I used to stop him when he was about to blurt out some foolish idea?"


    Iron Man had a bad feeling, but before he could respond, a fist the size of a sandbag appeared in his field of view.


    Watching Iron Man being sent flying, Spider-Man rubbed his hands and said, "Well, now the question is, who should we help?"Captain America tapped his shield and said, "I think Obadiah has a point. After all, he is Stark''s elder, and he has more reason than I do to give him a beating."


    "But it doesn''t look good if we just stand here, does it?"


    "Then let''s not watch. Let''s go; there are wounded to be taken to the ambnce."


    On the other side, Iron Man, feeling dizzy and disoriented, struggled to get up from a pile of steel bars. He said, "Wait! Uncle... Well, Howard was a rotten person, and so am I! But I think there''s a better way to deal with this than using fists. We can sit down and talk or maybe convene a board of directors or something, rather than always resorting to violence to solve problems..."


    "You''re not in a position to say that."


    With a deafening roar, the massive robot leaped andnded in front of him. A shadow enveloped Iron Man''s armor as Obadiah said, "You''ll soon realize that your iron shell is worthless, even if you change its appearance."


    Iron Man sighed in frustration, but it seemed Obadiah was determined to beat him up. His anger red as he said, "You''ll soon find out whether it''s just a change of appearance or not!"


    With that, he agilely evaded the giant steel monster''s punch, almost in an instant, he flew behind it and delivered a punch to its back.


    The steel monster retaliated, but Stark, now in a more lightweight and agile Mech armor with upgraded propulsion systems, moved faster and more gracefully.


    He extended his palm, and the steel bars from the nearby wreckage started to tremble. In a moment, they flew straight at the steel monster. JARVIS informed Stark, "The maic force control system is still undergoing upgrades, and high-frequency operation is not possible, and energy is about to run out..."


    Stark clenched his fist, and the steel bars wereunched at the steel monster.


    Obadiah obviously didn''t anticipate this move. Iron Man''s style used to be more warrior-like, relying on fists in addition to the Repulsor Ray. However, now, in his silver and blue Mech armor, he resembled more of a sorcerer.


    As Stark swung his arms, the steel bars rapidly shot toward the steel monster. Obadiah managed to dodge most of them on the left side, but a few struck his armor''s right arm.


    However, he swiftly responded, using the momentum to leap away, then threw a powerful uppercut at Iron Man in mid-air.


    Sparks flew as Iron Man''s Mech armor took a beating. However, he fought back with determination, executing a reverse dive and delivering a punch to the steel monster''s neck. The steel monster wobbled slightly and caught one of Iron Man''s legs, tossing him away.


    Iron Man was sent tumbling,nding right in the midst of Rhodes and General Johnson''s battle. Rhodes was also struggling a bit, and Iron Man shouted, "Come on! Let''s switch opponents, and let the second half begin!"


    This turned out to be the right decision. Rhodes had a more powerful Mech armor, but General Johnson''s massive Mech armor had eight tentacles. Without enough speed, Rhodes would be easily grabbed. Stark''s more agile Mech armor was better suited to deal with the situation.


    So, Rhodes steadied himself, executed a rapid climb and dive, and flew straight toward Obadiah''s steel monster.


    Once they made the right choice of opponents, the battle became clearer. Stark used his high mobility to dismantle most of the tentacles on General Johnson''s back. Without the tentacles for assistance, Johnson''s Mech armor turned into a true tin can and became Iron Man''s punching bag, quickly bursting into mes after a few blows.


    Most of the robots Obadiah had summoned were swiftly dealt with by Stark''s high-speed maneuvers.


    On the other side, Rhodes faced off against the steel monster head-on. Though he took a beating, the steel monster''s leg had already been damaged in the previous explosion. After a few rounds, the steel monster copsed, seemingly unable to get back up.


    Rhodes walked over to Iron Man and said, "My former boss, General Anderson, mentioned once that he knew your father when he was young, but I''m not sure what the story is."


    "That damn Howard! He used military contracts to boost Anderson''s career! Originally, I should have been nothing more than an Air Force brigadier general!"


    "But that doesn''t matter now," Stark said. "Now, you probably can''t even be a brigadier general."


    "Everyone knows that only Iron Man can create these Mech armors. I''ve been using the military technology you handed over, as long as..."


    "No, that''s not what I mean. What I mean is, Howard may have been a rotten person, but I do believe he had qualities worth learning from. For example, finding the right partner in the military. Of course, that''s not you..."


    "You''re not nning to shut down Stark''s weapon manufacturing department, are you?"


    "Where did you hear that rumor?"


    John looked over at Obadiah''s Mech armor.


    "Did my uncle tell you?"


    "Did he also tell you that every Stark is like this? We''re fickle. Just a few minutes ago, I changed my mind. Not only am I not closing down Stark''s weapon manufacturing department, I''m nning to formalize our partnership with the military. I happen to have some ideas about exoskeletons for individual soldiers and medical support systems..."


    "No! You can''t do this! Damn it, I''ve already promised Hammer Industries..."


    "Fools always find another fool," Obadiah''s voice echoed from a distance.


    Sparks flew from Johnson''s Mech armor; clearly, he was hammering something inside.


    "It seems these Mech armors were manufactured for you by Hammer Industries, but forgive me for saying, this technology is outdated."


    "Yes, you only handed over outdated technology to Rhodes," Johnson couldn''t resist sowing discord.


    Rhodes, standing nearby, crossed his arms and said, "He just gave me a cigarette, a very fashionable one."


    Stark didn''t waste any more words on Johnson. He walked over to the fallen steel monster and opened the cockpit. Obadiahy inside, looking rtively uninjured but with a pallor that made him appear near death.


    "Doctor! I need a doctor!"


    Schiller appeared in response, spreading his hands and saying, "I guess what you need isn''t a psychologist."


    "Of course, but enough talk. Get him to the hospital quickly."


    Symbiote whispered to Schiller in his mind, "His heart..."


    Schiller checked Obadiah''s pulse and found his heart rate indeed irregr. Obadiah coughed and said, "The external power core isn''t sufficient to operate such a massive machine..."


    "Did you tamper with your own heart?" Schiller asked.


    Stark anxiously ripped open Obadiah''s shirt, revealing a scar on his chest. He said impatiently, "Hurry! Take him back to myboratory! Damn it, the path of biomechanics is a dead end! It''s draining life!"


    "You''re as impulsive as your father, never listening to others," Obadiah said, but seeing the blood running down Stark''s forehead, he ultimately remained silent.


    "Take him back for now. I happen to know a decent neurosurgeon; you''ll meet him at Stark Towerter."


    After Schiller and Stark left, the battlefield was left with only General Johnson and Rhodes. Johnson was ranting furiously, "You damn lunatic! Rhodes! Don''t you know it''s a soldier''s duty to obey orders? I''m your superior now! That old Andelot retired a long time ago!"


    "Indeed, retiring as a general is an honorable feat, getting a high-paying cushy job in Congress, collecting a hefty pension. Last winter, I spent two months in Hawaii, and my granddaughter just got epted to Harvard..."


    John''s Mech armor exploded violently once again.


    After a while, he said, "You''ll regret this, Rhodes. Stark is never worth trusting. They''re selfish, sensitive, and suspicious. Sooner orter, they''ll ruin everything. They have a brilliant mind to save themselves, but they won''t save you, or even a watchdog."


    Rhodes took off his Mech armor and stepped out. He looked around.


    The area had beenpletely reduced to rubble. Not far away, Spider-Man and Captain America were loading wounded soldiers onto ambnces. Most people had evacuated in an orderly manner, but some were injured by the shockwaves during the escape, and they were just being rescued.


    New York was vast, and the aftermath of this battle only affected a few nearby streets. Further away, the city''s traffic and pedestrians continued bustling as usual.


    Soon, a purple-red dawn broke at the horizon; morning was approaching.


    "You''re right; Starks are a bunch of rotten people, impulsive, stubborn, and they never consider the consequences of their actions. They wait for someone else to clean up their rotten mess, but Iron Man is different..."


    Rhodes looked at the light at the end of the sky, reached for his shoulder patch, looked at it, pinched it between his fingers, and then threw it at Johnson''s face.


    "...Iron Man never retreats."

 Chapter 53: Race Against Time

    Chapter 53: Race Against Time


    "His condition is dire. Apart from the risk of infection from the mess of wires he''s imnted within himself, he''s also aged, and his body''s resilience is no match for a young person''s. There''s a significant risk ofsting repercussions after the injury, even if he manages to ovee the infection and inmmation. Perhaps you should inquire if he has any final wishes..."


    Stark pounded the table violently, causing Strange to jump. This notoriously cantankerous doctor retorted, "You''d better make sure your fee matches your temper."


    "I''m quite sure your courage matches my power," Schiller replied to Strange.


    Stark gazed at Obadiah lying on theb table. His pupils were beginning to dte, and an extreme emotion enveloped Stark. He couldn''tprehend why Obadiah had done this.


    "I''ve always wanted to prove to Howard that the biotechnology path I proposed was not entirely worthless. It could grant immense strength, even to those whose bodies have withered with age, allowing perfect control of Mech armor through physical prowess."


    "But you''re on the brink of death!" Stark angrily eximed. "What could possibly be more important than life itself?"


    "Howard died long before I did," Obadiah said with a sigh. "He deserved to die early, but it''s a pity he died too soon."


    Stark was left speechless. He heard Obadiah continue in a sighing tone, "He deserved to die early, but it''s a pity he died too soon."


    Aplex mix of emotions surged within Stark. He knew that Obadiah and Howard''s rtionship was not the perfect partnership many imagined it to be.When you walk alongside a genius throughout your journey, it''s hard not to feel jealousy at times. Perhaps Obadiah had once thought he could prove that he could carry on without Howard.


    Unfortunately, without Howard, he didn''t know who he needed to prove himself to.


    Obadiah was old now, and perhaps he knew that if he didn''t act now, he might never get another chance.


    At least one Stark had to understand that he was right. If the elder Stark couldn''t, then Tony Stark Jr. would.


    "I''ll find a way to save him!" Stark lunged to the other side of theb table, frantically searching for materials. He couldn''t afford to think about Obadiah stealing his Mech armor core anymore. Over the years, Obadiah had been almost his only family, and now he was on the brink of death. Stark couldn''t care about anything else.


    "A heart support brace! We must make a heart support brace for him!" Stark dered.


    Strange shook his head, saying, "You truly have no medical knowledge. His heart is on the verge of failure, and a brace won''t solve that problem."


    "Then make several braces!"


    "Unless you can mechanically create a new heart for him, his current heart cannot perform the essential function of pumping blood to his body. He has, at most, three hours before heart failure and death."


    "Are you just going to speak in cold, harsh truths, Doctor?" Stark asked angrily. Strange was even angrier. He said, "Are you a rich person who thinks that one sentence can buy me an entire afternoon? I''m just stating the facts. He''s beyond saving! Don''t treat doctors like gods; even God couldn''t save him after poking holes in his own heart."


    Schiller patted Strange''s shoulder and said, "Can''t you see the situation now? This billionaire, who''s now barely left with his money, is willing to pay any price to save his uncle. Name your price if you cane up with a solution."


    Strange rubbed his temples and said, "We''re all doctors; don''t you think I want to earn that money? If medical means could save him, then there would be no one in this world beyond saving."


    "What did you just say?" Stark suddenly turned his head and asked.


    Strange was momentarily stunned. He said, "What did I say?"


    "Yes... a mechanical heart! Create a new heart for him!"


    Schiller nced at his watch and said, "You only have three hours."


    He added, "That''s an optimistic estimate. I''m afraid that if it goes beyond two hours, even with a new heart, his entire body will die due tock of blood."


    Stark fell silent. Suddenly, he became quiet, as if his cursed brain, filled with knowledge, had started working fervently.


    "This is absurd. Are you suggesting we rece a living person''s heart with a machine-made one? What about rejection?" Strange asked.


    Stark directly punched him. Schiller dragged Stark out of theboratory. Strange rubbed his nose and said, "These damn wealthy people..."


    "Don''tin. Think about the seven to eight figures in fees he''ll pay you afterward. Will that improve your mood?" Schiller asked.


    "He''ll really pay that much?"


    "That''s Stark for you. Just look at the ground beneath your feet; even a single tile here could be worth your monthly sry."


    Strange, unusually, remained silent. It seemed that the uing substantial fee didn''t make him any happier.


    After a while, Stark suddenly rushed out and said, "I''ve got an idea! Yes, I have a n! The Ark Reactor, that model..."


    "I need an assistant! Come quickly! Come over here!"


    Strange remained seated, unmoving. Schiller had to stand up and say, "I''ll go, but I hope it''s not just changing a lightbulb again."


    Upon entering theboratory, they found it in disarray due to Stark''s frantic activities. Schiller stepped over scattered documents and materials on the floor as Stark worked feverishly with variousplex instruments on ab table. Stark muttered while working, "The model is not only useful for energy reactions; its structure is highlypatible with the human body. As for rejection..."


    Stark''s hands suddenly halted. He leaned on the desktop, lowered his head, and whispered, "I almost died from rejection. Maybe this is my retribution."


    "Do not bring up your theories of destiny," Schiller nced at Obadiah.


    He seemed conscious, but severe blood loss had rendered him unable to speak. He didn''t look at Stark; instead, he kept staring at theb table.


    Perhaps, young Obadiah stood there in a simr way, watching Howard enthusiastically work around theb table. Back then, they could conduct experiments all night long, discussing how these inventions would change the world over breakfast.


    Howard was filled with passion back then, ambitious, an unparalleled genius. Obadiah was more like the genius''s shadow. Howard was born to change the world, while Obadiah just wanted to use his abilities to make his own life a little better.


    Obadiah felt a warmth spreading throughout his body, a warm stream flowing from his heart to his limbs. In a hazy state, he saw countless images ying before his eyes.


    Howard died too early, but Obadiah was thankful for it. It allowed him to cherish a beautiful friendship before his own impending death ¨C the most glorious moments of his life.


    A colossal entity rose in his hands, eventually ruling the world.


    He was grateful for Howard''s early demise. This friendship hadn''t withered away amidst the mundane events of life. It remained radiant, even in the face of death, appearing devoid of sadness.


    "You need to hurry," Schiller told Obadiah. "Our estimation was a bit off. You have at most another hour and a half, and he''s already losing consciousness."


    Stark turned frantically and said, "No!! Wait, please wait... How could he..."


    "Just as you were before, the will to survive is crucial. Once it''s gone, the body deteriorates at an unimaginable rate."


    Stark tightly gripped the parts in his hand, saying nothing, and turned back to continue the experiment.


    Schiller asked the symbiote in his mind, "Can''t you reassemble a heart for him?"


    "No, his heart is missing something. It needs the symbiote to sustain it. If he leaves me, he will die."


    Schiller remembered, as it seemed to be the case in theics as well. The elderly Eddie relied on Venom to transform cells into a part of his body. Without Venom, he would die.


    "We have the parts that can bebined," the symbiote added.


    Schiller said to Stark, "You can try to manufacture the parts, and I can use a reconstructive method to merge them with flesh, without the need for sutures or stitching."


    Stark pointed to a drawing with a pen and paper, showing it to Schiller. "The structure of the Ark reactor can be applied to the heart. See here, we can rece the entire left ventricle, strengthen the myocardium here, and install an artificial heart pump here..."


    Schiller called in Strange, who looked at the drawing and said, "Theoretically, it''s possible, but I advise against it. The fusion of the human body with metal carries significant risks, a medical challenge that has never been ovee, and you''re not a doctor. Even if you can temporarily save him, ongoing maintenance of the parts and metal aging will pose problems..."


    Schiller said, "Obadiah seems to have been working on postgraduate materials and mechanics. He must have some useful materials. JARVIS, can you locate where Obadiah was doing his research?"


    JARVIS buzzed for a moment and then said, "Calcting... pinpointing... location confirmed. Stark Industries former site, the former Stark Automotive Group."


    "Storage devices detected... those materials haven''t been uploaded. Please wait, I''m using physical decryption..."


    In just a few minutes, a Mech armor flew in, carrying a heavyputer. Stark inserted a USB drive into theputer, and soon JARVIS said, "Data encrypted... decrypting... decryptionplete... all uploaded."


    Stark quickly turned to his mainframe, but as he opened the mainframe screen, he froze.


    It was filled with countless materials and diagrams. Schiller couldn''t make out what they were saying. After a moment, Stark stepped back and said, "Maybe he''s right... maybe he''s right..."


    "He found another path, apletely different one from the mechanical armor..."


    "You''re running out of time," Schiller said.


    "No, now I only need half an hour, no, no, no, 20 minutes. These materials are all ready. JARVIS, help me calcte immediately. Let''s start by constructing this model..."


    An hourter, Stark, Schiller, and Strange emerged from theboratory, their faces exhausted. Strange''s hands were covered in blood, and he said, "How is it possible that something like this exists in the world? You''ve truly created a heart from a pile of scrap, and it''s actually beating. My God..."


    Schiller wasn''t faring much better. Recing a heart was strenuous work, and his chest was soaked in blood.


    Stark leaned against the wall and slowly sat down. He said, "Am I really just like my father? Blindly arrogant and single-minded..."


    "No," Stark looked up at Schiller, who spoke. "You''re even more ruthless than your father."

 Chapter 54: The Storm is Brewing

    Chapter 54: The Storm is Brewing


    "Alright, moving on, I will now outline the key points for our uing final exam. Please open your textbooks to page 1, and let''s start from the table of contents. We''ll cover everything from the first section of Chapter 1 to the final section of Chapter 10."


    "Keep flipping through the book. You must memorize everything on the first 50 pages except for the pictures. All conceptual statements will appear as fill-in-the-nk questions on the exam. After we finish Chapter 2 on page 60, there will be essay questions and short-answer questions."


    "Furthermore, after Chapter 7, I will select some important content for your final papers. The final paper remains at 3000 words, and the grading ratio for the exam and the paper is 7:3, while the exam and your overall grade ratio is 6:4."


    "In other words, if you don''t perform well on the exam, you will definitely fail."


    "Additionally, following Gotham University''s tradition, starting from the next academic year, I will prepare and offer extra psychology courses. If you wish to participate, you must score 85 or higher on this final exam. Relevant clubs and societies are also in the works. Those interested in bing club leaders and society heads cane to my office after ss."


    "That''s it for today. ss dismissed."


    Schiller closed the book and left the ssroom. The students below finally rxed and began to express their concerns.


    "Oh my God! This book is thicker than my fist. I can''t believe I have to memorize it all!"


    "Do you think he''ll shoot me if I fail?""I haven''t seen him with any handguns or revolvers. I guess he might use cold weapons like bays and knives."


    "Who remembers what was mentioned in Chapter 3 just now? Where do the essay questions start?"


    "Help! Evans! Evans! Are you there? Do you have notes? Let me borrow them. Damn it, I only came to ss after getting high this semester, and I didn''t absorb anything!"


    "If my dad knew how hard I''m studying in college, he''d be so touched!"


    Bruce sat among the crowd, but he didn''t seem as flustered as the others. Memorizing a thick book wasn''t a challenge for him.


    He had something to discuss with Schiller regarding the construction of a private prison. However, he could tell that Schiller''s mood was currently quite bad, so Bruce hesitated and didn''t leave with him.


    After a while, Evans approached him and asked, "Did you hear what Professor just said about clubs and societies? I really want to be the club leader. You know, I''ve been in charge of ss discipline and assignments for this course, but I wanted to ask for your opinion on the societies. Are you nning to join?"


    Bruce understood Evans'' meaning. At Gotham University, there were not only interest-based clubs but also study-based societies. Some popr courses established their own study societies, essentially offering additional lessons. Of course, any society involved funding, and many wanted Bruce to join because he was a billionaire.


    However, Bruce hadn''t participated in any serious societies. He was impatient with the administrative work of such groups and didn''t want people constantly asking him for money.


    But the psychology society was different. He felt he could get some extra help there. So, he said to Evans, "I''ll go ask the professor if he can appoint me as the society head. As for the clubs, I''m not interested. You can handle both ss and club responsibilities."


    Bruce knew that Evans was Falcone''s son, but in Gotham, backgrounds like Evans'' weremon. There were at least six or seven sons of gang bosses in this ss alone, and Evans'' father was just more powerful.


    Most of the people Bruce hung out with on a daily basis were either the nephews or sons of major mob bosses. In a way, Batman''s other identity was deep behind enemy lines.


    As for why Schiller was in such a bad mood, it all began this morning.


    On the Marvel side, even though Obadiah had been saved, he was still very weak. His heart was functioning fairly well, but as Strange had mentioned, he was just too old, and his physical condition was poor. He was still in intensive care, and Stark had been at his side the whole time. Stark had only one family member left, and even Pepper couldn''te between their father-son bond.


    Rhodes had temporarily left the military. He mentioned that he hadn''t taken a vacation in several years, so on the eve of Schiller''s departure, he and Dr. Yinsen had participated in an Antarctic research project. They temporarily left New York.


    Although there were many unsolved mysteries surrounding the Iron Man events, everything had temporarily calmed down.


    So Schiller returned to Gotham.


    When he woke up this morning, he was surprised to find that the weather in Gotham was unusually good. There was still a thin mist, but he could faintly see sunlight touching the ground, which was a rare sight.


    Seizing this opportunity, he decided to engage in random chat once more. After the Iron Man incident, he had gained another chance to chat, as he had one left from the previous incident. So, he now had two chances.


    However, Gotham was truly a ce of remarkable individuals, and when Schiller opened the chat panel and used random chat, the avatar that appeared had ck hair and wore a green eye mask.


    Schiller almost panicked and hastily closed the system.


    Green Lantern!


    Correct, it was Green Lantern, yed by the same actor as Deadpool!


    Although Deadpool hadn''t appeared, he seemed to be everywhere, and Schiller, even though he hadn''t met Deadpool yet, felt surrounded by him.


    "I must ask you, have you ever seen any strange flying objects? I mean, the kind of traditional flying saucers..."


    Soon, Green Lantern sent a message.


    From this message, Schiller deduced that Green Lantern Hal might be encountering a fallen alien spaceship, and it was through this event that he had obtained the alien''s Green Lantern ring.


    Schiller clicked on the profile picture, and unsurprisingly, Hal''s abilities could not be replicated yet because he hadn''t be Green Lantern yet.


    So, Schiller replied, "I vaguely remember seeing a few. Why? Have you seen unidentified flying objects? I can rmend a website with extensive records of such sightings for you to browse."


    "I''ve searched them all, including websites that document unidentified flying objects worldwide, but what they saw were all things flying in the sky."


    "Then, what did you see? If an unidentified flying object isn''t flying in the sky, why call it that?"


    "Oh, it... of course! It used to fly in the sky, but no, nothing... forget it..."


    It seemed that Hal also realized he shouldn''t disclose too much information to a stranger he had just met on a forum. After all, if the other side found out that he had discovered a fallen unidentified flying object, he might very well be contacted by the military.


    Schiller, on the other hand, sighed. Regardless of what abilities the Green Lantern ring could bring him, just being Green Lantern was another Deadpool, and that was something he found hard to ept. He hoped that Green Lantern was just a character in theics and not a chatterbox in real life.


    In the afternoon, Schiller''s mood improved somewhat, and that''s when Gordon came to find him. He asked Schiller, "Have you seen Falcone recently?"


    "Correct, what''s going on?"


    In Gotham, dealing with the underworld was not something to be ashamed of, or rather, it was impossible to avoid dealing with underworld figures.


    In Gotham, if you could have a conversation with The Godfather, it was actually something to be proud of.


    Gordon said, "Our new police station chief seems to be affiliated with The Godfather. Of course, that''s not surprising, but I''m curious about how he ns to handle this Rotten mess."


    "While I understand that Falcone was a radical hawk in the earlier years, it seems that in recent years, he''s been leaning towards the conservative side. I just want to understand in advance which direction the Gotham Police Department is heading."


    The fact that the police station chief was connected to The Godfather''s gang might sound absurd, but in Gotham, it was as normal as it could be. Gordon, despite being a righteous cop, understood Gotham''s ecosystem better than anyone else, so he wouldn''t act recklessly and try to overthrow all the orders single-handedly.


    On the contrary, he wanted to find a unique way out of theplex game, so he had to deal with various factions.


    "I''ve be The Godfather''s family tutor, responsible for teaching his son. You''re correct; in recent years, The Godfather has be increasingly conservative, possibly due to his age."


    "I don''t think you need to worry about him taking drastic measures. On the contrary, in a sense, he might help you deal with those troublemakers."


    Schiller sat down and poured a cup of coffee for Gordon, saying, "Thest time I was at his house, the leaders of several families were having a meeting. I heard that there''s been unrest in the Eastern Piers recently..."


    Gordon sighed and said, "I just found out myself. The Edwardo family, which has been controlling all five Piers in the East, has had internal turmoil. Young Edwardo killed his father and had a falling out with his uncle."


    "You know how important those Piers are; 60% of the contraband in Gothames through there."


    "I heard the Edwardo family is quite ancient, native to Gotham, even older than Falcone."


    "It''s hard for me to say. I just dealt with a shootout incident there yesterday. The new chief has already received an invitation from young Edwardo. I came to ask you today because I want to know if Falcone intends to get involved in this matter and if he will stand with young Edwardo."


    "If it''s really young Edwardo taking over the Edwardo family..." Gordon sighed and said, "He''s aplete extremist. He won''t embargo many dangerous goods like the old Edwardo did, and Gotham might descend into chaos again."


    "Gotham is always in a mess. Don''t worry; the police can''t handle this right now. Worst case scenario, you guys will have to clean up a bit more."


    "As for The Godfather, I can only say that,pared to being your enemy, Falcone now seems more like your friend and ally."


    "He, too, would prefer to keep Gotham from descending into chaos."

 Chapter 55: Rainy Night Murder

    Chapter 55: Rainy Night Murder


    On a Gotham autumn night, a slight chill apanied the drizzle that fell, casting a hazy, yellowish mist beneath the glowing streetlights. The cold beams of headlights gradually spread from the corners, illuminating the dark alley''s end.


    The neon lights'' vibrant hues reflected off the ck car as its door swung open. The driver, holding a ck umbre, stepped out and opened the rear door.


    The attendants at the mansion''s entrance were dressed in white shirts and champagne-colored vests. They hurriedly ced a carpet under the car door, and their polished shoes touched the carpet as Schiller leaned on the car door, stepping out.


    Just as he straightened up, he noticed a guest ahead of him. This guest was handing a massive umbre to a slender, small umbre boy. The umbre was dripping with water droplets, drenching the boy entirely. The nearby servants by the door chuckled quietly at his expense.


    Schiller took the umbre himself and walked towards the entrance. A blond manager warmly greeted him, saying, "Is it Professor Rodriguez? The Godfather is eagerly awaiting your arrival."


    Before he could finish speaking, Evans descended the staircase, warmly embracing Schiller and saying, "Thank you, Professor Schiller. I appreciate youing all this way for mying-of-age celebration."


    "It''s nothing. Happy birthday."


    As they conversed, Schiller''s peripheral vision caught the sight of the boy holding the enormous umbre. He appeared to be of simr age to Evans but was thin and small, with a hooked nose and a somewhat sinister look. He didn''t seem very pleasant as he struggled to fold the massive umbre, his movements looking somewhatical due to his frailty.


    Schiller noticed that his cufflinks were impably fastened, more resembling a dignitary attending a gathering than a servant.Seeing that Schiller was still holding the umbre himself, Evans seemed displeased. He turned his head toward the boy, and the manager, skilled at reading the room, approached and tapped the boy on the back of his head, then had someone else take the enormous umbre.


    Schiller held the umbre''s middle section and handed the handle to the boy, who, despite his somewhat cloudy eyes, gave Schiller a sidelong nce before meekly epting it.


    This minor incident did not affect the progress of Evans''s birthday party. Surprisingly, Bruce Wayne was also in attendance.


    After all, they were ssmates, and their social status was quite simr, both belonging to Gotham''s upper echelon of society.


    Schiller held a ss of wine and was discussing club matters with Evans when the party''s main guest was called away by his father. Bruce approached and asked, "Aren''t you going to have something to eat first, Professor?"


    Schiller shook his head and asked, "You mentioned wanting to lead a clubst time. That''s quite unusual."


    Before Bruce could reply, Schiller continued, "Judging by the quality of the research paper you submitted, you might not be suited for psychology, let alone leading a club."


    "Come on, you know why I''m doing this."


    "But that''s not a reason to clutter my eyes with a pile of academic rubbish."


    "Well, how about a couple of hundred million club fees to make you reconsider your academic principles?"


    Schiller inwardly cursed but replied, "I suggest you find a better disguise. This constant mingling with the wrong crowd can''t be good for you."


    "I use ginger juice instead of alcoholic drinks, and those powders that ignite are just ordinary spices."


    Schiller remained silent, directing his gaze to Bruce''s waist side. Bruce said, "Okay, that might be a bit of a problem."


    As they spoke, the central light in the banquet hall illuminated in sequence, and Falcone, apanied by Evans, descended from the central staircase.


    This was an important part of theing-of-age ceremony, where the elders introduced their children to their social circles, signifying their readiness to participate in social events and take on the responsibility of inheriting the family''s industry.


    Subsequently, Schiller and other elders offered words of encouragement to Evans. Finally, it was Evans himself. He began with a devoutly drawn cross on his chest and then thanked the Lord.


    During Evans''s speech, Schiller noticed in his peripheral vision on the right that behind the heavy curtains, there seemed to be a slender figure in the shadows.


    However, when the crowd gathered in the center dispersed, the figure was nowhere to be seen.


    The party then proceeded with the usual dance and banquet routines. Lights sparkled, sses clinked, and in the magnificent banquet hall, people engaged in conversations, each harboring their own thoughts.


    However, just like Schiller''s treatment at S.H.I.E.L.D., hardly anyone approached him to strike up a conversation. Everyone was aware of his remarkable background, and nobody wanted to linger in the presence of someone who could possibly see through their inner secrets.


    After a while, the party drew to a close, and Schiller began to feel hungry. He intended to head to the nearby buffet table for some food when he heard somemotion behind the staircase on the right. Soon, ady in an borate dress screamed as she rushed out, shouting, "Old Edward!!! He''s copsed in the bathroom!"


    Everyone around hastily dispersed, and Falcone, with a steady voice, said, "Quiet down, everyone. Andy, go see what''s happening."


    A person beside The Godfather moved away, and shortly after, he returned, whispering a few words in Falcone''s ear. Falcone''s gaze swept over everyone present, and under the pressure of his presence, not a single person dared to speak.


    Falcone stated, "Old Edward is dead, and he died at my son''sing-of-age celebration."


    In a banquet hall filled with hundreds of people, the silence hung heavy, as if nothing else existed. Not a single soul dared to breathe loudly, and all minds were preupied with the audacity of the one who had dared to disrupt the peace on The Godfather''s territory.


    Falcone, leaning on his cane, spoke, "Where is young Edward? Have hime see me; his uncle met his demise here, and he ought to pay his respects."


    "Furthermore, go to the police station and have them send someone to investigate. Evans, see to our guests and ensure they do not feel neglected."


    With that, Falcone exchanged an unspoken understanding with his assistant, Andy, and then turned and departed.


    Bruce stood beside Schiller and asked, "You saw it too, didn''t you?"


    "Yes, but it''s not my concern," replied Schiller.


    Bruce continued, "It seems young Edward has the upper hand, and the situation with the Pier is about to get chaotic."


    "Do you believe Edward was behind this?"


    "He stands to gain the most, doesn''t he?" Bruce remarked.


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I believe the Edward family is the biggest loser here. With the elder Edward gone, everyone will suspect his nephew. And with such an incident urring during The Godfather''s son''sing-of-age celebration, retaliation against the Edward family would not be unreasonable."


    "Do you think Falcone orchestrated this?"


    "He is more cunning than you imagine," Schiller replied.


    Bruce nced back at the once lively banquet hall, now deserted. Most had left, unwilling to linger in the wake of The Godfather''s anger. The remaining remnants of the feast, under the glow of the still radiant lights, seemed even more deste.


    As Schiller was about to leave, The Godfather''s assistant, Andy, returned his umbre. He said, "I apologize, Professor. The Godfather asked me to convey his apologies. None of us anticipated such an incident during your first attendance at the banquet."


    "Yes, none of us did," Schiller replied, lowering his gaze to his dry umbre. He stood under the porch and observed a group of people at the mansion''s side entrance, carrying a box containing thete Edward''s remains.


    They loaded the box into a vehicle, and from the direction the car headed, it seemed they were bound for the sea to dispose of the corpse.


    Schiller lingered at the doorway for a moment. Soon, police sirens blinked through the rainy night as a patrol car arrived. Correct, this was Gotham; they didn''t wait for the police to handle corpses.


    Gordon found himself at a crime scene where there were no traces of the victim or the perpetrator. Even the blood had been cleaned up, but he remained unfazed. He calmly directed his officers and began searching the bathroom.


    He didn''t investigate or record anything himself; instead, he followed others to meet Falcone.


    The oue of this investigation depended not on what had transpired in the bathroom or what the police could uncover, but solely on one person''s attitude¡ªthe host of the banquet, Falcone.


    In Gotham, when one gang member killed another, the police were caught in a delicate situation. Gordon deeply understood this. In Gotham, being a police officer required more mental fortitude than investigative skills.


    After a while, Evans emerged with an umbre. He hurried towards Schiller and asked, "Professor, I heard you hadn''t left yet. Is there something else you need?"


    "No, nothing in particr. You know, I''m quite interested in these cases."


    Evans wore an awkward expression and said, "Well... it''s just a minor case, not a serial murder case or anything. But if you''re interested, you can take a look inside."


    Schiller shook his head but handed his umbre to Evans, saying, "Give this to The Godfather for me."


    Evans epted the umbre, feeling somewhat perplexed.


    After Schiller departed, Falcone took the ck umbre from Evans and remarked, "It seems he will be your longest-serving family tutor."


    As Schiller sat in the returning car, listening to the rain tapping against the window, he remembered the frail and timid umbre boy, the guest who had entered before him, yfully taunting the boy with a massive umbre¡ªthete Edward.


    Upon Schiller''s return to his apartment, he heard movement on the balcony. Batman stood there, and without turning, Schiller said, "I''m going to investigate the case of thete Edward."


    "Why? Gang disputes fall within your jurisdiction, don''t they?"


    "He was once the leader of Park Street."


    Schiller didn''t respond, but Batman continued, "He knew who killed my parents."

 Chapter 56: Gothams Evening Bells (1)

    Chapter 56: Gothams Evening Bells (1)


    Silence reverberated within the empty room, and finally, Batman spoke, "Everything I''ve done, all the trials I''ve endured since that day, it has all been for revenge."


    "Thew and judgment tell me that it was Joe Chill who killed my parents, but I know the truth is not so simple. I spent years preparing myself to challenge that verdict."


    "Now... it''s time for the Bat''s revenge."


    As the somber evening bells of Gotham Cathedral tolled, Batman''s figure vanished.


    Recent activities within the Edward family had Batman, who watched over all of Gotham City, realize that before they rose to prominence, the Edward brothers had been leaders in the very alley where his parents met their death.


    But now, the Edward brothers were gone, leaving only their nephew, and young Edward had crossed The Godfather, Falcone. If Falcone wasn''t willing to spare him, the Edward family would cease to exist.


    Batman made his way to young Edward first; he didn''t need to send someone like The Godfather, he could appear in the shadow behind anyone.


    The next day, Gotham was shrouded in a lingering fog, andter in the evening, twilight cast even more colors across the Gotham skies.


    Schiller stood outside the church, conversing with Father, blending seamlessly into the Western-style surroundings, attending church regrly and not appearing out of ce at all.Father was deeply knowledgeable about theology, and Schiller enjoyed discussing philosophical and theological matters with him, all while discreetly gathering intelligence.


    Father had spent his entire life in Gotham, witnessing all its epochs, knowing all its stories.


    Father said, "Lately, theborers at the pier haven''t beening here as often. Perhaps their businesses are doing better, I hope that''s the case. The Lord tells us that we must work hard to atone for our sins."


    "Recently, there have been more merchant ships at the pier, and the ship owners are doing better," Schiller remarked.


    "I remember many years ago, there was a time when manyborers liked toe here to pray. The church has never been so lively."


    Father''s voice carried the marks of the era, like old tracks worn by history, faded and worn.


    "You can tell that they weren''t busy at that time, perhaps business was slow, and many peopleined. Some were very angry, and there were even disputes. I did my best to dissuade them."


    "You are a good man," Schiller said.


    Father squinted his eyes as he reminisced. He said, "In those days, chaos reigned everywhere. I remember, back then, a man named Leif ruled the pier, and he was not to be trifled with. People called him ''Big Beard,'' and some even referred to him as the Viking Pirates."


    "He was big and strong, with a full beard, leading a dozen equally strong henchmen. They ruled the pier with an iron fist, and no one dared to challenge them. They extorted protection fees from other businesses."


    "Then, who brought them to justice?"


    "Falcone, The Godfather himself, dealt with them."


    Father touched his slightly withered fingers, a sign of aging, and continued, "Originally, it should have been The Godfather who took control of those piers, but for some reason, it ended up in the hands of the Edward family."


    Father shook his head and concluded, "I''m not saying that the Edward family didn''t manage it well, but perhaps if Falcone Family had taken over the piers back then, the entire East District would be more unified, and Falcone Family would be even stronger than they are now."


    "I often hear people say..." Schiller began, "that The Godfather''s control over the East District is weak because he only controls some parts of the northeast and southeast, and he neglects the most important pier."


    Father shook his head again and said, "Perhaps he has his own ns."


    Schiller pondered, and Father''s revtions weren''t secrets; they remained obscure because few who lived through that era were still around.


    Of course, as for why The Godfather hadn''tpletely taken control of the piers, Schiller spected that there might be moreplex disputes at y.


    After dark, Schiller bid farewell to Father and walked out of the church alone.


    As thest rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon, he heard the heavy tolling of the church bells above him, seven deep and ominous chimes, carrying an indescribable sense of decay.


    Father stood at the church''s entrance, making the sign of the cross over his chest, and whispered, "These are funeral bells... May God bless your soul..."


    Schiller stood outside the door, and as he turned around, in the midst of a deep gray haze, he saw a figure in ck and yellow standing atop the tall church bell tower.


    On the other side, young Edwardy prostrate on the ground, facing two pointed ears in front of him. He stammered, "I only know... I only know that back then... The Godfather put an end to the chaos in the East Pier, and my father and uncle wanted a share, even if it was just one pier..."


    "But, but The Godfather suddenly didn''t want any of them... So, our family got all five piers. I don''t know what happened... I was too young at the time. You''ll have to ask The Godfather; I really don''t know anything..."


    After the bat''s shadow departed, young Edward trembled as he climbed to his feet from the ground. He muttered a curse under his breath, but suddenly, he saw another shadow in front of him.


    He looked up and saw a massive umbre aimed directly at him. Behind the umbre, a sinister eye stared at him. Just as Edward was about to scream in fear, his vocal cords and throat were severed.


    After a faint sound and the thud of a heavy object hitting the ground, the lights in Edward''s old mansion went out, and everything fell silent.


    In the end, Batman made his way to Falcone''s mansion. It was pitch ck inside, as if no one was present. Unlike the Edward mansion, which was well-lit and guarded throughout the night, the residence of Gotham''s Godfather seemed defenseless, which Batman knew was abnormal.


    Finally, Batman reached Falcone''s office, where Falcone sat alone as if he had been waiting specifically for him in the early morning office, devoid of anyone else.


    "I knew you woulde," Falcone said. "You weren''t careful enough when investigating the old Edward''s records."


    "That must mean there''s something particrly interesting about his records, something that you care about," Batman replied.


    "Indeed, do you have an interest in hearing stories from many years ago?" Falcone continued.


    Batman listened intently as he learned about the turbulent era he had never seen or heard of from the man who had ruled Gotham for forty years.


    "...They gathered allies and were ruthless. Among them, the Viking Pirates, led by Leif, were the most formidable."


    "I understand that if I want the Falcone Family to truly establish itself here, I must take him down."


    "The bearded man, through years of extortion and controlling the shipowners, amassed a considerable fortune. He was not content and wanted to resist me."


    "So, I killed all his family in front of many people, and then I stuffed him into a powder keg."


    "Of course, that frightened many, making my n go smoothly."


    "What I want to know is about Park Street," Batman said.


    "Don''t rush; we''re getting there," Falcone replied, turning his chair slightly to face Batman. "You resemble your father in some ways," he nodded, "very much so."


    Before Batman could respond, Falcone continued, "I cleared out the major powers on the Pier at the time, but I didn''t take control of it myself. Instead, I handed them over to the Edward family, and this has to do with your parents."


    "Your mother was a good person, a kinddy. She sympathized with theborers on the Pier, feeling that they worked too hard for too many hours a day. Your father agreed; they believed these poor people should be treated better."


    "So, they prohibited the gangs from bullying theborers and established a more rxed work schedule for them. You know, working for only a few hours before taking a break to eat and drink."


    "The Wayne Family was determined to reform the entire order at Gotham Pier. But I knew... I knew."


    "I knew that what they were doing wouldn''t work, but I didn''t want to oppose the Wayne Family, so I withdrew and let them handle it their way."


    "I let the Edward family control all of Pier, and the Edward brothers were rather clever."


    Falcone lit a cigar, and the dim firelight cast sharp shadows over his face, obscuring his eyes and offering glimpses of the young Godfather who had once dominated that era.


    "So, did Edward hire that thug named Joe to kill my parents?"


    As the smoke from the cigar wafted, Falcone''s speech slowed down, as if his memories were bing distant and unclear.


    "The ones who actually did it? No, it wasn''t them, not Edward."


    "The real culprit was a Pierborer named Luis."


    "Aborer?" Batman felt incredulous. He asked, "Why? How could it be a Pierborer?"


    "I know you can''t understand. The Wayne couple helped them, yes, theborers didn''t have to work as long every day, and they were no longer subjected to the gangs and shipowners'' abuse. They found their savior."


    Falcone shook his head and continued, "But you don''t understand. Among theborers, there were also distinctions. Carrying sandbags and lifting heavy loads was the toughest work, and it was usually the lowest-rankingborers who did it. The higher-ranked workers only did lighter tasks like allocating manpower and counting supplies."


    "Your parents wanted to make things easier for everyone, so they stopped theborers from doing the hard and tiring jobs. But it caused dys, and the shipowners lost a lot of goods. They''d rather go the long way thane to Gotham Pier."


    "I remember... Luis was the third or fourth chiefborer on the Pier. He was closely monitored by the Wayne Family and had to assign the same tasks to everyone, work nine hours a day with a two-hour break in between for meals."


    "The cargo sat there, and no one moved it. The perishables and fruits rotted away. The shipowners med Luis, and he couldn''t afford the losses, so they beat him, broke his leg."


    "So, he hired that thug to kill the Wayne couple?" Batman''s voice took on a gravelly tone, as if hitting rock bottom.


    "He sought help from old Edward, and together they staged that murder on Park Street."


    "It must seem absurd to you¡ªJudas betraying his benefactor and causing suffering to his benefactor," Falcone said.


    "...But this is Gotham, a ce where even the devil takes detours."


    Batman closed his eyes, realizing that the truth was vastly different from what he had imagined.


    This wasn''t a story of perpetrators and victims locked in a battle of justice. There were no simple divisions between ck and white; instead, it was like an old, faded gray videotape, covered in the thick dust of that era.


    "The small thug who acted and the Edward brothers are dead, but Luis is still alive. If you want revenge, go to 7 Blessed Street, east of the Church. He lives there."


    With that, Falcone exhaled thest puff of smoke from his cigarette and closed his eyes.


    His fingers were well-maintained, with hardly any wrinkles. The cigar between his fingers had burned out, and the fire gradually extinguished, marking the end of that turbulent era, silently and without fanfare.

 Chapter 57: Gothams Evening Bells (Two)

    Chapter 57: Gothams Evening Bells (Two)


    In the midst of a pitch-ck alley, the faint glint of armor intertwined with a deeper, denser mist.


    In a moment, the gray mist condensed into a silhouette, halting at the end of the alley. The friction of armor ceased, and heavy footfalls, treading upon still-damp puddles, produced an ominous rhythm.


    "The Mourning Bell?"


    "That, indeed, is your Mourning Bell."


    As soon as the words fell, a sh of a de, and Schiller momentarily vanished, reappearing behind the silhouette.


    "Who''s your employer?"


    "That''s none of your concern."


    "It seems you have great confidence in your craft."


    Schiller once again dodged two dart-like projectiles and faced the Mourning Bell. He spoke, "You shouldn''t kill me.""I can kill anyone, as long as the price is right."


    Schiller extended his hand, mes igniting within it.


    "No matter who your employer is, the price they offered you is inadequate."


    The Mourning Bell remained silent for less than a second before turning and leaving.


    "Indeed, farewell."


    "How will you deal with an employer who deceived you?"


    "It depends."


    "Kill him, and I''ll pay you."


    "You don''t have that much money."


    "Bill it to the world''s richest person."


    "Goodbye."


    Schiller watched the armored figure as it disappeared into the depths of Gotham''s streets. He thought to himself that his adversary had some skill to have hired the Mourning Bell to kill him.


    Several consecutive blinks had drained Schiller''s energy. In such a narrow alley, no vehicles could navigate, so he decided to make his way back slowly. When he returned to the Church, he''d call for a ride.


    He turned into another alley, reaching the main street. Then, he nced back and noticed somemotion at the far end of the street.


    At that moment, Batman stood within a room that was incredibly dpidated, gloomy, and cramped.


    The environment here was wretched, unlike any room Batman had ever entered before in his life.


    This was a three-story structure with windows nailed shut, walls shedding their outeryers, extreme dampness inside, and slippery stone tiles for a floor. Furniture was scattered randomly, while the remaining space was filled with various forms of trash.


    Upon seeing Batman, the room''s inhabitant hesitated for a moment. Then, he lowered his head, nced at his own feet, muttered something iprehensible, and turned away, picking up an empty salt shaker, seemingly attempting to hand it to Batman.


    Batman epted the salt shaker, which was devoid of contents. Then, the man waved his hand, apparently trying to signal him to leave.


    This was a frail, hunchbacked old man with dark skin, deeply sunken eyes, a limp, and a continuous stream of muttered profanities.


    It seemed that a neighbor from downstairs, who couldn''t see Batman''s face, only a vague silhouette, leaned out from the staircase and said, "Why are you here for this old guy? Who are you to him?"


    "What''s wrong with him?"


    "What else could be wrong? Can''t you see? He''s suffering from dementia, doesn''t recognize anyone anymore, not even if you know him. In his time, maybe that salt shaker meant something, but it''s empty now."


    "But, in a stroke of luck, hisndlord seems to have been killed by a gang. This attic isn''t worth much, and if he killed him, he''d have to deal with the body, so he''s lived up to now."


    "Whoever you are, just leave him alone. He survives on the scraps thrown down from upstairs every day, but his upstairs neighbor moved out a few days ago. I doubt he''llst much longer."


    With that, there was a "thud" from downstairs as the neighbor closed the door.


    Batman held the empty salt shaker, observing as the hunched old man sat in a chair, silently gazing at a desktop, drool trickling down from his mouth.


    He saw the old man''s hands, rough and distorted from years of heavy lifting, with veins protruding prominently on his withered palms.


    "Are you Louis?"


    There was no response other than Batman''s own voice.


    "Do you still remember Thomas Wayne? Do you remember Martha?"


    Batman felt his voice trembling.


    An extreme sense of anger surged from Batman''s chest, and he gripped the salt shaker tightly, making it squeak.


    His nemesis had forgotten everything he had done to innocent people, all his past sins. This was not the punishment Batman had hoped for; it only seemed to relieve him of inner guilt.


    He repeated his questions to Louis again and again:


    "Why don''t you remember anything?! Have you really forgotten the name Wayne?! What about Edward? Falcone?!"


    Just as Batman mentioned the name Falcone, the elderly Louis suddenly let out a strange, agonizing scream. His mouth hung wide open, and his long-dormant jawbone made cracking noises.


    He tumbled from his chair, shaking uncontrobly, screaming loudly, and throwing everything within his reach at Batman. Tears, snot, and saliva streamed down his face.


    Batman saw endless fear in his eyes.


    Batman thought that Falcone hadn''t lied; when he had killed Leif all those years ago, it had indeed terrified many, including Louis.


    Schiller walked to the middle of the alley, nced up, and noticed that only a room on the third floor had its lights on. Inside the room was a shadow with pointed ears.


    He waited at the bottom of the building for a moment, and when Batman emerged, Schiller was somewhat surprised, but Batman''s mind was currently sluggish.


    Schiller assessed Batman and saw that he was unharmed, with no signs of recentbat.


    Then his gaze fell upon the salt shaker in Batman''s hand.


    Schiller didn''t know what it was, but it was evident that Batman, in his currentplex state of mind, needed to talk. Without waiting for Schiller to ask, Batman recounted the entire story.


    As they walked and talked, they passed by the Church''s front gate, and the sky was already getting light. Batman held the salt shaker and said, "He doesn''t remember any of this."


    As Batman spoke, his tone was no longer filled with anger but with a profound sense of reflection.


    "You mentioned he still remembers one person."


    "Yeah, he remembers Falcone. Why does he remember Falcone but forget Wayne?"


    Schiller sighed, looked into the distance, and said, "Because fear, fear is etched deepest in the human soul and is the most difficult scar to erase."


    "He forgot everything, except fear," Batman said.


    At this moment, it was the darkest time before dawn, and the intense darkness almost engulfed everything. All buildings were shrouded in shadows, and their outlines were indistinguishable.


    Soon, what woke Batman from his thoughts was the heavy tolling of the Gotham Cathedral''s bells. The deep, resonating chimes traveled far, and sound waves, like darkness, prated everywhere. Even in the darkest and gloomiest alleys, that vibration could be felt.


    Batman thought, fear, fear.


    If he couldn''t achieve true vengeance against the era and the people who had taken his parents away from him, if the person he had striven to capture, the one he sought revenge against, hadpletely forgotten everything, then all his anger and hatred would be in vain.


    But at least, he reminded Batman of one thing: sometimes, something more terrifying than death is an unshakeable fear.


    If that''s the case, Batman thought, he would be the Dark Knight who brought endless fear to all the criminals in Gotham.


    Years ago, apanying his parents'' death, were the bats that cast shadows across the skyline. Many yearster, he would ultimately bring the fear of the bat to all the criminals in this city.


    Just like the Gotham evening bells that permeated every street and dark corner.

 Chapter 58: The World of Caution

    Chapter 58: The World of Caution


    "Wait a moment. Please take this report to Mrs. Felton in the administration office. Of course, matters rted to the club can be organized after the final exams. I believe the students have little spare time for such things right now," said Evans as he nodded while holding a stack of documents.


    Evans continued, "Indeed, almost everyone is diligently studying. Even those who had a history of skipping sses have been frequenting the librarytely."


    Schiller shuffled through some papers on his desk and then handed Evans another stack, saying, "While I told you all that the entire book is important, I think it''s a dream for you to memorize the entire book at your current level. This covers the materials for the uing paper, so make sure they read it promptly."


    Just as they were discussing this, Bruce knocked on the door. Evans said, "I won''t disturb you any longer, Professor. I''ll get everything arranged as soon as possible."


    Once Bruce entered, he casually found a chair to sit in. Schiller, while tidying up the teaching materials on his desk, asked him, "Have you finished your revisions?"


    "Of course, it wasn''t that much," Bruce replied, feeling rather proud of his intelligence and memory.


    "You better make sure you pass your paper, or I''ll call your butler... what''s his name again?" Schiller asked.


    "Um, Alfred, Professor. My butler''s name is Alfred."


    "Oh, right. If you don''t pass this exam, I''ll call your butler Alfred," Schiller said with a touch of humor.Bruce fell silent for a moment and then said, "Okay, you''d better give me some more materials..."


    He had a subtle feeling that Schiller''s casual attitude about "calling parents" made him feel like a kid being treated as such. He felt a bit indignant, but as he imagined the scenario, Bruce thought it would be better to go back and study the book some more.


    "What are your ns for the holidays?" Schiller asked.


    "I have a lot to do, as you know. What about you?"


    "The chief physician at Arkham Asylum called me yesterday. We are old friends, and they are overwhelmed with work over there. He invited me to help out, and I n to take two students along for an internship."


    "Oh? Who are you nning to take?"


    "I''ve already spoken to Falcone. Evans is definitely going; his grades are quite impressive, and he''s now the top student in the ss. As for the other one, I haven''t decided yet."


    Bruce was about to say something when Schiller interjected, "But one thing''s for sure, it won''t be you. Your grades are too rotten."


    Bruce shrugged and said, "The situation at the Eastern Pier hasn''t settled down yet, and without the Edward family, there''s been some chaos there. I''ve been busy in the eveningstely, and so has Gordon."


    "I see, your busy evenings probably involve more than just your hero work. How''s that elusive cat burr doing?"


    Bruce replied, "Lately, I''ve been busy only with my other half''s career. Selina''s good friend Maggie hasn''t been feeling well; she hasn''t been out."


    "But..." Bruce chuckled and continued, "our righteouswyer, Mr. Harvey, seems to be making some moves."


    Schiller raised an eyebrow, "He''s falling for a Gotham girl? That''s quite rare. Who has such great charm?"


    "Christine, it''s Christine."


    "The leader of that cheerleading squad? Isn''t she a fan of Batman?"


    "The former principal has been charged again, thanks to Harvey''s help in providing evidence against him. And this time, due to Harvey''s defense, the former principal has no excuses for parole. He''s been sentenced to 137 years, so he probably won''t being out again."


    "Well, you know, being eloquent in court and disying strength can win a girl''s gratitude and admiration," Schiller remarked.


    Schiller rubbed his chin and said, "Our Mr. Lawyer seems to have quite the luck."


    After Bruce left, Schiller returned to his apartment, his mind still engaged in conversation with the Green Lantern.


    He was quite experienced in this situation because the current Green Lantern was in a state identical to that of the newly empowered Spider-Man.


    Clearly, he had obtained the Green Lantern ring from that alien.


    Compared to Peter, Hal was a bit more mature, mainly due to his age and possessing a pilot''s license. His mental fortitude was much better than that of a high school student, so even though he was excited to chat with his online friends, he didn''t reveal anything about the alien and the magical ring.


    Schiller chatted with him for a while and then clicked on his profile, finding that he could indeed replicate the Green Lantern''s abilities.


    Schiller clicked on "replicate," but to his surprise, there was a long dy, and the system''s notification sound did not ring.


    After a while, he suddenly felt a faint buzzing in his mind.


    He called out to the symbiote a few times, but there was no response. After a while, the system finally issued a notification sound:


    "The world of caution has been loaded."


    Schiller was puzzled, but suddenly, a series of excited brainwaves emanated from the symbiote. Then, Schiller felt something new on his finger¡ªit was a silver-gray, ancient-looking ring.


    Schiller found it very strange because the system''s ability replication should not be able to replicate external objects. Even if he replicated the Green Lantern''s ring, it should be green. Why did it turn gray?


    The symbiote then provided Schiller with an answer.


    Green Lantern was a very special hero, and most of his abilities came from the Green Lantern ring. These included the ability to shape green energy constructs, create force fields with Green Lantern energy, teleportation, and healing abilities, among others. All of these were special powers bestowed by the Green Lantern ring.


    Therefore, the abilities copied by the system from Green Lantern also required a carrier.


    Schiller didn''t have a Green Lantern ring, so the system turned symbiote Grey Mist into the vessel for this power.


    "So you''re the vessel, what''s the purpose of this ring?" Schiller inquired.


    "It serves no practical purpose, but it looks good," symbiote replied.


    "Alright," Schiller conceded.


    He nced at his finger; the ring was quite in, a silver-gray band adorned with a few wavy patterns. It didn''t appear particrly extraordinary, except that it was worn on his ring finger.


    "So, how do I use this power?" Schiller asked symbiote.


    "Just think about it in your mind," came the response.


    Schiller closed his eyes, concentrating. Soon, within the pitch-ck void, a grey mist formed. Gradually expanding, a momentter, his consciousness appeared on an ind shrouded in the grey mist.


    The ind wasn''trge, and from his vantage point, he could see it in its entirety. Schiller controlled his view as it moved towards the edge of the ind and peered downward.


    Below the indy an endless, colossal city.


    The ind and the city were still enveloped inyers of hazy grey mist. The city was unbelievably vast, and its buildings had eerie, indistinct shapes. asionally, enormous creatures with unclear forms could be seen traversing the city.


    This was an isted ind floating above the colossal city.


    Schiller began to recall the world within the Green Lantern''s ring. In theics, the Green Lantern ring contained an independent world. Green Lantern had once reduced his enemies and imprisoned them within this world, and he himself had been trapped in the Emerald Sand Dunes of the Green Lantern ring''s inner world.


    Even the wielders of Green Lantern rings couldn''t seem to fully control their inner worlds. Simr to Schiller''s current situation, his consciousness could only reside within the confines of this isted ind, with no control over the vast, enigmatic city below.


    Fortunately, the isted ind seemed disconnected from the city below, and the massive shadows that asionally appeared in the mist hadn''t detected his presence.


    Moreover, Schiller was astonished to find that he seemed to have physically entered this world, and here, he couldmunicate with symbiote.


    He severed his consciousness and returned to reality, ncing at the clock. Time was passing.


    In other words, this ce was like an independent sanctuary. In theory, if faced with an insurmountable danger, he could enter the Grey Mist world and wait for the crisis to pass.


    Schiller thought that the enormous city beneath that isted ind and the colossal shadows that asionally loomed in the Grey Mist likely concealed significant secrets, and were equally dangerous. Staying there for too long was not a wise idea, unless he encountered a threat to his life. This peculiar and bizarre inner world was best left unexplored.


    Later that evening, Mrs. Felton from the administration office visited. She had originallye to verify next semester''s textbook expenses with Schiller. However, she was a rather attentivedy, and she said to Schiller, "Our new principal was just discharged from the hospital yesterday, and he might return to the office tomorrow."


    She subtly reminded Schiller, "He seems a bit anxious, perhaps eager to make some significant changes."


    As Mrs. Felton had predicted, that night, Schiller received a call from Principal Seldon. This time, Seldon appeared to have learned his lesson. He didn''t immediately pressure Schiller with tasks but instead spoke a lot of vague words about working diligently. Only after that did he mention that there might be some changes in the positions of certain professors at Gotham University. He had invited some old friends from Princeton to introduce experts and professors for the new professor team at Gotham University.


    It seemed like Seldon wanted to make Schiller nervous. After all, in the university, a professor''s resources depended on the school''s emphasis on their teaching subjects. Currently, Schiller was a valuable asset to Gotham University, with a strong resume that attracted students from out of town to enroll.


    However, if more world-ss experts and schrs joined the university, organizing their ownboratories and leading students in research on a global scale, it was uncertain whether the school''s resources would continue to favor the psychology department.


    Initially, Schiller had no objections to this matter; he, too, hoped Gotham University would prosper, enhancing his teaching record.


    That was until he saw Victor Fries'' name on the list of professors newly hired by Principal Seldon.

 Chapter 59: First Encounter with Freeze

    Chapter 59: First Encounter with Freeze


    The new headmaster, Seldon, was a man of considerable ability and experience, with an extensivework of contacts. However, there was one ring issue ¨C his luck was undeniably poor.


    No, perhaps it would be more urate to say it was exceptionally poor.


    Out of the six professor nominations put forth by his friends, one happened to be none other than Victor Freeze, one of Gotham''s infamous viins.


    After reviewing their profiles, Seldon decided to hire three of them, including Victor Freeze.


    Upon sending out the invitations, only one professor epted the offer from Gotham University, and that happened to be Victor Freeze.


    Gotham University had been experiencing a string of unfortunate events, first with supernatural creatures and then with notorious criminals like Scarecrow and now, Victor Freeze.


    It seemed Victor was in dire need of this job, as barely a day had passed since the invitations were sent out when Victor arrived at Gotham University. His haste suggested that he might not have had any other options on the table.


    Nevertheless, just like Scarecrow, the current Victor was nothing more than an ordinary SchrProfessor.


    In reality, Schiller knew that even theter version of Freeze was one of the milder antagonists in Gotham. He often preferred freezing Batman and engaging in philosophical and artistic discussions rather than pursuing a relentless vendetta against Gotham or Batman. Most of his obsession and madness stemmed from his love for his wife rather than a burning desire to confront Gotham or its caped crusader.Schiller couldn''t help but notice the striking resemnce between Victor and himself. They were both quintessential schrs - Victor had amanding presence, wore sses, and maintained impable attire. Despite a hint of weariness in his demeanor, he appeared to be a schr brimming with knowledge.


    Each professor had their independent office, but there was also amunal office where they could gather and chat. With Jonathan gone, his former spot in themunal office had be vacant, and Victor took it, conveniently sitting next to Schiller.


    During their initial conversation, Schiller noticed that Victor''s gaze was fixated on the ring on Schiller''s ring finger.


    After a moment, Victor finally broached the topic of family and asked, "It seems you''re married. Is your wife here in Gotham?"


    In Western culture, discussing someone''s marital status during a first encounter was considered impolite and intrusive, invading their privacy.


    It was evident that Victor was not in the best mental state; he appeared anxious and in search of validation.


    Schiller hesitated upon hearing the question, unsure of how to respond. He certainly couldn''t reveal that he had a symbiote from watching too much television, could he?


    Victor interpreted Schiller''s silence differently. People, especially when feeling insecure and anxious, often sought out others who shared simr experiences, hoping to findfort in their shared hardships.


    Victor, with his remarkable background, assumed that Schiller might have a tragic love story to share, much like the thrilling detective stories he admired.


    With this shared sense of being "stranded souls," Victor and Schiller quickly bonded.


    As their interactions continued, Schiller discovered numerousmon interests with Victor. Victor was most passionate about ancient philosophy, modern art, and religious art. Schiller, too, shared a love for theology and philosophy, and they found themselves engaged in lengthy conversations on these topics during their free time.


    Schiller never anticipated that his first close friend after arriving in this world would be the future superviin, Freeze.


    However, it had to be acknowledged that the pre-viin version of Mr. Freeze was genuinely charismatic. He was eloquent, empathetic, and had a knack for offering insightful perspectives on various subjects. Conversations with him often reminded Schiller of debates he had engaged in with experts in his previous life, sparking numerous intellectual fireworks.


    This mild-mannered antagonist had earned the respect of the entire office, a testament to his charm.


    As Schiller delved deeper into their discussions, he learned about Victor''s current situation. Victor had used cryogenic technology to preserve his wife, but this method was costly and required specific facilities.


    The research institute that initially supported him had cut funding, refusing to provide the necessary resources. Therefore, Victor had hurriedly epted the position at Gotham University. Aside from the attractive sry, Gotham University boasted a cryogenicboratory funded by the Wayne family, allowing him to maintain his wife in a frozen state, preventing her condition from worsening.


    Considering Victor''s story and his pioneering approach to dealing with incurable diseases, his actions might appear unconventional, but in this era, many proposed the concept of cryogenic preservation for individuals with untreatable illnesses, with the hope that medical advancements would eventually provide a cure.


    Victor was simply ahead of his time.


    Schiller believed that Victor Freeze, in his current state, was a reliable ally. Compared to the still-developing Batman, Freeze, armed with cutting-edge cryogenic technology and a wealth of knowledge, appeared more dependable.


    To rid themselves of the trouble that Freeze might pose in the future, they would first need to address the degenerative disease afflicting his wife.


    Schiller apanied Victor to visit the cryogenic chamber where his wife was preserved. Mrs. Freeze was an ordinary Caucasian woman, not particrly striking in appearance, but Victor''s gaze was always filled with love when he looked at her.


    In Schiller''s mind, he asked the symbiote, "Is there a solution?"


    The symbiote responded, "Neurodegeneration is aplex problem. It''s challenging."


    Victor gazed at the cryogenic chamber and said, "My wife''s neurodegenerative disease is nearly untreatable. Her nerve cells are dying rapidly. I could only preserve her; there''s no way to reverse it. Even if we could somehow slow the cell death, immune inmmation would still damage her brain."


    Victor knelt down, his tone conveying a profound sense of despair. Perhaps he recognized that preserving his wife in the hope of a future solution was a form of self-deception.


    Schillerfrowning was deep in thought. He thought, while Victor might be considered one of Gotham''s notorious viins and indeed a top-notch Cryogenic Scientist in the world, professional matters should be left to professionals. For instance, someone more top-tier like a neurosurgeon.


    The next day, Schiller returned to Marvel''s New York.


    When Strange saw Schiller in his home, he nonchntly tossed his just-removed coat onto the nearby entranceway and eximed, "Good Lord, you strut into my home like this!"


    "I haven''t settled the score with you yet. You sold my information to some institution."


    "They asked me, I had no choice."


    During their intense gaze exchange, Strange reluctantly conceded, saying, "Alright, but don''t expect me to act like a well-trained agent, keeping everything under wraps. Besides, you were the one who threatened me first."


    "Let''s not dwell on that. I have a way for us to make a fortune. Interested?"


    Strange skeptically inquired, "A way to make a fortune? If there were such a way, would you evene to me? I heard you charged Stark one million dors per hour for your services, and he actually agreed!"


    "When I heard that, I wished I had gone back to university to study psychology!"


    "Now, there''s ady suffering from a severe neurodegenerative disease, and her husband may possess a one-of-a-kind low-temperature patent technology. You know, the kind of technology that could fund a lifetime on patent fees alone."


    "If you can cure thisdy''s ailment, we can share that patent."


    Strange sighed and said, "Let me reiterate, I am a doctor, not a god."


    "Do you think you can''t treat this disease?"


    "But first, shouldn''t you let me meet the patient instead of acting as a middleman?"


    "For certain reasons, you might not be able to meet her, but I have all her pathology materials right here."


    With that, Schiller conjured a stack of papers out of thin air. Strange took them, nced briefly, and shook his head, saying, "It''s impossible, no cure, give it up."


    Just as Schiller was about to speak, Strange added, "This is no longer a matter of neuroscience. If you want her to fully recover, the difficulty is akin to turning a fully cooked piece of bacon back into a pig."


    He then assessed Schiller up and down, finally focusing on the ring on his ring finger and said, "Well, my choice of words was a bit extreme earlier. Otherwise, you can try finding someone else, although I doubt there''s a better neurosurgeon in the world than me."


    "What if you coborate with Stark?"


    Strange was about to refuse, but after a moment''s thought, he said, "Stark may have some expertise in mechanics, but applying his technology to neurosurgery would require extensive research and modifications. If you can convince him to invest the effort into researching this technology, I might give it a try. But you''d better be prepared to offer a satisfying fee."


    Before Strange could finish speaking, Schiller had already vanished. Remembering the ring he had seen on Schiller''s hand and his attitude, Strange evidently misunderstood something. He sighed and muttered to himself, "Love... can be so foolish."


    Suddenly appearing behind Stark, Schiller startled him and then eximed loudly, "I know you have this magical teleportation! But that''s not a reason to walk up 30-plus floors of a high-rise building without using an elevator! Aren''t you afraid of getting stuck in a wall?"


    Schiller retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could magic teleportation possibly get stuck in a wall? That''s absurd."


    "I hope I don''t get a call from a maintenance worker someday, telling me there''s a human-shaped hole in one of the walls of Stark Tower."


    "Alright, I came to you for a reason."


    Schiller then pulled out that stack of materials once again.


    Ten minutester, Stark said, "Actually, you''vee to the right person. I''ve done some research on neurology."


    Holding a pen, he circled the table as he continued, "You know, I obtained a significant amount of biomechanical materials from Obadiah''s databasest time, including some technology rted to adapting the nervous system for mechanical control."


    "While these technologies are highly dangerous, it cannot be denied that if sessful, they would allow for an unprecedented level of precision in controlling Mech armor through the human body."


    "So, can you do it?"


    "No, not yet. Obadiah''s research on this technology also hit a bottleneck, and there''s a crucial technological threshold that needs to be ovee. We currently have no clue."

 Chapter 60: Early Winter Routine (1)

    Chapter 60: Early Winter Routine (1)


    The weather in New York was much better than Gotham, even though it was winter. The sky remained clear, and from the window on the third floor of the clinic, you could still see the bustling cityscape on the horizon.


    Schiller had risen early, and Pikachu, using his stubby little hands, pushed the door open with a loud creak. He stretchedzily and said, "That damn old-fashioned kettle of yours makes so much noise! Yawning, where did you get such an antique?"


    Schiller descended the staircase while Pikachu slid down from the armrest. In the dining room on the second floor, the kettle was steaming, asionally emitting shrill sounds.


    Schiller used magic to make the kettle float and ced it on the desktop. Then, with a wave of his hand, a frying pan flew over, and he poured some olive oil into it before starting to prepare breakfast.


    Pikachu opened the fridge with a loud "bang" and started rummaging through it for something to eat. Heined as he searched, "I should really throw away this damn blue cheese of yours; it''s so smelly! Oh... and this cursed lettuce, it tastes like chewing on stic. Let me see... here it is! My cheese for the breakfast sandwichter, and my favorite canned lunch meat, slice it thick for me, remember, it has to be thick..."


    At that moment, the door downstairs at the clinic rang, and Schiller heard Peter''s voice along with the sound of footstepsing up. "Sir! I''m here! I borrowed a toolbox from Uncle, and today we''ll definitely fix that damn circuit breaker..."


    As he ascended the stairs, the open fridge door blocked Peter''s view. He nonchntly closed the fridge door, but with a loud "thud," a cry followed, "Oh! Crap!! My back!!!"


    Panicked, Peter quickly opened the fridge door again, only to find Pikachu, the furry Pok¨¦mon, stuck on the fridge shelf. His back had hit the cap of a canned bottle ced on the fridge door.


    Peter took Pikachu in his arms and said, "You still have a back? Where is it?""Hey, kid, don''t make me spill the beans. That ''circuit breaker'' yesterday wasn''t a real issue; it''s clear you''ve died 30 times and haven''t cleared the level..."


    Peter covered Pikachu''s mouth with his hand, struggling for words. "Dr. Schiller, what have you cooked? It smells amazing!"


    "Just a regr breakfast sandwich. If you want one, I''ll make you a big one."


    "Alright, but it doesn''t have to be too big. My appetite has been smallertely."


    "That''s good news," Schiller replied as he flipped the golden-brown omelet in the pan. "At least, your aunt won''t have to cook until her wrists hurt."


    While chatting with Schiller, Peter noticed the ring on his ring finger, and his expression changed subtly. Pikachu, sensing this, looked around and said, "We haven''t even removed yesterday''s game cartridge. Want to y another round?"


    Perplexed, Peter followed Pikachu downstairs after the furry creature pointed downwards with its tail. After a while, they returned, and Pikachu jumped onto the kitchen counter, watching Schiller.


    Schiller was in the midst of flipping the omelet when Peter gestured to Pikachu with a wink. Pikachu wrinkled his nose and said, "Well, I guess... it''s quite a hassle for you to cook for us. How about we go out to eat?"


    Schiller looked at him in surprise and said, "Did the sun rise from the west today? Usually, at this time, you''d only ask me to make the eggs extra tender."


    "I mean... well, it''s just that I always feel like humans shouldn''t keep everything bottled up. It''s not good for your health..."


    "I''m a psychologist; I understand this better than you do. Otherwise, whose money am I earning?" Schiller remarked.


    Pikachu shook his tail and was about to say something more when Peter scooped him up and chuckled, "Haha, doctor, let''s go y some games first. We''ll help youter."


    Pikachu retaliated by lightly pping Peter''s face with his tail, remembering the earlier incident where Peter had bumped into his back. Peter, not one to back down, yfully grabbed Pikachu''s ears and tugged them as they headed downstairs, wrestling andughing.


    Schiller couldn''t help but feel that Peter was hiding something from him.


    After a while, Steve, who had just finished his morning run, entered the scene. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel and followed the scent up to the second floor. Hemented, "Theyout of this old house is so impractical, and the kitchen is on the second floor."


    "Thanks to me, I could afford a good oil-absorbing cigarette machine," Schiller replied.


    "Do you also thank Nick? Hasn''t he been giving you bonuses? How much did you get this time? 30% or 20%?"


    "Without counting taxes, it''s only 18%," Steve shrugged.


    "He''s bing more macro in his understanding of ie distribution," Schiller mused.


    Steve ced the towel on the railing and casually opened the fridge, saying, "Let me see, the steak I left herest time... oh, here it is, about half left. I think I can make a beef and cheeseburger. And the cheese? I remember there was half a block left..."


    "Don''t bother looking; have you forgotten that I have a mouse here just like Jerry? Besides blue cheese, what cheese can survive more than a day?"


    "Oh my! It was nearly two pounds of cheese! Did he eat it all? Not a single piece left?"


    "It wasn''t just him. Peter made a Margherita pizzast time, and he used at least a pound of it."


    Steve shook his head and closed the fridge door. "Young people these days don''t understand the concept of saving. Is there a good convenience store in Hell''s Kitchen? I''ll go buy some cheese slices."


    "Turn right as you exit and walk two blocks ahead. Go to Mrs. Helena''s ce. Of course, it''s best to tell her you''re there to buy cheese, or she might mistake you for a job applicant."


    "Job applicant? In this darn ce, are there any jobs that need applicants?"


    "Of course, there are. Mrs. Helena runs three strip clubs, and they''re booming. You should be her favorite type."


    Steve rolled his eyes and said, "I''ll take the long way around and buy it somewhere outside Hell''s Kitchen."


    Then he walked over and patted Schiller on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, I know you''re a doctor, but doctors are just regr people, and psychologists aren''t omnipotent either. If you have anything you want to talk about, feel free toe find me. We''re friends, after all."


    After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Schiller utterly baffled. He had only gotten up in the morning to make breakfast and fry an egg. Why did everyone seem so strange?


    Not long after Steve left, Stark flew in through the window in his Mech armor, holding a stack of materials. The cold wind from the Mech armor rushed into the room at the Psychological Clinic.


    Schiller turned his head and was startled by Stark''s dark circles under his eyes. He said, "What in the world happened to you?"


    "Oh, could it be... did Miss Pepper take a day off today?"


    "What are you talking about? I''ve been researching all night for the materials you brought yesterday."


    With that, he ced the stack of documents on Schiller''s desk and said, "There''s been almost no progress in neurointerface technology, Uncle Obadiah is still in aa, and I can''t ask him. But I''vee up with another idea."


    Iron Man was still in his armor, and he pointed to one of the parts on the materials, covered in metal, and said, "If aging neurons and already dead nerve cells can''t regenerate, then we find a way to rece them with machinery, just like recing a heart."


    "I think you don''t need to exin the principles to me. I just want to know how feasible it is."


    Stark crossed his arms, staring at the diagrams on the materials, and said, "You have to understand, even if I''m a genius, I can''t conjure up technology out of thin air. What''s more important is that even if I master this technology, it has to undergo extensive safety testing before it can be used."


    Stark also nced at the ring on Schiller''s finger, touched his own lips, and then said, "If you''re really in a hurry, I can summon a consultation in the name of Stark Industries with the world''s most famous neuroscientists. That way, you can have ess to the best experts."


    "Of course, it''s better if you can bring the patient, otherwise, they won''t be able toe up with a solution out of thin air."


    "That''s probably difficult," Schiller said.


    He spoke the truth. Aside from the challenge of bringing DC characters to the Marvel world, even if he managed to do so, the differing time flows between the two worlds could lead to numerous problems and significant risks.


    Schiller was well aware that unlike in the Marvel universe, he had a crucial task in the DC world: getting rid of his enemies. His enemies were no ordinary individuals. First, they could hire the mercenary Deadshot to kill him. The words Deadshot left behind before departing had revealed enough information, indicating that Schiller couldn''t afford the price he demanded for a counter-kill. When Schiller suggested that the world''s richest person would pay for it, Deadshot still didn''t hesitate to leave, suggesting that even with enough money, it wasn''t worth it for him to turn against his employer.


    The fact that the world''s top mercenary, Deadshot, made such a judgment already spoke volumes. It was clear that the situation in which the original host was involved was not a simple matter of personal interests; there must be arger conspiracy at y.


    For this reason, Schiller hoped that Victor could be his ally, helping himpensate for his shorings in engineering and mechanical knowledge. Thus, he was willing to assist Victor''s wife as much as possible to prevent Victor from bing Mr. Freeze. However, that didn''t mean he had to take on the huge risk of shuttling between two worlds.


    Furthermore, this didn''t fundamentally deal with the problem. A DC expert like Schr couldn''t cure this illness, so it was unlikely that a regr expert from Marvel could either.


    Schiller remained silent as he contemted, but Stark couldn''t hold back any longer and said, "You... I mean... she''s okay, right? Right?"


    Schiller said, "What?"


    Stark awkwardly touched his forehead and said, "I heard from Coulson that your wife''s condition isn''t too good..."


    Schiller was dumbfounded. Where did this rumore from? And who was this wife everyone seemed to be talking about?


    No wonder everyone''s attitude seemed so strange today!


    Soon, he remembered the first person he had met when he returned to Marvel, the future Doctor Strange, who was now a neuroscientist.


    That little trickster!


    Schiller thought to himself with malice, "Next time, I''ll definitely remember to eat Strange''s brain. After all, he''s not using it anyway."

 Chapter 61: Early Winter Routine (I)

    Chapter 61: Early Winter Routine (I)


    "I think there might be a bit of a misunderstanding..."


    Natasha''s voice came through the telephone on the other end. "No need to exin. Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. actually provides health insurance for family members. I''ve mentioned before, our benefits are quite generous..."


    "I didn''t... Wait a minute, are you saying there''s money involved? Nick''s reporting 30% of the amount? That''s so high? Captain America''s bonus is only 18%..."


    "Oh, yes, indeed. Thank you for your constion. She''s doing alright..."


    Natasha continued on the telephone, "I heard that Stark wants to hire some neuroscientists for further modifications to his Mech armor. I hope you can remind him that even though Colonel Rhodes has resigned from his position, the military won''t give up. Even without the Air Force, there''s still the Army and Navy. This trouble is far from over..."


    Schiller replied, "I understand. I believe Stark can handle these matters on his own now."


    In fact, Schiller was right. Stark had to handle these matters on his own, and what made it even more troublesome was that he now had to learn to take care of himself.


    Previously, Obadiah had been in charge of most of Stark''s weapon manufacturing department and military industry department. But now, Obadiah was incapacitated due to serious injuries and advanced age, and he remained unconscious. Pepper was overwhelmed, wishing she could split into eight people to handle everything.


    Originally, Pepper was just Stark''s personal secretary, even if she helped him manage thepany, it was mainly for HR and procurement matters. However, with Obadiah out ofmission, Pepper had taken over the entire Stark Industries. She no longer had time to manage Stark''s personal life.It was widely known that Stark had virtually no self-sufficiency in his personal life. He used to have his good friend Rhodes to stay with, but now Rhodes was on vacation. Even though JARVIS was highly intelligent, he was still just an electronic life form and couldn''t take care of Stark in every aspect.


    Schiller and Stark stood on either side of the clinic''s door, staring at each other. Stark knocked on the door and said, "Let me in! It''s still daytime. Don''t you open the door at this time?"


    "You didn''t have an appointment, so of course not."


    "Damn it, why can they alle and go as they please, but not me?"


    "As you said, they cane and go anytime. How long do you n to stay here? Don''t tell me it''s a month."


    "Well... not that long, it depends on how busy Pepper gets. I guess with her intelligence, she can take over Stark Industries in about three weeks."


    "Three weeks??? I suggest you turn left to S.H.I.E.L.D."


    "Hey, you know I don''t want to go there. There are two of Howard''s old war buddies there." Stark bent two fingers to make air quotes.


    "Having tea meetings every day, reminiscing about their World War II days, I can''t stand that..."


    As he spoke, Stark tried to push the door to enter, but Schiller pressed against it with his hand. He said, "Listen, I''m deeply touched that you stayed up all night studying neurology materials for me, but that doesn''t mean you can stay here for a month..."


    "That Spider-Kid can stay, why can''t I?"


    Schiller took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment. Stark outside the door stared at him. He wasn''t wearing his Mech armor, and the wind outside was strong, so he was struggling to keep his scarf in ce.


    Well, he did look a bit pitiful.


    Schiller hesitated for a moment, but what he regretted even more was still toe.


    Iron Man was indeed a very loyal friend. If he appeared in front of you only once a month, you would think he was the best friend in the world¡ªsmart, wealthy, and loyal.


    But when he showed up in front of you every day within a month, you would only see him as a pile of dog poop.


    Stark was the epitome of "best observed from afar." Soon, Schiller understood why Rhodes had swiftly packed his bags and left for a vacation in Antarctica. He must have foreseen the current situation.


    The next morning, Schiller hadn''t even gotten out of bed when he heard noise downstairs. Stark, with his mouth wide open, tiptoed around the refrigerator. However, when he turned around, the cuff of his sweater brushed against the edge of the dining table. He muttered under his breath and pulled his sleeve up with two fingers, then quickly ran upstairs to change his clothes.


    When he came back down, he keptining, "Damn it, I feel like the air here is filled with the smell of oil. Why can''t you clean this ce properly? My God, the dust on the armrest must have been there for ten years, and those picture frames are just breeding grounds for bacteria..."


    "Oh, the kettle, and this kettle too, do you know that the steam it emits may carry various bacteria harmful to the respiratory tract..."


    "Damn it, stay away! You rat, I''m allergic to fur, go away. Has it been vinated? Does it carry any gue?!" Stark eximed, seemingly to himself.


    After finishing breakfast, Stark lounged on the sofa in the living room. He spoke into the telephone, saying, "Oh, yes, yes... sweetheart, I''ve been quite busytely. Magazine cover? Well, you''ll have to ask that bald editor, you know, I''m busy with Hollywood too. Orlivi? No, no, she''s not as beautiful as you, of course. I guess no one at that big fashion show could be sexier than you..."


    Schiller, who was writing his thesis by the window, couldn''t tolerate it any longer and smacked Stark on the back of his head with a ballpoint pen. Stark let out a surprised "ouch" and turned to look at Schiller.


    After a while, Peter arrived, and the two of them started ying games together.


    When these two met, it truly demonstrated the meaning of staying up all night and sleeping in the morning.


    Stark''s schedule in theboratory was basically reversed, starting experiments around six or seven in the evening, continuing until eight or nine in the morning. ording to him, nighttime was when his inspiration was at its peak.


    Peter used to stay upte frequently, but due to home renovations, he stayed with Schiller for a while. Schiller had a healthy routine, going to bed and waking up early. To avoid inconveniencing Dr. Schiller, Peter adjusted his schedule as well, now going to sleep around midnight.


    Pikachu, being a yellow-furred rat, was actually a nocturnal creature, most active between three and four in the morning.


    So, when Stark arrived, the three and a half residents in the house lived ording to different biological clocks.


    The conflicting sleep schedules turned the whole house into chaos. When Schiller was getting ready for bed, Stark was just waking up. While Stark and Peter were engrossed in gaming, Peter would be drowsy. And when Stark and Pikachu were battling into the morning, ready to sleep in exhaustion, Schiller would already be awake.


    Not to mention the two Superheroes flying around aimlessly over New York.


    Iron Man typically saved the world during the daytime, sacrificing his daytime sleep. So, asionally, he would jump out of bed like a zombie around ten or eleven in the morning to save the world, almost causing Pikachu to urinate in Stark''s cup.


    Good neighbor Spider-Man liked to go out at night, also sacrificing his nighttime sleep. Typically, he would leave or return when Schiller was sound asleep. For this reason, Peter was often hit on the back of his head by flying ballpoint pens and tea cups.


    Steve and Stark, who asionally dropped by, had irreconcble conflicts. Every time Steve went for his morning run, Stark was still awake, and the tired Iron Man couldn''t outwit Captain America. This infuriated Stark so much that he stayed awake, donned his Ironbat suit, and challenged Steve to a duel.


    When the two finished their duel, it was usually around noon. Correct, Peter, who had stayed up half the night, would then wake up...


    Natasha stood at the clinic''s entrance, extremely puzzled, and asked Schiller, "Apart from your pets, there should be three people living here, but why do I always see only one of them?"


    "My colleagues in the statistics department have given up on providing you with their schedules. Every time Ie here looking for someone, it''s like ying a lottery."


    Schiller was also annoyed, saying, "This is my house, so naturally, their schedules revolve around mine. Besides, my routine is the healthiest: I go to bed at eight in the evening and wake up at five in the morning. Is there a more regr schedule than that?"


    Stark also defended his schedule, saying, "No great scientist would work without staying up all night. Nighttime is when God has given humans the best time to unleash their genius. Come on, my inventions made at night can change the world. Why should I adjust?"


    Peterined as well, "Who goes to bed at nine o''clock nowadays? My ssmates are all the same, and there are too many great gamesing out recently. Why should I stay up? You should ask those game developers why they release all the fun games in the same month..."


    Pikachu had the most reasonable argument, "I''m just a mouse! Do you really expect a mouse to adjust its schedule like a human?"


    Even the symbiote felt aggrieved and said in Schiller''s mind, "Their brains always smell particrly delicious in the middle of the night..."


    Finally, one night, Schiller was awakened in the early hours, and the symbiote was desperately salivating in his mind. Stark burst into the room excitedly, shouting, "I know what''s going on!!! Come and see! How do you like this structure? As a nanoneuron in the neuralwork... I''m a genius! This will definitely work!"


    The next morning, Pepper found Stark outside the Psychological Clinic''s door, bewildered and thrown out with his luggage.

 Chapter 62: Early Winter Daily Life (2)

    Chapter 62: Early Winter Daily Life (2)


    As human beings, inherently social creatures, we often exhibit a propensity for conformity. When ced within a particr group or environment, it bes challenging to remain unaffected by that setting. Stark now had firsthand experience with this phenomenon.


    Peter''s days were filled with sweet moments spent with his childhood sweetheart, Gwen. After Gwen and Peter had officially established their rtionship not too long ago, they began dating at a frequency of two or three times a week.


    Spider-Man, who had not yet progressed to the stage of meeting his future father-inw, was currently bubbling over with happiness. Every day, he enthusiastically discussed the small gifts from his girlfriend or raved about the delicious dishes at the restaurants they visited.


    Stark had to acknowledge that despite Peter''s seemingly juvenile details and their choice of dining establishments that Stark, a billionaire, would never consider, he could sense Peter''s genuine joy in every word.


    Apart from Peter, thanks to the talkative Scarecrow, Schiller and his wife''s story had grown richer and sadder after passing through many retellings. Originally just information Coulson had gathered during a routine investigation of Strange, this piece of juicy gossip was not something he could keep to himself. The next day, Natasha and Nick heard a remarkably detailed and authentic version of the story from Coulson.


    Coulson, a genius agent, had expanded Strange''s brief statements into a full-fledged narrative. As this story made its way to Natasha and Nick''s ears, Natasha, with her sensibility unique to women, was particrly interested in this romantic love story. She added her own imaginative romantic details, making it feel even more real.


    Nick, however, was a skeptic, and upon learning of this, he naturally wanted to investigate. His investigation eventually led him to some intriguing leads.


    He discovered that therge sum of money S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark had paid Schiller had initially been deposited into a U.S. ount, but recently, this substantial amount had been transferred to an international ount in Switzend. The trail of the money then disappeared, and Nick spected that Schiller might be using his magic abilities to visit his wife.


    Nick always believed that being a good agent required not only meticulous logical thinking but also the ability to think outside the box. Many times, an unexpected insight could lead to unexpected changes in action.All these factorsbined led Nick to believe that there was a high probability of truth in this matter.


    He suspected that Schiller''s wife might not be a U.S. citizen, as there was no record of such a woman disappearing in the archives. Schiller might have met her while traveling, and after falling in love and getting married, she might have developed a debilitating illness that was temporarily incurable but continually worsening. Combining this with Schiller''s mention of low-temperature technology earlier, Nick spected that Schiller might possess a technique that could freeze a person, preserving his wife''s condition and preventing it from deteriorating while he continued searching for a treatment.


    Nick saw more than just a tragic love story in this narrative. He wanted to recruit Schiller fully into S.H.I.E.L.D., believing that if S.H.I.E.L.D. could make progress in treating his wife, they would gain a powerful ally.


    Therefore, Nick started gathering materials from various neurology experts, intending to find someone qualified to deal with this issue.


    If Schiller ever heard Nick''s thoughts or learned about the story he had woven in his mind, he would surely apud the Agent of the Shield. After all, wasn''t this the love story of Freeze Victor and his wife?


    And so, the story of Freeze was in Nick''s hands for the taking.


    When this story reached Stark''s ears, he naturally assumed that Nick must have concrete evidence, leading him to believe that Schiller had indeed been striving for years to find a treatment for his wife.


    This revtion was quite a shock to Stark. After all, he had spent most of his formative years on the road, surrounded by individuals who were, in essence, just as hedonistic as his father.


    The more devastating blow, however, came from Captain America, Steve.


    A few days ago, Stark noticed that Steve had stopped his early morning runs. Concerned, Stark approached Schiller to inquire about Steve''s condition, and Schiller informed him that Steve had been in low spiritstely.


    Stark was delighted. If Captain America was feeling down, Iron Man''s spirits could only soar.


    However, when Steve returned, he appeared incredibly worn out, and Schiller also seemed solemn and sorrowful. Peter, for the most part, kept a low profile.


    During these days without Pepper, Stark had been wandering aimlessly, and he had finally started picking up on social cues. Seeing everyone''s somber demeanor, he decided to hold back his words.


    Later, he went to Schiller again to ask about what was bothering Steve. However, Schiller simply shook his head and told Stark to ask Steve himself.


    How could Iron Man willingly approach Captain America?


    But Stark''s overpowering curiosity eventually led him to seek out Steve.


    And that''s when he learned about the century-spanning romantic love story between Steve and Peggy.


    As a newly enlisted soldier, Steve, frail and helpless, encountered amanding female officer who was both impressive and attentive. Afterward, as this new recruit rose to be the renowned Captain America, they faced life and death together, bing each other''s perfect soulmates. Even after a century had passed, Steve remained unwavering in his belief that Peggy was his perfect dance partner.


    However, the ending of this romantic tale was heart-wrenching. A few days ago, Steve had visited the aging Peggy, lying in a sickbed, and learned from the doctor that her time was running out.


    He saw the photo that Peggy had kept. It wasn''t the strong Captain America after the serum injection, but the timid and bullied Steve who had just entered the boot camp. After his transformation into Captain America, Steve hadn''t cried like that in a long time.


    He was on the verge of breaking down, even irrationally rushing to Nick''s office, asking if there was any special serum that could save Peggy.


    Unfortunately, in the end, Steve could only ept this painful and helpless oue.


    This story had a profound impact on Stark because in Steve''s words, his father Howard had been a part of this entire story, and he and Peggy had been friends.


    This made Stark ponder, wondering if he was a bit too different.


    When it came to women, Stark was never short of options. From magazine models to party girls and Hollywood actresses, Stark changedpanions daily, sometimes even multiple times a day.


    But when it came to love, genuine love, Stark realized he had nothing to show for it that would resonate with his friends.


    First love? He vaguely remembered something, but Stark had to acknowledge that he had forgotten most of it.


    Peter and Gwen were in love, Schiller and his wife experienced life and death together, Captain America and Peggy, their love story never unfolded.


    And then there was Stark, surrounded by these people, who couldn''t help but use his brilliant mind to ponder why he was so different.


    "Lately, Pepper''s been giving me some strange looks," Stark, Schiller, and Peter sat at a table in the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria. After Schiller kicked Stark out, Pepper had no choice but to ce him in S.H.I.E.L.D.''s care, which Stark wasn''t thrilled about. But if he didn''t go there, he''d be sleeping on the streets.


    "Strange? What kind of strange?"


    "I''m not joking, I''m serious. Her eye contact, I can''t quite put my finger on it. It''s a mix of worry, relief, and a hint of sympathy."


    "I should let you handle my profession; you can read so much from eye contact."


    Stark waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, I''ve encountered a thousand, if not eight hundred, women in my life. I can tell exactly what''s on their minds from their eye contact. So, what''s going on with Pepper?"


    "It depends on what''s been going on with youtely. Do you have anything on your mind?"


    "What''s there to worry about? I''m doing great."


    Schiller put down his fork and snapped his fingers. "JARVIS, can you analyze any recent changes in your owner''s behavior?"


    JARVIS chimed twice, and Stark rested his face on his hands, waiting for his intelligent butler''s response.


    "ording to the analysis, you''ve turned down 18 invitations from the opposite sex in the past week. That''s the only noticeable deviation from your usual behavior..."


    In that moment, Stark saw an expression on Schiller''s face almost identical to Pepper''s.


    "Damn it, I''m not..."


    "You don''t have to exin. Well, if you''vee to terms with it, congrattions. If you''re struggling..."


    Schiller shrugged. "...then you brought it on yourself."


    Schiller knew that inics, Stark was quite thedies'' man. Putting aside his first love, the doomed Meridith, and the treacherous Bane, he had dallied with Gamora, the Amazing Captain, Wasp, Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, and countless others.


    "I''m not..." Stark put down his utensils and leaned on the table. "I just think they aren''t that great..."


    "Who was it that couldn''t stop talking about the beauties on his yacht back then?"


    "Okay." Stark, like a deted balloon, admitted, "I''ve never had a decent love affair. You guys are always in my ear, talking about love and romantic stories."


    "I thought they were everything¡ªsexy, charming, short-lived but passionate. What''s not to like?"


    "But Peter said yesterday that his girlfriend enjoys hearing about how he creates those machines. They spent an entire afternoon discussing that topic!"


    "And they didn''t get tired of it. The next day, we went to the exhibition hall, the one belonging to Stark Industries. The machines there were amazing, and we spent the whole day without getting bored..."


    As Stark gave Peter a piercing look, Peter silently stuffed his mouth with a sandwich.


    "...Well, no one has ever wanted to hear me talk about these things. They''d rather hear about Hollywood gossip, fashion show scandals, and what''s new in winter and spring clothing. Who would willingly listen to me talk about how to build Mech armor?"


    "But you do want to talk about these things, right? In your eyes, Mech armor is much more attractive than those designer coats."


    Stark pouted, now resembling a sour lemon.


    "But you won''t get anywhere by telling us. You should talk to Pepper."


    "But she doesn''t know anything about Mech armor, and she''s already busy."


    "Like I said, as long as you talk to her, she''ll definitely be willing to listen."

 Chapter 63: The Art of Making Friends - Little Spiders Skill

    Chapter 63: The Art of Making Friends - Little Spiders Skill


    In a small coffee shop adjacent to Store Street in the downtown area, Gwen sat across from Peter, slowly stirring her coffee with a spoon. She asked, "Have you already received your internship driving license? Does that mean we can soon take my dad''s car to the beach?"


    Peter replied, "My uncle doesn''t have much time. He recently had a shadow in his lungs detected during a hospital visit. Fortunately, it''s just a minor inmmation. You know, he used to smoke cigarettes when he was young..."


    Gwen nodded sympathetically, saying, "Of course, it seems like everyone from their generation was like that. Whenever my dad''s coat smelled like cigarettes, my mom would argue with him."


    Peter shrugged and continued, "Even though I have the internship driving license, my uncle doesn''t have time, and I can''t drive alone. I haven''t even driven a car yet."


    "I''m not really confident in my driving skills either. The internship driving license only requires a written test. Right now, I can barely start a car, let alone drive it," Peter added, shaking his head.


    "I don''t even know when I''ll be able to pass the road test. I haven''t had many opportunities to ride in a car, let alone drive one."


    The Parker household only had an old pickup truck that Peter''s uncle used formuting to work. When Peter interned at Stark Company, he used his spider web to swing between high-rise buildings.


    In the U.S., at Peter''s age, most people only obtained an internship driving license, which required passing a written test. To drive alone on the road, one needed to pass a road test. Peter had barely touched a car, and no matter how much of a genius he was, he couldn''t magically acquire driving skills. Passing the road test seemed like a distant dream.


    Sensing Peter''s disappointment, Gwen changed the subject, asking, "I heard Stark Industries offered you a substantial internship stipend. Are they considering hiring you for their group in the future?"Peter replied, "Yes, although I told my uncle and aunt that they would be responsible for my future college tuition, it seems they are frightened by the high cost of some good universities. They want to save all their money in case of any unexpected situations."


    "Well, sometimes I think they''re being overly cautious, but when certain disasters really strike, I realize their worries aren''t unfounded," Gwen remarked. Her kindness and understanding always made Peter feel like he didn''t quite measure up to her.


    "If your uncle can''t apany you for driving practice, does he have any friends, or do you have other avable rtives?" Gwen inquired.


    Peter pondered for a moment before replying, "You''ve reminded me, I do have a few options..."


    The next day, in the living room of the Psychological Clinic, Peter exined, "So, the situation is that I need to get some hands-on experience with a car before I can pass the road test."


    Schiller paused for a moment, thinking it didn''t sound like a big deal. With Peter''s genius level, he could probably learn everything in no time if he took a quick drive together.


    He said, "No problem, I''d be happy to help. I''ll drive first, and you can observe. Then, you can take the wheel yourself. It won''t take the whole afternoon; you''ll learn everything."


    After a few dozen minutes, Schiller was behind the wheel, flipping open a small handbook he''d found from somewhere. While adjusting the steering wheel, he read aloud, "Let me see, it''s about turning and merging... Oh, here it is! Wait, this rule seems quite bizarre, doesn''t it?"


    Pikachu and Peter sat in the passenger seats, exchanging surprised nces. Pikachumented, "I guess he never read the ''New York Driver''s Handbook'' before taking his driving license test."


    "Well, that''s pretty obvious," Peter replied.


    "Why don''t you think about how he managed to pass the driving test?" Pikachu asked.


    Peter stared ahead stiffly and replied, "As long as I don''t think about that, I''ll feel temporarily safe."


    A few minutester, Peter and Schiller were standing by the car, shivering in the cold wind of early winter in New York.


    Schiller held his phone and said, "Hello? Is this the insurancepany? Yes... I''ve sent you the location details... Oh, it''s not severe, just a scrape on the side of the vehicle..."


    He then covered the phone and loudly scolded the owner of a white Audi parked nearby, "Shut up!! It''s all your fault! Haven''t you ever read the ''New York Driver''s Handbook''? I was going straight, and you can''t..."


    Twenty minutester, a shy red supercar pulled up beside the ident scene. Stark, wearing sunsses, waved to Peter and said, "Let''s go! Your Uncle Tony will take you to experience the scenic New York coastline!"


    He added with a mocking tone, "You should havee to me in the first ce. Look at this ''doctor.'' Does he look like a real race car driver? I bet he''s never driven a car at 100 miles per hour in his life..."


    Peter nced back at Schiller, who was still on the phone with the insurancepany, and then he climbed into Stark''s sports car.


    Not long after, Pikachu tightly covered his ears in the howling wind and yelled at Peter, "Why!!!! Racing!!!! Without a roof up?!!!"


    Peter shouted back, "How was I supposed to know?!"


    Stark joined in, shouting, "This is called ''Fast & Furious''! Got it?!"


    A few minutester, the sports car came to a stop by the side of the road. Stark somehow produced a small booklet from somewhere and muttered as he read, "Damn... How do you close the convertible roof? I''ve hardly ever driven manually myself... No, no, no, JARVIS, I don''t need your help..."


    "Let me see... Ah, here it is! What? Vehicle intelligent management system??? Why is it always so darn intelligent? Can''t I just drive manually? Is there no button or something for that?"


    Twenty minutester, Steve picked up Peter on the roadside, whose hair was a tangled mess due to the wind. Pikachu was desperately trying to detangle the hair blown into knots on its body. Peter said, "I should never have believed your nonsense about going for a joyride! I''m just a mouse; I don''t need to learn how to drive. Why did Ie with you, anyway?"


    Peter consoled him, saying, "No rtionship, Captain America would definitely not be as unreliable as they are!"


    Indeed, Steve arrived in an unremarkable ck Cadic. Once Peter got in, Steve started the car smoothly, at least without pulling out a small booklet to read while driving. Peter breathed a sigh of relief.


    However, his relief didn''tst long. Steve''s speed kept increasing, he didn''t slow down on turns, and every drift left ck tire marks on the ground. Peter was forcefully mmed into the opposite side of the car door with each turn, and Pikachu, nestled in his arms, almost flew out of the car window.


    Then, as they approached a speed bump, Steve showed no intention of slowing down. In the horrified gaze of Peter and Pikachu, the car plowed straight over it. When the car''s front wheels hit the speed bump, it jolted violently, lifting the entire front of the car.


    Steve paid no attention, and the car almost flew over the speed bump. Peter was thrown from his seat, hitting his head on the roof, and when he came down, his waist was bumped by the seat. He cried out in pain, "Oh!!! My back!!"


    By this time, Pikachu had been thrown onto the windshield.


    Still, Steve drove on obliviously. Seeing Peter''s sorry state, he chuckled and said, "The suspension system of this car is already very advanced. Back in the day when I drove inbat, my legs and arms would be covered in bruises after just 20 kilometers..."


    "Learning to drive always involves this process, doesn''t it? Speed bumps on the road are much better than spiked traps and anti-ram roadblocks on the battlefield, right?"


    Twenty minutester, Coulson arrived in S.H.I.E.L.D.''s specialized car to pick up Steve and Peter. Steveined, "I take back what I said about this car earlier. Its quality is too poor; why did it stall?"


    Coulson said, "Captain, even if you''re Captain America, you can''t drive without a license on the main road in New York and overspeed..."


    "Damn driving without a license, how could I not have a driving license?!"


    "Driving licenses before 1940 don''t count."


    Steve pursed his lips and said, "Fine, but at least I wasn''t speeding."


    "Traffic regtions before 1940 don''t count either."


    Pikachu sat in Peter''sp, looking utterly defeated, and said, "You sure know how to make friends."


    Peter, equally disheartened, replied, "I thought there would be at least one reliable one."


    "That was just wishful thinking."


    Coulson turned his head and asked, "So, were you nning to get a driving license? Why didn''t you give us a call? S.H.I.E.L.D. can issue you an official driving license directly, bypassing the Department of Motor Vehicles. We still have that authority."


    Peter said, "If you had told me that before today, I would have been thrilled to have you immediately print me an official driving license."


    "But now I''ve learned my lesson. I''ll practice on my own, memorize the driver''s manual and vehicle instructions book before hitting the road, and update my driving license information regrly every year."


    Coulson seemed quite surprised and looked at Peter with appreciation. "Young people like you, who uphold principles and don''t seek privileges, are rare."


    Peter, exhausted, said, "That''s probably because I''m just too good at making friends."

 Chapter 64: Little Spiders Big Adventure (1)

    Chapter 64: Little Spiders Big Adventure (1)


    In the end, it was Matt and his girlfriend, Erica, who took on the responsibility of teaching Peter how to drive.


    Matt''s recent severe injury had helped mend the rift between him and Erica, bringing them back together.


    Of course, once Erica had shaken off the effects of her brainwashing, she realized that her actions had been impulsive. Peter had only been trying to protect Matt. She felt a twinge of remorse for stabbing Peter back then. So, when she learned from Matt about Peter''s rather challenging journey in learning to drive, both she and Matt took it upon themselves to help Peter with his driving lessons.


    It had to be said that Erica was indeed more reliable than the others in this regard. Despite being a Ninja assassin, she disyed considerable patience in teaching.


    On this particr day, Peter was attempting to drive on his own, with Erica and Matt sitting in the car, discussing matters concerning Kingpin.


    "One day, I''m going to make him pay!" Peter dered. "He used such despicable methods against you."


    "Don''t be impulsive," Erica cautioned. "The feud between me and Kingpin isplicated, and he''s the most notorious crime lord in the entire country. You''re not ready to take him on."


    "What about Bullseye? I remember he was still in Hell''s Kitchen, right? I''ll go give him a beating tonight," Peter said.


    Erica replied, "The situation isn''t favorable right now. After learning about Dragon Bone, Kingpin hasn''t immediately targeted The Hand. It seems they''ve reached some kind of agreement. Worse yet, Kingpin may have hired The Hand.""That doesn''t make sense. If The Hand cares so much about Dragon Bone and knows that Kingpin also wants it, they''ll surely turn against him in the end. Doesn''t Kingpin know that?"


    "That''s the worst part. Even if Kingpin knows The Hand won''t genuinely cooperate with him and certainly won''t hand over Dragon Bone, he''s still willing to hire them. This suggests there''s something we don''t know, something that makes Kingpin take the risk of The Hand turning on him."


    "Does he have any big deals going on recently?"


    Erica''s expression grew serious. "If I have to be honest, you probably already know about it. His drug business."


    "You mean that n he abandoned before?"


    "What are you two talking about?" Peter controlled the steering wheel, unable to understand the cryptic conversation between Matt and Erica. During this time period, Spider-Man hadn''t yet crossed paths with Kingpin. DaredevilMatt was the one primarily battling Kingpin.


    "Kingpin''s drug operation on the East Coast has hit a bottleneck. He''s already imed the majority of the market, but he''s not satisfied."


    "Earlier, I received intel that Kingpin wants to target younger students, using thework he''s built in various colleges and high schools to distribute drugs to even younger children who might be addicted. That way, he hopes to surpass his historical sales figures someday."


    Peter pounded the steering wheel in frustration and muttered, "Ever since I decided to be a hero, my limits have been constantly tested by people like them. Why do they have no humanity?"


    "You''ll encounter more monsters like this in the future," Matt said calmly.


    His calm demeanor gave Peter a sense of strength.


    As the car turned onto a side street, it was gettingte, and Peter decided to take Matt''s car back and continue practicing the next day.


    But just as they made the turn, a blinding light shed, and Peter instinctively shielded his eyes. Then, his Spider-Sense tingled, and he immediately opened the car door and jumped out.


    With a loud "thud," several throwing darts pierced through the windshield,nding on the driver''s and passenger''s seats.


    Peter looked up, and from a nearby high-rise building, several shadowy figures leaped down, apanied by a cloud of ck cigarette smoke. In the blink of an eye, they closed in on the car.


    After some training, Peter was no longer aplete rookie. He rolled on the ground to avoid a barrage of darts and then leaped, knocking a Ninja off the car roof.


    His strength was considerable, and the Ninja turned into a wisp of cigarette smoke and disappeared in an instant.


    Next, another Ninja yanked the car door open, only to find it empty. A cold gleam shed from a dagger, and Erica appeared by the car''s side. She swiftly dealt with one Ninja and scared off another with a toss of her throwing darts.


    Matt wasn''t in the car either. His heightened senses allowed him to detect the disturbance while the darts were still in flight. He had taken care of one Ninja at the rear of the car and was now approaching, carrying his staff.


    "These guys are really troublesome. Last time, we only got one of them, and this time they''ve all escaped," Matt said.


    Peter shook his slightly numb wrist and asked, "What''s going on? Have they been attacking you guys recently?"


    "We moved to a new ce because our old one was constantly gued by these pests," Erica replied.


    "I''m sorry, I''ve been quite busytely and haven''t had a chance to visit you guys. If I had known you were in trouble, I would havee over."


    "It''s probably best that you didn''t. These people can''t be handled with brute force alone. Even Erica and I would need to set traps to take down one of them. In a confrontation like this, they just vanish."


    "You can''t deal with Ninja''s teleportation technique. You need special methods to counter it," Erica added, holding her dagger as she climbed back into the car.


    "Should we continue driving? What if theye back?"


    "Didn''t you notice? They''re not here to kill us, just to harass us," Matt exined.


    Peter also got back in the car. This time, Erica took the wheel. Peter asked, "So, what''s the point of their actions if they can''t harm you?"


    "We may not fear them, but my neighbors aren''t necessarily in the same position. They know that, in order to protect ordinary people, I have to frequently move. This significantly disrupts my ability to go out andbat their industry," Matt exined to Erica.


    Erica continued after Matt, "This is amon tactic used by the Hand. Whenever someone opposes them, they send these nearly invincible Ninjas to harass them continuously until they leave the area for good."


    "These Ninjas don''t have highbat strength, they don''t often kill, and they operate in shadows, leaving no evidence behind. Hence, the authorities in that area rarely have a reason to intervene."


    "This is where Kingpin''s brilliance lies. He utilizes these Hand Ninjas to harass me, ensuring that I temporarilyck the time to hinder his industry upgrades. He knows that even if he goes all-out against me, it won''t work in the short term. It will only invite more intense retaliation. However, this persistent annoyance, like a swarm of flies, can significantly slow me down."


    Erica steered the car while saying, "Perhaps this is also one of the reasons he chose to cooperate with the Hand. Your previous actions caused him significant losses. Even though Bullseye nearly seeded, you resurfaced quickly and dismantled several of his underground casinos."


    "He already knows that,pared to hiring assassins, constantly harassing you is a better choice."


    Matt sighed, feeling somewhat helpless in his current situation.


    These Ninjas were quite troublesome. They could lower their heart rates, making it difficult for Matt to pinpoint their exact locations. They would visit his home sporadically, either throwing darts or setting fires, causing a lot of chaos. Thendlords didn''t care if Matt was being harassed; they only wanted to evict him.


    As awyer, Matt had a decent apartment in Manhattan, but his ce in Hell''s Kitchen was just a stronghold. However, those Ninjas always came to disrupt his life, forcing him to move repeatedly, which drained a lot of his energy.


    Daredevil had only 24 hours in a day, and he used to sacrifice sleep time tobat crime. But now, during the daytime, he had to writeints, attend court sessions, and pack his belongings for another move. He had only a short window in thete night to patrol. His efficiency had dropped significantly, and he felt drained.


    Kingpin had sessfully exploited Daredevil''s weakness: Matt was still a part of society, and when faced with such troubles, he had to spend a lot of time to maintain his societal identity.


    Erica had her share of troubles too. The Hand didn''t show mercy to traitors, and her extended absence had raised Kingpin''s suspicions. Bullseye was constantly seeking opportunities to kill her and regain his position.


    Peter said, "Although I can''t help you with these Ninjas, I can at least go cause trouble for their leader."


    "Be careful," Erica warned. "Bullseye is no ordinary person. He''s a master acrobat, highly skilled in hand-to-handbat, and extremely cunning."


    "That''s good to know. I haven''t faced a worthy opponent in a while."


    "Didn''t billionaire Stark provide you with abat suit? To deal with Bullseye, you should wear it at all times. He''s skilled with projectiles, but if his weapons can''t prate yourbat suit, he''ll be much easier to handle."


    "Thebat suit is still in testing. I received a call from Mr. Stark yesterday; it should be ready in a few days."


    As the car arrived on the street near Matt''s residence, they all got out. Matt said, "You need to think this through. Once you go after Bullseye, you will undoubtedlye into Kingpin''s sight."


    "Confronting Kingpin is a true life-or-death struggle, notparable to dealing with a few muggers or thieves in Hell''s Kitchen."


    "He will use every imaginable and unimaginable brutal means to kill you. He might be your lifelong nightmare, and wherever you go, you''ll need to watch out for his assassins, just like me."


    Peter stood on the other side of the car, looking at Matt. The streetlights had gone out, leaving only the faint reflections of lights from residential buildings in the car windows.


    Peter asked, "Do you regret it? When you were lying on the operating room bed, did you regret getting involved in all this?"


    "If I hadn''t gotten involved, I''d probably be in a high-end downtown apartment right now, preparing for a court trial the next day. Maybe I''d be thinking about when to discuss engagement with my girlfriend, or whether to get a dog..."


    Erica chimed in, "But now, you''re like a rat in the street. Forget about getting a dog; even if you had a tropical fish, its corpse would show up at your bedroom door the next day."


    "I didn''t think through my decision at that time. Do you think I spent a year pondering before taking action?"


    "In fact, I plunged into this bottomless abyss with a heart full of hatred and determination," Matt said.


    "While I truly hope you be a superhero because your abilities can save many people, that''s also why I''m willing to train you. But I''m not trying to deceive you. I have to remind you that opposing Kingpin means there''s no turning back."


    "You have to be both just and powerful. If youck either one, you''re on a one-way path to destruction."

 Chapter 65: Little Spiders Grand Adventure (1)

    Chapter 65: Little Spiders Grand Adventure (1)


    In Peter''s pursuit of Bullseye, things were not going as smoothly as he had hoped. His first obstacle was the simple fact that he couldn''t locate Bullseye.


    The truth was, Hell''s Kitchen had a transient poption, and even as Spider-Man, there was no way he could check everyone''s identity in the area in such a short amount of time.


    As Erica had mentioned, Bullseye was incredibly cunning, and he knew he had many enemies. Thus, his movements were erratic. Peter had recently tracked him down to a nightclub entrance, only for Bullseye to disappear overnight. With so many buildings and gangs in Hell''s Kitchen, finding Bullseye''s hideout proved to be an arduous task.


    Now Peter understood why Matt had been so precise in dismantling Kingpin''s criminal empire. It must have required tremendous effort.


    Peter felt a bit disheartened. In the past, he had frequently patrolled Hell''s Kitchen, asionally dealing with muggers or thieves on the outskirts of the area. He had even taken down a few armed drug dealers. However, organized crime and lone criminals were entirely different. Some gangs and criminal organizations were difficult to eradicate because they had deep-rooted influence in the area, and everyone was their eyes and ears. This presented a significant challenge for Peter''s investigation, and it was clear that Bullseye had be vignt.


    But Peter was not one to give up easily.


    He was intelligent and recognized his strengths. After aimlessly wandering around Hell''s Kitchen without results, Peter decided to seek assistance from modern science and technology.


    One noon, Schiller watched as Peter ced arge box on the table with a resounding thud.


    When he opened it, there was an oddly shapedputer inside, integrated with the box. The keyboard was unconventional, and there was no mouse, but it was connected to aplex web of wires and antennas.Peter tinkered with it incessantly, the blue light from the screen reflecting on his face, while Pikachu watched from the side. Peter said, "Do you want to track mobile phone signals? Interceptmunications in Hell''s Kitchen?"


    "Correct. People around here probably have little awareness ofwork and signal encryption. I got a bunch of outdated equipment from a friend''s dad and assembled this. It may not be perfect, but it''ll do the job."


    "But with so many mobile phones andwork signals, even if you intercept and decode them all, won''t it still be a painstaking process to identify Bullseye among them?"


    "That''s what I''m working on now. I''ve already tested signal interception. It''s not too difficult. Currently, I''m writing a program to intelligently extractmunication content."


    Schiller stood there, arms crossed, and asked, "So when did you two n this?"


    Pikachu, munching on a jar of peanut butter, replied, "Don''t forget, I''m a detective, and this kid hired me."


    "Correct. I needed someone to help me. I needed someone to watch my back."


    "I''m grateful you chose a rat over me," Schiller said.


    "Oh, don''t get me wrong, doctor," Peter said somewhat embarrassed. "I just didn''t want to trouble you all with this. I nned to handle it myself. Why else would I assemble thisputer? Stark Tower has all the advancedputers one could imagine. Forget monitoring Hell''s Kitchen; I could monitor the entire Manhattan area without any issues."


    As Peter rapidly typed away on the keyboard, he continued earnestly, "I realized that I shouldn''t rely too much on others. When I heard Matt talk about his experiences fighting criminals, it seemed like a simple matter¡ªjust beating up bad guys, right? How hard could it be?"


    "But when I tried it myself, I discovered how challenging it actually is. It''s not just about cutting one thread; it''s about unraveling a tangled mess and pinpointing the one thread that could be lethal."


    Schiller apuded him, saying, "Has anyone ever told you that you have a real talent for this?"


    Peter seemed like he was born to be a superhero¡ªstrong, kind, and, more importantly, possessing a sharp wit that most peoplecked.


    Soon, the screen emitted a blue sh, and Peter stopped typing, saying, "It''s done. Now I just have to wait a few hours. As long as he''s sent any signals rted to his identity during that time, I''ll be able to capture his trail."


    "What''s your n after that? A direct frontal assault?" Pikachu asked.


    "No, no, no," Peter shook his head.


    "Actually, Captain had given me a lot of tactical advice earlier. I didn''t pay much attention at the time, but when I thought about it recently, I realized that much of it mighte in handy."


    With that, Peter took out a map from his backpack, unfolding it and pointing to a section. "Look here, this is Hell''s Kitchen. Do you see these lines I''ve drawn?"


    "I found an old map of New York''s sewer system at a newsstand. I marked out the Hell''s Kitchen section on this map."


    "You can see that the sewers connect to most of Hell''s Kitchen''s main buildings, and the distribution of exits is quite even. From point A at the southernmost end to point B at the northernmost end, the distance between each manhole cover is almost the same, forming a uniform circr pattern."


    "This is a natural approach route. I only need to start from here, see this red dot I marked? I''ll enter from here. At my running speed, it''ll take me less than 5 minutes to reach the central buildings of Hell''s Kitchen, about 10 minutes for the second ring of buildings, and even the outermost ones will take less than 15 minutes..."


    "As long as I catch the signal, I can be inside the building where Bullseye is in no more than 15 minutes," said Pikachu.


    "I guess he won''t choose the closest or the farthest ring, but rather the middleyers of Hell''s Kitchen, just like us," Pikachu continued.


    "I agree. While the central part is Kingpin''s territory, Bullseye knows he''d be closely watched there. He must have his own stronghold on the outskirts," added Pikachu.


    "Capturing him there would be much easier than infiltrating a ce full of Kingpin''s goons," Peter chimed in.


    Peter had a natural talent forputers, and in less than twenty minutes, the screen suddenly lit up again. He hastily began typing on the keyboard, then stopped, jumped up, grabbed his backpack, and shouted, "Keep an eye out for me! Use the walkie-talkie if there''s any activity!"


    Pikachu gave him an assuring gesture.


    Peter quickly made his way to the nearest sewer entrance. Just as he expected, the New York sewer system was abyrinth, but he followed the map and arrived a few minutes earlier than anticipated.


    When Peter emerged from a manhole cover, he found himself on a street south of Hell''s Kitchen. Schiller''s Psychological Clinic was to the north, a few streets away from Matt''s apartment.


    Bullseye had a knack for choosing strategic locations, and the signal led to a junkyard¡ªa ce seldom frequented by ordinary folks.


    But this ce was remarkably suitable for Peter. The junkyard featured uneven terrain, various objects that could be used as weapons, and several junk trucks that could serve as cover against projectiles.


    Though Peter wasn''t well-versed in terrain tactics, he instinctively felt that this ce would be advantageous for a fight.


    Silently skirting the edge of the junkyard, Peter''s Spider-Sense heightened as he concentrated. He even had a vague three-dimensional map of his surroundings within a few meters in his mind.


    On a two-story building behind the junkyard, Peter scaled the wall effortlessly. He used a strand of spider web to dangle headfirst and peered into a window.


    Sure enough, Bullseye was inside, chatting with someone and smoking a cigarette. Peter''s nose twitched as he caught a whiff of marijuana in the air. He retracted his spider web, retrieved a red and bluebat suit from his backpack, and muttered, "I forgot to ask Mr. Stark for a gas mask. Damn Hell''s Kitchen."


    After donning his Spider-Man suit, Peter didn''t hesitate. He swung in through the broken window.


    Bullseye''s henchman, who was closer to the window, hadn''t turned around yet and was promptly knocked out by Peter''s kick. Bullseye dropped his cigarette, cursed, and blocked Peter''s punch with his arm.


    If Peter were an ordinary person, Bullseye''s move might have been an effective defense. But the strength from his spider mutation, though not fully developed, was beyond that of an ordinary person.


    Bullseye took Peter''s punch head-on and was sent flying.


    However, he proved himself as a master acrobat. In mid-air, he twisted his body, executed a somersault, andnded smoothly.


    He sprinted toward the back door, with Peter in pursuit. But the stench in the room and the lingering cigarette smoke made Peter''s senses less acute. It wasn''t until a "click" sound as the back door opened that Peter chased after Bullseye, only to be met with three flying darts.


    Peter couldn''t afford to take them head-on and rolled to the side. He shot his spider web, swinging from the back door''s wall, andnded in the junkyard, where Bullseye stood atop a small mound of garbage.


    "Hah, who''s this reckless fellow? Thinks he can cause trouble in Hell''s Kitchen just by wearing a weird suit?" Bullseye taunted.


    Peter paid him no attention,nding and delivering a swift kick.


    Steve had once taught Peter an effective tactic during tactical training, and Schiller had endorsed it. When facing a viin, never let them talk too much. As soon as the adversary opened their mouth, deliver a decisive punch. There was plenty of time to talk after they were down. What honor was there in conversing with viins?


    This tactic seemed to work brilliantly. Before Bullseye could even finish his sentence, Peter unleashed a flurry of punches. Bullseye was forced to roll and dodge.


    Peter resisted the urge to speak and continued his relentless assault. Bullseye struggled to withstand Peter''s immense strength; even a ncing blow was painful. When Bullseye punched Spider-Man, thetter barely budged, but when Spider-Man struck back, Bullseye was sent flying.


    If it weren''t for Bullseye''s excellent bnce and agility, he would have been down for the count long ago.


    Seeing the unfavorable situation, Bullseye hurled a set of darts. While Spider-Man dodged to the side, Bullseye pulled a small spherical object from his pocket and tossed it to the ground. A faint hiss followed, and a cloud of tear gas filled the air.


    It wasn''t a smoke screen to obscure vision; rather, it was a mini-tear gas grenade. The noxious fumes left Peter gasping for breath, and he coughed violently. When he regained hisposure, Bullseye had vanished.

 Chapter 66: Little Spiders Grand Adventure (II)

    Chapter 66: Little Spiders Grand Adventure (II)


    Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. lounge, Steve pointed at a diagram on the whiteboard and said, "As I mentioned before, tactical proficiency isn''t just about prenning the operation; it''s equally important to synchronously understand the enemy''s intentions, even anticipate their actions before they do."


    "The reason yourst operation failed was partly because you didn''t aplish this."


    "You chose to climb to the rooftop first, which is a good move, seizing a tactical high ground is indeed crucial. However, you made a fatal mistake afterward."


    "First, you didn''t ascertain how many exits the building had and rashly charged inside."


    "Secondly, when conducting operations inside a structure, we generally discourage assaults from high levels. Once you start driving the enemy from above, they''ll instinctively move downwards. If there are exits on the lower floors, they can safely leave the building."


    "The correct approach is either to encircle from both top and bottom simultaneously or conduct a systematic assault from bottom to top. If you drive the enemy from the lower levels, they will only have the option to move upward and either choose to jump out of a window or get trapped inside, unable to use ground exits. Do you understand?"


    Peter was seated at a coffee table in front, writing and drawing in his notebook while asking, "But what if breaking through a door creates noise? What if they be alert? I entered through the window to catch them off guard..."


    "Your approach is correct; speed is essential in building-based assaults, as I mentioned earlier. If you n to drive them from bottom to top, you must first secure all exits before taking action and then breach a window."


    "In fact, I don''t highly rmend this method. Even though you have unique advantages, your opponent is more knowledgeable about the location and building structure as they are operating in their own territory.""While you caught them off guard, entering a strange building made the environment entirely unfamiliar to you. If there were any traps in the room, you might not have reacted quickly enough."


    Peter wanted to mention his Spider-Sense, but he reconsidered. Steve had a point. Although he saw two people inside when he was hanging from the window, what if Bullseye had set up an ambush? If he knocked over a cup, suddenly dozens of henchmen could charge from anywhere. His Spider-Sense was good for on-the-spot reactions, but it wasn''t a crystal ball, nor could it see through walls.


    Peter continued writing in his notebook, and Steve added, "Furthermore, you already know your adversary is a cunning criminal."


    "You mentioned earlier that a junkyard is a suitable battleground for you two, but don''t forget, he has spent far more time there than you. A crafty opponent like him has undoubtedly rehearsed multiple escape routes in his mind."


    "Even if he didn''t use tear gas on you, a momentarypse in concentration would have given him the chance to escape."


    Peter sighed, saying, "I thought my n was pretty careful, but it seems I made a lot of mistakes. It''s clear that I lost fairly."


    Steve walked over and sat next to him, patting his shoulder. "It''s normal. You already have a lot of talent. Remember, I''ve seen those guys in the military who were too scared to even attempt a high-altitude parachute jump, let alone stand on a rooftop. They were trembling just standing on a rooftop, not to mention airborne assaults. You''re way ahead of most people from the start."


    Peter closed his notebook, saying, "Next time, I won''t let him escape."


    An hourter, in theboratory of Stark Tower, Stark was holding an antenna and saying, "The way you''re daisy-chaining these connections, while stable, isn''t maximizing the antenna''s effectiveness."


    "Don''t talk to me about material limitations! Back in Afghanistan, didn''t I build a Mech armor out of scrap copper and rusty iron? I could make a betterputer than yours when I was six!"


    "Also, your understanding of the ''smart retrieval system'' is too shallow. Do you think creating an automatic filtering system counts as ''smart''? Why don''t you try crafting aplete AI logic?"


    Stark put down the wire, snapped his fingers, and a screen descended from the ceiling. He pointed at the map on it and said, "Look here, this is Hell''s Kitchen, right?"


    "It has an overall spindle shape, so your signal coverage area doesn''t need to be a perfect circle. You can use different wave frequencies to maximize efficiency, like this."


    "Furthermore, you could find a stronghold and build a simple signal tower on top of it to monitor specific signals in Hell''s Kitchen."


    Peter thought for a moment, then used aser pointer to indicate the central intersection of Hell''s Kitchen on the map. He said, "I''ve already found the central point, where I used the sewer to get around before. Do you think we can ce a signal device there? What approach should I take? I feel like my current method, while stable, is not efficient enough."


    Several hourster, it was getting dark, and Schiller was about to close up when Peter squeezed through the door crack.


    "I heard your operation didn''t go smoothly," Schiller remarked.


    Seeing Peter looking somewhat disheartened, he nodded and said, "Indeed, while your technology to monitor others'' mobile phone signals is effective, I don''t believe it''s the best method."


    "True, it''s a straightforward and effective approach, but it''s overly crude, causing you to overlook many details."


    "Bullseye''s trail isn''t as invisible as you might think. You''re justcking in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance awareness."


    Peter sat down on the sofa, took a sip of water, and Schiller pulled out his medical records before saying, "Do you know where the most well-informed sources of information about Hell''s Kitchen are?"


    Peter shook his head.


    "I ask you, what are the two things that people can''t escape from?"


    "Death and taxes?"


    "Correct. So, what do you think these two correspond to in Hell''s Kitchen?"


    "I haven''t heard of a hospital or a tax bureau in Hell''s Kitchen," Peter replied, shaking his head.


    "You must understand that without knowing the rules of Hell''s Kitchen, you are unlikely to sessfullybat crime here."


    Peter admitted, "Well, I admit I was a bit impulsivest night. The moment I thought of what happened to Matt, I couldn''t help but want to beat that guy up."


    Schiller exined, "Hell''s Kitchen may not have a proper hospital or tax bureau, but after Gang Shootouts here, gang members still get injured. Who treats them? Where do these doctorse from? Who employs them? Is there any special information we can gather?"


    "And while Hell''s Kitchencks a tax bureau, these gangs collect a lot of protection fees, and there are numerous industries operating here. Do you really think these gang leaders who never graduated from middle school handle their finances themselves?"


    "Who are their ountants? When do they arrive? Do any of them know the gang leader you''re looking for? Have they recentlye into contact with the person you''re searching for?"


    Schiller continued, "Furthermore, what about the truck drivers who shuttle through the streets of Hell''s Kitchen every day? The taxi and bus drivers?"


    "Even if they are part of a gang, they still have to eat. Where does Bullseye order his food? Has he hired any chefs recently? Moreover, has he been to any strip clubs or solicited prostitutes?"


    Schiller pointed to the map Peter had opened with his finger and said, "A person living in this world can never leave no trace."


    "Someone within a society must interact with others in that society."


    "Perhaps, what you imagine as investigation involves searching for physical evidence, like footprints under a magnifying ss, or waiting for someone to leave behind some tangible trace before you can discover something."


    "But in reality, every person they''ve seen, every word they''ve said, leaves some trace,rge or small."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "This Bullseye is no master of counterintelligence. If you''re willing to invest more patience in investigating these matters, you might not even need to engage in physicalbat."


    "Investigation is not the prelude to a battle; it''s a requiem for the soul."


    "If one day you truly master this skill, you''ll understand that to deal with these criminals, you don''t need to exert physical force."


    "I''m not talking about using narcotics or poisoning food and drinks with some petty tricks."


    "If you can figure out a person''s entirework of social rtionships, understand every trace they''ve left in society, you can leverage countless opportunities from these rtionships, achieving great results with minimal effort."


    "You don''t have to sever any threads; you can deftly unravel the tangled web and reshape it ording to your desires."


    This time, Peter didn''t jot down any notes or doodles in his notebook. Instead, he said, "I may not fully grasp all of this now, but maybe one day when I put it into practice, it wille back to me."


    "In truth, I still prefer throwing punches. I always feel that when I resort to these methods, the situation has probably gone terribly wrong." With the sound of the clinic''s rolling shutter closing behind him, Peter concluded.


    Two dayster, a man with target marks on his head was dumped at the doorstep of the Manhattan police station.


    Across the street on the rooftop, Spider-Man stood watching as the police took Bullseye inside. The bustling streets of New York City at dusk continued, and this little incident attracted the attention of many passersby, but they soon hurriedly moved on.


    "I''m quite surprised," Matt''s voice came from behind Spider-Man. He held his cane and said, "In just a few days, you''ve neutralized Kingpin''s biggest informant in Hell''s Kitchen. How did you do it?"


    Peter stood on the rooftop''s edge, hearing Matt''s voice. He turned around.


    Removing the headpiece of hisbat suit, his tousled hair danced in the light of the setting sun, turning into floating strands of gold. He smiled with the youthful innocence and cheerfulness of his age.


    He replied, "Well, that''s probably because I''m really good at making friends."

 Chapter 67: Black Sun and the Bat-Signal (1)

    Chapter 67: ck Sun and the Bat-Signal (1)


    On a gloomy and chilly morning in Gotham City, the students of Gotham University gathered for their psychology final exam.


    As Professor Evans distributed the exam papers, a collective sigh and murmur swept through the ssroom. Then, from outside the door, the echoing sound of leather shoes on the marble floor filled the air. In an instant, the ssroom fell intoplete silence.


    Professor Schiller, carrying his umbre, entered the ssroom. He noticed everyone diligently writing and nodded in satisfaction.


    cing his umbre firmly on the ground, he rested his hand on its handle and stood at the center of the ssroom. "The duration of this exam is 1 hour and 40 minutes," he announced. "In theory, you can submit your papers early, but I find proctoring here quite dull. If you turn in your papers early, I will certainly start grading them ahead of time."


    "At the very least, ensure that the content you write is enough for me to read until you exit this ssroom."


    "Additionally, although I haven''t assigned specific seating, it would be best if you refrain from whispering to one another. Maintain neat handwriting on your answer sheets, avoid using ornate fonts, and most importantly, please write your full legal names. I mean the names on your legal documents. Don''t make me repeat the same request I had to make during the first week of sses, reminding you not to use nicknames."


    "Now, begin your examination."


    The entire ssroom fell into a profound silence, with only the sound of pens scratching against paper.


    Never before had any ssroom at Gotham University witnessed such an intense atmosphere of study. In the midst of writing, Bruce nced up and noticed a troublesome youngster from the East District, the nephew of a local troublemaker who had a penchant for cigarettes and alcohol, sitting in front of him. Despite his rebellious nature, he was diligently writing, and Bruce wondered if his alcohol and cigarette-fueled brain was somehow managing to support him through the exam.To Bruce''s left sat a well-known graffiti artist from Gotham University. He was renowned for his wall art, often leaving walls in a chaotic state. He even sprayed aical caricature of the principal in the hallway during Seldon''s campus alcohol ban.


    But now, he seemed to be struggling, unable to answer the very first essay question. Instead, he was creating various designs on his answer sheet.


    Bruce, with his keen eyesight, glimpsed at his work and saw that he was drawing Professor Schiller. Unlike his usual satirical graffiti, this portrayal depicted Schiller with his back to a ck sun, arms outstretched, surrounded by patterns resembling tiny particles. The whole image looked eerie yet strikingly cool. Bruce wondered if Schiller would appreciate the extra effort and give him a higher score.


    Half an hour passed, and surprisingly, more than two-thirds of the students were still writing. This was nothing short of a miracle for Gotham University.


    In previous final exams, several troublemakers would be absent right from the start. Seats would remain vacant. Within two minutes of starting, some students would finish writing their names and leave.


    Ten minutester, many would guess their way through the multiple-choice questions, put down their pens, and hand in their papers, exiting the ssroom.


    Historically, after twenty minutes, only a handful of students would remain, and they wouldn''t be working on the essay questions. They would simply take advantage of the quiet ssroom to catch up on some much-needed sleep.


    But now, Bruce nced at his watch after 40 minutes had passed, and remarkably, half the students were still writing. None dared to submit their papers early. While most were on the brink of mental exhaustion, they clenched their pens, hoping to squeeze a few more words onto their answer sheets, trying to present answers that weren''t too far from being illiterate or semi-literate, hoping to appease Professor Schiller when he eventually read their responses.


    In truth, even for an introductory psychology textbook, the various specialized terms, names, theories, and definitions were challenging. For these Gotham University students, who were more ustomed to avoiding schrly pursuits, recollection was a daunting task. Memorization, for minds that hadn''t seen much action in a while, was a Herculean effort, especially when cramming in just one or two weeks.


    After an hour had passed, the majority of students had put down their pens. Bruce jotted down the names of those still fervently writing on a piece of scratch paper; they would be the backbone of his future psychology club.


    After a moment''s thought, he included the graffiti artist''s name on the list. After all, a club needed someone with artistic ir for promotion.


    Finally, after a seemingly endless 1 hour and 40 minutes, when Professor Schiller firmly ced the words "Time''s up" on the floor, the ssroom erupted with relieved sighs. It was evident they had been on the brink of insanity.


    Even after collecting their papers, nobody dared to leave until Schiller had stapled the exams together, checked them, and ensured everyone''s names were legible. Only then, carrying a stack of answer sheets, did he exit the ssroom. As soon as he left, the ssroom exploded with chatter andmotion, like a bomb had just gone off.


    "Oh no! I didn''t know most of the fill-in-the-nk questions! I''m doomed!"


    "Damn it, I crammed all those psychology definitionsst night, and they didn''t evene up on the test? I should''ve spent less time on them in the beginning!"


    "I identally wrote the answer to the second essay question in the space for the fourth! What am I going to do now? I''m sure to get a zero on that essay!"


    "Any of you applied for postgraduate programs? Evans, did you? My dad told me yesterday that if my brain were to attend postgraduate school, we might as well expect our dog to climb trees! But my dog is a corgi..."


    "I still owe two papers, and I have toplete them before the break. Otherwise, I''ll be anxious throughout the entire vacation, and there won''t be any fun..."


    Several students gathered around Bruce''s desk; they were the first members he had invited to join his club. Renny, the graffiti artist with a fluorescent yellow headband, dered, "Professor will appreciate my artwork; I can tell he''s a person with artistic sensibilities."


    "But he might prefer to see the correct answers," Bruce replied.


    "Forget it; I''m clueless. Memorization will contaminate my brain," Renny said, rubbing his nose. He was a typical Germanic type with green eyes and a few freckles, dressed in a reggae-style outfit.


    "And who says that isn''t the correct answer? Who says you have to write to answer questions? Drawing is just as good; I''ll pass!"


    "Alright, I''ll pay you to create arger and more impactful poster for our club''s promotion. You can set the price as you wish, but I want it to be truly awe-inspiring," Bruce said.


    Leni snapped his fingers and said, "Rich person, you''vee to the right ce! Nobody in all of Gotham understands the art of awe like me!"


    Several heads huddled together, whispering excitedly.


    "What? Are you saying you want..."


    "You''re a genius..."


    "Count me in; I want one too!"


    "This is a big surprise... Right, I''m in too..."


    "Maybe, in exchange for this, he''ll pass us..."


    A few dayster, Schiller was grading papers and umting frustration as he had anticipated the subpar performance of the students at Gotham University. However, he hadn''t expected them to perform this poorly.


    Not wanting to let these academic underachievers further taint his mind, Schiller decided to put in extra hours today, nning to finish grading all the papers in one go and give a failing grade to most of them.


    Suddenly, he heard a sharp, piercing sound from outside his office window. It sounded somewhat like a fire rm, but shorter and sharper.


    Schiller stood up and looked out the window, noticing some lights swaying. It was still early in the evening, not yet dark enough for streetlights toe on, and most teachers and students were still at the school.


    He heard amotion below, as if someone was calling his name. Schiller put down his pen and left his desk to go to the window.


    The entire side of the building across from him was covered by a massive curtain. Schiller had heard it was for a wall renovation, but he didn''t usually take that route, so he hadn''t paid much attention.


    As he approached the window, the curtain suddenly dropped, revealing an enormous graffiti painting. It was as tall as seven stories, with Schiller''s silhouette at the bottom and a ck sun with countless intricate patterns above it. A row of spotlights below lit up, making the entire side of the building as bright as daylight.


    The graffiti depicted Schiller''s silhouette nearly blending into the ck sun''s background, as if the sun itself was his shadow.


    Schiller, momentarily blinded by the high-powered spotlights, blinked and was met with this astonishing sight.


    Schiller: "..."


    Symbiote: "Wow."


    The side of the graffiti read, "Join the Psychology Club, confront the hearts, confront this ck sun. - Blue Devil Leni"


    Schiller lowered his gaze and saw a group of excited people waving at him from below. They were mostly psychology majors from Gotham University, including Bruce Wayne.


    Schiller looked back at the ck sunposed of countless eerie patterns. It exuded a strange and terrifying aesthetic that held one''s gaze captive, as if it were about to draw one''s very soul inside.


    Terrifying, mysterious, bizarre, and absurd, yet filled with an irresistible beauty.


    Schiller recalled that "Gotham" originally meant "fool''s vige," and indeed, it was full of all sorts of absurd fools, lost in life and uncertain of death.


    But at the same time, it was filled with geniuses who possessed unparalleled talents and an enchanting vitality.


    Schiller found himself captivated by this bold and entric absurdity, a special life force unlike anything in the world, like a terrifying vine climbing out of an endless abyss, or a masterpiece equal to countless masters.


    Schiller knew more than these students, but he had just realized that there was one thing he had yet to learn¡ª


    He had not yet learned Gotham.


    Everyone living here was mad, yet also sane.


    This dark city didn''t need anyone to set it straight; its people lived in such madness within the abyss, cultivating a twisted and enigmatic vitality.


    This vitality grew out of the darkness, and the people here used madness as their de, piercing straight into the hearts of anyone they encountered.


    Schiller stared directly at the ck sun. Perhaps, everyone here was an iparable genius, and the only fool was himself, along with anyone outside theics trying to be a savior.


    People here, with brains devoid of even a shred of psychological theory knowledge, read minds as if it were a natural talent.


    The ck sun was still a sun, and it was a strikingly urate depiction of Schiller''s profile.


    Schiller''s incarnation, indeed, was not the scorching sun but a sun that would never shine, a ck sun.


    After a few minutes, Schiller used his finger to write a line on the mist-covered ss: "You all pass."


    In an instant, the building erupted with enthusiastic cheers. Under the ck sun, it seemed like the subjects illuminated by an ever-dark star, celebrating a new beginning.

 Chapter 68: Black Sun and the Bat-Signal (1)

    Chapter 68: ck Sun and the Bat-Signal (1)


    During the winter break, both the faculty and graduate student apartments at Gotham University remained open, and mostboratories continued their work. Schiller, who only had amodation in the Gotham University faculty apartments and no other ce to go, stayed behind when the break was announced, continuing to sequester himself in his school office to work on his research papers.


    Schiller''s grades for the psychology department at Gotham University were not ideal, which meant his evaluation score wouldn''t be very high. To boost his credentials during this period, he needed to publish more articles.


    Most of the students at Gotham University were idle andcked direction. Since Gotham was not a veryrge city, most students were in a state of readiness, always on call.


    Bruce took advantage of the early break to organize the Psychology Club. He seemed quite enthusiastic about it, and it was not surprising. He needed a cover, as his exam scores were only mediocre. However, he was eager to learn from Schiller, so organizing the club was a good choice.


    One day, Bruce was carrying materials for the club''s preparations, intending to give them to Schiller. He stood outside Schiller''s office, not even knocking, as he overheard a conversation on the telephone.


    "...Have you considered a frontal lobotomy? Inhumane? Is letting them run rampant in the hospital humane? What about Mrs. Ad? She still refuses to wear the restraints?... How about I introduce you to a few female enforcers from Mary Street''s gang? They can serve as nurses and get things under control in no time..."


    "Mr. Norman is also refusing treatment? Won''t take his medication? I''ve reviewed his medical records; he has a feud with the local gang. I''ll make a call to their leader to pay him a visit, and he''ll be more cooperative..."


    "Forget about those drunkards. Whether they are ill or not, alcohol will be their best friend. Someone trying to sell them alcohol? Vodka delivered with medication? I remember your underling, Dous, used to work for Gotham''srgest liquor distributor. Have him write a letter to his former boss, saying The Godfather advises against selling alcohol to the mental hospital; do they want the patients to go crazier?"


    "That patient from the alley on Deer Street is tangled up in a family inheritance dispute. You don''t need to get involved in that mess. Let them deal with it themselves. We take in the insane here, not the poor souls with ill intentions...""Tomorrow, I''ll bring my students over. You hold on for one more day. What?... Your worries are a bit excessive. One of the students I''m bringing is The Godfather''s son, and the other..."


    At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Schiller turned to see Bruce standing at the doorway. He said, "The other is the world''s richest person."


    After hearing the contents of the telephone conversation, Bruce was seriously considering not going in.


    Professor Schiller sounded like a mad scientist.


    Putting the telephone down and seeing Bruce still standing there, Schiller said, "Come in. I''ve got a good internship opportunity for you, considering how well you''ve managed the club."


    Bruce cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your approach to treatment is quite different from what I imagined."


    "What did you imagine? Lecturing patients with lengthy exnations of psychology knowledge from textbooks?"


    "...Isn''t that how it should be, at least?"


    At least it shouldn''t involve making phone calls to gangs to intimidate people, Bruce thought. Is this psychological treatment or physical treatment?


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Criminal psychology is a form of applied psychology. The focus of applied psychology is on application, not just psychology."


    "If this were Metropolis, I might try talking to them. But this is Gotham, and over half the patients in Arkham Asylum were forcibly admitted due to gang conflicts."


    "What about the other half?"


    "Alcoholics who''ve fried their brains, drug addicts so high they can''t think straight, and people who came here to escape from threats of murder."


    "Not a single genuinely mentally ill patient?"


    Schiller put his hands on his hips and tapped the desk with his pen. "In arge-scale mental hospital, why should we build a smaller one just for the mentally ill?"


    Bruce wanted to reply, but he realized Schiller had a point. Gotham was a ce where almost everyone had some form of mental illness. There were hardly any truly normal people.


    "And what can I do? Cure them of their mental illnesses? Make them positive and optimistic, turn them into kind, normal individuals? They''d be headed straight for the crematorium after release, anyway; they wouldn''tst three days..."


    Bruce asked, "How''s Jonathan doing?"


    "Go see him for yourself tomorrow," Schiller replied.


    Bruce sat across from him and said, "I''ve been thinking about your suggestiontely. I believe I do need a strong base. It should be aprehensive facility, housing a prison, warehouse, monitoring center, andboratory."


    "I also n to establish aprehensive surveince system covering the entire city of Gotham. Inspired by Renee, I think I can design a distinctive symbol for myself, so people know who I am and who they should turn to for help."


    "Have you decided on that symbol?"


    "The Bat. It has to be the Bat."


    "I know it''s the Bat. What I''m asking is, are you really prepared to go all the way with this city?"


    Schiller tapped the desktop with his pen. "You still have an option to retreat for now. Batman is just an entric vignte. But once you take full control of this city, offering everyone the chance to call on you to fight criminals, you''ll have no way back."


    "When people know there''s a mysterious and powerful hero they can call upon, it will be a part of their lives. They''ll take it for granted, and you''ll get involved in some unimaginable troubles. Even if you want to walk away, you won''t be able to."


    Bruce said, "I believe I''m prepared, but what makes me doubt myself now is whether I have the capability."


    Schiller straightened up and began gathering the documents on his desk. As he tidied up, he said, "You not only have the capability, but you''ll surpass it."


    "Why do you seem so confident in me?"


    "Because you are Batman."


    With that, Schiller stood up and left the room.


    On the second day, Schiller and Bruce set off from Gotham University and drove to Arkham Asylum.


    Originally, Evans was supposed to join them at school first, but there were some issues in Falcone''s industry that required his son''s attention. He had to dy his internship by two days, leaving only Schiller and Bruce for this trip.


    Interning with Batman at Arkham Asylum might sound peculiar, but during this period, Arkham Mental Hospital was not yet the infamous haven for lunatics that itter became. As Schiller had mentioned earlier, most of the individuals in Arkham at that time were not genuine psychiatric patients.


    As a result, the head doctor, Brand, had been driven nearly insane. He was an old ssmate of Schiller''s, arriving at Arkham just two months ahead of him. In Brand''s words, his tenure at Arkham Asylum was the greatest challenge of his life.


    Schiller reminisced about what Brand had told him the previous day regarding the current state of the mental hospital as he drove. They hadn''t even left the university grounds when they got stuck on the road.


    A less than 200-meter straight road took them nearly half an hour to traverse. Schiller had thought that New York had its share of traffic congestion, but he never imagined that Gotham, especially during rush hours, could surpass it.


    In Gotham, the basic traffic rule was "survival of the fittest," where most people treated their cars as valuable possessions but their lives as expendable. The only role of the red Green Lantern here was to amuse those stuck in traffic, and road signs were only useful when someone suffering from road rage decided to kick them.


    Schiller had never driven on Gotham''s streets during peak hours before, as both his work and life were confined to Gotham University.


    When their car finally reached the Roundabout, Schiller didn''t move. Another wave of cars passed, but Schiller remained stationary. After the cars on the Roundaboutpleted a full rotation, Schiller still hadn''t moved.


    "Um... Professor, when do you n to... I mean, when do you n to go?" Bruce asked.


    "I''m signaling, can''t you see?" Schiller replied.


    "But..." Bruce was momentarily speechless. He said, "Are you not familiar with Gotham''s traffic rules?"


    "Of course not. I just finished reading the Metropolis driver''s manual yesterday."


    "But that''s for Metropolis, Gotham doesn''t have such a thing."


    "Have you ever considered..." Schiller floored the gas pedal and aggressively turned the steering wheel, "that maybe it''s because they don''t have it that it''s such a mess here!!!!!!!"


    Bruce rubbed his ear and shifted to the side.


    In the end, they abandoned the car and took a helicopter from Wayne''s nearby tallest building to reach the mental hospital.


    Upon their arrival at the mental hospital, Brand came out to greet them. He was a slightly overweight doctor who seemed to have a good temperament, but now he appeared worn out. He warmly embraced Schiller upon seeing him, then shook hands with Bruce. He said, "You''re here quite early. I thought you''d arrive in the afternoon."


    "We left in the morning."


    "That''s why I thought you''d be stuck until the afternoon. I didn''t expect you so soon." He walked with Schiller, saying, "Your suggestions have been a great help. I feel like I''m not here to treat patients but to preside over a court case."


    "How are the patients doing?" Schiller asked.


    "Patients? Oh, the patients..." Brand said. "Patients who can down two bottles of whiskey and smoke an entire pack of cigarettes after taking their meds are doing great. Just the other night, they had a card game in the basement storage room, betting on when I would resign."


    Schiller patted his shoulder and said, "Don''t mind it. Gotham is like that."


    Brand gave a bitter smile and said, "But if I had any other choice, I wouldn''t be here."


    "Isn''t it the same for me?"


    Brand shook his head and said, "You and I are not quite the same. I''m hiding from enemies, though you are too, but if you weren''t..."


    At this point, he nced at Bruce and fell silent. Bruce''s curiosity immediately piqued. It seemed that this Doctor Brand had some understanding of Professor Schiller''s past.


    "Well, let''s get to work," Schiller said.


    Brand pushed open the door to his office and said, "I hope you don''t mind using my office. The facilities in this hospital are quite outdated, but this is the best we have."


    "The main issue now is that since the new police station chief took office, many criminals he has sentenced require psychiatric evaluations, and many are nning to reserve beds here."


    "With so many peopleing in, and theposition being soplicated, the doctors and nurses here are overwhelmed."


    Brand wore a troubled expression as he continued, "You know, these people bring a lot of trouble with them. Just this week, the hospital''s windows were smashed 18 times, at least a dozen different factions of hitmen havee in, four people have died, including an unlucky security guard. Not to mention the ones smuggling marijuana and high-proof liquor..."


    "It doesn''t look promising, but without any connections, I can spend the entire winter break here, and things will eventually improve," Schiller said.


    Bruce couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine.

 Chapter 69: The Black Sun and the Bat-Signal (2)

    Chapter 69: The ck Sun and the Bat-Signal (2)


    "Hello? Help me transfer to The Godfather, please."


    "Good afternoon, The Godfather. I''d like to discuss some business with you."


    Inside the office of Arkham Asylum, Schiller hung up the telephone receiver, gave the cord a little tug, blew off the dust from the receiver, and poured himself a drink. He picked up the vintage telephone, dialed a number, and said, "Hello? Brand? You''ve made it to Hawaii?... No, no need to worry, enjoy your vacation; I can handle it."


    After a while, Bruce walked in, ced a stack of documents in front of Schiller, who said, "It''s quitting time. Would you like a drink?"


    "Thank you, but I don''t drink."


    "You seem a bit worn out."


    "Well, I haven''t slept for nearly fifty hours."


    "Of course, your new giant bat signal has been quite activetely. The entire Gotham knows there''s a Batman."


    "But..." Bruce sighed, hesitated, and then said, "Pour me a drink, please.""What could make Batman drown his sorrows in alcohol?"


    Bruce said, "I feel like I shouldn''t be doing this. The bat doesn''t light the signal, and it shouldn''t."


    Before Schiller could inquire further, Bruce continued, "I''ve set up six Bat-Signal towers throughout Gotham. In the past few days, they''ve been activated a total of 25 times, and 19 of those times were pranks."


    "So, I designed a fail-safe for them. Afterward, I received 12 distress calls, all gang shootouts, asking me to back them up."


    "I don''t allow gangs to use them, so they wreak havoc instead. Of course, I designed a security protocol, and it''s been somewhat effective. The poor and homeless press the signals, and the next day, they get killed by the gangs."


    Bruce covered his face, took a deep breath, and then took a sip of his drink, struggling to swallow it. He said, "Those beyond salvation shouldn''t be saved by anyone. If this is Gotham, then I have to admit, I oversimplified things."


    "I knew... there would be no bat lighting up the signal," Bruce concluded.


    "I suggest you take a few days off. When you encounter problems, sacrifice some rest time to deal with them. Then, when you face new challenges, continue in this way. It''s a vicious cycle, and you need to stop. It''s pointless."


    Bruce, looking weary, said, "All right, I''ll go back to sleep. Tomorrow, I''lle to work, copy medical records, answer phones, make rounds, or whatever."


    The next day, Bruce indeed showed up for work as promised. Schiller was already seated in the office, sipping a steaming cup of coffee, while Bruce brewed himself a cup of ck coffee and started reading a paper.


    After a while, a nurse knocked on the door and said, "Doctor, Andre in room 5 on the second floor has been causing amotion. He keeps demanding an increase in his morphine dosage or threatens to file aint against us."


    Schiller didn''t even raise his head and replied calmly, "Give it to him, charge three times the market price. If he continues toin, make it five times."


    Bruce nearly choked on his coffee.


    "On the third floor, Berd has been requesting pain medication all night."


    "Tell him that the pill supplier fell off a railingst night, headfirst, and now we''re out of stock."


    "In hospital room number 6..."


    Schiller flipped through the files and said, "Hall or Gaul, doesn''t matter. Tell him to send someone in, we''ll split it seven to three."


    After the nurse left, before Bruce could speak, the telephone rang again, and Schiller picked it up while continuing to look through the files.


    "Hello? Whiskey shortage?... Yes, I have thest bottle, who was it that imed to have some? Let me check... Room 1 on the fourth floor. Tell him to bring a line from the bar, and warn him not to use counterfeit liquor; otherwise, I''ll give him a permanent treatment rmendation..."


    Schiller hung up the phone, then picked up the receiver again and dialed a number, saying into the telephone, "Tell them that killers are not allowed in here. To gain entry, they must have a door pass, which costs a hundred thousand dors. The inpatient department door is fifty thousand, and above the third floor, add another thirty thousand for wear and tear. Buy the full security package, and we''ll throw in a security patrol map..."


    "Hello? The equipment department said the Brainwaves machine broke down yesterday. Whose patient is on the second floor, number 2? East District''s old Bandle? Donate a machine to him and have him take the patient away. He cane for the rehab rmendationter."


    After hanging up the phone, Bruce said, "Professor..."


    Before he could finish, the telephone rang again, and Schiller answered, saying, "Hello?... No agreement reached? Tell him that the twins from the south are offering half a million dors, and it''s not a buyout. If he disagrees, he won''t see a cent of the liquor business here."


    "Hello? No, the security at Arkham Asylum is now handled by the Falcone Family. If he wants to force his way in, let him try, and The Godfather sends his regards."


    Schiller had just hung up the phone when Bruce, looking deeply conflicted, was staring at him. His gaze held a mixture of shock, as if to say, "How can you do this?" and disdain, as if to say, "I knew it."


    "Don''t look at me like that. The hospital is running smoothly, isn''t it?"


    "But..." Bruce opened his mouth to question Schiller but couldn''t find a starting point.


    "I made a deal with Falcone. He manipted the ck Glove to provoke some lucrative gangs and had his police station underlings arrest them. I provided them with psychiatric diagnoses to admit them here. What happens next depends on whether their benefactors or adversaries offer more money."


    Bruce stared at Schiller, and Schiller shrugged, saying, "What? Do you find it unbelievable? Or do you truly believe I''m a good person, just like Harvey? What gave you that illusion?"


    Bruce was speechless.


    Over the next few days, Bruce watched helplessly as Schiller not only joined but also creatively forged a new Gotham-style industry chain. His esteemed Professor seamlessly integrated into Gotham with a demeanor that left everyone in the dust, surpassing even the best.


    But Bruce couldn''t find the words. In this perfect Gotham industry chain, the only ones harmed were the Gangs.


    In terms of oues, the Gangs were pitted against money, and Arkham Mental Hospital swiftly established order. The medical staff was safe, and the Gang members within the hospital behaved impably. When Bruce made his rounds, he was surprised to hear them thank him, thinking he was a doctor who could prescribe painkillers. Some of the Gang leaders, aware of his connection with Schiller, tried to get close to him, hoping to involve Schiller in their operations.


    Once, while following Schiller to review a case, Bruce overheard the nearby Gang leader chatting.


    "Colt is a bad kid, aplete scoundrel. He got his hands on absinthe and had another gang smashed to monopolize the liquor business here. He had conflicts with those twins..."


    "In my opinion, he did it quite smoothly, considering it''s a multimillion-dor operation."


    "Is it really worth that much?"


    "That redhead downstairs, selling cigarettes here, makes twenty grand a week! Who doesn''t smoke cigarettes here? Who doesn''t enjoy cigars? He gets top-notch stuff from the pier, and people evene from afar to get a piece of this smuggling route..."


    "Room 2 is making a fortune too. Who doesn''t know he''s been lucky, getting in touch with The Godfather himself? Next quarter, he''ll be opening another restaurant."


    "Be careful when the nursese around, put out the cigarettes. Don''t anger those girls; they''re all ck Widows under the Queen of Hearts..."


    In just a few days within the hospital, Bruce witnessed aplex and perplexing world.


    Bruce wondered, what would he do if he were in Schiller''s shoes? After much contemtion, he had to acknowledge that he couldn''te up with a more efficient or righteous solution.


    One night, Schiller was in a hospital room, speaking to a legless woman, "It''s going well; the medication is taking effect, and the excitement will subside soon..."


    The womany on the bed, seemingly calm or perhaps numb, as if she couldn''t hear Schiller''s words. However, Schiller continued, "We''ve had quite a few casestely, but no rtionships. The psychological therapy is almostplete..."


    His voice was well-suited for these nights, always carrying a calm strength.


    As Schiller turned around, he found Batman standing behind him. Batman''s voice was deep, "How did she end up here? You fixed her physical issues, helped with the amputation, but she has some congenital mental problems, she was admitted here earlier..."


    Schiller nced at Batman; his mouth always seemed to turn downward. Compared to daytime, he appeared colder and more sharp, making it hard for people to approach.


    "You seem surprised. Do you think I only associate with Gangs? What gave you that impression?"


    Batman remained silent, and Schiller paid him no mind. He turned back and adjusted the woman''s bed, then pulled up the nkets.


    Schiller didn''t look at Batman; he asked, almost to himself, "Do you feel disappointed?"


    "For this ungrateful city, for those who aren''t worth saving, and for those who won''t let you save them?"


    "Do you think the Bat-Signal decision was right?" Batman''s deep voice echoed in the hospital room.


    Schiller paused for a moment and replied, "No need for disappointment. Even a ck sun is still a sun. Batman may not light the way, but in the darkness, the bat''s light is still light."


    Cold light illuminated the pristine hospital sheets. Schiller straightened up and turned his head to look out the window. Batman saw Schiller, backlit by the moonlight, casting a long shadow behind him.


    Batman looked up and saw, on most of the walls and ceilings, his own shadow ¨C a bat with pointed ears. Bats don''t light the way; he didn''t even have a light to shine upon himself. In this world, there was never a light for him, and for years, there had been no glimmers of hope.


    But now, this bat decided to learn how to light a beacon, for the dark nights of this city, for this seemingly hopeless city.


    Batman also gazed out the window, at the faint, almost imperceptible lights in the pitch-ck night. He thought that if, one day, the sun would never rise over this absurd city, at least on the eve of the apocalypse, there would still be his faint light in this chilly night.


    A light that illuminated in vain, yet still illuminated.


    A light that a bat had lit.

 Chapter 70: Geniuses on the Left, Madmen on the Right (1)

    Chapter 70: Geniuses on the Left, Madmen on the Right (1)


    Bruce never expected that his internship journey would be filled with so many unexpected twists and turns.


    The most perplexing aspect of it all was undoubtedly his psychology professor, Schiller.


    Despite being in Gotham for only a few months, Professor Schiller seemed more like a native than the actual locals. In fact, most locals couldn''t match his level of understanding.


    Schiller rapidly deciphered all the intricacies of this city''s rules, not onlyprehending them thoroughly but also excelling within their framework.


    Bruce had heard Gordon describe Gotham as a vast quagmire, and anyone who entered it would slowly sink into its inescapable mire.


    But Schiller, this self-proimed ordinary man and professor, plunged headfirst into this quagmire before Bruce''s eyes. Not only did he react swiftly and move with agility, but he also dove into its deepest depths without any intention of extricating himself.


    He transformed seamlessly, bing even more enigmatic than the most enigmatic of individuals within the rotten underbelly of Gotham. From the personnel arrangements and geographical advantages in gang shootouts to the standards for protection fees at bars and restaurants, from the odds at underground casinos to the rules governing the trade of contraband goods and the security of arms shipments, there was nothing this professor didn''t know.


    His advice was taken to heart by Falcone, whomended Schiller as a natural in this line of work. If he had arrived in Gotham thirty years earlier, Twelve Families would have made a seat for Rodriguez.


    This left Bruce with mixed feelings about Schiller.If you were to say that this professor was doing good deeds, his methods could hardly be considered honorable. He had willingly embraced the darkness.


    Yet, if you were to say he was causing harm, he undeniably used his abilities to continually reshape the existing situation in Gotham, employing unorthodox methods to steer it in the direction he desired.


    And, from Bruce''s perspective, this change didn''t seem to be heading in a negative direction. Instead, it established a precarious yet improved new order.


    Especially when Bruce received news from Gordon about a significant decrease in Gotham''s crime rate over the past two weeks, he felt a sense of absurdity.


    Within the industry Schiller had shaped, the police had be significantly more powerful because they were aligned with Gotham''srgest gang, the Falcone Family.


    Since the police station received direct support from Falcone, The Godfather provided them with a wealth of heavy weaponry. They used The Godfather''s influence to intimidate others.


    Now, whenever a gang shootout urred, they could arrive at the scene within ten minutes, swiftly suppressing both sides and apprehending them to be sent to the mental hospital.


    Unlike before, the enthusiasm of the police was soaring. Opportunities for fieldwork were in high demand, and as long as they brought in a new official member for the mental hospital, they could im 2% of all fees paid for the inmate''s stay as their reward.


    Gordon had been working tirelessly in recent days, even those who had been known for cking off were eager to take the frontlines, fighting to maintain justice andbat the gangs.


    Lately, this righteous detective had forgotten what justice truly meant. Though the effective crackdown on gangs should have been a good thing, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was amiss.


    Nevertheless, these actions not only curbed the gangs'' arrogance but also improved the lives of the police officers, making them fall in love with their damned profession.


    To Gordon''s astonishment, he discovered that the entire police station had people working overtimetely. Had they all been taken under the control of some devil?


    Indeed, it was the devil of greed, armed and unflinching. When you were wielding a fully loaded heavy machine gun and demanding the gangs to cease fire, you might find the job rather ordinary. And after doing so, receiving a substantial reward, it might just be the best job in the world.


    Initially, Falcone had dispatched his ck gloves to instigate shootouts between certain gangs. Butter, anger red, and the "Hounds" and the "Captain" joined forces to ambush the "Interceptors" from two blocks away. The "Lotive" from the edge of East District quickly joined the fray, and three out of the four Elizabeth Street titans wanted to lend a hand. Maroni, fresh from disposing of the Red Raven Gang''s corpses, found himself in the midst of a chaotic battle, turning East District into a mess.


    Many gang members had already lost their lives in these shootouts between gangs. However, just when the fight was getting intense, the police charged onto the battlefield with heavy machine guns and rocketunchers. The gang members were left bewildered¡ªwere they gangs or were you gangs? Since when did the police use rocketunchers forw enforcement?


    As a result, they lost some of their own in the shootout and were then arrested by the police. The gangs in East District, known for theirbat prowess, were severely weakened. They no longer dared to venture outside and retreated to lick their wounds in their own territories.


    Gordon''s outdoor task force gained fame, and all of Gotham knew about their violent tactics. They charged in with armored trucks, set up bulletproof shields, indiscriminately sprayed gunfire with heavy machine guns, prioritized RPG strikes, advanced steadily, and finally cleared the area with hand grenades.


    The most formidable gangs in East District were left incapacitated, and those who remained dared not speak out.


    While this wasrgely due to Falcone''s influence, since the old godfather was willing to fully support the police, he held both reason and power. Most gangs were unwilling to pay the heavy price to challenge the old godfather, and those who were willing had been brutally beaten by this sudden onught. Gotham had strangely quieted down.


    All of this was the result of an ordinary professor''s moment of inspiration on one fateful morning.


    Bruce thought that Professor Schiller had be the ck sheep among ck sheep, as the troublemakers treated him as arade, yet he had be a friend of justice to his enemies.


    Bruce truly didn''t know how to evaluate this behavior.


    Of course, Batman was a genius, and after his initial confusion, he saw a new possibility in Schiller''s actions.


    He had always believed that fighting criminals should be swift and precise, using all means necessary to eradicate evil forcespletely, preventing any resurgence.


    However, Schiller didn''t follow this approach. Instead of eradicating them, he sometimes even nourished the criminal organizations he had once attacked, allowing them to grow stronger. Then, he used them as leverage to dismantle anotherplexwork.


    After witnessing these actions, Bruce once again asked Schiller the same question. Bruce inquired, "Are you truly just an ordinary person, or is there some hidden, extraordinary power that enables you to aplish all of this?"


    Schiller sat in his office chair, twirling the ballpoint pen in his hand before tapping it lightly on his desk, motioning for Bruce to take a seat. He replied, "I can tell you that I am an ordinary person, but the key to this answer lies not in whether I possess some mystical power that others do not."


    "It lies in the fact that the most miraculous power of humans is their thinking minds."


    Schiller stood up and walked to the window, his white doctor''s coat draped over him, making him appear even more imposing. Compared to the stern professor at school, Schiller, in his doctor persona, seemed calmer and gentler.


    He continued, "The answer to this question does not hinge on whether I am genuinely an ordinary person. It is, as I once advised you, not in your advanced armor or expensive equipment. None of those can make you a true Batman."


    "Because the answers to the questions that trouble you are not found in these external things."


    "They reside in the minds of ordinary people, in our own brains."


    "In fact, if you take a moment to think calmly, you''ll realize that pure violence cannot achieve any of your desired goals, whether it''s revenge or saving this city. It''s a path destined for failure."


    Schiller lowered his head, fiddling with the ballpoint pen in his hands, and continued, "Actually, the path you''ve chosen itself is a dead end. But if you wish to avoid that fate, you must find a way out among countless dead ends."


    "I''ve merely shown you one method, not the entirety, and not..."


    Bruce interrupted, "Isn''t strength, intelligence, and determination enough?"


    Schiller replied, "There''s also Gotham."


    "When can I learn about Gotham?" Bruce inquired.


    "Perhaps not until the day you die."


    Before Bruce could respond, Schiller added, "Gotham is a book that can never be fully read."


    "I''m just a professor, and, just like I do in the ssroom, I''ve highlighted key points for you. The rest, you must write for yourself."


    Bruce asked, "Are the key points about strategy and bnce? Or is it the power of wisdom? Thinking and foresight?"


    "No, it''s just like I do in the ssroom¡ªevery part of the book is a key point."


    Bruce was left speechless, unsure if Schiller was mocking him for not paying attention in ss or hinting at something deeper.


    But Schiller''s answer made him realize something.


    Using violence to stop the crime in this city, filled with evil, was indeed a futile endeavor. If Batman''s strength and wealth couldn''t easily turn this quagmire into a level ying field, perhaps, aside from brute force, utilizing his other talent, his intelligence, to manipte things from behind the scenes, would be a better approach.


    In this city saturated with violence, paradoxically, violence alone couldn''t solve every problem. Mighty force was merely his entrance ticket, not the whole story.


    When he used his considerable resources and equipment to open the door, he encountered Schiller, his teacher. What Schiller showed Batman was a brand new Gotham.


    A Gotham that transcended the surface violence, bloodshed, and intense conflicts, a Gotham filled with countless mysteries andplex rtionships.


    As Batman followed the intricate threads within the massive web, descending deep beneath the surface, and slid down the crevices of the iceberg into the frigid sea below, he finally saw the true face of Gotham.


    "This is a new world," Batman thought.


    But for him, it was not a setback or a blow; it was a shot of adrenaline.


    His mind had never worked so quickly before, and he had never imagined that he possessed the ability to ept and untangle such intricate rtionships so rapidly until he kept pace with Schiller''s every move.


    The thrill of gradually uncovering the vastwork''s roots, like tracing the intricate veins of a giant tree, fascinated Batman. He experienced a more intense excitement and joy than pummeling criminals with his fists.


    Bruce thought, perhaps, this was the correct answer.


    Perhaps, he was the kind of person who, when faced with aplex puzzle that could make any ordinary person feel utterly despondent, became exhrated like a madman.


    This was him; this was the Bat.


    A creature driven by obsession, pursuing a perverse sense of mental pleasure, crazier than any mentally ill person¡ªthe Bat.

 Chapter 71: Genius on the Left, Madman on the Right

    Chapter 71: Genius on the Left, Madman on the Right


    The changes at Arkham Asylum did not go unnoticed by the various gangs of Gotham. Among them, there were those who coveted this piece of meat, but all their ns against Schiller had been foiled due to the intricate web of rtionships he had skillfully exploited among the different gangs.


    Compared to Schiller, the gangs that had previously given Bruce so much trouble seemed somewhatcking in intelligence. Their first instinct was to resort to assassination, a tactic they were well-versed in. Even the smallest of gangs could easily hire a hitman or two.


    However, Schiller''s dealings with Falcone had brought unexpected and substantial profits to the Godfather. With Falcone growing older, he was eager to leave more capital for his descendants. This windfall, therefore, held great significance for him. If this system could be maintained, Evans would secure a solid position in the industry he inherited from Falcone.


    As a result, Arkham Mental Hospital became imprable under the watchful eye of the Godfather. Schiller, in particr, received the highest level of protection, with top-notch security personnel hired at a premium.


    Schiller''s irreceabilityy in the potential Falcone saw for creating a new order. If this Professor truly could bring about more significant changes to Gotham, the Falcone Family could seize a crucial role in this new order.


    Among the local power yers, the biggest snake was determined to protect Schiller, and the smaller snakes had no means to oppose Falcone. Falcone had ruled Gotham''s underworld for many years, and even though he was aging, his influence was still formidable. The gangs were already weakened, and they couldn''t challenge the Godfather head-on.


    Of course, killing Schiller was out of the question. Instead, they could find a way to remove him and rece him with one of their own. Not everyone possessed Falcone''s foresight, but they all realized that sitting in Schiller''s position could bring staggering profits. Besides the potential wealth from Schiller''s rules, controlling such a ce could exponentially expand their power overnight.


    They dared not confront Falcone directly or attempt to snatch the position from him, but they could engage in some covert operations.


    Gotham''s gangs had their fair share of intelligent individuals, and among them were some who found Gotham University''s chancellor, Seldon.Seldon, an outsider in Gotham,cked any significant influence in the city. However, in Gotham, the rule was simple: you needed at least one gang standing behind you to speak with confidence. Seldon had failed to grasp this, so when he rejected the gangs'' offers on the second day, he found himself shot on his way home from work.


    The gangs spared his life, knowing he might still be useful. When he encountered the mob bosses in the hospital, Seldon understood Gotham''s most crucial survival rule: if you have a gun, you better have more bullets than the others; if you don''t have a gun, then keep quiet and obey.


    Seldon had a legitimate reason to summon Schiller back to the school. After all, he was the chancellor, and delegating some administrative work to the faculty was entirely normal. If Professor Schiller refused these routine assignments, he would be in the wrong.


    Seldon came up with a flimsy excuse, feeling that Schiller''s absence provided the perfect opportunity to make things difficult for him.


    However, on the second day of Schiller''s return, he responded with utmost professionalism and efficiency. When Seldon met him in the chancellor''s office, he couldn''t find a single fault.


    Schiller''s excuse for returning was rted to handling paperwork and other misceneous tasks while remotely monitoring the conditions at Arkham Asylum.


    Seldon had enjoyed ying the role of a cloud yer, observing Schiller''s sses. This time, with Schiller back, he kept a close watch on the administrative office.


    What followed allowed Seldon to witness the true nature of Gotham''s seemingly ordinary residents.


    Over the next few days, Seldon overheard conversations between Schiller and various leaders of the twelvergest gang families in all of Gotham. Schiller exchanged pleasantries with them at least a hundred times in three days. What apanied the mention of the mob bosses'' names were terms rted to various contraband items and coded references to smuggling locations.


    Most rming of all, one day, Schiller casually remarked, "...If this mayor isn''t up to the task, we should rece him. Gotham''s dreadful traffic is half his responsibility, and since he can''t handle it, he might as well lose his life..."


    Seldon immediately considered packing his bags and leaving this damned city.


    As time passed, Schiller''s conversations became increasingly outrageous, delving into the secrets of Falcone Family''s rise to power. This included hidden smuggling routes and lucrative ventures rted to the ntation industry.


    Seldon''s unease grew as he listened. Though not a native of Gotham, his years in politics in other cities had honed his political instincts.


    At this moment, Seldon realized that Professor Rodriguez, who taught psychology, was far more than just a professor.


    "When something exceeds the boundaries of humanprehension, people tend to use their imaginative faculties to fill in the gaps. The brain automatically searches through various matching details in memory to substantiate these inferences, and Seldon was no exception.


    He thought, no wonder Schiller had the audacity to send Bruce a notification of expulsion so confidently. This psychology professor might just be the puppeteer orchestrating Gotham''s twelve major gang families from behind the scenes, the root cause of the current chaos in the city.


    The more Seldon contemted this, the more it seemed usible. After all, Schiller''s astonishing background didn''t seem like something an ordinary person could possess. Moreover, his ability to effortlessly evade involvement in numerous homicides suggested the presence of arger web he might have spun elsewhere.


    Seldon felt like he was inching closer to the truth, but was Schiller an individual, or part of an organization? Whom did he represent? What was he doing? What results did he seek?


    These questions rmed Seldon, his mind racing with associations.


    In his logical assessment, it was somewhat normal for university professors to have some connection with the gangs, given the widespread influence of Gotham Gangs. Most teachers and professors at the school had some degree of affiliation with the gangs, whether through rtives or friends working for them, or by providing professional services in exchange for safety and extra ie.


    However, being a professor was not reason enough for someone to simultaneously interact with all of Gotham''s major gang families and be involved in The Godfather''s secret operations. The mostpelling evidence reinforcing Seldon''s theory was Schiller''s tone in their conversations over the telephone. Unlike others, he didn''t sound fearful or obsequious to the gangs.


    His tone remained consistently calm, as if he held all the cards. Seldon could sense that Schiller was the one manipting the gangs, not the other way around.


    Seldon felt himself ensnared in a colossal predicament. Schiller had the power to influence Gotham''srgest gangs, yet he chose to continue teaching at Gotham University. It appeared that this position held some hidden advantages or knowledge that Seldon was unaware of, attracting this mad professor.


    Indeed, from Seldon''s perspective, Schiller seemed like a genuine lunatic.


    Gangs were not docile entities, especially not Gotham''srgest ones. The city''s sins were nearly overflowing, and those who had navigated these treacherous waters for years were often tainted by the evil around them. To stand at the pinnacle of this dark city and coborate with any of them was akin to making a deal with the devil.


    But Schiller went beyond coboration; he attempted to control them all simultaneously. For someone like Seldon, who had witnessed the brutality of the gangs, Schiller''s actions seemed utterly insane.


    It was like cutting a single wire from a tangled mass of hundreds and thousands of wires. One wrong move, and the bloodthirsty wolves that dwelled within this chaos would descend upon the reckless individual and devour them entirely.


    Seldon began to regret why he didn''t just let Schiller remain in Arkham Asylum. After all, he had gone to great lengths to get him out, so why bring him back?


    It was as if he had thrown a timed bomb out, only to inexplicably retrieve it himself.


    At this point, Seldon fervently prayed in his mind that Schiller''s risky maneuvers would not end in disaster. If they did, he hoped it wouldn''t affect Gotham University, and above all, himself.


    However, Seldon had reached his current position through shrewdness. He knew that continuing like this was unsustainable, and he needed to take action.


    One morning, as Schiller went about his routine in the archive room, nning to work and remotely control his operations, he discovered that the previous day''s backlog of at least two-thirds of the unfiled records had miraculously been sorted out. He examined the situation with a puzzled expression and confirmed that all the work had indeed beenpleted.


    What was going on? Had the sea snail maiden intervened?


    Nheless, with the workpleted, there was no need to stay any longer. Schiller, still perplexed, descended the stairs and ran into the university''s president, Seldon. Schiller raised his coffee cup in greeting, but Seldon, wearing a stern expression, didn''t respond and walked right past him.


    Well, Schiller thought, it seemed the university president still held a grudge. But he was used to it. Ever since he had sent that expulsion notice to Bruce, the president hadn''t given him a friendly look.


    What struck him as strange, though, was that the president, who usually exuded an aura of vitality and charisma, appeared weary today, with two prominent dark circles under his eyes."

 Chapter 72: Geniuses on the Left, Madmen on the Right (II)

    Chapter 72: Geniuses on the Left, Madmen on the Right (II)


    Schiller was summoned back by the principal. Even though he could control things remotely, he still needed someone to oversee the affairs of the psychiatric hospital. That responsibility fell onto Bruce.


    Schiller confidently delegated all the work to Bruce. Bruce couldn''t help but feel that Professor Schiller had more faith in him than he had in himself.


    He was just a freshman student, and he was taking over an atypical psychiatric hospital for his first internship. While this psychiatric hospital didn''t have any real psychiatric patients, it was even more dangerous and troublesome than dealing with actual patients.


    When Bruce questioned his ability to handle the job, Schiller told him, "Sometimes, you don''t realize you''re a genius until you push yourself."


    On his first day of work, Bruce encountered a major problem - he couldn''t distinguish one person from another.


    Even though he had memorized thick patient files, including all their names, room numbers, and corresponding medical records, which would have been more than sufficient for a regr hospital, this ce was different. Behind the names and diagnoses in their filesyplex social identities.


    Who belonged to which gang? Which gangs had hostile rtionships? Who used to be enemies, and who were now partners? None of this information was discernible from the patient files.


    Listening to Schiller talk about the telephone, Bruce had picked up some clues. His extraordinary memory turned these fragments into valuable insights. Without understanding everyone''s social identities and rtionships, he could deduce them from these clues.


    Moreover, Bruce was skilled at disguises. Just as he had concealed his yboy identity, here in the hospital, he became a billionaire who was carefree and affluent but yearned for the gang life.The identity of the world''s richest person gave him certain advantages. Gang members didn''t expect the world''s richest person to approach them with ulterior motives. So, when Bruce showed an interest in gang stories, the gang leaders simply thought this young billionaire, like any wealthy heir, had grown tired of a life offort and longed for the excitement of the gang world.


    Thus, when they shared their stories, Bruce could still extract valuable information about gang society and rtionships, even though he suspected they had embellished some of the tales.


    In a city where almost everyone had ties to a gang, understanding the intricate web of gang rtionships meant uncovering the city''s underlying structure.


    Bruce realized that the rules of survival in this city were far moreplex than he had imagined.


    Starting with small gangs at the bottom, even a gang with just a dozen members had its own rules of survival. These small gangs often handled street patrols and petty crimes and paid protection fees torger gangs that controlled them.


    Moving up thedder, gangs with hundreds of members, considered mainstream in Gotham, often controlled one or two industries, such as shops or factories. They provided protection for these industries, controlled their smaller gangs, and asionally engaged in small-scale shootouts when conflicts arose over customers. However, these conflicts rarely escted beyond a few handgun shots fired from behind cars.


    Further up were therge gangs with several hundred members, each specializing in a specific industry vital for their survival. Bruce discovered that these gangs even had specialized subdivisions within their industries.


    At this scale, they often controlled smuggling routes or hadplete production and distribution chains for specific products. Some excelled in dominating the majority of an industry, while a few managed to achieve near-monopolies in certain regions or sectors.


    At this level, their daily profits were astonishingly high, but they also faced saturation.


    Moving higher up, they could no longer be called gangs but should be referred to as criminal family organizations. These twelve gang families ruled Gotham, and aside from controlling their core forces, they didn''t personally engage in business. Their role was to oversee therge gangs, each with dozens or hundreds of members, managing different businesses in various regions.


    When Falcone established the Twelve Families, he ensured that each family focused on a different industry.


    Falcone upied the pinnacle of the pyramid, issuingmands to all the families and gangs.


    As Bruce collected and analyzed this information, he realized that despite Gotham''s apparent chaos, it had a remarkably robust hierarchical structure. Wealth was extracted from criminal industriesyer byyer, and then redistributed and produced at the top.


    Within this cycle, Gotham had forged its unique ecosystem, creating thergest gathering ce for criminal industries in the United States.


    Moreover, Bruce discovered that contrary to his expectations, from the perspectives of sociology and economics, Gotham''s industrial structure was surprisingly healthy. Both the allocation of industry sizes across different levels and the delineation of industry clusters were more efficient than in most other U.S. cities.


    As Bruce delved deeper into his investigation, he began to question his initial intentions. He realized that, despite its malevolence, Gotham was not impoverished, and the standard of living for most of its citizens was rtively high. Apart from the inherent danger, people here were quite affluent.


    During his travels across the United States, Bruce had also studied the living standards of people in various major cities. He found that the majority of people in this cursed city, Gotham, lived well above the poverty line.


    During his visits to the hospital, Bruce met an elderly man who hade from a nearby city. People called him "Gunman."


    Originally, Gunman hade to the city with hostile intentions, but his daughter had married a small gang leader in Gotham. This gang leader was falsely used, and Gunman''s daughter was nearly harmed. When Gunman received a distress call from his daughter, he grabbed an old-fashioned shotgun and rushed to Gotham. With a few shots, he took down the gang members who were trying to harm his son-inw.


    One of the Twelve Families, the Lauren family, saw potential in Gunman''s violent temperament and skills. Now, he was the owner of a restaurant in the Lauren family''s West District.


    Unlike other gang members, this old man had genuinelye to the hospital. He suffered from chronic headaches, seemingly aplication of anxiety disorder. So, his son-inw used his connections to get him admitted for treatment. After two treatment sessions, he was already feeling much better.


    "It''s all the same, everywhere," Gunman said, taking a drag from his cigar, leaning against the hospital bed, and addressing Bruce. "Do you think it''s any better when you''re storming the city? Everyone lives on clean streets, every household has a car to drive, and the kids go to school in their uniforms?"


    He took another puff of his cigarette, and this old man even had a hint of Southern aristocracy about him, just like a true Gunman.


    Amidst the cigarette smoke, he slowly reminisced, "I met Mary many years ago, you know, decades ago... Back then, I was just a poor kid, fighting my way through the city with nothing but my bare hands..."


    "To besiege a city, you''ll find gangs everywhere, won''t you? I worked for them, but it couldn''tpare to Gotham. I earned too little, sometimes not even a cent in my pocket. I wanted to marry Mary, but I had no money. How could we get married?"


    "So, I picked up a gun and started working as a hitman. That''s when life started looking up. When my daughter was born, I was doing well. Even though I never read any books, if you ask me, Gotham is far superior."


    Bruce asked, "Is Gotham better than the city you wanted to besiege?"


    If it weren''t for the fact that this wasing from a seemingly knowledgeable old man, Bruce would have thought he was out of his mind.


    "I know you gents with respectable backgrounds think this city is rotten to the core, full of gangs and criminals everywhere. But for people like us, it doesn''t matter where we work; we give our all to whoever pays the most."


    "In Gotham, as long as you''re an official member of a gang, you actually earn quite a bit. And if you''re like me, owning a restaurant or a bar, it''s not much different from running a big business."


    "Moreover, here, gang members are safer. There''s a unique order in ce, and if you don''t want to dere war on a gang, it''s best not to mess with their people, even if it''s just a low-level thug."


    "So, those who join gangs to make ends meet are actually safer here than anywhere else because the gangs rule the roost. Once you''re part of a gang, your words carry more weight."


    "I know, I know..." Lai Fuqiang put down his cigarette and said, "I''m well aware that being a hitman will lead to consequences. I''ll go to hell, face the judgment of Satan, but I don''t care. Do you know why?"


    Before Bruce could respond, Lai Fuqiang continued, "I need to fill my belly first, earn more money, and have a better life."


    "God didn''t ce me in afortable family like yours. My father lost everything to gambling, my mother ran away with someone else, and my only possession was this old and unreliable gun. So, I thought, why not do this? What else can I do?"


    "Aftering to Gotham, I realized that the people who built this city must have been geniuses. Don''t you think these gangs are organized too perfectly? It''s almost impossible for gangs to spontaneously organize these industries."


    "So, how did this city be the way it is today? Could it be that someone intentionally designed it like this? What''s their purpose? Do they have the ability to n these industries so perfectly? Why turn it into a city of crime? Couldn''t they do something else?"


    "Gotham is simply the oddest among all American cities. It runs smoothly in a strange and twisted manner, carving its own path to bing one of the most prosperous cities on the East Coast. It''s achieved high GDP rankings through an absurd approach, and people not only survive here but thrive."


    "Its creator must be a genius, turning chaos into order, creating a new model of city operation almost out of thin air. But at the same time, he must be a madman, using his crazy ideas to build the world''srgest haven of crime."


    Bruce thought, maybe here, genius and madness are separated by a thin line, and Gotham is like the coin bncing between them, ready to topple at any moment. But it continues to teeter on that line.


    Everyone here, just like this city, is a double-edged sword. They are both gifted geniuses and unparalleled madmen.


    Genius to the left, madness to the right, and everyone in Gotham follows the traffic rules here¡ª


    "I go straight; I never turn."

 Chapter 73: Gotham 1987 (1)

    Chapter 73: Gotham 1987 (1)


    The faint morning breeze rustled the tree branches outside the window, and the orange light seeped through the thick curtains, illuminating the dim room.


    A knock at the bedroom door roused Schiller from his slumber. He turned over as the butler outside announced, "Sir, Mr. Gordon called you ten minutes ago. I informed him that you would return his call after getting up."


    Schiller, his voice slightly hoarse, responded slowly, "I see."


    He sat up in bed, shaking off the remnants of sleep, and approached the window. With one hand, he drew back one side of the curtain, revealing a milkman on a bicycle at the doorstep, ringing the bell. Soon, someone emerged to collect the milk bottles from him.


    This was Gotham, in the West District, and it was Schiller''s new home in the city.


    Although the faculty apartments at Gotham University were decent, he had felt the need to buy his own house here.


    This part of Gotham was the old town area, distinct from the affluent southern district. It was established by a group of UK nobility during the European migration to America. Consequently, most of the buildings here were traditional English manors. However, due to the city''s development ns and the superior geographical location in the south, the wealthy eventually moved there from the west.


    Many of these old manors had been left abandoned, as the descendants of those nobles rarely chose to stay. Schiller had acquired one of the best-preserved and most tastefully decorated ones at an excellent price.


    He didn''t opt for a house in the southern affluent district, not because he couldn''t afford it, but for a very practical reason¡ªit was closer to Gotham University, his workce.Tomute from the southern affluent district, he would have had to drive a considerable distance, traversing a significant portion of Gotham City.


    What made it worse was that he would have to navigate through the congested downtown area, especially during rush hours.


    Therefore, no matter how luxurious the vis in the south were, they were not within Schiller''s choice range. He was not Bruce Wayne, who could simply take a helicopter if traffic was congested. He didn''t want to spend most of his day on the road.


    Choosing a ssic manor in the West District had another advantage: it was less popted, rtively peaceful, and not bustling with activity early in the morning. On his days off, Schiller could enjoy a peaceful sleep.


    Most importantly, this location was far from Wayne Manor, and even further from the mountain where Bruce nned to build the Batcave in the future. In case Batman encountered the Joker and the range of the attack extended, it wouldn''t reach Schiller''s ce.


    After a while, the butler entered, opened the curtains, and said, "Breakfast is ready, sir."


    Schiller nodded, took the sses case handed to him, put on his sses, and nced at his watch. "When did Gordon call?" he asked.


    "About twenty-five minutes ago."


    Schiller turned his gaze back to the window, then went downstairs to have breakfast.


    Descending the wooden stairs, passing through a somewhat dim corridor, the dining room was at the far west end of the manor. As he entered, he found himself in a semi-circr dining room with tall arched windows. Deep green silk curtains hung on either side of the windows, and on the peachwood dining table, silverware sparkled in the faint morning light.


    The morning sun streaming in through the arched windows cast intricate patterns of light and shadow on the table. Schiller picked up the freshly ironed newspaper from his right.


    The printed ink on the newspaper was slightly smudged, with the topmost line reading, "January 25, 1987, Overcast with possible rain in the afternoon, Gotham Daily."


    Schiller had breakfast while searching the newspaper for the information he needed. The fonts in the papers of this era were often quite small, and the ink easily blurred, so he had to use a magnifying ss.


    After a while, the butler entered and said, "Mr. Gordon is here."


    Schiller put down his magnifying ss and looked up. Gordon was dressed in a brown overcoat and wore a beret. He entered the dining room, still carrying a lingering chill. Seeing Schiller reading the newspaper, Gordon said, "Have you seen today''s news? The Godfather is furious and won''t allow Metropolis ships to dock at the eastern pier anymore."


    "I was just reading that part," Schiller said with a slight push of his sses. "I stayed upte writing my paperst night, so I missed your call this morning."


    Gordon took off his overcoat while speaking, handing it to the butler. "It''s not urgent. You know, my work has been slowtely. I just wanted to call and congratte you on your new home. Oh, by the way, my gift is still in the car."


    "No rush. Have you had breakfast? How about joining me for a meal?" Schiller suggested.


    Gordon epted the offer, taking a seat at the dining table. "I went to the precinct earlier this morning and had breakfast there. I''ve brought the materials you asked for," he said, cing a ck briefcase on the table and retrieving some documents from it.


    Schiller said, "Thank you. Even if you''ve already eaten, would you like a cup of hot milk?"


    Gordon didn''t refuse. He sat at the table and said, "At first, when you mentioned taking over Lord Bernard''s manor, I was a bit surprised. After all, not many people these days appreciate these old-fashioned manors."


    "Nowadays, the wealthy in Gotham prefer those modern vertical houses, preferably with arge garage to park their luxury cars."


    Gordon looked around; the d¨¦cor here was the epitome of English style, with silk curtains, knitted carpets, wooden furniture, and a stone firece in the corner, crackling with fire. Even from a distance, one could feel a warm atmosphere.


    The dining room of the old manor wasn''t particrlyrge, and the corridor was rather narrow. The walls still bore extremely vintage metal wall sconces, creating an atmosphere as if they had traveled back to the Victorian era.


    Gordon withdrew his gaze and said, "But now, it seems this ce suits you well."


    "It''s not that I have a particr fondness for English manors," Schiller replied. "It''s just that if I bought a house in the south, it would be too far from my workce at Gotham University. The terrible traffic in Gotham might cause me to miss all my morning sses."


    Gordon picked up his cup and took a sip of milk. "Who isn''t affected by it? Every time I go to the police station for work, I get stuck in that damn central roundabout. You know, I got the highest score in my driving ss at the police training school!"


    "This cursed ce, everyone drives like maniacs, and they never think about the fact that mming the elerator to the floor when there are hundreds of cars moving simultaneously in a roundabout might lead to them getting sted out by the airbags!"


    Gordon expressed his frustration. "I could tell you were stuck in traffic earlier," Schiller chuckled.


    "During my drive here, I saw at least ten potential F1 champions," Gordon said, sounding a bit dejected.


    "Speaking of which, I heard you''re getting married to your fianc¨¦e? Is she in Gotham now? When are you nning the wedding?" Schiller inquired.


    Gordon cleared his throat and replied, "She''s in the process of transferring her job. The handover at thepany in Metropolis is quite troublesome. It will take at least a week. But it''s good in a way. It gives me some time to buy the apartment I''ve set my eyes on and surprise her."


    Schiller shook the newspaper in his hand, then spoke as he read, "Have you decided on what new wedding items you want? I have plenty of money now."


    "Really? More than Wayne?" Gordon asked.


    Schiller rolled his eyes and replied, "If I had more money than him, you wouldn''t be seeing me here."


    "To be honest, if I hadn''t earned so much money, I wouldn''t be thinking about getting engaged so soon. I might have been on vacation in Hawaii by now."


    "I thought you worked year-round."


    "Come on, I''d go crazy if I did that. I need a good body and a good mood to survive in this damn city for long."


    Schiller took a cigar from the box on the table, cut it open, and handed it to Gordon. Gordon epted it, and Schiller lit it with a match provided by a servant.


    He took a drag from his own lit cigar and exhaled a puff of smoke, saying, "The Godfather has been in a bad moodtely. Some audacious folks are trying to cause trouble in his territory."


    Gordon adjusted his posture, leaningfortably on the armrest of his chair, and sighed, "Why did you ask me to investigate the poption movement in Gotham? Is there something wrong with Metropolis? I heard those troublemakers who angered The Godfather came from Metropolis."


    "If I told you this trouble followed me, would you be surprised?"


    "Of course not," Gordon quickly denied.


    "When I first met you, I had a feeling you were someone who could get into big trouble."


    "Why?"


    "You could call it a detective''s intuition."


    "Interesting. Can you borate?"


    "I''ve seen a lot of criminals, and they are different...," Gordon straightened up, resting his wrists on the table, and continued, pletely different from each other. The dumb thieves and the real masterminds are worlds apart."


    "I''ve never heard of a serial killer shouting at a judge, being disrespectful. They have a different air about them..."


    "When you face Batman, I always feel like you two are looking in a mirror."


    "Do you think I''m simr to him? Are you serious?"


    "Some things arepletely different, but in some ways, it''s astonishingly simr."


    Schiller looked at Gordon and said, "Keep this keen sense, and you''ll be Gotham''s savior."


    Gordon tapped the ash of his cigar on the silver tray and said, "The Godfather is in a tough spot this time. Those who infiltrated seem to know what they''re doing. They killed two of Falcone Family''s bouncers. If The Godfather doesn''t capture them quickly, he''ll lose face in Gotham, which is worse than anything."


    "Do you think the gangs will dare to challenge The Godfather so soon?" Schiller put down the newspaper and leaned back in his chair.


    "It''s hard to say. Don''t underestimate them. Maroni is still alive, and he profited from the East District conflict. He might be nning to challenge The Godfather."


    "He''s asking for trouble." As the smoke from the cigar settled, Schiller extended his hand and flicked the cigar''s ash with his fingertips, creating a fine dust that slowly drifted down.


    "Not necessarily. The Godfather somehow crossed the line and had Victor, the formermissioner, killed. I heard he wanted to meddle at Arkham Hospital, but The Godfather kicked him out. Maroni can''t stand that."


    "The East District is restless. Maroni is eager to assert dominance over the forces he''s absorbed. He needs a victory to consolidate the newly acquired power."


    "If he dares to challenge The Godfather to establish dominance, Falcone will teach him a lesson." Schiller rxed in his chair, tugging at his sweater''s cor, looking quite at ease.


    Gordon coughed a couple of times, and through the cigar''s smoke, he squinted at the reflection on the silver tray. "Maroni is a formidable figure, and The Godfather is getting old."


    "Do you favor him more?"


    "No, I actually hope the old Godfather wins. As long as Falcone is around, Gotham won''t descend intoplete chaos. But once he''s gone, who knows?"


    Soon after, Gordon left. After all, he had work to attend to, and it was his peak season. Another month of hard work, and buying a vi wouldn''t be a problem.


    After Gordon''s departure, Schiller leaned back in his chair, finishing the entire cigar. Smoke curled around his fingertips. He hadn''t had such a rxing moment in a long time.


    In this crisis-ridden city, he couldn''t even have a break for a single cigarette without ensured safety.


    Before this, Schiller had never considered buying a house; he didn''t need a home because he wasn''t a Gotham native. He came from one of the world''s safest and most orderly countries.


    As the cigar burned, the cigarette smoke became several times richer than the fragrant cigarette, dispersing into various elusive abstract shapes, provoking countless associations. In that hallucinatory and sweet-smelling haze, Schiller began to reminisce.


    He couldn''t quite remember whether the emotion that surged within him when he first encountered a shooting incident in Chicago after leaving his homnd was shock or excitement. He only remembered that as the ne descended, his lifetime of memories, apanied by weightlessness and oxygen deprivation, blurred into a fog.


    As they wished, these memories dissipated with death, burying countless secrets forever. If there truly were gods in this world, Schiller thought, this great being capable of granting a second chance at life truly understood him.


    Gotham was the sewer of the world''s evil, and good people wouldn''t be flushed into the sewer.


    Schiller looked at the tip of the cigar between his fingertips, where the me gradually extinguished. The cigarette smoke began to thin, and the patterns it had formed slowly dissipated.


    He knew that the excitement that had filled his mind when he first regained consciousness and learned that this was Gotham City would ultimately destroy all his aspirations for a peaceful life. Or perhaps, his enjoyment of a mundane and ordinary daily life, filled with self-hypnosis, had been the delusion of a madman from beginning to end, until he saw Batman.


    As the cigarette smoke drifted away, Schiller recalled the feeling when he first used his faint telepathic abilities to touch Batman''s inner thoughts.


    As Gordon had said, he felt like he was looking in a mirror.


    So, he gave Batman the answer he wanted to hear, and almost eagerly, he put a period on the tedious life that had driven him to despair.


    And now, he had finally be a citizen of Gotham, on the first birthday of his second life, in the winter of 1987.

 Chapter 74: Gotham 1987 (II)

    Chapter 74: Gotham 1987 (II)


    In the afternoon, just as the weather forecast in the newspaper had predicted, Gotham was enveloped in a gentle rain.


    Schiller sat in the study at Manor, and the sound of rain outside the window acted as the perfect luby.


    Amidst the cluttered desk, stacks of books created undting shadows in the light of the wallmp. The glint of ink bottles and Schiller''s eyesses reflected brightly in the dimly lit room. He held a pen and wrote elegant, ornate English script on an invitation.


    Customs around the world were quite simr; when you moved to a new ce, it was customary to invite friends and family over. Schiller nned to invite his few friends in Gotham for a dinner gathering over the weekend.


    As the rain outside intensified, moist air seeped in through the window cracks. In the soft light, tiny water droplets could be seen gently falling onto the desktop. Soon, the part of the desk near the windowsill umted numerous tiny water droplets, reflecting the glow of the firece like red gemstones.


    As daylight gradually faded, the mist, colder than daytime, caused frost to form on the ss panes. Schiller put down his pen and rubbed his wrist, then looked up.


    From this vantage point, Gotham appeared unchanged, but the rain made it even gloomier and quieter, almost offering a rare tranquility.


    Regardless, the 1980s Gotham was always much slower-paced than theter information societies. Schiller spent the entire afternoon writing letters and only left the study when a butler reminded him that it was dinnertime.


    After finishing dinner, Schiller dressed, picked up his umbre, and left the house. By this time, the rain that hadsted the entire afternoon had stopped, leaving behind the chilly and damp air that permeated the city.Puddles on the ground acted like mirrors in the darkness, reflecting the light from streetmps as golden fragments, like the leaves Autumn had failed to take with it. As Schiller''s shoes touched the water, the shimmering light disappeared into the gentle ripples and sshes.


    Just like any other custom when moving, it was essential to visit the neighbors.


    The security here was reasonably good because anyone who could afford and maintain a Manor like this was either wealthy or prosperous. While it couldn''tpare to the affluent neighborhoods in the South, the old city still had a slow-paced, old-fashioned charm.


    A street away from Schiller''s Manor, there was an opera house. Although it seldom hosted theater troupes, it had be a club for the residents.


    Schiller reached the theater''s entrance, where the attendants weren''t as professional. They waited until he reached the doorsteps before opening the door. Schiller removed his hat and entered.


    Despite the cold rainy night outside, the theater was warm. Schiller''s sses fogged up, and he removed them as he approached the front desk, tapping it lightly.


    The supervisor, who had been dozing off, blinked when he saw Schiller and quickly straightened up. He asked, "Do you have a reservation?"


    "I am the new owner of the Viscount Manor, and all the expenses for drinks here tonight will be charged to my ount. May God bless everyone."


    The supervisor immediately became enthusiastic. "Oh, it''s you! I just received the news yesterday that thergest Viscount Manor has a new owner. Your taste is truly exceptional. Only a man of your generosity is deserving of such a luxurious Manor."


    "Don''t worry; by the time everyonees outter, they''ll know you''re a friendly gentleman."


    Listening to the supervisor''s effusive praise, Schiller discreetly ced a roll of dor bills under the bell. The supervisor continued, "You need not worry about the appearance of this building. After all, this is Gotham''s oldest theater. Some wear and tear are expected. But our service will always be top-notch..."


    As Schiller descended the theater''s steps, he nced back at the possibly oldest theater in Gotham, now marked by the passage of time. Many years ago, it had weed famous theater troupes and countless actors had performed here. But now, ity deserted, its weathered fa?ade serving as a monument to Gotham''s history, bearing the marks of wind, frost, and rain. Perhaps it had a more intriguing story than the fictional dramas, but not many were willing to watch it again.


    When Schiller returned to Manor, it was already quitete, but there was something he hadn''t finished fromst night.


    Thanks to this rtively slow-paced era, Schiller didn''t need to constantly guard against text messages or phone calls. He had ample time to leisurely read books, seek knowledge from physical materials, and then transcribe them onto paper with a pen.


    Suddenly, there was a faint sound behind him. Without turning around, Schiller said, "Gordon came to visit, and he at least brought a gift. What about you? The uninvited bat?"


    Batman''s shadow cast multiple silhouettes on the wall under the sconces. He replied, "I''ll deliver it during the daytime."


    "Gordon is getting married soon. Aren''t you nning to give him a gift in your peculiar costume? After all, he''s your partner."


    "I have no gift to offer," Batman''s tone was always low and calm, inducing drowsiness in the quiet room of the deep night.


    "So, what brings you here?"


    "To wish you well in your new home."


    "I guess you scoured every room in this Manor earlier than I did. If I''m not mistaken, you might have even acquired the building''s blueprints through some means."


    Batman remained silent. He seemed to acknowledge that he didn''t shy away from disying his overly cautious and distrustful nature in front of Schiller.


    "Did you read the newspaper today? Did you see the news about the Iron Curtain?"


    "That''s not relevant to me."


    "It''s a global event."


    "Gotham won''t change for the better or worse because of it."


    Then, both fell silent. Only the sound of Schiller''s pen scratching against the paper echoed in the quiet room of thete night. After a while, Batman spoke, "The people who came from Metropolis are probably here to pursue you."


    "Let theme. Or do you think the people of Gotham are afraid of those from Metropolis?"


    Batman remained silent.


    "I guess you had an argument with your butler, didn''t you?"


    Batman didn''t reply, but Schiller continued, "There was once a person who came out for a midnight drive because he had argued with his beloved ''butler.''"


    "Why did they argue?"


    "Because that person couldn''t decide whether or not to marry his butler."


    Batman fell silent once more.


    "I guess your butler must be feeling heartbroken over your injuries, but he doesn''t want to hinder you from pursuing your passion. So, he keeps his emotions to himself."


    "But you''ve noticed that he seems sad, and you don''t want to give up your career or make him sad."


    "Your extraordinary intelligence and logical reasoning don''t work at this moment, so you resort to midnight drives."


    "Let me guess, your new Batmobile is probably parked at my doorstep, and the overheated engine hasn''t cooled down yet."


    "Is there really such a thing as telepathy in this world?"


    "Don''t ask such silly questions."


    "If it exists, can you tell me what Alfred is thinking?"


    "You are much more straightforward than that person, but yes, besides family, love troubles him."


    "Love... It''s the most perplexing thing. I offered to tell him the answer, but he refused."


    Batman''s gaze fell on the ring on Schiller''s ring finger as he asked, "Are you married? Is your wife not with you in Gotham?"


    "It seems you''re not very interested in that answer either."


    Schiller said, "Let''s go. You''d better find Gordon to host you. Staying here, you''ll only get answers you don''t want to hear."


    Batman said, "This Manor is indeed magnificent, with a total of 36 rooms. You sleep in the east wing master bedroom upstairs, leaving 35 other rooms."


    "I won''t be giving you a key."


    "I don''t need a key."


    Schiller pressed his finger against his forehead and said, "But you stay out all night. What should I do if your butleres to me?"


    "Why do you seem more afraid of him than me?"


    "It''s hard to exin, but I am genuinely worried about your butlering to me."


    Seeing that Batman was relentless, Schiller reluctantly said, "Alright, if you want to stay here overnight, I need your guardian''s approval. Go call him now. I must hear his consent before allowing you to stay."


    Batman hesitated, then conceded. When it came to matters concerning his butler, he always acted like a child, much like Stark did when dealing with Pepper.


    Schiller didn''t mind Batman staying here, and he didn''t really mind Batman thoroughly checking his new home. After all, sooner orter, it was bound to happen. 18-year-old Batman might not check, but when he turned 28 or 38, he would inevitably investigate. Nothing in Gotham could escape the vignt eyes of the Bat. Schiller wasn''t the Joker; he didn''t have the time to y hide and seek with Batman every day.


    A whileter, Schiller finished writing his paper. It was now deep into the night, and the window outside was pitch ck, with only puddles formed by the rain reflecting distant lights.


    Soon, the butler informed him that the telephone was ringing. Schiller picked up the receiver, and Batman was standing in the darkest corner of the living room, listening to him speak on the phone.


    "Yes, correct... No trouble at all. Yes, I know they''re always like this. I''ve seen plenty before..."


    "Really? That sounds quite serious... I have a professional first aid kit here... Oh, I see. You''re a responsible butler."


    "I don''t think there''s any rtionship..." Schiller nced at Batman for some reason. Batman felt his heart suddenly pounding, as if he were a student nervously trying to deduce his parents'' anger levels from the teacher''s vague words after being called to the principal''s office.


    "Alright, please rest assured... No problem. So, tomorrow morning, is it? I suppose so... Very well... Goodbye."


    Schiller saw Batman about to ask something but decided against it.


    Schiller said, "Your butler mentioned that you''re injured, but he should have treated you already."


    Afterward, he nced at the grandfather clock nearby and said, "It''s already toote now. Your butler said you should have been in bed by nine, and it''s already been over three hourste. Take your keys and go upstairs quickly."


    "I don''t need the keys."


    With these parting words, Batman disappeared, and Schiller shook his head before heading upstairs.


    Schiller had always known Batman''s true identity, so Batman didn''t sleep in his bat suit. When Schiller knocked on his bedroom door, Bruce was in his pajamas.


    Normally, in his serious Batman persona, one could only see his chin, but now, Bruce''s demeanor was entirely different from usual. This was a fully exposed Batman.


    But it didn''t matter; when Schiller reminded him that Alfred hoped he''d be back for breakfast tomorrow morning, a conflicted andplicated expression appeared on Bruce''s face.


    "I advise you to go back. If hees knocking on your door, I won''t help you. You should know that teachers will always stand on the same side as parents."


    Seeing that Bruce still seemed reluctant, Schiller had to threaten him further, saying, "If I do meet Alfred tomorrow, I''ll have to talk to him about your academic performance. Although you barely passed thest exams, your ranking is in the lower middle, and more importantly, you missed six assignments this semester, and half of them were not long enough."


    "I''ve kept all the assignments you turned in. If you don''t want your butler to see your iprehensible essays and useless academic rubbish that only pollutes others'' minds, you''d better go to bed now and wake up early tomorrow to return to Wayne Manor."


    Without waiting for Bruce to say anything, Schiller mmed the door to his room shut.


    That night, Brucey in bed, reflecting on recent events.


    Thanks to Schiller''s ingenious industry connections, there had been many shootouts in the gangs recently, making Batman''s work increasingly difficult.


    During the daytime, he was busy with investigations at the hospital, trying to unravel theplex rtionships between the gangs. At night, he had to monitor the scenes of various shootouts to prevent them from getting out of hand and causing too much damage.


    The police had acquired heavy weaponry, which made them stronger, but it didn''t mean the gangs had no means of counterattack. With the police using heavy firepower, the gangs naturally sought to resist with even more powerful weapons. This led to an esction of the conflict, and Batman found himself involved in more intense gunfights before he could upgrade his equipment.


    This resulted in his bat armor, originally designed for handguns and cold weapons, being unable to withstand the damage from machine gun bullets and grenades.


    A few nights ago, Batman had been hit by a machine gun bullet. This kind of injury was far more severe than what handgun bullets could inflict. Machine gun bullets were as long as a palm, and luckily, Batman had only been grazed on the shoulder. If that bullet had hit him squarely, it could have caused much more serious damage.


    But it had still been a significant injury, arguably the worst he had suffered during his time as Batman.


    When he returned to Wayne Manor, he was barely conscious. It was his extraordinary willpower that had allowed him to make it back to Wayne Manor in the first ce.


    Bruce had long known that he wasn''t very sensitive to certain painkillers and anesthetics. He often woke up during anesthesia. This time was no different. In the middle of the surgery, he was half-dreaming, half-awake and saw Alfred sitting alone beside the operating table.


    It was difficult for him to describe the expression he saw on Alfred''s face at that moment. It caused his heart, which had rarely raced in many years, to clench.


    He suddenly realized that Alfred had changed. He had aged significantly, andpared to when his parents were still alive, he seemed much more resigned.


    Bruce also realized that his parents'' death had not only affected him but Alfred as well. Perhaps, when Alfred realized that he was about to endure a simr ordeal again, he aged even more.


    Brucey in bed, and as he drifted into sleep, he couldn''t help but think about Alfred''s expression.


    What saddened him even more was that when he woke up from surgery, Alfred didn''t say anything. He didn''t try to stop Bruce from doing anything. He simply prepared breakfast as he always did, as if it were any other morning when Bruce had woken up from a nightmare.


    Sitting at the dining table, Bruce could hardly eat. He was Batman, but he was still human. It was rare for someone to maintain theirposure and appetite in the face of such emotional turmoil.


    So he took a few bites hastily, almost as if he were fleeing, and left Wayne Manor.


    In reality, his first destination was Gordon''s ce, but he happened to arrive just as Gordon was leaving for Schiller''s house.


    He followed Gordon all the way, even observing their entire conversation in the restaurant from outside the window.


    He also saw Schiller sitting alone, smoking an entire cigar.


    The professor seemed unfamiliar, and Bruce had never seen Schiller like this before. While Schiller had often appeared serious at school, this was entirely different.


    It was as if he were a different person, a stranger.


    Bruce thought that perhaps the Schiller he had known before was just a fa?ade, much like himself.


    In this mad city, two lunatics yed their respective roles, assuming ordinary societal identities and appearing as teachers and students troubled by everyday routines.


    Perhaps this wasn''t a book of "Pride and Prejudice" but rather a book of "The Actor''s Self-Training."


    In this corroded, rotten, and decadent theater called Gotham, on the stage of Gotham University, the first act of this absurd drama seemed peculiar andical.


    On Batman''s first day of school, he encountered a stern and old-fashioned teacher who seemed like he wanted nothing to do with trouble. In an inexplicable counseling session, this teacher gave him the answer he most desired.


    And after the curtains fell on one scene after another, the two actors themselves finally met behind the scenes.


    Putting aside their societal roles, theposition of these absurd dramas wasn''t a coincidence. Madmen always attracted madmen, and oddities often encountered oddities. It was simply a manifestation of like attracting like.


    Brucey in bed, drowsiness washing over him. In his half-dream state, he heard the muffled ticking of the clock downstairs in the Manor, permeating his dreams.


    Apart from that, on this cold night in Gotham in 1987, all that could be heard were the almost imperceptible sound of the wind and the incessant crackling of the firece.

 Chapter 75: A Plan to Drive Away Tigers and Swallow Wolves (1)

    Chapter 75: A n to Drive Away Tigers and Swallow Wolves (1)


    The clinking of knives and forks against the tableware filled the air, apanied by the gentle sound of wine bubbles dissipating. Gordon raised his ss first and said, "Congrattions on your new home, Joe!"


    Bruce, Harvey, Schiller, and Victor all raised their sses and clinked them together. Schiller took a sip of the somewhat spicy wine and felt a warm sensation spreading through his chest. The firece cast its warm glow on the sses, resembling burning fire.


    "You should have bought a house a long time ago," Harveymented. "I''ve been saying it; no one should live in the teacher''s dorms for so long. They don''t even have a coffee machine there. I stayed there for just two nights, and my back hurt from the bed."


    "I think it''s not bad," Victor added. "The hardware facilities at Gotham University are decent. Of course, it can''tpare to this Manor, but I hope you''ll leave a room for me here."


    "You''re wee anytime," Schiller raised his ss to him. Bruce, slicing a piece of steak on his te, chimed in, "You should leave a room for all of us. After all, I''ve left rooms for you all at Wayne Manor."


    "That would be enough," Schiller replied.


    "God willing, I''ll be able to buy a big Manor in my lifetime, and I''d be more than happy to leave a room for each of you," Gordon said, taking a bite of sausage.


    "How have you beentely? You should be saving up some money by now, right?" Harvey asked him.


    "My recent ie has seen a slight dip, but it''s still good," Gordon wiped his mouth with a napkin and continued, "The Godfather hasn''t made any moves yet, but the other gangs are eager. It''s probably the calm before the storm.""When you''ve saved enough money, be sure to let me know," Schiller lightly tapped his fork against the te and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing, I just think I can help you with your apartment choice. After all, before buying a house, I looked at a lot of materials."


    "That works out perfectly. I''ve been struggling to decide which one to buy. What do you think of the Pelican Estates? I actually prefer Jasmine Lane, but considering that we might want a children in the future, it''s a bit small and doesn''t have a nursery."


    "Have you considered Ninth Avenue? How about being neighbors with me?" Harvey asked with a smile.


    "Oh my, that''s too far away, and most of the people living there are bachelors like you, right?"


    Schiller made a scoffing sound as he lifted his wine ss to take a sip. Gordon looked at him with some confusion, and Schiller chuckled, saying, "You''ve been too busytely, you don''t even know about something this big."


    "What''s going on?" Gordon nced at Harvey and asked, "Did I miss something? Is he not single anymore?"


    Victor inquired, "Have you officially started a rtionship with Christine? If so, you might want to be discreet at school. You know, there are almost as many girls interested in you as there are guys interested in her."


    "Well, it happenedst week," Harvey shrugged.


    Bruce looked surprised and said, "Really? Wow! You managed to win over the most beautiful girl at all of Gotham University so quickly. I thought you were just an old schr."


    Schiller tapped the edge of his te lightly with his fork again and said, "I hope you''re not implying something. You sitting at this dinner table with me, is it because you scored only 69 on your final exams?"


    Everyone burst intoughter as the fire in the firece burned brightly. The reflections of the metal utensils on the dining table shimmered, emitting soft halos of light that ovepped and illuminated the entire room.


    After finishing their meal, the group sat on the sofa by the firece. Harvey was a bit tipsy and said, "Is this our bachelor night? Gordon is getting married soon, and before that happens, we can still have a night like this..."


    "I should get going," Victor said as he put on his coat and hat. Schiller turned to look at him and said, "Take the bag by the door; there are two bottles of wine and a pack of cigars."


    "Oh, thank you. How can you bear to give me these Cuban goodies?" Victor opened the bag and asked with a smile.


    "I remember you mentioned that the past few days were your wedding anniversary..."


    "Oh, sorry, we both didn''t know!" Bruce said. "Professor Fries, I''ll send your gift to your office tomorrow."


    "No, no need to be so polite," Victor smiled and said, "Honestly, I''m happy that you all understand me. After all, freezing my wife in a cryogenic chamber is quite a scary thing. I never expected anyone to understand this crazy act of mine. People I heard about it before either just advised me that everyone faces life, aging, sickness, and death or told me to ept it."


    But his new friends in Gotham had shown remarkable tolerance and didn''t shy away from the topic. In fact, they didn''t treat him with sympathy, which Victor appreciated. He didn''t like it when others looked at him with pity, making him feel like a pariah every time the subject of marriage and family came up.


    But his friends were different. To them, his wife was simply in the hospital with a minor illness, and they never forgot her presence. This brought Victor a sense offort, as if his wife was just temporarily unwell and would recover soon.


    After Victor left, Gordon soon followed suit. Bruce leaned back on the sofa and said, "See, all of them are so busy. It''s just us, just us idle folks, who can get drunk like this..."


    "It''s only you, Mr. Billionaire," Harvey added as he put on his coat. "I still have awsuit to write, and you know Harvey has papers to modify. It''s only you, the brain-dead billionaire..."


    Bruce reclined on the sofa, closed his eyes, and waved his hand, not saying anything more. It was evident that he had had quite a few drinks. Harvey draped his coat over his arm and said, "I''ll take him back. Let''s not let him get too drunk here."


    "He has a mobile phone in his pocket. Find it and call his butler to send a helicopter to pick you guys up. Don''t drive," Schiller advised.


    "In Gotham, what''s a DUI? I can still hit 120 mph..." Bruce slurred.


    "Yeah, our genius racer..."


    After Harvey had taken Bruce away, Schiller walked to the other side of the living room and picked up the telephone handset to dial.


    Soon, the lights in the Manor gradually dimmed, and Gotham''s night plunged into profound darkness once again.


    The next day, Seldon, the principal of Gotham University, sat in his office, arms crossed, and said with a puzzled expression, "You''re saying Professor Rodriguez is hospitalized and injured?... Well, send a colleague to check on him."


    In the afternoon, lying in the hospital bed, Schiller took the flowers from Anna''s hands and said, "Oh, thank you, I''m truly grateful..."


    Just as he was about to continue, Gordon burst in. Seeing outsiders here, he hesitated. After Anna left, Gordon looked around, taking in the luxurious decor of the high-end hospital room in the center of Gotham, a single room. Schillery in the bed, covered by a nket, and his face showed no signs of injury.


    Gordon approached, hands on his hips, and said, "I heard you were attackedst night, damn it, I should have arrived a bit earlier..."


    Schiller smiled, seemingly unfazed. Gordon said, somewhat irritated, "You''re actuallyughing about it, and you knew those people from Metropolis were likely after you. You didn''t raise your guard and let them seed. Where are you injured? Organs or bones?"


    Then, he added, quite frustrated, "And where''s that Batman? If he had stayed with you, this wouldn''t have happened!"


    "You have quite the faith in him, but I don''t want him crashing at my ce. His butler is scarier than anyone else who might show up."


    "Seriously..." Gordon looked Schiller up and down. "Are you really injured? I can''t see a thing."


    He nced at his watch and said, "We left the sce at night, and it''s just past 7 AM now. Did your wounds magically heal this quickly? Even if it was just a knife graze, it should have taken at least a dozen hours, right? Or is the medical technology at the central hospital this advanced now?"


    Schiller waved a hand, indicating for him to calm down. He then lifted the nket, sat up, and got out of bed, walking to the window with azy stretch. Gordon stared wide-eyed, watching him move effortlessly as if nothing had happened.


    "Damn it! You''re not injured at all!" Gordon eximed. "I rushed here after getting the message in a hurry!"


    "I''m touched," Schiller said. "Your old pickup managed to get from the police station to the hospital in just 20 minutes. Did you install a propeller on it or something?"


    "I told you, I was the top of my ss in the police driving course!"


    Gordon shook his head and said, "Is that the point here? Isn''t the real issue why you pretended to be injured? Are you finally fed up with those students at Gotham University?"


    "Of course not... Well, okay, maybe a bit, but that''s not the point..."


    "Do you know how I got this information? This morning, the police station was in an uproar because they heard that Arkham Asylum is temporarily closing due to ack of a chief physician. I''ve never seen them so upset..."


    "Yeah, Arkham Asylum closing is causing grief not just for the police."


    Frowning, Gordon, not one to be slow, said after some thought, "The gangs won''t just give up because of this. They''ve invested a lot in this industry inside the mental hospital. They won''t willingly stop, it''s like the final step in making a pizza; they won''t stop."


    "You being ''injured'' will make them try to find out what happened. The police already know it''s you. Those mob bosses won''t have a reason not to know."


    "But how can you be sure they''ll go after the people from Metropolis and not try to rece you with someone else, as they did before?"


    "You''re injured, but that doesn''t mean the mental hospital has to close. They don''t know this is your n. They might just think, ''Well, if the chief physician is sick, we can get a recement, can''t we?''"


    "They indeed don''t know, but Falcone does. That''s enough."

 Chapter 76: Driving Away Tigers and Swallowing Wolves Plan (1)

    Chapter 76: Driving Away Tigers and Swallowing Wolves n (1)


    "I knew it, I knew it. They think they can do whatever they want just because The Godfather is getting old? Well, then I can only say they''re in a hurry to die..."


    In a bar in the East District, a man with a big beard held a cigar. He was the second-inmand of the Cocaine Gang. The bartender brought a ss of water cut with whiskey to him. The bearded man took a sip of the whiskey and then drew on his cigarette. As he exhaled a puff of smoke, he continued, "They haven''t experienced those times; they don''t understand."


    "The Godfather only wants loyalty," he tapped the bar''s desktop with his finger, emphasizing his point. "He''s telling us that if we want a share of this ce, we must follow his orders."


    "Just like what he did many years ago, how he united the entire Gotham Gang and established the Twelve Families. Those young and reckless ones will never understand."


    The man sitting across from him was skinny, not as imposing, with a pale and gloomyplexion. He was the owner of this bar and a member of the Four Giants of the Hui Xing Gang on Elizabeth Street. Taking a drag from his fragrant cigarette, he added, "My boss once told me, you know, our big boss was The Godfather''s first leader, and he used to work under him."


    "That bunch of mixed-bloods from Metropolis, thinking they''ve challenged The Godfather. When The Godfather doesn''t make an immediate move, they believe he''s scared. They''re so naive; The Godfather won''t take action himself..."


    "He doesn''t need to," the bearded man said. "Gotham is no longer the era when the big leader needed to pull the trigger himself."


    "He''s telling these gangs that even though he''s old, as long as he''s alive, he will forever be the underground king of Gotham," the skinny man stated.


    "A chief doctor got injured, and the mental hospital shut down? Only those greenhorn kids who just entered the business would believe such a story. What a load of nonsense! The chief doctor my foot!""Who needs a chief doctor there? Go and cure that guy on the street with the rooster''s crest who shivers at the sight of eggs?"


    The skinny man and those around him burst intoughter. The bartender wiped sses while chiming in, "You can find a chief doctor anywhere now. I think I could do it too. It''s just counting and writing medical records; there are no real patients there."


    "So, that''s why I said it''s all a bunch of lies. The Godfather deliberately cut off this industry so that the gangs would understand that if they want to make money with him, they have to listen and help him deal with those enemies, or else they can forget about making money."


    The bearded man took another sip of his drink and grinned, "Many years ago, The Godfather did just that. He had two poppy ntations and threatened the gangs in the downstream industry to take care of the biggest troublemaker back then, that... Anton. That was a huge deal. If he could really get his hands on the products from those two ntations, he would make a fortune. But as you all know, the Frenchman''s head was ced on The Godfather''s desk the next day."


    "They won''t live much longer," the skinny man said grimly. "The sissies from Metropolis should go back to their own turf and stay out of Gotham''s business."


    "Go back? I''m afraid they won''t have a chance to go back. They''re doomed."


    On the other side, Schiller was in the hospital, holding a telephone. "Yes, thank you for your concern. I went in for some rest, that''s all... Yes, just needed some recovery. I really didn''t expect..."


    As soon as he hung up the phone, a nurse walked in carrying arge bouquet of flowers. "Seems like it''s from the Lauren family."


    "Put it over there, thank you. By the way, please take these other bouquets away; they''re getting a bit wilted."


    The nurse tidied up the area around the hospital bed, filled with flowers and gifts from various gang families. She couldn''t help but remember the conversations she had with her colleagues in the corridor. Even if The Godfather was sick, did it really warrant such a grand disy?


    Schiller, however, was in good spirits. He was on paid leave, and in just a couple of days, he had received dozens of pounds of expensive red wine and cigars. He didn''t know who leaked the fact that he enjoyed cigars, but now his manor was filled with cigars worth millions.


    The idea of pretending to be ill had struck him one morning, and he didn''t need anyone to remind him that the people from Metropolis wereing for him.


    Previously, when the hired assassins came with their employer''s money to kill him, he had managed to persuade them to leave. But the mastermind behind them wouldn''t give up so easily. Perhaps it was because of the failed assassination attempt that he couldn''t hire a renowned lone hitman, and instead, he had gathered a gang of criminals from who knows where, intending to engage in a group battle.


    ording to conventional wisdom, Schiller should have started a battle of attack and defense against them by now. After all, in a city like Gotham, it was unlikely that he could rely on the police for protection. With the enemy lurking in the shadows while he remained exposed, Schiller could only hire top-notch bodyguards or arrange for round-the-clock protection.


    Even if he used Grey Mist to locate their positions, Schiller had to be cautious to eliminate a few of them who were separated from the group.


    However, that would be too foolish, Schiller thought. He didn''t want to lower himself to the level of those criminals and be defeated by their extensive experience.


    Since the mastermind could afford the Reaper, the gang he had brought must have had some capabilities. Otherwise, they wouldn''t havee to Gotham and killed The Godfather''s people.


    Hiding, being on guard against potential assassinations every day? Schiller would not go down that path.


    So, after informing Falcone, Schiller faked an injury, and not just any injury, but a significant one.


    He needed an extended period of rest, he said, and imed that he was in a bad mood and unable to think clearly.


    His injury was not a big issue, but with the mental hospital closing down due to theck of a chief doctor, who among the mob bosses could sit still?


    The mental hospital had been running for a long time. The first few individuals who had ventured into this business were now rolling in wealth. Those who had followedter had invested significant time and money in this endeavor, seeing it as a lucrative opportunity. They were on the verge of reaping the rewards when it all came crashing down. How could they be happy about it?


    The ones who had already made money were even less pleased. Without having to risk gunfire, they could simply negotiate a profit-sharing agreement with Schiller and collect money while sitting back. Who wouldn''t want such a deal? They had already earned a lot of money and wanted to earn even more. Shutting down at this point would be a loss, wouldn''t it?


    On the first day the mental hospital announced its closure, all the telephones were ringing off the hook, including Bruce''s.


    During the period when Schiller returned to Gotham University, Bruce was overseeing the entire hospital. Although Schiller had not consulted Bruce in advance about his n, Batman being who he was, it took him only a few seconds to discern Schiller''s intentions.


    As a result, the world''s richest person immediately took center stage. All the gang leaders who had attempted to subtly gather information by calling him on the telephone were met with Bruce''s evasive trifecta: "I don''t know, I''m not sure, I can''t make sense of it."


    "I''m just a billionaire with nothing to do and an empty head," he continued. "What use do you have in asking me? You might as well ask Evans."


    Evans was also making a decent living within the hospital, being the son of The Godfather. Naturally, he was aligned with this group of gang leaders, so they had no choice but to make another call to Evans.


    However, Evans expressed his predicament, exining that this was his father''s decision, and he couldn''t interfere.


    With that revtion, the gang leaders understood. This wasn''t just an assassination attempt; it was The Godfather''s way of sending a message. The Godfather''s reputation was on the line, and no one woulde out of this unscathed.


    Those individuals from Metropolis who dared to disregard Gotham''s rules while others stood by watching were putting everyone''s profits at risk.


    The gang leaders realized that The Godfather was indeed warning them. If they wanted to continue profiting together, they needed to show sincerity. "Point us in the right direction, and we''ll take it from there," they thought.


    After careful consideration, the gang leaders came to a decision. Those who hade from Metropolis were clearly just interlopers. "Find them immediately and dispose of them," they ordered. "No need to keep them alive; just bring us their bodies."


    The ferocity of the Gotham Gang needed no further exnation, especially when their true interests were threatened. Everyone involved in this matter was on a relentless pursuit, seeking to confront the outsiders.


    Originally, this group had identified their target in Metropolis a few days after arriving, namely Schiller. However, they hadn''t acted yet, choosing to wait until everything was perfectly set up.


    Schiller had moved out of Gotham University, and they were on the brink of executing their n when he suddenly got injured.


    "What? He was attacked by outsiders from Metropolis? Metropolis outsiders? But that''s us! We haven''t done anything!"


    The Metropolis criminals were now in an extremely awkward position. They had faced all sorts of strange situations over the years, but this was the first time they had been framed!


    "We haven''t done anything! It was his own doing! What does this have to do with us?"


    However, it was clear that this situation couldn''t be exined away. If you wanted to find evidence proving their innocence, that might be feasible. But how could they prove their innocence when people were lying in the hospital?


    When the victim says who attacked him, that''s who attacked him. Furthermore, even if they hadn''t done it, if The Godfather said they did, then they did.


    Initially, they had prepared a bomb at Schiller''s Manor and found a good ce nearby to stake out. Their n was to lure Schiller there. However, things took a turn for the worse when all the gangs in Gotham started looking for them. The location where they had been staking out was discovered, and they had to move.


    They had initially caught The Godfather off guard, but that was in a sneak attack scenario. Over these past few days, they had witnessed how the Gotham Gang was using the firepower of a small-scale war in a shootout. Where in Metropolis would you find such an army? Now that these gangs had united and were no longer fighting amongst themselves, they wereing after them.


    Looking at the rows of machine guns on armored vehicles, everyone wielding rocketunchers, and even a few rocket artillery vehicles, who wouldn''t feel their hearts racing? Even if you stomped your feet, it wouldn''t help!


    So, now, these outsiders had be the ones who were desperately hiding and evading capture in the east of XZ. The Gotham Gang seemed uninterested in capturing them; instead, they found every location where they had hidden and obliterated it with rockets. They didn''t want captives; they wanted corpses, even if not in one piece.


    When it came to the level of madness among the gangs, there was no city in the world that couldpare to Gotham. And when these crazed gangs united to target a single objective, the extent of that objective''s suffering became all too apparent.


    The frequent shifting of strongholds brought not only logistical challenges like dwindling supplies and ack of daily necessities but more importantly, whenever they were on the verge of capture and needed to retreat, they had to leave someone behind as a rear guard. After several transfers, they had already lost several skilled individuals, and their group, which had originally consisted of over a dozen people, had dwindled to just a few.


    They wanted to abandon the mission and escape, but the Gotham Gang wouldn''t give them that opportunity.


    It was unclear who had spread the word, but whoever presented their "invitation letter" first would receive thergest piece of the pie. With profit as their driving force, and the word "opportunity" on their minds, the gangs were all going crazy, eager to capture them and im their rewards.

 Chapter 77: A Cunning Plan to Drive Out Tigers and Wolves (II)

    Chapter 77: A Cunning n to Drive Out Tigers and Wolves (II)


    Of course, expecting all of Gotham to unite and follow The Godfather''s orders as one was impossible. The city was rife with rebellious elements, and among them, the standout troublemaker was Salvatore Maroni.


    Maroni was an ambitious man, a fact evident in the name he gave to his gang. In Gotham, not every gang had the privilege of bearing a family name. Originally, only the Falcone Family could do so, but now, all twelve gangs established by Falcone carried family surnames. The rest of the smaller gangs were named after their respective aliases.


    Naming a gang after one''s own surname was a great honor in Gotham, mainly because Falcone was the first to do so and had achieved unparalleled sess.


    By doing this, Maroni signified that he had ambitions to challenge The Godfather from the very beginning.


    After the Red Crow Gang was eliminated, Maroni devoured most of its remains, and he even wiped out another gang that had opposed him for so long on the streets of the East District, leaving them almost powerless.


    He wanted to go even further, especially because he knew that The Godfather was growing old. The transition of power within the Falcone Family was the ideal opportunity.


    Falcone delegated many responsibilities to Evans. While Evans was intelligent, hecked the cunning and ruthlessness of the old godfather. The two bartenders attacked by the outsiders from Metropolis were part of Evans'' attempt at reform.


    Maroni keenly sensed The Godfather''s waning power. Young Falcone was still inexperienced, torn between his desire for reform and the absence of The Old Godfather''s decisive methods. While he wanted stability, hecked the seasoned expertise needed to achieve it. Maroni saw this as the perfect opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the Falcone Family.


    Maroni spected that The Godfather wouldn''t go all-out to pursue the killers. Though losing face might undermine his authority, The Godfather was already aged. At this crucial juncture, the transfer of power was more important than saving face. Distraction could lead to chaos, and Falcone wouldn''t risk that.Initially, Maroni had nned to exploit the situation further to erode The Godfather''s authority. He even contemted impersonating individuals from Metropolis to attack The Godfather''s other ventures. However, unexpectedly, Schiller ended up in the hospital, and the gangs went on a frenzied pursuit of the killers.


    This situation left Maroni in a bind.


    He had thought that if The Godfather pursued the killers, it wouldn''t concern him directly, as long as The Godfather''s attention was upied. Maroni would then find an opportunity to encroach on Falcone Family''s territories.


    Maroni was a bold man who believed that The Godfather''s rule was not unshakable. Even if it were, he wanted to take a bite out of him.


    But what took himpletely by surprise was that the entire city of Gotham was in turmoil. Almost every gang had started digging deep.


    In this chaos, Maroni was unsure of his next move. If he acted now, would The Godfather turn his fury against him? Maroni intended to strike by surprise, not to challenge Falcone Family openly, as he knew he couldn''t win.


    However, if he didn''t act now, Maroni had already made some subtle moves. If this situation passed without him establishing a solid foothold, The Godfather would settle scores with him, and it would be the end of him.


    Just when he was torn, something unexpected happened. The leader of the gang of criminals approached him.


    These unfortunate individuals originally operated as terrorists in the Middle East region, working as hired mercenaries for years. They had been lured to the East Coast by another contract but ended up taking another job from Metropolis.


    Their employer was generous, so they worked diligently. However, Gotham proved to be an unforgiving ce, and they were chased all over the city, battered and bruised. With the Piers under gang control, they couldn''t escape.


    Desperate, they had no choice but to seek an alliance with their enemy''s enemy.


    Maroni''s provocations against The Godfather were well-known, even to Commissioner Gordon, and these criminals were well aware of them too. They wanted to strike a deal with Maroni. If he agreed to help them leave Gotham, they would eliminate a problem for Maroni before departing.


    Maroni initially hesitated to make this deal, but he realized that these individuals had survived for so long amidst the gangs of Gotham, which meant they had some formidable skills. With such a group of assassins at his disposal, Maroni could expand his operations significantly.


    Of course, Maroni had no intention of using this group to assassinate The Godfather; it would be futile, and they wouldn''t agree to it. Instead, he turned his attention to another key aspect of The Godfather''s newly developed industry: the police.


    Maroni knew that The Godfather was reaping substantial profits from this new industry chain. If this continued, Falcone Family''s rule would remain unchallenged, and Maroni would have no opportunities. Therefore, he had to disrupt this industry chain and prevent the private prison model controlled by Falcone from generating further profits.


    Police and judges were crucialponents of this industry chain, as they were needed to arrest individuals legally and subsequently send criminals to mental hospitals for evaluation and treatment.


    Falcone exerted great effort to protect Schiller, primarily because he felt that Schillercked self-preservation skills. However, Schiller had provided the police with substantial firepower, so Falcone refrained from further scrutiny. After all, being a cop in the treacherous realm of Gotham required a certain level ofpetence. With sufficient weapons and cooperation, self-preservation should not be an issue.


    Maroni had his sights set on Gordon. Initially, in dealing with the former Commissioner Victor, Maroni had chosen to support Gordon''s takeover. At the time, he didn''t really understand this cop, nor did he feel the need to. Gotham''s police force seemed pretty uniform, and coborating with gangs was a norm. Even the clerks pouring tea in the office had a gang affiliation.


    Maroni believed that since he had supported Gordon''s rise, a simple talk should be enough to make Gordon work for him. While switching sides from The Godfather''s industry chain was risky, having this gang of criminals on his side meant he had options ¨C both soft and hard.


    Gordon, at this moment, was delighted because his fianc¨¦e, Barbara, had finally arrived in Gotham. He and Barbara had met at the Chicago Police Training School. At the time, he was just a rookie officer, while Barbara was an internwyer. They had worked together on the same case, fell in love, and got engaged.


    Then, Gordon took the job in Gotham, and they were forced into a long-distance rtionship due to their tight finances. They couldn''t quit their jobs or think about marriage and starting a family. But now, Gordon''s financial situation had improved, and they chose to live together in Gotham.


    On this day, Gordon returned home from work as usual. Although there hadn''t been any extra ie recently, Barbara had some savings. Together, they had enough to buy a nice apartment. They had made ns to visit a house that evening, and if everything went well, they could move in within two weeks, leaving behind their cramped old rental.


    Upon returning home, Gordon heard Barbara in the kitchen, and the aroma of food wafted through. After he took off his coat, he asked, "What have you made? It smells amazing!"


    "Your favorite roastedmb ribs," Barbara blinked, and Gordon put his arm around her shoulder as they walked into the dining room.


    "My friend gave me a great suggestion. I contacted thendlord of the Pelican Park Estates. We can go see the house there tomorrow. If we like it, we can pay the deposit and move in right away."


    "That''s fantastic," Barbara said. "You know, I didn''te from a well-off family. I''ve never lived in a luxury apartment before. Does that house have a nursery? I really want a daughter, my little princess!"


    "Of course, I want the same," Gordon kissed Barbara''s cheek and then they sat down to eat.


    "I want our daughter to learn dancing. I originally wanted to be a dancer myself, but I never got the chance."


    "If you had be a dancer, you might never have met me," Gordon chuckled. "I think our daughter should be free to choose what she wants to do. Whether it''s dancing, painting, or bing a brilliantwyer like you."


    "Come on," Barbara made a helpless expression. "This job is exhausting. I don''t want her to be awyer. I hope she has an easier life."


    "Dancing is the same way. You''re just drawn to it because you haven''t experienced it. I''ve seen those cheerleading squads at Gotham University, and some dance studentsin that it''s a youth job. They say it''s easy to be unemployed as you get older..."


    "You really make me feel the pressure. What if our children don''t do well?"


    "You have to have confidence in her, and how she turns out is her choice."


    "Even if she bes a cop in such a dangerous city like you?"


    "Oh, dear," Gordon said. "Don''t say that."


    "I know, you''ve told me before. Your dream is to be a cop because you were born in Chicago, another dangerous city. A cop saved your mother, and you want to be a cop who upholds justice."


    "But this job is really dangerous. I''ve said it more than once. We can go live in my hometown together, even if money is tight. At least it''s safe."


    Gordon sighed. He knew Barbara had a point. With the money he was making now, they could buy a vi in the Arizona countryside. He could find a job as a deputy sheriff, and Barbara could work as a legal consultant. It would be peaceful and happy.


    But even though Gordon knew Gotham was a hellhole, he just couldn''t bring himself to leave. He believed that if the police couldn''t stay in the most dangerous ces to protect people, what was the point?

 Chapter 78: Heart as Stubborn as a Stone (1)

    Chapter 78: Heart as Stubborn as a Stone (1)


    On a rainy night in Gotham, the rain was always fine and persistent, carrying a bone-corroding, soul-devouring chill. Under the re of the streetlights, the raindrops resembled a hazy, gray web. As they approached the ground, each drop created tiny sshes.


    The sound of an engine started at the end of a dark alley. Apanied by the faint sound of water, the subtle noises of tires rolling over uneven pavement grew closer. When the blinding headlights appeared at the back door of the police station, Gordon knew trouble was on the horizon.


    A stretched luxury car pulled up in front of Gordon. He saw the reflection of rifle barrels in the car''s window ss, and a person inside the rearview mirror nodded at him. No words were exchanged; the entire process unfolded in silence, much like Gotham''s night.


    Gordon took a deep breath and reached for the handgun holstered at his waist. Though it had just been fitted with new parts, it offered him no real sense of security. In this city, the police couldn''t rely on their guns for authority or even self-preservation.


    A man in a ck suit stepped out of the car and opened the door for Gordon. Gordon checked his watch; it was now 9:12 in the evening, and he was going to miss dinner with Barbara again.


    In the end, Gordon got into the car. As the vehicle started, he gazed out the window. Neon signs of stores shed by in his field of vision, leaving behind streaks of red and blue brilliance at the intersections. Raindrops sttered against the car window, blurring these faint halos of light.


    Gordon asked, "Who am I here to meet?"


    "You''ll find out when you meet them," the person in the passenger seat replied.


    As the car drove down a somewhat rough road, it swayed slightly, and the headlights blinked onto different buildings. Soon, it turned into an alley that Gordon had never been to before. He knew this ce was in the East District, the most dangerous fringe of the East District, to be precise.He got out of the car, and the man in the ck suit led him to the entrance of a mansion. Two people stood in front of the door, both holding guns. One of them approached Gordon, who crossed his hands over his forehead. The person took away his gun and conducted a quick search, ensuring there were no weapons. After that, Gordon followed his guide inside.


    The mansion wasvishly decorated, brightly lit on the inside, but it was sparsely popted. Gordon went upstairs, and as the guide opened a door, Gordon saw a rather burly figure. He knew it was Sal Maroni, the new leader of the East District.


    Maroni turned around; he wasn''t particrly handsome, and he had a menacing appearance. The corners of his mouth always turned downwards, while the corners of his eyes seemed to perpetually arch upwards, giving him a sinister look.


    He twirled a ring on his hand and said, "Commissioner, please have a seat. I apologize for inviting you so abruptly."


    Gordon''s response was impolite, and he didn''t sit down as Maroni had suggested. Instead, he stood upright.


    Maroni''s expression fluctuated, but he didn''t seem to mind Gordon''s disrespect. He said, "I invited you here to discuss business, as Gangs often do."


    "I don''t do business with Gangs."


    "Oh?" Maroni chuckled. "That''s quite novel. I''ve heard some of your colleaguesin that my offers weren''t generous enough, but I''ve never heard of anyone refusing to work with a Gang."


    "The fact is, I don''t coborate with any Gang."


    "Then why are you involved in The Godfather''s business? Your outdoor task force must be making money from his private prison operation, right?"


    "I''m just doing my job as a cop. Combating crime is a policeman''s duty," Gordon replied.


    He spoke the truth; even if he knew that the criminals he apprehended were increasing The Godfather''s revenue, his actions were aimed at capturing criminals. If this work happened to be profitable for him, all the better. But if not, Gordon would continue to uphold his duty. After all, before this business came along, he had been doing it this way, and he was the only one who had.


    "My conditions are quite simple. You don''t have to do anything, just dy and find various reasons to hinder the outdoor task force from going out."


    Maroni spread his hands and said, "It''s so simple! All you need to do is nothing, and I''ll offer you a satisfactory price for it."


    Gordon noted, "I can see you''ve been trying to imitate The Godfather. I''ve never met Falcone himself, but I know there are plenty of poor imitators here in Gotham. They try to mimic his eloquent speech, politeness, and even his Italian ent."


    "But it won''t work, Mr. Maroni. You''re not Falcone, and there won''t be a second Falcone in Gotham, at least not now. Gotham belongs to The Godfather, not you."


    Maroni''s expression darkenedpletely because Gordon had hit a nerve. He was indeed trying to emte Falcone, or as Gordon put it, there were too many people in Gotham trying to mimic The Godfather.


    Even though they hadn''tpleted high school, they imitated Falcone, using highly refinednguage to twist simple sentences intoplex, grammatically intricate ones.


    They wore suits, tied ties, pinned flowers to theirpels, and held pens instead of handguns, just like The Godfather.


    Falcone was like a benchmark for the city of Gotham. The charisma of The Godfather was so powerful that all the mob bosses were imitating him, and Maroni was no exception.


    When you arrive in Gotham, you''ll be quite surprised. The gangs here don''t employ a bunch of thugs to kidnap you; instead, they send a ck luxury car on a rainy night to your doorstep. Then, in avishly decorated room, they sit behind a ck office desk, dressed impably, with an attitude that''s polite and refined as they engage with you.


    They don''t look like your typical gang; they resemble more of an old-fashioned aristocracy, all influenced by Falcone.


    This is what makes Maroni feel ashamed because unlike others, he has always believed he''d never sumb to The Godfather''s power. He sees himself as the one destined to overthrow Falcone, but he can''t deny that he has been emting The Godfather all along.


    Yet, his imitation falls short. Maroni doesn''t fit into a suit the way The Godfather does. Hecks that refined air that The Godfather effortlessly exudes. Even in a well-tailored suit, he can''t conceal his roughness.


    But Falcone represents the most glorious era of Gotham''s gangs. His every move carries the mark of that boiling period, a demeanor that suggests mastery over everything. It captivates Maroni.


    He harbors malicious intentions to rece The Godfather, but like everyone else in Gotham, he also holds deep respect for him.


    Gordon observes Maroni''s silence and says, "Do you know? Even before entering this door, I knew it couldn''t be The Godfather inviting me. Despite using his favorite car model and the mostmon method of invitation."


    "Is that so?" Maroni inquires.


    "Because why? If it were Falcone inviting me today, I wouldn''t be searched, and my guns wouldn''t be confiscated. The Godfather doesn''t care if I''m armed when I meet him because he''s much more confident than you."


    Maroni is struggling to maintain his facade. Every word Gordon speaks pierces his heart. Everything Gordon says is true.


    When Falcone invites someone to talk, he never disarms them, even if they are notorious killers. He dares to sit behind a table, less than two meters away from them, unarmed, and persuades them with words alone.


    But Maroni doesn''t dare. How can he allow a well-trained old cop with a gun to approach him within two meters? He has no certainty, and he must be wary of Gordon''s sudden attack. He doesn''t even understand why Falcone can do it.


    Why is The Godfather so confident that no one he meets would dare harm him? Maroni has never understood this. In his view, one mistake, and all his efforts would be in vain under the sound of gunfire. He won''t give anyone that chance.


    He feels his caution is justified, but it doesn''t stop him from feeling a sense of impending defeat. He says in a low voice to Gordon, "Do you think your actions here are wise? Provoking me repeatedly on my own turf?"


    "Are you dropping the act now?" Gordon asks. "Just now, your words were no different from a street thug''s. You didn''t use any sophisticated vocabry. Is it because you think I''ve seen through the truth, so there''s no need to pretend anymore?"


    Maroni waves his hand, and behind him, there''s a distinct click as a shotgun is loaded. The man in the suit behind him points it straight at Gordon.


    Gordon shakes his head and says, "This is where you differ from Falcone. You brought me here supposedly to discuss business, but in this world, there''s no reason to resort to violence if a deal can''t be struck. You''re still ying by the old gang rules. If I don''t agree with you, you''ll point a gun at me and force me toply."


    "That''s enough," Maroni says, taking a deep breath. He gestures, and the man behind him lowers the gun. He continues, "You''re clever; you know I don''t want to lose to Falcone."


    "Your cleverness saved your life tonight, Commissioner Gordon. I can let you leave tonight, not because I''m imitating anyone, but because I''m being merciful and giving you a chance to think. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."


    As Gordon leaves the mansion, he is almost soaked in cold sweat. Only he knows how dangerous the situation was just now. If it weren''t for his repeated provocations of Maroni using Falcone, it''s questionable whether he would have made it out of the mansion unscathed.


    The cold wind of Gotham blows against him, and the fine raindrops strike his face. Slowly, he walks back, thinking that perhaps the trouble is far from over.

 Chapter 79: Heart as Stubborn as a Stone (2)

    Chapter 79: Heart as Stubborn as a Stone (2)


    Gordon and Barbara returned home after a heated argument. Barbara had waited for him untilte, sitting alone in the pitch-ck room with a cold dinner on the table. It was a meal Barbara had carefully prepared to celebrate their uing purchase of their first home. Unfortunately, the most important character was missing from this dinner.


    Barbara knew Gordon was busy, but she also knew that his relentless work had nothing to do with hispetence. It was because the ce he worked in simply didn''t need a cop.


    Barbara, who had apanied Gordon all the way, was well aware that with Gordon''s abilities, he wouldn''t have to toil so hard in any city other than Gotham. More importantly, Barbara knew that even if Gordon worked tirelessly, it would be in vain. He couldn''t save this ce.


    When Gordon returned, Barbara was sitting on the sofa, gently caressing a photograph. It was a picture taken after their internship, where both Gordon and she looked very young, almost like children.


    Back then, they were both under 20 years old, and their rtionship had just been established for less than two months. They had gotten drunk at a party and talked about their ambitions.


    Barbara came from a troubled family and wanted to earn money to improve the lives of her parents and siblings. Gordon, on the other hand, was born into a moderately well-off middle-ss family. He had dreamed of bing a righteous cop from a young age because the police had once saved his family.


    Despite their differing aspirations, they fell in love, and even years of a long-distance rtionship hadn''t dulled their feelings.


    But on this particr night, it seemed like a buildup of emotions had erupted all at once. Barbara sat on the sofa, silently shedding tears, while Gordon stood at the doorway in silence.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to console Barbara, nor was he indifferent to seeing his beloved fianc¨¦e cry alone.He knew that Barbara was about to ask a question, and he also knew that he couldn''t answer that question¡ªwhy did he insist on staying in Gotham?


    Gordon wasn''t a native of Gotham; he was born in Chicago. He wasn''t from a poor background, quite the opposite, growing up in rtive affluence. He wasn''t a genius, but most of his achievements came from his hard work.


    From his teachers to his ssmates, to his fianc¨¦e who spent her days and nights with him, none of them understood why Gordon had given up a promising future at the Chicago Police Department toe to this godforsaken ce called Gotham, and to stay here for years.


    Gordon hadn''t achieved anything significant within the Gotham Police Department.


    His promotions had been slow, and after several years, he was still just the leader of a small unit. He hadn''t cracked any major cases, and even when he had contributed to certain investigations, the credit nevernded on his shoulders. Not to mention making a difference or bringing change to Gotham.


    But it was as if Gordon had been enchanted by some ghostly spell; he insisted on remaining here. Whenever his former teachers and ssmates talked about him, they wore expressions of regret. In their eyes, if only Gordon could be a bit more flexible, his aplishments would far exceed what they were now.


    Gordon approached Barbara and embraced her. She had been crying all along, but she didn''t ask anything because she knew that the question she wanted to ask the most was one that Gordon had never answered.


    When faced with the choice between his badge and his loved one, Gordon always remained silent.


    Gotham''s nights were never short of tears, but Barbara''s tears were different. Few people here shed tears for their lovers; the heat in their hearts was barely enough to warm themselves, let alone shed tears for something as elusive as love.


    Having witnessed countless nights of weeping in Gotham, Barbara''s sorrow and tears made Gordon even more ufortable. He felt like he had be a worse viin than the criminals themselves.


    He thought that when he decided to live in this abyss, he shouldn''t expect anyone on the surface to pay much attention to him. Even if there were such people, their ultimate fate would be to shed tears for him, just like the cold rain that fell on him on Gotham''ste nights. But these tears were ultimately in vain, and the tears of countless lovers were as numerous as the raindrops, unable to change this stubborn stone.


    The next day, Harvey visited Schiller again, which surprised Schiller. Harvey was always very formal and rarely made unannounced visits.


    Harvey said, "Gordon came to me yesterday, hoping I could find a legal counsel job for his fianc¨¦e, preferably in Metropolis or another southern city."


    "I could tell his mental state wasn''t right, so I came to you. It''s not just a simple argument between him and his fianc¨¦e. They had already bought a house and even nned to have children, but now Gordon seems to want to break up with Barbara. Something''s not right..."


    Schiller trusted Harvey''s intuition, but when he called Gordon, there was no answer. When he called Gordon''s police station, his colleagues told Schiller that the hardworking detective who had put in extra hours for years had surprisingly not shown up for work that afternoon.


    Schiller had a bad feeling and quickly contacted Gordon''s partner, Batman.


    Last night, Gordon had thought all night, and in the early morning of the next day, he told Barbara they should break up.


    To help Barbara leave Gotham as soon as possible, he asked seniorwyer Harvey to find her a new job, preferably as far away from Gotham as possible.


    Gordon was just an ordinary person, and the emotional impact of breaking up with his longtime girlfriend nearly pushed him to the brink.


    At the police station, he couldn''t focus on work all morning, and by lunchtime, when everyone had gone out to eat, the empty office was unbearable for Gordon.


    Feeling mentally disoriented, he walked out of the police station, hoping to find a ce with more people, so he wouldn''t be consumed by the despairing sadness.


    But fate had other ns, just as he expected. His troubles were far from over.


    He hadn''t been out for long when he realized someone was tailing him. Gordon''s wits sharpened a bit, and he wanted to get back to the police station where there were guards with heavy weapons, making it difficult for anyone to invade.


    However, his pursuers were cunning. When Gordon noticed several unfriendly faces watching him from ahead on the road, he knew continuing forward would lead to no good results.


    He only had a handgun with him, and while the magazine was full, the handgun''s stopping power was limited. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, Gordon turned right into an alley and hid in a blind spot behind a corner.


    This tactic proved ineffective as his pursuers were evidently familiar with the area too. When they saw Gordon turn right, they immediately followed.


    The footsteps outside the alley grew closer, and as the sky gradually darkened, Gordon calcted the time. When the footsteps reached the alley entrance, in a moment when their visibility was at its worst due to the fading light, Gordon fired a shot at the alley''s entrance.


    Upon realizing that his bullets had missed their mark, Gordon immediately abandoned his initial n. He knew that his pursuers across the way were undoubtedly well-trained assassins who would not be swayed by changes in their line of sight.


    In swift response, he holstered his gun and sprinted backward. Two gunshots echoed from behind, and what struck Gordon as peculiar was the muffled sound of those shots¡ªindicative of suppressors. Gordon promptly understood that this group was notposed of locals from Gotham.


    Gotham''s assassins did not use suppressors on their guns; it held no purpose. In Gotham, nobody would react differently to gunshots; it was akin to putting earmuffs on a deaf person.


    With this realization, Gordon formted a new n in his mind.


    His pursuers were closing in on him, evidently possessing superior stamina and speed. Gordon reached the end of a narrow alley and swiftly climbed a nearby wall. As he reached the top of the perimeter wall, his pursuers arrived. In that frozen moment, a gunshot rang out, striking Gordon. He tumbled over the wall and fell into a courtyard.


    The bullet hit his arm, causing injury but not fatal harm. Gordon clutched his wounded arm and continued running forward, shouting, "The ck Tower Gang is attacking! They''re shooting! They''re shooting!"


    The courtyard belonged to a nightclub, and upon hearing Gordon''s words, people immediately rushed out, surrounding the person who had been chasing Gordon.


    At this moment, Gordon had just climbed over the wall and was temporarily immobilized. He was immediately hit by three or four bullets.


    Gotham''s rule of engagement was straightforward: shoot first, ask questionster, regardless of visibility or the identity of the target. Once the target was down, then they would talk.


    However, Gordon''s crisis was far from over. It was evident that the ones pursuing him were a group, and the first person he had shaken off was just an appetizer. Shortly after, he ran into the street and saw a car speeding towards him.


    It seemed they had multiple ns, or perhaps their intention all along was to drive Gordon onto the road and then use the car to finish him off.


    Gordon rolled to the right, and the car missed him. However, a gun emerged from the car like a ck hole, and Gordon was shot again, this time in the back, eliciting a scream.


    Despite the excruciating pain, Gordon''s mind remained clear. He knew that if he continued running, he''d be caught within minutes. He gritted his teeth, holding his chest with one arm due to the intense pain. His other arm was bleeding from the gunshot wound.


    Following his memory, Gordon reached the back door of an apartment building. The door''s lock was broken and seldom closed properly. He tugged at it with his one functional arm, but the pain in his chest made every movement agonizing. Gordon''s breathing grew heavier.


    Finally, the door cracked open slightly. Gordon wasn''t particrly tall or muscr, but he managed to squeeze through the gap.


    Inside, he didn''t stop. He climbed a short section of stairs, ripped open a nearby corridor window, and climbed onto the roof with all his might. He shut the window behind him and hid on the roof''s ledge on the second floor.


    As he heard the pounding on the door below, Gordon bit his lip. He slid down the ledge,nding on a canopy below without leaving a trace of blood, despite the bullet wound on his forehead.


    After dropping onto the canopy, Gordon used hisst ounce of strength to roll onto the ground, concealing himself among garbage bags. After a while, he heard the footsteps inside the building fading away. His pursuers hadn''t found him; it seemed they had left.


    Gordony in a pile of trash, each breath carrying a heavy metallic scent. The gunshot had pierced his lung. His arm was numb from blood loss, but he could still feel the engagement ring on his ring finger, slowly blending with the cold metal.


    He recalled the look of disbelief and heartbreak on Barbara''s face when they had parted ways. He thought, Barbara was right. He was a fool, an irredeemable one, incapable of change, destined to die alone.


    A wave of coldness he couldn''t resist swept over him, followed by a warm surge from within his body. Fresh blood from the wound on his forehead flowed into his eyes, staining his vision red and shrouding it in darkness.


    Soon, Gotham began to rain again. Today''s rain was no different from any other night''s rain in Gotham: fine and chilling.


    Gordon''s consciousness began to blur, like a trapped beast in the abyss. The lover''s tears falling from above couldn''t save his fading life. But they reminded him of the tears of his loved ones, and a resolute emotion surged within him. He thought, if he was destined to be an inflexible fool, he''d rather exhaust his life in this mire, with a heart as unyielding as a stone.


    He would die here, alone, with decayed winds sweeping over his bones, erasing all traces of his existence. And when facing this endless darkness, hisst bit of soul would still resist, refusing to kneel.


    Gordon thought¡ª Let him stay here, against all odds, until dawn.

 Chapter 80: | In the name of the father

    Chapter 80: | In the name of the father


    When Gordon woke up in the dimly lit hospital room, only a small deskmp was on, and Schiller was dozing off in the chair next to him. Hearing Gordon''s movements, he woke up and took off his sses, saying, "I knew you''d wake up when I was with you..."


    Gordon couldn''t speak now, as he had a breathing apparatus on. Schiller said, "You were badly injured, a bit too badly. We barely saved your life after more than twenty hours of rescue, and whether you can fully recover is still unknown."


    The psychologist''s voice always carried a calming power.


    Gordon blinked his eyes, unable to do much else. Schiller yawned and said, "Thanks to your partner, he arrived in time to save your life."


    "But I''m sorry, the people who were chasing you were apparently after me."


    Gordon shook his head slightly. He knew these people were just hired killers. Even if Maroni didn''t hire them, he would hire others.


    Just as Schiller was about to continue speaking, the door opened and Harvey walked in, saying, "Are you awake?"


    Schiller nodded and stood up from the chair. Harvey said, "I''ll take over, you go rest."


    Before leaving, Schiller took a look at Gordon. The detective who usually looked full of energy now appeared incredibly haggard. The double torment of body and mind had left him somewhat mentally confused.Thete-night corridor of the central hospital was pitch ck, and only the sound of Schiller''s leather shoes echoed clearly.


    As he arrived downstairs, a car was parked at the hospital entrance, and a tall man in a suit got out and opened the car door for Schiller. After Schiller got in, he said, "Let''s have some jazz."


    Soon, some lively jazz began ying, adding a bit of fresh air to the dull atmosphere inside the car. The lights outside still flickered.


    Schiller closed his eyes with drowsiness, and the person sitting in the passenger seat obviously didn''t expect him to fall asleep so quickly. This professor was truly extraordinary, he thought.


    When the car arrived at its destination, Schiller had not fully awakened from his drowsiness. The brief nap had left him feeling even more tired.


    Ascending the wooden stairs, Schiller entered the room where Falcone was seated behind a desk in his usual suit and shoes. Evans stood behind his father, also in a suit.


    Schiller sat down opposite the Godfather, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and greeted him with, "Good evening, Godfather."


    Falcone waved his hand and the tall man in the suit approached. Falcone retrieved a box of cigars from under the desk and his assistant cut one for Schiller. Schiller was about to refuse, but Falcone said, "I heard you like to smoke cigars. I happen to like them too. So have one."


    Schiller adjusted his posture and leaned back in the chair, making no attempt to hide his fatigue. He epted the cigar, and Evans approached to light it for him.


    Schiller looked at him and said, "I''ve never seen you in a suit before. You''ll have a lot of girls chasing after you at the ball."


    Evans smiled humbly and said nothing as he returned to his father''s side.


    "You''ve changed a lot, I can tell," Falcone said. The Godfather was still elegant as he smoked his cigar, taking a small puff before exhaling and speaking again.


    "When I first met you, I knew you weren''t from Gotham. But now you''re much better. That''s good."


    "When you''re on guard here, you''ll find that everyone is against you. But when you truly consider this ce as your home, you''ll find that anyone can find like-minded people here."


    "Perhaps because everyone is a potential criminal," Schiller said.


    "What surprises me about you is that you don''t question why I didn''t take care of Maroni," Falcone replied.


    Schiller''s voice was low as he said, "Maroni is not important."


    "You always amaze me. I''ve met too many people in my lifetime, seen too many geniuses. They often have a sense of superiority, even if they appear humble on the surface. But I know that their deference is only out of fear of my gun."


    "But I know for a fact that people fear Godfather not because of a gun."


    "You''ve shown me the allure of psychology. You always seem to provide the answers I want," Falcone said, letting his cigar burn slowly in his hand.


    "I hope Evans can learn the essence of this subject, but unfortunately, I know he doesn''t have the talent for it."


    "He''s doing well academically," Schiller flicked off some ash from his cigar, saying, "He''s hardworking and a good student."


    "But that''s about it, isn''t it?" Falcone asked.


    Schiller didn''t seem to care about Evans'' disappointed expression, and he said, "That''s a good thing, Your Excellency Godfather. Studying psychology is a dead end."


    Falcone looked at him, and Schiller took another puff of his cigar before saying, "It''s not a strange metaphor. When you delve deep into this subject, you''ll only end up with two oues: either madness or death."


    "Then it seems you haven''t chosen either."


    "Perhaps I''ve chosen both?" Schiller replied.


    Schiller began to feel increasingly sleepy. The sweet and pungent scent of tobo caused waves of drowsiness to wash over him. He squinted his eyes, and the whole world''s light blurred into a white haze.


    "I know Evans has a long way to go. Like his mother, he''s not an absolute good guy, nor can he be an absolute bad guy. That''s the scariest thing," he said.


    "What kind of person do you want him to be?" Falcone hadn''t even had a chance to answer before Schiller continued, "Or should I say, do you want him to be the Godfather?"


    Falcone fell silent.


    It was clear he had an answer in his heart, but he didn''t want to admit it. Is bing the Godfather a good thing? After all these years as the Godfather, Falcone couldn''t even give an answer.


    "What happened to the cop?" he asked.


    Schiller shook his head and said, "He was badly injured. It may take a long time for him to recover."


    "You could''ve let him lean towards Maroni, and I wouldn''t have med him," Falcone said. "I know these people don''t have a choice. Either cooperate or die. In fact, just being able to survive until now has impressed me."


    "Perhaps it''s offensive, but his perseverance isn''t because of the Godfather."


    "Then what is it because of? If it''s not because he fears me, why did he resist Maroni''s offer to cooperate?"


    "Because Maroni prevented him from going out to fight crime."


    "So what?"


    "He''s a cop, and he believes it''s only natural for the police to catch criminals."


    "A very naive idea, isn''t it? It even seems absurd in this city."


    "Good people never live long, especially in Gotham," Falcone sighed.


    "That''s why I''ll be your longest-serving family teacher," Schiller said.


    Falcone closed his eyes, and after a while, he said, "Evans, go kill Maroni. Kill him with your own hands."


    Evans pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "Yes, Father."


    "As for those peopleing from the Metropolis, I''ll handle them."


    "You don''t need to trouble yourself."


    "What''s your n?"


    "I''ve made a lot of moneytely, and there''s a highly-priced super-mercenary whose price is just right for me."


    "I''ll pay for it," Falcone said.


    "In your name, may Gotham be blessed by God."


    It seems that this Godfather is really old, and he really loves his son. He believes that in the decades of his life before Godfather, he has never been so friendly to anyone.


    Indeed, in the glorious years of Godfather''s past, he didn''t need to express himself like this to anyone, and no one dared to ask him to do so. But today, he can invite Schiller here and show him such goodwill, which shows that he is really getting old.


    Schiller thought so, his drowsiness deepening. Falcone looked at the man opposite him, gradually closing his eyes. Godfather sighed and said to Evans, "Take your teacher back to rest."


    Evans should be the Godfather. He stood up and looked out of the window. Outside the window was the quiet night of Gotham. From Falcone Manor, he could see the faint light of the lighthouse on the coast.


    Forty years had passed, he thought. The friends and enemies of the Godfather had all faded away with time. His life and years hade to an end along with the previous era of Gotham. Only this lighthouse still shone all night long, witnessing the wind and frost, the rise and fall of this city, along with him.


    Evans looked at his father behind him. Falcone''s figure showed no signs of aging, still standing tall and wearing a suit that always looked elegant.


    Finally, the Godfather extinguished the cigar in his hand and said, "I only hope that he will truly be the longeststing family tutor for you."


    On the docks of Gotham''s East District, the sea reflected the light of the lighthouse, and the waves surged like a golden school of fish. A cargo ship left the harbor under the cover of darkness.


    The smell of blood on the deck had not yet dissipated. The bodies of the crew members were thrown into the cold sea. A burly man standing at the bow spat on the ground and said, "We suffered a big loss this time, lost a few men and didn''t earn any money."


    "Don''t worry about it, at least we escaped," replied another person beside him.


    Suddenly, as they hadn''t sailed far from the harbor, a muffled bell rang from Gotham City. The bell rang seven times with a noticeable tremor. The leader at the bow asked in confusion, "Why are they ringing the bell in the middle of the night?"


    "Who knows? Maybe it''s a farewell to us," shrugged the person beside him.


    A faint sound came from above, and then a figure in ck and yellow appeared on the mast.


    "It''s indeed a farewell to you...a funeral bell."

 Chapter 81: | Travel Notes of Hells Kitchen

    Chapter 81: | Travel Notes of Hells Kitchen


    In the early morning of New York, a beam of light shone through the gap in the curtains, waking up Schiller who was still asleep with the voice of the symbiote.


    "I''m so hungry, I''m so hungry, I want brains... eat one brain, eat two brains, eat three brains..."


    Schiller helplessly sat up from the bed and said, "You''re still hungry?"


    The symbiote didn''t respond to him, just humming to himself. Schiller got up and washed up, and the symbiote asked, "Aren''t theying?"


    "Who?"


    "Those brains."


    So in your eyes, superheroes are just brains? (XD)


    But if you have to say that, there''s no problem, after all, there aren''t many superheroes in which the brains are a majorponent, and most of them have gathered around him.


    "I''m so hungry, I''m so hungry, I''m so hungry, I want to eat the blue-eyed brain first, and save the brown-eyed one for tomorrow..."Schiller realized that the symbiote really was hungry. He constantly conveyed a feeling of hunger to Schiller''s mind through his brainwaves, making Schiller feel a bit hungry too.


    He went to the kitchen first, opened the refrigerator door, and took out some chocte to eat, but the symbiote didn''t stop calling out for food at all.


    What puzzled Schiller was that he had spent quite some time in the DC universe this time. As a result, on the night he met Godfather, he was almost delirious with exhaustion.


    Schiller was not someone who needed a lot of sleep. When he was working, he relied on coffee to stay alert, and he could get by with just four hours of sleep a day. This state couldst for a week, and he didn''t feel tired at all.


    But on the day before he came to the Marvel universe, he had only slept for one day because he was with Gordon, and he was full of fatigue and sleepiness. This made Schiller think about his ability to travel between two worlds, where did this abilitye from? What are the limitations?


    After thinking for a while, Schiller realized that he couldn''t get any answers from the existing clues, so he decided to solve the symbiote''s hunger problem first.


    The symbiote wanted brains to eat, and Schiller didn''t mind finding a few criminals'' brains to eat in Hell''s Kitchen. He wasn''t Batman, so he didn''t follow any "no killing" rule. Besides, although Hell''s Kitchen wasn''t as notorious as Gotham, it was still possible to find some extremely wicked thugs.


    "Would you bite someone''s head off?"


    "Do you want me to do that?"


    "No, of course not. You should know that there is etiquette when dining. We can''t be so bloody and uncivilized. You can just crawl into their heads and eat their brains, but don''t make a mess."


    "Okay, that works too."


    He really wanted to bite off someone''s head in one go!


    Schiller thought that all symbiotes had amon ancestor, so they were surprisingly simr in certain aspects.


    Schiller dressed up and went out, nning to wander around Hell''s Kitchen and see if he coulde across a few unlucky robbers.


    Although Hell''s Kitchen was not as bustling and simple as Gotham, it was still decent.


    As soon as Schiller walked to the corner store, he saw a person wearing a ck down jacket with his hands in his pockets walking in. He could feel his emotions vaguely through their psychic connection. Schiller stared at him across the street, and sure enough, he took out a handgun from his pocket and pointed it at the store''s owner behind the counter.


    Schiller was about to walk over when he saw the store owner take out arger gun from under the counter, pointing it at the robber. The unlucky thief raised his hands slowly and backed away, then quickly ran out of the store.


    Well, it seems like Schiller''s luck isn''t too bad. The first robber he encounters is an amateur and a foolish one at that. Attempting to rob in Hell''s Kitchen with just a handgun, he''s lucky he didn''t get shot to pieces.


    Schiller continued walking forward, crossing a small bridge over a drainage ditch, passing behind an old clothing store.


    Hell''s Kitchen is simr to Gotham in some ways. Despite the chaos and wickedness, with criminals everywhere, there is also a charming vitality and liveliness.


    Not far from Schiller''s clinic, there is a famous street known for its graffiti. The styles of all the buildings here are colorful and the structures of the houses look like they are made of stacked colorful shipping containers. The alleys are narrow and small, and the various storefronts are filled with retro styles from the 1930s. Even the hotdog stands have shack-like structures made of metal sheets, covered in exaggerated colorful graffiti.


    One cannot deny that this vibrant and colorful style appearing in such a slum area seems absurd upon careful consideration. However, it looks harmonious and full of sunshine and energy, much different from Gotham.


    If there are too many people in Gotham City who are trapped by evil and sin, and too many souls struggling to survive through crime, then in Hell''s Kitchen, there are also many rebels who do not want to be bound by society and actively flee from order. They live here freely and happily, bringing a unique vitality to this ce.


    As the griddle sizzled, Hotdog flipped over the hot dogs. The young man, wearing a orange and red apron with brown skin and blue eyes, raised his shovel and turned his head quickly to scoop up some french fries. He said in a cheerful Mexican ent, "Do you want to try my special Chili pepper? It''ll keep you awake all day! No charge!"


    "You''re from Mexico?" Schiller asked as he stood in front of Hotdog''s stand.


    "If I told you I was a born and raised American, you wouldn''t believe me, but that''s the truth. My mother brought me over illegally when I was very young. We crossed the border."


    The Mexican guy''s tone was always cheerful, just like the way he made Hotdogs, with a hot and spicy South American ir.


    "She''s working at a garment factory on the east side of Manhattan now. I''ve always liked to cook since I was young. I inherited some good cooking skills from her. Gonzalez family''s Hotdogs are definitely the best in all of Hell''s Kitchen! You won''t find a more authentic Mexico Hotdog anywhere else!"


    "But isn''t Taco the specialty of Mexico?"


    "Forget it. You Americans can''t handle corn tortis. I used to make some Tacos, but nobody bought them."


    "You can make them? Then give me one. When I traveled to Mexico before, my favorite was Corn roll and Avocado soup."


    Gonzalez snapped his fingers and showed a warm smile. "You have good taste. Gonzalez family''s Corn roll is also the best in all of Hell''s Kitchen!"


    As he spoke, he began to prepare the ingredients for Corn roll. Several children ran over kicking a ser ball, smelling the aroma, and surrounded the Hotdog stand. Gonzalez waved his hand and said, "We don''t have fried corn chips right now. Come backter."


    The children stretched their necks and looked around. They realized that there was nothing they wanted to eat, so they kicked the ball and ran away. Gonzalez flipped the corn torti while saying, "These little rascalse over every day asking for corn chips. They can finish a big bucket of corn chips in a matter of minutes. Bute to think of it, I was like that too. I always felt like I couldn''t eat enough when I was a kid..."


    "Are they really hungry?"


    "Of course not. The ck kid who led them, his dad is a freight driver in Hell''s Kitchen. Whatever is left on the truck is enough to feed their whole family. The rest of the kids'' parents also have decent jobs, so they shouldn''t have any problems getting enough to eat."


    "Although the slums in New York are chaotic, they are much stronger than those in Mexico. Most people here can eat their fill."


    Soon, the hotdogs, tacos, and soup were ready. Gonzalez was very skillful and packed everything up quickly, as if performing a splendid acrobatic feat. He then handed it to Schiller, who paid and left more tips. Gonzalez was very happy and tapped the table with his spat, saying, "You''re a friend of Gonzalez''s family, and next time youe, I''ll give you a discount!"


    Schiller waved to him and continued walking along this graffiti-filled street after leaving.


    In fact, there isn''t much criminal activity during the daytime in Hell''s Kitchen. The sunlight shines on the strange and distorted buildings, creating more beautiful light and shadow than the neatly arranged buildings on the streets of New York. Electrical wires stretch above the head to the distance, and all kinds of fancy motorcycles and paint cars are parked in stacks in narrow alleys. You can still hear children''sughter and screams in the distance.


    Schiller found that, like Gotham, although this ce was chaotic, it had its unique vitality.


    If Gotham has many people with no choice, many of the people in Hell''s Kitchen haven''t been abandoned by society; they have abandoned the orderly society.


    Simrly, the gang hierarchy here is not as strict as in Gotham. If this had happened in Gotham, the guy who just rushed into the convenience store to rob would be asked which gang he belonged to, which street his gang was affiliated with, who his immediate superior was, and whether he wanted to start a war. It might even lead to a small-scale gang war.


    But Hell''s Kitchen is different. The bosses here don''t care which gang you''re from. If you dare to rob, be prepared to face a hail of bullets. No matter who you are, they will pick up their guns and defend their territory to the death.


    In a way, the people here are more straightforward. Despite the friendly service from the Mexico Hotdog guy, Schiller saw two big guns behind his hotdog cart. If any foolish gang dares to rob him, Gonzalez from Mexico will definitely show them the warmth from Mexico.


    But at the same time, Gonzalez is also willing to ept protection money from the gangs on this street. Gang members like toe to him for breakfast, and he even gives them discounts.


    There are not as many tragic stories in Hell''s Kitchen as in Gotham. Most people here are just trying to make a living on the road to freedom, living as they please and indulging themselves, just like the rock music often heard in American road movies, exuding a unique sense of humor.


    If the Devil came to Gotham, he would be strippedyer byyer by the well-organized gangs, then invited to have a "talk" with the Godfather, perhaps even get a knock on the head from some guy in a tight suit, and then be sent to a mental hospital by the police if he doesn''t pay.


    But in Hell''s Kitchen, if the Devil came here, the people here would grab their pots and pans and swarm him, chopping him into pieces before frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying him, and even have a culinarypetition of various cuisines from different countries and races.


    Everyone here is a cook, and their culinary skills may not be outstanding, but almost everyone can feel joy in the process of cooking up a devilish dish.


    This is Hell''s Kitchen, a ce that pursues ultimate freedom, chaos, happiness, and indulgence.


    No one can be the king here, and no one is the savior here, not even the biggest gang.


    The people and their lives here represent the ultimate rebellion against the boring and orderly society, making this ce the biggest graffiti on the map of New York, messy and colorful, impossible to erase.

 Chapter 82: | Recent Changes

    Chapter 82: | Recent Changes


    After trying various ns to find some brains for the symbiote to eat, they ultimately failed because Schiller discovered that the symbiote not only actively demanded food, but also had extremely picky tastes.


    "You see him? I bet he has killed more than ten people. He''s a thug in this gang..."


    "No, his brain doesn''t smell good enough, I won''t eat it."


    "What about him? I heard he used to rob thergest bank in Manhattan..."


    "He must be bitter."


    In the end, they returned to Schiller at the Psychological Clinic empty-handed and argued with the symbiote in his mind: "Why are you so picky? Can''t you justpromise and eat a few ordinary criminals'' brains?"


    "Why don''t you drink American coffee?"


    Schiller opened his mouth, unsure how to refute. The symbiote was bing smarter and smarter.


    "Fine, but you have to tell me where you want to go to drink your desired espresso."Just as Schiller finished this sentence in his mind, the door of the clinic rang, and Steve, who had just finished his morning run, walked in. The symbiote happily said, "Espresso has arrived."(XD)


    Following Captain America was Natasha. Before Schiller could speak, a yellow figure flew over, and Natasha threw Pikachu into Schiller''s arms, saying, "First of all, SHIELD does not provide pet care services!"


    "But the contract..."


    "We just modified the contract. No rodents allowed!" (XD)


    "This is discrimination. Why are dogs and cats allowed, but not mice?"


    "Yeah!" Pikachu chimed in, hugging its arms. "Why not mice?"


    "Shut up!" the others said in unison.


    "Now even dogs and cats are not allowed. We canceled this employee benefit, and everyone agreed with it."


    "I just left it there for a few days..."


    "A few days??? Coulson changed six mobile phones in seven days, Nick Fury used up all his vacation time and ran away, the UN leaders who came to inspect didn''t stay for two days and left in a hurry. Even the Lieutenant General who always likes to make trouble for SHIELD bought an economy ss ticket and left overnight with his own money..."


    Natasha stood at the door, hands on her hips. This female agent was obviously very angry. "The only good news is that the amount of reimbursement for the things he broke and the employees'' loss of morale can increase Nick''s report length next month by 50%..."


    Schiller lowered his head and said to Pikachu, "I remember before I left, you promised me that you would behave well..."


    He held Pikachu''s two small hands and stared into his big, innocent eyes. Pikachu stared back with two round ck eyes, looking very innocent. Then he wrinkled his nose and jumped onto the sofa.


    "PIKA-PIKA!"


    "You''ve been gone for quite a long time this time," Steve said as he sat down on the sofa.


    "So, has anything big happenedtely?"


    "Not really, but there are plenty of small troubles," Natasha said.


    "Oh?" Schiller asked as he washed a cup by the sink in the kitchen. "What kind of troubles?"


    "Stark and the military havepletely fallen out," Natasha said. "It''s said that he has found conclusive evidence that the military nned the kidnapping case in Afghanistan, although I think that was Odadiah''s doing."


    "So you''re saying that Odadiah actually nned the case and then pinned the me on the military? He doesn''t want Stark Industries to cooperate with the military that badly?"


    "Odadiah is like a mother hen guarding her eggs. He won''t allow anyone to touch Stark Industries. Whoever dares to interfere with his life''s work, he will do everything in his power to eliminate them."


    "Even before Stark was kidnapped, Odadiah was under a lot of pressure from the military. The military''s appetite is insatiable. They want too much, and even touch on the core interests of Stark Industries. Odadiah has not liked them for a long time."


    "They initially only bought some ordinary weapons, but Stark Industries'' weapons were too effective. The military wanted to obtain their technology and produce it themselves through reverse engineering, but Obadiah would never allow such a thing to happen."


    Natasha also leaned back on the sofa, and Steve poured her a ss of water. Natasha said, "Thank you."


    Then Steve said, "But I still find it ridiculous that he kidnapped Stark just to sabotage Stark''s rtionship with the military."


    "Obadiah is very smart. He knows that Stark will eventually create amazing technology, and he needs to give Stark a reason to neverpromise with the military, so that his lifelong efforts won''t be stolen by them."


    "As long as Stark, who holds the core technology, doesn''t divulge it even at the cost of his safety, at least the core technology of Stark Industries will be preserved."


    "But thates at the expense of his nephew''s life."


    "Obadiah doesn''t care." Natasha lit a cigarette and asked, "Do you mind if I smoke?"


    "Go ahead," Schiller said.


    Natasha looked at Steve, and Steve said, "I don''t smoke, but there are plenty of people who smoke on the battlefield. I don''t mind."


    The female agent slowly exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke, and it seemed like she was under a lot of pressure. Stark hadpletely fallen out with the military, which wasn''t a good thing for SHIELD either.


    Currently, the rtionship was like this: SHIELD and the military had always been at odds because of the issue of military budget allocation and SHIELD''s excessivew enforcement powers.


    Stark''s conflict with SHIELD was mainly due to his father and his unwillingness to be kidnapped by official organizations.


    Meanwhile, Stark''s main conflict with the military was their overly greedy appetite and his unwillingness to have his inventions used for war.


    None of the parties wanted to see the other two sides unite because there would inevitably be an enemy among them. If their power was strengthened, they would not have a good time.


    But they also didn''t want the two sides topletely fall out, because once they broke up and went to war, a third party woulde in to clean up the mess.


    Schiller hinted, "Stark and the military have fallen out, and it''s probably not just because of Obediah''s doing, right?"


    Natasha said, "This is confidential, I have no right... Well, it''s not really confidential. Stark wants to cooperate with the military to develop medical technology and exoskeletons, but you know, what the military wants are bigger weapons with more firepower."


    "So, did SHIELD instigate the conflict between them?"


    "We just gave them a little push from behind, and more importantly, it was the groundwork that Obediah hadid a long time ago," Natasha knocked off some ash from her cigarette.


    Steve asked with some confusion, "Doesn''t Stark realize that this might be Obediah''s conspiracy?"


    "He may have thought about it, but he''s Tony Stark," Schiller said.


    Natasha shook her head and said, "Obediah knows his nephew too well. If he can me everything on the military and still preserve their uncle-nephew rtionship, Stark will definitely choose to deceive himself and vent his anger on the military."


    "More importantly..." Schiller poured himself a ss of water and said, "Obediah is currently lying unconscious in the hospital. He has be the victim."


    "And whoever the victim says is the culprit, that''s who it is."


    Steve sighed and said, "Perhaps Howard didn''t anticipate this day when he founded Stark Industries."


    "Perhaps he did, at least he must have realized that his genius brain and technology in his hands would be targeted by some ill-intentioned people," Schiller replied.


    "The situation is on the brink now. Stark is very tough, even arguing with a group of generals. After General Johnson''s exposure, the military has be distrustful of Hammer Industries. They are very eager to force Stark to submit."


    "Do you think this will ultimately be resolved by force?" Schiller asked Natasha.


    The female agent shook her head and said, "They have already had a fight, and General Johnson lost. The robot army couldn''t do anything to Stark, and he somehow obtained the technology of nano armor. If he distributes it to everyone, it would be terrible."


    "The military is anxious, but they dare not act rashly. I think it will eventually return to the negotiation table for an exchange of interests."


    "We will have to fight again eventually," Schiller said. "The military won''t be willing to sit at the negotiating table so soon, because they know that if they don''t give Stark a hard time, they won''t have any bargaining chips to exchange for Stark Industries'' technology."


    "At least for now, we are allies," Natasha said. "Stark needs SHIELD to bear some of the pressure for him."


    "What do you want? His nano armor technology?" Schiller asked.


    "I don''t know. We still need to see what Director Fury wants, but SHIELD''s approach is different from the military''s. Even if we obtain arge amount of nano armor, there will be no personnel to use it. Agents are not suitable to wear that thing. Maybe Nick has other ns."


    "Has he ever considered having Stark create armor for the agents?"


    Natasha extinguished her cigarette butt and said, "You don''t really understand how agents work. In simple terms, having an extra set of armor for tasks that require wearing it wouldn''t significantly increase the sess rate. And for tasks that don''t require wearing armor, putting on armor wouldn''t bring about much improvement."


    "Agents are not superheroes. Most of us rely on our brains to make a living."


    "Brains! Make a living!" Symbiote shouted in Schiller''s mind.


    "So the medical coboration between Stark and the military has stalled?" Schiller asked.


    "Well, it didn''t really start much to begin with. Stark didn''t directly provide technology, but they coborated in research and development. The military brought in some experts, and Stark provided some technical information and funding support. Of course, now the coboration should have terminated," Natasha said.


    "Any results?" Schiller inquired.


    Natasha shook her head and said, "Research is not child''s y. How can there be significant results in such a short time?"


    Steve said, "If they could truly work together, many soldiers might benefit from it."


    "That''s impossible. Until one sidees out on top, neither side is willing to back down. They both believe they can gain more benefits. This is just an exchange of interests, not a genuine effort to benefit anyone," Natasha exined.


    Steve looked visibly upset and said, "I understand the reasoning behind it all. Beforeprehensive cooperation can truly begin, both sides need to go through numerous tests, probing each other''s bottom line, and only then can a cooperative rtionship be established."


    "But sometimes I can''t help but wonder, if we could really use our technology and resources where they are needed, we could save so many more people. If people think that wasteful behavior is necessary and I don''t stop it, then who will sympathize with those who are not saved because of the wasted resources?" Steve said, pursing his lips.


    "Captain, I understand you have apassionate heart, but you don''t need to shoulder the me for this mistake," Schiller said.


    "I just feel like we can do better, and I have a bad feeling about it," Steve said, his mouth twitching.


    "One day, those who are considered voiceless by them will eventually have someone speak up for them. By then, their way of speaking up won''t be through polite inquiries," Schiller remarked.

 Chapter 83: | The Godly Ninja Spider

    Chapter 83: | The Godly Ninja Spider


    Peter gently pushed open the door, holding a stack of documents, and saw a middle-aged man in a white research uniform packing up his things. He said, "Dr. Connors, are you leaving today?"


    The middle-aged man had gray-white hair, looked a little haggard, and, more importantly, his right arm was empty under his research uniform, indicating that he only had one arm.


    "Oh, it''s Peter? Yes, the research coboration has ended, and I have to leave," Dr. Connors replied.


    Peter gently ced the documents on Connors'' desk and whispered, "I''m sorry, if I were a little more skilled, maybe we could have made some progress before the end of the research."


    "You''re already very skilled," Dr. Connors said kindly. "You''re just a high school student, but you''re smarter and work harder than the research students I''ve seen before. If I could, I would like to write you a rmendation letter."


    "Thank you, but I haven''t decided which university to attend yet, and I still have some time before I go to college," Peter said, moving his lips.


    "Then where do you n to go next? The serum research has reached the final stage, and it should be able to bepleted with a simrboratory," Peter asked.


    Dr. Connors looked around his office and said, "There won''t be any ce with hardware conditions as good as Stark Tower. When they invited me, I was attracted to the hardware conditions of theboratory here, which is why I agreed toe."


    He packed up his things with his remaining hand and said, "But it''s okay, as you said, the experiment is at the final stage. With a little more effort, I can seed.""By then, maybe not just me, but many people can regain their arms. I know many people lost their limbs in the war, and the military''s financial support can barely sustain them. Those prosthetics are too expensive. If there really is a regenerative serum, they can be normal people again," Dr. Connors said excitedly, leaving a deep impression on Peter during his internship.


    Originally, Peter was not interning in this research group, but when he was running errands for the group leader, he met Dr. Connors, who had just been invited by the military to participate in the Stark medical research coboration.


    Seeing him for the first time, Peter was very surprised because Dr. Connors had only one arm. But this did not hinder his scientific research at all. He had a brilliant mind and was considered one of the world''s top experts in bionics and serum technology research.


    Peter was greatly shocked because even people with all their limbs intact might not achieve such high aplishments. So he applied to be transferred to Dr. Connors'' research group.


    After all, he also mutated after being bitten by a spider, and he wanted to figure out what exactly caused this mutation.


    Peter was very smart and diligent, although he had a bit of a bookish tendency. But he was the kind of kid who teachers liked the most. Soon, Dr. Connors liked this young intern too.


    From Connors, Peter learned that he was originally a military doctor and a veteran. It was on the battlefield where he lost his arm, but this did not stop him from pursuing his scientific research.


    On the contrary, he took a different path in medicine, started researching the role of serum in living organisms, and achieved quite impressive results.


    When he was Dr. Connors'' assistant, Peter also learned a lot about biology. After obtaining the spider mutation, Peter''s brilliant mind turned even faster. With two geniuses working together, the research speed naturally soared.


    But just when they were only a little bit away frompleting the project, the coboration between Stark and the military ended, and these researchers had to leave the Stark building.


    Originally, even if this kind of invited research project was terminated halfway, the researchers could still receive theirpensation. They were eager to end it soon so that they could use the remaining time to go on vacation.


    However, Dr. Connors was different. He wasn''t here to justze around, he genuinely wanted to develop a serum technology that could regenerate lost limbs, to restore his own body and benefit other disabled soldiers who lost limbs in wars.


    So inevitably, he felt somewhat disappointed, but looking at Peter''s reluctant expression, Dr. Connors still said, "It''s okay. When you go to college, maybe I''ll still be teaching at a university on the East Coast. You cane to myb, and we can continue our research."


    "Deal!" Peter said happily.


    In fact, Stark had also tried to teach Peter about mech suits and artificial intelligence before, but Peter wasn''t very interested.


    He wasn''t like Stark, who was into industrialism, but he preferred exploring the unknown mysteries of humanity, such as the secrets hidden in nature or the wonders of outer space.


    During his studies with Dr. Connors, he learned a lot about the mysteries inside cold-blooded animals like spiders and lizards, which fascinated him. He thought being a biologist or entomologist in the future wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    If only he could invent some technology that could save lives, just like Dr. Connors did, that would be even better.


    Although Peter has be Spider-Man and actively fights crime every night, as a good student, he knows that being a superhero alone is not enough for his life n.


    He still wants to go to a good college, follow a nned career path, and study in a field he likes. Ideally, he would like to obtain multiple doctoral degrees, then either be a professor or establish his own research center.


    Perhaps due to the influence of spider mutation, Peter feels a special closeness to these cold-blooded creatures during his research with Dr. Connors. Thus, he gradually confirms his future goal.


    Having a clear goal greatly dissipated the sadness of parting with his teacher. After leaving Stark Tower, Peter was full of energy and ready to continue his Spider-Man career.


    In hisst battle with Bullseye, Peter learned a lot. He found out that although he had web-shooters and could swing around tall buildings, his speed was not that fast. At best, he was just a little faster than a car. Moreover, such conspicuous actions meant that as soon as he appeared, all of New York would know he was out fighting crime. By the time he got there, experienced robbers would have already vanished.


    In thest battle, the only n that received collective praise was his use of the New York underground sewers. This was a great tactic since the sewer environment was not good, the walls and floors were slippery, and it was dark and damp. Ordinary people could not move around easily in there.


    However, Peter was different. He was Spider-Man, and he could stick to various walls and not worry about slipping on the ground.


    Moreover, the straight and wide ground of the sewer is like a runway tailor-made for Spider-Man. There is no traffic or pedestrians here, and he can sprint with all his strength, much faster than racing cars.


    Most importantly, it''s discreet enough. He moves underground and then emerges from the nearest sewer opening, and no one will notice where he came from and where he went.


    This is especially useful when dealing with some seasoned robbers.


    Previously, there was a group of bank robbers, all of whom were experienced. There were three or four people just watching them. Peter had fought them before, but as soon as his figure appeared on the horizon, the group of people disappeared instantly.


    Later, Peter used the sewer tactics to catch them off guard. Before they could transfer the bags of cash to their car, Spider-Man crawled out of the nearest sewer cover at the street corner and punched the engine of their escape car, rendering it useless. The robbers were then caught by him.


    Now, Spider-Man has discovered the convenience of the sewer. For him, it is like a fast elevator that can reach any location in New York at any time.


    In this way, Peter began to pay attention to the construction of the sewer.


    New York''s sewer was built early and has undergone countless renovations. There are almost no maps that can urately draw all the sewer routes.


    So Peter decided to personally explore all the sewers and draw a map of the routes.


    Anyway, he was not busy with his studies, had plenty of time, and was fast. He could cover half of the city in a day.


    Today, Peter is wandering in the sewer with a map in his hand, marking the structure of the sewer with a marker.


    He was concentrating on drawing and didn''t pay attention to the ground under his feet. His spider sense suddenly tingled and he noticed that a brick was protruding from the ground. If he continued to ignore the road, he might trip over it.


    So Peter put down the map in his hand, intending to finish exploring this area first.


    And just then, he noticed a small detail that was different.


    Generally speaking, most of the sewers in New York are not frequented by people, and the ground is covered with various slippery moss and grime. But here, the moss seemed to have been cleaned by something.


    Peter walked to the junction of the wall and the floor tiles, and found a tiny bit of white powder. He leaned in and sniffed it, realizing that it was an acidic substance, as if it was specifically used to clean moss.


    Who would have nothing better to do thane here to clean the floor? Peter wondered. Even he wouldn''t want to stay in this dark and damp ce if it wasn''t for fighting crime.


    He continued to follow these traces and soon discovered signs of activity in a long-abandoned sewer maintenance room.


    It was easy to deduce that there was a smell of burnt fuel here, indicating that someone had made a fire here. Peter nced at the iron door of the maintenance room with his keen eyesight and saw signs of someone living inside.


    Peter didn''t use violence to break down the door, as he knew it would likely be discovered. He didn''t have any lock-picking tools on hand either. So he took out his map and marked this spot, nning toe back with some tools in a few days to take another look.


    Regardless of who this person was, it was really strange for them toe and live in the sewer. If they were a good person forced to hide in the sewer, Peter was willing to help them. If they were a bad person, then Peter could take care of them.

 Chapter 84: | The Good Mans War (1)

    Chapter 84: | The Good Mans War (1)


    Apanied by a noisy sound and shes of light, Stark stood in front of the interview stage. As soon as he settled, dozens of microphones immediately reached out to him. He lowered his hand to signal them to calm down.


    "Hello, Mr. Stark. I am the special correspondent for the Global Daily, Brock. How do you respond to the criticism and usations of neglecting human life after terminating your medical coboration with the military?"


    "You need to understand one thing," Stark pointed his finger at the male journalist. "I am not shutting down cooperation. Besides, with your small brain, you probably can''t understand the difference between medical technology in the industrial field and ordinary medical technology used in hospitals..."


    Although Stark looked spirited, his heavy dark circles betrayed the fact that he hasn''t been sleeping welltely.


    Pepper was very busy, and the smooth operation of the Stark Group relied on her entirely. Since Stark and the military fell out, he has faced various pressures from the outside world.


    Like this press conference, Stark swept down with his eyes. He knew that at least half of the people here had taken money from the military. They would raise various tricky questions like Brock just did, trying to shift all the responsibility to him.


    The journalist continued, "Stark Industries'' enthusiasm for medical technology research and development is significantly inferior to Osborn Industries. Does this not show that you are not as concerned about the development of human medicine as the leader of Osborn Industries, or that you have no sympathy for those patients gued by diseases?"


    Stark nced at his work permit. Well, it looks like this Eddie Brock guy is just trying to pick a fight.


    "I don''t want to argue with you about this issue. Regarding the matter of stopping the medical technology cooperation project, you should ask the general.""What about Stark Industries'' weapons? After these weapons are used in war, you refuse to develop more medical technologies to save those soldiers who are injured on the battlefield. Does this mean that Stark Industries is only concerned with profiting from war and disregarding civilian casualties?"


    Brock spoke extremely fast, and his long paragraph came out of his mouth like a machine gun. Every angle and every question hit the nail on the head. Stark thought to himself that if he didn''t have the script given to him by the military, he would truly be a genius journalist.


    When someone wants to pick a fight with you, no matter what you do, you will be med from all angles.


    The next day, the major newspapers in New York were filled with negative reports about Stark, with the scathing criticism from the gold medal journalist Brock at the Global Times being the most prominent.


    Stark knew that this was the military''s way of pressuring him into submission, but he knew he had to withstand the pressure, or else Pepper would be left in a helpless situation.


    This recent turn of events made him think a lot about love, friendship, and family.


    Iron Man never retreated, not just for his lofty ideals, but also for all the people he loved.


    The military''s propaganda campaign was effective, not only in suppressing Stark Industries'' reputation, but also in promoting Osborn Industries. Osborn Industries was already skilled in biotech and medical technology, while Stark Industries was more focused on military technology.


    This became the media''s reason for attacking Stark Industries'' reputation, portraying them as a heartless and evil organization, a cancer to humanity. As if the world would bepletely at peace without Stark Industries.


    It was impossible for these negative reports to have no impact on Stark. If they were just like gossip news, he might not have been able to bear the pressure.


    The problem was that Stark himself knew that the weapons he sold had harmed many people, and not everything that the media said about Stark Industries was wrong. Thepany had thrived on war.


    Just as Stark had emerged from that extreme negativity, he fell into depression once again.


    Meanwhile, during Peter''s sewer exploration, he once again discovered signs of human activity in the sewer.


    Since he had discovered somethingst time, Peter had been paying close attention, carefully inspecting every maintenance point he came across. He then found that this sewer monster not only lived in that one location, but seemed to be roaming the sewer every day, leaving traces in five or six maintenance points in the same block.


    Following these traces, Peter began to approach the truth. He guessed that this monster must have a real base at one of the intersections of these activity traces.


    As the sewer map became more and moreplete, Peter finally found the possible intersection. It was near a water reservoir in the sewer, where four paths extended, each corresponding to a block with activity traces. The monster had probably built a base there and established temporary bases in other blocks.


    This wasn''t surprising, not everyone had the physical stamina of Spider-Man, who could run half the city''s sewers in a day.


    The sewer wasrge, the road was long, and there were no manhole covers that led to the surface near the water reservoir. He had to establish a resting point between the manhole cover and the reservoir, or he would never be able to walk such a long distance.


    Peter quickly realized this point, which indicated that the mysterious figure lurking in the sewers was likely just an ordinary person. He wouldn''t be able to walk several kilometers in such a damp and dark sewer, which is why he had set up multiple restrooms in the maze-like sewer system.


    This gave Peter confidence, because if the person on the other side was just an ordinary person caught off guard, he would surely be able to capture him.


    One night, Peter sneaked into the hideout in the reservoir. He knew that the mysterious figure wouldn''t be here at this time, so he pried open the door of the maintenance station near the reservoir.


    Upon entering the maintenance station, Peter was shocked. It was filled with bottles and jars, as well as some rudimentary equipment.


    Peter picked up one of the bottles and took a nce. He realized that it contained some biological tissue samples. He wondered who this person was and why they were conducting experiments here.


    He stepped over the scattered boxes on the ground and continued to move forward, but it got even worse inside. There were many biological specimens that looked particrly terrifying under the dim lights.


    It was like a mad scientist''sir.


    This person was cautious. Besides the experimental materials, there were no data or texts left behind. Peter searched around but couldn''t find any relevant identity information.


    A mad scientist conducting biological experiments in the New York sewers? A wicked image gradually formed in Peter''s mind. (XD)


    He couldn''t let this continue. Peter thought that although the New York sewers were not often visited by people, they were still a lifeline for New York. If someone dumped dangerous experimental waste here, the entire New York could be at risk.


    Peter thought to himself as he walked to the door, picked up the cardboard boxes stacked high at the entrance, which were rtively dry, tore them up, lit a fire, and nned to burn down this stronghold.


    Although the sewer was damp, the maintenance station was still rtively dry. Once the fire was lit, the whole room quickly filled with ck smoke. Peter closed the maintenance station door and watched as the fire engulfed all the experimental equipment inside.


    He breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he discovered this early on. Once this mad scientist really developed some poison or gas, it would be toote.


    Peter, who came out of the sewer, was still somewhat uneasy. Although he destroyed one stronghold, this mad scientist might have other bases. He had to keep an eye on this ce these days and try to catch him if possible.


    In the following days, Peter interned at Stark Industries during the day and frequented the sewer at night. Since that stronghold was destroyed, all traces of life seemed to have disappeared from the sewer.


    It seemed that the crazy viin had given up.


    Peter felt somewhat relieved. Recently, his internship was not going well either. He found that Mr. Stark was very negative. He didn''t even do experiments anymore, just smoked cigarettes and drank all day. Sometimes he drank until he was drunk and passed out on theboratory floor. Peter had to help him up.


    Peter had read negative reports about Stark, but he didn''t believe a word of it. He felt that it was all ck propaganda. Iron Man was a superhero who saved many people, not the devil without humanity that the media portrayed.


    Peter wanted to change this situation, but he didn''t have a good way. He was not very good at these things. He didn''t even dare to make a phone call to question those reports. So he came to the Psychological Clinic again. He felt that Dr. Schiller must have a way to turn public opinion around.


    Schiller had been busy finding food for the symbiote recently.


    When Peter arrived at the Psychological Clinic, Schiller was using bandages to wrap Pikachu''s wound. Pikachu was jumping around on the kitchen counter while Schiller was cooking. Its tail was caught in the pot and arge clump of hair was burnt off. It was now lying pitifully on the table for Schiller to treat.


    Peter said, "Hey, am I bothering you? Then I cane back tomorrow..."


    "It''s okay,e in. I don''t have anything important to do now."


    Peter walked in and rubbed Pikachu''s face fiercely. Pikachu wrinkled its nose and tried to dodge, but its tail was still held by Schiller. When it jumped to the side, its tail was jerked back, and it fell on the table, knocking over a pile of cups.


    "Behave," Schiller said. "Otherwise, your tail will be bald forever."


    Peter sat down in a chair next to him and said, "Doctor, have you read those reportstely? Those journalists can really make things up. Some of them even swear that they saw Mr. Stark selling weapons to those terrorists, vividly describing the negotiation scene."


    "This is a skill that journalists rely on. If they don''t have this ability, they shouldn''t be in the New York journalist circle."


    "But they arepletely making up rumors!" Peter angrily pounded the table and said, "Mr. Stark is not that kind of person!"


    "Is that so? If it''s all just rumors, then Stark''s attitude should be the same as yours. You should feel extremely angry for your friend being ndered, and the person facing the nder should be even more angry."


    Peter choked up because what Schiller said made sense. When Thompson fabricated stories about him in school, he was almost exploding with anger, but why wasn''t Mr. Stark angry? Why didn''t he stand up and try to refute them?


    Even he, despite being somewhat inarticte, still tried very hard to exin those rumors to the people around him.


    "Why are you so sure that what you believe in is right?" Schiller asked him.


    "Because I...but I do know that the Stark I know is not like that!"


    "Maybe you''ve only seen one side of him?"


    "But..." Peter clenched his fist and said, "Doctor, isn''t Mr. Stark also your friend? Do you really think he''s the kind of person those reports say he is?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "The Stark in my eyes and the Stark in your eyes are likelypletely different, just like how a thousand people have a thousand Hamlets in their eyes."


    "The view of a thing always changes due to one''s different perspectives. A bad person may see a good person as bad, while a bad person may see a bad person as good."


    Peter pounded his other hand with his fist and said, "I believe those reporters and Osborn Industries are bad people seeing bad people as good people, because they''re all birds of a feather, ttering each other. And those reporters see Mr. Stark as a bad person because they can''t stand good people..."


    "How do you define good and bad people?"


    "Uh... people who do good things are good, and people who do bad things are bad?"


    "What defines good and bad things?"


    "At least... they have to be factual, not rumors, and they can''t vite regtions... there''s also morality, which needs to be followed, so that''s doing good things, right?"


    "Do you think you flying around over New York all day doesn''t vite traffic safetyws?"


    "But I did it for... okay, I think my intentions were good, and the oue was good too, I saved people, right? So breaking a few rules shouldn''t matter..."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "You will eventually understand that there are nopletely good orpletely bad people in this world. This world is full of bad things with good intentions and oues, as well as good things with terrible intentions and oues."


    Peter scratched his head and said, "I feel like you''re talking in riddles."


    "If you always use a simple ck-and-white way of thinking to observe this world, you will eventually find that these ck and white things have mixed together into a blurry gray."


    "But good things are good, and bad things are bad. I just want to help more people and do more good things," Peter said.


    When Peter left Schiller, his head was still a little dizzy. Schiller''s metaphor of good and bad things had confused him. Peter''s thinking was simple: he was a good person, so he wanted to do good things and stop bad people from doing bad things.


    What couldn''t be exined about this? Wasn''t this a simple truth?


    Peter shook his head. He thought his ideas were correct, and if everyone thought like him, the world would definitely be a better ce. The reason there was so much crime was because those bad people refused to give up doing bad things. If everyone was a good person, then there would be no more crime in this world, right?


    As he walked and thought, Peter looked at his watch and realized it was still early. He had already asked his internship group leader for time off, and his uncle and aunt were probably not at home.


    Peter thought for a moment and decided to continue his superhero career.


    Peter found the nearest manhole cover and went down. He felt that for safety''s sake, he should patrol the sewer to prevent The Scientist Monster from potential dangerous behavior.


    However, as soon as he entered the sewer today, Peter had a creepy feeling. This feeling was not as strong as his spider-sense, but it still made his spine tingle.


    Reluctantly, he opened his backpack, put on his Spider-Man suit, and hid his backpack in a corner. He then continued to walk deeper into the sewer as Spider-Man.


    The pervasive sense of danger made Spider-Man not run as fast as before, but instead walk briskly. As he approached the area where the sink in the center of the city was located, his spider-sense began to react faintly, making him feel anxious without being able to pinpoint the source of the anxiety.


    After walking for a while, suddenly he heard faint hissing sounds ahead, apanied by the friction of metal scraping against stone.


    His spider-sense suddenly reacted, and Spider-Man quickly rolled to the side to dodge a piece of te that was thrown at him.


    As the debris flew, Peter looked up and saw a huge figure at the end of the dark sewer.


    It was a colossal creature at least four or five meters tall. As Peter got closer, he could see in the dim light of the sewer that it was a lizard walking upright, a massive Lizard Man that almost filled the entire space of the sewer.


    Spider-Man swallowed hard, realizing how small and skinny he waspared to this Lizard Man.


    But obviously, this monster had already spotted him. Peter quickly started running along the walls, with the enormous Lizard Man chasing closely behind, causing the ground of the sewer to shake with each of its steps.


    Lizard Man roared fiercely, grabbing various pieces of te and throwing them at Spider-Man. Although Spider-Man was faster, he was not much faster, and more importantly, dodging those tes left and right significantly reduced his speed.


    In the sewer, spider webs were not very effective, so Peter could only rely on his legs to run. However, creatures that relied on their legs to move had a weakness, which was that once their center of gravity shifted, they were prone to falling.


    In an attempt to dodge a piece of te, Peter flipped to the right, but then he was scraped by a piece of stone fragment from the left, causing his bnce to shift, and he ended up rolling on the ground. The huge Lizard Man grabbed his leg and threw him away.


    Peter was thrown against the wall of the sewer, coughing hard and tasting a sweet and bloody vor in his throat.


    He struggled to get up, intending to prepare himself for the uing battle, but suddenly the Lizard Man shook its head as if it was dazed, and then it ignored Peter and ran in another direction.

 Chapter 85: | The Good Mans War (2)

    Chapter 85: | The Good Mans War (2)


    Although Lizard Man wanted to run away on his own, Peter couldn''t just let this monster go. If he were to charge up to the surface, with the size of this monster, New York would definitely be thrown into chaos.


    As soon as Lizard Man turned around to run back, Peter struggled to climb up and quickly crawled up the wall to follow the monster.


    Peter had a pretty good sense of direction. Having spent so many days in the sewer, he remembered the route very clearly. He estimated that Lizard Man didn''t seem to be running randomly, but was headed towards a specific direction.


    Where was he going? What was he going to do there? What was going on?


    Then Peter remembered the biological tissue samples he saw in the maintenance point on his way to the reservoir, which included a lizard tail. Could this be the monster created by that crazy scientist?


    Lizard Man was running ahead while Peter was chasing behind. Perhaps the scientist didn''t understand the size of the sewer, and his monster was too big. Even when running, Lizard Man had to lower his head, and in some narrower paths, he had to bend forward to move forward as the ceiling of the New York sewer was only about few meters high.


    This gave Peter a good opportunity to procrastinate his actions. Taking advantage of Lizard Man''s inconvenience, Peter used a spider web to block his path, but this monster seemed to have retained some intelligence and was not tripped by the spider web. Instead, he retracted his body and leaped over it.


    Peter tried another n. He wrapped the spider web around Lizard Man''s neck, hoping to use momentum to knock him down. However, Lizard Man did not fall for his trick. He grabbed the spider web and swung Spider-Man away.


    Now, Spider-Man had be smarter too. When hended, he rolled on the ground and quickly stood up. He realized that hecked experience in dealing with such a huge monster. After all, no robber or thief could be as tall as four or five meters.Moreover, Lizard Man''s most important weapons, in addition to its ws, were its huge tail. When it swept its tail, Peter was thrown onto the wall. He didn''t expect this monster to have such a varied attack, and he took a heavy hit.


    Fortunately, he had a lot of energy and strong recovery abilities. He quickly caught up with Lizard Man.


    Peter realized that to deal with this monster, he had to bring him down to the ground. Although the sewer was not very advantageous for this massive monster, Spider-Man did not have much space to maneuver. The entire sewer was filled with this monster, and he couldn''t even surround it with spider webs.


    Moreover, as the monster''s direction became clearer, Peter realized that it seemed to be heading towards Stark Tower.


    Peter knew this very well. After exploring the sewer, he usually went to Stark Tower to intern.


    Peter couldn''t figure out what this monster wanted, but he knew he couldn''t let it run up to the surface and into Stark Tower. Stark was not in good shape at the moment; he might still be drunk and unable to operate his Mech armor. If so, the hundreds or thousands of employees in the building would be in great danger.


    While Peter was thinking about this, the monster also realized that it would be faster to run on the surface. So, he jumped up from the nearest manhole cover.


    Without caring about the size of the manhole cover, Lizard Man broke through the pavement and rushed out onto the street. Peter followed closely behind.


    Suddenly, a monster emerged from the ground, causing chaos on the road. Over a dozen cars behind it mmed on their brakes, crashing into each other and causing a loud explosion.


    Spider-Man wanted to go and rescue people, but he also saw the enormous monster stepping on cars and quickly heading towards Stark Tower. Peter didn''t know what to do, so he urgently activated themunication device on his wrist and shouted, "Mr. Stark!!! Are you there?! Wake up!! There''s a lizard monster headed your way!! Wake up!!!"


    There was no response from themunication device, and Peter cursed under his breath. He then called Steve and said, "Captain! Hurry over to organize traffic! There''s a monster running towards Stark Tower on the main road east of here, and people need rescue!!"


    Just as he was about to call Schiller, he noticed that the Lizard Man in front of him suddenly jumped andnded directly in the parking lot around Stark Tower.


    Peter had to quickly follow, using his spider web to stick to the ss wall of another building in Stark Tower, and then swiftly swung down, kicking the Lizard Man in the neck.


    The enormous monster staggered for a moment, but managed to maintain its bnce with its tail.


    It reached out to grab Spider-Man, but Stark Tower consisted of five or six buildings in a surrounding structure, providing Peter with optimal mobility.


    Seeing the Lizard Man reaching out, Peter shot out another strand of spider web, swinging past him from his side. He then turned around and used another strand of spider web to stick to his arm, intending to pull the Lizard Man down.


    Lizard Man struggled and broke free from the spider web, then rushed into Stark Tower.


    The interior of the Stark Tower wasplex, but as the building was veryrge, each floor had high ceilings, allowing Lizard Man to move around freely inside.


    Although Stark did not answer Peter''smunication earlier, JARVIS was awake and heard that a monster wasing. JARVIS immediately activated the security protocols, evacuated most of the employees, and activated all avable protective measures. This effectively dyed Lizard Man''s actions.


    However, ultimately, the security protocols required authorization from Stark himself. Without the security protocols, many security doors could not be closed, and manyrge-scale weapons could not be used. Although Lizard Man was slowed down, he still had no effective means to deal with him.


    Spider-Man also realized that hecked some powerful attack methods. During the chase inside the building, he knocked down Lizard Man several times and even tripped him up with spider web. But this big guy was too resilient. No matter how many punches Peter threw, he just shook his head.


    This monster seemed to have recovery abilities beyond that of ordinary people. Peter cut off one of his tails with a piece of falling ss and nned to break one of his arms next. As long as Lizard Man lost his tail, it would be much harder for him to maintain his bnce.


    However, before Peter could take the next action, Lizard Man''s tail quickly grew back.


    Peter swung on the ceiling with spider web while trying to usenguage to attract his attention, hoping to distract him from climbing upwards.


    "Hey, big guy! Where did you buy your Instant glue? Look here, your spider dad will give you a kick, just like this!"


    Peter swung down quickly, nning to kick Lizard Man''s chest. However, this time, Lizard Man became smarter. As Peter swung over, he directly dodged to the side, grabbed Peter''s leg and spun him around a few times, then threw him out.


    Peter crashed into a pile of desks, then flew out through a broken window.


    Luckily, he rolled in mid-air, shot a spider web at the wall, and swung back from the other side of the damaged window. Then he kicked Lizard Man in the back.


    Although Peter learned a lot ofbat skills from Steve, he was only slightly better than using brute force. He learned to use spider webs to increase his mobility and then use gravity and inertia to strengthen his strength.


    Although this tactic could notpletely defeat Lizard Man, it was able to slow down his pace very effectively. After all, Peter''s strength was great enough that one kick would make Lizard Man stumble, and a punch would make the monster dazed for a while.


    The two of them ran and chased each other, pushing forwardyer byyer, interfering with each other. In the end, Lizard Man climbed up to the high floors of Stark Tower. Spider-Man helplessly shouted, "Jarvis, how much longer until Mr. Stark arrives? Can you hurry up?"


    "I am activating the emergency wake-up method..."


    "What emergency wake-up...?" Peter hadn''t finished speaking when a deafening roar came from inside Stark Tower.


    It was a rock music yer with a volume of at least 100 decibels, and the huge sound waves made both Spider-Man and Lizard Man stumble.


    "Is this your so-called emergency wake-up method?!!! Can''t you just give him some headphones?!!! This is simply indiscriminate attack!!!!" Peter shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice waspletely drowned out by the huge music.


    Jarvis turned up his own volume and said, "Mr. Stark hates noise very much!!!! This can effectively help him sober up!!!!"


    As soon as Jarvis finished speaking, a Mech armor flew in through the hole in the window, and Stark shouted, "Enough!!!! Turn it off now!!! I''m already awake!!!"


    When the music ended, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Lizard Man all felt their heads buzzing.


    Spider-Man hadn''t recovered from the ringing in his ears, and he was still shouting hoarsely, "J.A.R.V.I.S!!! I have to say!!! This is your most effective weapon!!!"


    Stark didn''t have time to trash talk, after all, this was his own ce. He immediately made a maximum powered dash, mming Lizard Man out of Stark Tower.


    The floors here were not low, and if you fell, unless the lizard could grow wings, you would definitely end up as minced meat.


    But this monster seemed to have good bnce. In mid-air, it swung its tail, hitting Stark''s Mech armor, and then somersaulted, hanging on the edge of the window. With a strong arm, it jumped back up and leaped straight back into the center of the battlefield.


    Stark seemed to have just woken up from a hangover, his mind still not very clear, and it took him a while to get up after being hit by Lizard Man.


    Spider-Man kept harassing Lizard Man from the side, while Stark connected to Spider-Man''smunication and began to formte a battle n.


    "Listen, let''s drive it to the rooftop, and then I''ll use another Mech armor for a sneak attack and knock him off the rooftop. He shouldn''t have flight abilities, right?"


    "No, if he did, he wouldn''t still be here. But his super regenerative ability is troublesome. Even if he falls, he may not die."


    "But he definitely won''t have any mobility left."


    "Peter and Stark acted immediately, their movements were both very agile. Stark controlled the firepower inside Stark Tower and used his Repulsor Ray to chase Lizard Man to the rooftop.


    When they reached the rooftop, Stark stood at the edge of the building and fired missiles at Lizard Man non-stop. Lizard Manpletely ignored Spider-Man, who was constantly harassing him, and charged towards Stark.


    Stark pretended to reveal a w and lowered his flight altitude. As expected, Lizard Man jumped up and grabbed the Mech armor of Iron Man. Iron Man used the inertia to fly out of the rooftop, and they both started falling together.


    Originally, Stark wanted to trick him and make him jump to the edge before smashing him away with another Mech armor. However, the monster''s movements were too fast. It immediately grabbed the Mech armor driven by Iron Man.


    Lizard Man was very strong, and the Mech armor quickly caught fire. Stark shouted inside the armor, "Jarvis! Release the electricity!"


    "Sir, we can''t release the electricity now. If the Mech armor is scrapped, you will be killed when falling from such a high altitude."


    As they fell quickly, the whistling wind sounded in Stark''s ears. He said, "Release the electricity immediately! Scrap the Mech armor! Launch me out! Someone will catch me!"


    Jarvis remained silent for a second. The whole Mech armor began to burst with intense electric light. Lizard Man was shocked by the pain and let go. The Mech armor exploded in a burst of electric light, and the cockpit was ejected. Stark directly left the Mech armor and fell through the air.


    Rather than saying that the height was too high, it was more urate to say that the time spent falling from such a height saved Stark''s life. A spider web came over, and Spider-Man caught Stark in the air.


    Soon, the wreckage of the exploded Mech armor and Lizard Man fell to the ground. Amidst the flying dust, Spider-Man put Stark down. It was really a close call just now. Falling from such a height, if they had hit the ground, even God couldn''t have saved them.


    Soon, the dust and smoke cleared, and the giant monster fell into a pit. Its limbs seemed to be all broken, and its guts turned into a mess."


    However, his superhuman recovery ability was constantly working. Within a few breaths, his twisted bones were gradually returning to their normal positions. Spider-Man eximed, "God! He can recover from this! Isn''t this already a medical miracle?"


    Stark narrowed his eyes and said, "Indeed, this is a medical miracle."


    "We have to subdue him quickly. If we wait for him to recover, it will be bad."


    As Spider-Man was about to move forward, another Mech armor flew in mid-air and blocked him after Stark had armed himself. He said, "This self-healing ability consumes energy. His energy should be running low. Let''s see his true face."


    Stark seemed to imply something, and Spider-Man was a little confused. What was Lizard Man''s true face? A big lizard?


    Peter said, "A few days ago, I found someone experimenting in the sewer. This monster must be the result of his experiment. We need to capture him and then find the real culprit behind the scenes."


    Peter was exining to Stark how he discovered the traces in the sewer and then encountered this monster when he nced into the pit and saw that the monster''s body seemed to be shrinking continuously. In such a short time, it had shrunk to almost the same size as a normal person.


    Then the green and lizard-specific features on his body began to fade away. Peter gradually widened his eyes and saw a middle-aged man with gray hair lying in therge pit.


    "Dr. Connors!"


    Peter was shocked beyond words. He even stuttered, "How could it be... How could he? What happened to him? How could this monster be Dr. Connors?"


    "I knew this kind of super-fast recovery ability seemed familiar." Stark raised his face mask and walked into the pit, with Peter following behind him.


    Peter said incoherently, "There must be some misunderstanding... Was he framed? How could he be a monster? Dr. Connors was a great teacher who helped me a lot, I..."


    Stark appeared somewhat silent, his face under his cheeks looking haggard, as if he had just woken up from a hangover.


    The man lying on the ground moved, and Peter couldn''t care less about many things, he quickly went over to help him up.


    Fortunately, although Lizard Man fell from such a high floor, his superhuman regenerative abilities had already healed most of the wounds on his body and he had returned to human form.


    Dr. Connors turned over with his own strength, blood covering his head, and his clothes soaked in blood. He turned his head to look at Stark and said in a low voice, "I was so close... just a little more, cough, and I could have judged you, devil..."


    Stark did not taunt his enemy with words as he had done in the past. He silently looked at Connors.


    Peter couldn''t ept the situation in front of him. He said with some desperation, "What exactly is going on? What''s the matter with you two? Dr. Connors, why... There must be some misunderstanding here, right?"


    "Peter, Peter Parker," Dr. Connors closed his eyes, his tone filled with exhaustion, "Spider-Man, you''ve ruined..."


    He stopped, whether he didn''t have the strength to continue speaking or didn''t want to continue.


    "Yes, I am Peter... Doctor, can you tell me what''s going on here?"


    Connors seemedpletely exhausted, a frail researcher who didn''t even have the strength to sit up anymore.


    Hey in the center of therge pit, his voice dry as he said, "I told you this story before, but you didn''t seem to listen carefully..."

 Chapter 86: Mud and Rotten People (1)

    Chapter 86: Mud and Rotten People (1)


    "I''m a doctor, not God."


    Dr. Strange stood with his hands on his hips at the entrance of the operating room.


    "And I''m a psychiatrist. I can''t cure all diseases. You can''t just send every patient to me for treatment!"


    "So, how is Dr. Connors doing?"


    "I don''t know. You have to ask those examination instruments. I can''t fully understand the data either."


    Then Strange saw Schiller, Stark, and Peter looking at him with a look that made him feel like a failure, and he exploded, saying loudly, "What do you take doctors for? A wish machine? You send any patient with any disease to me and expect me to cure them instantly. And if I can''t, do you still want to belittle my professional skills?"


    Schiller said, "Okay, even if you can''t cure him, can you at least introduce us to someone who can?"


    Strange rolled his eyes and said, "From his current state, you might as well pray to God."


    "I hope you can save him. I can pay a lot of money for this," Stark said."All you ever mention is money, money. I know you''re a rich person, but not everything in this world can be solved with money. You bring a half-dead body here, what can I do?" Strange replied.


    "Listen, you better do this quickly..."


    Stark stepped forward, pointing his finger at Strange''s shoulder. His tone was aggressive, and Strange was very unhappy. He pushed Stark away, saying, "Huh, do you think everyone is ackey of you rich people?"


    As he said this, he nced at Schiller. Schiller hadn''t done anything yet, but Stark erupted first. He punched Strange in the face, and Peter hurriedly rushed up to stop him.


    "Hey, calm down, Mr. Stark! Calm down!"


    Strange doubled over from the punch. He rubbed his nose and saw a little blood on his hand. He muttered a curse under his breath. Schiller grabbed his shoulder, and then dragged him away.


    Strange didn''t want to leave, but Schiller''s strength was too strong. He was dragged out of the corridor by Schiller. Just as they turned the corner, Strange shouted loudly, "What are you doing? Do you think I can''t beat that damn arms dealer?!"


    "Don''t you realize that his emotions are a bit abnormal? Do you n to fight with a lunatic here?"


    Strange sat down on a chair next to the hospital corridor, holding his breath, and said, "I really don''t understand why you guys want to bother an ordinary person like me. Either you have money or you know those strange little tricks. Why do you have to appear in my life?"


    Schiller opened his mouth, but still didn''t say what he wanted to say. He couldn''t tell Strange that someone was staring intently at his arm right now.


    On the other side, Peter was trying to calm down Stark. He felt that Stark was a bit too irritable. He wasn''t like this before.


    Although Stark was asionally very affected and sarcastic, his temper was still okay. He wouldn''t explode at the slightest provocation, and most of the time he couldmunicate calmly. But now, Stark seemed very irritable for some reason.


    Peter grabbed one of Stark''s arms, trying to make him turn around, but Stark sneered and swung his arm fiercely. Peter was pushed away directly.


    Peter was very surprised as he stared at Stark''s arm. Even if Stark didn''t use much strength, he was already much stronger than an ordinary person. Without the Mech armor, Iron Man should be just an ordinary person. How could he push Spider-Man, who already had mutated spider powers?


    Peter was a little confused, but he felt that something was very wrong with Stark.


    He took a few steps back and saw Schiller beckoning him at the corner. He looked back at Stark again, but in the end turned and ran towards Schiller.


    Tony Stark stood in ce, shaking his head vigorously, asionally nodding as if talking to the air.


    After Peter ran over, he asked Schiller, "What''s going on? Is Mr. Stark sick?"


    "This proves a point," Schiller said. "Alcohol can turn a person into a mess."


    After leaving the hospital, Stark didn''t even call for his Mech armor. He clenched his teeth and muttered, "Damn it! You can''t do that! Peter is just a child!"


    "Let me devour his head, it will be very delicious, and you will fall in love with that feeling..." A low, hoarse voice came from the air.


    Stark said, "Listen, you pile of mud. If you dare to control my body without permission again, I''ll have J.A.R.V.I.S. pound you into flour with a 500-decibel sonic cannon!"


    And this matter needs to be traced back to a few days ago.


    Since Obadiah has been in aa, the weapons manufacturing department of Stark Industries has almoste to a standstill. Even though Stark has little knowledge of these business matters, he realized that his Uncle Obadiah was the backbone of Stark Industries'' sess.


    Without Obadiah, a lot of troubles followed.


    Originally, Obadiah was adept at navigating between the military, Congress, and other arms dealers, never letting anyone gain an advantage, even the military.


    But now, without Obadiah, Pepper was able to handle some of the business matters, but she wasn''t as sensitive to political games as Obadiah was, and Stark waspletely clueless.


    He suddenly realized that he had been living in a vacuum all along. He could just stay in theboratory, working on his inventions every day, and the twists and turns of those tricky struggles wouldn''t affect him at all.


    But now, without Obadiah, Stark had to face everything himself.


    Stark indeed had a genius-like brain, but his mind didn''t turn in that direction at all. The military was putting all sorts of pressure on him, and Stark didn''t have many options.


    He couldn''t figure out theplex rtionships between the various forces for a while, and even though his intelligence would allow him to learn these things sooner orter, he was still flustered at the beginning.


    The military seized this opportunity and acted decisively, using public opinion to put Stark Industries in a situation where it was attacked from both sides.


    Stark was under a lot of pressure, and it waspletely different from the feeling of not being able toplete an experiment or invent something. He couldn''t even find a way to vent his emotions, so he resorted to his old habit of smoking and drinking.


    All sorts of extreme emotions piled up in his mind, and this strong feeling caught the attention of a homeless alien.


    Venom symbiote - a special symbiote child who was one of the first to break away from its mother.


    [ShaneFreak: Something new... Spider-Tony-Stark-Man or Venom + Ironman = Venoman...]


    As is well known, this race is attracted by all sorts of intense human emotions. Originally, Venom was attached to an ordinary journalist who had just divorced, but when this journalist interviewed Stark, Venom found that the emotions and the fascinating scent emanating from him were irresistible.


    So, this audacious symbiote took advantage of the opportunity when the journalist shoved the microphone in Stark''s face, and instantly broke away from the original host''s body and ran onto Stark''s body.


    At first, Stark didn''t notice anything wrong. Venom was an experienced symbiote who, when first parasitizing on a host, would remain dormant for a period of time to avoid causing too much resistance from the host.


    But soon, Stark began to feel that something was off. He wasn''t an ordinary person; he had a brain cursed with knowledge. He keenly sensed that his intense negative emotions were being guided out, which drove him even crazier as he started to rely on alcohol to numb himself and ensure that those emotions wouldn''t explode and hurt others.


    J.A.R.V.I.S also subtly reminded his master with some data that his psychological state and personality were beginning to shake, which meant that Stark was definitely in some kind of induced state.


    This state didn''tst long.


    At that time, Lizard Man broke into Stark Tower, and J.A.R.V.I.S had to use emergency wake-up measures to wake up a drunken Stark. However, in reality, Stark wasn''t awakened by J.A.R.V.I.S, but by the Venom symbiote screaming in agony due to the massive sound waves.


    It was then that Stark discovered that the controlled feeling he had actually came from a mysterious extraterrestrial creature parasitizing on him.


    The sound waves yed by J.A.R.V.I.S made Venom running rampant inside Stark''s body discover the true face of this extraterrestrial creature - a lump of ck sludge.


    Then he found out that this extraterrestrial creature had intelligence no less than that of a human. It could not onlymunicate with him, but also imed to have all of his personality and memories.


    Indeed, that''s what Venom said to every host. This could greatly reduce their vignce, as he would repeatedly emphasize the fact that they were symbiotic and shared the same heart.


    In fact, in a sense, what he said was true. Although this race didn''t look very attractive, appearing sticky and gooey, in theics, they were not an evil race. They were produced as a nk te from birth.


    They were more like a zy race" and couldn''t forcefully devour and erase the host''s personality. Instead, they took a gentler approach to parasitizing on them, and the host and symbiote were more like partners than a rtionship of control and being controlled.


    Scattered throughout the universe, the symbiote army has also parasitized many races, granting these extraterrestrial beings enhanced physical strength. However, they mostly choose highly intelligent species as hosts.


    This is because they require hosts with independent personalities to provide them with emotional energy, which is the foundation of their survival. Unlike some evil parasitic races that turn intelligent beings into mindless zombies, symbiotes cannot do this. If their hosts cannot think, then they will go hungry.


    Venom also understands this. If he cannot gain the trust of his host, he will end up wandering with an empty stomach every day.


    To him, Stark is a perfect meal ticket. In his current low point, Stark''s emotions fluctuate greatly every day, providing Venom with ample energy.


    But soon, Venom realizes that he has underestimated theplexity of finding a meal ticket.

 Chapter 87: Mud and Rotten People (2)

    Chapter 87: Mud and Rotten People (2)


    Who is Stark?


    Just look at his introduction in theics and you''ll know that he''s called "Super genius cursed by knowledge." In theics, he has the eighth Infinity Gem, "Curse of Knowledge," in his brain. He can fully master all knowledge about ck holes in just one day, which can be said to make Einstein sad and Mendeleev shed tears. (XD)


    This led to a change thatpletely exceeded Venom''s expectations.


    First of all, Stark is a person who likes to dig deep. He spent a full six days checking Venom''s household registration.


    When he found out that Venom was an extraterrestrial creature, Stark''s suddenly excited mood made Venom stumble.(XD)


    From the Birthce of Venom, to how he drifted to Earth, and how he possessed host after host, Stark questioned Venom in detail.


    Out of respect for his long-term meal ticket, Venom tried to answer Stark''s questions as much as possible, but a super genius is always like a million whys. For every question he coulde up with countless follow-up questions.


    Where is the symbiote''s homeworld? Who created you? What kind of extraterrestrial creature is he? In what form does it exist there? Is it far from Earth? Can humans reach it within their lifetime? Will youe to invade Earth? Is your creator an independent intelligent life form, or amon consciousness of a? Why don''t your siblings leave your mother? Why did you run away alone? Did you anger your creator? What''s the difference between it and God in human religious stories?


    Stark would pursue each of these questions from various angles. While Venom could answer some questions, others were too abstract and creative for him to answer.ording to the age of the symbiote, it is still a child. Even if it is a genius child among the symbiotes, it cannot understand the strange and creative questions of the super genius.


    Finally, Stark''s curiosity about its origin decreased a bit. Then, Venom discovered for the first time that human emotions could be soplex.


    Stark''s overly sensitive heart and emotional brain made Venom feel like he was living in a huge maze every day. Every time Stark''s mood changed, the entire maze waspletely reset, and Venom, who had just found the exit, was kicked back to the starting point.


    [ShaneFreak: I am loving it...]


    Furthermore, Stark was truly a cursed brain of knowledge. As a symbiote, Venom couldn''t keep up with the speed of Stark''s thoughts.


    Whenever Stark began to contemte, Venom could only cower in a corner, feeling countless symbols crashing onto him that he couldn''tprehend. In other words, he was submerged in an ocean of knowledge.


    What was even more terrifying was that Stark would frantically reset his maze while releasing the floodgates of knowledge like a torrential downpour. Venom would bounce back and forth between these two states, unable to keep up with the speed, and would be kicked in the butt by the maze one moment and knocked down by the sea water the next.


    Any sentient being with emotions would have certain requirements for their living environment, and symbiotes were no exception.


    If living in an ordinary human body was like being in a matchbox, albeit a bit cramped and stuffy, at least it was rtively quiet. But living in Stark''s body was like living on a dangerous full of countless storms and lightning. Although there was enough space, life here was just too exciting, and Venom couldn''t even rest for a moment.


    Originally, symbiotes and hosts were in sync, able to constantly sense the changes in their bodies and emotions. It was their race''s unique talent and the foundation upon which they relied for survival. However, now, this talent brought tremendous trouble to Venom. In sync with someone like Stark, Venom had to endure a life full of constant and unpredictable dangers, like a primitive jungle adventure.


    Stark was like an unsolvable puzzle, and his external appearance was only one-thousandth of him. His inner self, full of infinite philosophical ideas and wisdom, was enough to drown any outsider who attempted to peek into his heart, including this symbiote.


    The first emotion that Venom learned from Stark was exhaustion. This was not because Stark was tired, but because being a symbiote for Stark was truly exhausting.


    To make matters worse, Stark was currently in a low point of immense pressure. He couldn''t relieve this pressure, so he had to find something to do to distract himself. At this moment, an intelligent creature that he couldmunicate with happened to appear in his body, and it was even an alien with special talents. This was like being gifted a pillow while feeling sleepy - was there any better test subject than this?


    Tony Stark treated Venom as his alter ego, able to share the same brain power and fully understand him.


    This was truly amazing!


    Originally, Stark couldn''t find a suitable person to share his genius ideas with. Peter was too young and couldn''t handle too much pressure, Schiller was too easily shocked and only good at changing light bulbs. Stark used to have Rhodey to showcase his new inventions, but now Rhodey was gone, so Stark poured all his overflowing desire to share into Venom.


    When Stark stayed up all night, spending three full days exining high-energy physics to Venom in his mind, Venom learned a second emotion, which was terror. (XD)


    Was this something that a symbiote should learn???


    This genius scientist urgently wanted to teach all the knowledge he possessed to his other self, so that he could truly discuss various inventions and ideas with himself, and have a true soulmate who could fully understand and experience everything about him.


    Stark was in a state of emptiness and desperate for an outlet, without considering that there was a limit to how much a symbiote could ept. He never thought that even with brainwavemunication, you couldn''t expect a child to learn the essence of human knowledge overnight, right???


    Venom was truly on the verge of a breakdown, like a student who waspletely clueless but forced to attend an advanced math ss. His third emotion that he learned was regret, extreme regret.


    Venom doesn''t understand. Stark scolded him again and Venom felt wronged. What''s so difficult about this? Can''t you read my memories? Isn''t it an open-book exam? You can''t even handle an open-book exam? What kind of rubbish are you?


    For a symbiote with top learning ability, physics and math aren''t difficult. What''s difficult is keeping up with Stark''s wild creativity and inventiveness that is closer to philosophy and mysticism. 99% of the effort is not difficult, it''s the 1% inspiration that is hard.


    Even a symbiote couldn''t fullyprehend Stark''s thought leaps. Venom had been suspecting for a long time, is Stark really human? How can a human be soplex and iprehensible?


    If you only say Stark has high intelligence, that''s one thing, but unfortunately, his personality is also terrible.


    Stark left the hospital and walked on the road. Venom, who finally didn''t have to stay cooped up in theboratory with Stark, kept repeating in his mind, "Let''s go eat a human head. Just one, bite off their brain, it must be very delicious..."


    "Has anyone told you? The brains of ordinary people are like untested zombie meat. You can''t eat this unsafe food."


    Venom transmitted a sense of doubt.


    "Eat healthier, like me. Don''t you know? The brains of ordinary people hardly function in this lifetime, just like decaying fish meat that hasn''t been treated with any preservatives."


    "Taste! Taste is important! You understand? I absolutely won''t allow you to devour that zombie meat and pollute my genius brain." (XD)


    "Forget it, I know you aliens haven''t eaten anything good. You''re actually interested in the brains of ordinary humans, a lump of meat made up of water and protein. There''s no brilliant idea that can change the world in there, like I can. If you eat this kind of thing, is your symbiote race scavenging for a living?"


    Venom emitted a series of extremely intense and angry brain waves, but Stark didn''t notice and continued to say disdainfully, "Are all alien tastes like this? Or is it because human brains are considered pretty good in the universe? How dumb do other aliens have to be? Are human beings the only ones in the universe with brains?"


    "I really can''t believe that there''s a race that considers the brains of ordinary humans as a delicacy. How resource-poor must you be? Do you want some cheese balls? Earth''s specialty, you can also bring some back for your poor brothers and sisters. I''ll pay."


    "We''re not poor!" Venom said angrily.


    "But you behave like a country bumpkin who just came to the city, thinking everything is good. Were you interested in those chocte balls in the convenience store just now? Come on, can you really eat so many snacks that only cost a dozen dors? Don''t bother looking, I won''t go to such a low-end convenience store to buy things..."


    "What? Eat the employees in that office building? What are you thinking? Those people who can''t even earn enough for a cheap apartment rent in a month, you want to eat them? Those kind of people can''t even pass the first round of interviews in our Stark Industries!"


    "That person who just sat in the Porsche? No way! His hair is golden, I bet he must have dyed it with some fancy dye, which is disgusting. It smells like chemicals, I want to avoid him..."


    "Turn your head back and don''t look like a naive fool." Stark thought in his mind, "Don''t embarrass me, the genius scientist and world''s richest person, Stark. I''m not a silly boy who looks around while walking down the street."


    [ShaneFreak: Poor Venom...]


    After speaking, heined in his mind again, "Is there no one in your race who is as handsome and rich as I am? I think they would be more suitable for me. Otherwise, go find a big guy in the next-door high school football team. You know, those white people who are jumpy and willing to buy you cheap chocte..."


    Venom said, "I want to eat now! I want to eat chocte! And I want to eat a head! Right away! Or else I will drag you and hit the wall!!!"


    "Not now, wait a moment, J.A.R.V.I.S? J.A.R.V.I.S? Are you there? Help me order some special chocte from the original manufacturer in Italy..."


    "Yes, let them use the best cocoa beans... No, don''t use those mass production lines! They''re too dirty! I''ll buy a whole production line separately..."


    "How long will it take? Three weeks? That''s pretty fast."


    "Let them hurry up... Oh, and use a fully mechanized production process, don''t let anyone''s dirty hands touch what I want to eat..."


    "Packaging? No, no, no! Their gold foil packaging is too tacky. From Italy, hire a designer to design something better with the Stark Industries logo on it. Use gold and red colors, and use real gold for the gold parts, don''t use dyes to fool people..."


    Venom said, "I''ll starve to death in three weeks."


    "Why are you so weak? Are all symbiotes idiots who only know how to eat?"


    "No! Let me go! Don''t go into that convenience store! It smells like lemon-scented air freshener! Get out of there, I hate that smell!!"


    Stark stumbled around like he was fighting himself, and mmed into the ss door of the convenience store, grabbing the edge of the ss door and shouting, "I won''t go into this damn ce!!!! It''s full of junk from the industrial production line! Even a nce pollutes my brain!!!"


    "Let me in!! Let me eat!!"


    "No, I won''t go in!!"


    "Go in!!" Venom also yelled.


    "I won''t go in!!!" Stark yelled even louder.


    "Go in!!" Venom was on the verge of breaking down.


    "No!!!" Stark was also hysterical.


    In the end, Stark sat outside the ss door. With his unwavering determination, or rather extreme melodramatic mentality, he won the battle.


    Venom waspletely exhausted. The fourth thing he learned from Stark was to never underestimate a rotten person.


    [ShaneFreak: Man...XD.... My stomach is hurting.... best chapter!]

 Chapter 88: Mud and Rotten People (3)

    Chapter 88: Mud and Rotten People (3)


    "Hello, Mr. Stark. Your uncle often mentions you to me..."


    Stark rolled his eyes and bluntly said, "He also often mentions you to me, General Robert. He says you''re a half-brained fool..."


    The faces of the military personnel across from him darkened.


    Stark was in a bad mood now. He had just finished arguing with Venom, the symbiote that had a ravenous appetite for brains and liked to m Stark''s head against walls. His head was still throbbing from the bump he had just received. He was cursing the symbiote in his mind.


    "Please, have a seat," General Robert gestured towards a chair.


    "No need. What do you want from me? If you have something to say, say it quickly. If not, I need to go back to my experiments."


    The military personnel seemed to bepletely unustomed to Stark''s direct style. Their previous negotiations involved half an hour of pleasantries, half an hour of small talk, half an hour of reminiscing and imagining the future, 20 minutes of bonding, and finally, 10 minutes of discussing the actual business.


    Stark had no interest in ying their game. It''s not that he couldn''t learn to be more diplomatic, he just didn''t see the point. He didn''t want to waste any more time with these people. As Stark put it, every word he said to these people was a waste of humanity''s time.


    Finally, Stark sat down.General Robert was still stubbornly following his own pace and began testing Stark repeatedly.


    Stark didn''t want to deal with him at all. Venom in his head said, "You seem to hate him, can I eat his head?"


    "No, eating the brain of a stupid person will lower my IQ."


    "Really?"


    "Of course."


    "Can''t you just beat him up?"


    "I can''t."


    "Why not? What about your tough clothes?"


    "You mean my steelbat suit?"


    "I want to wear that suit too."


    "Do you still need to wear clothes?"


    "It looks interesting."


    "No, that''s not possible. You won''t know how to operate it and you might break mybat suit."


    "I can handle it, trust me."


    At that moment, Stark heard General Robert say, "We are very interested in coborating. I heard that your friend has also experienced the same difficulties recently, just like Odysseus. I sympathize with my old friend''s situation. Fortunately, the military has developed a medicine that can stimte the nervesprehensively, awaken brain activity, and help patients who are unconscious to regain control of their body."


    "After experimental verification, it has been shown to be very effective for patients who areatose and unresponsive, allowing their brains to regain rity and control of their body."


    Stark raised an eyebrow and said, "So you guys are actually doing something productive."


    A Lieutenant General walked in and saluted. Then, two researchers brought in a box and ced it on the table. After opening the lid, white mist spread out and a syringe was ced in the center of the box.


    Tony Stark didn''t have much knowledge about medicine and pharmaceuticals. He was just about to get closer to take a look at what the syringe looked like when the Venom suddenly became excited in his mind. He said, "This tastes good!! Kill him, take this thing! It''s delicious! It''s useful for you! And for me too!"


    Tony Stark frowned and said, "Based on what principle did youe to this conclusion?"


    "My genes told me!!"


    "Are your genes really reliable?"


    Tony Stark felt that the Venom was getting more and more excited, even a little disoriented. General Robert, seeing Tony Stark trembling all over, said, "I know, Tony''s condition is not good now. We are willing to help you for the sake of your uncle..."


    "We are even willing to provide you with this Medicine for free. The military is very interested in the nano armor you developed, of course, not the Mech armor. Our cooperation with Osborn Industries is going well, and the direction of bio-armor is also very promising..."


    "But, nanotechnology can give us an advantage in information warfare and intelligence warfare. You know, we can''t lose to others in these two battlefields. This is also for the safety of more soldiers'' lives. If intelligence can be more urate, there won''t be so many sacrifices..."


    Robert seemed very emotional as he said, "I know that Stark Industries is not like what those journalists report. I know that young Stark, just like his father, is actually a hero who cares about ordinary people..."


    "From another perspective, cooperating with the military is also about safeguarding the lives of more soldiers, after all..."


    Just as Robert was about to add fuel to the fire, he suddenly noticed that Tony Stark was trembling. He thought he had sessfully broken through the genius''s psychological defenses. He was about to push harder when he suddenly saw a strand of ck slime climb up Tony Stark''s neck.


    Then in an instant, a huge ck monster with sharp fangs appeared in his line of sight.


    Venom swallowed General Robert''s head in one bite, grabbed the box containing the Medicine, and broke through the window.


    No one had expected such a sudden turn of events. One moment, Tony Stark was sitting there fine, and the next moment, a mass of slime covered his whole body, turning him into a nearly three-meter tall ck monster.


    This ck monster has a bright red long tongue and sharp teeth all over its mouth. It directly bit off a general''s head and stole the medicine. The others were in chaos, but soon several helicopters caught up with Venom''s running figure.


    Venom was leaping quickly on the rooftop, and even the machine gun fire from the helicopters couldn''t hit him.


    Until he reached an open space in the suburbs, Venom stopped and directly lifted a stone to smash one of the helicopters. The unlucky guy was hit by the propeller and fell down with a cigarette in his mouth.


    The other helicopter also ran out of bullets and could only fly from afar, not daring to approach.


    Shortly after, the armed forces arrived at the scene. The struggle between Venom and Stark for control of the body slowed down their escape, and Stark desperately suppressed Venom''s excitement with his willpower.


    Finally, Venom regained some rity and returned to Stark''s body. Stark turned back to an ordinary person, but what he faced was the armed forces surrounding him.


    Seeing Stark turn back to a normal person, theirmander did not take it lightly, and several soldiers wearing special armor walked up.


    Stark saw that they were wearing Mech armor, but this Mech armor was the technology he had provided to the military before, and it looked somewhat old-fashioned and outdated.


    Stark directly took out a cigarette, and a brand new and beautiful armor was armed on his body. He made a mocking gesture and said, "Why don''t you give these old-fashioned things stolen from me back to your grandpa? They''re still better than crutches, right?"


    About a dozen soldiers wearing Mech armor walked up, and the leader looked around and reached out his arm, saying, "Combat suit!"


    Then Stark saw ayer of viscous film spread out from the bottom of the Mech armor, covering the surface in an instant, then closing the gaps in the Mech armor, turning the entire Mech armor into aplete and integrated green biologicalbat suit.


    Stark was instantly furious.


    "How dare you insult my achievements with Osborn''s stupid method!"


    Stark had never felt so angry before, even when the military used public opinion to cken him ande out to y the good guy. In the end, what Stark was most proud of were the various inventions and creations made by his genius brain. And now, these military people actually took his Mech armor and gave it to Osborn Industries for modification!


    They even put a bunch of sticky glue on it, turning his Mech armor into an incredibly ugly biologicalbat suit!!


    Stark was really about to explode with anger.


    He took a deep breath and asked in his mind, "Can you really operate the Mech armor?"


    "Definitely much better than them," came the response.


    "Alright then..."


    Stark extended his arm covered in metal armor and said, "Combat suit!"


    In an instant, ck slime covered his entire body.


    Unlike the sticky and soft gtinous appearance, the ck slime was like a strong, directly enveloping every part of thebat suit.


    However, the nanobat suit was not covered by the slime, but rather it was systematically disassembled by the slime, transforming into a new shape and covering the surface of the ck monster.


    Originally, Venom was already nearly three meters tall, but now he hadpletely transformed into a steel monster over four meters tall.


    It was a monster covered in shiny ck Mech armor. Venom seemed to have inherited Stark''s aesthetics, as his body was no longer pitted and uneven with sticky tissue, but rather covered in streamlined ck armor.


    His head was no longer arge mouth full of sharp fangs, but had be a helmet with two pairs of spikes on each side and a diamond-shaped metal visor in the middle, with the lower half of his face covered by a mask.


    It must be said that this Mech armor looked incredibly cool. It was roughly the same size as Venom, but taller, with spikes made of ck slime wrapped around the metal on his shoulders, legs, and wrists. The mask on his head was somewhat reminiscent of a gas mask and had a terrifying beauty, exuding a wild charm that was somewhere between metal and punk.


    What''s more, the symbiote that was controlling this Mech armor was in sync with Stark''s mind, which meant that Stark no longer needed to operate it and could control the Mech armor as easily as his own arm.


    Stark shook his arm and felt an amazing sensation. He could even feel the texture of every externalponent exposed to the air, which was an incredibly satisfying feeling for a Mech armor fanatic.


    He was thebat suit, and thebat suit was him.


    "Alright." Stark said, "I''ll show you what a real Bio-Mech Armor can do!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped in ce with a "bang" andnded beside the group of Bio-Mech Armor soldiers,nding a punch directly on the head of one of them.


    The Bio-Mech Armor soldier flew out directly, and Stark shook his fist in surprise.


    He was not used to fighting with his own fists, in the past he had always relied on J.A.R.V.I.S.''s intelligent algorithms forbat. But now, he actually had the feeling of personally using his fists to beat up enemies, and he had to admit, it felt really good.


    The giant ck Mech Armor turned around, and another hook punch was thrown. Compared to the massive Bio-Mech Armor monster that stood over four meters tall, the Bio-Mech Armor soldier that was only a little over two meters tall was like a little chick, easily knocked away.


    Originally, these Bio-Mech Armors were created to counter Stark''s Steel Combat Suit, but not to deal with a Bio-Mech Armor monster over four meters tall.


    The Biological slime used to restrict Stark''s movements, the Echo Field used to track the flight trajectory of the Steel Combat Suit, and the Biological gel joints used to improve agility, which were originally equipped on the Mech Armor, were now useless. The Venom Combat Suit was not affected by them at all. Mucus spray? Easily torn apart. Echo Field? Completely ineffective. Flexible gel joints? Shattered with a single punch.


    Thebat style of the Venom Combat Suit waspletely different from Stark''s. The fighting style of this symbiote was, in in terms, like swinging a mace. But his incredibly strong physical abilities and super-speed healing ability allowed him to have the upper hand in this chaotic battle.


    In a short time, the group of Bio-Mech Armor soldiers were all knocked down by Stark.


    However, soon after, military heavy weapons entered the scene. The Venom Combat Suit jumped directly onto a nearby high-rise building and continued to run madly.


    When he had shaken off all the pursuers, the Venom Combat Suit instantly retracted back into Stark''s body, and the nano armor returned to Stark''s body as well. He lowered his head and looked at his intact arms and the still pristine Mech Armor metal on them, and said:


    "Not bad, thanks for your help, mud."


    "You''re wee, loser."


    [ShaneFreak: Stark & Venom look good together somehow...]

 Chapter 89: Bad Story (1)

    Chapter 89: Bad Story (1)


    The hands of the watch turned back and the camera began to rewind time.


    When Lizard Man fell from the top of Stark Tower, Dr. Connors only remembered the sound of the whistling wind ringing in his ears. Gradually, he remembered the sound of flying debris that had once whistled past his ear.


    Apanied by the immense pain of falling to the ground and the sight of blood before his eyes, Connors felt like he was in a dream.


    Many years ago, he was just a military doctor who had just joined the army. Like all young people of that era, they firmly believed in the ideals of defending their country, so he and hisrades-in-arms participated in the war with confidence.


    Connors could no longer remember the ambitious feelings they had at the time. The cruelty of the battlefield shattered all their dreams. Injuries, deaths, and bloodshed would not show any mercy to anyone''s ideals or aspirations.


    When he returned home, Connors had be a scarred and battered stray dog. He receivedpensation, but was thrown into the corner of a sewer like a leaky garbage bag.


    This cruel society would not show any mercy to him for his past achievements and honors, and he began to clumsily learn how to live with one hand, like a clown on stage making peopleugh with awkward movements.


    The sound of bottles and jars falling and shattering echoed constantly in Connors'' ears. His dreams became deeper and the few colorful memories he had began to fade away, leaving behind endless darkness.


    He remembered the young soldier who was the most humorous in their team. When Connors saw him again, he was no longer recognizable as he had grown old. However, he still smiled and told Connors that he would be rescued soon, that the country had not abandoned him, and that he would soon be better.Most of these young people who were once full of passion did not have Connors'' high level of education. Many of them had never been to college, so as long as they spoke some seemingly profound terminology, they would feel like they had been given a godsend opportunity to change their downfallen lives.


    From this oldrade-in-arms, Connors learned of a secret military n.


    In his dreams, the darkness began to deepen. Connors only remembered the cold light of theputer screen shing in his field of vision. When he saw the information recorded on a certain text, he knew that from now on, he must keep his mouth shut and remain silent forever.


    In this terrible scam, no clear-headed supporting role was needed.


    After losing an arm, Connors lost his ability to speak again and became a mute.


    Countless data and information became increasingly clear in his dream, surrounding and engulfing him with intense guilt and pressure that drove him almost insane.


    Ever since then, Conor has made up his mind that if life is destined to be a downward spiral, then he must leave a sufficiently deep mark on thisnd, even if he has to die here.


    Thest word that existed in his consciousness was the name "Desperate n," a name he couldn''t forget even after so many silent nights.


    The cold light from theputer screen illuminated Peter''s face as he searched for information in theboratory that Dr. Connors had previously used in Stark Tower.


    After Dr. Connors was rushed to the hospital for treatment, Peter was consumed with guilt. He knew that the problem must have been caused by the serum that Dr. Connors had been researching. He couldn''t help with the treatment, but he hoped to find a way to solve the serum by researching its data.


    Although Dr. Connors had withdrawn his data from Stark Tower, the research results of this coboration belonged to Stark Industries and the military, and part of it was still stored in the data recording device terminal at Stark Tower.


    Peter knew that Dr. Connors had the authority to modify the data on these devices, and he hoped to find some spider web traces from them.


    But what surprised Peter was that the data device that Dr. Connors had used was too clean. Nobody could have even deleted the calctor''s records so cleanly, leaving only a string of numbers without any exnation.


    Peter found it very strange. Dr. Connors was not that kind of person. He was very rigorous in his academic research and would not do something like deleting the entire solution process and leaving only a seemingly usible result.


    Peter searched tirelessly on theputer, and finally he found some clues. He noticed that certainbinations of numbers seemed to follow a pattern. Peter quickly typed on the keyboard, the blue light from the screen reflected on his face and in his eyes. After a while, the light changed and Peter said, "What is this? Is it a website?"


    Since this data terminal device did not allow inte ess, Peter had to seek help from J.A.R.V.I.S. J.A.R.V.I.S analyzed the website and found that it led to an encrypted site with multipleyers of encryption. But that didn''t stop J.A.R.V.I.S, and soon J.A.R.V.I.S obtained an image from the website.


    Peter looked at the holographic screen in front of him and said, "What is this? It looks like a child''s abstract doodle. Are you sure this is what the heavily encrypted website is trying to protect?"


    "That''s the only thing I found, Mr. Parker."


    In a dimly litboratory, Peter crossed his arms and stared carefully at the messy lines on the paper. It was just a white paper with many ck lines that seemed to have no pattern, as if drawn casually with crayons.


    Peter frowned and looked at it for a while, then said, "No, this picture shouldn''t be viewed like this. J.A.R.V.I.S, can you please tten this image and turn the lines into 3D?"


    "Like this, sir?"


    J.A.R.V.I.S did as Peter instructed, but the result still looked like a tangled mess. Peter said, "Yes, that''s right... Can you straighten them into lines ording to their current turning patterns..."


    In one second, the messy ck curved pattern turned into a line pattern.


    Peter widened his eyes and said, "It''s the map of the New York sewer!"


    He quickly opened his backpack and took out his recorded paper,paring it to the map. "Yes! That''s it! It''s a 3D sewer map. Look, this road is the one I always take. I''ve been wandering around in there for days."


    "But what''s the point? Why did Dr. Connors hide this map? Anyone who spends a few days in the sewer should be able to figure out the route, right?"


    Peter scratched his head and continued to look at the map, turning it over and over, and thenpared it to his own route.


    "...no, there are a few wrong routes in here. Like here, this should be turning right after the next step, but it shows turning left. There''s no manhole cover here, and at the intersection of these routes... that reservoir!"


    "Dr. Connors is pointing to that reservoir! But what''s there? Thatboratory? But..."


    Peter thought for a moment, quickly put away the map in his hand, and picked up his backpack. He said, "J.A.R.V.I.S, keep in touch with me at all times! I may need your technical supportter..."


    "No problem, Mr. Stark has granted you most of the technical support permissions."


    Peter grabbed his backpack and ran out of Stark Tower, found the nearest manhole cover, and crawled into the sewer. He quickly made his way to the reservoir where theboratory he burned down was located.


    Opening the door of the maintenance station, there were still charred marks left. Peter felt that something was wrong. Although this maintenance station looked like an evilboratory, it was only an appearance. He didn''t find any useful information here.


    On the contrary, there were various specimen samples and even some unidentified organ samples here. As an expert, Peter knew that many biological experiments were not ying with corpses like ordinary people thought. These samples that had been soaked for a long time were of no use at all.


    Now that he knew thisboratory was Dr. Connors'' work, it seemed even stranger. Dr. Connors was also an expert, how could he carefully ce a bunch of equipment and specimens that werepletely useless in the experiment here? It was as if he wanted people to think it was a biologicalboratory.


    Everything here seems to be designed forymen, catering to their fantasies of evil scientists.


    Peter didn''t know that Dr. Connors was the owner here before, nor did he care about the strangeness at the time. But now, when he came back here, Peter recalled the scene he saw in theboratory. Compared to a real biologicalboratory, this ce was more like a carefully arranged stage.


    Peter became more and more confused. If this wasn''t where Dr. Connors actually conducted experiments, then why did he hide a clue here? What does it refer to?


    Peter searched here tirelessly, feeling along the walls and floors for possible hidden doors, but he found nothing.


    With some disappointment, Peter left the maintenance station. He suddenly realized that the moss at the entrance of the maintenance station had also been cleaned, and some white powder was left in the corner. Peter began to think quickly, he remembered that on the road he took, some of the moss had been cleaned up, while others had not.


    He ran a few steps forward and saw a corner with the same trace left behind. Peter followed this artificially processed trace forward and found that on the same on the road, there was a trace on a downward staircase, but not continuing forward.


    Peter followed the disappearing moss trace all the way until these traces led him to the endpoint of the sewer.


    There was also a maintenance station there.


    The door of this maintenance station was not locked, and it looked abandoned for a long time. After all, this was the bottom part of the New York sewer, a ce where sunlight never reached.


    Peter opened the door and what he saw in front of him was just an ordinary maintenance station, with some random boxes piled up and cleaning tools that seemed to have been unused for decades.


    Peter waved his hand in front of his face to disperse the dust, and opened all the boxes. At the bottom, he found a box containing an unidentified object.


    Opening the box, Peter saw a device he had never seen before. It was a square ck device with an antenna. Peter took out his mobile phone and took a photo, then called J.A.R.V.I.S. Soon, J.A.R.V.I.S. told him that it seemed to be an old data terminal with a signal transmitter, and although the version was quite old, the power was still decent.


    "So, what''s here?" Peter asked.


    "You can bring it to Stark Tower, and I can perform a physical decryption," replied J.A.R.V.I.S.


    So Peter put the data terminal into his backpack and left, carrying it on his back.

 Chapter 90: Bad Story (2)

    Chapter 90: Bad Story (2)


    At Stark Tower, a data cable was plugged into a device terminal, and Peter was manipting aputer. J.A.R.V.I.S said, "Data transferpleted, 3%, 2%, 1%..."


    Theputer screen on Peter''s side lit up, and he eximed, "Received! Let me see... Oh my god, what is all of this??"


    Countless pieces of information and data appeared before Peter''s eyes. He couldn''t believe it and said, "What is this? These seem to be some military personnel files... Lawrence, 35 years old, lost both arms, experimental subject number 3022..."


    "Someone is conducting experiments on retired disabled soldiers... my god... wait, what is this?"


    "Desperate n?"


    Peter quickly began typing on the keyboard, and the screen''s light flickered on his face. He continued to browse, and hisplexion started to be increasingly pale and even a little ghastly.


    "Mr. Parker, we have detected an issue with your heart rate. Please stop your actions immediately and take a deep breath..."


    Peter put down his hands, took a few stumbling steps back, and then swallowed hard. He said, somewhat dryly, "We may have discovered a huge secret..."


    Then he shook his head from side to side and looked around before saying, "J.A.R.V.I.S, ensure that this device cannot connect to the inte and protect the data here. I''ll be back in a little while..."His voice was trembling, and he appeared extremely nervous, but he still managed to calmly arrange everything and left the building with his backpack.


    When Schiller saw Peter, he had never seen Spider-Man look so ill. Although Peter sometimes looked a little haggard from staying upte, his lips had almost lost their color, and his body was shaking a bit, making him seem rather scattered.


    Schiller had not yet spoken, but Peter recited as if memorizing lines: "Listen, doctor, let me finish! I''m afraid I won''t rememberter..."


    "Just now, I obtained all the information on a secret n from Dr. Connors. But I can''t copy them or record them with anything because it''s too frightening. If it were to leak out, the consequences would be unimaginable."


    "So right now, I can only tell you about this n. It''s called ''Desperate n'' and is a n organized by a series of high-ranking military officers, led by General Robert, from the military Tartu faction."


    Peter was reciting information by heart, but due to his exceptional memory, he was able to recite it very smoothly. He continued, "This is a program aimed at stimting the human body''s super recovery ability and creating super soldiers. Their goals include rapid wound healing, limb regeneration, muscle restriction relief, and turning every soldier into a super soldier without pain or emotion."


    "Now, this program is still in its early stages, but 16 soldiers have already undergone experimentation. All of them are retired soldiers who have lost limbs or suffered serious injuries on the battlefield."


    "Three of them are Dr. Connors''rades."


    "Because of Dr. Connors'' achievements in biology and bionics, he has always had contact with the military. However, he concealed hisputer from the military and therefore stole most of the information for this program during his coboration with the military..."


    "It was because he wanted to save these soldiers that Dr. Connors continued to study the lizard serum. He did not have the ability to stop the military from continuing this program. He only wanted to use his research results to turn these soldiers into healthy and normal people in advance, so they could avoid participating in this experiment."


    "Based on the research progress report of this program, Dr. Connors was a step toote. This batch of disabled soldiers had already received the first injection. Dr. Connors was in a hurry toplete the serum because of this, but it was precisely because he was too hasty and did not go through the final safety testing that he turned into a lizard monster..."


    Peter said so much in one breath that Schiller saw him standing unsteadily. He helped Peter onto the sofa, poured him a ss of water, and handed him a heart rate monitoring bracelet to wear.


    Schiller found that Peter''s heart rate was indeed abnormal, causing a superhero who had mutated into a spider to be nervous to the point of heart arrhythmia. Schiller could already imagine what Peter had seen in those materials.


    Peter seemed to have suffered a great shock. Those materials were not just boring experimental data, but also contained arge number of human experiment images - in simple terms, extremely inhumane content.


    After drinking water, Peter couldn''t help but retch. Those images were much more terrifying than any bloody injuries he had ever seen. He had never seen anything so horrifying in his life.


    Seeing Peter run to the bathroom to vomit, Schiller asked Grey Mist in his mind, "Are you sure there''s another symbiote that has bonded with Stark? When did that happen?"


    "I don''t know, but it must be one of my kind. I can recognize them," replied Grey Mist.


    Schiller pondered for a moment and thought that the symbiote that had bonded with Stark during this time period was likely Venom.


    After a while, Peter came back, his hands still trembling slightly. Peter said, "Doctor, we need to find a way to stop this experiment. If it continues like this, they will destroy the whole world..."


    "And those soldiers are heroes who have sacrificed everything for their country, they can''t..."


    Peter seemed to remember those images again, hisplexion bing worse. Schiller said, "Don''t think about it anymore. I''ll give you a simple hypnotismter, and then you can go upstairs to sleep."


    "No, I can''t, I have to find a way, I have to find a way... I can''t let these people seed..." Peter kept muttering, his mind bing confused.


    Facing such cruel facts at the age of 16, and suddenly experiencing such a big shock, Peter was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.


    "J.A.R.V.I.S, are you there?" Schiller asked Peter''s mobile phone.


    "I am, sir," replied J.A.R.V.I.S.


    "Okay, I know I may not have the authorization to ess Stark''s private information, but I still have to ask you, did the military invite Stark to participate in negotiations?"


    "Sir, actually you do have the authorization. Mr. Stark has granted you Level 2 ess, which includes the ability to ess all external information."


    "Indeed, I have received seven messages from differentmunication frequencies within five days, most of which are invitations for Mr. Stark to meet at some military base."


    "What''s Stark''s attitude?"


    "I cannot know, nor can I reveal it."


    Schiller said, "The military has no bargaining chips now, and these invitations are just probes because they know that even if they call Stark over, they don''t have enough bargaining chips to get what they want."


    "If that''s the case, let''s give the military a bargaining chip..."


    Peter was a little dizzy listening to this. He was not interested in this kind of thing, but he tried to think about it and said, "What does this have to do with stopping that n?"


    "Wasn''t that n made by the military''s high level?"


    "Yes, ording to Dr. Connors'' information, there is a faction in the military high level called Talto. They seem to be a political alliance, led by a General named Robert. These people are different from traditional old-school officers. They believe that the future war will be a war between superhumans, so they have always wanted the military to invest more in the training of super soldiers..."


    "It was them who came up with that terrible Desperate n, experimenting on some disabled soldiers..."


    As Peter spoke, he began to feel a little nauseous. If this n was just a regr surgical operation, it would be okay, but unfortunately, it was a chemical modification n, and the disabled soldiers who received injections could be anything. It was simply an unprecedented shock to Peter''s worldview.


    He couldn''t understand how there could be such devils in this world, turning theirpatriots into that kind of thing.


    And they were all soldiers who should have beenrades.


    For the first time, Peter realized that even within the same group, the exploitation of the upper ss towards the lower ss was endless. After squeezing out all their value, they still would not let go. There are devils in this world who only care about their own interests.


    "I think the officers of this Talto faction should also be the ones who want to obtain Mech armor technology, right? After all, the other old generals probably prefer to have more missiles or something."


    "I want to guide Stark to meet with these people. Of course, Stark will not be willing to meet them, but if the military insists strongly enough, Stark will be annoyed and should be able to deal with it..." Schiller rubbed his chin and said.


    "Technically, it should be like this," Peter said. "But what''s the benefit of bringing Mr. Stark and them together? Mr. Stark wouldn''t kill anyone, would he? Besides, Mr. Stark is drunk now, and we can''t tell him about this n. Even if we did, Mr. Stark couldn''t just kill so many people at the military base, right?"


    "Indeed, Stark isn''t capable of it. Even if he knew about this n, he wouldn''t resort to violence and directly kill those behind the scenes. He''s not that kind of person."


    "But we don''t have to worry about the process. As long as the result is right, it''s okay."


    "What do you n to do?"


    "You don''t need to know yet. Come, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and feel every sense organ in your body from top to bottom."


    Soon, Peter slowly rxed and fell asleep.


    The next day, when he went downstairs, he found Schiller tinkering with an injection syringe. Peter was curious and wanted to go closer, but suddenly, his spider sense rang out. Peter stepped back and said, "What are you doing? This thing seems dangerous..."


    "It is indeed dangerous, butter I''ll need you to transport it."


    "Where to?"


    "Dr. Connors is at the Stark Towerboratory. J.A.R.V.I.S told me that the military personnel wille to receive the remaining results of the medical cooperation project today, and this will be one of the results."


    "Of course, before that, you need to fabricate an experimental report to cover it up."


    "Um...fabricate? What about the original experimental report for this thing?"


    "It went into a mental hospital with its inventor."


    Peter pursed his lips and said, "So you''re saying this is actually a product with no records? "


    "But it works well, and that''s all that matters."


    "So what should the experimental report say?"


    "You need to describe it as a medicine that stimtes the nerves and activates brain activity."


    "If it''s not doing that, then what is it actually used for?"


    "It is actually used for that, but it has some significant side effects. However, it doesn''t matter, as no one would actually use it. It''s just used to give a small stimtion to an alien creature..."


    Peter was a bit confused, as he couldn''t understand the mention of an alien creature. He took Schiller''s words as a metaphor he didn''t understand and skipped over it.


    But in fact, Schiller was telling the truth, because the injection syringe contained highly concentrated Fear toxin.

 Chapter 91: Bad Story (3)

    Chapter 91: Bad Story (3)


    All coincidences in this world actually contain inevitability behind them. The thing that can stimte an extraterrestrial race that no one has ever understood before is, of course, the result of countless experiments conducted by another host of this extraterrestrial race.


    The syringe that drove Venom crazy is, of course, not just a coincidence. Only criminals can defeat criminals, and only symbiotes can defeat symbiotes.


    After using the fear toxin, Schiller confirmed that highly concentrated fear toxin can greatly stimte the emotion-eating race of symbiotes. ording to Gray Mist himself, because his physique is quite special and is a special species among symbiotes, he has a higher immunity to fear gas. However, other symbiotes cannot resist this kind of stimtion.


    Symbiotes feed on emotions, which is a hunting instinct that is engraved in their genes and cannot be changed. The fear gas can instantly make this instinct skyrocket to its peak. Even Gray Mist, who is under system control, has a tendency to be addicted to this highly stimting gas.


    For other symbiotes, this is not just about alcohol, but more like a junkie who is about to go crazy, encountering a small pill that can make him swallow it. No symbiote can resist this kind of stimtion.


    Although symbiotes are notpletely evil races, they cannot hide the barbaric habits inherent in them as a first-generation primitive race. Or to put it another way, when Knull created them, he himself had a chaotic will.


    Schiller knows that Venom may have already turned around Deadpool by now. With Deadpool''s character, does he know what the rules are?


    Therefore, once Venom is stimted to go crazy, none of the officers who invited Stark over should expect to survive.


    So when he heard from Coulson''s call that only Robert had died, Schiller was still surprised. It seems that Stark''s will is stronger than he imagined, and he actually controlled Venom in an instant, not allowing him to go on a killing spree. It''s really a pity.Soon, Coulson himself hurried over and said, "That ck monster went to the streets of Brooklyn, and Captain has gone to stop him. What the hell is going on? Why did Stark suddenly go crazy? Why did he eat human heads? What is that ck thing? Did he develop a new Mech armor?"


    "I don''t know," Schiller said, shrugging.


    At this time, Nick Fury''s voice came from Coulson''s walkie-talkie, "Why did Stark suddenly go crazy?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Aren''t you a psychologist?"


    "I''m a doctor, not God."


    "Was there no sign of it before?"


    Schiller pretended to think for a moment and said, "Now that you mention it, there was. Thest time I gave him a psychological therapy session, he imed to have developed a second personality. That personality said it was an alien symbiote, and I thought it was just due to his high level of stress. I gave him rxation therapy, but it didn''t seem to be effective."


    "Symbiote? What''s that? What else did he tell you?"


    "He said it was some sort of extraterrestrial race, ck and gooey in appearance. He said this race has a strong learning ability and can even ess the host''s memories. Stark said he taught the symbiote a bit about Mech armor, and it immediately understood everything..."


    "Are you saying that this symbiote has Stark''s memories and abilities??? And can create Mech armor like Stark??"


    Then Schiller heard a chaotic noise from Nick''s end of the line and heard Nick shout, "Stop all ns that involve heavy weapons!!! Don''t stimte Stark!!! What? The military is preparing tounch a missile? Damn it! That''s SHIELD''s property! Go tell those idiots!!! The alien symbiote on Stark was lost by SHIELD!!!"


    "I don''t care if he has a file or not! Go create one for him now! All unidentified beings in New York are SHIELD''s responsibility! Any questions?"


    "What''s the big deal if a Lieutenant General died? This is an alien invasion! Only one Lieutenant General died, and I consider him a martyr for his country! I''ll pay for his funeral expenses! Quickly make them stop! If Stark is harmed, I''ll swallow their entire military budget!!!" (XD)


    After hanging up the phone and walking away, Schiller said to Peter, "So that General Robert is dead? How did he die? What happened exactly? And what''s wrong with Mr. Stark?"


    "It''s nothing, but I think you have work to do now."


    After saying that, Schiller picked up the phone and called Steve. Steve''s end was also chaotic, with Captain America shouting, "What''s going on? Why is Tony Stark Jr. going crazy? He''s running around in Brooklyn in that ck Mech armor. Oh my god, father and son have never given anyone peace of mind..."


    "Captain, I remember you said you''ve always wanted to beat up Tony Stark Jr. but never had the chance. Well, the opportunity hase."


    "What do you mean?"


    "In simple terms, the current Stark is not Stark. Stark is now being parasitized by an alien creature that escaped from SHIELD. This alien creature constantly stimtes negative emotions in humans. You know, a few days ago Stark was pushed to a dead end by the military, and this alien creature bit off the head of a General. Stark must be feeling great now, after all, he had a grudge against those people for a long time..."


    "This emotion is being manipted by the symbiote, so now Stark is extremely inted..."


    "Well, you don''t have to exin it soplicated. Just tell me, if I go beat him up now, I''m actually helping him get rid of the control of that alien creature, right?"


    "Yes, that would be a good thing. You can''t just sit by and watch your nephew being controlled by such an evil creature, right? He should thank you!"


    As Schiller finished speaking, there was a muffled sound of a shield hitting from the other side, and Steve yelled, "Look here! I''m your uncle, no, not yours, that kid named Tony''s!"


    Schiller hung up the phone and looked at Peter, saying, "Now you have two choices..."


    "I choose to help Captain." Peter said very decisively.


    "Don''t you want to consider it? Stark has been good to you, right?"


    "But I feel like I also have an obligation to help Mr. Stark get rid of the control of that evil alien creature." Peter said obediently.


    "Well then, they are on the easternmost street in Brooklyn. Ready to go, good neighbor Spider-Man."


    It didn''t take long for SHIELD and the military to realize the amount of destruction that three superheroes fighting together could cause.


    Although Peter said so, he didn''t dare to use excessive force. He mostly used his spider web to interfere with Venom''sbat suit''s movements. But Steve was not polite at all, one shield after another, knocking the Stark in the Venombat suit dizzy.


    Stark didn''t lose control for no reason. After Venom grabbed the box, it swallowed the fear gas inside in one gulp.


    After Venom got high, Stark couldn''t control him at all. In simple terms, it was like an alien creature was going crazy with alcohol. Although his host was trying hard to control him, it was difficult to stop a drunkard from going wild even from the outside, let alone from the inside.


    Stark could only do his best to drag Venom to a less crowded street. If he really went crazy in Brooklyn, the most densely popted area, there would be countless injuries.


    But it was already good enough if Stark could barely control Venom''s direction of movement. It was impossible to expect him to retract back into his host.


    Although Captain America was beating up Stark, he and Spider-Man didn''t have too much killing power. The military directly called in several armed helicopters, and therge-caliber machine guns kept firing at Stark, clearly trying to kill him. Sometimes even grenades flew over, and Steve had to help Stark block them. They tangled with each other for a long time without a clear winner.


    At this moment, Schiller arrived at the rooftop of the nearest building and then pulled out a strangely shaped speaker from somewhere. He said on the phone, "J.A.R.V.I.S, are you sure your emergency wake-up device can reach the decibels you mentioned?"


    "Actually, sir, it can be even higher."


    "No, it''s not necessary. Didn''t you use this sound wave to drive out the symbiote from Stark''s body before?"


    "Yes, based on the symbiote''s reaction at the time, I confirmed that this would be an effective action."


    "Okay, I''ll leave first. When I signal you, you activate the emergency wake-up measures directly."


    Schiller disappeared in an instant. He had to stay far away because even the mist was afraid of this thing.


    After a while, Stark in a huge ckbat suit fell to the ground on this street, and several armed helicopters behind him took turns firing, causing stones to fly around. Captain America and Spider-Man followed closely, trying their best to subdue this big guy.


    Before Stark could jump away from this street, a huge music sound came from the rooftop. To be honest, it couldn''t be considered music anymore; it was a sonic weapon.


    The entire ground was shaking, and the ck monster in the middle of the road began to tremble crazily. Then in an instant, Stark let out a violent scream, fell to the ground, and returned to his human form. The ck shadow shed and disappeared.


    The surrounding armed forces immediately surrounded him, but Peter was faster than them and directly pulled Stark away. When SHIELD arrived, both Stark and the alien creature were gone.


    The military personnel realized that SHIELD was involved when they saw them. Could all of this be a conspiracy by SHIELD?


    As everyone knew, SHIELD and the military were at odds, and Robert had publicly used Nick several times. Could this be a assassination attempt against General Robert nned by this cunning SHIELD director?


    Nick didn''t respond to this, but he thought it was very likely that the military had taken away the alien creature. He had to force them to hand it over. He couldn''t let them discover that the alien creature had Stark''s memories and abilities, otherwise, the military''s expansion would bepletely uncontroble.


    When he heard that this thing was from SHIELD and had even killed one of their generals, the military naturally wouldn''t give it up. They wanted an exnation from SHIELD, but Nick didn''t respond at all to protect the secret of the alien creature. The two sides began to confront each other, and neither was willing to back down.


    Meanwhile, Schiller was standing in a hospital room at the Presbyterian Hospital, with a tired-looking Strange with two big dark circles next to him. Schiller said to Dr. Connors who had just awakened, "Doctor, good news."


    "... I''m not dead yet? That''s good news..."


    "No, there''s even better news. You''re not dead, but General Robert is."


    "...?"


    On the other side, Peter brought Stark to the rooftop of Stark Tower. Stark was still a bit confused. After all, Venom was knocked out all of a sudden, and Stark didn''t know what had happened.


    There was a light sound behind him, and Stark saw Schiller appear behind him, holding a ss jar with a ck sticky substance inside.


    "So, this is what he looks like."


    "Indeed, a lump of mud, just like you when you''re drunk."


    Stark lit a cigarette and asked, "So, what is that syringe? Why did it make him go crazy immediately?"


    "You noticed?"


    "Of course, if you use your brain, there''s no coincidence in this world that the military just happened to develop a medicine that can stimte an alien creature from who knows which gxy..."


    "That general didn''t lie to you. This thing can indeed stimte the human brain."


    "Then..."


    Before he could finish, Schiller shook his head and said, "It''s unlikely. Odadiah''s situation is tooplicated, and this thing has strong side effects. Your uncle is too old to withstand this kind of stimtion."


    Stark looked disappointed.


    "But it''s not necessarily impossible," another voice spoke up. Dr. Connors walked out from the door of the rooftop and said, "I can extract the beneficial part of this peculiar medicine for humans, perhaps turning it into a treatment for neurological diseases..."


    "What''s going on?" Stark asked.


    Dr. Connors stood in front of him and said, "I have to admit, the media''s reports about you were wrong. Although you''re a jerk, you at least have a sense of justice. I apologize for the damage I caused at Stark Tower."


    Stark was taken aback, about to ask something, but Schiller said, "Stop wasting time here,e to my ce to talk. You''ll find out how fascinating this story is."


    After the sun gradually set, the lights on the streets of Hell''s Kitchen also faded. In the Psychological Clinic, Dr. Connors and Peter went upstairs to rest, while Stark, who had listened to the story, felt drowsy.


    "So now you know, it was the symbiote that killed, and the victims deserved it."


    "Are you worried that I''ll feel guilty and conflicted about it? No, I won''t. I only regret not letting the mud chew a few more times."


    "How does it feel to be rid of the mud?"


    Stark fell silent, he slowly closed his eyes.


    Perhaps geniuses are always lonely, but he didn''t want to admit that he had be so pitiful that he longed for the feeling of being understood and apanied by a creature that he knew was not trustworthy.


    "A fascinating story?" Stark muttered softly, "No... no, a terrible story, terrible to the core."


    He thought that there wasn''t even a wless hero in this non-traditional story, a trouble caused by a pile of mud, involving a group of wed people.


    But it was this terrible story that gave him a good night''s sleep, something he hadn''t had for many days, or even many years.


    A few dayster, in the early morning light, Schiller, who had just woken up, opened the cap of the ss jar and threw in a chocte ball.


    The pile of ck mud immediately enveloped the chocte ball, then suddenly froze. Afterwards, the ck mud twisted its liquid body and emitted a series of pleasurable brainwaves.


    On the bedside table, a gold and red candy wrapper shimmered in the glow of the setting sun.

 Chapter 92: Little Spiders Great Wisdom (1)

    Chapter 92: Little Spiders Great Wisdom (1)


    "Hello, Dr. Yinsen. This is Dr. Connors. You two will have a lot inmon," Schiller introduced Yinsen to Connors.


    "Hello," Yinsen shook hands with Connors, and Schiller continued, "I remember you both had teaching experience at the University of California, right?"


    "Oh, yes, that''s right," Yinsen said. "I taught physics at the University of California for half a year. That was a few years ago."


    "I did the same, except I was a visiting professor, so my teaching time was shorter. And you know, back then, biology wasn''t given much attention..."


    "Do you remember those hooligans who caused a big scene at that graduation party?"


    "Oh! You mean the Onion Club people? Of course, I remember. Those sheep ran wild in the school for three or four days. I heard they even kicked Professor Frank''s butt. Hahahaha..."


    The group chatted for a while, and Schiller subtly guided the conversation. Soon, Yinsen said with some emotion, "That was really a close call, wasn''t it?"


    "...They didn''t have such advanced methods of handling corpses, and I went into shock. They just casually threw me into the corpse pit. Fortunately, a kind-hearted corpse collector found me and realized I was still alive. He dragged me out, and then Stark sent someone to look for my body, intending to bury me. But then they found out I wasn''t dead..."


    "Thanks to him, that ce was short on medical care and supplies. If Stark hadn''t sent someone back to find me, I probably wouldn''t have lived for two more days."Dr. Connors shook his head and said, "Why did a good professor like you go there? Afghanistan is just a graveyard. Even if the regr army goes in, they won''t get a good oue."


    Yinsen sighed and said, "It was originally ssified, but there''s nothing to hide now. It''s rted to a military n."


    Connor tightened his fingers and nced at Schiller. They exchanged a look, and then Schiller coughed and said, "It''s funny, we''ve also recently discovered a military n for human experiments..."


    "That''s not important," Yinsen interrupted. "I did everything I could to stop the inhumane things going on there. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been left stranded in that godforsaken ce."


    The group continued chatting, and Schiller gradually learned from Yinsen the whole story of how he narrowly survived. Yinsen was a physicist who was supposed to conduct a secret experiment in Afghanistan under military escort. But something went wrong in the experiment, and Yinsen seemed to have sabotaged it to prevent certain aspects from seeding. When the military evacuated, he was left behind in Afghanistan and was subsequently captured by the group that tried to capture Iron Man.


    The group wanted Yinsen, a physicist with a PhD, to manufacture weapons for them. This led to the plot of the first Iron Man movie, but in this version, Yinsen didn''t die and managed to escape.


    This exined a question that had been on Schiller''s mind. ording to the original story, Stark was strongly determined to shut down the weapons manufacturing department, but the Stark that Schiller met was easily persuaded to change his mind with only a few words. Schiller knew he was just a psychologist, not God, and wondered how Stark could change his mind so easily.


    In fact, it was because the death of Dr. Yinsen was a key point missing from the stimuli that affected Stark. So even though Stark reflected on the fact that manufacturing weapons could harm more people, he wasn''t as paranoid as in the original story. This is what caused Schiller to only need to persuade him a little, and he changed his mind. Otherwise, no matter how much anyone talked, Stark wouldn''t have turned around.


    Schiller briefly introduced Yinsen to the recent events surrounding Stark, and Yinsen was a little sad but ultimately said, "Regardless, his uncle who grew up with him didn''t die. He''s not alone. He still has family, and that''s a good thing. People need something to hold onto, or they''ll fall into despair and can''t turn back."


    Three people were chatting in the Psychological Clinic. They actually had a lot inmon, as their education levels were simr and they had many simr experiences.


    In fact, if you count, all three of them were alumni. Dr. Connors had three Doctor degrees, Yinsen and Schiller had two each, and they had all taught at many different schools, some of which ovepped. When they talked about these experiences, they always had a lot to talk about.


    After a while, the door of the clinic gently opened, and Peter walked in with a backpack on his back. As soon as he entered, he was overwhelmed by the aura of the academic geniuses in the room. He said, "Uh, am I not here at the right time? Then I''lle backter..."


    Before he could slip away, Dr. Connors stood up, grabbed him, and walked over, saying, "Look, look at this genius kid, Yinsen, this is Peter, still in high school, but he did outstandingly well during his internship in myboratory, even better than some of the graduate students I''ve taught."


    "Peter, this is Dr. Yinsen..."


    While Peter was greeting, Steve also walked in with a hotdog in his hand. He hadn''t met Connors before, so Schiller introduced him, "This is Dr. Connors, a Doctor in medicine, pharmacology, and biology. Dr. Yinsen is a Doctor in mathematics and physics, and as for me, you should already know, a Doctor in psychology and philosophy."


    Steve opened his mouth, nudged Peter''s arm with his elbow, and said, "So now there are a total of 7 Doctors in the room, right?"


    "We only have 5 people in total."


    "Let''s average it out, each of us still has more than one." Steve winked at Peter, and Peter also smiled. He whispered, "In the future, I''m also going to get 2, no, 3 Doctor degrees, so the 5 of us will have a total of 10 Doctors, averaging two per person."


    "I''m also a double Doctor now, thank you so much," they said,ughing together.


    As they sat down, like most of their conversations, the topic eventually turned to the youngest person there, Peter. Yinsen asked him, "Have you thought about your future career path? Which university are you nning to apply to?"


    "I haven''t really thought about it," Peter said shyly. "Although my grades are good, I don''t have much confidence in applying to those top universities, considering how many people with good grades there are..."


    "Don''t worry, we can write you a rmendation letter. But of course, you also have to work hard. Even if you can get into a good university, graduating is still a challenge."


    "You guys are underestimating him," Dr. Connors said. "When he interned with me, he showed talent that was definitely among the best. I think he could even go straight to graduate school now."


    "Oh, don''t say that! Doctor, I still have a long way to go," Peter protested.


    Dr. Connors noticed Peter''sck of confidence. He wasn''t just being humble; he really didn''t believe in himself.


    He gave Schiller a look, and they went to the rooftop to smoke a cigarette. Schiller said, "Peter''s family background wasn''t good before, and he was also ostracized in school. Even though his grades are good, he has to worry about university tuition fees every day. His uncle is a good man, but not particrly skilled..."


    "I know, it''s the same old story. I''ve seen many students like him, and most of themck confidence."


    "Peter''s problem is even more serious. You know he''s Spider-Man, and he has put all his expectations of achieving his life''s value on his superhero identity. We''re trying to correct him and encourage him to embrace his Peter Parker identity, but you know, when you suddenly have such strong power and can use it to help others, of course he''s going to do that."


    Schiller said, "You can''t tell people in this age group too many big truths, or try to use professional knowledge to make them understand the bnce between two identities. Their self-control isn''t that strong. Whichever identity gives them a greater sense of achievement, they will rely more on that identity."


    "It''s such a shame. I don''t want him to be someone who just roams around and fights with those street thugs. His talent is quite strong, and his mind is also clever. He can achieve greater things."


    As he was speaking, Schiller noticed a wisp of cigarette smoke rising from the sky, followed by a tall figure appearing. Schiller narrowed his eyes to take a closer look and realized that it seemed to be a monster.


    Schiller extinguished the cigarette, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it before saying, "Let''s go back. Something''s happened."


    As soon as he reached downstairs, Stark''s phone rang, "A monster has appeared in the East District. Go ask Dr. Connors if he has any leads."


    "Dr. Connors? Why ask Dr. Connors?"


    "Because this monster looks like a lizard, and I think it''s the same species as a lizard, right?"


    At this moment, Dr. Connors also saw the scene in the distance with a telescope. The monster jumping around in the city was a fire-red-skinned monster, unlike ordinary lizards. It looked more like a monitor lizard, with spines on its arms and head, rougher skin, andyers of throat pouches under its neck.


    Dr. Connors cursed, put down the telescope, picked up his coat, and was about to leave. Peter went up to him and said, "Doctor! Where are you going?"


    "To theboratory at Stark Tower. Oh, by the way, Schiller! Have him grant me ess. This is likely a product of the military project, and I need to find a way to deal with this trouble."


    "No, it''s not possible. From here to Stark Tower, we might have to pass through the affected area. You''re just an ordinary person. Let me take you there."


    "How are you going to take me there? Do you want me to fly in the air like you? That stupid monster will definitely chase after us and bite us."


    Connors put on his coat and walked briskly out of the clinic''s gate, with Peter following behind. Connors walked to his car and said, "Let''s go, get in the car."


    Peter sat directly in the passenger seat.


    However, he soon regretted it because he forgot that Dr. Connors, like Steve, was a veteran.


    By the time the car arrived at the entrance of Stark Tower, Peter was crouched on the ground, holding onto the bumper, almost throwing up.


    The destruction caused by the monster not only affected them, but they couldn''t even see their taillights.


    Dr. Connors said, "When I had both my hands intact, I could drive a car for over ten kilometers even under the bombing of six bombers. He still has a long way to go."


    After he finished speaking, a thumb slowly extended from the front of the car''s engine.

 Chapter 93: Little Spiders Great Wisdom (2)

    Chapter 93: Little Spiders Great Wisdom (2)


    Entering Stark Tower, Connors still walked quickly with Peter following behind him. He said, "Alright, Doctor, I have safely delivered you to Stark Tower, there shouldn''t be any danger here. I have to go now, I have things to do..."


    "You have things to do? Of course, you do! What, are you going to put on that weird tight suit and go wandering around again?"


    "I''m not wandering around, that monster is causing destruction in the city, I have to go stop him..."


    "But didn''t Stark already go there? Do you think he can''t handle the monster?"


    "Well, not exactly, but he could use some help, right?"


    "I also need help. Put down your backpack, put on the fullb coat, and let''s go into theboratory. We need to solve this problem, and it all starts with the serum."


    "But I need to join the fight. I can''t just be a deserter, can I?"


    Dr. Connors stopped and turned to Peter, cing his hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes. "The battlefield isn''t always where you think it is," he said.


    He pointed his finger outside the window and continued, "The most important lesson I learned during my military career is that not only ces with gunfire are battlefields. Sometimes, right here..." Dr. Connors pointed to the ground beneath them, "is a more important battlefield than over there.""You have to understand that throwing a punch is not necessarily nobler than using your brain. You have to realize that even if you beat up that monster, he won''t turn into a do-gooder. The military won''t stop their evil experiments. To solve everything fundamentally, strength alone is not enough, you must use your brain."


    "But how do I do that? I don''t understand..."


    Peter took the initiative to follow behind Connors and continued walking forward, saying, "I''ve always done this, stopping those bad guys frommitting crimes. What''s wrong with that?"


    "It''s not wrong, but I think you can always do better."


    "Peter, maybe your mutation, the sudden acquisition of strong power, makes you feel like you''ve gone from weak to strong, and that you can change the world with this change."


    "But in reality, even without this mutation, you can still do it."


    "Haven''t you realized it yet? You''re a genius. Even if you don''t have these powerful abilities or physical strength, even if you just go to college and graduate school step by step, you can change the world someday."


    "Your mutation just speeds up this process, but it''s not everything. You have to break free from that inted emotion and think about who you really are."


    "Who am I? I''m Spider-Man..."


    "That''s right, but you''re also Peter Parker."


    Dr. Connors walked in and pointed to the experimental table, "Look, this is also your battlefield. Here, you can do better than Spider-Man. You can also change the world here."


    Peter stood at the door, tiptoed and rubbed his hands, saying, "Really? But no one has ever said this to me. They all think I have poor physical strength, am not good at sports, and always stay alone. I''m a weirdo who doesn''t fit in."


    "Do the people who gave you these evaluations have three Doctor degrees?"


    "Uh, they''re just some high school students, of course not."


    "Then who do you think you should believe?"


    Peter hesitated.


    After a while, he said, "Okay."


    Connor''s affirmation gave him a lot of courage. He rubbed his wrists and said, "Then I''ll give it a try. Today, I won''t be Spider-Man, let Spider-Man take a day off. We''ll stay here... and do it like this..."


    Connor sorted out the materials while saying, "That''s right. In the future, he''ll have more days off. New York doesn''tck a superhero flying around in the sky, but this world alwayscks a Nobel Prize candidate."


    "I think Peter Parker deserves a break too. I really enjoy swinging around over New York." Peter shrugged, feeling relieved.


    It was the first time someone had told him that Peter Parker was more important than Spider-Man.


    Originally, all the confidence he had came from being Spider-Man with strong powers. After all, he had faced a lot of discrimination in school before, and being Spider-Man, who could help others with his strong powers, helped him find the meaning of his life.


    But he thought Dr. Connors made a lot of sense. The people who didn''t believe in him or excluded him were just a group of high school students who hadn''t gone to college yet, but the people who affirmed him with the title of Doctor, adding up to seven or eight in total, and Peter wasn''t stupid. Whenpared, of course, the testimony of these few people was more credible.


    He originally knew that his brain was very capable and he didn''t need to study hard to achieve good grades.


    But he had never thought about what changes he could bring to this world with his brain.


    That''s also why he was so excited after gaining the spider mutation powers. He thought he had changed from a weakling to a strong person, without realizing that he wasn''t a weakling to begin with.


    In fact, Peter had more strengths. Even if he didn''t have such a smart brain and powerful abilities, his kindness and determination were enough for him to achieve a decent achievement in the ordinary world.


    Children at this age are always full of fantasies about the future, but also hesitant. However, when someone gives them a very affirmative answer, and the person giving them the answer has achieved top achievements in their respective fields, Peter still believed.


    On the other side, Stark, who had already arrived at the battlefield, also encountered some trouble. This red-maned lizard, whom Stark called "Redmane," was even more troublesome than Lizard Man.


    Firstly, he wasrger than Lizard Man, with a size of more than 10 meters, already as tall as a building.


    Secondly, he was incredibly strong, able to easily knock down a building with just one punch. What''s more terrifying is that he seemed to be in a state of rage, almost without any sense, only charging straight ahead.


    Originally, Stark liked to deal with brainless enemies like this because J.A.R.V.I.S''s intelligent calction could win in tactics, making it easier for Stark to win.


    However, this red-maned lizard, although irrational, due to his massive size and immense strength, was still deadly, even with just a single charge or punch.


    Moreover, Lizard Man had only recently appeared, and upgrading Stark''s suit would take time. He had juste up with some ideas to deal withrge monsters, but before he could put them into practice, another behemoth had appeared. This made Stark a little frustrated since his current lightweight Mech armor was not very useful against this type of enemy.


    While Stark was thinking about tactics, a shiny shield flew in and hit the monster''s forehead, causing it to stumble.


    When Stark saw Steve, his face turned ck. He had not forgotten when Steve used the pretext of expelling Venom to beat him up, and afterward, he still refused to admit it, insisting it was for his own good.


    Stark hated it when someone talked to him like an elder, hated it even more when someone beat him up and then talked to him like that, and hated it even more when someone could beat up a tougher enemy after beating him up, making him look useless.


    Steve took back his shield, jumped onto the monster''s neck, and gave it two hard punches. The brain is an important organ of any creature. After being hit twice like that, the monster was stunned for a moment. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Steve threw his shield at the monster''s right leg, causing it to scream in pain and temporarily pull back its leg. Then Steve hit it from the side, making the monster fall to the ground.


    "Thank you, Tony. I haven''t dealt with such a big creature like this before. You''ve given me a lot of experience," said Steve.


    J.A.R.V.I.S. in Stark''s Mech armor said, "I have detected an increased heart rate and high blood pressure. Please calm down and take deep breaths."


    Stark said, "Activate the hive n, now! Immediately!"


    "Are you sure you want to remove all safety locks and..." J.A.R.V.I.S. asked.


    "I''m sure! Activate it now!!"


    In the midst of the fight, Steve looked up and saw Stark raising his arm in the air. He waved his hand, and suddenly, countless sonic booms could be heard. Dozens, even hundreds, of Mech armors appeared in the sky and descended onto the battlefield.


    "Get out of the way, old-timer!" said Stark.


    Instantly, a Mech armor swooped down and exploded, causing the Red Lizard to stumble back. Steve, holding his shield, was thrown back as well. He waved his fist and said, "Stop firing at allies. You must have done it on purpose!"


    Stark smiled and said, "You''ve misunderstood. I''m only doing this for your own good."


    Stark waved his hand again, and more than a dozen Mech armors flew over and surrounded the monster, creating an electric grid between them. After a burst of intense shing, the monster let out a terrible scream and copsed to the ground.


    Stark said, "This move is indeed impressive, but I think there''s still room for improvement. By the way, don''t record where the inspiration for this move came from. That yellow-haired rodent called Pikachu electrocuted my Mech armor, and I haven''t made him paypensation yet."


    Although the monster fell temporarily, it soon got up again. Stark said with a headache, "He must be rted to that big lizard. What''s with their supernatural healing abilities?"


    Indeed, the burn scars caused by the electric shock had fully healed within a few minutes, and the monster''s stamina seemed to be recovering quickly as well. Just after being beaten up by Captain America, it quickly jumped up and started causing more damage.


    Although the two of them had enough attack power, without Spider-Man, theycked a means of control. Spider-Man''s spider web could easily make these giant monsters lose their bnce or trip over. Just as Stark was about to make a call, he received a message from J.A.R.V.I.S, saying that Peter was currently conducting an experiment with Dr. Connors.


    He hung up without saying anything.


    As the battle became more and more intense, a red and blue figure suddenly appeared in the sky above the city. Peter quickly flew over and kicked the monster in the back, knocking it down.


    He was holding a box, and he threw it to Stark, saying, "This is the antidote. Inject all five doses, and the world will be at peace."


    Stark threw the box to a nearby Mech armor and said as he flew, "Is this your research achievement?"


    "No, it''s mainly Dr. Connors'' work. I''m just helping out."


    "Then it''s your research achievement."


    As he spoke, the Mech armor opened the box and took out a syringe, distributing the medicine to the other Mech armors while Steve kept the monster distracted. Theyunched a surprise attack from behind and injected the medicine.


    The monster began to scream uncontrobly and thrashed its arms around, but after a while, its body began to shrink, quickly returning to the size of an ordinary human.


    Stark saw the person lying on the ground without arms and sighed. He said to J.A.R.V.I.S., "Send a Mech armor to take him away. If anyone asks, say he was blown to pieces."


    He flew over to Spider-Man standing on the rooftop, and stood beside him. He asked, "How does it feel to save the world, Peter Parker?"


    "Feels great, I mean... amazing!" Peter took a deep breath, as if he had suddenly released a burden.


    For the first time, he had confidence in his true identity, a confidence that did note from the strong powers granted to him by the spider mutation, but from Peter Parker''s personality.


    He had wondered before, what if his spider mutation was just a dream, and if his powers disappeared the next day, what would he do?


    In fact, he had many days when he lived in doubt and fear, afraid of losing this identity, feeling that the world could not be without Spider-Man.


    But today, for the first time, Peter felt that perhaps the world not only needed Spider-Man, but also needed Peter Parker, needed him, needed the ordinary him without special powers.


    "Wisdom is the greatest wealth of humanity." Stark didn''t look at him, but looked ahead and said, "Don''t set your goal as just being a street hero, the path of wisdom is endless."


    Peter smiled, took off his mask, as if breaking free from shackles.


    His hair danced in the breeze, and he saw the magnificent clouds at the end of the sky, and the fading brilliance of the setting sun disappearing below the horizon.


    He saw, a door to a new world.

 Chapter 94: A Little Expert Who Gets Rich

    Chapter 94: A Little Expert Who Gets Rich


    Natasha hurriedly rushed into the Psychological Clinic, speaking quickly on the phone while telling Schiller, "Give me 30 reports...no, no, make it 50 reports, 50 psychological diagnosis certificates."


    Schiller was writing something at the counter, he didn''t even look up, he just lifted an eyelid and asked, "What symptoms do you need?"


    "Post-traumatic stress disorder, or something like that? I forgot, anyway it''s the disease that people get after fighting in a war. I need 50 copies."


    "Handwriting won''t be possible in time, we can only generate electronic reports. What about the list of names?"


    Natasha picked up another mobile phone in her hand and said, "Send the list of names to my mobile phone immediately. Forget it, I''ll give you an address, you can fax it over."


    Meanwhile, Peter walked out with a stack of papers and said, "Doctor, I don''t understand this expense reimbursement form. Even if the monster didn''t reach us, we have to report the loss of dishwashing sponges. Isn''t this a bit..."


    Dr. Connors was also on the phone, saying, "Yes, the R&D cost for that healing medicine is expensive because...because the ingredients are expensive. Just tell them that, they won''t understand anyway."


    "We used at least dozens of rare elements in this, which ones? Look it up in the periodic table yourself, the expensive ones are the ones we used."


    Stark handed a paper to Natasha and said, "This is the electricity bill for Stark Tower. Connors and Peter conducted 1 hour and 43 minutes of experiments in my high-endboratory. The average cost per minute of electricity is $56,000. Plus, there''s the cost of wear and tear on the equipment. Oh, and because Peter used too much force, he also destroyed a piece of equipment worth over $1 million, which is included in the loss..."Natasha took the paper and didn''t even look at it. She picked up another phone and said, "Can you give me the casualty count? How many do you think is appropriate? We have 32 field agents currently stationed in New York, why don''t we just let them all die, andpensate their families with $500,000 each..."


    "What? You want to be bolder? How many agents are there on the entire East Coast? Nationwide? Isn''t this a bit too much? Letting a single monster kill all of our agents across the country would make us look useless, wouldn''t it?"


    Afterwards, she hung up the phone and asked Peter, "Do you still have any of that Medicine left?"


    "We have two more doses, but if you need more, we can make some more."


    "Nick wants more, you know, military has created such a dangerous monster, so it''s reasonable for them to buy more of this medicine as a preventive measure, right?"


    "How much does he want?" Dr. Connors asked.


    Natasha talked on the phone again and said, "200, can you provide that?"


    Peter sprayed water out of his mouth and said, "That serum was made from lizard serum. There were only seven in total, and Dr. Connors worked on them for months..."


    "Nick will sell them one for 3 million," Natasha said.


    Dr. Connors immediately put on his coat and said, "Let''s go, Peter." (XD)


    Then he turned to Natasha and said, "Wait for us, we''ll deliver the 200 medicines to you in no more than two days."


    When Peter was pulled away, Schiller took the expense reimbursement form from his hand and said, "Peter is still too naive. Four dishwashing sponges? How long can thatst? Let''s get 4000 of them first."


    Pikachu jumped onto the table and said, "Add two cans of peanut butter for me. Oh no, it''s 2000 cans of peanut butter. That monster is too scary. I suffered heavy losses on my peanut butter!"


    Schiller wrote and drew on the form and said, "Okay, that''s about it. By the way, you said I could get a few points, right?"


    "You get 20% of each report, and you get 30% of this expense reimbursement application."


    "Hold on, is 50 reports enough? I think the battle was really intense this time, and SHIELD agents risked their lives. There should be many after-effects. Let''s start with 300, all handwritten and signed, and give me an extra 10%. How about that?"


    Steve stood in the center of the room, hugging his arms, and said, "I know the world has changed, I know I''m old, but it hasn''t changed that much, has it?"


    "We didn''t take down that monster in just a few moves? Did it really smash the entire back kitchen of the New York restaurant with $4,000 dishwashing sponges?"


    Hearing Natasha throw around such exaggerated numbers for the damages, Steve said, "I know Nick was trying to secure more funding, but the military isn''t foolish. Can''t they see how much we lost?"


    "That''s not important, Captain," Natasha waved her hand and said, "We are the victims. Whatever we say we lost, that''s how much we lost."


    Before Steve could respond, Coulson burst in, holding a pen and paper, and pulled Steve onto the sofa, starting to interview him.


    "What''s this for? Why are you interviewing me?"


    "So you won''t have to write a mission report, Captain."


    "Well, alright..."


    "How was the process of defeating this monster? Was it smooth?"


    "Uh, there were some hups, but overall it went smoothly."


    "Can you borate on the parts with hups?"


    "The power of this monster is quite strong. At the beginning of the battle, Shield''s attack didn''t have much effect, so I immediately changed tactics..."


    Coulson wrote on the paper: "Red Lizard is extremely strong, far beyond Captain America''s estimation. His shield strikes had no effect on the monster, and the early battle was extremely difficult, almost a life-or-death situation."


    "Of course, it got betterter on. Although he is strong, he doesn''t have much brainpower and appears very impulsive. Such an opponent is rtively easy to deal with..."


    Coulson wrote again: "Red Lizard is incredibly aggressive, and his angry power makes him even stronger. Captain was almost forced to retreat, and the monster always had the upper hand."


    "Of course, I have to admit that Tony Stark Jr.''s Mech armor explosion yed a role..."


    Coulson continued to write quickly: "Iron Man used his expensive Mech armor for a glorious, irretrievable self-destruct. This finally made the monster take two steps back. ording to Captain America, at least 20 waves of explosions urred, with five Mech armors surrounding and exploding in each wave, before that monster finally fell down."


    After Steve finished speaking, he stared at Coulson and said, "Can I see it?"


    Coulson quickly put away the notebook and then stood up and shook Steve''s hand sincerely. "Captain, you are a hero of the battle! Always have been!"


    On the other side, Schiller hung up the phone and said, "Thank me. The Presbyterian Hospital has a spot. Who do you want to stay there?"


    "Who do you think is most likely to get hurt?"


    "Then it''s Stark. After all, he controlled the Mech armor and self-destructed it. It''s normal for him to be hit by shrapnel. I''ll call the hospital directorter to organize an expert consultation. I''ll send the expense reimbursement form overter. As for hospitalization expenses..."


    Natasha said, "As usual, the highest-level hospital room and nursing care. By the way, do you know any good doctors who can apany him throughout the process? We''ll pay him an hourly consultation fee."


    "It''s fortunate that I know a pretty good neurosurgeon. However, he has only one w, and that is his fees are quite expensive. Oh, wait, that should be considered an advantage now..." (XD)


    In the evening, Coulson came in with Natasha and two other agents following him, carrying a stack of reports.


    Schiller rubbed his hands and said, "Let me see. This should be our achievements today, right? How is it going with Director Nick?"


    "Director Nick scolded everyone present, and the generals couldn''t even find a chance to interject. He scolded the military from top to bottom, from their unauthorized use of military funds to develop dangerous biological weapons, to their disregard of security protocols and their private expansion of weapons depots."


    "He scolded for at least six hours, and not a single sentence was repeated. The walls of the congressional chamber almost engraved his voice..."


    "Did the military argue back?"


    Natasha ced one hand on the documents and the other on her hip, saying, "Why do you think Nick doesn''t get along with General Robert? It''s because usually only General Robert could out-talk him, but now that he''s dead, the rest of those military academy graduates are just wooden dummies who can only take the me."


    Coulson shook his head and said, "The military has lost a lot of people this time. That monster they created caused such a bigmotion, and Congress cannot just sit idly by. The director took this opportunity to take another bite out of them."


    "That lost alien creature also gave him a good excuse. Nick insists that the military stole the experimental subject from SHIELD, but the congressmen are also suspicious about it. After all, SHIELD''s stuff just went missing, and then the military created a monster. These two things seem to be rted in some way."


    "But won''t they question SHIELD''s security measures?" Schiller asked.


    "Security measures? When did SHIELD ever have those things?" Coulson responded.


    "That''s just an excuse, right?" Schiller asked again. "Actually, that symbiote wasn''t the one that escaped from you guys... Wait, was it?"


    Natasha shrugged and said, "No one knows for sure. All the personnel from the Hazardous Operations Unit sacrificed themselves collectivelyst December, and then again in March when we had budget shortages."


    Okay, Schiller thought. Where Venom came from doesn''t really matter anymore. He''s more interested in what Venom will be now that he has had Stark as a host.


    After a while, Nick''s voice sounded again on the inte, "No, the ounts still aren''t bnced. You guys need toe up with a solution and get more funds."


    Natasha and Coulsonined together, saying they had already thought of every possible solution, evening up with ridiculous reasons like preventing a rat gue after a few rats died on the streets.


    Schiller rolled up his sleeves and said, "I have a good solution that can at least bnce your ounts for a year."


    Both Natasha and Coulson looked at him, and Natasha said, "You may not understand, Doctor..."


    "Actually, I think you can find a way to grant me the qualification for a legitimate sanatorium, and regrly send a batch of Agents who have gone crazy due to work stress for recuperation."


    "Recuperation requires beds and medications. Of course, with SHIELD Agents working so diligently for the country, the standards for hospital rooms and beds must not be low, and the medications must be of the best quality."


    "Psychiatric sanatoriums are different from ordinary hospitals. Our aim is to provide patients with a rxed and peaceful environment. At the very least, there must be a spa, a gym, a yoga and meditation lounge."


    "Of course, these are just the basics. To achieve better treatment results, we also need a horse stable, a ranch, a golf course..."


    "Of course, having these facilities is not enough. Many sports must be conducted under the guidance of professionals, such as yoga masters from India, meditation masters from the Himyas, world equestrian champions, zoologists, naturalists, race car drivers, and so on."


    "I know, I know, this may cost a lot, but the Agents have shed blood and sweat for the country, and they deserve it."


    "Of course, the location cannot be too far. I think the New York City area would be good. Although it is indeed expensive to have such arge piece ofnd, convenience is the advantage."


    "Of course, considering that New York is not very peaceful, the building standards should also be based on earthquake resistance of level 10 or above. The architecture cannot be designed by ordinary people, it must be done by world-ss architectural masters, and the construction team must not be sloppy. Thergest constructionpany in the United States, what was it called again? I think their construction quality should be good."


    "The ribbon-cutting ceremony afterpletion is also indispensable. If some old gentleman on Capitol Hill is willing to loosen his grip, we can also invite the media to let him show his face."


    "We are very happy to ept visits and speeches from all parties here. You know, everyone here is a genuine warrior who has dedicated themselves to the country, so if you want to gain their support, you can''t skimp on donations, right?"


    "Of course, if someone donates a lot, we can also give them an honorary position as the dean. You know, I don''t mind..."


    After Schiller finished speaking, Coulson''s walkie-talkie on his waist suddenly red with Nick Fury''s shout: "Coulson! Have him appear in my office within ten minutes!! Immediately!! Right now!!" (XD)

 Chapter 95: Growing Pains (1)

    Chapter 95: Growing Pains (1)


    "I swear, I just pushed him a bit! I didn''t mean... Well, I was angry at the time, that bastard dared to insult Gwen!" Peterined while carrying his backpack and walking.


    Stark patted his back and said, "It''s okay, even if you beat him up, it''s nothing. If someone harasses your girlfriend and you only give him a punch, it''s already light."


    "I didn''t give him a punch..." Peter was very helpless.


    "Okay, okay, I know. Let''s go. I invited an Italian chef. We''ll have pizza tonight," Stark said happily.


    The incident started this morning.


    Peter came to school happily this morning, waiting for Gwen at the school gate. The two of them walked and talked until they reached the ssroom door, where they said goodbye reluctantly while holding hands.


    American public high schools don''t care about dating, as long as you don''t go too far, teachers don''t mind.


    Therefore, Peter and Gwen said goodbye at the ssroom door while holding hands. At this time, a football yer from the next ss walked over and not only taunted Peter but also insulted Gwen with very harsh words.


    Peter was very angry. The football yer came over and made a vulgar gesture, and Peter pushed him in anger. Of course, the result was that the football yer was almost embedded in the wall.Peter can control that kind of powerful force, but he was angry at the time and used more force than usual. The football yer flew out and even broke a rib.


    As a result, the football yer''s parents went to the school because of campus bullying. The school had to invite Peter''s parents, but Peter could not exin to his uncle and aunt where his power came from. Therefore, Peter could only leave Stark''s phone number.


    The teacher naturally made a phone call to the headquarters of Stark Tower. J.A.R.V.I.S answered the phone and even transferred it to Stark.


    Stark drove a cool sports car to the school. How could the opposite parents not know the world''s richest person? They immediately stated that it was a misunderstanding. Stark also encouraged Peter, saying he should give that bastard a punch.


    Gwen was alsoforting him, saying that the jerk deserved it, but Peter was still upset. As a good student, he had never been called to see a parent from kindergarten to high school. Yet Stark was boasting about it everywhere. Within two days, the news that Peter had to call Stark to school because of his trouble had spread throughout the entire superheromunity.


    Children of this age group don''t like being treated like children, but now Peter was the one being teased by everyone in turn, making him very depressed. (XD)


    In the SHIELD cafeteria, Steve said, "Actually, you can also keep my phone number. At least I look more energetic than that jerk who stays up all night and drinks."


    Coulson next to him said, "At least in terms of age, you''re definitely old enough."


    "Also in terms of generation, I''m Stark''s uncle."


    "But..." Steve cut a piece of steak and said, "You have to learn to control your emotions. That''s how it was for me when I first underwent the transformation. If emotions fluctuate too much, it bes impossible to control the superhuman power."


    "How did you eventually improve?"


    "On the one hand, you have to be aware of the problem yourself. On the other hand, you can also seek help from professionals and learn how to stabilize your emotions."


    "I''m not really an angry person," Peter said somewhat depressingly, "but when ites to certain issues, I can''t help myself."


    Steve smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I''m the same way. Back when I was in the military, there was this troublemaker who always picked on Peggy and cursed at her. I beat them all up."


    "Of course, when you fight, you have to control your strength. Otherwise, you can easily get into trouble. But as long as you control your strength, it''s just a regr fight, at most you''ll get put in solitary confinement."


    Coulson raised an eyebrow. He didn''t expect Captain America to have this side, but then again, it was impossible for the perfect saint image from the propaganda films and movies to appear in reality.


    In the evening, Peter arrived at Schiller''s Psychological Clinic again. He said, "Doctor, I''m afraid I''ll have to borrow your ce to do my homework. My uncle and aunt insisted on renovating my bedroom, and the smell of paint hasn''t dissipated yet. I can''t stand it."


    "Come in. Go tidy up that desk, Pikachu! Pikachu! Come here!" Schiller said while cooking in the kitchen. "Hurry up and take away your boxes of peanut butter. You''ve been upying my desk for over three days..."


    Peter picked up Pikachu, who jumped over, and said, "Have you gained weight? Why do I feel like you''ve gotten heavier?"


    "Of course, he''s gained weight. If you eat five cans of peanut butter and two pounds of cheese every day, you''ll gain weight too."


    Pikachu shook its tail and said, "Mind your own business, kid. I''m just a mouse, not a bodybuilder. What''s wrong with being a little chubby?"


    Peter opened his backpack in front of the desk, took out his textbooks, and Schiller, who was cooking, said, "I heard that your teacher called Stark toe in for a meeting with parents. Wasn''t the teacher infuriated by him?"


    "I had no choice. How do I exin to my uncle that I can easily throw a 90-kilogram football yer away with my strength?"


    "Oh, by the way." Peter turned and said, "Doctor, can you teach me how to control my emotions? I don''t intend to hurt anyone, I''m just too angry and can''t control my powers..."


    "Why do you do this? Why did you start thinking about controlling your emotions and containing your power?"


    "I... because I don''t want to hurt anyone with this power if I lose control one day."


    "Why do you think you would lose control?"


    "Because that person insulted Gwen, and the things he said were very offensive."


    "Isn''t that his problem? He should learn to control his own emotions instead of you."


    "But..."


    "You always reflect too much on your own problems and attribute everything to yourself. But the fact is that you exceed the moral standards of ordinary people too much, and this will bring you greater pain."


    "In everything, you shouldn''t just look for the reasons from yourself. Have you ever thought that maybe it''s not you who''s wrong, but this world?"


    Peter opened his mouth, a little puzzled, and said, "I thought... I thought psychologists should be..."


    "That''s just what you thought."


    Schiller walked over with a te, and Peter smelled the fragrance of scrambled eggs, swallowed his saliva, and Schiller put the te down and said, "Psychologists are not military instructors or schoolteachers. We are not responsible for telling you who is right or wrong. Everything I do to enlighten and treat you is from your perspective. That is, I put myself in your mind and discover your psychological problems from another angle..."


    "Okay, I know I sometimes think too much and worry about things that haven''t happened yet."


    "This is amon problem among geniuses. Stark is the same way."


    "What''s wrong with Mr. Stark?"


    "The day before yesterday, he had another big fight with Pepper, drove off in a huff, and was seen by Connors while street racing. The next morning, Connors ridiculed him, and then he ran into Steve outside..."


    "Then he called me and asked if he was the world''s number one viin, and that''s why the world is always against him."


    "And then?"


    "Of course, I gave him about two hours of psychotherapy, and afterwards he made up with them."


    Peter said half-believingly, "What kind of therapy? It worked so quickly?"


    "I scolded him, and then he felt that what the others said to him was light inparison, so they made up."


    At that moment, Peter felt sympathy for Stark.


    After a while, Peter finished his homework and ate dinner. Hey on the sofa and stared into space, not ying games with Pikachu like he usually did.


    Schiller was writing a paper at the nearby desk, and Peter rested his arm on his forehead and said, "Why are there so many strange things in this world? Why do troubles alwayse one after another? Why do people have so many worries?"


    "Because as your life gets better, the trivial troubles be more noticeable."


    "Why don''t you think about how your life was before, when you didn''t have as many problems? If you had faced this kind of trouble back then, would you care about it?"


    Peter thought about it. When his uncle and aunt got bad medical results and they didn''t have money, Peter couldn''t find a way out. If he had a dispute with a ssmate in school at that time, he might have forgotten about it quickly because he had bigger problems to deal with.


    Compared to the pressure of survival, a little argument was nothing. If it were in the past, he wouldn''t have had so much free time to lie here andin. He would probably still be running errands for others to earn money.


    Peter said, "Sometimes I can''t wait to grow up quickly, go to college, buy my own house, make it bigger for Uncle and Aunt to live in, find a decent job, and get engaged to Gwen. Aren''t adults supposed to be like this?"


    "But sometimes, I wish this year never ends, so I can forever be a high school student, just need to go to school, do homework, and sleep until dawn."


    Schiller just listened quietly, the faint sound of his typing echoing in the dim room.


    "Sometimes I dream of many stars, woven into a web, and dream of bing a giant spider. Maybe being a spider is not bad, right?"


    "And sometimes, I dream of losing Uncle Ben and Aunt May, and Gwen is gone too. The whole world is just me alone."


    "They say dreams reflect a person''s inner nature, do you think so, Doctor?"


    "I crave freedom, but I''m afraid of losing, I want to be a hero, but I don''t even know what a hero is like..."


    Peter didn''t wait for an answer, he fell asleep. The night sky outside the window was full of stars, and theputer screen in the room was still on, but Schiller had already left.


    Pikachu held a pillow and stuffed it under Peter''s head, then threw a nket on him, muttering to himself, "Humans have so many troubles. Among all the peopleing and going every day, there isn''t one without worries."


    Then he looked at Peter and said, "You''re already lucky, kid, maybe these people are already lucky too, even mice are the same..."


    "When does growing up note with troubles?"

 Chapter 96: Growing Pains (2)

    Chapter 96: Growing Pains (2)


    Schiller stood next to the hospital bed, where a patient without armsy unconscious. Dr. Connors adjusted the equipment and said, "The medicine that the military injected into them is not perfect and could potentially harm their nervous system."


    He sighed and said, "It''s uncertain whether he will wake up."


    "Was he your formerrade?" asked Schiller.


    "No, I never saw him on the battlefield, but he was still myrade. We both held the same belief and went to the battlefield," replied Connors.


    Stark stood silently on the other side of the bed. He was sensitive to the emotions of others, but he felt that Connors was calm, as calm as the sea before a storm.


    Stark wondered if he would resort to any means necessary to get revenge on those who caused him pain and anger if he were in the patient''s shoes.


    Stark never imagined that he would one day stand in his opponent''s position and think from their perspective.


    This perspective shocked him because he realized that the so-called "bad guys" he once thought of could not do any better than him if they were in his shoes.


    This was something that Stark never anticipated. He always thought that he was invincible, but he now realized that his arrogance was perhaps built on a vacuum created by others.During this time, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of dealing with everything on his own without Pepper''s care or Obadiah''s protection.


    On the one hand, he struggled to take care of himself, and on the other hand, he had to navigate through various forces, learning the deceitful methods that he once despised and using them even though he didn''t want to.


    It wasn''t until this moment that Stark realized that he had been living in a cradle. Even though he had lived for so many years, he had only just recently stepped out of the crib and taken his first steps into the real world.


    Schiller asked, "What do you n to do? Although Robert is dead, not all of the military officers of the Tartu faction have disappeared. They have always believed in their super soldier theory, and once they discover that the Desperate n''s information has leaked, they will do everything in their power to eradicate it."


    "After all, if the information you possess is exposed, it could shake the prestige of the entire military system. Even if they are not officers of the Tartu faction, they will not allow such a thing to happen."


    "I''ve been ready for a long time," Connor said. "I''ve been ready to be silent."


    "What do you think I''ll do? Avoid the military and try to get this information out there?" Connor shook his head. "I''ve known for a long time that it''s useless."


    "These people always find a way to make ordinary people believe what they should believe and erase everything they shouldn''t believe. Even if I can make some people believe it''s true, people are forgetful."


    "Like what we''ve experienced before. When we went to the battlefield, everyone apuded and called us heroes. But when we came back, the cold eyes and discrimination we suffered didn''t get any better because of the past glory."


    "We disappeared from this society for a short time, and they forgot about us. Forgetting is a terrible thing. It can turn white into ck and erase all the heavy sins of the past."


    "I will continue to wait. I have waited for a long time and I am not afraid to wait longer."


    "When it''s impossible for them to erase my name from history, then I will reveal everything."


    Connor''s tone was calm, but everyone could feel a kind of power from his tone, perhaps the precipitation of anger and the condensation of revenge mes.


    Late at night, when Schiller was about to go to bed, he received a call from Stark. Stark said, "I want to make an appointment for two hours of psychological therapy now."


    "Are you trying to make me scold you again?"


    "I''m serious, I''ll pay for the therapy fee."


    "You also have to pay for thest one."


    Stark was a bit speechless. He stomped his foot and said, "I''m on your rooftop right now. If you don''te up, I''ll have J.A.R.V.I.S. activate emergency wake-up measures."


    After a while, Schiller stood at the edge of the rooftop, and Stark was standing next to him in his Mech armor. Schiller asked, "Has anyone ever told you that whenever youe out in the middle of the night wearing Mech armor, it''s like writing the words ''I''m an unwanted stray dog'' on your face?"


    "I''ll say it again, I spend money on therapy, not on being scolded."


    "Then I''ll say it again, other people don''t get scolded because they don''t demand two hours of therapy from a psychologist at 2 a.m."


    "I''ll pay you overtime, whatever amount you want."


    "It seems like you can only use this Mech armor and the fact that you''re rich to cover up the fact that you''re actually feeling very insecure right now."


    Stark fell silent.


    "Every time youe to see me in your Mech armor, it''s like you''re telling me that you''re in a difficult situation."


    "No wonder you keep raising your prices."


    Stark hesitated for a moment, but then opened his face mask and said, "Do you think I should do something? I mean... about what''s happening with Connors. I don''t like the military''s n, and as a hero of justice, shouldn''t I teach those inhumane demons a lesson?"


    "If you want to help Connors, just say so."


    "I''m not trying to help him. How could I want to help that big lizard that messed up my building?"


    "I just want to uphold justice. I think anyone who sees that n would want to do the same, right?"


    "You can admit it, Connors'' actions have shocked you quite a bit. Haven''t you ever thought about how one person can keep waiting in this darkness, waiting for a day of light that may or may note?"


    "You see, his way of upholding justice seems different from yours. In this world, it''s not about putting on an iron suit and boldly attacking criminals to uphold justice."


    "You''re actually struggling with this."


    "Okay, I admit..." Stark sighed softly, closed his eyes, and said, "I don''t dare to imagine what kind of belief he holds to keep burying himself in researching those medicines. When he''s alone in theboratory, doesn''t he feel hopeless? Doesn''t he feel helpless?"


    "When I face those pressures, even with a genius brain and the entire Stark Industries, the world''srgest wealth, I still feel... it''s really hard to endure. No one apanies you, fighting alone, not knowing when it will end."


    Stark''s Adam''s apple moved, and he said, "From the time Connors learned about this n to when he developed the lizard serum, it would take at least a few years, right? Did he just live like this all the time? Hasn''t he gone crazy living in this environment?"


    Stark had experienced this despair. When Obadiah was in aa and Pepper was busy trying to save thepany, Stark spent those nights and days alone in theboratory, where loneliness was like a ck tide pouring out from the abyss. Stark could only rely on alcohol to numb himself, so as not to think about when his lonely boat would finally reach the shore.


    But he knew that Dr. Connors had been drifting like this for several years. Compared to Stark, who still had some hope, Dr. Connors didn''t even have a boat. He was holding onto a rotting nk and drifting in the stormy sea for countless days and nights. He knew that this vast ocean may not have a shore, but he still refused to give up.


    It was because Stark had experienced this kind of loneliness that he knew how difficult it was to endure. He also realized that no matter how high his intelligence was, he couldn''t brew a cure for this kind of suffering. He didn''t have any sense of superiority to despise people who struggled in this kind of suffering.


    "I think you always call yourself Peter''s elder, which is true in terms of age, but perhaps not in some ways."


    "What does that mean? I am his elder, and I went to his school''s parent-teacher conference a few days ago."


    "I mean, maybe in some ways, you should also learn from him."


    "Learn from him? That stupid kid?" Stark sneered and said, "What do I have to learn from him? Learn to be afraid of a smart-mouthed jerk he beat up? If it were me, Stark dad would definitely show that trash who''s boss..."


    "The reason I mentioned Peter is because there''s another name you''d rather not hear."


    Stark opened his mouth and said, "I''ll go ask Peter then. As for your other suggestion, you don''t need to give it, or else I''ll deduct money."


    After finishing his words, he closed the facete of his armor with a click, and then flew away directly, leaving Schiller shaking his head.


    He thought that the growth process of these superheroes was like a rich scroll unfolding before his eyes.


    When he personally participated in this process, he realized that these people were indeed superheroes, but they were also ordinary people. Whether it was Peter or Stark, Spider-Man or Iron Man, their transformation couldn''t be shown in just a few frames or lines of dialogue, and their growing pains were like a tangled mess that couldn''t be sorted out or fully expressed.


    Their mood swings, emotional changes, every moment of wavering, every moment of determination, were filled withplex and mysterious thoughts, just like the subtle changes that every ordinary person''s brain brought to them, countless and immeasurable.


    This also made Schiller understand that the moving stories, heroic sacrifices, and unwavering beliefs he had seen in movies andics were not inherent.


    These superheroes were like a piece of steel that had been hammered and forged a thousand times. Schiller could see the process of their forging, the sound and vibration produced by every strike, the mes rising from the fierce collisions, like the fuel that fills the soul to maintain its vitality, bringing them more excitement than ordinary life could provide.


    Until one day, the hearts of the heroes turned into glittering gold, and these painstaking processes were written into legendary stories.


    If the people who read these stories saw the glorious and great side of the heroes, then Schiller, as a reader deeply immersed in the stories, would rather remember the small and trivial growing pains of these heroes.


    Recording theirughter, anger, scolding, sorrow, joy, and separation as ordinary people, until one day, after those stories that were sung had been forgotten, traces of unsung heroes still remained in this world.


    Leaving behind the answer that greatness is born from ordinariness and will eventually return to ordinariness.

 Chapter 97: The Little Expert Who Sows Dissension

    Chapter 97: The Little Expert Who Sows Dissension


    In Stark''sboratory, a mech robot took out a piping hot pizza from the oven and ced it in front of Peter. Stark snapped his fingers and said, "Mytest invention! I finally figured out how to make the mech robot help me heat up pizza. It uses the same intelligent algorithm as the oven, which provides real-time temperature data to it..."


    Peter opened his mouth and took a deep breath, then said, "Why use a multi-million dor mech robot instead of buying a cheap oven mitt?"


    Stark waved his hand and said, "You don''t understand. The data on the oven is tooplex. How would I know how much to heat it for so it won''t get burnt? It''s aplete mystery. I hate these mystical things. It''s much more convenient to use a mech robot and intelligent program."


    Peter looked at the pizza and thought it was still edible. He reached for it, but ended up burning his hand. He cried out in pain and said, "But I still need an oven mitt. This is too hot!"


    "Then wait for it to cool down before eating. We can talk in the meantime."


    Peter said, "Okay, my homework isn''t done anyway."


    He took out a stack of books from his backpack. Stark nced over and said, "What''s there to write about in these? It''s aplete insult to your intelligence."


    "I have to do it. I''m a good student. I''ve never handed in my homeworkte since I was young."


    "Okay, write if you want to." Stark stretched his neck and watched Peter do his homework. He seemed to want to say something but hesitated.Peter focused on writing for a while, then looked up and saw Stark staring at him. They stared at each other for a moment, and Peter said, "What''s wrong, Mr. Stark? Did I write something wrong?"


    "Uh...nothing''s wrong. I mean, your handwriting could be a little neater. Why don''t you try practicing calligraphy or something? You know, those fancy circr characters..."


    "I can''t do that. We''re not allowed to write in cursive during exams, at least not in this state. Mr. Stark, do you know how to write in cursive?"


    "I certainly can."


    "It doesn''t count if you''re wearing a mech suit while writing..."


    Stark pursed his lips and said, "Actually, I have a question for you..."


    "What question? I''m happy to answer."


    "Never mind, the pizza''s getting cold, you should eat first."


    Peter picked up the pizza with some confusion. It was made by the Italian chef yesterday and frozen, so it only needed to be heated up the next day. The taste was indeed not bad.


    Peter was a bit hungry and ate a whole slice of pizza in a rush, while Stark sat across from him, resting his head on his hand. Peter asked while eating, "Aren''t you going to eat? It''s pretty good."


    "No, I''m not hungry."


    But Peter really enjoyed his food. He always took a big bite and chewed it slowly, making his cheeks bulge like a hamster. Stark watched him and also became a bit hungry, so he grabbed a slice of pizza too.


    While eating, he asked, "If... I mean, if you wanted to help someone, what would you do?"


    "Help someone? Then just help them. What''s the problem? If there''s any difficulty, then solve it first before helping."


    "But...it''s just...there''s some hesitation..."


    "What hesitation?" Peter looked up at Stark with some confusion and saw his expression was a bit conflicted. Peter said, "If you want to help, then just help. If you hesitate, it''s probably because you don''t really want to help."


    Stark''s chewing stopped. Obviously, Peter hit the nail. He said, "It''s not that I don''t want to help, I do want to help him, because...anyway, it''s a good thing. He wants to do something good, but if he does it himself..."


    "It might take a long, long time..." "Since it''s a good thing, then help him, what''s the problem? Can''t you do good deeds anymore?"


    "But it makes me feel... well, a bit embarrassed, you know..." Stark flipped his hand and said, "I am Stark after all! I can''t just go up to him and say, ''Hey, the great Stark is here to help you, do you want it or not?''"


    "You''ll get beaten up." Peter said, taking another bite of pizza and asked vaguely, "So if you say that, will he be willing?"


    "It''s because he probably won''t, that''s why I''m conflicted."


    "He doesn''t want your help, but you insist on helping, is that what you mean?"


    "I''m not insisting on helping!" Stark raised his voice and said, "There''s no one or nothing in this world that Stark must help!"


    "Then don''t help, if others don''t need your help and you don''t have to force yourself to help, just mind your own business."


    Stark covered his forehead and said, "No! I mean... I want to help him, just... but not necessarily... forget it, I knew this wouldn''t be useful, Schiller actually sent me to ask you, this stupid kid. That damn vampire doctor of his, just a couple of sentences and he wants to charge me millions of dors, I should have seen through his true face long ago..."


    "Dr. Schiller asked you to ask me? Why? What''s so difficult about this question? If you want to help, then help, if you don''t want to, then don''t. If someone wants you to help, then help, if not, then don''t."


    "Never mind, you''re just a kid, you don''t understand the rules of adults..."


    "Oh, I see, actually you want him to beg you for help, right?"


    "Nonsense, I don''t think like that!"


    Peter spoke while chewing pizza, "You want to help him, but you don''t want to lower yourself. It''s best if he cane to you for help. This way, you can do a good deed without losing face."


    Stark buried his head in pizza and didn''t answer.


    Peter said, "I do good deeds simply because I want to, not for the sake of face. Actually, I don''t like some reporters always chasing after me. They think they''re reporting on a good person doing good things, but I''m only worried that the aftermath of the battles will affect them. That''s not impossible."


    "Anyway, in my opinion, doing good deeds and helping others isn''t embarrassing at all. You can simply approach them and say, ''I want to help you.'' There''s no shame in that. Even if you can''t ultimately help them, at least you have good intentions."


    Peter paused and continued, "Some people may not really want your help, but just knowing that you stand with them and they''re not alone in the fight is enough."


    "Not alone..." Stark said softly.


    Peter said, "Yes, that''s really important. Sometimes it''s like what you guys did for me."


    "When I need to find someone, I can always find them. This makes me confident in everything I do. It feels great."


    "Like before, when the teacher asked for my parents'' phone number, I couldn''t give them my uncle and aunt''s number, but I could think of several names. And I know that these people will definitelye."


    "Why did you choose me instead of them?"


    "I don''t know. The first thing that came to my mind was the phone number of Stark Tower. Maybe because it''s easier to remember."


    "Or maybe because I''m the best to you, kid! Those people definitely won''t let you eat so much pizza. They''ll only tell you how many calories are in the cheese, and eating a whole piece is like running several kilometers!"


    Peter suddenly stopped swallowing and said, "Oh no, I just made a fitness n yesterday, and now I''ve eaten so much. I''ll be as fat as Pikachu!"


    Hemented, "My growth period of strength has passed, I must control my diet, otherwise, even the toughest spider silk won''t be able to move my body!"


    Stark swallowed thest piece of pizza and said, "Let''s go. Do you know what activity will burn the most calories? It''s saving the world, especially with Stark."


    In a therapy room, Schiller was on the phone with Nick, saying, "I don''t know anything about this. How do I know the level of their serum development?"


    [ShaneFreak: This is one sided conversation of Schiller...]


    "Last time, I wanted to go into Conner''s and Peter''sb, but I vited over 200 experimental regtions within three minutes of entering the door. They just kicked me out, and I didn''t even get to see a test tube..."


    "Indeed, I studied medicine, but to learn psychology, you have to learn neurology. That was back in college, who can remember that? We only study the theoretical knowledge in textbooks and don''t need to go to theb..."


    "You can''t expect a psychologist to crack open your skull or mix up some hallucinogens for you..."


    "...I don''t know about that, but I heard the tone of Dr. Conner''stely... you know, he and Stark don''t get along, and with Stark''s mouth, who can stand him?"


    "A couple of days ago, Conner''s even said that when ites to biotechnology, it''s Osborn Group that''s stronger. Of course, he said that behind Stark''s back. He doesn''t know it''s normal."


    "I think it''s about the same. If I were Conner''s, I would choose the Osborn Group too. The Osborn Group and the Stark Group are at odds. If he helped the Osborn Group develop a cure serum, Stark would definitely be angry."


    "...The military and Osborn Group''s coboration? I don''t know about that. You guys should have more intelligence about the military side, right?"


    "But even if Dr. Conner''s and the Osborn Group coborate, their achievements may not necessarily fall into the hands of the military. I think you''re worrying too much. Besides, a small cure serum won''t be enough for the military to turn the tide, right?"


    "Prevention is better than cure?" Schiller switched ears with his phone and said casually, "I think you''re overthinking it. But it''s none of my business anyway. Even if the military''s power is strengthened, it''s not my bad luck..."


    "Deduct my sry? That''s a bit too much! I only receive basic wages..."


    "What about the profits? Well, you stingy miser. Let me tell you, if Osborn Group gets hold of that serum, they will be on par with the military. They won''t have to worry about being infiltrated and controlled by the military anymore. They will definitely use the cure serum as a bargaining chip and cooperate more deeply with the military..."


    "Although I don''t understand much about biotechnology, those military technologies should be quite useful. If they bite back during the final negotiations, S.H.I.E.L.D. will suffer for a few days..."


    "Persuade Connors? How do I do that? You might as well try to persuade Stark. If Stark sends an invitation to Connors first, he might agree. Compared to Osborn, Stark leans more towards S.H.I.E.L.D. If S.H.I.E.L.D. has both Stark and the cure serum, the military will definitely be defeated."


    "But it''s really troublesome. You know, those lunatics from the Tartu party are capable of anything. They have already created such a huge monster. What if they kidnapped Dr. Connors? How much bargaining chip will a genius scientist who can research a cure serum add to their negotiation table?"


    Suddenly, there was a noisy sound from Nick''s phone, and then Schiller heard Nick roaring, "What do you mean Dr. Connors is still missing? Damn it! Don''t think I don''t know it was those Tartu people who did it! Tell them, don''t think S.H.I.E.L.D. is unaware of their damn ns! We have evidence! If they dare to do anything, I''ll report it to the Security Council immediately!" (XD)

 Chapter 98: Genius Starts Again (1)

    Chapter 98: Genius Starts Again (1)


    After the night fell in New York City, the lights in the whole city gradually went out. Only the top few floors of the Stark Tower had dim lights left. Pepper, who had been busy all day, walked into the elevator. As the indicator light lit up, she took a deep breath but didn''tpletely rx.


    The elevator door opened, and the lights on the ceiling lit up one by one along with her footsteps, guiding her to the Stark Laboratory that she hadn''t visited for a long time. Theboratory door slowly opened without making any sound. The entireboratory was pitch-ck, with only the lights of the experimental instruments dimly shining. Stark was lying on the experimental table, seemingly asleep.


    JARVIS turned on some soft lights, enough for Pepper to see where she was stepping but not enough to wake Stark up. Stark was sound asleep, and after Pepper walked closer, she noticed that his brow was furrowed.


    She saw a pile of materials on his experimental table. In the past, these were experimental data that Pepper couldn''t understand. But today, Pepper saw several books that shouldn''t be here, such as social engineering, game theory, political science, international rtions, and even some textbooks from her own university. There were signs of flipping through, and several books were even open and ced on the desk, obviously not yet finished by Stark.


    As Pepper was about to bypass the experimental table and walk over to Stark, he moved a bit, coughed, and woke up. In the dim light, he saw Pepper standing in front of him and thought he was dreaming.


    Stark shook his head and blinked his eyes hard, looking very confused. Pepper often saw him like this, usually after drinking or staying upte doing experiments.


    "Oh, you''re here. Are you done with your work? How have you beentely?" Stark seemed a bit at a loss, as if he hadn''t seen Pepper for a long time, and he greeted her in a somewhat awkward tone.


    Pepper was not affected by him, and she walked over and said, "What''s going on with you? Why did you start reading these books?"


    Stark turned to look at his desk, and his expression was somewhat like that of a child caught ying games by his parents. He awkwardly twisted his neck and said, "A friend rmended them to me. He said I should read more of these books, or I won''t be able to deal with those troubles."Stark paused for a moment, then lowered his head. His voice sounded somewhat low and serious, something rarely seen from him.


    "SHIELD, the military, and Congress have all gotten what they wanted from this event. The next negotiation will be thest."


    "I represent the Stark Group. I know there won''t be anyone to handle these troubles for me anymore. I have to learn to deal with everything myself."


    "I''ve never participated in any decent negotiations. Sometimes even if I go, I just need to sit there and wait for Uncle Odaiya to finish everything. I''m just a symbolic figure. Everyone knows I''m a genius, so even if I show impatience or leave early, no one dares to say anything..."


    "I know, I''m really a mess. I''ve caused a lot of trouble and made a lot of messes. I used to mock the other side''s representatives as idiots, or deliberately spilled coffee all over the table just to leave early."


    "I can''t even remember how many times I''ve done stupid things like this, but I know this time I can only rely on myself."


    Stark rubbed his eyes, then rubbed his face with both hands, trying hard to hold back the sad and helpless expression. He said, "No one will do these things for me anymore. No one will solve these problems for me anymore. No one will even look at my inventions or listen to my genius ideas..."


    Pepper had to admit that this was the first time she had seen Stark look so sad. In the past, he would make those sad expressions to be funny or intentionally make people happy. But now, he was really sad.


    After a moment''s pause, Stark pped his hands and said, "Okay, that''s it then. I can handle all of this, right?"


    "I am Stark, how can I not do it? How could these things be harder than building armors? Just watch, as long as I finish reading these documents and books, I will be able to defeat them single-handedly in the negotiations after a few days..."


    Pepper felt a pang of sadness. Before this, whenever Stark acted stubborn and didn''t want to do something, she would feel a headache, thinking that she was wasting too much time cajoling this big kid, and hoping that Stark would mature quickly.


    But now, when Stark calmly epted to do something he didn''t want to do, Pepper suddenly wished that he would still be as willful as before.


    She didn''t know what was wrong with herself. Stark had grown up, which should be a good thing, but Pepper knew all too well that such growth inevitably came with intense pain and sorrow. She would rather Stark not experience such pain and live in a utopia forever.


    Pepper choked back her tears, about to say something, when her phone in her pocket rang again. Reluctantly, she had to leave to answer the call, unable to chat with Stark, and had to go back to dealing with the seemingly endless work.


    Stark watched Pepper''s departing figure, his pain and helplessness reaching their peak. He propped one hand on the workbench and covered his eyes, never feeling that the night in New York was so long.


    When he was engrossed in his experiment, the night seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Before he could finish a small portion of the experiment, the sun had already risen. He used toin that these pure and joyful times were too short.


    But tonight''s darkness seemed never-ending. It felt like no matter how long he suffered, the sun would never rise.


    In the dim and dark room, Stark thought to himself that the books were right. Not everything in this world could be ovee by wearing an Iron Man suit and rampaging through. Social humans cannot survive without adhering to social rules. As long as he lived in this society, he had to follow some social rules.


    Stark used to think that he didn''t have to follow any rules, didn''t have to think about anything, and could live his life as he pleased every day. But now he realized that someone else paid the price for him to follow those rules.


    It was only because they paid the price first that Stark could continue to live in this warm shell and not think about anything.


    Stark actually knew that Pepper worked untilte at night every day to deal with those gossip news for him, and Rhodey had to clean up all sorts of messes for him more than once.


    But ever since the kidnapping case, reality was like a heavy hammer that broke open the shell of this fledgling bird, letting the cold wind of reality blow on his feathers, causing him to fall and roll in the mud, struggling to get up.


    After the warm wings that he was so attached to left him, he had to face everything that was left by himself. This nest was perched on a cliff, and the cold wind was howling, but Stark had to learn to fly by himself.


    After a while, Stark seemed to have epted this fact. He slowly organized the scattered materials on the table, then ced the various books with bookmarks on one side and picked up one to continue reading.


    In reality, Stark didn''t know if what he was doing was useful. When he learned from Schiller that the chips of all parties had almost been prepared, and only the final negotiation was left to divide all the benefits, Stark had never felt so anxious and flustered.


    In the many years before, he had never thought about these things, but at least he knew that if he did nothing, he would be giving up the entire Stark Group, giving up his father, uncle, and all their hard work.


    If he doesn''t take this step, the Stark Group will only retreat until they arepletely defeated and divided by their opponents.


    And now, no one can turn the tide in this situation except for Stark himself.


    For many years of his life, he didn''t have to consider anyone else''s feelings, but now he is about to participate in what may be the country''s highest-level negotiations. There are congressmen who have been in politics for many years, SHIELD agents who operate behind the scenes, and military leaders who are pushy and greedy.


    In this situation, Stark is like a primary school student suddenly participating in a doctoral forum. He has no theoretical knowledge or practical experience, and he doesn''t even know how to read people''s expressions. Stark can already imagine that his usual disruptive tactics would only make these wolves more eager to make a big deal and take a bigger bite.


    He must learn to be calm, to not show his emotions, and to use intelligence and skills toplete a nonbative war on a battlefield without gunfire.


    This is not easy, nor is it easier thanunching a real war.


    Stark is like a newborn baby, and under Schiller''s suggestion, he can only start with theory.


    Not all politicians know these things, but they have extensive practical experience.


    Stark is a nk sheet in this regard, but luckily, he is the genius Stark. His brain allows him to memorize all the knowledge in a very short time. Although he may not have time to practice and fullyprehend, having this knowledge in his mind is better than having none.


    Stark thinks Schiller is right. Since he has already decided to bow his head and learn these theories that he used to despise and consider empty talk, he will try to read them as quickly as possible and attempt to understand.


    The former was not difficult at all. With Stark''s genius brain, he was able to memorize several books in just one night. When his brain was at its peak performance, he had an impable photographic memory.


    However, reading and memorizing were one thing, and understanding and applying the knowledge was another. After memorizing the books, Stark had to think about how to act based on the information about people''s backgrounds and rtionships.


    How would certain individuals react to certain topics? Within the same faction, what were the intricate subdivisions? Which rtionships could be exploited? Why would some people have a lower bottom line than others? Why would some people be willing to offer higher stakes as bargaining chips?


    These questions overwhelmed Stark, even though he was a super genius, he couldn''t learn the essence of human knowledge overnight.


    What''s more, sometimes game theory and psychology seemed more like ultism, because human nature was always elusive. Analyzing everything with theories would only lead to increasingly inurate answers. It all relied on on-the-spot reactions, which really put immense pressure on Stark.


    Finally, in the deep dark night of New York, Stark muttered to himself, "You are a genius... Stark, you are a super genius... There is no one in this world smarter than you, of course, you will be fine..."


    Then, as his voice gradually faded away, he sank into a dream, and at that moment, a purple-red dawn broke over the skyline of New York.

 Chapter 99: A Genius Starts Again (2)

    Chapter 99: A Genius Starts Again (2)


    As Peter stepped into theboratory, he still had a lingering chill on his body. The cold morning breeze had made his cheeks a little red, and he exhaled a breath of air and put down his backpack.


    The warm air in theboratory made his forehead slightly sweaty. He took off his coat and threw it on the back of a chair. Stark woke up a little confused, and Peter said, "I heard from Dr. Schiller that you''re troubled about something. Today happens to be a school holiday, and I''m not interested in those football games. I think we can solve these troubles together, but first..."


    He took out a bag from his backpack, struggling to hold it because it was still hot, and said, "I brought the best pancakes from near the school. Luckily, I rode fast enough so they haven''t cooled yet."


    Then he turned and looked at the coffee machine in the corner. He put the pancake bag aside and ran to the coffee machine, saying as he fiddled with it, "Let''s have a cup of coffee. Dr. Schiller''s espresso is just too bitter. I really can''t drink it. Let me see, I want a double milk double sugartte. What do you want, Mr. Stark?"


    Stark sat by the window, propping his head with his hand, still feeling a bit dizzy.


    Peter, bustling with the energy and vitality unique to his age, was like the bustling early mornings of New York. Although he seemed too lively and a little funny, it was this vitality that made Stark''s frozen heart beat again at night.


    Peter held two cups of coffee on a tray in one hand and carried the bag of pancakes in the other, then put everything on the table.


    Peter opened the package of pancakes and squeezed the apanying sauce on top before handing it to Stark. Stark actually didn''t like epting things, but he still took it and took a bite.


    In fact, Peter and Stark''s tastes were not the same. Peter liked to eat things with heavy seasoning and various sauces, but Stark''s taste was light. He took a bite of the pancake, but the somewhat overpowering taste of the sauce covered the scent of the cake itself. In Stark''s opinion, it wasn''t very tasty.But fortunately, as Peter said, the pancakes had juste out of the oven in the morning, and Peter was fast enough to cross half of New York with it, and they still hadn''t cooled down. With the fragrant coffee, Stark felt a warm flow surging in his chest, and he felt like he was alive again.


    Throughout the whole night, Stark hadn''t felt like crying, or rather, that emotion had been umting in his heart, unable to rush to his eyes.


    But it was this ordinary breakfast that gave Stark a feeling of salvation. He had never thought that he would be moved to tears by a two-dor pancake.


    On the other side, Peter didn''t look too good while eating. He had squeezed too much sauce, and a lot of it was stuck in the corners of his mouth. As usual, he took a big bite and chewed it incessantly in his mouth.


    The steaming breakfast made him sweat even more, and he tugged at his cor. His clothes became somewhat disheveled.


    This image and this breakfast were out of ce with the environment of Stark Tower. Everywhere there were cold-colored metals, all sorts of high-end experimental instruments, and regrly flickering lights.


    It was like a colorful paintbrush had been forcefully brushed onto a cold and orderly mechanicalponent.


    But Peter wasn''t affected at all. He quickly finished a pancake, then chugged down arge cup of coffee, and finally slumped back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.


    Peter wiped his mouth and said, "It''s so good. I used to only be able to eat once a week because, as you know, although this ce is delicious, it''s a bit expensive. If I eat at the school cafeteria, I can save half the money."


    "But I really don''t like the sausages in the school cafeteria, so whenever Uncle Ben gives me pocket money, I''ll go eat here once."


    "Gwen likes this ce too. Now, we go there for a meal after school every day. I used toin that the seats there weren''t enough, but with Gwen, we squeeze into a corner, eat and chat. Is there anything better than this?"


    Stark looked down at the whole pancake in his hand, which now only had a piece of packaging paper left on it, with some sauce residue. His coffee on the left was also empty.


    "This is my first time eating this stuff," Stark said.


    Peter was a bit surprised and said, "Really? Pancakes are quite popr where we''re from. Almost everyone in school loves to eat them."


    "Do you know Thompson? I mentioned him to you before, the big guy in our ss who ys football. He can eat up to five portions in one sitting. Last time he insisted I bring him breakfast. If it weren''t for the extra tip he gave me, I wouldn''t have carried so many bags for him."


    Then Peter said with some relief, "But it''s okay, everything has a first time. How about it? The taste is not bad, right?"


    Stark clicked his tongue, he had to admit that human taste buds tend to prefer richer vors. Although those sauces may not be healthy, they are actually quite delicious.


    After finishing the meal, Peter stood in front of theb table. He originally wanted to see if Stark had any new ideas for Mech armor, but then he noticed the stack of books and documents.


    In contrast to Pepper, Peter could understand theplex experimental data, but he waspletely unable toprehend these lengthy dissertations.


    He picked up one of them, nced at it, then covered his eyes and said, "I think I don''t know English anymore. Help! I seem to recognize every word in here, but they all seem very unfamiliar..."


    "I think sooner orter, you''ll have to learn these things," Stark said.


    Peter shook his head and said, "That''s why my dream has never been to start apany or be the world''s richest person or something like that. I know I can''t understand these things. I might not even be able to hire employees because I don''t know what they''re thinking. I might even mess up business negotiations..."


    Stark''s hand holding the book stiffened.


    Peter''s words reminded him that he wasn''t being forced to learn these things. He had chosen to keep Stark Industries. If he chose to give up thepany and be an independent street hero like Peter, he wouldn''t need to learn these things at all.


    As long as he had his genius brain, he could build a Mech armor even if he picked up materials from the garbage dump.


    So why did he choose to keep thepany? Stark thought that the pain of learning these things didn''t seem to be any less than rummaging through garbage dumps.


    Then Stark thought of Pepper, Obadiah, and his father.


    At that moment, J.A.R.V.I.S. reminded him, "Mr. Steve is here to visit."


    "Close the door and refuse the visit."


    But it was toote. Steve had already appeared at the door of theboratory. He held his arms and said, "Schiller said you seem to be in trouble, so I came here to mock you."


    "Shut up, or I''ll put on the Mech armor and beat you up right now."


    "I haven''t settled the ount with you yet. You still owe me for blowing up my Mech armor."


    "That''s your own fault."


    The two of them quarreled for a few words, and it seemed that they were about to fight. Peter stood between them, holding out his arms to stop them.


    Steve said, "Originally, I still had some clues about your father''s legacy, but it seems that you don''t want to hear it now."


    Stark was taken aback, and he said suspiciously, "Does my father have other legacies? Are you lying to me?"


    Steve shook his head and said, "I don''t know the truth about your father''s death, but I know things are not that simple. He was likely prepared a long time ago..."


    So Stark pursed his lips and asked, "Where is the thing?"


    "Actually, it should be right at the old site of Stark Industries, but you shouldn''t get your hopes up too much. He wouldn''t keep anything important there."


    "You mean Howard Automotive Company? J.A.R.V.I.S, didn''t you get Obadiah''s research data from therest time?"


    "Yes, sir. However, there are two locations for this old site. Stark Industries has relocated before, so I''ve sent Mech armor to search each location separately."


    "It seems like you really care about your father," Steve said.


    "I don''t. I just-"


    "No, I''m serious. You don''t have to deny it. I can only tell you that the actions your father was involved in and his death weren''t that simple. He-"


    Steve paused for a moment, seeming hesitant, but he still said, "Maybe to you, he wasn''t a good father, but to me, he must have been a good partner. What do you think created this difference?"


    Stark frowned. He could tell that Steve was trying to remind him of something, but he didn''t want to say more, which made him feel a bit anxious.


    He now understood the purpose of Schiller''s request for him to read those theoretical books. Now, he could find corresponding entries in his mind for every move Steve made. This could help Stark view his attitude from a more objective perspective. In the past, he would have already grabbed Steve by the cor and forced him to speak clearly.


    But now, he could feel that Steve wanted to remind him of something, but he couldn''t say it directly. Even if he asked, the most that would happen is they would fight, and Steve might still think he was being unreasonable.


    Stark felt for the first time the usefulness of what he had learned. It could prevent him from wasting his energy and make him appear smarter and more elusive in the eyes of others.


    Steve saw that Stark didn''t react much and was just thinking in ce, which surprised him. What''s wrong with Stark today? Is he sick? He was originally prepared for Stark to be hysterical and force him to tell the truth.


    Could it be that Stark also knows something?


    But it''s also possible, Steve thought. The Stark family are all extremely intelligent people, and perhaps Tony Stark Jr. just didn''t like him before, but he should still be dependable when ites to serious matters.


    Peter couldn''t quite understand the subtle atmosphere between the adults, so he had to ask, "Captain, do you want a cup of coffee?"


    "No, I just came to deliver a message. I haven''t gone for my morning run yet."


    "Oh, right." Peter took out a lunch box from his backpack and said, "This is a lunch box I took from Dr. Schiller a few days ago. Captain, if you pass by the clinic, please return it to him. Oh, and there are two portions of pancakes inside, one for each of you. The sauces are in thepartments on the side..."


    Steve opened the lid and nced inside, saying, "Just give them all to Schiller. I can''t eat things with too much sauce. In fact, I don''t understand why you guys love Mexican food so much, the taste is too strong."


    "Alright, then let''s give them all to the doctor. See youter."


    After Steve left, the Mech armor quickly flew in through the window. One of the Mech armors was holding a slightly worn-out leather bag in its hand. Stark didn''t care about the dust on it as he flipped through it, only to find that there was only one worn-out notebook inside.


    Stark opened the notebook and saw that half of it seemed to have been soaked in alcohol. After opening it, he didn''t find any useful information.


    There were indeed Howard''s handwriting on it, but most of it was nonsensical ramblings he wrote when he was drunk, with random scribbles and messy letters that couldn''t make sense of anything.


    Stark put down the notebook, feeling somewhat disappointed but also relieved.


    His father shouldn''t be seen as a savior at this moment. Howard was not someone he should think of when he was feeling sad and down.


    Genius, Stark thought, there can only be one genius Stark in this world, and that is him, Tony Stark.

 Chapter 100: Genius Starts Again (3)

    Chapter 100: Genius Starts Again (3)


    "Wait!! You nned to make me use this method all along??? Then why did you make me read so many books????"


    Schiller was pressing a pair of headphones into Stark''s ears, while Stark dodged and protested, "This is cheating, isn''t it??? Damn it!! Don''t do this!! My ears! I have already learned those things, I don''t need..."


    "Do you really think you can learn everything I learned from college to Doctorate in just a few nights?"


    "You nned to be my off-site instructor all along!!! You liar! You told me if I couldn''t learn these things, the Stark Group would be done for!!!"


    "That was just a macro view, and I am not wrong. You will have to learn these things someday. So why not yesterday?" Schiller said.


    Ignoring Stark''s dodges, Schiller pressed the headphones into one of Stark''s ears and said, "Don''t make a fuss, I am just an off-site trantor. It''smon, right?"


    Steve chimed in, "Actually, politicians do this when they discuss matters too. They have their staff team behind them, including during important interviews. Of course, in my time, these devices were much more expensive and rare. Only a few important people had them."


    Stark felt like he was being bitten by fleas, desperately trying to remove the headphones from his ear, "Damn it! Why did you create such a desperate atmosphere earlier? And why did you give me so many books? I stayed up all night to memorize them all!"


    "That''s exactly why I did it. If I didn''t, you would never have looked at them." Schiller replied."Okay, forget about that. But are you sure this will work?" Stark asked.


    "Damn it...I should have thought of this earlier! You vampire doctor! If I knew earlier, I wouldn''t have used your outdated headphones. I would have created a more advanced,prehensive monitoring system..."


    Stark pped his forehead with regret, "Why didn''t I think of this earlier? I could have let you do it for me! I could have just been a repeater in the conference room. Even if I didn''t know, as long as you knew, it would be fine, right?!"


    Stark was really angry, but not at Schiller. He was angry at himself for not thinking of this earlier.


    Of course, it was also Schiller''s fault. When Stark came to him seeking a solution, he was very anxious. Schiller used a very serious tone and rhetoric to trap Stark in a mental loop, making him feel abnormal for not knowing these things.


    If only Stark had taken care of his mundane affairs, he would have known that there was an entire think tank behind Obadiah. The entire Stark industry could not have been decided by just one person''s brain.


    Stark was a billionaire, so he didn''t need to worry about not knowing these things. As long as he had money, there were plenty of people who knew how to do them. If he had spent the whole day hiring staff, he would have already formed a dream team.


    But Schiller''s maniption made him feel that he was paying the price for his past recklessness. He never considered his financial ability and genius scientific research ability.


    Not to mention, even if he wrote an AI emotion analysis system, it would probably be much faster than him memorizing a book.


    "Is this psychology?! You fraud!" Stark gritted his teeth and said, "You studied psychology just to trap people in this kind of predicament, so they have to pay you a lot of money for treatment?!!"


    "Don''t make me sound like an unscrupulous quack."


    "Aren''t you an unscrupulous quack?"


    "Although I''m a bit unscrupulous, I''m definitely not a quack."


    "Mr. Stark, the car has arrived," J.A.R.V.I.S reminded him. "The meeting will officially start at 10:30, and you are expected to arrive at 10:20."


    "Okay, okay, let''s go," Stark still seemed a bit nervous. "This is all we can do."


    Schiller patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don''t worry, after you get there, you will find that you are not alone."


    Stark got into the car and arrived at the negotiation conference room in no time. He was a bitte, and most of the people here had already taken their seats.


    Stark nced around and found that almost everyone was wearing headphones, and some were tantly video calling on theirputers. The other end of theputer was arge group of people sitting in front of another small conference room.


    Stark said to J.A.R.V.I.S, "Deduct Schiller''s consultation fee...all of it!! Don''t let me see his name on the year-end financial report!! This damn bastard yed me!!"


    J.A.R.V.I.S said, "The headphones have been connected for thirteen minutes."


    Schiller''s voice rang in Stark''s ear, "It''s okay, you can of course deduct the consultation fee before, but this kind of political consulting service also needs to be paid for. The price is 200,000 US dors per minute..."


    "Shit, you vampire doctor!"


    "If you don''t agree, I''ll hang up immediately."


    "Don''t! Wait, wait...I think we can still talk. 200,000 US dors is too expensive, but don''t hang up yet. The negotiation is about to begin. What do you want me to say?"


    On the other side, in the Psychological Clinic, Peter and Steve sat at the table, listening to Stark''s anxious voice. Steve was quite amused, but Peter felt a little ufortable. He said, "It seems a bit too expensive, doctor. I think we can negotiate for a lower price."


    "Now that you are part of Stark''s staff team, we''ll split the money in half when it''s received."


    Before Peter could continue, Stark''s voice came through again, "Hello? Hello? The negotiation is about to start, what should I do?"


    "You don''t need to do anything, just wait. In fact, you can zone out for the first 30 minutes, you don''t need to listen to anything they say."


    "Is that really okay?" Stark was obviously in a highly nervous state. It was his first time participating in such a situation seriously, and he felt like he should do something immediately to show results.


    "Trust me, just stay put."


    Afterwards, Stark sat in his seat with mixed feelings. Soon, he realized that Schiller''s words made a lot of sense, because the first person to speak was actually starting from World War II.


    The military representative began reminiscing about their glorious years since the Pearl Harbor incident, and before 20 minutes had passed, Stark was already feeling extremely tired. The military spokesperson could recount various ssic battles like a list of chores, always using the same lofty and righteous words to boast about the military''s achievements and resumes.


    No one could endure 10 minutes of this kind of speech. In the end, when the military representative finished the first round of speeches, more than half of the audience was half asleep.


    Next to take the stage was a SHIELD representative. The moment he opened his mouth, Stark wished he could just pass out, because he started his speech from the Iron Curtain era.


    The SHIELD agent was slightly better than the military representative in terms of knowledge of intelligence warfare and special operations organization history. But Stark thought to himself, he was here to participate in negotiations, not to learn modern history.


    After about 40 minutes, it was Stark''s turn to speak. Schiller said, "Open the first draft and read it as is."


    When Stark opened the draft, his eyes went dark because it started from the Industrial Revolution. (XD)


    He read the entire thing for 20 minutes before stumbling through to the end. After finishing, he put on his headphones and said, "Oh my god, this is the first time I''ve fully understood the history of Stark Industries'' development..."


    What made Stark feel even more desperate was that it wasn''t over yet. Immediately after, the military started talking about the methods of future army organization, the development direction of future weapons systems, and the possibility of a third world war. They rambled on for another 20 minutes.


    When SHIELD''s agent took the stage, it was the same. He talked about the importance of the agent organization''s independence from the surveince system, the development of future individualbat and intelligence information warfare, and the establishment path of a global intelligence system.


    Stark whispered into his headphones, "I''m going to ask for half the consultation fee for this part. It''spletely meaningless and nothing like what I was expecting."


    "What were you expecting?" Schiller''s voice came through the headphones. "To start plotting all sorts of conspiracies in a dark room?"


    "You need to know the most important thing, actually, this negotiation is just going through the motions," Schiller said.


    "Everyone knows what cards the other side has, and everyone also knows what cards they have. The result of this negotiation was predetermined from the beginning. Even if you act like a weirdo like before, don''t listen to anything, it won''t change the oue."


    This made Stark feel even more absurd than learning all that theoretical knowledge, as if you had learned all sorts of fancy fighting techniques, but in the end, you only needed one punch to knock down your opponent.


    When it was Stark''s turn to envision the future, he had learned to close his eyes and read the draft even if the development direction of mechanical industry waspletely iprehensible to him. The draft threw together a bunch of terms, creating some fancy-sounding words, like those tech scammers, but Stark still shut off his brain and read the draft without a hitch.


    Then it was time for the guests and hosts to enjoy themselves. One of the old generals with some gray hair said to Stark, "I remember the glorious era of Stark Industries. You Stark were all geniuses. Your father was, and you are too. Back then, his research on hovercars was quite astonishing, but you also know that the military did not cooperate with him due to some conservative needs. We were really sorry about that..."


    Before Stark could respond, Schiller spoke through his headphones, "He''s insulting your dad, saying he can''t do this or that. He''s insulting you, but not as much as he insults your dad. Insult him back."


    Stark hesitated for a moment, then repeated Schiller''s words, "Indeed, I believe that most people in the military, like you, respected generals, have long-term vision. It''s just that the development of this era is too fast..."


    At that moment, Nick Fury, who was sitting at the end of the negotiation table, spoke up, "Inrge-scalendings, conventional weapons still have some use. While mech armor can significantly improve individualbat capabilities, adaptability must also be considered in groupbat..."


    Schiller''s voice came through the headphones, "He''s giving you an out, trying to ease the tension in the negotiation. You can smile back at him."


    Stark then smiled at Nick, who was covered in goosebumps, feeling that today''s Stark was very strange, too strange. (XD)


    Both the military and SHIELD noticed that something was off about Stark, so they cut to the chase earlier than usual.


    Then Stark realized that the actual topic of the negotiation only took up less than one-tenth of the total negotiation time.


    First, Nick Fury pointed out the possibility that the military had kidnapped Dr. Connors. The military then counter-used SHIELD of staging it all. The two sides argued back and forth, and in the end, the military lost a bit and stated that they would hold ountable some officers who may have engaged in extreme behavior.


    As they listened to the argument, Stark asked Schiller through his earpiece, "Do they really not know that we hid Connors away?"


    "The military may not know, but Nick definitely does. He just needs this attitude to show that we should unite to deal with the military. He''s already expressed this to me before, so you can trust him."


    Next, Stark and SHIELD teamed up, leaving the military struggling to keep up. After all, they held a lot of cards, such as the true form of the Red Lizard, the serum that Connors might have developed, some evidence that SHIELD possessed, and the Mech armor that Stark Industries had delivered to the military.


    In short, this negotiation ended with a very fast pace and an absurd conclusion, just as Schiller had predicted.


    Within the military, a scapegoat was introduced, namely the faction of Tartu military officers led by Robert. They were purged, and the ounts were settled. The military and SHIELD joined forces to fabricate losses and jointly demanded an increase in military budget.


    Stark Industries will establish a stable cooperative system with the military and SHIELD at the same time, will provide some auxiliary individual armor exoskeletons and will also restart medical research projects, upying arger share in the results.


    Stark pulled off his headphones at the Psychological Clinic and said angrily, "You damn jerk doctor..."


    Before he could finish, a voice came from behind him, "You damn bastard!!! Stark..."


    Stark turned around and Pepper rushed in angrily, her eyes filled with tears. Stark hugged her tightly, listening to Pepper''s fast heartbeat.


    Pepper said, "I came to look for you early in the morning and you were gone! You weren''t even wearing your Mech armor! I asked J.A.R.V.I.S, and he didn''t say anything. I thought something happened to you! You scared me so much, you bastard..."


    Stark held Pepper tightly,forting her in a low voice.


    In the dimly lit room, there was only Pepper''s soft sobbing and Stark''s muffled voice.


    The path of a genius is always destined to be more difficult than that of others, and the sensitive inner world of genius Stark is always more tormented than that of ordinary people.


    But at least, as this fledgling bird preparing to leave the nest, when he flies unsteadily in the harsh wind, there are still branches willing to provide him a foothold.


    He saw Peter waving and smiling at him from behind the entranceway, as well as Schiller and Steve standing there.


    He noticed that the TV in the clinic''s living room suddenly flickered, and a smiley face made of symbols appeared on the screen.


    He thought to himself, "Stark, you really are a genius."


    Not only the smartest genius in the world, but also the luckiest genius in the world.

 Chapter 101: The Bat in the Jar

    Chapter 101: The Bat in the Jar


    On February 23, 1987, in Chicago, at night.


    Miss Tina, who had just finished a splendid and lively ball, lightly touched her fur cape and got into a luxurious car with the help of her driver. When she returned to her luxury apartment, a handsome man with blue eyes embraced her waist. Tina said, "Our ball has just begun, right, Mr. Bruce?"


    Moonlight shone through the window, and those beautiful blue eyes were shrouded in the shadow of the eyebrows. The handsome profile of Bruce Wayne fascinated Tina. The man turned around, and it was Bruce Wayne.


    On an ordinary afternoon of February 20, 1987, Schiller woke up in bed at Falcone Mansion. He remembered that before crossing over to the Marvel Universe, he had rested in a guest room at the Godfather''s estate.


    The mornings in Gotham were never sunny, but the early morning always brought special inspiration to Schiller. When he had breakfast with the Falcone father and son, the professor gained some inspiration again and quickly improved it in his mind.


    "How do you see the future of Gotham?" Schiller asked Falcone.


    Falcone shook his head and said, "If you had asked me this question 40 years ago, I would have told you that this city is doomed, but now I want to say that this city does not need anyone to save it. It is what it is and will always be like this..."


    "Do you think Gotham needs a new order?"


    "Many people have asked me this question, but I can only say that any effort to make this city better will ultimatelye to nothing, no matter how generous and passionate its beginning is. It will all end up in nothingness.""Why is that?"


    "You''ve hit the key, but I don''t know the answer."


    The Godfather lit a cigar, and the smoke slowly drifted away. He said, "During these 40 years, I have seen resolute revolutionaries and saviors with moral standards like saints. There are so many people in this world, notcking in one or two good people or heroes who are determined to save this city."


    "Theye to Gotham with this idea, and you have to admit that even if you know they will not seed, you are still deeply shaken by that determination."


    "Perhaps you may find it ridiculous, but I have indeed been changed by these people. Many people may wonder, if that''s the case, how did I be the Godfather of Gotham? How did I be the biggest gangster in this gang city?"


    "But it is precisely because I have seen these things, I have personally experienced that era, that I know that good people cannot save Gotham, and neither can heroes."


    "So where are these people now?"


    "Most of them are dead, and some lucky ones have escaped from here. People who do not belong to Gotham will eventually leave Gotham. If there are any left, he must be someone who originally belonged to Gotham."


    "Are there such people? Where are they?"


    The Godfather seemed to be lost in memory. After a while, he made a cross on his chest and said, "I once swore to the Lord to keep this secret for him."


    He didn''t give Schiller a clear answer, but Schiller already knew who he was referring to.


    The next day, Bruce was called to Schiller''s office. Schiller rarely called him over, so Bruce was curious about what was going on.


    They sat on opposite sides of the desk, just like when they first met. Schiller asked him, "Have you ever had a second where you thought about saving this citypletely?"


    "Of course..."


    "I mean, after you realized what the essence of this city really is."


    Bruce opened his mouth, and Schiller took off his sses. He looked straight at Bruce and said, "I think you should have realized that this city doesn''t need to be saved, and it can''t be saved."


    "So, are you telling me not to do it anymore? Not to be Batman?"


    "Of course not. I don''t care if you''re Batman or not. I just want to know if you really want to save Gotham."


    "What''s the difference?"


    "Are you sure you''re being Batman to save Gotham?"


    Bruce fell silent.


    "I''ll ask you another question. If there is a possibility of bringing a new order to Gotham, would you be willing to make some effort for it?"


    "Although I have this guess now, I still can''t be sure what the essence of this city is. Why did it be like this? And is it really impossible to save it?"


    "Falcone once told me that many people have tried to save this city, but they have all failed. Most of them perished here, but some stayed and became part of Gotham."


    "Who is he?"


    "The only father of the Gotham Church. I think you can go see him and thene back and give me an answer."


    Bruce shook his head. He thought Schiller was a little unclear.


    But he was also interested in Gotham''s past. There are too many mysteries in this city for him to explore.


    At first, his goal was simple - he wanted to take revenge on all the criminals. But when he learned about a part of Gotham, he felt that he should save the city. However, as he learned more about Gotham, he felt that the city did not need to be saved.


    And now, he had to learn Gotham all over again, and he found that this city seemed to be beyond saving.


    Just like Schiller said, Gotham was like a book that could never be finished, with endless mysteries. Every time you read it, you would gain new insights.


    When Bruce arrived at the grand Church of Gotham, Father warmly weed him. This old Father looked like he was well past his seventies, to be honest, it was rare to see ordinary people live to such an old age in Gotham.


    In Gotham, no one taught children to help elderly people cross the road, because there were no people who taught children, and no elderly people.


    In front of the pulpit, Father smiled as he took Bruce''s arm and said, "I have heard of Mr. Wayne''s name for a long time. Of course, forgive me for not having anything better to offer you. After all, this Church is already too old, just like me."


    "Look, these tables and chairs are falling apart. I wonder if there is any kind-hearted person who can rece the pulpit without needing bricks to prop up the legs..."


    Bruce was very familiar with this kind of talk, and he crossed himself, saying, "I do not bestow grace upon the Lord. Wayne Construction Team will thoroughly renovate the interior of the Church, making His kingdom clean and new, all for the glory of the Lord."


    The old Father seemed very pleased with this. When Bruce talked to him about the past, he did not seem to have any intention of hiding anything, but rather spoke candidly about his own experiences.


    "Ie from an ordinary family in Ennd. I served in the church in my youth, and I came here to Gotham in order to let more people hear the Gospel of the Lord."


    "Originally, I just settled in a small town on the East Coast, but I heard people say that Gotham was not bad, so I came here."


    "You might find it hard to believe, but Gotham was actually not bad back then, thanks to the presence of Pier. It was prosperous with lots of people, and the living conditions were decent. Also, back then, the gangs were just starting out, and there weren''t many of them."


    "At that time, there were still some ordinary people here with dreams. They wanted to establish order and grow together with the city. Of course, I was one of them at that time."


    Father''s voice then began to grow deeper and echoed in the empty church. The colorful light shining through the stained ss windows at the top of the church was like a tunnel through time and space. Father''s voice seemed to follow this tunnel and returned to that era.


    "There were many people like this at that time, ambitious and thinking that this ce was a gold coast or a new gold mountain. Although there was some chaos, everyone felt it was just a normal pain in the city''s development."


    "Young missionaries, with a Bible in their arms, set foot on thisnd with the fleet. This story ofing from afar was not as magnificent as others imagined, but there were still many people interested in me."


    "Of course, I spread my faith here and helped everyone as much as possible, mediating some of the too intense conflicts and disputes of the gangs. Almost everyone was willing to give me face."


    When Bruce heard this, he began to view Father with some admiration. This old man who lived during the same time as Falcone seemed to have had a ce in the music world as well.


    In this city ruled by gangs, food can be eaten recklessly, but words cannot be spoken carelessly.


    No one would dare to fabricate such stories boldly, iming that all gangs have to give him face. Bruce knew that the only one with that kind of power was Falcone. If anyone else dared to brag like that, their body would be thrown into the sea the next day.


    But Father seemed to be talking about something insignificant. Bruce heard the humility in his tone and wondered if this old man, who lived in the same era as Falcone, had once had the same reputation as The Godfather.


    But now they were very different. Falcone had be The Godfather admired by everyone in Gotham, while this old Father was guarding a dpidated church, where there might not be a single worshipper for days.


    Bruce had always been curious about that somewhat yellowed era, like people always imagine the glory of their fathers.


    The story Falcone once told him about Pier showed the rise of gangs in that turbulent era.


    But now, in this empty church, this old Father seemed to reveal to him another side of the city in that era.


    "When I came to Gotham, the war was far from over. Istionism prevailed here, but more lower-ss civilians were afraid of the war. They didn''t understand how a mess suddenly broke out on the other end of the Earth."


    "I started spreading the doctrine here. I believe that faith can bring peace to people''s hearts. At first, I did pretty well. You know, there were still many British people who had not evacuated here in that era. They invited me to their estates and listened to me preach. I spent almost every afternoon like that."


    "At first, some small gangs were just wandering around Pier, and even fewer could get into the inner streets. At that time, I met Falcone, but there was no Falcone and Twelve Families yet. Perhaps the entire Gotham could not find twelve decent gangsbined."


    "At that time, this ce was still basically a colonial economy. Because of an ident, I started dealing with gangs. They saw that I had channels from wealthy British people and wanted me to be a middleman to help them grow their power."


    "I didn''t want to get involved in these vortexes, but I had no choice. If I had to, I would choose the most promising one, which was Falcone."


    "Later, many people began to realize that Gotham was not as good as they had imagined. The wealthy British people began to gradually withdraw from this ce and gather in other more prosperous and potentially better ces."


    "The main legacy they left to this city was the estate district and this big church. Under my persuasion, they collectively contributed to building this ce, and I became the only Father in this church."


    "So what happened after that? What happened next?"


    "When the upperyer that maintained a stable order suddenly left, the ones who filled in the upper structure became the ones with the most guns and bullets. Falcone and his Twelve Families were those people. They had some trouble at first, but then they took over."


    "Once, Falcone and I were very good partners because I knew that he was different from other gangs. He wanted to create a new order here, even if it was a violent one, it was better than no order."


    "I did everything I could to help him. I thought that gangs were just a temporary recement for the upper-ss blocks that had been emptied. I believed that someday, Gotham would return to the right path."


    "But I didn''t expect that everything would get out of control. After Falcone and his gang family took over the city, it became a real city of crime. From the twelve gangs that sprouted, there were 120 gangs, 1,200 gangs, and finally, a city where everyone was a gangster or a criminal."


    "Evil spread here, but I was helpless. I knew that Falcone might be the same. Many people thought he was the culprit for Gotham''s decline, but I knew that wasn''t the truth."


    Finally, Father looked up and surveyed the church. He said, "There aren''t many buildings left from that era. I''m grateful that they left me a ce like this where I can find shelter."


    "Why don''t you leave then? Even if you can''t go back to your hometown, you can at least go to the church in Metropolis. There are still quite a few clergymen there, and they live well."


    Father said, "You don''t understand. I not only witnessed how evil gradually infected this city, but I was also deeply trapped in it a long time ago."


    He drew a cross on his chest, prayed softly for a few moments, and then said, "The biggest truth I learned in this process is that this city will only ept those who belong here. Those heroes who truly want to save this ce will eventually leave because they don''t belong here."


    "So what is all of this for?"


    "I don''t know, but I always believe that my choice back then was not wrong. Falcone and I, like him, are guardians of this city, not destroyers."


    "In your eyes, The Godfather may be a sess because he ruled the Gotham underworld for 40 years, but I know, and Falcone knows, that we are all losers. We can only weave an unstable order in the abyss of sin to preserve ourselves."


    Father shook his head and said, "But unfortunately, I''m just an ordinary person who has lived longer than others. What I know is even less than Falcone. Or maybe Falcone doesn''t know the real answer either."


    As the sun gradually set, the shadows of the tables and chairs inside the Church grew longer, and the light from the colorful stained ss spread over Bruce.


    Finally, old Father said, "I can only stay here, guarding a piece of His kingdom, and after I die, this purend will also dissipate, just like the countless hopes that have dissipated in Gotham."


    "Of the group of people back then, only Falcone and I are left. We are both old. Perhaps when we go to meet our Lord, the remaining order in this city will no longer exist."


    "Do you think there is a possibility of establishing a new order?"


    "Countless people have tried for it, but they all failed. Falcone seeded in a small part, but it only dyed it for a while. Maybe no one can dy it any longer."


    With a sigh in his voice, old Father''s words made Bruce fall into contemtion.


    Whenever he heard these stories about the history of his hometown, Bruce couldn''t help but feel a sense of nostalgia like a returning wanderer.


    Because the story of Gotham was filled with absurdity and despair from beginning to end, everything that happened here had no cause and no result, and even those who experienced that era couldn''t exin it clearly.


    In this mysterious journey of exploring Gotham''s history, the parts of the time machine were always stuck by some fragments shrouded in mist. Whenever Bruce tried to fix this old-fashioned projector and uncover the truth within, various forces always tried to stop him.


    Bruce walked out of the Church and began to ponder the question Schiller asked him. Father''s answer to him was that this city probably wouldn''t have a chance to have a new order, and after the older generation died out, it would fall into darknesspletely.


    He suddenly came up with a strange analogy, "Gotham and all the evils generated in this city, and all the criminals living here, are like grains of salt sprinkled from a salt shaker."


    This is a Salt shaker that will never be empty. The person holding this Salt shaker calmly pours out some crystal-clear salt grains, just like a patient angler crafting his bait.


    Just-turned-adult Bruce had learned a fact from his professors, Falcone, and his old Father, that the reason why Gotham had be what it is today was not a simple natural evolution. The goals he once held of seeking revenge on criminals may never be achieved, and he may never be able to save Gothampletely, because the Salt shaker above Gotham would never be empty. The crystal-clear salt grains, full of guilt, would continue toe and go with the wind, just like the never-ending fine rain in Gotham city.


    But this didn''t make Batman feel defeated, instead, it made him more ambitious.


    Batman didn''t want to keep chasing after these salt grains, which were scattered as if someone was giving them away, like a stupid fish swimming around the bait, waiting for the water to wash up some residue to fill its stomach.


    What he wanted to do was to directly crush this Salt shaker, or, just like what he did to Luis, appear behind him like a bat, enveloping this person who was smugly holding the Salt shaker in shadows, making him tremble with fear of the bat.


    Then, he would get this Salt shaker and all the salt grains inside.


    If there was destined to be a Salt shaker that amodated all criminals in this world, it would be best for this Salt shaker to belong to Batman.


    And it must belong to Batman.

 Chapter 102: The Black Pyramid

    Chapter 102: The ck Pyramid


    Bruce never dreamed that after returning to Schiller and giving him a positive answer, he would hear such a stunning n from him.


    The professor, who imed to be an ordinary person and a good man, told him in person: "It''s not Gotham that''s wrong, it''s the world."


    And for this, Schiller presented a n, a n that made Bruce somewhat hesitant, even though the professor said it was just a sh of inspiration one morning.


    In this n, Gotham is described by Schiller as a "perfect" city that upies the time, ce, and people, but this "perfect" is for the ck industry.


    The first step of this n is to connect the three major ports on the East Coast of the United States, namely Gotham Port, Chicago Port, and Miami Port. Coincidentally, the specialties of these three cities are all gangs.


    Gang meets gang, and they burst into tears. And what''s more coincidental is that Gotham has a unique advantage in this regard, where the gangs of Chicago and Miami cannot match the gangs of Gotham.


    By linking these three cities together, with Gotham as the leader, it almost controls more than half of the port trade on the East Coast of the United States.


    No single independent port city can digest the entire ck industry of the United States, but if the three port cities arebined, it is definitely not as simple as 1+1+1=3.


    The ck industry chain that cannot bepleted by an independent port city will be perfected by downstream cities, and the three ports will respond to each other. With the same order structure as the twelve gangs in Gotham, they will be subdividedyer byyer, which can bear more than 70% of the ck industry chain in the United States.Most cities on the West Coast of the United States are still orderly cities, such as Coastal City where Green Lantern Hal is located, and Los Angeles and Seattle, which, although have a high overall crime rate, are actually stronger than the East Coast.


    Looking at these cities on the East Coast, Gotham goes without saying, it is thergest center of crime in the universe, and Miami''s specialty is tornadoes and gangs, while Chicago is known as a paradise of crime and its typewriters are famous throughout the United States.


    The average crime index in the United States is 30-40, but the crime index of these three cities, Gotham, Chicago, and Miami,bined, may exceed 300, which is a strong alliance.


    What Schiller did not mention in the n he showed Bruce was that as a time traveler, he knew that in about seven months, in October 1987, a ck Monday woulde, and the country would experience a severe stock market crash, with stocks hitting the limit andpanies going bankrupt. Arge number of unemployed people took to the streets and the crime rate almost doubled.


    Gangs received countless fresh blood supplies, and many unemployed financial personnel began to join them. Many unsessful street gangsters began to transform into professionals, and a new batch of professional talents inrge gangs moved towardspany and shareholding systems.


    Subsequently, the end of the Cold War arrived, and arge number of arms were withdrawn. The adverse effects of excessive investment during thepetition period began to gradually emerge, and many personnel wereid off. Most of these people had undergone professional military training butcked skills to make a living. After the gang armed their brains, they could further improve their physical strength.


    Then, therge amount of hot money fleeing caused the 1994 Mexican economic crisis. Yes, Mexico''s specialty is also...


    It can be foreseen that if this n is followed, the next few years will be the most prosperous years for Gotham.


    Of course, Bruce doesn''t have foresight, he only knows that one of the two people who came up with this n with him is not normal.


    When you want to bring a new order to a City of crime,


    What would you do?


    Most people may think about how to suppress gangs, or use absolute violence to eradicate the root cause of crime from the roots.


    But it will never be "since I can''t do it, let''s rot together."


    But if this n really seeds, Bruce''s genius brain calctes very clearly that once the Gotham gang mode is applied to the entire East Coast, Gotham will be the top of this ck pyramid, just like the position of the Falcone family in Gotham now.


    Bing the top of the pyramid in thergest crime industry chain in the United States means that Gotham is likely to be the most developed city in the country. Everyone in this city will be the head of the phoenix passively, even if they are thest feather of the head of the phoenix, they will be more brilliant than other feathers.


    Of course, Gotham will not change its nature as the City of Crime because of this. After all, the top of the ck pyramid is also ck.


    But what makes Gotham different from other cities is that whether it is the head of the phoenix or the tail of the chicken, it has already been rotten to the core. Gotham has no lower limit to break through, so since everything is rotten, why not be a little more prosperous and thriving?


    Bruce had many opinions on this n, but he kept them to himself because he had already given Schiller a positive answer. He thought it was just one of the countless questions Schiller had asked him before, and he just needed to think about it for a while and give him an answer. He didn''t expect Schiller toe up with a careful, absurd, and possibly very effective n so quickly.


    Bruce suddenly felt like he was on a pirate ship.


    But he had promised Schiller, and he didn''t want to lose face in front of him, so he agreed to participate in the early arrangements.


    The first step in the early arrangements was to rece Gotham''s mayor. The previous mayor died in a traffic ident, and Gotham had been without a new mayor for some time. Generally speaking, Gotham''s mayor cannot be appointed because no one wants to risk their life here, so Wayne Enterprises usually pays people toe here. Among so many politicians, there are always a few who value money more than their lives.


    But this time, Gotham had set its sights on the former mayor of Chicago. Like Gotham, the previous two mayors of Chicago either died in a car ident ormitted suicide with two shots to the back of their heads. The former mayor was still alive because he was the leader of Chicago''s secondrgest gang, the Gospel Gangsters.


    Schiller believed that such a resume would be suitable for being the mayor of Gotham. At least he managed Chicago''s traffic well, and most drivers were very courteous when facing Chicago''s typewriter.


    So at the beginning of the story, Bruce appeared in Chicago and sessfully hooked up with the Gospel Gangsters'' boss''s younger sister.


    Of course, this wasn''t the n at the beginning, and Batman certainly wouldn''te up with a n to approach his target by seducing women.


    But the problem was that Bruce couldn''t use the identity of Batman to aplish this task. After all, Batman wasn''t that well-known now, only a little famous in Gotham, and had no control over Chicago''s affairs. So he used the identity of the world''s richest person, Bruce.


    When a yboy like Bruce came to a city, he had to eat, drink, and have fun for a few days first, otherwise it would seem a little too dedicated.


    As soon as it was announced that the world''s richest person wasing, every party in Chicago invited him. Bruce attended several parties in two days, including almost all the socialites in Chicago, including Roy Brown''s younger sister, Tina Brown.


    She was very beautiful and danced very well. Men were interested and women were willing, so the two of them quickly got together and became passionate.


    Bruce put his arm around Tina''s shoulder and said, "The thing is, I can''t find a suitable candidate. Politicians don''tst long in Gotham, and I can''t afford to spend a lot of money only to buy a few months of peace every time."


    Tina brushed her hair andy on Bruce''s chest. "I''m beginning to suspect that you came here just in time. My brother is in trouble, and he has nowhere to hide."


    "What happened? What kind of trouble can''t even the leader of the Gospel Gangsters avoid?"


    "During a gang shootout the other day, a seven or eight-year-old white boy was killed on his way home from school. This incident has had a big impact, and you should know that many ces have sent condemnations if you have read the newspapers."


    "The Gospel Gangsters didn''t participate in this incident, after all, we are a branch of the Mafia and don''t advocate shooting every day. But unfortunately, this incident happened in the Gospel Gangsters'' territory, and I don''t know which idiot fired the bullet so far away..."


    "My brother isn''t afraid of the local gangs, but the joint investigation team is troublesome. They areposed of several state legitors, and they all have different powers behind them. It''s not something you can solve with a few shots..."


    "So your brother wants to hide and wait for the storm to pass?"


    "Of course, if you are willing to spend some money to help my brother resolve this trouble, the Brown family will thank you." Tina said.


    Bruce didn''t care about her intention, he knew from the beginning that Tina hade for him. After all, Bruce''s own motives were not pure either, this was just a game.


    [ShaneFreak: Currupt Batman....]


    "Have you thought carefully about it? Being the mayor of Gotham is not an easy task."


    Tina raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Don''t you know? The Godfather of the famous Falcone family in Gotham. My father has always had contact with The Godfather, and after he passed away, my brother went to Gotham to visit Falcone."


    "Of course, I know. My brother couldn''t have stood firm just by relying on this favor, but if you are on his side, things will be much easier."


    Bruce didn''t say anything, but he felt that the future New Mayor''s most important reliance might be the mad n of that professor.


    Bruce met with Roy in Gotham one morning. He was a typical Chicago gang leader, wearing a trench coat, a fedora, and carrying a violin case.


    Roy impressed Schiller because in the time it took to smoke a cigarette, he fully understood Schiller''s intentions to unite the Gotham and Chicago gangs and develop together. He also strongly agreed with this idea.


    Roy was also a ruthless person. During the rampant era of the Chicago housing gang, he held onto the traditional gang''s territory with the inheritance left by the Mafia.


    Although the Chicago gang was not as terrifying as Gotham, it was actually moreplicated because it involved the dispute between traditional gangs and modern gangs, as well as the fight between different skin colors. The one who can survive in thisplex situation is certainly not a fool.


    As the head of the Chicago gang, he certainly did not dare to try to connect with the Gotham gang. That would be no different from inviting a wolf into his home. But if he could join the Gotham gang and then connect with the Chicago gang, he would be the wolf that entered the house.


    Moreover, he was justified. The Falcone family was also a branch of the Mafia, and the old The Godfather Falcone was the most authentic Roman, with Italian blood flowing in his body.


    What is the meaning of the Mafia being legitimate in Gotham? This is called returning to the roots.


    Because Roy knew gangs well, he knew that this n had a great chance of sess.


    In this era, the idea of ??uniting to make the cake bigger was rtively rare. Everyone was a lone ranger, but as long as the smart people among them could see the huge benefits of doing so, they would naturally unite.


    So Roy became a spiritual Gothamite without any burden and went straight to the broken ce of Chicago.


    An outsider from Chicago who pointed fingers and drew on Gotham gang affairs would certainly be rejected by the gangs, but if this person was The Godfather Falcone''s disciple, it would be different.


    Some people specte that perhaps The Godfather felt that his own son Evans was unable to take on the great responsibility, so Roy came to Gotham. Although Roy is indeed a little older than Evans, he is still very young and is a good candidate for session.


    The first step of this n had a significant effect. Thergest gang in Gotham and the secondrgest gang in Chicago joined forces, and the effect was remarkable.


    They subdivided the source of goods at the pier, and ording to the different types of smuggled goods and the distance of logistics transportation, they redistributed the location of the goods ships thatnded. All the Piers under Gotham''s control and the Gospel Gangsters united with Chicago''s controlled Piers, quickly sorting out their respective chaotic smuggling routes.


    Of course, they also did not forget to attract external investment. Smuggling is basically something that all parties have some experience in. At this time, they only need to pay a small price, and they can enjoy the right to park and transport at the two important piers in the two cities with preferential policies. They can even open a new logistics channel between them to speed up the cirction of smuggled goods along the entire East Coast.


    This move was very effective, and Falcone''s continuously rising economic reports were the strongest evidence.


    Originally, the old The Godfather was in his old age, and his greatest wish was to smoothly hand over the Falcone family, so that his life''s work would not be wasted.


    But now, Schiller suddenly brought out arge cake and imed that it was just an appetizer. Falcone''s long-declining appetite suddenly revived. He had been invincible in Gotham for too long, but the Godfather''s appetite was never small. When he saw Schiller''s somewhat crazy n, Falcone suddenly felt that he could rule Gotham for another 40 years.


    Falcone thought that if the ck pyramid depicted in this n could really be realized, no, as long as half of it was realized, perhaps the entire world''s ck industry would undergo a major reshuffle.


    The cigar in the hands of the Godfather, who had been dominating for many years, went out, but what was rekindled was the huge ambition he had when he first set foot on thisnd.


    Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the mansion, he heard the bells of Gotham Cathedral ringing again, just like decades ago when he stepped on the waves on the coastline and rose to the surface in the tide of crime in this city.


    In countless dreams of seeing the truth, Falcone remembered that in every Gotham rain, those dark clouds that blocked most of the raindrops were the first half of the Godfather''s life.


    He thought, dark clouds are also clouds, just like the ck pyramid is also a pyramid.


    He hoped that he could live to see the day when a pyramid would rise from thisnd that he deeply hated and deeply loved, facing the bone-corroding rain.


    In the office, Schiller stood in front of the window, listening to the dull bells echoing over the city, drifting farther and farther through theyers of clouds.


    Now, these gradually thinning clouds are about to dissipate, and Gotham will face all this malice.


    He thought that here, the only thing that could deal with evil was evil, and the only thing that could resist darkness was even deeper darkness.

 Chapter 103: Gotham Longzhong vs. (1)

    Chapter 103: Gotham Longzhong vs. (1)


    "...What I want to say is, it''s like this, as you can see, everyone knows what I used to do..."


    At the counter of a bar, on an old television screen, Roy Brown lifted a violin box from under the table and ced it on the surface. He then clicked open the lid, revealing a gun inside.


    "Ie from Chicago, that''s right, I used to be the leader of a gang there, a member of the Mafia that you all know..."


    "This is my weapon, see it? This pretty little thing, you may call it a typewriter, but I like to call it Heff..."


    "What do you think this ce is? What do you think I''m doing now? Do you think I should be sitting in the mayor''s office drinking tea? I''ll tell you, this is not a threat..."


    "I was born and raised in Chicago, my father and grandfather were too. They said this ce would be the second Klondike, many people came here with dreams of getting rich, many bigpanies, big machines, working all night long..."


    "But those people left, leaving behind a big fire and a pile of pollution. After Prohibition, what did my hometown have left? A rotten mess!"


    "Riots and insecurity everywhere, what can we do? We must pick up our guns to protect ourselves..."


    "So you say, oh, gangs are rampant in Chicago, it''s a hellhole. Well, let me tell you, it is hell! It can swallow you whole!""When immigrants here carry guns and kill, what does the governor say? Just calm down a bit. After the gang problem bes a disaster, the police station? Ha! Are you still going to bring that up?"


    "I have to ask you, where did the police station''s funding go? Why does Chicago have thergest police training school in the entire East, but no new police officers willing to stay here?"


    "Can you believe it? Just a year ago, on average, every three police officers in Chicago had only one gun, and even some logistical personnel could only use a baton to protect themselves!"


    "Is this what you call the public safety bill?"


    "Why do those damn housing projects exist? Because there are too many unemployed people!"


    "Why are they unemployed? Who should be med for the economic problem? What did those fat pigs sitting on Capitol Hill do? He let the people of Chicago fend for themselves! That''s it!"


    "Now you all are condemning Gotham for electing a gang leader as mayor, but let me tell you, I will be the best mayor here!"


    "Because I am a member of the gang. If you don''t solve our economic problems, we will solve them ourselves. I will do whatever I want!"


    "I know some people say Gotham is even more rotten than Chicago, oh, who else? Miami? Brooklyn? Imperial City?"


    "Yes, in their eyes, we Eastern cities are just a pile of shit. But they have to watch this pile of shit in front of them. Have we received any help from them?"


    Roy directly took the Chicago typewriter out of the advance box and mmed it heavily on the table, saying, "Don''t expect me to listen to your nonsense, those who behave like good babies. Go talk to the people on the West Coast!"


    "This is how the East looks like, a ghost. There is only one thing I need to do here, pick up my gun, kill all those who stand in my way, and then lead everyone to get rich. I don''t care if they are from the gang or anyone else!"


    After the speech ended, the TV screen on the bar flickered twice. The bartender patted the TV and said, "Okay, it seems like this old guy has gone bad again."


    The customers grumbled dissatisfaction, and arge ck man holding a ss sat on one side of the bar and said, "It looks like the new mayor is pretty good, he''s a tough guy. He said what I wanted to say..."


    "I was born in Gotham, yes, just two blocks away. You know, our boss took me out once before, where did we go? Oh, right, Metropolis. People heard that I''m from Gotham and they look at me like I''m something dirty."


    "I have to say, this mayor is quite special. The previous one who sat in the mayor''s office only behaved like a coward when facing the journalists'' usations."


    Then heughed coldly and said, "Then he died, he had a car ident over a month ago..."


    "Oh, it''s him. I can''t even remember his name, but I heard people say he''s the second-longest-serving mayor in Gotham."


    "I think he''ll definitely break the record now. He''s the Godfather''s prot¨¦g¨¦, and much stronger than those weak mayors."


    The ck man also said, "He makes a lot of sense. Whether it''s Gotham or Chicago, this ce has been like this before we were born. We live here, trying to make some extra money, what''s wrong with that? They just keep calling us bastards all day long..."


    "If I could be like those people in Metropolis, reading books since I was a kid, going to college, graduating, wearing a suit and tie, working in an air-conditioned office, I must be crazy to want to be in a gang and get shot!"


    "He''s just talking." Another ck man walked over, ordered a drink, and said, "Can he really be a mayor and make money with all the gangs? What kind of mayor is that? Even if those journalists don''t curse him to death, the state government won''t approve..."


    "I don''t expect him to make money for us. I just hope he won''t be like those previous mayors, alwaysing up with some civilized city regtions, anti-gang securityws, and talking about them every day..."


    "Damn anti-gang securityws, are there anyone in Gotham who''s not in a gang? Why doesn''t he just say to tten this city?"


    The people in the tavern burst intoughter, and some even made gestures of a nuclear bomb exploding.


    The next day, Roy''s speech made headlines in major newspapers across the East Coast and even the United States. It should be noted that this is no longer the era of Prohibition, and most of the Mafia has scattered and the Gang culture hasrgely declined.


    At this time, when a mayor came out and said, "I am Gang, I am Mafia, and not only do I admit that I am Gang, but I also say that I want to make money with Gang," of course it would attract the condemnation of the media.


    The Metropolis Daily called it a "shocking regression of the times," and the Global Times called Roy a "vulgar and barbaric viin." But regardless, the name "Gangmayor Roy Brown" echoed throughout the United States almost overnight.


    However, it is somewhat strange that there are several cities that have tacitly not spoken out about this, and some of their leaders have even deliberately suppressed public opinion, showing an ambiguous attitude, including those East Coast cities mentioned by Roy.


    In fact, every city whose pir industry is illegal knows that Roy is telling the truth.


    The histories of these cities are simr, and the reasons for the emergence of Gang are also historical problems, either to resist foreign immigrants or to deal with the legacy of Prohibition.


    Most people in these cities feel relieved when Roy curses, because no matter who it is, they only issue orders and urge them every day. Apart from verbal condemnation and warning, there is no practical action to improve the poor situation of these cities.


    Most people just feel superior and say that those born in these ces are born bad and that it is their evil that has created these City of crimes.


    But in reality, the economic situation is the root cause of all of this, except for Gotham, which is somewhat special, most of the Gang cities have be what they are due to high unemployment caused by economic decline.


    People living in this environment are naturally Gang. You say you want to use security legition to eliminate Gang, but it is really better to use a nuclear bomb to tten these cities.


    Many of the Gang leaders in these City of crime, led by Gotham, are very dissatisfied. It''s already hard enough to keep our heads attached to our pants and earn money with our lives, but these people who talk nonsense still curse all day long, making investments even more reluctant toe, and the economy even more depressed.


    In the past, Gang also felt guilty, after all, the illegal industry couldn''t be justified.


    But now, Roy''s speech reminded them of one thing, that those who should bear the main responsibility for these cities bing like this are not them.


    Not to mention those historical reasons, the State Government and Congress''s inaction is also the main reason for the current situation not improving.


    I was born here and have nowhere to go. I joined Gang, and you say I''m a viin. I aspire for righteousness, but those verbal condemnation and public securityws cannot give me bread. If I don''t join Gang, do I have to starve to death?


    Then why can''t I be rotten? I''ll be rotten!


    The most important role of Roy''s speech is to give these Gang members who have not read many books a rtively centralized guiding idea, that is, my rottenness now is not my fault, but the fault of this world.


    In fact, if we talk about the current situation in Gotham, this idea is not entirely wrong. People born in Gotham cannot choose their birthce, and once you are born in Gotham, you can only choose to live in this hellish way of life, otherwise you cannot survive.


    Geniuses and superheroes are few in this world, and the ordinary people who cannot change the ss are the majority.


    In fact, those who condemn may not be ignorant of this truth, but Roy brought this issue to the forefront and pointed out that it is precisely because of the inaction of various powers and the weakness of the violentw enforcement agencies that have created several cities in America with the highest crime rates. This undoubtedly tore off thest fig leaf of those politicians and gentlemen.


    This speech naturally sparked a strong bacsh in the orderly society. State Governmentwmakers who were bought by Wayne Enterprises also struggled to withstand the pressure, and the State Government ordered the suspension and investigation of the mayor of Gotham City, and intended to restart the process of mayoral elections.


    In the past, this process in Gotham was just a formality, basically whoever Wayne said was suitable would be elected, and the gangs didn''t care because the mayor of Gotham City actually had very little power, and the gangs wouldn''t listen to the mayor anyway, whoever was in charge was the same.


    But the State Government felt that Roy had gone too far this time, even the federal government had sent admonitions. It''s okay for you Rottens to be rotten, but you can''t be so brazen about it, making us lose face.


    So they decided to hold a new mayoral election.


    This was a tactic they often used to calm simr troubles. As long as they restarted the election process and let the person who made the mistake fail miserably in the new election, it would prove that their viewpoint was not in line with public opinion, and naturally most of the public opinion and anger from higher-ups would be calmed down. Based on past experience, this move was almost always effective.


    Until State Governmentwmakers saw that the person who ranked first among the new candidates was named Carmine Falcone.

 Chapter 104: Gotham Longzhong vs. (2)

    Chapter 104: Gotham Longzhong vs. (2)


    The staff in charge of reviewing the election candidates almost threw away the information in their hands when they saw the name on the first page submitted by Gotham.


    The old Godfather of Gotham nned to enter politics???


    Of course, after calming down, it was not impossible. Let''s put it this way, although Falcone''s age as a gang leader is a bit old, it''s because gangs turnover quickly, and few gang leaders can sit steadily in this position for so many years. So Falcone appears to be special.


    But as for entering politics, there are plenty of people like Falcone at his age. The average age of Congress members is in their 50s, and there are many elderly politicians in their 70s and 80s. If Falcone wants to enter politics now, it''s not toote, because he''s already starting from a higher point than others and not from scratch.


    At the very least, if he wants to be the mayor of Gotham City and then a state senator in New Jersey, no one can stop him.


    After bing a state senator, if Wayne Enterprises is willing to continue helping him run for office, it is not impossible for him to enter Congress and even go further up.


    However, the mayoral election this time was originally meant to deal with Roy''s gang-style speeches. But now if Falcone participates and is elected as the mayor of Gotham City, it would be like letting go of a mud eel and catching a great white shark.


    State government legitors do believe that Falcone will not make the same arrogant remarks as his prot¨¦g¨¦, but that is not as good as making arrogant remarks!


    A person with a sharp tongue can be annoying, but the number one in the national service can be deadly![ShaneFreak: This phrase suggests that while someone who speaks harshly or sarcastically can be irritating, someone who holds a position of power in the government or military can be much more dangerous.]


    If Falcone really bes the mayor, the entire underworld and overworld of Gotham City will be in his hands.


    Countless people have tried with their lives to deal with the old Godfather.


    State government legitors had to frantically call Falcone''s mansion. They were relieved to learn that the old Godfather only expressed support for his prot¨¦g¨¦ and did not intend to run for office.


    The Godfather''s own son, Little Falcone, told them that his father is already old and is now retiring and not nning to enter politics.


    This news undoubtedly relieved everyone, because while Roy as mayor might cause some trouble, Falcone entering politics could lead to an unforeseen path.


    As a result of this incident, state government legitors had to strengthen their scrutiny of the Gotham mayoral candidates.


    Then they realized that finding a candidate who could actually be the mayor among these candidates was almost as difficult as finding gold in shit. (XD)


    Any normal person with a brain knows that being the mayor of Gotham is a short-lived position, so it goes without saying what kind of people would sign up for it.


    Out of the 23 candidates who applied, 19 were well-known gang leaders in Gotham, and the remaining 4 included 3 underage applicants, with the youngest being 6 years old, and thest one was a cat raised in the Gotham Cup Bar.


    What''s even more ridiculous is that only this catpleted all the information in its application, while most of the others couldn''t even write coherently without at least two bottles of vodka.


    The state legitors were at a loss as to how to find a candidate who could actually be the mayor from among these applications.


    First of all, even if they could find one, it would be a question whether this person could understand the rules of voting.


    Secondly, if they did choose someone, the bigger question was whether they would swear more than Roy.


    Most importantly, if they chose one of them, the other gang families who held grudges against them would think that the election was rigged, and their fate would surely be a suicide by a shot in the back.


    As it turns out, Gotham is apletely rotten mud pit. Anyone who has anything to do with this city will not have a good ending. The state legitors are nowpletely at a loss.


    The people who could be chosen don''t want toe, and those who want toe can''t be chosen.


    So what can they do?


    After much thought, the state legitors found that it was better to let Roy continue to be the mayor. (XD)


    Think about it, Roy didn''t use more than 10 swear words throughout his entire speech, but those candidates, in their short 300-word application reasons, conservatively used over 100 swear words. If any of them became the mayor, I''m afraid all the members of Congress would be screwed.


    In the end, the election became a formality again. From the suspension of the review to bing a candidate again, to the announcement of the voting results, Roy was re-elected as mayor within a week.


    The impact of this is going to be huge.


    The bosses of the Gangs in these cities are really fed up. They have long been annoyed by those journalists andmentators who just talk without considering the consequences. When ites to criticizing people, these Gang bosses, who have grown up in the streets, are not afraid of anyone.


    But the ones who started the criticism were not the cities close to Gotham, but Detroit.


    If we talk about the most tragic city in modern industrial history, we have to mention Detroit.


    Around the 1960s to 1970s, the oil crisis caused heavy losses in the automotive industry, and the Motor City of Detroit overnight turned from a prosperous industrial metropolis into a chaotic mess where people were disced and Gangs ran rampant.


    Because the decline of Detroit''s economy was too fast, it didn''t even span a generation. The people who are alive now witnessed how this once prosperous city was heading towards destruction, and they are living proof of Roy''s theory.


    When Detroit fell, there was no savior. The ordinary people here who lost order overnight fell into hell almost instantly. Racial conflicts, riots, shootings - countless nights in Detroit were lit up by the mes of gunfire, as bright as the lights of the once prosperous factories, shining all night long.


    In short, officials, Gang bosses, and civilian representatives from among them all came forward to denounce each other, and then united to curse thosementators who just talk without considering the consequences, with their spears pointed directly at Congress.


    The intense reaction surprised Schiller a little. In the draft he gave to Roy, he had tried to remove some radical debates and avoided certain sensitive topics as much as possible. The purpose of this speech was actually just to pave the way for the city''s joint efforts and industrial transformation and upgrading. In simple terms, if you want to go to war, you must first raise the g.


    The goal was to give these cities of crime in simr situations a reasonable excuse to unite. Since our rotten situation is not our fault, what''s wrong with us joining forces to make money?


    However, Schiller did not anticipate that this would be a piercing insight into the biggest dilemma facing the economic development of the eastern United States during this era. The economic crisis caused by fundamental institutional contradictions would lead to waves of unemployment, and unemployed people would be unable to receive strong control and handling, leading them to spontaneously form organizations such as gangs.


    The existence of gangs seriously threatens local security, which in turn causes investors to be unable to develop in a safe environment. This leads to divestment, and new investors are also unwilling toe due to the city''s bad reputation, causing the economy to further decline, unemployment to increase, and gangs to be more rampant.


    The prosperous maritime trade on the East Coast naturally provides fertile ground for the development of illegal industries. Once gangs flourish, various illegal industries will naturally follow suit. The flourishing of illegal industries will instinctively exclude normal industries, making it even more difficult for them to develop. As a result, the city will be trapped in an endless cycle of darkness.


    Most cities do not have a man like Falcone, who can find a way to bring evil order through extreme violence and then bring profit to the entire social structure through this order. Therefore, most of these cities cannot be like Gotham, evil but wealthy. Most of them are chaotic and poor, frantically exploring the brink of bankruptcy.


    The resentment of the people in these cities is definitely much greater than that of Gotham. After all,pared to the infrastructure, poption density, and living conditions, Gotham is actually one of the top cities in the United States, except for its strange weather and ecology. It is a modern and prosperous metropolis.


    But in cities like Detroit, which are in the post-industrial era, the rapid development of the automobile industry has brought about an imbnce in industry, as well as backwardness in other infrastructure and human environments.


    People have found that having money was not a problem before, but now that they don''t, this backwardness will bring various troubles and make their lives even worse.


    As the saying goes, there is always someone worse off than you. Schiller''s speech, which was written from the perspectives of Gotham and Chicago, still has a bit of a Versailles taste.


    Chicago and Gotham are already considered outstanding in this type of city, and even Detroit is considered pretty good, at least it has had its heyday, and most people still have some foundation. The smaller cities are even worse off.


    Almost overnight, the situation in major East Coast cities has be somewhat agitated, and they feel that the Gangmayor''s words make sense. If no onees to save us, we''ll figure out how to save ourselves.


    What Schiller didn''t expect was that the target he had set, which was the tripartite system of Gotham, Chicago, and Miami, had been effective in the initial cooperation between Gotham and Chicago, but before the next step of linking up with Miami could be taken, another city''s Gang had alreadye knocking on their door, that city was Imperial City.


    Imperial City is also a unique city in DCics, the hometown of superhero hunter Paul, and arge city on the East Coast.


    Of course, Imperial City''s situation is certainly better than Gotham''s, there is still basic order here, and the Gang is part of the city, but not all of it.


    But, like all other East Coast cities, the ck industry is the biggest source of ie here. However, what is most famous here is the tourism industry and casinos.


    Imperial City is a beautiful city with pleasant climate. Gambling has a long history here, and the numerous casinos have be part of the tourism industry. In recent years, the economy has been developing well, even when many other cities are struggling.


    On the second day of Roy''s reappointment, he received a call from the mayor of Imperial City. They exchanged opinions on friendly exchanges between Gotham and Chicago, and both sides expressed their views on the future development of their respective cities, reaching a preliminary consensus.


    The mayors of the two cities, who are both concerned about their citizens, reflected on the painful history of the East Coast port cities while looking forward to a prosperous future. They expressed their wishes for a win-win cooperation.


    Roy will also visit Imperial City next month to conduct investigations and visits to see if there are any lessons that Gotham can learn from. Upon hearing this news, the Twelve Families expressed their willingness to contribute to the development of Gotham, and they believe that everyone has a responsibility. They see the potential of the gambling industry, which also has a foundation for developing tourism. Once the ck industry is no longer feasible, gambling and tourism be the best direction for the city''s transformation.

 Chapter 105: Gotham Longzhong (2)

    Chapter 105: Gotham Longzhong (2)


    Developing tourism in Gotham?


    If someone had said this to Bruce before, he would have suggested that person go to Arkham Asylum to get their head checked.


    Who in their right mind would dare toe to Gotham for tourism?


    If someone dide, Bruce could just offer them a one-way ticket because they probably wouldn''t need a return ticket.


    But to Bruce''s surprise, his friends didn''t seem shocked by this idea, and many of them even supported it.


    "Actually, Gotham has decent natural conditions, right? We''re not at a hightitude, it''s not cold, and we have a subtropical monsoon climate without natural disasters like tornadoes. We also have a golden beach, and the quality of the beach is one of the best on the entire East Coast..."


    "Of course, of course, I know the gambling industry isn''t great either. Gamblers are no nobler than drug addicts, but it''s still better than drug trafficking, arms dealing, and smuggling dangerous goods, right?"


    Harvey took a sip of his drink, patting Bruce''s shoulder, and said, "You haven''t graduated from college yet, so you might think the world is all ck and white. If Gotham wants to improve, it needs to improve all at once..."


    "But in reality, that''s unlikely, and even from the current perspective, it''s impossible for Gotham topletely change for the better. It''s either rotten or even more rotten.""However, therge number of job opportunities that casinos can provide can reduce unemployment. As more regr jobs appear, the possibility of gang violence shootouts will be reduced, and the city will be more stable."


    "This is good for any city. Although I don''t think Gotham is likely to be a normal city like Imperial City, it will definitely be much better than it is now..."


    "But..."


    Bruce understood the logic, he was a genius and could see the benefits of this industry transformation and upgrade. Even the Wayne family would benefit from it.


    However, he found it absurd.


    Bruce''s attitude towards Gotham was actually quite negative. He knew better than anyone how rotten this city was, and he never expected it to develop in any good direction.


    But now it seemed that Gotham was not developing towards a better direction but rather down a bad road. It was like changing from one dead end to another dead end. ck had undergone a series of operations, bing a colorful ck. The city had gone from the capital of sin to a shy capital of sin.


    The connection between Gotham and Chicago alone has brought about some changes to this city.


    As we all know, smuggling requires warehouses for storage, and the cooperation with Chicago has greatly expanded the routes for smuggling, increasing the amount of smuggled goods that need to be stored in warehouses.


    To build warehouses, one must havend. Everyone wants a bigger piece of the growing cake, so the Twelve Families began a crazynd-grabbing campaign, causing prices of suburbannd in Gotham to double.


    However, just buyingnd isn''t enough. Warehouses don''t just magically appear.


    To build a warehouse, you need a designer to draw ns, a construction team to build it, and inspectors to check it. To get things into the warehouse, you need people to transport and move them. All of this has created thousands of new jobs.


    Furthermore, some dangerous chemical smuggled goods require special warehouses for storage, such as cold storage.


    Victor never imagined that he would receive 89 job offers within a week, all of which offered eye-popping high sries, enough for him to freeze his wife until the next century.


    After working a few sleepless nights to earn some extra cash, he was so exhausted that he had to call his friends toe to Gotham to make big money. He even wondered if he had gone crazy.


    The sudden expansion of smuggling channels is like a huge cake, and the mode of sharing this cake is "the quick take and the slow lose." To grab the biggest piece of cake, one must build a series of supporting facilities faster than others. After seeing this, gang leaders started to build supporting facilities ahead of other industries.


    The long-neglected Pier in Gotham, which has not been renovated for decades, has now started bustling with construction activities. In order to amodaterger ships, they have to consider funding the construction of a deep-water pier. To facilitate faster transportation at the pier,nd remation projects are also on the agenda.


    Moreover, with your dealings with suppliers all over the world, air transportation is necessary. The mayor''s office has just shown some signs, and almost all the major gangs are eager to take charge of the airport construction in Gotham, stating that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the city''s development.


    They quickly realized that air transportation has great potentialpared to maritime transportation. While bulkmodities are better transported by cargo ships, smaller and more delicate equipment and instruments can be transported faster and safer by air.


    To enable air transportation, they need arger airport, more warehouses, a faster internal logistics system, as well as morend for construction, more warehouse builders, more professional managers, and skilled workers.


    The localbor force in Gotham is limited, and most of them are already members of various gangs. Now, Gotham is gradually moving towards a direction where jobs are given based on qualifications and skills.


    At this moment, people realized that the reason there were many positions avable but not enough people to fill them was not because there were too few people in Gotham, but because theycked the necessary skills.


    Even if it was just a manualbor job, one still had to learn the proper technique for lifting, otherwise, they would copse from exhaustion after just a morning''s work, and there would be no one left to work in the afternoon.


    Due to Gotham''s inadequate educational infrastructure, most people were street kids before reaching adulthood, meaning they couldn''t do anything and didn''t know how to learn anything.


    Gang Boss realized that this current group of people was probably beyond saving, so they needed to start with the next generation. "I need truck drivers," he said, "so let''s figure out how to open a driver''s school. I need air traffic controllers, so let''s open an air technology training school. At the very least, Pier needs manualborers, and two sses are enough to send them straight to work."


    All minors over 14 years old and under 18 years old shouldn''t be wandering aimlessly on the streets every day. They should hurry up and go to school. Don''t they know that there''s a shortage of people now?


    It turns out that using Gang''s methods to poprize education in this hellhole of Gotham is very effective because in a family of three, there is at least one member who is a Gang member, and most have both parents in the gang.


    Your boss tells you that there are many positions waiting for people to work and earn money, but your children are still wandering the streets every day, causing trouble everywhere. The vast majority of Gang parents will choose to bring their children back and give them a beating, and then send them to learn some skills. Even if they can''t learn, it''s better than causing trouble outside.


    Of course, this school model is basically finding an empty space, finding someone who knows what they''re doing, and exining it while gesturing. How much the students can understand depends entirely on their aptitude, and application is mainly based on practical experience. It can''t even be considered a prototype of a school and can only be said to have just moved away from the medieval oral transmission education model. But having something is always better than having nothing.


    The more foresighted members of the Twelve Families have already begun to think. If they can open schools that belong only to their own families, and educate a batch of professionals who are unique to their own families and only serve their families, wouldn''t they be leading other families by a whole era?


    As long as they hire better teachers and educate stronger professional managers with higher sries, their industries will be stronger than others, and they will be able to get arger slice of the pie.


    This idea has not yet been put into practice because Gotham''s tradition of relying on luck has persisted for decades, and the people of Gotham have no habit of education or being educated. They are not willing to take risks for a while.


    However, as this industry model gradually develops, they will realize that everything fundamentally relies on education. They will find that therge amount of money they spend on hiring out-of-town technical personnel can be invested in training local residents and their own family members, which will not only produce professional technical personnel but also bring in a lot of reputation and benefits.


    Including Falcone, the previous generation of strong people have already seen the future in this model. The 21st century will be a century of talent cultivation. Allpetition, in the end, will depend on who can cultivate more and stronger talents.


    Once this rtively advanced model is introduced, smart people who have been limited by the times will quicklyplete all the following tasks. So it is not surprising that the old Godfather Falcone took the lead and wanted to establish a family school.


    Of course, this school is not for civilians, but for the descendants of the Falcone family members. They will study arge number of elite courses here to better manage the resources of the Falcone family in the future.


    Every member of the Falcone family wants their children to enter this school because once they enter this school, it means they are in the sight of the Godfather. If they can achieve excellent results, they are likely to be assigned to better positions and reach higher levels.


    The Godfather''s actions are obviously not hidden from other families, even though this school currently only has seven students and the teaching location is just a reception room in the Falcone estate. But for the past many years, the other twelve families have only learned to copy and nothing else.


    This Gotham Rising event, proposed by Schiller, improved by Falcone, and jointlyunched by all the gangs in Gotham, has amazed everyone with its significant effects in the early stages of implementation.


    People resist reform not because they resist the part of reform that can bring benefits, but because they resist the change in the distribution of benefits and lifestyle that is too drastic.


    When a reform doesn''t actually change people''s way of life, the Gangs are still Gangs, and no one wants to eradicate them. The Twelve Families are still the Twelve Families, and no one wants to eliminate them. Instead, everyone joins forces to exchange a small investment for a bigger share of the pie. Then everyone will feel that reform is just a means to seize more benefits.


    And those who benefit from it will be carried along to continue, using the profits they have gained to invest more in this kind of reform, hoping to get an even bigger share of the pie.


    What''s more important is that Gotham''s first step towards reform has proven one thing to everyone - that even in a rotten mud pit, gold can still be found, and the key to panning for gold in feces as long as the gold is genuine.


    They may be rotten, but when ites to making money, it''s nothing to be ashamed of.

 Chapter 106: Daylight Nightfire Fools Village

    Chapter 106: Daylight Nightfire Fools Vige


    After the winter in Gotham City passed, the temperature began to warm up. This is one of the few seasons in Gotham where it doesn''t rain much. Although the weather is still cloudy and there are no sunny days, and a thinyer of fog always shrouds the city, the weather is still much better than in winter.


    Mayor Roy''s first reform measure after taking office was naturally to regte Gotham''s traffic.


    Of course, this is not because the previous mayor died in a car ident, but because with the cooperation with other coastal cities, Gotham City has ushered in a new round of development. Various warehouses and supporting facilities have sprung up, and arge number of cargo ships are docked at the port, waiting in line to transport goods in.


    However, the traffic situation in Gotham can only be described in one sentence - if it had any traffic rules at all, it wouldn''t have no traffic rules at all.


    This has led to a very headache-inducing situation. The capacity of the cargo ships is sufficient. Although the warehouses under construction are still somewhat imperfect, they can actually amodate those goods. But the problem lies in the on-the-road section from Pier to warehouse.


    The warehouses belong to different Gang families. Everyone wants to transport goods and basically transport goods 24 hours a day without interruption. But Gotham has no traffic rules and no one says who should go first. The solution to this kind of thing in Gotham is naturally whoever has more guns and more bullets in their guns goes first.


    But there is another problem. Although the drivers are Gang members, they are notbat members. When two cars are blocked together and Gang members escorting goods start a shootout, drivers and other technical personnel on the car will also be injured.


    Gotham is already short of such professional personnel. When everyone starts fighting without regard for anything else, the final result is that both sides lose their strength and go to the hospital together.


    It doesn''t matter if they go to the hospital. Their trucks are still lying on the road. As a result, people whoeter are even more blocked and cannot move at all.Under this vicious cycle, Gotham''s traffic is almostpletely paralyzed. Although most of the goods can wait for a few days without any problems, if this continues indefinitely, it willpletely burn money -bor costs, warehouse costs, maintenance costs of cargo ships and liquidated damages for dyed delivery. The heads of Twelve Families are losing their hair anxiously.


    Among them are actually some highly talented college graduates. But everyone has been living in this rotten mud pit of Gotham for so many years that no one realizes where the most important problem of this city lies. When everyone thinks about how to coordinate rtionships here, they think about how to deal with other Gangs and make them give way.


    But everyone wants others to give way to themselves. So no one gives way and everyone gets stuck on the road together.


    In the final analysis, Gotham is an unordered and chaotic city. The evil order built by Gangs here is essentially still unordered¡­


    Fortunately, new mayor Roy is a sensible person. He did not instruct them on what to do when Gangs were most angry. He just let them fight chaotically until they blocked the entire central street and no one could leave.


    Until Gotham''s most important central roundabout and four second-ring intersections were turned into ruins by fighting, Gangs hadpletely lost their temper. Money was right in front of them but they couldn''t get it. No one could make things on cargo ships grow wings and fly to warehouses by themselves - no people, no cars, now even roads are gone.


    "In the East District, it''s the Old Cigarette Gang, and our leader is Cigarette Gun!"


    "It''s someone from the East District''s Old Cigarette Gun. Damn, why is it always those poor guys from the East District? Don''t the rich folks in the West District with their oily cars drive around anymore?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, two people rode over on police motorcycles. One of them was wearing a police uniform andzily saluted before saying impatiently, "Speeding, illegal turning, running a red light. Fine of 300."


    ncing at the rocketuncher on their motorcycle, the young man reluctantly paid the fine, and another person who hade with the motorcycle said, "Hello, this is Doyle Towing Company. Do you need towing services?"


    "Doyle, why is it you? You damn bastard! Why are you wearing a suit? And when did your family start a towingpany?"


    The young man named Doyle straightened his suit tie. It was obvious that the suit he was wearing had been bought yesterday and didn''t fit him very well.


    He leaned against his sports car and lit a cigarette, saying, "Don''t talk nonsense. This is a family business passed down for eight generations. Since we''re old acquaintances, I''ll give you a 30% discount. I''ll tow your car to the nearest avenue. You know, only I know which avenue isn''t congested. You must be in a hurry to see the factory in the east, right?"


    The young man in the car rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, it looks like your boss really trusts you. He gave you this job to do. Help me tow the car, and we''ll walk to Arkham to get some medicine."


    As they were talking, the girl turned her head and saw a ck Mercedes about to turn around. She picked up the horn at her waist and shouted, "Stop!! You broke the traffic rules!"


    Within seconds, there was another gunshot, and the police and towingpany personnel didn''t even have to move. They quickly made another deal.


    Continuing down the street, there were two intern doctors at every intersection, responsible for stopping cars and providing diagnostic certificates. They carried walkie-talkies, and once a traffic ident was detected, the police and towingpany personnel would quickly ride their motorcycles to the scene. They would issue tickets, fines, and sign towing agreements all at once, and within ten minutes, the car would be taken away from the scene.


    Of course, this was only on the main roads and intersections further away from the central city. In the six major battlefields near the central city, things were much more intense.


    Bruce turned to one of his bodyguards behind him and said, "Go and stop that red Lamborghini. Tell him he made a wrong turn and needs to go back and redo it. He cane to meter to get a diagnostic certificate."


    "And where did that foul-mouthed guy just now go? Bring him here so I can beat him up and say Wayne did it."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Bruce heard a "whoosh" sound and took two steps back. In front of him, a car exploded, and the driver crawled out while yelling at the person on the high tform in the middle of the intersection with a rocketuncher, "Are you blind?!! I was going straight!! He changednes! He took my spot, why did you blow up my car?!!"


    Before he could finish, the shockwave from the explosion seemed to have also hit the car that changednes. The engine hood of that car made an explosive sound, and then burst into mes.


    The driver who changednes also crawled out of the car, and the two were about to start fighting. But when they saw the person on the high tform had reloaded the rocket, aiming at them, the two started swearing and left. Soon, they each encountered someone iming to be from a tow truckpany, and the wreckage of the two cars was quickly removed from the battlefield.


    "Listen!! You bastards over there! Are you deaf?!! It''s our turn to go on the next green light!! Did you hear me?!! It''s our turn to go!!"


    "Have you guys never watched a TV program before?!! Look in my hand! What''s this?!! The Gotham Driver''s Manual! See it? You''ve gone twice already! Next time it''s our turn!!"


    On the row of trucks across the roundabout, a heavily tattooed man with a rifle in his hand got off and flipped the person yelling off, then said, "Is your brain full of shit?!! If you''re going to go, go east first! Then it''s our turn, and you have to wait for another round!"


    Bruce listened to them cursing each other, and tried to think hard, but couldn''t find any evidence of the so-called traffic rules that these two men were iming were right, even with his genius brain.


    He asked a bodyguard behind him, "The Gotham Driver''s Manual? Is that a thing? Go get me a copy."


    The bodyguard said, "There is one, but it was just printed yesterday, and it''s a handwritten copy. Our mayor was a little drunk when he wrote this manual..."


    However, he still went to get a car and brought back a copy. Bruce opened it and found that the bodyguard was right. If even a pound of vodka was consumed less, one could not write such an absurd driver''s manual.


    Above are Roy''s extremely sloppy handwriting. This mayor is also a grassroots person, never attended college, and many words are misspelled, not to mention the scattered grammar. After writing wrong, he just scribbles with a pen, with some lines squeezed together, and some lines far apart.


    Bruce turned off his brain and tried to read through this driver''s manual from the perspective of these idiots. He found that although the handwriting was sloppy, the content was chaotic, and there were more swear words than the actual text, it actually made a lot of sense.


    The central idea of the entire driver''s manual can be summarized in one sentence: There are no traffic rules in this rotten ce, and anyone you see holding a steering wheel here does not have a valid driver''s license. If you want to drive here, all you need to do is grip the steering wheel, step on the elerator, and pray to God.


    After a while, Bruce''s mobile phone rang, and he answered the call, saying, "Hello? Oh, Professor... Yes, the internship is going smoothly. I''m currently at the intersection on the east side of the central roundabout. The road conditions here are not bad. The west side is more chaotic because there are too many racing cars there..."


    In the end, there was no other choice but to seek the old Godfather''s help. The leaders of the major families sat at the negotiation table, silent and subdued, knowing that they were in the wrong and being scolded by the formidable old Godfather. Some of Falcone family''s men were also present, blocking the road. The situation had be clear - continuing the fight would only worsen things. Soon, not just the roads, but the entire city would be destroyed, and then how would they make money? They would starve to death.


    The situation had developed to a point where a proper solution was needed to improve traffic in the city.


    So, on the second Sunday after the weather in Gotham began to warm up, Mayor Roy Brown held a televised speech on Gotham TV. In the screen, Roy was not dressed in a trench coat and a fedora like he was in Chicago, but instead wore a suit with a tie, a flower on hispel, sitting in his mayor''s office, speaking in a calm tone.


    "Dear citizens of Gotham City, I am your new Mayor Roy Brown, and I believe that most of you already know me."


    "The main purpose of my speech today is to advocate forpliance with traffic rules and to exin the new city policy that I will be implementing in Gotham."


    "As we all know, we havee together and made progress in this historic city to reach where we are today. Now, Gotham City is once again facing a revival and a great opportunity for development lies ahead of us."


    "Therefore, as the mayor, I am proposing a new policy to serve the citizens of Gotham."


    "The name of this new policy is the ''Gotham Civilized City Development n'', and its main contents are as follows: starting from tomorrow, the 6 major transportation hubs, 17 main roads, and 22 minor roads in Gotham will begin to implement the ''Gotham Traffic Civility Day Action''."


    "During this period, there will be professional traffic guides to manage the traffic. I urge all drivers toply with traffic rules, otherwise, they will bear the consequences."


    The TV speech ended here, and Bruce turned off the TV. He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    And as it turned out, Batman''s intuition was always urate, or rather, Gotham''s firstw was: in Gotham, no matter how correct your intentions, how clever your methods, or how perfect your ns, in the end, they would all turn into a mess.


    The next day, in the central roundabout of Gotham''s downtown area, a shy painted sports car slowly slowed down, and the person inside rolled down the window and leaned out, whistling at a beautiful woman standing on the street. A hippie youth covered in tattoos shouted loudly, "Hey! Look here, beauty! Check out Gotham''s racing kid..."


    Before he could finish speaking, the girl turned around and threw the cigarette butt on the ground. She picked up the rifle that was behind the streetmp post and fired a shot at the tire of the running car.


    With a loud bang, the two people in the car were startled. They were about to get angry when the girl walked over with the gun. She looked young, not older than 20, with a good figure and wild dark skin.


    She lit another cigarette, took out a small notebook from her jeans pocket, flipped her eyelids, and looked up and down at the two stunned people in the car. She said, "Racing kids, right? Irritable, tension headaches with prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia. Rmended treatment period of three months."


    She scribbled in the notebook as she spoke. After she finished, she tore off the piece of paper and threw it directly into the car. The young man with tattoos all over his body picked up the paper and looked at it. The title read "Arkham Mental Hospital Diagnosis Form."


    He immediately showed a ttering smile and said, "Sorry, miss, I didn''t know you were from Arkham Mental Hospital. How about giving us another one of these?"


    "By the way, what they said is true, right? We can use this diagnosis form to get some effective medication for headaches."


    The girl nced at him up and down and said, "Yes, go to the office of the attending doctor at the hospital within three days for an in-person consultation, and wait for room assignment."


    "Can I have another one? I think I might have some mental illness too," shouted the other young man.


    The girl ignored him and took the walkie-talkie from her waist and said, "Fourth Avenue! Fourth Avenue! A modified supercar with a t left front tire, two passengers. Who are you guys?"

 Chapter 107: Cats Death

    Chapter 107: Cats Death


    In the theater of the Gotham Manor district, Schiller took a ss of champagne from the waiter''s tray and clinked sses with Mrs. Leto in front of him. Schiller eximed, "There are not many lively and dignified parties like this nowadays. The parties in the city are too noisy, and the sound gives me headache."


    Mrs. Leto stroked her white hair and said, "It was the same in our day. Youngdies and gentlemen were often very shy, and no one dared to hold hands at such parties. But you know, those young people nowadays are too wild. Once I went to the Golden Cup Mansion in the city center, and I was shocked. The clothes they were wearing were less like clothes and more like curtains."


    Schillerughed and said, "After all, everything is developing too fast now, but it''s also a good thing. The economy seems to have improved a lot recently."


    Mrs. Leto agreed, "That''s true. The rent for the two apartments on Fourth Avenue that I rent has increased by more than half. I don''t know how those gangs are making money. I''m still negotiating with the bull on Elizabeth Street about buying another apartment."


    "Madam, you are wise," came a deep voice from beside them. A man with a small mustache walked over and lightly clinked sses with Schiller and Mrs. Leto. He then said, "Hello, my name is on my business card."


    Schiller took a look at it and said, "Manager of the Golden Cup Company? Are you a real estate agent for the Falcone family?"


    "That''s right. I work for The Godfather, but of course, our Golden Cup Company is also an independent and legitimatepany outside of the Falcone family, providing real estate services throughout the East Coast."


    "As you know, we have recently been working with Chicago, and thend there is also being driven up. I came to this gathering to introduce the real estate of various eastern cities to you wealthy gentlemen anddies."


    Mrs. Leto was quite interested and said, "I heard that the scenery in Chicago is better than in Gotham. What do you think if I buy a vi there?""Are you Mrs. Leto? You asked the right person. Chicago is indeed good, but if you want to buy a retirement vi, I would still rmend Imperial City. The scenery there is really beautiful, and it''s unique among the entire East Coast. And as you know, it''s much safer there than Gotham or Chicago."


    "Although I really like the tropical atmosphere of Imperial City, there are too many casinos and tourists from other ces. I feel like I wouldn''t have any peace if I lived there," Mrs. Leto frowned.


    "Well, then I rmend Miami to you. It''s a really nice city with a wilder beauty than Imperial City''s order. Of course, the gangs there are small potatoespared to Gotham, but with your husband''s abilities, buying an estate there should be no problem," Schiller said.


    Mrs. Leto fanned herself and said, "I was just thinking of discussing this with him. Although our family has lived in Gotham for generations, the weather here is just too unbearable. If we could spend a month or two vacationing there, it wouldn''t be bad. After all, we''re getting old and Gotham''s air is not conducive to longevity..."


    "I heard that the mayor is interested in developing a city air purification system with Wayne Enterprises and promoting it nationwide, which can regte the climate in local areas, but this may take some time," Schiller said.


    The manager with the gold cup said, "If that''s the case, that would be great. Actually, I don''t understand why Gotham''s location is so good, but why are there so many rainy days? If there were three or four months of sunny days in a year, the beaches here would definitely drive tourists crazy."


    The manager was right, the quality of Gotham''s beaches was very good, because they had hardly been developed. After all, no one would be crazy enough toe here on vacation, except for locals who asionally used them. It could be said that Gotham had the best city beaches protected in the entire eastern city.


    The waiter came over with a tray again and the group took some cookies, drinking and eating while talking about the future development of Gotham. During the conversation, Schiller noticed a ck figure sh outside the theater door, as if someone was watching them.


    The theater was brightly lit because of the dance, but the mansion side was pitch ck. This old-fashioned mansionmunity was not big, and there were not many residents. Once a dance was held, almost everyone attended and their houses were naturally empty.


    Unlike Bruce who was busy with his internship, Catwoman''s days haven''t been going so welltely.


    She was a thief, and her main source of ie was stealing. Of course, she was one of those high-end thieves, not a street pickpocket. Catwoman''s thefts mainly targeted expensive jewelry from jewelry stores or stamp collections from collectors.


    But due to the reforms in Gotham, the city''s nights had be busier. Jewelry stores, gold and silver jewelry stores, and watch repair shops on the main streets were now open at night, with employees and security guards working in shifts.


    Catwoman relied on stealth and skill for her thefts, unlike some vigntes who would just beat up everyone in sight to remain unnoticed. Catwoman''s petite figure andck of strength didn''t support that approach.


    The security guards working in shifts posed a challenge for her. Even if she could find a way to distract one or two of them, the busy streets and crowded alleys made her thefts easily detectable.


    In theory, with Catwoman''s skills, she could have chosen to do something else to make a living, but she had been raised as a thief since childhood. She didn''t know how, nor did she want to do anything else.


    What if she couldn''t steal? She had to do it anyway, even if it meant taking risks. Although she asionally seeded, it was too easy for her to be caught, which had made her many enemies.


    As the saying goes, when you walk the night road too often, you will eventually encounter ghosts. One day, Catwoman''s theft attempt failed again.


    But this time, she had messed with the wrong person. The ce she stole from was called Golden Cup Jewelry Store, which was under Falcone''s industry.


    Unlike other jewelry stores, Falcone''s people were trained professionals, and the store was well-staffed with no blind spots. Catwoman was caught almost as soon as she made her move.


    What set Falcone''s people apart was that they had the courage and ability to pursue anyone in Gotham. The Godfather''s authority was not to be trifled with. Catwoman not only narrowly escaped capture, but was also directly listed as a fugitive.


    The Twelve Families have sent people to pursue her. On this day, Catwoman was being chased around and had no choice but to run towards the edge of the city. The assassins behind her were obviously professionally trained and were chasing her closely. Catwoman had no other option but to steal a car and drive towards the West District, thanks to Gotham''s traffic control, there were no traffic jams or idents, and she was able to sessfully reach the vicinity of the Manor district.


    Upon entering the Manor district, Catwoman felt a bit frightened because the English Manor here looked very eerie and terrifying in the night. This was also why she rarely came to this area even though there were many wealthy people here. However, she had no choice as her enemies were chasing her. She cautiously moved forward in the Manor district and the deeper she went, the more she felt like there was no bottom because for some reason, it seemed like everyone here had disappeared.


    Catwoman gathered her courage and continued to run forward until she found a window in one of the mansions that had a faint light shining through it. Almost frightened by the eerie atmosphere, Catwoman didn''t think too much and went straight towards the light. Once she entered, she noticed signs of human habitation, which made her feel a little relieved.


    Feeling like she had escaped her pursuers, Catwoman''s courage grew, and she quietly ran to the base of the building''s wall, then used her grappling hook to grab the rooftop. With a few light jumps, she arrived at the window with the light.


    She stuck to the wall and peered inside, only to find that there was no one there. It seemed like the owner had forgotten to turn off the light before leaving. Next to the balcony was a solid wood book table with a bunch of misceneous materials and many heavy books that gave Catwoman a headache just by looking at them. It seemed like the owner of the manor was a schr.


    Soon, something caught Catwoman''s attention, a bottle ced in the corner of the book table.


    The bottle was notrge, and it seemed to contain some ck dirty water, but the material of the bottle itself made Catwoman''s heart beat rapidly.


    It was a diamond! An entire bottle made of diamonds!


    Catwoman knew she was not mistaken. She had been a thief for so many years and had seen thousands of pieces of jewelry. The dazzling light under the light almost blinded her eyes, instantly captivating her, even though she had seen all kinds of beautiful jewelry before, she had never seen such a pure diamond.


    Then she began to grit her teeth. What was the owner of the manor thinking? Why would he hollow out such a beautiful piece of diamond to make a bottle? It would have been much better if it was solid!


    However, no matter what, Catwoman''s heart, belonging to a jewelry thief, had already started to stir.


    The window was locked and seemed to have a strange lock that even Catwoman couldn''t understand or pick, but this jewelry thief who had been dominant in Gotham for many years was not easy to deal with.


    Seeing that the window could not be opened, she climbed down the balcony directly. She tried every window but found that the owner of the manor was extremely cautious. All the windows were locked with strange locks, even the small windows in the attic.


    But hard work pays off, and the old English Manor has a special structure. In the medieval English estate, a hidden door is left at the sewer outlet of the toilet for the servants to clean the umted dirt.


    Although this mansion was built in a modern era and did not require this function, the medieval drainage channel seemed to have been preserved, perhaps as a tribute to the building designer''s affection.


    Catwoman was petite, just the right size to crawl through this secret door into the bathroom. She thought to herself, luckily no one had ever used this passage before, otherwise she wouldn''t have dared to crawl through it.


    Catwoman was highly skilled in acrobatics and very agile. When she crawled out of the bathroom, shended without making a sound. What frustrated her even more was that the bathroom door was locked!


    How paranoid is this person about being robbed?


    Fortunately, the owner of the manor probably found those fancy locks troublesome too. It might be difficult to unlock in case of an emergency, so the lock on the bathroom door was just a regr iron lock.


    Catwoman could easily pick this kind of lock. With just a few moves, she managed to unlock it and silently approached the table.


    She eagerly picked up the bottle made of diamond and held it up to the light to admire it closely. Now she was sure, this must be the diamond.


    However, what puzzled her was that she had never seen such a pure diamond before. Whether it was the color grade or the rity grade, it was almost wless, nearly perfect in appearance.


    What was even more confusing to Catwoman was that inside this beautiful bottle, there was a pool of ck dirty water, or rather, a sticky ck slime.


    Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt the slime move slightly. Nevertheless, she was captivated by the beauty of the diamond bottle and couldn''t wait to put it in her collection cab.


    So she didn''t care what was inside the bottle and simply stuffed it into the small pouch around her waist.


    With the windows and doors all locked, Catwoman was worried that the owner of the mansion mighte back and she wouldn''t be able to escape. Besides, getting such a beautiful diamond tonight was already enough.


    Catwoman followed her original route and left, even taking the time to use a special method to hang the lock back on the outside of the bathroom door and lock it, restoring it to its original state.


    Back at her own home, Catwoman took out the bottle and examined it from all angles. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, but the more she looked, the more the ck slime inside the bottle bothered her. What kind of lunatic would use such a beautiful bottle to hold a pool of sticky ck slime?


    Catwoman wanted to pour out the contents inside, but the seal of this bottle was very special. Its cork was not the usual wooden cork; it had a series ofplex buckles and seemed to have a miniature lock.


    Catwoman had never seen this kind of technology before and didn''t understand it. But she only knew one thing: the diamond was the hardest gemstone in the world. So she could use force to break the cork without harming the beautiful bottle.


    So she took out a pry bar, file, and pliers, and pounded and smashed at the mechanism on top for a while. Apart from one buckle slightly loosening, the whole cork remained firmly in ce.


    Catwoman was exhausted and gasping for breath. In a fit of pique, she threw the bottle onto the bedside table and went to sleep. She nned to wait a few days until the heat died down and then find a professional to help her open it.

 Chapter 108: The Battle of Living Hell (1)

    Chapter 108: The Battle of Living Hell (1)


    In the morning, sunlight shone into the bedroom of Wayne Manor. Bruce sat up from the bed, and Alfred stood outside the door. Bruce asked him, "What time is it now?"


    "It''s nine o''clock, sir," Alfred replied.


    Bruce was a bit surprised. He walked to the window, opened the curtains, and looked outside. He realized that it was already very bright outside. Since he returned to Gotham, it was the first time he had woken up sote.


    However, his butler Alfred seemed very happy. When Bruce went downstairs to have breakfast, Alfred stood by with a smiling face.


    "Alfred, what''s going on? Why do you look so happy?" Bruce asked.


    "Because you seem very happytely, sir," Alfred replied.


    Bruce was momentarily stunned. Was he really happy? He touched his face and tried to recall his recent behavior pattern. Due to Schiller''s brilliant internship program at Gotham University, Bruce had been very busytely. During the day, he had to work with other students to control traffic, and at night, he had to run between the hospital and the prison, arranging the relocation of gang members from one ce to another.


    He suddenly realized that he had been spending more time being Bruce than being Batmantely. In the past, he would conceal his true nature while at Wayne Manor. He rarely smiled and was rather quiet. Although he was close to Alfred, he rarely showed any emotional fluctuations.


    Recently, however, because he had been Bruce for too long, his behavior pattern had be increasingly like that of the yboy persona he had been pretending to be. He no longer had a constant stern expression and asionally joked around with Alfred. This raised a warning sign in his heart. Since returning to Gotham, he had never slept naturally until nine o''clock, which was an indication that he was rxing his vignce.From a psychological perspective, this is actually normal. A person bes who they arergely because of how they see themselves. Bruce is only 18 years old, just started college. When he throws himself into ying the role of a cheerful and sociable billionaire, he cannot clearly find the boundary between this kind of fake identity and his own personality.


    After another busy day, Bruce came back to his Bedroom''s bathroom, turned on the tap, and washed his face with cold water. The curtains next to him were gently swaying in the evening breeze. The cold color of the Light above his head created dark shadow that gathered at his feet.


    Bruce put his hands on the vanity, looked at himself in the mirror, and saw a pair of blue eyes. But the Light from top to bottom shrouded his eyes in Brow shadows.


    "Who am I?" he asked.


    "Who am I?"


    "Who am I?"


    His voice echoed in the empty room, bouncing off the wall and returning to his ears. It was as if another him was asking him this question and he vaguely heard an answer but at the same time, heard nothing.


    Echo couldn''t give him an answer, and Bruce was very clear about this.


    He reached out his hand to wipe off the fog on the ss, trying to see his eyes clearly but in the end he didn''t. He let his entire face and eyes be shrouded in the fog on the surface of the mirror, and then he stood up straight and looked at himself in the mirror like Overlook.


    "I am Batman."


    "I am Batman."


    The corners of his mouth gradually turned down. He wasn''t wearing a face mask, but when the Shadow crawled onto his face, his entire face seemed to be covered by a ck Mask.


    The Shadow covering his blue eyes became denser and denser. In the end, only his low voice echoed in the empty Manor, saying: "I am Batman..."


    Bruce walked out of the bathroom and into the dark bedroom. He didn''t turn on the light but just opened the door and continued walking through the dark hallway. When he stood by the staircase, he saw Alfred standing downstairs wiping the old telephone with a piece of felt.


    Since Bruce came back, he invented a new mobilemunication device for himself, a mobile phone. He never used that old-fashioned rotary dial telephone again.


    But Alfred cherished that telephone very much. Bruce had never seen a speck of dust on it. Today was no exception, but what was different was that Bruce heard Alfred humming. It sounded like a jazz tune from another era, filled with the spirit of the Gold Coast when immigrants first discovered it, just like the joyful and lively mood of that time.


    Bruce looked at Alfred''s back, closed his eyes in pain, and clenched the hand holding the railing. The old wooden railing made a soft noise. Alfred turned around and saw Bruce standing at the top of the staircase. Before he could ask anything, Bruce fled back to his room as if he was escaping.


    When he closed the door, he was gasping for breath as if the distance he had just run was more exhausting than running thousands of meters.


    He felt a violent emotion churning in his heart, as if something was constantly stimting his emotional system in his brain.


    Bruce had not felt such intense emotions for a long, long time. After the gunshot on a certain dark night, half of Bruce''s emotional world disappeared. All the happy, happy and moving emotions had been gone for a long time.


    But when he saw Alfred so happy, Bruce didn''t know how to describe his own feelings. This problem had troubled him for a long time.


    Restless, Bruce couldn''t sleep in bed. A inexplicable impulse was affecting him. He had no other choice but to put on his Batman costume and leave Wayne Manor.


    This was the first time Batman left wearing this outfit not to take down criminals, but simply to escape feelings he didn''t want to ept.


    Therefore, after leaving Wayne Manor, he almost aimlessly roamed over Gotham. Bruce had never hoped, as he did now, that he could run into a criminal and bring him to justice, sending him to prison... or maybe today it should be a mental hospital.


    Thinking of this, Batman covered his forehead in difort. What was he thinking? Stay sober! You''re not Bruce right now! Don''t worry about those back-and-forth things about hospitals and prisons!


    But Batman still couldn''t control himself. He felt this pressure was more terrifying than anything else when he thought that the number of people in prison would exceed 28% again tomorrow and the vacancy rate in the hospital room was less than 15%.


    But damn it, in this city where you could encounter three robberies just by walking two steps out the door, Batman spent half an hour wandering and hadn''t encountered a single criminal.


    Now the streets near the central roundabout of the city can be called brightly lit. There are night markets over a kilometer long on the four major thoroughfares that stretch out from the roundabout, lit up all night.


    Most of the people whoe here are people who work the night shift, not just truck drivers who transport goods at night, but also dock workers, warehouse guards, security guards, and so on. This group of people are the most active citizens of Gotham.


    Batman stood at the top of a high-rise building. He knew very well that if he jumped down wearing this outfit, he would be shot twice before he even hit the ground. Besides, there were obviously no crimes happening here in the city center. It was clear that Gotham didn''t need Batman here. He could only leave and go further away.


    Gotham''s central roundabout and main transportation hub are not everything. In areas where light cannot reach, there are even darker neighborhoods. Following his dark instincts, Batman came to the darkest area of Gotham.


    This is the East District of Gotham, which has always been synonymous with chaos. The gangs here are extremelyplex and chaotic, but the chaos in the East District is also graded.


    Among them, the most terrifying ce is called "Living Hell". It is the westernmost block of the East District, the farthest away from the pier, and the most crowded, densely popted, gloomy, and poor ce.


    Living Hell is often called "Gotham in Gotham" by Gothamites. All residential buildings here are crowded together, buildings and alleys are so narrow that an adult cannot even stretch his arms out, and there is almost no ce to step on in such dark and narrow alleyways where a lot of junk is piled up.


    Batman fell from the rooftop and walked into the first alley of Living Hell. Looking up from the ground, he realized that there was only a very narrow gap left in the sky above his head, and the densely packed wires and antennas above covered most of his field of vision, like a big hanging over his head.


    Moving forward in this alley was very difficult, even for Batman. There was almost no light here, except for a faint lighting from a few high windows. After almost tripping over a garbage bag a few times, Batman finally opened his shlight.


    But even so, walking here was still very difficult. After walking only a few steps in an alley, Batman found a twisted staircase circling into a dark hallway.


    He climbed the creaking stairs and when he emerged from the hallway, he found himself on another t ground. Moving forward, he realized it was the rooftop of a building, with another dark alley below him.


    Batman found adder on the rooftop that led to the other side. Even with Batman''s skill, he had to be cautious crossing this kind ofdder.


    Standing on thedder and looking down, it was like an endless abyss ofyered windows, wires, and garbage bags. All the chaotic andplex things were intertwined, like a hell spreading downyer byyer.


    After crossing thedder to the other side, he saw a mountain of garbage bags piled up on a corner of the rooftop. Walking to that side, he found another high-rise building stackedyer byyer. There was a small door on the side that required bending down to pass through. After walking in, Batman finally entered the building in Living Hell.


    The situation here was worse than outside, with almost no light. The hallways were so narrow that Batman had to lower his head and tighten his arms to crawl up the stairs, or he couldn''t make it.


    Batman felt that calling this kind of passage a staircase was inurate. It was more like an intestine. It was so appropriate to call this ce Living Hell.


    The narrow, dark, and cramped hallways were like an intestinal organ in a living body. After climbing two floors, Batman finally saw another small door next to him.


    After going out through this door, the corridor in front of him finally became a little wider, but the door was still tightly closed. There were various signboards hanging in the hallway, such as Deli, etc.


    Batman suddenly realized with surprise that there seemed to be an ecosystem in Living Hell. Walking down the corridor, he found a total of six small doors leading to the otherplex passages. ording to Batman''s estimate, the structures of these six passages should correspond to the entrances of six directions of the building, just like when he came.


    "This is bizarre and wonderful," thought Batman.


    This city was like a microcosm of Gotham, worthy of the title "Gotham within Gotham."


    He was surprised to find that not only were there various living facilities here, but the electricity, water, andmunication systems were also self-contained. Thick water pipes extended forward into the dark corridors like blood vessels, and messy electric wires hung overhead like dense nerves.


    Countless posters and advertisements were posted beside each doorway, and there were even mailboxes in front of many doors.


    It was the first time Batman had seen this side of Gotham. After all, he didn''t have the Batmobile before, and his scope of crime-fighting was basically centered on Wayne Tower, spreading outwards for a short distance. Most of the robbers were also within this range. After all, that was the most prosperousmercial street in Gotham.


    But now, he was in the midst of Living Hell and saw another side of Gotham that was unknown to the public, or rather, the reality under Gotham''s prosperous surface.


    However, it was strange that this ce was dark, cramped, terrifying, and bizarre, but with aplete ecosystem. It exuded a different kind of vitality and charm, even a fascinating beauty.


    Batman thought he might be going crazy. He even felt that this real and chaotic scenery was the ultimate answer to this city.

 Chapter 109: The Battle of the Living Hell (2)

    Chapter 109: The Battle of the Living Hell (2)


    Batman didn''t stay in the hallway for too long because he knew that once he was discovered by the locals here and caused too many people to chase him, he might not be able to escape with theplex and terrifying building structure here.


    So he followed his own guess and found another small door, crawled into the intestine passage, and then went up two floors. After he went out from another door, he found that his guess was correct. This is another rooftop, and there is another small door on the side of the rooftop. Through this passage to another building, the entire Living Hell is spreadingyer byyer in such a building structure until it covers the entire area. People here can even reach every corner without leaving the building, just like a huge beehive.


    This simply made Batman amazed.


    He has systematically studied architectural engineering and structural engineering. Despite this, this bizarre and weird architectural form also exceeds his cognitive range. In his previous cognition, any building must be designed to reflect thebination of function and beauty. This is also the meaning of architecture.


    But Gotham''s Living Hell is like stepping on human architecture underfoot. This is an architectural miracle spontaneously constructed by a group of civilians who do not understand architecture at all. It is full of arge number of chaotic and disorderly illegal constructions. The original building structure has been almost destroyed. Various intestine passages are chaotically interspersed in each building, the water and electricity structure is a mess, and pollution treatment seems to be absent.


    But it really achieved thebination of architectural function and beauty. Yes, Batman thinks there is a kind of beauty here.


    Before he had time to study this hell in hell more deeply, he heard a slight noise from upstairs, like the sound of metal rubbing against a stone b.


    Batman looked up and saw that there was a figure standing on the rooftop of the building next to him. That building also belonged to Living Hell''s building but was slightly taller. Batman stood below and was in the shadow at the root of the wall. The person upstairs seemed to have not found him.


    He took two more steps forward and saw clearly what was happening on that building. It seemed that two people were confronting each other.Judging from their dressing, these two people are definitely not locals of Living Hell. This made Batman very curious. Who else woulde to a dark slum in the middle of the night like himself?


    So he found an angle and threw something out with force. That was a bat dart with a bug on it. The bat dart flew to the wall of that building with a "swish" sound and just stuck in a wall gap near the rooftop. Batman put on his headphones and then clearly heard the sound from the opposite side.


    But those two people didn''t seem to want to talk. The tall man standing near the edge of the rooftop was wearing a sharp arm knife on his forearm. He rushed straight towards the other person, and the other person disappeared in an instant and appeared behind him.


    Batman blinked his eyes. He was sure this was not his illusion. That person just disappeared and reappeared out of thin air.


    Immediately afterwards, he heard an extremely familiar voiceing from the headphones: "I knew you would show up sooner orter."


    That was the voice of his psychology professor Schiller.


    And the voice of the other person seemed to have used a voice changer, sounding a bit sharp. He said: "Since you offended us, you should have thought of this day. You can think about yourst words."


    Batman''s footsteps moved a bit. He was sure that it must be his university professor Schiller. His first reaction was to step forward to help, but soon Schiller''s words made him stop again because there seemed to be bigger secrets between them. He heard Schiller say: "You don''t have to pretend anymore. I know you are not my enemy in Metropolis."


    The man didn''t answer and continued to rush towards Schiller. Under Batman''s unblinking gaze, his university professor who imed to be an ordinary person did indeed disappear for a moment and reappeared again.


    In the gap where the killer was stagnant, Schiller said: "Maybe I should call you... w?"


    The person opposite stopped his movements, gently clenched his fingers, and the arm knife on his arm turned around. Then he said: "How did you know?"


    Then he said again: "No matter how you know it, there can only be one king of the night in Gotham, and that is the court."


    "You don''t have to repeat your ideas to me. I just want to tell you that you have found the wrong person." Schiller said.


    The w seemed to have received some orders. He suddenly increased his speed and his arm began to sh some luster. Then Batman saw that Schiller''s figure suddenly disappeared and a gray mist appeared in its ce. Immediately afterwards, gray mist began to spread over the entire rooftop, mixed with some ck particles.


    Batman suddenly felt a little difficulty breathing. An extreme excitement spread from his heart. He felt that he waspletely out of control. Batman knelt down on one knee and pinched his throat with both hands. His veins bulged.


    "Who are you? Who are you!!!"


    "Who am I?"


    "Who am I?"


    "What am I..."


    "I am Batman!"


    "I am Batman..."


    The voice in the illusion became clearer and clearer, gradually upying the brain. Batman was almost hoarse. He felt that a consciousness that was not under his control was taking over his body.


    As the fog became thicker and thicker, for a moment, Batman knelt down on his back, ck slime burst out and wrapped around his whole body. Then a huge ck monster jumped onto the rooftop.


    This was an ident that neither of the two people on the rooftop had expected. Schiller retreated for a moment and then stared at the ck monster. He said in a low voice: "Venom? How did you get out?"


    But it seems that the monster has lost its sanity and rushed towards Schiller frantically.


    Schiller didn''t care about many things. He turned into a gray mist and quickly retreated. When he rushed to Schiller''s face, the monster seemed to regain some sanity, or Venom''s consciousness prevailed.


    "I will eat your brain!" Venom said.


    Schiller opened his mouth. He suddenly found that something was wrong with Venom''s form. What''s going on with those two pointed ears on his head?


    He couldn''t...


    Then Schiller said to Venom: "I think before considering eating this kind of problem, you may have bigger trouble to deal with..."


    "What?" Venom was stunned.


    Then Venom felt a violent dark emotion erupting from his host''s body. The terrible dark tide made Venom almost lose control of his body in an instant.


    In the short life of this symbiote, he has never experienced such a terrifying and intense dark emotion. Originally, symbiotes that feed on emotions, any emotion is food that they can devour. They cannot be afraid of their food.


    But now, Venom seemed to be swallowed by a terrible flood in an instant. He didn¡¯t even make a sound and lost control of the host and all cells.


    Soon, Schiller watched as Venom¡¯s form changed. Originally, Venom¡¯s form was more like the liquid armor he had on Stark.


    And now, the armor part on Venom¡¯s body is still retained. He let out a somewhat painful roar. The ck monster struggled to kneel down and then the slime on his body began to condense again.


    Pointed ears, fangs and wings. A bat symbol gradually emerged from his chest. A pair of huge bat wings stretched out behind him. The Venom bat instantly took off into the air and made a rapid dive towards Schiller.


    Schiller turned into a gray mist to avoid this impact, but the bad news is that this Venom bat is probably out of control.


    Even if guessing, Schiller could guess some clues. Although he didn¡¯t know how Venom ran onto Batman¡¯s body, who is Batman? The ultimate embodiment of the dark side in the entire DC universe. The symbiote cannot control such a person at all. Instead, it is very likely to stimte the darkness hidden in Batman¡¯s heart.


    The consciousness of the symbiote may have been trapped directly. Now controlling this body is an out-of-control dark bat.


    This trouble is big now. Originally Batman was just a mortal body and relied more on wisdom. But the symbiote itself is a very unreasonable existence in the Marvel world. The stronger the host, the stronger it is. The stronger it is, the stronger the host.


    It can make the potential contained in the host¡¯s body fully developed and directly converted into strength. How much potential Batman has is needless to say.


    The Venom bat in mid-air was still undergoing amazing changes. His body began to grow bigger and bigger. The ck slime expanded endlessly. Countless ck slime tentacles wrapped around this monster like a cocoon.


    Spikes began to appear on his body. Under the moonlight, a monster more than ten meters tall with huge spiked wings appeared above Living Hell.


    It was an extremely terrifying ck bat. His whole body was dark, with only a silver bat symbol on his chest. A pair of eyes, like the creator of the body, Nal, emitted a me-like light, looking fierce and terrifying.


    Schiller looked up at the huge monster and then asked the mist in his heart: ¡°Are you sure you can fight?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like fighting, not that I can¡¯t! I want to beat him!!!¡±


    As soon as the voice of the mist fell, Schiller¡¯s mist form also began to change.


    The gray mist began to be thicker from its initial thinness. Among the tumbling mist, a round sunposed of countless weird mist patterns slowly condensed and rose from the mist.


    Countless gray mists are like scattered sun particles, spreading out from the thickest center, like shadowy teeth and ws and invisible tentacles.


    This weird sunposed of gray mist gradually became deeper and deeper. The mist condensed more and more densely and the color became darker and darker. Under the moonlight, another huge and terrifying monster was born.


    This parasitic race born in chaos, grown in chaos, and ultimately destined to return to chaos is always full of weird and terrifying beauty. When these two huge monsters appeared above Living Hell, the moonlight became brighter.


    Soon they began to entangle each other and quickly shuttle through this bizarre city that seemed like a living thing.


    The bright moonlight, the huge city with twistedyers behind it, and countless intertwined wires like arge together form a background that is as weird, eerie and majestic as this battle.


    A huge round moon rises, and the mist and slime fly by in front. The buildings against the moonlight be dark silhouettes. Layers of wires, tall garbage bags, and countless broken bricks and tiles are intertwined with cold moonlight. ck and gray shuttle quickly in the city.


    The floating stic bags are still in the air for a moment, like jellyfish ted with cold light. The countless pull-tab cans that fly to mid-air are also frozen, turning into glittering fish in the frozen tide. For a moment, because of the huge waves rushing past, the silent storm tore everything apart. The wooden boards fell into dust and the metal rose up with floating light.


    The scene quickly retreated, and the line of sight passed through the chaotic inteced support structure of oneyer of buildings. When climbing along the wires to the top, the huge city looked down from top to bottom like a huge abyss.


    Then, the falling speed made the wind ripple at the edge of the field of vision. The spiral of mist and slime flew faster and faster, and the moonlight became brighter and brighter.


    For a moment, time stood still. Between the stagnant moonlight and frozen wind, all light spots were condensed in mid-air, surrounded by countless rays of light rotating. When it got closer to the center, it could finally be seen that two forces silently collided together and millions of factors rose up a huge mushroom cloud.


    In the silent explosion, there was no fire or sound at all, only weird silence. Afterwards, brainwave waves rose and countless sharp screams erupted on a spiritual level.


    Almost one facetoface, a microscopic battle that humans cannot directly see has entered millions of rounds.


    In an instant, the first collision ended and the battle that only moonlight could see began again. Moonlight made the city stretch out countless dark shadows like a curtain of an opera opening up the boundary between gray and ck.


    Tonight Gotham is silent and sonic at the same time. Stillness and conflict dance together. Living Hell surges with ck tides and the city screams.


    Under the moonlight, at the top of a dark building silhouettepared to a monster¡¯s tiny figure finally fell in extreme fear and chaos. With hisst consciousness he said to his headphones: ¡°Can¡¯t return¡­ can¡¯t return at this time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The Court of Owls must not return at this time!!!¡±

 Chapter 110: The Dawn Knight

    Chapter 110: The Dawn Knight


    In a spacious and somewhat dim room, damp water droplets condense on the stone walls. Hundreds of candles are fixed on the walls at different heights. Huge silk ribbons fall from the towering ceiling and leave intertwined shadows on the ground.


    A huge conference table is ced in the center of the room. At this time, several people wearing masks are sitting on both sides of the round table, watching a picture on a screen.


    This is the meeting room of the Court of Owls.


    The Court of Owls is a mysterious organization in DCics. It has been active in this city since the beginning of Gotham. In someic versions, it is described as an organization that has been maintained by the founders of Gotham or their descendants and is the king of darkness in Gotham.


    Of course, there are moreic versions that design more conspiracies for this organization. For example, Gotham''s Court of Owls actually belongs to the world-ss Owl Council, and the Owl Council is an organization under the dark god Barbatos.


    But in any case, this organization has existed in Gotham for a long time and has been manipting this city in secret.


    The members of the Court of Owls will only gather together for conspiracies about Gotham City. This time is no exception.


    Of course, this was their original purpose, but now the situation is different. Or to put it another way, when they saw a huge ck monster jumping out from the monitoring equipment on w''s belt, the nature of the entire story changedpletely.


    And the speed and impact of this change really exceeded everyone''s expectations.During this period of change in Gotham City, the Court of Owls was not without attention. But the problem is that any organization with a parliamentary nature needs to go through a series of discussions and member statements when deciding on something. The Court of Owls is no exception. In response to recent changes in Gotham City, they need to investigate, obtain evidence, analyze and then vote.


    Yes, this damn evil organization is still damn rigorous and its efficiency in handling cases is much stronger than that of Gotham Police Department.


    In any case, after a period of reaction, the Court of Owls finally found the behind-the-scenes ck hand of this change in Gotham from the clues.


    The Court of Owls is actually not worried about this change in Gotham because this city has not actually developed in a better direction. No one wants to save this city from the root. On the contrary, it has brought huge benefits to this city. This is actually in line with the interests of the Court of Owls.


    What they cannot ept is that someone is more urately manipting and influencing this city in a darker ce than they are. Once such people appear, the Court of Owls must eliminate them.


    So w found his target, which was the seemingly unremarkable university professor Schiller Rodriguez.


    Originally everything went smoothly and the Court of Owls also felt that they would continue to strangle one opponent after another in their infancy as before. But all this began to change from the appearance of that ck monster.


    It is not surprising that the Court of Owls installed monitoring equipment on w. They were originally a conspiracy organization that monitored the entire city. But they never expected that the next drama would directly shatter everyone''s three views and fundamentally change the purpose of this meeting.


    At this time, Schiller, who was still entangled with the Venom bat, also felt a bit tricky. The battle between symbiotes is not like what he has seen in movies before, where two giant monsters beat each other.


    As a factor creature, the battle between symbiotes mostly urs on a microscopic level, that is, they devour each other''s symbiote factors. This is like changing from a one-on-one duel to a legion battle.


    Schiller is not incapable of fighting this kind of battle, but he is facing a frenzied dark bat. The Venom bat doesn''t care how many symbiote factors he will lose. He just attacks frantically and wants to bite more from the mist.


    It''s impossible to talk about tactics with such a crazy enemy. Defense will only make you lose more. So Schiller had to start attacking frantically too. The two symbiotes began to devour each other fearlessly.


    This kind of battle has no fire or sound at all. Everything is shrouded in a mysterious and silent atmosphere. Visible things gradually be invisible in this crazy mutual devouring. The pulling of slime and mist makes all this look more like a battle between light and shadow. Under the silent appearance, there are screams, chaos and frenzied battles that ordinary people cannot see.


    But the Court of Owls are not ordinary people. They do have some dark powers that ordinary people do not have.


    Therefore, when facing this silent and noisy battle directly, the Court of Owls who have never seen symbiotes can only understand it as a higher-level mystical performance within their own worldview.


    This kind of battle that urs on an invisible level makes it easier for them to associate it with the source of some dark power. Unlike ordinary people, the Court of Owls can realize that this world is not as simple and peaceful as it seems. They know that there are more great and dark powers peering at everything in the universe.


    The form of Venom Bat and Mist Schiller is really too easy to associate with some transcendent dimensional demons.


    The huge ck bat carries terrifying dark power. Even through the screen, you can see the huge ck tide surging from Batman''s dark side. Just looking at it makes people feel suffocated and fearful as if being strangled.


    And Schiller, the huge sun rising from the gray mist, looks like a ck hole devouring everything. Those weird and bizarre mist patterns add a solemnity full of religious ritual sacredness to the weird and absurd. It is really hard not to associate it with something.


    The infinite possibilities demonstrated by the unique symbiote race make the changes of these two people lookpletely unpremeditated.


    In fact, the Court of Owls'' judgment is not wrong. The symbiote race itself was born from a cosmic demon, and the two fighting now are both outstanding among the symbiote race.


    If possible, please allow Schiller to introduce a special enthusiasticizen to the Court of Owls-


    The oldest of the seventh universe, cosmic Satan, lord of the abyss, emperor in ck, master of All-ck Necrosword, beheader of Skyfather group, stepfather of Gorr the God Butcher, Thor''s godly friend, Thanos'' headache generator, ultimate nightmare of three cosmic empires- Knull, God of Symbiotes.


    Okay, although the story of Knull mentioned earlier sounds a bit weak, in fact this demon who forged All-ck Necrosword is not low in level among Marvel Universe demons and his record can also be ranked. His special descendants may not be counted as independent cosmic demons but at least they are direct rtives.


    You know that in this era most famous viins have not fully debuted yet let alone those demons beyond Earth''s level. But this battle between these two people seems to have suddenly skipped countless levels of power and directly changed the level of battle from street fighting to cosmic events.


    Can the Court of Owls not be shocked?


    So the theme of this meeting changed from whether or not to interfere with Gotham to whether or not to evacuate Gotham.


    After all they were unaware of this change and didn''t even know why Batman whom they had been monitoring closely suddenly became like this. They also didn''t know what would be the result of this battle? Will Gotham be destroyed? Will the entire earth be destroyed?


    But at least they were sure that before figuring out why Batman and this professor suddenly jumped from an ordinary person living on the ground to a cosmic demon it is best not to take any drastic actions.


    And what makes them even more worried is that these two people''s changes are too sudden without any warning. The Court of Owls did not find that this city was invaded by any mysterious power.


    If these demons are organized and have infected many people in Gotham who knows how many such people there will be in Gotham City?


    In case they send out w poke one and explode one poke one and explode one. By then there will be a bunch of cosmic demons stuffed in Gotham City. What can their Court of Owls y!?


    If every citizen in Gotham has thisbat power then Court of Owls won''t even have a chance to run home crying while holding Barbatos'' thigh.


    Originally Schiller brought Venom to DC because he had seen Venom fill Eddie''s aging bones and nervous system inics. He thought maybe Venom could use the same method to treat Mr. Freeze''s wife but before he could do so Venom ran onto Batman on his own.


    Batman is not something that can be parasitized by anything. You are a stinky outsider from Marvel who wants toe to our Gotham for food?


    Thinking like this, Schiller found that the offensive on the opposite side seemed to have weakened. The gray mist passed another building again. Schiller converged his figure and stood on the edge of the highest building roof and looked down.


    The ck bat made of slime suddenly began to fly crookedly as if he was fighting with himself and was pulled by an invisible force.


    In the mind of the ck bat, another battle became more intense.


    Wave after wave of ck tide covered the sky and the earth. Bruce''s own personality consciousness was like a lone boat in a storm, shaky.


    Even Bruce himself never thought that his dark side would be so terrible.


    And fighting alongside him was the miserable consciousness of Venom. He still didn''t understand how he had poked a ho''s nest again.


    After barely resisting another wave of ck tide, Bruce said to Venom: "Aren''t you iming to be an alien?!!! Why is your will so fragile?!!!"


    Venom was almost angry to death. Is it my will that is fragile? Why do you humans like to create so many storms in your minds?


    Extreme survival in the world of consciousness, right?


    Venom was really wronged. When he first debuted, his first host was Deadpool.


    Deadpool''s brain is simply like being stirred by a few thousand revolutions of an eggbeater. He can grow anywhere but not his brain.


    Venom swam like a butterfly in a cesspit. Although Deadpool''s brain is not dangerous it is just disgusting especially disgusting.


    Venom was driven crazy by him. Finally he stayed with ordinary people for a while but couldn''t resist the temptation and ran onto Stark.


    Stark''s brain is not chaotic but this damn bad guy has an average of more than 3,000 thunderstorms in his brain every day. Tornadoes and sandstorms blow so much that he doesn''t even recognize his mother. Venom''s brain was almost lifted off.


    At that time when Venom was shocked out of Stark''s body he had a sense of relief from escaping from death.


    Then he was locked in a jar for a long time and finally found an opportunity to run out. Venom was still happy because when he entered Bruce''s body he found that this seemed to be a rich second generation with a good brain and his brain didn''t seem to turn as fast as Stark''s. Instead his brain was full of irrelevant data such as ward beds and prison cells.


    Venom who yearned for a happy life thought he had happily drilled into an egg. Just as he drooled at the yolk and prepared to swallow it in one bite this egg hatched a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a click and Venom''s head was almost bitten off.


    From his own gic information Venom can know that the universe is so big that humans are not the only race. Why is he so unlucky? Why did he just fall on Earth?


    How can humans be so outrageous? If one day he can also write the gene bank of symbiotes he must tell all hispatriots: stay away from humans, safety first find hosts irregrly, symbiotes two lines of tears.


    But grievances are grievances andints areints. The battle still has to be fought. Venom said to Bruce: "I can stimte your emotions. You must have an extreme emotion now to suppress this dark emotion."


    Thanks to Stark, Venom''s logic systemes from this genius cursed by knowledge. His thinking is now very clear, even clearer than Bruce''s. After all, Bruce is confused by the authorities, but Venom is very clear.


    To defeat this dark emotion from the dark side, Bruce must arouse enough positive emotions.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s get started." Bruce said.


    "The problem is that I can''t find your positive emotions!!!" Venom roared: "Where did you hide them?!! Hurry up and turn them out!!! That''s our life-saving straw!!!"


    Venom was hit by the ck tide again and said a little copsed: "What''s there to hide!! You stupid humans!!!"


    Bruce opened his mouth, he didn''t know how to answer Venom''s question. It sounded ridiculous, but even an alien creature that could peek into people''s hearts couldn''t find his positive emotions.


    "You have to hurry up!" Venom''s tone at this time was very simr to Stark''s, obviously this genius had a great influence on him.


    "Your dark emotions seem to contain some other power. Once it eruptspletely, your hometown, the city where we are now, will definitely bepletely destroyed! Nothing will be left!"


    Bruce pursed his lips and dodged the attack of dark consciousness again.


    Destroy Gotham? This may sound crazy but it makes sense.


    This crazy city should have been destroyed long ago.


    What is there to miss?


    The face of Alfred appeared in his mind. He remembered the expression of the old butler when he sat in front of the sickbed and thought of him wiping the old phone alone in the dark living room while humming pleasant tunes.


    This did not surprise Bruce. If he still had only one person in this city who had any nostalgia, it must be his butler Alfred.


    If there was only one ce that made him feel nostalgic, it would be Wayne Manor where Alfred was.


    Soon. His memory began to blur as if he had returned to Wayne Manor. He pushed open a door like any normal morning. But what surprised him was that behind this door was Gotham''s dark rainy alley.


    Detective Gordon called him a tight-fitting monster for the first time. They worked together on a case, investigated and tracked down. Then the detective in a trench coat and the bat in a cape were on the roof of Gotham Police Station.


    They talked about justice and talked about the future of this city. When it was alreadyte at night, Batman turned around and left. When he returned to the manor, between the swaying yellow candlelight, an old friend was already waiting for him.


    Batman and Harvey sat on the sofa and they talked about many things as if they had endless topics. They talked like good teachers and friends. Bruce was already vague about those truths he spoke but that tacit understanding between exchanges was still very clear.


    Soon he shuttled through Gotham''s high-rise buildings and kissed Catwoman passionately falling into a dreamy dream. Those thrown dance gauze curtains knocked over wine sses spilled wine every gentle and crazy night those let a bat cold body temperature dyed with passionate kisses those passionate lovers who made him fascinated told him stories about jewels and castles that Batman would never be interested in, but in memory he listened very seriously but in his opinion Catwoman''s eyes were brighter than the gems she described with all her vocabry.


    The sound of the pen falling on the paper rustled, and Bruce seemed to have returned to an exam scene.


    He watched his ssmates scratching their heads and cheeks on the exam site, perhaps feeling amazed or helpless. Then he painted murals with those people and watched the ck paint flow down the wall, spontaneously forming some mysterious patterns he had never seen before, like a door to a time machine.


    He passed through this door and time flew forward at a rapid pace. In his dreamlike memory, he gradually advanced to the present and then began to retreat rapidly.


    All people and things returned to their original positions like a rewound movie until they returned to where a ck sun rose.


    He heard a familiar voice say to him: "Wee to Gotham." Venom watched as the consciousness space began to tremble and intense light shone through some broken cracks.


    He cursed secretly and quickly began to thread needles in Bruce''s emotions, trying to guide these fragmented positive emotions together. A little bit of light gradually rose and then gathered into a more dazzling light ball.


    The ck tide''s counterattack became more fierce, like ck ink soaking the entire world. A ck ocean began to spread in the consciousness space with surging waves covering the sky. Bruce, who had already been separated from the memory space, floated above the ck tide.


    Throughyers of ck waves, he saw that at the deepest part of this ck oceany a curled up little boy. That was him, Bruce Wayne. Soon Schiller saw the huge bat made of mucus fall to the ground.


    The mucus began to slowly recover and then all retracted into Bruce''s body. Schiller jumped off the roof and stood in front of Bruce. Bruce got up from the ground or rather Venom was now controlling his body.


    "How did you get out?"


    "You have to ask that woman who ran into your house and stole that jar." The woman who stole the jar? Schiller thought there was only one female thief in Gotham who had this ability. Could it be Catwoman?


    "I shouldn''t have listened to Stark''s nonsense." Schiller said: "He told me that his symbiote must live in a mansion worthy of the world''s richest man''s identity so he used his strange instruments to make a diamond jar and assured me that it was both beautiful and practical."


    "Then I have to thank him." In an instant, ck mucus erupted again but this time Venom became its original form which was a big mouth full of fangs and a bright red tongue. "How did you get on Batman?"


    "Don''t you think it''s too slow tomunicate in human ways? Don''t waste my time." Venom said.


    "Your tone reminds me of a very annoying guy." Venom split out a sticky tentacle and the gray mist slowly dispersed a cloud of mist. The moment the symbiote factors touched each other they exchanged countless information.


    The mist in his mind said to Schiller: "¡­a woman with cat ears¡­just like that car¡­the necessary process of human reproduction¡­not allowed to see¡­he can''t figure it out either¡­"


    "Okay, I know¡­" Schiller covered his forehead, he already knew what was going on, he said: "Don''t tell me the details, Bruce deserves it."


    Then Venom grinned with that big mouth and said: "You can''t catch me anymore! Hahahaha! I''m free!! I''m going to eat everyone''s brains here!! I¡­"


    "I said before that before considering eating, you may still have trouble to deal with¡­" Venom was about to answer him when he felt his consciousness suppressed again in an instant. He roared unwillingly: "No! Damn humans! Rotten people!!"


    But in the end, the slime retreated back into his body. Bruce shook his head and said, "Did it work? What''s going on?"


    "You should ask the rice bucket inside you."


    "I''m not talking about that. He''s already told me who he is and what he wants to do. I mean¡­" Bruce covered his head in pain and said, "Why did I lose control? What''s going on with those terrible negative emotions? Why¡­where does that darknesse from?"


    "It seems you''ve discovered it," Schiller said. "The darkness lurking in your body is very terrifying. Although it has never lost control before, once it does, you could destroy everything."


    "What is it?"


    "That''s Batman. Don''t you know?"


    "Batman? Then who am I? No¡­no¡­impossible!" Bruce covered his eyes and squatted down. He knelt on the ground in great pain and said, "Impossible¡­I am Batman¡­I am Batman¡­"


    "You thought you had be another you, but in fact, this is just an appearance." Schiller''s thoughts began to drift away.


    He gradually recalled the Batman he had met in thoseics. His voice also began to sound more and more ethereal.


    He said: "Batman? You are somewhat different from him. Indeed, he does not blindly pursue darkness."


    "He is the ultimate darkness and the ultimate light. He holds this incurable city with the ultimate darkness and then uses light to prevent the destruction that this ultimate darkness may bring." This sounded more like a sigh from Schiller. Bruce''s voice was full of exhaustion.


    He said: "I thought I didn''t need those. I am the avenger in the night. I don''t need any useless emotions that might shake my beliefs. I am not that ridiculous Bruce, that powerless, unable to save and change anything, little Bruce¡­" For the first time, Schiller heard such obvious trembling in his tone.


    Bruce''s tone had almost trembled to the point where he could not finish thestplete word, or perhaps he was unwilling to say it. This was the first time he spoke of what he had been avoiding - that night, those two gunshots, those two people lying in a pool of blood, and that powerless little boy named Bruce Wayne.


    He thought that little Bruce was buried forever that night. So when he realized that he still had unrealistic fantasies about the world and the pleasant memories of the movie that night, just like that little boy, it was as if all the hatred and effort driven by hatred over the years were like self-deception and escape.


    Facing the little boy who lost his parents brought Schiller more intense emotional fluctuations than facing Batman. For the first time, he no longer gave advice like a bystander, but really said like advice: "¡­even Gotham has daylight."


    Bruce''s Adam''s apple moved. He took a deep breath, as if suddenly injected with some vitality. He stood up, trembling a little. The cold wind of Gotham''s night blew on his bat armor, bringing tremors that no one could hear. He limped a little and slowly walked to the edge of the roof. Standing there, he saw a glimmer of light on the skyline of Gotham City. A golden line, like opening up the sky and the earth, cut through the thick darkness. Bruce had never seen Gotham''s sunrise. He suddenly discovered that even in such a dark and gloomy city, at the moment when the sun rises, the light that breaks through the darkness is still a brilliant brilliance he has never seen before.


    The darker it is, the more shocking the light is.


    Bruce closed his eyes and slowly gathered the fingers of one hand, as if holding the light that cut through the darkness. Soon, Bruce took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The brilliance of the sun was contained in his eyes. The arc of light on the horizon left a dazzling golden color in his pupils.


    No one knew that he had briefly seen the little boy lying under the ck tide in his consciousness space. Until he saw him, Bruce understood that he always regarded those happy memories as rewards for his painful life.


    Therefore, whenever he got a little happiness, he always wanted to repay it with ten times the pain. He was so eager to escape these happy memories, just like instinctively avoiding pain. To be Batman, he had to ept not only pain and darkness but also that he had always been that little boy.


    He had been looking forward to that movie and longing for those lights. Just like that dark night many years ago, without expectation of light, there would never be a desire to merge into darkness. "Who am I?" He whispered: "Who am I?" The dawn light will not answer him, but he already has an answer in his heart. He said: "I am Bruce Wayne¡­"


    "I am Batman¡­" His tone began to be gentle: "¡­I am, Batman."


    A silent and heavy oath fell in his heart, like a heavy stele, standing tall under the scouring of the ck tide. From today on, there will only be one Batman in this dark city.


    He is Bruce Wayne and he is Batman. From today on, he will bear the dark power from this crazy city of Gotham and then hold a de of light like dawn. He will stand above this living hell. The cold wind cannot prate his armor and the mes cannot melt his heart. He will have no rules and fear no guilt. With dawn as the boundary and dawn as the signal, he will be in darkness with his heart towards the light and always towards the light. Bruce thought he would be Gotham''s dawn. He will be - Batman.

 Chapter 111: Aftermath

    Chapter 111: Aftermath


    Gordon stood at the door of the interrogation room with his hands on his hips and said, ¡°You mean to tell me that someone reported to you that they saw two monsters several dozen meters tall chasing each other in the Living Hell neighborhood?¡±


    Then he pressed down on the shoulder of the new police officer and said, ¡°All you need to do now is ask that informant one question - how much did he take?¡±


    The new police officer was a little embarrassed and said, ¡°But there are several people who are all saying the same thing¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a group of people taking drugs together.¡± (XD)


    After the new police officer left, Gordon leaned against the door frame and thought to himself that these neers were getting worse and worse.


    Two monsters over ten meters tall fighting in the slums? This is Gotham, not Hollywood. Besides, even if it were true, if the local gangs saw it, they would definitely fire a rocket at it.


    Given the number of gangs in Gotham, if this were really true, Gordon would now be busy going over to collect the bodies of those two monsters.


    So this incident didn¡¯t have much impact other than sending the police to search for drug-taking venues in the East District again.


    But Bruce and Venom¡¯s troubles were far from over.First of all, Bruce is a skeptic. Secondly, he is a human supremacist.


    In the following days, Venom was subjected to inhumane torture. Bruce listed his doubts about Venom in a table. The table of contents alone was as thick as a fist.


    Bruce sessfully made Venom start to miss Stark. He now realized very clearly that his host was absolutely, extremely, 100% insane.


    There was no other possibility.


    Venom now wanted to unterally withdraw his previous question about whether Stark was human or not. Compared to Bruce, Stark was a very standard human temte.


    Finally one day, Venom could no longer stand Batman¡¯s insanity. He said to Bruce, ¡°For the sake of me helping you out before, let¡¯s part on good terms. You go get a high-powered sonic generator and then we¡¯ll part ways and never see each other again!¡±


    Bruce may be the first person to have a symbiote voluntarily propose to leave its host.


    But Bruce didn¡¯t even think about it and rejected this recognition from the symbiote. He said, ¡°No, you are the first alien life form I havee into contact with. I have onlypleted 2% of the first of my 897 research ns on alien life forms. There are still 98% of 896 ns left. You must cooperate with me toplete all the research, and then I will consider whether or not to let you leave¡­¡±


    Venom was truly desperate.


    Originally, symbiotes could voluntarily leave their hosts, but the prerequisite was that after leaving this host, they could immediately find another host. Otherwise, after he ran away from Bruce¡¯s body, Bruce would immediately be able to catch this lump of mud.


    He had thought about it before, taking advantage of Bruce¡¯s contact with others and running to someone else¡¯s body. But ever since Bruce¡¯s dark outburst, not only could Venom read Bruce¡¯s emotions, but Bruce could also read some of Venom¡¯s emotions.


    Once Venom had the idea of escaping, Bruce would start to crazily use some calctions to increase his brain¡¯sputational power and keep Venom in a stormy state so that he couldn¡¯t concentrate on escaping.


    Venom suddenly realized that he had been tricked.


    Especially when he saw Schiller¡¯s gloating smile, he realized that he had moved from a not-so-sturdy jar into an extremely sturdy and torturous prison.


    What was even sadder was that one day Bruce kindly let Venom go out for some fresh air. Venom was really suffocating and really wanted to go find his own kind toin. So he went to Schiller.


    Then Schiller told him a fact that made him extremely desperate: ¡°What? Bruce told you he has 897 ns? And you believed him?¡±


    ¡°Dream on! You might have to multiply that number by 10 to get the real number!¡±


    ¡°If you count the backup ns, you might have to multiply it by 100.¡±


    Venom found out that he had been inexplicably sentenced to life imprisonment.


    Actually, ording to Bruce¡¯s personality, he would not allow a creature with its own independent consciousness to exist within his own body. Especially since this creature could also peek into his thoughts. But the problem is that symbiotes are just too amazing. Stark couldn¡¯t resist their curiosity and neither could Bruce.


    After experiencing that dark outburst, Bruce was quite confident in controlling this alien life form. So he nned to study this life form for a while and then return it to the professor.


    As for some things about Schiller, Bruce really wanted to ask but has not been sessful so far. Because every time he went to ask Schiller about rted issues, Schiller would casually say: ¡°Natalu.¡±


    Then Bruce would almost lose control of the furious Venom inside him. What was originally a confrontation between Bruce and Schiller would turn into a fight between Bruce and Venom.


    As for Catwoman¡¯s theft case, Schiller didn¡¯t intend to recover the diamond bottle. He was just curious about how Catwoman managed to break into his estate.


    He had installed special locks from Stark Labs on all the doors of this estate. This technology was not a product of this era and should not be able to be picked by thieves.


    But when Batman grabbed Catwoman by the neck and brought her to the scene to identify the entrance, both Schiller and Batman were stunned when they saw the so-called entrance, which was the sewage outlet.


    It didn¡¯t look like a ce where people could get in.


    For this reason, even though Schiller knew about this exit, he didn¡¯t care at all. Apart from rats being able to run in, even a wild cat would have a hard time.


    Does this Catwoman know some kind of bone shrinking technique?


    With this ability, why do you have to be a thief?


    In fact, Batman was also very troubled. When Batman caught Catwoman, she basically confessed everything. When he learned that she had also offended the Falcone family, Batman was simply headache-ridden.


    He had toe forward as Bruce topensate and then expressed that in view of the highpensation, the godfather could let Catwoman go. Falcone didn¡¯t care much. He had seen many bold thieves. Since she was Batman¡¯s lover, he let her go.


    But this can¡¯t go on like this. With Gotham¡¯s reform, these thieves who don¡¯t do honest work are increasingly running out of options.


    ¡°What do you think I should let Selina do? Last time I suggested she be a teacher, but she refused to do it. She said that the ce where she worked was too far from her apartment and she couldn¡¯t take care of Maggie¡­¡±


    Schiller sat across from him at the table and said, ¡°Have you considered that she has a considerable advantage?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s very charming.¡±


    Looking at Bruce¡¯s somewhat confused expression, Schiller said, ¡°This may not be much of an advantage in Gotham and may even bring her some trouble, but it would be different in other ces.¡±


    ¡°Like where?¡±


    ¡°Like Hollywood.¡±


    Schiller took a sip of water and said, ¡°If she can make the famous Batman dizzy, haven¡¯t you considered letting her be a Hollywood movie star or something?¡±


    Bruce was stunned for a moment. He had never thought of this idea.


    And Schiller was serious. Catwoman was beautiful, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Her acrobatic skills were just icing on the cake. She only had one characteristic that could be considered the strongest in DC: charm.


    Catwoman could make Batman dizzy. Note that it was Batman, not Bruce.


    In someics, the Dark Knight who was so obsessed with hatred could be influenced by Catwoman to marry her and have children and live a normal life. What kind of personal charm is this?


    Bruce, Venom and Schiller worked together to deal with the dark tide from Batman¡¯s dark side. But all of this was easily resolved by Catwoman alone.


    In someics, Batman let go of his hatred, obsession and all the unpleasant memories of the past for her and turned back to shore.


    With this kind of charm at the level ofw, why not hurry to Hollywood to be a star?


    ¡°¡­and you have to consider that Gotham¡¯s industry will eventually need to transform. If we need to develop towards the entertainment and tourism industries, a city business card is essential,¡± Schiller said.


    Bruce also thought he made sense. Being a movie star is not only a legitimate profession but also very profitable. It can be said to be both fame and fortune and good for the development of Gotham City. Why not?


    And Catwoman herself has great potential to be a career woman. Although theft is not a decent job, at least she is also working hard to support herself. Otherwise, with her looks, she could easily be a mistress for any gang leader and livefortably without having to live in that dpidated apartment on the edge of the East District.

 Chapter 112: Gotham in Progress (1)

    Chapter 112: Gotham in Progress (1)


    In the splendid banquet hall, the huge chandelierposed of hundreds of candles shone with brilliant light. The silver tableware and crystal tes emitted dazzling luster. The champagne tower was like a small golden mountain. The silk tablecloth fell smoothly, and the men¡¯s leather shoes were polished to shine. The high heels of thedies were iid with gems and pearls.


    The gorgeous skirt hem was like a curtain hanging down from the Milky Way. When the footsteps slid with the lively dance music, the hazy light spots circled between the tie and the skirt corner. The tall Bruce gently held Selina¡¯s waist and spun with her in the dance floor.


    On the surface, they were the mostpatible couple on the dance floor. Handsome Bruce was dressed in a suit and leather shoes. His tall figure exuded masculine charm all the time. Although Catwoman was rtively petite, her body curve was very smooth. Years of exercise gave her more fluent muscle lines than otherdies. The fishtail skirt iid with broken diamonds wrapped her sexy body contour well. On her exposed neck, she wore a neposed of pink diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. The dazzling diamond light made Selina the most dazzling existence in the entire dance floor.


    Of course, it only looks harmonious on the surface. As a catwoman who stepped into this kind of social asion for the first time, it is impossible to dance obediently.


    ¡°Take back your gaze¡­¡± Bruce whispered in her ear: ¡°It¡¯s impolite to stare at others like this.¡±


    ¡°I like that string of pearls on her wrist, especially thergest one inside. That luster is really fascinating.¡± Catwoman blinked her big eyes and stared straight at anotherdy¡¯s pearl bracelet on the dance floor.


    Bruce was about to open his mouth to continue to dissuade, but Catwoman took back her gaze and then stared at Bruce. Selina has a pair of very beautiful green eyes. That green is more dense and pure than the emerald gemstone on her neck. When being stared at by this kind of gaze, Bruce¡¯s brain is already nk. The words that came to his mouth were swallowed back and turned into: ¡°If you like pearls, I can also give you a string.¡±


    Catwoman said: ¡°I know that you are just trying to stop me from stealing it. Well, although I didn¡¯t listen to what you said about banquet rules before, I also know that I can¡¯t steal things here¡­¡±


    Bruce was simply moved. His struggle with this cat can be described as tragic.First of all, Catwoman is a girl from a slum and she is not very old now. The scope of theft is basically limited to Gotham City.


    And she has never participated in any decent high-end gatherings.


    No cat would like to wear high heels that are extremely inconvenient for walking and fishtail skirts that cannot open their legs. Just persuading her to put on this dress almost took Bruce¡¯s lifelong eloquence. As a result, the first fishtail skirt she put on was torn because Selina took too big steps.


    In the end Bruce had to tell Selina that this skirt was worth tens of thousands of dors and all the gems on it were expensive natural gems.


    This stopped the cat from using her gorgeous acrobatic skills to destroy all simr clothing.


    Then, a gem on the ne on her neck disappeared within ten minutes of wearing it. Bruce didn¡¯t even see how Catwoman pried the gem off. In the end, he and the jewelry designer and clothing consultant talked for dozens of minutes.


    Selina finally let aplete ne stay on her neck.


    Catwoman has very beautiful and sexy ck hair. In the past, when she was stealing, she would gather these hairs and wrap them in a head cover. She rarely took care of these hairs carefully, causing them to always be a bit messy. When doing her hair, she stood up from the chair seven times in ten minutes. Bruce had to sit next to her and stare at her all the time.


    It was finally done. When sitting in a luxury car on the way to the venue, Catwoman was like sitting on a nail. She couldn¡¯t sit still no matter what. Bruce, who was originally sitting in the co-pilot¡¯s seat, had to sit with her in the back seat. Then he could stop her crazy behavior of pouring out all the wine in the car refrigerator because of anxiety and excitement.


    When they arrived at the venue, let alone mention it. Catwoman always stared straight at various jewelry and jewelry on otherdies. Bruce was worried that if he couldn¡¯t watch for a second, those jewelry would fly away.


    Bruce then discovered that what Catwoman suffered from might not only be kleptomania. Her spirit definitely has other problems. She really looks like a cat too much, whether it is behavioral logic or psychological state.


    However, Catwoman is very interested in going to be a star. In her opinion, after bing a star, she can hang all those gems on her body and show their beauty to the world.


    Despite this, Catwoman¡¯s growth path is still very long.


    While Catwoman and Bruce were pulling each other, there was also something to do on the gangster side. After a period of construction in Gotham City, hundreds of warehouses emerged from the ground. Although this is a good thing, it also brings some problems.


    Originally, Gotham City¡¯s urban nning was made by the original builders, that is, the first generation of Owl Court. After Falcone ruled this city, the old godfather further transformed Gotham City ording to the nning of Rome¡¯s urban area. Wayne Group has always had an understanding with Falcone. The outskirts of Gotham are also nned by them.


    The problem now is that there are so many warehouses suddenly appearing out of nowhere, as well as new service facilities built by various industries such as rest stations for truck drivers, temporary roadside catering points, loading and unloading points at docks, newly opened gas stations etc., these buildings were suddenly built up because they were built too hastily. Not to mention that they are not good-looking. More importantly, unnned buildings have caused Gotham City¡¯s urban nning to be somewhat unreasonable.


    The gang leader often takes down a piece ofnd and builds a warehouse and its supporting facilities on that piece ofnd alone. Another leader does the same. This has resulted in many supporting facilities that are not far apart but are repeated.


    Some warehouses with smaller plots do not have these facilities. Drivers and other personnel have to drive to farther ces to find these facilities, which increases traffic pressure again.


    This also caused Gotham City¡¯s entire logistics nning system to be unable to calcte the most perfect route because the setting of the infrastructure is not reasonable enough. Victor¡¯s hair was almost white, and he couldn¡¯te up with a standard answer.


    After running for a period of time, the uracy and efficiency of logistics are still a mess. Moreover, the originally rtively regr urban environment nned by Falcone and Wayne family with great pains was also destroyed by these towering warehouse supporting facilities and night markets that emerged like bamboo shoots after a rain.


    The main contradiction in Gotham City now is that the demand for hardware brought about by rapid economic development cannot be met by the backward urban structure.


    In order to adapt to this capitalist revival, Gotham City urgently needs a major reconstruction.


    Do you want to say that Gotham City has no power to rebuild? Of course there is. Falcone has ruled Gotham City for so many years. It is impossible not to save even this capital. Not to mention Wayne Group. Even if the twelve families get together, it is enough to rebuild this city again. But the problem is that they are now waiting for people with money. The several urban nning experts who were invited shook their heads one after another. Even if they were pointed at by gangsters with guns, they could only say that there was no way. The difficulty lies in this nning beyond ordinary people¡¯s calctions.


    Some experts cane up with a n, but this n cannot satisfy everyone. Either it is not beautiful enough or it is not functional enough. Falcone and Wayne Group are unwilling topletely abandon aesthetics and focus on function because their vision is longer-term. One day, Gotham¡¯s industry will have to transform and upgrade. The beauty of urban construction wille in handy one day.


    In the end, after tossing around, turning around, throwing around, this problem still came back to Schiller.


    And Schiller has been busy with another thing recently. Before w found him, he had expected that the Owl Court woulde out sooner orter.


    But what made him feel confused was that since then, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of the Owl Court at all. This organization seemed to disappear out of thin air. Schiller used his own connections and methods to turn left and right in the city for several days without finding any suspicious characters suspected of being w.


    Don¡¯t forget that after Schiller¡¯s fog dissipates, he can collect intelligence that is urate to the micro level. In the past few days, he has scanned half of Gotham City in session and found nothing.


    This made Schiller suspicious. He was not afraid of the enemy showing his feet, but he was afraid that the enemy wouldpletely hide and not know what conspiracy he was doing. It stands to reason that since the Owl Court has been dispatched, there is no reason to shrink back halfway. He believes that w is definitely not only aimed at him, but at all characters who may have yed a role in this Gotham reform.


    Before Schiller started this n, he was ready for these people to face a wave of assassinations from the Owl Court.


    But now what confuses him is that the Owl Court is gone!


    Not to mention w, even a feather of an owl has not been seen. What happened to this Owl Court? Throw away Gotham and go on a collective vacation?


    The problem of the Owl Court has not beenpletely resolved. Schiller has a hesitant attitude towards the reconstruction of Gotham because he knows that in someic versions, when the Owl Court built buildings in Gotham, it added a metal with mysterious power.


    This metal will cause Gotham City to be darker and crazier. Although Schiller once took samples from some buildings in Gotham City and found nothing special, he could not be sure whether he could identify this mysterious substance.


    But once the major reconstruction of Gotham City begins, it will definitely touch the core interests of the Owl Court and usher in their fierce counterattack. If you don¡¯t make full preparations in advance, these core reformers may suffer heavy losses.


    But other family leaders, including Bruce and Falcone, felt that Schiller had originallye up with a reform n so decisively.


    And it was quite effective, so he was not the kind of person who looked forward and backward.


    But this time, he showed hesitation. Maybe there are some ces they didn¡¯t notice, so the original rapid reconstruction momentum gradually slowed down.


    On the other hand, although Catwoman wants to be a big star, she is really impatient with those courses. Bruce watched her too strictly for fear that she would go out and steal something and offend someone.


    Catwoman was almost suffocated. Finally one day, she caught a gap and sneaked out.


    However, her sneaky actions could not escape the eyes of old butler Alfred. Bruce learned the news for the first time and hurriedly sent someone to find her. Catwoman hadn¡¯t had enough fun and didn¡¯t want to go back with Bruce. She was chased up and down and had to run towards the sewer.

 Chapter 113: Gotham in Progress (2)

    Chapter 113: Gotham in Progress (2)


    The sewer in Gotham City has a long history, and no matter how many times the city has been reformed, it has never been affected. It is the darkest underground kingdom in Gotham. Basically, no Gotham citizen woulde here for leisure. If the sewers in Marvel New York may still have some strange evil scientists and good neighbors, then the Gotham sewers in this period can be said to be dead silent, not even homeless people or beggars would venture down here because they have heard legends of people who disappeared mysteriously in the sewers.


    But Catwoman is talented and daring. She can squeeze into any corner. To avoid Bruce''s sight, she quickly sneaks into the sewer. Catwoman has a natural talent for this. She hasn''t gone far when she discovers signs of someone''s activity near the eastern reservoir. Initially, she was just curious and followed these traces to search continuously, but soon, her discoveries exceeded her expectations. Catwoman finds a huge meeting room in the sewer. Even though she knows it''s risky, she quickly calls Bruce.


    Falcone, Bruce, and Schiller arrive at the scene after receiving the news. The three of them stand in the huge meeting room, with Bruce looking up at the domed ceiling covered with ribbons and saying, "This is not something that gangs or thugs can build." Indeed, the ceiling here is over ten meters high, and the entire meeting room utilizes massive stone support structures. Not to mention the cleverness of the architectural design, just the scale of the project is not something that one or two people can aplish.


    Falcone stands at the front of the huge conference table, appearing somewhat silent. The Godfather''s gaze slides along the table to the end, looking at Schiller who is deep in thought, and he asks, "You don''t seem surprised either." "Neither do you," Schiller says.


    The three of them are somewhat silent, and Bruce finally breaks the deadlock by speaking, "It seems that we have all guessed that there is a mysterious power manipting Gotham in the dark, and this is the evidence." "We have all paid a painful price for this," says Falcone. "I know you haven''t stopped questioning the death of your parents, and I, too..." The Godfather closes his eyes, seemingly lost in thought, and says, "My eldest son died in a simrly mysterious shooting, on a night many years ago, but I chose to remain silent until today."


    "Do you think these people are the culprits?" Bruce taps the table, then looks at Schiller and says, "Professor, you should have no reason to investigate this matter, and on that day when you faced that killer, you called out his name."


    "You better not be so hasty. Why do you think I investigated the serial murder cases worldwide?" Schiller says.


    Bruce frowns and says, "Did you already know the secrets about the existence of this organization?"


    "Not only that, but I also know more, but I cannot reveal it, and even if you knew, it probably wouldn''t change anything," he said."What is it called?" Falcone asked.


    "The Court of Owls, and their assassins are called Talons."


    "That nursery rhyme..." Bruce suddenly remembered. In Gotham City, there had always been a creepy and terrifying nursery rhyme: "Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they''ll send The Talon for your head."


    Falcone fell silent and didn''t press further. Bruce wanted to ask more, but Schiller interrupted him and said, "What we need to think about now is why this organization suddenly withdrew from here? It doesn''t seem like a good sign."


    Schiller was really puzzled. How did the Court of Owls disappear overnight? In so manyic books, he had never seen any Court of Owls slip out of Gotham. Judging from the appearance of this conference room, it seemed like it had just been used not long ago, how did it disappear instantly?


    "They might have just relocated their base?" Bruce mused.


    "Then why did they suddenly need to relocate their base?" Falcone and Bruce both shook their heads. From the perspective of these three people, this behavior was indeed very strange. Nothing major had happened in Gotham recently, so why would this organization be in a hurry to move out?


    Moreover, this meeting room was very secretive. If they had not moved too quickly and left traces, even if all the buildings on the surface of Gotham were rebuilt, this underground base would not be discovered.


    "However, we have all confirmed now that such an organization exists, and Gotham''s development to this day is not idental," Falcone said.


    "We must unite," Schiller said, knocking on the table.


    "No matter what you think, I must warn you that this organization is even more terrifying than you imagine. It''s not just manipting Gotham, but also wants to manipte the whole world. If we can''t muster the power to resist it, Gotham and the entire world will be shrouded in the darkness of the Owl''s wings."


    "I will make them pay," Falcone said. "I have been waiting for this day for too long. Just because I haven''t spoken doesn''t mean I have forgotten. I''m just waiting for them to leave a feather, and today I finally got it."


    "It seems like we all have a score to settle with the Court of Owls," Bruce said, hugging his arms. He couldn''t be 100% sure that his parents'' death was rted to this mysterious organization, but he was sure that if this dark organization was controlling Gotham and turning it into what it is today, they must also be one of the culprits of his parents'' death.


    Bruce stood on one side of the long table, with Falcone and Schiller standing at the two ends. In the meeting room of Dark, only the slowly swayingst words of Falcone were heard: "To avenge them, I am willing to form an alliance with you. But this alliance must be secretive enough. Any member who joins must be approved by other members, and our goal is only one."


    Bruce continued his words: "To break all attempts to manipte Gotham by mysterious forces..."


    "...and bring new order to this city," Schiller said.


    Back on the ground, the three didn''t say anything. There were no written documents for this covenant, not even any clear rules. But all three knew that this secret meeting in the Gotham underworld determined the fate of the city''s future.


    Soon, the trustworthy detective Gordon andwyer Harvey also joined this covenant, and the initial version of the "Gotham Secret Society" was born.


    This is an even more mysterious organization than the Court of Owls. It has no goals or agenda, and no one uses the organization''s identity to make contact. They only maintain their surface social identity, and only produce a little more tacit understanding when doing certain things. The ultimate goal of this organization is only one: if Gotham is born in chaos, then let it always be free and chaotic. Anyone who wants to manipte it will eventually fail. After confirming the movements of the Court of Owls, Schiller abandoned his scruples and began to prepare for the first reconstruction of Gotham, and the first thing he had to do was toe up with a perfect city nning n for Gotham."Of course, Schiller himself doesn''t have knowledge in this area, but it doesn''t matter, he has a very handy cheat code."


    "Stark, use your genius brain toe up with a solution!"


    In theboratory of Stark Tower in Marvel New York, Schiller hands over a box of blueprints to Stark. Stark looks puzzled and says after flipping through two pages, "What is this? City nning maps? Why are you giving this to me?"


    "Now I need a perfect city nning proposal for this City, and you better hurry, I need it urgently."


    Stark looks at the blueprints and then at Schiller, and the two of them stare at each other. Stark says, "Why do you think I can do city nning?"


    "You may not know now, but you can learn. After all, you''re always learning, so why not today?"


    "Even if you can''t learn, J.A.R.V.I.S can. He''s a super artificial intelligence, so nning a city should be a piece of cake, right?"


    Stark opens his mouth, profanities almosting out, but he looks down at the blueprints and says, "You want me to do city nning for such a huge city all by myself?"


    "Well," Schiller says, "there''s actually another super genius like you who hase up with the first version of the n. But, you know, his supeputer doesn''t have enoughputing power, so I had toe to you for some technical support."


    Stark didn''t listen to anything else. He only heard the part "a super genius like you", and he was about to retort, but Schiller threw another set of blueprints at him. Stark stared at them in disbelief.


    "Hold on." Stark lowered his head and flipped through some documents from the box, then startedparing them on the spot. He pulled out more blueprints as he looked and said, "Is this an exam question? This City doesn''t actually exist in the world, it''s just something you made up. What''s the point of this?"


    "The point is to see which one of you two is more genius."


    "I''ll say it again, there is absolutely no one in this world smarter than Stark." Stark pointed a finger and said, "If you think there is, it must be your illusion. I''ll prove it to you now."


    As he spoke, he began to write and draw on the map with a pen. "Alright, I admit he''s a genius. His understanding of the logistics system is unique and it looks perfect..."


    "But it''s definitely not the best. I have a better idea here. Look at this. The problem lies in this central roundabout. You must think that this roundabout is very important...


    Once ites to this issue, Stark bes very serious and extremely organized. He says, "I admit that the guy you''re talking about is strong. He doesn''t even seem to rely onputer tools and his manual calctions have almost reached the human limit.


    But hecks a bit of creativity. Like I said, his vision is a bit outdated. The city doesn''t necessarily have to be t, it can also be three-dimensional.


    A three-dimensional city, that''s right, a three-dimensional city. I know this concept has been proposed for many years, and no city has sessfully implemented it. But suppose, I mean suppose, the city you gave me really exists in this world, then a three-dimensional city would be the perfect solution!"


    Stark''s tone is quite decisive. He says, "Look at the structure of this city... look here! This is the prototype. What''s it called? Living Hell? How can someone name a block like this?


    Never mind, that''s not important. What''s important is that this spontaneously formed ecosystem is almost close to the concept of a three-dimensional city. This is actually part of the standard answer, and this model is very suitable for the current situation of the city, especially considering there is also a harbor. Look at this person''s n, he uses the central roundabout as the main hub, and the idea is not wrong, but as I said, hecks creativity.


    The central roundabout can bepletely spherical, not circr.


    Let''s move our vision away from the 2D ne, which is already outdated and too rigid. Now, Stark is here to tell you what a real genius is..."

 Chapter 114: Gotham in Progress (3)

    Chapter 114: Gotham in Progress (3)


    Apanied by Stark''s narration, a model of a future City gradually emerged in Schiller''s mind. Just as Stark said, it is indeed suitable for Gotham. The main problem with Gotham now is that no matter how much the logistics system is improved, it will always be in a highly saturated state, which means there is no redundancy for unexpected situations. In the future, with unexpected incidents urring frequently on the grand stage of Gotham, various viins taking turns to appear, natural disasters and man-made cmities following one after another, if there is an ident, the entire City will be paralyzed for half a day. It''s better not to develop at all, as everyone will be exhausted from constant repairs.


    But now, Stark unprecedentedly proposed a concept of a three-dimensional City, or more precisely, a brand new honeb City, where each honeb is an independent structure with its own independent ecosystem, just like a living hell. To achieve this, it is not enough to build one building after another on a t ne. Space cannot be fully utilized, so it is necessary to create three-dimensional road structures that can not only be close to the ground but also run through the City. Parking lots and parks can also be constructed in mid-air, and apartments and residences can be stacked in a three-dimensional manner.


    In fact, this concept has been proposed by others long ago, but just as Stark said, Gotham is simply a perfect experimental ce, because here, due to some historical development reasons, many areas of Gotham have spontaneously formed this pattern, just like the living hell. Indeed, the living hell is a slum, extremely dirty and chaotic, but that does not mean it is not part of the three-dimensional city. The living hell has initially achieved what Stark said, with independent regions, extremely high space utilization rate, and independent city ecosystems, which are the most critical characteristics. This also means that as long as the issues of water supply, power supply, and living environment inside are solved, a small piece of honeb is alreadypleted.


    The same goes for other areas of Gotham. As long as they are transformed piece by piece, one honeb after another will bepleted directly. Then, bybining these honebs and using a transportation system that connects the entire City, Gotham City can be a true three-dimensional City. This is the unique advantage of Gotham, and other cities would almost have to rebuild the entire City to achieve this structure. The version of the development n presented by Bruce is already very advanced. In Bruce''s version, he designed a modern City with almost perfect City ecosystems and logistics systems. The only problem is that to achieve this result, it is equivalent topletely rebuilding Gotham. The manpower, resources, and various costs required are astronomical figures, and even Wayne Enterprises would have difficulty coping with the reconstruction of such arge City.


    Moreover, rebuilding would result in arge number of people needing to be resettled, which is also a headache for Bruce and Falcone.


    You can''t just say, let everyone live in tents on the road if you want to demolish the houses. And in order to relocate these people, new houses will have to be built, which will double all construction and time costs. Therefore, they feel that this n can only be ast resort and hope that Schiller can give a better suggestion. Stark is indeed a genius who is cursed with knowledge, or maybe it''s not a knowledge problem, butpared to Batman, he is more imaginative and has a more creative 3D city. Even in this Marvel age, no city has sessfully implemented it, perhaps there are some cities that naturally possess this attribute due to terrain conditions, but they are notpletely realized, and maybe only a small part of the area has taken shape.


    However, if this n is applied to Gotham, it can indeed achieve a low reconstruction cost, short investment time, and leave a lot of traffic redundancy. Enthusiastic Stark used J.A.R.V.I.S''sputing power toe up with a detailed n, which was then divided into three versions. He proudly crossed his arms and said, "Now who is the most powerful person in the world?"


    "Indeed." Bruce gave an answer after seeing this n, "Your friend is indeed a genius."


    Although he didn''t understand why the symbiote in his mind made a series of frightened grunts after seeing the handwriting above, and then hid away, Bruce was still very satisfied with it."Is he interested in developing in Gotham? Wayne Enterprises will give him a very good reward." Bruce asked.


    "It''s probably difficult. He doesn''t actually need money, and he''s too self-important to work for anyone." "Themon problem with geniuses," Bruce said, but he didn''t think there was anything wrong with it. There are many geniuses in this world, and it''s impossible for them all to work for him. Moreover, with Gotham''s reputation, those whockmon sense won''te.


    After the building nning experts who were hired at a high price to look at this nning book saw it, everyone was amazed. In this era, without the help ofputers, general city nning ns do not provide too many details, and most of them are confirmed after specific construction. However, because Stark had a super AI J.A.R.V.I.S. helping with calctions, the n he came up with can basically be said to be more detailed than the Lego assembly manual, almost precise to the height of each wall, the load-bearing range of each column, the instation method of each wire, etc.


    In other words, if you take these materials and build step by step, you will easily get a brand new Gotham city, just like assembling building blocks. And because the changes are rtively small, mostly additions, there is no need forrge-scale personnel relocation and resettlement, at most small-scale relocation during the repair of the original building, which ispletely within the eptance range of Falcone and Wayne Enterprises.


    Schiller suggested to them that Rome was not built in a day, and there was no need to start with the most difficult part. Instead, they could find the easiest ce to start the renovation. If any mistakes urred, it wouldn''t make things worse. That ce turned out to be Living Hell, and the living environment there was simply indescribable. Both Bruce and Falcone had been there and agreed with Schiller''s point of view. Even if they made changes, it wouldn''t make the ce worse.


    Thus, the first phase of Gotham City''s renovation n wasunched as a pilot project in Living Hell. The "Four Body Armor, One Hundred Reclining Property" gang and the Wayne Group, as well as the Gang leader of all of Gotham, were unable to resist. They heard there would bepensation money, and they had already nned to take the money and move out, never to return.


    However, the renovation was not a massive demolition and reconstruction, but more like repairing and fixing up. First, a construction teamposed of Gang families hired arge number of people to clean inside and out. Originally, Living Hell had no garbage disposal facilities, and most of the garbage was thrown out the windows, leading to a huge garbage dump. It took thousands of people and several days just to clean it up.


    Next, the water engineering team entered and began aprehensive transformation of the water pipes here. ording to Stark''s design, the three-dimensional City''s living water facilities not only included full ess to tap water but also included sr water heaters and water purification devices. Schiller skipped the water heaters; Gothamites didn''t care that much. It was only 1987, and couldn''t they just heat the water themselves? However, water purification devices were necessary, and that''s where Bruce came in. He set up an area water purification pump buried underground in each honeb city module to purify and filter the area''s circting water and facilitate the discharge of boiled water into the ocean.


    Batman''s intervention was naturally extraordinary. The power of this water purification device was already sufficient to meet the needs of circting domestic water use, and it was also environmentally friendly. Next, the water pipes wereid, connected to the tap water, and almost all of the 2,800 water points in Living Hell had ess to water. They no longer needed to use public wells or water pumps.


    Next was the entry of the power system, which Bruce personally designed. Gotham City''s electricity was abundant, but the utilization rate was not high. All the wires and antennas that people in Living Hell randomly pulled were removed. Stark had already used J.A.R.V.I.S to calcte the best wiring design, and Batman even appeared for further localization of the n. After the wiring waspleted, there was no longer a single visible wire in the entire city, but the electricity utilization rate was extremely high, and there was electricity 24/7. Afterwards, there are issues with gas and heating, and the solutions are basically the same.


    In addition, the internal passages of Living Hell have been refined, and the original dozens of narrow corridors have been widened and connected in series with the buildings, so that all the corridor rooms are connected together with the shortest routes without changing the main structure of the buildings.


    Based on Stark''s design, Bruce also separately designed a type of elevator for Living Hell, which has a grid-likeyout, and the transport warehouse can be transported from the residential corridors through the elevator channels to the nearest living areas.


    In addition, the entire area has been equipped with essential environmental facilities for a three-dimensional city, such as a police station substation, emergency hospital, rooftop park, eco-forest on the top of buildings, sports facilities in alleys, rooftop football field, etc.


    Due to the joint efforts of several major powers in Gotham, the manpower and resources used are far beyond the demand, and the efficiency is extremely high, and the speed is very fast. Most importantly, under the threat of force, there is no need to consider the residents'' wishes, and no resident hase out to express different opinions or oppose the transformation. With the full effort of the entire city, Living Hell is quickly transformed into aplete modr hive.


    The final step is the exterior renovation, including the instation of over 6,000mps with sufficient lighting power, reinstation of instionyer on the exterior walls, design of anti-theft measures for windows, instation of balconies, and beautification of the external facade of the buildings.


    Inside the buildings, all the corridors are renovated, the unreasonableyouts are modified, and the storefronts in the living areas are all rebuilt into modern stores.


    In addition, fire-fighting equipment, including reserved fire-fighting passages, fire-fighting equipment cement, and instation of fire sprinklers, is also installed. Thest step is the beautification of green spaces. Although there are no green spaces on the ground in the entire Living Hell area, including rooftop greening, alley greening, balcony greening, etc., the green coverage area barely meets the standards. As a result, when the former residents of Living Hell move back, they will find that they are living in a familiar yetpletely different ce. It is a modern and even futuristic three-dimensional hive city, dense but not crowded, interconnected but not chaotic, seeminglycking in some aspects but actually well-equipped, as if everything appears in its proper ce, yet very convenient.


    More importantly, in addition to practical functionality, the aesthetics have reached their peak.


    A forest of steel rises from the ground, with metal handrails turning into branches and numerous lights bing leaves. Amidst the dancing light dots, the vitality that grows in the cold steel framework perfectly matches this crazy city. Peoplee and go, light and shadow intertwine, warmth and cold stack, making the city even more immense, and humans appear even smaller.


    Now, Coca-C was in 1987, during an era when most cities were still characterized by high-rise buildings and highways. A cyber-style city like this would have been cutting-edge even in the 21st century, let alone now where it is truly breathtaking.


    Moreover, the purpose of building this modr city was not only to improve the living quality of its citizens, but also, and more importantly, to increase the transportation capacity of the area. Two overpasses intersect through the center of this city, which triples the road capacity of the entire street. Many truck drivers no longer use the adjacent streets but instead take the overpasses, allowing for an instantaneous rise in the transportation capabilities of this area. Furthermore, in case of any idents on the road, there are signs at the entrance indicating alternative routes for drivers to take, providing a considerable redundancy for logistics transportation.

 Chapter 115: The stars are shining tonight

    Chapter 115: The stars are shining tonight


    The morning sunlight in New York was bright, with traffic flowing on the road and the sunlight illuminating the floor-to-ceiling windows of Stark Tower. Schiller took a sip of his steaming hot coffee.


    On theb table across from him, Stark was organizing materials. After a while, he pulled out a piece of paper from the pile of materials, shook it, and said, "Well, I have to admit, this friend of yours has some skills. Is he interested in working at Stark Industries? I''ll offer him a satisfying sry."


    "That might be difficult, and he''s still in college," replied Schiller.


    "What does it matter? Peter is still in high school, right? By the way, which college is he attending? Harvard? MIT? It couldn''t be Princeton, right?" asked Stark.


    "That''s not important. What''s important is whether this technology will be useful to you," said Schiller.


    Stark held up one of the design diagrams and said, "Liquid nanotechnology is indeed a good idea, but it is mostly constrained by materials science. Our basic materials have not yet reached that level of development. The gel you gave me is peculiar and feels familiar."


    "You don''t need to know the principle, just know that it works," replied Schiller.


    "But I need to study the principle," said Stark. "You can''t just give me a strange material out of thin air and expect me to use it blindly."


    "This is a bit troublesome, you know, we''re not charity workers, everyone needs to make a living," said Schiller.Stark raised his hands and said, "Okay, okay, I know. Let him name his price. You don''t have to beat around the bush with me, just give me a direct quote."


    Schiller put down his coffee cup, turned his chair towards Stark, and said, "The problem is, he doesn''t want money. He''s very wealthy."


    "Well, what does he want then?" asked Stark.


    "He needs a certain technology. Of course, don''t misunderstand, it''s not your Mech armor technology. He needs a satellite navigation technology that can be poprized for civilian use, and more importantly, civilianmunication equipment that can support this technology," exined Schiller.


    Stark put one hand on his waist and leaned the other hand on theb table, looking puzzled. "Civilianmunication equipment? That''s a bit strange. From what I can see... well, I admit he''s a genius, but with his level of ability, he should be able to achieve civilian use. Is it difficult to make a portable GPS?"


    "He''s asking for more features, including a user-friendly disy system, input-output system, interactive interface,munication capabilities, and some leisure and entertainment functions," replied Schiller.


    "Isn''t that just a mobile phone?" Stark took out his own mobile phone, which was still one of the old keypad phones.


    "He wants something even better than that. Unleash your genius creativity, exhaust your imagination, and envision the pinnacle of what a mobile device can achieve."


    "What does he need this thing for? Isn''t a mobile phone just enough for making calls and maybe installing a navigation system? As for games and entertainment, can''t you use aputer instead?"


    "Just tell me whether you can do it or not," Schiller replied.


    Stark opened his mouth to speak but then paused before saying, "Of course I can do it. What can possibly stump the genius Stark?" He snapped his fingers and added, "Give me a detailed list of product requirements and I''lle up with a n for you. Then you''ll give me all the materials for the liquid encapstion and raw materials."


    "Deal."


    Two minutester, Stark watched as Schiller continued to write furiously in his notebook. Stark started to feel uneasy but kept up his confident facade. He craned his neck to try to see what Schiller was writing. How hard could it be to list the requirements for a mobile phone? Why was Schiller taking so long?


    After a while, Stark couldn''t resist and tapped the table with his finger. "You''re not trying to make me invent a spaceship, are you? What mobile phone features could take you 20 minutes to write down?"


    "No, no, no. This is only a small part..." Schiller put down his pen and handed the pages to Stark. After reading them, Stark looked confused and said, "A tablet mobile phone, full-screen disy, octa-core processor, portable charging, open-source system, U1 interactive interface...Are you sure this is a mobile phone? This is more like a miniputer."


    "Now is the time to test your genius. You need to condense almost all the functions of aputer into a handheld mobile phone and make sure that it runs perfectly while also being smooth and aesthetically pleasing."


    "This is quite a tall order. I don''t think the materials you gave me can fullypensate for this. You''ll have to give me some solid resources," Stark said, rubbing his forehead.


    "Don''t try to inte the price. I know that you justck some inspiration. With your technical abilities, doing this is no problem at all."


    "Can''t you just hire him to work at Stark Industries? I''m even willing to share myboratory with him. We can develop these things together..."


    Stark paused for a moment before speaking hesitantly. "Alright, I''ll tell you, but please don''t tell anyone else. Your friend has the ability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great Stark."


    "Of course, he''s always going to be a little better than me, but only by a little bit. I think we could be good friends, especially in the field of research where we can have a lot to talk about. So, can''t I meet him?" Stark''s tone was urgent, and Schiller understood his desperation. If Stark had to find a best friend who was his equal in intelligence and strategic thinking, who could rival him in games of strategy, who would that person be other than Batman?


    Although Schiller could transport living organisms between the two worlds, the risk was too high, especially with two protagonists involved. So he reluctantly crossed between the two worlds to carry out some under-the-table dealings.


    Although there was a time difference between Gotham and New York, with DC still in the 1980s and New York already in the 21st century, Batman and Iron Manplemented each other in certain aspects. Batman was a master of all trades, from single soldier equipment to base construction and strategic nning. Meanwhile, Stark had achieved unprecedented heights in mechanics, and any invention rted to machinery was no problem for him.


    Bruce was results-oriented, and once he set his sights on a goal, his research and development speed skyrocketed. Hispletion rate was no less than 200%, like when Schiller brought Stark the liquid symbiote technology he had developed from studying Venom. He extracted a gel-like substance from Venom''s body that could be controlled by bioelectricity, and the entire development process took less than a month.


    Stark''s advantage was his boundless creativity and his ability to solve problems with advanced methods. Combined with his advantage of being in a more advanced era, he could bring more cutting-edge methods and technologies.


    So what was left to say? It was time to start!


    After Schiller denied him once again, Stark felt disappointed. He really needed a partner with whom he could sharemon interests. Obadiah was still unconscious, Peter was too young and had already passed away, and although Pepper could provide emotionalfort, she knew nothing about scientific research. Although Schiller could provide him with life advice, he could only change light bulbs. Stark finally found someone with whom he might sharemon interests and knowledge, but the other person unterally rejectedmunication, which was why he felt so disappointed.


    If given the chance, Schiller would not mind building a bridge ofmunication between Bruce and Stark. However, the biggest problem was the difference in the flow of time between the two worlds, so even remotemunication was impossible.


    However, soon Stark regained his vitality because Schiller assured him that this coboration would be longsting, and both parties could fully engage in long-term technological exchange.


    Being able to continuously see the research achievements of another genius filled Stark with enthusiasm for research and development. He said, "Just wait and see. Although I admit that the other side is also strong, they will never be as genius as Stark. I will prove it to you."


    After finishing speaking, he shook the paper written by Schiller in his hand and said, "Let''s start with this. Now you just need to go back and tell him that he had bettere up with more genius results, otherwise I will definitely surprise him and make him feel ashamed."


    Unfortunately, Schiller thought that Batman''s character was different from Iron Man''s, and he wouldn''t fall for such provocation. If Schiller told Batman that "someone is more genius than you," Batman would probably just nod in agreement, and not jump up like Stark, immediately trying to prove himself stronger.


    If both sides had the personality of Stark, Schiller would be thrilled. He could pass messages between the two sides, provoking one side after another, directlyunching a DC vs Marvel arms race.


    Two super geniuses started topete with each other, until they raised the technological level of the whole world to a point where Thanos would be heartbroken and Darkseid would shed tears.


    Based on the upper limits of these two characters, this is not impossible to achieve.


    Soon, in the research institute of Gotham University, Victor held a stack of materials and said, ".... His use of energy is very interesting. I think he has given me some inspiration. This way of energy transformation can also be applied to weapons."


    Victor turned his pen and said to Schiller, "Wait a moment, I''ll get you a design drawing. Where is it? Oh, here it is... I was actually nning to develop a freeze gun, but I''ve been too busy recently and haven''t had a chance to start the project."


    "Take a look at this. I call it the Freeze Gun. What do you think? It can freeze people into ice blocks, but it maintains the vitality of the opponent''s body, which can be used to subdue opponents without harming them. I think it would be great in somew enforcement and civilian fields."


    "This was originally intended for medical applications. It''s an extension of my cryogenic chamber technology."


    "The reason why I turned it into a weapon is also because I consider that the lethality of current weapons is too high. I''m a pacifist, you know. If there is such a weapon that canpletely subdue opponents without harming them, then the possibility of subduing enemies in war is much greater than the possibility of killing enemies."


    On the other side, Stark, who was looking at the materials on cryogenic technology, said, "Interesting. Is this another one of your friends?""His low-temperature technology is indeed very advanced, but I think it should be applied in the ecological field, such as arge-scale weather modification device, which can also solve environmental problems such as cier melting."


    "Of course, this technology needs to be handled with caution, as it has a great destructive power."


    "A freezing gun? His idea is not bad, but the design is too poor. The efficiency is too low. It can only shoot one round at a time, and it can run out of power. J.A.R.V.I.S, help me analyze how to use this freezing energy more efficiently and make a sampleter..."


    After returning to Gotham, Victor looked at Stark''s drawings and said, "These weapons look good. Does your friend know medical technology? I still have several difficulties to ovee in this regard."


    "For example, how to make the human body''s immune system and self-healing ability work in a low-temperature state, where cell activity is reduced."


    Schiller snapped his fingers and said, "I have a friend who is very skilled in this area, especially in self-healing abilities."


    "That''s great," Victor seemed very happy. He said, "Although I know that relying on the body''s self-healing ability cannotpletely solve the problem of nerve degeneration, once the self-healing ability and immune system are restored, the patient''s physical condition will be better when receiving subsequent treatment."


    He paced back and forth excitedly in the room and then said, "I need this technology, and I can exchange it with more low-temperature technology. I also have been considering thatrge-scale weather modification device you mentioned..."


    The camera then switched back to the Stark Tower Laboratory, where Connors was looking at some materials and said, "I have to say, this material is very timely. It solves a big problem for me."


    "The problem with lizard serum is that the activity is too high, which causes people to show lizard characteristics beyond self-healing abilities and turn into a destructive monster."


    "Perhaps using low-temperature technology can keep the serum activity within a justifiable range, showing both self-healing abilities and not being overly active..."


    Connors picked up an injection syringe, and Peter helped him. After thinking for a moment, Connors said, "We still need Stark''s technology. We need to create a special freezing chamber to store the serum, or... I have an idea! We still need to start with cell activity!"


    Connors was very excited. He said, "High activity self-healing ability and low-temperature storage technology are a perfect match!"


    "We canpletely screen cells with different activities through low-temperature technology, and even achieve..."


    "Oh! The medicine you gave mest time that stimtes brain activity can also be used. We can eliminate the negative effects through low-temperature technology... let me think, let me think."


    "That group of military personnel will never think clearly about this issue! They only want stronger medication, and they don''t understand that sometimes one must retreat in order to advance..." Connor waved his arm, making some gestures as he spoke: "If this technology can really make a breakthrough, I am confident that I will get a Nobel Prize nomination this year. A great invention that will improve the lives of all disabled people is on the road."


    Schiller apuded him, and he might soon have two Nobel Prize-winning friends, although they were in different worlds.


    "Thebination of low-temperature technology and self-healing technology may produce even greater miracles," Connor spected as he rubbed his chin. "We may have touched the threshold of immortality, with low-temperature technology preserving the original appearance and self-healing technology possibly reversing aging and enhancing cell activity."


    Soon, he began to write and draw on Materials, clearly inspired. Peter also looked at the Materials and said thoughtfully, "Actually, I have considered this before, Doctor. Do you remember the incident when Pikachu broke the refrigeratorst time?"


    "I think our current refrigerators are already good, but there are also some shorings, such as the temperature control system being too fragile and emissions not being environmentally friendly, etc."


    "If these low-temperature technologies can be applied in civilian areas, yes, I have seen it, I think this technology used for preservation may be more advanced than the principle used by current refrigerators. I always believe that a broader market lies in civilian use."


    Peter also began to write while speaking, saying, "I saw a very advanced refrigerator at Mr. Stark''s before, but ording to J.A.R.V.I.S, it was very expensive. But I think if this technology can be used, the cost should be greatly reduced, and it is definitely suitable forrge-scale refrigeration devices. And, this technology is superior in stability, perhaps it is also good to install it on a car..."


    Not long after, Roy opened the door of the Gotham University office with excitement, shook Victor''s hand gratefully, and said, "Thatrge refrigeration device is really amazing. It can not only be applied to warehouses, but also installed on trucks and even small vehicles, and it does not consume much energy..."


    "...Transportationpanies all over the East Coast are fighting for it. All the factories in Gotham City that have the ability to assemble it are working at full capacity, but the production capacity is still insufficient. Now even the West Coast has heard about it, and I think our financial reports will soon show a favorable trend again!"


    In the Stark Tower Laboratory, Yinsen said to Schiller, "I did my best, but the new elevator and scaffold that you wanted are a bit unbelievable. I don''t understand why these things need to have bulletproof functionality. Who would work as a porter in the center of a battlefield?"


    He plugged the USB drive into theputer and showed it to Schiller, saying, "I have strengthened all the important joint parts with materials, but as you know, the final result depends on material strength. The vibranium in the Starkboratory is not enough, so I can only make a rtively small model. You can show it to your friend, and if he has the money to purchase vibranium on arge scale, then I think there should be no problem with strength..."


    Schiller looked at the model he was carrying, and to be honest, from the surface, he couldn''t tell much about it. So he said, "Can I borrow this model for a moment? I may need to bring it to the professionals for analysis."


    Yinsen said, "No problem at all. I don''t n to use it for bidding anyway. No one would spend so much money to make this kind of tool so durable. What''s the point? Just rece it if it breaks."


    It was difficult for Schiller to exin to Yinsen how Gotham had consumed tens of thousands of elevators and scaffolds in just one week. The people in this city were too simple-minded, to the point that everything ced on the streets would be consumables.


    The model Schiller brought back was unanimously approved, but Roy raised other questions, "The high-power traffic lights in the city center are good, but it seems that they cannot be mass-produced and consume a lot of electricity. Do you have any good ideas?"


    Yinsen quickly took out a USB drive and said, "I don''t understand, are you nning tomand traffic in the center of the battlefield? And more absurdly, as a traffic light, is the power you''re requesting a bit too big?"


    "Well, let me remind you, when this thing lights up, it can illuminate at least seven or eight streets, and the residents there won''t be able to sleep."


    "That''s exactly the effect I want." Schiller was very satisfied, and he said, "Do you have a model? Can you show me one?"


    "I don''t have a model, but I can show you the real thing."


    Yinsen walked out, and after a while, he pushed a small cart over. On the cart, there was a light bulb with a diameter of nearly three meters.


    Peter came over in surprise and said, "Is this the bulb for the traffic light? Who is it for? Giants?"


    Yinsen tinkered with the wires behind and said, "Cover your eyes! I''m going to turn it on!"


    As soon as the power was turned on, a huge green light suddenly lit up on one side of the wall of Stark Tower.


    The next day, Pepper angrily threw a newspaper magazine in front of Stark. It was the New York Global Times, and the front page headline read:


    "Last night, a strange green light was emitted from the top floor of Stark Tower. Is this inhuman warmonger and mad scientist conducting some inhumane radiation experiment again?" (XD)


    But the effect of this traffic light was indeed outstanding.


    One night in Gotham, Catwoman returned home, humming a song, took a shower, and then admired her beautiful gems. Just as she was about to go to bed, she saw a strange red light shining outside the window.


    In an instant, countless horror stories shed through Catwoman''s mind, and she screamed in fright, lit a cigarette and ran to the bed, hiding under the covers. Then she saw through the gap in the curtains that the red light outside the window turned green, and then red again. Catwoman was trembling with fear and couldn''t sleep all night. The next day, when she saw Bruce and learned that it was the newly installed traffic lights throughout the city, Bruce almost got scratched by the furious Catwoman. (XD)


    Later that afternoon in New York, Peter appeared at Matt''s hideout. Daredevil weed him warmly, and Peter said, "Um, Mr. Matt, actually, there''s something I''d like to ask you for help with.""What''s the matter? Just tell me."


    "It''s... I need some detailed materials on the industryyout of King Pin, like his whereabouts and such."


    "Oh," Matt looked at Peter in surprise and said, "Looks like you''ve made progress, knowing to gather intelligence first. Alright, I''ll only help you this time. From now on, you have to learn to gather intelligence on your own."


    Peter made a strange expression, while Matt searched for the materials and said, "I''ve been fighting with him for many years, there is no industry that can escape my eyes, especially the East Coast, you know, New York, Miami, Chicago, these three cities are the main focus."


    "Yes, that''s right. I want those three cities."


    "Don''t be too greedy, kid. You better focus on one city, or even just one block in a city."


    Peter looked helpless and said, "Can you give me all three cities, even if I don''t use them, I can keep them safe."


    Soon, these materials were ced on Falcone''s and all the gang bosses'' desks. Falcone was also surprised and said, "How did youe up with such a detailed industry n? Professor Rodriguez?"


    "It''s as if someone has already put it into practice."


    "And this n seems reasonable. I think we can persuade those people in Miami with this," Roy said.


    [ShaneFreak: They are using King Pin''s model in DC!]


    Of course, it''s reasonable, Schiller thought. It took King Pin several years to experiment with blood and life to develop it. If it wasn''t reasonable, his East Coast criminal empire would have copsed long ago.


    Afterpleting the cooperation in Gotham City and Chicago, Imperial City also joined in. Miami, of course, couldn''t sit still. However,pared to the other cities, Miami''s foundation was not strong enough, and its style was more conservative. Roy needed a more detailed n to persuade them.


    Schiller wouldn''t just make up a n out of thin air. He had already figured out who to reference - King Pin.


    King Pin was indeed a bad guy, but you also had to admit that he was a criminal genius. He could create a criminal industry chain from scratch, radiating from the East Coast to the whole country. This criminal empire had stood tall for many years, even with various superheroes harassing him one after another. He was still the underground king of the East Coast.


    So what else was there to say? Just copy it!


    And Schiller could copy the homework without even notifying the original owner. Because King Pin''s arch-nemesis, Daredevil Matt, had already studied King Pin inside and out, and he might even have more detailed industry distribution materials than King Pin himself.


    The excuse for borrowing homework from Matt was also very reasonable. Spider-Man had just debuted, and he had already offended King Pin. He had only one way to go, which was to go all-in. However, it was normal for Peter to not know how to collect intelligence, as he was just starting out. Matt, as Spider-Man''s mentor, would definitely be happy to help him.

 Chapter 116: Spiders and Bats (1)

    Chapter 116: Spiders and Bats (1)


    In a small alley in Queens, New York, Peter is hiding behind a dumpster with Pikachu perched on his shoulder, poking its small head out to look outside. Peter says, "Are you sure the monsters you mentioned are here?"


    "Of course, I''ve been following them for several days, and this is one of their small hideouts."


    "Well, what''s your n now?"


    "I have to take them down. Besides this small hideout, there are tworger hideouts on the next two streets over."


    Pikachu jumps onto the dumpster and stares at Peter with big eyes, saying, "Are you sure you can handle them? If there are really seven or eight of them as you said, you won''t have the upper hand."


    "I''m not sure, but I have to do this." Peter shrugs, squinting his eyes behind his Spider-Man mask with the two white eyes, and continues, "I learned from Gwen that the New York police station is hunting down these monsters, and many officers have been injured. Bullets and tear gas don''t work on them."


    "They sound like quite formidable enemies, but I have to deal with them on my own. Since I became Spider-Man, I haven''t faced any decent opponents alone."


    "Don''t you n to tell your friends? Aren''t you afraid of encountering dangers and troubles that you can''t handle?"


    "No, this time I''m doing it alone." Peter says firmly, "I am Spider-Man, not anyone''s sidekick. If I can''t do it without relying on others, what kind of hero am I?"Then Peter reaches out and rubs Pikachu''s head, saying, "You also have to keep this a secret for me."


    Pikachu shakes its head, waves its tail, and says, "Don''t worry, Detective Pikachu''s mouth is sealed. We''re good buddies, I will keep it a secret for you."


    The next morning, Pikachu is holding a sandwich that is oversizedpared to its own size, enjoying it with gusto. Schiller spreads jam on a slice of bread and asks, "So what are these monsters? Did you see them?"


    "No, but I heard from Peter that they seem to be drinking human blood. That''s why the police are chasing after them, but it doesn''t seem to be going well."


    "Drinking blood? Vampires?" Schiller tried to remember the introduction of vampires in Marvelics and found that he couldn''t remember much. Vampires in Marvel''s Earth seemed to have no special features, just like most vampires in legends, they were afraid of silverware, garlic, holy water, and crosses.


    "Do you think it''s something Peter can handle?" Pikachu swallowed his sandwich and said, "With Spider-Man''s fists and Detective Pikachu''s brain, what enemy can we not handle?"


    "Although that''s true, I think Peter hasn''t fully grown up yet, and he may need some help."


    "Help? Are you really that kind?" Pikachu stared at Schiller with round eyes, and Schiller smiled. Pikachu shivered. He knew that whenever Schiller showed this kind of smile, someone was in trouble.


    At this time, Steve, who had just finished his morning run, pushed the door open on time and said, "Morning. I should apply for breakfast reimbursement from SHIELD. After all, I eat breakfast here every day." Schiller didn''t mind and pointed to the chair next to him for Steve to sit down. After all, the western-style breakfast was all self-service, and Steve couldn''t eat much.


    Unexpectedly, Coulson in a suit also came in. He seemed to be in a hurry and said, "There''s been some trouble in the Queens area recently, Captain. I have to work overtime. I arranged for another agent to take care of your daily life, and he''lle to take over in the afternoon."


    "Don''t worry, I''m not a baby. Can''t I take care of myself?" Steve took a bite of his sandwich and asked a little unclearly, "What''s going on in Queens? I see the agents have been busytely. Are you guys dealing with someone?"


    Coulson sneered. He obviously knew something but didn''t want to say it. Schiller said, "Recently, our good neighbor Spider-Man also likes to go there. He seems to have targeted a group of monsters and is still investigating. He seems to n toplete this mission alone."


    After Coulson walked out the door, he picked up the walkie-talkie at his waist and said, "Director, good news. Spider-Man ns to take on all of the vampires in New York City by himself and already has a solid battle n."


    "Yes, I know. Of course, there will be their shadow behind this. If it weren''t for Spider-Man''s friends, how could he dare to do such a big thing alone?"


    "Indeed, especially since the Hand is also causing trouble recently, and we don''t have enough manpower. I will now recall the two teams in Queens. After all, with Stark and Captain''s help, even if it''s just behind the scenes, those vampires will be taught a lesson."


    That night, Spider-Man held Pikachu and used a spider web to stick to the wall. He quickly swung over, throwing two garbage bags in the process. Behind him were a group of huge bats, their eyes emitting red light, theirrge fangs exposed, and asionally making sharp screams, which looked extremely terrifying. Spider-Man shouted while running, "You flying rats up there! Can you catch up with me? Thene and try!"


    After saying that, he elerated and jumped onto a high wall. The group of bats howled past him from behind. Behind the wall was a garbage dump, and a huge garbage truck was parked there. Peter was agile, taking three steps and running behind the car. The garbage piles were scattered and uneven, making it inconvenient for bats to fly. The bats transformed into human form, with pale faces, red eyes, and sharp ws in their hands.


    Peter and Pikachu crouched on the side of the garbage truck. Pikachu said, "Listen, you really have to watch the timingter. If they catch up with us, we can''t fight four hands with two fists."


    "Don''t worry, I have never felt my brain so clear." Spider-Man said, "Dr. Connors is right. People should use their brains more. That''s how you be smarter."


    "Do you feel smarter?"


    "Of course, my thinking is very clear now. Later, you go to the cab of the garbage truck, and I will lead them over. Then, I will lead them in a circle and wait for them to get close to the back of the car."


    Soon, the group of vampires saw Peter standing on top of the garbage truck, waving at them while mocking, "Hey! You flying stinky rats! You''re far worse than the mice friends I know. Do you want me to get you some peanut butter to eat?"


    There were about a dozen vampires in the group. They were not originally from New York, but had recently been transferred here. They found the defense herex, with not even vampire hunters around. So, they had been feasting freely, even draining two young policemen.


    The strange figure in tight-fitting clothes in front of them dared to mock the noble vampire n, and the leading vampire transformed into a bat in an instant, swooping towards him.


    The vampire transformed into a bat had a wingspan of about two meters, and its imposing momentum was astonishing as it swooped down from the sky. However, Peter showed no fear. He rolled agilely to the side, jumped off the garbage truck, and followed the few vampires that flew overhead without hesitation. He pounced near the garbage truck, taking advantage of their speed. When the bats swooped from the left, Peter rolled around to the front of the car. When they swooped from the right, Peter led them to the back.


    Sure enough, after a few rounds, these bats couldn''t hold back any longer. They split into two groups, trying to encircle Spider-Man. But this fell right into Peter''s n. A few bats circled from the left, while a few others circled from the right. Peter quickly rolled to the back of the car, and the bats gathered behind him shouted, "Pikachu! Attack!"


    After shouting this, Peter shot a spider web onto the garbage mountain, jumped away quickly. Before the bats could react, the rear p of the garbage truck opened, and the garbage, as tall as a small hill, buried everyone in an instant. Although these bats wererge, there was even more garbage, and they didn''t have strong limbs to break free. They were buried alive as the garbage copsed.


    Peter made another mid-air leap andnded on the hood of the car. He high-fived Pikachu, who had jumped out of the driver''s seat, and said, "They were probably just small fries. Gwen told me that these monsters should be able to use magic."


    Before Peter could pull the vampires out of the garbage mountain and beat them up, the sirens of police cars rang outside thendfill. Obviously, the police were also keeping an eye on that hideout, and they had caught up by now.


    Peter jumped onto the hood of the car and nced at Pikachu. "We need to go. Now''s not a good time to deal with the police, after all, your outfit isn''t much better than those monsters."


    "I am doing a good deed!" Peter said, but he hesitated for a moment, and still followed Pikachu''s n, using Spider Web to stick to the nearby building and quickly leave.


    In mid-air, Peter said excitedly, "I don''t know why, but I feel that today''s operation is particrly smooth."


    "Did you see it? When they wanted to surround me earlier, in the past, I might have charged up and knocked down one side first, which might have really trapped me in the encirclement, but today is different. Did you see my handsome roll? I gathered them all together in one go."


    "Today you seem to be a little different. In the past, you really loved to swing your fists. Today, you actually defeated the enemy with your brain. It has to be said that this is a big improvement, congrattions."


    Peter swung to the rooftop of a building, put Pikachu down, and sat on the edge of the rooftop. He was very happy and said, "Now I realize that what my friends said is right. Only bybining intelligence and strength can we better defeat them. Using our brains is not inferior."


    "And don''t forget one thing that Detective Pikachu taught you."


    "What?"


    "Really? ''It''s about investigation and preparation. If you hadn''t been staking them out for the past two days, you wouldn''t have been able to figure out their speed and agility after they transformed into bat form.'' That''s not something you taught me, it was Dr. Schiller. To be honest, the only thing you''ve taught me is that even rats can be good or bad." Pikachu turned around and whipped Peter''s shoulder with his tail. Peter yelled in pain and rubbed his shoulder, saying, "What did I say wrong? Aren''t you a rat?"


    "But they''re bats, not rats." Peter shrugged and held his shoulder, "Speaking of which, it''s strange how these monsters came about. Why can they turn into bats and still need to suck human blood?"


    "Gwen has been worried sicktely because the two policemen who were attacked by vampires are still being treated. She''s very worried that her father will also be attacked." Peter put down his arm and looked into the distance, "What''s worse is that they seem to have a peculiar power that can turn ordinary people into their descendants. So you better be careful, even though I think yourbat suit has good defense, if you really get scratched, you''ll also turn into a rat."

 Chapter 117: Spiders and Bats (2)

    Chapter 117: Spiders and Bats (2)


    Peter''s sense of triumph did notst long, as he realized he had gotten himself into a big trouble. Ever since that incident, his name seemed to have spread within the vampiremunity, and everyone knew about a person called Spider-Man who dared to challenge the vampires all by himself. Peter didn''t know who had spread his reputation so widely, as he had only intended to take down a small vampire den on his own, and he had already sessfully nned his next move to take down a slightly bigger den. But now, it seemed like he had stirred up a ho''s nest, as every time he appeared in New York as Spider-Man, a group ofrge bats would chase after him to bite him.


    Peter swung between the buildings in Brooklyn, with two or three bats following closely behind him. However, his mind was very clear at this moment. He made a sharp turn in mid-air, directly around a corner of a building, causing the leading bat to crash into the corner of the wall. Then he released a rapid descent with his spider web, and the other bats followed him down. However, just before they were about two meters from the ground, Spider-Man shot out another strand of spider web, swinging back up, while the bats behind him failed to brake in time and crashed onto the ground. Peter realized that he had changed a lot. He was now filled with tactical ns, with the topography of half of Brooklyn''s city area vividly presented in his mind, knowing where he could use to shake off his pursuers, and where he could hide.


    Although he had often roamed this neighborhood before, the topography used to fade from his memory once he was done observing it. But now, when it was time to use them, they all reappeared in his mind. This feeling fascinated Spider-Man, making him feel like he was in control of everything and utilizing simr tactics, he managed to shake off two bats. Spider-Man stopped on top of a building, when suddenly a ck mist appeared behind him, and a sharp w attacked him. His spider-sense tingled, and Peter rolled away to dodge it, then knelt on the ground, staring intensely at the ck mist.


    The mist condensed into a figure of a man, a man with long white hair wearing medieval attire appeared in front of Spider-Man. Like other vampires, he had a paleplexion and a gloomy expression, but he seemed even more arrogant. He said, "Spider-Man, it is you who wants to oppose the great bloodline."


    "Bloodline? You''re just a group of bats with wings," Spider-Man slowly stood up, his voice deeper than the other person''s. "Do you really think the leader of the rats is nobler than other rats?"


    This sentence angered the other party, and the white-haired vampire immediately turned into a ck mist and appeared in front of Spider-Man in an instant. Peter''s spider sense rang again and he rolled to avoid it, and a spider web shot onto a pile of boxes on the rooftop. The boxes were thrown out, and the ck mist had to take on human form and use its arms to defend itself.


    In that split second, Spider-Man disappeared.


    As he swung through the air, Spider-Man muttered to himself, "What did I just say to him? That was too harsh, wasn''t it?" He touched his face and said, "Is this really me? Did I really say those words?"


    Although Spider-Man was talkative, he rarely used such hurtfulnguage to disrupt his opponents. Even when he did, he always used a joking tone. But the advanced vampire he just encountered was almost driven to madness by his words. Peter felt a little incredulous but also pretty good about it. He thought that what he said just now was great. So what if they could use magic? They were still just bats with wings.As soon as Peter returned to Queens, he saw mes flickering on a street in the center. He hurried over and found that it was a street not far from Midtown High School, which was now chaotic. The police were in a shootout with vampires.


    Spider-Man cursed to himself. He knew he had been tricked. No wonder those bats had been chasing him out of Queens earlier. Fortunately, he had a clear head and didn''t get too entangled with the advanced vampire. Otherwise, they would have seeded.


    Peter was about to go down and help when he saw Gwen and her father George near thebat zone. George was shielding Gwen with his arm. As the police fire weakened, many advanced vampires suppressed the front line. The spot where the father and daughter were standing was bing more and more dangerous.


    Peter was extremely anxious and wanted to go down and help, but the advanced vampire who he had disrupted earlier caught up to him.


    This kind of vampire was different from ordinary vampires. They could use teleportation and w magic from ck mist.


    Teleportation wasn''t a big threat to Peter, as he had his spider sense. Once the opponent got close, Peter''s spider sense would warn him, and he could dodge it. But the w magic from the ck mist gave Peter a lot of trouble.


    The monster rushed into the school.


    Spider-Man moves through the air primarily by using spider webs. The advanced vampire, who is not stupid, saw this and aimed his magic directly at Spider-Man''s web. Whenever Peter tried to swing across, the vampire''s w magic would cut the spider web, forcing him to quickly change direction. Under this interference, Peter was unable to immediately rescue his girlfriend and her father. As the fighting pushed further back, the people on the ground were almost pushed to the point of no return. Behind them was the school district, and Peter knew George''s personality - he would never allow this group to back down. While Peter was regretting not strengthening his spider web, he was also anxious to save his loved ones. As several vampires surrounded George and Gwen, Peter''s anxiety and anger almost consumed him. When Spider-Man''s web was cut again, Peter felt something surging on his arm.


    With instinct, Peter shot out his spider web. This time, the web was no longer white, but ck and sticky. Once the ck spider web stuck to the wall, it seemed toe to life. When it was cut, more sticky fluid rushed up until the spider web became very tough, and the magic w could no longer cut it.


    In this way, Peter quickly arrived at the scene of the conflict, using the ck spider web to stick a car and swinging it like a police officer''s baton. He hit several vampires directly, knocking them into the wall. All the police and George''s family were stunned by Spider-Man''s anger. Spider-Man then picked up a streetmp post and hit the remaining vampires one by one, causing them to fall to the ground. After the initial shock, the police quickly followed suit.


    After venting, Peter turned around to see that George and Gwen had already escaped the danger. He really wanted to go up and check on them, but in the end, he hesitated and shot spider web to leave.


    After calming down, he suddenly realized, looking at his arm in surprise. But there was nothing unusual there. Peter muttered to himself, "What''s going on? What was that ck spider web just now?"


    He fiddled with his wrist and removed the mini spider webuncher from hisbat suit. He opened the box inside and found that the ingredients were unchanged. He tried again, and the spider web that was shot out was still white. This triggered Peter''s strong curiosity. Could it be that he unlocked some new ability? This made him start trying to shoot spider web with various actions, which looked quite ridiculous to others, like a weirdo in a tight suit, making silly moves on the rooftop.


    After messing around for a while, Peter exhausted himself but still couldn''t sessfully shoot that ck spider web again.


    Peter thought that maybe his posture was wrong, and just as he was about to try standing upside down, a voice finally spoke in his mind, unable to bear it any longer: "Stop trying! Are you an idiot?"


    Peter was startled and almost jumped in ce, then looked around and said, "What? Who are you? Where are you talking from?"


    "I''m in your head! Haven''t you noticed at all?"


    Peter widened his eyes in shock and said, "In my head? Then who are you? My alter ego? Do I have multiple personalities? Oh my god! I need to see Dr. Schiller!"


    "No, no, no! Don''t go! You don''t need to see a doctor. I''m not your personality. Oh, damn it! Stop! Don''t run there!"


    Peter hesitated for a moment and stopped his steps, saying, "Then who are you?"


    "I''m an unfortunate alien symbiote. My name is Venom. As for the rest, your brain may not be able toprehend it. Just know that I''m here to help you.""Alien symbiote? Are you an alien? That''s so cool! But why are you inside my body?"


    "Because you''re a weakling with a not-so-good brain. If it weren''t for me, you''d be dead by now..."


    "How dare you say that about me? Even without you, I would have figured something out!"


    "Do you really think that all the recent ns were your own ideas?"


    "Well, weren''t they?"


    It finally dawned on Peter that he had been acting a bit differentlytely. No matter what he did, he would start considering ns beforehand, and sometimes just one n wasn''t enough. He would evene up with backup ns in his mind. His ability to react on the spot and formte tactical ns in crisis situations had suddenly improved significantly.


    "So, was it you who did all this?" Peter asked. "Is there really such an amazing alien who not only lives inside my body but also helps mee up with ideas?


    ...Wait a minute, were you just sighing? Why did you sigh? Although I''m not as smart as you, I''m not dumb, am I? It''s not like I would make you sigh, right?"


    "Never mind those trivial matters. How do you n to deal with the people chasing after you?"


    Peter hesitated for a moment, scratching his head. "Well, they usually can''t catch up with me anyway. After a few rounds, I can shake them off."


    "Do you n to y this game of cat and mouse with them every day?"


    "Can''t we do it? Anyway, I have a lot of free time," Spider said.


    "But I''m not free!!!" Venom roared. "Quickly take care of them all, and then we''ll go eat some heads!"


    "They have so many people. How can I handle them? Wait, what did you say you want to eat?" Peter asked.


    "Listen, you are the stupidest human I have ever met, no doubt about it," Venom said. "Now, use your not-so-bright brain toe up with a n that is above passing grade, and then we can wipe them all out and take a break!"


    "Do aliens need breaks too?" Peter asked. "Why do you seem so eager? Do you have some business goals?"


    Venom became agitated and said, "Why are you so careless? You clearly have plenty of time toe up with a foolproof n to defeat all of our enemies. Why do you just sit here?"


    "Can we please move on quickly? Go find a room, think carefully, ande up with 200 battle ns, then put them into action right away! Right now! Quickly!!!" Venom urged.


    Peter''s head was buzzing as he said, "Can''t you lower your voice? You''re reminding me of my homeroom teacher."


    "Besides, I''m not taking a final exam. I just want to take care of the two strongholds in this block. Now that I''ve aplished my goal, I''m nning to go on a date with Gwen tomorrow..."

 Chapter 118: Spiders and Bats (3)

    Chapter 118: Spiders and Bats (3)


    In the Parker house, in Peter''s room, Peter tightly grabbed the doorframe and said, "Let go of me! This is my body! I can do whatever I want with it! I''m going out to meet Gwen." Then he looked at his watch and said, "Come on! It''s already 10 o''clock. We''re supposed to meet by the river at 10:30. We still have time, I can''t stand her up. She had a big danger yesterday and she must need somefort."


    "But you haven''t even finished a decent battle n!! You''ve been dawdling here for three hours!! You''ve only finished one-third of it!! You have to finish it before you can go y!!"


    "I''m not crazy! Even the teachers at school wouldn''t require anyone to do homework for three hours! I''m going out now!" Peter rxed his grip on his arm for a moment, then tightened it again, as if he was tugging against himself. Venom roared, "You''re 16 years old already! Only two more years until you''re 18! The 18-year-old humans I''ve seen are much harderworking and disciplined than you!"


    "You''re lying! My seniors are just like me. We''re normal! There''s no high school student in this world who stays in their room doing homework! Let me go out! I''m really going to bete!"


    20 minutester, Peternded on a rooftop and warned Venom in his mind, "Later, I''m going on a date with Gwen, and you''re not allowed to eavesdrop."


    "Have you ever held her hand?" Venom said.


    "Of course not, we''ve definitely held hands..." Peter''s face turned a little red, and he said, "So what? We''ve only been in a rtionship for a few months, and we haven''t even been on more than 100 dates."


    After a while, at a coffee shop by the river, Gwen had already ordered two cups of coffee. When she saw Peter, she was very happy. Peter also ran over excitedly and said, "Sorry, I''m a littlete today, there was some traffic on the road..."


    "It''s okay, I came too early. I''ve already ordered coffee, let''s go sit over there."Peter just took the coffee cup when he suddenly felt his body out of control, and then he opened his arms and hugged Gwen. Gwen was surprised, and Peter grinned and let go, then said, "Oh, sorry! I... I just..." He saw tears suddenly shimmering in Gwen''s eyes and she said, "Did you see the newspaper? Did you see what happened on the street next to school yesterday?"


    Peter was there at the scene, so of course he knew. Then he said, "Uh... yeah, I saw. I think I saw you there too." Before Peter could say anything else, Gwen''s eyes turned red and she said, "You don''t know how dangerous it was yesterday. I watched a young police officer sacrifice himself. My goodness, I can''t ept it..."


    "Hug her," Venom said in Peter''s mind.


    "You''re crossing the line. How can you control me..." Gwen protested.


    "Trust me, hug her," Peter said.


    Peter felt his body out of control again, and he held Gwen tightly. Gwen also hugged him and started crying. In a moment, she was shaking all over, and Peter had to pat her back.


    After a while, Gwen calmed down. She wiped her tears with a napkin and said, "I''m really sorry. I couldn''t control myself. But..." she choked up and said, "My dad is under a lot of pressure. I''m even afraid to show my fear, for fear of worrying him. If he loses his focus at work, he might be the one sacrificed."


    Looking at Gwen''s sad and worried face, Peter also felt uneasy. He could hardly speak, and his arm rose uncontrobly again. Then he held Gwen''s hand that was holding the coffee cup. Venom said in Peter''s mind, "Aren''t you going to say something?"


    "What should I say? This is too sudden..." Peter said, feeling hesitant.


    "You''re the most cowardly human I''ve ever seen," Venom replied.


    Finally, Peter mustered up the courage and looked into Gwen''s eyes, saying, "Don''t worry, actually, I''ve always been with you..."


    After he finished speaking, he withdrew his hand as if he had been burned, and then picked up his coffee cup and took a sip of coffee. Gwen looked at his slightly redplexion and suddenly burst intoughter, saying, "You''re really different today."


    Peterined to himself, "It''s all because of you, Gwen. You must think I''m unreasonable..."


    Then he heard Gwen say, "But I actually think it''s not bad. You used to be a little too introverted, I didn''t expect you to be so proactive." Peter''s face turned even redder, and he stammered, "It''s...it''s nothing, it''s what I should do..."


    "You really are hopeless," Venom''s voice rang in his mind again. Gwen giggled and almost choked on her coffee. She seemed to love seeing Peter''s shy and embarrassed expression. "Let''s go to the moviester. We''ll go to our usual theater. I have a coupon for arge bucket of cheese balls. We can use it," she said.


    After the two left the coffee shop, Peter said to Gwen, "Sorry, wait for me. I''m going to the convenience store."


    He ran into the nearest convenience store, went to the shelf, picked up a bag of chocte balls, and then paid for them. Gwen saw him walking out of the store and looked at the bag of chocte balls in Peter''s hand, "Why did you suddenly buy this? I don''t remember you liking chocte?"


    Peter opened the package, took out one, and handed it to Gwen. He shrugged and said, "I just thought that eating sweets would make me feel a little better." Gwen was very happy.


    She put her hand on Peter''s shoulder and said, "It seems like you''ve really changed a lot. My friends used to say that you didn''t know how to please girls at all, but now it seems like you''re not bad." Peter blushed again and took out one and unwrapped it, putting it in his mouth.


    "Oh, crap, why does this taste so bad?" Venom''s voice rang out.


    "Why did you make me buy it then?" Peter chewed and said, "I thought it was alright, isn''t chocte supposed to taste like this?"


    "You naive kid, this kind of chocte is surprisingly bad, as expected, cheap things are never good." Venom said.


    When they got to the cinema, Peter took a cheese balls bucket from the attendant that was almost half his height. Gwen apologized, saying, "I didn''t expect it to be this big when I bought it, it didn''t look like this in the picture..."


    Peter struggled to hold therge bucket and said, "It''s okay, you know I''ve been eating a lot moretely, I think we should be able to finish it by the time the movie starts." The two of them chose a middle position towards the back row and sat down. Peter wedged the cheese balls bucket between the armrest and the chair in front of him, right in the middle of the two of them, within easy reach.


    After the movie started, they ate cheese balls and drank c while quietly discussing the movie plot.


    Gwen had just reached out to grab some cheese balls when she saw a ck tentacle quickly snatch away seven or eight cheese balls from the bucket. She rubbed her eyes and eximed, "What was that?"


    "What?" Peter turned to look at her, but when Gwen looked again, the tentacle had disappeared. Due to therge quantity of cheese balls, it was hard to tell if any were missing. Gwen blinked and said, "Never mind, maybe I just had a hallucination."


    Then Peter heard Venomining in his mind, "These aren''t tasty either, they have a cheap taste of inferior processed food."


    "Why are you so picky?" Peter said, "Aren''t they delicious?" Saying that, he grabbed five or six cheese balls and stuffed them into his mouth. By the time the movie ended, Gwen looked at the empty bucket and opened her mouth to say, "I know you''ve been able to eat a lot moretely, but this is just exaggerating, it''s a cheese balls portion for ten people!"


    In Peter''s mind, Venom burped and said, "Although they''re not very tasty, they''re quite filling."


    After sending Gwen home, Venom saw that Peter still nned to hang around outside and said, "Can you go back and finish that damnbat n?"


    "Oh my God, spare me! I don''t need anybat n!" Peter crouched on a rooftop, took out the Spider-Man suit from his backpack, put it on, and said, "We''ll just wear this and go take down that stronghold. It''s that simple."


    "You''ll get beaten up badly," Venom said.


    Half an hourter, Peter was running for his life in an alley, enveloped in a ck mist that slowed his movements. Suddenly, a pair of sharp ws shed at his back, but a mass of ck slime blocked the attack. Peter turned around and threw a punch, but the opponent disappeared instantly with a teleport.


    Before he could turn back, another vampire had teleported in front of him and swiped at him with its w. Peter dodged and lowered his head, but another bat flew at him from above.


    "Damn it, I fell for it. They''ve been waiting for me all along," Peter looked around, and there were at least four or five high-level vampires surrounding him. These opponents were perfectly suited to restrain Peter, despite his great strength and spider sense. He had no effective countermeasure against their magic. Although his punches were powerful, they were useless if he couldn''t hit his targets. Although he was fast, he couldn''t grow wings. If the opponent transformed into a bat and flew high, he couldn''t catch up in a short time.


    In contrast, these vampires took turns attacking, with one focusing on the main assault, and the others harassing him from the sides, slowing down Peter''s movements.


    "Listen, if you can''t solve this problem within 10 minutes, I''ll take action," Venom said.


    "Take action? Can you still fight? Why can''t you do it now? Can''t you just help me out?" Peter rolled on the ground to dodge another attack, shouting loudly, "And this is the consequence of not making abat n!!! Also, do you think I don''t want to? Do you know how much trouble I''ll cause?"


    As they were speaking, it seemed that the several high-level vampires didn''t intend to continue harassing Peter like this. They had forced him into a dead end andunched a full-scale attack on him. Soon, several marks had been left on Peter''sbat suit, and with a few more hits, it would probably break.


    Venom said, "Okay, now clear your mind. I''m going to take action."


    Just then, gunshots rang out. One of the high-level vampires let out a scream and emitted a few strands of ck cigarette smoke. A ck man wearing a leather jacket and eye mask flipped over the wall of the alley.


    He swung his de at another vampire''s shoulder, and ck cigarette smoke rose from the point of contact. The vampire tried to turn into a bat to escape, but another strike severed its wings. It fell to the ground and thrashed for a couple of times before being impaled by a silver wedge.


    The person who took action was called de, a half-vampire and a vampire hunter. He had been tracking this group of high-level vampires for several months. Today, they had gathered together, and he had taken them all down in one fell swoop. But while he was busy fighting the vampires, he didn''t notice the person surrounded by them. When he finally came to his senses, he saw ck slime bursting forth from the crowd and a figure soaring into the air.


    Amidst a vast quantity of ck slime, a gigantic monster with double wings on its back appeared in mid-air. A bat emblem was visible on its chest.


    de looked up and saw a colossal ck bat with a wingspan of over ten meters, almost blocking out the sky, hovering over New York.

 Chapter 119: The Bat Event (1)

    Chapter 119: The Bat Event (1)


    de looked up at the terrifying monster in mid-air, took a couple of steps back slowly, swallowed his saliva, and then took out his mobile phone and spoke into the phone, "They are nning to dere war on humanity!"


    At SHIELD, Nick hurriedly walked through the corridor with agents following behind him, and as the footsteps echoed through the office, the lights turned on. Nick spoke rapidly into the phone, "Jack! Get the defense map of Queen''s District ready immediately! Fiona, contact the vampire hunters in New York and find out what''s going on?"


    Nick turned a corner, and the agents assigned to the mission separated from the group and headed to their own offices. More people continued to follow Nick as he said, "Who''s in charge of coordinating with the Daywalker?"


    "Coulson, boss, it''s always Coulson."


    "Assign this task to Sharon and have Coulson immediately coordinate with Stark. If the vampires are really dering war on humanity, we must organize the strongest resistance force as quickly as possible."


    Natasha emerged from one of the offices and walked alongside Nick. Both of them were moving quickly. The female agent said, "The information provided by the Daywalker has been confirmed to be urate. The monster is currently hovering over Queen''s District."


    "Should we bring him here as he has shown a strong willingness to cooperate?"


    "Let him go to the underground facility in Sector 2. After all these years of unwillingness to work with us, his change in attitude is likely a big deal."


    "I''ll arrange it now," Natasha said. "There''s another issue: Captain has already gone to the battlefield and made preliminary responses to that monster, but we still need to arrange the follow-upbat n.""Let thebat team prepare to leave immediately. No matter what the vampire is doing, we must first deal with that monster."


    Natasha took out her phone and said into it, "Clint, how are you and Daisy doing? The helicopter will depart in 2 minutes. Once you arrive at the destination, please report back immediately!"


    As Nick walked, he assigned tasks until he arrived at his office, where Coulson was already waiting for him. Coulson said, "I have contacted all thebat forces that we could reach."


    Before he could continue, Hill walked in and said, "The vampires have indeed shown unusual activity. Director, I have retrieved their activity range for the past 6 months. The entire East Coast vampiremunity is intentionally heading towards New York."


    As Nick''s most capable assistant, Hill spoke clearly and walked quickly to the screen, then opened the projection and introduced it. "About a week ago, there was a vampire-police conflict at the border between Queens and Brooklyn. The vampire group involved only arrived in New York a month ago."


    "In addition, the 15 recorded vampire attacks this month were notmitted by local New York vampires," Hill added.


    "Who is responsible for monitoring thismunity''s movements?" Coulson asked.


    "Now is not the time to me anyone," Nick said. "SHIELD''sissez-faire attitude towards vampires is not without reason. If possible, I would also like to drag them all out and expose them to the sun, but we all know that this is not possible."


    "But this time is different," Coulson said. "We have allowed the vampires to roam free on the premise that they are only scattered individuals attacking. Once they really dere war on humanity, we will strike back fiercely!"


    At this moment, Nick''s phone rang and he picked up his mobile phone and said, "The Daywalker has arrived? Good, don''t act recklessly, first appease him. I''ll be there soon." He then said to Coulson, "You go keep an eye on Stark... Actually, Hill, you go instead. You go to Stark Tower and make contact with Pepper first. Phil, you go to the Psychological Clinic in Hell''s Kitchen."


    "Schiller probably won''t be willing to intervene. He has always publicly imed that he has no special abilities."


    "I''m not asking him to go out and fight vampires directly. Coulson, don''t you realize yet? We recruited him not for his special abilities, but for his brain."


    "You don''t need to do anything. Just stay there and wait for my instructions. Once the situation changes, I''ll tell you how to negotiate with him."


    After Coulson left, Nick quickly started the elevator and went to the meeting with de in Zone 2. After he left, the entire SHIELD organization quickly went into action. Countless agents who received instructions began to operate. Despite the different power affiliations within the organization, SHIELD''s talent management system remained united in the face of the invasion by outsiders. After all, if vampires and humans really went to war, they would all have to resist.


    In a dimly lit underground meeting room, de heard footsteps approaching from afar. When Nick opened the door, de walked up and shook his hand. Nick said, "Time is of the essence. Let''s cut to the chase. First of all, we''re not here to interrogate you." But de interrupted and said, "Stop talking. I''ll tell you everything I know right now."


    "Listen, that huge bat monster has a background you should know about. You see, vampires have the ability to transform into bats, and this ability doesn''te without reason.


    As for the mystical knowledge rted to the origin of vampires, I won''t go into detail. But within the vampiremunity, there are also disputes about their origin story that have been ongoing...


    Just like what you humans say, some believe that vampires originated from the Bible, created by God.


    However, there are also some people, whom I call the Bat Followers, who firmly believe that deep in the universe, there is a bat totem that grants vampires the power to transform into bats and feed on blood.


    The Theists and the Bat Followers have always been at odds with each other. Of course, Theists are generally more friendly towards humans, and those who interact with high-level humans are mostly moderate Theists.


    They believe that humans and vampires are both creations of God, and that we should be brothers and sisters. They have always been the restrained faction among vampires, with many different rules, not advocating for killing, willing to ept frozen blood, and preferring to live hidden among humans and participate in human society."


    "We have records of this group of people," Nick said. "Some moderate vampires even proactivelye to us for backup."


    "That''s true, but where there are moderate factions, there are also radical factions within the vampiremunity. There has always been an extremely radical faction that worships the bat totem, as I mentioned earlier.


    "They believe that as followers of the bat totem, they are naturally superior to ordinary humans. They see themselves as part of the bat god and believe they should naturally rule over humans."


    "I have heard of this." Nick walked over to the table and sat down. He poured himself a ss of water and said, "I know that the Circle has been experimenting with bat totems. Can you tell me more about it? I guess this new Bat Warrior, Eric, knows something about it." Eric hugged his arms and said, "You should know about my background. I am not a full vampire. All the information I havees from my vampire hunter teacher. But I also have a few friends who are moderate vampires, and they bring me thetest news from within themunity.


    "One of my friends works for the famous Count Drac, and recently he sent me a message that the radical faction led by my enemy, Deacon, is about to take action."


    "It seems that they have received a prophecy through some kind of ritual that the power of the Bat God wille down in the New York area. Whoever can get this power will be the new leader of the vampires."


    "You know, originally everyone thought this was a lie they made up to fight for power. Such things are not umon."


    "Of course, of course. Creating a seemingly usible prophecy and then organizing some small actions is enough to put pressure on opponents."


    "But now it seems that things are not so simple." Eric also walked over and sat down. He and Nick sat at opposite ends of the table, and there was only one flickering light bulb overhead.


    He said, "In fact, this prophecy is not entirely false. ording to my investigation, they do have a ritual that can summon a bat-like shadow. This shadow can bring great enhancement to vampires, but the price is that they will turn into crazed bat monsters."


    "It was through this ceremony that they heard a voice, telling them to go to New York. I am trying to find out the specific details of the prophecy, but I haven''t found anything yet. However, what we do know is that the terrifying bat monster in the sky right now is the manifestation of the power of the Bat God."


    "Well, I understand the backstory now, but the question is, how do we deal with it?"


    Nick took out a projection device and yed a video for Eric, showing Steve chasing the bat monster. Nick said, "It''s daytime now, and this bat is not afraid of sunlight. It looks incredibly strong, with special abilities and tactics. It seems to have intelligence on par with humans. I suggest you don''t use the usual methods to deal with ordinary vampires. If it''s truly a product of the Bat God, then it won''t have the same weaknesses as vampires. You should treat it as a high-level monster."


    "Moreover," Eric frowned and said, "this is a signal. They want to dere war on humans. They want to wee the arrival of the Bat Totem and rule the world. Perhaps you can deal with this monster, but you must be prepared for the massive vampire invasion that will follow."


    After speaking, he stood up and said, "I will contact all the vampire hunters I know, as well as the moderate vampires who do not want to participate in the invasion. We will try to form a frontline. At least for now, we stand together with you to make those crazy bat monsters go to hell!"


    Nick also stood up, and the two shook hands. Nick said, "The destruction of human society is not good for anyone. You can use this point to persuade them. If they still want to have a prosperous society to live in, they better not let those beasts invade."


    Eric nodded, and their ck hands sped together, signaling the beginning of the bat invasion event.

 Chapter 120: The Bat Event (2)

    Chapter 120: The Bat Event (2)


    At Stark Tower, Stark was tinkering with a strange machine that looks like a bud. Schiller, Coulson, and Hill are standing nearby, watching. Finally, Stark presses a button and says, "Remember, the maximum range of this ultraviolet generator is only 20 meters. It''s best to lure all the vampires together before activating it."


    Just as he finishes speaking, J.A.R.V.I.S. reports, "There is arge number of vampires on the third street of the Queen''s District."


    Coulson says with a headache, "As expected, theyunch a full-scale attack as soon as it gets dark."


    Schiller asks, "What about the bat monster?"


    Coulson looks even more troubled as he says, "It''s bizarre, the monster disappeared without a trace!"


    Stark stands up straight, poking his head out from behind the machine and asks, "Disappeared? Such a big monster, and you didn''t assign anyone to keep an eye on it?"


    "Captain fought with it for a while," Coulson reports, "ording to the information Captain sent back, the monster doesn''t seem to be very aggressive, it seems to be just a signal. He didn''t see clearly what happened, and the bat monster just disappeared."


    "Don''t let your guard down," Schiller says, "That so-called bat god''s power may have descended, and this monster could just be an appetizer. After all, if you''re nning an invasion, you wouldn''t put your heavy artillery in the vanguard."


    "Exactly," Hill says solemnly, "Nick Fury also believes that the monster was just a sign of the attack, and it has indeed yed the role of a war horn for the invasion. Now that it''s getting dark, arge number of vampires lurking in New York are starting to move. When it getspletely dark, we will have a fierce battle ahead."Coulson nced at his watch and said to Stark, "Within three hours, how many of these UV devices can you produce?"


    "Up to 20," J.A.R.V.I.S replied.


    "Stark Industries'' production line is at full capacity, with less than 1% redundancy remaining. However, due to speed limitations, we can only produce up to 20 devices before nightfall," J.A.R.V.I.S added.


    "That''s not nearly enough," Coulson said.


    "Don''t you have any weapons in reserve to deal with vampires at SHIELD?" he asked.


    "Of course we do," Hill stepped forward and leaned against the machine, "but those are all individual equipment, such as UV shlights, silver-ted bullets, and so on. You don''t even know how many vampires are in New York right now. They seem to have appeared out of nowhere."


    "So, what you''re saying is that you don''t have enough firepower for a group attack?" Schiller asked.


    "That''s the biggest problem," Coulson sat down on a chair and ced one hand on the table, covering his forehead. "If a well-trained agent is armed with all the weapons to restrain vampires, they can ovee a difference in physical and magical ability and deal with 1 to 3 vampires."


    "But the problem is that the number of agents is far too smallpared to the number of vampires."


    "Police can handle only one, and ordinary people can''t handle even one. Ten people can''t even defeat one vampire. Once the vampire organization attacks as a group, the difference in numbers will increase tenfold or more."


    "They have two different forms, human and bat, with different abilities and strengths. Once they start an organized strategic attack, the human defense line can barely hold for an hour."


    "What about heavy firepower?"


    Hill also covered her forehead and said, "Actually, this is the biggest problem. You know, there are many moderate vampires who have good rtions with Congress. The moderate vampires im they have no involvement in this invasion and strongly protest against human using heavy firepower to indiscriminately attack vampires."


    "I can also understand some of thewmakers'' decisions, because if humans really use heavy firepower like missiles, once they push the moderate vampires to their limits, these vampires will also participate in the invasion, and then there will be a real war between two races."


    "Many moderate vampires live in human society, ying many important roles. Some even fall in love and get married with humans. Once a war between the two races breaks out, social stability will experience tremendous turbulence, which is a result that no one wants to see."


    Stark said angrily, "So, we are just going to be beaten without fighting back? Why can''t they solve their own internal affairs? We just need an answer, whether to fight or not?"


    "I guess those moderate vampires are telling you that they are actively negotiating to ease the conflict, but I can tell you with certainty that most of them are waiting for the so-called bat god toe. Once the vampires gain the upper hand, they will immediately turn against humans, proiming themselves as believers of the bat god, who are born to rule over humans."


    "Ambition always expands with ability. The so-called moderates are just a bunch of fence-sitters, waiting for one side to gain absolute advantage. They are like opportunistic grass, once humans have the upper hand and the Bat God does not take further action, they will immediately dere themselves as messengers of friendly rtions between the two races. But once the Bat God truly descends and brings doomsday upon humanity, they will immediately grovel at the feet of the Bat God, iming to be devout followers." Schiller said.


    Coulson sighed and spread his hands, saying, "Everyone understands this truth, that''s our current dilemma."


    "But you''ve forgotten, you still have a card to y. Don''t tell me Nick hasn''t figured out where the missingwork line in New York leads to."


    Coulson opened his mouth, hesitatingly saying, "Are you suggesting luring the enemy to the East? But wouldn''t that be too risky? After all, we have very little knowledge about the Power on that side."


    "That''s something you''ll have to decide for yourselves." Schiller said, turning to Stark and saying, "Don''t keep thinking about yourrge-scale generator, can''t you change your mindset?"


    Stark said, "Do you have any other genius ideas then? I liked your Cigarette fromst time..."


    "In the end, isn''t it just that the Agents'' individualbat capabilities are not strong enough and their numbers are not enough? Can''t you create something artificial Agents to use?" Schiller suggested.


    The other two Agents looked puzzled, but Stark became interested. He said, "What do you mean? Unmanned Mech armor?"


    "That''s right, don''t you have many Mech armors stored in the warehouse? Just produce some single soldier equipment for them, like UV shlights, silver bullets, can''t you install them? Let them go and fight vampires."


    "J.A.R.V.I.S''s intelligence database doesn''t have any intelligent logic to deal with these monsters, but I can send a vanguard team of Mech armors to collect this kind of logic and start optimizing it."


    "Your imagination can be even bigger. Don''t always think about humanoid Mech armors, and don''t always think about going out to fight with your fists. You don''t even have to design and produce them yourself."


    Schiller walked to theb table and said, "You canpletely design an intelligent mother nest with self-calcting capabilities, and then arrange multiple nests ording to certain rules throughout New York."


    "The mother nests can automatically produce different specifications of Mech armor creations ording to the logic you set, such as lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance, ground mechanical forces, self-propelled searchlights with UV illumination function, and biological reaction forces for disturbing vampire activities, etc."


    "After these machine creations are produced and put into the battlefield, each machine can record their opponent''s movement trajectory, then record their ownbat effectiveness, and transmit it back to the mother nest."


    "The mother nest can adjust the production direction based on this information, and all the information from the mother nests is gathered in J.A.R.V.I.S''s intelligence database, and you can get a coverage area that is the most extensive, urate, and clear areabatwork."


    "Then you don''t have to wear that iron shell and go out to destroy those monsters. Instead, you can sit in theboratory of Stark Tower, controlling everything, and be the true master of machinery."


    Coulson and Hill were both a bit stunned and felt a bit creepy.


    In fact, this concept is not very advanced when ites down to it. It''s just the basic principle of information warfare. However, once these contents are reced with Stark''s advanced Mech armor creations, the whole scene bes very sci-fi and even a bit chilling.


    Just imagine, there are several huge mother nests scattered throughout New York, constantly producing countless mechanical creations. They all have their own intelligence and can not only cause effective damage to the enemy on the battlefield but also transmit all data back to the mother nest after being defeated.


    The mother nest has an incredibly advanced calction system, which can remove the shorings of thest defeated offspring and strengthen their advantages for the next production.


    It can also specialize eachbat unit and then coordinate tactics. Several steel torrents erupted from the mother nests will inundate the entire city, eliminate all enemies here, steel skeletons prate walls, and gear bearings devour everything. And Stark, he can sit in theboratory of Stark Tower and control everything.


    Wait, is something off about this? Coulson shivered and said, "I don''t think...vampires aren''t that strong, and we can use this tacticter."


    Stark, on the other hand, had a gleam in his eyes. He paced in ce and then made a fist with both hands, saying, "Actually, I have been considering lightweightbat. As you all know, the cost of producing one Mech armor is too high, and once it is deployed on the battlefield, the repair time is too long. I have been considering a type of Mech armor that is low-cost, easy to repair, and can be deployed inrge numbers on the battlefield."


    "But there''s a problem with this kind of Mech armor. Once the cost is reduced, their processors won''t be able to handle overlyplexmands, and their functionalities will also be weakened, making them less versatile and responsive to different enemies."


    "Moreover, once the opponent changes, I would have to upgrade themprehensively again to install new functionalities, and the cost in terms of money and time would be simr to that of advanced Mech armor, which is not cost-effective."


    "That''s right, the idea of a mother nest is great. Why should I bother repairing Mech armor one by one myself? It''s better to set up an intelligent production line for them to produce and repair themselves, right?"


    "And as you mentioned, if they can really collect, analyze, optimize, and modify data on their own to enhance production, it would be much faster than me personally modifying them after every battle, wouldn''t it?"


    "Then they can optimize directly on the battlefield and produce generation after generation of adaptive Mech armor to target the weaknesses of the opponents."


    "Moreover, they don''t have to be limited to humanoid form. Humans have an unstable center of gravity with two feet on the ground. Even if Mech armor can fly, it requires more energy. So why don''t I design Mech armor with multiple legs? Yes, that Spider-Man is a good example!"


    "Spider-Man can stick to walls, and the Mech armor I build can certainly do that too. I can even give them 8 legs and the ability to shoot webs, allowing them to easily climb the walls of high-rise buildings. As for defense..."


    "Let me think, I couldpletely manufacture a transport ship for the mechanical soldiers, providing them with high mobility, even with the ability to float and fly."


    "After the production line produces this type of transport ship, the Mech armor soldiers can be folded and ced inside it, then quickly transported to the battlefield for personnel deployment."


    As Stark spoke, he became more and more excited, envisioning several types of Mech armor modeled after animal forms, as well as many design ideas for the mother nest structure and transport ship.


    Finally, Stark even thought of modifying the Stark Tower, making its top into a folding sky mother nest that could quickly rise and unfold in the event of an invasion by an external race, instantly entering Invasive mode.


    Coulson and Schiller stood side by side, and Coulson patted his colleague''s shoulder, tremblingly whispering, "Quick, call Nick! Vampires are no longer the main problem. If SHIELD doesn''t solve the vampire problem quickly, tech devil Stark will rule Earth."


    "What are you thinking? Two minutes ago, I recorded Stark''s speech and sent it to Nick..."


    "What did he say?"


    "The congressmen didn''t even wait to finish watching it, and unanimously passed thebat n for human resistance to defend against and counterattack against vampires."


    "New York and its surrounding cities are now under martialw. All response teams are to enterbat readiness, and we are required to resolve this all-out invasion within three days. We cannot give Stark any opportunity to show off."

 Chapter 121: The Bat Event (3)

    Chapter 121: The Bat Event (3)


    In a small alley in Queens, Peter hurriedly put on his Spider-Manbat suit and argued loudly with Venom in his mind.


    "If it weren''t for the bat monster you created, New York wouldn''t be under martialw! Goodness, is this going to be a world war?" Peter eximed.


    "You''re too scared. If you ask me, we can still take a spin over New York City!" Venom said. "You''re such a coward, what are we afraid of? Nobody can touch us anyway."


    Peter was getting frustrated. He said, "Listen to what they''re saying! They''re actually saying the Bat God ising? Come on! I''m Spider-Man, not Batman! I hate bats!"


    "Oh really? I think it''s pretty cool," Venom said casually, which made Peter roll his eyes in anger. He continued, "Alright, listen, you already had your turn being Batman earlier, now it''s my turn to be Spider-Man, and you can''t interfere!"


    Peter climbed up to the rooftop of a building and looked into the distance. It waspletely dark now, but the entire city was engulfed in the red glow of vampire eyes, especially near the Brooklyn Bridge, where countless bats were visibly battling with ground forces.


    Peter pped his head and said, "What is going on? Even if they misunderstood, there shouldn''t be so many vampires popping up all of a sudden, right?"


    "Do you really think this is all because of us? Clearly, they had nned it beforehand. Didn''t you investigate before? Many new vampires have been flocking to New York. Can you guess what they originally intended to do?" Venom replied.


    "Are you saying that they had nned to invade New York a long time ago?""That''s not what I said," Venom said. "The incident that broke out in Queens had already reached a certain level of esction. A few weeks ago, there were already traces of these monsters in Hell''s Kitchen. Those vampires who came to New York recently didn''t know how to restrain themselves and provoked the wrong people."


    "Hell''s Kitchen? Isn''t Dr. Schiller in danger? No way! I have to go over there now. His Psychological Clinic has no defense, I have to go protect him!"


    "It''s toote for you to go now. When we appeared, he was already taken to Stark Tower."


    Peter breathed a sigh of relief, then put on his hood and said, "Forget it, they were nning on doing something bad anyway, so it''s not my fault. I''m going to be Spider-Man now."


    Peter shot a spider web and swung to the rooftop. He said, "Oh yeah! Good neighbor Spider-Man is here!"


    Within a few minutes, he arrived near the most intense battle. Arge group of high-level vampires with magical abilities, apparently under someone''smand, were executing tactics that were quite coordinated, pushing back the defense line of armed police officers.


    Spider-Man grabbed onto a spider web and swung hard, kicking a vampire in the back. Then he did a somersault in mid-air andnded on the back of arge bat, mming it to the ground and punching it hard several times.


    As soon as they arrived, they took down two vampires, which of course caught the attention of the police. The Chief of the Queen''s district police station, George, was on the phone saying, "¡­we can begin the counterattack now? Okay! I''ve been tolerating these sons of bitches for too long!"


    He shouted loudly to the police on the front line, "Prepare to suppress with heavy firepower! Machine gunners, get ready!!"


    One police officer on the front line shouted, "Quickly, look! It''s Spider-Man! The one who ns to fight against all the vampires in the world!"


    George cursed and hung up the phone, walking behind a riot shield and watching Spider-Man show off his power in the sky, punching each bat with one blow. He said, "What are you waiting for? Cooperate with him! Focus on attacking those bats on the ground! This is a good opportunity to take care of them!"


    Then he picked up a rifle and shot at the closest bat''s wing. Logistics personnel quickly came up and restrained him, saying, "Chief George, please return to a safe location. We just received news that you are to be the overallmander of the three streets at the border of Queen''s district and Brooklyn. You cannot get hurt!"


    In the sky, the tactical n kept revolving in Peter''s mind. He took advantage of the gunfire and gestured to the police to coordinate with him.


    Spider-Man aimed at a recently exploded truck on the roadside, wrapped spider webs around the body twice, and then violently threw it. The bats on the other side were nning to organize a formation and attack again, but they were directly hit by the truck, and all of them were crushed under the heavy wreckage of the vehicle.


    The advanced vampires are capable of teleportation, but only if they are not stunned. Spider-Man''s attack came too suddenly, leaving two vampires trapped between a truck and a wall, and three others pinned under the truck, rendering them momentarily incapacitated.


    The police had already received Spider-Man''s signal and armed themselves with arge number of silver bullets. They unleashed indiscriminate firepower towards the vampires, resulting in the instant death of all five bats.


    The police had been holding back from using heavy firepower before, but now they were frustrated and didn''t hold back. Snipers fired high-powered armor-piercing rounds, and the flying bats had nowhere to hide from the sharp eyes of the well-trained marksmen. Even grazing hits, such as hitting the wings, would result in severe injuries.


    The tide of battle began to turn in favor of humans as they pushed the front line towards the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge. However, further advancement became difficult.


    The bridge piers of the Brooklyn Bridge provided natural cover for the bats, and many of them hung upside down under the bridge, avoiding the heavy firepower from humans on the shore. They would swoop out andunch surprise attacks during the intervals when humans were reloading, resulting in a stalemate.


    Spider-Man didn''t have a good solution to this situation because unlike the streets, the distance between the bridge piers was too wide for him to swing around. He had no choice but to engage in closebat.


    However, this deadlock didn''tst long. Soon, armed helicopters from the humans entered the scene, engaging in an aerial battle with the bat army for air superiority. Sometimes the helicopters fired machine guns, bringing down several bats, and the ground forces finished them off. Other times, the armed helicopters were damaged by the bats, with their propellers smoking and crashing down.


    Spider-Man was busy rushing to the location where the airne was crashing to save people. At this moment, the intensity of the aerial battle reached its peak for no other reason than the entrance of a group of SHIELD agents, including Hawkeye and Quake.


    Hawkeye, although the weakest Avenger, was much stronger than ordinary people and policemen. His arrows usually did not need to be fired, and he had switched to high-power silver explosive arrowheads. As long as he hit a bat, it would definitely lose its mobility.


    Quake, Daisy, was also very strong. In theics, her abilities were quite formidable, and she had even defeated Mao when he was being controlled by an energy body. However, she had just joined SHIELD not long ago, and her abilities had not yet fullye into y. This was her first time participating in such arge-scale battle.


    But she was well-suited for the current situation. She could use her vibrational wave frequency to coat the armed helicopter where Hawkeye was located with a shield. As long as any bat dared to approach, it would immediately be shaken away, ensuring the safety of the main output.


    Natasha was in another armed helicopter and was the overallmander of this aerial battle. The female agent shouted loudly into the radio, "Southeast helicopter team, retreat immediately! Pull up now! Those monsters under the bridge areing again!!"


    She cursed in Russian and then said, "Contact the ground troops immediately and intercept that group of monsters in the southeast direction. We can''t afford to lose another team."


    "And, why hasn''t Spider-Man connected tomunication yet? Send someone to give him a radio. I need to know the safety of the crashed helicopter''s pilot."


    Not long after, Spider-Man''s voice came from the radio, "Hello? Can you hear me? This is Spider-Man channel, serial number 10611. I am currently on the east side of the bridge. The helicopter pilot here has fallen into the water and is stuck in an underwater rock crevice. The situation isplicated, but my underwater mobility is weak. You need to send someone over quickly."


    Natasha was a little surprised because she knew Spider-Man''s true identity. In the past, Spider-Man''s style was to save everyone, even if it meant being impulsive and not caring about time efficiency.


    But now, he was actually considering efficiency and even asking for help. It had to be said that this was a big improvement for a boy of his age.


    Natasha immediately replied, "Don''t go into the water. Repeat, don''t go into the water. Blindly rescuing without understanding the underwater situation can backfire."


    "We will immediately send professional personnel for rescue. You head to the west. The situation there is too intense. I need you to rescue the pilots of two helicopters, and then have them return to the battlefield immediately. Remember, tell them to fly high before entering, otherwise they will definitely be shot down!"


    Spider-Man immediately left the area, and soon after, the unlucky pilot who had fallen into the water was rescued. At the same time, Spider-Man had also rescued the other two pilots.


    Looking up, the armed helicopter team had suffered heavy losses. Of the nine armed helicopters that entered first, only three remained. If it weren''t for the protection of the shockwave woman, Hawkeye, and Natasha''s three helicopters, they would have been shot down long ago.


    Although human technology was strong, therge bats had the advantage. They were numerous and agile, and once hit, they immediately used magic to escape. Their healing abilities were also very strong, and they quickly returned to the battlefield.


    Natasha frowned as she observed the situation. She shouted into the inte with her eagle eyes, "This won''t work! I''ve seen a bat three or four times already, and it''s always the same one! If we keep going like this, they''ll be endless."


    At this moment, under the dark night of Dark, bats covered the sky over the Brooklyn Bridge, likeyers of terrifying curtains shrouding the bridge and the river. The gunfire shed incessantly, and asional screams made the scene even more horrifying.


    After a while, J.A.R.V.I.S''s voice came over the inte, "1200 special night vision devices have entered the field, and the ultraviolet radiation devices are being set up."


    Natasha said, "Leave two devices for me, don''t deploy them yet. We''ll give them a big surprise from the air!"


    Then she shouted to Shockwave, "Daisy, are you confident in controlling a device weighing about 120 kilograms?"


    "At most 5 minutes!" Daisy, wearing a tight suit, hung below the helicopter. She waved her hand, and a bat was knocked away from a distance. In the midst of the battle, she said, "My ability is destruction, not control! And I have to allocate energy to protect the safety of the helicopter. If it''s a device that requires delicate control, I can only handle it for a maximum of 5 minutes!"


    "That''s enough. J.A.R.V.I.S, inform Stark that the airdrop target is Hawkeye''s helicopter."


    "Daisy, be prepared. Once the devices are deployed, immediately take control and make them fly southeast, then stabilize. It will only take a maximum of three minutes...no, two minutes! You just need to hold on for two minutes, and we will use our formation to force the bats in that direction!"


    At this moment, Natasha''s voice came through Spider-Man''s walkie-talkie, she said, "Spider-Man, try to make some noise under the bridge to make the bats fly. Try to drive them to the southeast and make them stay in mid-air for a while."


    "Watch this!"


    Spider-Man hung up themunication, jumped high in the air, andnded on the riverbank under the bridge. Countless ck tentacles stretched out from behind him, like a spider web, sticking to countless boulders on the riverbank, and then fiercely stuck them to the bottom of the bridge. In an instant, arge group of bats flew up like startled sparrows.


    "This move is really cool! Let''s make an even bigger web and throw them over!"


    Venom directly stuck a tentacle on the bridge pir, and then the ck slime exploded, forming a huge spider web.


    Peter grabbed the spider web and swung it a few times, and then threw it forward fiercely. Suddenly, a dozen bats in mid-air were caught and trapped by the web. Peter hung on the top of the bridge pir and with a little force, arge group of bats were thrown into the range of the ultraviolet generator in the southeast.


    Natasha eximed, "Beautiful! Spider-Man! I underestimated you!"

 Chapter 122: The Bat Event (4)

    Chapter 122: The Bat Event (4)


    In mid-air, around the flower bud-shaped ultraviolet generator, there were many bats circling. The ground troops'' machine gunners and snipers were creating a ring of firepower, preventing the bats from flying out of the generator''s range.


    Spider-Man discovered Venom''s new usage. After undergoing training from Iron Man and Batman''s Devil, this symbiote had quickly adapted to Spider-Man''s unconventionalbat methods.


    First, Spider-Man used Venom''s secretion to weave arge web, then jumped high from a bridge pir like a real spider and threw the web. The web always captured dozens of bats, which were then thrown into the range of the ultraviolet generator. In no time, hundreds of bats were sessfully caught.


    Natasha looked at the increasing number of bats around the ultraviolet generator, but still frowned and said, "No, this is not enough. We must eliminate more than one-third of their living forces at once, otherwise the situation will remain difficult."


    Human beings were not at an advantage when fighting superhuman beings, especially when their numbers were sorge, almost on par with humans. Moreover, the terrain was not conducive to the use of human weapons, such as missiles, as the Brooklyn Bridge could not withstand intense explosions.


    Quake Daisy shouted, "Hurry up! My frequency is gradually weakening. The distance is too far. I can only control it for another two minutes at most!"


    Without hesitation, Natasha put away the walkie-talkie, walked directly to the cockpit of the armed helicopter, lifted the pilot up, and sat in the seat herself, shouting, "Everyone, prepare to parachute and evacuate!"


    As she manipted the helicopter, Natasha used the walkie-talkie and said, "Attention all members of Team 2! Prepare to evacuate! Follow my trajectory, pilots keep up with my movements, machine gunners focus on firepower output, we will force therge group on the east side to move away!"


    Hawkeye Clint also shouted into the inte, "No! That''s too dangerous! Stark''s ultraviolet device has a high power output, you can''t get too close, otherwise you''ll be instantly melted like those bats!!"Natasha fully utilized her Russianbat style, directly hanging up the inte, disregarding Hawkeye''s protests. She pulled down the control lever with force and the armed helicopter flew towards the pile of bats.


    The regr crew had already parachuted and left, leaving only Natasha and the gunner. The pilot on the second aircraft gritted his teeth and followed them. The gunner on their aircraft had already sacrificed, and Clint cursed under his breath before taking his ce and preparing to output firepower.


    The remaining two armed helicopters flew towards arge group of bats in the east. Hawkeye controlled the main firepower output while Natasha provided tactical cover with the helicopter. There was also Quake, a powerful weapon, on the second helicopter. Although she needed to allocate some of her energy to control the ultraviolet device, she could still use her quake to drive group after group of bats towards their destination.


    Just as dozens of bats reached the range of the generator, Natasha shouted into the inte, "Daisy! Start now!"


    Quake gritted her teeth, her hair flying continuously in the wind from the helicopter''s propellers. She reached out a hand and Hawkeye said, "Wait! Let''s prepare to leave first. Do you want to be blown up here?"


    "No! Someone must maintain the firepower output. Second aircraft, retreat first, I''ll followter!"


    "Natasha! Are you crazy? Why are you still moving forward?!" Hawkeye stuck his head out and saw Natasha''s helicopter continuing to move forward, forcing a bunch of bats who wanted to escape.


    Daisy said, "Hurry up! I can''t hold on much longer!"


    "Evacuate now!" Natasha''s voice sounded very calm. Hawkeye didn''t know where she got such confidence, so he could only grit his teeth and equip himself with grappling hooks and parachutes, then jumped off the helicopter with Daisy. In the moment they jumped, Daisy clenched her fists tightly.


    Suddenly, two ultraviolet devices floating in the air exploded violently, shining like a sun over the Brooklyn Bridge.


    The intense explosion apanied by high-intensity ultraviolet radiation spreading out instantly turned all bats within the range of the devices into flying ash.


    Next to the giant sun, a small ck figure fell, and then another ck figure swung over with spider web and caught her directly. When Spider-Man ced Natasha on the top of the Brooklyn Bridge pile, Venom said in his mind, "She has a really nice figure, right?"


    Peter''s face turned red immediately, fortunately he was wearing a mask. Natasha patted the dust off her body, turned around, and looked at her achievements.


    This tactical operation was indeed astonishingly effective. One-third of the bats hovering over the Brooklyn Bridge were affected by the explosion wave, and the vast majority lost theirbat capability.


    More importantly, vampires are a highly intelligent humanoid species, and as long as they have humanity, they will be afraid.


    Seeing theirpanions turning into dust in an instant, their psychological pressure also increased greatly. It was visible to the naked eye that many bats were no longer hovering in the air, but transformed into human form and tried to escape along the alleyways.


    At this time, an advantage of the Brooklyn Bridge area was demonstrated. The human forces blocked both ends of the bridge. Any bat that wanted to fly out would have to ept the baptism of machine gun and sniper bullets. If they didn''t fly out, they would have to transform into human form, which was smaller in size and less likely to be hit.


    However, within the range of the bridge, transforming into human form would either result in falling onto the bridge surface or into the river, neither of which is a good choice.


    Falling onto the bridge surface would immediately expose one to gunfire. Falling into the river, vampires do not have much mobility in the water and are almost like sitting ducks.


    Except for some advanced vampires who are skilled in using magic, most ordinary vampires can only panic and fly randomly underneath the bridge.


    Just as Natasha was preparing to convey the next step of the battle n, a loud sound of breaking through the air rang out, and she looked up to see several dark shadows approaching rapidly in the distant sky. Natasha said, "The fighter jets areing in!"


    Although armed helicopters can be used inbat, they are not as specialized as fighter jets. Twelve fighter jets emitted sharp screams, cutting through the sky, and almost in one pass, shot down over a dozenrge bats.


    Low-altitudebat is not the strong suit of fighter jets, but the aerialbat skills of fighter jet pilots are much stronger than those of bats that fly randomly.


    Only seeing the three of them forming a small team, executing rapid tactical maneuvers, often able to keep the bats spinning around, the aerial bats were distracted and did not have time to dive towards the ground, immediately greatly relieving the situation on the ground.


    The ground forces primarily have to deal with humanoid advanced vampires who can use various types of magic, such as ws suddenly appearing from ck mist. Even someone with Spider-Man''s speed would barely avoid a few attacks. The chances of survival for ordinary people being ambushed are very slim.


    Therefore, the ground forces are reducing too quickly, and the personnel who need to be reced require more time to organize firepower.


    On the bridge, Steve raised his shield and the sound of ws scraping metal made his scalp tingle. Steve said, "This won''t work! Spider-Man, are you there? We need to find a way to stop them from using magic so recklessly. The damage to ordinary people is too great!"


    Spider-Man''s voice came through the headphones, "Destroy the bridge."


    "What did you say?" Steve said incredulously. "Spider-Man? Hey? Are you okay?"


    "I said we need to destroy the bridge so they don''t have a foothold," Peter''s voice sounded very calm, even a bit low, unlike him. But Steve was attracted to this voice and listened to Peter continue.


    "Just now, I observed that when they transformed into bat form and hovered in the air, they couldn''t use that w magic. They have to transform into human form to use magic."


    "And when they transform into human form, they need a foothold."


    "Now the bridge deck is too spacious, they can use magic recklessly, but once the bridge is destroyed, there will be no t deck, only the wreckage with ups and downs. Humans can use the wreckage as cover."


    "Not only can they avoid magic attacks, but special operations teams have also entered the field. This is their strength."


    Steve opened his mouth and took a deep breath. He said, "Peter, I never thought... Is it really you, Peter?"


    It''s no wonder Steve was so surprised. In his previous exchanges with Peter, he noticed that due to Peter''s young age andck of experience, some of the tactical ns he came up with seemed rather stingy. This is understandable, as you can''t expect a high school student who has only seen street fights toe up with any grand ns. But this time, Peter shocked Steve bying up with a very bold n.


    Peter''s voice was very calm, and now he was full of all the possibilities of this strategy. He said, "Now is the only chance. The bat in the air has been distracted by the fighter jets and won''t interfere with us. The explosion of the ultraviolet device just now has destroyed half of the bridge pier in the southeast direction."


    "We just need to destroy the bridge pier in the southwest direction, and the entire bridge will copse starting from the south. I estimate that about half of the bridge willpletely copse, which will provide a great space for the special operations team to move."


    Steve stood behind a truck, and involuntarily said, "Indeed, the explosion just now caused many bats to run to the bottom of the bridge. Once the bridge copses, many of them can be crushed."


    He stood at the edge of the bridge and looked down. The whole underside of the bridge was filled with glowing red eyes, which looked very creepy. Steve said, "Don''t they like to hide under the bridge surface? Then lure more bats there. At the moment when the bridge copses, even if they are not crushed, they will be shot collectively."


    With the battle n in ce, Steve and Peter began to cooperate in action. They got some explosives from Police Station Chief George, and after a briefmunication with George, the chief expressed that the ground police force would be ready to cooperate with the operation at any time.


    !


    With thismitment, Spider-Man contacted Natasha again. Natasha expressed her strong agreement with their bold n, saying, "Those conservativewmakers only consider the cost of repairing the bridge. Why don''t they think about the fact that every bullet fired now is made of silver? The cost of firepower for this moment is enough to build two bridges."


    "And, your n is too conservative," the female agent from the Soviet Union said firmly, "The greater the amount, the greater the effect! The efficiency of manual transport of explosives is too low!"


    "Listen, I just contacted Stark. The reason he hasn''te yet is because he''s adjusting his Mech armor. Later, there will be about five unmanned Mech armors joining the battlefield, and I will take two of them."


    "All you need to do is load them with enough explosives and then initiate a suicide charge. This way, not only can you copse the bridge, but the intense explosion can also reap a wave of bats that can''t escape in time."


    Steve and Peter both swallowed hard. Steve said, "Actually, we originally only wanted to copse half of the bridge, so that..."


    "Can you Americans have a little more guts?!" the female agent yelled, "If the Soviet Union hadmanders like you, those damn Germans would have already stormed into Moscow!!!"


    "Listen to me! Prepare now! Completely destroy the Brooklyn Bridge!!!"

 Chapter 123: The Bat Event (5)

    Chapter 123: The Bat Event (5)


    In theboratory of Stark Tower, Dr. Connors is leading a group of researchers who are working tirelessly. Soon, his phone rings, and Dr. Connors answers, saying, "Hello, I''m busy right now, can it wait?"


    "I''m Nick. How is the serum research going?"


    "We don''t have enough research samples. You must provide me with at least three more vampire specimens. I am researching a serum, you can''t expect me to create it out of thin air without any blood samples, can you?"


    "I will contact the battlefieldmander." Nick''s voice soundsposed as he says, "How confident are you in being able to break the vampires'' self-healing ability?"


    Dr. Connors, while organizing research materials, says over the phone, "It''s still uncertain at the moment, but it''s more likely that even if it does work, the effect won''t be permanent."


    "This is apletely new field for me. I''ve never dealt with monsters like these before. There is a mysterious factor in their blood that I haven''t been able to fully decipher yet. I can only tell you that the effect you imagine is unlikely to ur."


    "But we must find a way to break their self-healing ability, otherwise this battle will be almost impossible to win."


    "Initially, the group of vampires that controlled the streets of Brooklyn and Queens had over 300 people. We inflicted serious injuries on half of them, but soon they recovered to over 200 people again. As for us, the armed police force has decreased from over 300 people to only 60 people, most of whom are only slightly injured and unable to continue fighting. We can only retreat and wait for reinforcements."


    "With such a disparity in casualties, the longer we drag this out, the harder it will be to win."Connor speaks very fast and exins to Nick, "They are magical products, and you should know more about them than I do. Using scientific means, I may not be able to fully decipher their abilities. As for making their self-healing ability disappearpletely, I can only tell you that it is impossible."


    "But I have a better idea. If sessful, it may not only decipher one of their abilities but even make thempletely lose theirbat effectiveness."


    "What are you waiting for? What do you need? Research samples? I''ll contact Spider-Man right now and have him catch a few and send them to you."


    After a while, Dr. Connors heard a loud noise on the window. Spider-Man crashed into the ss of the Stark Tower, and then he used a spider web to stick to the nearby window to avoid falling off.


    He dragged arge ck with two or three struggling bats inside. He opened the window with great difficulty and dragged the inside. Dr. Connors stood in front of him with his arms crossed and said, "Couldn''t you knock them out before bringing them in?"


    "Sorry, Doctor. I didn''t know if you wanted thempletely alive. If I punched them, their heads might not be usable."


    Connor thought he made sense, and then he said, "Are you nning to go to the battlefield again? Let me tell you, it''s not happening! Stay here and help me finish the first phase of the research before you can leave."


    "But we have a big n. We''re going to..."


    "Listen, I don''t care what you n to do. I only know that with the current situation, whether or not you''re here doesn''t make much of a difference. But if you stay in theboratory, we may be able to solve this problem fundamentally."


    "But..." Peter was a little discouraged. He knew Dr. Connors was right.


    His n to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge was no longer needed. Just now, Stark had entered the field and couldmand the unmanned Mech armor andunch a suicide attack. At this stage of the war, the individual''s power was not significant anymore.


    Fighter jets entered the field, and special operations forces began to act. Currently, the entire battlefield has entered the edge of strategic counterattacks, and the next step is to fight in groups, which ismonly known as a shootout.


    Spider-Man may be able to use his superhuman physical abilities to grab some french fries on the battlefield, but the effectiveness of individual heroes in this kind of major battle has been reduced to a minimum, except for Iron Man''s Mech armor, explosives, and Shockwave Girl''s group attacks.


    Most other superheroes and agents have basically retreated to the edge of the battlefield to start rescue work. Reason tells Peter that he is needed more in theboratory right now.


    In the past, Spider-Man would have been itching to join in such a big scene, but this time, Peter quickly calmed down. He almost immediately took off his mask and nned to change clothes to enter theboratory.


    Connors was somewhat surprised. He was ready to use his patience to coax Peter first, knowing that few boys of this age could resist the temptation of being a hero in a big scene.


    After all, the hero behind the scenes is still behind the scenes, and no one wants to attract more attention. Connors has known Peter''s personality for a long time. Perhaps another identity has been suppressed for too long in daily life, and Peter as Spider-Man really loves to show off.


    As a result, Peter changed his clothes and walked in, saying, "Where do we start now? Is there any preliminary material I can look at?"


    Connors handed him some materials, and Peter actually found a ce to sit down and started reading them carefully.


    Watching his back, Connors said that although Peter''s body is much stronger than before, he is still just a teenager, which is very inconsistent with his current very calm state. Connors said, "Now that I think about it, you are only 16 years old, and maybe our expectations of you are a bit high."


    "I remember when I was 16 years old, I used to skip school every day and hang out with a group of people. At that time, as long as I left school, I thought everything was fun, even the telegraph poles on the side of the road were more interesting than those in school."


    Peter looked up in surprise and said, "I thought you were a good student."


    Dr. Connors smiled and shook his head, saying, "Actually, I didn''t start studying until I got to college. I was always fooling around in high school."


    Then he said with some emotion, "When I was admitted to Harvard Medical School, I was a bit dissatisfied. If I hadn''t been admitted, I could have gone abroad to study books. But Harvard Medical School is also good, so I stayed."


    Peter swallowed his saliva and immediately lowered his head, burying himself in studying.


    In fact, this research project wasmissioned by Nick to Stark. Nick knew very well how rare this opportunity was. The members of Congress rarely rxed their stance and approved the use of heavy firepower against the vampire invasion in New York. So they had to act quickly and decisively to solve the vampire problem from the root.


    If the time dragged on for too long, it would give the moderates room for mediation, which was something the director of SHIELD did not want to see.


    The responsibility of dealing with vampires has always fallen on SHIELD, but dealing with these creatures is thankless and challenging. If it weren''t for Nick''s conscience, others might not even bother to deal with them.


    These creatures are very troublesome. They have two forms and can use magic. Moreover, their self-healing ability is extremely strong. As long as they are notpletely shot in the head or pierced through the heart, they will quickly recover. Even advanced agents may be at risk when facing them.


    But it''s SHIELD''s duty to deal with these creatures, so they have to do it. Nick really hates the high cost, low return, and unreimbursed bills. So he naturally wants to take this opportunity to solve the problem once and for all.


    He also knows very well that machine guns and cannons alone cannotpletely eliminate these creatures. He hopes to approach it from a biological perspective and have genius Stark create a biological weapon for him, preferably one that can transform vampires into humans. If that''s not possible, then abolish their special abilities.


    So genius Stark directly handed this task to Connors, while Iron Man had other things to do.


    Since the day Stark was inspired by Schiller, he has been full of inspiration and doing all sorts of things in theboratory. Coulson and Hill were scared that Stark would identally create a wave of steel and a crisis of artificial intelligence if they weren''t careful.


    But the ones who were even more scared were the politicians who watched Stark''s speech video. Hill shot the video really well and didn''t capture Schiller''s warning to Stark. Instead, she began recording from the climax of Stark''s speech.


    Throughout the video, Stark was like a crazy genius scientist, passionately describing his dangerous thoughts that could destroy the world at any moment. When he talks about his field of expertise, he bes crazy and neurotic, which is amon trait among geniuses.


    He rambles on about his crazy ideas, muttering a bunch of professional terms that normal people can''t understand, asionally mentioning things like "mechanical domination of the world," "inorganic entities conquering everything," and "carbon-based organisms are all rubbish."


    Just by watching this video, the politicians were scared out of their wits because they knew very well that Stark was capable of doing these things.


    Everyone knew that Stark was now facing various difficulties because he set himself a bottom line and was unwilling to use unconventional means to deal with his opponents. Otherwise, not even the military, let alone all the power on Capitol Hillbined, could stop Stark''s Mech armor army.


    In fact, they had no way topletely resist Stark. Everything depended on Stark''s own moral bottom line. The military and the congress had considered what to do if Stark went crazy one day, but the answer was that there was no way, they could only pray that he wouldn''t go insane.


    They all knew that even if Stark Industries went bankrupt and Tony Stark became a homeless person, if you gave him a junkyard, he would still be able to give you an army of high-tech weapons within a few days. Even in the terrible situation in Afghanistan, Stark was able toe out on top in the end.


    Therefore, they almost lifted all restrictions on SHIELD and gave Nick full authority, demanding that he immediately and ruthlessly deal with the vampire invasion without giving Stark any excuse to interfere.


    In their view, Stark''s speech was not just about the vampire problem.


    These politicians like to imagine things. In their view, it was because the military had oppressed Stark too harshly recently that he warned them like this, to tell them that he had the power to destroy the world.


    The congressmen chose to face the problem of vampires and eliminate these creatures by any means necessary, which was also a statement to Stark. As long as you are willing to maintain your moral bottom line, we can help you maintain it too. You don''t need to use your abilities beyond this line, and then everyone can live peacefully.


    Of course, Stark was toozy to think about these twisted thoughts. He was currently on the battlefield,manding his army of Mech armor to kill.

 Chapter 124: The Bat Event (6)

    Chapter 124: The Bat Event (6)


    Overhead of Brooklyn Bridge, Rhodey flew quickly in his Mech armor over the ground troops, then mmed a bat attempting to ambush him to the ground and delivered two heavy punches.


    Upon receiving a signal from Stark in the sky, Director George raised his hand and shouted into themunication device, "Attention all! Prepare for suppressive fire! Force them down under the bridge!"


    Captain America swung his shield, knocking back two humanoid vampires beside him, then feigned defeat and jumped off the bridge, with the vampires following suit without hesitation.


    In their eyes, this guy carrying a shield was just slightly stronger than an ordinary person. If it weren''t for the fact that the shield was so tough, they would have broken through Steve''s defense long ago.


    With the advantage on our side, the two vampires chased Steve relentlessly,pletely unaware that there were several peculiar Mech armors heading towards the bridge piers from overhead.


    Natasha stood on the rooftop of a truck behind the line of fire, watching as Stark''s self-destructing Mech armor was ready. She said, "Listen, the detonation sequence is as follows: we can ignore the heavily damaged Pier 1 for now, as the st wave from the subsequent explosions will destroy it. We need to blow up the sturdiest pier first, and it has to be done in one go, without giving the bats under the bridge time to react..."


    Stark said from the sky, "Mech armors 4 and 5 are in position, ready for detonation. J.A.R.V.I.S, calcte the st radius..."


    "st radius confirmed, all friendly forces have evacuated, flight trajectory calcted... preparing for detonation... 3... 2... 1..."


    Stark hovered above the Brooklyn Bridge, watching as several streaks of light rushed towards the bottom of the bridge. Upon contact with the pirs, mes erupted and a loud explosion shook his eardrums. Bricks were sted hundreds of meters into the air and the entire bridge copsed with a cloud of cigarette smoke and dust shrouding the battlefield.J.A.R.V.I.S.''s voice rang through themunication devices, "The demolition was sessful and achieved the desired effect. We can proceed with the next phase of the operation..."


    Stark asked, "How many enemies were eliminated?"


    "Based on the biological scan responses of the surrounding Mech armor, the copse of the bridge resulted in the death of 132 vampires and about 120 are still recovering from their injuries," replied J.A.R.V.I.S.


    Before J.A.R.V.I.S. could finish, Natasha shouted, "Track their location! Send it to the night vision masks! Take out those severely injured vampires right now!"


    Stark clicked his tongue in the sky. He had just seen a bat that had both wings pierced by nails struggle and p twice before flying out from under tworge boulders that were pressing it down. In just a few minutes, it was able to fly crookedly again.


    "This regenerative ability is deadly. Hopefully, Conners'' team can hurry up. If we keep going like this, it''ll never end," said Stark.


    However, the situation on the battlefield was still improving. With the coordination of the fighter jet squadron, the ground special forces, heavy firepower cover, and the infiltration of Stark Mech armor troops, the formation of the vampires was disrupted severely. The wave of the bridge explosion had eliminated most of their forces, leaving only some high-level vampires to resist stubbornly.


    The strategic counterattack phase has fully begun, and the human defense line continues to advance. The machine gun''s gunfire and grenade explosions are continuous, and sharp screams asionally ring out from the ground.


    de held an assault rifle and a burst of bullets, and opened up the head of a high-level vampire. He takes a deep puff of his cigarette and tosses the cigarette butt under his feet, saying, "It looks like we won''t need three days. We can take care of them tonight..."


    As soon as he finishes speaking, he senses that something is not right. Suddenly, a red light shines on a rooftop in the Brooklyn area.


    Immediately following, this beam of red light begins to materialize slowly into the shape of a bat.


    Of course, Stark also sees this scene, and frowning, he says, "What is that? Why are people still ying light shows on the battlefield?"


    de curses to himself and picks up the radio, shouting, "They are performing that mysterious ritual!! Stop them now!!!"


    Before he can finish speaking, Captain America dashes at supersonic speed and jumps directly onto the rooftop. However, it''s toote; Steve sees a huge mysterious magic circle on the rooftop, but there is no one there.


    "How do I destroy this thing?" Steve asks.


    Before he can finish, the battlefield is filled with screams. All the vampires illuminated by the red bat''s light emit inhuman screams and then transform into bat-like monsters, with wing spans of over 10 meters, spikes growing out of their wing skeletons, and fangs bing longer and longer. Their faces change from normal bat faces to terrifying monster appearances.


    More importantly, the red light in their eyes began to intensify, and then they collectively lost their sanity and began indiscriminately attacking everyone around them.


    Even the high-level vampires were not spared, but they turned into bat monsters with thick ck mist surrounding them. Several police officers inhaled some of the ck mist and immediately fell to the ground, clutching their necks.


    "Quick! Wear gas masks! Hurry!" Chief George shouted.


    But it was already toote, the police officers who had inhaled the ck mist also started to struggle, growing wings on their backs and turning into frenzied bat monsters.


    Previously, the vampires'' attacks also had infectious abilities, but the conversion speed was rtively slow. Once infection was detected, these personnel would be immediately removed from the battlefield for treatment.


    However, the police officers who had inhaled the ck mist turned into bat monsters almost instantly, without even a chance to receive treatment. Chief George''s eyes turned red with anger as he shouted, "Open fire! Indiscriminate attack! Blow up these monsters for me!!!"


    Iron Man elerated to full speed, grabbing hold of a bat monster and diving down, then sting a shot at the bat''s head. However, instead of stopping its struggles, the monster became even more frenzied.


    "They are being controlled by something!" Stark said, "Damn it! Isn''t a headshot supposed to be a fatal wound?"


    The voice of de came over the inte, "That''s the power of the undead. Use fire! Burn them to ashespletely! It''s the only way to kill them. Hurry! Prepare the methrowers!"


    However, no one expected such a change in the situation. The methrower, an unconventional weapon, was not equipped by anybat unit.


    Thebat effectiveness of the mutated bats has been greatly enhanced. Neither headshots nor piercing their hearts can kill them. They have also berger in size, stronger in strength, and incredibly insane. They do not fear, only attack.


    The situation on the battlefield was instantly reversed, and humanity was pushed back. Even Stark was a bit flustered under the siege of these crazy bat monsters.


    Finally, after being hit by a bat, Stark angrily said, "J.A.R.V.I.S! Connect me to myboratory in Stark Tower!"


    A familiar voice answered on the other end of themunication, "I''m assisting Connors with research, what''s up?"


    "Help me manually override the highest-level security protocols!" Stark said in a deep voice.


    "Are you sure? Didn''t you say you would do this when the situation became desperate?"


    "It''s already desperate now," Stark said, looking at more and more humans being transformed into bat monsters. The overwhelming monsters almost blocked out all the moonlight. "Quick! It''s not a time to consider the cost!"


    Schiller took the phone and walked to a door in theboratory. He entered a password that Stark had left for him and went inside. There was only a lever inside, and Schiller first ced his hand on the screen. When he heard two beeps, he pulled the lever down.


    Next, on the rooftop of Stark Tower, a lighthouse-like light started to spin. The door of a weapons warehouse located on the top floor opened, and dozens of Mech armors with heavy weapons flew out.


    The most important thing was that two huge steel monsters also walked out, one of which looked a lot like the one Obadiah drove before, and the other was somewhat simr to General Johnson''s tentacle steel monster, but with some modifications.


    These two giant steel monsters walked out and jumped from the rooftop of Stark Tower to another rooftop, and then quickly rushed towards the battlefield.


    With the addition of two giant Mech armors, the fierce battle was somewhat alleviated.


    These steel monsters wererge enough to handle both the ground and the air, and they could tear apart a bat with ease. Additionally, the steel monster that Obadiah drove had a built-in me thrower, which killed many crazy bats.


    As a result, the situation in the battle had just improved, and more vampires joined the fight. It seemed that theirmander intentionally chose this moment to send them into battle. The vampires rushed into the battlefield and were immediately irradiated by a red light, turning into even more crazy bats.


    Even Iron Man and his Mech armor troops had to temporarily retreat and avoid their attacks. Conners received a call from Stark, who said, "Conners, when will your support arrive? We can''t hold on much longer over here!"


    Peter was holding a test tube and said, "Doctor, I think we''re close to sess. This serum should temporarily deactivate the vampires'' self-healing ability."


    "Correct, but the condition is that we must cause effective damage to them within the maintenance time of this effect. That is to say, we must first retake our position."


    Peter looked up at Conners and saw him take out a syringe. Peter said, "Wait! Doctor... What is that? It can''t be..."


    On the battlefield, Stark dove down and tore off the wing of a bat, sttering blood on his Mech armor. He cursed, "Damn it! It''s so filthy!"


    Before he could finish speaking, the bat''s wing started to grow back.


    Steve was almost buried in a pile of bats. He struggled to hold up his shield and knocked one bat far away with a swing, but it flew back shortly after.


    Hawkeye hid behind a wreckage of a bridge, quickly drawing his bow and shooting arrows. His arms were trembling when he saw Quake hitting the ground knocking bats away, providing tactical support.


    "Iron Man! Fall back quickly! They..."


    Natasha didn''t finish her sentence before Stark was tackled by arger bat, its fangs biting into the left arm of his Mech armor. Sparks flew out, and Stark yelled, "Activate the electric shock!"


    A strong surge of electricity burst out, paralyzing the bat. Stark took the opportunity to break free. Before his Mech armor could take off, the bat chased after him again.


    The airflow from the bat''s wings made Stark''s Mech armor unstable. Just as it was about to be tackled again, Steve swung his shield and struck one of the bat''s wings. The bat veered off, and Stark pulled up, saying, "Thanks!"


    "You behind you!" Steve shouted.


    Stark had just turned his head when a violent gust of wind hit him. Obviously, a bat had been lurking nearby for a long time. Stark tried to dodge, but it was toote. The bat was too close to him. Stark said, "Initiate the escape program! Then self-destruct the Mech armor!"


    "Not now, if you eject now, the altitude is too high, and you''ll be in danger." J.A.R.V.I.S replied.


    Stark caught a glimpse of Steve on the ground and said, "Initiate escape! Now!"


    A figure was ejected from the Mech armor, and then the armor exploded with a brilliant sh of light. The explosion sent the two bats flying, one of which was burned to a crisp.


    Steve jumped and caught Stark, then ced him on the ground. Before Stark could say anything else, they both felt a giant shadow looming overhead.


    They turned around to see a huge green monster over ten meters tall behind them. It stepped on the bat that had flown away, crushing it into a pulp. The lizard monster, as big as a small hill, leaned down and fixed its huge vertical pupils on Stark. It spat venom at him and said, "Your backup has arrived."

 Chapter 125: The Bat Event (7)

    Chapter 125: The Bat Event (7)


    Stark put on his lightweight Mech armor again and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Steve on the ground, Captain America holding his shield. They looked at the enormous monster in front of them, and Captain America swallowed hard, saying, "Don''t tell me that he was the one who invaded Stark Towerst time..."


    Stark looked at the massive shadow in front of him and also swallowed hard, saying, "I think...probably, maybe..."


    He hesitated for a moment, then shouted, "Connors! Are you Connors?! Can you understand us now?!"


    "Of course, you don''t need to shout so loudly, I''m not deaf," the giant Lizard Man said. "I used cold technology to improve the lizard serum, extracting and modifying the part that would cause human-lizard transformation. It allows me to have arger size and stronger strength, but most importantly, it allows me to remain rational."


    Stark rubbed his neck, which was sore from looking up for a long time, and said, "The improvement is indeed too significant!"


    Stark was right. Dr. Connors'' Lizard Man is now over ten meters tall, like a building, with lizard scales all over his body and prominent spikes on his joints. The spine is covered in sharp bone spurs, and hisrge vertical pupils look cruel and ruthless.


    "Wait, now that you''re here, what about the experiment?" Stark asked.


    "I entrusted it to Peter, I believe he can handle it," Connors replied. He then made a sprinting leap and jumped directly onto the highest remaining wreckage of the Brooklyn Bridge after its copse. With a powerful swing of his tail, several bats were instantly knocked away.


    Connor did indeed pass all remaining research tasks to Peter, but it''s apparent that Peter is not doing well at the moment. He said, "Wait! Doctor! You must wear ab coat to enter theboratory... Hey! Don''t touch that test tube, you can''t pour directly from it..."Schillerpletely ignored him, picked up a test tube, and waved it in front of his eyes. Peter walked over wearing gloves, carefully took the test tube from Schiller, and said, "Doctor! This vitesboratory regtions! We need to..."


    "Alright, if I could follow theboratory regtions, I wouldn''t havee in after Connor left."


    "But..."


    "Connor has already left, don''t worry about those serums. Let''s work on something more interesting."


    As he spoke, Peter saw that Schiller had somehow pulled out a stack of blueprints. Peter took the design from Schiller, nced at it, and said, "What is this? A small-scale cryogenic generator? Isn''t this the same as the previous cryogenic technology?"


    "Exactly. I had someone design a small-scale cryogenic device that can freeze everything within its range."


    "So, it''s a weapon? What''s the use?"


    Schiller sat down, then he tapped the table, indicating for Peter to sit down as well. He said, "The biggest problem right now is that ordinary people cannot deal with these monsters. But what if everyone had an effective means of countering vampires? What do you think would happen?"


    "That group of vampires is doomed," Peter said without hesitation. "How many people are in the Brooklyn area? Even if we exclude the vulnerable groups and only count those who have worked out and can fight, there must be at least tens of thousands of people, while those bats are only a few thousand at most..."


    Then Peter suddenly realized something and said, "Yeah, that''s actually a good idea!"


    "If we use regr guns, the vampires'' self-healing ability is too strong. Even if we shoot holes in their wings, it won''t do much good. We need a weapon that can immediately stop their activities, so that ordinary people have a chance to fight back," Schiller exined.


    Peter continued Schiller''s words, "Freezing can do this. Once a shot is fired and the bat is frozen into an ice block, it won''t be able to cause any harm to humans, and since they aren''t injured, they won''t trigger any self-healing abilities either. They just won''t be able to move..."


    Peter imagined the scene where a physically fit person could throw a low-temperature generator at a bat diving towards them and could incapacitate the bat quite effectively.


    There is also an advantage in that the bats turned into vampires are veryrge, with wingspans often several meters long. This would have brought even greater danger to many people fighting them because therger body size means greater strength. Regr bullets hitting them would heal in a few seconds, and even silver bullets would only slightly interfere with their movements. In the interval between gunfire, the bats could easily knock someone down.


    However, with this freezing device that can immediately control them, theirrge size bes their weakness, because therger the body size, the easier it is to hit. Once hit, whether freezing a wing or another part, they will surely fall from the air and lose their ability to move.


    Peter said, "The idea is great, but implementation might be difficult." He looked at the design blueprint and said, "The cost of this thing is too high, it can''t be widely used."


    Schiller shrugged and said, "That''s your problem, I''m just an ordinary psychologist."


    Peter rubbed his chin. He could see that this equipment could bring about a huge change in the situation, but at the same time, it seemed like a rich person''s toy in his eyes. The cost of just one of these devices was up to hundreds of thousands of dors, and it was disposable. Mass application would simply burn through money, even if it could freeze a few bats, it would still be a loss.


    "This can''t be designed by Mr. Stark, can it? Well, he can afford to use it like this, but if we want to poprize this device, the exorbitant cost would drive Director Nick Fury crazy."


    Peter propped his head up with one hand and focused on the design blueprint, when Venom spoke in his mind, "I have an idea."


    Peter asked in confusion, "You can understand mechanical design blueprints?"


    "Of course I can."


    "Then how do you propose we do it?"


    "Miniaturize it, make it single-user, make it standard-issue. We can..."


    Peter felt the brainwaves transmitted by Venom and said, "Of course, it would be great if we could achieve those points, but there are also many problems with miniaturized weapons..."


    Peter continued, "In order to reduce costs, the bullets it uses must be stored in liquid form, which is the most suitable storage method for low-temperature technology."


    "But if the liquid energy is reced by solid bullets, there will be a certain firing time required, and those bats are very fast. This dyed firing is likely to allow the gun holder to be attacked before they can even shoot."


    "But this kind of weapon cannot use solid bullets, the process of conversion is necessary."


    "Have you ever considered that the attack method doesn''t have to be shooting bullets?" Schiller said. "What about close-range spraying?"


    Peter was taken aback for a moment and said, "That makes sense. If the remote attack method requires a certain amount of preparation time, then this weapon can also be equipped with a close-range attack method. The preparation time required for spraying is much less than that of solid bullets, and it can provide continuous output, which is suitable for close-rangebat..."


    Then Peter seemed to change his personality, focusing on the design drawing and saying, "We can design two attack modes for this gun. One is to shoot ice cones with a dyed shot, and the other is to shoot freezing mist for close-rangebat. This basically solves the problem of switching between near and farbat."


    Peter stood up from his chair with the design drawing and said, "Both of these options can be considered. One is a frozen gun with two attack modes, and the other is arge-scale freezing device that can be used as a hand grenade. Ordinary personnel can only be equipped with frozen guns, while elite personnel in the center of the battlefield can be equipped with a portion of therge-scale freezing device."


    Schiller sat in his chair and pped his hands, saying, "You''re about to be the savior of this war, Peter."


    "Well, I''ll try to make one first now. J.A.R.V.I.S, are you there?"


    "Production Unit 2 is ready, Mr. Peter."


    Peter rubbed his hands together and said excitedly, "This is actually my first time really making weapons. I didn''t remember much of what Mr. Stark told me before, but now it''s alling back to me, and it''s clear."


    "That means you''re a genius," Schiller said. "By the way, what do you n to name this set of weapons?"


    "Um..." Peter hesitated for a moment and said, "Although I refined the concept, I feel like this idea wasn''t originally mine. What do you n to call it, Doctor?"


    "How about Blizzard?"


    "Blizzard? That''s fitting for thatrge-scale freezing device."


    "Then let''s go with that name. Go ahead, I''m waiting for your Blizzard Alpha test version."


    After Peter left, Schiller called Nick and said, "I''m almost ready on my end. How are things on your side?"


    "The moderate faction has been lobbying the senators non-stop, and they''ve even gone to the Security Council, but Pierce has held up under the pressure. I can only buy us another two days at most. You better hurry."


    After hanging up the phone, Stark, wearing the Mech Armorbat suit, quickly walked into theboratory and saw Schiller writing and drawing on theb table. Stark anxiously asked, "What''s going on? Could those senators really have been swayed by vampires?"


    He opened his face mask and said, "Director George told me that someone contacted him and asked him not to userge-scale firepower anymore. Damn it, those bats are so crazy, but he tells us not to fight back?"


    "How''s the situation on the battlefield now?" Schiller asked.


    "It''s not too optimistic," Stark gulped down arge ss of water and then mmed the cup onto the table. It was clear that he was not in a good mood. He said, "The Lizard Doctor has been a big help. He''s torn apart a lot of bats and held off most of the pressure on the front line. And Captain America, I have to admit, that guy knows how to fight..."


    "Our cooperation is pretty good. We can share most of the firepower on the nks, and the other nk is guarded by SHIELD agents. It seems like they can hold on for now, but this is not a sustainable strategy."


    "The sun will be up soon," Schiller said. "You guys hold on for one more wave of attacks. Once the sunes up, their attacks should weaken."


    "But the vampire hunter named de told me that under the effect of a certain ritual, these crazy bats can even resist mild sunlight."


    "However, this does not mean that their mobility will not be weakened. As soon as daytime arrives, arge portion of vampires will definitely choose to lie low."


    "Well, it seems that our task during the day is not on the battlefield. What is Nick Fury doing? Why did he let those vampires gain the upper hand in public opinion?"


    While writing, Schiller didn''t even look up and said, "You have to understand that their connection to human society is very close, including many schr, professors and celebrities. This time, our attitude was too tough, and many of them have united to try to influence our decisions from within."


    Stark sighed and said, "Many police officers were injured, and even more civilians were killed. Fortunately, our decisive battle took ce near the bridge, not in the residential area. Otherwise, I dare not think about how devastating the losses would be. These monsters should go to hell!"


    "Your battle has temporarily ended, but another war is waiting for you."


    "What do you mean?"


    "This all-out attack by vampires is indeed troublesome. Some of them believed in a vague prophecy and came to New York to stir up trouble."

 Chapter 126: The Bat Event (8)

    Chapter 126: The Bat Event (8)


    It took Stark about 20 minutes to carefully read through the report. Then he threw the stack of papers on the table and said, "Nonsense throughout."


    "Anyone with a college-level or higher education in biology can tell that this isplete rubbish," he continued.


    "After all, I''m just a psychologist with no background in biology, and this is just an outline. The specifics will depend on you genius scientists," he hesitated, picking up the report again. "It might seem reasonable to ayperson, but in reality, it''s absurd. Bute to think of it, it does make some sense..."


    Stark looked conflicted as he held the report and said, "Vampire blood containing immortal factors that humans can utilize? That''s too far-fetched... But okay, can you exin this part in detail?"


    "Didn''t Dr. Connors already mention it? Their blood contains a type of magic factor that science cannot decipher. So I gave it a name, ''immortal factor.'' Is that too much?" replied the other person.


    "Well, I guess that''s somewhat usible, considering you''re the only one who understands magic among us. Besides..." Stark hesitated and asked, "Are you sure this factor can really grant immortality?"


    "Whether it can truly grant immortality is not important. What matters is, when you saw this conclusion, did you feel any excitement?" the person replied.


    "Or, when you asked that question just now, what were you thinking?" Stark pursed his lips, lowered his gaze, and casually ced the stack of materials down. "Okay, I admit, any human would have had that thought. How wonderful it would be to live forever..."


    "I am not greedy, but I really feel that if I could have 500 years... no, just 300 years, I could really change the world..."His Adam''s apple moved, then he turned his head to look out the window and said, "You''re really a devil. When I saw this sentence, for a moment, I even wanted to use some uncontroble power to capture and study these monsters..."


    "No one can resist this temptation," Schiller said. "Even if he is a saint, when faced with a lifespan of less than 100 years, he will feel a sense of sadness."


    "That''s humanity. Humans often live briefly but brilliantly, and we often take pride in that."


    "But if it could be less brief, would you not be moved?" Stark shrugged and said, "Well, are you trying to persuade Congress and the Security Council to go after vampires by making them want immortality?"


    "No, I want to persuade you."


    "Persuade me? Persuade me to do what? Isn''t my determination to deal with vampires strong enough? Even without this temptation, I would want to eliminate them all."


    "The problem is the method of elimination. Your individual Mech armor is not very effective against them, but once you userge-scale armed forces, it will attract too much attention from powerful entities. However, you still have a better option."


    "What do you mean?"


    Schiller took a pair of headphones out of his coat pocket and handed them to Stark, then said, "I''ve arranged a guest, and he should be in the conference room by now."


    "Thank you for giving me the highest level of security permission, which allows me to invite others as you to visit."


    "Wait! Whom did you invite?" Stark put on his headphones, then he was pushed out of theboratory by Schiller. He had a very bad feeling, Stark said, "Don''t tell me you invited some important political figure from Congress here. My goodness! I can''t handle them! No! Wait... I''m not going..."


    "Don''t worry, it''s not those politicians."


    Stark looked suspiciously at Schiller, but Schiller said nothing. They stared at each other for a while, and Stark said, "Damn it, you''re a liar, Doctor! You did it on purpose, didn''t you? You tricked me into giving you the highest level of security permission!"


    "Don''t be so harsh. You opened it up to me yourself."


    Ten minutester, when Stark met Norman Osborne in the conference room, he covered his forehead and whispered to his headphones, "I''m going to deduct your sry! I''m not joking!! Why did you invite this old man here?"


    "Well, now that he''s seen you, it''s no use avoiding him. Listen, I want you to do business with him."


    "Do business? Why do I have to do business with Osborne? Their technology is rubbish..."


    "That doesn''t matter. Now go up and shake hands with him, and I''ll tell you what to do next."


    Stark had a ck face like he was going to be executed. He reluctantly shook hands with Norman, who didn''t seem to mind. He was a standard American businessman in a suit and leather shoes, with some white hair on both sides of his temples, but he looked very energetic.


    Norman spoke first, he said, "Mr. Stark, this is my first time at Stark Tower. It''s much more advanced than I thought it would be. It''s eye-opening..."


    Stark looked up and made a "hmm" sound from his nose. Schiller said through his headphones, "Look at him, if you could talk even half as well as he does, I wouldn''t have to put in so much effort."


    "I heard that yourpany has developed a cure serum technology and intends to sell it."


    Stark echoed Schiller''s words from his headphones, as if parroting them,"That''s correct, but we can discuss thatter. Right now, there''s a better deal in front of you. Do you want to hear about it?" Stark continued.


    Norman''s expression remained unchanged as he asked, "So the cure serum technology doesn''t actually exist. What did youe to talk to me about then?"


    "The technology does exist, but before we get to the main course, let''s talk about the appetizer," Stark replied.


    "You must have heard about the incident that urred at the Brooklyn Bridge, where hundreds of vampires attacked humans," he continued.


    "That''s right, the military even purchased weapons from Osborn Industries for that," Norman replied.


    Stark pulled out a n book and handed it to Osborn, whispering into his headphones, "Are you really showing him that n book? It''s full of nonsense, and Norman has a Doctorate in Biology. You can''t fool him with that."


    "He''s different from you, he''s a businessman first and then a scientist," came the reply through the headphones.


    To Stark''s surprise, after Norman finished reading the n book, instead of pointing out the errors like a rigorous scientist, his face started to glow with excitement. He said, "Mr. Stark, I didn''t expect you to have such talent in business as well!"


    Stark said, "What? Ah, I mean... do you think there''s no problem with this n book?"


    "An ingenious marketing idea!" Norman concluded. "Medicinal value! Yes, that''s the word. I love that word!"


    "This is a great opportunity. If we can really package parts of a vampire''s body into nutritional or health products, we can definitely make a big profit."


    "Think about it, the raw materials are falling from the sky now. Whether it''s Congress military or any other power, they will support us."


    But Stark said, "I have to remind you that we can''t actually decipher the magical factor in their blood, and it''s also uncertain whether there''s an effect of eternal life..."


    "Is that important?" Norman stared at Stark and said, "Not being able to decipher it is the best. Something that can''t be deciphered, we can''t prove that it''s useful, but no one can prove that it''s useless either."


    Norman held the n book and flipped through it again, saying, "Eternal life factor? Indeed, the name may be a bit exaggerated, but it''s not a drug, it''s just a health product, and the effect needs to be based on actual results."


    "We don''t need to promote it ourselves. Vampires are a living example. They can all live forever and heal quickly when injured."


    "Everything happening in Brooklyn is the best advertisement."


    "Everyone knows that there is a species that can live for hundreds or thousands of years, fighting against humans with extremely fast healing ability."


    "Soon, the aftermath of this event will continue to ferment, and the whole world will know about the situation where vampires have invaded humans. Their characteristics will also be written on the front page of every newspaper."


    "What is this? This is a world-wide, highly exposed publicity! What advertisement canpare to this kind of publicity?"


    "At this time, with the twopanies joining forces, you know, the industrial giant Stark and the pharmaceutical giant Osborne, we can prove that there is a mysterious factor in the blood of vampires that can prolong human life, right? After all, they are immortal."


    "This can even open up a new field of industry for the study of medicinal value of extraterrestrial species." Stark followed Schiller''s words and said, "Not just vampires, there may be other creatures in the future."


    "And what we need to do is to use our scientific and technological credibility to tell the world that these species have significant medicinal value."


    "That''s right!" Norman clenched his fist and said, "I also think so. Once this is sessful, everyone will believe that we have the ability to distinguish the research value of foreign species. Indeed, we canpletely open up a new industry, which will bring unimaginable profits."


    Finally, Norman stood up without any hesitation and said, "I will now organize experts to refine this nbook, Mr. Stark. I have to say, although this idea is genius, your nbook is not very professional."


    Seeing Stark''s face getting darker, Norman continued, "But I know that''s because you want to see the sincerity of Osborn Industries, so you deliberately did it this way. I don''t believe that Stark Industries can''t find a few biologists."


    "But it''s only natural, your idea is already worth billions in profits. I didn''t expect Stark Industries and Osborn Bio Group to start cooperating in this situation."


    "But I have to say, this is definitely a good start. You will understand that Osborn is a rare and trustworthy partner in this world."


    After finishing, Norman and Stark shook hands again and then hurriedly left.


    Stark was still a bit confused and said, "What did he mean just now? I feel like he misunderstood something?"


    "It''s okay, he didn''t say anything wrong. It''s just that the biologists hired by Stark Industries are busy saving the world..."


    "...In a physical sense."

 Chapter 127: The Bat Event (9)

    Chapter 127: The Bat Event (9)


    Behind the wreckage of a car, Natasha rolled and dodged a bat''s attack, then fired a shot with a strangely shaped gun at the bat.


    Instantly, blue ice crystals climbed up the bat''s body, rapidly expanding into a block of ice, freezing the bat in midair and causing it to plummet to the ground.


    Natasha shook her hand and said, "I have to admit, this thing is more effective than I imagined. The trajectory of these ice spikes is quite urate."


    On the other side of the road, Hawkeye was coordinating with Quake, as Daisy pped her hand against the wall of a high-rise building, causing a flock of bats on the rooftop to scatter.


    Hawkeye held a uniquely shaped bow and arrow, aimed at the flock of bats taking off, pulled the bowstring taut, and the bright blue arrow whizzed past with ice crystals.


    In an instant, the freezing ice crystals exploded, forming a freezing whirlwind, and all the bats were frozen into blocks of ice, which shattered as they fell to the ground, dismembering them.


    Hawkeye approached to investigate, and Daisy, aka Quake, also walked over, crouching down and manipting the ice blocks, saying, "It''s amazing, their regenerative abilities arepletely ineffective now."


    "After all, they''re frozen, and there''s no room for them to regenerate. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius," Hawkeye said.


    Natasha spoke on themunicator, "Director Fury instructed us to deal with the side nk first and then proceed to support the front line. The transformation effect of the big lizard is wearing off soon, so we need to hurry and provide backup."As she spoke, she smashed a car door and got into it. Hawkeye and Daisy got in the car with her, and the group rushed to the front line.


    Near the Brooklyn Bridge, as the sun gradually rose, the vampire''s attack began to weaken, and the scales on Connor''s body began to gradually disappear, and his body size began to shrink.


    He jumped and hid behind a high-rise building, and then slowly turned back into a human form.


    Spider-Man swung over to him and threw a backpack to Connor, saying, "Doctor! Clothes!"


    "Thank you," Connor said. His lizard features had notpletely disappeared. His eyes were still slits, and there were still some faint scales on his cheeks, making him look somewhat strange. But Peter said, "Doctor, you shouldn''t do such dangerous things in the future. Who knows if that serum will..."


    "As a researcher, you should have confidence in your research products. I believe everything is within a controble range."


    Peter scratched his head and said, "Okay, I''ll take you back now. Dr. Schiller seems to have something to discuss with you."


    "Did you make that freeze gun?"


    "Uh...not entirely. I just made some improvements."


    "I found that you have a talent for reducing costs that most people don''t have." Dr. Connors praised, "You actually made these amazing weapons achieve mass production. How did you do it?"


    Peter gave a bitter smile and said, "Probably because I''m poor."


    In theboratory of Stark Tower, when Connors entered, Schiller and Stark were already waiting for him. Connors said, "The situation on the battlefield has improved somewhat because it is daytime now, but we will definitely have a hard time tonight."


    "As far as I can see, the vampire mastermind seems to be gathering strength. He has brought in arge number of bats, perhaps nning tounch a final attack tonight."


    "Nick just called and said that the vampires are asking for a truce."


    "That''s just their ploy," Connors said. "Can''t Nick see through it? A truce? What does it mean if they continue to move troops to the Brooklyn area?"


    "We all know their intentions, but there are many foolish humans among us," Stark said.


    "They''re not foolish, just opportunistic," Schiller said. "There are many humans who sacrifice their race for their own gain, who count their chickens before they hatch, and who are superstitious and fearful. It''s not surprising that there are some oddballs among them."


    "What did Nick say? Do we really have to negotiate with them?" Dr. Connors walked over and sat down, pouring himself a ss of water.


    "If things go as they have in the past, this could actually work. The fighting is almost over and both sides don''t want to continue to lose. The vampiresunched the war unjustly, but humans are at a disadvantage, so the two sides are basically evenly matched, and the rest is about dividing up the spoils at the negotiation table."


    Connors pursed his lips and said, "Yeah, everyone is happy, and no one cares about the casualties on the front line."


    "But what I mean is that this time it might be different."


    "What could possibly change? I think the people sitting in Congress offices don''t want to fight," Connors said. "They even started asking the police not to use firepower. What kind of nonsense is that?"


    Schiller took out a remote control and turned on a screen in theboratory, which was showing live news.


    On one side of the screen was a journalist, and on the other side was a senator who passionately said, "We will fight this monster to the end! Humanity will never step back! Does he want to sit down and talk with us now? I''ll tell them it''s toote! They must pay the price for this..."


    "Well, are these the radical factions of the war hawks?" asked Conners.


    Schiller pressed the remote control and switched to another channel. A more affluent and slightly overweight politician was sitting on a sofa, saying, "We should approach this invasion event from a more rational perspective. Admittedly, although the vampires were the ones who invaded first, I believe they must have their own grievances, and humanity should take it seriously..."


    Before he could finish, his phone rang in his pocket, and he said, "Sorry, I need to take a call."


    After a while, the slightly overweight politician came back and said, "I just received some heartbreaking news, yes..."


    He waved his fist and said, "These terrible monsters have caused thousands of police casualties! This is a horrific atrocity! An unjust war! We must fight them to the end! Listen, you damn monsters, I''m saying it right here, you''re doomed..."


    "What''s wrong with him? Why..."


    Then, Schiller changed to another channel, and this time, a prominent figure was being interviewed, as the background was the office of the White House. The interviewee said, "We are deeply sorry for this invasion event, but the blood of the sacrificed personnel cannot be shed in vain. The violent actions of the vampires will be justly punished. The President has sworn to face this disaster with all the people and will never retreat..."


    "What''s going on here?" Connors asked, confused. "Why are they suddenly so unanimous in their stance and so forceful?"


    But Connors wasn''t the only one feeling puzzled.


    In a dimly lit basement, the radical vampire leader Deacon spoke to his subordinates, saying, "Find out what''s going on. Wasn''t our lobbying effective enough? How did those damn humans suddenly change their attitudepletely?"


    He muttered to himself, "My n was already working. As long as we could get through this day, humans would have no more strength left. Hurry up! Investigate and find out what happened!"


    In the SHIELD office, Nick and Pierce shook hands. Pierce said, "I know it''s been a while since we''ve seen each other, but we can catch upter. Do you have confidence in controlling this industry chain? My position in the Security Council depends on your support. If SHIELD can have an industry chain that is not controlled by other powers, it will benefit both of us."


    "This industry chain can only be controlled by us because it''s rted to superhuman beings. I''m confident I can convince Osborn and Stark to maintain it together while resisting pressure from other powers," Nick replied.


    "That''s good to hear," Pierce concluded. "Even if we don''t consider future development, just the vampire and immortality technology industry chain alone can bring us unimaginable profits. This is an essential cornerstone for maintaining world peace and must be obtained at all costs. I believe you can do it, Nick."


    "Of course, we have already received the preliminary n book from Osborn. To be honest, the person who came up with this method is a genius. The mystery of extraordinary creatures and their external features is enough to attract people to invest with big money."


    "Now the n has been determined, and we must hurry to supervise them in production. Don''t forget, the war is still going on, and it''s the hottest time. If we can produce the first batch of samples before the vampires arepletely eliminated, then the follow-up will be much easier."


    Pierce patted Nick''s shoulder and said, "Don''t worry about investing too much in the initial stage. I think we can be more radical, feed those swing voters, and use money to shut their mouths. The main goal is to quickly implement the n."


    "Don''t worry, even if SHIELD doesn''t take action, those who see the huge profits in this will spontaneously persuade their colleagues."


    "Which factions have confirmed their participation?"


    "The ones in the south office..."


    Nick pointed his finger to the left, and Pierce said, "It''s really them, those radical left-wing warmongers. They are indeed natural allies."


    "Okay, I won''t bother you anymore. I know you still have to go and win more teammates."


    "Oh, and I heard that a new batch of frozen weapons has appeared on the front lines. Can you get me one to have a look? I''m curious about it."


    "No problem, those frozen guns are a batch of urgent production from Stark Industries, code-named Blizzard. I can get a set over, I haven''t even seen them myself."


    After Pierce left, Nick called Schiller and said, "Are you sure the Security Council won''t suspect anything? After all, the timing of the appearance of that bat monster is too coincidental."


    "And it only showed one side and disappeared quickly. Won''t it arouse the curiosity of those with ulterior motives?"


    "When we were nning before, you also agreed with this n, right?" Schiller''s tone was somewhat leisurely, obviously staying up all night had made him tired.


    Nick sighed slightly and said, "After all, if we wait for them to all pour into New York and then prepare tounch a full-scale invasion war, we will be too passive and the casualties will be even greater."


    "We can only take the initiative to attack and lure them out. I just feel that this n is too impatient, and it is inevitable that there will be vulnerabilities."


    "Well, that''s up to you. You are the director of this grand show of the bat god''s descent, and I am just a stagehand."


    Nick smiled and said, "Stagehand? That''s interesting. I''ve never heard this term before. You would probably be the kind of stagehand that every director dreams of."


    "You are also a good director, Director Nick. Pleasant cooperation."


    "Pleasant cooperation."

 Chapter 128: The Big Bat Event (10)

    Chapter 128: The Big Bat Event (10)


    "Alright, now let''s repeat our mission objectives," Peter squatted on the rooftop of a building, Pikachu perched on his shoulder, its ears blowing in the wind from the rooftop.


    "After preliminary reconnaissance, we have confirmed that the location of the batmanders should be underground in this block."


    "It''s daytime now, they must be hiding in some room and dare note out. We need to coordinate with the vampire hunter named Daywalker and preferably take down theirmand post in one fell swoop."


    Peter''s gaze was fixed firmly on the street below the building, where there was a bar that appeared to be closed during the day but held great significance.


    This is a contact point for a group of high-ranking vampires that has been chosen as the headquarters for the vampiremanders after the invasion began.


    "Later, Daywalker will create somemotion at the main entrance to attract their attention. I will charge in for a decapitation strike, and you find an opportune moment to unleash your ultimate move..."


    "Don''t worry." Pikachu patted its chest and said, "The energy stored in my body is enough for me to unleash a 100,000-volt attack once, but the opportunity is only once. You must use your positioning to force them to gather together, so as to maximize the killing effect."


    Peter shot a spider web onto the wall of the building across the street, while swinging down and saying, "Watch me."


    At this moment, a car at the entrance of the bar suddenly exploded, and the debris from the wreckage shattered the bar''s windows. Themotion was significant, and within two minutes, several figures rushed out of the bar.However, they dare not show themselves on the street, but hide under the shadow of the bar building''s walls, crouching near a truck on the street, de observes the situation and mutters to himself, "These rats are still so timid, afraid of a little bit of sunlight."


    After speaking, he walks out directly with a submachine gun in hand and sprays the area with bullets. Several vampires are caught off guard and be panicked by the sudden attack. They quickly retreat into the bar. However, they soon react and one of them teleports, appearing in the shadow behind de.


    de is familiar with their tactics, after all, he is also a half-vampire. He swings the other knife in his hand andnds a strike on the vampire''s arm.


    This vampire seems to be not a native of New York and has no idea about de''s fighting style. He screams in pain when struck by the de and transforms into a bat, attempting to fly away.


    However, this ys into de''s hands. He swings his knife and throws away his machine gun, quickly drawing out a strange handgun from his waist. A blue ice cone is fired from the muzzle and directly hits the bat''s wing, instantly freezing the entire bat into a big block of ice.


    Seeing this situation, the other vampires rush to provide support,pletely unaware that two figures are sneaking into the back door of the bar.


    Spider-Man was originally nning to smash the window, but following the advice of the great detective Pikachu, he decided to pick the lock instead. They entered the ground floor of the bar almost silently.


    However, this floor was only a disguise, and their real destination was the basement. Peter bent down to look below the staircase and said, "I just counted, there were five vampires responsible for patrolling here in the past, but four have already left. One should be guarding the entrance on the second floor. We need to figure out how to deal with him."


    "Use the freeze gun." Pikachu jumped off Peter''s shoulder to the ground and took the freeze gun hanging from Peter''s waist. He said, "I''m small enough to sneak past him in his blind spot. I''ll freeze him with a shot when I get there. Before the ice block falls to the ground, you must catch him and don''t make any noise."


    Spider-Man gave him a thumbs up gesture, and Pikachu, holding the freeze gun that was a bit too big for him, slowly walked along the corner of the staircase.


    As nned, the vampire guarding the door had just finished a fight at night and was now hanging upside down on the ceiling beam in the form of a bat, resting.


    Pikachu walked right up to him, and he didn''t even notice. Feeling a bit bored, Pikachu raised his hand and shot. As a result, Peter didn''t even need to take action, and the freeze gun froze the bat to the ceiling beam without making any noise.


    Peter walked down quietly, crouching outside the door and looking through the window into the room. He saw two figures inside and was about to go in when he heard a fierce argumenting from the room.


    "Do you still believe in the nonsense of those human truths? Why don''t you understand that they arepletely made up to divide us?"


    "You are stubborn! Don''t you know what they are spreading among themselves now? They say there is something in our blood that can give humans eternal life. Do you know how dangerous this is?" A woman''s voice came from the room.


    "So what? Do these weak humans still want to hunt the great blood race? What ability do they have to do so? These fragile ants should be the food of higher life forms!"


    "Diken, your arrogance is shocking. Those weak creatures you mentioned and your elite troops fought on the bridge for a day and night!"


    "Why won''t you admit it? It''s not thousands of years ago anymore. Do you still think humans are monkeys fighting each other with sticks and stones?"


    "They haven''t changed at all!" Diken''s tone was full of contempt. "They''ve just reced the sticks and stones with guns and cannons. This race has inherent vices. They only know how to fight among themselves and have no understanding of unity. Their weapons are only thrown at their own people''s heads!"


    "I''ve spent years building rtionships with many human politicians. These people have no bottom line, not even loyalty to their own race. As long as they stand with us, we can shake up the human situation. Once we drag it out until tonight, we''ll upy the entire Brooklyn area."


    "This is the most populous area in all of New York, which means my subordinates and I will have countless resources. Our power will peak."


    "Stop dreaming." The female voice said coldly. "Haven''t you realized it yet? Humans are determined to unite as one. Do you know why?"


    "They say we have factors in our bodies that can prolong their lives. Humans, as a short-lived species, will do anything to live longer. You don''t even realize the severity of the problem!"


    The female voice seemed to lose patience. She said, "I am here to warn you on behalf of the elder faction for thest time. If your crazy behavior brings destruction to our entire race, you will also be our enemy."


    "You bunch of weak and unambitious cowards!" Diken said angrily. "We could have taken over this world! Made all humans our ves. Why do you just hide in a corner and cower?"


    "We do want to control human society, but it is for better enjoyment. Only they can create such a prosperous society, and we just need to manipte it from behind the scenes."


    "And you, you stupid person who only thinks about war! You are ruining our n! Do you know that the stupid prophecy you came up with seriously interfered with the Elder''s next n?"


    "We originally nned to unite in the next election and influence the results. For this, we have recruited many people, including professors from several universities on the East Coast, as well as many medical workers led by the Elder Council''s hospital doctor and financial personnel from Wall Street!"


    "This force, even if it cannot make us decide who the president is, at least we can control the legiture of a state!"


    "There will be our stronghold. Elder Sebastian has already deployed many forces in Hell''s Kitchen in the Brooklyn area. We will control human society from both the top and bottom. Your stupid n has exposed many people ahead of time! Now, regardless of whether you win or not, the Elder Council will not let you go!"


    "What infiltration n! That is just an excuse for your greed." Deacon''s voice became more and more angry: "Hundreds of years ago, our race was so glorious!"


    "We could plunder humans on the streets recklessly, and dine wherever we wanted!"


    "But ever since you appeasers negotiated with the humans, we have had to hide. Those cowards among you even epted the stale refrigerated blood. Now I don''t want to tolerate it anymore!"


    "The final battle is tonight, and I will win! You don''t even understand how powerful the Bat God''s power is!"


    "I think you''re crazy. Your mind has been clouded by that mythological doctrine. Do you really believe there''s a Bat God who will help you?"


    "Huh." Deck sneered and said, "If I didn''t have a solid grasp on things, how could I dare to go against so many in the n andunch this war?"


    His firm tone made the female vampire hesitate. She said, "I advise you not to entertain any delusions. Earth is not a ce where anyone can act recklessly. You are far from being as long-lived as those elders. They have warned me to be cautious of all foreign beliefs..."


    "Their cowardly words will be engraved on their tombstones," Deck finally said.


    "Are you really sure that the power of the Bat God wille?"


    "Not only that, but the Bat God will send down his most powerful guardians to personallye here and help me, at the moment when the moonlight is strongest tonight. And those foolish humans are unaware that the arrival of the Bat God''s guardians does not require any ceremony. Their strict defense is useless!"


    "We will share this world with Him!"


    Peter listened outside the door, sweating profusely. He held Pikachu and ran upstairs, then quickly left the bar. de quickly dealt with the vampires attacking him. Seeing Peter running out, he said, "What''s going on? Did you take care of them so quickly?"


    Peter looked into de''s eyes and said, "What do you know about the Bat God?"


    "What''s wrong?" de asked, noticing his expression wasn''t good.


    "Just now, I overheard the vampire leaders'' conversation underground. One of them, the person leading this war, mentioned that the power of the Bat God wille at the moment when the moonlight is strongest tonight."


    Peter''s tone was very determined. de frowned and said, "This is impossible. This prophecy and the so-called Bat God are probably made up by them."


    Looking at Peter''s skeptical gaze, de said firmly, "You should know that I am also a half-vampire, but what sets me apart from them is that my mother was turned into a vampire. However, during my upbringing, I was also involved in the inner workings of this race. The legend of the Bat God has only been circted in recent centuries."


    "It all started with a negotiation that took ce about hundreds of years ago in Kunlun," Peter continued, learning about the unknown history of this race from de.


    A few hundred years ago, vampires had a war with humans, but it was different from this time. It was a conflict with supernatural humans, and the battleground was in the eastern continent. Europe also saw some wars, but the entire Americas remained unaffected, so people here don''t know much about that war.


    The details of the process need not be borated, but almost all of the radical vampire factions were killed by supernatural humans at that time. In the end, it was Count Drac, who was still alive, who came forward and negotiated with humans. The negotiations took ce in Kunlun.


    Since then, the vampires have followed their policy of seclusion. In Asia and Europe, there are specialized reconnaissance agencies that ensure that vampires living in human society do not cause too much damage to the entire society.


    But there are ambitious individuals everywhere, in any era. Newborn vampires are very dissatisfied with this humiliating treaty, and the representative figure among them is Deacon.


    In simple terms, they''ve never been beaten before, so they think they''re special.


    de said to Peter, "The belief in the Bat God emerged with the gradual growth of this new radical faction of vampires. This belief is essentially fabricated for their own aggressive ideals. Prior to this, there was never such a thing."


    "If there really is such a god, then he could not have appeared only a few hundred years ago with such great power. Furthermore, I heard from some veteran vampire hunters that there is a mysterious power guarding the Earth, and not any creature can im to be a god here."


    Finally, de concluded, "I think they may have been deceived by some kind of extraordinary being with strong power, which may have called itself a god and shown them some miracles. They foolishly agreed to summon him. This is a very dangerous thing. They are digging their own graves."


    "The problem now is whether this god will reallye?" Peter''s expression was serious. He said, "Those crazy bats will surelyunch a general attack at night. If there is another powerful beinging at this time, humans will definitely not be able to resist it, and the losses will be very heavy."


    "Humanity has the determination to resist these monsters at all costs, but what we need to do is to minimize these losses as much as possible." Peter''s tone was firm. He continued, "I think we need to continue investigating."


    "I n to take down Deacon. As long as we take down Deacon, there will be no one to lead that summoning ritual, and that guy who ims to be a god won''t be able toe." de said.


    Spider-Man was once again caught up in that very clear tactical thinking. He stopped de and said, "No, there is more than just Deacon in the radical faction. Even if we can''tpletely kill this vampire, even if we do kill him, his subordinates will still do the same thing. As you said, there are many of them. Before they arrive at night, we cannot kill them all."


    "From what I heard in their conversation, that woman may represent the moderate faction. I heard them say there is a n to secretly control humans. What''s going on?"


    "This is normal," de said with a sneer. "Vampires have never been creatures that submit to humans. They may choose to hide temporarily, but it''s only because they were hurt a few hundred years ago and have switched to a different method of invasion."


    "Is the conflict between the radicals and moderates deep?"


    "Of course, as you just heard. The moderates n to umte power and gradually control human society from the shadows, but the radicals keep causing trouble, causing their ns to fail again and again. Humans'' vignce is increasing, slowing down their process of achieving their goals indefinitely."

 Chapter 129: The Big Bat Event (11)

    Chapter 129: The Big Bat Event (11)


    In theboratory of Stark Tower, Peter spread his hands and said, "So, that''s how it is. What are your thoughts on the two factions of vampires and the so-called Bat God''s arrival?"


    Stark, repairing his Mech armor, said, "As expected, those moderate factions are only mild on the surface. But there are actually quite a few people who believe their nonsense. They keeping out and calling for an end to the war, iming that they can coexist peacefully with humans based on truth."


    Schiller frowned and said, "Are you sure that Dicken is very firm in saying that the power of the Bat God will descend?"


    "Yes, and he even mentioned a specific time, which is tonight when the moon is at its brightest."


    "So, no need for any rituals, it will just descend directly?"


    "That seems to be the case. He emphasized that our countermeasures will be useless."


    As Schiller fell into deep thought, Steve polished the damaged parts of his shield and said, "This is a bit strange, isn''t it? I have fought many evil creatures before, and their so-called godly descents were just ways to strengthen themselves using strange methods. But now he''s iming that a god''s guardian will personally descend. Who could it be?"


    Schiller seemed to have some spections and said, "We''ll find out tonight."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Nick''s phone rang. Schiller spoke into the phone, "... Is that so? Alright, send someone to pick me up... Have they sorted out the materials? Never mind, just transfer the materials directly...""What are you up to again?" Stark asked, poking his head out from behind the Mech armor.


    J.A.R.V.I.S beeped twice and said, "Mr. Schiller, your materials have been transferred to Printer #1..."


    Schiller walked over to the printer, picked up the stack of papers, flipped through them, looked for a while, and then said, "Not bad, the experts that Nick found are quite capable. These materials are neatly organized."


    Steve became curious and leaned over, with Peter craning his neck to look over as well. To be honest, they were quite anxious about Schiller''s ns because you never know whether his ns will be impressive or not.


    Steve nced at some of the words on the Materials and said, "What''s this about bat lineage analysis? What is bat lineage? "


    "I have a question for you." Schiller knocked on the table, and everyone''s attention was drawn to him.


    "Assuming, and I mean assuming, that there is a factor in the blood of these vampires that can prolong human life, do you think that all vampire blood will have this factor?"


    "Um, isn''t that so?" Peter scratched his head.


    "Then do you think that the concentration of this factor in their blood will vary? Would advanced vampires who can use magic have more of this factor than other vampires?"


    "I''m a bit unsure how to answer this question because I don''t actually believe there is a factor in their blood that can make people immortal," Steve said, opening his mouth.


    Stark, on the other hand, pursed his lips and said, "Actually, this makes sense. Advanced vampires have more magic, are stronger, and can transform into bigger bats. Logically, their blood should be more effective."


    "That actually makes sense," Peter said, crossing his arms. "Otherwise, what distinguishes them from the vampires who can''t use magic?"


    "Then, can we infer that the more of this factor there is in their blood, the more pure their bloodline?" Schiller asked.


    The sound of Stark tapping on the Mech armor stopped, and he wasn''t dumb. He immediately understood Schiller''s meaning and felt a bit absurd as he said, "You''re not suggesting that humans should define which type of vampire is pure-blooded, are you?"


    "Why not?" Schiller spread his hands and said, "Now that humans have found that mysterious factor in their blood, we have conducted a series of scientific and rigorous analyses on it, and we have ultimatelye to the conclusion that the number of this factor varies among different vampires."


    "Indeed, we used scientific methods, and they are magical creatures. But they have been using magic for so many years, and they still haven''t figured out where their bloodlinees from."


    "We''re just providing them with a possibility. It''s just a coincidental discovery."


    "Human beings are only standing from an objective perspective, conducting a series of analyses and arguments on them. Of course, human technological development is so fast for a reason. Our analysis is very rigorous. Look..."


    Schiller put the paper in his hand on the table and pointed it out to the approaching people, "Look here, this is the conclusion given by theological research experts from the Vatican. They call the immortal factor ''Cain''s blood.'' They believe that today''s vampires are descendants of Cain, and the higher the concentration of this factor, the closer the blood rtionship with Cain, and the more noble the bloodline."


    "And this report is from Osborne. He believes that the immortal factor provides vampires with tremendous power. The more of this factor, the stronger the vampire. Therefore, the difference in factor numbers is the difference between advanced vampires and ordinary vampires."


    "I almost believed what you made up," Stark said. "If I remember correctly, this immortal factor is something we made up, isn''t it?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about? Don''t you remember? This is a significant event in the development history of the Stark and Osborne families!"


    Then, Stark listened with a bewildered expression as Schiller told him apletely new version of the founding history of the Stark and Osborne families.


    In this background story of Schiller, old Stark and old Osborne once embarked on a grand adventure to fight against vampires when they were young.


    It all started with Howard and a romantic night with a female vampire...


    After listening to it, Stark was dumbfounded and said, "So you''re saying Howard had sex with a female vampire, then out of curiosity stole her blood, and through research discovered this factor..."


    "And then, due to his limited biological knowledge, he found old Osborne to coborate, and together they confirmed the existence of this factor, even fully analyzing its structure."


    "Afterward, the research findings leaked and were discovered by the vampire n, who pursued and killed them, resulting in the loss of most of the materials, and Norman and I are only trying to recover this portion of the materials?"


    Stark seemed speechless. (XD)


    Steve, on the other hand, nodded frequently and said, "This story makes perfect sense, even more so than Howard''s experience with the hovercarpany. And the most reasonable part is the segment about your father having sex with a female vampire. Schiller, I have to say, I almost thought you knew Howard personally."


    "Don''t talk nonsense, this is the firsthand ount of Tony Stark Jr., the son of old Stark, and has nothing to do with me."


    "I..." Stark hadn''t even had a chance to retort when Steve said, "Indeed, I think the story should go like this: Tony Stark Jr., who once ran the arms business, had a change of heart when faced with the ruthless ughter of humans by vampires, and eventually found clues in a part of his father''s legacy. So he took the initiative to seek cooperation with Norman, and together they excavated the research results of their forefathers..."


    "That''s right, the Stark family has always taken the rise and fall of humanity as their responsibility. No matter which Stark it is, they always care about the country and the people. What a touching story!"


    Schiller said in an exaggerated tone, "A ry across generations between father and son, the inheritance of the same wisdom, and the embodiment of the same great character!"


    The Starks were dumbfounded. After a long pause, Stark rubbed his nose and said, "Okay, but I hope you delete the part that keeps me up at night. Even if I can''t sleep, I don''t think about Howard."


    Steve walked over and patted Stark on the shoulder, saying, "It''s okay. If you''re not happy with that part, we can arrange a female vampire for you instead."


    "No need!" Stark shouted. Then he asked suspiciously, "J.A.R.V.I.S, is Pepper not on the call?"


    "No, sir, but she could join at any time."


    "Then we don''t need that," Stark immediately replied.


    "So why are we making up this story?" Peter asked, still struggling to understand the twists and turns.


    Schiller pointed to the contents on the materials and said, "There have always been different factions within the vampiremunity. Now, if humans produce a convincing research result to prove that one faction may be nobler than the others, what do you think they would do?"


    "But they may not even acknowledge human research findings. Even if it''s not made up, they could still deny it," Peter argued.


    "What if I told them that whichever faction among them is the first to acknowledge this research result, we will dere that ording to our investigation, all members of this faction are direct descendants of Cain and have a significant amount of the eternal factor in their blood, making them the royal family of the vampires?" Schiller proposed.


    Steve thought about it and said, "This is indeed a good way to divide them. Vampires from different factions also fight against each other. In order to suppress other factions, they will naturally look for evidence that proves themselves to be more reasonable. And bloodline theory is actually a very powerful piece of evidence."


    "In order to gain more benefits for their own faction and prove themselves more orthodox, there will certainly be many vampires who spontaneously support this bat-bloodline theory."


    Steve''s gaze fell on the materials on the table and he said, "Vampires have been fighting each other for so many years, but they can''te up with any evidence to prove their bloodline is nobler. But humans have provided them with this opportunity."


    "Essentially, they don''t care if their bloodline is truly noble, as long as it''s more noble than others."


    "Exploitation always exists." Schiller also looked at the materials and said, "But if they have no legitimate reason to exploit other vampires, then we''ll give them one."


    "They want to infect us physically, turn more humans into vampires, increase their own numbers, gradually infiltrate human society, and manipte the entire human race..."


    Schiller''s voice was always calm, without any waves, but it made the other people present feel a little creepy.


    "Then we''ll infect them spiritually, give them the dregs of human development over the past thousands of years, the divine right of kings, the legitimacy of dynasties, and the supremacy of pure blood... Internal strife is the eternal theme of human development to this day, and in terms of internal consumption, vampires are nothingpared to humans."


    "Establish a pyramid of exploitation, block all upward channels, determine everything by birth, and never have a day of revolution."


    "If they still don''t n to develop like this, then we can help them."


    "Pure-blooded vampires are nobler than other vampires, and they will exploit other vampires, but other vampires also have to live, and they must find another object of exploitation that is even lower than themselves..."


    "They will exploit whom?" Peter asked.


    "Only vampires transformed from humans," Schiller''s tone grew colder.


    "This kind of exploitation will be even more brutal than within their own group."


    "And when all humans can see the plight of vampires transformed from humans being exploited within the vampiremunity, they will no longer have the illusion that they can survive even after being transformed. It is better to end it all than to live as a tortured vampire."


    Peter shuddered, and Schiller continued, "When there is no fresh blood supply, or when fresh blood bes scarce, their society will bepletely closed off."


    "At that time, without arge lower ss to continue exploitation, the original middle ss will fall into the lower ss."


    "And because the number of the middle ss is too small, but the upper ss is unwilling to reduce their quality of life by reducing exploitation and sharing it among the middle ss, the exploitation on each middle-ss individual will be more severe until they cannot survive..."


    "Then one day..." Steve''s words trailed off, and Schiller said with some cryptic meaning, "The exploited will need some ideological weapons for guidance."


    Stark fell silent for a moment before saying, "My weapons may be able to destroy the crown of the tree, while you are burning their roots."


    "Just like I have said before, sometimes words are more powerful than fists."

 Chapter 130: The Big Bat Event (12)

    Chapter 130: The Big Bat Event (12)


    In SHIELD''s office, it was a dimly lit room with overhead bulbs casting alternating light and shadow. Schiller and Nick sat on opposite sides of the table.


    "I didn''t expect things to progress this quickly," Nick said with some emotion. He took out a piece of white paper, tore off a corner, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it onto the table, saying, "Due to Stark Company''s weapons shining in this all-out war, the UN has approved the Firepower Retention Act for New York''s private armed forces."


    Schiller also took the piece of paper, tore off a piece, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it onto the table, saying, "300 sets of Blizzard devices, and the subsequent maintenance costs."


    "There is no longer any strong opposition in Congress to the production of the Eternity Factor," Nick threw another ball of paper over.


    "The diluted version of the healing serum can achieve significant damage repair effects in a short period of time without obvious side effects, and can provide up to 1500 doses of Medicine," Schiller threw a ball of paper over.


    "SHIELD is willing to fully support the dismantling of the vampire social structure and conduct real-time regtion and monitoring," another ball of papernded on the center of the table.


    "Not enough," Schiller said, so Nick crumpled another ball of paper and threw it over, saying, "SHIELD is willing to give up its pursuit of Stark in certain areas."


    "30% of the profits from the Eternity Factor."


    "That''s too low. How much are you going to take as a cut?""Stark and Osborn Joint Pharmaceuticals will pay me my share."


    "The bottom line for SHIELD is 45%."


    "You want almost half? That''s impossible. Even if I agree, Pepper won''t agree, and you better think carefully. Now that Obadiah hasn''t woken up yet, but Connor''s research on brain-active Medicine has made significant progress. Once Obadiah wakes up, you may not even get 30%."


    "40%, no lower. Like you said, Obadiah hasn''t woken up yet."


    "The bottom line is 30%."


    "SHIELD will give you an additional 2% separately."


    "35%, final offer."


    "Deal."


    Soon, as the two of them conversed, the crumpled paper on the table grew and almost piled up into a small mountain.


    After settling some distribution of interest issues, Nick sat in his chair with his fingers intertwined, resting his chin on his hands and said, "I have to admit, your bloodline n is quite genius, but I always feel like you have even bigger ambitions."


    Schiller smiled and said, "I just want to live a peaceful life and have a bit of fun."


    "So, if anyone makes you uneasy, you''ll just uproot all of their roots with a single shovel?" Nick asked.


    "Don''t talk about such heavy topics. Let''s talk about something happy," Schiller replied.


    Schiller also ced his hands on the table, then sped them together and said, "Do you have any ideas about the production method of the Elixir of Life?"


    "Hasn''t it already been entrusted to the professionals of those two conglomerates?" Nick asked.


    "Yes, but are you really satisfied with a profit margin of only 35%?" Schiller questioned.


    Nick narrowed his eyes. He was familiar with this tone of conversation. "What, do you have additional business to discuss?" he asked.


    "Of course, you wouldn''t really be willing to let others eat the biggest piece of the pie, would you?" Schiller retorted.


    Nick stared at Schiller with his one eye. Schiller said, "I have a question for you. What are your thoughts on drug safety issues?"


    "I don''t have any thoughts. What do you want to say?" Nick threw the question back.


    "Vampires being used in medicine, how can we ensure the safety of raw materials? How can we avoid substandard products? How can we ensurepliance in the blood extraction process? How can we ensure that precious Elixir of Life is not depleted during the manufacturing process? How can we ensure the effectiveness of the finished product? What are the monitoring standards?" Schiller listed a series of questions.


    "Raw material safety issues..." Nick paused for a moment, feeling keenly that there was much to be done in this area.


    "Yes, that''s right," Schiller waved his hand on the desk and said, "You don''t think that just catching any bat can make a life-extending medicine, do you?"


    "ording to our research, which is the bat bloodline theory, the purer the bloodline of the vampire, the better the blood''s effect. The medicinal efficacy of ordinary vampires is very poor, not to mention humans transformed into vampires, and humans transformed into bats have no medicinal value at all, just like the difference between truffles and ordinary mushrooms in cooking."


    "We all know that these scarce and valuable high-level vampires are very dangerous to catch, so the cost is high, and there is a high profit for fake and shoddy products."


    "Of course, there will be unscrupulous merchants who im that their blood contains this precious factor by catching ordinary vampires and passing them off as high-quality ones."


    "In order to ensure that our customers can buy the purest Eternal Factor Medicine, we must establish a supervision system to ensure that each Medicine is made from the rarest pure-blooded bats."


    "And we also need to distinguish between wild and captive-bred ones. Out of humanitarian considerations, we absolutely do not support captive breeding, which is cruel and inhumane to lock up a high-level vampire and repeatedly take its blood!"


    "Therefore, the most precious raw material for Medicine is nothing more than pure-blooded bats caught and killed on the battlefield."


    "And, I am an extreme animal protectionist. We must end the bats'' lives in a painless way since they are also animals..."


    "This, of course, requires our most advanced freezing guns. At very low temperatures, organisms do not feel pain. Is there a better way to euthanize them?"


    "Thus, bats that are not killed with the freezing gun cannot be made into the highest-end Eternal Factor Medicine."


    "Of course, after killing the bats, the blood extraction process is also very particr. It must be carried out by the most professional SHIELD agents with delicate andplex operations, and the personnel must undergo at least three rounds of training..."


    "Of course, the container also needs to be specially made to ensure that this factor is preserved to the greatest extent."


    "Storing these Medicines, yes, that is of utmost importance. The preservation technique determines the freshness of most foods and drugs. Fortunately, I have a well-developed design for a low-temperature transportation chain that can meet the transportation and preservation needs of the eternal factor..."


    While Schiller spoke, Nick took notes without looking up. When Schiller stopped, Nick said without raising his head, "Go on, I''m interested in the autumn ount."


    "You haven''t grasped the essence," Schiller said with a smile. Nick put down his pen and looked at him. Schiller took the paper that Nick was taking notes on, and wrote a word on it. When Nick took it back, he found that it said "monopoly."


    Schiller''s voice continued, "When only we have the authority to define the ''industry standard,'' we have achieved a true monopoly in the real sense."


    "The unbreakable nature of this mysterious factor means that only the giants of the technology industry, namely Stark and Osborn Industries, have the final authority over everything."


    "In this situation, we can turn anypany that attempts to counterfeit into a fake and inferior business."


    "Antitrustws? Yes, they may still be useful for traditional industries, but now, if we say that a product produced by a certainpany is fake, based on Stark''s research, would you still buy it?"


    "We don''t have any evidence, it''s all just hearsay. But since you can buy products from Starkpany, why would you go and buy from those smallpanies?"


    "In this situation, everyone will only trustpanies they believe are capable of deciphering this factor, and most people will only think that Stark and Osborn have this capability."


    "As long as Stark and Osborn Industries cannot truly decipher the secret of this factor, and if no otherpany can either, Stark and Osborn will always be in a leading position."


    " This is a natural monopoly." (MFs)


    "And the benefits that aplete monopoly can bring to an industry, I don''t think I need to say more, do I?"


    Nick pursed his lips and said, "I can tell you that I have a bigger n, my personal n. So if you have any skills, feel free to bring them out. I promise there will be a ce for you in the future."


    "At least I can guarantee that your days will remain as stable as they are now."


    Schiller smiled. His smile looked somewhat nervous under the flickering cold light. He said, "Then wee to the most important step."


    "Our esteemed clients paid a high price to buy the genuine Life Factor Medicine. We can''t let them inject this medicine in a rotten ce, can we?"


    "The usage method and process of Medicine, the private customization of the entire treatment course, the post-usage recuperation and nursing care, all require an industry standard."


    "So, do they need a spiritual sanatorium with official qualifications, which can perfectly achieve the above processes and provide considerate services?"


    In Nick''s sight, Schiller showed sharper fangs than those bats.


    [ShaneFreak : Who is Vampire here?]

 Chapter 131: The Big Bat Event (13)

    Chapter 131: The Big Bat Event (13)


    In theboratory of Stark Tower, Schiller said to Peter, "Peter, could you please help me deliver somethingter?"


    "Sure, doctor, no problem. Where do you need it to be delivered?"


    "First, go to the Brooklyn Bridge, then Chinatown, Greenwich Vige, Times Square, Statue of Liberty..."


    "Wait, why do I need to go to so many ces? This sounds like a tourist route. And what am I delivering? Why do I need to go to these specific locations?"


    "It''s nothing, actually I just want you to go sightseeing. Follow this route, thene back, or if you have any other ces you want to visit, you can go there too."


    Peter was very puzzled as Schiller pushed him out of theboratory. He said, "Hey, wait, we''re going to fight tonight, why do I have to go sightseeing during the day?"


    "Don''t ask too many questions, it''s rted to a n Nick and I have. We''ll tell you when youe back."


    Although Peter was full of doubts, he didn''t really have anything else to do. The situation at the Brooklyn Bridge hadrgely calmed down by the afternoon, with both sides resting and recuperating, and the injured had been taken away early in the morning. In the afternoon when the sun was shining the brightest, there were hardly any vampires to deal with.


    In theboratory, Yinsen and Dr. Connors were already finishing up their experiment with ample manpower and didn''t need Peter''s help.Peter thought, well, there''s nothing wrong with going out for a walk, maybe he could run into vampires hurting humans.


    So he left, of course, he would first go to the Brooklyn Bridge to check the situation.


    The ce was almost reduced to ruins, and Peter saw George helping to carry two injured policemen on stretchers. He swung over with his spider web and helped Chief George out.


    George turned to look at him, not surprised as Peter had been involved in the first half of the previous battle, helping a lot and saving many people. So George was quite familiar with his red and blue suit. He took a quick nce at Spider-Man and said, "It''s you, Spider-Man. Why did youe now?"


    Peter saw the wounded officer with his chest stained deep red with blood, and even after a long time, the pungent smell of blood still made him ufortable.


    "I can tell you''re not that old. Why would you risk your life like this at such a young age? Don''t your parents care?" asked George.


    "I...," shrugged Spider-Man. "I didn''t let my aunt and uncle know. I just told them I was going to a friend''s house."


    "If I were your aunt or uncle, I would definitely break your legs," George turned around, limping slightly. Peter noticed and asked, "Chief, are you injured?"


    "I just twisted my foot, but if I go home like this, my wife and daughter will surely make a fuss," George looked up, seeming to look directly into Spider-Man''s eyes through his mask, and said, "You''re still young. The world doesn''t need you to save it yet. Instead of being here, you''d better go back and spend more time with your aunt and uncle."


    "I...," Peter turned his head away, saying, "If my aunt knew I was doing such a dangerous thing, she would be devastated."


    "But you want to do it, don''t you?" asked George.


    "I do, even though I know my daughter must be crying and worried right now, I have to do this," George turned his head and saw the two officers being moved to the ambnce. He said, "They''re the same. They have families and friends worried about them, but they still came here."


    Peter also turned to look at the two officers. One of them screamed in pain when he was moved onto the ambnce because his wound was touched. Peter said, "That''s why I came here. Otherwise, more people''s loved ones will be sad."


    "We are all fighting for our loved ones. We''d rather bleed and be injured ourselves than let them suffer," said George, looking at him.


    After finishing his sentence, he looked into the distance and saw bats hiding in the shadows of the broken walls of the bridge. George said, "These monsters will never understand the strength that humans can unleash when fighting to protect others." After speaking, George left to prepare for the night''s defense work. Peter took a deep breath and said to himself, "I absolutely cannot let these monsters rampage and harm my loved ones and friends."


    "Your emotions are always like a white ball of cotton, which makes me feel amazed. I can hardly find any impurities in it," Venom said in his mind. At this moment, Venom could clearly feel the change in Peter''s emotions.


    "You are the opposite of someone we met before. You are like the ck and white sides."


    "I couldn''t find any positive emotions in his emotions, but with you, it''s the opposite. You have very few negative emotions, and even when you do, it''s mostly excessive sympathy, sadness, and hesitation, which hardly count as negative emotions."


    "No positive emotions? That''s impossible. How could there be such a person in this world?" Peter questioned.


    "Do you want to feel it?"


    As soon as Venom finished speaking, Peter suddenly felt his consciousness be hazy, as if a ck hole had appeared in his head, with a huge gravitational pull dragging him towards an endless abyss. A huge panic engulfed him, and in just a few seconds, he saw a vast ck tide.


    When he came to his senses, Peter found himself drenched in sweat and asked Venom, "What was that?"


    "A little gift left to me by my previous host, or...maybe it should be calledpensation for mental damage."


    "Who was your previous host? How could they have such a terrible emotion?"


    "Him? He was a bat."


    "A bat? You mean, he was a vampire? You''ve also parasitized a vampire?"


    "No, the vampires you''re talking about may be able to turn into bats, but they''re never real bats."


    "Why can''t I understand what you''re saying? Aren''t thoserge bats they turn into still bats? What other kind of bats are there?"


    "You don''t want to know the answer to that."


    After that, Venom fell silent, ignoring Peter''s inquiries.


    Alright, Peter thought, both Schiller and this symbiote seem to enjoy ying charades.


    Peter''s conversation with Director George left him feeling a little down, and he wasn''t interested in wandering around anymore. He decided to return to Stark Tower, even though there were no battles to fight at the moment. He thought it would be better to contribute to research efforts.


    But just as he was about to leave, his spider sense tingled, and a w attacked him from behind. Peter quickly dodged, turned around, and saw a red-eyed vampire standing in the shadow of a building.


    Peter was surprised, as it was the brightest time of day in the afternoon. He had seen most of the bats hiding in the shadows of the copsed wreckage of the Brooklyn Bridge while he was on the road.


    Nevertheless, Peter quickly used a strand of spider web to stick to the wall and swung over. The vampire seemed to have lost its sanity, not only did it not dodge, but it also charged at Peter even faster.


    Of course, the oue was obvious. Peter knocked him down with one punch and froze him with his freeze gun. He was about to check if the vampire had lost its mind when he looked up and saw dozens of vampires in the shadows of the opposite alley, all with red eyes staring at him intently.


    Peter couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine. He wondered, what''s wrong with this group of bats? Are they insane? Why are they targeting him?


    Before he could figure out anything, dozens of w spells surrounded him, and Peter rolled to dodge. Just as he stood up, these vampiresunched suicide attacks on him, disregarding the sunlight overhead, turning into bats and flying towards him.


    Spider-Man cursed inwardly, used his spider web to swing to the rooftop, and prepared to temporarily retreat.


    He had a freeze gun and super strength, so he could probably defeat this group of bats. However, the behavior of these vampires was extremely strange. Most vampires were unable to move during the day, but this group of vampires seemed to be controlled like puppets,unching suicide attacks on him one after another.


    As a result, to Peter''s surprise, it was not just the dozen or so vampires chasing after him, but also many high-level vampires. Among them, many looked clear-headed and knew to pursue him along the shadows of the building, avoiding exposure to sunlight.


    As Peter ran, he couldn''t help but wonder why this group of vampires was targeting him. Did he have something special that they wanted?


    It should be noted that Captain America was also nearby, helping the police build defenses. He was wearing civilian clothes and not his Captain America uniform. The shield he carried seemed to have been painted over, obscuring the distinctive pattern. So, not many people realized he was the famous Captain America.


    "Don''t you think your outfit is a bit too eye-catching?" Venom said in Peter''s mind.


    Peter looked down at his Spider-Man suit, which was tailored by Stark with some technology from himself and Dr. Connors. It was predominantly red and blue, and due to thetest textile materials used, it shone a bit in the sunlight.


    "Okay," Spider-Man said in his mind. "It does look a bit conspicuous."


    He looked down at the ground floor of the building, and most of the residents had evacuated. The police were wearing blue uniforms, and the armed police and troops wore dark clothing. Only he stood out in his red and blue skin-tight suit, jumping around on the battlefield.


    "Do you want to change your clothes?" Venom asked.


    "Change clothes? If I want to change, I have to go back to Mr. Stark''sboratory and ask him if he can change the color of thisbat suit for me..."


    "No need."


    As soon as Venom finished speaking, Peter saw a thinyer of ck viscous covering hisbat suit. Soon, the viscous substance seeped into the fibers of the clothing, turning the entire Spider-Man suit ck.


    "Wait, how did you..." Peter was very surprised and said, "Mr. Stark told me that this new textile material must be made into clothing using special methods. How can you change its structure so easily?"


    "There''s nothing special about that method. It''s just a matter of breaking down the fibers, filling them with biomass, and then arranging them into a brand-new chain-like structure..."


    "How do you know all of this?" Peter asked, very puzzled. "Especially when ites to Mech armor andbat suits, you almost make me think I''m talking to Mr. Stark..."

 Chapter 132: The Big Bat Event (14)

    Chapter 132: The Big Bat Event (14)


    Venom didn''t answer, and Peter didn''t care. He had gotten used to Venom disappearing from time to time. He looked down at his hands and had to admit that this ckbat suit was also quite impressive. Compared to the shy colors he had before, it had a deep and serious sense of beauty.


    More importantly, this color allowed him to blend into the shadows, making him less noticeable, at least visually.


    "If those vampires really chased me because of my appearance, they shouldn''t be able to find me now," Peter thought.


    However, the situation didn''t improve. He was still being chased by a group of crazed vampires. Spider-Man was almost out of Brooklyn, but there were still many advanced vampires with teleportation abilities following closely behind him.


    Peter wasn''t just running away, he was strategically maneuvering. He swung through the gaps between high-rise buildings and hung onto the back of one of the buildings. The vampires would have to gather in the shadows of this particr building if they wanted to catch up with him. The shadows of the surrounding buildings didn''t ovep with this one spot, so it was the only ce he could stand.


    Most of the vampires were driven by instinct and teleported to the shadows below the wall. Spider-Man hung above and saw that most of the vampires chasing him were standing in this small patch of shadow. He threw down a snowstorm device, freezing them all into ice blocks.


    Then he slid down along the spider web and approached the group of frozen vampires. He looked left and right but didn''t find anything unusual.


    He found a pry bar nearby and used it to break open the ice block containing the head of a seemingly rational high-level vampire.


    "Why are you chasing me?" Peter asked him.The vampire red fiercely at Peter and said, "You are the chosen sacrifice of Lord Bat God! You damned human! I will catch you, drain your blood, and hand you over to the mighty Lord Bat God! He will lead us to rule this world!!!"


    Peter was almost stunned. He said, "Chosen sacrifice of the Bat God? I don''t even know your god. Why are you after me?"


    But the vampire kept repeating something about the mighty Lord Bat God, and despite Peter''s questioning, he didn''t get any useful information.


    Peter thought that this was also a clue, so he called Schiller and told him everything that had just happened.


    In theboratory of Stark Tower, Schiller was on the phone,municating with Nick. He said, "I have some spections about this. The guardian of the Bat God should exist."


    Nick was very puzzled and asked, "Could it be that there really is a Bat God? We have been monitoring vampires for so many years and have never seen the so-called Bat God appear. Why does he have toe now?"


    "Moreover, as far as I know, in the battle in the East, they were even more badly defeated, and almost half of the vampires werepletely killed. Where was the Bat God who was supposed to protect them then?"


    "You and I both know that it''s unlikely for any real gods to descend into this world."


    Nick caught Schiller''s meaning and said, "But you also said that the guardian of the Bat God exists."


    "Yes, but he may not be a real guardian of the Bat God. To put it simply, the bats were deceived by someone."


    "This is amon trick that you must have seen before. Some extraordinary creatures with strong power, using the name of a god, want to gather believers or achieve some goals."


    "That''s right. We''ve dealt with many so-called evil gods before, most of which were monsters pretending to be gods. So, is this case no exception? Who exactly is the other side?"


    "I have some spections, but I''m not sure yet. But no matter who it is, there is only one solution..."


    "What''s that?"


    "Have you found out where thatwork cable leads to?"


    Nick was silent for a moment, then said, "Are you sure this will work? I have investigated, and there are indeed people stationed there, but they should only be ordinary members..."


    "That''s enough. From what I understand, their boss doesn''t tolerate any nonsense," said a young man in a hoodie outside 177 in Manhattan. He shouted, "Mrs. Itis, why did my inte signal go out?"


    A woman with curly hair and a thin frame stuck her head out from the opposite building upstairs and replied, "How would I know? Did you not pay your inte bill?"


    "That''s impossible, I just paid it a week ago!"


    Soon, another slightly chubby person came out from 177''s door and said, "Not only did the inte go out, but why is there a power outage? What''s going on?"


    The young man had to knock on every door to find out that only 177 was experiencing these issues. This is an old post office on a street in Manhattan that no longer serves its original purpose due to the development of technology. Now, it''s a ce for residents to store packages for the entire street.


    After theirmotion, a man with a beard stuck his head out from a neighboring window and said, "Hey, stop making noise! Go to the municipal office on the opposite street and ask. I guess it might be due to the aging lines."


    "The history of this old post office is too long. We don''t even know if the pipes have been updated. It''s normal for things to break down. You''d better go and ask quickly, and maybe it can be fixed before nightfall."


    Just as the young man was about to thank him, he heard another exmation from inside the house, "Oh, damn! This water pipe, why did it burst?!"


    The young man helplessly returned to the house and asked the chubby person, "What''s going on? I heard that there''s a war going on at the Brooklyn Bridge. Could it be intentional targeting?"


    The fat man looked at him and said in a low voice, "It''s hard to say. Those damn blood-sucking monsters over in Hong Kong are causing trouble all the time. Our temple is constantly being harassed by them. I thought it would be better after being transferred to New York, but it''s still the same..."


    "Don''t worry about that for now. Let''s fix the water and electricity here first, otherwise how are we going to cook tonight?"


    The two stared at each other, and the fat man spoke first, "Don''t look at me. Magic is not meant for doing this. Even if we have restoration spells, how do I know which pipeline is broken?"


    "Well, it seems like we''ll have to find a professional. I''ll go to the city hall across the street, you take care of the water, don''t flood the package."


    After a while, the young man came back with a disappointed look and said, "That office is closed. Their efficiency has always been terrible. We can''t rely on them. We''ll have to fix it ourselves."


    Then he saw the fat maning out with a plunger in hand, looking somewhat distressed, "Bad news, our toilet exploded..."


    "Toilet? How could the toilet explode?"


    "Those damn bats definitely messed with our sewer! Fortunately, nothing dirty overflowed, just the water pipe exploded..."


    Just as he finished speaking, there was a loud explosion from the post office, followed by a terrible stench spreading out.


    "Oh shit!!! What''s happening?! Oh my god!!"


    Then, a furious scream echoed over Manhattan, "You damn blood-sucking vampires!!! You fucking blew up shit!!!"


    Coulson, in the helicopter hovering in the sky in the distance, looked at the horrific scene below, seeing most of the residents in that block being driven out of their homes by the horrible smell. He spoke to Nick on the phone, "Director, is this a bit too cruel? Regardless, we can''t blow up shit..."


    "What are you talking about? The despicable ones are the vampires. They actually y with poop. Can this group still have the nerve to call themselves noble bloods?"


    "To seek revenge on this group of people, they actually targeted their poor toilet. It''s simply inhumane, and we strongly protest against this behavior!"


    Soon, Coulson heard Hill''s voiceing from Nick''s phone. She said, "The other side has actively contacted one of our agents in the Manhattan area. They im to be the mages stationed at the New York Temple of Kamar-Taj, and they now need SHIELD''s support."


    Nick flipped through the materials in front of him and said, "SHIELD has no diplomatic rtions with their Power. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, we must send amunication request to their headquarters to show that our support is within a reasonable range and has been approved by them."


    Hill asked a few questions over there and said, "The other side says that the management of the New York Temple is independent of Kamar-Taj headquarters, but they will report this matter, including all developments in the war against the vampires, to their headquarters."


    "They seem very anxious. If we don''t deal with it soon, the excrement will overflow from their house."


    "Remember, Hill, give your diligent colleagues a few days off and let them go to Hawaii for a vacation. Although they haven''t signed any confidentiality agreements, it''s still better not to mention anything rted to excrement to anyone. Blowing up someone''s toilet? SHIELD can''t afford to lose this person."


    Then, Nick hung up the phone and called Schiller. He said, "Next time you have such a disgusting tactic, don''te to us."


    "But the effect is quite remarkable, isn''t it? In a few days, all the Powers of the mysterious side will know that the vampires, who like to y with excrement, sent someone to blow up the toilet of their New York Temple in retaliation against Kamar-Taj."


    "Are you sure this will get the attention of their boss?"


    "Actually, even without blowing up the toilet, it would have happened. I don''t believe that the stationed mages did not report the vampires'' movements to the owner of Kamar-Taj."


    "Then why did you ask us to go blow up the toilet?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense, it wasn''t you guys who blew it up, it was those self-proimed noble Vampires."


    "Okay." Schiller changed the side of his mobile phone and continued, "Let''s talk about business."


    "SHIELD must have some understanding of the Kamar-Taj, but just hasn''t pinpointed the exact location of the New York Sanctum. Now that you two have made contact, you must have amon goal at least when ites to the vampire problem."


    "During the war that happened in the Eastern Continent, except for Kunlun, Kamar-Taj must have been involved as well."


    "I''m a bit confused. As far as I know, that mysterious organization in the Himyas should only deal with crises outside of Earth..."


    "You''re pointing at the sample of Earth''s biological fossils, and then look at the crazy bats'' teleportation and w magic. Can you, in good conscience, say that they are native to Earth? Isn''t that just nonsense?"


    "Okay, then are you sure that the Bat God Guardian is also an extraordinary being from outside?"


    "Of course, I''m pretty sure of their origin."


    "Really? Who do you think they are?"


    "They are also bats, or, you can call them the Morin family, also known as the vampire n."

 Chapter 133: The Big Bat Event (15)

    Chapter 133: The Big Bat Event (15)


    The Morlun family, also known as the Inheritor family, are sometimes called "cosmic vampires."


    To understand the origins of this family, one must mention the Spider Totem.


    Perhaps in the eyes of many people, Spider-Man''s birth was due to him being bitten by a spider that caused a mutation, but in reality, Spider-Man''s power actually belongs to the magical side andes from the ancient Spider Totem.


    Animal totems are a very mysterious and powerful force in the entire Marvel universe, and the Spider Totem is one of the best. Faced with such a powerful force, there are naturally people who want to steal it.


    In the universe, there is a group of beings very simr to vampires who travel through various multiverses, killing all creatures rted to totems in order to absorb their power and enhance their own, and they are known as the Morlun family.


    Schiller said to Nick on the phone, "I have to admit, I didn''t expect them to go after Spider-Man so quickly. We''ve set a trap for them this time, and we''ve caught a big fish."


    "Instead of worrying about this issue, shouldn''t you be concerned about how we''re going to deal with them?" Nick asked.


    "ording to what you''ve said, they even have the ability to travel through multiverses beyond human cognition, and their targets are mostly defenseless. So how do you think ordinary humans like us can deal with such powerful extraordinary creatures?"


    "The fact is, we don''t have to deal with them.""What do you mean?" Nick asked.


    "I think you should be able to imagine that since there are Morlun families, there must be other extraordinary creatures like them, and probably a lot of them."


    "Think about why humans have been able to live peacefully until now. If they really could do whatever they wanted here, not just one Earth, but even several sr systems, would be destroyed by them."


    "Of course, I know that there has always been a mysterious force protecting Earth. In fact, since the day I took over as director of SHIELD, I have been paying attention to this."


    "But, if the guardian of the Bat God has really descended, does that mean they have found a way to break through Earth''s defenses?"


    "They still have a long way to go. If they have really found this method, why don''t they just appear directly in the sky above Earth and shout at all the people of Earth, telling us that they are about to rule over here?"


    "Instead, they sneak around like guilty thieves, needing to wear the cloak of a Bat God and be summoned by Earth''s vampires?"


    Finally, Schiller concluded: "They are not like bank robbers, but a group of clumsy thieves who sneak into ordinary homes and only dare to quietly pick locks without making any noise."


    "And coincidentally, the owner of this house has a bad temper and holds grudges."


    After the sky darkened, Stark floated in the air above a street block in front of the Brooklyn Bridge, and below him was a strange-looking vehicle.


    Stark pressed a button on his arm, and the armor of the vehicle unfolded, revealing a group of very strange robotsing down from it.


    They had four sturdy mechanical legs, a circle of mechanical arms on the upper part, with gear grippers and hooks, and the main body resembled a hexagonal nut.


    Steve, who was standing beside him, said, "Is this what you''ve been working on these days? Are you sure this thing can fight?"


    "No, this is not for fighting," Stark sneered and said, "You soldiers only think about fighting. This is a multi-functional battlefield robot."


    "So, what can it do?"


    "It can do everything you can imagine in terms of logistics."


    "After experiencing the battles tonight, I have discovered a very big problem. The weakness of humanity may not be that we can''t fight, that our guns are not urate enough, or that we are not evading in time enough. It is that we have wasted too much manpower on logistics maintenance."


    "To move an injured soldier on the ground, it requires two people who are strong enough to go through the center of the crossfire and retrieve the wounded. If one of them also gets injured, then others will have to take their ce.


    "Of course, in a normal war, there might still be room for such actions because the enemy is on the same level as us and won''t deliberately target the retreating injured soldiers. But those bats are different. They can fly. Once they see someone fall or someone trying to rescue the wounded, they''ll attack them like crazy."


    "Once we give up the wounded, our morale will decrease dramatically, and our casualties will be more severe."


    "I''ve been thinking a lot this afternoon..." Stark said, hugging his arms. "This is the first time I''ve participated in this kind of war, so there are many ws and inappropriate areas in the design of the Mech armor. I''ve done my best to quickly adjust these issues."


    Steve heard a strong sense of confidence in his tone, which waspletely different from his usual tough attitude. At this moment, Stark, or Iron Man, was indeed full of personal charm.


    He was so talented in his field of expertise and didn''t hesitate to talk about his mistakes and weaknesses. This rigorous thinking and his somewhat sloppy attitude created a strong conflict that made him have a unique temperament.


    Stark continued, "Schiller gave me great inspiration. We do need a set of battlefield-adapted logic that is intelligent enough to calcte and predict weaknesses before we even discover them. We need to stay ahead of the game."


    "However, we don''t have time for that this time. We only have one day, and we can''t even pass the tests. So Ipromised and designed these robots manually."


    Stark stopped and patted the arm of one of the robots. "I won''t talk about functions like moving goods or building defenses. What''s more important is that it''s loaded with incendiary bombs and methrowers. I''ve designed a signal sending button on everyone''s night vision device. Just press it once, and it''ll signal that there are injured vampires here that can be burned. They''ll quicklye to the battlefield and burn them to ashes with the methrower."


    "Their me jet system is intelligently controlled, which ensures that the fire will not spread and is much easier to use than manual operation."


    "More importantly, it''s the way it moves."


    As Stark spoke, the mechanical arm of the Mech armor beside him rotated and retracted into its hexagonal body, transforming into a shape resembling a nut and then hovering in mid-air.


    Stark looked up at it and said, "Currently, I haven''t seen that group of vampires interfere with maic forces, so this machine can use a maic suspension system to move very quickly."


    "Once it moves above the wounded soldier, the bottom mechanical arm will lift the wounded soldier and wrap them inside the Mech armor before flying back with them."


    "The Mech armor has some emergency measures and some healing serums, you know, the ones Connor researched, but there aren''t too many of them, so they might not be enough. But at least it can ensure that severely injured soldiers can make it to the hospital."


    "That''s already pretty good." Steve walked over and looked at the hexagonal nut floating in the air. He said, "War always means people will die, it''s just a matter of how many. But it''s always good to save one more person."


    "Are you going to reminisce about your glorious days on the battlefield with me again?"


    Steve shrugged and said, "No, thanks. Since you did a good job this time, I won''t bring that up."


    "Ha! I knew it was intentional when you did it before!" Stark red at him and said angrily.


    Steve shrugged again and said, "I used that trick on your dad before, but you''ve made some progress at least. You can tolerate it for more than five minutes now."


    When Peter arrived, he saw Stark pulling on Steve''s cor. Peter hurried over to separate them. Stark shook his arm and looked at Peter, asking, "What happened to yourbat suit? Why is it so ck?"


    Peter shook his head, and Stark noticed that he seemed distracted. He asked, "Hey, kid, what''s wrong? Are you hurt?"


    "I don''t know," Peter said painfully. "My heart is beating very fast, and my spider sense is ringing, but I can''t find the source of the danger. I feel terrible right now."


    Seeing that Peter wasn''t joking, Stark walked up to him and patted his shoulder, saying, "I think you need to rest."


    "You''re not even of legal age, and you''ve been fighting continuously for over 20 hours. This is not okay," Steve added.


    Peter seemed agitated and said, "Don''t worry about me. I know what I should do. I''m going to stay here and wipe out those annoying monsters!"


    "Your mental state seems off..." Stark was about to say more, but Steve stopped him.


    Peter sat down against the tire of the car, and Steve squatted down next to him, looking into his eyes. "Of course, we don''t want to interfere with you, but as your elders, or at least I''m sure I''m your elder, I''m a little worried about you, Peter..."


    "If you feel you can still hold on, then stay, but in reality, you''ve done enough, even heroic," Steve said.


    Peter furrowed his brows, closed his eyes, and said, "I''m sorry, I don''t know what''s wrong with me. I just feel very agitated and restless..."


    "Schiller wille overter, you can talk to him and maybe the psychologist can help with these symptoms."


    "Dr. Schiller ising? Why? This is a battlefield! He will be in danger!"


    Stark and Steve exchanged nces, realizing that young Peter seemed to genuinely believe that Schiller had no special powers and was just an ordinary person who needed protection.


    By the time the sky was about to darken, the three defense lines had been fully set up. With the help of Stark''s special logistics robots, the frontline was established quickly and solidly, and the situation was better than expected.


    A mansion in the rear became the temporarymand center, with Schiller sitting on the second floor and Peter sitting opposite him. Peter covered his forehead and said, "I feel really bad, doctor. I have a constant sense that something dangerous is about to happen, but I can''t pinpoint the source."


    "Is it your spider-sense alerting you like this?"


    "Yes, it''s hard for me to exin to you what kind of feeling it is. In short, my spider-sense used to allow me to see images of danger and even directly control my body movements."


    "But now, I can''t see anything, even when I concentrate, I can''t detect anything, but it''s always faintly ringing..."


    "Because you''ve always used it as a passive ability. Have you ever considered that you can actually control it actively?"


    "Active control? I''ve actually tried before, but no matter how much I concentrate, it just doesn''t appear."


    "That''s because you didn''t have a dangerous stimulus at that time. This short-lived state can''t be sustained, but now is a good opportunity. Since your spider sense has been working all along, you can try to use it..."


    Peter closed his eyes and tried hard to concentrate, but his spider sense was like a string constantly being yed, constantly disturbing his thoughts, making his attention very scattered.


    Venom said, "Clear your mind and let me help you."


    Peter tried hard to empty his mind and think of nothing, and then gradually, he saw a ck mass spreading in his consciousness, and soon, a scene shed by.


    Schiller saw Peter "bounce" off the chair and said in horror, "I saw..."


    "Calm down, Peter. What did you see?"


    Peter said to Schiller in panic, "I saw Mr. Stark falling from a high-rise building...without wearing the Mech armor, and then he fell to the ground..."


    Peter''s eyes were red, and he was almost crying. His voice was hoarse and trembling as he said, "I saw...he died."

 Chapter 134: The Big Bat Event (16)

    Chapter 134: The Big Bat Event (16)


    "Listen, Peter, rx, take deep breaths... yes, don''t let those emotions control you, you need to calm down..."


    Peter''s chest heaved violently as he gasped for air, as if trying to suck all the air out of the surrounding area.


    After a while, Schiller let Peter sit back in his chair and looked into his eyes, soothingly saying, "Don''t dwell on that image, it''s all just your imagination."


    "No..." Peter covered his eyes in pain and said, "I''ve seen these kinds of images in my spider sense before, and they''ve alle true!"


    "But at least they haven''t happened yet, what you need to think about now is how to turn this situation around." Schiller tapped the table, redirecting Peter''s attention, and said, "I believe you''ve seen yourself in danger in this power more than once, but you''ve always been able to turn the situation around with your own strength. This time will be no exception."


    Peter''s Adam''s apple trembled, and he grabbed onto a lifesaving straw, saying eagerly, "Really? Yeah... that''s right! I''ve avoided all the danger I''ve sensed before! I''m sure it''ll be the same this time!"


    As he spoke, he stood up from his chair and began pacing in ce, saying, "It''s okay, as long as I keep an eye on Mr. Stark, I''ll keep watching him, or make sure he doesn''t go up to the high-rise building, everything will be fine..."


    Schiller reminded him, "Remember the analysis method I taught you before? You can start from the cause, not just the result. Why would Stark be in danger?"


    Peter was stunned for a moment, then looked thoughtful and said, "That''s really strange, why did Mr. Stark take off his Mech armor? And in the middle of a battle..."Continuing, without needing Schiller''s reminder, Peter said, "Right, I''ve seen it before. Mr. Stark seems to choose to activate the Mech armor when facing great danger."


    "But who could bring him such danger?" Peter was very puzzled, and he said, "And even if he activates the Mech armor once, wouldn''t there be other Mech armors to catch him? He has so many Mech armors, there must be one that can fly over, right?"


    "And besides his own Mech armor, we were also there, so why didn''t we catch him?"


    The more Peter thought about it, the more anxious he became. Suddenly, he seemed to have a sudden realization and said, "It must be that Bat God! Yes, it must be him, I can''t think of any other reason!"


    Peter spoke quickly, "Those crazy bats, although some of them are dangerous, they can''t possibly keep everyone busy. If Mr. Stark is really in danger and no onees to rescue him, it means that all of us are being restrained."


    "Only that mysterious Bat God could possibly do this."


    Finally, Peter quickly ran to his chair, grabbed his backpack, and said to Schiller, "Doctor, sorry, I don''t have time for further psychological counseling. I need to figure out how to deal with that damn Bat God."


    With that, he ran out. Schiller watched Peter quickly run out of the mansion''s second-floor window, then began searching the streets for Stark''s figure.


    Stark was in the midst of a pile of Mech armors, doing the final adjustments on them, when he saw Peter running towards him. Stark greeted him and then immediately hugged Peter''s shoulder, pointing at the Mech armors and saying, "Look, I''ve made adaptive modifications to these 15 Mech armors. They also have wings to assist with flight, making it difficult for them to lose bnce when attacked in the air..."


    Peter was very anxious and said, "Mr. Stark, my spider sense just told me that you will face great dangerter!"


    Stark was stunned and looked at Peter, saying, "Danger? What danger could I face? I have prepared over 100 Mech armors, not only here but also on the road from Stark Tower to the Brooklyn Bridge. No matter what danger I encounter, they will be able to respond to me immediately."


    "It''s not that!" Peter anxiously exined to Stark the principle of his spider sense, and emphasized that all the images that appeared before had happened. Steve heard what Peter said and walked over from the sandbags on the ground.


    "Falling from a high-rise building? It''s strange. Why would we run up to a high-rise building? Even if we were fighting the monsters in the air, we don''t need to stand on the top of a building, right?"


    Stark rubbed his forehead. No matter who heard the news that they might die in the next few hours, they would feel the pressure. But his thinking was still clear, and he said to Peter, "I agree with your thoughts. If there is anything in the uing battle that threatens my life, it must be that mysterious bat god."


    "Do we not need any ceremony to summon that thing? Like we sawst night, maybe we can destroy the ceremony."


    Peter told the two of them what he had heard at the vampiremand center earlier. Steve frowned and said, "If he is going to appear, there must be a location. We should prepare an ambush."


    Peter shook his head and said, "Since there is no ritual, he can appear anywhere. It just depends on the summoner''s mood."


    "I don''t think we should waste too much time on this. Peter, you said that you''ve managed to avoid these kinds of visions in various ways before, which means this is just a warning, not a definite prophecy. I think I''ll be able to find a way to avoid it when the timees."


    Peter wanted to say something else, but Stark''s tone was heavy. "We all know that the situation at night is not optimistic. The number of crazy bats has increased several times. Once theyunch a coordinated attack, the whole battle line will be intense."


    "If we divert our attention to prepare for a possible death scene at this time, the ground forces will suffer heavy losses."


    Stark looked into Peter''s eyes, and Peter saw a resolute emotion in his eyes. Stark said, "Don''t forget why we are here. If we want to avoid danger, I could just hide in Stark Tower, couldn''t I?"


    "When you talk about possible death, you''ve only seen a vision of me possibly dying. But anyone could die in this battle tonight."


    "I still have so many Mech armors protecting me, and you are all watching out for me. But the police on the ground only have their own guns, and if they aren''t careful, they could lose their lives."


    "If everyone cared about whether they would die the next second and how they would die, the entire Brooklyn area would have fallen long ago," Peter looked at Stark, he opened his mouth but ultimately chose to remain silent.


    Stark said to him, "Just like I once told you, I could easily choose not to put on this steelbat suit, andfortably stay in my headquarters."


    "I have no obligation to rush into battle ande to the front lines, but since I have chosen to do so, it proves that I am prepared to sacrifice like ordinary people on the front lines."


    Although Stark''s tone sounded rxed, Peter and Steve both knew how much panic and pressure hearing an urate prophecy about their own death could bring.


    Steve tapped his shield and said, "Now I admit, you are indeed a warrior, Iron Man."


    Peter pursed his lips, looking towards the horizon, thest bit of dusk swallowed by darkness, the skypletely darkened. He felt as if he had returned to Matt''s small house, watching these good people get injured, bleeding, and suffering, but he was powerless to help.


    The group of bats began to swagger in the approaching darkness, a sense of anger overwhelmed Peter. Hiding and being cautious should not be the job of these heroes. From beginning to end, Peter firmly believed that good deeds should be rewarded.


    If that''s the case, then he would make these monsters that should have stayed in the darkness roll back to their dark corners.


    With the first bat taking flight, on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, the skyline seemed to be engulfed by a ck tide, as numerous bats with red eyes danced and flickered in the air, obscuring the entire sky in an instant, even the moonlight faded away.


    Everyone looked up in awe at the astonishing might of the bat army. Steve said, "We underestimated their madness."


    As the two of them were discussing, Stark saw a figure swinging on spider webs andnding directly in front of the front line.


    Stark and Steve were both shocked, and Steve shouted, "Spider-Man! What are you doing?! Come back now! It''s dangerous!"


    That was even farther than the first line of defense, with almost no cover or protection measures. Once there, he would immediately face the crazed bat attack in full force.


    But Peter seemed to have ignored him and then, unexpectedly, something happened that surprised everyone.

 Chapter 135: The Big Bat Event (17)

    Chapter 135: The Big Bat Event (17)


    Everyone behind the front line saw the figure that appeared small under the overwhelming tide of bats, shoot two spider webs that stuck to the two adjacent buildings.


    There was no one left in those two buildings, as they were already on the brink of copse from the previous night''s battle. This time, Spider-Man''s two spider webs were ck and had arge at the top, directly sticking to most of the building''s surface area.


    Immediately after, Spider-Man exerted his strength on both arms, pulling them inward. The two buildings emitted a grating sound as they began to tilt.


    Amidst the shock of everyone present, the two huge buildings copsed with a loud roar, creating a cloud of dust and debris. The first wave of bats charging towards the front line didn''t anticipate this, and were instantly buried under the rubble of the high-rise buildings.


    Everyone present was stunned.


    Those were two buildings several tens of meters tall!


    On the battlefield, Peter had mostly yed the role of an agile support, always the first to rush in response to any emergencies. He repaired defenses, escorted wounded soldiers, and provided assistance as needed.


    This was the first time everyone realized just how powerful Spider-Man truly was. Stark''s facete opened, and he stared directly at Peter, noticing that he showed no signs of fatigue.


    When the buildings copsed, Peter quickly dodged, then grabbed a nearby truck and threw it at the remaining enemies. The tires of the massive truck were as small as pebbles in his hands.Stark swallowed and Steve said, "Can your Mech armor go all out?"


    Stark hesitated for a moment and said, "It''s possible, but it can''t generate that kind of force without finding a support point. It''s not scientifically possible..."


    "His upper limit should be higher than this," Steve crossed his arms and watched Spider-Man ughtering enemies in the center of the battlefield.


    As a fellow recipient of physical mutation, Steve understood this well and said, "Peter''s powers are far from fully developed. His upper limit must be terrifyingly high."


    Stark frowned anxiously and said, "I''m starting to feel the pressure now. If what you''re saying is true, then his spider-sense might really have precognitive effects."


    "I''m talking about the future," Steve looked at Stark and said, "At least for now, Peter is still in the adaptation phase. The powers brought to him by this mutation are far from reaching their peak, even his spider-sense."


    "To be honest, I find it suspicious. Peter told me before that his spider-sense rarely forms a specific image, especially for such a long duration, from you popping out of the Mech armor, falling, and hitting the ground. It''s too detailed."


    "Does the spider-sense even have different camera angles? First filming you in what kind of environment, then filming you popping out of the Mech armor and falling, and finally filming the result of hitting the ground. Even if it''s a premonition, it''s not that clear and explicit, right?"


    "When you put it that way, I also feel like something''s not right," said Stark without a doubt. "Peter never mentioned before that he has the ability to see the future, especially with such rity and uracy."


    "Perhaps he will be able to do it in the future," Steve concluded, "but currently, based on his Spider-Sense abilities, it shouldn''t be so clear and precise."


    "Regardless, I still need to be prepared because if this is true, things will be very tricky."


    Spider-Man blocked the first wave of the most intense attacks, providing a breathing opportunity for the defense line behind him.


    When the second wave of bats attacked, they also became smarter and no longer swooped down from the sky in a rush. Instead, some of them transformed into human form and coordinated with ground attacks, weakening the humans'' air firepower.


    After a day of preparation, the human firepower greatly increased. With the efforts of Pierce and Nick, all participating defense forces received sufficient heavy firepower supplements, and this is where the advantage of human weaponses in.


    Most of the human heavy weapons can cause high temperature and explosions, which is precisely what the vampires fear the most. Moreover, apart from the specific targets that need to be hit urately, the ssh damage is also high.


    At some of the more important defense locations, barrels that can be detonated by snipers were set up. When necessary, the explosions and mes from these barrels can disrupt the bats'' attack rhythm.


    At the beginning, the entire defense rhythm was very good, with various weapons alternating coverage and defense lines pushing forwardyer byyer. In no time, they even counterattacked to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge.


    However, soon many problems began to emerge. For example, humans underestimated the fearless and aggressive nature of this group of bats, or perhaps these bats were being controlled by something and turned into crazy cannon fodder.


    Just as Hawkeye had blown up an oil drum, injuring one bat and setting another on fire, the ming bat did not retreat but charged into the nearest machine gun base. Despite the machine gunners'' preparedness, one person was set on fire by the mes. If it weren''t for hisrades'' timely extinguishing, he might have died. However, the burn injuries made him unable to continue fighting and he was quickly taken away by a hexagonal nut robot.


    This group of crazy bats were willing to sacrifice themselves and continue to attack, even if it meant causing more harm to themselves than to the enemy.


    Hawkeye put down his bow and cursed under his breath, then said to Natasha on the walkie-talkie, "What the hell is going on? These bats are even crazier thanst night!"


    "They are likely being controlled by some kind of power from the rumored Bat God," Natasha''s tone was as calm as ever. "But Nick told me that there may be a turning point soon."


    As the battle became more intense, the humans'' advantage gradually disappeared, and the two sides were deadlocked like meat grinders.


    Stark had just repelled an attack from a crazy bat with a shot, when the Steel Mech armor took off and several shots drove back the bats about to attack the stronghold. At this moment, J.A.R.V.I.S''s voice came, "Stark Tower Laboratory is calling, the caller is Dr. Connors."


    "Connect the call," Stark said, floating in mid-air.


    Dr. Connors'' voice came through the headphones. He spoke quickly and calmly: "Listen, first of all, regardless of the principle, I have developed a Medicine that, if released properly, can instantly render all bats on the battlefieldbat ineffective."


    "Just tell me what to do," Stark said bluntly.


    "I told Nick before that I have a better way to solve the problem at its root. Now, I have seeded, with only onest step remaining."


    "In general, I used the lizard serum I extracted - the serum that can turn me into a lizard monster - to make an infectious mutation serum to infect those bats."


    "Once the bats are infected, they will begin to turn into lizards. Unlike humans, bats cannot be Lizard Men. They will only turn into lizards, such as growing thick scales all over their bodies, growing tails and legs, and losing their ability to fly."


    "I changed some of the ingredients to make this mutation even more uncontroble, so they may grow a tail on their chest, or even be crushed to death by thick scales."


    "This mutation ispletely uncontroble. Therefore, once infected, the mutated bats will almostpletely lose theirbat ability."


    "But won''t it infect humans?" Stark asked.


    "Of course not. Otherwise, what did I bring so many bats here to study for? This is a targeted infectious serum that ispletely ineffective on humans. I have already tested it."


    "Well, what else do you need?"


    "In order topletely eliminate the fighting capability of all bats in one go, I need a spray emitter with sufficient power, preferably capable of spraying the mutation serum in an instant, covering the entire battlefield and infecting all bats. The speed has to be fast, to prevent them from using any magical means to counteract it."


    Stark pondered for a moment and looked at the increasingly dire situation on the ground of the battlefield. "Alright, let''s do it. I remember I have an ultraviolet emitter, can that be used?"


    "I''ve looked at the design ns of all your emitters, and based on my estimation, its power is not enough. Light and gas are different. Gas requires tremendous propulsive force to quickly envelop the entire battlefield."


    "Then we need to modify it quickly. I''ve already granted you ess to all theboratory permissions."


    "Yinsen and I havee up with a version, we just need to do some final debugging. It will be ready to deploy in half an hour. What you need to consider now is where to set it up and how to trigger it."


    Conner spoke rapidly, "Theoretically, the spray range will be a spherical shape with a diameter of about 300 meters. In order to maximize the utilization of this range, the emitter must be set up not on the ground, but in a high-rise building within the closest range of the conflict zone. Once you''ve selected a location, we''ll immediately transport the emitter there."


    Stark said, "In fact, there''s only one high-rise building within the entire range."


    He looked up and saw the Brooklyn Heights building located on the east side of the Brooklyn Bridge.


    As if sensing something, Stark remained silent on the other end of themunication. Conner asked, "What''s wrong?"


    After a while, Stark''s voice came through: "No... nothing. There is only one building that meets the conditions you mentioned. Once the device is ready, transport it to the rooftop of the Brooklyn Heights Tower. J.A.R.V.I.S. has already sent the precise location. I''ll be waiting there for you."


    Conners heard an indescribable emotion in his voice, but he didn''t have time to continue chatting and hung up the phone quickly.


    On the other end, Peter swung over to Stark with his spider web and asked, "The situation on the front line is not good. Where is the turning point that Natasha mentioned? Do you know, Mr. Stark?"


    "Forget about that," Stark''s voice came through the Mech armor with a hint of electric distortion. He continued, "Tell Steve to lead a small team and clean up all the vampires near the Heights Tower. I''m going up there."


    "The Heights Tower?" Peter looked back and saw that it was the tallest high-rise building nearby. He said, "No! Wait! You can''t go there!! Have you forgotten about your...?"


    "I haven''t forgotten, Peter. I remember very clearly, but I have to go." Iron Man in Mech armor flew straight over there. Peter chased after him, yelling, "No!!! You know you''ll die if you do that! Oh my God..."


    Peter took out his walkie-talkie and said to Steve, "Stop Stark! He''s gone crazy! He''s going up to the Heights Tower!"


    "Protect Stark, Peter," Steve''s voice came through the walkie-talkie. Apparently, he also received Conners''munication. He said, "Sometimes, even if you know there won''t be a good result, you still have to do it."


    Peter was almost going crazy. Having seen that scene with his own eyes, he could not ept such an urrence. He said to Stark, "You don''t have to go up there. I can handle it alone. What can''t I handle? I..."


    "The activation of the device takes time, and the infection also takes time to take effect." Stark''s voice was very calm as he said, "One person cannot defend against vampires'' attack while also activating the device. Evacuation also requires someone to provide support. One person cannot do it all."


    "Well, we can think of other ways, we don''t have to..."


    "Peter, I''ve already said..." Stark stopped, his face mask rising up. Peter saw Stark''s face and saw no panic or fear on it. He looked even calmer than usual.


    "If I were afraid of death, I would be hiding in Stark Tower''syers of protection right now instead of being here in the battlefield."


    "I know better than anyone that if I am destined to die, no advanced Mech armor can protect me. I have not gained any sense of security from this Mech armor. I face death every moment."


    In the dark night sky, Peter hung on the wall of a building, looking at Stark floating in front of him.


    Stark''s hair under his face mask fluttered in the wind, and his eyes seemed to absorb all the light around him, reminding Peter of the sunrise he and Stark saw together for the first time.


    "Even without the prophecy you made, I worry every minute and every second on the battlefield."


    "I will continuously develop all kinds of Mech armor, advanced Mech armor, and even more advanced Mech armor because of my fear of death."


    "What I haven''t told you is that on that night in the Afghan cave, there was not only pain, but also endless fear. No one is not afraid of death."


    Peter heard Stark''s voice mixed with pain, as if recalling things he didn''t want to remember.


    "At that time, I knew I was going to die soon, and no one could tell me whether I could survive or not..."


    "It''s just like today, I know I''m going to die soon..."


    Stark closed his eyes, and his voice began to tremble, gradually dissipating in the cold night wind of Brooklyn.


    "Maybe I was insane. I knew it was a dead end ahead, but there was a voice constantly urging me to do it, and I had to do it..."


    "I can only do it this way too."

 Chapter 136: The Big Bat Event (18)

    Chapter 136: The Big Bat Event (18)


    Above Brooklyn, Peter once again faced the agony of a superhero.


    Just like he did with Matt, it was the first time he heard Stark speak about his fears, and the first time he felt his inner struggle.


    Peter suddenly realized that those who could be called heroes always had the same traits, driving both Daredevil Matt and Iron Man Stark - it was the same kind of motivation.


    Peter had never agreed more with a phrase than he did today - "Nobility is the epitaph of the noble."


    Heroes were always trapped by their higher moral sense, knowing that there was a dead end ahead, but still choosing to move forward.


    But this did not mean that they would not fear or suffer. Peter could feel that Stark was afraid.


    But he should be afraid, because there was no one in this world who was not afraid of death.


    But he seemed to be driven by something, like a moth to a me, walking towards the path that was already set.


    Even though Peter had described in detail to Stark the scene of his death, the scene of falling from the top of a high-rise building, Stark still flew there without hesitation, as if he had long prepared his own grave.Just like on that night in Matt''s cabin, Peter felt the same anger burning in his chest.


    But this time, Peter thought, he would never witness another tragedy again.


    The same tragedy would not happen a second time. He was no longer the inexperienced Peter Parker of the past, hesitating and giving up in conflict. He had already seen the path he had to take, and no matter what the cost, he would stop it all.


    Peter suddenly felt like his brain was injected with a sedative, and the boiling anger gradually subsided, condensing into a deeper power that surged within him.


    Suppressing this emotion, Peter said to Stark, "Let''s go up together."


    Steve, who was cleaning up vampires downstairs, saw Stark and Peter flying up to the rooftop of Hignd Tower.


    By now, it was already veryte at night, and the moonlight was gradually getting brighter, casting an eerie purple glow on the blood, and the wings and ws of the bats shimmered with a mysterious luster.


    Soon, several helicopters carrying mutation serum devices flew to the rooftop of Hignd Tower. The devices looked like erged versions of ultraviolet generators, with bud-like shapes.


    When the devicesnded, Stark stood in front of one of them and adjusted it. The machine lit up with a red light, and the bud gradually opened.


    Meanwhile, Peter was dealing with the bats flying towards them. After all, such a big entrance would definitely attract attention from the other side. About a dozen bats were sent by the vampires to harass them.


    Stark muttered to himself, "The activation will probably take 5 minutes, and then another 20 minutes until all the gas is consumed. We need to hold this position for half an hour until the mutation serum takes effect."


    Steve didn''t have the ability to fly and was more suitable for groundbat. The ground forces also needed him greatly, as most of the SHIELD agents were stationed on the ground. Without them, ordinary people would struggle to deal with therge bats. In a situation where the battle situation was too intense, there was no room for support. Once forcibly mobilized, the defense line could copsepletely.


    5 minutes quickly passed, and the bud-like devices gradually unfolded. Soon, Peter felt the air bing moist, and then Stark stepped back as a violent gust of wind swept through, causing the generator to disintegrate directly, and a spherical storm swept across the entire battlefield sky.


    Peter was leaning over the railing at the edge of the building, looking down. At first, the bats didn''t seem to change much, but in less than two minutes, some of them began to shimmer with the shine of scales. After about three minutes, the mutations eruptedpletely.


    Many bats grew a lizard''s w on their heads, and suddenly, a leg grew on their wings. Peter shuddered, as he found these mutations to be somewhat unbearable to look at - they were simply too disgusting.


    Just imagine, a bat that was flying in the air just fine suddenly screaming in agony, growing seven or eight lizard legs on its belly, and then falling to the ground, bing a ball of scales and ws.


    Steve rolled away to avoid a lizard-meatball monster falling from mid-air. He felt a bit choked up and said into themunicator, "Conners, this thing is just too disgusting. My goodness, I''ve lived for so many years, but I''ve never seen anything like this..."


    Indeed, thebination of bats and lizards was just too much for any carbon-based lifeform to ept. Many frontline soldiers, although not injured by the falling bat-lizard monsters, were mentally impacted and vomiting on the spot.


    However, it had to be said that this mutation attack was highly effective. The vast majority of infected bats lost theirbat capabilities, as you couldn''t expect a monster with seven or eight legs growing out of its body and wings to fly as usual.


    Most of the mutated bats fell to the ground, either bing meat pulp or writhing in ce.


    The bats'' self-healing abilities were useless, as they were not actually injured, just with extra parts. The self-healing ability could only heal wounds, but it couldn''t do anything for the extra scales, ws, and legs.


    However, although most of the bats were infected, some were fortunate enough to avoid it. Diken saw this and angrily shouted, "Quick, attack the device on the Rooftop! Can''t you see it? That thing is causing all this trouble!"


    He was almost going crazy. The majority of the avablebat forces had been infected, and Dick couldn''t crack the mutation in a short time.


    Within half an hour, the situation on the battlefield had turned into a one-sided massacre, with no resistance from humans, and they had retaken the Brooklyn Bridge directly. If this continued, the vampires would certainly be wiped out.


    Dick cursed loudly, but the situation did not improve. Finally, he said coldly, "It seems that we can only let the great Bat Guardiane early."


    He looked coldly at the rooftop of Hignd Building and said, "The great Bat Guardian will destroy that damn device for us."


    On the Rooftop, Stark and Peter were focused on dealing with some surviving bats. Suddenly, Peter''s spider sense rang out, and a blurry image shed by. Peter shouted, "Back off! It''s dangerous! Quick, back off!"


    Stark stepped back in response, but it was still a littlete. A violent red light erupted from the center of the rooftop, and a red beam of light shot straight into the sky, almost dimming the stars.


    Stark was thrown out of the rooftop by the shockwave of the light, and Peter almost fell off, but he managed to use his spider web to hang on to the edge of the building. Stark''s Mech armor was damaged by the impact, but its power system was still functioning, and he crawled to the edge of the rooftop and jumped back up.


    In the center of the rooftop of Hignd Building, after the red light gradually dissipated, a figure appeared. Peter saw a male figure with ck long hair, dressed in formal wear, and with red eyes, appearing in the center of the light beam.


    This was indeed themon image of a vampire, and Peter''s spider sense had almost reached its peak.


    He was almost driven crazy by the strong sense of crisis. Every cell in his body was telling him to escape, to leave this ce, or he would die.


    The first words spoken by the Bat God Guardian were: "Spider... where are you? Oh, here you are, my sacrifice..."


    Peter felt like he was being strangled, slowly falling down, feeling a huge suctioning from the vampire''s body. He clutched his neck, struggling desperately on the ground.


    His physical strength was no match for the spiritual suppression. Peter had only obtained the Spider mutation ability for a short time, and he had no way to resist the multi-dimensional universe vampire hunting Spider-Man.


    Seeing this, Stark quickly rushed over, holding Peter down, pulling off his mask, and looking into his eyes, saying, "Wake up! Peter! Wake up quickly, you have to resist him!!!"


    But Peter just kept convulsing, rolling his eyes, unable to respond to Stark.


    Stark half-knelt on the ground, looking up and seeing the figure of the self-proimed Bat Guardian extending a hand, seemingly sucking something from Peter''s body.


    Stark didn''t hesitate, he raised his palm and fired a Repulsor Ray at the vampire, but this vampire was not like the bats on Earth, and a magical barrier easily blocked all of Stark''s attacks.


    Seeing that remote attacks were ineffective, Stark charged towards the vampire. At this point, Morlun also noticed that there was another person on the rooftop besides Spider-Man, but he didn''t care about Stark at all. While hunting Spider-Man, many local powers were resisting him, but no one could seed.


    He waved his hand and Iron Man flew out. Stark saw that something seemed to be pulled out of Peter''s body. He knew that it was probably Peter''s soul. He was even more aware that if this continued, Peter would undoubtedly die.


    Stark said to J.A.R.V.I.S., "Eject me from the Mech armor! Then activate the self-destruct! We have to break him!!"


    "There is a specialized self-destruct Mech armor nearby, you..."


    "There''s no time! Just use this one!" Stark shouted.


    Instantly, Stark was ejected directly from the flying Mech armor, and the Mech armor charged straight towards the vampire.


    The moment Peter regained consciousness, he saw Stark being ejected from the Mech armor. This scene gradually ovepped with the scene of Stark''s death that he had seen in his consciousness.


    Peter shouted, "No!!!!"


    Before he could finish shouting, ck slime surged out of one of his arms and directly wrapped around Stark. Then, he fiercely pulled back, and Stark was thrown in front of Peter.


    However, the intense impact and abrupt stop during high-speed movement still caused Stark''s internal organs to suffer a huge impact. Blood rushed out of his mouth, nose, and ears almost instantly, and Stark lost consciousness.


    Peter gasped for breath, almost going crazy. The scene of Stark''s death kept ying back in Peter''s mind. It was almost...


    The overwhelming fear engulfed Peter''s sanity, and his spider-sense went haywire, leaving his consciousness in chaos.


    Suddenly, the vampire saw Peter, who was half kneeling on the ground, looking up at him with a gaze that felt unfamiliar, devoid of fear and despair.


    He had never seen any Spider-Man with such eyes before. In his hunting journey, he had witnessed too many fears, unwillingness, and resentment in the face of death, but never this calmness that resembled a dark sea.


    "You damned vampire..." Peter slowly stood up from the ground, lowering his head, with his hair falling in front of his eyes, shrouding them in shadow, obscuring the bright moonlight.


    "Don''tpare me to those bats," the vampire said, "I am a member of the mighty Morlun family, I am the god of bats!"


    "Bats? No..."


    Endless waves of darkness surged in the realm of consciousness, and in a trance, a group of heavily shadowed bats streaked across an unfamiliar night sky.


    Morlun heard the voice of Spider-Man in front of him, his tone bing deep, as if merging with another cold voice:


    "You''ve never seen a real... bat."

 Chapter 137: The Big Bat Event (19)

    Chapter 137: The Big Bat Event (19)


    Nick Fury stood on the rooftop of the Empire State Building and saw a burst of red light in the sky over New York. Immediately, a red beam of light shot up into the sky. He spoke into hismunicator, "Attention all units! The so-called Bat God Guardian has arrived. Activate surveince equipment and prepare tounch resistance ns..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, a ck shadow suddenly leapt into the air from the rooftop of a nearby high-rise building.


    In an instant, a massive ck storm engulfed the sky over Brooklyn, and the ck curtain spread out in concentric circles from the center, bringing an endless wave of fear.


    Nick Fury stared with his mouth agape, put down hismunicator, and after a moment, he cursed loudly, saying, "Get me in touch with the New York Sanctum immediately! Who the hell is this damn Bat Guardian? Does he intend to destroy Earth directly? What about those sorcerers?!"


    All the armed personnel near the high-rise building looked up at the rooftop in astonishment, as a gigantic ck spherical shape burst open and then closed back together, gradually forming into a ck monster over a hundred meters long.


    When the terrifying ck bat appeared in the sky over New York, Steve looked up and muttered to himself, "The so-called Bat God has truly descended..."


    Everyone, except for Schiller who was watching from the rooftop of the mansion, believed that this was the Bat God referred to by the vampires.


    Of course, there was another person who knew the truth, and that was the vampire Morlun who had descended. However, he had no energy to argue at this moment.


    The ck Venom bat transformed by Peter, which was the second stage of Bruce''s transformation, and the terrifying bat monster he had fought against with Schiller in Living Hell."It, regardless of its size, shape or aura, exceeds the understanding of ordinary people.


    The Morlun family travels through various multiverses and has seen many monsters. The universe is vast and full of wonders. Among these monsters, the size and appearance of Venom Bat are not particrly impressive.


    However, as a vampire Morlun, he can feel things that ordinary people cannot. In his vision, the form of this Venom Bat is far more terrifying than what can be seen. He is wrapped in an endless ck tide, emitting a frightening aura that is shocking to behold.


    Even though Morlun has traveled through countless multiverses, he has never seen this kind of tangible fear before. The first wave of the ck tide sent him flying to the edge of the rooftop.


    But soon, Morlun wanted to take the initiative.


    The Morlun family''s members have the talent to absorb the power of other life forms for their own use. They are ustomed to this method ofbat. Therefore, at the first sign of danger, Morlun activated his talent.


    Morlun reached out with one hand, just like when he absorbed Spider-Man''s power before, wanting to absorb the power of this Venom Bat.


    However, this time, unlike when he absorbed other creatures and obtained pure energy, Morlun activated his own ability. Along with the energy pouring in, there was also endless darkness and fear.


    Almost in an instant, the ck energy broke through Morlun''s psychic barrier, and the vampire''s mouth, nose, eyes, and ears were all filled with a dead ck gas."


    The energy contaminated his consciousness and infected his blood. Morlun let out a horrifying scream as his skin and muscles began to wither. He fell to his knees, and his entire body underwent a terrifying transformation.


    His skin began to resemble that of a real bat: dry and ck, with numerous hairs growing out of it. His forehead retreated backward, while his mouth and nose protruded forward. He grew a pair of bat fangs and ears, and sharp wings sprouted from his back. His hands and feet also changed into the shape of bat ws.


    Morlun, infected by the dark energy, became a monster that was half-human and half-bat, but the transformation did not end there.


    As a creature that could travel through various multiverses, members of the Morlun family had a special psychicwork. They couldmunicate with each other across different spaces and times, relying on this innatework.


    However, once this psychicwork''s defenses were breached, the infection rate would be extremely fast. Suddenly,rge amounts of dark energy surged into the Morlun family member''s psychicwork terminal that had descended this time.


    Other members of the Morlun family noticed the change in this terminal and constantly echoed from deep in the universe, "What''s wrong with you? Answer us. Are you in danger?"


    What responded to them was an endless fear. In countless corners of the universe, all the Morlun family members who sent signals underwent the same terrible mutation.


    As for the Morlun whonded on Earth, afterpleting his mutation, the dark consciousness and fearpletely consumed his brain. He trembled and let out a low, maniacalugh, shouting, "I am the bat! I am the embodiment of fear! I am the follower of fear! Death has not changed, only fearsts forever! Hahaha!"


    Schiller observed this transformation from the rooftop next to him. Of course, he did not know that the darkness from Batman''s innermost depths had already infected most of the Morlun family members, turning them into new followers of fear.


    His only feeling about this was that Morlun, you''re so weak.


    What happened to the multiverse hunter? What happened to the cosmic vampire?


    But upon careful consideration, Schiller realized that it might not be that Morlun was too weak. The darkness deep within Batman''s heart was almost the source of power for the entire DC universe and was a super weapon that belonged to the entire DC universe. Any Batman who released the power of darkness would be an infinite-level viin in the DC universe.


    When this power was saved in Venom''s body and brought to Marvel to deal with individuals from the Morlun family at the multiverse level, it was like using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito.


    Unfortunately, the release of this power was one-time and had many conditions and limitations. Not everyone could bear this power, and perhaps only heroes with pure goodness in their hearts, like Spider-Man, could maintain their sanity after epting the release of this power.


    In fact, Spider-Man was rational now, but he was very panicked.


    Waking up, I became the god of bats. What should I do? I''m waiting online and I''m very anxious.


    Almost all ordinary people on the ground believed that the huge Venom bat that Spider-Man had transformed into was the real guardian god of bats, and the half-human, half-bat monster next to it was probably a mutated minion affected by the radiation of the bat god''s power...


    As only two people faced this change, one being the already insane Morlun and the other being the unconscious Stark, no one knew that this terrifying monster was actually Spider-Man transformed.


    "Now what do we do?" Peter asked Venom in his heart.


    "It''s all your fault! Last time you did this, we almost got beaten up by Steve. This time we''ve caused an even bigger mess. What do we do now?" Venom replied.


    "We just wait, someone wille soon," Peter said.


    As soon as Venom finished speaking, Peter heard a somewhat indifferent female voice in his ear, "Who are you? What are you doing on Earth?"


    In Peter''s vision, a sorceress in a yellow cloak appeared in front of him. The moment she appeared, the space around her rippled, and the clouds on the horizon in Peter''s field of vision becamepletely still, as if time had frozen.


    She repeated, "I am the Supreme Sorceress of Earth, the Ancient One. Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    The Ancient One stood quietly in the midst of the fearful mist of Venom''s bat-like ck fog, and her surroundings seemed like a purend, calm and peaceful.


    Usually, the Ancient One deals with beings like this monster by attacking first and asking questionster, but this time she didn''t make a move because she hadn''t figured out what it was yet.


    In the eyes of the Supreme Sorceress, who has almost transcended the universe and controls the truths of space and time, the world is not as ordinary as it appears to ordinary people. In their eyes, any power can be deciphered, they all have their own origins, and their sources can be found deep in the universe.


    But this time, the Ancient One discovered that the power emitted by this monster in front of her had no roots or sources in the universe, as if it had appeared out of thin air.


    This aroused the curiosity of the Ancient One, and what made her even more curious was that despite the overwhelming ck tide, which hid maddening fear and darkness, it seemed tock malice and was purely releasing its own darkness.


    In the past, all the demon gods who wanted to invade Earth, no matter how they disguised themselves, the Ancient One could deeply feel their greed and malice, the chaos and madness ingrained in their bones, which were natural attributes of non-orderly creatures, and no matter how they concealed themselves, they left traces.


    But this time, this giant bat-like entity made the Ancient One think of something that happened not long ago - an ancient god who imed to be from Carcosa sounded an alert around Earth and then disappeared for no reason.


    The Ancient One looked up and down at the giant bat, she was not in a hurry, time was the one thing she had the least shortage of.


    The Ancient One thought, just like the ancient god who appearedst time, she couldn''t feel the source of their power, nor could she find their root existence, and the two shared the same characteristic, which forced the Ancient One to link them together.


    Could it be that the strange cosmic demon god who sounded the alertst time did so because this bat was going to appear?


    But strangely, at the very moment this bat appeared, it neither sought to destroy Earth norunched any attacks, even in the face of the Ancient One who introduced herself, it remained silent.


    After observing for a while and realizing that she really couldn''t find the source of this power, the Ancient One began to try to observe from a different perspective. Why a bat? Is there any special meaning to it?


    After specting for a while, in the end, the Ancient One sat still and seemed to beginmunicating with some distant consciousness, seeking answers from it.


    "Totem... the power of the beast totem... a new totem?... Bat, the follower of fear... the power of fear? I understand, it can indeed be used..."


    After a while, the Ancient One stood up. She didn''t care whether the monster could understand her and said directly, "I am willing to assist you, new totem. However, after you be a true beast totem, you must return this power to me tenfold."


    Peter couldn''t understand what she was saying, and he didn''t even know who she was. Venom was silent for a while, seemingly thinking, and then he transmitted a signal: "...up to twice."


    "You are too greedy. You have already caused destruction on Earth, and the excess will be considered aspensation."


    "Not that much..."


    The mage in the yellow robe stood with her hands hanging down, and she said calmly, "Here on Earth, I set the price. If you don''t want to pay, then stay here forever."


    "Five times..."


    The Ancient One was silent for a moment, then muttered to herself, "The power of fear?"


    "Deal."


    "Now, leave here. I''m going to catch a thief."


    After saying that, the Ancient One waved her arm and caught the member of the Morlun family who had turned into a bat-like monster, then disappeared.


    The frozen time shattered, and at the moment Venom withdrew the power back into his body, Peter fell heavily to the ground and screamed in pain.


    Soon, Steve jumped off a helicopter and saw Stark and Peter lying on the ground. He quickly helped them up.


    Stark was lifted onto a stretcher, while Steve assisted Peter to the helicopter. Schiller patted his shoulder inside the helicopter, and Peter shook his head and asked, "Are you okay? How is the battle going?"


    "Don''t worry, the lizard serum is very powerful. About ny percent of the crazy bats can no longer fight, and the rest are fleeing. We''re using freeze guns to capture them," replied Schiller.

 Chapter 138: The Big Bat Event (20)

    Chapter 138: The Big Bat Event (20)


    On the rooftop of Stark Tower, Schiller put a cork on a jar containing a ck viscous substance. Venom and the gray mist weremunicating through telepathy. Venom said, "Do you not feel guilty for deceiving such an innocent kid?"


    "You speak as if you are not an aplice yourself. If it wasn''t for hisck of negative emotions, which are necessary to trigger the terror symbiote, I wouldn''t have resorted to this n," Schiller replied.


    "Besides," Schiller paused and said to Venom, "I''ve noticed you have potential for making movies. The scenes of Stark''s death that you fabricated really scared Peter."


    "I know that Rotten guy too well. He only has one trick up his sleeve, and sooner orter it wille true," Venom replied.


    Schiller sighed, seemingly rxed, and said, "It''s surprising that those guys from the multiverse came so early. If we don''t scare them away with this n, we won''t have peace in the future."


    "Our transaction isplete. Now you should let me choose my host on my own, right?" Venom asked.


    "Of course, but considering your dangerousness and unpredictability, you can only choose among the hosts you have previously bonded with," Schiller replied.


    "In that case, who do you n to choose? Stark? Bruce? Or..." Venom asked.


    "Journalist!!!! I choose that journalist!!!!" Venom eximed."Oh, I almost forgot. You have bonded with a human journalist before. Alright, I will send you to his ce tomorrow," Schiller said.


    "But as we agreed, you better not change hosts easily, and don''t go around eating people''s heads on the streets, or I will let the gray mist bite you."


    Venom emitted a nasal tone that sounded very simr to Stark''s, full of unwilling emotions.


    After standing on the rooftop for a while, footsteps quickly approached from behind. Nick walked over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Schiller. Nick said, "Thismotion we caused was quite big, wasn''t it?"


    "How? Did it exceed your expectations, Director?"


    "I''m not a director, just like you, do you still want to call yourself a set worker?"


    "Isn''t that what I am?" Schiller didn''t turn his head to look at Nick, but kept looking at the lights on the New York skyline. He said, "Don''t tell me that in recent years, the belief in the Bat God has been spreading more and more among vampires, it''s just a coincidence."


    "And don''t tell me that just before the moderate faction wants to manipte the election, the prophecy of the Bat God''sing just happens to be circting. It''s also just a coincidence."


    "Who knows, there are just so many coincidences in this world."


    "Yeah, SHIELD''s exclusive coincidences. You guys have the final say in everything."


    "Let''s talk about some good news," Nick said, hugging his arms. "The bats infected with lizard serum are no longer usable, right? The raw materials are bing scarcer, and our production is facing difficulties..."


    "Where is the address of the convalescent home?"


    "Still in Manhattan, you know, it''s closer to where they live."


    "But it''s toote to build a new convalescent home. There is an old bank built in the 1930s, and its new owner rolled away because he couldn''t afford the estate tax. Construction will begin there tomorrow."


    "How much usable bat material is left?"


    "The police and SHIELD agents suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield. Only one in ten of those who could be dispatched to pursue the enemy were avable, and many of them were untrained rookies who couldn''t even handle a gun. The fuel for the freeze guns is also in short supply, and we have no solution..."


    "So how many do you have left to report?"


    "We only have 12 precious bat materials left that possess the eternal life factor." Nick shrugged.


    "That''s too many." Schiller said without hesitation. "Let''s leave only two. Connors has a decent long-term freezing technology. We can freeze the remaining ten and store them in SHIELD''s warehouse until the price increases a thousandfold, then slowly sell them off."


    "Isn''t that a bit too much? With thousands of armed police and hundreds of SHIELD agents, we were only able to capture two when Bat God fell."


    "You''re underestimating the severity of this war. By the time we were pursuing them, there were only ten armed police and one agent left. That''s not too much of an exaggeration, is it?"


    "Okay, but the problem is that Natasha, Coulson, Hawkeye, and Daisy will all need to go out and work soon. Who among them do you n to sacrifice?" Nick asked.


    "Don''t even think about injury excuses. Hawkeye has been injured over 80 times this year, using up four times his medical benefits, and Daisy has been seriously injured more than 20 times..."


    Schiller rubbed his forehead and said, "It''s not even summer yet, and you''ve already used up all of their benefits. Don''t you n to keep some redundancy for emergencies?"


    "Emergencies? SHIELD deals with emergencies every day."


    "Well, if you''re willing to increase my consultation fee a little more, I''ll go convince Osborne and Stark to contract the reconstruction project for the Brooklyn Bridge."


    "In the name of charity? There isn''t much room for that to work. After all, everyone can see who built the bridge."


    "If this scale of charity event doesn''t meet your requirements, thenunch arger one that you should be more familiar with..." Schiller waved his hand.


    "Send war journalists to shoot post-war ruins, promote the horrors of war,unch charity organizations, host fundraising banquets, celebrities, dignitaries, brands, political parties..."


    "If that''s still not enough, then announce sanctions against vampires."


    Nick sighed and said, "So far, our course of action is still conservative for many reasons. Will the Security Council agree tounchrge-scale sanctions?"


    "If you can spare one of your only two precious materials to give to them, I think they should also be tempted?"


    "Are you nning to deceive even your own people?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense. There were only two to begin with. The remaining ten were SHIELD''s emergency reserve funds, which just haven''t been liquidated yet."


    On Stark''s rooftop, Schiller and Nick both looked at the brilliant night view of New York City, while inside Stark Tower, Starky on a hospital bed, wrapped up like a mummy. He watched Peter walk back and forth in front of him and said, "Hey, stop it. You''re making me dizzy."


    "When is that doctoring? At this time, there shouldn''t be any traffic, right?"


    As soon as Peter finished speaking, Strange''s voice apanied by footsteps appeared outside the door. He said, "How much I wish I was looking at a corpse named Stark right now."


    He walked in, looking groggy, obviously having been woken up in the middle of the night. He grumpily adjusted the monitoring devices next to him, while Peter peeked and asked, "Doctor Strange, is Mr. Stark okay? He''s pretty badly injured..."


    "If he was really badly injured, what you''re seeing now would be the priest, not me," Doctor Strange replied rudely, as he forcefully pulled out the pillow that Stark had been propped up on. Stark''s head bumped against the corner of the bed, and he let out a miserable cry, saying, "You heartless quack! Are you trying to murder me?!"


    "I may be heartless, but I am definitely not a quack."


    Stark muttered a few more words, saying, "All you doctors are the same..."


    "Alright, I''m done with the examination. You''re fine, you''ll live until you die. Pay up and then take me back so I can sleep," Doctor Strange said impatiently.


    Stark looked him up and down and said, "What did you even examine? All you did was fiddle with some instruments and then turn them off. Don''t think you can fool me, who do you think you''re dealing with? I''m Stark, don''t try to pull a fast one on me."


    Doctor Strange said impatiently, "Then go ahead and examine yourself, and take me back."


    "Don''t be in such a hurry to leave, I have a big business deal to discuss with you." Schiller''s figure appeared at the door as he handed a n book to Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange took a nce at it and said, "Stark-Osborn Joint Pharmaceutical Company, Chief Consultant job offer?"


    "What kind ofpany is this?" Doctor Strange asked with suspicion. "I didn''t know Stark and Osborn had joined forces, and in the pharmaceutical industry no less?"


    He flipped through the job offer book and said, "Besides, I''m a neurosurgeon. I''m not going to be a drug salesman."


    "Why don''t you flip to thest page and take a look at the number," Schiller said.


    Doctor Strange nced at Schiller, then skeptically flipped to thest page of the job offer book and focused his gaze on the number.


    In one second, he closed the job offer book, coughed twice, adjusted his cor, and put the job offer book into his briefcase, saying, "I am currently employed by the New York Presbyterian Hospital, and my contract has not expired. You cannot ask me to vite the spirit of my contract."


    "I know, I certainly know. I am also a very contractual person," Schiller said with a smile. "The employee coffee room upstairs should still be open. Let''s talk there."


    After the two doctors left, Stark and Peter stared at each other. Stark said, "So, what about my examination?"


    At this moment, Connors walked in and heard what Stark said. He said, "Although it has been several years since myst clinical trial, I can reluctantly give you a check-up."


    "Oh, no! Wait! I think I''m fine!"


    "Don''t worry, I have extensive field medical experience." As he said this, he walked over and lowered the upper part of Stark''s hospital bed, causing Stark to yell in pain.


    Peter hesitated to stop Connors'' actions, but Connors nced at him and said, "Peter, Dr. Yinsen is calling you up, there may be something."


    Peter paused for a few seconds, looked at the bandaged Stark, and then at Connors, whose scales had not yet subsided. He then fled in a cloud of smoke from Stark''s angry gaze.


    Stark pounded the bed with his only functional left hand and said, "This heartless kid! If it weren''t for saving him, how could I be so injured?"


    Connors held a diagnostic report and said, "Now there''s good news and bad news. Do you want to hear which one first?"


    "Don''t y games with me, let''s talk together."


    "The good news is that your spine and nervous system are fine, but the problem is with that thing in your chest."


    Stark stiffened for a moment and said, "There''s nothing wrong with the thing in my chest."


    "Yinsen told me about the basic principles of the reactor in your chest. Although my expertise is in biology, I also have some knowledge of mechanics and physics. Your medical report tells me that there is a big problem with this thing."


    "You used too much padium to provide more power to the Mech armor, and if you don''t think of a solution soon, you''ll eventually die of poisoning."


    Stark turned his head away, obviously not wanting to discuss the issue. Connors put down the report and looked into Stark''s eyes, saying, "You understand this better than anyone else, but you just won''t change. I believe your previous friends have advised you, but you''re the most stubborn person I''ve ever met."

 Chapter 139: The Bat Event (End)

    Chapter 139: The Bat Event (End)


    "You mean, the arc reactor in Mr. Stark''s chest is...?" Peter looked at Yinsen and said.


    "Peter, you''re smart..." Yinsen put his arm around Peter''s shoulder and turned to him. "Even if you just think about it for a moment, you should understand how dangerous it is to have an energy source that works on this principle embedded in your body."


    Peter said with great concern, "What should we do then? Can''t we develop something else to rece that thing?"


    "Of course, Tony is a genius. If he really sets his mind to something, he can definitely seed. But what if he doesn''t want to?" Yinsen said.


    "How could he not want to? This is about his own life..." Peter stopped himself as he finished speaking, and Yinsen said, "You must have noticed that Tony''s attitude is somewhat negative now. He always thinks about dying like a hero, instead of considering how to live well."


    Peter thought about Tony flying towards Stark Tower without hesitation, no matter how he tried to persuade him to stop. This attitude, besides being heroic, did have the taste of rushing towards death.


    Peter sighed, sat down on a chair, and put one arm on the table. "I heard from Dr. Schiller about what Tony has been throughtely. Honestly, it''s really sad."


    "What do you think I should do?" Peter spread his hands and said, "I want to help him, but I may not be of much help in the technical aspect."


    "Stark doesn''t need anyone to help him in the technical aspect. I think you can try to persuade him," Yinsen said, leaning against theb table next to Peter. "Don''t you see? Stark treats you differently. We are his friends, but there are some things he never listens to friends about, but you might be different."After Yinsen left, Peter was left alone in theboratory and he was lost in thought. He began to recall all the moments he spent with Stark.


    In the beginning, at the top of the New York Stark Tower, Stark told him about his experiences in Afghanistan. Even back then, when they were still strangers, Stark told Peter that bing a hero would be painful.


    It wasn''t untilter that Peter realized that Stark wasn''t the type of person toin about pain easily. Peter could imagine how it must have felt to have a reactor embedded in his chest, no matter how powerful it was, to drive the mechanical armor. It couldn''t have been easy for the owner of that body to bear.


    Theboratory was dimly lit, with only the lights of the instruments intermingling on the ground. Spider-Man wasn''t immune to fatigue, and in such an environment, Peter, who had been inbat all day, felt tired and sleepy.


    In a daze, he seemed to see Stark sitting on the ground in front of him, leaning against theb table with a model of a reactor in his hand.


    Peter remembered asking Stark about the model that had been sitting on his desk all the time. Stark remained silent for a long time but eventually said only one name - Howard.


    Peter had vaguely heard of this name from others, such as when Steve told him that Howard was his oldrade-in-arms and was also a genius, but he also lived a dissolute life. Natasha seemed to have mentioned the name too, but she never said anything good about him. Nick also mentioned Stark''s father in passing, but he didn''t say anything that left a deep impression on Peter.


    Just like his father, Peter thought, all he ever heard from Uncle Ben and Aunt May were just a name and some vague descriptions.


    "Father," Peter thought, the word seemed so distant to him.


    Peter''s drowsiness grew thicker and thicker, as if he was in a dream. He saw Stark put down the model and then close his eyes, as if he were asleep.


    On every suchte night, in the desertedboratory of Stark Tower, Iron Man would also suffer.


    He always said that Howard was not the person he should think of when he was in pain, but on every suchte night, who Iron Man thought of, nobody knew.


    In Peter''s deeper dreams, he dreamed that Stark became his father.


    In this dream, there were no advanced equipment or luxurious surroundings of Stark Industries, no extravagance of a wealthy home that Peter couldn''t imagine.


    His childhood was still trapped in that old house, where memories were still half-worn clothes, toys that didn''t fill a box, and storybooks that had been crumpled.


    But the only difference was that he had a father, a father who dismantled those toy cars with him and used building blocks to create various machines.


    Together, they turned marbles intos andid out the sr system on some old floors. The light of the sunset shone on these somewhat crude toys, and the tall Stark and young Peter, their eyes fixed on the ss beads on the floor, seemed to have the entire universe.


    The appearance of the two began to change. Peter saw that Stark turned into Howard, while he himself turned into a young Stark.


    Howard gently flicked the marbles, and the mysteries of countless universes were recounted from his mouth. The light from those ss balls began to shine brighter and brighter, bing more and more dazzling.


    Peter saw a father and son holding hands above the Earth. They controlled all thes in the sr system. Even the sun obeyed the father''smand to reduce its brightness, and thes continued to rotate, with countless lights twinkling.


    Mars, Venus, Jupiter...


    Those profound knowledge that was difficult for a child to understand echoed in the silent universe.


    Before Peter''s consciousness fell into darkness, thest image he remembered was when Stark handed him the first generation of the Spider-Man suit. Stark''s face mask lifted up, and those brown eyes, under the sunlight, were as thick as melting honey.


    Peter was sure he saw twopletely different emotions in those eyes, the world-weary of a father, and the innocence of a child.


    The night grew deeper, and Starky on the bed. He was indeed very tired, but his biological clock, which had been staying upte for years, kept him from falling asleep now.


    Just as he felt ufortable and wanted to turn over, he heard the doorknob move slightly. He turned his head with difficulty and saw the door open a small gap. The light outside poured in, and Peter squeezed in through the crack in the door, then gently closed it.


    As soon as Peter turned around, he saw Stark''s slightly shiny eyes staring at him. He seemed to be taken aback and then said awkwardly, "Um... Mr. Stark, are you still not asleep? I thought..."


    "Why did youe over now? Don''t you go to bed?" Stark interrupted.


    "I... I have a little insomnia, just can''t fall asleep. Um, actually, I already fell asleep, but I just woke up suddenly..."


    "Has anyone ever told you that when you lie, you always mix up your words?"


    Peter lowered his head sadly and said, "I knew it, I''ve never been good at lying since I was a kid."


    "So why are you here? If it''s about some experiment, we can talk about it tomorrow morning," replied Stark, rolling over to face away from Peter, indicating that he was going to sleep.


    Peter lowered his head and didn''t turn on the light. He walked to the chair next to the hospital bed and sat down. He remained silent for a long time, so long that he thought Stark had fallen asleep.


    Then, almost involuntarily, he spoke up, "Mr. Stark, can you tell me about your father?"


    Stark remained silent and didn''t respond. Peter felt like he was being too intrusive, but he continued, "I don''t mean any offense, but... you know, I''ve never met my father. Whenever others hear about my background, they stop talking about their parents to me, even Gwen... it''s the same."


    Stark''s figure on the hospital bed moved slightly, and he heard Peter say, "Well, actually, I just had a dream, and that''s why I can''t sleep. I dreamt about my father, or maybe not really him, after all, I''ve never seen him, right?"


    In the end, after a long silence, Stark sighed and turned back, staring straight at the ceiling. "Howard was a drunkard, drunk on rotten liquor every day."


    "He would curse everything when he was drunk, he was a rude bastard. The mostmon thing he would say to me when he was sober was, ''You don''t understand anything.''"


    "Of course, I didn''t understand anything at that time. I was only a few years old."


    "I was naturally interested in cars and liked tinkering with metal parts. But whenever I made something, he would never praise me, he would just call it a pile of rotten junk."


    "Alcohol burned out his prideful mind," Stark snorted and said, "So much so that he didn''te up with any decent inventions in the final stages of his life."


    "Look at me now! Stark Industries is better than ever before, and I''vee up with more inventions that can change the world!"


    "He was wrong, so wrong. Tony Stark Jr. isn''t the one who knows nothing. It''s Howard Stark..."


    Looking at the silent Peter, Stark turned his face and said, "You didn''t hear the story you wanted, did you? What did you think you would hear? That we had a deep father-son bond, or that he taught me everything and guided me in invention from a young age?"


    Stark lowered his eyelids, and when he half-closed his eyes, his long eyshes always cast a thick shadow on his brown eyes.


    Peter lowered his head and crossed his hands over his chin, then said, "Before this, I never dreamed of my father, nor did I remember him, because I never met him. There''s no part of my memory that''s rted to him, and I never even dreamed of him."


    Stark nced at him and then said, "Well, maybe there were some good times, maybe... a long time ago, so long ago that I can barely remember, I remember we stood together at theb table, I don''t remember exactly what we did, but there was that time..."


    Stark turned his head to look at Peter, but he didn''t see any sadness on Peter''s face. The boy''s still-boyish eyes and eyebrows didn''t contain the loneliness and sadness he had imagined.


    Stark thought that perhaps this was normal. Peter had been like this for more than a decade, and in his life, his uncle had yed the role of a father, but perhaps only in part.


    Ben Parker was an ordinary person, and he did his best to give Peter his best qualities, which were strength and kindness.


    But Peter was a genius, and Stark understood this better than anyone. Geniuses needed resonance and the exchange of ideas with worthy opponents, and the collision of sparks of thought.


    When Peter and Stark locked eyes, they both thought to themselves that this really confirmed the saying that geniuses are forever lonely.


    Stark saw Peter''s gaze fall on the reactor in his chest, so hey his head t and continued to stare at the ceiling, watching the various shapes left by the fleeting light outside the window.


    "If the problem with this reactor isn''t solved, you''ll die, won''t you?" Peter asked him. "That''s what Yinsen told me."


    "They''re always making a fuss, but really, I don''t have any problems, I..."


    "Do you know how I felt when I saw a vision of your death in my Spider-Sense?" Peter interrupted him.


    Stark heard a slight tremble in his voice.


    "...Theboratory equipment at Stark Tower is very advanced, and I love the environment and the gorgeous decorations here. I''ve never lived in such a nice ce before."


    "But more importantly, no one has ever taught me the knowledge and experimental methods for making equipment, and no one has ever assembled parts with me on ab table and then experimented with the finished products together..."


    "When my Spider-Sense told me that all of this was about to end, I simply couldn''t ept it..." Peter''s trailing voice was very low, and the final syble fell to the ground, almost crumbling.


    Stark closed his eyes, and his Adam''s apple trembled as he said, "What do you want me to say? Let me tell you, maybe all of this will be over in one year and three months."


    In StarkDark''s vision, he began to recall the days that had long since passed and searched for the elusive fragments in his memory.


    He remembered the good times he had with Howard.


    On this evening, as he stumbled to gather these fragments of memories from the cracks, Stark finally admitted that he missed Howard.


    Tonight, his pain was stronger than any other night, so this longing was also stronger.


    Howard was not the person he should think of when he was in pain because those good times would nevere again, and his father was already dead.


    It wasn''t until now that Stark realized that when he became a father from a son, he felt that any father would rather live a long life than have his child remember him on a painful night, so that those good times would never end.


    Stark felt that his survival instinct had never been so strong before - he didn''t want to be Howard, the person he hated the most. He didn''t want to let his children be reminded all their lives that those good times had passed and would nevere back because of a sudden death.


    So his children could only be forced to forget, tearing apart the happiest and most glorious days of their lives and burying them in the farthest corners of their memories, denying their existence.


    On this silent night, no one saw Stark, who was asleep, his aging hands clinging tightly to the bed railings, like he was holding the model in the deep of the night.


    No one knew that in Peter''s next dream, he saw the unfamiliar night sky again, and the lingering memories became clear in his dream. He heard two gunshots and saw a scattered string of pearl nes.


    In his hazy dream, it seemed like the previous dream had returned. Peter saw another world, another father and son holding hands, slowly walking towards the universe.


    He saw behind the ck tide, perhaps even the bat himself couldn''t find those good times.

 Chapter 140: It Works (1)

    Chapter 140: It Works (1)


    In the bustling press conference venue, the guests who attended the event were all dressed in formal suits, including many high-profile figures.


    On the left side were military and political dignitaries, including even a White House advisor, while on the right side sat well-known figures from the business world, including Pepper and Stark, Osborne, the head of Hammer Industries, and the CEOs of more than 20 otherpanies.


    In the rear right were academic professionals, including Schiller, Strange, Connors, Ethan, and over 30 other PhD holders or renowned university professors. Combined, these two rows likely had hundreds of PhD degrees.


    Among them, Strange and Schiller were sitting together on the far right, behind Stark. Both of them were impably dressed, sitting upright in their chairs. Strange didn''t even turn his head, just whispered to Schiller, "The theory of the so-called eternal youth factor and its effect on nerve system repair is just nonsense, I can''t even bear to read it."


    "Whenever you can''t bear to read it, just think of the string of numbers at the end of the contract."


    "So for the next few months, I have to stand in situations like this and spout those utterly nonsensical theories like a fraudulent chatan?"


    "No, for the next few months, you have more things to do, like quitting your job and moving, and most importantly, counting money."


    With that, the MC invited Strange to the stage, and he stood up, adjusted his suit and tie, then took a speech script and walked to the front of the press conference.


    "...just like the research results previously announced by Stark Industries and Osborne Industries, as an expert in the field of neurosurgery, after obtaining precious experimental samples, I have also discovered the secrets of human body''s self-repair and rejuvenation..."Stark, who was dozing off in the audience, was tapped by Pepper. He jolted awake, rubbed his eyes, looked around, and noticed that the chair next to Schiller was vacant. He quietly walked over and sat down next to Schiller, saying, "How much money did you promise him to make him speak such tant lies without changing his expression?"


    "In any case, much higher than his sry."


    "I thought he would be the kind of person with some professional integrity."


    "He does have it. He ims to be the world''s greatest neurosurgeon, and he''s proven it. Haven''t you heard of his title? ''God''s gift to the medical world.''"


    "He sure has a big ego. I haven''t called myself ''God''s gift to the scientific world'' yet."


    "I promised him a number he couldn''t refuse, and then hired him as the chief physician of the new sanatorium. You know, he has a big name and is capable of handling the position."


    "What about you? I thought you would personally take on the role of chief physician."


    "No, I am the dean. I don''t have time to personally treat patients. I have a lot of things to do."


    "You two are both shameless doctors," Stark concluded. "Anyone who goes to your hospital is really unlucky."


    After a while, Strange finally finished speaking. When he came back, he found that Stark had taken his seat. They stared at each other, neither willing to give in. In the end, Dr. Ethan next to them moved a chair for Strange.


    Strange said to Stark, "You better make sure that the sry your United Group gives me is worth my brain being polluted by these terrible theories."


    Stark snorted disdainfully from his nose and said, "Your annual sry is not even close to what Stark Industries earns in one minute."


    "Don''t say that," then Schillerforted Strange, "Later I will take you to meet Congressman Bolt. He is very interested in the Eternal Life Factor and happens to need a private health consultant."


    "Wait a minute." Stark looked at Schiller suspiciously and asked, "Why is there still a congressman involved?"


    "You guys aren''t taking money from multiple parties, are you? You two are consultants for the United Group, and both Osborne Group and S.H.I.E.L.D. are paying you sries. The construction fund of the sanatorium should also have a sry for you. Now you want to meet a congressman?"


    Strange''s eyes turned, and he said, "I think it''s necessary to broaden my career path appropriately."


    Schiller strongly agreed, "That''s right, and they begged us to do it. The gentlemen on Capitol Hill, everyone wants to know some information about the potion from me in advance, but you guys need to know that I''m just a psychologist and don''t understand the specific medical principles. At this time, some professionals need to provide me with help."


    "By the way, Stephen,ter you and Dr. Connors should coordinate your testimonies. Those congressmen have their own health consultants, who are your enemies..."


    "I promised him a number he couldn''t refuse, and then I hired him as the chief physician of the new sanatorium. You know, his reputation is big enough to take on this job." Strange snorted, "I''m just pretending to be a fraud, and those health consultants are real frauds."


    Then he leaned forward a little and whispered to Schiller, "Is what Stark said true? Are you nning to collect money from multiple sources?"


    "Not me, but us," Schiller also leaned in, and the two discussed in a low voice. Schiller said, "What is currentlycking for the new technology that could change the future of humanity?"


    Before Strange could answer, Schiller answered himself, "All the factions want someone to exin to them what it is and what changes it can bring."


    "As true researchers who participated in the study, we have the clearest and most specific exnation. Everyone wants a piece of it. We not only collect money from multiple sources, but we also serve the highest bidder."


    "But I can''t exin anything," Strange said, "I''ve read Connors'' research report, and we haven''t really figured out what this thing is..."


    "You don''t need a real exnation, just use the professional terms you know, and keep repeating the phrase, ''It''s useful.'' Remember, this will be the main theme for the next few months, keep repeating, ''It''s useful.''"


    "Is it really useful?"


    "Don''t ask such a stupid question," Schiller looked around. There were congressmen in suits and military representatives in uniform. "We are just an emotionless harvesting machine. What do you care about how long these rich and powerful fools live?"


    "I like your attitude," Strange said, tilting his head. "It seems that I misunderstood you earlier. We do have a lot inmon."


    "What about you? I thought you would personally serve as the chief physician."


    "No, I''m the dean. I don''t have time to personally treat patients. I have a lot to do."


    "You two shameless quacks," Stark concluded, "whoever goes to your hospital is really out of luck."


    After a while, Strange finally finished speaking, but when he returned, he found that Stark had taken his seat. The two stared at each other, unwilling to back down. In the end, Dr. Ethan had to move a chair for Strange.


    "You better make sure that whatever sry your so-called joint group is paying me is worth the damage to my brain by those lousy theories," Strange told Stark.


    Stark snorted disdainfully, "Your annual sry is not even worth a minute of Stark Group''s earnings."


    "Don''t say that," Schillerforted Strange. "Later, I''ll introduce you to Senator Bolton. He is very interested in the Elixir of Life and just happens to need a private health consultant."


    "Wait a minute," Stark looked at Schiller suspiciously. "What do you mean by Senator Bolton?"


    "Are you collecting money from multiple sources? You two are joint consultants for the joint group, and both Osborne Group and S.H.I.E.L.D. are paying you. Nick should also pay..."


    "Don''t forget, as soon as the resignation procedures at the Elder Council Hospital are done, you''ll go straight to the convalescent home to work. The positions for the next two months are fully booked, so you''ll be very busy."


    "What about the profit-sharing?"


    "It''s the same as we agreed upon..."


    Stark heard the two of them whispering for a long time and became curious about their conversation. But he didn''t want to eavesdrop openly, so he pretended to be indifferent and said, "You two unscrupulous doctors must be up to no good."


    Strange and Schiller exchanged a nce and said, "We may be unscrupulous..."


    "...but we''re definitely not mediocre doctors."


    After the press conference, Schiller brought Strange to the reception center office of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick was waiting for them in the office. As soon as Schiller walked in, Nick walked up to Strange and shook his hand, saying, "You''re the chief consultant of the Elixir series, right? Hi, I''m Nick Fury."


    Strange looked around the environment of the S.H.I.E.L.D. office and before he could ask any of his questions, Schiller directly asked Nick, "The convalescent home should be close topletion by now. When will it be open?"


    "The previous owner of the old bank took great care of it, so there isn''t much to repair. It should be open within a week."


    "What about the ribbon-cutting ceremony? Is it arranged?" Nick and Schiller walked to a desk and sat face-to-face, with Strange sitting next to them.


    "No problem. Everyone who needs to attend will attend. In addition, the follow-up construction ns for the convalescent home have also been put on the agenda. But for those future projects, you''ll have to talk to Stark and the Osborne Group. They are the real investors."


    "By the way," Nick looked at Schiller and said, "What are you nning to name this sanatorium? You can''t just call it Eternal Factor Sanatorium, right?"


    Schiller smiled and said, "How about Arkham Sanatorium?"


    "Arkham? Isn''t that a surname?" Nick had just finished speaking when he paused and, along with Strange, looked at the ring on Schiller''s hand.


    Schiller continued, "I was just joking, the name doesn''t matter, you guys can decide..."


    "No, no, no, sorry, you don''t have to exin. Naming rights are up to you, you can choose any name you want."


    Schiller nced at both of them, and Nick and Strange had very strange expressions. He knew that these two must have misunderstood something.


    When everyone''s attitude towards a misunderstanding is "No, you don''t need to exin," it''s already difficult to rify, and when they put on an attitude of "I understand, I totally understand," there''s no hope of rifying.


    Nick and Strange both knew something about the origin of Schiller''s cryogenic technology, as he had referred to it as "I have a friend." But the more he said that, the more everyone felt like he was covering something up.


    "I have a friend," well, those who understand, understand.


    Anyway, this name was hastily decided upon, and due to its hastiness, on the day Arkham Sanatorium opened, no one knew why it was called Arkham.


    Schiller was rtively low-key before, and he wasn''t as famous in medicine as Strange. Most of the time, he stayed behind the scenes, and apart from a few core characters, others knew little about him.


    To the point where most people thought the dean''s surname was Arkham, so Schiller directly lost his real name. Most people called him "Dean Arkham" instead of "Dean Rodriguez".


    On the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Arkham Sanitarium, it was a rare sunny day. At the ceremony, Schiller invited all of his friends in the world and conducted intensive training for them the night before.


    "...Yes, I''m sure it works. Although I''m in charge of pathological research, I also know some confidential research results. Of course, I can tell you this..."


    "Oh, yes...that''s right, I''m a high school student, and in theb, I''m just helping Dr. Connors. What? Have I seen the exact report? I can''t reveal that to you. It''s confidential...Well, I can only tell you that with so many researchers working together on this thing, it can''t bepletely useless, right?"


    "Indeed, I am a physics PhD, but I think you have a misunderstanding of the scope of physics. I did participate in this experiment, especially in the development of medical equipment for the immortal gene. Do you think I would spend so much energy on something useless?"


    "Longevity? You estimate its effectiveness too conservatively, sir. As a psychology expert, I can responsibly tell you that it is also effective in regting people''s emotions..."


    "In short, don''t ask so many questions, I am a Stark! If Stark tells you it''s useful, then it''s useful!"


    "I think you heard it..."


    "Yes, that''s right, we all say it like that..."


    "Is there a problem with that?"


    "Do I have to emphasize it again?"


    "Of course, it''s effective..."


    "It''s useful!"

 Chapter 141: It Works (2)

    Chapter 141: It Works (2)


    The old bank building was renovated into Arkham Sanatorium, located in the southern financial district of Manhattan, not on Wall Street but on the east corner of 14th Street intersection.


    It was built by a British businessman who invested here in the 1930s, so its exterior looks somewhat like the goblin bank in Gringotts, with white walls and intricate window decorations.


    As Nick Fury said, the building is well-maintained, both the exterior and the interior.


    The interior is mostly furnished with wooden furniture, and the lobby has excellent natural lighting due to the presence of multiple floor-to-ceiling windows.


    The iconic revolving door from thest century has also been preserved. Upon entering the gate, you face the main counter, with two huge staircases on both sides, adorned with crystal chandeliers hanging above. The wooden floors below are mature honey-colored, showing some historical traces but not appearing old-fashioned.


    The overall architecture is not symmetrical, with the main building on the east side, where most of the patient rooms are located, and the west side housing outpatient and functional facilities.


    Because this old bank is not located on Wall Street, the price of thend was not high when it was purchased, and the space is rtively spacious, with 7 floors above and below ground. There are about 60 usable rooms on the east side and more than 30 on the west side. Behind the second floor on the west side, there is also an aerial garden on the third floor.


    The person who built this bank spared no expense, and the interior is extremely luxurious, with a decadent andfortable style that fits the aesthetic of old money at that time. Therefore, it does not require much modification and directly satisfies the aesthetics and practicality of an Sanatorium.


    Strange walked through the corridor on the third floor of the hospital, with a nurse behind him flipping through her notebook, saying, "Mr. Eisen on the second floor wants to drink special drinking water, and Mrs. Harris on the third floor hopes we can prescribe eye drops with immortal factor...""I''m going to have a meeting with the director now. I''ll deal with these matters after the meeting."


    Strange went upstairs and turned left to the director''s office located on the far east side of the fourth floor. When he entered, Schiller was opening a bottle of champagne. Strange said impatiently, "Are you nning to drink champagne now? Isn''t it too early? There are a lot of rotten messes waiting to be cleaned up."


    He threw a stack of materials onto Schiller''s desk and said, "You''ve been too busy epting so many appointment patients that the office system of this sanatorium is not yetplete. Suddenly, fifty to sixty patients rushed in and the doctors and nurses are going crazy."


    "Don''t worry," Schiller said leisurely as he took two sses out of the cab and gestured for Strange to sit down. He poured himself a ss of wine, then poured one for Strange and said, "SHIELD agents have already been trained and a batch should be arriving this afternoon."


    "Agents? You told me this morning that there were emergency medical personnel being transferred. Are they agents?" Strange asked.


    "Of course. And not only do I not have to pay them, but Nick is also giving me money," Schiller replied.


    Strange opened his mouth, not stupid enough to not know what agents were there for. "Are you selling the patients'' private information to the agent organization?" he asked.


    "Stephen, look up. Where are the patients? They eat the most expensive skincare products in the world. Even if they get a scratch, they have the best private doctors to take care of them," Schiller said with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a ss of wine. "They''re not here for treatment."


    "Of course I know that they''re here for your eternal youth theory that you made up," Strange scoffed.


    Schiller shook his head, put down his ss of wine, and said, "That''s just one aspect. Have you heard of Noah''s Ark?"


    "God wanted to destroy the world with a flood, so he built an ark. The number of people that the ark could amodate was limited, and only a tiny fraction of people could survive."


    "When things evolve to this point, what happens after boarding the ship is no longer important. What''s important is that they''re willing to pay a high price for a ticket to prove themselves as God''s chosen ones in front of all mankind," Schiller said.


    "If you were the captain of Noah''s Ark, no matter how well the ship was sailing, God wouldn''t let a vampire like you in." Strange also picked up his ss and took a sip.


    "How many medical staff do you need?"


    Strange thought for a moment and then said, "We need at least 50 or more. There are hardly any caregivers on the third and fourth floors, and they are all moring for private nurses."


    "I didn''t ask for the minimum, I asked for the maximum."


    "The maximum? How many medical staff can you cram into a seven-story nursing home? I''m afraid it would be bursting with a thousand medical staff."


    "The money to arrange for an agent to enter the nursing home is not your share, that is my reward. However, you can increase the reimbursement quota for falsely reporting personnel by 5 points."


    "It won''t work without 5,000 people." Strange said firmly, "The patients have paid a lot of money, and they need a medical team of at least 200 people to apany them 24 hours a day."


    "Is there any room for growth?"


    Strange leaned his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand, "It depends on whether you can obtain the qualifications of a medical or pharmaceutical research institute. There is no limit to the number of personnel in such institutions, even if I report 20,000 people."


    "20,000 people? Two researchers and 19,998 assistants?"


    "Internship positions." Strange emphasized, "How many people are there at Columbia University? And New York University? We can give them internship positions, and it''s reasonable to have 100,000 people if there are a few more universities in New York."


    "Wait." Suddenly realizing, Strange said, "Even if you are collecting money from clients, do you have to be so extreme?"


    "You took money from these clients, fooled them with health products of unknown efficacy, and even took money from Agent organization, allowing them to send people to collect information?? You are..."


    Strange didn''t know how to describe Schiller. Calling him a vampire would make vampires shed tears. If vampires were as malicious as he was, they wouldn''t have ended up mixed into health product ingredients.


    Strange was thinking, and then the door of the dean''s office was knocked. A person in a windbreaker with a hood walked in. Schiller took out a cup from the liquor cab and poured a ss of champagne. The person took off his hood, revealing that he was de.


    "I didn''t understand what you said on the phone." de said with some doubt. "But are you sure this will work?"


    "Of course, of course." Schiller moved a chair for him and gestured for him to sit down. After de sat down, Schiller said, "What other evidence is more favorable than vampires standing up to prove the efficacy of the eternal life factor in their bodies?"


    "But I am not a vampire. I haven''t even been bitten, it''s just my mother..."


    "That''s exactly it. When you tell your storyter, you must emphasize that after your mother was bitten, you became a vampire after being born. What does this prove?"


    Schiller looked at Strange, and Strange was also a little confused. He said, "What does it prove? Does it prove that vampires are very malicious, even biting pregnant women?"


    "No! This proves that a certain substance in vampire blood can be transmitted through mother-to-child transmission, which will be weed by the high-end mother and baby market."


    "Next question, Eric, how old are you this year?"


    "Well, I forgot, but I should be in my thirties, right?"


    "No, no, no, you''re almost 230 years old this year, almost as old as the founding of the United States, you were born with the Federation."


    "But I''m not that old..."


    "Well, that''s not considered old. Among vampires, you''re still young. There should be plenty of old folks in your n who are 3000 or 4000 years old, right?"


    "As far as I know, except for Drac, there seems to be none..."


    "Right, Drac. Is he the oldest? Do you have his contact information?"


    "What do you want to do?" de looked at Schiller, and Schiller said, "If he''s willing to record a promotional video for us using himself as the raw material, he can name his price."


    "Letting vampires promote Medicine made from their own kind? What are you thinking? How could he possibly agree?"


    "But he''s already here, isn''t he?"


    "My situation is special. I hate these rats. They are my enemies. I wish humans would kill them all."


    "How do you know you''re the only one with a special situation?"


    Schiller said sincerely, "Eric, you have to understand, relying on your own strength alone is not enough."


    "I heard that you have connections with your n. You can ask the moderate faction what their n is for dealing with the radical faction. If you don''t mind, I can do some business with them."


    "Business? What kind of business do you want to do?"


    "I''ll take care of their political enemies and turn them into medicine to sell. I can give them 20%, which is already high. Even Nick can only take 30%."


    de opened his mouth and paused for a moment before saying, "This is ridiculous, but..." de was quite puzzled and said, "It is indeed a bit Strange that humans are promoting Medicine made from vampire ingredients on arge scale. I thought the moderate faction would start protesting."


    "Perhaps you haven''t considered that those vampires with a voice don''t care if their own kind are made into medicine, as long as it''s not themselves."


    "On top of that, if their enemies are turned into medicine, then it''s even better."


    "And if the whole process doesn''t even require them to take action, just provide humans with a little insignificant information, they can fully attack their political enemies, make them exhausted, and even wipe them all out. Then why not do it?"


    "If they don''t have to pay anything and can even gain a lot of money and resources in the process, why wouldn''t they be tempted?"


    "In the end..." Schiller concluded, "moderate vampires just want to enjoy life, and in order to enjoy life in human society, they need status and money. They want these things, so we provide them with these things and exchange them for their same kind''s enemies."


    "After they get used to this luxurious lifestyle and all the radical factions are eliminated, they will spontaneously select a portion of their group to give to us in exchange for the capital needed to continue maintaining this extravagant lifestyle."


    "Under the rule of pure blood, their society will gradually be sacrificed from bottom to top to humans."


    "Perhaps..." Schiller sighed and said, "In this world, there will only be one vampire at the beginning and the end, and that is the immortal Drac."


    Strange and de remained silent. After a while, Strange said, "I don''t care about these big things. I''m just an ordinary doctor. I want to know what benefits this can bring to me?"


    "Now that you have be the attending physician of this sanatorium, no matter how the spoils are divided, you will not be left out. This is the benefit that an entire race can bring."


    "What you have to do now is to imagine howfortable it would be to lie in a vi and count money."


    Strange swallowed, and he couldn''t even imagine such a life. But he still said reservedly, "I don''t love money that much. I am a person with pursuits."


    de shook his head and said, "Money?... Money is a terrible thing."


    "But it''s useful." Schiller picked up his ss. The golden liquid reflected on the lenses of his eyes, making it difficult to see his gaze.


    "It''s very useful, and it''s always useful."

 Chapter 142: It Works (3)

    Chapter 142: It Works (3)


    On a bustling night in New York, in the prosperous Manhattan district, lights were bright and neon colors flickered, forming a dazzling disy. A long ck luxury car cut through the curtains of colors and parked in front of a luxurious mansion.


    The attendant opened the car door, and Schiller stepped out, following his guide into the elevator. The elevator ascended slowly, and when the doors opened again, the brilliant lights of the hallway poured in, causing Schiller to squint.


    Turning a corner in the hallway, Schiller entered a room where he saw a burly figure standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the night view of Manhattan.


    "You''re here." The man turned around, his figure bulky like a sumo wrestler, his face full of flesh, and his voice booming with authority.


    "Hello, Mr. Kingpin."


    Kingpin stood in ce, with his hands behind his back, sizing up Schiller and said, "The famous Arkham Sanatorium director, but Arkham is not actually your surname, right?"


    "You''re right, Mr. Kingpin. It seems you know me well." Schiller walked to the opposite side of Kingpin and looked at him, saying, "So, why did you invite me here tonight?"


    Kingpin turned around and paced a few steps to the side, lowering his head as he said, "If you were just a director of a sanatorium, I wouldn''t need to invite you here."


    Before Schiller could speak, Kingpin continued, "There have been many strange urrences recently, and among these urrences, there seems to be an invisible thread that connects them.""People always focus on Stark, or SHIELD, or even Spider-Man and Daredevil, but I''m different. I''m interested in this invisible thread. What do you think, Director of Arkham?"


    "Speak inly." Schiller said straightforwardly, "Since you''ve invited me here, it means you''ve already found this thread. Not many people can do that, and you deserve the ticket."


    King Pin suddenly turned around and stared at Schiller with piercing eyes, "You want to sell me tickets? To the underground king of the East Coast? What makes you so confident to speak like that?"


    "If you don''t want it, there''s no need for you to invite me over. I don''t believe that the only person who knows my real name after investigating the underground king of the East Coast is you," Schiller replied.


    "Well, it seems like I''ve found the right person," King Pin turned around and walked towards Schiller, then asked, "Did you create the eternal life factor?"


    "Of course not, it exists in the blood of vampires."


    "Don''t tell me that nonsense. We all know that it''s just a publicity stunt."


    "Is it? Why do you think vampires can live forever?"


    King Pin stared straight at Schiller, as if trying to read something from his face, but Schiller remained expressionless. Finally, King Pin asked, "Do you really have the technology for eternal life?"


    Schiller smiled and said, "Do you still think I''m talking nonsense?"


    "...I admit, it''s too tempting. No one would refuse eternal life. For a moment when you asked me back, I really believed it."


    "I''m not joking, nor am I testing you," Schiller told King Pin, "I can provide a batch of about 1,500 doses of Medicine, and I guarantee they have extremely significant effects."


    King Pin sat behind the solid wood table in the room, while Schiller sat in front of him. Schiller said, "I''m not here to be a salesman, and we''re not in a buyer-seller rtionship. We can work together as sellers."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The Hand, Dragon Bone."


    King Pin frowned and said, "You know more than I imagined."


    "After all, I didn''t juste to the appointment knowing only the name King Pin."


    "As far as I know, the biggest effect of Dragon Bone is to extend one''s life. The Handshake Society is searching for this material to provide it to their high-level members for longevity."


    "For this reason, they even spare no effort in sending out hundreds of assassins to search for this material at all costs around the world."


    "Extend one''s life... Although I don''t know what kind of effect Dragon Bone can achieve, at least in the initial stage, it certainly won''t be better than the Medicine I have in my hands."


    King Pin narrowed his eyes, sensing something strange in Schiller''s tone. As the actual underground king of the entire East Coast, he was familiar with this kind ofnguage.


    He straightened his body, put his arms on the table, and said, "What benefits does working with you bring me?"


    "Give up your hopeless n of introducing drugs into the school campus. It won''t change anything. It''s the worst way to expand the market."


    "It seems that you have a good rtionship with those two annoying flies."


    "As long as you can sessfully sell these 1500 Medicines to the Hand Organisation, of course, we will take half of the profit. Then, soon, there will be some precious bat materials circting in the underground market under your control."


    "Sure enough, those media reports about only two bats remaining were just a gimmick created by you."


    Once they started talking business, King Pin was almost arguing over every detail. He said, "In addition to that, you must provide me with aplete bat, just like the one you used to extract that Medicine."


    "To be frank, even if I provide it to you, you won''t have the technical ability to crack the secrets on it."


    "That''s not something you need to worry about."


    "I have the authority to give you some research samples from Stark Laboratory, including blood, organs, and skin tissue."


    "Theplete bat is in the hands of the SHIELD director, you know he''s a greedy vampire, you can''t persuade him without offering enough conditions."


    "I only want oneplete bat, that''s the minimum bottom line. Otherwise, there''s nothing to talk about," King Pin said.


    "Well, it seems we can only discuss this conditionter, or you can call Nick."


    Seeing Schiller''s stubborn attitude, King Pin guessed that Nick might not have a lot of bat material on hand. Although Schiller had coordinated the cooperation between SHIELD, Stark, and Osborn Industries, there must have been a bargaining process between the two sides. Now it seems that the bargaining chip for the material has all fallen into Nick''s hands. Schiller, as the middleman, probably has no decision-making power.


    "Okay, I can do without theplete bat, but the research samples you provide me must be brand new and no less than two-thirds of the bats."


    "Deal."


    Then, King Pin asked Schiller, "What did you do to the 1,500 Medicines you sold to the Hand organization?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I''m not that stupid to poison or do anything else. I know you''re worried that the Hand organization''s violent retaliation will cause you heavy losses."


    "But in the 1,500 Medicines I provided you, you can inspect them at will. I guarantee that there are no harmful substances in them."


    "I can''t quite understand what you''re trying to do. Is this a trap set by the SHIELD director? Is he finally nning to deal with the Hand once and for all?"


    "Why can''t your focus move away from all the killing and fighting?" Schiller said with some helplessness. "Can''t I really just want to do some legitimate business with the Hand?"


    Kingpin snorted and said, "Nick Fury must be getting tired of these pests. If it weren''t for their tough-to-kill ninjas, SHIELD agents would havee knocking long ago."


    "That was in the past."


    Finally, Schiller said to Kingpin, "If you want to continue expanding your underground empire, I have some good suggestions, but theye with an extra cost. And it will be after our current coboration. If you''re interested,e find me at Arkham Sanatorium."


    After leaving, Schiller was picked up by a SHIELD car and arrived at Nick Fury''s office. The two of them didn''t say much, but walked together towards SHIELD''s underground facility.


    After going through several sealed elevators, they arrived at a huge underground factory.


    On the conveyor belts there were rows of cryogenic chambers, and inside the chambers wererge bats frozen in ice.


    The snow storage area of the entire underground factory was thousands of square meters, filled with countless frozen bats.


    Schiller took a report from an agent''s hand, looked at it, and said, "Kingpin''s vision is even more far-sighted than I imagined. He readily agreed to this coboration."


    "What conditions did he propose?"


    "He needs samples from two-thirds of the bats."


    Nick looked at the pile of frozen bat storage in the underground factory snow storage area, which was as high as a mountain, and almost burst outughing.


    He could imagine that King Pin and Schiller must have gone through several rounds of bargaining and negotiation to get this result.


    Perhaps this underground king was still proud of himself, and with only two types of bat raw materials that were sought after by countless dignitaries, he had obtained two-thirds of them for himself.


    Nick felt a little sorry for King Pin.


    Schiller, on the other hand, was not surprised. He just looked at the report and said, "Not all of the goods circting in the ck market are genuine. We need to mix in some fake goods and thene up with a set of standards to distinguish between genuine and fake goods."


    "Fake goods? You mean..."


    "That''s right. We divide the bats that we want to circte into two types. Although they are essentially the same, one batch has anti-counterfeiting marks while the other does not."


    "In the batch with anti-counterfeiting marks, we''ll add some so-called exclusive logos or sourcebels, and then mix them all together and circte them on the ck market."


    "You are really ruthless." Nick couldn''t help but exim, "So all the ineffective eternal factors they bought are fake?"


    "That''s right. If you didn''te to our Sanatorium for treatment, you deserved to buy fake goods."


    "Sanatorium is full, but what can I do? The Sanatorium is short of funds, and we urgently need donations. If you don''t donate, I won''t donate, and then you can only buy those genuine and fake eternal factors on the market."


    "I think your choice to control the ck market under King Pin''s influence is not just that simple. I always feel like you want to pit him."


    Nick hugged his arms and looked at the frozen storage on the conveyor belt, then said, "I don''t believe you are so kind-hearted. You know he''s a crocodile who can never be satisfied, but you still want to bring him in to share the cake."


    "We arecking some means to protect this newborn industry, not just in terms of legal means but also in some underground means. I just tied this crocodile next to the cake to persuade everyone who wants to steal the cake to back off," Schiller paused and continued, "I don''t have a good impression of King Pin, not because he is the king of the criminal empire."


    "It doesn''t matter to me whether he is a gang leader or a criminal king."


    "The reason I don''t think he is a good partner is that he is too obsessed with violence and thinks that assassination can solve all problems. He and I are not on the same page."


    "Indeed." Nick looked at Schiller and said, "You haven''t assassinated anyone, but it seems like you''ve solved all the problems."


    "But as I said," Schiller put down the report and looked at the underground factory, "garbage is a resource misced, and King Pin is the same."


    "At least for now, he is useful."


    "That''s enough."

 Chapter 143: Vocational Education in Gotham

    Chapter 143: Vocational Education in Gotham


    The staff cafeteria at Gotham University has a long history and is one of the oldest buildings on campus.


    It still operates on the traditional club-style ordering system. When Schiller entered, he shook off the water droplets from his umbre outside the door. Victor stepped aside and said, "Good thing you''re here. Who would have thought it would rain halfway."


    "That''s Gotham for you. If you don''t carry an umbre with you, be prepared to be drenched like a wet chicken," Schiller replied.


    He shook off the ck umbre, closed it, and secured it on the umbre stand by the door. As Schiller entered the room, the warm air inside fogged up his sses, so he took them off.


    Victor turned to look at the umbre and said, "Where did you buy this umbre? It looks good in quality. I''ll get one too."


    "Do you know Greene Street? It''s in the East District, right next to Living Hell. In the alley there, there''s an umbre craftsman."


    "My goodness, you''re so old-fashioned. In this day and age, you still go to an umbre craftsman for handmade umbres?"


    "But as you said, this umbre looks good in quality."


    As the two chatted, they found a round table by the window and sat down. After a while, a waiter came to take their orders. Victor said, "I''m not used to it. The cafeteria at Gotham University is too old-fashioned. When I was in California, the cafeterias there had counters.""On the contrary, I don''t like counters. The bacon piled up together with the unevenly cut bread slices..." Schiller took the menu from Victor and looked at it while speaking. "Seems like you guys have been busy againtely. Is there something going on at the School of Science?"


    "Don''t even mention it," Victor sighed as he took the menu handed to him by Schiller, pointed to the waiter, and said, "I''m busy like this, all thanks to you."


    "But I heard that the recent cold chain project is nearingpletion, and you should have some free time now, right?"


    Victor showed a helpless expression and said, "You didn''t know? The gang leaders are in desperate need of manpower recently!"


    "They especiallyck people with management abilities. Almost all the people who can manage in Gotham City are in Gotham University. When the gang came to borrow people, the principal could only agree."


    "But how many staff members does Gotham University have? The positions that the gangcks are probably far more than the number of people they can borrow, right?"


    "That''s the problem." Victor tapped the table with his fingers and said, "They can''t borrow that many people, but without management personnel, the entire operation will be chaotic. So they had to go back and talk to Principal Sheldon again..."


    At this moment, the food was just served, and Schiller asked while cutting the steak, "What do they want to do?"


    "Just as you predicted before, they want to open a school."


    Victor took a sip of his drink, the icy liquid made him click his tongue, and he said, "There are only three high schools in Gotham, and the admission rate is less than 10%. Most people who study books honestly don''t want to take the exam for Gotham University, let alone stay in this city."


    "They want to open their own school, a private school, and teach what they need."


    "I remember there should be private schools in Gotham, right?" Schiller thought for a moment and said, "Where are they? It should be in the south, right? There are two private boarding schools..."


    "As you said, it''s in the south, it''s the school in the wealthy area where rich people send their children. They don''t teach anything useful there, just instruments, painting, and hockey. Do you expect the gang to use this knowledge to manage their business?"


    "So, they want to open a vocational high school?" Schiller flipped the scrambled eggs with a fork and said.


    "It can''t even be called a middle school," Victor swallowed the food in his mouth, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and continued, "It can only be called a vocational school. Anyone can go, but the Gang should choose a group of people to go in, mainly to train the management."


    "To be honest, they are a bit outrageous," Victorined, "They asked me to go and repair the low-temperature warehouse for them, but after asking all the warehouse managers, not one of them could understand the reading table. They can''t even read the most basic numbers, so how can they manage the warehouse?"


    "So those Gang leaders n to address this issue by training their own people?"


    "Yes, and they can''t find a teacher, so they can only borrow people from Gotham University," Victor shrugged and said, "I just hope I''m not the one they borrow, but I''m sure my name is on the list."


    "Can''t you choose not to go?" Schiller put down his knife and fork, took a sip of water, and continued, "Sheldon can''t tie you up and force you to go."


    "That''s what you say, but in Gotham, if more than ten Gangs jointly invite you, would you dare not go?"


    "It seems that you already understand the ecosystem here very well," Schiller smiled and said, "Wee to Gotham, wee to this big stage."


    "And the price they offer is pretty good, several times more than my sry."


    "Do you still need money now? Didn''t you ept themission from the Twelve Families to maintain and operate their cold chain industry? The reward should be enough, right?"


    "But no one wouldin about having too much money," Victor said very bluntly, "The operation work doesn''t take up much time, and you know that the daily teaching at Gotham University...is basically non-existent. If they offer a reasonable price, I can also go and be a part-time teacher."


    "And teaching them how to read the meter also benefits me. If they can maintain the warehouse by themselves, then I don''t have to keep running back and forth."


    Schiller nodded in agreement. Victor made a good point. He guessed that most teachers who agreed to work part-time at the vocational school also thought this way.


    The professors more or less took on Gang''s work. When they received a job, Gang offered a very tempting reward. However, when they arrived at the scene, most people were dumbfounded. The members of Gotham''s Gang were skilled with guns and weapons, but when it came to technical problems, they were clueless.


    Not knowing how to read a meter was just the tip of the iceberg. They couldn''t even use slightly moreplex switches, and if the professional words had more than five letters, they had to look them up in a dictionary. Even after asking the whole team, there were only a few who knew the entire operation process.


    Essentially, because Gotham''s Gang industry was too mature, most people were destined to make a living by rough and simple means from birth, and they did not consider learning any technology. When the industry began to upgrade, many people in the city suddenly realized that the role of guns became smaller, and the role of knowledge became more significant.


    However, their thinking had already formed a qualitative approach, and they had also missed the best learning stage. Most people did not understand these things and were unwilling to learnplex technical issues.


    But the rise of the logistics industry caused a drastic change in personnel requirements.


    Originally, if they were only collecting protection fees, the small leader did not need to know much more than the thugs below. Maybe they only had to be experienced and able to count the money. But now it was different. The overall responsible person for a warehouse had to be proficient in all aspects, at least be able to read the meter, and constantly monitor temperature readings and product status. The other people below also had to pay attention to the inflow and outflow of goods.


    Originally, these professional tasks could have been hired out to professionals, but everyone knows about Gotham''s reputation - sane people wouldn''te here to risk their lives, and even the gangs couldn''t afford to hire professional ountants. They could only do it themselves.


    With ack of professional knowledge and unwillingness to learn, coupled with a shortage of managerial talent everywhere, and the inability to hire external candidates, the gang leaders in Gotham had only one choice: to open a training school.


    And because many professors at Gotham University had taken on side jobs from the gangs, the gang leaders were able to contact them easily and offer high prices to hire them as private school teachers.


    Just like Victor had thought, many professors realized while working that the gang members were notpetent in many tasks and only increased their workload. It would be better to teach them the basics first so that they could handle private jobs more easily in the future.


    Of course, originally, Schiller had nothing to do with this. He was a psychology professor, and the gang members might need physics teachers, chemistry teachers, math teachers, and even Chinese teachers, but they definitely did not need a psychology teacher. The people of Gotham were open-minded about everything except psychology.


    But the problem was the celebrity effect.


    Previously, Falcone had opened a small private academy in his manor and invited Schiller to teach his family''s children.


    Schiller mainly taught basic knowledge of industry models, but the gangs in Gotham always looked up to Falcone. Even the old Godfather had hired Schiller. If you didn''t invite him to your own school, wouldn''t that be saying the old Godfather had no taste?


    So, one afternoon in Gotham, Schiller received a joint invitation from a dozen major gangs.


    The invitation didn''t directly state the purpose, only saying that Schiller was invited to visit their newly established vocational school. But Schiller could guess that once he went there, he wouldn''t be able to leave easily, and he would probably have to take on an honorary professorship.


    Schiller approves of the Gangs'' active efforts to promote education. After all, it is essential to elevate the academic atmosphere of Gotham City if one wishes to enter the Ivy League universities. Besides developing high-end research institutions, it is also necessary to establish aplete talent cultivation system.


    Although Wayne Enterprises has been working on formal primary and secondary education, it has yet to produce immediate results. The Gangs'' spontaneous establishment of vocational education schools is actually a good solution and is very suitable for Gotham''s current situation.


    In Gotham, where basic education iscking, the city''s operation relies mainly on experientialism. The Gangs operate on a family system, passing down knowledge from one generation to the next.


    Perhaps this model was feasible in the past, but now it is somewhat inadequate. It is foreseeable that with the introduction of new industries and the gradual upgrading of existing industries, vocational education will flourish in Gotham and continue until the results of basic education are evident.


    As a professor, Schiller is in a position to do his part. He does not mind pushing for the process, so he epted the invitation and is prepared to see what the Gangs in Gotham can do with their vocational education schools this weekend.

 Chapter 144: Popperpots Happy Life (1)

    Chapter 144: Popperpots Happy Life (1)


    The First Law of Gotham is: here, things always tend to go bad. If you have a bad feeling about something, it will surelye true.


    And the Second Law of Gotham is: no matter how righteous your intentions are, how clever your methods are, or how perfect your ns are, they will all end up in a mess in Gotham.


    This vocational school, founded by a dozen major gangs, is located in the East District''s Living Hell. Thanks to the construction and renovation here, the hardware facilities have be the best in the entire East District, and it is the only ce in the East District where you can find an environment and atmosphere rtively suitable for a school.


    Note that it is rtively suitable.


    When Schiller returned to Living Hell, it had already changed a lot.


    After the renovation, Living Hell was still crowded and chaotic, but at least it was no longer old and dpidated. The alleys were still narrow, but at least they were clean. The corridors were still narrow, but at least there was sufficient lighting and signage to prevent getting lost.


    The vocational school was opened in an empty room on the 8th floor of the eastern building of Living Hell, with a terrace outside that could be used by students for leisure activities.


    Originally, this ce was supposed to be aundry room, but due to changes in the water pipe route, it was left vacant.


    With such a great location of a terrace, it was naturally controlled by thergest gang in this area, the Mooney Gang, and under pressure from the other dozen major gangs, the Mooney Gang relinquished this spot for them to open the vocational school.So far, the situation has been rtively normal, although the whole thing itself sounds absurd, it hasn''t exceeded Schiller''s perception of Gotham.


    As expected by Schiller, he was warmly weed by the gangs upon his arrival, and was invited to give a lecture here.


    The content of the course didn''t have any special requirements, to put it simply, it was just about teaching the descendants of the Falcone family, so that''s what Schiller was going to teach these students.


    Schiller had anticipated this, so he didn''t refuse and went up to the podium. He nned to talk about the history of Gotham City and the development of the gang industry, just like he usually did at the Falcone Manor.


    The ssroom was rtivelyrge, at leastpared to the other rooms in Living Hell, it was already considered spacious.


    However, the forty-something students below were already packed tightly together. When Schiller walked up to the podium and looked down, he noticed that the people below were all still young. The oldest was no more than twenty years old, and the youngest was probably in their early teens.


    This was normal too. The gang bosses weren''t stupid. Of course, they knew that a middle-aged drunkard, even if they coulde to school, would not have any future prospects.


    And these young people, even if they had some bad habits now, at least their minds had not been ruined by alcohol. They would definitely learn faster than middle-aged people.


    Schiller had a habit of taking attendance no matter where he taught. The first thing he did in ss was call roll.


    As a result, this ss didn''t even have a roster. The gang boss sitting below the stage could only get a piece of paper and let the students write their names on it themselves.


    When the paper made its way around the ss and Schiller collected it, he covered his forehead and said a little helplessly, "Okay, it looks like the situation here is worse than I thought."


    But he tried to maintain his professionalism as a teacher and said, "First of all, I need you to write your real name, not your nickname or alias. Who is the person called ''Tyre''? Can you raise your hand and show me?"


    A chubby boy raised his hand below, he proudly smiled at the person next to him, then shouted: "It''s me, teacher! I am the tire! The exploding tire!"


    "Okay, then what is your name? Your surname?"


    "I''m just called Tire. That''s what my mom and everyone around me call me because I was born fat."


    "Well, you must have a surname, right?"


    The chubby boy frowned and said, "My dad died before I was born, so I don''t know what his surname was. As for my mom, I only know her name is Bonnie..."


    "Okay, you can sit down." Schiller continued to look at the paper and said, "So, who is this person named...Red Truck?"


    A ck man wearing a red jacket and lip and nose piercings stood up and said, "It''s me! I''m the street racing king in this area! Teacher, do you need something transported? Just look for me! I can drive from Living Hell to Elizabeth Street in 10 minutes!"


    Schiller paused for a moment, thinking back to when he drove from here to Elizabeth Street, it would take him at least 40 minutes. Was this person flying to get there in 10 minutes?


    Another voice immediately sounded in the ssroom, "Come on! You ride a motorcycle, what kind of cargo can you transport?"


    Schiller looked up to see a white girl with tattooed arms speaking, "What is your name?"


    "I don''t have a name. Most people here don''t have proper names. You can call me Rocket, like the most powerful one, swoosh...hahaha." The girl and her ssmatesughed.


    Schiller sighed as he continued to look at the name on the paper. His eyes followed his finger as it moved down, and soon he noticed a handwriting that was different from the rest.


    Most of the people''s handwriting on the paper looked like chicken scratch, with the English letters and strokes so simple that they looked like worms crawling on the paper. However, among these worm-like strokes, there was one handwriting that was very special.


    Its letters were not only written neatly, but there were also some traces of cursive writing. Schiller pronounced the name, "Oswald Cobblepot..."


    He was about to look up to see who it was when suddenly he froze. Why did this name sound so familiar?


    Could it be just a coincidence?


    As soon as he finished pronouncing the name, a short figure sitting in the corner stood up. He had a paleplexion, sunken eyes, and a rather unpleasant-looking hooked nose. He raised his hand and said, "It''s me, teacher."


    Schiller opened his mouth but felt that the question he wanted to ask was not appropriate. After all, the boy who raised his hand looked to be only in his teens and probably younger than Bruce. He couldn''t just ask him if he would be the infamous viin, the Penguin, in Gothamter on, could he?


    Yes, Oswald Cobblepot was a very unique name, and there probably wouldn''t be anyone else in all of Gotham with that name. If things went as expected, this should be the young Penguin.


    Schiller took a closer look at Cobblepot and found that, apart from being a bit short and having a gloomy temperament, he was also well-mannered.


    After all, you also have to see what kind of weird devils and monsters he is among. Most of the students sitting here are in the same style as that red truck, wearing various bright jackets, with six or seven holes in their ears. Most of the ck students have dirty braids, and the white students have strange hairstyles, covered in tattoos, sitting on chairs like they have thorns on their buttocks, moving seven times in a minute. If it weren''t for the gang leaders standing by the wall, they would have caused a riot long ago.


    In this environment, Copperpot appeared very normal, even a bit refined.


    He was wearing an obviously outdated suit that didn''t fit well, and it''s unclear where it came from. He was wearing a id shirt inside, with a meticulously groomed cor, and even the cufflinks were properly fastened.


    He had ck hair, and his sideburns were trimmed, with no messy holes or obvious tattoos on his face. Apart from the hooked nose that made him look a bit sinister, he looked pretty good.


    For some reason, Schiller felt a bit touched looking at this penguin-like person. It turned out that there were still normal kids in Living Hell.


    Yes,pared to these second-generation ck kids who danced wildly with their unique style, the penguin guy could even be considered well-behaved.


    Schiller recalled that this might be normal. After all, in theics, the penguin was a gang leader with a nobleplex who liked to pretend to be elegant. He often wore a top hat, smoked cigars, and even had a luxurious restaurant.


    Although this little penguin hadn''t reached that level of development yet, there were already some hints. His dressing style was very old-fashioned, like someone from the 19th century, which inevitably made him stand out.


    Copperpot sat alone in the corner of the ssroom, not participating in the whispering of others, just looking somewhat dazed at Schiller.


    Schiller felt like he recognized the future penguin-man in front of him, but he couldn''t remember where he had seen him before. He thought for a moment but couldn''t recall, so he pushed it out of his mind.


    Clearing his throat, Schiller said, "A teacher should have already given you a lesson before, but in this ss, I want to improve discipline. There are two things I want to address."


    "First, we need to make a name list. I don''t care if you had a name before or not, but now you muste up with one for yourself. The only person with decent handwriting is Copperpot, so let him write it down on a piece of paper after youe up with a name and tell him."


    "Second, we need to elect a ss leader to schedule sses and arrange the timing for them. You, the chubby boy named Exploding Tire, seem to be well-liked, so I pick you. After each teacher finishes ss, ask them when the next one is and record it on the schedule."


    The chubby boy Tier opened his mouth, clearly surprised that such a big responsibility was being ced on him. He looked over at a gang leader standing against the wall for help, but the leader only red at him. Tiercould only say, "Alright, but, teacher, I don''t know how to spell some of the subject names."


    "Then go find Copperpot. He should know how to spell them. I see that he writes well, so let him create the ss schedule and put it up on the wall."


    Copperpot was clearly surprised that Schiller had given him this task. He seemed a bit awkward andcked the viinous air of someone who stirs up trouble in the future. He muttered a few words nervously but ultimately said nothing.


    Schiller wasn''t ying favorites or singling out the future penguin-man. He was simply stating the fact that Copperpot was the only person in the ss who could write legibly and spell suchplex names correctly. There was no one else to delegate this task to.


    After Schiller called for ss to end, the ssroom below became chaotic. Copperpot remained silent and hidden in the corner.


    Seeing this scene, Schiller shook his head. Even providing the most basic vocational education in this City was a daunting task.

 Chapter 145: Copperpots Happy Life (2)

    Chapter 145: Copperpots Happy Life (2)


    Recently, Copperpot has been having a tough time, or you could say he''s been doing well from another perspective.


    Oswald Copperpot was born into the Copperpot family, one of the four major Gang families in the East District. His family was rtively affluent during his early childhood.


    However, when he was young, his father, who was the pir of the family, died of pneumonia, and the family''s fortunes declined from then on.


    Now, the era of the four major Gang families in the East District has passed, and he and his mother live in an old mansion near a street in Living Hell.


    His father had earned some money when he was young, and Mrs. Copperpot relied on these savings to make ends meet.


    As he grew older, the family''s expenses gradually increased, and Mrs. Copperpot used her husband''s previous connections to find a job for young Copperpot in Mooney''s gang.


    Mooney''s gang used to be thergest gang in Living Hell. However, now their leader, Fish Mooney, is a hot-tempered woman who does not tolerate any disobedience. Copperpot is short in stature and timid in character, which does not endear him to Fish.


    As a result, Copperpot is often sent out to work as a doorman or an umbre boy in the industries of other streets.


    This is not a good job. Being scolded and mocked by guests ismonce, and the money he earns not only has to be handed over to the gang in the area where the industry is located, but also an additional portion has to be given to Mooney''s gang, leaving very little for Copperpot himself.At work, Copperpot is often humiliated and ridiculed by others. He can only hide to the side with a gloomy face, trying not to attract attention from those people. However, he often angers some customers due to his small stature andck of strength, and gets scolded by his boss. When he returns home, he always looks like a wet chicken.


    Originally, Copperpot thought he would have to endure such days for a long time, but what he didn''t expect was that Gotham would change almost overnight.


    Construction began everywhere, and the whole city was hiring workers. Every industry was short of people. From this change on, Copperpot had done various jobs such as bartender, janitor, counter clerk, and waiter. He walked on the streets of Living Hell, and people would often ask him if he had a job.


    Before this, he worked as a waiter in thergest night market around Living Hell. Although he was called a waiter, he was actually just a helper at the roadside barbecue stall, assisting in washing the barbecue tes or opening beer bottles for customers.


    Although the work was not easy, it was much better than being a doorman. For one, he earned more money, and secondly, he often got to eat the leftover meat scraps from the barbecue.


    Furthermore, customers were usually drivers who were often in a hurry. They wanted a portion of barbecue, paired with a beer, and would quickly eat and leave without causing trouble for the waiter. asionally, he even received some tips.


    Originally, Copperpot was satisfied with this kind of life. At least, he had taken a big step forward. However, the following changes were even more unexpected.


    Later, the transformation of Living Hell began. Although Copperpot did not live inside Living Hell, he lived nearby and witnessed this overcrowded and rundown city changepletely.


    However, his lifestyle waspletely disrupted as a result of the changes.


    Due to the transformation of Living Hell, many gangs targeted this area. Although Mooney''s gang was strong, they were outnumbered by the influx of gang power. The new gangs seized and divided the area, leaving only a small territory for Mooney''s gang in the south.


    After the transformation wasplete, the gangs began to establish a management system, but a problem arose: where could they find enough people to manage Living Hell? Although the area had been renovated, it was stillplicated and confusing, and the new gang leaders were not familiar with the terrain, let alone collecting protection fees.


    Copperpot was considered a local and often went to Living Hell to buy things. In addition, he used to be a member of Mooney''s gang, so the gang leaders noticed him and recruited him to work for them.


    At the beginning, he was responsible for counting goods at the entrance of the shipping channel. As it turned out, the small leader in charge of the cargo found out that he was good at math. Even if he counted manually all day, he wouldn''t make a mistake. So he was introduced to collect protection fees in themercial area of ??Living Hell.


    Because he had worked in the Night Market''s stall before, Copperpot quickly became acquainted with the owner of a restaurant in themercial area and was responsible for delivering ingredients to this restaurant.


    Originally, Copperpot''s life was already much better here. He was at least a small leader.


    Even though Copperpot was not yet an adult, he was responsible for purchasing raw materials for a restaurant by himself. You can imagine that there was a lot of profit to be made, which was umon in Gotham.


    But that''s not all. Copperpot received a good education when he was young and even lived in the wealthy area of ??the South. Therefore, he could write English in a standard font and had a talent for mathematics and statistics. He even knew how to do mental arithmetic, which was rare talent in Gotham!


    Before long, he was noticed by the leader of a big gang and transferred to the water management department of Living Hell.


    The so-called water management department was responsible for connecting and maintaining tap water and collecting water fees.


    Although it was called water fees, it was actually protection fees. After a gang took control of a district in Living Hell, residents would pay their water fees to them, and these gangs were responsible for maintaining the tap water system.


    However, the reconstructed water source in Living Hell was not like the several wells before. The modern water supply system was veryplex, with various pipes and valves, and several different-sized water meters. These gangs didn''t have a clue how to operate them.


    Once, during the process of collecting water fees, a conflict broke out between the gang and local residents. It was Copperpot who looked at the reading on the water meter and stopped the potential shootout.


    Yes, the entire water management department only had one person who knew how to read the water meter, and that was Copperpot.


    So he was promoted to be in charge of the tap water system in the North 2 district of Living Hell.


    Although it sounds absurd, the fact is that Copperpot''s promotion was so smooth not because this underage little penguin was so powerful now, but mainly because everyone else was too rotten.


    Once he became a department supervisor, Copperpot''s life became much easier. He didn''t even have to wander around in Living Hell himself. He just needed someone to record the readings on the water meter, and he could urately determine how much water a household had used and how much protection fee should be charged.


    However, this kind of life didn''tst long. The gangs soon realized that relying on geniuses like Copperpot, who could not be found among a hundred people, to maintain the operation of the entire system was not enough.


    So they started preparing for a vocational school.


    ording to the secondw of Gotham, when the venue and personnel for the school were ready, and even the teachers had been found, the gang leaders realized that they had no students.


    The gang leaders themselves were too busy to learn these things, and they had enough things to manage already.


    And the middle-level members of the gangs were generally ignorant, couldn''t even spell their own names correctly, and smoked, drank, and gambled. Their brains had not been functioning for many years, so sending them to school would be a waste.


    So, these gang leaders could only choose from the second generation of the ck society, either the children of some young leaders, preferably in their teens and with some strange hobbies, as long as they hadn''t damaged their brains by drinking or taking drugs.


    Even with such lenient conditions, they couldn''t gather enough students, even after searching far and wide.


    Therefore, Copperpot, who was excellent in both academics and conduct, became the first batch of students in the vocational school. And once Copperpot entered this ss, he became the top student.


    He had received a good education since he was a child. Not only did he have good handwriting and was good at math, but he could also y a little violin. In this environment of prenatal education for everyone, he was outstanding.


    But it is true that his life was not easy.


    Although he came to school, he still had to maintain the water supply system in his area. During the day, Copperpot studied, and at night he had to work overtime. These days, he even lived in his office and didn''t have a chance to go home.


    Although he was no longer as destitute as a drowned rat, he had be a heartless workaholic.


    Lately, the main theme of Copperpot''s life was one word: busy.


    Because he did a good job maintaining the water supply system in his area and earned higher iepared to other ces, the boss of the gang decided to assign him the No. 3 district as well.


    Although this gang was big, it was far inferior to the Twelve Families and didn''t have the ability to hire professionals. The whole system relied solely on Copperpot to maintain.


    Copperpot also realized for the first time that office work was not necessarily easier than working outside in the wind and sun.


    But it could be said that he was living well now.


    Copperpot now fully understood the saying "knowledge changes destiny".


    Because he was good at math, he was promoted all the way up. Gone were the days when he was bullied as a doorman, now he managed over 20 gang members.


    Since Copperpot didn''t need others to calcte for him, others could at most run errands, and they also received amission from the water fees they collected. Many people enjoyed doing this job, and they naturally praised Copperpot for making money.


    Copperpot now had his own small territory, and with some savings, he and Mrs. Copperpot could move out of their dark old mansion and find a nice apartment to live in.


    Moreover, most of the teachers invited by the gang found the situation here quite troublesome. They did not expect that the students they would be teaching would be like this in this environment. In contrast, Copperpot, who studied fast and diligently in such an environment, appeared particrly adorable.


    Appearance gloomy? What does that matter? Look at these bunch of idiots, if they have less than ten metal rings on their head, they''re considered conservative.


    Hooked nose? He didn''t even pierce a chain of nose rings on himself, he''s already paying attention to his appearance.


    Short stature? That''s still stronger than sitting in the ssroom all day and jumping up and down.


    The student image that teachers like mostly has the same kind of temperament, and Copperpot just happens to have that temperament.


    He seems somewhat timid and silent, which is seen as unsociable among his peers, but to the teachers and professors, it is the behavior of a good, obedient student.


    As it turns out, in the future Gotham stage, Penguin, who canpete with crazy geniuses like Joker, is of course outstanding. These professional school courses not only cannot stop him but also give him a considerable room for development.


    Even Victor looks at him with some admiration, calling Copperpot "lettuce in a carrot patch."


    Hearing Victor''s evaluation, Schiller was somewhat helpless. He found it difficult to describe the strange feeling of someone who had read the originalic, when he heard Mr. Freeze''s appraisal of the Penguin as a genius.


    He also didn''t know if it was fate or viins'' mutual appreciation, but Victor and Copperpot gradually began to appreciate each other.


    In Victor''s eyes, Copperpot became a good learning genius who rose from the mud without being stained, while in Copperpot''s eyes, Victor became a good teacher who treated all students equally and did not discriminate against him.


    As for Schiller, after he finished that ss, he threw all the activities of organizing ssroom discipline to Victor, while he himself drank coffee and cked off in the office of Gotham University every day, making Victor angry and call him an old hand.


    And Copperpot, of course, didn''t forget that Schiller was the special guest he met at the time.


    At that time, Schiller''s speech and behavior made him quite fond of the profession of professor, and now Victor has also proved that reading books does make a difference.


    Copperpot even entertained the idea of going to college, and when this idea urred to him, he felt somewhat absurd.


    Go to college? This is a very distant thing for every person in the lower ss of Gotham.


    But the future Penguin, the thing hecks the least, is ambition.

 Chapter 146: The Mysterious Case on a Rainy Night (1)

    Chapter 146: The Mysterious Case on a Rainy Night (1)


    In the tranquil Manor, the crackling sound of the firece echoed, and the drizzle tapped on the ss, its faint sound muffled by the dim light inside.


    Schiller sat on the sofa by the firece, flipping through a book. In this slow-paced era, the time from sunset to bedtime always seemed very long. With the book in hand, the world in front of him swayed in the words, gradually bing blurred. Just as he was getting drowsy, a sudden urgent ringtone from the phone startled him awake.


    Schiller sat still for a moment, closed his eyes, took off his sses, rubbed his eyes, and then slowly got up, walking to the staircase and picking up the receiver of the phone on the cab, putting it to his ear.


    "Fish Mooney is dead."


    On the other end of the phone, Gordon''s voice boomed like thunder.


    Schiller covered his forehead and leaned against the cab, saying, "Who is that?"


    "The boss of Mooney, the ruler of Living Hell."


    "So what?"


    "...I need your help, Professor."Schiller looked at the sky that had already darkenedpletely. He was about to refuse when Gordon said, "Batman discovered the crime scene, and when we arrived, Fish was already dead. After recording the scene, we brought Fish''s body back for an autopsy. We also brought back a witness, whose mental state is not very good, perhaps suffering from some mental illness. We really need your help."


    Schiller hung up the phone, sighed, put on his coat, took an umbre, and left the warm and quiet Manor, walking into the dark rainy night of Gotham.


    When they arrived at the police station, in front of the old police station, there was only a small light bulb hanging on the entrance porch, through which the drifting rain could be seen.


    Schiller walked up the steps, which had umted a lot of water, and looked up. Gordon was struggling to open the wooden door with the iron chain.


    Schiller folded his umbre and Gordon walked over and said, "Thank God you came just in time."


    "Next time there''s an emergency like this..." Schiller shook the umbre hard, as if exhaling, and said, "Don''t call me. Let''s talk about it tomorrow morning."


    Following his movements, Gordon''s gaze fell on the umbre, he turned his head to look carefully at the umbre, then said, "How did your umbre break? Didn''t you say it was of good quality before?"


    "Yes, but even good things can break, and there''s nowhere to fix it once it''s broken."


    Schiller put away the umbre and walked straight into the police station. Gordon followed him and said, "That man in the tight suit ran to Living Hell in the middle of the night and stumbled upon a murder."


    Gordon took a few quick steps, walked in front of Schiller to lead the way, and spoke rapidly, "Fish Mooney was the original gang leader of Living Hell. From the renovation of Living Hell, many other gang leaders from the East District gradually entered there and divided up Mooney''s territory."


    "Fish has a bad temper and seems to be a sadist."


    "Now that she''s dead, you don''t have to describe her symptoms to me. What about the witness?"


    "I was about to take you there..." Gordon led Schiller through a whole corridor and stopped at the end, where a young officer had juste out. He said to Gordon, "That boy seems to have some mental problems. I swear I didn''t hit him, but he..."


    "Okay, okay." Gordon patted the young officer on the shoulder and said, "I trust you. You''re not a violent person. Let''s go in and take a look."


    After opening the door, Gordon walked in first. As soon as Schiller entered, he saw a familiar figure sitting behind the interrogation table. It was Oswald Copperpot.


    He looked terrible now, with a pale face, ck hair wet from the rain, sticking tightly to his forehead, dull eyes sunken in his eye sockets, body twitching, and muttering something in his mouth.


    He wasn''t sitting in a chair, but crouching in the corner of the room. The young police officer also came in and introduced himself to Gordon: "We asked him to sit in the chair, but he refused. We didn''t handcuff him, and we didn''t use any violent methods on him. He''s been like this since he came in..."


    Gordon understood why the young officer repeatedly emphasized that no violence had been used. In a ce like the Gotham Police Station, most police officers were not friendly to prisoners, and it was normal to beat them up after they were arrested.


    Gordon had previously instructed not to use violent methods on Copperpot, and the young officer was afraid that Gordon would misunderstand when he saw Copperpot''s condition.


    Gordon opened the iron door behind the interrogation table with a key. When he walked in, Copperpot seemed very scared. Schiller stopped Gordon from getting closer and said, "It looks like he has a stress disorder. You''d better not get too close to him..."


    Schiller and Gordon stood two meters away from Copperpot. Schiller turned his head and looked at Copperpot from the backlight angle. He found that Copperpot should be in the stage of illness.


    Gordon, on the other hand, observed him from a different angle. He asked the young officer, "Are you sure you didn''t hit him? I seem to see a wound on his neck?"


    The officer raised his hand and said, "I swear we didn''t even touch him! As for the wound, he probably had it before he got here."


    Gordon frowned at what the officer said. Schiller turned to Gordon and said, "Let him go out first. Too many people will not help him calm down."


    After the young officer went out, Schiller said to Gordon, "This should be acute stress disorder."


    Schiller took a half step forward, and Copperpot immediately recoiled like crazy, screaming iprehensibly. Schiller stepped back and said to Gordon, "He is experiencing symptoms such as terror, vignce, and..."


    Schiller rubbed his chin and said, "Not only that, but there seems to be some other mental disorder apanying the excitement state..."


    "Well, it seems unlikely that we can get anything out of him."


    "Not necessarily, but his symptoms require hospitalization and after treatment, he should be able to recover his normal mental state."


    "How long will that take?"


    "Are you in a hurry?" Schiller asked Gordon, "Fish Mooney may be a gang leader, but he is not a big deal in Gotham. Who is putting so much pressure on you?"


    Gordon sighed and said, "This matter isplicated, let Batman exin."


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a noise behind him, and Batman appeared in the shadow of the interrogation room.


    "I want to make it clear that I know you suspect me of beating him, but I didn''t do it," Batman said.


    "Wasn''t it you who left the injuries on his body when you subdued him?" Schiller turned to ask him.


    Batman shook his head and said, "When I encountered him at the crime scene, he was already unconscious and covered in injuries, obviously just beaten."


    Batman also walked into the iron gate and stood further away, looking at Copperpot and said, "When I arrived at the scene, Fish was already dead, and he was lying unconscious nearby, covered in bruises. There was no third party on the scene, so I could only call Gordon to investigate, and then bring Fish''s body and him here."


    "I think you should start from the beginning and tell me about this matter," Schiller said as he and the two walked out. Gordon walked and turned his head back. He looked a little sympathetic to Copperpot and said, "Are we just going to leave him here like this? This is not right. Shouldn''t we send him to the hospital first?"


    "For now, it''s best not to let anyone get close to him, otherwise it''s more likely to stimte him," Schiller said without looking back. But Gordon still worried, "This kid looks underage, he should have family, right? If he doesn''t go home sote, his rtives should be very worried about him."


    "Speaking of which, he called out twice and called back the young officer who was smoking a cigarette at the Staircase, saying to him, ''Go and find out where this kid lives, if there are anyone at home, report to his family that he''s safe. Oh, don''t say he''s having a seizure, just say he got injured while speeding on the street and now he''s in the hospital...''"


    "Don''t use the excuse of speeding," Schiller reminded Gordon, saying to him, "I know him, he''s a student at the Living Hell Vocational School, there should be his mother at home, and he doesn''t speed."


    "Then what should we use? Well, let''s just say he got drunk or high."


    "He has no bad habits, doesn''t drink, doesn''t do drugs, doesn''t speed, doesn''t fight, doesn''t even smoke cigarettes."


    Gordon widened his eyes, he looked back at Copperpot, then at Schiller, and said in surprise, "He doesn''t smoke cigarettes, doesn''t drink, doesn''t do drugs, doesn''t speed, doesn''t fight? No bad habits at all? Are you sure he''s from Gotham? That''s strange..." Gordon folded his arms across his chest, very puzzled, and said, "So there are really people like that in Gotham? It''s the first time I''ve seen one in the few years I''ve been here."


    After finishing speaking, he felt even more sympathetic towards Copperpot, standing at the door looking at him repeatedly. Schiller said to Gordon, "I remember seeing a cleaningdyst time I was at the police station, let here over, a woman of simr age to his mother, it might lower his guard a bit."


    "You''re talking about Mrs. Mona, right? Alright, she probably hasn''t left yet, I''ll arrange for her toe over, at least to change this kid''s clothes."


    After the three of them left, they went to Gordon''s office, Gordon and Schiller sat face to face, while Batman stood in the shadow of the window.


    Schiller poured himself a cup of hot water and said, "I think you should start from the beginning, what''s the deal with this? Why did you go to Living Hell?"


    Then he turned to look at Batman and said, "Why did you really go to Living Hell?"


    Then he turned back to Gordon and said, "And what''s the deal with Fish''s death? Why are you so anxious to investigate this case?"


    Gordon spoke first, sighing, "Let me start with what I know. It all began with the transformation of the Living Hell area..."


    "We all know that a well-reconstructed Living Hell is like a delicious pie that everyone wants a piece of. Though the Mooney gang used to dominate Living Hell, there were still plenty of troublemakers in the East District. Just on Elizabeth Street alone, there were several powerful figures who were not far from Living Hell. They wanted to get closer to the water to catch more fish."


    "As the original owner of Living Hell, the Mooney gang wanted to keep control of the area. However, they knew that they couldn''t do it alone."


    "So Fish gave some of the profits to the outside gang leaders, allowing them to upy some of the territory in the north. However, these gang leaders were greedy alligators who could never be satisfied. They slowly pressured Fish, and as a result, the entire north and half of the south were upied by outsiders. Fish was furious."

 Chapter 147: Mysterious case on a rainy night (2)

    Chapter 147: Mysterious case on a rainy night (2)


    "When outsiders entered Living Hell, they couldn''t possibly be friendly tourists, and Fish Mooney wouldn''t be willing to let them take over her territory. At first, she was resolute and wouldn''t back down, so there were several shootouts that urred."


    Batman continued with Gordon''s voice, "The Gang Shootouts in Living Hell have been getting out of hand, and I''ve had to rush over there for several nights to stop them from blowing up the newly renovated buildings. In fact, the first day I went there, Fish was nning to do just that."


    "When Living Hell was being renovated, I updated the water supply system there, but Fish wanted to use the device as a bomb to threaten other Gang leaders and make them leave. I stopped her."


    Batman stood in the shadows of the room, wrapped in his cape, as if he didn''t exist. Only his deep voice echoed in the room. Schiller asked him, "So you found out that Fish was murdered when you went to maintainw and order in Living Hell?"


    Batman continued, "I had been patrolling Living Hell for several days, and today was supposed to be thest day because the Gangs'' territories had already been divided, and they were about to return to peace."


    "But on this night, I heard somemotion on the rooftop. When I rushed over, there were only two people in the room: Fish Mooney, who was already dead, and Oswald Copperpot."


    Schiller turned to Gordon and asked, "So, Detective Gordon, why are you so concerned about this case? As far as I know, at least ten Gang leaders have died in Gotham this year alone. I don''t think Fish was that special."


    "Indeed." Gordon nodded and answered, "Mooney''s gang is not veryrge in scale in Gotham. In fact, Living Hell wasn''t very profitable, and Fish was one of the poorer Gang leaders."


    "Brock told me that he just had dealings with Fish a few days ago. It was a murder case that happened on Greene Street. Of course, that case didn''t amount to much.""The key is that Brock told me that Fish waspletely crazy. She had serious mental problems and was a sadist."


    "And the reason I''m paying so much attention to Fish''s death is that it involves an important figure."


    "Who?" Schiller asked.


    "The Godfather''s son, Evans Falcone."


    "Evans? How did he get involved in this?" Schiller asked in confusion. "Two days ago, I called him to the office to guide his thesis, and I didn''t feel that there was anything wrong with him."


    Gordon sighed and said, "Living Hell is the first step in Gotham''s renovation project, and the old Godfather is very concerned about it. The heads of the Twelve Families are also the same. It''s such an important matter, so the old Godfather would naturally send someone he trusts to keep an eye on it."


    "I don''t think Falcone would send Evans, even I know that Evans isn''t mature yet."


    "But what if young Falcone wanted to go?"


    Gordon paused and said, "I heard this from our new police chief. You know he''s Falcone''s man."


    "He told me that young Falcone was acting a bit impatiently. He proposed to the Godfather that he wanted to personally supervise the situation in Living Hell. The Godfather didn''t say no, but it seems that in the end, he agreed."


    "Perhaps he is starting to feel a sense of crisis." Batman''s low voice came from the corner of the room. Unlike Gordon''s anxious tone, his tone was always calm and certain.


    "New Mayor Roy is Falcone''s prot¨¦g¨¦, and he''s doing quite well."


    Gordon nodded, and Batman continued, "Roy is not much older than Evans. He doesn''t have a high level of education, but he''s a pragmatic doer. Gang leaders like this kind of person more. After all, Roy''s background is more simr to theirs, and they have more to talk about."


    "But this makes the original heir, young Falcone, a bit awkward." Gordon shrugged and said, "It''s normal for him to feel anxious."


    "So he convinced the old Godfather to let him participate in the affairs of Living Hell?"


    "Yes, that''s why I''m feeling the pressure now." Gordon rubbed his forehead.


    "As I said before, Fish was a crazy woman. She had a violent temper and didn''t listen to anyone''s advice. She was also reckless and didn''t even care about the Godfather''s son."


    "When Evans arrived in Living Hell, he naturally wanted to mediate the conflicts between the Gangs. He had several conflicts with Fish."


    "Evans, of course, hoped that Fish would sit down and talk with the other Gang leaders to peacefully resolve the matter and demonstrate his mediation skills. But Fish refused outright."


    "We have a informant in Mooney''s gang, and he reported to us that Fish is almostpletely insane. She started beating her subordinates and even wanted to kill people indiscriminately..."


    "Wait." Schiller interrupted Gordon and said, "Could Copperpot be one of the victims?"


    Gordon sighed again, looking a bit tired. He said, "That''s what I suspect too. Although I don''t know what that kid was doing under her thumb, he definitely seemed like a target for the madwoman''s outbursts. He had no resistance at all, and sadists like to torture people like that..."


    Schiller didn''t say anything, just gestured for Gordon to continue. After taking a sip of water, Gordon continued, "The conflict between Fish and Evans is getting more and more intense. There have been several close calls where things almost escted."


    "Technically, Evans shouldn''t be afraid of Fish. He''s the heir to the Falcone family, and all Twelve Families have to listen to him."


    "But he''s eager to prove himself and wants to resolve this on his own, so he doesn''t want anyone else to help him. But he''s too impatient, and as a result, he hasn''t resolved the issue with Fish and the other gang leaders from out of town don''t have a good impression of him either. They think he''s dragging his feet and not acting like a true Gotham gangster."


    "But the result is that Fish is dead, and all the out-of-town gang leaders think Evans did it. They''re all scared and won''t listen to him anymore. Some of the Twelve Families are also unhappy with Evans'' actions."


    Gordon spread his hands on the table and said, "He dawdled at the beginning, holding unrealistic fantasies of peaceful evolution, and in the end, he got angry and resorted to assassination. That doesn''t look good at all."


    "Our newmissioner is an old associate of the Godfather, and he''s still not sure about the Godfather''s attitude. After all, he''s his biological son, and the Godfather can''t just give up on him."


    "So, the newmissioner hopes I can solve the case quickly, even if it means finding a poor scapegoat, to clear Evans'' name and keep the heir to the Falcone family from looking so foolish and affecting the Godfather''s prestige."


    Gordon pped the table with his palm and said, "That''s why I asked you toe in the middle of the night. We want to find a breakthrough from that kid named Oswald."


    "It seems that you don''t want to exonerate Evans but want to find the real truth."


    "I don''t want to exonerate anyone, even if Fish was crazy and deserved to die, I still want to find the real culprit."


    Schiller stood up, and Gordon followed suit. Gordon said, "Professor Rodriguez, I know that over the years, you''ve been tracking some brutal serial killers and have records of solving major cases around the world."


    "I admit, I need your help now, but I can''t offer you any decent rewards..."


    Gordon sighed and said, "This case involves too much power, and if we can''t solve it quickly, I''m afraid..."


    Schiller turned to look at him, and Gordon''s face looked a bit haggard under the light, and his expression seemed very embarrassed.


    This detective was no longer young, and his face had wrinkles that showed signs of age. Schiller said to him, "You should be more aware than I am. This is a struggle between the heirs of the Falcone family, and it may also involve the next candidate for the underground king of Gotham."


    "Anyone in Gotham could be shattered in this vortex, including you, Detective Gordon." Schiller''s tone was very serious, and he said sternly, "Trying to investigate the truth in such a vortex may mean that tomorrow, you will be lying dead on the street..."


    "He won''t." Batman''s voice came. "If there''s only one good person left to protect in Gotham, I can at least help him survive the next day."


    Schiller stared at Batman, and Batman looked back at him. A silent atmosphere pervaded between the two, and Schiller had almost forgotten when was thest time he had a conversation with Batman like this.


    Finally, he sighed and said to Gordon, "This matter does have something to do with me. Living Hell is the first step in Gotham''s transformation, and it''s of great importance. If there''s any violent conflict at this critical moment, even if you don''t invite me, Falcone will invite me. If Evans has a problem, as his family''s tutor, I still have to deal with Rotten''s mess."


    Gordon opened the door for him as he walked ahead. Schiller walked out of the door with his head down, muttering to himself, "I knew I wouldn''t be able to live peacefully here for long..."


    When they arrived at the morgue, the forensic doctor had already left. Gordon dragged Fish''s body out of the freezer, and Schiller lifted the white cloth to take a look. Fish''s head had been hit by a bullet.


    Gordon uncovered the white cloth and said, "The fatal wound was the bullet to the head. There were no injuries anywhere else on the body, and the forensic report basically ruled out other possible causes of death."


    "Well, he was shot in the head, and the person who did it was quite civilized."


    Gordon shrugged and said, "This sounds like a ck joke, but it''s also the truth. In these years in Gotham, the bodies I''ve seen the most are the ones that have been riddled with bullets. If only the head was shot, then the person who did it is already considered civilized."


    Schiller silently stared at the body for a while, and Batman also walked over, equally silent. Finally, Gordon couldn''t stand the atmosphere anymore. He tilted his head to the left, looked at Schiller, and then tilted his head to the right, looking at Batman, and asked, "So, have you two figured anything out?"


    "We see the same thing as you do."


    "Okay, now let''s organize our investigation n." Schiller spoke first. "Gordon, you should follow the lead of Evans and continue the investigation. After all, your director is on Falcone''s side. You can use the excuse of helping Evans clear his name to get assistance from your director. Batman will investigate the other gang leaders to see if they have any suspicion ofmitting the crime."


    "As for me, I am the only possible eyewitness at the scene and I am currently suffering from acute stress disorder. I need to go see a doctor for treatment. If I can get his testimony, things will be much easier."


    "Also," Batman stared at Schiller, "we cannot rule out the suspicion of Copperpotmitting the crime. After all, besides the victim, he was the only one present. It''s possible that he killed Fish first and then pretended to be unconscious."

 Chapter 148: The Mysterious Case of a Rainy Night (3)

    Chapter 148: The Mysterious Case of a Rainy Night (3)


    When Schiller returned to the interrogation room, Gordon and Batman were not with him anymore. Copperpot''s wet clothes had been removed and Mona was closing the door. Upon seeing Schiller, she said, "You''re the doctor, sir? The boy seems to be quite traumatized. I tried to change his clothes earlier, but he struggled too much and almost bit me."


    "Thank you, madam. You''ve done enough. He''s a bit agitated now, so I''m going to take him to the hospital."


    "Well, you better hurry. He''s getting tired now, and he shouldn''t resist as much."


    Schiller entered the gate and found Copperpot sitting in a corner with a new coat on. He was silent, and Schiller called Brand on the phone. "Send an ambnce to fetch a patient."


    "What kind of patient needs an ambnce? Doesn''t he have his own fancy car?"


    "He''s a real patient, not one of the gang bosses who went in and out of prison on parole."


    "What''s his condition? I''ll have the nursing room ready."


    "Acute stress disorder, maybe something else too. Prepare some sedatives, and I''ll exin more when I get there."


    Soon, Copperpot was strapped to a stretcher and taken away in an ambnce. Schiller paid no attention to his struggles.When they arrived at the hospital, Brand greeted them. He was wearing a white coat and had obviously been busy until now. He said, "Oh my god, we finally have a real patient. I almost thought I had graduated in finance."


    "Don''t celebrate too soon. If I tell you that he''s an important witness in the Falcone family''s inheritance case, will you still feel rxed?"


    Brand''s face fell, and he cursed under his breath. "I knew it. Nothing good ever happens in this godforsaken ce."


    "He''s in a severe state of agitation and can hardlymunicate. First, give him some sedatives, and we''ll see how he is tomorrow."


    Schiller returned to his office at Arkham Psychiatric Hospital and changed into his doctor''s attire. When he entered Copperpot''s hospital room, Copperpot''s hands were tied to the bed rails, and his limbs were twitching. He was red-faced, his eyes were bulging, and he was making a constant panting sound.


    A nurse came over and said, "Doctor, he''s too agitated. We''ve released his muscle restriction. If this continues, it will cause serious joint damage."


    "Start with the sedatives," Schiller said calmly. He bent down and checked Copperpot''s eyelids. He found that he couldn''t focus his gaze, and his face was very congested.


    Schiller called two more nurses to hold Copperpot down, and Brand came in. "I haven''t seen a case of acute stress disorder this severe in a long time. What''s wrong with him?"


    Brand carefully examined Copperpot and found injuries on his neck and shoulders. "Has he been abused?"


    "Most likely, and it''s been going on for a while. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be so severe. He may have other mental disorders, and gic disorders are not impossible."


    "What about his rtives? Is there any medical history we can refer to?"


    As soon as Brand asked, he answered himself, "Oh, this is Gotham. It''s like finding a needle in a haystack to diagnose a real mental patient here."


    "You go and rest. I''ll be on duty tonight ande up with a treatment n."


    Brand left, and Schiller went back to his office. He took out a notebook from his desk drawer and began to recall what he knew about the Penguin''s life. Theics didn''t provide much detail about his childhood, only mentioning that he carried an umbre with him because his mother, who became increasingly insane after his father died of pneumonia in the rain, forced him to do so. In the TV series Gotham, the Penguin had also been admitted to Arkham Asylum, where he was tortured by the warden Hugo. Whether he was diagnosed with a real mental illness was not borated.


    ording to Schiller''s observation, at least the penguin man Copperpot he encountered should have a real mental illness.


    The night at Arkham Psychiatric Hospital was very quiet because there were almost no real psychiatric patients here, so there would be no sudden outbreak of patients.


    In the entire doctor''s office, only Schiller''s desk was lit, and in the quiet room, only the sound of writing echoed.


    As soon as the day broke, Victor wearing a coat hurriedly walked up the steps of the Arkham Psychiatric Hospital gate. The rain had just stopped, and the cold wind in the gloomy weather blew his hair dancing.


    Schiller, wearing a white coat, greeted him. Victor said, "I just finished ss over at Living Hell and heard from that little fat boy that Oswald is hospitalized."


    "Then I learned that you also took a leave of absence, and I guessed that you must have gone to treat him."


    "Oh, how did you guess?"


    "Didn''t I tell you before? I''ve been to Oswald''s house and met his mother. His mother seems to have seizures, you know, I''m not a professional, but I can tell that her mental state is not normal."


    "My guess coincides with yours. Copperpot should have a hereditary mental illness." Schiller and Victor walked quickly up the staircase. Schiller said, "Acute stress disorder induced his manic symptoms, and I have already used an excessive amount of sedativesst night, but there is still no improvement this morning."


    As they were saying this, the two of them arrived at the hospital room where Copperpot was. At this time, Copperpot was lying on the bed, constantly talking, but the words he uttered from his mouth had no logic and seemed to be just venting.


    Victor walked to his bedside and looked at Copperpot. Then he said, "This symptom is simr to a student I taught before. He was extremely excited, talking to himself, and had a tendency to attack, and even injured his ssmates."


    "What are you going to do?" Victor asked Schiller, "In fact, I am quite optimistic about his talent. I know there are many mental patients in Gotham, and we can''t save them all, but he''s already here, we still have to find a way."


    "I will let him be hospitalized, which of course means that I intend to treat him, but this mixed symptom may have a veryplex cause, and I still need to do some investigation."


    Just as they were talking, Brand came in with a stack of reports, handed them to Schiller, and said, "We gave him a physical examination earlier today, and the situation is not good. In addition to mental problems, he also has multiple injuries on his body, which should be caused by beatings. And the new and old injuries are mixed together, and this situation should have continued for some time."


    "As we expected." Brand finally said, "This is acute stress disorder after experiencing severe abuse, and this stress state has induced other mental illnesses in him, causing him to fall into an uncontroble extreme state of excitement."


    "As for the specific treatment n for mental problems, let''s discuss itter. How serious are his physical injuries?"


    "His left ankle joint has been severely traumatized, and his right arm is also broken. Just treating these injuries alone may take some time."


    "If his excitement state breaks out againter, we will not be able to treat his injuries at all, and I do not rmend using an excessive amount of sedatives for him again. He is too young, and his brain may not be able to handle it."


    Schiller touched his forehead, he said, "This is really troublesome. Can we contact his mother? I want to investigate his medical history."


    Victor shook his head and said, "It''s difficult. His mother''s mental state is also not normal. When I went therest time, she almost chased me out with a broom. If you want to investigate, you can only go to his house."


    "Okay..." Schiller finally arranged, "Brand, you first take the time to treat his external injuries, and Victor and I will go to his house to see what''s going on."


    After leaving, Schiller and Victor sat in the car. Victor said while driving, "Actually, you surprised me a little. I thought you were the kind of doctor who doesn''t like to meddle in other people''s affairs."


    "You don''t have to put it so politely. I know, you think I''m the kind of person who won''t save lives if the money is not in ce."


    Victor coughed awkwardly, and Schiller sat in the passenger seat, cing the umbre next to the seat, and then tightened his coat and said, "Actually, what you think is right. Most of the time, I am like that."


    "However, the entire ss at that vocational school can only write the words I know, and if he goes crazy, I''m afraid I will be driven crazy by that dog-like font."


    Victor held the steering wheel, smiled and didn''t turn his head, and said, "I think you are tough on the outside but tender on the inside, pretending to be an unscrupulous doctor, but in fact, you still have sympathy."


    "I''ll say it again. I may be unscrupulous, but I am definitely not a mediocre doctor."


    The car turned and twisted into a narrow alley next to Living Hell. When the two got out of the car, Schiller poked the broken stones on the roadside with the tip of the umbre and said, "It seems that the renovation area of Living Hell is still too small, and this ce is still so dirty and messy."


    "It''s actually not bad," Victor looked around and said, "Before, cars couldn''t evene in here, now it''s much better."


    The two entered a dark corridor and walked up two floors. Victor knocked on the door and asked, "Mrs. Copperpot, are you there?"


    "Are you sure she''ll answer you? As far as I know, some mentally ill patients are unable to take care of themselves."


    "Should be able to. When Mrs. Copperpot doesn''t have an attack, she just has some muscle spasms." Victor exined while continuing to knock on the door, but after a long time, there was no response. Victor frowned and said, "What''s going on?"


    With no response, Victor could only say, "Something might have happened. We''ll go around to the Rooftop on the opposite side and enter from the balcony. That''s all we can do."


    The two went around the corridor, went out the door at the end of the same floor corridor, came to the terrace, and after walking around in a circle, came to the next balcony. Then they climbed into Mrs. Copperpot''s balcony.


    Then, they saw from outside the window that Mrs. Copperpot''s house was in a mess, as if there had just been a fight and Mrs. Copperpot was nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 149: Party and Umbrella (1)

    Chapter 149: Party and Umbre (1)


    Victor stood in front of the window of Copperpot''s old mansion, pulling on the window with all his might. He looked up and saw that there was still a lock on the window of this rundown old mansion. Schiller pulled out a handgun and handed it to Victor. Victor nced at him and said, "You brought a gun?"


    Schiller also looked at him and said, "Why are you surprised that I brought a gun? This is Gotham."


    Victor was also surprised and said, "But why did you give it to me if you can''t shoot?"


    "My marksmanship is not urate, so only you can do it."


    Victor took the gun and muttered, "We are both outsiders, why do you look like a native here?"


    He raised the gun, aimed at the old lock, and fired a shot. The lock sparked and was directly broken. Victor pushed open the window and climbed in, with Schiller following behind.


    After entering, Victor pointed to the ground and said, "Master detective, it''s time for you to shine."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Isn''t it obvious? Mrs. Copperpot has been kidnapped."


    As soon as he said this, his gaze fell on a corner of the living room. There was a very old shoe cab ced beside the door, with a pair of rain boots and several pairs of ordinary leather shoes on it. However, there was an umbre ced beside the shoe cab.Schiller walked to the umbre, picked up the handle and looked at it, then gradually narrowed his eyes. Victor also walked over and looked at the umbre with some doubt, "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong with the umbre?"


    Schiller pursed his lips, did not answer, just turned the umbre upside down and looked at the tip of the umbre. There was a small circle on the tip, the pattern was inconspicuous, and it looked like someone''s signature. Schiller held the tip of the umbre, then tapped the ground with the handle of the umbre.


    Victor looked around and said, "What are you doing?"


    "Nothing...just checking something." Schiller picked up the umbre and returned to the center of the living room. He first walked to the sofa and said, "It seems that Mrs. Copperpot was dragged away from here."


    Then he came to the left of the ss coffee table, which looked very delicate and showed that their family had some wealth.


    On the ss coffee table was a tea set. Schiller picked it up and smelled it. Victor also walked over and looked at the tea set, "Although I don''t have much detective experience, I can guess that someone put something in here, right?"


    "Most likely." Schiller found a stack of newspapers nearby and wrapped the cups, handing them to Victor to take back for analysis. He then crouched down and looked under the sofa.


    The wooden leg on the left side of the sofa left a scratch about 20 centimeters on the ground. Obviously, the sofa had been dragged.


    He crouched down again and looked at the living room. The floor was scattered with messy items, which looked like a cab had been hit and the things on it had fallen down.


    The table next to it was also knocked aside. A chair was overturned on the ground, with one leg broken. It looked like there had been a fight here.


    Schiller sighed and said, "I don''t think we need to look any further. Let''s go back first. Whoever kidnapped Mrs. Copperpot, the police should be the ones to find them."


    On the other side, Batman, who was investigating the leaders of the foreign Gang in Living Hell, also had a gain. A Gang member in a suit copsed on the ground, looking at Batman in fear and trembling as he said, "Don''t kill me, I''ll tell you everything I know!"


    "A few weeks ago, ah no! It''s about a week and a half to two weeks ago! One of the seven bosses here died, we called him ck Hand Kevin, he was also the boss of the North District and the biggest territory..."


    "Is this ck Hand Kevin rted to Fish?" Batman asked.


    The person hesitated and said, "Yes, actually, Kevin is a negotiator. Before his gang came to Living Hell, they suffered a lot of losses in a shootout, and he didn''t want to lose manpower again, so he was willing to sit down and talk with the boss of Mooney gang..."


    "But before they could negotiate, he died."


    "How did he die?" Batman asked again.


    "I''m not sure, I just heard that he died outside of Living Hell. You may have to ask the police for specific details..."


    Then Batman asked, "What happened after that person named Kevin died?"


    "What happened?" The little boss was stunned by his question and instinctively replied, "What else could happen? He died, and someone took his ce..."


    Batman frowned, "Who took his ce?"


    The little boss tried hard to remember and said, "I can''t remember his name, but that guy seems to be very smart. He used to be a small boss who managed the water supply. I heard someone say that he could make money with everyone, so he took over Kevin''s position..."


    Batman''s frown deepened. After asking a few more questions, he realized that the little boss was not a member of this ck Hand Kevin gang and did not know the specific details. Realizing that he couldn''t extract any more information, Batman knocked him out.


    Thinking about the water supply system, Batman remembered Fish''s crazy actions before.


    Fish somehow found the core system of the Living Hell water purifier. However, because Batman patrolled here more frequently, Fish was just investigating it secretly when she was discovered by Batman. Batman knocked out the investigator and installed a security system for the water purifier, stopping her.


    At that time, Batman didn''t think much about it, but now he realized that this was not a n that an illiterate gang leader coulde up with. Most Living Hell residents didn''t even know about the existence of the purifier.


    Even if she coulde up with it, how did Fish put the n into action? How did she know the core location of the water purifier?


    Before, Batman had seen Fish''s file at Gordon''s office and had monitored her for a period of time. He was very sure that this woman was semi-literate, the kind of person who would spell long words wrong. He didn''t think that such a person had the ability to follow theplex pipes and find the most important purification equipment.


    In fact, there were not many people in Living Hell who had this ability. Batman spected that there must be someone who had been giving Fish advice all along.


    The death of ck Hand Kevin, Fish''s n to destroy the water purifier, the little boss who took over after Kevin''s death...


    Several things quickly connected in Batman''s mind.


    The most critical coincidence was that Fish came up with a n to destroy the water purifier that she couldn''t have thought of herself, and the little boss who took over after Kevin''s death happened to be the former manager of the water supply system in the North District. This was not a simple coincidence, after all, there were really too few people in Living Hell who understood the water source system, and the probability of these two identities coinciding was very high.


    In Batman''s reasoning, this little boss was either originally Fish''s person or had betrayed his boss and joined Fish.


    He helped Fish with his ns and in return, Fish helped him get rid of his immediate boss, allowing him to have a chance to climb up the ranks. Maybe they will continue to work together and use the knowledge of this small boss to attack the other gang bosses.


    Were they once partners? Could Fish''s death be rted to this person? Batman was lost in thought, but he felt that there were other hidden secrets among these events, far from being so simple.


    On the fourth floor of Arkham Psychiatric Hospital, Gordon and Victor stood outside the hospital room. Gordon said with some pity, "This kid really has no luck. He experienced a murder case, suddenly developed a difficult mental illness, and then his family was kidnapped. Even in Gotham, there are not many people as unlucky as him."


    Victor sighed and said, "Actually, he is a very smart kid and learns quickly, but I found out that this is just how Gotham is..." He shrugged and said, "A talented person always encounters various troubles and then goes astray."


    "I think Professor Rodriguez can cure him, just like he always says. He is not an ipetent doctor."


    Victor looked at the window on the door, and following his gaze, Schiller walked from one side of the bed to the other while Copperpoty on the bed not struggling, appearing numb and staring nkly at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.


    "How did you sleepst night, Mr. Copperpot? Do you still feel like your muscles are out of control?" Schiller, wearing a white coat, stood by the bed with a medical record book in hand, writing and asking at the same time.


    Copperpot didn''t answer, lying on the bed like a stiff and pale puppet, showing no reaction to any sound from outside.


    "It seems you''re not doing too well." Schiller said while standing in ce, "Most patients have some sluggish reactions after taking an excessive amount of sedatives, but I don''t think you''re one of them. Your mind should be very clear now, and the period of onset has passed."


    "Why don''t you want to answer me? Is it because some of your ns are not going well?"


    Copperpot suddenly turned his head and stared at Schiller with those deeply embedded eyes. The look was somewhat terrifying, appearing numb and cold, but Schiller was not moved.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t use any magical hypnosis as shown in movies to make you say everything. In psychological and psychiatric treatment, if the patient does not cooperate, hypnosis cannot be effective."


    "Simrly, if you don''t cooperate with the treatment, no amount of medication will work. I am a doctor, not God. If you refuse to answer any questions, even God cannot cure you."


    Copperpot''s head moved again, and a hoarse voice like sawing wood came out from his throat. He said, "Cure... can it be cured?"


    Schiller put down the medical record book and looked at him strangely, saying, "If it can''t be cured, you should have been cremated by now."


    Copperpot''s mouth gradually opened, seeming to want to say something, but didn''t. Schiller seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, I forgot, you''re not even a college student."


    He covered his forehead and said helplessly, "I know that many people with insufficient education call mental illness madness and an incurable disease, but that''s not the case."


    "Many people don''t understand mental illness, so they talk about it with fear. Especially this gic mental disorder, the onset can be extremely manic and aggressive, often seen as a terrible madness."


    "But in fact, this is just a symptom of schizophrenia. ording to the previous diagnosis, you should be ssified as having tension-type schizophrenia, which often has intermittent onset, with symptoms of stiffness, and sometimes suddenly enters a state of excitement, with behavior bing violent, but it can be self-relieved after a few hours."


    Schiller patiently exined to Copperpot, "This type of schizophrenia has a better prognosis. It can be treated effectively with medication, and the difficulty generally lies in the relief of excited behavior. But as you can see, using sedatives has a good effect..."


    Copperpot stared at Schiller with his eyes fixedly. Schiller''s expression did not change, and he was telling the truth.


    Actually, this is not a difficult disease. Even among the category of schizophrenia, it is rtivelymon. So his tone has been very calm, but this seems to have given Copperpot some vitality. He adjusted his neck back and tried to adjust his posture on the bed, then asked, "...Can it be cured...right?"


    Schiller nodded and said, "Although I can''t guarantee aplete cure, there shouldn''t be any problem with leading a normal life most of the time."

 Chapter 150: Party and Umbrella (2)

    Chapter 150: Party and Umbre (2)


    At this moment, the sky was almost dark. In the narrow corridor of Living Hell, the narrow window could only let in a ray of light, like a golden paintbrush drawing a trace on the corridor.


    The sharp light pierced into the dark building, and golden lines traced across Batman''s body as he walked through the Living Hell corridor to the crime scene.


    In fact, when he found the crime scene, his first reaction was certainly not to call the police. No matter whether Gordon was a good cop or not, Batman didn''t trust the police from the bottom of his heart.


    The reason why he did this was that there was not only one dead person here, but also Oswald Copperpot, who was still alive. Batman was not illiterate. He saw Copperpot''s delirium and convulsions while he was in aa and guessed that he might have a mental illness.


    In order to save him, Batman brought Gordon and asked him to find a psychology expert, Schiller, who was the only one in Gotham with the relevant professional knowledge.


    But now it seems that he may have saved the wrong person. Batman thought that Copperpot was not an innocent victim who identally stumbled upon the crime scene, but was likely to be the mastermind behind Fish''s death.


    Of course, Batman easily investigated Copperpot''s resume and found out that he was the small boss who took over after Kevin''s death. This was not difficult to find out. In the whole Living Hell, only a handful of people who could read the water meter, and Copperpot was one of them. Moreover, he happened to be at the scene of Fish''s death. Living Hell was so big, it couldn''t be a coincidence, right?


    When he walked into the crime scene again, Batman carefully looked around.


    This was a small room in the north of Living Hell. Like all the other rooms here, it was narrow and had a strange structure. The only window faced west, and the sun was about to set outside.This small room with a window was the living room of the entire room. There was no need for an entranceway in such a smallyout. When you pushed the door, you came into this living room.


    To the left of the living room was a sofa against the wall, which was stained with a puddle of blood. Batman didn''t care if someone had tampered with the crime scene. His extraordinary memory allowed him to remember every detail at the time. In his sight, Fish''s body returned to the sofa.


    Her body was lying on the sofa, leaning toward the door, with her head resting on the back of the sofa. She was shot in the left temple, and blood sttered to the right side of the sofa. Part of it also dripped onto the floor on the right side. She nted to the right, obviously shot dead while sitting on the sofa.


    Batman turned his head and looked to his right. Copperpot''s figure also appeared in the room, but he was lying under the window sill, his teeth chattering and his limbs twitching.


    Batman walked a little further and stood in the middle of the room. Then, he saw time in the room flowing backwards, and the blood on the ground and sofa floated back to Fish''s head. A bullet spun out of her head and she sat upright, back to life. The bullet stopped next to her left temple.


    Copperpot also stood up like a puppet, hunched over and standing in front of the window, facing Fish.


    Batman stepped over the coffee table and came to Fish''s side, then leaned close to her left cheek and stared at the bullet.


    When he observed Fish''s body in the morgue, Batman found that the bullet shot into her temple was very precise, and from the wound, the angle of the bullet was perpendicr to the temple.


    In an instant, Fish''s figure disappeared, and Batman sat on the sofa. The bullet that killed Fish stopped next to Batman''s head.


    Time began to flow again, and the bullet rotated and shot into Batman''s temple. Blood spurted out and sttered onto the sofa and floor.


    Another Batman stood up from the sofa and knelt down to observe the bloodstains. He found that this was indeed Fish''s first death scene, and her body had not been moved. The shape and range of the blood spatter were reasonable.


    After confirming that this was the death scene, Batman turned around, and time went back to one second before Fish was hit. Fish reappeared on the sofa.


    Batman walked behind her and looked over from his perspective. Copperpot disappeared from the window.


    Suddenly, Batman turned his head to the left and saw Copperpot standing in front of the door to the bedroom, holding a handgun with a fierce expression and aiming at Fish''s left side.


    In an instant, Batman appeared in Copperpot''s position and grabbed the handgun that was floating in the air because Copperpot disappeared. He muttered to himself, "Something''s wrong."


    Because at this moment, Fish turned her head, looking surprised and angry.


    "Under the circumstances of only two people in the room, Copperpot''s actions could not have escaped Fish''s eyes. Once he raised the gun, Fish would definitely look at him."


    Batman pulled the trigger and the bullet hit Fish in the forehead, not the left temple.


    He let go of the gun and returned to the living room. Copperpot appeared again and as time rewinded, the bullet returned to Copperpot''s gun.


    Then, like a movie being yed in reverse, Copperpot''s figure took a few steps back and retreated to the bedroom. The bedroom door "mmed" shut.


    Batman walked over, reopened the door and found that it opened into the bedroom with the door hinge on the left side.


    He walked in and stood in Copperpot''s position. He pulled the door handle with his left hand and the moment the door opened, he raised his handgun and shot. Fish was unaware and didn''t turn around. In an instant, the bullet hit Fish''s temple.


    But Batman shook his head.


    The reason why this inference could seed was that the shooter was him, Batman.


    To open the door and shoot a gun at the same time, one must hold the door handle and pull inward. It was impossible to hold a gun with both hands andplete these two actions in an instant.


    If the shooter was Batman, he could indeed open the door in an instant and use one hand to hold the gun and shoot urately into Fish''s temple. But this was because he was Batman.


    If the shooter was anyone other than Batman, it would be very difficult to hold a gun with one hand and ignore the recoil, aim, shoot, and hit urately in an instant.


    Furthermore, the door hinge was on the left side and opened from the right, so the quickest action was to use the left hand to pull the door handle and shoot with the right hand at the moment the door opened. But Batman had already checked and found that Copperpot''s right arm was broken and it was not a new injury.


    It was difficult for a small, untrained person with a broken dominant arm toplete these actions in two seconds.


    Even if he could, it was impossible topletely avoid Fish''s attention, at least not to give Fish a chance to turn aroundpletely.


    Numerous Batman figures crowded the small crime scene. They were sometimes still and sometimes active in different timelines.


    The bullet flew out of the gun, creating ripples in the air, and quickly retreated back into the barrel. The light in the room went from bright to dark and back to bright again. The muzzle sh flickered repeatedly, leaving numerous shadows of Dark in the room. In this quiet dusk, the lone Batman had a lively party with himself.


    Soon, almost all the traces of activity in the small room were investigated by Batman. He tried all possibilities and eliminated most of the ways the crime wasmitted, such as Copperpot attacking Fish in various ways and from different angles, or Fish being drugged and restrained.


    From various traces, it could be determined that Fish entered the room in good health and sat on the sofa. Copperpot followed her and it was impossible to attack her without arousing her attention.


    But this did not mean that Copperpot was not the killer.


    Batman reset everything back to the beginning and stood in the center of the living room, looking around.


    The entire scene became a model of the room, ced on a table, and a giant hand held a ck figure model and ced it in the bedroom.


    Above the entire model of the room, Batman lowered his head and stared at the scene from above, with his gaze, the room gradually expanded in his vision. Batman walked from the center of the living room to the bedroom, looking at the ck figure model.


    If a third party were added to this murder, everything would make sense.


    Time began to reverse, the bedroom door was closed, Copperpot stood opposite Fish, near the window.


    Fish was still sitting on the sofa, waving her arms and angrily scolding Copperpot. Copperpot was hysterically arguing, and Fish waspletely enraged by him.


    Fish, who waspletely focused on Copperpot, did not notice that the bedroom door, which was not fully closed, was quietly opened. Then, a gunshot sounded, blood sttered, and Fish fell onto the sofa.


    No, this is notplete enough, Batman thought. Even if Fish was distracted by Copperpot, her vignce would not becking, and she may have noticed the killer entering through the bedroom door.


    Batman changed his thinking. If he were the killer, he would not have nned such a thing, hoping that Fish would not notice the killer and not resist. That was not reliable.


    You know, Fish didn''t get to where she was today for nothing. This woman could fight, react quickly, and had urate marksmanship, which allowed her to survive many shootouts and be a leader.


    Once she resisted, even a professional killer could be at a disadvantage, and someone who knew Fish would not have nned such a thing.


    Then there is only one possibility left, Batman whispered, "The aplice was familiar with Fish."


    Batman stood on one side of the room and saw two figures in the room. They were talking to Fish, and they had originally stood in front of Fish. They did not have weapons in their hands.


    Soon, Copperpot attracted Fish''s attention with a few words, and the other figure took the opportunity to walk to Fish''s side, pretending to grab something.


    Copperpot and Fish argued, and Fish''s attention waspletely drawn to Copperpot.


    In an instant, time froze, and Batman''s figure reced the ck figure standing next to Fish. He reached into his coat pocket, felt the handgun, drew it out, raised his hand, and fired. With a loud gunshot, blood sttered, and Fish fell to the ground.


    The distance was close, and the gun was suitable, so it was very precise.


    In an instant, everything returned to reality. Only the dried and ckened bloodstains remained on the sofa, and Batman was the only person left in the room.


    He was alone, but he did not feel lonely at all. He sat on the sofa, rxed his upper body, leaned against the back of the chair, and even closed his eyes, like a happy drunk returning from a party.


    Until thest ray of sunlight fell below the surface of the earth, the entire room becamepletely dark, and darkness consumed Batman''s figure. This bat, who had thrown a party for himself, disappeared from here at some point.

 Chapter 151: Party and Umbrella (3)

    Chapter 151: Party and Umbre (3)


    "So now, Mr. Copperpot, are you willing to cooperate with my treatment?"


    In the hospital room of Arkhammental hospital, Schiller moved a chair and sat next to Copperpot''s bed. Copperpot still stared at the ceiling, but he nodded imperceptibly.


    "Okay, first question, was killing old Edward your first kill?"


    In an instant, Copperpot''s arm, bound in a splint, stiffened. His hand trembled slightly, then clenched. He turned to look at Schiller and could no longer remain silent. He said, "How did you know?"


    "You answer my question first."


    Copperpot''s Adam''s apple moved up and down, as if trying to spit out an answer, but in the end, he did not speak but nodded.


    "Old The Godfather asked you to do this, right?"


    Copperpot did not answer. He just said, "I swear before God that I will not reveal anything..."


    "Okay, you don''t have to say it. I''ll say it.""Old The Godfather needed an excuse to make a move against young Edward, so he had you kill old Edward and frame it on his nephew."


    "No one would think that a skinny little umbre boy who was bullied by colleagues and mocked by customers would be the killer trusted by Old The Godfather."


    "If it was really your first kill, I can only say that you are quite talented in this area. You handled the bathroom cleanly, and your escape route was well-designed. You didn''t run into any customers..."


    Copperpot turned to stare at Schiller, and he seemed to be stunned by Schiller''s evaluation. In any case, a normal person should not look at this matter from this angle.


    "Okay, that''s all in the past." Schiller flipped through the medical record and said, "Now let''s exin what happened recently."


    "I advise you to confess, because I am not a police officer. The police may not be able to do anything to you because you are a minor and a mental patient."


    "But I am different. At present, I am the only person in Gotham who is willing to treat this mental illness and have the confidence to cure it. If you don''t say anything, I won''t leave you a bed."


    Copperpot''s mouth turned down, looking very sinister, and he had a maturity that he should not have at his age.


    Then he spoke, his voice hoarse and low: "I am indeed Old The Godfather''s man. I don''t know why he singled me out, but I did things for him and also killed old Edward for him."


    "You should have guessed what I want to know..." Schiller didn''t even lift his head.


    "He sent me to Living Hell to watch everyone there. He doesn''t trust anyone there. Every corner of Gotham should be ruled by Falcone."


    "So, I went to the biggest gang there, the Mooney Gang, and became Fish Mooney''s underling..."


    "She didn''t care about me, even hated me very much, but she was still sober at that time. I was just not valued, but that didn''t matter. I was used to it..."


    Copperpot''s tone was somewhat numb, and it could be seen that some words he wanted to express could not be said smoothly. The effect of the sedative had notpletely worn off, so his narrative was intermittent.


    "Later, I went to work for Kevin, which was a betrayal to Fish, but I had to do it. Kevin gave me what I wanted..."


    Copperpot''s lips trembled, and he seemed to be about to enter an excited state again. He said, "I kept climbing up there, from a technician who only knew the skills to a person in charge of purchasing for a restaurant..."


    His tone became eager, as if sketching a dreamy picture. Copperpot continued, "That restaurant was the kind I dreamed of,rge and luxurious. The gang leader came and went, and they were all polite to the restaurant owner..."


    "I knew what I wanted, yes...that''s it..."


    "Calm down and continue." Schiller''s voice broke Copperpot''s fantasy and stopped him from bing more excited.


    Copperpot swallowed his saliva and made a dry exhale, then said, "There, I was valued and was transferred to be in charge of the water supply system..."


    "My colleagues are a bunch of idiots, but it doesn''t matter, it suits me just fine. I keep climbing up thedder and even became a small leader..."


    "This feeling is too wonderful..." Copperpot''s veins on his neck bulged and he began to shake all over. He said, "It''s so good... I started delegating tasks, directing work, and victory is within my grasp..."


    Soon, he stopped neurotically again, returning to a stiff state, and then said viciously, "So... I want more power! A bigger territory! No one can stop me!"


    "Kevin... oh... yes, his name is ck Hand Kevin, a resounding name. He was the first person to stand in my way..." Copperpot''s tone became low again.


    "After I gained control of the entire water system in the North District, he thought I would threaten his position."


    "Indeed, that idiot didn''t know anything. Following him would only lead to hunger, but following me was different. Many people in the gang saw this and began to support me. That idiot''s position was shaken..."


    "...It can''t go on like this anymore, I know, I know..." Copperpot almost spoke word by word. "I have to kill him and take his position..."


    "I went back to find Fish, knelt at her feet, and wept bitterly to her. I told her that Kevin was forcing me. As long as she was willing to help me kill Kevin and help me gain my position, I could use my knowledge and abilities to help her drive out all these outsiders..."


    "To gain her trust, I began to provide her with various ns, some of which worked, some didn''t, but in the end, Fish chose to believe me..."


    Copperpot swallowed his saliva and trembled as he said, "On a street next to Living Hell, Fish killed Kevin, and I sessfully took his ce..."


    "Butter, Fish became more and more crazy. She charged into my room while I was sleeping, beating me with the butt of a gun and a stick..."


    Copperpot''s voice began to sound a little teary, and he trembled as he said, "I know I have to endure it. My position is still unstable, and I can''t resist her. So I endured her crazy torture, saying that I betrayed her, saying that everyone betrayed her..."


    "I don''t know how long it has been." Copperpot trembled all over and continued, "She started to be more and more crazy. Several times, I thought she wanted to kill me. I knew it couldn''t go on like this, otherwise the crazy Fish would definitely kill me..."


    "So you killed her?" Schiller asked him.


    "No... no." Copperpot shook his head, trembling, gritting his teeth, making a creaking sound. He seemed to have fallen into a memory again and said, "How could I kill someone? I would be caught and put in prison. I can''t be put in prison. I just gained my position..."


    "And then, someone came to me." Copperpot paused for a moment, and slowly spit out that name, "Sal Maroni."


    "Maroni told me that he had been watching Living Hell for a long time. He had a grudge against Falcone and had already offended the old Godfather. He couldn''t let Falcone''s n to transform Gotham seed, otherwise the Maroni family would cease to exist..."


    "He asked me to cooperate with him, I disagreed, so he kidnapped my mother just a few days ago..."


    "So, I proposed to him that we work together to kill Fish, and then frame Evans, undermining the prestige of The Godfather''s sessor."


    "For me, this was a win-win situation. It could help me get rid of Fish''s torture and also save my mother..."


    "He agreed to this n, so one day, I lured Fish out, and Maroni shot and killed her..."


    After finishing, Copperpot still trembled all over, as if he was still trapped in some memories. Schiller wrote and drew on his medical records silently for a while. Copperpot finally couldn''t help it. He looked at Schiller.


    Schiller just focused on staring at his medical records and didn''t make anyments on the story. Copperpot''s tears flowed out of his eyes, his face pale, and he looked very pitiful. Schiller put down his medical records expressionlessly, looked into his eyes, and said, "Stop your nonsense. Your story is very exciting, but you made a very serious mistake..."


    Copperpot looked at him, and his tears flowed out from his eye sockets. He looked very helpless. Schiller put down his medical records and looked at him. "Crying won''t work. Those who know me well know that I am not a mediocre doctor, but a very unscrupulous one."


    "Your biggest mistake was not investigating the doctor''s resume before making this n..."


    "Doctor, I know I don''t have any evidence, but I am the only witness..."


    "Okay, if you insist, then let''s start from the most recent crime scene."


    "Victor and I went to the scene where your mother was kidnapped. ording to you, Maroni''s men kidnapped your mother."


    "That was indeed a very typical kidnapping scene. Someone sneaked into your house, drugged your mother, and then took her away while she was unconscious."


    "Superficially, it looks like that, but Mr. Copperpot..." Schiller looked at Copperpot''s eyes and said, "You obviously have never done a real kidnapping case. There are loopholes everywhere in this scene."


    Copperpot didn''t speak, he just stared at Schiller, and Schiller continued, "First of all, almost no one in Gotham chooses to sneak in whenmitting a kidnapping case. They usually just smash the door, rush in, shoot at all living things, then take the bodies away, wipe away the bloodstains, and then say they kidnapped your loved ones. In fact, your loved one''s body has already been thrown into the sea."


    "Of course, I assume Maroni is a civilized person, but I believe he doesn''t need to sneak in this way, and he doesn''t need to use sleeping pills. Even if your mother is strong, she cannot resist four or five gangsters. They just need to rush in, knock her out, and then drag her away. Sleeping pills arepletely unnecessary."


    "You are trying to restore a perfect chain of evidence for a kidnapping case, but there are too many unnecessary processes in it."


    "For example, the fighting scene you arranged, that''spletely unnecessary. Who do you think your mother is? A retired female agent? Did she fight with the gangsters with a chair when they broke in?"


    "You did too much." Schiller concluded, "Trying to restore the perfect crime method, trying to create a realistic scene, and even designing the intruder''s route and deliberately left their actions on the table and sofa..."


    "I can only say that you have watched too many detective dramas. Most cases in reality do not happen like this, and most murderers are not so professional. Violence is the main method of breaking in, and there are loopholes in the crime process. This is most of the gang kidnapping cases."


    "Because you are naturally thin, most of the murder methods you adopt are based on intelligence. However, for those strong gang members, there is no need to do so much."


    "They are not like you, struggling to pry open a lock. There is no door that cannot be opened with a submachine gun or bomb in this world. It takes only five minutes toplete the task, and no one will spend two hours studying the infiltration route."


    "You are using your own criminal thinking to impose it on those gangsters, just like letting a big and strong cowboy wear ace dress."


    "As for the scene you arranged..." Schiller picked up the medical record again and said mercilessly, "I can only give you a failing grade."


    "Without the pressure of The Godfather, your independent work is a mess, far inferior to the murder method used to kill old Edward. I even suspect that you hired someone to write it for you..."

 Chapter 152: Party and Umbrella (4)

    Chapter 152: Party and Umbre (4)


    "Why do you..." Copperpot red at Schiller, but then he suddenly realized something and cursed under his breath, "Damn it..."


    He turned back to look at Schiller, but he didn''t see the usual expression of sess in police interrogations on Schiller''s face. On the contrary, Schiller was really looking at him with confusion, which made Copperpot feel humiliated.


    Copperpot pursed his lips, stretched his neck, tilted his head, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Can you please untie the strap on my arm first? It''s ufortable for me..."


    He thought Schiller would refuse, but Schiller stood up without hesitation, walked to his bed, and untied the strap on the armrest. As soon as he finished untying one hand, Copperpot eagerly moved his arm.


    His right hand was tied to a splint, and Schiller reminded him, "Due to dyed treatment, your right hand fracture has be very serious. If you dy for another two days, there is a risk of amputation, so let''s keep it tied for now."


    Copperpot muttered under his breath, seeming to curse something. When Schiller''s gaze turned back to him, he suddenly fell silent.


    Schiller sat back in his seat, picked up the medical record, and said, "Let''s talk about this issue. From theyout of the crime scene, I can feel that you were in a hurry. Can you tell me what happened?"


    Copperpot wrinkled his nose and raised his lips, making him look fierce. He seemed to want to refute Schiller''s point of view, but he felt that he shouldn''t say too much to a stranger who was a psychologist.


    "Let me hear about your criminal thinking. After all, you went to so much trouble to do so many things. It would be a pity if there were no audience, right?"Copperpot''s intact arm grabbed the railing fiercely. He tilted his head and stared straight at Schiller, saying, "You damn psychologist..."


    Copperpot admitted that Schiller''s words were more effective than any police interrogation method.


    Schiller smiled at him. He knew that any criminal who appeared on the big stage of Gotham in the future was an orthodox believer in the criminal world.


    They had their own pride in crime, such as the delicacy of their techniques, the presentation of results, and the misleading effect on the onlookers. They hoped to achieve perfection in every aspect.


    They would consider these issues carefully with every criminal n they implemented, and hoped that someone could recognize their genius creativity.


    They firmly believed that crime without an audience was not perfect crime.


    Copperpot''s reason told him that it was not a good idea to reveal everything now. If Schiller really recorded the sound, he might not be able to escape trial.


    But he was itching to tell his story. Another voice in his heart told him that Schiller was just like him, and he would be a good listener who could understand the subtle and exquisite criminal process that ordinary people couldn''t understand. He could understand his uniqueness.


    Soon, Copperpot couldn''t help it. He said, "It was an ident. If it wasn''t for..."


    Copperpot paused for a moment, seeming to organize his thoughts, and then he rxed, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with his eyes, and began his narration.


    "...I happened to meet The Godfatherpletely by ident. My father used to be a famous gang leader in the East District. After he died, the territory and property that should have been inherited by me were divided up by those wolves like gangs..."


    "My mother moved back to the old house near Living Hell to protect me, but we still couldn''t live in peace. My father''s enemies chased us several times..."


    "One night, I was washing tes in a bar in the East District, and when I came out, I was surrounded by people. They were about to shoot me when a car passed by. The person inside was His Excellency Falcone. He stopped those people and drove them away..."


    "The Godfather saved you?"


    "That''s right. I was only 12 years old at the time, but I was skinny and looked even smaller. He probably couldn''t stand those people trying to shoot a child. Anyway, at that time, I met The Godfather..."


    "I don''t know where he saw that I was worth cultivating. I was skinny, small, physically weak, and not likable in appearance. I couldn''t make friends easily, but The Godfather secretly helped me..."


    "So, when he needed you, you went to kill for him?"


    Copperpot said expressionlessly, "What''s wrong with that? He saved me, and I know that it''s nothing for him, but killing is nothing to me either..."


    "I have to say, you did very well in Edward''s case. You didn''t seem like a novice. Can you tell me more about that day?"


    Copperpot shook his head and said, "It all depends on The Godfather''s prestige. No one dares to be unruly on his territory. This is not something to be praised..."


    "Alright, let''s cut to the chase. You didn''t do all of this just to go with the flow. What do you really want?"


    "I want to break free from The Godfather''s control." Copperpot''s words were shocking.


    "To be precise, not from the old Godfather..." Copperpot added, "I am willing to work for Falcone, to kill for him, but only for the esteemed Falcone..."


    "I knew some time ago that the old Godfather wanted to step down, and hand over his power to his son, young Falcone."


    Copperpot scoffed, "But he''s not up to the task. Young Falcone is no match for his father, and following him will lead nowhere."


    "The new Godfather will naturally inherit the old Godfather''s position, wealth, and connections, including me. But I see that young Falcone is too far behind. I don''t want to follow him..."


    "Why do you feel that way?" Schiller asked him.


    "Previously, he wanted to reform, but the territory that the old Godfather handed over to him was a mess."


    "He had drive, but no goals. His methods were forceful, but hecked thought. Simply put, he''s not cut out for this."


    "So, what did you do?"


    "I know that the old Godfather is not dead yet. It''s impossible to get rid of him by force, or I''ll die."


    "I have received his favor, and have killed for him. Maybe it seems like we''re even."


    "But every Gotham citizen knows that once you''ve done this kind of thing, you can never go back. You either die or go down a dark path."


    "But I don''t want to be a part of his inheritance, to listen to the new Godfather''s orders. Or rather, the new Godfather''s foolishness will not only kill himself, but also me. I don''t want to die, so I have to leave."


    "When The Godfather sent me to Living Hell to watch over this ce, I realized that my chance hade..."


    "My first target is Mooney''s gang." Copperpot raised his voice, "I need to establish myself here, understand the situation, and formte a n. So I joined Mooney''s gang, following Fish''s orders. In a short time, I learned everything about this ce."


    Copperpot''s words gradually became fluent, and when it came to this aspect, this future penguin spoke endlessly.


    "When I finished the preliminary investigation, Mooney''s gang was no longer a good base because Fish''s territory waspressedyer byyer, and the range of activities began to be very small. I couldn''t collect enough information. At this time, I couldn''t let The Godfather think that I wasn''t working hard enough."


    "So, I found an opportunity and hooked up with Kevin, yes, it wasn''t him who picked me, but I picked him..."


    As Copperpot continued to speak, his words echoed in the hospital room, and his recent life had be a drama, unfolding before the two of them.


    As his words fell, the red curtain opened, revealing the narrow corridor of Living Hell behind it.


    Copperpot and Kevin stood in the corridor. The short and hunched Copperpot ttered Kevin, saying, "Mr. Kevin, please do me a favor and visit my business..."


    The tall Kevin looked up and took a pack of cigarettes from Copperpot. He opened it and said, "You''re a new cigarette seller? I haven''t seen you before. You must be from that crazy woman, right?"


    "Yes, yes..." Copperpot eagerly nodded. Then he hesitantly rubbed his hands and said, "I''m also forced to do this for a living. There are too few cigarette buyers in the south, or else I wouldn''t take the risk ofing here..."


    "How much do you sell a pack for?"


    "Seventy cents, sir, just seventy cents."


    Kevin was surprised and raised an eyebrow. "Seventy cents? What''s going on? The little cigarette sellers here usually sell for ny cents or a dor. Why are you selling so cheap?"


    Kevin looked at the pack of cigarettes again and picked out one. Copperpot eagerly went up to light the cigarette for him and then said, "Actually, I can still make a profit. I operate in both the south and the north, and it takes about one hour and twenty minutes to make a round. I can sell six to seven packs of cigarettes, even if the profit of each pack is only ten cents. I have thirteen hours a day to operate, so I can sell on average..."


    Kevin took a puff of the cigarette and blew out smoke. He looked up and down at Copperpot and said, "You can even do calctions? That''s really interesting. Those little brats I''ve met who sell cigarettes can''t even count their change."


    Copperpot still nodded and smiled tteringly. Inadvertently, he revealed that he had attended school in the wealthy southern district. He continued to chat with Kevin, who smoked two cigarettes. Finally, feeling a little dizzy, Kevin pinched the cigarette butt and said, "You''re not bad. But following that crazy woman, Fish, won''t get you anywhere."


    "Go get me two good cigarettes, and I''ll let you work at the shipping outlet on the second floor. You get three cents for every ten items sold, which is much more profitable than selling cigarettes."


    Copperpot looked ecstatic, and Kevin sneered, "You little punks with weak arms and legs can only do errands like buying newspapers and cigarettes and counting a few numbers..."


    "Those little bastards count wrong every day. Their brains are rustier than the door bolts, and they cause me to lose money. Don''t you dare bezy or slippery with me..."


    As the cigarette smoke in Kevin''s hand gradually dissipated, the curtain slowly closed. Schiller turned to Copperpot and said, "I can tell that so far, you''ve done well."


    "Using your advantage of being small and thin, you disguised yourself as one of the mostmon cigarette runners in Living Hell. Inadvertently, you showed your ability to calcte, and you sessfully jumped to Kevin''s side."


    "But that''s not all I want."


    The curtain opened again, and boxes were stacked higher and higher. Bills flew out of Copperpot''s hands, through the narrow corridor of Living Hell, past the door of the shipping outlet, up the staircase for transporting goods, and through the kitchen of the restaurant. A small figure shuttled back and forth among them.


    Thest bill "pped" onto Copperpot''s face. When he took it off, his eyes reflected the dazzling neon light of a restaurant sign.


    "You didn''t lie about this part." Schillermented, "I can tell that you really want to open a restaurant."


    Copperpot''s lips moved as hey on the hospital bed. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Yes, but it''s not what I should be considering now."


    "What I need to think about now is how to be a manager as a runner. I''ve reached the end of the road in the lower level. Next, I have to figure out how to move up."

 Chapter 153: Party and Umbrella (5)

    Chapter 153: Party and Umbre (5)


    Schiller heard the whole process of Copperpot climbing up the ranks of the North District from him.


    It had to be admitted that Copperpot was a genius, especially in the field of politics. His ns were meticulous, his thinking clear, his execution strong, and his acting skills were excellent. He always yed the appropriate role at the right time and fooled everyone.


    At the time of Fish, he showed himself to be an unwavering defender of his own territory, as if he were a native guarding it against the invading gang bosses.


    But after jumping to Kevin''s side, he began to speak of Fish''s brutality, iming that the gang bosses'' territorial aggression was extremely just and saved the citizens of Living Hell from dire straits.


    Fish learned of his betrayal and was naturally angry, but Copperpot provided the gang bosses with an excuse for their just plunder. They had to protect him and treat him as a typical example, lifting him higher and higher to demonstrate their rule, even a cigarette vendor who couldn''t lift a shoulder or a hand could gain status and power to prove that Fish''s rule offered no way out for the people of Living Hell.


    Copperpot had made himself the exemry model that these gang bosses wanted to establish, not only giving himself a way out, but also intensifying the tension between Fish and these bosses, to the point of being on the verge of war.


    "And then? What did you do to make Kevin start to fear you?" Schiller asked Copperpot. Before Copperpot could answer, Schiller added, "In your previous version of the story, you said that Kevin was afraid you would take his position, but there was a loophole here..."


    "These gang bosses are single-minded, and few of them are afraid of a civilian. Most of them think that having a gun in their hands is what''s threatening, and what about you? You''re not strong enough and you don''t have any armed forces. Kevin, like a traditional gang boss who only looks at the size of his fists, won''t fear you for no reason."


    Copperpot opened his mouth, but instead of answering Schiller''s question directly, he asked him, "Why do you know so much about them?""Oh, I forgot to tell you..." Schiller turned around and picked up a notebook from the table behind him, flipping through it as he spoke. "Let me see..."


    "Among the gang bosses of Living Hell, only one has no hospital record, and the other five have all been patients here, including Kevin. I''ve seen him in the corridor..."


    "Isn''t this a mental hospital?" Copperpot widened his eyes.


    "Do you think they don''t have mental illness?"


    Copperpot took a deep breath and found himself speechless. Schiller''s words made sense. In Gotham, if you don''t have a mental illness, how can you be a gang boss?


    "Well, let me continue..." Schiller said.


    "From the beginning, my goal was to umte capital, because even if I got rid of The Godfather''s control, I couldn''t just wander around on the street, could I? I couldn''t start a gang from scratch, so I had to steal an existing one..."


    "I started to win people''s hearts in Kevin''s gang, using my calction ability to collect more water fees than other ces, but in a way that was not detectable. I used some small benefits to bribe the lower-level personnel, gained convenience, made more money, and then usedrger sums to bribe many middle-level and high-level personnel..."


    "I didn''t n to act so soon, but there was a stupid guy who didn''t do things carefully and let slip while reporting to Kevin that I had intercepted a lot of extra water fees."


    "As you said, these gang bosses don''t care about people without guns, but they care about money."


    "Knowing that I was embezzling water fees, Kevin was very angry. He threatened to kill me, but some of the high-level personnel I had bought off helped me avoid immediate danger."


    "But I knew I had to act early. Kevin wouldn''t tolerate me for too long."


    "It seems that your experience is not rich enough," Schiller summed up. "In Gotham, don''t expect others. They can''t get anything done and will only bring trouble."


    "I understand that now," Copperpot said with a cold snort.


    "But even so, you don''t have to go back to Fish''s side. Can''t you kill Kevin yourself? You should have the opportunity."


    "But that doesn''t solve the problem."


    Copperpot''s tone became somewhat helpless as he said, "That ce is a rotten mud pit. Once I kill Kevin and take over myself, the change in leadership will make the gang very unstable."


    "There are also several wolves around, and once there is trouble within the gang, they wille and divide up the territory."


    "I can use my intelligence to kill Kevin, but I can''t kill everyone. To both take over and stabilize the gang, I must rely on external forces."


    "So you went back to Fish?"


    "That''s right. Fish wasmunicative at the time, and she wasn''t so crazy. I confessed to her and then proposed to help her merge with the outside."


    Copperpot''s face was covered in wounds, but he had no expression of fear, instead he approached Fish with a cold smile and recited name after name. Fish''s arm began to tremble incessantly; this madwoman had been driven insane by her delusions of persecution, and she swore to kill everyone who betrayed her.


    Gunshots rang out one after another, and ck figures fell at Copperpot''s feet, blood flowing to his feet. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, lifted his head, and his eyes were full of crazed satisfaction.


    "But why did you change your strategyter on?" Schiller asked.


    "I didn''t lie," Copperpot looked into Schiller''s eyes and said, "Maroni approached me, although at the time I didn''t know who he was."


    "He told me that he had attacked several of The Godfather''s industries before, and had be a mortal enemy of the Falcone family. He didn''t want to see the Falcone family remaking Gotham, so he wanted to sabotage the first step of the reform."


    "He knew that I was in control of the self-water supply system in the northern district, so he came to me, hoping that I would poison the water source of Living Hell."


    Copperpot''s tone began to get colder and colder. "At that time, Fish had already started to go crazy. She was almost useless."


    "We formted a n together to kill Fish and frame Little Falcone."


    "That doesn''t make sense," Schiller asked Copperpot, "your goal is to not be controlled by The Godfather, not to offend The Godfather. Don''t tell me you thought you could defeat The Godfather and gain freedom by doing this."


    "Of course not. How could I be so stupid?"


    "Maroni?" Copperpot snorted from his nose and continued, "Did he think I would really cooperate with him? Of course not, I saw that he was a shameless dog."


    "We had a n, but besides that, I had my own n."


    "I think, next, it''s time to talk about you and your mother, right?"


    "Right."


    The curtain rose again, and with Copperpot''s narration, the scene returned to Copperpot''s old mansion.


    The thin Copperpot was gasping for breath, slumped in the center of the living room, facing a mess.


    Copperpot''s wife was holding a chair and smashing it crazily on the ground, muttering incoherently.


    Copperpot took a rope and tried to tie up his suddenly ill mother, but his mother pushed him to the ground. Copperpot hit the table and let out a scream. Then, Copperpot''s wife swung the chair and hit his right arm.


    Copperpot rolled on the ground, knocking over the cab and causing items to scatter on the ground.


    But he still struggled to get up, half-kneeling in ce, thinking for a while, then stumbled into a room and took out sleeping pills. He bypassed Copperpot''s wife, who was still smashing things, and walked to the coffee table in the living room, tossing the pills into the water and then hiding in the corner waiting.


    After a whole night, Copperpot''s wife finally eased her excitement and the excitement receded, reced by exhaustion and thirst. She followed her instincts to find water to drink and drank the pot of water with sleeping pills in one gulp.


    After a few tens of minutes, when the medication took effect, Copperpot''s wife copsed asleep on the sofa. Copperpot then walked up and dragged her away from the sofa.


    Schiller covered his forehead and interrupted Copperpot''s narration, saying, "Obviously, your mother, like you, has paranoid schizophrenia... well, I can''t expect you to have any knowledge in this area."


    "I can only say that you did almost nothing. Even if you didn''t use sleeping pills, a patient who has gone through an excited state would still pass out due to exhaustion."


    Copperpot suddenly became a little nervous, trying to lift his upper body and lean against the pillow, looking Schiller in the eye, and then asked him, "Can this disease really be cured?"


    "I said it could," Schiller paused, then added, "but that''s for you, because you''re rtively young. If it''s your mother..."


    He shook his head and continued, "Complete cure is unlikely, only the majority of the time can be spent living normally, and once an attack urs, hospitalization is required."


    However, Copperpot seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief. Before Schiller could ask further, he said, "As you expected, it wasn''t a kidnapping scene, or rather, I kidnapped my own mother."


    "This is part of my n. I nned to send my mother away myself and then me Maroni."


    "I have saved a lot of money and rented a new apartment. I don''t need to take anything from that old mansion, but my mother just won''t leave..."


    "We had an argument, she became more and more agitated, and then she started to go crazy. I couldn''t do anything..."


    Copperpot gritted his teeth and said, "I have no idea what happened to her. Although she asionally had moments of confusion before, it was never as serious as this time."


    "Shepletely lost control, even picked up a fruit knife and stabbed herself. I was afraid she would hurt herself, so I had to let her sleep and then forcibly take her to the new apartment."


    "Why didn''t you take her to the hospital?"


    "I didn''t have time." Copperpot said with a gloomy face, "I argued with my mother all day, and she went crazy all night. This time was supposed to be used to set up the scene."


    "The time for me to meet with Maroni arrived, and I had to go execute the n. I didn''t have time to tidy up the house or deal with my arm, so I had to rush over..."


    "Okay, so why did you fabricate a lie about Maroni kidnapping your mother?"


    "That''s my n. I''m not really cooperating with that hound. Don''t forget what my ultimate goal is. I want to be free."


    "So, what is your n?"


    Suddenly, Copperpot''s tone changed, and he said, "Just a few days ago, I found out that there''s a weird guy operating in Living Hell. Of course, I''ve heard his name before. He''s called... Batman."

 Chapter 154: Party and Umbrella (6)

    Chapter 154: Party and Umbre (6)


    Batman was investigating the identity of the mysterious third person involved in the murder case. He was reviewing surveince footage on hisputer.


    During the renovation of Living Hell, Batman installed thousands of cameras, but due to the unusual architecture and dense poption, monitoring the area became difficult.


    The cameras were mostly obstructed, damaged, or blurry, and the residents had no concept of public space, often covering up corners where cameras were hidden with junk.


    Despite these challenges, Batman patiently reviewed the footage and eventually recognized the face of Sal Maroni, who had no connection to Living Hell residents and was therefore suspicious.


    Batman decided to talk to Maroni to gather information.


    In Arkham Mental Hospital, Copperpot revealed to Schiller that he had used Maroni to kill Fish, but also discovered that he had a strange habit of saving people rather than killing them.


    Copperpot had strategically led Fish into a room where Maroni would shoot her, but had also caused a disturbance upstairs to attract Batman''s attention.


    After Maroni fled, Copperpot pretended to be a victim and was saved by Batman, allowing him to frame Maroni for the murder.


    Copperpot revealed that Maroni had kidnapped his mother and forced him to participate in the murder plot, but he nned to testify against Maroni and clear the name of the Godfather''s sessor.However, Copperpot knew that he could not negotiate with the Godfather and had learned a lesson about what made him the Godfather, something that little Falcone did not yet understand.


    "When The Godfather does something, he must have a legitimate and reasonable reason."


    "He had no reason to persecute an inconspicuous and nameless pawn who worked diligently for him, was abused and coerced, and was hospitalized for mental stimtion before admission. He had also solved troubles for him before."


    As Copperpot finished speaking, Schiller looked at him, and a shadow from the window beam fell on his face. Although his face was still youthful, one could already see the outline of a future ambitious penguin.


    Walking among various powers, maintaining a delicate bnce, with interlocking ns and almost perfect execution ability, it is hard to believe that a teenager alone has aplished all this.


    "However, your perfect n still had an ident."


    Copperpot heard Schiller''s question, and instinctively turned his head away, not wanting to look straight at the doctor. But Schiller still said, "The ident lies in this gic disease in your family. Your mother was the first to fall ill, causing you to waste too much time trying to subdue and appease her. Then, at the moment when the n was about to seed, your feigned illness turned into a real one. So now, instead of exposing Maroni at the police station, you came here."


    Copperpot pursed his lips, as if unwilling to admit it, and then said, "You said that this disease can be cured..."


    "It can, but you have to cooperate."


    Schiller stood up, nodded, and said seriously, "If that''s the case, then I admit that you did notmit academic fraud in the field of crime. The design of the entire n, the preliminary arrangement, the mid-term execution, and the ending were all consistent with your level when you murdered old Edward. Although some processes were a bitplicated, they were still rigorous. If this ident had not happened, everything would have gone smoothly as nned."


    "And you have a very urate grasp of The Godfather''s psychology. In this situation, he will not really hold it against you."


    "So, let''s analyze this ident."


    Schiller walked to the other side of the room and pushed a whiteboard over, on which he wrote a series of words, and then pointed to the whiteboard and said, "Schizophrenia is a type of mental illness, and we need to start with thisrge category to understand this disease."


    Then, Copperpot lying on the bed was forced to listen to Schiller''s popr science lecture on psychiatry.


    Even though he had a genius brain, after more than an hour of listening, he was left feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. There were too many medical terms he had never heard of, apanied by various case analyses.


    During a gap when Schiller drank water, Copperpot said, "I think I''m almost healed. Let me go back to the police station. I still have things to do..."


    "Don''t be in a hurry. There is onest and most critical part left, such as why you fell ill at that time."


    "First of all, dusk to night is the peak period for the onset of schizophrenia, and changes in light can stimte people with mental illness."


    "You should have started preparing at dusk and then acted at night. If I''m not mistaken, the window of the room where you acted could see the sunset, and the light was still very dazzling. This would cause even greater stimtion to unstable people. Next time, find a room without windows."


    "And earlier, you were also abused by Fish, and then you were seriously injured in the process of subduing your mother."


    "These are all very typical external stimuli."


    Schiller turned his pen and said, "You thought you endured silently when Fish beat you and felt helpless when your mother hurt you, but in fact, your subconscious mind remembered the pain more deeply than your rational mind."


    "You thought you didn''t leave any psychological shadow, but that''s not the case."


    "The psyche of teenagers itself is not stable enough. If you didn''t fall ill this time, you would still have post-traumatic stress disorder after about a month, such as continuous irritability and nightmares, as well as difficulty falling asleep."


    "People always imagine themselves to be too powerful. The smarter and more rational people are, the more they think this way."


    "But human psychology is actually more fragile than imagined. Just because psychological trauma is not manifested, it does not mean that it does not exist."


    Copperpot turned his head away, not wanting to ponder these issues. He said, "I have to go andplete my n, although it''s a bitte, it should still be in time."


    "Not in a hurry..." Schiller walked to his desk, flipped through a file, and then said while flipping through it, "From your perspective, this matter has already been exined very clearly."


    "But do you want to hear this story from another perspective?"


    Schiller opened the file and said in a calm tone, "Ten days ago, there was a murder case near the Living Hell area on Green Street. The police in charge of the case was Harvey Brock, and in his report, he wrote that..."


    "Kevin Brown, the gang leader, was found dead in the alley on Green Street, with three gunshot wounds, one of which hit his lung and was fatal. When the police arrived, he was already dead on the scene. After investigating the crime scene, the police determined it was a gang shootout."


    "You should be familiar with this case, as you mentioned it in your story just now."


    "But what I want to talk about is another case rted to this one."


    "At the Vicin Umbre Shop in the alley on Green Street, an umbre maker was found dead at the store''s entrance, shot by a handgun and also died on the scene. After police investigation, it was determined that he was caught in the crossfire of the gang shootout..."


    "Finally, the police concluded that two people were killed in the gang shootout in the alley on Green Street."


    Copperpot saw Schiller leaning against the window sill with his back to the light. When he put down the file, the light shone on his lens from behind, making it difficult for Copperpot to see his expression, but he had a bad feeling.


    "I know what you want to say. This kind of case is not umon, and it has nothing to do with me."


    "But it has caused me a lot of trouble."


    Schiller said in a calm tone, "There have been a lot of rainy days recently, and I use my umbre frequently. It broke."


    "When I went to the umbre maker to get it repaired, I found out that he had already died."


    "Fisk Mooney killed the only handmade umbre maker in Gotham City."


    "Afterwards, I went to talk to her about it, and because of her guilt, she couldn''t sleep or eat, and went insane."


    "Now, Mr. Copperpot..."


    Copperpot began to feel cold behind him. He struggled to move to the other side of the bed to avoid Schiller''s gaze, but one of his hands was still tied to the armrest and he couldn''t move.


    Schiller took out an umbre from behind the desk, slowly walked to the end of the hospital bed, and then reached out, poking the umbre tip between Copperpot''s two eyes, and said to him:


    "Can you exin to me where this umbre with the Vicin Umbre maker emblem came from in your hand?"

 Chapter 155: Party and Umbrella (7)

    Chapter 155: Party and Umbre (7)


    "Vicin Umbre Shop? Oh... that''s really old news."


    In the office of the Gotham police station, Brock was smoking a cigarette and leaning on the filing cab as he spoke to Gordon. "You know, I''m from the East District, born and raised in Gotham, a kid from the slums."


    "I remember when you first came to Gotham... that was a few years ago, right? Yes, at that time, the East District was still very prosperous. There were four major families, blocks of high-end clubs, bars, and even the best strippers," Brock reminisced.


    "But don''t think of it as a wretched slum," he continued, switching the cigarette to his other hand. "The East District was once very prosperous, centered around Green Street and spreading out to dozens of other streets, including Elizabeth Street, which is now the center of gang activity. But back then, Elizabeth Street wasn''t that big of a deal. If you wanted to talk about prosperity, Green Street was still the top."


    "But now, it''s a bit..." Gordon frowned, touching his mouth. "I went to see it a few days ago when I was working on that case, and it really doesn''t match what you''re saying..."


    "Of course, like I said, that''s all in the past. Probably five or six years ago, or maybe seven or eight, it was still the most prosperousmercial center in the East District. The Vicin Umbre Shop was located in a back alley there, but don''t think it was remote. It was actually the best location," Brock said.


    "That shop was the most special one in the East District, where the gang rules over themercial street, usually filled with bars, dance halls, and high-end restaurants. A Vicin umbre shop there was quite out of ce," he continued. "However, the customers of that shop were high-end. The old umbre maker, Vicin, was very skilled, and the handmade umbres he made were a symbol of status for the Gotham gang bosses. Whoever could carry an umbre with the Vicin emblem was a person of high status in the Gotham gang world."


    "I know," Gordon nodded. "When I first came to Gotham, there was a craze for handmade products, a retro trend that led the East Coast and even the whole country''s aesthetics. Everyone said that machine-made things were cold and soulless, only handmade things had taste."


    "Perhaps, but not entirely," Brock walked over and sat in a chair. "You know Gotham''s weird weather, umbres are really useful things.""His craftsmanship was probably very good, right?" Gordon asked, flipping through a file. "Unfortunately, he''s dead."


    "Indeed, all the gang bosses in Gotham would only buy umbres from him, so many other umbre makers stopped working. Nowadays, there''s only him, the only handmade umbre maker in Gotham," Brock said.


    "His skills are indeed beyond question, but his temperament is also very strange. When I lived in the East District, I heard that he only sold his umbres to a certain group of people, and no matter how much money the others offered, they couldn''t buy umbres," he added.


    "Really?" Gordon looked at Brock skeptically. "Those gang bosses didn''t get their hands on them for nothing. If this old umbre maker dared not to sell them umbres, wouldn''t they cause trouble for him?"


    "I don''t know about that, but it seems like there wasn''t any conflict," Brock shrugged.


    "I feel like you won''t find any clues from him. He was probably just caught in the crossfire," Gordon sighed. "Kevin''s death is rted to Fish''s death, but I can''t find any clues from Kevin. I can only try to find something from others. Do you think...?"


    Gordon shook his head, overturning his own spection, and said, "Forget it. It''s unlikely. The craze for handmade products is over, and a Gang boss like Kevin who didn''t go to school wouldn''t go for handmade custom umbres. Our informant has never mentioned that he knew the owner of the Vicin Umbre Shop. They might just be strangers to each other."


    "But I still feel that there''s something fishy about them dying in the same case," Gordon straightened up, standing with his arms akimbo. "There have been a lot of incidents where gang shootouts affected others, but I just feel that this case is strange..."


    "Your intuition has always been urate," Brock said to Gordon. "How about this? Later on, I''ll go to the Vicin Umbre Shop again. After all, I grew up in the East District and am more familiar with it. If there are any clues, I''ll let you know..."


    "That''s all we can do," Gordon said. Just as he finished speaking, a young police officer knocked on the door and said, "Boss Gordon, Mr. Falcone is here."


    Gordon and Brock hurriedly went out and saw Commissioner Evans upstairs, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with a few bodyguards behind him. The situation looked as if he were the owner of the police station.


    Evans inherited his father''s good looks, tall and straight, handsome, and inherited a beautiful head of golden hair from his mother. But his image didn''t look like a gang godfather, but rather like a celebrity actor or a passionate artist.


    Upon seeing Gordon, he turned around and shook hands with him, saying, "Gordon detective, I''ve heard of your name from my colleagues and teachers. You''re a good police officer."


    Gordon and Brock apanied themissioner and Evans in conversation. In Gotham, even though Evans was the prime suspect in a murder case, all the police officers had to treat him with respect and even as a guest because of hisst name, Falcone.


    Just as they were about to take Evans to the interview room, Evans said, "No need, I have something to say here..."


    In the basement of a hotel on Elizabeth Street, Maroni screamed in agony as Batman broke his legs with a steel pipe. Maroni cursed at him, "You meddling freak..."


    Batman''s voice was as cold as ever. "I stopped you from killing the hotel owner. It''s not because I happened to be passing by. Obviously, I have something to ask you, and you better cooperate."


    Maroni red at him fiercely and said, "Don''t expect me to tell you anything, you son of a bitch..."


    Ten minutester, Maroni was lying on the ground, all his limbs broken. Batman asked him, "Did you shoot Fish?" Maroni seemed surprised by the question and gasped for breath in pain. But Batman gave him a shot of adrenaline to keep him awake.


    "You better cooperate, or I won''t know which part to break next." Batman kicked his arm, and Maroni screamed like he was dying. Finally, he surrendered and said, "Yes...it was me."


    "Why did you do it?" Batman asked.


    "I had a grudge with Fish."


    Batman kicked his broken arm again, and Maroni screamed in pain. He trembled and said, "Someone threatened me...I had no choice..."


    "Who threatened you?"


    Maroni was silent for a long time. No matter how Batman interrogated him, he refused to say that name.


    Finally, Batman said, "I know the location of Maroni''s family stronghold, and I know where your core forces and wealth are hidden. If you don''t want a fire that no one can survive to break out there, you''d better cooperate with me..."


    Maroniy on the ground, seemingly dead. Just when Batman thought he wouldn''t speak again, Maroni spat out a name in a hoarse voice.


    "Evans Falcone."


    In the hospital room of Arkham Asylum, Schiller withdrew his arm, put down the umbre, and ced the tip of the umbre on the ground. He said to Copperpot, "Don''t tell me you bought this umbre. You should know that you can''t afford it."


    "So, did you steal it or rob it?" Copperpot looked as if he had been humiliated, pursing his lips and staring at Schiller. "This is what I deserve!"


    Schiller ced his hands on the handle of the umbre, stood in ce, and asked Copperpot, "Why do you say that?"


    Copperpot turned his head and didn''t answer.


    Just then, the door of the hospital room was knocked. Schiller turned his head and said, "Come in."


    It was Gordon who came in. After scanning the situation in the hospital room, he looked at Copperpot and finally fixed his gaze on Schiller, saying, "Little Falcone confessed."


    His tone was full of disbelief. Gordon swallowed and said to Copperpot, "I know you can''t believe it, because I can''t believe it either."


    "But the fact is, before I came here, about tens of minutes ago, The Godfather''s son, Evans Falcone, came to the police station..."


    "Then he admitted to ordering Maroni to kill Fish Mooney."


    Copperpot froze in mid-action, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. Then he fell back onto the bed, muttering to himself in disbelief, "He ordered Maroni to kill Fish, then what did I do? What did I do?"


    "I..." Copperpot choked, and from his expression, it was clear that in just a few seconds, he had gone over all his ns and actions in his head. Then he said with certainty, "It''s impossible. How could young Falcone... This doesn''t make any sense."


    Gordon sighed and said, "Who says it doesn''t? Both Brock and I were shocked. Evans stood in the police station, surrounded by police officers, and told us that he hade to confess. He admitted to ordering Maroni to kill Fish."


    "He didn''t have a motive to do that," Copperpot looked at Gordon and said. "Aren''t we police officers who pay the most attention to criminal motives? What reason does young Falcone have to do this? What benefit does killing Fish bring him?"


    He had just asked the question when he said in disbelief, "Well, killing Fish might indeed benefit him a little, such as intimidating others, but he shouldn''t..."


    "I know what you want to say," Gordon interrupted him. "Even if The Godfather''s son is stupid, he wouldn''t use this method to eliminate hispetitors. More importantly, even if he did, there''s no reason for him to confess."


    Assassinations like this aremon in Gotham. Gordon frowned deeply. He could feel the deep marks between his eyebrows almost etched into his face. "Everyone knows that this kind of thing happens every day, but it''s not a reason for him to bring it to the forefront."


    "What does he want to do? Why involve the police station?"


    When Gordon said this, he felt ridiculous. What reason does a murder case have to involve the police station? Oh my god! What is he talking about? Is he still a police officer?


    But in Gotham, this is a default truth for everyone. Assassinations between gangs will not involve the police, because it will be looked down upon by other peers and greatly damage their reputation.


    But now, The Godfather''s own son hase to the police station and openly admitted to killing Fish. The nature of this matter ispletely different.


    If he didn''t admit it, no one could force him to, because he was a Falcone. But now that he has admitted it, no one can turn a blind eye to it, also because he is a Falcone.

 Chapter 156: Party and Umbrella (8)

    Chapter 156: Party and Umbre (8)


    Gordon''s head was about to explode, and Copperpot was also in a state of doubt about life.


    His question was not smaller than Gordon''s, because he was the mastermind behind the whole thing.


    From Copperpot''s perspective, he wanted to break away from The Godfather and umte some capital for himself, in other words, to make money and pave the way for his rise in the future.


    So he jumped back and forth between Fish and Kevin repeatedly. In order topletely get rid of anyone who wanted to control him, he first used Fish to kill Kevin, then used Maroni to kill Fish, and finally wanted to use the usation against Maroni to exonerate The Godfather''s son and escape smoothly.


    The previous steps went smoothly, and now he has reached the final step, but Copperpot never thought that Evans would plead guilty??


    Then how can he execute his final n? In fact, at this point, Copperpot himself knows that he doesn''t have to execute the final n.


    Because he really has a mental illness, not pretending, even if he doesn''t do thest thing for The Godfather, based on his illness, The Godfather should not make things difficult for a minor with schizophrenia.


    Even if The Godfather knew that Copperpot was sick, he might even give him some money for treatment.


    The reason why The Godfather is The Godfather is that he does not have the ruthless means of killing people after using them as in many movies and TV shows. On the contrary, many retired gang members from the Falcone family have received good retirement benefits, and those who are sick are treated, and those who are not sick can buy houses for vacation and retirefortably.Copperpot knows that in this situation, The Godfather will not make things difficult for him anymore, and he no longer needs to worry about The Godfather''s eyeliner everywhere, because he really has a mental illness and has been diagnosed by the chief doctor of Arkham Mental Hospital.


    However, Copperpot cannot ept that his perfect n has gone wrong. The fact that his mother and he got sick at the same time has already caused ws in his n, making Copperpot feel ufortable.


    For someone who pursues a criminal career, it is like throwing an old rat into a pot of perfect soup.


    However, Copperpot can barely ept it, after all, life and death are uncontroble, and both he and his mother got sick at this time, and can only be attributed to bad luck. But Evans'' confession is obviously another hidden reason, not an ident. Copperpot cannot tolerate another mastermind behind his perfect n.


    Copperpot couldn''t help but think, did he really misread the person? Is little Falcone the real mastermind behind the scenes?


    While Copperpot was still in doubt, Schiller''s voice brought him back. Schiller stared at Copperpot and said, "You haven''t answered my question yet. Where did this umbree from?"


    Gordon and Copperpot looked at Schiller together, and Copperpot spoke Gordon''s mind, "Is this the time to talk about this issue? What''s so important about it?"


    Gordon continued, "My good professor! Don''t worry about your broken umbre now!"


    "The situation is very serious now! The heir of the Falcone family actually ran to the police station and confessed to murder."


    Gordon pointed to the door and said, "Just now, our new police station chief had a stroke, and he should be in an ambnce now."


    "I just received 15 consecutive calls. The only two senior judges in our city said that their vacation ns had been made two months ago and they bought ne tickets overnight to leave Gotham... "


    "Five of the nine civilian officials in the Gotham court have gastroenteritis, three have a high fever, and one suddenly lost his voice and went to the hospital overnight to recuperate. Even three of the five janitors broke their legs and cannote to work tomorrow... "


    "Just in the past hour, Gotham''s judicial system has sessfully paralyzed. "


    After speaking, Gordon was even amused by himself. He said, "I don''t know how many times they rehearsed. In such an emergency situation, they can all fall down like dominoes in just one hour, faster than the fire in the damn court... "


    "What''s even more outrageous is that we have received notices from 12wyer firms that have temporarily closed. Now, you can''t find anywyer in Gotham whose phone can be reached?"


    Schillerpletely ignored hisint, picked up the umbre, poked Copperpot''s injured arm, and Copperpot screamed in pain and dodged.


    He looked up at Schiller, then lowered his head to nce at his still bound arm on the armrest, and said resignedly, "Okay, but I need to figure out what''s going on with Evans first. I can''t allow..."


    Just then, there was amotion from the balcony of the mental hospital, and Batman walked in with a cold and bloody aura. Schiller turned to him, and Batman was also surprised. He didn''t expect there to be so many people here.


    Schiller looked him up and down and said, "The great detective of Gotham hase. Let''s hear what he has to say."


    Gordon sniffed and asked Batman, "Where have you been? Why do you smell of blood?"


    "That''s not important," Batman''s voice was still cold.


    "Maroni told me that Evans Falcone instructed him to kill Fish."


    "You''re toote," Gordon said, hands on hips. "Evans has already confessed."


    Before Batman could ask Gordon for more details, Schiller knocked on the metal railing at the end of the bed with his umbre, making a loud noise. He raised his voice and said, "I hope you can understand that this is my office. Let me speak first."


    Schiller then raised his umbre and said, "Answer my question, then leave here and go to another ce to hold your detective meeting."


    "Oh my God! It rains every day in Gotham, my umbre is broken, and the umbre maker who could fix it is dead. How can you be so indifferent andck sympathy?"


    The others all looked at him in silence, and Schiller paused for a moment before saying helplessly, "Okay, if you must solve your problems before answering my question, then you don''t have to ask Evans..."


    He put down the umbre, tapped the floor tiles with the umbre tip, and said, "It was my suggestion that he do it."


    Gordon and Copperpot both widened their eyes, and Schiller put down the umbre, sat behind the desk, and said, "It seems that you have to listen to my version of the story again from the beginning."


    Batman stood with his arms crossed in a corner of the room, his expression as if he had expected it. Schiller took a sip of water and began his narration.


    "About a month ago, Evans came to the psychological counseling room at Gotham University to confide in his teacher."


    "He had some conflicts with his father, and the first part of the story sounded like a young man''s troubles, but the second part was not so pleasant, because his father was The Godfather of Gotham."


    "As we all know, originally, the old Godfather was nning to retire. He handed over arge area of industry in the West District to his son, letting him develop it as he pleased, although Evans did not do well, but the old Godfather was not in a hurry, after all, he was still young."


    "Butter, Gotham''s reform began. Obviously, the old Godfather wanted to retire not because he was really old, but because he had reached the top and even if he worked harder, there would be no change."


    "But after the reform began, everything changed. The Falcone family had too many new possibilities. The logistics industry needed management, urban construction also needed attention, and there were too many hidden games with Chicago, and the same was true for contacts with Imperial City, not to mention the East Coast linkage n on the agenda..."


    Schiller tapped the table and said, "If the old Godfather had originally treated all of Gotham as a training ground and handed it over to his son, he wouldn''t be so hasty now."


    Batman''s voice came from the corner of the room:


    "A still-not-old emperor has rekindled his ambition, so the position of the prince is in question."


    "That''s right. Evans is in an awkward position. His father had already handed over a lot of the industry to him, giving him the capital to challenge the old Godfather''s rule. But now, his father suddenly doesn''t n to retire and seems to intend to rule Gotham for another forty years."


    "So the heir who has already received some power is not just in an awkward position, but in danger."


    "Evans told me all this and came to me for advice."


    Schiller nced at Gordon and Copperpot and said, "You should know the old Godfather better than me."


    Copperpot was silent for a moment before saying, "He loves his son very much, but that doesn''t mean he will tolerate his sessor''s ambitions. He won''t sit idly by and let anyone else gain power that could threaten his position."


    Copperpot suddenly realized something and looked at Schiller, asking, "What advice did you give to Falcone?"


    "Of course, I advised him to retire gracefully."


    Schiller stood up and walked around the table, saying, "You should know better than me that Falcone is magnanimous in some ways, but he has ruled Gotham for forty years not just by being tolerant and kind."


    "If Evans dares to show any ambition to challenge his father''s rule at this time, although Falcone won''t kill him, it''s normal for him to keep Evans under house arrest until he agrees to retire."


    Gordon immediately understood and red at Schiller, saying, "So you..."


    "The Godfather had once let Evans kill Maroni with his own hands. Evans had indeed captured him and could have killed him, but I advised him to use him as a pawn."


    "Of course, what happened afterwards was Evans'' own genius creation and had nothing to do with me."


    "Evans first acted impulsively, got into conflicts with various gang bosses when dealing with Living Hell''s rtionships, and then instructed Maroni to enter Living Hell to kill those gang bosses, damaging his own reputation."


    Then he looked at Copperpot, and Copperpot said, "So Maroni and I came to an agreement..."


    "Just like you said before," Schiller looked at Gordon, "a heir who acted recklessly at first, was indecisive in handling things, and then resorted to assassination when desperate, looks really stupid and poses no threat."


    "Not to mention, he went to the police," Gordon added helplessly.


    "More importantly..." Schiller pulled out a medical record book from under the table and said, "As expected, when Gotham''s judicial system heard that Falcone wanted to go through the regr trial process, it broke down. He can skip bail, trial, and imprisonment and go straight to outpatient treatment..."


    Gordon looked like he had just eaten shit, saying, "And then he can join you here, right? You even prepared the medical records in advance..."


    Schiller pointed to the bed next to Copperpot and said, "That''s his bed."


    "Outpatient treatment for mental illness means he can avoid appearing in front of his father for a long time." Batman summed up, "It''s good for both of them."


    "Okay, that''s the end of the story." Schiller turned his gaze to Copperpot and said, "Now you should answer my question, right?"


    Everyone''s gaze, along with Schiller''s movement, fell on the umbre he raised.

 Chapter 157: Party and Umbrella (End)

    Chapter 157: Party and Umbre (End)


    Copperpot looked around and first nced at Gordon''s gun, then at Batman''s lingering cold aura, and finally at his right arm that was still broken and bound to the hospital bed. He sighed and said, "I did kill the old umbre maker, Vicin, but I am not a thief or a robber. This umbre was originally mine."


    As Copperpot spoke, the mystery gradually unfolded. "My father, Old Copperpot, was once the leader of the Copperpot family, one of the four major families in the East District. At that time, the East District was still prosperous, and the four major families controlled dozens of streets in the entire East District. The most central street was the Green Street next to Living Hell. Our old mansion was also spacious and luxurious."


    "I have heard Brock mention this history," said Gordon, leaning against the table. "But what does this have to do with you killing an innocent umbre maker?"


    "Innocent? He was not innocent!" Copperpot snorted. "So, you should also know that a few years ago, Vicin was the only hand-made umbre maker in Gotham City."


    "Until now," Gordon looked at Schiller and said, "This profession does not require too many people, and few people will spend a lot of money to buy a handmade umbre."


    "But at that time, the gang leaders in the East District would go to Vicin''s umbre shop to order a handmade umbre."


    "You may think that this is just pursuing handmade products or showing off your status..."


    "Isn''t it?" Batman also looked at Schiller.


    Copperpot shook his head and said, "You don''t understand." "My father also ordered an umbre from Vicin''s shop, but the umbre maker breached the contract. He took my father''s money but did not deliver the umbre on time, so my father died of pneumonia in the rain...""This is ridiculous!" Gordon looked at Copperpot like he was crazy. "Are you saying that you killed the umbre maker to avenge your father?"


    He reached out and said, "Okay, I admit that this umbre maker was wrong to ept money but not deliver the goods, but did your father only wait for this one umbre? He would rather get wet in the rain than use another umbre?"


    Copperpot stared at Gordon grimly and said, "That''s why I said you don''t know anything." "Who said my father didn''t bring an umbre when he went out? He did, but those umbres were useless."


    Gordon looked at Copperpot like he was crazy, but Copperpot didn''t care. He closed his eyes, as if recalling something, and said, "My father knew something that others didn''t know. He investigated these things, things that I can''t describe..."


    Then he opened his eyes, looked at Gordon confidently, and said, "There is something wrong with Gotham''s rain."


    "He told me that when you prepare an umbre to deal with Gotham''s rainy days, it''s best to buy one at Vicin''s umbre shop, otherwise it''s useless."


    Gordon asked with a puzzled frown, "What do you mean? Are you saying... only umbres sold at Vicin''s umbre shop can truly withstand Gotham''s rain? What is this theory? What is the difference between factory-produced umbres and handmade umbres? Isn''t it just about blocking the body?"


    Schiller and Batman, however, heard a slightly different meaning. They looked at each other, and Batman asked, "Are you saying that there is something wrong with Gotham''s rain, and only umbres sold at Vicin''s umbre shop can truly withstand that rain?"


    Copperpot nodded and said, "I don''t know if you have heard that not everyone can buy umbres from Vigen''s shop. Some people can, while others cannot."


    "This means that someone wants some people to block the rain and let others get wet," Schiller said, his words confusing Gordon, whose values werepletely different from theirs, making it seem like some kind of secret code.


    Gordon didn''t understand. "But what does that have to do with anything?"


    Schiller put his finger on his chin and asked, "Then what about your father? Why did he buy an umbre but still get wet?"


    "I don''t know," Copperpot answered bluntly. "All I know is that on the day he was supposed to receive the umbre, he didn''t get it. But something came up and he knew it could be dangerous, yet he still had to go out."


    "What was it?"


    "The Godfather''s eldest son died, and my father had to attend the funeral."


    "Do you think your father''s death was because he didn''t have an umbre to block the rain?"


    "Yes, that''s why I said the umbre should have been mine. My father paid for it, but he didn''t receive it and paid with his life."


    Schiller frowned, and he and Batman exchanged a look, clearly thinking the same thing.


    "So you killed the umbre maker to avenge your father?" Gordon asked Copperpot.


    Before Copperpot could answer, Batman said, "No, he didn''t. He''s not seeking revenge."


    Gordon turned to Batman, but before he could ask, Schiller poked him with his umbre and said, "Don''t ask. Just know that he''s an expert in revenge."


    Then he turned to Copperpot and said, "You don''t have the personality for revenge. To you, something that brings tangible benefits is more important."


    Copperpot let out a sigh and said, "Yes, it''s not for my father, but for my mother."


    "That''s why I kept asking you, Doctor, if this disease can really be cured?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "I suspect my mother''s illness might be... a curse."


    "A curse? Exin."


    "Before my mother fell ill for the first time, she begged me for help. I don''t remember what she said, but she was conscious and kept calling for help."


    "Finally, on the eve of her madness, she said to me, ''Umbre, get the umbre, you must bring the umbre...''"


    "I already knew about my father''s research, but it wasn''t until then that I realized his death may not have been an ident. He was the one abandoned, didn''t receive the umbre, didn''t block the rain, and couldn''t survive."


    "My mother went crazy. Whenever I mentioned anything about my father, she would start convulsing, afraid and unable to provide any useful information."


    "Do you suspect that your father and mother knew something, so one was killed and the other cursed?"


    "Did your father tell you that there was something wrong with the rain in Gotham?" Batman asked Copperpot.


    "He mentioned it, but more importantly, I witnessed it," Copperpot struggled to sit up from the bed and said, "You upper-ss people and rich people wouldn''t notice the changes in Living Hell."


    "Didn''t you notice that the order there has improved a lot?"


    "Of course we did," Gordon said, "the frequency of murders there has decreased a lot because people''s living conditions have improved..."


    "Don''t talk nonsense, aren''t there still wealthy bad guys in Gotham?" Copperpot interrupted Gordon, "Before, the residents of Living Hell drank water from wells, you know, those open wells."


    "But now it''s different, after the renovation, their drinking water is all purified through buried water filters..." "That''s the key issue," Copperpot looked at Schiller and said, "I don''t understand any psychological theories, but I know that a person''s bad habits are difficult to change. If all the residents of Living Hell are born bad, then improving their living conditions cannot change them so thoroughly."


    "I have witnessed how chaotic and crazy the people there are. But since thepletion of the Living Hell renovation, they seem like different people, although they still follow the code of the Gang, but they are obviously more normal."


    "Do you think it''s because the rainwater from Gotham was mixed into their drinking water before?" Batman asked.


    "That''s right, in fact, with the help of Fish''s men, I have tried several times to investigate the water filter, but without sess. That thing is tooplicated, and just relying on some visual descriptions, I can''t figure out how it works."


    Schiller looked at Batman, he could tell that Batman was thinking. As a time traveler, he knew that this could be the truth, at least it was mentioned in someics that Gotham was so chaotic because there were special substances in the water cycle that would make people crazy.


    But he couldn''t just say it directly, he had to reason it out. So he knocked on the table, attracting everyone''s attention, and said, "Let''s analyze this logical chain."


    "Oswald said that there is a problem with the rain in Gotham that can change people''s personalities. The umbres sold by the umbre maker Vicin are the only effective tools to shelter from the rain."


    "If this is true, then Vicin has the ability to make umbres that resist this kind of rain, but he sells them to some people and refuses others. What is his purpose?"


    "Maybe he just can''t handle it?" Gordon guessed, "After all, making an umbre by hand should be pretty slow, right?"


    "There weren''t many people buying umbres to begin with," Copperpot said, "he sold them for so much money, how many people could afford them? Ten years ago, only the top few Gang bosses in the East District could afford them. Even if he made one umbre a month, in a year, it would be enough to equip all the Gang bosses in the East District with an umbre."


    "So he is screening people," Batman''s voice came, "the logic forms a closed loop."


    "The people behind the scenes somehow made Gotham rain with a problem, and then controlled an umbre maker to sell useful umbres to some people, allowing some people to use umbres and others to get wet...what would this lead to?"


    He muttered to himself, saying: "Some people are working hard to maintain order, while others are falling into chaos and madness... or rather..." Schiller sighed and said: "A group of people are creating wealth for themselves, while another group is causing this city to never have peace and always be shrouded in darkness."


    "Now there is only one question, who are they?" Copperpot''s tone was very cold. Even though he was not a person driven by revenge like Batman, in Penguin''s eyes, this organization that caused him to lose everything must pay the price.


    At this moment, Schiller walked to the bedside with an umbre and looked at Copperpot. He showed a somewhat creepy smile and said: "No wonder they knew it was me who caused all the changes. They had been watching me for a long time."


    Copperpot stared at him in silence. Schiller turned the umbre in his hand, then held it in the middle and handed it to Copperpot, saying: "Mr. Copperpot..."


    "It''s called the Court of Owls. Take the umbre and take them down."

 Chapter 158: Gotham Avengers (1)

    Chapter 158: Gotham Avengers (1)


    In the office of Arkham Mental Hospital, Gordon stood with his arms crossed, watching Schiller ying with his umbre.


    Schiller had dismantled the entire umbre surface, leaving only the frame. He lowered his head and removed the handle before forcefully pulling one of the umbre bones.


    That umbre bone snapped with a "click," and the middle part flew out with a "whoosh." Gordon cried out in pain, covering the left side of his face. Schiller stood up and looked at him helplessly, "I told you not to watch me fix things. I have no education in mechanics or engineering. idents are inevitable."


    Gordon stood up holding his face and handed him the part through his fingers. He said, "I told you earlier that you couldn''t fix this thing. It looksmon but it''s actuallyplicated."


    "Don''t you have anything else to do?" Schiller lowered his head and continued to tinker with the umbre frame. He then looked up at the window and said to Gordon, "Are you police officers always so idle?"


    "I am solving the problem at its root." Gordon held his arms and looked at Schiller. "I found a pattern. As long as we keep an eye on you, there won''t be any trouble finding us."


    Before Schiller could reply, Gordon continued to ask, "So, the secret society that invited mest time was established tobat the mysterious organization that Copperpot talked about, which poisoned Gotham''s rainwater?"


    "That wasn''t an invitation. Once you knew this fact, you joined and had to join because even if you didn''t fight them, they woulde looking for you."


    Gordon''s brows were tightly furrowed, and he said, "Are those supernatural powers real? Like... magic, witchcraft, and so on?""Do you believe in God?"


    "Of course..."


    "If God exists, why can''t magic and witchcraft exist?"


    Gordon opened his mouth, feeling that Schiller made sense, but he wasn''t a very devout believer, he could only be considered a pantheist, so he had no concept of those religious things.


    Schiller twisted the handle of the umbre, but the handle fell off directly. Gordon heard him curse, then picked up the handle and threw it away.


    Gordon couldn''t stand his amateur repair method any longer, he walked over, picked up the handle, and said, "How about this? If you give me a detailed introduction to that organization, I will find someone who can repair this thing for you. How about it?"


    "Don''t joke around. Gotham''s only umbre maker is already dead, and even if people from other cities know how to do this, they wouldn''t dare toe to Gotham. Do I have to go to Metropolis to repair an umbre?"


    "Actually, even if you went to Metropolis, it might be faster to have someone else repair it." Gordon and Schiller both lowered their heads and looked at the umbre that had been dismantled.


    Schiller had to admit that Gordon was right. He had no talent in this area and was just messing around. He should have realized this since Stark''sboratory. He could twist light bulbs, but that was all he could do.


    "Where are you going to find someone who can fix umbres?"


    "I can''t find anyone who can fix umbres, but I do know someone who can modify traffic lights," Gordon said as he dialed his phone.


    "Do you remember that kid who messed with the traffic lights during Traffic Safety Day?" he asked Schiller.


    "Oh, I have a vague memory of him. He made only the right intersection out of four intersections smoothly passable, and then there was a shootout there..."


    Gordon picked up the phone and said, "Hey, go to the East District and bring that Little Slick here. I need him for something."


    Not long after he hung up the phone, a young officer walked in with a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy. The boy was grabbed by the back of his cor, cursing under his breath, but when he saw Gordon, he wilted like a frost-bitten eggnt.


    Gordon patted him on the back and said, "This is Little Slick, a genius kid who knows how to do electrical work, manipte wiring, and even invents some mechanical devices himself."


    "What''s your name?" Schiller asked him.


    "I don''t have a name, people just call me Little Slick."


    Although Gordon was considered well-behaved and civilized among Gotham''s police, his frontline work had given him a tough demeanorpared to Schiller, who was a gentle university professor. Little Slick quickly ran behind Schiller and made a face at Gordon.


    "This little guy is the ringleader who tampered with the Central Roundabout''s traffic lights. At that time, he was hired by a Gang boss on Madrid Street to make the gang''s trucks go faster. He broke open the traffic light''s shell in the middle of the night and rewired it," Gordon exined.


    "He''s not a native of Gotham, he came from the countryside of Brooklyn. His parents died, and his uncle, an electrician, brought him to Gotham to work and make money. However, his uncle''s health was not good, and he died of illness a few months aftering to Gotham, leaving him alone."


    "This kid is very clever," Gordon praised Little Slick.


    "He actually survived in Gotham alone, and he lived well. With the electrical skills he learned from his uncle, several Gang bosses treat him like a VIP. If it weren''t for my face, I wouldn''t have been able to get him toe here," he said.


    Schiller turned around and looked at Little Slick. He was a white boy with messy red curly hair and wore sses.


    He didn''t look much like a child from Gotham''s slums. Although he looked young, he wasn''t thin and weak at all, and he was even stronger than Copperpot. Hisplexion was rosy, and his eyes were very agile, without the numbness of other children.


    There weren''t many children in Gotham who wore sses because they didn''t read books or go to school, and their parents didn''t have many nearsighted ones either. Little Slick''s image was therefore quite out of ce.


    Schiller handed the broken umbre to Little Slick and said, "If you fix it for me, I''ll give you a super cool toolbox."


    Little Slick took the umbre and looked up and down, surprised, and said, "How did this umbre break so badly? Did you take it to the battlefield?"


    "I saw this umbrest time, and it wasn''t broken so badly, but someone who didn''t know how to fix it tried to fix it..." Gordon said gleefully.


    Schiller rolled his eyes, dragged a chair over, and sat down, saying, "It''s all because of Fish and Copperpot. If it weren''t for them, I wouldn''t have to..."


    "Wait!" Little Slick suddenly eximed, "Isn''t this umbre too amazing? Why are all the parts different?"


    Schiller stood up and said, "Wait a moment, I''ll go get you a toolbox."


    He walked to the door, called a nurse, and said a few words. After a while, the nurse brought in a toolbox.


    As soon as it was opened, there were three or four levels of tool disy stands inside. Little Slick eximed, "Too cool! I''ve always wanted a toolbox like this, but unfortunately, my uncle''s toolbox is too small..."


    "If you can fix this umbre, then this toolbox is yours."


    "Watch me." With that, Little Slick picked up the umbre and dismantled it in just a few moments. He worked for a while, while Schiller and Gordon watched, but they didn''t understand anything.


    After a while, Little Slick stopped at the table and rubbed his chin, saying, "This is a bit of a problem."


    "This thing should be handmade, right? Casting parts, polishing, and then assembling them together, right?"


    "Indeed, this is a custom-made handmade umbre."


    "Then why don''t you go find..."


    Seeing Schiller''s face turning ck again, Gordon stepped forward, covered Little Slick''s mouth, and said, "Don''t ask about this, just fix it for him quickly."


    "But this umbre is very strange, I''m afraid only the person who made it can fix it." Little Slick shrugged and pointed to a small pile of parts, saying to Schiller, "Look at this, the original number of parts should be six, but now there are only five."


    Then he picked up a broken part from the side and said, "This is the missing one. This screw looks like it has been burned, and all the threads are destroyed."


    "It caused a whole umbre bone to not be able to support it, but to fix it, you must find an identical screw."


    "Originally, I could rece the nut together, but this material is strange. The welding pen ispletely unusable..."


    Little Slick said to Schiller, "I really want that toolbox, I did my best, but the material used by the maker is too special, and it''spletely different from the factory''s assembly line products. I can''t do it."


    Schiller and Gordon looked at each other, obviously thinking of something else. Schiller asked Little Slick, "Are you sure only the umbre maker who made this umbre can fix it?"


    "Most likely, I''m not bragging, but when I couldn''t even walk, I could already screw in screws."


    He picked up a screw and showed it to Schiller, saying, "You can see some manual marks on the threads, but more importantly, his design for the threads is very special. Standard screws cannot be screwed on."


    "Can you recast one?"


    "You can try." Little Slick shook his head and said, "But I think the hope is not great. This fit is very special. If the material is not consistent, it may not fit."


    Finally, Schiller still gave the toolbox to Little Slick and said to him, "If you want, you can go to the vocational school in Living Hell and learn. There is a mechanical engineering professor from Gotham University teaching there. With your talent, he will definitely be very surprised."


    After Little Slick left, Schiller picked up the phone and dialed a number, saying, "Yes, it''s me. Are you free toe over now? What? You were just about toe? Okay..."


    About 20 minutester, Batman appeared in the office. Gordon, Schiller, and Batman were all around the table, looking at the umbre.


    "So, you''re saying that this umbre made by the Court of Owls'' umbre maker, Vicin, can only be repaired by them?"


    Batman picked up one of the parts, squinted at it, and didn''t say anything.


    "Well then," Schiller threw the handle he was holding onto the table and looked at Batman, asking, "You spent a long time in Copperpot and Evans'' hospital roomst night, what did you guys talk about?"


    While fiddling with the parts of the umbres, Batman said, "We three were nning to join forces."


    Gordon also looked at him and asked, "Join forces? For what? To deal with the Court of Owls?"


    "That''s right, we''re all interested in that mysterious organization, so we n to investigate it from different angles."


    "You said you wereing over today? What''s up?"


    "I was originally just here to discuss a question, but now I have an answer." With that, Batman took out another part, almost identical to the damaged one, and said, "This is what I foundst night, on another umbre."


    As Batman spoke, time rewound back tost night.

 Chapter 159: Gotham Avengers (2)

    Chapter 159: Gotham Avengers (2)


    Last night, as the sky had just darkened, Batman stood on the rooftop of therge church bell tower in Gotham, gazing at the dark alley beneath his feet.


    Gotham''s rain, the umbres from the Vicin Umbre Shop, the Owl Court, gunshots in the dark alleys, and scattered pearl nes...


    Batman closed his eyes, and all the events began to connect in his mind. However, there were still many unclear details that he needed to investigate and explore.


    In the end, he focused on the hitman, Louis.


    From the rooftop of the church bell tower, a shadow leaped down like a real bat. He passed through countless dark alleys and, in the flickering light and shadow,nded on the window of a building''s attic.


    Looking down through the skylight, the aged Louis slumped in his chair,pletely unable to move. He could only barely survive on the garbage piled up around him.


    When Batman entered the room, Louis had no reaction. He was blind and deaf,pletely unaware of the uninvited guest.


    Unfortunately, Batman found no clues on Louis. He was too old, suffering from dementia and severe illness. He probably wouldn''t live for another month. Batman couldn''t possibly get any information from such a person. The attic had long been turned into a garbage dump, with nothing useful to be found.


    Batman changed his target and went to the Edward family''s old mansion.The Edward family was once one of the four great families in the East District, on par with the Copperpot family. However, they didn''t decline like the Copperpot family, mainly because they had a pier. With the pier as a guarantee, their risk resistance was much higher than the other families.


    Nevertheless, they couldn''t escape The Godfather''s retribution. Old Edward was dead, and young Edward''s whereabouts were unknown after being taken by The Godfather. The entire mansion was now taken over by the Falcone family. However, Falcone didn''t pay much attention to the ce, so Batman encountered almost no resistance when entering the mansion.


    Inside the old Edward mansion, it was pitch dark with no light. But this didn''t stop Batman. After a thorough search, he finally found what he was looking for ¨C an umbre with a Vicin emblem.


    In the office of Arkham Mental Hospital, Batman ced two parts on the table and pointed at them, saying to Schiller, "Look here, the same burn marks. The damage to your umbre was no ident."


    Schiller squinted his eyes and realized Batman was right. The damage to both parts was identical ¨C the threads were burned.


    Logically, umbres are not firearms or shells. Even if Gotham had small-scale wars every day, the chance of an umbre being on the battlefield was almost zero. Therefore, the most likely way for an umbre to be damaged would be a broken rib, loose parts, or detachment.


    But it was impossible for a small part of the umbre rib to be burned, causing the entire umbre to break.


    Since Schiller didn''t know much about this area, when one of the umbre ribs broke in half, he thought it was just amon umbre damage, with the connecting part being the issue.


    But now that he thought about it, although Gotham rained every day, it wasn''t often windy. The force on the connecting parts of the umbre ribs wasn''t that great, but they still brokepletely.


    Now, the truth was in front of him. Umbres produced by the same umbre maker, with the same part damaged in the same way, could only mean one thing ¨C everything was premeditated.


    "The Court of Owls is even more evil than we imagined," Batman''s voice was very low as he said, "They didn''t intend to leave any survivors. Every person in Gotham, whether they bought an umbre or not, would ultimately face the same fate..."


    "You must have also thought of another fact," Schiller looked into Batman''s eyes and said, "Old Edward''s umbre broke, so they went crazy. No one can say that their hiring of killers was not caused by their madness."


    Batman remained silent. From the moment he got the umbre, he had thought about this issue. Schiller continued to speak to him, "Obviously, you have a new target, but this target is also about revenge, right?"


    "Why chase only one person when you can make them all pay?" Batman muttered quietly.


    "So, you n to team up with Evans and Copperpot to investigate?"


    "It''s them who want to team up with me."


    "I can understand you and Copperpot..." Gordon looked at Batman and said, "After all, both of you might have lost family members. But what about Evans? What reason does young Falcone have to get involved in this?"


    "ording to him, the death of his older brother, Alberto Falcone, is closely rted to the Court of Owls."


    Hearing this, Gordon was stunned. He recalled and said, "Alberto Falcone? That name sounds familiar. I think I heard Harvey mention it..."


    Then he shook his head and said, "It seems that everyone avoids mentioning The Godfather''s eldest son. Brock only mentioned it to me once, and when I asked him about it, he didn''t answer."


    "Brock told me that it''s a name The Godfather doesn''t want to bring up. Perhaps for this reason, no one else dares to mention him."


    "Thinking about it, it is indeed strange," Gordon said with some confusion, "Ten years ago, the Falcone family was even more powerful than it is now. The heir at that time should have been better protected, and no one would dare to touch him..."


    "Except for the Court of Owls."


    "What do you n to do?" asked Gordon.


    "We have formed a temporary alliance to investigate this mysterious organization from different sses within Gotham."


    Batman''s tone finally changed slightly, revealing his helplessness: "When I started the investigation, I realized that they were hiding too deep. Even with my power, I couldn''t find any useful clues after searching the entire Gotham City."


    Schiller and Gordon both knew that he was referring to the power of Wayne Enterprises. With Wayne Enterprises'' influence in Gotham, the fact that they couldn''t find an organization showed how deeply the Court of Owls was hidden.


    "So, I have to rely on the power of others," Batman exined, "Copperpot is a criminal, but if he kills members of the Court of Owls, I''m willing to temporarily join forces with him. He knows the underworld of Gotham very well, and perhaps some details are hidden in these dark corners."


    "The Falcone family has ruled Gotham''s underworld for so many years, and every gang member is their informant. Evans might be able to dig up different clues."


    "When we find the target together, the alliance will end. I don''t need anyone to help me with my revenge."


    "So, what do you n to call this alliance? Even if it''s temporary, it should have a name, right?" Gordon asked Batman.


    Batman paused for a moment, and Schiller suddenly had a bad feeling. Then he heard Batman say, "I n to call it the Avengers..."


    "Wait!" Schiller interrupted him, saying, "I suggest you reconsider. That name isn''t very auspicious..."


    Batman looked at Schiller, whose expression was strange. Batman hesitated for a moment and then said, "A name is just a code. I don''t believe in superstitions..."


    "But thest organization with that name didn''tst long before it split in half."


    "We''re not a group to begin with. I have no intention of forming a team with them. This is just a temporary alliance. As for the name..." Batman, for once, dragged out his words, saying, "We all have a grudge against the Court of Owls, so we are all Avengers. What''s wrong with calling it the Avengers Alliance?"


    Batman saw Schiller reveal aplex expression he had never seen before. Then he heard Schiller mutter softly, "Those who don''t listen to advice won''t have a good oue..."


    At the same time, in the hospital room next to the office, Evans watched Copperpot fiddle with an umbre.


    "What are you doing?" Evans asked curiously, sitting on the edge of the bed. Copperpot didn''t look up, just replied casually, "I''m making weapons."


    "Weapons?" Evans was even more puzzled. He asked, "Using an umbre as a weapon? Why not just use a gun?"


    Copperpot didn''t want to deal with him. He had had enough of Evans these past few days.


    If Copperpot''s experiences over the past few days were written as an article, the title should be "How to Get Along with Someone I Completely Disdain and Find Extremely Annoying."


    Copperpot had already told Schiller that he didn''t think highly of The Godfather''s son, also known as Little Falcone, considering him aplete fool. But when this fool was transferred to the same hospital room as him, he found that Little Falcone was not only foolish but also very annoying.


    Unlike Batman, Evans had a more lively personality and talked a lot. He wasn''t actually sick, just hiding out in the hospital. He was in good spirits during his stay and didn''t act like a patient at all. He would often grab Copperpot to chat with him when he had nothing to do.


    In the beginning, Copperpot was willing to chat with Evans to obtain some information about the Falcone family. However,ter on, Copperpot discovered that Evans would do anything but focus on serious matters.


    Evans had a wide range of interests. He was proficient in the arts, skilled in painting, singing, and ying various musical instruments. His expertisey in ying the violin and cello, with a high level of skill in both. Moreover, he was passionate about opera, able to sing, dance, and act, often practicing his vocals in the hospital room.


    When it came to matters rted to the family business, Copperpot considered Evans to be an idealistic fool.


    After chatting with Evans for a few days, Copperpot gained nothing but some music theory knowledge that was useless in Gotham. As a result, he became reluctant to talk to Evans in the following days.


    Evans stood up, walked over to Copperpot, and watched him work. After a while, he asked, "It seems like you can''t modify this umbre. Do you need any help?"


    "No, I don''t need any," Copperpot replied, forcefully pulling on the umbre''s frame. Aponent flew out, causing Evans to cover his face and cry out in pain. He shouted, "Hey! You did that on purpose, be careful!"


    "Damn it..." Copperpot cursed and said, "There''s something off about this umbre."


    He picked up the entire umbre, examined it, and asked, "What material is this made of? Why are welding and cutting ineffective against it?"


    Evans leaned in to touch the umbre''s frame and frowned, saying, "This doesn''t seem to be made of steel or anything simr. It looks familiar, though..."


    "Familiar?" Copperpot turned to look at him and asked, "Where have you seen this material before?"


    Evans rubbed his chin, pondering as he spoke, "I can''t remember clearly, but I''m sure I''ve seen it before. However, if you can''t modify this metal, then you probably can''t make weapons out of it either."


    Copperpot didn''t respond. He stared silently at the umbre, seemingly deep in thought.

 Chapter 160: Gotham Avengers (3)

    Chapter 160: Gotham Avengers (3)


    Soon, the temporary Avengers alliance, consisting of Evans, Copperpot, and Batman, began their investigation, infiltrating every corner of Gotham.


    Batman''s approach was correct; when it came to investigations, it was more important to beprehensive than meticulous.


    Especially when dealing with a mysterious organization like the Court of Owls, the results of investigating from the top were not obvious, but investigating from the bottom could yield some additional information. The earliest breakthrough came from Copperpot, or more precisely, the team he organized at the vocational school in Living Hell.


    There''s no need to borate on the backgrounds of the students at the vocational school. Undoubtedly, the vast majority of them were born and raised in slums and would continue to live there for the rest of their lives.


    They were intimately familiar with the entire Gotham city life, and they followed Copperpot''s orders because everything that happened here was closely rted to them.


    In the vocational school ssroom, the chubby Tire hugged his arms and said, "Do you think we wanted to live like we did before? The whole hallway smelled like a garbage dump, and my nose was almost dysfunctional, you know? I couldn''t even turn around in my bathroom!"


    "Isn''t that because you''re too fat?" the tattooed girl Rocket said, smirking. "But seriously, it was too dangerous for us kids before. When I was eight, my right arm was shot by a bullet, leaving an ugly scar. I had to cover it with a tattoo."


    Red Truck lit a cigarette and said while smoking, "Things have improved recently. I''ve been working with a guy named Doyle in the towing business and made quite a bit of money. My dad thought I''d finallye to my senses and learned to rob."


    They allughed together.Rocket turned to Copperpot and asked, "Is it true what you said? That our chaotic lives before were because the rainwater was poisonous? That sounds absurd."


    "It is a bit strange," chubby Tire said, frowning. "You all know my grandfather was the oldest person in Living Hell, and he died just two years ago."


    "He told me that there was a major renovation in Gotham City, and the other streets in the East District got tap water. Although there were often problems, no ce was like Living Hell, where wells were used for hundreds of years."


    "Come on, it''s the modern age, and we still have to fetch water with buckets. Don''t you find that strange?" Tire asked, spreading his hands.


    Red Truck chimed in, "The strangest thing is the location of those wells. My dad has bad legs, so I''ve always fetched water since I was a kid."


    "I noticed that there are five wells in the north and only one in the south, but there are more people living in the south. They always have to run to the north to fetch water. Didn''t they consider this problem when they built this ce?"


    Perhaps because these students were young, they were more receptive and understanding of new things. When Copperpot said that there might be a problem with Gotham''s rainwater, they didn''t dismiss it as nonsense like the adults did. Instead, they recalled some odd details.


    Rocket, with one leg on a stool,ined, "Anyway, we have tap water now, so we don''t need to drink well water anymore."


    "But don''t forget," Copperpot said somberly, "tap water doesn''t just appear out of thin air. If this rain continues, Gotham''s groundwater will be contaminated, and no one will be able to escape."


    "What should we do? I don''t want to go back to the way things were."


    Red Truck and Rocket exchanged nces. Red Truck tugged at his hair and said, "Alright, we''re all bad kids, just like they say, born bad. But we have to admit, life is much better now than it was before. If only it could stay like this forever."


    "We cannot sit idly by." Copperpot looked at them and said, "That''s not the Gotham style. We must take the initiative and start with an investigation."


    Everyone looked at him, and Tire said, "Before, all the professors said you were the best among us in terms of learning and probably the smartest. What should we do?"


    Copperpot took out a n book, and the others'' eyes fell on the table.


    It turns out that when ites to people''s vital interests, everyone''s motivation is strong.


    The people of Living Hell were the first to be transformed and the first to experience the benefits of reform.


    If they had continued to live in that chaotic environment, they wouldn''t have thought about change. But now that they have tasted the sweetness of reform, they will not allow themselves to return to that chaotic and dangerous life.


    Although Red Truck, Tire, and Rocket seemed unremarkable, their parents were engaged in crucial work in Living Hell.


    The most obvious example was Red Truck. He was so young but could drive, ride a motorcycle, and knew the delivery routes well because his parents were doing this.


    His father and two uncles used to drive garbage trucks, and his mother was a street sweeper in the neighboring street. They were very familiar with the area.


    As for Rocket, her father was an arms dealer. They didn''t live in Living Hell because they were poor, but because it was convenient for business.


    Tire''s family, although not running a big business, was crucial. His mother operated a small gas station, which was the fastest ce for information exchange. Most drivers passing through would chat and boast during refueling.


    When these three went back to deliver the message, their limited education made their expressions unclear, and their parents''prehension was limited, so the whole story was distorted.


    Soon, a rumor began to spread in Living Hell - someone was continuously poisoning Gotham''s water supply, causing people to go mad. To prevent Living Hell from returning to its previous state, the poisoner must be found.


    With this news, the enthusiasm of these Gotham citizens surged.


    As everyone knows, Gotham people have bad tempers. If you shoot them once, they will do their best to shoot you back twice. When they heard that they had been poisoned, they were naturally furious.


    Moreover, the whole matter became more and more mysterious, spreading faster and wider, with many people believing it to be true.


    Concerned for their own safety, people would pay more attention to any signs of trouble. Whenever there was any disturbance, they would pass on the informationyer byyer until it reached Copperpot''s ears.


    As a result, Copperpot''s intelligence sources became extensive. Among the many true and false pieces of information, he quickly filtered out useful information.


    Firstly, when the Living Hell well was built, there were disputes. There was only one well in the southern district, but the residents couldn''t stand by and watch their interests being harmed, so they resisted.


    In the end, the matter was left unresolved. Copperpot obtained information that there had been a brief epidemic in Living Hell, killing many people. Among the lists of deceased rtives or elders provided by the residents, Copperpot found that most of the dead were from the southern district and were the most resistant.


    This confirmed that someone was indeed controlling the water supply in the Living Hell area.


    Next, Copperpot obtained an old map of the Living Hell area from an elderly drug dealer. The dealer had traveled throughout Living Hell in his youth to smuggle contraband and had drawn the map.


    ording to this map, there was a reason for the abundance of wells in the northern district.


    The buildings in the northern district were more loosely arranged, with more open spaces, while the southern district was densely popted and built, leaving almost no open spaces.


    This further supported the spection that the Court of Owls might be using this method to contaminate the drinking water of Living Hell residents with rainwater, making it the craziest and most chaotic ce in the East District.


    After obtaining sufficient evidence, Copperpot began investigating another question: Why was Living Hell so important to the Court of Owls that they would go to such lengths to arrange it?


    Copperpot couldn''t guess this point, but at this time, the alliance of the three yed a role, with Batman''s approach being more scientific.


    At a small meeting of the three, Batman spected, "First, the strategic location of Living Hell is not important. Although it is the most densely popted area in the East District, it is not a transportation hub and is rtively remote, far less strategically important than Elizabeth Street."


    "Second, Living Hell is a slum within a slum. Even if all the people here disappeared, it would have little impact on Gotham''s economic ecology. If considering the economic aspect, it would be better to target Green Street."


    "If I had to describe a characteristic of Living Hell, I would say it''s the high poption," Batman summarized. "No other ce in Gotham has such a high poption density."


    "It''s very likely that this is their testing ground," Copperpot added, staring at the map. "There are many people here, and most of them can''t escape even if the living conditions are terrible. Moreover, due to the poor sanitation, people wouldn''t find it strange if some epidemic diseases broke out."


    "More importantly, the ecosystem here is closed," Evans said, drawing a circle around the Living Hell area with his finger. "There is a well-establishedmercial system, and people''s basic needs can be met, so the range of poption movement is quite small."


    "It''s certain that the Court of Owls has made arrangements in Living Hell," Batman continued. "The only question is, since there are arrangements, there must be surveince. How do they monitor Living Hell?"


    The three of them paused for a moment, then exchanged nces and said simultaneously, "The wells!"


    "Everyone needs to drink water, and everyone needs to fetch water. Even if some people can''t fetch water themselves, their family members will do it for them. When fetching water, they have to look at the well''s surface while lowering the bucket..."


    Batman''s deep voice sent chills down the spines of the other two: "At that moment, someone at the bottom of the well is also watching you..."

 Chapter 161: The Long Easter (1)

    Chapter 161: The Long Easter (1)


    Spring thunder roared in the sky above the East Coast, followed by a torrential downpour. Puddles on the tree-lined road reflected the light from the gaps in the dark clouds. Countless raindrops pattered on the dense leaves, and the sound of rain streamed in through the windows. Outside was the chilly spring rain, while inside was warm and cozy.


    Schiller gently flipped through the textbook in his hand, the sound of the pages rubbing togetherpletely drowned out by the rain. He cleared his throat and had to raise his voice, saying, "Easter is just a week away. The Psychology Club''s dinner will begin at exactly seven o''clock on Easter evening. Students who want to attend should be seated by six-thirty."


    Pausing, Schiller nced at the heavy rain outside the window, then continued, "There have been thunderstorms throughout the city in recent days. Please remember to bring an umbre when you go out. It is estimated that if the rainfall continues to increase, there may be a risk of flooding. Please pay attention to evacuation notices..."


    After finishing his announcement, Schiller packed up his textbook and prepared to leave. At that moment, Evans, who was sitting in the front row, stood up and walked to the side of the podium. He whispered to Schiller, "Professor, the rain has been so heavy these past few days that many students can''t attend sses on time. So, about the homework..."


    "Submit itter. Remind everyone to inform their parents. If the rain continues, evacuations may be necessary at any time. Tell them to keep an eye on the local gang activities..."


    Evans took out a schedule and said, "In the past, the Easter banquet was held on the evening of the holiday, but this year, our new principal moved the banquet up by two days, so it doesn''t coincide with the club dinner. We n to..."


    Evans discussed the arrangements for the event with Schiller. As they were talking quietly, Bruce approached them. Evans nced at him, and Schiller said to Evans, "Let''s settle on this n for now. I''ll confirm with youter."


    After Evans left, Bruce spoke up, "The recent rain has been too heavy. The drainage system in Gotham has major issues. I need to go back to Wayne Manor to keep an eye on things and prevent flooding."


    "Permission granted. Also, it seems they''ve breached our defenses.""We''ll discuss thatter." Bruce cautiously looked around, seemingly wary of the many people present.


    When Schiller returned to his office, Victor was holding a goose egg and measuring it with a paintbrush. Schiller walked over, looked at the egg, and asked, "Where did you get this? You didn''t go raiding swan nests on theke, did you?"


    "Of course not. Do I look like someone who would do something so boring?" Victor dipped his brush in blue paint and drew a star shape on the egg. As he focused on his painting, he said, "The logistics department prepared five Easter egg materials for each professor. We need to finish painting them before the holiday and give them to the students."


    "How strange," Schillerughed. "Shouldn''t they be the ones painting and giving them to us? Heaven knows how tired I am from teaching them."


    "They''ll be giving us some too, but probably finished products since not many of them can paint."


    "Actually, I quite like this activity. When I was young, I wanted to be a painter." Victor leaned in close to the egg, using a smaller brush to perfect the details of the star.


    Schiller shrugged and returned to his seat, where he found several goose eggs. Picking one up, he said, "The rainfalltely has been really unusual. Have you seen the weather forecast?"


    Anna, sitting at the neighboring table, was also painting an egg. She looked up at Schiller and said, "There are hardly any sunny days in this ce all year round, but this rain is too much. My rain boots are barely holding up."


    "I just heard from my student that the Easter banquet has been moved up?" Schiller sat down and began toying with the paintbrushes and paints.


    "Yes, our principal moved the banquet up to hold more events. As a result, the dance has also been moved up."


    "Why would he do that? Are there really that many events to hold?" Victor asked, puzzled.


    "It''s the first major holiday of his first year in office. Maybe the new principal wants to show off. In addition to the banquet, dance, and dinner, I heard there are also ns for Bible exchanges, prayers, and hymn singing."


    "He doesn''t seem like a particrly devout believer, so why is he suddenly cing so much importance on Easter?"


    The three of them shook their heads. Schiller examined the goose eggs on the table. He picked up a brush and made a few gestures. Just as he was about to start painting, Victor stood up with a freshly painted egg in his hand, proudly saying, "Look at this, look at what I''ve painted."


    The egg in his hand was covered with many stars, painted in red and blue, resembling the American g. However, due to the oval shape of the goose egg, most of the stars were distorted, and some areas were not evenly painted.


    Anna teased him, saying, "I didn''t know you were such a patriot. The designer of the g would surely be moved to tears by your work."


    "Please," Victorined. "It''s hard enough for me to paint on a t surface, let alone on a round goose egg. This is already pretty good, okay?"


    Anna looked down at her own work and found it even worse than Victor''s. She threw down her brush in frustration, saying, "This damn rainy weather is blocking my thoughts. My thesis isn''t going well, and the stuff the students are writing is unbearable..."


    "Ever since two weeks ago, I''ve noticed that the biggest problem with the endless rain is that it''s flooded their brains."


    "Don''t joke about it. Even without the rain, their brains are full of water." Anna.


    All three sighed. Clearly, the quality of students at Gotham University was worrisome. Victor looked at the painted egg in his hand and said, "I don''t think they''ll be interested in this. They prefer bullets or stuffing some mmable nts in here."


    "That''s it. I''m going to the store to buy some ready-made ones. No one will notice anyway." Anna stood up and said. Schiller stopped her and said, "Get a few for me too, thanks."


    After Anna left, Victor and Schiller looked at each other. Schiller asked, "What do you n to do? Don''t tell me you''re really going to stuff something into the goose eggs..."


    "I n to finish painting them and then give them to a few unlucky students. If they dare toin about my ugly painting, I''ll fail them."


    "By the way," Victor stood up and said, "I''ve studied the blueprint of the freeze gun you gave mest time, and it seems not suitable for ordinary people to use."


    "Really? Why do you say that?"


    "Just pulling out the magazine requires a lot of strength, and if there''s not enough force when putting it back, there''s a risk of leakage."


    "This gun seems to be designed for well-trained soldiers or strongmen. If it were me, my arm would be frozen stiff from the leakage before I even got a chance to shoot."


    The blueprint Schiller gave Victor was the one Peter had developed for the freeze gun.


    With Victor''s exnation, Schiller understood that the person who developed the gun was the incredibly strong Spider-Man. The users of this gun, besides superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America, were SHIELD agents or, at the very least, well-trained armed police.


    These people could, of course, ignore the strength or recoil, but researchers like Victor couldn''t. Schiller asked Victor, "So how do you n to improve it? Do you have any ideas?"


    "Of course. Actually, I came to invite you to join me at theboratory. I need a test subject, and I think our body sizes and strengths are quite simr. I''d like you to help me test the sample I''ve created."


    Schiller shrugged and said, "Alright, I hope you can get the data you want."


    As the two left, the thunderstorm had mostly stopped, but there was still a lot of water on the road. Victor shook his wet shoe tip andined, "The drainage system in the school is really bad. The rain has stopped for over an hour, but the water on the ground hasn''t drained at all."


    Schiller looked around and didn''t see any visible drains or channels. He recalled that the entire Gotham seemed to be like this ¨C the drainage system was inefficient. It was fine during light rain, but when there was heavy rainfall like today, the whole city seemed to be flooded, and one could see a water view without leaving home.


    Just like his immunity to fear gas, Schiller was immune to this rainwater, or at least the symbiote gray mist inside him didn''t detect any abnormalities.


    When they arrived at theboratory, Schiller and Victor chatted for a while before Schiller began helping Victor test the freeze gun.


    After recording several sets of experimental data, Schiller asked Victor, "What do you think about the low-temperature generator?"


    "It''s actually not a problem. It has a high power output, and if there''s enough energy, it can freeze arge area."


    "Can the power be increased? What''s the maximum?"


    Victor looked at Schiller with some surprise and said, "There''s no upper limit, but what do you need such high power for?"


    "Could you make a few more for me? I might need themter," Schiller said thoughtfully.


    Victor didn''t ask further and agreed to his request.


    Schiller noticed that Victor seemed a bit absent-minded and asked, "Haven''t you been sleeping welltely?"


    "No, but I have been feeling a bit dazed recently," Victor shook his head and said, "Usually, even if I spend the whole night in theboratory, I can concentrate. Buttely, I start feeling sleepy before midnight."


    "It might be because of the recent rainy days. Rainy weather can cause depressive emotions, and the damp air is not good for the body. Try to stay indoors as much as possible."


    Schiller looked out the window, and the rain that had stopped earlier had started again, bing heavier and heavier.


    Schiller thought, looking at the recent excessive rainfall in Gotham, the Court of Owls must be getting desperate.

 Chapter 162: The Long Easter (2)

    Chapter 162: The Long Easter (2)


    It was another rainy night, with puddles all over the road. As the headlights shed by, Gordon, wearing rain boots, hurried down the staircase and shook hands with Schiller, who was on his way up. He eximed dramatically, "Thank heavens, Professor, your arrival is just in time!"


    "Let''s talk inside."


    Gordon pushed open the door of the police station, and before he could lead Schiller to the office, a young officer approached and said, "Boss, all the interrogation rooms on the second floor are full. The drunk and the scar-faced man got into a fight, and it took three people to separate them. The ck man with the band tattoo is acting crazy, and we don''t have enough staff to watch all these criminals..."


    Gordon sighed and said, "If we catch more peopleter, don''t bother interrogating them. Just lock them up first."


    Gordon led Schiller up the staircase, walking quickly ahead without looking back, saying, "These people have gone madtely. Today, Gotham''s crime rate has increased 12 times, and there''s no room left in the interrogation rooms and cells."


    "I don''t know what''s going on, but everyone seems to be on edge." After reaching the corridor, Gordon pointed to the end of the hallway and said, "Those two people in that interrogation room got into a fight over a pack of cigarettes, and there''s a couple in the room on the left who started using weapons during an argument..."


    "I thought this was just a typical day in Gotham," Schiller said, quickly following Gordon up the staircase.


    "It used to be like that, but ever since the logistics system started running, there have been fewer idle people. I didn''t expect this to happen again."


    He sighed and said, "But it''s not surprising, given the severe flooding on the city''s roads, which has basically halted the logistics system, leaving everyone idle at home.""But you still think something''s off, right? Otherwise, you wouldn''t have called me over."


    "Exactly. Even if Gotham was rotten to the core before, there shouldn''t be so many mentally ill people appearing overnight."


    "Now, in the office on the third floor, there are two people convulsing, one foaming at the mouth, and another talking nonsense."


    "Our officers tested them for alcohol and drugs, but the results showed no issues. They just suddenly fell ill."


    Standing at the office door with his hands on his hips, Gordon said to Schiller, "If it weren''t for that Copperpot kid getting sickst time, I wouldn''t have been able to tell. But their symptoms are simr, so I had to call you over to see what''s going on."


    Schiller frowned as he pushed open the door to his office, seeing several people huddled in the corner, just like Copperpot at the time, soaked and shivering uncontrobly, mumbling to themselves.


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I had anticipated this; it''s the after-effects of being caught in the rain."


    Gordon didn''t quite catch what he said, and just as he was about to ask again, Schiller interrupted him, saying, "Don''t worry about that for now. Transfer them to Arkham, just as you suspected, this isn''t normal. I need to conduct further examinations."


    When Schiller arrived at the Arkham Mental Hospital office, it was raining heavily outside the window, and this downpour was less than four hours after thest one.


    Schiller walked to the window, watching the raindrops hit the railing outside the ss, reflecting a faint shimmer. He silently calcted in his mind that thunderstorms were bing more frequent, changing from once every two days to once a day since two weeks ago, and today there had already been three heavy rains.


    He stepped out of the office and knocked on the door of the neighboring hospital room. Batman''s voice came from inside, "Come in."


    Schiller entered and saw Batman and Copperpot standing on opposite sides of a table, with a map of Gotham City spread out on it. Schiller went in and said directly, "It seems that n indeed made them quite sick."


    Copperpot let out a sinisterugh, and Batman''s mouth twitched. He said, "You''ve given me a new understanding of the despicable extent of human tactical nning."


    "If we didn''t use this method, even if you caught their tail, they would only hide deeper and note out on their own."


    Batman sighed, his thoughts going back to a few days ago.


    Evans, Batman, and Copperpot deduced that the Court of Owls used wells to monitor Living Hell, but this was still just a guess and needed further verification.


    Batman nned to infiltrate Living Hell himself, but Copperpot refused, believing that Living Hell was his territory and Batman didn''t need to interfere.


    Batman, true to his usual suspicious nature, didn''t trust Copperpot and still nned to take matters into his own hands.


    Unable to reach an agreement, the two, with Evans'' mediation, decided to split up. Copperpot investigated the north area, while Batman investigated the south area, each working independently without interference.


    During the reform of Living Hell, all six wells in the north and south areas were filled in. However, they were notpletely sealed off to avoid disrupting the underground water structure. Instead, support structures were built about three meters below the surface, and the area above was turned into the ground, while the area below remained as wells.


    Batman methodically found an entrance to a sewer and nned to create a passage to the bottom of the well from underground.


    Copperpot, with his unconventional background, had a broader approach. He gathered a team consisting of people like Tire, Red Truck, and Rocket, nning to investigate using special methods.


    These individuals didn''t have the same resources as the wealthy Batman,cking even night vision goggles. It was unrealistic for them to navigate theplex sewer system to uncover the original structure of Living Hell. However, they had their own unconventional methods.


    This started with the old drug dealer who provided them with a map.


    Gotham was full of misguided geniuses, and among them were drug dealers who operated like moles. In Gotham, there were no police to stop the sale of contraband, but the greatest danger came frompetitors.


    These goods needed to be stored and transported, and once storage locations and transportation routes were discovered by other gangs, valuable goods would vanish.


    To avoid this, most drug dealers operating in Living Hell had their own transportation routes.


    The old drug dealer was no exception. He and several other big yers joined forces, controlling most of the underground passages within Living Hell.


    They didn''t use the surface but transported goods directly through underground passages, avoiding detection by Living Hell''s gangs and reducing the likelihood of being robbed.


    During the reform of Living Hell, most underground passages were destroyed by the foundation supports, but a few remained usable. Copperpot obtained these materials and found the secret at the bottom of the well faster than Batman.


    Their guess was correct. Among the five wells in the north area, three were connected to a secret room at the bottom, and these rooms were interconnected and led to arger meeting room.


    When Copperpot discovered this, he didn''t enter recklessly but informed Batman instead.


    Batman, more adept at infiltration, reached the perimeter of these rooms and found recent signs of activity, unlike the previously discoveredrge meeting room.


    Batman thought their suspicions were correct. If the Court of Owls had been operating in Gotham for decades, they wouldn''tpletely abandon their territory. Even if they had to evacuate due to unforeseen circumstances, they would leave guards at other strongholds.


    After several days of surveince, Batman discovered that the underground of Living Hell seemed to have be a new base for the Court of Owls members.


    Following the principle of sharing information among Gotham''s secret meeting members, Batman informed Schiller of the situation. However, Schiller, as if prepared, presented a n that was both frustrating and potentially highly effective.


    As Schiller said, it''s not difficult to catch the tail of the Court of Owls, and even breaking into their stronghold isn''t hard. However, if they can''t seed in one attempt, the Court of Owls will surely slip away and hide even deeper, turning the situation into an endless game of hide-and-seek.


    Therefore, a n is needed to force them out and expose their weaknesses, creating an opportunity for sess.


    The specific n is as follows: Schiller spected that even if the Court of Owls is hidden underground, they must rely on energy for lighting andmunication.


    So where does this energye from?


    Although it''s not impossible that they have their own independent energy facilities, ording to Schiller''s understanding of the Court of Owls, they are more like a tumor growing on a normal organization. They are more likely to have infiltrated their own people during the transformation of Living Hell and then tapped into Living Hell''s energy system to power themselves.


    So Schiller asked Gordon to bring in a skilled infiltrator, and then had Copperpot take the infiltrator on a tour of Living Hell.


    Sure enough, the infiltrator quickly discovered that the direction of one power line was off. Following this line, Copperpot found the energy pipeline of the Court of Owls'' stronghold.


    In addition to the power supply, there were other hidden pipelines, unguarded and concealed above ground.


    Schiller''s ultimate n was to flood their base with sewage.


    By connecting Living Hell''s sewage treatment pipeline to the Court of Owls'' energy pipeline, the entire sewage system of Living Hell would be connected to the Court of Owls'' pipeline.


    The result, of course, goes without saying. In Gotham, there is no ce with a higher poption density than Living Hell, and its sewage production capacity is naturally top-notch.


    "The waste flooded their base, turning it into a massive swamp of methane," Batman said, struggling to maintain hisposure. "And from the looks of it, some people didn''t manage to escape in time when the sewage was released..."


    Batman fell silent for a moment, seemingly suppressing the nausea brought on by his imagination. Afterward, he said quite fairly, "Although disgusting, it was effective."


    "You mentioned before that they''ve trained many assassins. If I were to go in alone, I wouldn''t be confident in defeating all of them."


    "Even if I could defeat them, if they managed to stall me and release their assassins, the residents of Living Hell would suffer."


    "Living Hell is the most densely popted area in Gotham. No matter what the Court of Owls does there, it will cause arge number of casualties. To prevent this, we must force them out of there. Although using... their escape will surely prevent them from killing."


    Schiller looked at Batman, his mouth still downturned, appearing solemn and serious.


    Schiller thought that perhaps this was what set Batman apart from other superheroes. Although he still couldn''t avoid individual heroism, he was willing to sacrifice his own advantage for tactical victory, rather than seeking glory and showcasing his strength.


    Faced with a despicable tactic, he didn''t stand on a moral high ground to condemn it but instead analyzed and judged it rationally. Perhaps this was the basic quality of a true tactical master.

 Chapter 163: The Long Easter (3)

    Chapter 163: The Long Easter (3)


    "Now it seems they are angry." Copperpot sneered, looking at the pouring rain outside the window. Schiller said to him, "I think you should already know that many patients with symptoms simr to yours havee from Gordon''s area. Your condition should be rted to the rain."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "In mental illness, it''s difficult to find two cases with exactly the same symptoms, but now there are more than two."


    "We are discussing how to deal with it. Currently, the drainage situation in Gotham is not optimistic. If this continues, there will be floods tonight."


    Batman''s voice apanied the sound of rain. Suddenly, the room lit up, and the sh illuminated all the objects into a pale color. Then a loud thunder came from the distance, and the three of them looked outside.


    Schiller looked at Batman and said, "I have a lot of patients. I don''t want to deal with this nonsense..."


    Batman stared at him, seemingly ignoring his words of refusal, as if he was sure that Schiller had something to say. Sure enough, Schiller continued, "But they actually made me spend a lot of money to buy a low-quality umbre that was destined to be broken, and it''s raining so heavily when I don''t have an umbre..."


    The rain outside the window became heavier and the thunderous sound covered the conversation inside the room. The closer to the sky, the closer the thunder was. Gotham University seemed to be shrouded in a dark fog, and only one office was lit up, and it was noisy inside.


    "Are you sure this distance can divert all the rainwater in this area to the designated height?"


    "Look here... we must pay attention to the water pressure here. If we don''t replenish the support structure, it is likely to cause a copse of the entire sewer system...""This area needs directional sting. Yes, I''m sure..."


    The professors gathered in front of the desk, discussing one after another. On the surface, they were discussing how to solve the problem of severe surface water umtion in Gotham City.


    Most people can''t hold on for more than three minutes in this discussion because they constantly use engineering and mechanical terms, making it difficult for listeners to understand.


    But in reality, this is not a small talk on paper. One technical term rted to sting after another popped out of their mouths. Obviously, this is another discussion filled with Gotham style.


    At the Gotham police station, after dealing with the criminals who were somewhat delusional, Gordon took a hot coffee from a young officer and drank it in one gulp. He sat down behind the desk and just wanted to take a break, but found a shadow behind him.


    Gordon turned around and sighed, "Batman, you don''t have to make your entrance so scary every time."


    "I need your help, Gordon detective."


    Gordon didn''t answer, he listened as Batman spoke. Batman continued, "Next, I will light the Bat-Signal in several locations in Gotham City, and then the Gang''s construction team will enter and begin digging. You need to send people there to protect them."


    Gordon opened his mouth, but for a moment, he couldn''t answer. He said, "Are you saying that you want the police department to send people to protect the Gang?"


    He turned around, reached out his hand, and said to Batman, "Okay, if you need our cooperation to deal with that mysterious organization, I can understand. But are you sure that the Gang needs us to protect them?"


    Batman''s tone was very serious. He said, "This is to guard against possible sudden attacks. The heavy firepower that the police possess is essential."


    "Can you tell me the n? I must be responsible for the safety of my subordinates."


    Batman shook his head and said, "Do you remember that nursery rhyme? ''The Court of Owls watches all the time...''"


    Gordon felt a chill down his spine. He instinctively looked around his office, but he couldn''t refute Batman. If it involved a mysterious power, Gordon couldn''t be sure that he wasn''t being watched.


    "I can assure you that this n is effective."


    Gordon looked at him, and finally, Batman said, "Because I am Batman."


    The dark clouds began to get thicker, and raindrops fell on the ground with great force. The rain was heavy and urgent, but in the continuous downpour, a slight hum came, and then several dazzling lights lit up in Gotham City.


    Schiller stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the Arkham mental hospital room and saw several bat symbols projected into the dark night sky.


    In the thunderous spring thunder, the still Bat-Signal light seemed toe alive in the refraction of the rain, like a soaring swallow in the storm, with a stunning momentum that broke through the darkness.


    Before this, the noisy sound of rain almost covered all sounds, and the dark clouds swallowed all light. This huge city seemed to be packed into an aquarium, sinking down into the abyss with the cold water.


    But at the moment when the Bat-Signal lit up, the drowned Gotham suddenly came alive, like a drowning person who suddenly transformed into a fearless whale, and the boiling voices of the people broke the darkness. The light was like a me, igniting something that couldn''t burn in the water, and bubbles rose up, breaking through the condensed surface of the water and causing countless ripples.


    In the rainy night of the surging tide, the explosion was louder than the thunder. Several construction teams drove various types of construction machinery and roared forward. The light of the truck fleet split the rain like des, and the honking sounded like a sharp teapot whistle, heralding the boiling of this night.


    The swearing, shouting, and chaotic cries of the gangs, with their friends, were even more chaotic and crazier than the chaos itself. They sted rocks and smashed the ground, digging down where the beam of light rose until they dug out...


    As more structures were built, the rain that fell from the sky onto the Gotham ground began to be artificially directed towards the underground.


    Copperpot stood on the rooftop of Living Hell, watching the mes rise in the rainy night. He didn''t hold an umbre, nor did he care. His eyes, deeply embedded with madness, were filled with craziness. He let out a coldugh and muttered to himself, "You rats will never understand. Gotham is Gotham, and it will always be Gotham..."


    The umted water on the surface of Gotham began to be diverted underground. In a dark meeting room somewhere beneath Gotham, a person with a white bird-shaped mask sneered in contempt.


    "They''re probably just trying to save themselves. After all, even idiots have some brains," a woman with a mask mocked.


    "Isn''t it too risky to activate the water supply n so early? We''ve prepared for this for many years, even retrofitting the sewers since the city was founded..." a slightly younger voice asked.


    "They''ve found us and are using such despicable means to attack us. We must make these people pay! How dare they..."


    Everyone in the room expressed their anger, then quieted down together, as if recalling the scene that day and suppressing the urge to vomit in disgust.


    "We cannot give up Gotham," said an elderly voice. "Retreat and relocation are only temporary. We''ve been running this ce for too long, and we can''t just hand it over to others."


    "This is our most secret stronghold," the woman said. "As long as they can''t find us, even if monsters go crazy on the surface, it has nothing to do with us."


    After speaking, she turned to a man next to her and said, "Go check our sealing devices again and don''t let that rainwater leak in."


    "They may want the rainwater to be discharged into the sea through the underground water system, but that''s impossible. The sewer system doesn''t have that kind of drainage speed, and Gotham will eventually be submerged."


    "And after this rain, chaos will seep into every corner of Gotham, just like it did ten years ago."


    "The owl will always watch over this ce. Fear and scream, for that will be our food..."


    The dark meeting room was filled withughter that sounded like bird cries, just like the nocturnal owl''s cry in the forest.


    The heavy rain continued, with more and more water being diverted underground, but the speed of the diversion was slowing down. Gordon stood next to a fence at one of the construction sites and shouted, "The drainage system has reached its limit! The entire underground of Gotham should be filled with rainwater now."


    Brock sat on his motorcycle, holding a shlight and waving it over. The dazzling light made Gordon cover his eyes with his arm. He heard Brock shout, "They said everything has been set up! Get ready to evacuate!"


    Gordon turned around and waved his arm, shouting loudly, "Everyone prepare to evacuate! Move to the high-rise buildings!"


    Then he picked up the phone and spoke to the other side, "District 5! Has the person in charge of District 5 heard me? What''s the situation over there? Has everyone evacuated from the first and second floors?"


    "You didn''t tell them what The Godfather means, did you?! How many times have we said to listen to the evacuation orders?! Do we need Falcone to personally call them and talk to them?"


    Brock held up his umbre and said loudly, "We can only hope that the method they came up with really works, otherwise Gotham will really be submerged."


    Gordon hung up the phone and said, "We have to trust Batman, we can only trust him!"


    Soon, the lights in the high-rise buildings of Gotham began to gradually light up, while the lights in the lower floors continued to go out, and everyone moved to higher ground.


    The members of the Court of Owls who received the news from the monitoring equipment were contemptuous of this, thinking that it was just a dying tactic, and that the flood would eventually wash everything away, no matter how high they climbed.


    But soon, they stoppedughing.


    The members of the Court of Owls, sitting in a dark meeting room, suddenly felt a violent cold wind sweep across the entire base. This icy storm exploded directly from the point of origin, sweeping across every corner of Gotham underground in an instant.


    The rushing rainwater was frozen into ice, and when the raindrops from the sky fell, the sshing water was frozen into translucent ice crystals.


    Looking down from above Gotham, huge snowkes blossomed from a small device, and almost instantly, all liquids on the ground and surface of Gotham were frozen, as if time had stopped.


    Then, several devices wereunched into the sky and exploded in the clouds, and the umted water in the clouds was also frozen into ice, which broke apart during the fall and turned into blocks of ice when it hit the ground.


    Between the dark clouds hovering over Gotham, there was a low-temperature zone formed byyers of cold streams, and the rain that fell directly turned into dancing snowkes.


    In just a few minutes, the entire sky and underground of Gotham City were frozen, and the whole city seemed to have pressed the pause button. Not only were the fish tanks frozen, but the hands that reached in to catch the fish were also trapped.


    The hardness of the iceyer created by the ice generator was no less than that of a rockyer. The Court of Owls'' base was surrounded by thousands of meters of ice, and everyone was directly frozen in a solid, giant block of ice.


    "Is this something Victor Fries came up with?" In the hospital room of Arkham Asylum, looked at Batman and asked Schiller.


    "You have to show some respect for your professor and not call him by his full name. And even if you ask me like this, I can guess that you''ve prepared hundreds of ns to deal with him."


    "The person who can freeze Gotham..." Batman muttered to himself.


    "In fact, freezing doesn''t solve the real problem of the rain clouds," Schiller shook his head and said, "If the freezing device is so effective, it means that someone has indeed tampered with the rain clouds that store rainwater..."

 Chapter 164: The Long Easter (4)

    Chapter 164: The Long Easter (4)


    In Gotham''s police station, Gordon swung his coat, pushed open the door, and quickly walked into his office. He found Schiller and Batman waiting for him. Gordon said with a headache, "From my colleague''s report, the situation is not optimistic."


    He walked to his desk and sat down, saying, "Honestly, your move was effective, but the problem is that the loss is too severe. Gotham''s entire underground water system has been destroyed, and many building foundations have also been damaged."


    "Of course, we anticipated this." Schiller nodded. At this time, Victor walked in with a material and Gordon stood up, pouring hot coffee for everyone.


    The other people sat down at the table, chatting and drinking hot coffee, only Batman stood alone in the corner of the room.


    "The loss is indeed significant, but it is within our estimation." Victor pointed to the lines on the report and said, "The process of condensation from water to ice will result in volume expansion. We considered this, so the degree of damage to the sewer system is within our estimation."


    "How much damage are we talking about?" Gordon asked after taking a sip of coffee.


    "It''s everything," Victor replied.


    Gordon sprayed his coffee out, eximing, "I knew the loss was severe, but now you''re telling me that Gotham''s entire underground water system has been destroyed?"


    Batman''s voice came from the side, "In fact, it''s even worse. Not only the underground buildings, but many of Gotham''s building foundations are not cold-resistant, and many buildings have cracked. They all need to be rebuilt.""This loss is too severe. Didn''t you consider this before devising this n?" Gordon asked in confusion, "Our logistics system has only just begun to take shape, and now we have to start from scratch."


    "We anticipated this, but as the saying goes, you have to break something down to build it up again."


    Schiller sighed and said, "Detective Gordon, you should know that although the construction of the logistics system has brought some improvements to Gotham, it is still far from enough."


    "Perhaps we have some advantages here, but no absolute advantage. We don''t have any leading industries, nor do we have anything that can''t be reced by other cities."


    "What we need to do now is to artificially add an advantage to Gotham that no other city in the world can imitate."


    "I understand what you mean, but I don''t understand what this has to do with the losses caused by freezing Gotham."


    Schiller gave Victor a look, signaling him to exin. Victor said to Gordon, "I think you should be aware that the low-temperature generator capable of freezing the entire Gotham in an instant is not an ordinary ice maker."


    "The reason the low-temperature generator can achieve this effect is because its ''ice'' is different."


    "Ice? What''s different about the ice?"


    "Have you ever heard of ''super ice''?"


    Gordon shook his head. Victor said, "You don''t need to know its principle. In short, I used a newly developed super ice in the low-temperature generator."


    "After contacting water, its crystallization speed exceeds 1,000 kilometers per hour, and it can still exist at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. If further improved, I think I might be able to freeze all the oceans on Earth within a day."


    Hearing this, Gordon gasped. He looked at Victor again. This schrly professor always seemed gentle and elegant, but his words had a strong viinous vibe.


    "This is not the kind of small ice cube we usually add to our drinks. Its hardness and stability are no less than that of metal. You can actually think of it as a kind of artificial diamond structure, just slightly less hard and with the low-temperature characteristics of ice."


    "So..." Schiller concluded, "The reconstruction problem you are worried about does exist, but it is not an ordinary reconstruction problem, and it will bring an unexpected benefit."


    "Treating this kind of ice is indeed very difficult, but at the same time, once we utilize it, the entire underground of Gotham will be a natural, massive cold storage."


    Following this, Schiller revealed the entire Gotham reconstruction n to Gordon.


    The reconstruction of Gotham City does not involve melting all these ice blocks, as that would be very difficult. The ice created by Mr. Freeze, Victor, is not ordinary ice for consumption. This dense ice is extremely hard and requires very high temperatures to melt. Instead of being used for cooling, it is more like a sturdy material.


    This ice has reced the rockyers beneath Gotham, making it as if the entire city is now situated on a massive block of dense ice.


    As a result, during reconstruction, there is no need to consider melting the ice. Instead, pathways are created directly within the ice blocks, transforming the entire underground of Gotham into a huge natural cold storage.


    Processing this ice is difficult, and the construction progress will be slow, but the good thing is that it can be used as needed, with construction carried out in stages.


    For example, to build a cold storage, choose a location, set up the above-ground buildings, and then start digging downwards. Once a room is excavated, products can be thrown in to be frozen, and then other rooms can be dug out slowly.


    Although the process will be slow and consume a lot of manpower and resources, oncepleted, a natural cold storage will be avable with almost no maintenance costs and ample space, fully meeting the storage needs ofrge quantities of goods.


    More importantly, Victor''s freezing technology has unparalleled preservation capabilities. In theics, he has frozen Batman into an ice block multiple times and then chatted with him.


    Batman emerges from the ice unharmed and can still beat Mr. Freeze. Apart from Batman''s inherent protagonist aura, Victor''s excellent preservation ability with his freezing technology is also an important reason.


    Gotham''s viinous geniuses have such unreasonable technology, but if used for good, it would be an unparalleled powerful productivity.


    In a city where the cost of cold chain storage is minimized, it bes impossible not to be a logistics hub, as producers eager to reduce logistics costs will flock to it.


    Gordon showed a thoughtful expression, and then he said, "You mean, instead of fixing the sewer, we use these iceyers as natural cold storage?"


    "The sewer is still necessary, but we can rebuild a new drainage system, and these dense iceyers that can exist at room temperature will be Gotham''s secret weapon for development."


    "This massive underground cold storage can amodate the entire East Coast''s cold chain product storage, making Gotham an indispensable location for nationwide cold chain transportation."


    Gordon looked at Batman, who was silent for a moment before saying, "ording to my calctions, this is indeed possible. Although there are still many technical issues and reconstruction will take a lot of time, once sessful, Gotham will be a world-ss logistics distribution center."


    "Other cities will find it difficult to replicate this sess. Even if they have Victor''s freezing technology, it''s hard to find such a cooperative Court of Owls."


    "Their artificial rainfall technology is indeed impressive, with long duration and heavy rainfall, capable of gathering enough water to create stable iceyers in a very short time. This is quite rare," Schillermented.


    Gordon almost felt sorry for the Court of Owls, as they were being used and still helping others profit.


    "Originally, I was a bit interested in the Court of Owls'' artificial rainfall technology," Schiller continued. "After all, as you''ve seen, their technology is quite effective."


    "But after thinking about it, even if we could obtain the technology, we would have to spend a lot of resources to implement it, and the federal government would not agree to flood Gotham just to build an underground natural cold storage."


    "So it''s best to let the Court of Owls work for us."


    "They''re doing a good job now, initiating a flood and creating the world''srgest underground cold storage, making an outstanding contribution to the future development of Gotham City. I think we can definitely award them with some kind of outstanding contribution prize or something."


    "But there''s also a problem," Gordon hesitated. "I don''t mean to rain on your parade, but you mentioned earlier that dealing with this iceyer is extremely difficult and expensive, and rebuilding the sewer system will also require a lot of money."


    Schiller ced his hands on the table and suddenly changed the topic, saying to Gordon, "Gordon detective, have you dealt with kidnapping cases before?"


    "Kidnapping cases? I''ve encountered a few in Chicago, but sinceing to Gotham, there have only been murders and no kidnappings."


    "Even if it were a kidnapping case, the hostage would already be dead before the police arrived, so it wouldn''t really be considered a kidnapping."


    "It doesn''t matter, as long as you understand the principle behind it."


    "Principle? What do you mean?"


    Schiller took a sip of hot coffee and let out a satisfied sigh as the warm liquid flowed into his stomach. He then said, "Don''t worry, let''s first analyze the current situation."


    "Gotham is in danger of flooding due to several days of continuous heavy rain, and we have taken a series of emergency measures. Although we suffered huge losses, we saved countless citizens'' lives and property."


    "Now, after our investigation, we have found out that this flood was a man-made conspiracy. A group of terrorists used weather weapons on Gotham, and now..."


    Schiller trailed off before continuing, "The mastermind is currently frozen in a huge block of ice underground in Gotham. Gordon detective, what do you think is the most important aspect of a kidnapping case?"


    Gordon pondered for a moment before saying, "What? Persuading the kidnapper? Protecting the hostage?"


    "That''s for the police, but now we are the kidnappers."


    Schiller banged the table and emphasized, "It''s about demanding ransom."


    "Obviously, now that we have the hostages, we can start talking about money, right?"


    Gordon opened his mouth wide and looked at Schiller, Batman, and Victor, saying, "So this is your ultimate goal, using the flood caused by the Court of Owls to freeze everyone underground, and then... demand ransom??? "


    Schiller gestured to Victor, who held up a stack of materials and said, "The location of the cryogenic generator has been carefully designed to ensure that all rooms and passages connected to the surface within the scope of Gotham''s underground will not be overlooked and will be filled with hard ice blocks."


    "That is to say, there are only two ways for the trapped people to leave Gotham underground."


    "Either dig downward into the rockyer, open a tunnel in a ce where the cryogenic emitter cannot reach, and dig out of Gotham."


    "Or dig upward, break through the hard iceyer, and then leave underground."


    "But in fact, they probably don''t have this ability, right?" Gordon heard Victor''s implied meaning.


    "I''m not arrogant," Victor put down the materials and said, "but digging upward is definitely not possible. They cannot destroy the iceyer I created. As for digging downward..."


    Schiller continued, "Given the size of Gotham City, it would take at least a year to dig out."


    "Ultimately, these people are living on conspiracies. In terms of physical strength, they are probably not as good as the street thugs who often fight."


    "Their ws are assassins, not excavators. Even with ten times their numbers, they cannot dig out by manpower alone."


    "So, we kidnapped the Court of Owls?" Gordon showed a strange expression and said, "I thought they were such a difficult organization to deal with, but now they arepletely trapped."


    "So..." Gordon paused for a moment, seeming a bit ufortable with his role, and said, "We are now kidnappers, asking for ransom from them?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "That''s just a metaphor, detective. You haven''t grasped the essence. We are not kidnappers, we are only acting in self-defense."


    "This group of terrorists called the Court of Owls, yes, terrorists."


    "They usedrge-scale weather disaster weapons, threatening the safety of all citizens in the city, causing such great losses. We should legally and reasonably impensation from them, right?"


    Gordon nced at Batman, who remained silent and showed no surprise at this statement. Apparently, this was something they had nned for a long time, and Batman was also one of the informed parties.


    "So, Detective, how''s the damage at the police station?"


    "Um...the police station didn''t suffer any damage. This wasn''t a gang shootout. We just helped evacuate some citizens and adjusted the traffic routes for the construction team..."


    "Is that so? But these terrorists were so vicious. Didn''t they send assassins to attack you?"


    Gordon looked at Schiller and asked tentatively, "Uh...did they send anyone? Oh, they did, they sent...two squads of assassins?"


    "No, no, at least a battalion."


    "This is too exaggerated!"


    "They''ve been operating in Gotham for hundreds of years. If they don''t even have this kind of manpower, how can they be the biggest and oldest terrorist organization in Gotham?"


    "Well, but..."


    Schiller raised his voice and said with ups and downs, "The brave warriors of the Gotham police station fought with them all night and forged the immortal glory of Gotham with their blood! Three thousand police officers sacrificed their lives, more than half of them died after a night of fighting, and the remaining half were all seriously injured. Their greatness deserves our remembrance..."


    "But...the entire Gothampolice station didn''t even have 300 people..." Gordon touched his chest and seemed to feel a little guilty.


    "It doesn''t matter, Sheriff Gordon. We are victims. We can say we have as many as we want."


    Schiller suddenly changed the subject and asked, "What about the high-end apartments on Gamo Street?"


    "Of course, they''re fine. They''re top-notch on the outskirts of the wealthy southern district. At that time, I..."


    Gordon suddenly choked up, his face turning a little red, and looked at Schiller and said, "I''m not that kind of person. You can''t bribe me like this. I am a conscientious police officer..."


    "Let conscience be left to those who need it."


    Just then, Mayor Roy rushed in, holding a walkie-talkie and covered in mud on his boots, clearly having just crossed the street. He said, "Guys! Good news! Personnel losses are very light..."


    Roy said incredulously, "Gotham City''s emergency evacuation ability is too strong. We released a danger notification three hours in advance, and within three hours, almost all citizens were evacuated to safe high-rise buildings. Even Metropolis can''t match this mobilization ability, right?"


    Roy eximed, "In such a big disaster, less than 20 people died, most of them were drunk or high on drugs. Although there were thousands of injuries, most were not serious, and even a first aid kit was enough."


    "Can''t you see how many gang shootouts happen in Gotham every day?" Gordon whispered. "Those who run slowly have already died."


    Schiller tapped the table and said dissatisfiedly, "Mayor Roy, you''re not here at the right time. We''re discussing the losses in Gotham City."


    "What''s wrong? Isn''t it a good thing that the losses are small?" Roy asked, staring.


    "Mayor Roy..." Schiller smiled at him and asked, "Do you know about the kidnapping case?"


    Gordon covered his face with both hands.


    Ten minutester, Roy took a tissue and blew his nose hard. In front of him, the table was already covered with crumpled tissues soaked with snot and tears. He said mournfully, "This catastrophic disaster has left me grief-stricken! Hundreds of thousands of living beings have been killed, and the great achievements of human civilization have been destroyed!"


    "These inhumane terrorists! They carried out a massacre in Gotham City, and more than 10,000 of our people have died. All of Gotham''s hospitals are full, and countless people cannot get medical treatment due to the shortage of medicine. Oh, God, save us..."


    Roy blew his nose hard again, crying as he said, "This is thergest-scale terrorist attack in federal history! The spirits of hundreds of thousands of dead people will forever nail the name of this terrorist organization, the Court of Owls, to the pir of shame!"


    Gordon stared at Roy, seemingly surprised by his acting skills.


    "Do you think it''s better to gradually show sadness, or to burst out strongly from the beginning?" Roy grabbed another tissue and wiped away his tears. "I think thetter should have more impact."


    "Okay, then, you''ll be the one to open the press conference tomorrow. The journalists have already been contacted, and thergest newspapers and media outlets on the East Coast will be present. You''ll have about 30 minutes to express these emotions."


    Then Schiller tapped the table and attracted everyone''s attention, saying, "Okay, let''s contact the victim... I mean the culprit."


    He looked at Batman and said, "They should have a unique signal transmission device tomunicate with ground surveince. If you can intercept this..."

 Chapter 165: The Long Easter (5)

    Chapter 165: The Long Easter (5)


    "Firstly, I want to tell you that, as you have guessed, your stronghold has now bepletely sealed, just like a can."


    "And the oxygen in the can is limited. How many people do you have now? Hmm? I guess there are at least 20? ording to this number, the current oxygen in the can can only keep you alive for a maximum of three hours."


    "You thought you hid this stronghold very secretively, but we discovered it long ago."


    "Just as you guessed, this is a premeditated trap, and now I want to y a game with you."


    "A oxygen pipeline leads directly to this can, but the oxygen inlet is hidden in the wall. You must dig the wall and find the pipeline yourself. Otherwise, after three hours, all the oxygen will be exhausted."


    "Owls also need to breathe, right?"


    The woman wearing a bird mask began to tremble, but the voice on the radio did not stop, and everyone heard him say, "Don''t delude yourself that yourpanions or those killers you trained wille to save you. Judging from the thickness and hardness of the iceyer surrounding you, no one, not even machines, can dig to you within three hours."


    The voice on the recording began to be more and more emotional and echoed continuously in the conference room, more dark and terrifying than the nursery rhymes spread by the Court of Owls.


    "Once upon a time, you stood on the high-rise buildings in Gotham City, looking down on the suffering people, digging for food that can fill their stomach.""Later, you hid underground, looking up at countless pairs of battered feet of mortals, running for survival."


    "And now, you will experience the taste of using your own hands to obtain the chance of survival."


    They heard that the voice on the recording began to be gentle, even a little soft, like a dream: "...my little birds, dig, and use your broken fingers to get a bit of the most ordinary and humble air, or use your death as a sacrifice for Gotham''s resurrection."


    After the voice fell, someone in the conference room finally couldn''t help it. A man wearing a mask threw the recorder out, trembling all over, and it fell to the ground. The others looked at him silently.


    "... Do we really have to dig?" The woman''s voice became a bit trembling, and she said, "There are no tools here. How can we dig through these walls?"


    "We are trapped here, and if we don''t dig, we will suffocate to death!"


    "But what if he''s lying to us?" an old voice said.


    "But if we wait here, we will definitely die! This is a carefully designed trap, and they won''t let us go!"


    "Do you want me to scrape those bricks with my fingers?!" another man shouted loudly. Then he stood up, waving his somewhat obese arm and said, "I am one of the thirteen jury members! And the oldest qualified one! My family is too! All of you go and dig for me! I order you!"


    Others stood up one after another...


    Obviously, someone among them thought of a way to survive easier than digging through the walls.


    In the office of Gotham Police Station, everyone was silent. Gordon shivered and looked at Schiller, saying, "I think the problem with the Court of Owls may not be too serious. What''s serious is..."


    "You didn''t n this in advance, did you?" Victor turned to Schiller.


    Schiller rolled his eyes and said, "I lied to them. Who knows where their hidden bases are? How could I go through all that trouble toy an oxygen pipeline for them?"


    "Alright, let''s not talk about that. The next step is to negotiate. Detective Gordon, I remember you said before that some gang leaders are particrly difficult and like to bargain with the police?"


    "Don''t bring them up." Gordon rubbed his temples and said, "Just mentioning them gives me a headache."


    "Okay, then it''s them. Let them take turns arguing with the Court of Owls and tell them that the finalpensation will be increased by 5 points."


    "Gasp..." Gordon took a cold breath and said, "The Court of Owls will be stripped naked!"


    Then Gordon clicked his tongue and said, "I always feel like you nned this in advance."


    "Do you want to hear a fairy tale?" Schiller smiled and winked.


    "It''s about a group of small birds with golden feathers. The poor birds fell into the hunter''s hands because of their carelessness. They begged the hunter for forgiveness and were willing to pluck their precious feathers to exchange for the hunter to spare them..."


    Schiller suddenly changed the subject and said, "What are you guys nning to eat for Easter?"


    He answered his own question, "Anyway, I n to eat roasted chicken."


    The next morning, Gotham was hit by arge-scale terrorist attack, and the news made headlines in major newspapers.


    Mayor Roy wept at the press conference and denounced the casualties caused by the terrorists. He also used the federal government of not fulfilling its security obligations, calling Gotham a "abandoned city."


    Copsed buildings, broken walls and rubble on the streets, flooded stores and frozen cars. As the post-disaster pictures circted, the Court of Owls became a despised cruel terrorist group.


    Various confusing news reports emerged one after another, and the casualty figures began to grow increasingly exaggerated. From the initial few tens of thousands of people to hundreds of thousands of people, by the end of it, more than half of Gotham''s citizens were either dead or injured.


    However, what was strange was that, instead of relief efforts, various fundraising activities started much faster. Major newspapers published channels for donations, and Gotham held dozens of charity dinners in the week before Easter.


    On a cold morning one weekend, the reports on the City Hall office desk fluttered in the breeze from outside the window.


    Thin pages kept turning over, the numbers continuously increasing. Finally, a seal "click" was stamped on top, and Roy raised his hand and handed the report to his subordinate, saying, "Happy Easter."


    As his words fell, the tree branches outside the window began to grow, and clusters of tender green sprouts stretched out from the branches. Gotham''srgest reconstruction in history had begun.


    Previously, Gotham''s transformation was basically to fix whatever was wrong. If there was an empty space, a warehouse was built there. If there was an empty space, a station was opened there. This made the professors at Gotham University who studied city nning very frustrated. This piecemeal reconstruction method was actually the least effective method, but at the time, there was no other way.


    But this time was different. Due to a flood followed by a freeze, the volume expansion caused by the water turning into ice caused most of the surface to crack. If repairs were not made, it would bepletely impassable.


    Even if you didn''t want your own territory to be renovated, there was no other way. The road damage had reached the point where you couldn''t even walk on it. If you didn''t participate in the reconstruction, you could only stay at home and wait to starve to death.


    With things havinge to this point, when things were bad, they had to be fixed to continue living.


    Overnight, Gotham''s unemployment rate almost became zero because manpower was needed everywhere. Reconstruction of the sewer, repairs to roads and copsed buildings, construction of new logistics facilities ording to new ns...


    This may sound unreasonable because there was no output in the short term, but the organizers needed to pay arge amount ofbor costs. This required an astronomical amount of upfront investment.


    But thanks to the already-depleted Court of Owls, the unlucky ones who were imprisoned and had all their feathers plucked to survive provided ample funding for Gotham''s reconstruction n. Even if there was no profit in the short term, they could still persist.


    With the money and people in ce, the reconstruction n proceeded very smoothly, and the benefits of the underground iceyer were not limited to one.


    Gotham belongs to the East Coast City, which has a monsoon humid climate with distinct seasons. In other words, it is cold in winter and hot in summer.


    In the past, in April, the temperature had already risen noticeably, and it had begun to enter the hot summer. However, the huge underground ice sheet changed the climate of some areas, causing the average temperature in Gotham to drop by more than 10 degrees, returning to the temperature of early winter.


    The citizens of Gotham were not ustomed to this climate, and the incidence of colds was high in recent days.


    But some people were looking for a ce to escape the heat and couldn''t find one.


    The East Coast is not all like Gotham with its distinct four seasons. There are also ces that are hot, and by April, it was already scorching summer. These people wanted to escape the heat, so they had to head further north, and now Gotham became the closest low-temperature city to them.


    Of course, they didn''t dare toe to Gotham as tourists, but Gotham''s climate change also affected the surrounding areas, such as Brooklyn. For a while, Brooklyn''s tourism industry unexpectedly flourished.


    Brooklyn was almost knocked unconscious by the pie falling from the sky.


    It is actually a small city here, because it is too close to Gotham and there are not many outsiders, so the development level is rtively low. It has many natural ruralndscapes and is not like Gotham, which is cloudy and rainy every day.


    Since the climate change in Gotham, Brooklyn has been sunny during the day and cool in the morning and evening, making people feel veryfortable, and attracting many tourists from the surrounding cities.


    Because Brooklyn is too close to Gotham, many Gotham news is spread here for the first time.


    But what these tourists saw was not a terrifying city full of murder cases or bloody incidents happening every day. All the newsing out of Gotham could be summarized in two big words -bor shortage.


    As mentioned before, although there are many local residents in Gotham, they have too much idle time and their work efficiency is too low. Even with full employment, rebuilding such arge city is still not enough.


    Although Gotham is a metropolis, there are not many migrant workers. In this era ofprehensive infrastructure upgrading,bor shortage has be the biggest obstacle to efficiency. Various gangs are desperately looking for people, and even offering high prices to hire out-of-towners.


    As the saying goes, where there are forests, there are all kinds of birds, and where there are many people, there are always a few who are not afraid of death. And there really are a few people who dare toe to Gotham to work despite the danger.


    Actually, they are not entirely curious, but because the gangs here offer such high prices, it''s not like they''re using their own money. The more the gangs increase the sry, the more tempting it bes, and it''s even paid on a daily basis. It''s hard not to be tempted.


    After the outsiders arrived in Gotham, they found that this City was not quite as they had imagined. They used to think it would be a City dominated by daily gunfights and zero-dor purchases, but after arriving here, they discovered that Gotham had order.


    Compared to other regions, Gotham is indeed quite peculiar. The maintainers of order here are gangs. They have a tough attitude, violent means, many ideas, and are crazy, but the violent order is still order.


    When the entire City entered a frenzy of making a big cake together, many of the shorings brought about by the violent order were covered up, and the remaining advantages were astonishing, such as efficiency and stability.


    Describing such a City with the adjective "stable" sounds absurd, but the fact is that the outsiders discovered that the order built by the gangs was actually very stable, at least when funds were plentiful and everyone had work to do.


    There is no shortage of desperadoes who risk their lives for money in this world, and the news of money to be made in Gotham quickly spread. Many such people began to be intrigued and wanted to try their luck in Gotham.


    As more and more outsiders flooded in, the situation inside Gotham began to be noticed and discussed by people. The mysterious veil of this City of Sin was gradually lifted, and the City began to appear in major media and newspapers.


    Many people think of it as a barbard of blood and carnage, some see it as a City of Crime where evil flourishes, but more people, through these reports about Gotham, see it as a chaotic but prosperous metropolis.


    Here, the gang leaders drive luxury cars, smoke cigars, and throw stacks of cash from the rooftop. Rock singers sing heavy metal in the rain of money, behind them are all kinds of chaotic and colorful graffiti, neon lights reflect the endless stream of cars on the road, and the crowd screams wildly on the side of the road...


    Just like Schiller, people begin to realize that this is not only a City of crime, but also a city of geniuses. This is a City of Sin, but also a City of Art.


    There has never been a City in the world with such absurd and bizarre beauty as Gotham. This is the soil of performance art and the paradise of the misunderstood lunatics.


    Even many people find resonance from this temperament. They begin to try to deconstruct the causes and current situation of this unique City, and then be infected by the overflowing madness here, bing spiritual residents of the City of Sin.


    Artists worship madness, bohemians shout for freedom, fools spend their days in absurdity, and wise men amass wealth. Gotham''s chaos has given birth to countless different souls, and no one from any other ce is so different.


    As this temperament began to be recognized gradually, Gotham''s image changed from the evil City of human degeneration to a source of sin with a touch of divinity and mystery.


    It''s hard to say that this is a good change, but at least there is a change.


    This change in external image also brought about other changes, such as the phone at the Gotham University Admissions Office ringing constantly. Some young people who pursue rebellion and curiosity have started to include Gotham University in their list of schools to apply for.


    However, the teachers at Gotham University don''t have much time to answer questions. The icy conditions in Gotham have also affected the teaching facilities at Gotham University, mainly with the problem of cracked roads, which is very troublesome.


    Due to therge-scale cracking of the campus square and yground, students were unable to use them. The teaching building became a dangerous building overnight due to foundation damage, and no one dared to go there. Teaching activities were temporarily stalled, and there were no other staff avable to help. Teachers and students could only rely on themselves.


    Almost all of the nned activities before Easter were cancelled. The restaurant building copsed at one corner, and there was no mention of organizing any banquets. It seemed that everyone had forgotten about Easter, and everyone was focusing on rebuilding the campus.


    Schiller led a few students quickly through the corridor and came to the door of the lecture hall. After pushing the door open, the students saw him and shouted, "Professor! Over here! We can''t hold him down any longer!"


    Schiller walked over, and a few students were holding down a struggling male student who was constantly waving his arms and shouting with foaming out of his mouth, resembling a mental illness outbreak.


    Schiller said, "Subdue him first, then lift him onto the car and take him to the hospital."


    After Schiller followed the car to Arkham Mental Hospital, before he could go in for treatment, he received another call from Victor, who said, "Another person has be ill in Building 2 of the dormitory area. It seems to be a sophomore female student. What is going on?"


    "It''s possible that it''s a lingering effect from being caught in the rain. I must conduct a detailed examination. Once there are any more cases, send them directly to the hospital."


    After hanging up the phone, Schiller went to the male student''s hospital room. Through the observation window, he saw the male student hiding to one side of the bed with a terrified look on his face, constantly shouting meaningless sybles. Schiller shook his head and whispered, "These symptoms are a bit unusual..."


    He called Victor and said, "Have these students been in contact with anything recently?"


    "Didn''t you say it was because of the rain..."


    "These symptoms are different from those caused by rain, although they both have symptoms of convulsions and excitement, there are some differences in the details."


    "What have theye into contact with..." Victor sounded very puzzled. He said, "I''ll help you ask. These two students are not in the same ss... Oh! Wait a minute! What did you say? Damn it... Another person has be ill! Where is he? Take me there quickly..."


    Then, as Victor ran, he said to the phone, "Another student has be ill. Once I find out what they have inmon, I''ll let you know..."

 Chapter 166: The Long Easter (6)

    Chapter 166: The Long Easter (6)


    "The condition of the patient in room 2 needs to be observed further. Also, the dosage of the medication for the two patients on the fourth floor was adjusted yesterday. Go to Nurse Jenny and get the prescription. Also, pay close attention to hospital room 13. Yesterday, his arm was dislocated when he struggled..."


    Schiller, dressed in a white coat, briskly walked down the corridor while briefing the nurse behind him. When he walked into his office, Brand was lying on the sofa, dozing off with his eyes closed. He startled awake at the sound and sneezed, then asked hoarsely, "You''re here? How are the patients doing?"


    Schiller shook his head, put down the medical record in his hand, and said, "Not very optimistic. Five more people were admitted yesterday, and one male student''s symptoms are very severe. I''ll have to go overter."


    "You go ahead. Leave it to me."


    Saying that, Brand stood up and walked to the coffee machine, intending to pour himself a cup of coffee. Schiller said, "Make me a double espresso... two cups, please. I''m a little tired."


    "You''re only feeling tired now? Thank goodness! You''ve been working for over 50 hours straight, haven''t you?"


    Schiller yawned and said, "It''s okay. I''ll go to bed after I take care of the male student''s condition."


    After saying that, he took the coffee from Brand''s hand and left.


    He arrived at a hospital room on the fifth floor, pushed open the door, and the male student on the bed suddenly woke up like a startled beast. He began to struggle frantically on the bed. If his arms weren''t tied to the railings, he might have jumped up and pounced on Schiller by now.Schiller paid no attention to his reaction but walked to his bedside, furrowing his brow to observe his response.


    Schiller knew that he couldn''t diagnose this case ording to normal psychiatric cases because all the cases that were admitted overnight were the same symptoms. Obviously, this was not a natural onset.


    If it wasn''t a natural onset, the cause might be very bizarre, and it might also be mixed with some elements of mysticism. Such cases are almost impossible to be analyzed by modern medical means, but so far, Schiller hasn''t found a good diagnostic method.


    While Schiller was thinking, a wave of brainwaves came from inside his fog: "I can do it..."


    "What? What can you do?"


    "You want to check, right? I can do it..."


    Schiller asked in confusion, "How do you n to check?"


    "You touch him with one hand..."


    Following the gray mist''s instructions, Schiller reached out and touched the male student''s shoulder. The male student desperately twisted his head, with a ferocious expression trying to bite Schiller''s hand, but as the imperceptible gray mist floated into his body, he gradually calmed down.


    A series of brainwaves feedback into Schiller''s mind, allowing him to understand certain functions of the human body from a more intuitive perspective.


    He said to the symbiote in his mind, "When did you learn to do this?"


    "Take your hand off," the symbiote replied.


    Schiller hesitated for a moment, then removed his hand. He suddenly had another person''s perspective, that of the boy, instead of looking at the ceiling.


    Schiller said in surprise, "Did you split?"


    The symbiote transmitted a series of negative emotions, then a wisp of mist drifted out of the boy''s body and back to Schiller. The second perspective disappeared as if it had never existed, and the symbiote did not change at all, with no additional consciousness.


    "I am different from them," the symbiote''s voice came through. "I am mist, and mist is not a single entity..."


    Then, through the symbiote''s brainwaves, Schiller understood that the mist was significantly different from other symbiotes due to its different form. Because of its misty form, it could not split or, in other words, it was always splitting.


    Other symbiotes were also made up of symbiote factors, but Venom''s symbiote factors were stuck together. Once separated, they became two independent individuals.


    However, the mist''s symbiote factors were originally not connected and were scattered. Even if they were cut apart, they would only be separated by distance, still a whole.


    "So you can''t reproduce offspring like other symbiotes?" Schiller asked.


    "I can, as long as I voluntarily give up that part of the factor, it will be another symbiote."


    Schiller nodded and said, "So you can attach yourself to someone else''s body, and the part that you attach to will still follow yourmands. And I can indirectly control others through you?"


    The mist transmitted affirmative brainwaves and said, "But the control of the factor is limited and cannot perform precise movements. I can only have an understanding of his condition, and the farther away, the weaker the information feedback."


    "Why didn''t you say that earlier?" Schiller asked.


    "I couldn''t before, there was food everywhere, and I ate too much, so it was enough."


    "Food everywhere?" Schiller asked in confusion. "Could it be the rainwater? Does that rainwater have an effect on you too?"


    "Like alcohol," the symbiote answered. "Like fear toxin, it tastes good and makes me full."


    Schiller rubbed his chin and thought that if rainwater was useful for symbiotes, it meant that there were certain substances in rainwater that could stimte symbiotes.


    He also thought that Venom was really unlucky, if he followed him back to Gotham, the whole city would be his meal. Why would he still be thinking about those chocte balls?


    Later, Schiller let the mist attach to the boy''s body and conducted aprehensive examination. After that, he found an unknown substance in the boy''s blood, which was the culprit for his madness and excitement.


    Schiller didn''t act rashly because he didn''t know the cause of this substance. In the spirit of being responsible to the patient, he thought it would be more prudent to identify the culprit first and then treat it. Therefore, he withdrew the mist and decided to observe further.


    While Schiller was trying to calm the patient''s emotions with the mist, Victor called again, saying, "Come quickly, something has happened."


    Hearing Victor''s serious tone, Schiller knew that it was likely that someone had died. He went back to the office to change his clothes and then headed to Gotham University.


    As soon as he entered the gate, he saw two police cars parked on the road. Walking forward, a group of people surrounded a circle, and the police were shouting, "Get out of the way! All of you, move!"


    Schiller walked over, and the young police officer was about to stop him, but an older police officer next to him grabbed his colleague and said, "Professor Rodriguez, right? Chief Gordon will be here soon. Please go in first."


    Schiller nodded to him and then walked quickly into the area within the cordon. He saw Victor standing next to a police car, and a police officer was questioning him.


    "What happened?" Schiller asked as he walked over.


    He nced behind the police car and saw what seemed to be a scene of someone falling from a building. There was a shadow lying on the ground, and blood was sttered everywhere.


    "Sheldon is dead," Victor said, looking back at the scene of the fall. "He fell from the balcony of his office, eight floors high, and died on the spot."


    "What exactly happened? Can you tell me?"


    Victor shook his head and said, "I don''t know. You should know that we are short-staffed recently, and many students have been falling ill. I am busy subduing the patients and also trying to find theirmonalities."


    Victor nced at the police officer who was busy taking notes and continued speaking, "I was busy with my work when Principal Sheldon suddenly called me and asked me toe to his office. So, I had to put down my work and hurry over to the administrative building..."


    "As usual, I entered the administrative building and as I was walking towards the fourth floor, I saw a dark figure falling down from the window in the hallway. Then, I heard a loud ''bang'' and when I looked down from the window, I saw Sheldon''s body."


    "To be honest..." Schiller patted Victor''s shoulder and said, "Your narration has increased your suspicion by 30% out of nowhere. When Gordon arrives, don''t say it like this."


    "But what I said is the truth..."


    "You can beautify the process a bit, like saying that you and Sheldon were having a great conversation over the phone, and he strongly requested that youe to his office for a small gathering. You tried to decline in every way possible but had to go to the administrative building in the end..."


    "And because the building was cracked and the power was out, the elevator couldn''t be used, so you had to climb the stairs. As a researcher with no strength, you were already exhausted by the time you climbed to the third floor. Panting heavily, you made it to the fourth floor and rested by the window, only to see an unknown dark figure falling."


    "You were terrified and ran out of the hallway to call the police."


    "Don''t forget..." Schiller reminded Victor, "You''re not a local resident of Gotham, only locals can appear so calm in a murder case."


    "I found out after I came here that this ce is quite suitable for me." Victor shrugged, "I don''t know why, but I don''t feel anything about corpses and blood. I''m a bit too calm."


    Soon, another police car arrived and Gordon rushed out of the car. As soon as he saw Schiller, he took a deep breath and walked quickly towards him. He first peeked towards the body and then looked at Schiller with suspicion.


    "I didn''t do this, the witness is here," Schiller pushed Victor forward and exined to Gordon, "This is what happened..."


    Victor repeated the exnation that Schiller had given him, and Gordon frowned. "Your story is a bit far-fetched. How is that possible? Oh, wait, you''re not a local resident, right?...That makes sense."


    "Local residents of Gotham only curse andin about blood and brain matter when they see someone falling from a building, asking us to clean the floor quickly..."


    "Anyway, let''s go take a look at the scene first."


    Several people bypassed the police car and entered the cordon. Sheldon''s bodyy in the middle of the road.


    Schiller nced and said, "His luck wasn''t very good. Hended on a sharp corner of the road surface crack. Otherwise, there might have been a chance for him to survive."


    Gordon waved his hand, and a group of police officers began to investigate the scene. Then, they moved the body onto a car and took it back for an autopsy.


    Gordon stood at the spot where Sheldon fell and looked up at the 8th floor of the administrative building, which was still lit up. He turned to Schiller and Victor and said, "I''m sorry, but ording to standard procedures, you two can''t participate in the next steps. Witness Victor Fris needs toe with us..."


    "As for you, Professor Rodriguez, you may have to wait to be summoned."


    What surprised Gordon was that neither of these two showed any objection. Victor cooperated very well and got into the police car with the officers, and Schiller did not insist on participating in the investigation but turned and left.


    Before leaving, Schiller said to Gordon, "Although I''m willing to cooperate with your investigation, there are too many patients at Arkham Hospital recently, and I have to prioritize their safety..."


    "I heard earlier that many students at Gotham University have been affected by a mental illness. What''s going on?" Gordon asked Schiller.


    "I have some clues, but I haven''t investigated it thoroughly... Don''t look at me like that. I don''t need to create trouble for myself. After they go crazy, I still have to treat them. I haven''t slept for 50 consecutive hours."


    "Professor Rodriguez, I have to remind you that no matter what, I will find out the truth of the murder..." Gordon paused for a moment and continued, "I hope that the result of my investigation won''t lead back to you."

 Chapter 167: The Long Easter (7)

    Chapter 167: The Long Easter (7)


    In the interrogation room of the Gotham police station, Schiller held a cup of hot coffee and blew on it, causing the white mist rising from the cup to scatter on his sses.


    The police officer sitting across from him stood up and gave his seat to Gordon, who then tapped the table and said helplessly, "Can you at least act like a suspect? This is the police station''s interrogation room! I won''t handcuff you, nor is it a reason for you to drink coffee!"


    "The officers outside areining that you''re not drinking American coffee and insisting on espresso. One of them had to go to the fourth floor to use the new coffee machine..."


    "Can you stop acting like you''re familiar with the interrogation room, like a habitual offender?"


    "I''m an out-of-towner, that''s why I''m sitting here drinking coffee. If I were a local..."


    Schiller looked around and Gordon followed his gaze, both looking at the densely packed bullet marks on the wall. Gordon was at a loss for words, knowing what Schiller meant to say in thetter half of his sentence. If the suspect was a local of Gotham, they would have started a fight already.


    "No matter what you''ve found in your investigation, I can only tell you that you''ve got the wrong person. I''m just a university professor who has never even fired a gun."


    Gordon sighed again and sat down opposite Schiller, then said, "ording to our investigation, you''re the only one at the school who had obvious conflicts with the new principal, Shelden. You''re our primary suspect."


    "What conflict do I have with him?" Schiller asked Gordon. "I''ve perfectlypleted every teaching task he arranged for me, even those beyond my job scope, and I haven''t dyed anything.""I also serve as the guide for new students, the book administrator, and the archivist, and I don''t even ask for a raise..."


    "But ording to the testimony of other school faculty, the new principal Shelden was quite dissatisfied with you."


    "If he was dissatisfied with me, why was he the one who died?"


    "That''s what we''re asking you."


    "You can''t assume my motives by guessing what''s in my heart. In my view, he wasn''t a good principal, but he wasn''t too bad either. Maybe he had some personal issues with me, but we didn''t have any substantive conflicts in our work, and we didn''t infringe on each other''s interests. There was no deep-seated grudge that would lead me to kill him."


    Gordon silently looked at him. He also knew that Schiller was right. ording to their investigation, although Shelden appeared to have a bad attitude towards Schiller and always wanted to find fault with him, they didn''t have any major conflicts in their work. Schiller never disobeyed any work arrangements, and they rarelymunicated with each other, let alone any confrontations.


    In fact, Gordon didn''t hold much hope for Schiller''s investigation because he knew the professor well enough to know that if he were the culprit, he wouldn''t take such a direct approach. And if he had really used this method, he wouldn''t have left any evidence for anyone to find.


    Compared to others, Victor is more suspicious because he was the first person to discover the crime scene. Additionally, he has a good rtionship with Schiller, but not with Sheldon.


    Previously, Victorined to his colleagues that Sheldon''s Easter schedule was too tight. Although this is not a reason tomit murder, it shows that he doesn''t like the new principal.


    ording to Gordon''s investigation, Sheldon doesn''t have any bad habits. If anything, he acts like a politician and attends various upper-ss events and parties in Gotham as the principal, makingments on various social issues.


    However, perhaps due to fear of the gang, he is not a staunch advocate of justice and his attitude is quite ambivalent. Such a person is not easy to make enemies.


    Schiller sat across from Gordon and said, "Actually, I do have a clue to tell you."


    "What is it?" Gordon asked.


    Schiller put down his coffee cup and ced his hands on the table. "This new principal is fond of meeting with the upper echelons of the gang, just as he does with other powerful people in the city."


    "But the gang is different from ordinary businessmen. Certain illegal industries and secrets cannot be known by anyone. I suspect... of course, it''s just a suspicion."


    "You mean Sheldon could have been silenced?" Gordon pondered for a moment before saying, "There is a possibility. The gang members he associates with could have ess to secrets that others don''t know. If Sheldon participated in something..."


    "Of course, I want to emphasize that this is just a guess, and it''s my personal guess. I''m not insinuating anything, nor have I heard any rumors."


    Gordon stared at him and raised his eyebrows, asking, "Thew of silence?"


    Schiller shook his head and made a cross over his chest.


    While Gordon continued to talk to Schiller, a police officer knocked on the door and walked in, saluting Gordon before saying, "Boss, we have a new discovery."


    Then the young officer looked at Schiller, seeming to ask if Gordon should go out to talk. Gordon said directly, "No need to go out, just say it here."


    This is amon tactic used during interrogations to increase pressure on the person being questioned by presenting new developments in the case. Gordon didn''t intend to use this tactic on Schiller, but he was just used to it.


    "We found that the victim''s desk drawers and cabs were all turned over. A locked drawer at the bottom of the desk was pried open, so we carefully searched the entire desk and found a secretpartment on the side of the middle drawer."


    As he spoke, the young officer took out a transparent bag containing a cassette tape. Gordon signaled for a police officer behind him to bring a recorder, then put on gloves, took out the cassette tape, and looked at it. "There doesn''t seem to be any damage on the surface. We should be able to y it directly."


    Gordon put the cassette into the tape recorder, then pressed the button on top. The first thing that came out of the tape was a crackling electric sound, followed by a noisy buzz.


    Then, a familiar voice came from the tape: "They''re using old Wilkins'' route for the shipments from nt Nine, the one that goes through East District''s three main streets. Their volume is toorge, so the delivery point is set up in an underground club. If you need it, I can talk to him..." - Valley.


    "Are you worried about this? You don''t have to be. As far as I know, the underground chemical nt in West District is also Falcone''s..."


    Hearing this, Gordon''s finger shook and he immediately turned off the tape recorder. He said to the other people in the room, "For your safety, you haven''t heard anything, got it?"


    The young subordinates immediately covered their ears, nodded, and then left. After they were gone, Gordon stared at Schiller. Schiller said to Gordon, "Officer, I want to report this. Someone has been eavesdropping on my privacy and recording it."


    "What kind of privacy is this? You..."


    "Then you can just broadcast this recording through the police station."


    "You want to destroy the Gotham police station, just say it."


    Gordon took a deep breath. He sat down first and then made a gesture for Schiller to sit down too. He said in a soothing tone, "Okay, okay, I''m not saying it was you who killed Sheldon. But you should at least exin to me what''s going on."


    "I''ll say it again, I didn''t kill the guy."


    Schiller sat down and took another sip of coffee. "You should know that there are cameras inside Gotham University, right? Our principal Sheldon, who was in his office every day, observed what was happening on campus through the cameras."


    "Even the phone calls I answered in the public area were recorded, but I really didn''t know he was recording them," Schiller shook his head and said, "I have to say, as an outsider, he really is brave."


    Gordon let out the breath he was holding and then said, "It seems like he really was silenced..."


    "This is the crime scene." Gordon brought over a stack of photos and said, "ording to our investigation, Sheldon was pushed off the building. The balcony railing on the eighth floor of his office was low. He was probably pushed when he was standing in front of it, and then fell down."


    "ording to the on-site investigation, when he was pushed down, he should have been facing away from that person. That is to say, he is likely to know the murderer and did not have any defenses against the murderer. He was pushed down while speaking to the murderer with his back turned."


    "So, it was someone he knew whomitted the crime. The method used was far from Gotham style and did not involve the use of assault rifles, shotguns, or even handguns."


    "That''s why Victor and I became suspects, right? Because the two of us knew Sheldon quite well and we were outsiders who are not familiar with using guns and are not strong enough."


    "Now your suspicion is even greater than Victor''s because he heard some insider information from you. You have a reason to silence him..."


    At this moment, a loud noise came from the center of the police station hall, apanied by shouting and cursing. Gordon immediately stood up, and a police officer rushed in, saying, "Chief Gordon, something happened!"


    "Don''t panic, what happened?" Gordon stood up and turned to ask him. The police officer said loudly, "Winnie at the front desk and Bert on duty suddenly went crazy! Other people are trying to stop them..."


    "Crazy?" Gordon immediately thought of something. He turned around and opened the iron door of the interrogation room, letting Schiller out, and then hurriedly rushed to the front hall.


    When they arrived at the front hall, the crazy people had already been subdued, but they were still struggling and growling. Gordon wanted to go over, but another police officer stopped him and said, "Don''t go over there. They are crazy. I was almost bitten!"


    "What happened? Why did it suddenly..."


    "Who knows? I was chatting with Winnie, and we talked about this year''s Easter arrangement. Suddenly, she started twitching, then violently tilted her head back and started smashing the counter with her arms. She even threw the chairs out. Bert on the other side also went crazy..." a police officer who was holding Winnie said.


    Gordon wanted to walk to the counter to check, but Schiller sniffed and pulled Gordon back, saying, "Don''t go over there. Evacuate everyone, send the patients to the hospital, and look for gas masks in your weapons depot. There may be a problem..."


    "You mean..." Gordon paused for a moment and shouted, "Everyone, retreat! Leave this room! Go to an open area and stay away from here!"


    When everyone had left, Schiller walked in alone. His steps were too fast, and Gordon didn''t stop him.


    When Schiller approached the counter, he noticed some eggshell fragments scattered on the ground, still colorful.


    Gordon was standing outside the room, waving at Schiller repeatedly. After Schiller looked around for a moment, he walked out and said to Gordon, "It must be a problem with the Easter eggs."


    "Eggs? I think Winnie mentioned that she saw a beautiful egg." another female police officer said.


    "Do you remember the incident where the students at Gotham University got sick together?"


    Schiller narrowed his eyes, took out his mobile phone, and called his colleague Anna, "Hello...Yes, I want to ask, have you distributed those Easter eggs you bought to the students yet?"


    "Oh, you don''t remember who you gave them to? Can you give me a list? Okay, thank you..."


    Then he called Victor and asked, "Have you distributed the Easter eggs you made to the students?...You have? Do you remember who you gave them to? Can you give me a list?"


    Schiller exined to Gordon, "On the eve of Easter, Principal Sheldon suddenly provided a lot of materials for making eggs and asked the professors to make Easter eggs to give to the students."


    "My colleague Anna and I found it too troublesome, so we bought ready-made eggs from outside. Now both types of eggs have been given to the students. I asked them for a list of students who received the eggs, and we canpare it to find out which type of eggs is problematic..."

 Chapter 168: The Long Easter (8)

    Chapter 168: The Long Easter (8)


    At the Gotham police station, Schiller looked thoughtfully at two lists while Gordon approached him, seeing several rows of names on them, with a few circled in red.


    "These are the students who fell ill?"


    "That''s right."


    "So which batch of Easter eggs went wrong? Was it those bought outside or those sent out by the Gotham school principal?"


    "That''s the problem. It was my colleagues who bought the batch of Easter eggs outside, and over seventy percent of the students who received these eggs suddenly fell ill."


    "So, that means..." Gordon picked up the phone and said to the other end of the line, "Find out how many Easter eggs are currently circting in the Gotham market and tell them to quickly figure out how to recall this batch of eggs. They are likely to be a batch of biochemical weapons that can drive people insane."


    Gordon''s tone was very serious. Just the thought that there might be hundreds or thousands of biochemical weapons that could drive people insane circting in Gotham''s market gave him a headache.


    "There may be some connection here." Gordon took a deep breath to calm himself down, then said, "A batch of Easter eggs that can drive people insane has appeared on the market. At the same time, the Gotham University principal sent out regr eggs, asking the professors to make them themselves. What does this mean? Does he know in advance that the eggs sold outside might have problems?"


    "Perhaps, but you should mobilize personnel to recall these eggs from the market first," Schiller yawned. He was getting tired and said, "I''m going back to rest for a while. I haven''t slept for two nights for those students who fell ill.""If you think I have a suspicion of murdering Sheldon, thene and arrest me after finding the real evidence," Schiller said, then turned around and left. Gordon did not stop him. Obviously, there were more important things now than the murder case of the Gotham school principal.


    Once these eggs spread, it would be more terrifying than flooding Gotham. Who knows how many crazy people would take to the streets and kill? Gordon thought he had to stop all of this.


    After Schiller returned to the Manor, he originally wanted to take a shower and go to bed, but as soon as he came out of the bathroom, he heard the mailbox bell downstairs ring. He went downstairs and found something had been ced inside the mailbox.


    He opened the mailbox door and found a box inside. When he opened the box, there was a colorful Easter egg inside.


    As soon as he took the egg out of the box, it "bang" exploded, and the shell flew around. A burst of unknown gas filled the air. Schiller asked himself, "Is this the same substance as the one in the patient''s blood?"


    "It''s the same," the mist replied.


    Then Schiller noticed that what exploded was not just the eggshell, but also a small note that was slowly drifting down. He reached out and grabbed the note, which read:


    "Happy Easter - the Holiday Killer."


    Schiller narrowed his eyes. The Holiday Killer? Wasn''t that a character from the long Halloweenic?


    But that guy was the Halloween killer. Why would the Holiday Killere out on Easter? And shouldn''t a killer be killing people instead of delivering insane Easter eggs? More importantly, why was it delivered to him?


    When Batman arrived at Schiller Manor, he found Schiller painting colors on a goose egg. Schiller was so focused on his painting that even when Batman deliberately made a little noise, he didn''t notice.


    Batman had to cough to get his attention. Schiller turned around and nced at him, saying, "Do you need something? If not, please don''t disturb me while I''m creating."


    Batman looked at the egg Schiller was painting. It had a big ck smiley face in the middle, but the brush strokes were so rough that the smile looked strange.


    Obviously, apart from theck of technique and artistic value, this haphazard process couldn''t be called creation.


    "Did you receive the Easter egg from the so-called Holiday Killer?" Batman asked.


    "It''s because I received his egg that I decided to give him one back." Schiller picked up the egg he was painting and examined it. "I think mine is much better than his."


    "Some gang bosses and upper-ss people in Gotham received the Easter egg, went crazy, and were subdued and sent to a mental hospital."


    "Did you receive it too?"


    "Bruce Wayne did."


    "Are you not nning to give him something in return?"


    "Instead of that, I''m more interested in knowing what kind of substance can drive people crazy."


    "It seems that you already have some spection."


    "I think it''s simr to the fear gas we encountered before."


    Schiller shook his head. "The symptoms are indeed simr, but there are differences."


    "Do you think they are not the same thing?"


    "That''s right. Just because the external symptoms are simr, it doesn''t prove that it''s caused by the same pathogen. At least in my opinion, it shouldn''t be fear gas."


    What Schiller didn''t tell Batman was that he had already ruled out the possibility of fear gas, because he was the one who used fear gas the most, even more than the inventor Scarecrow.


    He had used fear gas to deal with many people in Hell''s Kitchen before, and he was more familiar with the symptoms that fear gas could cause.


    Although the symptoms of this case were somewhat simr to those of people who had inhaled fear gas, they were not exactly the same, and no traces of fear gas were found in their bodies.


    "The suspicion of the Court of Owls cannot be ruled out, as they have not beenpletely eliminated," concluded Batman.


    "What do you n to do?" Schiller asked him.


    "He must have a purpose for doing these things. If he wants to kill them, there should be better ways."


    "Many people have not been affected," Batman continued. "The gang bosses are not so careless, and they won''t open strange packages. Many people also don''t have the leisure to buy Easter eggs. If he wants to kill people using this method, it''s the least efficient way."


    "This seems more like a warning, right? It''s like he''s saying, ''I''m going to cause trouble, starting on Easter, three days from now.''"


    "He should be killing on Easter, otherwise he wouldn''t call himself the Holiday Killer. The only question now is, who is his target and what is his purpose?"


    "Perhaps many seemingly unrted things can provide some clues."


    "Such as?"


    "Such as Sheldon''s death. You know better than Gordon that it wasn''t me who did it. If he really offended someone, or knew some important information that needed to be silenced, it shouldn''t have happened at this critical juncture."


    "The entire Gotham City is undergoing major reconstruction," Schiller sighed. "Even if gangs have a big grudge against him, they wouldn''t act at this time. Besides theck of manpower, assassinations at this time are likely to offend others who are focused on construction and cause a lot of rumors."


    Schiller took a list from the other side of the table and handed it to Batman, saying, "This is an important clue. Before Easter, Sheldon distributed materials to many professors to make Easter eggs by themselves and give them to students, instead of buying them on the market."


    "Later events proved that there were problems with the Easter eggs circting in the market, so Sheldon probably knew about this problem in advance."


    "Perhaps it involved his own interests. Sheldon prevented the logistics department from purchasing ready-made eggs from the market, but instead asked the professors to make them themselves. He wanted to avoid those problematic eggs."


    "So, how did he know the news in advance? Could it be rted to his death?"


    "I thought you wouldn''t care about this." Batman looked at Schiller and said.


    "Anyway, the Easter egg that the holiday killer sent me is the first gift I received on Easter. I want to give him one in return."


    "I think this clue should be enough for you to find something. If you find out where the holiday killer is hiding, then please bring my gift to him."


    Schiller picked up the egg and handed it to Batman. Batman looked at the rough smiley face and squinted.


    At the same time, Evans and Copperpot were chatting in a hospital room. Evans sighed and said, "The Gotham church had already been renovated, but now the foundation has cracked and it may have to be rebuilt entirely. Even the old Father who had been stationed there has left. I have nowhere to go this weekend."


    "I didn''t expect you to be a devout believer," Copperpot said to Evans.


    "Of course," Evans said a bit frustrated. "Our principal advanced the Easter schedule, and I thought it was good because I could go to the church and pray on the evening of the festival. You know, Easter is about celebrating the new life of Jesus, and prayer and ceremony are very important."


    "But now this happened," Evans said helplessly, spreading his hands. "First, it rained all day, floods broke out, Gotham was hit by an ice storm, and various roads cracked and buildings were destroyed."


    "Just when things got a little better, there was a murder case at Gotham University. The case is still under investigation, and a holiday killer appeared out of nowhere, driving several gang bosses crazy..."


    "This year''s Easter is really long..." Evans sighed.


    "Anyway, Easter is in three days," Copperpot said while lying in his hospital bed. "I have to go back to take care of my mother. Yesterday, when I went home, I wanted to send her to the hospital, but she refused and insisted on going back to our old house instead of living in the new apartment."


    "Elders are always like that," Evans empathized. "My father is the same. Sometimes I feel like he is good to me, but other times, I feel like he is too old-fashioned and strict."


    "The Godfather can tolerate you learning all sorts of nonsense. That''s already pretty good," Copperpot said to Evans. "Which heir of a gang spends their days singing and dancing, without even practicing their shooting skills?"


    Evans shrugged and said, "I can actually feel that my father doesn''t like me being so idle, but he still indulges me. I don''t know why..."


    Then he hesitated and said, "I still remember that my father and my brother had a bad rtionship. Maybe it was because my father had too high expectations of him."


    "I was young then, but I vaguely remember that they argued fiercely."


    "Afterwards, my brother died, and my father no longer allowed anyone to mention his name."


    Evans sighed and said, "There are even many people who don''t know that The Godfather had another son, named Alberto Falcone."

 Chapter 169: The Long Easter (9)

    Chapter 169: The Long Easter (9)


    On a windless cold night in Gotham, the air around the grand Church seemed to have condensed into a transparent ice block. The cold moonlight projected onto the statue of Jesus through the top window, dragging out a long cross-shaped shadow on the cold-colored tiles.


    In the middle of the cross was a huge crack in the old Church floor, like an abyss, splitting the shadow of the suffering Jesus.


    A faint light shone through the crack, as if something was floating underneath, and two different figures were seen in the two directions pointed by the cross on the ground.


    On the left, Batman''s face was solemn, his muscles tense, and although he still stood straight, it was apparent that he was ready to strike.


    Opposite him stood Evans, half-kneeling on the ground, bowing his head, his expression unclear under the faint moonlight.


    In mid-air, clouds as thin as gauze drifted past the moon, and the moonlight projected through the window became like plucked strings, flickering on and off.


    A shadow covered Batman, and the blue patterns in his eyes, visible between his mask, turned into pointers of varying lengths. With the moonlight dimming again, the hour hand went back half a circle, everything returning to ten hours ago.


    Copperpot stood in front of the cab in the old house, watching his mother rummage through a pile of dusty old things. Copperpot walked to his mother''s side and tried to grab her arm to help her up.


    But Mrs. Copperpot waved her arm and pushed her son away. Copperpot was a little helpless and asked, "Mom, what exactly are you looking for? We''ve searched through all the cabs in the house."Behind Copperpot was a room full of clutter, not only in the center of the living room, but also at the entrance to the bedroom, piled up with all sorts of rotten and broken things.


    "I''m looking for an umbre, an umbre! It''s raining, and we need an umbre..."


    Copperpot picked up the umbre next to him and handed it to his mother, but Mrs. Copperpot seemed to ignore him and continued to rummage through the lower cabs.


    From nightfall to daybreak, and from daybreak to nightfall, Mrs. Copperpot kept searching until she was exhausted and had to rest. Only then did Copperpot have time to tidy up these old things.


    In recent days, Mrs. Copperpot''s condition had improved somewhat and she was no longer as prone to aggression, but in contrast, she had be increasingly entric. Every day, she would search through the clutter in the house, and Copperpot was unable to stop her, so he could only follow her to clean up.


    He was half-kneeling on the ground, supporting his body with one knee, and picking up the clutter around him and putting it back into the cab.


    This cab located below the bookshelf contains mostly old Copperpot''s collection, such as picture frames and candlesticks. These things are not valuable, but Mrs. Copperpot will take them out and polish them when she is sober to remember Copperpot''s father.


    Copperpot wanted to put thest picture frame back on the top shelf of the cab, but when he tried to put it in, he found that something was blocking it, preventing the frame from fully fitting in and the cab door from closing.


    Thinking that something was not aligned from before, Copperpot reached in to adjust it. However, he discovered an envelope-like object deep in the cab.


    Copperpot took out the envelope and found that the back of it was covered in dust. In the dim light of the living room, he used his finger to wipe off the dust and discovered a line of beautiful calligraphy: "To Copperpot..."


    Copperpot frowned. He was sure he had never received such a letter before, and no one would send such a solemn letter to a destitute poor boy like him.


    The envelope was made of delicate stationery, with clear English handwriting and no signs of ink smudging.


    Copperpot turned the letter over and found that the wax seal on it had already been broken. The seal on the wax was somewhat familiar to Copperpot.


    He opened the envelope and took out the letter inside, which had a familiar signature: "Carmine Falcone."


    This was an invitation from the old Godfather.


    The text on it was very short, inviting Copperpot to attend a funeral. The writer was Carmine Falcone, and the funeral was held at the Gotham Church.


    Copperpot scanned the invitation up and down and found that it was indeed the handwriting of the old Godfather. But what was special was the small line of words below the main text of the funeral invitation: "Please be sure to attend, otherwise I will personallye to greet you."


    Copperpot''s eyes widened. He had not forgotten his father, who died attending the funeral of the Godfather''s eldest son in the rain.


    But this invitation made him feel very strange.


    Generally, few people would write such a formal invitation for a funeral, let alone the deceased''s biological father.


    Copperpot had seen the handwriting of the old Godfather before, and he could tell that Falcone''s handwriting on this invitation was very steady and fluent, not like that of an old man who had just lost his eldest son.


    Moreover, the small print made people doubt, it was clearly a threat. Who would force someone to attend a funeral?


    Copperpot vaguely remembered that the day after his father returned from the funeral, he had a high fever. He was burning up, barely conscious, lying in bed, and couldn''t even speak aplete sentence. The doctor said it was pneumonia, but before they could take him to the hospital, he died. Copperpot didn''t get anyst words from his father, so he had no idea what had happened at the funeral he had attended.


    But this invitation letter made Copperpot very suspicious.


    He also recalled his conversation with Evans. Copperpot was very good at using words to move people''s hearts and obtain information. During his conversation with Evans, he had also tried to inquire about The Godfather, the mysterious eldest son. However, he didn''t get any useful information from Evans.


    Copperpot crouched in front of the cab and began to calcte. Based on the avable information, he deduced that Evans should have been born before Alberto''s death. Although their age difference was still unclear, Alberto and Evans should have lived together for a period of time.


    What puzzled Copperpot was that Evans'' description of his own brother was always very abstract, and there were many contradictions. For example, he had mentioned that Alberto was a very hardworking and ambitious person, and a genius with exceptional talent. He was the natural sessor to The Godfather, but he always said that Alberto was frustrated because he couldn''tplete The Godfather''s mission. In Evans'' description, the most mentioned thing was Alberto''s quarrel with The Godfather.


    The invitation letter that Copperpot identally discovered at home rekindled his doubts about his father''s death. With this doubt in mind, when he returned to his hospital room at Arkham Mental Hospital, he began to guide Evans to remember more information in his daily conversations.


    "Last time you said you wanted to join the college basketball team. You must have been ying basketball since you were a kid, right? To be honest..."


    Copperpoty on the hospital bed, changed his posture, and said with longing in his tone, "I envy families with many children like yours. Brothers are natural ymates. The brothers who live on the street corner of my house are like that. I often see them ying ser in the alley. Your brother should have yed basketball with you, right?"


    "He..." Evans subconsciously wanted to answer, but as if the words were stuck in his throat, he stopped. Evans sat on the bed and stared nkly. Copperpot asked him, "What''s wrong with you?"


    "It''s nothing..." Evans shook his head and said, "I just can''t remember. I remember that my rtionship with my brother was very good, and we should have yed together, but I can''t remember anything specific."


    "I''m sorry to be presumptuous, but yesterday I found an invitation letter at home. It''s from The Godfather inviting my father to attend your brother''s funeral. You must have attended your brother''s funeral, right?"


    "Funeral?" Evans muttered the word and then sat on the bed in a daze without answering. After a while, he said, "I seem to...sorry, but my childhood memories are not very clear, I don''t remember what happened back then."


    Evans sighed and said, "Lately, my emotions have been bad, I often have dreams, and it may affect my memory."


    "The church in Gotham is temporarily inessible, and I can''t go to pray. This makes me feel anxious, and I haven''t seen the old Father for a long time. Usually, I like to confide in him."


    Evans looked very sad, and Copperpot said to him, "Do you want to try writing him a letter?"


    Evans shook his head and said, "The big church in Gotham is in bad shape, and a big hole has opened up in the ground. It will take a long time to repair, and it''s a bit dangerous to work on. The old Father moved away from there, and I don''t know where he lives now."


    "But you are The Godfather''s son. If someone goes to inquire, they should be able to find out, right?"


    Evans thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don''t really want to bother Father. After all, he rarely gets a holiday."


    "But Easter is such an important holiday. He can''t preach to the believers in the church, and he must feel very lonely. If you had a good rtionship before, why not go and apany him?"


    Evans pondered for a moment and said, "You make a good point. I''ll have someone go and look for him. If I can find him, I can also invite him to Falcone Manor for Easter."


    "Your rtionship with The Godfather..."


    "It''s not as bad as you think," Evans sighed slightly and said, "The Godfather is not worried about my ambition, he is more worried that I don''t have any ambition."


    "I don''t know why, but whenever I''m facing him, especially when we''re discussing something seriously, I always feel impatient. I feel like I urgently want to say something to him, but I can''t find the words."


    "I always behave very biased when I''m facing him, even though I don''t act like that when I''m interacting with my ssmates and teachers."


    "Before I was hospitalized, this situation became more and more serious. We almost argued several times, and I suspected that I might have some psychological problems, so I went to see Professor Schiller."


    "So, you came here because of this?"


    Evans nodded and then said, "Now it seems that I might not be sick, but I just think too much and have poor emotional control."


    "If medical means cannot alleviate your emotions, you can also try seeking help from faith." Copperpot said to Evans, "Although I don''t believe in God, if you are a devout believer, perhaps everything will get better on Easter?"


    "I hope so."


    As the moonlight outside the window became darker, Copperpot heard Evans praying softly, and the sound echoed in the empty hospital room, making people drowsy.

 Chapter 170: The Long Easter (10)

    Chapter 170: The Long Easter (10)


    Batman is currently on the rooftop of a building in the West District, following the clues of the Easter egg hunt.


    The holiday killer didn''t leave any specific clues about the Easter egg he gave to the Gang leader, but he shouldn''t have given it to Bruce Wayne.


    The area around Wayne Manor is full of cameras set up by Batman, and two of the cameras located at the front gate captured a figure.


    It was a newspaper delivery boy who traveled back and forth between the South District and East District. This kind of newspaper boy often travels between the wealthy southern district and the printing factory, and hardly anyone notices their presence.


    The camera did not capture the newspaper boy''s face, but it did capture his clothing. Finally, Batman found him at a newspaper printing factory in the East District.


    This newspaper boy didn''t know much information, he only told Batman that someone had paid them to deliver the Easter egg.


    This kind of work ismon among newspaper boys. They often have a fixed gathering point, and some people who need errands done will go to their gathering point to hire them to deliver things to others.


    These newspaper boys are very familiar with Gotham''s terrain and routes, and for the convenience of the people of Gotham, it is amon practice not to make things difficult for these errand boys. So many people like to hire them to deliver food, keys, or beer.


    Batman came to the gathering point of the newspaper boys, and the children described the appearance of the holiday killer, but it was not useful. They don''t care who the client is when they take the job, as long as it is not a dangerous item that could be robbed. They take any job, and there are too many peopleing every day to remember specific appearances.However, one of the more clever newspaper boys provided an important clue. He said he smelled a chemical agent on the person who hired them, which was a bit like gunpowder.


    Following this clue, Batman investigated all the chemical factories in Gotham City.


    There are actually many chemical factories in Gotham City, but they need to be divided intorge and small ones. After experiencing floods and freezing disasters, most small chemical factories have stopped production, and only a few production lines can continue to operate.


    There are only four or five chemical factories that can operate normally, and the investigation didn''t take Batman too much time. In the end, he locked his gaze on a chemical factory in the West District.


    This chemical factory is located underground in the West District. It is notrge in scale and has very few production lines. Their assembly line is not advanced, and the products they produce are not important. In theory, they should have closed down along with other small chemical factories.


    After the disaster, almost all of Gotham''s underground structures were destroyed, and this underground chemical factory was almost buried. The building was severely damaged, and more than half of it copsed. Most of the production lines were paralyzed, but even so, there were still signs of people nearby.


    What kind of goods need to be produced at this time?


    Batman picked the lock of the back door and walked in along the door gap. He put on his night vision goggles and saw chaos inside the chemical factory.


    The southeast corner had copsed, with debris and broken walls all over the floor. Many boxes were crushed under the wall, and some slime flowed out. The night vision goggles couldn''t see what the slime was, so he walked closer.


    Soon, Batman smelled a stench. He approached and found that all of the boxes were smashed eggs. The egg yolk and egg white flowed all over the floor, and no one had cleaned it up. It was about to ferment, emitting a strong smell.


    Further away, some boxes were not affected. Batman walked over and saw that they were processed eggshells.


    Easter eggs are not painted directly on raw eggs. The eggs selected as Easter egg materials must be processed. If they are not emptied, they also need to be soaked in chemicals to make the surface suitable for painting. If they are emptied, other methods must be used to maintain the hardness of the eggshell.


    It seems that there are both types of Easter egg materials stored here, but some of the unemptied eggs have been crushed by the copsed wall.


    Batman walked up and picked up an eggshell. This eggshell had been processed but had not yet been painted. He took several of these eggshells back to Wayne Manor forparison.


    Several different Easter eggs were ced on theb table. The first was the one the holiday killer sent to Bruce, which Batman didn''t touch, so it didn''t explode and still maintained its shape.


    The other one was the one Schiller gave him, the smiling Easter egg he drew himself, and the other was the unpainted Easter eggshell that Batman brought back from the warehouse.


    It is very obvious that the first and third Easter eggs are almost identical, whether it is the size and shape of the goose egg or the processing method, they arepletely consistent.


    In contrast, Schiller obviously just randomly found a goose egg, which doesn''t even look like a farm-raised goose egg, but more like a swan egg taken from a nest.


    It is too small, obviously not suitable in size, hasn''t been processed in any way, and was directly painted without any treatment. The surface of the eggshell is too smooth to hold the paint, so the smiling face on it looks somewhat distorted.


    That is to say, these Easter eggs that were given to Gang Boss and upper-ss people were from the West District chemical nt.


    "West District Chemical nt..." Batman muttered softly, he suddenly paused, then left Wayne Manor quickly and drove the Batmobile to Gotham Police Station.


    Gordon had just finished a busy day and was about to go home when he heard a noise behind him in the corner of the wall. Without even looking, he said, "What''s up, Batman?"


    "Last time''s tape..."


    "Tape? Oh, you mean the one with Schiller''s phone records? It''s in the evidence room, but the staff there has already gone home..."


    Before Gordon could finish his words, Batman had already disappeared. Gordon shook his head, thinking that it wasn''t a bad idea to let that dangerous thing be kept by this strange man, so that no one would be curious enough to listen to it someday.


    Batman came to a dark evidence room, found the tape, and put it into the recorder. After a rustling noise, Schiller''s voice rang out again, "Their cargo from the No.9 ntation is following the route of Old Wilkin, passing through three streets in the East District..."


    Batman twisted the button on the recorder and fast-forwarded a bit, "Are you worried about this? You don''t have to be, as far as I know, that underground chemical nt in the West District is also Falcone''s industry...after The Godfather handed it over to Evans, they started shipping goods through Elizabeth Street, butter, it was closed for a long time due to poor management. You don''t have to worry about The Godfather caring about such a small profit..."


    "Chemical nt? Evans? Evans Falcone..." Batman''s voice echoed in the dark room.


    Just then, Batman''s phone rang sharply. When he answered it, Copperpot''s voice came through, "Evans!! It''s Evans!! He has a knife...he wants to kill me...no, he''s not...cough...hurry, hurry to Gotham Cathedral and stop him..."


    Batman looked up and saw the bright moon hanging high in the sky outside the window.


    When Batman arrived at the Gotham Cathedral, it seemed like Evans was already waiting for him.


    Evans stood at the crack in the center of the Cathedral, watching the shimmering light inside the crack. Batman smelled a dizzying scent, like highly evaporated alcohol.


    Hended from the window and stood in front of Evans, who ignored him and instead knelt on the ground, staring straight at the crack.


    "Who are you?" Batman asked.


    "Who am I? Don''t you recognize me? I''m your ssmate..."


    "You''re not Evans."


    The person opposite let out a coldugh and said, "Don''t mention that name to me. He''s just a fake. I am the real Falcone."


    "Are you his alter ego?"


    "No, he is my alter ego."


    The man opposite stood up, his blond hair bing somewhat eerie under the moonlight. He showed a cold expression that Evans had never shown before and said, "I said, I am Falcone, Alberto Falcone."


    "Then you''re his alter ego."


    Alberto became a little irritated. He frowned, squinted his eyes, and his green eyes contained anger. His voice was very low, soundingpletely different from Evans.


    "I have always been Alberto!"


    "Isn''t Alberto already dead?"


    "Heh... that farce back then really fooled a lot of people." Alberto said with a coldugh, "Am I dead? Of course not, only a fool reced me."


    "It seems like this is going to be a long story, but it doesn''t matter..." Batman pulled out a batarang from his waist and said, "Tonight is Easter night, it should be a long night, you can think slowly."


    "You''re the holiday killer, aren''t you?"


    "Yes, I..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Batman threw something at Alberto. Alberto quickly dodged to the side, and then turned his head to see that it was a broken Easter egg.


    "Damn it, are you ying with me?"


    "No. This is an Easter gift from someone to you, but it''s broken now because you didn''t catch it. It has nothing to do with me."


    "Don''t try to distract me with these tricks. My goal has already been achieved, and no one can stop me."


    "Is that so? You call yourself the holiday killer, but you didn''t kill anyone on Easter. The only person you killed was Principal Sheldon, and your methods were rough and full of ws."


    When Batman spoke in that calm and steady tone, it always infuriated people.


    "Do you think you''re so clever? Wearing a tight suit and pretending to be a superhero?"


    "But at least I found you. Oh, no...it wasn''t me who found you, it was that inconspicuous Copperpot."


    When Copperpot was mentioned, Alberto seemed really angry. He said, "That damn kid, he almost ruined my n..."


    "So, did you make a mistake? Faced with a short and weak poor boy, the first person you wanted to kill on Easter, and under the best preparations, you still couldn''t kill him."


    "I didn''t even want to kill him. If it wasn''t for him giving those stupid ideas to Evans, I wouldn''t haveid a hand on him. He''spletely unimportant!"


    "So that''s why I said your technique is rough, with many ws that anyone can see. Copperpot is a dangerous person."


    "Yeah..." Alberto let out a coldugh. "A pitiful little guy who lost his father. He doesn''t know that his father''s death was no coincidence."


    Then, as if venting something, he said, "Funeral? Yeah, I died. Many people attended my funeral."


    He looked up at the window above the great Church. Moonlight poured in like a curtain, gently enveloping the image of Jesus, the suffering son who shed his blood for traitors. On this cold night full of suffering, only the moonlight was willing to clothe him.


    "But tonight, I will be resurrected, and I will live forever."

 Chapter 171: The Long Easter (End)

    Chapter 171: The Long Easter (End)


    "My father is a tyrant, a dictator who does not allow anyone to question him. I worked hard to meet his demands and be the perfect heir, but he still distrusts me and refuses to tell me anything."


    "I know he''s been ruling the Gotham underworld for so many years not just because of his abilities and intelligence. I know that..."


    "He''s not the true king of Gotham. There''s someone else controlling Gotham behind the scenes, a mysterious and powerful organization."


    Batman silently looked at Alberto, whose facial muscles hadpletely changed, like a stranger that Batman had never seen before. Alberto''s tone was filled with resentment and indignation, emotions that Batman had never heard in Evans'' voice before.


    "But in Evans'' mouth, The Godfather is not like that."


    "Him? What does he know? Yes... he''s Carmine''s perfect son. Carmine made him because he thought I wasn''t perfect enough..."


    "So what really happened to you?"


    Alberto snorted and looked down at the crack in the church, but there was no response he wanted. So, as if killing time, he said to Batman, "I identally learned that Gotham is a city that cannot be saved. People who don''t belong here will eventually leave."


    "All of this is because of a powerful organization controlling Gotham in secret, making the city turn to their will.""The Godfather? He''s just a survivor barely hanging on. He never ruled Gotham. He failed in his fight against this power, and it was this mysterious organization that let him be The Godfather."


    "In a quarrel with him, he identally revealed clues about this organization. I secretly investigated, but found nothing. However, I identally came into contact with their followers."


    "It was a great dark force that I had never seen before..." Alberto''s tone began to reveal fanaticism as he said, "His wings have always sheltered this city, and we will all worship him..."


    "So, you joined this organization?"


    "No, no..." Alberto said nervously, "They won''t let me join. I don''t understand..."


    In his manic muttering, Batman seemed to see a group of ck owls standing behind him, snickering and whispering in Alberto''s ear, "You''re the descendant of a rebel... you must atone for your bloodline... go, go..."


    Alberto half knelt down on the ground again, trembling all over. His voice became muffled, with both resentment and fear. He said, "They gave me a knife, a hard and sharp knife, and I used it to stab..."


    Alberto''s tone began to be painful, as if everything he was talking about was different from what he remembered.


    "You want to kill your father?" Batman asked.


    "No, I didn''t... I just want to redeem myself, I want..."


    "You did want to kill him, but you failed in the end, right?"


    Alberto''s tone became full of dissatisfaction and resentment. "Carmine was obviously prepared for me, I was toote to act!"


    "Then he killed you and created Evans?"


    "Not him, it was that..." Alberto paused for a moment and said with some difficulty, "It was that Father. They are together, they know everything..."


    "It seems that it was indeed a farce. Falcone''s eldest son didn''t really die, he just changed his identity."


    "But I''m a little puzzled. How could this deceive everyone? You look exactly the same, the same age. Someone must recognize you, right?"


    But as soon as he finished speaking, Batman reacted and said, "The funeral?"


    "...Yes, Carmine invited everyone who had seen me before to attend my funeral. Then they all died, including the father of that little Copperpot."


    "Has nothing to do with the umbre?" Batman muttered to himself.


    Alberto sneered and said, "It seems that you know a lot."


    "It''s just the opposite. It has everything to do with the umbre. Do you think Carmine doesn''t know anything about them? You''re wrong... no one knows them better than The Godfather, but he never says anything."


    "Carmine took advantage of a loophole. He tampered with a batch of umbre materials so that the umbres couldn''t be delivered on time. Then on a rainy day, he called everyone out, and then they all died."


    "He imed that idiot was my younger brother, who lived abroad with our mother since childhood, so he reced me and became the youngest son of The Godfather."


    "For a long time, I was indeed dead, only Evans existed."


    "He became a devout believer, often running to Church to pray, but he didn''t know that it was Carmine who made the move to make me disappearpletely."


    "That Father has a power beyond ordinary people. I don''t know what it is... but he seems to be able to influence people''s minds."


    "Every time Evanses into contact with him, his personality bes more stable, and Alberto slowly dissipates."


    "But fortunately..." Alberto smiled and said, "In this disaster, the Church was destroyed, and that Father had to leave. Evans hasn''t prayed to him for a long time."


    "So you came back to life?"


    "At first, I couldn''t control this body''s movements independently, only a vague consciousness. But I am the true owner of this body. Soon, I could control this body when Evans was asleep."


    "I had something to do, so I managed to control Sheldon without letting anyone find out."


    "But in the end, you killed him. Why?"


    "He was a selfish idiot, short-sighted, only concerned about immediate benefits. I wanted to use his position to gather Gotham University students at the Easter party and create an egg explosion. Those special eggs were also prepared for these students."


    "But that stupid principal thought it would harm his reputation, so he didn''t use the eggs I gave him. So I had to change my n and sell them to various grocery stores or give them to those gang leaders."


    "Why did you do this? Just to cause trouble?"


    "I was conducting an experiment."


    Alberto''s answer surprised Batman, but he instinctively thought of a question and asked, "What is the substance that can make people crazy in those eggs?"


    "It''s the Lazarus Pit."


    "Lazarus... what?"


    "That''s something that can make people immortal, make them never die, do you understand?"


    Batman didn''t say anything for a moment, he looked at Alberto as if he was looking at a fool. Alberto felt his gaze and spoke angrily, "You don''t understand at all!! This is what the great Power needs to survive! I''ve been investigating for a long time..."


    He took a deep breath, then calmed down and said, "My contact with them has not been in vain. I know that what they rely on to train those powerful assassins is something called ''Fine Wine''.


    "Fine Wine? What''s that?"


    "In their records, this factor has properties simr to wine. It can make people crazy with intoxication, and also make them immortal."


    "They use this factor to create powerful assassins, and I firmly believe that this is the greatness of Him, a gift and reward to humanity. And I, I will receive this reward..."


    "Give up your strange and ridiculous theories. There is nothing in this world that can make people immortal."


    Alberto showed a crazy smile, his gaze fell on the crack in the center of the great Church, where a faint green light was visible. He said, "Thank that Father, thank that fool Evans, I noticed something different about the Church..."


    Batman also looked over there and said, "Don''t tell me, this thing is underground in the Church."


    "After the Church was damaged, this precious Fine Wine leaked out of the crack. I collected some of it. ording to the records of that mysterious organization, Fine Wine must mature before it can be consumed, but I don''t know how long it takes to mature."


    "For this reason, I must do an experiment to get the answer. I diluted them and made them into a spray, which I put into Easter eggs."


    "Undeveloped Fine Wine will make people go crazy, but it doesn''t matter... I got the answer I wanted."


    Alberto took a deep breath, half kneeling, and leaned close to the crack, staring at the light in the crack. He said, "Fine Wine needs to ferment and age, and tonight, it will mature. As long as I can obtain the purest Fine Wine, I can live forever..."


    Then he looked up at the crucifixion statue of Jesus in front of the Church, his voice trembling as he said, "Just like Jesus, I will resurrect tonight and return to heaven, bing a god. Those who caused me suffering will pay the price..."


    "Don''t dream." Batman''s cold tone interrupted Alberto''s reverie. He said, "First of all, I think this so-called fine wine is a scam. Secondly, I won''t give you a chance to get it."


    "You can''t stop me!" Alberto saw the green light bing brighter and a strong scent of alcohol emanating from it in the increasingly bright moonlight.


    He rushed forward like crazy, trying to jump into the crack.


    First, a gunshot hit his shoulder, causing Alberto to fall backward from the recoil. Then, two darts hit his knees, making him lose the ability to move.


    Albertoy on the ground, as if subdued, but Batman was still cautious and did not approach him directly. Instead, he went around the crack and came up behind Alberto.


    Just as he was about to approach Alberto, he saw a triumphant smile appear on Alberto.


    Batman immediately retreated. A loud explosion sounded under Alberto, and in an instant, the floor of the Church exploded, expanding the long crack into arge hole. In the midst of the dust, the entire floor of the Church ceased to exist.


    Batman stood on the edge of the copse and looked down. He saw that the ground under the Church had be arge swimming pool filled with an unknown green liquid. The liquid emitted a faint light and had a smell like high-proof alcohol. Even inhaling a little bit made people feel dizzy.


    Batman took a few steps back, shook his head, and felt a little better after a gust of cold wind blew by. Since thest fire, Batman had added a gas mask to his mask. He pulled down his face mask to cover his mouth and nose, then walked up and looked down at the green pool.


    He did not see Alberto''s figure, but Batman remembered that when the explosion happened, Alberto fell with the copsing floor of the Church and should have fallen into this green pool.


    This liquid is too strange. Batman dare not handle it recklessly, and he doesn''t have the right salvaging tools at hand. Just as he was about to turn around and leave to prepare the tools, he heard "gulu gulu" bubblesing from behind.


    Batman turned around and saw the glowing green pool with a series of bubbles floating on the surface, as if something was blowing underneath.


    Immediately, a pale hand stretched out from the edge of the sink. The cold moonlight of Gotham shone on the back of the hand, and the bones and blood vessels on it protruded like a corpse that had been stored for many years.


    The moonlight became brighter, the wind lighter, and the air around therge church was condensed into a block of ice. In this freezing atmosphere, the Jesus on the cross affected by the explosion copsed with a bang and shattered into several pieces.


    In this long Easter, Jesus did not rise from the dead but diedpletely.


    Instead, the eternal nightmare of Gotham resurrected in madness¡ª


    "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

 Chapter 172: The Night of the Clowns Resurrection (1)

    Chapter 172: The Night of the Clowns Resurrection (1)


    "Father, you''vee."


    Schiller stood up from his seat and greeted him with a handshake. Father looked up and took in the theater, saying with emotion, "It''s been a long time since I''ve been here. I never thought someone would invite me here again."


    Following Schiller, he sat in the front row closest to the stage. Another person had arrived earlier and was sitting in the innermost seat, The Godfather Falcone.


    He turned to Father and said, "Do you remember? In our time, this ce was magnificent. My favorite opera back then was La Traviata."


    "And I still prefer Aida. Back then, both of these ys were all the rage, and this ce was always packed. You couldn''t even buy a ticket," Father reminisced.


    The three of them sat in the empty, dpidated theater. The thickyer of dust had turned the curtain into a dark red color, and the gold thread had lost its shine. Even the light bulbs along the edge of the stage were mostly not lit.


    "But I still like today''s y better. What should we call it?" Schiller turned to the two men. Falcone held a cigar, and as the fire flickered, he exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Easter, how does that sound?"


    "I think calling it ''The Joker Resurrection'' would be more appropriate."


    "Why? The Joker? Are you talking about the kind of clown from the circus? There was a circus that performed at the Gotham Theater, but that was a long time ago," Falcone said.Schiller shook his head but didn''t answer.


    "I invited you both here to hear your stories," he said.


    Falcone sighed, and the old Godfather said, "Let Daniel exin it to you."


    Falcone and Schiller both looked at the old Father sitting in the middle.


    Old Father smiled and said, "I was once a member of the Court of Owls, but that was a long time ago."


    Old Father Daniel''s voice was filled with nostalgia. "As I said before, when I came to thisnd, it was vibrant. I was kind to people and had some reputation in the gang. Many people were willing to give me face."


    "Then, those birds came to me. They were not as powerful as they are today, but they told me they were willing to share with me the secret of eternal life. I was very interested and joined them."


    Old Father leaned back on his chair, looking up at the moonlight streaming through the window above the stage. His voice carried through the moonlight and spread far away.


    "At that time, they were not yet assassins, but rather a gathering of the privileged. However,ter on, they discovered something very special in Gotham."


    "Is it ''fine wine''?"


    "That''s right. They found that in the underground of Gotham, there is a mysterious water source that smells like fine wine, which makes people intoxicated. Moreover, those who smell this aroma have their wounds healed and even be younger."


    "Immortality and eternal life, such wonderful words that no one can resist such temptation. So, the Court of Owlsunched a n to excavate and decipher the secret of this water source, and use it to obtain true immortality."


    "It''s called the ''Fountain n''."


    "But at that time, the n did not go smoothly. The people who took the risk of drinking this liquid went insane. In the end, they had no choice but to seek a religious perspective to decipher it, and they turned to me."


    "I knew from the beginning that they just wanted to use me, but it doesn''t matter. I also wanted to use them."


    Father drew a cross on his chest and said, "At that time, I felt that I was upholding the will of the Lord and wanted to save thisnd with His glory. If it couldn''t be done in a conventional way, then it could be done in a different way. The Lord will forgive me."


    "They used that group of European nobles to help me build a church right on top of the water source. Afterwards, the Court of Owls killed them."


    "The manor where you live now is what they left behind."


    "So they didn''t move away, but were killed?"


    "That''s right. The Court of Owls lied and said they left, but in fact, no one who did not participate in building the church could leave here alive. The Court of Owls would not let the secret of immortality have any exposure risk."


    "So, I moved into the church and guarded it, watching the people of Gothame and go, generation after generation."


    "You always talk without getting to the point," Falcone flicked his cigar, "this isn''t a sermon at the church."


    "Don''t say that, your Excellency The Godfather. Today is Easter, let''s have some patience about it," Schiller gestured to continue, and old Father nodded with a smile.


    "Later, I deciphered some secrets of the fine wine and used it to gain special abilities."


    "So, you noticed my uniqueness when I first went to church?"


    Old Father shook his head and said, "Actually, my ability is not as powerful as you think. Maybe it was before, but now that I am old, without being in the church and standing above the wine pool, I am just an ordinary old man."


    "But at that time, it was true. When you first came to church, in my tipsy state, I saw something different, so I suggested to Falcone to have him hire you to solve his son''s problem."


    Schiller squinted his eyes and looked at the stage. As the old curtains slowly opened, old Father stood in the center of the stage with the Jesus crucifixion statue of the grand church behind him and a wine pool rippling at his feet.


    He stood in the center of the church, and the scent of fine wine in the air made him slightly intoxicated. In old The Godfather''s blurred vision, Schiller walked in, just merging with the setting sun that was setting.


    The light of the golden sun burned their eyes, and after the light disappeared, Schiller''s back left a shadow of a sun, but it was the deepest ck after the sunset.


    Schiller smiled and lowered his head, "Actually, I have always been a bit curious about why Falcone invited me, a dangerous criminal, to be your son''s tutor. After all, anyone who sees my resume would not want me to have contact with their offspring."


    "Are you talking about your pursuit of the serial killer? Even without Daniel''s rmendation, I don''t care about this kind of thing. It ismon in Gotham to have all kinds of lunatics. I would rather have a lunatic than a fool."


    "Let''s talk about Evans. To be honest, when he came to me, I was a bit worried about him because I could clearly feel that he was not right," said Father Daniel.


    Falcone sighed and said, "I think you should have noticed that he has two personalities."


    "To be honest," Schiller looked at Father Daniel and said, "Before this, that is, before Evans came to me, I had no idea that he had a second personality. How did you manage to do that?"


    "Because at that time, Alberto did die, and there was only Evans. Of course, you wouldn''t have felt anything. The personality you feltter was the resurrected Alberto."


    "Do you think Alberto was the primary personality?" The Godfather had just asked this question and then answered himself, "No, Evans is the primary personality. He is my son."


    The Godfather sighed again. He felt like he had been sighing too muchtely, but he continued, "When Evans was six years old, his mother died, and I was immersed in the grief of losing my beloved. I neglected to take care of him."


    "One night, he sneaked out to y by himself, and when he came back, he wasn''t himself anymore."


    "...Was it the Court of Owls?"


    "How do you think the Court of Owls developed into what it is today?" Falcone retorted. "Just based on their cultish theories? Not everyone falls for that."


    "They seduce the descendants of some influential people, erase their personalities and memories, and then create a more extreme personality that will eventually pledge allegiance to them."


    "That''s Alberto, then?"


    "Yes, my child disappeared and became a pawn of the Court of Owls. But unlike those ignorant fools, I won''t mistake this change for my child''s rebellious phase."


    "That''s theirmon tactic. No parent would suspect that their child has been reced. They would only think that the changes in their child are due to aging."


    "The Court of Owls has a major w," Falcone took another puff of his cigar and said, "They created a perfect personality, a perfect candidate to be The Godfather."


    "I can understand what they wanted to do. They prepared a perfect heir for me. As long as he takes over The Godfather''s position, Falcone and the Twelve Families will be theirs. They are very confident that Alberto will satisfy me."


    "But it''s precisely this point that makes me extremely suspicious, because before this, Evans was more like his mother than me."


    "Sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn''t it?" The Godfather moved his fingers and said, "At that time, I also thought I was crazy to suspect that my biological son had been reced by someone else..."


    "When he raised his knife to stab me, I finally gave up."


    "I was in great pain but couldn''t find any evidence. From a scientific point of view, I couldn''t exin this. So I could only turn to faith for help."


    Then Father Daniel''s voice came, "When Carmine came to the Church, I saw a distraught father. When he told me about his pain, I didn''t think it was a joke."


    Daniel sighed, his tone somewhat guilty, and said, "The method of memory erasure and personality recementes from the underground water source of the Church. That''s the method I found. In order to achieve my goal, I handed over this method to the court."


    "But after seeing Carmine, I knew. My approach was terribly wrong."


    "All those arguments about joining the court to spread the glory of God were just excuses for me to be tempted by eternal life."


    "When a desperate father stood before me..." Daniel''s voice began to tremble, and he said, "Father saw his son nailed to the cross, blood flowing everywhere, and I became an aplice, a Judas holding a money bag..."


    "I knew it couldn''t go on like this. I had to stop it."


    "So you used the same method to erase Alberto''s personality and bring back Evans'' personality?"


    "Wine has another use, and that is resurrection. I didn''t just bring back Evans'' personality, I resurrected him."


    "So..."


    "Alberto was also resurrected in the same way."


    "Remember the water source n I mentioned earlier?" Father Daniel turned to look at Schiller and said, "This n is more than that."


    "In these years, the Court of Owls has used polluted drinking water or rainwater to let many people''s blood flow with very diluted wine."


    "A few days ago, those heavy rains awakened them."


    "Why did they choose tounch the water source n at this time? Although some people went crazy in that heavy rain, the number was far from enough to shake this city."


    "They must have another n."


    "Another question, what happened at that funeral? If it''s just a personality recement, there''s no need to make such a big fuss, right?"


    "That was my idea. I know the Court of Owls very well and know how they control this city. They have a special metal that can resist the effects of wine." Father Daniel said.


    "I suggest Carmine interferes with their transportation of raw materials and makes it impossible for that batch of goods to arrive on time, so many people won''t get the umbre''s effect."


    "Are you trying to deceive the court?"


    "No, we know that the idea of forging a brother''s identity can only fool ordinary people and not the Court of Owls."


    "I''m just warning them." Carmine held a cigar and said, "I know their tricks and I''m not afraid to kill. If they have to push us step by step, then we will fight to the end."


    "If they dare to touch my son again, I will make Gotham a ghost town."


    In the tone of The Godfather, Schiller heard the fierceness of the underground king of Gotham in its heyday and the determination of a father.

 Chapter 173: The Night of the Clowns Resurrection (2)

    Chapter 173: The Night of the Clowns Resurrection (2)


    "So, Father saw something different in me and rmended me to The Godfather, to hire me as Evans'' private tutor. Actually, they wanted me to solve Evans'' problem?"


    "I and Carmine can''t be sure if the Court of Owls is still watching Evans. But now it seems that our vignce was not wrong. They still see Evans as a key figure in the water source n."


    Father Daniel sighed and said, "This generation of the Court of Owls is far inferior to the previous one. They are too eager and have left too many ws. I have lived in that church for decades and know every brick and tile there."


    "The freezing of Gotham is not enough to crack the ground of the church that much. They are just controlling Alberto to test whether the wine is really mature."


    "It seems that our attack on the Court of Owls with Batman didn''t make them behave."


    "That move was actually very effective." Father Daniel paused and said, "I should say it was the most effective in decades."


    "But it''s still not enough. Remember when I told you before, Falcone and I didn''t know the answer? That was not our perfunctory words."


    "The Court of Owls may be an important pawn, but it''s not everything, not even the king and queen."


    "Falcone and I have spent our whole lives and have never glimpsed the truth behind this darkness."Falcone shook his head too. The light of his cigar gradually extinguished, and the old theater appeared even darker. He said, "I said I didn''t find them, didn''t wait for the opportunity. That''s the truth. There must be something else behind the Court of Owls."


    "If the real mastermind has always existed, then no matter how many Court of Owls we kill, it will be useless."


    "I see the possibility of finding the real culprit in you and Batman." Falcone turned to Schiller, his eyes sunk in the shadow of his eye sockets, appearing dim and unclear. He said, "So, I want to establish a secret society, but the fundamental purpose of the society is not to deal with the Court of Owls, but to deal with the kind of darkness behind him or simr organizations."


    Schiller leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He said with some emotion, "I know, it''s impossible for anyone who has lived in Gotham for decades to have no guess about this, but I didn''t expect you to be so persistent."


    "We don''t care where youe from or what kind of secrets you carry." Father Daniel turned to Schiller, his eyes not as sharp as Falcone''s, but always with a calm and kindness. He said, "If you, or anyone else, can find the truth one day, please don''t forget--"


    "There have been many people who have worked hard for this city, and the vast majority of them have not seeded. Those who do not belong to Gotham will eventually leave here."


    "Awyer friend of mine once told me that in this world, you don''t have to reach the finish line to win."


    "Alright, we''ve finished telling our stories, now it''s your turn," Father Daniel said with a smile as he looked towards the stage. "Our y is called ''Easter'', but you named your y ''The Clown Returns'', is there any special meaning behind that? Can you tell us?"


    "The thing underground in the Gotham church isn''t called the Wine Cer, the substance inside is called the Dionysian factor. It can indeed make people immortal," Schiller said, shocking Falcone and Daniel. Schiller paused for a moment before continuing, "But it''s not a cure, it''s a poison, the deadliest poison in the world."


    "He can create the craziest lunatics in the world. I prefer to call it ''the blood of the lunatics''," Schiller added.


    "From the way you speak, it seems like you know a lot about it," Falcone said.


    "There''s not just one ce in the world that has this kind of thing," Schiller replied.


    "I almost forgot about your background. You''ve encountered this substance in other ces before? You told me before that you werepletely confident in ensuring Evans'' safety, I hope you''re not lying to me," Falcone said.


    "Of course not, Your Godfathership. Don''t worry, we have to go back to when Evans came to me," Schiller said.


    "When he came to me for help, he seemed very troubled about his rtionship with his father. At that time, Alberto was about to be resurrected, so I gave him some advice and suggested that he find a way to hide in a mental hospital."


    "Although I told him it was to show a conciliatory attitude and ease the rtionship between father and son, it was actually because I wanted to observe him for the long term. I needed more concrete evidence," Schiller exined.


    "Did you sense something was wrong at that time?" Falcone asked.


    "I had a hunch, but no evidence. Evans was not behaving abnormally at that time, but my intuition told me that something was off," Schiller replied.


    "So, I had hime to the Arkham Asylum where I worked and shared a room with a clever guy. After those few heavy rains, his behavior should have been obvious, right?" Schiller added.


    "Yes..." Schiller''s voice gradually fell into a reminiscence as the three of them looked towards the stage.


    In dark hospital room, moonlight filtered through the window and scattered on the floor. The metal handrails of the bed shimmered faintly. Schiller stood in front of Evans'' bed, staring at him, seemingly sensing his emotions.


    Falcone asked Schiller, "So, after you were certain of this, what did you do?"


    "In fact, I didn''t do anything because I knew he would show a w, and sure enough, he did."


    The old curtain on the theater stage closed and opened again, causing a cloud of dust to rise. The scene on stage transformed into Shelden''s office.


    Schiller crouched in front of Shelden''s desk, forcefully pulling out the bottom drawer, which was filled with maic tapes.


    "What''s that?" Father Daniel asked curiously.


    "It''s recordings of him eavesdropping on my phone conversations. He''s already dead, so these recordings are useless. It''s better for me to take them back."


    Sitting on the closest chair to the stage, lights in the office reflected in Schiller''s sses again. Then he stood up from Shelden''s desk, took a tape recorder from the cab, found a nk tape, and recorded his own voice onto it.


    "Their number nine ntation''s goods are transported through Old Wilkin''s route, which passes through three streets in the East District. Their cargo is toorge, so the delivery point is located in an underground nightclub. If you need it, I can talk to him..."


    "Are you worried about this? You don''t have to be. As far as I know, the underground chemical factory in the West District is also Falcone''s..."


    Then Schiller crouched down again and put the tape in the side of the top drawer.


    Upon hearing his name, Falcone smiled and said, "Don''t tell me you want to use this trick to scare off the police?"


    "Quite the opposite. The police may be scared off by The Godfather''s name, but there''s one person who won''t be. I''m providing him with a clue, and it''s worth the trouble."


    Schiller stared at the stage and said, "I waited a long time for Alberto to finally show his w. Maybe he was dissatisfied with Shelden''s indecisiveness, or he felt he had the upper hand and wanted to silence him."


    "Alberto probably made an excuse to speak with Shelden alone, and then pushed him down the stairs during the conversation."


    "But he didn''t do enough. If I hadn''t tailed him, not only Batman, even the police would have found something."


    On stage, Victor opened the corridor window and looked down to see Shelden''s body. He hurriedly ran down to it.


    But if he had looked up, he would have seen Schiller''s busy figure.


    "In fact, he did one thing right. He made Shelden call Victor toe early, and then timed it just right so that Victor became a witness and caught suspicion, confusing the police''s sight."


    "I didn''t know Victor woulde then. If I had known, I wouldn''t have gone back to the mental hospital. I would have waited next to the administrative building."


    "The mental hospital is far from Gotham University. How did you make a round trip in a few minutes?"


    "That''s not important."


    Seeing Schiller''s unwillingness to answer, Falcone did not ask again.


    "After the police summons, I had to propose another possibility to confuse the police''s sight, so that they wouldn''t cause any more trouble. After all, the next stage should be Batman''s."


    "When the patients went crazy, did you guess that it was the effect of wine?"


    "No." Schiller denied this point and said, "Actually, I didn''t dare to conclude before I personally came into contact with this substance."


    "But Alberto sent me an Easter egg and I confirmed that the substance was the same as that in the patients'' blood. Then I knew what it was."


    "So what did you do?"


    Schiller shrugged and said casually, "I sent him an Easter gift."


    The moonlight from the theater window fell on the old curtains. As the curtains slowly closed and then opened again, the stage gradually erged. A strong scent of wine emanated from the Gotham Church.


    Batman looked left and right, and heard the crazy howlinging from the nearby dark alley, as if singing for a new life ceremony.


    After that crazyughter, Batman saw a figure crawling out of the green pool with a crazy smile, like an evil ghost just born from hell.


    Batman''s muscles tensed. He knew that the explosion just now was strong enough to kill Alberto, and now that he had crawled out of the pool again, it indicated that there must be something wrong with the green pool, and what was born inside might be a monster.


    Alberto, who crawled out of the pool, had wet blond hair sticking to his forehead. He looked pale, grinned, and his green eyes werepletely invaded by madness.


    Batman took out his batarang again and loaded his handgun. He was obviously ready to face a fierce battle, but the development of the situation still exceeded his expectations.


    After that strong smell of alcohol spread, countless crazyughter rang out in the streets and alleys around the church. Then one after another, crazy figures converged here.


    Batman looked left and right, there were at least hundreds of people, and each one was like Alberto, with a crazy smile on their faces, approaching him like walking dead.


    "I told you." Alberto''s voice became extremely hoarse, as if sawing wood with a de, "I am resurrected and will live forever..."


    Just as Batman silently stared at him, another familiar voice sounded behind him.


    "Do you have any special feelings, Batman?"


    Batman turned his head and, as expected, saw Schiller Rodriguez standing behind him, the psychology professor who insisted on calling himself an ordinary person.


    Batman took a deep breath and said, "Don''t tell me this is you again..."


    "You have to answer my question first. What do you think of him?" Schiller asked.


    Batman turned back and looked at Alberto, then said, "What about him?"


    "Um... do you remember hisughter?"


    "No, what does that mean?"


    "It seems he is not the person you are looking for," Schiller said regretfully, walking up to Batman''s side.


    "What?" Batman turned to look at Schiller and he continued, "If you feel nothing when facing him, then he is not the destined opponent for you."


    "Batman," Schiller''s tone lowered, "If one day, the sound of maniacalughter echoes in your mind, then you''ve found the right person."


    "And this..." Schiller looked at Alberto and said, "He broke my Easter gift, now, beat him up."

 Chapter 174: The Night of the Clowns Resurrection (3)

    Chapter 174: The Night of the Clowns Resurrection (3)


    Batman surveyed his surroundings and turned to Schiller, asking, "Do you think I can take him now?"


    As a tactical master, Batman was not blindly confident. He saw hundreds of crazed individuals drawn by the smell of alcohol, and infected madmen closing in on him from all sides.


    As the Dionysianfactor continued to spread, there were also restless soundsing from the distant buildings. It was clear that more people had been infected.


    "I said you could do it if you can," Schiller shrugged and said, "This is just a simtion test. If you fail, be prepared to be beaten by the official examiner."


    "I feel like you''re implying something," Batman replied, before throwing two bat darts at Alberto. He knew he had to attract the attention of these crazies. If he withdrew, these monsters would rush into Gotham, causing countless tragedies. So, even though he knew that retreat was the best tactic, he couldn''t leave.


    Alberto dodged the bat darts andughed maniacally before attacking Batman, and the two began to fight.


    On the other side, Schiller had already entered the Church and stood at the edge of the green pool, looking at the liquid inside. He muttered to himself, "This guy who fell into the Dionysianfactor... Was it in a chemical factory? Or a circus? Or could it be..."


    Then he continued with a bit of confusion, "Batman didn''t choose him after all. I thought..."


    At this moment, a person wearing a bird mask emerged from behind his Jesus statue base and said, "It''s you, you''ve been interfering with us."Schiller raised an eyebrow and said, "Don''t disturb my thinking."


    "You will pay the price for opposing the Court of Owls," the person in the bird mask warned.


    Schiller seemed a little impatient and said, "What, haven''t yourpanions'' fate made you more restrained yet?"


    "Are you talking about those idiots you trapped? Me and them are not the same..."


    "I''m talking about those who drowned in their own excrement."


    The person across from him choked, seemingly disgusted by his own involuntary association. He said, "How dare you mention that despicable trap!"


    "That''s still better than your stupid and unimaginative ns. Water supply n? Do you have any other dumb ideas? Firestarter n?"


    "Stupid n?!" The person across from him raised his voice and said, "Look, we''ve created a real immortal crazy person using fine wine! He will be Gotham''s eternal nightmare! Look outside..."


    Outside the Church, Batman was in a fierce battle, as the first batch of infected crazies had already surrounded him. He was now in the midst of being beaten by dozens of people, and his superior martial arts skills had not gained him much advantage. He had already suffered some injuries.


    "What you have created doesn''t matter. What matters is that Batman didn''t choose him."


    "What are you talking about? Haven''t you realized yet? The toxin has already boiled! It will spread throughout Gotham city! What you''ve done is useless! This city will eventually fall into madness..."


    Schiller looked at Alberto, who was being attacked by a group of people, and sighed, "If I were Batman, I wouldn''t choose him either."


    The bird-masked man on the opposite side continued talking to himself, "This is the greatest achievement of the water source n! The eternal nightmare of Gotham! As long as he exists, destruction and chaos will never stop! He will drag the entire city into the abyss!"


    "Well, how should I put it..."


    "Your form is correct, but you used the wrong values."


    Then Schiller sighed again and said, "No one can control Batman, let alone his opponents, not even the Court of Owls."


    "Batman? You mean the stray dog ??outside that''s about to be beaten to death?"


    "I advise you to save him now, or it will be toote."


    "Are you threatening me? That''s so clich¨¦..."


    "No, of course not."


    The bird-masked man stared at him and asked, "Are you still in the mood to y games? In less than ten hours, half of Gotham City will be infected with madness. Do you understand how terrifying that situation is?"


    "That''s not the scary part. You don''t understand. The real terror is not the zombie siege..."


    Schiller sighed and seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation with the other person. He disappeared in front of the person and reappeared on the rooftop of the Church''s bell tower. Then he finished the sentence he didn''t finish earlier, "The real terror is...the resurrection of the Joker."


    Downstairs, the situation was bing increasingly unfavorable for Batman as he was outnumbered. He couldn''t gain the upper hand in this bitter fight, and more importantly, these madmen didn''t care about anything. Some methods used to interfere with the opponent were useless, and they still screamed and pounced even if their eyes were hit by Batarangs.


    Batman had never faced such a fearless opponent before, and he paid the price for hisck of experience.


    He felt fresh blood seeping into his eyes from his forehead, which made his vision turn blood red. He had taken a hit to his shin from a brick and was now experiencing intense pain in his ankle, causing him to kneel down on the ground. Following that were a flurry of punches and weapons raining down on him like raindrops. His brain was filled with chaotic noises, as if all his internal organs had shifted out of ce.


    Batman copsed, gasping for breath.


    Through his blurred vision, he saw a sh of bright light on the street in front of the church. He saw countless legs surrounding him like a dense forest, and beyond the forest, a beam of intense light shining in, melting away the dark tree trunks.


    In a daze, he saw that it was the high beams of a truck. Along with the screamsing from afar, a huge truck charged into the crowd, sending countless people flying and stopping right in front of Batman.


    Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, Batman looked up and saw a ghastly white face and a sinister smile on the driver.


    Suddenly, an endless fear rose in his heart, and the ck tide in his mind began to surge. Lying on the ground, he saw a familiar night sky in the flickering light and shadow, as if a group of bats he was familiar with were flying past.


    He seemed to have turned back into the helpless little Bruce, blood dripping from his forehead and sttering on the ground like a string of blood-red pearls.


    He heard a burst ofughter, not as loud or piercing as before, but rather low and gentle, as if ringing in his heart, driving Batman crazy with the desire to get up and see who it was.


    Alberto turned to look at the truck, and the driver of the truck, wearing work clothes, opened the door andughed softly, his shoulders shaking as if he was admiring his own masterpiece.


    Theughter didn''t sound crazy at all, but even carried a bit of childlike innocence, as if when he was a child, he had overturned toy soldiers with his toy truck, reveling in the malice that only belonged to children.


    Alberto and the other lunatics were stunned for a moment, then began to attack the unfamiliar intruder.


    To their surprise, the truck driver screamed in panic, as if he had just realized what was happening. He ran out of the street, hiding behind the wall of a building, peeking out from the corner as if he was curious about what was happening here.


    Alberto lowered his head, intending to continue attacking Batman who had fallen.


    Then, the truck exploded.


    A violent roar rose, mes sshing, and the entire Church, along with the street in front of it, turned into ruins in an instant.


    Only a small part of Church survived, which was further away from the street. Schiller''s figure appeared again on the top of the tower there.


    A figure limped out from the other side of the street. Obviously, he was also affected. His face was covered in blood, and his legs were injured, but he ran excitedly towards the center of the explosion.


    When he arrived, he looked around dazedly, seeming not to find what he was looking for. Suddenly, a figure appeared not far from him. Schiller reached out and pointed to the right, saying, "Batman was just blown away over there."


    The truck driver took a look at Schiller, blinked, and seemed to be confused about how Schiller appeared there.


    Ignoring him, Schiller said to himself, "The person I''m looking for... let me see... oh, here he is. How did he fly so far?"


    "That''s because I made a huge, huge, huge, huge bomb!" A burst of chuckles apanied a hoarse voice.


    "Well, this bomb is really powerful, and you have solved the problem from a physical perspective," Schiller said perfunctorily.


    The truck driver stared at him and asked, "Are you saying that I''m too rough? How can you say that?"


    "I advise you to hurry up and find Batman, or he will die soon."


    The man suddenly realized and hurriedly limped towards the direction Schiller pointed.


    Schiller bypassed the Church gate and found Alberto at a ruin across the street. He walked over, holding his arm, gloatingly asking, "The wine god factor only makes you not die, but it doesn''t make you feel no pain. How do you feel, Falcone?"


    Then his tone gradually turned cold, and he said, "Or should I call you w, the member of the Court of Owls, Alberto?"


    Schiller turned his head and saw the person wearing a bird mask lying on the ground, also covered in blood and about to die.


    Schiller continued gloatingly, "I told you that terrible things would happen, but you didn''t listen. You had no way to escape, yet you dared to approach the center of the battlefield. I don''t know whether to praise your bravery or say that you''re stupid."


    As the only one standing unscathed on the battlefield, Schiller activated his merciless taunting mode and mimicked the words of the Court of Owls member, "Look there, that''s your great creation for the water source n!"


    "Well, that''s not entirely urate. He wasn''t created by you, and he doesn''t listen to you at all," the Court of Owls member replied, either angered or choking on his words.


    Schiller then turned to Alberto and said, "If Batman had chosen you, maybe things would be different, but unfortunately, he didn''t."


    "Not just him, nobody chose you, including me."


    Despite the fact that Alberto had superhuman recovery abilities due to the Dionysium Factor, he quickly regained consciousness from his near-death state and had a bad premonition.


    He suddenly realized that he had lost control of his body.


    He looked at Schiller in horror and saw that a gray mist was emanating from his eyes. Alberto grasped his own neck and said, "No, no!!!"


    Schiller muttered to himself, "This is indeed my Easter gift to you..."


    A strand of gray mist, tinged with a faint green light, floated out of Alberto''s eyes, and then Schiller took a jar and caught the mist, closing the lid.


    "Happy Easter, Evans."


    The blond youth lost consciousness and fell to the ground.


    Schiller held the jar and approached the Court of Owls member, shaking it in front of him and saying, "Thank you for helping me extract the pure Dionysium Factor."


    Thest thing the Court of Owls member saw before dying was Schiller''s spine-chilling smile.

 Chapter 175: The Phantom of the Opera (1)

    Chapter 175: The Phantom of the Opera (1)


    Gordon ced his coffee cup on the table, making a crisp sound as the bottom of the cup collided with the surface. He sighed and pulled out his chair, but as soon as he sat down, he heard the old TV next to him suddenly emit a loud noise, causing him to jump up from his chair in fright.


    Originally, the TV was ying a regr TV drama, but suddenly the screen turned to static and a huge noise came from it. The screen shed and a person with pale skin, green hair, and a terrifying clown makeup appeared on the screen.


    The Joker''s smiling face made him look like he was alwaysughing, but he was actually making a sobbing sound while wiping his eyes with his arm. He said in a hoarse voice, "This is a missing person announcement from Sad Jack, my good friend Batman is missing..."


    His voice sounded like a piece of wood that had been burned by fire, dry and rough. Suddenly, he stopped performing and stared straight at the camera. His mouth curled down fiercely, but his makeup remained that strange smile, making him look very distorted.


    "...I''ll find him, even though he just insulted me." He said with a dark face. When he stopped smiling, a terrifying atmosphere filled the air.


    Schiller was in a hospital room at Arkham Mental Hospital, watching the TV on the wall.


    The Joker suddenly made a sad expression and said, "I''m a homeless and pitiful person. After the road cracked, the truck drivers lost their jobs, and I still have a bank loan to repay, sob..."


    He suddenly covered his face and started crying. Then the sobbing sound became sharper and turned into a crazyughter. He tilted his head back and opened his mouth, and the sharpughter spread throughout every corner of Gotham.


    "You thought I would say that?!!" He shouted frantically, "That doesn''t matter!! What matters is the Bat! You idiots!!"He hugged the camera, his pale face infinitely magnified in front of the lens. He seemed to be looking for something through the lens, constantly bringing his eyes closer.


    "When did I first see him? Let me think, let me think..."


    "Oh!" The Joker suddenly yelled, leaning back and then straightening up. His hair was thrown to his forehead, and his eyes were covered by the shadow of the hair. He randomly pushed aside his hair and slowly raised the corners of his mouth. His expression became gentle but even more strange.


    "I smashed a thug to death with a hammer, and his head exploded like a watermelon, just like this - bang!"


    "Then hispanion shouted, ''The Bat wille! The Bat wille!''" The Joker puckered his lips and imitated the tone of a distressed cry.


    "The Bat? Hahaha, a bat that doesn''t kill people..."


    "How could there be such a person? I think these gangsters actually believe that Gotham has a savior! Hahaha..."


    "I deliberately blew up buildings, smashed other people''s heads, or made them run out and call for help... but the Bat just wouldn''te! He refused toe and see me! My savior wouldn''te..."


    The Joker covered his face with both hands, slowly sliding down, his fingers pulling his pale skin down, revealing the blood-red muscles under his eyelids.


    "And now I know why..." He suddenly grabbed the camera like crazy and shouted, "Because he thinks I''m a killer trained by you idiots!! He thinks I''m no different from the crazies on the street! He... sob sob... thinks I''m just an ordinary madman... sob sob sob..."


    "How can an ordinary person... sob... be friends with the great Batman..."


    While crying and wiping his tears with his arms, the Joker said sadly, "When I went to save him... he actually thought I was a killer from the Court of Owls..."


    Suddenly, he straightened his chest, took a deep breath, and let the air fill his lungs. He grabbed the camera and roared loudly, "He thinks I''m mediocre!!! Thinks I''m no different!!! It''s all your fault!!"


    "You created so many crazies!!! You made Batman think I''m just a mental patient like everyone else!! He can''t see me! He won''t join my game..."


    He was almost hoarse, as if he was screaming. Everyone in front of the TV could feel his anger and sadness.


    Suddenly, he calmed down and looked straight at the camera, saying, "You have a n, and I have one too. I''ll prove to you that I''m Batman''s friend, that I''m different..."


    "I call this n..."


    "The Owl''s Misfortune! Hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha!"


    Apanied by a crazyughter echoing in the sky, a lightning bolt streaked across the sky, and it started raining in Gotham again.


    The TV turned into static again, and Schiller stood up, took out the remote control, turned off the TV on the hospital room wall, and threw the remote control down. He turned to Batman lying on the bed and asked, "How about it? Feeling better?"


    Batman tightly pursed his lips and remained silent. Schiller gloated and said, "This is what happens when you don''t listen to advice. I''ve told you not to use that ominous name. Now look, you''re split in half, aren''t you?"


    Evans on the bedside shouted, "That has nothing to do with him!"


    His voice was a little dry, but still full of energy. The factor of the wine god in his body healed all his injuries, even the scars left before were gone.


    However, Batman next to him was not doing well, still hanging a drip, and obviously injured badly. He couldn''t get up smoothly until now.


    "Who is that madman?" Batman asked in confusion. "I was blown up and when I woke up, I saw himughing at me in front of me."


    "I thought he was a w sent by the Court of Owls, so I used the anesthetic spray on my arm on him, but he didn''t react at all."


    "I asked him if he was sent by the Court of Owls to kill me, and he started screaming and smashing things, then he squatted on the ground and cried."


    "He punched me and I spit out two mouthfuls of blood. Then he apologized frantically and ran out, saying he would find a doctor for me."


    "I saved you while he was out." Schiller shrugged.


    "Did he just say that he had caused many cases before?" Batman frowned and said in a deep voice. "I always thought he was the same as those who went crazy because of the rain."


    "But now I remember that a few weeks ago, I went out on patrol and encountered three explosions in one night. Even in Gotham, this frequency is abnormal."


    "He just wanted to be friends with you, but you didn''t see him at all."


    "There are too many crazy people in Gotham." Batman''s mouth turned down, looking indifferent and serious. "Why should I distinguish what''s different about them? I have no interest in walking into the hearts of crazy people."


    Schiller walked to the middle of the two beds, pulled up a chair, and turned to Evans, asking him, "I have exined everything to you before. That''s what happened."


    Evans'' sadness was obvious, and he said, "I know nothing. I have been kept in the dark all along. I..."


    He covered his eyes in pain and said, "I remember that my rtionship with my brother was very good. I could even remember his smile. But when I try to remember carefully, I can''t recall anything."


    "Human memory has a protective mechanism. When your personality resurrects, too many memory gaps and inconsistencies may cause your personality to copse again."


    "At this time, the self-repair function of the mind will work, and it will embellish many important things to fill the gaps in your memory and spiritual trauma."


    "I don''t think he is like that. He is not..."


    Suddenly, Schiller reached out and pressed Evans'' forehead, causing his body to fall back onto the bed and his head to fall back on the pillow. Evans convulsed for a while, and when he woke up again, his eyes were different.


    "You should be able to see Evans'' performance, right? Alberto?"


    He remained silent. Although he looked exactly like Evans, when Alberto appeared, all of his facial muscles seemed to be different.


    "I told Evans before, and you should have heard it. You are actually the personality created by the Court of Owls brainwashing n, the killer they trained."


    Alberto sneered and said, "Did you really think I was loyal to them? If I didn''t show fanaticism, how could they use me toplete that n? How could I get the chance to live forever?"


    "You only pursue eternal life?"


    "Revenge... and revenge." Evans'' nose twitched, making him look very fierce.


    "If what you said is true, that I am the personality created by the Court of Owls, then they have made a huge mistake."


    "They shouldn''t have shaped me as another Godfather, shouldn''t have made me so much like my father, shouldn''t have turned me into a real Falcone. There is no Falcone in this world who is willing to be manipted by anyone."


    Schiller leaned his body to one side and leaned against the armrest of the chair. He said with great interest, "Actually, I also thought it was strange at the time. The behavior pattern they set for you and the thinking they set for you were conflicting."


    "They want you to be loyal to the Court of Owls, but also to be the perfect sessor to The Godfather, to be just like the old Godfather."


    "But the old Godfather could never be a fanatic follower of some mysterious organization. He only believes in himself and the power he holds in his hands."


    "So, were you pretending from the beginning?"


    Alberto shook his head and said, "No, I did switch sides to the Court of Owls, but not because I worship them, but because I wanted to revenge against my father."


    "I couldn''t figure out the reason before, but when you told Evans truth, I understood."


    "I understood why I couldn''t feel any affection from him, why he didn''t trust me."


    "He never saw me as his son."


    Alberto''s voice became lower and lower. "Maybe it was to make me y the role of Falcone''s sessor well. The Court of Owls didn''t give me any truth, so I thought I really was Falcone''s son."


    "But he wasn''t a good father. He looked at me with malice in every nce and action..."


    "...he wanted to kill me." Alberto''s voice trembled.


    "Can you imagine?" Alberto''s voice began to sound crazy. "Your father sees you as a monster every moment, struggling every day whether to kill you or not..."


    "I had no idea why." Alberto said in pain. "I thought I was his son. I didn''t understand why he didn''t trust me, even hated me. I was driven crazy by that hidden malice. I had to kill him! I had to take revenge on him!"


    As Alberto spoke, Schiller seemed to see it. In a thunderous and rainy night in Falcone Manor, young Alberto faced the towering Falcone. Falcone held him, seeming to worry that he was frightened by the thunder. He held Alberto in his arms.


    But his eyes, facing away from Alberto, were full of deep hatred and madness. Young Alberto was held in his father''s arms, looking out at the rainy night, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness, but not because of the thunder thatsted all night.

 Chapter 176: The Phantom of the Opera (2)

    Chapter 176: The Phantom of the Opera (2)


    "Although the process isplicated, the summary is that the Court of Owls does not care about anyone."


    "They forged your personality, but didn''t tell you the truth, making you think you were really Falcone''s son."


    "But Falcone felt that his son had been reced, and you were a monster they gave him, so he hated you."


    "Falcone lost his son, and you lost your father, it was truly a tragedy."


    "But there is only one innocent person in this story..."


    Alberto lowered his eyelids and said self-deprecatingly, "When Evans was sober, I could see everything he saw and had his memories, but he couldn''t see mine, so he doesn''t know anything, he even thinks he has a brother and misses him."


    "If you really want revenge on Falcone, Evans will lose both his brother and father. Although Falcone didn''t treat you as his son, Evans really treated you as his brother."


    Alberto fell silent.


    He was a personality created out of thin air, a rootless wanderer. Falcone thought he was taking advantage of him, and the Court of Owls only saw him as a tool to implement their ns.At his funeral, no one mourned his death. If this wandering personality had only one root, there was only one person who truly remembered him after his death and created evidence of his existence, his brother Evans.


    Seeing him silent, Schiller turned his attention back to Batman and said, "Although your alliance has split in half, it doesn''t matter. Let''s talk about something happy. How badly do you think the Court of Owls will suffer?"


    "Why is that lunatic nning to go after the Court? What reason does he have? What ability does he have to do so?"


    "Don''t you understand yet? He''spletely different from those crazy people you saw on the street who went crazy because of the rain."


    "Well, I don''t think he can take on the Court of Owls alone."


    "Let''s make a bet, shall we? I bet the Court of Owls will suffer greatly."


    With that, Schiller picked up the remote control, turned on the TV again, and after a while of boring TV dramas, the news started.


    But before the news anchor could report a few stories, he suddenly showed a fearful expression, and then there was a "bang," a hole in his head.


    A burst ofughter came, and the familiar figure appeared on the screen again. The first thing he said was, "Oh! I''m a criminal! I killed someone! What should I do?"


    "Batman! Come and arrest me! I know you''re watching from some corner. Come and catch me, the killer..."


    Batman on the hospital bed clenched his fist and immediately wanted to stand up, but then the Joker put his head close to the camera and said, "Are you clenching your fist? Are you anxious to stand up ande over here and beat me up?"


    "But you can''t do that..." He limped back a few steps, then went over to the male host''s body and dragged him in front of the camera by his cor.


    "You see, someone died. He was shot with a handgun, and I happen to have a handgun in my hand."


    "But you can''t arrest me, do you know why?"


    "A bullet flew into his head, and then I appeared on the screen with a handgun in my hand."


    "But no one saw me shoot, I''m just an innocent passerby with a handgun that happens to match the bullet that killed the body lying on the ground."


    "What are you going to do? Come and beat up this innocent passerby?"


    "What?" The Joker turned his head and put his hand behind his ear to listen.


    "You said I just admitted to killing someone and that I''m a criminal?"


    "But so what? I also said I''m a frog, or a woman, or a stripper..."


    The Joker twisted in front of the camera, then blew a kiss to the screen.


    "See, that''s how it is. If youe and beat me up, the audience will see a crazy person in a tight suit beating up a weak and pitiful passerby..."


    "Oh, wait." He suddenly froze, then grabbed his hair and said, "No, I''m not here for that. Well, ying with the Bat is really fun, I almost forgot what I came here for."


    He burst into a series of maniacalughter and said, "Do you know the Gotham Theater? You must know! I''ve prepared a huge surprise for you there, a huge huge huge huge surprise!!!"


    "Did you hear that? The greatedian Jack is about to start selling tickets! At midnight tonight, each ticket is $20! And with the ticket stub, you can get a bucket of brain-sttered popcorn!!"


    With that, he took a few steps back, tore off a small piece of paper from the script on the host''s desk, and said, "Look, this is the ticket!"


    Then he clumsily tore up all the scripts, threw them into the air, and the scraps of paper fluttered down like snowkes. He said, "Quickly call here to buy tickets! Right now! If you''re a littlete..."


    A burst ofughter came, and he continued, "You''ll miss the greatestedy performance in history!"


    The screen returned to a snowke again. Schiller yawned and walked to the desk in the hospital room. He muttered to himself, "What''s the TV station''s phone number again?"


    He then pulled out his phone book and dialed in circles. After the phone was connected, he said, "Hello? Is this theedian Jack?...Oh, you''re being modest. I think you deserve the title of artist for your performance just now..."


    "Yes, I''m here to buy tickets. Is it at midnight tonight? I want three tickets, um... maybe four. I have a friend with a split personality disorder, and he needs to buy two tickets. What? Buy three get one free? Because I''m the first? That''s great, thank you."


    "How do I pick up the tickets? TV station mailbox? Okay... I''ll leave the money there at that time..."


    "Good luck with your performance, thank you, goodbye."


    After hanging up the phone, Schiller found that Batman and Alberto were staring at him. Schiller shrugged and said, "Anyway, he is going to deal with the Court of Owls. Do we have any reason not to go and watch the fun?"


    "Besides, even though your Avengers are unfortunately split in half, you still need a farewell dinner, right?"


    At eleven o''clock in the middle of the night, at the theater entrance, Schiller got out of the car and saw a familiar face before he even entered. He warmly walked up to Gordon, shook his hand and said, "Detective Gordon, you''re here too."


    Gordon said unkindly, "Even if Gotham is full of lunatics, this one is too crazy. Do you know how many distress calls the police station has received in the past few hours?"


    "Oh? What happened?"


    "This lunatic asked the people of Gotham to call the police for help!" Gordon was so angry that heughed. He emphasized, "He fucking asked the people of Gotham to call the police for help!!!"


    "That''s a good thing. It means that tonight will be the most normal night in Gotham."


    "Normal?" Gordon paused, and he heard Schiller say, "Detective, I know you don''t agree with using violence to control violence, but the best way in Gotham is to use madness to control madness."


    While the two were talking, a stretch limo turned into the alley and stopped at the theater entrance. The driver got out and opened the door. The one who walked out was Falcone. He saw Schiller and Gordon and walked towards them.


    The old Godfather adjusted his cufflinks and said as if it were a normal greeting, "Tickets are hard toe by, right? When I called, he told me there were no tickets left, which is quite interesting."


    "You haven''t been rejected by anyone for many years, have you?"


    "Indeed, but he heard that I have some prestige in the gang and decided to give me some special treatment."


    Then, Father Daniel also got out of the car and drew a cross on his chest, saying, "Thank you, Carmine, for bringing me that. Otherwise, I really couldn''t buy a ticket."


    Schiller said to the group, "You guys go in first. I have two friends waiting."


    Except for Schiller, everyone else went in first. After a while, the Batmobile slowly drove over, Batman got out of the car, and Evans followed him. Evans was still very happy and said, "Gotham hasn''t performed in a long time. Who''s performing tonight? Is there a program list? Can I see it?"


    "I guess he must have given you lessons on European theater history, modern opera history, and vocal techniques on the road," Schiller approached and whispered to Batman.


    "Not just that, he even demonstrated it himself," Batman said with a straight face.


    "How was the singing?"


    "Alfred would have loved it."


    "Are you saying it was too old-fashioned?"


    Evans caught up, having heard Schiller''sst words. "Hey! How can you say that? That''s called following the ssics. I''ve always thought that those so-called new operas are sacrilegious..."


    The three of them walked through the theater''s entrance and were faced with a huge poster. It depicted a group of featherless owls being hung on a pot, with two hands below holding a knife and fork, seemingly preparing for a feast.


    "Opera and painting?" Schiller muttered beneath the poster. "Is it the artistic nature hidden within one''s personality, or the longing and fantasy for art in the lower ss?"


    Schiller shook his head. He finally understood why the Joker''s girlfriend in the original work went insane. The crazed personality of the Joker was the best material for any psychologist to study and analyze when youe into contact with him.


    Schiller held a map of the theater and said, "My Manor isn''t far from here. A neighbor gave me a map to look at... the ticket window... oh, go this way and turn left."


    They turned left along the left side of the poster. There was a ticket window on the right-hand side. He noticed that there were some popcorn buckets, but they were clearly not from this old theater. No one eats popcorn while watching an opera.


    Was this confusion due to ack of understanding of art within one''s personality, or was it due to the chaos brought about by madness? Schiller couldn''t help but specte the reason.


    He leaned forward and looked into the ticket booth. Suddenly, a dummy popped up from the floor and pounced directly at Schiller. Schiller looked up and down at the dummy and realized that it was an old puppet left in the theater''s warehouse, which was used as a background board for stage ys. The only difference was that it now had a smiley face painted on its head.


    Schiller reached out, grabbed the puppet, and flipped it over. He said somewhat disappointedly, "Where are the lines? Why isn''t the ssic line there?"


    As he was studying the puppet, Evans took out two buckets of popcorn from the ticket booth. He looked at them and said in surprise, "Why are there paper balls in the popcorn bucket? Where''s the popcorn?"


    Batman stood behind them, feeling out of ce.


    Evans handed Batman a bucket of paper balls and said, "Although it''s not real popcorn, it''ll do."


    "Didn''t you say that new operas are sacrilegious to the ssics? Are you really going to bring a bucket of popcorn to watch an opera?" Schiller turned around and asked him.


    "I just like eating popcorn. I can never buy popcorn when I go to the movies because my dad won''t let me. He thinks there might be a bomb hidden inside."


    Batman opened his mouth. He really wanted to remind Evans that the chance of there being a bomb hidden in the bucket he was holding was much higher than in a regr movie theater.


    Schiller seemed to understand what Batman wanted to say. He said, "Haven''t you figured it out yet? He wouldn''t do such a boring prank. If it''s not exciting enough, then it''s better not to have it."

 Chapter 177: The Phantom of the Opera (3)

    Chapter 177: The Phantom of the Opera (3)


    Do you ever feel like you''re going crazy when everyone else says something is normal that you find abnormal? That''s the situation Batman finds himself in. As a newly emerging superhero, his opponents are just some gangsters or robbers, the most dangerous being Catwoman, a talented thief, or Maroni, a powerful gang leader.


    Gotham hasn''t reached the level of chaos it''s known for yet, so Batman is still a rtively sane vignte. But one night, he suddenly feels like he''s surrounded by madness.


    A lunatic shoots a TV host and rambles about putting on a show at the Gotham Theater, and everyone around him seems to find this normal. They even bought tickets, including his ordinary psychology professor, Gotham''s Godfather, Father, Gordon, and more.


    No one questions this absurdity, making Batman wonder if he''s the crazy one. Humans tend to conform to the attitudes of others, and when they contradict your own, few people choose to stand their ground. While Batman hasn''t wavered, his strange feeling is slowly fading.


    Upon reflection, it''s not so absurd because this is Gotham, a city that''s already gone mad. It''s just a little crazier now.


    After checking their tickets and getting popcorn, the trio heads to the theater. The Gotham Theater only has one main stage, and when they enter, everyone else is already seated. Apart from Schiller''s acquaintances, there are even more onlookers.


    Schiller chats with the TV crew and learns that the Joker is notpletely irrational. He seems uninterested in money, and people have even put hundreds of dors in the TV station''s mailbox for tickets.


    The Joker has gathered a whole troupe of staff from the theater, and there''s even a band rehearsing. Schiller isn''t surprised, but Batman is starting to doubt his sanity.


    Why is everyone behaving so normally in this absurd situation? Schiller tells Batman that Gotham is an endless book, and every day brings new discoveries. Recently, there have been natural disasters and idents, and many people have nothing to do. When the logistics were being rebuilt, almost everyone made money. Schiller thinks that putting on a show is better than going to a strip club.Suddenly, there''s a loud noise from the stage, and a man in a purple tailcoat hobbles up with a microphone. He introduces himself as Mr. Jack and thanks everyone foring. He notices Batman in the audience and calls him Gotham''s big star, prompting cheers from the crowd.


    As the band ys, Joker''s antics lead to excitement from the audience, while Batman remains silent.


    "You should stand up and bow, nod your head in acknowledgment," Schiller said to him. "This is a necessary interaction between the host and special guests."


    Batman turned his head left and right and found that it seemed like everyone was looking at him expectantly. But just as he hesitated, the Joker on stage shouted, "Okay, who else? My God! The Godfather of Gotham has also arrived!"


    The Godfather didn''t stand up, but he extended a hand and waved it left and right.


    "And..."


    The Joker was suddenly choked up. He said, "How do I pronounce this word again? Wait, uh..."


    He fumbled in his pocket, took out a small note, and looked at it. "Professor Rodriguez!"


    Schiller stood up, nodded left and right, and then waved his hand.


    "I hate that name. It''s so tongue-twisting," muttered the Joker under his breath.


    Then he regained his enthusiasm and said, "Wee to the opening performance of the greatedian Jack!"


    "What did I say before? What did I call this n? ''The Owl''s Misfortune''? No, no, no! I changed my mind. That name is toomon and doesn''t suit me! Now I''m going to call it - The Death of the Owl!"


    With his high-pitched tone, the orchestra started ying an opening song. Suddenly, the backdrop behind him "whooshed" open, and several lights focused on the center of the stage.


    There were several ropes hanging from the ceiling, and people bound from head to toe were hanging from the ends of the ropes. They were men and women, young and old, but they all had onemon feature, which was wearing a white bird-shaped mask.


    The Joker brought out a piece of cloth, tied the microphone to himself, and this made his suit wrinkled, making him look a bit funny, but he didn''t care.


    He rushed to the orchestra with excitement, took a triangle, and hit it hard. Then he said loudly, "Ding ding ding ding! The actors are on stage! Our protagonist is here!!!"


    "Hey, camera over there, are you ready? You must ensure that all Gotham viewers can see it clearly!"


    The bearded man made an OK gesture.


    The Joker turned around and faced the group of victims who were tied up and hanging in mid-air with ropes. He said, "I guess you must be wondering how I found you?"


    "Do you remember a few days ago, when you held a charity dinner on Elizabeth Street? The ingredients that day were delivered by me..."


    "What about another day? Oh...it should be more than ten days ago, I don''t remember, which restaurant was it? That was also me. I''m a hardworking driver. I often go to the ces you frequent!"


    "Do you think you hid well?" The Jokerughed and said, "A featherless owl is ugly like a newly born duck, ha ha ha ha ha ha, you can''t hide anymore. Your feathers have all been plucked, and you are as ugly as a duckling. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    One of the bound people, who didn''t have tape on his mouth, shouted loudly, "It''s impossible, our disguise is obvious..."


    "You are in pain!" The Joker interrupted him and said, "You put on a careless attitude and thought you were no different from ordinary people, but your heart is bleeding, and I can smell the scent of blood."


    "What did you lose? What makes you panic and feel pain? Could it be...?" The Joker sneered, "Could it be money? Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha, sorry, I shouldn''tugh, but I really can''t help it. You actually...you actually!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha, actually did it for money!!!"


    The Jokerughed until he was out of breath, and he bent over and covered his stomach, as if he would suffocate fromughing the next second.


    Laughter also came from the audience. Batman looked at Schiller, and Schiller, as if suddenly reacting, covered his mouth and said, "Oh, it''s okay. I just couldn''t help it because it was really funny, especially..."


    Schiller looked left and right and whispered to Batman, "...especially when I think about how all that money is now in my pocket."


    The Joker gradually recovered from his manicughter and found that the members of the Owl he had tied up were silent. His smile had not disappeared, and he asked, "Why are you so serious?"


    "Isn''t this funny enough?" He asked the audience after speaking. "An organization that calls themselves the rulers of Gotham! Exposed just because they lost money... hahahaha! A secret society that ims to be a great dark entity, exposed just because of money. Is this not hrious... hahahaha!!!"


    Many people in the audienceughed and it gradually turned into a roar ofughter. The only ones remaining silent were Batman and the members of the Court of Owls on stage.


    Now the members of the Court of Owls felt the same way as Batman, wondering if they were crazy or if the world was crazy.


    "Why can''t we... you bunch of poor, bumpkin hicks! Do you know how much money that was? It was a trap, we were extorted, we..."


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" The Joker rushed up and frantically struck the member''s head with the small iron rod used for hitting the triangle. He said, "Exining a joke is the downfall of a perfect joke! Shut up already!"


    After a while, the Joker walked to the front of the stage, panting, and said, "Alright, the opening ceremony is over, we''re officially starting the show!"


    After speaking, he walked to the group of people hanging upside down, tore off the duct tape covering their mouths, and said to them, "You should have seen it, you are hanging at different heights..."


    "And now..." The Joker stepped on the floor and said, "There is a big surprise waiting under the floor, just like the one I gave you before."


    "From now on, the ropes that bind you will slowly descend, and if someone touches the ground, then... Boom! Hahahaha!"


    "Of course, you also have a way to save yourself. When someone dies, their rope will no longer fall."


    "You should have felt it already, each of you has a button in the hands tied behind your back. When you press the button, someone in your group will randomly die."


    "And my audience!" The Joker turned around and raised his hands, saying, "Take out your tickets, there are clues on them!"


    He then said to the tied-up people, "Each of you can choose an audience member to ask and guess whose button corresponds to whom, or whose button corresponds to you."


    "Then!" The Joker raised his voice and said, "Consider whether or not to press the button in your hand..."


    He turned around and bowed, standing in the center of the stage, his scattered hair projecting dark shadows under the spotlight. His smile became somewhat terrifying, and his voice echoed in the empty theater, bing rising and falling:


    "When I heard that Gotham had a savior named Batman, I almost thought I was crazy."


    "But I''m not crazy, so he certainly isn''t a savior."


    "But this damn lunatic disguised as a bat, he refused me, ignored me, and even insulted me as a mass-produced killer..."


    "Now, I have proven that I am not crazy, so it''s your turn... Batman."

 Chapter 178: Smile (1)

    Chapter 178: Smile (1)


    Several spotlights shone on Batman, making him squint, like a bat awakened by a shlight in a dark cave.


    "I advise you not to act now," Schiller turned to look at Batman, but saw no expression on his face. He was different from the Bruce who just started out. Through his outward behavior, it was almost impossible to tell what he was thinking.


    "Why?" Batman''s voice was still deep.


    Schiller turned his head back to the stage, and the spotlight swept over him, making his lenses sh with bright light. He said, "You have to be patient. The show has just begun."


    "I don''t think there''s anything worth watching," Batman remained motionless, his face serious. He said, "Even if he moved the kidnapping case to the theater, it''s still just a crime. He''s a madman."


    "He is indeed a madman, but different from other madmen."


    "What''s different about madmen?"


    "Then why are you sitting here instead of rushing down to stop him right away? Although I advise you, I didn''t stop you, and I can''t stop you."


    Batman fell silent."Because he interests you, because you are also wondering how this show will start."


    "Because the Owl is your enemy, perhaps in your indulgence, there is a sense of revenge."


    Batman was about to deny it, but Schiller said, "It''s interesting to watch these unlucky actors, but if you still see him as an ordinary madman, then you will be the unlucky one."


    Batman''s brow furrowed tighter and tighter, but the people on the stage shifted their attention back from him. The Joker held the small iron rod for knocking the triangle, and extended it to the mouth of a fat man who was tied up, saying, "Okay, you pick an audience member and let them read the clue on the ticket to you."


    "I, I..." The fat man was sweating profusely, after all, being suspended in mid-air by a rope for so long, with his physique, he was already exhausted. The Joker pouted his mouth, suddenly straightened his body, then pushed the hair on both sides back behind his ears, revealing his eyes.


    He deliberately kicked his legs forward and took steps, walking as if he were marching, to the other man next to him, took off the sses on his face, and put them on his own.


    He ced the small iron rod at his own mouth, as if holding a microphone, and cleared his throat, saying, "Next, is the world''s most professional psychologist, Jack, bringing you a deep analysis."


    Schiller narrowed his eyes from the audience seat, and Evans instinctively moved towards the aisle, seeming to want to stay away from his professor.


    "You guys are a sorry sight," Joker walked over to the obese man and said, "Your arrogant attitude is all built on a safe environment. You''re standing in a safe conference room in your suits, using your ancestors'' umted wealth as capital, thinking you''re in control of everything, addicted to the thrill of being a puppet master behind the scenes."


    "But when your supposed indestructible great faith is put into practice, it turns into the pain of losing vested interests. In fact, you are no different from an ordinary person who would feel heartbroken for losing five dors."


    "All great goals ultimately turn into the most mediocre regrets and pains. And when you truly be one with ordinary people, you lose everything."


    "What''s left after that? A fat, bloated body? A soul with no originality?"


    "As actors, you are so pathetic that you can''t even perform a good y by yourselves."


    "What are you thinking? I know, I know, it''s so hard to beg a madman for mercy..."


    The obese man made a wheezing sound from his mouth, his face turning red.


    As Joker had said, even the most cunning puppet master behind the scenes could not remain calm when being hung on stage by a rope, letting everyone observe their ugliness.


    "Since you don''t want to choose, then I''ll choose for you," Joker pushed his sses and said, "I''m sure our Professor Rodriguez has been waiting for a long time."


    The obese man seemed to be suddenly choked up, and he squeezed out a few words from his teeth, "No! No...this isn''t in ordance with the rules..."


    "Shut up!" Joker suddenly went crazy again, using the small iron rod to beat the obese man''s face mercilessly, making him unable to say anything in protest.


    The obese man seemed afraid that he would do something extreme again, and he stuttered and remained silent.


    Schiller stood up from his chair and said, "I''m honored to be the first one, but before this, I have a better suggestion for this game. Would you like to hear it?"


    The Joker squinted at him, and everyone could feel the tense atmosphere on the field. It was as if an invisible struggle had begun, with two lunatics shing over their respective territories.


    "Better suggestion?" The Joker emphasized, gritting his teeth and grinning. "You''d better make sure this suggestion is good, otherwise I''ll consider it a forfeit..."


    "Of course, this gentleman wants me to give him a clue, but he can''t just give me nothing. I hope to add a rule that if they want to get this clue, they must agree to one request from the audience."


    After a few seconds of confusion, the Joker burst outughing maniacally. "Oh, you''re a genius!" he eximed.


    Suddenly, his expression turned grim again. "Did you think I''d say that? That''s a rotten idea!"


    Schiller interrupted him and continued, "Okay, I''ll retract that suggestion. I have only one question: Can I lie?"


    The Joker stared at him straight in the eyes, his mouth twisted into a frown. He muttered under his breath, "I told you, I hate that name."


    "Why don''t you let this gentleman make the decision? Whether to agree to my request and get a real clue, or to do nothing and face the possibility of getting a lie."


    "Agree to it! Hurrah!" A sharp female voice rang out, shouted by a woman hanging higher up. "Agree to his request! Do you want us to all get false answers? We''ll die that way!"


    Another male voice chimed in, "Yes, we choose the first option!"


    Schiller tapped the back of the chair in front of him, making a little noise, and said, "I''m letting this gentleman decide."


    "He''s just a bottom-tier congressman, he represents nothing..."


    "That''s right!"


    "How can we let a low-level congressman make such an important decision?"


    "We should vote, ording to our hierarchy..."


    "Only high-level congressmen can make decisions, don''t forget that..."


    "You old-timers! You''re still thinking about this at a time like this..."


    The Joker''s shoulders suddenly began to shake, hisughter changing from a quiet chuckle to a loud cackle. After a while, he wiped his eyes and said, "This is... quite interesting."


    The fatty trembled, his chubby lips moving as he spoke a few words, saying, "I choose... I choose the first one. I can promise him one request, please tell me the true answer!"


    Before the Joker could speak, Schiller took over the next step himself and said, "Alright, my request is - take off your mask, sir."


    "No! No... I can''t..." The fatty screamed in terror, his eyes constantly ncing at Falcone.


    "I regret it!!! I choose the second one..."


    "You don''t have another chance." The Joker grinned, "You''ve already said you''ll agree to his request."


    With that, he tore off the fat man''s mask, revealing his chubby face and ears underneath.


    "Harvey Harris." Falcone smiled, obviously recognizing him. He said, "Didn''t your father Bruno teach you? If you put on the mask, never take it off."


    Harvey was already ashen-faced, his true identity exposed. Not only him, but his family, his power, and his property would all never see the sun again tomorrow.


    The mask was not afraid of the Godfather, but the person under the mask was. The mask would not die, but the person under the mask could.


    The people who were arguing on stage were now all silent. The Joker bounced to the center of the stage, opened his arms, and asked them with a tilted head, "Why are you so serious? He chose the result you wanted. Why aren''t you happy and smiling?"


    "Mr. Jack, can I reveal the answer now?" Schiller was like an emotionless NPC following the process.


    The Joker looked like a child with a disappointed expression and said, "What a shame. I should have designed an interview segment here. I wanted to y a little longer."


    Ignoring his reaction, Schiller picked up the crumpled piece of paper and, after unfolding it, read aloud, "Artemis is prettier than Athena..."


    What is visible to the naked eye is that the group of people hanging on the stage paused for a moment, and then, like they were each carrying their own secrets, they fell silent.


    The Joker tapped the triangle in his hand and loudly said, "Alright, that scene is over, next! Next! You, sit down, it''s no longer your concern..."


    Schiller obediently sat down and Batman said to him, "You''re quite the devil."


    "To each their own."


    Next, the Joker walked over to a tall and thin man, and with the triangle, he fiercely tapped the man''s ear, causing him to shake his body vigorously, trying to avoid this lunatic.


    "It''s your turn, who do you choose?"


    "I choose... I choose little Falcone!"


    The Joker first curled the corners of his mouth downwards, then twitched the muscles around his nose, revealing a somewhat fierce expression, and then heughed again.


    "Alright! Let''s wee Evans Falcone!"


    He waved his arm and a spotlight shone on Evans. Schiller, who was next to him, loudly eximed, "I protest! Why does he have an announcer introducing him? This is discrimination! We all bought tickets, we spent the same amount of money!"


    "Protests are ineffective."


    The Joker then focused his gaze on Evans. Evans was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting anyone to choose him. It had only been three minutes since the start of this y, and he was already confused about what was going on. At this moment, he was busy trying to unfold the paper balls in his popcorn bucket to see if he could piece them together into aplete piece of paper...


    Suddenly, he convulsed, and a gloomy expression appeared on his face. He stood up and said, "First of all, my name is not Evans."


    He revealed a cold smile and said to the tall and skinny man, "Secondly, you can make another choice. Choose one? Or choose two?"


    "I choose two, I choose two! Tell us the answer!"


    Alberto''s voice sounded indifferent, "The answer is that the button in your hand corresponds to the fat man."


    When these words came out of Alberto''s mouth andnded on the ground, the whole scene fell silent, and no one thought that this would be the answer.


    The answer Schiller had read out earlier was like a mythological puzzle, full of difficult-to-understand metaphors, even for the people of Gotham, it was a bit too early. But the next second, Alberto''s answer was so straightforward.


    It was like a test. The first question was to ask for the general solution of a calculus equation, and the second question was to ask what you had for breakfast this morning.


    "Wait!" the tall, suspended man said, "You''re lying. This answer ispletely different from the first one."


    "Because you chose two, this could indeed be a lie," Alberto shrugged.


    But the tall, skinny man heard hispanion whispering.


    "Halu is too heavy, he''s close to the ground, even if the rope is lowered slowly, his belly will touch the ground earlier than others... "


    "Yes, and this lunatic may have written several answers withpletely different styles. Maybe he''s not lying..."


    "Anyway, Halu won''t live long. Falcone knows his true identity, he''s doomed!"


    "He''ll die sooner orter..."


    "Then let''s do it..."


    "Let''s do it..."


    "Why not?"

 Chapter 179: Smile (2)

    Chapter 179: Smile (2)


    Everyone present heard their whispers, just like the Owl Court members thought. If Alberto lied and pressed the button, it wouldn''t be Haru who died, but someone else. And it wasn''t just a few percent chance that it could be themselves, everyone felt that this chance wouldn''t fall on their heads.


    If Alberto didn''t lie and killed Haru, they wouldn''t have any losses, but instead could avoid the risk of the bomb exploding because Harunded first.


    Just like they said, Haru, who had already had his mask removed, would eventually die. Even if he didn''t die today, The Godfather wouldn''t let him see the sun the next day.


    "I don''t want to die!! I don''t want to die! You can''t press...Cheri, are you crazy? Do you want to kill me! You can''t press!!!" Haru started to cry desperately, tears and snot covering his face, his fat body twisting non-stop.


    "Hey!" Gordon suddenly stood up, pointing his gun at the tall, thin man and said, "You can''t press it, murder is a crime, I will arrest you."


    "Is that so, detective?" Schiller stood up and said, "He just pressed a button from a distance, and another person died. What evidence do you have to prove that he killed someone? What are you going to use as a murder weapon? The button?"


    "Please, officer! Don''t listen to them, save me!!!" Haru screamed and cried.


    Falcone spoke up, "Officer, without evidence, you can''t just shoot, but you can demand that he identify himself in the name of the police. Even if he doesn''t have a driver''s license or other identification, he should at least take off his mask."


    The tall, thin man screamed in despair, "No! There are no rules like this! You can''t expose my identity!!!""Quickly press it, Cheri! Kill him quickly! How do you know that his belly won''t hit the ground during the next descent? Then we will all die!"


    "Don''t press it! I don''t want to die! If you press it, your mask will also be taken off, and you and your family will all die..."


    "You can press it, you know in your heart that this is killing someone, I will arrest you!"


    "Of course, you can press it! This detective has no evidence, and police rules don''t work here..."


    Like a chaotic montage movie, everyone was shouting their own reasons loudly. The light slid from one person''s face to another, and even before one shot could focus, it switched to the next.


    Finally, it was Joker who took the crazy approach of hitting the triangle iron with force that made the argument stop.


    Cheri was sweating profusely, and Haru was even paler. Suddenly, Haru, who seemed to have just thought of something, said, "The first answer, the first answer points to the woman! If you dare let Cheri press the button, I will press my button too!"


    "No!" A woman hanging in the air shouted, "You''re crazy! Cheri is my lover, I will let him kill you first, you fat pig idiot!"


    "Haru...please, you''re already dead, Falcone knows who you are, you know you''re going to die, why don''t you contribute to our survival?" The woman suddenly started crying again.


    "You''re the crazy one! You bitch! Do you really think Cheri is a European aristocrat! He''s just a fraud! He''s a poor sailor! You two are a match made in heaven!!"


    "If I die, I will make sure you all go down with me!" Haru shouted with spittle flying everywhere.


    "Damn Owl Court! Damn senior senator! I''ve had enough of you, a fraud who makes a living by scamming people, a whore who climbs the ranks by offering herself, and you guys! Do you really think you''re someone important? You''ve always looked down on me!"


    Haru seemed to havepletely broken down mentally, cursing loudly.


    Cheri began to tremble all over, his voice trembling as he said, "I can''t do that, they will take off my mask. Falcone will kill me and my family. I have a wife and child, dear God! Please save me!"


    Upon hearing Cheri''s plea, Father drew a cross on his chest, but he didn''t say anything.


    "Ding ding! Time''s up!" Joker banged on the triangle iron, his tone light and cheerful. "He didn''t make a choice, so we default to not pressing it. Okay, next!"


    He deliberately bypassed the people next to him and walked to the somewhat old figure. He said, "It seems you''re their leader, so I''ll give you a privilege and let you choose first. Who do you want to choose?"


    The old man who was tied up didn''t seem flustered. His tone was very low, and he said, "I choose the professor."


    "What?" Joker pretended not to hear and banged the triangle iron hard, making noise. He said, "He said he chose Falcone..."


    "I heard him choose me," Schiller stood up, and the Joker cursed under his breath. He said impatiently, "You''ve used up your clue, he can''t..."


    "Then I''ll buy another ticket. You still have some left, right?" Schiller nced at the Joker''s suit pocket and said, "I saw one in there earlier."


    The Joker grumbled as he began to search his pockets. After a while, he found a crumpled piece of paper. He impatiently balled it up and threw it at Schiller.


    The paper fell to the ground, but somehow it flew towards Schiller, who caught it. The old man spoke up, "Even if you don''t have a clue, I chose you because I see that you can shake up the rules of this game."


    "But I''m sorry, there''s no reason for an actor to leave midway. After all, I paid for my ticket," Schiller said.


    "I''m not asking you to leave, just hoping for a change in the rules."


    "What part do you want to change?"


    "If you make a request of me, I can choose to give up my clue and ask for a favor from you instead."


    "Tell me your request first, then I''ll consider whether or not to agree."


    "I want to give up my button, and you take it away from me."


    "What? Mr. Mung! Are you crazy? What if someone tries to kill you and you don''t have the button?" Schiller suddenly lowered his head,ughed, and said, "It seems like you''re a former member of the Court of Owls, right?"


    "I can only say that if it were your generation, this method might work, but you''ve already destroyed yourselves by choosing the wrong path."


    "You think that by demonstrating a way out of this predicament, others will follow you? If that were the case, they wouldn''t have been exposed."


    "Everyone understands the reasoning. If everyone throws away their button, there''s no more y, and neither the audience nor the host can do anything to you."


    "We''re not killers, our purpose isn''t to kill. We just want to see a good show. If you refuse to perform in this way, we won''t start a massacre because that''s too boring."


    "But unfortunately, yourpanions around you are no longer the Owls who pursue ultimate darkness and chaos. They''re just the Talons you brainwashed into bing brutal killers. They no longer have your noble beliefs that transcend personal interests."


    "They won''t give up their buttons. They believe that they''re weapons to threaten others not to press their own buttons."


    "Even if I tell them the answer now, they won''t be willing to do it."


    The old man sighed and said, "It seems like there''s no cure for everything. I take back my choice, I''ll choose...Batman."


    As the word fell, countless spotlights once again focused on Batman. The Joker''s body leaned back, his mouth wide open in a very surprised expression.


    He quickly ran to the front of the stage and waved light over, asking him to shine all the lights on him. He made faces at Batman and found that Batman ignored him. He then ran to the band, clumsily picking up a drum and moving it to the center of the stage, rolling up his sleeves to start ying.


    After a while, he realized that Batman was still ignoring him and slumped down in disappointment. He said fiercely, "I should have tied myself up there. When I said I chose Batman, he would definitely have been very surprised. He might evenugh."


    At this moment, standing Batman saw time freeze in the entire opera house. Whether it was on stage or off stage, everyone froze into a scene from a y, with every expression and movement clearly visible.


    Falcone was talking in a low voice with Father Daniel, his face lined with the ravages of time, but his eyes still sharp.


    Batman saw madness in them, like when he stood by his son''s bed on countless nights, wanting to kill the monster. He may have already been driven insane.


    Alberto, who was sitting in the back seat, was silent and bowed his head. He was also insane. In several nights, he faced his father''s deep malice and hatred, and then he stabbed his biological father in the chest with a knife.


    Father Daniel, who was talking to Godfather, was also old, even older than Falcone. His white hair floated in the air under the shining of the deskmp, but his eyes were full of kindness and peace.


    But maybe he was already insane. No normal person would think that there was a faith that could save Gotham, but he still dutifully acted as a Father here. He even became a good Father, but in Gotham, the better, the crazier.


    The same goes for Commissioner Gordon. Perhaps he looked like the most normal person in Gotham, but he was a policeman, a real policeman, a good policeman who harbored justice and upheld his beliefs. Such people could appear anywhere in the world without being conspicuous, but he just wanted to stay in Gotham, and was equally crazy.


    Professor... he was crazy too.


    The Joker... he was crazy anyway.


    Batman stood in the midst of this group of lunatics, watching their frozen movements, watching them freeze on the stage, and then the stage began to rotate.


    The more the stage rotated, the faster it became. Between light and shadow, it turned into a crazy vortex. Batman stood in the center of the vortex and was gradually swallowed up.


    He felt that he should be crazy too.


    He was sure he might be crazy.


    In the center of the rotating stage, Batman stretched out his palm, holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. It was the ticket he got and the clue he was going to read next.


    But just now, when Batman opened it, he found that it was nk, with nothing written on it.

 Chapter 180: Smile (3)

    Chapter 180: Smile (3)


    He saw the scattered pieces of paper at Alberto''s feet, which were no different from the ticket in his hand. They were all random news articles and paper scraps torn from nk paper.


    When had he started to think that these things were tickets? That there would be clues on them?


    Was it when Schiller insisted that he drive the Batmobile to the TV station mailbox to buy tickets? Was it when they actually went to the theater''s ticket office to check the tickets? Or was it when Schiller and Alberto looked at him with conviction and recited clues one by one?


    Batman suddenly understood that these were not the most important reasons, the root cause was his arrogance.


    He had always thought that the madman on stage was no different from the crowd on the street, believing that he was the only sober one and he disdained to understand him, to invest in him, and naturally did not participate from beginning to end.


    So he was fooled.


    There were no clues from beginning to end, it was just a group of madmen executing a bunch of fools.


    "Do you know what this means?" Schiller stood up, leaning his hands on the chair in front of him, and asked Batman.


    "It means that the previous joke was really funny."Schiller turned his head and grabbed the popcorn bucket from Alberto''s hand, holding the pieces of paper in it and raising it halfway, he said, "See? This is ''money''."


    "...This is what they are pursuing, isn''t it funny?"


    The Joker on stage stared at Batman straight in the eye. He suddenly lowered his head to cover his eyes with his green hair, and asked Batman, "You really don''t want tough at all?"


    "Enough." Batman leaped to the front of the stage.


    "The farce is over." His voice was irritated.


    "Beforeing here, I pulled up all the historical materials of the Gotham Opera House, including the construction design."


    "And in thest few minutes, I''ve read them all."


    Speaking, Batman looked to the center of the stage and said, "The people who built this theater were once European nobles. In order to prevent the sound of the performers'' footsteps from being too loud and affecting the performance of the y, they used a solid stage made ofplete rock, not the hollow wooden stagemonly used in American opera houses, as your footsteps earlier proved."


    "From when you issued the notice to now, without the use of explosives, it is not enough for you to dig out a cavity in such a stage and bury a bomb."


    The Joker stared at Batman. Suddenly, he asked in a very irritable tone, "Why haven''t you understood yet? This is not a detective drama! You fool!"


    "Forget it, you will understand, you will..."


    He twisted his neck, twisted his waist, and then took off his tie. His suit jacket''s buttons were unbuttoned, and his body was full of bombs. He said while unbuttoning, "I said we should buy arger size, this is a bit tight."


    "Oh, look, you''re right! Great detective Batman! The bomb is here!"


    "You see, there are so many!" The Joker lowered his chin and tried to see the bomb hanging around his waist.


    "I''m going to detonate them right now! Let you and the idiots on stage be blown up together!"


    The Joker threw away the triangle iron in his hand and took out a handgun from his waist, pointing it at Batman and said, "Don''t try to stop me!"


    Batman stood opposite him, without any hesitation. Before the Joker made the next dangerous move, several bat-shaped shurikens cut through the air and flew over the stage, cutting the ropes that held the people and causing them to fall to the ground, crying out in pain.


    The Joker was attracted by the sudden loud scream. In an instant, Batman rushed up, kicked his arm joint, and made the handgun fly out. Then he punched him in the face and directly strangled his neck, pulling him backward and dislocating his other arm.


    The Joker screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Batman squatted down and wanted to take off the bomb on his body first. It was in that moment when he lowered his gaze and looked at the Joker''s face that he saw the triumphant smile.


    Suddenly, a scream came from the center of the stage. Haru, the fat man, fell to the ground, clutching his neck with a small iron rod used for percussion stuck in it.


    The attacker was another strong man who grabbed Haru''s neck and pulled out the small iron rod. In an instant, blood spattered everywhere, Haru fell to the ground, lifeless. The man said, "You low-ss upstarts! How dare you humiliate us, I..."


    He hadn''t finished speaking when there was a gunshot. Chilly trembled with a handgun in his hands and yelled fiercely, "I''m fed up with you! If it weren''t for you insisting on holding that party, how could we have made such a big mistake?!"


    Two people died in an instant, and all the members of the court began to quickly struggle to get rid of the ropes tied to them.


    When they were hanging in the air, struggling seemed to be useless. However, after the ropes that held them were cut, the knot on the hemp rope tied to them was not tied. As the rope was cut, the binding became loose, and the strong ones were the first to break free.


    The triangr iron and handgun thrown by the Joker had already been picked up. In the melee, everyone picked up whatever they could find, from broken bricks to untied hemp ropes. Everyone''s eyes were bloodshot, attacking each other like crazy.


    But soon, they discovered the best ce to grab weapons.


    One person rushed into the orchestra quickly, wanting to pick up the music stand as a weapon. Another person rushed over to attack him. After a round of fighting, one of them quickly grabbed the violin bow ced nearby, catching the other person off guard and choking his neck from behind.


    He shouted, "It was you who threatened me just now, forcing me toply with their demands and give you the real answer! Die!!!"


    He squeezed hard, and blood spurted high, shooting towards the ceiling of the stage like a bloody fountain and like climbing vines on the stand.


    Batman, who had just rushed over to stop him, was sttered with blood. The strong smell of blood rushed into his brain, making him dizzy for a moment.


    Until the body of the victim fell to the ground and the killer suddenly panicked and knelt down, saying, "No! No... What have I done? But..."


    "The same words were repeated countless times. There were screams everywhere. Batman turned stiffly and looked towards the stage, which had been dyed blood red.


    Laughter came from the direction of the Joker. First, it was a slight chuckle, then it turned into a crazyugh. Heughed so hard that he was out of breath, saying, "Hahaha, you really..."


    His arms couldn''t move anymore, but he struggled to sit up, then stood up with the help of a corner of the stage. He did these actions whileughing, coughing uncontrobly.


    "I congratte you, Batman! You have seeded in revenge!" The Joker stumbled over, almost falling down, but he still tried to support his body.


    "Your enemy is dead, see that?"


    The Joker''s nose was bleeding all over his body, but he still tried to move and walked in front of Batman, gasping and saying:


    "Your enemy is so miserable, so pathetic..."


    He swallowed his saliva and his voice sounded like a withered tree trunk. He struggled to say, "This is my gift to you, Batman, my greeting gift."


    His voice was full of joy, even with a hint of ttery and expectation. He sniffed, trying to suck the blood back from his nose, but failed, which made him look a bit ridiculous. He said, "Although your gift to me made me bleed so much, I am still very happy."


    "I think my gift is prepared well. Look..." The Joker swallowed his saliva again, shook his head, and seemed to want to clear his mind.


    "I am a bad guy. I organized a kidnapping case and invited many people to support me."


    "There are also TV stations... they can all see it. Ha, I admit, I did it, it was me... I am a criminal, a viin."


    "And you... you''re a hero. You saved them, bravely charging onto the stage to face the evil kidnappers with bombs strapped to them, showing your intelligence and bravery. And then, you sessfully saved them, right?"


    "Your enemies are all viins, a group of selfish people. So after you saved them, they turned on each other and died." The Joker''s tone became more and more excited.


    "But you are innocent, you did your best, you are even a hero..."


    The Joker struggled to catch his breath, his crazy words drowned out by his gasps. Then, he looked up at Batman, staring into his eyes and said, "I''ve done so much for you, and I only need you to answer me one question, just one question..."


    "Come on, Batman, please answer me! Answer this poor man..."


    "I''m really hurt, it really hurts..." The Joker cried, but soon he tried hard to suck up his nosebleed and said, "When you saw my performance, and saw your hated enemies being humiliated, tortured, and made to look ridiculous, did you..."


    He began to tremble all over. He asked madly, "Answer me, answer yourself..."


    "Did you ever want tough?"


    Batman''s fists clenched tighter and the veins on his hands almost broke through his gloves. The Joker leaned forward, as if trying to press his ear against Batman''s chest to hear his heartbeat.


    The Joker couldn''t hold on any longer, he fell down, groaning in pain, but mixed with a sneer. He said, "You can''t ept the answer in your heart, can you?"


    "Why do you find it unbelievable? Why do you feel ufortable, why do you feel your emotions are getting worse?"


    "A person who thinks they''re crazy because they want tough is the truly crazy one!" The Joker yelled as loud as he could.


    "Why did you do all of this?" Batman finally spoke.


    He finally recognized the Joker''s difference and stood on the same stage as him, asking him questions and waiting for answers.


    The Jokery on the ground, his chest rising and falling, still gasping for breath. Finally, he stoppedughing and said, "Because I''m a clown."


    "I just wanted you tough."


    Finally, as the theater lights went out, Batman heard the pleading in his voice:


    "Please, justugh... Batman."

 Chapter 181: Arkham Daily Life (1)

    Chapter 181: Arkham Daily Life (1)


    "Name?"


    "Philip Best."


    "Okay, Jack."


    The Jokery on the hospital bed, while Schiller stood beside the bed with the medical record in his hand. He said, "You better hurry up and bring out your psychologist persona, describe your symptoms, otherwise, I will just make something up."


    "Untie my right hand, I want a cigarette." Jack shook his hair and said, Schiller walked over and untied Jack''s right hand that was tied to the side of the bed. Jack made a gun gesture with his hand and aimed at Schiller.


    Schiller went to get a chair and sat down beside his bed. Then he took out a tape recorder and a nk cassette from the cab. He put the cassette into the tape recorder and pressed the record button.


    "Okay, tell me about your life."


    Jack sneered and nced at the tape recorder, then at Schiller. He said, "My name is Philip Best, I am a truck driver who works for the Anta gang..."


    Jack rambled on about his mortgage, car loan, weekend grocery shopping, and his neighbor''s house catching fire, and so on.Schiller pressed the pause button on the tape recorder and said, "Okay, next."


    Jack looked at him, and they stared at each other for a while. Schiller said, "What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and make up another story, I need it."


    Jack tilted his head and rolled his eyes, imitating Schiller''s tone of voice and muttered a few words. Then he made up another origin story for himself.


    After Schiller let the Joker make up more than ten origin stories, he took the cassette off the tape recorder, satisfied. As the saying goes, garbage is a resource in the wrong ce. The origin stories that Joker created for himself were not only realistic and reasonable, but also rich in details and vivid. As long as the background was changed a bit, it could be used as a richly-designed fake identity.


    However, Schiller did not forget that he was at the Marvel''s Arkham Sanatorium, where there were also many agents he had nted. This fake identity woulde in handy.


    Jack turned his body to look at Schiller and stared at him with wide eyes. He said, "You know, I hate two kinds of people the most, one is too ordinary, the other is someone who looks like me."


    "And you, you are obviously someone who looks like me, but you strive to be an ordinary person. But the most professional psychology master, Jack, tells you that you can''t do it, hahaha!"


    After he finishedughing, Schiller hit Jack''s injured hand with the spine of the notebook. Jack screamed in pain, then burst into a series of even more insaneughter. He said, "You got me! You hit a nerve! You can never be an ordinary person, hahaha!"


    Schiller took a deep breath and said, "After today''s consultation is over, you will go to a normal hospital room. Do you know how precious the beds here are? Don''t waste my time and money."


    "Money? Hahaha!" Jackughed even harder, causing the hospital bed to tremble. After a while, he choked on hisughter and started coughing frantically. Then he reached out to Schiller and said, "Water, please."


    Schiller didn''t give him any, and he didn''t mind. Instead, he stoppedughing andy on the bed panting. He said, "That joke was funny, right? If there was a movie theater where you could actually buy tickets with popcorn, I would buy a whole week''s worth of tickets and watch all the movies I haven''t finished."


    Suddenly, he became profound again and sighed, "It''s ridiculous that people pursue money, isn''t it? Even more ridiculous is that the money they pursue is no different from popcorn..."


    "And the most ridiculous thing is, hahaha..." He startedughing again, shaking all over. "The most ridiculous thing is that a madman knows that money is popcorn, but he still pursues it, hahaha..."


    "Why? Because he''s crazy! He thinks...he actually thinks that as long as he pursues fame and fortune like an ordinary person, he can be an ordinary person, hahaha..."


    He noticed that Schiller was looking at him in silence. Jack grinned and said, "Why so serious? You wereughing so happily before in the theater, weren''t you?"


    "Because the reason why hell jokes are funny is because it''s someone else''s hell." Schiller stood up again and said, "Watching Batman is certainly fun, don''t you think?"


    Jack wiped away his tears with the hand that was released, acting less crazy than he was in the theater, but even more bizarre.


    "To be honest, I didn''t expect you guys to be so enthusiastic. I really love it here!"


    "You should thank the Court of Owls. Their continuous rain has influenced the residents here, even if they didn''t get wet, they still breathe in the moisture in the air, so everyone is a bit crazy."


    "I know, of course I know... why else would I reveal my n on TV? I know there will be peopleing, a group of annoying people..." Jack was gritting his teeth one second and then speaking in a humble tone the next. "Oh, no, I mean, the esteemed audience, who will certainlye to see theedy show brought by this poor clown..."


    "Except for Batman, he doesn''t want toe, but I forced him toe."


    "That''s what I hate about the Court of Owls. They created a rain that can drive people crazy, but it only has no effect on Batman. Those fools." Jack said fiercely.


    "You''re lying again. If that rain really worked on Batman, the Court of Owls would be a thousand times worse off than they are now." He said.


    Jack puckered his lips and whistled a few times, as if to cover up his lie. He shifted his body and leaned against the pillow, saying as if he had found a kindred spirit, "You see, you feel the same way, right? Batman is actually a madman, but he doesn''t admit it. If there were any external factors that drove him crazy, it would be too boring."


    "You know, during yesterday''s performance, did he really want tough?" Jack blinked his eyes, and his hazy eyes were full of longing, his tone bing excited again. "I''ve hidden in the alley and watched him several times, watching him break the hands and feet of those robbers."


    "But he''s too serious." Jackined, "Can''t he be happy? Listening to the cries of those robbers, listening to the Criminals he hates and loathes beg for mercy in his hands, how could he not be happy? Since he''s happy, why notugh?"


    Whenever Batman was mentioned, Jack couldn''t stop talking. But Schiller wasn''t interested in his crazy talk. He tapped the side of his notebook with his pen and said, "I also have two types of people I hate the most. One is the person who causes me trouble, and the other is the one who, after causing trouble, still stands tall and confident."


    Before Jack could say anything, Schiller continued, "It seems that we are exactly the kind of people we hate the most. Since we despise each other, let''s not interact too much. Move to the next hospital room tomorrow and live with Copperpot."


    Jack snorted through his nose and said, "You''re quite the people-person."


    The next day at noon, Schiller had just returned from the cafeteria when he saw Jack squatting at the door of the hospital room, crying. He leaned against the door frame, covering his face, crying very sadly.


    Schiller walked past him without looking, but Jack grabbed his white coat and said, "Oh my god! How can there be such boring people in this world? How could you arrange for me to share a hospital room with him?"


    He grabbed Schiller''s white coat with one hand and wiped away non-existent tears with the other, saying, "He just told me a joke, but even this joke was extremely boring."


    "He actually said he wanted to open a restaurant, you know? And then he even wanted to put an iceberg in the restaurant. Oh my god..."


    "I always thought it was crazy to dress up as a bat, but there are people who want to dress up as a penguin, a penguin, hahaha!"


    "Doctor, they''re all crazy, you have to save me!" Jack started trembling all over. "I don''t want to be with these crazy people!"


    Schiller bent down, grabbed his wrist, and pulled his hand off his clothes. He bent down and said to Jack, "First of all, this is a mental hospital. If neither you nor him is crazy, then you wouldn''t be here."


    "Secondly, it''s not time for you to run out of the hospital room. If you dare to do it again, I''ll have Batman expelled from Gotham University and make him go to Metropolis to study books. You''ll never see him again."


    Jack quickly got up and ran to the hospital bed with a cigarette in his mouth. He also covered himself with the nket and hummed a luby, saying, "Little Jack is going to sleep now, hmm hmm hmm... Let''s sing a luby..."


    While pretending to close one eye and sleep, he secretly opened the other eye to sneak a peek at Schiller''s reaction.


    Copperpot sighed deeply and looked at Schiller by the door, saying, "Doctor, I suggest you move him to the next hospital room."


    He pointed his thumb behind him to the wall and said, "Evans must have a lot inmon with him."


    "More importantly, if this lunatic stays any longer, I''m going to beat him up."


    "Okay, he''ll go live with Evans tomorrow."


    The next day, Schiller came back from lunch and found that Jack had somehow climbed to the high observation window on the wall. He sat on the window, clumsily moving his body, as if trying to climb out.


    Before Schiller could ask what was going on, he heard Evans yelling from inside, "You actually like those musicaledies!! And you insulted ssicism!! I really misjudged you. Those new operas are aplete sphemy to opera!!"


    "You''re the crazy one!" Jack shouted, waving his fists while sitting on the observation window. "Those baroque operas are all outdated stuff! Verdi ispletely garbage! They don''t understand humor at all!"


    As he spoke, he shook his head and sang a few lines, his dry voice and strange singing style full of emotion, without any skill.


    He was spitting and spraying the names of the masters of Baroque opera and ssical opera all over the ce from the high observation window, while Evans was so angry that he threw a pillow at him.


    Say what you will, Evans was still quite strong. He stood below and fiercely hit Jack''s face with a pillow. Jack''s arm was already injured and he couldn''t hold onto the wall, so he fell outside the hospital room andnded in front of Schiller.


    He was still angry and wanted to climb back into the hospital room to continue arguing with Evans. Schiller grabbed his clothes and said, "Do you want to go back and get beaten up? Do you really think you can beat him?"


    Jack was furious and shouted, "He doesn''t know anything about music, that fool! ssical opera is just a bunch of whining. Can you imagine that there are still old fuddy-duddies who like that stuff? Only musicals and operettas are interesting!"


    Evans leaned against the door frame and shouted, "You''re the one without taste! You damn lunatic!"


    "You''re the lunatic!"


    Schiller stood by silently, unable to respond, partly because he didn''t understand opera and partly because he didn''t understand lunatics.


    [ShaneFreak: Joker-Jack Napier]

 Chapter 182: Arkham Daily Life (2)

    Chapter 182: Arkham Daily Life (2)


    As summer approached in Gotham, the few green nts began to thrive, and Arkham Psychiatric Hospital remained a peaceful ce.


    "Jack, I warn you! If you sneak into my office in the middle of the night again and paint the walls with nonsense, I will cancel your outdoor time for the week. Got it?!" Schiller scolded while Jack crouched in the corner, pretending to be deaf.


    "I know Batman''s back to school and is busy with homework, so he''s not out there fighting criminals much. That doesn''t mean you have to do these annoying pranks all the time!" Schiller continued.


    Jack grumbled, "A bat doing homework? What''s going on? Do I have to praise him for being a good boy who goes to bed on time?"


    Schiller crouched down and said, "Okay, Jack, I admit you''re a genius and naturally gifted, but that doesn''t mean everyone is like that. Batman needs to attend sses, do homework, take exams, get a college degree, and manage hispany while participating in the development of Gotham City..."


    "Boring! Boring! Boring!" Jack yelled, "You''ll kill him! You''ll kill Batman! I''m going to save him!"


    Schiller tried to reason with him, but Jack covered his ears and sang nonsense songs, acting like he didn''t hear a thing. They were like two foxes in a mirror, neither trying to convince the other, just ying a game in their boring time.


    But it all came to an end one night when Brand called Schiller from home.


    "Come over quickly. That crazy guy with a smiley face painted on his face kidnapped someone and wants to negotiate with Officer Schiller," Brand said.Schillery in his soft and warm bed at home, took a deep breath, and said into the phone, "No need. It''s hopeless. Tear up the ticket."


    He hung up the phone and went back to sleep. But within two minutes, the phone rang again, and Schiller answered, "Listen, Brand, if anyone ever says to you, ''Do you want to y a game?'' ''Do you want to guess a riddle?'' ''Do you want to truly live?'' or anything simr, don''t ask anything, don''t say anything, just punch them and walk away."


    Brand sighed, "Listen to me. Do you know who he kidnapped?"


    "It''s definitely not you; otherwise, you would be screaming," Schiller replied.


    "He kidnapped the most expensive and advanced brainwave instrument worth nearly 200,000 dors that was just deliveredst week. He''s holding a hammer less than 10 centimeters away from it now..."


    "Sh*t, I''m on my way!" Schiller said.


    Two minutester, Schiller stood outside the instrument room, rubbing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Jack sat in the room, trying to put the brainwave detection helmet on but struggling to do so, his hair getting in the way.


    Seeing Schiller, he grabbed a hammer and shouted, "Listen, cop! I have a hostage..."


    Schiller pulled out a medical case and started writing on it while saying, "You''re done, Jack..."


    Jack muttered something and shook his head while sitting at the table. "There''s nothing more boring than ying the most boring game with the most boring person in the world," he said.


    With a sharp tear, Schiller tore off a piece of paper from the medical case and said to Brand, "He''s cured. We''ll do the discharge procedures tomorrow morning!"


    Brand nced at the paper and gasped.


    The next morning, Jack confidently went to say goodbye to Copperpot and Evans, mocking Copperpot''s n for an ice restaurant and singing light opera for two hours in Evans'' ear. Just as they were about to beat him up, he proudly presented the diagnosis book that allowed him to be discharged.


    Then, with the gaze of the two intending to kill him, he ran out of the Arkham Hospital''s gate, waving and whistling at the two figures in the windows under the sun.


    However, before he even left the street in front of the hospital, more than a dozen luxury cars surrounded him and a group of gang bosses in suits warmly weed him.


    Jack looked around and realized the situation was not good. He immediately wanted to escape, but was still taken and dragged into one of the cars.


    In front of the window of the office of the chief physician at Arkham Mental Hospital, Brand watched the scene and said, "You actually gave him a bill that waives all medical expenses. Now, all the gang bosses in Gotham will be relentlessly seeking him out for information."


    Brand looked up and down at Schiller and said, "Everyone knows that the chief physician at Arkham Mental Hospital is a vampire who picks at every bit of flesh. You deliberately showed him mercy, so they must think he''s rted to you or something. He''ll be treated like a VIP by those gang bosses..."


    Three dayster, Gordon knocked on the door of Schiller''s office. After he pushed the door open, he found Schiller writing at his desk. Gordon walked over and knocked on the desk, saying, "Professor, can you please get that lunatic out of here quickly?"


    "He''s hijacked the TV station five times in three days. He..."


    Schiller had just finished speaking when the news anchor on the TV screamed and hastily ran away. The Joker''s face appeared on the screen again, looking even crazier and more haggard. He said, "Someone please save me! Save this poor mentally ill patient!"


    "That kind-hearted psychiatrist, are you there? Look at me, I''m crazy. I should be hospitalized for treatment..."


    Then he started rummaging through his clothes and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper to show it to the camera. He said, "See this? It''s the receipt for my health insurance premiums. I pay so much every year!"


    "But now, now... sob, sob, I have a serious mental illness, but the only mental hospital in the city refuses to admit me, sob..." He began to fake cry in front of the camera.


    Suddenly, he became manic and said, "Schiller Rodriguez! You''re the most annoying person in the world! You let those gangsters swarm around me like flies! You know damn well that I think those people are the most boring in the world..."


    "This life is hopeless!" The Joker fiercely opened his arms and said, "The world has turned ck... despair! Despair! It''s all despair!"


    He hugged the camera of the TV and said, "Can you imagine? Theye to me every day asking for money-making opportunities! It''s torture!"


    "Their mediocre and monotonous thinking tortures and abuses me!" The Joker gritted his teeth and said, "I burned their money and safes, and they apuded me. This is no joke!"


    "They..." The Joker''s voice suddenly sounded deeply helpless, "They scare me like ordinary people..."


    His voice began to sound teary, "Luxury cars, fine wine, women, and money! Damn money! I''m surrounded by a bunch of lunatics!"


    "I ran away, but they always find me..." The Joker cried really sadly, "Everyone is talking about these things. I can''t believe this world has gone crazy..."


    "Come and take me away! Take me back to the mental hospital! I''d rather argue with that stupid penguin or that tasteless opera singer than hear these disgusting topics again!!"


    The Joker began to vomit in front of the camera. He seemed really sick, but before he finished vomiting, a gang bodyguard-like person rushed up and handed him a ss of water.


    The Joker showed a "you all saw it" expression, then suddenly jumped up and pointed to the ss of water, shouting crazily, "See! This is how they torture me! Every day is like this... sob... Prepare me food, red wine, and money, bury me with these things..."


    He gritted his teeth and shouted at the TV, "Schiller Rodriguez! You damn unscrupulous doctor! Can''t you see that a mental patient is standing right in front of you?!"


    "Just let me leave! Anywhere is fine! Quickly take me to a mental hospital, do you hear me?!!"


    Schiller didn''t even lift his head, and Gordon had a face like he had eaten a fly. He said, "I''ve said it before, even if everyone in Gotham is a little crazy, he''s crazy to an extreme. Who begs to be admitted to a mental hospital..."


    Just as he said this, he pped his forehead and said, "Oh, I forgot, now all the gang leaders in Gotham want toe here."


    "Okay, Professor Schiller, listen, I don''t really care if you turn this ce into a private prison for gangs, especially when it has some benefits for public security, but it doesn''t mean you can let such a madman run around in the city."


    He pleaded with Schiller, "After all, this is a psychiatric hospital, and there should be one or two real mental patients admitted, right?"


    Schiller was still writing with his head down. After a while, he looked up, shook his neck, and said, "Okay, I can reluctantly leave him a bed."


    "But, I don''t recognize insurancepanies here." After speaking, Schiller stood up from his seat and handed the note he had just written to Gordon, saying, "This is the repair cost for everything he broke before. As long as he signs this, I will let him be admitted."


    Gordon took the note and nced at the final price. He took a cold breath, but still said, "I will pass this on to him, but I don''t think a professional truck driver would dare to sign such arge bill."


    "You tell him, if he doesn''t sign, I''ll send this bill to Batman and tell him that his friend, the Joker Jack, owes me a lot of money and refuses to pay. He''s a rotten person who doesn''t pay his debts and is rotten to the core."


    Gordon sighed and said, "Although I don''t know what fun you guys have ying these role-ying games, it doesn''t matter. Is Gotham short of such things?"


    "Don''t say this in front of that crazy guy just now. If he knows that you think his game is normal in Gotham, he will definitely prepare a huge surprise for you."

 Chapter 183: Arkham Daily Life (3)

    Chapter 183: Arkham Daily Life (3)


    When Jacky on the bed at Arkham Psychiatric Hospital again, Schiller gloated, "Now you know where your permanent home is, right? Seeing as you paid so much, I can give you some more painkillers."


    "Do you think I''m an addict?" Jack yelled angrily. "Don''tpare me to those drug addicts who ruin their brains!"


    "Come on, at least you have a permanent bed here. You''ve seen how much the gang leaders outside would want a bed like this but can''t get in," Schiller said.


    At the mention of gang leaders, Jack made a disgusted face and muttered under his breath, "You and that bat are the same. He doesn''t want tough, and you don''t want to be crazy. You''re both deceiving yourselves..."


    He stared at the ceiling, rambling on. "Why do you have to be so serious? Why can''t you admit it? Why can''t you be proud of your chaos and disorder?"


    Suddenly, he calmed down, even speaking philosophically. "In this mediocre world, having a unique crazy soul should be something to be proud of."


    "But you always keep these brilliant souls trapped in disgusting shells."


    "Living seriously and seriously every day, it''s no different from those zombies. It makes me sick..."


    "Madness is not the only way to understand this world," Schiller said, sitting down. His tone was calm. "I have always believed this.""If you can''t be a sharp knife and pierce the world''s disguise with madness, you will be tamed by those hypocritical orders."


    Jack spoke like he was talking in his sleep, using some difficult words. Each word would pause in his mouth, as if he didn''t know them, but each sentence was soplete and fluent.


    "There is chaos only because there is order. Without order, chaos is no longer chaos. Chaos will be order when you destroy the order, and you are building another kind of order."


    "Many people think that the ultimate answer to this world is chaos, but when they have this idea, it means they have been tamed by order. There is no ultimate answer in this world."


    "Is this why you and that bat don''t want to do anything?" Jack looked at Schiller.


    "I''m different from him," Schiller poured himself a ss of water. "Batman is a warrior who maintains order in chaos, but I''m just an ordinary person."


    "Ordinary person..." Jack sneered at his words.


    "And you, you think of yourself as a savior, wanting to tell everyone that only madness can understand the truth. Especially wanting to tell Batman that the answers he wants are within reach, as simple asughing."


    "But he understands this, he just doesn''t want to do it."


    "So I think he''s a psychopath," Jack''s tone suddenly revealed a hint of jealousy. "He has what I don''t have, the most fundamental darkness and madness that I dream of, but he just doesn''t want to do it. He could be the great god who tore apart this mediocre lie, but he just doesn''t want tough."


    "This problem echoes in my mind every day, making me feel confused and crazy."


    "Why are they so serious?" Jack looked at Schiller and said, "The person who dresses up as a bat is a psychopath... and the person who dresses up as an ordinary person too."


    Outside the window, the night fell slowly in Gotham, and the city lights flickered. After the weather warmed up, the whole city began to show new vitality, still with a hint of madness and evil, still chaotic, and still bustling.


    In the morning, Schiller was in his office, holding a paintbrush. Brand was beside him, somewhat reluctant to take off his paint-stained gloves. Schiller said to him, "I''m pretty sure this hospital needs a thorough renovation."


    He pointed to the wall corner. "If it weren''t for that crazy man''s graffiti damaging my walls, I wouldn''t have noticed that the bricks there are cracking. They might copse one day."


    Brand sighed. "You''re right, but this requires a long-term n. We can''t just tell those patients tomorrow that we''re starting renovations and tell them to get out, right?"


    He looked up and said, "Anyway, so far, we can only do it ourselves."


    "You just can''t bear to lose these days'' revenue," Schillerughed. "If we renovate for two months, we won''t get anymission during this time, and we''ll lose a lot, right?"


    Brand rubbed his nose and cursed under his breath, "It''s all because of your damn Gang industry chain. I never knew money could be made so easily in my life. If we stop working for two months, how much money will I lose?"


    "Okay, then we''ll do it ourselves, but the cracks in the corners of the walls are a small problem. The biggest problem is the shortage of hospital rooms."


    Brand also sighed, he obviously knew this.


    Arkham Psychiatric Hospital has a long history. When this building was built, Gotham did not have as many people, and the hospital''s capacity was limited. Even with Schiller''s parole and prison cycle, hospital rooms are still tight.


    Now the main contradiction of Arkham Psychiatric Hospital is the contradiction between outdated facilities and the increasing demand for money-making by the Gang bosses.


    After the disaster in Gotham, this contradiction has be more prominent. The logistics facilities are being rebuilt. Most of the Gang bosses are idle. What better ce than the Arkham Club?


    They reorganize their industries, exchange resources, form circles, expand theirworks, and prepare for the next development.


    Everyone exchanges information ording to the different levels of the circle hierarchy. If you don''t join in now, when the real construction starts, you won''t even have a seat at the table.


    Especially after Jack returned to the mental hospital, he was really a very troublesome guy. Copperpot, Evans, and Jack, the three of them, can be described as ipatible.


    Copperpot and Evans can barely stay in one room, but if Albertoes out, it''s not possible. The future Penguin, Copperpot, and Joker staying in the same room often fight because of their different views.


    Copperpot belongs to thewful evil faction in Gotham, in simple terms, he is not crazy enough. In fact, The Penguin in the original work is almost the same. He runs a big restaurant, talks andughs with the Gang bosses, and even bes the mayor. This is a normal to abnormal promotion route in Gotham, which ispletely different from the chaotic evil of the Joker.


    So Copperpot thinks the Joker is aplete lunatic and cannotmunicate with him, while the Joker thinks Copperpot is a stupid person no different from those Gang bosses, and staying with him for one more second is an insult to him.


    Copperpot disdains to reason with a lunatic, and the Joker is toozy to talk to a stupid person, so their way of resolving disputes is to fight.


    They are not strong enough, especially Copperpot, who is small and weak. The Joker is a little crazy and has no method in fighting. Every time they fight, they end up with injuries and are tied to the hospital bed staring at each other.


    As for the Joker and Evans, they have huge differences in artistic understanding. They mainly argue, mainly because Evans doesn''t like to fight, and Jack can''t beat Evans at all. So they argue by singing opera selections to each other.


    If Evans'' singing can still be considered pleasant, then Jack''s singing level is enough to make Batman fall over.


    If they live in the same hospital room,ints about noise and disturbance will be sent to Schiller''s office like snowkes.


    So these three people can only upy one hospital room each.


    Originally, there were not many hospital rooms, and these three patients who had no profit output insisted on upying one hospital room each. Schiller has been unhappy with them for a long time, but unfortunately, these three people all have legitimate reasons.


    Copperpot was seriously injured by Evans before, and it was really inhumane to discharge him now.


    The conflict between Evans and his father has not beenpletely resolved. Alberto is determined not to return to Falcone Manor, and Godfather has note to pick up his son, so they can only drag on like this.


    Jack had nothing to do because Batman was busy with school and he had to consider Gordon''s mental health and work pressure, so he had to rely on being here.


    On an afternoon just after lunch, Jack stood on the balcony of the 7th floor of Arkham Asylum, with one foot outside the balcony railing.


    In the room, Bruce, Evans and Copperpot were standing there. Evans said to Jack, "Speak properly, can youe back first? If you fall, the professor will definitely be very angry."


    Bruce only came to find Evans to hand over the club work. He didn''t know about the shocking things that had happened at Arkham Asylum during this time, so he turned to Evans and asked, "What''s going on? Why does he want to jump off the building?"


    "Don''t you see it yet?" Copperpot sat on the nearby hospital bed and said to Bruce, "He''s crazy and having an episode."


    Evans was still trying to persuade Jack, "This is the 7th floor. If you fall like this, your head will hit the ground first, and your brain and blood will dirty arge area of ??the ground. The professor will have to pay a lot of cleaning fees, and he will definitely be very angry."


    Copperpot also said, "The floor below is all stone brick road, and it is difficult to clean the blood sttered on it. All the bricks have to be lifted. If you dare to do this, I have no doubt that he will arrange a funeral full of copper smell for you."


    A hesitant expression appeared on Jack''s face. He said, "Will he carry my coffin to a group of gang leaders and let them recite the eulogy for me? Let you, the fool, give me flowers, and let that person with no music taste sing a hymn for me? Oh my god! He''s a devil!"


    "But do you think I''m afraid?!" Jack pped the railing hard and said like a chant, "The brave Jack is not afraid of the devil. I''m going to prove it to you now. I am the Arkham Knight!"


    As he spoke, he leaned hard to the left and fell straight down. Bruce rushed to the balcony in two steps and then saw Jack floating in mid-air. Schiller below reached out a hand and threw him aside irritably.


    Jack, who fell to the ground,ughed and rolled around. He said, "Hahaha! Ordinary person, you call yourself ordinary person! Hahaha, this joke is really too funny. I must listen to it again tomorrow, hahaha!"


    Evans looked back at the calendar and then at Copperpot, "Let''s make a bet. Will it be the 15th time this week?"


    Copperpot stood up and walked out of the room, intending to return to his hospital room. He said, "I bet it will definitely exceed 20 times."


    Only Bruce standing on the balcony, he looked back at Evans and Copperpot, and then looked down at Schiller and Jack. The wind on the balcony blew his hair very messy, and he muttered to himself, "Am I crazy?"

 Chapter 184: Stranges Happy Life (1)

    Chapter 184: Stranges Happy Life (1)


    On a sunny morning in New York, before 7am, the streets of Manhattan were already bustling. Wall Street elites in suits and leather shoes held reports and spoke a bunch of professional jargon on the phone while walking. The owner of the coffee shop struggled to move the magazine rack to the door. The drive-thru of the fast food restaurant had a long line of vehicles, and the cars of all colors moved like parts on a conveyor belt, reflecting the sunlight from the rearview mirrors and the ss curtain walls of high-rise buildings.


    Summer was almost over, but iced coffee was always in season. A group of young people gathered in front of the Sanatorium on the street corner, drinking coffee and reading magazines. Schiller leaned against amppost in front of the Sanatorium''s entrance, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, making a call.


    "...Yes, I forgot, but I''m the dean. You can''t lock the dean out of the Sanatorium, can you?"


    "You said you have something to do. What could it be? Didn''t you already hand over your resignation at the Presbyterian Hospital? That was months ago. Besides the Sanatorium, what else do you have to do?"


    "You became a special doctor hired by the Presbyterian Hospital? Hey, you didn''t get my approval as the dean, and you went out to find a part-time job?... You couldn''t find my people? Does that make it right? It''s clearly written in the contract..."


    "Okay, okay, I know you''re a person with professional pursuits. Don''t worry about it. Come and give me the keys quickly..."


    "A crazy person who broke into someone''s house came to you? Like me? I''m not... Why didn''t you call the police? Don''t you know the number for 911?"


    "Who? A bald guy in a yellow shirt? Well, then you can take the day off today. Bye!"


    "Oh, one more thing, be polite to her, ande to work tomorrow alive!"Schiller hung up the phone quickly, took a sip of coffee, and thought happily that he had just returned to Marvel and received good news. What a great start.


    Meanwhile, in Strange''s apartment, the Ancient One waved her hand, and countless star-like lights surrounded her. Behind her, there seemed to be endless starry sky.


    Strange looked at all this in shock. In an instant, these magical lights disappeared, and everything seemed like it had never happened, except for the Ancient One''s slightly moving robes. She looked at Strange and asked him, "What do you think?"


    Strange opened his mouth wide and was immersed in shock, unable to answer. He had seen Schiller use magic before, but Schiller could only make a pen float at most. How could there be such a grand scene of the universe descending?


    Little did he know, the Ancient One also sighed inwardly. The development of the situation was really beyond her expectations.


    This matter began with the so-called Bat God''s arrival.


    At that time, the guardian of the Morin family who came over, the so-called Bat God, was actually just a shameless illegal immigrant, no different from a sneaky mouse.


    Because of the existence of Odin and the Ancient One, not everyone coulde to Earth. When Odin got angry, even the God of Symbiotes was chopped up, let alone the Ancient One, who was either collecting debts or on the road to collect debts every day.


    The invading gods who attacked with great fanfare were chopped into dumpling filling if they entered through the front door and beaten into even smaller dumpling filling if they entered through the side door. Most of the remaining ones became clever and, although they coveted this ce, they did not dare to act recklessly.


    But when both the front and side doors were blocked, there were still people who didn''t mind getting dirty and loved to crawl through mouse holes.


    Summoning evil gods has a long history in the history of Earth.


    In the era before the position of the Sorcerer Supreme even existed, when humans had just formed tribes and emerged from the stage of eating raw meat and drinking blood, and began to establish civilization, many tribes had wizards and priests who used magic tomunicate with this world.


    Most of them were just psychologicalfort, but a small part of them sessfully found the real thing.


    At that time, the wizards of the tribes used some rituals to summon a part of the evil god''s power to Earth, and used living sacrifices to exchange for evil power to attack other tribes.


    At that time, some evil gods would leave their marks and exclusive channels, making it easier for their followers to summon them.


    After the Ancient One became the Sorcerer Supreme, he did not hesitate to check and correct these historical loopholes. The gods who dared to do such things paid a heavy price for their youthful recklessness and became fertilizer for Earth''s defense system.


    Although the Ancient One hacked to death most of the careless gods along thework cable, there were still some cunning ones. They buried more hidden channels, and despite the Ancient One''s several attempts to root them out, there were always a few fish that slipped through the.


    The vampires used one of these fishy channels.


    This race lived long and always managed to get some strange things. In some ancient books of witchcraft left over from ancient times, they found a way tomunicate with the universe.


    Ignorance is bliss. They directly sent a signal into deep space, and the Morin family happened to have a member hunting in this universe. He quickly locked onto this ce like a bloodhound smelling blood.


    He silently came to Earth through this illegal channel and nned to hunt down Spider-Man while chaos reigned.


    The story was normal until the giant Venom bat took off. Aftermunicating with certain higher-level mystical powers, the Earth''s Supreme Sorcerer, the Ancient One, received the answer that a new beast totem was being born.


    Naturally, she became busy. If a new beast totem was really going to be born in this universe, the Ancient One had a lot to prepare for, such as collecting debts, making dumpling stuffing, and a new round of fighting demons and evil spirits.


    After all, the busiest person after this big event would be the Ancient One.


    This led to a problem - during this short period of time, she had no time to keep an eye on her future sessor, Strange. Or rather, the busy Ancient One forgot about this matter altogether.


    Who knew that during this short period of time, Strange''s life underwent a huge change.


    The most significant and impactful change was that he became rich overnight.


    Before, Strange couldn''t be considered poor. As the world''s best neurosurgeon, his ie was quite high. But obviously, nothing could beat making money through shady means.


    Since he became the medical consultant for the Stark-Osborn pharmaceutical joint venture and gave speeches around the world as an elite doctor to promote the effectiveness of the Elixir of Life, Strange suddenly found that it seemed like the whole world was busy stuffing money into his pockets.


    Stark and Osborn''spanies would give him arge sum of money as sry, and in addition to that, SHIELD and the Sanatorium would also give him a portion of their payment. However, these were not even his main source of ie.


    There are many people in this world who are so poor that they only have money left, such as Middle Eastern tycoons who control ck gold, Far Eastern oligarchs who control finances, and monopolistic bigwigs in certain industries. You could say that these people really don''t know the hype about the Elixir of Life? Actually, they might know.


    It''s just that they have too much money. Even if they spend money just to hear a sound, as long as it sounds good, they are willing to do it.


    In this situation, they are willing to pay arge amount of money to have a top doctor tell them every day that "it works," even if it''s just a cebo effect. After all, money is just a number to them.


    In this situation, even the price that one of them offered to Strange could make him dizzy for a long time.


    And Strange was indeed stunned by the money.


    Essentially, at this time, Strange was not like Peter Parker, a natural good person. His high pursuit of his profession was alsorgely due to the rich rewards and prestigious status it brought him, which is human nature.


    But the sudden wealth almost instantly wiped out his views on money. Strange suddenly realized that money was not a reward for his work at all. He didn''t really put in any actual work, he just repeated a few sentences like a parrot, then went to fancy banquets to eat and drink, and said a few words to the richest people in the world, and the money flew into his pocket by itself.


    Strange found that the way the world''s economy operates seems to be a scam. After he jumped from a victim to a scammer, he suddenly wasn''t so entangled in it anymore.


    After all, being rich is being happy.


    So, when the Ancient One returned after being busy for a while and took a nce at Strange, she found that he seemed to have let it go.


    Just as she was about to investigate what had happened during this time, she was tied up by a problem - the head of the New York Sanctuary cried and asked to be transferred. The Ancient One had to go and appease these apprentices and figure out how to reconnect the Sanctuary''s WIFI.


    But she didn''t expect that the quantity change of money could lead to a qualitative change.


    Not long after, Pepper finished the important work of transferring the power of the Stark Group and began to reorganize the industries rted to the Elixir of Life, establishing the Foundation of the Elixir of Life, and Strange naturally became a member.


    When you get a stake in such an important industry, everything bes different.


    Simply put, he went from being a worker to a capitalist overnight.


    Whether or not Strange had a heart for wealth and luxury, he himself didn''t know, but obviously, when the Ancient One came back after being busy, she didn''t think he did.


    After the Supreme Sorcerer returned, she found that things were heading in apletely wrong direction and were running without looking back.


    Due to Schiller''s absence, Strange became an indispensable figure in the entire Elixir of Life industry, and his importance was rising step by step, even reaching a pivotal position. He gained the credibility of the Elixir of Life in the medical field, and therefore had the final say.


    This meant that he had be just as important as Stark and Osborn in this industry. In order to implement this credibility, Osborn Industries nned to open apany for him to improve the industry''s standards. Before the Ancient One could reach him, the process of opening thepany was almostplete.


    This future Supreme Sorcerer was about to disappear on the road of a capitalist.


    But the Ancient One knew that if Strange really became a capitalist who controlled the fate of the industry like Stark or Osborn, then no matter if there was a car ident or the death of an important family member, he couldn''t escape the entanglement of worldly fame and fortune, and couldn''t turn to mysticism.


    Even if he wanted to do so, those who could dig interests from him would not allow him to do so.


    For example, if Stark now decided to abandon everything and enter a monastery, the first person to panic would be the President of the United States, and he would be extremely anxious.


    Once these people are involved, things will be veryplicated. The Ancient One has been in the position of Sorcerer Supreme for so many years, adhering to non-interference. Now, Strange''s departure is rted to the Eternal Industries, which is rted to Stark Industries, Osborn Industries, SHIELD, the military, and Congress. She doesn''t want to conflict with so many powers because of her sessor''s problem.


    At the same time, the Ancient One was very suspicious. With Strange''s current willpower and morals, would he really not be corrupted by money?


    What if he really became a wicked capitalist, lying on a pile of money every day, indulging in the pleasure of not working and enjoying himself? What should she do? She couldn''t just chop him up like dumpling filling, right?


    At this point, in order to prevent her favored sessor from blindly throwing himself into the arms of capital, the Ancient One decided to make special arrangements. The testing steps could be omitted for now, and it was more important to ensure that her Strange did not go astray.


    So, on this morning when Schiller forgot his key and got locked out of the Sanatorium, Strange truly understood the magical world for the first time from the Ancient One, and received an invitation to study abroad from Kamar-Taj.


    Yes, it was an invitation to study abroad, not something like apassionate master taking in a disciple.


    After all, the current situation was not that Strange was begging everyone to cure his illness, but that the Ancient One saw his talent and did not want him to be blinded by worldly fame and fortune. So, she took the initiative to find him. Naturally, this invitation was more polite.


    The Ancient One also knew that under these circumstances, Strange could not just leave. Too many people were counting on him to make money, and if he was just taken away like that, the inte that had just been connected to the Sanctum would be cut off again.


    Therefore, the Sorcerer Supreme very open-mindedly expressed that Strange could attend as a day student, for example, by taking the Sanctum portal to attend sses for a few hours after work, and returning in the morning.


    The Ancient One also asked Strange to consider for two days before answering. After all, she also had to think about what kind of car ident would make him turn over a new leaf if he did not agree.


    When Strange came to work in the afternoon, he was still in a daze, apparently even more shocked by the magic shown by the Ancient One.


    Schiller''s floating ballpoint pen and other tricks were not unfamiliar to him in magic, butpared to magic, they were more like tricks.


    But the Ancient One was a real Sorcerer Supreme, and every move and technique was honed from thousands of chopped-up demonic bodies. When a master made a move, even someone like Strange, who had spent his entire life studying science, or even the most creative magician in the world, would be overwhelmed by the infinite power of magic emanating from her.


    "Is what we''re doing really meaningful?" Strange sat at his desk, his eyes a little nk as he asked, "I''ve been studying knowledge and technology for so many years, and that kind of magic... they can do all of it just by waving their hands..."


    Strange looked down at his fingers, pointing to a wound on them. "Before, when I was cutting vegetables, I cut my finger here..."


    "Then she just waved her hand, and the wound was healed, without any medical technology, without medicine, without a doctor..."


    "So what is the meaning of human medicine? What is the meaning of my existence?"


    "A patient can just lie on a hospital bed and go find a group of magicians to wave their hands at him, and then I can get lost, because there is no longer a need for ten hours of surgery, or any postoperative recovery..."


    Strange opened his hands, he opened his mouth, but nothing came out.


    Then he asked Schiller very puzzledly, "You guys are all in cahoots, right? You magic users, what do you think of ordinary people? Do you think we''re stupid and ridiculous? Spending decades learning knowledge and honing skills, only to end up..."


    He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Like a group of ants just spinning around in the mud, right?"


    "Why don''t you try it yourself?" Schiller sat across from him and said, "Go and see for yourself if magic is as easy and effortless as you imagine."


    "What could be easier than waving your hand? This simply makes no sense." Strange sighed, covering his forehead and said, "I''ve known since I was very young that there are some people in this world who can easily get things that you will never get in your lifetime."


    "They don''t have to make any effort, it''s just because of their luck. This world is inherently unfair."


    "But..." He paused for a moment, and then said, "The degree of its unfairness still exceeds my imagination."


    Strange smiled, but it looked very difficult to smile. He said, "It seems that those rich people are also fools who have been deceived. That''s the only good news I heard today."


    "Do you know how Stark views magic?"


    Strange looked at Schiller and he actually wanted to say that he didn''t care about Stark''s opinion, but he really wanted to know how this group of people who had already reached the top of ordinary humans and had gained the most fame and fortune in the world, viewed these extraordinary things.


    "During the vampire invasion, he also thought about this question. The longevity and even immortality that ordinary people dream of, the group of big bats were born with it. They are very strong and powerful, even a well-trained ordinary person can only deal with one of them by forming a group. This looks very unfair, like a joke by a biased creator."


    "Butter, I thought that this kind of thing had happened millions of years ago, in the ancient wilderness era. Human physique waspletely iparable to those beasts with sharp ws and teeth, but we still survived to this day and developed such a prosperous civilization."


    "But this is different." Strange pointed out the loophole in this view, "Those who can use magic are still human beings, not beasts. They have all the advantages of human beings, intelligence, the ability to think, and the ability to pass on."


    "And she mentioned to me that they are also organized, just like ordinary humans, working in groups and cooperating with each other. They have all the advantages of ordinary humans, plus magic..."


    "So why don''t they rule over humans? Or why have you never heard of them in your previous life? Why doesn''t such a superior and powerful group stand in front of the public and lead humans to greater glory?"


    Strange fell silent and Schiller said to him, "Perhaps there is a possibility that their abilities arepletely superior to ordinary people, they are more noble than us, and they will not use this ability to enve ordinary people."


    "And as we all know, when humans have intelligence, they will have ambition and desire. If they are really so superior, they can achieve things that ordinary people cannot achieve in decades in an instant, without paying any price. Then we will definitely see on the pages of history books, a series of fierce wars between them and ordinary people."


    "Human beings even try to rule over other human beings based on nationality and skin color, let alone a truly superior ability?"


    "So..." Strange hesitated to say.


    "So they must pay a price," Schiller said with an outstretched hand. "If you still don''t believe it, why not try it?"


    "I..." Strange closed his eyes, his brow furrowed, looking a bit painful. After all, anyone who has been denied the years of hard work will feel very discouraged.


    But he had to admit that he was very curious about this magical power. Or to put it this way, when he learned about magic in this way, Strange was more puzzled. He wanted to know where this power came from, why it was so powerful, and whether it really had no ws.


    Schiller looked at Strange and thought that now, this future Sorcerer Supreme was not actively pursuing magic because of a strong desire to save himself or others. Instead, he learned about the other half of the truth of this world on such an ordinary morning.


    The impact he received was great, but the questions he was thinking about were different. Strange still had the luxury of thinking about some philosophical questions like a leisurely stroll, instead of like a stray dog, clutching at magic as the only straw to save his life.


    The change in social status gave Strange more initiative when facing the Ancient One.


    Strange still had a retreat. Even if he didn''t be the Sorcerer Supreme, he could still be a happy billionaire in the ordinary society. Even if heter became the Sorcerer Supreme, he could still y an important role in this society.


    This was also Schiller''s goal.


    Schiller always believed that a Sorcerer Supreme who waspletely detached from human society was not good enough. When they ced themselves in a position of seclusion and superiority for a long time, their mentality would gradually change and they would be estranged from ordinary people, forgetting that they were also born in this ordinary society, which was the root of all things.


    And this could very well make them the greatest threat to human society.


    Even if Strange, like the Ancient One, could truly transcend the world and remain true to his heart, the role he yed would still be too small. With the status and ability of the Sorcerer Supreme, they could do more.


    If others did more, Schiller could do less and have more time to ck off with pay.


    Therefore, Schiller chose a money attack, using a pie that fell from the sky to knock out this future Sorcerer Supreme, and not let him stray too far from this society.


    Schiller asked Strange, "Isn''t it happy to be a rich person?"


    "Of course it''s happy," Strange answered instinctively. "How can you not be happy with money?"


    "You may think it''s happy to be a rich person now, but after you have contact with the magical and great magic, you will find..."


    "Being a rich person isn''t really happy?"


    "...you will find that being a rich person is really happy."

 Chapter 185: Stranges Happy Life (2)

    Chapter 185: Stranges Happy Life (2)


    Schiller sat in his office, flipping through reports while dialing his mobile phone. After a long while of busy signals, the call was finally answered with a series of explosions and a sound of something falling, followed by a cry from Strange.


    "Hello? Stephen, what are you doing? The two medical records I asked forst night, why haven''t you delivered them yet?"


    "Oh, wait! I forgot!" Strange hadn''t even finished speaking before he let out a painful scream. "Ah!"


    He tore off the silk bandage wrapped around his face and looked at the person in front of him. "Wang, I said to wait a minute, I need to take this call, I..."


    Before he could finish exining, Schiller''s roar came from the phone. "Forgot?! You''ve already forgotten four times this week! Yesterday, you said you forgot the three medical records I needed. I''ve paid you so much, can''t you..."


    Strange just wanted to exin when the silk band flying in mid-air hit him in the face, making him scream. The mage Wang on the other end said, "You need to focus, otherwise the force of magic won''t listen to you."


    "I want to focus too!" Strange yelled. He said to the phone, "There''s nothing worth seeing in the medical records of the patient in room 2! Didn''t I tell you that yesterday? His symptoms arepletely made up to impress that nurse named Fina..."


    Strange dodged to the left while holding the phone, saying quickly, "I''m having some trouble here, oh damn! Watch out..."


    As he spoke, he bent over and dodged the flying silk band, then switched the phone to his other hand and used his free right hand to cover his face. "I''ll give you the two medical records tonight, I have to..." he said.Then he swung his arm fiercely, finally catching the flying silk band in his hand. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "...solve some trouble."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the silk band in his hand "whooshed" out of his palm, making a big loop around the chandelier, and then it bounced off and grabbed the chandelier, smashing towards Strange.


    With a miserable scream, Strange flew backwards, holding his head. When the phone fell to the ground, Schiller''s threatening voice came from inside, "Listen, no matter how difficult your studies in the extracurricr ss are, you mustplete your work on time, otherwise I will deduct your sry!"


    Listening to the busy signal on the phone, Strange helplessly covered his eyes and said, "I regret it, can I drop out now?"


    Hey on the ground, feeling hopeless. "This thing can''t be learned by humans at all. How can I exin to a silk band and make it listen to me?"


    The mage Wang on the other side still had a calm expression and said, "The power of magic lies in faith, you must learn to persevere."


    The next afternoon, Strange was writing something when Schiller walked in with a cup of coffee and said, "You''ve been in ss for a week, how''s it going?"


    Strange didn''t say anything, he sighed deeply first. He looked up and down at Schiller with his eyes several times. Schiller followed his gaze and looked at himself, "What''s wrong? Is there a problem?"


    "You can use magic, right? Can I ask how long you have been learning?" Strange asked.


    "Who told you that was magic?" Schiller asked back. He saw Strange staring at him and said, "I''m a mutant, this ability is innate, no need to learn."


    Strange''s eyes widened in shock and anger. "Then why did you make me learn magic! You... You damn..."


    Schiller shrugged, this has always been his argument. Facing ordinary people and mutants, he was a magician; facing magicians, he was an ordinary person and mutant. Anyway, these two sides could not go against each other.


    "I should have realized it earlier. How could such a powerful ability be so easy to learn?" Strange covered his forehead and said.


    "Can you believe it? I''ve been fighting a floating silk band all week!"


    Strange couldn''t help butugh.


    He said, "I really have to thank that damn ribbon, it makes me think these patients are actually easy to deal with!"


    "Ribbon?" Schiller said, a little confused. "Didn''t they teach you how to draw circles or something?"


    "Draw circles? What''s that?"


    "It''s the magic teleportation portal."


    Strange snorted and said, "I don''t know when I''ll learn that. Right now, I''m just getting beaten up by that ribbon. I can''t even control it, let alone catch it."


    "I really wish you could learn the magic teleportation technique quickly."


    "Why?"


    "That way, you can just throw thepleted patient records to me through the portal."


    Strange rolled his eyes and continued to write. "That fat mage said the Supreme Sorcerer thinks I have talent. It''s ridiculous. I don''t know what talent is required to fight a ribbon..."


    "Didn''t he teach you any tips or tricks, like calming yourself down and focusing?"


    "Of course he did, but I can''t calm down when a ribbon is pping me twice a second. Is that still my fault?"


    "So are you just going to keep fighting it, this ribbon?"


    "What else can I do? Wong told me that every apprentice mage has to go through this to train their concentration."


    Strange continued to write and said, "He said magic isn''t something that just appears out of nowhere. It relies on higher levels of power, so every apprentice mage has to first train their control so they don''t lose control of the borrowed power."


    "What''s the principle behind that ribbon?"


    Strange''s pen paused for a moment and he said, "I heard it''s also borrowed power, but it''s weaker. It''s specifically used to train beginners."


    "To be honest, I''ve been thinking that since this ability can be learned, it''s not much different from the medical knowledge I learned before. It can probably be improved through deduction, summary, and refinement..."


    There''s no doubt that Strange is a top student. After a few days of setbacks, he has already begun to think about how to improve efficiency.


    The Ancient One also has a good eye for people. Strange''s talent lies in his excellent learning ability and high eptance of magic. He quickly epted his identity as a mage apprentice and nned to make progress in his magical career.


    Schiller put his hand on his chin and said, "If that''s the case, have you considered a more convenient way?"


    "A more convenient way? What do you mean?"


    "Since this power is borrowed, you can talk to your creditor and ask them not to be so irritable."


    Strange said helplessly, "The problem now is that I can''t even catch that ribbon. You have to start by learning how to control the ribbon, then you have the opportunity tomunicate with the power behind it."


    "Have you ever thought that there are many ways to make that ribbon stop?"


    "Like what?"


    "Like this." Schiller took out a blue gun from his drawer.


    The next day, Fat Mage Wang stood on the side, watching as Strange rolled up his sleeves and held a weird-looking blue handgun in one hand. He calmly said to a ribbon that had been frozen into an icicle, "Listen, if you''re still so irritable, you''re not worth the price..."


    Seeing Strange look like a mafia boss collecting protection money, Mage Wang was very speechless. He tried to dissuade him, "Stephen, concentration is very important for mages. You can''t do it like this..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, the Ancient One appeared behind him. She sounded quite cheerful, even a little surprised, and said, "It looks like he has more talent than I imagined."


    Wang widened his eyes, and the Ancient One touched his chin and said, "I was worried that his temper was too good and it might cause trouble for Kamar-Taj and Earth, but now it seems fine."


    Wang stared straight at the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Ancient One smiled and said, "Concentration is indeed important, and so is faith, but those are allter stages. Before controlling magic, you have to first obtain magic. That is the true essence of magic."


    After watching Strange y shooting games with the freeze gun and ribbon for a few hours, the Ancient One was even more satisfied. She said, "It seems that he also has good patience. Sometimes, it''s like this. Some stingy people are very difficult to deal with. If you don''t have enough patience, it''s hard to get them hooked."


    When the ribbon finally gave in and both sides began negotiations, the Ancient One felt even more certain that she hadn''t misjudged him. She said, "Obviously, he is experienced. Whether it''s moderate price increases or retreats, he uses them all skillfully..."


    Indeed, Strange''s socializing during this time was not in vain. Every day, he dealt with big shots from all over the world, and he talked andughed with them in various asions. He quietly reached some deals, even when negotiating with Stark and other big powers.


    The various mysterious powers in the universe have different personalities, most of them evil, but when ites to scheming, it ultimately depends on humans.


    As someone who has participated in the top human negotiation scene, Strange has enough experience to deal with these junior situations.


    Beside him, Wang sighed. He always felt that the next Sorcerer Supreme would have apletely different style.


    After using the freeze gun to subdue the wild novice ribbon, Strange''s way of thinking changed. He suddenly realized that magic is not higher than technology, but rather two different paths.


    These two paths intersect, such as using a freeze gun and freeze magic to freeze something, but sometimes they also restrain orplement each other, such as the freeze gun can subdue an unruly ribbon, while freeze magic can replenish energy to the freeze gun and freeze generator.


    After observing human economics for these days, a bold idea gradually formed in Strange''s mind.


    In the Stark Tower Laboratory, Stark looked up and down at Strange and said with sarcasm, "Guess what the least wee profession in myboratory is?"


    Strange didn''t care, he waved his hand, and a ribbon flew out, circling around Stark, almost tripping him.


    "What the hell is this?" Stark turned his head and looked at the ribbon flying around the ceiling.


    "See it? This is my magic," Strange said, shrugging.


    "Heh." Stark gave him a fake smile, then stretched out his hand, and a Mech armor instantly covered his body. The movement was so fast that Strange didn''t even react. A fist stopped between his two eyes, and the Mech armor quickly transmitted Stark''s voice:


    "See it? This is my fist."


    Strange flicked his wrist and moved his head aside, then said, "Listen, I have a n. It''s like this, a person who ims to be the Sorcerer Supreme came to me and asked me to learn magic from him, but I found that magic is actually..."


    Half an hourter, the two stood in front of theb table, Stark holding his arms and saying, "So you''re saying, ''You want me to use magic to transform the Mech armor, and then turn around and create Mech armor that can counter magic, so that we can borrow more magic?''"


    "Basically..." Stark put his hand on his chin, touched his nose with his index finger, and said, "If I understand correctly, you want to borrow money from someone else, use that money to buy guns, and then point those guns at the lender to force them to lend you even more money?"


    "Never mind whether it''s technically feasible or not, aren''t you a bit immoral?"


    "So is it technically feasible?"


    Stark turned around and flipped through a stack of materials next to him, saying, "Actually, it''s strange. The power on this ribbon seems to be different from the one Schiller showed me."


    "I haven''t cracked his power yet, so I can''t fully apply it to my Mech armor, but this..."


    Stark frowned and thought for a moment, saying, "ording to your theory, this power is borrowed from someone else. If he can project the power onto a ribbon, can he also project it onto my Mech armor?"


    "In theory, yes, but this power is difficult for ordinary people to control."


    "How do you control it?"


    "Because I''m not an ordinary person, I''m a genius."


    Stark stared at Strange, and Strange stared back at him. After a while, Strange said, "Okay, actually I use an ice gun..."


    "Using technology to control magic, and then using magic to transform technology?" Stark touched his chin and said thoughtfully, "You mean, I''ll set a trap to make him project his power onto my Mech armor, then refuse to pay back the money, and keep the power for myself. How does that sound?"


    "That''s what I mean. Once you convert this power for your own use and create a stronger Mech armor, I''ll provide the people, and you provide the guns, and we''ll borrow even more money..."


    The two looked at each other, and Stark looked at Strange with disdain, saying, "You''re too immoral."


    "So, will you do it or not?"


    "Actually, I''m also immoral. Let''s do it."

 Chapter 186: Street Lamps and Gods (1)

    Chapter 186: Street Lamps and Gods (1)


    Most human thoughts and actions are regted and logical. What a person thinks and does is based on the situation they are facing.


    It''s not surprising that Strange has such bold ideas at this point. He is a sessful and wealthy man, not just rich, but very rich.


    In the months before he met the Ancient One, his daily life was dealing with the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world.


    And his contact with magic was not because of setbacks, but more like an invitation to an academic exchange in a new field sent by the Ancient One.


    Therefore, Strange has no reverence for magic at this point. His view is simr to Stark''s: magic is just another form of energy that can be used, and what magic is depends mainly on how people use it.


    And Schiller helped him with the process of elimination, letting him filter out those so-called rhetoric of self-training, justice, and peace from Wong. He discovered that sometimes solving problems with violence, although crude, is very effective.


    In this situation, Strange inevitably starts thinking and trying to find a simpler and more effective way than just burying his head in meditation like at Kamar-Taj.


    This is the thinking that is inevitably produced by human scientific education, where the ultimate goal of all experiments is to improve efficiency and speed up production.


    And it''s not surprising that he turned to Stark. Although they had a little conflict before, at this point, it''s more aboutmon interests. Obviously, they will have greatermon interests in magic.Stark sat behind theb table, his elbow on the table, his hand against his temple and said, "Although it''s true, it''s only an idea at this point,cking too many necessary conditions to implement."


    He waved his hand and said, "You came in here and showed me what your magic is, and then we started to have ideas about those powerful aliens."


    "I have to say, my friend, if it weren''t for me, if it weren''t for genius ideas like Stark''s, others would definitely think you were crazy."


    "We haven''t even built a spaceship yet, and we''re already thinking about borrowing money from aliens. It''s really crazy."


    Strange sat on the other side of theb table, holding his arms and said, "This idea is indeed bold, but not impossible to achieve, just need some time."


    "It needs a lot of time." Stark said to Strange, "I haven''t even touched the threshold of magic yet, and you, you''re just an apprentice of magic, and you haven''t even formally used magic."


    "It seems that we really need to treat this as a long-term n. By the way, did I remind you? This matter of magic cannot be spoken casually. Therefore, don''t tell too many people about this n."


    "Don''t worry, even if it''s not because of magic, I will prevent certain people from knowing about your wicked n. They will definitely talk about it endlessly, like a certain old-fashioned man who always calls himself my uncle, and that silly boy who runs around in the sky, and..."


    Strange interrupted, "I don''t know who we should guard against for this n, but..."


    Then he looked up at Stark, and Stark looked back at him as if they had a telepathic connection and said, "...you definitely know who we shouldn''t guard against for this n."


    In the SHIELD office, the overhead light bulb flickered, and underneath the light bulb was a square table with four people sitting on each side.


    Nick and Schiller looked at each other, and Nick said, "So, you''re nning to rob aliens?"


    "Don''t say it like that." Stark denied, "This is essentially borrowing, borrowing, you know?"


    "Okay..." Nick opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to have too much to say and couldn''t say it for a while.


    After a pause, he put his hand on the table and made a slightly impatient gesture, saying, "I understood everything you just said. There are some powerful creatures in this universe that possess magical energy. Ordinary people call them aliens, while sorcerers call them cosmic gods."


    "They can lend their power to humans through some means, allowing people to cast magic. Therefore, the essence of magic is the power of cosmic gods."


    "Now you n to borrow some power to arm yourselves, refuse to repay the debt, and then borrow even more power."


    "Forget about whether it works on a technical level..."


    Nick had just said this when Stark interrupted him, saying, "I know this is a bit hical, but it was his idea."


    Stark pointed at Strange, betraying his teammate without any psychological burden. Strange was stunned and then stared at him.


    Nick was also stunned. He said, "hical? What''s hical about it?"


    Nick and Schiller both looked at Stark and Strange with suspicion. Stark and Strange looked at each other and then Stark said, "Well, we shouldn''t overestimate your moral standards."


    "I''m not talking about moral issues, but a logical issue."


    "First of all. ording to what you said, the cosmic gods are intelligent andmunicative, which proves that they are not stupid."


    "Just like the human credit system, if you borrow from a bank for the first time and refuse to repay the debt, the bank will not lend to you again, and if the amount isrge, other banks will also cklist you."


    "I know that this behavior is more like robbing a bank than borrowing money, but the bank is immobile. If you have enough force, you can indeed repeatedly rob it. But the cosmic gods have long legs. If they find that you refuse to repay the debt and cannot defeat you, they can just run away, right?"


    Nick asked Strange with some confusion, "ording to what you said, your teacher borrowed power and did not repay the debt, and then knocked down all the creditors. Wouldn''t all the cosmic gods run away when they see him, and how could he borrow more power?"


    "Is there a possibility?" Schiller looked at Nick and said, "Those who don''t want to lend him power can''t run away."


    Strange then gave a more reasonable exnation: "The cosmic gods are not wandering in the universe. Some of the more powerful cosmic gods often have their own territory, such as... what was it? The dark dimension, and the crimson dimension. These are what Wang told me. These are equivalent to the territory of the cosmic gods."


    "That makes some sense." Nick rubbed his chin and said, "But there are still many problems, especially on a technical level."


    Then, the three of them began to discuss how to borrow money to buy guns, and then use the guns to rob.


    "I mean..." Schiller tapped the table and said, as if he couldn''t stand it anymore, "Why is your thinking always so limited? Why always think of violent robbery? Can''t you be a little more flexible?"


    The other three looked at him, and Schiller said helplessly, "That''s why I always feel out of ce with you guys. Do you know? Your previous remarks were like a bunch of rednecks ying poker and shouting in a farm warehouse."


    "Give up your straightforward violent thinking. That is the least efficient method. Bank robbery is no longer popr in this era. Buying guns, recruiting people, preparing cars, refueling, scouting in advance, and nning escape routes, etc. This is just too troublesome."


    "If you have a n, just say it." Nick looked at Schiller and said, "I can tell you''ve been holding back for a while."


    "Instead of robbery, we can totally do it in a different way."


    "What way?"


    "Deception."


    Schiller spread out his hands and asked, "What is the highest record of a bank robber? Millions of dors? And what about a scammer?"


    "It depends on what kind of scammer you''re talking about," Nick looked at Strange and said, "You''ll have to ask him if you''re talking about sessful scammers."


    "Why are you looking at me?" Strange replied irritably, "Compared to some people, what am I, a sessful scammer?"


    He looked at Stark, who stared and said, "Why are you looking at me? I''m a businessman, not a financial fraudster. Besides, the immortal factor was not created by me..."


    After speaking, he looked at Schiller, and the other two also looked at Schiller. Nick said, "As of now, you can answer this question yourself. I haven''t seen a more glorious scammer than you."


    "Okay, I have a n. Borrowing money and not repaying it is outdated. Let''s use a more fashionable term."


    "Like what?"


    "Like investment."


    Schiller put his hands on the table and began his presentation:


    "You see, the trading method of the cosmic gods is one-on-one. This trading model is very primitive in human eyes."


    "They are still at the level of bartering and face-to-face transactions, but modern finance haspletely moved beyond this level."


    "The first step is to move away from the one-on-one trading model. We canpletely engage in one-to-many or many-to-many trading. In simple terms, we can get the cosmic gods to invest their power in us."


    "And then? Investment must have returns."


    "The cosmic gods..." Schiller put his hand to the right.


    "...invest their power..." he put his hand in the middle.


    "...in us." Finally, he put his hand to the left, indicating that this was a three-step process.


    "More cosmic gods invest more power in us." Schiller made three more actions.


    In the curious eyes of the other three, he suddenly quickened his pace and quickly uttered a long paragraph:


    "We use the power invested by other cosmic gods to feedback to other cosmic gods as investment returns, and tell them that the more they invest, the more they earn."


    "Set up adder system, establish promotion ranks, and increase returns step by step. Pulling in one cosmic god can draw 3 points from the transaction amount as a return, pulling in two cosmic gods can draw 7 points, and so on. The more people we pull in, the more we earn..."


    "After expanding the customer base, we start usingter investments as returns for early investors. Investment ie will increase and investment returns will increase. When the difference reaches an ideal value..."


    Schiller raised his hands and said, "...the industry is facing some difficulties beyond our control, so we have to temporarily bid farewell to everyone. We are deeply sorry for this."


    After he finished speaking, the conference room was quiet for a minute. Stark was the first to speak, "That''s really a creative concept... bullshit, isn''t this a Ponzi scheme?"


    Nick also looked at Schiller and said, "Although I have tried to estimate your moral bottom line as low as possible, its flexibility is still frightening."


    Schiller suddenly said very seriously, "I have always believed that what humans need to enter the universe is not only the essence of human civilization, but also some dregs."


    "Garbage is just resources in the wrong ce, essence is the driving force for entering the universe, and dregs are weapons. After all, there is probably no universe civilization with as many dregs as humans."


    "Of course, this is just an entry-level method." Schiller shrugged and said, "After expanding the one-to-many or many-to-many trading concept, we must change the status quo of bartering. That''s what primitive people did. Without a general equivalent, they still have the nerve to call themselves powerful and advanced aliens?"


    "With a general equivalent, there is a concept of currency, followed by markets, supply and demand, crowdfunding,panies, stocks, futures..."


    "What humans need to do is not to be a debtor who doesn''t repay, or a viin who treats creditors violently, but to be a reputable and image-conscious banker who is praised by the entire universe and is fair and conscientious."


    "And violence is just a necessary means to ensure fairness. We can even promise not to use the Sorcerer Supreme first."


    "And if they refuse to join, let the Sorcerer Supreme knock on their door, right?"


    "Don''t say that. If the Sorcerer Supreme knocks on their door, they may still have a chance to live. This is already a big improvement. We are simply the vanguard organization against violence in the universe."


    "When we have both force and reason, we can start building a trading system, setting trading rules, and then dividing sses and subdividing themyer byyer, which is reasonable and logical..."


    The other three looked at each other, but Schiller acted very calmly, not like a conspirator nning to capitalize the entire universe.


    "Of course, these things are allter stories. Let''s talk about the first n. There are many benefits to doing this."


    "In fact, this cannot be considered a scam, because in theter stages, those early investors will know the truth, but they will not stop. In order to protect their sunk costs, they will help us keep this secret. Not only will they keep the secret, they will also actively help us bring in more people."


    "This solves the problem of Earth''s information blockade. Although we don''t understand the cosmic gods, the cosmic gods definitely understand the cosmic gods."


    "As for the principle of the Ponzi scheme, you don''t need to exin it again. We all know, but the biggest problem with this scam is that after you take the money and run, you must have a way to hide yourself andunder the money."


    "If this was an individual, perhaps it would be easier to hide and change identities, but Earth cannot be escaped. We cannot give up the entire sr system just to fleece the cosmic gods, can we?" Nick raised a question.


    "If we really start manipting, it may be difficult to hide ourselves, but there is another way of thinking, which is to find a powerful backer, promise him benefits, and let him help us deal with the trouble after we take the money and run."


    Saying this, Schiller looked at Strange and said, "Before, you mentioned that your teacher, the Supreme Sorcerer, had mentioned to you what new gods were being born?"


    "Yes, as I told you before, a mysterious entity that she has been trading with told her that something was about to be born near Earth and she is preparing for it."


    "Does the mysterious entity behind her have any interest in joining us?" Schiller shifted his elbow on the table and continued, "Using the reputation of the Supreme Sorcerer as a guarantee for the opening, her mysterious entity can be the host, first bring in a few small demons to invest, use their investment power to put on a show, and then pull out a positive typical character for promotion."


    "When there are more people joining and more power is umted, then we can focus on attacking a big demon, smashing money to pave the way, promising him high returns, letting him enter first, and then taste the sweetness, in order to deceive more big demons."


    "When these powerful demons join, we can propose the principle of pulling people, let them help us squeeze those smaller demons, and we will give them a cut."


    "When it''s time to take the money and run, we will return as much as we have taken from those who are as powerful as us. Those who are not as powerful will join forces and chop them up for meat, give a portion to the entity behind the Supreme Sorcerer as protection money, and keep the rest for ourselves."


    "When the small demons in the universe grow a little longer, we can use this part of the power as capital to cut another wave."


    "There is a problem..." Stark frowned and said, "As you know, an important point of the Ponzi scheme is that there must be a physical object to scam investors in the early stages. What do you n to use as the object to deceive them?"


    "Didn''t Stephen mention it before? The Supreme Sorcerer told him that a new beast totem is being born."


    "Speaking of which, what is this all about?" Nick asked Strange, "What is the beast totem? Will it have any bad influence on us when it is born on Earth?"


    Strange shook his head and said, "ording to my teacher, it is a symbol of cosmic power and is a mysterious thing in the study of the gods. Although it is born on Earth, it has nothing to do with the people on Earth."


    Nick rubbed his forehead and said, "I guess it must be rted to that big batst time, right?"


    As he spoke, he looked at Schiller, who gave him an affirmative look and said, "This thing can be used to make some moves."


    "A new totem power is rising in the universe and it needs your help. Giving roses to others leaves a fragrance on your hands. The return on investment during the birth of a new god is 200%. Join the Totem Cult and embark on a path to sess. How about it?"


    Stark and Strange apuded and Nickmented, "In theory, it does seem feasible. A great demon with the power of retaliation is a vested interest, and those small demons whose powers have been taken away will definitely not be able to fight against these united strong ones."


    "Plus, the existence behind the Supreme Sorcerer ensures that no one dares to reach out and exploit or harvest. The chain of exploitation and harvesting is basically a closed loop."


    Nick sighed and said, "The n is good, but the risk is still very high. Earth''s disadvantage is too great. Humans here are too fragile, and their civilization is still rtively backward. If we do not rely on the power of others, we can hardlypete with any cosmic forces. Once we are chased back home, we will have no resistance power to show."


    "I always think..." Stark said firmly, "If one day, Earth faces a disaster that we cannot resist, then at least we must have the ability to avenge it. So..."


    "Stop!" Schiller interrupted Stark''s next words directly and said, "Don''t say such unlucky things. Besides, Earth is not powerless."


    "Maybe in your eyes, the power to resist must be military force. I admit that we must have enough military force to qualify us to sit at the negotiation table. But when we really cannot develop enough military force in a short period of time, it is not a shame to use other means to umte resources for us and gain time, just like the n we just made."


    "In fact, I think your thinking is limited." Strange continued Schiller''s words, "You think that humans may not be able to effectively kill those strange aliens with nuclear bombs made by science, but we can actually change our thinking, for example, make one with magic."


    "If we can really deceive...I mean, borrow enough power from those cosmic demons, then it can also be our weapon to defend Earth. These two are actually just different routes, and there is no essential difference."


    Nick sighed again and said, "Starting is always difficult. Although we have a n, where do we start?"


    "We really know too little about things beyond Earth." Stark also said, "Anyway, I don''t know those cosmic demons."


    Strange shrugged and said, "I can go back and discuss with my teacher, but I always feel that this n is too wicked..."


    He also sighed and then said, "This will definitely seriously lower my image in her eyes and make her think that I am a useless liar."


    "And I am not sure if she will really go to the existence behind her to discuss this matter. After all, no matter how you say it, this is a bit too wicked..."


    "The most urgent thing now is to find someone who has a full understanding of things outside of Earth, especially those cosmic demons and other powers, to help us rify so that we can screen the first batch of victims...I mean, participants." Schiller proposed.


    "It''s not that easy. Most people on Earth don''t believe in the existence of aliens, and even the space agency and astronauts cannot understand those mysterious things." Nick said, holding his forehead.


    "Even if we can find someone, you still have to make sure that he is not dangerous and canmunicate normally with humans." Stark added,


    "Preferably with a lower IQ, making it easier for us to talk and not guess our intentions." Strange also added.


    The three of them sighed together, feeling like they were dreaming in broad daylight.


    Just then, Nick''s phone suddenly rang. After he answered it, he said, "Yes, that''s right...what''s wrong?"


    "What did you say?...Are you sure?"


    "Really? Anything else?"


    After hanging up the phone, Nick repeated the content of the report given to him on the phone, "Suspected alien debris was found in New Mexico, and a self-proimed god who attacked the staff investigating the scene was reported in the same state."


    "He imed to be a deity from Asgard, and the fallen alien debris was his weapon. Because he was deprived of all his divine power, he could not pick up his weapon..."


    At this point, the four people looked at each other and said like a ry:


    "An alien?"


    "An alien who lost his power?"


    "An alien who lost his power and has no weapons..."


    "An alien who lost his power, has no weapons, and doesn''t seem to be very smart!!!"

 Chapter 187: Street Lamp and God (2)

    Chapter 187: Street Lamp and God (2)


    "Oh my god, you finally came." When Natasha walked out of the room, her face was very bad, and you rarely see this kind of irritable and helpless expression on this female agent''s face.


    "Oh, Steve Captain, why are you here? Didn''t I only call for a psychologist?" Just as Natasha closed the door, she turned her head and saw the tall Steve, who was also a little embarrassed. "Actually, the psychologist didn''te, only I came."


    "Just you? How do you n to deal with that crazy person? Don''t me me for not reminding you, he''s really sick." Natasha was obviously a little angry. She said, "He''s a stupid guy full of machismo, he actually said I''m not strong enough? Let me find a strong warrior to talk to him?"


    "Didn''t you let him see how powerful ck Widow is?"


    "You''ll see when you go in." Natasha nced back at the door and then said, "But I still have to say, try not to conflict with him too much. Nick just called me and said he''s very important. He hopes the agents canmunicate with him rationally."


    "Don''t worry." As Steve pushed open the door, he smiled back at Natasha and said, "I''m not that violent."


    As soon as he walked in, he saw a very tall blond man punching the wall and vomiting, apparently being sprayed with some wolf repellent by ck Widow who was angry with him.


    Steve clicked his headphones and said to the tall man, "Hello."


    Hearing the sound, the man stopped vomiting and turned around. He brushed his golden long hair aside and looked up and down at Steve, then buzzed and said, "This one is not bad, worth a fight.""Human! Report your name! I am Thor Odinson from Asgard!"


    His voice was very loud, making Steve''s head ache a bit, but he still smiled friendly and said, "My name is Steve, Steve Rogers."


    Thor walked over and grabbed the railing in the middle of the room, saying, "That woman just now was really weak, and she even dared to call me a patient!"


    He shook the railing and said, "Let me out, human! You are disrespectful to the future ruler of the nine kingdoms!"


    "Let''s not talk about that first." Steve also looked up and down at Thor and said, "Do you want to change your clothes?"


    Thor was wearing medieval armor, and his head was still wearing a helmet. But for some reason, the helmet was severely deformed, and the armor was broken into pieces. The lining of the armor became rotten cloth strips, and there was a lot of mud on it. You might not have this kind of miserable appearance even if you came back from a medieval battlefield as another soldier.


    Thor coldly snorted and said, "Heroes on the battlefield never care about their appearance. They only talk to the enemy with their heads!"


    Steve didn''t understand this sentence, because Thor''s English was mixed with the ent of Old English, and there were some self-created words from who knows where. It sounded like a transliteration of anothernguage, and the ent that had been eliminated by the humannguage system made people really headache.


    "Well, can you tell me how you got here?" Steve spread his hands and said, "You suddenly fell from the sky, broke a lot of houses, and your weapons are still upying a family''s yard. More importantly, because of your fall, 13 people are still lying in the hospital."


    Thor impatiently waved his hand and said, "That''s because you humans are too weak, not warriors at all, and you don''t have the spirit of sacrifice. In Asgard, either die or get up and continue fighting..."


    Even if Steve only understood a little bit, his face still became gloomy. Captain America''s temper is usually good, and there are not many things that can make him angry, but obviously, Thor has stepped on his minefield.


    He opened the door separating the room and walked in. Actually, Steve is not as tall as Thor, and not as burly as him, but they have a simr temperament. Thor obviously also noticed this and asked, "It seems that you are also a warrior, and one of the more heroic humans."


    Steve''s face had just eased a bit, and Thor continued, "But that''s meaningless. When I came here a long time ago, I found that you only turn your knives against your own people, which is shameful in Asgard. Your record is not worth boasting about."


    Steve took a deep breath and said into the headphones, "Dr. Schiller, can you start treatment now? I''m afraid if it takes any longer, I really can''t help but punch him."


    Schiller''s voice came from the headphones, and he said, "I''m afraid you have to wait a little longer. His information is useful."


    Thor stood in the room with his arms crossed, staring at Steve and saying, "What are you muttering about? Don''t try any small tricks! They are useless for the warriors of Asgard!"


    Thor''s voice was really loud, making Steve feel a little ringing in his ears, but he still asked the prepared question, "That hammer about 7 kilometers away is your weapon, right?"


    "Yes, that is Mjolnir, born from the dying sun and the dwarf''s forge fire! The branches of the World Tree gave it new life! The blessing of the Father of the Gods gave it strength!"


    Steve skipped over the chant that he couldn''t understand at all and continued, "Anyway, that''s not important. I told you before, that hammer is still in someone''s backyard and if it''s your weapon, please take it away immediately."


    Thor hesitated for a moment, but eventually sighed and said, "Okay, a great god cannot lie. I cannot lift it anymore."


    "But isn''t it your weapon?"


    "The reason isplicated!" Thor seemed a little impatient. "I had a fight with the Father of the Gods..."


    "So you and your hammer came here because of that?"


    Steve paused for a moment and continued, "Let''s assume everything you said is true, instead of the ramblings of a crazy person. The Father of the Gods you mentioned should be your biological father, and after you had a fight with him, he kicked you out of the house..."


    "The only problem is, what does this have to do with Earth? What does it have to do with humans? If he wants to kick you out, why did he have to throw you in this remote and deste corner of Earth?"


    Thor was obviously angry, hammering the wall with his hands and saying loudly, "There are no warriors here at all! I will be bored to death here, which is what he wants, right?!"


    Steve finally understood why Natasha had that helpless and irritable expression. The thinking of this big guy was like a steel bar,pletely revolving around war, heroism, warriors, and the great Asgard, no matter what you talked about, it would eventuallye back to these words.


    Steve looked at Thor, who was getting angry. He pressed his headphones and said to Schiller, "You told me before that this is an alien with a bad brain, I didn''t believe it at first. After all, a race that can travel through space can''t be that stupid, right?"


    "But now it seems that upgrading all abilities to muscles is also a way out."


    Schiller''s response came from the headphones, "Indeed, if there is not enough sophisticated wisdom to create a spacecraft, jumping straight up andnding on Mars is also possible."


    After speaking, both of themughed.


    But Thor misunderstood and thought they wereughing at him. He waved his arm angrily and said, "Mortal! Even if the gods of Asgard lose their power, you cannot mock us!"


    Steve stepped back a step. Obviously, Captain America knew that having a physical conflict with this big guy at this time was not a good choice. He said to Schiller in his headphones, "What should we do now? It seems that he cannotmunicate at all."


    "Let''s give him some psychological treatment first. If it doesn''t work, we''ll think of other ways. You do this first..."


    Steve asked Thor, "It seems that you don''t understand your father''s decision. Actually, I think it''s a bit too much to kick you out of here just because of a fight..."


    Thor felt like he had found a kindred spirit, and he said, "I didn''t expect a human to understand me. Everyone around me says it''s my fault, and they all stand on Odin''s side, but I didn''t really do anything wrong!"


    He let out a heavy sigh from his nose andined, "I''ve aplished so much in the past and made so many contributions to Asgard! But it''s like they all turned a blind eye to it just because of my moment of impulsiveness. They threw me out and even took away my weapons. It''s a disgrace to a warrior!"


    "Actually, is it possible that it''s not because of this incident, but because of your deep-seated resentment with your father?" Steve asked.


    Thor pursed his lips and seemed reluctant to admit it, but he said, "Actually, I thought so too. I noticed before that Odin was dissatisfied with me, but I thought as long as I could achieve greater aplishments, he wouldn''t be mad at me..."


    "I fought bravely on the battlefield and made many great achievements, but he still treated me like this in the end." His voice finally weakened a bit and sounded somewhat sad, "He kicked me out of the home I''ve always protected, my birthce, the beautiful and sacred Asgard..."


    "Alright, but being sad now won''t solve anything. What do you n to do?" Steve asked.


    "I need to get my weapons back first!" Thor said with great distress, "How can a warrior not have his weapons? It''s a shame!"


    "But Odin took away all of my divine power to punish me. Without divine power, I can''t even lift that hammer."


    Thor sighed and said, "He sent me to Earth to learn, but I don''t even know what I''m supposed to learn. Even without divine power, I''m stronger than everyone here. Am I supposed to learn how to fight from these weak mortals?"


    "Do you think your father is a foolish king?" Steve asked.


    "Of course not!" Thor refuted loudly, "The Allfather is a wise ruler who has ruled over the nine realms for so many years and is deeply beloved. How could he be a foolish king?"


    "Then, since he''s not a foolish king, have you ever thought that he might have a deeper meaning behind this decision?" Steve asked.


    Thor showed a pained expression and said, "Why does everyone keep saying that? People have been murmuring in my ear before about thinking about Odin''s deeper meaning, that he must have other ns..."


    "But that''s not my job! That kind of guessing game should be left to Loki. My little brother is best at this!" Thor continued, "And what about me? I''m a brave warrior! I''m the vanguard who brings glory to Asgard! I hate standing still and guessing every day without any results..."


    "Anyway, things are already like this now," Steve said.


    "As you said, you''ve been stripped of your divine power and can''t wield your weapons. There are no opponents or teammates for you on Earth, and you don''t need to fight here. Even if you don''t guess, there''s nothing else you can do," Thor sighed and said, "Well, if that''s what he meant, then so be it. I''ll take off my armor, throw my weapons aside, and be an ordinary person, living a boring life without any faith or sense of honor."


    "If that''s what he really wants, then I guess I''ll just have a break... I''ll stay away from the flourishing nine realms, sprout and grow in this deserted corner..." Thor leaned against the wall, looking somewhat dejected.


    Steve sighed and pressed his headphones, "Whenever I hear him describe Earth like that, I really want to punch him."


    "Then what do you want to talk about?" Thor asked, looking up.


    "First of all, without your divine power, you still need to eat and drink, right?" Steve and Thor stared at each other. Steve said, "This isn''t a homeless shelter. We don''t provide food and shelter. You have to figure it out yourself."


    "I am a prince of Asgard! The guardian of the nine realms! How can you..." Thor started shouting again.


    "Well, you can try to use this status to find a job and support yourself on Earth," Steve continued, "But your hammer''s fall damaged three residential areas and injured more than a dozen people. You have topensate for these losses."


    "Odin will..."


    "We can''t reach Odin, we can only reach you. Anyway, although it wasn''t intentional, you still identally hurt someone. If you can''tpensate for this loss, you may have to go to jail."


    "Jail???" Thor raised his voice in disbelief. "I am the prince of Asgard! How can you let the future father of the gods go to jail?!!! That will be a stain on my rule career. You damn mortals..."


    As he spoke, he became agitated again, even raising his fist to attack Steve. Steve stepped back and said into his headphones, "It seems like the therapy isn''t very effective. Do you have any other ideas?"


    "Of course, give him a punch."


    "Wait, isn''t that going a bit too far?"


    "It''s nothing. This is the alternative therapy corresponding to psychological therapy, and it''s also the backup n for thismunication. I call it physical therapy."


    Steve stamped his feet twice in ce, then rubbed his wrist and said, "Will this really work? Beating up an alien won''t cause a diplomatic incident?"


    "That''s something Nick Fury has to consider. You just need to think about how much strength to use."


    "How much do you think is appropriate?"


    "My suggestion is 100%, even if he doesn''t have godly powers, he has a godly body that can''t be broken."


    "Human...what do you want to do?" At this point, Thor also noticed Steve''s actions and said contemptuously, "Do you want to spar with Asgard''s bravest warrior? I will let you know that gods cannot be provoked..."


    "Boom!!!"


    Thor flew backwards and was embedded in the wall, then passed out. Steve retracted his fist and said, "What a weak god."


    At this moment, Natasha, who had gone out to smoke, came back. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Steve standing there and Thor unconscious on the side. The female agent gasped and said, "What happened? Is this the therapy you did?"


    Steve turned his head and smiled, saying, "...this is physical therapy."

 Chapter 188: Karma Taj "Enlightenment" (1)

    Chapter 188: Karma Taj "Enlightenment" (1)


    The piercing cold wind on the Himyas never dissipates throughout the year, and the snowkes blown by the wind are like pure white knife lights, shuttling through the lonely and vast valleys.


    The sound of the wind is like the groaning of the earth, covering the horns blown by the travelers at the end of the sky. He turned his head and looked back. Behind theyers of peaks, there was a curl of smoke rising, like a rising incense.


    When thest incense stick in the incense burner burned to the end, the straight incense line also scattered with the extinguishing of the mes. At thest moment when the cigarette smoke dispersed, the sound of the chess piece touching the chessboard echoed in the quiet room.


    A white and slender hand twisted the chess piece and gently ced it on the chessboard. The hands of the Supreme Sorcerer had no traces of time, but they had a rough texture. The texture spread along her hand back, and the Ancient One looked at the chessboard calmly.


    She turned her head slightly and nced at the already burned-out incense, saying, "Let''s end it here today."


    Strange, who made thest move, looked at the chessboard. The situation of this game was not intense. Obviously, both sides were a little absent-minded.


    The Ancient One brushed her robe lightly, and some dust rose around her. She stood up and walked slowly to the incense table. She lit another incense stick. Strange could smell that the scent of the incense candle had be faint.


    Wang came in holding a tray. Strange put away the chess pieces and chessboard on the table, and Wang took out tea and snacks from the tray.


    Strange thought that there must be a reason why Kamar-Taj could be called a holy ce, and it feltpletely different from living in New York.He looked around the room. It was notrge, and there were few pieces of furniture. The floor was covered with rough felt, and a whole wooden bookshelf hung on the opposite wall. In front of it was an incense table, and there were hanging paintings on the walls on both sides, with two bonsai trees in the middle.


    There was a low table in the center of the room, and the chessboard and chess pieces were usually stored under the table. After practicing magic, Strange would y chess with the Ancient One here.


    Strange originally did not know how to y Go, but after practicing for a few days, he became quite adept.


    The game between him and the Ancient One was not about winning or losing, but about time. After a stick of incense burned out, they would put away the chessboard, drink tea and chat. During this time, Strange would learn from the Ancient One about the mysteries of the universe.


    The atmosphere here waspletely different from what Strange had imagined before.


    In Western mythology, the concept of a holy ce often appears magnificent and grand. The architecture must be magnificent and the atmosphere must be mysterious.


    But Kamar-Taj was not like this. Although it was a miracle to have such a building in the depths of the Himyas, the temperament here was more rustic and natural, rather than divine.


    But Strange had to admit that such an atmosphere gave him a long-lost peace and rxation, and his brain, which was almost overwhelmed by money, gradually calmed down.


    However, in this atmosphere, Strange felt that what he was about to say next was not very good.


    He looked around the room again. Although the furnishings here were simple, each one was just right, and they all showed the traces of the vicissitudes of time.


    Everyone here, whether it was the Supreme Sorcerer or the newly admitted apprentice, had a calm and agile temperament. Inparison, Strange always felt out of ce.


    "You seem a little absent-minded," the Ancient One sat back and blew the tea, saying to Strange.


    "Sorry, teacher."


    "I can tell that you have something to say. You don''t have to be taboo. There is nothing you can''t say here."


    The Ancient One''s tone always carried a calm power, which made people involuntarily believe what she said. Strange took a deep breath and then sighed deeply. He said, "Okay, but it''s really hard to say."


    He looked at the tea leaves swirling in the cup and tried to imagine this ce as the financial center of Wall Street before speaking, "The thing is, we have a n..."


    At this point, Strange already regretted it. He always felt that in a short while, he would be thrown out of this ce in an embarrassing posture.


    So he paused and pressed his forehead, trying to convince himself to continue speaking.


    "Before, the teacher told me about the way to deal with the dimensional demon. After listening, I gained some insights. So I discussed it with some friends, and they unanimously agreed that Earth''s prosperity today cannot be separated from the Supreme Sorcerer''s firm belief..."


    To prevent himself from being thrown out in an embarrassing posture, Strange first cushioned it up.


    "But humans have never been a species that waits to die. We don''t want to rely entirely on the protection of others, so..."


    Strange sighed and said, "I''m sorry, but because the uing twist may be shocking, it''s best if you don''t drink the tea."


    Upon hearing this, the Ancient One put down her tea cup. However, while Strange was speaking, Wang had already zoned out and was still sipping his tea leisurely. He blew on the hot tea and just as he was about to take a sip, he heard Strange say, "¡­we''vee up with a financial fraud n to target dimension gods."


    "Spit!" Wang sprayed the tea all over the table.


    Strange quickly grabbed a cloth to wipe the table and helplessly said, "I warned you that the twist may be shocking¡­"


    "But this is too shocking! Cough cough!" Wang coughed.


    The Ancient One, on the other hand, remained calm and even seemed interested. She asked Strange, "A financial fraud n? Please exin."


    Strange took out a small projection device from his pocket and ced it on the table.


    As the three of them focused their attention on the device, a projection suddenly appeared, with Strange''s face still on it. He waved to the camera and said, "Hello, I''m Strange, and I''m the presenter for this n¡­"


    Wang looked at the projection and then at the Strange sitting next to him. He asked in confusion, "Can''t you just present this to us in person? Why do you need a projection?"


    Strange pointed to the projection, indicating for Wang to continue watching.


    At that moment, the camera paused for a moment and just as the Ancient One and Wang thought Strange was about to start exining, the camera suddenly zoomed out and showed the entire conference room, with people in suits and leather shoes sitting on either side of a long table.


    Then, the content of the projection video exined to the Ancient One and Wang in detail what the cosmic god financial fraud n was about, from its basic structure to theplex calctions needed for its sess.


    Since the four people involved in the n had no background in finance education, SHIELD brought in some powerful financial practitioners to help them refine the n.


    Most of these people were released from prison and had tested their moral boundaries, but many of them also had practical experience, which quickly made the n more sophisticated.


    They used as precise and understandablenguage as possible to exin how this scam would operate.


    The so-called Ponzi scheme, also known as a pyramid scheme, is the most ssic financial scam and the oldest. However, among all financial fraud schemes, this one can be said to be enduring and will continue to fool people generation after generation.


    Furthermore, this scam has evolved to the point where the people who fall for it are no longer just uneducated, financially illiterate nouveau riche, but also young people with knowledge, skills, and education.


    Even many people who know the history and principles of this scam inside and out still fall for it in the end.


    The reason is that this scam precisely targets the weaknesses in the thinking of intelligent beings, namely, their desire for profit and their belief in luck.


    With low investment and high returns, intelligent beings will always be motivated by profit, and many people who know that this tower will inevitably copse still believe that they will be the ones to run off with the money.


    After these professional financial experts exined these principles, they became easier to understand and more feasible.


    They cited several examples that had urred in the past, as well as various derivative varieties based on this foundation. Even Wang, who had no interest in finance and economics, found it fascinating.


    As he listened to the lecture, he asionally nced at the Sorcerer Supreme out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that the Ancient One''s eyes were getting brighter and brighter. Wang instinctively leaned toward the other side, only to find that the one who had proposed this n, Strange, who was also the future Sorcerer Supreme, was sitting next to him.


    At that moment, a very harmonious wave suddenly appeared between the two Sorcerer Supremes of different generations, and Wang''s only thought was: cosmic gods are in danger.


    After the projection ended, the Ancient One calmed down and said, "I didn''t expect you to surprise me like this, Stephen."


    "Well, I know this n is hical, but...wait, surprise?" Strange looked at the Ancient One in confusion and noticed that the Ancient One''s gaze carried appreciation and surprise.


    The Ancient One picked up a teacup and took a sip of tea before saying with satisfaction, "It seems that my previous stories were not told in vain. I never thought that you could find the key to the current situation in these fragmented stories."


    "Um..." Strange was choked up. He really wanted to ask what the key was, but it was clear that the Ancient One had more to say.


    The Ancient One sighed and said, "As I mentioned in my previous stories, there exist demon gods in this world, and there are many of them."


    "Just like humans, they have intelligence, canmunicate, have their own interests and positions, and also have different personalities and traits."


    "They are born powerful, with great power that humans cannotprehend, and most of them have their own domains, scattered in various corners of the universe."


    "To talk about who they are, we have to talk about what exactly the universe is."


    Then, Strange learned the truth about the entire world from the Ancient One''s narration.

 Chapter 189: Karma Taj "Enlightenment" (2)

    Chapter 189: Karma Taj "Enlightenment" (2)


    The power system in the Marvel universe is actually quite organized, although in someics, there are often operations that break through the upper and lower limits, but generally speaking, there is a logical system to follow.


    The well-known ranking is the universal ssification, which ranges from smallest torgest: individual universe, multiverse, megaverse, omniverse, and unique, five levels.


    Most of the heroes known to Marvel movie audiences belong to the individual universe level, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and so on.


    However, viewers who have read someics may be aware of the existence of several other levels, such as the five major creators at the multiverse level, and of course, the most well-known ultimate viin in the film universe, Thanos, who wears the infinity gauntlet.


    But even though Thanos with the gauntlet is powerful, he is only at the multiverse level and there are still many abilities that exist above him.


    The most famous in the megaverse is the goddess of revenge, who is actually the true source of the Infinity Stones.


    To put it simply, the story is that the goddess of revenge became bored with her existence and transformed herself into six gems, so the culprit behind Thanos'' snap must be traced back to the megaverse-level goddess of revenge.


    At the omniverse level above this, there are also two well-known figures, one is Living Tribunal, which is a story of a loser''s revenge, and the other is the well-known Phoenix Force.


    Living Tribunal was originally created by the goddess of revenge, butter killed by the transcendent god n, and Adam became the new Life Court, directly obedient to the Marvel universe''s boss, OAA (One Above All).As for the Phoenix Force, it is needless to say that the Marvel universe is not short of Phoenix Force stories. However, it should be noted that the omnipotent Phoenix Force refers to the mostplete version of the Phoenix Force, and below it, there is a White Phoenix Queen, a multiverse-level existence.


    It should be noted that theplete version of the Phoenix Force has never truly appeared in the Marvel Universe, even the most powerful White Phoenix Queen is only a small fraction of theplete Phoenix Force, andpared to the true Phoenix Force, their strength is not worth mentioning.


    At the top of these levels is OAA, who is omnipotent and omniscient, and can be considered the boss of the Marvel universe.


    These level designations are actually moreplex than they appear, as you also have to distinguish their stance, behavior logic, and background.


    For example, although Spider-Man is an individual universe-level existence, the spider totem behind him is at the multiverse level, and the Morlun family is also at the multiverse level.


    From this example, it can be seen that there are differences between multiverse levels, and if you really get into it, the Morlun family and the White Phoenix Queen are both considered multiverse-level existences, but their strength is worlds apart.


    You may be thinking, how weak can a multiverse-level existence be?


    But in fact, in theics, the Morlun family has not had any outstanding performances, their so-called power absorption is more about restraint factors, and their opponents are basically at the individual universe level. Their ability to mix into the multiverse level is all thanks to the Weaver, who is a rtion.


    Returning to the concept of dimensional gods, this is actually a general term, including both multiverse and individual universe level existences.


    Among them, the powerful Lord of the Crimson Dimension, Stok, is a big shot at the multiverse level. He not only ignores the influence of the Infinity Stones but can also beat up anyone in his own territory.


    A little weaker than him is Dormammu , from the Dark Dimension, who was very strong in the old setting and was described as second only to the old version of the Living Tribunal, butter became a bit weak.


    Then there are eye demons and Zom, who originate from the Cthulhu Mythos, who are said to be stronger than Dormammubut rtively obscure.


    Of course, there are also Hell Lords such as Mephisto, Lucifer, and ckheart, who can all be considered as dimensional gods.


    Although these designations may sound a bit mystical andplex, if you look at it from a different perspective, it is easy to understand.


    For example, these dimensional gods are notpletely unrted to each other. They know each other, have formed some organizations, and will cooperate and join forces when encountering trouble and crisis, but they have also split apart after cooperation.


    Doesn''t it sound familiar?


    Yes, they are like an erged, evil version of a superhero team, where members know each other and live in different territories, asionally chat, establish temporary task forces when encountering problems, and fight each other when there are disagreements.


    They also understand the strategies of uniting and borrowing strength and winning with the weak, and Mephisto once suffered from paranoia, thinking that Dormammu was going to kill him, so he convened a war council with H, Mephisto, Hades, etc., and decided to deal with Dormammu.


    Their meetings are no different from those of superheroes, just find a table to sit at, express their opinions, and then leave without any resolution.


    In the Fear Itself storyline, even the rulers of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu and the Eye of Agamotto, participated in the meeting. Basically, everyone took turns speaking in a circle, and in the end, Mephisto''s shocking words were not very useful.


    This proves that they actually have a stable social rtionship and their own interests and positions.


    The stronger ones among them seemed more aloof from the world, like the ruler of the Dark Dimension, who could live a good life behind closed doors and seemed to have no desires or demands.


    But in reality, this was not the case. In theics, the ruler of the Dark Dimension had also organized his own team of demonic gods to create influence on Earth. And as for Dormammu, he couldn''t stand not spreading darkness on Earth for even a day.


    The stronger demonic gods were even more tantly fighting over power and territory. They would fight small battles every three days and big battles every five days. When they were in the mood for it, they would even split their territories and cause chaos. Every few days, they would make big headlines.


    "It''s hard to expect demonic gods born in chaos and disorder to understand what rules and order are," summarized the Ancient One. "Their pursuit of power is innate, it''s engraved in their instincts."


    "I don''t quite understand," Strange asked in confusion. "If they want power, whye to Earth? What attracts them here?"


    "Earth is special, it''s the center of the universe," the Ancient One said calmly.


    Before Strange could speak, the Ancient One exined, "I know that in your worldview, Earth is just a normal in the universe, and the center of the sr system is the sun, and the Milky Way is also incredibly vast. But in the theory of the multiverse and dimensions, it''s not like that."


    "The vast majority of extra-dimensional demonic godse from Earth. Part of their poweres from the beliefs of Earth''s followers. Therefore, they want toe here to expand their influence and gain even greater power. This is an instinct that no demonic god can escape, even someone as powerful as Dormammu."


    Then, the Ancient One''s tone became lighter. "That''s why I said your n has brought me a lot of surprises. You''ve hit the nail on the head."


    "Although dimensions cannot be simply understood as distance and proximity, if you have to use concepts that you can understand to exin it, the current situation is that the Dark Dimension is rtively close to Earth, the Hell Dimension is not far away, and the dark dimension where Dormammu is located is rtively far away, closer to the split domain, but still very close."


    "With these three dimensions, most of the weaker demonic gods can''t extend their territories to Earth. This is also the understanding that several generations of Earth''s supreme sorcerers have reached with them."


    "But the problem is that with these three dimensions, other demonic gods don''t have the power to extend their territories here. I''m fine with absorbing the power of these demonic gods for myself, but it''s troublesome for them to keep running out and being blocked at the door."


    Strange even heard a hint of expectation in the Ancient One''s tone. The Ancient One continued, "Now there are fewer and fewer demonic gods who dare to rush into Earth. Many of the new generation of demonic gods have be smarter. Even if they have something to ask the other demonic gods in this area, they will go knock on Odin''s door first."


    The Ancient One shook her head and said, "Those demonic gods who used toe to Earth and shout about ruling it haven''t appeared in a long time."


    Strange wasn''t sure if it was an illusion, but he heard a deep sense of regret in that sentence.


    "When I first took over as the Supreme Sorcerer, I was inexperienced and handled things too rashly, which led to ack of sessors now," the Ancient One said in a low voice.


    But based on the Ancient One''s past experience, Strange knew that she was regretting being too harsh when she was young. Those demonic gods who came to Earth were beaten too badly, to the point where most of them were too scared toe back.


    "But thankfully, you will certainly be a qualified sessor."


    Strange quickly said, "We still need your help with this n. There are still many obstacles we haven''t ovee."


    "I can help you contact the Vishanti. I think they''ll be very interested in this n."


    "There''s also a question about the power of demonic gods. I already know that there are many different demonic gods in the universe, but is their powermon? Can it be treated as a general equivalent like money?"


    "If their powers arepletely different, why do they fight over territory?" the Ancient One asked Strange.


    Strange thought about it and realized that she was right. If attacking an opponent couldn''t allow one to plunder usable power, then why bother attacking at all?


    "The universe origin remains constant, and power is only a manifestation. However, if there is an exception, that would be Earth," the Ancient One revealed more secrets to Strange. "The belief of the human race on Earth is unique, and they can provide the most essential power to the demon gods. That is why they strive to gain followers on Earth."


    "While the power between the demon gods can be converted, it takes time and incurs losses," the Ancient One continued.


    Strange stroked his chin, understanding the Ancient One''s meaning.


    In simple terms, the power of belief from Earth''s humans is like a Wagyu steak, delicious and nutritious. Other demon gods'' power is like ck bread, not tasty and challenging to eat, but it can still fill you up.


    The main reason why this n can seed is that most of the universe demon gods born from chaos have an insatiable pursuit of power, like an insatiable eater who can never get full.


    If it takes the same amount of effort to obtain a Wagyu steak and a loaf of ck bread, everyone would choose the former. But if the choice is between a Wagyu steak and a ton of ck bread, these bottomless stomachs would undoubtedly choose thetter.


    To Strange''s surprise, the Ancient One didn''t find this n immoral. Instead, she quickly helped Strange improve the execution method on the mystical level. The Ancient One continued, "Odin, the father of the gods, is the rightful ruler of the nine kingdoms and the nominal lord and king of the Midgard. If there is a meeting, it will undoubtedly be held in the temple of Asgard."


    "Let''s do this." The Ancient One said directly, "I will take you to meet Odinter, and we can discuss this n together and see when his temple will be avable. It should be in a few days."


    Then, she turned to the king next to her and said, "Let Mordomunicate with the Dark Dimension and ask if Dormammu has any free time recently."


    "You personallymunicate with the Crimson Dimension. I remember that Surtur has ended hisst season of hibernation. Although he belongs to a neutral demon god, he should be willing to join in the fun."


    "What was the name of the apprentice whost contacted Mephisto? Lucas? Let him go and ask the Lord of Hell if he has any free time recently."


    "I remember that Valtorambu went to wander in the limbo. I don''t know if he has returned yet. If he has, remember to call him. Kararkan was beaten half to deathst time and probably hasn''t recovered yet..."


    The Ancient One shook her head, a little frustrated, "There are too few that can be used."

 Chapter 190: Father and Son

    Chapter 190: Father and Son


    "So you went to meet Odin?"


    "Don''t mention it, I didn''t even get to see him," Strange leaned against the desk in the Arkham Sanatorium office and said, "I don''t understand why our teacher was so eager."


    "We didn''t make an appointment, we just drew a circle and went to Asgard, but Odin was out and we had to wait for a while for him toe back."


    "You went on an interster trip in just a few hours?" Stark said, sitting on the sofa nearby.


    "If you''re jealous, just say it," Strange retorted without hesitation.


    "But I still think we shouldn''t have told our teacher about this n so early, she''s a bit too excited now."


    "When we got back to Kamar-Taj, during the time before I left, she had dozens of sorcerers call the cosmic gods she had traded with before, and even if they couldn''t get through, they kept calling, and the first one to respond was Mephisto..."


    "You saw him? The so-called Lord of Hell?"


    "No, but I heard his voice, but they used an ancientnguage that I couldn''t understand.""What did the voice sound like?" Stark asked curiously. "You actually heard the voice of the devil."


    "What''s the big deal? When we went to Asgard, I even saw the World Tree," Strange said, not without pride. "There were also Pegasus flying in the sky, and fairies in the fountain."


    "Did you see the gods in those myths?"


    Strange shook his head and said, "We went too suddenly and Asgard didn''t arrange for anyone to receive us, and many people left with Odin, the only one at home was a god named Loki, the prince of Asgard, who received us, but my impression of him was not very good."


    "Why?"


    "It''s hard to say. Since I began learning magic, my intuition has be more sensitive, and I always feel that he''s not a good person."


    "Then your intuition is correct." Schiller said to Strange. "A few days ago, the big idiot we picked up said that his brother was the god of lies and deceit."


    "Right, I''m sure this time, the alien whonded on Earth is indeed Odin''s son, because I heard that Odin went out to deal with the trouble he caused."


    "Where''s Thor now?" Stark asked Schiller.


    "He''s currently cooperating with SHIELD for a physical examination, and he should be released soon."


    "Is Nick really willing to let him go? ording to what you''ve said, he caused a big trouble at his own home before, making his father have to personally resolve it, so how much trouble will he cause on Earth?"


    "Steve tested him before, and besides having slightly greater strength than the average person and incredible physical health, he doesn''t have any special abilities."


    After speaking, Schiller looked down at his watch and said, "So far, Nick should have asked what he wants to know. The next step is definitely to use SHIELD to find him a house, find him a job, and have several agents monitor him 24 hours a day to observe the behavior of the alien..."


    "I still think this approach is dangerous. Even if he doesn''t have abilities beyond those of ordinary people, his values and beliefs arepletely different from those of humans, like a mentally ill person who is always ill..."


    "Whether he''s mentally ill or not, it''s not up to you to decide." Schiller smiled.


    "Are you taking Nick''s money again to give him a diagnostic book?" Stark stared at Schiller with wide eyes.


    "You''re going to make money like that?"


    "You better take care of yourself first." Schiller looked down at his watch again and said, "Miss Pepper is done with her busy schedule. If you have any trouble, Mr. Stark, who understands women''s hearts the most."


    As soon as he heard Schiller was going to talk to him about this topic, Stark almost fled. After he left, Strange looked at the door, then walked over and closed it, saying, "Are you just going to let him continue like this?"


    He pointed to his own chest, indicating the energy problem in Stark''s chest.


    "It seems that learning magic has indeed changed you a lot. You actually care about Stark," Schiller said.


    "I just think he''s our guarantee for research and development. After all, we still have a lot of unresolved issues, such as energy conversion and storage. If he dies, things will be very difficult."


    "Don''t you see it?"


    "What?"


    "We know that the reactor in his chest is a time bomb that could take his life within a year, but we''re not in a hurry."


    "So why is that?" Strange tilted his head and stared at Schiller.


    "Did you see the model on hisb table when we went to theboratoryst time?"


    Strange thought for a moment and said, "I think I saw it. It was the one next to the bookshelf, right?"


    "That''s right, it''s the model of the Ark reactor."


    "Are you saying he''s already made a recement? Then why doesn''t he change it?"


    "Because it''s technology from his father."


    "Okay..." Strange shook his head, clearly unable to understand. "Risking his life just to prove a point, he''s even more immature than I thought."


    "It''s not just to prove a point, he believes there is room for improvement in this technology. He wants to make a perfect finished product and be done with it, and more importantly, prove that he''s better than his father."


    "Forget about him, let''s talk about you. I heard from the nurse that you didn''t go home for Christmas or Easter," Schiller asked Strange.


    "That''s none of your business." Strange''s tone lowered, he said, "I''m not your patient, I don''t need your counseling."


    "All my patients say that."


    "Now that''s not important to me anymore. I not only have money and status, but I have touched on fields that ordinary people cannot reach. I even went on a trip to the interster just a few hours ago, to the legendary kingdom..."


    "Do you know? When you were talking just now, your expression was just like Stark''s when he mentioned Howard. Every time that namees up in his ears, he talks about how brilliant the current Stark group is..."


    "So what do you suggest he do? Forgive Howard?"


    "Generally speaking, psychologists advise you to let go of something or forgive someone, not because they think what that person did was right, but because if you continue to dwell on it, you will only harm your own emotions and mental state. You should know better than me."


    "Well, maybe I shouldn''t say this, but I really want to hear about your background andpare your father to Stark''s father, who is more rotten," Schiller continued.


    "There are good people and rotten people in this world, but rotten people are all the same."


    "But for a while, he still said, ''That drunkard only knows how to get drunk, he knew Donna could only move around in a wheelchair, but he still refused to spend money on a better wheelchair for her, which caused her to fall into the river when passing by.''"


    Unlike Stark, when Strange talked about this experience, his tone was very cold, without any fluctuations.


    "I originally studied medicine to cure my sister''s legs, but on the day I received the schrship, I called him, and his first words were, ''Your sister is dead.''"


    "His second sentence was to ask me to give him the schrship."


    "Then it seems that your father is more rotten."


    "Just because he was poorer."


    "I heard you have a younger brother."


    "Yeah, my brother..." Strange''s tone was a bit contemptuous. "That drunkard doesn''t like Donna or me, but he''s always submissive to his little son, Victor."


    "So I don''t want to go back because that''s not my home. They have a deep father-son rtionship, which has nothing to do with me."


    After speaking, Strange lowered his head to write again. When Strange talked about his background, he didn''t react as strongly as Stark did. His tone was very t, as if he was talking about someone else''s affairs.


    "Stark is lucky in that he''s an only child and had an old housekeeper and uncle to apany him during his childhood."


    Schiller used his hand to prop up his chin and sighed, "That big silly guy who fell from the sky is the same, but I don''t know if it''s Odin''s favoritism or something else."


    "I''m different from him. I''ve always done well in my studies and have won all the schrships."


    "He also fought in many battles, but the result is that neither of you can go home now."


    "He was thrown out, but I wasn''t."


    Strange''s tone remained unchanged. He said, "In my life, I''ve never received as much praise from my father as I have in these past few days from my teachers."


    "Stark also said that his father always thinks he knows nothing, so he''s working hard to prove that he knows everything."


    "It''s meaningless." Finally, Strange concluded.


    "It''s meaningless!" Pepper shouted, "When will you let go of your damn arrogance and stop risking your life all the time?"


    "Who are you trying to prove yourself to? Your father? Can''t you use your brain to think that no father would want to see his son risking his life just to prove a point?"


    In theboratory of Stark Tower, Pepper approached Stark and looked into his eyes as she said, "If I had known that while I was busy cleaning up your mess with Rotten, you were busy risking your own life, I would not have bothered with you, Stark!"


    "I am not risking my own life. You have to listen to me. The thing I created is not perfect, and I want to create a more perfect version of it..."


    "What''s the point of worrying about meaningless standards at this point? You''re going to die soon!"


    "Do you know, Tony, I really can''t think of any reason why a person would still be fixated on the past and memories when they know they only have a year left to live."


    After speaking, she covered her forehead with a sigh and said, "I don''t know if I should call you brave or reckless."


    "I know I can do better, I just need some time, a year is enough, trust me, Pepper."


    Stark walked up and hugged Pepper, saying, "Even if I only have a year left, at least I have you with me."


    "You always say things like that, but you never solve the problem that worries me the most," Pepper sighed wearily and said, "You treat all women the same way."


    "Don''t say that, trust me, I will solve this problem."


    Watching Stark with his always slightly moist eyes, Pepper didn''t say anything more to me him.


    After Pepper left, Stark sat back down on theb table, holding the model in his hand.


    Looking at the model in his hand, Stark would think of his favorite toy car, which he and his father had assembled by hand.


    Howard took care of the chassis and engine, while Stark put on the shell, tires, and seats, and then wrote their shared surname on the car door with a pen.


    This was a good memory he had searched for a long time in his memory.


    Everyone thought that Stark just didn''t want to use Howard''s technology, but only Stark himself knew that he just wanted to make the technology more perfect. It wasn''t because he wanted to prove that he was stronger than Howard.


    He just wanted to make it a workpleted by him and his father together, just like that car. That toy car became a memorial of his first half of life, and the Arc Reactor was his hope for the second half of his life.


    This way, he could also treat it as if his father had never been absent from his life.

 Chapter 191: The Adventures of Thor (1)

    Chapter 191: The Adventures of Thor (1)


    "Okay, listen big guy, you can''t go smashing those cars honking their horns. There''s no rule in Hell''s Kitchen that prohibits honking during the day..."


    Steve pulled Thor back from rushing out and said sternly, "If you keep this up, you might get arrested and sent to a mental hospital. ording to a psychiatrist I know, you''ll be in big trouble."


    "Why do you Earthlings talk so strangely? I can''t understand your ent at all. Why do you have to speak in a high-pitched voice? Can''t you be more manly?!" Thor shouted loudly.


    Steve took a deep breath. He was fed up with Thor. He held onto Thor''s arm to prevent him from wandering around and took out his mobile phone to call Nick.


    "Nick, if you insist on me bringing this guy, can you get him a trantion device quickly? We can''tmunicate at all!"


    Yes, the first problem Thor encountered aftering to Earth was his strange ent. Thor could speak English, but thest time he came to Earth, the United States didn''t speak English yet.


    To be precise, the Englishnguage spoken in the UK at the time was not the same as it is now.


    This meant that hisnguage structure now consisted of Old English words and grammar, plus a heavy Asgardian ent.


    However, he was now in the United States, a ce that had always intended to remove British English from its nationality.This mademunication between them very difficult. When Nick asked Steve to watch over Thor, Steve didn''t realize the seriousness of the problem. He nned to take Thor around the New York City area during his morning run to show him where he would be living in the future.


    But in just a few short minutes, Thor acted like an energetic husky, wanting to bite everything he saw. Steve suspected that this might be Thor''s way of retaliating for the punch he had given him.


    Steve stood at the intersection, one hand on his hip and the other holding onto Thor, helplessly saying, "If you''re trying to get back at me for that punch I gave you, then okay, I can apologize to you. But it wasn''t my intention, and you have to find a physiotherapy doctor for that. And this is not a reason for you to knock on people''s car windows, move roadblocks arbitrarily, and kick paint cans. If you keep this up, you will be more than just punched by me, you''ll get beaten up!"


    Steve tried his best to persuade Thor, but Thor couldn''t understand him very well.


    Steve realized he was talking to a brick wall. Just as he was about to continue persuading him, his mobile phone rang. Schiller on the other end said, "Captain, could youe to Stark Tower? We may need you for a strength test."


    After hanging up, Steve immediately dialed again and said, "Hello? Is Peter there? Oh, I''m his friend Steve. Can you please let him answer the phone?"


    "Hello, Steve, what''s up? I''m eating!" Peter answered with some muffled sounds, apparently not having swallowed his food yet.


    "Well, Nick gave me a task, which is to take an alien on a tour of New York. But now there are other things, can youe and help me out?"


    "Take an alien on a tour?... Where is it?... That''s amazing! Oh..." Peter lowered his voice, apparently with family nearby. He paused, swallowing his food, and continued, "Wait for me, I''ll be right there."


    Soon, Peter ran over from the other end of the street, still wearing Captain America''smemorative T-shirt. When he approached, he pointed to the shield logo on his chest, and Steve smiled at him and patted his shoulder, saying, "If you want, I can give you a shield to print it for you, guaranteeing a 1:1 reproduction."


    "Really?" Peter asked in surprise, but then hesitated and said, "But that seems a bit disrespectful, after all, that''s the symbol of Captain America''s honor."


    "It''s okay, as long as you help meplete this task, I''ll give you one, and I''ll even include a personal signature."


    Peter was so happy that he almost jumped up. He immediately took Thor''s hand and said, "Don''t worry, I''ve got this!"


    Steve gave him a thumbs up and watched Peter and Thor walk away. He sighed, feeling a little guilty. He felt like he was deceiving a child.


    Thor was even more unhappy when Peter pulled him away. As an Asgardian, he believed that the one with the biggest fist was the boss. Although he was not happy with Steve''s sneak attack and punch, he also recognized that Steve was a strong warrior. But what was this kid? Why did he look like a bean sprout?


    After walking a few steps, Peter suddenly stopped and Thor looked at him in surprise. Thor''s worldview was simple: besides being physically strong, the only other important thing was to help the weak and take care of the elderly, disabled, and sick. In his eyes, Peter was just a kid and one of the weaker ones among Earthlings, so he might need his help.


    "Are you tired from walking? Do you want me to carry you?" Thor asked, sizing up Peter.


    "No, I''m not tired. Although my house is a bit far from here, it''s not too tiring," Peter replied.


    "I just suddenly thought of where to take you. We..."


    "Never mind me. That annoying guy finally left, and I want to wander around by myself!" Thor interrupted Peter before he could finish. He didn''t need a kid to show him the way.


    "Hey, wait! My autographed T-shirt..." Peter chased after Thor.


    "Don''t act like that! Don''t cross the road, it''s against traffic rules! Wait...don''t touch that car, no! Don''t kick the door, people will think you''re robbing them..." Peter warned, but to no avail.


    Steve could have restrained Thor, but Peter could only intercept him and make him change direction.


    "I didn''t- Hey, stop! Don''t go that way! There''s construction going on over there, no...don''t climb over the barrier ande back...there might be..." Peter gestured with his arms crossed over his chest to indicate "no entry." He exined, "It may be dangerous to go to ces where you''re not allowed. Fortunately, this time it was just a mud pit. If there were wires or something underneath, it would be worse. You really have to listen to me!"


    Thor ignored Peter, and as he walked ahead, Peter followed him. Thor turned his head and said, "You''re still a kid. Where are your parents? Do they let you wander around like this?"


    "I finished my summer homework, so I cane out and y. Oh, I haven''t told you yet. Let me take you to my favorite arcade. You''ll definitely like it there," Peter said.


    "What''s that ce?" Thor asked.


    "It''s a ce where you y games. There are many game machines there, and there''s a new model out recently. I haven''t been there yet. Let''s go!"


    "Oh, wait. Let me make a call to my friend," Peter said, taking out his mobile phone. He spoke into the phone, "Pikachu, what are you doing? That''s right, see you at the usual ce..."


    Five minutester, Peter pulled Thor into an arcade on the edge of Hell''s Kitchen. Instead of going in, he walked into an alley beside it. After a while, a yellow figure jumped onto the fence and straight into Peter''s arms. Peter and Pikachu high-fived and said, "Long time no see, buddy!"


    "Haha, I don''t know who was blinded by his girlfriend and didn''te to y with his bro for so long!"


    "Dr. Schiller went out of town before. Weren''t you supposed to help him watch the shop? I thought you were busy. Okay...okay, I''m sorry. Don''t shock me!" Peter said to the phone.


    Thor was curious about Pikachu. He asked, "Is this your pet? Why is it so yellow?"


    As he reached out to touch Pikachu, his hand was immediately electrocuted, and he let out a scream. Peter quickly grabbed Pikachu''s tail and said, "Stop it, you shocked someone...Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is my good buddy Pikachu. We''re the best partners!"


    "Did we have a team name?" Peter asked Pikachu, who was standing on his shoulder with his short arms crossed. "Spider and Mouse, sewer double trouble. How about that?" Pikachu sneered.


    "Of course not, it smells too strong," Peter replied.


    Watching Peter and Pikachu ying around, Thor quieted down and even became a bit nostalgic. "I used to have a pet too, a smart and clever hunting dog, but it died in battle."


    "You had a dog?" Peter asked Thor. "Do aliens also keep dogs?"


    "Of course, Asgard is not far from Earth, and many of our habits are simr."


    "Then why do you..." Peter started to ask.


    "I just can''t stand those cars making noise. Do you know that if someone dares to let their car make noise on the roads in Asgard, they will be whipped?"


    "And those barriers didn''t do enough to warn people. Even kids can climb over them," Thorined.


    "There are also those people who use strange cans to paint on walls in Asgard."


    "Um...actually, it happens here too. It''s just that this ce is a bit chaotic and no one really cares to stop them."


    "If that''s the case, then you have a point. You were a prince in Asgard, so it''s natural for you to take care of these things. But here on Earth, you''re not a prince and you might get into trouble if you just charge in."


    "My father is the ruler of the Nine Realms, including Midgard. And I am the future ruler of the Nine Realms. So when I see these things, of course I have to take care of them."


    Peter was about to say something, but Thor interrupted him. "Where is that fun thing you mentioned? I don''t think it''s more interesting than hunting."


    "Hunting? That''s a medieval thing. Let me take you to see modern amusement parks. You''ll find it amazing!"

 Chapter 192: The Adventures of Thor (2)

    Chapter 192: The Adventures of Thor (2)


    "I think... we might be in trouble," Peter turned to Thor, who was standing next to him.


    They were facing a group of vicious thugs, the kind of street gang that often extorted younger students in the arcade.


    There were six or seven of them, all clearly hardened criminals who had taken advantage of the owner''s absence to target Peter, who was closest to the door.


    "Look at this poor boy, bringing his dad to a ce like this. Did you lose at the fighting game and cry to your parents?" the leader of the gang taunted.


    The othersughed mockingly, but Peter was unfazed. He may have been younger than them, but as Spider-Man, he had seen more than his fair share of trouble. "Whether I win or lose at the game, at least I''m not here trying to extort people," he replied calmly.


    The leader was about to retaliate, but hisckey next to him noticed Peter''s Captain America T-shirt. "Look at him, wearing that bootleg T-shirt. He probably crawled out of a mud pit, all dirty and poor. Let''s find someone else."


    Peter found the gang''s behavior childish, but Thor couldn''t stand their arrogance. He raised his fist and said, "Were you not taught manners by your parents?!"


    To Thor, Peter was just a child, and he couldn''t stand seeing them bullying him. The leader replied with a string of insults, but Thor didn''t understand what he was saying. He knew it was not good, though, and as an Asgardian prince, he wasn''t one to be trifled with. He threw a punch, and the gang prepared to fight back.


    Thor was tall and strong, but the gang members were no pushovers. Two of them were even as tall as him, so they weren''t afraid. Just as the fight was about to break out, Peter warned them to stop, but it was toote.Thor was experienced in battle, and he quickly took down one of the shorter thugs with a punch. He dodged the hook from the bigger one and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying.


    The gang leader picked up a chair and was about to hit Thor with it when Peter grabbed his wrist and threw the chair away. "Stop it!" he shouted.


    Thor picked up another chair and swung it at the leader, who retaliated by pushing a game machine over. Thor dodged it, stumbled back, and threw the chair at the gang member, hitting him square in the chest. He fell back onto another game machine, causing it and a few others to copse.


    One of the machines fell on a younger student who had been ying, and he screamed in pain. Peter rushed over and lifted the machine, freeing the boy. He saw that the boy''s arm was broken and took him to a clinic in Manhattan, paying for his medical bills.


    When the boy''s parents arrived, Peter apologized and tried to make amends, but they were unhappy with him. They saw him as a troublemaker, not a hero.


    Thor was angry. "Your Earth has no rules! Those thugs should have been punished, but instead, you had to pay for them. In Asgard..."


    "In Asgard, what?" Peter asked.


    "I''m sure they would have apologized to you, whether they were the ones who attacked or just caught in the crossfire. Even their parents would havee to apologize, because you are a prince..."


    Peter understood Thor''s point, but he also knew that the Earth had its own rules. Sometimes, those rules didn''t make sense, but it was up to them to make the best of it. They walked away from the arcade, hoping to find a better way to spend their day.


    Thor listened half-understandingly. He said to Peter, "That''s because I''m right. I stopped those people from bullying others!"


    "But you also affected the innocent. I reminded you before you acted that you couldn''t fight there. There were many young students in the arcade. Once a fight broke out, children would definitely get hurt..."


    "I was standing up for justice!"


    Peter sighed and said with aplicated tone, "I never thought that one day I would be advising others like this. I used to think the same way as you."


    "But then I realized that doing good also requires methods. Blindly standing up for justice and causing destruction is no different. It is difficult to get good results and may even cause a lot of trouble. In the end, others have to clean up my mess."


    Peter looked at Thor and said, "I know you are the prince of Asgard. Your parents can definitely handle the trouble you caused. My friends are the same. There is nothing they can''t handle."


    "But I found out that I can''t always rush to stand up for justice, hurt the innocent, cause a lot of chaos, and then let others clean up my mess. This will make me a burden to others."


    "Standing up for justice?" Thor looked at Peter and seemed very skeptical that this small body could stand up for justice.


    Peter also understood Thor''s gaze. He sighed, stopped walking, and Thor stopped with him. Peter nced at the intersection where a big truck was parked.


    The tires of this heavy truck were almost higher than Peter''s height, but Peter reached out and grabbed the groove of the truck tire, lightly lifted it up, and the side tire of the truck directly left the ground for dozens of centimeters.


    Thor widened his eyes. When Peter let go, the trucknded, and the ground vibrated. Thor walked up and tried to lift it up in the same way, but the truck did not move at all, indicating that it was really heavy for ordinary people.


    Scratching his head with confusion, Thor said, "How long has it been since I came, and human infants have evolved to this level?"


    "Infants? I am not an infant! I have a driver''s license, and I have a girlfriend!"


    Thor sneered and said, "In Asgard, your size is still an infant, and a child under 300 years old."


    "3...300 years old??" Peter opened his mouth in surprise and asked Thor, "How old are you?"


    "Me? Well, I''m not very old, less than 1,600 years old."


    Peter swallowed and said, "Okay, you win in terms of lifespan. But if you convert it proportionally, you are still a child."


    "Butpared to me, you are more childish." Peter exined to Thor, "I know those little gangsters are annoying and deserve to be beaten up. If it was before, I would definitely beat them up without distinction."


    "But during this time, I''ve thought a lot. This idea is actually a bit irresponsible. Although I am happy to beat them up, the arcade owner is innocent. He was damaged, and several machines were damaged. Even if I paid for it, he still has to spend time and energy to rece and rearrange them. He may even have to close for a day to clean up my mess."


    "Not to mention the child who was affected. His right hand was broken, and his parents had to stay at home to take care of him, unable to work. They may even be scolded by their boss because of this."


    "If I put myself in that child''s shoes, my uncle would definitely be very angry, and my aunt would shed tears with pity."


    "And a fracture really hurts. If I were affected for no reason, I would definitely feel wronged and angry..."


    "You think a lot," Thor still said straightforwardly, "As long as what I do is right, the father of the gods will support me. I am..."


    At this point, Thor stopped himself. He sighed and said angrily, "I''m obviously doing the right thing, why doesn''t my father understand me? And he even..."


    "I can see that you are actually a very just person. I feel that we are very simr. We both have hot-blooded aspirations to do good things, so I can understand your current thoughts because I used to think the same way."


    "Then how do you think now?" Thor looked at Peter.


    Talking to Peter, who was younger and looked very weak, let Thor have less pressure, and he could temporarily break free from his rebellious mentality towards his father for kicking him out of the house.


    The main reason why he couldn''tmunicate normally with Earth people was that, on the one hand, thenguage was somewhat different, and on the other hand, he was very dissatisfied and aggrieved with his father''s behavior of kicking him out of the house. Even if he was an Asgardian, once he fell into extreme emotions, he could not listen to others'' words.


    However, Peter always carried a positive and highly infectious sunshine temperament, which made people feel like there were no difficulties in the world that couldn''t be ovee, and made it easier for people to get rid of negative emotions.


    "I feel like it''s a bit of a hassle to talk to you, oh, of course, I''m not mocking your ent, just stating a fact."


    "And I don''t think my past self could have listened to long-winded morality lectures, so how about this, I''ll take you to one of my friends, his name is Matt, it was his actions that inspired me, and I''m sure it will help you too."


    Speaking, Peter was about to pull Thor forward, while Thor walked and shouted loudly: "But I am the prince of Asgard, there is nothing that can''t be solved without relying on humans, I can do it myself..."


    "Okay, okay, but we just solved a trouble together, we should be friends, are you going to refuse a friend''s invitation?"


    As Peter spoke, he released Pikachu from his backpack. Pikachu also watched the whole process. He said to Thor, "Big guy, I have to say, you did pretty well when you beat those rotten people just now, especially when you hit the one with brown hair..."


    Pikachu waved his short hand, imitating the way humans box, and said, "I can tell you''ve practiced, that thug flew out directly, he definitely won''t dare toe to this arcade again!"


    This happened to scratch Thor''s itch, and he said, "People always think that I''m best at using war hammers and spears, but actually my boxing is very strong, I just haven''t had the opportunity to show it off."


    "If you ask me, in all of Asgard, except for my father, my boxing is the best!"


    Peter also became interested, and he said to Thor, "Your moves are really cool, different from human boxing, more like the kind of moves I see in movies, can you teach me? I also want to look cool when I fight!"


    "That''s easy, I''ll teach you two movester, I guarantee you can beat those wimps left and right when you face them!"

 Chapter 193: The Adventures of Thor (3)

    Chapter 193: The Adventures of Thor (3)


    Daredevil Matt received Peter and Thor in his cabin, and Thor asked in surprise: "He can''t see with his eyes?"


    "Yes, Matt is blind, but it doesn''t affect anything."


    "But you said he''s a hero who fights criminals. How does he do that?" Thor asked.


    "Who says a blind person can''t fight criminals?" Matt used his cane to hit Thor, moving so fast that Thor couldn''t dodge in time.


    Thor was really surprised and asked, "How can you see where I am? And you''re so fast?"


    Peter, on the other hand, asked Thor, "Don''t you have disabled people in Asgard?"


    "Of course not. We are gods, blessed by the World Tree. We are born as warriors, but..." Thor thought for a moment and said, "If you have to say, anyone under 300 years old is a child and needs to be taken care of."


    "Everyone else is a soldier?" Peter asked in amazement. "Except for children, everyone else is a warrior. That''s too exaggerated, isn''t it?"


    Thor waved his hand proudly and said, "Asgard is the most powerful race in the universe. That''s why we can protect the nine kingdoms. But it''s not that exaggerated. We also have some auxiliary units, such as cksmiths and stonemasons. Of course, there are also some magicians. Their physique is not as good as that of warriors, so they generally stay in the rear. But they are still much stronger than Earthlings.""But that makes sense," Thor suddenly changed his angle and said, "If Earthlings were as strong as Asgardians, who else in the universe could handle you? With your poption and breeding speed, if everyone had the strength of Asgardian warriors, you would have dominated the entire universe long ago."


    Then he rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully, "My father once told me that human life span is short, which is both a disadvantage and an advantage. And Asgardians have some problems because of their long life span, but I didn''t understand..."


    At this point, Matt walked over with three cups of coffee. The three of them sat around the table in Matt''s cabin. Matt took out a map and spread it on the table. After taking a sip of coffee, he said, "A few days ago, Erika told me that The Hand has had some unusual movements again, and it seems to be a big operation this time. I just need some help."


    "No problem, I can help, but it has to be finished before the end of the month. I''m going to Hollywood with Gwen."


    Matt and Thor both looked at Peter, and Peter stared at them and said, "Why? This is our first trip. I''ve been looking forward to it for a long time!"


    "If you were my subordinate, I would make you run threeps around Asgard to sober up," Thor said, shaking his head.


    Matt knocked on the table and said, "Before we fight The Hand and their allies, we need to figure out what they''re up to."


    "What else can they do? Didn''t you say before that all their strategic arrangements are to find that Dragon Bone?"


    "But it''s a bit strange. ording to the information we gathered from Erika, The Hand seems to have fallen out with Kingpin recently, but it''s not clear why. I n to start from this point and investigate The Hand''s ultimate goal and stop their evil n."


    "Well, what''s the first step we should take?"


    "Do you know that Bullseye has been released?"


    "What? Didn''t he just go in a while ago?" Peter was quite surprised. "Last time, wasn''t he..."


    "As long as Kingpin is willing to spend money to get him out, it''s not surprising that Bullseye can get away with it. What''s strange is why Kingpin chose to pull him out at this time. Does Kingpin really want to go to war with The Hand?"


    "What are you guys talking about?" Thor asked, very confused. "And why am I involved? What does this have to do with me?"


    "Well, do you have anything else to do?" Peter said, looking at Matt. "He''s at least a helper, and I can be sure he''s not a spy for Kingpin."


    "Hey, did you guys get my consent? I didn''t n to participate..."


    "Well, although it looks a bit stupid, it''s better than nothing."


    "How can you ignore..."


    Two hourster, Peter and Thor were crouching outside a bar, stretching their necks to look inside. Peter turned to Thor and said, "You go in and cause some trouble. I''ll block the person from behind."


    Thor snorted and said, "How dare you say that the bravest warrior in Asgard is useless? Isn''t it just causing a scene in a tavern? I''m familiar with it!"


    As he spoke, he swaggered into the bar. The bouncer at the door looked at him and reached out to stop him, saying, "Who are you? Do you have an invitation?"


    "Who am I? You''ve never seen me before?" Thor''s tone was very confident, and the bouncer was stunned.


    He looked Thor up and down, and he had to say that Thor''s temperament perfectly blended into Hell''s Kitchen. He was tall and had long blond hair. His face was covered with stubble, and he exuded a tough atmosphere from the battlefield. Listening to his very magical ent, the bouncer thought he was a gang leader from Texas. For a moment, he didn''t dare to stop him.


    After he swaggered in, he just passed by the bar. He bumped into someone and shouted loudly, "Don''t you have eyes? Damn it..."


    "Hey, Texan! You were the one who hit me first!"


    The two of them argued, and it quickly escted into a fight. Peter and Pikachu made their way to the back door, knocked out a security guard, and sneaked in. Peter looked around the electrical system and found the switch, and Pikachu sparked electricity throughout the entire bar, causing it to go dark.


    Peter used his agility and speed to his advantage, quickly knocking out a person and dragging them outside. After a while, Thor also walked out and asked, "You''re looking for him? That''s Bullseye, right?"


    "No, this is just one of Bullseye''sckeys."


    "Why bother then? Just charge in and take them all down?"


    "We can''t rm them."


    Peter saw Matt''s car pull up to pick them up and said to Thor, "Help me carry him and put him in the car."


    "I thought you were a warrior who dares to face things head-on. I was wrong about you." Thor said while lifting the man''s leg. They put the man in Matt''s car.


    "To be honest, I think your n is a bit convoluted. No matter what The Hand is nning, we just need to take them all down."


    "Then where is The Hand?" Matt asked Thor.


    "This..."


    "This isn''t Asgard," Peter interrupted Thor. "You''re not a prince now, and we''re not either. We can''t just wave our hands and have someone deliver information to us. We have to do everything ourselves."


    "In the past, my brother Loki was in charge of these things, and I don''t know how he did it, but he always got the right information."


    "But what if his information is wrong one day?"


    "He''s the God of Mischief. There''s nothing he can''t find out."


    "The God of Mischief? What if he tricks you?" Peter looked at Thor, and Thor choked for a moment before saying, "Why would he trick me? We''re brothers, and what''s the benefit of him tricking me? If we lose, we''ll both get scolded when we go back."


    Matt shook his head and said, "I thought Peter was childish enough."


    "Hey, don''t say that. I''m trying hard to change, and I think I''ve made progress recently. I can handle the target without your help."


    "I''m ying these childish games with you guys, and you still think I''m childish? I''m the prince of Asgard!"


    "I''ve led countless armies in interster conquests before, and now you want me to fight thugs on a small street in the courtyard!"


    "The most important thing is that I haven''t kicked anyone yet."


    Thor red at Peter, and Peter looked at him and then reached out and poked his face. Thor covered his face and let out a miserable scream.


    He leaned close to the car window and looked at his cheek, realizing that he had been punched and left a bruise.


    "You damn Earthlings!!!"


    But Thor''s troubles were far from over. After it got dark, Peter asked him, "Where do you live? I''ll take you back."


    "How should I know where I live? The person who brought me out didn''t tell me where to go."


    "Okay, wait here. I''ll make a call." Peter picked up his phone and tried to call Steve, but his phone was unreachable, so he called Nick instead.


    Thor was getting impatient. "Don''t let me see that ck baldie again. I hate him. Don''t treat me like a child. Aren''t there plenty of houses here? I can find a ce to stay on my own. Goodbye!"


    "But do you have any money? Renting a house on Earth requires money."


    "It''s the same in Asgard. I found some in the bar. This should be your human currency, right?" Thor pulled out a few bills from his pocket, and Peter took a nce and said, "This amount of money isn''t enough to rent a house. I''ll lend you some first..."


    "I don''t need to borrow money from a kid like you. I can find a job myself. Don''t think I don''t know anything. The order in Asgard is much better than here."


    It was true. The social structure of Asgard was simr to that of Earth, with taverns, stores, and inns, and Asgardians also worked in them. Although Thor was usually a consumer, he knew the process of finding a job, earning money, and looking for a house.


    But knowing was not enough. Surviving on Earth was much more difficult than Thor imagined. Although Nick helped him obtain identification, such as a driver''s license, Thor couldn''t drive or take public transportation, so he had to walk to find a job.


    Unfortunately, the ce where he and Peter separated was in Hell''s Kitchen, where there were no real jobs. He asked every store on the street, but most of the shop owners pointed their guns at him before he even entered, mistaking him for a gang member trying to rob them.


    After a long search, Thor finally found a restaurant that was willing to hire him, but he couldn''t understand the modern restaurant equipment and had no experience. After breaking several tes, the boss kicked him out.


    So, on his first day of independent living on Earth, Thor, the prince of Asgard and future ruler of the Nine Realms, slept on a big horse on the road.


    Fortunately, Thor was not like most princes. After all, when fighting, roughing it and going hungry was amon urrence. If he couldn''t make it the first day, he would try again the next day. After several days of setbacks, Thor finally found a job as a warehouse worker in Hell''s Kitchen, thanks to his strong physique.


    This job paid weekly, so Thor quickly received his first paycheck. He was almost in tears and the sessive setbacks not only gave him a mental blow, but the difficulties in life also made him very desperate. Without his divine power and no money, he had to go hungry to work, sleep on a bench every day, and rely on his integrity for warmth. If he weren''t from Asgard, he would have starved to death by now.


    Fortunately, with his first paycheck, Thor could finally find a ce to live.


    He also found that Hell''s Kitchen was not a good ce, and outsiders had a hard time fitting in. So he went a little further and ran to the edge of Hell''s Kitchen, where he rented an old apartment in a cheap apartment building as his residence.


    On the first day he moved in, Thor found that he had a new neighbor next door.


    Originally, he didn''t care, but on the first night, the new neighbor made a lot of noise, hammering the walls and smashing the floor, making it impossible for Thor to sleep all night.


    The same thing happened on the second day, with no improvement. On the morning of the third day, Thor had to visit his new neighbor and ask him what was going on.


    "Hello, I''m your neighbor Thor. At night..."


    The man who opened the door looked very haggard. Thor was about to speak when he saw him twitch and suddenly cover his mouth, running to the sink to vomit.


    "Uh...are you okay?" Thor leaned in and asked him.


    The man stumbled back, holding onto the door frame and said, "I''m fine...Hello, my name is Eddie, Eddie Brock."

 Chapter 194: The Plot Begins to Gradually Go Wrong (1)

    Chapter 194: The Plot Begins to Gradually Go Wrong (1)


    "Are you sure you''re okay?" Thor stood at the door, carefully inspecting Eddie. Eddie looked terrible, with hair that seemed to have not been washed in days, tangled into a bird''s nest. The sweater he was wearing seemed like a designer brand, but many ces had already started fraying. His coat was even worse, with dirty oil stains on one sleeve.


    Thor had been wandering around Hell''s Kitchen for the past few days and had seen many homeless people. Eddie''s appearance fit right in with them.


    Seeing that his neighbor had fallen into such a state, Thor felt bad about mentioning the noise issue again. He could only say, "If you need help, I''m next door..."


    "Damn it! I''m not a homeless person!" Eddie obviously saw the sympathy in Thor''s eyes and hammered the door frame. "I''m just..."


    He had barely uttered a syble when he suddenly swayed backwards, hitting the entranceway behind him. The water cup on the entranceway fell to the ground and shattered. He turned around and cursed, "Damn it, why..."


    Then he violently leaned to the left, hitting his head on the door frame again. He then staggered back a few steps like a puppet, before running to the sink to vomit.


    Thor couldn''t just stand by and watch. Even if it wasn''t to help him, he didn''t want his newly found home to be destroyed. He could only enter Eddie''s room to see what was wrong with him.


    Eddie''s room was a mess, with several boxes of documents and misceneous items piled up at the door. It looked like he had packed in a hurry, with objects of all sizes piled together without any order, ready to copse at any moment.


    Thor stepped over the documents and found a pile of machines he didn''t recognize on his left, some of which were messy brackets, while others looked like cannons.Having lived in the human world for so many days, Thor understood that any machine he didn''t recognize was probably expensive. If he broke them, he couldn''t afford to pay for them. So he went around to the right side of the room, where the sofa was.


    The sofa was piled high with clothes, the most noticeable of which were several suits covered in dust covers. They looked different from the other clothes and even if Thor couldn''t distinguish between the types of human clothing, he could tell that the workmanship of these suits was much better than the others.


    Further in, there was a suitcase on the floor. Eddie had obviously been kicked out, and his suitcase was a mess, with many things still inside.


    Stepping over the suitcase, Thor entered the kitchen and saw Eddie squatting on the ground, leaning against the cab. He seemed to havepletely copsed, with a nk look in his eyes, muttering to himself.


    Eddie saw a huge shadow appear in front of him, and when he looked up, he saw Thor looking at him with concern. He opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to ask for help, but then felt that what he wanted to say was too absurd and didn''t say anything.


    "Maybe I should take you to the hospital," Thor said, looking down at Eddie. "You really look sick."


    Saying that, Thor turned and walked out, apparently wanting to make a phone call. Eddie quickly got up and grabbed him, saying, "No! Don''t go! I don''t have the money to pay for an ambnce!"


    "But you really look terrible," Thor turned around and pointed at Eddie''s face. "You''re the most haggard human I''ve ever seen. Don''t you have a mirror? Take a look at yourself?"


    Eddie let out a deep sigh and slowly walked to the sofa, pushing aside the messy clothes. "You''re from Texas, right? Sit down. I don''t have anything to offer you, just grab those two cans of beer next to the suitcase."


    Thor stood in ce and looked at him. Although he didn''t understand Earth people, he had basic discernment skills and could tell that this man was not a homeless person, but someone who had fallen on hard times for some reason. He obviously had a story to tell.


    Thor grabbed two cans of beer from Eddie''s suitcase and sat down opposite him, giving Eddie one can and putting the other in front of himself.


    Of course, Thor knew about alcohol. When he worked in the warehouse, the boss would provide a meal, and after his shift, his colleagues would invite him to drink beer.


    For Thor, Earth''s alcohol was a bit too light, but it was better than nothing. So on the first day he moved into his new home, he went to the store nearby and bought a few bottles of beer to stock up.


    Eddie opened the can and took a few big gulps. Thor waved his hand at him and said, "Don''t drink like that. You don''t drink often, do you? You''re just swallowing foam, which will make your stomach bloated. You won''t be able to drink itter."


    "Later?" Eddie smiled bitterly and said, "I only have these two cans of beer. How long do you think they willst?"


    "It''s alright, I have a few bottles left. I''ll bring them to youter." Thor didn''t care at all. He had a bold temperament honed from years of battle experience. Eddie looked at his movements and said, "You must be a retired soldier, right? I can tell, you must have fought in a war."


    Thor raised an eyebrow, it was the first time someone had said that to him. He said to Eddie, "You''re not an ordinary person either. No one noticed my identity before."


    Hearing him admit it, Eddie carefully observed him again and said, "Judging by your physical fitness, you should be an elite of a special forces unit. Which unit were you in? Why didn''t you be an instructor?"


    Thor waved his hand and didn''t intend to continue the conversation. Over the past few days, he had realized that his war record was only being talked about on Earth, and people thought he was crazy and then lost his job.


    Thor still doesn''t put ordinary humans in his eyes, so he doesn''t need their approval of his war record. So if anyone asks again, he''ll just wave goodbye and remain silent.


    "Well, I know you have confidentiality agreements, I won''t ask anymore." Eddie took another sip of beer and said, "Since that''s the case, you must be very tight-lipped. Maybe it''s okay to talk to you about it."


    "How did you end up like this?"


    Thor looked around the room and said, "There are also valuable things in your room. You used to be quite wealthy, right? How did you end up like this?"


    Bringing up this matter, Eddie sighed deeply again. With the help of alcohol, he opened up.


    "What I''m about to say may be shocking, maybe you''ll think I''m crazy, but that''s the truth."


    Eddie took a sip of beer and squeezed the beer can tightly. Veins bulged on the back of his hand.


    "I was originally a journalist, and the top one at that. I''ve won many awards, interviewed many celebrities, and many well-known reports came from me. At my best, even the editor-in-chief had to give me face."


    Eddie ced the beer can on the coffee table with a "pop" and continued, "But everything changed just a month ago."


    He squeezed the beer can tighter and the foam on the surface of the beer can overflowed from the can. Under the dim light, it shimmered with a colorful sheen. Eddie''s eyes stared at the luster, and his thoughts drifted back to a month ago.


    "Morning, Eddie."


    "Morning, what''s up? You seem like you have something to say?" Eddie looked at his colleague who greeted him. The colleague who greeted him walked over and lowered his voice, "The editor-in-chief is looking for you. He seems pretty angry, you better be careful."


    After speaking, the colleague patted his shoulder and left. Eddie held documents and had a camera hanging around his neck as he pushed open the ss door of the editor-in-chief''s office.


    The editor-in-chief was on the phone. When he saw Eddiee in, he looked at him with his eyes and then hung up the phone. He knocked on the table and motioned for Eddie toe over. He said, "Eddie, did you read the Daily Bugle yesterday?"


    "Uh, I didn''t. What happened to them?"


    "Their new issue sold out, and so did their magazine. They released a newspaper that takes stock of New York''s weirdos. There are high-definition photos of Spider-Man and Iron Man, as well as photos of them bravely fighting crime. Even a journalist talked to Spider-Man and confirmed that Spider-Man is really just a high school student."


    "On the other hand, our previous issue of the newspaper had poor sales. People aren''t interested in what river construction projects are going on."


    "Eddie, I know you''re a well-known journalist, but you''ve been walking down the wrong pathtely. People don''t care about what rich people are going to do with construction projects. That has nothing to do with them. They just want to see high-definition photos of New York''s vigntes and their amazing gossip..."


    "I know..." The editor-in-chief reached out his hand tofort Eddie and said, "I know this kind of news isn''t your specialty, but we have to bow to sales. If we can''te up with some big news, this season''s performance will be too ugly, and we may have to cut sries."


    Eddie heard the threat in the editor-in-chief''s tone and said helplessly, "Didn''t we win with the vampire incident before?"


    "That was all a few months ago, too far away for us in this line of work. We have to find a new angle!"


    "By the way, do you know about the recent hot topic of the Immortal Form?"


    "I''ve heard of it, but I don''t know much about it."


    "That''s alright, I''ve arranged to interview Drake, the boss of the Life Foundation tomorrow. You''ll be responsible for interviewing him and talking to him about the Eternal Life Factor."


    "The Life Foundation ims to have found a better way to extract the Eternal Life Factor, which is faster and more effective. They have also invited many testers, and the feedback has been very good. Drake has been extremely poprtely."


    The editor waved his fist and said, "We must seize this opportunity. If this interview bes popr, not only can we surpass the Daily Bugle, but we may also have the chance to try out that magical Eternal Life Factor Medicine."


    "Go quickly, Eddie. Your career will reach new heights."

 Chapter 195: The Plot Begins to Gradually Deviate (2)

    Chapter 195: The Plot Begins to Gradually Deviate (2)


    "I wasn''t interested in this interview topic at all, because I didn''t know anything about the subjects rted to it, such as biology, medicine, and so on."


    "But I also knew that if I couldn''tplete this task, the editor-in-chief would definitely give me a hard time, especially since my previous reports were not good. In order to redeem my professional reputation, I had toplete this task."


    "I started searching for materials rted to the eternal life factor on the inte. I read many exnations from professional doctors about this medicine, but for some reason, I always felt like they were talking nonsense."


    "It was strange, because I had never studied medicine, but as soon as I heard the terms they used, it was like a voice in my head telling me that they were all just making it up."


    "Coincidentally, my girlfriend used to work at the Life Foundation. One morning, herputer screen lit up with a message, the contact''s nickname was a researcher at the Life Foundation."


    "You know, for me, the interview the next day was important, and I needed to know more about the materials. So I wanted to see what the message said..."


    "I saw a material that exposed the fact that the Life Foundation was conducting human experiments on homeless people and other vulnerable groups, which was simply inhumane."


    "So the next day, when I interviewed Drake, I questioned him about why he was doing these inhumane experiments. I was so angry that I lost my mind and punched him in front of everyone."


    "I caused a big mess, lost my job, broke up with my girlfriend, got kicked out of my luxury apartment because I couldn''t afford rent, lost my wallet, and only had a little money in my pocket. I had to move to this cheap apartment..."Eddie covered his eyes and said, "I know I was impulsive, but you don''t know what I saw in those materials. I..."


    "Okay, I know, I was a rotten person before. I made false reports and often misled the audience with words and pictures, but I think I did the right thing this time."


    Eddie finished thest sip of beer in the can, then crushed it and threw it into the nearby trash can, staying silent for a long time.


    His eyes were full of bloodshot, and he frowned in pain, saying, "What''s even more unbelievable is that I seem to... have some kind of split personality. You may not believe it, but..."


    "Can you imagine? After Drake denied everything, I stood up and punched him directly..."


    Thor raised his eyebrows and looked at Eddie up and down with his eyes, saying, "I didn''t see that. You don''t look like that kind of person."


    Thor was telling the truth. Eddie didn''t look very tall and was just an average adult male in size. His speaking and doing style also matched his profession as a journalist. He looked like someone who worked with words and didn''t seem like the kind of person who would easily resort to violence.


    "So that''s why I said I might have split personality. You..." Eddie seemed to have some difficulty expressing this feeling. He gathered his thoughts and said, "I always feel like I couldn''t have done that!"


    "At that time, I was a little angry when I saw those materials, but then I became so angry that I didn''t know where the surging anger came from, so much so that I made such an outrageous move during the interview."


    "Just consider me talking nonsense..." Eddie covered his forehead with his hands and said, "I feel like there''s something else in my body controlling me, just like what you saw just now, I..."


    Suddenly, Eddie convulsed, his eyes widened, and he snarled at Thor, and Thor could clearly see some ck lines spreading on his face.


    Thor instinctively reached for a weapon, but then remembered he was on Earth and had no weapons avable. But in that moment, Eddie suddenly returned to normal, shaking his head as if nothing had happened.


    Thor patted the coffee table and said, "You may have been parasitized by something."


    Eddie looked at Thor in confusion, not understanding. He thought he had already said some crazy things, but this big guy in front of him proposed an even more crazy possibility.


    But Thor wasn''t joking. He said very seriously to Eddie, "I have seen this kind of situation before, probably when I was in Taurus. My subordinates were also parasitized like this. This situation must be dealt with immediately, otherwise it may cause very serious consequences, because you don''t know what kind of attributes the thing parasitizing you has."


    "If it''s that kind of symbiotic organism, it''s okay, just remove them. But if it''s the kind that breeds andys eggs in your body, then it''s troublesome."


    "You mean... you''ve seen this kind of situation when you were a member of the special forces?" Eddie immediately thought of situations such as human experiments, biochemical crises, and alien invasions. He asked Thor like he had caught a lifeline, "So how did you handle it at that time?"


    "Generally speaking, we use lightning to deal with it, which can solve most problems, and our physique is much better than yours, even if we get hit a few more times, it''s no big deal."


    "Struck by lightning? You mean using electricity? But..."


    "Oh, damn it!"


    Eddie suddenly convulsed uncontrobly, then stood up and ran towards the door, stumbling over the boxes piled up at the door and then climbing up, swaying from side to side as he tried to run out.


    Thor quickly caught up, trying to subdue him, but Eddie''s strength was unbelievable. He swung his arm and pushed Thor down.


    "Damn it," Thor cursed, "what''s wrong with humans? How did they be so strong?"


    Thor got up and tried to grab Eddie''s shoulder, but Eddie turned around and yelled at him. Thor saw a momentary glimpse of arge mouth full of sharp teeth, then it disappeared.


    "It''s you, after all!" Thor punched Eddie in the face and said, "Cosmic symbiote! You dare toe to the Nine Realms, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of the Father of the Gods!"


    Eddie seemed to have no intention of fighting Thor, only wanting to escape. He stumbled towards the door, and after Thor caught up, Eddie convulsed again and started retching on the spot.


    As soon as Thor approached, Eddie started convulsing all over, and Thor was powerless to approach him.


    But this stalemate couldn''t go on. Thor reached out and said, "Listen, I don''t care who you are. Leave this human''s body. You can''t control him like this. It''s evil!"


    A hoarse voice came from Eddie''s throat, "Get out of here, I''m allergic to you!"


    Thor was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Allergic, what does allergic mean?"


    "It means I want to puke when I see you..."


    "You''re insulting me!" Thor shouted angrily.


    "I''m not! I''m really allergic... Help, I want to puke!"


    Watching Eddie convulsing with his eyes rolling back, Thor quickly stepped back and said, "Okay, symbiote, listen, I know you kidnapped this human and want to use him to ckmail me. We can talk, but you can''t torture him like this. The human body is fragile, and he will die..."


    "I''m not joking with you!" The hoarse voice was also a bit desperate. "I don''t even know what''s going on! I thought this idiot drank too much! Puke..."


    Thor finally realized he was telling the truth. He stood there thinking for a moment and then said, "Could it be because of the thunder of the Asgardian gods? When we destroyed you, even your creator..."


    "Puke..."


    Seeing Eddie about to foam at the mouth, Thor quickly ran to the corner of the room and said, "Why were you okay just now?"


    "How do I know?... Oh, right, alcohol! Alcohol... Get some alcohol, quickly, or I''ll really vomit..."


    Upon hearing this, Thor quickly bypassed Eddie and went back to his room, bringing two bottles of beer back and pouring them into Eddie''s mouth.


    After drinking one bottle of beer, Eddie finally felt better. Thor asked in confusion, "I''ve fought many symbiotes before, and they fought back against me. I''ve never seen one like you..."


    "How do I know! It''s been like this recently! Can I call an ambnce?!"


    "What a mess..." Thor stood there and said, "You''d better leave this human quickly. You''re about to kill him!"


    "No, not even close."


    Eddie stood up, shook his head, and looked at Thor. "What''s wrong with me? Am I sick again?"


    Thor stared at Eddie and realized he had no good way to expel this symbiote. He had no godly power or Mjolnir, or he would have struck lightning down long ago.


    Just as Thor was thinking of a way to continue, several "swish swish" sounds came from near the window, and Thor immediately pushed Eddie down as several ck projectiles flew past their heads.


    With a "bang bang" sound, two ck smoke clouds materialized into two people in the room, each holding a dagger and stabbing towards Eddie. Thor blocked with his arm, causing a deep gash in his forearm from one of the daggers. Thor then pushed Eddie away from the other dagger.


    "What the hell is this?" Thor asked as he looked at the two ck figures. Eddie also saw them and asked, "What are they? Ninjas? Why do they look like the ones in anime? How did they get in?"


    The two ninjas didn''t give them any time to think as they quickly charged towards them. Thor grabbed a nearby box and smashed it towards them. One ninja turned into smoke and disappeared, only to reappear behind Eddie and stab towards his heart with a shining dagger.


    Eddie didn''t react in time, but just as the dagger was about to pierce his body, a red and blue figure swung in through the window and kicked the ninja in the head, causing him to turn into smoke again.


    Spider-Man had arrived, and he quickly took care of the other ninja as well. Thor grabbed a piece of cloth to wrap his bleeding arm and helped Eddie hide behind a table in the corner of the room while he joined the fight with a chair.


    After a while, Spider-Man had managed to stick one ninja with his spider web and Thor had hit the other with a flying chair. The two ninjas then turned into smoke and disappeared. Spider-Man walked over and asked, "Are you guys okay?"


    He then walked over to the window and brought in his backpack, taking out a bottle of spray and spraying Thor''s arm. The bleeding immediately stopped.


    Eddie, who was still recovering from his drunken state, shook his head and thought he was dreaming. Spider-Man asked Thor, "What''s going on? Who are you guys?"


    Thor recognized the voice and asked, "Peter? Is that you?"


    Spider-Man revealed his identity as Peter by taking off his mask and said, "I''ve been following these two for a while, all the way from Brooklyn."


    He then looked at Eddie and asked, "Who is he? Why are you here? Why did The Hand''s ninjas want to kill you guys?"


    Thor sighed and said, "You''ll have to ask him. I just happened to move nearby."


    Suddenly, Eddie began convulsing on the ground, and a ck substance burst out of his body. A ck monster with sharp teeth appeared in the center of the room.


    Spider-Man was shocked and eximed, "Why is it you?!!"

 Chapter 196: The Plot Begins to Gradually Deviate (3)

    Chapter 196: The Plot Begins to Gradually Deviate (3)


    The situation in the room was very strange. When Venom appeared, the first thing he said was, "Ugh..."


    Spider-Man was shocked. He said angrily and aggrievedly, "You...even if we haven''t had a pleasant cooperation, you can''t do this, right? I thought we were friends!"


    "I''m not..." Venom said with his mouth wide open. He pointed to Thor beside him and yelled, "Stay away from me, damn it!"


    Thor was also very angry. He said, "How dare you talk to me like that! I am the son of the God of Gods, the prince of Asgard, and you are just a damn illegal immigrant!"


    "I am not an illegal immigrant, you damn humans!"


    "What does it have to do with humans?!" Spider-Man shouted at Venom, "Clearly, it''s because you''re rude!"


    In short, the three sides started arguing loudly, and in the end, Matt, who hade with Spider-Man, stopped their quarrel with his cane.


    He hit each of them lightly, and they stopped. Finally, the four of them sat in different directions around the coffee table. Venom sat closest to the door, followed by Thor on the left, Spider-Man on the right, and facing them was Matt.


    "Let''s talk about what''s going on here." Matt brought the topic back to the point. "Previously, we followed the Bullseye lead and found out that Kingpin was apparently doing business rted to the eternal life factor.""We found out that Kingpin seemed to have sold a batch of eternal life factor medicine to The Hand, but their business seemed to have some problems, and the two sides fell out."


    Peter continued his words, "The person in charge of the deal with The Hand was Bullseye. From him, we got information about a The Hand base. I''ve been monitoring their ninjas near that base for the past few days."


    "The ninjas'' daily task is to patrol New York. In the past, their patrol routes were fixed, but today, two ninjas went in the wrong direction. I followed them all the way here and found out that they wanted to kill you guys. What''s going on?"


    Matt''s tone was still calm as he said, "The Hand is a very efficient organization. Although they kill people like crazy, their targets are clear and they won''t kill anyone unimportant."


    "How would I know why?" Thor also said with some doubts, "Are theying after me? But I''m not an Earthling, I have nothing to do with anyone here, and I have no grudges with The Hand."


    At this moment, all three of them focused their gaze on Venom. The huge body of Venom sat on the small sofa, looking a bit ridiculous.


    His style waspletely different from the other three. Although the other three were not ordinary people, they were at least humanoid. Among them was a ck monster several meters high, which looked very strange.


    Matt whispered to Spider-Man, "Is this the alien creature that you mentioned that was parasitic on you before?"


    He looked at Venom up and down and said, "Are you sure that all the behaviors he does while parasitic in your body, such as urging you to do your homework, interfering with you and Gwen''s love life, and preventing you from going out to y?"


    Matt even began to doubt it himself. The style of this monster in front of him didn''t seem like that of a family tutor.


    "There are many more bad things I haven''t told you!" Venom seemed to be retaliating against Spider-Man for his disgust towards him. He added fuel to the fire and said to Matt, "When I y basketball with others, he wants me to deliberately hit someone. When I''m at the convenience store checking out, he wants me to run away without paying. He even stole and ate all of Gwen''s cheese balls and all of Aunt May''s chocte cookies, without leaving any for anyone else!"


    "I didn''t eat them all! Didn''t I leave a few pieces? And didn''t those cookies end up in your stomach too? How can you me me..." Venom opened his mouth with sharp teeth and yelled at Spider-Man.


    "Stop arguing! Can we talk about the real issue?" Matt covered his forehead and said. Then he summarized, "I also think they are unlikely toe after Thor. Thor has only been here for a few days and has no rtionship with The Hand. They shouldn''t send ninjas to kill him."


    "Then it''s only..." Peter looked at Venom and said, "It must be you who caused trouble again."


    "How would I know!" Venom had an attitude of refusing to admit it. Under Matt and Spider-Man''s questioning, Venom reluctantly revealed what had happened before.


    After leaving Spider-Man''s body, Venom just wanted to find an ordinary person to parasitize and rest for a while to soothe his injured soul.


    Originally, Eddie, the host, was okay. He was a very normal person, without tornadoes that happened ten times a day, nor ck tides that covered the sky. He didn''t need to teach children to do homework. Venom''s life was very peaceful.


    But symbiotes could affect the emotions of their hosts. Venom''s previous hosts, except for Spider-Man, who had a better temper, were not easy to deal with.


    So when Eddie saw the Materials of the Life Foundation, his anger multiplied, and he sessfully angered the boss of the Life Foundation, Drake, and lost his job. He was left penniless and had nothing to eat. Venom also had to endure hunger with him.


    Originally, Venom nned to find a new host, but then Eddie moved in and Venom developed allergies, causing him to suffer from constant vomiting and diarrhea until Thor discovered him.


    Speaking of which, Peter looked at Venom in confusion and said, "Allergies??? Aliens can have allergies!?"


    Venom covered his throat and said, "I suspect that I am allergic to people with low IQs... *vomits*"


    Spider-Man and Thor exchanged nces. Venom vomited again and said, "I''ve gotten worse since he moved in here because there are really a lot of people without brains here..."


    "Especially after he moved in next door!!!" Venom opened his mouth wide and shouted at Thor, "You don''t have a brain at all!!! You''re a deadly allergen, stay away from me!!!"


    "Who do you think doesn''t have a brain?!"


    Seeing that they were about to argue again, Matt had to calm them down and said, "Well, since you''re not feeling well, you should go back first. I want to ask your host something."


    After a stalemate with Thor, the ck slime retracted back into Eddie''s body. He sat up from the sofa, holding his head and looking at the other three who were staring at him intently. He shook his head and said, "...What''s going on? Who are you two?"


    "I remember two ck figures trying to kill me, they looked like ninjas from an animation..."


    "Well, they really are ninjas."


    Then, Matt exined the current situation to Eddie.


    Eddie pped his forehead and said, "...Is that so?"


    "...If they really have a reason toe and kill me, it''s probably because I offended Drake, the boss of the Life Foundation."


    "If you''re sure you haven''t offended anyone else recently, then that''s probably it."


    "You offended the boss of the Life Foundation, but the assassin who came to kill you is from The Hand, which means they may have a cooperative rtionship."


    Matt sat on his seat and pondered for a while, then analyzed, "If there''s anything that can link the Life Foundation and The Hand, it''s probably the Eternal Life Medicine."


    "We found out that The Hand and Kingpin had a falling out recently, possibly because of the Eternal Life Medicine. Kingpin sold a batch of Eternal Life Medicine to The Hand, but this deal caused their falling out. Could there be a reason from the Life Foundation?"


    Matt knocked on the floor with his cane and said, "It seems we have a new target for investigation. We need to find out what the rtionship is between Kingpin, The Hand, and the Life Foundation."


    Eddie coughed fiercely twice and said, "I have a n."


    The other three looked at him, and Eddie raised his head and gritted his teeth, saying, "Do you think I will just swallow my anger? They made me lose my job and even sent people to kill me..."


    His face was very gloomy, but his statement was very clear. He said, "I saw in the materials that the Life Foundation used homeless people for human experiments, and they are currently recruiting volunteers for Eternal Life Medicine experiments."


    Eddie gasped for breath, seeming to be exhausted to the extreme, but his tone was very fluent. He said, "We can go and volunteer, then infiltrate the Life Foundation''s base and find out what they''re really doing."


    Eddie''s calm tone was incredible, with a unique hoarseness and low pitch. He continued, "Except for me and Drake, the three of you should all meet the requirements for volunteers. Thor can disguise himself as a homeless person, this kid looks very young and meets the requirements for disadvantaged groups, and you..."


    Eddie looked at Matt and said, "You''re blind, and you''re also part of a disadvantaged group. The Life Foundation has experimented on blind people before."


    "Whichever one of you can sessfully infiltrate, we can work together. As for the two organizations you want to deal with, we can also find useful information from the Life Foundation."


    "And there''s a backup n. Drake has been making quite a sshtely, he has epted interviews from many media outlets. I can get his whereabouts from my journalist friend. If all else fails, we can kidnap him."


    "Also, the researcher from the Life Foundation who contacted my ex-girlfriend mentioned in the message about the legal disputes the Foundation had faced before, which could be another lead..."


    "Furthermore, the Eternal Life Factor medicinees from vampires. I met some police officers who participated in the invasion by vampires during my reporting. We can..."


    He interrupted himself several times and presented seven or eight ns almost without any omissions. He used all the clues avable and after he finished, the whole room was silent for a minute.


    Matt looked at Eddie and said, "Were you really a journalist?"


    "Of course, I..." Eddie said, but he also paused for a moment. He didn''t know why he suddenly came up with so many ns. "These ns just came to my mind, and I don''t know why..."


    "It seems that you are very talented," Matt sighed.


    "I think the first n is the most feasible," Peter evaluated. "The three of us can apply as volunteers, and we will definitely get selected. We can just make ourselves look very miserable."


    "I think the first and second ns can be carried out simultaneously," Matt was more cautious. "It is important to infiltrate the Life Foundation to find the materials and clues, but it is also important to keep an eye on Drake. If he directly contacts The Hand, we can figure out what they are up to."


    "You three can apply as volunteers, and I will keep an eye on Drake," Eddie said.


    "Are you sure you can do it?" Peter asked Eddie. "Someone told me before that surveince and counter-surveince are not easy. If you have not received professional training, you might be discovered while tracking."


    Matt also said, "And you are still being chased by The Hand. If you investigate Drake, won''t you be walking into a trap?"


    Eddie hesitated for a moment. He didn''t know where his confidence came from when he said those words. Then, he heard a voice in his head, "Tell them you can do it."


    Eddie jumped up from the sofa in shock. He looked around suspiciously and said, "What voice? Who are you?!"


    "I am Venom. Don''t ask any more questions. Your brain cannot understand the rest. Just tell them you can do it," the voice said.


    Eddie was stunned in ce. He was wondering if he was really going crazy, but he still said involuntarily, "Believe me, I can do it."


    Then the other three saw his facial muscles twitch a bit, as if he had changed in an instant, bing dark and cold, which was somewhat frightening. He spoke in a low voice, "Because I am Eddie Brock."

 Chapter 197: Why Are You So Skilled? (1)

    Chapter 197: Why Are You So Skilled? (1)


    "Hello? Annie, this is Eddie, Eddie Brock. Please don''t hang up, give me three minutes, I have something very important to tell you."


    "Just yesterday, I was attacked by two unidentified assassins and now I''m on the run. There is evidence to suggest that these killers may be rted to Drake, the boss of the Life Foundation, whom I interviewed previously."


    "The two assassins who attacked me are from a mysterious organization called The Hand. The people investigating this organization saved me and told me that The Hand and the Life Foundation may be plotting a big conspiracy."


    "The reason I called you is that I hope you can help me. I need more materials rted to Drake."


    "I know I should apologize for looking at the materials on yourputer without permission, but things have developed to this point. They sent assassins to kill me, and if I don''t solve this problem, I''ll never be safe."


    "So I hope you can provide me with some information you know. You don''t have to answer me right away, just take care of yourself. Goodbye."


    Eddie hung up the phone and stared at his mobile phone. After a few seconds of standing there, he covered his eyes and muttered, "Oh God! How could I talk to Annie in such a tone? She will think I''m crazy..."


    "What am I? Am I an FBI agent?" Eddie took a deep breath. "I can tell you don''t understand women at all," Venom''s voice sounded in Eddie''s mind. Eddie was about to argue with him when the phone rang, and Annie''s anxious voice came from the other end.


    "Eddie, are you okay? Are you really being chased? Where are you now? Hello? Answer me, you should call the police...""Calling the police won''t help, Annie. The police can''t handle The Hand''s killers. Their previous partner was King Pin, the mastermind of the entire East Coast criminal empire. They have targeted me, so I have to leave here for a while..."


    "Wait! Eddie!" Annie''s voice came from the phone, with a hint of disbelief. "Eddie, if your voice hadn''t been the same, I would have thought it wasn''t you. You''ve never spoken to me in such a calm tone before."


    "Listen, I know the Life Foundation is not a righteous organization. The legal dispute they asked me to resolve for them is also rted to human experimentation. But them sending assassins to chase you? I find it hard to believe. But if it''s true, you''d better hide quickly."


    Annie was indeed an elitewyer. Although her tone was a bit anxious, her thinking was still clear. She said, "I know Drake is not a good person, but my boss asked me to defend him. That''s howwyers work. We don''t look at the client''s position."


    "But personally, I support you punching him. And then I''ll be angry because you invaded my privacy and did it withoutmunicating with me. I''m angry that you don''t trust me and act recklessly..."


    "Annie, my time is tight. We''ll talk about our issuester."


    Annie was silent for a moment on the other end, sighed, and finally said, "The Life Foundation researcher I contacted, Dora, has a wavering attitude. When we contacted each other privately, sheined to me that her boss was too cold and only pursued profits."


    "She once revealed to me that she didn''t want to work for Drake anymore. I can give you her contact information, she should have the information you want."


    Annie heard no response from the phone, and asked, "Eddie, are you okay? Eddie! Answer me... are you in danger?"


    "No, I''m not." After a while, Eddie''s voice came from the phone, and Annie heard his low voice, "Wait until I get rid of these troubles, then I''ll deal with our issues. If I''m still alive then."


    There was a busy tone on the phone, and Annie took a deep breath, threw her mobile phone on the bed, leaned against the head of the bed, and covered her eyes with some pain.


    "Eddie, if only you could be this calm earlier." Annie said softly.


    After hanging up the phone, Eddie also sighed painfully and muttered, "Why was she so angry before? What were we arguing about?"


    "You really don''t understand why she was angry? Do you think she broke up with you because she supported Drake?"


    Eddie opened his mouth, and Venom continued in his mind, "Obviously, she just wanted you to exin to her, to calm down andmunicate with her, and tell her why you did what you did. But you didn''t do anything."


    Just as Eddie was about to retort, his mobile phone vibrated and Annie sent him a text with the contact information of Dora, a researcher at the Life Foundation.


    That night, in front of an apartment building in Manhattan, Dora was flipping through her purse looking for her key card while a ck figure stood at the end of the alley. The light from the streetmp cast a long shadow in front of him like a dark de slicing through the fence surrounding the alley.


    "What is this thing?" Eddie looked down at his palm, his hand covered in ck gauntlets. He turned to look at the reflection of himself on the window of the adjacent apartment building.


    Eddie was wearing a ckbat suit with a soft lining on the inside and a thin armor covering on the outside. He also had a cape attached to his back.


    The mechanical helmet of thebat suitpletely covered Eddie''s head, making him look like a robot. However, the robot head had two pointed ears.


    "That''s the key," Venom firmly said to Eddie. "As long as you have those ears, you''ll never die because you are Batman...Venom."


    "Venom? That name sounds too evil...okay, what do we do next?"


    "If you don''t know what to do, just look at the symbol on your chest and follow your instincts. It will give you the answers."


    Ten minutester, Dora opened the door to her apartment with her key, but she heard some noise behind her. When she turned around, a tall ck figure appeared in the shadow of the hallway.


    Before Dora could scream, the ck figure appeared behind her and covered her mouth. "Don''t make a sound. We''re going in."


    He pulled Dora into her apartment and closed the door behind them. Dora was so frightened that she copsed on the floor. Eddie removed his mechanical helmet and said to Dora, "You should know me. I''m Eddie Brock, the journalist who punched Drake in the face during the interview a few days ago."


    Dora widened her eyes and stood up with the support of the sofa''s backrest. She trembled and said, "You...you do look like Brock, but..."


    Eddie''s voice was low as he said to Dora, "Because I exposed Drake''s despicable behavior of experimenting on humans, I''m in trouble now. He''s working with another evil organization, and their assassins are after me."


    Dora pushed her sses up and stood up straight. "Actually, I was nning to find you, but I didn''t expect you toe to me first."


    "Why were you looking for me?"


    Dora sighed and rxed a little after realizing that Eddie was not a kidnapper. She then pointed to the switch on the wall behind Eddie''s back and said, "Press the switch to turn on the light. Thank you."


    Eddie then realized that there was no light in the apartment, but he could see clearly. When did he develop night vision?


    He turned to follow Dora''s instructions and turned on the light. The sudden brightness made Eddie cover his eyes with his arm. He found that he was somewhat sensitive to light.


    Dora sat on the sofa, but Eddie did not move and still stood in the corner of the room. Dora turned her head and said to him, "Although I don''t have much to offer as a host, please sit down and have a drink."


    She wiped her hands on her pants with embarrassment and said, "I don''t have many friends, and people rarelye to my ce. I apologize for not being able to entertain you properly."


    Eddie remained silent and shook his head. Dora turned around and leaned on the back of the sofa, looking at Eddie. "You arepletely different from what I imagined. I thought you would be...someone with a sense of justice."


    "I''m the kind of person who acts impulsively."


    "No, that''s not what I meant. Actually, I think you did the right thing with that punch. It was satisfying."


    "You seem really unhappy with your boss."


    Dora pursed her lips, her expressionplex. She turned away from Eddie and said, "I don''t know how to describe it. As a boss, he''s not bad. He pays me a high sry."


    "But he''s not a good person, in fact, he can be quite evil. You don''t know what he''s been doing in theboratory..."


    "I was actually hoping to hear about that part."


    Dora bit her lip, seeming conflicted. Then Eddie''s voice came through, "You don''t have to worry at all. If there was even a chance that I would agree with Drake''s methods, I wouldn''t have risked ruining my career by punching him in front of so many people."


    Dora seemed to understand this reasoning too and sighed, "He''s actually been conducting experiments on human subjects, and they''re extremely cruel and inhumane."


    "What kind of experiments?"


    "You should have heard of the Immortality Factor, right?"


    "I''ve heard a lot of people mention it."


    "Drake is extracting the Immortality Factor from an unidentified organism."


    "But I heard it was extracted from vampires?"


    "That''s true for normal Immortality Factor, but vampires are heavily regted by the government. The only ones left are either with Stark Industries or Osborn Industries, and the Life Foundation can''t get their hands on them."


    Dora pushed her sses up and continued, "But Drake saw the huge potential in the Immortality Factor field and wanted a piece of it too."


    "The Life Foundation and Osborn Industries arepetitors, both developing biotechnology. Osborn Industries wouldn''t give them precious vampire materials."


    "But I heard the Life Foundation also created an Immortality Factor medicine."


    "That''s correct, but that medicine isn''t extracted from vampires. Ites from another type of alien creature."


    "What kind of creature is it?"


    Dora turned to Eddie again and said, "I can''t describe it to you, but I can take you to see it."

 Chapter 198: Why Are You So Skilled? (2)

    Chapter 198: Why Are You So Skilled? (2)


    Late at night, on the streets of Manhattan, Dora was chasing Eddie quickly from behind and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "You''re not supposed to be infiltrating the Life Foundation''s base? " Eddie replied.


    "Yes, but we need to go to Brooklyn first..."


    Eddie stopped and turned to look at Dora, "You''re not nning on just taking me in, are you?"


    "I have a high-level pass to the base, we can just drive in and you can hide in the trunk..."


    "That''s not a n at all."


    "You have the detailed map of the base, right? How do we find the ce where Drake stored the ssified materials? How do we bypass the security measures? How do we open the safe? How do we avoid security? How do we investigate and collect evidence? What if we have physical evidence, how do we move it? What if we get caught, how do we escape? "


    "You''re not prepared at all, are you nning on just going in like this?"


    Dora looked at Eddie in shock and asked, "You''re really a journalist, why do you know this so well?"Eddie didn''t answer her question, because he himself didn''t know. He asked Venom in his mind, "Are you really an alien? Why do you know this so well?"


    "Because I am a bat... I mean, Venom!"


    Eddie turned to Dora and said, "Go get the car, I have a few friends who can help us."


    The two drove back to Eddie''s apartment, where Peter, Matt, and Thor were already waiting. When Eddie walked in, the other three looked at him. Peter first looked at the symbol on his chest, then looked at the Spider-Man suit he was wearing. "Hey! You copied my spider logo, isn''t it?"


    "You''re not looking carefully, is this a spider?" A hoarse voice came from Eddie''s throat.


    Peter was choked for a moment and muttered, "Okay, but you just reced the spider with a bat, the design is still the same, you need to pay copyright fees..."


    "Three barrels of cheese balls."


    "It must be five barrels, and they must be big ones."


    "Deal."


    After Dora came in, Eddie introduced her to everyone. Peter pulled out a chair for her, and the five of them sat around the coffee table.


    "Thor and I have been selected as volunteers," Peter said, then looked at Matt. Matt shook his head, "Don''t forget, I''m still awyer, they may have concerns about this profession, so I wasn''t selected."


    "You and Thor, one is a high school student with no money or background, and the other is a warehouse worker who used to be homeless. The Life Foundation will naturally be more likely to trust you."


    Dora looked at Peter and Thor with wide eyes and said, "You guys didn''t go to apply as volunteers for the Life Foundation, did you? It''s dangerous, you must not go!"


    "If it''s just testing products like Medicine, it''s okay. But if you''re assigned to the product development department, you might die!"


    "They''re not really going to be volunteers, they''re just going to help us infiltrate and figure out the secrets of the Life Foundation."


    "But I have to warn you." Dora said very seriously, "They have very strict control over volunteers. Once you enter the foundation''s base, they may inject you with anesthetic or other sedatives, and then you may be powerless."


    "Don''t worry, they are not ordinary people, at least anesthetics won''t work."


    "Can you get the detailed map of the Life Foundation''s base?" Eddie asked Dora.


    Dora thought for a moment, "No problem."


    "The part of the experiment I''m responsible for is very important. Drake gave me the highest level of ess, which allows my pass to directly open the door to the security room. There should be a detailed route map in theputer there."


    "But my specialty is in biology. If theputer is protected by security measures, I may not be able to crack it."


    At this point, Peter raised his hand, "After I get in, you cane find me directly, and then we can go in together. You just need to let me deal with theputer."


    Matt then said to Thor, "Although you don''t have any extra power, your physique is different from ordinary people, and most human drugs are ineffective for you. You are responsible for cooperating with Peter, creating opportunities for him to escape, and then picking them up."


    "Okay."


    "So, the n is like this..."


    Three dayster, outside a factory in the east of Brooklyn, a car with high beams drove to the factory gate. A female hand reached out from the car window, and the guard used a machine to verify her pass.


    The guard looked down at the machine screen, which showed a woman''s ID photo with the name "Dora Milna''s" next to it.


    The Life Foundation building in front of them was shrouded in darkness, with only the windows of the High-rise building flickering with light. Among them, Peter was standing in a crowd, listening to Drake exin the concept of the "Life Stone".


    "...You, yes, you, you look young. What''s your name?"


    "I''m Peter, Peter Parker, sir."


    "Okay, Peter, you have a good name." Drake walked to Peter''s side, put his arm around his shoulder, and led him out. "You''re different from those homeless people who were taken downstairs. You will be the great practitioner of the Human Life Foundation n and the first batch of testers. You will be written on the monument of human history."


    "Uh, but... sir, I still don''t understand what the Human Life Foundation n is. I just came to try it out after hearing about this project."


    "That means you are very talented." Drake patted Peter''s shoulder and led him to a cylindricalb table where a cube projection was ying.


    "I know, at school, teachers tell you that there is no conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial life for humans. That''s what it is for ordinary people."


    "But since you''re here, of course, I''ll show you something different, especially for children like you who are talented and have potential. You should have realized the truth about this world earlier."


    "Uh... are you an alien?"


    "No, that''s too narrow-minded. Humans always tend to judge others by themselves, thinking that other forms of life in the universe should be like humans, with hands and feet, but in fact, human physique and strength are too weak. Life in the universe is much more advanced than human evolution."


    "Really?" Peter asked curiously. "Don''t they look different from humans? What can they look like?"


    Drake was a bit helpless. "Youck imagination in this regard."


    "But it doesn''t matter, you''re still young, you can take it slowly."


    "But you still haven''t told me what the Human Life Foundation n is."


    "Don''t worry, child, haven''t I told you? You will be the first batch of practitioners of this n."


    Drake''s tone became excited, and he turned to a dozen or so volunteers who were simr to Peter. "You will be the strongest warriors in humanity and be the guardians of the Human Life Foundation!"


    "With you, neither the Stark Group nor the damn Osborn Industries can interfere with my great n."


    "Okay, but what do we have to do?" Peter asked Drake.


    "Peter,e over here to me..." Drake walked to a ss observation window and waved at Peter.


    Peter walked over and saw ab table in the center of the room with a box containing a purple liquid that was constantly churning.


    "This is what you''re going to do next. Later, you will go in and help me take out this box."


    Peter narrowed his eyes and looked at the box. He muttered to himself, "Why does this thing look a bit familiar? Why is it purple? Shouldn''t it be ck?"


    "Familiar?" Drake smiled. "This is not ketchup, kid. Okay, go in quickly."


    Several people inb coats walked over and helped Peter open the door. Peter walked in and walked towards the box.


    Just as he reached out his hand to touch the box, Drake outside waved to the experimenters and they pressed a few buttons on the door.


    The lid of the box suddenly popped open, and at that moment, Peter''s hand happened to be above the box, and the purple slime instantly wrapped around his arm, then quickly covered his whole body.


    At this moment, a hoarse female voice came from Peter''s throat: "...huh??"


    The purple slime slowly solidified and began to transform. The shape of two spiderpound eyes appeared where his eyes were, and white spider web stripes appeared on his body. A spider pattern appeared on his chest.


    Peter moved his neck and wrists. "The lines on the chest need to be more dense... the spider pattern needs to be bigger, yes..."


    The symbiote attached to him was baffled. The female voice in his mind asked Peter, "Are you really human? Why are you so skilled?"


    "Because I know your rtive, Venom. He''s ck. Do you know him?" Peter replied.


    "Who are you? Venom???" The symbiote eximed.


    "Damn it, you''re Venom''s former host! Goodbye!!!"


    Drake, who was outside the ss window, saw the purple slime quickly detach from Peter''s body and flee as if in a panic, instantly returning to the small box and extending a tentacle to cover the lid.


    Peter obviously did not expect this turn of events. He opened the lid and reached out to grab the purple slime, saying, "Don''t run away, why do you hate me so much?"


    "I had a good coboration with Venom. We were both..." The symbiote started to say.


    As soon as Peter''s finger touched the slime, he heard her roar in anger, "It''s precisely because of your good coboration with Venom that I want to stay away from you! You must be crazy, get away from me!!!" She immediately stuck the lid back on and extended several tentacles to firmly fix it to the box.


    Peter was also not without anger. He rolled up his sleeves and went to pull the lid off the box. Standing straight and using his body weight, he put one foot on theb table and pulled the lid out like pulling a carrot.


    "I think we can talk! You must have some misunderstanding about me. I can''t let you spread rumors about me. Quickly open the lid, or I''ll use force!" Peter said.


    "Dream on, I have nothing to say to a lunatic like you! I''m a normal symbiote, stay away from me!!!" The symbiote replied.


    "Quickly open it! Don''t me me for not warning you, I''m very strong!" Peter warned.


    "No way, I don''t believe you!!!" The symbiote refused.


    "Bang!!!" When theb table shattered, Drake and all the researchers were shocked.


    Peter bent down and picked up the purple slime that had fallen on the ground, "I told you, I''m very strong. You better exin to me clearly, did Venom badmouth me to you?"


    The purple symbiote''s tone was desperate, "Exactly! Green Thorn and Thunderbolt were right! No one who has been possessed by that crazy Venom is normal, they''re all lunatics!!!"


    "Don''t waste your energy, I don''t want to possess you. Holding onto me won''t help, and with your strength, what do you need me for?!" Symbiote said.


    "I need to figure out why my reputation in yourmunity is so bad. What''s the reason behind it? If there''s a misunderstanding, I can rify it..." Peter said.


    "In fact, my coboration with Venom was really pleasant. Although we asionally argue, it''s not a big deal. I''m really a good person and I never bullied him. You have to believe me..." The symbiote exined.


    Just then, a loud noise suddenly came from theboratory, and the slime let out a fierce scream, "Swoosh!" and darted to the corner of the wall.

 Chapter 199: Why Are You So Skilled? (3)

    Chapter 199: Why Are You So Skilled? (3)


    Peter was shaken and shouted loudly at the door, "Stop! You can''t do that. They''re scared. Stop!"


    Seeing no response from outside, Peter looked around and rushed to the corner of the wall. He said to the purple slime, "Quickly possess me. I''ll take you out!"


    The symbiote had nowhere to hide and could only crawl back onto Peter''s arm. In an instant, the purple Spider-Man appeared again. He mmed into the ss observation window, shattering the ss and shaking the entire building.


    Drake dodged to the side without panic. He took out his mobile phone and pressed a few buttons. "He''s out again. Activate the emergency n!"


    As Spider-Man rushed out of the room, he saw many armed personnel rushing towards him. The symbiote said to Peter, "Quick, run! They''ll kill you!"


    Looking at the ck gun barrels, Peter said, "Don''t panic, I have experience!"


    He reached out to the wall and was stunned. The armed personnel on the other side looked at him and were also stunned, not knowing what he was going to do.


    Peter said helplessly in his mind, "Whenever I make this move, can you please cooperate with me and shoot out spider webs?"


    "Spider webs? What is that?""It''s using your slime to turn into a thin and resilient spider web that sticks to the wall, allowing me to swing over."


    "What? Okay, I''ll try my best!"


    In a short moment, the armed personnel opened fire directly. Peter rushed forward and reached out to the wall. A purple spider web stuck to the wall. With the inertia of running, Peter swung from mid-air, kicked two armed personnel who were shooting, and jumped behind them.


    Looking outside the window, Peter murmured to himself, "Dora the Doctor should be on the 3rd floor... Ready! Jump!"


    "Wait, human!! Are you crazy?! This is the 32nd floor. I may not be able to..."


    The hoarse female voice hadn''t finished speaking when Peter rushed forward, smashing the ss of the building and falling freely in mid-air.


    He even shouted in mid-air, "Woo-hoo!!!"


    "You''re really crazy!!!" the symbiote''s scream came from his brain.


    When he was about tond, Peter reached out to the wall. A purple spider web pulled him, and with a swing, he kicked open the window andnded in front of Dora, who was holding a stack of documents.


    "Perfect!" "Help..."


    Dora pushed her sses and said, "Is the n still on track?"


    "The n has changed. Drake sent guards to chase me, so where''s the security room? Let''s get the map first."


    "Follow me."


    Ten minutester, on the rooftop of another high-rise building in Brooklyn, Eddie and Matt stood at the edge of the rooftop, watching the fireing from the Life Foundation building. Matt said helplessly, "I knew it. That kid is always like this. It''s unrealistic to rely on him to sneak in. He only knows how to attack."


    At this time, Eddie picked up his mobile phone. The cold light shone on his face, making his expression even more indifferent. He said, "The map has been sent. Get ready to move."


    At the same time, in the basement of the Life Foundation building, Thor rolled over and avoided the attack from the other side.


    He turned to look at the group of ordinary people hiding in the corner, including homeless people, the elderly, and crying children. The tranquilizers injected into their bodies were taking effect, and they couldn''t even escape.


    Thor was facing a crazy man.


    After Thor was sent to the basement as a homeless person, the people inb coats injected him and everyone else with tranquilizers, and then took out a man and threw him into aboratory.


    Shortly after, the man who was thrown in went crazy and started attacking others wildly. The group of people inb coats just watched coldly outside the observation window. "Body 0083, second generation,bat ability has significantly improved but stillcks rationality."


    Thor had no reaction to the tranquilizer. Seeing the crazy man about to attack the unarmed ordinary people, Thor had to stand up and fight him.


    The crazy man kept rushing towards the crowd here, and Thor lowered his center of gravity, staring at his movements. As soon as he moved his feet, Thor immediately rushed over, attacking his lower body, destroying his bnce, and making him stagger back a few steps.


    Compared with Peter''s infinite strength and Matt''s superb skills, this crazy man had strong attacking power but was not as outrageous as the first two.


    Thor was a veteran warrior who had fought all sorts of strange races in the universe. Hisbat experience was extremely rich, and he quickly found the man''s weakness.


    Although this madman was very crazy and strong, hecked rationality and was unable to see through Thor''s feints. Thor would often pretend to dodge to the left, tricking him into attacking on the right, and then suddenly kick him down, punching him randomly.


    The researcher frowned as he looked out the observation window and spoke into hismunicator, "Activate the emergency n and send someone to handle this batch."


    In the room, Thor raised his arms again to block the crazed attacker. He shook his wrist and nced at his arm, which had already been scratched several times and was bleeding.


    At that moment, the crazed symbiote suddenly exploded with a blob of slime. Immediately after, a huge monster appeared in the center of the room, its mouth full of sharp teeth as it roared at Thor. Thor gritted his teeth and said, "Not you again? Is this never-ending with you symbiotes?!"


    "Damn it! How did they get into the Nine Realms? What are the troops guarding the external passage doing? I''m going to give them a good drill when I get back!"


    The crazed symbiote was not someone Thor could stop. The giant symbiote monster charged towards him and sent him flying into the wall. He broke two ribs and his arm, which he used to block the impact, was also fractured.


    Thor gritted his teeth and coughed up blood before getting up from the ground to continue protecting the civilians.


    The crazed symbiote roared again and just as it pounced into the air, a purple figure shed by.


    With a loud bang, the crazed symbiote mmed onto the ground, caught by a much smaller purple figure that grabbed it by the neck and pounded it with a fist.


    It wasn''t until the crazed symbiote was hit back into the man''s body that Spider-Man stood up.


    At this point, the entire building was sounding off with intense rms and the lights were shing. The piercing rm echoed in every room as armed guards rushed in. Spider-Man nodded at Thor and spoke to the symbiote in his mind, "Buddy, get ready to go big!"


    "Go big? What does that mean?"


    "You... " Peter was incredulous. "Are you really a symbiote? Don''t you know how symbiotes work?"


    "I mean suddenly turning into a monster with sharp teeth and using numerous sticky tentacles to hit everything in sight..."


    "I..." The symbiote copsed. "Only that crazed Venom would do that! I''m an agile symbiote, not a bunch of violent maniacs!"


    "Forget about that and get ready! Follow my lead, they''re going to start firing soon! 3... 2... 1!!!"


    With the sh of gun muzzles, purple slime exploded out and a purple symbiote monster appeared in the center of the room, punching several armed personnel blocking its way before jumping out of the window.


    At the front entrance, a group of armed personnel with guns chased after them. Spider-Man saw that his goal had been achieved and was about to leave.


    But at that moment, a ss window on one of the upper floors of the Life Foundation building suddenly exploded and a huge gray figure jumped down.


    A silver-gray symbiote pounded on the ground, saying, "Don''t even think about running!!"


    "Riot!! You traitor of the cosmic Agents!!" The female voice shouted.


    "I think you symbiotes have misunderstood me. I really didn''t abuse Venom! We had a great partnership!"


    "Venom?? You''re Venom''s former host???"


    "Is it because you went to the Universe Harbor of Asgard and bombed the Dwarf''s spaceship, threw shit at them, and publicly insulted their leader, causing the Dwarves to me everything on the cosmic Agents? Hahaha!!!"


    "Wait a minute! That wasn''t me, I''m..."


    The silver-gray symbiote didn''t intend to listen. He roared and rushed towards Spider-Man, and the two symbiotes, one purple and one gray, began fighting.


    While they were fighting, Eddie and Matt had already infiltrated the Life Foundation building. Eddie looked at the map that Spider-Man had transmitted and the two quickly arrived at the underground level of the Life Foundation building. At this time, Thor was moving the civilians who had been injected with anesthesia.


    As it was too slow to rely solely on Thor''s transfer, Matt had to stay to help him, while Eddie went alone to the underground core hub.


    After coordinating with Venom to take down a bunch of security facilities, Eddie smoothly entered the room where the Life Foundation stored all their materials.


    Once inside, faced with aplex array of machinery andyered security protocols, Eddie said, "I''m just a journalist. Isn''t cracking this thing too difficult for me?"


    "Shut up and watch," Venom replied.


    Instantly, Venom appeared and controlled Eddie to go to the machine, performing a dazzling operation while saying, "Ha! It''s just a downgraded civilian version, an outdated thing. You''re expecting this thing to protect your materials? You might as well keep a couple of dogs here."


    "The hardware is also rotten. The output is surprisingly slow. Let me take a look... He should fire all the programmers. The security program is as fragile as paper."


    "If idiots who designed this algorithm can earn such a high sry, then I can only say their boss must have water in their head."


    Eddie asked in his mind, "Who was your previous host? Why are you so skilled?"


    Venom pushed his nonexistent sses and said, "I found it. Here it is!"


    Eddie quickly looked over. At this time, Matt, who had saved the person, also came over. He looked at the shing materials on the big screen and said, "This should be the transaction records between the Life Foundation and The Hand."


    "Let me take a look... They sold a lot of Elixir of Immortality to The Hand. Huh? Why is it so cheap?"


    "Oh, I know!" Matt suddenly realized, "I know why The Hand fell out with Kingpin!"


    "Why?"


    "Didn''t Kingpin sell a batch of Elixir of Immortality to The Hand before? ording to the Materials I''ve investigated, he sold them at a high price and imed that it was a unique product. Besides official channels, they could only be bought from him."


    "And then The Hand bought it cheaper from the Life Foundation?"


    "Right, The Hand must have felt they were being tricked. They had just spent a high price to buy a batch of goods from Kingpin, only to find out that what they bought was neither a unique product nor worth that price. Kingpin couldn''t give them a refund, so the two sides naturally fell out."


    "The only question is, why did they sell it so cheaply? Shouldn''t it be expensive to fake this thing?" Matt rubbed his chin.


    At this point, Venom spoke up, "Because what they sold was not Elixir of Immortality at all, but the extract of symbiotes."


    "Symbiotes, isn''t that you?" Eddie asked.


    "Right, but don''tpare me to my stupid counterparts. They were actually captured by humans as experimental subjects, which is shameful."


    Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the ground, and Eddie and Matt looked up together. Matt said to Eddie, "You go up and take a look. I''ll stay here and copy the Materials."


    After Eddie reached the ground, he saw a purple monster smashing a silver-grey monster, who was screaming, "Damn it! Mirage! How can you be so strong? Aren''t you the weakest one in the cosmic Agent?!!"


    "It''s not me! It''s my host!"


    The symbiote called Mirage seemed a little surprised, "His strength is unbelievable!!!"

 Chapter 200: Cosmic Demon God Totem Common Wealth Project (1)

    Chapter 200: Cosmic Demon God Totem Common Wealth Project (1)


    A few weeks ago, in the office of Arkham Sanatorium, Schiller and Strange sat together drinking coffee.


    "I don''t believe that Kingpin and The Hand would turn on each other without your involvement," Strange said to Schiller after taking a sip of coffee.


    "That was a n Nick and I had, but it didn''t work out because the Lifeline Foundation came in and disrupted our n."


    "What was your original n?"


    Schiller let out a sigh and said with some regret, "Originally, we wanted to use Kingpin and The Hand to raise the prices of the eternal life factor medicine that''s circting in the ck market."


    "I gave Kingpin a batch of the medicine to sell to The Hand."


    "Kingpin is a crocodile that''s never full. Of course, he would want to sell this batch of medicine at a high price, so he would help us hype it up by throwing out some gimmicks, such as the scarcity of raw materials and being the only one that has it."


    "Nick and I spected that The Hand would definitely buy it. First, they''re not short of money, and second, they''re very interested in Dragon Bone, which has simr effects. They would even search the world for it."


    "My medicine that I gave them would have a noticeable effect in the beginning. After they try it out, they should buy the medicine from Kingpin.""At this point, I would release another batch of medicine to Kingpin, but this time, I would charge him the cost price. Of course, since the raw materials are really scarce, the cost price might be a bit expensive, but Kingpin would still eat it up because he''s confident that he can sell it to The Hand at a higher price."


    "The Hand should also buy the second batch because even if the price goes up, it''s still within their eptable range. Plus, at that time, only Kingpin had the channel to get arge amount of medicine. They wouldn''t turn their backs on him but would buy his medicine again."


    "And the third time is the same?" Strange asked.


    "No, using the third time might touch The Hand''s psychological bottom line. The high price might make them have the idea to kill and rob, and it would provide Kingpin with too much liquidity, fueling his ambition, which is not what we want."


    "At this point, we need to bring in other powers. The official supply is too small, and people who can''t buy it and have money will naturally want to buy it on the ck market."


    "By the third round, news of Kingpin having a source of goods should have spread, and there would be many other people asking him to buy the eternal life factor medicine. Kingpin would want to make more money and would definitely raise the price of the medicine again."


    "After this batch of goods is sold out, we will no longer provide goods to Kingpin. When the supply is cut off, the eternal life factor medicine on the ck market will be rare and valuable due to its real efficacy and scarce supply."


    "When it rises to a certain extent, organizations with a source of goods will not want the price to fall because if the price continues to rise, their goods will be more and more valuable, like sitting at home and having money fall from the sky."


    "They will join us and start the same hype, with the same methods, low quantity, and small-scale shipments, selling it more and more expensive."


    "And then the price will be raised, right?"


    "Yes, this is an important part of Nick''s autumn funding n, and he was hoping to recover the cost after the price was raised."


    "So the Lifeline Foundation ruined your n?"


    "Not entirely. When we were about to enter the third round, they suddenly came up with a cheaper eternal life factor medicine that had an abundant supply and unlimited shipments, naturally breaking the market''s price."


    "But there was also a benefit to it, which was that The Hand thought Kingpin was using high-priced goods to pit them and turned their backs on him."


    "Nick was always worried about their cooperation being too close, which might affect the regional situation. After they fell out, they reached a bnce instead, reducing SHIELD''s workload. You can only say that there are pros and cons."


    "That''s just what you think. From my understanding of Nick Fury, he definitely wants to kill Drake from the Life Foundation now," said Strange firmly.


    "So where did they get their Eternal Life Medicine from?" Strange asked with confusion. "Isn''t it extracted from vampires? Where did they get vampires? Did they catch them themselves?"


    "This shows that there are still smart people in this world. They have also discovered that the principle of the Eternal Life Medicine cannot be proven, and whether it has the effect of prolonging life can only be seen in decades."


    "So they can also make a Medicine with some healing effect, and call it the Eternal Life Medicine."


    "Next, should we im that their raw materials do not meet the regtions? After all, we previously said that only the raw materials collected by SHIELD are legitimate and legal. The Life Foundation does not have bat materials, so they cannot produce real Eternal Life Medicine."


    "No, fighting in the arena is the most troublesome way. We say that he is fake, he says he is real, or even if he is fake, but the price is cheap and has the same effect, he will always get a part of the market. In that case, why don''t we just cooperate with him directly?"


    "He has sufficient supply, and our publicity effect is significant. Then we can directly outsource the production to him, they are responsible for shipping, and we are responsible for selling, everyone can make money."


    "But doesn''t he have fake goods in his hands?"


    "Don''t we also have fake goods in our hands?"


    "That''s a good point."


    The two of them clinked their coffee cups and showed a knowing smile.


    That afternoon, Schiller walked into Stark''s most frequently usedboratory with a cup of coffee. As soon as he entered, he saw blood all over theb table, and Stark was standing in front of theb table, grimacing and clutching his chest.


    Schiller stood at the door staring at Stark, and Stark looked up at him. The two of them stared at each other, and Stark asked, "Do you know what profession is the least wee in myboratory?"


    "Since you asked Strange the same questionst time, I guess it should be doctors, right?"


    "You even know you''re a doctor!! Come and help me!!"


    "But I''m a psychologist." Schiller walked over, slowly put down his coffee, and said, "Everyone will die eventually, just let it go."


    Stark rolled his eyes and put down the towel he used to wipe the bloodstains. He reached out and wiped the bloodstains on the table randomly.


    Schiller brought a chair over and sat down on the side of theb table. He took out a stack of newspapers from his pocket and shook them open, asking, "Why are you messing with that thing in your chest again? Are you finally nning to change it?"


    "Not yet, but I have a new method in mind."


    Stark treated the wound he had just made with alcohol, gritting his teeth and sucking in cold air. He said, "I thought about it and felt that the current method of recing the reactor is a bit too primitive."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Every time I want to upgrade the reactor in my chest, I have to undergo surgery to remove it from my chest and then rece it with a new one. This process is very troublesome and also dangerous."


    "So what are you nning to do?"


    "I n to create a slot and study a portable reactor. The slot will be fixed inside my body, and I can remove the reactor from my chest at any time and rece it with a new one."


    "I discussed this idea with Dr. Yinsen, and he said he had never seen anyone in this world who likes to die more than me."


    "His evaluation is very urate."


    "This is not just to facilitate the recement of the reactor," Stark exined as he picked up the pile of bloody cotton balls and towels from the table and threw them away.


    "When I was modifying the Mech armor, I found a big problem. Originally, my Mech armor was only one type, and the abilities were simr, all for enhancing my personalbat capabilities."


    "But then you came up with a set of magical Mech armor, andter we developed the concept of cluster robots. After actualbat, we found that we needed logistical mechanical support systems. In the future, we may also need enchanted Mech armor. With so many different types of Mech armor, I need more types of reactors to drive them."


    "Although normal reactors can also provide different outputs, I hope it can have more functions, especially in adapting to magic."


    "And once I develop different versions of reactors, I can''t just do surgery every day, right? If I have to spend half of my time lying on the operating table every day, I won''t be able to do anything else."


    Schiller put down the newspaper and looked at Stark''s chest. He said, "So you''re nning to install a zipper on yourself?"


    "Like that joke, no matter what the doctor leaves inside you, you can pull the zipper to take it out."


    "Oh, zippers, light bulbs, you know these words." Stark said sarcastically.


    "So, where are you in your experiment? Why did you call me here?"


    "I want you to help me test whether magic can be used on the Ark reactor, or to make a magical version of the Ark reactor."


    "You should go to Strange for that."


    "He said he couldn''t do it, so told me toe to you."


    Schiller put the newspaper on the desk and stood up. He said to Stark, "First of all, you should know my level. The most high-end work I''ve done in yourboratory is changing light bulbs."


    "Secondly, the concept of a magical version of the Ark reactor doesn''t exist. You said that the design of the Ark reactor left by your father uses a new element, which has nothing to do with magic. Magic doesn''t work that way."


    "So it''s really not possible?"


    Schiller walked to theb table and stared at Stark''s chest for a moment before saying, "A magical version of the Ark reactor may not work, but what you really need is an energy source installed in your chest, right?"


    "Although I don''t understand the construction of the Ark reactor, if you only need an energy source, it should be possible, after all, anything is possible with magic."


    Schiller snapped his fingers and the newspaper and coffee on theb table flew over. He said, "Give us ess to an advancedboratory. Strange and I will study it, and we''ll give you the results in a week."

 Chapter 201: Cosmic Demon God Totem Common Wealth Project (2)

    Chapter 201: Cosmic Demon God Totem Common Wealth Project (2)


    Although it was already autumn, the afternoon in New York was still quite hot. The sound of opening a can was followed by a "pop," and Peter raised his head, taking a sip of cold Coke with a satisfied "ahh."


    "Finished drinking? Then let''s finish this part," said Dr. Connors.


    "Oh, right," Peter replied.


    He ced the Coke on the table in the preparation room, put on hisb coat, and walked over to theb table. Looking around, he whispered to Dr. Connors, "Are we really going to do this? I don''t think we can hide it from Mr. Stark. After all, this is theboratory in Stark Tower."


    Schiller, who was sitting in the preparation room, interrupted. "It seems like you didn''t listen to any of the psychological theories I taught you before."


    Peter scratched his head and asked, "I just didn''t remember much...but how does that rte to us conducting experiments without Mr. Stark''s knowledge?"


    "I''m pretty sure that Stark won''t use surveince equipment to observe the situation in thisboratory. He''s a very proud person, so even though he knows that Dr. Connors has several patents on biotechnology, he won''t resort to methods that seem like spying."


    "His pride prevents him from doing anything that is even remotely rted to ''stealing knowledge.'' Even if there''s only a slight risk, he''ll try to avoid it."


    "Stark is like a proud bird, and his intelligence and wisdom are the beautiful feathers he''s most proud of. He''ll avoid any behavior that could dirty those feathers, even if it could bring him more food."Connors added, "That''s why he''s more like a scientist than a businessman."


    Peter nodded in agreement, then nced at the clock in the room. "Sorry, Doctor. I have to leave in an hour. My friend is waiting for me."


    Connors asked Schiller, "When is Strangeing?"


    Schiller was about to call Strange on his mobile phone when a red crack suddenly appeared in the center of theboratory room, quickly expanding into a red circle. Strange walked out of it, holding a crystal ball.


    "Phew..." he breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea what I just went through. My goodness! I never thought that a sorcerer would have to do that kind of thing!"


    "Tell us about your amazing experience," Schiller said, looking up at Strange, while the time was still early.


    Peter looked at Strange with curiosity. Strange carefully ced the crystal ball on the table, took a deep breath, and began his story.


    It all started with Kamar-Taj.


    After bing an apprentice sorcerer there, Strange began his long journey of learning magic.


    Strange was talented and learned quickly, mastering some small spells in no time.


    At the same time, he frequently interacted with the people at Kamar-Taj, gaining a deeper understanding of their rtionships. In addition to the Supreme Sorcerer, the Ancient One, and the Grandmaster of Kamar-Taj, Wong, he also got to know the Ancient One''s elder disciple, Baron Mordo.


    Strange felt that he got along with Mordo the least out of everyone at Kamar-Taj. Mordo''s behavior constantly reminded him that he was an outsider, a wild card who came in halfway through.


    This was because Baron Mordo was too much like a sorcerer, even more so than the Ancient One.


    He was silent, solemn, and mysterious. Every word he spoke carried a mysterious meaning that was difficult for ordinary people to understand. Not only was he powerful in magic, but the way he cast spells was exactly like a traditional sorcerer.


    Whenever Mordo used magic, he floated in mid-air, his robe fluttering slightly, surrounded by mysterious lights. He would chant a series of mysterious spells, then move and act freely.


    In contrast, Strange''s use of magic was not as impressive. He would get tangled up in disobedient crimson sashes, his magic portals would disappear halfway through, and his spells would often go awry.


    More importantly, Strange knew little about mysticism and philosophy. He couldn''t speak like Mordo, who could eloquently talk about the true secrets of life, seeking peace, and the essence of power.


    Whenever he heard the Ancient One and Baron Mordo talk, Strange felt that the Ancient One must have been very impatient with him, because Strange had neither rich knowledge of magic theory nor understanding of those obscure and esoteric mystic stories.


    The topic that Baron Mordo and the Ancient One talked about were all about the universe, truth, origin, and so on, while the topics that Strange and the Ancient One talked about were mostly about loans, interest rates, and differences.


    The former looked like preaching in the magic sanctuary, while thetter sounded like a bank sales call.


    If Strange and Baron Mordo couldn''t get along, it would have been fine, but because of the financial fraud n that Strange introduced to the Ancient One, the two of them frequently traveled between Asgard and other dimensions to prepare for the entire n.


    During this time, the Ancient One took Strange all over the world, leaving his senior disciple Baron Mordo in Kamar-Taj.


    As the only disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme for many years, Baron Mordo had long regarded himself as the inheritor of the Sorcerer Supreme and Kamar-Taj in his heart. But now, seeing this little junior who was ipatible with magic getting the Ancient One''s favor, he naturally had some thoughts in his heart.


    What surprised Baron Mordo the most was that the Ancient One actually asked him to contact Dormammu.


    In Kamar-Taj, most of the magic used was white magic, which came from the gods of order in Hoggoth or other order domains. ck magic was strictly prohibited.


    However, because the definition of magic was rather vague, most of the sorcerers did not just use white magic. For example, Cytorak''s deep red sash, which came from the power of the deep red dimension, was not violent, and many novice sorcerers also used his magic. But Cytorak''s was obviously not an order god.


    Therefore, there were also some arrogant sorcerers who used the power of the dark gods. The Ancient One and Baron Mordo were aware of this.


    The Ancient One turned a blind eye to this as long as the sorcerers could control this power. However, not pursuing it and putting the contact with the dark gods on the table were twopletely different things.


    Many sorcerers in Kamar-Taj spected about what the Ancient One was going to do. Of course, they did not think that the Sorcerer Supreme would ally with external enemies. They just suspected whether the Ancient One had finally found a way to kill Dormammu and wanted to trick him intoing.


    Baron Mordo was even more uneasy because his contact with Dormammu was much deeper than what the Ancient One knew.


    Baron Mordo''s research on ck magic was extremely profound, and he was confident that the Ancient One had not discovered all of this. But suddenly, one day, the Ancient One asked him to contact Dormammu, the lord of the darkest and most chaotic dimension around Earth!


    How could Baron Mordo not be nervous?


    Did the Ancient One find out about my private contact with the dark dimension god? Is she warning me? Or did the Ancient One really find a way to turn Dormammu into minced meat? What should I do?


    As mentioned earlier, Baron Mordo was a very traditional sorcerer. In short, he truly believed in magic.


    At this moment, a thought gradually formed in Baron Mordo''s heart. After returning from the dark dimension, no one knew what he talked about with Dormammu.


    Afterward, not long after, Strange also met Dormammu, not just Dormammu, but also the famous gods of the deep red dimension, Surtur, the ruler of Hell Mephisto, and arge number of well-known universe gods who could shake the world with their names.


    Their meeting ce was the pce of Asgard, and the chairman of the meeting was Odin, the father of the gods. The initiator of the meeting was the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, the Ancient One, and standing next to the Ancient One was Strange, who was watching all these big shots with a bit of trembling legs.


    Under the continuous phone harassment of the Ancient One, this luxurious lineup was finally gathered together, and Strange never imagined that he would have to give a speech in front of these big shots who could shake the entire universe.


    Strange regretted it, he regretted it very much.


    When he stood in the center of the pce of the immortal pce, a surging ck mist was to his right. In the mist was a blurred humanoid figure emitting endless darkness, just a nce was suffocating.


    To his left was a huge red vortex, behind which was an endless world, and an evenrger monster sitting on the top of the world, whose gaze alone could devour everything.


    In front of Strange was a raging hellfire, and a staircase full of corpses led to a tall throne. A blurry demon sat on the throne, overlooking the world from hell.


    Beside these three big shots were many monsters with strange shapes that made people go crazy with fear just by looking at them.


    Strange stood in the middle of these demonic monsters, feeling like he had been taken for a ride.


    But things had developed to this point, and it was not something Strange could avoid. He could only grit his teeth and speak out that despicable and shameless n.


    As Strange recounted this experience in theboratory, he looked exhausted. "I had just started talking, and the demon walked down from the throne and appeared right in front of me. Can you believe it?"


    "The whole sea of hellfire appeared in my overhead view, and I could even hear the screams of souls inside."


    Strange said helplessly, "Then, the demon named Surtur directly stuck his head out of the vortex. Do you know how terrifying that sight was? His beard alone was bigger than my whole body!"


    "I can''t even describe to you what those things were." Strange covered his forehead and said, "I feel like with this experience, there''s nothing in this world that I''m afraid of anymore."


    "So, how did it go in the end?"


    "After I finished speaking, I went back to my teacher''s side, and the atmosphere was still quite scary as they started discussing it word for word."


    "And then?" Conor asked curiously.


    "Later..." Strange made a strange expression. "They started arguing, and it got more and more intense, so Odin had to step in and mediate."


    "At first, they were still reasoning with each other, but then it turned into a shouting match, and finally a fight over who had the bigger fists."


    "You mean, they had a fight?"


    "God-king Odin was originally nning to mediate, but it seemed like a demon was being disrespectful to him, so he directly struck him with a bolt of lightning, and within a few seconds, the sky over Asgard turned into mush..."


    "In the end, most of the demons either ran away or died, leaving only a few of the stronger ones to sit down and continue negotiating."


    "They actually continued negotiating?"


    "The Sorcerer Supreme told me that''s how demons negotiate. Whenever they gather together, they always have to fight first. Only those who survive can stay and negotiate."


    Strange sighed and continued, "After they sat down again, I realized that they didn''t even understand one-tenth of what I had said before."


    "They came up with a bunch of questions, and I did my best to answer them, but there were still a lot of questions, especially from Mephisto!"


    Strange''s tone became a bit angry. "He threw a bunch of nonsense questions at me, some of which I couldn''t answer, and he actually called me ignorant! I''m a neurosurgeon, not a finance professional. How would I know how to calcte interest rates?"


    "What was the result in the end?" Schiller asked.


    "The remaining people agreed to participate and paid a deposit. This is it." Strange picked up a crystal ball on the table and said, "This is pure magical energy they provided, with no personal attributes, and can be used directly without repayment."


    "But the condition is that we need to send some professional personnel to answer their many questions."


    "That''s easy. Tomorrow, I''ll have Nick go to the prison to find some trustworthy finance professionals with moral standards."


    "But we can''t let these people go meet those cosmic demons, can we? They''ll be scared to death."


    Schiller asked Strange, "Do you know what a telephone is?"

 Chapter 202: Cosmic Demon God Totem Common Wealth Project (3)

    Chapter 202: Cosmic Demon God Totem Common Wealth Project (3)


    The next day, in the pce of Asgard, the Ancient One handed Odin a small object. Odin looked at the small ck device in front of him and then held it further away, seemingly curious. Suddenly, a projection appeared on the device, causing Odin to almost throw it away. Mephisto, who was waiting impatiently below, said, "Can we get started already? I''ve been waiting for ages!"


    Rolling his eyes, Odin used magic to secure the device in the center of the room, ensuring that everyone in the room could see the projection. With the projection, Strange appeared more rxed and said, "Let''s begin. We will ask questions from left to right, one person per question. Once the question is answered, there can be no follow-up questions. We will start again after everyone has had a turn."


    Mephisto immediately said, "I''ll go first. What''s this about establishing a stable lending system? And what about the unclear interest rate benchmark and contract fraud?"


    Turning to the table of financial professionals behind him, Strange asked, "Did you all hear that?"


    One of the suit-wearing, sses-wearing men said without looking up, "That''s my specialty. The so-called interest rate benchmark..."


    After more than ten hours, Strange was exhausted. He turned to the Ancient One and said, "Teacher, let''s stop here for today..."


    Looking back, he saw that most of the people behind him were lying down. After all, a continuous brainstorming session without food or drink for more than ten hours was too much for humans to handle.


    Upon hearing that they were going to rest, the demons were not happy, especially Mephisto. As the lord of hell, he had never realized that humans were so good at fraud...oh no, that''s called finance.


    Mephisto decided that devil''s transactions could be called enticement, not fraud. What''s wrong with me collecting more debt? That''s called interest!Is the interest rate too high? Didn''t I write it in the contract? What? My wording is tooplex? Then why did you sign it?


    Devil had an infinite interest in fraud, and Mephisto asked countless questions about lending systems, hoping to learn the essence of human economics overnight.


    In the demons'' view of time, less than 0.001 seconds had passed, but humans were alreadyining about being tired. How could this species be so weak?


    But the demons had no choice but to ept the fact that humans needed to eat, sleep, and rest due to their physical limitations.


    The main contradiction now was between the demons'' strong desire for knowledge and humans'' limited energy.


    Nick had to find another group of people to work in shifts, which eventually turned into three shifts.


    However, it still wasn''t enough. Strange had no choice but to ask the Ancient One to let the demons leave a magic circle formunication, so they could contact Earth''s financial professionals at any time.


    But it still didn''t work because ordinary humans were not magicians, and you couldn''t expect a group of people who had received decades of scientific education to learn meditation, focus, andmunication with the universe overnight. This required talent, which ordinary people didn''t have.


    In the end, the magicians of Kamar-Taj had to step in and fix the magic circle to people''s mobile phones, allowing the demons to make phone calls to humans.


    At first, the demons called randomly, talking to whoever they could. Because many demons didn''t understand human life forms and didn''t know that individuals'' memories and personalities were not shared, they often ended up talking about irrelevant things. When they called back, it was someone else, and they had to start over again.


    Strange had to teach the demons how to call the same person again, while Nick had to assign different customer service representatives to different demons.


    After some adjustment, the professionals were finally able tomunicate with the demons and answer their questions.


    Nick found a building in Greenwich Vige and put everyone in it. The Ancient One called in a group of magicians from Kamar-Taj to help the professionals and demons connect, while SHIELD agents took care of their daily needs.


    In the end, Strange named the building the "Sanctum Sanctorum."


    But it wasn''t enough to just find initial investors. They still needed people to expand and promote the business. You couldn''t expect ordinary humans to run around the universe to do business and attract customers. They couldn''t do it.


    Doctor Strange and Odin searched for a long time, but in the end, Odin looked around and saw his youngest son, who was idle, so he sent him to do it!


    So, Loki gloriously became a salesman.


    If you want more people to join, you have to make a name for yourself. Even if others don''t participate immediately, you have to let them know about it. In other words, hand out business cards throughout the universe.


    That day, Loki was thrown out of Asgard by Odin, holding a stack of business cards and looking confused.


    Originally, Loki was gloating over the fact that his brother had caused trouble and was thrown to Earth, but then he was thrown out as well.


    Although Thor was thrown out, he had no power or weapons, but at least he had no tasks and could wander around Earth without being bothered. But Loki couldn''t do that. He had performance targets.


    If you say that Loki is not as ambitious as Thor, then you are wrong. He just happened to have ideas about the throne. Although he didn''t participate in the lecture of the Demon God Academy before, he knew that it should be a big event for his father. If it was done well, it would definitely be a face-saving achievement.


    So, Loki embarked on his journey of universal pyramid schemes.


    Loki is much smarter than his brother. He certainly knows who to talk to about this.


    He warmly invited the future Supreme Sorcerer, Doctor Strange, to eat, drink, and y in the Nine Realms for several days, and then learned the principle of pyramid schemes from him.


    After understanding the principle, as the God of Deception, Loki felt that this matter had potential. If he handled it well, he might achieve both fame and fortune.


    The hardest part had already been done by the Ancient One and Odin. The major demon gods had already invested in the first round. Loki''s job was to cast a wide and catch more fish.


    What could be more suitable for the God of Lies and pyramid schemes than this?


    Loki could pit others with even the most idle things. As soon as he had the initiative, the demon gods throughout the universe heard a resounding name - the "Universal Demon God Totem Shared Wealth Project".


    As the God of Deception and Fraud, Loki understood the essence of pyramid schemes on his own. He said things like "if you miss this opportunity, you''ll have to wait another 20,000 years", "make it bigger and stronger, and create glory again", "congrattions to the Deep Red Dimension Lord for gaining 10 billion years of power"...


    During this time, Loki was rampaging around the universe. From the Splitting Domain to the Lingering Realm, from the aftermath of the war in the Pegasus Neb to the long-silent Virgo Neb, from the Central New Port to the Edge of the ck Border, interster wars, gxy gatherings, weddings, funerals, and other events, there were ten ces with him.


    Thor? He didn''t know him well!


    "Hello, Nine Realms Sacred ce... Sorry, we really can''t go any higher. We have rules here. Only super-dimensional demon gods can get more than 6%.... Well, the thing is, you can also choose to invest jointly. This is our new business..."


    Doctor Strange walked quickly with the phone and said to the other end, "Your Highness Loki, the business in the Saka Star area can be suspended for a while. The people there are too poor and extremely stingy. Besides harassing customer service every day, they can''t get much profit. The high Heavenly Venerable there is also..."


    He passed through an office area where people dressed strangely. Some wore suits and ties, some wore wizard robes, and even some wore prison uniforms. They were obviously just brought over and there weren''t enough staff.


    "Hello, Nine Realms Sacred ce. Uh... sorry, we don''t provide that service here, ah... yes, I know you''re in a hurry, but we''re not responsible for finding dogs here. Okay... Let me ask for you."


    A young man stood up from his seat and ran quickly to Strange''s side, asking, "Mr. Strange, a demon god asked us to help him find his dog. He said his dog was lost and he was very anxious."


    "Find a dog?" Strange covered the phone and looked at the young man, saying, "We are a financial affairs firm here, not responsible for finding dogs... Forget it, ask him where the dog was lost? What does it look like?"


    The young man ran back to his seat and picked up the phone, saying, "Really? Okay... okay, three heads? Oh, it''s four heads, okay... No problem, we''ll do our best and give you an answer within two hours... Oh, no need, we don''t ept private bonuses, thank you."


    He hung up the phone and shouted to Strange, "He said he lost it in the upper dimension of the Spirit Realm. It''s a blue four-headed crow with three ws in total..."


    On the other end of the phone, Loki also heard the young man''s shout and said, "Isn''t that Campbell''s pet? How did it end up in the upper dimension of the Spirit Realm?"


    Then he said to Strange, "There are five little demons in the lower level of the Spirit Realm. They''re well-informed. You should ask them."


    Strange hung up the phone and shouted, "Who''s in charge of that area of the Spirit Realm?"


    A female mage teleported to Strange''s side and said, "That would be me, but they got into a fight and broke the inte connection yesterday. I can''t be reached now."


    "Okay, I''ll go there." The female mage continued, "It''s not far from here. Can you help me ask where I should send the four-headed bird if I find it?"


    "Sure, let me check... The area code is in the intermediateyer between the Hell Dimension and the Star Realm. It''s not too far."


    At this moment, Strange''s phone rang again, but it wasn''t from the demons. Peter''s voice came through, "Mr. Strange! Come quickly! Two symbiotes are fighting in New York. I can''t stop them. Oh my god! Don''t go over there..."


    "Symbiotes... what?"


    Before Strange could finish speaking, the floor shook violently, and a corner of the building copsed. A huge gray monster jumped onto the roof, followed closely by a ck monster.


    Strange saw that behind these two monsters was a slightly smaller... purple Spider-Man???

 Chapter 203: A Gathering of Heroes (1)

    Chapter 203: A Gathering of Heroes (1)


    A littleter in time, Eddie left the Life Foundation underground and saw purple Spider-Man beating up Silver Riot.


    The raging Riot swung a fist at Spider-Man, who rolled away to avoid it. Just as he was about to charge forward to stop Riot, a huge ck shadow roared and charged towards them.


    Spider-Man jumped back to avoid Venom''s flying attack. Venom, who had also be a huge monster, punched Riot in the face. Spider-Man asked in his mind, "What''s going on? Do you symbiotes have a grudge against each other?"


    "It''s hard to exin," Phantom replied helplessly.


    At this point, Venom and Riot had already started fighting. Phantom exined to Peter, "Venom and Riot do have a grudge, but that was when Venom was just born."


    "I still don''t understand what your race is all about. Why..."


    Just as Peter was about to speak, he saw Riot''s two arms turn into two huge des and swing towards Venom. Venom fought back with his ck slime, and countless tentacles struck Riot. The two of them fought fiercely, and started moving towards the base building.


    As Peter chased after them, he listened to Phantom exin about symbiotes.


    "In fact, we are not called symbiotes. Our race is called ''Klyntar''. We were born on the Klyntar in the Neb constetion, and our creator is the god of symbiotes, Knull.""He''s an evil and ancient creature who created the symbiotes to invade the universe. Later, most symbiotes thought his behavior was evil, and we collectively overthrew him and imprisoned him on our home, Klyntar."


    "It seems that Riot is not one of you guys? What about Venom? How did they be enemies?"


    Phantom sighed, and Peter realized that her emotions were more humanized. He could even feel herplex emotions through the brainwaves transmitted by Phantom.


    Moreover, her emotions were much more stable than Venom''s, and her speech was very logical. Peter could hardly feel that she was an alien creature.


    The hoarse female voice came again, "The reason why we betrayed our creator is because of the symbiotes'' attributes. When we parasitize on other races, if they are just, we will also be infected with justice."


    "In the eyes of most races, Knull''s destructive behavior is evil. Many of our kind parasitized on just races and felt that we were helping the tyrant. Most of us began to awaken."


    "After an ident, most symbiotes'' connections with Knull were cut off, and we united to defeat and imprison him."


    "But the damage caused by Knull was irreversible, and many of our kind felt guilty about it. So we formed an organization called ''Cosmic Agents''."


    "The members of this organization will choose to parasitize on just and kind alien races, be their partners, and help their civilization develop, or go to rebuild the civilizations that Knull had enved and destroyed."


    "You mentioned this organization just now. Are you also a member of this organization?"


    "Yes, I am one of the current leaders of this organization."


    "What about Riot? I just heard you call him a ''Cosmic Agent traitor''?"


    "Yes, that''s what it means. Riot used to be a member of the Cosmic Agents, but he betrayed us."


    "As you saw earlier, our life forms are very special. In most cases, we need a host to move freely, but there are exceptions. On our home, Klyntar, even without a host, symbiotes can still move freely."


    "So, even though our mother has be a prison for Knull, there are still many symbiotes living there."


    "About...forget it, anyway, there was a split within the Cosmic Agents a long time ago. The reason was that some of the agents who stayed on Klyntar were called by Knull."


    "Knull''s evil and chaos infected them again, causing them to betray the Cosmic Agents and be Knull''s minions again. The leader among them was Riot."


    "Just like his name, he led a part of the Cosmic Agents to revolt. They joined Knull again and wanted to release him from prison."


    "I understand this part." As Peter chased behind the two monsters who were fighting each other, hemunicated with Phantom in his mind.


    "What about Venom? How did he be involved?"


    "Venom is crazy, and all symbiotes recognize this. He''s totally abnormal."


    Phantom seemed unsure how to express it to Peter. Peter felt her thinking for a moment, then heard her say, "I know you were once parasitized by Venom, but I want to tell you that his methods are not normal."


    "You may not believe it, but symbiotes who participate in the Cosmic Agents have the same guidelines. We have aplete set of parasitic rules to help us achieve a good symbiotic rtionship with our hosts."


    "For example, at the moment when we parasitize on the host''s body, we need to analyze all the data regarding their physical condition and ording to that data, we can formte our own parasitic n. At the same time, our first priority is to ensure the safety of the host''s life, which is why I stopped you from jumping off the building earlier," said the voice of the symbiote.


    The voice of the symbiote known as Phantom sounded helpless as she continued, "When we first arrived on Earth, I had already parasitized several standard humans, so I know what the physical condition of an ordinary human should be like. I know how much impact we can withstand when webine together."


    "Based on your development, you can''t even be considered an ordinary adult human, you can only be considered a baby," Phantom added.


    "And I am not a power-type symbiote either. Even if webine, we still have the possibility of getting injured if we jump off a thirty-story building. That''s why I wanted to stop you," she said.


    "But don''t you have the ability to see my memories? Then you should be able to see that I often swing around on high-rise buildings," Peter interrupted.


    "No, that is also a vition of the rules of parasitic agents in the universe. Without the consent of the host, we can only ess the surface-level memories," Phantom responded.


    "Because most intelligent races are very averse to the idea of ??having their memories peered into, we generally do not actively probe the memories of the host."


    "Well, you guys are pretty polite, but Venom..." Peter paused for a moment before continuing, "He always wants me to do bad things. I thought all symbiotes were like him."


    "His situation is different," Phantom''s voice had a unique rhythm as she spoke. "Venom was born during the war period after the division of parasitic agents in the universe. At that time, he was born in a rebellious area."


    "Most of the symbiotes led by the rebellion were chaotic and evil, which led to Venom having no concept of rules."


    "Their feud was also formed at that time."


    "During the rebellion, Venom was only a newborn and he didn''t have any power to participate in the battle, so he could hardly get any food and was often bullied," Phantom exined.


    Peter nced at the two monsters wrestling with each other and said, "But it seems that the situation has turned around now."


    "Because Venom is a lunatic. This is not an adjective, nor am I speaking ill of him. I''m stating a fact," Phantom sounded very helpless.


    "Maybe it''s because of his childhood shadow or maybe he was born abnormal, but Venom is a crazy symbiote."


    "Generally speaking, symbiotes will indeed be influenced by the host, but this influence is limited because we are also independent and intelligent beings. We can selectively absorb certain traits of the host to strengthen ourselves."


    "The more hosts a symbiote parasitizes, the stronger their self-control bes. This is the case for the leaders of the parasitic agents in the universe."


    "But Venom is not like that. He epts all the traits of the host indiscriminately and engraves all sorts of chaos into their genes."


    "His first host was a madman wearing a red and ck uniform. Venom that parasitized on him became even more crazy," Phantom continued.


    "They caused a lot of trouble in the universe. The most famous incident was when this guy ran to the starport in the constetion of the fairy and insulted a group of dwarves."


    "The dwarves recognized the symbiote parasitizing on that person and med everything on the parasitic agents, which caused us a lot of trouble."


    "And Venom is also naturally gifted."


    "As a parasitic race, symbiotes also have limited influence on the host, especially for some resolute intelligent races. They can even use their willpower to get rid of any influence we bring."


    "But Venom''s influence on the host is unlimited. He canpletely change the behavior patterns of the host, even when the host is not aware of it."


    "So, all the symbiotes on the side of order know that they must stay away from Venom and the hosts that Venom parasitized on. That''s why I didn''t want to parasitize you earlier," Phantom exined.


    "But I don''t feel like I''m that crazy?" Peter asked.


    "I find it strange too," Phantom''s voice sounded puzzled, "Earlier, when you wanted to jump off the building, I thought you were crazy. But since you have other special powers, it means that your thinking is normal and you have not been affected by Venom. Could it be that Venom has really changed for the better?"


    Peter continued to ask, "So why did youe to Earth?"


    "Well, it all started with Knull. Not too long ago, the cosmic agent discovered that Knull was creating a new symbiote," they replied.


    "During his imprisonment, there were no signs of activity, but suddenly he began creating offspring. We suspect that he was nning to escape."


    "Besides the cosmic agent, the rebels led by Riot also found out about this. They were very excited and hoped that the new symbiote would bring back their creator and lead them to invade the universe again."


    "Both sides were tense, watching the mother Klyntar, waiting for the birth of the new special symbiote."


    "But just when we thought it was going to be born, it disappeared."


    "Disappeared?"


    "Yes, it vanished. The special symbiote that was supposed to be born suddenly disappeared."


    "The cosmic agent and the rebels were confused, but for us it was a good thing. Once the special symbiote was born, we might have to start a war to surround Knull again."


    "We thought that Knull had made a mistake in creating this symbiote, but it turned out that Riot, Knull''s confidant, received orders from Knull to retrieve the new symbiote."


    "In other words, someone had taken the symbiote and Riot was ordered to retrieve it."


    "Riot received the order and came directly to the Nine Realms. The cosmic agent had to stop him and not give Knull a chance to escape."


    "Riot could sneak in without following the rules, but the cosmic agent couldn''t. We first informed Asgard and obtained the consent of King Odin, then I came to the central courtyard of the Nine Realms through Asgard''s passage."


    "How did you get caught?"


    "Riot came here first and found a human to cooperate with, his current host. He sensed that the cosmic agent was tracking him, so he set a trap."


    "Venom was angry and said, ''He used to be a member of the cosmic agent and fought with us for a long time. He knows everyone''s weaknesses.''"


    "They designed a trap specifically for my host. At that time, my host was just an ordinary person. To ensure his safety, I had to leave him voluntarily."


    "It''s difficult for a symbiote to move freely without a host, so I was caught by Riot and locked up."


    [ShaneFreak: I am quite unclear, if it is really Phantom from the description.]

 Chapter 204: A Gathering of Heroes (2)

    Chapter 204: A Gathering of Heroes (2)


    "Riot taught that human a lot about the symbiote race, and that human used that knowledge to conduct many experiments on me. He even used the extracted symbiote factors from my body to create many crazy offspring that can infect humans."


    "I was weakened by them, and that human wanted me to possess a normal person and then conduct a new round of experiments on me. I didn''t want to, but I had no choice. If I had a host, even if it was an ordinary person, maybe I could find a chance to escape."


    "When I found out that Venom had parasitized you, I was hopeless. It was better to be an ordinary person than this, but I didn''t expect..."


    Phantom asked Peter with some confusion, "Why are you so strong? ording to my understanding of ordinary humans, you cannot have such great power."


    "I don''t know." Peter shrugged and said, "Now we have to stop them both. Let me think..."


    Peter used a spider web to stick to a nearby building, then swung over from the two fighting monsters and finally stuck to the ss curtain wall of the opposite building. He said, "Fortunately, it''ste at night and there aren''t many people here. Otherwise, evacuating the crowd would be a problem."


    "Hey, wait, how did they run away?"


    Peter saw that Riot, who had been chased by Venom, finally couldn''t hold back and with a burst of energy and a jump, crossed a whole street and began to run in another direction.


    "We have to catch up with them!" Phantom said anxiously, "Riot is a war maniac, and Venom is a madman. If they fight, the whole New York will be destroyed!"Peter chased after them in the direction they were running, asking Phantom, "You seem to be familiar with humans?"


    "I told you, before you came along, I possessed several ordinary humans. The first person I possessed was a nurse, and we worked together in a hospital for over a month..."


    "I have to admit." The hoarse female voice sounded a bit emotional, and Peter even heard a hint of tenderness in it, "Humans are the most fragile intelligent race I have ever seen, but at the same time, they are also the strongest."


    "Okay, Peter." Phantom''s tone began to be low, she said, "I am indeed not a power-type symbiote like them, but I also have special abilities that other symbiotes do not have. I will transfer control of your body to me, and I will lead you to catch up with them."


    Peter had just risen with an agreeing thought, but he felt that the scene in his vision began to quickly retreat. From the ss of the store window, he saw himself be a translucent shadow and fly at an extremely fast speed in midair. In the time of a breath, he flew in front of the two monsters.


    "I am the weakest agent in the universe in terms of power, but I am also the fastest." Phantom''s voice sounded in Peter''s mind, "I can fly in the universe without any assistance, and my speed is faster than some spacecraft."


    "At the same time, I can also teleport, turn invisible, and split myself. That''s why I''m called Phantom."


    "Cool." Peter justmented, but he saw the two monsters turn a corner and run towards Greenwich Vige. Phantom was going to take Peter to fly, but Peter shouted, "Wait! Let me make a phone call first..."


    "Mr. Strange..."


    At the same time, Strange in the Sanctum Sanctorum raised his arm to block the falling debris of the copsed building. He shouted at the wizards, "Evacuate the ordinary people first!"


    "Wait! I''m about to sign a contract here!" One of the men in suits shouted at the desk.


    The wizards next to him pulled him over, letting him avoid the falling debris from the ceiling. One of the wizards picked up the phone he had thrown and shouted at the other end, "Sorry! We have some trouble here, we''ll talkter!"


    A mobile phone next to Strange suddenly flew up. The staff member who was holding the mobile phone shouted as he reached out to grab it, "Wait! Mr. Mephisto, let''s talk calmly. This is force majeure. Be calm..."


    At the other end of the phone, there was a burst of loud noise that sounded like dirtynguage in thenguage of devils. Suddenly, a small cluster of hellfire erupted around the small mobile phone, and Mephisto''s voice came from inside, "Strange! What the hell are you doing?! I told you, I''m negotiating with Satanish today! Do my advisors need to be online all day? I''ve already paid a deposit..."


    Strange waved his ribbon in his hand and pulled the phone down, holding it in his hand and saying to Mephisto, "Sorry, Mr. Mephisto, someone attacked the Sanctum Sanctorum..."


    "You know, the people working here are ordinary people. In order to ensure their safety, we must suspend operations and let them evacuate first."


    "You damn humans! My negotiation is at a critical moment! We were discussing the issue ofnd prices near the centralva pool!! This affects my profits for the next 100,000 years, and you''re telling me you won''t continue?!"


    While Strange was helping other sorcerers open portals to evacuate civilians, he exined helplessly, "But this is indeed a force majeure. Two huge monsters attacked here..."


    As he spoke, Riot swung a fist, causing a building next to the Sanctum Sanctorum to copse, and even the building of the Sanctum Sanctorum itself shook violently. Strange stumbled, saying, "Half of the houses here have copsed, and we probably won''t be able to fix them until..."


    Mephisto interrupted him, saying, "Wait! Did you say two monsters?... Wait!"


    The mes around the mobile phone disappeared, and before Strange could react to what the lord of hell meant, the deep red ribbon in his hand suddenly shook hard, breaking free from Strange''s control. Then he heard a financial consultant behind him scream, "Myputer!!! I''ve been working on the report for two hours!!!"


    "Oh, yes, I''m really sorry... Mr. Satorak, we have a situation here. Myputer was just smashed, so the data you wanted will probably be dyed for two days..."


    Strange looked at the deep red ribbon flying in front of him, slowly bending and then "popping" into a question mark.


    Strange took a deep breath and called Wong, "Wong, something happened at the Sanctum Sanctorum. Can you please go to Asgard and send a universal broadcast using their Rainbow Bridge, saying that the Sanctum Sanctorum has been attacked by an irresistible force and will be closed for three days..."


    At this time, Venom jumped high and pounced forward, mming the Riot onto the roof of the Sanctum Sanctorum. After a loud noise, the remaining half of the ceiling also copsed. Strange sighed and said, "The destructive power of these two monsters is too strong, so let''s close for a week... no, half a month."


    The red ribbon in front of Strange slowly stretched out again, and "popped" into a sigh.


    At this point, Spider-Man had already jumped between the two symbiotes. While they were briefly separated from their brawl, Peter reached out his arm and shouted to stop them from fighting, "Stop! Don''t fight!"


    Riotpletely ignored Spider-Man in the middle and opened his mouth to Venom, "Venom! You lunatic! What does my conflict with the Universal Agent have to do with you? Why do you keep chasing me?!"


    Venom looked at Riot, his voice gradually changing from low to high, "Because I am Venom... I am revenge!!!"


    Spider-Man looked left and right, and Phantom in his mind said, "It looks like they''re both crazy, we..."


    In an instant, Spider-Man''s spider-sense tingled, and he rolled forward to avoid it. His Overhead, the ck and gray symbiotes, roared and collided like cold water and hot oil, sshing countless symbiote factors. The shockwavepletely destroyed the surrounding buildings.


    Strange grabbed the deep red ribbon and jumped down from the second floor, with the remaining sorcerers following him. For a while, the brilliance of defense magic flickered.


    Although Strange was an apprentice sorcerer, the sorcerers behind him were the backbone of the Kamar-Taj. As soon as the two monsters collided, the sorcerers waved their ribbons, driving them apart.


    On the other side, Spider-Man used his spider web to grab Riot''s leg, and Phantom shouted in his mind, "Riot is the strongest symbiote among the first generation, we can''t fight him head-on!"


    Before she finished speaking, Spider-Man squatted slightly, grabbed the spider web and pulled it back, causing the huge gray monster to fall to the ground. Spider-Man took a few steps back and pulled Riot out several meters.


    The gray monster turned around and was about to exert its strength to flip over, but Spider-Man took a deep breath, wrapped the spider web around his wrist, swung his arm hard, and sent Riot flying like a meteor hammer.


    It waste at night and there were no people on themercial street in Greenwich Vige, so there was no need to worry about hurting bystanders. Spider-Man threw Riot in the air like a cowboy throwing asso.


    Phantom immediately said, "From today on, I will be a power-type symbiote. Let''s go and beat them!"


    The purple Spider-Man''s figure became ethereal, and in a blink of an eye, he appeared behind Riot and punched him in the back of the head. Riot, who had just climbed up from the ground, flew out again.


    When a hero with infinite strength also has extreme speed, he is almost invincible. Moreover, Phantom''s abilities were not limited to just speed. She could also be invisible, teleport, and, most importantly, fly without limit.


    Originally, everyone was fighting on the ground, punching each other back and forth. Even if someone was knocked back, they could take advantage of the opportunity when the opponent approached to readjust their fighting stance.


    But now, Spider-Man punched Riot and sent him flying, then immediately shed in and punched him again. He repeated this process, with no cooldown or cooldown time. He could throw uppercuts and continuously hit Riot while he was flying in the air, making Riot look like a punching bag.


    Spider-Man was enjoying himself, but suddenly he heard the voice of Spider-Sense and Phantom at the same time, "Be careful!!!"


    Riot roared, and a strong gust of wind erupted from his body. Phantom shed with Peter to avoid it andnded on the rooftop of a nearby building.


    Without external force, Riot, who couldn''t fly, should have fallen to the ground. But a ck curtain caught him, and thenyer uponyer of dark power spread from behind him, filling the air and forming a ck hole of darkness.


    Phantom''s voice became serious, "Before he left, Knull gave him the power of chaos from the seventh universe, which is Knull''s strongest power and the source of his immortality..."


    "Retreat, this kind of power cannot be dealt with by brute force alone. We must first..."


    Just then, Spider-Man keenly felt a slight tremor on the ground, and the roar of a motorcycle sounded from the distant sky. mes lit up in the distance, and a hoarse low chant rang out:


    "You... are guilty!"

 Chapter 205: A Gathering of Heroes (3)

    Chapter 205: A Gathering of Heroes (3)


    "Hiss..." The sound of Phantom inhaling cold air echoed in Peter''s mind, and he asked her, "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing, maybe it''s just my imagination. Why does the skull''s power feel familiar?"


    Just then, the chain cut through the night sky of New York and the ming skull head drove a motorcycle, leaving a bright arc in the air.


    The motorcyclended on the rooftop, less than 200 meters from the building where Peter was. When he saw the fiery eyes of the skull, he felt like his soul was about to be sucked in.


    "It''s really him!" Phantom''s surprised voice echoed in Peter''s mind. "That''s Mephisto''s power! The lord of the hell dimension has arrived??? "


    "Mephisto?" Peter said with some confusion. "I think I''ve heard my friend mention this name before, something about the lord of hell..."


    "Mephisto is an extremely powerful dimensional demon. He is one of the best among all dimensional demons. His hell dimension burns with raging hellfire all year round. Any creature that dares to challenge him will be burned to ashes by the mes..."


    As she spoke, Phantom''s tone became somewhat doubtful. "How could Mephisto''s apostle appear here? Could it be that Knull has already escaped? Did he make a deal with Mephisto?"


    Then she muttered to herself, "This is not impossible. Mephisto likes to make deals with others. He has trading partners all over the universe. If that''s the case, then it''s troublesome. I must notify the universe''s Agents immediately...""Wait!... Why are they fighting??"


    With Phantom''s shocked voice, the skull head waving the chain directly entangled Riot, who was shrouded in a ck curtain, and looked at Riot''s eyes with fiery eyes, saying, "You are guilty! Die!"


    Riot obviously didn''t expect that an uninvited guest would appear during the process of unleashing his power, but this didn''t interrupt his actions. He muttered, "The great creator is about to descend, and the world will eventually be engulfed by chaos and darkness..."


    "That skull head is actually on our side??? Unfortunately, he is only Mephisto''s apostle, and it seems that he cannot interrupt Knull''s power from descending. It looks like I have to call for backup..."


    "Boom!!!"


    The sound of the earth shaking came, and Peter turned his head to see a huge figure jumping into the battlefield amidst a cloud of dust in the distance. He was covered in bulging muscles, extremely strong, and more importantly, his whole body was bright red.


    "Wait? This is Cyttorak''s power? He is the apostle of the lord of the deep red dimension???"


    Phantom''s tone was somewhat overwhelmed. "Why did Cyttorake too? Mephisto, Cyttorak, who''s next? Dormammu? Sise-Neg?"


    "What''s going on??? Are the gods having a meeting???"


    Before she finished her sentence, another ck mist surged in the distance. Peter turned his head again, and a figure floated in the endless ck mist. With the darkness fleeting, Mordonded on the ground, his voice cold and low, echoing in everyone''s ears, "I am here on behalf of the lord of the dark dimension, Dormammu..."


    Strange and Phantom said together, "Dormammu?!"


    "Mordo! Are you crazy?!" A mage behind Strange shouted, "You actually betrayed the Supreme Sorcerer and joined Dormammu?!"


    Mordo''s face was not too good either. He looked at Strange expressionlessly and said, "Dormammu asked me to ask you why the phone at the Sanctum Sanctorum cannot be reached. His... his..."


    Mordo struggled for a long time, as if he didn''t know how to say that word, but Strange understood it. "The return rate, right? We have already talked about 7.2 before. To be honest, this is already our bottom line. Even if he makes harassing calls again, we cannotpromise..."


    Then he came back to his senses and looked at Mordo, saying, "Wait, how did you be Dormammu''s apostle? Aren''t you afraid of the teacher getting angry?"


    "The Supreme Sorcerer didn''t choose me, so I naturally had to find another way out... Strange, we''ll settle the ountster."


    Saying that, Mordo looked at Riot floating in mid-air, and Peter and Phantom heard him say, "God''s descent? He has a lot of nerve."


    Peter hurriedly jumped down and asked him, "What''s going on? What does that symbiote want to do?"


    Mordo stared at Riot in mid-air and said, "The demon behind him seems to want to open the channel for the god''s descent."


    "This is impossible!" Phantom denied through Peter''s mouth. "Knull is imprisoned on Klyntar. He cannote to Earth."


    "His true body cannote, but his power can. Obviously, this demon left a seed in the believer''s body, and this seed is the key to opening the channel for the power to descend."


    Mordo''s expression was very cold, he said, "The demon behind him seems to be very powerful. Earth''s magical defense system may not be able to stop the outbreak of the power seed..."


    As he spoke, the group looked up, and the ming skeletons and giant red giants were approaching Riot in mid-air, the mes and deep red power constantly eroding the dark curtain, but the speed was still not fast enough.


    "Mephisto and Cyttorak''s apostles, only have very little powerpared to the demons, and may not be able topletely block the outbreak of the power seed."


    "What about the Sorcerer Supreme?" Strange asked Modo.


    Mordo remained silent and after a while, he muttered to himself with some doubts, "Even if the defense system may not be able to stop it, it shouldn''t have been broken through so quickly... What''s wrong with the Ancient One?"


    It was said that the Ancient One may have a problem, and the mages behind Strange became anxious. Strange turned to them and said, "You go back to Kamar-Taj through the portal first and see what''s going on. We''ll take care of things here."


    After the mages left, Strange said to Mordo, "Regardless of what''s going on, you came to help, didn''t you?"


    Mordopletely ignored him and manipted the power of darkness to start blocking Riot.


    Different from the methods used by the other two demon apostles, Mordo nned to use the power of the dark dimension to suppress Riot''s power, constantly infiltrating the area around Riot with the power of darkness.


    "What should we do next?" Strange muttered to himself, but Peter didn''t hesitate. He raised his hand... and then took out his mobile phone.


    Two minutester, the Mech armor whistled past from the sky, and a shining shield with a sonic boom flew in.


    Stark''s first words when hended were, "Peter, Dr. Connors is looking for you. He said if he doesn''t see you in ten minutes, he''lle and drag you back himself."


    "But..."


    Steve also jumped over from another rooftop and said to Peter, "Connors and Schiller have made progress. It''s the thing you had me testst time. You better go take a look."


    Stark turned around and said, "What the hell are you guys doing? So secretive! J.A.R.V.I.S. told me that theboratory you used has overloaded 27 times in three days..."


    As soon as Stark showed signs of questioning, Peter immediately said, "Dr. Connors should be very anxious. I''ll go now!"


    With that, he turned into a translucent state and disappeared with a "swoosh." Stark widened his eyes, and when he turned around, Strange was also waving a deep red ribbon and jumping down.


    Stark was very curious about what these people were hiding from him, but there was only Steve left beside him, and he didn''t want to ask anymore. He simply activated the Mech armor and flew towards Riot.


    In the Stark Tower Laboratory, as soon as Peternded, Phantom said to him, "We have to keep an eye on Riot! If the Knull force reallyes, I''ll immediately call for support from the Cosmic Agents!"


    "Trust me, there is something more important than keeping an eye on him right now."


    Just as Phantom was about to retort, Schiller walked out of the preparation room of theboratory and patted Peter''s shoulder. Peter heard Phantom make a sound of "Huh???" and then the symbiote fell silent. Peter asked her, "What''s wrong? Are you angry? Okay, I''ll finish things here as soon as possible, and then we''ll go to the battlefield..."


    "No, it''s okay. Let''s stay here for now."


    Peter was confused, and Dr. Connors walked out with a strange-looking object in his hand.


    The object looked like two pyramids, one positive and one negative, with a sphere in the middle, and the sphere was still emitting a faint light.


    Peter went over and stared at the object and said, "Is this the finished product? It''s much smaller than I imagined, after all, this is the result of our efforts during this period of time..."


    Connor waved his hand and threw the polyhedron to Peter, who eagerly caught it and said, "Are you guys thinking of making me..."


    "Who else but you? Do you think anyone else would ept it if we handed it to them?" replied the others.


    "Well, but you guys promised..." Peter looked at the object in his hand, and Phantom couldn''t help but exim, "Where did you humans get such refined magical energy? Aren''t you a mechanical civilization?"


    "I don''t know, but they call this thing ''deposit''," replied Schiller.


    Schiller said to the two of them, "You two will have toplete the rest of the work. I have other matters to attend to."


    Connor took out an injection syringe and gestured to his own arm. He told Peter, "You will have toplete the rest of the work. I have things to do as well."


    Phantom also told Peter, "You will have toplete the rest of the work. I have other matters to attend to."


    "Hey, wait! I can understand him, but where are you going? Aren''t you a symbiote?" asked Peter.


    Before Peter could finish speaking, the purple color on his Spider-Man suit faded away and returned to its original red and blue colors, and the purple slime disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Peter wasn''t one to force others, so he just sighed with regret and continued with his experiments.


    Outside theboratory door, Schiller held a ss jar and collected the purple slime that had jumped in. He extended a finger to allow Phantom to touch his body, and as soon as their connection was established, Phantom eximed, "You''re here!!! Do you know that all the symbiotes in the universe are looking for you???!!"


    "I don''t know, and I don''t want to know," replied Grey Mist.


    "How did you end up on Earth? You...never mind, you better hide quickly. Knull''s power is about toe, and if he finds you, it will be bad," said Phantom, speaking rapidly.


    "Although we no longer recognize Knull as our creator and leader, it was he who created symbiotes. Even if he can no longer directly control symbiotes, once his power arrives, he will definitely feel your presence."


    "No matter how you ended up here, he has always hoped that the new symbiotes could help him escape from that prison. If he really wants to catch you, even the agents of the universe can''t help you."


    "I''m sorry, my fellow symbiote. I can''t help you. After the division of the universe agents, there is no longer any strength to form arge army to resist Knull. Once he truly escapes, the universe will face the disaster of chaos invasion."


    The voice of the woman contained sadness. "Child, while you still have time, run away."

 Chapter 206: God Descends! (1)

    Chapter 206: God Descends! (1)


    Under the cover of night, Asgard is a city of dazzling gold, with the rainbow light of the setting sun shining on the high-rise buildings in a scale-like pattern. From above, the ssical arches cast shadows like densebs, and Viking-style patterns and sculptures can be seen everywhere, adding wild and passionate charm to the city.


    The tavern owner leaned against a barrel, dozing off, while a big guy took off his helmet with horns and ced it on the table, making a light sound that woke up the tavern owner. He pulled his braided beard and looked up, seeing the light of the sunset shining through the narrow doorway, sharp like a shining sword.


    Outside the door, a carriage flew low along the street, and the neighing of the celestial horses echoed, causing many people to open their windows and watch as the royal carriage stirred up dust.


    Arriving at the entrance to the pce, the towering guards were dressed in golden armor and held weapons that were taller than the archway. When they saw someoneing, the two pce guards crossed their weapons and blocked the gate.


    Loki walked out of the carriage, and the two pce guards knelt down and bowed to him. The sound of armor collision mixed with their deep voices rang out, "Your Highness, wee back."


    Loki nodded and got off the carriage, then walked through the archway of the bridge.


    The bridge leading to the pce was so long that it couldn''t be seen at a nce. Compared with the tall buildings of Asgard, Loki''s figure appeared very small. He walked through the shadows of one arch after another and arrived at the stairs of the pce before the radiancepletely dissipated.


    Climbing up theyers of stairs, the water from the fountain lightly touched his cheeks with the coolness of the night. The fairies flew out of the fountain on the tform and bowed to Loki.


    Theughter of the goddesses in the distance came over. These goddesses who showed bravery on the battlefield were now weaving flower crowns withurel branches. When they saw Loki walking up, one of the goddesses bowed to him and said, "Your Highness, the father of the gods invites you to go directly to the highest level''s living room."The goddess wore a pure white long dress. After she walked up to him, she whispered to Loki, "The Supreme Sorcerer from Earth is also here. The god king asks you to change clothes first and then go."


    Loki smiled and nodded at her. His handsome appearance made the nearby goddesses blush, giggling and hiding behind the fountain.


    Arriving at the entrance of the pce, the two armored statues at the main entrance moved and then returned to calm when they saw that it was Loki.


    Walking into the incredibly spacious and magnificent hall, dozens of pirs extended forward one after another. The ss facing the setting sun was covered with golden grids, and the shadows on the ground were cut into golden fragments.


    Loki walked through the hall and turned right into a corridor where two rows of green nts were ced. After passing through the passage, a pointed arch slowly opened, and the floor began to rise after Loki walked up.


    Standing in the elevator, Loki looked out through the transparent elevator cabin. On the square on the side of the pce, many Asgardian warriors were sparring.


    As night fell, hot grilled meat was brought on trays, and the goddesses carried baskets of bread and fresh fruit on their heads. Children carried water pots filled with spring water. When the bonfire was lit, the noise became even louder. Even though it was so far away, the lively atmosphere could still be felt.


    Loki had been busy for a long time and hadn''t stayed in Asgard for a while. Returning here again, he felt that nothing had changed, but it seemed that everything had changed.


    The elevator shook lightly, and the door in front of Loki slowly opened. He walked out, and his boots made a light sound on the smooth floor.


    Coming to his own bedroom door, two court guards opened the door for him. After Loki walked in, he looked at the unchanging bedroom and felt a little rxed.


    He couldn''t say when he began to tire of everything here and began to urgently seek excitement for himself. But he also couldn''t say when he began to miss the peaceful life of Asgard.


    When he came out of the dressing room, Loki changed out of his dusty travel clothes and put on his robe instead.


    Asgardian clothing always included elements of armor. Even the robes were made of lightweight armor, with an additional outer cloak and cape adorned with intricate patterns.


    Loki hesitated for a moment, took his wand, but didn''t wear his helmet. Then he walked out of the door.


    Once again, he boarded the elevator and arrived at the very top of the pce. This was the residence of the god king Odin, but Loki first met the goddess Frigga.


    The goddess was also wearing a blue dress, with her long hair tied back with golden jewelry. Loki walked over and bowed to her. "The Supreme Sorcerer of Earth has arrived, and the other dimension lords willeter," Frigga said, holding Loki''s hand.


    "Your father will formally introduce you to them. I think you know what to do. Oh, and..." Frigga looked at Loki and said, "Where is your helmet? Why aren''t you wearing it?"


    "Forget it..." Frigga seemed to remember something and said to Loki, "Your newly made crown is ready. I''ll have someone bring it overter."


    Before Loki could say anything, Frigga said goodbye and hurried off to attend to other matters. Loki thought about catching up with her, but he turned his head back towards the direction of the reception room.


    When he pushed open the door, only Odin and the Ancient One were in the room. Loki bowed to Odin.


    Odin, who was in conversation with the Ancient One, stopped when he saw his youngest son enter the room and nodded at Loki, which made Loki feel surprised and honored.


    Odin had the rugged aura of a cosmic conqueror from his early years. He was a powerful emperor and a serious father. Thor and Loki rarely received approval from him, especially Loki.


    Loki was not the kind of hero that Asgardians loved the most. He was not as strong or muscr as Thor. Although his handsome appearance made him popr among goddesses, Loki rarely received attention from the Allfather in formal asions.


    Or rather, when Odin was present, the two princes were just supporting characters. When it came to talking about military achievements, Thor would get a little more attention, but he was still just a supporting character in grand scenes. Odin was always the focus of the gods.


    Loki always felt that the king of the gods was unfair and that he favored Thor. But when Odin, the true father of the gods, paid attention to him, Loki still felt very nervous.


    "Where is your helmet?"


    Loki did not look up. He maintained his bowing position and nced at Odin''s expression. Then he half-knelt down and said, "Mother sent someone to get the newly made crown, but it hasn''t been delivered yet."


    "The helmet is the most important symbol of honor for Asgardian warriors," Odin said, and then ordered the guards behind him to bring Loki''s helmet.


    Loki held his staff tightly, feeling both surprised and fearful. This was the first time he had heard Odin call him an "Asgardian warrior."


    At this time, the voice of the Ancient One came, "How is the situation in the Andromeda gxy?"


    Loki looked at Odin''s expression and saw that he was not dissatisfied. He stood up and said to the Ancient One, "I just came back from there. The structure of the Clint is very peculiar. It has been transformed into a prison by those parasites."


    "There are too many symbiotes living there. If I break in directly, I will definitely be discovered. So I found an opportunity to sneak in and found that the cage was indeed very strong. The symbiote god, Knull, who was imprisoned there, showed no signs of being able to escape."


    "What about his power?"


    "It did overflow a little. I tampered with the cage and destroyed its stability, making it easier for Knull''s power to break through."


    "You did a good job."


    Odin''s voice came, and Loki felt his heart almost jump out of his chest. He had never been praised like this by the Allfather before.


    "When the seed of Knull''s power entered, you should have noticed it, right?" The Ancient One asked Odin.


    "When that symbiote brought Knull''s power into the Nine Realms, I originally wanted to intercept it directly. Butter, I found that if he opened the channel and projected his power, I would gain more. So I didn''t stop him. Later, the cosmic agents found me and wanted to enter the Nine Realms. I knew that they would have to fight each other."


    "I originally nned to cut off the channel and intercept part of Knull''s power projection to use it for myself, but your student came up with a big n..."


    Odin nced at the Ancient One and continued, "Just cutting off the channel and intercepting the power is not enough for our appetite."


    "The development of things is faster than I imagined," the Ancient One eximed, "I sensed that a power was directly attacking Earth''s defense system, but I couldn''t guess who dared to do so."


    "Then I called you," Odin smiled and said, "and it turned out to be an ancient relic that had been asleep for thousands of years, but only such a person dares toe up with an idea here, right?"


    "He came at a good time," the Ancient One also smiled, "if it was before, I would have the same n as yours, waiting for him to project part of his power before cutting off the channel."


    Loki listened below and was a little confused, but he didn''t dare to ask. At this moment, the Ancient One suddenly moved and took out a mobile phone from her robe, saying to the other side, "Really?... No, I''m fine. I''m at Asgard''s pce. Do you want toe over?... Forget it, juste over."


    Hanging up the phone, the Ancient One said to Odin, "My student Strange ising over. Can you use the Rainbow Bridge to pick him up?"


    A few minutester, the guard led Strange to the reception room. Seeing his more bewildered expression than his own, Loki knew that the automatic questioning machine had arrived.


    "What''s going on?" Strange looked around and found that the other three seemed to be confident.


    "Loki, you exin it to him," Odin said.


    Loki was stunned for a moment. He really wanted to say that he was busy running his business during this time and didn''t understand what the n was.


    But he had just been praised by Odin, he couldn''t drop the ball now, right?


    So the brain of this deceitful god began to work frantically, the Totem Wealth Project, Knull''s Seed of Power, Odin sending him to investigate the Valkyrie constetion, the arrival of the Ancient One...


    All things were linked together, and soon Loki figured out a general idea.

 Chapter 207: God Descends! (2)

    Chapter 207: God Descends! (2)


    Loki imed himself as a god, and he was very arrogant. He rarely showed humility to anyone other than Odin, especially looking down on ordinary humans and unwilling to talk to them. He had been taught a lesson by Odin for this.


    But now, the situation was that Strange became Loki''s client, and Loki had to start exining his n to him in detail.


    "Asgard rules the nine realms. Any movement here can''t escape the eyes of the Allfather. Not long ago, a symbiote carrying the power of Knull''s symbiote seed wanted to sneak into the nine realms."


    As Loki spoke, he looked at Odin''s expression to judge the correctness of his spection.


    "At that time, the Allfather had already discovered him, but in order to figure out Knull''s intention, the Allfather nned to wait until the seed of power erupted on its own before dealing with it."


    "After that, the Agents of the symbiote organization came to Asgard to visit, iming that they wanted to capture the traitors of the race. The Allfather kindly agreed to their request and let an Agent symbiote enter Earth in the nine realms."


    "During this time, we did some small business with some dimension lords."


    Loki turned his head and nced at Odin''s expression, finding that he didn''t seem dissatisfied, so he continued, "The dimension lords submitted a deposit to us, and we preliminarily reached an agreement with most of the demons for the return rate."


    At this time, Strange said, "I know this part. In fact, only thest few digits are missing, and all contracts have been signed.""But relying solely on human fraud... I mean wisdom, is not enough to make these cunning dimension lords invest heavily. Most of them are only testing... "


    Loki slightly raised his tone, "These demons with infinite life spans are actually more cunning and cautious than we imagined. Before seeing the real return, no matter how grandiose the talk is, they will not truly take the bait."


    "Therefore, the Allfather and the Supreme Sorcerer believe that we must let them taste a little sweetness first."


    "After these demons get tangible returns, they will really participate in this n, instead of pretending to invest, allowing humans to provide them with uninterrupted advisory services."


    "Indeed, I can feel that most of the demons calling the Sanctum only want to have an advisory team. The deposits they pay are nothing to them, but they can have a staff team that can provide advice to them anytime and anywhere..."


    Loki nodded, indicating that Strange was right.


    "This kind of rtionship is not enough to allow humans to benefit from the transaction, nor is it enough for Asgard to obtain sufficient profits from it. If we cannot further deepen the transaction, we will all be in vain."


    "So, I followed the orders of the Allfather and have been looking for a power source that can be used as a breakthrough point in the universe."


    "But at this moment, the symbiote carrying the power of Knull''s symbiote seed has erupted, and the ancient demon Knull, who has been imprisoned on the Klyntar for a long time, wants to project his power onto Earth."


    "ording to the information I just learned in the Neb of Virgo, Knull seems to be looking for a special symbiote, but in any case, he ns to open a power channel between the Klyntar and Earth."


    At this point, Strange''s slightly anxious expression disappeared, and he raised his eyebrows and said, "It''s just what we want, right?"


    Loki nodded and said, "Indeed, but the Allfather believes that just projecting power through a narrow power channel cannot meet the needs of the dimension lords, Earth, and Asgard."


    "So..."


    "So, just now, I followed the orders of the Allfather and went to the Neb of Virgo to conduct some small survey work."


    "A question..." Strange asked with some doubt, "Is that Knull on the Klyntar very strong? If he really breaks free andes to Earth, do we really have the confidence to defeat him?"


    "Knull is indeed very strong." At this time, Odin spoke. His voice was low and deep, with an unquestionable majesty: "He may be the oldest creature in this universe, and the power he possesses is the power of chaos from the origin of the universe."


    "He was born in the darkness of the universe''s beginning. When he was awakened by the sound of the gods creating life, he denied this creation and believed that everything should return to chaos. So he used a ck sword drawn from the chaos of the universe to kill a member of the gods who created life."


    "Thor''s group is an extremely powerful cosmic deity who interferes with the development of various civilizations in the universe and conducts experiments with various civilizations."


    "Many years ago, Thor''s group visited Earth several times." Odin''s voice fell into memory: "All the gods on Earth are not their opponents."


    "But even if Thor''s group is so powerful, Knull still killed one of them. The Thor''s group that went to avenge cannotpletely kill Knull. They can only defeat Knull and then throw him back into chaos."


    "As long as there is darkness and chaos in this universe, Knull will never die."


    Strange was very interested in these cosmic wonders, but he also knew that now was not the time to delve deeper. He asked, "If Knull is so powerful, why do we provoke him?"


    At this point, Odin and the Ancient One both showed a strange expression. They looked at each other, and Odin spoke first: "Knull''s power is indeed very powerful, and it can even be said to be the most fundamental power in the universe. The power of other gods is inferior to him."


    "But the only problem is that ancient creatures born in chaos and darkness are not good at using their brains."


    The Ancient One added, "Chaos represents nothingness and madness. Creatures with this attribute, no matter how powerful they are, their actions are crazy and illogical."


    "He has no purpose, no logic. The only way for chaotic creatures to exist is to let the universe return to chaos and darkness."


    "It is precisely because of their chaos and madness that they do not consider too much when they do many things."


    Strange heard the Ancient One''s subtle hint, which in simple terms means Knull does not have much of a brain.


    But Strange thought it made sense because thinking and wisdom themselves are order. Behind the crazy behavior of any wise creature, there is its own logic. If there really is a creature whose existence and purpose is to resist order, it is destined that it cannot have too high intelligence.


    Or, its wisdom is too advanced for the entire universe too soon.


    Strange touched his forehead and suddenly realized that if that was the case, Knull was the perfect target.


    Ancient, powerful, chaotic, crazy, not very smart, and because he has been locked up for too long, he cannot keep up with thetest trends. Who else can pit him if not Strange?


    "Wait, Mordo just told me that Earth''s defense system has been breached?" Strange looked at the Ancient One.


    "Mordo''s words are a bit conservative, but he has always been like this." The Ancient One sat on the seat and said calmly, "Since the explosion of the Power Stone, Earth''s magical defense system has not been opened."


    "But if Knull really descends, Earth is afraid..."


    But Loki shook his head and said to Strange, "You can rest assured of that. I just came back from the Enchanted Tassel, and the cage that imprisons Knull is very strong. His entity is unlikely to escape, only his power cane."


    "And the projection of power is like a pipeline." Loki gestured with his hand, "At the end of the Klyntar where Knull is located, I just expanded the entrance of the pipeline, so Knull can output his power more quickly and efficiently."


    "On the Earth side of the pipeline, the Supreme Sorceress also expanded the entrance, removing Earth''s magical defense system, and even actively guided Knull''s power to urately project."


    "Born of chaos, after Knull projects his power, he will naturally want to defeat all enemies in front of him, using darkness and chaos to erode this universe, just like he did before."


    "And if he can''t do it, he will increase the input of power. Born of chaos and darkness, Knull will not understand what tactical maneuver and strategic retreat means. He will only want to use his powerful force to erode the universe."


    "So as long as we can hold him back, he will continue to project his power here." Strange continued.


    "But isn''t it too risky to choose this location on Earth? Earth is full of fragile ordinary people, not to mention Knull''s dark power, they have no resistance to magic," Strange asked.


    But Loki shook his head and exined to Strange, "Choosing the exit of the pipeline on Earth does not mean that Knull''s power will directly descend on Earth."


    "It''s still the principle of this pipeline. Although the exit of the pipeline is on Earth, the dimension lords participating in this n will punch holes on the path of this pipeline, and then divide the power that belongs to Knull from the holes they punched."


    Strange suddenly realized, and Loki continued, "In this way, almost no power will be able tond on Earth."


    "You''re being a bit conservative," the Ancient One''s voice came, "Based on the appetite of that group of participants, there won''t be any power that can be transmitted to Earth."


    "But..." Strange wanted to ask what benefits humans could get. The Ancient One seemed to see what he wanted to ask and said directly, "The initiative is now in our hands, so we have a very special right."


    "What is it?"


    "We can decide where they make the holes in the pipeline."


    Strange widened his eyes, he immediately understood what the Ancient One wanted to do.


    In simple terms, this pipeline connects Klyntar to Earth, with Knull as the output end and Earth as the receiving end.


    Although this process cannot be exined in simple three-dimension space, there is one rule that remains unchanged, and that is that there is a loss of power during the process from the output end to the receiving end.


    This means that the closer the interception of power is to the output end, the purer the power that can be intercepted, and the closer it is to Earth, the more you can only drink the remaining soup of others.


    Asmodeus and Earth teamed up to create a scheme. Asmodeus sent people to widen the output end, while Earth''s Supreme Sorcerer was responsible for opening the receiving end. After the two sides held the exit and entrance respectively, they had the power to decide on the seats.


    The closer the seat is to the front, the greater the return. However, if you want a good seat, you must naturally increase your investment.


    And the most important thing is that the rules of this investment game have changed from an even distribution to an auction.


    You don''t have to sit in the front, as long as you are closer than others. You don''t have to be ahead of everyone, as long as you are ahead of your opponent.


    The Ancient One smiled at Strange and said, "The next thing is to bid, they will be here soon."


    Strange shrugged and said, "Well, it looks like the staff of the Sanctum will have to work overtime again."


    Then he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed a number.


    "It looks like the staff of SHIELD will have to work overtime again." In the SHIELD office, Schiller took the cigarette that Nick offered him and smiled at him.


    "Strange''s call is timely, but you should have guessed something beforehand, right?" Nick asked him.


    "Indeed."


    "Are you nning to go with the flow?"


    "No, I n to add an engine to the boat."

 Chapter 208: God Descends! (3)

    Chapter 208: God Descends! (3)


    "Strange has already told us their n, I have to admit that it is beneficial to the development of the Sanctum Sanctorum, but for us, the benefits are still not enough."


    Nick frowned, lit a cigarette with a lighter, and then held the cigarette in his mouth. "At this stage, I think all ns rted to magic should be kept quiet, even those Wall Street wolves know that in the early investment stage, you can''t rush for returns."


    "I have patience." Nick''s tone was calm and unhurried. He said, "Although everyone knows that I am very greedy, I am very clear that although short-term returns are tempting, the profits from long-term returns are more attractive."


    "Then have you ever thought of taking it all?"


    "What are you nning to do?"


    "Not in a hurry, we still have one member who hasn''t arrived."


    Just then, Nick received a call. He said to the person on the other end of the phone, "What? Who?... Okay, let him in."


    Two minutester, Eddie Brock walked into the SHIELD office. Nick walked up to him and shook his hand, while Hill sitting on the side had a purple light flickering in her eyes. She twitched, and Schiller held her shoulder and said, "Calm down, Phantom."


    Hill''s voice became hoarse, and the Phantom that had just possessed her said, "Venom? What are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be stopping Riot?""Phantom, it''s been a long time." Eddie''s voice was also hoarse.


    Phantom was taken aback. She controlled Hill and looked up and down at Eddie. "Venom, what''s going on with you? Have youpletely gone crazy? Thest time I saw you, you were still shouting about eating brains..."


    In his mind, Eddie said to Venom, "Damn it! Have you really eaten brains?"


    "Don''t listen to her nonsense, I haven''t."


    Eddie did not sit down but stood beside the table. Venom turned to Schiller and said, "As you expected, Riot has gone mad."


    Schiller smiled and did not answer. Nick, on the other hand, looked at Schiller and said, "It seems that it''s time for you to tell a story again."


    "There''s no story to tell this time." Schiller shook her head and said, "I just had Venom go and provoke Riot, it''s that simple."


    "You let Venom go and provoke Riot?" Phantom said in surprise.


    After speaking, she looked at Venom again and said, "Didn''t you want to revenge against Riot? Weren''t you shouting that you are Venom and you came for revenge?"


    "Beating him up is the least professional way of revenge." Venom''s voice had no ups and downs, but there seemed to be a unique rhythm from a special soul.


    "You..." Phantom looked at Venom as if she didn''t know him anymore. "You really surprised me, Venom, you seem to have changed a lot. Before, you only wanted to eat brains..."


    "Still do."


    "Then you..."


    Through Eddie''s eyes, Phantom saw Venom''s soul. This was a unique ability of the symbiote race, which allowed them to recognize their own kind in a crowd. She saw a kind of coldness and darkness in Venom''s eyes that she had never seen in any other symbiote. Then, she heard Venom say a sentence that made her hair stand on end:


    "For symbiotes, what could be a better food than the brains of our creator?"


    His calmness made Phantom feel frightened, as if she had never really known her own kind.


    Now she was sure that Venom was really crazy.


    "Let''s talk about old timester." Nick turned to Schiller and said, "Tell us about your n..."


    "Asgard and the Sorcerer Supreme want to cheat on the power of Knull to attract the investment of cosmic gods and further establish the dominance of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Although their position is the same as ours, their interests may not bepletely the same."


    "Simply put, they are doing the long-term, and we are doing the short-term."


    "Earth is like a hungry baby. Although it can''t starve to death for a while, I still want to find something to eat now."


    "This god of symbiotes hase, so he probably doesn''t mind being divided by the gods and leaving Earth with a special product, right?"


    Above Greenwich Vige, Stark looked around and said in confusion, "That big ck guy is gone, and Strange is gone. Where did they go?"


    He looked up and saw a ming chain flying past his Mech armor. Stark dodged to the side, cursed, and then said to the ming skull, "What are you doing? Look carefully! We''re on the same side!"


    The ming skull tried hard to turn his head back. Stark could tell that he was really trying hard, and he floated next to the ming skull and asked, "You still haven''t told me your name. Are you from the circus?"


    The ming skull made a hoarse voice, "I am the Ghost Rider, you sinner..."


    "What?" Stark was about to get angry, but then he heard a loud noise from the ground. The red giant flew down from the sky and then jumped down. Steve knocked on his shield and said, "It seems difficult to break through its defense like this."


    "Don''t think you can use brute force to attack me," the red giant said. "I am Juggernaut, my poweres from the red gem of Cyttorak, so I can only cause damage to him by hitting the curtain, but you can''t."


    Steve was also helpless. Even though he didn''t know much about magic, he could see that he couldn''t cause effective damage to the monster that was mutating in mid-air.


    Just then, the ck curtain around Riot began to shrink, bing darker and more intense. Some star-like dots appeared behind him, and ripples spread out along the starry sky. Suddenly, a dazzling halo emanated from the center.


    In the extreme stillness, a huge shock wave silently spread out, and Stark, who couldn''t dodge in time, was directly knocked out. J.A.R.V.I.S. inside his Mech armor sounded an rm: "Warning! Warning! Mech armor damage level 45%, still rising, rmend evacuation..."


    "Damn, why is the damage level so high?"


    "An indescribable force is corroding the protection system. The Mech armor material cannot withstand the erosion of this force. It is rapidly aging. Rmend evacuation, rmend evacuation..."


    Stark stabilized himself and said, "Evacuation is useless. My Mech armor can''t resist the invasion of magical powers. Damn, I should have prepared earlier..."


    "I can''t retreat now! J.A.R.V.I.S., increase output!"


    "Warning, if you continue to increase output, there may be a risk of energy copse in your body. Are you sure you want to release the highest level of security protocols?"


    Stark didn''t answer, but stared at the ck hole in mid-air.


    Riot''s transformation continued. After the bright halo, a darker night shrouded him. A chaotic and crazy force formed countless shadows behind him.


    Riot''s body began to growrger andrger, and the chaotic dark power lifted him up, covering him withyer afteryer of armor. A long sword made of darkness also condensed in his hand.


    A few secondster, a towering monster of chaos appeared in the sky above New York.


    His ck power almost solidified, and no one could see Riot at the center of the overflowing power, but from the outside, he was already terrifying enough.


    The starry sky above New York began to brighten, as if the universe could be seen through the night sky. A dark tornado rose from Riot''s overhead, straight into the universe. When the starlight shone down, there was endless chaotic power projected onto Riot''s body.


    Mordo said, "The channel of Knull''s power is open..."


    The power of chaos began to spread, and Riot''s figure gradually appeared in the ck curtain. The power of those ck curtains was sucked into his body, and a monster far more terrifying than before appeared.


    He still maintained the appearance of the symbiote, but becamerger, with many strange patterns appearing on his body. Countless huge tentacles made of chaotic power emerged from his back, each one thicker than the high-rise buildings of New York.


    One of the tentacles swung, and Steve on the rooftop was knocked to the ground.


    Juggernaut roared and rushed up, but was also thrown out by a tentacle. After the monsternded, the tentacles swept through, causing buildings to copse and the ground to crack, and ck mist spread from the cracks.


    Then, Stark heard a human voice from Riot''s mouth:


    "See! The fragile human body is nothing! You can neverpare to these great extraterrestrial powers! Humans will be corrected!"


    "The Life Stone is the greatest n for humanity!! I am the pioneer of humanity!"


    "Iron Man??? Hahaha!"


    "You are proud of your Mech armor? Look now! What can you do?"


    "Humans can neverpete with the great powers of the universe! In the face of such power, your Mech armor is as fragile as paper!"


    "Do you think you canpete with me with this tiny Mech armor? You foolish ordinary human! You will never learn to be humble!"


    "Your arrogance will eventually be shattered by the endless power of the universe!! Hahahaha!"


    Drakeughed arrogantly as he controlled the tentacles behind him and whipped Stark''s Mech armor, forcing him to constantly dodge. Stark took a deep breath and said, "J.A.R.V.I.S! Release the final security protocols!"


    "Warning! Warning..."


    Just as Stark was about to confirm, a familiar voice came from afar: "Iron Man! Catch this!!!"


    Hearing Peter''s voice, Stark instinctively turned around and caught what Spider-Man threw from afar. Stark looked down and saw a shimmering polyhedron in his hand, glowing with magical light.


    Another tentacle smashed towards him, and Stark hurriedly dodged. Spider-Man shouted, "Look here!"


    Stark turned to Spider-Man and saw him pointing to his chest. In mid-air, Stark looked at his own chest and then at the crystal in his hand, realizing that it was the "magic reactor" that Schiller had created.


    "And also!!!" Peter''s shout came again.


    Stark hesitated for a moment, then without hesitation, inserted the crystal into the instation slot of the Mech armor. Arge amount of blood flowed from the iplete slot on his chest, and when the reactor recement waspleted, Stark heard Peter''s voice echoing in his ear: "He asked me to remind you!!! The secret of magic is-"


    "Think it, and it will be!"


    In an instant, pure magical energy poured into the Mech armor, and peculiar patterns crawled up the smooth surface of the Mech armor. Looking at the crazy alien creatureughing hysterically, Stark murmured to himself, "Think it, and it will be..."


    The night sky was silent for a moment, as if a century had passed.


    Then, Iron Man disappeared, and the Mech armor that seemed so tiny in front of the alien creature disappearedpletely.


    In its ce was an endless gxy hovering over New York.


    The brilliance of magic spread out, bringing a splendid curtain of light like the aurora. Each point of light scattered, forming stars that spread throughout the universe.


    The shape of the stars began to change from scattered to regr, and the magic light began to move from mystery to order. Countless stars intertwined, and as the sound of industrial machinery rose, Mars rose, and the whistle sounded, the most beautiful melody of the industrial age began to roar.


    In an instant, the sound of metal colliding was louder than thunder, the airflow of gears rotating was stronger than a storm, and the light of mes intecing was brighter than the sun.


    No one had ever thought of it, and no one had ever seen it. The ultimate form of mechanical civilization thousands of years in the future, along with the light of the magic gxy, descended on this, bringing an unimaginable grandeur and magnificence beyond any biological imagination.


    After just a few tens of seconds, in the quiet night sky around Earth, human infinite wisdom was turned into reality by magic, and a new possibility appeared in countless strange and absurd universes-


    The chip Great Wall roseyer byyer, the circuit flowed with brilliant light, igniting the sun, welding the stars, and connecting the universe. The endless mechanical power descended.


    The tiny Mech armor disappeared, and Iron Man left the battlefield he insisted on guarding. There were no longer any superheroes streaking across the sky like meteors above New York, and there was no longer Iron Man''s Mech armor.


    In its ce was the great aggregation of endless machinery that enveloped Earth, the eternal creator of all steel and machinery, the eternal ruler of mechanical civilization-


    The Steel Magic God Stark.

 Chapter 209: Vomit... (1)

    Chapter 209: Vomit... (1)


    After the summer passed, the nights in New York began to feel slightly cooler. When the sunny sky was covered by darkness, the starry sky became extra bright. Amidst the twinkling stars, the brilliance of countless mechanical creations, like a boiling sea, surged towards Earth.


    Steve put down his shield and looked up at the seemingly endless mechanical creations in the sky, swallowing hard.


    To be honest, he didn''t expect Stark to present himself in this form. He thought the magic reactor was at most just making a bigger Iron Man.


    The New York night sky was gradually obscured, and the mechanical creations in the sky were even denser than theyers of dark clouds before a storm. The machines shuttling around were like huge schools of fish, sweeping towards the battlefield.


    When Peter jumped down from the sky, a flying vehicle rotated past him. He whispered, "This should be the 23rd generation, more agile than before and with less airflow..."


    Countless shuttle-shaped robots passed by him, blowing Peter''s hair with their airflow. He looked up and felt as though Stark was watching him.


    Peter stood on the rooftop of a high-rise building, and the wind howled around him. He involuntarily reached out his hand, and the mechanical god in the sky responded to his call. A storm made up of metal parts descended, and countless pieces rotated and gathered from the sky.


    Those parts surrounded Peter''s Spider-Man suit and slowly covered his body. He was lifted into the air by them, and with a clicking sound of the parts interlocking, the armor sparkled like fish scales. With the flipping of the armor pieces, the metal arthropod on his back stretched outyer byyer, lifting Peter''s body up. When he stood up, a huge steel spider appeared over New York.


    At the same time, Steve had also been enhanced. The mechanical parts on his arm without the shield formed a huge cannon, and with a wave of his hand, a powerful light wave shot towards Riot''s tentacle. The tentacle made of dark energy was shattered like a wave, and Steve shouted, "Effective attack! Keep going!"Peter followed up with a jump, and the shining magical limbs sliced through the curtain of darkness. The armored fist covering him made Riot stumble.


    The armor on Spider-Man and Captain America was made from Stark''s magic reactor, which was able to effectively damage the chaos power on Riot''s body, unlike the previous physical attacks that were useless up close.


    Other heroes on the battlefield had also been simrly enhanced, and with Stark''s army of machines bing more and more agile, Riot was almost pushed back, and the chaos power was suppressed within a range of ten meters around him.


    As the wind grew stronger, a huge white figure appeared in the sky above Earth. But it wasn''t Iron Man. Or rather, it was an aggregate of countless mechanical creations, a steel god made up of countless hordes of machines.


    It was no longer a single Mech armor, but a conglomerate made up of countless hordes of machines. Even with Peter''s vision, he couldn''t fully see the process of the machines self-replicating, producing, and transforming.


    When Stark''s intelligence was manifested into reality by magic, people could directly feel the power generated by his infinite intelligence. When he was finally no longer confined to the frail human body and his mind was freed infinitely, Stark saw the truth of the multiverse.


    He saw that the universe before him had be a colorful ss bead, rolling on the ground, and each ss bead contained countless tiny single universes.


    He could even see himself in those universes, thinking in front of ab table or flying over New York in Mech armor. Their lives, destinies, and oues were turned into flowing light and stored in the steel conglomerate consciousness.


    This vision onlysted for a moment, and Stark felt that the magic energy in his chest was consuming at an unimaginable speed, which made him have to suppress his curiosity and redirect his gaze back to Earth.


    As Stark''s thoughts returned, the hordes of machines no longer blindly expanded infinitely, but were instead designed, selected, and upgraded by humans. Countless mechanical fortresses were merged and assembled, and on the mechanical assembly line, various sub-bodies of the machine hordespleted several iterations in just a few seconds.


    Nick Fury walked out of the SHIELD office, looked up at the sky, and couldn''t help but curse because Earth had beenpletely covered by Stark''s army of machines.


    In Asgard''s pce, Loki stood next to Odin, while Strange stood next to the Ancient One. When the sound of machinery echoed throughout Asgard, Surtur''s voice came from the red vortex: "He has ascended... transformed into... the only one..."


    Nothing that happened in the nine realms could escape the eyes of the Allfather. Odin saw Stark''s steel god descending and felt the power of him breaking through the barriers of individual universes in that moment.


    Mephisto also spoke up: "... is that the deposit we submitted before?"


    "Human beings are indeed a race with unlimited potential. They can use this power to break through the barriers of the universe and elevate themselves to the only one..."


    At this moment, the cosmic demons in the pce all had their own thoughts. Obviously, they didn''t expect that humans really had the power to face Knull. This made many restless demons calm down.


    "Alright..." The somewhat indifferent voice of the Ancient One sounded, and she turned her head to look at Strange, then said, "Everyone take your positions."


    Streams of different colors of light flew out of Asgard''s pce, entered different dimensions, and then began to absorb the surging chaotic power of the universe that wasing.


    Both the Ancient One and Odin had chosen a good position for themselves, and everything went smoothly as they had expected. In order to control Riot, Knull began to continuously transport his power through the opened channel.


    But soon, the development of the situation exceeded everyone''s expectations.


    Above Greenwich Vige, Peter was colliding with Riot back and forth. At this moment, he heard a familiar voice say, "Good evening."


    Peter turned his head and looked at Schiller in surprise. "Doctor, why are you here? It''s dangerous!"


    "It''s okay, I just came to take a look."


    Just as Peter was about to say something, the huge lizard Doctor jumped over and said to Peter, "You go cooperate with the one with the ming skull, I''ll take care of this side."


    Peter looked a little worriedly at Schiller, but seeing his calm expression, he left.


    Schiller said to the mist in his heart, "Is this distance enough? Can he detect you?"


    "A little closer."


    So Schiller shed to a nearby building closer to Riot, and his entire body was shrouded in the chaotic power around Riot.


    On the rooftop a little further away, Steve was using his shield to counterattack the constantly dancing tentacles. At this moment, he saw the body of Riot in the air suddenly stiffen.


    Then,yers uponyers of ck waves surged out, and Riot roared, going mad.


    Countless tentacles, carrying a strong dark power, began to sweep recklessly through the area in which he was located, and all the buildings were crushed into powder by the power.


    Schiller had turned into a gray mist and was floating close to Riot, but perhaps because he was too close, Riot went crazy and the half-genius discovered that what he was looking for was right under his feet.


    When Riot cast his gaze over, Schiller suddenly disappeared. Riot was stunned, and Knull, who was controlling Riot from the distant of Klynthar to invade Earth, was also stunned.


    Suddenly, Schiller appeared from another direction. Riot turned around and saw Schiller wave at him. In the deep space of the universe, Knull roared furiously. He thought that this bug was ying with him.


    Knull recognized the gray mist on Schiller''s body, the special symbiote that suddenly disappeared. It was the crystallization of his efforts after being imprisoned for countless years, and it was his hope to break free from his prison.


    Riot reached out to p Schiller, but just as his palm with the power of chaos was about to fall, Schiller disappeared again.


    The signal from the special symbiote made Knull more and more impatient. The chaos-filled brain made him unable to think. The current situation was exactly what he had caused by giving the gray mist special abilities.


    Knull''s purpose in creating the gray mist was to escape from prison. The reason why he chose mist as the form was to give this symbiote excellent speed and the trait of being unable to be attacked by enemies.


    As a result, now he himself could not attack this symbiote.


    If now, Knull''s true body descended, he could still use the ck Death Sword to attack. This sword is the weakness of all symbiotes and can effectively harm them.


    But now, Knull is still trapped deep within Klyntar, like a yer controlling a game character. Even though his real body is a fighting champion and a master swordsman, he cannot affect the tiny bug he cannot catch on the screen.


    At this moment, the mechanical god Stark also began to act, and countless fleets of machines entered Earth''s airspace one after another. The mechanical fortress, shining with magical light, overloaded and operated beyond anyone''s imagination. The massive army of machines, exceeding anything anyone could imagine, wrapped Riot up like an endless swarm of insects.


    Perhaps influenced by Schiller''s suggestion, the steel demon god Stark is not aplete individual, but a collective consciousnessposed of countless fleets of machines. This gives him a multi-dimensional perspective, allowing him to be precise down to everyponent and tomand the machine army as a mother nest consciousness.


    For the chaotic Riot controlled by Knull, the machines seemed to have little effect. Initially, this was indeed the case. The first fleet of machines that approached the chaos was quickly corrupted by the power of chaos. Theponents began to rapidly age and decay. However, the second fleet of machines that followed behind them already had chaos resistance.


    The third fleet of machines targeted the tentacles and increased their speed, allowing them to move flexibly between the waving tentacles and explode directly on Riot''s face. The fourth fleet of machines extended the frozen feature. Although it could not affect the power of chaos, by triggering a frozen explosion with thousands of machines, Riot''s entity was almost immobilized.


    After several tentative attacks, the real mechanical frenzy arrived. Facing an all-round and suicide attack, machines of various shapes and forms were like an Abyss giant mouth, wrapping Riot and his dark energy all together.


    After the gods started to act, Knull found that his control over Riot was getting weaker and weaker, while the steel demon god Stark was getting stronger and stronger.


    But what Knull was looking for was nearby. He began to be more and more impatient, and his anxious and irritable emotions ignited his chaotic biological nature. He began to output power to Earth regardless of consequences.


    When Knull''s anger escted further, Schiller returned to his human form and withdrew to a slightly more distant ce.


    Then, he opened the chat system and without hesitation, he pulled down and found Knull''s avatar. After clicking on the chat interface and confirming the connection, Knull, who was far away in the Klyntar constetion, heard that familiar voice:


    "Hello, are you there, Nataru?"

 Chapter 210: Vomit... (2)

    Chapter 210: Vomit... (2)


    Suddenly, the chaotic and dark energy went crazy and caused a huge explosion. The ground of themercial street in Greenwich Vige was blown down by three or four meters, and the unprepared heroes were blown out.


    Countless chaotic energies began to sweep everything like a powerful storm. Steve eximed, "What''s going on??? Is he crazy?!"


    Knull was indeed crazy.


    Because he finally realized that it was the person who had cursed at him and robbed him of his hope of escape.


    What made him even more angry was that this thief not only danced around in front of him, but also ran over to curse him!!!


    And cursed him terribly!!


    Knull was really crazy. He began to output chaotic and dark energy regardless of everything, wanting to kill this damn bug.


    As mentioned before, Knull was a chaotic creature born from the origin of the universe. He had a fundamental difference from other demon gods, which was that he was not a "faith god".


    Knull did not rely on the faith of his believers to enhance his power. Other demon gods, such as Mephisto, Cyttorak, or Dormammu, could enhance their power through the faith of others.But Knull''s power came entirely from the origin of the universe, so even if his believers, the symbiotes, all betrayed him, he would still only be trapped and not weakened.


    Simply put, all his power was given to him by heaven, and he didn''t need to work hard to have it.


    And precisely because of this, he didn''t hoard his power like other demon gods. The chaotic power of the universe was endless, and as long as there was chaos in the universe, Knull didn''t have to worry about running out of power.


    So he didn''t care about wasting how much power. Even if he found that an astonishing amount of power was lost during the transmission process to Earth, he didn''t care because he didn''t need to work hard to obtain these powers.


    Knull could be understood as a water pump. He didn''t produce water, but was only a porter of water. Therefore, he didn''t feel distressed when he wasted water because he didn''t need to create it, nor did he need to maintain it.


    Therefore, after Knull was provoked, he went all out and began to frantically draw chaotic power from the universe and then sent it to Earth.


    Returning to a few minutes ago, the demon gods who had already taken their positions left early to dig holes in the pipeline. Only Odin and Loki, as well as the Ancient One and Strange, were left.


    There was something strange between these two teams. The Ancient One was extremely satisfied with Strange. She had long nned to pass the position of Sorcerer Supreme to him after this incident ended, so she could roam the universe freely, which had always been her dream.


    With this incident, the Ancient One was confident in leaving a lot of wealth on Earth. Coupled with Strange''s intelligence, the Ancient One had no worries and could retire when the time came.


    Looking back on her life, the Ancient One was very satisfied. When she imagined her future retirement life, the Ancient One became even happier, so her current mentality was very good, and she liked Strange very much.


    But Odin was not so lucky. First, his eldest son caused trouble and refused to repent after being thrown on Earth. Then there was the prophecy of Ragnarok, the increasingly weakened world tree, and the unexpected emergence of the nine realms. Odin was like a chef holding a leaky spoon, knowing that these holes couldn''t be blocked, but he had to grit his teeth and try to block them.


    After the demon gods took their positions, Odin and the Ancient One could also find a good position on the pipeline to intercept the power.


    The Ancient One was extremely satisfied with Strange, so she found a way to give him a hole so that he could also gain some power, and Odin saw this and also gave Loki a hole.


    Loki felt that he had been greatly favored today more than in the past thousand years.


    In theory, even Loki''s power level was not enough to intercept Knull''s power, let alone Strange, who had only been practicing magic for a few days. But with the help of the big shots, the two of them could just follow behind and benefit. At least a few minutes ago, the situation was still very stable.


    The demon gods greedily absorbed the power output by Knull, and the Ancient One and Odin were also not weak. Even Strange and Loki could drink some soup.


    But suddenly, in just a moment, there was a dramatic change. The Ancient One shouted in a deep voice, "Stephen! Stop!"


    Strange hadn''t figured out what was going on yet, but with a wave of the Ancient One''s hand, the magic circle in front of her stopped running. In the instant when the magic circle stopped, a surge of chaotic energy erupted in front of the Ancient One. The Ancient One''s figure flickered and retreated,nding smoothly.


    But Odin''s side was not so good. The father and son relied on the Asgardian physique to chop a huge hole with an axe, and the hole for Loki was not small either. When the dark energy surged, both father and son were thrown off.


    But Odin''s situation was not good. The father of the gods, relying on the strong physique of the Asgardians, chopped open a huge hole, which was not small for the hole Loki had opened. When the dark power surged, both father and son were blown away.


    Fortunately, Odin reacted quickly and waved his hand, sealing off the entire pce and closing all the cracks.


    "What happened? Why did he suddenly explode???"


    The Ancient One shook her head, indicating that she didn''t know either, but then she analyzed: "I sensed anger in that power, it seems that Knull was provoked."


    "Provoked? Who could provoke him?"


    The Ancient One shook her head again, but then she suddenly paused and muttered to herself: "This power outbreak was somewhat sudden, even you and I were almost injured, let alone those weaker demons..."


    The Ancient One and Odin looked at each other and understood each other''s thoughts.


    In their original n, they were stealing water from the pipeline, and although the water pressure was high, they could handle the impact after punching a hole. But now, the situation had changed. This process had gone from stealing water from the pipeline to facing the Three Gorges Dam. Knull''s anger caused him to output his power recklessly, resulting in extremely high pressure inside the pipeline. Therefore, the power ejected from the holes had iparable impact force.


    Cyttorak was as steady as a rock and the impact force was nothing to his deep red dimension. Dormammu felt a bit ufortable, but he didn''t mind and could still eat it. Mephisto was startled at first, but soon adjusted and was also indiscriminate.


    Most of the other powerful demons were the same. Although the iing force became increasingly chaotic and crazy, it was just a bit ufortable for them. Even if they couldn''t digest it for a while, they could store it in their own dimensions and slowly dpose itter.


    But it was not the case for those weaker demons.


    Many people knew that water knives were a tool with extremely strong destructive power. The water sprayed out at high pressure had great destructive power, which was simr to the retention of chaotic power. The greedy nature of the demons made thempletely disregard any safety regtions when they were punching holes and they dug as much as they could.


    When the raging power spurted out with tremendous pressure, many small demons didn''t react at all and had no defense. They were directly engulfed by this raging power and died on the spot.


    At this time, the experienced Ancient One and Odin guessed the situation on the field at the first time.


    Did they win jackpot? Then what are we waiting for! Let''s loot!


    The Ancient One was so happy that arge area downstream of the pipeline had been washed away. Not only did a group of demons die, but also the power they absorbed into their bodies before had been left behind. All of these benefits belonged to the Ancient One.


    Compared with the dimensional demons with good teeth and no dietary taboos, these digested powers were obviously more suitable for the human body of the Ancient One.


    The power conveyed by the crazy Knull was the chaotic power of the origin of the universe. Many demons'' life levels couldn''t reach this level at all. In the first wave of impact, besides those who died, many were seriously injured. The Ancient One and Odin went over to heal them one by one.


    Investors? I don''t know them well!


    The power of any universe demon was a great supplement. In the past, even when they were wealthy, they only came one or two at a time. But this time, the universe demonsy on the ground, and soon, the Ancient One was full.


    But it didn''t matter. The Ancient One was already familiar with this work. When she had umted enough energy, she began to stuff the remaining power into Strange. It was like an eagle catching a huge prey, after she was full, she fed the meat to her cubs.


    At this time, Loki, who stayed in the pce, watched as Strange''s body shed and mes erupted, and all kinds of refined magic and energy were infused into his body. In just a few minutes, Strange almost ascended to the heavens in broad daylight.


    In a short period of time, the energy surging in his body was even stronger than that of Loki, who had a divine position.


    Loki was envied and his eyes turned red. Before he could insincerely congratte Strange, a golden light descended from the sky and directly knocked Loki down.


    "Father..." Loki was about to say something, but then another golden light came and pure energy was infused into Loki''s body. Loki shouted excitedly, "Father! You..."


    Before he could finish, another golden light came, and then Loki and Strange were like in apetition, with countless pure and powerful energies "brushing" into their bodies.


    The Ancient One and Odin were the two old eagles fighting in front, while Strange and Loki were the two young birds eating behind.


    Originally, Odin''s upper limit was much higher than that of the human body of the Ancient One, but there were too many dying or half-dead gods, and they had too much chaotic power that was either digested or undigested in their bodies. Soon, Odin was also full.


    The Ancient One was feeding Strange on the side, and Odin saw that the Ancient One was so generous to himself. Loki was at least his own son, so he also started to show off to Loki.


    At first, Loki was ecstatic. On the one hand, these powerful forces could greatly increase his strength, and on the other hand, it was because he had never experienced Odin''s attentive attitude before.


    But soon, Strange and Loki couldn''tugh anymore.


    It is well known that humans have limits. The Ancient One stuffed power into Strange, but Strange was also a mortal body. In a short while, he was already full and his magical power began to be uncontroble. Without the owner''s control, it gradually spread into the universe.


    Strange yelled, "Stop! Teacher, I..."


    As a result, another extremely pure energy was poured in. Strange felt like he had been inted like a balloon and his whole body was filled with power. The uncontroble power began to run rampant in his body, and Strange half-knelt down: "Urgh..."


    Loki gloated on the side, thinking that Strange had vomited after epting just a little bit of power. Indeed, the physical strength of humans cannot bepared with that of powerful gods.


    But soon, he found that he had celebrated too early.


    The Ancient One''s transmission of power to Strange was carefully considered, and the power transmitted to Strange was also processed by the Ancient One, so even if the quantity was a bit too much, Strange did not need to digest it himself.


    But Odin''s power to Loki was not so refined. Asgardians have always been open and generous. At first, Odin killed a god with a thunderbolt, taking seven points for himself, giving two points to Gungnir, and one point to Loki.


    These powers were not processed at all, and as the saying goes, "too much of a good thing". After receiving the power, Loki had to digest it himself.


    It was okay before Odin was full, but after Odin was full, what fell on Loki''s head became seven points.


    If the Ancient One''s power given to Strange was like white rice porridge, then what Odin gave to Loki was basically stone-fried eggs. Even if Loki''s upper limit as a god was high, it was useless if his digestive system couldn''t keep up. Soon, Loki also half-knelt down: "Urgh..."


    These two hungry young birds were stuffed until they vomited, but the Ancient One and Odin''s scavenging journey was not even halfwaypleted. Seeing that more than half of the dropped items were scattered on the ground, not picking them up was equivalent to throwing them away.


    It didn''t matter if their own children vomited after eating, weren''t there other animals to feed? The Ancient One took out her phone and started calling people from Kamar-Taj. A few minutester, colorful lights descended from the sky above the Himyas.


    Soon, all the mages of Kamar-Tajy on the ground, and Wong leaned against a pir, covering his neck like he was drunk: "Urgh..."


    Odin was not to be outdone either. All the gods of Asgard gathered around the pce, and soon, countless golden lights descended from the pce.


    At first, the gods of Asgard praised the generosity of their father, but soon they all began to groan. Heimdall held onto one of the pce pirs and yelled, "Wait!! Father of the Gods!! It''s too much..."


    "Urgh..."


    As it turns out, not only humans, but gods also have limits.


    It''s not that there were really so many powers that made everyone in Asgard vomit, but like Loki''s problem, this kind of power also needed to be digested by the gods. The first wave of power had not been digested yet, and the second wave came. After more than a dozen waves, even the gods couldn''t take it anymore.


    Looking at the remaining half of the dropped items in the universe, and then looking back at the young birds who had been stuffed to the point of vomiting, the Ancient One and Odin looked at each other.


    Waste is shameful, an empty te is honorable. Let''s find a warehouse and start moving.

 Chapter 211: Vomit... (3)

    Chapter 211: Vomit... (3)


    Taking his eyes off the celestial pce, Schiller, who had turned into a cloud of mist, hid behind the Stark Mother Nest andunched a ruthless personal attack on Knull through his chat system.


    After unlocking his gic library, Schiller was able to find more insulting words from the symbiote''s gic library, so he emphasized that insulting others was wrong while throwing these words at Knull.


    As a result, Knull was so infuriated that he desperately transported power to Earth, hoping to control Riot to crush Schiller, but Stark, the steel demon god, was getting stronger and stronger and stood in between Schiller and Riot.


    As Stark was a consciousness aggregation entity, he did not have a real body. Neither Riot, Drake inside Riot, nor Knull in the faraway could find the source of this life. They simply could not locate Stark''s true body.


    However, Stark could materialize an endless army of machines using magic, and no matter how many were killed, they would regenerate. With the continuous improvement of the mechanical fortress and countless generations of iteration and evolution, the mechanical army began to be stronger and stronger, so Knull had to invest more power to fight against him.


    This formed a "virtuous cycle". Schiller hid behind Stark,unching personal attacks on Knull through the chat system, which infuriated Knull and caused him to project power to Riot. However, if Riot wanted to hit Schiller, he had to hit Stark first, but as Stark got stronger, Knull had to project more power.


    If the initial power transmission intensity was followed, after being intercepted by several major gods, only a small amount of power would reach Earth. However, with this situation, more and more power was sessfully transmitted to Earth.


    Chaos and darkness gradually descended upon this small, and with Knull''s increasingly insane power output, the barriers of the Nine Realms began to gradually shake. Even if half of the spoils had not been moved, Odin had to return to Asgard to sit tight, and the Ancient One had to return to Earth to resist the invasion of these chaotic forces.


    Knull''s sudden madness exceeded their expectations, and both Asgard and Earth were caught off guard.On Earth, the darkness and chaos became even more intense. Steve looked at the ck shadows spreading under his feet and said seriously, "His range of erosion is about to exceed Greenwich Vige. If he leaves this area, it may affect the residential area..."


    He took out his phone and called Nick, but Nick told him, "All residents of Greenwich Vige and the surrounding residential areas have already been evacuated."


    "You were prepared early? What are you trying to do?"


    Nick did not answer and hung up the phone, then looked towards the center of the dark and chaotic battlefield.


    Suddenly, in the deepest part of the darkness and chaos, a wisp of gray mist rose up. In an instant, it spread into a gray fog that enveloped Riotpletely.


    At this moment, the demon gods who were absorbing power near the power channel suddenly realized that Knull''s power had stagnated for a moment, as if the power channel had been blocked.


    And indeed, the power channel had been blocked. As the power output port, Riot waspletely covered by the gray fog.


    The characteristics of the fog allowed it to do something that other symbiotes found difficult to do. At the right time, it could easily envelop and block another symbiote.


    At this moment, the mist gradually shrank and wrapped tightly around Riot, turning him into a plug that blocked the entrance of Knull''s power.


    But don''t forget, the enraged Knull was still crazily outputting his power, and when the entrance was blocked for a moment, Knull didn''t have time to stop.


    The output end blew towards them at an extremely high speed, but the exhaust port was forcibly blocked, and as expected, the power pipeline exploded.


    First, a small light spot lit up, followed by countless fragments flying out of the universe. The chaotic power that condensed to the extreme suddenly burst into a halo, like a ck sun, and the shock wave swept across the entire universe.


    Although the mist only blocked it for a short moment, and it wasn''t tightly sealed, it still absorbed arge part of Knull''s power. However, due to the fact that the output from Knull was toorge, the un-reinforced power channel exploded as expected.


    Moreover, it didn''t matter that the power channel exploded. There were still so many demons squatting beside the channel.


    Surtur remained stable as a mountain. For him, it was like an attack from a sneeze, and Dormammu took a slight step back but was unharmed. Due to his greed, Mephisto was a little slow to dodge and looked a bit embarrassed. The other major demons stumbled and hurriedly fled to their own dimensions.


    But except for these few major demons, the other demons suffered.


    It was like using a fan to blow wind. The wind blown by the fan not only does no harm, but also makes you feel cool. These demons were blowing wind with a fan, but suddenly, the wind that rushed out of the fan turned into a raging hurricane of level 12. It tore everything into pieces, and the scene was very tragic.


    The chaotic power of Knull could be absorbed, but that didn''t mean that this power had no destructive power when it exploded. On the contrary, as the power of the universe''s source, the violent shock caused by the explosion killed most of the demons who were still working on the pipeline, and even one unlucky major demon had his leg broken by the explosion and fled in embarrassment.


    At this time, Strange, who was in the pce, received a call from Schiller. He said, "Notify our dear investors that the gift is here."


    After the aftermath of the explosion dissipated, the Ancient One stood in the universe. The bodies of countless demons who were killed by the explosion filled the entire universe, even more than the number he and Odin had picked up before, and several major demons appeared beside him.


    The voice of Dormammu swallowing hard was louder than thunder, and Mephisto eximed, "Ancient One, you humans call us demons? This ispletely nder. You should be called the universe''s demons. Look at what you have done, tsk tsk, too tragic..."


    The Ancient One turned his head to look at the lord of hell, and Mephisto changed the subject, "So, when is the meal ready?"


    When Odin arrived, he also brought Loki and Strange. He threw these two people into the midst of a group of demons, and Strange swallowed his saliva and took out his mobile phone, reciting it with some unfamiliarity, "Advanced membership gift! Join the Totem Project''s advanced membership and not only receive unlimited eat-all-you-can card for this demon''s body for thirty days, but also receive twenty-eight membership benefits with just triple the investment..."


    On Earth, the mist burped and said, "Although it''s a bit painful, I''m so full...no, maybe a bit too full, urgh..."


    At this time, Eddie appeared behind Schiller, and his hoarse voice came out of his throat, "What about my share?"


    "Don''t worry." Schiller hesitated and asked Venom, "Are you sure you want a quarter?"


    "Of course, you''re not trying to cheat me, are you?"


    "Cough...I just wanted to remind you..."


    "Hurry up!! I''m starving!!!"


    Schiller could only put his hand on Eddie''s shoulder, and three secondster, Venom said, "Urgh..."


    "Why are there so many?!!"


    Schiller rubbed his throat ufortably. He didn''t expect Knull to project so much power in an instant.


    His original n was to let the mist block the power channel for a moment. ording to his estimation, since Knull had been imprisoned for so long, the power channel he used should not have advanced too much, and the bearing capacity should not be too great. As long as there was a moment of blockage, the channel would explode.


    Then, most of the demons who were sucking on the pipeline would be killed, and the next step would be the delightful forced purchase...gift-giving process.


    In that brief moment, the grey mist absorbed as much of Knull''s power as possible, even absorbing a bit too much. After giving a quarter of it to Venom, the two symbiotes were both ejected.


    "What did you do to make Knull so angry?" Venom asked.


    "Nothing..." Schiller coughed. "I just insulted him."


    "What did you say?" Venom asked in confusion.


    "Natallu."


    Two minutester, Stark''s chest reactor gradually went out and he fell from the sky. After being caught by Peter, he said, "I knew this thing would run out of power, but I didn''t expect it to run out so quickly."


    He grimaced as he reced his original reactor and shook his head in confusion. "Did I just have a hallucination?"


    "Why did I see a clump of Rotten mud chasing a wisp of mist?"

 Chapter 212: Busy Autumn (1)

    Chapter 212: Busy Autumn (1)


    Autumn has arrived in New York. After the summer heat has dissipated, the sky has be bluer and the wind cooler. However, in this prosperous international metropolis, few people have the mood to stop and appreciate the change in weather.


    The bustling traffic is more frantic and faster than the morning breeze. After the discontinuation of iced coffee, hot coffee held by suit-wearing elite employees has lost its heat along with the autumn season.


    And the busiest ce in this busy city is undoubtedly the famous Wall Street.


    The street stretches from the southern part of Manhattan to Broadway and used to be home to the New York Stock Exchange and the headquarters of various banks in thest century.


    But today, the symbolic significance of this street is greater than its practical significance. It is more like a financial symbol of this country. After the changes of the times, there is no bank that has its headquarters set up here. Most have moved to the midtown area with better development prospects.


    This street may disappoint tourists whoe here because of its short length and narrow width. When people pass through it, they feel like the high-rise buildings on both sides are about to fall over.


    The only constion is the scene of vintage cars parked on the walls of some dpidated buildings, with morning breezes blowing through the streets and cooling the coffee in their hands.


    At the corner of Wall Street, with the sound of a cannon salute, the banners on the flower baskets shine brightly in the sunlight. However, passers-by seem oblivious, as if there is a barrier between all this excitement and the real world.


    "Great to see you, Dr. Schiller." Loki stood under the steps in front of the gate, smiling and shaking hands with Schiller.He was wearing the mostmon white shirt with a dark green tie hanging on his chest. Under the sun, one could still see the small prints on it. From the watch on his wrist to the leather shoes on his feet, they were all Stocks Manager''s favorite brands.


    If it wasn''t for his name, hardly anyone would realize that he was not a Wall Street employee, or even an Earthling.


    After Schiller let go of Loki''s hand, he said, "I really didn''t expect that you would already bepletely adapted here in just over a month."


    "Thanks to the recent downturn in the stock market, I haven''t had a day off this month. I even have to finish my coffee in three sips." Lokiughed.


    Schiller shook his head, feeling quite emotional looking at Loki.


    About a month ago, on the eve of the Father of the Gods Odin''s announcement that he was going to sleep, he threw his youngest son Loki to the Ancient One.


    The reason was that Loki had eaten a lot of energy and needed to digest it, and someone needed to watch over him during digestion. Odin was too busy preparing to sleep and couldn''t take care of him, so he threw him to the Ancient One for foster care.


    Then the Ancient One found out that she wasn''t really cut out to take care of children. There were still plenty of Cosmic Leaks waiting for her to pick up in the universe, and if she didn''t pick them up, it would be a loss. So she threw Loki to Strange and let them practice and grow together in Kamar-Taj.


    Strangely enough, Loki and Strange got along pretty well. They had simr backgrounds and both felt that their fathers were biased towards their elder brothers. There were also many simrities in their moral bottom lines.


    Therefore, after living in Kamar-Taj for a while, they got along quite well. Like a wolf and a coyote getting along well, one can imagine what would happen next.


    They opened a betting game in Kamar-Taj, betting on the oue of the war between the lords of hell. Loki used his connections umted before to attract people from all over the world to gamble.


    The news spread to Sakaar Star, and the gambling-loving Grandmaster originally didn''t care. He considered himself a gambling master and didn''t want to participate in this kind of small-scale gambling game.


    But when Loki heard that he wasn''t joining, he was immediately unhappy. You''re always calling customer service, Grandmaster, and now that the odds are open, you don''t even give me face? That''s too much! He rolled up his sleeves and went to Sakaar.


    As the saying goes, you can tell a professional by their first move. Loki''s fraud skills were not to be reckoned with. In the original work, even Thanos was fooled by him. He spent two days sightseeing in Sakaar, and the Grandmaster was fooled, losing a considerable amount of money.


    Afterwards, Strange went to the Lord of Hell, Mephisto, and the two of them worked together on the arena games, causing the highly respected Grandmaster to almost lose his pants in a bet.


    The Grandmaster, who never likes to lose, originally intended to default on the bet. But Strange brought Mordo, a disciple of the Ancient One, to knock on the door of Sakaar Star. After considering the difference between himself and Mordo, the Grandmasterreluctantly paid up.


    After collecting the winnings, Mordo and Mephisto each received twenty percent, with the remaining sixty percent going to Strange and Loki.


    Upon realizing how profitable their scamming business was, Strange and Loki embarked on a career in telmunications fraud, resorting to every trick in the book to deceive people. After seeding a few times, they obtained a considerable amount of energy.


    Although their moral standards were low, their power levels were even lower. After acquiring the energy, they were eager to dispose of it. Unfortunately, they mishandled the process, causing an explosion that blew a hole in the temple of Kamar-Taj and punctured its protective shield.


    Upon returning home and discovering the damage to the temple, the Ancient One immediately kicked both of them out. Loki originally intended to return to Asgard, but Heimdall, who was guarding the Rainbow Bridge, had gone into seclusion, leaving Loki with no choice but to seek refuge with Strange on Earth again.


    Thus, Strange brought Loki to seek refuge with Schiller.


    Schiller wanted nothing to do with these two scammers, but Strange secretly bribed him with twenty percent of their winnings, causing Schiller to turn a blind eye and allow Loki to work at the Sanatorium.


    Since Schiller''s Sanatorium was located in the southern part of Manhattan, close to Wall Street, Loki soon discovered that scamming could be turned into a legitimate industry.


    He realized that his vision was too small.


    Loki had a talent for scamming, but hecked systematic knowledge. After working with Strange, the two of them discovered some patterns, but they were still not systematic.


    Every day, Loki passed by the New York Stock Exchange and the major banks on his way home from the Sanatorium. He suddenly realized that scamming could be turned into an industry.


    He realized that he needed to expand his horizons.


    He approached Strange, and after a secret meeting, Loki proudly became a stockbroker, embarking on his own journey of enlightenment on Earth.


    Loki was very busy aftering to Earth, and Strange was not idle either. After fighting with Riot, the Sanctum Sanctorum and themercial street of Greenwich Vige were reduced to rubble. Although SHIELD had organized an evacuation, the buildings werepletely destroyed.


    It is unknown whether Nick solved his autumn funding problem during the war, but he generously offered to help find a new building for the Sanctum Sanctorum.


    In Strange''s original n, his residence should have been far away from people, just like Kamar-Taj, in a remote forest where ordinary humans would not venture.


    But now, the Sanctum Sanctorum was only ten meters from Wall Street, covered in dust like a gem. Scammers were everywhere, just across the street.


    Thus, the Sanctum Sanctorum became an inseparable part of Wall Street. Its new location was at the corner of Wall Street, hidden by magic.


    Greenwich Vige began a vigorous reconstruction, and the relocated Sanctum Sanctorum had resolved most of its problems in just a month and was ready to reopen.


    On the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, many peculiar people showed up, such as a stunt motorcyclist in a jacket. Strange shook hands with Johnny and looked him up and down, surprised, "I didn''t expect you to look handsome with muscles and skin."


    Johnny did not seem to want to be there. He exuded an indifferent aura all over his body, apparently forced to attend the event.


    As soon as Strange sent him in, he saw his mentor Mordo and Juggernaut. He was busy greeting them when he saw Schiller walking down from a car. He quickly asked Loki to receive him.


    Thus, on the corner of Wall Street, Loki and Schiller had a lively conversation.


    Steve, who walked into the Sanctum Sanctorum in a very sharp suit, felt puzzled as he looked around the building from top to bottom. "Why does this ce look exactly like the stock exchange from my time? Isn''t this the base of the Sorcerer Supreme in New York? What does this have to do with sorcerers?"


    A receptionist with a smiling face weed Steve and checked his invitation card. He greeted him warmly, "Mr. Rogers, right? Wee. Mr. Strange is busy now. If you don''t mind, please wait in the back. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is about to begin..."


    Steve had a lot of questions in his mind, but he followed the guide inside. Peter, who had just stepped onto the stairs, only saw Steve''s back. He wanted to catch up, but was stopped by Strange who came over. Strange nced at Peter and asked, "Didn''t you bring your girlfriend with you?"


    "Gwen? How could I bring her here?"


    "How am I supposed to exin to her that I know Stark, Captain America, and other big shots? Yesterday, she was even worried that I couldn''t afford to eat..."


    Peter walked with Strange to the back, and Strange asked him, "Are you nning to hide the truth from your girlfriend forever?"


    Peter scratched his head in distress. "I don''t want to, but I can''t find a good time to tell her."


    "That sounds absurd. If you keep it up, we will see you in a mental sanatorium soon."


    After Peter went inside, Stark arrivedte. He looked at the interior structure of the Sanctum and appeared very disappointed. He said to Strange, "You made the Sanctum look like a stock exchange in the 1990s. Is it your unique taste, or your unique taste?"


    "Practicality is the priority." Strange was helpless. "I don''t want it to be like this, but if we don''t use the structure of the stock exchange, where should the many cable operators stay? On top of the magic cauldron?"


    Strange nced at Stark''s chest. Although he couldn''t see anything through his clothes, he still asked, "Have you solved the problem with your chest?"


    "Right." Stark''s tone was light.


    "Because I suddenly realized that all the things I was tangled up with were meaningless. So this morning, I reced the new Ark Reactor."


    "You don''t know what I saw. I found out that I was really stupid before."


    At this moment, Loki and Schiller also walked in from the door. Schiller took out a pen from his pocket and pressed a button. Stark''s voice came from inside, "I found out that I was really stupid before..."


    Schiller pressed the button again, and the voice came again, "I found out that I was really stupid before..."


    "Click, I found out that I was really stupid before..."


    Strange quickly stopped Stark, who was about to punch him. "Calm down. You don''t have a magic reactor now!"


    Schiller turned the recording pen around happily. "Unexpected gains thate once in a hundred years. It seems that opportunities are always left to those who are prepared."


    Before Stark could curse him, Schiller continued, "Don''t worry. I will save it to y at your wedding."


    "Really." Strange changed the subject and asked Stark, "What did you really see?"


    Stark pursed his lips and just walked ahead. Schiller whispered to Strange, "Although the magic reactor is out of power, what''s important has never been the reactor."


    "You''re right." Stark walked forward, turned his head and raised a finger, "Those meaningless things like Howard, the Ark Reactor...who cares!"


    "Come on, friends!" He walked quickly forward and left the two behind.


    Schiller asked Strange in a low voice, "How is the situation in the universe?"


    "As expected."


    The impact of Knull''s arrival was not small, but not big either.


    The main reason why this matter was not significant was that the definition of gods in the universe was broad, but there were a few basic rules.


    First, these powerful creatures did not evolve from civilizations. They werepletely different from human races, Asgardian races, dwarves, or symbiotes. They existed in the form of individuals in the universe and did not have society and civilization.


    Firstly, most of them were born from cosmic powers, and their birth was not through long evolution, but rather the awakening of consciousness by certain powers in the universe.


    Secondly, theoretically, their lifespan is infinite, as long as they are not killed, they can live forever.


    Whether it''s Mephisto, Sultar, or Dormammu, they all fit these criteria, so they are also members of the demon gods.


    However, not every demon god that meets these criteria is as powerful as the three mentioned above. The vast majority of them in the universe are not veryrge in size. The overall structure of these demon gods still appears in a pyramid shape, and only a small part of them can reach the strength of dimensional demon gods.


    Because many demon gods are not powerful enough, they have no resistance to disasters in the universe. There are often various natural disasters in the universe, such as the sudden copse of a dimension or the sudden explosion of a universe. After such idents ur, many demon gods are killed, and the surrounding demon gods also gather to divide their bodies.


    Therefore, the ident of the Knull power channel explosion is not umon in the universe. In the past, it was a natural disaster, but this time it was a man-made disaster.


    Although it was a man-made disaster, few people knew the truth, and the scope of the damage caused was not veryrge. Although many innocent creatures were affected, it was still within a reasonable range.


    Therefore, this matter did not cause much turbulence at the multiverse level.


    The only thing worth mentioning is that when the Ancient One contacted the Eternals through the Eye of Agamotto to discuss retirement matters, the Eternal asked her with some confusion, "The chaotic power of the universe''s origin has lost a lot recently. Do you have any idea what''s going on?"

 Chapter 213: Busy in Autumn (2)

    Chapter 213: Busy in Autumn (2)


    However, the fact is that this incident has a significant impact.


    The big shots of the multiverse, like Cyttorak, didn''t care about such a small amount of energy. Although Dormammu opened his belly after a long time and enjoyed a feast, it was more of a psychological satisfaction. Mephisto used these energies to solve some troubles in the hell dimension, but it didn''t affect his foundation. For the peak of individual universes and big shots of the multiverse, the impact was not too great.


    But for the demons below this level, it was a significant change.


    Firstly, due to the many deaths caused by the explosion, the redistribution of territories became chaotic. Some demons lost their neighbors and were nning to swallow their territories, but their other neighbors had the same idea. The demons who survived the incident gained a lot of power and were quick to take action.


    In order topete for loot and the remaining territories, the demons started a crazy fight. Whoever could digest faster would be stronger and could seize more territory in a short period.


    After the fight started, demons with better adaptability and faster digestion survived, swallowed more territory, and gained greater power. The number of demons in the universe plummeted, but the quality skyrocketed.


    The demon industry in the universe underwent extreme integration and restructuring, forcing the upgrade of abilities, and forming a closed loop power system. The power distribution system produced new industry handles, which greatly demonstrated the industry advantages of end-to-end and fast services...


    In simple terms, there were too many incidents recently, and the demons were busy practicing, fighting, and dividing territories. At this time, the convenience of the Sanctum Sanctorum was reflected.


    A group of demons squatted by the phone, waiting for the Sanctum Sanctorum to open and solve their problems.On the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Sanctum Sanctorum, the sun was shining in New York. Peter set up the camera, and everyone stood in a row on the stairs at the entrance. Just as the camera was about to take a picture, chaotic noises came from the building, and screams filled the air.


    Loki and Strange in the middle turned around, and everyone else followed suit.


    With a "swoosh," a mobile phone flew past Strange''s forehead, and then more than a dozen mobile phones flew out of the door.


    Peter was agile, bending over to avoid a mobile phone attacking him, and then turned around to avoid a mobile phone attacking from the side. Stark reacted a little slower and was directly hit on the shoulder by a mobile phone, staggering for a moment.


    Steve took the initiative to attack and grabbed a mobile phone flying over. Everyone gathered around, but suddenly the mobile phone burst into mes. Steve let go, and everyone dispersed. The mobile phone floated in the air, and Mephisto''s shouting came from inside:


    "Strange! Open the door!"


    With a "click," a strange and bizarre photo appeared in the camera.


    A group of people who looked like the Avengers but had many strange things mixed in, stood in front of the camera, looking up at a mobile phone on fire. Peter was still bending over, Stark was leaning forward, as if he was about to fall, Steve reached up to the sky, Strange covered his forehead, Loki looked up at the sky...


    Except for Schiller, who had a calm andposed expression, and Ghost Rider, who was forced to socialize, everyone was in a panic.


    The photo flew out of the camera and was blown into the window of the Sanctum Sanctorum by the cool breeze of New York. It floated andnded on Strange''s desk. He picked up the photo with his fingers and shook his head helplessly.


    At this time, Loki walked in with a phone in his hand and said, "I''m moving. The apartment in the central area is not good, so I found a new house in the south."


    "Congrattions on your promotion. When are you treating us?"


    "Next week, I''m busy this week."


    "Busy? What''s going on? Isn''t your big clienting in half a month?"


    "It''s not work-rted. It''s my personal matter."


    In an apartment in the south of Manhattan, Thor carrying bags and packages was surprised to see Loki opening the door. He eximed, "Loki? How can it be you?! You''re thendlord here??"


    Then he took out a flyer from his pocket and said, "Damn it...Why is the rent here so low..."


    Loki leaned against the door frame, one hand reaching overhead and the other hand on his hip. He said to Thor, "Haven''t you noticed any other changes?"


    Thor looked up and observed Loki for a while. Then he suddenly froze and shouted incredulously, "You...how did you be the God of Fire?!!"


    "Your divine position has been upgraded?? You..."


    Loki''sughter overwhelmed Thor''s voice. Heughed so hard that his stomach hurt, and he said whileughing, "What was your divine position again? Oh! The name is too long, I almost forgot, hahaha..."


    "What''s going on? How is this possible?!! How did you..."


    Thor''s worldview was shattered.


    It all started with Asgard''s unique divine system.


    The reason why the Asgardians were called gods was because they could truly gain power from their divine positions. If one were to delve into the system, it would take too long, but overall, every member of the Asgardian race could obtain a divine position after reaching adulthood.


    However, there were different levels of divine positions. For example, the current god king Odin''s divine position was the God of Thunder, which was the highest position in the Asgardian divine system. If Thor were to inherit the throne, his divine position would also be the God of Thunder.


    But Thor''s current divine position, as someone who had not yet inherited the throne, was the God of Climate and Storms, while his brother Loki''s was the God of Lies and Deception.


    The main rule of divine positions was that the shorter the title, the more abstract the description, and the less specific the management scope, the stronger the position.


    For example, the God of Climate and Storms was actually a subsidiary divine position in the God of Thunder divine system, while the God of Lies and Deception was a subsidiary divine position in the God of Fire divine system.


    Divine positions were not immutable. There were two main ways for a divine position to change: one was for Odin to pass the position to Thor. Once Odin left all of his power to Thor, Thor would naturally inherit his divine position.


    The other way was like Loki''s, where he followed two big shots and took advantage of the situation, digesting it and then rising a step in strength, naturally upgrading his divine position.


    Of course, Loki''s easy promotion of his divine position was not only because the position of God of Fire had been vacant for years without anypetitors, but also because Odin was satisfied with his performance, which was an important reason why he helped him.


    The main reason why Loki deliberately found Thor and tricked him into renting a house was that Loki was now Thor''s superior.


    Asgard was a nation where everyone was a soldier, so their political system was more like a military one, with those having higher divine positions beingmanders and those with lower divine positions being soldiers.


    Within the same divine position level, there was also a difference in height due to the different directions of the positions. Generally speaking, divine positions that managed natural forces were higher than others, which was also determined by the Asgardian nationality.


    Therefore, Thor''s original divine position of God of Climate and Storms was supposed to be half a level higher than Loki''s God of Lies and Deception, which was very reasonable, because Thor was the eldest son and the future heir.


    This had been the case for the Asgardian royal family throughout history, with the divine positions of the heir to the throne being half a level higher than others, and only after the heir inherited the highest divine position could other princes be promoted to full gods.


    In other words, the original n was for Thor to be the God of Thunder, and only then would Loki be the God of Fire, with his divine position still being half a level lower than that of the God of Thunder.


    But now, the situation was that Thor had angered Odin and had been banished to another realm, missing out on the Knull incident that had just happened. On the other hand, Loki had been glorified by Odin, and his strength had already reached the level of a full god.


    And seeing Strange and the Ancient One getting along so well as teacher and disciple, Odin thought of his own son and became angry, ignoring the Asgardian tradition and directly giving Loki the divine position of God of Fire.


    And the first thing Loki did after obtaining the divine position of God of Fire was toe and provoke Thor, who was being driven crazy by him.


    Thor was a very traditional Asgardian deity, and he believed very much in the Asgardian system of gaining rank and divine positions through military achievements. He also believed that his military achievements were worthy of the title of heir to Asgard, and that no one in his generation could surpass him.


    But now, a cruel fact was staring him in the face. Loki, a mage who was the weakest inbat strength among his peers and could be called weak in Asgard, had be a full god before him.


    He had be the first full god among his peers.


    The difference between a full god and a subsidiary god was not just a world apart. Asgard''s political system was closer to that of a military one, which meant that superiors had absolute control over subordinates. Once a subordinate defied his superior, he could be expelled by Heimdall.


    Now, Loki, who could only stand in the rear during battles, had be Thor''s superior, who charged into battle bravely. Thor could not ept this at all.


    Loki saw that Thor outside the door was red-faced and his neck veins bulging. He leaned against the door frame and spoke lightly to Thor: "What''s wrong? Do you want to beat me up? Like I used to y tricks on you?"


    "But unfortunately, you can''t do it..." Loki looked into Thor''s eyes, his gaze bing somewhat cold. "Now, you have no divine power, no weapons, and, more importantly, you don''t have the right. I am no longer your subordinate..."


    Thor gritted his teeth and spat out a few words from his mouth: "The Father of the Gods is unfair..."


    Loki''s gaze grew colder and the smile disappeared from his face. The symbols of Asgardian runes flickered around his body, the mark of a true god. He looked at Thor and said, "You truly are a fool. Even if you could understand a word of the Allfather, you would not have the chance to be mocked by me here."


    He turned to the side and gestured for Thor toe inside before saying, "Do you want to see where I live? A luxury apartment in the wealthy Manhattan district. And you? Some shack in a poor neighborhood?"


    "You are not only a failed god, but also a failed person," Thor retorted.


    "This is what you are, Thor. Your perceived braveryes from the physical strength the Allfather gave you. The honor you believe in is nothing but pity and sympathy given to you when people praise the God King Odin..."


    "Everything you are proud ofes from the Allfather''s favoritism towards you. Once you disappoint him and lose this privilege, you will be nothing," Loki said with his eyes filled with malice.


    Loki''s eyes grew even more sinister under his furrowed brow. He looked at Thor and said, "Admit it, from beginning to end, you are a failure, brother."


    He bit thest word heavily before mming the door shut with a loud bang.


    Loki turned around and walked a few steps before stopping next to the entranceway. The sunlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows across from him, but it did not touch his body. His Adam''s apple quivered violently as he looked like he was trembling all over.


    After several seconds, he exhaled and put one hand against the wall, slowly clenching it into a fist.


    For some reason, he wanted to see Frigga now, to see his mother, to return to the bedroom he thought was so boring.


    Suddenly, he heard the door behind him being knocked. The sound echoed in the room, and Loki turned around in disbelief. He heard Thor''s muffled voice outside the door, "Open up! I want to rent a room!"

 Chapter 214: Busy Autumn (2)

    Chapter 214: Busy Autumn (2)


    As the saying goes, if one does not n ahead, they will have immediate worries, and the gods are no exception.


    Thor was about to go crazy from Loki''s insults. If it were before, even if he knew he couldn''t beat Loki and knew that attacking his superior would likely result in being expelled by Heimdall, he would still fight Loki to the death.


    But sinceing to Earth, Thor understood one thing: objective facts cannot be changed by subjective actions. Failing an interview means failing, thepany not epting you means they won''t ept you, not being able to find a job means you can''t find a job. No matter how angry or resentful Thor was, it wouldn''t make a difference.


    During this time, Thor had encountered countless setbacks. Initially, his work as a warehouse worker was decent, but the pay was too low. After paying the rent, Thor had trouble even affording food and clothing.


    He urgently wanted to find a higher paying job, but Hell''s Kitchen was a terrible ce to find work, so he had to look elsewhere.


    Luckily, he had gotten along well with a group of Texas truck drivers while working in the warehouse. Thor learned some driving and car repair skills from them, so he found a job at a car repair shop near the southern part of Manhattan.


    But this job was too far from his residence, so Thor had to find a new ce to live. The only ce he could afford and was close enough to his workce was Loki''s apartment.


    Even if Loki had tricked him intoing and mocking him, Thor had no choice but to ept reality. If he couldn''t make it to work on time and get paid, he would have to sleep on the road again.


    It''s unclear what Loki was thinking, but in the end, he opened the door for Thor. It''s also unclear what their rtionship was, but in the end, Loki rented the apartment to Thor.There were many other apartments near the luxury apartment building where Loki lived, and across the street, SHIELD agent Hill was using a telescope to look over. Symbiote Phantom inside herined, "I still think it''s too risky for you guys to use Riot for research. Why not just send him back to the Klyntar and lock him up?"


    "I don''t know why you humans are so bold. Aren''t you afraid of Knull''s chaos power returning?" Hill shrugged and said, "You''ll have to talk to the director about that. It''s his n, and I can''t change anything."


    Phantom was also very helpless. "Also, by monitoring the two princes of Asgard like this, won''t you be resented by Odin, the king of gods? He is the master of the Nine Realms..."


    "It''s not that important, but don''t tell me, those two princes are pretty handsome..." Hill put her hands on her waist and held the telescope, asking Phantom, "Who do you think is better looking? I prefer Loki a bit more, Thor has that macho look..."


    Hill shrugged and said, "Maybe someone will like him, but he''s not my type."


    "I..." Phantom didn''t know how to respond. Hill thought she was shy and said, "I can feel that you''re more interested in Thor. Every time you mention him, your emotions seem to fluctuate. How about I introduce you guys?"


    "No need!" Phantom shouted.


    Suddenly, Hill put down her telescope, rubbed her eyes, and then looked through the window across the street again, saying with some confusion, "Am I seeing things? It looks like there''s a fire in their room!"


    Phantom had already covered Hill''s body. She said, "You''re not seeing things, there really is a fire."


    In an instant, Hill appeared outside Loki and Thor''s apartment door. She knocked and said, "Hello, are you there? I saw a fire in your room!"


    There was a loud noiseing from inside the apartment, and after a while, Thor opened the door. His face was ckened, and he wiped it hard before saying, "We''re fine! We''ll take care of it right away!"


    Another loud noise came from the kitchen, and thick smoke billowed out. Loki was directly choked out and coughed twice, telling Thor who was standing in front of him, "It''s really on fire, put it out quickly..."


    Thor covered his eyes, and pointed to the staircase where the fire-fighting equipment was located. "There''s fire-fighting equipment in there. Just open it and use it."


    After the fire was put out, although Hill was very curious about what had happened, she had no reason to stay, so she returned to her base to continue remote monitoring.


    Less than an hourter, the ss of the room across from them was shattered by a violent explosion, and billowing ck smoke came out from the room. Hill hurriedly went downstairs.


    Loki walked quickly, his face ckened by the smoke, and Thor behind him was even more unrecognizable, almost turning into a little ck man.


    Thor hysterically yelled at Loki, "Look what you''ve done! You''re the most ipetent fire god I''ve ever seen! If you hadn''t used mes to ignite the gas stove, it wouldn''t have exploded..."


    Apanied by the sound of the fire rm, Loki was also very angry and said, "How was I supposed to know what was going on??? Controlling fire is a skill inherent in my profession. How was I supposed to know why the me was burning the pipes out of control?"


    "You already messed up once before!" Thor emphasized, "But you still insisted on doing this. Is your brain tied in knots?!"


    Loki was so angry that heughed. He never thought he would be mocked by Thor for being brainless. While they were arguing, a firefighter in uniform walked over and said, "You two are the owners of the fire-damaged house. What is your rtionship?"


    Neither of them spoke, and the firefighter looked at them both with a strange expression, then took out a notebook to register. "Regardless of your rtionship, you need toe with us to the police station now. A major fire ident needs to be recorded..."


    As the two princes were about to be taken away in a fire truck, Hill walked over, shed her badge and said, "Agent, please cooperate."


    Twenty minutester, Natasha sat at her desk facing the two of them. Without looking up, she asked, "What are your names?"


    "Thor Odinson," Thor said unkindly.


    "Loki Odinson."


    "Hey, you''re not an Odinson! Only the firstborn of the god king can use the title of Odinson!"


    "Can you shut up?" Loki rubbed his face and said fiercely to Thor, "I am a legitimate god now. You can''t contradict me!"


    Natasha knocked on the table and said expressionlessly, "Do you know that you caused a gas explosion in a densely popted high-end apartment? It can be ssified as a terrorist activity conducted by aliens."


    Loki gestured for Natasha to calm down with one hand and said, "I can exin. Here''s what happened..."


    Natasha propped her face up with one hand and made a face that said, "I want to see what you cane up with." She listened to Loki speak.


    "I obtained the profession of fire god. Of course, I know that you humans don''t understand how this profession system works, but literally speaking, a fire god should have the ability to control fire, right?"


    After saying this, Loki felt that his words were too stupid, but seeing Natasha nod, he continued, "Human gas stoves should also be ignited with fire, so there''s no problem, right?"


    Natasha nodded again.


    Thor interrupted, "But your fire control ability is like a pile of dog shit! We just needed a small me to ignite the gas stove, but you created a fireball bigger than the refrigerator door..."


    Lokipletely ignored him and continued, "Theoretically speaking, the fire control ability inherent in the profession of fire god should be very perfect."


    "So?" Natasha looked up at him.


    Loki opened his mouth and looked at Natasha''s beautiful face. He felt that his conclusion was a bit embarrassing in front of a beauty.


    "But there is a slight difference between theory and reality..."


    Natasha sighed and closed the file in front of her. "SHIELD allowed Thor to stay on Earth because he doesn''t have any powers beyond ordinary humans, but you''re different."


    "I don''t care what you are, whether you can''t control your divine power or have made a mistake in casting spells, in short, you burned down human houses, scared the surrounding residents, and wasted fire rm resources. In short, we have to send you back..."


    "No! Wait!" Loki stood up and said, "I have a very important business this month! I just negotiated a big deal with Genius yesterday and I''m going to meet with the client soon. It''s a big deal for Trust Bank. I can''t just..."


    Just then, Nick Fury pushed open the office door, with cigarette smoke emanating from his body and a crystal ball in his hand. The other three stared at him. Nick cleared his throat, spat out a mouthful of ck cigarette, and said, "Put aside all other issues. Can you guys not be so rough when sending packages for Asgard?"


    "Um... Did you get struck by lightning?" Natasha asked.


    "Don''t be like Coulson, always asking obvious questions," Nick replied.


    Thor and Loki exchanged a nce, and Loki said, "This is the good quality of Asgard, simple, fast, and efficient, although it is a bit rough..."


    Natasha walked up to Nick, and he handed her the crystal ball. Then he looked at Loki and said, "Since your father has already paid the deposit, we can temporarily overlook the trouble you caused. But you must promise us that there won''t be a next time."


    Loki raised his hand and said, "I won''t use the power of the God of Fire again."


    Natasha asked with some doubt, "But you''re not just capable of that God of Fire power, and after the fire started, can''t you use your magic to put it out?"


    "I don''t know what happened," Loki turned his head and looked to the side, saying with some confusion, "I couldn''t control the fireball I created, and I also have some... I mean, some..."


    Thor looked at his younger brother''s expression and grinned, "Are you... afraid of fire?"

 Chapter 215: Heroism

    Chapter 215: Heroism


    As dusk approached, the heavy haze gently settled on the skyline, adding a mysterious hue to the once brilliant sunset. When the light shone through the mist and into the hospital room, a halo of light appeared behind Stark against the light.


    Schiller stood on the other side of the bed, and Connors walked over with a syringe. The two whispered about the data, and Schiller turned to Obadiah lying on the hospital bed, then to Stark sitting across from him.


    He lowered his head, his brown eyes sinking into the shadow of his eyshes like the sun trapped in a cage.


    Stark propped his elbow on his knee and covered his mouth with his hand. His bodynguage indicated that he didn''t want to talk, but his voice still leaked out from between his fingers, hoarse like a de.


    "I saw many things, the past, the future, I saw many versions of myself and their different life paths."


    His tone rose slightly with the first few words. "Perhaps you won''t believe it, but I understand all the truth and secrets."


    His breath exhaled through his nose onto his hand, and when Stark lowered his eyes, he could clearly see the change in his breath.


    "Maybe it was just a moment, but that moment was infinite to me. I saw everything I wanted to see."


    He moved one hand and raised a few fingers, then put them back down. "I saw Howard."The clouds passed over the skyline, causing the light to suddenly darken. Stark''s trembling voice carried a strange power.


    In the mist of the sunset and haze, Stark walked into a lively exhibition, where he saw the man who had faded in his memory, standing next to a hovercar, introducing his great invention.


    Stark followed the crowd out of the exhibition and into a dimboratory, where the man held a shield and chatted with Steve.


    After theboratory lights went out, there was a violent shaking, a sharp brake sound, and a violent explosion. Time reversed, and in theboratory, Stark picked up a photo frame containing Howard and Obadiah''s photo when they were young.


    When the light in theboratory came back on, a young Obadiah walked in. Howard warmly embraced him, and the two talked all night about their great inventions.


    The genius ideas were passed onto Stark''s ears, making him feel intoxicated not because of how powerful the ideas were but because he had never had a friendship like the two of them, never had a soulmate to talk with all night long.


    After the violent brake sound and explosion, Obadiah''s figure began to shrink, with more and more white hair on his head. Stark saw him hang up the phone and start trembling all over, looking pleased and guilty, like he had gone mad.


    Stark stood in theboratory, and Howard walked past him and waved to Obadiah. Steve was adjusting the shield handle, and after a while, Pepper walked in while talking on the phone, and Schiller sat in front of theb table, unscrewing a light bulb.


    Peter came in with a steaming breakfast, and theboratory floor shook violently. A huge lizard monster jumped in and quickly turned into the gentle Dr. Connors. Connors reached out, and a syringe was handed to Stark.


    Stark looked up, and Connors and Schiller stared at him. Schiller said, "If everything goes well, after thest treatment, he will wake up. In addition, his life expectancy may be extended, and his mind and body will be younger."


    Schiller looked at Stark''s expression and said, "You should be deeply skeptical now because when you heard this news, you found that you were not happy."


    "You are wondering why. You suddenly realized that you were not as generous as you appeared. Maybe you are also wondering whether there is really any family love between you and Obadiah, or whether it is all because of someone you don''t want to mention."


    "Don''t use mind-reading on me," Stark looked up at Schiller, and for once, Schiller didn''t argue with him because he understood that Stark was no longer just Iron Man in this universe.


    When he ascended to the only one, many things changed.


    Perhaps the energy consumption of the magic reactor prevented this moment fromsting too long, but fundamentally, this Stark in front of him had understood all truth.


    Stark remained silent, looking at Obadiah. Neither Connors nor Schiller spoke.


    After this genius, cursed with knowledge, saw through all universal truths, he would no longer be troubled by trivial emotions, nor would he be overwhelmed by surging emotional waves.


    Therefore, he would be able to make every judgment that would affect his life clearly and be prepared to take responsibility for it without anyone reminding him.


    After the clouds passed by, the light shone again. Stark stood up, bent down and pulled the nket off Obadiah, and said to Connors, "Let''s proceed with the final phase of treatment."


    Schiller said nothing. He pressed a button, and the doctor and nurses walked in. Stark left the hospital room against the crowd, and Schiller followed, standing by the door.


    Stark asked him, "You''re also the only one, right? You knew all of this long ago, how it happened, and how it will develop in the future. This is something every only one can do."


    Schiller nced at Stark and said, "At that moment, you could have chosen to be the only one, and then the energy of the magic reactor would no longer be a shackle to you."


    "The only one is the only one. They will no longer rely on any energy to maintain their position, but why didn''t you do it?"


    Stark suddenlyughed and said to Schiller, "You wanted me to do that, right? You gave me a battery that allowed me to break through these barriers and reach a higher level."


    "Perhaps you think that no one can resist this temptation, ascending to the highest level in an instant, seeing through all truth, and feeling everything under control. By giving a definite answer, one can be an eternal god."


    "You have influenced Strange, the Supreme Sorcerer, Asgard and Odin, and the cosmic gods, so that I can make the right choice at that moment and be the only one above the universe."


    "So you must be disappointed now that I wasted this opportunity and became a mortal again."


    "My psychology is not bad, right?"


    Stark turned his head to look at Schiller. Behind them was a door filled with sunset light, like a picture frame that turned their figures into silhouettes. The orange-red background was brighter than any color on the painter''s palette, almost overflowing from the canvas and spreading to the walls and floor.


    "You really surprised me," Schiller lowered his head, but his tone was calm. He said, "But someone taught me a lesson before you."


    "Arrogance is a deadly poison. Whether it is a god or a human, when he believes he has the ability to change the situation, influence the fate of everyone, and manipte everyone like pawns, he is not far from death."


    "This kind of arrogance will devour all humanity and make people lose the most precious wisdom and emotions, bing the embodiment of rules and order. Whether you believe it or not, I have never thought of doing this."


    "I am an ordinary person, always have been."


    "In fact, I don''t know what I was thinking," Stark looked up, and some light prated his hair, making his eyes shine brightly. The chains of shadows seemed to havepletely left him.


    "Maybe you wouldn''t believe it, but when I found out that I could be the only one in countless universes, and merge with all the other versions of myself, making all Starks my avatars and projections, that''s when I knew it."


    Stark looked down. It was as if he was still standing on a high mountain peak, surrounded by cold winds, with a sky full of stars behind him. It was an indescribable and unspeakable space. He saw that all the universes were beneath his feet.


    Several shadows ran towards him, about to merge into one and be the only existence in the universe, with no more destinies, memories, or histories.


    But in the next second, Stark opened his arms, and without hesitation, he jumped down. Those shadows chased after him, but were blocked by the barriers of individual universes.


    "I refuse to ascend like this."


    "Is it difficult?" Stark asked himself and answered, "No, it''s not difficult at all. There''s nothing worth hesitating for."


    "No matter how much difficulty emotions and wisdom bring me, they are not reasons for me to abandon them. Even if human nature is ugly, it is still a part of me, not something that needs to be eliminated as garbage."


    "A perfect and wless yet lonely god will never be nobler than a vulgar and lively human being."


    "You are indeed a hero." Schiller''s voice sounded. "Because there is only one kind of heroism in this world, which is to still love life after recognizing its truth."


    As hisst note fell, the clouds swiftly dissipated. At this moment, the vibrant orange-red background in the frame dimmed, resembling cooled steel. The figures of the two individuals slowly sank into the darkness.


    "Beep beep."


    An ear-piercing machine beep sounded from the hospital room. After amotion, someone shouted, "He''s awake! He''s awake!"

 Chapter 216: Military Trends (1)

    Chapter 216: Military Trends (1)


    "I''ll repeat myself, I am a doctor, not a god." Strange stood by Obadiah''s hospital bed and said, "He''s the first patient I''ve seen who was readmitted within a week of being discharged. At this rate, even the newly-developed medicine won''t be able to save him, let alone god."


    Stark sighed deeply on the other side of the bed, and Schiller asked him, "I''m sure all his physical indicators were fine before he was discharged, even exceeding those of an average person. How did you manage to give him hypertension and readmit him within a week?"


    Stark said, feeling wronged, "I didn''t do anything. He just saw the recent reports of Stark Industries and the contract with Osborn Industries and the Immortality Foundation after he was discharged, and he became like this."


    The reason for this was that after Obadiahpleted his final treatment, he woke up, exactly as expected by Connors and Schiller. The Medicine extracted from the fear gas to stimte brain activity,bined with the healing Medicine from the lizard serum, not only awakened Obadiah but also enhanced his physical abilities.


    After a short rest, Obadiah returned to work. Yes, his first action after waking up was not to have a conversation with Stark but to rush towards his belovedpany.


    Obviously, in Obadiah''s eyes, Stark Industries was more important than Stark himself.


    Although Obadiah had prepared himself mentally before returning to thepany, the situation still made him feel dizzy.


    The original industry of Stark Industries was not a problem, although Pepper had a long period of adaptation when taking over. At first, it was a bit chaotic, but in the end, she managed to tidy things up. Although the profits were not as high as when Obadiah was there, it was still passable. Obadiah felt a bit heartbroken, but he epted the result.


    What really made Obadiah angry was the new business in recent times, which was the Osborn Industries and Immortality Foundation.To put it bluntly, the entire Stark Industries was built by Obadiah alone. Without him, Howard''s genius ideas would only be talk on paper and could not be turned into actual benefits. Obadiah''s business acumen was unmatched.


    When he returned to thepany, he was surprised to hear about the Immortality Industry. He felt that it was a genius idea. However, he saw the contract between Stark and Osborn Industries and the Immortality Foundation and had a hypertensive attack, readmitted to the hospital.


    Using the phrase "heart is bleeding" cannot express Obadiah''s feelings well. His heart was empty, and he was almost having a brain hemorrhage.


    Stark felt very wronged. Objectively speaking, he had already done his best.


    Stark sighed and said, "It doesn''t matter. I can finally stop worrying about those annoying things and return to my happy life."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I''m afraid you''re happy too early. Do you know the recent movements of the military?"


    "The military''s movements, oh." Stark said, "Let me guess, they must have a lot of questions waiting for me. Maybe they want to hold a hearing and ask me to hand over the technology of bing a cosmic god and creating countless mechanical armies."


    "Nick won''t let them do that." Schiller told Stark directly. "He''s even prepared a speech to criticize the military."


    Schiller was right. Nick was currently butting heads with the military.


    Stark''s attitude now leaned more towards SHIELD. They hadmon interests in the Immortality and Cosmic God areas, and they cooperated happily. Neither side wanted a troublemaker to interfere. Stark would never fully cooperate with the military, but even if they took a small portion of the profits, Nick would be heartbroken.


    It''s hard to change human nature. If Stark was still just a scientist who had mastered Mech armor technology like in the movies, he would probably still be coerced by the military.


    But now, he had gone beyond that level. The appearance of the Iron Man had made the military and the United Nations consider the idea of finding a new to live on. The "Wander Earth" n was already on their lips. If the Stark, who had transformed into a cosmic god, had not disappeared, things would have been chaotic.


    Even if the Iron Man, who could create a mechanical army out of thin air, disappeared, the military still had a lot of questions to ask Stark. However, because of the extraordinary power Stark had demonstrated, they dare not use any coercive measures.


    As Stark had not yet publicly announced that he was Iron Man, the military thought it was impossible for him to participate in a public hearing, so they had tried to privately invite Stark to talk with the military.


    But this n encountered too much resistance. On the one hand, to avoid Stark''s contact with the military from damaging their cooperation, SHIELD would definitely obstruct it. On the other hand, after Obadiah''s return, Stark Industries seemed to have a backbone, and Obadiah was very resistant to cooperating with the military. The military also found it difficult to bypass him to contact Stark.


    Now, Stark was not a hedgehog, but he was surrounded by a group of hedgehogs, and the military did not know where to start.


    But it was impossible for them to just sit by and watch. They would not allow such a powerful force to leave their control, even if they knew it was a nuclear bomb. There would always be someone who wanted to knock some benefits out of it before it finally exploded.


    In the end, the military sought out the World Security Council.


    It had to be said that they found the right person. Seeing Nick Fury''s power growing stronger and stronger, and the superheroes around him getting stronger, Alexander Pierce could not sit still.


    Originally, he and Nick hadmon interests, such as the Immortality Factor industry, but Nick had grown stronger through a series of operations, and his reliance on Pierce had be smaller and smaller. Seeing that his chosen proxy was gradually bing uncontroble, Pierce also wanted to weaken Nick''s power and regain control.


    Changes in interests determined changes in positions. Soon, Nick received a call from the World Security Council.


    On a in weekend morning in New York, the Global Times published a heavyweight news article: "The Secret Behind Tony Stark''s Iron Man Metal Mask."


    Stark put down the newspaper, ced his coffee on the table, and said cheerfully, "Well, this is great. I don''t have to announce it myself, they did it for me."


    Pepper across from him was very helpless and said, "This will have a big impact. Many people have been influenced by the military and believe that you have a responsibility to hand over this advanced technology to the military to maintain world peace."


    "To hell with world peace!" Nick shouted loudly on his mobile phone in his office, "Don''t use your three-year-old''s rhetoric to fool me!"


    "How long do you want to y this game? Constant probing, inch by inch, public opinion pressure, and economic sanctions. Is your brainpletely rusted? Why don''t you understand that this game can no longer trap Stark? And once you anger him, the entire Earth will be in danger, and SHIELD will have to clean up the mess in the end!"


    After hanging up the phone, Nick sighed and said to Hill next to him, "What was the name of thest host of the ck symbiote? Wasn''t he a journalist for the Global Times? Contact him immediately."


    At this time, Eddie was arguing with Venom in front of a hotdog stand in Hell''s Kitchen. "I warned youst time that the chili peppers in Mexico are very spicy, but you still insisted on buying the extra spicy hotdog. I almost died from the spice. I definitely won''t let it happen again."


    "You are the most cowardly human I have ever seen. A little chili pepper makes you scream."


    "I''ll have an extra spicy one, thank you." Eddie''s hoarse and low voice came from his throat, and then he twitched and said, "No! Not extra spicy, just mildly spicy."


    "No! Extra spicy!"


    "No."


    "Hey, wait, there''s a beauty over there!"


    "Don''t try to distract me. That trick doesn''t work anymore."


    "Hello, I''m Hill. Are you Eddie Brock?"


    Eddie turned his head and saw Hill in a professional suit appearing behind him.


    "I am. What''s up?"


    "Hello, I''m SHIELD Agent Hill. We have some work that requires your cooperation." Hill showed her ID.


    "Hello, Phantom, long time no see. We were too rushed on the battlefieldst time. Do you have any free time now?"


    "Wait!" Eddie stopped Venom from saying the next words. He whispered, "Didn''t you hear what she said? She''s a SHIELD agent."


    On the other side, Phantom was also talking to Hill in his mind, "I told you before, Venom is crazy. He actually wants his host to hit on you!"


    "I think he may not want his host to hit on me. Don''t you think he wants to hit on you?" Hill thought as Eddie did, believing that Venom had taken a liking to Phantom.


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Phantom said. "Symbiotes don''t have gender because we don''t need to reproduce like humans do. My form is female only because the human host I parasitized was female."


    At this point, the rtionship between the two pairs of symbiotes and hosts became very subtle. Eddie thought Venom definitely wanted to hit on Phantom, and Phantom thought Eddie wanted to control Venom to hit on Hill. But Hill believed, like Eddie did, that Venom had taken a liking to Phantom.


    This caused them to face each other, not knowing what to say, and could only talk to their own symbiotes in their minds.


    Gonzalez, who sold hotdogs, knocked on the tray and said, "Do you want more hotdogs?"


    Eddie didn''t know how to speak, but before he could say anything, Venom said, "We''ll have two, one extra spicy and one mild, and two sses of juice, one without ice, thank you."


    After the hotdogs were ready, Eddie and Hill sat down at the table under the umbre next to the hotdog stand. Phantom said to Hill, "Are you sure you want to eat something that Venom ordered? I''m really worried about getting infected."


    Hill didn''t touch the food in front of her, but instead said to Eddie, "You must have read the recent report in the Global Times, right?"


    Eddie took a bite of his hotdog and said, "You mean the report that exposed Stark as Iron Man?"


    "What do you think about it?"


    "Although journalists sometimes need to repeat some obvious facts, this report said something that anyone with a brain can guess, yet it has caused such a big reaction, which made me deeply ponder what my career really means."


    "SHIELD suspects that this is a military ploy to pressure Stark again."


    "It seems that I misunderstood my former colleagues. The stupid ones are not the journalists, but the military."


    Hill asked Phantom in her mind, "Is this guy named Venom always so sarcastic?"


    "I don''t know. I''m not interested in understanding a lunatic."


    "The situation now is like this." Hill exined to Eddie, "We don''t know what the military has done, but in any case, they have convinced the World Security Council, and the Security Council and the military stand on one side, iming that Stark''s technology can better maintain world peace."


    "They don''t want Stark to hand over his technology, do they?"


    "Maybe not all of it, but at least part of it." Hill paused for a moment. "If you look at Stark''s power disyed that day, the goals of the Security Council and the military are at least histest generation of Mech armor, and they may even want the power that turns Stark into a god."


    "In order to achieve their goals, they will do everything possible to harass Stark. Even if Stark is not afraid of them in terms of force, there are many ways they can cause trouble for Stark and his group in this society."


    "SHIELD wants to prevent this from happening, but the problem is that we are an organization under the World Security Council."


    Hill made a gesture and said, "Obviously, our situation is a bit embarrassing now. The World Security Council asked us not to interfere, and Director Nick is also under a lot of pressure, so we cannot help Stark openly."


    "But we don''t want them to seed, so we hope you can do us a favor."


    "I used to be a journalist for the Global Times, but that was in the past." Eddie took a few sips of juice and said, "If you came to me because of my previous profession, then you may be disappointed. I don''t have much credibility in the industry anymore."


    Hill said to Eddie, "The military won''t just use this one trick. Next, they should repeat their old tricks, manipte major media outlets to target Stark, use him of having such advanced technology but unwilling to contribute to human peace, and even bring up old ounts and use him of selling weapons."


    "We hope to obtain evidence that the editor-in-chief of Global Times epted bribes and guided public opinion. You should know that editor-in-chief well, right?"


    "Also, due to the pressure from the Security Council, SHIELD and SHIELD agents are not convenient to show up now, so we hope to hire you to help us resist the military''s attacks and stop them from smearing Stark."


    "I heard Phantom say that you have a grudge with Riot. SHIELD is currently using Riot for experiments. We can give him to you, along with some residual energy on his body. How about it?"


    "Deal."

 Chapter 217: Military Trends (2)

    Chapter 217: Military Trends (2)


    The revtion that Stark is Iron Man caused quite a stir in the media, as both Stark and Iron Man were quite famous.


    Stark''s reputation was not very good, as the military had already led a campaign to smear him. He was called an unscrupulous arms dealer who profited from the chaos of war, a yboy who waspletely irresponsible, and a viinous billionaire who indulged in extravagance and excess. If there was a star rating system for reputations, Stark''s would hover between half a star and one star.


    But Iron Man''s reputation was very good, not only because he saved people in New York, but also because he was always on the front lines of major events that threatened the city. Many people had seen him in action and heard of his exploits, and many had be fans of his because of his cool mech armor.


    Before the incident, Iron Man had even had his own fan website, with many people making charity merchandise and some fans even waiting on rooftops to catch a glimpse of Stark flying across the New York skyline.


    So, when Stark''s and Iron Man''s identities were revealed to be the same, thergest superhero scandal in history urred.


    Generally, when people like an image, they tend to mix in a lot of their own fantasies about that person. Iron Man''s fans were no exception, and they had long spected about who Iron Man really was. His expensive mech armor indicated that he must be a rich person, so most fans believed he was one of several young billionaires who were passionate about charity work.


    Some people guessed that he might be a son of the Osborn family, as the elder Osborn was passionate about charity work. Others thought he might be the owner of thergest constructionpany in America or even the heir of a certain oilpany, but they all agreed that he couldn''t be Tony Stark.


    On the day the news was announced, Iron Man''s fan website changed its background to a bloody red. The website administrator imed to feel extremely disappointed and that Iron Man would no longer be their hero.


    At the same time, many people iming to be Iron Man fans sparked a wave of public opinion on the Inte, making videos andmenting their decision to unfollow Iron Man.Many online analysts began to specte about Stark''s motives, with some saying he was using small acts of kindness to whitewash his image, others saying he was trying to deceive the public, and still others saying he was just satisfying his own vanity. There was hardly anything positive to be found in the entire analysis.


    This public rtions attack was more than ten times stronger than thest one, and Stark seemed to have beenbeled as a hypocrite. Even Iron Man''s identity was pulled down from its pedestal and fell into a mud pit.


    Originally, given Stark''s personality, he should have been furious and counterattacked without regard for anything else. But now, he simply locked the door to hisboratory and ignored everything else. He refused to listen, see, or feel anything rted to the attacks.


    From ancient times, every type of drama has included a concept called an opponent''s y. If the opponent doesn''t y along, then you may be a clown performing a one-man show. This is the current state of the military.


    The problem with public opinion attacks is that once the heat dies down, people tend to forget. Therefore, the best way to deal with public opinion is not to rify or fight back, but to y dead.


    Stark, who had seen through this, learned this tactic on his own. If they want to criticize, let them criticize. As long as I don''t listen, see, or feel anything, all the public opinion will have nothing to do with me.


    Stark''s behavior exceeded the expectations of many people. Pepper was already prepared to clean up the rotten mess for him, and Obadiah''s staff team had prepared three or four sets of public rtions ns. However, the military''s attacksted for three days, and Stark remained as steady as a rock in hisboratory, singing to an audience of the blind.


    One n failed, so another was born. The military went to Osborn Industries, hoping to use interest to win them over and make them join forces against Stark.


    But they didn''t even get past the door of Osborn Industries.


    Although Osborn was a businessman, he favored Stark over the military and only saw Osborn Industries'' biotechnology as a backup n. In addition, he was now working with Stark on the eternal life factor industry, so he wouldn''t go begging to the military even if his brain was fried.


    With Osborn Industries unwilling to cooperate, the military didn''t have many options left. Coincidentally, the boss of the Life Foundation, Drake, was sent to SHIELD''s ck room along with Riot. The military saw this as an opportunity to take over the Life Foundation and support a new proxy.


    After a lot of effort, they finally found a decent proxy who inherited some of Drake''s reputation. He imed to be a scientist who worked for the benefit of ordinary people, and he was used to make Stark look even more evil.


    But he had only been in office for two days when Eddie used his connections to expose the detailed data on the Life Foundation''s experiments with homeless people in Dora''s hands. And just like that, the Life Foundation was ruined.


    The military was not very skilled, but they were persistent and always wanted more. Even several famouspanies refused to cooperate with them, they went to Hammer Industries, or rather, Hammer Industries was already apdog of the military, obedient to their orders.


    Hammer Industries was eager to prove themselves to the military in order to receive more orders, butpared to giants like Stark or Osborn, they were just small fry.


    Hammer Industries had to find a new way to dig up dirt on Stark, so they began a search for any possible dirt on him. Their efforts paid off when they discovered something.


    A few days ago, there was a car explosion in the underground garage of Stark Tower. This event didn''t cause much of a stir because no one was hurt. The only living thing in the car was J.A.R.V.I.S.


    Most people thought it was an idental car test, but Justin Hammer, the boss of Hammer Industries, suspected foul y.


    He thought it might have been a crazy fan seeking revenge, but instead, they found something big.


    Ivan Vanko, who imed to be Stark''s enemy, told Hammer that his father and Stark''s father had developed the Ark Reactor together, but Stark''s father had taken all the credit. Ivan''s father was killed as a result.


    This story was difficult to prove, but Hammer Industries and the military were ted because itsck of proof made it easier to manipte.


    Stark ignored the negativements about him and continued his research in hisboratory. However, the military gambled that he couldn''t ignore the negative news about his father. The story quickly spread.


    The military exaggerated everything Howard had done, saying that all of his research had been denied and that Ivan''s father''s research had been stolen by Howard.


    The only thing left was Howard''s failed hovercar demonstration, which was described as his true level.


    "It looks like they''ve sessfully found your weakness," said Schiller and Steve, ying chess in the Stark Towerboratory. Meanwhile, Stark sat at anotherb table, pretending to be engrossed in his research.


    "It makes sense," Schiller continued. "If they describe your father as a waste of space, you, who tried so hard to prove that you were better than Howard, would look like a clown."


    "I want to make it clear that I didn''t use mind reading. This is a problem that anyone can see. You seem to be emphasizing that Howard wasn''t as much of a genius as you, but you still get angry when someone calls him an idiot. I bet you''re thinking about why you''re angry right now."


    "But I can give you the answer directly because you don''t actually hate him."


    "Enough!" Stark stood up abruptly.


    He walked out from behind theb table and stood next to the two who were ying chess, then suddenly stopped. He looked at the two people who were fighting on the chessboard and wondered if it was beneath him to argue with them.


    Then he stretched out his hand and said, "Okay, I''ll hold a Stark Industries Expo to show them ourtest achievements."


    "I''ll tell them that any Stark is better than those idiots a thousand times over."


    "I know Ivan Vanko has an Ark Reactor, and I know he''se up with a stupid idea to use it. He actually made..."


    "Do you know who my Sanatorium dislikes the most?" Schiller suddenly interrupted Stark.


    "Who?" Stark asked.


    "People who spoil the plot."

 Chapter 218: Fair farce (1)

    Chapter 218: Fair farce (1)


    The headquarters of Stark Industries, also known as Stark Tower, is located on East 45th Street in Manhattan, New York. It waspleted in the 1990s and stands at a height of approximately 350 meters with 89 floors.


    Initially, the founder and owner of Stark Industries, Howard Stark, purchased a plot ofnd on the east side of the Central Station with the intention of building a new headquarters for his carpany. Later, on the advice of Obadiah, it was transformed into the tallest building in New York City, bing one of the most famousndmarks on the city skyline.


    Unfortunately, Howard did not live to see thepletion of the building. After Stark took over the Stark Group, he carried out several renovations and turned it into a giant building thatbines high-techboratories, the group headquarters, andmercial office space.


    Many New Yorkers like to call it the "Triangle Tower" because the shape of Stark Tower is a right-angled triangle. The building on the east side is taller, with Stark''s personalboratories from the 79th to the 89th floor, while the shorter building on the west side is amercial office space where Stark Group employees work.


    Although this design makes the building look somewhat strange, it is very practical. The two buildings are interconnected but do not interfere with each other. Although it received criticism from manyndscape architects when it was built, who believed that this peculiar building destroyed the beauty of the New York skyline, Stark Tower has now be an essential part of New York tourism.


    The first Stark Industrial Expo was organized by Howard Stark in 19XX. Before the 20th century, the Stark Industrial Expo was the world''srgest industrial exhibition.


    After Howard''s death, Tony Stark, who inherited the Stark Group, was not very fond of hosting the Industrial Expo. As a result, the Stark Industrial Expo''s glory faded in thete 1990s and early 21st century. Until today, at the journalist reception at Stark Tower, Tony Stark faced the cameras and microphones and said:


    "The most importantponent of human industrial development has been forgotten for many years. I am to me. It disappoints me that after the founder of the Stark Group passed away, I have not heard of any industrial expo in the world that can fill this gap."


    "Now, I want to tell you that you will receive an invitation that may be the most important in your life. You will witness how much progress human industrial development has made. If the gap of these decades was my neglect, then I will use a Stark Industrial Expo to tell you."Stark looked around, and the journalists around him were silent, staring at him.


    The journalists were very familiar with Stark, but most of the time, Pepper stood in front of the journalists to exin the mess that Stark made and how it would not have a significant impact. Then, the drunken Tony was dragged out from backstage and answered some of the journalists'' questions.


    But now, all journalists could see that the Mr. Stark in front of them was different.


    Stark used to be very arrogant. He often said things like "ordinary people cannot understand me," "you will never know how my inventions will change humanity," or "those little things are not essential, and I will change the course of human industrial development." His arrogance was his trademark. But this time, Stark''s tone was very different, even to the point where the journalists, who had heard all kinds of arguments from various celebrities, were focusing their attention on him.


    "There are many rumors in this world that are difficult to distinguish between truth and lies, and your job is to spread them. But these things can never really change the world. You cannot do it, and neither can Ivan Wanko behind you, the Air Force, Army, and Navy cannot do it either."


    Finally, Stark said into the microphone, "But I can."


    Stark picked up an invitation from the table and showed it to the journalists. He said, "This is a ticket to the Noah''s Ark of the new century. If you don''t want to board, then stay in the corrupt and decadent waves and wait for death."


    Countless shes lit up, and the sound of shooting apanied by noisy questions "boomed." Stark''s calm face was captured and printed on one newspaper after another.


    The newspaper shook, and Peter''s face appeared behind it. He took a bite of his hotdog and said to Gwen beside him, "I never thought you could get tickets to the Stark Industrial Expo. I thought-"


    Gwen shrugged and said, "There have been countless reports about Stark recently, and I am also interested in the Industrial Expo. So, I asked my dad to get two tickets for us. Let''s go together."


    Peter was a little annoyed when it came to this. "I think some journalists are distorting the facts."


    "I know you are a fan of Stark. You said he treated you well when you interned at Stark Group." Gwen turned to look at Peter. Peter sighed and said with some disappointment, "Do you also think he is a rotten person? But-"


    Gwen patted Peter''s shoulder and said, "Many people''s perception of Stark from the reports may be different from the one you know. But this is normal because people are multifaceted."


    "You think they are smearing your idol, but they also think you are whitewashing for him. But regardless of that, what I care about more is whether Stark can really fulfill the bold statement he made at the journalist meeting."


    Gwen took out her backpack and pulled out two invitations, handing one to Peter. "Open it up and see. If the design is too ugly, we won''t go," she said.


    Peter flipped through the invitation and said, "From the outside, there''s nothing special about it."


    As he opened the invitation, Gwen did the same and said disappointedly, "The design of the invitation is quite ordinary. Inside is just a card that says to go to 45th Street East, Manhattan Central Station, and the 90th floor of the Stark Tower headquarters building."


    "Wait!" Peter interrupted Gwen, carefully examining the card in his invitation. "90th floor?? Where did Stark Tower get 90 floors? That building only has 89 floors!"


    Gwen also looked and said in confusion, "Did you count wrong?" She looked back at the invitation and said, "Both of our cards say 90th floor, so it shouldn''t be a mistake."


    Peter scratched his head and said uncertainly, "I remember there should only be 89 floors? At least the elevator only goes up to the 89th floor."


    "Could he be nning for us to visit on the rooftop?"


    "And I remember..." Gwen took the newspaper that Peter had put down, pointing to a picture of the Stark Tower in one of the articles. "Isn''t the exhibition hall of Stark Tower on the top floor of the shorter building on the left? How can this building have 90 floors?"


    "Indeed, I''ve been to that exhibition hall. It''s really big, more than enough to hold an industrial expo."


    Just as Peter and Gwen were puzzled, others who received the invitation had the same doubts. Even if they stood on the rooftop of another building and used a telescope to count Stark Tower''s floors one by one, they only saw 89 floors, not 90.


    Many journalists seized on this and began attacking Stark. They imed it was a cruel joke by the yboy, that he would do anything for attention and sensational headlines, and some mocked him for being out of ideas, struggling before his death.


    Indeed, after Stark made those bold statements, the vast majority of industrial groups and bigpanies were angered by his attitude of superiority. If before, Stark''s words were more like a nouveau riche boasting, now that he was serious, his mockery made many people lose their cool.


    Because a fact was in front of them: A rotten person like Stark had developed a cutting-edge Mech armor technology, and even wore that handsome Mech armor to be a superhero in New York.


    Many scientists and industrial leaders who were not doing well couldn''t help but fantasize. If they developed this technology themselves, they wouldn''t be as childish as Stark, wearing abat suit to be a superhero.


    They dreamed of working with the military, increasing production, controlling mechanical armies, and even ruling the world.


    Therefore, they ridiculed and mocked Stark even more, believing that his choice was incredibly childish.


    Many people said that Stark made the wrong choice at every turn, leading him to fall into this quagmire. If it were them, they would not only work with the military, but also with peers. Everyone would join hands to seize the market and divide the monopoly profits or participate in international political games.


    Whatever they did, it would certainly be more mature than putting on an iron suit and being a superhero in New York.


    What was most ironic was that the targets of Stark''s superhero acts, the ordinary people he protected and saved, didn''t appreciate it at all. Even the public''s opposition to Stark and Iron Man was more intense than that of his peers.


    In any case, whether they were peers, the military, or ordinary people, they still nned to attend the event after receiving the invitation.


    Most of them came with the mentality of having fun, wanting to see how this yboy, whose reputation had gone to the dogs, would resolve this stunt.


    There were also many self-proimed professional scientists who nned to use their expertise to expose Stark''s hoax. Many talented young people who were not recognized also nned to watch Stark''s joke tofort themselves that these wealthy people were just lucky.


    People like Peter and Gwen, who were simply interested in industry and machinery and wanted toe and learn, were actually in the minority.

 Chapter 219: Fair farce (2)

    Chapter 219: Fair farce (2)


    On the day of the Stark Industry Expo, New York was very sunny, and the streets of Midtown were crowded with cars. The East Street of the Central Station was congested.


    The work vehicle opened the trunk, and the TV station staff moved the reflectors and camera brackets. The editor-in-chief near the front of the car was instructing the journalist with the microphone.


    On the side of the road, many luxury car drivers honked impatiently, driving away the inte celebrities and bloggers who were upying the road for filming. Even the coffee and hot dog stand was affected. The crowd gathered in front of the stand, young men and women in fashionable clothes held food and drinks, chatting in groups of two or three.


    Soon, the ss door of the Stark Tower opened, and everyone rushed in like soldiers responding to orders. The journalists reacted the fastest, holding their long guns and cannons, while the luxury car owners, self-conscious of their status, leisurely opened their doors and watched while holding the coffee bought by their drivers.


    The young couple who came for the excitement followed the crowd into the Stark Tower. Peter protected Gwen with his arm. Gwen whispered to Peter, "You seem familiar with this ce. You must have taken your internship seriously."


    Peter looked around and said, "Coincidentally, I brought my work permit today. Let''s take the employee channel."


    He pulled Gwen out of the crowd and headed to the other side. Gwen was a little worried and said, "But we don''t know the specific address. Where is the 90th floor on the invitation?"


    "I don''t know, but let''s go up to the 89th floor first. It should be right."


    Other people entering the building didn''t have Peter''s high subjective initiative. When they entered the lobby of Stark Tower, they found that there wasn''t even a guide. Many people wereining about Stark''s negligence, but in the spirit ofing all the way, most people followed the flow of people into the elevator.Stark Tower''s carrying capacity is good. Even with so many people rushing in at once, they were still transported to the top floor in an orderly manner.


    The 79th to 89th floors of Stark Tower belong to Stark''s personalboratory and are generally not open to the public. Almost no one has ever entered the 89th floor of Stark Tower. When the crowd rushed out of the elevator, everyone was stunned.


    The technology in the early 21st century was already quite advanced, but it was definitely not as advanced as the technology disyed in Stark Tower, which was like celestial technology. At the moment they left the elevator, the entire corridor lit up, and an electronically synthesized voice sounded, "Hello, I am J.A.R.V.I.S, the steward of Stark Headquarters. Wee, please follow the light guide to the designated location to participate in the Expo."


    Then, the light lit up, and a holographic arrow appeared in the middle of the corridor.


    The crowd followed the guide through the tech-filled corridor and then came to the lobby on the side of the 89th floor. Three walls and half of the ceiling here were all ss curtain walls.


    The curtain wall was covered with a honeb-like structure. As the crowd surged in, the metal tes openedyer byyer, and the bright but not dazzling sunlight shone through the ss.


    Peter, who came directly from the employee channel, brought Gwen in. Peter was used to it, but Gwen was very surprised and said, "Can the building''s strength support such arge area of ss curtain wall?"


    Peter exined to Gwen, "This is Stark Group''s new technology, which currently doesn''t have an official name, but I call it Resonance ss. Therger the area of the ss, the stronger the strength."


    The crowd rushed into the lobby, but Stark was not here. Just as they were wondering where the host of the industrial expo had gone, a fine buzzing sound came from above their heads.


    Immediately, the sound of armor friction, as dense as a machine gun, rang out, andyers of shadows appeared above their heads. Everyone looked up and then opened their mouths in astonishment.


    Apanied by the sound of whistling wind, hundreds of racks flew in from the opening of the ss curtain wall. The sunlight shone on the metal Mech armor, and the entire lobby was like a diamond rain, dazzling and blinding.


    Then, a louder jet sound rang out, and a huge aerial tform descended from the center of the lobby. The tform was surrounded by cigarette smoke as it touched the ground, and all the Mech armor fell and guarded around the tform. Stark in his suit rose from the tform.


    The dense crowd was motionless for a while, obviously shocked by his unimaginable debut. But then, Stark opened his arms and said, "Do you think this is all there is to it?"


    He shook his head and slowly lifted his head to look up at the sky. Everyone followed his actions and looked up. In an instant, the Mech armor covered Stark''s body, and he flew up in ce, flying out of the exit of the ss curtain wall on the ceiling. Then everyone heard him say, "Ready to deploy!"


    As Stark''s voice fell, shadows gathered above their heads, and the other half of the ceiling was also covered with metal. Immediately, countless metal structures flipped over like waves.


    The supporting columns roseyer byyer, the walls grew like living beings, the armor spread, the gears interlocked, and the structures ovepped. In an instant, a mechanical city like a floating ind appeared overhead.


    They watched as Stark flew in mid-air and released an incrediblyrge mechanical city on the 89th floor of Stark Tower.


    Then, people saw the huge mechanical floating ind slowly descend, and the Mech armor in the hall flew in various directions, then stopped under the floating ind, as if to catch the huge floating ind.


    When such a huge building copsed, everyone showed a look of horror. The process ofnding was like the mountain pressing down on them.


    In the center of the hall, Stark descended from the light screen elevator. When the elevatornded, his face mask opened, and his voice echoed in the hall: "Wee to the Stark Industrial Expo!"


    As his voice fell, the Mech armor that flew out became pirs under the floating ind and quickly transformed, apanied by the humming and jetting of the machinery, the mechanical floating indnded steadily above Stark Tower.


    They didn''t know who cheered first, but a few secondster, the boiling shouts echoed throughout the hall.


    The crowd waspletely boiling. No matter what their purpose foring here was, they witnessed a miracle of human technology.


    At this time, Schiller''s satisfied voice came into Stark''s ear: "!It''s not in vain that I screwed the light bulb for so long."


    Stark replied to him, pressing his headphones: "Obviously, the least important thing here is your process of screwing the light bulb."


    In the monitoring room of Stark Tower, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Steve looked at Peter and Gwen''s surprised expressions in the monitoring screen and said, "If Peter knew we didn''t bring him, he would probably be very sad."


    "He said he had to wait for his girlfriend and couldn''te early." Schiller put down his coffee cup and said, "Let''s go, the job is done, it''s time to go to the exhibition."


    "You go ahead." Rhodes behind the two said, "Stark told me that someone mighte to make trouble. I''ll check the evacuation route again to prevent it from affecting ordinary people."


    Natasha fixed her hair and said to Schiller, "Stark knows that someone wants to cause trouble, and he still came out so high-profile?" "What you should be worried about now is not Stark''s safety, but the safety of the people who want to cause trouble.


    The two walked into the hall, and Schiller said as he walked, "The security facilities of the entire Stark Tower have been upgradedprehensively. I doubt whether those people can..."


    After Peter and Gwen boarded the floating ind, they turned into ruthless exmation machines. Throughout the journey, they could only make sounds of "Wow" and amazement.


    The entire mechanical floating ind was not just for show. After boarding, various new technologies and machines developed by the Stark Group were disyed in an orderly manner. The various mechanical creations that should not appear in this era were dazzling.


    Generally speaking, industrial exhibitions should beprehensive in nature. Even if Stark is the organizer, other industrial groups should be invited to participate. After the venue is provided by the organizer, each exhibitor will be assigned their own space. The previous Stark Industrial Expo was also held in this form.


    However, the Stark Industrial Expo held by Stark did not have any other positions at all. It was a very pure "Stark Industry" exhibition.


    This can be traced back to the moment when Stark used the magic reactor to ascend. At that time, in addition to experiencing high-dimensional sensory experiences, the way of fighting of the steel giant army also gave him a lot of inspiration.


    Although the original Stark was not an extreme technology conservative, due to theck of security, he was disgusted with some uncontroble things.


    Upgrading J.A.R.V.I.S.''s emotions was the first step for Stark, and the subsequent vampire war made him realize the importance of quantity and functionality. Later, the perspective of the Iron Man made him realize that the so-called risks and uncontrobility were only due to insufficient technological levels. As long as he could reach the level of "I am the cluster," there was no risk of an AI crisis.


    Having experienced this feeling, Stark began to break through his own internal barriers and no longer focused solely on researching single Mech armor. Obviously, he also realized that being the master of machinery and the steel torrent was more practical than bing a perfect mechanical individual.


    Having realized this, the recent Stark was bursting with inspiration. Previously, his skills only had a single line, so once he encountered a technological bottleneck, the research progress would be stalled. But now, based on that single line, Stark has developed a dense skill tree. When a particr research hits a bottleneck, he turns to another path, greatly increasing his research efficiency.


    The biggest difference between Stark and other geniuses lies in his rich creativity. After upgrading his own route to a skill tree, the exhibits at the Stark Industrial Expo were incredibly rich. Without any cooperation from otherpanies, Stark''s inventions alone supported the entirerge-scale industrial expo.


    Even the most picky critics had to admit that this was an unprecedented expo, not only because of its stunning opening, rich products, and advanced technological level, but most importantly, because it was independentlypleted by Stark Industries, fully reflecting the shocking financial power of Stark Industries and Stark''s amazing creativity.


    "How about it? I told you it would be a surprise." Stark squeezed out of the journalists and said to Schiller, who had just arrived on the floating ind.


    "Those journalists were all stunned. Can you imagine? Among so many journalists, not a single one asked me about any gossip. They were all amazed at how I did it."


    "Besides this?" Schiller looked around and said, "Don''t you think something is missing from this show?"


    "Something missing?" Stark was stunned and said, "All my exhibits are here. What else is missing?"


    "What about your opponents?" Schiller looked at Stark helplessly.


    Stark opened his mouth, "I forgot about them. Oh right, where are Hammer Industries and that guy Ivan Wanke? Aren''t they supposed to show up and make trouble at my industrial expo?"

 Chapter 220: Fair farce (3)

    Chapter 220: Fair farce (3)


    "Are you sure you sent them an invitation?"


    Stark hesitated for a moment. "The invitations were sent by Pepper. I was busy setting up the exhibits at the time..."


    He took out his mobile phone and called Pepper. She was busy signing orders with some businessmen who hade to attend the expo. After answering Stark''s call, she snapped, "Hammer Industries'' invitation? Of course I didn''t send it! Didn''t youinst time that their technology was so bad it polluted your brain just to have them in front of you?"


    After hanging up the phone, Stark rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Things have taken an unexpected turn. Pepper didn''t send an invitation to Hammer Industries..."


    "If you don''t send them an invitation, they won''te? That''s not very dedicated," Schiller eximed.


    The two spoilers who knew the plot beforehand could only stare at each other in disbelief. They had calcted and analyzed everything, but they didn''t expect Hammer Industries to actually follow the rules and not show up without an invitation. What kind of viinous behavior was that?


    "Even if Hammer Industries doesn''t show up, Ivan Vanko, who has a grudge against you, should..."


    "Peng!!!"


    The two turned around to face the ss curtain wall. A huge mechanical whip crackling with electricity mmed against it, but the ss didn''t break."This is a new technology I just developed recently," Stark exined. "Therger the area, the stronger the strength."


    "He doesn''t seem to be able toe in." Schiller watched the huge whip continuously hitting the ss curtain wall of the hall. The onlookers thought it was a performance project created by Stark and were very excited, surrounding the ss and taking out their mobile phones to take pictures.


    Stark took out his phone and said to the other end, "Someone is causing trouble, evacuate the crowd first."


    When the security guards of Stark Tower rushed in and drove the crowd out, most of them still didn''t understand what was going on. Although they had been wandering around for a long time, they obviously didn''t expect the expo to end so abruptly.


    Many people didn''t want to leave, but they were still driven away by the security guards and evacuated through the emergency exits.


    Stark pressed a few buttons on his mobile phone and the corner of the ss curtain wall opened. Stark and Schiller stood in ce and turned their heads to look at the corner, but the viin they had been waiting for didn''t show up as scheduled. Schiller was a bit helpless. "Can''t you make some noise and let him know the door is over here?"


    Stark covered his forehead and looked at the electric whip that was still beating the side ss wall. "Do I have to prepare an emergency entrance sign for him?"


    Stark, who had been spoiled early because of his high-dimensional perspective, knew that Hammer Industries and Ivan Vanko wanted to cause trouble, but he still held the Stark Industrial Expo as scheduled.


    But he wouldn''t joke about his own life, so before the industrial expo, he upgraded Stark Towerprehensively, including but not limited to improving the building''s strength, installing new defense systems, using new technology to manufacture new ss curtain walls, and preparing evacuation routes.


    But the current situation is that the stage is set, the protagonist has made a dazzling appearance, but the viin is trapped outside because he can''t open the upgraded ss curtain wall.


    The protagonist had to open a door for him and let him onto the stage. Even more embarrassing was that the door was too high-tech, and the viin didn''t recognize it, so he still couldn''t get in.


    "Never mind, I''ll go help him."


    After finishing his task, Schiller disappeared and turned into mist outside Stark Tower. He saw Ivan, wielding his whip, hanging below the 89th floor of the tower and continuously hitting the ss curtain wall.


    Schiller thought carefully for a moment and realized that no matter how he appeared on the scene, it seemed a bit wrong. So he controlled the mist to form several words in the air: "The door is over there!"


    Ivan was visibly stunned at the sight.


    Seeing Ivan''sck of reaction, the wordsbined into a giant arrow, even making a pointing animation to the side. This could be considered a foolproof guide, but Ivan still didn''t move.


    Natasha stood beside Stark, looking at the whip and mist outside the window, and said, "So, your enemy can''t find the entrance now?"


    "Ivan Vanko? He should be Russian?" Natasha suggested, "I advise you to throw two grenades out and blow him over here."


    Stark sighed, "I''d better just fly out."


    Then, the Mech armor armed him, and he flew out of the corner of the ss curtain wall. He saw the whip hanging on the wall, and at the same time, a familiar figure appeared on the other side of the wall. Spider-Man, in his red and blue suit, poked his head out from the side of the wall and asked in confusion, "What''s going on? Are you guys going to fight?"


    But neither Ivan nor Iron Man made any moves, leaving Spider-Man even more confused. "If you''re not going to fight, why are you evacuating people?"


    The situation on the scene became awkward. Ivan couldn''t fly or fly for long periods of time and didn''t have Stark''s financial resources to support the inferior materials used in his Mech armor. His chest reactor couldn''t output enough energy to fly recklessly into the enemy''sir.


    Now, he was on the left side of Spider-Man, who was effortlessly sticking to the wall, and on the right side of Iron Man, who was flying in the air with his arms crossed. There was also a gray arrow above his head that he didn''t know where it came from.


    In Ivan''s own view, he was a hero full of revenge and risked his life to expose Stark''s evil secrets. However, Stark used his sinful assets to construct ayered defense, making it impossible for him to prate the enemy''sir due to his inferior equipment.


    At the same time, the evil capitalist Iron Man called hisrades, trapping Ivan in a nearly inescapable situation. The dra they formed made it almost impossible for him to escape.


    However, in the observation of a military helicopter not far away, this scene was very funny.


    Iron Man in Mech armor was flying motionlessly in the air, Spider-Man in his red and blue tight suit was confused about the situation and also remained still. The gray mist that seemed to beposed of nothingness and formed into an arrow also remained still. Ivan, who dared not show any ws, did not move either.


    These four strange things were deadlocked on the ss curtain wall of Stark Tower.


    Suddenly, the gray arrow at the top moved, and it turned back into a gray mist with a "bang" sound, then turned into a question mark, seeming very confused about the situation on the scene.


    Spider-Man was attracted by its transformation and looked up for a moment. At that moment, a crackling whip came towards him. Spider-Man''s spider sense had long anticipated this scene, and he easily jumped aside to avoid the whip. Stark reached out his hand and fired a Repulsor Ray at the whip, and in an instant, the three of them were entangled in a fight.


    The gray mist turned into an exmation mark again, seemingly shocked by the rapidly changing situation on the scene.


    It''s unknown whether Ivan could beat the upgraded version of Iron Man and Spider-Man working together, but the military believed that he couldn''t, so they were ready to intervene.


    Just as the three armed helicopters of the military flew over, they suddenly saw the gray mist turn into three dots with a "bang".


    The pilot of the armed helicopter was very puzzled: "I''ve been wanting to ask, what the hell is that thing?"


    As they approached Stark Tower, the three dots of the ellipsis flew towards the three armed helicopters, and then instantly blocked their entire field of vision.


    The armed helicopter without sight began to turn around like a headless fly.


    "...You ask me about the situation here?" Rhodes, who was negotiating with the military, nced out the window with his mobile phone. "I can''t really describe it to you."


    On the floor-to-ceiling window, a lightning whip snapped up, followed by a spider web sticking to the wall, a red and blue figure quickly swinging past, and then a shimmering Mech armor slid past with a "whoosh". Then, a helicopter with a nose full of gray mist spun and fell.


    "In any case, the battle is intense... you ask me which side has the upper hand?"


    A shadow appeared above Rhodes''s head. He turned his head to see a huge parachute floating down outside the window. The helicopter pilot below was cursing on the phone while drifting down. Rhodes asked Pier on the phone, "... Do you know the antonym of evenly matched?"


    At this time, Whip finally realized that he couldn''tpete with Spider-Man and Iron Man in the air. He leaped down andnded on the terrace on the west side of Stark Tower, and Starknded in front of him.


    Whip stared at him fiercely, and Stark''s face mask rose. He looked at Whip and said, "Although I know you probably won''t listen to my exnation, and if it was me before, I wouldn''t bother exining to you..."


    "Shut up! You and your father are just as despicable. You''re all thieves, a group of dirty and nasty rats..."


    "You obviously can''t beat me now. Your reactor is too outdated and doesn''t have enough power. If you don''t adjust the power, you won''t even be able to fly for a long time..."


    Stark''s tone did not contain any sarcasm, just calmly stating a fact, but Ivan waspletely provoked by him.


    In his view, the Stark family were all thieves who stole his father''s achievements, exchanged them for their wealth, and used that wealth to create better reactors. He himself could only rely on Justin Hammer because he didn''t have enough money to listen to his stupid ideas and make Mech armor for him.


    This anger had been building up in his chest for a long time. He didn''t want to hear a word from Stark anymore. He swung his whip, and Stark dodged. He seemed to want to say something, but at this moment, several Mech armors flew over from the sky.


    Whip turned his head and gritted his teeth: "Hammer! You idiot, you promised me that you wouldn''t interfere..."


    Justin Hammer''s voice came from the lead Mech armor: "I''m here to help you. Do you really think you can beat Stark and his army of Mech armor on your own?"


    The Mech armornded, and Justin confronted Stark: "It''s time to reveal your lies, Stark! The Ark Reactor is not your or your father''s invention, and it''s not exclusive to you. Your technology is not outstanding..."


    "Is that so?" Stark leaned against another building of Stark Tower, but before he could speak, Rhodes piloted the Mech armor and led the group of Mech armor that appeared at the Industrial Expo, flying to Stark''s side andnding.


    "Do you think you''re the only one with a Mech armor army?" Justin, who had military support, was obviously inted, but he had a reason to be.


    The batch of Mech armor behind him was no longer Hammer Industries'' personal modifications and research. Ivan provided the core energy for these Mech armor, and the military participated in the modification, even using some of the Life Foundation''s technology. At least from the outside, there was no difference from the Stark Mech armor led by Rhodes, even more in number.


    Stark said, "That was the previous version."


    Before Justin and Ivan could react to what he meant, Stark flew into the air again. He stretched out his hand and said, "J.A.R.V.I.S, activate defense protocol."


    As he clenched his fists, thousands of cannons on the back of Stark Tower shed brightly.

 Chapter 221: Fireworks

    Chapter 221: Fireworks


    The outer skeleton of Stark Tower unfolded with a roar, the mesh structure supporting the triangr tower retracted, the columnar metal skeleton shell opened, and the main support structure popped out from inside, with barrels fitted and embedded, the outer shell unfoldingyer byyer, armed to the teeth.


    Countless identical processes repeated endlessly, the metallic glow like sunlight floating on the sea surface, the exquisite steel skeleton like fish swimming out of the sea, within a few seconds, the entire Stark Tower unfolded and evolved from top to bottom, countless gun turrets and weapons surging out.


    After all the small turrets on the top level had unfolded, a row ofunchers rose between the two metal pirs at the very top of the triangr tower, then turned towards the two sides locked in a stalemate with a hum.


    "Defense protocol activated, standard defense measures deployed, locking on...lockingplete...ready..."


    Beyond theyers of hard metal and perfectly fitting inner structure, levers raised, gears turned, energy conducted along the lines, preheated, firing pins trembled, primary and secondary gun barrels, the bright light shone from the blooming gun muzzles like flowers.


    A rain of fire poured down, War Machine Rhodes led the StarkMech armor troops to take off, retreat, and cross-cover in an orderly manner, while Justin Hammer''s HammerMech armor troops demonstrated what it meant to be a "headless fly".


    In the moment he tried to take off, half of the hundreds of Mech armors were crushed by the raging fire rain of light.


    With the thick smoke of cigarettes, the debris fell to the ground, rolled a few times, wavered in ce twice, and turned into powder.


    Everyone brought to the safety level of Stark Tower saw a missile chase down a Mech armor with a sharp sonic boom, followed by a violent explosion, and countless fragments fell.Then came hundreds of missiles with trailing smoke, whistling like demons in the dark, all the people behind the ss curtain wall were silhouetted by the intense explosion of fire, they looked up and saw the fireworks blooming in broad daylight over New York.


    Hammer thought that today''s show would be a robot battle, but the fact proved that ground-to-air missiles and ground-to-airprehensive firepower coverage were the best weapons against these Mech armors.


    Having experienced the mechanical domination of Stark, Iron Man no longer wanted to engage in any closebat with his enemies.


    The current Iron Man believes that such a method of warfare is an insult to machines. In the torrent of steel, every enemy should have the most suitable way of death, just like the ultimate goal pursued by industry and machinery, calm, precise, and ample firepower.


    The real Iron Man can have thousands of ways to eliminate his enemies, can make them dismantled, crushed, explode into fireworks, burn to ashes, but among all these ways, there should never be a charge up with Mech armor and fight with fists.


    Obadiah stood behind the ss wall of his own office, looking out, Stark floated in the air, as he waved his arm, missiles chased like a school of sharks hunting prey, Justin''s Mech armor troops were chased in a desperate escape, under the high-intensity firepower coverage, Justin and Whish couldn''t even find a chance to get close to Stark.


    He remembered Stark, who fought with General Johnson in the Mech armor, and at that time, Stark was forced into a desperate situation and even seriously injured. Now, there wereyers of turrets on the support structures on both sides of the ss curtain wall, and the shes of bullets made Obadiah unable to see the situation outside clearly.


    Obadiah lowered his head, lit a cigarette for himself, then picked up his mobile phone and muttered to himself before the call was connected, "It seems that your son has finallye to his senses..."


    When Stark unleashed his astonishing firepower, the military helicopter arrived, but they dared not approach the firepower coverage area, even Justin''s advanced Mech armor was crumbling under this fierce attack, and the armed helicopter could not withstand such an assault.


    But the problem they faced was that after the entire Stark Tower was converted into a cluster of turrets, the coverage area of the firepower was a bit toorge. They couldn''t even talk to Stark face to face and could only call him from afar.


    The first voice in Stark''s Mech armor was Obadiah''s. He heard his uncle''s calm tone say, "The military''s call will be connected to you soon. The benefits you sent out must be recovered. Do as I say..."


    Two minutester, Rhodes'' voice came from the Mech armor, "The military requests negotiation. Shall we connect the line?"


    "Refuse to connect. You take the Mech armor armed forces to kill those few fish that escaped the, ensure that besides Justin and Ivan''s Mech armor, they have no armed forces left,"


    "Received, zz..."


    Two minutester, J.A.R.V.I.S''s voice sounded, "Scanning results confirmed...the threat has beenpletely eliminated, and the coverage area of the firepower is shrinking. Militarymunication has been connected..."


    Before the person on the other side could speak, Stark said, "Send a helicopter over. We''ll talk face to face."


    Looking at the countless turrets on the Stark Tower building that had not yet been retracted, the military liaison said, "We cannote over. Please leave your coverage area and then..."


    "Leave my coverage area?" Stark''s tone was somewhat mocking, "Do you have a new moonnding n recently?"


    "Dududu..." Busy tones came from the militarymunication. Soon, Stark heard an even older voice, "We will send someone to negotiate at Stark Tower in ten minutes..."


    Under the gaze of the military helicopter, Starknded slowly. He retracted the Mech armor covering his body and walked back into the building.


    Soon, the turrets on the Stark Tower building gradually retracted and the crowds released from the safetyyer flowed out like a flood from the narrow doors.


    Apanied by the darkening sky, the huge school of fish gradually dispersed and returned to where they should go. One by one, lights in the buildings lit up.


    Tonight, New York was brilliant and sleepless.


    In the buildings of major newspapers such as Global Times, Daily Bugle, and New York Daily, countless people worked with their heads down. Photos were sent to the printer, and newspapers flew out of the printing factory like butterflies, pping their wings over New York and tracing smooth arcs.


    The employees of the newspaper who worked overtime all night stood in front of the coffee machine, watching the coffee liquid dripping into the cup like amber, sshing one circle after another of water ripples, and bringing up ripples of foam.


    After the foam dissipated, Schiller put down his cup, took off his sses, rubbed his forehead, and closed the newspaper in his hand, asking Rhodes beside him, "So, did the military negotiate with Stark?"


    "It was bound to happen sooner orter." Rhodes'' tone was very rxed. After returning from vacation, his military seriousness had diminished somewhat. Rhodes took a sip of coffee and said, "But the military got one thing wrong."


    "What?"


    Rhodes smiled and recalled yesterday''s scene after the battle ended.


    The hurried and dense footsteps echoed in the lobby of the first floor of Stark Tower. The elevator door opened, and several pairs of boots stepped into the elevator. The generals'' serious faces were blocked by the slowly closing elevator door.


    "Ding," the elevator arrived. Following the light guide, they pushed open the door to a conference room, but the person in the conference room was not Tony Stark as expected, but someone they least wanted to see.


    The leading general''s expression twitched, and he lowly uttered a name, "...Obadiah Stane."


    Schiller took a sip of coffee, flipped the newspaper to the next page, and said, "I can already imagine their miserable situation."


    "It may be even more miserable than you think." Rhodes'' tone had a bit of schadenfreude. He said, "Since I left the military system and looked at these things from the perspective of a bystander, I realized that it was so foolish for me to stand in the position of these people and demand that everyone contribute to the country."


    "So are you not nning to go back?"


    Rhodes shook his head and said, "It''s hard for me topletely break away from this system. I have gone too far on this road."


    "I''m waiting for a suitable opportunity, a time when I have the ability to change it, even if it''s only a part of it."


    "After all, I can''t bepletely employed by Tony to work for him, because then I have no position to punch him when he messes up."


    "I can tell that you really want to punch him."


    "I said, I''m waiting for a suitable opportunity." Rhodes shrugged and smiled.


    "Continue talking about the negotiations. Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko should have participated, right?"


    "Yes, their part was the most exciting."


    After the generals came in, following behind them were the scruffy Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko, who was smoking a cigarette.


    Rhodes and several other Mech armor escorted them over. Obadiah sat at the conference table and didn''t even nce at Hammer, but instead looked at Ivan''s face.


    When Stark came in, he was wearing a suit and waspletely clean. He saw Justin''s mech armor and walked up to it with a smile. Then he pped the mech armor hard on the shoulder, causing the shoulder armor to fall off with a "click". The internal wires sparked and the arm armor exploded with a "bang".


    Stark chuckled and said, "What did you call this thing again? Ex-wife? Is this all a married man can do? Hahaha!"


    Ivan wanted to punch him, but Rhodes stopped him. Both of the electric whips from the whip armor had been confiscated, and the room was filled with Stark''s mech armor. Ivan had no choice but to surrender.


    Obadiah was still looking at Ivan. He tapped the table and signaled everyone to sit down. Tony and Rhodes sat on the left, while the military, Hammer, Ivan, and Obadiah sat on the right. Obadiah sat in the middle.


    He first looked at the military and calmly said, "I understand that you intend to knock on the door, but your actions are as rough as ever."


    He nced at Justin Hammer and said, "The glove you found is nowhere near as good as his father''s, and the sound of knocking on the door is not pleasant."


    With Obadiah present, Stark entered a kind of trance state. He didn''t even try to understand what Obadiah was referring to, nor did he bother to think about the current situation. Apart from these actions, all he could do was stare at Ivan.


    Skipping the lengthy stage of testing each other, exchanging pleasantries, and reminiscing about the past, skipping the debate about right and wrong and moral differences, and finally skipping the stage of enjoying each other''spany and looking forward to world peace, after more than an hour, the matter finally got to the point.

 Chapter 222: The Past

    Chapter 222: The Past


    "The Ark Reactor, that''s Howard''s work," Obadiah responded to the military''s question, while Ivan shifted his gaze away from Stark and stared at Obadiah.


    Obadiah noticed his gaze and said, "I know, there''s a man here who ims to be a victim, believing that Howard stole his father''s achievements."


    Obadiah leaned back in his chair and his voice carried some nostalgia. "Anton Vanko, a scientist from the Soviet Union."


    When he mentioned the name Soviet Union, the oldest General in the room looked at Obadiah. A young general seemed to want to interrupt Obadiah, but the General nced at his subordinates and in the end, no one spoke, only Obadiah''s voice echoed in the room.


    "Anton was indeed a genius scientist, a very orthodox Soviet, gifted in industry and mechanics, especially in theoretical knowledge."


    "He and Howard worked together seamlessly, Howard was also a genius, but he focused more on creativity, a quick-witted mind, while Anton leaned more towards technology, meticulous theory. They were verypatible partners."


    Ivan seemed to want to say something to refute, but Obadiah''s tone of reminiscing carried the special stamp of that era, showing the faded Iron Curtain era.


    "At that time, an American and a Soviet working together on inventions sounded absurd, even if Anton said he had betrayed the Soviet Union, no one would believe it."


    "If you investigate now, you can still see a lot of verbose investigation reports in the CIA''s files, recording Anton and Howard''s movements.""Although 90% of them are fake reports I inserted, there is no doubt that Anton is worth their effort to monitor, because he really can create something that can change the world."


    "Howard and Anton created the model for the Ark Reactor, yes, this was not Howard''s invention alone, Anton was also the creator of the Ark Reactor."


    The room fell silent, it seemed that neither Stark nor Ivan had any objections to this result. Whether the Ark Reactor was created solely by Howard was no longer important to Stark, while Ivan seemed to have anticipated it.


    Obadiah leaned back in his chair and shifted his body, changing his posture before continuing, "Now, I am the only one who knows the truth about this story, but perhaps you can all guess."


    "Howard and I knew Anton''s true position, he was a staunch Bolshevik."


    "And so, as time went on, their conflict erupted as his homnd became increasingly dire."


    Obadiah''s tone began to be more and more ethereal, as if the story from back then was constantly ying in front of his eyes.


    "Give it up, Anton, it won''t end well!"


    "Why haven''t you realized it yet? With just one technology or one person, you can''t save your country." In theboratory, Howard pressed his hand on Anton''s shoulder, despite his smaller staturepared to Anton, his attitude was resolute.


    "If you stay here, the two of us can earn more money, we will have no worries about food and clothing, and your son will also receive the best education. You don''t need to go back to the icy wilderness."


    "Anton, Obadiah has a way to make your fake identity real, as long as you-"


    Anton pped his hand away and said, "This is you, Howard. You don''t understand what I''m really pursuing."


    Howard took a deep breath, looking very helpless, and said, "I don''t want to talk to you about beliefs. I''m just stating a fact, it''s already toote now."


    "Even if you bring this technology back, you may not receive Hero''s praise. You should understand that better than me."


    Anton turned around to look at Howard and said, "Then who caused this situation?!"


    "Do you want to take your anger out on me?" Howard was also a little angry.


    "I''m just trying to advise you kindly. Why don''t you want to make a littlepromise when you know the oue will be bad?"


    "You Americans call thispromise, yes." Anton''s tone was full of sarcasm. He seemed unwilling to talk to Howard anymore and picked up the model to leave.


    "You can''t take it away!" Howard stopped Anton.


    "This is the result of our joint research! Do you want to monopolize it?" Anton waspletely angry, swearing in Russian. Howard was also very angry, and the two of them had a fierce argument in theboratory.


    In the end, Obadiah drew out his words and said, "Anton took some of the materials and went back to his hometown."


    "I know, your father should have resented Howard before he died. He thought Howard was trying to take sole possession of the research and stopped him from taking the model back." Obadiah shook his head.


    "But in fact, if he really wanted to bring the model to the Soviet Union, he wouldn''t be able to leave New York and would be killed by the CIA."


    "At that time, the red monster was already dying, and no one would allow anyone to give it another shot of adrenaline. In the critical stage, if Anton got the model, he would undoubtedly die within three days."


    Obadiah''s voice came to a conclusion, and he looked at Ivan and said, "Actually, the materials your father brought back were already enough. You could start from scratch and make the Arc Reactor, and they could definitely do it too, even better."


    "But unfortunately, as Howard predicted, it didn''t have any effect. It was already toote."


    Ivan didn''t hear any superiority from his tone, nor did he hear any sarcasm. Obadiah''s tone wasplicated, with nostalgia and regret. Finally, he said, "On December 16, 1991, Howard Stark died in a car ident. On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union announced its dissolution."


    Ivan was silent for a moment and involuntarily said, "On December 28, 1991, Anton Vanko died."


    The air in the room quieted down, and Tony Stark, Obadiah, and Ivan Vanko were all silent. They didn''t know how to express their feelings in words.


    Like all those who witnessed the end of that era, the stories that happened during the Iron Curtain era were both bizarre and ordinary. When people heard such a story, they all felt ridiculous but also couldn''t help but be moved.


    Except for Ivan Vanko, everyone present was a beneficiary of victory. But when this story fell into the room, few people couldugh.


    "Your father would resent Howard, perhaps because he still had illusions that if he had theplete model, he could save everything."


    "But maybe, before he died, he already knew it was impossible, but he didn''t want to tell you, didn''t want to tell you that he found himself withoutrades until the end."


    Obadiah sighed again, looking at Ivan, "Your revenge is destined to fail because you and your father are different."


    Obadiah''s tone of recounting the whole thing made the young generals who were listening very unhappy. They wanted to interrupt him several times, but they were all stopped by the old General in charge.


    "All these grievances are over, Obadiah," the old General said. "We all know that era will note back."


    "Let go of these past things and let''s talk about practical issues."


    Obadiah stroked the pen in his hand and said, "As you can see, the Arc Reactor is not Howard''s patent alone. Anton Vanko also has this achievement, and his son has made the finished product. If he is willing to hand over the finished product to you, Stark Industries will not stop him."


    "If possible, we still want to cooperate with Stark Industries."


    The old General nced at Ivan''s expression and felt that instead of trying to get technology from this state of the Russian old man, it was better to be ughtered and wait for Obadiah to ckmail them.


    But Obadiah looked at Justin, and Justin felt a chill behind his back.


    Schiller finished thest sip of coffee and put the empty cup on the table. At this time, Steve walked in, took a ss of water from the nearby water dispenser, drank a few sips, and said, "Hammer Industries was indeed thrown out to take the me by the military. It seems that the situation is about to calm down."


    "Where did Ivan go? Shouldn''t he have been deported back to his country?"


    Steve shook his head and said, "You may not believe it, but he has a legal right to reside and is not an illegal immigrant. He should have been handed over to the police, but Nick seems to have taken a liking to his technical abilities and kept him."


    "Is he willing to work for Nick?"


    "Of course he wouldn''t want to, but Nick has more patience than Hammer. Ivan should have found a house on the edge of Manhattan now, and no one knows what he''s up to."


    "Isn''t he going to seek revenge on Stark?"


    "But before seeking revenge, he should at least fix his armor first." Rhodes finished hisst sip of coffee and said, "His armor and weapons are badly damaged, or rather, being able to move after enduring such attacks is already a natural talent of Russian-made products."


    "Anyway, with SHIELD agents watching him, he shouldn''t cause too much trouble." Steve pulled a chair over and sat down.


    Schiller flipped through another page of the newspaper and said, "So are we just going to ignore Stark''s public image problem?"


    Rhodes sighed and said, "Actually, this can''t really be considered a public attack, because they''re just bringing up what Stark has done before."


    "Even if Stark really is a rotten person, Pepper should try to make it less obvious, right?"


    "After the negotiations ended, Stark went to find Pepper first. I guess he went to discuss the direction of public opinion with her, right?"


    After Rhodes finished speaking, the three of them smiled knowingly.

 Chapter 223: Morning and Night

    Chapter 223: Morning and Night


    In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight in New York shone through the gap in the curtains, Stark moved his arm and covered his eyes with his arm, seeming to resist the light. Pepper opened her eyes sleepily and looked at the clock on the wall in confusion, then suddenly woke up.


    "It''s 9 o''clock, damn it! I still have a meeting to attend!"


    Pepper grabbed her hair and sat up from the bed, startling Stark with her movements. However, he still looked dazed and turned over, hugging her waist with his arm and saying, "Don''t worry, baby, we can, uh, sleep a little longer."


    Pepper threw his arm away and sat by the bed,bing her hair with her hand. She turned to Stark and said, "You useless and idle person! I''m not one of those models who apanied you to fool around on the yacht. There are still a lot of orders to negotiate at the expo."


    Pepper sat by the bed, covering her forehead with her hand. Stark finally became a bit more awake andy on the bed, looking at the ceiling with his eyes open. He blinked a few times and then said, still groggy, "What meeting? What orders?"


    Pepper nced at him and said as if questioning life, "How could I believe your nonsensest night? Oh my god."


    "Don''t be like that," Stark muttered, still sleepy. He turned over and tried to hug Pepper''s waist with his arm.


    "I remember you were very touchedst night. It was the first time we had such a chat. That was really nice."


    Seeing Stark''s eyshes trembling continuously, Pepper sighed and turned back. She looked at the sunlight shining into the room through the window, still dazed from being awakened suddenly. Between the blurred vision of dawn and dusk, the light was somewhat indistinguishable. The conversation fromst night echoed in her mind.After the negotiations were over, Stark feltplicated. The military bowed to him, Hammer Industries paid the price, and Ivan''s revenge failedpletely. Logically speaking, he should be happy, but he wasn''t.


    He felt empty in his chest and surrounded by an indescribable sense of loss. It wasn''t until he saw Pepper that he realized where this emotion came from.


    Stark was not someone who would express his yearning verbally, but he had to admit that when the sense of loss disappeared upon seeing Pepper, he realized that he was missing her.


    Pepper walked into the room and saw Stark standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. It was alreadyte at night, and the New York starry sky was not as bright as she had imagined. After sunset, the fog obscured the moonlight and starlight, making the entire night sky look like a drooping ck curtain.


    There was some faint light in the room, but it wasn''t enough to illuminate everything clearly. Stark stood in front of the ss with a faint cold light, turning his head to look at Pepper.


    Pepper felt it was strange because Stark''s eyes were always somewhat moist, as if containing a faint light. Even though there was no light source now, she could clearly see his emotions from his eyes.


    Pepper didn''t know if it was the emotion called yearning that lit up his eyes or if the sun in his eyes was shining itself, but whenever she was being stared at by him, it was always difficult for her to refuse.


    Pepper walked to his side and looked into his eyes. Every time this happened in the past, Stark felt like a toddler learning to speak, with a bunch of words on the tip of his tongue but unable to say anything.


    But today, hisnguage system seemed to have just gone online, and he said to Pepper, "Do you know when I was happiest today?"


    Pepper had dealt with too many of Stark''s wild questions. She knew that often, Stark didn''t need an answer, he just needed someone to listen. So she thought for a moment and replied, "I think it was when you saw the look of surprise on Hamer''s face after activating the defense system?"


    "When you decided to renovate the building, I didn''t really agree because it was risky. But now it seems that the choice was correct. If we can''t demonstrate enough strength, then the trouble will be endless."


    "I don''t want to discuss that."


    Pepper looked up at Stark, feeling like his expression had be very focused.


    Stark said, "The happiest moment for me was seeing Peter and his girlfriend at the exhibition."


    "They had backpacks on their backs, walked to every product, showed a surprised expression, listened carefully to the exnation, whispered to each other, avoiding the crowd."


    "I saw them too. Youth is good, right?" Pepper smiled.


    "I felt happy because," Stark looked at Pepper and said, "at that time, I was thinking if we could do that too."


    "I''ll wait for you at a designated ce, and then we''ll follow the crowd and enter the exhibition hall together, feeling surprised and happy about everything we see."


    Pepper shook her head and sighed, "I''m afraid you''ll be disappointed. That girl named Gwen is very interested in those machines. When she talks about these things, she''s even more knowledgeable than Peter."


    "But I don''t know anything about these things and I''m not very interested. If you want to find someone who can apany you to explore an industrial exhibition all day and be surprised from start to finish, it definitely won''t be me."


    "Do you know?" Stark suddenly changed the topic, "A few days ago, I had a dream, a very realistic dream. You can listen to it as if it were a real story."


    Pepper looked at him, hearing his hoarse voice echoing in the room:


    "One day in the future, after experiencing many disasters, Stark Industries went bankrupt."


    "When I woke up from a chaotic dream, I found that I had nothing."


    "I was homeless, hungry, and could only barely survive on food from the relief station."


    "I felt exhausted and humiliated. I had to move slowly on the street like a beggar, trying to find aplete cardboard box or an oil drum that hadn''t been extinguished for warmth."


    Pepper looked at Stark and saw a hint of fear between his eyebrows. She touched Stark''s face with her hand and said, "I can''t imagine if this really happened."


    Then she suddenly realized and said, "But this can''t happen. You have so many friends, how could they let you fall into this situation?"


    "What if they''re all dead?"


    Pepper shook her head and said, "No matter what happens, you will always try to protect them."


    "No matter how bad the disaster is, you will always be the one who rushes to the front."


    Pepper touched Stark''s face and looked into his eyes with concentration. "Sometimes I don''t want you to do this, but if you just survive bypromising, then you wouldn''t be Stark anymore."


    Stark turned his head and smiled helplessly. "You''re making it difficult for me to continue this story."


    "Then don''t tell it. It''s just a dream, no need to worry about it."


    "A dream?" Stark murmured to himself. "Perhaps."


    "But this story has an important ending. Don''t you want to hear it?" Stark was eagerly looking at Pepper, who couldn''t refuse his request. She asked, "What ending?"


    Stark opened his mouth, seeming to return to a state of speechlessness. After a pause, he said, "The ending is that when I thought I was about to die, the first person I thought of was you."


    Maybe he felt that his words were too sudden, so Stark exined, "I dreamed that I was about to die, and before I died, I was thinking about where you went. Then I woke up and realized it was just a dream."


    "Do you know why I realized it was a dream?" Stark reached out and paused in midair before covering Pepper''s hand that was stroking his cheek. He said, "Because you won''t leave me, right?"


    Pepper looked straight at him, then suddenlyughed and said, "You went around in circles just to say that?"


    "I know I am shameless. I didn''t give you any promises, but I asked for this answer first. But you''ve known me for a long time," Stark alsoughed. "That''s just how shameless I am."


    "Well, if you go bankrupt, then it serves you right. If you can''t continue to pay me such a high sry, I will definitely turn around and leave," Pepper said.


    Stark pulled Pepper''s arm and stood closer to her. He said, "Before, someone who imed to be able to read minds suggested to me that he could tell me an answer at an appropriate time."


    "What answer?"


    "Do you really love me?"


    Pepper was about to say that there was no such thing as mind-reading, but suddenly realized what he meant. She looked at Stark in shock.


    Those brown eyes were like thick honey, and Pepper felt like a bee that had been bewitched and was a little dizzy.


    Outside the ss curtain wall of Stark Tower, a gray mist drifted at the corner of the building. Spider-Man hung upside down on the eaves with a spider web, watching the scene inside. He turned his head and said to the gray mist, "Although I don''t know what you are, it''s not right to spy."


    The gray mist suddenly turned into an arrow and pointed towards Stark and Pepper. Spider-Man turned his head and saw that behind the flickering ss curtain wall, the two were kissing.


    After the kiss, Stark let go of Pepper. Before he could say anything else, in the corner of his eye, the gray mist slowly turned into a symbol, a checkmark.


    Thinking back tost night''s scene, Starky on the bed, covering his eyes and couldn''t help butugh.


    Pepper was changing clothes and turned back angrily, "Are you happy that I''mte? What are youughing at?"


    "I don''t have it," Stark struggled to sit up from the bed, running his messy hair with his hand. "I''m your boss, I can give you a day off, and we-"


    "Don''t talk nonsense. What about the pile of paperwork and meetings and thepany after I take a day off?" Pepper said coldly.


    "It''s okay, I can take over for you for a day. I''ll handle these things," Stark offered.


    "Well, then I can rest for a day," Pepper said indifferently, "and then spend twice as much time in the next three months to deal with the losses caused by your day off."


    Stark quickly changed his clothes. Pepper had never seen him move so quickly before. After putting on his coat, checking his book and putting on his sunsses, he lit a cigarette and left. Before leaving, he said, "I have to prove to you that there''s nothing in this world that Stark can''t handle."


    An hourter, the Sanctum Sanctorum received an unexpected call. Strange took the phone from the receptionist''s hand, put his hand on his waist, and said helplessly, "This is the cosmic hotline. Can you call my private number if you have something to say?"


    "I need some help, man. Damn it, I think I messed up something. This contract seems to be fromst year, but I''ve already signed it."


    Strange heard Stark''s slightly panicked voice and said, "Since you can provide services to so many random people, this should be easy. Hurry up ande over, or Pepper will kill me!"


    "We specialize in tasks rted to cosmic deities," Strange exined.


    "I am a cosmic deity too!!! Hurry up ande over!!"


    "The Stark Group''s problem, you should go to a professional staff team. We are just a group of fraudsters, I mean financial workers."


    "I''m looking for financial workers!"


    "Then why don''t you go to Wall Street?"


    "But you guys are on Wall Street, aren''t you?!!!" Stark shouted.


    Half an hourter, Strange and Stark, who looked dejected, appeared outside the Arkham Sanatorium. Schiller blocked the door and said, "If you want to enter, pay first."


    "And also pay for yesterday''s diagnosis," he added.


    "But you told me that yourself," Stark red at Schiller.


    Schiller smiled and said, "Did something make you think I would force you to buy something?"


    "You''re a terrible doctor!"


    "I''ll say it again."

 Chapter 224: Loki (1)

    Chapter 224: Loki (1)


    In the office of the editor-in-chief of Global Times, Eddie ced his cup on the desk, took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair. He then sat on the office chair. A young employee knocked on the door and walked in, saying, "Chief editor, tomorrow''s materials will bete. The printer has some problems."


    "The printer is broken again? Okay, let Damon call the logistics department and send someone to fix it," Eddie sighed and picked up thetest magazine from the side.


    Yes, after the storm, Eddie became the editor-in-chief of the news and politics section of Global Times.


    The military wanted to find an agent to support the Life Foundation, which was a short sentence, but the process was a bitplicated.


    Anyway, this matter did not seed under Eddie''s interference, and the agent of the Life Foundation was kicked out. The editor-in-chief of Global Times, Eddie''s former boss, was also kicked out. Before the ck history of Drake using homeless people for human experiments was exposed, Eddie''s boss wrote many reports praising Drake.


    After the ck history was exposed, Eddie''s reputation waspletely reversed. He became a hero journalist who was not afraid of the powerful and spoke for the lower-ss people. On the other hand, the editor-in-chief became a rat crossing the street that everyone shouted to beat, and Global Times also suffered a big reputation decline.


    To reverse the reputation, Global Times had to contact Eddie again and invite him to be the editor-in-chief of the news and politics section, hoping that Eddie''s reputation as a hero journalist could wash away this stain.


    Eddie actually had integrity, but they gave him too much.


    Even with Venom, Eddie was still a human who needed to eat, drink, and rent a house. If he didn''t have a stable job, his car loan, which was already overdue for several months, and the apanyingte fees would make himpletely bankrupt. In order to prevent this situation from happening, Eddie became an editor-in-chief of Global Times.Venom was like a tough coach.


    Eddie sat in front of the desk and took a sip of coffee, sighing contentedly. Venom said in his mind, "You are the least ambitious host I''ve ever seen."


    "Although I don''t know what your previous hosts were like, I''m already satisfied with you," Eddie leaned back in hisfortable chair and said, "After experiencing the torture of that broken apartment in Hell''s Kitchen, I now know howfortable the apartments in Midtown are."


    "And this office," Eddie looked up and said, "has good lighting, sufficient heating, and is spacious."


    He threw the magazine in his hand on the table and said, "The most important thing is that the sry is quite good."


    "Heh," Venom responded with only a coldugh. After all, all of his previous hosts were either saving the world or on the road to save the world, whereas Eddie either cked off or was on the road to ck off.


    In fact, the editor-in-chief''s job was not easy. There were many things to watch and many misceneous tasks to do, but Global Times hired Eddie not because they wanted him to be a good editor-in-chief, but they paid for his reputation. So Eddie''s work was not busy, and he even had time to reconcile with his former girlfriend Anne.


    Like many days before, Eddie was cking off in his office until it was time to go home. When he walked out of the office building, he nced at his watch and said to Venom, "You should know that I was supposed to have a date with Anne tonight."


    "Then you would have made her angry again with your stupid words that don''t go through your brain..."


    Eddie shook his head helplessly. Hill was waiting for him at the door and they shook hands. "Let''s go to the car first."


    About half an hourter, the two appeared in the SHIELD base, and Hill said to Venom in Eddie''s body, "There is more residual power of Riot in your body than we thought..."


    "But you can''t actually extract it, can you?"


    The two stood at the entrance of theboratory, Hill looked into Eddie''s eyes and said, "I admit, the research process has not been smooth. Humans have almost no control over this kind of magic-like power."


    "To be honest, we are borrowing a flower to offer Buddha, but our price is low enough. Trust me, this is a fair trade."


    Entering theboratory, Riot was contained in a jar, his body still gray, but surrounded by some ck mist, just like the chaotic power that appeared on him that day.


    Phantom spoke through Hill''s mouth, "How do you n to absorb it? Although you are not a member of the cosmic Agents, I must tell you that in the current mainstream symbiote society, we do not advocate devouring our own kind."


    "This is not because of any moral code, but because epting too much gic selection from the same kind at once can cause symbiotes to have mental disorders."


    "I have a way to strip this energy away, but I must leave my current host to do so." Venom shook his head and said, "I will not put myself in such a dangerous situation, let alone do all this under SHIELD''s surveince."


    "Although I have asked many times..." Phantom said suspiciously, "But I still have to say, are you really Venom? Why are you so..."


    "Don''t talk nonsense... I n to devour this power inside my host''s body."


    "No, you can''t do that." Phantom controlled Hill to step forward, trying to stop him. "First, your host cannot possibly withstand two symbiotes parasitizing in his body at the same time. Second, the process of symbiotes devouring symbiotes will be very violent, and his body cannot possibly withstand this kind of impact. Third, the chaotic power will impact the human mind and make them insane."


    "In short, your current body cannot support you doing this, and I will not allow you to harm your human host. This vites the cosmic Agents'' code..."


    "Who said I was going to do this in this host''s body?"


    Phantom still shook his head and said, "Even if you switch to another host, the result will be the same. The human body cannot possibly withstand this kind of impact."


    "I know you previously parasitized a child named Peter. Although he had strong physical qualities, the impact of chaotic power on the mind is magical in nature, and he still couldn''t resist it. This is very risky."


    "If humans can''t do it, what about the Asgardians?"


    Phantom was stunned, he looked at Venom and said, "Asgardians? Are you crazy? Their Thunder God almost killed us! You can see in your gic database that most symbiotes are allergic to the Asgardians..."


    "I''m not allergic to anything except idiots."


    "But where do you go to find... Are you nning to parasitize the prince of Asgard?" Phantom said incredulously, "You''re really crazy! Odin won''t allow all of this to happen."


    "Odin is asleep."


    "But... Even if Odin doesn''t care, they won''t agree to let you parasitize them, right? Their feelings are more sensitive than humans, and they can''t secretly parasitize them without being discovered."


    "So I''m not nning to secretly parasitize them. I n to negotiate with them."


    As the sun gradually went down, therger the high-rise building, the longer the shadows it cast. These shadows were like fences crossing the river, and the setting sun flowed through them, turning into dense golden threads.


    Manhattan''s rush hour was bustling, most of the elite in suits and leather shoes were carrying their briefcases and rushing down the street. The coffee shops and restaurants on the side of the road were crowded with people. Loki looked around and didn''t find a ce to teleport away from the crowd. In the end, he decided to take a taxi.


    The taxi stopped outside an apartment building on West Street at the central station. When Loki walked into the apartment building, it was already dark.


    As soon as he opened the door, he saw Thor sitting on the sofa, drinking beer and eating fried chicken. Loki didn''t have time to scold him, he walked quickly to the entranceway, opened his briefcase, took out hisputer, and dialed his mobile phone, "Sorry, Mr. Hall, I''m already home. Let me continue to tell you about our n for this quarter..."


    Loki controlled theputer while talking on the phone, listening to the "crunching" and "clinking" sounds from Thor''s side.


    Finally, he couldn''t take it anymore. After hanging up the client''s phone, he turned around and said to Thor, "How did the father of the gods not see you in this state??? I should really..."


    "I paid the rent, so you can''t control what I do in this house," Thor took another bite of fried chicken and said, "And unlike you, who sit in an office all day, fixing cars is a physical job. If I don''t eat more, how can I have enough strength for the night shift?"


    "I..."


    Loki covered his forehead and deeply regretted his previous fire-controlling failure that blew up the house.


    After the chaos in the previous apartment, they had to move. Although Odin had paid for their amodation, SHIELD refused to let them live separately. Nick''s reason was that SHIELD was short-staffed and couldn''t protect them in two separate locations, but Loki knew it was just because Nick thought Odin gave too little money.


    So they still had to live together.


    Loki was determined to make a name for himself on Wall Street, so he worked very hard. His efforts paid off as he gained many big clients and even the small ones sought him out. He was very busy now, working for over 18 hours a day.


    As for Thor, he still worked at the same auto repair shop but had gone from being an assistant to a full-time mechanic.


    It was impossible topare which job was harder. In these few weeks since joining Wall Street, Loki had witnessed the diversity of the human race. During these days, he would often think at night, why wasn''t he the God of Thunder, so he could just strike some difficult clients with lightning.


    Thor faced the same problem. Because he often had to physicallymunicate with car owners, he often had his pay deducted. If it wasn''t for the repair shop owner seeing his muscr build and ability to handle the ce, he would have been fired long ago.


    These two had their own ways of being busy and tired, but strangely, it improved their rtionship a bit. After all, the resonance between two office ves is very subtle but strong.


    After dealing with a bunch of troublesome clients, Loki sat down on the sofa and took a can of beer from the pile of beer cans next to Thor. After opening the can, he poured it into his mouth. Thor took another bite of fried chicken and said, "I used to despise you for drinking and needing a cup, you don''t even look like an Asgardian warrior. But now it''s much better."


    Loki didn''t want to talk to him. He was now contemting why humans could ask questions beyond hisprehension. Even when he stood on the branches of the World Tree and looked out at the infinite starry sky of the Nine Realms, he had never thought so deeply about the truth and origin of the universe like he did today.


    After taking another gulp of beer, Loki thought that Wall Street was a great ce to practice magic. Just by working here for two months, one''s depth of thinking about the universe could reach a whole new level.


    The living room in the apartment wasn''t lit, only the flickering of the light on the TV. Thor''s gaze moved away from the variety show on the TV, and he hesitantly asked, "How is Asgard doing recently?"


    Loki put down the beer can, wiped his lips, and nced at the beer stains on his shirt. He said, "How Asgard is doing has nothing to do with you, anyway, you can''t go back."


    Thor squeezed the beer can hard, and beer sprayed out of the opening, sshing onto his hand and then dripping onto the floor. Loki looked at the floor and said, "You''ll mop it up tomorrow."


    Thor was about to say something when a ringing sound echoed in the empty living room. Loki took out his mobile phone and said, "Hello, this is Odinson..."


    Hearing his self-introduction, Thor squeezed the can again and poured the remaining beer into his mouth without saying a word.

 Chapter 225: Loki (2)

    Chapter 225: Loki (2)


    At the entrance of the SHIELDboratory, Loki looked at Eddie and said, "So, you want to borrow my body to consume another symbiote?"


    Venom cut straight to the chase and said, "I can give you 30% of my power as my rent, trust me, that''s quite a lot."


    He turned to look at Riot in theboratory and said, "The energy left on him should be pure..."


    "I refuse," Loki answered firmly.


    There wasn''t any special reason, nor was it because he didn''t want the power. It was simply because Loki and most people with his personality were skeptics. They didn''t want another sentient being entering their minds.


    Venom wasn''t surprised at all. He continued, "My host once was Tony Stark, who became the only one to upgrade himself with magical powers and infinite intelligence. You must have heard of it..."


    "Don''t you want to experience that kind of intelligence?"


    Loki fell silent. People with his personality also had amon trait: absolute confidence in their own intelligence.


    As a participant in the Knull incident, Loki certainly knew about Stark''s achievement. As a mage, he had a much better understanding of mysticism than humans did. He was well aware that the power Stark received from the demon''s down payment was not enough to transform any individual cosmic organism. Therefore, the only possible problem could lie in Stark''s extraordinary intelligence.People like them were strange. On the one hand, they believed they were the smartest people in the universe. On the other hand, they were curious about the intelligence of other clever people. Loki had to admit that he was tempted.


    "In my host, there is another person whose intelligence is no less than Stark''s. Although I can''t say his name, I think it won''t disappoint you," Venom added another bargaining chip.


    Phantom looked at Loki''s moved expression and really wanted to remind him that Venom had yed with shit before, but she felt it wasn''t appropriate to speak up.


    "You are a god, your body can withstand two symbiotes parasitizing at the same time. And you are also a mage, with a mental barrier that can resist the chaos power''s attack on your mind..."


    "You won''t suffer any losses, but you can experience the pinnacle of human intelligence. How about it? Interested?"


    "If you had asked me this question two months ago, before I came to Earth, I would have given you a negative answer. But recently, I''ve seen the wonders of this species called humans, so, I am indeed curious," Loki replied.


    Phantom''s words of dissuasion were already on her lips, but Venom gave her a look and she eventually kept quiet.


    Venom''s method of switching hosts was simple. He controlled Eddie to put a hand on Loki''s shoulder, then Eddie twitched and immediately Loki raised his head and took two steps back.


    He heard Venom''s voice ringing in his mind: "... Huh?"


    "What''s wrong?" Loki asked.


    "No... nothing." There was still some confusion in Venom''s voice. Loki asked him, "What''s the next step?"


    "I need to adapt to the host''s body. We''lle back in a few days."


    After saying this, Venom fell silent, and Loki couldn''t feel that he had an extra symbiote inside him. After leaving SHIELD''s base and returning to the streets of Manhattan, Loki was about to use his teleportation ability when Venom''s voice rang out again: "Don''t teleport, let''s walk back."


    "Is this a special fetish of your species?"


    "No, it''s just good for your mental health because next, I''m going to read your medical report."


    "Medical report? Symbiotes have this function?"


    "This is the most basic function of symbiotes, but I generally don''t give the report back to the user because for humans, knowing how many cells make up their body is meaningless."


    "It''s the same for the Asgardians," Loki replied.


    "That''s the problem."


    "What?"


    "The Asgardians..."


    "What about the Asgardians?"


    "I''m curious." Venom''s tone wasplicated. He asked, "What exactly made you believe for so many years that you were an Asgardian?"


    "I..." Loki felt like he didn''t understand the syntax of this symbiote. He asked, "What does that mean? What do you mean I believed I was an Asgardian?"


    "That''s a euphemism." Venom''s voice echoed in Loki''s mind. "My conclusion is that you are not an Asgardian."


    "...What did you say?" Loki stopped in his tracks, shocked and puzzled.


    "Symbiotes have been attacked by the thunder of the Asgardians. This attack brought fatal injuries to most symbiotes, and it also engraved this power in our gene pool."


    "I just did a detailedparison and confirmed that you are definitely not an Asgardian."


    "What are you talking about?" Loki asked incredulously.


    "You better believe my conclusion. It''s a natural gift of symbiotes. We are the most urate medical machines in the universe."


    "I sense the emotions you don''t want to admit, but even in your surface memories, there are clues."


    "Your physique is weak, far inferior to your peers. You don''t have the innate strong power of the Asgardians, nor can you wield the divine weapons like hammers and swords..."


    "Whether it''s physique, strength, or personality, don''t you feel like you don''t fit in?"


    Loki froze. He raised his hand, but after a few seconds, he put it down and turned to walk back, his steps stiff.


    Even though summer had passed, the noon sun was still intense on the streets of Manhattan. Loki walked in the middle of the pedestrian walkway, not even seeking shelter in the shadows of the buildings.


    He had once mocked the humans who couldn''t do magic and had to waste most of their time on the road. But now he realized that walking was not just a process of reaching a destination, especially when you had no destination in mind.


    Loki didn''t know where he was going, but he kept moving forward, as if in every Asgardian twilight, he became a tiny ck dot, crossing the bridge in front of the pce gates, and passing through arch after arch.


    This road to the pce was always long in his memory, because it was the only area in Asgard where magic teleportation was not allowed. In his childhood, he hadined countless times that this long walk was wasting his life.


    But at some point, he began to enjoy the process, even hoping that it would be longer, so that he would never enter the gates of the pce and face the person he least wanted to face.


    What he found even more absurd was that the only thing that could give him somefort at this moment was the process of walking on the ground like an ordinary person.


    Time always passed quickly when he was deep in thought. Unknowingly, Loki had already arrived at the door of his apartment. He looked back and realized that he had walked on an ordinary street, not the magnificent bridge of Asgard. What he faced now was just the entrance to an apartment, not the entrance to the pce.


    The elevator door opened, and footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. The sound of the key inserting into the lock sounded abrupt, and when the door was pushed open, Thor, who was manipting an electric hanger in front of the French window, turned his head and saw Loki standing outside the door. He asked, "Why are you back at this time? Aren''t you at work?"


    The sun outside the window made Thor''s back appear blurry, like the halo on Odin''s throne. Loki closed his eyes in confusion, took two steps forward, then leaned against the wall and knelt down, just like he often did when he met with Odin.


    But Thor looked panicked. He hurried over and asked, "What''s wrong? You...wait, your divine power hasn''t been taken away, so you shouldn''t be sick. What''s going on..."


    He was about to take out his mobile phone to make a call, but Loki stood up, pushed Thor aside, and walked into his own bedroom, mming the door shut.


    Thor was confused. He muttered a few words, then went back to manipting his clothes.


    Loki leaned against the door with one hand, trembling all over. He took a few deep breaths, then dragged his heavy footsteps to sit on the bed and lean against the edge.


    "What are you still doubting?" Venom''s voice rang in Loki''s mind. "Based on my current feeling, your intelligence is indeed outstanding, so it shouldn''t be difficult to spot those spider web marks in your daily life."


    "Or is it that your ability to deceive yourself has reached a point where you can truly fool yourself and be at peace with being a duck among chickens?"


    "No, I was just thinking..." Loki''s voice containedplex emotions.


    Loki''s Adam''s apple moved as he looked up at the ceiling while leaning against the head of the bed.


    A very obvious fact was that if he was not of the Asgardian race, then Odin could not be his biological father, and Thor would not be his biological brother.


    Loki had doubted why his physical condition was so poor, but he dared not ask the father of all gods, Odin. His mother, Frigga, always exined to him that it was a congenital deficiency and that he was just unlucky.


    Loki did not know how he had convinced himself with such wed reasons, but in his memories, there was more resentment towards injustice and jealousy towards Thor.


    As he searched through his memories, he dug up the fragments hidden in the corners. All the children were willing to y with Thor because he could always lift thergest rock, and in duels, Loki could only stand at the back and watch from afar because he knew he would not have the chance to participate.


    "I can taste a hint of revenge in your emotions, but it''s mixed with too many impurities, it doesn''t taste good, and I don''t like it." Venom''s voice suddenly trembled, and he said, "Revenge should be pure, what have you added to it?"


    Loki ignored him and, after recovering from his initial shock, his mood became even moreplicated. If Odin''s past biased actions had been exined, what was happening recently?


    Loki thought back in confusion and realized that he hadn''t done anything particrly special, but his treatment and Thor''s hadpletely reversed.


    While Thor was left on Earth without weapons, without godly powers, and starving, Loki was standing among countless universal demons, and Odin introduced him to those demons as his son, the Prince of Asgard, and the most talented and potential mage in the Nine Realms.


    Then, Odin left him a position on the path of power, and even began to instill him with that power, and eventually even gave him a position as a true god, and he was the first among his peers to receive that position.


    Loki had never dreamed that he would be the one to receive this honor. Even if Thor was not considered, there were too many outstanding warriors among Asgard''s peers who charged ahead and defended from behind, were loyal to Odin, and were the backbone of Asgard''s future.


    The reason why Loki was still on Earth until now was also because he did not want to face these people. He could imagine the skeptical look in their eyes when they saw him, as if he was a thief who stole Thor''s honor.


    In fact, not only them, Loki himself was also doubtful.

 Chapter 226: Loki (3)

    Chapter 226: Loki (3)


    Loki admitted that he had always resented Odin''s favoritism, but when he became the target of the favoritism, he felt guilty and fearful. Now, this fear has turned into deep confusion because an extraterrestrial scanning device told him that he wasn''t even an Asgardian.


    Odin''s reputation was not built on sitting on the throne. He conquered the universe, ttened the Nine Realms, and his footprints traversed every branch of the World Tree. All his enemies trembled under his thunder. From the perspective of the conquered tribes, Odin was definitely a tyrant.


    Odin could also be called a racist. He showed no mercy to anyone outside the Asgardians, at least in Loki''s understanding.


    So the question remained, if he wasn''t Odin''s biological son, and not even an Asgardian, why was Odin suddenly so good to him?


    Loki leaned against the head of the bed, with one arm on his forehead. He even felt that his question was ridiculous. He couldn''t believe that he would one day question why Odin was so good to him.


    In the living room of the apartment, Thor finally figured out the electric clothes rack and sessfully hung up his work clothes. At this moment, he heard the bedroom door of Loki''s room, and saw Loki standing in the doorway of his bedroom.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Thor asked, very puzzled.


    "I want to ask you a question." Loki looked at Thor and said, "I got the position of a full god before you, and I can freely enter and leave Asgard, I haven''t been deprived of my godly powers, nor have my weapons been taken away. I even have the spare energy to mock you..."


    "When you learned this fact, did you think Odin was biased?""Of course!" Thor stared at Loki and said, "I really don''t understand how you could be the first to get the position of a full god. Do you have any military achievements?"


    He grabbed the cor of his work clothes and shook it fiercely, as if venting. He said angrily, "Whether it is divine power or military achievements, I am stronger than you. How could the father of the gods..."


    He breathed heavily through his nose, paused for a moment, and then suddenly deted, saying, "Okay, I figured it out. I got into trouble, right? He was angry, so he banished me here, and then gave you the position of a full god, so you coulde over and mock me..."


    Thor raised his arm and said, "Very good, he seeded. Now, my daily concern is whether I can buy an extra case of beer with my sry next week. I am no different from these ordinary mortals, and even more destitute than them. I can only order small portions of fried chicken..."


    "You won, okay?" Loki stood by the door, looking at Thor''s expression, speechless.


    "Why hasn''t your rather intelligent brain seeded in persuading you that he really is just a one-track-minded idiot?" Venom asked him.


    "The medical report shows that there are some problems with your brain." Venom''s tone suddenly became a bit cheerful, and he said, "Luckily, I know a great psychologist who might be able to solve all the confusion and questions in your mind. After all, it''s better than doing nothing..."


    "Psychologist?" Loki''s tone was a bit puzzled. "Asgard doesn''t have that profession."


    "Believe me, it will be effective."


    Half an hourter, Schiller took a new medical record from the shelf and asked, "Name?"


    Loki was a bit distracted, and Schiller asked again before he answered, "Loki."


    "Last name?"


    Loki hesitated for a moment and said, "Odinson."


    "You have a peculiar way of pronouncing this surname. ording to your current level of English, it shouldn''t be a pronunciation error. Do you have any opinions on this surname?"


    "So, psychologists for you humans just keep asking questions for me to answer?"


    "If you feel you need treatment, please cooperate with me instead of nning to take over. This is not a business negotiation, you don''t need to fight for control, and I am not your enemy. You don''t need to use rhetoric to interfere with me." Schiller wrote and drew on the medical record without looking up.


    "This is novel." Loki put his hands on the table, leaning slightly forward, with a confident posture.


    "You seem to be used to this way of speaking, wanting to take control in every conversation, which is beneficial in most cases, but may not always work."


    Loki opened his mouth and said, "No, not always, at least when facing..."


    He shook his head as if he didn''t want to say that name.


    "Why won''t you say your father''s name?" Schiller saw Loki''s fingertips move slightly when he heard the word "father," and then he heard Loki say, "Because he may not be..."


    "Not what?"


    "He may not be my father." Loki''s tone was deliberately light, but his neck muscles trembled, and his whole shoulder became stiff. Schiller nced at him.


    "How did you feel when you said that?" Schiller looked at him. "Perhaps the answer you want is hidden in there."


    The trembling of Loki''s fingertips spread to his back, followed by his wrist and forearm, but it disappeared in an instant.


    "You seem unwilling to admit this fact, but also feel that you have no reason not to admit it, but you just don''t want to admit it. Why?"


    "I don''t know," Loki''s voice sounded somewhat hoarse.


    "Although I don''t need you to reveal all your secrets, you can''t just say nothing. Especially at a time like this, you must have a lot to say, a lot of questions to ask."


    "What, are you still fantasizing about a better listener than me? Maybe I should call Strange and have him ask if Odin has woken up..."


    "No, no..." Loki denied.


    "Every time you mention Odin, you seem a little afraid. Why?" Schiller tilted his head and looked at him.


    "No one is not afraid of the father of the gods."


    "Listen, this isn''t an exam. I''m not asking you to find a perfect answer to my question," Schiller said somewhat helplessly.


    "When I ask you a question, you can ask yourself the same question and give yourself an answer in your mind. If you''re willing to tell me the true answer, the therapy will be more effective. If you don''t want to, that''s okay too."


    Loki was silent for a long time, but still lowered his shoulders, exhaled a breath, and said, "I am indeed afraid of him, because of his authority and power, and more importantly...I am not Thor."


    "Thor, of course, can be unafraid of him. No matter what he does, the father of the gods will clean up the mess for him, just like this time..."


    "...but I can''t." Loki''s fingertips rested on the desk, leaving a shallow reflection. He looked at his fingers and said, "I can''t make mistakes like Thor, especially not such stupid ones."


    His lips moved and then he said, "He won''t tolerate me."


    "I must maintain reverence." Loki''s voice began to break free from thatplex emotion. His thoughts seemed to return to the right track and he became more engaged.


    "I am not particrly important to the father of the gods. I can''t even be sure whether I am as important to him as the brave Asgardian warriors."


    Schiller held the pen in his hand, changed his posture, and said, "Because the loved ones you care about are unwilling to give you definite feedback, you can only continue to lower your expectations and convince yourself that as long as he doesn''t show obvious hostility towards you, you can get by."


    "But this is not a solution, especially when there is a contrasting example. Self-deception cannotst long."


    Loki held his eyebrows with one hand, somewhat dazedly said, "But the problem now is that during this time, I have be the object of favoritism, and then I just realized that maybe what he did was right, because I am not his biological son..."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "A concept has caused some confusion. Whether or not there is a blood rtionship, and whether or not he is biased, may not have a direct rtionship."


    Schiller exined, "On the surface, the logic is that if you are not his biological son, then it is only natural for him to treat you poorly. But the problem is, if you are not his biological son, how did you be his son?"


    "The background story may beplicated, but one thing is certain, your father must have picked you up from somewhere. We don''t know what he was feeling when he picked you up, but the fact is, even though he knew you weren''t his own, he still raised you until now."


    "If his purpose in raising you was to favor your brother and neglect you, then why did he even bother picking you up?"


    "Well, let''s assume there was some kind of benefit to raising you, maybe something that would drive him to pick you up and raise you, even though he didn''t want another son. That''s why he showed favoritism and neglected you."


    "If that''s the case, then you don''t need to worry about it anymore. Just find out what the conspiracy is behind it and then find a way to get revenge."


    Schiller propped his chin with one hand and looked at Loki. "When you learned this fact, you should have thought of this possibility. So ask yourself, what are you still worrying about?"


    Loki fell silent.


    His gaze started to be calm, and he said, "I tried to convince myself that he was treating me well during this time, with small favors. I deduced many possible conspiracies and even had several ns to investigate my true identity. Now, I should have appeared on the Rainbow Bridge..."


    Loki''s eyes moved downward as if he was thinking. He said, "But when I was about to put these ns into action, when I tried to take a step in the opposite direction, I found..."


    His voice had lowered to the extreme, like a stone blown off the edge of a cliff by the wind. He slowly clenched his fist and said incredulously, "I don''t seem to want to do that."


    "Why do you think that is?"


    Loki shook his head and looked at Schiller. "You''re the doctor, aren''t you?"


    Schiller twirled a pen in his hand and said, "That''s amon misunderstanding about psychologists. Most of the time, we are just listeners and not responsible for giving answers."


    "Or maybe many people already have the answer in their hearts, but they don''t want to admit it. That''s why theye to the doctor, hoping to get a different result. Sometimes we see this, but we don''t expose it because not everyone can handle that kind of stimtion."


    "Do you think you can?"


    "I..." Loki tilted his head and murmured, "I think I can..."


    "Well, maybe you''ve already realized it." Schiller looked at Loki and said, "Your resentment towards Odin''s unfairness and your jealousy towards Thor cannot conceal your desire for family affection."


    "Whether or not family affection truly exists, you have been deluding yourself for so many years, and blood rtions are an important pir of this self-delusion."


    "Now that this pir has been shattered today, you realize that your instinctive action is not to uncover the truth, to seek revenge on these people righteously, but to frantically search for another pir..."


    "You suddenly realize that you are weaker and more prone topromise than you thought. You are immersed in some illusions you have created for yourself and do not want to wake up. You are not as smart, decisive, or ruthless as you thought, and even the potential mind-blowing conspiracies and hatreds have not made you determined."


    "As long as those supposed family members give you a little sweetness, you are willing to desperately search for reasons that can deceive yourself and get by..."


    "You find thatpared to the infallible gods, you are more like the ordinary people you have always looked down upon."


    "Or perhaps,pared to ordinary people, you are more like a dog chasing after a tiny piece of meat..."


    "Enough."

 Chapter 227: Odinson (1)

    Chapter 227: Odinson (1)


    The bright noon sunshine had gradually dimmed down, no longer so dazzling. The curtains in the Sanatorium office only left a small gap, and the light shining through the gap was shining on the desk.


    After the temperature began to drop, the air conditioning was turned on in the office. At this time, the heating was adequate, but Loki experienced a feeling that he had never experienced before, which belonged only to ordinary humans - cold.


    His mouth was hanging down, without opening it, just squeezing out a few words from his teeth: "...stop talking."


    "People always like to overestimate their psychological endurance, thinking that they can be calm when facing a certain answer, but actually it is difficult."


    Loki stared at him and said nothing. The appearance of an Asgardian always carried some ssical beauty. Loki''s eyebrows were deep and sharp, like a knife, and when the shadow castpletely covered his eyes, he looked both indifferent and profound.


    "I have many perspectives to analyze this problem, to tell you where this mentalityes from, and how to solve it..."


    Schiller''s words took a turn: "...but it will cost you."


    Loki''s expression was very cold. He stood up, but felt a resistance in his body. Venom in his heart said: "I advise you to think about it again. This may be a rare opportunity."


    "Don''t try to influence me, monster.""If you want to take it out on me..." Venom''s voice was unexpectedly calm with Loki''s tone: "Then I will tell you that even if you leave here now, you have nowhere to go, orphan."


    "Are you going to face Thor with this mentality? Are you going to ask him those stupid questions that you already know the answers to, or are you really going to be like a begging dog, asking him if he loves you or not?"


    "...I said, that''s enough!"


    "Calm down." Schiller''s words brought Loki back to reality. He said: "My fees are very expensive, but they are definitely more effective than you think."


    "More importantly, I don''t think you have the ability to pay the bill now, so I will charge it to your brother, because he is the heir of Asgard."


    "...Let''s start then." Loki sat back.


    "Let''s look at this problem from a different angle." Schiller made a gesture of putting something aside and said: "You should know in your heart that you are jealous of Thor, but we can analyze this emotion carefully."


    "Now, please imagine, what would you do if you were Thor?"


    "What would I do?" Loki asked: "...What else could I do?"


    "Don''t worry, listen to me. Suppose, now you are Odin''s eldest son, the heir of Asgard, and have received Odin''s attention since you were young. No matter what trouble you cause, he will not me you too much..."


    "He..." Loki tried to calm himself down as much as possible, and then entered into this hypothetical scenario.


    "You can imagine, putting yourself in Thor''s position, you have been the focus of everyone since you were young, Odin values you, Frigga loves you, and your peers respect you..."


    With Schiller''s words, Loki began to sink into his imagination.


    As the bonfire burned, the shouts in the arena became very noisy. He stood in the front row, then leaped from his seat and stood in the center of the arena, epting the cheers and shouts of everyone. The audience looked at him with hopeful eyes, believing that he could win.


    Then, he crossed the long bridge of the pce with joy and excitement in his heart, walked into the pce gate, stood straight and bathed in the light. Odin praised him and Frigga smiled with relief.


    He galloped on the battlefield of the Nine Realms, and no one was his opponent. He won easily and brought the honor back to the father of the gods, receiving the admiration of the Asgardian people.


    "So where is Thor now?"


    Schiller''s words did not interrupt Loki''s imagination, but instead turned his perspective. He saw that behind the crowd cheering for him, Thor was standing there, watching him from afar. After their identities and perspectives werepletely reversed, Loki suddenly had a wonderful feeling.


    "Now, take what you have done and put it on Thor. He yed many pranks on you, and then this behavior became more and more malicious, and finally it was not just pranks, but real sabotage..."


    "No..." Loki frowned deeply. "I didn''t..."


    "Don''t deny it all, but continue to think about it and see how you would look at it from Thor''s perspective."


    In an instant, the dream filled with honor and glory was shattered. Loki''s arm began to tremble, and his teeth were tightly clenched. Then he said a few words: "I didn''t see it."


    "What didn''t you see?"


    Suddenly, his shoulders rxed, and his chin began to tremble slightly. Then he slowly calmed down. "I didn''t see those things."


    "Really? Do you want to see it again?"


    "No." Loki immediately refused.


    "Are you sure you didn''t see it?"


    Loki fell silent.


    He remained silent for a long time, until hepletely withdrew from that emotion. He then said, "Maybe...I saw it."


    He paused again for a long time, and the whole sentence was filled with a somewhat hysterical tone, and then it turned into a tremble. "But I...didn''t care."


    "He knew, but didn''t care, right?" Loki looked up at Schiller, who was fiddling with his pen. Schiller said, "In fact, you should also think that although your brother is reckless, impulsive, and stubborn, he is not really a fool. He has normal intelligence, and even some talent in certain aspects..."


    "You have spent so many years together, and for a long time, you have been together day and night. You think you know him well, but he also knows you well. Perhaps many of the things you do, he sees them all, and this is his not caring..."


    "You just wanted to evade this answer just now because you felt that his indifference made you feel more ufortable than if he had exposed you face-to-face or reported to Odin."


    "Now, ask yourself, do you really want to hurt Thor, kill him, rece him, or just want to get more attention?"


    "I..." Loki instinctively wanted to deny this answer. "Don''t be ridiculous, how could I want to get his attention? He has no brain, he''s just a brute from start to finish..."


    "Is that so? Then when I asked you how you felt about Loki as Thor, why didn''t you want to give me an answer?" Loki fell silent again, but this time he didn''t tremble, just paused in the same position.


    "He may truly not care." Loki''s tone grew more breathy, the words mixed with a sigh. He gave a self-mocking smile and said, "At least when I was a child, my pranks were not very well thought out. I was just ying with him."


    "I remember several times when Thor''spanions figured out it was me, so they hated me even more, but Thor didn''t say anything."


    "I know he didn''t not notice..." Loki''s tone became somewhat perplexed. "But why did I believe so strongly at the time that he hadn''t noticed?"


    "Perhaps because you couldn''t ept that he had noticed, but just didn''t care," Schiller said.


    Loki fell silent.


    "Okay, now let''s add some extra conditions to this situation. You''re still you, meaning your current appearance, physique, strength, and abilities, but you''re still Odin''s favorite son and heir to Asgard..."


    Before Schiller finished speaking, Loki said, "No, this is impossible, I..."


    "Asgard will not have such an heir, my physical strength is too weak..."


    "I''m not Odin, and this isn''t the coronation ceremony. What I say doesn''t count."


    "It''s just a hypothesis, anyway. Since it''s all hypothetical, why bother with logic?"


    Loki had nothing to say and could only nod.


    "As you said, you have many ws, even some that are fatal, such as not having the physique that Asgardians pride themselves on. Odin can see these ws, the people of Asgard can see them, but you still became the heir to Asgard and Odin showed you great favor. No matter what trouble you caused, he was willing to resolve it for you..."


    "So, how would Thor see you in this situation?"


    "He..." Loki seemed to have aplete sentence he wanted to say directly, but after the first word came out, he was choked.


    "Don''t doubt what you''re thinking now. Thor would definitely be jealous of you, regardless of how much. That feeling would definitely exist."


    Schiller made another gesture and said, "You probably often think that Thor has so many ws. He acts without thinking, only charging forward, not considering the consequences. He''s simply an unreasonable fool."


    "But if the roles were reversed, Thor would probably think that your physique is so weak that you can''t even pick up a godly artifact. You can''t charge into battle, as a general you can''t set an example, and you don''t have the heroic qualities of the Asgardians..."


    "You see, that''s how the world is. When you can''t be the other person, can''t do the things they do in their position, you always feel that they are not worthy of it."


    "Their ws will be infinitely magnified in your eyes, and then you will use these ws to imagine that if you were in their position, you would do better than them."


    "But when you actually get to that position, your ws will also be magnified, and whether your proud qualities can handle the trouble thates with your ws is still unknown."


    "So?" Loki looked at Schiller and said, "Are you saying that even if I were in Thor''s position, I wouldn''t do better than him?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "No, I''m just telling you that it''s normal to feel jealous of your brother, resent your father''s unfairness, and think that the people of Asgard have no vision. These emotions are all very normal."


    "If we were to switch your position with Thor''s, these emotions would still exist. Thor may not have your level of emotional sensitivity, but he definitely cannot bepletely immune to these emotions."


    "If you don''t believe me, think about him now. In a way, the current situation is as if your positions were switched. Do you really think that Thor is not jealous of your sudden promotion? Do you really think he is so magnanimous that he doesn''t care that Odin gave you the glory that was rightfully his?"


    "Since he can also feel jealousy and resentment, there is really no difference between the two of you. It is not because you have a narrow mind or an abnormal mentality that you have these negative emotions. It is simply human nature."


    "I made this hypothesis..." Schiller paused for a moment, took a sip of water, and continued, "to tell you that the jumble of emotions in your heart, including jealousy, resentment, shock, confusion, perplexity, and indecision, are actually verymon."


    "So you don''t have to make some self-destructive conclusions, such as Thor and Odin being shining and just people, and you being a dark and despicable person who can only hide in a corner to release negative emotions, or evene up with more extreme ideas to bring this pain to others..."


    Schiller put down his ss and looked into Loki''s eyes. "I just said you were like a dog chasing after meat, but the conclusion is that if we were to put a cor on Thor, he might chase after it even more eagerly than you."

 Chapter 228: Odinson (2)

    Chapter 228: Odinson (2)


    "I have always believed that a person''s upbringing ys the most important role in shaping their personality. In other words, if you put another person in your shoes, they may not necessarily do better than you."


    "Thor may have a natural big heart, but it''s still limited. People may think he''s more generous than you, just because he has received more during his upbringing. The attention, affection, and status that you often struggle with, he can get without even trying. So of course he will be more generous, because he is already a beneficiary."


    "And you doubt why you always think so much, why you always have these negative emotions, it''s just because you have received less, or,pared to Thor, even less."


    "Now, let''s look at it from a different perspective. Suppose you are Odin''s only son, that is to say, there is no Thor from beginning to end, but Odin still treats you the same way, just like what you used to receive..."


    Loki fell into thought again, with Schiller''s words ringing in his ears: "Without Thor as a reference, do you still feel like you have received very little?"


    "Or rather, you want to tell me, as a prince of Asgard, what have you received? After all, I am just an ordinary person and cannot imagine your royal life."


    "I... "Loki paused and said,"I have many privileges in Asgard, such as living in the grandest building in all of Asgard, having many pce guards at my disposal, exclusive carriages for travel, and the Rainbow Bridge at my beck and call. We have exclusive royal robes, and the helmet symbolizing the honor of the Asgardians..."


    "Except for the King and Queen and Thor, everyone bows to me, regardless of their rank. I have my own guards, specialized swordsmanship instructors, etiquette officials, coachmen, and I own over 30 streets of industry, as well as two independent dimensional territories..."


    "Okay, stop talking." Schiller put down his cup on the table again, this time his voice was louder, and Loki was stunned, looking at him. Schiller said, "I will definitely send your brother a surprising bill.""Well, I know you must be thinking that Thor has more, but I have to tell you that both of your lives are incredibly privileged, not onlypared to ordinary people on Earth, but also to ordinary Asgardians."


    "When people feel that their lives are not satisfactory, it is often because they feel that they are not close enough to their goals. So what is your goal?"


    "This question may be too broad, but I can give you a detailed example. Do you think this kind of life is not privileged enough, and you want morend and property, endless wealth and status, or is it just because you have received less than Thor? As long as you have more than him, you''re satisfied?"


    Before Loki could answer, Schiller said, "Logically, everyone should pursue the former, after all, who doesn''t love money in this world?"


    "But from your current state, you seem to be thetter, because when Thor is down and you are stronger than him, you suddenly be satisfied with your life."


    "How do you know that I am satisfied with my life?" Loki asked.


    Schiller shrugged and said, "Simply put, people need motivation to do things. The driving force inside isplex, it can be because of specific things, such as pursuing enjoyment or revenge, or it can be because of abstract things, such as the realization of self-worth."


    "When you don''t do something, or when you have the opportunity to do something but give up and just want to stay in one ce, it proves that this motivation is no longer strong enough."


    "This is mostly because the goal has been achieved, such as having endless money, revenge has been sessful, or one has already achieved their life''s value through certain means. Have you not realized that you are just idling now?"


    Schiller looked at Loki and said, "Don''t tell me that you were born to love serving those difficult clients and exploring the limits of human understanding andmunication."


    Loki opened his mouth and took a breath. He realized that he couldn''t refute Schiller''s words. He covered his forehead and began to reflect.


    What is he doing now? Why doesn''t he plot some schemes that could shake the Nine Realms, instead of working nine to five here?


    "Although I don''t want to make a rash inference, based on my knowledge of you, normally, you should be nning a bigger conspiracy, like finding something to kill your brother..."


    "But you didn''t do that, the reason might be the change in your lifestyle. Suddenly, you surpassed Thor, not only in terms of quality of life, but also in his most cherished field, which is honor, and you have enough time to mock him."


    "Although you haven''t admitted it yourself, you should be very satisfied with this kind of life, so you stay here, not doing anything important, just trying to kill time."


    Loki sped his fingers together and said, "Am I really satisfied? Why do I feel..."


    "What? Do you feel a little useless? Do you feel that your goals and ideals are not lofty enough? Then what do you want to do? Kill Thor first, then Odin, and then unite the Nine Realms?"


    "That is indeed a good goal, and you can certainly do it with your ability, but if you really want to make it your goal, then you wouldn''t be sitting here, right?"


    "When you learned that you were not Odin''s biological son, that was an important turning point in your life. You had two choices, either go back to Asgard pretending to know nothing, or..."


    As Schiller looked at Loki, Loki also looked at him, and continued Schiller''s words, "Or...find Thor."


    "You want to see him, don''t you?"


    "That''s rare." Schiller raised the pen in his hand and said, "Generally speaking, when people feel pain, they prefer to call for their mother."


    Loki turned his head, not wanting to pay attention to the irony in Schiller''s tone. Schiller continued, "The first half is over, let''s review it."


    "The conclusion from the hypothesis of exchanging identities is that all the emotions you are experiencing now are normal, and it would be the same for anyone else. Then we found out that Thor appears more magnanimous, not because he is better than you, but because of the different growth environments."


    "Afterward, we explored how changes in circumstances lead to a weakening of inner motivation, and thus inferred that your goals are only stronger than Thor''s."


    "I think you have some new understanding of your rtionship with Thor, so next, wee to another question that you are more interested in, that is your rtionship with Odin."


    When Odin''s name was mentioned, Loki''s expression remainedplicated, and he didn''t even realize the change in his facial muscles.


    "Perhaps you are expecting me to give you a great theoretical analysis, but it''s difficult." Schiller sighed and said, "Because the data you provided is not enough, and there are too many variables, so I can''t provide you with psychological counseling based on these uncertain factors, which may cause significant deviation."


    "What uncertain...data?"


    "For example, what is your rtionship with Odin? Are you really his biological son? If you are not his biological son, then why did he turn you into his son? What is his purpose in raising you? And so on..."


    "Your rtionship with Odin is moreplicated, and in this situation, certain logical conclusions are not valid, and there are many possible options at the end. If you insist on exploring it to the deepest level, it will only make you more confused."


    "So regarding this part, I can only give you two suggestions. The first is to figure out what is really going on, and the second is..."


    Schiller drew out his words, Loki looked at him but didn''t get an answer, he asked, "What is it?"


    Schiller changed his posture, he put his forearm on the table, raised his shoulder and looked at Loki, asking, "Have you ever caused trouble since you were a child?"


    "Of course not." Loki said very confidently, "I am not Thor, I havepleted every task given to me by the father of the gods perfectly."


    "Since you haven''t caused any trouble, how do you know that Odin won''t clean up mess for you?"


    Loki pursed his lips, his tone somewhat incredulous, "Are you suggesting that I...cause trouble?"


    "While I''m not sure what kind of person Odin is, from some of the stories brought back by Strange, I''ve heard that Odin was also impulsive when he was young, much like Thor."


    "Generally speaking, parents have greater tolerance for children who are simr to themselves because they have also gone through that stage and know that for certain personalities, some mistakes are unavoidable."


    "Your main insecurity right nowes from the fact that you originally thought Odin wouldn''t tolerate your mistakes, and now that you''ve found out you''re not his biological son, you feel even less tolerated."


    "But I think you can try, if you don''t try, he''ll never know where the line is, and maybe you''ll get a surprise."


    Loki found it difficult to describe his current mood, he said, "Are you trying to incite me to cause trouble?"


    "I didn''t say that, I''m just giving you a normal psychological counseling session." Schiller still kept his head down and fiddled with the pen in his hand, saying, "Once you''ve achieved your goal and entered a state of self-satisfaction and idleness, people will instinctively start looking for something fun to do, and you''re no exception."


    When Loki returned to the apartment, it was still light outside, so Thor hadn''t gone to work yet. He was holding takeout and was opening the packaging, taking out the fried chicken from inside.


    Thor still had long hair, but his beard was trimmed shorter, wearing a cheap sweatshirt from somewhere, his hands were full of oil. Looking at this scene, Loki held back his thoughts. Sometimes, not digging too deep might be a good thing.


    "I''ve never really understood why you consider someone like him as an opponent." Venom said in Loki''s mind, "Why don''t we go downstairs and y on the seesaw...oh, we''re the same person, we can''t y on the seesaw, that''s a shame."


    "...that''s your rtionship with your brother."


    Loki ignored him and sat on the sofa opposite Thor, using his hand to flick the takeout box in front of Thor. Thor was surprised by his actions, looked up at him and asked, "Don''t you dislike greasy fried chicken?"


    Then he proactively opened the lid facing Loki, pressed it down, revealing the fried chicken inside, and pushed the box to the center of the coffee table, saying, "My money''s only enough for a small portion, but if you want to eat it too, I can give you a few pieces."


    Loki withdrew his hand, propped it on his knee, and used his hand to support his chin. He saw that there were probably only five or six pieces of fried chicken in the box, even for a small portion, it was too little.


    Thor shrugged and said, "Their taste is really good, it''s just a bit expensive and small in portion, but it''s okay, we still have this..."


    He dragged out a stic bag with a packaged can of beer from under the coffee table. When he picked it up, he found that there was only one can of beer left inside. He said, "Well, it''s better than nothing."


    He took out the can of beer, opened the tab on the top of the can, and ced it on the table. He saw Loki sitting still and not moving. Thor asked puzzledly, "What are you doing? Go get a cup."


    Then he paused and said, "Okay, I won''t make fun of you for drinking from a cup, but only this time."


    "Do you need me to tell you? Actually, you really want to..."


    Venom''s voice sounded, but Loki interrupted him and said, "That''s right, I really want to punch him."


    "Well, it seems that not only humans, but gods are also like this..."


    When Venom''s voice disappeared, the sound of beer foaming into the cup sounded. At this time, the sky outside the window darkened, and the gentle breeze blew the curtains up and down. After the temperature dropped, the autumn evening breeze began to be colder, but the sound of insects disappeared, and everything became more peaceful.

 Chapter 229: Asgard Comes

    Chapter 229: Asgard Comes


    "Oh damn it, test that part again!" Thor stood up from the ground and kicked the tire next to him. A colleague handed him a wrench and Thor crouched down to continue working on the tire.


    After a while, he threw the wrench down and patted the car roof, saying, "Okay, this should be thest one for today, right?"


    "Hey! Benjamin, what''s wrong? Help! Someone help, Benjamin''s fainted!" A shout came from outside the workshop, and Thor turned his head to see a colleague shouting outside while another colleague named Benjamin copsed on the ground.


    Thor walked out quickly and asked, "What''s going on? What happened to Benjamin?"


    "Damn it! He seems to have a heart attack! Call for an ambnce!"


    Colleagues rushed out, some performing CPR on Benjamin while others called for an ambnce on their mobile phones. Thor also helped.


    Soon, the ambnce arrived, and several nurses ran down from the vehicle and saw Benjamin lying on the ground. One of the female nurses said, "Help me lift him up and put him in the car first!"


    Thor went over and carried Benjamin up by himself. The female nurse looked him up and down, then pointed to the stretcher next to her and said, "Put him up first, hurry!"


    When Thor returned from the hospital, the repair shop owner didn''t look very good. He said to Thor, "You saw it, Benjamin copsed on his own, right? It has nothing to do with my repair shop..."Thor''s face became gloomy, and he said, "If you hadn''t arranged him to work the night shift for over ten nights in a row, how could he have died suddenly?"


    "What''s it to me!" the bearded owner shouted loudly, "He''s a poor guy who eats junk food every day, so his health is not good! He deserved to die, and he even made it difficult for me to find a worker for tomorrow night!"


    Thor red at him, his eyes full of anger, like a lion. The owner was intimidated by his power, but soon he waved his fists and said, "What are you looking at, you stupid bull! You have to continue working the night shift, you know why? Because you''re a stupid Texan, you have no brain! You can''t even speak clearly!"


    "I will tell them that if you ever copse on the ground one day, I will make sure they stay far away from you!"


    "Why do you have no sympathy for your fellow workers?" Thor stood still and said in a low voice, "Do you know he has died?"


    "Fellow worker? Idiot!" The repair shop owner spat and said, "He''s just a ck guy who was eliminated from the boxing ring. He eats leftovers from the garbage dump every day. It''s good enough that I gave him a job. He''s a waste even in death, and he even made it difficult for me to work tomorrow night!"


    At this moment, a burly man in armor rushed in from the back door of the repair shop, holding a big sword and punching the repair shop owner in the head. He shouted, "How dare you disrespect the son of Odin!"


    "Wostagg, what are you doing here?" Thor hurried over and stopped the burly man from continuing to beat up the repair shop owner. He said, "Stop, don''t hit him! He''s just an ordinary person!"


    "But he insulted you! Thor, how can we let him insult you?!"


    "Okay, stop it!" Thor shouted, "This matter isplicated, but you guys exin to me first, how did you end up here?"


    "Oh my god, there''s Sif too!" Thor saw the figureing from behind and said, "How long has it been since we''ve seen each other?"


    Sif walked up to Thor and said, "You''ve been fighting outside all the time, it''s been hundreds of years, hasn''t it?"


    "Forget about that for now, Wostagg? Fandral... and Hogan! What are you guys doing here?"


    "We need a safe ce to talk." Sif said calmly, "Are you at a camp here? Let''s go there."


    Thor scratched his head and said, "A camp...yes, there is one, but you might...okay, I''m living with Loki now. I know, you two have a grudge against each other."


    "Loki?" Sif''s tone suddenly became serious. "We were just about to talk to you about Loki."


    Thor nced at the clock on the wall and said, "Loki should still be at work. It shouldn''t be a problem if we go back."


    "Also, can you use your godly powers to change your clothes? We can''t take public transportation with you dressed like that."


    "Public transportation? What''s that?"


    "It''s the public carriage in Asgard."


    "What''s the problem with us dressed like this?"


    Thor was a little headache. He suddenly felt the same dumbness when he first arrived on Earth. He could only take out his mobile phone and call for help.


    After a while, Steve and Hill came together. Steve saw several people standing next to Thor who looked exactly like him and pressed his temples, saying, "Please, why are there four people like this here??? "


    As a SHIELD agent, Hill was used to seeing big scenes. She said, "Shouldn''t I thank you for saying hello to the natives of Earth after receiving yourpanions who smuggled over?"


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know why they came here." Thor said a little embarrassedly, "In theory, we can''t juste to Earth."


    Hill drove these people to Thor''s apartment and said, "Remember to report to SHIELD tomorrow, otherwise they will be deported as illegal immigrants."


    After entering the apartment, Thor''s friends started to discuss in a noisy manner. They said, "Your ce is not bad, although it is not as big as Asgard, it is still quite novel."


    "What is this? Sofa? It looks a bit different from Asgard''s."


    "The development of humans is too fast. What is this thing for? Is it amp? Why is the switch so strange?"


    Thor stood in the middle of the room with his hands on his waist and said, "You have to exin to me what you are here for."


    Sif put her sword back on her waist and said, "We are here to warn you and warn the people of Earth."


    "Warning? What happened?"


    "Recently, Heimdall found out that Loki had some abnormal behavior. He seems to be frequently traveling between the weapons warehouse in Asgard and the pce warehouse. ording to Heimdall, Loki may have an idea about the Destroyer."


    "Destroyer..." Thor frowned and thought for a moment. "Are you talking about the big robot that was ced in the pce before? What is it for?"


    Hogun walked up and said, "That is a weapon. It was the chariot of the father of the gods. The father of the gods drove it to face many powerful enemies."


    "But what does this have to do with Loki and Earth? I don''t quite understand..."


    "In fact, we have been suspicious of Loki." Sif''s voice was a bit heavy. She said, "Thor, sometimes you are too naive. You are honest and kind, but not everyone is like that. We have been suspecting that Loki had a hand in the incidents in Jotunheim."


    "I know you trust your brother very much, and we don''t want to ruin your rtionship, so we haven''t told you directly. But during the time you were exiled, we have been keeping an eye on Loki."


    "We''ve caught him red-handed!" said Fandral. "We have no right to enter the warehouse of Asgard, but Heimdall, as the keeper of Asgard, has the authority. He found out that Loki has been entering and leaving the warehouse frequently, which he has never done before."


    "The Destroyer is the weapon of Odin, the father of the gods. But as you know, Odin has been sleeping for a while. We suspect that Loki wants to tamper with the Destroyer."


    "Heimdall also has this suspicion, but he cannot question the prince of Asgard. So he let us into Asgard to keep an eye on Loki."


    "We found out that Loki is preparing a space channel. He wants to transport the Destroyer to Earth!"


    "He wants to kill you, Thor," said Sif, walking up to Thor with a serious expression. "He knows you don''t have your godly powers right now. Once this powerful weapon is put on Earth, both you and the ordinary people of Earth will be in danger."


    "That''s impossible!" Thor immediately denied. "I''ve been getting along well with himtely, and why would he want to kill me? We''re brothers."


    Sif sighed and covered her forehead. "But you''re both princes of Asgard. There''s only one throne in Asgard. If he wants to be the king of Asgard, he can only kill you."


    "He wants to be the king of Asgard?" Thor said in shock. "Why does he want to be the king of Asgard?"


    The other people looked at Thor with a strange expression. Thor paused and said, "Oh, okay, well, yes, he may want to be the king of Asgard. Everyone wants it, but he won''t...no, don''t tell me that, Loki wouldn''t do that..."


    Sif patted Thor''s shoulder and said, "We don''t want to destroy the rtionship between you and your brother. But the fact is, if the Destroyer arrives on Earth, not only will you be in danger, but also the ordinary people of Earth."


    Thor hesitated, and Sif continued, "This is not just for your own safety, but also for the safety of Earth. The Destroyer is an extremely powerful magical weapon, and we have no confidence in defeating it. So you must find a way to regain your godly powers and weapons."


    "I have no clue, where is my godly power?" Thor turned and walked to the sofa, leaning his body on it. "Mjolnir is within SHIELD''s monitoring range, and I tried to retrieve it before, but I couldn''t pick it up."


    "Not just me, Loki and some SHIELD agents have also tried and failed. The seal that Odin put on it is incredibly powerful. No matter if it''s strength or magic, it can''t be opened."


    "And all the clues he left me, I still haven''t figured them out. I asked Loki, but he didn''t tell me either."


    "Of course, he won''t tell you," Volstagg said angrily. "If you regain your godly powers and weapons, what use is he? He wants to kill you while you''re weak."


    "Anyway," Sif walked up to Thor and said, "we''re all with you, but you must pull yourself together. You are the future master of Asgard, the recognized heir of Asgardians. You have a responsibility to protect all living beings in the Nine Realms, including Earth."


    "Don''t let us think that when the crisises, you will only run away, Thor."

 Chapter 230: Thor Odinson (1)

    Chapter 230: Thor Odinson (1)


    "Damn it, what did you say?!"


    "I said you''re fired, now get out of here! You understand?"


    The owner of the garage threw a few dors at Thor''s face and said, "Get out of here, Texan. This money should be enough for you to find a new ce to live in a dumpster."


    Thor couldn''t take it anymore. He took a step forward, but the owner of the garage picked up a gun from the side and pointed it at Thor''s head, saying, "Don''t make trouble for yourself! You stupid bull, don''t think waving your fists will do anything. Do you know what this is?"


    Of course, Thor had seen human firearms before when he went to SHIELD and saw Agent training. He knew how much damage these weapons could do to ordinary people, and now he was no different from an ordinary person. If he took a bullet, he would definitely end up in the hospital.


    He stared at the garage owner with his eyes fixed, and just as the owner was about to continue mocking him, Thor kicked his wrist, followed by a kick in the stomach. He threw a hook punch and knocked the owner to the ground, then hammered his neck.


    The employees inside the garage heard themotion and ran out shouting, "No! Thor! Don''t..."


    Several employees restrained the angry Thor. One of them, an elderly man with a slight hunch, said, "Thor! For my sake, don''t do this!"


    "This damn bastard killed Benjamin! He fired Lauren and John, and didn''t even pay them their sry!" Thor shouted angrily.The old man held Thor''s shoulder and said, "Listen, Thor, I know you have a good heart, and I know you want to save Benjamin, but that''s just how the world works, that''s just how we are..."


    He turned around and pointed at the garage owner who was knocked unconscious on the ground, saying, "He has money, he can hire awyer, even bribe the police. Once he calls the police, you''re done, you know that?"


    "Old White!"


    "Leave now, Thor." Old White sighed and said, "We all know he''s a jerk, a vampire through and through, withholding our wages, assigning unbearable night shifts to those he doesn''t like, even threatening us with a gun..."


    Thor looked at Old White, who had been a senior colleague who had taken care of him when he first came to the garage. Old White was always willing to exin technical issues that he didn''t understand in detail. Thor knew that Old White was a good person.


    But now, the deep wrinkles on the old man''s face, like cracked soil, the rough lines on his skin showing his age, and the eyes under his curved eyebrows looking straight at Thor, Thor saw the plea inside.


    "If you cause trouble here, the garage will definitely close, and then we''ll have nowhere to go. He only pays us once a week, but if we don''t work at least three days this week, he won''t give us a penny."


    "My grandson is still in school and needs living expenses. My son and daughter-inw can''t earn that much money, Thor..."


    "You''re young, strong, and healthy, you can always find a job that requires physical strength, but we can''t."


    Old White turned around and looked around. Thor also looked at his colleagues. Most of them were not strong enough, some were thin and weak, and their bodies were very poor due to long-term day and night shifts and irregr eating habits, and theirplexions were not good.


    "The people who stay here are people who have nowhere to go, Thor." The old man took out a few dors from his faded work clothes and said, "I know he didn''t pay you enough sry, this is all I have, take this money and find a new job, don''t cause trouble, I beg you."


    Thor looked at him silently for a while, then walked over to the owner who had been knocked down. The other colleagues looked at him with some fear in their eyes, as if they were afraid he would suddenly attack.


    They crouched next to the boss, a little intimidated and unable to meet Thor''s gaze. Thor knew that they were aware they shouldn''t be defending their boss, but they had no other choice.


    Thor didn''t pay any more attention to the boss lying on the ground, but instead walked past him to the spot where the conflict began. He crouched down and picked up the few dors the boss had thrown and walked back, handing the money to Old White and said, "You''re right. I''m still young and can find a new job. Besides, I have my brother to support me for now. You can take this money as a thank you for teaching me these things recently."


    The old man''s fingers were skinny and rough, like tree branches that had already shed their leaves. His fingertips trembled, whether from being moved or from aging, Thor couldn''t tell. He took the money and his voice choked a little as he said, "I don''t want to do this either... I really want to tell the police that this bastard killed Benjamin. He knew Benjamin had a bad heart and that he couldn''t even speak after working several consecutive night shifts, but he still gave him the night shift and made him do the heaviest work. We all know that he did it..."


    "But we can''t speak up, or rather, speaking up won''t do any good. It will only make us lose our jobs. It won''t have any effect... " The old man''s tone sounded sad, even a little desperate.


    "Benjamin had a three-year-old daughter. She''s very cute, and I don''t know how to face her..."


    "But that''s the kind of people we are here. We''re all bastards, all aplices, Thor..."


    "If you can''t leave here, you''ll be like us too. Thank you, now go."


    As Thor walked out of the repair shop, the sunlight shone directly on his face, making it difficult for him to open his eyes. Under the intense noon sun, all the buildings were covered in a dazzling halo. He extended his palm to shield his eyes and looked down the street.


    This couldn''t be considered a slum, it could even be said to be prosperous. There were several car repair shops on one side of the street, a warehouse at the end, several trucks parked on the opposite side, and a fire station at the far east end of the road.


    Having worked here for a long time, Thor knew that once the sun wasn''t so strong, the area would be lively in the evening. Everyone would go to the fast food restaurant, talking andughing, drivers, mechanics, firefighters, gathering in groups in front of the barbecue stand.


    Thor also knew that this ce was much better than Hell''s Kitchen. Although Old White''s son and daughter-inw didn''t earn much, they could barely support themselves, and their grandson was still reading books at Midtown High School and had a promising future.


    Benjamin, who died suddenly, also had a house, a wife, and a daughter. Most of the other employees in the repair shop also had their own families, although most of them were burdened with heavy debts, they still had a ce to call home.


    As Thor walked and thought, he found himself back on the edge of Hell''s Kitchen. The streets here were far from the prosperous ones he worked in, and were even a bit rotten. He thought that this wasn''t even anything, and if he walked further in, it would be a true hell on earth.


    Thor didn''t know how to describe his mood. He originally thought he would always stand on the side of justice, but looking at his colleagues, he couldn''t me them for not standing up to attack the repair shop boss. He couldn''t demand more from them, these were a group of people who were already struggling to survive.


    Thor suddenly began to think about things he had never thought about before. Some things were difficult for the vast majority of people in this world, such as having enough to eat, having a ce to live, and being able to afford the expenses of a family.


    Thor couldn''t believe he was thinking about these things. As a brave warrior, he had always had others hunt for him, bring him freshly cooked meat, ce fresh fruits in a basket, and offer him refreshing spring water. He was the future ruler of Asgard, and all of these luxuries were his to enjoy first.


    Servants in the pce would dress him, the butler would put on his helmet, and he had walked through the grand and wide corridors of the pce countless times, even finding it tedious. He had no interest in the gemstones on the throne of the Allfather, the king of gods.


    But now, under the scorching sun, Thor looked down at his body. Sweat soaked his chest and back, his legs felt sore, and he had stayed up all night, making him feel fatigued. Sweat dripped down his forehead, sticking to his eyshes, and when it fell into his eyes, he squinted in difort.


    He had no money, not even enough to buy a pack of tissues. He looked towards the nearby supermarket, where it was cool andfortable, but he hesitated, looking down at his pants stained with gasoline. He knew what would happen if he entered. The clerk would look at him with disdain, urging him to hurry up and leave, and if he couldn''t pay, they might even threaten to call the police.


    Thor had never thought that being a person could be harder than being a god. He had always believed that as the future ruler of Asgard, he had a great responsibility to protect the nine realms and to defeat any future enemies. He had imagined difficult challenges and hardships, but never had he thought he would feel embarrassed on a hot day, standing on the side of the road, unable to afford a pack of tissues.


    He thought that he would feel nervous and fearful about the future of Asgard, but not about how to exin to Loki that he couldn''t pay the rent for the next season.


    This made Thor start to think. Had he achieved everything he had in Asgard because he was strong and just, or was it because he had his godly powers and weapons?


    Why was it that he couldn''t even handle a malicious garage owner now? Although he no longer had his godly powers or weapons, the garage owner was weaker than him, yet Thor still couldn''t do anything about it.


    What could he do? Call the police? They wouldn''t listen to him. He could use his privilege to call SHIELD and have them arrest the garage owner, but what about the other employees? After the garage closed, where would they go to earn a living?


    The heat of the sun made Thor''s head heavy, and he had to walk into the nearest shadow and lean against the wall. He felt pain in his back and knees, and he wondered why his bravery wasn''t working. Why was it that when he cared for and sympathized with the weaklings as a god, he could only give them a few dors?


    For the first time, Thor had these thoughts. After losing his godly powers and weapons, he had be so useless. Was he still himself, or was he just his godly powers and weapons?


    Were his proud honors and achievements his own, or were they achieved through his godly powers and weapons?


    If it was the former, then why couldn''t he do anything after losing his godly powers and weapons?


    __________

 Chapter 231: Thor Odinson (2)

    Chapter 231: Thor Odinson (2)


    With a click, the door lock made a soft sound as Thor pushed open the door to find Loki sitting at the bar, ying with aputer.


    Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Loki looked up and saw Thor. Thor looked disheveled, his long hair almostpletely soaked in sweat, messy and draped over his head, and his short-sleeved shirt and pants covered in oil stains and mud on the soles of his shoes.


    "Why did you only finish work at noon?" Loki asked casually, but Thor didn''t answer. Loki leaned over and took a look at him, seeing him walk directly into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Loki was a bit puzzled as he walked over to the door and saw Thor taking a cold shower, washing his hair.


    Until he waspletely drenched, Thor shook his head, then roughly dried his hair with a towel before walking out of the bathroom.


    Loki hugged his arms and leaned against the wall opposite the bathroom, saying, "It looks like you''ve suffered another major setback, just like before, once the battle reaches a stalemate, you take a cold shower."


    While hanging the towel back on the rack, Thor said, "You should know that Sif and the others came from Asgard, right? You better be carefultely, Sif has been wanting to beat you up for a while."


    "Have you forgotten?" Loki let go of his arms and sat down on the sofa, saying, "I''m a legitimate god now. If she dares to hit me, she''ll be banished by Heimdall."


    Standing in the doorway of the bathroom, Thor fiddled with the towel rack and asked, poking his head out, "They said you''ve been going to the Asgardian warehouse a lottely, and it seems like you''re still tinkering with that big robot called the Destroyer. What are you up to?"


    "Oh, I forgot to tell you." Loki raised his voice, "While you were gone, the Allfather brought a lot of energy, and everyone in Asgard has gained a lot of divine power, and some have even re-enchanted their weapons.""The energy the Allfather brought was too much, and I didn''t have a suitable weapon to store them, so I decided to find a ce to store these energies for future use, and I thought the Destroyer robot would be perfect..."


    Thor fell silent, but Loki was surprised because in the past, whenever he mentioned divine power or weapons, Thor would start snorting like an angry bull.


    But this time, Thor didn''t say anything. He just walked back to the bedroom, took out his wallet, and came back out, saying as he fiddled with it, "I don''t know how to exin it to you, but the situation now is that I lost my job..."


    Loki turned to look at him, eyeing him up and down, and said, "Not surprising. With your brain, it''s strange that you can keep a job for a long time."


    "So can you order takeout tonight? I still want to eat that fried chicken."


    "Unfortunately, I have a client to meet tonight, and we''re going to a restaurant in the downtown area. You know, those tasteless French dishes, spending thousands of dors to eat at a somewhat upscale restaurant. Of course, he''s paying..."


    Thor was still standing at the door, fiddling with his wallet. He said, "Okay, but..."


    Thor scratched his head, seeming unsure how to express himself. He said, "It''s just...my rent this month might be a bit tight...but I''ll find a new job soon, I..."


    "Well, that''s perfect. I don''t want to live with you anymore. If you can''t pay rent and can''t live here, I don''t think SHIELD will say anything. You can start packing your bags."


    "Hey, don''t be like that, Loki, I..." Thor walked over to the sofa, propping himself up on the back of the chair with his hand. "We''re brothers, aren''t we? We''ve fought shoulder to shoulder before..."


    "Don''t talk about fighting side by side, you are the bravest warrior of Asgard," Loki picked up his ss of water from the coffee table and drank while speaking, "while I am just a mage hiding in the back. When you charge forward, I can''t even see your shadow, as you said yourself."


    "But now we are both on Earth, and there''s no war to fight here," Thor tried to engage his brain cells, "when we return to Asgard, I can return tenfold, whether it''s in terms of divine power or money."


    "Don''t be silly," Loki sneered and said, "Divine power? I have so much divine power that I have to find something else to store it in."


    "Money? You''ve already spent your sry from three hundred years ago. Are you going to ask Heimdall for an advance on your future royal allowance? Or do you want to take over Asgard''s treasury as the owner before our father wakes up?"


    "I certainly am not," Thor immediately denied, scratching his temple with his finger, "Well, if I learned anything on Earth, it''s not to spend money recklessly. I swear, I''ll save up my sry next quarter."


    "You said the same thingst quarter. Frigga and I have grown ears of calluses from hearing it," Loki interrupted Thor''s rambling.


    "Alright," Loki interrupted Thor''s rambling, "If you have money, order takeout. If you don''t, starve. If you have money, stay here. If you don''t, get out. It''s that simple. Do you hear me, Thor Odinson?"


    Thor red at him fiercely and gritted his teeth, "I understand, Loki Odinson."


    Not long after, Loki left with hisputer, while Thor sat on the sofa and sighed. He knew Loki would do what he said and if he couldn''t pay the rent, Loki would use his divine power to pack his luggage and throw him out.


    Over an hourter, Thor was in the SHIELD cafeteria, taking a big bite out of a burger and telling Sif, "Loki is always like this, mischievous since he was young. Unfortunately, Frigga always takes his side. Last time he broke my carriage, I didn''t even ask him forpensation. He wouldn''t even order takeout for me."


    As he spoke, he tried to swallow the food in his mouth and sighed, "I don''t know when he''ll grow up. I liked him when he was just learning to walk. It''s really worrying that he''s getting worse as he gets older."


    "Do you really think his bad behavior is just mischief?" Sif said, very helpless, "Thor, who really needs to grow up?"


    "Alright, alright, Sif. I know you two have a grudge. I''ve already apologized for Loki. He shouldn''t have cut your hair and turned it a different color. I swear, when I inherit the throne, I''ll use the power of the World Tree to turn it back. Don''t worry, I''ll definitely-"


    "That''s not what I''m talking about," Sif''s tone was always very solemn, like most Asgardian goddesses, with a bit of holiness and dignity. She said, "You have to realize that there may be deep malice hidden in his increasingly bad jokes, not just yful teasing between brothers. I don''t think a person who would deliberately destroy what others love in childhood is as innocent as you think."


    "But he''s the youngest son, and the youngest son always has privileges. Odin indulges him, and Frigga always takes his side, while I... you know, I don''t want to tattle on him. After all, he''s my brother."


    "He''s always had poor health since he was a child. If I went to Odin toin, Odin wouldn''t be able to beat him like he beat me. If Odin really hit him, Frigga would cry and be very sad."


    Sif sighed deeply. She realized that Thor''s thinking was not on the same level as a normal person. She said, "Can''t you use the mindset of a heir to think about these issues? Have you ever considered... the fight for the throne?"


    "The fight for the throne? You mean Loki wants topete with me for the throne, and even start a war over it? That''s a bit far-fetched."


    "He doesn''t want the throne. Do you really think he wants to sit on that throne, dealing with so many messy things every day, and asionally leading troops to battle, charging at the front, and then attending reward banquets, listening to people''s praise, rewards, titles, and praises of the warriors when he returns? He doesn''t like doing these things."


    "With that time, he would rather lock himself in a room and read those idle books."


    "To be honest, I''ve always felt that he doesn''t quite resemble an Asgardian. He doesn''t like duels, swordsmanship, and has no interest in martial arts. Hecks aggression and a sense of honor. He can''t be the king of Asgard."


    "Then why does he always y pranks and try to outdo you in front of Odin?"


    "Maybe he just wants to prove that he''s stronger than me." Thor took a big sip of juice and said, "But this is normal. Look, don''t siblings with two brothers all do this? They try their best to prove that they''re stronger than each other, to prove that they''re their parents'' favorite son."


    "Don''t you have two older brothers?" Thor asked Sif. "Don''t theypete with each other?"


    "Well..." Sif was stunned by Thor''s question. She thought for a moment and said, "It seems they do. My older brother likes to drag my younger brother to the dueling arena when he''s free, then at dinner, he boasts about how he used such a beautiful attack today and chased his brother around the field."


    "You see, that''s how it is. It''s normal. Have you ever thought about whether you''re your parents'' favorite child?"


    Sif broke off a piece of finger biscuit and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, "Of course I know I''m not. Otherwise, why would my parents send me to the army? How many goddesses in Asgard are walking the path of Valkyrie? Most of them are magicians."


    "At the time, Loki turned my golden hair into ck, and I was so angry, but my parents didn''t take my side at all. They thought I was vain and cared too much about appearance, that''s why they..."


    "Don''t be sad, Sif," Thorforted her. "As I said, when I ascend to the throne, I will change your hair back, and maybe I can persuade Loki to apologize to you. I''ve noticed that he''s be much easier to talk totely."


    "Easier to talk to?" Sif stared at Thor and said, "Are you sure? He doesn''t even want to pay rent for you, let alone buy takeout for you. He even kicked you out..."


    "If this happened in Asgard before, he would have thrown me and my luggage into the sewer on the other side of the street."


    Sif covered her forehead and said, "Don''t you think your tolerance for him is a bit too high? Have you ever thought about beating him up?"


    "To be honest, Sif, I don''t really agree with Hogun and the othersing to find you like this. It''s because I''m afraid they''ll cause trouble that I followed."


    "But you also know," Sif looked into Thor''s eyes seriously, "the struggle for the throne is a winner-takes-all game. They and their families have clearly stood on your side. They won''t allow Loki to make any moves. Even if they themselves don''t want to do it, their families will definitely force them to keep an eye on you and Loki."


    "Perhaps you have been fighting outside for too long and have been away from here for too long, and you don''t understand the situation in Asgard. But I can tell you that the recent situation has be tense because the Allfather has really grown old."

 Chapter 232: Thor Odinson (3)

    Chapter 232: Thor Odinson (3)


    After finishing his meal, Thor didn''t have much time to wander around. He had to continue looking for work, because he knew that if he couldn''t pay the rent, Loki would be very happy to throw him and his luggage out, and without his godly powers and weapons, he wouldn''t stand a chance against Loki.


    Furthermore, Thor felt that finding a job to earn money to pay the rent was faster than fighting with his brother.


    Although SHIELD had helped Thor obtain a legal identity, he had no education or credentials, so he could only rely on knocking on doors to find work. The only skills he had were fixing cars and moving things.


    More formal car repair shops and warehouses also required work experience, and Thor still didn''t have any work experience to prove himself. So he could only look for work in the Hell''s Kitchen and Manhattan outskirts.


    He still wanted to find a job fixing cars, but the area where the car repair shops were clustered was not far from where he used to work, so Thor wandered around and ended up back in that area.


    Originally, he wanted to try his luck in a few car repair shops at the end of the street, but when he was about to walk in, he noticed someone lying next to a shed where misceneous items were piled up.


    "Old White! What''s wrong with you?!" Thor hurried over and found that the person lying next to the pile of junk was the old man who had advised him earlier that day.


    After helping him up, Thor asked, "What happened to you? How did you end up here?"


    "I didn''t copse here, I..." The old man tilted his head and a look of fear and resentment appeared on his wrinkled face. He said, "...after you left, that bastard took out his anger on me. He got two gang members to beat me up and threw me here."He coughed a few times, struggling to catch his breath. Thor was about to take out his phone to call for an ambnce, but the old man stopped him, saying, "No...don''t call an ambnce..."


    After hesitating for a moment, Thor put his phone away. The old man coughed twice more and said, "I''m fine."


    Thor helped him up and asked, "What happened to you? How did you end up here?"


    "I didn''t copse here, I..." The old man tilted his head and a look of fear and resentment appeared on his wrinkled face. He said, "...after you left, that bastard took out his anger on me. He got two gang members to beat me up and threw me here."


    He coughed a few times, struggling to catch his breath. Thor was about to take out his phone to call for an ambnce, but the old man stopped him, saying, "No...don''t call an ambnce..."


    After hesitating for a moment, Thor put his phone away. The old man coughed twice more and said, "I''m fine."


    "Fortunately, my grandson is very promising," said Mr. White. "His grades are excellent, and his teacher said he could get into New York University..."


    "But...we can''t even afford his living expenses."


    Mr. White closed his eyes, and Thor had never seen such a sad expression on anyone before.


    "You must have ended up here because of some unexpected events, right? I can tell..." Mr. White''s grip tightened as he said, "You must have received a good education, or perhaps you retired from the military?"


    "I can tell you''re different from us. You still have courage, or rather, strength, but we..."


    "Enough of that. Let me take you to the hospital first." Thor crouched down and helped Mr. White up. Just then, voices could be heard from the intersection: "Hurry up and check on that old man. Don''t let him die here. If he''s about to die, drag him over to Hell''s Kitchen. We don''t have time to deal with a corpse."


    Thor turned around and saw several people at the intersection, including the owner of the auto repair shop. When the owner saw Thor, he widened his eyes and said, "Damn it, you dare toe here again?!"


    "That''s him! He hit me and stole my money! Tell your boss that if you teach him a lesson, I''ll double your reward!"


    Thor had no interest in questioning the owner''s lies, because three gang members were already approaching him from behind.


    These three people weren''t as tall or strong as Thor, but the problem was that two of them were holding guns.


    These gang members weren''t like the auto repair shop owner. They actually knew how to use guns, how to hold them steady, and even if Thor managed to take one gun unexpectedly, he wouldn''t be able to deal with the other.


    But Thor had no choice. He turned around and stood in front of White. As one gang member raised his gun, Thor lunged forward and sessfully knocked him down. He rolled in ce, avoiding the sh of the other gun.


    But before he could pick up the dropped gun, there was a gunshot. A spray of blood sttered out, and Thor turned to see Mr. White writhing in a pool of blood. He couldn''t even scream. On the other side, the auto repair shop owner was holding a gun and saying, "Looks like my shooting skills haven''t deteriorated much..."


    Thor''s blood boiled instantly. His arms trembled as he rushed forward and picked up the gun. He had never really used human firearms before, and as he fumbled for the position of the bullets, there was another gunshot. Thor felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder.


    "Ugh..." Thor groaned softly. Fortunately, he was experienced and the pain didn''t distract his attention. He staggered toward the side of the junk pile to avoid another bullet.


    Just then, a whistling sound cut through the air, followed by the sound of heavy blows. When Thor stuck his head out again, he saw a figure holding a cane on the street.


    "Matt!" Thor shouted. "Over here! Someone''s been shot..."


    "I don''t need you to tell me. I can smell it." Matt''s calm voice rang out. He walked over to Thor, only to discover that he was pointing to someone else. Mr. White had been shot in the leg. Matt walked over, half-kneeling down, and touched his chest. "Call an ambnce."


    "But..." Thor covered his shoulder and said with difficulty, "He doesn''t have the money to pay for the ambnce."


    "Is now the time to talk about this?" Matt looked at Thor and said, "You need to go to the hospital too, quickly make a phone call."


    When the ambnce arrived, the female nurse looked at Thor and said, "Why is it you again? And this..."


    Matt interrupted her, saying, "Don''t say so much, there are two gunshot victims here, quickly move them onto the ambnce."


    On the ambnce, Thor still had the mood to chat with the female nurse. He asked, "What''s your name?"


    The nurse looked at Thor and thought about how he helped save people. She said, "My name is Jane, Jane Foster."


    Thor grinned, but spoke fluently. Jane was surprised and asked, "You were shot in the shoulder, doesn''t it hurt?"


    "It hurts? It definitely hurts," Thor said, still speaking vigorously. He said, "Hmm...but it''s not that badpared to the injuries I''ve had before."


    Jane was even more surprised and asked, "Injuries before? You''re not...a retired special forces soldier, are you?"


    Thor didn''t answer. He knew it wasn''t necessary to exin his background in detail, but Jane was curious. As a nurse for so long, she could naturally tell that Thor wasn''t just showing off, he was truly tough.


    When they heard that Thor was injured and in the hospital, several Asgardians who were stationed at SHIELD couldn''t stay put and rushed to visit. To prevent them from causing trouble, Hill followed them.


    When they saw Thor in the hospital, the bullet in his body had already been removed and he was lying in bed. Fandral looked at Thor''s wound and said, "Fortunately it''s not serious. The father of the gods didn''t even leave you with the ability to regenerate, isn''t he afraid of you getting injured?"


    Thor shook his head and said, "Can you all help me go to the hospital room next door and see how a patient named White is doing?"


    "White? Who''s that?"


    "He''s...an old man, an unfortunate person." Thor swallowed his saliva, touched the wound on his body, and took a deep breath.


    After the other three left, Hill sat down next to Thor''s hospital bed and said, "You look a little disheartened, why? I don''t think a little injury could turn Asgard''s bravest warrior into this."


    "...a little injury? Maybe it is. Compared to the injuries I received in Sagittarius, this is nothing." Thor half-closed his eyes and said, "But I am an Asgardian, and old White is just an ordinary human with no special abilities. He was also shot in the leg and should be in pain."


    "Why did he get hurt? I don''t know..." Thor said to himself, while Hill just listened quietly.


    "He''s not a general, not a soldier, he hasn''t fought on the battlefield, and he hasn''tmitted any crimes, but he still has to suffer all this."


    "The person who hurt him is his own kind. If anyone dared to do this in Asgard, I would definitely..."


    Speaking of this, Thor closed his eyes and fell silent for a while. He said, "Why do humans have to be like this? I can''t understand. Clearly their lifespan is already short, why do they have to spend time hurting their own kind?"


    "Why did the owner of the repair shop do this? I don''t understand either. His malice has no reason, he just crazily attacks everything around him. I''ve never seen this kind of person before..."


    Sif poured Thor a ss of water and said, "The universe is so vast, I don''t think it''s strange for such people to exist."


    Her voice was calm, like a solemn divine sound. After changing into casual clothes, the Valkyrie''s fierce temperament was weakened a bit, reced by the solemnity and sacrednessmon to the goddesses of Asgard.


    "Are you disappointed?" Sif asked Thor. "Do you think Earthlings are not worth saving? Do you think even if you save them, they will still kill each other?"


    Thor pursed his lips and didn''t speak, but obviously he agreed with Sif''s words. He had always been eager to regain his godly powers and weapons because he believed it was the glory of the Asgardians and that he needed to return to Asgard as soon as possible to fight and protect.


    But now he began to doubt all of this. After being deprived of his godly powers and weapons, it seemed like he couldn''t do anything. And the Earth, one of the nine realms he was eager to protect, these peopleughed at each other''s injuries every day.


    It was as if everything he had done in the past had no meaning.


    "Perhaps you haven''t noticed, Thor, years of war have changed you," Sif looked at him, and Thor saw that there was some sentimentality in Sif''s eyes.


    "You always think about the result of killing enemies, victory, and honor. Of course, this is a question that a warrior should consider, but you are not just a warrior... you will also be the king of Asgard."


    "As a monarch, what you need to see is not just the result, but also the cause of all this and the process that led to it. What you can rely on will not just be your powerful strength, but also..."


    Sif pointed to her own temple, and Thor looked at her. When the two of them met each other''s gaze, there was only a faint sound in the room.


    As the night grew deeper, the clouds drifted across the sky, making the moonlight dim. After a long time, a sigh came from the hospital room. It sounded like a brave warrior in distress, but also like a young monarch missing something.

 Chapter 233: The Gift of Nature

    Chapter 233: The Gift of Nature


    After the darkness fell, the thin mist moved like a veil among the stars, sometimes spreading out to the distance like a curtain, and sometimes condensing into fascinating illusions, like strange creatures peeking out from the universe.


    The mist at dawn always carried a chilling and eerie feeling, as if it was concealing the unfathomable darkness of the universe. At this time, lightning became like a messenger of light that cut through the darkness, crackling like a torn cloth at the end of the sky with a rumbling sound, as if the earth was breaking apart.


    A white light appeared on the horizon, unfolding downwards like a humming sword.


    A huge lightning bolt fell from the end of the sky, illuminating the entire night sky with intense light, revealing all darkness. After the lightning bolt fell, a pouring rain followed.


    The violent sound of thunder woke Thor up from his bed, struggling in the darkness. He reached out to touch his shoulder wound and sat up, walking to the window and looking at the heavy rain beating against the ss.


    For someone who had fallen asleep while contemting without an answer, the sound of rain was the best medicine. After the mix of quietness and noise, Thor''s thoughts gradually calmed down with the ever-changing sound of rain. He finally had enough time to think.


    However, the peace did notst long as an urgent ringing sound interrupted him. Thor turned to look at the mobile phone provided by SHIELD, and the screen''s light was particrly abrupt in the dark room. When he picked up the phone, he heard SHIELD agent Hill''s puzzled voice: "Is New Mexico the designatednding site for Asgard? What did you throw down?!"


    "New Mexico?" Thor was also puzzled. "What did we throw down?!"


    "Oh, wait, it''s standing up, damn it. What is it? How did it-""Hello? Hill? What''s going on?! What did you see?!"


    While Thor was still on the phone asking for details, a portal appeared in the center of the room, and Strange walked out of it, saying: "Your Asgard has thrown a super weapon towards Earth, and you have to find a way to deal with it. Come with me."


    Thor didn''t have time to ask for the details and was pulled into the portal by Strange.


    When they arrived in New Mexico, Thor covered his stomach and said, "Do all your Kamar-Taj portals make you feel sick?"


    Then, he stood up straight and looked at the huge robot behind a hill to the south of thending site. At this point, the sound of car engines sounded, and Hill and Steve walked down from the car. Hill also looked up at the massive object.


    It was a huge mechanical monster that was five to six hundred meters tall and looked somewhat like a Viking warrior from legend. It was entirely ck, surrounded by divine power, with shining metallic luster and red light glowing in its eyes. Its movements were agile, and it didn''t look like a mechanical creation at all.


    A beam of light shed by Thor''s side, and the Warriors Three and Sif arrived. They saw Strange pulling Thor and angrily said, "Thor! What are you doing here? Leave now! Loki may be targeting you, and you-"


    "Wait, Loki is controlling the Destroyer!" Hogun yelled. "He''s inside the Destroyer."


    "How dare he be so presumptuous!" Volstagg said angrily. "That''s the Father of Gods'' ride!"


    He had just finished speaking when a red light with a destructive aura swept over. The Warriors Three agilely dodged, and Strange urgently teleported with Thor. When theynded, Thor felt dizzy again. When he finally cleared his head, he saw Loki''s figure in the Destroyer''s cockpit.


    "Loki?! What are you doing?! Stop it!!" Thor shouted at the Destroyer, but the giant robotpletely ignored him and kept attacking them with the searing beams from its eyes.


    This powerful Asgardian weapon was indeed worthy of its reputation. The destructive beams from its eyes carried tremendous power. Whenever it swept over the ground, it left a deep ckened trench. When it walked with heavy steps, its huge figure was extremely oppressive, causing an earthquake-like shaking with every step. Sif and the Warriors Three each drew their weapons, and their divine power glowed on their hands, ready to fight.


    As for Thor, he was currently useless, just an ordinary person who could do nothing but dodge. The Destroyer''s footsteps kicked up countless cigarette dust, and the searing beams cut through the ground. Under Loki''s control, the Destroyer was not only powerful but also precise. When the Warriors Three tried to strike back, Fandral raised his sword and said, "Attack its right leg!"


    His enchanted sword swung out, and a crescent-shaped sword beam struck the Destroyer''s right leg, but it instantly dissipated against the protective shield of the leg armor, leaving no trace.


    "Ah!!!" Sword Master Fandar screamed in pain as the Destroyer shot a beam of destruction at him while he was recoiling from his attack. Fandar''s right arm was hit by the scorching beam, and the entire arm melted instantly, leaving Thor stunned.


    Sif was also coughing from the shockwave and pulled Thor''s arm to make him retreat, saying, "This won''t work. We can''t defeat him alone. Thor, go get your weapons."


    Meanwhile, Hill looked at her watch and said, "Why haven''t they arrived yet?"


    But Strange opened a portal and said, "I''ll go check on them."


    The portal disappeared, and Strange arrived in the conference room of Stark Tower. He left the room, took the elevator upstairs, and arrived at theboratory of Stark Tower, where he heard Schiller and Stark arguing.


    "High power, high power. That''s all you think about. Can''t you go screw in your light bulb?" Schiller leaned on theb table and said, "Well, if this method doesn''t convince you, I''ll try another."


    "Do you have the technical expertise to make the type of frozen nuclear bomb I want?" Stark asked, and Peter, standing next to him, instinctively dodged to the side. Just as Stark was about to raise his fist, Strange walked in and said, "A huge Mech armor weapon from Asgard hasnded in New Mexico. They call it the Destroyer, and the Asgardians on Earth can''t handle it."


    Stark, Peter, and Connor, far away, looked at Schiller together. Schiller said, "What do you want me to do?"


    "Whenever something unexpected happens on Earth, we know who''s responsible," Stark said, walking to theb table and looking at the materials. "The frozen nuclear bomb you asked me to make, is it for that thing?"


    Before Schiller could answer, Stark continued, "But that''s still not a good idea. If your goal was to defeat it from the beginning, why didn''t you tell me earlier? I could have developed an anti-Destroyer armor."


    "Perhaps in your eyes, Asgard is more like a magical civilization, but in fact, their technology is also very advanced, even far beyond humans." Schiller nced at Strange, who continued, "Indeed, Asgard''s architecture and clothing look like Vikings, but they have very advanced technology. Most things in Asgard''s pce are automated, but their energyes from divine power."


    "Especially the Rainbow Bridge." Strange emphasized, "Although I haven''t experienced it up close, that thing is likely the star-destroying weapon that often appears in human science fiction."


    "Star-destroying weapon? Where does their energye from?"


    "Divine power is a very peculiar power." Strange frowned and said, "I don''t know exactly where this poweres from, but I''ve heard that it may be rted to the World Tree."


    "Okay, back to the point." Schiller interrupted their conversation and said, "I need the frozen nuclear bomb, precisely to deal with the Destroyer."


    "Although this thing should have been obsolete for a long time, it undoubtedly represented Asgard''s most advanced technology." Schiller was very confident in the Destroyer''s strength because in a certain version of theic, Odin once drove the Destroyer to face the group of gods, not just one but a group of gods.


    Although it was not explicitly written that the Destroyer defeated the group of gods, Odin''s confidence in this weapon''s strength was evident by driving it to face such a powerful enemy.


    He turned and looked at Stark, saying, "I believe that perhaps you can develop a super weapon to defeat the Destroyer, but if his body contains advanced Asgardian technology, what if there is any damage?"


    "Stop talking," Stark interrupted him directly, turned to Conners and said, "Let''s see how to deal with the cryogenic warhead. We must pay attention to the preservation effect and try not to damage any parts. Freeze it intact."


    Conners came over and asked Schiller, "You gave me a high-power low-temperature generator before, saying it can freeze arge area instantly. Can we turn this function into a powerful single-target attack? Did you already have this idea back then?"


    Stark also looked at Schiller and asked, "One more question, if we freeze it and take it away, won''t the Asgardians object?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense, this thing fell from the sky, what does it have to do with Asgard? This is nature''s gift."


    "That makes sense."

 Chapter 234: The Death of Loki

    Chapter 234: The Death of Loki


    In the wilderness of New Mexico, the battle was fierce. In fact, the situation had worsened to the point of beingpletely out of control shortly after Strange left.


    Hif wielded her great sword, her right shoulder bleeding from being scratched by the fragments of rock that were sted by the heat ray earlier.


    Normally, the Asgardians had ayer of divine armor when they fought, but Hif''s divine power was almost depleted, so she could only protect the key parts of her body and was thus injured by the explosion.


    "This is not right!!" Wostagg shouted, "The Destroyer has been parked in the Pce Warehouse for hundreds of years and should not have such abundant divine power source!"


    "Loki is driving it. He just ascended to the position of a true god. Did you forget?!"


    The sky over New Mexico was also covered withyers of dark clouds, and when the rain fell, the cold wind on the wilderness kept howling.


    "Damn it." Thor''s arms trembled, and he tried countless times tomunicate with Mjolnir and the power of lightning as he had done before, but nothing responded to him.


    "Thor," Hif''s voice was still low and steady, but Thor heard the tremble in her tone. She said, "We will fight for you until the end, for Asgard."


    "We will never let such a despicable person ascend to the throne of Asgard!" Wostagg shouted, "Loki! You will never be the king in the hearts of the Asgardians!""Even if you kill Thor, kill us, you will never be the father of the gods!" With that, Wostagg raised his hammer again and attacked the Destroyer, with Hogun and Fandral following behind him.


    Hif, whose divine power was exhausted, could hardly stand. She used her great sword to support her body and whispered, "Father of the gods, if I die, please give me the chance to enter the hall. I will continue to fight for thend I love."


    Thor''s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the huge Mech armor, which looked particrly hideous in the raging storm. The rain made his long hair stick tightly to his forehead.


    Watching a beam of destruction sweep over, Wostagg was thrown heavily to the ground, spitting out blood from his mouth. Thor had never felt so helpless, and his rage was about to ignite. The cold rain could not extinguish his fighting spirit.


    Finally, Hif also fell to the ground. She was grabbed by the Destroyer and thrown to the ground like a sandbag. Fandral, who had lost an arm, was still crawling on the ground, trying to continue attacking the Destroyer, but was kicked away by the huge monster. Thor could see that the divine power on hispanions'' bodies began to dissipate, and even their divine positions began to withdraw.


    The light spots of the World Tree were shining around them. If no one could save them, they would soon return to the World Tree.


    Thor knew that this was just a beautiful illusion of the Asgardians. Valha and the World Tree were just another way of saying death. He was very clear that even if Hif entered Valha as she wished, she would no longer be herself.


    Just then, a burst of sound broke through the air, and a shining Mech armor flew in from the sky. Iron Man was floating in mid-air, firing a palm ray at the Destroyer, but the defense that even divine power could not break was also impervious to human technological weapons.


    Driving the huge weapon was Loki, who was not like the Asgardians who only charged forward recklessly. Seeing Stark rise again, the eyes of the Destroyer flickered. Stark knew he was going to release the ray, so he maneuvered the Mech armor to the right to dodge.


    But the Destroyer suddenly stretched out an arm and grabbed Stark''s Mech armor. Stark couldn''t evade in time and was caught by one leg, then thrown away.


    "No!!!!" Thor yelled.


    If fighting or even dying in battle is the fate and honor of the people of Asgard, then Earth''s superheroes arepletely innocent victims. Thor cannot ept any of Earth''s superheroes dying in this battle.


    Iron Man flew out and slowly decelerated beforending smoothly. He controlled the Mech armor and approached the Destroyer again. At this moment, a giant lizard monster jumped over, followed by Spider-Man.


    In the past, Dr. Connors'' transformed lizard monster was alreadyrge enough, butpared to this five or six hundred meter giant, it still seemed very small, and Iron Man and Spider-Man were even smaller, like raindrops falling at the moment.


    The three fought with the Destroyer, but it couldn''t be called a fight, it was just the Destroyer constantly attacking them and the three dodging.


    Thor''s heart was colder than the cold rain. At this moment, his heart was filled with despair. He didn''t know why, but his brother betrayed him, hisrades fell, and Earth''s superheroes were also in danger, but he couldn''t do anything about it.


    At this moment, Loki''s voice came from the Destroyer: "Thor Odinson, are you just going to watch?"


    "Look at your good friends!" The Destroyer kicked Hogun on the ground and said, "When I get rid of these annoying flies, I will kill them, and now..."


    Loki''s coldughter came from the Destroyer. He controlled the Destroyer to step on Hogun''s body, making a teeth-gritting sound. Hogun let out a suffocating scream. By the time Loki took the Destroyer''s foot off, he hadpletely lost consciousness.


    Volstagg and Fandral cursed, Sif couldn''t say anything, and Thor was trembling all over.


    The difficult years on Earth had worn down the pride that came with past honors. Watching hispanions march towards death and the innocent suffer from disasters filled Thor with despair and pain, almost driving him crazy.


    "Thor, do you feel heartbroken? Do you feel like you owe yourpanions?"


    "But I''ll tell you, they came to find you not because they were worried about you, but because they were worried about themselves and their families."


    "He and his family want you to be the king of Asgard, so they have been ignoring me. After the father of the gods fell asleep, they couldn''t wait. Thor, they want you to promise them, promise to continue leading them to fight, to satisfy their ridiculous and empty sense of honor."


    "For this, they can do anything."


    "How can you say such a thing!" Thor shouted at the Destroyer, "You hurt them! You betrayed-"


    "If you dare to continue, I will kill her now." The Destroyer grabbed Sif who was lying on the ground. Sif was barely conscious and saw Loki''s cold expression through the Destroyer''s helmet.


    "Thor, why don''t you understand? They just want to force you to make a promise, to make you a machine of war with those rhetoric of honor, which will eventually lead Asgard to destruction."


    "They surround you, worship you, and call you king just so you can lead them to fight, to satisfy their violence and desire for conquest, it''s been like this from the beginning."


    The Destroyer''s hand squeezed tighter and blood oozed from between its fingers.


    "No! Loki, please, let Sif go, she is innocent."


    "It''s not what you think, Loki. I know many people are ndering you, I know there are many despicable rumors in Asgard."


    "I know, sometimes Wostage and them speak too directly, but you are really my brother, we are brothers."


    At that moment, the Mech armor controlled by Iron Man suddenly lifted up. Lizard Doctor and Spider-Man quickly backed away, and then a teleportation door lit up in mid-air, and a bomb with a cold light was thrown down.


    Iron Man pressed several buttons on his arm, and several drones flew out from the back of his Mech armor and collided with the bomb. Iron Man also quickly backed away as the drones, carrying the bomb, flew towards the huge Destroyer.


    In the instant the bomb touched the Destroyer, a small snowke first bloomed from the point of contact. Then, the sharp corners of the snowke blossomed into countless dazzling ice crystals. Silently and invisibly, the ice crystals spread at an extremely fast speed on the armor of the Destroyer.


    In just a breath, the chest of the Destroyer waspletely covered with blue ice crystals, followed by its arms and legs. Finally, before the cockpit with the strongest divine power was frozen, Loki flew out from inside it.


    The divine power of the Fire God shone around him, and a more ferocious power descended. Countless mes rose up from mid-air, and then several fire dragons spun and flew towards Sif and the three warriors of Asgard on the ground.


    In an instant, Loki''s figure disappeared and then appeared in front of Thor. Countless mes turned the falling rain into steam, and Loki raised one hand as a giant arm made of mes grabbed Thor and lifted him into the air.


    In the dark rainy night, only the flicker of mes could be seen. Countless mes lifted them up, and Loki looked at Thor and said, "If you can''t understand who the person is who wove lies and deceived you, and who is the person who wants to expose the lies and save you, then you can go and die with these hypocritical and selfish people."


    As he spoke, he clenched his fingers, and the me arm squeezed Thor''s neck tightly. Thor''s face turned purple, and just before he lost consciousness, he saw the starlight behind Loki bing brighter and brighter. He stared wide-eyed and shouted with all his strength, "That''s the Rainbow Bridge! Loki!! Get out of the way!!!!"


    But it was toote. A dazzling rainbow-colored light emerged from the sky, and a beam of iparably ferocious power instantly hit Loki''s back.


    Facing Thor, Loki showed an expression of extreme pain that he had never seen before, and then in an instant, he shattered into fragments.


    Time froze, and the starry sky was brilliant. In the rainbow light and illusion, Loki shattered into dots of light.


    The brilliance of divine power burst out and almost turned into another sun. Thor saw that before Loki''s body dissipated, he had been staring at him with an expression of extreme pain, and then there was helplessness and despair in the face of death.


    Thor saw with his own eyes that the light of the World Tree suddenly lit up, and the position of the Fire God waspletely withdrawn. The divine power and divine position paused in mid-air for a moment, and then rushed into Thor''s body.


    "No!! Loki!!!!"


    After Thor shouted in despair, a ck hole-like passage opened above his head, and a huge suction force sucked him in. Then everything returned to calm, only endless rain and a darkening starry sky.

 Chapter 235: The God of Deceit

    Chapter 235: The God of Deceit


    Chaos, darkness, and coldness. That was all Thor could feel. After a pain that felt like it was tearing his body apart, he woke up to find himself drowning in terrifying despair and agony.


    Thory on a barren field, struggling to open his eyes. Before him was a hazy white mist followed by a faint halo. He felt his dry and cracked lips, the excruciating pain all over his body, and the thick scent of blood in each breath.


    Did Loki die? Yes, Loki died.


    Thor had seen it with his own eyes. Loki was hit by the rainbow bridge''s light and returned to the World Tree. He also saw Loki''s divine powers being drawn out of him, meaning that Loki''s physical body was indeed destroyed, and hisst act before death was to infuse his divine powers and authority into himself.


    Thory there feeling a cluster of zing mes burning in his chest, not knowing whether it was Loki''s divine authority or his own anger.


    The one who killed Loki was the rainbow bridge, Asgard''s most powerful weapon. And the one who manipted it was Heimdall.


    Thinking of this fact, Thor felt like his soul was about to burst from pain. He knew better than anyone else that Heimdall''s most important job was to guard the rainbow bridge. No one would have been able to pass him and activate the rainbow bridge to attack Loki.


    Heimdall killed Loki, and Thor didn''t want to admit it, but he knew it was true.


    Thor didn''t want to think about what caused all of this, but he knew. He had always known that Asgardians didn''t like Loki, even to the point of contempt and disgust. They didn''t even want toply with the Allfather''s rules that required them to pay respect to Loki because they believed Loki had no sense of honor and was not worthy of being an Asgardian.Thor knew that his brother was sensitive and suspicious, having felt resentment from the other Asgardians'' disregard on numerous asions.


    Thor thought that he had allowed all of this to happen, allowing the other Asgardians to endlessly doubt and scorn Loki.


    He remembered what Loki had said to him, "Do they not have any considerations for power struggles in their actions? Just because I am not the future heir of Asgard, they treat me this way? Imagining me as an enemy, they are always on guard against me, interpreting everything I do with the worst possible intentions?"


    Thory on the ground, his thoughts starting to be scattered but also constantly connecting. If today, he had held Loki''s neck, would Heimdall dare to activate the rainbow bridge to attack him?


    No, Thor thought to himself. Of course, Heimdall wouldn''t dare to do so because Thor was the future heir of Asgard, and Loki was just an insignificant prince.


    This was the most important reason for all of this tragedy to happen. Thor closed his eyes, his breathing bing heavier and heavier. He thought that Asgardians were dissatisfied with Loki, which led them to ignore him. Loki resented the Allfather and the other Asgardians for their unfairness, but what did he do?


    He did nothing.


    When the seed of conflict was sown, he was basking in the glory of honor and achievements, enjoying the praise from others. As the conflict grew deeper, he was still proud of the admiration he received from others.


    Many people and things yed in front of Thor''s eyes. He and all his peers in Asgard were like brothers. They always praised him with smiles, went hunting with him, brought fresh fruits and served him wine.


    The image of the Allfather Odin shed in Thor''s eyes. In his impression, Odin had never expressed satisfaction or praise for Thor''s reputation among the people of Asgard.


    Perhaps Odin had long known that there were too many insincere praises in this world. Once indulged in them, one would be arrogant and look down on others.


    When did he start to be like this?


    Thor began to recall.


    He followed Odin to fight outside, and the praise from his subordinates and seniors surrounded him, making his soul rise higher and higher, making him feel invincible and entitled. Were there any sincere praises among these people? Perhaps there were, and some were proud of his bravery and skill in battle.


    But was this because they truly submitted to his strength and leadership, or because they believed that this kind of bravery and skill in battle would bring more honor to themselves and their families? No one knew.


    Thor suddenly felt ridiculous. He had been so obsessed with this kind of praise, like a dog chasing a bone. They could easily manipte his emotions with just a few words, making him feelcent and ignoring many things he should not ignore.


    The praise of subjects and subordinates could win a smile from a king, but Thor found that he had actually taken this smile as his ultimate goal.


    With endless regret and sadness, Thor''s consciousness was shrouded in a ck mist and slowly sank into deeper darkness. After a long time, a drop of cold rain fell on his face, and the feathers brushed his cheek, making Thor open his eyes in a daze.


    His breathing was very weak, and he heard a sharp voice saying, "He''s awake, he''s awake!"


    Thor struggled to breathe and opened his eyes to see the sun shining on his face, making him feel waves of heat. At this time, a huge wing stretched out in front of his face, blocking the sun for him. A bird face leaned in front of him and asked, "You''re awake? Who are you? How did you get here?"


    Thor heard that it seemed to be amonnguage in some peripheral gxies, but he could understand some of it. He said, "Where is this?"


    "This is the edge of the Woka Red Ring. How did you fall here?"


    "What is Woka Red Ring?"


    "Oh, I see! You were also exiled here as a criminal, right? This is Sakaar Star, the main of the Tayer Star System in the cosmic furnace, of course, people in the universe prefer to call it Sakaar Junkyard."


    Sakaar Star?


    Thor''s mind was in chaos, and it took a long time for him to remember that he had followed the Allfather through here before, so he could understand some of themonnguage here.


    He opened his cracked lips and looked at the sky. The sky here waspletely different from Earth, covered with ayer of faint green, and a huge with a ring of stars hung in the sky. The sun also appeared bigger, and the sunlight was more intense.


    The sun grew bigger and brighter in front of his eyes, gradually upying his entire field of vision, and everything turned white.


    "Click", the white light disappeared, and the switch of the deskmp was turned off. Schiller sat beside the hospital bed and said, "So why did you throw him to Sakaar Star?"


    "Of course, because that ce is really suitable for him."


    A voice came from the hospital bed, but there was no body to be seen. What was horrifying was that Loki''s head was resting on a pillow while his body was made up of starlight.


    It wasn''t exactly starlight, as all the stars were connected by ck slime. His body was like a web made up of symbiotes, and the ck slime was busily climbing and moving, collecting the scattered power of the stars and weaving them back into his body.


    Schiller held a cup of coffee and said, "I wanted to pour you a cup, but since you don''t have any digestive organs now, I guess I won''t."


    Schiller and Loki both looked at Loki''s body, and Lokiughed. Schiller asked, "You still have the mood tough?"


    "Of course I do. I can guess what that idiot is thinking right now."


    "He must think he''s aplete fool, believing all those people who praised him before. He must feel like a clown, taking the least important things so seriously."


    "Honor, honor," Loki sighed. "Who bestows honor upon whom?"


    The door creaked and Strange walked in. He looked at Loki and said, "If I had known your n was so risky, I wouldn''t have taken Thor over."


    "Risky? Well, I admit there''s an element of gambling, but obviously I bet correctly."


    "Tell me about your n again. I think you need a listener right now."


    Loki smiled again, appearing very rxed, and began his tale.


    "Thor''s biggest problem is that he''s too immersed in the sense of honor and duty that has been fabricated for him. He has never figured out one thing: who bestows honor upon whom?"


    "The Allfather stands on the highest throne, bestowing honor upon whoever he chooses to be Asgard''s valiant warriors. But Thor is the opposite. People praise him as Asgard''s bravest warrior, and he believes it to be true."


    "The Asgardians are a very strange race," Loki''s tone was mocking and full of emotion. "They are born warriors, but are unwilling to admit that their violent genes make them constantly want to wage war."


    "So, they want to cloak war in a hypocritical veil of honor and duty. But in reality, they are just addicted to the pleasure of victory and conquest."


    "A king who cannot understand this will never rule the Asgardians, but obviously, the Allfather has done a good job."


    "He throws war like a bone to a dog, while using honor and duty as chains and cors to drive Asgard''s warriors to fight for him. At the same time, he is revered as the wisest king, and they willingly submit to his rule, eagerly seizing the fruits of victory for him."


    "But Thor doesn''t understand this. He chases after the bone with the rest of the dogs, instead of being the one who throws the bone on a chain."


    "If he continues like this, he will be fooled by honor and lead Asgard to the Abyss of destruction."


    "His trust in the Asgardians is built upon their ttery of him. But the Allfather never needs their ttery. He only needs them to fight bravely for him."


    "What was the Allfather''s ultimate goal in throwing Thor to Earth? To teach him humility? To teach him kindness?"


    "No, no king needs those things. Besides, although I often mock Thor, I have to admit that he is actually a good person. He is kind enough, even to the point of being too kind and appearing foolish."


    "The Allfather did it to make him understand that any ttery from any Asgardian, any talk of honor and duty, is meaningless."


    "Without enough power and weapons, he could only live a difficult and impoverished life like an ordinary earthling."


    "When he wakes up from that false sense of honor, he may be able to embark on the path of a true king."


    "Why is he going to cause trouble in Jotunheim? It''s because he''s worried that the turmoil at the ceremony might tarnish his image in the hearts of Asgardians, he''s worried that Asgardians will no longer respect him, and he''s afraid that this unexpected event might make him lose credibility."


    "But what the Father of the Gods uses to win people over is never an image, face, or a ceremony. His majesty is never questioned by anyone."


    "We all understand this. In fact, except for Thor himself, many bystanders can see that he has reversed the order of importance, but this may also be rted to his father''s education. Odin came up with a set of rhetoric about honor and deceived his son."


    "So you intend to make him realize this, to wake up from these false senses of honor, so you yed a trick?"


    "But I don''t understand something." Strange looked at Loki and said, "How did you aplish all this?"


    "This is actually the easiest part. Sif and those three idiots don''t trust me deeply. You can only say they hate me very much. Heimdall seems to remain neutral, but I know he is very suspicious of me."


    "I deliberately ran back and forth in several warehouses under their noses, acting suspiciously."


    "I grew up with Sif and a few of them. To be fair, I know they have simple minds and rarely think about anythingplicated. What''s surprising is that they themselves don''t think I''m a threat. They may only think that I want to y some pranks or something."


    "But their families are different. Sif''s two brothers are deputy captains of the fleet, and the other three have elders who were close to the throne of Odin, and one is the deputymander of the pce guard."


    "They always keep a close eye on me because what they cannot ept the most is that I have any possibility of rising to power, because everyone knows that once I rise to power, they will have no chance to fight. Asgard will take apletely different path."


    "These Asgardians have violence and war ingrained in their bones. They will never ept such a result, so they will definitely instill this idea in their children, watch me closely, and not let me threaten Thor in any way."


    "Thor is the king they want, and I am not."


    "Originally, this was an established fact, but recently, the attitude of the Father of the Gods has been somewhat subtle."


    "Indeed, he knocked Thor down to the mortal world, and then gave you a divine position, and you are the first among your peers."


    "I can imagine how they have been trying to figure out the Father of the Gods'' thoughts, and just when they wanted to test it, the Father of the Gods fell asleep."


    "At this critical moment, I sneaked in and out of various warehouses, pretending to want to use conspiracy to kill Thor. They would be like headless flies, uniting together to discuss what I was doing and whether I would really threaten Thor."


    "So, I attracted most of their attention, including Heimdall, who guards the Rainbow Bridge."


    "Heimdall is the only person in Asgard, besides the Father of the Gods, who has the right to activate the Rainbow Bridge. Even the goddess Freya and themander of the pce guard do not have this right."


    "So you brought the Destroyer to Earth, and then pretended to want to kill Thor and hispanions, attracting the Rainbow Bridge to attack you. But aren''t you afraid that the Rainbow Bridge will really kill you?"


    "So I said, there is an element of gambling in it. I know Heimdall to some extent. He is a rtively conservative Asgardian. That is to say, although he supports Thor, he only suspects me, not strongly opposed."


    "In short, he doesn''t hate me, he just thinks I''m not suitable to be Asgard''s heir. During my business trips in the universe, I frequently used the Rainbow Bridge, but he didn''t say anything about it."


    "So I''m sure that even if he remotely controls the Rainbow Bridge to attack me, he will control the force and not really kill me, but only stop me from hurting Thor."


    "But you performed Loki''s death in front of Thor."


    "Yes, and I have to thank him for that." Loki lowered his head and looked at Venom in his body. Venom was busy and didn''t have time to answer their questions, so Loki continued, "When this symbiote approached me before, it said it wanted to devour its own kind, which carried Knull''s most refined power."


    "After adapting to my body, it started its n, but it found out that it wasn''t that simple. The symbiote called Riot, relying on Knull''s power, has been resisting, and Venom has no good way to eliminate him."


    "If they were to fight head on, the result would be mutual destruction. Riot would consume all the power Knull left him, and Venom would get nothing."


    "I see." Strange sighed and said, "So you two are in cahoots?"


    "This is mutually beneficial. Venom put Riot into my body, and when the Rainbow Bridge attacked me, it used him to withstand most of the damage. This can weaken Riot''s power and also block damage for me."


    "How did you be like this?"


    "The Rainbow Bridge is Asgard''s most powerful weapon. Even if it''s set to the lowest power, it''s enough to seriously injure me. But that''s not explosive enough and may not stimte Thor. I had to perform a real death scene for him."


    "So when the Rainbow Bridge attacked me, I let Venom attack Riot at the same time. The two symbiotes fought inside me, and I don''t know if you guys understand their fighting process."


    "I understand. In just a second, they canunch a group battle in every cell of your body, and the effect is simr to igniting a huge nuclear bomb in every cell of your body."


    "That''s right. The battle between Venom and Riot destroyed almost all of my physical body and allowed Thor to see a real death scene."


    "You should have other goals, such as your divine power and divine position?"


    "Yes, after my investigation, I found that I may not be suitable for the position of God of Fire in Asgard''s divine system."


    "But Asgard''s divine system is a very magical thing. Once you choose it, you cannot change it. An Asgardian with a divine position of a righteous god can hardly change it, except for one possibility, which is death or approaching death."


    "At that moment, Venom closed my consciousness and then melted my body. This deceived the World Tree and made it think that I was already dead, so my divine power and divine position were drawn out of my body."


    "When my consciousness returned, I voluntarily poured the power and divine position into Thor''s body, and I can rebuild myself and choose a more suitable divine position."


    "So you two can get three divine powers and divine positions. How did the World Tree give birth to such a genius like you?" Schiller alsoughed.


    Strange, however, sighed and said, "The people of Asgard have woven a web of lies for Thor with praise andpliments, but as the God of Lies, you died to expose this lie."


    "So," the three looked at each other and smiled.


    "Can you calcte the shadow area of Thor''s psyche at this moment?"

 Chapter 236: Saka Journey (1)

    Chapter 236: Saka Journey (1)


    "Now, we can talk about other matters," Schiller turned on the deskmp and dimmed the light.


    When Loki looked at him, Schiller''s gaze fell on Loki, and he said, "Such as your hospital expenses."


    "In fact, I think I can pay for it myself this time."


    Schiller looked at his still-forming body and then back at his head. Loki understood his meaning and said, "I think you should want something more than money."


    "Such as?"


    "Such as fun."


    Loki, who could only move his head, showed a cunning smile and said, "Before I sent Thor through the space channel to Sakaar Star, I left something on him."


    As he spoke, a magic vortex appeared in the room, gradually expanding into a circr magic screen.


    In the screen, a golden-haired man leaned against a piece of rotten iron, sweat flowing down his hair, and his clothes soaked against his body. His face was dirty and he looked very embarrassed.Beside him, a strange-looking bird was talking to another Sakaar person with red skin and a very fierce appearance. The bird made a shrill voice, "Yes, he''s trash I picked up in Wakanda, just like the two unlucky onesst week."


    "Listen, my bottom line is 200 Sakaar currency, absolutely no lower. Look at his appearance, he''s so strong, even stronger than many Sakaar people..."


    "You know, these days, there''s not much trash of this quality left. Whether it''s to the mines or the arena, it''s a good choice."


    The red-skinned Sakaar shook his head and spat to the side, saying, "200 Sakaar currency? No way! Listen, there have been a lot more trash thrown intely, absolutely not worth that price..."


    "The arena is already full, I can only take him to the mines to work, and those poor guys over there won''t offer good prices. Even if he''s still strong, he looks like his brain''s been fried. Those greedy mine owners will definitely take advantage of that."


    "No, no, no." The bird moved its legs and walked back into the iron shed, saying to Thor, "Hey! What''s your name? Tell him your name, where you''re from, prove you''re not a fool."


    Thor just leaned against the back wall, saying nothing. The bird pecked him with its beak, and he let out a cry of pain, then lifted his eyelids to look at the bird.


    Seeing that he was not speaking, the bird became angry and said to Thor in a low voice, "Don''t give me trouble. Everyone knows the name ''Redwing'' around here. I''m already the most tolerant garbage collector. If you ruin my chance to sell at a high price, I''ll show you..."


    The red-skinned Sakaar leaned in and said, "Don''t bother. Haven''t you seen enough people like him? Judging by his appearance and clothes, he must be a nobleman. They threw him here like garbage and must have damaged his brain to prevent him from revealing any important secrets..."


    The bird made a "cough cough" sound, then opened its beak and pecked Thor''s shoulder hard. Its sharp beak pierced Thor''s shoulder and took a piece of flesh, causing blood to flow immediately. Thor let out a scream of pain, but still stood there with a nk expression.


    The bird, named Redwing, showed a human-like expression of disappointment and said, "Okay, looks like I shouldn''t have expected too much. He could still speak when I found him, what happened now?"


    "Listen, big guy, 150 Sakaar currency, absolutely no lower."


    "If he''s over 120, I won''t take him. After all, he''s being sold to a miner. Although he looks strong, he won''tst a month," said the red behemoth, shaking his head. "The miner won''t pay more than 150, you have to give me some room to make money..."


    "Don''t joke around, I gave him a lot of water and even gave him some food to wake him up. All of this is worth more than 120..."


    The red behemoth pulled out a cigarette-like object from his clothes, and Redwing''s eyes immediately lit up. "Gray grass roots? Where did you find this?"


    "Thest caravan that came here was wiped out halfway, but I found some good stuff in the cargo box. I can give you a pack and 120 Sakaar credits. You give me that blonde behemoth, and I''lle back to do business with you again..."


    Redwing pped his wings and scratched the ground with his ws, looking hesitant but also tempted. He looked back at the dazed Thor and said, "Okay, deal."


    Afterwards, he cursed, "Damn it, I thought this would be high-priced goods, but it turned out to be like this. It''s been a long time since something good fell here..."


    Then, he spread his wings and pped Thor on the ground, making him roll in the dirt. The red behemoth walked over to grab Thor''s neck, but Thor instinctively struggled and punched him in the arm.


    The red behemoth gasped, kicked Thor''s head with his foot, and Redwing said, "This guy must have been a warrior before, so it''s normal to have some wildness. Where''s your chain?"


    The red behemoth spat and walked out of the iron shed. There was arge vehicle being pulled by a strange bug outside. He searched inside and found a heavy iron chain with a metal ring on one end and a spike on the other.


    "They''re going to tie him up?" Strange asked in front of the magic screen. "Although I can''t understand what they''re saying, it looks like Thor is going to be in trouble."


    "It''s amonnguage in the Sakaar Star system, and I can understand it a little bit," Loki said from the bed. "That red bird is the junkyard owner there, specializing in picking up discarded aliens."


    "Discarded aliens, so aliens often fall from the sky there?" Strange asked in confusion.


    "Sakaar Star is also known as the interster junkyard or the entire Tayo system is like that. The cosmic environment there is very special, surrounded by a special cosmic channel. It is impossible to enter or exit normally. Many civilizations will throw some dangerous garbage in it to ensure that these garbage are not easily spread out of this star system."


    "Of course, these garbage also include some difficult people to deal with." Loki showed a malicious smile. "That''s why I said it''s suitable for him. Garbage is best left where it belongs."


    Schiller looked at Loki, his tone seemed quite interested. He said, "It seems that when I was providing you with psychological counseling, you also tried to understand me. Well, your reward is quite good."


    "But I have to remind you..." Schiller tilted his head and looked out the window, then looked into Loki''s eyes and said, "When you treat people as a joke, you''d better be prepared to be a joke yourself."


    Loki heard that he was hinting at something, but did not realize what he was referring to. Looking at the changing picture on the magic screen, he smiled again and said, "This is really fun. It seems that they want to put a cor on Thor and tie him up like a dog."


    Loki nced at Schiller and noticed that his expression was strange, as if he had anticipated something, but he had no idea what Schiller was thinking. He continued to stare at the image on the magic screen.


    The big red guy lifted the thick iron chain and walked into the broken iron shed of Rotten. He then grabbed one end of the chain.


    "Hey, wait!" Strange outside the screen looked at his actions and said, "Did he get it wrong? How..."


    As he spoke, the spiked end of the iron chain was stabbed into Thor''s body, piercing through his shoulder de. Thor let out a dying scream, and blood spurted out.


    The spiked chain passed through his body, and the big red guy took out a bolt, twisted it onto the top of the spike that had pierced through Thor''s body, and then hammered it in. The entire spike was fixed onto Thor''s shoulder, and he continued to scream and gasp, trembling on the ground.


    The big red guy lifted the circr ring on the other end of the iron chain and said, "He should be obedient now, let''s go."


    Strange outside the screen ced his index finger on his chin and said, "I thought..."


    "It seems that you are not the only one who thought that way..." Schiller turned to Loki, saw his smile fade gradually, and asked, "What are you surprised about? Only the spiked end of the chain has blood on it."


    Thor''s hands were tied behind his back, and the big red guy, using the spike that was stabbed into his body, dragged him to therge cart pulled by insects.


    The big red guy seemed to have no magic, but he was very strong. He jumped directly onto the cart after opening the oval-shaped metal door at the back, and then dragged Thor inside.


    His posture and actions were like dealing with a piece of meat,pletely ignoring Thor''s wounds. Thor did not struggle at all, but instinctively let out a painful and low moan, like a piece of meat waiting to be ughtered.


    Thor was stuffed into thest and darkestpartment of the cart. The space there was very small, and Thor had to curl up his body to stay there. More importantly, the chain that was fixed onto his head was connected to the spike on his shoulder.


    The tail end was the bumpiest part of the cart. After the cart started moving, every time it bumped, Thor''s shoulder would seep out arge amount of blood.


    Thor''s screams were not sudden, because the entire carriage was filled with garbage like him, picked up from the garbage dump. Most of them were covered in blood and had dull eyes, constantly screaming in the dark and narrow cage.


    The light green color that shrouded the sky of Sakaar Star was reced by a psychedelic red-purple. A huge with a ring of starsnded on the horizon, and the glory of the setting sun reflected the red earth into a bloody color. The huge prison cart looked incredibly small on the horizon.


    The insect pulling the cart and therge cart behind it turned into small ck spots against the light, rushing past under the sunset, raising thick cigarette dust. Bird-shaped monsters flew across the sky, emitting sharp screams. After smelling the bloody smell on the cart, they chased after therge cart and merged with the rising cigarette dust.


    The insect pulling the cart emitted a low growl, and the tires left ck tracks on the rough ground. With a slow brake, the cigarette dust became thicker and thicker. With a loud bang, the entire convoy stopped.


    In front of them was arge gate built from thick logs. The row of wooden spikes on top of the gate looked even more ferocious under the setting sun. Looking down, a huge signboard with rugged font read "Red Lantern Mines".

 Chapter 237: Saka Journey (2)

    Chapter 237: Saka Journey (2)


    Apanied by the crisp sound of metal colliding and the loud shouting, the ves who had been crouching in the darkness for a long time were all very confused when they just left the prison car, and Thor was no exception. He still looked a bit dazed, and even the pain couldn''t make him make a sound.


    The Sakaar overseer, who was as red as arge block, waved a huge iron whip to beat the ves, making them stand in line and walk into the mine.


    Thor slowly moved forward in the line, in front of him was a green-skinned man, small and thin, like a dwarf, and behind him was a tire-headed creature with four hands and a lower body like a centipede.


    There were all kinds of strange alien creatures in this line, many of which were obviously from faraway gxies beyond millions of light-years and were thrown into this garbage dump.


    The race with the ability to travel across gxies has developed a fairly advanced civilization, and many of them have evolved into pure intellectual creatures that do not produce. Most people in their own tribes have livedfortably, and this kind of torture is difficult for them to bear.


    The green-skinned man in front of Thorined in a low voice, hisnguage was like a drowned person''s gurgling, which was difficult to understand, but his tone indicated that he was not speaking kindly.


    When he passed by a Sakaar overseer, his mouth still didn''t stop. The strong Sakaar man whipped him on the back, and the green-skinned man writhed in pain on the ground.


    Several Sakaar overseersughed loudly, and they kicked the green-skinned man in the stomach, watching him vomit blood and then lie motionless on the ground.


    One of the Sakaar overseers muttered a few words dissatisfiedly, picked up the green-skinned man and walked to the side, and then threw him into the air like throwing a sandbag, and then fell onto a wooden spike with a sharpened tip, like a kebab.Thor''s lips trembled, his arm moved, but in the end he turned his head and did nothing.


    But the attention of those Sakaar overseers fell on him, because Thor was quite strong among these aliens.


    A whip hit Thor, and he staggered and fell to the ground, sitting there moaning, but he didn''t speak.


    The Sakaar overseers cursed a few words and kicked him with their feet. This kind of prey that cannot resist and cannot make a sound cannot satisfy the violent and bloodthirsty emotions of these Sakaar people. They just grabbed Thor''s iron chain and pulled him up.


    Thor was like a sandbag at the end of a rope, dragged and rolled on the ground, and then stumbled and climbed back into the line.


    Throughout, Thor remained silent, his eyes were shrouded under deep eyebrows, his face was full of mud, and his bright golden hair was already messed up by mud, sticking to his face and the wound on his shoulder was beginning to scab, but before it healed, it was pricked by spikes and caused fresh blood to flow out.


    The pain forced him to hunch his body, and every step he took, the iron chain slid on the ground, making a "tter" sound.


    The long line continued to spread outside the Red Ring Mine, and one person after another walked into the dark cave like being devoured by a giant abyss mouth, and no one made any sound again after entering, maybe they would never have a chance to make any sound again.


    Fine dust flew up around the footprints, blood dripped on the ground, and the sound of the iron chain constantly echoed. When Thor walked to the entrance of the mine, he slightly raised his head and saw a Sakaar man who was slightly thinner than those overseers standing above the mine cave.


    He looked at the ves queuing up below to enter the mine, his eyes full of deep ridicule and malice, and Thor heard him say in the universalnguage of some gxy, "I gave you trash a chance to be reborn... I am your god, thank me..."


    Then Thor''s figure was also swallowed up in the shadow of the cave. At thest moment of entering the darkness, he looked back at the huge floating on the horizon outside the mine, theary ring was floating, hazy and mysterious.


    His gaze seemed to prate billions of light-years of the universe, looking at Asgard, looking at his former homnd, with a kind of determination and sadness.


    And outside the screen, Loki was silent.


    Loki pursed his lips and remained silent, his eyes fixed on the magic screen in front of him.


    Although Sakaar Star was known as a cosmic junkyard, it had developed a unique technological field called "stitching monsters" or "junk reuse" due to the many advanced interster civilizations that dumped their garbage there and had their technology collected by the Sakaarans.


    In short, Sakaar Star had a decent level of technology, at least higher than that of humans. However, they still needed to collect "garbage" as ves to manually mine because the minerals in the Sakaar Star mines were very special and could not be mined mechanically.


    The Red Ring Mine was arge mine located in the southern part of Sakaar Star, belonging to the ruler, "Red King". It produced a special mineral called "Sakaar Star Rock". The unique feature of this mineral was that it would only appear when observed by a real living being. Without the gaze of an intelligent life form, it would not appear and would be nothingness.


    Many ves were needed to enter the dangerous mine to observe these minerals with observer effects. After being processed, Sakaar Star Rock became the core material of many invisible fields favored by advanced interster civilizations and had a good market in the interster market.


    Therefore, Sakaar Star had a fairly mature industry chain, with junkyard owners like Red Wing squatting in ces where aliens often dumped garbage, collecting all kinds of garbage, and even the aliens who dropped with the garbage.


    The big guys like the Red Ring Mine were like long-haul truck drivers, responsible for transporting these alien ves out of the junkyard and bringing them to the mine to work.


    Although these ves did not have to undergo extremely harsh physicalbor in the mine, it did not mean that the work here was easy. In fact, if they had the opportunity to be chosen by these long-haul drivers and sent to fight in diator arenas and various terrifying extraterrestrial monsters, they were already very lucky because the death rate of ves in the mine was 100%.


    This was because the extraction of Sakaar Star Rock was not in a physical mine, but in a copsed dimensional fragment. Once it involved the fragmentation of space and the copse of dimensions, the danger level could be imagined.


    After being taken into the mine, Thor was assigned to the southern district by the leading Sakaaran overseer who said, "You garbage people are lucky. This is the mining site selected by His Majesty the Emperor, so we will let you live a little longer. If you can master the terrain here, you might even have the opportunity to be an old miner and survive here."


    Apanied by his ount, Thor walked through the cave and appeared not at the kind of mine he had seen before, but a huge Abyss filled with endless stars. Some diamond-shaped fragments floated crosswise in the Abyss like mirrors, and many dazzling lights were attacking these fragments.


    Among theplex fragments, there were support structures built with wood carved with special patterns, slowly descending along a circr staircase attached to the wall. Thor saw various aliens lying on these support structures, staring tightly in one direction.


    The closest one to him was a humanoid creature, except that its legs and arms were longer. Because of its long limbs, it had an advantage and was holding onto the wooden support with its long limbs.


    Then Thor saw that when a piece of fragment suddenly lit up, the alien pressed a button embedded in the support, and aser beam shot over, shattering the fragment into scattered light spots, which were then collected by a magic light ball and floated to the other side.


    The miner who was further away from Thor was not so lucky. When a fragment shed, he pressed the button, but theser beam did not shatter the fragment. Instead, it refracted into many smallsers that flew out, many of which hit the wooden support on which many miners lived, and suddenly there were cries of anger.


    Then a long tentacle pulled the failed miner off the wooden support he was clinging to, and Thor saw that the direction of the tentacle was a huge fish mouth. The tentacle dragged the miner and threw him into the fish mouth, and he couldn''t even scream before hepletely disappeared.


    "You better work hard," the Sakaaran overseer''s voice came. "Otherwise, he will treat you as food."


    Thor was driven by the overseer and walked to the bottom wooden support. After being whipped, he stepped onto the wooden support and chose one to stand on. However, at this height, there were very few glowing fragments.


    "You must press the button when the star rock is shining. Remember, it must be at the brightest moment. If it''s too early or toote, the miningser won''t be able to break the star rock and extract ore. Theser will destroy the support under you. If you fall, you''ll die for sure."


    The supervisor sneered, "Of course, don''t think beingzy will work. If you don''t seed once a day, then wait to be turned into food at night..."


    As he spoke, the entire support suddenly shook. A loud rumbling sound came from the bottom of the starry sky. Even the strong supervisor stumbled. There was an alien who had just stepped onto the support, but was shaken off and fell. The veteran miners overhead used their advantages in body size to hold onto the support tightly.


    "In the shattered dimension, vibrations aremon. If you don''t want to die, hold on tight."


    Thor almost fell too. He just realized that the big red guy who brought him here had deep malice. He had inserted spikes and chains into Thor''s shoulder, causing one arm to be useless. In this situation, he couldn''t hold on to the support for too long.


    But Thor didn''t react much. His gaze was still dull and his movements were slow. Just as he stabilized his body, there was another tremor. He had been shaken to the edge of the support, but he didn''t seem to have any intention of adjusting his position.


    At this time, Loki, who was lying on the hospital bed, was recovering quickly. Or rather, Venom''s work was very efficient. Half of his body had gradually recovered from the phantom. Then Schiller saw that just as the mine was shaking, Loki''s hand grabbed the railing fiercely in the magic screen.


    Strange also saw this movement and he and Schiller exchanged a nce.


    Schiller whispered, "Someone can''t sit still... but I''m not saying who."

 Chapter 238: Saka Journey (3)

    Chapter 238: Saka Journey (3)


    Life in the Red Lantern Mine was even more terrifying than imagined, but Thor did nothing, said nothing, and almost fell down several times with each shake. But he had no intention of changing his position.


    When it was time to finish work, the Sakaar overseer came over and said, "You''re lucky today, it''s not hungry. Get down from there and don''t waste my time."


    The new miners climbed down slowly, and one miner identally fell due to stiffness and screamed as he disappeared into the Abyss. But no one even bothered to look at him.


    Everyone was immersed in the joy of surviving the ordeal, but also fearful of the dark fate that awaited them. Their expressions wereplex, a mixture of relief and dread. Only Thor remained expressionless.


    Thor''s abnormality caught the overseer''s attention. When he brought all the ves back to the prison, he pointed to Thor while looking at the prison guard. The guard showed a wicked smile and nodded to hispanion.


    The ves'' living quarters were very dark, and each cell was like a coffin, so narrow that they couldn''t even turn around. The so-called food was just low-quality supplementsmonly found in the interster market. Some ves made noise in their ownnguage, seeming to say that they couldn''t absorb this kind of supplement. But the guard didn''t even look at them. Soon, the cell became quiet, as if everyone had given up.


    Thor looked at the supplement in his hand and squeezed the packaging. As a warrior who had fought in the gxy for years, he had seen this kind of thing before. But he used to never even look at it, or rather, even the most ordinary soldiers in Asgard wouldn''t use such low-quality supplements.


    But he still tore open the packaging with slow movements, then tilted his head back and drank it down. The strong chemical taste rushed to his brain, but Thor paid no attention. He leaned against the wall again, saying and doing nothing.


    Later, the lights in the cell dimmed, sinking into darkness. When Thor woke up again, it was because of intense pain.The guard pulled the iron chain fixed on his shoulder, causing Thor to bleed even more. But he still didn''t say a word. The guard said, "Are you mute? Answer me, or I''ll make you regret it!"


    Thor stared at him but didn''t reply. The guard seemed to be angered by his gaze, and he pulled the chain hard, causing Thor to fall to the ground. He coughed a few times in a sorry state, and the dirt-covered hair blocked his vision. The dust on the ground blocked his breathing.


    Thory on the ground coughing, and excessive blood loss caused him to start cking out. He justy there, letting the guard drag him forward with the iron chain. Finally, the guard stepped on his shoulder and pulled the iron chain hard, causing Thor to twitch and scream. Veins crawled up his neck, and his eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.


    After the spike was removed, one of Thor''s arms hadpletely lost sensation. He turned his head to the side, his cheek pressed against the ground, and he could see the fearful expressions of the aliens in the adjacent cell.


    But he still said and did nothing. There was no pain or fear in his eyes, just emptiness like a dead person.


    The guard had achieved his goal. He took the iron chain that Thor had used before and found another ve in a different cell, then drove the spike into his body.


    Thor''s breathing became slower and slower. He slowly closed his eyes, his face showing a desperate expression that was hard to describe. It was like all the emotions had gathered and burst out at that moment. This expression only existed for a moment before turning into numbness and dullness.


    Then he slowly dragged his broken body and followed the overseer out of the cell. The dawn''s light made him squint his eyes, but he didn''t look or think, just kept walking. The iron chain left his body, but the sound of it dragging "clink clink" surrounded his ears, seeming like it would never stop.


    A few dayster, Loki''s body finally turned from a phantom to a solid form, with only a ck slime working hard on his right calf. Schiller poured Loki a cup of coffee and asked, "Did you sleep wellst night?"


    Loki didn''t respond, he just mechanically poured coffee into his mouth. Schiller turned his head to look at Venom, who was still working, and said, "You should thank him for his previous hosts who were hardworking people who could work tirelessly for several nights. Otherwise, you would still only have one head."


    "What are you thinking?" Schiller pulled up a chair and sat down. "Or, what are you regretting?"


    "I..." Loki uttered one word, but Schiller continued, "You never thought about how much your brother suffered and how difficult it was for him, did you? You thought you could enjoy watching him lose his mind and suffer, right?"


    "When you realize that you can''t, you begin to wonder why."


    "You achieved all your goals. Yes, you beat Thor''spanions hard, leaving them severely injured. You washed away your own godly status and started over, and you threw Thor into the interster junkyard, making him struggle to survive..."


    "Youpleted your goal perfectly, the n was a huge sess, and now you should be leisurely holding a cup of coffee and chatting with me,ughing at Thor''s miserable state. But you find that you can''t even act it out."


    "The problem is really big." Schiller put his coffee cup on the table next to him and said, "You used a series of brilliant moves to make yourself suffer so much. I have to say, the title of God of Deception really suits you. When you''re brutal, you even deceive yourself."


    With that, Schiller turned back and asked, "What makes you always believe that you will feel happy about Thor''s miserable situation?"


    Loki didn''t say a word, but Schiller said with a casual tone, "I really appreciate the behavior of you and your brother hurting each other and blowing up like fireworks to make me happy. If everyone were as sensible as you, life would be so wonderful."


    Then Schiller put one hand on Loki''s bed. He smiled at Loki, and Loki saw the sharp fangs behind his ordinary smile.


    "Wee to Arkham Sanatorium. We offer a variety of medical services, including helping you quickly repair your body so that you can stand up again within an hour."


    Loki stared at him and asked, "What''s the cost?"


    "It looks like you really know me, but if you don''t inherit the throne, then Thor will definitely help you pay, so you don''t have to worry."


    Loki didn''t look happy at all, but he still said, "I ept it, hurry up."


    "Okay..." Schiller reached out and touched the Venom on his lower leg. Venom suddenly paused, and then a pure energy surrounded him. Venom''s size instantly doubled, and its work efficiency increased by more than ten times.


    "But you have to think carefully..." Schiller continued, "Although your body has been repaired, your divine power and godly status have not been restored. You are now like your brother, losing your powers and bing an ordinary person... oh, your physical fitness is even worse than when you first came to Earth."


    Schiller looked at Loki''s body and said, "Now you are just a pure ordinary person, even worse than Thor who just arrived, at least he is stronger than you."


    "As the wisest and most cautious person in Asgard, you shouldn''t be thinking about crossing the distant distance to save someone you im to hate on that barren and remote, right?"


    After saying that, Schiller picked up his coffee cup and left the hospital room. Lokiy on the bed and looked at the ceiling. After a long time, he murmured to himself, "Ordinary people..."


    Meanwhile, something changed on Sakaar Star. Thor''s special abilities were discovered by Prince Azar of the Supervisory Red Ring Mine.


    Prince Azar was the youngest son of the Red King Anmo Azar, and he was the person Thor saw on the top of the mine that day. Unlike most people on Sakaar Star, he was small in stature, but he was deeply loved by the Red King for his outstanding intelligence.


    When Thor was brought before Prince Azar, he had be very thin and his strong physique had shrunk due to malnutrition. His handsome ssical features had be sunken, and his eyes were deeper in his eye sockets, almostpletely different from the strong warrior image he used to have.


    Prince Azar, unlike the ordinary people on Sakaar Star, took a drop of Thor''s blood with his fingertips, put it under his nose and said, "Asir race?" He sneered and said, "You Asir race people consider yourselves the richest and noblest race in the universe, but you still use such inferior means to expel your own people?"


    Thor stared at him, and Prince Azar continued, "Look, an Asir has be my ve. I should really invite everyone toe and see how miserable you are."


    "Is this how all Asirs are?" Prince Azar paced around Thor. "But that''s right, you war maniacs have no brains, and your fate is to fight and kill. You can''t even mine properly, you fools."


    Thor''s eyes filled with anger, but Prince Azar ignored him and said to his subordinates, "Take him down, heal his wounds and give him something to eat. I need a good dog for the uing fightingpetition next week."


    "Oh, by the way! Did Grandmaster catch an Asgardian too? They might even know each other..."


    "Will Grandmaster participate in next week''s fightingpetition? That would be interesting!"


    Prince Azarughed heartily and said, "Asgardians love to trumpet unity and honor. I want to see what it would look like for two Asgardians to fight to the death."


    The Sakaar who escorted Thor here said, "I heard that Grandmaster caught his enemy, an Asgardian who once cheated him in a bet. Grandmaster gave him a good beating and is now keeping him locked up..."


    "If you propose a duel between them, Grandmaster will be very happy. He might even speak well of you in front of the emperor."


    Prince Azar pped his hands happily and said, "Take him down and heal him quickly!"


    Then he looked at Thor with disdain and said, "Does he look like an Asir like this? Clean him up and bring out that golden armor he wore before. Don''t Asirs like to dress like that?"


    Prince Azar raised his arms and shouted, "Let all the people of Sakaar see how noble Asirs are like dogs, biting each other in the fighting arena! Hahaha!"

 Chapter 239: Light (1)

    Chapter 239: Light (1)


    "You can call me Abe, or whatever name you want, but people here call me Old Man. As you can see, I am the oldest diator here."


    An old man in a silver robe sat outside Thor''s cell. He was a Sakaaran, his skin was red, but age had made his body very thin, almost like he belonged to a different race.


    "You are the new one that the prince has taken an interest in, so I came to tell you about the rules of the Sakaar Star diators..." The old man, called Abe, held a long spear in his hand. Although he was old, his speech was still clear, but his teeth were trembling a bit, as if hecked confidence.


    Thor, locked to the dungeon wall, rolled his cloudy eyes and looked at the old man. With a hoarse voice, he asked, "They caught another Asgardian... who is he?"


    Abe shook his head and said, "Wait until the day of the fight, you need to wear the designated armor and helmet, hold your weapons, this is your weapon, do you need me to introduce it to you?"


    Abe showed Thor the long spear in his hand. Thor''s gaze fell on it, and he showed a somewhat mocking expression. His facial muscles, which had not made an expression for a long time, were a bit stiff.


    Thor''s cheeks werepletely sunken, his eyes deep in his eye sockets. He no longer looked like the heroic Asgardian prince, but like a prisoner who had been locked up for many years.


    But after his eyes regained some spirit, a sharper temperament emerged from him, making every expression he made very eye-catching. Abe saw his expression and said, "I have only heard about the Asgardian gods from others. I heard that you are born with powerful strength. You better show your true strength, maybe the prince will let you go."


    "Is that person your prince?" Thor asked. "What is his name?"When mentioned Prince Yasha, Abe trembled, then said, "How can I mention his name with disrespect? He is the most respected prince on Sakaar Star, the emperor''s favorite youngest son, and the future master of Sakaar Star..."


    "...Why do you all worship him so much?" Thor interrupted.


    "Because he is the most respected prince on Sakaar Star..."


    Abe kept repeating the same words, as if reciting an article. After a while, he stood up tremblingly, threw the spear in front of Thor''s cell, and said, "Later, the prince will let you out to fight with his fierce diators. You must remember to wear your clothes and armor, and take your weapons..."


    He said, and then he left with a hunched back. Soon, Sakaaran guards walked into the dungeon, opened Thor''s cell door, unlocked the shackles on his wrists, and escorted him out of the dungeon.


    After walking up from the dungeon, they arrived at a not-sorge training ground, and Prince Yasha was standing in the center of the training ground. Two strong aliens were fighting in front of him.


    When he saw Thoring over, he smiled. He was in a good mood and talked a lot. He waved his hand to signal his subordinates to release Thor, but did not unlock his handcuffs and shackles. He let him stand in ce and asked, "What do you think of them? How do theypare to your Asgardian warriors?"


    Thor did not answer. His figure was thin, his expression was haggard, and he had no expression. Prince Yasha''s expression became a bit ugly. He said, "Asgardian, you better put down your pride. You are just trash thrown out by your own people. You have no difference from them now. You are all my ves!"


    "Who is the other Asgardian you caught?" Thor''s eyes stared at Prince Yasha. There was a sharpness in his eyes, like a de, that had never appeared on Thor before.


    In the past, Thor, like most Asgardians, had a resolute expression that revealed a heroic temperament. But now, he was like a blunt weapon turned into a sharp one, from a war hammer into a long spear.


    Prince Yasha, looking at his eyes, took a step back, feeling a bit nervous. But soon, he reacted and found that his actions just now had made him angry, so he ordered the guards to whip Thor.


    The guards pressed Thor''s shoulders and forced him to kneel down. Prince Yasha looked at him and said, "Don''t look at me with that kind of eyes, you damn trash! I am the heir to the throne of Sakaar Star, the most noble prince!"


    Thor lowered his gaze. Prince Yasha thought he was scared and was about to show a smug expression. But he heard Thor''s hoarse voice say, "Now I understand how ridiculous what I did before was."


    "Just like you are now, perhaps in the eyes of some higher beings, I was just an ignorant savage fighting in an ant''s nest..."


    Prince Yasha didn''t understand what he was trying to express, but it didn''t stop him from sensing the sarcasm in Thor''s tone. He walked up to him and kicked him hard, causing him to fall to the ground. Then he said, "Do you think you''re noble? Asgardians? This is Sakaar Star, not a ce for you to act recklessly!"


    "If you really have the ability, would you look so miserable? You''d better be honest and not embarrass me in the uing fight, otherwise..."


    He turned to the two aliens who were fighting. One had already been defeated and was being beaten by the other. Yasha motioned for his subordinates to separate them and bring the defeated one over.


    The defeated alien had purple skin and four hands. Thor knew that it was a native of the Arcturus Star system. Yasha took a long spear from his subordinate and had them hold the strong Arcturus Star person down on the ground.


    The Arcturus Star person showed a look of fear and despair. When Yasha raised the long spear, his face showed a resentful expression. Then, he shouted in his nativenguage, "You despicable person, mes will burn you to ashes! Ahhh!!!"


    The spear pierced through his body, and blood sttered on Thor''s face. He remained expressionless, his golden hair falling on his shoulders, his sharp temperament bing more and more apparent. Even from a few steps away, one could feel its piercing nature.


    Yasha raised the bloodstained spear high, and all of his subordinates cheered and praised him, calling him the most revered heir of Sakaar Star. Thor knelt silently beside him.


    "Look at you, Asgardians, you''re just rubbish thrown out by your own people. You will never receive as much respect and admiration as I do!"


    "Even if you are Asgardians, so what? You''re just cannon fodder who charge into battle and shed blood, and in the end, you''re thrown into the garbage dump by them..."


    Yasha seemed to enjoy finding superiority from Thor, but it wasn''t surprising because Asgardians were famous throughout the universe.


    Many interster civilizations, before entering the interster era, developed their civilizations to the highest level on their owns and liked to call themselves gods, but these gods were not recognized by other civilizations in the universe.


    Most of them discovered their previous arrogance after entering the interster era and found that they were no different from other civilizations.


    But Asgardians were a universally recognized divine race because they possessed all the elements that most civilizations imagined divine races to have.


    They were born powerful, physically strong, handsome, and had long lives, bing stronger as they aged.


    They were united, capable of fighting, and perfectly integrated technology and magic. They also had their unique aesthetic taste and artistic creativity, as if favored by the Creator, seemingly without any ws.


    Being able to step on such a race made Yasha feel like he had created history for the people of Sakaar Star. No one had ever captured an Asgardian as a ve before. He was indeed the heir favored by the heavens.


    But Thor''s increasingly sharp edges made him uneasy. To cover up his anxiety, he took the initiative to speak, "You call yourselves the most capable warriors in the universe, so go defeat him, go defeat my strongest diator here and prove yourselves..."


    He waved his hand, letting his subordinates drag Thor by the chain around his neck to the winner from earlier.


    The winner was not a Sakaarian, but another evenrger and stronger creature with a small, elongated head and an incredibly massive body. When he saw Thoring over, the monster roared and pounced on him.


    Thor was wearing handcuffs and shackles, with a heavy iron chain hanging from his neck. He couldn''t dodge at all and was immediately knocked down by the monster. The monster''s body opened its big mouth and bit down hard on Thor''s shoulder. Thor raised his head and let out a miserable scream, using hisst bit of strength to punch the monster in the eye, causing it to scream in pain and let go of him.


    Thor was half kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. His muscles, once strong and mighty, had withered away due tock of nutrition and severe injuries. His bones were visible underneath his skin, and he looked like a piece of dried wood - no longer the glorious Asgardian prince he used to be.


    He dodged his opponent''s attacks in a desperate attempt to defend himself, but to no avail. Soon enough, he was covered in wounds.


    Prince Yashanughed triumphantly, like a smug winner. Thor''s lips trembled, not because of the humiliation of being unable to defeat his opponent, but because of another emotion that was about to overflow from his body.


    How many nights had he been like this, watching his enemies grovel at his feet,ughing victoriously, feeling like he was in control of everything? Just like what Prince Yashan was doing now, he ordered his subordinates to hold down the losers while he dealt the final blow, watching them scream, bleed, and die. The violent pleasure that came from it made his eyes turn red.


    In the midst of pain,yers uponyers of illusions appeared before Thor''s eyes. He saw that everyone around him was just like him, with eyes red and filled with bloodlust and violence.


    Behind each of them floated a bloody vortex, out of which monsters crawled onto their backs, telling them to kill, conquer, destroy - that they were the most powerful race in the universe, born to be this way.


    Prince Yashan saw that Thor suddenly stood up. His sharp will almost materialized around him, his eyes turned red, his face twisted, as if he was in a showdown with an invisible presence.


    In that instant, that sharp will began to rise, prating deep into the void until it touched the barrier of the universe.


    In a trance, Thor saw the history and truth of the past - the Asgardians stepping on the corpses of their enemies, covered in blood, with bonfires burning and songs ringing, cloaking their killing and endless destruction with ayer of hypocrisy, then dancing and celebrating madly.


    More and more corpses, more and more blood, more and more power, and then...


    A me ignited from the center of the World Tree, burning everything to the ground.


    The raging fire burned down the magnificent Asgard and the beautiful fairy pce, turning the gods into helpless sheep, screaming in the terrible fire, and finally heading towards death.


    Below the barrier of the universe, Thor saw with his own eyes how Ragnarok descended.


    Endless conquest and destruction would destroy this universe. More and more power would drain the source of this universe, and that fire...


    That was the universe saving itself.

 Chapter 240: Light (2)

    Chapter 240: Light (2)


    The climate of Sakaar Star alternates between extreme cold and extreme heat throughout the year. When summer arrives, the hot wind blows over the scorched ck meteorite pit, over the red rock mountains, past countless roaring mines, and over the huge arena, where the lively shouts of the arena are louder than the wind.


    The Great Arena of Sakaar Star is one of the most famous arenas in the universe. It was not built by the new Sakaarians but was left behind by the previous civilization, bearing the imprint of ancient times on Sakaar Star, appearing rough and wild.


    The pirs made of logs ovep the substantial pirs, with ancient Sakaarian magic patterns carved on them. Looking through the gaps between the pirs, the central arena of the huge arena is boiling with heat, and the broken bricks and stones are unable to cover the entire ground of the arena. The new Sakaarians also do not have the ability to fill it up, making it look very mottled.


    On both sides of the arena are two steel and mechanical tforms, which are the creations of the new Sakaarians. On one side of the tform stands the current ruler of Sakaar Star, the "Red King" Amoiasan.


    Two tall Sakaarian guards stand behind him, holding spears to protect their emperor.


    On the other side of the tform, opposite the Red King, stands the infamous Grandmaster. Unlike the Sakaarians, his skin is not red, but instead, his skin is a beautiful blue with gold patterns on his forehead.


    He sits on a special chair, and his guards behind him are not as tall as the Sakaarians, but they are all wearing robes, surrounded by magical powers.


    At this moment, two aliens are fighting in the arena. It is not urate to call them aliens; it should be an alien and a strange beast. The creature looks like the giant worm that was used to pull the red behemoth''s cart back then, which is a unique insect on Sakaar Star.


    The battle in the arena is intense. The alien facing the beast is already covered in wounds. The Red King and Grandmaster on the tform are highly interested.Unexpectedly, at this moment, the alien performs a fake move and deceives the clumsy turning beast. Then, he cuts off one of its legs. The beast is stimted by pain and goes crazy, using its spiky scales to sweep back, directly knocking the diator out and then turning back to bite off his head. The battle ends like this.


    Grandmaster and the Red King are a bit dissatisfied, but the other spectators are shouting at the sight of death and bloodshed.


    The atmosphere in the arena bes more and more enthusiastic. The prince, Yashan, standing behind the Red King, steps forward and whispers a few words to his father. The guards behind the Red King''s side ovep their spears, and the metal gun barrels hit each other, making a crisp sound, and the scene quiets down.


    "We all know that in this universe, there is a race called the Asgardians, who im to be gods. They are powerful and warlike, once ravaging the universe and making countless civilizations frightened."


    "Today, our powerful and noble guest, Grandmaster, has brought one of them here. And my son, the future heir to Sakaar Star, your royal highness, has brought another one for us."


    The Red King raised his voice and said, "Let us see together how these self-proimed perfect creatures in the universe will perform when they fight each other."


    There are two doors under the mechanical tform, which is the preparation area for the diators. Two diators will walk out from these doors and enter the arena for the battle.


    Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the door on the Red King''s side opens first, and outes Thor.


    Just as the Red King is about to announce the entrance of the other diator, Grandmaster clears his throat and says, "He is not an ordinary Asgardian. Please allow me to introduce him to everyone."


    The Red King is not unhappy about the interruption. He raises his eyebrows with interest and looks at his son. Prince Yashan is a little stunned. He does not know what special identity Thor has, but Grandmaster''s words shock him: "The person in front of you is indeed him. You may not recognize him, but he is famous. He is the son of Odin, the prince and heir of Asgard, and the bravest warrior of Asgard!"


    The whole audience is quiet for a moment and then erupts into a huge uproar. Obviously, this is a shocking fact for everyone, including the Red King and Prince Yashan.


    Unlike Grandmaster, who is a member of the cosmic elder council and has seen and experienced a lot, they are just the royal family of this and have little to do with the great powers of the universe. Therefore, they have never seen Odin and the Asgardian army with their own eyes and naturally do not recognize Thor.


    More importantly, Thor is the noble prince of Asgard, but he now looks thin and haggard, no different from the miner ves who have been tortured in the mines for a long time.


    He did not wear the armor provided by Prince Yashan, not even the soft armor inside. His original clothes were torn and tattered, holding only his spear, but it seemed more like he was using the spear to support his exhausted body.


    Prince Yashan was first shocked, then began tough heartily, and the other Sakaarians in the arena also began tough, their sharpughter echoing in Thor''s ears.


    But he didn''t react like he used to, emitting a bull-like snort, then roaring and waving his weapons to kill these insolent trash.


    Thor just stood calmly in the center of the arena, allowing the malicious ridicule and mockery to wash over him like waves. A sharp will almost overflowed from his eyes, turning into sharp de aura surrounding him.


    After theughter and discussion gradually died down, the Grandmaster spoke again: "And coincidentally, the Asgardian I caught, a stupid fool who fell into my trap, is also an Asgardian prince."


    "They are not only both Asgardian princes, but also brothers." The Grandmaster smiled and said, "So, not only can you see the struggle between the heirs of Asgard, but also the betrayal and fratricide between brothers."


    Upon hearing this, Thor finally reacted, his eyes gradually widening, then turning to look at the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster sneered, "That cunning little guy set a trap for me, tricked me out of my bet, a damn untrustworthy person, how could I let him off?"


    "But, I spared his life, just to wait for today."


    Then Thor saw the opposite door of the arena slowly opening, and the figure that appeared from the shadows was Loki.


    Thor couldn''t believe his eyes, he closed them tightly and then opened them again.


    But it was indeed Loki.


    Suddenly, Thor realized, his eyes burning with extreme anger. He understood. This might be another damn prank!


    But before this anger could be vented, Thor was stunned because the appearing Loki was too miserable.


    The Loki who walked out of the arena door had a slow pace, and it was evident that he was trying to maintain his dignity, but his condition was so tragic now.


    Loki''s left wrist was hanging a shackle, and blood was dripping down the shackle. His body was covered in scars, and a deep wound, visible to the bone, extended from his left shoulder to his right waist, soaking his clothes with blood.


    Loki''s face was as white as paper, and as soon as he walked out of the door, he half-knelt on the ground, panting continuously. Thor''s anger was held back in his chest, and he gnashed his teeth at Loki, "You tricked me again, didn''t you?"


    "Tricked you?" Thor heard Loki''s voice, which was veryborious, with a painful emotion.


    "Was the attack on the Rainbow Bridge fake? Was my body destroyed fake? Or," Loki swallowed hard, coughing twice, and Thor smelled the strong smell of blood. He heard Loki say, "Is your divine power and divine service inside your body fake?"


    Thor was stunned.


    Before this, he was immersed in despair and sadness over Loki''s death and never called upon his own divine power. But now he focused his attention and felt the unique divine power and divine service of the God of Thunder churning inside him. Since being banished to Earth by Odin, he had not felt such a fullness of power for a long time.


    Loki can only have one divine upation and one divine power, which is an unchangeable rule of Asgard. Now, with the fire god''s divine upation and power inside him, it means Loki has lost all of his power. In other words, he won''t have any divine power to release illusions or create phantoms.


    In other words, when Thor walked up to Loki and touched his shoulder, he confirmed that Loki''s wounds were real. Thor gasped in shock.


    Loki had never been so badly injured before. Asgard''s mages never charged into the front lines. They usually stayed at the back of the formation, releasing disruptive magic. Loki had been in battle before, but he had never fought in the front lines, so he had almost no opportunity to get injured.


    Thor remembered the worst injury Loki had ever suffered. During a battle, he was ambushed from behind by an enemy assassin who snuck into their formation. An arrow grazed his arm, and the wound healed in less than two hours. But when they returned, Frigga was heartbroken for three whole days, and she nagged about it for over five hundred years.


    Thor felt dizzy and his fingers trembled. He had never imagined that, as a seasoned warrior, he would feel dizzy from the smell of blooding from Loki.


    "Get out of here," Loki said.


    "Loki, tell me, what''s going on?" Thor stumbled back two steps.


    Loki coughed violently, causing his chest to shake and worsening his injuries. But Grandmaster and Red King on the high tform were not satisfied with the "tender" conversation between the two. They wanted to see a fight to the death.


    Grandmaster extended a hand, and magic light flickered between his fingers. Loki screamed as several magic halos appeared around his body.


    Now Thor knew how Loki got the huge wound on his body. The magic halos were cutting into Loki''s body, causing him to scream in agony.


    "Attack him! Loki! This is a diatorial arena. No matter who he was before or what your rtionship is, he''s your opponent now. If you don''t attack him, you will die, understand?!"


    The magic halos disappeared, and Loki fell to the ground, motionless. Apanying Loki''s heavy breathing was the faint sound of the wind blowing sand.


    Thor''s sharp willpower began to materialize gradually. A small whirlwind rose at his feet, and the hand holding his spear began to tremble.


    Just as Grandmaster and Red King began tough at Loki''s misery, a deep rumbling sound came from the far end of the Sakaar Star''s sky.


    This, which never rains, thundered.

 Chapter 241: Light (3)

    Chapter 241: Light (3)


    Sakaar Star is not a normal, or rather the Taejo gxy is not a normal gxy. It is surrounded by densely packed cosmic channels, and natural forces are not the decisive factor in civilization development here.


    Sakaar Star is the satellite of the giant hanging in the sky. The climate here is extremely dry, it does not rain, and there are no storms or thunder, so when the thunder sounded, all the people of Sakaar Star didn''t know what that sound was.


    The arena began to panic. Some shouted, "The earth is cracking, the god of the earth is angry!"


    Others shouted, "Another huge meteor is about tond, run!"


    The Red King ordered his guards behind him to constantly beat their spears. He said, "Don''t panic! The earth cannot crack, we have weapons to repel meteors!"


    But no matter what he said, the intense sound grew louder and louder. The sound of thunder is the most powerful and oppressive sound in nature, and whenyer uponyer of dark clouds covered the sky, everyone realized that a big disaster was about to happen.


    Grandmaster looked up. His hair was blowing in the wind. When the familiar sound rang out, he couldn''t help but remember the glimpse he had at the edge of the Sagittarius constetion, the same thunderous sound, the same power... After that day, the name of the god king Odin echoed throughout the Sagittarius constetion.


    His gaze fell on the long spear in Thor''s hand, which gave him a very bad feeling. He murmured to himself, "This is impossible... Gungnir is Odin''s weapon..."


    But no matter what he thought, a huge storm began to gather at the tip of Thor''s long spear. A huge vortex extended from the top of the spear to the sky, stirring up the dark clouds and gathering the fierce wind.Everything in the arena was spinning and floating with the storm. First, clothes, gs, and hair were blown rustling, then sand, boards, and bricks began to fly, like a school of fish wandering in the sea.


    Finally, it was the people of Sakaar and the entire arena.


    The dark clouds were dense, the strong winds whistled, and the thunder grew louder and louder. Only Grandmaster, Red King, and the people around them could stand on the ground in the entire arena. Everyone else had been swept up to the sky by the roaring hurricane, and no one knew where they had fallen.


    The magic light flickered around Grandmaster''s body. He gritted his teeth and said, "If it was your father, God King Odin, who came here personally, I might talk to him, but you, an Asgardian without even a godly position..."


    As he spoke, a storm of mental power began to revolve around him. His blue skin looked even more eerie in the magic''s reflection. He rose into the air, and then several magic balls spread out around him. As he opened his arms, the balls were connected into arge, and magic power gushed out, seemingly trying to stop the storm.


    But the intense hurricane only stopped for a moment and became even more violent.


    Thor''s storm and the power of the god of climate hadpletely returned to his body, even surpassing it. Grandmaster released more power, and Red King on the other side also jumped into the sky and began to attack Thor, who was in the center of the storm, with his long spear.


    But in the process of releasing the godly power, no one could stop this kind of violent power.


    Originally, the godly power of a subordinate godly position was insufficient to harm a strong person like Grandmaster, but Grandmaster felt the de of willpower mixed in the storm, which directly cut the soul. He could only establish a magic barrier to block the storm outside.


    The prince of Yasha, behind the Red King, saw his father and the powerful Grandmaster could only resist the outbreak of godly power. He looked at Loki lying on the ground and shouted to his father, "Your Majesty! Capture that Asgardian and his brother!"


    Red King looked down at Loki, who had lost consciousness lying in the center of the storm. Red King, relying on his strong physical strength, braced himself against the storm of divine power and then leaped from the high tform and rushed towards Loki in the eye of the storm.


    At the moment of the divine power explosion, not only everyone in the arena was impacted, but Thor himself was impacted the most.


    When the sealed divine power returned to Odin, the huge impact made him lose control of himself. In this gap, Red King seized the opportunity to grab Loki.


    When all the divine power returned, a stream of light flew over the distant sky, and Thor''s hammer Mjolnir appeared above the arena. Just when this weapon was about to return to its owner and fight alongside Thor, who had regained his divine power, it did not wait for Thor''s summoning.


    Instead, after the initial impact of the divine power explosion passed, the hurricane gradually subsided, and the rumbling thunder still echoed in the sky, and the dark clouds did not dissipate, but the divine power storm gradually dissipated.


    Red King pinched Loki''s neck and stood opposite Thor, saying, "You destroyed my arena. No matter who you are, you must pay the price."


    Loki seemed to have lost consciousness, and only blood was still flowing out. Thor looked at Red King silently. Red King saw that the storm in his eyes had not yet subsided and was still sharp even with a nce.


    At this time, the Grandmaster floated down from the high tform and said, "Capture them, and King Odin will be happy to have a good talk with us."


    Red King showed a wicked smile and asked the Grandmaster, "He is the heir of Asgard, so I no longer need this one in my hand, right?"


    As he spoke, his arms began to tighten, and Loki fell into the same predicament as Thor earlier, being strangled by Red King and unable to breathe.


    Mjolnirnded overhead with the light of thunder. As long as Thor reached out, he could grab this powerful divine weapon and fight alongside it as before, bing the bravest warrior of Asgard.


    But now, what Thor wanted was different.


    He did not go to get Mjolnir. His grip on the spear became tighter and tighter, and as his eyes narrowed, the sound of thunder in the sky became louder and louder until it became a huge roar that even Grandmaster and Red King''s eardrums were ringing.


    The moment Thor raised his arm, a huge thunder burst out from the tip of his spear, illuminating the sky over the entire Sakaar Star.


    In the dark deep space of the universe, a violent light burst from the surface of this small, and countless thunderstorms enveloped the entire, making the universe light up for it.


    In this moment, the brilliance of this tiny was brighter than any star.


    Thunder was the first light in the universe after its birth.


    The intense light made Grandmaster cover his eyes with his arms. When the thunderstorm returned, Grandmaster shouted, "Are you crazy, Thor? You arepeting with King Odin for the position of the God of Thunder!"


    Thor held his long spear, controlling the power of thunder continuously gathering in his hand. He said, "I am not here topete..."


    "Your Asgardian''s divine duty is the unique evolution of the universe''s source, only one person can fully control the power of thunder, and Odin will not let you do that, he is the king of the gods..."


    "I said, I''m not here topete for the position of the god of thunder."


    Grandmaster cursed in his nativenguage, but he didn''t have the energy to continue speaking, because the raging thunder spread from Thor''s body, instantly destroying everything around him.


    "He''s gone mad, he''s gone mad!"


    "What exactly is going on?" Red King asked.


    "I said, the divine duty of the Asgardian is the natural evolution of the universe''s source power, this power is extremely powerful, especially during the outbreak of divine power..."


    "This lunatic wants to forcibly control the power of thunder, he wants to seize the position of the god of thunder! Odin will teach him a lesson!"


    Grandmaster''s teleportation gate had not yet opened, and the violent thunderstorm swept everything away, and everyone was thrown out and fell heavily to the ground.


    Just then, the even more violent power of thunder they had anticipated did not appear.


    Suddenly, the whole world calmed down, even the wind stopped, and only the debris around them told them that what had just happened was not an illusion.


    Grandmaster looked up at the sky. At this moment, the dark clouds became thicker and thicker, obscuring the light of all the stars, creating an almost dark domain. In this darkness, the twinkling lights of the stars lit up, like small lightning shes.


    After countless lights lit up, here became like the depths of the starry sky. Suddenly, in the center of the darkness, a small me ignited.


    Grandmaster squinted his eyes, and he seemed to see some illusory shadows. The me flickered and turned into a torch, advancing in the dark cave. Immediately after, it became a bonfire, and people danced around it. Then it turned into a firece, a stove, a means of transportation, a high-rise building, a spaceship, and a furnace of stars...


    The me of civilization ignited in one universe after another, weaving together all the civilizations between the stars, and the me flickered faster and brighter, from the original spark of a star to a zing sea of fire.


    If thunder and lightning are the first light to illuminate the universe, then fire is the first power to inspire civilization. If thunder and lightning symbolize the beginning and starting point, then fire symbolizes development and prosperity.


    When these two powers merge together, a part of the power of creation is fully revealed.


    Thunder is light, fire is enlightenment, and when the power of thunder and fire arebined into one-


    Light, hase.

 Chapter 242: The New King

    Chapter 242: The New King


    The power of lightning and fire raged within Thor''s body, causing an indescribable pain. But as the conflict intensified, Thor''s will grew stronger and he ascended faster.


    Just as he was about to break through the barriers of the universe, the fusion of lightning and fire wasplete, and a new power of light emerged within Thor''s body.


    The fusion of the cosmic lightning and the fire of civilization gave birth to the God of Light, Thor.


    The first lightning of the universe fell into his hands, merging with his spear, while the me of civilization fell on his shoulders, bing a flowing cape.


    Thor floated in the universe with a dazzling halo behind him. With lightning in one hand and fire in the other, he dered, echoing the announcement made by the gods of Asgard when they took up their positions:


    "I will hold the first lightning in the universe, and ignite the me of all civilizations. I am the explorer in the darkness and the protector in prosperity. I will serve as the light of the universe, with lightning, fire, and light all within me, past, present, and future merged as one."


    "As long as there is light...I will be there."


    In the nine kingdoms of Asgard, all the Asgardians looked up and heard this oath. And with this oath came the birth of a new branch of the World Tree.


    Then, leaves flew and mes rose, and all the Asgardians half-knelt down. In Odin''s sleeping pce, the deep voice of the father of gods was heard: "A new king.""A new king?"


    "A new king..."


    "A new king!"


    In the realm filled with darkness and destruction, a shadowy figure wearing a cloak of darkness let out a faint sigh: "...a new king."


    In thend full of death and darkness, a cigarette slowly rose from the ground, and the white smoke gradually dissipated. Where the incense rose, ash fell, and the sound of a chess piece falling on the board echoed in the room. The Ancient One sighed: "It seems that Asgard is going to have a powerful new king."


    Strange sat opposite her and asked, "So Loki came to you and asked you to take him to Sakaar Star for this?"


    "It''s not just Loki, it''s also Odin''s intention. If Odin didn''t agree, I couldn''t have let his two sons go so far away to fool around."


    Strange made a move and asked, "So you knew early on?"


    The Ancient One shook her head and said, "It was Odin who knew about the truth of Ragnarok."


    "What is that?"


    "Asgard has asked too much from the universe, and one day they will have to pay it back. Ragnarok is their debt repayment to the universe."


    The Ancient One shook her head again and said with a hint of doubt, "The strength of the gods is not without reason. They also have debtors who are even stronger."


    "I remember you mentioned that Ragnarok is inevitable. Is that true?"


    The Ancient One sighed and said, "This has nothing to do with humans. It is the fate of the gods and cannot be avoided."


    "But now, Thor has a new godly position..."


    The Ancient One shook her head again and said, "The God of Light is not a new godly position. Odin''s true eldest son, Baldur, was once the God of Light."


    The Ancient One''s tone revealed a hint of confusion as she said, "It''s strange that Thor inherited the God of Light position. Baldur''s God of Light represents spring and joy, as well as the god of budding and rebirth. Thor has nothing to do with this godly position."


    "And even if he is promoted to a full-fledged god, he should inherit the position of the God of Thunder, not the God of Light."


    The Ancient One picked up a chess piece and said, "In Asgard, the priesthood of the God of Light is far inferior to that of the God of Thunder. Andpared to the priesthood of the God of Light, isn''t it easier to obtain the power of the God of Thunder that Odin left for him?"


    Grandmaster was also puzzled. Although he had some understanding of Asgard''s priesthood system, he did not know the difference between the God of Light and the God of Thunder because he was too far away from Asgard. He only knew that Odin was the God of Thunder, so his son should also be the God of Thunder. Why did it seem like he had changed his priesthood?


    When Thornded, he looked very ordinary, and there was no hint of the almost god-like power he had just unleashed. Only the electric sparkles on his spear showed that his power had been restored.


    "Did you ascend?" Grandmaster asked Thor.


    "Almost," Thor shrugged. "I hit that barrier."


    "That''s a lot of difference," Grandmaster sneered. "Since that''s the case, I don''t want to bother you, and you don''te looking for trouble with me either. Anyway, you can''t kill me."


    "But you hurt Loki."


    "I hurt him?" Grandmaster raised his voice. "He and Mephisto set me up and cost me a lot of money. And yet he dared toe to me. I didn''t kill him, which is already giving face to your father!"


    Thor said disdainfully, "You talk as if you could defeat the father of all gods."


    "Hmph." Grandmaster snorted. "You underestimate me and overestimate Odin. I''m not going to fight him, but because you people in Asgard are destined to..."


    He paused here, not continuing, then opened the portal and left, apparently admitting defeat.


    Thor''s spear turned into lightning and disappeared. He walked over to Loki.


    Loki had already awakened and was lying on the ground, staring nkly at the sky. When he saw Thor approaching, he shifted his gaze to him.


    Thor looked down at Loki, casting a shadow over him. Loki moved his eyes away from him and said, "What do you want? Beat me up like I did to you before?"


    "No." Thor''s expression was very calm. Loki frowned and struggled in ce in pain for a moment, but he couldn''t move at all. After losing his divine power and priesthood, this heavy injury left him no room to move.


    He saw Thor squatting down, untying the chain on his wrist, tearing off the iron chain on it, and putting the iron ring fixed on his wrist on his own wrist.


    Then, he grabbed the lightning spear and stabbed it into his own shoulder.


    Blood sttered on Loki''s face. He widened his eyes and looked at Thor.


    Thor frowned, the pained expression fleeting. He supported his body with his knee and looked at Loki, saying, "I apologize for ignoring your situation and apologize to everyone who has been neglected in Asgard because they were not strong enough or unable to fight."


    "Our civilization should not only be about violence and destruction. It is not the world that is wrong, but us."


    "The only thing in my eyes should not be military exploits and honor. It is not only on the battlefield that being injured inbat is the pride of Asgardians."


    "If the decayed dogma has prated into the marrow of everyone in Asgard..." Thor threw down his spear and used his injured hand to touch the wound on his shoulder. Blood flowed from his fingertips, and he said, "...then this scar and chain will remind me of the price I have to pay for my shortsightedness."


    Loki closed his eyes tightly and tilted his head to one side, a look of unwillingness on his face. He grabbed the dirt on the ground, squeezing it hard, but he didn''t hold onto anything.


    Thor stared at Loki and said, "I do not believe that Ragnarok is inevitable. I must lead Asgard out of this fate, so I need your help. I ask of you, Loki..."


    Loki pursed his lips and his chest heaved with pain. He realized that whenever he got what he wanted or what he thought he wanted, it wasn''t joy that filled his heart but more unwillingness.


    Thor bowed his head to him, apologized, and even asked for his help, but Loki couldn''t feel any happiness. Because this Thor had truly be the rightful heir to Asgard.


    Loki never thought that the blind and arrogant Thor from before was worthy of his status. He mocked, disdained, and sneered at him. But when Thor truly became worthy of his position, Loki once again felt a strong sense of unwillingness. If Thor was good enough, then he would be the viin lurking in the shadows, only capable of scheming.


    Thor wasn''t worthy of his status, and that was the best excuse Loki could find for his ugly pranks. But when Thor was worthy of his position, Loki realized that he didn''t have Thor''s generosity and he didn''t want to repent sincerely.


    He realized that he was more despicable than Thor. He had tried all means and exhausted all ways, but still lost. He lost thoroughly in bloodline, family, ability, and magnanimity.


    Seeing that Loki didn''t answer, Thor said, "I swear to you, no matter the past, present, or future, I will always forgive you..."


    And Thor''s final words were like a sword piercing into Loki''s heart.


    "If Ragnarok is truly inevitable, at least I can guarantee that I will die before you, my brother."


    After the storm subsided, the dark clouds over Sakaar Star disappeared, and the atmosphere that had been split by lightning was now bathed in even stronger sunlight. The intense light made Loki unsure if he was crying.


    But finally, on the deste wastnd, the young prince''s voice drifted away with the wind, getting further and further away.


    "...The new king."

 Chapter 243: Hollywood Black and White Movies (1)

    Chapter 243: Hollywood ck and White Movies (1)


    In the early morning, in the office of Arkham Sanatorium, Schiller put down the book in his hand. Peter, who was carrying a backpack, stood at the door and knocked. Schiller looked up and said, "Come in."


    "Doctor, I''m back." Peter seemed very excited. After he came in, he took off his backpack and began to search inside. After searching for a while, he eximed, "Ah, here it is!"


    With that, he took out a transparent box from his backpack. Inside was an old-fashioned video tape, the kind that was used on a hand-cranked projector.


    Peter handed the video tape to Schiller and scratched his head, saying a little embarrassedly, "I think you will like this."


    Schiller smiled and took the video tape, saying, "Instead of a gift, I''m more curious about how your Hollywood trip was this time?"


    Peter made a strange expression. His eyebrows were raised one high and one low, and his eyes were big and small, which made Schiller see the funny expression that Spider-Man in theics often made.


    Peter sighed and said, "This is a long story."


    Schiller unpacked the old video tape while saying, "No rush. We can watch the old movie and talk at the same time."


    Looking at the old video tape that had been unpacked, Peter said, "This thing is an antique. Modern projectors probably can''t use this kind of video tape anymore, right?""You should know who would have a projector that can y this thing..."


    The morning light began to get brighter and brighter, crossing the morning and noon, and arriving at the drowsy afternoon.


    With a "click," Steve bent down and turned the support of the old projector over, then pointed to the window.


    Stark cursed and walked to the window, pulling the curtains. Schiller sat on one side of the sofa and clinked sses with Connors on the single-person sofa next to him. Natasha lowered her head and fiddled with a small golden statue-shaped souvenir.


    "I mean, besides this antique, who would like to use this rotten machine to y these antique films?"


    After Stark said this, everyone in the room looked up at him, and Stark paused before saying, "Am I the only one who doesn''t want to watch?"


    "Come on, if we have this time, why don''t we create some new achievements for human civilization?"


    Stark muttered in his mouth while sitting on the sofa. Steve, who was standing behind the sofa, turned on the projector''s button. With the light jazz music from thest century''s movies, the items in the room began to fade in Schiller''s vision. The surface of the cloth sofa became smoother, and the shine of the leather sofa spread from one corner until it covered the entire sofa.


    The support of the deskmp rose, and the vintage pattern on the ssmpshade climbed like a vine. The antique woodgrain spread on the alloy window frame, and the sunlight shining in from outside went from dazzling to dim. At the moment the sun fell below the horizon, there was a knocking sound.


    Standing outside the door was Bruce. Schiller put down the pen in his hand and stood up, looking at him, "Is your Hollywood trip over?"


    Bruce pursed his lips. His expression looked a bit strange. Schiller said, "What''s wrong? Is Selina not adjusting well?"


    "She''s adjusting well." Bruce''s tone was a bit low but revealed a hint ofplexity.


    "Then it seems like you''re the one who isn''t adjusting?"


    Bruce didn''t say anything, but took out a beautifully packaged wooden box from his bag and handed it to Schiller, saying, "...a souvenir, Professor."


    Schiller took the box and saw the old video tape inside. He said, "How did you know there''s an old projector in my manor?... Oh, forget it, that''s a stupid question."


    With a "click," Harvey straightened the projector support and aimed the machine head at the wall. Victor put down his ss and leaned on the soft leather sofa back. Gordon was lighting Schiller''s cigar, and then picked up one for himself, exhaling a puff of smoke.


    Bruce was dozing off on the single sofa next to him, looking a little tired, like a bat napping in a cave.


    As the projector button was turned on, the movie was projected onto the wall. The cheerful orchestral melody began to be low, and after the percussion and drum beats joined in, the sound of the car engine roared and the wind whistled.


    "Wow!" Selina crawled out of her seat belt and leaned out of the car door, and Bruce, who was driving, quickly pulled her back and sighed.


    This was the thirtieth time he had sighed on this on the road journey. Selina put her arm on the car door and looked up at Bruce, chewing gum, and blew a bubble. "To be honest, when you took off your mask, you really scared me. You''re actually Wayne."


    "I thought you had already figured it out."


    "I knew you were rich, but I didn''t expect you to be so rich." Selina put her finger on her temple, chewing gum and said, "But, isn''t it a little absurd for you to take me to Hollywood and let me make movies?"


    Selina pretended to be rxed and said, "I''ve been to the movies before, and I think I look a lot like the actresses in those scenes, but..."


    Her tone became a bit hesitant, "Okay, I admit, I''m just a girl born in the slums, I haven''t seen any big scenes since birth. If there are so many cameras pointing at me, I might be scared and trembling."


    "I just want to find you something legitimate to do." Bruce turned the steering wheel, turned a bend, and said, "As long as you don''t steal anything, no one will question your position on set, because the whole movie is invested by me..."


    Selina first looked at the fast-retreating scenery outside the car window, then blinked her big eyes and looked at Bruce, saying, "You''re really good to me."


    Bruce''s hand holding the steering wheel stiffened for a moment, and Selina noticed his reaction and deliberately leaned towards him, saying, "Do you get nervous too? That''s really rare."


    "Even though I haven''t experienced your rich person''s life, I know you should have many femalepanions. Do you react like this when facing them?"


    Bruce turned his head away from Selina, slowed down the car, and said, "We''re in Hollywood... look over there."


    Following Bruce''s gaze, Selina saw a row of white giant letters appear on the green hill in the distance - "HOLLYWOOD".


    At this time, behind the letters, the sun slowly sank below the horizon, the clouds in the sky elerated their changes, sinking into the night, and back to dawn. When the morning light shone through from behind the letters, Peter next to the car draped a nket over Gwen and pointed to the row of letters, saying, "Look, we''re here."


    Gwen''s smiling face was particrly bright in the morning light, and Peter was almost stunned. Seeing Peter''s stunned expression, Gwen burst outughing and said, "Do you know how red your face is?"


    Peter turned his head unnaturally, then rubbed his face with his hand, and then lifted the hair on his forehead with both hands, looking directly at the morning light and looking at the white letters on the hill.


    "I heard that this was originally an advertising billboard created by a real estate developer to promote his homes."


    "But now, the copyright of this thing should belong to the City Hall in Los Angeles." Gwen straightened the long hair on her temples and said, "The reason why I wanted toe to Hollywood for a tour was because I saw this billboard in a movie when I was a kid, and I even fantasized about changing it to my own name."


    "Do you want to make your name so big and put it on the hill?" Peter stared at Gwen with wide eyes, as if he didn''t know her.


    Gwenughed out of breath, patting Peter''s shoulder with one hand and saying, "That''s how I was when I was a kid. My dad even supported me specially, he made several cardboard boxes with the same white letters and put them on my windowsill. I was so happy. To be honest, don''t you want to?"


    Gwen put one hand on Peter''s shoulder and spread out her five fingers, pointing to the billboard and said, "People can see your name as soon as they drive down this road. Many people will even stop and take pictures like us..."


    "Wait a minute!" Peter turned around and said, "Speaking of parking... aren''t we not allowed to park here??"


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw several uniformed traffic police officers walking over and driving away tourists who were parked here. Gwen grabbed Peter and said, "Get in the car quickly! I don''t want to pay a fine!"


    The two of them hurriedly opened the car door and got in. Peter started the car, stepped on the gas pedal, and heard the screams of the slow runners behind him who were fined. The two looked at each other and burst intoughter.


    The car looked very small on the long public road, with the light at the end of the sky covered by clouds and getting darker. With a "snap", a ticket was posted on the side of the convertible.


    Bruce put one hand on the car door, holding a stack of dors in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Selina took her cigarette out of her mouth and leaned over to light Bruce''s cigarette.


    The traffic police officer pinched the extra stack of dors in his hand and smiled at Bruce, saying, "You can watch as long as you want, sir. Have a pleasant journey."


    Bruce didn''t even look at him, just holding the cigarette, looking straight at the cigarette smoke blending with the sunset on the horizon, he said, "Now you can watch as long as you want."


    Selina pushed open the car door, walked to the side of the road, stretchedzily, and yawned. Facing the twilight light, she squinted and said, "I really didn''t expect to be in the same ce as the protagonists in those movies."


    A coat was thrown out of the car and fell on Selina''s body. She turned around and looked at Bruce, who was still sitting in the driver''s seat, and said, "You''re good anywhere, especially when you''re rich..."


    Selina turned around, propped up the car door with her arm, leaned her upper body back into the car, and said, "But I always feel that the Bruce Wayne I saw in the newspaper is not like this. They said you have a bunch of friends and like to mess around. You''re a yboy, and all women are enamored with you..."


    "But why do I feel like you can''t let go, always nervous, and..." Selina opened the car door and sat back in, then leaned against Bruce, blowing air into his ear with a smile, "And a little shy?"


    Looking at Bruce''s stiff neck, Selina blinked and said, "You are really a mystery, my Mr. Wayne, more like a ball of yarn than a bat."


    "Isn''t that just right?" Bruce looked back at her, and his deep blue eyes, like the West Coast sky, were even clearer when looking at Selina.


    "You''re just a cat, mydy."

 Chapter 244: Hollywood Black and White Movies (2)

    Chapter 244: Hollywood ck and White Movies (2)


    "Can you imagine? I''m sitting here, surrounded by famous makeup artists and agents, oh..." Selina sits in front of the dressing table, sighing. She squints her eyes as if she''s enchanted by the fantasy life.


    "I don''t need to imagine, they''ll be here soon."


    "What?" Selina turns around, looking at him in confusion. Then she sees a group of people rushing in from the door of the dressing room, holding clothes hangers with various dresses on them, and jewelry racks with gemstones on them. They swarm around Selina.


    Bruce sits on the sofa on one side of the room, squinting his eyes. He holds a cigar in his hand but doesn''t put it in his mouth, letting the smoke float.


    "Hey, wait, what are you guys doing?" Selina is lifted off her chair before she can react, but soon, the stylists push her into the changing room.


    Bruce leans against the sofa, looking up at the dressing room. This is the witness to Hollywood''s rise, where countless international actors and celebrities have sat. The mirror reflects their shining faces.


    Exquisite dresses glide over the soft carpet, and sparkling gemstones weave into a brilliant gxy. The wood here still smells of perfume, mixed with the scent of cigars, making people drowsy.


    The most prosperous and magnificent era makes anyone immerse themselves unconsciously, chasing after those luxurious,plicated and beautiful dreams.


    Bruce slowly opens his eyes and sees Selina walk out of the changing room.It''s the first time he''s seen Selina in such a dress, a long fishtail dress covered in delicate diamonds. The overhead lights make her body flow with a sparkling river. This kind of light makes Bruce, who''s used to darkness, squint his eyes. Selina touches her earrings and looks at Bruce, "Do I look good?"


    Bruce''s blue eyes squint and always make people feel uneasy. In the cat''s intuition, this feeling is even stronger. Selina clearly feels the aggressiveness in Bruce''s eyes, which makes him look less like a yboy and more like a beast.


    Bruce stands up, takes her hand, and Selina puts her hand on his waist, saying, "Is this a dream?"


    Bruce sees a hint of confusion between her eyebrows, with a bit of childishness, like a little girl who can''t figure out a simple question.


    The life in the slums makes people lose all their innocence. The days of struggling for food and clothing are etched on her eyebrows, and the strength and wildness that supported her in those difficult days, after being washed away by this bit of childishness, show a sense of fragility that makes Bruce''s heart beat fiercely, which hasn''t happened in many years.


    When Selina looks up, her eyes are brighter than the gemstones on her body. She says, "Have you seen that movie?"


    "Which one?"


    "...I forgot." Selina turns her head and says, "But there''s always one. I remember, the male and female leads are dancing on stage, and the female lead is wearing the same dress as me. She''s very beautiful..."


    "So are you."


    "Will you dance with me?" Selina asks.


    Bruce holds her waist and says, "That question should be asked by me, Miss Selina. Can you dance with me?"


    The floating light casts a dim shadow, like a dream that will never wake up. The dust under the light starts to dance, like a band ying a dance in the microscopic world. The light falls, and nothing here has changed, but the day has dawned.


    "Look at this! This is so cool!" Peter picks up asso and says excitedly, "I guess this must be a prop from a western movie! When I went to the westst time... Oh, Gwen,e and see, what''s in there? It looks like a dressing room?"


    Peter pulls Gwen over, pointing to a room inside. They are curious and leaning in to take a look. The guide sees their expression and introduces them, "Oh, this is the exhibition hall that restores the dressing room from the original set. Most of the exhibits here were moved from there."


    "Restore? What happened to that dressing room?"


    The guide shows a regretful expression and shrugs, "Unfortunately, it was burned down in a big fire at the turn of the century."


    "Oh my god, I think my dad told me about that fire," Gwen crossed herself over her chest and said, "I remember a firefighter also sacrificed his life."


    "Yes, there aren''t many items left, but this exhibition has tried its best to recreate the scene at the time. You can go in and have a look," the guide said.


    Peter and Gwen hand in hand walked into the dressing room. As soon as they entered, Gwen eximed, "Wow," and Peter touched the wooden dressing table, saying, "This must be authentic? The wood grain is really beautiful."


    "Yes," the guide stood at the door and said, "The sofa next to it was also rescued from the original site. You can visit it. I won''t disturb you."


    The guide smiled and then left. Peter looked around,pletely immersed in the new experience brought by the antique atmosphere.


    This is apletely different feeling from a technology exhibition, full of humanistic charm from that prosperous era.


    Peter walked to the sofa, looked left and right, and then sat down. Gwen eximed, "Why did you sit on it? This is a cultural relic. What if it breaks?"


    "It''s okay, it''s quite sturdy. Do you want to try it?"


    Every time Peter looked up, his eyes were always bright, filled with joy and anticipation that almost overflowed. Gwen walked in front of him, grabbed Peter''s outstretched hand, and rarely looked down at Peter''s face from top to bottom.


    "Do you know how red your face is?" Peter smiled and said.


    Gwen fanned her face with her hand, as if to change the subject, and said, "I have a good idea. I''ll walk out of there... that changing room. Can you imagine me wearing a beautiful dress? Can you imagine it?"


    "Of course, my imagination is great." Peter moved in the chair, seeming to not know how to rx, then he leaned back against the backrest, lifted his head, and Gwen let go of his hand and turned to the dressing room.


    When Peter heard a "creak," he knew that the dressing room door had opened. Looking down at the ceiling, he saw Gwen walking out of the dressing room, standing in front of the window against the light, and the afternoon sun covered her with ayer of silver gauze. Peter was really attracted.


    He stared wide-eyed, his pupils slightly contracted, as if he was stunned. Gwen suddenly lowered her head and smiled, then stretched out a hand, and Peter stood up involuntarily, holding her hand. When Gwen looked at him, her voice sounded light and thin.


    "Do you think, like in the movies, someone has done this in this dressing room before?"


    "I think... maybe," Peter stuttered.


    "What do you think they would do next?"


    "...What would they do?" Peter felt his mind go nk. Gwen turned her head, looked at the window, and then said, "Anyway, they wouldn''t just stand there like you."


    After speaking, she let go of Peter''s hand, turned and walked to the other side. Peter was suddenly awakened, he grabbed Gwen, and Gwen turned to look at him. A bright beam of sunlight brought up countless tiny dust particles between them.


    "Gwen..." Peter could only call out her name dumbfoundedly, feeling the warmth from her hand. Gwen saw aplex expression suddenly appear on Peter''s face, but in the end, she saw Peter open his mouth and not say anything.


    Gwen showed a hint of sadness, but quickly suppressed it. She said, "Let''s go and see other exhibitions."


    When the two of them walked out of the exhibition hall, it was close to dusk. Gwen and Peter walked hand in hand on the steps in front of the exhibition hall. They walked downyer byyer, watching the twilight light flow down the steps.


    "What do you think?" Gwen suddenly asked, and Peter turned to look at her, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"


    "How is this exhibition?"


    "It''s great, I mean... well, it''s a bit different, but it''s really good. I never knew film history could be so interesting."


    "I thought you wouldn''t like it." Gwen put one hand behind her back and said, "After all, you seem to prefer industrial products."


    "Don''t say things like ''I love you if you love me.'' I don''t want to hear that." Gwen looked at Peter from above her eyes, and Peter showed a somewhat embarrassed expression. Gwenughed and said, "You''re the least romantic person I''ve ever met."


    Peter scratched his temple. His mouth turned downward and he said, "You must think I''m a very boring person, right? I really can''t say nice things. My aunt often says that it''s a miracle that I can find a girlfriend in this world."


    Gwen suddenlyughed at his words. She chuckled and said, "You really aren''t very interesting... but you always manage to make meugh."


    "You know, Peter..." Gwen suddenly looked at Peter seriously and said, "I always feel like there''s another you, a you that I don''t know, hidden beneath your appearance."


    "Maybe I''m just overthinking it, but I have this intuition, Peter. What attracts me to you is the soul beneath your surface, you''re different from them, but I can''t quite put my finger on what''s different..."


    Seeing Peter''s expression, Gwen asked, "Am I making you feel ufortable?"


    She shook her head gently, and her hair flew with the movement.


    "Don''t feel ufortable, Peter."


    She stepped down the next step before Peter, then looked up at him and said, "Just as you''re willing to apany me on a trip to Hollywood, to fulfill our childhood fantasies, just as you''re willing to ept a different me, I can of course ept a different you."


    She reached out and lightly touched Peter''s face with her finger, saying, "Don''t worry, don''t doubt, don''t feel ufortable... Peter, no matter the past, present, or future, you don''t have to feel ufortable for me."


    Peter''s mind shed with the dreams he had dreamed over and over again. His eyes contained the youth''s naivety, but also a different kind of perseverance. He looked into Gwen''s eyes where there was a sea of tender lovers. He heard Gwen say, "... I like every version of you, the different you."


    "You''re different from everyone I''ve ever met..." Selena walked down one step and stood still, looking up at Bruce on the upper step. "It''s like there are twopletely different souls living in your body."


    "Why do you say that?" Bruce looked at Selena, and the two-step height difference made their height difference even greater. Selena''s effort to lift her head looked a bit funny, but also cute.


    "Can I take it as cat''s intuition? I don''t even know if the you I see now is the real you, or if there are many versions of you?"


    "Which one do you like the most?" Bruce''s eyes, in the glow of the sunset, suddenly ignited orange mes in their icy blue, and Selina felt her gaze being melted by the mes until they burned into her heart.


    "Of course, I like the rich one." Selina waved her arms and said, "The one who can take me to Los Angeles to y, and can give me such a beautiful dress, and dance with me..."


    Selina was sure she saw disappointment in Bruce''s eyes, and she suddenly smiled cunningly. Looking back at Bruce, with a bit of pride, she said, "You were sad just now, weren''t you?"


    "I remember you said that bats don''t get sad." Selina reached out a hand to touch Bruce''s face, but the height difference made her movements look like those of a believer reaching out to pray to a deity.


    "But you can be sad. You are not just a bat, at least not to me...my Mr. Fluffy."

 Chapter 245: Hollywood Black and White Movies (3)

    Chapter 245: Hollywood ck and White Movies (3)


    With a loud gunshot and the sound of shattering ss, the screams of the store clerk were heard. Peter hurriedly protected Gwen and hid in the corner of an alley. They saw several masked gunmen walking into a jewelry store at the end of the street. Gwen covered her mouth and whispered, "Oh my god, we need to call the police!"


    "Wait..." Gwen pulled Peter and pointed over there, "That store clerk is injured. He has an arterial cut from the broken ss..."


    With Peter''s vision, he had already seen that the explosion had injured two store clerks. One of them was holding his neck, and arge amount of blood was flowing from his neck.


    "He might not make it until the ambnce arrives, he''ll die!" Gwen anxiously pounded the wall, and Peter put down his backpack and said, "Wait here, Gwen."


    "Wait! What are you going to do?" Gwen grabbed Peter and said, "They have guns and bombs, are you crazy?"


    Peter turned around and looked at the scene, where the robber in the jewelry store was holding an explosive device to blow up the jewelry counter, and a store clerk was shot while trying to escape.


    "I have to save him."


    "But..."


    Gwen didn''t hold onto Peter. She saw aplex expression on his face before he left.She saw Peter run to the end of the alley and disappear from her sight.


    Gwen hammered the wall in anger, but the chaos over there was getting worse, and the crowd pushed her out. Just as Gwen turned her head, a figure swung between the high-rise buildings - it was Spider-Man.


    Suddenly, Gwen understood what was happening. She opened her mouth wide and looked at thending Spider-Man. She felt her arms trembling, but still tried to cover her mouth with her hand.


    As the crowd ran to a farther alley, Gwen stopped and hesitated for a moment. Against the flow of people, she walked back towards where Spider-Man was.


    Stopping at a car, she saw Spider-Man knock out a robber with a punch, then roll in ce to dodge a bullet. Gwen watched the bullet graze Spider-Man''s body, and for a moment, she felt her heart tighten.


    Gwen tried to cover her mouth with her trembling arms to prevent herself from screaming. Spider-Man skillfully took down the other two robbers, but one of them ran back to the car and took out a more powerful semi-automatic weapon, shooting at Spider-Man.


    Spider-Man''s reaction was incredibly fast. He jumped behind the counter and used it as cover. Then, he sprayed spider web onto the face of the shooter, causing him to lose his sight. He then jumped out and punched him.


    After knocking down all four robbers, Spider-Man walked over to the severely injured store clerk and used his spider web to seal his wound.


    The sirens of police and ambnce sounded at the same time. When Peter walked into the middle of the road, he saw Gwen standing behind a car, looking at him and Spider-Man.


    Gwen''s eyes were red, but she stared at Spider-Man, as if trying to figure out something from him.


    Peter stood in the middle of the road, with the strong sunlight shining on him. He clenched his fists, as if he had made a decision that required a lot of courage. Then, he dashed in ce and hugged Gwen, firing a spider web at the high-rise building, swinging them away.


    In the shining sunlight, Peter held Gwen as they swung through the Hollywood street''s high-rise buildings, like a tunnel through time and space, arriving at the sets of those fantasy movies. Gwen''s hair swayed in the wind, and the people and cars on the road seemed incredibly small.


    Spider-Man brought her to the highest building rooftop. When theynded, Gwen couldn''t help but reach out to touch Spider-Man''s mask. Peter also reached out to cover Gwen''s hand, then reached to his forehead and pulled off his mask.


    The light solidified, time stood still, Peter''s hair danced in the sunlight, bing golden threads, and the surrounding dust yed the music louder, like in one grand adventure after another in this City.


    In the silent symphony, Peter, wearing his Spider-Man suit, tightly embraced Gwen.


    Then, for the first time, he kissed Gwen in the dazzling sunlight, in a pure white world, and their figures were blended into the light.


    The light shone through them, illuminating the broken jewelry counter in the jewelry store robbery, and a shiny gemstone fell to the ground, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.


    As the light faded, the gem''s brilliant color became mysterious and obscure, and a whip flew over, the slender tip curling up the gemstone. Catwoman jumped onto the roof beam, then hung upside down with the whip on the beam, watching as Batman walked into the jewelry store.


    She waved goodbye to Batman with a smile and said, "Bye-bye."


    Then she lifted her body and performed a gorgeous bnce beam movement, running along the roof beam, and finally jumping out of the back door, with Batman chasing closely behind her.


    Under a huge round moon, the City turned into a silhouette, and two tiny figures jumped between high-rise buildings.


    Batman''s cape swayed in the wind, and the resistanceing from it was like a dark hand grabbing him, hindering him from moving forward.


    The eyes under the mask stared closely at the petite figure. Batman didn''t know if he was chasing after criminals or...love?


    But the more he was invested, the only thing in his eyes was that figure. When he felt the resistanceing from behind, he reached back and ripped off his cape, grabbing it in his hand.


    When he jumped down from the high-rise building, Batman hugged Catwoman and used his grappling hook to grab onto the rooftop of the other building. When theynded on the rooftop, Batman''s cape rustled in the wind.


    After an inexplicable deep kiss, Catwoman hugged him and put her ear to his chest, saying, "Your heartbeat is really fast."


    "So are you."


    That wildness returned to Catwoman''s brow, with a hint of yfulness and madness. She stroked Batman''s face with her hand and said, "Did you think I would be immersed in such a dream?"


    "Wearing a beautiful long dress, listening to yourpliments, dancing and chatting with you, Batman, don''t be silly, that''s not us..."


    The crazy gleam in her eyes made Batman even more fascinated. Catwoman''s voice was like the temptation of the devil. She said, "That kind of life is good, that kind of dream is really beautiful, but that''s not us..."


    "...you''re crazy," Batman said, and the resonance from his chest spread along Catwoman''s fingertips. Catwoman drew closer to him and said, "If you were anyone else, I wouldn''t mind having that kind of dream. In the dream, I''m a poor girl from the slums, and you''re a billionaire..."


    "You gave me everything, money, jewels, love. You drowned me in the world''s most luxurious jewelry, then held my hand, we danced, kissed, and then walked into the church until we entered the grave..."


    Catwoman pressed her finger against Batman''s chest and said, "But that''s too ordinary."


    Catwoman looked into Batman''s eyes and said, "I''m crazy. I can''t just live like this. I have to be a thief."


    "Batman, Batman... But what if I''m not crazy..."


    "...how lonely would you be?"


    Catwoman clearly felt Batman''s body stiffen for a moment. He looked at her withplex emotions in his eyes, as if some feelings had suddenly surged up.


    "If you''re a weirdo who likes to dress up as a bat, then I''m a crazy person who wants to turn into a cat. We''re a perfect match."


    Catwoman let go of Batman''s hand and stepped back from his embrace. She said, "Otherwise, who do you think we are?"


    "If it were like in the movies, I should tell you now, no matter who you are, I love you, and encourage you, give you courage..."


    "Then you''ll take off the mask, revealing your true identity to me, be honest with me, say you love me, and then kiss me."


    "But we''re not making a movie..."


    Catwoman''s eyes were neither sad nor disappointed, but rather yful and rxed. She said, "So I''m going to tell you that it doesn''t matter if you''re a bat or not, or how many souls you have, I don''t care."


    "Why?"


    "Because we''re both crazy, Batman... that way we won''t be lonely."


    Batman focused on her, the light in Catwoman''s eyes fascinated him, almost losing his sanity, ignoring the warning of his instincts, the bat''s low voice echoed between the two of them, "You really are crazy..."


    "...but so am I."


    The response to him was a kiss, a kiss from a cat.


    On such a pitch-ck night, apanied by a low and soothing nocturne, two lunatics and a monster embraced each other, exchanging their absurd and twisted love.


    Like a ck and white ovepping old movie, the brightest light and the darkest night from two universes embraced their lovers.


    Their fate seemed absurd like a movie to each other, taking turns ying out above the city that had witnessed countless exciting scenes.


    "Click," the projector turned on, Schiller pulled out the old videotape inside. After the ck and white inteced light and shadow disappeared, the friends from two different times and spaces all leaned tiredly on the sofa, only he remained alert.

 Chapter 246: Campfire on a Snowy Night (1)

    Chapter 246: Campfire on a Snowy Night (1)


    "Do we need to extend the second stage of the treatment n?"


    In the dimly litboratory, Schiller stood in front of the cryogenic chamber with a notebook in hand, asking Victor as he wrote.


    Victor was behind the cryogenic chamber, adjusting the equipment. He replied, "I think Nora is doing much better now. We could potentially move on to the third stage of treatment."


    "We may need to adjust the medication n for the second stage of treatment and give it another week as a conclusion," Schiller looked up, intending to check on Victor, but noticed Mrs. Fries''s fingertips twitched slightly inside the cryogenic chamber.


    "Am I mistaken? Her fingertips seem to be moving?"


    Schiller crouched down, looking into the cryogenic chamber. Victor also walked up and said, "It''s not an illusion. I saw Nora''s eyelids movest night..."


    "I haven''t adjusted the power of the cryogenic chamber, so this is probably not her autonomous movement, but rather the brain activity medicine taking effect."


    "Should we increase the dosage of the nerve repair medicine a little? After all..." Schiller turned to look at Victor. Under the cold light of the cryogenic chamber, the man appeared somewhat aged.


    "You''ve already waited for so long."Victor shook his head and said, "It''s precisely because I''ve waited for so long that I don''t mind waiting longer."


    "Schiller, I know you want to help me, but this is enough." Victor sighed. A strand of white hair on his temple was reflected as blue under the light of the cryogenic chamber.


    "There have been more changes recently than in the past few yearsbined. Nora''s condition is no longer deteriorating, and the nerve healing medicine you provided is gradually repairing her nervous system."


    "After resolving the brain activity issue in cryogenic state, many potential seque from prolonged low-temperature hibernation have also been eliminated..."


    He ced a hand on the cryogenic chamber and gazed into it with deep affection and concentration. Then he turned to Schiller and said, "It''s gettingte, Professor Schiller. You should go back first. I''ll adjust the cryogenic chamber and we''ll meet tomorrow."


    Schiller looked at his watch. It was already 1am. "I have an early ss tomorrow. It''s toote to go back to the Manor now. Let''s just stay here and chat."


    Victor didn''t say much, but the corners of his mouth lifted, causing the wrinkles on his face to shift and hide all the emotional changes.


    Schiller sat down at the other table, organizing his paper materials while asking, "How''s the vocational school going? I heard you went to give an extra ssst night?"


    "To be honest, it''s better than I expected." Victor sighed with relief at the topic. "Those little rascals may not be obedient, but they learn quickly."


    "When can we find a basic education teacher for the gang leaders? You can''t keep teaching a group of students as a university professor forever, can you?"


    "It''s not a big deal. I have experience in teaching children."


    "When Nora and I lived in Florida, she also taught at a high school. At that time, I hadn''t be a professor yet. We taught those kids in activity sses, teaching them how water freezes into ice..."


    Victor''s voice was filled with nostalgia. If there was a problem with his interpersonalmunication, it was that no matter what topic was brought up, he could always recall his life with his wife.


    But it wasn''t something that made people feel repulsive. His stories were always full of sincere emotions, and those little things in life always made people feel the happiness of two people in that peaceful and beautiful time.


    "At the time, I lifted the water pipe like this and asked, ''Who knows how water freezes into ice?'' You know, that kind of tone used to coax children..."


    "The water pressure in the pipe attached to the fire hydrant was very high. I had just opened the valve and a running kid fell t on his face."


    "They didn''t feel any danger at all, and they thought it was fun. They lined up to rush to the water pipe, and Nora was angry because her carefully nned lesson turned into a water fight. She scolded me for a week..."


    Victor was adjusting equipment while speaking in a cheerful and gentle tone. Schiller sat at the table finishing his paper. However, in the midst of this, a series of urgent ringing interrupted the peaceful atmosphere in theboratory. Victor picked up the phone and said, "Hello? Oswald? What''s up?...Okay, don''t worry, I''ll be there right away..."


    Schiller turned to him and asked, "What''s going on?"


    "You know that student from the vocational school, right?" Victor put down his tools, stood up, and began changing his clothes, looking as if he was preparing to leave.


    "You mean Oswald Copperpot, the short one?"


    "Yes. His mother attempted suicide and it''s a critical situation, but he doesn''t have the ability to handle it. I have to go over there."


    "I''lle with you."


    Schiller also put on his coat. Victor drove the car down the road and Schiller asked, "You and Oswald seem to have a good rtionship. I only knew that you admired him before."


    "Oswald is a rare good student. He''s different from the small gangsters in his family. He has clear goals and learns quickly."


    "I think he''s a bit like me when I was young."


    Schiller looked at Victor and said, "I remember you said you came from a middle-ss family and were always an excellent student."


    "Yes, my father worked in shipping and I went on ships with his business partners'' children from a young age. I know a lot about their family business."


    "But I was always a bookworm, obsessed with various chemistry experiments, with no interest in business."


    "Oswald and I are like lettuce mixed in a carrot field, with thoughtspletely different from those around us."


    "And, I think he''s not a bad person at heart."


    Victor turned the steering wheel and turned at an intersection, then continued, "His father died too early, his mother has no self-care ability, and he has to take care of himself and his mother. It''s already difficult enough for him to survive in Gotham. No one can ask more of him..."


    "Or, you could say he''s one of the few normal people in Gotham." Schiller continued Victor''s words, "Like you."


    "Me? Of course, I''m a normal person!...Okay, I know, you guys think it''s crazy that I froze my wife in the cryonic chamber, but I have confidence in my technology and it has actually improved now, hasn''t it?"


    "Among those people you mentioned, I''m not one of them. I don''t think it''s crazy. Perhaps in the future, it will be a very normal medical procedure and be poprized in households."


    Victor turned his head and looked at Schiller. His eyes contained both the vicissitudes of life and the hope of a child. He said with some anticipation, "If that day reallyes, maybe I could take Nora back to my parents. I really miss them, but..."


    Victor''s voice lowered and Schiller looked out the window, saying, "Actually, they understand you, but you don''t want to go back, right?"


    "I don''t want my outrageous behavior to make them into neighbors who see me as a freak and monster."


    Victor was always good at expressing his emotions frankly. He always described his feelings clearly with words, which was why Schiller and he got along well. Victor was one of the rare people who didn''t deceive himself or speak insincerely when facing him.


    "They love me. In the early stages of my research on cryogenic storage, my father sent me a lot of money, and my mother and sister wrote to me, hoping that I coulde back. But I knew it wouldn''t work..."


    "I can''t bring such a cryogenic storage and a living person frozen inside back to my home. Then my family would live under the eyes of others as monsters. I know how hurtful those looks can be."


    "But I can''t give up Nora..." Victor''s voice was tinged with sadness. "Just like when she was dismissed from school due to an ident during my research."


    "It will get better soon." Schiller''s tone always had a calm power, and then he changed the subject.


    "I remember you said before that you and your wife didn''t have a wedding. What happened?"


    "Oh, that." Victor''s tone was a bit guilty. He said, "I said before, when I was just promoted to a professor, an idental experiment caused me to lose my job. At that time, Nora and I were already preparing for the wedding, but as you know, without a stable job, project, or funding, we couldn''t afford to hold a wedding."


    "At that time, Nora was the one supporting me. We really couldn''t spare any extra money to hold a wedding."


    "Afterwards, I was employed by a low-temperatureboratory in Los Angeles. When the situation improved, I wanted to prepare a surprise for her, but then she was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease..."


    "Even with medical insurance, we couldn''t offset the cost of traveling to various states for medical treatment. If it weren''t for my father''s financial support, I''m afraid I couldn''t even make the initial cryogenic storage."


    The car drove slowly, and soon Gotham started to rain lightly again. The rain was not heavy, and it was gentle. When it hit the car window, it did not interrupt the conversation in the car.


    "Sometimes, I think I''m really lucky. Whenever I encounter difficulties, someone alwayses to help me. When I lost my job, Nora was always by my side, and when Nora was sick, my father supported me. When my research stalled again, you appeared..."


    "People are like that." Victor''s voice was full of tenderness.


    "No matter how bad the situation is, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, we will feel satisfied."


    "The important thing is this glimmer of hope." Schiller also sighed, "Even if you are already in hell, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, you can still live as a human being, rather than fall into a devil in hell or bepletely insane."


    "I like topare this hope to a campfire in a snowfield." Schiller adjusted his posture on the seat. He and Victor often talked about literary and philosophical topics like this, and they didn''t feel awkward or forced.


    "A traveler who has been walking in the snowfield for a long time can''t see anything on the white ground except for the snow. Every snowke makes him feel colder..."


    "But once a glimmer of fire appears in the distance, no matter how fierce the snowstorm, it cannot stop his footsteps."


    "When he arrives at the campfire, he will feel warmth, as if the snowstorm is not scary at all. But he knows that it''s because the previous traveler lit the fire."


    "So, before he leaves, he also takes out a few pieces of wood and throws them into the fire. Whether or not another traveler arrives, the fire will not go out."


    "Victor slows down the car and smiles, saying, ''You can sum this up in one word, which is a helping hand in times of need.''"


    "Schiller shakes his head and says, ''A helping hand in times of need inevitably carries the pity of the sessful. I''ve always believed that this world doesn''t need a savior, and Gotham doesn''t need one either.''"


    "If possible, I prefer to be the traveler who leaves the campfire. No matter which direction theter arrivalse from, they can stop here. If they really want to thank someone, they should thank themselves for not giving up on their long journey."


    With that, Schiller opens the car door and walks into the rainy night.


    Victor remains silent for a second, then conceals his emotional expression and steps out of the car, walking into the slightly chilly rain.

 Chapter 247: Snowy Night Campfire (2)

    Chapter 247: Snowy Night Campfire (2)


    When Victor and Schiller entered the Copperpot Manor, they were shocked. It looked as if it had just been heavily bombed.


    Victor looked down at the pool of blood in the hallway and shouted, "Oswald! Are you here? Oswald Copperpot!... Copperpot!"


    Schiller grabbed his shoulder and pointed at the bloodstain, saying, "In the bathroom."


    Victor quickly crossed the hallway and rushed into the bathroom. He saw a pale-faced Copperpot lying in the corner, covered in blood.


    He swiftly approached Copperpot, shaking him. Victor noticed a deep, bone-visible wound on Copperpot''s left shoulder and upper arm, along with injuries all over his body. In his right hand, he held a mobile phone, obviously the one he had just used to call Victor.


    "What happened? Where is your mother? Mrs. Copperpot?" Victor asked.


    Upon hearing the word "mother," Copperpot''s head moved slightly, and a strained voice, sounding like a skipping record, came from his throat. "Second floor... Bedroom..."


    "You stay here with him, I''ll go upstairs and check."


    With that, Schiller walked towards the second floor from the bathroom, passing through a narrow corridor and ascending the creaky staircase. The smell of blood became stronger on the second floor.Schiller entered the bedroom, where the frail Mrs. Copperpoty by the bed. One of her hands rested on the bedsheet, which was soaked in arge amount of blood, coloring almost half of it red. Schiller realized she must have cut her wrists over an hour ago.


    However, the bleeding had significantly reduced by now. Schiller leaned closer to Mrs. Copperpot''s arm, observing the deep wound that was in the wrong location. The blood had coagted. He pressed her chest and found that her heartbeat and breathing were still rtively strong.


    Clearly, Copperpot''s mother had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists, disying strong determination butcking some basic knowledge. Schiller took out a syringe and administered it to Mrs. Copperpot, observing the healing effects starting to take effect. He then stood up and walked back downstairs.


    Victor also had a healing syringe given to him by Schiller. As Schiller entered the bathroom, Victor had just put away the injection syringe. Soon enough, Copperpot regained consciousness.


    Victor squatted beside him and sighed, "What on earth happened? Why didn''t you call me earlier?"


    Copperpot''s eyes looked somewhat lifeless, gazing at the ceiling. Schiller stood nearby, casting a shadow over Copperpot. Copperpot shifted his gaze towards Schiller, and Schiller said to him, "Your mother is okay."


    Copperpot closed his eyes and turned his head away, disying a despairing and exhausted expression that shouldn''t be seen on a child of his age. Victor paid no attention to the bloodstains on Copperpot and helped him up from the ground, supporting him to the sofa in the living room.


    Although Victor was only a schr, it was evident that Copperpot was even more frail. Victor easily helped him onto the sofa. Observing Copperpot''s disheveled state, Victor stood beside the sofa and said to Schiller, "Watch over him, I''ll find a coat for him."


    Schiller sat down on the other side of the sofa, tidying his sleeves. Copperpot''s expression remained vacant, devoid of the usual gloom he carried.


    When Victor returned with a coat and draped it over Copperpot, Schiller took out his mobile phone and called Gordon. Soon enough, Gordon, wearing his uniform, entered with a dampness and chill in the air. As soon as he saw the situation inside the mansion, he covered his forehead and eximed,


    "Professor Schiller, what are you up to again? What have you done???"


    Ten minutester, they lifted Copperpot and Mrs. Copperpot onto the car and drove them to the hospital.


    Thanks to the lizard serum syringe that Schiller obtained from Dr. Connors, when they arrived at the hospital, Mrs. Copperpot was not in critical condition. She had lost a significant amount of blood and needed to be hospitalized for observation. The younger Copperpot''s wounds were almost healed and did not require treatment.


    So, they returned to the Copperpot Manor. After themotion, they were all wet from the rain. It was now past 3 am, and the Gotham night sky was pitch-ck, with the rain pouring harder.


    "It''s a bit cold. Let''s have some hot tea."


    Two minutester, Victor stood in the cluttered kitchen, finally finding a kettle from one of the cabs. Facing the filled countertop, he felt a bit overwhelmed.


    Suddenly, he heard some movement behind him. Victor turned his head and saw Copperpot stepping over the debris blocking the kitchen doorway, entering and saying, "Let me boil the water."


    Copperpot kept his head down, so Victor couldn''t see his expression. He handed the kettle to Copperpot and said, "Go ahead."


    Schiller didn''t sit on the sofa anymore but crouched on the floor with interest, looking at the overturned objects. He lightly brushed the dust on the floor with his fingers and said, "It seems these things were overturned at different times."


    "These bloodstains..." Schiller nced around. There were about four or five small bloodstains in the hallway, as if they had been identally dripped. The onlyrge amount of fresh blood, which they saw when they entered the mansion, was still wet.


    "Has it worsened again?" Schiller muttered to himself. As he was examining the scene, the hot water was ready, and Copperpot walked over with a wooden tray.


    It was a wooden tray with carved patterns, and the cups on it were exquisite ceramic cups. However, with his slightly worn-out clothes and frail figure, Copperpot looked a bitical.


    Victor took the cup from his hand and picked up another cup to hand to Schiller. Schiller nced inside the cup, which only had in water. After Copperpot put down the tray, he awkwardly rubbed the back of his shirt with his hand and said, "We don''t have any tea. I haven''t gone out to buy ittely."


    Victor took a sip of hot water and waved his hand, motioning for Copperpot to sit down. He asked with great concern, "What exactly happened? Didn''t you say your mother was doing much better after taking the medicine?"


    Copperpot regained some consciousness. He touched the cup handle, which had a missing piece. When Copperpot''s fingers touched that spot, he pursed his lips and showed a bitter smile, saying, "...She did get better."


    Schiller took a sip of hot water and felt a warm flow passing through his chest. When Copperpot''s gaze met his, he was also looking at Copperpot. The calm and powerful look in his eyes helped Copperpot rx a little.


    "After I was discharged, I returned to work at Living Hell. Most parts of Gotham were frozen, and the underground of Living Hell was no exception."


    "As a result, the water supply system here was damaged. In order to have water, I had to lead the gang members to repair the water supply system."


    "I did a good job. Although I couldn''t understand some of the core devices, I could fix the pipes and circuits..."


    "Everyone needs water, everyone depends on me. Soon, I gained a great reputation in the gang here and made a good amount of money."


    "Because the underground of Living Hell has a highly advanced water purification system, the water supply system here recovered faster than other ces. So, we could sell water to the surrounding areas earlier..."


    Copperpot spoke about this matter calmly, but Victor widened his eyes and looked at Copperpot, saying, "I didn''t know you had the ability to join a gang and do business."


    "He certainly does, otherwise he wouldn''t survive." Schiller took another sip of water and said.


    "I led the gang members to work and helped them make money. They all believe in me, and I''ve been living better and better, so..."


    Copperpot nced at Schiller, and Schiller said, "Are you doubting me? But let me tell you, the medicine I prescribed for your mother is effective."


    Copperpot shook his head and said, "No, I''m not doubting the medicine. Actually, the medicine is very effective, especially when my mother is in a manic state."


    "She took the medicine for a while and started bing more and more clear-headed. One night, we sat by the bedside and talked about the past. She could remember fragments of my childhood. It''s been a long time since we had that kind of conversation."


    "So what happened then?" Victor asked with confusion. "If her condition was improving, why did she..."


    Copperpot''s body began to tremble, his eyes reddened, and his voice became shaky. "It''s because she regained consciousness, it''s because..."


    He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and said, "Before the medication, she was going crazy."


    "When she started going insane, I couldn''t handle her at all. I could only wait for her to get tired and drink water on her own. But as her symptoms worsened, she started attacking me..."


    Victor turned his head and looked at the dried bloodstains in the room. Copperpot sped his hands together, his fingers tightly entwined, and said, "At first, she just threw things at me. My ear got scratched, and there was a little bit of blood..."


    "Then she started randomly shing with a knife. I was afraid she would hurt herself, so I had to find a way to take the knife away..."


    "My arms and legs were cut by her, but fortunately, the wounds weren''t deep. I bandaged myself and hid the bloodstained clothes."


    "But..." Copperpot''s voice trembled more and more, and Victor heard a hint of crying in it.


    "After the medication treatment began, I tried to clean up the bloodstains in the house as much as possible. But I was busy at that time, there were too many things waiting for me, too many people pointing fingers at me. I had to earn money to buy medicine. I didn''t have time to treat my injuries. When I hastily cleaned up the house, some bloodstains were pressed under the messy clutter, and I didn''t notice."


    "After my mother regained consciousness, one night when I was sleeping, she came into my bedroom. One of my arms was outside the nket, and she saw it. She asked me where those injuries came from..."


    "I didn''t dare to tell her."


    "When I came back tonight, I found the house in this state. She uncovered the bloodstains on the floor and found those bloodstained clothes. I smelled a strong scent of blood. When I went upstairs, I found... my mother had slit her wrists andmitted suicide."


    Copperpot''s lips were trembling so much that he couldn''t utter a word, tears streamed down his cheeks, and Victor''s hand holding the cup also trembled. He heard Copperpot continue, "Myst memory before you woke me up was walking into the bedroom and seeing a lot of blood..."


    "Then why did you appear in the first-floor bathroom?"


    "He probably had an episode too." Schiller said to Victor, "The wound on his shoulder is likely self-inflicted."


    "He saw the image of his mother''s suicide, couldn''t ept that kind of shock, staggered downstairs, and used that dining knife to harm himself. Blood was scattered in the hallway, then he passed by the sofa and ran into the bathroom..."


    "But luckily..." Schiller looked at Copperpot, "you still had a trace of sanity left, which prompted you to take out your mobile phone and call Victor."

 Chapter 248: Snowy Night Campfire (3)

    Chapter 248: Snowy Night Campfire (3)


    The silent atmosphere enveloped the room, and the water ripples on the teacup reflected Victor''s heavy breathing. Copperpot mechanically drank from the water cup, not caring if the recently boiled water was too hot.


    "When she was a mental patient, she could harm you without restraint because she didn''t know who you were, nor did she know who she was."


    "But when she turns back into a mother, no mother can ept everything she has done."


    "Perhaps she always wanted me to leave." Copperpot''s tone became numb. "When she had episodes, she would throw anything she could pick up at me, telling me to leave quickly."


    "But I can''t leave, I can''t leave her." Copperpot''s voice began to tremble again. "No matter what, I can''t leave her. She''s my mother."


    Victor closed his eyes, and a heavy exhtion came from between his lips and nose. Schiller also let out a sigh and said, "I advised you before when I prescribed the medication, suggesting that you move to a new apartment, a change of environment would be beneficial for the patient to start a new phase of treatment and recovery."


    Copperpot shook his head, tears shimmering in the dim light as he moved. He said, "She doesn''t want to leave."


    "Why?"


    Copperpot tightly gripped the water cup, and the veins protruded from the back of his hand."Because of my father."


    "ording to my mother, she met my father on this street. He brought her here to meet his family. They had dinner together, drank sweet wine, and chatted by the firece..."


    "My uncle sang, and everyoneughed and encouraged them to dance..."


    Apanied by a slightly hoarse voice, the fire in the firece rose, and shadows gathered around the sofa cheerfully. Some brought wine, others brought fruit trays. When a folk bad started to y, everyone pped their hands.


    A young couple walked to the center of the room and started dancing, their clothes swirling. When the song ended, they held hands, epting praise and blessings from their family, then walked hand in hand into the church.


    Until one of the hands touched the name on the tombstone, in the cold rainy night, only a madwoman remained spinning in this dark and decaying old mansion, with only the sound of rain singing for her.


    "After my father died, my mother med everything on him for not bringing an umbre on that rainy night. So she often turned everything upside down in the house, trying to find an umbre."


    "But if I actually gave her an umbre, she would scream and curse, smashing it with a chair. She said there was a curse on it, and she said we were all cursed..."


    "I can''t remember how long it has been like this..."


    "At the beginning, she would hold me all night, tirelessly telling me stories of their past. Then, she would silently sit in the corner of the living room every night, rummaging through the cab that had been searched countless times..."


    "Every time I tried to stop her, she would attack me. Andter, whenever I returned to this house, she would make me leave..."


    "When she started to gradually regain her sanity, I was happy. I thought these days would be over, but I didn''t expect..."


    Copperpot covered his face with both hands, his shoulders trembling uncontrobly. The sobbing, which had lost its voice, sounded more like the hooting of an owl, strangely bringing a desire tough in such a heavy atmosphere.


    And so, dawn arrived, and a sharper ringtone echoed, Schiller picked up the mobile phone and said, "Really? She''s awake?... Alright, we''ll be


    there right away..."


    As they walked out of Copperpot''s old mansion, the sun was rising from the horizon. The night''s rain filled the air with a thick moisture, which felt even cooler as the morning breeze blew. When it entered the lungs, it was as if swallowing many ice cubes.


    As the car headed towards the hospital, when the three of them got out of the car, Gordon had alreadye out, looking somewhat helpless. He said, "You better go in quickly, she''s causing quite a scene."


    After going upstairs, even before entering the hospital room, they saw a nurse standing outside the room, holding an IV bottle in one hand and a tubing with a bloody needle in the other. Another older nurse was about to enter. Victor held them back and asked, "What''s going on?"


    The young nurse sighed and said, "When thedy woke up, she pulled out all the IV needles in her hand and bled a lot. She even used the IV stand to attack people. We dare not go near her."


    The old nurse peeked inside and said, "We need to subdue her quickly. She''s still bleeding from her hand, and if the wound bursts open again, it will be even more difficult to handle."


    At that moment, footsteps could be hearding from the nearby staircase. Brand, apanied by a group of nurses, waved his hand and said, "Administer a sedative."


    Inside the room, Mrs. Copperpot seemed crazed. She would roar and attempt to attack anyone who came close.


    Fortunately, being an elderly woman and having lost a lot of blood, she didn''t have much strength. She was soon subdued, and as the sedative took effect, she quieted down andy on the bed, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    Copperpot walked in front, with Victor and Schiller following behind. When Copperpot approached his mother''s bed, Mrs. Copperpot shifted her gaze and looked at her son with a mix of guilt and pleading.


    "Why are you stopping me, Al..." a hoarse voice came from her throat, but Copperpot trembled and couldn''t answer.


    "I don''t want to stay here anymore... I can''t do it anymore. Don''t stop me..." Mrs. Copperpot started trembling all over, but she couldn''t move, only remaining stiff in her ce.


    Schiller suddenly pushed Copperpot and whispered, "Show your arm to your mother."


    Copperpot turned around in confusion, and Victor also looked at Schiller, but under Schiller''s gaze, Copperpot extended his arm and rolled up his sleeve.


    His arm was thin and bony, with rough skin, and its unnaturally paleplexion showed no signs of any wounds.


    Schiller stood by the bedside and said to Mrs. Copperpot, "Madam, you suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. You''ve been imagining that you attacked your son during your episodes, but we''ve treated you with medication, and now you''re awake."


    Mrs. Copperpot paused, and with eagle-like ws, she grabbed her son''s wrist, then made an effort to turn herself over and used her other hand to touch Copperpot''s arm.


    Indeed, it was smooth, without any scars. The lizard serum and restorative medicine created by Connors weren''t just for treating external injuries; they could evenpletely heal scars.


    Copperpot felt his mother''s arm trembling, and he heard her whimpering cries. He couldn''t tell if it was out of guilt or relief.


    "Mom didn''t want to do those things, and I didn''t want to do them either..."


    "You didn''t do them." Schiller''s tone was so confident, as if he wasn''t lying at all. Even Victor rubbed his eyes, doubting if what he had seen before, the heavily injured Copperpot, was just an illusion.


    "Yes..." Copperpot held his mother''s hand and said, "It was all just imagination because you didn''t take your medication on time, Mom. As long as you receive treatment and take your medication in the hospital, nothing like this will happen again..."


    Mrs. Copperpot was now gasping for breath due to her crying. Brand sighed outside the door and said, "You should leave here for now. The patient needs rest."


    Mrs. Copperpot clung tightly to her son''s hand, and Copperpot couldn''t leave. Only Schiller and Victor remained by the door of the hospital room.


    The morning sunlight streamed through the window, turning the door frame into a picture frame. Schiller and Victor stood against a golden backdrop.


    Victor pressed his fingertips to his lips, and Schiller noticed his trembling fingers. The emotions he had bottled up all night were now erupting, and this usually gentle andposed professor seemed on the verge of breaking down.


    His gaze even started to lose focus, as if troubled by many terrifying illusions.


    "If Nora dies..." Victor''s voice rang out, like a bowstring snapping on a broken violin. He looked at Schiller with a pleading expression and asked, "Will I go mad like this too?"


    Schiller couldn''t give that answer because he was facing a living, breathing person in front of him, his patient, and not a character from aic or a movie.


    The familiarity with the plot and the foresight of prophecy brought no sense of superiority that a time traveler should enjoy, only a heavier sense of sorrow.


    In this world, each person has their own tragedy, and there is no single answer that can be the sole solution to tragedy, thus there is no savior.


    In Gotham City, some people y tragedy, some yedy. Someugh at tragedy, and some cry atedy. Some peopleugh and cry at the same time, while others cry andugh.


    No one can make everyone cry, and no one can make everyoneugh, not even the time traveler or the prophet.


    This is Gotham, a City that cannot be saved.


    The golden backdrop in the picture frame is about to overflow. Suddenly, Victor trembled and turned around. He quickly walked back to the hospital room, staring directly at Copperpot and said, "Come with me, Copperpot... Come with me!"


    He pulled Copperpot along, making him stand up from the hospital bed, and they walked out of the hospital. The morning light swallowed their figures, and at some point, Schiller, who stood by the door, also disappeared.


    When they returned to theboratory, Victor swiftly took off his coat, damp with moisture, and threw it aside. He caressed Copperpot''s back, pushing him forward, then walked to theb table. He turned around, facing Copperpot.


    Victor seemed to have lost his usual elegance and gentleness. His face appeared somewhat neurotic and even a little mad under the cold light of theboratory.


    "Copperpot..."


    Victor looked into Copperpot''s eyes, where there was warmth and longing that Copperpot couldn''t understand, as well as an iprehensible obsession typical of ordinary people.


    It wasn''t like a teacher looking at a student; it was more like a father looking at his son or, perhaps, like someone who had been saved from tragedy looking at another tragedy¡ªa traveler gazing at another traveler on an endless snowy in.


    At this moment, Copperpot heard Victor ask him, "Copperpot... Do you know how water turns into ice?"

 Chapter 249: Campfire on a Snowy Night (4)

    Chapter 249: Campfire on a Snowy Night (4)


    Since thest incident of Gotham being frozen, the temperature in the city started to drop. Not long after the summer, the temperature decreased significantly. Yesterday night, the fine drizzle turned into ice pellets. The next morning, when Schiller arrived at Arkham Hospital, he ced his umbre by the office door and let out a sigh.


    Mrs. Miller entered the room carrying a kettle of hot water and nced back at the umbre leaning against the door. As she ced the kettle on Schiller''s desk, shemented, "Dr. Rodriguez, why are you still using that broken umbre?"


    Taking the kettle and pouring himself some water, Schiller shrugged and replied, "It wasn''t too damaged before. I had someone reinforce the frame. It''s still usable. Who would have thought that Gotham would have hail instead of rain these days?"


    His gaze shifted beyond Mrs. Miller to his umbre. It was evident that one of the umbre ribs was already broken, even without being opened, there were visible dents.


    Mrs. Miller used to be a head nurse and was rehired by the hospital after retirement. She now served as the housekeeper of Arkham Mental Hospital. She was a slightly thin old woman but had a good spirit.


    She tightened the knitted shawl around her and said, "The weather has been getting stranger recently. Today it''s hail, tomorrow it might even snow. I''ll have someonee and light the fireceter."


    "Oh, Mrs. Miller, you always exaggerate. We''re still far from that," Schiller said, taking a sip of hot water.


    He then took out his schedule and asked Mrs. Miller, "Who is my first patient this morning? Do I need to prepare a room?"


    "I don''t think so," Mrs. Miller shook her head. She picked up a notebook from the side and read from it, "This morning, we have Mr. Oswald Copperpot''s follow-up appointment for about two hours. After that, we have Anthony and Miss Scott on the third floor, also for follow-up appointments. It will be a total of two hours, so I''lle to collect the medical records and files around 12 noon."Mrs. Miller snapped the notebook shut and said, "The afternoon is your private time. Your two friends have already made appointments. Is there anything I can help with during that time?"


    "No, thank you. Oh, by the way, I have a friending in the evening, but he contacted me on my personal phone..."


    Mrs. Miller ced the notebook back on the bookshelf on her desk and said somewhat helplessly, "Dr. Schiller, you should know that generally, the mental hospital does not allow people without appointments to enter. Appointments need to be made by calling the hospital one day in advance. If your friend contacts you on your personal mobile phone, it should be at least two days in advance..."


    "Yes, I know, Mrs. Miller, but my friend''s situation is a bit special. If I don''t allow him toe in, he might go to the television station and cause a scene."


    "Well, we can make an exception this time, but please remember to remind him next time to call the hospital for an appointment. Otherwise, if any problems arise, the hospital cannot take responsibility. It''s for your own good, Dr. Schiller."


    "Alright, thank you."


    As the hot water filled the cup, a slight sizzling sound could be heard. Thin wisps of white steam rose from the cup as Schiller took a sip and set the cup down. Through the haze of steam, he looked at Copperpot''s face.


    Copperpot appeared better than before, although his cheeks were still gaunt and his eyes sunken. It was evident that he had groom


    ed his hair, and hisplexion had improved, with lips no longer chapped.


    Flipping through his medical record, Schiller said, "Although I have told you many times before, I want to emphasize again that your current living environment is not conducive to your recovery. If possible, it would be better to change your residence."


    "Leaving aside the poor lighting and air quality, hygiene alone is a big problem."


    Setting aside the medical record, Schiller looked at Copperpot and asked, "How is your mother?"


    "She''s doing well."


    "What''s wrong? It seems like you have something to say?"


    Seeing Copperpot''s hesitant expression, Schiller ced his medical records on the table, neatly aligning them with the other documents and setting them aside.


    Resting his arms on the table, Schiller said, "The regr follow-up is already over, but there are still 20 minutes left. It''s free consultation time now, so you can say whatever you want."


    "Professor Fries suggested that I... go to high school," Copperpot ced his hands on the table. He intertwined his fingers and squeezed them tightly, saying, "It''s ridiculous, isn''t it? How could I go to high school?"


    "Why do you think it''s ridiculous? Why do you think you can''t go to high school?"


    "I..." Copperpot hesitated for a moment, seeming unsure how to express his emotions. Schiller spoke for him, "Because it''s notmon in Gotham, right?"


    "Almost everyone around you doesn''t read books, let alone go to high school. They probably didn''t even finish elementary school before leaving school, and you''re the same."


    "Perhaps in your life n, there has never been a conventional path of studying books and then going to college..."


    Copperpot nodded, still appearing nervous, with his Adam''s apple trembling as he spoke, "It won''t work. I can''t go to high school. I don''t have the tuition, and my mother needs someone to take care of her."


    "But now, these shouldn''t be problems. The money you''re earning is enough for your living expenses and to pay for tuition. It''s also enough for your mother''s hospital treatment, and you can even hire a caregiver to be with her full-time."


    "Yes, but I don''t know how to choose..." Copperpot hesitated for a moment. He didn''t intend to hide anything, but his ability to express himself made it difficult for him to fully describe his current state of mind. So Schiller could only guide him, saying, "You don''t know how to choose. What are your options?"


    "I can continue working, earn a lot of money, open a restaurant, buy a luxurious house, and let my mother live there. That was my original n..." Copperpot bit his lip, his words somewhat unclear.


    "When you''re describing this goal, you seem to feel a sense of shame. Why is that?"


    "Because Professor Fries described apletely different life to me, his experiences..."


    "What is it?"


    Copperpot hesitated for a moment, as if struggling to find the words. It waspletely different from when he described his criminal ns in a non-stop manner.


    His imagination of a better life wascking, and thenguage and vocabry used to describe this state of life were even more limited.


    "He lives in a good family, has arge countryside vi, a big yard, siblings, and even a dog. Hemutes to school by car, sits in the ssroom reading books from middle school to high school, and then gets into a very good university with excellent grades..."


    Copperpot''s vocabry was hollow. The adjectives he used to describe this life were simply "good," "big," and "happy." Schiller picked up on this and said, "What kind of house do you consider big?"


    Copperpot gestured with his hands and said, "Probably simr to the houses in the wealthy district down south."


    "Did Professor Fries describe it that way? Does he have a house as big as the ones in the wealthy district down south?"


    Copperpot shook his head and said, "No, he didn''t say that."


    "Perhaps your focus is a bit skewed. The point he wanted to convey to you wasn''t about how good his family''s house is, how big the yard is, or what kind of car he drives or school he attends."


    "His essence is not to show off how happy his childhood life was, or to tell you that as long as you go to high school and study books, you can have this kind of life..."


    "Your memory should be good, so have you noticed any differences between when he described this life to you and when you''re now recounting his words to me?"


    Copperpot fell silent for a moment and then said, "I don''t have his rich vocabry, nor do I have such abundant emotions. I feel like my brain is nk..."


    He opened up like a floodgate, but there was still a tremor in his tone, as if he was eager to spit out thest sybles.


    "When he described this life to me, it was very persuasive and made me feel both envious and jealous. But now, when I have to describe


    it, I can''t find the words..."


    "The reasons for this problem may be twofold. First, you have never experienced such a life, and all fantasies of a better life are still just imagination due to ack of experience. This is a matter of life experience. However, more importantly..."


    "Copperpot, do you know why people read books?" Schiller took a sip of water, and Copperpot answered, "To gain knowledge? And to obtain education?"


    "That is only part of it."


    Schiller put down his cup and used a simple and understandable analogy to exin to Copperpot, "Your brain is like a sophisticated machine. But even the most sophisticated machine needs regr activity to prevent rusting."


    "When your brain keeps turning in one direction, it creates inertia. The gears andponents change their structure ording to the direction of your rotation. As a result, your brain spins faster and smoother in that specific area."


    "This may make your abilities in that aspect stand out, but it can also bring many problems. When theseponents specialize in one direction, they actually sacrifice bnce for efficiency, which can lower people''s mental stability."


    "Now you should have noticed that when you think about conspiracies, crimes, interpersonal rtionships, and business connections, your brain flows exceptionally well. This is normal because you were born and raised in Gotham, and these things are more practical than art, literature, or philosophy."


    "But the process of learning is actually about helping your brain regain bnce."


    "You don''t have to memorize all the books in the world about art, literature, and philosophy and apply them to your life. That''s not possible."


    "Just like even if you learn advanced mathematics theory, it won''t be of much help in managing a water supply system. Managing a water supply doesn''t require profound theory."


    "But what it does is help the gears andponents of your brain mesh in another direction, making it more bnced and stable."


    "What we learn from studying, besides knowledge, is a way of thinking. When you face something, using multiple thinking approaches and looking at problems from various angles can greatly enhance your mental stability."


    "When you have more perspectives to consider, it canrgely prevent your thinking from falling into a dead end or your emotions from bing extreme."


    Copperpot saw a profound and serene power reflected in Schiller''s eyes, even stronger than what he felt from Victor.


    He understood for the first time the metaphor "eyes are the windows to the soul" because in Schiller''s eyes, he saw an infinite and vast ocean.


    Thest time he felt this way was when he faced the Godfather, but the Godfather carried an irresistible power, more like a violent storm on the sea''s surface. Schiller, on the other hand, was more like the boundless depths of the sea¡ªquiet, peaceful, and seemingly bottomless.


    Copperpot''s clenched index fingers rubbed against each other, and he felt a cool breeze, not because of the weather.


    In his somewhat limited imagination, he felt like a penguin swaying on the icy surface, with fierce winds and storms of Gotham above his head, and beneath his feet, an unfathomable sea.


    Now, two pathsy before him. Should he be a bird soaring with the wind or should he dive into the sea and be a fish bravely swimming in the sea of knowledge?


    The brain that always turns in one direction experienced some friction among itsponents and gears, and to Copperpot, it sounded like thunder on a cold night.


    But Copperpot didn''t feel fear. After the firece in the room was lit, he felt a barely noticeable warmth.


    If Gotham''s rain never ceased and he didn''t have an umbre to shield him from the rain, then he would dive into the vast sea, swim forward through currents and whirlpools until he found his ce of refuge. He would freeze the water there into ice and build himself a house.


    "Gulp," Schiller heard Copperpot gulp down his saliva fiercely, but it sounded more like the sound of a young aquatic bird jumping into the sea from an ice floe.

 Chapter 250: Campfire on a Snowy Night (5)

    Chapter 250: Campfire on a Snowy Night (5)


    Schiller, who was taking a nap in the lounge, heard the doorbell ring. He groggily raised his arm, checked his watch, and sat up, calling out from inside, "Wait a moment."


    He tidied his clothes in front of the mirror and pushed the door open to step out.


    Evans was standing in the room, and upon seeing Schillere out, he said, "Sorry, Professor, did Ie too early?"


    "No, why did you decide to make an appointment here?" Schiller turned his head to look outside the window, not seeing the car that usually picked up Evans. Evans noticed his reaction and awkwardly said, "I didn''te from the Manor."


    "Have a seat."


    Schiller and Evans walked over to the table and sat down. Schiller carefully observed Evans and noticed that he looked a bit exhausted. He asked, "What''s wrong? I was surprised when Mrs. Miller mentioned that young Falcone called to make an appointment for treatment. Why didn''t you directly invite me to Falcone Manor?"


    "I... don''t live at Falcone Manor anymore." Evans ced his hands on the table and lowered his gaze, saying, "I moved out."


    "Oh?" Schiller took a sip of water, and the firece in the room burned brighter, making him feel a bit warm. He said, "Well, that''s interesting. You moved out?"


    "I know it sounds absurd, but... anyway, I no longer live with The Godfather.""Why?"


    Evans tightly pursed his lips, his expression unusually serious. He said, "Alberto told me everything, and I never expected..."


    His expression showed a mix of sadness andplexity, as if he had many things to say and needed an outlet to pour them out.


    "I never thought things would turn out this way. It''s truly absurd. How could my brother..."


    Evans covered his eyes with his hand, then waved it before Schiller could speak, saying, "...well, actually, I''ve epted this fact, but... the rtionship between Alberto and The Godfather is quiteplicated, isn''t it?"


    "I continued living at Falcone Manor as usual, but I always felt inexplicably anxious. Sometimes, I even felt afraid. More importantly, when I faced The Godfather, I felt breathless."


    "I know these are not my own feelings but the influence Alberto has on me."


    Evans frowned, appearing somewhat pained, and continued, "Before, when Alberto took over my body, I couldn''t feel anything, as if I were asleep. But if his emotions became too intense, I would be awakened. It happened on a stormy night, pouring rain and thundering..."


    Evans'' gaze turned to the window, as if he could see that rainy night. Rainwater trickled down the ss, and when a lightning bolt shed, the fine raindrops emitted a dazzling gleam.


    Alberto was half-kneeling on the ground, his face filled with fear, while across from him stood The Godfather by the window.


    "The intensity of that emotion was overwhelming. I didn''t know what he was afraid of, but it woke me up, and I experienced his pain as if it were my own."


    "So what did you do?"


    "I didn''t know what I should do, but there was one thing I could do, and that was to separate them."


    "So you moved out?"


    Evans nodded and said, "The Godfather is not happy about it, but I insisted on not going back home. Recently, I''ve been staying in the school dormitory and asionally staying over at a ssmate''s ce."


    "But ever since that day, my brother hasn''t appeared. I''m worried that something might be wrong. Professor, could you..."


    "Alright, I know it sounds absurd." Evans pressed his forehead and said, "But today, it''s not me who needs psychological therapy, it''s Alberto."


    "Of course, you both have the same billing address. Close your eyes and do as I instruct..."


    Two minutester, Alberto opened his eyes and stared at Schiller with a cold gaze, saying, "Why did you summon me?"


    "Your brother is very concerned about your condition, so he asked me to provide you with psychological therapy."


    Alberto muttered something under his breath, and Schiller rested his elbow on the table, supporting his chin, observing Alberto with keen interest. It was quite remarkable how despite sharing the same face with Evans, the two individuals lookedpletely different.


    The difference in temperament led to changes in expression, and the facial lines involved in those expressions made their appearancespletely different.


    This is excellent material for observation because it''s a genuine case of dual personalities, not the kind induced by hypnosis or fantasy.


    "It seems like you don''t want to understand your younger brother''s feelings?"


    "Understand? Do you know what that idiot has done?!"


    Alberto turned his head in another direction, sighed deeply, and said, "He went to The Godfather and said, ''I want to move out, I don''t want to live at home anymore,'' and when The Godfather asked him why, he said, ''Because you''re in Falcone Manor''..."


    Alberto covered his eyes and said, "Can you imagine The Godfather''s expression at that moment?"


    Alberto''s voice was filled with exhaustion as he said, "I can tell that The Godfather has truly aged. If it were before, if I had dared to say such words, he would have shot me right then and there, making me reflect until I bled too much and then bandaging me up."


    "What''s even more terrifying is that this is just the beginning. He left Falcone Manor, and the driver wanted to take him, but he insisted on walking by himself. He wanted to walk from Falcone Manor to Gotham University in the middle of the night..."


    "Thank God, he arrived safely at Gotham University, but since he didn''t have his dorm key, he had to climb in through the window. Climbing the window in the middle of the night startled the students upstairs, and they fired two shots, but they missed him..."


    "The next day, heined about the hard bed and the poor environment in the dorm, so he wanted to ask his ssmate if he could stay with him..." Alberto covered his face and said, "He called that person Bruce Wayne."


    "He said he had never been to the famous Wayne Manor and that he had a good rtionship with Bruce, so he was sure Bruce would let him stay for a couple of days..."


    Schiller coughed twice, then covered his mouth. Alberto nced at him, and Schiller took a long pause before returning to normal and looking at Alberto, saying, "I swear, I didn''tugh."


    Alberto said weakly, "And then Bruce actually agreed, and the next night, they went back to Wayne Manor."


    "Did you see a strange figure standing by your bedside in the middle of the night?"


    Alberto''s hand twitched, as if there were no words to describe his emotions.


    "He talked to Bruce about the musical he had written until midnight, and then he even performed an impromptu piece, which attracted Alfred, the butler. Alfred really liked him and strongly insisted that he stay for a few more days..."


    Alberto said through gritted teeth, "And then, he felt very confused, wondering why I hadn''t appeared these past few days..."


    Schiller couldn''t hold back any longer. Alberto looked at him expressionlessly andughed, as if he had expected this reaction.


    Taking a deep breath, Schiller made an effort to suppress the desire tough and looked at Alberto, saying, "I admit, Evans'' actions are a bit... but you''re not just not appearing because of that, are you?"


    Alberto leaned back in his chair, his golden hair covering half of his face.


    "You''re jealous, aren''t you?"


    Alberto remained silent. Schiller put the pen back in the penholder and said, "You know what? I encountered a simr case before. He was a prince of a country..."


    "His brother was the heir to the throne, reckless, impulsive, never thinking before acting. But no matter what mess the elder prince caused, his father would always clean up after him."


    Alberto lowered his eyelids and said, "People always have extra tolerance for fools."


    "You''re more open-minded than him."


    "The example you gave isn''t urate because we''re not brothers. We were originally one person. Even from a personality perspective, he has a memory of having a brother, but I don''t consider myself to have a younger brother..."


    "But you should also understand that without Evans'' presence, The Godfather wouldn''t spare your life. If he could kill you once, he could kill you a second time."


    The golden strands of hairpletely covered Alberto''s eyes. He looked at Schiller through the gaps in his hair and said, "Of course, I know. He never considered me his son. His son is only Evans."


    "So now you must be torn. Everyone has abandoned you, no one has chosen you, including The Godfather, including Batman, including me. They have all chosen Evans..."


    "And then Evans chose you."


    "When he realized how much you fear The Godfather and how much The Godfather despises you, he resolutely chose to stand by your side."


    Alberto''s mouth was tightly pursed, and even a hint of cyan appeared at the corners of his mouth. Schiller continued to specte, "So now you must be torn. You can''t find an answer, so you can only choose to escape."


    "But you can also try to look at it from a different perspective..." Schiller took out a new case file and began to write with his head lowered, saying, "You should have noticed that all of The Godfather''s training ns for Evans have failed. He''s simply not cut out for this line of work."


    "He''s a bad guy. He has no moral burden when ites to killing, and he doesn''t mind gang shootouts or other crimes. But he''s not bad enough, not ruthless enough."


    "He''s a good person. Excellent grades, wide circle of friends, and a passion for the arts. But he''s not good enough,cking that innate sense of justice and duty, more easily swayed by the current."


    "A person like him could do any profession, but unfortunately, he can''t be The Godfather."


    "The Godfather probably realized this a long time ago. He tried many methods, but none were effective."


    "The Godfather said he''s like his wife."


    "Perhaps, but the problem now is that The Godfather really only has this one son. Even if he could pass on his position to a son with a blood rtionship, scouring the Twelve Families, there''s no more suitable heir. Others are not only foolish but also wicked."


    "That''s why I''m still alive." Alberto''s voice carried a sense of pain.


    "I''m alive not because I''m his son, but because I''m a qualified sessor."


    Otherwise, as you said, he could kill me once, and he could kill me a second time..."


    "Have you ever tried talking to The Godfather?"


    "Talk to him?" Alberto forced a stiff smile and said, "How can I talk to him? I can''t even stand up straight in front of him..."


    "If you were The Godfather''s enemy, you would understand how terrifying it is to face him."


    "You consider yourself his enemy, but how can you be sure that he considers you his enemy too?"


    "If I''m not his enemy, why did he try to kill me?"


    "Even if you are his enemy, he has already tried to kill you."


    "The only positive answer I can give you and many people believe that The Godfather is lenient. It''s not an act, it''s his personality. That''s what sets him apart from other gang leaders and it''s his greatest charisma."


    "You said you''re a lot like The Godfather, so you canpletely put yourself in his shoes and think. If someone you''ve already killedes back, would you consider them as your opponent and enemy, staring them down?"


    "He can kill you once, he can kill you a second time, but that''s the problem."


    "You''ve already lost to him once, and you will lose to him a second and third time. Your repeated failures have proven that you''re not a threat to him, and that''s why he might spare you, isn''t it?"


    Silent Alberto stood like a statue, and Schiller saw shades of Loki in him. Both were jealous of their brothers, both feared their father, both loved and couldn''t have.


    To Schiller, it was a remarkably strange thing because they were from two different universes with no connection, yet their souls were surprisingly simr.


    For Schiller, experiencing such situations twice in a row was like facing a math problem in school. After solving it one way, he would then consider a second solution. It wasn''t bothersome at all, but rather quite enjoyable.

 Chapter 251: Campfire on a Snowy Night (End)

    Chapter 251: Campfire on a Snowy Night (End)


    When Alberto left, it was already dark outside. Schiller didn''t even have time to rest before the doorbell rang again.


    This time, it was Bruce who appeared at the door. He was wearing a turtleneck sweater and a trench coat, looking tall and upright. When Mrs. Miller passed by, he even smiled and nodded at her, making Mrs. Miller very happy.


    As Bruce sat across from Schiller at the table and saw his increasingly serious expression, Schiller said, "It''s been a while since youst visited the psychology clinic at Gotham University. Now you''ve made an appointment at Arkham Hospital for treatment. What''s wrong?"


    "It''s been a while since you visited the psychology clinic at Gotham University too, Professor."


    Schiller sighed and said, "You voluntarily made the appointment for psychological therapy. Don''t use a tone of trying to gain the upper hand in a business negotiation. Are you the doctor or am I the doctor?"


    "If you approach it with an attitude of wanting to win a negotiation, then I suggest you go home and talk to a wall."


    Bruce''s lips moved slightly, and then he said, "It''s actually Alfred..."


    "Your butler? What happened to him?"


    "Earlier, Vince stayed at my house for a few days, and Alfred was very happy. But after he left, I could clearly feel that Alfred was a bit down..."Schiller looked into Bruce''s eyes and said, "Isn''t that normal? When a friend leaves, anyone would feel a little unhappy, right?"


    "I think you''re thinking about this, so what you''re currently upset about is that you''ve realized Alfred has been in a state of loneliness all along, and you haven''t cared about him before..."


    "He has been with me since I was young. I know his interests. I once prepared opera tickets for him and thought about taking him on a trip or building a retirement home for him, but he didn''t want any of it..."


    "You think it''s because he liked Vince, and he''s unhappy because Vince left?"


    "Isn''t it?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I think he''s happy because you agreed to let Vince stay at your ce, or rather, he''s happy because you made friends at university."


    "But..."


    "Are you trying to say that you don''t need friends? Or, taking it a step further, you think you don''t need those unnecessary emotions? Then what do you feel for Alfred?"


    Bruce''s mouth moved again, but he didn''t say that word. It seemed he didn''t want to mention that word, but Schiller pretended he heard it and said, "Let''spare Alfred to your parents. I don''t think you would object to this analogy."


    "Usually, normal parents feel happy and relieved when their children bring ssmates and friends home and get along well with them. Most of this happinesses from seeing their children grow in interpersonal rtionships. But there is also a part of it that stems from their sentimental and rational judgment, which is happy for their children''s ability to give and receive emotions normally."


    "If their children have the ability to give and receive emotions normally, it means that the children can feel their parents'' love. When you can be sure that your love is being received by someone else, you feel extremely happy because this is amon emotional feedback mechanism."


    "On the other hand, if your child shows indifference to everyone around them, as if their heart is lifeless, parents will start to worry whether their child can feel their love or if it''s because they didn''t love them enough that their child''s ability to give and receive emotions is problematic..."


    "Alfred is the same. He is like your parents, cing all his emotions on you. When you show any negative changes, he


    reflects on himself, and when you show positive changes, this positive feedback also reflects on him, making him feel happy."


    "This is the most normal rtionship between parents and children in this world. Put yourself in someone else''s shoes, empathize."


    "Now you should understand some of the reasons behind Alfred''s emotional fluctuations, right?"


    Bruce nodded, indicating that he fully understood this theory, and then said, "So what do you think I should do now?"


    "That''s for you to decide. I think Alfred should know you well. He should know which is the real you, which of your emotions are genuine, and which are a facade."


    "Now, he feels happy for your friendship with Vince. So, can I infer in reverse that you did experience some positive emotions in this friendship?" Schiller said helplessly when Bruce remained silent. "You can''t expect me to read your mind, Bruce. If you don''t voice your answer, do you want me to guess?"


    "If by positive emotions you mean sleepless fatigue and the frustration of being dragged to listen to some clich¨¦ operas, then yes, there were some."


    "I recall that bats are mammals, not birds..." Schiller looked at Bruce, and Bruce looked back at him, unsure of what topic he was about to bring up. Then Schiller changed the subject indirectly and said, "Birds don''t have your stubbornness."


    "Sleepless fatigue? Why don''t you mention it when you''re out all night in a tight suit fighting criminals? Frustration from being dragged to listen to some clich¨¦ operas? If Vince had the ability to defeat you, he wouldn''t need to resort to a bomb to blow himself up in the pit of a church..."


    Bruce didn''t show any embarrassment from being exposed. He remained expressionless and said, "I came here to seek solutions. I can''t let Vince stay in my Manor indefinitely. Even if Falcone has no objections, Selina would be very angry..."


    "Before seeking a solution, it''s better for you to state your problem."


    "I''ve already stated my problem. I discovered that Alfred has been immersed in a state of loneliness, and I want to make a change."


    "I''ve already provided the answer to that problem. When you''re happy, your butler is happy. When you''re not happy, he''s not happy."


    Bruce fell silent again, realizing that he was trapped by Schiller. If this theory held true, the method to make Alfred happy was simple¡ªmake himself happy.


    In theory, this solution should be effective, but in practice, it was almost impossible to implement because Batman was seldom happy.


    Or rather, it wasn''t that he wasn''t happy, but his emotions didn''t fluctuate much.


    The atmosphere in the room became silent again. Schiller didn''t continue giving advice to Bruce because if they followed the normal process, he would have to delve into Batman''s inner self and explore why he wasn''t happy and how to make him happy.


    Considering that conducting research on this topic could potentially infringe on the intellectual property of the Joker, Schiller decided it was best not to delve into it.


    "Do you think it''s possible for his emotions not to rely entirely on me?" Bruce raised another possibility.


    Indeed, that is a direction to consider. ording to that theory, there is a psychological journey that all parents go through. If they genuinely believe that their child is already happy and can lead a fulfilling life even without them, understanding that the child''s greatest source of happiness no longeres from parental care, then they will proactively detach their emotions. They will either transfer them to others or focus on themselves.


    Schiller capped his pen and made a soft sound. He looked at Bruce and asked, "Do you have any ns to get married recently?"


    The sudden change in topic left Bruce stunned.


    "I''m not joking. If you have ns to get married recently, Alfred might be able to break free from this state. Or better yet, have a child with Selina. That would fundamentally resolve this situation."


    Bruce shook his head gently, and Schiller continued, "There''s another possibility. The parents'' unfulfilled obsession outweighs their love for their child. When they rekindle this obsession, their emotions detach from the child and focus on this obsession instead."


    "Obsession..." Bruce murmured with a furrowed brow. Schiller continued to ask, "Although it may be offensive, I still want to ask, does your butler still have any living rtives?"


    Bruce shook his head again, and Schiller asked, "Has he ever been married or had someone he was interested in?"


    Bruce paused for a moment and then shook his head again. Schiller asked, "Is it that he hasn''t, or that you don''t know?"


    "I know some things, but not in detail. That may be the problem. He knows me very well, but..."


    "Well, you investigate every person around you, even remember information about strangers you''ve only met once on the road, but youck a detailed understanding of your closest butler... Perhaps this is his special way of showing himself to you."


    "I will think of a solution," Bruce finally said.


    The firece in the room was fully aze. The fire burned brighter and brighter, but on the contrary, as the sky darkened, the temperature dropped. When the rain started to fall, it turned into tiny ice crystals and soon transformed into pale snowkes.


    It''s hard to imagine a city where it snows in autumn on the East Coast, but Gotham has been absurd for a long time, and this bit of strangeness doesn''t make much of a difference.


    Schiller sat behind his desk, reading a book, while people came and went in front of the desk.


    In the eyes of Copperpot, who was struggling with life choices, the desktop turned into ayer of ice where he stood. The small bird wobbled and toppled off the table, falling into the sea. In the deep blue ocean, it saw a faint cluster of mes.


    Harvey Dent, with his dual-sided face, walked in, and the room became his stage. Outside the window, there was lightning and thunder. When the lightning struck, a dazzling light split the entire room in half¡ªhalf ck and half white. When a cluster of mes ignited along this boundary, it was brighter than the sun.


    Before Dent''s figurepletely left, Batman entered. The snowy night of his mind was darker and colder than anyone else''s. The cluster of mes had be so faint that it was almost invisible, yet he stood there, as if even an illusory light could provide him with a hint of warmth, even if only psychologically.


    Three figures stood by the campfire. Soon, more people approached. Some faces were familiar, staying for a while before disappearing into the wind and snow. Some figures were ethereal, as if separated by a barrier of the universe.


    When the cold wind rose and the mes grew weaker, the figuresing and going threw pieces of firewood into the bonfire. The crackling sound of burning wood resounded once again. Suddenly, an urgent doorbell rang, and Schiller looked up. A green-haired figure stood outside the door, holding a bottle of alcohol in hand.


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 Chapter 252: I, the Clown (1)

    Chapter 252: I, the Clown (1)


    The golden liquid poured into the ss, with white foam floating at the edges. Illuminated by the light, the whiskey resembled a piece of gold wrapped in ice, shining brightly.


    Schiller spun the vinyl record and flipped the switch. A low blues music filled the room. Jack leaned on the table, intoxicated, and said, "So, I don''t like bars, especially that Golden Cup Bar. The bartender there loves jazz, those old clich¨¦d rotten music..."


    "Are you sure you like blues because it sounds like ''Bruce'' and Bruce''s name sounds somewhat simr?"


    "Don''t mention him to me..." Jack put down his ss, and Schiller sat back across from him. Jack rested his two fingers under his eye sockets and hoarsely said, "The tires produced by Wayne Industries are all rotten. I''ve spent almost 60 bucks this week just to fix a tire..."


    "They are unwilling to make adaptations to the terrain. Gotham''s roads have be so rotten, yet they still produce those unreliable lightweight tires. Bruce is an idiot, a huge idiot..."


    Jack tilted his head to one side and ran his hand through his messy hair. He faced a dilemma that every dyed-haired person faced: the green color still lingered on his head, but the newly grown part had turned ck. He couldn''t remove all the green or dye the roots back to green, so he looked somewhat disheveled and ridiculous.


    He seemed very dissatisfied with the state of his hair but had no other options, so he aggressively tugged at it.


    Jack took another sip of his drink, and Schiller moved his chair forward, pouring himself a ss of alcohol.


    Jack reached out his hand and clinked sses with him, sounding a bit deste. "The whole world has be terribly boring recently. What is Batman up to? Oh... he''s flying around with his beloved one!"He lowered his head sharply, his green hair blocking his eyes deeply set in their sockets. The corners of Jack''s mouth drooped, and anyone could tell he was imitating Batman.


    "Oh! My deardy! I''ve brought you the most beautiful gem in the world. Do you love me? Yes! I love you! Mwah, mwah, mwah..." He puckered his lips, imitating a kissing sound, but it was clear that he had never kissed anyone, making it appear very clumsy.


    Suddenly, he mmed the ss on the table and forcefully lifted his head, throwing his hair back to reveal his forehead and eyes. In a sharp voice, he said, "What does he want to do? Does he still want to marry her?? Even have a child?? He''s gone mad!!"


    Then he froze in that position, staring nkly, and slowly returned his head to its original position. He took a sip of his drink and sadly said, "But he doesn''t even want to invite me to the wedding..."


    "Why doesn''t he understand that I love him more than anyone else in this world, without expecting anything in return? I just want to see him smile."


    "Perhaps he does understand."


    "Then tell me, why doesn''t he want to smile?"


    "If he smiles, would you still exist?"


    Jack lowered his head, then raised his eyes to look at Schiller. There was anticipation and excitement in his eyes as he said, "Are you saying that he doesn''t smile because he doesn''t want me to disappear? He loves me too, right?"


    He began to tremble all over, and the golden liquid in the cup foamed even more. A sharp, mockingughter emerged from his chest, sounding like metal scraping against ss.


    "I always say that you two are so simr, but if he really became like you, would you be happy?"


    "He bes me?... No, he can''t, he mustn''t be like that. It would be the most boring world, even more boring than a non-smiling Batman. Oh my God! I can''t imagine it! It''s absolutely disgusting!" Jack covered his throat and started to retch.


    "A grinning Batman? Oh God, how can such a monster exist in this world? If that ever happens, you must shoot me, please, Professor!"


    Jack''s arm trembled uncontrobly. He pointed to the bottle beside him with trembling fingertips, and Schiller poured him a little more alcohol. Jack picked up the cup and drank it fiercely, as if trying to drown his fears.


    He forcefully turned the corners of his mouth downward, his eyes drooped, forming a crying face.


    "If Batmanughs louder than me..."


    As he spoke, he slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. His expression transformed from the familiar coldness and seriousness of Batman into madness and mockery. His mouth curved more and more, widening until his iconic crazed smile appeared. He said, "Like this..."


    "Then I''ll kill him! Kill them all and let this world perish! Bastards, go to hell!" Jack fiercely tore at the hem of his clothes as if tearing a piece of paper. He became agitated and trembled uncontrobly while sitting there.


    Suddenly, his body stiffened like a startled owl, maintaining that posture. He turned his head with a stiff neck and stared nkly at the doorway. He said, "You''re here? Do you really think such a day wille? W-w-w, I''m scared..."


    Standing at the door was another Joker. He was tall and handsome, with a face smeared with various paints. He had a pair of beautiful blue eyes, which were now fixed on Jack as he said, "No, you don''t have to be afraid. You know it better than anyone else..."


    "Every night, you park your car and walk back to your home. It''s filled with railings, and you grab them every day and shout, ''Batman, let me out!''"


    "You know where that is. It''s Batman''s mind. You were born from there."


    "He locked you inside his own mind and refused to open the doors of the prison. So you said, let''s try a different approach, let''s find another way to make him open the door..."


    "So you came here, wanting to send the key from the outside."


    "But you didn''t seed. However, that was just the first attempt. There will be many more opportunities in the future. If you don''t want to be locked away forever, keep trying."


    "How do you know?" Jack asked the Joker.


    "How do I know? Of course, I know..."


    As he spoke, Jack''s mouth hung open in astonishment, and then he began to tremble in fear. The Joker approached closer, casting his shadow on Jack as the light illuminated him. Jack curled up his body.


    He looked up and saw Bruce Wayne, with Joker makeup, grinning at him, tears filling his eyes.


    Jack forcefully extended his arm and swung it wildly, as if trying to shatter the terrifying figure.


    A gunshot rang out, and Joker-Bruce fell to the ground. Jack stood there in a daze. Standing over the fallen Joker-Bruce was another Joker holding a gun, with cigarette smoke slowly rising from the barrel.


    "He''s lying to you, Jack. He''s making up stories. Can''t you see it?"


    Jack, dazed and confused, looked at the fallen Joker-Bruce and asked in a bewildered voice, "If he lied to me, then what is the truth?"


    He said with great disappointment, "If I didn''t escape from Batman''s cage, then where did Ie from?"


    "Perhaps you shoulde from someone more like you..."


    The person put down the gun in his hand, and Jack looked at him. He was also a clown, but he wore a long ck coat and held an umbre.


    "Who are you?" Jack asked him.


    "I am you, Jack. Haven''t you seen me before? Or rather..."


    "...Aren''t you facing me right now?"


    Jack stiffly turned back, let out a piercing scream, and threw the ss away.


    "Don''te closer! Don''te closer! You monster, I hate you! Get out of here!"


    "Don''t be like this, Jack..."


    The voice sounded deep and gentle, as if trying to calm him down. He said, "Have you forgotten? You lived there for a long time, in a spacious and beautiful house with over 330 floors..."


    "The building was connected in the middle by a magnificent rotating staircase. You lived on the 190th floor, in a room with a soft double bed covered with a dark green nket, and there was even a bat pillow that you loved..."


    Jack seemed captivated by his description. He followed the figure as they walked outside the door. The light bulb at the entrance lit up and grew brighter, and the lights floated and transformed into a magnificent chandelier.


    Jack stepped out of the door, his eyes stinging from the dazzling light. He found himself in a splendid corridor, with ck floors and walls that seemed to flow, interspersed with golden threads that shimmered like rays of light.


    Going out from the corridor, there was a deep well and a spiral staircase at the edge of the well.


    The well was bottomless, and when he stood by the railing and looked down, he could only see a faint golden light emanating from the bottom. Besides the spiral staircase spiraling downward, there were entrances to one corridor after another at the edge of the well.


    The sound of their footsteps echoed on the quiet staircase, sounding somewhat abrupt.


    They walked for a long time and then entered a corridor. There was only one room on the long corridor. They pushed the door open and entered. A man with gray eyes sat in the midst of a pile of documents. When he saw someoneing, he said, "Why is it you... and you brought a guest?... Need to use the elevator? Alright, 190th floor, go ahead."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the floor beneath their feet disappeared, and their consciousness began to freefall. The two of them quickly plummeted and fell to the ground. After Jack looked around, he realized that this ce was different from the grand and mysterious corridor they had just arrived from; instead, it resembled an ordinary hotel floor. The floor was covered in deep red, the ceiling was somewhat low, and the air was humid.


    After twisting and turning, they finally arrived at the door with a smiling face, and the man with gray eyes looked at Jack. The calm and gentleness inside fascinated him.


    "See, isn''t this ce great? Open the door, let''s go home..."


    Jack mechanically raised his arm, but suddenly his movement stopped, and he revealed a wicked smile.


    A knocking sound came from the end of the corridor, and the blue-eyed Joker, Bruce, appeared again.


    The Joker with gray eyes shivered, facing the blue-eyed Joker in the corridor. The Joker with gray eyes said, "Bruce, go back! This isn''t where you''re supposed to be!"


    "You are seducing him, Professor. You want to deceive him and lure him in, but I won''t allow it..."


    "What right do you have to say that, Bruce? You


    want to eliminate all the criminals in this world, including this poor Joker. All he wants is to make you smile, he hasn''t done anything wrong, but you want to cruelly kill him..."


    Swoosh, swoosh, followed by a bang. Jack hid in the corner and saw the Joker with gray eyes take out an umbre and block two bat-shaped throwing darts.


    The entire space began to copse, golden fragments turned into a shower of light raining down on the ground, and then the wall bricks of the dark alley began to fly, constructing another scene.


    Jack saw that the puddle on the ground was like a mercury mirror, reminding him of the autumn leaves that were not taken away the previous year.


    The blue-eyed Joker suddenly roared and turned into a ck mist, with teeth and ws, incredibly ferocious. The gray-eyed Joker turned into a gray mist.


    The two misty figures tore and bit each other, emitting silent roars, entangled and fought in the sky of hell, while Jack stood below, looking up, and started tough silently, until the cold rain soaked him through.


    "Oh, damn it!" Jack hurriedly stood up from the chair, patting off the spilled drink on his pants. He said, "I''ve been driving for too long recently, my arm is killing me."


    "It''s okay, go to the cupboard and get a cup, I''ll pour you another one."


    Schiller picked up the bottle of liquor and said, as Jack turned around, the gray eyes of Schiller reflected a golden gleam in the light.


    [Read /shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]

 Chapter 253: I, The Clown (3)

    Chapter 253: I, The Clown (3)


    "How do you feel?" Schiller asked, standing by the table.


    "What do you mean?" Schiller took a sip of his drink, ced the ss on the table, and made a crisp sound. He looked up at the other Schiller next to the table and said, "That guy wanted to escape again but got yed, right?"


    "It''s quite funny..." Schiller took a few steps back and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. He said, "But what I''m more curious about is why he keeps climbing up, just to go out and y?"


    The seated Schiller didn''t move, but stood up instead.


    The light focused on the ss, and a bubble emerged from the bottom of the transparent ss, floating upward. Just as it reached the surface, it froze and turned into a solid pearl.


    As he took a step forward, the frozen Joker maintained his posture. Together with the chair, they moved backward, the table slid to the left, and the cab slid to the right. The whole room seemed to be rewinding the construction process, with everything being removed, leaving behind a vast empty space.


    Then, a light bulb above Schiller lit up, and the ck floor extended from under his feet. In a trance, he looked down at the railing of the deep well, where the other Schiller, who had been standing next to him, had already reached the lower floors.


    "Do you know where I''m going?" Schiller asked.


    "Aren''t you nning to take the elevator to the 300th floor first?""You guessed it right. You know me quite well."


    "Thanks, we are the same person after all."


    Schiller quickened his pace, walked down and stood shoulder to shoulder with the other himself. They held onto the handrail and descended the spiral staircase together. The other Schiller spoke while walking, "Seriously, when can we switch ces? I also want to spend a few days in the DC universe."


    "Do you think this is a vacation? Never mind other things, are you sure your mental stability can handle all these patients here?"


    "Are you treating this like dealing with Peter Parker over in the Marvel universe? It''s the first time I''ve seen someonein about their job being too easy."


    Schiller shrugged and said, "Don''t say that. There are plenty of headaches over there too. And don''t forget, the whole Asgardian family affair is far from over."


    After walking down for a long time, Schiller turned right, and there was only one corridor in front of him. The corridor had only one room, and after Schiller walked over and knocked on the door, his own voice came from inside, "Come in."


    The two Schillers entered one after another and saw the other self buried in a pile of documents. The Schiller inside put the stack of documents aside when he saw someoneing and said to the two of them, "Why are you both here together? Don''t tell me there''s something else to handle."


    "No, nothing. We just wanted to borrow the elevator for a bit."


    Schiller rubbed his forehead helplessly and said, "What''s been happening recently? Why does everyone like taking the elevator? It''s suffocating to see you twoe in."


    "Who made you the ''self''? You''re simultaneously the steward and gatekeeper of the Chamber of Thought..."


    "And the elevator administrator," Schiller said irritably. Then he waved his hand, and the two of them appeared in a somewhat cramped room. A little boy was holding a lump of gray slime, kneading it back and forth.


    One of the Schillers walked up, crouched down, and rubbed the boy''s head, asking, "Do you know where the one with green hair


    went?"


    The boy shook his head silently, but the gray slime in his arms made a "gurgling" sound. Schiller took the soft blob of slime and touched what seemed to be its head, asking, "Gray Mist, did you see anything?"


    The gray slime made two "chirping" sounds. Schiller held it in his hands and moved it away a little, looking somewhat puzzled as he said, "What''s wrong? After spending so much time with the ''Id'', you can''t even speak anymore?"


    The gray slime paused for a moment and said, "Oh, I can speak... He seemed to have gone to the lower level, with another person with green hair."


    Schiller put Gray Mist back into the boy''s arms, then patted his head, stood up, and said to the other himself, "Looks like he''s determined to escape, but unfortunately, he didn''t seed."


    "Take the elevator or use the staircase?"


    "Definitely the staircase. The busy man is already driving us crazy."


    Just as they walked out and returned to the rotating Staircase, a figure in a long coat with an umbre approached them. He looked up and saw two versions of himself walking down. He said, "How did you guyse over? Did youe together?"


    "That''s for you to answer. How did you bring that guy in? He almost made it into the room?"


    The Schiller with green hair sighed and said, "If he had made it in, I could have gone out and had some fun. Unfortunately, it didn''t work. He created a Bruce Joker, using my memories and had a fight with me, and then escaped..."


    One Schiller looked at the other and asked, "Does he always try to escape like this?"


    "Yes, don''t you know? Oh right, you were born after me, so you wouldn''t know."


    "When I first came into this world, the ''superego'' created me. But on my first night out, I turned into that guy..."


    "And then he had to create another one, which is the current me. But this guy doesn''t want to stay in the house, he keeps trying to escape every few days..."


    "There have been several times when he deliberately caught the attention of that guy named Bruce, until I regained control, and then things got a bit better."


    "I don''t really understand you DC people," the other Schiller shook his head.


    "Are you done talking? Don''t block me, I still need to go up," the Schiller with green hair said.


    "What are you going to do? The person you wanted to deceive is already gone. You don''t really want to chase after him, do you?"


    The Schiller with green hair became a little impatient and said, "Do you think you can handle that madman out there all by yourself? ''Superego'' wants me to go up andmunicate with him..."


    The two Schillers standing on the upper steps looked at each other, and one of them asked the other, "You can''t deceive people here, right?"


    "In theory, that''s true, but this guy is crazy, and I have no idea what''s wrong with him."


    At that moment, a voice came from the rotating Staircase, "I let him go. Stop chattering, the wine is almost finished."


    "The wine is almost finished." Schiller shook the bottle, poured thest drop of wine into his cup, and Jack on the other side clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, saying, "I bought that wine, and thest bit should be saved for me."


    "Oh, spare me. It''s because of that disgusting thing you created that messed up the floor where I was staying, with a Bruce Wayne in Joker makeup... It''s truly disgusting," Schiller said with disgust.


    Jack grumbled, "Didn''t you create such a concept in order to evoke my fear? You wanted to deceive me into entering your Chamber of Thought and then take your ce in prison, hm..."


    "And besides..." Jack pouted, with a disdainful expression, saying, "You can''t even control his Chamber of Thought."


    The Schiller across from him showed a wry smile and said, "Why don''t you try it then? You want to give it a shot?"


    Jack''s expression stiffened for a moment and he said, "No, I just went in for a visit..."


    After saying that, he looked at his wine ss andughed, "I built over 330 floors of high-rise buildings in my Chamber of Thought, and each floor is divided into different star ratings, ratings, membership levels, and grading permissions. I even set thousands of traps on each step of every floor..."


    "He ims he''s an ordinary person. Hahaha, that''s the funniest joke I''ve heard recently..."


    Schiller sighed and said, "Can you imagine how I climbed up to over 190 floors? If it weren''t for the Elevator Administrator giving me a back door, I would still be struggling to climb the Staircase..."


    "Let''s not talk about that. Do you know where the other me is?" Jack asked him.


    "How would I know? I thought it was Evans, but Batman didn''t choose him, so it seems he''s not the one. The remaining one can''t possibly be inside Batman, right?"


    Jack''s expression suddenly darkened, and he said, "It''s better not be. Otherwise, I''ll tie the bat here, open up his mind, and drag that damn guy out..."


    "I haven''t looked into the one who fell into the chemical pool and the one from the circus, but it''s probably between these two situations. If you find him, what are you nning to do? Kill him?"


    Jack stared into Schiller''s eyes and said, "If it weren''t for your troublesome situation, I would have killed you a long time ago."


    "No need for that." Schiller concluded, "If you don''t kill me, I can''t do anything either. I still have over 100 floors to climb and over 200,000 steps to take. By the time I reach the level of conscious awareness, Batman might already be dead."


    "But I might not be the most miserable one..." Schiller said with a bit of schadenfreude, "What do you think would happen if some poor soul was born from Batman?"


    The corners of Jack''s mouth slowly drooped, but Schillerughed and said, "Why so serious?"


    "There''s another you, merging with the one you love the most. Why don''t you feel happy? After all, it''s still you."


    Jack said unhappily, "Merge with the bat? Don''t make meugh. The ones who dress up as bats are the freaks!"


    "Alright, I''m going back to climb the Staircase. Good luck to you. Seriously, my house is really big. Aren''t you nning to stay for a while?"


    Jack rolled his eyes, finished thest sip of his drink, and said nothing.


    Schiller leaned back in his chair, turned to the other Schiller who was standing beside him with his arms crossed, and waved his hand, saying, "I think I can work a little longer. What do you think?"


    "Superego told you to go back, or else you''ll be kicked back down a level."


    "Alright, it''s troublesome. See youter."


    Schiller pushed the chair forward a bit, looked at thepletely empty bottle of wine, and said to Jack, "Thank you for the drink, but I have to say, this low-quality wine you bought is really hard to drink."


    Jack covered half of his face with one hand, and the other half revealed a slightly crazy smile, saying, "What did you put in the wine?"


    "What?"


    "Don''t y dumb... I feel like every neuron in my brain is boiling. Don''t you feel the same?"


    Schiller paused for a moment, then said, "Well, it''s not some poison, on the contrary, it''s also wine..."


    Schiller took out a small bottle and ced it in the center of the table. Both Jack and


    Schiller''s eyes focused on the small bottle, and then Schiller reached out, pushed the bottle towards Jack, and said, "...and it''s the best-tasting wine in the world."


    [Read /shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]

 Chapter 254: I, the Clown (3)

    Chapter 254: I, the Clown (3)


    "Dr. Rodriguez, please, your friend has called the office over 60 times this week, and he''s driving the receptionist crazy..."


    "Mrs. Miller, please, my friend hase for treatment 10 times this week, and he''s driving me crazy too," Schiller said, holding his forehead and speaking to Mrs. Miller.


    Mrs. Miller sighed and said, "Can''t you just refuse him?"


    "I want to refuse, but he''s a mental patient."


    "So what?" Mrs. Miller stared at Schiller, and he was taken aback by her attitude. Then he said, "...Isn''t this a mental hospital?"


    Mrs. Miller was also taken aback and lowered her head, saying, "Oh, right, this is a mental hospital. Can''t he be admitted?"


    "Oh my, he''s already frustrated with themute back and forth. If he were to be admitted..."


    "He was admitted before, right? I remember seeing him in the inpatient department."


    "This time it''s different. He was just a madman before, but now he''s a drunk madman."Schiller sighed again. He made a gesture to Mrs. Miller to wait a moment, then walked to the table, picked up the phone, and asked Brand, "Didn''t you sayst week that a new attending doctor wasing? Where is he?"


    "What? He only submitted his resume... and it didn''t pass? Why didn''t it pass?... Alright, I''ll call him and ask."


    Schiller hung up the phone, then continued to dial and picked up the receiver. He said to the other end of the line, "Hello? Bruce, did someone apply for the position of attending physician at Arkham Mental Hospitalst week? Did the resumee to you?"


    Bruce on the other end of the line fell silent for a moment and then said, "The Wayne Family does have shares in Arkham Mental Hospital. After receiving the job application, I rejected it directly..."


    "Why did you reject it?"


    Bruce fell silent again, a little puzzled by Schiller''s attitude. There was only one position for the attending physician, so someone applying for the job meant they were trying to snatch it from him, right?


    "...Alright, Bruce, I know you mean well, but there''s really no need for it. I was originally a university professor, and I''m only serving as the attending physician here because Brand is too busy. I would wee a new doctor toe..."


    "Really?" Bruce was skeptical, as Schiller had seemed to enjoy it before.


    Schiller confidently held the receiver and said, "If you think I have any passion for this job, then you''re mistaken. At least for now, I just want to leave this ce..."


    "Alright, then I..."


    Before Bruce could finish his sentence, Schiller hung up the phone because he heard a series of maniacalughter.


    Seeing Jack clumsily flipping over the balcony and entering, Schiller pushed Mrs. Miller out, closed the door, drew the curtains around, and finally walked to the balcony. When Jack saw him approaching, he waved and said, "Good morning, my friend!"


    At this moment, with one leg inside and the other leg still on the balcony, Schiller held his arms and said, "Do you know what I want to do?"


    "What? Punch me? Hey, wait, you can''t do that. Haven''t we been having a great timetely? My friend! Where did we leave off yesterday... Oh, Baroque art style. You shouldn''t be busy this afternoon, right? The noodles in my stomach areing up, what did you have for lunch today? The patterns in naturalistic decor remind me of bats... Bats! Bats?..."


    Schiller took a


    deep breath and silently repeated in his mind, "I am a doctor, I am a doctor, a doctor must not resort to violence against patients..."


    To understand how this situation came about, we need to go back to that night when Schiller and the Joker got drunk and high.


    Whether it''s Schiller or the Joker, alcohol doesn''t have much effect on their brains. No matter how strong the alcohol is or how much they drink, it doesn''t cause any major issues. However, that''s just regr alcohol.


    Schiller had noticed a problem before. The fear gas concentrate he had and the highly pure brain-active medicine extracted from fear toxin, the lizard serum treatment syringe, and the purified version of the eternal life factor were all in liquid form. This gave him a very bold idea, and with the help of Connor, he turned it into reality.


    He had Connor mix these liquids together.


    Schiller called it the "Crazy Liquor."


    Itbined all the effects of these medicines and incorporated their strengths and weaknesses. It transformed the fear brought by the fear gas concentrate into excitement and madness. This excitement and madness had reached a point where it could physically alter the brain, but at the same time, the lizard serum allowed the brain to continuously repair itself.


    For ordinary people, taking this medicine is the most terrifying torture in the world because even though they don''t suffer any physical harm, their brain, which controls all their senses, simtes everything. However, for some people, it is a delicious and highly potent liquor.


    Schiller had always wanted to drink it, but he was afraid of getting drunk. So he had to find a drinking buddy, which was Jack. That night, the two of them finished a whole bottle.


    As it turned out, Schiller had a better tolerance for alcohol, or rather, the mist had a better tolerance since it had been a heavy drinker for a long time.


    Although Schiller got high when he drank, he was fine after sleeping for a night. Jack also got high when he drank, but one night of sleep couldn''t fix him. After all, he didn''t have a symbiote to share the madness and excitement, so now he was a bit too excited.


    Normally, an excited and crazy Joker would go after Batman, but unfortunately, Batman was busy investing in Catwoman''s movie and they both went on a trip, not in Gotham.


    So Schiller ended up reaping what he sowed.


    Jack wasn''t interested in anyone other than Batman, but there were different levels of disinterest. Obviously, he felt that he and Schiller had a lot inmon, so he would drag him into lengthy discussions every day. He had appointments more than 10 times a week, not only seeing him every day but also in the morning and afternoon. He was always around.


    Schiller had to admit that Jack was a good drinking buddy and even a good conversationalist. Although he didn''t know where Jack got his vast knowledge and profound insights, if they only talked about those things, Schiller was somewhat interested too. After all, it was a way to pass the time during work.


    The only problem was that Jack could rte every topic back to Batman.


    He was like someone with an incredibly broad knowledge base, unparalleled depth of knowledge, and an overwhelming interest in... sex.


    Schiller had zero interest in Batman, so he was really getting annoyed by the Joker.


    But Jack neither liked nor disliked anyone other than Batman. Simply put, he ignored them. So even though he kepting in and out of the mental hospital, he didn''t cause much damage to the environment, and Schiller didn''t have a valid reason to kick him out.


    Since he couldn''t kick him out, he decided to exile himself.


    Schiller took the resume from Brand and said, "How about your future colleague? Will they apply to work at Gotham''s mental hospital? Their work experience must be impressive."


    "Regardless of how astonishing it is, can it be as astonishing as you?" Brand retorted, then hesitated as he stroked his chin and said, "His resume is not bad, but..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I heard some unfavorable rumors about him from my previous colleagues..."


    "Unfavorable rumors? What are they?"


    "The reason he came to Gotham is because of his previous involvement in unauthorized human experiments at the school where he used to teach," Brand hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to tell Schiller, but continued, "He seems to have been conducting hical experiments."


    "Human experiments? Interesting..."


    Schiller looked down at the resume in his hand and, unsurprisingly, saw the name written on it - "Hugo Strange."


    Hugo Strange''s resume was indeed decent, but not as astonishing as Schiller''s. His education and work experience were average at best, not evenparable to the Strange from another world, and certainly not considered world-ss.


    Of course, it could be because the current timeline was too early, and Hugo hadn''t had a chance to shine in his area of expertise.


    While Schiller was looking at Hugo''s resume, Hugo was also looking at Schiller''s.


    On the train to Gotham, he read the Gotham Daily and came across an old case that happened in Metropolis. Hugo didn''t recognize most of the characters involved, but one figure seemed somewhat familiar - Schiller Rodriguez.


    It was impossible for Hugo to have never heard of Schiller''s name because there were only a few top psychologists in the world, and as a professional, Hugo knew about him.


    His decision toe to Gotham was partly because he had attracted an enemy after his unauthorized experiments were discovered, so he came to Gotham to avoid trouble. On the other hand, he also wanted to meet Schiller.


    Throughout history, it was not umon for professionals in the same field to repel each other and look down on each other, especially since Hugo considered himself a genius in psychology and psychiatry, with his own unique theories in these two disciplines. However, due to limited opportunities in the past, he had not been able to perfect his theories, and just as he was about to do so, his experiments were discovered.


    The city and university he was previously affiliated with could not tolerate his actions, but he knew there might be a ce that could - Gotham.


    There was an experimental environment suitable for him here, and there were people who interested him. So Hugo naturally submitted his job application.


    Originally, he thought his chances were slim, as it would be unlikely for him to disce Schiller from his position with his current resume. However, to his surprise, shortly after submitting his resume, Arkham Mental Hospital called him and warmly invited him to join.


    And so, in the office of Dr. Schiller at Arkham Mental Hospital, Hugo received a warm wee from Schiller.


    Schiller shook Hugo''s hand firmly and said, "Thank goodness you''re finally here."


    "Uh..." Hugo was taken aback, not understanding Schiller''s meaning. After all, they didn''t know each other, and given their positions, Schiller had no reason to be so enthusiastic towards him.


    During their conversation, Schiller was frank about it, saying, "There are too many difficult patients here. Throughout my career, I never thought there would be patients I couldn''t cure, but that''s the reality..."


    "Mr. Strange, I understand that you may be frustrated with your mediocre resume, but it''s okay. There are quite a few rare cases here, and some of them are ones even I have no idea how to handle."


    Since Schiller behaved too much like an unscrupulous mediocre doctor trying to pass the buck, it made Hugo''s impression of him decline. He said indifferently, "Yes, Dr. Rodriguez, actually I have always been troubled by theck of good experimental subjects. I am very interested in challenging cases. If that''s the case, then it couldn''t be better..."


    Schiller sensed the arrogance in Hugo''s tone, and he could also tell that Hugo seemed to consider him as one of those self-promoting schrs who didn''t live up to their reputation. However, he still smiled and shook Hugo''s hand, saying, "Then you must be the most suitable doctor for this position... Well, that''s it for now. I''ll take my leave."


    Watching Schiller quickly leave with his belongings, Hugo looked at his back with some confusion.


    What exactly could make this world-renowned master of psychology run faster than being chased by a dog?


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 Chapter 255: Hugos Adventures in Wonderland (1)

    Chapter 255: Hugos Adventures in Wondend (1)


    "I believe that studying the concept of a ''Memory Pce'' is meaningless since it cannot be proven or disproven," Hugo put down the book in his hand and looked at Brand across from him, then continued, "Dr. Brand, do you share the same view?"


    "If you''re referring to the paper Schiller published earlier, then I can only say, sorry, my research focuses on pathology. The aspects rted to psychological theories should be discussed with Schiller himself."


    However, it seemed that Hugo didn''t perceive Brand''s refusal to discuss the topic. He continued to talk to himself, "The Memory Pce technique, if I may consider it a mnemonic device, is a variation of the method of loci. It involves mentally constructing a building with categorized memories stored inside..."


    "Human memory can certainly be categorized, organized, and ssified, but to suggest constructing a specific building in one''s mind to store and retrieve memories like browsing a library is an exaggeration. It is more of an imagination of great intellect."


    "The human brain is not a mechanical storage device. ''Forgetting'' is a crucial part of the brain''s self-protection mechanism."


    "If one were to truly build a library in their mind, it would mean they have disabled the function of forgetting. If that were the case, the information capacity and real-time processing power in their brain would exceed the limits of what their physical body can bear."


    "Furthermore, no one can prove the existence of such a construct because even if you opened their skull and examined the brain, you wouldn''t be able to see whether such a building exists in their conscious space."


    While Brand was jotting down patient notes, he replied, "But you also can''t disprove it because you cannot deny that there are individuals who im to possess such abilities and have better memory than others."


    "I''ve said it before, I acknowledge it as a mnemonic technique that might indeed help organize scattered memories and categorize them effectively, but it is nowhere near as extravagant as some papers boast, iming to build a vast structure to store countless information for convenient retrieval...""What''s even more absurd is that some papers mention the presence of living beings or personified representations of personalities within the Memory Pce, suggestingmunication between them. It ispletely baseless."


    Hugo spoke calmly and logically, pushing his sses up and looking at the book in his hand. "However, it seems our Professor Rodriguez greatly admires it."


    "But it''s true, people are always fascinated by concepts that resemble fantasy novels. If you exaggerate them a bit and describe them in an entertaining manner, your book will surely sell well."


    "Forgive my frankness, but in the realm of academia, this theory does not hold up. Perhaps there are extremely rare geniuses who can achieve something simr, but their proportion within the human poption is negligible from a probabilistic perspective. Hence, itcks any research value."


    Hugo ced the book down once again, causing it to collide with the table and emit a dull sound. He continued, "Perhaps our Professor Schiller is one of those incredibly rare geniuses. I wonder if he will find his counterpart in his lifetime and substantiate his extraordinary theory with evidence to maintain his current academic standing..."


    Brand detected the mockery in Hugo''s tone but chose not to refute. He silently bowed his head and continued writing patient notes.


    Not being affirmed or even responded to did not discourage Hugo from indulging in conversation. After all, his social rtions were poor in his previous position, and hardly anyone was willing to talk to him, let alone professionals in this field.


    So he didn''t mind that Brand merely yed the role of a silent listener. He went on, "Compared to these unrealistic theories, I find ''emotions'' that are more externalized and easily observable to have more research value."


    "In fact, the current topic I''m working on is the Amplification Theory of Emotions. I''ve always believed that human emotions have a strong spectral characteristic, and once they are systematized and amplified through certain means, remarkable things can be achieved..."


    "And there''s telepathy, which is also based on this theory. When strong emotions are generated, they produce a certain brainwave. Perhaps when these brainwaves interact with each other, true mind reading can be achieved."


    "Perhaps it goes even further, allowing one to enter another person''s mind and manipte their thoughts..."


    Hugo''s tone became increasingly excited, revealing his confidence in this theory.


    This was not just his imagination. The difference between Hugo and other psychologists was that he not only had expertise in psychology but also was a proficient physicist and biologist.


    His support for this theory went beyond writing papers or conducting theoretical research. He had practical skills in biological dissection and mechanical design.


    Driven by the urgency to prove his theory, Hugo had conducted many hical and cruel experiments, the details of which need not be mentioned, but they did yield some results.


    However, just as he was at a crucial stage in his research, his hical experiments were discovered, leading to his dismissal from his previous institution, and he ended up here.


    Being in Gotham further fueled Hugo''s research motivation. It was awless ce, and more importantly, Schiller Rodriguez, who was more authoritative, higher in status, and more famous in academia, was also here.


    Hugo and Schiller''s research directions were not exactly opposite but rather unrted, and in some aspects even conflicting.


    In recent years, Schiller''s most outstanding publication was his research on the Memory Pce. In this paper, he borated on the concept and extended it into various branches, almost making it his own specialized field.


    No one had ever before perfected this theory soprehensively and logically. In recent years, many in the industry believed it would be the future direction of psychology. However, Hugo disregarded it.


    Schiller''s research focused on how humans can delve deeper into their own consciousness and thoughts, and how to control their own minds. On the other hand, Hugo''s research was about connecting and manipting one person''s mind with another person''s.


    Hugo firmly believed that his theory was the future direction of human development. More importantly, if he truly mastered this technique and could freely manipte others'' minds, there would be nothing in this world that he couldn''t achieve.


    Driven by his ambition and various reasons, Hugo''s research enthusiasm was running high. However, he faced his first challenge: he needed subjects for his experiments.


    Since he had be a doctor at Arkham Asylum, what could be better experimental subjects than the patients?


    When Schiller left, there was no formal handover with Hugo. There wasn''t much to hand over here because the asylum barely had any actual patients.


    Aware that the patients in the asylum were either gang leaders, their family members, or lovers, Hugo didn''t act rashly. He knew that using this group of people as subjects could lead to the same predicament as before¡ªbeing discovered and hunted down.


    Hugo believed it was better to be cautious until he perfected his technique.


    However, he did inherit Copperpot''s medical records, treatment reports, and schedule from Schiller. Among these materials, Hugo discovered that although the mental hospital had few actual patients, there were a few with unique conditions in Schiller''s treatment records.


    The first case Hugo came across was about Copperpot, which happened to be the one he was most interested in.


    Teenagers had less mature minds and weaker psychological defenses, making them ideal targets. Moreover, from Copperpot''s medical records, it was clear that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which meant he already had a mental disorder. Even if Hugo''s experiments had adverse effects, he could attribute them to Copperpot''s preexisting condition.


    In this way, Hugo scheduled a follow-up appointment with Copperpot over the phone. Copperpot was unaware of Schiller''s departure and thought it was just a colleague of Dr. Schiller calling.


    He didn''t think much of it, assuming Dr. Schiller was too busy and had asked a friend to fill in.


    Lately, his condition had improved significantly, so he didn''t attach much importance to routine check-ups. That''s what Copperpot thought until he saw Hugo wheeling a strange machine out of the preparation room.


    It was an egg-shaped device with a row of circr indicator lights on its surface.


    "What is this?" Copperpot asked.


    "This is a new type of therapy device," Hugo told Copperpot. "It''s normal that you haven''t seen it before because it''s the most advanced mental therapy equipment in the world, not just in Gotham, but throughout the entire East Coast."


    Copperpot narrowed his eyes, but Hugo didn''t pay attention to his suspicion. Instead, he said to Copperpot, "Don''t worry about it. You don''t need to touch it with your body, and I won''t do anything to you with it. I''m just cing it here beside you, so you don''t need to feel nervous..."


    "Alright, next, we''ll start with a simple hypnosis test..."


    Copperpot furrowed his brow even tighter and said, "Dr. Schiller never did any hypnosis tests on me..."


    "I looked at your medical records," Hugo took a medical file from the side and said, "I have absolutely no intention of discrediting Professor Rodriguez. It''s just that I can see hecks experience in teenage psychology research, while I happen to have some expertise in this area."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll keep my distance from you, and this machine will nevere near you. You just need to sit in the chair and imagine based on my words. I promise it will be quick, less than 10 minutes."


    After speaking, Hugo pressed a button on the peculiar-shaped machine, and when the indicator lights on it started shing, Copperpot slowly closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Hugo walked over to the machine and pulled out several cables connected to adhesive patches from behind, then proceeded to stick them on his own head one by one.


    As the machine hummed louder, Copperpot''s brow furrowed even more, and an invisible force filled the room. The brainwaves of Copperpot and Hugo were amplified and gradually merged together.


    Consciousness fell from darkness, and amidst flickering white light, Hugo found himself in Copperpot''s mind.


    He wasn''t particrly surprised because he had been able to do this before. Now, his research had taken another step forward.


    Before Hugo could make any further movements, he uttered a confused sound, "Huh?"


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 Chapter 256: Hugos Adventures in Wonderland (2)

    Chapter 256: Hugos Adventures in Wondend (2)


    Based on Hugo''s previous experiences of entering ordinary people''s minds, generally speaking, the conscious space of humans appears as a void darkness, surrounded by many strange things that reflect their recent thoughts.


    The surface level of the conscious space is rtively empty, mostly consisting of fragments of daily life. If we were to depict it with a specific scene, it would be like a square filled with floating fragments and peculiar objects, while beneath the square''s floor lies the deep consciousness of the individual.


    In general, the structure of human consciousness is notplex. Apart from these twoyers, there might be floating small rooms, each with its own unique properties. Some people have many such rooms, while others have none. At least among the countless patients Hugo has encountered, this is often the case.


    However, today, the conscious space is different because as soon as Hugonded, he saw a restaurant standing in the square.


    It was a restaurant with a distinct Gotham style, featuring tall and narrow buildings. The signboard disyed the words "Iceberg Lounge," and indeed, there was ayer of ice surrounding it, along with a few small icebergs, guarding the entrance of the restaurant like sentinels.


    At this moment, a slender figure emerged from the restaurant and, upon seeing Hugo, became stunned, asking, "Who are you?"


    Hugo was also taken aback because he had never encountered living beings in the conscious space of humans before.


    If we were topare humans to peaches, the conscious space would be the pit in the middle. The pit itself is a part of the peach and no peach would have aplete one within its pit.


    The conscious space is a manifestation of personality, so it is unlikely for someone to recreate another self within their own conscious space. At least, that''s the case in the vast majority of situations.But now, Hugo witnessed this peculiar state where he saw aplete peach within the pit. Not only was itplete, but it was also excessively so.


    The Copperpot before him had apletely different appearance and attire from the real space. He was now dressed in a suit, with slicked-back hair and shiny leather shoes, wearing a smooth smile that didn''t quite match his age.


    Hugo had seen many people depict a more perfect version of themselves in their conscious space, but usually, it wasn''t represented through aplete human figure. It would typically be key items or keywords.


    For example, someone whocked a good education might have items representing exams, scores, eptance letters, or a separate room symbolizing their hopes for a better education.


    The average person''s brain is not capable of manifesting imagination in such intricate detail, especially not while in a rxed state induced by hypnosis.


    Hugo was also witnessing this for the first time¡ªa person fantasizing about another version of themselves within their mind, and the level of detail was as if it had a soul.


    "It''s you?" Copperpot looked at Hugo with a hint of confusion and said, "Is this what you meant by hypnosis? You can actuallye in here."


    Hugo stared at him and the building named Iceberg Lounge behind him, slightly dumbfounded. However, Copperpot maintained that smile and said, "Since you''re here, why don''t we go inside and have a seat?"


    Hugo followed Copperpot into the interior of the Iceberg Lounge, and to his astonishment, everything inside was intricately detailed, just like in reality.


    This was almost impossible, simr to when a person dreams. Although they may recall specific things from their dreams, if another person were to enter their dream, they would discover that most of the things appearing in the dream are vague and hazy, extremely inconsistent.


    This is the typical state of the brain when in a rxed state¡ªignoring many unimportant details and only conveying the main concepts.


    However, the Iceberg Lounge in Copperpot''s deep consciousness was not like that. From the overall decoration,yout, and structure of the entire restaurant, down to the wood grain on the counter and the reflections on the barstools, one could say that if this restaurant appeared in reality, it could open for business without any need for modifications.


    Thispletely exceeded Hugo''s expectations. Even for an interior designer, transforming the designs and drawings in their mind into an actual design requires countless modifications and adjustments. If an interior designer could manifest their imagination with such intricate detail in their mind, they would undoubtedly be the most sessful designer in the world, without a doubt.


    Before Hugo could finish being amazed, the restaurant door creaked, and an adult male in a suit walked in. Copperpot greeted him, saying, "Professor Fries, you''re here so early today?"


    "Oh, Copperpot, you''re here. How did your sses go today? Have you learned all the new knowledge I taught?"


    "I''ll review itter..."


    As Hugo observed their fluent conversation, he was still immersed in shock, but he couldn''t help but analyze. Professor Fries in Copperpot''s consciousness likely represented a role of urging academic progress. Whenever Copperpot wanted to start reviewing and assessing his learning achievements, Professor Fries would appear.


    Hugo continued to observe Victor, searching for any inconsistencies, but he couldn''t find any. Although he hadn''t met this Professor Fries before, he could tell from Copperpot''s mental image that he was an intelligent, knowledgeable, and refined professor.


    Before he coulde up with an answer, the door creaked, and a man in a long coat, holding an umbre, walked in. Hugo eximed in surprise, "Schiller?"


    "How are you, Mr. Copperpot? Has your condition improved? How have you been feelingtely? Still not nning to move?"


    Hugo could tell that Schiller seemed to y the role of a gentle doctor in Copperpot''s mind.


    But that was normal, Hugo thought. In the records of Copperpot''s treatment, he didn''t see any radical therapies, only conservative psychological counseling and conversations. It''s no wonder Copperpot would think highly of Schiller as a good doctor, but Hugo believed that this inclination towards conservative treatment was a sign of Schiller''s inaction.


    At this moment, the real Hugo furrowed his brow, exploring Copperpot''s consciousness world while murmuring, "Come on, let me see what you fear the most..."


    Saying that, he pressed a button on the machine, and the machine emitted two sharp rms. Then, Copperpot''s consciousness world started shaking violently.


    A fierce and agonizing scream came from the shattered space, and Hugo saw a figure of an elderly woman covered in blood, holding a knife. One of her fingers wasrger than the entire t mountain restaurant. She had a blood-stained face and was waving the dagger, instantly shattering Copperpot''s conscious space.


    Connected to the machine, Hugo let out a scream and woke up, sitting on the ground, gasping for breath.


    Supporting his forehead, Hugo stood up and whispered, "I should have realized... Fear can also manifest in a more vivid and destructive way..."


    Copperpot, on the other hand, woke up from the chair as if he had just had a nightmare. Pale-faced Hugo had to force himself to say, "The result is not bad, but your willpower is a bit fragile and might be disturbed by the images you fear..."


    "I know," Copperpot said calmly. "Because I often have nightmares."


    Seeing Hugo, who seemed exhausted, Copperpot felt a sense of disdain. He didn''t feel that this hypnotherapy had improved his condition in any way, but this doctor seemed quite tired.


    He shook his head and thought that next time, he woulde when Dr. Schiller was around. This substitute doctor wasn''t that great.


    Despite the setback from Copperpot, Hugo didn''t give up. He believed that it might just be a coincidence. Copperpot was an extraordinary child, a genius, so his ability to manifest details was highly specific. However, Hugo still didn''t think it reached the level of a mental pce. It was merely an borate imagination of dreams and aspirations.


    Another name recorded in the medical records seemed familiar to Hugo¡ªVictor Fries.


    In Copperpot''s conscious space, Hugo had heard Copperpot refer to him as "Professor Fries."


    The medical records stated that Victor had mild anxiety with vague symptoms. There was a record of medication therapy, and it seemed to have quickly recovered. However, Hugo was still curious and wanted to see if Victor was the same as in Copperpot''s conscious world. So he called Victor.


    As a colleague of Schiller''s, Victor was aware that he had quit, but this time Hugo used the excuse of a problem with the medication invoice and hoped that Victor woulde in person to discuss it.


    Issues rted to invoices, taxes, and insurance were taken very seriously, and Victor didn''t find anything inappropriate because he had previouslye here for an invoice matter.


    As Hugo entered the treatment room, when he mentioned the need for a simple reexamination, Victor didn''t think much of it. He thought it might be Hugo''s way of ensuring the previous doctor didn''t misuse medications, so he cooperativelyy down on the chair.


    Hugo entered Victor''s consciousness in the same way. However, as soon as he entered, he was blown down to the ground by a sudden intense cold wind.


    He found himself facing an extremely cold and vast icy in. Hugo looked around in confusion but couldn''t see any boundaries.


    As mentioned before, the surface consciousness of humans is like a square. It is called a square instead of a in because the size of human consciousness space is limited. The margins of most people''s consciousness space lie within the limits of imagination and thinking. However, Hugo walked for a long time in this vast snowy in and didn''t see any boundaries.


    There were only three things here: ice, snow, and snow turning into ice. There might not even be wind because Hugo couldn''t hear any sound of the wind. It was an extremely quiet space.


    But silence wasn''t a good thing. It made the ce feel even colder. From beginning to end, Hugo only felt one thing¡ªcold, an unimaginable and tremendous cold.


    Hugo clenched his teeth, held his breath, and tried to unravel the secret of this consciousness space. No matter which direction he walked, how long he walked, what posture he assumed, or what words he shouted, he only received endless snowfall and boundless ice fields as a response.


    There were no abstract concepts, no fragments of memories, none of the things that should exist in a human mind. There was only ice and snow, only cold.


    Just when Hugo was on the verge of despair and about to give up, he finally saw a flicker of me at the end of the ice field. He made a strenuous effort to move closer to that direction. After who knows how long he walked, to the point where his consciousness was numbed by the cold, he finally saw a small campfire.


    Around the campfire were several figures: Copperpot squatting and warming his hands, Victor standing nearby and reading a book, and Schiller adding firewood to the fire...


    Why is it Schiller again? Hugo wondered, why does he appear everywhere?


    But apart from that, there was nothing else. Looking at the endless snowfield around him, Hugo''s heart had be numb. Nevertheless, he dutifully pressed the button on the machine, wanting to see what Victor feared.


    Then, he heard a faint "crack" sounding from the consciousness space, like something shattering. It grew louder and louder...


    In an instant, a terrifying storm swept everything away.


    When Hugo''s consciousness returned to his body, he couldn''t help but hold onto his arms and tremble. His teeth were chattering.


    In the office with sufficient heating and a burning firece, he felt a level of extreme cold that he had never experienced in his life.


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 Chapter 257: Hugo Wanders in Wonderland (3)

    Chapter 257: Hugo Wanders in Wondend (3)


    First scared by Copperpot, then frozen by Victor, but Hugo still didn''t want to give up. He thought it might be a very small probability coincidence that two geniuses with unique consciousness spaces gathered together and became master and apprentice. Although the possibility was small, it was not impossible.


    Apart from these two, the most recent person with treatment records was Evans Falcone.


    When Hugo saw this surname, he hesitated for a moment but decided to invite him over. Hugo believed that if he didn''t use any radical means and just took a look, he probably wouldn''t provoke the famous Godfather.


    Evans'' situation was simr to Copperpot''s. He didn''t know about Schiller''s resignation, and he was cooperative with follow-up visits. When he came to Hugo''s treatment room, it was the same as before. Hugo asked him to lie down on the chair, then started the machine and attached the electrodes to his own head.


    Once inside Evans'' consciousness space, Hugo was stunned again because there was arge theater in Evans'' consciousness space.


    That wasn''t a big deal, just like Copperpot''s situation, but the problem was that next to this theater was a half-built old Manor.


    Having two buildings wouldn''t be a big deal, but the other building was still under construction. When Hugo entered, a figure walked out of that building under construction and looked him up and down, saying, "Who are you? How did you get in here?"


    Suddenly, his expression changed, and he said, "Are you an assassin?"


    Hugo noticed the person on the opposite side make a slight movement with his hand, but then he regained his calmness. The person on the other side said, "No, if he wanted to kill me, he woulde in person..."At this point, Hugo also realized that the person existing in Evans'' consciousness space seemed different from Evans himself. He asked, "...Dual personality?"


    "Right, you must be a psychologist, aren''t you?"


    Hugo sensed some dangerous traits from this person, so he tried to remain calm and said, "That''s correct. I''m conducting hypnotherapy for you. What''s your name?"


    The person looked Hugo up and down and said, "I''m Alberto. Hypnotherapy? I''ve never heard of that in Evans'' treatment n... I''m a new psychologist, and this is my treatment method. Don''t feel nervous. I''m just confirming that your current mental state is normal."


    "Fine, then don''t bother me. My house is only halfway built. You can go visit the building across the street."


    Hugo carefully examined the half-built house and discovered that the attention to detail was astonishing. Even the bricks that hadn''t been stacked and the cement that had been mixed into a lump were clearly visible.


    "What are you building?"


    "A house. Why else?"


    "Why do you need to build a house?"


    Alberto looked at Hugo as if he was an idiot and said, "If I don''t build a house, where will I live?"


    That question really left Hugo stumped. It made perfect sense in reality, but he didn''t know how to exin to the person in front of him that normal people don''t need to build houses in their consciousness worlds.


    Impatiently, Alberto waved his hand at him and said, "The person you need to examine and treat is in the house next door. Go find him there and don''t bother me."


    Hugo felt the dangerous aura emanating from him getting stronger and didn''t dare to stay longer, afraid of causing more trouble. So he walked out of the building under construction and went to the theater across the street.


    As soon as he entered the theater, he was stunned again because there were a dozen Evans rehearsing a y on the stage, and surprisingly, there were quite a few audience members in the seats.


    What was even more surprising was that Schiller was among the audience.


    Hugo hesitated, unsure whether he should go in because he felt a great danger among these audience members.


    He swallowed his saliva and stopped his steps, silently retreating.


    He didn''t even dare to press that button and ended the journey into Evans'' consciousness space. Evans, who had gotten up from the chair, yawned and stretched, feeling like he had a strange dream but couldn''t remember what it was about. So he said, "Thank you, doctor. Is the treatment over?"


    "It''s over..." Hugo replied absentmindedly.


    Even after Evans left, Hugo remained stiff in ce because recent events had truly exceeded his expectations.


    In his first step in his career in Gotham, he faced a huge challenge because his worldview was overturned. From any perspective, the possibility of three rare geniuses appearing consecutively should be close to zero.


    Hugo couldn''t understand where the problem wasing from. All his theories were based on the assumption that the consciousness spaces of ordinary people were chaotic, disorderly, andcking. Therefore, he believed that being able to manifest aplete image of himself in the consciousness space made him superior to ordinary humans and capable of manipting them.


    But recently, his situation could be described as moving into a new house full of joy, only to stumble upon three big troubles in a row.


    Hugo, being a professional psychologist, had strong self-regtion abilities. He quickly emerged from this shadow and pondered a crucial point: the appearance of a person named Schiller Rodriguez in the consciousness spaces of these three individuals simultaneously.


    Hugo now suspected that Schiller might have used a therapy method unknown to him to remodel the consciousness spaces of these three individuals. It was not impossible.


    Over the past few days, Hugo had stayed upte to read all of Schiller''s papers and research reports. He had to admit that Schiller''s grand theories were unlikely to be mere fabrications. It was impossible to create such intricate and realistic details out of thin air.


    Previously, due to his arrogance, Hugo hadn''t carefully read these papers. He only skimmed through them. But upon closer examination, he discovered that Schiller might have truly mastered some unknown psychological techniques. Perhaps he used these techniques to reshape his patients.


    Hugo suddenly felt a sense of indignation. He and Schiller had both engaged in unauthorized human experiments. However, he was discovered, hunted down, and eventually fired, forced to flee to Gotham to escape trouble. On the other hand, Schiller remained a world-renowned top psychology master. It was simply unfair.


    Schiller had done the same thing as him, using his professional knowledge to transform patients. The only difference was that Schiller was more covert, less likely to be discovered. Not only did he not face any consequences for his actions, he achieved fame and sess. This greatly disturbed Hugo, who had just been fired and expelled.


    Because of this, Hugo harbored a thought: he wanted to expose Schiller.


    Then, a more dangerous idea emerged in Hugo''s mind. If he could control Schiller, he could use all of his skills, knowledge, reputation, and status for his own benefit.


    However, Hugo was well aware that they were both insiders in the field. Hugo had some understanding of Schiller''s research direction, and it was likely that Schiller knew about Hugo as well. It would be unlikely to deceive Schiller like he deceived these patients. Even if he managed to deceive Schiller, Hugo didn''t have the confidence to hypnotize a fellow professional.


    Therefore, Hugo believed that he needed a meticulous n and a partner.


    Finally, his gaze stopped on the medical record at the bottom, which had a name without a surname: "Jack."


    None of Gotham''s weather forecasts predicted that it would actually snow in this early autumn. Although it was very fine snow and not too cold, it was still a rare sight.


    Tiny and crystalline snowkes slowly fell from the sky, covering the rooftop of Arkham Mental Hospital. After being covered, the worn-out tiles on the roof seemed rejuvenated.


    Due to the hospital''s construction being quite old, its architectural structure was not like that of modern mental hospitals. Instead, it retained some special features from the past, such as an underground basement for dealing with certain troublesome conditions.


    Blinding light shed, and a white halo spread before Schiller''s eyes as he opened them. There were two figures in front of him.


    "You''re awake..." Hugo said, fiddling with a machine on the table opposite Schiller. Jack leaned against the railing beside him, idly picking at his fingers.


    Hugo looked at Schiller, who was bound to a chair. At the moment, the professor was fixed in a somewhat old interrogation chair, his hands restrained by iron rings and his feet immobilized, making it impossible for him to move.


    Schiller lowered his gaze and looked at the two sharp circr saws fixed near his neck. He said, "So, you brought me to the office for a handover, only to kidnap me?"


    Hugo smiled and pressed a button on the wall. The small circr saws on both sides of Schiller''s neck began to spin rapidly and slowly moved closer to the center, nearing Schiller''s neck. However, Schiller showed no reaction, only looking at Hugo and asking, "What are you nning to do?"


    "Nothing much, just hoping you''ll cooperate with me in a hypnosis experiment."


    "Oh? That sounds interesting..."


    "I know that under normal circumstances, you wouldn''t talk to me, let alone cooperate. But with this chair..."


    Hugo pressed the button again, and the circr saws started spinning once more. He said, "...I''m afraid even if you don''t want to cooperate, you''ll have to."


    Hugo picked up a book from the nearby table and held it up to Schiller, saying, "In one of the papers you published here, you borated on the theory of the Mind Pce, depicting it as ayered structure within the human consciousness space used to store different memories..."


    "I don''t know if you''ve truly achieved that, but now we can test it..."


    "How do you n to test it?"


    "You''ve probably asked this question to many people, because you''re certain that no one can verify this fact, no one can enter your mind..."


    Hugo revealed a somewhat cruel smile and said, "...but I can."


    "Now, let''s wait and see if you''re the greatest fraud of this century, or..."


    As he spoke, he stuck one patch after another onto his own head. Jack remained silent beside him, but if Hugo had lifted his gaze to look at him before closing his eyes, he would have seen a mocking smile on his face.


    In the moment of merging brainwaves, the descent into a long darkness began. Hugo never expected the process of connecting to consciousness could be this long. He had no idea how long he had been falling, but he never reached the bottom.


    He felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, with an endless array of bizarre and surreal scenes passing before his eyes, followed by darkness and even darker darkness.


    Amidst this endless descent, Hugo was driven to madness by the loneliness and weightlessness. Just as he was considering giving up, he finallynded on the ground.


    When Hugo regained consciousness, he looked down and saw a ck floor beneath his feet, while above him stretched an infinite number of floors.


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 Chapter 258: Stealing Dream and Truman (1)

    Chapter 258: Stealing Dream and Truman (1)


    In the room of Manor, on a soft sofa, Victor leaned against the armrest. He turned his head and looked at Schiller, who was sitting behind the table ying with the Earth device, and asked, "Why did you call us here?"


    Copperpot was adjusting the length of a buckle on his clothing pocket, sitting across from Victor. Evans was holding a ss of wine, swirling the liquid inside. The liquid had a golden shine and white foam. Jack was lying on a single sofa, squinting his eyes and dozing off.


    Schiller leaned against the back of the chair, continuously manipting the Earth device in his hand. Even when he ced the Earth device on the table, the Earth model on it continued to rotate slightly. He looked at Victor and asked, "Haven''t you noticed anything different here?"


    "What''s different?" Victor looked around the entire room. This was the living room of Schiller Manor, with a row of soft sofas, two single sofas, several cushions, and a coffee table in the middle of the sofas. On one side of the room was Schiller''s table, and behind the table was a row of massive bookshelves filled with various items.


    Victor had been here before but didn''t notice anything abnormal. Just as he was about to continue questioning Schiller, he looked at Schiller again and felt that something was off. He asked Schiller, "What''s wrong with your head?"


    At that moment, Schiller''s head had turned into a rotating Earth device. None of the other people seemed to notice, except for Jack, who slightly opened one eye and made a hissing sound through his teeth.


    "Alright..." Schiller, with the Earth device as his head, stood up from behind the table. This should have been a very bizarre scene, but Victor didn''t feel anything was out of the ordinary. It seemed as if it was perfectly normal for him.


    "Think back, Victor. How did you get here?"


    "Of course, I walked here from school. I... " Victor paused for a moment and then said, "Am I dreaming?... Is this inside my dream?""You got it backward. This isn''t your dream; it''s mine."


    Victor looked surprised. Schiller walked to Victor''s side and sat down, rotating his Earth device head to look at Victor. Victor wasn''t sure if Schiller actually made that head-turning motion because the Earth device had been spinning all along.


    Everyone, except for Jack, slowly sat up straight and stared at the space in astonishment, as if they had just woken up.


    "Of course, human consciousness cannot be connected, just like dreams cannot be connected. What one person imagines in their mind cannot be seen or touched by another person, let alone observed up close..."


    "But..." Schiller with the Earth device head turned to Evans and said, "I can bring other people''s thoughts into my consciousness, starting with you, Evans..."


    Evans looked at Schiller with the Earth device head, not knowing what to say. This scene would be incredibly horrifying in reality, but it didn''t seem strange at all in this consciousness space because there were many even stranger things, such as the fact that they were now sitting on the ceiling.


    The sofa and coffee table they were sitting on were stuck to the ceiling, and the chandelier was not far from Evans''s hand. At some point, the entire space had flipped upside down, but they still hadn''t noticed anything unusual.


    Simrly, Evans focused his gaze on his own nose and found a small clown''s red nose attached to it, yet he didn''t feel that there was anything extra in his field of vision.


    Jack squeezed the red ball on his nose with his hand and made a "squish squish" sound, cracking a wide grin.


    "Are you saying that we are all inside your dream, Professor?" Evans scratched his head and said, puzzled, "But as you said, how can several people''s dreamse together?"


    "Now that you already know the truth of Alberto''s creation from the Court of Owls, have you ever wondered why the Court of Owls and the old Father were able to create the personality of Alberto?"


    "Um... Alberto didn''t tell me about that. It seems like he doesn''t know his own origin either. He just appeared out of nowhere one day..."


    "That''s why I said it starts with you..."


    "Let''s organize our thoughts. In the previous incident, we learned that the Court of Owls discovered a substance called ''Divine Wine'' appearing underground in Gotham''s Great Church. After their unsessful research, they sought help from Father. Father made some discoveries and handed them over to the Court of Owls. And then, they created the personality of your brother. So what is the key to this question?"


    Evans wasn''t dumb, and he was about to answer when Copperpot interrupted, "It''s that ''Divine Wine''."


    "That''s right. When Imunicated with The Godfather and Father, Father told me that in the Church, he possessed an ability that ordinary people don''t have. It''s a kind of special ability simr to mind-reading, where he can sense certain mental characteristics of others."


    "It was precisely because of this ability that he noticed something different about me, which is why he hired me as your family tutor, Evans. Do you understand now?"


    "So, does that ''Divine Wine'' grant people the ability to read minds?"


    The Earth device head shook slightly, but no one could tell for sure if it actually shook, because the Earth device had been spinning all along.


    "That ''Divine Wine,'' or rather, I prefer to call it the Dionysus Factor, can be understood as a liquid brainwave amplifier..."


    "Brainwave amplifier?" Victor furrowed his brow and said, "I have also studied theories about brainwaves, and I''ve heard about theories that disrupt brainwaves to control the mind. But you''re saying that a special liquid can amplify brainwaves. Isn''t that a bit too..."


    "We don''t need to decipher its principles; we just need to know its effects. In short, Father handed over his research on fine wine to the Court of Owls, and they used it to create the personality of Alberto..."


    "So, where is he now?" Evans looked around and Schiller exined, "His house is currently under construction, which is why you are here."


    "In any case, after I confirmed this with Father, I knew that the Dionysus Factor might be rted to the realm of human consciousness."


    "And conveniently, I have several other liquids rted to this. I asked a friend in biology to mix them in certain proportions to achieve an extreme amplification of brainwaves. I call it ''Mad Wine.''"


    "When it was just created, I couldn''t be sure if it worked, so..." Schiller turned his head towards Jack, who wiggled his head and said, "So, while we were drinking together, you added this stuff to our drinks..."


    "And then, the realms of our consciousness truly connected, and an annoying guy escaped from your consciousness world, trying to trap me in your realm instead."


    "Just now, I invited you all to my Manor, and then we had drinks. A few drops of this Mad Wine were added to each person''s drink, so now we are sitting here."


    "Wee to my realm of consciousness, everyone."


    In an instant, everyone became clear-minded. Victor remembered how he came to Schiller''s Manor on a rainy day and took a sip of wine. Copperpot and Evans also recalled the process of entering the house, taking off their coats, and putting away their umbres. Schiller exined, "When you first enter, there is a period of adjustment, during which you may have trouble distinguishing reality from illusion, and thus, you won''t feel anything unusual."


    "It''s like seeing an upside-down high-rise building in a dream without finding it strange. Transitioning from wakefulness to dreaming requires an adaptation process. Of course, if I reveal the truth, this process will speed up."


    "I understand the logic..." Victor turned to Schiller and asked, "But why did you turn your head into an Earth device?"


    Schiller reached up and adjusted the Earth device on his head before saying, "Not just me, you all can transform as well. Although this is my realm of consciousness, when our brainwaves merge, you also have a certain autonomy here."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jack''s head instantly transformed into a fried chicken wing with a big smiling face on it. Jack''s voice came from the cracked mouth, saying, "I had this for dinner tonight, and it tastes pretty good. Although it''s a bit undercooked and awfully greasy..."


    Evans widened his eyes as he looked at Jack with the fried chicken wing head, and he could even smell the aroma of fried fooding from it.


    "What... What should I do?"


    Before he could even attempt anything, Victor found a strangely shaped freeze gun in his hand. They curiously examined the guns in their hands and said, "This is thetest model I had envisioned but hadn''t had the chance to create yet. I never expected it could materialize so realistically."


    "In the realm of consciousness, which is the dream world, what you can do entirely depends on your imagination, the principle of ''believing is achieving.'' Moreover, the more detailed your imagination, the more detailed it manifests. I suppose you havepletely designed and conceptualized this gun, right?"


    "That''s right. I finalized the design a week ago. So, does that mean it can be fired now?"


    As Victor spoke, he pulled the trigger, and an ice spike shot out, instantly freezing the Joker on the opposite side into a block of ice.


    "As long as you believe it can be fired, it will naturally be fired, just like how people believe they can fly in dreams and actually do."


    "Hey, you''ve chilled my head! Don''t you know that cold chicken is the most disgusting food in this world?!" Jack with the chicken wing for a head shouted loudly.


    Copperpot pinched the red ball on his nose and then, with a "pop," it transformed into a sharp cone, like the ones often worn at parties.


    Evans scratched his head and said, "Can I change the color of my hair? I''ve always wanted dark brown hair like The Godfather, but dyeing is such a hassle."


    While he was speaking, his hair slowly changed color, transitioning from a dazzling rotten gold to deep brown. Schiller''s Earth-globe head shook and said, "I think gold suits you better."


    "Do we have a mirror?" Evans turned his head back and forth, seemingly trying to find a reflective object to see his current appearance.


    "You just need to ''think'' about it."


    After a moment of contemtion, Evans drew a crooked square in the air, which turned into a mirror that dropped down. He clumsily grabbed it and looked at himself, saying, "Indeed, blond looks better..."


    As he spoke, his hair changed back to its original color.


    Victor picked up the ss in front of him and asked Schiller, "So, why did you bring us into your realm of consciousness? What do you want to do?"


    "Well, there''s no particr business to attend to, just wanted to have some fun with you."


    "Have fun? What kind of fun is there to have?"


    "It''s precisely because there''s no fun to be had that we have to create some. Not just me, I believe Mr. Jack also shares the same sentiment, don''t you?"


    Jack transformed his head into a toilet brush and used his finger to continuously y with the bristles, saying, "Without Batman in Gotham, it''s so boring. If I don''t find some amusement for myself, I''ll go crazy!"


    "Alright, so what exactly do you want to do?"


    Schiller shifted his body to the other side, leaning against the armrest of the sofa, and said, "There''s a highly professional psychologist, my colleague, currently in Arkham Asylum. Later, I''m going to meet with him for work..."


    "I will engage in some theoretical discussions with him and then invite him to have a drink together..."


    "You''re bringing him here too?"


    "No, no, this is the audience area, and he..."


    Jack on the other side interrupted with a cheerfulugh, saying, "He''ll be an actor, a terribly lousy actor."


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 Chapter 259: Stealing Dream And Truman (2)

    Chapter 259: Stealing Dream And Truman (2)


    Schiller, the representative of his dream, reached out his hand and snapped his fingers. A screen appeared overhead, allowing everyone to see the situation outside through his consciousness. He said, "You can see what''s happening outside through my mental space, just like this..."


    "This is Hugo Strange, and what you''re seeing now is his first day in Gotham..."


    The screen showed Hugo Strange''s face, with a first-person perspective showing a sleeve of a white coat appearing, followed by an arm shaking hands with Hugo.


    "Are we currently seeing from your perspective?" Victor asked.


    "That''s right. At this moment, I was engaging in small talk with him. Pay attention, as I''m about to introduce a topic rted to psychology..."


    Everyone became interested and focused on the screen. They watched as Hugo, from the first-person perspective, soon began his lengthy discourse while Schiller continued to engage with him. After a while, from the first-person perspective, Schiller took out a bottle of wine from his bag.


    "Wait, isn''t it strange to drink alcohol during an academic discussion?" asked Evans. "You''re clearly discussing a serious academic topic, and now you take out a bottle of wine. Wouldn''t he find it odd?"


    "It''s precisely because we''re currently discussing serious academic topics that he won''t pay attention to these details. His full focus is on how to refute my theories. Look at his expression, pay attention here..."


    Schiller somehow acquired a whip and pointed to the screen, saying, "Do you see that? He nced down at the hand I used to open the bottle cap, but at the same time, I posed another question to him. As a result, his attention was divided...""His curiosity about what I''m actually doing is much weakerpared to his strong desire to prove himself."


    In the first-person perspective on the screen, two hands took out two sses and poured wine for Hugo and himself. They heard Schiller say, "I''m ustomed to having a drink after work. What about you, Dr. Hugo?"


    Hugo seemed indifferent. He didn''t look like someone who drinks excessively, but he didn''t seem opposed to drinking either. When Schiller pushed the ss towards him, he seemed to do it to save face for Schiller and took a sip.


    As the debate became more intense, Hugo frequently picked up the wine ss during moments of contemtion. Schiller, from Earth''s Yitou, pointed at the screen and said, "He''s starting to use secondary objects as pauses and transitions in his thinking, just like many people who like to spin pens, bite their fingers, or y with erasers in a ssroom..."


    Before long, from the camera''s perspective on the screen, Hugo started feeling drowsy. Victor asked, "Is he falling asleep?"


    "That''s right. Can you guess where the first act will begin?"


    "Just like us, waking up in the original setting andpletely unaware that we''re dreaming," Copperpot said in a deep voice.


    However, Schiller shook his head and said, "That''s a decent starting point, but it''s somewhat mediocre. If the inciting incident of a script is too dull, the subsequent development might not be very exciting."


    "Then where do you n to start, Professor?"


    Schiller snapped his fingers again, and all the items in the room began to retreat. The floor sections were removed one by one, the sofayers disappeared, and the cabs and tables folded magically into the floor and ceiling.


    Then, various things emerged from the walls of space, forming another scene. The group stood in the center of this space, and Evans looked up and down, saying, "This seems like... a train carriage?"


    "That''s right. I believe a gradual opening would be a good choice. You might have seen it in some movies, where the protagonist sits on a train and travels to an unfamiliar city. They look at the scenery outside the window, fantasizing about their future life. Although this beginning may seem artistic, I really like it..."


    Saying that, Schiller walked to the door of apartment on the train and opened it, revealing Hugo Strange sitting inside.


    "But I feel like something is missing," Evans said, rubbing his chin. "Oh, right! In dramatic creation, the protagonist needs a motive. With a motive, the protagonist can be driven to take action..."


    "Of course, I have made preparations. However, I want to make it clear that I am not controlling his mind. Just like all of you, he also has the ability to think independently in the consciousness space."


    "Now..." Schiller snapped his fingers, and the narrow corridor on the train and theyeredpartment dividers unfolded like cardboard, transforming into a t surface. Only Hugo and the chair he was sitting on, as well as the table in front of him, remained.


    Following Schiller''s footsteps, the group walked up to Hugo. Copperpot asked, "Can''t he see us?"


    "Good question," Schiller said. "I was just about to talk about that."


    "Both the human consciousness space and dreams are divided into multipleyers, at least in my case. The differentyers cannotmunicate or interfere with each other."


    "So, we are on differentyers from him?"


    "That''s right. The ce you are currently in is the ''theater'' within my mental pce, specifically on the 68th, 69th, and 70thyers."


    "What does that mean? Are there any differences between theyers?"


    "Of course, there are differences. It''s quiteplicated to exin, as this mental pce wasn''t built in a day. However, there are patterns to follow. Simply put, the lower theyer, the more chaotic it is, and the higher theyer, the more orderly."


    "Hugo is currently on the 68thyer, which is the stage, and you are on the 69thyer, which is the audience seats."


    "As for me, even though I''m standing next to you now, I am actually on the 70thyer of the theater, which is the control room or director''s office."


    "So, I can control everything on the stage, like this..." As Schiller spoke, he snapped his fingers, and a newspaper appeared on Hugo''s table.


    "A newspaper? What''s written on it?" Evans tried to lean over to see, but seemed reluctant to get too close to Hugo. Schiller reminded him, "You can go closer to have a look. He can''t see you."


    "In my mental pce, each part has different rules. In the theater, higheryers of consciousness can see the loweryers, but the loweryers can''t see the higher ones."


    "So, you can see him, but he can''t see you. In his vision, he should be sitting on a train, heading to Gotham as the train moves forward."


    "But hasn''t he already arrived? And he was chatting and drinking with you..."


    "You ask too many stupid questions," Jack red at Evans, and Schiller waved his hand, saying, "Don''t be like that, Jack. I like people who ask questions."


    "Generally, when people dream, they are not aware that they are dreaming. Just like when you first arrived here, everything was incoherent and strange, but you werepletely unaware."


    "A small portion of people can be aware that they are dreaming and use the principle of ''taking it as true'' to the extreme. They can achieve things in dreams that are impossible in reality. We usually call these dreams ''lucid dreams.''"


    "But obviously, Hugo, who just entered the dream, is not aware that he is dreaming. In his perception, he just received a job offer, boarded the train to Gotham, and then saw a newspaper on the train..."


    "So, where is the motive you mentioned earlier?"


    Schiller waved his hand again, and another newspaper appeared in Hugo''s hand. This newspaper seemed to be older. Victor leaned over and said, "Is this a report about you?"


    "That''s right. I''m hinting to him that he noticed me beforeing to Gotham and investigated some information about me. This should pique his curiosity and elerate his journey to Arkham Hospital, setting the stage for the uing plot..."


    "And then..." Schiller snapped his fingers, and the table and newspaper in front of Hugo disappeared. Hugo stepped directly into the office of the attending physician at Arkham Hospital.


    "Why the direct transition?" Victor asked him. "Won''t he find it strange?"


    "Isn''t that how dreams work? One fragment jumps to another, from having breakfast to attending ss, to lunch break, and thening home after school. You wouldn''tplete a whole math ss in a dream, would you?"


    "What''s next? Is he going to start working?"


    "No, his motive is not strong enough yet. I need to add fuel to the fire."


    Immediately, Schiller waved his hand, and another person identical to him appeared by his side. However, this person had a normal Schiller head instead of an Earth globe.


    "What''s this? Your doppelg?nger?" Copperpot asked.


    "He''s the next actor to appear..."


    With Schiller''s words, the other him walked into the office at Arkham Hospital and warmly shook Hugo''s hands, saying, "Thank goodness you''re finally here."


    Then, Schiller started to interact with Hugo politely. Victormented, "You''re really ying the role of an irresponsible and hical doctor."


    "That''s exactly what I want. If I leave him with the impression that I''m highly ipetent and eager to shift responsibility, he will think I''m not as capable as I im. That way, he will have a stronger motive to expose and overthrow me and my theories."


    "I''m still a bit confused," Victor crossed his arms and said, "What''s the ultimate goal of this y you''ve arranged? It can''t just be for the sake of amusement, right?"


    "Amusement is one aspect, considering the long nights and sleeplessness. It''s not bad to direct and act in a y by myself. But indeed, there is another purpose. You''ll see as the story unfolds."


    Then, Schiller''s character exited the scene, and Brand''s character entered. Before they could ask, Schiller exined, "This is just a puppet manifested by me. Brand hasn''t actuallye here since his focus is on pathology, and he''s not interested in these things."


    Then, Hugo began his speech about how the mental pce doesn''t exist. During this process, Jackughed happily, almost bursting intoughter. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and said, "It''s like someone in a dream saying, ''People don''t dream.'' It''s such a funny joke! It reces the joke of Schiller being an ordinary person in my heart..."


    Since Schiller''s head was an Earth globe, others couldn''t see his expression, but Victor joked, "What did I just see? Did you roll your eyes at Texas?"


    Then, they saw Hugo walking out with an egg-shaped machine in his arms. Copperpot frowned and asked, "What''s that?"


    "It should be something he materialized with his own thoughts, just like the chicken head and ice spear you just created. He believed he made this thing, so it actually appeared."


    Then they saw Hugo pick up the medical records and start flipping through them before walking over to the telephone and making a call.


    Suddenly, a piercing ring echoed in the space, and Copperpot lowered his head in confusion, seeing a continuously ringing phone floating in front of him.


    "It''s your phone," Schiller said with a smile.


    "What''s going on? He called me in the dream, and now he''s really calling me here?"


    "I allowed him to reach you here. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be interesting for us to just watch. I''ve always believed that immersive theatrical performances have great potential for development, and the interaction between actors and the audience is crucial..."


    "So what do I do now?"


    Victor patted Copperpot''s shoulder and said, "Answer the phone."


    Copperpot picked up the phone, and he actually heard Hugo''s voice. At this moment, the two of them were facing each other in the office, with Hugo holding the phone on the left side of the table and Copperpot holding the phone on the right side.


    "Hello, is this Mr. Copperpot? This is Arkham Mental Hospital. ording to your medical records, you need toe for a follow-up appointment. Are you avable tomorrow afternoon?"


    Copperpot stood there stunned, but he still agreed to the follow-up request. Then he looked at Schiller and asked, "What do I do next? Should I really go for the follow-up appointment?"


    "Didn''t you see what I just did? Imagine a virtual persona and materialize him to participate in this performance on your behalf."


    Schiller exined to Copperpot how to materialize another version of himself in the consciousness space, emphasizing, "The key is not to give it a higher-dimensional perspective, just like a real Copperpot who received the follow-up notification, didn''t understand why, and intends to go for it..."


    "Are you suggesting creating a virtual memory for him?" Copperpot frowned and asked.


    "Yes, you can arrange a reasonable justification for him. For example, in his memory, he doesn''t know that I''ve resigned and thinks the follow-up is just routine. Going there wouldn''t matter much. This will help him be more immersed in the uing performance..."


    When the other Copperpot was created, the others were amazed. As he entered the examination room and sat on the chair, Hugo brought out the machine. The Copperpot in the audience seats asked, "What is he trying to do?"


    "He might be trying to enter your subconscious world."


    "But wasn''t he already in the subconscious world?"


    "Do you remember the rules here? ''Believing it''s true makes it true.'' He believes this is the real world, and as a psychologist, he intends to enter your mind."


    "And this is what I mentioned earlier, my other goal, which is also the topic I''ve been focusing on recently..."


    "What is it?"


    "Dream within a dream."


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 Chapter 260: Stealing Dream and Truman (3)

    Chapter 260: Stealing Dream and Truman (3)


    "If a person is dreaming and dreams that they are asleep and having another dream, what would happen?"


    Several people next to Schiller were lost in thought, and he continued to exin, "In such a situation, most people actually just transition from one dream to another, like jumping from one point to another on a ne."


    "But there are also rare cases where one can descend vertically from a starting point, breaking through this ne and entering a deeperyer of consciousness."


    "In the dream you created for Hugo, if he wants to enter someone else''s dream, where would he go?" Victor muttered to himself.


    "That''s exactly what I''m studying."


    "Let''s go back to the beginning. Previously, I used the Crazy Wine to bring all of your consciousness into my dream space, right?"


    "Then I went on to bring Hugo''s consciousness into my dream space. Although he and you were on different floors, you are all now in my dream space."


    "And now, in this situation where both you and Hugo are in my dream space, if he wants to connect his consciousness with yours by entering your dreams, will he directly open a pathway to your deep consciousness?"


    "That''s the topic I''ve been focusing on recently: how to maintain a stable dream within a dream state and establish a stable pathway to the deep consciousness. If we can achieve this, we can address many psychological issues at their root.""I''m not sure if I understand your entire n, but based on what I see now, you brought Hugo into your dream and then used his identity as a psychologist to allow him to infiltrate other people''s dreams. Do you think this method can open a pathway to the deep consciousness?"


    "That''s right. The world of consciousness is a veryplex concept. Everything is possible here, and yet nothing is possible. Here, there may be ten thousand keys corresponding to one door, or one key that can open ten thousand doors."


    "So, any research rted to the space of consciousness sounds like a fantasy, but it actually exists. It''s fascinating, isn''t it?"


    "Really boring," Jack said, poking his ear.


    "Yes, it''s indeed boring for you because your surface consciousness and deep consciousness are all mixed together like a lump of dough. You can easily slide from the surface consciousness to the deep consciousness and then bounce back up like a spring..."


    As they spoke, the group noticed a bubble suddenly appearing above the treatment room where Copperpot and Hugo were. Inside was another space¡ªa restaurant on an iceberg. Schiller sighed with regret, "This should also be the surface consciousness... It didn''t work. Why?"


    "The deep consciousness space won''t be so specific and orderly. The surface consciousness space tends to be more stable because you''re still a rtively normal person, notpletely insane. The most terrifying memories are likely hidden in the deep consciousness space."


    "Let''s send a few actors in..." Schiller arranged, saying, "I suspect that Hugo''s desire for exploration is not strong enough, and his ''belief'' in what he perceives is not firm enough..."


    Then, one of Copperpot''s clones walked out of the ice restaurant, inviting Hugo in. Victor followed, entering the restaurant, and Schiller entered as well. Everything unfolded like a fast-forwarded movie, and in an instant, it froze on Hugo''s finger pressing a button.


    "What does this represent?" Victor asked from the audience, "What does that button represent?"


    Schiller looked at the yellow button and said, "It should represent confidence in one''s own theories and the desire to manipte others'' minds..."


    In the moment the button was pressed, an Earth globe on Schiller''s head spun rapidly. He said, "The pathway to the deep consciousness space has opened... What is that? Fear?"


    "It seems to be fear indeed."


    Schiller looked at the screen, where a gigantic old woman covered in blood, wielding a knife, appeared. He turned his head and caught a glimpse of Copperpot''s figure flickering.


    Suddenly, Schiller''s figure became enormous, and he leaned into the screen, crushing the bubble above the treatment room with a snap.


    Then he pulled back and said, "It seems that is somethinging out from the deep consciousness space. This method is effective, but unstable..."


    "Is it my turn next?"


    "Yes, it is."


    A few minutester, Schiller once again crushed the bubble filled with storms, and then said, "The situation ispletely consistent. The pathway can be opened, but it''s unstable."


    Jenkins raised his hand and asked, "Is it my turn next, right?"


    "I feel like his consciousness can''t handle another round of exhaustion. If we try again, he might wake up, just like a person jumping off a high-rise building in a dream."


    Schiller continued, "Well, let''s give it onest try."


    When they saw Hugo retreating, Schiller concluded, "It seems to be his brain''s self-protective mechanism kicking in."


    "What do you think? Do you want to give it another shot?"


    "Of course, I think this method can work, but the fundamental issue of the unstable pathway might not lie in the method itself but in the nature of your conscious world."


    "What do you n to do then?"


    Schiller''s Earth globe model on his head spun faster and faster. He said, "Jack, cooperate with me for a moment. Maybe you''ll have some funter."


    Without waiting for Jack''s agreement, Schiller snapped his fingers, and a medical record fell onto Hugo''s desk. It had a name without a surname written on it, "Jack."


    The scene shifted once again, with Jack sitting in the chair of the treatment room, crying incessantly. He said, "Doctor Hugo... please, you have to save me! That dreadful Doctor Rodriguez keeps torturing me. He forces me to dye my hair green, put on clown makeup, and perform for him. He''s a devil, you must save me..."


    "Don''t cry, Jack! Don''t cry..." Hugo held Jack''s shoulders and said, "I also suspect that he''s secretly torturing his patients, manipting their minds. Listen, Jack..."


    "I''ll call him here under the pretext of official matters, and when he''s not on guard against you, who he sees as just a pitiful victim of his abuse, we can..."


    Schiller touched the Earth globe model on his head and said, "I don''t know whether to praise your superb acting skills or to say... well, let''s just say your acting skills are superb."


    "What are you talking about?" Jack in the audience wiped away his tears and said, "You, this dreadful psychologist, a devil, have imprisoned our minds here and are using us for your horrifying experiments!"


    "Stop crying. Your favorite part ising up soon."


    While covering his eyes with his hand, Jack peeked through his fingers at the screen. Inside, Schiller walked into the office, with Hugo standing opposite, attracting his attention. Then a figure with green hair appeared, holding a baseball bat and viciously hitting Schiller on the head...


    "Hahaha!!" Jack in the audience burst into a series ofughter, tears streaming down his face.


    "Do you see it? That''s the ordinary person Schiller! Hahaha!"


    "Do you know the funniest part? It''s... hahaha... your posture when you fell down waspletely wrong! Ordinary person Schiller! You''ve never been knocked out before, you can''t even fake it, hahaha..."


    Victor turned to look at the Earth globe on Schiller''s shoulder and said, "It seems like Texas did turn its eyes white because of you."


    The scene on the screen shifted once again, with Schiller sitting on the interrogation chair, and Hugo turned on the light, saying, "You''re awake..."


    And in that split second before Hugo closed his eyes, Jack, leaning against the wall, revealed a mocking smile.


    Zooming in on Jack''s expression, he was looking up, as if seeing everyone in the audience from the lower stage to the upper seats, and the smile at the corner of his mouth wasn''t mocking Hugo, but rather... self-mockery.


    Jack in the audience also made the same motion of looking up at the sky and smiled.


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 Chapter 261: No Bat Incident (1)

    Chapter 261: No Bat Incident (1)


    The lightning shed, apanied by the sound of rain. The night in Gotham was always dark and terrifying. A bolt of lightning crossed the sky, illuminating the Arkham Asylum in the darkness. In the only lit room, two people were facing each other.


    When Hugo regained consciousness from dizziness, he saw a figure wearing a white coat sitting across from him, looking at him with concern.


    Hugo closed his eyes again, making an effort to move his eyeballs and clear the hazy halo in his vision. He saw that the doctor sitting across from him had green hair and a face painted like a clown.


    The doctor with green hair, known as Jack, took out a medical record from the nearby bookshelf and looked at Hugo, saying, "Hugo Strange, suffering from severe delusions, admitted for three months. This is your second follow-up visit this month. Has your condition improved?"


    Hugo opened his mouth and said, "Jack, what are you doing here?"


    Hugo lowered his head and saw himself wearing the restraints of a psychiatric patient. He struggled and twisted his body, saying, "Stop your prank! Jack, what are you trying to do? Let me go!"


    The doctor known as Jack, showed a helpless expression and said, "It seems that your condition has worsened again. Are you still imagining yourself as a psychologist and treating all doctors as patients?"


    "What are you talking about?" Hugo widened his eyes in astonishment. "I am a psychologist, and you are the mental patient who likes to call himself the Joker. We were working together before... wait!"


    Hugo shook his head vigorously, and fragments of memories floated up from his consciousness. He said, "No, I should be in Schiller''s mental world right now. How did I end up here?""Do you have new symptoms again?" Jack furrowed his brow and said to Hugo, "What story have youe up with this time?"


    "Listen, Mr. Hugo, I don''t know where you heard about those high school and college experiences, or if you made them up, but even if you describe them in detail, you are not the renowned master of psychology that you imagine yourself to be."


    "I really don''t want to spend another 20 minutes repeating your life story, but if that''s what it takes to make you more lucid, then so be it."


    "Hugo Strange, you are a truck driver working for a gang on Elizabeth Street. You are not an outsider but a local in Gotham..."


    "On a rainy night, youughed and attacked Bruce Wayne, the heir of the Wayne family, with a knife. But young Master Wayne is a good person. He realized that you had a mental illness and not only didn''t hold you responsible but also sent you here."


    "Listen, Hugo, you have to cooperate with the treatment. My time is precious, and if it weren''t for the Wayne Family''s funding, I wouldn''t be treating you here..."


    "What?! I am... What nonsense are you talking about?" Hugo said incredulously. "The background you mentioned is clearly yours, Jack. Stop joking around. It''s not funny at all. Let me go!"


    "You see, that''s how you are. Honestly, your symptoms are quite rare. Whenever you hear someone else''s background, you imagine it as your own. And you are also the most uncooperative patient I''ve ever encountered."


    Jack on the opposite side sighed and pressed a button on the table. After a while, another doctor wearing a white coat walked in. He pushed up his sses and waved to Victor, saying, "Doctor Victor, I have a headache now."


    Jack stood up from his chair and pointed at Hugo, saying to Victor, "I know he has reached the limit of his medication dosage, but his condition hasn''t improved at all..."


    Hugo on the other side had already started swaying and struggling to free himself from the restraint. He looked at Victor and said, "Victor, have you gone mad too? The mental space... where is this?"


    "Where is this?"


    Along with Victor''s voice, the room where Hugo was located transformed into a square box. It gradually shrank, and the four walls that supported the box unfolded and ttened. Piece by piece, wooden nks rose from the original walls, constructing a wooden stage. Two heavy red curtains "swooshed" down from both sides of the stage.


    Looking down from the stage, there were rows and rows of audience seats below, and Victor was sitting in the audience, asking questions. Schiller, the consciousness of Earth, answered, "This is the ''Inverted Tower.''"


    "The Inverted Tower? What is that?"


    "You can think of it as an area in my realm of thought, just like a theater."


    "The Inverted Tower is located on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors of my realm of thought. Of course, as you saw before, I had the Elevator Administrator open a backdoor for Hugo; otherwise, he wouldn''t even be able to climb the first step."


    "Why did you teleport him here? What''s special about this ce?"


    "The teleportation is random; I didn''t specify. He was just lucky."


    "What does ''lucky'' mean?"


    "I''ve mentioned before that each area in my realm of thought has special rules."


    "So what are the special rules of the Inverted Tower?"


    "The Inverted Tower is where I go to think from a different perspective. When I treat patients, I need to put myself in their shoes and understand their current mental state to determine if their stress threshold can handle my next question..."


    "So, the Inverted Tower is where you turn yourself into a patient and think from their perspective when treating them?"


    "That''s right. That''s why I said he''s lucky. The rule in the realm of consciousness is ''what you believe is true.'' But here, it''s inverted, and what you believe is the opposite is true. Hugo, who firmly believes he is a psychologist, bes a patient here, while the patients he remembers be doctors."


    "So how can he leave this ce?" asked Victor, puzzled.


    "There was a madman who passed through here while climbing the floors. He provided quite an urate demonstration."


    "What was it?"


    "When you believe you''re a doctor, you be a patient. Conversely, if you believe you''re a patient, you be a doctor."


    "Simrly, if you believe there is a staircase leading to the upper floors, then there isn''t. But if you believe there will never be a staircase to the upper floors here, then there is."


    "It''s not that difficult, really. Perhaps for an ordinary person, convincing themselves to believe somethingpletely opposite is challenging. But for someone who has made progress in psychology, it''s not too difficult. That''s why I said he''s somewhat lucky."


    "The only question is, how long will it take for Hugo to understand the rules, find the pattern, and leave this ce?"


    Victor turned his head back, his gaze once again on the stage. Meanwhile, Hugo, wearing a straitjacket, had returned to the hospital room. Clearly, he was immersed in shock and confusion.


    His first question of doubt, of course, was about why Schiller''s realm of thought was so borate.


    It wasn''t just a question of manifestation. Everything and everyone here, every item and detail, was identical to the real world. For a moment, Hugo began to doubt.


    Then came the strangeness of this space. Generally, something appearing in the realm of consciousness represents an aspect of one''s personality. For example, a pink room could represent love or contemtion of gender, while a pencil could represent the pursuit of education or childhood memories.


    But now Hugo was a bit lost. What did a mental hospital with inverted identities represent?


    Everything appearing here was indistinguishable from the real world, but precisely because of that, it seemed strange.


    Nevertheless, Hugo, in deep contemtion, began his career as a mental patient.


    After all, he was a psychologist, so he had some understanding of what mental patients would do in a mental hospital. He had tried secretly spitting out his medication, finding a way to remove the straitjacket, and even jumping off a building. But none of it was sessful because there were too many doctors keeping an eye on him¡ªJack, the one with the clown makeup, as well as Victor, Copperpot, and Alberto.


    Day after day, the rain outside Gotham''s windows never ceased. Hugo couldn''t escape the surveince of these doctors. While he was trying to think and decipher the secrets, he suddenly realized that his seemingly peaceful life was slipping into an unpredictable horror.


    When he attempted to spit out his medication again, the doctor with the clown makeup had a nurse bring a funnel and poured an entire bottle of pills into Hugo''s mouth. And when he tried to remove the straitjacket once more, they brought huge iron chains to bind him, coil by coil.


    Their treatment methods became increasingly dangerous¡ªfrom forcefully medicating Hugo to using iron chains to restrain him, and then tying him to a treatment chair and subjecting him to electric shocks...


    The rain outside the psychiatric hospital grew heavier, and the night in Gotham grew darker until one evening, a figure holding a knife entered Hugo''s hospital room. Lightning shed outside, illuminating the face of the figure¡ªa Joker with a crazed smile.


    He approached Hugo with a knife, and Hugo screamed in agony, trying to retreat, but his hands were bound by iron chains, leaving him with nowhere to escape.


    The Joker, holding the knife, sliced open Hugo''s face and peeled off his skin. Hugo screamed in excruciating pain, and in the shadows cast by the lightning on the wall, the knife fell repeatedly, sttering blood, while the maniacalughter echoed and grew more distant...


    Amidst theughter and the sound of rain, the curtain slowly closed. Victor, sitting in the audience, rubbed his arm and said, "You know, this film will definitely be ssified as suitable for viewers aged 21 and above..."


    "Things have spiraled out of control. Why?" Copperpot asked.


    "As I mentioned before, the lower the floor level, the more chaotic it bes. And as you go higher, there is more order. Within the Thought Citadel on the 330th floor, the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors are considered very low, so the rate of loss of control is incredibly fast."


    "The longer you stay there, the more severe the world''s loss of control bes. After all, this is the realm of consciousness and dreams, where all sorts of terrifying things can happen, just like when people have nightmares."


    Jenkins shivered and said, "This is truly a terrifying nightmare, where a doctor dreams of bing a patient and is tormented by the former patients..."


    "To be honest, he disappoints me a bit. The madman who climbed the Staircasest time resolved everything in less than a day. He even made the Staircase appear right in front of him and had the time to blow a few kisses to the people on this floor..."


    Speaking, Schiller tilted his head towards Jack, who was dozing off next to him, but Jack acted as if he hadn''t noticed, not responding in the slightest.


    "If this is indeed a nightmare, he should have woken up by now. What will happen next?"


    "If he wakes up, it means he has failed the challenge and will return to the first floor."


    "Well then, let''s see where the Elevator will take him next."


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 Chapter 262: No Bat Incident (2)

    Chapter 262: No Bat Incident (2)


    The rain continued to fall in Gotham, apanied by the constant rumble of thunder. The cool, damp air seeped in through the window cracks, casting a lightning reflection in the already cold coffee.


    Hugo took off his sses and rubbed his temples. He stood up from his desk, ncing at the materials and the now cold coffee, realizing that he wasn''t suited for staying upte and working overtime; he always ended up falling asleep.


    At that moment, he heard a familiar voice echoing in the room: "Hugo has woken up in his office again. The coffee he made himself at noon has already gone cold. But it doesn''t matter. If he drinks this cup of coffee, he will see a key hidden at the bottom of the cup. What door does this key open?"


    Hugo slowly reached for the cup of coffee, then brought it to his lips and drank it. The cold coffee didn''t taste good, causing Hugo to furrow his brows. Suddenly, he felt his lips touch a metallic object¡ªit was a key.


    A key that would open which door?


    Hugo shook his head and searched around his desk. He noticed a locked drawer on the right side, and he inserted the key, giving it a twist to the right. The drawer opened.


    The voice chimed in again, "Oh, it seems this is the key to open the office cab drawer! Hugo is quite clever!"


    "Hugo opened the drawer and found a schedule inside. The schedule stated that he had a ward round at Hospital Room 302 at 9:20..."


    "Hugo is a diligent doctor, and he didn''t want to miss the ward round. But where is Room 302?"Hugo opened the drawer and grabbed a piece of paper. It had a line of text written on it: "Go to Room 302 for ward round before 9:20."


    Hugo turned around and nced at the weather outside. The voice sounded again, "Hugo looked out the window and saw that it was a rainy day. He couldn''t determine the current time based on the weather outside. It seems he faced another problem¡ªfinding a watch..."


    Hugo turned his head and looked down at his wrist. The voice continued, "Hugo suddenly remembered that he was wearing a watch on his wrist."


    And so, a watch appeared on Hugo''s wrist, disying the time as 9:17. The voice persisted, "Oh no! It''s toote! It seems he only has 3 minutes to reach Room 302. Hugo knew he had to act quickly!"


    Hugo briskly walked away from his desk and approached the door. He twisted the doorknob but found it wouldn''t open. The voice spoke again, "Undoubtedly, this is another door that requires a key. Hugo needs to find the key."


    As Hugo started to anxiously search the room, flipping things over, the voice kept whispering in his ear, "This is really strange, isn''t it? This isn''t a game. Why does every door require a specific key?"


    "To be honest, I hate those games where you have to solve puzzles every few steps. It''s aplete waste of my time. Why don''t we take a more efficient approach, like kicking the door open? What do you think?"


    "Don''t worry, you''re just in a hurry to do your rounds for the sake of the patients. It''ste now, and your colleagues have already left. No one will see you..."


    Hugo paused his actions and looked at the door. It was just a wooden door, but in Hugo''s sight, the wooden panels of the door rapidly aged, bing unstable. He felt that instead of wasting time looking for a key, it would be better to kick the door open with one powerful kick.


    He walked to the door, raised his foot, and prepared to kick it. Just as his foot was about to make contact with the door, the door transformed into a giant red button. Countless warning lights in the room started shing frantically, apanied by a piercing rm.


    When Hugo''s foot hit the button, triggering its activation, the wallpaper on the walls of the room peeled away, revealing various types of bombs inside. Amidst the intense explosion, Hugo was blown to pieces.


    Thest image he saw before his death was himself standing outside the door, wearing a malicious smile.


    Seeing Hugo return to the first floor, Victor asked, "This should be another special area, right?"


    "Correct, I call it the Realm of Self-Control."


    "What was that voice that kept misleading Hugo?"


    "He is called ''Temptation''."


    As the others looked puzzled, Schiller began to exin once again, "We live in society and inevitably need to abide by rules, but following the rules is not an easy task. People often face many temptations."


    "He lies, creates illusions, and step by step leads people to break the rules. The temptation Hugo faced was minor. It only created a scenario of his ordinary work routine and enticed him to kick that button step by step..."


    "When I went there, he wasn''t so gentle with me. Dealing with multipleyers of traps is just a walk in the park for him."


    "Then how do we leave from here? Since you said that temptation can set infinite traps and lure us in various ways, how can we break through this floor?"


    "Well, there are many methods. Although temptation creates illusions and traps, there are always ws. It''s hard for me to exin the specific methods, but there is still one correct example..."


    "Remember the crazy guy who climbed the staircasest time? After he entered this floor, he sat still and started chatting with temptation until he drove it crazy. Temptation cried and ran to the upper floor toin. That''s how he passed."


    Schiller turned his head to Jack, who continued to ignore him.


    "Alright, but now Hugo seems to have returned to the first floor. What should we do this time?"


    Schiller sighed. Although Victor didn''t know how to sigh in the Earth realm, he could still hear Schiller''s sigh. Schiller continued, "To be honest, he''s a bit disappointing... Or maybe the performance of that crazy guy set my expectations too high for challengers."


    "Never mind. I''ll inform the elevator administrator to teleport Hugo to a higher floor."


    The pouring rain gradually weakened, turning into a fine and chilly drizzle. The raindrops fell from the twilight light, resembling golden powder floating from the sky.


    When Hugo woke up, he found himself tied to a chair and saw a person with a strange appearance approaching him.


    His head was cylindrical, his body square, and his arms and legs were also square. He wore a dark cape on his back.


    He pointed a finger forward, and Hugo saw that his hand was in the shape of a capital letter "C," connected to his arm like a wrench. He stretched out his hand and pointed behind Hugo, saying, "Release him! Joker! Or else, I''ll make you regret it!"


    Hugo strained to look back and saw another person with a simr appearance standing behind him. However, this Joker was wearing a purple suit and had Joker makeup on his face. This Joker also extended his "C" shaped hand and said, "Batman! It''s time to make a choice, you..."


    Just as they were speaking, with a loud "snap," the entire world went dark, and Hugo was thrown back to a previous floor. Victor stood up from the audience seats and eximed, "Wait! What''s going on? Why are all the people here made of building blocks? Where are we?"


    Victor saw Schiller hurriedly pulling down the curtain, and with a guilty tone, he said, "This is a floor with an unmentionable name. Don''t ask any more..."


    Victor pondered for a moment, then smirked and said, "...I never thought you could be so childish. Are you hiding in your own room, ying with building block figurines in a role-ying game?"


    "No, I''m not. Don''t make up stories. And if I were to y, I wouldn''t y as them..."


    At that moment, Jack woke up, squinted his eyes, and looked up, revealing a gloating smile.


    Following his gaze, Victor''s vision rose higher and higher, passing throughyers of floors, until it stopped at a slightly dim projection room.


    In the projection room, there were two sofas, and two figures sat on them¡ªone in white and one in ck. The figure in white wore a whiteb coat, while the figure in ck wore a long ck coat. Both figures were Schiller.


    Marvel Schiller in the whiteb coat let out a sigh and said, "That was close. If we had continued, not only would our dark history have been exposed, but also copyright issues..."


    Then, he looked at Schiller beside him and smiled, saying, "But it doesn''t matter. After all, it''s your dark history."


    "That''s a stereotype. Why can''t adults y with building blocks?" DC Schiller replied.


    "But you live in Gotham City, and you have a DC world building block in your mind, and you y with figurines in role-ying games. It does seem a bit strange, doesn''t it?"


    "Even if this floor doesn''t count. Hugo should be close to his breaking point by now," DC Schiller changed the topic.


    "ording to our previous spection, when hepletely believes in it and reaches a certain level of conviction, he can use his obsession to open a pathway to the deep consciousness," he continued.


    "In theory, that''s how it should work, but whether our n can seed is still uncertain," Marvel Schiller said.


    "Excluding the previous floor, so which floor should we choose next?"


    "Let''s trap him in the 190th floor, where that lunatic was trapped for a long time..."


    When Hugo woke up again, he found himself in a vast white space, and in front of him was a dancing apple.


    This apple had ck thread-like hands and feet, just like in aic book, and it was performing ballet.


    He watched the apple dance like that, while everyone in the audience seats watched him watching the dancing apple. Yawned, Victor asked, "What kind of ce is this? Why is there a dancing apple?"


    "This ce..." Schiller also yawned. Victor couldn''t tell how an Earthling yawned, but he heard the sound of Schiller yawning.


    "This is the Boredom za. Just as the name suggests, the theme here is boredom. It brings forth the most boring things that you can think of. It seems that Doctor Hugo finds watching an apple dance the most boring thing."


    "Then how did the previous expert ovee this floor?"


    "In fact, he hasn''t ovee this floor yet."


    "Can we see his current situation? Can you switch the stage for us? I''m quite curious."


    Schiller stood up, and Victor thought he was going to walk over to the stage to switch it. However, he walked over to Jack instead and pointed at him, saying, "This is his current situation."


    Jack had one eye closed and slightly opened the other eye, ncing at Schiller, then closed that eye again.


    Schiller exined, "He''s a lunatic who has gone crazy because Batman isn''t in Gotham."


    "A crazy lunatic?"


    "Yes, ording to the double negative theory, we call people like him ''normal''."


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 Chapter 263: No Bat Incident (3)

    Chapter 263: No Bat Incident (3)


    After countless dances, Hugo couldn''t bear it anymore. This waspletely an irrational space of consciousness!


    Standing from a god''s perspective and with Schiller''s exnation, thepositional rtionship wasn''tplicated. In simple terms, this ce was actually the embodiment of Schiller''s thinking.


    For example, the "Inverted Tower" represented Schiller''s process of empathetic thinking, the "Conflict of Self-Control" represented his choices when faced with temptation, and the nameless brick theater represented his way of entertaining himself. The boring square... well, it just represented boredom.


    These thoughts and emotions were something everyone would experience. If these were transposed onto an ordinary person, it would probably be the same. For example, the process of learning knowledge could be visualized as a library of graphical books, and the process of self-reflection could be visualized as a meditation room, and so on.


    However, this perspective was only from the high-dimensional god''s viewpoint. If a time traveler was suddenly thrown into these rooms, they would certainly be bewildered, not knowing what was going on.


    Hugo possessed abundant professional knowledge, and he understood that this was the embodiment of Schiller''s thinking. However, he couldn''tprehend what these things actually represented.


    From his perspective, he was initially transported to a hospital full of mad doctors and subjected to various tortures before being frightened awake.


    After waking up, he found himself in an office where a voice inexplicably guided him to detonate a bomb, only to be frightened awake again.


    He then discovered that he had been kidnapped by a wooden figure with green hair in the shape of a letter C, but before he could be frightened awake, the power was cut off.Then he was transported to a void space, watching an apple dance more than six hundred times.


    If this story were written in some literary work, there would surely be many readers''ments. Theposition of this stream of consciousness was a bit premature for carbon-based life forms.


    If we say that the first scene could be understood as the embodiment of Schiller''s obsession with work and the problems encountered inmunicating with patients, and the second scene could barely be understood as the fantasies during work setbacks and cking off, and the third scene could reluctantly be exined as childhood fantasies...


    But Hugo couldn''t imagine what an apple dancing more than six hundred times represented.


    What did it represent, exactly?


    What else could it represent?!


    Damn it, what the hell does it represent, damn it???


    Hugo gave up, or rather, he had already lost hope.


    But that was normal too. Anyone watching an apple with hands and feet perform all ssical music and ballet and opera songs in the world would have simr emotions. It couldn''t be described as being overwhelmed with excitement; it could also be described as a profound realization.


    However, before he lost hope, Hugo still had onest thing to do. He hadn''t forgotten. He had a machine button that could influence people''s emotions and bring forth their greatest fears.


    Finally, before Hugo pressed the button, the whole world quieted down. Everyone in the audience turned to look around their surroundings, only to realize that nothing had happened.


    "Did your experiment fail? It seems like the pathway to the depths of consciousness hasn''t opened."


    "No... perhaps it has already opened, but..." Schiller stood up again, leading everyone to the entrance of the theater. He opened the doors, revealing the vast sky outside.


    An irresistible strong wind rushed in, but Victor still stood on the side and nced. He noticed that the doors had transformed into the shape of airne windows, and outside the windows, there was a clearly visible airne wing.


    "Are you most afraid of flying?"


    Schiller shook his head, and then others saw that the clouds started to thin out. The ne gradually descended, and the city below grewrger. The ne flew lower and lower, finallynding smoothly.


    "And then?" Vincent asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "I''m not afraid of taking a ne, but rather the smoothnding of the ne I''m on."


    "If one day, I feel a turbulence and wake up from a dream only to find myself sitting in an airne seat, everything was just a dream I had during the flight..."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "...that would be terrifying."


    No one understood what he meant except Jack, who said, "What an amazing and wonderful dream. But next, you will have to get up from the chair, get your luggage, greet the flight attendants, and then disembark from the ne. What will you do next? I don''t know, but it will surely be something ordinary and boring..."


    "A person who fears an ordinary life but pretends to be an ordinary person..." Jack smirked. "Well, it''s a bit funny..."


    "But far less funny than a person who fears bats but pretends to be a bat, hahaha!"


    Just then, a rabbit hole appeared in front of them. Schiller said to Jack, "Stopughing and get to work. Don''t forget our deal."


    "You don''t expect me to jump into that rabbit hole, do you?" Jack looked at Schiller and they stared at each other until Schiller snapped his fingers.


    In an instant, Jack''s clothes turned into a blue and white Lolita dress. The Joker nced at his own outfit and continued to stare at Schiller. Schiller stared back and said, "Isn''t this outfit suitable enough for a rabbit hole? Which version of ''Alice''s Adventures in Wondend'' are you referring to?"


    Evans covered his eyes, finding Jack''s appearance extremely dazzling. He said, "Whoever of you is going crazy, if you don''t make him leave soon, I''ll go crazy!"


    "Why isn''t it a rabbit jumping into the rabbit hole?" Copperpot asked, and Victor replied, "That''s what I emphasized to you before, the importance of reading books. I have a deluxe edition of ''Alice''s Adventures in Wondend,'' and I''ll give it to youter."


    Jack and Schiller remained deadlocked, and finally, Schiller said, "Let me tell you a joke, and then you jump in. How about that?"


    "What joke are you going to tell?"


    "The rabbit jumps into the rabbit hole first, and then Alice jumps into the rabbit hole too. The bat jumps into the bat cave first, and then who jumps into the bat cave?"


    "Hahaha! It''s Jack! Jack also jumps into the bat cave! It''s me! Of course, it''s me! Hahahaha!"


    Jack burst into manicughter and then ran toward the rabbit hole, diving in headfirst like a diver.


    "I don''t understand what you guys are going crazy about. Is that rabbit hole a passage to your subconscious?"


    "That''s right..." Schiller said as he watched Jack disappear into the rabbit hole.


    "Then why did you let him jump in?"


    "Where are we?" Schiller asked a question, but before Victor could answer, he answered it himself, "This is my mental space, but essentially, everything that happens here is like a dream."


    "If wepare oneyer of my dream to the surface, then the 330yers above it would be equivalent to the buildings on the ground, while everything below the surface belongs to the basement."


    "Not only are there manyyers in the buildings above the ground, but there are also manyyers in the basement. A skilled adventurer is not only good at climbing up, but also adept at descending."


    "Why descend? Why go down?"


    "What do you think is at the very top of my mental pce?"


    Hmm... If we follow this theory, the very top should be the real world, right? As long as you climb to the top, you can control your body and move in the real world?"


    "That''s right. Now, what do you think is at the very bottom of the basement?"


    Victor narrowed his eyes, and the other two started thinking because of this question. Copperpot asked, "Is there really a bottom?"


    "Of course, as long as you dig deep enough, one day you will reach the bottom."


    "So Jack went to help you dig the basement?"


    "He not only has to help me dig the basement but also, after reaching the bottom, he has to... do something unpleasant for me there."


    The mental space gradually dissipated, and the dream began to fade away. After their consciousness returned to their bodies, Victor shook his head somewhat drowsily. He turned and saw Schiller sitting behind the table, holding an Earth sphere that kept spinning when ced on the table.


    This scene looked familiar, and Victor even looked around specifically but didn''t notice anything unusual. Schiller saw his actions and said, "That''s one of the aftereffects of lucid dreaming. After waking up, you will doubt whether you''re still dreaming, but I can assure you that this is indeed the real world."


    Vincent and Copperpot both stood up from the sofa, stretching their somewhat stiff bodies. Only Jack, lying on the single sofa, was still asleep.


    "Is what you told us in the dream true? Did Jack dig into your subconscious? What exactly will he dig up? What does it mean when you said...?" Victor paused for a moment, still unable to utter that slightly vulgar word.


    "When you want to make a fish surface, besides using bait to lure it, there''s another method..."


    "What method is that?"


    "Pouring excrement into its home."


    Copperpot had a sudden realization on his face. Clearly, he remembered some past situations, and that expression turned into disgust and a little sympathy.


    The other two were somewhat puzzled, but they didn''t inquire further.


    After the group left, the sky darkened once again. Schiller sat on the sofa as usual, reading a book and listening to music.


    Before long, he felt a wave of drowsiness creeping in. Schiller took out the energizing medicine he had prepared and poured it into his mouth, but the drowsiness grew deeper, to the point where he could hardly keep his eyes open.


    In the depths of his mind, a voice said to him, "Sleep, sleep, go to sleep..."


    And Schiller''s response was, "No, I won''t sleep, I won''t sleep at all."


    Sleep... go to sleep...


    No, not tired, not sleeping...


    "You''re tired! Sleep!"


    "I''m not tired at all! I can hold on for at least another 20 hours!"


    "But I can''t hold on anymore!!!" the voice shouted.


    In an instant, Schiller''s vision went ck, and when he regained consciousness, there was a pale, slender man in a robe standing before him, ring at him with anger in his eyes.


    As if expecting this, Schiller stood up from the sofa and asked, "Excuse me, are you ''Sleep Demon'' Morpheus?"


    "Yes, I am Morpheus. You..."


    Schiller interrupted him, opening his arms and saying, "Morpheus, I''vee to negotiate terms."


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 Chapter 264: Where will the dream go (1)

    Chapter 264: Where will the dream go (1)


    It is well known that many editors of Americanics have amon approach. When they don''t know how to express an abstract concept, they personify it as a character, allowing them to appear in theic in human form and giving them human characteristics.


    On the contrary, if they don''t know how to motivate an ordinary person to participate in something, they add divinity to their character, known as the "awakening of the savior."


    "Humanity as gods" and "divine humans" are two eternal themes in Americanics, and the character Morpheus, the "Sleeping Devil," happens to be one of the former.


    To talk about his origin, we have to start with the Endless Family.


    The Endless Family is a creation born from the personification of abstract concepts into humanoid characters with human characteristics.


    There are a total of seven members in this family, representing Dream, Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium, and Destruction.


    These concepts are intangible in real life, but inics, they have fixed images and each has its own responsibilities and personalities.


    And Morpheus, also known as the Dream Lord, is the one appearing before Schiller.


    As is well known, conceptual beings are generally very powerful. Unlike superheroes whose strength is assessed based on their aplishments, these conceptual characters are already formidable based on their attributes alone.Morpheus, the Dream Lord, is the master of dreams. When the first being in the universe falls asleep, Morpheus is born. He can create dreamscapes with a thousand cats, making dreams rece reality or making people''s lives resemble their dreams.


    Different from Marvel''s emphasis on the power of conceptual beings or the distinction of their domains, DCics prefer to highlight their unique personalities. For example, Morpheus, the Dream Lord, is actually the most dedicated member of the Endless Family, apart from Destiny.


    In theics, it has been mentioned that he fulfills his responsibilities with extreme caution. Despite having immense power, he has never let that power cause chaos. He has a solitary personality, few friends, and often engages in philosophical contemtion.


    Due to the nature of his domain, which is not closely rted to the domains of other members of the Endless Family, he has always remained mysterious. He has had countless external forms, but always presents only one or two of them. In most cases, he is a man with deep blue hair, wearing a cloak made of the night, and appears pale and thin.


    The person appearing before Schiller is the same. However, it is more likely that each person sees a different Morpheus, and he appears as they perceive him. In Schiller''s memory, he still resembles the Morpheus from theics, hence his appearance.


    The original work has also mentioned that the first incarnation of Morpheus was capricious, but now he has surpassed mere capriciousness and seems somewhat exasperated.


    He stared at Schiller with his eyes shining brightly, then in a hoarse voice said, "Why did you connect your dreams to my Dream Realm and put someone inside..."


    His expression at this moment is difficult to describe, which is quite rare. Conceptual beings, even if they have personalities, do not express emotions as clearly as ordinary humans. Moreover, Morpheus has always been somewhat reclusive. However, you can now see on his face a mix of disdain, disgust, confusion, bewilderment after being awakened, and anger at his own messed-up home.


    Speaking of the Dream Realm, it is not difficult to understand. Each member of the Endless Family has their own domain where they are almost omniscient and omnipotent. The realm of the Dream Lord is called the Dream Realm, which sounds somewhat dreamlike. But at this moment, it is uncertain whether the current state of the Dream Realm, which has been defiled, still matches this dreamlike style.


    "Before you ask me that question, I have many questions of my own to ask you," Schiller said as he looked at Morpheus. "I think you must be prepared to answer my questions, right?"


    "Don''t tell me you know nothing about my situation."


    "First, make that madman leave my home," Morpheus reiterated. "Do you know what he has done in the Dream Realm?"


    "I can imagine. I feel deeply sorry and sympathetic."


    Morpheus looked at Schiller, and Schiller looked back at Morpheus. Neither of them was willing to back down, but fortunately, they were in the dream realm now, where time is abundant.


    Perhaps it was because the Joker had truly done something outrageously appalling, or perhaps Morpheus himself was somewhat interested in Schiller. In the end, he made the first concession and said, "What do you want to ask? But I must first tell you that many things I know cannot be described to you humans. The world as we see it is different."


    "Of course, of course, I understand..." Schiller made a soothing gesture with his hand and invited Morpheus to sit on the sofa opposite him.


    On the table behind him, the Earth globe kept spinning, but this time, he didn''t have a globe as a head, just like in real life, he had a normal human appearance.


    "Before I ask my questions, I think you must also have some doubts. For example, why I wanted to find you and how I found you."


    Schiller appeared very rxed, as if he wasn''t facing a formidable enemy but an old friend. He exined to Morpheus, "Being able to control all dreams means you can ess all of my memories, including both the surface conscious space and the deep subconscious space. So, regarding my origin, I don''t think I need to introduce myself too much."


    "In fact, I started having doubts when I first experienced some changes in my dreams. I knew that this ce waspletely different from the world I originally lived in. All the concepts here are controlled by you, some concepts or deities."


    "It sounds incredible, but it actually makes it convenient for me to reason because if there is a problem in a certain domain, there must be someone responsible for it."


    "For example, if something always happens when I''m asleep, who else can I turn to?"


    "Of course, I understand that the domains you control are crucial to this universe. So, you''re busy and don''t have time to exin certain details to me. I can understand that. But it''s okay. Since you didn''te to talk to me, I cane to your doorstep and ring the doorbell..."


    Morpheus''s face turned very ugly. Although he always had a paleplexion, now anyone could tell that his expression was extremely unnatural. He said, "Is that how you knock on the door? By bringing a madman who is not under the control of dreams, or rather, someone who can''t evenprehend dreams, into my house???"


    Morpheus''s voice carried a strange rhythm, like a singing opera singer. He said, "You have no idea how dangerous of a thing you''ve done. He almost caused a huge hole in the Dream Realm. Luckily, I woke up in time to stop him. If he had seeded, the creatures within the Dream Realm would have escaped..."


    Morpheus shook his head and said, "All my work for millennia would have been in vain. It would likely take another millennia to fix this ident."


    "This was just an experiment of mine." Schiller didn''t shirk responsibility and continued, "You see, I''m just an ordinary human. I have no idea how loud a doorbell needs to be to wake up you conceptual beings..."


    "So, you decided to use the loudest one?"


    "Exactly. When something frequently happens in my dreams, I know who to find. And next, it''s about how I can find you."


    "I believe that since you are the Dream God, you must control the dreams of everyone in this world, including mine. The only question is, how do you control these dreams of people?"


    "I''m well aware that there is absolutely no trace of you in my surface conscious space. I have strong control over my surface conscious space, including constructing a thought pce with over 330yers and creating countless personalities as residents, establishing many domains with special rules. I have meticulous control over this ce, and I am certain that there are no outsiders living here."


    "So, I guess you must be in a deeper level of the subconscious space."


    "However, when I built the thought pce, Iid a very solid foundation for my surface conscious. This has led to an awkward situation where I can''t pry open thisyer of the foundation by myself. It''s like asking someone to lift their left foot and touch the sky with their right foot in the real world. It''s incredibly difficult."


    "So, when I discovered a remarkable drug that could affect human dreams, I had this idea. I asked a friend of mine to mix certain liquids together and create a kind of wine that can connect to human dreams..."


    "Then I invited my friends into this realm of consciousness and, with the help of another psychologist, dug through the foundation of the surface conscious, allowing Jack to enter my deep subconscious and keep digging downwards..."


    "Actually, before you appeared, I wasn''t sure if digging deeper would lead to your dream realm. But now it seems my spection was correct..."


    "Reality and dreams are two sides of the same coin. If the highest point of my thought pce is ''reality,'' then the bottommost point of my deep subconscious should be your dream realm."


    "And the reason I woke you up with a doorbell is because I hope you can answer my question..."


    Schiller looked at Morpheus and said, "What is the thing that keeps happening in my dreams?"


    "If I don''t answer, are you nning to let that annoying doorbell keep ringing?"


    "Don''t say it like that." Schiller waved his hand and said, "Just like you can''t control him, I can''t control him either. Although I made a trivial little deal with him, he goes wherever he wants, and I can''t control that."


    "In that case, let me rephrase..." Morpheus''s tone remained cold and carried the emotion of a secluded and introverted person resistant tomunication.


    "If I answer your question, will you be able to get rid of him?"


    "That''s correct."


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 Chapter 265: Where Will the Dream Go (2)

    Chapter 265: Where Will the Dream Go (2)


    "I don''t know how you ended up here," Morpheus''s first sentence made Schiller frowned, but he could sense that Morpheus wasn''t lying.


    If someone like this conceptual entity didn''t want to talk about it, no one could force them. Although it was annoying to have a clown barging into their home, it didn''t reach the level of a threat. Since Morpheus chose to speak, it meant he was willing to share, so there was no need for further lies.


    "But we found you the moment you arrived here."


    "We? Who else besides you?"


    "Destiny. No one in all the universes can escape the eyes of Destiny. The moment you arrived here, he discovered you."


    Schiller frowned. He didn''t expect there to be a concept of destiny here.


    "Destiny" was the oldest and most unique entity in the Endless Family, and one could even say that he transcended the Endless Family itself, being the highest being in the entire DC multiverse.


    Before the birth of the universe, it was already recorded in the first page of the Book of Destiny, which meant that Destiny surpassed everything in the universe.


    In most cases, Destiny appeared as a man with a hood, without eyes, but observing everything. He held a Book of Souls in his hands, chained to his arm. However, inics, it was also shown that he could take the book off his arm and give it to others."The Book of Souls," Morpheus mentioned a term.


    "It is a book that records everything in this universe, past, present, future, everything tangible and intangible, everything that has appeared or will appear... is recorded in this book..."


    "Except for you."


    After Morpheus finished this conclusion, he stopped speaking, and Schiller remained silent, creating a moment of silence in the room.


    After a while, Morpheus seemed to be lost in his memories. He said, "One day, Destiny came to find me. It was a rare urrence, not many peoplee to me."


    "He told me that he discovered a person, someone who wasn''t recorded in the Book of Souls. We observed you together, but we found nothing."


    "In the past, there have been beings from other universesing to this universe, but as soon as they enter this universe, their names will be inscribed in the Book of Souls, and Destiny can write their stories in this book."


    "But you appeared, and your name didn''t. So Destiny found me, hoping that I could observe you from the realm of dreams and find out the reason for this."


    "I can observe anyone''s dreams in the Dreaming, and when I saw the magnificent structure in your dream, I was genuinely surprised." Morpheus''s tone raised a bit.


    "I have never seen such a building in anyone else''s dream. I was intrigued, but it didn''t serve any purpose because I didn''t find the reason for your uniqueness here..."


    "Destiny told me that a name that doesn''t exist in the Book of Souls, a person without a story, can potentially have a significant impact on the coherence of the universe. He mustplete your name and story."


    "Destiny asked me to anchor your existence in the realm of dreams, and then he started to write down your name, but in that instant... you disappeared."


    "Disappeared?" Schiller narrowed his eyes.


    "Yes, at the moment Destiny was about to write, you vanished from this universe. Even I couldn''t hold onto your dream."


    "I can''t describe exactly what happened because our perspectives are different, but the fact is, in an instant, you and your dream left here."


    "What does ''Origin Wall'' refer to?"


    "Everything within the ''Origin Wall.''"


    "I passed through the Origin Wall?"


    "We don''t know if you passed through the Origin Wall. We didn''t see anything."


    Schiller kept his eyes narrowed. It was hard to believe that a nearly supreme conceptual entity in the DC universe would tell him that he saw nothing.


    "Believe it or not, that''s the truth," Morpheus interlocked his somewhat thin fingers. He said, "When you returned, Destiny didn''t take any further action. It seemed like he acquiesced to everything. I don''t know what he''s thinking..."


    "Why did all of this happen while I was asleep?"


    "I don''t know," Morpheus shook his head. Then he spected on another possibility.


    "It might be rted to my anchoring in your dreams. That''s just my guess... I don''t know where you went, but there was always a beacon left by me in the depths of your dreams."


    Schiller understood Morpheus''s spection. The beacon in the dream was like a rope tied to Schiller. When he left this universe for Marvel, that rope ensured that he could return to this universe.


    He knew that the phenomenon of crossing over was likely caused by the system, but he didn''t ask Morpheus about it because he wasn''t sure if Destiny and the Dream Lord observed the mysterious system.


    Morpheus exined everything, yet it felt like nothing was exined. Schiller asked, "Why didn''t Destiny try to write my name in the Book of Souls again?"


    "I don''t know. He didn''t tell me. From start to finish, I only observed you in your dreams for a while and left a beacon in your deep dreams. If you want answers to those questions, you''ll probably have to ask Destiny yourself."


    Upon saying this, the Dream Lord suddenly showed a peculiar expression and said, "No... I don''t suggest you install a doorbell at his ce. It''s better not to do that."


    "Since the beginning of universal existence, we each have our roles, and our work is not meaningless. The domains controlled by each member of the Endless Family are crucial to the universe, and Destiny is no exception."


    "As I told you before, a name that doesn''t exist in the Book of Souls can potentially harm the universe. He wanted to write your name in it; that was one of his tasks. But in the end, he gave up doing so. Although I don''t know why, he must have his reasons."


    "We are not interested in the existence of any individual. We don''t care about how your lives unfold or what you have done in your respective lives..."


    "When I first saw your dreams, I was somewhat surprised. You were the first human to astonish me. Before you, no matter how many dreams I experienced, I never had this feeling."


    "Perhaps that is your uniqueness. Maybe you are special to every member of the Endless Family, but you haven''te into contact with the other members yet..."


    "The other members?" Schiller recalled and said, "Let''s not talk about the others for now. I should have encountered Desire, right?"


    Morpheus shook his head and said, "Desire doesn''t work at all."


    "I once heard a story whispered in the winds of the Dreaming..." Morpheus'' tone always carried a poetic beauty.


    "Death is my sister. Each person she takes away every day in every century deepens her understanding of her responsibility..."


    "It''s not a wonderful feeling, to feel the inevitable fate of everything and everyone heading towards an end. It is the price she pays for her great power. Therefore, I often wonder, what price will I have to pay for my abilities?"


    Schiller seemed captivated by his description. He always enjoyed topics rted to philosophy and said, "I have always been curious about the perspective of higher-dimensional beings. I have been specting about how you think and what conclusions you can draw."


    Morpheus gave a peculiar expression and said, "Until today, you have made me understand that it is not I who create dreams, but dreams that create me."


    "The doorbell you brought in made me feel that it is the price I have to pay to control the dream."


    "He was too mad, utterly unreasonable. I tried many methods, but he always found a way to escape my control and turn my home into a mess."


    Upon hearing Morpheus sigh lightly, Schiller said, "Perhaps it''s not me controlling the dream, but the dream controlling me..."


    As he sighed, the spinning Earth globe on the table gradually came to a halt. When Schiller woke up, the figure across from him had disappeared as if it had never been there.


    Schiller stood up, walked to the back of the table, and picked up the Earth globe from the table. He spun it slowly with his hand and spoke into the air, "If a dream is too real, when you wake up, you will doubt if you are still dreaming."


    "And perhaps, the price the Dream Lord has to pay is never knowing if they truly exist or... just a dream."


    Schiller''s sigh echoed in the room. Suddenly, Jack, who was lying on the single sofa, woke up. He rubbed his eyes, sat up from the sofa, and sat there with a wide grin on his face.


    He gestured with his hands, seemingly trying to describe the incredibly joyful dream he just had. Suddenly, his hands froze in mid-air, as if experiencing a sudden drop back to reality, instantly causing him to be disheartened. His smile slowly faded and turned into a downturned expression.


    He sat dejectedly on the sofa, covering his face with his hands and said, "I''m back to this boring reality again. Oh, my goodness..."


    Schiller looked at the Earth globe that had stopped in his hand and said to Jack, "Your boring days are about to end. Batman should be back soon."


    Jack moved slightly, lifted his face, and revealed his eyes through the gaps between his fingers. He looked at Schiller and said, "Should I prepare a big surprise to wee him home?"


    "It''s up to you."


    Schiller ced the Earth globe on the table and turned around, taking a book from the bookshelf.


    Jack whistled and approached the table, then, just a second before Schiller turned around, he grabbed the Earth globe and held it in his arms.


    He held the Earth globe as if embracing a dance partner and said to it, "Look! My precious... I love you so much. I can imagine how much joy you will bring me. Let''s dance together, right now..."


    In the twilight-lit Manor living room, Schiller sat quietly behind the table, reading a book, while Jack spun and danced around the living room with the Earth globe in his arms.


    The light of the setting sun poured into the room as Jack circled round and round, his face filled with a blissful smile.


    When he finally stopped, the Earth globe started spinning again, deepening the smile on Jack''s face.


    At that moment, Bruce''s car raced down the road until arge signboard appeared in his field of view, which read, "Gotham ahead."


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 Chapter 266: Where will the dream go (2)

    Chapter 266: Where will the dream go (2)


    Selina grabbed her bag and stepped out of the car, turning back to give Bruce an air kiss as she said, "Thank you, darling. I had a great time. I need to go pack my luggage now. See you tomorrow afternoon!"


    Bruce leaned to the side, extending his hand to open Selina''s car door. Selina understood his gesture, walked back, leaned forward, and nestled into Bruce''s embrace, giving his cheek a kiss.


    Then she quickly left, and Bruce touched the spot on his cheek where Selina had kissed him. He sighed, thinking that he was really bing a bit infatuated.


    If someone had told him a year ago that he would spend several days driving along the East Coast, he would have found it more unbearable than being imprisoned. But who knew that love could be so unreasonable? When Selina said she had a great time, all his guilt about wasting time vanished.


    Of course, now that the vacation was over, he had to return to his normal life. Bruce slowly started the car and drove back to Wayne Manor. When the night fellpletely, he got into the Batmobile, dressed in his Bat-suit, and left the Manor to continue perfecting his Batcave.


    After all this time, the Batcave was mostly built, with only a few light equipment pieces left to be installed. The Batmobile roared through the streets of Gotham at night. However, as soon as he passed an intersection, a bright light dazzled his eyes. He squinted and looked towards the right side of the road, where a huge truck was parked.


    The intense light came from the truck''s high beams. The two headlights flickered, and when the light went out, Batman saw the terrifying smiling face on the driver''s seat of the truck.


    His instincts started screaming, and Batman mmed on the gas pedal, but it was toote. The massive truck had already rushed towards him. Batman pressed a button in front of him, and in an instant, the seat ejected, propelling him out. He tumbled on the ground, rolling twice before standing up.


    The heavy truck collided with the Batmobile, flipping it entirely. When it hit the ground, fragments of the windshield and roof scattered around. Then, the front of the giant truck exploded, and the mes erupted like a stationary cigarette fire in the dark."Wee home, Batman, hahahaha!"


    A series of piercingughter echoed from the darkness. Batman squinted and saw that figure.


    Just like a destined confrontation, they faced each other in the darkness of Gotham. The person opposite him, with Joker''s makeup, didn''t hold any weapons and appeared fragile.


    But Batman''s heartbeat elerated, and blood rushed to his head. He didn''t know if he was feeling fear or excitement.


    "Did you have a good vacation, Batman?"


    Joker looked into Batman''s eyes, a smile on his face, seemingly expecting an affirmative answer. But quickly, he made a sad expression and said, "But I''m not happy, Batman. Do you know? Do you know what I''ve been through recently?"


    "I was captured by a crazy psychologist and taken to the hospital! He conducted his terrible dream experiments on me. He threw me into the depths of the subconscious, where I had to face a terrifying monster!"


    Suddenly, he stopped and turned to look at the wreckage of the truck''s explosion. He screamed, using his fingers to pry open his eye sockets, sliding four fingers down from his eyelids, making a terrified expression. He said, "Oh my God, what did I see?"


    He hurriedly ran over, frantically searching through the debris of the explosion. Suddenly, he found a piece of tire that hadn''t beenpletely burnt. Holding the fragment, he said, "My Miss Tire, she''s dead, sob. It was she who kept mepany in your absence..."


    Batman stood there, watching the Joker''s performance. He didn''t say anything; he just frowned.


    Rain started to pour in Gotham, and before long, it turned into a heavy downpour. Lightning streaked across the sky, and rainwater sshed on the wreckage in the middle of the road, carrying the scent of burning far away.


    At that moment, the Joker stood up. He stood in the rain, without armor, without a cape, without weapons. He stood alone, like a thin and pale ghost.


    The rain smeared his makeup, as if his entire skin was melting away, but he still wore that crazy smile and said to Batman, "You think I''m an annoying madman, don''t you?"


    "Always popping up from various ces, causing you a lot of trouble, showing you performances you don''t like and can''t understand, saying crazy things you don''t want to hear and can''tprehend..."


    "But, Batman, I will make you understand..."


    His smile became increasingly manic. Within that terrifying expression and movement, stripped away from the absurd and bizarre sense of humor, only danger and madness remained.


    He took out a button from his pocket and said to Batman, "Have you ever made an important decision in your life? The kind of decision that can change your life''s path?"


    "I just made one such decision."


    "I made a bet with someone, Batman..."


    "I bet that you won''t disappoint me, so now..."


    The Joker looked straight at Batman through the rain and said, "...the game begins."


    With a loud bang, the button was pressed, and Batman turned his head. He saw a violent ze rising from somewhere in the city.


    As the button hit the ground, tiny sshes of water flew up. When the ripples subsided, only the Joker''s mad smile remained, while Batman had disappeared.


    The next night, in the cold rain apanied by sharp rms, a massive Bat-Signal lit up the sky above Gotham. Gordon held the phone and said, "Get the negotiator up there fast!! What the hell does that maniac want?"


    He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, looking at the nearby building''s rooftop. There was only one figure standing there, but the side of the building was lined with ropes, each with a person tied to it.


    On the television, the Joker''s face looked even more terrifying in the rain. He held the camera and said, "Do you know? Just yesterday, in the underground passages of twelve major streets in Gotham, I asked all the homeless people who they hated the most. I asked them who they thought caused their miserable lives..."


    "Many peopleined to me about various things. Their bosses fired them, theirndlords evicted them, convenience stores and restaurants didn''t provide them with free food, yes, yes, all sorts of things like that..."


    "And I, Hero Jack! I weep for their tragic fate, so, hahahahahahahaha!!" The Joker burst into a series of maniacalughter and said, "I brought their enemies here!"


    He took a deep breath, shrugged his shoulders, one hand supporting the camera, the other pointing to the edge of the rooftop, and shouted, "Can you see it? Bums! Your enemies... are about to... about to die!"


    "Hahahahahahahaha!"


    In the camera, the Joker walked towards the edge of the rooftop in pouring rain. He took out a dagger and pressed it against the rope. The bound person in the suit, looking like an elite employee, stared up at the Joker''s crazed face and the dagger pointed at the rope holding him. He screamed in despair, "No!! No, please!! I''ll fall, I''ll die!!"


    "Oh, Hero... Yes, I am a Hero. I will give the condemned a chance to say theirst words. Do you have anything to say?"


    "Please, let me go! I beg you, don''t do this... don''t do this to me, I don''t want to die!!"


    The employee pleaded incessantly, his mindpletely shattered, unable to form aplete sentence.


    The Joker found it boring and swung the dagger, cutting the rope. The employee fell from the High-rise building of over 30 floors, crashing to the ground, turning into a puddle of flesh.


    The police and negotiators on the ground hadn''t even reacted when ropes and bodies fell from the sky like a torrential rain, and all they could see were the desperate expressions of the victims before their deaths.


    Just as the Bat-Signal had been lit, a second figure appeared standing on the rooftop. It was Batman.


    As expected, a dark figure stood opposite the Joker.


    They exchanged words, then engaged in a fight, the entire world filled with the sound of rain and thunder.


    Their fight resembled a silent performance, a showdown that was not particrly exciting and even somewhatical.


    In the end, the Joker was knocked down, his arms restrained. But Batman''s shoulder had also been cut, blood washed away by the rain.


    Lying on the ground, the Joker continued tough, saying, "Batman, you''ve won. But do you think this is what everyone wants to see?"


    "Even if you are the Hero for all of Gotham, you are certainly not the Hero for those bums. They almost got to see their enemy fall from the High-rise building and turn into a puddle of flesh, having a more tragic ending than them!"


    "You can never be a Hero, hahahahahahahaha! The innocent people you save may be the very ones that others dream of killing. I wonder if they''ll hate you? Hahahahahahahaha!!"


    After the Joker was taken away, Batman walked alone through the streets, got into his car, started it, and drove into the endless dark rainy night of Gotham.


    He was not swayed by those mad words and speeches; he had simply exerted too much energy.


    Instead of going directly back to Wayne Manor, he drove to the Batcave, where he tended to his wounds as usual. First, he used a spray, then bandaged himself up. Once everything was taken care of, he disposed of the bloodstained clothes, put on a new outfit, and then drove back to Wayne Manor.


    Wayne Manor was still brightly lit, and Alfred stood at the door to greet him. Seeing his slightly paleplexion, Alfred said, "Master, you need something warm to drink. How about a cup of hot chocte?"


    "Thank you, Alfred."


    He didn''t refuse but walked over and sat down next to the sofa. When Alfred brought the hot chocte, he instinctively reached out with his ustomed hand to take it, but it tugged at his wound, causing him to pause for a moment. He immediately switched to his other hand to hold the cup.


    But he knew that Alfred had noticed, although the butler didn''t say anything and simply sent him upstairs to his bedroom as usual.


    A deep exhaustion surrounded him. He stood in front of the washbasin in the bathroom, looked at himself in the mirror, and saw a pale face, expressionless. However, somehow, that insane smile appeared in his mind, reflected in his eyes, and then refracted into the mirror. It was as if he saw himself smiling.


    He shook his head, suppressing those chaotic thoughts, and walked out of the bathroom.


    His fingers paused on the switch of the deskmp, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided not to turn it off. He simplyy down on the bed, without turning off the lights, and slowly fell asleep with a weary expression.


    Faint breathing echoed in the room as the night grew darker and the rain grew heavier.


    Soft light filled the entire room, reflecting a faint halo on the bed, walls, and carpet, seemingly exposing all darkness.


    And when a lightning bolt streaked across, in the deepest corner under the bed, a crimson smile slowly appeared, revealing a mad grin.


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 Chapter 267: Layers of Fear (1)

    Chapter 267: Layers of Fear (1)


    The night had grownte, and Bruce, lying in bed, was falling into a deep sleep. Even in his slumber, his brows remained tightly furrowed.


    Suddenly, a small sliver of light poured in through the crack of his bedroom door, apanied by an annoying creak of the door hinge. Bruce''s brows furrowed even deeper, his arm twitched, and he turned over.


    Ayer of shadow-like darkness covered his face, and Bruce seemed to sense something. In the instant he opened his eyes, a lightning bolt shed outside the window, revealing a terrifying Joker standing by his bedside, wielding a raised knife.


    As the knife fell, Bruce sat up in bed. He held his breath tightly, as if his throat had been constricted. After what felt like an eternity, he trembled and exhaled, releasing a breath. He looked around the empty room, confirming that it was just a nightmare.


    The cold sweat on his forehead and back had not yet subsided. Bruce pursed his lips, wiped his face, and sat up in bed.


    He noticed that the window in his room was slightly ajar, allowing the wind from outside to blow in, causing thempshade on the deskmp to sway. Shadows flickered in the room. Bruce thought that this might be the reason for his nightmares, so he walked over and closed the window.


    With the absence of wind in the room, all light and shadows calmed down. Bruce moved sluggishly toward the bathroom, intending to find a towel to wipe the sweat off his face.


    Once inside the bathroom, he leaned on the sink and quietly watched his reflection in the mirror. However, this time, he didn''t experience any hallucinations. He only noticed that hisplexion was pale, and the wound on his shoulder had reopened, oozing blood.


    He gently touched his shoulder with his other hand, feeling a pain that wasn''t too intense but lingering. It was probably caused by exerting too much force when he sat up earlier, resulting in a tear.Bruce, somewhat resigned, turned on the faucet and bent down to wash his face.


    Unbeknownst to him, as he lowered his head, closed his eyes, and cupped the water in his hands, the bathroom door slowly opened.


    When he rose again, raised his head, and looked into the mirror, a horrifying shadow stood behind him. Reflected in the mirror alongside Bruce was aughing and maniacal Joker, raising a knife and swinging it down fiercely.


    "Ugh!"


    Bruce let out a pained groan, sitting up in bed. He took deep breaths, feeling a bit disoriented as he looked at the surroundings. He was still lying in bed, and the room was still empty, devoid of anything.


    Stiffly sitting on the bed, apanied by his breaths, a tremor in his throat, Bruce hesitated for a moment before attempting to get up. He stood up and reached out to touch the sharp edge of the book table next to him.


    The sharp sensation transmitted to his brain through his fingertips, providing him with a sense of security. This time, Bruce didn''t go to the bathroom but walked to the door of his own room. He turned the doorknob, and in the instant the door opened, a terrifying sight unfolded.


    Instead of the hallway of Wayne Manor, there was a howling ck void outside the door. Bruce was almost instantly sucked in, and then, after the nauseating feeling of weightlessness and falling, he once again sat up in bed.


    Bruce tightly closed his eyes, unable to determine whether this was still a dream or not.


    Bruce began to contemte, if this time was also a dream, what could he do to wake up?


    He took several deep breaths to calm himself down, then began to survey the room. This bedroom was no different from his memory; everything was in its rightful ce. The light that he had left on before going to sleep cast a faint halo over all the objects.


    What was causing these recurring nightmares?


    Bruce stood up again and walked to the center of the room. He paused for a moment and then took another step towards the bathroom. He turned on the faucet, lowered his head, cupped the water, washed his face, stood up straight, and sure enough, a maniacal Joker raised a knife towards him, and once again, he woke up from the dream.


    Now Bruce understood. He was trapped in an endless dream and had to find a way to wake up.


    Sitting up from the bed, Bruce began to search. Everything in the room was incredibly real, nothing like what should appear in a dream. The wood grain on the table was clearly visible, and the scratches on the edge of the chair were exactly as Bruce remembered.


    If hey down to sleep, a crazy Joker woulde to the bedside with a knife. If he walked into the bathroom to wash his face, another crazy Joker would stand behind him with a knife. If he tried to open the bedroom door and walk out, he would be sucked into endless darkness.


    After any of these situations urred, Bruce would wake up again from the bed, only to repeat the same nightmare.


    Bruce tried many times and triggered more conditions. For example, if he stood still in the center of the room, a clown would appear hanging upside down from the ceilingmp, holding a knife to stab him. If he crawled under the table, a t clown would appear on the wall behind him, holding a knife to stab him. If he opened the closet, a crazy Joker would rush out, holding a knife to stab him.


    It was as if no matter where he was or what he was doing, there were terrifying Jokers everywhere.


    Once the Joker with the knife stabbed him, Bruce would wake up from the dream, only to find himself back in bed and then wake up again.


    This terrifying nightmare continued in an endless loop, seemingly without an end.


    In this way, within Wayne Manor''s bedroom, one Bruce after another began to try various actions. Some moved their mattresses, some lifted the legs of the book table, and some moved the wardrobe. Whenever they triggered a certain condition, Bruce''s figure would disappear, but then more Bruces would appear.


    After realizing that it was a recurring dream, Bruce knew that he had no choice but to exhaust all possibilities, because in dreams, nothing made sense.


    After all, in reality, with Wayne Manor''s security system, a Joker with a knife would never be able to enter his bedroom.


    In normal reasoning, exhaustive search and brute force method were only used when the train of thought was stuck or when there were no other options. However, in this case, the efficiency of these two methods was the highest.


    Finally, until one Bruce in the room touched the switch of the deskmp, everything changed.


    When he used his hand to switch off the deskmp and plunged the room into darkness, the terrifying Joker did not appear again.


    Whether he walked into the bathroom to wash his face ory back on the bed to sleep, within the dark bedroom, there was no longer that insane smiling face.


    But this didn''t mean that the endless cycle of the nightmare had ended.


    Bruce still couldn''t be sure if he was still in a dream. He walked to the window in the darkness, opened it, and felt the cold wind and rain on his face. The sensation was very real, but Bruce didn''t rx in the slightest. He now finally understood what the Joker meant when he said, "The game has begun."


    After trying all possible actions that could trigger the appearance of the Joker, but the Joker didn''t show up, Bruce knew that turning off the lights might be the key to this puzzle.


    And then, he walked to the bedroom door and opened it.


    Outside the door was the corridor of Wayne Manor.


    But Bruce remained vignt. After going through countless rounds of nightmares, he no longer trusted everything that was called "reality."


    At this moment, Wayne Manor was also dark. Bruce walked along the dark corridor until he reached the edge of the staircase. In the instant he took a step down, the next step disappeared, and he fell down, only to wake up again from the dream.


    Getting up, turning off the light, opening the door, and walking out, this time Bruce took a different direction. He wanted to descend from the staircase on the other side. However, he discovered that no matter which staircase he took, the steps would disappear as soon as he lifted his foot, and then he would enter another dream.


    What was the key to this puzzle? Bruce stood in the dark corridor, contemting. He felt no anxiety or impatience. Rather, he found a brief moment of tranquility in his thoughts.


    If he couldn''t use the staircase, how could he leave this floor?


    Bruce attempted to jump directly from the edge of the atrium. In reality, a two-story fall would be nothing for him, but in the dream, as soon as he felt the sensation of falling, he would wake up again. He realized that this method was futile.


    If he couldn''t leave this floor, perhaps he should explore other rooms. But the situation in other rooms was the same as the bedroom. Many of Bruce''s actions would trigger the deadly Joker, that figure with the maniacalughing face. He would appear behind him, beside him, overhead, or even in front of him, swinging a knife and causing him to wake up again.


    Room after room, puzzle after puzzle, Bruce''s presence once again filled the entire third floor of Wayne Manor. Everywhere, there were his movements, his pauses, and his pensive figure.


    After waking up countless times, Bruce decided not to follow the same process again and stayed in his bedroom.


    Just like many times before, he turned off the bedroom light and half-knelt down, lowering his head and peering under the bed.


    The only ce on the entire third floor of Wayne Manor that he had never checked¡ªunder his bed.


    But Bruce knew why he had overlooked it. As he ced his trembling hand on the edge of the bed, he couldn''t forget the terrifying story he had heard when he was very young.


    When you sleep in bed, there is a shadow sleeping under the bed, an exact replica of you.


    If a child doesn''t sleep well, the shadow will crawl out from under the bed and throw you down, taking your ce on the bed.


    It willpletely rece you, enjoying the care of your parents, ying with your friends, wearing your clothes, and ying with your toys. Meanwhile, you can only hide under the bed like a shadow, crying in sadness.


    Childhood memories of shadows are the most profound, but even without this story, it takes immense courage to look into the darker depths under the bed.


    And there, Bruce discovered something that shouldn''t be in his room. It was a spinning... Earth globe?


    Beside the Earth globe was a small note with a line of words written in a messy and peculiar font:


    "This is Miss Earth Globe, and her partner is Jack. Joker Jack wants to remind Batman, good children should sleep! Turn! Off! The! Lights!"


    In the instant he finished reading the note, a pale hand with a knife emerged from under the bed, lunging towards Bruce.


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 Chapter 268: Layers of Fear (2)

    Chapter 268: Layers of Fear (2)


    The cold wind howled over the skies of Gotham City, and faster than the wind was Bruce, desperately running through the dark rainy night.


    Chasing after him was a grotesque monster, with long limbs resembling a spider. What was even more disturbing was that this monster had Alfred''s face, and in one of its arms, it held a cup of hot milk.


    From behind, Alfred''s voice came with continuous screams, bing eerie and mournful: "Master, you need to drink your milk before going to sleep. Have you forgotten?!"


    "You''re not a good child!!" Alfred''s face twisted more and more, waving its several-meter-long limbs and crawling on the ground like a giant arthropod. Its head rotated 180 degrees, and it kept shouting, "A good child must finish their milk before going to sleep!!!"


    As Bruce ran forward, he recollected what had happened a few minutes earlier.


    After discovering the Earth Device and the note, he was once again attacked by the Joker hiding under the bed, causing him to jolt awake once more.


    Undoubtedly, he had acquired more clues. The Earth Device? Bruce wondered. What could a rotating Earth Device represent?


    However, that guy under the bed was incredibly difficult to deal with. No matter which angle Bruce tried to grab the Earth Device from, he would be struck by his dagger and wake up again.


    Unable to make progress in this regard, Bruce had no choice but to step out of the bedroom once again, exploring the hallway and other rooms. However, just like the traps in the bedroom, Bruce was repeatedly killed by the Joker in the other rooms.Soon, Bruce came to a halt in the middle of the hallway, turning back to look at the door of his bedroom.


    Every time he woke up, he would open the bedroom door from the inside and be killed by the Joker outside before returning to bed and opening the door from the inside again.


    But he had never stood in the hallway and opened the door from the outside.


    Bruce stood in the dark hallway, gripping the doorknob of the bedroom door, contemting for a long time. He deduced the rule of this ce¡ªhe had to face his own fears directly.


    When he was in the bedroom, his greatest fear was the story he had heard during his childhood. Perhaps he thought he had long forgotten it, but evidently, it hadn''t faded away in his dreams. This fear was etched into his subconsciousness, only now resurfacing as a towering obstacle hindering him from finding the truth.


    In the hallway, his greatest fear might be opening the door to his bedroom, for he knew that it not only meant the end of a day of despair but also signaled the beginning of the next hopeless day.


    Bruce recalled that, for a long time, he was terrified of returning to his room to sleep. Whenever he pushed open the bedroom door to rest, he felt a strong sense of guilt and remorse, as if there were more important things waiting for him to do.


    And now, as he once again gripped the doorknob of the bedroom door, that familiar feeling surged up, just like the fear he had felt when he looked under the bed.


    Nevertheless, he pushed the door open directly, and on the other side of the door was the second floor of Wayne Manor.


    As he stepped onto the second floor, the door behind him disappeared, but Bruce knew that even more terrifying things would happen next because there were more rooms on the second floor than on the third floor. Moreover, this was where Alfred rested.


    While walking down the second-floor corridor, Bruce encountered Alfred holding a tray with a cup of hot milk. Alfred looked at Bruce with concern and asked, "Master, did you have another nightmare? Have a cup of milk."


    Bruce didn''t move, and suddenly, that cup of milk transformed into aical bomb and exploded with a loud "bang." Alfred was blown to pieces, and Bruce jolted awake once again from his bed.


    The second time, he tried to pick up the ss of milk, but the milk still turned into a bomb, blowing him up and making him start over.


    "Facing fear..." Bruce muttered to himself.


    What was he afraid of? Was he afraid of Alfred? Or was he unable to face Alfred''s concern?


    Again and again he woke up, no matter what position Bruce used to pick up the ss of milk, no matter what he said, he would always wake up.


    But soon, Bruce''s mind cleared up, and when faced with Alfred again, he said, "Thank you, Alfred, but could you please bring the milk to my room?"


    This time, the milk didn''t explode, and neither Alfred nor Bruce were blown up. Alfred just smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course, sir."


    Now, Bruce was on the second floor, and his instruction was for Alfred to bring the milk to his bedroom on the third floor, so he had to go back to the third floor, but there was no staircase for him to use.


    The fastest way was to wake up again and appear on the bed in the third-floor bedroom, but to Bruce''s surprise, the entire second floor was too normal, with no terrifying Joker holding a knife, and no Staircase that would copse.


    Bruce realized that he couldn''t go through another cycle.


    What would you do when you realize you''re dreaming and want to wake up?


    Most people would choose to jump off a building, the feeling of falling would quickly wake them up from the dream, but there was another method, which was to generate enough pain, or in other words,mit suicide.


    "Facing fear..." Bruce muttered the word again, and then he thought, as long as you''re human, you can''t avoid the fear of death, so suicide should be the best way to face fear.


    He found a screwdriver in one of the rooms, the sharpness of the tool was enough to pierce his heart, but when he brought the tool against his chest, Bruce realized that besides death, there was another fear surrounding him, causing his hand to tremble uncontrobly.


    What if this isn''t a dream?


    What if he''s being deceived?


    What if this time, from waking up on the bed, to leaving the bedroom,ing to the second floor, meeting Alfred, and asking him to bring the milk upstairs, all of it is happening in reality?


    What if after the screwdriver is plunged into his heart, he doesn''t wake up, but instead writhes in pain on the ground, only able to despairingly await death?


    That would be the biggest joke of this century.


    Bruce had no doubt that some lunatic would set upyer afteryer of traps just to create this joke, leading him willingly to plunge the weapon into his own heart and then embrace death.


    Bruce suddenly realized that he understood all the madmen in this world, whether they wereughing wildly, screaming loudly, self-harming, attacking others, perhaps they were just like Bruce now.


    Perhaps they attacked themselves just to break free from a terrifying dream, and they attacked others as a way to attack a monster in their dream.


    Just like if someone were to observe Bruce''s actions during this period from an outsider''s perspective, no matter who they were, they would think he was a madman.


    He bounced around in his own bedroom, lifting the mattress, moving the book table, repeatedly entering the bathroom, and constantly twisting the doorknob. He checked every single thing in the room non-stop, as if he were a severe OCD patient, repeating those repetitive behaviors.


    In the eyes of an onlooker, he had an inexplicable fear of the staircase. He would rather jump down from the balcony than take a step into the staircase. He crawled on the floor, went under the bed, and after retrieving an ordinary-looking Earth device, he pondered in the same spot for a long time.


    He stood motionless in front of his bedroom door but didn''t push it open. Facing the butler who was delivering milk to him, he suddenly revealed a sad and frightened expression. Holding the milk cup, it seemed like he was holding a bomb and then waving his arm, he threw the milk cup away...


    Just as the tip of the knife touched Bruce''s chest, he suddenly understood the Joker.


    The Joker keptughing uncontrobly, referred to as a madman by others, but perhaps he only saw a funny joke in his own delusions. In his own dream, the choices he made were as normal as they could be.


    Every lunatic is a normal person in their own world.


    Just as Bruce''s hand holding the knife slowly exerted force, about to leave a wound on his chest, he suddenly heard a scream of despair. Immediately after, a monster with Alfred''s face appeared behind Bruce, and as its head rotated, it shouted, "Master! Why aren''t you in the room?!"


    "You came here to escape from drinking milk! Come back with me and drink the milk before sleeping!!"


    No matter what, seeing his butler turning into a long-limbed arthropod with a continuously rotating head was quite shocking for Bruce, so his immediate reaction was to evade the attack.


    He rolled to the right side and took advantage of the moment when Alfred turned around, fleeing.


    There was no staircase on the entire second floor, but in the instant Bruce rushed into the corridor, the window at the end of the corridor opened with a loud "bang," and a cold wind rushed in. Bruce had no choice.


    When he jumped out of the window, he thought the weightlessness and dizziness would wake him up again, but it didn''t happen. Hended hard on the ground, and intense pain shot through his back and shoulders.


    The overly realistic pain made Bruce start to doubt whether he had truly returned to reality. But it was clear that the nonsensical monster was reminding him that this was still a dream.


    The rain began to pour heavily, and the howls of the monster behind him grew increasingly desperate. Everything seemed to be more chaotic, as if suddenly transitioning from a puzzle game to a horror game,plete with a relentless chase.


    Bruce quickened his pace because he was unsure if there would be another chance to wake up if he were to be caught by that monster.


    The roads outside Wayne Manor were very familiar to Bruce because he had walked them countless times. However, now he realized that the surroundings of his own home seemed to have turned into an endless maze.


    The monster kept chasing, and Bruce kept running, just like the kind of nightmare where one is being pursued. With the passage of time, his mental and physical strength were constantly being depleted.


    What were the rules? Bruce wondered. Confronting fear?


    Fear...


    Suddenly, he stopped at a familiar intersection, one he had passed several times but overlooked.


    It was an intersection he was very familiar with. He knew how many pieces of rubble were piled up there and how many wires there were. Because it was there, with a gunshot, that his life changed.


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 Chapter 269: Layers of Fear (3)

    Chapter 269: Layers of Fear (3)


    That monster with Alfred''s face had chased him down, but Bruce suddenly calmed down. He slowed his pace and walked slowly into the dark alley.


    After preparing himself mentally, the situation in the alley surprised him because there wasn''t what he feared the most. Instead... there were two people drinking?


    One of them was Jack with green hair, and the other person was green-haired... Professor Schiller??


    Bruce was puzzled. At that moment, the green-haired Schiller turned to look at Bruce and said, "You weren''t expecting to find two bodies lying here and a scattered string of pearl nes, were you?"


    "You see, this is the most basic application of psychology. All the rules before were meant to instill in you the rule of facing various fears. So when you see an intersection that looks exactly like the alley where your parents died, you instinctively feel that the content you least want to see will appear here..."


    "Just like when the first six answers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, someone will definitely fill in 7 as the answer to the seventh question, even though the question is asking what you had for breakfast today..."


    "I had a waffle this morning, and it was absolutely terrible, way too sweet! And it was expensive too, 50 cents!"


    Bruce waspletely confused. He didn''t understand what was happening. He wanted to speak, but Schiller beat him to it and said, "You must be very curious about what''s going on, and now you''re probably wondering how we ended up here and what''s happening."


    "But this is anothermon psychological trap. Have you forgotten? You''re dreaming right now, and dreams don''t require logic. You''re thinking about these questions because we suddenly started talking to you in a very logical manner. But in reality, you''ve overlooked even more strange things, such as..."Bruce looked at him, and Schiller smiled at him and said, "Do you like my new hair color?"


    Bruce suddenly paused. He realized it was true because Schiller was speaking to him logically, so his thinking returned to the world of logic. But in reality, this scene made no sense because Schiller Professor''s hair wasn''t green, and he certainly couldn''t have painted this kind of clown makeup on his face.


    What''s more, the ce where these two green-haired people were drinking was on the back of an elephant. The elephant looked like a cartoon character squeezed into a narrow alley, with all four legs pressed together, yet Bruce didn''t find it strange at all.


    Bruce sighed and said, "What''s going on here?"


    "Look! He asked after all!" Jack cheered. He raised his ss, then poured the liquid into his mouth and gargled it before swallowing it.


    "I told you before, even if you exin the principles to him, he''s a boring person. That''s Batman for you. Even in a dream, he''ll suspect that there''s a conspiracy behind it. That''s just how he is, hahaha!"


    "Stopughing, we have important things to do."


    As soon as Schiller finished speaking, he appeared in front of Bruce and swung his umbre, knocking Bruce out.


    A white halo appeared before Bruce''s eyes. When he opened them, he found himself trapped on an operating table, and overhead was the strong light of an operating room.


    The two green-haired people, wearing white coats and clown makeup, stood in front of him, holding surgical knives.


    Bruce closed his eyes again and then opened them. The green-haired Schiller held a surgical knife and said to him, "I know you must be confused right now, but don''t worry, we can exin everything before we start the surgery."


    "Why are you in my dream?" Bruce asked


    .


    "That''s a long story..." Schiller was about to exin when Jack suddenly shouted, "Because you left us and left Gotham! You went on vacation! How could you do this?! You hurt all of us!!"


    "Alright, Jack." The green-haired Schiller seemed to be a bit calmer, but Bruce sensed a more dangerous aura from him. The green-haired Schiller said seriously, "You should know that I''m a psychologist, and recently, my research topic has been... dreams."


    "Dreams?"


    "That''s right, or rather, the human subconscious space. And I have moved past the stage of studying the ordinary human subconscious space..."


    "A long time ago, I had a theory. If the top of the Mind Pce represents reality, then the bottom, beneath the surface, should be the dream realm of the Sandman. And not long ago, I confirmed this theory..."


    "I believed that everyone should be the same as me, but Jack argued against it. He believed that Batman and everyone else were different..."


    "So, we made a bet."


    Bruce lifted his head and looked at the green-haired Schiller. Jack giggled and said, "I bet that the deepest part of your subconscious space doesn''t connect to the dream realm but hides something dangerous..."


    "I actually have some knowledge about this," Schiller with green hair continued, "But I feel that what Jack said shouldn''t be here, so let''s find a way to verify who is right."


    "What way?" Bruce asked.


    "Since you know this is a dream, do you know where you are in reality? Or rather, do you know when you started dreaming?"


    Bruce thought for a moment and said, "When I was lying in bed at Wayne Manor?"


    "No, your body is not currently lying in bed at Wayne Manor, but underneath the entrance sign of Gotham City."


    "Meaning, everything that happened after you entered Gotham was a dream."


    "After you entered Gotham, that dream actually urred in your surface consciousness space. This includes Jack ramming your Batmobile with a heavy truck and pressing the button, blowing up the chemical factory, and then tying up those people on a rooftop and letting them fall. These are all dreams that urred in your surface consciousness space, the firstyer."


    "To prevent you from suspecting all of this and quickly waking up, Jack created a series of idents that left you exhausted and made you go to sleep as soon as you returned to Wayne Manor."


    "And when you fell asleep and started dreaming again, you entered the secondyer of dreams. You saw a Joker standing in front of your bed, waving a knife at you. Then came the thirdyer, the fourthyer..."


    "By this logic, for each failure you experienced at Wayne Manor, you fell into that manyyers of dreams."


    "During this process, your consciousness gradually descended from the surface consciousness space to the deep consciousness space and kept digging deeper until you reached here..."


    "Here? Where is here?"


    "This is the bottom of your deep consciousness, I like to call it... ''the Edge''."


    "Why did you bring me here?"


    "To find that dangerous thing that may be hidden inside you." Jack looked into Bruce''s eyes, but it seemed like he wasn''t looking at him, but through his eyes into his inner soul.


    "Jack spected that the dangerous and annoying thing may be at the very bottom of your deep consciousness. However, he wouldn''t hide in the Batmobile on the road. If there is really a hatchery for him here, guess where it would be?"


    Bruce suddenly understood and looked at Schiller''s scalpel, saying, "You think he''s inside my body?"


    "That''s right, only when you reach the bottom of your deep consciousness can we possibly extract it. So now..."


    Schiller with green hair revealed a mad smile, which sent shivers down Bruce''s spine because once he thought about the professor and the Joker merging into one, he felt that there was nothing scarier in the world.


    But he didn''t struggle, instead, he pondered for a moment andy back on the operating table.


    This surprised both Jokers. Bruce said, "...I suddenly have some understanding of your mental state. Perhaps in the real world, you may seem very crazy, but perhaps in the dream world, you are right..."


    "How boring." Jack pouted, but Schiller didn''t feel disappointed. He said, "Do you expect him to scream and beg us not to proceed? Even if he doesn''t understand, he wouldn''t do that, right? Isn''t that how Batman is?"


    "Well, now let''s see if that thing you mentioned actually exists..."


    Then, Schiller stabbed Bruce''s forehead with a scalpel, cutting open the skin tissues on his face, and Jack peeled off Bruce''s skin like peeling a banana.


    Epidermis, dermis, and adipose tissue, Schiller was responsible for making incisions, while Jack peeled off the banana skin. After the skin, there was muscle tissue, and then the skeleton...


    The peeled-off debris piled up like


    an old jacket that hadn''t been worn for a long time. It crumpled and piled up on the side. The two terrifying doctors with green hair were covered in blood, and only a mad smile remained on their faces. Jack asionally let out a few sobs, seemingly feeling sad for the dismantled Batman.


    They casually threw the unspeakable debris on the ground, piling it higher and higher. After thestyer of tissue was pushed aside, what appeared inside Bruce''s body was not the organs of a normal person but another Bruce.


    Schiller sighed and said, "Perhaps you''re about to win, because he indeed doesn''t seem normal."


    "Normal? When has Batman ever been normal? I would be disappointed if I found a heart inside his skin."


    "It seems like we''ll have to do it all over again."


    The green-haired Schiller and the green-haired Jack nced at each other. In each other''s eyes, they saw no signs of fatigue or annoyance. Instead, there was excitement, resembling two deadly doctors that would only appear in horror movies.


    At first, things seemed harmonious, butter on, the two of them started arguing. The green-haired Schiller imed exclusive rights to the even-numberedyers of Bruce, citing Jack''sck of a medical license. On the other hand, Jack believed that the allocation should be based on body parts, and he wanted the head part. Schiller, of course, disagreed.


    Regardless, they sliced open the skin, peeled away the epidermal tissue, and one Bruce after another appeared inside the body. The discarded remnants quickly filled up the entire room until Jack peeled off the finalyer.


    After thestyer of skin was peeled away, therey a wriggling ck monster. Its body and limbs were nothing more than pipes as thick as wrists, wrappedyer byyer within the various Bruces, with only the head being slightly different.


    Instead of Bruce''s face, there was an oval shape in gray. On that oval shape were bright red lips and a wide, enormous smiling face.


    In the instant the finalyer of skin was peeled away, the insect-like monster broke free from all the skin still covering its body, ready to leap up.


    At that moment, a hand grabbed its neck. Jack leaned in, revealing the same crazed smile and said, "I found you, NO.3."


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 Chapter 270: Fearful Laughing Demon (1)

    Chapter 270: Fearful Laughing Demon (1)


    In the DCics, there are many origins rted to the character of the Joker. Initially, before the Joker became popr, he was just an ordinary circus performer, a true clown in the real sense.


    Later, there was a version where he fell into a chemical pool. Of course, the most famous one is the Joker from "The Killing Joke," where anyone who has a terrible day will turn into a madman like the Joker.


    One of the controversial settings is the existence of three Jokers in one universe. In this setting, the Joker is no longer a singr character, and the three Jokers begin to kill each other.


    Setting aside the attractive gimmick, it is possible to have multiple Jokers in one universe. After all, Gotham is full of madmen, and it is not impossible for some individuals to imagine themselves as a crazy Joker.


    On the first night Schiller arrived in Gotham, he was certain that there should be multiple Jokers in this universe because that night, while he was in control of his body, a certain degree of transformation urred.


    Initially, this transformation was not evident, but when Bruce appeared in front of him and looked at him, Schiller became one of the chosen Jokers. As a result, Bruce became interested in him, and he became interested in Bruce. It was an inevitable mutual attraction between Batman and the Joker.


    Schiller quickly realized this transformation, and his "superego" created another personality to rece the Joker Schiller and threw the Joker Schiller into the lower levels of his mind pce, forcing him to climbyer byyer to suppress the potential danger caused by this mad personality.


    The transformation of the Joker is irreversible, so this personality eventually became one of the many Jokers. However, because he is trapped in Schiller''s mind pce and has not climbed to the surface yet, he is currently not harmful, but he is indeed the Joker.


    Speaking of the Joker, it is impossible not to mention another controversial character, the Laughing Bat.When this character first appeared, his origin story was very interesting. In a certain universe, the Joker had astonishingbat power. Not only did he kill important figures like Catwoman and Gordon for Batman, but he also captured the parents of all the only children in the city and repeatedly recreated the tragedy that happened in Crime Alley in front of Batman.


    This inhumane behavior eventually drove Batman insane. He personally broke the Joker''s neck, but at the same time, theughing virus infected Batman''s mind.


    In other words, the Laughing Bat is actually a fusion of the Joker and Batman. Up to this point, the story can be considered a creative plot because many DC fans have wondered what would happen if the Joker and Batman merged.


    However,ter on, this setting began to deviate further and further. In order to highlight the strength of the fusion between Batman and the Joker, the writers started to recklessly add many settings that elevated the status of the Laughing Bat.


    Among them, the most disruptive setting to the storytelling and the style of DCics is that the Laughing Bat is unbeatable.


    In fact, both Batman and the Joker have high intelligence settings, especially Batman. As a master nner, he has contingency ns against almost everyone. The implementation of one crazy joke after another by the Joker also reflects his intelligence and execution ability beyond ordinary people.


    To showcase the effect of one plus one being greater than two, the writers made the Laughing Bat almost omniscient and omnipotent. Unfortunately, the plot that demonstrates this ability can be considered far-fetched. The intellectual battles of the Laughing Bat can be summarized as follows: the Laughing Bat predicts something the opponent does, the opponent predicts that the Laughing Bat predicts something they do, the Laughing Bat predicts that


    the opponent predicts that he predicts something they do...


    In short, it is an endless cycle of predicting each other''s predictions.


    Therefore, here, I must solemnly introduce to everyone:


    The crazy disruptor of DC''s power restraint system, the super dragon proud of the Marvel setting, the deity with astonishing intelligence andbat power but remains true to his original goal and possesses simple wisdom, the always one step ahead and hardly ever fails but never does anything useful great sage, the soulmate of Zhuge Kongming, the best friend of Edogawa Conan, and the only designated father of the DC editorial department¡ªthe Laughing Bat!


    Previously, some people jokingly referred to Batman as the father of the DC editorial department, but now, with Laughing Bat''s setting, people realize that the editorial department is probably just a foster parent for Batman, and the real father has just made his appearance.


    You can''t say that the character design of Laughing Bat is not good because its origin story is indeed very interesting, satisfying many fans'' fantasies about the rtionship between Batman and the Joker. However, as more and more elements are added to the setting, the plot bes more and more absurd. The character of Laughing Bat gradually deviates from the understated ck humor style that makes DCics most appealing and instead develops towards a more straightforward route.


    Therefore, Schiller doesn''t have any favorable impression of this character. If he had to choose between Batman, the Joker, and Laughing Bat, Schiller would rather be surrounded by ten pairs of the Joker and Batman than encounter a Laughing Bat, not because of his extraordinarybat power and intelligence, but because he is genuinely boring.


    Schiller is well aware that once this character with an overpowered design appears in this universe, his peaceful life wille to an end. Although his current life is not particrly calm, at least the people surrounding him are somewhat interesting.


    Copperpot''s insecurities and arrogance, like intertwined vines, the reasons and subsequent development of Evans'' two personalities, the emotional entanglement between Alberto and The Godfather, Victor''s unwavering love, and so on. Even the Joker, Jack, whose background story ispletely unknown, with no clear source, showed Schiller through a performance that he is an interesting enough person.


    Laughing Bat may be powerful, but he is truly boring because everything he does is for the sake of darkness. It doesn''t involve any psychological struggles, ck and white conflicts, moral positions, or emotional changes. He is like a piece of paper that can stretch thousands of kilometers, even enough to surround the Earth, but still very thin.


    If the viins currently surrounding Schiller can add a little fun to his peaceful life, then Laughing Bat is simply nauseating.


    Shortly after Schiller arrived in Gotham, he realized that this universe should be a member of the bright multiverse because the people here have the potential to turn towards the positive. On the contrary, the dark multiverse is the opposite, and everyone will eventually descend into the Abyss.


    Therefore, initially, Schiller did not consider the possibility of Laughing Bat''s existence because the conditions for his birth are not present here. Besides, besides this universe leaning towards the light, the timeline is too early. Batman has just finished his freshman year, and the Joker has only made his debut a few days ago. They have only had one encounter, and the victim was thepletely deserving Court of Owls, without much impact on the onlookers.


    Batman hasn''t be the wise and suspicious old man he will be in the future, and the Joker hasn''t unleashed his genius creations to create various troubles for Batman. They are far from bing mortal enemies.


    Perhaps it was Schiller''s arrival that brought more order to the city, or perhaps the youthful Batman matched the youthful Joker as they should be. In any case, the brutal Joker who killed all the viins and heroes in Laughing Bat''s origin story is unlikely to appear, so the Batman who went mad and killed the Joker after being tortured to madness is also unlikely to appear.


    This is Schiller''s deduction, and even if the Joker did appearter, he did not waver in this judgment. He believes that this universe does not have the soil for the emergence of Laughing Bat.


    However, when Jack approached Schiller and told him that Batman may have something dangerous hidden within him, Schiller was shaken.


    The most crucial point is that if there is even a slight possibility that what Jack mentioned is Laughing Bat, who dares to bet that it isn''t?


    When Jack said he felt that something was incubating in Batman''s heart, Schiller''s vignce reached its


    peak. In any case, Laughing Bat absolutely cannot appear in this universe.


    When Schiller began to suspect the Sandman due to his own situation, he felt the urge to start a new project: "How to reach the depths of a person''s heart through dreams."


    This project is not only for researching how to find the Sandman but also to unearth the possible dangerous entity that Jack mentioned.


    After obtaining clues rted to the Immortality Factor and sessfully creating the Crazy Juice, the Joker and Schiller knew it was time to take action.


    At the time, Schiller told Mrs. Miller that the Joker called his personal phone to make an appointment, but in reality, they needed to confirm their next n over the phone.


    Afterwards, everyone knew what happened. In the clinic, Schiller, who was drinking with the Joker, intentionally had the elevator operator release the climbing Joker Schiller. He had his first encounter with Joker Jack. Although the initial reaction of Joker Schiller was to trick Jack into taking his ce in the room of Schiller''s mind pce, it didn''t seed. However, he was also certain that Jack would be a good partner.


    Next, he put others into his mind space and then pulled Hugo in to test the stability of the entire process. Finally, as nned, he kept digging deeper and found the Sandman.


    Allowing the Joker to enter the realm of dreams had an even more important reason, which was to allow the Joker to pass through the realm of dreams and enter Batman''s dreams.


    And just as Jack expected, when digging down from Batman''s dreams, on the edge of Batman''s dreams within Bruce''s body, there was indeed a monster that no one had ever seen before.


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 Chapter 271: The Fearful Laughing Demon (2)

    Chapter 271: The Fearful Laughing Demon (2)


    Question: What is scarier than waking up and finding yourself in another time period?


    That would be waking up and finding yourself in Gotham.


    So what is scarier than waking up and finding yourself in Gotham?


    That would be waking up and finding yourself in Gotham with Batman and the Joker fighting in front of you.


    What is scarier than finding Batman and the Joker fighting in front of you?


    That would be finding two Jokers fighting in front of you.


    What is scarier than finding two Jokers fighting?


    That would be finding three Jokers fighting.


    What is scarier than finding three Jokers fighting?That would be finding three Jokers fighting while Batman watches.


    What is scarier than finding three Jokers fighting while Batman watches?


    That would be finding Batman teaming up with two Jokers to beat up another Joker...


    Because in such a situation, it must be Laughing Batman, the editor''s father, who hase...


    At the edge of Batman''s consciousness, such a battle is taking ce. However, they are not facing the Laughing Bat, but a monster that resembles the Joker but is slightly different.


    Its limbs are long and thin, barely supporting its body, but it remains standing, and its head is an egg-shaped gray object with a terrifying smiley face on top.


    At this moment, the grinning mouth is filled with blood on its teeth, while Jack is covering his hand, blood flowing from it.


    Just now, this monster broke free from the operating table and bit Jack.


    Jack''s injury is not severe, only leaving a bite mark on his wrist, but it indicates a very dangerous thing: this dangerous entity deep within Batman''s consciousness is likely more than just a simple Joker.


    He was able to escape the attacks of Joker Schiller and Joker Jack, and even fought back, which suggests that his strength is likely greater than it appears. Most importantly, he is currently just an embryo.


    Everyone has a sense of foreboding about what thisughing embryo will hatch into, including Batman himself. He never realized that such a terrifying thing was lurking deep within his own mind.


    On the edge of Batman''s dream, Gotham remains dark and stormy. The wind howls, the rain pours relentlessly, and the night grows darker and more profound. Two Jokers, aughing egg, and Batman all stand above the city.


    The battle is intense. Joker Jack wields a knife, leaving deep wounds on the slender limbs of the Laughing Egg, while Joker Schiller''s fighting style leans towards magic, using an invisible power to control the movements of the Laughing Spawn.


    Batman stands motionless, but he is not merely observing. He is engaged in a struggle with this monster for control over the dream.


    Indeed, this monster with deformed limbs and arge mouth on its head possesses almost the same authority as Batman within the dream. Batman must exert all his efforts to resist its attempts to seize control of the dream.


    Originally, before Batman learned the truth and before theughter egg was extracted, both Joker Jack and Joker Schiller had some power to control the dream. But once the two main yers appeared, control of the dream shiftedpletely to them. Now, the two of them are still locked in a hidden battle, attempting to gainplete control over the dream and the realm of consciousness.


    2 / 2


    To Batman''s surprise, it seemed that he was not dealing with an enemy, but himself. Each time he exerted force, he felt an awkward sensation of arm-wrestling with himself, as if his left foot and right foot were tripping each other up, his left arm and right arm entangled, trying to strangle each other.


    Batman had never faced such a situation before, so he initially suffered setbacks. Thunder roared through the dark sky of Gotham, and several lightning bolts narrowly missed the other two Jokers. Clearly, the Laughing Egg was using the power of dreams to disrupt their actions.


    Fortunately, perhaps due to the embryo not yet hatching, despite its madness and aggression, itcked much rationality. It acted like a newborn following its instincts, a weak and premature infant. Even the young Batman quickly regained the upper hand.


    One Batman and two Jokers started pressuring the deformed monster relentlessly. The unhatched embryo was evidently unable to withstand the assault from two Jokers and Batman.


    In the midst of the stormy night, the cold wind wailed, and the rain beat against their bodies like a relentless barrage of bullets. Even Batman, in such fierce winds and rain, struggled to maintain his bnce. His cape was constantly pulled backward, rustling in the wind and rain.


    He seemed to hear a tender voice wailing, interspersed with faint, maniacalughter. The sound echoed in Batman''s mind, stirring up feelings of sorrow and anguish, as if he himself were walking towards death.


    Finally, he realized it, confirming that the terrifying and deformed monster before him was none other than himself, a certain persona deep within his consciousness, a part of him. And when that persona faced death, it experienced the same fear.


    Amidst the heavy rain, Batman slowly sank to his knees, as the fear seeped into his mind, causing his entire mental space to tremble.


    No one in this world is immune to the fear of death, especially when faced with their own mortality. A dark emotion began to surge within Batman''s heart.


    In the midst of the wind and rain, the hair of Joker Jack and Joker Schiller became wet from the rain and were blown by the wind. When Schiller looked up, he saw the end of the sky¡ªa thin ck line emerging at the edge where the sky met the earth. Soon, ripples appeared. Jack pped his forehead and said, "Uh-oh! Looks like we''re in trouble!"


    However, in a mere instant, that thin line of ripples closed in, unleashing a terrifying tidal wave of darkness and fear.


    The attack and provocation from the Laughing Egg caused the dark tide lurking deep within Batman''s consciousness to surge forth, transforming into an irresistible onught, engulfing everything at the edge of the dream.


    In almost an instant, the Laughing Egg at the forefront was consumed, its elongated limbs powerless against the onught of the horrifying wave. Within a moment, the monster''s limbs were eroded, leaving only a smiling egg floating on the surface of the sea.


    Schiller and Jack began to flee, until the violent ck tide crashed into the outskirts of Gotham in the dream, reducing it to ruins. Eventually, the tide subsided, but the world had already been utterly destroyed, with the dream''s edge riddled with wounds, and the Laughing Egg nowhere to be found.


    Standing at the shifting edge of the dark tide, Jack erupted into maniacalughter. He said, "I knew Batman wouldn''t let me down! This is him, this is him! Hahahahahahahaha!"


    "This is his darkness, his fear that belongs to him alone..." Jack opened his arms, speaking like a reverie. "This is Batman, this is his inner self..."


    However, the overwhelming ck tide did notpletelye to a halt. Countless vortexes formed on the surface of the tide, spinning faster and faster until a towering waterspout surged upward.


    Numerous small waterspouts began converging towards the center and merged into one enormous tornado. This colossal waterspout swept the entirety of Gotham at the edge of the dream into its vortex.


    The two clowns standing at the edge of the dream could only barely withstand this terrifying force.


    All the ck tide''s waters transformed into massive tornadoes, continuously ascending, breaking throughyer afteryer of dreams.


    Upward, ever upward, the tornado formed by the ck tide resembled a sharpened de, progressively piercing through the dreams of the deep subconscious, until it reached the barrier that separated the surface consciousness from the deep consciousness.


    More and more of the ck tide surged upward, causing the entire realm of consciousness to tremble. Gotham in its countlessyers of dreams copsed nearly simultaneously. After a brief silence, the barrier of the surface consciousness was shattered.


    Even after reaching Batman''s surface consciousness, the ck tide did not cease but continued to surge upward, bursting forth from his physical form along with his soul.


    While Bruce remained unconscious, an intangible force of terror shot through his body, piercing the heavens.


    Standing before the office''s floor-to-ceiling windows, Schiller suddenly turned his head, squinting his eyes as he gazed toward the outskirts of Gotham City. Simultaneously, numerous enigmatic forces within the cosmos sensed this irresistible tide of fear.


    It was apletely abstract power, invisible within reality, yet individuals with special perspectives and spiritual awareness could perceive its ability to dismantle the world.


    The tornado formed by the ck tide, after breaking through Bruce''s body, did not abate but continued its ascent, soaring into higher altitudes.


    Beyond the skies of Gotham, beyond the skies of the East Coast, surpassing the entire continent of America, until it reached the Earth''s atmosphere and ventured into the realms beyond.


    Within the vast and mysterious expanse of the cosmos, a ck sword rose, ascending into higher celestial domains, breaking through all barriers until, in the depths of the starry sky, a mysterious presence suddenly sensed this spine-chilling dread.


    Just as Bruce''s consciousness gradually broke free from the ck tide and emerged from theyers of dreams through the hole created by the ck tide''s tornado, taking control of his body once again, he heard a distant yet deep voice resounding in his ears:


    "Amidst the dark day and bright night,


    Evil and corrupt, they fear my divine light,


    Incinerated by terror''s ze, those who oppose me meet their demise,


    Fear is the source, and Sinestro''s authority shall rise!"


    "Intelligent life has been identified. Earth''s Batman, you possess the power to instill profound fear in others. Wee to join the Sinestro Corps!"


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 Chapter 272: The Fearful Laughing Demon (3)

    Chapter 272: The Fearful Laughing Demon (3)


    "Wait, but..."


    In an apartment in Coastal City, a man wearing a pilot jacket was talking to himself, pacing back and forth in the room. He said, "I know, I know, it''s my duty, but..."


    "Well, if things are really as you say, then I''ll go there, but I think you''re overreacting a bit."


    "When I first joined the Green Lantern Corps, you told me that the Green Lantern Corps is the most powerful among all the Lantern Corps, and I have felt that too. I don''t quite understand what is making you so nervous..."


    "...Alright, if you insist on doing this, I won''t object. After all, Earth is also my homnd, and it''s my responsibility to protect it."


    "Do you have the specific location where the yellow light appeared? I was asleep just now and didn''t sense anything unusual."


    The man scratched his hair. His brown hair looked somewhat messy, just as he had said. He had just woken up and still had a sleepy look in his eyes.


    "What? Gotham? Howe it''s in that haunted ce? Well... not surprising, what did you say the yellow light represents? Oh, fear. The environment there is indeed fearful."


    "I''ll teleport over now to take a look. If things are really as serious as you say, then I''ll handle it as soon as possible.""Listen, right now, I, Hal, Hal Jordan, am the only Green Lantern on Earth. I can''t let my home be disgraced. If I request backup before the fight even starts, it will seriously tarnish my image within the Lantern Corps, won''t it?"


    "Oh, yes, I know, you mean well. I also know that the Yellow Lanterns may be difficult to deal with, but you have to believe in me and my willpower. I''ve been doing fairly well since bing a Green Lantern, right?"


    Hal, the man who called himself Hal, put his hands on his hips and said, "You know, not all people on Earth have the eptance and willpower like mine. Although I haven''t had the power of the Lantern Ring for a long time, I think I can handle these troubles on Earth without much problem..."


    After a while, he sighed and then touched his pet dog at his feet. He said, "Sorry, looks like I can only take you out for a walkter. I have something to take care of. But trust me, I''ll be back soon..."


    As he said that, a green light shed, and Hal''s figure disappeared. But when he reappeared, he didn''t appear directly in Gotham. Instead, he appeared on a road in Brooklyn. He stood on the road and looked at the sky, feeling a little confused. He said, "What''s wrong? Did I get lost?"


    The climate in Brooklyn was very pleasant, and the weather was clear. Even during the day, stars could be seen through the sky. Hal assessed the direction and realized he should be right.


    Normally, when he teleported here, he should have ended up right below the sign at the entrance to Gotham. But now, there was only a straight road with nothing around.


    So, what happened to a bigger city?


    Hal spun around in confusion, thinking that maybe the direction of the stars was the issue. It wasn''t entirely imusible since each ring''s arrival often brought about some anomalies. He decided to teleport back to Brooklyn and purchased a nearby tourist map.


    Following the map, Hal began walking towards Gotham, not finding it troublesome at all. As the inheritor of the Green Lantern ring, he had no physical limitations and could walk swiftly. Additionally, the distance between Brooklyn and Gotham wasn''t significant.


    However, the more he followed the map, the more perplexed he became. Holding the map up to his face, he eximed, "What the hell? Isn''t it written here? Once I reach this point and cross the pine forest on the right, I should see the tallest building in Gotham, Wayne Tower... Where is the building???"


    Hal crossed the pine forest nted beside the road, but there was nothing to be seen. However, he noticed a subtle scent of alcohol in the air. Assuming it was leftover from someone''s camping party, he didn''t pay much attention to it.


    He continued walking ahead for a long distance until he finally came across a sign. What puzzled Hal was that there was a person standing beneath the sign, holding an umbre. Hal approached him and asked, "Hello, I want to go to Gotham. Is it straight ahead along this road?"


    The man shook his head and inquired, "Are you Hal? Hal Jordan?"


    "Do you know me?" Hal questioned.


    "Not only do I know you, but I also know your identity. You''re a pilot and the owner of the Green Lantern ring, a Green Lantern, right?"


    Upon hearing the first half of his sentence, Hal was already very confused. He wasn''t a big celebrity, so it was impossible for an ordinary person to know him. But when he heard the second half of the sentence, he squinted his eyes and looked at the man, saying, "Who are you? How do you know about the Green Lantern?"


    "Do you remember when you had just obtained the Green Lantern ring and posted a message on an alien-rted forum? Only one person replied to your post, and that was me..."


    "You''re the... my goodness! I sent you so many messages. Why didn''t you reply to me?!"


    Initially shocked, Hal''s tone turned into aint.


    Schiller sighed and said, "I can exin thatter, but right now there''s a big problem that might require your attention."


    "Big trouble? What kind of trouble? Why are you here? What''s going on?"


    Hal was filled with questions, but Schiller had no intention of answering his series of inquiries. Instead, he said to Hal, "Weren''t you heading to Gotham? I''m sorry to inform you that even if you continue straight on this road, you won''t reach Gotham."


    "That''s impossible." Hal outright denied the im.


    "The map says that if you follow the traffic signs, you''ll reach Gotham..."


    You can give it a try.


    Hal extended a finger, waved it, and then assumed a running posture. With a "whoosh," he disappeared, only to appear again in front of the sign.


    As Hal saw Schiller and the sign reappear before him, he was perplexed. Schiller, however, said, "Indeed, Earth is round, but I don''t think your speed is fast enough to go around the Earth in a split second, right?"


    Even if Hal underestimated the situation, he knew that things had taken a different turn. His expression gradually grew serious as he asked Schiller, "What''s going on here? You better give me a reasonable exnation."


    "Abandon all your notions of ''reasonable,''" Schiller stepped over the roadside barrier and approached the sign, saying to Hal, "Because right now, you''re in a dream."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Hal saw the pir supporting the traffic sign growrger andrger in his line of sight, until it transformed into an immensely colossal tower, situated on a charred cknd. Hal raised his head, opened his mouth, and asked, "What is this?"


    "Come with me, and I''ll exin everything to you," Schiller said as he led Hal forward. Hal''s brown eyes were filled with doubt, and he followed behind Schiller, asking, "Where are we? Is this an illusion you''ve created? Who are you? Is it rted to the yellow light?"


    Schiller sighed and said, "I won''t exin the previous events to you. Let''s start with the arrival of the yellow light."


    "You''re aware of the yellow light''s arrival? Oh, right, you''re probably not an ordinary person. But I''ve never heard of a Lantern Ring that can make an entire city vanish."


    "That''s because it''s not the Lantern Ring that turned the city into nothingness, but me."


    "Don''t joke around," Hal''s tone conveyed his disbelief.


    "That''s Gotham! One of the top cities on the entire East Coast. How could you make it disappear in an instant? The panic it would cause would be unimaginable. Why haven''t I seen it on the news?"


    "Gotham hasn''t disappeared in the real world. You can''t see it because the moment you stepped on that road, you entered a dream."


    "As for why I did this, it''s because I have certain responsibilities..."


    Schiller sighed once again, more times today than in the past few monthsbined, as things had indeed taken an unexpected turn.


    He and Jack''s original n was to delve into the depths of Batman''s consciousness and extract and eliminate any potential threats. Although the process was highlyplex, the objective was clear¡ªto eliminate any possibility of the Laughing Bat''s appearance.


    In this process, Schiller encountered clowns killing clowns and bats killing bats. In short, he would do whatever it takes to prevent the extremely annoying Laughing Bat from appearing in his life.


    In the first two stories leading up to the climax, everything went very smoothly. They sessfully reached the edge of Batman''s dream, found the embryo that could hatch the maniacalughter, and almost killed him.


    However, unexpectedly, this stimtion caused a surge of darkness deep within Batman''s heart, and it erupted from his soul in an unprecedented ferocious manner, rushing into the universe.


    This purest force of fear in the entire universe naturally attracted the attention of an entity, which is the yellowntern ring or the representative of fear power in the emotional spectrum, the yellowntern beast known as "Parax."


    All thentern beasts of different colored rings in this universe are powerful beings, and Parax is no exception.


    However, Parax is also a connoisseur. Ordinary fear power is not enough to grab its attention. But the problem lies in the fact that the fear power within Batman''s heart is almost the purest form of fear in the entire DC universe. For Parax, it''s an irresistible temptation.


    Thus, with the arrival of the yellowntern ring, a terrifying monster apanied it, which is the yellowntern beast, Parax.


    "Parax?" Hal asked with confusion. He said, "I''ve heard from the veterans in the Corps that every Lantern Corps hasntern furnaces andntern beasts. They mentioned that thentern beasts generated by each emotion are incredibly powerful. However, they don''t easily appear..."


    "You mean someone''s power of fear in this city triggered the arrival of the yellowntern beast? That''s really troublesome..." Hal''s expression grew increasingly serious, indicating that he realized the severity of the problem.


    "I didn''t expect this either because, ording to the timeline, it''s impossible. You''ve just..." Schiller turned to Hal and said.


    The reason why he hadn''t been concerned about the yellowntern ring issue was that, in the normal timeline, Hal had only recently be a Lantern. At this point, Sinestro, the founder of the Yellow Lantern Corps, should still be a Green Lantern. If they didn''t have a falling out, Sinestro wouldn''t have betrayed the Green Lantern Corps, and he wouldn''t have created the Yellow Lantern Ring.


    During the rising tide of darkness, Schiller hadn''t considered the issue of the emotional spectrum at all. He believed that the current universe''s light rings didn''t include the category of fear. But who knew that the yellowntern ring descended just like that.


    Schiller reflected on the changes in this universe. The early appearance of the Yellow Lantern Corps wasn''t entirely impossible.


    "But you still haven''t said what happened to Gotham? Where are we?"


    "Don''t worry, I''m about to exin..."


    "The arrival of the yellowntern ring and the yellowntern beast isn''t the greatest danger. The greatest danger is that the host they want to parasitize has an escaped... egg inside their body."


    "Egg? What is that?"


    "I''m not trying to scare you, but I have to tell you that it''s an existence that even if all yourntern corps werebined, wouldn''t be enough for him to fight alone."


    Just as Hal was about to refute, Schiller continued, "Fortunately, now he is just an embryo, greatly weakened in terms of his ability to act, and only a step away from death."


    "But at this moment, the Yellow Lantern ring and the Lantern Beast arrived. One was desperately trying to escape, while the other was desperately trying to invade. Guess who won in the end?"


    "Well, it should be the Lantern Beast, right?"


    "No, they both lost, and Batman won both. Now, he possesses both the Egg of Laughter and the Yellow Lantern Beast."


    Schiller exined again, "Originally, Batman could reject the Yellow Lantern ring with his own will, but the almost dying egg inside him saw it as the only way to survive."


    "So, when Batman''s attention shifted to the Yellow Lantern Beast, it took control of his consciousness and epted the Yellow Lantern ring, and the Yellow Lantern Beast entered Batman''s body through the ring. Now, they are merged as one."


    As Schiller narrated, the two entered the Babel Tower, and then, amidst the shifting lights and shadows, Hal found himself on top of a high-rise building. He looked down, and beneath his feety the entire city of Gotham.


    Finally in Gotham, but Hal didn''t feel any happiness inside because, as he looked up, an indescribable monster stood above Gotham.


    It had a segmented, multi-legged lower body resembling a yellow centipede, a Dark upper body adorned with a bat emblem, and a head without eyes or any other facial features, except for arge mouth of bright red.


    At this moment, Schiller''s voice resounded:


    "The Yellow Lantern ring, Parax, Batman, and the Laughing Egg all intertwined, and I call it..."


    "The Laughing Demon of Fear."


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 Chapter 273: Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng (1)

    Chapter 273: Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng (1)


    "So, what''s going on now? You said you came into my dream and brought me here? But if I may be frank, this is a bit... hard to understand."


    In the Gotham night sky, on top of a certain building, Gordon in a trench coat lifted the hem of his coat to the back, then crossed his arms and looked at the glowing figure in green. He said, "I don''t think he''s a local from Gotham, is he?"


    Halnded on the ground and asked Gordon, hugging his arms, "How do you know?"


    "Do you realize you look like a Green Lantern now?"


    "I am Green Lantern, to begin with. I am the Green Lantern."


    "I mean the kind of green light from traffic lights. If you were a local, you wouldn''t be floating in mid-air with green light all over you because we all know that the traffic lights at Central Roundabout get shot at thousands of times every day..."


    Schiller interrupted the conversation between Gordon and Hal, saying, "The cause of the situation is as I mentioned before, and now, I have to figure out how to solve it."


    Gordon took a deep breath, observing the colossal monster wreaking havoc in the city. He said, "Thank goodness, this isn''t the real Gotham."


    "If we don''t stop it, one day it will enter the real world. I brought you here to prepare for eliminating this monster.""Tell me, no matter what your n is, I will cooperate. This is for Gotham, and for Batman."


    Gordon''s tone was resolute, "Regardless, this peculiar vignte in a tight suit has saved the police of Gotham several times. If he''s in danger now, then I believe I should go save him."


    "I will discuss this with you privately because I must teach you how to fight in the dream realm, Sheriff Gordon."


    "Hold on!" Hal interrupted Schiller, saying, "Even if this is a dream, we can''t just chat here, right? What if that yellowntern beast really enters the real world? It will cause massive destruction!"


    Just then, the three individuals standing on the rooftop felt a slight tremor on the ground. The monstrous creature, both terrifying in its size and appearance, let out a roar. A massive wave of darkness surged from the horizon, instantaneously flooding the city, submerging the entire Gotham.


    "It seems like it was provoked by something," Hal squinted his eyes as he hovered in mid-air.


    "Do you really think that the few things I mentioned, oncebined, will be united? Never mind the yellowntern beast and the yellowntern ring, even if I talked about theughing egg and the owner of this body, Batman, they are sworn enemies."


    "This monster is merely a temporary product ofpromise. At this moment, chaos is likely consuming its body."


    At that moment, Schiller also gazed towards the sky, stating, "It seems like the other friends I invited have arrived."


    A distinct "gudong" sound echoed in the ears of the three, yet they didn''t see anything falling into the water. Then, a soft "swish" sound followed, and in an instant, a gigantic penguin leaped out of the sea, using its sharp beak to sever a section of the monster''s tail.


    Hal widened his eyes and eximed, "A penguin? Why a penguin?"


    "It appears you aren''t familiar with this bird species," Schiller exined. "Perhaps the penguins you''ve seen onnd waddle and are incredibly clumsy, but in reality, these avians are very fast underwater, agile in their movements, and skilled hunters."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the gigantic penguin, several timesrger than an ordinary penguin, dove back beneath the water, evading the w attack of the Laughing Demon. Shortly after, it leaped out of the water from the right side, which was out of its line of sight, and fiercely bit into his rib. The Laughing Demon let out a cry of pain, but when he turned to continue his attack on the penguin, he found that it had disappeared once again.


    "...Who was that?" Gordon asked.


    "That''s Copperpot, Sheriff. I was just about to tell you about this part," replied Schiller.


    "In the dream world, the best way to enhance yourbat abilities is to fight as the image you are most familiar with in your heart. Once youpletely unleash your true self, your coordination with the dream will improve, granting you greater strength, much like this penguin."


    Gordon narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance, and said, "It seems somewhat different. I don''t recall normal penguins having such sharp beaks."


    Indeed, as Gordon pointed out, the agile penguin possessed a pair of incredibly sharp beaks. Each peck caused the monster to cry out in pain, and if it struck a joint, it would even make it wobble.


    While Schiller was exining to Gordon, he nced back at Hal and asked, "Gordon Detective is just an ordinary person, so I need to instruct him on how to fight. So, what are you doing here?"


    "I..." Hal was caught off guard for a moment but still managed to say, "But this is also my first time fighting in a dream. I feel that the power of the Green Lantern here seems somewhat sluggish. I think I could learn something too."


    Schiller turned around and continued speaking to Gordon, "Sheriff, you can give it a try. Rx and follow your instincts, and imagine who you should be..."


    Gordon took a deep breath and said, "That''s a bit challenging."


    He then turned his head to nce at the massive monster beside him and slowly closed his eyes.


    Soon, a ripple appeared in the dream, but Gordon himself didn''t undergo any changes. Instead, phantom images began to materialize behind him, disying variousrge-caliber weaponry.


    Schiller chuckled and remarked, "Sheriff, it seems you have an acute fear of insufficient firepower?"


    Gordon opened his eyes and looked at the floating weapons behind him. He sheepishly replied, "Actually, I''ve always wanted to try out these weapons. Unfortunately, even though the police department is equipped with numerous heavy weapons, these ones are just too exaggerated..."


    Schiller turned his gaze towards the weapons behind him. Among them was not only an automatic machine gun with an expanded caliber but also something resembling a missileuncher.


    At that moment, Hal touched his face, raised his head, and said, "Is it raining? Why does it feel like..."


    "Oh, wait! It''s snowing!" Hal reached out his hand and discovered that some snowkes hadnded on his hand. He expressed his confusion, saying, "Does it snow in Gotham?"


    Just as he finished speaking, a violent storm surged, and all the recently fallen snowkes spun around like des. Hal had to shield his face with his arm and shouted, "What the hell is this?!! How did it suddenly turn into a blizzard?!!!"


    "This is what I''m going to exin next. The manifestation of willpower can take countless forms, not limited to the human form. It can manifest as natural elements like storms and lightning, even in dreams..."


    "You mean!" Hal yelled in the midst of the storm, "This blizzard is also a person???"


    "That''s right, it''s the manifestation of Victor''s inner self."


    "Victor?" Gordon asked in surprise, "His inner self is so wild. I never noticed it before!"


    "There are serene snowfields, and there are raging blizzards. People''s hearts contain various images. Victor, in particr, emphasizes the release of his inner violent nature, resulting in this effect."


    "That''s what I want to emphasize. By focusing your attention, you can manifest the emotions you desire the most, such as anger, violence, the desire to kill, and so on..."


    Both Gordon and Hal tried, but they didn''t undergo significant changes. Schiller spected that it might be because both of them are hero characters and have fewer extreme emotions within them.


    On the other hand, even though Victor appears gentle and refined on the surface, he is ultimately the precursor to Freeze and has the potential to be a viin. Therefore, his inner self harbors plenty of violent emotions.


    On the battlefield, the wind and snow grew more intense. After each snowke fell from the sky, it rapidly spun, surrounded by a de-like air current, before elegantly slicing through the Laughing Demon''s body, leaving a wound on its arm in an instant.


    Countless snowkes of this kind descended, attacking the monster from various angles, followed by floating ice crystals.


    The ice crystals first arranged themselves in mid-air, resembling soldiers in formation, then shot towards the monster like bullets. Upon contact with the monster''s skin, each ice crystal produced arge patch of freezing blue substance, impeding the Laughing Demon''s movements.


    "I don''t quite understand," Hal said.


    "This is a dream. How could you be injured in a dream? If, ording to what you said earlier, the attacks in the dream are all imaginary, then couldn''t this monster simply imagine that it won''t be harmed?"


    "That might be true in your own dream. When you realize you''re dreaming, you can give yourself wings or conjure a gun. However, this is a shared dream..."


    "In this kind of dream, any attack and defense is a test of willpower. If your willpower surpasses your opponent''s, you can effectively damage them. On the other hand, you may be defended against. That''s how it works."


    "Okay, I think I understand..."


    Hal flexed his wrist, and the green light on his body grew brighter and brighter. Clearly, the energy of the Green Lantern was abundant, and the sluggish and dark feeling disappeared. Instead, due to Hal''s powerful willpower, the Green Lantern energy grew stronger and stronger, and his strength continued to increase.


    "Before we proceed, we have one more friend who will take the lead."


    After Schiller finished speaking, he looked towards the sky again. At that moment, a sharp cry echoed, and a figure with wings appeared overhead the Laughing Demon. The sharp ws shed across the monster''s shoulder, leaving deep wounds.


    It was a monster resembling an owl, with wings on its back and w-like hands. Its body was covered in countless feathers. Apanied by a piercing screech, numerous feathers materialized behind him and swiftly shot towards the Laughing Demon, creating a shower of blood on its back.


    "I don''t particrly enjoy using this form," came Alberto''s cold voice. He continued, "But I have to admit, the ws and feathers of birds are the best weapons."


    "Who is this?"


    "You should be familiar with this one, yet you don''t recognize him. However, that doesn''t matter. Sheriff Gordon, I believe you now understand the rules here. Now, you can go and demonstrate your abilities."


    Hal finished his warm-up routine, while Gordon, although still adjusting, didn''t hesitate and headed straight to the battlefield.


    Before leaving, Hal looked at Schiller, who stood motionless, and asked, "If we''re going to deal with this monster, what about you?"


    "Do you really think that by simply trading blows, you canpletely eliminate this monster?"


    "In that case, what do you n to do?"


    Schiller suddenly changed the topic, saying, "Currently, you are the only Lantern on Earth, right?"


    "Uh, if we don''t count the Yellow Lantern monster, then yes, I''m the only one."


    "Alright," replied Schiller. Hal looked suspiciously at Schiller''s departing figure and suddenly had a sense of unease.


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 Chapter 274: Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng (2)

    Chapter 274: Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng (2)


    In the deepest reaches of Batman''s consciousness, the battle rages on. The ck tide summoned by the Joker''s fear-inducing magic has be a hindrance to Batman himself, as aquatic birds attack the monster''s legs from beneath the sea surface.


    The Penguin, in his transformed state as Copperpot, is not limited to bird beak attacks. When he ps his wings, he stirs up water currents, creating whirlpools that draw closer to the Joker. Every time the Joker is struck by these whirlpools, his supporting legs are pulled in a certain direction, destabilizing his bnce.


    Meanwhile, in mid-air, Alberto swoops down, folding his wings, and delivers a powerful strike to the Joker''s side. Even if the Joker doesn''t fall, the massive monster is left shaking.


    The blizzard in the area, along with Gordon''s heavy firepower, inflicts the most damage on the monster. Bullets and ice cones resembling bullets rain down on the monster without respite, tearing through its flesh and consuming its energy in the process.


    Green Lantern Hal takes on the role of crowd control. As he attacks the monster with his greenntern energy, he realizes that he is helpless against the monster''s lower body, specifically the Parax''s part. It seems to possess a special defense that withstands the power of his greenntern energy. No matter how Hal attacks, the monster remains unyielding.


    Despite the monster''s grotesque appearance, its physical form proves advantageous against the onught. Its lower body resembles that of a centipede, with multiple legs and a long tail, providing rtive stability. Even if one leg is injured, the monster remains standing.


    The upper body retains a humanoid form, featuring two powerful arms. Each swing of its arms forces the airbornebatants to evade, as a direct hit would be devastating.


    "The head, it''s the weak point," Copperpot''s voice echoes in the ears of the group. Victor''s voice soon follows, "In dreams, we don''t need physical proximity tomunicate; our thoughts are enough, just like this."


    "I also agree that the head is its weak spot. Whenever we try to get close, it shields it with its arms.""My goal has always been a headshot!" Gordon crouches on a rooftop, stating, "But its head is heavily protected, and I can''t find an opportunity!"


    "I''ll distract it while you find a chance to attack its head!" Alberto''s voice echoes from mid-air. The sound of wind apanies his rapid circling around the monster, causing the fear-inducing Joker to continuously turn his head, searching for Alberto''s presence.


    Copperpot relentlessly attacks the monster''s lower body, preventing it from turning, leaving it only able to hastily defend. Victor seizes the opportunity, conjuring a massive ice crystal in the air andunching it toward the monster''s head.


    The ice crystal appears behind the Fear Laugher, forcing it to rotate its upper body and shield the back of its head with its arms.


    In that moment, Gordon positions himself in front, unleashing an enormous missile that propels itself from theuncher. Almost instantly, it reaches the Fear Laugher, striking its small head with tremendous force.


    A resounding "boom" fills the air as the monster lets out an intense scream. Its body trembles uncontrobly, indicating that the attack has been effective.


    Yet, it''s not only superficial damage. There is another battle taking ce within the monster''s body.


    Just as Schiller predicted, Parax, the Laughing Egg, and Batman cannot coexist peacefully. The Laughing Egg, a native of this realm of consciousness, primarily opposes Batman. The Laughing Egg brought Parax into this space, intending to join forces against Batman and ensure its own sessful escape.


    But Parax is an extremely chaotic creature, and it''s difficult to reason with it. In the past, it was the sole upant of the consciousness space of its host, and it didn''t want to share that space with anyone else. Even when the Laughing Egg let it in, it turned around and attacked the instigator, aiming to consume the Laughing Egg and take over Batman''s consciousness space.


    Batman cannot allow two monsters to wreak havoc within his consciousness space. Whether it''s the Laughing Egg or Parax, neither is a benevolent entity, and Batman has no intention of cooperating with either of them. Thus, both are his enemies.


    The Laughing Egg wants to escape, Parax wants to im Batman for itself, and Batman wants to eliminate both of them. This leads to a three-way conflict within the Fear Joker''s body.


    Initially, the Laughing Egg held the advantage. Even in its undeveloped state, this malformed and eerie embryo possessed formidable strength. Parax and Batman could only barely withstand its attacks.


    However, external attacks still yed a role in shifting the tide of battle. A powerful strikended on the head of the Fear Joker, the part controlled by the Laughing Egg, causing significant damage.


    This was also part of Batman''s n. He knew that once this monster came into existence, both the two clowns and Professor Schiller would not ignore it and would attempt to attack it.


    The monster consists of three parts: the head controlled by the Laughing Egg, the upper body controlled by Batman, and the lower body controlled by Parax.


    Whenever an attack approached the head, Batman would manipte the monster''s arms to block it. However, this was not to protect the Laughing Egg but to signal to the outside world that the head was the monster''s weak point.


    Batman believed that those outside would understand his hint, and indeed, they utilized a clever diversion and coordinated attack, inflicting severe damage upon the Laughing Egg.


    The head controlled the monster''s overall coordination, and when it was injured, the monster''s control over its internal will weakened. Batman seized the opportunity to escape. After the monster let out a scream, yellow scales spread to its upper body, gradually erasing the ck and bat motifs.


    Soon, the Fear Joker transformed into a Parax monster with the head resembling the Laughing Egg. The bat elementspletely vanished from the monster''s body, and Batman appeared in the skies above Gotham.


    Taking in the surroundings, Batman noticed various bizarre beings, except for one resembling a green light in a traffic signal, whom he had never seen before. It didn''t take long for him to deduce the identities of these strange creatures.


    Instead of immediatelyunching an attack, Batman approached Gordon and asked, "Did you see the two clowns?"


    "Clowns? What clowns?" Gordon replied.


    "Who brought you here?"


    "Oh, it was Schiller. Why do you ask?"


    "Then where did he go?"


    "He said he had something to do."


    Batman narrowed his eyes; he figured that Schiller was nning something significant, but he didn''t anticipate the method Schiller would use to reverse the current situation.


    While he pondered this question, he suddenly heard a crisp "click" sound within his consciousness space.


    It resembled the sound of a door unlocking and the coupling of a freight train''spartments. But following that sound, Batman looked toward the horizon, where a swirling mist akin to a sea of clouds churned.


    The gray mist swiftly surged forward, engulfing the entire city of Gotham in an instant. Batman recognized it as the same ability Schiller employed during the Battle of Living Hell.


    However, this mist caused no harm to anything present on the battlefield. It seemed genuinely natural, silently arriving and departing like ordinary fog.


    The gray mist billowed and rolled between the buildings of the city, as if the entire city had suddenly drifted into a sky-high expanse of clouds. The Fear Laugher, having lost Batman, paid no attention to this harmless fog.


    But soon, the mist grew denser and rose higher, eventually submerging even the tallest structures in the city.


    The Fear Laugher realized something was amiss. It lunged forward and wrapped itself around Wayne Tower in the realm of consciousness, resembling a centipede. Finally, it settled on the rooftop.


    The gray mist rose from beneath its feet, transforming from a faint light gray into a deep and rich dark gray, ultimately turning the lower levels pitch-ck.


    No one knew where this mist originated, but they all sensed an indescribable sense of mystery and danger emanating from it.


    The mist permeated the entire realm of consciousness, iming dominion over all regions, including the sky. Within the sky, a mirage-like shadow loomed.


    Batman lifted his gaze and beheld what appeared to be a towering spire, seemingly piercing the heavens. He meticulously surveyed the height of the tower, concluding it to be no less than three hundred stories tall.


    As the mist grew thicker, the tower''s form solidified further. It eventually coalesced into a tangible entity¡ªa colossal Tower of Babel that descended upon the heart of Gotham.


    All attention fixated on this immense tower. And as everyone watched, its pinnacle continued to ascend, with bricks and tiles being stacked, and beams and columns supporting upward. In a mere moment, more than a dozen additional floors were added.


    After catching sight of the tower, the Fear Joker sensed immense danger due to the sharp intuition of Parax. He swiftly flew towards the tower, with Batman''s voice echoing in everyone''s ears: "Stop him."


    Instantly, the air filled with the piercing screams of birds, a storm of wind and snow, and the thundering sound of machine guns. Yet, none of itpared to the presence of a ck figure.


    BatmanDark''s cape danced in the gray mist as he effortlessly flew through the air without relying on any tools, even faster than Green Lantern.


    He charged ahead and stood before the Fear Joker, delivering a powerful p that sent the colossal monster tumbling. Clearly, when it came to willpower, no one could surpass Batman.


    The others quickly caught up and joined the assault on the monster, driving it back from the towering structure. As the battle intensified, the Tower grew taller, resisting the barriers between deep and surface consciousness.


    Unyielding to the resistance of the barriers, the tower continued to rise, breaking throughyer afteryer of dreams, from the depths of consciousness to the surface. It surged beyond the confines of the physical body, like a terrifying ck tide, surpassing the sky, the atmosphere, and the obstacles of the ordinary universe, extending into the boundless depths of the mysterious cosmos.


    At that moment, Schiller''s voice reverberated within the realm of consciousness, saying, "Everyone, prepare yourselves..."


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 Chapter 275: Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng (3)

    Chapter 275: Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng Deng (3)


    Just as Schiller''s voice fell, everyone was enveloped in gray mist. Gordon was the first to disappear. After a momentary trance, he found himself in a magical ce. The floor beneath his feet was a mixture of ck and gold, and above him stretched endless floors.


    Standing before him were two Schillers. One was the Schiller he knew, while the other had green hair. Beside them stood another person with green hair and clown makeup.


    "Are you nning to let him go first?" Jack the Clown circled around Gordon twice, clicking his tongue and saying, "Well, this guy looks like the opposite of Batman. No matter when, he firmly holds onto his ridiculous goodness and hope..."


    Schiller paid no attention to Jack and instead exined to the bewildered Gordon, "Currently, thebined power of our consciousness is not enough topletely eliminate this monster."


    "One reason is that theughing egg may have very special properties. It is difficult topletely destroy it if the power level is not high enough. Another reason is that the Parax creature, as one of the sources of the power of the yellow ring, is inherently difficult to eradicate."


    "So what''s your n?" Gordon looked at Schiller and then surveyed the surroundings. "It seems like you already have an idea?"


    "That''s right, the tower you see is actually my thinking pce, and just now, I modified it to be an ''amplifier''."


    "Amplifier? Amplify what?" Gordon asked with skepticism.


    "Emotions," Schiller provided a clear answer. He said, "In the universe, there are various spectrums of emotions. When one particr emotion reaches its peak, it attracts a mysterious force known as thentern ring.""I will use this tower to amplify your emotions infinitely and send them out into the universe, actively attracting thentern rings. This way, you can fight with the power of thentern rings."


    "Okay, but why me?"


    "Differentntern rings represent different emotions, and only those who possess that specific emotional quality can attract thentern rings."


    "Although my thinking pce can greatly amplify a certain emotion, it is more likely to seed if one already possesses a strong emotion naturally."


    "And you, GordonDetective, please concentrate now and recall the scenes filled with light and hope in your heart..."


    Although Gordon still had some doubts, he followed the instructions. Scene after scene began to appear in his mind.


    In this despair-filled city, he worked day after day, returning home exhausted under the dark night, being driven away, insulted, and even pursued.


    He also recalled scenes of being chased. On that rainy night, he ran for his life, pain and the scent of blood rising together. He tried everything to escape the killer, jumping out of a window andnding in a pile of garbage, the cold rain patting his face.


    Yet, infinite determination and resolve surged within him. Even if he was thest person in this city who genuinely wanted to save it, it had to be him. It had to be Gordon.


    The powerful emotion filled with hope soared into the universe through the tower of thought. Soon, a faint voice echoed in Gordon''s ears, as though separated by a thick, indistinct wall.


    "Days of fear, nights of pain,


    The raging fire subsides,


    All lost in the mes of war,


    Gaze upon the stars,


    The light of hope never fades!"


    "Intelligent beings located. James Gordon from Earth, you possess the ability to instill unwavering hope in others. Wee to join the Blue Lantern Corps!"


    Schiller turned his head, looking at the wall of the thinking pce, as if peering through the wall and dreaming into reality.


    3 / 3


    In reality, there is a ring emitting a blue light, quietly floating above the sleeping Gordon Overhead.


    The bluentern ring, representing hope, was drawn to the heightened sense of hope but became a little confused upon arrival.


    It could sense that the consciousness of its future host was immersed in a dream. However, if the host didn''t awaken, how could they ept the power of thentern ring?


    If the host didn''t willingly ept the power of the ring, it wouldn''t be able to recognize them as its owner. Just like in the originalic, Batman never wore thentern ring, rendering it useless to him.


    But since it had already arrived, could it just leave like that? The ring emitting blue light hesitated for a moment, then decided to get closer to the host''s consciousness.


    However, the ring was a tangible object and couldn''t merge with Gordon''s body. Consequently, the blue light gradually detached from the ring and seeped into Gordon''s forehead. The powerless ring fell to the ground with a click.


    Only the energy of the blue light entered Gordon''s body, while the actual ring remained outside. Devoid of power, it went into standby mode.


    In the space of consciousness, when the crisp sound of a click was heard, a bluentern ring appeared before Gordon. Gordon examined the ring and asked, "Is this thentern ring you mentioned? Should I put it on?"


    "Of course, Gordon Detective, but don''t let this power control you."


    "Don''t worry, I understand. I''ve never been fond of relying too heavily on external objects." After speaking, Gordon extended his hand, and the blue light flew onto his finger.


    As Gordon emerged from the Tower of Babel, his appearance hadpletely changed. He radiated a blue light from head to toe. Hal stared at him in astonishment and eximed, "Is that the power of thentern ring? The bluentern ring? How do you possess its power?"


    Before he could finish his bewilderment, Victor disappeared into the space as well, clearly entering the Tower of Babel.


    "This is a bit troublesome because perhaps the purplentern ring, representing ''love,'' only epts women..." Schiller said to Victor.


    "On what basis is that determined? The human soul? What if my inner self identifies as a woman?"


    "Enough with that. Just consider yourself a transgender individual; it would never dare to reject you!"


    After a while, a distant voice resounded:


    "Fearful and lost, two hearts entwined,


    In the darkest night, unable to sleep alone,


    Slide your slender finger into the ring, transforming your countenance,


    Filling the world with the solitary love of purple light!"


    "Intelligent creatures have been located. Victor Fries from Earth, with the profound love in your heart, wee to join Star Sapphire!"


    After a while, Victor, radiating purple light all over his body, appeared in the realm of consciousness. He exchanged a nce with Gordon and then turned their attention to Hal beside them.


    Soon after, Alberto vanished, and shortly thereafter, a deep and enraged voice resounded:


    "Burning hot blood and scarlet rage, Taken from the unchilled bones, Profound grudges and great hatred seethe within, For it shall forge your path to the underworld!"


    "Intelligent lifeform located. Alberto Falcone from Earth, with a surging ze of fury in your heart, you belong to the Red Lantern Corps!"


    And when Alberto emerged with a crimson glow, the sight of one green, one blue, and one purple had already be ordinary.


    Finally, it was Copperpot''s turn to be called in. He had a feeling as if being summoned to the teacher''s office after ss. Upon entering, Schiller exined to him the principles of the Indigo Tribe''s power ofpassion. Then he said, "I believe the Orange Light suits you well because it represents greed."


    "Greed? Greed for what?"


    "That depends on you." Schiller fixed his gaze on Copperpot, looking into his eyes. "Don''t you desire boundless...power?"


    Two minutester, Copperpot emerged, engulfed in an orange glow. Now, apart from Batman, everyone on the battlefield emitted a colorful light.


    As Hal beheld the multitude of Lanterns in front of him, he finally understood the meaning behind Schiller''s question, "Are you the only Lantern on Earth?"


    Earth was undoubtedly home to more than one Lantern...


    There were five Lanterns right here! ! !


    "Stop staring and get to work."


    In an instant, the colorful figures charged towards the Fearful Laughing Demon.


    The power of those few individuals empowered by their rings grew stronger, but more importantly, they could employ the emotional energy of their rings to assail the Fearful Laughing Demon. This was crucial because emotions remained an immensely potent force within the realm of dreams.


    Meanwhile, Batman,cking the might of a Lantern Ring, didn''t fall behind in the slightest. This was partly due to the fact that it was his own realm of consciousness, and also because his willpower was sufficient to overpower any emotions.


    Suddenly, Batman halted his movements, his voice echoing in the ears of the others, "Stop."


    Although the others were somewhat perplexed, they obeyed and came to a halt, suspended in mid-air. Fixing his narrowed gaze on the central monster, Batman stated, "That egg is moving; it appears to be hatching..."


    "Hatching?"


    Several individuals directed their attention towards the head of the colossal monster. Unbeknownst to them, sinister veins had emerged on the gray egg, resembling an impending explosion. The wide, grinning mouth grew increasingly eerie, with even traces of blood-like marks flowing from the corners, rendering the entire head more and more terrifying.


    "It has been absorbing those ck tides," Batman said in a deep voice. "That is a power I cannot control, but now it seems that it can be its nourishment."


    "We cannot let it hatch!"


    Hal said, "The mysterious man who brought me into the dream told me that if he appears, he will destroy the entire Lantern Corps! Even if he exaggerated a bit, we cannot let this terrifying monster escape..."


    "I understand that better than you do."


    Saying this, Batman''s figure appeared above the monster. He wanted to touch the egg directly, but was swatted away by the long tail of the Parax creature. Hal said, "It might have already taken control of Parax. We must stop it! Hurry!"


    Several individuals who possessed the power of the Lantern Rings continued to attack the monster. However, the Parax creature, under the control of the Laughing Egg, not only possessed immense strength but was also extremely cautious, making every move to protect its own head.


    With the absence of a three-sided confrontation, the Laughing Egg and the Parax creature merged into one. The true horrifying nature of this monster began to manifest. Endless waves of fear surged within the hearts of the people, as wave after wave of ck tides washed over them, with a significant portion of the tides being absorbed by the egg.


    A faint "crack" sound echoed as cracks appeared on the top of the Laughing Egg. Soon, branching patterns spread, causing the eggshell to shatter. Everyone understood that its hatching was now irreversible.


    A suffocating tension arose within Batman as his intuition reached its peak. He could hardly move, only able to stand and watch as the egg ruptured, as if time itself had frozen.


    In that moment, the eggshell cracked, and a pale and slender hand emerged from within the egg.


    There was no sound, no movement, yet everyone heard a manicughter amidst the silence. "Hahahahahahahahahaha!"


    However, what followed was not a monster breaking out of its shell, but a voice that was familiar yet slightly indifferent.


    "Stopughing, it''s too unpleasant."


    Suddenly, a multicolored radiance flickered over everyone''s bodies, and a dense gray mist enveloped them. The various hues of radiance were drawn out from within them, blending into the boundless gray mist.


    Thepletely dissonant spectrums of color struggled relentlessly within the mass of gray fog, causing chaos, explosions, friction, fragmentation, and fusion...


    Eventually, in the air, within the hovering gray mist, after an amalgamation of various colors, a neither ck nor white but chaotic gray hue emerged.


    In the midst of endless silence, the gray mist began to condense, gradually forming a circrntern furnace.


    A resounding dragon roar echoed, as the head of a massive dragon emerged from the mist, followed by a neck and wings covered in scales. A colossal dragonposed of gray mist, emitting an energy aura, flew out from the luminous gray furnace.


    A deep and distant voice resonated from the sky:


    "Ashen soup, misty haze, Where does reality go, where do dreams lead, The pir of thoughts, the chamber of souls, A thousand stars shine together, ten thousand lights are born!"


    "Intelligent life locked in from..."


    "Forget it, the following words are too long, anyway¡ª"


    "Batman, continue."


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 Chapter 276: A Sharp Turn in the Plot (1)

    Chapter 276: A Sharp Turn in the Plot (1)


    A gray light appeared before Batman''s eyes, followed by Schiller''s voice. Just like before, it seemed as if Schiller could see what Batman was thinking. Schiller said to Batman, "I pull everyone''s consciousness into a dream, and then attract the Ring of Lights by amplifying their emotions in the dream state..."


    "But the Rings of Power can only be imed with the consent of the host. Once their consciousness is pulled into the deep dream space, the Rings of Power will realize that the physical bodies they found are devoid of consciousness. To find the consciousness of the hosts, they must enter the dream. As a result, the true essence of the Rings of Power cannot enter, only their powers can."


    "In this way, these people haven''t actually worn the rings. They only gain the power of the Rings of Power. Ibine these powers together to create a new power source in the dream world and bring forth new Ring Beasts..."


    "But keep in mind, this is limited to the dream space. This gray ring has no physical form, so it won''t have any effect in the real world. Once you wake up from your dream, it will be as if nothing happened."


    "Or you could say that this isn''t a recognized new ring because it was merely a dream we had."


    "So, what''s the use of it?" Batman asked.


    "Now, the Laughing Egg that you''re up against can nourish itself using the dark energy deep within you, thus greatly elerating its hatching process. Meanwhile, you have very little power to draw upon."


    "As this continues, once that monster hatches and kills you, it will take over your body and even venture into the real world."


    "But with the gray ring that has absorbed the energies of various other rings, it can provide you with energy to counterbnce it..."Batman slowly extended his hand, and the gray light flew toward it. Before he put on the ring, he asked, "I heard Hal say that each ring represents an emotion. So, what does this ring represent?"


    "Intangible, ambiguous, all-epassing... chaos."


    The moment the gray ring touched Batman''s finger, his entire body was enveloped inyers of gray mist. The massive gray dragon that emerged from the power battery let out a thunderous roar, shaking the entire realm of consciousness, as it pped its wings and soared overhead.


    Suddenly, Batman felt a mysterious connection between himself and the dream dragon. With a single thought, the gray dragon flew towards the Laughing Demon of Fear.


    The Dream Dragon guided countless gray mists that followed in its wake, while the Laughing Demon was apanied by an endless tide of darkness. When the two forces collided, they created an incredibly bright explosion, followed by countless massive ripples expanding outward.


    This immense and intense battle was no longer within the control of one or two individuals. The consciousness of everyone else retreated to the edge of the dream.


    Since the power of the rings was consumed by the gray mist, the light emanating from the others vanished. However, Victor''s tone remained rxed. He said, "Fortunately, it didn''tst long. In fact, that power gave me a peculiar feeling..."


    "What kind of feeling?" Schiller asked him.


    "It''s like something is observing me, or rather, it wants to control me and make a certain emotion within me erupt."


    "That''s normal because the rings originate from the emotional spectrum. The emotional energy within you canplement the energy of the rings."


    "Hey, I mean, what''s going on here?" Hal walked over and interrupted Schiller and Victor''s conversation, and the green light surrounding him also disappeared.


    Hal''s tone carried a hint of panic as he said, "What did you do to me? Why did my Green Lantern energy disappear?"


    "I just absorbed all the energy from the ring you''re currently wearing. You can recharge itter in thentern battery."


    Hearing that the power wasn''t permanently gone, Hal breathed a sigh of relief, but Schiller''s next words left him silent: "Don''t you think you''re a little too dependent on this power? Are you the one controlling it, or is it controlling you?"


    At this point, the battle on the field became increasingly intense, shifting from a physically visible fight to a more mysterious contest of spirit and will.


    In the midst of the battlefield, a swirling tornado in the shape of a spindle emerged, created by the gray mist representing Batman and the ck tide representing the Joker. Within this massive whirlwind, Batman and the Joker''s essence engaged in a mental duel.


    At present, Batman found himself at a disadvantage. Not only did he have to restrain the monster''s actions and attack its physical form, but he also had to divert some of his power to suppress the monster that was about to hatch from the embryo. Batman''s sharp intuition warned him that once the monster fully hatched, it would be all over.


    Consequently, a strand of gray mist tightly wrapped around the just-extended hand, striving to force it back into the shell. Another portion of the mist enveloped the eggshell, continuously thickening its outer wall.


    As the battle reached a stalemate, the swirling tornado carried a wisp of gray mist that came into contact with the tail end of the Joker''s body. In that moment, Batman, connected to the consciousness of the gray mist, felt an emotional transmission in his mind.


    It was a brainwave containing information, albeit chaotic. Batman managed to decipher the message behind the brainwave: "I am Parax, and I want to cooperate with you..."


    Quickly, Batman inferred what was happening. Clearly, Parax had never intended to cooperate with the Laughing Spawn.


    Although Parax was a chaotic creature with a thinking process vastly different from that of humans, its inability to act independently resulted in prolonged interaction with humanoid intelligent beings, fostering a sense of understanding.


    Parax could be seen as a different form of symbiote. Without a host, it couldn''t stay in the real world for long. It had to reside within a host from the Yellow Lantern Corps, one possessing independent intelligence and consciousness, enabling it to move freely within the host''s mental space.


    However, when a third consciousness entered the host''s mind, Parax would undoubtedly feel difort. It was akin to a pet dog sharing a house with its owner but being unable to ept the neighbor''s dog moving in.


    Moreover, this neighboring dog had suppressed its consciousness, seized control of its body, and bestowed upon it an unsightly appearance.


    This embodiment of fear, the ancient creature, grew unexpectedly furious. Regardless of how it might have interacted with the host in the future, at that moment, it solely desired to eliminate the monster that had encroached upon its territory, alongside the host''s consciousness.


    Batman and Parax maintained continuousmunication through the gray mist, but their orderly human thinking and the chaotic creature''s thought process were onpletely different wavelengths. Despite lengthymunication, they only managed to establish a preliminary intent to cooperate,cking any concrete n.


    Just then, Schiller''s voice echoed in Batman''s ear:


    "The use of the Gray Lantern ring goes beyond harnessing its energy; it is crucial to tap into the power of the dream rules."


    "The power of the dream rules?"


    "Indeed, it refers to the ability to make wishese true."


    "I know that in dreams, you can make anything you wante true. But you and the Laughing Egg are both masters of this dream. You are two sides of the same coin. You want to make him die with your thoughts, and he wants to make you die with his thoughts. At this point, the two of you can onlypete with your willpower."


    "But here''s the thing, he was carved out of your body. You are him, and he is you. So theoretically, he has the same willpower as you. If you continue to stalemate like this, you won''t be able topletely eliminate his existence, and he won''t be able to eliminate yours."


    "So what?"


    "I connected my dream with yours, and using my thinking hall and the energy of other Light Rings, I created the Gray Lantern Ring. This ring represents my conscious space."


    "In other words, when you use this Gray Lantern Ring, it''s like the superposition of my will and your will. With it, you have enough power to erase this embryonic existence..."


    Batman squinted his eyes. He understood Schiller''s words.


    Originally, the battle between him and the Laughing Egg was like a contest between his left hand and right hand. They were the same person, so there wasn''t much difference in strength and willpower.


    The Laughing Egg could tap into Batman''s dark side, like it was his dominant hand. It had slightly more muscle strength than Batman, but not by much. So when Batman used the energy from the Gray Lantern Ring to fight against the ck Tide, they reached a stalemate.


    And now, if Batman''s and Schiller''s wills werebined, it would be like using one hand to hold down the other while a kitchen knife appeared out of thin air, chopping off the held hand. It provided a crucial element that could determine the oue of the battle.


    Those watching from the sidelines suddenly saw the spindle-shaped tornado growingrger. The ck Tide and gray mist became thinner, revealing the situation in the middle.


    They saw that the crack on the monster''s Overhead embryo, facing Batman, was getting bigger. The pale hand extended tentatively, soon followed by the front half, elbow, and upper arm.


    "What''s happening? Is it about to hatch? Is Batman losing?"


    Schiller shook his head. "Batman is letting it hatch. That''s all he can do. The eggshell isn''t just a limit for the monster, it''s also its protective shell. If it only extends one hand, Batman''s attacks won''t be fatal. We have to wait for the cracks on the eggshell to be bigger."


    While they were speaking, the monster''s arm waspletely stretched out, followed by its head. Batman saw a pale head with spiked goggles on the eyes and a wide grin. At that moment, the head was rubbing against the thin membrane inside the embryo, close to fully emerging.


    Suddenly, the entire conscious space began to shake. Dense gray mist, as substantial as matter, descended from the head of the embryo. The moment it touched the hatching monster, the monster''s form began disappearing into thin air.


    It was as if the monster had been frozen in a picture on paper and was gradually being erased, starting from the head.


    However, the monster quickly realized what Batman was trying to do and fiercely resisted. The erasing process slowed down. At the same time, it struggled and tore at the membrane on top of its head.


    But then, the Parax Monster betrayed the monster, simultaneously contending for control inside its body. The Laughing Egg''s actions momentarily stalled due to Parax''s interference. In that moment, half of its arm and half of its head were wiped clean.


    Everything happened silently, yet everyone could perceive the intensity of the battle. Hal held his breath, afraid that any noise he made would disrupt the fight.


    The gray mist above the monster''s head grew thicker, and Batman closed his eyes, focusing all his attention. He maximized his willpower as the gray mist seeped into the cracks of the monster''s shell, erasing its body.


    The Parax continued to interfere with the monster, causing its movements to pause intermittently. Soon, the exposed arm and most of the body inside the eggshell werepletely wiped away.


    At that moment, realizing its imminent defeat, the monster emitted a scream resembling a maniacalughter, and the entire dream began to copse.


    "He''s run out of tricks, it seems he wants to go down with a fight." Schiller''s tone remained calm, showing no sense of urgency as if a crisis was approaching. He turned to the others and said, "Follow me into my realm of thoughts. In case this ce copses, I''ll find a way to send you out."


    After the figures of the others vanished, only Batman and the monster remained in the dream space.


    Finally, Batman and the Parax worked together tounch a relentless assault. Once thest remaining half of the monster''s head vanished, the dream world began to crumble entirely.


    Unbeknownst to Batman, whose spirit and will had been depleted, the yellow body of the Joker, apart from his head, started shrinking rapidly until it disappeared into the partially intact eggshell left behind by the Joker''sughter.


    The gray ring on Batman''s finger autonomously flew off, making its way towards the towering central tower in Gotham.


    Simultaneously, a yellow-glowing egg, carried by the turbulent currents of the dream, drifted to the entrance of the tower.


    Schiller put on the gray ring and sensed the chaotic consciousness emanating from the egg. He paused for a moment before deciding to ce the egg inside the tower.


    Then, Schiller raised his arm, and the gray mist grew incredibly dense.


    At the moment when the dreampletely copsed, Schiller''s voice resonated, "Return to reality."


    The entire tower, apanied by the pervasive gray fog, vanishedpletely from the crumbling debris filled with turbulent currents.


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 Chapter 277: A Sharp Turn in the Plot (2)

    Chapter 277: A Sharp Turn in the Plot (2)


    Gotham, on a morning that was still neither sunny nor warm, Bruce, deeply asleep, was awakened by Alfred.


    He squinted his eyes in pain, feeling a throbbing headache. Alfred stood by the door and said to him, "Master, I''m sorry to disturb you so early, but there''s a call for you, and it seems urgent..."


    "...Whose call is it?"


    "It''s Professor Schiller calling."


    "Tell him I''ll call back immediately." Bruce''s voice was hoarse to the extreme. Clearly, the overlyplex and thrilling dream had drained all his energy.


    He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to recall the details of the dream. Along with the headache, he felt a sense of relief.


    Bruce had never experienced this feeling before. He thought it was just a fleeting illusion, but as he sat by the bed for a while, the headache persisted, as did the peculiar sensation.


    If he had topare it to something, it was like a child being born carrying a sandbag. He didn''t think there was anything wrong with carrying the sandbag, as he had grown ustomed to its weight. But one day, the sandbag suddenly disappeared, and the subsequent lightness made him feel incredibly uneasy.


    Bruce''s current feeling was one of heaviness in his head and lightness in his body, apanied by a long-forgotten sense of rxation. But the headache remained.He had no choice but to stand up from the bed and walk to the bathroom. Just as he was about to lower his head, he suddenly froze.


    The terrifying memories from the dream made him extremely ufortable. However, in the end, he sluggishly bent down and sshed cold water on his face, but there was no appearance of a terrifying clown behind him.


    The cold water helped Bruce regain some rity. He walked out of the bathroom and downstairs, where Alfred handed him a cup of hot milk. Bruce took the milk and said, "Thank you."


    As he drank the milk, he walked over to the phone and dialed Schiller''s number. Once the call connected, Schiller''s voice came through the receiver, and Bruce asked, "What''s going on, Professor? Is something wrong?"


    "To celebrate your resounding victory inst night''s dream, I have prepared a gift for you. Come to my office and collect it after your sses today."


    "A gift?" Bruce''s somewhat sluggish brain suddenly started racing. He had a strong sense of foreboding, as if he had heard the madman with clown makeup promising him a big surprise.


    "Do you think I''m the kind of crazy person who wants to prepare surprises for you? Of course not, I''m just an ordinary person, and I don''t have the time to prepare any explosive schemes. This is a genuine gift. Come and see it for yourself..."


    Bruce closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his hand. He was about to reject Schiller''s kind gesture when the phone call abruptly ended.


    Alfred noticed Bruce''s tense expression and asked with concern, "Master, what''s wrong? Does your professor have something important?"


    "Well..." Bruce found it difficult to exin, but he didn''t want to lie to Alfred, so he said, "Because my grades have improved, my professor prepared a gift for me, but..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed Alfred''s eyebrows raise and form a curved shape, and his eyes narrowed, clearly indicating his happiness. Alfred cheerfully said, "Really? That''s wonderful! When the master was around, he used to worry a lot about your future grades. He often said that he was mischievous and had poor grades when he was young, and he worried that his son would follow suit..."


    "If I could receive praise from the professor, that would be great. Did Professor Schiller also prepare a gift for you?"


    Alfred turned around, ced the tray down, and said, "It would be impolite not to prepare a gift in return. Let me see if there''s something suitable for a professor... Let me think... I remember there''s a collector''s edition of ''Ham Lett.'' That should be good..."


    Saying that, Alfred briskly walked up the staircase. Bruce hadn''t seen Alfred this happy in a long time, and his suspicions were held back. Bruce could only ept the situation and leave Wayne Manor, driving to Gotham University.


    There was nothing noteworthy about the morning sses, but this surprisingly leisurely campus time made Bruce feel somewhat rxed. Usually, he never experienced such emotions, and killing time always made him feel guilty. However, today, he actually absorbed most of the theoretical definitions Schiller lectured on.


    When ss was over, Bruce initially nned to follow Schiller directly to his office, but Evans approached him to discuss club matters.


    Due to the freezing of Gotham, Gotham University had been closed for a while, and the club activities had made little progress. Now that Bruce, the biggest benefactor of the club, had returned to school, his psychology club peers flocked to him, and Bruce could only attend to them one by one.


    After dealing with those matters, Bruce finally had the opportunity to make his way to Schiller''s office. Upon arriving, he noticed that Schiller was alone in the office, and there was no need to knock on the door. Schiller greeted him with a smile, "Pleasee in."


    This warmth caused Bruce to break out in a cold sweat. He had a feeling that his bad premonition was about toe true.


    When Bruce approached Schiller''s desk, Schiller pped his hands and said, "Your performance was absolutely brilliant, it amazed me..."


    "Professor, what gift are you talking about?"


    Bruce''s stiffness was already evident on his face. He nced around the entire room, like a bomb disposal expert about to face a bomb. Schiller reassured him, saying, "Don''t be nervous, there''s no bomb."


    "Then..."


    Bruce was about to speak when Schiller stood up from his chair, bent down, and from the side of the desk blocked by the cab, he brought out... a little girl.


    Bruce widened his eyes, and Schiller held the little girl''s armpits with both hands, much like holding a pet dog, and showed her to Bruce, saying, "This is the gift. How about it? Do you like her?"


    Bruce opened his eyes wide. It had been a long time since he had made such an expressive face, so his facial muscles appeared very rigid.


    It was no wonder he was so shocked, because the little girl Schiller was holding resembled him at least eighty percent.


    She was a girl around three or four years old, with ck hair and blue eyes. It couldn''t be said that she lookedpletely different from Bruce, but rather that they were identical.


    "You should still remember the battle from yesterday, right?"


    Bruce nodded stiffly, his gaze unable to move away from the little girl''s face.


    "The monster that hatched from the Egg of Mad Laughter was erased by you, utilizing your own willpowerbined with the willpower of the Gray Lantern Ring. But have you forgotten about another presence?"


    "Who..."


    "Parax, the one that entered your body and assisted in defeating that monster at the veryst moment."


    "When you erased the monster inside the eggshell, it wanted to take you down with it. It shook your entire conscious space. Parax suffers harm within your conscious space. In order to avoid the damage caused by the copsing dream, it got inside the eggshell that hatched the monster..."


    "Then, it floated into my mental realm through the turbulent currents of the dream. At that time, the dream space had alreadypletely copsed, so I brought everyone back to reality. However... the process of returning turned out to be a bit different from what I expected."


    "What do you mean?" Bruce suddenly had a glimmer of understanding.


    "When I created the Gray Lantern Ring, it was indeed meant to enable you to harness your willpower to defeat that monster. But what surprised me was that when it returned to my possession, it exhibited some different abilities..."


    "Such as?"


    "For instance, it can materialize my will into reality."


    Before Bruce could inquire further, Schiller exined, "In order to bring back others who were engaged in dream spacebat to reality, I uttered the phrase ''return to reality.'' However, at that moment, I was wearing the Gray Lantern Ring at maximum power. As a result, certain things that shouldn''t exist in reality were also materialized..."


    Schiller and Bruce''s gaze fell upon the little girl, and Schiller said, "...that would be the Yellow Lantern''s construct, Parax."


    "Theoretically speaking, constructs of the Lantern Beasts have no tangible form. They must possess a person to be able to act."


    "However, I don''t know if it was due to thentern ring''s power surpassing expectations or the creature''s strong desire for physicality, but after I spoke that sentence with thentern ring, not only did the consciousness of several others who returned to the real world manifest, but it..."


    Bruce reached out, covering his eyes, and took a deep breath before saying, "But why does she look so much like me?"


    "I surmise that it may be because, in order to evade the copse of the dream, she found refuge within the eggshell that birthed the monster..."


    "You see, you and that embryo are two sides of the same coin, meaning you are each other. That eggshell became the foundation for Parax''s physical form in the real world, hence..."


    Bruce extended his hand and said, "Alright, let''s assume we step back, but why is she a little girl?"


    "You may find it hard to believe, but this construct of the Lantern Beast seems to identify itself as female..."


    The muscles on Bruce''s face began to twitch, but Schiller shrugged and said, "You don''t have to delve too deeply into the mechanics of it because the situation is already irreparable. Do you have a way to return her? I certainly don''t."


    Schiller ced the little girl on his office desk, having her stand with her feet on the surface. He then held her hand and guided her a couple of steps forward, bringing her closer to Bruce. Schiller said, "I can see that you''re resistant to this idea, but the problem at hand is that if you allow her to roam freely in the streets, within ten minutes, the news of you abandoning your own illegitimate daughter will hit the headlines..."


    Bruce stared at the little girl''s face, and he had to admit that Schiller was right. Apart from the difference in gender, the little girl bore an uncanny resemnce to him. If someone were to im she was his illegitimate daughter, Bruce wouldn''t have any grounds for defense because their resemnce was truly striking.


    "From an ethical standpoint, she is indeed your daughter because she hatched from your dream. It could be said that you gave birth to her. The blood rtionship between the two of you is even closer than that of a father and daughter. Not only do you share the same physical body, but you also have simr souls..."


    "Isn''t her soul that of Parax?"


    "It''s difficult to exin..." Schiller pushed his sses and said, "Parax, the Yellow Lantern entity, is an ancient creature representing fear. Previously, it was true that Parax inhabited it. However, when it yearned for an embodiment and fulfilled that dream, its life form underwent some changes."


    "At least for now, its soul and body are inplete harmony. It''s not that Parax''s soul entered a human body, but rather the two entities have formed a new life."


    "Once the barrier between dreams and reality is shattered, anything can happen. Some illogical aspects of dreams, when manifested in reality, must adhere to certain rules of reality. You could understand it as a form of ''transcoding.'' During this transcoding process, the Parax entity truly transformed into a human... at least in appearance."


    "In appearance..." Bruce''s words were cut short as he saw the little girl in front of him grin, revealing a smile. However, this smile was truly terrifying because within her open mouth were two rows of sharp teeth.


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 Chapter 278: A Sharp Turn in the Plot (3)

    Chapter 278: A Sharp Turn in the Plot (3)


    "You can''t expect a chaotic creature with a brain full of mush to have any urate understanding of the human body during transcoding. If it weren''t for the embryo born from that monster, she might have manifested with six legs or something¡­"


    Bruce carefully observed the girl''s face and noticed that aside from her teeth, her eyes were simr to his, blue in color, but with vertical pupils, just like the original parax monster.


    Bruce took another deep breath, feeling a jolt to his worldview.


    But as Schiller said, now that they were in this situation, they needed to think of a solution. He asked, "If she lives in human society, what do we do about her sharp teeth?"


    "They''re natural, but she''s too young for correction. Wouldn''t it be difficult to find a morally upright dentist and have them provide a diagnosis of dental deformity?"


    "Alright, what about her eyes?"


    "Heterochromia, find a morally upright ophthalmologist¡­"


    "Alright, I understand," Bruce interrupted Schiller''s next words. He looked at the girl and besides the shock to his worldview, he felt a strange sensation.


    When people see a child who looks almost identical to themselves, the innate desire to protect their offspring surges within their human genes, and Bruce was no exception."Try to see it positively. Even if she may create many new problems for you in the future, at least for now, she can solve an urgent issue for you, which is the state of mind of your butler, Alfred."


    "You''ve mentioned before how Alfred''s emotional state has been affected by his excessive concern for your well-being. We have discussed how to redirect his emotions, and evidently, an illegitimate daughter without a mother might be a good choice¡­"


    "Even if I adopt her, she will still be my daughter."


    "Alright, no problem, an adopted daughter who shares about 80% of your appearance."


    Bruce pursed his lips; at least regarding the matter of appearance, there was no way to wash away the resemnce.


    Bruce recalled Alfred''s overly excited state earlier that morning and realized that continuing in this manner was not a viable solution.


    With a "try everything" mentality, Bruce decided to bring the little girl home.


    When Alfred saw this girl who looked almost identical to Bruce, the butler dropped the te in his hand.


    Just as Bruce was preparing a whole set of arguments to persuade Alfred, Alfred suddenly snatched the little girl from his hands and said, "Have you sorted out the legal issues? Sir, if there''s difficulty in fighting for custody, I think we can..."


    "Wait, Alfred, this isn''t..."


    "I understand, I understand, sir. A passionate youthful affair, an ident, a heartbroken mother, an innocent illegitimate daughter..."


    "But it doesn''t matter, we can simply give this wonderful mother some money and im she''s yourte ex-wife, so the child won''t suffer any damage to her reputation..."


    "I..." Bruce was choked up. Clearly, in just a few seconds, Alfred had pieced together the whole story and even prepared for the aftermath.


    "What''s her name?" Alfred looked into Bruce''s eyes.


    Bruce saw a long-lost glimmer of hope and anticipation in his eyes. He remained silent for a while, but ultimately didn''t speak the truth. In a low voice, he said, "Aisha... Her name is Aisha."


    "Aisha, that''s a good name..." Alfred''s Adam''s apple bobbed. Bruce noticed his eyes turning red. Alfred lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Sir... oh, no... it''s Master, I never expected you would be willing to bring Miss back. I thought you..."


    Bruce took a deep breath, and in that moment, he saw Alfred age significantly, his once upright posture now slightly hunched. Bruce also lowered his head.


    "Ahhhh!!"


    Aisha, in Alfred''s arms, suddenly let out a cry. The old butler looked down at Aisha''s teeth and eximed, "Oh my goodness! Why are Miss''s teeth slightly deformed? Ah, right, she''s too young for dental correction, but it''s okay. In a few years, we can take her to see a dentist..."


    Meanwhile, Alfred also noticed Aisha''s extraordinary eyes. He said, "Is this heterochromia? Did she inherit it from her mother? What a poor child..."


    Bruce''s exnation remained unspoken as Alfred yed with Aisha. With some confusion, Alfred said, "She should be almost four years old, right? Why isn''t she speaking yet? And her expressions seem a bit..."


    "Could it be autism in children? We should address this issue as soon as possible. I''ll check the phone book to see if there''s a reliable child psychiatrist..."


    "I know a good doctor..." Bruce''s tone sounded strained as he said to Alfred, "That would be my university psychology professor, Schiller Rodriguez..."


    "Really? That''s great. Let''s invite this professor to the house someday. Oh! I think tomorrow would be a good day. Let me make a phone call and schedule an appointment. It''s not the professor''s do-not-disturb time now, right?"


    Bruce shook his head mechanically and said, "No."


    Alfred ced Aisha back in Bruce''s arms and said, "Master, in a parent-child rtionship,panionship is crucial, especially since the youngdy might have autism. Parents need more patience to guide her. I believe you will do well..."


    Bruce looked down at Aisha, who gave him a horrifying smile with her sharp teeth. Bruce sighed, closed his eyes, and said, "...I''ll do my best."


    An hourter, Bruce held the phone and spoke into the receiver, "Selena! Come over! I need your help. Hurry up..."


    Half an hourter, Selena stared at the little girl who resembled Bruce by eighty percent. Her eyes widened, and then she walked up to Bruce and pped him, angrily turning away.


    Bruce grabbed her arm and said, "Selena, things aren''t what you think. Let me exin..."


    Half an hourter, Selena crossed her arms, skeptically looking at Bruce, and said, "Bruce, if I didn''t know you and know that you wouldn''te up with such an imaginative story for an illegitimate daughter, I would''ve pped you again and told you to go write fantasy novels..."


    Suddenly, Selena wore a peculiar expression on her face and said, "So, does that mean she''s your offspring?"


    After saying that, she nced down at Bruce''s abdomen, and a teasing smile appeared on Selena''s face.


    Bruce turned his head to look at Aisha, feeling helpless, and said, "Now is not the time to discuss her origin. I never thought that dealing with a child would be like this..."


    Selena sensed the deep sense of powerlessness in his tone but spoke in a cheerful manner, "I heard from Maggie that children are the most adorable things in the world. Marrying the person you love and having children is Maggie''s lifelong goal. I


    Her hair fell down, covering her eyes, making her look like a crazy woman who goes out withoutbing her hair.


    In just this half an hour, the young couple, who were still children themselves, fully experienced why human infants are considered the most terrifying creatures.


    Firstly, Aisha can''t speak. Her way of expressing all emotions is through loud screams.


    You can''t even call it crying because she doesn''t shed tears at all. She emits various screams with different frequencies. Maybe it''s because she''s not purely human, but the piercing power of her screams is downright terrifying. Even if Bruce takes her to a separate room, Selena can still hear her screams from several rooms away.


    Secondly, Aisha puts everything within her line of sight into her mouth. It seems that her way of identifying objects in the world is to taste them by putting them in her mouth.


    And because she''s not purely human, her biting force is astonishing. In simple terms, she bites anyone she can catch, and once she bites down, she won''t let go.


    Her sharp teeth make her even more formidable. With one snap, she can bite off arge chunk of a wooden bedpost. If she didn''t have some sense to know not to bite people, Bruce and Selena would probably be in the hospital by now.


    The most troublesome thing is that this girl, born from a chaotic creature, seemspletely unable to understand humannguage. Bruce even suspects she doesn''t know English at all. Aishapletely ignores everything Bruce says, and it seems she does whatever she wants. Aisha goes wherever she pleases.


    And once Bruce tries to stop her, she starts screaming incessantly. When he lets her go, she immediately finds the nearest object within her line of sight and takes a bite. Then Bruce and Selena have to panic and pat her back to make her spit out the debris from her mouth.


    Bruce is still under twenty years old, as is Selena. Both of them are still children themselves, so one can only imagine how chaotic their lives will be when they have to take care of another child.


    Clearly, this life of chaos andmotion has only just begun.


    t shouldn''t be that difficult, right?"


    Half an hourter, Selena and Bruce sat on the edge of the bed, sighing. Selena''s once-gentle flowing hair had turned into a tangled mess, and Bruce''s hair stood up on his forehead.


    Meanwhile, Aisha continued to bite the bedpost with her sharp teeth, refusing to let go. Bruce grabbed her arm and said, "Come down quickly, release your grip. Why on earth are you biting it?"


    Selena brushed her hair back with her hand, then looked at the row of bite marks on her arm, and said, "Why didn''t you just tell me she''s your pet dog in disguise..."


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 Chapter 279: Gotham Play House (1)

    Chapter 279: Gotham y House (1)


    On a Gotham night, a cylindrical light was cast by the headlights, gradually turning the corner and straightening onto the main street. A sports car slowly pulled up to the entrance of a circus settlement in the western suburbs of Gotham.


    Stepping out of the car were seemingly a young couple. The tall father carried their daughter in his arms, walking ahead, while the mother held the tickets and a bag, following behind. On the surface, they appeared to be a harmonious family of three, but everything came to an end with a scream from the daughter in her father''s arms.


    "Wow!!!"


    "Don''t scream," Bruce covered Aisha''s mouth with his hand, his voice filled with exhaustion. Selina approached, linking her arm with his, and said, "You better not cover her mouth. What if she bites you again?"


    Bruce sighed and removed his hand. Aisha, in his embrace, was very restless, wanting to jump out of his arms. Bruce used his other arm to hold her back.


    Now, why did this family of three appear in front of the circus? Well, it all started from the unusually "harmonious" quality time they had been spending together these past few days.


    In theory, there was nothing Bruce couldn''t learn in this world if he set his mind to it, including parenting theories. However, it was quite coincidental that all the parenting theories in this world remainedrgely theoretical. In practice, these theories were not very helpful; one could even say they were useless.


    No parenting theory in this world would teach you how to deal with an ancient cosmic chaotic creature hatched from a portion of your soul borrowed from a dream. Therefore, after studying parenting theories for a mere ten minutes, Bruce understood that he would have to create an entirely new discipline.


    But as the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and the same applies to raising children. After spending three days with Aisha, Bruce managed to discover a pattern.It''s unclear whether it was a characteristic of chaotic creatures or a traitmon among children, but Aisha was highly interested in things that moved and made sounds.


    Originally, this should have fallen into Bruce''s area of expertise, such as creating a robot or a toy car to y with Aisha. However, heter discovered that Aisha didn''t enjoy watching things move; she preferred watching people move.


    Bruce owed his discovery of this pattern to Selina.


    Due to Bruce''s desperate need for assistance, Selina had been staying at Wayne Manor these past few days. The butler, Alfred, was overjoyed, but Selina herself felt a bit restless. Although she could endure taking care of a child for Bruce''s sake, the artistic cells ingrained in her had no outlet. Therefore, Selina set up a set of parallel bars on thewn of the manor, where she would sway on them whenever she had free time, honing her acrobatic skills.


    Then Bruce noticed that Aisha became surprisingly quiet when she watched Selina y on the parallel bars. She could even remain silent for ten minutes.


    Both Bruce and Selina were ecstatic. During the day, Selina would perform various acrobatic acts on the parallel bars, such as aerialists, wall-runners, fire hoops, and unicycles, to entertain Aisha. At night, Batman would drive his Batmobile, carrying Aisha, and race through the streets of Gotham.


    As for why it had to be the Batmobile, it was because Aisha only liked cars that produced a tremendous roar. Other sports carscked the necessary power, and Aisha would start screaming as soon as she got in them. Only when the Batmobile reached its top speed did she calm down a bit.


    These past few days had been spent with Selina performing acrobatics for Aisha during the day, including acts like aerialists, wall-running, fire hoops, and unicycles. One could say that Catwoman''s abilities were put to the test, and she barely made it through these three days.


    At night, the roaring sound of the Batmobile would echo through the streets and alleys of Gotham. The criminals of Gotham hadpletely gone into hiding these days. Anyone who heard the terrifying engine sound of the Batmobile throughout the night would feel their hearts racing.


    However, this situation came to an end on the third night because the Batmobile''s tires were stolen.


    Yes, you read that right. The tires of the Batmobile, which cost millions of dors, were pried off.


    It happened on a twilight evening when Bruce was about to take Aisha out. The previous night, he had parked the Batmobile a little further away, but he hadn''t worried about its safety at all because the Batmobile and other cars were like twopletely different species, except for their superficial resemnce.


    Gotham had plenty of car thieves, but if they had the skills to pry off the Batmobile''s tires, why would they bother stealing cars in Gotham? Why not find any car brand and be an engineer?


    However, life is unpredictable, and misfortunes tend toe all at once. There happened to be a genius car thief in Gotham who possessed the skills to pry off the Batmobile''s tires, despite having the abilities to be a technical director or engineer anywhere else.


    Bruce carried Aisha and approached the Batmobile. Seeing his Batmobile with only three wheels remaining, he was momentarily speechless.


    He did have spare tires, but the problemy in theplex technology of the Batmobile itself. Even if he were to change a tire, Bruce would have to do it himself. But now, with Aisha in his arms, he couldn''t spare even a minute, let alone tow the Batmobile back to the Batcave to change the tires and perform maintenance.


    Without the Batmobile, Aisha refused to sleep. If she didn''t sleep, Selina and Bruce couldn''t sleep either. If Selina and Bruce didn''t sleep, they would be even more exhausted and wouldn''t have the energy tofort Aisha. It became a vicious cycle.


    Until they saw an advertisement in the newspaper Alfred brought in the morning, stating that the circus, which had previously closed due to the freezing of Gotham, was reopening.


    Bruce and Selina thought that since Aisha enjoyed watching Selina''s acrobatics, the circus should be even more impressive. If they could put Aisha to sleep, Bruce would have time to work on his Batmobile.


    And so, they bought tickets and attended the circus on its second day of reopening.


    Previously, this circus in the outskirts of Gotham was quite popr. The animal acts were diverse, and there were several impressive acrobats who performed many difficult tricks.


    However, business had declined since Gotham was temporarily shut down due to the surface damage. The circus owner warmly weed the Wayne couple, not only because they arrived early but also because Wayne had money. If he enjoyed the show, he might invest in the circus, allowing it to expand further.


    The circus owner initially wanted this family of three to sit in the front row in the middle, but Bruce refused. On one hand, the lights there were too bright, and the proximity to the fire hoops made it hot. On the other hand, Aisha''s appearance was different from ordinary people, and the crowded center would make it easy for her to be noticed.


    Bruce and Selina chose to sit in the far-right corner of the front row, close to the circus''s restroom and exit. This way, they could leave immediately in case of any unexpected incidents.


    The audience entered in groups of two or three. There were more people todaypared to the first day, but the seats still weren''tpletely filled. The circus owner stood near the backstage door with a gloomy expression, seemingly dissatisfied with the situation.


    He heard somemotion from backstage and turned around, lowering his voice as he scolded, "What are you doing? Why are you making so much noise? Didn''t I warn you? Wayne ising today, so behave yourselves, idiots!"


    Then, heined, venting his frustration, "It''s all your fault! You still want to be paid, but why can''t you work for me like the lions and elephants? Just give them food, and they''ll risk their lives for me!"


    "You''ve seen it too, the circus isn''t doing well, so this week I can only pay you one-third of your wages."


    Upon hearing this, the acrobats in the backstage were furious. One tall figure among them stepped forward and said, "Hey, Henry! You can''t do this. We''ve been working for you for a long time, and we''ve earned plenty of ticket money for you. We perform dangerous and difficult acts, risking our lives for money. You can''t..."


    "Grayson, you better watch your mouth! Do you think it''s still the time when your Grayson family was renowned on the East Coast?" the circus owner interrupted.


    "Don''t forget, your father, old Grayson, turned into a bloody mess during an important performance, ruining your family''s reputation. If it weren''t for that, why would the noble Graysonse to perform in my small ce?"


    "Don''t expect more from me. Listen, your wife is in poor health, taking leave every few days. She''s already a burden, and paying you the full wage is me being lenient..."


    The tall man named Grayson was seething with anger, his veins popping on his face. Hispanions came forward and tried to calm him down. Finally, he clenched his fist and said nothing, walking back into the crowd.


    The circus owner, feeling smug, mocked, "Don''t think I don''t know. Your Grayson family''s little tag-along also wants to join this line of work..


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 Chapter 280: Gotham Play House (2)

    Chapter 280: Gotham y House (2)


    Soon, the circus performance began. The first few acts were animal training performances. Neither Bruce nor Selina were interested in such shows, so they chatted below the stage.


    "You said you used to be a peddler. Why didn''t you continue with that instead of turning to stealing?" Selina rolled her eyes and said, "My dear sir, do you really think being a peddler is better than stealing?"


    Bruce turned to look at Selina. He had wanted to say that at least being a peddler wasn''t illegal, but after spending so much time with Selina, he knew that life in the darkest corners of Gotham might not be as he had imagined.


    Having spent so much time with Selina, he realized a harsh reality: in Gotham, this dark city, some people struggled just to survive. Talking to them about following rules andws would be nothing but a joke.


    "In fact, the peddlers, cigarette kids, and flower girls have it the worst," Selina sighed, her tone tinged with sympathy. She continued, "When I told you about my experiences, you might have thought my lucky mom, who taught me the skills of theft, was a bad person. She taught me the tricks, made me steal, and even hit me before. But the truth is, I don''t hate her. I still call her sometimes..."


    Bruce looked at Selina, slightly shocked, and asked, "You still have contact with that thief leader?"


    "We don''t talk about business matters. It''s just asking about her well-being and such, just polite conversation. Although I was angry when she tried to take the diamond ne I stole, but after I calmed down, I still called her..."


    Seeing Bruce''s puzzled expression, Selina suddenly smiled and said, "You''re Wayne, young master Wayne. People are always fawning over you wherever you go. Everyone can grovel to please you just to get money. But I''m different. The most praise I''ve received in my life was when I learned skills from my lucky mom."


    "She always said I was the most talented child she had ever seen, quick to learn anything. You know, she used to be a hostess at a bar in the East District when she was young. She could praise someone to the skies with just a few words, and when she was in a good mood, she would even sing and make me wear the dresses she wore when she was young and dance..."Selina rested her hands on her knees, took a deep breath, and said, "I know you think I''m useless, but she was really good to me."


    "You may think it''s terrible that she made various children help her steal, but in reality, lucky mom was actually kind to those children."


    "She had a keen eye and chose children with great talent who could earn her a lot of money. That''s why she was more lenient with us. asionally, she would even slip us some pocket money..."


    "But the old viin next door is different. He only deals with peddlers and cigarette kids. Those children have to hand over all their daily earnings to him, and he searches them every day. Not a single penny is allowed to be hidden. If they can''t meet his goals, they get beaten up."


    "He only gives those kids leftover food. When he''s in a bad mood, he lets them go hungry. I''ve even seen a child who wanted to escape, but he had both his feet chopped off and bled to death."


    Selina shrugged and said to Bruce, "Actually, I''m not hungry at all, and I don''t really like eating pancakes with cheese. But when I encounter peddlers like this, as long as I have some money in my pocket, I


    buy something. It might help them have a decent meal tonight."


    "Do you know?" Bruce looked into Selina''s eyes and said, "Every time you tell me these stories, it instantly weighs down my mood."


    Selina smiled and reached out to touch Bruce''s cheek. She said, "That''s the problem. It''s a sad story for you, but for us, it''s just an ordinary everyday urrence."


    Selina took a deep breath and continued, "Actually, you''ve taught me a lot of things, like what you talked aboutst time, about the connections and such."


    "I recalled that Lucky Mom mentioned once that she had to hand over a portion of the money she obtained, and the person she handed it to had to hand it over as well. It''s a chain of handovers, ultimately ending up in someone else''s hands..."


    Bruce squinted his eyes and asked, "Who is that person?"


    Selina shook her head and replied, "I don''t even know Lucky Mom''s boss. How would I know who the final person is?"


    "Someone is controlling the children of Gotham, right?"


    Selina nodded and said, "Actually, it''s easy to control the children of Gotham. Most of these children are orphans, either their parents died or abandoned them. Just give them a meal, and they can be easily manipted."


    "And..." Bruce interrupted, "Hardly anyone bothers these kids. Even the high-ss nightclubs let those cigarette-selling kids in..."


    Clearly, he recalled the asions he had been to in the past, events he hadn''t paid much attention to because they had be routine. But now, looking back, whether it was a ball, a dinner, or a party, there were always some kids waiting on the sidelines, waiting for certain wealthy people to buy cigarettes from them.


    "That''s right. If these kids mess up something or make a mistake, all they have to do is put on a pitiful face, apologize, and beg a few times. People who care about their image won''t give them a hard time."


    Bruce hadn''t expected that chatting with Selina would lead to an unexpected revtion. There had always been awork in Gotham that usedyers of control to manipte these ubiquitous children.


    "But that''s not all," Selina continued, "These children also form groups and alliances among themselves. It was like that even back when I was one of them. Thepetition among peers was particrly intense."


    "You know, some areas have good business while others don''t. Everyone wants to im the prosperous territories. Aside from the overhead figures having shootouts to im territory, the kids below also form gangs and alliances. We call these gangs ''Youth Gangs.''"


    "What gang were you a part of back then?"


    Selina shook her head and said, "I wasn''t a part of any gang. Those were all street-level affairs, and I was a cat burr."


    "I don''t need to upy any territory to steal things. Or rather, I can go wherever I want without notifying anyone, and they can''t catch me anyway."


    "The East District has heard of my name. They still do. They know that when the ck cat appears on the rooftops, don''t even bother aiming a gun because you won''t hit her. It''s just a waste of bullets."


    "Among the four top thieves in the East District, I''m the only one with the ability to move around all of Gotham. The others don''t even dare to enter themercial streets because if they''re caught by those influential gang leaders, they''re done for. But I''m not afraid because I know they can''t catch me."


    Whenever Bruce heard Selina talk about her career, he felt a strange sensation. Selina could be considered an outstanding figure who had made it through her own efforts. It should have been an inspiring life experience


    , worthy of admiration. However, her profession was that of a thief. The harder she worked, the more dangerous her life became.


    The two of them continued to discuss the children of Gotham,bining Selina''s street-level intelligence with Bruce''s top-level information, trying to deduce who was behind thework controlling these ubiquitous children.


    Meanwhile, Aisha''s attention had been captivated by the various performances on stage, and she had rarely been so quiet.


    Suddenly, the lights on stage brightened, and the host''s voice rang out enthusiastically, "Ladies and gentlemen! Next, we will present to you the most spectacr performance... the aerial acrobats!!!"


    A male and a female performer stepped onto the stage, and as they climbed up thedder, the host continued to energetically introduce, "I think some of you may have heard of the famous Grayson family from the East Coast, who were once hailed as America''s greatest aerial acrobats..."


    "Some of you might also have heard that the previous generation of the Grayson family met with a tragic ident during an aerial acrobatics performance, falling from a great height and suffering fatal injuries..."


    The host whistled and said, "But let me tell you, that''s the thrill of this kind of performance. If there''s no danger of falling, who would be interested in watching this stuff, right?"


    The host''s witty remarks were meant to liven up the atmosphere, but the tall man named Grayson, who had just stepped onto the stage, clenched his fist.


    Just as he was about to start his performance, he shouted to the audience below, "Grayson is the greatest aerial acrobat family, we..."


    At that moment, he saw the circus owner below making a threatening gesture towards him. He turned his head and nced at his wife, ultimately closing his mouth.


    The circus owner cursed loudly from below, "What the hell is this idiot saying?! Down here is Wayne! I knew he would ruin everything for me, that son of a bitch!"


    Meanwhile, the Grayson couple had already begun their performance. The so-called aerial acrobats were actually swinging on horizontal bars in the air, performing various spins and flips.


    It must be said that the Grayson couple were indeed skilled. The two of them had perfect coordination, whether it was synchronized or symmetrical movements, which were pleasing to the eye, eliciting cheers from the audience.


    Aisha watched with great joy. After all, even though Selina had impressive skills, the conditions in the Manor were limited, and Bruce would never agree to let Selina swing around at such a height. But now, the performance satisfied Aisha''s love for watching people in action.


    She let out a sharp scream and waved her hands incessantly towards the stage. Bruce held her tightly, afraid she would climb onto the front seat. Selina patted Bruce''s arm and said, "Give her some water, I can hear her voice going hoarse."


    Bruce took out a water bottle and was about to give it to Aisha when the aerial acrobats paused their movements,nding on the high tform. Among them, Mrs. Grayson happened to see Aisha waving at her.


    Thedy, who seemed a little weary, still smiled and waved back, clearly fond of this overly excited little audience member.


    Seeing herself being noticed, Aisha became even more excited. She lunged forward directly, trying to break free from Bruce''s embrace.


    But at that moment, Bruce was unscrewing the water bottle, and Aisha''s forward movement coincided with his arm, causing the water in the bottle to spill all over him.


    Bruce wore a helpless expression and handed Aisha to Selina, saying, "I''ll go to the restroom to clean up."


    As Bruce left his seat and headed towards the restroom, the entire scene was observed by the circus owner.


    Grayson not only defied him and even punched him, but he also spouted some crazy talk before the performance. And Grayson''s wife deliberately sought the attention of the Wayne Family little princess, causing Wayne to get soaked by water. If he expressed his dissatisfaction, his sponsorship would be ruined...


    The circus owner''s face grew increasingly grim, clearly reaching the peak of his anger. The behavior of the Grayson couple was driving him crazy.


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 Chapter 281: Gotham Play House (3)

    Chapter 281: Gotham y House (3)


    Selina struggled a bit when she took Aisha from Bruce''s hands. After all, Aisha was not a baby, and it was already a bit difficult to carry a three or four-year-old child. Selina was not as tall as Bruce, so it was even harder for her to control the excited Aisha.


    Just at this moment, after a brief pause, the aerial acrobatics performance reached its climax again. The dazzling aerial movementspletely excited Aisha, and she leaped forward with force, making it impossible for Selina to hold her back.


    Aisha jumped directly onto the seats in the front row and then crawled down along the chairs and under the seats of the row in front. Selina followed the same path in pursuit.


    However, to their surprise, it was as if Aisha had awakened some kind of superpower. Her speed was unbelievably fast, and she disappeared among theyers of seats in the audience in an instant.


    Selinapletely lost track of her and could only search row by row.


    At the same time, backstage, a small dark figure darted past. The circus owner felt some movement and suddenly turned around, but he didn''t find anything.


    Meanwhile, the circus owner was holding a saw and approaching the wooden stake that held the ropes for the aerial acrobatics performance.


    In the aerial acrobatics, the ropes used for swinging were hung on a higher rope, and the circus owner, with a wicked smile, was approaching the wooden stake that secured the highest rope with the saw.


    The circus owner gripped the saw and started sawing the thick rope. He cursed in frustration while sawing, but just as the rope was about to be cut, a small figure suddenly appeared and bit his arm.Aisha wasn''t out to seek justice; she was simply interested in things that moved. When the circus owner was sawing things, his arm was the only thing moving in the dark backstage, so Aisha instinctively bit it without hesitation.


    Unfortunately, Aisha was too light, and her bite wasn''t strong. It was just like when she would asionally bite Bruce or Selina''s arms; it left a row of teeth marks but didn''t cause any substantial harm. It only momentarily slowed down the circus owner''s arm.


    The thick rope that had already been sawn to its limit was left with only a final thread connecting it, but it eventually snapped.


    However, it was during those few dyed seconds that Bruce, who hade out of the restroom, got closer to the stage.


    At the moment the rope broke, the two people hanging from it began to fall. But with such a long rope, it would take a few seconds for it topletely detach from the other end. Bruce had already anticipated this issue before grabbing the rope. He grabbed the rope with one hand and wrapped his arm around it twice, then quickly grabbed the nearby curtain.


    With a fixed point, the rope stopped being pulled away, and the Grayson couple at the other end of the rope remained suspended in mid-air.


    Suddenly, Bruce heard a gasping sound. He turned his head and saw a little boy, iming to be the heir of the Grayson family, standing behind the curtain.


    The boy widened his eyes and opened his mouth, looking at Bruce with a shocked expression on his face.


    There was still some distance from the audience seats to the stage, several rows of chairs in front of where Bruce stood, and the stage was higher than the seats. There were also three levels of steps beside it. Yet, within a few seconds, Bruce managed to cross the chairs, climb the steps, grab the rope, and grab the curtain.


    His quick reaction, smooth movements, and precise handling made it seem more like an art performance than a heroic rescue. In the eyes of the young Grayson bystand


    er, Bruce seemed to be glowing.


    Bruce sighed and said, "Stop staring ande help me pull the rope."


    Little Grayson, who had recovered from his shock, realized that his parents had almost fallen. His shocked expression turned into anger, and as he helped Bruce pull the rope down, he said, "It must have been that circus owner! He has been eyeing my father for a long time!"


    After a while, the rope was pulled back to its original position, and the two actors also returned to the tform. They walked down and thanked Bruce.


    Mrs. Grayson was in tears, and young Grayson said angrily, "It must be him! Let''s go find him and settle the score!"


    "Don''t go! Dick! Come back!" Mrs. Grayson called out. Dick, the boy she called, had already rushed out, but in the end, he was called back by his mother.


    "Can you exin what happened?"


    At this point, Mrs. Grayson was on the verge of a breakdown. She held her husband and cried incessantly. Mr. Grayson also looked defeated. This couple were just ordinary people who had just experienced a life-or-death crisis, fearing that they would fall from mid-air at any moment. The terror hadpletely crushed their spirits.


    As if searching for a vent for their emotions, Mr. Grayson said to Bruce, "I know it was him, the owner of the circus. We didn''t want to work there either, but we had no choice."


    "There should be plenty of circuses on the East Coast. Why don''t you go there?"


    Mr. Grayson sighed and said, "You probably don''t pay attention to these things, do you? My father, thete Grayson, who was the previous generation''s aerialist, made a major mistake during a performance. He not only fell from mid-air but also collided with the edge of the stage prop... He..."


    "Alright, I understand. You don''t need to go into details. Please ept my condolences."


    "It was during a high-profile charity banquet performance. Many of the participants were high-ranking officials who had never seen blood. This bloody death scared many of them. The Grayson family''s reputation was ruined, and the major circuses refused to hire us, fearing that we would cause another incident..."


    "Only this circus was willing to ept us because it''s Gotham. People here aren''t afraid of us falling to our deaths..."


    The reason was both absurd and reasonable, and Bruce couldn''te up with any argument. He asked the Graysons, "You''re not from Gotham, are you?"


    "In fact, we''ve been here for a long time and even bought our own house. We''re halfway locals, but our hometown is in Brooklyn."


    "Let''s go back, back to Brooklyn!" Mrs. Grayson said, sobbing. "Give up, we can''t let little Dick live in this fearful environment..."


    Mr. Grayson pursed his lips, his face worn out. Mrs. Grayson continued crying and said, "I know, I know you''ve always wanted to revive the family''s career, but it''s really not working out this way. You have to think, if we die, what will happen to poor little Dick? In Gotham, an orphan without parents will likely be sent to that dreadful foster school, and then..."


    Mrs. Grayson started crying again. Bruce caught some of the information in her words, but it wasn''t appropriate to inquire further at the moment. Young Grayson approached andforted his mother, and the three of them hugged each other.


    When Bruce walked backstage, Selina had just finished tying the final knot. The person she had bound was the owner of the circus, and Aisha was still biting his arm, not letting go.


    Bruce thought he would have to struggle with Aisha again when he went to embrace her, but to his surprise, she easily let go of her grip.


    Seeing the saw next to them, Bruce understood what had happened. He called Gordon and then, holding Aisha, left the circus with Selina.


    Just as they were about to get in the car and drive home, a figure appeared in


    front of their car. Bruce let go of the steering wheel, turned his head, and looked at the figure. He asked, "Dick? What''s wrong? What are you going to do?"


    Dick circled around the front of the car and stood next to the driver''s door where Bruce was sitting, saying, "My parents are nning to go back to Brooklyn."


    "Well, congrattions to them. It''s much better there than Gotham. You should be able to live a peaceful life."


    "But I don''t want to go back..."


    "Why not?"


    Dick pursed his lips. Though young in age, he had a determined expression. He said, "My grandfather''s death was no ident."


    "How do you know?"


    "I investigated," Dick said firmly. "The crossbar he used for his final performance was tampered with. I examined the rope, and the marks on it indicated an incorrect knot. The knot used to secure the crossbar shouldn''t have been like that..."


    Bruce squinted at him and asked, "So what?"


    "You''re not an ordinary person, are you?" Dick grabbed the car door, looking at Bruce. "I''ve been learning acrobatics from my father for a long time, and I know how difficult your moves are. The muscle control and techniques you use can''t be improvised. You must have trained for a long time..."


    Dick continued to purse his lips as he said to Bruce, "My parents gave up, but I won''t. I will stay here and restore the Grayson family''s reputation. And I will avenge my grandfather."


    "More importantly, if I can''t uncover the truth behind my grandfather''s death and find his killer, my parents won''t be safe."


    "But..." Dick wore a helpless expression and said, "I know what Gotham is like. The skills I learned from my father won''t be enough for me to survive here, and I can''t convince my parents to let me stay. So..."


    Dick took a deep breath, a mncholic expression on his face that didn''t match his age. He looked at Bruce and said, "If you allow me to learn from you, I believe that one day I can fulfill my wish. And since you saved my parents, I don''t think they would object if I follow you..."


    Before Bruce could answer, Dick said, "...well, I know this sounds really absurd. How could I expect a rich person..."


    Dick let go of his hand, sighed, and waved his arm, signaling Bruce to drive.


    He also knew that his impulsive decision to stay in Gotham alone, against his parents'' wishes, and learn from the world''s richest person was nothing more than a pipe dream.


    Bruce looked at Dick and felt a strange sensation. There are moments when one sees oneself in another person. In fact, Dick''s appearance and personality were nothing like his own, and he was just a seven or eight-year-old boy who couldn''t be said to have a well-defined character. But the way he spoke made Bruce feel that he was special.


    Perhaps there are two people in this world whose chemistry naturally harmonizes. In any case, Dick found Bruce very appealing, and Bruce found Dick very appealing too.


    But even though he found him appealing, Bruce had no intention of adopting another child. Having one daughter was already driving him and Selina crazy.


    Wait, a daughter...


    Bruce turned to look at Aisha, who was securely fastened in a child safety seat but still restless. He then nced at Dick, who seemed much more mature than his peers. Just as Dick was about to leave, Bruce called him back.


    Half an hourter, inside Wayne Manor, Bruce, dragging Aisha by the armpits like a pet dog, presented her to Dick and said, "This is your sister."


    "Wait, are you nning to adopt me? I..."


    Before he could finish, Aisha opened her mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, which startled Dick. In shock, he asked, "What''s going on with her teeth?"


    "Natural dental deformity. She''s too young for orthodontics," Bruce answered without thinking.


    "Uh, okay... Wait, her eyes also seem..."


    "Iris heterochromia. Takes after her mother," Bruce replied naturally.


    "Really? But why can''t she speak?"


    "Childhood autism. I''ve already scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist," Bruce replied smoothly.


    "But..."


    At that moment, Alfred descended the stairs, his face filled with hope. He asked Bruce, "Sir, is this the young master? Have the legal matters been settled? I believe we can..."


    __________


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 Chapter 282: The First Encounter of the Youth Pi (1)

    Chapter 282: The First Encounter of the Youth Pi (1)


    Sinestro has been very unhappytely.


    There are many reasons for his unhappiness, but the most important one is that their Lantern Corps'' Parax creature has gone missing.


    The Lantern Corps'' Parax is crucial to the Corps, not only because it possesses a part of the emotional spectrum''s power but also because it represents the Corps of that particr color. The disappearance of the Parax creature is like losing a storefront sign, and naturally, Sinestro is quite upset.


    But that''s not the only thing bothering him. Unlike other Lantern Corps, who use their creatures as symbols and mascots, Sinestro has always wanted to control the Parax creature of the Yellow Lantern Corps for his own purposes.


    The creatures can choose to possess a Lantern, but when they do, it''s mostly the will of the creature that dominates, while the Lantern''s will is secondary. The Lanterns cannot resist the strong power thates from the creature within their bodies.


    Sinestro is unwilling to be a Lantern controlled by the creature, but he is also greedy for the creature''s immense power. So, he has been searching for a way to have the creature possess him while still being able to control his own body.


    Initially, he had made some breakthroughs in his research. By utilizing the power of the yellow Lantern Ring through the Lantern Forge, he could merge himself with Parax through the power of the Yellow Lantern, unlike a simple possession. In this deep fusion, he would haveplete control over the immense power of the creature without any interference in his thoughts.


    However, just as he was about to attempt this method, the creature that had been obediently residing in the Forge suddenly disappeared.


    The Parax creature, from which the Yellow Lantern Corps was born, came into existence long ago. The Parax creature is an ancient chaotic being with a chaotic mass inside its brain, making it almost impossible for orderly life toprehend it.But even chaotic beings have their instincts. These chaotic creatures naturally prefer to dwell in an environment that is surrounded by the power they control, simply put, they enjoy being enveloped by the power of fear.


    Sinestro, as the former greatest Green Lantern who betrayed the Green Lantern Corps to create the Yellow Lantern Corps, had done well in his position as the leader of the Corps. However, he still couldn''t meet the requirements of the Parax creature. The instinct of this ancient chaotic creature told him that following the Yellow Lanterns would lead to hunger for three days.


    So, when a terrifying dark tide, closer to the source of the universe, descended, the chaotic mass in the brain of the Parax creature suddenly became excited. If its thoughts at that time were to be summarized in human words, it would be nothing more than a single word: "Food!"


    Sensing the arrival of that unparalleled powerful force of fear, the Parax creature didn''t even spare a nce at Sinestro, and without looking back, it rushed into Batman''s embrace.


    Sinestro was dumbfounded when he returned home. Where had hisrge Parax creature gone? It was just here a moment ago!


    Losing the creature is no small matter, and Sinestro is determined to find it. Fortunately, during his research on fusing with the creature, he had modified the Lantern Forge of the Yellow Lanterns. The Forge would guide him to the location of the Yellow Lantern creature, which is Earth.


    And now, in the attic of an old apartment building in Gotham City''s East District on Earth, Maggy stared with her mouth wide open as she looked at the little girl Selina was holding in her arms.


    "Oh my god!! Selina!! What have you done? You actually! Actually..."


    Selina stared at her good friend''s face and said, "Actually


    what? You don''t think that I gave birth to a child in the three weeks we were apart, do you?"


    "But... but..." Maggy, sitting in a wheelchair and looking frail, was blushing with frustration. She pointed at the little girl''s face and said, "But she looks exactly like your boyfriend Wayne!"


    "That''s right, because she is his daughter, but she''s not mine."


    Maggy''s eyes were about to pop out, and she said incredulously, "You mean, this is Wayne''s illegitimate child? Oh my god! Selina! When did you be so generous? You''re actually raising an illegitimate child for that Bruce?"


    "This matter is quiteplicated. Aisha doesn''t have a mother, or rather..."


    "Oh, I understand. Her mother ''passed away,'' right?"


    Selina shrugged and said, "Well, that''s one way to put it."


    Maggy covered her forehead with her hand and said, "You can''t possibly believe that man''s nonsense, can you? ''Passed away''? I hope she really did pass away; otherwise, one day you might ''pass away'' in the same way..."


    Maggy frowned, growing more serious. She said to Selina, "Selina, I''ve never had much to say about your love life, but this time I have to warn you, it''s not a wise decision..."


    "Today you ept an illegitimate child, but tomorrow will you ept a whole bunch of illegitimate children? You''re not even his wife, yet you''re raising his child?"


    "Alright, Maggy, I know you care about me, but this matter is indeed quiteplicated. Just know that I won''te out at a loss."


    "Everyone thinks the same way," Maggie turned her wheelchair towards the bed and said in a low voice, "Do you remember that beautiful Catherine from East District Swordfish Street?"


    "Catherine? Oh, I remember, her golden hair was truly enviable. What happened to her?"


    "She''s in the same situation as you think..."


    Maggie continued to maneuver her wheelchair closer to Selina and said, "A few months ago, a wealthy man arrived on Swordfish Street. Rumor has it that he came from Imperial City and had a lot of money. He once squandered a fortune in thergest casino in Imperial City and caused a sensation overnight."


    "The nightclub where Catherine works often engages in such activities. They deliberately spill drinks on Catherine, making her go to the restroom to clean up, and then they arrange for her to coincidentally meet that wealthy man. That''s how they met..."


    "Catherine is beautiful enough and somewhat clever, but that wealthy man showered her with sweet words andvish gifts, which clouded her judgment. She believed the wealthy man''s promise to take her away from this cursed ce called Gotham."


    "During that time, this man''s other mistresses from different parts of Gotham came knocking on her door, nearly scratching Catherine''s face. She wasn''t in a favorable position because she was just a poor girl from East District, while the man''s other mistresses were socialites from West District and the South."


    "This made her feel resentful and filled with negative emotions..."


    "To secure her position, Catherine came up with a foolish idea. She heard that the wealthy man had over a dozen children, and their mothers received hefty child support payments and even got to live in his mansion..."


    "So, she found a way to get pregnant, but..."


    Seeing Maggie''s gloomy expression, Selina already guessed the oue, but she still asked, "What happened to her in the end?"


    "That wealthy man obviously didn''t want the child. He imed it was a bastard from Catherine''s affairs outside. In reality, we all know that he just looked down on Catherine''s background..."


    "He persuaded her to have an abortion, but the doctor he found waspletely unprofessional. It almost took her life. If it weren''t for Catherine''s good health, she wouldn''t have survived."


    "But it caused serious damage to Catherine. She was left with numerousplications, making her body even weaker than mine. She can hardly do any work, but..." Maggie shook her head and said, "She doesn''t have someone like you, a good friend who runs around taking care of me. Now she''s probably doing some shady business in the backstreets of Swordfish, under the control of the most malicious Madame Fat Mama..."


    Just mentioning that name made Selina shudder. Madame Fat Mama was one of the most wicked pimps in East District, and most of the girls under her control didn''t survive a year.


    "Catherine won''t live much longer," Maggie looked into Selina''s eyes and said, "You can''t even imagine the cruelty of these rich people. They see us, ordinary people, no different from roadside trash..."


    "Selina, I know you''re in a fiery rtionship with your boyfriend, that wealthy Wayne. Yes, he''s different from most wealthy men, handsome, wealthy, and even willing to travel with you. But it''s all temporary..."


    "Perhaps he''s infatuated with your beauty for a while, but it won''tst a lifetime. The wealthy man who hurt Catherine once promised her a beautiful future, deceived this smart girlpletely. I''m really afraid you might end up the same way..."


    "In East District, there are countless stories like this. Many girls here have beautiful faces butck the ability to protect themselves. Catherine''s father used to be a whaler and had greatbat skills, so no one dared to touch her before this incident. But there are many girls who are even worse off than her..."


    "Selina, I really don''t want to discourage you while you''re pursuing happiness, but most of the time, love with such a huge ss difference has no future..."


    Selina lowered her gaze and sat on the bed, holding Aisha. Aisha was babbling in her mouth. Selina stroked her hair and said, "I know you''re looking out for me, but everyone is like this. When listening to someone else''s story, they think they understand everything, but when it happens to themselves, it''s a different story."


    Before Maggie could continue persuading her, Selina stood up and ced Aisha in Maggie''s arms. Maggie looked at the cute little girl in her arms, staring at her with big blue eyes, and eximed, "Oh! My goodness, she''s so adorable..."


    Maggie wasn''t exaggerating. As long as Aisha didn''t show her sharp fangs, she looked extremely beautiful and cute. She could easily be a child star in Hollywood, ying all the cute little girl roles in theing years. After all, Bruce''s genes had left her with no room for imperfection.


    Selina spread her hands and said, "See? Initially, you didn''t have this attitude..."


    Maggie kissed Aisha''s cheek, and Selina felt a strange sense of relief seeing Aisha so calm.


    "You''ve reallye at a good time. If it had been the first day, both of us would have gone crazy."


    Thinking about her own terrible experiences, Selina sighed and said, "These days, I''vee to understand one thing: I truly love Bruce. I couldn''t have endured all these days if my love for him were a little less..."


    "What? Are you saying she''s mischievous?" Maggie gently touched Aisha''s face. Selina was about to share her frustrations with her, but Aisha let out a scream and jumped out of Maggie''s arms. With an incredibly fast speed that ordinary people couldn''t perceive, she rushed towards the window and leaped out.


    "Oh no!" Maggie eximed.


    She forcefully spun her wheelchair to reach the window, and Selina followed her. Maggie watched Aisha''s tiny figure jump from the second-floor awning, covering her mouth and saying, "What''s happening? How can she be so fast??"


    Then her expression turned panicked, and she anxiously said, "Catch up with her quickly, Selina! This is East District, and it''s dangerous if she attracts the attention of the nearby gangs!"


    Selina looked at Maggie''s genuine and anxious gaze but kept the thought, "The danger might not be Aisha," silently to herself.


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 Chapter 283: The First Encounter of the Youth Pi (2)

    Chapter 283: The First Encounter of the Youth Pi (2)


    At the end of a back alley on East District''s Scroll Tail Street, there was a sound of a cer door being opened. A boy with ck hair, wearing a red jacket, jumped out first, followed by a boy with brown hair wearing sses.


    The boy with sses grabbed hispanion''s arm, seemingly trying to stop him from going out. He said, "Hey, Jason, don''t do this. Batman has been hanging around heretely. If you go out tonight to steal something, he''s bound to catch you!"


    The boy called Jason turned around and said to him, "It was you who told me that we couldn''t sell the big tire we pried off earlier. I have to go out, otherwise the younger kids in Scroll Tail will go hungry!"


    The boy with brown hair continued to persuade him, but Jason impatiently shrugged off his hand and said, "Kid, I know you''re talented. The bosses of those famous gangs on Elizabeth Street want to recruit you."


    "But we''re different. Our position on Scroll Tail Street is already bad. We have to expand southward to im territory so that our members can earn money. But if we can''t feed ourselves, how will we have the strength to fight?"


    The kid pushed sses a little and said, "That''s exactly why I''m trying to stop you, Jason. You''re the leader of Scroll Tail Gang. If Batman catches you, the rest of the members will have no way out."


    Jason grabbed his hair in frustration, but the kid pulled him toward the cer. Jason seemed lost and was pulled inside.


    Inside the cer was a small workshop with two old, rotten workbenches. Various tools were ced on them, and the only rtively new item was a toolbox ced on a slightly cleaner table.


    What stood out was a veryrge and uniquely shaped tire on one of the workbenches, with a bat symbol in the center.The kid pulled Jason to sit on a chair next to him and said, "If it weren''t for you helping mest time, I would have had my throat slit by those street racers. You saved my life, so of course I''m willing to help you."


    Jason looked young, but he was dressed maturely, and his demeanor and speech were just like those gang members. He spat and said, "The market has been really badtely. The younger kids in our gang can''t earn a single penny."


    "To prevent them from getting beaten up, me and a few older kids have to support them. But this can''t go on forever."


    As he spoke, he turned his head toward the tire on the workbench, angrily pounding the wall and saying, "If only we could sell this thing. Is there really no way?"


    The kid remained calm and said, "Don''t worry, yesterday during vocational school, I called a few ssmates toe and take a look. Maybe they have some ideas."


    Just then, they heard rhythmic stomping soundsing from the ceiling. Jason stopped Slidetop from getting up and said, "I''ll go up and check. I hope it''s not trouble."


    Jason opened the cer door slightly, and Slidetop also leaned over. They saw a slightly older chubby boy stomping his feet. Slidetop opened the cer door and shouted to him, "Hey! Tire! Over here..."


    "Oh, here! So you guys live in the basement. I was wondering why you asked me to stomp yesterday..."


    The tire walked into the cer, and at first nce, it saw the bat tire on the workbench. It walked up and widened its eyes, saying, "Cool."


    "Wait, is that the bat symbol? Oh my God! Did you guys really pull off something big?!"


    The tire


    walked up and tapped the rubber of the bat tire. Just then, there were urgent stomping sounds from above. Slidetop went to open the door, and his voice came from the door, "Hey, why are you two here together? Rocket and Red Truck..."


    As soon as the two entered, they saw the tire standing next to the bat tire. The tire waved at them and pointed at the bat tire, saying, "Look! The coolest tire I''ve ever seen. Only it deserves my name!"


    Jason walked up to them and greeted, "Hello, I''m Jason, Jason Todd, the leader of Scroll Tail Gang. You can call me Jason."


    The tire, Rocket, and Red Truck were much bigger than Jason and Slidetop, but they were also just over ten years old. The room was full of children, but their way ofmunicating was mature.


    Red Truck was the first to approach. He was ck, and he bumped fists with Jason like a member of a ck gang, lifting his chin and saying, "I''ve heard about you. Last time, you gave that annoying yellow-eyed guy a good beating with a spiked baseball bat. I heard he fell into the hands of someone three years younger than him, and I could hardly believe it. But now, it seems you''re truly a tough guy..."


    Jason wiped his nose and said, "You can''t survive here without any skills."


    Slidetop interrupted their conversation and knocked on the table, saying, "I brought you all here to discuss this tire issue. As you can see, Jason and I nned to steal the famous Batmobile''s tire..."


    Slidetop and Jason exchanged a nce, while the other three looked curious. Rocket, the girl, said, "How did you manage that? My dad told me that Batman is not someone to mess with."


    "In fact, it was much simpler than we imagined. The most difficult part was finding an opportunity when he left the Batmobile unattended."


    "Then how did you guys pry it off?" the tire asked.


    Jason looked at Sliphead, who shrugged and said, "It''s not that difficult. If it weren''t for Jason and me being too young, we could have taken off all four tires at once, leaving that rich guy with an empty shell..."


    Imagining thisical scene, the children burst intoughter. Jason crossed his arms and said, "We sessfully stole it back here, but the problem is we can''t sell it because the damn mark is too obvious!"


    The tire waved its hand and said, "What''s the big deal? You guys are in this business, don''t you know? Just paint over it."


    However, the red truck walked up to the tire and touched it, saying, "I''m afraid that won''t work. This thing has a pattern, it''s uneven. Even if you paint over it, it will still be noticeable. Can''t you grind it off?"


    "I''ve tried, but my current tools won''t work. The hardness of this metal is too high. Unless I can get a machine tool, it''s impossible," Sliphead shook his head.


    "How about dismantling it and selling only the rims?" Rocket suggested.


    "Well, I can''t actually dismantle it," Sliphead touched his temple, and the tire looked surprised, saying, "You can pry it off, but you can''t dismantle it?"


    "That''s right, but it''s a technical issue. The reasons areplicated. In short, we can''t dismantle it to sell separately."


    "That''s a bit troublesome," the red truck rubbed his chin. "I know a few people who are into car modifications. They might like these tires, but you only have one now. You need at least two for someone to be interested. Otherwise, you can only hang it at the back of a car as decoration, and you won''t be able to sell it at a high price."


    "If you could melt it into bullets, maybe my dad would be interested," Rocket continued, "This metal looks very hard. It could be used to make a shield."


    Sliphead sighed, "If I could melt it down, would I still need to find you guys?"


    "My mom knows a lot of people, but this can''t go through her."


    The tire patted the rim on the bat tire and said, "I really like it and would love to buy it and take it home, but my mom is a widow, and I don''t want to cause unnecessary trouble for her."


    Seeing that all three of them said the same thing, Jason couldn''t help but look disappointed. However, the red truck said, "Why can''t you dismantle or grind off the markings on this tire? Is it purely because your skills are not good enough? Or is it a problem with the tools?"


    "It seems you know a lot about this," Sliphead walked to the workbench and said, "Tools are the main problem. Look at what we have here. Only rusty wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers. The only thing slightly useful is this old jack, but it''s about to break."


    "If we had a foundry and a hydraulic press, things would be much easier."


    "We can think of a solution from this perspective. You managed to steal Batman''s tire, is it really difficult to get a hydraulic press?"


    "Of course, it''s very difficult," Sliphead affirmed. "Don''t forget, Jason and I are younger than you guys. It was already hard enough for us to bring back one big tire. We can''t even move those professional workbenches andrge machines."


    "That''s easy. Just help us with our vocational school assignments, and we''ll help you move them!"


    Sliphead pushed his sses and said help


    lessly, "I''ll say it again. Our teacher can tell if the handwriting is different."


    "Then let us copy your answers!"


    "Yes, copy the answers!" Rocket chimed in. The wild-looking girl wrinkled her nose andined, "I don''t want to do homework! But my dad insists that I do it. He says he can''t afford to offend the teachers there. What nonsense!"


    "That''s the n, but we need to n further. I think there''s someone who can help us..."


    Little Scoundrel looked at the people next to him, and they all exchanged nces. Clearly, they were thinking of the same name.


    "Copperpot!"


    "Where is he now?" Rocket asked.


    "Oh, I know. It seems like he''s been frequenting between the East District and the mental hospitaltely. He should pass by the street nearby. Let''s wait for him there."


    After saying that, they all pushed open the door of the cer and ran out one by one. They rushed towards the street, jostling each other.


    Just then, they heard a scream and saw a little girl with ck hair and blue eyes standing at the entrance of the alley. The group stopped in their tracks, and Jason eximed, "Howe there''s a little girl here?"


    Little Scoundrel squinted his eyes and said, "Judging by her clothes and appearance, she doesn''t seem like a child from the East District. She looks more like one of those rich kids from the South District."


    Rocket, however, ran over first, and the others followed. Rocket held the little girl''s shoulder and said, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Where are your mom and dad?"


    "Wow!"


    The little girl screamed, and everyone noticed the sharp teeth in her mouth. They took a few steps back in fright. Jason said, "...Could it be that her parents abandoned her here?"


    "Unlikely. Look at the ne around her neck. It seems to be made of a gemstone. If they really wanted to abandon her, there would be no need to give her such a valuable ne..."


    Jason hesitantly approached the girl. Although she had sharp teeth and her eyes were a bit strange, she didn''t seem to have any intention of biting. He patted her head, looked around, and said, "We need to get her out of here. If the gang members patrol and find her, she''ll be in danger."


    "Really? What if her parentse looking for her? You might get into trouble. Those rich folks are experts at turning the tables!"


    Jason didn''t argue. He simply took off the ne from the girl''s neck and put it in his pocket. He said, "If theye looking for me, I''ll leave the child behind and let them take her away. This ne can be my reward. I won''t lose out anyway."


    Saying that, he struggled to pick up the little girl. Rocket took the girl from him and said, "Let me do it. We''ll go back to your base first, and then while we''re looking for Copperpot, we''ll see if there are any people nearby who might be her parents."


    As they were walking back, almost reaching the underground base, a crisp whip sound echoed, and everyone dodged backward. A slender ck figure appeared at the end of the street.


    Jason, hiding behind a building, widened his eyes and said, "ck Cat! It''s ck Cat! What''s she doing here? Doesn''t she onlye out at night?"


    "Who''s ck Cat?" Little Scoundrel asked him.


    "The leader of the four great thieves of the East District. She''s a very formidable thief who has stolen from almost every jewelry store in Gotham."


    "To the little ones, thank you for the praise, but I must say, put down the little girl you''re holding."


    Catwoman cracked her whip again, causing the group to retreat in fear.


    "She''s your daughter? No! Wait! I heard you''re also from the East District. How could you have such a well-dressed daughter? You wouldn''t..."


    Jason waved his hand backward and said to Rocket, "Don''t let her go. ck Cat might be a human trafficker!"


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 Chapter 284: The First Encounter of the Youth Pi (3)

    Chapter 284: The First Encounter of the Youth Pi (3)


    "I heard a long time ago that you came up under Lucky Momma''s wing. Who knows if you kidnapped this little girl?"


    "Kidnap her??" Catwoman raised her voice. "Do you know how much I''ve sacrificed for her? Do you know how exhausted I''ve been these past few days? Enough talk, give her back to me!"


    Jason didn''t want to confront the legendary female thief, but somehow he couldn''t back down. He pulled out a handgun from his red truck and aimed it at Catwoman. Jason turned to him and said, "Hey, buddy! Don''t use a gun, you can''t hit ck Cat!"


    "It''s impossible, I have good aim."


    As he spoke, the red truck pulled the trigger with a "pop" sound, and Catwoman''s figure instantly disappeared. Then a ck whip coiled around the red truck''s wrist. With a strong tug, he was pulled to the ground, and the handgun fell out of his hand.


    Jason, standing nearby, reacted quickly. He lunged and caught the flying handgun, then continued pointing it at Catwoman, who had jumped to the second floor.


    "Although I''m not a good person either, the Hoodlums Gang takes care of over a dozen kids. I know how bad their lives are. But you actually want to sell a rich person''s child to the slums. It''s simply..."


    Catwoman sighed, realizing she couldn''t reason with these kids.


    She had a strange feeling in her heart. Even though she and Jason were currently in opposition, seeing someone protect Aisha like this made her feel a little uneasy but also happy.Catwoman was in a good mood, so she didn''t use excessive force. With a few swings of her whip, she knocked down several people and tied them up. When Aisha saw Catwoman, she wasn''t afraid but instead reached out her hands to be picked up. Jason widened his eyes, and the slick-haired kid pushed his sses and said, "From my observation, it seems like she really is her child."


    Jason couldn''t contain his excitement and looked around, then turned his body to the side, lowered his voice, and said to the slick-haired kid, "This is huge gossip! ck Cat might have hooked up with some wealthy person from the southern district and even had a child with them!"


    Catwoman ignored the whispers of these kids and left with Aisha. After she left, the others freed themselves from the ropes. The red truck shook his wrist and shoulder and said, "That woman is too formidable. How did she use that whip? I couldn''t even see her shadow clearly."


    "Of course, she''s famous in the East District. It all started with the theft at the Elizabeth Street jewelry store. That was the debut battle of a female thief named ck Cat..."


    The sun gradually set below the horizon as they chatted and walked through the alley. The light of the sunset cast long shadows by their sides, with the scattered shadows walking along the line where the walls met the sunlight, as if they were standing on a wall.


    They walked out of the alley and onto the main street, then turned a corner onto the adjacent street. At that moment, a lone and skinny boy was carrying a pile of things and shouted, "Hey! Copperpot, you finally showed up!"


    Copperpot, carrying a load of daily supplies, stood frozen in ce, looking at the group running towards him. The tallest one, Red Truck, patted his shoulder and said, "Long time no see. Have you finished your homework? Can you help me with mine too?"


    Copperpot pursed his lips, showing that he really didn''t want to deal with them. But obviously, he had missed the best opportunity to pretend not to recognize


    them. He could only continue walking forward with his things.


    However, at that moment, Wheel and Rocket approached him and took the things from his hands, saying as they handed them back and forth, "I''ll help you carry it! I''ll help you carry it! It''s so heavy, you probably can''t handle it, right? Just help us with our homework..."


    "What are you guys up to?"


    Slick, who had the closest rtionship with Copperpot, said, "Me and Jason... this guy here, he''s the Kid King of the Hoodlums Gang. We found a really cool tire together, but we can''t sell it."


    "We want to dismantle it, but we don''t have any tools. So we thought of asking for your help. It requires a careful n, so we thought you could help."


    "I''m really busytely, I don''t have time... Wait a minute..." Copperpot turned his head to look at Jason. He nced at the young boy with a menacing look in his eyes, which sent shivers down Jason''s spine. Copperpot asked, "You said you''re the Kid King of the Hoodlums Gang? The gang leader?"


    Jason nodded and adjusted his cor, then coughed and pretended to be deep, saying, "That''s right. Although it''s just a small gang, someday it will shine just like the four major gangs of Elizabeth Street!"


    Copperpot didn''t say anything further but let these few people take the things from his hand and followed them to the base.


    The next day, the group of people who had spent the night in the base was awakened by a dull sound. Jason got up from the bed, slightly confused, and looked up at the ceiling. The other people also came out sleepily, and Sliphead asked, "Where''s Copperpot? Did he already leave?"


    "His mom needs care, so he left early in the morning. Didn''t you hear the sound of thetch?"


    "Well, then who made this sound?" Sliphead frowned and looked up. Jason yawned and stretchedzily, saying, "Most likely it''s the big pile of trash behind the wall. When someone throws garbage, they''re always careless and cause the trash mountain to copse, making a noise."


    "Let''s go, let''s go up and check. Although we haven''t reached the point of picking up garbage to survive, those kids whoe to pick garbage will create a bigmotion. We won''t be able to sleep, for sure."


    Saying that, he climbed up thedder, pushed open the cer door, and walked up. The others followed him, but what they saw in front of them wasn''t just scattered garbage. There was also a boy about their age and a very familiar little girl.


    "Oh..." The boy clutched his waist, in some pain as he stood up. The little girl, on the other hand, was extremely excited, screaming and pping her hands.


    The others took defensive postures, and the boy who fell from the garbage pile also assumed a defensive stance when he saw someone approaching. The two sides faced each other, and their gaze finally focused on the little girl beside them.


    "Isn''t this the little girl who was taken away by ck Cat yesterday? How did she end up here again?"


    "And who are you? How did you fall from the garbage heap?"


    "...I''m called Dick." The boy across took a deep breath, then looked at the people in front of him and said, "Dick Grayson, who are you guys?"


    "We''re the natives here, of course. Do you know this little girl? What''s your rtionship with her? What''s going on?"


    "I definitely know her. I''m her...brother."


    Dick rubbed his waist. When he fell from the garbage heap just now, it seemed like he hit something hard.


    Seeing that the people in front seemed to have no hostile intent, he turned around, picked up Aisha, and walked over, saying, "I came to look for something. My sister should have lost a ne here yesterday. Have you seen it?"


    Jason''s expression immediately became somewhat unnatural. He was about to respond, but Dick said, "That ne looks like it''s made of gemstones, but it actually contains some kind of tracking chip...right? Anyway, it''s some high-tech stuff. It''s better to get it back..."


    As soon as Jason heard that there might be a tracking device inside the ne, he quickly took out the ne from his pocket and threw it over. He didn''t pay attention to the direction and it veered off quite a bit, but Dick somersaulted and caught the ne in a beautiful pose, then put it in his pocket and said, "Thank you."


    "Wow! That''s so cool! Are you an acrobat?"


    "Yes, you actually figured it out. Haven''t you heard of the Grayson family? We''re the best aerial acrobats."


    Rocket scratched his head and said, "I think I''ve heard of it. Are you from the circus in the western suburbs?"


    "Used to be, but not anymore."


    Jason scrutinized Dick and said, "If it were the little girl, she could possibly be ck Cat''s child. But you definitely aren''t. ck Cat is not even 20 years old. How could you be her son? Yet you im to be her brother. What''s going on?"


    But Sliphead nudged sses and said, "Have you eaten? None of us have. Let''s find a ce to eat and then talk."


    Dick held Aisha in his arms. He wanted to refuse at first, but he realized there was nothing to do at Wayne Manor, except maybe perform acrobatics for Aisha or have the exquisite English afternoon tea prepared by Alfred.


    For Dick, who grew up in the circus, barbecue and fried buttered bread were preferable to English afternoon tea.


    So, he walked forward with Aisha and the others, talking about themselves along the way. Curious, Jason asked, "So, you''re saying you were actually adopted. No wonder that ck Cat is your stepmother, right?"


    "She doesn''t seem to have a good temper. She doesn''t abuse you, does she?"


    "Of course not. We get along well, and she has trained in acrobatics too. But our paths diverge. She leans more towards dance and gymnastics..."


    Dick didn''t mention who Aisha''s father was, and the others tacitly didn''t ask. Perhaps this was the pride of the East District kids. They only talked about East District matters in the East District, not concerning themselves with the wealthy folks from the South District.


    The group found a breakfast stall and sat down. They ordered grilled ms, vegetable soup, and butter cheese. With their dishes in front of them, they sat around a small table. Jason looked at the grimacing smile on Aisha''s face and hesitantly asked, "Um... I''ve been wanting to ask for a while now. What''s up with her teeth?"


    "Oh, it''s some sort of natural dental deformity. She''s too young, and there hasn''t been time for correction."


    "Okay, what about her eyes?"


    "They told me it''s called heterochromia. She got it from her mother."


    "Uh... She should be over 3 years old by now. Why isn''t she speaking yet?"


    "Seems like it''s some kind of childhood autism. We''re going to see a psychiatrist in a couple of days..."


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 Chapter 285: Early Morning at Wayne Manor

    Chapter 285: Early Morning at Wayne Manor


    In the early morning, the dim and hazy light fell on the dining table. The gentle clinking of ss against silverware sounded pleasing to the ears. The tablecloth smoothly cascaded down from the table as Alfred ced the final dish. Sitting at the head of the table, Bruce nodded at him, and the contented butler turned and left.


    Bruce sat at the head of the long dining table. Across from him was Selena, with Dick to her right and Aisha beside Dick. At first nce, it appeared to be a harmonious breakfast scene for a family of four. However, as soon as Bruce tapped the highball ss with his fork to signal the start of the meal, chaos ensued.


    Most children have a peculiar habit of putting everything into their mouths outside of mealtime, only to refuse to eat anything once it is mealtime.


    Fortunately, Aisha had an insatiable appetite, or perhaps a bit too much, as she liked to put everything into her mouth at any time and in any ce.


    With a "crunch," a bite was taken out of the te containing a sandwich. Dick, who was drinking water, sprayed it out and coughed twice, taken aback. He quickly turned around, patting Aisha''s back, urging her to spit out the broken pieces of ceramic.


    Dick hurriedly wiped his mouth with a napkin and gestured while saying, "No, Aisha, that''s not a part of the sandwich! It''s the te! It''s tableware, understand? You can''t eat it... wait! Put down that cup!"


    With another "crunch," the cup was also bitten by Aisha, causing milk to spill all over her. Dick covered his eyes and then took a towel from Alfred, wiping away the stains on Aisha''s body. The old butler had a constant smile on his face, seemingly enjoying the scene.


    "Aisha, don''t bite the tableware, don''t give Alfred trouble," Bruce spoke up, and Alfred, while serving a fresh ss of milk, said, "Oh, it''s alright, sir. When you were young, you also spilled milk several times. It''s normal..."


    Bruce opened his mouth; he really wanted to say that spilling milk and biting a hole in a milk cup werepletely different things.However, Aisha''s bite strength was astonishing. Whether it was a ceramic te, a ss milk cup, a fabric tablecloth, or a wooden table, everything was liable to be bitten off in a single bite.


    Dick tried to teach Aisha to hold the fork properly, but whenever she picked up a fork, it went straight into her mouth, resulting in another "crunch." The metal fork''s tip was bitten off. Dick stared at Aisha with wide eyes as she chewed the metal fork like it was gum. He nced down at his arm, which still had visible teeth marks, and swallowed nervously.


    Aisha spat out the chewed-up fork. The poor fork had been transformed into an unrecognizable piece of metal, so Dick threw it away. He then asked Alfred for a new fork. Just at that moment, Aisha suddenly eximed, "Wow! Wow!!!"


    Selena, who had been dozing off, was startled awake. Rubbing her eyes, she said, "Bruce, she''s calling you..."


    Bruce looked at Aisha, who extended her arm towards him. Bruce had no choice but to set down his knife and fork, approach Aisha''s seat, and lift her up. He then asked Selena, "How did you know what she meant?"


    "Didn''t you notice that Aisha has been learning to speak recently?"


    Selena supported her head with one hand, looking very tired because she stayed uptest night. She said, "You weren''t homest night, and I was ying with her with building blocks. Then she suddenly screamed like that, and I couldn''t understand what happened. Later, I realized that she seemed to be looking for you..."


    Bruce held Aisha a little farther away in his arms and observed her carefully. Aisha grinned at him, showing her sharp teeth, and made an indistinct "waah" sound from her mouth. Dick turned around and listened carefully before saying, "It seems like she wants to say ''Daddy,'' but she can''t pronounce the letter ''P.''"


    Bruce carried Aisha back to his seat and fed her a sandwich with a fork. Aisha bit off the sandwich and the head of the fork in one bite. Bruce quickly made her spit it out, but Aisha chewed it a couple of times and swallowed. After swallowing, she stared at Bruce with wide eyes, wearing an innocent expression on her face.


    "Don''t worry, she''s fine," Selena said, taking a sip of juice. "Haven''t you noticed that your daughter has many special abilities?"


    "...What special abilities?"


    "Do you think a normal child can run at a speed of 120 miles per hour in three seconds? Can they jump from the third floor without getting hurt, and still be lively after swallowing three building blocks?"


    "Clearly, Aisha has superpowers."


    Bruce stared at Aisha in his arms, and Dick''s eyes lit up. He looked at Bruce and asked, "Superpowers??... Mr. Wayne, Aisha is your biological daughter, so that means you also..."


    "I don''t have any," Bruce denied directly. But Dick obviously didn''t believe him. Children of this age have an immense fascination with superpowers that can defy thews of nature. Judging from Dick''s expression, he really wanted Bruce to show him how to fly on the spot...


    After holding Aisha for a while, Bruce got up again, put her back in ce, and then looked at Dick, asking, "Where have you been recently? Yesterday at noon, I wanted you toe with me to fix the car, but Alfred told me that you and Aisha had gone out..."


    "Oh..." Dick touched the knife and fork awkwardly and said, "I...I made some new friends."


    "New friends? Who are they?"


    "Hmm..." Dick hesitated for a moment, seeming unable to speak.


    Although he knew Bruce wasn''t an ordinary person, he still didn''t know that he was Batman. In his eyes, Bruce was just a super wealthy old man from the south, and he didn''t know if Bruce felt the same way about the poor folks in the East District as other wealthy people from the south.


    But Dick got along well with Jason. On one hand, it was because they were close in age, and peers always had more to talk about. On the other hand, Dick didn''te from a good background. The opulent environment of Wayne Manor made him feel ufortable and a bit reserved, whereas Jason''s dpidated RottenRotten underground base made him feel more rxed.


    But he couldn''t tell Bruce that. He could stay in Gotham solely because of Bruce, and he knew he didn''t possess the same ability as Jason to roam the streets of Gotham alone.


    After a few days of getting acquainted, Dick understood that in order to thrive in Gotham, he needed more than just martial arts skills. Additionally, due to his young age, his martial arts skills were stillcking, and hecked practical experience in street fights.


    Dick is afraid that if he speaks out, Bruce will cut off ties with him and his group of friends. Dick doesn''t want to do that because he finds that street life very interesting. It not only helps him improve his skills but also exposes him to various intriguing experiences.


    For example, just yesterday, Jason led the Curly Tail Gang in a fight against the Red Zui Gang from Hongzui Street. Though these street brawls involving the teenage gangs may be small-scale, they cover all the elements. They need to gather information in advance, survey the terrain, prepare weapons, organize manpower, and even assign different roles to their members such as lookouts, fighters, and backup.


    In Gotham''s child society, the brutal and cruel side of adult gangs is diminished. These kids can''t acquire any serious weaponry, so their fights rarely pose a life-threatening risk. However, the thrill, wildness, and violence of these encounters are preserved, easily captivating the young blood like Dick.


    However, Dick knows that these wealthy individuals have a different perspective. They would prefer their children to learn things like piano, violin, ballet, and etiquette.


    Just as he was thinking about this, Bruce said to Dick, "Since I adopted you, I am responsible for you. I have already talked to Alfred, and starting tomorrow, you will attend the boarding school up north. It''s the best boarding school in all of Gotham, not only in terms of facilities but also in terms of faculty. They offer a diverse range of courses like Latin, ballet, and harp..."


    Dick looked at Selina as if seeking help, but she shook her head, expressing her inability to assist.


    Dick sighed, initially thinking that Bruce adopted him as a nanny for his biological daughter, but now it seemed like he was no more than a nanny.


    During this conversation, Bruce finished his breakfast, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "I will be going out shortly, and I probably won''t be back until the evening. Alfred will prepare lunch and dinner for you."


    Saying this, he left the dining table. Selina stretchedzily, appearing somewhat drowsy, and also left the table to go upstairs and catch up on sleep. Dick sat there and sighed, then he picked up Aisha and said to her:


    "Let''s go, I''ll take you out to y. In a couple of days, my good times will be over, and you won''t be able to see me anymore."


    Aisha seemed to be unable toprehend what Dick was worried about. She kept babbling, and from the tone and frequency of her vocalizations, it could be discerned that she was diligently trying to imitate humannguage.


    Dick decided to teach her: "''Papa,'' pronounce it like this. Press your lips together and make a soft ''P'' sound..."


    "This word means father, Mr. Wayne. He is your father, so you should call him ''Papa.'' But as you grow up, you can call him dad or father."


    "This word is a term used by children. However, all these words mean father, just in different registers. One is an infant''s term, another is informal, and thest one is more formal or literary. Of course, the words for grandparents follow the same pattern..."


    Aisha, who had been practicing pronunciation just moments ago, was stunned on the spot.


    Originally,nguage is a unique function of orderly creatures. Chaos creatures have no need for such a thing. They are inherently one-of-a-kind, withoutmunities, without the need formunication or mutual understanding. They are born in chaos and will ultimately return to chaos. Anything logical does not exist in their world.


    When a chaotic creature suddenly transforms into an orderly creature, understanding the meaning ofnguage itself bes challenging, let alone learning pronunciation, intonation, words, and grammar.


    As the parax monster transformed into a little girl, she hadn''t even figured out how to pronounce the simplest word when Dick told her that there are endless words waiting for her to learn in this world, causing a headache for the monster.


    Not wanting to listen to Dick''s rambling anymore, Aisha broke free from his embrace and ran outside. Just as she reached thewn, she felt a somewhat familiar power approaching.


    Aisha paused for a moment, looked up at the sky, and vaguely saw two figures, one yellow and one green, colliding with each other.


    She made an effort to engage her mind and pondered for a moment, then swung her short legs and hastily ran back into the house, colliding with Dick who was about to follow her outside.


    Aisha waved her arms and yelled at him, but Dick couldn''t understand what she was trying to say at all. Aisha imitated Dick and, with a hint of frustration, covered her forehead.


    She kept uttering "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."


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 Chapter 286: The Caught Car Thief

    Chapter 286: The Caught Car Thief


    Batman rarely ventures out during the day, but when he chooses to appear in the heart of Gotham City during daylight hours, it signifies that he has a matter of utmost importance to attend to. For instance, capturing the car thief who tampered with his tires.


    Regarding the theft of his Batmobile tires, Batman isn''t particrly enraged; instead, he finds it somewhat absurd. Someone capable of independently bypassing the Batmobile''s security system can only manage to be a mere car thief in Gotham City. The city truly possesses an enchantment of its own.


    Locating the hideout of this car thief wasn''t difficult for Batman. Evidently, these two culprits who absconded with his tires weren''t particrly adept at counter-surveince techniques. Before long, Batman had traced them to a cer in an alley off Coventry Street.


    This undergroundircked any significant security measures, and Batman effortlessly made his way inside. He soon discovered the tires, still hanging on the wall, untouched.


    Originally, ording to his n, Batman intended to lie in wait here until the owner returned and apprehend him.


    Batman had indeed nned for this course of action, but while waiting for the thief''s return, he found himself with idle time on his hands and began investigating the base.


    The more he investigated, the more perplexed Batman became. Various signs indicated that the upants of this ce were not adults but several children.


    It was quite an easy deduction to make. The ground here wasn''t made of flooring or tiles but rather fine sand, with footprints left uncleaned, clearly indicating they were not made by adults. Fingerprints were also left on the workbench tools, suggesting that the person using them was a child under the age of ten.


    Amidst his astonishment, Batman couldn''t help but entertain some other thoughts. He knew that the adults of Gotham City were practically beyond redemption, their thought processes and methods of handling situations already solidified. Besides tossing them into jail, there were scarcely any other means of dealing with them. However, children were a different story.Batman was aware that even if the children of Gotham were worse off than those in other cities, engaging in daily gang activities and street fights, they still possessed the potential for positive change through education, especially when they exhibited such extraordinary talent.


    As evening fell, Jason, d in a tattered jacket, limped towards his own base, supported by Sliphead. With a touch of helplessness in his voice, Sliphead said, "I know you have to fight them to protect your territory, but you''ve been engaging in fights too frequentlytely. Your previous injury hasn''t fully healed..."


    Jason wiped the blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth, staining his sleeve. However, he took it in stride, grinning as he replied, "I have no choice. Those damn Redmouth hooligans are pushing us too hard. If I were to relinquish the territory at the entrance to the alley, we wouldn''t earn a single dime..."


    He vigorously rubbed his eyes and shrugged off Sliphead''s supportive hand, making his way to the cer door and slowly descending.


    Wary of him stumbling, Sliphead hurriedly followed, offering assistance. Yet, just as they approached the workbench, they heard the cer door lock with a click, and a dark figure materialized behind them.


    The two were startled, and when they turned around, Sliphead looked at the figure opposite and said, "Batman???"


    Batman paused and asked, "Do you know me?"


    Jason turned his head and nced at the Bat tire he had hung on the wall, then looked at the intimidating Batman in front of him. He lifted his head and looked at the cer door, which was already locked. He knew he couldn''t escape. He wearily leaned against the workbench behind him and said, "Well, how could we not know you? The renowned Hero Batman..."


    However, there was no trace of reverence or admiration in his tone, only deep annoyance. Sliphead looked at the current situation and rubbed his hands, saying to Batman, "I''m sorry, Batman. We did steal your Batmobile tire, but we didn''t damage it. You can take it back. Let''s not make a big deal out of it..."


    "After all..." Sliphead pushed his sses and continued, "The police station won''t take kids like us. If you apprehend us, they''ll send us back tomorrow. How about we sincerely apologize to you and skip this process..."


    Batman looked at Jason and noticed a deep bruise on his exposed neck. His mouth also bore the signs of being struck, not to mention the bloodstains on his sleeve. He asked, "How did you get hurt like this?"


    Jason shook his head, his expression fierce, seemingly not wanting to talk to Batman at all. Fortunately, Sliphead was present and spoke up, "He''s the leader of the Capuchin gang. He had to fight with others to im territory..."


    "And he won!" Jason emphasized.


    "How did you manage to pry my tires off?"


    "What''s so hard about that?" Jason deliberately raised his voice and said, "Your damn car was rotten. If it weren''t for those oversized tires, I would have taken all four off!"


    His words wereced with some local gang ng and profanity, and his manner of speaking resembled that of a typical bad boy, both in demeanor and attitude.


    However, Batman wasn''t provoked by his behavior. After all, he had dealt with many kids of this nature during his time as a vignte in Gotham.


    "Batman, leave us be. We''re just a bunch of kids. Jason stole your tires because he needed money urgently. We know stealing is wrong, but we had no other choice."


    Sliphead exined to Batman, "Jason is in charge of several kids in the Capuchin gang. Five or six of them are too young. When they try to sell cigarettes, they often get bullied by older kids from rival gangs. They can''t make much money in a day. Jason has to earn money to support them; otherwise, their boss will beat them to death."


    Batman furrowed his brow and asked, "So you''re saying all the kids under hismand are cigarette peddlers?"


    "That''s right. Aren''t the members of the Youth Gang all like that?"


    "To whom do they have to pay?"


    "Their leaders, usually older kids. And then, these kids hand the money over to their ''mom and dad''."


    "And then what?"


    Sliphead shook his head and said, "I don''t know, I''m not doing this, but I heard that they will pass it onyer byyer and hand it over to someone called the big boss."


    "Are you not doing this?" Batman looked at Sliphead and saw that he was indeed different from the usual kids in Gotham. Instead of a jacket, he wore a slightly worn turtleneck sweater,bed his bowl haircut, and wore sses, making him look more like a bookworm.


    "I am a skilled worker and currently attending vocational education school in Gotham. Jason saved my life, so I''m hanging out with him."


    "I didn''t save you so you could repay me! You better leave quickly! The tires are what I was going to steal, and if there''s any trouble,e after me!" Jason said loudly.


    "Jason, don''t be like this. I believe Batman is a good person. I heard he saved a dancer who was being robbed. He should be willing to listen to our exnations..."


    With that, Sliphead continued, "Not all kids are as lucky as me to have a good skill to work for the gangs or even go to school peacefully. Most kids are under the control of their ''parents,'' either selling cigarettes, begging, or doing some dirty work..."


    "You stole my tires, and I should have apprehended you or taught you a lesson. But because you''re kids, I can let you go. However, you must promise me one thing..."


    Jason turned to look at Sliphead. He touched the wound next to his mouth and said, "I did it. What''s the condition? Tell me."


    "I want to know what''s going on with those people who manipte kids to work for them. Who is this so-called big boss? I hope you can help me investigate these matters..."


    "No use." Jason shook his head and said, "The big boss is very mysterious, and we kids can''t see them. Besides, there are too many people involved in this kind of thing. How do you expect me to find out?"


    "I believe you''ll figure out a way, won''t you?"


    "Your name is Jason, right? Listen, Jason..."


    Batman looked into Jason''s eyes and said, "Since you''re willing to fight for those kids'' sake and even provide them financial assistance, it shows that you have a good nature and loyalty."


    "You also understand that this can''t go on forever. When these kids grow up, there will be another batch. You can''t always protect them. The only way is to thoroughly investigate those who manipte them and find a way to deal with them."


    Jason rested his forearms on his knees, lowered his head, and remained silent. Batman continued, "Since you''ve heard of my reputation, you should know that I''ve taken down many criminals. But in this case, I do need an assistant. After all, I''m not a kid, and I can''t involve myself in your group..."


    "If I seed, you and the kids under yourmand will have a better life, won''t you?"


    Jason remained silent for a while before saying, "Okay, but this is my responsibility. We can''t act recklessly, and you have to promise that regardless of sess or failure, you won''t cause trouble for the two of us again."


    Batman nodded and then tossed a cylindrical device to Jason. It was a small shlight, and he said, "Press the button on the tail, and it will project a miniature Bat-Signal into the air. I''lle rushing over when I see it. Hold the button for a longer time, and it will send amunication that only I can receive, for emergencies when you need to contact me."


    Sliphead looked at the thing with fascination, and Batman said to him, "Don''t even think about taking it apart. You''ll never be able to put it back together. If you can provide useful information, I can lend you aboratory in my stronghold in the southern suburbs. There are plenty of good things there..."


    Sliphead and Jason nced at each other and then looked at Batman. In unison, they said, "Alright, deal."


    After Batman left, Jason said to Sliphead, "You should leave. You don''t need to get involved in this. If I really start investigating this matter, it will be very dangerous. Those ''mom and dad'' won''t spare me."


    "Batman is right, Jason," Sliphead remained calm as he spoke. "As you mentioned before, those ''mom and dad'' have been getting more and more extremetely. They''re setting higher goals and demanding more money. Those who fail to meet their demands face severe consequences. If this continues, those children won''t survive. We need to put a stop to all of this."


    Jason furrowed his brow and said, "I''ve actually been thinking about it. It''s strange, isn''t it?"


    "Since I started living on the streets, I haven''t heard of any changes to this system. But recently, it seems to be getting increasingly extreme. Could something have happened on the boss''s side, causing him to urgently exploit these kids?"


    "It''s not just that," Sliphead stroked his chin. "When I was attending vocational school, I met the parents of those students, the gang bosses. From their conversations, I gathered that the situation within Gotham Gang is unstable. The Twelve Families, who hold the highest positions, seem to be in turmoil..."


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 Chapter 287: Senistero Crisis

    Chapter 287: Senistero Crisis


    Dick sat in front of the breakfast stall with Aisha in his arms while Jason stuffed sandwiches into his mouth. The older kids gathered in front of the food cart to ce their orders. Jason looked at Dick and said, "So, that wealthy old man really wants to send you to boarding school? That''s not a good ce!"


    "It''s a normal kind of boarding school, the kind where kids from wealthy families go, not those prisons for children."


    "Well, it''s almost the same. If he sends you to those prisons, I think it would be better for you to escape as soon as possible. Those kids there are really suffering," Tire said, walking over with a ss of iced fruit juice.


    "I heard they sell the kids sent to boarding school to the most ruthless gang leaders, or they make them disabled and sell them for begging in other cities," the Red Train added.


    The group approached with their food and sat down around the small table.


    At that moment, Jason sighed with a troubled expression. The others asked him, "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s about the task that weird guy in the Batman costume gave me. I don''t know what to do."


    "He made it sound easy, asking me to investigate those ''parents'' who control the kids. But I can''t just approach the heads of those children and ask, ''What''s going on with you guys?''"


    Behind the red truck, Copperpot approached with a tray. He put it down, sat on a chair, and adjusted his cor. Rocket teased him, "You always carry yourself like an old-time aristocrat. Does eating like that make the food taste better?"Copperpot ignored her and said to Jason, "You''re still young and can easily find another way. Blend in with the kids on another street, then find a job like that. Then you''ll have a legitimate reason to meet those bosses."


    Tire pondered for a moment and said, "Indeed, the rest of us wouldn''t work. We''re too old and strong, those little bosses wouldn''t want us. But you, and you, Dick, with your age and appearance, you could probably fit in..."


    Dick shrugged and said, "In a few days, I might have to go to school."


    He turned to see Jason staring at him, so Dick sighed and said, "Well, I guess I can hang out with you guys for a couple of days."


    After some discussion, Jason and Dick decided to go to Greene Street on the outskirts of East District and work as cigarette vendors, hoping to gather information from the little bosses there.


    After finishing their meal, Dick took Aisha back to Wayne Manor, where Alfred told him, "Master just came back and is looking for you."


    Dick nodded and went with Aisha to Bruce''s study on the third floor. Once inside, Bruce said to him, "Pack your things, and get ready to go to school next week."


    Dick hesitated for a moment, appearing somewhat resistant. When Bruce looked at him, he suddenly felt a strong sense of nostalgia.


    When a person faces the same situation from different perspectives, they realize that their younger self was reckless and impulsive. Bruce looked at Dick standing at the door, as if he saw himself standing in the counseling room years ago.


    He always felt that the professor had some undisclosed secrets, that he must have some superpowers. He eagerly wanted to learn the art of mind-reading from that psychology professor, and attempted to bypass the stage of learning all the theoretical knowledge, aiming to directly grasp the ultimate essence of psychology.


    How did the professor do it? Bruce found that his memory was somewhat hazy, and he didn''t understand why Schiller didn''t want to teach him at the time. He believed that he had a natural talent for psychology, the kind that would make him a student who excelled effortlessly.


    However,ter Bruce discovered that psychology epasses more than just the topic of "what the other person is currently thinking"; or rather, this topic is actually rtively simplistic and superficial within the field of psychology.


    The true essence of this discipline lies in the exploration of the human inner world, the formation of personalities, and the fundamental causes of human behavior. Such profound knowledge can only be acquired through the extensive study ofplex and in-depth texts, along with years of practical application and analysis.


    Now, it appeared that Dick also wished to bypass the process of attending school, practicing, and gaining experience, in order to directly acquire Bruce''s superpowers. Standing in the position of an elder, Bruce keenly felt the same helplessness that Schiller must have felt back then.


    Does Bruce possess superpowers? From the perspective of an ordinary person, he does indeed possess them. Not only is he incredibly wealthy, but he is also naturally gifted with high intelligence. He excels at learning almost anything quickly. His physical abilities, coordination, and flexibility are exceptional. In a sense, these qualities can already be considered superpowers.


    However, Bruce is acutely aware that his current level is not solely reliant on his innate talent. The learning and practice processes cannot be bypassed.


    "Listen, Dick, of course, I can let you forgo school and run around the streets every day, just like any other child in Gotham. Alternatively, you can continue to practice the acrobatics you enjoy and avoid learning thenguages, math, and dance that you dislike..."


    "But it is precisely because I believe you have talent, and that you shouldn''t settle for a career as an acrobat, that you need to undergo a more systematic and extensive education to find the path you truly wish to pursue..."


    Perhaps because Bruce had once yed the role of Dick in front of Schiller, he had a bit more patience with Dick, and even went so far as to exin his reasons for this arrangement, which was quite rare for Bruce, as he rarely exined his actions to anyone.


    "Really? Do you truly think... my talent is not bad?" Dick looked at Bruce and asked.


    Bruce made an effort to recall his past interactions with Schiller, and then replied to Dick, "Yes, it seems that way for now. However, the kind of achievements you can attain will ultimately depend on your performance in school..."


    "Of course, don''t forget that even though your parents have returned to Brooklyn, I can still call them. If your grades aren''t satisfactory, I believe I can invite them to Gotham..."


    "I''m going to pack my things!" Dick put down Aisha, turned around, and ran off. Bruce stood in ce and let out a sigh, feeling a sense of nostalgia. He realized that it was difficult to be on the receiving end of the situation where a teacher invites parents, but when used to threaten others, it was indeed effective and satisfying.


    On this particr morning, Bruce, who had just been promoted to an elder, began to understand his college professor Schiller in a subtle way. Indeed, one''s stance determines their attitude.


    By the time they finished lunch, Dick took Aisha to y on thewn of Manor. Dick effortlessly swung around the monkey bars, gracefullynding above the bar with his arms extended, before grabbing onto it with both hands. He executed a somersault andnded on the ground in a perfect pose, causing Aisha tough and apud continuously.


    Dick walked over to the monkey bars again, nning to swing a few more rounds. However, he suddenly noticed a small patch of grass on the nearbywn that appeared to have been blown over by the wind.


    Just as he was about to investigate, a powerful whirlwind engulfed his surroundings. He shielded his face with his arms and took a few steps back. When he opened his eyes again, he discovered that Aisha had also been knocked down onto thewn.


    As he approached to help Aisha, a beam of yellow light descended from the sky, revealing a man floating within it, dressed in a yellow bodysuit. He hovered in mid-air, and Dick widened his eyes and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"


    At the same time, Sinestro, who had descended from the sky, felt quite frustrated.


    The Lantern''s navigation system only brought him to the vicinity of Earth''s atmosphere, and he had to locate the specific city where Parax hadnded on his own. However, shortly after arriving near Earth, he was intercepted by a Green Lantern named Hal.


    As soon as Hal saw Sinestro''s yellow attire, he threw a punch. The two engaged in a fierce battle high above Earth.


    To Sinestro''s surprise, Hal, a newly emerged and rtively unknown Green Lantern, possessed extraordinary strength. Sinestro nearly depleted all the fear energy in his ring before finally knocking Hal into the sea.


    Seizing the opportunity, Sinestro swiftly circled Earth and eventually discovered that the source of the fear energy he sensed was located in Gotham on the East Coast.


    Uponnding, he had expected to witness the Parax-possessed individual wreaking havoc on the city, turning it into ruins. However, to his astonishment, the city was eerily calm. The buildings remained unharmed, and the residents hadn''t fled, as if nothing had urred.


    This oue perplexed Sinestro. ording to his recollection, this was highly unlikely. Parax was a creature of chaos, unlikely toprehend the functioning of an orderly world. Therefore, it would wreak havoc without restraint. When Parax had possessed him previously, it had destroyed several cities on differents. Earth should have suffered a simr fate.


    What puzzled him even more was that, after an extensive search, he discovered that the trace of Parax''s presence emanated from within a human household. However, when he arrived at the location, instead of encountering the monstrous and menacing figure he expected, he found a... young human girl?


    Sinestro nced at the yellow power ring on his hand, then looked up at the little girl, and repeated this several times, finally confirming that she was indeed their Yellow Lantern Corps'' Lantern Beast, Parax.


    Sinestro descended to the ground and addressed the little girl, "How did you end up like this? What are you doing here? Come with me."


    Aisha stared at him with herrge eyes, showing resistance. Dick, who was beside them, saw Sinestro approaching Aisha and immediately ran over without hesitation, intercepting Sinestro, and eximed, "What are you nning to do? This is Wayne Manor!"


    Sinestro didn''t want to waste time talking to humans at all. With a wave of his hand, Dick was sent flying by a beam of yellow light. Aisha looked at his soaring figure, widened her eyes, and then turned back to look at Sinestro.


    Aisha opened her mouth, revealing a set of sharp teeth, and Sinestro confirmed that Parax had disguised itself as a human.


    Just as Sinestro was about to reach out, in the next second, he saw the little girl take two steps back, take a deep breath, open her mouth wide, and raise her head...


    In an instant, an indescribable scream tore through the sky above Gotham.


    "Dad!!!!!!!!!!!"


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 Chapter 288: Unlucky Sinestro

    Chapter 288: Unlucky Sinestro


    In the dim afternoon light, the faint sunlight of Gotham seeped through the cracks in the curtains and shone into the office. Schiller was lying on the office chair, taking a nap. Victor, sitting at the nearby desk, was reading a paper, but he too was dozing off, supporting his head with his hand. Anna from the Department of Mathematics had already fallen asleep, resting her head on the table.


    Working as faculty at Gotham University was quite rxed. Almost all the teachers had a habit of taking an afternoon nap. Some teachers in the neighboring office even bought reclining chairs. After gradually adapting to this slow-paced lifestyle, Schiller would also choose to take a nap after finishing his lunch.


    Just as he furrowed his brows and was about to turn over, a sudden, intense scream echoed through the skies of Gotham like boiling water. Victor woke up abruptly, and Schiller, still a bit dazed, opened his eyes. He nced at Victor, covering his eyes, and asked, "...What is she shouting?... Dad?"


    In an instant, Schiller snapped back to full consciousness. He paused on the chair for a moment, then stood up, supporting himself on the armrest. He walked to the window, adjusted his hair, and looked in the direction of Wayne Manor. He said to Victor, "Please request leave for me. I have something to attend to."


    "Don''t you remember? We don''t have a principal now, not even an acting principal, so there''s no need to request leave," Victor stretchedzily and said, "You can go. It just so happens that your afternoon ss has been changed to my chemistry ss, and I still have two experiments left to do."


    Schiller walked out of Gotham University. Initially, he wanted to fly directly to Wayne Manor in the form of a gray mist to see what was happening. However, the gray ring he wore on his hand suddenly became warm. Schiller followed the ring''s guidance and arrived in the skies above Earth in the form of gray mist, where he discovered a goldenntern floating.


    Schiller circled around thentern twice, then stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "...As expected, but it''s quite surprising that thentern was also brought along. A pleasant unexpected surprise."


    In no time, his figure vanished. After a few minutes, Schiller reappeared beside the yellowntern above Earth. This time, he held another yellow creature in his arms.


    Pikachu, awakened from his nap, rubbed his sleepy eyes and dangled his four short legs. He pped around in Schiller''s arms, saying, "What are you up to? Why did you bring me to this dreadful world again?!"Schiller held Pikachu''s armpits with both hands, positioning him to face the glowing yellowntern. He said, "Don''t you alwaysin about being hungry? I''ve found you a great ce to eat. Do you see that thing in front of you?"


    Pikachu rubbed his eyes with his small hands and fixed his mismatched gaze on the shining yellowntern. Then, he let out a sigh with all his might and said, "I won''t ask what that thing is anymore because I know it surely has a convoluted background that will keep you talking for hours. I only have one question: why are you so convinced that I can eat there?"


    "Because you''re yellow."


    "...And then?"


    "It''s also yellow."


    Pikachu crossed his short arms like a human and wore a puzzled expression. Before he could question Schiller''s illogical theory, Schiller exined, "It might sound absurd, but I believe that colors hold significant symbolic meanings in the mysterious realm. Simrly colored mysterious objects must have some kind of connection..."


    Pikachu opened his mouth to respond, but couldn''t find a way to refute Schiller''s exnation. Schiller turned Pikachu to face him, still gripping his armpits, and looked into his eyes as he continued, "If you''re satisfied with your meal, can you please stop sabotaging my cakes, soda crackers, and coffee powder? Eating over ten pounds of cake every week¡ªis that fair?"


    Pikachu waved his hand dismissively and said, "It''s not just me. Peter has eaten quite a lot too..."


    "Well, it is true that I can absorb energy from the outside world and convert it into my own, and then use it to unleash abilities, but I have never seen anything like this that looks like a fire hydrant and the bottom half of a toilet. I''m not sure what I will be after absorbing the energy inside it..."


    "It''s alright, don''t you know me yet? I steal electricity not for my own use, but to render others powerless..."


    "Oh, if you had said that earlier, it would have saved us time. I''m familiar with this. Come on, throw me in."


    Following his words, Schiller threw Pikachu into the opening above themp stove. Perhaps due to Sinestro''s modifications, thismp stove floating in the cosmos wasrger than the one depicted in Schiller''sic memories, standing about half the height of a person. The upper opening was just wide enough for Pikachu to squeeze through.


    After Pikachu entered, it was as if he had been tossed into a fish tank, blending with the almost identical shade of yellow. Before long, the glow surrounding themp stove began to slowly converge inwards, gradually intensifying until itpletely receded into the inner walls of themp stove. At the center of themp stove, a brilliant yellow dot resembling a miniature sun absorbed all the surrounding energy.


    Subsequently, the energy clinging to the outer walls of themp stove began to gradually dissipate, causing the entiremp stove to fade slowly. The highly concentrated yellow light energy gathered into a small mass, growing denser at the center until it was fully absorbed by the figure in the middle of themp stove,plete with a tail and long ears.


    Suddenly, Pikachu flickered and reappeared outside themp stove. Observing his current state, Schiller squinted and remarked, "It seems there have been some changes..."


    Pikachu examined his own body, which had be semi-transparent, with faint star-like dots connecting together in the middle, as if he had transformed into a celestial being.


    Under Schiller''s gaze, Pikachu began to growrger andrger, expanding into a colossal Pok¨¦mon standing tens of meters tall. Radiating intense yellow energy throughout its entire body.


    A slender strand of energy connected him to themp, much like when Parax became amp beast for the Yellow Lantern Corps. Pikachu had formed a special link with themp and the ring.


    After Parax emerged and underwent a transformation into a creature of order, Pikachu, having absorbed nearly all the energy from the Yellow Lantern Furnace, filled the vacant position on the Yellow Lantern Corps, bing the newntern beast.


    The origin of cosmic fear, the Yellow Lantern Beast, the giant Pikachu, was born!


    Shortly after, Pikachu''s form began to shrink again, gradually transforming into a solid body. However, faint yellow energy still faintly surrounded its fur. Pikachu now possessed the ability to freely traverse the universe. He flew in front of Schiller and said, "This energy is quite potent, but when Ipress it all within myself, I feel a peculiar connection being established. What is it?"


    Schiller, who had witnessed the entire process, understood that Pikachu had seemingly be the newntern beast of the Yellow Lantern Corps. He briefly introduced the concepts of thentern ring and thentern corps in the DC world to Pikachu. Pikachu rubbed his cheek with his small paw and said, "Will those people who possess the yellow light ringse looking for me, wanting me to return with them as a mascot?"


    "What are you afraid of? If theye, I''ll take you somewhere else." Schiller lifted Pikachu, gazing at him, and added, "Rather than searching for you to go back, I think they might... not want you to appear in the Yellow Lantern Corps."


    "Why?"


    Schiller paused in his mind, recalling the distinct art style of Parax and the depiction of other Lantern Corps inics. Then, he nced at the Pikachu in front of him, nearly spherical from overeating cake, and said, "Because the art styles are different, they can''t be forcefully merged."


    Schiller held Pikachu and prepared to return to Earth. Before leaving, he cast a nce at the drained yellow power battery, its vibrant huepletely dissipated. Thentern now appeared dull and worn, indicating it wouldn''t restore its radiance for a long time.


    Meanwhile, in Wayne Manor, as Sinestro witnessed Batman suddenly materializing behind Aisha, he swiftlyunched a yellow beam of light.


    Batman intended to evade it entirely, but with Aisha still beside him, he swiftly grabbed her and tossed her to Dick before attempting to dodge. Consequently, his movements were slightly dyed, allowing the yellow beam to strike his arm.


    And then... nothing happened.


    Batman turned his head to examine his arm, then nced at Sinestro. Simrly, Sinestro eyed Batman''s arm and then observed the ring in his own hand. Both stood frozen in surprise.


    Refusing to ept this, Sinestro unleashed another yellow beam at Batman, who remained unresponsive. Undeterred, Sinestro relentlessly channeled the power of the yellow light, generating an enormous energy sphere that hurtled toward Batman.


    Batman, inherently distrustful, did not let his guard down despite Sinestro''s previous ineffective attack. He rolled and dodged, barely avoiding the sphere''s impact. However, just before the sphere hit the ground, it abruptly halted and changed course, hurtling directly at Batman.


    Sinestro extended his hand and eximed, "Wait!! Come back!!"


    Moving at an astonishing speed, the yellow energy sphere swiftly merged into Batman''s body. Suddenly, one of his arms radiated a brilliant yellow light. In the meantime, Sinestro caught up, but before he could react, Batman instinctively swung a punch...


    Sinestro was sent flying, propelled at least ten meters away.


    Batman nced at his glowing yellow fist, then at Sinestro, whoy on the ground, unable to rise for quite some time. It dawned on Batman, an understanding taking hold.


    Sinestro, after struggling to regain his footing, couldn''t bear such humiliation. Upon rising, he nced at the ring on his hand and noticed its light had dimmed. The earlier skirmish with Hal had nearly depleted the energy of his yellow power ring.


    Nheless, Sinestro remained unfazed. With foresight, he had brought thentern power battery to Earth. Currently, the yellow power battery should be floating above the.


    Sinestro extended his hand toward the sky and loudly proimed, "Fear is the source, Sinestro''s authority!"


    "... Fear is the source, Sinestro''s authority!"


    "Sinestro''s Authority!"


    "Authority! Authority! ... Authority???"


    On the other side, Batman, Dick, and Aisha stood in a row from highest to lowest, watching the middle-aged man in a yellow jumpsuit on the opposite side striking a strange pose with one hand on his hip and the other pointing to the sky, repeatedly uttering a phrase.


    Batman opened his mouth, but before he could call out Alfred''s name, the old butler had already appeared behind Batman. Batman hesitated and said to him, "Perhaps... let''s make a call to Arkham Asylum. I think he seems... no, it''s not just seeming, he must be mentally ill..."


    Sinestro, unable to summon the power of the yellowntern for a while, was also bewildered. He withdrew his hand and looked at the ring in his hand. The emblem of the Yellow Lantern Corps on it kept flickering, but he couldn''t establish a connection to the power battery.


    Although Sinestro was an alien, not every alien was a Kryptonian capable of taking off from a standstill. All of Sinestro''s superpowers came from the yellowntern ring. Without the yellowntern energy, he had no means to escape Earth''s gravitational pull.


    Just then, Aisha, with her short legs in motion, ran between Sinestro and Batman, and then pointed a finger at Sinestro while looking back at Batman. She shouted, "Daddy!! Wow! Wow!!"


    Batman moved his wrist, and Sinestro took a step back, saying, "Wait! You can''t... I''m..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, apanied by Aisha''s excited pping and screaming, a fist the size of a sandbag, glowing with yellow light, appeared in his line of sight.


    Ten minutester, Schillernded on thewn of Wayne Manor with a yellow-furred rat. He looked at Sinestro, who was lying on thewn of Wayne Manor, beaten and bruised like a pile of rotten mud, and said to him, "Sinestro, right? I''ve heard of your name. Now, we can have a talk..."


    A few minutester, in the basement of Wayne Manor, Batman was tying Sinestro to a chair, while Schiller pulled Pikachu''s tail out of Aisha''s mouth. He instructed Aisha to spit out the mouse fur and said, "When I was in the dream world, the reason I let the Parax Monster trapped in the eggshell ofughtere in was to use it as bait."


    Hearing this, Batman nced at Sinestro and said, "So, you tricked him intoing here?"


    "That''s right, Parax is antern creature of the Yellow Lantern Corps. If he disappears, the Corps'' leader will surelye looking for him."


    After finally separating Aisha and Pikachu, Schiller walked over and sat across from Sinestro. He said to Batman, "Aren''t you curious about these so-called Lantern Heroes and Lantern Corps?"


    Batman didn''t say a word, but his attitude implied consent. What Schiller didn''t reveal was that he had another reason for tricking Sinestro intoing here.


    Before. Schiller made a mistake in predicting the Laughing Egg because he didn''t expect the Yellow Lantern Corps to appear so early. To understand why he thought the Yellow Lantern Corps hadn''t appeared, we need to start with Sinestro, the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps.


    In theics, Sinestro was originally the most powerful Green Lantern and was hailed as the strongest Lantern ever. However, he was discovered by Hal when he used the power of the Green Lantern to control his homnd without authorization. This led to a rift between Sinestro and Hal, and Sinestro eventually left the Green Lantern Corps. He sought out the weapons master to create a Yellow Lantern Power Battery and a Yellow Lantern Ring, bing the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps.


    A crucial moment in this story is the rift between Sinestro and Hal, which happened before Sinestro went solo.


    But now Hal has recently be a Green Lantern and is just a neer without much reputation in the Green Lantern Corps. He has no connection with Sinestro and knows nothing about him. However, the Yellow Lantern Corps appeared early.


    After making this prediction mistake, Schiller has been contemting the reason behind it.


    If we consider the butterfly effect, it doesn''t make sense. Currently, Schiller''s influence from traveling is limited to Gotham. Even if we expand it, it only affects the East Coast. At most, it impacts Earth, but it has no connection whatsoever with outer space, the universe, or the Green Lantern Corps.


    Even if Schiller''s actions were the butterfly pping its wings, the storm couldn''t have reached the Green Lantern Corps so quickly. This means there must be another reason behind Sinestro''s early defection.


    Faced with this uncertainty, Schiller''s initial reaction was to nip it in the bud. But before that, he needed to understand why Sinestro became the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps ahead of time.


    So, when he saw Parax lurking near the entrance of his Mind Tower, an idea struck him. As long as he could capture Parax, he wouldn''t have to worry about Sinestro not showing up. Coincidentally, Parax was also trying to distance itself from Sinestro, who it found to be cheap and stingy. It sought Batman''s help.


    With Schiller and Parax joining forces, Parax found a new father, Schiller caught his desired target, and Batman gained a new daughter. It was a win-win situation.


    The only loser in this scenario was Sinestro, who was currently struggling in his chair. When he shifted his gaze from Batman to the front, he saw Schiller sitting behind the table and Aisha standing on the table, both wearing chilling smiles.


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 Chapter 289: Green Light Yellow Light Little Blue Man

    Chapter 289: Green Light Yellow Light Little Blue Man


    The basement of Wayne Manor appeared old and dim, making the conversation between Schiller, Batman, and Sinestro feel more like a medieval interrogation.


    Although Sinestro couldn''tprehend why he couldn''t control the energy of the yellow light and found himself obeying themands of the mysterious figure in the ck suit before him, he had no idea why he couldn''t summon the power of the yellowntern battery. The only thing he knew for certain was that without the aid of his ring''s energy, he had nowhere to escape.


    "Can you tell me about your origins? Or rather, how did you be the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps?"


    Sinestro squinted his eyes, taken aback by Schiller''s choice of the first question. He replied, "It seems you already possess some knowledge about the Lantern Corps, but as far as I know, there hasn''t been much development of the Corps in the sector where Earth is located. Earth only has one Green Lantern, after all..."


    "True, but we probably know more than you think."


    "Such as?"


    "You''d better answer my question first."


    "If you won''t tell me what you know, what exactly do you want me to reveal?"


    "Don''t deflect the topic. I know what you''re contemting. It''s best not to think you can deceive us with stories about remote indigenous people or bring up notions of Lantern Corps supremacy. I simply want to know how the greatest Green Lantern became a Yellow Lantern.""It seems you truly know a great deal." Sinestro took a breath, seemingly unwilling to conceal the truth. He continued, "Because I discovered the vile conspiracy behind the Green Lantern Corps, or rather, behind all the Lantern Corps."


    "Oh?" Schiller leaned forward, showing great interest, and asked, "And what is that?"


    "You must be familiar with the origin of the Lanterns, right?" Sinestro sighed, then proceeded to narrate the tale of the origin of the power rings and the Lantern Corps.


    It all began with one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations in the universe, now known as the Guardians of the Universe. However,ic readers often prefer to refer to them as the "little blue people."


    This ancient advanced civilization in the universe reached its pinnacle, and with the idea of safeguarding the cosmos, they harnessed the emotional spectrum and created power rings, leading to the formation of the Lantern Corps.


    "When I first joined the Green Lantern Corps, I believed the will of the Guardians of the Universe was unparalleled. They were a race with immense wisdom and noble character, dedicated to protecting the universe."


    "But one day, I was summoned by another great being. In the depths of the unknown, I heard her voice, and she revealed to me a different story..."


    "Those self-proimed guardians of the universe were nothing more than a group of selfish, egotistical aliens. In reality, they never fulfilled their duty of protecting the universe..."


    As Sinestro spoke, Schiller instinctively touched his forehead, locking eyes with Sinestro, and inquired, "So, you''re saying someone informed you of the truth? Who was it?"


    "I don''t know, but he presented me with evidence. At that time, I was the most powerful Green Lantern, thus having ess to the collective energy of the Green Lantern Corps. It was there that I discovered it¡ªthe entity known as Parax."


    "That voice told me that it was the group of people who called themselves the Guardians of the Universe who put the Parax monster into the total energy of the Green Lantern, making it a weak point of the Green Lantern, and they did it just to better control the Green Lantern Corps."


    "Green Lantern has always been a tool for them to control the universe. Those so-called defenders of justice and peace in the universe are nothing but lies."


    "So you betrayed the Green Lantern Corps?"


    Sinestro sighed and said, "After I found out all this, I haven''t made a decision yet because I know that the person who told me this must also want to use me to do something. He may not be nobler than the Guardians of the Universe."


    "However, my act of investigating the total energy of the Green Lantern was discovered by the group of cosmic guardians. They have already be suspicious of me. I can''t stay in the Green Lantern Corps any longer. So I found an opportunity to release Parax and left the Green Lantern Corps with it."


    "Did that voice contact you afterwards?"


    Sinestro shook his head and said to Schiller, "I specte that this person may have a grudge against the Guardians of the Universe, but I''m not sure because those blue-skinned Guardians of the Universe have a highly advanced civilization and a high level of life. Someone who can oppose them doesn''t need to rely on me to do anything..."


    "Perhaps that person is temporarily unable to do anything..."


    As Sinestro said this, Schiller already had some guesses in his mind because the biggest enemy and opponent of the Guardians of the Universe is the "First Lantern."


    The conflict between these two sides must be traced back to the origin of the little blue people.


    This race is indeed very advanced, but perhaps a little too advanced. Their thinking logic and way of doing things are simply iprehensible to carbon-based life forms, and even for any intelligent creature, it may be too early.


    If I have toment on the portrayal of this race in theics, it would be: they basically fail in their endeavors, their thinking is chaotic, their decision-making is wed, and the oue is usually rotten.


    This group of blue-skinned aliens can be considered as troublemakers in the universe. They always make significant mistakes at the wrong time and ce, resulting in a mess. They make other creatures in the universe clean up after them. Simply put, they cause trouble, evade responsibility, run away, and shift me.


    The most notable behavior of theirs is shifting me. This characteristic has been prevalent throughout the history of this race.


    Initially, the little blue people had the idea of protecting the universe, which means they had the idea of causing trouble. At that time, the First Lantern from another universe arrived in this universe to save their destroyed homnd and sought help from the emotional spectrum energy. After meeting the little blue people, they formed an alliance and started researching the emotional spectrum.


    Things went smoothly at the beginning, but as they continued their research, the little blue people discovered that the power of the emotional spectrum was incredibly strong!


    So, what did they do?


    They decided to eradicate their emotions.


    In the logical thinking of carbon-based beings, these two should have no causal rtionship, but this so-called advanced intelligent race thinks so and acts ordingly.


    Then, during the experiment, the little blue man discovered that after applying the power of the emotional spectrum to the first Lantern, the first Lantern became incredibly powerful!


    So they thought, let''s eliminate the first Lantern too!


    But the Lantern, as he ismonly known, was already very powerful, so the little blue man could only imprison him.


    From the conflicts and grudges between the little blue man and the first Lantern, it can be seen that their evaluation is not unjust.


    Realizing that the emotional spectrum is a very powerful force, the little blue man med his own emotions and decided to eliminate them. He discovered that the first Lantern is an extremely powerful entity, so he shifted the me onto the first Lantern and decided to eliminate him.


    But, you may ask, can they really be so heartless and go to such extremes? Unfortunately, their internal decision-making is also chaotic. Some want to eliminate emotions, while others are unwilling. Some want to harness the power of the emotional spectrum, while others fear its dangers.


    In the end, they came up with apromise. They created the Green Lantern Corps and imprisoned an ancient creature representing fear within a greenntern, making fear the weakness of the Green Lantern. Lastly, they painted their entire home yellow, thinking that this would prevent the Green Lantern from attacking them.


    Anyway, for humans, this way of thinking may be somewhat difficult toprehend.


    ording to what Sinestro said, the first Lantern contacted him, revealing the secrets of the little blue man and asking him to investigate the total energy of the green light. They then released the Parax entity and established the Yellow Lantern Corps. However, this still doesn''t exin why all of this happened ahead of time.


    The only change is that Schiller remembers that in the original story, the first Lantern didn''t contact Sinestro. So what exactly is happening with the first Lantern? Is he about to escape? Or has he already escaped? If it''s thetter, then it could be dangerous.


    The first Lantern is an incredibly powerful entity, capable of almost rebooting the universe in theics. When he contacted Sinestro, it meant that he had some ns in mind.


    Schiller''s thoughts wandered far because there have been several unexpected events recently. Firstly, he never thought the Joker could exist in this universe, yet he discovered an unhatched Joker egg in the depths of Bruce''s dream. This is unusual.


    Secondly, the first Lantern took action ahead of schedule, creating the Yellow Lantern Corps. This may imply that the conflict between him and the little blue man will erupt sooner than expected.


    Could these two anomalies be rted?


    Schiller contemted this extensively, but he didn''t share any of it with Batman. Otherwise, Batman would lose sleep for the entire year.


    Currently, Batman, who hasn''t even left Novice Vige, doesn''t possess the ability to participate in major universal events. However, these consecutive changes can bring crises that surpass Batman''s capacity to handle at any moment. This could lead the entire universe towards danger.


    To prevent such a situation from urring, a n gradually formed in Schiller''s mind.


    After Schiller and Batman emerged from the basement of Wayne Manor, he said to Batman, "You bettere up with a secure measure to lock this guy away. We might need it in the future."


    "Also..." Schiller took out a keychain from his coat pocket. In addition to a series of keys, it had a string of rings attached to it.


    He unlocked the keychain and took the rings off it, handing them to Batman. He said, "These are the light rings that were attracted to me before. The energy from the rings has all been transferred into the dream, so the remaining physical forms can no longer return to the Legion. You can try to see if you can decipher the secrets within them..."


    Batman stared at the pile of rings in his hand with his usual suspicion. Today''s conversation with Sinestro had made him realize the vastness and danger of the outer universe beyond Earth.


    "Are you feeling nervous? nning to intensify your training regimen? Actually, I have a better idea..."


    Batman turned to look at Schiller, but Schiller didn''t continue. Instead, he turned his head away.


    "Batman..." Schiller''s voice lowered, reminiscent of their first encounter in the alley. He said,


    "...have a pleasant dream."


    __________


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 Chapter 290: The Game Begins

    Chapter 290: The Game Begins


    In the darkness, Bruce felt himself continuously descending, experiencing a strong sense of weightlessness and dizziness that made him extremely ufortable.


    His limbs and body werepletely unresponsive until the prolonged darkness and descent caused him to start feeling lightheaded, and he finallynded on the ground.


    Instantly, Bruce regained consciousness.


    Since thest incident, Bruce had set up an rm in his own mind. Once he fell asleep or if someone attempted to interfere with his dreams, he would immediately wake up. Now, Bruce realized that he had entered a dream.


    He looked down and saw a floor interwoven with ck and gold beneath his feet, and when he looked up, he saw endless floors above.


    The dull sound of his footsteps on the floor resonated in his ears as Bruce turned around and saw the figure of Schiller.


    The professor was dressed as usual, wearing a long coat and a tie, except that his head was a spinning Earth globe.


    "Professor..." Bruce squinted his eyes, remembering the words Schiller had said to him when they parted ways earlier that day.


    "''Have a good dream.'' Does that mean you wanted me toe to you in a dream?""I''m sorry, Bruce. Without your consent, I entered your dream and brought you here."


    "But I must say... wee to the pce of my thoughts."


    Schiller opened his arms, presenting everything to Bruce. Bruce looked at him and said, "Is this the tower that appeared in the depths of my consciousnessst time?"


    "That''s correct. They have all visited, except for you. However, your journey will be somewhat different from theirs..."


    "What do you mean?" Bruce asked.


    "Others bought round-trip tickets, but you only have a one-way ticket toe here. If you want to go back, you''ll have to climb to the very top. Otherwise, you''ll be trapped here forever..."


    "Is that so?"


    Bruce looked up, snapped his fingers, and instantly sat up from the bed.


    Ever since thest series of dreams, Bruce had installed a series of intricate mechanisms in his mind, enabling him to wake up immediately once he was forced into a dream.


    Just then, he heard a knock on the bedroom door, and Schiller''s voice came from outside, "You don''t need to try using that mechanism in your mind. It''s aplete waste of your energy because I haven''t simply hypnotized you. Instead, I borrowed from the Sandman to directly pull you into this dream. You won''t be able to wake up..."


    Bruce closed his eyes, and in an instant, the scene copsed, and he sat up on the bed once again.


    Schiller had already opened the bedroom door and stood there watching him. Bruce fell back down, then sat up again, and Schiller was still there.


    Bruce furrowed his brow, repeating the process of getting up, as if doing sit-ups, but no matter how many times he did it, Schiller remained at the door, watching him.


    After an unknown number of repetitions, Schiller knocked on the door frame, creating a sound to catch Bruce''s attention, and said, "If you can''t understand it this way, then let me tell you in a different manner. This is part of a psychology ss assignment..."


    However, Brucepletely ignored him and continued his attempts to wake up, despite having turned pale and being covered in cold sweat from the multiple mental stimtions.


    Batman''s character prevented him from trusting anyone and allowing anyone to freely pry into and manipte his dreams.


    Schiller said to him, "Stop."


    Bruce paused for a moment, turned to look at Schiller, and noticed the professor''s face gradually turning cold.


    Schiller looked into his eyes and said, "Bruce, you''ve been in my ss for so long, why don''t you understand..."


    Bruce stared into his eyes, remaining silent, and then he heard Schiller''s tone drop:


    "...in my ss, no one can fail to turn in their homework."


    As the words fell, Schiller''s figure disappeared, and in an instant, another terrifying figure appeared in front of Bruce''s bedroom door. He was wearing a red and green striped sweater, with one hand bearing sharp iron ws and his skin resembling burnt, red muscles. A terrifying, sinisterugh emanated from his mouth.


    Bruce couldn''t even catch his movements clearly and felt the sharp de on his finger piercing his chest, causing him to wake up once again from the dream in excruciating pain, as if it were real.


    However, this time, a man wearing a white mask and wielding a dagger stood outside his bedroom door. What was more significant was that he came with his own entrance music¡ªa pulsating beat resembling an elerated heartbeat. When the music yed, Bruce rolled under the bed, narrowly avoiding the glimmering dagger, and counterattacked the tall killer by elbowing his knee. But ultimately, he couldn''t evade the glimmering dagger.


    As Bruce sat up on the bed again, he quickly rolled off andnded on the floor. This time, a man wearing a hockey mask and wielding arge cleaver appeared outside the door.


    Bruce managed to inflict an injury this time by impaling the man''s chest with a sharp candlestick. Unfortunately, the man only took two steps back before swinging his cleaver at Bruce again.


    Upon awakening once more, a terrifying serial killer with sewn human skin on his face and wielding a chainsaw stood before him...


    This time, Bruce chose not to confront him directly. Instead, after throwing a handful of ss shards at the killer, he jumped out of the window and found himself in the rainy night of Gotham.


    As hended, he looked up and witnessed a lightning bolt streaking across the night sky. In that brief moment of illumination, he saw the colossal tower standing in the city center, resembling a silent ck giant.


    At that moment, he heard Schiller''s voice resonating in his ear:


    "Bruce, initially, I only wanted you to climb the Staircase in the temple of my mind. It''s the best choice for a rookie vignte to develop willpower and thinking abilities."


    "You can climb just one floor in a night. It''s merely an easy homework assignment. You have at least two years toplete a long-term project..."


    "But now, Bruce, you''re attempting to evade doing your homework, so I must resort to a less humane approach..."


    "I will make every child who neglects their homework understand the consequences... The game has begun, Bruce."


    In the end, Schiller''s tone was colder than the rainy night in Gotham. Simultaneously, Bruce saw another lightning bolt strike in the dark alley outside Wayne Manor.


    A man wearing a white mask and holding a dagger swiftly approached him, while a monster with a striped sweater and one hand bearing iron ws leered at him from atop a wall. The deafening sound of a chainsaw grew louder, and as the machete swung towards him, Bruce could hardly discern the killer''s movements before darkness enveloped him once again.


    This time, however, Bruce didn''t return to bed but found himself back at the entrance of Wayne Manor. Waiting for him were still four terrifying murderers.


    Bruce was unarmed, with no avable resources to utilize. He had to rely solely on his bare hands to fight his way through them.


    And Bruce saw that behind the alley, in the deeper night of Gotham, there were countless terrifying eyes staring at him.


    The rain in Gotham is getting heavier and heavier, ascending along the thin rain lines, and after piercing through the thickyer of clouds, overhead was a ceiling adorned with twinkling stars.


    Beyond the ceiling, there were seats in the theater. Evans, who was resting on a chair, shuddered. He turned around, crossed himself on the chest, and said to Schiller, "Professor, I swear I have never missed a homework assignment! I alwaysplete my assignments diligently! I swear..."


    Copperpot also swallowed, contemting whether to strike Gotham University off his list of prospective colleges. Victor touched his temple and turned to Schiller, asking, "It''s all right, this is a dream, isn''t it?"


    "The assassins you fabricated are quite intriguing. Not only do they each possess distinctive traits, but they also seem to have their own set of behavioral logic..."


    "...Wait, that''s fictional, isn''t it?"


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 Chapter 291: Entrusting Great Responsibilities to This Person (1)

    Chapter 291: Entrusting Great Responsibilities to This Person (1)


    "Willpower is actually a very broad concept. It can be simply summarized as the quality of people making a determined decision for a certain goal and being able to mobilize all emotions and thoughts to achieve that determination." Schiller''s voice echoed in the empty theater. Although he was discussing somewhat mundane concepts, the intonation of his speech allowed people to continue listening.


    "This concept also epasses other aspects, such as self-control, mental stability, coherence of thinking, and concentration, among others..."


    "All of the above are notcking in Batman. He possesses an extremely fast speed in making decisions, a strong focus on the goal, a smooth thought process to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the goal, and the perseverance to see the goal through to the end. However, even if he can aplish all of these, it still falls within the realm of ordinary individuals. The true power of willpower goes beyond that."


    "It is very difficult for a person to believe in an entirely unachievable goal and persistently strive towards it. For instance, hardly anyone would believe they have four eyes, or that their head is square, as these are obvious facts. Even if they have entertained thoughts about what it would be like to have such conditions in their minds, you can try to imagine it..."


    Soon enough, Victor had two additional eyes on his forehead and asked, "Is that how it is?"


    "Yes, it''s thanks to your rich imagination. However, let me tell you that you don''t actually have four eyes."


    With a "bang," the two extra eyes on Victor''s forehead disappeared again. He paused for a moment, and Schiller exined, "This is the struggle within dreams. You imagine having four eyes, but I tell you that you don''t. At a certain moment, your imagination was shattered, and as a result, the corresponding form in the dream vanished."


    "Because you inherently know that in the real world, you only have two eyes. The majority of people are the same. They may have dreamed of having four eyes, but when they awaken, they can onlyugh it off, thinking they had an absurd dream."


    "But if you genuinely believe that you have four eyes, then what I said earlier, that you don''t have four eyes, bes ineffective, and you will still maintain the state of having four eyes.""On the other hand, you can do the same to me. For example, you can im that my head is not an Earth instrument..."


    Victor took a deep breath, focused his attention, and said to Schiller, "Your head is not an Earth instrument. No human head can be an Earth instrument. You are aware of this..."


    However, Schiller remained unchanged. The Earth instrument on his head continued to rotate slowly. Victor crossed his arms and asked him, "So, do you truly believe that your head is an Earth instrument?"


    "That''s right. In simpler terms, I have hypnotized myself, making myself believe in things that are fundamentally impossible. This allows you to possess more powerful abilities in the realm of dreams."


    "In other words, this is a confrontation between the upright and the reversed. I firmly believe that being cut with a knife will not cause harm, while you firmly believe that using a knife to cut someone will result in injury. When our two perspectives sh, what you believe bes a reality in the actual world because, in reality, stabbing someone with a knife does cause harm and makes the other person bleed. However, what I firmly believe is almost impossible to ur..."


    "For someone in the upright position, it is easy to believe in something that aligns with theirmon sense and memories. Conversely, for someone in the reversed position, it is challenging to believe in something that contradictsmon sense and memories. So, if you were to conjure a


    knife and attempt to cut me, attacking would be easy, while defending would be difficult."


    "Simr to the situation Batman is currently facing."


    As his words faded, the y on the stage had just begun.


    Batman, who had once used the Gray Lantern Ring, was well aware of the rules of the dream world. The rule was that "what you firmly believe in cane true" and "what you believe, you can achieve." However, now he was dealing with Schiller''s will, and he found himself in the awkward situation that Schiller had just mentioned.


    He closed his eyes and muttered softly, "...In my hand, I have a batarang. It is a non-reflective carbon-ck, with sharp des..."


    At the same time, Schiller''s voice rang out, "...No, you were hurriedly driven out of your home by a ferocious killer, and you didn''t have time to grab your weapons. In fact, you just woke up from your bed. You should be in pajamas, not in a bat suit..."


    As Schiller spoke, the batarang that Batman was forming in his hand disappeared. His custom-fitted suit and cape gradually transformed into silk pajamas. Bruce closed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I am wearing the bat suit because I am Batman..."


    The bat armor on his body slowly reverted, and at the intersection of the silk pajamas and the bat suit, an invisible force was engaged in a struggle. However, perhaps Bruce''sst words had an effect, and the bat suit slowly covered his body. Nheless, the ck cloak vanished.


    He turned his head and nced behind him, his expression somewhat grim.


    ording tomon sense, Batman''s willpower was unbeatable, especially after he uttered the words "because I am Batman." No matter how powerful the attack, it would avoid him.


    However, there were several reasons why the current Batman couldn''t achieve that. Firstly, he was young, which might not feel tangible. Let''s make aparison. Marvel''s Spider-Man, Peter Parker, is 17 years old this year and recently obtained his driver''s license. On the other hand, Batman, Bruce Wayne, is 19 years old and just started his sophomore year. Bruce is only two years older than Peter.


    Whenparing the styles of these two individuals, one would realize that although Batman appeared to be centuries older than Spider-Man, it couldn''t hide the fact that Bruce was still in his adolescence. As people age, their mental development tends to mature. The Bat Cub, who had just emerged a year ago, was far from reaching the level of theter steel-hearted Batman.


    Another significant reason was that Schiller had previously warned him not to waste energy unnecessarily. That was because Schiller knew that the emergency thought device Bruce had designed to awaken himself from dreams consumed a great deal of energy. Insufficient energy would lead to ack of focus. This was a limitation of the human body. Even Schiller himself couldn''t avoid it. After using the speedster abilities repeatedly, he also experienced ack of mental focus.


    Batman had just activated the emergency wake-up device repeatedly. It was as if he had reached the limit of continuous shing and still had to keep going. The current Batman found himself enveloped in a negative state of intense and persistent headaches. Manifesting the batarang despite these conditions was already quite remarkable.


    Taking a deep breath, Batman felt that his spirit had been pushed to its limits. And now, as soon as he took a step outside Wayne Manor, four deadly weapons emitting blinding lights would assault him. They would block almost every possible escape route.


    He firmly believed that he wouldn''t get hurt. At best, he could have a minor impact on one or two of the weapons. But with so many brutal killers attacking simultaneously, Batman, in his weakened state, was simply unable to resist.


    Furthermore, the reset function after failure forced him into repeated encounters. He couldn''t retreat to Wayne Manor to devise aprehensive n. It was widely known that encounters were one of Batman''s greatest weaknesses.


    After attempting about a dozen times, Batman only made some progress. He discovered that among the four murderers, if he had to pinpoint a weak link, it would be the one with the chainsaw.


    Despite the intense headache, he barely controlled his body. First, he rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the swung machete, then quickly moved from right to left, evading the sharp iron ws on the wall.


    Meanwhile, the chainsaw-wielding killer on the left was still starting his chainsaw. Operating the chainsaw required exerting force from the waist and leaning backward, causing a slight shift in his bnce. Batman took advantage of this and lowered his own center of gravity. With a leg sweep, he sent the chainsaw-wielding killer crashing to the ground.


    Batman wasn''t quite sure why this particr killer used a chainsaw. In his view, a chainsaw wasn''t an ideal weapon. It took too long to start, and at times, it obstructed his line of sight.


    Batman noticed distinctions among these killers. The one with the chainsaw appeared tock sufficientbat skills. When faced with Batman''s lightning-fast lower-body attacks, he didn''t know how to dodge. The red monster with iron ws was the skinniest of the group but possessed the ability to teleport.


    The white-faced man and the hockey-masked man were both tall andrge in stature. They wielded their weapons with incredible speed and had defensive capabilities inbat. However, there were differences between them. The white-faced killer had a background music that induced a feeling of tension and anxiety in Batman, whereas the hockey-masked strongman possessed immense strength and was immune to pain and injury.


    After a few more strained attempts, Batman''s field of vision started to darken, and his conscious space gradually copsed. Eventually, he fell into unconsciousness.


    Upon awakening, Bruce felt his head throbbing as if it was about to split open. Nheless, he resisted the difort and activated the precautionary measures, confirming that he had indeed returned to reality.


    For some reason, he began to feel somewhat relieved. The human brain''s self-preservation mechanism caused people to forcefully slip into aa when they overexert themselves. If he were to open his eyes now and see those monsters standing at the door, he wasn''t certain whether his willpower alone would sustain him to mount a counterattack.


    Bruce took a deep breath. Just as he was about to lie down on the bed and regain some energy, he heard an urgent phone ring. He mustered the strength to sit up from the bed, making his way unsteadily down the staircase to answer the call.


    Gordon''s slightly anxious voice resounded from the other end, saying, "The leader of the Lawrence family is dead, and the Twelve Families have started to riot. Batman, Gotham needs you."


    Bruce replied, "I''ll be right there."


    His incredibly hoarse and weary voice startled Gordon, who asked, "Are you alright? Why does it sound a bit..."


    "I''m fine," Bruce assured him. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard Gordon exim, "Oh my God! Why is that lunatic on television again?"


    "Batman, hurry over here. That maniac with clown makeup has taken over the television station once more! God knows what he''s nning to do!"


    Shortly after, over the phone, Batman heard the sound of the clown''s voiceing from Gordon''s television: "Batman! I have prepared a big surprise for you!! Hahahahaha!!!"


    At that moment, an rm in his room upstairs went off, forcing him to climb to the second floor and retrieve the gauntlet from his Batman suit. Amidst the cacophony, Jason''s voice, somewhat immature, came from within:


    "Batman, are you there? We''re trapped. Can youe here?"


    "Trapped? What''s going on?" Batman inquired.


    Then Sliphead''s voice followed, saying, "Someone is pursuing us. We''ve taken refuge, and although it''s rtively safe for now, there''s nothing here. Can youe as soon as possible?"


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 Chapter 292: Entrusting Great Responsibilities to This Person (2)

    Chapter 292: Entrusting Great Responsibilities to This Person (2)


    Lately, Bruce hase to understand one of the biggest truths: in this world, there are only bad news and worse news, and all the unfortunate things always happen at once.


    Batman chose to go after the Joker first. It was evident that the madman''s surprises usually had more shock than delight and were incredibly astonishing.


    Sure enough, when Batman arrived, he discovered that the Joker had set fire to themercial street in the center of Gotham. At that moment, the crowd screamed and fled. A dozen cars, doused in gasoline, formed a pile, and the resulting explosion shattered nearly all the storefront windows, filling the air with thick smoke.


    Batman stood on the rooftop, squinting his eyes in search of his target. Just then, in the distance, another thick plume of smoke rose, indicating a fire in the impoverished slums of the East District.


    At that moment, the firetruck siren red, and the firefighters arrived. They rushed to put out the fire, carrying hoses and clearing away the debris from the exploded vehicles. From the narrow gaps in the burning buildings, they searched for trapped individuals.


    Gotham''s fire department was not the most efficient, but this was the most prosperousmercial street in the city center,rgely owned by the Twelve Families'' industries. They had to respond when there was a fire.


    ording to Batman''s assessment, the centralmercial street was rtively spacious, and the fire had started before the explosion. Most people had managed to escape when the smoke first billowed, so the rescue operation was not overly difficult.


    However, the slums were a different story. The buildings were densely packed, and there was a lot of clutter. Once a fire broke out, the casualties could be severe. Therefore, upon seeing the firefighters arrive to rescue themercial street, Batman headed towards the East District.


    The lingering effects of his energy depletion had notpletely subsided, and Batman had a pounding headache. Consequently, he failed to notice that a journalist, who had just arrived, captured his departing figure at the end of themercial street.The fire in the East District slums presented a significant challenge. The residential areas were tightly packed,cking fire safety measures or escape routes. Many people were trapped in the mes. Batman exerted great effort to resolve the situation.


    When he finally arrived at the police station, Gordon was bing increasingly worried. Seeing Batman was like spotting a savior. He eximed, "You''re finally here!"


    "What''s going on?" Batman''s voice was hoarse, as if scorched by fire. Gordon had many things he wanted to say, but noticing Batman''s visibly paleplexion, he hesitated. He suggested, "Yourplexion is really bad. Maybe you should go back and rest for a while?"


    "No, it''s fine. Just tell me, what happened?"


    Gordon took a deep breath and led Batman to the morgue. From one of thepartments, he pulled out a body covered in a white sheet. When the sheet was lifted, Batman recognized the face¡ªit was the leader of the Lawrence family from the Twelve Families.


    Old Lawrence had already turned grey, and he was slightly overweight. His limbs and chest were wounded. Batman squinted as he observed, but his focus was somewhat scattered. He asked Gordon, "What did the scene look like?"


    Gordon hesitated for a moment, struggling to find the right words to describe it. Finally, he said, "This afternoon, Lawrence Jr. called the police chief to inform him that his father had died."


    "When I arrived, Lawrence was dead in the study room. He was lying t on the ground, facing the window, with his arms outstretched, forming a cross. His limbs, chest, and head were impaled by long spikes. The forensic examiner determined that the cause of death was a pierced heart..."


    "Where''s the murder weapon?"


    "It''s in the evidence room. If you want, I can bring it. Also, the forensic examiner told me that traces of anesthesia were found in Lawrence''s body. He was likely drugged before being impaled."


    "Crucifixion..." Batman murmured to himself, but Gordon couldn''t hear clearly. He asked, "What? What cross?"


    "It''s a method used to execute Christians, crucifixion, or more specifically, inverted crucifixion."


    "The first pope, Saint Peter, one of Jesus'' disciples, died in this way... Wait, Jesus? How many disciples did Jesus have?... Twelve... Twelve Families..."


    Batman immediately said to Gordon, "Have yourmissioner contact the Twelve Families immediately. This could be a series of murders..."


    Just as he finished speaking, a young police officer rushed down the staircase and said loudly to Gordon, "Sheriff, the younger brother of the Hawk brothers is dead, he..."


    The young police officer swallowed and continued, "His head has been severed. Themissioner has already gone over..."


    Gordon covered his forehead and exined to Batman, "The Hawk family is also one of the Twelve Families. They are led by a pair of brothers, with the older brother as the head and the younger brother assisting in managing the family..."


    Batman covered Lawrence''s body with a white cloth and said to Gordon, "Can we go to the crime scene this time?"


    "Well, yes, but we have to wait. We need to avoid themissioner, otherwise, I can''t exin why I brought you in... You know, themissioner has some reservations about your presence..."


    "Alright, I understand." Batman had already walked to the window and said to Gordon, "You won''t be clearing the scene tonight, right? We''ll meet there in the middle of the night. I have other things to attend to for now..."


    Having said that, Batman disappeared. Gordon rubbed his temples, his face wrinkled. He asked the young police officer, "Are you a believer?"


    "Yes, I am. Why?"


    "Do you know the story of Jesus and his twelve disciples? Could you tell me about it?"


    The young police officer hesitated, his expression somewhat uncertain. As Gordon had anticipated, he replied, "Well, everyone here ims to be a believer, but not many people are familiar with Jesus, let alone the disciples. I''d better go back and read the Bible..."


    Batman, who had left, activated themunication device on his wrist and inquired, "How are things going there?"


    Sliphead''s voice came through, saying, "We''re fine. We''re trapped in a basement, seemingly an abandoned wine cer. They haven''t discovered it yet. But you shoulde here quickly. Jason is injured..."


    Upon hearing that Jason was injured, Batman furrowed his brow and said, "Why didn''t you mention it earlier? I thought everything was fine with you..."


    Sliphead''s immature voice continued to sound on themunication device: "Actually, the problem is not that serious. He just sprained his ankle. We jumped from a high ce, and he was the first to jump. Hended on some debris and hurt his foot. He can''t move now, but there''s no risk of bleeding..."


    "Tell me your address. I''lle over right away."


    About twenty minutester, in a basement not far from Green Street in the East District, Batman fixed Jason''s ankle while asking them, "What happened? I just asked you to investigate. How did you end up being pursued?"


    Trying to distract himself from the pain, Jason began to speak, "At first, we were just nning to investigate. A friend and I were doing a job selling cigarettes on Green Street. Everything was going smoothly. We made contact with the little boss in charge of this area and his superior, who are like the ''parents'' of these kids..."


    "The kids here call that guy ''Lame Dad.'' He lives in a shack at the end of the alley. You know, I''m good at climbing, so one night I climbed on top of his shack to eavesdrop on his conversations..."


    "On that asion, someone from his superiors came here. I overheard them mention the big boss. They said that the situation with the Twelve Families has been tensetely... something like that. They also mentioned that the big boss wants them to raise funds quickly. Those were the main points..."


    "But the boss of Lame Dad was too alert. As soon as I made a slight movement, he spotted someone on the roof. I had to make a quick escape. The boss seemed like a proper gang member, apanied by bodyguards and a shotgun. Fortunately, I was a small target, so they didn''t hit me..."


    Sliphead continued, "Initially, I was supposed to meet him at the street intersection, but those people chased us relentlessly. The two of us had no choice but to run into the alley. Luckily, there was an abandoned wine cer here, or else they would have caught up with us in no time."


    Jasonined, "When I jumped down, I didn''t see that there were boards or anything below. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have gotten injured so easily."


    While Batman was securing the splint, Jason clenched his fist and refused to make a sound. Batman nced at him and said, "You did well. Now we''re going up. You should avoiding here for a while."


    Jason tried to assist Sliphead in standing up, but Batman immediately picked him up. Jason struggled and said, "Put me down! Damn it!"


    However, his foot was swollen, and every movement caused pain in his ankle. He let out a cry of pain, biting his fist and remaining silent.


    After reaching the surface, Batman asked them, "Did the people chasing you get a good look at you?"


    "I''m not sure, but they had shlights. They probably saw Jason."


    Batman carried Jason to the car, ced him in the back seat, and said, "You two go hide in my base for a couple of days. You''ll find everything you need there."


    Ignoring Jason''s objection, he started the car and drove Jason and Sliphead to a temporary stronghold in the southern suburbs.


    Batman''s base can be said to have everything, which amazed the two children, especially Jason.


    Originally, being held by Batman like a child felt a bit awkward, but after seeing the advanced equipment and abundant supplies, his eyes started to light up, and he changed his initial unwilling attitude and began to excitedly explore and touch everything.


    Sliphead turned to Batman and asked, "Is our intelligence useful?"


    Batman nodded and said, "At least I know that the big boss is not some street thug; he is associated with the Twelve Families, and he might even be a member of the Twelve Families."


    "And just now, two high-ranking members of the Lawrence family and the Hawke family in the Twelve Families were murdered sessively..."


    "Furthermore, Jason mentioned that he overheard their boss urging them to gather funds for the big boss as soon as possible. The big boss might know something..."


    Having said that, Batman told the two children, "Don''t go out these few days, it might be very unsafe outside."


    After settling Jason and Sliphead, Batman couldn''t rest when he returned to Wayne Manor. He retrieved the Bible and Gospel books and started searching for stories about the Twelve Apostles.


    While not many people may know the stories of Jesus and the twelve disciples, the story of Jesus and Judas is almost universally known, and Judas is one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.


    As Batman read the book untilte at night, he took notes of all the information. Exhausted, he dragged his weary body upstairs to sleep.


    However, when he opened his eyes after a deep slumber, he found himself once again at the entrance of Wayne Manor. In the alley outside the gate stood four familiar figures.


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 Chapter 293: Entrusting Great Responsibilities to This Person (3)

    Chapter 293: Entrusting Great Responsibilities to This Person (3)


    Early in the morning, in the office of Gotham University, Schiller was reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee. Victor had just arrived and he asked Schiller, "Have you read the report on the fire in themercial street?"


    "I''m just reading that part."


    Schiller shook the newspaper and then his gaze fell on the headline of the Gotham Daily''s front page. It upied a whole page and reported the fire in the centralmercial street. However, the apanying picture was not of the affectedmercial street but rather the silhouette of a man in ck walking away.


    The headline in bold letters read: "Is Batman the vignte who saves Gotham or a hypocritical actor?"


    Although the headline was a question, the text below had already provided an answer. It vividly described what a journalist, who arrived at the scene during the fire, saw. Batman merely stood on a rooftop, nced at the scene of the fire, and hastily left.


    ording to the journalist''s description, Batman appeared indifferent to themercial street below that was ravaged by the fire. When he turned to leave, there was no hesitation. It seemed that he only briefly appeared without any intention of rescuing people.


    The journalist''s description, along with the picture of Batman walking away from the fire, was very persuasive. When Bruce put down the newspaper, he pressed his temples and let out a deep sigh.


    When Aisha used the summoning spell on her father, Bruce happened to be wearing the Batman suit. Therefore, he appeared before the two children as Batman, and Dick came to know that Bruce was Batman.


    Dick also saw the report in the newspaper and expressed his indignation, "You clearly saved so many people, and yet they say you are a coward who fears rescue and runs away? How could they...""Enough, Dick. Are you ready for school?"


    "Uh... yeah," Dick responded with a nasal tone, sounding somewhat disheartened. He continued, "Batman, can''t I join you in fighting for justice? I feel like you need an assistant. If I were there, I could stay at one location for rescue while you go to another fire. That way, they wouldn''t misunderstand you..."


    "I don''t care if they misunderstand me."


    Dick looked at Bruce''s exhausted face. Previously, Bruce''s overly youthful appearance made Dick ufortable, preventing him from seeing him as an elder. However, facing Bruce in his current state, Dick hesitated to voice any objections.


    Bruce''splexion had worsened considerably. It seemed as if he had aged several years overnight. After all, the past couple of days had been indescribably arduous for him.


    During the day, he had to deal with the chaos caused by the Joker, engaging in life-and-death games with him. He also had topensate for the shortage of detectives in the Gotham Police Department and assist Gordon in investigating the series of murders rted to the Twelve Apostles. Additionally, he had to track down the Twelve Families and the crime bosses. At night, as soon as he opened his eyes, he was faced with those four unfortunate individuals...


    The busyness of day and night was different, but they intertwined with each other. Theplexity of the daytime tasks left him with no time to carefully analyze the weaknesses of the four murderers in his dreams, and he couldn''t formte a n to confront them.


    At night, due to theck of a n, he found himself repeatedly in awkward situations of confrontation. Despite numerous attempts, there had been no progress. Currently, there was still no effective method to deal with the two most powerful murderers.


    And with frequent failed attempts, it only drains all his energy, and then he falls unconscious before returning to the real world. Due to the excessive energy consumption, he feels dizzy and ineffective during the day, creating a vicious cycle.


    Meanwhile, the public opinion surrounding Batman continues to escte. Although it is unknown whether this is a deliberate act by the Joker, Bruce is indeed caught in a state of mental torment. Everything seems to be spiraling downward endlessly, moving in the opposite direction of his expectations, as if nothing will improve.


    Both physically and mentally, Bruce''s condition worsens over time. However, due to this relentless torment, a particr string in his mind bes more resilient.


    When a person is pushed to their limit, their potential begins to manifest at an elerated pace. Within a year of Batman''s debut, his growth trajectory resembled a gentle slope. However, starting from these past two days, the trajectory''s line suddenly shot up vertically.


    After three days had passed, Bruce visibly lost a significant amount of weight. Simultaneously, a resolute gleam started to shine in his eyes beneath his arched eyebrows.


    During the day, he followed the clues to unravel the intricate connections between the Twelve Families. He investigated various murder scenes, deduced the modus operandi and motives of the killers. In the evening, he gathered the information with Gordon. At night, upon returning home, he began formting a n to take down the four murderers.


    During his dream-filled nights, Batman gradually implemented his n. With each repeated failure, Batman''s threshold for endurance increased. He could now attempt the n dozens of times consecutively without feeling dizziness or fatigue.


    Through countless attempts, Batman discovered the optimal strategy to deal with these four killers.


    He realized that although these murderers were ruthless, theycked coordination amongst themselves. Each acted independently, and whenever conflicts arose, none would back down. This provided Batman with significant maneuverability.


    Furthermore, he discovered that resisting attacks or materializing weapons using his willpower proved to be a futile endeavor. Schiller''s will persistently interfered, causing the manifested weapons to either possess various ws or be disposable and impractical.


    However, Batman always had alternative solutions. He began attempting to use his willpower to create obstacles within this alley. Initially, he attempted to alter the structure of the walls, creating blind spots at the corners. However, he soon realized that this method depleted his energy too rapidly. He shifted his focus towards constructing smaller yet more efficient barriers.


    He started with piles of debris made from construction waste. Although these piles couldn''tpletely obstruct the line of sight like walls, they provided opportunities to impede the opponents'' movements. He also employed small traps like broken ss shards, floating newspapers, and distractions such as shing lights and loudspeakers to divert attention.


    Batman deeplyprehended the advantages of diversified and localizedbat. Instead of solely relying on manifesting batarangs or knives to harm his adversaries, sometimes, these small objects'' interference granted better tactical opportunities.


    After countless attempts, Batman meticulously devised a trap.


    He exploited the behavioral patterns of these four murderers. As soon as he appeared, they would relentlessly pursue and hunt him down until he was killed.


    As he stood at the entrance of Wayne Manor, the order of the four assassins was as follows: the white-faced mask and the hockey mask were on the outermost perimeter, the chainsaw killer ranked third, and the iron w monster positioned on the innermost wall.


    When he stepped out of the door and entered the alley, four individuals began to move towards him simultaneously. Two tall assassins emerged first, followed by the Chainsaw Massacre, and finally the Iron w Monster.


    At the entrance of the alley, Batman ced two garbage piles, upying a significant portion of the alley. He sprinted towards them at full speed, utilizing his agility to maneuver past the two towering masked killers. This diversion would cause the pursuing murderer, who initially headed towards Wayne Manor, to change direction and chase after Batman.


    Except for the Iron w Monster, who could traverse the top of the wall, the other three had to keep their feet on the ground. The tall white-faced killer and the hockey mask-wearing killer had nearly identical pursuit speeds, resulting in a momentary halt at the intersection of the two garbage piles.


    By this time, Batman had already reached the center of the alley, directly confronting the Chainsaw Massacre.


    However, Batman did not choose to incapacitate him with hisbat skills, as it would serve no purpose. Even if Batman managed to seize the chainsaw, it would not be a highly effective weapon. Furthermore, it would not help him deal with the other three murderers.


    Towards the right end of the alley, Batman strategically ced four oil barrels. He slowed down, attracting the attention of the Chainsaw Massacre, and gradually moved towards the direction of the barrels.


    At this moment, the Steel w Monster, positioned at the far end of the alley,unched its attack. Batman swiftly rolled and took cover behind one of the oil barrels. While the monster''s ws could effortlessly pierce through flesh, Batman focused his attention on reinforcing the defense of the oil barrel, resulting in the monster''s ws leaving only a scratch on its surface.


    This conclusion was reached by Batman after experiencing numerous failures. He firmly believed that the metallic exterior of the oil barrel was sufficiently sturdy to withstand the steel ws, a notion that was easier to ept than relying on his own body to withstand them.


    If the initial strike missed, the Steel w Monster would attempt to circumvent the oil barrel and continue its assault on Batman. Simultaneously, the Chainsaw Massacre, holding a chainsaw, would arrive, followed closely by the white-faced killer wearing a mask and the hockey mask-wearing killer, based on their walking speeds.


    The chainsaw sparks when it rubs against metal, so when it cuts through the oil drum, it explodes, creating an explosion that blows everyone away.


    The key point of the whole n is to calcte the speed of each assassin at each step. When the oil barrel explodes, the four assassins must be close enough. Another difficulty is that Batman will also be blown away at the same time. He must firmly believe that he is uninjured after being blown away.


    When calcting the speed and positions, Batman made many mistakes. In fact, the first time, he had already calcted theplete process in his head. The difficulty lies in the fact that he must concentrate on materializing these props while moving precisely and controlling the speed of the killer.


    After repeated failures dozens of times, Batman found that not only had his energy limit increased, but his ability to focus and control had also made a qualitative leap. In the end, he could even make the oil barrel levitate and collide with the chainsaw.


    As his willpower continued to grow, his fault tolerance rate also increased. Finally, with the roaring chainsaw and the explosion of the oil barrel, the four killers and Batman were all blown away simultaneously.


    At this moment, he should firmly believe that the killers will be eliminated, while he remains unharmed. After the thick smoke from the explosion dissipated, Batman stood up from the ground.


    He didn''te out unscathed; on the contrary, the entire Batman armor was blown to pieces. At the critical moment, Batman decided to take a gamble and focus on enhancing the explosion''s effectiveness and its impact on the opponents.


    The consequence of weakening his defense was that he suffered serious injuries, but at the same time, he firmly believed that he would cause maximum damage to the opponents. The four killers on the other side were also heavily injured.


    Among them, the hockey mask was the least injured. His clothes were slightly tattered from the explosion, and he was crawling up from the ground at this moment. The white-faced mask and the chainsaw murderer suffered considerable injuries. The monster with steel ws emitted ck smoke all over its body, seemingly unable to control its direction.


    Batman''s goal was not to eliminate them, but to leave the alley as soon as possible. He looked up and saw the towering skyscraper in the city center still standing silently in the dark night sky. He knew that was his destination.


    After leaving the alley, those terrifying eyes, which were once distant to him, became closer and closer. Countless monsters appeared in the streets and alleys of Gotham.


    Facing them, Batman discovered that at this moment, the emotion surging within him was not the initial confusion and exhaustion, but an indescribable... excitement.


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 Chapter 294: "Preaching and Teaching" (1)

    Chapter 294: "Preaching and Teaching" (1)


    Gotham City, thergest city on the East Coast of the United States, is located on the East Coast line with a pleasant climate and beautiful scenery. It is adjacent to Brooklyn in the south and faces the Imperial City in the north. It belongs to the subtropical monsoon humid climate.


    From an aerial view, Gotham resembles a rectangr shape tilted to the right, with the centralmercial street Roundabout as the focal point, dividing the city into four districts: southeast, north, west, and east.


    As previously mentioned, the East District is home to piers and slums, making it the most chaotic yet vibrant district in Gotham. The southern part serves as Gotham''s financial center and the new affluent area. Many photographs of Gotham City feature high-rise buildings and brightly illuminated scenes captured in this district.


    The West District, on the other hand, is Gotham''s old town and was among the first areas to be developed. It boasts European-style manors, castles, and a sizable park. Gotham University is located on the border between the West District and the South District, making it the greenest part of Gotham.


    The North District, rarely mentioned in Gotham, is apletely independent region. It is separated from the rest of the city by the Gotham River, which splits Gotham into two parts: north and south. The northern part of the Gotham River forms the North District.


    Situated on the west side of the Gotham River, in the southwest corner of the North District, lies the renowned Arkham Asylum. In the southeast corner of the North District, you''ll find Gotham''srgest lighthouse.


    The North District is seldom mentioned mainly because it serves as the birthce of the Falcone family and the Twelve Families.


    To understand the origins, we must go back to the era when European immigrants ruled over Gotham. When people think of the rise of the Italian Mafia, they might recall The Godfather film with its soothing music, old-fashioned ambiance, the elegant voice of the Godfather, the red poppy on the ck suit, cigars, and handguns.


    However, Italians in the United States faced significant discrimination during that period. Most Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States for work hailed from the southern regions of Italy, which were economically disadvantaged.The noble European immigrants, manor owners, and factory owners looked down upon these "barbaric" Italians from Sicily, so they prohibited them from settling near their own residences.


    When Falcone and his group arrived in Gotham, many Italians already lived there. However, they resided in the deste and remote North District since the other three districts, including the tumultuous East District, were rife with discrimination against Italians.


    Falcone''s rise to power began in the North District. As he gradually established himself in Gotham, he transformed the isted North District into his stronghold, constructing a series of manors and security systems.


    Although the North District, divided by the Gotham River, was an ideal location for a base camp, the early European immigrants did not choose it due to its unfavorable terrain.


    Gotham as a whole exhibits a higher elevation in the north and lower elevation in the south. The southern West District consists of ins, while the North District is hilly. Although the altitude is not considerable, building in the North District posed greater challengespared to other areas. Only the unwee Italian immigrants chose to live there.


    In the present day, the North District of Gotham has been developed into a well-established residence for gangs. The Falcone family''s castle sits halfway up the tallest mountain in Gotham, making it an easily defensible location for all Gotham residents except Batman.


    The other Twelve Families'' locations are centered around the Falcone family''s castle, with the remaining areas of the North District serving as an industry chain supporting these gang families'' residences.


    Gotham North District, inside Rich Manor, ady with brown curly hair and a rosy nose, wearing a white apron, hurriedly walked up the staircase, heading towards a room on the second floor. Two young police officers were standing at the door, but she didn''t show any surprise and instead forced a smile, saying to them, "Gentlemen, would you like a ss of water?"


    "Oh, no, thank you, but you can''t go in now. There''s an ongoing investigation inside."


    "I know, I know..." Thedy nodded, but still seemed to want to peek inside. She reached out her hand beneath the tray and handed a roll of dors to the policeman. The young officer coughed twice and lowered his voice, saying, "I know you''re worried..."


    Thedy wiped her eye corner, revealing a sad expression as she said, "Yes, the entire Manor is in a state of panic. No one knows if they could be the next target..."


    The police officer waved his hand and continued speaking in a low voice, "It''s quite evident now that this serial killer is specifically targeting the bosses of gangs. Alright, ma''am, you should go downstairs first..."


    ncing back at the door he was guarding, the police officer pinched the roll of dors in his hand and said, "I heard Chief Gordon has brought in a very skilled detective. Perhaps it won''t take long to find out who''s behind this. Once they find out, The Godfather won''t let them get away."


    Thedy sighed and handed the tray to the young officer, saying, "In that case, I won''t disturb you. Please ask the gentlemen inside if they''d like some water. If they need anything, let me know."


    The police officer initially wanted to refuse, but his colleague looked at his watch and said, "They''ve been inside for over two hours. They might be thirsty. I''ll stay here and watch, you bring the water in."


    The police officer nodded, turned around, and knocked on the door. A voice came from inside, saying, "Pleasee in."


    As the officer walked in with the tray, there were two individuals inside: Gordon and Batman. However, the young officer didn''t find it strange. He simply ced the tray on the table and said, "Boss, if you''re thirsty, there''s water here."


    Gordon nodded and gestured for him to leave. The officer ced the water down and exited. Clearly, he didn''t want to stay in the room any longer because, aside from the two living individuals, there was a dead body¡ªa gruesome sight that filled the room with the scent of blood.


    The body had been sawed in half, vertically.


    Batman said to Gordon, "In the past few days, I''ve read all the materials about the twelve disciples of Jesus. If I remember correctly, this method of killing resembles the execution of one of the disciples named ''Simon the Zealot.'' He was sawed in half along the middle of his leg..."


    Batman circled around to the other side of the corpse while Gordon stood behind the table, keeping a distance from the corpse. Even he had rarely encountered such a brutal crime scene. The left side of the body on the ground was still connected to the majority of the head, while the right side was connected to a smaller portion. There was a gap between the two parts, and bloodstains covered the entire room. Gordon covered his nose and asked, "Do you see anything?"


    Batman furrowed his brow and expressed his confusion, "To be honest, I can''t quiteprehend it. The method used ispletely different..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The killer''s technique for killing Rich ispletely distinct from the one used to kill


    Lawrence and Hawke..."


    "What do you mean? Can you exin in detail?"


    Batman squatted down, paying no attention to the strong and somewhat suffocating smell of blood. He stared at the gruesomely shaped body of Richie and said, "If the deaths of the first two individuals had a sense of execution, a ''ritualistic'' aspect often admired by sadistic killers, Richie''s death was too crude. It is evident that he did not die peacefully..."


    Gordon whispered, "Anyone can see that, right?"


    Batman pointed to a mark on the body and said, "Look here, look at his neck. There is a footprint here..."


    Then he stood up and pointed to the back of the corpse, saying, "One of his feet was wearing a shoe, while the other one wasn''t. One shoe was discarded nearby, over there..."


    Following Batman''s gaze, Gordon looked at a shoe beside the corpse. Batman walked to the rear of the corpse''s feet and then pointed at one of the feet, saying, "This foot without a shoe has a slight ankle fracture. The swelling is severe."


    "We can infer from this how the killer carried out the murder."


    "The entire process is quite simple. The killer pushed Richie down to the ground, used one foot to pin down Richie''s neck, then bent down and grabbed his ankle, lifting one of his legs. With a saw in hand, he started sawing between his legs..."


    "Obviously, at that moment, Richie was still alive and capable of struggling. Due to the excruciating pain, he began to fight desperately. Yet, the person didn''t stop their actions. To restrain Richie''s struggling, they had to exert greater force, resulting in the fracture of Richie''s ankle and the removal of his shoe..."


    "What does that imply?" Gordon crossed his arms.


    "It indicates that this is an extremely vicious serial killer. They sawed a person in half while they were still alive. Throughout the process, they paid no attention to Richie''s agonized screams and struggles. They simply sawed him from head to toe."


    "Moreover, they must possess considerable strength. Richie stands at 1.86 meters and weighs 80 kilograms. It would already be challenging topletely subdue him, let alone saw him in half when he still had the ability to resist."


    "What confuses me, however, is that the method used this time ispletely different from the previous two cases. I even question whether my deduction is incorrect. Is this truly a serial murder case?"


    "Logically speaking, the first victim, Lawrence, died from crucifixion, with wedges driven into his limbs, heart, and head..."


    "The second victim, Hawke, died from beheading, and the third victim was sawn in half. These are the methods of death reminiscent of the twelve disciples of Jesus, especially the method of sawing a person in half. No one would resort to such a time-consuming andborious means of killing unless it was to replicate the execution style of fervent Simon..."


    "However, this case ispletely distinct from the previous two. In the prior incidents, Lawrence''s body tested positive for an anesthetic drug. This suggests that he was first anesthetized and then crucified, rendering him incapable of any resistance during crucifixion."


    "The same applies to Hawke. He was first bound and subsequently beheaded with a knife."


    "But ording tomon sense, if a person has the power to kill Rich in such a brutal way, then there is no need for him to anesthetize Lawrence, and there is no need to tie Hawk up."


    "Lawrence is also considered strong, but he is an old man after all. Hawke is tall, but rtively thin. Neither of them is as strong as Rich, who is in his prime. The killer has the strength to subdue Rich and saw him open. But it is very strange to have to subdue those two people first and then kill them by adding superfluous things..."


    "Perhaps Rich''s death was caused by the cooperation of two people?"


    Batman shook his head slightly. He said, "In the criminal psychology courses I have learned, in most serial murder cases, the murderer is alone, and there is no other person to cooperate with the crime."


    "Besides the fact that the probability of two psychopaths who coincidentally match each other is very low, most murderers whomit serial murders have a special obsession withmitting crimes and killing. They have their own unique understanding of murder cases."


    "They care not only about the oue of the crime but also about the process ofmitting the crime. They even enjoy the process of misleading the police, witnessing experts'' suspicions and confusion without receiving answers."


    "Moreover, they are unwilling to share this happiness with others. They believe that no one can fully understand them. They may use innocent bystanders to achieve their own murderous goals, but they will never sincerely cooperate with anyone."


    "They enjoy the pleasure of manipting the world alone and won''t let the second person know all their ns or assist them, let alone do it so crudely..."


    Gordon pursed his lips and looked at Batman. "That doesn''t sound like something you could learn in a psychology textbook," he said.


    "It''s really not something you learn from a textbook."


    "Your tone reminds me of someone," Gordon sighed.


    "Then why didn''t you invite him over?"


    "Because I''m not sure whether he is analyzing the situation based on the crime scene or... revealing his modus operandi."


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 Chapter 295: "Preaching and Teaching" (2)

    Chapter 295: "Preaching and Teaching" (2)


    The afternoon in Gotham always seemed a little somber. The originally not so bright sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, bing even dimmer as itnded on the floor, resembling shimmering golden waves of a sunset.


    Schiller stood behind the table, tinkering with a telescope from the great Age of Discovery. It was a treasured possession of the Manor''s previous owner, who had sailed across oceans with his ancestors, all the way from Europe to this ce.


    Most of the decorative items on Schiller''s table were left by the original owner of the Manor, giving them a touch of British ssical charm. Among them was the slightly worn and yellowed Earth globe, an old gramophone ced at the corner of the table, and a walking stick hanging on the side of the bookshelf.


    Schiller held the telescope, looking ahead, when suddenly, a ck shadow flew across the telescope''s field of view. Schiller put down the telescope and turned to face the uninvited Batman.


    Batman naturally picked up the Earth globe at the corner of the table. In his line of sight, the globe blocked Schiller''s head, as if everything had returned to a dream.


    Batman touched the Earth globe with his hand, but soon stopped. He said to Schiller, "You know why I''m here..."


    Schiller turned around, searching for something on the bookshelf. While rummaging, he said, "Surely you''re not here to arrest me, Detective Batman?"


    "Gordon told me that whenever something strange and inexplicable happens in Gotham,ing to you is never a mistake."


    "Oh, am I not aware of any recent peculiar incidents in Gotham? Are you referring to those rather ordinary murder cases?"Batman mused over the words "ordinary" for a moment and suddenly found it difficult to proceed with his forting exnations.


    Schiller turned around, holding a bottle of wine and two cups. He gestured for Batman to sit across the table, saying, "Verbal descriptions are always rather dull,cking the excitement of being there, wouldn''t you agree?"


    Perhaps not wanting his subsequent discussion to be judged as "ordinary and mundane," Batman gulped down the ss of wine in front of him as if taking medicine. Schiller also took a sip of wine, then rxed, leaning back in the chair, bing intoxicated.


    As the afternoon sun shimmered in the air, Batman suddenly woke up. He noticed the Earth globe on the table slowly rotating, while Schiller''s head remained unchanged. After opening his eyes, he paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, I forgot."


    He leaned forward, reaching out to pick up the Earth globe from the table and held it in front of his face. In Batman''s view, the Earth globe ovepped with Schiller''s head, transforming Schiller''s head into the Earth globe.


    Now Batman understood how the Schiller with the Earth globe head appeared in his dream.


    After Schiller stood up, Batman followed suit. The two of them walked to the center of the room. Schiller made a weing gesture to Batman, who began to focus, recalling the intricate details of Rich''s room from his memory.


    This was the first time he had constructed such arge-scale scene in a dream. Despite having the support of physical memories, Batman found himself expending a great deal of energy in an instant.


    As he slowly raised his arm, the scene in the room began to change. The books on the bookshelf gradually merged into the wall, one by one. The partitions were removed, blending into the side walls. The book table receded, sinking into the floor, while the floor flipped over, transitioning from dark brown to light brown.


    Rich''s body appeared on the floor, blood spreading on the light-colored floor, gradually seeping into the cracks.


    Schiller clicked his tongue and said, "That''s quite gruesome, isn''t it?"


    "Three days ago, the head of the Lawrence family, one of the Gotham Twelve Families, was found dead in his bedroom. He had seven wounds on his body, with a fatal puncture wound in the heart. Anesthetic drugs were detected in his system..."


    "Two days ago, one of the Hawke brothers from the Twelve Families was found dead in his book room. He was tied to a chair and beheaded, a single strike ending his life."


    "One day ago, the leader of the Rich family from the Twelve Families was found dead in the living room. He had been sawed open from the middle of his body, dying from excessive blood loss."


    "Themon factor in these three cases is that their deaths mimic the martyrdom of the apostles among the Twelve Disciples of Jesus. Gordon and I believe this is a serial murder case. However, it wasn''t until Rich''s death today that I noticed the killer''s modus operandi deviates from the previous two cases."


    Schiller reached into the air, producing a cane in his hand. He lightly tapped the ground with the cane and said, "Why do you conclude this is a serial murder case? Is it because their deaths align with some religious narrative?"


    "Isn''t that the characteristic of a serial killer?" Batman asked. "I remember learning that most serial killers tend to adopt a backstory involving numbers and incorporate it into their crimes, such as themon themes of the seven deadly sins, ck Friday, Sabbath, and so on..."


    "Then, what did I teach in ss? Is that the reason?"


    "Because of the ''sense of ritual.'' Serial killers, particrly those who choose their victims at random, don''t kill for vengeance but purely for the pleasure of killing their own kind. For them, the sense of ritual is essential."


    "Even if killing seven people in seven days significantly increases their chances of being caught by the police, and leaving behind various clues further raises the possibility of their arrest, they still do it. Without experiencing the joy brought by this sense of ritual, killing loses its meaning to them."


    "That''s right. That''s why, for a skilled detective, serial killers are sometimes easier to apprehend than ordinary killers, as they tend to voluntarily leave behind a variety of clues."


    "So, this should be a very typical case of serial murder..."


    However, Schiller shook his head and said, "Perhaps it appears that way on the surface, but in reality, I can only say that this is a poor imitator."


    "Imitator? What do you mean?"


    "It means the perpetrator is not the kind of deranged psychopathic killer I previously described. In other words, he''s not a genuine serial killer but rather a clumsy imitator."


    Batman looked Schiller in the eyes and asked, "Why?"


    "Firstly, I bear no legal responsibility for what I''m about to say because it''s merely a dream. And precisely because it''s just a dream, I will only share this information within the confines of my dream. You needn''t contemte activating any audio or video devices in reality to use my dream ramblings as evidence..."


    Schiller held a cane and began pacing around Rich''s body lying in the center of the room. He said, "You know, if I were to take on this case, what would I do?"


    Batman didn''t expect him to bring up this topic, but he couldn''te up with an answer either. Finally, he could only reply, "I don''t think you would take on a case like this because it''s unnecessary."


    "I''m d you still understand me a bit, but right now, we''re assuming, assuming that I suddenly changed my mind and started nning a series of murders..."


    "First of all, let''s start with the theme. Since you said the murderer''s theme is Jesus and his twelve disciples, then I''ll use the same theme."


    "I assume you''ve carefully read the story of Jesus and his twelve disciples?"


    Batman nodded, and Schiller looked up, revealing a reminiscent expression. He asked, "Do you remember who was the first disciple to die among the twelve?"


    "...was it St. James?"


    "Correct. ording to the ounts in the Bible, he was the first disciple to be martyred for Jesus. Do you know what kind of person he was?"


    "Both James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were Jesus'' disciples. James was beheaded by King Herod. He and John were both passionate individuals..."


    "That''s why I said the person who took action is just a poor imitator. Who is Lawrence? Does he have anything inmon with James? Why did he be the first martyr?"


    Batman didn''t quite understand Schiller''s meaning, and Schiller continued, "If it were me, the first target I choose must have a brother, just like James, and old Lawrence should be an only child."


    "Secondly, Lawrence''s temperament is not strong enough. Both his appearance and inner qualities differ greatly from James''."


    "And as you mentioned, the first martyr was beheaded, not crucified."


    "So, if it were me, my first target would be a male with an extremely strong personality, having a brother and a living mother. His cause of death would be beheading."


    "What if Lawrence corresponds to St. Peter?"


    "Oh, yes, St. Peter is known as the person closest to Jesus and was also appointed as the first pope. If he were the first to die, that would make sense. But what do old Lawrence and St. Peter have inmon?"


    Batman remained silent, and Schiller tilted his head, looking at the corpse on the ground, and said, "Not to mention, the way the murderer crucified old Lawrence upside down is simply telling you very directly that he is a fake."


    "If you''ve studied history, you''d know that in the punishment of crucifixion, the victim on the cross shouldn''t die from vital organs being pierced, but should be exposed outdoors after being nailed through their limbs and die from bleeding or extreme exhaustion, leading to heart failure."


    "Piercing the heart is part of the vampire legend, not a story recorded in the Bible, and has nothing to do with the Twelve Apostles. The victim who was crucified upside down should die from brain congestion, not from the heart being pierced."


    "Clearly, the person who took action either didn''t read the story carefully or didn''t have the patience to wait for the other person''s slow death."


    "If it were me, I would have plenty of patience. I could spend a year setting up a scenario where he is trapped in the bedroom for ten days without being discovered. That would be a fitting death for this background story."


    "Not to mention, the killer even drove nails through his head. My God, just the thought of him pounding nails into someone''s head sends shivers down my spine..."


    "Your choice of words always manages to surprise me,"mented Batman.


    "And, the biggest mistake is that he actually used anesthesia? God, if he truly is a serial killer, he should be nailed to a cross. This damn heathencks any sense of ceremony... ..."


    Batman observed Schiller''s expression of dissatisfaction and was momentarily unsure of what to say.


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 Chapter 296: "Preaching and Teaching" (3)

    Chapter 296: "Preaching and Teaching" (3)


    "Let''s take a look at the second case. In fact, your judgment has been wrong since this case. Do you think the person whomitted the first case and the second case is the same?"


    Batman thought for a moment and said, "If we follow this theory, there are indeed some problems. If he could use an anesthetic when he killed Lawrence, he could have used the same anesthetic when he killed Hawk. However, judging from the strangtion marks on Hawk''s body, he was conscious when he was tied to the chair, and he even struggled."


    "What do you think this indicates?"


    Batman also began pacing in the room. He said, "ording to the forensic autopsy report, the anesthetic in Lawrence''s body was first inhaled through the mouth and nose and then injected into his body. Therefore, the method the killer used to subdue Lawrence might have been to enter his bedroom, cover his mouth and nose with a towel soaked in anesthetic, then administer another injection of anesthetic, drag him to the ground, and pierce his body with a long nail..."


    As he described it, the scene in the room started changing rapidly. Rich''s body disappeared from the floor, the walls and floor changed colors, a bed descended from above, and Lawrence was lying on the bed, covered with a nket, clearly asleep. At that moment, a dark figure approached his bed and pressed a towel soaked in anesthetic against his mouth and nose.


    Then, he dragged the unconscious Lawrence off the bed, injected him with an anesthetic, took out a long nail, and pierced his body with it, arranging him in a crucifix position with his head towards the window.


    "And the process of subduing Hawk should have been simpler. The killer entered his study, approached him from behind, strangled him, and tied him to a chair."


    At this point, Batman paused, and Schiller continued, "I think you should have realized that the killer had no intention of talking to Lawrence at all. He killed him right after subduing him."


    "But in the case of Hawk, after the killer subdued him, tied him up, and waited for him to regain consciousness, the marks of struggle that you mentioned were evidence..."As Schiller described it, the room scene changed once again. The bed sank into the floor, Lawrence''s body disappeared, a book table extendedyer byyer from the wall, and Hawk slid on a chair towards the book table. At that moment, a dark figure stood behind him, choked him with their arm, and when Hawk woke up, he found himself bound to the chair.


    Looking out the window, one could see the standing shadow and the seated Hawk engaged in conversation, but in the end, Hawk''s head rolled down and blood sprayed.


    "The killer didn''tmunicate with Lawrence, but they did talk to Hawk. Why?" Schiller asked.


    Batman fell into deep thought. He believed this was a valuable line of thinking. After a while, he asked, "If it were you, would you talk to the victim?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "It can''t be generalized; it depends on the nature of the crime. Let me give you an example..."


    Schiller tapped the floor with his cane again and said, "If I only needed a suitable victim, I wouldn''tmunicate with them because they are merely raw materials, just like how you don''t talk to broli when cooking."


    "However, in certain special cases,munication before death is necessary. For instance, in some murder cases with a trial-like nature, it is necessary to listen to the victim''s thoughts before they die."


    "Because at that time, the prey about to face death is my coborator.


    "So that''s why I said the murderer is just a poor imitator because whatever he and Hawk talked about must have nothing to do with this case, and it''s very likely to be something extremely boring like Gang insiders."


    "His behavior, to put it metaphorically, is like a rat dropping in a pot of rat soup..."


    Schiller clearly disapproved of this approach, he paused for a moment, then continued, "Let''s look at the third case. Honestly, I don''t really want toment on this case because it reallycks any sense of aesthetics."


    "It may sound unbelievable, but in reality, the pleasure that the serial killers seek in killing their own kind is different from killing someone like Richie..."


    Schiller paused and said, "...it''s apletely different emotional state, somewhere between the impatience to finish work and the enjoyment of violent killings."


    "I''m more inclined to think that these three cases weremitted by three different individuals." Schiller touched his temple.


    "If you want my assessment, the murderer who killed Lawrence was indeed imitating the crime. His choice of subject matter may indeed be simr to what you said, Jesus and his twelve disciples. He tried his best to replicate the crucifixion method, although the imitation was a mess, it still shows effort."


    "As for the second person, I would rather call him an imitator of the imitator. If the first murderer copied the correct answer but got it wrong, then the second murderer copied the answer of the first murderer, but got it even more outrageously wrong."


    "As for the third murderer, he probably really wanted to leave the exam room, but due to the pressure from his teachers and parents, he had to write something. He looked around and saw the wrong answers of the previous two individuals, but he thought those wrong answers were tooplicated. So, he simply copied only one ''solution''..."


    Schiller''s metaphor was peculiar, but Batman fully understood it. At that moment, their minds synced.


    "As for what''s really going on, I think the key clue should be with the fourth victim."


    "I''m investigating all of this to prevent the appearance of the fourth victim."


    "That''s what I meant. A good detective dealing with a real serial killer should actually be more straightforward. If I were the one behind these cases, you could easily follow the patterns of the first three victims and find my next target to protect."


    "But now, these three cases might involve two or three different murderers. Their criteria for selecting targets, the timing and location of their actions, the process and oues, everything ispletely random, which actually increases the difficulty."


    "Who do you think will be the next victim?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "It''s not me doing it, so how would I know? But I think the rtionship between these murderers would be quite interesting. Why did the second murderer copy the first murderer''s answer? Why did the third murderer not even bother to copy the answers?"


    "Does the first murderer even know that his answer was copied? If he knows, would he continue? If he doesn''t know, what if the other two killers eliminate his intended second target in advance? That would be quite awkward."


    "Now the Gang leaders are on edge. They''re all hiding in their own Manors, just like the Falcone family''s castle. Each of them has a safe room in their residence. Once they be vignt, I don''t think the murderer will have an easy time."


    "But the suspicion has already started to spread, hasn''t it?" Schiller snapped his fingers, and the dream scene returned to the room in the Manor.


    Schiller sat back behind the table, picked up the globe, and then reached out to touch it. The moment the globe stopped spinning, both of them woke up at the same time, returning to the real world.


    Conceiving the scene of the crime consumed Batman''s energy, and the effect of the crazy wine was still stirring in his mind. Schiller picked up the cup, drank the rest of the wine, and then pulled out a box of cigars from the drawer of the table.


    While igniting the cigar, he said, "Now, everyone in the Twelve Families should be in danger. They don''t know who did it, but there is no doubt that The Godfather will not sit idly by."


    "Once The Godfather starts investigating, a purge operation will begin. You want to protect the fourth victim, but they may not trust you, and it''s more likely that The Godfather won''t allow an outsider like you to get involved. So if you want to continue the investigation, you can only change your perspective."


    "Change your perspective? Are you referring to..."


    "As far as I know, Alberto has already built his house. Now his personality and spirit have stabilized, and he can rece Evans at any time, manipting his body. In other words, The Godfather has a true heir now."


    "Even if The Godfather is unwilling to admit it, Alberto is his only choice. In a situation like this, it''s very likely that Alberto will take the initiative to investigate on behalf of The Godfather."


    "Alberto doesn''t have many reliable people around him. Evans showed signs of weakness and indecisiveness before, which led to him being surrounded by ambitious opportunists. Alberto won''t rely on these people. So right now, he must be in desperate need of assistance."


    "You want me to help him? But Bruce, as my alter ego, is seen as an unskilled yboy. How can I exin that I suddenly became proficient in various detective skills overnight?"


    "Of course, I''m not asking you to personally take action. I''ve noticed that you still possess some of the arrogance of a Wayne Family scion. Youpletely disregard insignificant individuals, but sometimes these insignificant individuals can y a significant role. For example, that skinny and small Copperpot."


    "Alberto shares the same mindset as you. He may not pay attention to the boy who used to be an umbre boy, but I see great potential in him."


    "If you rmend him to Alberto, you can learn about all the progress of the case through him or indirectly influence Alberto. He would surely appreciate your rmendation."


    "Previously, you mentioned that Copperpot should work for The Godfather, but in thest incident, he wanted to distance himself from The Godfather and no longer be involved."


    "But don''t forget his reason for doing so. He saw no hope in Evans. Evans'' character isn''t suitable to be The Godfather, but Alberto is different."


    "Now, Copperpot''s predicament lies in the fact that Alberto has inherited Evans'' memories. He knows about Copperpot''s n to break away from The Godfather, and Copperpot is aware of it as well. If he were to approach Alberto again, it would appear undignified, but with a suitable reference, perhaps this situation could be alleviated..."


    "If you feel that finding the right time is difficult, I can take you and Evans to a vocational education school for an internship tomorrow..."


    Batman raised an eyebrow and said, "You should know what I''m suspicious of..."


    "You think one of them is the murderer?"


    "Copperpot has a criminal record, and so does Alberto."


    "Then it''s even simpler. It''s much easier for you to keep an eye on both of them than to protect the fourth victim, whose identity is still unknown...


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 Chapter 297: Three Detectives (1)

    Chapter 297: Three Detectives (1)


    On a stormy night with lightning and thunder, rain fell on the roof of the Manor, creating a rustling sound that blended with the crackling of the partially extinguished firece.


    It was a highly hypnotic sound, and as a result, Schiller, lying in bed, slept deeply. However, at that moment, an urgent phone call rang, causing Schiller to open his eyes.


    He nced outside the window, where a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, imprinting the window''s grid onto the floor and bed. One shadow passed directly over Schiller''s eyes.


    He took a deep breath and got out of bed, moving through the dark halls of Manor in his slippers. Reaching the ground floor, he picked up the receiver to answer the phone. As expected, it was Gordon''s anxious voice on the other end, saying, "Harry Cooper is dead, Professor Schiller. You need toe."


    "Is it rted to a serial killer? If so, go find Batman."


    "Batman is already here, Professor Schiller. I know it''ste, and I shouldn''t be disturbing you, but the situation this time is quite dire. It''s best if youe over."


    Schiller nced at the grandfather clock in the room, its hands pointing precisely at 2 a.m. He remembered thest time Gordon called him on a rainy night, it was when Fish Mooney died.


    He went upstairs, dressed himself, and grabbed an umbre. As he stepped out of the Manor''s gates, the night in Gotham remained eerily dark. The damp air filled his lungs, dispelling any drowsiness.


    A ck car entered through the Manor gates. Dressed in a ck suit and carrying a ck umbre and ck sunsses, the person who opened the car door didn''t utter a word, and Schiller didn''t ask anything either.Cooper''s Manor was located on the west side of the North District, quite far from Falcone Manor. When the car carrying Schiller stopped at the entrance of Cooper Manor, Gordon hurriedly approached. Schiller got out of the car, and together with Gordon, they made their way inside.


    "What''s going on? It''s unusual to see you in such a panic. Even if it''s a serial killer, it shouldn''t make you this anxious, right?"


    Gordon''s expression appeared grim. He didn''t provide much exnation, simply saying, "You''ll know when you see the crime scene."


    They climbed up to the third floor. Several police officers were present at the staircase entrance. After Gordon approached, he nodded to one of them, a person dressed in a distinctive uniform. It was a dignified old police officer. He examined Schiller for a moment, then walked up to shake hands, saying, "Hello, I''m Commissioner Smith from Gotham Police Station. I''ve heard about you for a long time."


    Schiller shook hands with him and briefly introduced himself. Themissioner didn''t seem to appreciate pleasantries. He gestured to Gordon, saying, "Take this professor in, but be cautious."


    Gordon nodded, leading Schiller through the crowd and reaching the door of a room at the end of the third-floor corridor. He took out a key, opened the door, and revealed an incredibly gruesome scene before Schiller''s eyes.


    Surprisingly, there were no intact corpses present¡ªonly scattered remains.


    The room had a crimson hue, although the floor, ceiling, and furniture should not have been that color. All the red came from blood and fragments of internal organs.


    The reason there were no bodies visible was because they had been uniformly spread throughout the room.


    Batman stood in a corner, his gaze fixed on the center of the room. There, an attention-grabbing objecty¡ªan intricate pattern resembling a ck ink drawing of a mystical sigil, surrounded by a pile of ck ash.


    Schiller entered the room but stopped at the doorway. Gordon squeezed past him and closed the door. Schiller tapped the ground with the tip of his umbre, then raised it to examine the bloodstains above.


    Here is the proofread text:


    Then he looked up and surveyed the entire room. This room is not big, about twenty-something square meters. It appears to be a reception room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Three sofas are ced on the wall to the right of the door and the wall on the side of the door. In the middle, there is a round table, and on the other side, there is a desk and a bookshelf. This is amonyout for a reception room in English Manor, and it''s the same in Schiller''s Manor.


    The ck magic circle is located in the center of the room, while the red spreads from the magic circle to the lower half of the entire room, including the entire floor, most of the walls, and the ceiling in the center of the room.


    "The reason why I didn''t exin it in detail over the phone is that I don''t know if this situation can be called dismemberment. It''s a bit...too fragmented," Gordon said, covering his mouth.


    Schiller turned to Gordon and asked, "Are there shoe covers?"


    Gordon took out shoe covers and gloves, essential auxiliary items for the investigation, from his pocket. He then took out a mask and a face shield for himself. He wanted to hand them to Schiller, but Schiller shook his head and refused.


    After putting on the shoe covers, Schiller walked into the room. He circled around the entire room. During his observation, Batman said, "Cooper''s body has been pulverized and evenly spread throughout the room. This method ispletely different from the previous three cases..."


    Schiller squatted not far from the magic circle and examined the ground. He said, "The body hasn''t been pulverized? No, that statement isn''t quite urate."


    "Doesn''t this count as pulverization?" Gordon asked. "We can hardly find aplete body fragment. Blood, skin, and bones, everything has been crushed and spread throughout the room."


    "Indeed, but not everything."


    Schiller stood up, looked up at the ceiling, and said, "The body mass here is insufficient."


    "What do you mean?"


    "What you see now, the red part in the room, which includes fragments with blood, internal organs, skin, and bone tissue, after being collected and pieced together, ounts for only about two-thirds of a person''s mass."


    "One-third of the body mass has disappeared."


    Gordon opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to ask Schiller how he knew, but the question lingered and eventually didn''te out. After all, this realistic scene was already terrifying enough, and there was no need to add a few more horror stories to set the mood.


    Batman walked over, stood next to the magic circle, and said, "This pattern is not any recorded magic circle, but I can confirm that the six-pointed star in the center of the pattern should be rted to demons."


    "It''s bing more and more mysterious, isn''t it?" Gordon also managed to suppress his disgust and walked over, saying, "At first, there were the serial killings of the twelve disciples, then there was a man sawed in half. Today, they''ve started pulverizing the corpses and smearing them on the walls. What will they do next? Evaporate people?"


    "Obviously, this is not something an ordinary person can do." Schiller spoke slowly and in a steady tone, but it always gave people a chilling feeling. He said, "In this case, the killer''s power level has been raised to another level."


    "Weren''t you patrolling around heretely? Have you found anything?" Schiller asked Batman.


    "I was the first to discover that Cooper was dead, and the reason I came here was because I heard an explosion. But when I arrived, I didn''t find any suspicious figures."


    Schiller walked over to the nearby sofa and lightly rubbed the tip of his umbre, which had no bloodstains, against the sofa. He said, "Although what I''m about to say may make you question my professionalism, I still have to say... this case may be rted to supernatural powers."


    "What do you mean by supernatural powers?"


    "Isn''t it already obvious from this magic circle? Someone summoned a demon here, and that demon killed Cooper."


    Gordon pursed his lips and tilted his head. He said, "I expected you to present an exceptionally intricate process of reasoning and reveal an astonishing conclusion. I also considered the possibility that you might present various evidence to support your reasoning, but I never expected..."


    "Gordon detective, don''t view the events happening in this city with the perspective of an ordinary person."


    Batman, however, asked, "Why did youe to this conclusion?"


    Schiller walked over once again, looked down at the ground, and said, "Pay attention to the direction of the blood and muscle tissue stters. They radiate outward from the center, which means that Cooper wasn''t killed by an external bomb. His explosion originated from within."


    "Could it be that someone forced him to swallow a bomb?"


    "Good deduction, Gordon detective. Indeed, that''s something a criminal in Gotham would do. However, we should ask our weapons expert, Batman..."


    "Is there a type of bomb in the world that, upon detonation, could evenly pulverize a person from their skin to their muscles and internal organs and spread them across the room?"


    "While it''s possible for the person to be blown apart, it''s challenging to achieve such uniform distribution of the sted tissues on the floor and walls of the room."


    "Could it be that someone blew up Cooper into pieces, then manually spread these things around?" Gordon raised another question.


    Schiller made an approving gesture and said, "Gordon detective, your thinking is well-suited for being a detective. Honestly, you are very talented."


    "If the perpetrator is indeed a deranged killer, then it''s possible for them to do this. They havemitted even more heinous acts. However, based on the details, it''s unlikely that it was manually spread out."


    "Take a look here..." Schiller walked over, his shoes making a sticky, dull sensation on the floor. Nevertheless, it still captured the attention of the two of them.


    Schiller pointed at one of the sofa legs, where some tissue had umted. "Here, when the explosion urred, human tissue sttered and poured onto the floor, but it was stopped," he exined.


    "You can see that the part closest to this sofa leg is skin tissue. Even the epidermis and dermis are visible. On top of them, there areyers of fat, and above that are fragments of internal organs."


    "This indicates that it''s unlikely for the murderer to have blown up and dismembered the victim, intentionally spreading them evenly. If that were the case, the order in which the umted tissues are presented here would not be so regr; instead, it would be jumbled together."


    "Imagine Cooper, who was blown apart by some unknown force, firstpletely melted, then turned into a ttened mass on the floor, and subsequently crushed even further, resembling the pouring of waves spreading towards the floor."


    "The sofa leg is like a pier standing on the surface of the sea. However, in this case, the crushed human tissue is denser. Consequently, this pier intercepted a portion of it and preserved its initial state."


    "I also think this is something that an ordinary person cannot aplish. It''s difficult for a bomb to achieve this level of effect, and if someone were to crush a human body like this, they would need the assistance of some mechanical tools."


    "From the moment I heard the explosion to the time I entered this room, there wasn''t enough time for a person to move suchrge machinery."


    Gordon surveyed the room up and down and asked, "Could there be any mechanisms or traps?"


    "Before I called you here, I thoroughly searched every corner of this room. There are no traps, secret doors, hiddenpartments, or secret passages. It''s just a very ordinary reception room in the manor."


    "So both of you believe that this could be the work of some supernatural force?"


    "That''s right, and it shouldn''t be rted to the murdersmitted by the Twelve Apostles. I''ve never heard of anyone in the Bible exploding and being crushed."


    "With all due respect..." Gordon hesitated, then said, "If it involves this kind of situation, the Gotham Police Station might not be able to help. We don''t have anyone skilled in this area."


    "Furthermore, if I were to announce the results of your investigation right now, they would definitely consider us crazy and kick us out."


    Schiller shook his head and remarked, "That''s not necessarily true. They might be even more superstitious than you are..."


    Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a police officer rushed in and said to Gordon, "Boss! Something terrible has happened. Mrs. Sanchez, the principal of the boarding school near the Gotham River, has been found dead!"


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 Chapter 298: Three Detectives (2)

    Chapter 298: Three Detectives (2)


    In the car, Gordon''s face was pale. In just a few days, there had been five deaths, not to mention that all the deceased were important individuals, and the manner of their deaths was quite extravagant. Gordon was feeling a great deal of pressure.


    Unlike Batman, Gordon was just an ordinary person. These past few days, he had been working tirelessly, staying upte, and dealing with one thing after another. It had left him extremely exhausted. While in the car, his voice had be hoarse, making it difficult for him to speak.


    Raindrops pounded against the car window. Schiller, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and looked at Gordon''s pale face. He said, "Commissioner, why don''t you go back and get some rest?"


    Gordon forced a smile and said, "Just a few days ago, I used those exact words to advise Batman. I never thought that today it would be my turn. But my answer is the same as his. I think I''m fine, at least I can hold on until dawn today without any problem..."


    Schiller seemed like he wanted to say something more, but Batman interrupted, saying, "We''ve arrived."


    He seemed somewhat anxious because this was the boarding school where Dick was studying. Dick had just started school two days ago, and today should have been his first official day of sses. Unfortunately, this incident urred. Batman was concerned since he was the one who had insisted that Dick attend this school.


    Batman entered the gates of the boarding school first. However, a person who approached them grabbed Commissioner Gordon''s hand, dressed in a police uniform. He said, "You must be Detective Gordon. I was the one who called for help. Hurry to the seventh floor. Mrs. Sanchez... she... she..."


    The person was an elderly individual with a slightly hunched figure, wearing the typical ck robemonly seen in boarding schools. Gordon tried to calm him down and asked, "Are you a teacher at this school? Could you please exin what happened?"


    The old man led them inside the school while walking and said, "I''m not a teacher. I''m just a key custodian responsible for locking the doors of important rooms after the students have gone to bed.""Just a moment ago, as I was nning to go to the seventh floor to check if the room doors were properly locked, I saw... I don''t know, but dear God..."


    Gordon asked the old man the standard question, "Did you see anyone suspicious?" The old man shook his head and said, "This school has strict security measures in ce, and ordinary individuals are not allowed entry. After ss, the teachers return to their own rooms, and students are not permitted to wander around at night."


    "All boarding schools operate this way, and the children here are well-behaved. There have never been any disturbances."


    Batman wanted to inquire about Dick''s situation, but he didn''t want to expose their rtionship. Schiller nced at Batman''s expression and asked the old man, "Do you have a child named Dick here?"


    "Dick? We have at least five or six kids named Dick here. Which one are you looking for?"


    "Dick Grayson. Do you know where he is now?"


    The old man shook his head and said, "There are too many kids named Dick here. I''m getting old, and I can''t remember who is who anymore."


    Schiller didn''t pursue the matter further and said, "Please tell us the exact location of Mrs. Sanchez''s room. We''ll go there ourselves."


    The old man slowly shook his head and replied, "The staircase here is not easy to navigate. I''ll take you to the seventh floor, and then you can proceed on your own."


    With that said, the old man led them up two more floors and brought them to the seventh floor of the boarding school. He then turned around and left. As soon as they reached the seventh floor, Gordon shivered and said, "Why does it feel so cold here?"


    Schiller also felt an unusually cold air spreading in the corridor, and he said to Gordon, "Detective, you''re not in good condition, stay here for now, Batman and I will go in."


    Gordon didn''t try to be brave because he really felt bad. He took a few steps back, opened the window of the Staircase room, and leaned against the wall, feeling better. He waved to the two of them, signaling them to hurry up. Schiller and Batman walked down the corridor.


    As soon as they walked into the darkness, Schiller''s eyes settled on a ck mark in the corner of the wall. He squatted down and observed it carefully, saying, "It seems that what happened here should also be rted to supernatural powers."


    "If it''s really that so-called demon, do we have any way to deal with it?"


    "ording to the theory of ultism, there are many things that can be used to deal with demons, such as crosses, holy water, statues of the Virgin Mary, and so on. But I don''t think we''ll encounter real demons here."


    Having said that, they had arrived at the door of the second room. Schiller pushed the door open without hesitation and walked in. The scene inside was not bloody but very strange.


    There was a mummy standing in the center of the room, charred ck and shriveled, standing upright in ce. There was a pattern resembling a magic circle around it. Batman walked over and said, "This pattern is different from the previous one, and the style of drawing is also different."


    "However, it seems that they both used the same element, the hexagram representing the devil, and these small patterns also have some simrities..."


    Schiller walked around the mummy and approached the table behind it. The table was very messy, with various items on it. On the first row of shelves, there was a pile of bottles and jars, while below there was a stack of scrap paper. On the left side, there was a box filled with misceneous herbs, and the table mat was inscribed with unreadable words.


    "It seems that this Mrs. Sanchez is not only a principal but also a part-time witch."


    Schiller bent down to examine the items on the table. There was a drawer beneath the table, hanging a brass lock engraved with a strange rune. Schiller didn''t use physical methods to pick the lock. He looked up at the mummy.


    The mummy seemed to have been instantly charred into charcoal by high temperatures, and the oozing oil made its feet stick to the ground, preventing it from falling.


    Some traces of clothing could still be vaguely seen on the mummy''s body, but they had turned charred, sticking to its skin. There seemed to be a keychain around the mummy''s waist.


    Schiller didn''t reach out to take it. Instead, he crouched down and ced his hand on the side of the cab. A wisp of gray mist emanated from between his arms and seeped into the drawer. Just as Schiller was beginning to feel something inside the drawer, Gordon''s scream suddenly echoed from outside the corridor.


    Batman rushed to the door and saw Gordon clutching his neck in pain, stumbling backward, and flipping out of the window, falling from the seventh floor.


    In the instant Batman reached the window, a cloud of gray fog moved even faster than him. Just before Gordon hit the ground, the gray fog caught him and gently ced him on the ground. Batman used his grappling hook to descend from the seventh floor and walked over to Gordon, noticing two bruised handprints on his neck.


    Gordon gasped for breath, then looked at Batman after regaining his senses and said, "Indeed... it''s exactly what you said..."


    "What did you see?"


    "A ghost, a ghost rushed towards me. He grabbed my neck..."


    "It seems that this school is indeed a bit weird. Let''s find Dick first."


    Gordon struggled to stand up and said, "What about the key manager who led the way before? Why didn''t we see him? I think we should ask him..."


    "Don''t count on him."


    This time, Schiller walked ahead with Batman supporting Gordon from behind. As they walked, Batman looked at the disy on his wrist and said, "Go around this building, then turn right. Dick should be underground..."


    Schiller wasn''t surprised, but Gordon looked at Batman and asked, "Did you put a tracker on your adopted son?"


    "That''s why I can find him in time now."


    The group continued towards their target point when suddenly Batman''smunication device on his wrist rang. Jason''s voice came from inside, screaming, "Batman! Come quickly! There''s danger, oh my god, she''s... she''s..."


    Themunication was abruptly cut off. Batman manipted the device on his wrist and frowned, saying, "...how did they end up together?"


    Gordon also heard the distress call and screams from themunication device. Schiller lifted the umbre and looked back at Batman, saying, "Give me the coordinates."


    "1:21, direction, 351 meters underground..."


    Though the straight-line distance wasn''t far, they had to navigate around an entire building. As Batman finished speaking, Schiller''s figure transformed into a cloud of gray mist, swiftly passing through the walls. While the two men on the ground were still running, Schiller had already arrived at the target location above ground.


    In a sh, Schiller appeared underground. The moment his figure materialized, he felt a dark shadow descending rapidly above him.


    Without hesitation, Schiller grabbed the umbre with both hands and swiftly raised it. With a "bang," a figure was sent flying and crashed into the wall. Everyone present was left stunned.


    Looking down from the room''s ceiling, Schiller, who had justnded, stood precisely in the middle of the room, maintaining his posture with the umbre. Near the left wall of the room, a blond man holding a ck book stared in astonishment at Schiller''s actions. Behind Schiller, the children lying on the ground had their mouths agape, while in front of Schiller stood a monster with four arms, horns on its head, and ck patterns covering its body.


    After the monster was forcefully mmed into the wall, silence fell over the scene. The blond man turned his gaze towards the children and asked, "Is he the rescuer you mentioned?"


    Lying on the ground, Jason swallowed nervously, but Sliphead behind him shouted, "Professor Schiller!"


    The blond man froze once more. He looked at Schiller and asked, "You''re still a professor? What subject do you teach? Combat?"


    "Compared to that..." Schiller retrieved the umbre and leaned it against the ground. He turned to face the blond man, who was tall and wearing a light brown long suit with a ck tie. Although he looked handsome, he also appeared disheveled.


    "I''ve long heard of your name, Constantine."


    The man was stunned again and said, "You know me?"


    "Of course, your band''s song ''I Had a Kiss with Oneiroi'' is pretty good. An old ssmate of mine, the drummer for the band ''Sex Handgun,'' gave me a picture of the Roxy Club, and you were in it."


    The blond man first opened his mouth and then pursed his lips. He didn''t expect the response he received to be from this perspective. Schiller''s praise happened to hit his soft spot, and he shook his head, inserting his hand into the pocket of his windbreaker, saying, "Oh, really? Actually, my favorite song on that album is ''Kowtow to Death.'' It''s more in line with the punk style, right?"


    "But I prefer psychedelic rock and romanticism. I have to say, the monologue at the end of the Dream God song was excellent, it gave me a sense of traversing through dreams. I know this aspect of the design must have faced criticism, but I really like it..."


    "I knew someone would understand me!" Constantine spread his hands and said, "Those bunch of old-fashioned music judges don''t understand what psychedelic rock is. They don''t even understand punk. Just because I slept with the bassist in the band, they said my album was worthless. It''s simply..."


    "Please!" Jason screamed, pointing his finger at the monster across from them. "Is this really the time to discuss music?!! There''s a demon standing right in front of you!!! A live demon!!!!"


    Just as he let out a heart-wrenching scream, the demon also regained its senses. It slowly stood up, then bent its body, preparing to pounce at the enemy once again.


    At that moment, with a "bang," the door swung open, and the monster standing in front of it was sent flying out once more.


    Watching the monster hurtling towards them, Schiller adjusted his tie and picked up an umbre, assuming a baseball batter''s pose. With a "bang," the monster was struck back into the wall, bing embedded in it.


    Batman, who had just opened the door, looked at the scene inside the room with confusion, but the blond Constantine whistled and said, "That''s a beautiful home run!"


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 Chapter 299: Three Detectives (3)

    Chapter 299: Three Detectives (3)


    Batman entered the room first, followed by Gordon. The situation inside the room was indeed very strange. Apart from Schiller, who stood in the middle holding an umbre, there was a blond man who looked like he had indulged himself excessively. He had a ck book floating in his hand. Jason, Dick, and Sliphead, three children, were sitting on the floor at the far end of the room, while on the right side of the room, there was a peculiar altar.


    Just after they entered, Schiller walked up to the demon he had pinned to the wall and nced at it, saying, "Is this Mrs. Sanchez?"


    Gordon looked puzzled and said, "Mrs. Sanchez? Isn''t she already dead?"


    Constantine walked up to the monster and chains flew out from the book in his hand, restraining the monster. Gordon then turned his head to look at the children lying on the floor and said, "Can someone exin to me what''s going on here?"


    "Very well," Schiller raised his voice and tapped the ground with his umbre. "Alright, let''s hear it one by one, starting with you."


    Saying that, he pointed at Jason and Dick. Dick looked at the umbre in front of him, which had directly knocked the monster onto the wall, unable to be pried off. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and obediently began to narrate.


    "...Two days ago, I came to this school to study. Everything was normal on the first day. After I finished packing my belongings, I went to sleep. However, because I changed beds, I had trouble falling asleep. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I noticed that my roommate had wounds on his back..."


    "When I asked him what had happened in the morning, he showed a scared expression and didn''t say anything. I became suspicious, so I started observing and noticed that many students had injuries..."


    "I was certain that someone was abusing them. During ss the next day, one of my ssmates didn''t pay attention during prayers, so the teacher said he would have to go to the confession room. He disyed a very frightened expression. I was convinced they must have abused him in the confession room.""So, I intentionally made a small mistake to get them to lock me up in the confession room..."


    "And then?" Batman asked.


    "...A woman entered. She said her name was Mrs. Sanchez and that she was the school principal. She threatened me with various things, like even if I''m an adopted child of the Wayne Family, I must obey her here, or else she would make me suffer..."


    "I asked her if she had been abusing those children, but it seemed to anger her. She said those disobedient children should be hanged..."


    "Then she beat me with a cane, leaving the same wounds as my ssmates. That damned woman is a sadist, she..."


    Before Dick could continue, Batman walked up to him and lifted his clothes, revealing many fresh scars on his back and waist. The scars were deep, some even turning slightly ck. Batman''s expression started to darken, but Dick didn''t pay much attention and continued speaking.


    "The woman intended to continue beating me, but someone called her from outside, saying that Mr. Cooper hade to see her, so she left..."


    "I thought I needed to expose her true nature and rescue my ssmates. So, while she was leaving, I picked the lock of the confession room and secretly followed her..."


    "She met Mr. Cooper on the fourth floor. I''m quite agile, so I climbed up the balcony through the pipes and eavesdropped on their conversation from outside the room..."


    Dick pursed his lips and said incredulously, "I overheard that Mrs. Sanchez had a deal with Cooper."


    "What kind of deal?"


    "It seems like that, the son named Cooper died, and he has been trying to resurrect his son. And Mrs. Sanchez is a witch. They say she made a deal with a demon or something... Anyway, Cooper gave Mrs. Sanchez a lot of money, and then Mrs. Sanchez helped Cooper resurrect his son..."


    "They said something about sacrificing children to the demon. The more sacrifices they make, the more they can bring Cooper''s son''s soul back from hell. Anyway, they used a bunch of terms I didn''t understand, but that''s the gist of it..."


    "At first, I thought they were crazy because it sounded like nonsense. But then they started arguing, and Mrs. Sanchez made things in the room fly. It startled me, and I identally made some noise."


    "Mrs. Sanchez immediately noticed me, but luckily I ran fast and she couldn''t catch me right away. I know that if what they said is true, then all the students in this school might be in danger. Mrs. Sanchez wants to sacrifice them all to the demon. I have to stop all of this..."


    "What about you? How did you two end up here?" Schiller looked at Jason and Sliphead, and Jason and Sliphead nced at each other. They said, "Well, originally, we were staying at Batman''s hideout. It was pretty good there, but after a while, we got a bit bored..."


    "Earlier, our friend Tire told us that the boarding school is like a prison for kids. Even though he said this boarding school up north is different, we were still a bit worried. Well, we had nothing better to do, so we thought we''de and see how Dick was doing..."


    Dick sighed and covered his forehead. "I was actually trying to find an opportunity to sneak out and contact Batman, but they secretly came into the school and got caught by the janitor."


    "It seems like Mrs. Sanchez was in need of sacrifices, so she locked the two of them in the basement. I need to find a way to save them..."


    "Speaking of the janitor." Gordon scratched his head with confusion and said, "What about him? Why didn''t I see him downstairs? He couldn''t have left that quickly, right?"


    "Obviously, he''s working with this demon. Haven''t you noticed that he always tried to lead us to the seventh floor?"


    "Uh..." Gordon paused and said, "So the seventh floor is a trap? But how did they know we wereing?... Oh, they called the police, so they intentionally called the police to lure people here, and then they took them to the seventh floor to kill them. But what''s the point of doing all this? Does Mrs. Sanchez have a grudge against the police?"


    "She wants to sacrifice you and gain more power for herself because she knows she can''t defeat me."


    Constantine lit a cigarette, but in an instant, the cigarette in his hand was knocked away and pinned to the wall by a bat-shaped dart. Batman looked at him and said, "Didn''t you see there are children here?"


    Constantine made a helpless expression and said, "Okay, next is my story."


    "I won''t introduce myself, but in short, my previous residence was a mental hospital. I was wrongfully used, and I''m not mentally ill. For various reasons, I was locked up in a mental hospital."


    "A few days ago, a gang leader named Harry Cooper pulled me out of there, so I could use my knowledge of the ult to resurrect his son."


    "Wait, didn''t Dick say earlier that Cooper asked Mrs. Sanchez to resurrect his son?"


    "Obviously, the person he found wasn''t capable enough." Constantine nced at the monster chained to the wall.


    "Cooper told me that the person he originally found was too greedy and he couldn''t afford their price, so he decided to find someone else."


    "Cooper told me that the solution he found from that wizard was to sacrifice the souls of thirteen children to demons in hell on the night of the full moon, in exchange for his son''s soul."


    "When I heard this solution, I knew who he had found."


    Constantine nced at the monster once again and said, "There''s a specific branch in witchcraft that involves harnessing the souls of children for power. I usually refer to this branch as ''Ghost Mother.'' As far as I know, there''s only one ''Ghost Mother'' in the current mysticalmunity, and that''s Lorena Sanchez."


    "When I heard that Cooper had actually approached her, I almost burst outughing. Lorena is nothing more than a fraud! She definitely knows that sacrificing any number of children''s souls wouldn''t bring back Cooper''s son from hell. No one can snatch their sustenance from the clutches of devils."


    "But Cooper, being an outsider with little knowledge, believed Lorena''s ims. Not only did he give her a significant amount of money, but he also arranged for her to be the headmistress of a boarding school, giving her the opportunity to harm those children."


    "After I learned about all of this, I couldn''t let her seed. So, I confronted Lorena and demanded that she stop her deceitful actions and leave."


    "She imed she would consider it, but behind my back, she set up traps and an altar at the school, all in preparation to strike me when I came looking for trouble."


    "As expected, after I arrived, she used the altar to summon the shadow of a demon, which attached itself to her and transformed her into the monster you see now..."


    "So, how did Cooper die?"


    "Lorena cursed him to death because he refused to provide her with more funding and lost trust in her. As the boy mentioned earlier, Cooper had a heated argument with Lorena, and after they separated, she must have used a spell to kill him."


    "Does the recent series of murders in Gotham have anything to do with you?" Batman stared at Constantine and asked.


    "Series of murders?" Constantine paused for a moment and replied, "Whatever it is, I have no idea. I''ve only been in Gotham for a few days..."


    "Constantine, do you know..."


    Schiller turned around and walked to the other side of Constantine, who also gazed at Schiller and asked, "...know what?"


    Schiller lowered his head, leisurely slid his hand down the umbre handle, and then held the middle part of the umbre with both hands.


    With a loud "bang," Constantine was knocked down by the lifted umbre handle, falling to the ground. Before he lost consciousness, he saw Schiller standing with his back to the light, the umbre nted firmly on the ground, and he spoke:


    "I don''t believe a single word you said."


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 Chapter 300: Three Detectives (4)

    Chapter 300: Three Detectives (4)


    When Schiller retracted the umbre, Batman and Gordon stood on either side of him, looking down at the fallen Constantine. Gordon hesitated for a moment, then turned to Schiller on his left and said, "Do you two have any grudges?"


    "No, but..." Schiller paused for a moment and then continued, "Wherever you see this person, no matter what he is doing, you only need to do two things."


    "The first thing is to cover his mouth, the second thing is to beat him up."


    "Uh, why is that?"


    "While releasing your frustration, it also ensures that you can''t be his friend."


    Gordon wanted to ask further, but at that moment, Constantine, who was lying on the ground, suddenly began to disappear.


    Gordon turned his head back, his eyes widened as he looked at the ground. Constantine gradually turned into ck ash from his feet. Almost instantly, what was once a living person turned into a humanoid heap of ash on the ground.


    Just as Gordon was about to speak, the pile of ash suddenly flew up and transformed into a small tornado, which was then sucked into the ck book in his hand. Gordon walked over and bent down, about to touch the book, when Schiller said, "Don''t touch it."


    "Gordon, when faced with anything rted to the ult, don''t touch it lightly because you never know how many ck magic traps and curses are hidden within."Schiller sighed softly and said, "Not surprising, because this guy is nothing but aplete fraud and a rotten person. Saving the world? That has nothing to do with him."


    Just as Batman was about to say something, he noticed Schiller''s movement freeze for a moment. Then, Schiller straightened up, his gaze somewhat vacant. After about two seconds, he suddenly revealed a smile.


    Describing that smile, to put it simply, Batman silently took a step back, and Gordon took a step back as well.


    Schiller tapped his palm with the umbre and said, "...the happiest thing in this world is when a small trap you unintentionally set up is triggered by a prey that willingly walks into it..."


    "What do you mean?" Gordon scratched his head and asked. He noticed that ever since the magic circle appeared, there were more and more things he couldn''t understand.


    However, Schiller turned around and walked towards the door, saying as he walked, "Come with me, let''s go to my Manor, and I''ll treat you to a drink."


    "Wait, what about this thing?" Gordon pointed at the demon chained to the wall.


    Schiller, who had already stepped out of the door, took two steps back and turned to look at the demon fixed on the wall. The demon, upon seeing his gaze, desperately tried to hide. Gordon took a step forward and said as he walked, "It seems this creature can''t cause much trouble in Gotham. Let''s go."


    Several children followed behind the three adults as they walked out, and as Jason passed by the demon trapped on the wall, he spat at it.


    Batman first drove a few children to his stronghold, and then returned to pick up Schiller and Gordon. The three of them went to Schiller''s Manor. After entering the Manor, Batman squinted his eyes and said, "It seems someone has broken in here."


    "Gordon Detective, just now, you saw a demon with your own eyes, and you saw a living person turned into ashes. Why do you think this intruder would enter through doors and windows?"


    Gordon patted his forehead and said, "Sorry, I still haven''t wrapped my head around it. After all, in Gotham, the mostmon burry scenes result in doors and windows beingpletely shattered."


    Schiller''s destination was clear. He led the two of them directly to the second floor, then turned left and walked to the reception room at the end.


    As soon as he opened the door, Gordon saw a familiar figure lying on the ground. After they walked in, Gordon said, "Isn''t this the same Constantine from before? Why is he here? And... what is that?"


    Constantine, who was lying on his stomach, had also knocked over a bottle of wine. The room was now filled with a strong aroma of alcohol, somewhat captivating.


    Gordon took a deep breath, and his vision began to blur with colorful halos. Gordon took a few uncontroble steps back and rubbed his eyes.


    But the hazy mist didn''t dissipate; instead, it grew thicker. After a brief moment of darkness, Gordon opened his eyes again. The first thing he saw was the slowly rotating Earth globe on the table. Then he turned his head and saw Schiller holding an umbre with one hand, pointing the umbre''s tip at the neck of a blond man.


    Constantine, who had been lying on the ground, had somehow ended up standing in the center of the room. He was being targeted by the tip of Schiller''s umbre, taking two steps back and raising his hands.


    "I think you must be very confused right now, wondering why touching that wine bottle led you to this dreand..."


    "So, why?" Constantine looked into Schiller''s eyes, his expression unusually serious. This expression was usually only seen when he had gotten himself into trouble.


    "Before we continue, shouldn''t you tell me what those tricks you''ve been ying are all about?"


    Constantine lowered his gaze, his rarely serious expression giving him a mncholic and decadently handsome appearance.


    Constantine slightly lowered his head and then looked at Schiller from above his eyes, saying, "I had heard of the professor''s reputation a long time ago, but I never expected you to be even more formidable than I had imagined."


    Both men were of simr height and build, dressed in long coats and ties. When viewed from above the room, their contrasting yet strangely simr auras shed, divided by the umbres.


    Schiller extended his hand, holding the umbre, and the tip of the umbre touched Constantine''s Adam''s apple directly. Constantine raised his head, his hands still raised, and said, "Don''t do this. I admit it. This time, I messed up, so I will tell you everything..."


    Schiller held this position for a moment, then opened the umbre with a "bang," and the ck umbre shielded Constantine''s face. When Schiller closed the umbre, Constantine saw that Schiller''s head had transformed into a slowly rotating Earth globe.


    Schiller snapped his fingers, and the scene in the room quickly faded. The wooden floor changed to tiles, and the walls were covered in a pale white color. With a "ng," an iron chair fell in the center of the room.


    Constantine, wearing a straitjacket for mental patients, sat in the chair with his legs, waist, and neck restrained. Overhead, a dazzling white light bulb illuminated the scene. ...


    Constantine leaned his neck against the back of the chair, tilting his head back, and said, "Can I have a cigarette?"


    Schiller sat behind a desk, holding a medical record in one hand and a pen in the other. With the pen, he snapped his fingers, and Constantine felt a cigarette appear in his mouth. He took a deep drag, and the cigarette smoke wafted between his lips and nose.


    He struggled slightly, feeling the constraint of the straitjacket on his body. He sighed with a hint of enjoyment and said, "It seems we not only have a shared interest in music, but perhaps in other aspects as well..."


    Gordon paused for a moment, wearing a slightly disgusted expression, but Schiller remained unfazed. He asked, "Tell me, what''s really going on?"


    Constantine adjusted himself and let out a "puff" of air from his mouth, blowing away the cigarette ash. Then, he settled into afortable position, leaning back in his chair, and said, "Well, it all started with a romantic and profound reverie..."


    "It was a winter in Liverpool. After watching the team''s match, I bought a bottle of wine on the way home. However, I ended up drinking it all before reaching home. I copsed on the roadside, intoxicated and drowsy, and that''s when I had a dream..."


    "It was an incredibly vivid dream. I hadn''t had such a dream in a long time. Most of the time, my dreams are muddled and dark, filled with too much noise that turns my mind to mush."


    "But that day, a person appeared in that lucid dream. He called himself the ''Dream Maker'' and imed to be a follower of the ''Dream God.''"


    "I''ve witnessed so many peculiar things that I wasn''t surprised. He said he wanted to invite me to the Dream Kingdom to awaken the slumbering Dream God..."


    "He mentioned that I was somewhat famous in the field of mysticism, you know, the kind of empty praise. I asked him what reward he could offer, and he said the Dream God would reward me when the timees."


    "Although he sounded like a cultist or a con artist, I still agreed because I was truly eager to ask the Dream God why he had never granted me a pleasant dream since my birth..."


    "So, the two of us set off. We descended through my dreams, facing numerous difficulties and obstacles, witnessing various dream worlds. Eventually, we arrived at the deepest part of the dream, which he referred to as the Dream Kingdom."


    "It was an exquisitely beautiful ce, beyond any description that human imagination could muster. There, I encountered the Dream God."


    "The Dream God had been in a deep slumber within the Dream Kingdom until the Dream Maker awakened him. When he woke up, he told me that he could fulfill one of my wishes."


    "But I hadn''te to make a wish. I asked him why he had never granted me a pleasant dream, the kind that every ordinary person experiences..."


    "Faced with this question, the Dream God fell silent. He asked me to choose a different wish. I said I wanted to be intimate with him."


    "Cough...," Gordon choked, holding onto the wall as he coughed violently. He never expected this fantastical and bizarre story to end this way. He looked at Constantine and asked, "Didn''t the Dream God kill you?"


    Constantine ignored him, instead gazing upwards, his eyes fixed on the overhead lightbulb. He remarked, "If he can''t grant me a sweet dream, then an erotic dream will suffice."


    Batman remained silent as well, unable to evaluate this kind of person. Although Bruce appeared as a yboy, charming all the beauties in Gotham, it was evident that he still had certain standards for his partners. At the very least.


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 Chapter 301: Three Detectives (5)

    Chapter 301: Three Detectives (5)


    In the next two minutes, Constantine self-indulgently described the beginning of his one-night stand with Morpheus, although most of the vocabry was manually censored by Schiller. Constantine continued, "But just as we were about to, uh, get busy, trouble found me..."


    "You know, I have a wide circle of friends and I''m a generous person. I have friends in both heaven and hell. Sometimes, they get too enthusiastic and impatient when they need me, and they can''t wait even for a moment..."


    "Originally, things were getting hot between me and little Mox, but then an impolite fellow showed up at that very moment. He was in a hurry, and I had toe up with a n. I woke up to deal with him..."


    Constantine wore a helpless expression and said, "You know, it''s really impolite to leave suddenly at such a crucial moment. I abandoned such a beautiful and passionate lover. Oh my..."


    Schiller nced at his watch and said, "It has already been ten minutes, and you still haven''t gotten to the point."


    "It''sing soon..." Constantine took another drag from his cigarette and said, "Probably... I forgot how many days ago it was. The dreamweaver I coborated with before to travel to the Dreamrealm suddenly told me that he needed to go on a trip and stay in the Dreamrealm for a few days. He asked me to take care of his body."


    "As his friend, I naturally couldn''t refuse. But I asked him why he was going and he said there''s a madman who messed up the Dream God''s realm. As a believer, he had to help his deity clean up the mess."


    "He said the Dream God told him that there was a ''professor'' who created a ''madness potion'' that could draw people''s consciousness into the dream space. That''s how he pulled a madman''s consciousness into his dream and let him dig deeper until he entered the Dreamrealm, where he could wreak havoc."


    "I was very interested in this because ourst date, the Dream God and I, was interrupted. It was a very regrettable thing that always lingered in my mind and kept me awake at night.""I had been praying in my dreams for the beautiful Dream God to appear again and meet me, but he never came, and as a mortal, I had no way of entering the Dreamrealm on my own."


    "When I heard about this ''professor'' who created a potion that could make people sink into the Dreamrealm, of course, I wanted to get my hands on this magical madness potion..."


    "The dreamweaver told me that the entrance for that madman is located in Gotham, so I nned toe here and have a look. But I''m not a local in Gotham, and I didn''t want to visit recklessly, so I contacted one of my colleagues, Lorena Sanchez..."


    "What I said about her is true. She''s a ghost mom who specializes in using children''s souls for cultivation. Gang leader Cooper hired her to resurrect his son. Cooper gave her arge sum of money and assigned her as the headmaster of a boarding school."


    "People in the circle all know that resurrection is nonsense, and Lorena knows that too. She''s just out to swindle money."


    "But she also knows that this lie can''t be maintained forever. She set up various difficult conditions, but Cooper fulfilled all of them. She demanded an exorbitant reward, and Cooper gave it to her."...


    "In the end, Lorena started to fear that she couldn''t escape from this scam unharmed. After all, Cooper is one of Gotham''s most famous gang leaders. He''s wealthy, powerful, and ruthless."


    "At this time, I contacted her, and Lorena saw me as a savior because she knew I had a good rtionship with the demons in hell. She proposed some conditions and wanted me to fetch someone from hell."


    "I agreed to help her, but I asked her to pay the bill first. I asked her to help me investigate a person called the ''professor'' in Gotham and provide me with hisplete background and materials."


    "Lorena had been in Gotham for a long time and had dealings with these gang leaders. Soon, she told me that the family tutor of The Godfather''s son was a psychology professor at Gotham University. This professor had quite an astonishing background, and perhaps he was the person I was looking for..."


    "Yes, I saw your background, Professor Schiller. Because some of the information on your background was indeed astonishing, I don''t intend to confront you directly. You should know that I''m a peace-loving person. I''m just here to steal things, not to kill..."


    "So, I nned to lure you out and then search your manor."


    "And then?" Gordon suddenly had a hunch and asked Constantine, "You''re not..."


    "I saw on Professor Schiller''s background that he''s very keen on investigating serial murder cases. So, I thought if I created a serial murder case, he would probably go to investigate. Surveying the scene would take at least a few hours, which would be enough time for me to search his manor."


    "But I also knew that if a small-time person died, the police might note. So, I chose one of the heads of the Twelve Families, a guy named Lawrence."


    "I hadn''t done something like this before, but I had read some reports and knew what those serial killers liked to do. I tried to mimic their methods as much as possible..."


    As he told the story, the walls of the mental hospital extended, and the space of another room appeared on the right side of the room. A bed descended from above, and Lawrencey on it. Another Constantine stood up from the chair and walked to the bedside.


    Standing beside the bed, Constantine conjured a magic circle in his hand. However, he suddenly clenched his fist, extinguishing the magic''s radiance. He muttered to himself, "No, can''t use magic..."


    Then, he disappeared. After a while, he returned holding a damp towel. He uncovered Lawrence''s nket, grabbed his neck, and before he could scream or struggle, Constantine pressed the cloth soaked with anesthetic over his mouth and nose. Soon, Lawrence went silent.


    He took out a sedative from his pocket and injected it into Lawrence''s neck. Then he dragged him off the bed and faced him on the floor. Constantine scratched his hair and said, "Alright, let me see... nailing him to a cross. But where can I find such a big cross? Should I go steal one from a church?"


    "...Forget it, it''s just an imitation."


    As he spoke, his figure disappeared again. After a while, he returned with some long nails in his hand and began inserting them into Lawrence''s body...


    The intense pain woke Lawrence up, but Constantine showed no intention of stopping his actions. He continued until he pierced a long nail through Lawrence''s head. He then patted his hands and said, "That should do it, right?"


    "Hold on, something is missing..." Constantine arranged Lawrence''s arms in a straight line and brought his feet together, facing the window, forming a cross shape. He continued, "Alright, now the religious factor should be strong enough, right?"


    Then, the room disappeared, and Batman squinted his eyes and asked Constantine, "So, did you kill Hawk too?"


    Constantine shook his head and said somewhat helplessly, "I know a series of cases can''t be called a serial murder case, so I had to create another one. But just as I was about to take action, I heard that a gang leader named Hawk died, followed by a guy named Richie. I didn''t know what was going on, so I didn''t make a move."


    "You didn''t kill Hawk and Richie?"


    Constantine shook his head and said, "I already told you I killed Lawrence. There''s no need to deceive you about the rest."


    "And then?"


    "But I didn''t expect that even three consecutive murders wouldn''t bring Professor Schiller here to investigate. I didn''t understand why, so I carefully read his file again..."


    "Then I realized that this professor seems to be very picky. He only likes to get involved in extremely bizarre murder cases..."


    Constantine took another drag from his cigarette and flicked the cigarette butt away before continuing, "In that case in Coast City, the killer liked to peel off people''s skin and leave a living person struggling in the same spot until he saw the policee to save him, then he would detonate a bomb to kill him..."


    "There are many simr cases, and themonality is that the killer''s methods are very strange, and the victims often meet a gruesome fate."


    "So, I understood that it was because the crime scenes I created weren''t gruesome enough to capture the professor''s interest, so he didn''te."


    "Although I don''t know how those two gang leaders died, it didn''t stop me from finding another target..."


    "Just at that time, Lorena rmended me to Cooper. It was like a gift delivered to my doorstep. Why would I let it go?"


    "I used some tricks of magic to gain Cooper''s trust. He told me that Lorena had given him some methods to control children, and he could exploit the children in Gotham to make a fortune and provide it to Lorena to resurrect her son."


    "I told him my method was different from Lorena''s. I wanted to make a deal with a demon. I told him I could pay the price for the deal, but he would have to give me arge sum of money afterward. Cooper agreed."


    "We performed a ritual in his meeting room. I drew a magic circle in the middle of the floor. Of course, Cooper only had a superficial understanding of ult knowledge, or else he would have noticed that it was a summoning circle for demons"...


    "I summoned a demon, and the sacrificial offering happened to be Cooper himself. The power of that demon crushed him instantly and partially devoured his body."


    "After offering the sacrifice, I could negotiate the conditions with the demon. The condition, of course, couldn''t be to resurrect Cooper''s son since Cooper was already dead. Who would bothering after me?"


    "I had the demon create an ash clone for me. It''s amon thing in hell, a kind of illusion. I can actually create one myself, but it''s a bit troublesome. Since there was a ready-made sacrifice, I let the demon do it for me."


    "That''s why you turned into a pile of ashes in that basement?" Gordon asked.


    "Yes, that was just one of my clones."


    "Since I already investigated the scene of Cooper''s death, why did you go through the trouble of creating a clone?"


    "Because of your astonishing background. When I read it in detail, I realized you might not be as easy to deal with as I imagined. It would be risky to infiltrate your Manor, so I had to keep you as far away as possible and dy as much time as possible."


    "What about the part in the boarding school?"


    "Well, the trap-like room, the key administrator who led the way, the ghosts and Mrs. Sanchez in the corridor, they were all my doing. As for my purpose..."


    Constantine turned his head up and looked at Schiller.


    "You want to get rid of me, don''t you?"


    "I think it makes sense." Constantine looked into Schiller''s eyes and said, "After looking at your resume, I believe it would be doing the public a favor to get rid of you. Don''t tell me a normal person would constantly pursue these horrible cases and enjoy it..."


    "Tell me about the specific process."


    "Because I didn''t know if you had any knowledge of mysticism, I set up a series of traps."


    As he finished speaking, the group arrived at the entrance of the boarding school once again. Another Constantine walked through the main gate of the boarding school and entered Mrs. Sanchez''s office, where there was another man besides Mrs. Sanchez.


    "Hold on," Gordon paused the scene and said, "Who is that? Who is the man?"


    "He should be Mrs. Sanchez''s lover or something like that. I don''t know, but they should have a close rtionship," Constantine said.


    Schiller continued to ask, "He should be the dead body in that room, right?"


    Constantine nodded, and the scene continued to y. Constantine and Mrs. Sanchez were engaged in a heated argument that quickly escted into a fight.


    The man and Mrs. Sanchez joined forces to confront Constantine, but it was evident that Constantine was superior to them. He held a ck book and summoned a small magic circle. The mes of sacrifice engulfed the man, burning him into a corpse.


    Mrs. Sanchez erupted into a furious roar, but she also knew she was no match for Constantine. So she started to flee towards her own altar, intending to use the power of the demon to deal with Constantine.


    Mrs. Sanchez swiftly moved underground with the help of magic, but Constantine''s clone didn''t rush to pursue her. Instead, it stayed in the original room and set up a trap.


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 Chapter 302: Three Detectives (6)

    Chapter 302: Three Detectives (6)


    " I reported the police, I controlled the key administrator who led the way, I set up the traps in the room, I ced the ghosts in the corridors, and I even allowed Lorena to summon demons. All of this was to eliminate you in the boarding school..."


    Schiller kept his head buried in the medical records, not even looking up as hemented, "Full of loopholes."


    "From the part where you sacrificed Cooper to the demon, there were too many ws in this n. When I went to investigate Cooper''s death scene, the first thing I saw was the magic circle. At that moment, any normal person would have connected this incident with some mystical factors."


    "You revealed the solution right in the riddle. Did you really expect others not to be cautious?"


    "The traps in the boarding school were a mess. The behavior of the key administrator was too impatient and goal-oriented. And the trap with the drawer and the key in the room... You intentionally ced a lock on the drawer and then put a visible key in an obvious ce."


    "If I''m not mistaken, the key itself is not cursed, but the moment you open the drawer, a fatal curse is released from the skull inside."


    "You''re definitely not an ordinary person." Constantine looked into Schiller''s eyes and said, "You didn''t open the drawer, but you knew what was inside."


    Schiller ignored him and continued, "Do you think this is aputer game? A lock alwayses with a key. As long as you have the key, you can open the lock, find clues, move on to the next level. Constantine, I''ve seen this pattern too many times..."


    "After that, you lured us into the basement. Your excuses were unconvincing. No heroic police officer would act like you..."Schiller looked up and down at Constantine, and Constantine understood his meaning. He tilted his head to the side and said, "Well, I may look like an overly indulgent, drug-addicted junkie. Those overly righteous lines don''t match my appearance, but it doesn''t matter. Even if I can''t kill you, I can still buy time."


    "Up to this point, my n was going smoothly because I had indeed held you back. But what puzzled me the most was..."


    "What puzzled you the most was why you failed?"


    Schiller stood the pen upright on the table and smiled. "Actually, it''s a verymon cognitive blind spot. Constantine told me why you think ''Mad Liquor'' is really a ''liquor''."


    The other three present were momentarily stunned, and Gordon spoke without hesitation, "Why wouldn''t Mad Liquor be liquor?"


    Schiller raised the pen in his hand and said, "You know what? This is a carrot."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''m not saying that this pen is a carrot, but I call it ''a carrot.'' The name of this pen is ''a carrot.''"


    "Your behavior is like a foolish rabbit. You heard that I had ''a carrot'' here, so you came hopping over. But this isn''t a carrot, it''s just a pen called ''a carrot.'' So you took a bite, didn''t get a carrot, and even broke your front teeth..."


    "I named this mysterious liquid that can put people into dreams ''Mad Liquor,'' so you really treated it as a kind of liquor, thinking that they would stay peacefully inside the bottle until you uncorked it and drank it."


    "Let me give you another example." Schiller threw the pen onto the table and said, "Now, I''ll call this mysterious liquid ''hexafluoroantimonic acid.'' Would you still rush over to it without thinking and grab that bottle without wearing gloves?"


    Gordon shook his head and said, "Although I don''t know what that long string of chemical terms means, when I hear that name, I know it must be a dangerous thing. I would choose to go around it."


    "You see, that''s how it is. I named this liquid ''Mad Liquor,'' but it''s just called ''liquor.'' I never said it would work only when you drink it. This liquid can be absorbed not only through the stomach lining but also through the respiratory tract and skin."


    "And the bottle I ced on the bookshelf contains a concentrated solution. It needs to be mixed with regr alcohol to be consumed. Just a slight touch would immediately plunge you into a dream."


    "Let me guess, this clever Mr. Constantine thought it was real liquor, so he not only didn''t wear gloves when he took that bottle, but he might have even touched the stopper that had some liquor on it, and immediately fell into a dream..."


    Constantine turned his head to the side, but Schiller continued, "It''s like you set up a series of earth-shattering ns, only to be defeated by not finding a parking space."


    "I admit, I underestimated your cunning and madness. So, what do you want?"


    "You wanted to meet the Dream Demon Murphys, right? I can help you. I have a shortcut that was dug up earlier, which can save you a lot of effort. But you have to agree to one condition..."


    "Go ahead, can it get any worse than this?"


    "Since you were the one who killed Lawrence and started the Twelve Disciples serial murder case, you''re responsible for finding the killers of Hawk and Ritchie."


    Schiller looked at Batman and said, "Let him make amends for his sins first, and then we can judge these killers together. I assume you don''t have any objections?"


    "I can investigate these two cases on my own."


    "Is that so? Seems like you don''t have enough assignments..."


    Batman remained silent, and Schiller turned to Gordon. Gordon waved his hand and said, "As long as the murderers can be brought to justice, it doesn''t matter. Without your help, we wouldn''t have been able to catch this magic-wielding guy. So, do as you see fit. After all, you have the experience..."


    "Hey, shouldn''t you ask for my opinion?" Constantine shook his head and said, "I''m a rock singer, and secondly, an exorcist. I don''t investigate cases."


    "I heard that you''re known as the ''Hellzer'' in the circles. Well, we have a ''Gotham Detective'' here and a ''Chicago Detective'' too. The three of you detectives can work together, and there shouldn''t be any case you can''t solve, right?"


    "The focus of the Hellzer is on hell... Well, if that''s your requirement, then I''ll do my best."


    One dayter, Batman looked at Constantine, who was slumped in the corner with a hallucinated and vacant expression. He nced at the other addicts in this den, whose expressions were simr, and suddenly he understood the method Schiller had told him, which was to beat this person whenever and wherever he encountered him, without fail...


    "How much did you take?" Batman asked in a deep voice.


    Constantine spit out a word from his throat, "Cigarette..."


    Batman grabbed his cor and punched him. Constantine regained some rity and shook his head, saying, "Thanks, that''s more invigorating than a cigarette."


    Batman let go, throwing him to the ground. Constantine''s shoulder bumped against the wall, but he paid no attention. He groped on his body and found a crumpled cigarette box, took out a cigarette, and then asked Batman, "Got a light?"


    "When do you n to investigate the case?"


    "Can''t you go instead? He won''t be constantly watching me anyway. You said it yourself, you can figure it out on your own. So, why don''t you go investigate? I''ll stay here for a while. Isn''t this perfect cooperation?"


    "If I could avoid working with you, I wouldn''t have seen you here."


    "Heh..." Constantine chuckled with a low voice. His cigarette remained unlit, but he held it in his mouth. Leaning against the corner, he looked at Batman and said, "I can tell, you''re a very naive boy. Just starting out, leaving your parents not too long ago, full of dreams of being a hero, wanting to strike at criminals and uphold justice..."


    "But it won''t be long before you realize that there are far more interesting things in this world than that..." Constantine''s voice always had a hoarseness to it. He loosened his tie, appearing disheveled.


    The lingering hallucinatory and pleasurable effects of the drugs hadn''t faded yet, making Constantine seem somewhat mad. He tugged at his cor, looking at Batman and said, "You need to learn to rx a bit. Then you''ll be like me, seeing that tiny bit of beauty that still exists in this damn world..."


    "My child, why so serious?"


    Batman''s arm muscles instantly tensed up, and Constantine noticed this detail. He thought his temptation had seeded, but in the moment he burst intoughter, a fist the size of a sandbag appeared in his field of vision.


    Ten minutester, with a swollen and bruised face, Constantine followed behind Batman,ining, "What did I say wrong? Even if you''re not interested in me, we can still have some fun. You know, I''m an open-minded person..."


    Another ten minutester, Gordon looked at the even more bruised and swollen Constantine and said, "You didn''t actually listen to Schiller, did you? Batman, in my opinion, even if he''s a criminal, you shouldn''t... This is going a bit too far, isn''t it?"


    "Thank you for speaking up for me, officer. Got a light?"


    Gordon took out a lighter from his pocket and handed it to Constantine. Constantine lit his cigarette, took a puff, and after exhaling the smoke, Gordon wrinkled his nose and said, "...God, what did you put in that cigarette? Damn it! Put it down! Are you really smoking in front of a police officer??? Put it down right now!!!"


    Another ten minutester, Gordon stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Constantine slumped in the corner like a pile of rotten mud. He rubbed his forehead and said, "I swear, I really didn''t want to hit him, but he crossed the line..."


    Gordon pinched the packet of cigarettes, took one out, and after removing the wrapping, he said, "Most people add a little something to the cigarette, but he added a little cigarette to the something. You damn junkie, aren''t you afraid of smoking yourself to death?"


    Constantine, who was getting high again, chuckled and said, "Tell me, if a demon consumed the soul of a junkie like me, would he also tear his face apart, crying and weeping like those stray dogs on the streets?"


    Gordon looked at Batman and said, "He''s beyond saving. Even in Gotham, I rarely see someone as rotten as this rotten person."


    After saying that, he nodded and said, "Schiller was right. Whenever we see him, beat him up. Can''t go wrong with that."


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 Chapter 303: Three Detectives (7)

    Chapter 303: Three Detectives (7)


    Under the nightfall, a faint light emanated from the office of the Gotham Police Station. Gordon stood by the window, lighting a cigarette.


    Behind him was Batman, organizing his equipment at the desk. Gordon exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and said, "To be honest, I''ve seen all sorts of scum in Gotham¡ªrobbers, murderers, drug addicts, people who betray their friends and family... But someone like Constantine, that''s a first for me."


    "I admit it''s difficult to save him, but we can''t just let him be. I can''t stand by and watch someone destroy themselves..."


    "Even if you didn''t say it, I would still keep an eye on him."


    Gordon turned his head, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Batman. "Indeed, you seem to be closely watching him. Why? Just because he''s a probationary criminal?"


    "Do you know why Schiller let him go?" Batman lowered his head, wiping the de of his batarang.


    "Actually, he had the ability to trap Constantine in a dream. Even if he didn''t do that, he could have knocked out Constantine and handed him over to you, then let him stand trial."


    "Stand trial? Forgive me for being blunt, but even if he receives a very fair trial, the end result would still be confinement in a mental hospital. Look at his state, do you honestly think he''s not mentally ill?"


    "But I find it strange too. I feel like Schiller isn''t the kind of person who likes to invite trouble. By letting such a big trouble enter Gotham City, didn''t he consider the chaos it would cause?" Gordon said, puzzled."Obviously, he did consider it, and he was well aware. Do you think Constantine told the truth?"


    "Well... he probably said most of it, right? At least the part about Lawrence is true. As for the part with him and the Dream God... well, let''s just say I''ll treat him as a madman..."


    Batman''s voice was as deep as the night outside the window, and his hand paused for a moment while wiping the batarang. He said, "His words make some logical sense. Mrs. Sanchez sacrificed Cooper to the demon because she couldn''t fulfill Cooper''s demands, and he created a doppelg?nger, who then staged another murder at the school, leading us there..."


    "But he must have concealed some important facts. Perhaps Schiller is waiting for him to expose his own vulnerability."


    Gordon took a drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke. He looked at the dark night of Gotham and said, "With magic and demons appearing, what wille next? Angels and gods?"


    "Oh God!" Jason eximed, "What''s going on? Where''s Dick???"


    He quickly jumped down from the cer door and looked at the chaotic floor of his base. Theb table across was overturned, its surface and misceneous items scattered on the ground. The new toolbox on the side workbench had also fallen to the ground, with all the tools scattered. More importantly, in the center of the floor, there were two pools of blood.


    Jason turned to the others who had juste down. "Someone broke in here! Dick has been kidnapped, we have to save him!!!"


    Jason was so anxious that his eyes turned red. Over these days, he had be good friends with Dick and the kids from the vocational school. Now his friend was kidnapped in his own base, and Jason was on the verge of losing control...


    At this moment, the rest of the group, who had been waiting outside, also jumped down one by one, all astonished by the gruesome scene. Rocket Launcher spoke first, "It seems like a kidnapping indeed, and


    Dick is bleeding. We need to find him as soon as possible."


    Wheelman surveyed the room and said, "No, we''re not good at this. Let''s call Copperpot and have hime. In situations like this, he can handle it all by himself!"


    "I know his home phone number. I''ll call him!" Rocket Launcher said, crawling out of the cer entrance and riding his motorcycle to find a phone.


    Meanwhile, as the night descended, Copperpot''s old mansion appeared surprisingly calm. Ever since Mrs. Copperpot was hospitalized, Copperpot had been living alone in the old mansion. Although the new apartment had a better environment, the old mansion was closer to the downtown area, making it more convenient for Copperpot to travel between several locations.


    Copperpot was sound asleep in his bed when suddenly the shrill sound of the telephone rang, waking him up. He was a bit dazed because the phone here hadn''t rung for a long time. Since his father''s death, no one had called this number to contact them.


    But Copperpot wiped his face and walked downstairs to answer the call. Jason''s anxious voice came from the other end, "Copperpot! Come quickly! Dick has been kidnapped!"


    "Dick? Wasn''t he supposed to be at boarding school? How could he be kidnapped?"


    "Anyway, juste over first. It''s an urgent situation!!"


    When Copperpot arrived at Jason''s underground base and saw the chaotic scene, he frowned. Jason said to him, "Earlier, there was an incident at the boarding school where Dick was staying. We encountered danger when we went to find him, but luckily reinforcements arrived in time, and we''re all okay."


    "Originally, Batman was supposed to take us back to one of his hideouts, but we felt ufortable there, so we ran out. However, we expended a lot of energy at that time and felt tired. Dick didn''t go back to his mansion in the southern wealthy district but stayed here with us and slept for a while."


    "After waking up, it was alreadyte in the day, and we decided to get something to eat. Since Dick wasn''t familiar with the area, we asked him to stay and watch over the ce while Sliphead and I went to buy food."


    "When we went to our usual shop, we happened to run into them, who were also there for ate-night snack. So we bought the food and nned toe back and eat together. But when we returned, Dick was missing, and the ce was in this state with blood on the floor..."


    Copperpot carefully examined the scene and then climbed out of the basement through thedder. After looking around, he said, "Your footprints have made this ce a bit messy, but it seems there''s a stranger''s footprints here."


    "Here, he should have gone that way, into that alley..."


    The children ran to the alley Copperpot pointed at. It was a narrow alley that extended from the back of the alley and led directly to the main street on the other side. Copperpot also walked over, but when he reached halfway through the alley, he said, "The footprints have disappeared..."


    Copperpot looked around, with a building on the left side of this position and a high wall on the right side. He climbed thedder with rocket propellers onto the top of the high wall and looked to the other side, saying, "No traces, he shouldn''t have escaped by climbing over the wall."


    The footprints vanished into thin air in the middle of the alley. Copperpot returned to the basement entrance and checked again, examining all the possible routes, but there were still no clues. This sudden disappearance was troublesome for any detective.


    Copperpot shook his head and said, "I''m helpless. You should seek help from someone more capable."


    Jason became anxious and said to Copperpot, "Did he just disappear out of thin air? How is that possible??"


    "At least for now, that seems to be the fact. And don''t talk to me in that tone. I''m here to help you, but I expect that you might be able to help me in the future..."


    Sliphead also advised, "Copperpot did his best. After all, we all saw it. The footprints just vanished, and there were no traces on any of the roads nearby."


    As Jason impatiently ran his hand through his hair, he suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to Copperpot and said, "The shlight we can use formunication, it should still work, right? Let''s find Batman!"


    Saying that, he pulled Sliphead and ran towards the underground base. The others were about to follow, but Copperpot stopped them, saying, "Batman should be able to handle this. Isn''t he Gotham''s most formidable vignte?"


    "Besides, do you know what happened with the investigation they conductedst time?"


    "What''s the matter?"


    Copperpot said helplessly, "It''s about them investigating the big boss who controls the kids."


    Red Truck scratched his hair and said, "Jason told me that when he went undercover on that street, he overheard the boss''s superior telling him to raise funds quickly..."


    "Anything else?"


    They all shook their heads, but Rocket Launcher said, "If I have to mention something, didn''t Dick go with Jason? One night, he came back with some candies and said the little boss gave them to him."


    "Candies?" Copperpot frowned and said, "Would those vampires buy candies for the kids under theirmand?"


    Copperpot continued, "I used to be a cigarette boy in Living Hell. I know what kind of people those moms and dads are. If they could, they would make their kids work for them day and night without rest or food. Even if they did a good job, it would never be enough..."


    "Not surprising. We don''t have this in Living Hell, but from here to the Mosley Street area, the moms and dads buy candies for their children. I even heard my friend say he envies the kids in this area."


    Copperpot sighed and asked, "Where are the candies Dick brought back?"


    "He should have taken them home."


    Wheelman looked at Copperpot''s expression and asked, "You seem very interested in these moms and dads. They have been around for a while. Why suddenly investigate them?"


    "You guys don''t have to worry about it. I have my reasons. If you have any new information, be sure to let me know in time."


    After saying that, Copperpot left, leaving the other three staring at his back, a little confused. But Copperpot was always mysterious like this. The remaining three nced at each other, shook their heads, and left as well.


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 Chapter 304: Three Detectives (8)

    Chapter 304: Three Detectives (8)


    In the outskirts of Gotham, on the side of a hill that doesn''t appear on any map, beneath a steep cliff, a carefully disguised iron gate was concealed beneath rubble.


    After extensive scanning and verification, Batman walked along the metal bridge inside the gate. The pentagonal arch supported the entrance to the Batcave, while the long metal bridge passed through several arches, extending into the mountain.


    Inside the arches, there were cold light tubes that illuminated the bridge, casting a blue glow. As Batman passed under the lights, the cold light flowed down his cape.


    After crossing the metal bridge, there was a lift tform. When the tform descended to the bottom, it was apparent that this ce was still under construction.


    Across from the lift tform was a massive cylindrical space divided into multiple levels. Currently, only the bottommost level and half of the second level werepleted. Each level had a corridor extending from the outer walls, with several doors along the corridor.


    It was evident that this tower-like structure seemed to be inspired by an architecture existing only in dreams. When standing at the bottom of the tower and looking up, theyers of floors gave an overwhelming sense of oppression.


    At this moment, this ce was still a genuine underground base, without any peculiar collections. However, when Batman walked out of the lift tform and entered the corridor on the second floor, he opened one of the room doors, revealing countless surveince screens.


    Each screen represented a corner of Gotham. However, in this room, only two-thirds of the surveince screens were lit, while the rest remained ck.


    This clearly demonstrated the infinite curiosity and destructive power of the people of Gotham. The ck screens indicated cameras fixed in certain ces that were malfunctioning.Batman had been busytely and hadn''t had time to repair the cameras. Nevertheless, even with two-thirds of the screens, he was monitoring most of Gotham''s buildings.


    Batman squinted his eyes and began.


    Just about ten minutes ago, he received news from Jason that Dick had been kidnapped. Batman had to admit that when he heard this news, he felt his heart tremble for a moment.


    Batman could also sense that finding a nanny for Aisha wasn''t the sole reason for him adopting Dick, nor was it about finding an assistant for himself. If he had to say, it was the aura between him and Dick that resonated well.


    Although Batman disliked studying those bizarre mystical theories, he discovered that the coldness and distance he experienced when interacting with ordinary people as Batman did not exist in his interactions with Dick. They seemed to have an innate understanding.


    Previously, he insisted on sending Dick to boarding school, but then the school had an incident, which made Batman hesitate. And now, hearing the news of Dick''s kidnapping, the me of anger that hadn''t ignited within him for a long time was reignited.


    Batman narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the screens, not missing any details. Soon, the movement of his head stopped, and his gaze fell on a screen to his right...


    For convenience in locating, the surveince screens were also distributed ording to geographical locations. The closer to the center, the closer it was to Gotham''s downtown, while the corners represented more remote areas.


    At this moment, the screen he was focusing on disyed footage from a building located on the outskirts of the Gotham East District, between the third and fourth piers.


    Several screens surrounding this one were ck, indicating that the cameras here had been severely damaged. Not because the people living here were prepared, but because this ce was known as the gathering spot for Gotham''s most notorious drug addicts. After getting high, they would kick anything they saw, causing the cameras to break quickly.


    As Batman saw this location, his fingers twitched suddenly, and his expression began to grow cold. Before the bat


    took flight, his low voice echoed in the empty room, sounding somewhat ominous.


    "Constantine..."


    The location shown on the surveince screen was a club in East District that had been closed for a long time due to the damage to the surface structures in Gotham.


    The building above the club had copsed on one side, and no one dared to enter. However, in the lone camera at the corner of the building, a person wearing a trench coat was seen carrying a child into the basement.


    When Batman arrived, Dick was lying on the basement floor. Batman walked over and checked him. There were no injuries on Dick''s body, which did not match Jason''s description of a kidnapping scene with bloodstains. Batman''s shaking of Dick''s body caused him to wake up.


    Dick blinked in confusion, and when he saw Batman, he breathed a sigh of relief. Batman asked him, "Who kidnapped you?"


    "...That Constantine," Dick replied, rubbing his forehead and frowning. "I was in Jason''s underground base when suddenly, he appeared from the corner, as if by magic."


    "He tried to attack me, but I dodged. You know, I''m not easy to handle. I grabbed a crowbar and fought him, breaking his forehead and scratching his arm..."


    "But in the end, he used something like a magic circle to knock me out..."


    While Batman was surveying the space in the basement, the basement door made a sound. Constantine, who had just returned, walked down the staircase and locked eyes with Batman before turning around and running.


    Batman moved faster than him, and several Batarangs flew past Constantine''s ears and stuck on the door. Batman''s deep voice came through, "Make one more move, and you''re done for."


    Constantine froze on the staircase, then slowly raised his arms, signaling that he posed no threat. He said, "I want to turn around."


    Batman didn''t reply, but Constantine took it as his consent. He very slowly turned around, facing Batman. Before Batman could ask him anything, Constantine said, "Listen to my exnation! I swear I meant no harm..."


    Before he could finish speaking, a fist the size of a sandbag appeared in his field of vision.


    Ten minutester, Batman threw the beaten and battered Constantine onto the ground. Constantine cried out in pain, and another Batarang grazed his cheek and stuck into the ground, silencing him. Batman asked, "Why did you kidnap Dick?"...


    "I was investigating a case, didn''t you ask me to?!"


    Batman stared at Constantine, who exined, "Didn''t I tell you before? Lorena Sanchez specializes in using children''s souls for her practices. Do you know how she extracts the souls of children?"


    Batman silently looked at him, and Constantine didn''t expect a response. He continued, "I don''t know if you''ve heard this legend before. On Halloween night, there''s a beautiful woman dressed as a witch, holding a basket full of candies. If a child wants to get candy from her, they must call her ''Mom.''"


    "When the child takes the candy and eats it, they have essentially made a deal with the ghost mother."


    "Once the child calls the witch ''Mom,'' the witch can alter the ownership of the child''s soul, truly bing their mother, and then sell the child''s soul to the devil in exchange for what she needs..."


    Batman suddenly understood his meaning. He turned his head to Dick and asked, "Did you encounter this witch?"


    Dick paused for a moment, then recalled and said, "No, I didn''t, and moreover..."


    "Although I haven''t been in Gotham for long, whether it''s Easter or any other night, if someone dressed strangely walks the streets and asks to be called ''Mom,'' they will definitely get shot."


    "Moreover, the kids in Gotham can''t just call anyone ''Mom.'' When I was a street urchin, only the head of a certain block could be called ''Mom'' or ''Dad.'' If anyone dares to call otherwise, they''ll be beaten to death."


    "...So, have you been eating anything unusualtely?" Batman asked again.


    Dick shook his head, then suddenly remembered and said, "I dide across some candies recently, but it was when I was a street urchin. The little boss there gave them to me, but I didn''t eat them..."


    Batman turned his head to look at Constantine, who seemed to suddenly be unable to continue the act. He gave up struggling, slumped to the ground, and after giving Batman a smug smile, he slowly turned into a pile of ashes.


    Just then, the rm on Batman''s wrist suddenly went off, the piercing sound indicating that someone had invaded Wayne Manor.


    Batman looked at the pile of ashes on the ground and said, "Using the same trick twice, you''re at least a daring con artist, Constantine..."


    "Wait!" Dick struggled to get up from the ground and said, "Didn''t you say that this thing refers to someone invading the Manor? We need to hurry back, there''s... there''s..."


    Dick repeated it several times, his tone gradually slowing down and bing slightly higher-pitched. Then he and Batman exchanged a nce, and he said, "...There''s Aisha in the Manor."


    When Batman and Dick returned to Wayne Manor, Constantine was once again sprawled in the middle of the living room, just like that day, with Aisha next to him, baring her fangs and wearing a terrifying smile.


    Batman calmly walked up to Constantine, saying, "The scene seems familiar, doesn''t it?"


    Only to see Constantine''s chest heave fiercely on the ground, then he copsed like a deted balloon. His tone carried deep resignation...


    "...Are there no normal people in Gotham??"


    Batman walked over, grabbed him by the cor, and dragged him to the basement. After handcuffing Constantine, his first words were still, "Got a cigarette?"


    But Batman wasn''t Schiller; his interrogation process relied mainly on physical treatment. He directly crushed Constantine''s wrist joint with his bare hands. Amid Constantine''s agonizing screams, he gasped for breath and looked at Batman, saying, "Impressive, kid..."


    "If it were before, I wouldn''t mind ying with you, but now I have more important things to do..."


    As he spoke, a burst of light flew out from Constantine''s chest, almost instantly disappearing in the basement. Batman looked in the direction where the light vanished¡ªit was where he had imprisoned Sinestro.


    Just as Batman walked out of the cell, Sinestro, who was locked in the adjacent cell, activated his teleportation and disappeared in an instant.


    With a grim expression, Batman returned to Constantine''s cell and broke his knee joint with a stomp. But this time, Constantine didn''t scream. Hey on the ground as if he were high on drugs and spoke in a somewhat ethereal tone.


    "Thanks to Professor Schiller, I''ve learned a new knowledge of psychology, and now it cane in handy..."


    Before Batman could understand what he meant, Constantine on the ground suddenly turned into a pile of ashes. From the ashes in the East District basement club, a figure slowly stood up. Constantine tugged at his tie and muttered to himself,


    "...So this is


    Gotham? Quite interesting."


    Suddenly, a voice rang out.


    "Is it?"


    Constantine''s body stiffened, as he felt a cylindrical object pressed against his back. He heard the person behind him say,


    "Well then... Wee to Gotham."


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 Chapter 305: Three Detectives (9)

    Chapter 305: Three Detectives (9)


    Constantine slowly raised his hands. Even though he knew that the object pressing against his back was just the tip of an umbre, he remained motionless.


    He looked up at the ceiling and attempted to tilt his head further back to get a clear view of the person behind him. Suddenly, the umbre jabbed his shoulder, causing Constantine to cry out in pain. He turned around to face Schiller.


    There was a hint of confusion in his gaze, as if he couldn''t understand why Schiller had taken back the umbre. Schiller, while tidying up the umbre, said, "The one called Batman and the one called Gordon won''t find us here anytime soon. Since there''s no one else, we don''t need to pretend anymore."


    "Tell me, why did youe to Gotham?"


    Before Constantine could speak, Schiller reached into his pocket and threw a small bottle of medicine to Constantine. Constantine caught it and brought it close to his eyes, carefully examining the ingredients listed on the bottle. After a brief nce, he smiled and said, "This is good stuff. It seems we''re on the same page..."


    As he spoke, he unscrewed the bottle cap and eagerly poured a few pills into his mouth. Schiller walked toward a table in the basement as he said, "You don''t need to hide the pills in your sleeve. They''re not poisonous, just ordinary painkillers."


    The two of them approached a pool table in the basement. Constantine pretended to be at ease and said, "I just thought that the uing conversation wouldn''t be suitable while we''re under the influence."


    "Then give me back the medicine. It''s good stuff, and more importantly..." Schiller nced at Constantine, implying something, and said, "...it eases the pain."


    Constantine, without hesitation, discreetly stashed the small medicine bottle in the inner pocket of his windbreaker and tightly covered it."Since you''re being so generous, it seems I have no choice but to spill the beans today?"


    "But it''s quite simple. A mysterious person contacted me and asked me to deliver a package." Constantine pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He handed it to Schiller, who conjured a me in his hand to light the cigarette before extinguishing it.


    Constantine yfully asked, "Who are you contracted with? It''s rted to fire... Let me guess, ava demon? Or perhaps a fire elemental?"


    "Continue talking," Schiller said, taking a puff of the cigarette and exhaling the smoke.


    Constantine couldn''t help but think that he didn''t consume the medicine Schiller gave him, yet Schiller smoked the cigarette he offered. Constantine felt as though he had already lost before the battle even began.


    However, Schiller seemed unfazed. Whatever Constantine had added to the smoke, it had all disappeared into the gray mist within Schiller''s body. He would be pleased if hundreds of demonic contracts were mixed in. Power was dly epted. Need to settle the score? Go ask Gnar. It''s only right and proper for the son to repay the father''s debts.


    "A few days ago, when I was still in a psychiatric hospital, a voice suddenly appeared in my ear. I thought I was going mad at the time."


    "He said he could help me solve a minor problem, but the price was that I had to help him deliver a power to a hapless individual who was trapped."


    "Sounds like a good deal, doesn''t it? The so-called hapless person is in Gotham, so here I am." ...


    "The n I mentioned earlier about the crazy alcohol is real. I genuinely want to obtain this magical substance. After all, who wouldn''t want such an intriguing toy?"


    "But I also have another objective, which is to get close to Batman, track his movements, lure him out, and then infiltrate Wayne Manor to rescue the unfortunate soul."


    "You know Batman is Bruce Wayne?"


    Constantine paused for a moment and asked, "Who else could it be? The moment I saw his chin, I knew it was Bruce. Could he still be an anonymous hero?"


    Constantine paused again and said, "Well, even if he wanted to be an anonymous hero, why would he expose his chin?"


    "I heard Bruce is a yboy. I can recognize the chin of everyone I''ve slept with, and those socialites surely can too. Isn''t he afraid that the women he''s been with would go around shouting that he''s Batman?"


    "If you had told him this before he started his career, he might have willingly covered his chin."


    Constantine touched his own chin and continued, "...I deliberately said some things to catch his attention. During that time, I observed him and figured out his behavior patterns and daily routine."


    "I noticed that he rarely leaves Wayne Manor for long periods, which is a problem for me. I need to find a way to lure him out."


    "I kidnapped that boy named Dick and sessfully lured Batman here. However, just like I didst time, the one here is just an ash clone. The clone is keeping Batman upied here, while my real self went to Wayne Manor."


    "I have to thank you, Professor Schiller. The theory you mentioned earlier inspired me. Although this move is called an ash clone, its purpose is not just cloning. It''s more like a teleportation using the concept of ''cloning.''"


    "When the ash clone exists, it can transform into the real body at any time, and the real body can also transform into the clone. I can quickly teleport between the real body and the clone."


    "After my real self entered Wayne Manor, I encountered a rather strange little girl. She had sharp teeth and incredible strength. I have no idea what kind of creature Batman slept with to have her..."


    "But it doesn''t matter. I didn''t n on barging in forcefully anyway. Even if I did, I wouldn''t know where he''s keeping that unlucky guy. I pretended to be stopped andy on the ground, so when Batman returned, he would take me to the ce where he usually imprisons others..."


    "As expected, he did exactly that. After sessfully delivering the package, I turned the ''me'' in Wayne Manor into a clone, while my real self returned here. If you weren''t here, I would probably be celebrating by now..."


    "We can have a drink now to celebrate your fantastic n to toy with Batman."


    "Aren''t you his teacher? Why do you seem somewhat gleeful?"


    "You don''t understand. Watching Batman is the biggest form of entertainment in our city."


    "Then why did youe here?" Constantine asked.


    "Of course, because I know you''re aplete chatan, incapable of speaking a single word of truth."...


    "When someone asks you, you give them a reasonably believable truth. If the person asking isn''t clever, they will be deceived by you. But if they are a bit smarter, you will reveal the truth behind the truth, and that truth is still a lie."


    "If people ask you again, and you reveal the truth behind the truth, but it''s also a lie. Among the multipleyers of truth, they are all true, but none of them are true."


    "You want to say that you only tell the truth and never lie. That''s true, but the truth you speak is always reserved. Every word you say is part of the truth, but it''s not the whole truth. It''s like squeezing toothpaste."


    Constantine''s hand holding the cigarette was a little stiff. He looked straight ahead while Schiller took a puff of his cigarette without turning his head, and said:


    "I know this, that''s why I''ve been keeping an eye on you. That''s why I''m here. I want to see how many times you can squeeze the toothpaste on this."


    "Which means, in the near future, you will persistently follow me. I was saying..."


    Constantine made a dissatisfied expression and said, "Since we''re colleagues, why can''t we show a little understanding for each other? Seriously, who are you contracted with? We might even be old acquaintances."


    "Hold on..." Constantine rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression and said, "I noticed earlier that your dreams were a bit too real. Could it be that you''re contracted with Morpheus?"


    "Well, you''re really lucky then. Morpheus is different from those simple-minded demons with well-developed limbs in hell. He''s a person of taste, and he''s beautiful..."


    "Do you know, Constantine, when you hide your true intentions in various flowery statements, shifting the topic bes too stiff, and it''s easy to give yourself away."


    Constantine coughed twice, just when he was about to inquire further, Schiller suddenly moved. He picked up his umbre, turned to Constantine, and said, "The person you just tricked has arrived. I''ll leave first. Take care of yourself."


    "Wait, don''t..."


    With two "swoosh" sounds, Constantine slowly raised his hands as Batman threw the Batarang. He said, "It was your good professor who told me to do this. This has nothing to do with me, I swear..."


    Another fist the size of a sandbag appeared in his field of vision.


    Ten minutester, Constantine was leaning against the corner again. He adjusted his tie with his hands. Batman asked him, "Is the story you mentioned about the witch and the candy true?"


    "Ahem, of course, I don''t need to lie to you about this part. That''s how Laurenna cultivates..."


    "The children who have eaten the candy are equivalent to giving their souls to her. Now, Sanchez has turned into a monster. Those children..."


    "It''s useless. Laurenna has already sold the souls of all the children in her hands to the devil, and it''s only a matter of time before the devil devours their souls."


    Seeing Constantine''s indifferent attitude, Batman couldn''t help but punch him again. Constantine tilted his head, leaving a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. He didn''t care at all. Still holding the cigarette, he said, "Even if you beat me to death, it won''t change anything."...


    "In the era when witches were active, they sacrificed thousands of children using this method. Although these children were deceived, they willingly signed the contract. Therefore, the ways they died were either diseases or idents. Their parents would never associate these events with mysticism."


    "If it weren''t for Laurenna''s grandmother, the most powerful ghost mother in history, who vited the taboos of the mystical realm and exposed everything, people wouldn''t even know that such a person existed in this world."


    "I know you want to save those children, and I do too. But now it''s toote. Laurenna didn''t start cooperating with Cooper today; she has been operating here for too long. The number of children who have eaten candy is countless..."


    "To which demon did she sell the children''s souls?"


    Constantine shook his head and said, "Hell is not just Satan, as you think. There are numerous demons there, each with different species and responsibilities. Depending on the abilities Laurenna wanted to utilize, she sold her soul to the corresponding demon. Over the years, no one knows how many abilities she has employed..."


    "Of course, even in this manner, she has to pay a price. The demons particrly favor the souls of children conceived by ghost mothers. Hence, every few years, Laurenna must conceive herself and then, at the moment before the child''s birth, offer him to the demon with her own hands."


    "In the realm of mysticism, this is already considered an excellent method of cultivation. Although pregnancy and childbirth are physically damaging to women, at least she doesn''t have to personally endure the torment of demons..."


    Batman stared at Constantine. He found it somewhat absurd. Keeping pregnant and sacrificing one''s own biological child to the devil is already considered a decent method of cultivation. How much more agonizing could the others be?


    "Do you find it incredible? But that''s who we are. The world believes we are the holy spirits who control the path of magic, but in reality, we are just prisoners held in the palm of the devil..."


    Constantine took the final drag of his cigarette into his lungs, then with a hoarse voice, apanied by the smoke from the cigarette, echoed in the dim and gloomy basement.


    "So, don''t think about using magic to resurrect anyone... Batman."


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 Chapter 306: Three Detectives (10)

    Chapter 306: Three Detectives (10)


    In the past many years, the nights at Wayne Manor have always been very quiet because there is only one male master and his old butler. After the night falls in Gotham, the only lit light will soon be extinguished, and therge Manor will bepletely swallowed by darkness until dawn arrives again.


    But on this night, the lights in Wayne Manor were always on, and the sound of adder rubbing against the bookshelf broke the silence in the room. Dick frowned and coughed twice, waving his hand in front of his nose to dispel the dust in front of him.


    He looked up at the row after row of thick books on the bookshelf, and his fingers stopped on a book named "Ten Great Mysterious Legends You Don''t Know."


    Dick reached out and took the book out from a pile of tightly squeezed books, then climbed down a few steps of thedder and threw the book down. Aisha jumped up high from the ground, caught the books, and swung her short legs, cing thisrge and unwieldy book on a pile of books nearby.


    Dick climbed up thedder quickly and continued searching through the bookshelves. As he searched, he muttered to himself, "The life of the wealthy is even more prosperous than I imagined..."


    He looked around the reading room. This was Wayne Manor''s book collection, located in the western tower of the Manor. The entire reading room upied a whole floor of the tower, with hundreds of rows of bookshelves and countless books, arranged in a circr pattern.


    The reading room retained a strong British style, with reddish-brown bookshelves adorned with naturalistic decorations. In the center of the reading room, there was a row of circr sofas and several semicircr book tables.


    "In the past, if I could live in a house like this, I would be so happy. But this ce is just used for storing books."


    Dick muttered softly. He took out another book from the bookshelf, climbed down thedder, ced the book on top of the stack that Aisha had made, and then picked up therge pile of books. He walked towards the center of the reading room.There, Bruce was bent over, reading one of the books. Dick approached, ced the thick stack of books on the table, and tapped the top book, saying, "Mr. Wayne, these are all the books in Section B rted to the study of the ult. I have arranged them in chronological order, with the oldest ones at the top."


    Bruce took a sip of water, nodded, and Dick led Aisha to another section to continue finding books for Bruce.


    Even Batman had to admit that having an assistant like Dick really saved a lot of trouble. He and Dick had a great understanding, and Bruce was indeed reading these books in chronological order. He had never mentioned it, but Dick intuitively organized the books for him.


    To exin why he was reading books here, we have to go back to the time after he and Constantine parted ways.


    Batman learned from Constantine that Mrs. Sanchez might be using all the children in Gotham for her own training. He couldn''t simply turn a blind eye to this matter, but Batman had almost no knowledge of the ult. Constantine seemedpletely unreliable, and Batman didn''t want to rely on others. Therefore, he decided to study this field of knowledge on his own.


    But for aplete outsider, it was very challenging to train without a mentor. Batman could only seek out the old Father of the Gotham Church.


    Batman didn''t forget that when Father stayed in the Church, he could use the mysterious wine pool under the Church to obtain some special abilities. He thought, maybe this would help him in his research on the ult?


    He arrived at the church at dusk, and Father wasn''t surprised by his appearance. After hearing his intentions, the old Father shook his head and said, "As a clergyman, I certainly know that such a circle exists, but I advise you not to associate with them because most of them acquire special powers through deals with demons."


    "Engaging in such practices will not lead to a good oue. Perhaps in the short term, they can acquire immensely powerful abilities, much like the characters in fantasy novels who can manipte the elements. However, they will inevitably pay an unimaginable price for this power, leading to excruciating suffering."


    "You''ve misunderstood me. I don''t intend to gain power through those means. Instead, I hope to find a way to counteract this kind of power," Batman said, standing in the shadow of the church.


    Father paused as he wiped the cross in his hand and said, "If you merely wish to learn about this, you shouldn''t havee to me."


    "Then who should I seek out?"


    "You should know that the heyday of ultism has long passed. Nowadays, most people have little regard for the supernatural and are skeptical of the divine, especially in Gotham. However, in the past, there was a surge of interest in ck magic throughout the East Coast. If you want to learn about this knowledge, it would be best to search through history."


    "In Gotham, there aren''t many ancient families, but there are always one or two. Like all ancient families, they enjoy recording history and collecting artifacts. Perhaps you might discover some traces from that era within these things..."


    And so, Bruce began searching through the Wayne Family''s collection of books, looking for the hidden ripples beneath the surface of that era.


    Anything rted to the ult carries a sense of subtle and eerie beauty. Practitioners excel in using words and sentence structures that the average person wouldn''t employ to describe an event. Their texts are filled with various allusions, as if rejecting any ordinary person''s attempts to understand them.


    However, when viewed with a rational mindset, these stories are merely stories. Their internal logic is no different from the tales written in children''s fairy tale books. Many of the concepts mentioned are nothing more than spections made by ordinary individuals about this enigmatic realm,cking any substantiated evidence.


    The clouds outside the window raced by as Bruce flipped through the books at an increasing pace. Dick paced back and forth, assisting Bruce. As Bruce finished reading more and more books, the remaining unread ones dwindled. Eventually, Dick had searched through all the books with ult keywords. He sat across from Bruce, joining in the reading.


    Dick''s reading speed was much slower than Bruce''s. Bruce skimmed through the stories for information, while Dick was genuinely captivated by the mysterious tales. Aisha sat beside him, pretending to read as well, though every now and then a page disappeared from the book, promptly consumed by Aisha.


    Dick was engrossed until the sound of Bruce setting down his ss broke his concentration. He looked up and noticed that Bruce had finished reading the entire stack of books. Dick closed his book and asked, "Did you find anything, Mr. Wayne?"


    Bruce''s eyes fell on the book Dick was reading. When Dick noticed his gaze, he nced down at the book in front of him and said, "Oh, this is the ''Top Ten Mysteries'' I just got. It''s actually quite interesting..."


    "What does it talk about?"


    "Well..." Dick hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Bruce took a sip of water and said, "It''s not an exam or a homework assignment to take notes from the book. I just want to try a different perspective and see if it leads to any new ideas."


    "Alright, there are ten stories in here. I just finished reading the second one. The first legend is about werewolves, and the second story is about Suicide Town. I think the second story is more intriguing..."


    "Do you think there might be any useful clues in there?"


    "Clues?" Dick asked, looking very puzzled. "Isn''t it just a ghost story? Where would there be any clues?"


    Bruce redirected his gaze from Dick and turned his attention to the book in his hand. The book discussed various magic circles and hyped up their abilities, but most of them looked like childish scribbles. Moreover, the examples provided didn''t match reality.


    Bruce said to Dick, "If you''re tired, you can go to bed. I''ll continue reading for a while."


    Saying that, he walked towards the bookshelf and started searching for history-rted books. If these fantastical stories couldn''t provide detailed and reliable clues, perhaps traces could be found in the historical development of Gotham City.


    After finding a book, Bruce sat back down. However, Dick and Aisha didn''t leave. Dick looked up and asked, "Is the legend of the witch true? That children who ate candy had their souls sold to the devil?"


    Resting his hands on his face, Dick continued, "It feels a bit strange. If Mrs. Sanchez is truly a witch, why did shee to Gotham?"


    "When my parents came to Gotham, they had no other choice. Apart from the circus here that was willing to take them in, they couldn''t find any other jobs on the entire East Coast. So, we had no option but toe here."


    "If there were other choices, we definitely wouldn''t havee to this city. The weather here is unpleasant, it''s dangerous, and the people have a bad temper. It''s difficult to get along with them. We wouldn''t havee here if we weren''t desperate."


    "But if Mrs. Sanchez is a witch, she should be much more powerful than us, right? Why does she insist oning to Gotham?"


    "The kids here aren''t really any different from kids elsewhere, are they? If there''s one thing to note, it''s that the kids here are more violent and hard to handle..."


    Bruce paused flipping through the book''s pages, and Dick noticed the gesture. "Oh, sorry, did I disturb you? I just can''t sleep right now. How about I sit at the Book table on the other side?"


    "No, you go on," Bruce said.


    "What should I say?"


    "About that part concerning Gotham."


    "I''ve already finished. It''s actually a quite simple truth. If outsiders aren''t desperate, they wouldn''te here, right?"


    "Of course, I know there have been many outsidersing here recently, but that''s because Gotham has suddenly be cooler. However, Mrs. Sanchez has been here for a long time. When she arrived, Gotham should have been even more dangerous, right?"


    "Indeed." Bruce''s voice always had a steady frequency, and his tone didn''t fluctuate when he spoke, making it sound drowsy.


    "Laurena Sanchez didn''t have any reason to choose a city like Gotham as her headquarters, but since she did, there must be a reason."


    Bruce lowered his gaze, looking at the book in his hand. The book''s cover read: "Notes of Solomon Wayne."


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 Chapter 307: Three Detectives (11)

    Chapter 307: Three Detectives (11)


    "Alright, the greatest detective of all time, Constantine, has investigated and found the results you wanted," said Constantine, holding a cigarette and standing in the Schiller Manor''s reception room.


    Schiller leaned back on the sofa, lowered the newspaper slightly, revealing his eyes, and looked at Constantine, asking, "What did you find out?"


    "It''s the murderers of those two murders. Didn''t you ask me to investigate this?"


    "So, what did you find out?"


    "The person who decapitated Hawk is called Evans Falcone, and the person who sawed Richie is unknown, but they were wearing ck and yellow armor."


    Schiller closed the newspaper in his hands, folded it, and set it aside. He pointed to the sofa opposite him, and Constantine walked over and sat down. Schiller said, "I guess you went to hell, found the souls of these two unfortunate victims, and questioned them in person, right?"


    "That''s the Hell Detective for you," Constantine said, spreading his hands. "I''ve said it before, the focus is on hell."


    "I can directly go to hell and ask the souls of the deceased. There''s no case in this world that I can''t solve."


    "...Did you go to school?" Schiller suddenly asked him."Of course, I did. I even studied at a university in London for a while."


    "Well, if you only write down the final answer in an exam, will you get a grade?"


    "Um..." Constantine rubbed his stubble on his chin and said, "Alright, I can deduce the process from the result."


    "Although I haven''t seen this person named Evans, Falcone is the surname of The Godfather. So, Evans should be his son."


    "The Godfather''s son killed The Godfather''s subordinate..." Constantine exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke, squinted his eyes, and said with some emotion, "Perhaps because the old king has grown old, and the young lion is showing its fangs..."


    "If the prince wants to seize the throne, he must first eliminate the wings of the old royalists. From what I know, the Twelve Families are the core power that rules Gotham under The Godfather. If The Godfather''s heir wants to take over, he must dismantle these pirs first."


    "When he visited Hawk, Hawk wouldn''t suspect anything because he is, after all, The Godfather''s son. Like that, this person named Evans lured Hawk into the reception room and then chopped off his head."


    "Afterwards, Richie''s death also makes sense. The person Richie saw wearing ck and yellow armor should be an assassin or a mercenary, as only people in those professions would dress like that."


    "Evans hired this assassin to kill Richie, just to further weaken The Godfather''s power."


    "After I opened the door with Lawrence, this heir of The Godfather cleverly seized the opportunity. As long as hemits simr murders after me, he can me everything on the serial killer..."


    "That''s how it is. It''s all part of Little Falcone''s conspiracy. He wants to seize The Godfather''s position and uses the serial murders as a pretext to eliminate dissidents..."


    "...What do you think of this reasoning?" Constantine looked at Schiller.


    "Almost everything is wrong."


    Constantine raised an eyebrow and said, "It''s notpletely wrong, is it? Even if there may be ws in the process, at least the result is correct, right?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I have to admit, even though your methods may be suspicious of cheating, they work well in the majority of cases. Having a deceased victim identify the killer is as urate as it gets."


    "But this is Gotham, Constantine..." Schiller looked at Constantine and said, "You''ve been here for several days, haven''t you realized that everything here is absurd?"


    "The situation you described may ur in other cities, with other powers, but in Gotham, it''s a chaotic mess where anything unreasonable can happen."


    "So what went wrong exactly?"


    Constantine frowned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and said, "The name Evans Falcone is definitely not wrong. Hawk told me himself that he was the killer, and I can be sure he wasn''t lying."


    "No, even the name is wrong. The person who killed Hawk is not Evans Falcone, but Alberto Falcone. Alberto is Evans'' brother."


    "Twin brothers?" Constantine''s fingertips trembled.


    "But I heard Falcone only has one son."


    "Physically, he does have only one son. Have you heard of a split personality?"


    "Oh... that''s a bit unfair." Constantine waved his hand and said, "Besides a psychologist, who would know about his second persona? Even the victim didn''t know. It''s not something that can be deduced."


    "Although it''s a bit difficult, it''s notpletely impossible. If you had investigated carefully, you would have known that most people describe Evans as ''indecisive.'' It''s unlikely for him to have the audacity to kill his father''s subordinate just to climb thedder."


    "At least you can know that The Godfather and his son have a good rtionship. Their conflict hasn''t escted to the point of a power struggle..."


    "Alright, it''s my fault for not investigating thoroughly. So let''s rece Evans with Alberto. The motive and methods are fine, right?" Constantine''s voice sounded hoarse.


    "Although Alberto does have a bad rtionship with The Godfather, it doesn''t make sense for him to hire an assassin to kill Richie. As you said, if he could kill Hawk, he could use the same method to kill Richie without the need for someone else''s help."


    "Well, it seems like I''m not cut out to be a detective..." Constantine spread his hands and said, "Hellzer''s first detective careeres to an end here."


    He took a deep drag of his cigarette, the dense smoke swirling between his lips and nose, masking half of his face like a mask, concealing his clenched teeth and twitching mouth corners.


    "Constantine, you walk between heaven and hell, dealing with cunning demons. Even the most terrifying demon lord in hell can''t do much to you."


    "Even though detective work is not the main focus of Hellzer, you shouldn''t overlook so many details ande up with such a hasty process and result, unless..."


    Schiller stood up and walked to the bookshelf behind the table. Constantine smoked cigarettes one after another, his hand holding the cigarette trembling violently.


    Finally, he couldn''t hold on any longer and leaned against the sofa as if losing strength.


    His face was pale, fresh blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and the intense pain caused his entire body to convulse.


    In a hazy vision, he saw Schiller standing across from him, holding a bottle in one hand and a ss in the other, pouring the wine from the bottle into the ss.


    When the liquid was sshed into Constantine''s mouth, he sat up as if awakened. Then he looked around dazedly and finally raised his head to see Schiller''s head transformed into a slowly rotating globe.


    Constantine let out a breath. Even in his dream, his fingertips trembled slightly. He lit another cigarette and ced it in his mouth, feeling a little better.


    "Even in thest second before death, a person can still dream, or rather, it''s the best time to dream. The carousel of life is the best dream."


    "Is that so?" Constantine turned his head slowly, looking out of the window. He said, "I''ve never had a good dream."


    "But I know..." apanied by his words was a long sigh from Constantine. "...I can''t me the god of dreams for that."


    Amidst the haze of cigarette smoke, Constantine began his narration.


    Before I was born, I had a brother. We were twins, sharing the space in our mother''s womb and the nutrients she gave us.


    One day, still inside our mother''s womb, I strangled him with the umbilical cord. Before I was even born, I killed my own elder brother and took away all the space and nutrients.


    And that caused my mother to bleed heavily and die during childbirth. When I was just born, I killed my own mother.


    My mother died because of me, so my father hated me intensely. After hemitted a crime and went to prison, I was fostered by other rtives.


    It was during this time that I began to have contact with magic. After my father was released from prison, in order to seek revenge for his indifference, I cursed him with the magic I had just learned. He didn''t die, but became weak and in pain.


    Then, I started performing as a member of a band all over the world, causing more chaos and killing more people. But in an ident thatnded me in a mental hospital, I awakened to an understanding of my own fate, and I saw all of this...


    More importantly, I saw a shadow that had always been with me. It was my elder brother, the one I killed before he was born, my own blood brother. He didn''t die but turned into a curse that forever haunted me...


    We are twins. I have unparalleled magical talent, and so does he. The curse he became continues to surround me, hiding under my bed every night, stealing away my good dreams. But I know that''s not all he wants.


    He wants to torment me, to make me suffer and break me, and then kill me.


    This curse is gradually eroding my body, from dreams to soul, and finally to flesh, causing me intense pain year after year. I''ve tried all kinds of exorcism rituals, but none of them worked.


    Why?


    When I killed him, he was not yet born. After his soul became a curse, he was born alongside me. We are one person, so no exorcism ritual would be effective...


    But I have to solve this problem because he''s about to kill me... Constantine coughed twice. He rxed his body and leaned against the back of the sofa


    , appearing somewhat content. He said, "The moment I entered your dream space, I was shocked. It''s been many years since I felt so rxed."


    The rhythm of Constantine''s cigarette smoking finally slowed down, and the smoke became thinner. Schiller asked, "So it''s because of your brother that you wanted to find the god of dreams?"


    That''s right, because I found out that he seems to be able to interfere with my dreams, giving me all kinds of nightmares. I thought, maybe it''s rted to the god of dreams, maybe Morpheus can find a solution.


    But beforeing here, I didn''t have much hope because in myst encounter with the god of dreams, he told me he couldn''t give me good dreams. I don''t know why, but maybe he was expressing refusal.


    Therefore, I prepared another n.


    What is it?


    Lorena Sanchez, a ghost mother who specializes in dealing with children. Constantine narrowed his eyes and said, "The curse that entwines me takes the form of a fetus, and anything rted to fetuses, infants, and children falls under the jurisdiction of the ghost mother."


    Lorena has been in Gotham for a long time, not because she likes to stay here, but because her grandmother made a contract with a mysterious power here...


    And that mysterious power is... the Owl Priest.


    __________


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 Chapter 308: Three Detectives (End)

    Chapter 308: Three Detectives (End)


    "Do you know a rumor about Gotham? It''s also known as the ''Dark Valley.'' At least in the ult circles, this name carries great weight. They say it''s the gathering ce of darkness in all of North America and even the whole world, like the drainage outlet of a swimming pool."


    Constantine squinted his eyes and leaned back on the sofa. His tone was rxed and content. He said, "This ce is actually perfect for practicing dark magic. It''s not urate to say ''practice,'' but rather, it''s naturally suitable formunicating with demons and making deals."


    "Like a material with good conductivity?"


    "It''s somewhat simr but not entirely the same. In any case, in the previous era, people flocked here from within the ultmunity. However, they soon discovered that this ce wasn''t heaven for magic practitioners but hell because there''s a power here called the Court of Owls."


    "I have heard of that name. It refers to a group of wealthy people who secretly control Gotham, and they''ve recently suffered a major setback."


    Constantine shook his head and said, "I don''t know what Court of Owls you''re familiar with, but the one I know is closely rted to the ult. They''re also known as the ''Dark Cult.''"


    "There''s a legend that says they canmunicate with an ancient dark creature and obtain immensely powerful abilities without any cost. They can use this power to train assassins or control others."


    "How do you know all this?"


    "As I mentioned before, I''ve always been troubled by a curse from my twin brother, so I pay close attention to everything rted to the ult. I know I''ll need them sooner orter.""When I was wandering in Nottingham, I met an acquaintance of Lorena''s grandmother and obtained a notebook from him, which contained Lorena''s grandmother Ivy''s observations and experiences in Gotham."


    "Ivy is known as the most powerful witch in history. She was one of the people attracted to Gotham within that era. Initially, like the others, she hoped to strengthen her connection with the demonic contract by using Gotham''s mysteries and uniqueness to gain more power."


    "Butter, she vited the greatest taboo in the ultmunity."


    "You mentioned that before, so what exactly was it?"


    "She fell in love with an ordinary man named Solomon Wayne, the ancestor of Bruce Wayne."


    "As I mentioned earlier, although witches sell the souls of children to demons in exchange for power, they also have to pay a price. They must sacrifice every child they bear to the demons."


    "After Ivy and Solomon fell in love, she became pregnant. At that time, Solomon had no idea that his lover was a witch. He was overjoyed by the uing birth of their child, and this joy infected Ivy."


    "Ivy genuinely loved Solomon and didn''t want to sacrifice the product of their love to the demons. But with her own power, she couldn''t terminate the deal. It was at this time that the hidden Court of Owls in Gotham approached her..."


    "After Ivy came to Gotham, she contracted several children and sacrificed them to the demons. The Dark Cult priests, who had been observing this abnormal situation, discovered Ivy''s uniqueness. So, they found Ivy and hoped she could use the powers of a witch mother to control the children, thus controlling the future of Gotham City."


    "To protect the child in her womb, Ivy agreed. She promised that all descendants with the blood of a witch mother woulde to Gotham to control the children for the Dark Cult. And so, using a special method, the Dark Cult deceived the demons and saved the child in Ivy''s womb."


    "But those who vite taboos will ultimately meet a tragic end. Ivy and Solomon became too close, to the point that one night, Solomon discovered her evil practices. As an


    ordinary person, Solomon couldn''t ept it all. He couldn''t ept that his lover was an evil witch who had killed countless children."


    "He aimed a gun at Ivy. Normally, as a witch, Ivy wouldn''t fear an attack from an ordinary person. However, at that time, Ivy was heavily pregnant, and her child was about to be born. It was her weakest moment. If Solomon had really pulled the trigger, she would have been doomed."


    "But in the end, Solomon hesitated. He softened his heart and didn''t shoot. Instead, he banished Ivy from Gotham."


    "On that rainy night when she left Gotham, Ivy gave birth to a child in a valley. Then she realized that the Dark Cult had deceived her. The child she bore was a monster made of dark energy..."


    "Ivy used herst bit of strength to kill that monster, as well as her and Solomon''s child."


    "However, she managed to escape with her life. She returned to Ennd and lived out the rest of her days there. She recorded the secrets of Gotham and the Dark Rituals, which eventually reached my hands."


    "But let''s get back to the point. What''s going on between you and Lorena?"


    "Lorena is bound by the ancestral contract between Ivy and the Dark Rituals. She had toe to this dark city, but she doesn''t like it here. She''s tired of being treated like a hunting dog, and she wants to break free from the Dark Rituals."


    "But she couldn''t do it alone. When I found her, we made a deal. As long as she helped me break free from the curse of the unborn, I would help her escape the clutches of the Dark Priests."


    "It was supposed to be a win-win deal, but..."


    Just then, an annoying phone ring suddenly echoed in the dream space. Schiller snapped his fingers, and the dream copsed, engulfing Constantine in agony once again.


    Schiller went downstairs to answer the phone. It was Bruce''s voice on the other end. He said, "Professor, is Constantine with you?"


    "That''s right. Do you need something from him?"


    "No matter what he tells you now, Professor, restrain him immediately. I''m on my way."


    After saying that, Bruce hung up the phone.


    Soon, Batman appeared in Schiller''s Manor. As he entered the parlor and saw Constantine spitting blood and pale-faced, he turned to Schiller and said, "Thank you, Professor."


    Schiller spread his hands and said, "It wasn''t me."


    Batman clearly had an expression of "I fell for your tricks." He was still thinking about how he had beaten up Constantine so many times, but none of it was as effective as when Schiller did it once.


    "Do you have an evil n?" Batman turned to Constantine and asked, looking into his eyes.


    Constantine turned his head slightly, his hands rxed at his sides, as if he had given up struggling. Batman walked over, grabbed his neck with one hand, lifting him up. There was deep anger in his tone as he said, "You and Zantanna want to sacrifice the children of Gotham to achieve your goals, Constantine..."


    Constantine grabbed his own neck, gasping for breath, and said intermittently, "From where... did you... find out?"


    "I found Solomon Wayne''s notes, and he mentioned those evil methods in his journal..."


    "Then, what does that have to do with me?" Constantine kept struggling, and Batman threw him to the ground, saying, "The journal had the same magic circle pattern you drew at the crime scene of Cooper."


    "What does that prove?"


    "ording to the records in the journal, it''s not an ordinary summoning circle for demons. It''s a ritual circle that sacrifices children''s souls to demons... What does it mean, Constantine? It means you killed a child..."


    "Cough, is that so? Then tell me, who did I kill? Who was the victim?" Constantiney on the ground, clutching his neck, his gaze towards Batman filled with contempt. He said, "Batman, the one who monitors everything and knows everything, tell me, who did I kill? Who was the victim?"


    He gasped heavily, and Schiller approached, stuffing two painkillers into his mouth, then said, "I advise you to squeeze out thest bit of toothpaste quickly, or even if Batman is willing to let you go, that curse inside you may not wait..."


    "In any case, I''m almost dying. What does it matter if I speak or not?" Constantiney t on the ground, his eyes staring nkly at the ceiling.


    "Constantine, it seems that your skills in deception are not just based on sweet words. You''ve also studied psychology..."


    "Alright, after you finish telling the end of this story, we can think of a solution for you..."


    Constantine shifted his gaze and looked at Schiller. Schiller also looked down at him and said, "Don''t expect me to make a deal with you. It''s already a limit for me to give you my verbal assurance, you rotten person."


    Constantine made a snort from his nose. He quickly got up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, shook his trench coat, adjusted his tie, and then sat back on the sofa.


    Watching his smooth sequence of movements, Batman narrowed his eyes. Constantine waved his hand and said, "Don''t misunderstand, I''m not faking. These injuries and pains are real. It''s just that those who practice magic have long adapted to them..."


    "Sometimes when sacrifices are not enough, you have to do it yourself. It''s not a big deal to have a demon take out an organ. I can find another demon to rece it another day."


    Schiller nced at Batman''s expression, then said to Constantine, "You better get to the point quickly, or this righteous vignte will resort to interrogation..."


    "Alright..." Constantine sat on the sofa, propping his knees with his elbows. "Lorena and I do have amon n, but I also have my own n and a backup n for this n..."


    "Perhaps you don''t know me. For a certain n, I can prepare for months or even years, and I cane up with a series of interconnected ns, just like this time..."


    "My n A is to lure out the Professor, steal the Insanity Spirit, and go find the Dream God to help me solve the trouble..."


    "n B is to lure Batman out, deliver a package, and then go find that mysterious voice to help me solve the trouble..."


    "n C is to coborate with Lorena and have her help me solve the trouble."


    "And n D is to attract the interest of you extraordinary people in Gotham and have you figure out a way to help me solve the trouble..."


    "Many people may prefer toplete these ns in order. For example, if n A fails, then use n B. But I don''t like that. I like to carry them out simultaneously..."


    Constantine, sitting on the sofa, lit another cigarette. He seemed to have shed some of his deste appearance, revealing an inner sharp soul.


    This cursed child, gued by misfortune since birth, was never a down-and-out wanderer. Like everyone else in Gotham, he was a madman full of wisdom, imagination, creativity, and action. He was cold, indifferent, and evil.


    For an ordinary person, theplex ns that were difficult toprehend just by listening became ordinary things in his mouth. Batman, who had experienced this series of ns firsthand, had to admit that this madman in front of him, withyer uponyer of disguise, had fooled almost everyone.


    In Constantine''s soul, Batman saw many familiar figures¡ªConstantine was like Joker, like Schiller, and even like... himself.


    Hellzer? Batman wondered. Perhaps this "master detective" was more like the three of thembined.


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 Chapter 309: New Umbrella (1)

    Chapter 309: New Umbre (1)


    "That was an afternoon thirty years ago when I boarded a train to Santiago. I was going there to discuss business with people from Mexico. On the train, an Italian man approached me. He said his name was Richie and he came from Sicily. We talked for a while..."


    In the book room of Falcone Manor, the voice of the old Godfather sounded like a faded record. Sunlight seeped through heavy curtains, casting a yellowish hue inside the room. Schiller was not sitting across from him but on the sofa beside, clipping his cigar with a cigar cutter.


    The smoke from the cigar was thick, likeyers of clouds on the horizon at sunset. Amidst the swirling smoke, shapes that ignited infinite imagination floated, resembling realistic paintings typical of a bygone era.


    With the ng of the train passing over the tracks and the elongated whistle, a man with deep brown hair sat in the train carriage, reading a newspaper.


    "Ka-cha!" The door to thepartment opened, and another man wearing a long coat took off his hat and ced it on his chest. He bowed his head to the person inside and greeted in Italian, "Hello, Mr. Falcone. My name is Richie, and Ie from Sicily."


    Young Falcone put down the newspaper and looked at Richie, who had entered thepartment. He spoke in Italian, "Hello, Richie. Are you here to find me?"


    Falcone''s Italian ent and Richie''s werepletely different. Falcone''s intonation always fell at the end, a trace he carried from his hometown of Rome, which made his tone sound somewhat indifferent.


    Richie didn''t mind, he walked to the opposite side of Falcone and sat down, then said, "I heard that you came from Gotham and want to go to California. I took this train specifically to find you."


    Richie had blond hair and brown eyes. His cheeks were slightly sunken, and his facial features were typical of southern Italians. He lowered his head, showing a humble posture, and said to Falcone in Italian, "Sir, Ie to seek your protection. The Richie family has nowhere else to go."Falcone silently watched him, lightly stroking the edge of the folded newspaper with his fingers. Richie ced his hat on the table and said, "My family and I got involved in a dispute in Chicago. We were deceived by an old man from the West Coast who had already depleted two mines. Now we owe arge sum of money to Federio in Chicago."


    Richie looked up, his brown eyes meeting Falcone''s, but he couldn''t read any emotion in the young gang leader''s eyes, making him less confident about what he was about to say next.


    "The Richie family is unable to repay this debt, but the responsibility does not lie with us. The cunning Englishman has already left, and we cannot exin to Federio why we can''t pay him back..."


    "Lord Falcone, my family and I have heard of your reputation on the East Coast. We had no choice but toe to you and seek a way out. Federio is nothing more than a dog of the Chicago Mafia..."


    "I beg you, Your Lordship, save us. The Richie family is willing to pay any price for this."


    Young Falcone put the newspaper down on the seat beside him, leaned back against the chair, and looked at the scenery receding outside the window. Speaking in an indifferent tone of Italian, he said, "Indeed, Federio is nothing. He''s just a small-time thug from Ragusa. If it weren''t for his wife, he would still be at the pier, mingling with those shady characters..."


    "But you, Richie... how can you prove that you are more valuable than


    Federio? Federio at least has a father-inw willing to support him, but what about you? The Richie family, aren''t you also from a smuggling background in the pier?"


    Falcone ced an arm on the table, flexing his fingers as he looked at Richie and said, "Most of the Sicilians who came with you to the East Coast have established their own livelihoods in the city. Only you remain a stray dog of the East Coast..."


    "We all know why you were deceived by the Englishman. It''s because you were eager to join Chicago and find yourself a doghouse in the city. And when you were kicked out, you came to me, wanting to join Gotham..."


    Richie''s face revealed a hint of embarrassment. Anyone being exposed like this would feel a blow to their pride.


    But Falcone spoke the truth. Several families who arrived on the East Coast around the same time as Richie have flourished in the city. Meanwhile, Richie and his family, after a series of setbacks, don''t even have a stable ce to live and can only stay in a hotel at the train station.


    "Sir, as I said, I''m willing to do whatever it takes to be epted by you. As long as you can save me and my family, I am at yourmand," Richie said, bowing his head.


    Falcone took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one out and held it in his hand. Richie stood up and leaned over to light it for him. The me from the cigarette flickered like a candle in the dimly lit carriage.


    "Federico was a loyal dog. I hope you are too, Richie."


    Richie lowered his head and lightly kissed the back of Falcone''s hand, the hand that didn''t hold the cigarette. Then he said, "As you wish, sir."


    The smoke from the fragrant cigarette rose like incense in a temple. After a moment of dense milky white smoke ascended, it gradually dissipated and floated away like white gauze.


    The window frame of the train formed the silhouettes of the two men like a painting. With a "click," the carriage door closed, sealing their private conversation inside. The old Godfather didn''t want to dwell on it further. He simply made this remark:


    "Over the years, many people havee to me seeking help. Many of them were unpleasant, offering merge sums of money to do business. But I am not a businessman, nor a hired killer."


    "When Richie came to me, he had nothing. But that didn''t matter. I liked his attitude, so we went to Santiago together."


    "I''ve forgotten whether our business with those Mexicans was sessful or not. But on the way back, Richie followed me to Gotham..."


    "At that time, there were no Twelve Families here. I was just a leader in the North District of Gotham, with a little reputation..."


    "Later on, I grew bigger and expanded to the North District, East District, Central City, and Financial Street... In Gotham, many people started mentioning my name, and more and more people followed me..."


    "Professor Rodriguez, the human psyche is a fascinating thing. When Richie humbly asked for my help, willing to pay any price to save his life, he was willing to put aside his dignity and pride."


    "But once he ruled all of Gotham by my side, he forgot all that. He felt like he was the creator of this business, thinking that as one of the first few to follow me, he should share in the glory and power..."


    "At first, he looked down on those who cameter, even though they were more useful than him. But he still saw himself as an elder, looking down on the Spencers from Ennd, looking down on the Lawrences with their salt and iron business background, even looking down on the Greek with only one daughter..."


    "Then he started to rank and order the Twelve Families, thinking that those who came first should have more rights..."


    "Finally, he even felt that, as Uncle Evans, he had the right to interfere and guide his choices and actions..."


    "Human beings always like topare themselves to others and find themselvescking." Schiller''s voice ignited with the sound of the lighter as he slowly put the lit cigar into his mouth.


    "People who have lost everything tend to yearn for power and control over everything. If they can''t achieve it in reality, they convince themselves that they


    have trampled on many people in their minds, creating a sense of self-consistency."


    "Thus, they develop a personality with extreme control tendencies. They want to control everyone who they perceive as being beneath them in status, regardless of position, age, generation, or even physical appearance..."


    "They derive spiritual pleasure from belittling and controlling others. Once they be ustomed to this way of doing things, everything will deviate from its original course. They be particrly arrogant and audacious, willing to do anything to satisfy their desire for control..."


    "But he''s not smart," the old Godfather continued. "When I first met him, I knew he wasn''t clever enough."


    "But at that time, I didn''t care because all I needed was a dog. The louder he barked, the better. It would show the neighbors that I had chosen a good dog..."


    "But after all these years, when he wanted to be the boss, he chose to send his own daughter to Evans'' bed. That girl was taught to be so foolish, thinking that she could win over the new Godfather with her beauty and love..."


    "And the one who slept with him should be Alberto, right?" Schiller asked. "Evans doesn''t like to wander among women."


    "Yes, Evans is more like his mother: stubborn, devoted, and virtuous. And Alberto... he''s more like me. He doesn''t care about such things."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Nevertheless, Richie yed a rotten move. Even if his daughter is as beautiful as a goddess, it won''t shake Alberto. To be honest, even Evans wouldn''t fall for that."


    "That''s true, but I''ve grown tired of his foolish tricks time and time again. Letting him die at the hands of a mysterious serial killer is the most dignified death I can give a dog."


    "I have to thank the serial killer''s killer for that. Otherwise, I would have to gather everyone together, bring up those old stories and nag about them until everyone is sick of his stupidity. Then I would have to listen to the wailing of his family and those foolish girls, clean up the body, attend the funeral..."


    The old Godfather exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and said, "I don''t have much time left, and I don''t want to waste it mourning a dog."


    "To be honest, that mercenary killer you introduced to me, although expensive, was quite efficient. It''s rare to find a killer with professional ethics in this era..."


    "Actually, I''m curious, Your Godfather, why don''t you use gang killers and insist on hiring mercenaries from outside?"


    "The people in the gang can handle shooting, bomb-making, or poisoning. But asking them to mimic a serial killer and dismember someone, they can''t handle such a bloody task. They''ll definitelye back and hide like ostriches, iming to have some kind of psychological trauma. I''ll have to pay them extra medical fees..."


    Falcone showed a trace of annoyance and said, "In thetter half of my life, my reputation for kindness and tolerance has spread too widely, overshadowing my earlier deeds. It should have been a good thing, allowing me to enjoy myter years, but there are always some fools who don''t know their ce..."


    Schiller rxed his body, leaning back in his chair. He exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and said, "Yesterday, the mercenary called me and said he had received the final payment. He praised you for paying on time and asked me to pass on his gratitude. If there''s a next time, he''s at your service."


    Falcone pressed the almost finished cigar against the ashtray and said in a low voice, "Perhaps soon, his business will thrive."


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 Chapter 310: New Umbrella (2)

    Chapter 310: New Umbre (2)


    It was another rainy day in Gotham. The sky had just lit up, but the rain came pouring down heavily. The streets of Gotham, still not fully repaired, were filled with puddles. Besides the rain, there was also strong wind. Pedestrians on the road held umbres in front of them, fighting against the usual harsh weather.


    A cloud of mist slowly formed in the room. Inside the counseling office of Gotham University, Schiller shook his head as he looked at the umbre in his hand.


    This umbre was really in bad shape. Initially, it was just missing a part, which resulted in a broken rib. One side of the umbre was dented, but it could still be used, albeit barely.


    However, the more he forced it, the more it broke. The second and third ribs also fractured, and most of the canopy was now concave. It could barely be opened anymore.


    Although the umbre ribs that supported the canopy were broken, the central metal pole of the umbre was still intact. It could be folded and used as a cane. But earlier, Schiller had teleported underground and used the umbre to strike that demon.


    The demon''s chin was not made of cotton, and the handle of the umbre was damaged, almost impossible to grip. Later, he struck Constantine with it,pletely shattering the handle. Now, only the internal metal pipe remained. In summary, it had transformed from an umbre into a club...


    When Alberto walked in, he saw the professor standing behind his desk, holding an umbre that could no longer be called an umbre, with a look of regret on his face.


    His entrance caught Schiller''s attention. Schiller looked up at him and said, "Good morning, Alberto. Please have a seat."


    "Professor, if you need a new umbre, I can have one custom made for you..."Schiller shook his head and ced the broken umbre beside his chair, saying, "No, soon I''ll be able to get a new one."


    After saying that, he adjusted his coat, straightened his posture, and looked at Alberto, saying, "Has Hawk''s funeral already taken ce?"


    "Yes, at the funeral, I had a conversation with his elder brother, and he expressed his willingness to pledge loyalty to me." Although Alberto remained his usual solemn self, his tone revealed his current satisfaction.


    "I told you before, when there are two power centers in a group, they can never be as close as brothers, even if they are blood-rted."


    "To be honest, they hid it well." Alberto sighed and said, "I''ve never seen any discord between the Hawk brothers in Evans'' memories. Everyone in the Twelve Families praised their close brotherhood and unmatchedpatibility."


    "Perhaps that was true in the past. But don''t forget, Gotham has undergone many changes recently."


    "As you said, the elder brother among the Hawk brothers is the one who holds real power in the family, while the younger brother handles internal affairs and deals with details."


    "If you have studied the part in Evans'' memories where I taught him psychology, you should understand that not only does a person''s thoughts guide their actions to change the environment, but the environment and behavior also shape a person''s thoughts..."


    "As the leader of the family, the elder brother must appear strong enough. It''s the style of all gang leaders. They must show ambition, always be energetic, and never hesitate or be indecisive, otherwise no one will follow them..."


    "But as the Chief Steward of Internal Affairs, the younger brother must consider everything thoroughly, weighing pros and cons, considering costs and benefits. They must not act recklessly, or it could lead to a break in the financial chain or problems with connections."


    "With two brothers like this, they are bound to have different


    opinions when facing the pains of Gotham''s reform."


    Alberto took the coffee handed to him by Schiller and said, "Indeed, the elder brother among the Hawk brothers told me that they had already been at odds with each other several years ago. The younger brother always used various detailed factors as reasons to hinder the development of the gang, at least from his perspective."


    "And after Gotham''s reform began, their conflicts escted to an irreconcble level. The elder brother wanted to be ambitious, seizing arger share in the reform, and rising to a higher position..."


    "However, the younger brother is more cautious. He cannot be certain if this reform will change the existing situation. He is worried that the Hawk family will suffer a great setback. Therefore, he always uses various methods to obstruct his elder brother."


    Alberto leaned his elbow on the table, holding a cup of coffee in his other hand. He said with some emotion, "Professor, I discovered in Evans''s memories that he has great respect for you. I didn''t understand why before, but now I have some understanding."


    "By using the conflict between the Hawk brothers as an entry point, helping the elder brother among the Hawk brothers to get rid of the younger brother who has been holding him back, not only can we win over the leader of the Hawk family, but we can also elerate the pace of reform and make the Twelve Families more united."


    "More importantly, you can use the serial killer as a cover-up. If you tantly attack the subordinates of the old Godfather, no matter what, it would still be a blow to your father''s reputation. But if a mysterious serial killer does all these things, Hawk can only me himself for being unlucky," Schiller summarized.


    Alberto moved his finger holding the coffee cup and asked tentatively, "I heard that yesterday..."


    "What do you want to ask?" Schiller looked at him.


    After thinking for a moment, Alberto said, "Was Richie killed by the orders of the Godfather?"


    "You have chosen the right question, so I will answer you, yes."


    "And I can also tell you that it was because Richie intentionally arranged for his youngest daughter to encounter you and then seduced you. The Godfather was very displeased with this, so he chose a very brutal death for him."


    Alberto smirked and said, "Miss Richie is beautiful, but she''s just beautiful, nothing more. Her father didn''t teach her well. She wears her intentions on her face, so even if she is 80% beautiful, it can only evoke 10% of interest in people..."


    When Schiller heard his tone, he asked, "Did you sleep with her?"


    Alberto shook his head and said, "She practically had her intentions written all over her face. How could I be fooled? Besides, I couldn''t be sure of the Godfather''s attitude. I didn''t know if he would approve of me getting too close to Richie..."


    "You made the right choice because the Godfather only sees Richie as a dog."


    "But he doesn''t actually care if you slept with Miss Richie. After all, she can''t be the future wife of the Godfather. Your caution made you miss out on an affair. Do you regret it?" Schillerughed and said.


    Alberto took another sip of coffee, shook his head, and said, "An affair can only be called an affair when it happens unexpectedly. If it''s nned by someone, it''s not a wonderful encounter."


    "So, does that mean the Godfather..." Alberto slid his fingertip on the surface of the coffee cup, hesitatingly said, "If he is willing to deal with treacherous Richie for me, does it mean..."


    "You don''t need to hesitate. It''s the answer you''re thinking of."


    Schiller ced both hands on the table and said, "You and the Godfather have a grudge... or maybe you can''t even call it a grudge because it''s the Court of Owls that has a grudge against the Godfather, and you can only be considered a sacrifice."


    "Now, the Godfather has only two choices, either you or someone else. If you have a grudge against the Godfather, does that mean others are exempt? Do you really expect the nephews and nieces of the Twelve Families to spare


    those with the Falcone surname after taking over?"


    Alberto shook his head and said, "Of course not, unless we are willing to exile ourselves, like retiring to Italy or something."


    "Of course, after you take over, it''s possible that you will let the old Godfather retire in Italy. But at least you''re a Falcone, and more importantly, you have the ability to continue ruling Gotham. As for the others, besides being bad, they''re also quite foolish."


    "As long as the old Godfather is unwilling to hand over his life''s work, as long as he wants to continue being Gotham''s underground umbre, he only has one choice..."


    Alberto sighed deeply, staring at the foam on the surface of his coffee for a long time. Finally, he said, "He won''t acknowledge me as his son, so I don''t want to acknowledge him as my father either. But in the endless whirlpool of power, the only remaining father-son sentiment is what can preserve a little dignity for us, the Falcone brothers, in this war."


    After Alberto left, Schiller finished his coffee. As soon as he took thest sip, there was a knock on the door of the consultation room. Schiller said, "Come in."


    Copperpot walked in, wearing arge ck raincoat and looking rushed. Rainwater dripped from his hair and eyebrows.


    He walked in, took off his raincoat, and Schiller pointed to the coffee machine. Copperpot walked over and made himself a cup of coffee, then sat across from Schiller.


    Schiller took out the medical record and said to him, "Before we get down to business, I still need to ask about your and your mother''s mental state."


    "It''s not bad. She has improved a lot. Yesterday, I took her to the new apartment for a visit, and she seemed satisfied with the environment after she regained consciousness..."


    Copperpot''s tone finally showed some fluctuation, as if he had emerged from the gloom.


    Schiller made a few notes in the medical record and then said, "Alright, are things going smoothly with the gang recently? Lawrence, Hawk, and Richie are all dead. The Lawrence family is leaderless, and the Hawk family has changed their attitude. Alberto''s path to take over is smooth. What about you?"


    "Bruce rmended me to Evans. Of course, it''s just a formality. Alberto and I have already reached an understanding. He is in urgent need of capable people under him to establish his own faction, and I happen to meet his requirements."


    "Originally, Lawrence was the most dissatisfied with me, and Richie was also unhappy that Alberto didn''t use his people. But now, they''re all dead. So I will be Alberto''s right-hand man after the takeover."


    "It''s not surprising that the leaders of these uncle-level families will interfere with Alberto''s organization of the prince''s party. They are just unhappy with you. As long as there is one decisive person among them, you have already been reced by their people. The bodies have already been thrown into the sea..."


    "The deal you mentioned before...," Copperpot looked at Schiller and said, "You want me to get rid of these obstacles to my takeover, and in return, I promise you something... Do you want me to kill someone?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I won''t let a child help me kill someone, and I don''t have any enemies that I must kill."


    "I have always been sincere to people, with many friends. I have no opponents in Gotham, and my request is very simple, well within your capabilities."


    "...What is it?"


    In the evening, the rain gradually subsided. At the entrance of Gotham University''s cafeteria, Victor folded his umbre and used the tip to push aside the curtains as he walked in. Schiller followed behind him, also folding his umbre.


    Victor turned around and looked at


    Schiller''s Umbre. He said, "Did you fix it? This umbre was so broken, yet you managed to fix it?"


    After they both sat down, Victor leaned in and observed closely. He noticed a Vogen Umbre Maker logo at the top of the umbre tip and said, "Isn''t this the umbre from Copperpot''s house? The one his father left behind? How did it end up with you?"


    "Because I made a deal with him. I helped him with something, and in return, he gave me this umbre."


    "Neither of you understands me. In this ce called Gotham, I don''t even have an umbre. I have to figure things out myself. But now, thank God, a new umbre..."


    Schiller squinted his eyes, repeatedly examining the umbre in his hand, as if admiring the fruits of hisbor. He said with great satisfaction, "Look, a beautiful new umbre."


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 Chapter 311: New Umbrella (3)

    Chapter 311: New Umbre (3)


    "So, you''re telling me to hold this broken umbre and believe that it can expel the curse inside me?" Constantine looked at the old umbre on the table, then looked up at Schiller and said, "Even if you''re not satisfied with the story I told you, you don''t have to think of me as a fool, do you?"


    "I''m not dissatisfied with the story you told," Schiller shook his head and said, "Although it''s not particrly exciting, it''s better than nothing."


    Schiller was telling the truth. That day, Constantine revealed his entire n to Batman and Schiller.


    As expected, in the previous version of the story, he still hadn''t told the truth about Mrs. Sanchez.


    "The Magic Circle in the Cooper Room was indeed used by the Ghost Mother to sacrifice the souls of children, but we yed a trick and set a trap for the demon."


    "At that time, besides me and Cooper, Lorena was also present, and she was already pregnant with a child. She drew a Magic Circle to sacrifice the soul of the child to the demon and activated it, using her unborn child as bait to lure the demon."


    "When the demon arrived, Lorena and I proposed that he pay the price before we could offer the sacrifice. This type of negotiation is quitemon with demons, and some demons would even grant you power before collecting their dues..."


    "That demon agreed, and the condition we proposed was for him to kill Cooper and consume his soul. In an instant, the demon''s power caused Cooper''s body to fill the entire room. However, what the demon didn''t know was that I had drawn another Magic Circle, and the sacrifice was actually Cooper himself."


    "The demon lured here by my second Magic Circle saw that his sacrifice had been killed by another demon. They fought each other, and in the end, the demon lured by the Ghost Mother, who couldn''t match the demon I lured, was killed and turned to ashes."Schiller and Batman looked at each other, thinking of the pile of ashes they saw in the middle of the Magic Circle.


    "The demon I lured didn''t give me any power and didn''t consume the sacrifice. The trade never actually started, so he cursed at me and returned to hell."


    "Why did Cooper''s body lose one-third of its mass?"


    "I used it as a decoy. The ash clone wasn''t made by the demon for me, but by myself. But making such a thing requires some... materials, so I improvised..."


    "Okay, what happened next? Why did Mrs. Sanchez turn into a demon?"


    "That''s because we had a slight disagreementter." Constantine sighed and said, "As I mentioned before, Lorena really wanted to break free from the Dark Ritual and leave Gotham, but she didn''t want to leave empty-handed."


    "Before, she had made deals with many children using candies and gained control over their souls. She wanted to sacrifice all these souls to the demon in one go and exchange them for power, so she could leave Gotham with that power."


    "This was amon thing in the eyes of Dark Sorcerers. Due to an ident, I also became a heinous Dark Sorcerer in their eyes. Therefore, when Lorena and her lover discussed this matter, they didn''t avoid mentioning me, and I heard their entire n."


    "For this reason, I had a falling-out with them, but it was indeed my doing that Lorena turned into a demon."


    "As you saw earlier, we exchanged a few blows in the room. Her lover was no match for me, and before I even went all out, he was burned to a crisp."


    "Lorena knew she wasn''t my match, so she tried to run towards the Altar. She went to


    the Altar to sacrifice the souls of those few children in exchange for more powerful abilities."


    "I''ve mentioned before that I have quite a few acquaintances in Hell. While Lorena was busy heading towards the Altar, I quickly drew a new Magic Circle and summoned a Demon. I asked him to be the first to respond to Lorena''s call and infuse her body with the power of the Demon, turning her into a half-Demon..."


    "So, when Lorena activated the Altar, the first one to respond to her was the Demon with whom I made the deal. Obviously, my offer was much higher than Lorena''s, so the Demon prioritizedpleting my transaction and turned Lorena into a Demon. You all know what happened next..."


    "What did you offer?" Batman asked.


    "It''s simple. I promised that after I die, he would get my soul. As you know, I was almost killed by the curse of my elder brother, and the Demon saw that. He was eager to im my soul, so he wasted no time in fulfilling my request."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Was that Demon from out of town? Didn''t he know about your infamous reputation for overpricing?"


    "He knew, but he saw that I was on the brink of death. He wanted to be thest Demon toplete a transaction with me, so he would have a stronger im when fighting over my soul."


    "So, you''re still a good person who saved the children of Gotham?" Schiller asked Constantine, but Constantine shook his head and said, "I''m not that noble. I just knew that Lorena''s n wouldn''t seed."


    "That mysterious Dark Ritual wouldn''t be able to extract the souls of all the children. Gotham wouldn''t allow it."


    "Dark Owl Priest..." Batman muttered the name.


    "Dark Owl Priest?" Constantine looked at the broken umbre on the table and asked with confusion, "Are you saying that the priests are behind this umbre?"


    "As far as I know, the wealthy members of the Court of Owls certainly don''t have the ability to create such an umbre. We''ve already confirmed that a special metal was infused into the umbre, giving it resistance to Gotham''s unique rain and special resistance against magic."


    Constantine hesitated and picked up the umbre. He touched the metal on it and felt a subtle, extraordinary power. However, he still said, "Even so, it probably won''t be able to remove the curse..."


    "The strength of a weapon depends on who wields it."


    Schiller reached under the table and pulled out a new umbre. He slid his hand down from the handle, gripping the shaft. Before Constantine could put down the broken umbre, he saw Schiller''s movement and suddenly had a bad feeling. He said, "Hey, wait!"


    With a loud "bang," Schiller knocked Constantine down to the ground...


    If this action were slowed down many times, in the instant the handle of the umbre touched Constantine''s chin, a barely perceptible wisp of gray mist entered Constantine''s body.


    This thin mist instantly explored Constantine''s body and soul, then settled in a corner, enveloping a strand of curse in the shape of an embryo.


    As the mist wrapped around the curse, the curse fiercely resisted, but the metal gloss on the Umbre held by Constantine glimmered, causing the ck curse to pause momentarily.


    In that moment, Schiller''s Umbre struck Constantine''s chin, and with a stronger metallic gleam on the New Umbre, with a "bang," the gray mist and the curse were both expelled from Constantine''s body.


    Schiller''s figure vanished instantly and reappeared behind Constantine. He grabbed the bundle of cursed gray mist with his hand, and more gray mist poured out between his fingers,yer uponyer, wrapping around the curse.


    Then, as Constantiney on the ground, he looked up and saw Schiller crouching down, holding a gray sphere in his hand, shaking it above his head.


    Constantine rolled over, got up from the ground, rubbed his chin, and looked at the gray sphere in Schiller''s hand. Schiller asked, "What do you n to do with it?"


    Constantine shook his head and said, "This is not an ordinary curse. As soon as Ie into contact with it, it will be like a festering sore attached to my bones..."


    "In theory, nothing I can get my hands on can trap it, otherwise I would have already gotten it out. However..."


    Constantine turned his head and looked at Schiller''s Umbre. He said, "Since the metal in this Umbre can expel it, it means that this type of metal can affect it. Therefore, perhaps this Umbre can be a container to imprison it."


    "Is that so?" Schiller also turned around and looked at his own Umbre. He dismantled the handle of the Umbre, revealing the hollow metal tube inside. Then, with his other hand, he squeezed the gray sphere smaller and smaller, as if performing magic, and stuffed the small sphere into the tube of the Umbre.


    He fixed the handle back in ce, and wisps of gray mist dispersed from the tube of the Umbre. The gray mist returned to Schiller''s body, while the Curse Embryo was left trapped inside the Umbre, made of Special Metal.


    Schiller took a look at his Umbre and found that its appearance hadn''t changed at all. The Curse Embryo seemed to be trapped inside the Umbre and didn''t provide any enhancements to the Umbre.


    However, suddenly, Schiller seemed to have thought of something. He slid his hand down from the handle of the Umbre, grabbed the middle part of the Umbre, and turned around, staring maliciously at Constantine.


    Constantine reached out his hand and said, "Wait, what are you trying to do? Don''te any closer!"


    This time, Constantine was prepared. He waved his hand, and a ck book appeared in his hand, followed by an invisible force field spreading out, a transparent Magic Shield protecting his entire body.


    Schiller, on the other hand, swung the Umbre without hesitation. With an upward motion and a loud bang, Constantine was sent flying into the wall. The Magic Shield shattered like pieces of broken ice, scattering all over the floor...


    Schiller withdrew his hand with great satisfaction and even caressed the Umbre, saying, "You would make a good elder brother."


    Constantine got up from the ground, coughed twice, and said, "What just happened? How did my Magic Shield..."


    "Didn''t I tell you before? The metal used in this Umbre has a restraining effect on magic. Of course, that should only be part of the reason. The more important thing is that your elder brother seems very displeased with you..."


    "Damn elder brother, he hasn''t even been born yet!"


    "But he is still your elder brother." Schiller tapped the Umbre in his hand twice and said, "Although it has now be my Umbre Spirit, who knows, maybe one day it will grow up and give you a good beating."


    "Do you know, Constantine, originally I had no interest in Mysticism..." Schiller walked behind the table and sat down. He said, "The abilities I possess that appear to be like magic are not actually magic. Their origins are different from yours."


    "I also have no intention of studying how to make deals with devils in exchange for powerful abilities. I have no interest in Magic Circles, Spells, or magical items. However, now I have a subject of interest. Can you guess what it is?"


    Constantine had a bad feeling and his gaze fell on Schiller''s Umbre. He heard Schiller say, "This subject is how to raise a curse... or should I say, my New Umbre?"


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 Chapter 312: Language! (1)

    Chapter 312: Language! (1)


    New York, Manhattan, this incredibly prosperous and busy district, only bes somewhat quiet at night. Until the sky ispletely dark, the snow gradually stops falling. The air remains cold, and the umted snow from the whole day piles up on both sides of the streets, illuminated by the warm-colored streetlights.


    Inside the shop windows on both sides of the street, mannequins have already put on off-white reindeer sweaters, adorned with red and green scarves. Strings of shiny light bulbs hang from the top of the shop windows, and exaggerated gift boxes are ced in the corners.


    Although Christmas is still some time away, the businesses upying the best locations in all of New York have long prepared for the uing holiday shopping frenzy.


    In the middle of the central roundabout, the enormous Christmas tree is in ce, but the scattered light bulbs on it have yet to be lit. The gift boxes are covered in thick snow, waiting to be cleaned, but there is already a constant stream of people gathering for group photos.


    In the visitor room on the top floor of Arkham Sanatorium''s west side, Schiller leans against the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup and watching the children ying and chasing each other on the street below. Strange sits on the sofa, organizing some scattered magazines.


    "I wonder who told me yesterday that they would never wear a reindeer sweater for Christmas," Schiller says without turning his head, but Strange senses the mockery in his tone. Strange lets out a scoffing sound from his nose and looks down at his own blue and white reindeer sweater.


    It is a very ordinary turtleneck sweater, with light blue on the cor and shoulders, followed by white, and then light blue again. The white part has a blue pattern made up of reindeer and snowkes. It can be said that this is a typical reindeer sweater that is likely to be worn by many people during Christmas.


    While flipping through the magazines in his hand, Strange says, "When I passed by the shop window, I didn''t even give it a nce. It''s just that I felt sorry for the salesperson there who couldn''t sell all the stock. So I bought one. As for you, I thought you were the type of person who doesn''t like to join in the crowd."


    Strange turns his head to look at Schiller, who is also wearing a reindeer sweater. He wears a white shirt underneath, with a dark green reindeer sweater on top. There is a white reindeer on the chest. The chances of this sweater shing with others are much smaller than the one Strange is wearing, but it''s not entirely impossible."After all, everyone likes to dress this way. I don''t want to stand out," Schiller says, taking a sip of water.


    At that moment, the creaking sound of the door opening is heard, and Steve walks in wearing a reindeer sweater. He is taken aback when he sees Strange and Schiller''s outfits. Steve scratches his head and says, "I thought you guys were the type of people who don''t like to join in the crowd."


    Because the reindeer sweater he is wearing perfectlybines the styles of Strange and Schiller, with red and green colors and a white reindeer on the chest.


    "I say, Captain, this color is a bit old-fashioned, did you choose it yourself?" Strange looks at Steve and asks.


    Steve walks over, sits on the sofa, rests his arms on his knees, and says, "It was a gift from Nick. He said SHIELD should have a festive atmosphere. Not just me, Natasha and Hill also received this gift, but they thought the color and style were too old-fashioned, so they didn''t wear it."


    "I think it''s just


    right. After all, old-fashioned clothes suit old-fashioned people," Steve says with a smile.


    "I hope that next time I go to the SHIELD base, I don''t see a huge Christmas tree with golden bells hanging all over it or various small lights hanging from the eaves," Strange crosses his chest, and the three of themugh.


    "I can''tpliment Nick''s aesthetics. Although we are all from that era, he clearly doesn''t understand that the aesthetics of that era are not considered retro for the present, but rather old-fashioned," Steve shakes his head.


    "Let''s get to the point," Schiller walks over, puts the cup on the table, and then goes to the other side of the dining table, taking two more cups and pouring water for the two.


    "I heard Nick wants to organize a Christmas dance party?"


    Before Schiller could finish speaking, Strange raises his hands and says, "Oh my god, spare me. Doesn''t he know how busy we are?"


    "Yes," Steve nods and rubs his cup with his hand. He says, "As you know, he has been dedicated to uniting these individuals with special abilities and forming a team..."


    "He won''t miss any opportunity to gather us together for a chat, heart-to-heart conversation, and to strengthen our cohesion. Although I have no objections to such activities, just thinking about the tedious procedures of a dance party gives me a headache."


    Schiller and Strange exchange nces and say, "The most headache-inducing part should be finding a dance partner, right?"


    Steve sighs deeply. Strange was about to tease him, but when he thinks about his own love life, he also sighs.


    The biggest problem with his love life is that he doesn''t have one at all. Strangeins, "I''m really about to work myself to death. I haven''t left the Sanctum for a whole week. Can you believe it?"


    "That group of demons would call for even the smallest matters, from territorial disputes and loan interest rates to multi-party negotiations. And even for lost and found items, pet boarding, and insomnia chat, what do they think this ce is?"


    Strange sighed, but Schiller asked him, "Isn''t Loki there? Doesn''t he im to know everything in the universe?"


    "Don''t you know? Loki and Thor are still on Sakaar Star and haven''te back. I don''t know if they''ll make it back before Christmas..."


    "What are they doing there?" Schiller asked in confusion. "Isn''t it a deste?"


    "That''s right, but you should know Thor''s personality. He wants to save the ves there, and Loki, I don''t know what he''s thinking, but he''s causing trouble with his elder brother there. The Ancient One has mentioned it a few times," Strange said, taking a sip of water and then frowning at the cup. "Why is this hot water? Don''t we have tea or coffee?"


    "It''s already 10 p.m. Are you nning to stay up all night?"


    Strange pursed his lips, put down the cup, and said, "It''s actually better if those two brothers don''te back. At least we don''t have to worry about them causing trouble on Earth. After all, Thor''s powers have been restored, and Loki is probably close behind..."


    Steve also nodded and said, "You''re right. It''s one thing if they don''t have their powers, but if they regain them and continue to live among ordinary people, it''s inevitable that they''ll bring danger to them. Nick will have another headache."


    "It seems like both of you have been busytely, and I''m the only idle one," Schiller said, bypassing the sofa and sitting on one side, leaning against the soft backrest, taking a sip of hot water, and letting out a satisfied sigh.


    "You''re going to be busy soon because there have been quite a few strange events recently, even Peter has been busy."


    "What happened?"


    "I''ve been investigating this matter recently. Perhaps you''ve heard about the recent paranormal events in Queens?"


    "Paranormal events? Are you talking about hauntings and such?" Strange frowned and asked.


    "That''s right. As you know, there are many residential areas in New York, and there are also many cemeteries. Recently, residents have imed to have seen necromancy, skeletons near the cemeteries, and there are many rumors about ghostly lights."


    "Don''t we have these kinds of things every year?" Strange said disdainfully. "The hospital I work at loves spreading this kind of gossip¡ªsuddenly missing corpses in the morgue, seeing ghostly lights in the corridors at night, deceased patients appearing in a window. What''s there to discuss?"


    "The difference is that this time, the witnesses include Spider-Man Peter and his uncle and aunt."


    "They live in Forest Hill, Queens, and the west side of Forest Hill Park is the Forest Hill Cemetery. First, Peter saw something resembling a skeleton when he was walking his dog, and then his aunt was scared by ghostly lights. So he''s been busy investigating this matter recently."


    Strange fell silent, and Schiller also fell into thought because they both understood Peter well. He wasn''t the kind of person who liked to make a big fuss or exaggerate things.


    Steve looked at Strange and asked, "This should be a matter for your Magic realm, right? Can your Magic practitioners resurrect skeletons or control ghostly lights?"


    Strange pressed his knuckles against his chin, thinking as he said, "In theory, it is possible. The power of a Magic practitioner actuallyes from exchange. If the exchange object carries the attribute of resurrecting the undead, then they should be able to control necromancy and skeletons."


    "But in reality, hardly any Magic practitioners would do that because it doesn''t make much sense. All exchanges muste with a cost, and the obtained power should be used in more useful ways. What''s the use of resurrecting corpses and undead? Are they just meant to scare people?"


    "Well... can''t they be used for attacks or something?" Steve asked.


    However, Schiller looked at Steve and said, "Captain, you are a melee warrior. You should know that skeletons and corpses are nothing difficult to deal with, right?"


    "They are actually just variations of humans. It''s even better to say that they are weaker than humans. Without Magic protection, skeletons have no muscles and can hardly withstand the strikes of any sharp weapon. Corpses, apart from being disgusting, are not much different from ordinary people..."


    "To make these things have strongbat abilities, a significant amount of Magic energy needs to be infused," Strange exined. "You have to use that energy to protect their bones and muscles, which have already begun to rot, and give them the power of a soul me, so they have the basic intelligence to pick up weapons and fight against enemies."


    "With so much energy, one can actually create more powerful monsters than these things. There was once a Dark Sorcerer who conjured a dark dragon in Montana, and an undead mage who controlled a group of soul-eating birds to attack a hospital..."


    "But skeletons... at least I haven''t heard of anyone doing that in Kamar-Taj. Even if these things are protected by Magic, a very, veryrge number of them would be needed tounch an attack on a modern human city."


    Steve rubbed his chin and nodded, "Indeed, if they had that capability, it would be faster forrge-scale monsters to invade the city. So, what are they trying to do? Just scare people? Create panic?"


    However, Schiller shook his head and said, "It doesn''t seem like it. If they wanted to create panic, they should go towards Manhattan or Brooklyn. Those two ces are the center of New York. Queens has more mountains and parks, but the poption is not dense enough, and journalists don''t like to go there."


    Just as they were discussing this topic, Steve''s mobile phone suddenly rang. He picked up the phone and pressed the answer button. On the other end was Peter, sounding a little anxious.


    "Captain, there are skeletons! Moving skeletons! They''re in the Forest Hill Cemetery. Can youe over?!"


    "Listen, Peter, stay calm. Is the situation really urgent? I''ll be there right away..."


    "Well... it''s not that urgent. They can''t beat me, but I don''t know what to do with them. If I punch them, will they faint? They don''t even have brains, so they shouldn''t be able to faint, right?"


    Steve looked up at Strange, and Strange shrugged, saying, "Well, I guess it''s time for a cup of coffee. Looks like another all-nighter for today..."


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 Chapter 313: Language! (2)

    Chapter 313: Language! (2)


    At the back of Forest Hillpark, behind a hidden narrow mountain cave, Schiller bent down and entered through the somewhat small entrance of the cave, revealing a spacious interior.


    It was a naturally formed cave located at the foot of the mountain. However, the natural appearance had been altered to some extent. On the left side, there was a workbench and shelves, while on the right side, there were various scattered instruments. A light bulb was hanging from the ceiling of this small cave, apanied by spotlights for illumination.


    Peter, who was walking ahead, took off his helmet and introduced the others, "I''ve had this idea for a while now, thinking that using a cave as my base would be great. This ce is really good. It''s not far from my home, convenient for changing clothes anytime, and quite hidden."


    "Indeed," Steve nodded, looking around the cave. "But I think it''s necessary to reinforce the structure here. The mountains in New York aren''t that sturdy."


    "That''s the next n," Peter replied while helping Steve subdue the struggling ck sleeping bag he was dragging. asionally, ck smoke and ashes woulde out of the sleeping bag.


    Strange stood with his hands on his hips, behind the others, staring at the sleeping bag. "This thing is excessively weak."


    "It doesn''t seem to be designed forbat," Steve threw the sleeping bag on the ground and frowned. "Just now, neither Peter nor I used much force, and its arm broke."


    Steve unzipped the sleeping bag, revealing a skeleton emitting ck smoke inside. Steve held the skeleton''s neck with one hand and grabbed one of its ribs with the other, breaking it with a crisp sound, making Peter shudder.


    Meanwhile, Strange and Schiller arrived at the scene where Peter discovered the skeleton. While Steve helped Peter, the two of them managed to subdue the skeleton. Strange then opened a portal and went to Kamatage to retrieve a book rted to undead magic.Schiller approached Strange and started studying the content of the book together. Faced with an unfamiliar field, none of the four of them had much expertise. Schiller and Strange chose to start with theory, while Steve and Peter nned to conduct direct experiments.


    Schiller noticed that the book Strange was holding recorded many cases of necromancer incidents. The sorcerers of Kamatage had thwarted many of these evil necromancers'' attempts to harm viges and towns and had summarized a set of methods to counter them.


    After reading the book for a while, Schiller joined the experimental group. He looked at the skeleton and said, "Let me see... It''s an adult female, around 50 years old, with a history of childbirth. The cause of death appears to be abdominal trauma, possibly from a car ident. The preferred hand is the right hand, and she was likely engaged in light physicalbor before, possibly as a janitor or kitchen assistant."


    Steve opened his mouth, wanting to ask Schiller how he made such judgments. However, the atmosphere in the eerie cave was already sufficiently strange, and there was no need to add more horror stories to it.


    "We need to collect more information from deceased individuals as samples to determine what the necromancer''s targets really are. Since Peter encountered two skeletons in the Forest Hill Cemetery, the mysterious necromancer''s next target might still be there. You might need to keep a watch here," Schiller concluded.


    "No problem, the supplies in this base are quite sufficient, and even if they''re not, I can go buy more. The only thing that worries me is that my uncle and aunt live nearby, and my aunt was already frightened by ghostly lightsst time..." Peter hesitated.


    He didn''t want to see his family getting hurt.


    Steve squatted on the ground, turned his head to Peter, who was also half-squatting, and said, "So, all you need to do is guard the source of danger. There won''t be another cemetery nearby for him to carry out these paranormal events."


    Therefore, Steve and Peter stayed in the base to continue keeping watch for the necromancer who might strike again. Schiller and Strange returned to Arkham Sanatorium. As they came out of the portal, Schiller turned to Strange and asked, "What do you think?"


    "This matter is probably more troublesome than we imagined," Strange''s expression became serious as he said, "Firstly, I can confirm that this power itself has necromantic properties, which means the source of the power must be rted to death."


    "Once it involves this concept, it bes particrly tricky. What''s more, I tried using the power of white magic to dispel this power of death, but perhaps my time learning magic has been too short..."


    Strange looked at his hand, and suddenly, a ray of white light appeared in his hand. He said, "This is ''Wrath of White Magic,'' the mostmonly used spell by novice magicians. It originates from the ancient Spirit of the Stars on the edge of the Eternal Ruins. This power requires very little sacrifice and can almost be ignored. However, it is rtively weak. The advantage is that it''s easier to control..."


    "When I tried to dispel that dark power with this magic, it had no effect, so I switched to another power..."


    Strange held another brighter white light in his hand, with some dancing leaves swirling around. He said, "This is the Power of Light from the World Tree, which is closer to us. Although I don''t know why this power is weaker than usual, it represents the vitality and rebirth of the World Tree''s Power of Light. It should be able to dispel the power of darkness and death..."


    "But it didn''t work, did it?"


    "That''s right. It means that the level of this power is not low and cannot be dealt with by a novice magician. Although I inherited some of the White Magic power from Vishanti through my teacher, the Ancient One, I don''t use it lightly."


    Strange frowned and sat on the sofa, saying, "When two opposing but equally powerful forces collide, it can cause significant fluctuations. Peter and Steve don''t have magic resistance, so they may not be able to withstand the impact."


    "What do you n to do then?"


    "Well, after all, I am the sessor of the Sorcerer Supreme. I can''t let an unknown power wreak havoc in my territory without doing anything. I think we need to go to that cemetery again, find another specimen, and then find a safe enough ce to experiment..."


    Schiller thought for a moment but didn''t refute Strange''s use of the word "we."


    He turned to look at the New Umbre ced beside his desk. It was the one he brought from the DC world.


    In order to obtain a powerful, indestructible, and non-receable umbre, Schiller felt it necessary to make the Curse Embryo trapped inside the umbre stronger to protect it...


    Although he didn''t know the exact rtionship between darkness, death, and curses, they seemed to have simr attributes, so maybe they could be merged.


    So, Schiller and Strange went to Forest Hill Cemetery again. Strange enchanted apass, and they followed its guidance to find the ce with the thickest dark energy.


    American cemeteries had a nice environment, and Forest Hill Cemetery was no exception. It was actually part of Forest Hill Park. On weekends or holidays, many people woulde to the cemetery for walks or rest on thewn. However, guided by the enchantedpass, the two gradually left the cemetery and headed deeper into the forest.


    "It''s not surprising. Necromancers also need hiding ces. They can''t just build a house in the park. So, they should be hiding in the forest," Strange spected.


    After speaking, he turned to look at the umbre in Schiller''s hand and asked with some confusion, "The snow has stopped. Why are you carrying an umbre?"


    Schiller cleared the surrounding weeds with the umbre, making way, while Strange had to step through, allowing the weeds to scratch his expensive pants and shoes. Schiller opened his hand to him, and Strange rolled his eyes, turned around, and continued walking forward.


    "While it''s possible for him to be hiding in the forest, don''t you think we''ve gone too far?" Schiller called out to Strange after another 20 minutes of walking.


    "This should already be far beyond the casting range of you magicians. He can''t be hiding in such a distant forest and casting spells on the cemetery."


    "I think we''re getting close." Strange raised the enchantmentpass in his hand. Schiller saw that thepass needle was trembling, as if being influenced by an invisible mysterious power.


    Suddenly, the needle stopped with a "thud," and both Schiller and Strange turned their heads in that direction. There was a dense forest there, with the thick foliage blocking all the light in the darkness, making it difficult to see what was behind it.


    A faint light emitted from Strange''s fingers as he rubbed his eyes. With a sh of radiance, his pupils turned into beast-like vertical slits. Clearly, he had borrowed the power of night vision from some mysterious entity embodying certain beasts.


    Schiller, on the other hand, abandoned vision as the invisible mist factor dispersed. The entire world transformed into an incredibly clear three-dimensional model in his mind, much more precise than what the eyes could perceive.


    Strange and Schiller continued walking into the forest, but once they deviated from the path, progress became somewhat difficult. In a short distance, the two walked for over ten minutes.


    It wasn''t until they werepletely immersed in the forest that Strange, who was leading the way, eximed in surprise. Schiller bent down, avoiding the overhead tree branches. As he walked in, he saw a burntnd surrounded by tall trees in the center of the forest. There was a distinctive mark there, resembling a miniature magic formation.


    Strange stopped at the edge of thatnd and didn''t rush forward. Under Schiller''s gaze, he calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out... a mobile phone.


    "Hello, Sanctum Sanctorum? Yes, it''s me, Stephen. I have a pattern here, seemingly left by a demonic deity who controls death and darkness. Can you broadcast it through the universal frequency band in the demonic deitywork and see if anyone knows who left this?"


    The operator on the other end quickly responded, "The image has been received, and the cosmic signal has been sent out. Currently, there is no response. It may take about ten minutes..."


    After ending the call, Strange turned around and proudly showed it to Schiller. "We can''t be the only ones helping them, right?"


    "Some of the powers intercepted during the Knull invasion event were infused into the underground magic formation in Sanctum Sanctorum by the Ancient One. This magic formation can send magic broadcasts to the universe. The principle is simr to human broadcasting, except that magic is more convenient. We don''t need any signal towers or stations..."


    "So far, this function has only been used to summon demonic deities for meetings or to deal with neighborhood disputes. But Nick told me he intends to develop an entertainment broadcast program targeting the entire universe. He found a few morally tested directors and screenwriters in prison, and it''s about to be prioritized on the schedule..."


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 Chapter 314: Language! (3)

    Chapter 314: Language! (3)


    After about fifteen minutes, in the dark and silent forest, the ringing of Strange''s phone shattered the tranquility.


    He picked up the phone, pressed the answer button, and ced it next to his ear. A pleasant voice from the Sanctum Sanctorum customer service staff came from the other end: "This is amunication on behalf of Lord of Hell, Mephisto. Your call will be connected in 30 seconds. In the meantime, we will y a waiting tone. Please be patient..."


    After several seconds of pleasant music, the mobile phone suddenly flew out of Strange''s hand with a "whoosh." The keypad transformed into arge mouth full of sharp teeth, and Mephisto'' voice came from that mouth: "Hey Strange, where did you see this emblem?"


    His teasing tone confused Strange a bit, and he asked, "What''s wrong? What emblem are you talking about?"


    "You don''t know? This is the symbol of H, the ruler of the Underworld. She''s that crazy woman who ys with skeletons and souls all day in her own realm. Did you see any suddenly resurrected skeletons and corpses around this emblem? If you did, it''s definitely her..."


    "Yes, there were, and not just one or two. A nearby graveyard has been haunted for several days."


    "That''s right. H''s specialty is an undead army. Her power of deathes from the back of the World Tree, which is the opposite of rebirth. Besides death, there is also resurrection..."


    "But why would H appear on Earth?"


    "How should I know? But... considering the good deal you gave me earlier, I''ll remind you that this woman is not easy to deal with. Once she shows up, her omnipresent power of death and resurrection will taint arge area ofnd and create all sorts of troublesome creatures. If you don''t want your territory to turn into a skeleton dance hall, it''s best toe up with a n..."After hanging up the phone, Strange frowned and looked at the emblem on the ground. Schiller patted his shoulder and said, "Let''s leave this ce for now. If H really descends, do you have a way to deal with her?"


    "No..." Strange shook his head and said, "I''m worried that H might descend. If she does, I can''t leave because only I can handle these troublesome demonic deities."


    After living afortable life, Strange seemed to have regained some sense of purpose. He stared at the emblem on the ground and began to think about ways to counter H.


    Schiller continued, "I''m afraid things won''t be as simple as you think. Regardless, there''s no reason for the ruler of the Underworld to appear on Earth, especially here..."


    "If she wants to invade Earth, she wouldn''t just leave a mark here. Everyone knows that a lightning attack is the fastest way to achieve victory. Her actions are more like stirring up trouble."


    "Why do I feel like she''s being sneaky?" Schiller looked at the emblem and said, "It''s as if she''s deliberately concealing her power, not wanting to be discovered. But the power of demonic deities is so strong that it has leaked out and caused paranormal events."


    While the two of them spected, Strange''s mobile phone suddenly rang again, and the sudden appearance of the ringtone startled him. He took out his mobile phone, and the mobile phone flew into the air again. That familiar big mouth appeared once more, and Mephisto'' voice sounded in his ear, "Stephen, let''s make a deal. Your Sanctum Sanctorum''s... Quarterly Membership, right? If you give me a Quarterly Membership, I''ll give you more clues. How about that?"


    Strange


    cursed silently. Mephisto was a cunning old fox. He intentionally didn''t reveal everything earlier, and he emphasized the threat of H, arousing people''s curiosity and leading to many spections but no answers. And now hees ying the savior, just to take advantage even more.


    "I can only give you a month at most. You know, that ce is not under my control. There''s also the Sorcerer Supreme and All-Father''s shares. If I give too many gifts, I won''t be able to exin it to others..."


    "Alright, just one month then."


    Mephisto Tao casually took advantage of the situation. Then, a dark aura spread from the mobile phone, forming the upper half of Mephisto Tao''s body. He snapped his fingers, and a wisp of ck cigarette smoke drifted towards the symbol. He exined to the two people behind him:


    "Generally speaking, a demonic deity leaves its mark somewhere to convey information. For example, I left my own mark in your mobile phone, so I can call you anytime."


    "Of course, the magic broadcast you created is impressive. After you''re done, don''t forget to let me leave a mark next to that magic array. It will improve the signal."


    "So, what does this mark left by H represent?"


    "Wait, I''m deciphering it. You know, women always like to add unnecessary decorations to their belongings, and H''s mark is the same. She engraved so manyplex patterns, but only a small part of it is actually useful..."


    "...Alright, read it out, hmm?" Mephisto Tao sounded a bit puzzled as he uttered a hesitant "hmm," then said, "H is looking for someone."


    "Looking for someone?... Who could she be looking for on Earth? There shouldn''t be anyone rted to her."


    "She didn''t leave a name, just mentioned that it''s a ck-haired girl... Wait, there''s one more line. If found, please contact her through the Sanctum Sanctorum''s phone."


    "Strange, your fame has spread far and wide," Mephisto Tao turned to Strange and teased.


    Strange shrugged and said, "Well, it seems like another lost pet case. Regardless of who she''s looking for, the mark she left us has caused quite a bit of trouble. How do we get rid of her?"


    "If you''re willing to give me another month..."


    "No need, we''ll figure it out ourselves. Goodbye." Strange directly threw out a crimson ribbon, reeling in his mobile phone, and then pressed the hang-up button, making Mephisto Tao''s figure instantly disappear...


    After a while, the phone rang again, and Mephisto Tao said, "I can help you remove all the power here, but you''ll have to provide me with an exclusive line. I''ll be a bit busy for the next twenty thousand years..."


    "An exclusive line is not possible, but I can give you an additional thread. Our advanced customer service is limited, you know..."


    "Alright, then give me an extra thread."


    Mephisto Tao''s figure emerged from the phone again. He snapped his fingers, and instantly, countless ck energies poured into his body from the symbol and its surroundings. Then, all traces disappeared. After Mephisto Tao''s figure vanished, Schiller said, "It seems like you''ve been fooled by this devil again."


    Strange''s expression also turned grim because anyone with eyes could see that Mephisto Tao was absorbing power during that process. This cunning devil not only obtained a portion of the power left by H but also managed to get Strange to give him an extra customer service thread.


    "I''ll give you some advice: directly transfer Mephisto Tao''s calls to Nick. Even if you don''t necessarily profit, at least you won''t lose out."


    Strange turned his head and nced at Schiller, saying, "What''s your phone number? If every unknown call could be redirected to you, Earth would have be a universal sanctuary."


    "Alright, the issue with residual power is dealt with. Now, we need to figure out who H is looking for," Strange said.


    "Definitely not an ordinary person, since Hell and the Underworld are not ces where ordinary people can stay. She might be searching for another demonic deity from a different universe," Strange said as he opened a portal. "The good news is that paranormal events have been dealt with, but the bad news is that there might be another demonic deity lurking in some corner of Earth."


    Schiller followed Strange through the portal and said, "Just don''t let Nick know about this, or his blood pressure will skyrocket again."


    Back in the room at Arkham Sanatorium, Strange was about to make a phone call. Schiller asked him, "What are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to call Sanctum Sanctorum and ask if they know of any demonic deity who appears as a ck-haired girl. That way, even if this demonic deity causes trouble, we can stop them in time," Strange replied.


    "I advise against it because it might offend H. Haven''t you noticed the hidden symbol she left behind? Maybe she wants you to secretly help her find someone," Schiller warned.


    Strange sat down on the sofa and touched his face. He said, "She has no reason to do that. Why would she be so secretive? Who can harm her?... Oh, wait, there is someone. Could it be that H is afraid of the Ancient One? But the Sorcerer Supreme shouldn''t be able to reach her in the Underworld."


    "Don''t forget, besides the Ancient One, there''s Odin among the Nine Realms. Not only Odin, but Thor has also regained his godly powers and even made some progress. But it''s more likely that the person H is looking for has a special identity..." Schiller added.


    "The problem hase full circle. Who is this person?" Strange rested his elbow on the armrest of the sofa and pressed his forehead with his hand.


    Just then, Schiller''s mobile phone rang. Strange turned to Schiller, and Schiller answered the call, saying, "Hello? Peter?... What happened? How are things over there? Skeleton suddenly lost all its power and turned into a pile of bones? That''s good news..."


    "Great Sorcerer Supreme''s sessor, Strange, had a deal with the Demon, so the Lord of Hell, Mephisto, helped us deal with this trouble, but it brought us an even bigger problem..." Schiller was interrupted by a loud noise from Peter''s side, followed by a chaoticmotion. Schiller heard Peter''s voice as he took off into the air, followed by the sound of spider webs shooting.


    After a series of "snap, thud, bang," Peter''s exmation and a female voice''s cry sounded simultaneously. A few secondster, Steve''s voice came from a distance, saying, "Peter, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine..." Peter was lying on the ground with a girl, or rather, a young woman, dressed in a ck robe on top of him.


    Steve stood a few meters away, not rushing over but assuming a defensive posture. He asked the girl, "Who are you? How did you suddenly fall from the sky, and why are there so many skeletons around?"


    The girl in the ck robe stood up, and Peter finally managed to get up from the ground. He brushed off the debris from his body and turned to look at the person beside him. Then he saw a fair and slender hand reaching out from under the ck robe, removing the hood.


    Schiller heard a voice from the other end of the phone, saying, "What the...?"


    "..nguage!"


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 Chapter 315: The Godly Girl Gets into Catastrophe (1)

    Chapter 315: The Godly Girl Gets into Catastrophe (1)


    Schiller heard the sound of Peter swallowing saliva on the other end of the phone. The panicked voice of Spider-Man echoed through the phone, "Mr. Schiller, it''s better if you...e over..."


    Strange opened a portal directly, and before Schiller could hang up the phone, he had already stepped through it. Schiller then heard Strange swear.


    Feeling curious, Schiller looked towards the other side of the bedroom portal, but he didn''t see anything. Strange''s voice came from there, "Schiller,e quickly!"


    Whether it was Peter or Strange, they were not the type to use foulnguage. The fact that they both cursed together intrigued Schiller, and he was curious about who was on the other side.


    After he walked through the portal, Schiller froze and, looking at the girl in front of him, took a deep breath and said, "...Loki?!"


    Yes, standing in front of him was a girl in a ck cloak, Loki, or rather, Lady Loki.


    If it were just a gender-swapped version of Loki, it wouldn''t have surprised Schiller so much. He knew that in theics, Loki had transformed into a female several times, or rather, their gender was fluid, which was the official canon in theics. So it wouldn''t be surprising if one day Loki decided to be female.


    But what surprised Schiller was that the girl version of Lady Loki had manyyers of aura surrounding her. This was not an abstract adjective, but a specific description.


    In the moment she took off her hood, circles of holy, ethereal halos appeared behind her, apanied by rainbow shimmering. It resembled scenes from medieval religious paintings, making her look exceptionally holy and beautiful.Lady Loki''s extraordinary beauty did note as a surprise to Schiller because male Loki was already very handsome, and it made sense for him to be beautiful as a goddess. But now, this girl version of Lady Loki seemed to possess a special charm and allure. The sacred aura made it impossible for anyone to look away.


    Lady Loki''s first words were, "I am Lady Loki."


    And her second sentence was, "I''ve made a colossal mess, find a way to help me quickly!"


    Due to her inherent sacredness and charismatic attributes, her plea didn''t sound like a cry for help but rather like a divine mandate.


    Peter swallowed again, and when Lady Loki turned to look at him, he blushed and became flustered.


    Of all the people present, Schiller had the highest resistance to Lady Loki''s charm. He pushed Strange and said, "Let''s talk somewhere else."


    Strange was still immersed in unparalleled shock. After all, he was the most familiar and had the closest rtionship with Loki among everyone present. Suddenly, his good friend transformed into an incredibly beautiful and holy goddess, which was hard for Strange to ept at once.


    "I''ll handle this," Lady Loki said, extending her hand and drawing a circle in the air, opening a portal. Schiller took the lead and walked through it, with Lady Loki following behind. The remaining three stood still for a while before entering.


    On the other side of the portal was the meeting room of the Arkham Sanatorium. The group settled down in an orderly manner. Lady Loki upied the sofa by the window alone, Schiller sat on a nearby single sofa, and the other three squeezed onto the opposite sofa, staring intently at Lady Loki.


    "Tell us, what happened?" Schiller asked the young Lady Loki.


    One couldn''t help but acknowledge that staring at her face for a few seconds was like being drawn into an invisible vortex, captivating the soul. After staring at Lady Loki for a while, Schiller said, "It seems like you''re about to level up. What did you do?"


    Lady Loki let out a faint sigh, even the way she sighed resembled that of a divine maidenmenting for the world.


    "It all started on Sakaar Star..."


    Continued from the previous book, after Thor was exiled to Sakaar Star, he ascended and became the God of Light.


    You may ask if Loki was satisfied with this oue. It''s hard to say for himself, but this fact had a tremendous impact on his heart, leaving him unable to find an outlet for hisplex emotions.


    So when Thor said he wanted to stay at Sakaar Star to save those ves, Loki neither agreed nor refused, but followed him numbly.


    Thor felt guilty towards Loki, but he didn''t know how to change Loki''s state, so he infused arge portion of his divine light power into him.


    However, just like the previously despondent Thor, Loki had no intention of using this power.


    They left the Sakaar Star arena and started heading towards the mine where Thor used to work.


    The hot wind howled on the destend of Sakaar Star, and sandstorms were the only constant melody. But Thor didn''t use his powerful Power of Light to teleport directly; instead, he and Loki made their way back step by step.


    While on the road, a beam of light shed, and Sif descended from the light of the Rainbow Bridge. When Thor saw her figure, he was surprised and asked, "Sif, how did youe here? Is your injury healed?"


    Sif''splexion was still a little pale. She walked up to Thor and said, "I was faster than the others, so I came to find you."


    "When the power of the God of Light descended, all the citizens of Asgard were cheering for their new king, Thor. Congrattions..."


    Thor didn''t show much joy. In the past, if he heard that all the people of Asgard were celebrating for him, he would have gone crazy with happiness. But now he just said lightly, "Is that so? It seems like themotion caused this time was quite big..."


    Sif noticed the difference in Thor. The strong power and majestic aura he now carried made people instinctively respect him. Sif reached out and touched Thor''s face, saying, "It seems like you''ve changed a lot..."


    "Why don''t you go back to Asgard? There will be a grand celebration waiting for you there, you know..."


    Thor shook his head and said, "I''m not very interested in that kind of asion anymore. I''m staying here because there are more important things to do."


    As Thor recounted his experiences on Sakaar Star to Sif, the voice of Venom within Loki spoke up, saying, "How did Phantom end up in this goddess''s body?"


    Loki looked up at Sif, and Sif, as if understanding without words, turned to look back at him. A purple gleam flickered in her eyes, and Phantom spoke through Sif''s mouth, saying to Loki, "It was all your doing, wasn''t it? You controlled that giant robot and severely injured Sif, nearly killing her. Hill wanted to save her, so I ran into Sif''s body to help repair it..."


    "Afterward, I felt like we made a good team, so I stayed. Now I also have a host of the divine. Venom, do you want to have a confrontation?"


    "Rather than saying you want to find a host of the divine and have a confrontation with me, it''s more like you can''t bear to see others in danger and not save them. Phantom, you agents of the universe are still the same, providing relief and assistance without boundaries..."


    "Better than you, you madman! When you return to the homeworld, Thunder and I will teach you a lesson!"


    Seeing Sif and Loki chatting more smoothly than himself, Thor scratched his head but didn''t mind. He also knew that it was simply because of the two alien symbiotes within them.


    Or rather, Thor was quite happy because Loki and Sif were practically mortal enemies before, always arguing when they met. Thor had a headache mediating between them. Now with the two symbiotes coordinating, things were getting a bit more harmonious.


    However, from Loki''s perspective, this situation became somewhat strange because Venom always transmitted impulsive emotions, making him unable to help but stare at Sif. Several times during the journey to the Red Ring mine, Loki forcefully pped his own head in secluded ces.


    "Venom! What''s the matter with you? What are you thinking? Sif is Odin''s chosen fianc¨¦e for Thor! They both know about it!"


    "What does it matter? It''s not like it''s Sif, I see."


    "You..." Loki was choked for a moment, then he asked with great confusion, "Aren''t you symbiotes capable of reproduction without mating?"


    "Yeah, but does that mean I can''t pursue a romantic rtionship?"


    Loki opened his mouth, gritting his teeth as he stood still, speaking to the air, "Listen, Venom, you can''t do this. Even if you''re attracted to Phantom, her current host is Sif. She will be my future sister-inw, the Queen of Asgard. If you dare to make a move on her, Odin will strike us down!"


    "What does it matter? You and Thor aren''t blood-rted, nor are you rted to Odin."


    "Besides, who said Odin arranged their engagement? Did they have a ceremony? Did they exchange rings? Or have they had a deeper level of connection? Since they haven''t, why can''t we..."


    In the reception room, several people heard this and looked at each other with a hint of disdain, casting their gaze towards Lady Loki. Strange was the first to speak, "You can''t possibly... This goes against ethics. Even if they haven''t married, it''s still immoral..."


    "If that''s the case, then you''ve really caused a big mess..." Steve said tactfully, "Your father is probably going to be very angry."


    Lady Loki said expressionlessly, "Nothing happened between me and her."


    "Then what do you mean by ''big basket''..."


    "It''s much more serious than that."


    At a station in Sakaar Star, Loki took a deep breath, almost suffocating, and said, "I don''t like Sif at all! That annoying woman is always causing trouble for me. We''re enemies, you understand?"


    "I''m also enemies with Phantom. Their cosmic agent team has been chasing after me, but it doesn''t matter. Getting into bed is the best way to turn enemies into friends..."


    Loki realized that there was no reasoning with this suddenly lustful symbiote.


    As he and Venom tugged back and forth, they arrived at the Crimson Ring Mine and entered the dangerous mine where Thor had once mined.


    Here, the three of them erupted into a fierce conflict, or rather, Sif couldn''t take it anymore.


    While Loki tugged with Venom, Sif also tugged with Phantom. It was well known that the current Venom had incorporated aspects of Bruce and Stark''s personalities, and these two yboys had undeniable charm. Phantom was also a symbiote with a soul and emotions. During this journey, her impression of Venom had changed significantly, and she even felt a little attracted to him.


    Sif naturally sensed Phantom''s emotions and didn''t think symbiotes couldn''t fall in love. In Sif''s view, any creature with an independent soul should be able to enjoy love, and love should be free.


    It was fine for Phantom to fall in love with Venom, but she couldn''t love Loki. She and Loki were enemies, and Sif despised Loki.


    Furthermore, she knew deep down that she was arranged by Odin to be Thor''s Queen, and Odin and Loki were blood brothers. If something happened between her and Loki, the reputation of Asgard''s royal family would be tarnished.


    However, before this, when Sif was almost killed by the Destroyer, Phantom saved her and quickly helped her heal her body. Phantom saved Sif''s life, and Sif didn''t have a position to stop her, so the atmosphere between her and Loki became somewhatplicated.


    But Sif couldn''t stand this kind of atmosphere at all. She hated Loki more than Loki hated her, to the point of deep enmity.


    At this moment, in the mine where the three of them were exploring, Sif and Loki finally exploded. They had a big argument, bringing up all the past grievances, and eventually, unable to hold back, they started fighting.


    If you''re wondering what Thor was doing, he was trying to mediate, but although he had regained his powers and his level had been elevated, his emotional intelligence couldn''t be raised overnight. While Thor had be more epting of many things, his ability in interpersonal rtionships was still the same as before. Most of his attempts at mediation were ineffective, and they had no effect at all.


    When Loki and Sif started fighting, Thor wanted to stop them, but Loki wasn''t using his own divine power. He was still an ordinary person without divine power, using the divine light power that Thor had infused into him. However, this divine power didn''t belong to Loki, and he couldn''t control it properly.


    As Loki used this unfamiliar power to defend against Sif''s attack, the unstable power caused a violent explosion. The entire underground mine in the Crimson Ring copsed, and Loki was sted into the endless void of the Sakaar Starrock formation.


    Apanied by Thor''s shout and the intense sound of the explosion, countless fragments of the void shattered before Loki''s eyes, forming a storm that swept through the space. After the infinite space storm, Loki was thrown into a strange space...


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 Chapter 316: The Godly Girl Gets into Catastrophe (2)

    Chapter 316: The Godly Girl Gets into Catastrophe (2)


    "So you ended up in H''s realm of Death?"


    "That''s right. As soon as I opened my eyes, I found myself in a deste and lifelessnd, filled with the familiar aura of Death. And soon enough, I encountered H..."


    A bluish mist slowly rose from the ground, enveloping thend in a dark haze. Countless shattered bones and debris washed ashore from the river of the underworld. When Loki woke up, he saw a ck mist forming before him, taking the shape of a woman d in ck robes.


    "Well, well, isn''t this the esteemed second prince of Asgard?" The woman''s deep and hoarse voice echoed in Loki''s ears.


    The moment Loki turned to look at H, he felt himself being enchanted... Wait, how could he be enchanted?


    Loki took two steps back and shook his head vigorously. Venom''s voice echoed in his mind once again: "That''s right, you''ve been enchanted."


    "What are you up to now, Venom?"


    Venompletely ignored Loki''s question and muttered to himself, "The marvelous essence of Death. I''ve been pursuing Death for so long... My love..."


    Loki was utterly confused, wondering why Venom suddenly shifted his affections. But to understand that, one must start with Venom''s first host, Deadpool.As we all know, Deadpool''s girlfriend is Death, yes, the abstract entity known as Death.


    As mentioned before when discussing the hierarchy of powers, there are five conceptual deities in the universe: Annihtion, Death, Infinity, Eternity, and the Devourer ofs.


    Deadpool''s goddess, Death, is one of these five deities. She is a conceptual existence and does not actually have a physical form. The images she manifests are merely people''s imagination of her. Clearly, the image that Deadpool envisioned in his mind is the goddess he obsessively pursued.


    Let''s not delve into theplicated love triangle between Deadpool, Thanos, and Death. In any case, both Deadpool and Thanos consider themselves to be Death''s men. To prevent Deadpool from meeting Death, Thanos cursed him with immortality, for as long as Deadpool couldn''t die, he couldn''t see Death. Deadpool''s reckless behavior was all about finding someone who could kill him and allow him to reunite with his goddess, Death...


    Deadpool''s infatuation with Death was deeply inherited by Venom, who had once bonded with Deadpool as his host. Despite the fact that the goddess before them was H, not Death, all aspects rted to Death in the universe carried the essence of the Death goddess, and H''s realm of Death was no exception.


    Even the main character couldn''t win over the original version, so it''s normal for Venom, as a symbiote, to seek a suitable substitute, right?


    Venom inherited Deadpool''s obsession with Death, and the moment he saw H, he believed he had fallen in love with her.


    He fell in love with H, but as a symbiote, he still had a host...


    "So you..." Strange looked at Lady Loki with aplex expression, hesitant to speak.


    Lady Loki''s expression could only be described as lifeless ashes, as she stiffly said, "I tried to stop it, but I couldn''t."


    "But..." Strange rubbed his temples and said, "Even if Venom is infatuated with H, he shouldn''t be able to... H is the ruler of the Underworld, a cosmic demonic deity. He shouldn''t be able to..."


    Schiller turned to Strange, ced a hand on his shoulder, and nodded. "He can."


    Loki added, "We don''t know why, but he really can."


    If we can''t determine how much charm


    Venom possesses after being infatuated with someone, let''s make an equivalentparison. We don''t need to say much about the charm that Bruce and Stark possess when they genuinely fall in love with someone, right?


    So, if there''s a divine position in this universe meant for wooing women, a fusion of Stark and Bruce in Venom would have be a multiverse-level entity long ago if not for Peter and Eddie dragging him down...


    Of course, this also depends on H''s state. Despite the grand title of Ruler of the Underworld, she was imprisoned in a deste and lifelessnd with nothing but skeletons and necromancy, and it had been that way for many years.


    H, as a sentient being, couldn''t help but feel lonely. Even though her hatred for Odin may have surpassed her emptiness for a time, she still longed for somepany.


    There''s no need to mention Loki''s qualities. He is incredibly handsome to the point that almost all the girls in Asgard are captivated by his appearance. Loki''s looksbined with the inner qualities of Bruce and Stark make him unmatched in the art of wooing. Moreover, it coincided with H''s loneliness and boredom, and they fell for each other almost instantly.


    "H revealed her story with Odin to me, and I found out she is Asgard''s eldest daughter, my sister, and an enemy of Odin. I can''t be with her..."


    "You chickened out, didn''t you?" Schiller asked directly.


    Lady Loki''s expression remained stiff. She didn''t want to acknowledge it and simply defended herself, "That wasn''t my intention. I just wanted to leave there as soon as possible..."


    On the throne of the realm of Death, Hy while Loki leaned down, his hair falling onto H''s shoulder.


    In a moment when they were about to get closer, Loki struggled to suppress the screaming symbiote inside him, ripped off the H Cloak, and activated his divine power. After a violent explosion, Loki''s figure disappeared.


    Just like all the victims who had been deceived by Loki, H''s angry roar echoed in the realm of Death: "Loki!!!!"


    "Well, this can definitely be considered a big mess, offending the ruler of the Underworld..." said Strange, shaking his head in the meeting room.


    Lady Loki, however, remained expressionless and said, "It''s more than that."


    Loki, who had teleported back to Earth with the help of the Cloak and divine light power, had just breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that he was surrounded by the ubiquitous power of Death.


    H almost emerged from the Underworld and appeared on Earth to hunt down the deceitful thief who had betrayed her emotions and stolen the Cloak.


    At first, Loki was on the run, but soon he discovered that H couldn''t directly enter Earth. She seemed to fear certain powers.


    But even though she couldn''te directly, the constant resurrection of skeletons and corpses caused by the pervasive power of Death continued to harass Loki.


    Loki couldn''t control the Power of Light within him well, so he couldn''t deal with these troubles effectively. He also knew he couldn''t bring these skeletons and necromancy to densely popted areas, or the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth would definitely give him a hard time.


    In the end, he had no choice but to summon H at the mark she left behind and negotiate with her.


    Loki returned the Cloak to H, sincerely apologized to her, and promised her some benefits in the Sanctum Sanctorum.


    H didn''t lose anything, and she knew she couldn''t go wild on Earth. Additionally, Loki''s sincere apology and attitude made her think for a moment, and she didn''t want to argue with him anymore. She took the Cloak and returned to the realm of Death.


    However, there is an emotion in this world called "The more you endure, the more you feel like you''re losing by stepping back."


    The anger of being deceived was an intense emotion that H hadn''t experienced in a long time. This collision of emotions stirred up her other feelings as well.


    H, whose emotions fluctuated dramatically in a short period of time, couldn''t calm down even after returning to the realm of Death. Loki''s face filled her mind.


    You could say it was true love, but it was more like a frustrating feeling of losing something that was already in her grasp. Even when she was a princess in Asgard, she always had the final say, and only the Asgardian warriors revolved around her. When had she experienced such frustration?


    Thinking left and right, H felt that she couldn''t let Loki off the hook like this. Didn''t you say you fell in love with me? Thene to the realm of Death and apany me.


    So, Loki, who thought he had escaped, once again fell victim to H''s endless pursuit.


    Loki was really annoyed by her torment. Firstly, because hecked power now, he couldn''t perform the deceitful tricks he used to. Secondly, he knew he was at fault.


    Running away in the middle of bed, not only running away but also stealing someone''s clothes. If this were to be revealed, he wouldn''t be able to show his face in the Nine Realms anymore. The goddesses of Asgard would give him a p if they saw him.


    He couldn''t confront H head-on, so Loki had to think of another way. At this moment, Venom, who had finally recovered from his state above


    , gave him a very wicked suggestion: "Why don''t you turn into a woman?"


    It was the first time Loki was left speechless by someone.


    But he had to acknowledge that, logically speaking, it was the fastest and most effective method. As long as he could get H out of that emotional state, she probably wouldn''t keep harassing Loki.


    Moreover, Loki didn''t have any aversion to bing a woman. The reason for this goes back to his life in Asgard.


    ording to Marvel''s official setting, Loki''s gender is fluid, which means it is normal for him to be either male or female. But this added exnation can sometimes feel forced.


    If we had to add a reasonable exnation, it would be because Loki was extremely tired of the Viking-style machismo among the Asgardians.


    In the eyes of the Asgardians, all men should be like Thor, powerful, rugged, muscr, with a beard, wielding a shield in one hand and a spear or axe in the other, roaring and charging ahead in battle, eating meat and drinking heavily.


    On the other hand, they strongly rejected men who didn''t fit this image, such as Loki. They believed that wearing robes, wielding staffs, and using magic from the backlines were things the goddesses should do, not the Viking warriors. Therefore, Loki was an outcast in Asgardian society.


    On the contrary, Queen Frigga, known as the greatest sorceress in the Nine Realms, was highly respected because the Asgardians believed she fulfilled everything a woman could do¡ªcaring for her husband, loving her son, and possessing powerful magic.


    Such contrasting attitudes made Loki consider the idea of bing a woman. Therefore, when he actually transformed into a woman, he didn''t reject or dislike it. Instead, he felt a sense of novelty and excitement that came from going against the norms.


    In this way, with the help of divine light power and Venom, Loki transformed into a divine teenage girl.


    Meanwhile, Loki received both good and bad news¡ª


    The good news was that Loki had be a woman.


    The bad news was that H didn''t care about gender.


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 Chapter 317: The Godly Girl Gets into Catastrophe (3)

    Chapter 317: The Godly Girl Gets into Catastrophe (3)


    Is Loki''s gender fluid?


    No problem, H''s sexuality is also fluid.


    Originally, H was just ying around. After all, she had nothing better to do in the Underworld. It was quite amusing to see her chase around this little prince of Asgard, causing chaos. It was a kind of alternative revenge against Odin.


    But when Loki made this change, H''s anger surged.


    Don''t forget, H is also a true-born Asgardian. In her eyes, any Asgardian male would strongly reject the idea of bing female. H has experienced that deeply ingrained machismo firsthand.


    She had no idea about Loki''s peculiar situation in Asgard and his delicate state of mind. So, in H''s view, Loki''s action was basically saying, "I would rather eat shit than sleep with you."


    Thispletely negated H''s personal charm and attractiveness. No woman could tolerate such provocation, especially the once immensely proud Asgardian princess. So, H became furious.


    "You''ve be female? No problem, I can be male."


    Thus, when the young Lady Loki reunited with H once again, she discovered that the person across from her was no longer the sexy female d in a cloak but a male ruler of the underworld, H, wearing green armor, wielding a long spear, andmanding a vast army of skeletons...Although it resembled Hades to some extent, H didn''t care. Consumed by rage, she had only one thing in mind: killing Lady Loki.


    "An angry ruler of the Underworld will bring huge trouble." Lady Loki sat on the sofa in the reception room, saying helplessly, "It won''t be just small fights anymore. If he captures me, I''m done for..."


    Strange was already speechless. He said, "You really have no right to talk about Thor causing trouble every day. You''re silent most of the time, but when you make noise, it''s remarkable!"


    "So, how do you n to evade the pursuit?" Peter asked.


    Lady Loki sounded very helpless. "I have no way out. I can only rely on the divine power within me to leave Earth and find a ce where I can elude H''s pursuit..."


    "The divine light power that Thor ced within me has a natural guiding effect. It will lead me to the ce in the Nine Realms where the power of Death is thinnest. There, I won''t be invaded by H."


    "And the ce where the power of Death is thinnest is where the life force is most concentrated. That''s how I ended up near the World Tree..."


    "The World Tree sustains the existence of the Nine Realms. It is more like an abstract concept, not an actual tree with a specific form. However, there is a location known as the core of the World Tree..."


    "There, a colossal tree, which has been manifested as a concept, stands. Guided by the Power of Light, I arrived beneath the tree. Once I reached that ce, I understood it was an area where H could never intrude."


    Lady Loki sighed again. "But you know I can''t be trapped there forever. Even if I can hide for a while, I can''t hide for a lifetime."


    "As I approached the World Tree, I discovered that besides the branches supporting the Nine Realms, there was another new branch. It condensed unmatched life and vitality. I knew it could help me resist H, so I snapped off that new branch..."


    "Wait!" Strange interrupted. He said, "Are you saying you snapped off a tree branch that supports the Nine Realms???"


    "Oh my god! Why didn''t Odin strike you with lightning? Aren''t you afraid of the Nine Realms


    copsing?!!!"


    Lady Loki nced at Strange and said, "I''m not some apprentice who just started learning magic. I''m certain that the new branch is independent of the Nine Realms. Even if I snapped it off, it won''t have any impact on the structure of the universe."


    "Then why do you say you''ve made a big mess?" Steve asked, somewhat confused. "The only thing that could be considered trouble is this, right?"


    "After all, nothing really happened between you and H. He didn''t actually invade Earth. Even if you had a chase battle, it wouldn''t mean much to the entire universe, would it?"


    "That''s what I''m going to tell you next. After I snapped off that new branch, things developed beyond my imagination..."


    In a mysterious space filled with white mist, a towering tree sprouted from the ground. The boundless canopy covered the sky, and countless branches emerged, with each leaf representing a tiny universe. This was the incarnation of the World Tree.


    At the base of the giant tree, there was a green meadow. On one side of the tree, there was a spring and ake. The ck-haired girl reached out her hand and snapped off a branch filled with life force.


    Suddenly, the branch flew out of the girl''s hand. After a burst of white light, a handsome male in a white robe appeared before Lady Loki.


    He was surrounded by a faint glow. He performed an ancient Asgardian ritual to Lady Loki and said, "Hello, I am Balder, the God of Light. You have awakened me. Is there something you need? Wait a moment!"


    Balder approached Lady Loki and stared at her, sounding puzzled. "Familiar power... Are you the God of Light?"


    His previously cold and distant expression suddenly softened, and his gaze towards Lady Loki carried a tenderness and affection that she couldn''t understand.


    Lady Loki had no idea who he was, and just as she was about to ask, Balder looked at her with a sigh and said, "I never expected that the new king who would wield the Power of Light would be Asgard''s little princess."


    "Have you heard of my name, Your Highness?"


    Lady Loki shook her head, and Balder let out a sigh that seemed both present and absent. He said, "I am your elder brother, the true firstborn of Odin, and the former God of Light."


    "But I am not Odin''s biological son. I am a new branch he plucked from the World Tree."


    Balder''s tone carried the rhythm of ancient Asgardiannguage, his voice rising and falling like reciting a grand epic.


    "On the day the great ruler of Asgard ascended the throne, he made a promise to his beautiful fianc¨¦e. On the day they wed, he would pluck a new branch from the tallest tree in the world as a gift to celebrate their marriage."


    "On their wedding day, Odin came to the World Tree and made a wish, hoping it would grow a new branch as a gift for the Queen. The World Tree granted his wish, and that''s how I came into being."


    "He plucked me from the World Tree and adorned me with nine beautiful flowers that grew in Asgard, forming a flower wreath. He ced it on the Queen''s head, symbolizing their unwavering love and shared responsibility and honor to rule Asgard."


    "The Queen was deeply moved and said to the King, ''This flower wreath embodies Asgardians'' wishes for love and should be our first child.'' Thus, Balder was born from the new branch of the World Tree, bing the King''s firstborn."


    "I am the incarnation of the World Tree''s power of life and vitality, representing the joy of spring and new life. Therefore, I became Asgard''s God of Light, responsible for all illumination and new beginnings."


    As Balder spoke, his tone gradually became somber, like a cheerful melody reaching its final chapter.


    "Odin promised me that he would bring life to every corner of the universe, allowing the branches of the World Tree to take root and sprout in the Nine Realms, so that all life here could have a spring."


    "But with the increasing warfare in Asgard, it brought not life but destruction. Life diminished while the power of destruction grew, constantly eroding me and making me weaker."


    "The Queen was deeply saddened because she foresaw that the day Asgard would be crowned in the entire universe would also be the day of my death."


    "My weakening and the Queen''s tears made Odin waver. He began to question the meaning of this war and destruction, so he ceased his conquests and nned to rule the Nine Realms through peace."


    "But he couldn''t prevent the arrival of the final war."


    "H, my sister and Asgard''s princess, lost her sanity in the continuous warfare, believing that destruction was the only answer for the universe."


    "She engaged in a fierce war with Odin, and the destructive power of that war became thest straw that crushed me. I lost all my power and reverted to being a branch of the World Tree, returning to my origin."


    "The King and Queen were devastated. They couldn''t exin to Asgard''s people where their firstborn and heir had gone, so they suppressed H and erased my existence."


    "Only a few people who were not influenced by Odin''s divine power remembered my existence, and you... Since H, the new princess of Asgard, you possess a powerpletely opposite to your sister''s. It is a new Power of Light."


    "On the World Tree, I was briefly influenced by the breath of this power, and in the moment this Power of Light truly touched me, I was awakened again."


    "Your Highness, as the bearer of the Power of Light, you will be Asgard''s new king."


    "Before, I was the holder of the Power of Light, so I was the heir to the throne. And now, you possess apletely new Power of Light, so you will be the next king of Asgard."


    Lady Loki looked at Balder''s eyes filled with tenderness and affection. In that moment, she suddenly felt a sense of destiny, as if everything had been arranged by coincidences.


    In the past, Odin came to the World Tree and plucked a new branch. In the thriving Asgard, Balder became the great prince and heir, bringing vitality to the Nine Realms.


    Then came H, who became the culprit that killed her own elder brother. She represented the opposite of life and vitality, embodying death and destruction.


    And now, Thor, who wields the new Power of Light, has be the true heir of Asgard.


    And she, due to a series of coincidences, has be a princess. So, is she also destined to wield the power of destruction and death, and kill her own elder brother?


    Why does everything seem like a predetermined cycle?


    Why is it that whenever there is a vacant position in this story, a series of coincidences push a suitable person into that position?


    Lady Loki thought, is the constant cycle of birth and destruction truly an unavoidable fate for Asgard?


    While Lady Loki was contemting this question, Schiller interrupted her and asked, "So, did you cause trouble after all?"


    Lady Loki slowly said, "Balder discovered the aura of death left by H on me. He thought H was trying to kill me, so..."


    The four people sitting on the sofa looked at Lady Loki together. Lady Loki''s voice was very stiff as she said, "The God of Light and the God of Death, because of me... started a war."


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 Chapter 318: The Fourth Power of Wickedness (1)

    Chapter 318: The Fourth Power of Wickedness (1)


    "Lady Loki had just finished speaking when Schiller turned to Strange with a nce.


    Then, Schiller turned back and looked at Peter sitting on the sofa next to him and said, ''Peter, I heard you''re good at craftsmanship. Can you help us install arge lightning rod on top of the house?''


    ''Lightning rod? Why do we need a lightning rod?'' Peter didn''t understand at first, but as his gaze swept over Lady Loki and he thought of Norse mythology, he suddenly realized.


    ''Oh, right! Lightning rod! She might actually need a lightning rod. But can a regr lightning rod used by humans really withstand Thor''s thunder?''


    ''If you think a normal lightning rod can''t, then can we find a way to create a lightning rod that can withstand the power of Thor?'' Schiller patted Peter''s shoulder and said, ''Stark has always told me that you have talent in this area. I believe you won''t let us down, right?''


    Peter nodded seriously and stood up, saying, ''Alright, I''ll go research it. If I have any updates, I''ll call.''


    As he got up, Steve looked at the expressions on Schiller and Strange''s faces. He also stood up and said, ''I have to deal with the mess created by those skeletons and necromancy. I''m going to Eddie''s ce to see if he can write an article to calm the public. You guys continue...''


    Saying that, he also left.


    After Peter and Steve had left, Lady Loki, who had been sitting upright in the chair, breathed a sigh of relief. She reached out and put on her hood, and only leaned back on the chair after the halo disappeared.''Alright, the people who haven''t passed the moral test are gone. Now it''s our time,'' Schiller said as he stood up, taking a bottle of sherry from the liquor cab.


    Strange arranged the transparent sses and said to Lady Loki, ''The righteous gentlemen have left, now you can tell us the alternate version of the story.''


    With most of her face hidden in the shadow of the hood, Lady Loki let out a slight sigh as she ced her hand on the armrest of the sofa. She said, ''To be honest, how did you guys manage it? How did these two find me first? If it weren''t for them, I wouldn''t have wasted so much time talking.''


    ''Don''tin. The ce where you caused a disturbance was too close to Peter''s home. He would definitely investigate. And as for Steve, wherever there''s trouble, you''ll find him¡ªCaptain America.''


    Schiller poured drinks for everyone, and Lady Loki leaned forward and took out a box of cigars from under the coffee table. As she cut the cigar, she said, ''That foolish Thor, who only gains strength without gaining brains. If he were to return to Asgard just like that, the situation wouldn''t change. What does a new divine position matter? Is Odin not powerful enough? But can he stop the people of Asgard from going down the path of destruction due to their love for war?''


    ''So, what did you do?''


    ''I persuaded Thor to stay on Sakaar Star and save the ves there. Ironically, he thought I had turned over a new leaf and changed my ways, but in reality, I just wanted to keep him there. I have other things to do when I return...''


    ''I knew there was something strange about your story, how did you conveniently fall into the mines of Sakaar Star and end up in H''s realm of death? You pinpointed the target, didn''t you?'' Schiller brought an ice bucket and added ice cubes to the drinks with a pair of tongs.


    ''Correct, but the part about Sakaar Star is also true. Venom didn''t know what he was thinking and insisted on falling in love. Even if Sif will be the future queen, I shouldn''t have gotten too close to her because she represents the power of the war-loving faction in Asgard.''


    Lady Loki sighed as she leaned back on the sofa and said, ''Aftering to Earth for so long, I havee to understand your society. I''ve realized that Asgard and Earth''s societies are almost identical, but the difference is that since we are all soldiers, the entire Asgardian society is built upon a war chariot that cannot be stopped.''


    ''We are getting close to that too.'' Strange took a sip of his drink and said, ''War is the best way to divert internal conflicts. While the vested interests enjoy their benefits, they don''t consider whether it will lead the entire nation to destruction.''


    Lady Loki snapped her fingers and said, ''Exactly. Asgard is the same. The wheels of our war have been turning for too long, and those who have enjoyed everything during the war are not willing to let it stop. Everything in our society serves conquest. If such a society canst, it would be a miracle...''


    ''The path of destruction has an end...'' Schiller raised his ss and clinked it with Lady Loki''s, saying, ''The endless increase in entropy will bring this universe to its end.''


    ''Exactly, that''s why to change Asgard''s fate, we must first stop this war chariot that has been running for too long.''


    ''But that''s not so easy,'' Strange frowned and said, ''If what you told us about Balder''s part of the story is true, who dares to say that Hunched the war of destruction without the push from those war-loving Asgardians?''


    ''Odin is well aware of this. H''s betrayal and Balder''s downfall are the price he paid to rein in the warhorse.''


    ''But he didn''t seed. The Asgardians still hope for a powerful new king who can lead them in continuing the warfare across the universe. That''s why they felt such joy when they sensed Thor''s immense power.'' Schiller also sighed.


    ''Thor has already realized this, but you can''t expect him to understand the intricacies between the powers of Asgard, especially since his rtionship with Sif is still delicate. It''s quite clear that Sif represents the group of people weing Thor''s return.''


    ''I can tell that, objectively speaking, you don''t hold much malice towards Sif. Why is that?'' Strange asked Lady Loki.


    ''I dislike this woman, but in reality, the younger generation of Asgardians are also victims.''


    ''When we were born, All-Father''s path of war was nearing its end. We were born in a time of peace, but the previous generation kidnapped us to bring about a new war. It wasn''t our own will.''


    "I often mock Sif and the Warriors Three, calling them fools. But sometimes, we have an understanding because we all know that Thor, them, and I are the ones standing on the same side. It''s just that they can''t break free for now."


    Lady Loki picked up the wine ss and took a sip. The atmosphere in the room turned serious. Schiller smiled and said, "Your current appearance and voice make the storytelling much more appealing than before."


    "Have you not noticed that it''s because of my voice?"


    "Indeed, there seems to be a strange aura emanating from you now. Even if I don''t focus on listening to your stories, it still finds its way into my ears." Strange looked at Lady Loki, sounding somewhat puzzled. However, Lady Loki had no intention of revealing the mystery at this moment. She simply said, "I prefer telling stories in chronological order. How about you?"


    "Very well, as you wish."


    Lady Loki cleared her throat and continued, "If Thor and I were to return to Asgard just like that, the situation wouldn''t change much."


    "While I was on Sakaar Star, I thought a lot. I believe the key breakthrough lies in changing the structure of the universe and the demonic deities."


    "I have to acknowledge that the system you''ve created strengthens the connection between the demonic deities. As various domains, spaces, and dimensions be more closely linked, the entire universe transforms from scattered sand into a cake that can be tasted. I believe Asgard''s vitality lies in this."


    "As I mentioned earlier, I sought out H, and Venom was indeed fascinated by the death aura emanating from her. So, I took advantage of the situation and intentionally caught her attention."


    "Fortunately, Peter and Steve don''t understand the nature of symbiotes and gods, or else your whole exnation would have been exposed."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Symbiotes cannot force gods to do anything with sheer power. Even if your race is not Asgardian gods, the principle remains the same."


    "Especially since you also specialize in magic. Your willpower and divine power are sufficient to control this alien symbiote. If you don''t want to, Venom will have a hard time achieving anything."


    "Why did you have to provoke H?"


    Strange looked at Lady Loki, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "She''s not someone you should mess with. The Sorcerer Supreme told me that the ruler of the Underworld has a bad temper and many quirks, making it difficult to get along with her. Even the demonic deities around the dimensions of hell wouldn''t want to provoke her."


    "Because H is a very special existence. She used to be the princess of Asgard, and now she is a demonic deity. As I said before, I believe Asgard''s vitality lies in the structure of the demonic deities, and she happens to embody both of these identities."


    "Correct, if we''re looking for a bridge between the two sides, I think H is indeed a good choice." Schiller touched his forehead with his hand.


    "Perhaps when H initiated the war, it was a momentary impulse. After being subdued and imprisoned by Odin, she must have reflected on whether that war was necessary and what it represented..."


    "Correct, we talked for a long time near Styx." Lady Loki''s tone became somewhat self-deprecating. She said, "Like two stray dogs driven out of their homes, we somehow found resonance with each other. We have a decent understanding of each other..."


    "Well, there was definitely some misunderstanding in between. I just felt that I found a kindred spirit, but H clearly wanted to take it further..."


    "So, did you agree?" Strange eagerly asked Lady Loki.


    "No, but H doesn''t want to give up. I don''t know why, but she seems to be highly interested in me. That part of the story I just told is true..."


    "H''s interest in me is a bit too intense. It got to the point where I had to change my gender. Who knows, she can also change her gender."


    Lady Loki''s voice was filled with helplessness, but Schiller said, "Let me guess, you were inspired by Thor''s ascension to a new god. So, when you met someone willing to listen to your great n, you couldn''t help but pour out your wisdom..."


    "Lady Loki, have you ever considered that you might be the type H likes?" Schiller asked with a mischievous smile.


    "Now I know." Lady Loki replied irritably.


    Strange, however, was a bit confused. He asked, "Why? How did you deduce that?"


    "It''s simple. H was once a respected princess of Asgard, and Asgard''s bravest warriors were at her disposal, but she didn''t find any of them attractive. So, it''s obvious what type she likes, isn''t it?"


    "Well, that''s not important. Besides, H can''t just rush into Earth and kidnap me. As long as I stay here, I''m safe."


    "Putting aside these emotional matters, what deal did you make with H?"


    "I hope to further deepen the structure of the demonic deities in the universe. Therefore, I need an opportunity. After she learned about my goal, H told me Balder''s story and informed me where I can find this former king''s eldest son..."


    "You''ve clearly omitted the crucial parts of the story." Strange pursed his lips and said.


    "So, what are you nning to do?" Schiller asked.


    Lady Loki shook her head slightly and said, "Don''t you feel that someone is missing here?"


    "You mean..."


    Strange and Schiller exchanged nces, then simultaneously uttered the same name, "Nick Fury."


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 Chapter 319: The Four Powers of Virtue (2)

    Chapter 319: The Four Powers of Virtue (2)


    When Nick walked in wearing a red reindeer sweater, Strange snapped his fingers and said, "Hey, buddy, you''re much fancier than before."


    Nick paused and asked, "Who? Captain?"


    "Correct, his red and green sweater is really something."


    "I let him choose between these two, and he picked the red and green one himself." Nick lowered his head, pulled open his sweater, nced at the pattern on it, and said, "Honestly, I quite like the one he''s wearing."


    "Did you model these clothes yourself when you purchased them? Haven''t you considered how disastrous it would be for a Caucasian to wear them?" Schiller stood up, took out another cup from the cab, poured wine for Nick while asking.


    Nick sat down on the sofa and shook his head. He said in a rxed tone, "It''s fine. Besides me and Captain, no one else will wear them. Since no one will wear them, it doesn''t matter what color I buy."


    "I think it''s because these outdated colors are the cheapest, right? When you took them from the clothing factory, they had to pay you a cleaning fee."


    "Don''t say that. These are my winter reimbursable expenses. I didn''te here because you guys called me. I''m still busy with the Christmas gift count of twelve thousand per person..."


    After saying that, he turned his head and looked at Lady Loki sitting on the sofa, then asked, "Who is this miss...""She is Lady Loki."


    "Oh..." Nick made a long sound and said, "Interesting."


    "Aren''t you surprised?" Strange asked him.


    "A little, but I can''t express an opinion. I am the director of SHIELD, and when ites to sensitive issues like gender and transgender individuals, I can only remain silent."


    "Come on, first remove the bug you nted on Steve''s clothes, then say that." Schiller nced at him and said.


    Nick waved his hand and said, "We are responsible for dealing with paranormal events on Earth. It''s normal for field agents to havemunication devices to stay in touch with headquarters."


    "Did you hear everything we said before?"


    "I only heard the first version of the story, but I guess there should be a hidden version, right?" Nick nodded slightly at Lady Loki.


    Strange briefly exined the current situation to Nick, and Schiller ced the ss in front of Nick. Nick took a sip of wine and said, "Well, I understand the general situation now. The n and the unexpected have led to the current situation, but overall, it''s within the n."


    Lady Loki nodded, lit a cigar, put it in her mouth, and then looked at Schiller, who had just sat down, and said, "When you advised me to cause trouble and test Odin''s attitude, I had some ideas."


    "Only Thor would recklessly cause trouble without thinking. Or rather, he truly causes trouble, while I do not."


    "If one day I cause trouble, it will definitely be part of my n. This time is no exception." Lady Loki smiled.


    "And Thor and his foolish friends can only create some minor disturbances. No matter how many times they cause trouble, it''s inconsequential. Besides being mocked for their stupidity, it serves no purpose."


    "But I won''t do that. If I''m going to cause trouble, I''ll make a bigmotion that will shake the entire universe..." Lady Loki''s tone carried the typical evil and madness of a trickster god. She said, "I won''t make All-Father angry, I will only shock him."


    "You can say it directly, in terms of causing trouble, you also want to outdo your elder brother." Schiller summarized.


    "Well, that''s part of the reason, but not the main one." Lady Loki shook her head and continued, "When I decided to create some disturbances, I realized it was a triple opportunity."


    "After Thor was banished to Earth, he hasn''t made any progress. He needs an opportunity to awaken."


    "When I found out that I wasn''t Odin''s biological child, I suspected there was a conspiracy, but couldn''t confirm it. I needed an opportunity to test Odin''s attitude."


    "While All-Father was in slumber, some people were itching to manipte Thor, and Odin also needed an opportunity to suppress them..."


    "Ibined these three opportunities into one and created the event of the Destroyer invading Earth."


    "Now it seems that your objectives should have been achieved." Strange pondered for a moment and said, "Thor awakened, gained a new divine role, and you haven''t been sted by Odin, which means he must still love you. And those people who wanted to guide Thor should have also revealed themselves..."


    "Correct, but there''s one more thing. I deliberately sent Thor to Sakaar Star to hold him back. He would only be a hindrance here, and without him, I can continue with my n."


    "Actually, you didn''t n to go to Sakaar Star, did you?" Schiller asked.


    Lady Loki sighed and said, "Correct, but if I didn''t give Thor some stimtion, who knows when he would awaken."


    "I wonder why you, without divine power, still went alone to the Grandmaster''sir. It turns out you used yourself as bait..."


    "It''s not exactly bait. I knew the Grandmaster wouldn''t dare to kill me." Lady Loki leaned on the armrest of the sofa, propped her head with her fingers, and continued, "I didn''t expect Thor to gain a new divine role, but it''s also a good thing. In the subsequent ns, Asgard will have more initiative because of it."


    "You still haven''t said what you n to do next." Strange looked at her.


    "Don''t rush. How is business at the Sanctum Sanctorumtely?"


    "You have the nerve to ask that? I''ve been swamped during the time you were gone. Do you remember that this is a joint industry? I did all the work. Is that fair?" Schiller replied.


    "Well, it seems like you should be familiar with the business by now. Let me ask you a question..." Lady Loki took a puff of the cigar, exhaled the smoke, and then said, "Now, the Lords of the Underworld are looking for me all over the world, wanting to kill me, and the God of Light is also looking for me all over the world, wanting to protect me."


    "They both have a deep grudge against each other, and as soon as I appear, they will surely sh."


    "So here''s the question: Now that we know there''s going to be a war between universal demonic deities, with a significant conflict between the Death Realm and the World Tree''s life force, what should we do at the Sanctum Sanctorum?"...


    Strange stroked his chin and said, "Hmm... mediate?"


    But Nick shook his head and answered first, "We need to warn them, to let the other universal demonic deities know that we are about to fight."


    "Is it to intimidate them? To announce to the universe that Asgard still possesses formidable power, and even the hidden H and Balder can cause such amotion, no one would dare to question Odin''s authority..." Strange quickly grasped the idea.


    "Exactly," Nick continued, "Sometimes, internalpetition not only consumes our strength but also serves as a deterrent to external threats. The strength disyed during an internal war can make certain powers hesitant to act recklessly."


    "This will also shake the internal situation in Asgard. Thor has acquired the new Power of Light and is destined to be the new king of Asgard. But at this time, the former heir to the throne, Balder, appeared with great fanfare, apanied by Asgard''s princess H..."


    "The once unshakable position of the heir suddenly became uncertain. This will trigger a major shuffle within Asgard. I can take advantage of this turmoil to rearrange the internal powers of Asgard and even pave the way for future structural reforms."


    Strange lightly apuded and said to Lady Loki, "God of Mischief, you truly live up to your name."


    "In this intricate n, you have achieved all your goals, including awakening Thor, testing Odin, and disrupting the existing order in Asgard..."


    "The only question is, how do we deal with Balder and H? H has negotiated conditions with you, but Balder hasn''t. Are you suggesting that H fights a staged match?"


    "Why not? Even if she defeats Balder, she can''t defeat Odin. Sooner orter, she will have to return to the realm of death. Both will be weakened, with H being slightly disadvantaged. They can temporarily retreat, return to the realm of death to regroup and recover. Isn''t that a good script?"


    "Actually, I think this n can be further improved." At this moment, Schiller suddenly spoke up, and the other three focused their gaze on him.


    "What if we have a real fight?"


    "What do you mean?" Nick stared at Schiller, sensing a slight difference in his tone.


    Schiller looked at Strange and said, "You mentioned before that your Sanctum Sanctorum has developed a magic broadcast that canmunicate with demonic deities throughout the entire universe. Can it be used to transmit messages to only a portion of the demonic deities?"


    "Of course, it''s possible. Even without using the broadcast, we can use customer service."


    "Alright, then the esteemed customers who have joined our Advanced Members should receive thetest news from the universe..."


    "What do you mean?" Strange furrowed his brows and looked at Schiller.


    "What I mean is, since Balder and H are going to fight anyway, why don''t we choose a ce where there are more demonic deities in the universe and truly initiate a war?"


    "Before starting this war, we can use the broadcast to send a message to those demonic deities who have recharged as Advanced Members at the Sanctum Sanctorum, informing them that the war is about to begin and advising them to seek refuge. After that, we can start the fight. Those who survive will be members of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and those who die will be gifts. How about that?"


    The other three exchanged nces, but before they could speak, Schiller added, "Of course, I know what concerns you have. It''s about the limited scope of impact, insufficient manpower, insufficient killing power, and the uncertainty of how many gifts we can acquire to offset the costs..."


    "But that''s okay. We still have the most esteemed tinum Members, right? Let''s call them and initiate the war together. It''s normal to have such a powerful sh of demonic deities, from Centaurus to Inferno Neb, from the Realm of Eternity to Hell''s Edge, right?"


    "At the same time, the Sanctum Sanctorum, which possesses a strong sense of universe responsibility and upholds humanitarian principles, will open up quick evacuation channels for those who are willing to join as members, and those who choose not to join will be considered Gifts of Nature."


    "When the fighting starts, how much you can seize will depend on your abilities. When you return after the fight, the collected protection fees will be distributed based on membership levels..."


    "Of course, this distribution might be a bit chaotic, as it''s difficult to measure the amount of effort put into the war with numbers."


    "Instead, let''s keep this portion of funds reserved at the Sanctum Sanctorum as their joint investment. We''ll provide them with dividends on a regr basis, and if they want to receive more dividends, they can make additional investments. The more they invest, the more they''ll receive..."


    "Then, we''ll integrate the equity structure, establish a Board of Directors, and let the shareholders vote to hire professional managers. We''ll divide the universe into regions such as the Gctic Sector and Neb Sector, establish divisions, hire managers ordingly..."


    "...Ahem, I''ve spoken too much. That''s alright. Let''s start with the Millennial n... Oh, wait, I forgot..."


    Schiller nced at the three individuals in the room and said, "All three of you are immortal, right? Unfortunately, I''m just an ordinary person, so I''m afraid..."


    "Enough said. Ten sets of infinite serum. That''s my highest offer."


    "One hundred sets, otherwise, no deal."


    Nick fixed his one-eyed gaze on Schiller and said, "Deal."


    Schiller smiled, lifted his ss, and said, "To the universe."


    The other three had different expressions, but they also raised their sses and silently said, "To the universe."


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 Chapter 320: The Fourth Power of Wickedness (3)

    Chapter 320: The Fourth Power of Wickedness (3)


    "I''m not fear-mongering. Arge-scale war between the universe demonic deities is about to begin, and the recent battlefield is within the Nine Realms. We must start preparing for it."


    "Even though KarmaTaj never gets involved in anything other than protecting Earth, we need to ensure our self-preservation. The new apprentice doesn''t even know how to use a spell yet, and even the experienced sorcerers have be rusty. We need to mobilize quickly..."


    In the KarmaTaj Hall, Strange said to Wong with a serious expression, "KarmaTaj is running out of time."


    Wong''s face turned grave as he replied, "I''ve received information from the Sorcerer Supreme. There have been rumors in the universetely, and it seems that many races have received this message. You are correct, protecting Earth is KarmaTaj''s inherent responsibility. We need to start preparing."


    Soon, in the KarmaTaj Hall, one document after another fell. Sorcerers wearing robes and hooded cloaks took their seats. The central cushion in the hall was reserved for the Sorcerer Supreme, but this time it was Strange who sat there, and no one objected.


    Although this was Strange''s first time summoning a meeting of all the members of KarmaTaj, his voice remained steady. He said, "I believe everyone is already aware of the current situation. As an independent sanctuary outside the reach of any power in the universe, KarmaTaj cannot afford to becent, even with the Sorcerer Supreme coordinating externally."


    One of the female sorcerers, dressed in a navy blue robe, spoke first, "I have learned from the Ancient One that war is about to break out. Strange, the Ancient One has gone to the universe to confirm this news and has entrusted all of KarmaTaj''s backup affairs to you. It shows how much she trusts you."


    Another male sorcerer with a deep voice added, "Indeed, Strange, your talents and abilities are evident to all. This will be your greatest test before ascending to the position of Sorcerer Supreme. I believe you will not disappoint us."


    Strange nodded and said, "Although I am still inexperienced and my abilities cannotpare to yours, we must act in times of urgency...""I dere that the KarmaTaj Earth defensework and major sorcerer sanctums around the world enter fullbat readiness. All sorcerers remain in their positions..."


    "No sorcerer is allowed to leave Earth without authorization. Magic apprentices must stay within the defensework. All treasures, weapons, and supplies need to be reported to Wong once they are prepared..."


    "Everyone, the war is about to begin."


    "The war is about to begin?" Stark looked puzzled at Schiller and said, "I''ve been in seclusion for a few days to upgrade my armor, and now we have to start fighting?"


    Schiller shook his head while standing by the window of Stark Tower Laboratory, looking down at the street. His voice was slightly mncholic.


    "Anything in the universe doesn''t stagnate because of human weakness and backwardness."


    "Just as humans don''t consider the thoughts of an ant when they wage war, even though it may bring catastrophic consequences for the ant and its colony."


    Stark, who had seen the bigger picture, knew better than anyone how vast the universe was and how insignificant humans were. But as part of this civilization, he wanted to protect Earth and make humanity stronger...


    Stark sighed and said, "Even if the main human civilization hasn''t received any warnings, the Magic side should have..."


    "Do you want to rely on those sorcerers?" Schiller shook his head and said, "Through Strange, you should know that there are very few people in the entire human poption who can learn magic, and even fewer who can master it and use its power to defend Earth."


    Stark looked up at Schiller and said, "That''s why I have always believed that the way out for human civilization lies in technology and machinery."


    "Use your expertise in machinery and technology to defend our civilization. Now is the time when we need you the most, isn''t it?"


    Stark took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it. He didn''t rush back to theboratory like before, eager to produce results every minute.


    He stood there, standing straight, as if a force was bursting from his soul. There was no pride in Stark''s tone; he was just stating a fact:


    "I have always wanted to use my intelligence to guide human civilization, to protect Earth."


    "But the reason I haven''t taken effective action so far is not because I can''t do it, but because I don''t know how to control the intensity so that this protection doesn''t destroy everything."


    Schiller continued his words, "I understand that, just like how a person must control their own strength to avoid crushing an ant."


    "But now, you can unleash a portion of your intelligence to provide reliable protection for Earth in the war. It''s not too much to ask, or rather, even if you use your intelligence to slightly elerate the development of human civilization, I don''t think it has any rtionship."


    Stark sighed and said, "So, this is your purpose? To use external universal crises to force internal unity and development on Earth?"


    "No wonder you''re a Stark at the multi-universe level. It seems nothing can escape your eyes. I''m starting to doubt if you really stepped down or if there''s something beyond that, something eternal."


    "Don''t doubt it. I guessed it. If it wasn''t for you causing all this, you wouldn''t havee here and tried to provoke me..."


    "Just say whether you''re willing to do it or not. If you''re not, I can find someone else to do it. After all, there''s more than just one genius in this world..."


    Before Schiller finished speaking, Stark had already turned and walked back to theboratory. Schiller smiled and shook his head, saying, "It seems promotion hasn''t cured your sulking."


    In the office of the director of SHIELD, Pierce extinguished the cigarette in his hand and frowned, saying, "Are you saying this is true? The universe is about to initiate arge-scale war, and Earth..."


    "That''s exactly what I''m saying. We must have a professional team to deal with this crisis. You and I both know that this is not something ordinary people can handle, not even the military."


    Pierce frowned deeply, and even though his cultivation was excellent, his anxious emotions began to spread across his face. After all, the news brought by Nick was too astonishing. He couldn''t even imagine what the war between the demonic deities in the universe would be like, let alone arge-scale battle among them.


    "I know that the Security Council has been worried about this all along. I can understand you. After all, a group like the superheroes themselves is uncontroble. When they are united, it may create an even bigger mess. I understand..."


    "But now, the fact is already in front of us. Besides uniting these superheroes with special abilities, we have no other way out."


    Pierce tapped lightly on the desktop with his finger. After a few minutes, he sighed and said, "Alright, I think our interests are aligned, Nick. I will resist the pressure from other representatives in the Security Council for you during the meeting. But you must ensure that the team you form will be used on the right path..."


    "Pierce, you know that I need someone to do the dirty work..."


    "That''s your business. I have already given you the greatest authority within my jurisdiction. Don''t disappoint me, Nick."


    Pierce looked into Nick''s eyes and said, "We have known each other for many years. I understand you very well. I know that you have had doubts about me recently. It''s normal because our stances have changed, and our rtionship can no longer be so innocent."


    "But when ites to the future of our races and the security of Earth, our interests are always the same. I haven''t forgotten why I joined SHIELD..."


    "Neither have I."


    Their ck and white palms sped together, their eye contact blending, both bing more firm in their convictions.


    Following their gaze downward, through theyers of floors in SHIELD, and into the underground reception center, then turning east into Hell''s Kitchen.


    In Daredevil Matt''s stronghold, Steve tapped his shield, attracting everyone''s attention. He said, "The n to form a superhero team by SHIELD has already begun implementation. As long as Nick obtains the support of the Security Council, he will start recruiting members."


    "I came here just to persuade the two of you..." Steve looked at Spider-Man and Daredevil. He spoke in a very sincere tone, "I hope both of you can join the superhero team and be the backbone of this team to deal with the possible crisis of a universe war."


    "I distrust SHIELD," Matt said straightforwardly. "I distrust all simr institutions."


    Peter turned his head and nced at Matt, then looked at Steve. He hesitated and asked, "Are you saying that there will be fighting in the universe? SHIELD is forming this team to protect Earth, right? That''s how I understand it, right?"


    "Correct, we can''t rely on outsiders to protect us. We have to take self-preservation into our own hands."


    "If that''s the case, I''ll join," Peter said with pursed lips. "After all, the simplest reason is that if Earth is game over, we will all be doomed."


    As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Matt. Matt stared at Steve''s face and said, "I do distrust SHIELD... but I trust you and Nick. I''ll join."


    In Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters, Charles took off his sses, rubbed his eyes, and turned his wheelchair, intending to go back to his room to sleep. But at that moment, the phone suddenly rang. He picked up his mobile phone from the nearby table and heard a voice from the other end.


    "Hello, may I speak to Professor Charles?"


    "Correct, it''s me. Do you have something to discuss with me?"


    "Hello, I am Schiller Rodriguez, a psychological counselor invited by SHIELD. The purpose of my call to you is to inform you about the recent changes in the universe situation. Sadly, we have received reliable information from Asgard that a battle will soon take ce in the universe, and this may affect Earth..."


    "So what?" Charles frowned and asked.


    "Don''t be nervous, Professor Charles. Perhaps you would prefer tomunicate with my other identity. I once asked a question on a forum on psychology and education..."


    Before Schiller could finish, Charles asked, "Is it you? How are those children doing?"


    "One of them has shown significant improvement, while the others are still under observation and treatment. Professor Charles, this time I am..."


    "Alright, you don''t have to say it. What do you need me to do?"


    Schiller''s voice paused for a moment, and he asked, "Why do you trust me like this? Aren''t you worried that all of this is a conspiracy by SHIELD?"


    "If you have tried to treat children with psychological problems and have achieved remarkable results, then I believe you are not a bad guy. So, I''m willing to talk to you."


    "Professor Schiller, we''ll see youter."


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 Chapter 321: S:Glorious Great Event (I)

    Chapter 321: S:Glorious Great Event (I)


    After Charles hung up the phone, he closed his eyes and focused his attention. In a moment, his brain waves spread out, lighter than the wind and faster than light.


    In Charles'' vision, in a vast expanse of white space, countless voices were echoing, gradually taking shape into one person after another. More and more figuresnded, and Charles gazed at it all in mid-air.


    Then, the space of consciousness began to expand, and more people appeared in the white world. Charles deliberately controlled the area to expand in a certain direction, thinking he would find a person named Schiller Rodriguez among the countless figures on the ground as he had done before when reading others'' memories.


    However, when Charles'' brain waves expanded to the Manhattan area, a towering skyscraper appeared in his view in the boundless and empty world of consciousness.


    Charles had never seen such a magnificent building in this world.


    When Charles activated his powers, he discovered that underneath the physical and real world, there was anotheryer of a world belonging only to consciousness and thought, which was the white space he now saw.


    In this space, the thoughts of all intelligent life were like grains of sand, and Charles was like a child running on the beach, flipping out shells from the sand.


    Whenever he wanted to use his telepathic ability to read someone''s thoughts, that person would be a shell on the beach. He needed to scan their consciousness to find their thoughts and connect with them to achieve the so-called "mind reading."


    But now, Charles gazed at the magnificent tower in front of him, feeling like it was a beached whale on the sand. It was not only muchrger than the usual sand and shells, but also more vibrant, with a fascinating vitality.Charles manifested his own figure in the consciousness space, then walked towards the high tower. When he arrived at the door of the tower, he found that everything was more real and shocking than he had seen from afar.


    It was a gray tower with brick walls that had a Roman architectural style and some Eastern patterns. The arched doorway was like an abyss giant mouth, and each texture on it was clear.


    Charles walked over and knocked on the door. With a creak, the heavy door opened a crack. As expected, behind the door stood a doctor in a white coat holding a medical record book. He smiled and said, "Hello, Professor Charles, I am Schiller, Schiller Rodriguez."


    "Hello, Rodriguez Professor."


    Charles nced at the door frame, which was carved with many intricate patterns, many of which he didn''t recognize. He eximed, "I didn''t expect us to meet like this. It really surprised me..."


    "Pleasee in, Professor Charles. Let''s talk inside." Schiller pushed the door open a bit, and Charles walked in. Just after entering, he found himself in a dimly lit corridor with wallmps hanging on the walls, casting light and shadow, making it look mysterious and hazy.


    After walking for about ten meters, the front suddenly opened up, and a circr fountain za appeared in front of Charles. But what was more attractive was theyers of floors above his head...


    Where Charles'' gaze reached, he could see circle after circle of corridors and countless staircases spreading upwards. There seemed to be many figuresing and going there, and the entire interior of the high tower was like a busy world, overwhelming Charles.


    Schiller led the way, and they walked towards a staircase on the wall. As they went up, Schiller introduced, "As you can see, this is my Temple of Thought. I know you came here to talk to me, so I greeted you here in advance."


    "I hope you don''t misunderstand, Professor Schiller. I don''t intend to intrude into your mind. It''s just that my legs are not very convenient, and I can''t get to you in time. I can''t let SHIELD people into our school, so I can onlymunicate with you in this way..."


    "It doesn''t matter. I don''t mind because there are often uninvited guests who don''t knock on the door and barge in. I always have to spend a lot of effort to deal with them. I am grateful that you cane in through the front door."


    For some reason, Charles always felt that the fate of those invaders mentioned by Schiller would not be good. He also heard a hint of warning in Schiller''s words.


    Following Schiller up, Charles saw many Schillersing and going on the corridor. One Schiller wearing a long coat and holding a ck umbre passed by Charles, and he heard him talking on the phone.


    "... The green-haired maniac got through? Which floor is he on now? He went up six floors in one breath?... Okay, I''ll go find the elevator administratorter..."


    "What? The elevator is under maintenance? Why is it under maintenance again? Every time I take a vacation, the elevator is under maintenance. This is simply unreasonable..."


    Charles turned around and looked at Schiller, who had a slightly different temperament. He was bumped into by someone, and he saw an Earth globe head nodding at him and saying, "Sorry."


    Then the Earth globe-headed Schiller walked past Charles, followed by the Schiller in a suit, carrying a briefcase and walking quickly, and the Schiller in sportswear jogging past him...


    Just as they turned a corner, a square-shaped Schiller with a cylindrical head chased after him and used a C-shaped hand to capture his own head, installing it on his shoulders like building blocks. He turned his head and made a creaking sound like the friction between parts.


    Charles''s head kept turning as he watched these people passing by him. The Schiller who had led him exined, "Sorry, it''s a bit crowded here because the elevator is under maintenance, and everyone has to take the staircase..."


    Charles opened his mouth to ask something, but at that moment, Schiller stopped in front of a door and said, "We''re here."


    After that, he took out a key, opened the door, and walked in. Inside was a futuristic meeting room with white floor tiles, walls, and ceilings, dimly lit wallmps, metal tables and chairs, and a projection ying continuously on thergest wall.


    After Schiller walked in, he turned around and handed the key to Charles, saying, "Professor Charles, we may need tomunicate frequently in theing period of time. Therefore, I have built a meeting room for you in my Temple of Thought, and this is the key..."


    "Just touch the key in your consciousness space, and you will be directly transported to this room without having to go through the main entrance."


    Then Schiller pointed to a button on the wall with his finger and said, "This is a call button. If you press it, I wille to you for consultation."


    "I set this up because I''m usually busy and may not sense when youe. So as long as you ring the bell, I''ll show up."


    At this point, Charles was no longer in a hurry. He walked into the room and sat on the sofa.


    But obviously, he was not used to the sci-fi style hard sofa. He looked around, and Schiller saw his expression and snapped his fingers. In a moment, all the decorations in the room disappeared, and it was transformed into another style.


    The white walls turned into warm-colored wall panels and wallpaper, a softrge sofa fell down, a warm carpet wasid on the floor, the projector on the wall turned into a firece, and there was a liquor cab next to it.


    The English Manor-style decoration made Charles feel morefortable. He said, "Sorry, I''m a bit old-fashioned. That new style is a bit..."


    "I''m the same way. I just didn''t know what style you liked. I thought mutants would prefer that kind of tech style."


    "Maybe the children in my school do. If theye to this room, they will definitely scream with excitement. But I still think that a simpler style is more reassuring."


    Schiller took a bottle of wine from the liquor cab and sat down on the sofa, cing two cups in front of them and pouring a drink for Charles and himself. Charles picked up the ss and looked at the clear liquid inside. He asked Schiller, "You must also be a psychic, right? Are you a mutant?"


    "I''m just an ordinary person, Professor Charles."


    Charles shook his head, clearly expressing his disbelief in Schiller''s attitude. But Schiller said, "Professor, I think you must have a deep understanding of psychology. Have you heard of the ''Temple of Thought'' theory?"


    "Temple of Thought? Are you referring to the Thinking Pce Memory Method? I have heard of it, but my research direction has nothing to do with it. Are you saying that this is caused by the Thinking Pce Memory Method?"


    Charles looked around the room, and everything here was a bit too realistic.


    "That''s true, but I don''t want to deceive you. I acknowledge that it''s only a theoretical concept and not enough to create such a realistic mental world. I do have some special abilities rted to the mind, butpared to your mind abilities, they are really not worth mentioning."


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 Chapter 322: S:Glorious Big Event (II)

    Chapter 322: S:Glorious Big Event (II)


    "I''ve heard an ancient legend that if you go deeper into the human dream, throughyers of darkness, you can reach a ce called the country of dreams, where an ancient god sleeps. He is called the dream god."


    "He presides over all dreams and thoughts in the human world and is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. He has a dream made up of a thousand cats and can use it to turn dreams into reality."


    "But that''s just a legend," Charles shook his head and said, "Even if my psychic abilities are strong, in reality, I''m still a disabled person who needs others to protect me when in danger..."


    "I''m the same. I''ve said before that I''m an ordinary person, just a psychologist with a special research direction."


    Schiller stood up and paced behind the sofa as he spoke, "Limited by my ordinary physical condition, I don''t have such strong psychic power to explore the limits of this ability. That''s why I invited you here to study this subject together with me."


    "The subject includes two aspects. One is how to better create one''s own consciousness space and dreams, and the other is how to transform the created dreams into reality..."


    "I know, the second aspect sounds somewhat unrealistic, but perhaps you have researched simr subjects before. This big direction is just the ultimate goal, and my current phase goal is to expand the Temple of Thought..."


    "For some reason, I have built a tower over 330 floors high within my world of consciousness. But this height has been maintained for a long time, and I haven''t been able to break through it for a while."


    "I suspect that this may be because my psychic and thinking power is not enough to expand it further..."Schiller shook his head, but his tone was not sad. He said, "This level of Temple of Thought is alreadypletely sufficient, or rather, it has far exceeded the range of need. 80% of the buildings are experimental, a ce where I try all kinds of creations."


    "But I am still very curious. What is the limit of psychic ability? Professor Charles , I hope you can study this subject with me, and perhaps we can also bring in other members to form a research group?"


    "I am very interested in this subject, but I still have to ask, why do you want to do this research, and what do you n to do with the research results?"


    "This is the thing I mentioned earlier. Have you heard the news that the universe war is about to begin?"


    Charles shook his head and said, "I heard about this news for the first time from your phone call just now. But I can feel that there are many restless souls near Manhattan. They are not ordinary people, and the information they are spreading is indeed rted to war..."


    "We both know how small humans are in the universe. Some say that magic can save everything, while others say that the ultimate way out for humans is machinery and technology. I don''t deny these, but I think we can still look for another way out."


    "The thinking and consciousness of intelligent life is the most precious part of the entire universe. If humans can take one step further in this field, then we will have an extra way out when facing these crises."


    "If you were talking to me about these things in reality, I might not be as interested. But you have chosen a good ce..." Charles also stood up and looked out the window of the room, where the bustling and prosperous Tower was located.


    Charles walked to the window and smiled, "Thank you for inviting me to study together, because if you didn''t, I might have stolen your research results after I went back. That wouldn''t be ethical..."


    "Although I feel that what you said about creating a dream world and turning dreams into reality is too far-fetched, I think it wouldn''t be bad to build such a building in my consciousness space."


    "Okay, let''s get to business. What''s the deal with that war? SHIELD sent you to find me again and wants to use mutants for something?"


    "Don''t worry, Professor Charles. There is infinite time in dreams. Let me exin the whole n, and after that, you will have enough time to think about what to do..."


    Half an hourter in Charles'' office, Cyclops hesitated and said, "Well, there aren''t many opportunities to train our children''s abilities, but working with SHIELD for an internship...isn''t it a bit..."


    Charles rolled his wheelchair to the window and said, "If it was someone else leading the team, I might not feel at ease, but Captain America Steve is in charge of this internship, and his character is still trustworthy."


    "But what exactly are we supposed to do? There isn''t a war going on right now, is there?"


    "On the contrary, a universe war is about to begin. Although the main battlefield is not near Earth, the aftermath is bound to affect us. SHIELD has other ns for this war, but their abilities are not enough."


    "So, they want to use mutants again?"


    "It''s just mutual use. The scale of this war is such that no one can be self-sufficient. Since that''s the case, it''s better to take the initiative..."


    "Scott..." Charles turned his wheelchair and looked back at Cyclops. He said, "I have always been against war, but obviously, the conflicts in the universe cannot be stopped by us. Since that''s the case, we need to keep up with the times and not fall behind, otherwise we will be left behind..."


    Cyclops nodded without further objection. Charles asked, "Who is currently in charge of the internship and external contacts?"


    "Um, it should have been Angel, but his family business has been busytely. I heard that hispany is involved in a project called the Immortality Factor Project, so he has to go home to help, so..."


    "Okay, then who is avable now?"


    "Um, Professor, forgive me for speaking bluntly, even if the war is happening in the universe, and the front line is not near us, it should still be dangerous, right? Shouldn''t we mobilize immediately, and then find a few of the most reliable people to take the students and go to SHIELD?"


    Charles paused for a moment and said, "Oh, right, wars are indeed quite dangerous. I was just about to emphasize that. Since that''s the case, you and your younger brother should both be avable, right?"


    When Cyclops mentioned his younger brother, "Havok," he clearly showed an unnatural expression. Their rtionship was not good. Cyclops said in a helpless tone, "Last time he had a big argument with Iceman because of Northstar. He swore he would nevere here again. Thest time I saw him was three months ago, and I can''t count on him for anything..."


    "Okay, then what about Storm?"


    "She seems to have gone back to her hometown. I can''t be sure." Cyclops rubbed his chin and said, "It seems like she''s in love..."


    "What about Psylocke?"


    "The school''s teaching can''t do without her. She''s the only one in charge of enrollment and daily teaching schedule. Oh, right, Wolverine went to the west with Phantom Cat, seems to be investigating something called Dragon Bone..."


    Charles also covered his forehead and asked, "Then who is currently at the school?"


    "Colossus and The Beast are both there, but many people can be contacted right now. If we need to summon them, they should alle."


    "...No, there''s no need to go to such great lengths. It would be better if Iceman cane back. If he can''t, then you and Colossus can go. By the way..."


    "I heard from Steve that they also have an underage child on their side, the Spider-Man who has been weaving in New York recently. You must watch over the children and not get into conflicts with them."


    "Spider-Man?" Cyclops raised his eyebrows and said, "He''s quite famous, all the major newspapers in New York have published his figure swinging around in New York. He''s still not of age?"


    "When Steve told me this news, I was also surprised. I thought he was a mutant, butter, Steve told me that his mutation is different from ours."


    "But in any case, having someone the same age will make theirmunication smoother."


    "Who should we send? The senior students?"


    "I think Shadow, Crystal, and Magnifier would be good choices. They''ve made great progress recently."


    "But they''re not even in the same grade, and their abilities don''tplement each other. Can they really form a team?"


    "I''m actually a little confused, Professor..." Cyclops asked with some doubt, "The fighting in the center of the universe and the practical training of the children at Xavier''s school, they shouldn''t have any rtionship, right? We can''t possibly send those teenagers to the battlefield, can we?"


    "Indeed, these two things don''t have a direct rtionship, but they are just part of a series of events, a small part of the cooperation project..."


    Cyclops became even more confused. He felt that Professor Xavier seemed a little different from before, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on what was different. He had a feeling that Xavier was hiding something from him, but he didn''t know how to ask.


    The next day, at SHIELD''s underground training base, Nick stood behind one-way ss and watched Spider-Man and several mutant teenagers sparring. He looked at Schiller and asked, "I asked you to find me some mutants to do dirty work, and you brought me this group of children? I thought it would be Wolverine or someone."


    "I conveyed your request to Charles during ourmunication, and he seemed to understand it as an internship opportunity for a mutant school. But there''s no rtionship, they''re still following two teachers, right?"


    Nick pursed his lips and looked over at Cyclops and Colossus, who were standing beside the field, cheering on the students. He shook his head and said, "If they weren''t here, maybe I could convince these innocent children to help me out, but with them watching, what can I do? That guy with red eyes is already giving me a hard time..."


    "Don''t you just want to cause a stir and divert other people''s gaze, so that you can go lobby Congress for more power for SHIELD during this universe war? I think they can definitely do that..."


    Nick opened his mouth, looked at Schiller, and said, "Okay, even if we ignore the ethical issue of sending minors to do dirty work, what can they do? They can''t even beat Spider-Man..."


    Nick''s gaze fell on the field. At this moment, a teenage girl stood in the center of the field, waving her arms. She was controlling the shadow of everything in the field and attacking Spider-Man, but Spider-Man seemed to predict her movements in advance and agilely dodged them,pletely unfazed.


    "Is it possible that they''re not too weak, but Spider-Man is just too strong?"


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 Chapter 323: S:Glorious Big Event (III)

    Chapter 323: S:Glorious Big Event (III)


    "Hey, little Shadow! Attack his left side, watch his right foot''s center of gravity, don''t miss!"


    In the center of the field, the ck-haired girl controlling Shadow couldn''t help but stop and stare at Cyclops. "Don''t call me little Shadow, I''ll have my driving license in a year! Call me Movie Girl, that''s my code name!"


    Just as she spoke, a red and blue figure "whooshed" past her from the side. Shadow reflexively dodged, but was knocked down. Spider-Man immediately helped her up and apologized.


    Shadow red at Cyclops and said, "I lost, let Crystal take over."


    Meanwhile, Colossus was briefing Crystal on tactics. Although he looked strong, his voice and tone were gentle. The girl across from him had silver hair and looked young, with a shy expression and some hesitation. She nodded slowly and walked to the center of the field.


    Spider-Man squinted and said, "Are you sure she''s 16? She looks too small and thin. I can''t bully a kid..."


    Before he could finish, Crystal''s silver hair flew as she unleashed a barrage of cracking sounds that filled the entire room. In just a second, countless crystal clusters filled the room, and Spider-Man was trapped in a giant crystal column, still wearing hisical expression.


    Nick opened his mouth, and Schiller shook his head. "I learned from Charles that mutants don''t necessarily get stronger as they get older. On the contrary, some mutants are strongest in their teenage years when they can''t control their powers well..."


    "That''s a bit extreme. Is Spider-Man okay?"As soon as he finished speaking, the surface of the crystal imprisoning Spider-Man began to crackle.


    Crystal reached out expressionlessly, gently grasped the crystal column, and wrapped it inyer uponyer of crystal, almost breaking through the ceiling of the training ground.


    Afterpleting this, she looked at Spider-Man trapped in the transparent crystal with a shy and curious expression, as if looking at a doll in a disy case.


    "Okay, Crystal, you''ve won. Let him out, or he''ll suffocate..." Colossus said to Crystal in the center of the field.


    Crystal turned her head to look at Colossus, but with a loud bang, the countless crystal fragments exploded. A red and blue figure lightly patted Crystal''s shoulder from behind and said, "Your powers are so cool, you''re so powerful. I was too careless..."


    Crystal reflexively waved her hand, and Spider-Man dodged the sudden crystal cluster that appeared under his feet.


    Colossus and Cyclops stared at each other, and Colossus asked, "Spider-Man, what''s your power limit?"


    "I don''t know, I haven''t been tested specifically, but it should be pretty high. When I broke off streetlights and bridge pirs before, it didn''t take much effort..."


    "If you can, could youe to our school for a physical? You know, we''re dedicated to collecting data on all kinds of mutations..."


    "Okay, but I''m not sure if you can find something that can handle my power limit."


    "That is indeed a problem." Cyclops rubbed his chin and said, "The crystal clusters that Crystal creates have extremely high hardness, and even extreme temperatures can''t destroy them. It''s harder to destroy them with physical strength."


    "Can''t yourser beams destroy them?" Crystal spoke up, her voice also very soft, in sharp contrast to her immense power.


    "That''s only because you haven''t fully developed your power. Didn''t the beast, Professor, say that? Once you fully control this power, you can create dense substances of extreme hardness at will."


    Next up was a ck boy. Before Spider-Man could ask about his ability, he rapped, "My code name is Magnifier. Any energy that passes through my body will be amplified, but unfortunately, my physique is just that of an ordinary person, so I can''t withstand too much power. That''s it..."


    After speaking, he stepped down, and the two teachers watching didn''t me him, as it was just an auxiliary ability.


    In short, the sparring between Spider-Man and the Mutant students had ended. Other than Crystal''s attack, the SHIELD personnel were not too surprised, but Colossus and Cyclops were quite shocked by Spider-Man''s strength.


    As they left the training grounds, the others walked ahead, while Colossus and Cyclops followed behind. Colossus shook his head and eximed, "That guy in the red and blue suit is way too strong."


    "And he''s very versatile, with great strength and speed, and the ability to anticipate danger. Scott, you know my biggest weakness is not being fast enough..." Colossus continued.


    Cyclops nodded in agreement, "Indeed, and did you not notice? Hisbat skills are also superb. It''s incredible, for a 16-year-old high school student..."


    "He also knows how to use words to distract his opponents during a fight. That''s quite rare. The kids at school who fight just want to show off..." Colossus added.


    "But that''s a good thing. He can set an example and let the students know that there are always people who are better than them. Did you see how Shadow, who is usually quite arrogant, didn''t say anything after he was defeated?" Cyclops replied.


    "True. With him and Captain America around, we only need to asionally check on their progress. Although that one-eyed guy seems a bit suspicious, Captain America''s character is trustworthy," Colossus concluded.


    As they approached a group of children, Colossus and Cyclops reminded them of the safety guidelines before leaving for their own tasks. Shadow seemed impatient, like any other child on an outing, and waved them off.


    After Colossus and Cyclops left, the students became excited. Shadow walked up to Spider-Man and asked him about their uing mission. She chattered on until Crystal pulled her arm and Magnifier bumped into Peter''s shoulder, saying, "Don''t mind her. She''s always like this, a bit neurotic..."


    Steve led them to the canteen for lunch, while Schiller and Nick stayed behind to observe the training ground. Just as Nick was about to say something, his phone rang. He answered and listened intently before eximing, "What? A universe spaceship?...Crashed in New Mexico?...Alien symbiotes that look like Venom?"


    Nick quickly contacted Strange, and they appeared at the location of the incident using magic. They saw a colorful spaceship that looked like Venom in arge pit, with several symbiotes surrounding it. One of the symbiotes, a smaller yellow one with six legs, approached them and introduced himself as Captain Thunder from the Universe Agent team.


    Nick tried to shake hands with Thunder, but was unsure which hand to shake because of his spider-like appearance. The other three symbiotes, Green Thorn, Blue Spirit, and Red Bee, also introduced themselves as members of the Universe Agent team and symbiotes.


    "You guys are not like the symbiotes I''ve seen before," Nickmented as he observed them.


    Red Bee covered his head and said, "If the symbiote you have seen is called Venom, then I have to say, he is crazy, and we are the normal symbiotes!"


    Green Thorn also turned his head to Thunder and said, "I''ve been telling you, we should issue a warrant against Venom. We can''t let him ruin our reputation in the universe..."


    Just then, Strange spoke up, "I am the proxy of Earth''s Sorcerer Supreme. As an alien race, you broke through Earth''s magic defensework and fell onto the Earth''s surface. From the perspective of interster diplomacy, you are trespassing..."


    "Hey, wait a minute, we had no choice. Our spaceship was suddenly attacked by an unknown force and we had to make an emergencynding..."


    "Come with us for now," Nick waved his hand and said. Several symbiotes turned back and looked at the spaceship that was almost broken into pieces, sighed, and followed Nick.


    Schiller and Strange walked at the back, and Strange lowered his voice and asked him, "Is this what you call Gifts of Nature?"


    "Yes, thanks to Nature, who is known as H."


    Strange gasped and said, "H brought them down?"


    "Don''t make assumptions. She wanted to fight Loki."


    "How could Loki... Oh, it was you. You''re so mean."


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 Chapter 324: S:Glorious Big Event (IV)

    Chapter 324: S:Glorious Big Event (IV)


    The Andromeda Gxy is the closest superrge-scale gxy to the Milky Way Gxy, about twice asrge as the Milky Way Gxy.


    When human astronomy was just beginning to develop, this huge gxy aroused endless curiosity among humans.


    One reason is that it is very simr in shape to the Milky Way Gxy, both are spindle-shaped. Secondly, this is a very beautiful gxy, bright and visible in the autumn night sky, sparking the best fantasies of humans about the universe.


    The entire Andromeda Gxy has approximately one trillion stars, including many aging stars gradually approaching destruction and newly formed young stars. There are also many more middle-aged stars in Andromeda Gxy than in Milky Way Gxy.


    At the center of Andromeda Gxy, which is the brightest point, is a ce called Andromeda Neb, the brightest and most prosperous ce in the entire gxy.


    There are two main cores in the Neb that have been observed by humans. One core has a supermassive ck hole at its center, while the other core is where civilization was born in Andromeda.


    In one of the central star systems of the Andromeda Neb, there are three main civilizations, one of which is the well-known Symbiote civilization.


    They are officially called "Klynter" in interster civilization. In their ownnguage, this syble means "the oldest thing". The leader of this civilization is the Universe Agent and the Universe Agent Elder Council, and there are currently 13 registered members.


    The other two civilizations are also very interesting. One lives in a ruined gxy two star systems away from the Klynter star. This star system is called the Ruin Gxy because about 700 million years ago, an advanced civilization here was swallowed up by the impact of gxy evolution, leaving only ruins. The descendants of the remaining advanced civilization and newly formed civilizations formed a civilization union, also known as the "Andromeda Union Civilization".Because this race isposed of intelligent beings from different time periods, their members are diverse, including high elves who look simr to humans, bug-like creatures simr to aliens, and an ancient magic race called Totem Spirits, etc.


    The reason why this civilization is particrly emphasized is because they are the main parasitic host of the Klynter Symbiotes.


    Because theposition of the Union Civilization isplex, they do not have the idea of uniting and resisting external enemies. On the contrary, they are very weing to the parasitism of symbiotes. They believe that these magical creatures canpensate for the shorings of their own race. Therefore, the Andromeda Union Civilization is actually a part of the Klynter civilization. About 60% of the creatures here have been parasitized by symbiotes, and the leaders of many races and the country''s Wong are closely rted to the Universe Agent.


    The third civilization is not so friendly. They are called Sulfur Dwarves. Perhaps influenced by some special disturbance, most of the dwarf races in the gxy are very good at alchemy and forging.


    However, what symbiotes hate most are fire and sound waves. Therefore, their rtionship with Sulfur Dwarves is very bad, even to the point of being mortal enemies, but because the three civilizations are rtively far apart, they can temporarily maintain the stability of the Andromeda Neb core.


    But even so, there are constant small frictions. The most recent conflict was when a person wearing a ck and red uniform ran to the Andromeda Starport and threw excrement at the Sulfur Dwarves'' spaceship and its members.


    Because they had to guard against symbiotes, the Sulfur Dwarves had long developed a device that detected the parasitic race inside a creature. They saw the symbiote parasitizing the strange person''s body, so they ssified this incident as a provocation by the Universe Agent against the dwarf civilization.


    The Sulfur Dwarves'' royal family conducted a round of voting, and although the war did not break out in the end, the incident caused a huge uproar in the dwarf society. Most of the people thought they should teach those rotten creatures a lesson.


    The civilization of the Sulfur Dwarves is quite advanced. They can be said to be one of the few interster civilizations that have an independent industrial system and have reached the level of interster roaming without relying on any external help. The Union Civilization and the Symbiote Civilization are very intimate, but the two of them together can only barely resist the Sulfur Dwarves.


    "The situation now is like this. Our rtionship with the dwarves is getting worse and worse. It may not be long before we go to war, but before that, we must deal with the big trouble within our own."


    "So when Riot was sent by Knull to Earth to find new symbiotes, almost all members of the Universe Agent were mobilized. I, Green Thorn, Blue Spirit, Red Bee, and Phantom are the strongest members ofthe Universe Agent, and we were tasked with stopping Riot and preventing him from bringing the symbiote threat to Andromeda."


    "So we parked the spaceship on the edge of the Nine Realms and sent the fastest-moving sorcerer alone to Earth to apprehend the riot."


    In the reception room of S.H.I.E.L.D., Thunder, who had six hands and a serpent tail for his lower body, sighed and continued, "Originally, everything was going smoothly. But somehow, a lot of mysterious beings suddenly surrounded us. We thought we were going to have a fight, so we had to hide our spaceship in the crevices of space..."


    "But who knew that an energy explosion urred out of nowhere? It not only destroyed the cosmic rift where we were hiding, but also damaged our spaceship, leaving us unable to fly back to our gxy and stranded here."


    "Initially, the spaceship''s engine was damaged, but we could have repaired it if we had enough materials. However, a few days ago, an unidentified dark energy struck our spaceship directly, and we didn''t have time to activate the protective shield..."


    "We originally nned to make an emergencynding in Asgard, but Odin didn''t respond to our request. We didn''t dare to enter without permission, so we had to fly to the most deste and remote ces of the Nine Realms."


    Green Symbiote, who had arger body size, said, "Actually, we sent you several signals beforending, but you didn''t respond. So we had to activate the scanner and use thest of our energy to scan the most deste ces on Earth..."


    "And then younded in New Mexico?"


    "That''s right. There were a few other locations to choose from, but by that time, the spaceship''s energy waspletely depleted. We had to choose a nearby location, fortunately without crashing into anyone."


    Nick looked at the symbiotes in front of him. Their appearance couldn''t be described as friendly; they were rather fearsome.


    Among them, the yellow symbiote calling himself Thunder had an upper body resembling an alien and a lower body resembling a snake monster. The green symbiote was covered in spikes, and Red Wasp and Blue Spirit had a simr artistic style. Looking at them, Nick even thought the symbiote named Venom looked somewhat attractive...


    Blue Spirit seemed to sense Nick''s expression and spoke in a gender-neutral voice, saying, "Oh, I know. We may appear scary to standard humans, but because our current hosts are the United Constetions of Virgo civilization, in their aesthetics, the more fierce-looking, the more powerful. So..."


    "Alright, I understand. From a human standpoint, I appreciate that you didn''t crash into the city center. But now, what are your ns? It seems your spaceship is beyond repair."


    Several colorful symbiotes sighed in unison, and Thunder said, "We never expected this to happen, so before leaving the United Constetions of Virgo, we didn''t choose a parasitic race that could teleport. Without acquiring a new interster spaceship, we probably can''t go back."


    "Moreover, the sorcerer informed us that she went to a very distant ce, and it will probably take some time for her to return. We have to wait for her nearby."


    Blue Spirit shrugged and said, "Actually, we don''t mind. Symbiotes don''t have the concept of family and kinship, but our hosts have been away from their homeworld for too long. They have loved ones and friends waiting for them."


    Nick sighed and looked at Strange, who then turned to Shiller next to them. Shiller said, "How about this? You symbiotes can bond with humans on Earth, and then we''ll contact the people from Asgard to send these few Virgoans back. You can stay here and wait for the sorceress to return."


    The symbiotes nced at each other, and Thunder spoke first, "If that''s the case, then it couldn''t be better. However, our gic database shows that standard humans seem to have a strong aversion to the idea of symbiosis."


    "But can you guarantee that you won''t forcefully manipte the host''s body or endanger their safety?"


    "Of course, we are cosmic agents. Let me emphasize again, we are absolutely not like those lunatics like Venom. We have aplete set of parasitic standard procedures and tens of thousands of guidelines for interacting with hosts. We are the most professional team among symbiotic beings, not like those rogue Venoms..."


    "Alright, let''s discuss and find some suitable hosts for you. Wait here for a moment..."


    After Nick, Strange, and Schiller walked out, Nick turned back to Schiller and said, "It must be you who did it again! Damn it, Red Bee, Blue Spirit, Green Thorn, and Thunder, they just happen to correspond to Spider-Man, Shadow, Crystal, and Amplifier. How did you convince Professor X to cooperate with you?"


    "This is called cooperation." Schiller quickly walked a few steps to Nick''s side and said to him, "The war in the universe is about toe. If mutants want to participate, they must have the ability to fight in the universe."


    "Some of the powerful mutants among them are stuck on Earth for some reason, and even if they have enough power, they don''t know enough about the universe andck experience."


    "But by using the symbiotic agents of cosmic agents to enhance some of their members, they can participate in this event and contribute to it."


    "It''s like I opened an amusement park. Disabled people can''t participate in most of the projects because of their physical disabilities, so they choose to stay at home and lock the door. How can we make money from their tickets?"


    "As long as I heal their legs, they will choose to spend money on tickets to enter the park, and they will also consume inside. Even if I can''t recover the cost of my treatment in the amusement park, I will have to open a wholemercial street next. There will be a day to recoup the cost..."


    Nick pondered for a moment and said, "This is also beneficial to Professor X, and it can even be said to be a godsend."


    "Everyone knows that mutants are very fragmented, and since thest generation of mutants became adults and left the academy, the newly recruited mutants have insufficient abilities and slow growth. It''s difficult for them to reach the glory of thest generation. Having an opportunity to enhance their abilities is what Professor X desires..."


    "A sugar-coated bullet?" Strange clicked his tongue and said.


    "This can''t be considered a sugar-coated bullet." Schiller smiled and said, "It can only be regarded as a tiny bit of frosting on the sugar coating."


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 Chapter 325: S:Glorious Big Event (V)

    Chapter 325: S:Glorious Big Event (V)


    Spider-Man stood in theboratory of SHIELD, holding a ss jar containing a puddle of red slime.


    After removing the lid of the jar, he put his hand inside. When his fingertips touched the red liquid, a small pit appeared on the surface of the liquid. As Spider-Man continued to reach down, the red liquid avoided his fingers, but a strand of slime tentatively touched his finger.


    He heard a young male voice in his ear, "Huh? Wait a minute! Venom used to parasitize you, my God, quickly retract your hand!"


    "Why are you all like this? What happened to Venom?"


    "He''s crazy! So his host must be crazy too! Their minds must have all sorts of nonsense..."


    "Hmm? You seem...oh...my God! You are the perfect host for the symbiote. I can feel your kindness and determination...okay, let me try."


    "That''s right." Peter watched as the red slime gradually covered his arm and then spread to his entire body. He shook his head, did a warm-up exercise, and said, "Don''t forget the spider symbol on the chest. That''s my trademark!"


    "Is this okay? Or should it be bigger, maybe deep blue? To retain the characteristics of your original suit."


    "Fantastic, my goodness, you really understand me!"The remaining universeAgent symbiotes in the jar chatted using a gic catalog.


    "I told you Red Bee could y with these kids. He even got a new suit."


    "That''s normal," said Blue Spirit in a neutral voice. "Red Bee is the youngest among us, and his previous hosts were also very young. I even suggested to him to find an older host to learn how to execute missions calmly. But now he''s bing more and more talkative."


    "Okay, what''s your ability?" Spider-Man asked Red Bee in his mind. Red Bee was silent for a long time, then suddenly shouted, which startled Spider-Man. He asked, "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong?"


    "No...I mean...my God, you''re so strong! What''s your maximum power? And what is this...wow!"


    As Spider-Man and Red Bee were getting to know each other, Blue Spirit''s voice rang out, "I want to choose that ck-haired girl. The one-eyed human just told me that she can control shadows, and I think I will get along well with her."


    As she spoke, the blue slime in the jar surged, pushing the jar to the ground and rolling to Shadow''s feet. She bent down to pick up the jar and looked curiously at the slime inside.


    She looked up at Spider-Man, who had just witnessed Red Bee parasitizing him, which didn''t seem disgusting but rather amusing.


    Shadow also removed the lid of the jar, and Blue Spirit initially avoided her fingers, then made contact with her fingertips with a very fine line. Blue Spirit''s very calm voice rang out in Shadow''s mind, "Hello, I am the symbiote Blue Spirit. Can you hear my voice?"


    "I can...this is amazing! I feel like there''s another me talking to me!"


    "Okay, do you feel ufortable when you hear this kind of voice, like dizziness, confusion, or sluggishness?"


    Shadow shook her head and said to the air, "No, I don''t feel anything else."


    "Great, now try not to make a sound and talk to me in your mind..."


    "Like this?"


    "Correct, you are a quick learner. It seems that you have goodprehension. Now, I will open the basic data of your shallow consciousness to analyze how to coexist with you."


    "Okay, but what should I do?"


    "Follow my guidance and do as I say. The first step is to empty your mind and imagine a pure white space in your mind...yes, that''s it. At this point, you may feel some noise, but it''s okay. That''s my mind connecting with yours. Try to stay focused..."


    "Very good, the connection of consciousness and thinking has beenpleted. Now rx your muscles...yes, don''t make your body too tense. Do you want abat suit?"


    "Of course! I''ve wanted one for a long time! Those advanced mutants all have coolbat suits!"


    "Okay, imagine the perfectbat suit in your mind, and leave the rest to me."


    Colossus and Cyclops, standing on the side, watched as a deep blue bodysuit slowly covered Shadow''s body, with two streamlined ck patterns on the waist. It looked somewhat like a wetsuit, but it was made of shiny leather.


    "Oh, wait a minute!" Colossus spoke up and stopped her, "You''re not an adult yet. You can''t dress like this! Hey! That symbiote, little Shadow is still a child!"


    "I''m not a child anymore! I''m about to get my driver''s license, don''t listen to him, this is how I want to dress!" Shadow yelled.


    "Okay, calm down, Shadow. This is indeed a nicebat suit, but it also needs some defensive capabilities, doesn''t it?"


    As he spoke, the dark bluebat suit suddenly had shiny armor added to it. Ayer of metal covered the shoulders, chest, thighs, and feet, making the suit look less form-fitting but even more awesome.


    Colossus breathed a sigh of relief and said to Cyclops, "These symbiotes are quite understanding. If Professor saw little Shadow wearing such a tight suit, he would definitely shake his head and sigh..."


    "Yes, and then give us a lecture about how society is declining and how we haven''t guided them properly." Cyclops looked at Shadow and said, "Do you remember the expression on Professor Charles'' face when Phantom Cat designed her own uniform? I think I''ll be the same when my daughter gets married..."


    "Don''t remind me, Wolverine was almost going crazy at the time. I was standing next to Phantom Cat, and Wolverine''s eye contact was like he wanted to eat me!"


    Watching Shadow''s transformation, Crystal''s gaze was also curious, but she hesitated and didn''t step towards the jars. However, at that moment, a jar with green slime in it rolled down and stopped by her feet. Crystal, like the others, picked up the jar.


    At the moment her fingers touched the green slime, a little girl''s voice rang out, "Hello, I''m Green Thorn. At the moment I touched you, I sensed a change in your brainwaves, so I adjusted my voice. What do you think of this voice? Does it make you nervous?"...


    "No, it sounds quite nice, a bit like my sister."


    "That''s good. I sense that you''re a bit shy, but we have a verypatible partnership because of our abilities."


    Soon, Crystal alsopleted her transformation, but she didn''t get herself abat suit. Instead, the green turned into a dark green and white dress,plete with a light green tie. Colossus and Cyclops'' gazes softened, as Crystal looked really cute.


    "I dare say, if everyone was as easygoing as Crystal, Quin would not be so angry."


    "Don''t say that. Weren''t you and I the same before? Professor Charles used to say that teaching us for a year would shorten his life by ten years."


    When it was Magnifier and Thunder''s turn, Thunder''s voice was very crisp. He said, "Rx, I''m here!"


    He was the one who made the most noise. During the moment of symbiosis with Magnifier, a continuous golden thunder shed above the entire room. When the symbiosis wasplete, Magnifier was enveloped in Thunder''s light, wearing a goldenbat suit, floating in mid-air, with a lightning mask on his face.


    He looked at his hands, where there were electric sparks floating, and Thunder said admiringly, "Our abilities are just perfect together. You can amplify my thunder, making its coverage area and intensity much wider. I love this feeling so much!"


    "To be honest, I think I misunderstood the human race a bit. I used to think that you were weaker hosts, with some human physical qualities so weak that they couldn''t ept symbiotic fusion. But I didn''t expect you to have so many amazing abilities."


    "Well, actually, we''re mutants, meaning we have some special abilities that regr humans don''t have. It''s not that everyone is as strong as us..."


    "Mutants are still humans, right? A sub-species of humans? I''m going to engrave this name in my gic catalog."


    "Let me see, where is it... Oh, here it is! Pan-human civilization standard human race... Human sub-species... Mutant. There, I''m done!"


    "To be honest, I don''t even know if I count as a human." Magnifier scratched his head and said, "Regr humans are quite hostile towards us, to the point where we can only go to special schools."


    "You are definitely human. Most of your genes are human genes, with only a small part being different, so there''s no need for racial segregation."


    "Besides, even if there were different races, you and human civilization are inseparable. You look the same, speak the samenguage, and learn the same knowledge. You are all part of the pan-human civilization."


    The same words echoed in the minds of the children. Blue Spirit also introduced Shadow, "In our hometown, the Andromeda Union, located 2.54 million light-years away from Earth, there is a civilization called the ''Andromeda Federation''. This amazing civilization has many races, withpletely different appearances, some with two legs like you, and some with six legs..."


    "Six legs? That''s unbelievable. How do they get along? Don''t they fight?"


    "Long ago, they established a united council. Today, theirnguage, writing, measurement units, and technological systems are all interconnected, which makes them an independent civilization recognized by the interster society."


    "Completely different appearances, and they can still be considered a civilization?" Shadow shook her head and said, "That''s too incredible."


    "Of course, because the primary way interster society distinguishes civilizations is throughnguage, writing, technological systems, and historical backgrounds, while race is secondary."


    Shadow nodded and said, "Previously, one of our professors told us that mutants are different from regr humans, but what you said also makes sense. My parents are regr humans, if I visit them, do I need to get some kind of visa or something?"


    "Of course not, even in the Andromeda Union civilization, they don''t need it either. Many high elves and totem spirits have mixed-blood offspring afterbining, and they can freely travel between the two star systems without any restrictions."


    "Alright!" Spider-Man raised his hand and said, "You should all be adjusted by now. We''re going on a mission next, follow me."


    Outside theboratory window, Nick hugged his arms and turned his head to Schiller, "Are you sure these symbiotes can urately convey the messages you gave them?"


    "No problem, their intelligence is much higher than you think, and even among the symbiotemunity, these few are outstanding."


    "To be honest, starting with the next generation to change their mindset is a good idea, but I''m worried about Professor X... Oh, right, you two have reached an agreement, maybe he''s watching from the sky right now."


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 Chapter 326: S:Glorious Big Event (VI)

    Chapter 326: S:Glorious Big Event (VI)


    "How do you view mutants?" Nick leaned against the ss window and asked Schiller.


    "My view is simr to Professor X''s, at least in one aspect, that is, if mutants and ordinary humans are forcibly squeezed together, both sides will be hurt."


    "Forget about the historical legacy that causes ordinary humans to be very hostile towards mutants. Just the fact that mutant abilities can erupt uncontrobly means that they cannot live in normal human society," Schiller sighed.


    Aftering to this world, he found that the problem with mutants was much more serious than he had imagined. Every day in the newspapers, one could see that somewhere a mutant ability had erupted, causing losses and injuring many people...


    One thing the symbiotes said is correct, ordinary humans are really fragile. A small me can cause them serious burns, and if there is an explosion, most people''s lives are not guaranteed. But when mutant abilities erupt, fire and explosions are the mostmon urrences.


    Can ordinary people not treat them as terrorists? Even if it is a terrorist attack, it can be anticipated, after all, there are not too many types of guns and bombs, but mutant abilities erupt differently. There are a thousand ways in which they can pose a threat to public safety.


    In a society with mutants, when entering any public ce, one must first find a safe corner to avoid a mutant suddenly rushing in and killing people.


    Maybe every morning when you wake up, you''ll see that the road has been destroyed again, and you''ll find out that it was caused by some mutant ability erupting, causing how much damage and injuring how many people...


    Mutant abilities do not care whether you have to go to work the next day, whether you have urgent clients to meet, or whether you want to experience a peaceful andfortable atmosphere.Even Schiller is the same. He knows he has spider-sense and the ability to avoid danger, but his cautious personality still makes him instinctively perceive the nearby situation with his mist to prevent him from being unlucky and encountering an alpha-level mutant suddenly exploding when entering various public ces.


    For ordinary people living in a world with mutants, it''s like living in a world where terrorists could appear at any time. Even if they have not suffered any real harm, they are always worried and under great pressure.


    "I am a psychologist, and I can really empathize with the psychological pressure of living in an unsafe state for a long time, and I can understand the group of people who hate mutants because of this pressure."


    "But mutants have no way out because their genes are innate."


    "I learned from Professor X that many mutants have fallen into deep guilt because their sudden ability eruption has harmed innocent people, and some people have never emerged from this shadow for their entire lives."


    "So, forcing these two sides together is actually not responsible for either side."


    "So what are you going to do? Establish a segregated society? Excuse me for being frank, this won''t work. Germany during World War II has already demonstrated this."


    "I know that Mao has been seeking to establish a country for mutants, but he has encountered a lot of obstacles, and the reasons are clear to you and me."


    "Of course, when a country wants to research nuclear bombs, no major country will agree. Not to mention, all the nuclear bombs unite to establish a country of their own, no country will sit by and watch this happen."


    "Even if mutants can unite, their families still live in ordinary human society, and are controlled by countries and powers. The reason why Mao can be tough is because he has no soft spots. Most mutants can only choose to bow their heads when facing threats to their families and friends."


    Nick looked at Schiller and whispered, "I can tell you the Security Council''s policy on mutants. Simply put, it is to divide and conquer, let them consume themselves, and use their power when necessary, but never let them unite."


    "From a politician''s perspective, this is the best way to deal with it. You see, the stances of mutants, ordinary people, and politicians arepletely different. Mutants hope to unite, hope to be independent, and hope to have their own homnd..."


    "Ordinary people hope that mutants can stay away from their lives and give them a safe social environment. To some extent, the interests of these two parties are the same, because as long as mutants establish a country, they will all settle there and no longer interfere in the lives of ordinary people."


    "The only obstacle here is the politicians. If they want to divide mutants, they must let them scatter and distribute themselves in ordinary human society, just like diluting wine with water."


    Nick also sighed, "You and I both know that we cannot change those people''s minds. In this regard, human society has remained unchanged throughout history."


    "Are mutants rare? No, such things have happened countless times in history. Isn''t Africa the same?"


    "Divide and conquer, internal consumption, product dumping, block production, and spread rumors to make them feel naturallyzy and inferior. Pick out the outstanding ones and absorb them, and then use them against their own kind. This trick has been yed countless times."


    "...Let''s get to the point." Nick looked at Schiller and asked, "What do you n to do? Can you reveal it first? You know, the quick response measures of S.H.I.E.L.D..."


    "Or rather, the only one who can make S.H.I.E.L.D run smoothly is you, right?"


    Nick smiled and spread his hands. "Be d, there''s me too."


    "I don''t think building a nation is feasible. Let''s assume, where do they want to build their country? Which continent? Regardless of which continent, the surrounding countries will definitely not agree, and they will go crazy to stop them."


    "Well, even if they have the ability to build an ind in the center of the Pacific, you also know the military''s characteristics. They see the Pacific as their aircraft carrier training ground, and they won''t allow anything to interfere there..."


    "In that case, why not let them move a little farther?"


    "Farther? How far?"


    "2.5 million light-years. What do you think?"


    Nick widened his eyes and said, "You want them to move to another?? Regardless of whether it is feasible to implement, they won''t be willing, right?"


    "Although mutants want an independent homnd, they also want to enjoy the achievements of human civilization. If you make them move so far away, it''s like banishment, isn''t it?"...


    "Not necessarily. Banishment refers to bringing their families to an unknown and dangerous ce, and starting from scratch. Nick, didn''t you see it when the symbiotes left their previous host?"


    "See what?"


    "Those aliens, there were high elves, totem spirits, and a big bug, they were living aliens."


    "Well, indeed, but we''ve seen living aliens before, like the Asgardians."


    "In that case, do you think it''s banishment to let a few humans live in Asgard?"


    "Of course not, after all, the Asgardians are gods, and their cities are much more magnificent than ours..."


    "That''s right. So, what do you think about those aliens from the Andromeda gxy? Do you think they came from a poor and shabby ce?"


    Nick remembered one of them, a high elf. They looked most simr to humans, with two legs and two arms, but the difference was that they were about three meters tall, and their skulls were also different from humans.


    But there was no doubt that their clothing was not primitive, even very magnificent. Nick saw the traces of aplete alien civilization on them. They had their ownnguage, writing, art, and unique aesthetics.


    Even the bug species had mechanical parts fixed on its carapace that Nick couldn''t understand at all, not to mention the totem spirit that was semi-transparent all over.


    "In fact, in the interster society, Earth is a barbaric ce of exile. Do you think how the Asgardians view us? Have you forgotten Thor''s attitude when he first came to Earth? If he truly believed that humans were on the same level as Asgardians, would he dare to act like that?"


    Nick nodded and said, "There''s a reason. Even if we rely on our imagination, we can imagine that any civilization with a universe spaceship is more advanced than us. We''re struggling just tond on Mars now."


    "So, traveling to a gxy that is more developed and prosperous is not exile, but furthering our education."


    "But don''t those gxies have owners? No civilization would be willing to suddenly have a group of outsiders on their territory."


    "Indeed, even if thendlord is rtively friendly, the tenant is always at a disadvantage." Schiller nodded, then changed the subject, "But without a rtionship, the interster society doesn''t care aboutws, only about who has the bigger fist. If thendlord suddenly dies, and the tenant takes over the house, as long as he can hold onto it, who cane and take it away?"


    Nick widened his eyes again. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Schiller, "You want to take down thendlord of the Andromeda Gxy?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense. I don''t have that ability. Don''t mention things like the end of the world so easily. Humans are a civilized race. We need to establish a good interster image."


    "Human civilization is so weak in the universe. We can''t even build a spaceship."


    "Since that''s the case, if the universe''s demonic deities fight, we can''t stop them. Sanctum Sanctorum is just getting started. The best we can do is provide a way out for our esteemed members."


    "I understand, but..." Nick hesitated and said, "Don''t the symbiotes also live in that gxy? Currently, it seems like this group of universe agents is friendly to them, and I think they could use their help."


    "Do you think a parasitic race cares about who the other civilizations in their gxy are? Or rather, if humans don''t go, can their enemies let them parasitize?"


    "Moreover, you see, Mutants are leaving a good impression on the symbiotes now, aren''t they?"


    "I knew it. It''s all part of your n..." Nick covered his forehead and said.


    "Contact Professor X and tell him about the symbiotes'' characteristics, so he can select suitable mutants based on their characteristics."


    "Professor X won''t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen the abilities of the new generation. At the same time, you can make a deal with the symbiotes, and let them naturally influence the new generation of mutants to enhance their sense of belonging to the human race..."


    "Then let the symbiotes feel that the new generation of mutants are verypatible with them, have incredibly strong abilities, and enhance their impression of the human race..."


    "Furthermore, you should know that the symbiotes have a gene catalog. I learned from Loki that the interster society values the information recorded in their gene catalog because no other race can understand the basic situation of a race better than the symbiotes."


    "Many civilizations like to see the symbiotes as a library of the universe. When they want to understand a certain race, they will find a host with a symbiote parasite and trade with them, exchanging information from their gene catalog, or even just letting the symbiote parasitize them to get the information they want."


    "As long as we can get the symbiotes to write down some basic information about humans in their gene catalog, and I mean correct, fair, objective, and unquestionable information, it will be very beneficial for our future development, won''t it?"


    Nick looked up at the ceiling, raised his hand, and pped. But Schiller continued, "There''s one more thing. Ask Asgard to help send those former alien hosts back, it can give Strange a reasonable excuse to contact Asgard."


    "Contact Asgard? What happened to them?"


    "We need to figure out Asgard''s attitude in this war, especially Odin''s attitude."


    "I want to make money with him, but I''m afraid he still hasn''t gotten over the issue between his son and daughter..."


    "How about the information Strange sent back?"


    "Let''s find a safe ce and talk about it in detail."


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 Chapter 327: S:Glorious Big Event (VII)

    Chapter 327: S:Glorious Big Event (VII)


    Strange walked on the bridge in front of Asgard, and the setting sun made the Asgardian buildings beneath him shine even more brilliantly. He passed the towering guards at the end of the bridge and climbed upyer afteryer of stairs, reaching a beautiful square in front of the gate adorned with fountains and flowers.


    Following the guiding goddess, he entered the spacious hall of the pce. The dozens of pirs inside resembled towering trees, supporting the borate patterns carved on the massive dome.


    Strange followed the goddess into the elevator. The tform slowly ascended amidst a rumbling sound. Looking down from there, he could see the children ying andughing in the square of Asgard.


    Soon, the elevator stopped, and the doors in front of him slowly opened. After stepping inside, he saw two tall alien nts guarding the doorway. The Asgardian goddess in white turned around and said to Strange, "Cross this covered bridge and turn right. The tower there is where His Royal Highness resides. Without permission, no one can enter."


    Strange nodded and said, "Thank you for guiding me. By the way, can I ask how Loki is doing now?"


    The goddess in the white robe shook her head and turned back towards the elevator. Strange sighed, already imagining Loki''s miserable condition.


    He followed the instructions of the goddess and continued walking forward. This covered bridge was located right behind the pce door. On the left side was a corridor of the pce, behind him was the elevator, and on the right side were railings and pirs. As he kept walking forward and turned right, he could see the tower the goddess mentioned¡ªan independent structure separate from the pce.


    Strange walked over, and the tower''s door connected directly to the covered bridge. There were two metal door handles on it. Strange took one of them and knocked on the door. Loki''s voice came from inside, "Come in."


    Strange paused and asked, "How do I enter?""Push the door, what else?" Loki replied.


    Taking two steps back, Strange examined the door. Only then did he notice that there were no protective magic circles on it. In fact, as he had just knocked on the door, a small crack appeared.


    "The door isn''t locked?" Strange widened his eyes in surprise. He walked forward, grabbed the door handle, and pulled. The door opened directly.


    The interior scene waspletely different from the dark cell Strange had imagined. It was a circr tower with corridors surrounding the walls, and in the center was a garden with a Viking atmosphere.


    Many of the nts inside resembled those on Earth, like ancient versions of Earth''s nts. There were also several slightly damaged statues in the center. Loki stood beneath one of the statues, reading a book. Strange quickly walked over to him and asked, "Are you okay?"


    Before Loki could speak, Strange continued, "Is your mind intact? You know Odin would be furious and want to kill you. Yet you dare to return to Asgard. Isn''t that walking into a trap?"


    "I''m fine now, aren''t I?" Loki raised his eyes, his voice somewhat cold. Strange looked around and said, "Where are we? Is this how advanced Asgard''s prisons are?"


    "Who told you this is a prison? This is our Royal Ancient Garden Ruins, preserving the traces of our era on Earth. Upstairs is the archives and the library of books. I usually love staying here."


    "Hasn''t Odin punished you? You caused a huge catastrophe this time."


    Loki sighed and said, "I''m surprised too..."


    Then, Strange heard from Loki the events that had urred before his arrival.


    The Norse gods in Norse mythology originated from Earth. They belonged to an ancient civilization and, like most ancient civilizations on Earth, had various forms of punishment.


    The most severe was exile. In theory, Asgard had no death penalty, but exile was not much different. They would send people whomitted grave offenses randomly into a dark universe. As for how they would survive there, no one cared.


    Next was banishment, which was different from exile. Banishment meant one could go anywhere as long as they didn''t stay in Asgard. In more severe cases, they were not allowed to enter the Nine Realms. As long as they didn''te here, others wouldn''t bother them.


    In the originalics, Thor had been banished from Asgard by Heimdall. Although he eventually returned, it was still considered one of the more severe punishments in Asgard.


    Then there is corporal punishment. Asgard practices corporal punishment, and the reason why it ranks third in severity is because Asgard''s punishment does not involve human whips. Instead, they use a whip made of thunder, formed by the divine power of All-Father Odin. Even when this whipshes upon the physically strong Asgardians, it can leave them bedridden for half a year.


    The severity of this punishment lies in the fact that once someone receives ash, they are unable to go to the battlefield for a long time and are confined to their homes. For the Asgardians, this is a devastating blow.


    Before returning to Asgard, Loki already estimated that he would have to endure ash. After all, the trouble he caused this time was quite significant.


    He had provoked the previously rebellious princess, nearly breaking her seal, and had also managed to drag down the already returned prince of the World Tree, stirring up their new and old grievances together...


    Not to mention throwing the Destroyer onto Earth earlier, and bringing Thor to Sakaar Star. Odin''s thunder, which was still on the road, had already deeply moved Loki.


    The reason Loki returned to Asgard was simple: he thought about dying early or dyingte, but he couldn''t escape a thunderous strike. So it was better to quickly endure the beating and go out causing trouble.


    However, when Loki returned to Asgard, Odin was indeed very angry, so angry that even his nose was crooked. But when Loki knelt halfway in Asgard Hall, waiting for Odin''s judgment, Odin simply ordered him to go back to his room for reflection. Loki was not allowed to leave the pce without hismand.


    Loki was confused when he knelt on the ground at that moment. He thought Odin hadn''t finished speaking, so he didn''t move at all. This made Odin even angrier, and the All-Father''s hand trembled with anger. He pointed to the door with his arm and said, "Get out!"


    So, Loki rolled his eyes in confusion and left.


    Then, in the elevator, he saw Odin hurriedly putting on armor and grabbing weapons.


    You should know that previously, while All-Father was still asleep, Heimdall had found the armor, and the weapons hadn''t been polished.


    Before Loki could figure out what Odin was up to, Frigga came into his room. After seeing Loki, she burst into tears, and Loki had to quicklyfort his mother...


    As Frigga wiped her tears, she said, "Why are you so bold? Do you know that even All-Father Odin had to temporarily avoid H''s edge? She is the true ruler of the undead. You''ve caused trouble with her, my goodness..."


    "Are you injured? What happened to your divine power? What is that new divine power within you? Is it Thor''s power? And where is he? Why didn''t he protect his younger brother... his sister?"


    The more Frigga spoke, the angrier she became. She said, "Thor is just like his father! All he thinks about is fighting. Every time he goes out, he disappears for hundreds of years without returning home, causing a heap of trouble. Only then does he rush back and make us clean up after him!"


    "I used to refrain from reprimanding him because he is the future heir of Asgard. It''s necessary for him to learn how to fight. But this time, he went too far! His brother is being pursued by the Goddess of Death, and he''s still wandering around the universe?!"


    Frigga''s chest heaved with anger, and Loki approached her and patted her back. Frigga held his hand, touched his hair, and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone harm my children."


    "Even though I haven''t left the pce since I married your father and have never been to the battlefield, I was a first mage for nine eras, a mage god revered by the Nine Realms..."


    Frigga embraced Loki, saying, "There''s no need to be afraid. I will forever protect my family..."


    "You know, in this atmosphere, how can I tell you that I''ve also angered Balder? In case Queen gets too furious, the All-Father might actually kill me." Loki sighed in the ancient garden, holding books and looking somewhat helpless.


    Strange replied, "Now you should understand. Your parents love you very much. Although my rtionship with my father is not good either, I think there''s an example that can describe your current situation well."


    "When a child scratches someone else''s car, their father might get angry and give them a beating. But if a child blows up the White House, their parents will definitely find ways to protect their child."


    "The bigger the trouble you cause, the more your parents will stand by your side, just like this time."


    "And because you''ve been well-behaved before and never caused any trouble, Odin might think it''s just an ident. He''s more likely to be reminded of his past with H..."


    "But this time, I''m starting to grow tired of these repetitive tests. The universe is so vast, and I''d rather find something to do elsewhere than hang out with these warmongers." Loki seemed a bit impatient.


    "Now that you''vee to your senses, when do you n to return to the Sanctum Sanctorum? I''ve been nearly going crazy with work!"


    Loki walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. She said, "Returning to Asgard is not just about testing Odin. What''s more important is that I can get information about H here without having to meet him in person."


    Loki looked around and found no attendants nearby. She lowered her voice and said, "When I was chatting with H in the realm of Death, I heard from her that the ancient garden used to be his favorite ce in Asgard, and he left a mark here."


    "As long as I stay here and observe the state of this mark, I can determine whether he has escaped from captivity. Once the mark shows a reaction, it means that war is about to begin."


    "The mark? Is it the one we saw in that cemeteryst time?"


    "Almost, but it''s slightly different. When H was in Asgard, she wasn''t the Goddess of Death yet, but the general shape is the same. And once he escapes, the mark will disy his unique emerald energy..."


    "Emerald energy? You mean... that kind of energy?" Strange looked behind Loki and spoke.


    Loki suddenly turned around and saw thick smoke rising from under a sculpture in the center of the garden. In a moment of screams and wails, most of the nts in the ancient garden were corroded by Death''s energy, withering away and turning into ashes.


    "Get out of the way!" Loki shouted.


    Strange waved his hand, and a portal shed. He and Loki disappeared together.


    In SHIELD Director Nick''s office, Schiller and Nick had just sat down when they heard a "sizzle" sound, followed by two "bangs." A portal appeared above the office, and then Loki and Strange fell down together.


    Schiller held a ss of water and tapped the rim with his finger, looking down at the two of them. He turned his head to Nick and said, "It seems I don''t need to say anything."


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 Chapter 328: S:Glorious Big Event (VIII)

    Chapter 328: S:Glorious Big Event (VIII)


    "Attention! Attention! This is the Space Broadcasting Channel of the Nine Great Kingdoms'' Holy Land. We have an urgent news update!


    Dear members and friends, what you are about to hear is a real-time report on the ongoing conflict brought to you by the Nine Great Kingdoms'' Holy Land. It has been reported that before the three Space hours, there was unrest in the Death Kingdom located within the Nine Great Kingdoms. The ruler of the underworld, H, left her territory andunched a war against a mysterious entity located at the core of the World Tree.


    Currently, the forces of death and life have spread outside the Nine Great Kingdoms, affecting six affiliated dimensions between r23 and r29. Later, we will broadcast the names of the affected areas in a format that can be understood by Space life forms.


    The so-called r23 to r29 affiliated dimensions are actually a reordering of the dimensions surrounding the Nine Great Kingdoms by the Holy Land. Generally speaking, the names of the dimensions in the Nine Great Kingdoms are based on the poption of Asgard. However, Asgardians rarely organize information about these dimensions and territories, and their understanding of the surrounding dimensions is based on oral tradition rather than a systematic approach.


    After the Holy Land began working, theck of uniformity in the naming and territorial division of dimensions brought about great trouble. Therefore, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj recently traveled to all the dimensions surrounding the Nine Great Kingdoms, assigned them numbers, andpiled a map.


    Of course, since they are called dimensional territories, they are not in the three-dimensional space. The map needs to be decoded before it can be read by the three-dimensional human race. Currently, most of those responsible for the Space broadcast are also sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.


    The r23 to r29 dimensions mentioned in the broadcast are the two nearest fragments to the Death Kingdom. No one lives here, and this broadcast has not yet caught the attention of Space creatures because there are too many such incidents in Space. The friction between Space gods is frequent, and sometimes hundreds or thousands of wars can erupt in a day.


    In the Broken Dimension near the Death Kingdom, H, wearing a dark green armor, stands in the center of the empty and dark Space. The undead energy around him surges, and countless strange monsters emerge from that energy, forming a circr territory around him.


    In the center of the territory, guarded by the ruler of the underworld, are two huge bone dragons, followed by the skeletons of giant wolves and snakes. In addition, there are endless ghosts, like surging waves, constantly emitting piercing screams.The g flutters with H''s hair, and opposite him is an equally powerful force of white life energy. A god wearing silver armor stands in the dense white light, and behind him, the silhouette of a giant tree, the new life force from the Tree of Life, is faintly visible.


    The ck and white energies sh fiercely in Space. The energy behind H is like a sharp sword, while the energy behind Balder is like a sturdy shield. As soon as the two sides began to probe, the front line of the battle zone erupted into violent energy storms.


    At first, the conflict erupted in a small area, so these energy storms only tore apart some asteroid belts and did not cause too much damage. However, soon the situation began to be more and more intense..."


    He''s attacking power is too strong, and Balder, who has just awakened from his slumber, is not in an advantageous position. Although he is backed by the almost endless energy of the World Tree, he is struggling to withstand He''s attacks.


    Just then, on the edge of the dark universe, a brilliant sh of lightning suddenly appeared, and the majestic voice of the father of gods echoed in the universe, making all living beings in the universe hear it very clearly.


    "Stop all of this."


    Odin''s tone left no room for negotiation. Apanied by the thunderous roar, the energy storm at the point of conflict was torn to pieces. Golden lightning spread even faster towards the center of the forces of light and darkness.


    Balder saw Odin''s silhouette appear overhead. He touched his shoulder with his hand and bowed his head, saying, "Father of gods."


    Hearing Balder''s voice, Odin sighed and turned his head to look at H. However, H paid him no attention, just continuallymanding her energy to attack Balder.


    Odin stood above the universe and did not take action, as he was currently very troubled. The enmity between H and Balder was difficult to exin in one or two sentences. But the fact was that Odin found it difficult to intervene, as both Balder''s demise and H''s betrayal were caused by his own negligence.


    Balder returned to the World Tree, and H was sealed away by him. Later, Thor, who was born, resembled him. He had thought that everything was developing towards a good direction, but now, Thor was blindly arrogant and had been exiled to Earth. Loki, who used to obey him, had also caused a big mess. It seemed like nothing had changed.


    But he still held tightly to the lightning in his hand. Just as he was about to make a move, a familiar voice sounded, "It''s quite lively here. Are you guys having a family gathering?"


    At that moment, a more intense dark energy appeared behind H, and apanied by raging hellfire, Mephisto''s figure appeared on the battlefield.


    The two sides of justice had not yet spoken, but H spoke first, "Mephisto, you finally came out of your hellhole?"


    H held her sword and said, "...but you better not interfere with my affairs."


    Saying that, she used her own energy to surround Mephisto''s hellfire and attack him. Balder widened his eyes. During the time he was still the Asgard crown prince, the name of the Lord of Hell had already resounded throughout the universe. He held his spear and said, "Is H crazy?"


    "He''s blinded by hatred." A calm female voice sounded, and Ancient One, wearing a yellow robe and surrounded by shining magic energy, slowlynded. Odin narrowed his eyes and looked at Ancient One, saying, "It''s been a while, and you''ve be stronger, Ancient One."


    "It''s been a while, and your home is still as lively as ever, Odin." Ancient One looked towards the two energies still fiercely fighting in the distance. Odin paused for a moment, then said, "Help me stop them. If they fight here, it''s not good for either of us."


    Then he also looked towards the distance and said with some confusion, "How did Mephistoe here?"


    "Indeed, if they fight near the Nine Kingdoms, it may threaten the safety of Earth and Asgard, but..." Ancient One turned her head to look at Odin, looking him in the eye and saying, "Let''s find a ce to talk."


    Odin looked at her with suspicion. He couldn''t help feeling strange. Was it time to sit down and talk now? Without a doubt, he knew that if he left for even a second, everything would turn into a mess.


    At this moment, a loud rumble sounded, and a huge ck figure descended into this universe. Balder looked up, feeling extremely disgusted by the aura. He said, "Dormammu..."


    Odin also noticed that something was amiss. H and Balder were fighting, and besides himself, it shouldn''t have attracted so many people.


    Coupled with Ancient One constantly giving him signals, Odin hesitated for a moment, retrieved his lightning weapon, and left a crow behind before following Ancient One to leave.


    As soon as Odin left, Balder was at a loss. Before he could react, Mephisto seemed very angry at He''s provocation, and endless hellfire spread throughout the universe.


    Immediately after, several Dimension Demons that Ancient Ones often fought appeared on the battlefield. Their goal was very clear, to fight, but in just a few minutes, the entire field became a mess.


    In the Sanctum Sanctorum, it was even more chaotic. A female mage stretched out her hand, and a telephone flew into her hand. She spoke quickly as she walked, "Yes, we haven''t figured out the whole situation yet, but they have indeed started fighting... Really? But I can''t be sure. How about this, once the battle affects there, I will notify you in time..."


    A man wearing a suit and tie stood up from his desk and asked the person next to him, "Have we contacted those in the shattered dimensions yet?"


    His colleague replied, "Don''t worry about them. We have more important clients. Let them fend for themselves. I have a pile of advanced members'' connections in my hands. Shattered dimensions? It''s even better if those poor bastards die..."


    "Next, we bring you thetest broadcast. Currently, the battle has spread to the areas beyond r40, approaching the r50 dimensions where there are living beings. I repeat, the battle has shifted. All members of the r50 and beyond dimensions, please evacuate in time..."


    "Wait! Our live reporter has sent a message. It seems that there are new changes in the battle. Now let us connect to frontline reporter Eddie Brock and hear his views on the current situation on the field..."


    After a busy signal, a magic screen appeared on the wall of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and the figure of Venom appeared on the screen. He seemed to be standing on a small satellite that looked a lot like the Moon, with the universe''s starry sky in the background.


    Although he looked like Venom, the voice that came through was Eddie''s. He spoke in a pure journalistic tone, "Hello, Eddie Brock reporting thetest on the situation in the r43 region."


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a violent explosion in the universe behind him. Venom had to use ck slime to create a shield behind him to resist the impact. Immediately after, a meteor streaked by, and it was unclear who had destroyed a.


    "As everyone can see, the battle is very intense now, and the center of the battlefield is still constantly moving. The number of participants is increasing... Oh my god! The stars..."


    In the far distance behind him, a small light continued to spread and eventually turned into a huge fireball.


    "Okay, that''s it for the live coverage. The stars have exploded, and I have to run for my life. Goodbye."


    Thest sentence was Venom''s low and hoarse voice. Doctor Strange looked at the screen, which was getting closer and closer to the light, and hesitated a bit before asking, "Is the journalist okay?"


    "Don''t worry, he''s not alone," an agent replied.


    "Not alone? Who else is with him?"


    "His kin."


    At the same time, on a deste small satellite, Venom shook his head and grinned at the blue spirit next to him. "Is that all you''ve got? Your magic shield is as fragile as paper."


    The nearby symbiotes all looked a little embarrassed. The huge thermal energy impact from the star explosion caused them a lot of trouble. If it weren''t for the blue spirit''s magic ability, they would have been cooked.


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 Chapter 329: S:Glorious Big Event (IX)

    Chapter 329: S:Glorious Big Event (IX)


    "I still need to maintain the host''s vital signs, humans cannot survive in the universe," Blue Spirit exined, then asked Venom: "Where is your host going next? Will you continue to move with the front line?"


    Eddie said: "No, we will return to our original dimension, we have collected enough material and can make a trip back."


    "Okay, let''s go." With a wave of his hand, Blue Spirit turned everyone''s figures into illusions, and although they did not move, they fell throughyers of dimensions and returned to the dimension where Earth was located.


    Blue Spirit''s host, Shadow, asked in his mind: "When you introduced your ability to travel through dimensions to me, I was a little confused. What exactly are dimensions? Why did we not change position but ended up in another world?"


    "You can think of the dimension you are in as a piece of paper, and other dimensions as many other pieces of paper. When they are stacked together, they oveppletely but arepletely different. When we descend from one dimension to another, although you feel that we have not changed position, everything is actually different," Blue Spirit exined.


    Shadow still didn''t fully understand, but Red Bee, who was parasitizing on Spider-Man, turned his head and looked around. He said: "From the star map, this should be the location of the Sagittarius Bottom Arm of the Milky Way Gxy. It''s really deste here."


    "You mean this is the end of the Sagittarius Arm? Oh my god, that''s too far from Earth," Spider-Man eximed.


    "Is it far? It''s okay. The Milky Way Gxy is not as big as our star system. This distance is probably the same as the distance from Klyntar star to the center of the Andromeda Gxy," Red Bee replied.


    "Okay, let''s get ready to go back. Contact those Earth-based mages. It will be faster that way. If we have to run on our own, who knows how long it will take," Eddie said, pulling out his mobile phone."You guys are amazing," Magnifier eximed. "You can actually live in the universe without a spaceship."


    "That''s normal. Not every has an atmosphere like Earth. Klyntar doesn''t, which means we almost always live in the universe environment," Green Thorn said.


    "But we are indeed a bit special. Generally speaking, civilizations only develop on habitables, but we are not a species that evolved from scratch. We were created by the gods," Green Thorn continued to exin.


    "Unfortunately, the gods who created us didn''t pick a more beautiful for us. Klyntar is still barren to this day. After all, you can''t expect a bunch of rotten mud to create anything decent," Green Thorn added self-deprecatingly.


    Crystal whispered in her mind, "If I have a chance to go to your, I can help you build houses. I really like building houses..."


    Green Thorn sighed and said, "It''s probably difficult. The universe agent is the leader of Klyntar civilization, but we don''t live on our homeworld because it''s easy to be influenced by Knull, the center of the. Most symbiotes have migrated to the Commonwealth Civilization. Those who stay on the are mostly like Riot, who worship gods."


    "Okay, let me make a phone call to those mages." But just then, Spider-Man''s spider sense tingled. He said, "Wait, something''sing!"


    "Something''sing?" The others turned their heads, but didn''t see anything. Thunder said, "This is the edge of your star system. Nothing should being."


    "Forget it, follow me. We need to hide behind the satellite!" Spider-Man''s tone was firm, and he started moving. Although the others didn''t understand what he had discovered, they followed him.


    When they arrived at the back of the satellite, Spider-Man breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I''m pretty sure something was nearby."


    Red Bee said in his mind, "You have the ability to sense danger! That''s great. Now I won''t bump into things when I charge forward."


    But Spider-Man was nervous. He took a deep breath and concentrated. Suddenly, he said to Blue Spirit, "Quick, take us to another dimension. There''s danger here!"


    "Danger? What..." Blue Spirit began to ask.


    "Quick!" Spider-Man urged.


    With a wave of his hand, Blue Spirit turned everyone''s figures into illusions again and sessfully shifted dimensions. Blue Spirit asked Spider-Man, "What did you feel?"


    "I don''t know," Spider-Man frowned.


    "Could it be the aftermath of the universe''s demonic deities affecting that area?" Blue Spirit asked.


    "No, it''s impossible. It''s too far from where they were fighting."


    "Okay, let''s change locations in this dimension and then return to the dimension where Earth is located to observe what''s happening there." Blue Spirit came upwith a n and the group agreed.


    After shifting to a new location in the same dimension, they observed the surroundings and waited for a while. But nothing happened. Spider-Man was still feeling uneasy, but he couldn''t exin why.


    Finally, they returned to the dimension where Earth was located. As soon as they arrived, they saw chaos and destruction everywhere. Buildings were destroyed, fires were burning, and people were running in panic.


    "What happened here?" Magnifier asked, shocked.


    "I don''t know, but we need to help," Spider-Man said, swinging into action.


    The group split up to help the people in need and gather information about what had happened. They soon learned that a group of powerful viins had attacked the city, causing widespread destruction and chaos.


    The heroes worked together to fight off the viins and save as many people as possible. After the battle, they regrouped and discussed what had happened.


    "I have a bad feeling about this. It''s like the universe is trying to tell us something," Spider-Man said.


    "I agree. We need to be on high alert and investigate what''s going on," Blue Spirit said.


    The group decided to work together and investigate the cause of the attack on the city. They knew that there was a bigger threat looming, and they needed to be ready to face it.


    "I have no rtionship with my new host, but we have a strong bond which allows me to unleash greater power. However, I do need to rest for a little while, just a little while..."


    As he spoke, several symbiotes dashed at full speed from this small satellite towards the asteroid belt on the other side.


    The giant, somewhat simr to Jupiter, was closer to them than the satellite. At such a close distance, they could already see the storms on its surface, countless gases forming vortexes one after another, each one so huge that it seemed like it would swallow them up.


    Several mutant students had never seen such a magnificent sight. They were amazed and a bit frightened.


    "I never imagined the universe to be like this," Shadow said with a tone of shock. "It''s too vast, and everything seems so enormous while we ourselves are so small..."


    "Don''t be afraid, children. Newborns entering the universe always feel this way. Humans are still too far away from the era of the universe, so your understanding of the universe is shallow. In reality, the universe is even more mysterious and beautiful than you can imagine," said the very intellectual voice in Shadow''s mind, which calmed her fear. Blue Spirit continued, "The universe is so cruel and won''t show mercy to anyone who wants to enter. There are too many disasters here, enough to deter nascent civilizations that yearn for interster society..."


    "But at the same time, it''s also gentle and rich, like a huge treasure waiting for all races to explore."


    "Will we have such a day?" Shadow asked nkly. "Like you, freely traveling in the universe, seeing all the stars, meeting many fantastic aliens..."


    "Yes, we will," Blue Spirit replied very positively.


    "Humans are the most incredible race I''ve ever seen. You are so weak, yet so strong. You are like a mystery, attracting all life in the universe..."


    Blue Spirit paused for a moment, seeming to concentrate on restoring his own power. During this time, he told the others about his experiences.


    Blue Spirit was the oldest symbiote in the universeAgent organization, and his birth could be traced back to when Knull created the first batch of symbiotes. Most of his chosen hosts were elders of their races, so his experience was very rich, and he had countless stories to tell.


    The human hosts were all fascinated, and the interster epic they had never seen before slowly unfolded before them.


    As they immersed themselves in it, Blue Spirit stood up and said, "Okay, I''ve recovered enough. Let''s go."


    As he spoke, the group transformed back into shadows and descended to Earth''stitude. When they returned to their original dimension, they all eximed in amazement - a huge fleet was in front of them.


    "Dodge!" Thunder shouted.


    Several symbiotes exerted their full strength and rushed towards the densest area of the asteroid belt. Fortunately, they immediately entered aary dense area and were not discovered by the fleet.


    "My goodness! What is that?!!" Magnifier''s voice trembled because it was terrifying.


    This is not like watching the universe ships from a god''s perspective in a movie. When you stand in the universe and witness those huge steel monsters in the first person, a suffocating fear willpletely engulf your mind.


    Especially the giant ship at the forefront of the fleet, as big as a, makes any creature appear extremely small in front of it.


    "I''m checking," said Blue Spirit in a solemn voice. "Don''t panic. There are many intelligent civilizations in the universe that possess the Universe fleet. Most of them are rational and will not harm interster travelers at will."


    Thunder also reassured his host, saying, "Symbiotes have good rtionships with most Universe civilizations. Maybe we can even negotiate with them..."


    "Wait!" Blue Spirit''s tone became low. "Don''t even think about it. That''s the Cree fleet."


    "Cree? You mean those Universe locusts?"


    "Correct, it''s them, those annoying blue-skinned creatures."


    "I remember now," said Green Thorn. "The gship we just saw should be their Temple series spaceship, also known as aary spaceship, which is why it''s so big."


    Thunder said with some confusion, "If I remember correctly, each Temple series spaceship is equipped with 72 escort ships, but the number of escort ships we just saw, while many, is definitely not up to 72."


    "A non-fullplement Cree fleet? How did they appear at the edge of the Milky Way Gxy?"


    Red Bee waved his hand and said, "They''re just wandering around the universe. Don''t you remember? Last time in the center of the Andromeda Neb, we saw them, it seemed like they were doing business with that group of Sulfur Dwarves..."


    Blue Spirit''s voice suddenly became strange. "I saw some smokeing from their spaceship''s engines just now. That''s a sign of overheating. The maneuverability of the Temple series spaceship should be very strong, enough to make their engines overheat. What were they doing just now?"


    "Oh..." Thunder suddenly sighed and said, "They should be using dimensional jumps, right? After all, except for a few races like us who can traverse dimensions individually, other races need to use their spaceship engines to jump."


    The group looked at each other and all showed a smug expression. The most jumpy Red Bee said, "They shouldn''t be so unlucky, right? They just happened to be affected by those demonic deities who were fighting?"


    "It''s hard to say. Those blue-skinned creatures consider the entire universe their territory and are always wandering around in their big spaceship. It''s not impossible for them to dive into the center of a battlefield..."


    "Wait, are you saying that the alien fleet we just saw was affected by the fighting demonic deities?"


    "Correct, it''s very likely. They may have had many escort ships destroyed by the demonic deities while in another dimension, and had no choice but to activate dimensional jumps ande here."


    "Contact the Sanctum Sanctorum immediately," Eddie said. "A powerful alien fleet has arrived in the Milky Way Gxy, and humans must be prepared."


    The other symbiotes also looked serious. Blue Spirit said, "Cree is known as the Universe locust, with a bad reputation, but undoubtedly, they are very powerful. You have also witnessed the firepower of their Temple series spaceship. Earth may not even be able to withstand a single shot..."


    At that moment, Spider-Man took Eddie''s mobile phone, which was shimmering with magic light, and dialed a number. Eddie looked at his actions and asked, "Who are you calling?"


    "Hello? Mr. Stark..."


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 Chapter 330: S:Glorious Big Event (X)

    Chapter 330: S:Glorious Big Event (X)


    "What did you say? The alien fleet lost a frigate in a dimensionality reduction jump? Peter, even if you have a driving license now, you can''t drink so much during the daytime..."


    "Okay, but I''m an adult, you know? And I didn''t drink too much... J.A.R.V.I.S said I was drunk all day? J.A.R.V.I.S! J.A.R.V.I.S! You traitor! I''ve only had one bottle this month..."


    "Okay, where did the fleete from? Of course... I know that aliens exist, but what are they doing here?"


    While talking on the telephone, Stark suddenly heard a "click" behind him. He turned around and saw a portal appearing in the air above theboratory, and Strange and Nick fell out of it.


    Nick fell heavily to the ground, and Strangended on top of him. The SHIELD director screamed in pain, holding his waist and staggering to his feet. He loudly said to Strange, "You ipetent rotten sorcerer! Can''t you open the portal on the ground next time?"


    "Oh, damn it, my arm..." Strange held his arm and said, "I''ve only been learning magic for a few months, you can''t expect too much from me!"


    Then the two of them stood up, and Stark walked over to them. The three of them looked up at the portal, waiting for the next unlucky person to fall out.


    Schiller poked half of his body out of the portal, looked down at the three people below him, and then turned into a cloud of mist and floated down,nding smoothly. The three of them made a "tsk" sound in unison.


    Then Loki flew out of the portal. Stark widened his eyes, looked around, and before he could ask any questions, Loki spoke first: "Don''t be surprised, I''m Loki. Do you have any objections?""I..." Stark made a gesture of thinking with his hand and then said, "No, you''re quite beautiful, really."


    Strange and Nick both nced at Stark and made a "tsk" sound.


    "Okay, now that the morally questionable people are all here, did Peter call you on the phone?"


    "Hey, Mr. Schiller, I''m right here!" Peter''s voice came from the telephone. "Did you hear what I just said? The Kree''s fleet!!!"


    "I know, your telephonemunication goes through the Sanctum Sanctorum, and Strange has already heard the contents of your conversation."


    "Is there really an alien fleet?" Stark said with some surprise. "Are the Kree like the Asgardians?"


    "I thought you wouldn''t be surprised, after all, a fleet of aliens,pared to the ''Gods'' of Asgard, the former should be more in line with your imagination of aliens, right?"


    Stark indeed nodded. He said, "My surprise is that why would an alien fleete here? Did they make an appointment? Either they don''te for tens of thousands of years, or they alle together?"


    "Of course, this is rted to the recent major events in the universe. Didn''t you already know about it? The universe is in fighting, and the group of aliens with the fleet should have been affected."


    As he spoke, Strange turned his head to look at Loki and said, "Tell us about the Kree. Who are they?"


    Loki shook his head and said, "I don''t really understand their history, I only know that they are a huge empire in the universe, and their supreme leader is called the Supreme Wisdom. They are simr to Asgard, a militaristic country where everyone is a soldier."


    "Their series of temple-like spaceships are very famous in the universe, also known as star warships, because these spaceships are made by transforming an entire, and even in a society with advanced science and technology, this kind of science and technology is very advanced."


    Stark rubbed his chin and asked a more professional question, "Do they belong to a certain race? Science and technology or magic?"


    Loki sighed and said, "You still don''t understand that there is no difference between science and technology and magic."


    "Let''s say that if you traveled back to prehistoric times and demonstrated the power of electricity to humanity who were still using stone tools, wouldn''t they think that the electricity you use is a form of magic?"


    "Asgard is like that. In your eyes, we use magic energy, but in reality, there are many manifestations of energy in the universe''s origin. It''s just that at the level of humanity''s life, we cannot directly extract and use this power."


    "All-Father Odin''s power of thunder is one of the fundamental powers of the universe. Because his life level is high enough, he can directly use this power. Wind and fire are the same. Humanity is actually using this energy too, but you cannot reach the origin level, so it seems like you need to use various tools, which you call ''science and technology''."


    "So, in fact, using methods that directly point to the source is more advanced?" Stark asked Loki.


    "No, it''s not that simple. Asgardians also use tools. We also have a fleet in the universe, teleportation devices, air conditioning, elevators, and life appliances that function simrly to yours."


    "We can divide this into two parts. On the one hand, by improving our own life level, we can have stronger physical qualities and control more powerful forces."


    "On the other hand, we use this power to produce more efficient tools. For example, our elevator doesn''t use ''electricity,'' nor does it need the pulley tools and ropes you use. All we need is the magic of levitation, whiches from the fundamental power of wind..."


    "I understand. Asgardians have a higher life level than science and technology, so you can use more advanced energy to nourish your own technology, right?" Stark looked at Loki and asked.


    Loki nodded. He found it really effortless to talk to intelligent people like Stark, so he continued to exin, "And now, humanity''s science and technology power serves life level. Your bodies are too weak, so you need to develop medical technology to extend your lifespan, and your power is too weak, so you need to use various engineering machinery to manufacture buildings..."


    "Wait, is there a possibility that because humanity relies too much on tools, it has resulted in our physical strength evolving slowly?" Stark turned around and sat behind theb table and said, "No, at least in my opinion, the slow evolution of your physical strength may also be rted to the environment of Earth. As far as I know, even in the boundless universe, Earth''s habitability is among the best."


    "So, are we all buds in a greenhouse?" Nick shrugged.


    "But aren''t the Nordic gods also from Earth?" Strange raised an objection.


    "Well... this involves a veryplex history of mysticism. Even I don''t fully understand the truth. I''m afraid only All-Father knows..."


    "Okay, let''s get back to the topic." Nick reminded, "You haven''t finished talking about the Kree."


    "There is a popr saying in the universe that if you see someone with blue skin, you know they are a member of a powerful empire because, in addition to the Kree, there is another race called the Skrulls who are also strong and have blue skin."


    "But at the same time, we also hate those blue-skinned people. We call all the races with blue skin in the universe ''universe locusts'' because they are really annoying."


    "They wander around the universe, disrespect local cultures, and start wars at the slightest provocation. After they have destroyed everything, they don''t clean up after themselves. When our fleet goes over, we have to clear the way on the spot..." Loki''s tone was very impatient, obviously with some unpleasant memories.


    "Of course, in the eyes of Asgardians and other powerful empires, they are just a bit annoying. But for civilizations that are a little more backward, their annoying behavior is a disaster."


    "We''ll talk about their historyter. Now, let''s talk about what they can bring us in terms of interest."


    "Hmm..." Loki pondered for a moment and said, "If Earth had the strength of Asgard now, you couldpletely swallow this injured and stranded fleet. But now you are too far behind, and I think it will be difficult..."


    "Do the Asgardians have no interest in them?"


    Loki shook his head and said, "As I said before, Asgard is a civilization with a life level higher than science and technology, but the Kree are the opposite. They are more like Humanity, and their level of science and technology is higher than their life level."


    "So, the technologies they are best at are not very useful to Asgard."


    "I''ll give you an example. They are very good at extracting energy. There is an energy production device in the center of their capital star system, which was transformed from a supermassive ck hole. If I had topare it to something, it would be like wind turbines for your Humanity, just many timesrger."


    "Just this one device can supply the energy needs of their entire civilization."


    "How about cleanliness?"


    "Completely pollution-free,pletely controble, no danger at all. Everything is fully automated and sustainable."


    "Unimaginable," Nickmented.


    "Indeed, for Humanity, it may seem unattainable to develop to this level, but it is actually a standard for an imperial civilization in the universe. Any civilization that can have a say in interster society has infinite energy as a standard."


    "Like the Rainbow Bridge, although it may overheat, the energy is infinite, and no matter who is the master of Asgard, it will continue forever."


    Stark said, "Can we try to get some of their technology?"


    Nick turned his head to look at him, and Stark said seriously, "Among the major challenges facing Humanity''s development, besides energy, is materials science, which is very important to us."


    "Oh, yes, the Kree are also very strong in materials science. They can transforms into warships. There''s not much else to exin, is there?"


    Nick pondered for a moment, and everyone looked at him. After all, he was the leader of the official forces and, to some extent, could represent the entire Humanity civilization.


    He looked at Loki and asked him, "Aren''t you Asgardians going to get involved in this?"


    "Can you see that we have the time to get involved?" Loki said helplessly.


    "Why don''t you have the time to get involved? Whose fault is that?" Strange nced at Loki.


    Nick ignored the two of them and turned his head to look at Stark. "Your statest time..."


    "Forget it, it''s not that easy," Schiller interrupted Nick''s next words.


    Of course, he knew that Nick wanted Stark to be a demonic deity again, but he exined, "Enough energy can indeed push Stark to a higher level, but if he cannot fully ept this state and solidify it into eternity, then he will not be able to achieve maximum output. Otherwise, he would not have just created a mechanical armyst time."


    "Another issue is that even if he really incarnates as a universedemonic deity, do you n to let them fight directly in the Milky Way Gxy? Are you sure that won''t affect Earth?"


    Nick thought about it and felt that Schiller had a point. Schiller continued, "If we use this method, perhaps we can win, but we are actually overdrawing the possibility of future development."


    "Once Stark solidifies into a demonic deity, he must go and establish and build his own dimension, and it is impossible for him to return to Earth in a short time. And once they start fighting in the Milky Way Gxy, it may destroy many resources that we may need in the future."


    "If the Kree are already invading with arge army, then we have no choice but to overdraft the future to save the present. But now, there is only one Kree fleet wandering nearby in the Milky Way Gxy..."


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 Chapter 331: S:Glorious Big Event (XI)

    Chapter 331: S:Glorious Big Event (XI)


    "I actually agree. We shouldn''t cause too muchmotion. I understand this well. If the situation gets out of control, we might not even need outsiders to attack us. We will fall apart on our own."


    "If the cost is so high, then I''d rather not do it," Nick thought for a moment and said. He was quite cautious, after all, he was the leader of SHIELD.


    Although Nick could be ruthless and cunning, when it came to preserving humanity''s safety, he was quite righteous. In other words, even if he was a viin, as long as he still wanted to live on Earth, their interests were aligned.


    Schiller tapped the table to get everyone''s attention. He said, "Don''t you think it''s strange? Their fleet has already lost many frigates, but they still haven''t left. Why is that?"


    "That''s true," Loki thought for a moment and said, "If I remember correctly, their Sanctuary spaceship should have a very advanced interster jump system. If they want to leave, they should be able to do so quickly."


    At that moment, Peter''s voice came through Stark''s mobile phone. "We just saw the rear of that big spaceship emitting a blue smoke. It seems that their engine is overheating."


    "Engines don''t emit blue smoke," Loki said with great certainty.


    "It''s very likely that their engine is broken," Stark proposed an idea. He picked up his phone and asked Peter, "You said before that this fleet should have 72 frigates at full capacity?"


    "Blue Spirit said so, what''s wrong?""How many frigates are left now?"


    Peter, who was hiding behind the asteroid belt, looked at the group ofrge spaceships. He said to the person next to him, "Quick, help me count how many frigates they have left."


    After the group finished counting and double-checked the data, Peter said, "There are only 23 left..."


    "It looks like what I thought," Stark stood up. He took a few pens from the pen holder and ced the longer one in the middle, saying, "This is equivalent to their main ship, the Sanctuary."


    "These pens represent the frigates. How do you think the frigates should be arranged to protect the spaceship to the maximum extent?"


    "If it were me, I would focus on protecting the important parts... Oh, I understand now. Their frigates suffered such heavy losses, most likely because their engines were attacked."


    "Their frigates were protecting the most important engine part, and when the impact came, most of the frigates didn''t run away, which is why they suffered such severe losses. If they were distributed evenly, they wouldn''t have lost more than half."


    "That''s right. Combined with what they just said about the engine emitting blue smoke, I suspect that these frigates did notpletely protect their engine, and their engine is likely damaged and temporarily unable to jump."


    Nick shook his head and said, "We don''t have enough intelligence. All of this is just our spection. If we don''t have concrete evidence..."


    Peter''s voice came through the microphone, "I just talked to them. We n to go to those spaceships and take a look."


    "That''s too risky," Stark immediately stopped him.


    "You''re not adults yet, and you want to run into an alien spaceship? No, you all need to withdraw first. We''ll make aplete n, and if we need to go, we will go..."


    At this point, Blue Spirit took the phone from Peter and said, "Hello, I am Universe Agent Symbiote Blue Spirit. Although our host is underage in Humanity, our symbiotes are experienced universe travelers."


    "Many of my former hosts were totem spirits in the Andromeda Commonwealth Civilization. Therefore, I inherited some magic abilities from them and can generate an invisible stance, which ensures that we can infiltrate most universe spaceships."


    "Because symbiotes cannot move freely after they detach from their host, and there are all sorts of idents in the universe, which may lead to the death of our host. At this time, we will use this ability to sneak into other races'' universe spaceships as a ride. We are very proficient at this."


    "But this is different. You want to enter an enemy''s spaceship. Once captured, the consequences will be unimaginable..."


    Blue Spirit hesitated for a moment, but at this time, Venom became very impatient and said, "Listen to me, I have a n."


    "This is not something that any n can deal with..."


    "I have twelve backup ns."


    Venom continued, "You overlooked one issue. There must be Kree on this spaceship, and it must be Kree who is controlling these spaceships."


    "So what?"


    "As long as there is intelligent life, there will be weaknesses in management. Just like on a Humanity cruise ship, it''s impossible for every employee in every department to know each other. Therger the spaceship, the more departments and staff there are, the easier it is to sneak in."


    "Just now I saw a frigate located at the tail of the team fly under therge spaceship. It disappeared for a while, then reappeared."


    "I suspect there is an entrance for the frigate to receive supplies. Let''s first try to contact those small frigates, and then see if we can follow them into therge spaceship."


    After hearing this n, Stark was still worried, but Loki spoke up. He said, "Actually, the universe agents are very strong, especially the oldest one among them. He is a symbiote created by Knull himself, the second generation of life in the universe, with a high level of hierarchy."


    Stark hesitated for a long time, and said, "Okay, but you guys must promise me not to go after Kree. We just want to gather some intelligence. Once there is trouble, make sure to prioritize your own safety."


    "Got it, wait for our good news!" Peter said, and then hung up the phone.


    At this time, Schiller''s mobile phone rang. He took a nce at the others, then turned and left theboratory. The others squinted and looked at him with suspicion.


    After a while, Schiller came back. He put down his mobile phone and before the others could ask, he said, "Okay, let''s discuss how we can swallow these spaceships if the situation is as we expected."


    "Kree''s civilization is quite advanced, and their leader is an intelligent life form, almost omniscient in the field of intelligence. So don''t expect to seize control or anything like that..."


    Loki hesitated for a moment and seemed unsure of how to express herself. She said, "I advise you not to target the Temple-ss spaceships. First, it''s very dangerous. Second, even if you get one, you may not be able to crack it."


    Loki saw Stark''s eye contact and continued, "I''m not saying you''re not smart enough, but the difference in industrial foundation is too great. Even you, even the advanced equipment in yourboratory, may not be able to unscrew a screw on their spaceship."


    "Moreover, they don''t even have screws on their spaceships. Kree''s casting technology is very unique, and their buildings and weapons arepletely integrated, without the need for splicing. Their entire spaceship is aplete model with no seams. Even if you get one, you can''t take it apart."


    "How do you understand this so well?" Strange looked at her suspiciously.


    Loki sighed and said, "So far, Kree has three Temple-ss spaceships: Temple No. 2, Temple No. 3, and Temple No. 4..."


    "What about No.1?"


    "No.1 was the earliest Temple-ss spaceship to be cast. At that time, their technology was not too sophisticated, but they were able toplete such a huge spaceship, which greatly boosted the morale of their entire nation. So, they drove theirrge spaceship around, showing off, until they met All-Father..."


    "At the time, we were not fighting against Kree, but a fleet suddenly appeared nearby on the battlefield, which would make anyone alert. All-Father''s reaction was very quick. He simply cast a lightning bolt, and Kree''s Temple No.1 retreated at light speed."


    "All-Fatherpletely destroyed their entire spaceship, but I had never seen such arge spaceship before, so I left the team and flew to the wreckage of that spaceship nearby, that''s why I understand this so well."


    "So, does this mean that Kree is not as strong as you Asgardians?"


    "It''s difficult topare. Asgard is a ssical military state, and our leader is just too powerful. However, the strength of the Cree lies more in their civilization and army numbers. After all, even if the All-Father wants to destroy their spaceship, it will take some effort."


    "Even if we can''t destroy it, as long as we can use it, isn''t that enough?" Nick suggested.


    Loki shook his head and said, "Aside from the fact that the Supreme Intelligence won''t let you gain control, if they are pushed to a dead end, they willmand the spaceship to self-destruct. More importantly, where will you get the energy to drive such arge spaceship?"


    Loki seemed afraid that they didn''t understand, so she snapped her fingers and said, "Can you move your homeworld Earth right now?"


    "If you can''t, then you can''t drive a star warship. The so-called star warship is actually a, and the energy required to drive it is the same as driving a."


    Nick clicked his tongue. A huge opportunity was right in front of him, but he couldn''t take advantage of it. It made him very upset.


    But Stark seemed to be more epting of this fact, because he was more professional and understood that the development of civilization is not achieved overnight. Improvement in all aspects is needed to build up, and it''s impossible to be prosperous overnight.


    "However, those frigates should be useful to you," Loki said as she thought, "As far as I know, because they have been too focused on building the star warship, the frigates have not been updated for a long time. Except for the leading few advanced frigates, the other normal frigates are equivalent to the universespaceship in your Humanitynguage. The engines and hull structures are quite good."


    At this point, Schiller, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up. He said, "We need frigates, but we can''t leave their star warship."


    Schiller, who knew the plot, was clearer than the others. The Cree has always wanted to invade Earth, and he didn''t believe that they were just affected by the aftermath of the fight between the demonic deities.


    These blue-skinned aliens must have been squatting nearby the Milky Way Gxy for a long time. How could it be so coincidental that the aftermath of the fight between the demonic deities could damage their engine? It must be because they were too close.


    "The Sanctuary spaceship''s defense is very high, and it''s difficult to destroy. When the All-Father was at the height of his power and held Gungnir, the first Sanctuary spaceship was not as sturdy aster Sanctuary spaceships, which is why it was easily destroyed."


    "Do you know what Humanity is best at?" Schiller asked Loki.


    "What?"


    "Explosions."


    "Are you talking about nuclear bombs?"


    Loki shook her head and said, "The Cree civilization also developed slowly, and their control over radiation and nuclear fission is not weaker than Humanity. They understood this power thousands of years ago. Humanity''s nuclear bombs are probably not enough to destroy their spaceship."


    "Humanity''s expertise in explosions is not just nuclear bombs. More importantly, we have always held a belief."


    "What belief?"


    "The yield is the fundamental method to deal with any problem. If it can''t be dealt with, it''s because the yield is not enough."


    __________


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 Chapter 332: S:Glorious Big Event (XII)

    Chapter 332: S:Glorious Big Event (XII)


    "Hello? Mr. Stark? The n is going smoothly. We''ve already sneaked in. This spaceship is huge, so there are many areas without people. It seems that their surveince devices can''t detect our invisibility stance. We are heading towards their engine."


    "We''ve arrived. Oh my, something is definitely wrong here. I can tell without even going in... What is this? Residual energy?"


    Apanied by Peter''s amazed voice, Stark could also tell that the Kree spaceship was probably in bad shape. Blue Spirit''s voice came from a distance, "Their engine seems to be disrupted by an unknown force, causing energy pulses to explode during transmission. Since it''s an internal explosion, the external damage doesn''t look severe, but in reality, it''spletely incapable of making a jump."


    Peter heard Schiller''s voice on the telephone, "Which direction is their spaceship heading now? Is it towards the Stars?"


    "How did you know?" Peter asked, a little surprised. Before Schiller could answer, Blue Spirit spoke first, "They will definitely head towards the Stars because they need arge amount of energy to repair the engine, and the easiest ce to extract energy is from the Stars in this star system."


    "Can we obtain data on the Stars?"


    "I need to check my gic catalog. Let me see... This ce is too remote, and the records are too scarce. However, what I can confirm is that the Stars here are a giant one and are nearing their old age."


    "Alright, thank you. Let me exin the next part of the n."


    "First, I hope you can create somemotion in a location far from the Stars to attract the Kree fleet''s frigates. We don''t need too many, ten should be enough, preferably of different types.""Attract the frigates? Okay, and then what?" Peter asked.


    "We will send someone to detonate the Stars."


    Schiller''s tone was calm, but the others in the room were frozen. Strange said, "Are you crazy?! You want to detonate a sun???"


    "I said, if we can''t deal with the problem, if the yield of a nuclear bomb is not enough to deal with the Kree star warship, then the yield of a sun should be sufficient, right?"


    "But..." Nick rubbed his forehead, as if making a prayer gesture, and asked, "Okay, let''s not even talk about how insane this idea is... How do we detonate the Stars?"


    "We can''t do it ourselves, but someone can."


    "Who?"


    "Mutant."


    Xavier''s genius mutant school was a boarding school housed in an English manor. In the 1960s, it was located in the UK but moved to the US in the 21st century, still retaining a strong British atmosphere.


    The residential density here was low, with pleasant scenery, but it was quite remote and far from modern society.


    Today, outside the castle-like door of the school, an unexpected group of visitors arrived.


    With a ck cape fluttering in the wind, a pair of ck boots touched the ground, raising small dust particles. A pair of hands held the helmet, and an aged face appeared beneath it, with cold and profound eyes...


    Charles sat in a wheelchair and pushed open the school''s door. He squinted and said, "Long time no see, Mao."


    Mao raised his head, extended a hand, and lightly brushed off the dust on his back. He was followed by several members of the Brotherhood of Mutants, all dressed in ck, except for two exceptions. One was Mystique with blue skin, and the other was Northstar with green hair.


    Northstar''s expression was almost identical to her father''s. When


    Charles saw her, he seemed very surprised. He didn''t expect Mao to bring her daughter along.


    When Charles walked out, members of Xavier''s genius mutant school also joined him. As the two groups approached, their auras shed intensely.


    Northstar, with a cold and proud face, was the first to reach out her hand. With a loud "bang," Colossus was sent flying. Cyclops fired aser, but Northstar evaded it by stepping back.


    With a swift movement, a man withrge wings flew into the air and swooped down. Mao''s expression remained unchanged as he extended a hand and lightly flicked his fingertip. Angel was mmed to the ground.


    "Northstar! Stop!" Iceman stepped forward and said, pressing his hand downward. Layers of ice spread across the ground. Charles''s gaze was intense as he whispered, "...Don''t resist me."


    After North Star finished attacking Colossus, she floated up again and charged towards Cyclops. After flying into the air, she performed a magnificent somersault to dodge thesers. Afternding, she swung Colossus and mmed into Cyclops. Storm, who was standing next to Cyclops, immediately grew angry. At this moment, a woman in ck walked out from the school gate and said, "Everyone, stop."


    By now, the area near the school gate was in chaos. Most of the mutants were flying in the air. With the deep voice of Piano Gray, everyone involuntarily paused for a moment and reluctantly stopped.


    Charles let out a sigh and nced at the equally aged face of Mao. He said, "We are here today to discuss important matters."


    Mao extended his hand and adjusted the cape on the other side of his body. Ignoring Charles, he walked briskly into the school, and the members of the Mutant Brotherhood pushed aside the students and teachers blocking the way, following Mao into the school as if they were the masters.


    Charles watched his departing figure without saying anything. He slowly turned his wheelchair and also entered the school.


    When they met, the others stood guard in various parts of the school, leaving only Professor X and Mao, the old adversaries, who entered the meeting room. Mao took the main seat, gripping the armrests of the chair. He didn''t look at Charles but gazed straight ahead and said, "You better have a valid reason for this."


    "Of course, you will be very interested in this matter. It all started with an intriguing professor..."


    Meanwhile, in theboratory of Stark Tower, everyone else had left, leaving only Schiller and Stark. Stark crossed his arms, looking puzzled as he turned to Schiller and asked, "Are you saying that mutants with the ability to detonate stars cannot survive in the universe?"


    "You find it absurd, right? I also find it absurd, but that''s the reality. They cannot survive in a vacuum, or at least not for long. Even if they manage to survive, it requires a significant amount of energy."...


    Schiller sat down next to theb table and said, "So, I hope you can create a base that can exist in the universe, with the basic conditions to sustain humanity. It would be best if it can withstand high temperatures since it will be close to the stars."


    "That''s not a problem. It''s quite simple for me. The only issue is that this cannot be produced within Stark Tower. I need a ce with arge assembly line and sufficient raw materials and energy..." Stark said without hesitation.


    For him, this was indeed not difficult. After his moment of realization, he finally stopped obsessing over individual Mech armors and invested points in explosive mechs and rapid construction. Therefore, building a universe base was not difficult for him.


    Although the technology aspect was not difficult, they were still limited by production conditions and raw materials.


    Schiller said quite casually, "Then let''s go to outer space. Don''t forget, we now have a group of humanoid portals that can reach any corner of the sr system."


    "If you''re not satisfied with any in the sr system, we can broaden our horizons. After all, magic is so miraculous, isn''t it?"


    Stark''s genius brain started to rapidly spin. In the end, he said, "No, I think it''s more reliable to build the base within the sr system."


    "Which do you have in mind?"


    "Mercury." Stark answered without hesitation.


    "Why? Mercury is closest to the sun and not suitable for habitation."


    "We''re not colonizing, we''re not establishing humanity''s second home there. We''re building a production and experimental facility. Habitability is the least important condition."


    "I''m not moving there to live, so what does it matter to me whether it''s habitable or not? As long as Earth is habitable, that''s all that matters," he said.


    Schiller nodded, thinking that he had a point. Then Stark said, "I didn''t mention it earlier when Nick was here, but I''ve already developed a prototype for extracting sr energy from the system. Although it''s not perfected yet, the extraction efficiency is low and the conversion rate is not high, but I''m confident that I can gradually improve it within a year or even a few months..."


    Schiller raised his eyebrows, surprised at how quickly Stark had progressed. But then again, it was normal. He had already stood at the highest level of the universe and looked down, so what was there that he didn''t understand?


    People like Stark, as long as they have a clear idea, their intelligence is boundless.


    "So, you want to choose Mercury because it''s closest to the sun?"


    "Correct, and it seems like your astronomy knowledge isn''t that great. Mercury may not be habitable, but don''t you know that the North and South Poles of Mercury have always been a popr choice for immigration within the sr system?"


    "Mercury has arge temperature difference between day and night, but the temperature at the North and South Poles is very constant, about minus 200 degrees, and the special inclination angle and geographical environment can ovee the problem of rapid heat loss."


    "To put it this way, with my current technology, as long as the raw materials are sufficient, it is not difficult to build a colony that can amodate tens of thousands of people in the circr mountainous area of the North and South Poles on Mercury," Stark said casually.


    "In addition, Mercury''s global maic field is also a good condition. Today, Loki''s description of the star warship gave me a new idea. Perhaps we canpletely transform Mercury. Even if we can''t turn it into a battleship, it can still serve as the closest energy supply base to the sun."


    "Once the''s structure ispletely redone, taking advantage of its high speed rotation and global maic field, it may be possible to transform it into an extremely efficient energy core."


    "And Venus, which is second closest to the sun, can be used as a factory and production base, then linked with Mars to create habitable colonies. Jupiter and Saturn can be used as resource bases, while Neptune and Pluto, which are further away, can serve as docking ports for future universe battleships and sr system starports..."


    Stark spoke quickly, clearly having had this idea for a while. He continued, "Originally, I was nning to wait until I had deeper contact with Asgard and KarmaTaj before finding a chance to persuade Nick to cooperate with me on sr energy experiments on Mercury."


    "I just didn''t expect this opportunity toe so soon."


    "Or is it..." Stark looked up at Schiller, his tone affirmative.


    "...all part of your n?"


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 Chapter 333: S:Glorious Big Event (XIII)

    Chapter 333: S:Glorious Big Event (XIII)


    In the underground base of SHIELD, a man with brown hair and green eyes walked up to Schiller and shook his hand, saying, "Long time no see, Schiller. Since you left the University of California, I haven''t heard from you. I didn''t expect us to meet here."


    "It has been a long time indeed. After I transferred to Harvard, I thought you would leave the University of California soon, but you ended up staying for so long. How have you been, Bruce?" Schiller smiled and shook Bruce Banner''s hand.


    Schiller used to teach at the University of California in his Marvel identity, and he and Banner were colleagues at the time. However, Schiller left after a short time, while Bruce Banner is still a professor at the University of California.


    "Not bad, but ever since you left, I''ve had to pay for my therapy sessions," Banner joked and pushed his sses up.


    Stark was also in the room, but he was busy with his own tasks, and Schiller and Banner acted as if he didn''t exist.


    When Schiller stepped aside and let Banner enter theboratory, Banner nced at Stark with his eyes and rolled them slightly before turning to theb table.


    Schiller walked up to him and looked back at Stark, asking, "Do you two have a bad rtionship?"


    "You should be asking who has a good rtionship with Stark. At thest global forum, he talked relentlessly for three and a half hours and belittled all existing theories of physics... "Banner pushed his sses up again, speaking loud enough for Stark to hear.


    Stark made a short snort through his nose and walked out of theboratory with a stack of materials. Banner, however, looked puzzled and watched Stark''s back as he said, "What''s wrong with him? In the past, he would havee up to me and argued for hours.""People grow up," Schiller shrugged. He then asked, "Did SHIELD bring you here? Who else did they bring?"


    "For now, I''m the only one. They had contacted Reed Richards, but his third phase of near-earth research has not beenpleted yet, and his ship is still in orbit. He probably won''t be back for at least another half month."


    Banner nced at Schiller and asked him, "You were the first one of us to arrive. Do you know any insider information? SHIELD is making a big move this time, and it seems like they want to bring in physicists from all over the world..."


    "I didn''t arrive earlier than you. I''m now a psychological consultant for SHIELD, and all I can tell you is that this is indeed a big move. If I''m not mistaken, someone is currently giving a speech at the World Security Council..."


    "In summary, the fact that humanity is not alone in the universe has been confirmed. However, unfortunately, what awaits us next is not friendly third-party contact, but an alien race with highly advanced science and technology that is beyond human imagination, and their intentions are unknown..."


    Steve stood on the podium in the center of the semi-circr seating of the Security Council. As he spoke, a picture of the Kreestar warship taken by Eddie appeared behind him.


    Eddie was a well-known journalist, and his basic skills were impable. The picture he took was excellent, showing an unparalleled giant star warship in the vast universe with a faint glow in the center and the top of the picture. At the bottom of the picture were the universe agents who appeared very small. On both sides of the picture, there were countless frigates...


    Although it was unclear how Eddie managed to capture a photo filled with the remnants of Kree frigates, it was clear that this fleet did not look like a defeated army that had just escaped from a battle, lost most of its frigates, and couldn''t even return home. Instead, it looked like a magnificent army that was about to invade other civilizations and was eager to do so.


    Steve also looked back at the picture and silently praised Eddie''s professional level in his heart. He continued to speak in a calm tone, "This is a highly developed civilization that is unimaginable for humanity. Next, I will introduce the Kree and their star warship to everyone..."


    Nick sat in the audience and saw that as Steve spoke, the council members'' faces became increasingly solemn, even turning somewhat pale. Even Pierce, who usually managed his emotions well and didn''t show his feelings, had a very serious expression, almost writing shock on his face.


    As Steve just said, the World Security Council has long known of the existence of aliens and has some understanding of Asgard, but their imagination of aliens is still rtively limited. After all, for so many years, humanity has been closed off and has no intuitive understanding of how far extraterrestrial science and technology can develop. But now, the evidence is in front of them.


    How developed is the civilization that can turn a the size of Earth into a star warship?


    Before seeing the real evidence, the council members may have thought that aliens were simr to humans, just from a different. However, the Kree''s appearance shattered this illusion. Their technology and power are far beyond anything humanity has ever seen or imagined.


    As Steve continued his presentation, Nick couldn''t help but think about what this meant for SHIELD and the world. The Kree''s intentions are unknown, and they may pose a significant threat to humanity. It was clear that SHIELD''s role in protecting the world had just be much more critical.


    Nick made a mental note to convene a meeting with his top agents and scientists to discuss strategies for dealing with the Kree threat. This was a new era for humanity, and SHIELD had to be at the forefront of the fight to protect the.


    ording to the script, he spoke for over two hours. Even Steve felt a bit dry-mouthed and dizzy. He didn''t really understand the professional terms summarized by Stark, so most of the time he just memorized and repeated them. He also had to deal with all kinds of strange questions from the audience below. If he hadn''t received professional training, he would have copsed by now.


    As he walked from the podium to the backstage, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had wanted to find Nick, but he saw that Nick was talking to a ck-haired man in uniform. Steve knew him; he was Zheng Xian, the director of the Spear Bureau. Every time he came to the Security Council for a meeting, Nick would always be with him.


    Steve could guess what they were talking about, so he didn''t n to walk over and join the conversation. Instead, he walked alone through the backstage. At this moment, Pierce, whose temples were turning white, stopped him. He approached Steve and shook his hand, saying, "Long time no see, Captain America. How have you been?"


    "Okay, just a bit busy," Steve replied.


    "Really? Busy with something about the alien invasion?" Pierce asked.


    "No, actually it''s about Nick''s Superhero team n. Although we''ve found a lot of people, we don''t even have a decent base, so I still have to run around looking for a ce," Steve exined.


    "In addition, logistics supply is also a problem. If we rely solely on SHIELD, Nick will worry about the budget for the next quarter again."


    Pierce was very familiar with this tone, so he immediately grasped Steve''s hand and said, "Superhero team n? I actually really like this n. When Nick first proposed the initial idea to me, I said I would strongly support him."


    "Captain, are you freeter? I''ve arranged for a few Congress members to y golf together with their families. They are all your fans, and they would be thrilled to meet you in person," Pierce added.


    "Oh,e on, Chief Alexander. We all rely on these Heroes behind the scenes..." Steve said.


    "They will be very happy to talk to you about this topic. Nick should still be waiting for a while, so let''s go first," Pierce interrupted.


    Pierce and Steve walked quickly through the backstage, leaving Nick and Zheng Xian sitting at the coffee table by the window. As they walked further away, Nick picked up his cup and said, "...Then let''s go with what we just agreed on. As for the surface matters, we still have to wait for official negotiations."


    Zheng Xian raised his cup and clinked it with Nick''s, saying, "So be it. If there are any changes during official discussions, we will contact you at any time."


    Saying that, he got up and left. Nick took out his mobile phone and called Strange, asking, "How are the sorcerers arranged? How many people can we mobilize? Our scientists have basically gathered and are ready to start working at any time..."


    "Listen to me, there has been a change in the n." On the staircase in front of the Karma Taj grand hall, Strange was walking down while holding a telephone and said, "Originally, we nned to gather 20 sorcerers to open individual portals. But just now, Wong told me that the great sorcerers of Karma Taj have developed arge-scale portal..."


    "Arge-scale portal? How big is it?"


    "At the moment, if webine the power of all the sorcerers at Karma Taj, along with the power of Earth Magic''s defense system, it can open a portal slightlyrger than the Moon."


    "That big?!" Nick eximed in surprise.


    "Correct, I was also surprised. But Karma Taj is, after all, the sacrednd of Earth''s magic. The individuals who be great sorcerers here are knowledgeable schrs. They are not inferior to humanity''s scientists in any way, except that their research is focused on magic."


    Strange sighed and said, "But we need to start with the Sanctum Sanctorum..."


    Originally, Karma Taj, as an ancient magical sanctuary, had not changed its magical techniques for thousands of years. It was the most practical and stable method of controlling magic discovered by generations of sorcerers, and it was sufficient to protect Earth.


    However, recently, the times have been progressing too quickly. First, there was the change in the position of the Sorcerer Supreme. The Ancient One now rarely returns to Karma Taj, and most of the affairs are overseen by Strange.


    Although they saw potential in Strange, his current level of magic is notmendable. Without the protection of the powerful Ancient One, these great sorcerers also felt a sense of crisis...


    Furthermore, with the development of the Sanctum Sanctorum, the number of clients has increased, and the business has expanded. The sorcerers are almost rubbing portals to the point of creating Mars.


    With the help of the Temple Guardian and the magical rings, opening portals became easier. But for other sorcerers, it became more challenging. Yet, the daily workload remained significant, and Karma Taj transformed overnight from a magical sanctuary into a ce where the sorcerers were exhausted.


    Demand always drives the progress of productivity. During the opening period of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Magic Portals have undergone several generations of updates, bing more energy-efficient and stable.


    However, individual portals are not as useful as fixedrge-scale portals. So the great sorcerers of Karma Taj worked overtime to research arge-scale portal that could be fixed in the universe.


    Originally, sorcerers had to be extremely cautious when using their powers because Marvel Magic is essentially borrowing and lending. If they borrow too much and can''t repay, it will cause major troubles.


    But due to the previous incident involving Knull, the Ancient One treated all the sorcerers of Karma Taj to a feast, leaving them not only well-fed but also with a surplus of energy stored in the central hub of Karma Taj. The sorcerers used this energy to research better magical techniques, and the results were outstanding.


    In addition to having sufficient power, they also received technical support from demonic deities. If there were issues with energy utilization, they would directly call Mephisto on the telephone. If the stability of the space was insufficient, they would call Mordo and ask Dormammu. If the teleportation process was unstable and prone to freezing, they would ask Cyttorak while holding a deep red ribbon...


    While Stark was climbing the tree of science and technology, Karma Taj was busy enhancing its magical skills, and both sides were progressing at a fast pace, even showing a hint ofpetition.


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 Chapter 334: S:Glorious Big Event (XIV)

    Chapter 334: S:Glorious Big Event (XIV)


    "What? KarmaTaj has created arge portal? How big is it? Can it reach the size of the Moon? Alright, I understand, just wait for it."


    Stark hung up the telephone and said angrily, "These sorcerers must have taken the lead. They managed to deal with the transportation of supplies first, making it seem like I''m too slow in my research."


    Banner continued writing materials calmly, which irritated Stark. He said, "This is apetition, you know? We can''t lose to those magic practitioners! I have to prove to them that mechanical science and technology is the best way out for humanity!"


    Banner yawned and said, "I''ve already finished the part on the versatility and utilization ns for vibranium materials. The data analysis report for 69 avable alloys is there. The issue of utilizing the global maic field of Mercury has been transmitted. Only the final part remains, which is the geological exploration report of the crater and the subject of structural reorganization..."


    "Stark, you have time toin. Can you please finish your part on the exploration robots quickly? We''re all waiting for you..."


    Someone next to them nudged Banner''s arm and whispered, "Don''t put too much pressure on him. After all, everyone has their limits..."


    Suddenly, the Mech armor flew in through the window with a swoosh and crashed through the ss with a tter, arming Stark in an instant.


    Stark pulled down his face mask and said to JARVIS, "Maximize the power of the life support device! I don''t want to waste a single second dealing with physiological needs!"


    "Limits? Stark was born to redefine limits!"As he turned around, he gestured with his middle finger towards the two sitting at theb table.


    Banner watched him leave and hesitated, saying, "Is it too much to push him like this? What if he really workste and dies suddenly?"


    "Forget about him. How do you feel? Is the medication working?"


    Banner turned his head back and sighed, saying, "I''ve been following the medical advice and taking the medication for some time beforeing here, but the effect is not significant."


    "Hulk is immune to all sedatives. The moment I take the pill, hees out, and there''s no dulling of his senses."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Your situation is indeed troublesome. Gamma rays have enhanced your physicality, but the one who can control that power is your alter ego."


    Banner sighed, clearly troubled by this for a long time. Schiller continued, "Last night, I reviewed your medical records and psychological counseling reports. Now I have some inspiration."


    "Is it the new therapy you mentioned before?"


    "Correct. I also brought in an expert who is very skilled in this field. If you''re willing, we can have a consultation tonight. Even if we can''t fundamentally solve the problem, perhaps we can improve your condition."


    "That would be great." Banner took off his sses, rubbed his eyes, and said, "I really hope to end this miserable life as soon as possible. It''s like he''s an lingering devil. Wherever I go, I have to constantly worry about the damage he might cause..."


    "Because you''re a good person, that''s why you carry this psychological burden. Don''t worry, even if we can''t address the problem on a psychological level, we can deal with it on a physical level."


    "A physical level? What do you mean?"


    "In fact, it''s not Hulk that troubles you, but the destruction caused by Hulk, right?"


    "Correct. I know that Hulk is one of my alter egos, and I''ve mentioned it during therapy..."


    "Alright, I know, you don''t have to repeat it. Hulk is a product of your childhood trauma. You''ve moved on, but he hasn''t. So it''s normal for you to have sympathy for him."


    "I know it''s somewhat irresponsible. He is so good at destruction, but I don''t want to eliminate him because he has taken on those childhood shadows for me."


    "However, I have always lived in fear of the harm he can cause to others, just like you said. I don''t hate him, I hate the destruction he brings."


    "Before, I showed you that there is magic in this world, right?"


    Banner looked at Schiller and said, "I was actually surprised that you are a magician, but it makes sense. No normal psychologist would continue to provide me with psychological treatment after knowing that there is a monster inside me."


    "When you transform into the Hulk, it takes a few seconds, right? Actually, as long as you have a mage with you who can teleport you to a remote, uninhabited corner of the Milky Way Gxy during your transformation, it could be anywhere as long as it''s unpopted. Then, when Hulk''s rage subsides, they can teleport you back."


    Banner raised an eyebrow, as he hadn''t thought of this method. He rubbed his chin and said, "It does seem feasible. Although Hulk has tremendous destructive power when angry, it doesn''tst too long."


    "You should know better than me how vast the universe is and how many uninhabited ces there are. As long as we can use this method to avoid the destruction caused by Hulk, alleviate your guilt, stabilize your mental state, and thenplement it with long-term treatment, there might be a chance topletely deal with the problem."


    Banner nodded and asked, "Does the treatment start tonight?"


    His tone was noticeably more lively than before, and he questioned with some confusion, "Why at night? I''ve already finished most of my work. Can''t we start now?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Noon is not the best time for drinking."


    "Drinking?... What kind of drink?"


    The light outside the window began to gradually dim, transitioning from a somewhat dazzling white light to a warm-colored sunset. Schiller walked to the window of the Arkham Sanatorium office and drew the curtains. Banner sat on the sofa, looking at the ss of alcohol in front of him. He felt a bit dizzy just from the smell.


    "Oh my, what kind of drink is this? I already feel..."


    He shook his head forcefully, ced his hand on his sses, and before he could push them up, he felt a sh of white light before his eyes, followed by a hazy darkness.


    Banner felt himself falling in the darkness. As the descent elerated, the sound of wind whistled in his ears. After another sh of light, Banner sat up from the sofa. He turned his head to find Schiller''s figure but saw an old bald man sitting across from him instead.


    Schiller straightened up, took away the ss in front of him, and introduced him to Charles, saying, "This is a patient I mentioned to you before, he has significant issues..."


    Then he turned to Banner and said, "Right now, we are inside your consciousness, in other words, in your dream. Simply put, the drink you had just now can induce dreams."


    "In the dream?" Banner asked in confusion, "How is that possible? Isn''t this reality? Why does it feel so real?"


    "Real? Are you sure you have seven fingers?"


    Upon hearing this, Banner looked down and saw that indeed, he had seven fingers on his hand, but he didn''t feel anything out of the ordinary.


    "This..."


    In general, Bruce Banner was still an ordinary person, even though he had exceptional intelligence. His worldview remained within the scope of an ordinary person. He touched his shoulder and chest, feeling an incredibly realistic sensation. Then he looked up at Schiller and asked, "Is this what you called a new therapy? It seems to belong more to the realm of mysticism than psychology."


    "No, everything here is rigorous and logical. You have to trust me; I am not an inept doctor."


    Charles spoke up, "Can you grant me ess to a part of your memories? I need to find a focus before I can contemte how to deal with this."


    "Alright, what do I need to do?"


    Just as Banner finished asking, Schiller snapped his fingers, and Banner''s figure disappeared instantly. Schiller exined to Charles, "I temporarily shielded his consciousness because the root of his psychological issueses from childhood trauma. If he were to relive it in the dream, I''m afraid he would have a mental breakdown."


    Charles nodded and said, "It''s wise to be cautious. It''s for the patient''s safety."


    As the two spoke, the surrounding scenery slowly changed. The exquisite wooden floors faded away, revealing somewhat dusty tiles. The walls of the room shifted forward, making the space smaller. The floor-to-ceiling windows turned into narrow, dark windows. A little boy crouched in front of a cupboard, while a bearded man was hitting him.


    Schiller and Charles stood at the door of the small and rundown kitchen, watching the young Banner endure domestic violence. Charles sighed and said, "I knew it would be like this."


    "Most patients with multiple personality disorder create a virtual personality because their own personality cannot withstand the intense mental stimuli they have experienced," Schiller said as he looked at young Banner.


    Just as he finished speaking, the sobbing young Banner on the ground suddenly transformed into a green behemoth. He roared angrily, crying helplessly, venting his anger at everything around him.


    "Fear," Charles said firmly. "His anger stems from fear. I can feel it very clearly. He is terrified of violence, but only through violence can he release the anger caused by that fear."


    Schiller and Charles were not affected by the raging Hulk because they were in the realm of consciousness.


    Schiller continued analyzing, "While he suffers from the harm caused by violence, he also desires the authority that violence brings. This is amon characteristic of most manic personalities. They have been hurt by violence, but they inflict violence on others."


    "The reason they cannot control themselves is that fear and anger make them lose all sense of security. So, they seek measures that can provide them with a sense of security."


    Charles added, "And that measure is resorting to violence."


    "But let''s put that aside. How do we deal with this issue? I must be frank, it is unlikely that we can eliminate this personality with ordinary psychotherapy. Banner is also unwilling to erase the personality that represents his childhood trauma."


    "I can forcibly delete it, but it would be meaningless," Charles sighed. He saw Schiller''s interested expression and exined, "I can freely modify a person''s memory. It''s as simple for me as eating and drinking."


    "I can even erase all the memories of him being subjected to domestic violence, leaving no trace behind."


    "But a person''s thoughts and consciousness are not that simple. Everyone''s thoughts have inertia, and when I modify their memories, it''s like removing a block from the bottom of a tall tower of blocks."


    "Perhaps, at that moment when the block is removed, the entire tower can still remain stable. But if you want to build higher, there is a risk of copse. The higher you build, the more dangerous it bes."


    "Violently deleting and modifying memories may not only cause memory confusion but also lead to personality breakdown. People who have had memories forcibly removed will feel that their behavioral patterns and memories no longer match, and that their way of thinking has no roots. This can lead to their mental copse."


    "It seems that we can only start with himself. My idea is to guide him in constructing his own Temple of Thought, which can help him control when the Hulk emerges."


    Schiller snapped his fingers, and he and Charles returned to his Temple of Thought. They walked out of the room and onto the corridor of the high tower. Looking down, Schiller introduced, "Actually, I have some dangerous personalities as well. Once they take over my body, they might engage in some crazy actions."


    "But in my Temple of Thought, there are traps and levels specifically designed for them. They must climb up one level at a time to reach the nearby conscious level."


    "The level of personality activity also rtes to mental strength. The portion of strength allocated to them is consumed in the struggle with traps and levels, naturally making them behave more calmly and not interfere with


    my actions."


    Charles gazed at the deep and endless interior of the high tower and said, "I''ve never thought of this method before, so I''m not sure if it will work, but I think it''s worth a try."


    "If, as you said, his personality is a monster that can cause immense destruction, then even if we can control it to some extent, it would be a significant progress. The situation won''t get worse."


    Soon, Banner''s consciousness appeared again in Schiller''s Temple of Thought, but this time, all three of them were on the ground floor.


    Schiller exined his n to Banner, saying, "Next, I will show you around my Temple of Thought. You can draw some inspiration from it to construct your own."


    "As you can see, this is the first floor. The ck floor here represents the bottom of my consciousness. I have reinforced this ce countless times to prevent certain personalities from falling down, never to be found again."


    "Hmm..." Banner made a puzzled sound, and Schiller turned his head to ask, "What''s wrong? Is there something you don''t understand?"


    "It''s not that, I understood everything, including the theory of the Temple of Thought you just exined. I''m just a little curious about the pit in the middle."


    "Uh... that''s a leftover issue. Wait a moment." Schiller took out his phone from his pocket and said, "Hello?... What''s going on? Didn''t we discuss filling up the pit that was dug upst time? What if someone falls into it?... What? You''re on vacation? You went on vacation without finishing the job? You... Hello? Hello???"


    Schiller hung up the phone and shrugged helplessly, saying, "Don''t mind that, it''s just a temporary channel that was supposed to be sealed. But the person who created this thing went on vacation. It should be filled when hees back."


    "Let''s continue going up. Pay attention to the staircase, and don''t touch that armrest. It might have a trap. Next, we''ll arrive at the first floor, which is also one of the earlier constructions. Look to the left, there are two rooms here..."


    __________


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 Chapter 335: S:Glorious Big Event (XV)

    Chapter 335: S:Glorious Big Event (XV)


    The next day, when Connors arrived at the Stark Tower Laboratory, he saw Banner with two ck circles under his eyes and Stark in his Mech armor. The scene was a bit eerie, which made Connors pause for a moment.


    He put down the folder in his hand and dusted off the dirt on his coat, saying, "Sorry for beingte. I just rushed over from theboratory in Los Angeles. The two postgraduates I just hired made a mess of the project. I just finished dealing with the trouble."


    "Well, actually, you didn''t need toe because the two of us, especially me, have almost finished the work," Stark said, raising his voice.


    "Is that so? But Nick told me that you two haven''t even started on the project in the field of biological science and technology. Just now, Old Osborne called and said that you''ve been procrastinating on a blueprint for two days..."


    Banner pped his forehead and said, "Oh, right, that was my task. I almost forgot."


    Connors walked over, shook hands with him, and said, "I heard about you from a colleague at the Los Angelesboratory. He should be your ssmate from MIT... Oh, by the way, I heard that you have made great contributions in the field of cryogenic experiments. So, take a look at this..."


    Connors took out a document from the folder and handed it to Banner. After ncing at it, Banner pushed his sses up and squinted, asking, "What is this?"


    "It''s a brand-new cryogenic technology. It was originally developed for low-temperature weapons, but a few colleagues and I from the Los Angeles cryogenicboratory studied it and thought it could be used for the universe base."


    "I know it''s a cryogenic technology. I''m just asking when humanity''s cryogenic technology has advanced to this level. Dense ice? Wasn''t that just a theoretical concept?""You should ask Schiller about that, ask him how his genius friend managed toe up with such an extraordinary technology."


    Saying that, Connors also handed the document to Stark and said, "We have made significant progress in the research on dense ice. This material can be used as the ceiling for the Mercury base. It has high transparency and can block the immense heat from the sun."


    Stark nced at it and said, "This thing is more suitable for use in extraterrestrial colonies, as ss or something. Fully automated mechanical factories don''t need it. Besides, there are no living beings there, everything runs ording to the program, no need for lights, let alone natural light."


    "Don''t worry, aren''t you researching the support structures underground in the crater? This material will satisfy you."


    Upon hearing Connors say that, Stark turned his head again to look at the document. Connors added, "What''s more important is that this will free us from the constraints of raw materials. Didn''t youin on the phone before that Wakanda is unwilling to provide more Vibranium?"


    "They''re not unwilling, it''s just that they don''t have that much, and even if they have a lot, it''s not unlimited. The uing sr system development n may require a huge amount of metal. I need to save money for Earth..."


    Stark picked up the document again, carefully read through it, and said, "You''re right. This can indeed rece some metal support structures. What''s more important is that it''s easy to shape."


    "Yes, exactly. With this, perhaps the overall structure can be realized without the need for patchwork. Let me have a look..."


    Stark took the research materials and went away. Connors said to him from behind, "Later, I''ll transfer the documents to the central system. Remember to take a look."


    Stark waved his hand without turning back, and Connors didn''t mind. He bypassed theb table and walked to where Banner was. He said, "I need your assistance. The liquid-based instion technology provided by Osborne is likely to be used for the deck instion in the extraterrestrial base to cope with the extreme temperature differences on Mercury."


    So far, each of the three had their own projects. Stark was mainly responsible for mechanical engineering projects, such as the overall structure of the base, the arrangement of assembly lines, the construction of automated programs, and most importantly, the energy issue.


    Banner is responsible for terrain modification and environmental adaptation, while Connors is responsible for biological modification. Of course, there is also Osborne, who is involved in this matter, but he is not the main leader. He only provides some technology in the field of biological science and technology.


    What''s more important is that they have an external support, which is Reed Richards stationed in the universe space station.


    Reed is hailed as the smartest person on Earth, theoretically the most intelligent among all of humanity. And the universe base and universe studies are his specialties. Originally, Nick wanted to bring him in as the main force.


    However, his space survey mission is at a critical moment. Although the sr system transformation n is important, near-Earth research is also crucial.


    The sr system transformation n already has someone like Stark, as well as Banner and Connors, who are excellent schrs. But when ites to near-Earth exploration, transformation, and research, Reed is basically a one-man army. If he is called back, there will be no one to continue his extremely difficult research projects.


    However, Reed, who is far away in the space station, has also heard about Stark''s n, and these two exceptional geniuses quickly reach an agreement.


    Reed floats in mid-air in the space station andmunicates with Nick through amunication device: "I didn''t expect him to be quite audacious, daring to propose such a n..."


    "If it weren''t for the fact that my research is at the most crucial stage right now, I would also want to participate in this exciting project."


    "If you can speed things up, maybe I can catch up with you and go to Mercury for on-site investigation, just like I told you before. With the help of magic, everything bes much simpler."


    Reed holds themunication device between his head and shoulder, flipping through materials with his hand. He says, "But I have to remind you, it''s better not to rely too much on magic. It doesn''t belong to humanity. We must find our own path."


    "Don''t worry, some people not only want to rely on magic, but also want to possess it... well, let''s not talk about that. Do you have any research on stars?"


    "I have done a lot of research on stars, but most of them are not in-depth because the extraction of stars is still too far away for humanity."


    "I see... that''s true, but... I mean... if, if humanity wants to blow up a star, how should they do it?"


    "Blow up a star? What are you talking about? Why would humanity want to blow up a star? Our sr system... it''s called a sr system because of the sun. Are you nning to blow up the sun?!"...


    "Not the sun, but a giant star approximately 120 times the mass of the sun..."


    Before Reed could ask any questions, Nick, as if reading from a script, says to him, "Now, we have several choices. We have something that can absorb the power of the sun and convert it for our own use. The advantage is that it ispletely controble, but the absorption limit is not high..."


    "Well, that''s useless. You just said it''s a giant star about 120 times the mass of the sun. If this device you mentioned cannot fully absorb all the energy from the sun, then it would be even more useless against a giant star."


    "Alright, then we have another n. We have something that uses maic force. Don''t ask me about the specific principles, I don''t understand it, but it can control the maic field."


    "If you don''t tell me the upper limit of this force, how am I supposed to determine if it can trigger the explosion of a giant star?"


    Nick sighed and Reed listened to him say on the telephone, "You should exin it, I really have no clue about this."


    "The maximum maic force he can control is unknown."


    A slightly unfamiliar voice of Reed came from themunication device, and Schiller said to him, "But ording to my estimation, he should be able to moverges, bend light and manipte it, reach the atomic level at the microscopic level, create wormholes, traverse space, manipte the gravity field, and maintain a unified stance..."


    "Stop talking, that''s it," Reed said very confidently, "If he can really reach the level you described, detonating stars is not a difficult task at all."


    "I know, his power is likely capable of detonating stars, but I hope to understand the principles behind it."


    "If his control of maic force has reached such a level, there are actually many methods."


    "Let me make it clearer, I hope to obtain a method with the greatest destructive power..."


    "Destructive power?" Reed was just puzzled for a moment, then he realized and said, "You don''t want to explode stars, you want to use stars to explode something else? What is worth detonating a giant sun to explode?"


    "Don''t worry about that," Nick''s voice sounded beside him, he said, "When we''re about to take action, we''ll call you to witness the fireworks."


    "Okay, if we''re talking about the greatest destructive power, it would be a supernova explosion. At least from my understanding, its destructive power is the greatest."


    "If you want to artificially guide a supernova explosion, theoretically, it''s not difficult, especially if that thing you mentioned can manipte atoms. I''ll send over my research materials on supernova explosionster for you to take a look."


    "Well, I don''t have any more questions to ask, so we''ll talk next time..."


    "Wait! What exactly are you nning to do? Why do I feel like you''re going to make a bigmotion?" Reed asked.


    "...It is indeed a very big n," Nick said.


    Then Reed heard Schiller''s voice from the other end of the telephone, slightly cold and indifferent, like a burial in a cold night, a ruthless undertaker.


    "Correct, I call it... the Radiant n."


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 Chapter 336: S:Glorious Big Event (XVI)

    Chapter 336: S:Glorious Big Event (XVI)


    In a space filled with white mist, a very abrupt building rose from the ground. It looked like Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, but with some differences. While Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters was mostly made of dark red bricks, this one was deep blue. Other than that, most of the structure was the same.


    Looking through the windows of this altered version of Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, the scene inside was surprising. It was not unexpected to see Iceman, Sprite, and Storm there, as they were members of the Xavier School. However, Pris, Blink, Quicksilver, and others should have been closer to the Brotherhood of Mutants, yet they were also sitting in the ssroom.


    What was even more surprising was that Stark was standing at the podium instead of Jean Grey or Professor X. Stark was standing on the podium with Bruce Banner beside him. Stark touched his temple and looked at the students below, sighing deeply.


    At that moment, Professor X walked in. Iceman saw him stride into the ssroom and widened his eyes, but then quickly regained hisposure.


    Professor X walked to the podium and scanned the students below. Most of the students who graduated from Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters were sitting properly, but the few troublemakers from the Brotherhood of Mutants were whispering to each other.


    Professor X cleared his throat and said, "As I mentioned when I entered your dreams, wee to the mutants'' school."


    Pris rolled her eyes, seeming to want to say something, but before she could speak, Stark said, "Yes, school. I really hope this ce can make you useless mutants a bit smarter. Even if you can only go from negative to zero, I would still thank the heavens."


    His words were very straightforward and his tone was aggressive. Normally, the mutants who followed Mao had bad tempers, but this time, Pris and the others just snorted and hugged their arms, saying nothing.


    To understand why they had this attitude, we need to go back three days.After Captain America''s speech at the United Nations, Nick gained the greatest power during this special period, and Project Insight was officiallyunched.


    Before the n was officiallyunched, scientists such as Banner, Connors, Stark, and outside help Reed had already done most of the preparation, waiting for the on-site inspection.


    However, the problem arose during the on-site inspection.


    Going to Mercury was not as simple as finding something and bringing people there likending on the moon. Stark had a suit that could move in space, and he prepared one for Banner as well.


    This suit could resist high and low temperatures and provide vital signs, ensuring that they could move freely on Mercury.


    But that was not enough. The space environment was unpredictable, and there were great dangers when entering space for the first time. To ensure the safety of these precious scientists no matter what happened, several mutants also went with them to Mercury.


    Pris, Iceman, Havok, and Blink were four very powerful mutants, each with their own unique abilities that covered all possible dangers. In theory, thisbination of brains and brawn should have no problemnding on Mercury.


    Originally, they had anticipated that the first half of the Mercurynding n would go smoothly. The mage opened a portal and sent them to the surface of Mercury.


    However, thending site was still a certain distance from the South Pole of Mercury, and they needed to walk there. At this point, Blink''s ability came in handy. Her ability was to teleport people, and the advantage over portals was that thending point was very precise, and there was no need for casting time, making it suitable for quickly avoiding danger.


    Stark''s original n was to have the mage open the portal at a distance from the South Pole, and they could also survey the terrain of Mercury along the way. After collecting enough data, Blink could teleport them to the pole.


    But when the data was collected, and Stark asked Blink to teleport them, Blink raised a very soulful question, "Where is the South Pole?"


    Stark widened his eyes and asked, "The pole, the South Pole, don''t you know?"


    "I certainly know the South Pole. I''ve been to the South Pole on Earth. The penguins there are quite cute. But this is not Earth. How do I know where the South Pole is?"


    Stark opened his mouth to exin to Blink, but he realized that to exin the orbit and axial tilt, he would have to talk about revolution and rotation, and to talk about revolution and rotation, he would have to start with the gravitational field, and to talk about the gravitational field, he would have to mention the four fundamental forces...


    In an instant, these thoughts went through Stark''s mind. He looked at the sun close at hand, feeling the heat transmitted from the armor, and helplessly looked at Pris, saying, "Your ability is to control maism, right? Mercury has a global maic field. You can find the North and South Poles by following the maic field lines. Find the South Pole and then let her teleport us there."


    Pris closed her eyes and said after a few seconds, "I found it."


    Then the mutants looked at each other, and Pris asked, "How should I describe the point I found to you?"


    Stark covered his forehead, but Banner was more patient. He said, "Do you know the point positioning method? We can use the simpler one..."


    "...What positioning method?" asked Pris.


    Banner looked at Pris and said, "It''s the point positioning method. Don''t you know? It''s finding three points..."


    Banner was about to exin, but he realized that to exin what the three-point positioning method was, he would have to talk about triangles, and to talk about triangles, he would have to mention trigonometric identities and trigonometry, and to mention trigonometric identities, he would have to talk about trigonometric functions...


    Banner also sighed, looking at Blink and saying, "Even if we give you aplete map now, you still can''t locate it, can you?"


    "In fact, there is another way. You just need to give me a direction, and I will teleport you bit by bit. We will definitely pass by the South Pole because the is round." Blink shrugged.


    Stark was almost suffocating. If there was one thing he learned from his firstnding, it was to never rely on others, especially mutants...


    But it had to be said that Blink''s suggestion was also a solution. Blink''s teleportation ability had a limit of the distance from Earth to the moon, and Mercury''s diameter was only one-fifth of Earth''s. Therefore, even if they teleported one step at a time, it would not take too long to go around, and as long as they were close to the South Pole at a certainnding point, Pris would sense it, and then they couldnd at the South Pole...


    But even in his wildest dreams, Stark never thought that he would need to use the brute force method to determine a location.


    After a lot of effort, Blink and the group finallynded at the South Pole. At this point, both Banner and Stark were feeling a bit dizzy. They were still ordinary humans and were not used to rapid teleportation.


    But at least they had reached their destination. Now it was time for Havok to take the stage. There was a ring-shaped mountain at the South Pole of Mercury, and Havok needed to create a downward tunnel here for exploration.


    The reason why machines couldn''t do this job was that Mercury''s density was very high. To prate deep underground, exploration drill bits could only be made of vibranium or adamantium alloy, and the loss would be very high. To save money for Earth, Stark chose mutants who didn''t require any cost.


    However, the fact proved that there was nothing in this world that didn''t require a price. Havok''s ability was indeed very strong. He could move freely in space without wearing armor and could absorb the energy of the sun and convert it into shockwaves.


    The only problem was that he couldn''t understand the survey map that Stark drew. He flew into the air with the map, looked at it, then looked at the ground, looked at the map again, and looked at the ground again. After looking at it for a long time, he still didn''t start. Instead, he flew back and asked Stark, "Why isn''t the ring-shaped mountain on your map?"


    "No ring-shaped mountain?... Isn''t it here?" Stark walked over and pointed to the map, saying, "Look here, see this data? You have to follow it..."


    "What is this data?... What is this?"


    "This is the scale. Do you see the point I drew? You have to draw a perfect circle with a 1:1000 ratio, and at the same time, open a tangent line with a depth of only half here, and also here..."


    Half an hourter, Havok flew back into the air and shot a hot beam of shockwaves from his arm. Stark stood on the surface of Mercury with his hands on his hips, looking at the pattern on the ground and shouting, "Stop! You drew it wrong!! What is that in your hand? That''s a map, follow the map!!!"


    "I followed the map!!!" Havok shouted back.


    "But I want a perfect circle. What you cut is what? A slice of bread?!"


    "But I''m manually controlling it. How can it be so urate?!"


    "I marked the allowable error above! Didn''t you see it? The allowable error on the west side is even greater. Why did you go north?!"


    "This is not Earth. How do I know where the west is?!!"


    Half an hourter, Stark and Banner sighed again. Banner supported Stark''s shoulder and said, "That''s it. It''s just preliminary exploration. It''s already good enough to enter the bottom of the ring-shaped mountain."


    Stark didn''t say anything and walked towards the hole created by Havok. ...


    Havok made a hole in the middle of the ring-shaped mountain. When Blink and the others were teleported down, Bruce eximed and sat on the ground because there was a protrusion where hended, which tripped him.


    Stark turned around and sighed again, saying to Havok, "Don''t you know the importance of safety operations?"


    Before Havok could reply, Stark said, "Come on, make a tunnel here."


    Then he turned around and pulled Iceman over, saying, "When he makes a tunnel, use your ice-making ability to create a support structure to prevent the tunnel from copsing."


    Stark took out the map again. This time, before Iceman could say anything, Stark looked at the map himself, then threw it away and said, "Forget it. You can''t understand it anyway. Simply put, he makes a tunnel, and you create something to support the tunnel so that we can enter."


    "Okay, no problem," Iceman nodded.


    Havok made a thinner beam and slowly began to dig the tunnel. As a tunnel appeared in front of them, Iceman squatted down and touched the ground with his hand. In an instant, the iceyer spread along the tunnel. At this point, Banner stopped him and said, "Your support structure won''t work. It will copse further ahead. ording to structural mechanics, you must create a support point here, and here, this needs to bear the weight..."


    Although Iceman didn''t understand, he had a better temper than the others. He did what Banner said, dying them for several hours before they finally walked into the tunnel.


    Then it was a repetitive process. Stark searched for possible iceyers underground on Mercury while recording the underground rock structure.


    After a lot of grinding, they finally cooperated well. But when Banner and Bruce were collecting data in an underground cavity, Havok, North Star, and Iceman erupted into a fierce argument.


    They had just had a fight not long ago. If it weren''t for Charles and Mao temporarily reaching a consensus and letting theme together to perform the task, the three of them would still be cold war.


    And it goes without saying what the consequences would be if the cold war people were forcibly put together. Havok suspected that Iceman was trying to steal his thunder, North Star felt that Havok waspletely unreasonable, and Iceman stood up for North Star. As a result, Havok felt that the two of them had betrayed him...


    Stark was busy collecting rock samples on Mercury when he heard a loud "boom" behind him. Then, the ice column supporting the underground structure began to copseyer byyer. In an instant, Blink appeared next to the two of them and teleported them to the surface with a "whoosh."


    As they fell to the ground, a loud rumbling sound came from the center of the ring-shaped mountain in front of them. With a "boom," the entire center of the ring-shaped mountain copsed...


    Havok, North Star, and Iceman crawled out with dirty faces, facing Stark''s ck-as-a-bottom-of-a-pot face.


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 Chapter 337: S:Glorious Big Event (XVII)

    Chapter 337: S:Glorious Big Event (XVII)


    Hourster, when Charles arrived at Stark Tower to pick up his students, he saw that Stark had hung a sign saying "Mutants not allowed" on hisboratory door.


    Charles, who knew the whole story, was also helpless. As a highly educated mutant, he could understand Stark''s anger. Whenever hemunicated with these second-generation mutants, it was like talking to a wall because they had never received any formal education.


    Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters was supposed to be a school, but it was more like a retirement home. The school taught students how to control and develop their powers, not knowledge. This resulted in these mutants, who should have been in college, having empty heads and not knowing anything.


    To be honest, the students at Xavier''s School were considered good. At least Iceman could follow Banner''s instructions and produce results that were almost satisfactory. Mutants like Pris, who had no education and had a bad temper, were especially impatient. They could really drive a schr-type personality crazy.


    Charles knew better than anyone that this was not a solution. When everyone was on Earth, whether or not they learned knowledge didn''t matter much because their abilities were already powerful enough. But when humans entered the Space Age, knowledge became the first productive force. The average education level of mutants was only equivalent to that of a fetus. This was only because Charles had raised the average level. When they really entered the Space Age, one or two powerful mutants would not be enough. Improving basic education for mutants was imperative.


    But promoting basic education in any region or race was extremely difficult. Charles thought about it all night and had no results, so he went to drink with Schiller.


    It wasn''t to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but he hoped to hear Schiller''s new ideas. After all, he keenly felt that Schiller didn''t have the same hatred for mutants as ordinary people did. Perhaps from a different perspective, he could find a new way.


    "Charles, can I call you that? I think the problem is that your moral standards are too high."


    "What do you mean?"In Schiller''s thinking hall, Charles asked while holding a ss of wine. Schiller shook his head and said, "You don''t want to do bad things with your abilities, and I understand that because you do have a noble character."


    "But just because your abilities are so powerful, why give up using thempletely when doing good things? When you use them for good, why do you have to consider how powerful they are?"


    Charles seemed to have thought of something and asked, "Are you saying..."


    "You want to promote education and teach them knowledge so that they can keep up with the times. This is a good thing."


    "Even if they don''t use the knowledge they learn, it won''t hurt to keep it in their minds. From any perspective, it''s not harmful to them. So why can''t you take advantage of the advantage of your abilities?"


    "I know that the difficulty of promoting basic education among mutants lies in the fact that their positions are not consistent. You can''tpletely convince Mao, nor can you make him disband the Brotherhood. But you want to teach his subordinates knowledge. You want to strengthen them. Why would he refuse?"


    "More importantly, this doesn''t take up their daytime. They can do whatever they want during the day, y, fall in love, and just need to dream at night to learn the essence of human knowledge. What could be better than this?"


    "If I had such a good thing when I was studying, I would wake upughing from my dreams. I think you would too, right?"


    Charles gradually rxed his eyebrows and said, "There is another problem. Even if I can instill knowledge in them, if I don''t understand this knowledge myself, I can''t teach it."


    "And, the output and input of human thinking both have limits. I can''t cram so much knowledge into their minds at once, or it will cause them to have a mental breakdown."


    Schiller smiled and said in a rxed tone, "I think you can create a school in the consciousness space and pull their consciousness in to let them learn."


    "As for the problem of knowledge, you don''t have to teach it yourself. Now, some of the world''s top scientists are waiting there. You can also let them enter the dream and let them be the teachers. Who in this world knows more about the essence of human knowledge than them?"


    Charles nodded and said, "Indeed, whether it''s Stark or the others, they are all top scientists. I know they all teach at the most famous universities. To hear their lectures, you have to at least get into schools like Harvard and MIT..."


    "That''s right. The world''s smartest geniuses teaching mutants. Where else can you find such a good thing?"


    But Charles still hesitated and said, "The trouble caused by Pris and the others before made Stark very angry. Will he..."


    "It''s okay. They are young and are Stark''s juniors. As long as they apologize, Stark won''t hold a grudge."


    "The problem is here." Charles sighed and said, "The others are fine, but Pris has the same temper as her father..."


    "Professor, you just need to exin your purpose to Mao. You need to emphasize to him that you want Pris to go to school to learn knowledge, and to learn with Stark. Even if Pris doesn''t want to, Mao will make her apologize by holding her head."


    Charles nced at Schiller and said, "You seem to know Erik well?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "This is not a difficult thing to guess. Any parent in the world is like this. They hope their children can get what they didn''t get."


    "Previously, you told me about Mao''s experience. He didn''t have many opportunities for education, but that can only be said to be a tragedy of the times. He is not unwilling to learn, but he didn''t have the chance. People always regret and desire what they don''t have. If he could achieve it through his own children, he would definitely do his best."


    "The people who understand the importance of education the most in this world are those who have benefited from education and changed their social status because of it, and those who have not received education but have improved their social status through other abilities and realized that education is the shortcut."


    Charles nodded and said, "Erik belongs to the second type. He has self-taught a lot of knowledge rted to physics, so he can use maism so skillfully."


    "And even though we have had many conflicts before, he has neverid a hand on Xavier''s School campus."


    "In fact, I once urged him to get a degree, which is not difficult for him. But you also know that when we reach this point, some things are no longer up to us. We represent our own position and also represent the group of people standing on this position. Besides being responsible for ourselves, we must also be responsible for them."


    As Charles spoke, he became a little emotional. He said, "So many years have passed, and we have gone from being the ones leading others forward to being pushed forward."


    This seemed to be a pun, and Schiller nced at Charles''s legs and asked, "So, is this why you are reluctant to stand up?"


    "After all, a victim always evokes sympathy, and a disabled person is more likely to make people rx their guard..."


    A dayter, Charles built a very beautiful school in his consciousness space. Although it looked exactly like Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters, the tiles on the walls were a different color. But it was undeniable that this was a very standard school.


    His n went very smoothly. Everyone who was willing or unwilling to listen to the lectures was pulled over by him. In this regard, no one could resist Charles.


    Because this was indeed doing a good thing, Charles had no psychological burden of abusing his power. Everyone realized that it was best to listen obediently.


    As Schiller had predicted, although Mao never took off his helmet and guarded against Charles like a thief, when he heard that Charles was going to send Pris to study, he did not object. He even let him take Wanda and Quicksilver with him.


    Originally, Wanda and Quicksilver were supposed toe, but Wanda was not on Earth at the moment, so only Quicksilver came.


    Mao had a bad rtionship with his children, but because his rtionship with Wanda and Quicksilver was worse, his rtionship with Pris was okay.


    Pris had the same temper as Mao, and when she learned that she was going to be forced to study at school, she chose to run away from home decisively. She even wanted to persuade Shockwave and Iceman to leave with her.


    Unfortunately, in this regard, Mao and Charles reached a consensus. When these two mutant leaders reached a consensus, there was nothing in this world that could stop them. So, Pris was still brought over.


    At this time, she was biting her pen, propping her head with one hand, and tapping the table with the other. She looked at the sky, the ground, and the table, but not the ckboard. Sometimes she turned her head to chat with Shockwave, and sometimes she whispered to Quicksilver.


    Banner was giving a lecture above, and when he saw Pris''s small movements, he didn''t care. As a professor, he had seen too many students like this, who didn''t listen in ss, didn''t turn in homework, and prayed to the gods and buddhas when it came to final exams.


    Banner was just invited to give a lecture. He was not a mutant, so he was not responsible for the future of mutants, so he didn''t care whether these students listened or not.


    But Charles frowned and was somewhat dissatisfied with the situation in the ssroom.


    In fact, the knowledge Banner was teaching was not difficult. He started with the basics of physics. But it seemed that these mutant students had not developed good study habits, so even if they were trying to listen carefully, they were habitually distracted.


    During the day, Charles stayed in his office, thinking about how to reverse this situation and improve the students'' enthusiasm. It was at this time that he received a call from Stark. Before Stark could speak, Charles said:


    "I''m really sorry, Mr. Stark. It''s true that they didn''t control their temper well, which caused the exploration work to fail..."


    "Oh, no, I called to say that I misunderstood mutants a bit. My attitude was not good before. Your students did a really good job this time..."


    Charles was a little confused. He said, "What? What did they do so well?"


    He thought Stark was being sarcastic, but Stark''s tone revealed genuine excitement. He said, "It''s the kids you sent to work with Spider-Man before. Do you know what they did?"


    "...What?"


    "They directly brought back a Kree warship! It''s now parked on the edge of the Sr System!"


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 Chapter 338: S:Glorious Big Event (XVIII)

    Chapter 338: S:Glorious Big Event (XVIII)


    Going back three days, while Project Insight was in full swing in the Sr System, the symbiote and mutant team stationed at the edge of the Milky Way Gxy were not idle.


    Originally, ording to the n, they should have prepared to return after collecting data and taking photos. But people have a strange idea. If we were to exin it from a psychological perspective, it would be veryplicated, but ultimately it can be summed up in four words - "since we''re here."


    Not to mention Venom, who inherited some of Batman''s ideas, looking at the hundred and one response ns that popped up in his mind when he saw this fleet, even Peter had a hard time controlling himself.


    If he hadn''t entered thatary warship, it would have been fine. But after going in, he wanted to examine every corner of the ship. The entire warship was like a moving advanced civilization technology exhibition hall. Peter didn''t want to leave once he arrived.


    In addition, the Space agents had been helping humans, not out of pure kindness, but because their homnd was in trouble. They had Knull trying to escape every day and the Sulphur Dwarf watching them closely.


    If they could win the favor of the people of Earth, they could add another ally. Although humans were not developed now, they had unlimited potential. The more investment they made, the more return they would get.


    The three mutant students were young and fearless. They didn''t have the concept of whether a civilization was developed or not in their minds. They just thought that the Space fleet was cool and it would be great if they could bring it back home.


    These parties agreed and decided that since they were here, they couldn''t return empty-handed. They had to bring back some local specialties from Earth. The end of the Centaur''s arm was empty, and there was nothing good. It was better to take a Kree escort ship.


    The target was set, but how to operate was still a difficult task. Spider-Man rubbed his chin and said, "Last time, we could touch theirary warship. It shouldn''t be difficult to grab an escort ship, right?""Last time it was because of my invisibility magic, but if we want to take control of the escort ship, we can''t be invisible the whole time."


    "The Kree''s civilization leader is called the Supreme Intelligence. It is an intelligent life form, and every camera on the fleet is within its control range. Once a stranger appears, it will immediately sound the rm," Blue Spirit exined.


    "So we need to deal with the monitoring equipment first, and it would be best to cut off all themunication devices on that escort ship," Spider-Man continued.


    "But we can''t damage it too much. There is still a distance from here to the Sr System, and we need to ensure that the escort ship can fly back. Otherwise, we won''t be able to bring such a big thing back," Thunderbolt also said.


    Peter turned his head and saw the Kree fleet absorbing energy next to the sun. Thunderbolt was right. Although the escort ship was not as big as theary warship, it was still the size of an ordinary satellite. Even Blue Spirit couldn''t take such a big thing away.


    "Robbing them face to face is definitely not possible," Venom concluded, "Their fleet is gathering together to extract energy from the star. Because they are too close, they can immediately concentrate their firepower if there is any trouble. If they are shot down, they will definitely fall into the sun, and no one will survive."


    "In fact, I noticed before that their escort ships patrol within the gxy range on a regr basis. Generally, three ships form a team, and the farthest distance they can reach is the edge of this gxy, which is far from that hugeary warship. We can take action at this time..." Spider-Man suggested.


    "At this distance, even if theary warship wants to attack, it will take some time to react."


    "But three escort ships are a bit too many for us," Blue Spirit reminded, "Once one of them sounds the rm, we will be surrounded by the other two."


    "What if two of them sound the rm at the same time?"


    Blue Spirit looked at Spider-Man and said, "Are you thinking..."


    About two hourster, the energy pipeline of one of the Kree escort ships in the Kree escort ship patrol team was being watched by Thunderbolt and Amplifier. Thunderbolt exined, "One of my abilities is that I can transform into an energy body, which is Thunderbolt."


    "Later, the second team will cause a disturbance on the other escort ship on the nk. At this time, the leading main ship will turn its direction and aim its cannon at the other escort ship."


    "At this time, we will transform into Thunderbolt, find the control room along the energy pipeline, and then use electromaic conversion ability to destroy all the signal transmission devices in the control room,pletely cutting off the connection between the escort ship and the main ship andary warship."


    "Then, we''ll step on the gas pedal..."


    "That''s right, you''re on the right track."


    "What are we waiting for? Let''s go!"


    At the same time, the second team they were talking about, the few people responsible for causing a disturbance on the other escort ship, were on the lower deck of the escort ship. Blue Spirit''s voice sounded in Shadow''s mind, "You can control Shadow''s power. This is a very powerful ability, and you should learn to use it skillfully."


    At this time, they were maintaining invisibility, standing at a corner of the lower deck, and in front of them was a door leading out of the lower deck, where there were two Kree guards.


    At the same time, Green Thorn was also guiding Crystal. He said in Crystal''s mind, "You can concentrate your power into one point and create a crystal cluster that isrger and harder than before, while trapping everything within its range..."


    "Now, do as I say..." Blue Spirit and Green Thorn''s voices sounded in both of their minds at the same time.


    At the corner, Shadow slowly raised her hand, and a thin ck mist rose from her hand. She turned her palm towards the ground, and the two Kree and their weapons on their hands shook slightly.


    These two blue-skinned aliens felt that something was wrong and looked around, but they didn''t find anything unusual.


    Whether human or alien, where there is light, there is Shadow. Most people tend to ignore their own Shadow when walking and don''t consider it an obstacle.


    When their Shadows shook slightly, they didn''t even realize that someone had taken control of their Shadows. In the moment when Shadow clenched her fist, all the ck Shadows in the corridor came alive and rushed towards the two of them. In just a second, they were entangled byyers of ck Shadows.


    The two Kree immediately began to struggle, but Crystal''s figure shed, and she appeared in the middle of the corridor. She opened her mouth and let out a silent scream. In an instant, the dazzling crystal froze the entire door, along with the two Kree and their Shadows, into an eternal sculpture.


    The Kree''s individualbat capability was not as strong as Spider-Man''s, and they didn''t have that much power. Therefore, when they were trapped in aplete crystal, they couldn''t break it from the inside.


    The battle ended in just three seconds, and the two Kree guards didn''t even see what attacked them.


    Crystal breathed a sigh of relief and touched her chest, saying softly, "This is my first time attacking an enemy. It was too thrilling."


    Shadow looked at her with wide eyes and said, "Thrilling? What''s so thrilling about it? I still find it not exciting enough."


    "There are no abilities that are not useful in this world, only people who don''t know how to use them. I remember you told me that your abilities and Crystal''s and Amplifier''s abilities don''t match well, but it all depends on how you use them," Blue Spirit''s voice sounded again, and with this practical experience, his words became more convincing. Both mutant students nodded.


    "Next, just like this, but make a biggermotion to attract the attention of the patrol team''s main ship," Green Thorn reminded. Crystal didn''t need him to remind her. After she walked to the upper deck, the sparkling crystal cluster grewyer byyer wherever she went. The Kree heard themotion and ran out with their guns.


    Their individual weapons couldn''t break through theyers of crystal clusters, and with the interference of countless ck Shadows, the few Kree who rushed out were knocked down. But more Kree heard themotion and reported it to their team.


    After receiving the message, the main ship immediately changed direction, and the formation of the three ships was disrupted. At this time, a golden thunderbolt appeared on the surface of one of the ships, and then the engine roared suddenly, almost reaching an overheated state in an instant.


    With a "whoosh," the ship disappeared.


    The Kree in the control room of the main ship were stunned. What about such a big escort ship? How could it disappear?


    Meanwhile, Blue Spirit in the other escort ship waved his hand during the battle and several people directly ascended to another dimension, leaving the Kree''s siege unscathed.


    "If my dimensional teleportation could carry more things, we wouldn''t have to go through so much trouble," Blue Spirit shook his head.


    "Do you want to move theary warship directly? If you have that ability, why bother with Sulphur Dwarf? Just go help them move," Green Thornughed.


    On the other side, Thunderbolt, who was driving the ship, drove the ship to the rendezvous point where Venom and Spider-Man were waiting.


    Although Thunderbolt cut off themunication of this ship and took control of the control room, there were still many Kree guards on board.


    They didn''t even realize what was going on. Some of them didn''t even know where the ship had flown to. At this time, a ck and a red figure jumped directly onto the deck, and the scene that followed was quite brutal.


    After experiencing the Knull incident, Venom gained a lot of energy, and his symbiote factor had reached an incredible level.


    The ck slime surged into every room like ck waves, devouring all living things. Red Bee, who was parasitic in Spider-Man''s body, could move quickly and charge. Even with Spider-Man''s strength, they couldn''t even find aplete Kree wherever they went.


    First take the te away, then eat the food, and after meeting with Blue Spirit, use magic to wash the dishes.


    In this way, a brand new human spaceship was born.


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 Chapter 339: S:Glorious Big Event (XIX)

    Chapter 339: S:Glorious Big Event (XIX)


    In front of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters in reality, Pris dragged Havok reluctantly towards the school gate. Havok struggled and broke free from Pris'' grip on his arm. He stood at the school gate and said, "Don''t drag me in. I don''t want to see that annoying Scott!"


    "Isn''t he your brother?" Pris asked.


    "Quicksilver is your brother too. Don''t you hate him?" Havok retorted.


    "Fine, but you have toe in with me." Pris turned around and looked at Havok.


    Havok sighed and scratched his head. "Lorna, what''s going on with you? Youined to me a few days ago about how boring the sses were, and now you want toe to this school?"


    Pris looked at Havok seriously and said, "Didn''t you hear what Professor X said? That group of new mutants who are almost ten years younger than us actually brought back an alien spaceship!"


    Pris sighed and said, "In my memory, we haven''t known each other for long, but it''s been a few years already. You, me, Iceman, Sprite, and Shadowcat, we are no longer the newest generation of mutants."


    "So what?" Havok asked.


    Pris tilted her head and lowered her head, her face devoid of any humor. Havok also sighed and said, "Lorna, I know you''ve always felt like the leader of the new mutants, the most powerful among our generation of mutants...""Even if you didn''t say it, I could feel it. Your identity as Mao''s daughter puts a lot of pressure on you, and you''ve always felt responsible for the future of mutants."


    "But now, mutants are going to be none of my business." Pris stepped on a stone under her foot, but the next second, she straightened her body, put her hands on her hips, took a deep breath, and said, "Let''s go, Alexander. We can''t be left behind by them. Let''s go to ss now."


    After speaking, she pulled Havok into the school gate. As soon as they entered, they ran into Colossus, who was walking out. Colossus looked at them in confusion and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Can''t you tell? We''re here to study," Pris replied.


    Colossus was even more confused by her words. He looked at Pris up and down, focusing on her green hair, smoky makeup, and lip piercing, and said, "...I really can''t tell."


    Pris put her green hair behind her ears and said, "Don''t mind that. Don''t you recruit students here? Alexander and I want to enroll."


    Colossus had a good temper and didn''t say anything about how members of the Brotherhood of Mutants were not allowed inside. He and Pris and Havok were all members of the new mutants, but he was slightly older than them, and he preferred to live a normal life, so he didn''t often y with these second-generation mutants.


    He scratched his head and said, "I know Charles teaches you in your dreams, but in reality... never mind, go inside and ask him, but remember not to use your powers casually. There are young children in this school, and you have to..."


    "Okay, okay, I got it." Pris waved her hand and pulled Havok inside. After they left, Colossus took out his phone and called Charles to exin the situation...


    So Pris and Havok were warmly weed in Charles'' office.


    When it came to the enrollment of Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters, Charles had countless grievances to vent. The enrollment process of this school was not like other schools, where they could just set up a website and issue a notice.


    In addition to their teaching tasks, all the teachers in the school had a major task, which was to search all over the world for oppressed mutant children, help them solve their current problems, persuade their parents, modify the memories of ordinary humans affected by mutants, and then bring them to the school.


    Several famous new mutants came to this school in this way, but if we were to say who put in the most effort, it was definitely Charles. He had to deal with the troubles caused by these little mutants all year round.


    Moreover, so far, no mutant hase to him and said they want toe to school. Even Angel, whoes from a very wealthy family and whose mutant ability is not very harmful, was sent to school by his father after he found Charles.


    Seeing Pris and Havoke to him, Charles was almost moved to tears. What did this represent? This represented a new era for Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters.


    What made Charles even more delighted was that Pris was Mao''s daughter and his favorite daughter. Although Mao''s emotions were very restrained, Charles knew that he was very optimistic about Pris taking over his business. After all, they were almost identical in terms of abilities and personalities.


    If the new generation of mutants could be ssmates and work together, many things would be much easier. For example, there were mutants involved in Project Insight, but when Charles negotiated with representatives of ordinary people, he alwayscked confidence because mutants were divided into two halves. He could only represent half of the mutants.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the mutants on his side had brought back an alien warship, which gave him face, the position of mutants would be very passive. The negotiating table didn''t care about any feelings. Whoever had more chips had the advantage.


    Looking at Pris'' face, Charles remembered himself and Erik when they were young. At that time, Mao was a silent young man, powerful, silent, serious, and stubborn.


    Now, he saw more vitality and happiness in Pris'' face. Perhaps this was also the reason why Mao didn''t stop her froming to find Charles. He wanted to give his children what he didn''t have.


    He said to Pris very seriously, "I think you should know me by now, Lorna. Learning is not a fun thing, at leastpared to your original carefree life, it''s quite boring."


    "Even when I was studying psychology, education, and society engineering, I was very annoyed by it. Those rather difficult knowledge cannot be learned overnight. If you want to immerse yourself in the ocean of knowledge, then this is a never-ending road."


    Pris hugged her arms, stared into Charles'' eyes, and said, "I thought you would boast about the conditions of the school or talk about the importance of learning..."


    Charles shook his head and said, "Lorna, you''re not a child anymore. You should understand all the reasons I''m going to tell you. What I can''t tell you, your father should have taught you."


    "I didn''te here just because I''m worried about being surpassed by the next generation of mutants," Pris looked at Charles in the eye and continued, "That day on Mercury, the way that billionaire named Stark looked at us made me very ufortable."


    "I know what he''s thinking. He thinks we have unique advantages but don''t use them. He thinks we''re wasting our talents and lives, but he never considers that society won''t give mutants too many opportunities..."


    "How am I supposed to go to school? If I live in a dormitory, I''ll mess up all the steel with a single dream. If I tell my ssmates that I''m a mutant, will they pour water on my head? If I dare to resist and use my abilities to teach them a lesson, they will shout loudly that mutants are pests of society, and then you, the so-called righteous people, will stop me when I teach them a lesson?"


    "Well, Lorna, I know you were bullied inmunity school before, but..."


    "I''m not here to talk about the past." Pris interrupted him directly. Charles was stunned for a moment because no one had interrupted him in a long time. All the new generation of mutants, no matter what their stance was, respected Professor X very much because of his strength and kindness.


    Pris'' expression was a bit stubborn, and her every move made Charles see the shadow of Erik.


    "I want to prove to those ordinary people that mutants are not inferior to them in their field or any field. We are a naturally superior race in every aspect." Pris raised her head and said.


    Charles opened his mouth, and in his eyes, the person in front of him was not out of ce with Erik when he was young. Erik had said almost the same thing to him.


    "Um, so can we enroll?" Havok felt the atmosphere was a bit tense and took the initiative to speak up. "Well, although I don''t think I''m good at studying, I don''t have anything else to do anyway..."


    "Of course." Charles came back to his senses and took out two forms from the drawer. Pris nced at the form and said, "Can you give me a few more?"


    Havok turned his head to look at her and asked, "Why do you need so many?"


    "You''ll find out soon enough."


    The next morning, Iceman stood at the door of the ssroom and was stunned when he saw a group of ck-clothed people outside the door. He took a step back, his body tense, and said, "Pris! What are you doing? Do you want to start a war between mutants?"


    "Why are you nervous? I''m here to study."


    Iceman widened his eyes and looked at the people behind Pris. Among them was Blink, whom he was more familiar with, and several mutants he didn''t know well, but their ages were simr to Pris. They looked like new mutants in the Brotherhood of Mutants.


    At this moment, they were standing at the school gate, with Pris in front and the rest forming a triangr formation. This was the mostmonly used formation of the Brotherhood of Mutants, but in the past, Mao was always the one leading the charge...


    Whenever they appeared in this formation, it meant that a bitter battle was about to begin. Iceman almost reflexively created an ice surface under their feet. The mutants behind Pris were a bit wary, but Pris remained calm and said, "What''s wrong? Are all the students at Xavier''s School so easily frightened?"


    "Or are you afraid that you won''t be able to pass the exampared to me and embarrass your school?"


    "How is that possible! I''m one of the top students in my ss. You... wait, I''ve already graduated."


    "You haven''t yet, Bobby. Because the dream mutant education school was a great sess, we n to offer university courses in reality as well. You only graduated from high school before, but now you have to go to college." Charles pushed his wheelchair and appeared at the door of the ssroom.


    Cyclops and Colossus followed him. Colossus shrugged and said, "Don''t just talk about you guys. We also have to go to ss, but we''re a grade higher than you guys, and we''re not studying mathematics and physics, but education..."


    Iceman noticed that everyone around him was staring at him, and he sighed and said, "Okay, it looks like I have to go back to being a student again, but fortunately, this will make me look younger."


    After everyone entered the ssroom, Charles pushed his wheelchair in. He looked at the full ssroom below and was very pleased.


    Most of the desks on the left were upied by the original Xavier''s School students, such as Iceman, Sprite, and so on. On the right were a group of ck-clothed people, most of whom were members of the Brotherhood of Mutants and the good seedlings that Mao had collected from all over the country in recent years.


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 Chapter 340: S:Glorious Big Event (XX)

    Chapter 340: S:Glorious Big Event (XX)


    "To be honest, why did you even bring us here? You could just find a couple of teachers from middle school, no, elementary school, since some of them can''t even solve simple linear equations..."


    "This is a waste of my life, a waste of my brain. Humanity is in a period of rapid development, and I have the time to contribute to the cause of humanity''s journey into space. Why waste it here teaching a bunch of idiots?"


    Stark spoke loudly, but most of the students knew they were in the wrong and couldn''t refute him because their grades at the dream school were really poor. Prenatal education per capita was no joke.


    "Don''t be like that, Tony. They still have a lot of potential. After all, they have powers that ordinary people don''t have, and they learn things pretty quickly. In just a few days at the dream school, they''ve already learned a lot."


    "But those are allmon sense things. My goodness! We have to start teaching them from the eights!" Stark rolled his eyes and made a gesture of speechlessness with his hand.


    "I think mutants are hopeless. They should just use their innate abilities to find a job on Earth and not think about entering space. Who knows, they might not even know how to avoid a ck hole..."


    As Stark was speaking, he suddenly felt a cool breeze in front of his forehead. He turned his eyes back and saw a ballpoint pen pressed against the center of his forehead.


    Iceman quickly looked at Pris and whispered to her, "Don''t do this. We can''t use our abilities casually in school, let alone threaten the teacher!"


    Pris also turned her head and said, "It wasn''t me!"Just then, there was a slight sound at the door of the ssroom, and a figure in ck armor with a fluttering cape appeared at the door. His deep and old voice echoed in the ssroom:


    "Shut your mouth."


    Instantly, the ballpoint pen in front of Stark disintegrated at a speed that was invisible to the naked eye, leaving nothing behind.


    Stark turned his head to look at Mao. He didn''t call for his armor because he knew that using armor in front of Mao was like handing a knife to the enemy.


    Banner was a bit unhappy and said, "How can you threaten us? Even though Stark''s tone was a bit heavy, what he said was true. Mutants'' education foundation is too poor, and we are also very worried."


    "Okay, Banner, this is Eric''s fault. Don''t mind him." Charles pushed his wheelchair in and said to Banner and Stark, "You see, I heard that you''re going to teach the basics of space in this ss, so I brought Eric here. He can help you demonstrate the state of space more intuitively."


    Stark made a sound from his nose and said, "Don''t tell me we have to give you two a lecture as well..."


    Just as he was speaking, he saw Mao slowly raise a hand, and a spherical ripple appeared on his hand, about the size of a fish tank. It was a maic wave.


    "What do you want to do? Are you going to use some steel props to threaten me? That''s all you''re capable of..."


    Pris mmed the table and was about to erupt. Iceman and Havok hurriedly held her down...


    Just then, a bright point suddenly erupted in the center of the circr maic field in Mao''s hand, followed by a small me igniting from the center point.


    Stark''s expression suddenly changed. He widened his eyes and looked at the mes. In just a few seconds, the me grew bigger and bigger, then turned into a palm-sized sphere.


    Although the volume was very small, it was too bright to look at directly. The me became more and more intense, and some particles began to gather around the sphere, bing more and more numerous, intersecting, merging, and colliding.


    As if billions of years had passed in a blink of an eye, when the speed slowed down, only nine small spheres remained.


    Then, the transformation began rapidly. Everyone stared at the circr maic field in Mao''s hand. Havok leaned out and said, "What is that?"


    "That''s Saturn! Look! There''s even a Saturn ring!"


    "That big one should be Mercury. Didn''t we talk about itst time? Mercury is also a giant, right?"


    "That should be Earth, right? The one closest to Earth should be Mars?... My goodness, is this the Sr System?!"


    Finally, Mao slowly opened his hand, and as he did, the maic field flew into the air and then came to the center of the ssroom ceiling, gradually bingrger andrger until the entire Sr System appeared above the students'' heads.


    Everyone was dazzled by the sight, staring up at the countless celestial bodies rotating above them. When the light shone down, their eyes became especially bright.


    The mystery and beauty of space were undoubtedly highlighted at this moment. The starry sky was a timeless and beautiful fantasy of humanity, and when all the evolution was condensed into a moment of change, the charm that erupted from it made everyone immersed in it.


    Stark was the first to look away because he saw that Mao had another smaller maic field in his hand.


    It was the same fusion me forming a star, but this time, there were nos around the star. Instead, it grew bigger and bigger. Banner seized the opportunity to exin, "Watch carefully. This is the process of a star aging. After a star goes through its youth, it gradually bes a red giant star..."


    "Who can guess how many times bigger a red giant star is than a normal star?"


    "Ten times?... No, I guess it could be a hundred times!"


    "No, it''s far more than that. A red giant star will be billions of timesrger than a normal star."


    The students below eximed and discussed the enormous number of billions.


    Apanied by Banner''s exnation, Mao''s red giant star continued to change, followed by a white dwarf star and a neutron star.


    Then, the evolution regressed, and at a certain point in time, everything copsed inward. After a bright explosion, the entire maic field became pitch ck...


    The students were all stunned. Pris squinted her eyes and said, "The light is gone?"


    "Of course, we all saw it. It turned ck..."


    "What I mean is, something absorbed the light."


    "Exactly." Banner pointed at Pris and said, "That''s a ck hole. A ck hole will absorb all light, so you can''t see anything..."


    Stark also stared at the maic field in Mao''s hand. Mao remained silent, but everything he did made Stark and Banner, these two scientists, deeply aware of how powerful mutants could be.


    In the past, it was said that mutants had strong abilities, but in the eyes of scientists like Stark and Banner, technology could be stronger than them at a certain point. But now, Mao was telling them that it wasn''t mutants who needed space, but space needed mutants, and that Earth was just limiting his abilities.


    In an instant, the evolution of the gxy, everything in space, was in his hands.


    This kind of power was so powerful that it exceeded anyone''s imagination. Even these students, who were also mutants, could only stare at the space above their heads in amazement.


    The ss ended quickly. After all the teachers left the ssroom, the ssroom was quiet for a second, then suddenly erupted.


    No matter what stance, experience, or level of knowledge these students had, they were all pointing at the gxy above their heads, discussing it in a flurry of words.


    Mao disappeared as soon as he left the ssroom. Stark looked back, but Charles seemed used to it. He sighed and said, "Let''s go find the director of this show."


    Soon, they appeared in Arkham Sanatorium. Schiller was writing medical records with his head down. When he saw theming, he looked up and asked, "How did it go? Was it sessful? Are those students full of fighting spirit, ready to dive into the ocean of knowledge?"


    Stark shook his head and said, "Why do I have to be the bad guy? I think they all hate me now. If that girl Pris is as strong as her father, then maybe a ck hole will appear in my bedroom one day..."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on them. And Pris still has a long way to go to reach her father''s level." Charles shook his head.


    "To be honest..." Stark turned around and frowned at Charles, saying, "Isn''t that guy Mao a bit too strong? He can manipte nuclear fusion and create a sr system. Why is he still on Earth?"


    "He''s probably reached the point where he can directly control subatomic particles." Banner spected. "He can even create a sun without a molecr cloud and ignite nuclear fusion out of thin air. It''s... beyond imagination."


    "Eric is indeed very strong. He once told me that before he dies, he could even create aplete space."


    Charles looked at Schiller and said, "But as I said before, we don''t just represent myself now, we represent the group of people who stand with us."


    At this point, Stark suddenly realized something. He looked at Charles and said, "You and Mao are the two leaders of mutants. Does that mean you''re as strong as him?"


    Charles was about to be modest, but Schiller concluded, "If Professor Charles is willing, he can instantly modify the thoughts of all human beings, no, not just humans, perhaps including all intelligent life. As long as they can think, they can''t resist Professor Charles''s telepathy."


    "Then why are we going through so much trouble..."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "As I said before, we can''t rely on one or two individuals who are too powerful due to mutation for the hope of an entire civilization. That''s a dead end."


    Stark sighed and rxed his shoulders. He said, "I have to admit that mutants do have unique advantages. If you weren''t illiterate, it would be even better."


    "I''m more worried than you are, so I''m willing to lead mutants to help you as much as possible at this point. I just hope that knowledge can help mutants catch up with the next era as soon as possible, after all..."


    Charles looked up at the sky, as if he could see space through theyers of walls and atmosphere.


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 Chapter 341: S:Glorious Big Event (XXI)

    Chapter 341: S:Glorious Big Event (XXI)


    At this moment, on the new human space ship of the Kree, Venom and Spider-Man were arguing again.


    "You let go. I''ll operate the propulsion system, and you go handle the weapons system. The ignition of the engine must be done by me!" Venom roared at Spider-Man with his mouth wide open.


    "What do you know about space ships? This is a technological thing. You go to the armory, and I''ll pilot the ship in the control room..." Spider-Man pushed Venom to the side, and Venom didn''t dare to show weakness. The two of them were squeezing in front of the control panel.


    "Sometimes, it''s good to be illiterate." Green Thorn shrugged and said, "Anyway, I can''t understand all those control panels."


    "Don''t be like that. Don''t forget that your host is a child now. You need to educate her to learn more knowledge." Blue Spirit interrupted Green Thorn and said to Shadow, "You see, this is the importance of learning. If you learn all this knowledge, you can also pilot a space ship."


    "Really?" Shadow asked hesitantly, "But this looks soplicated. It shouldn''t be something that can be learned in a short time, right?"


    "Shadow,e here. I''ll teach you how to start the lighting system." Spider-Man said, and although Shadow''s tone was hesitant, her movements were very quick. She ran to the control panel in a sh.


    She rubbed her hands together and said excitedly, "Really? Can I use it too? Which button do I press?"


    "No, there are no buttons here. They use neural connections. Come, put your hand here..."Just then, a series of electric lights suddenly shed on the ground of the spaceship, and a yellow figure jumped up from the ground. Amplifier''s figure appeared, and he moved his neck a bit. Thor''s voice sounded, "I have to say, the energy pipeline here is quite suitable for walking. I just took a walk and found that the ship is in good condition. It may have juste out of the factory. We hit the jackpot."


    "When do they n toe up for inspection? If they have a sorcerer''s portal, this distance isn''t too far, or do we need to get closer?"


    "Don''t do that. I haven''t found the cloaking device yet." Peter''s voice sounded. "If an astronomer on Earth suddenly looks this way, it will be troublesome. We''re just going to move the car behind Pluto and let it block us."


    Green Thorn walked over and looked at the vast starry sky outside the ss window, as well as the Sun, which was far away. He said, "The natural conditions of the Sr System are really too superior. We''ve traveled through so many spaces, but we''ve never seen a ce so suitable for the development of civilization."


    "The Sun is of moderate age and very stable. Mercury is very close to the Sun and can be used as a forward base for energy development. Earth is in the most habitable zone, and there''s also the moon, a very stable satellite, which can be used for preliminary space experiments..."


    "When ites to developing interster colonization, Mars can also be useful. And here..." He looked at Neptune not far away and said, "A binary star system that is just the right distance away, a perfect space ship docking port, and a star harbor."


    "I have to wonder if there really is a creator who carefully crafted this ce. Compared to the Sr System, our old home is really harsh."


    Crystal''s voice sounded in her mind, "What is the Andromeda Gxy like? Does it also have a Sun?"


    "The center of the Andromeda Neb has many stars, but their age and position aren''t very good, and there are almost no habitables around them. The only better one is the binary star in the Sulphur Dwarf territory."


    "A binary star? Two Earth-likes?"


    Green Thorn sounded a bit helpless as he exined to Crystal, "If there were two Earth-likes there, they would have been attacked and conquered by other civilizations long ago. I''ve said it before, the habitability of Earth is beyond imagination. It can almost be a space greenhouse. Even your weak race can develop into aary civilization here..."


    "One of the binary stars in Sulphur Dwarf''s possession has a surface temperature of around 500 degrees, and the other one often has volcanic eruptions, but their atmosphere and gravity are suitable, so most of Sulphur Dwarf''s poption stays there."


    "However, the position of those two binary stars in space isn''t very good. They''re quite far from our core, and they''re a bit close to the other core of the Andromeda Neb, the supermassive ck hole."


    "Although that supermassive ck hole is stable for now, no one can say for sure if something unexpected will happen one day. Sulphur Dwarf has always wanted tounch a war to invade us there, also to help their mother move."


    At this point, Blue Spirit sighed and said, "As for Klyntar, don''t even mention it. It''s 20 times the size of Earth, and because its mass is toorge and it''s far from the star, its rotation and revolution are very slow, and the temperature is always below minus 1200 degrees. There''s no atmosphere, just aplete vacuum. Because its position is so bad, it has to endure more than 2,000 meteorites a year..."


    Crystal gasped and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Won''t people be killed by the meteorites?"


    "Thanks to our creator, who made us into a pile of mud." Blue Spirit said sarcastically, "Liquid creatures aren''t afraid of meteorites. Even if they''re hit, some of them can run out. Of course, there will also be a few unlucky ones who are wiped out of all their factors, but it doesn''t matter. They''ll just split again..."


    Crystal shook her head, feeling that the living environment of aliens was too dangerous.


    Just then, a portal opened up behind them in space, and Stark walked out first. He looked up and down at the environment inside the spaceship, and when Spider-Man saw him, he quickly greeted him toe and study the control panel together.


    Next came Strange and Loki, and finally Schiller, Nick, and Charles.


    Nick also looked up and down at the spaceship. Although it was the size of a satellite, in reality, the engine, weapons system, and warehouse took up more than half of the space, so the control room wasn''t very big.


    At this point, Schiller called everyone over and gave Nick a look. Nick took out a document from his pocket, cleared his throat, and read from it, "ording to the draft version of the Human Interster Transit Act, all items lost in the Milky Way Gxy and within 100 light years of the Milky Way Gxy, after 100,000 years of no one iming ownership, automatically belong to the Pan-Human Civilization, the only civilization in this gxy..."


    "After the human deration of ownership, any civilization that vites the property will be considered a deration of war against humanity, and humanity has the right to retaliate."


    Nick put away the document and looked at the brand new warship.


    "This warship is so damaged. It must have been lost for more than 100,000 years, right? Now I dere ownership. Who agrees, who disagrees?"


    Blue Spirit looked at the newly polished floor and the very bright interior lights of the warship and was speechless for a moment.


    "Okay, since this version of the bill is still a draft, the scope of objections and the time for public notice of the upation haven''t been specified. I''ll temporarily set it at 30 seconds... Okay, since no one has raised any objections, this is humanity''s inherent property."


    "Of course, in order to rify the ownership history of this part of inherent property, we need to conduct an investigation. Tony, can youe up with a design?"


    Schiller turned his head and called out to Stark. Stark didn''t even turn his head. He just pressed the operating system on his arm brace, and a small unmanned drone flew out of his armor and began to spray a design on the ground.


    The small unmanned drone drew a very strange design on the ground. It looked like it forcibly squeezed together the major tes of Earth. There were also patterns that looked like letters or Chinese characters on it, and the circle around the design had some Mayan Civilization decorations. The outermost thin circle still had some tribal pattern styles.


    "Oh, there''s a strange design here. Let me see... This looks very much like a design left by an ancient human civilization." Nick circled around the design a few times and said very confidently.


    "It looks like this spaceship was abandoned here by an ancient human civilization, so it''s only natural that we recover it. Okay, let''s erase this design and spray an Earth logo here."


    "Okay, the program isplete. Let''s take a look at our newest human spaceship."


    Several symbiotes plus Charles looked at the huge Earth logo sprayed in the center of the control room and fell silent.


    Obviously, their moral bottom line hadn''t been tested, so they couldn''t keep up with the times. But Nick and Schiller had already walked over to the control panel, and seeing that Stark had already started to operate those systems skillfully, Schiller said, "Does this thing have a root directory or something?"


    "There''s an identification system that''s a bit strange and different from what humans use. Let me see... Oh, here it is, the bottom-level protocol..."


    "Okay, then let''s engrave the name ''Glory 23'' that we discussed earlier in the bottom-level protocol."


    Stark operated for a while and said, "Okay, not only the bottom-level protocol, but all naming programs have been changed. The warship''s identification, shield shape, and hull pattern have all been changed to Earth."


    "How should we handle this spaceship?" Spider-Man turned his head to ask them.


    "I''ve found the control method for the cloaking device, so we canpletely drive it to near Earth. In that case, we can use it to transport materials to the Mercury base."


    Stark pped the control panel and said, "We don''t need the portal anymore. Look, it''s another victory for technology."


    "What about energy? Thor found the engine and energy pipeline, but their energy supply device seems to be matched with thatrgeary warship, using hull ting outer conduction." Spider-Man asked.


    "I just saw it. In fact, this is even easier. The so-called deck conduction is to fly this warship into theirrge spaceship, and then use energy field radiation on its deck to charge it."


    "That means we just need to park this spaceship near the Sun, and it can charge itself."


    "Asgard''s spaceship uses simr technology, which can ensure that non-technical personnel can easily operate this warship when technical personnel are reduced."


    "Very normal. The ultimate goal of technological development is simplification and intelligence. If any normal little student can operate this spaceship, then the threshold for selecting astronauts can be lowered to the minimum."


    "Okay, let''s drive it back and continue to prepare for the Mercury base."


    "By the way, since you''ve seen the power of Mao, let''s prepare to show the Kree the true glory."


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 Chapter 342: S:Glorious Big Event (XXII)

    Chapter 342: S:Glorious Big Event (XXII)


    Near the edge of the Centaurus Arm of the Milky Way Gxy, close to the Dark on the edge of a star system, a fleet consisting of three escort ships was sailing slowly. In the control room of the fleet''s gship, the blue-skinned captain was chatting with his first mate.


    "This is really strange. How could there be car thieves in such a remote ce? I heard that the only civilization nearby is the human civilization on Earth. Could it be that they stole our spaceship?" The first mate asked with great doubt.


    "Impossible." The captain shook his head very firmly. He said, "You don''t understand human civilization. They are still a group of low-level civilizations that stay on the surface ofs. They are just lucky to be born on a that is rich, so they can survive in space. They don''t even have the ability to navigate in space, so how could theye and steal our spaceship?"


    The first mate nodded and said, "Yes, that''s right. Then who could it be?"


    "There are plenty of thieves in space. Don''t you remember the group of space pirates we encountered on the edge of the Broken Dimensionst time? Maybe it was them."


    The captain''s tone was a bit angry and disdainful. He continued, "The other party must have done this just to mess with us. Their target may not be just a small escort ship."


    "After all, a person who can urately locate us in deep space, judge the status of our spaceship, observe our patrol route here, and then attack us, must be an interster civilization that can navigate in deep space."


    "If they don''t have their own spaceship, how could theye here? Since they have their own spaceship, why would they steal our escort ship? They just want to provoke us because they see that our fleet is not in good shape."


    The first mate nodded in agreement. The captain''s logic was correct. This was a very remote star system with no local civilization and no resources to be mined, equivalent to a desert in space.In the eyes of the Kree, the only reason why other forces would appear here was to chase after the Kree fleet. And these forces all had the ability to navigate in deep space and chase after the Kree fleet, so even if their level was not as high as that of the Kree Empire, it was not much worse. They must have their own spaceship.


    The highest-end technology of the Kree was theirary warship. Most of the resources of their civilization were tilted towards this huge warship, so the technology used by the escort ship was not advanced.


    In previous years, many escort ships had been lost, and there were people selling parts of these ships on the ck market. But most of the buyers of these things were low-level civilizations that had some difficulty in traveling within the gxy. High-level civilizations had no use for these basic spaceship parts.


    But he didn''t know that the magic technology developed by the human Mystic Side was also unique in space.


    Although humans themselves did not have the ability to use magic, their powers were all "borrowed" from the Space Gods. But whether it was mysticism or science, humans had endless pursuits in developing technology and improving productivity.


    The captain stood up from his chair and walked to the window. The first mate followed him. Just as he turned around, he saw a spaceship suddenly appear outside the window on the other side...


    "General! What is that??? How did the winged ship fly here?... Wait! No! That''s the enemy!! Alert! Quick alert!!"


    But before he could finish his words, the golden Thor enveloped the entire spaceship, and in an instant, allmunication signals were cut off.


    With a "sizzle," a portal opened in mid-air, and a green-haired woman flew out of it. She waved her hand, and all the metal in the control room rose up.


    The captain and the first mate raised their guns to shoot at her in the moment of the incident, but the dancing metal blocked their view, and Pris, who was slowlynding, clenched her fist fiercely. Their metal helmets directly crushed their heads into minced meat.


    Pris didn''t even look at their bodies. She turned around, and with a "bang," the door in front of her opened, and more Kree guards rushed in.


    In the moment when the weapon energy poured out, Pris stretched out her hands. With her movement, all the energy condensed in mid-air, and then she waved her hand forward. The whirlwind of the maic field swept back all the weapon energy. In an instant, the Kree''s limbs were like being flushed into a drain, all rushing back into the corridor.


    The ring rm lights in the spaceship shone on Pris''s face. She was not moved by the bloody scene in front of her, but walked out expressionlessly. Kree guards appeared at the end of the corridor, but they were no match for Pris.


    The Kree were also ordinary carbon-based life forms, and they did not follow the route of physical enhancement. They had weak individualbat capabilities and mainly relied on weapons. Their armor was made of special metals that could resist very violent impacts. Most of the weapons in their hands wereser beams and electromaic guns. With the appearance of the words "metal," ser," and "electromaic," it was easy to see that Pris had a four-fold restraint against the Kree.


    The same thing was happening on the other two spaceships. The main attackers were mutants like Pris and Iceman, who could move quickly but not cause too much damage.


    The whole process was very fast,sting only a few tens of seconds from the start to the end. After it was over, the fleet was intercepted and stopped near the gravitational field of the Dark.


    "Their individualbat capabilities are not strong, mainly relying on weapons. Their armor is made of special metals that can resist very violent impacts, and most of the weapons in their hands areser beams and electromaic guns. With the appearance of the words ''metal,'' ser,'' and ''electromaic,'' it is easy to see that Pris has a four-fold restraint against the Kree.


    The same thing was happening on the other two spaceships. The main attackers were mutants like Pris and Iceman, who could move quickly but not cause too much damage.


    The whole process was very fast,sting only a few tens of seconds from the start to the end. After it was over, the fleet was intercepted and stopped near the gravitational field of the Dark.


    At the same time, another fleet, which looked exactly like the Kree fleet, set off slowly from a more forward position.


    On the satellite of the Dark, Strange and several sorcerers were busy confirming. He turned to the female sorcerer in the dark blue robe behind him and asked, ''How stable is the ''Aikin Form''? You must ensure that there will be no illusion fluctuations during the fleet''s return...''


    ''Don''t worry, Aikin Form is the most realistic of all illusion magic. When we divide ourselves based on ourselves, we can even simte all our strength and imitate things without life, and the uracy will be higher.''


    Strange nodded. He focused on maintaining the magic light in his hand, while the other male sorcerer kept instructing him, ''Illusion magic is a very powerful type of Kamar-Taj magic. The illusions we create are not just illusions, but another level of reality...''


    ''The illusions you have seen before are somewhat illusory mainly because the energy is not enough. Now that we have enough energy, the power that illusion magic can exert has been maximized...''


    ''Pay attention! You must concentrate your attention and believe that everything you create is real...''


    Strange closed his eyes and frowned. The magic light in his hand became brighter and brighter. After a while, he opened his eyes and said to Venom, who was standing opposite him with a camera, ''Can you stand aside? You''re disturbing my magic practice, you know?''


    ''S.H.I.E.L.D. is broadcasting live, and I am the photographer they hired. I have to be professional...''


    ''Oh, for heaven''s sake, why don''t you go shoot those spaceships?''


    ''Of course, because the actions of those spaceships have already been repeated once, and I haven''t filmed your magic practice scene yet.''


    Strange sighed, and as the camera zoomed in, you could see the helplessness on his face. Sitting in the S.H.I.E.L.D. control room, Nick said, ''Magic is really a magical thing. It can simte an identical fleet. This crazy n is really about to seed.''


    ''I said before that this is a n with a very high sess rate.'' Schiller picked up his water ss and took a sip. ''Simple, but effective.''


    When humans learned that a Kree fleet was staying on the edge of the Milky Way Gxy, the first thing they thought about was what benefits it could bring to humans. The most valuable asset in this fleet was, of course, the warship.


    But as Loki said, that bigary warship was a bit beyond human appetite, and the cost of getting it would be greater than the reward.


    Although several people''s moral bottom line had been tested for a long time, they were greedy but very rational. They decisively gave up that big guy and turned to target these small escort ships.


    The mutants and symbiotes were fortunate to have obtained an escort ship, which also facilitated their n going forward.


    This n, whether in theory or execution, was actually very simple, and relied more on the unique advantages of various human forces. Although the mutants and symbiotes had stolen an escort ship, repeating this method would not be able to obtain all the escort ships, just like if something was ced in one ce and stolen, it would definitely be moved to another ce the next day.


    If we forcibly "steal" all three escort ships of a patrol team using this method, themander of theary warship will definitely notice that something is wrong if the patrol escort ships do not return to their positions. They will not send out escort ships for patrol again, which means that this trick can only be used once. If they want to steal again, they will have to take the risk of getting closer to theary warship.


    However, humans have the sorcerer group, and sorcerers have a bunch of generous clients. With sufficient energy and mature technology, there are too many loopholes to exploit.


    Each Kree individual is monitored by the Supreme Intelligence, and all their behavioral logic is actually formted by the Supreme Intelligence. The fleet''s operating mode is the same.


    The ns formted by intelligent life have many advantages, such as maximizing efficiency and stable operation, but also have disadvantages, such as being rtively rigid...


    The Kreemander''s authority is not high, so he cannot make on-the-spot adjustments to the current situation of the fleet. After losing a small escort ship unexpectedly, the patrol order remained unchanged, so they still had three escort ships as a team patrolling in the gxy.


    Earth''s scientists calcted a safest location based on their patrol route, which was the Dark.


    When the Kree escort ship fleet entered the vicinity of the Dark, the human side wouldunch a strong attack, with arge number of mutants and symbiotes cooperating to attack the escort ships, striving toplete the battle in a very short time.


    At the moment when the real fleet was taken down, the illusionary warship created by Earth sorcerers using the "Aikin Form" illusion magic would leave the gravitational belt of the Dark as usual.


    When these illusory ships flew back to theary warship, there was still a buffer time. The returning warship did not immediately fly back to theary warship to replenish supplies, but had to stay in space for a period of time until the previous warshippleted charging before it could enter. In this way, the time for exposure was greatly reduced.


    During the time from the first illusionary warship returning to its position to entering theary warship for charging, two other fleets would set off for patrol, and even if the illusionary warship dyed for a while, it could wait for the third fleet to set off.


    In this way, without realizing it, nine Kree warships had already been reced. Coupled with the one obtained by the symbiotes and mutants before, the target of ten warships had been achieved, and these ten warships could already be formed into a fully equipped Space fleet.


    After thest warship returned to its position, Schiller pped his hands and said, "Okay, Glory 23 to Glory 13 have all returned to the embrace of Mother Earth. Let''s celebrate."


    "We''ll talk about celebratingter. I''ve been wanting to ask, it''s okay for the name to be Glorious, but why count down from 23?" Stark asked.


    "Because they have 23 escort ships, don''t they?" Schiller said very naturally. "They all look exactly the same. Haven''t we already verified that before? That''s a legacy left by human ancient civilization, and we should inherit it."


    "Now, we have only recovered 10. If the remaining 13 are destroyed due to some force majeure, the culprit for all this is the Kree, so they mustpensate us..."


    "So, the Kree owe us 13 ships???"


    Schiller walked up and shook hands with Stark, saying sincerely, "Stark, the greatest interster mathematician of humanity, has proposed the first theorem of human spaceship rate today..."


    Stark covered his eyes and said, "I really overestimated you guys."


    Schiller and Nick looked at each other, and Nick said, "If it weren''t for that big guy in the middle looking so different, we would have wanted to make it part of the legacy that we should inherit..."


    "Why don''t you just say that the Kree civilization is all the legacy that humans should inherit..."


    Upon hearing this, Nick and Schiller apuded while shaking their heads. Nick walked up and shook hands with Stark, saying sincerely, "Stark, the greatest interster jurist of humanity, has proposed the inheritancew of human civilization today..."


    Stark had a speechless expression on his face. At this moment, Iceman pushed Charles''s wheelchair in, and Charles spoke up, "Erik is ready."


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 Chapter 343: S:Glorious Big Event (XXIII)

    Chapter 343: S:Glorious Big Event (XXIII)


    At this moment, inside the secret meeting room of the World Security Council, arger screen surrounded the semi-circr seats, and the images on it were somewhat strange. In the center of the screen was a huge fireball, and it was obvious that the image had undergone some special processing to reveal the true face of the star.


    If you look closely, there is a small ck dot in the upper right corner of the star, which is the Kreeary warship. Although theary warship is asrge as a whole, it is still insignificantpared to the huge star. At this moment, the Kreeary warship was squatting next to the Sun, sucking its energy.


    Due to the huge difference in size, this scene was more like a mosquito sucking on a coconut. When the entire screen was filled with the image of the star, the Kreeary warship had be so small that it was almost invisible. If it weren''t for a red frame specially marking its position, the dignitaries on the seats would not have been able to see the existence of the warship.


    Previously, they had seen a close-up of thisary warship, and in that picture, theary warship appeared incredibly huge, terrifying, and oppressive. However,pared to the natural wonders of space, it was still very small. Although this no longer brought such a strong sense of oppression to the audience, it brought them a deeper sense of despair. Even if a civilization was as advanced as the Kree,pared to the burning star, it was still as small as a grain of sand. This was the current situation of the interster society, and no matter how powerful a civilization was, it would eventually be destroyed in space disasters.


    But now, humanity couldn''t even be considered a grain of sand. Even a slightly stronger sea breeze could extinguish the fire of civilization. At this moment, although everyone''s thoughts were different and no one''s position waspletely consistent, they all had to temporarily put themselves in the perspective of human civilization to consider the problem. Because if they were to distinguish between countries and forces at this time, they would be even weaker and on the verge of copse.


    When the game map was still limited to Earth, the struggle between countries and forces was thrilling. But when the territory was expanded to the entire space, no one cared about what happened on a small star. Many of the representatives'' eyes nced at S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and SPEAR Director Zheng Xian. It could be foreseen that these two departments would gain greater power in the future.


    Just as they were thinking about the future direction of development, another red frame suddenly appeared on the screen, but it seemed like there was nothing inside. At this point, the director seemed to have noticed that it was an invalid reminder, so he had to zoom in on the screen. In the endless mes of the star, a small ck dot kept getting bigger.


    The camera zoomed in infinitely until it focused on his face. Suddenly, there was a fierce discussion in the meeting room because the central figure in the picture was a face that no one wanted to see - Mao.


    His expression was still very indifferent, with his mouth and eyebrows like two underlines. He pursed his lips and said nothing, but lowered his head slightly and dusted off his gloves. The particles of the Sun surrounded him, but could not touch his clothes. In the endless mes of the star, his ck cloak fluttered in the wind like a praying mantis or a cicada shaking a tree. This scene shocked everyone present.Mao slowly closed his eyes, then opened his arms and floated up. He then fell down, almostpletely merging into the Sun. The particles began to vibrate continuously, and the mes of the storm became stronger. In a short moment, all the mes on the Sun condensed. The image on the screen seemed to suddenly pause, and if it weren''t for the Kree warship still slowly rotating in the distance, the audience would have thought that there was a problem with the broadcast.


    But the signal was not cut off, and everything was really happening. In that instant, the Sun stopped, and all the mes, particles, storms, and energy stopped. An invisible position froze the Sun and began to copse inward, and the maic field tightened more and more. The entire star was like being held by an invisible hand.


    "This seems different from what we expected?" Nick squinted in the S.H.I.E.L.D. office and said, "Shouldn''t the supernova explosion process start from the center?"


    Stark shook his head and said, "Do you know why a bomb needs a shell? It''s not just for storing gunpowder, but also to enhance the power of the bomb."


    With Stark''s description, a more intuitive change began. The particles on the surface of the Sun began to gradually disperse, and the entire sphere becamerger andrger, seeming to be aging rapidly. The Kreeary warship finally reacted and they immediately wanted to leave.


    At this point, Schillermented, "It seems that Mao is still a tactical master. He first used this slow change to deceive the Kreemander, making him think that the Sun would not immediately have a problem, giving him enough time to think about what happened to the star. Maybe he even wanted to investigate it..."


    As Schiller said, theary warship did not immediately use all the remaining energy to forcibly start the engine and begin the jump. Instead, it slowly retreated a distance in space, as if it wanted to observe from a distance what changes had urred on the star.


    This cannot be med on them for letting their guard down, because they had already conducted extremely detailed investigations of this star before mining energy. Although this star was not in its prime, it was still stable, and there could be no changes for at least hundreds of thousands of years.


    The more developed a civilization is, the more confident it is in the data it has investigated. Therefore, the Kree''s first reaction was not that the Sun was going to explode, but that there was a problem with their energy extraction method, which caused the Sun to change. So their first reaction was not to run away, but to step back and see what was going on.


    It''s like when a person is using a microwave oven and hears a click, their first reaction is, "Did I heat something wrong, causing the microwave to break?"...


    The measures taken are definitely not to run away, but to step back and observe, and maybe even go up and pat the microwave.


    But just as theary warship observed for a while without any results and was about to go up and pat the star to see what was wrong, in a unit of time that humans cannot perceive, the star suddenly erupted with a huge gravitational force, attracting everything around it.


    In a short moment, this terrible gravity broke through the limit that theary warship''s anti-gravity device could maintain, and thisary warship, which was very small in front of the star, fell towards the Sun at a terrifying speed.


    Suddenly, this terrible gravity disappeared.


    The star exploded.


    On the huge screen, the circr fireball first surged with a wave of orange waves, followed by white gradually covering the entire sphere. Then, several dazzling star rings spread out around the sphere, covering the entire elliptical area around the star.


    These star rings began to vibrate continuously, and then at a certain moment, they bloomed into brilliant fireworks.


    What humans can observe with their naked eyes is very scarce. The processes of various particles interacting with each other cannot be seen by carbon-based organisms at all.


    But what they can see is a brilliant fireworks disy that spreads throughout the entire gxy, erupting from this huge star. The endless brilliancepletely illuminates the dark space.


    No one cares anymore about where the smallary warship was destroyed in which wave of energy explosion. This kind of brilliant light makes everyone dizzy and unable to extricate themselves. This is a brilliance that no painting can depict, and the known colors in this world are not enough to express the splendor of this moment.


    And at this moment, people found that there seemed to be a small ck dot on the screen, standing still since the change in the Sun, without moving.


    This ck dot was as quiet as a speck of dust on the surface of the screen, appearing even more abrupt in this brilliant light. Some viewers even wanted to wipe the screen, but soon they found out that it was not dust, but a person.


    It was someone they didn''t want to think about or dare to think about.


    Mao stood in the aftermath of the Sun''s explosion, wave after wave of huge energy swept past him, but not a single strand could touch his clothes. An invisible position always surrounded him, letting him stand closest to the hottest energy core, watching this brilliant scene more closely than anyone else, but he remained silent.


    Pris also stood in the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, looking at the screen in front of her, her face illuminated by the firelight. When everyone was frozen, looking at the screen, she lowered her head slightly and looked at her own hands, as if thinking about something.


    Then, she looked at Charles as if they had a telepathic connection. Charles was also looking at her and nodded slowly.


    Pris looked back at the screen. The brightness of the explosion did not weaken, but became stronger and stronger. The brightness of the supernova explosion would be brighter and brighter in the next few days.


    Undoubtedly, this was a supernova explosion that could be observed by humans, because in the next few days, its brightness would be enough to cross billions of light-years...


    In the two conference rooms, everyone who saw this scene was silent, as if still immersed in the shock.


    But that small ck dot seemed to have no mood to enjoy the scenery. In a moment that no one noticed, he disappeared, just like he had disappeared in the center of the battlefield countless times.


    "I think now, the people in the other venue should have a lot of questions and fears," Nick said slowly, looking at the screen.


    "I guess they should want to ask a question, but it''s really a stupid question - ''Why doesn''t Mao destroy Earth?''" Schiller continued, "It''s better to ask why he wants to destroy Earth?"


    "Perhaps, on the day when mutants arepletely extinct, he will..."


    "No, he won''t," Charles interrupted Nick''s spection, shaking his head. "He won''t destroy Earth. If mutants really are going to die out, he will turn everyone into mutants."


    "You can think of him as a madman, but he really loves this, more than any of you," Charles sighed, his tone bing low, as if he were reading a storybook.


    The cold light in the office dimmed, and only the low voice echoed.


    "Many years ago, when I first met him, I thought he was a very lonely person. He rarelymunicated with others and didn''t like to participate in any lively asions."


    "At that time, I felt that as his friend, I had an obligation to pull him out of this loneliness, butter, I found out that he was not actually lonely."


    "Because he was born with the ability to sense maic fields, his best friend is the beneath his feet."


    "Erik is like living in the blood vessels of Earth, able to listen to the''s whispers through his special maic talent."


    "Their maic fields merge into one, and this is his parents, friends, and lovers, beating with him and pulsing together."


    "As his abilities grew stronger, he had more and more friends."


    s, stars, ck holes... everything in space has a unique maic field, which is theirnguage, and Erik, he is the listener of all the voices in space. Only he can hear the singing of these celestial bodies..."


    Finally, with the screen turning off, Charles'' voice faded away with a sigh.


    "This is Mao, a son of space who is not alone."


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 Chapter 344: S:Glorious Big Event (XXIV)

    Chapter 344: S:Glorious Big Event (XXIV)


    "I found that human civilization seems to be really lucky. We were not only born on such a habitable, but whenever we encounter any trouble, there always seems to be a suitable solution that allows us to solve the problem." Stark said while debugging equipment in the Starkb.


    "Perhaps humans are luckier than you think." Schiller said while writing medical records. Stark looked up at him and Schiller asked, "For example, what do you want to do most now?"


    Before Stark could speak, Schiller said, "I guess you must want to go and see the remains of theary warship that was destroyed by the star explosion."


    Stark waved his hand and said, "No scientist can refuse this opportunity. Actually, I think its wreckage is more valuable than theplete ship because after those energies turn all the less sturdy parts into ashes, I can see the overall support structure of theary warship."


    "To manufacture such arge warship, it is difficult to ovee the gravity problem alone. Without a good support structure, it is impossible to operate."


    "Many people think that the anti-gravity system and propulsion are the key parts, but for me, as long as there is enough energy, this part is easy to solve. What has been bothering me is actually the most basic structural problem."


    "Just like your mech suit?"


    Stark raised his eyebrows and looked at Schiller in surprise, saying, "You finally know how to do more than just change light bulbs?"


    Then he lowered his head and said while writing, "Yes, sometimes I wish my limbs could change shape to adapt to my mech suit and unleash more functions.""After the structure and appearance are fixed, how to arrange the internal structure to maximize efficiency is a very important issue. Even if this warship is as big as a, there are more things to be put in it. I really want to know what structure it uses to achieve this idea."


    "Unfortunately, it may be a long time before we can go up and see it. After all, even if my mech suit can resist some radiation, the temperature up there is deadly."


    "So I said, humans are luckier than you think. Isn''t it a coincidence? Just when a mutant of Omega level, whose ability is to ignore physical rules and rbine molecules into ice, appeared after Mao blew up the star..."


    "And even more coincidentally, he has a very good reference object."


    Stark thought for a moment and said thoughtfully, "Dense ice?"


    "Yes, just yesterday, Banner told me that under his exnation, Iceman Bobby has made great progress. Not only can hey ice blocks under other people''s feet, but he can also use the principle of water molecules to instantly cool an area. It is non-toxic, harmless, and has no side effects. It is convenient, efficient, and sustainable."


    Stark rubbed his chin and said with some doubts, "It seems that after Mao blew up the star, those mutant students worked harder. What happened to them? Did they suddenly have an epiphany?"


    "Perhaps Mao let them see that the future of mutants is not only on Earth." Schiller closed the medical record book and put it aside.


    Pris took her hand off the textbook, stood up from the chair, and moved her stiff shoulders and neck a bit. Havok leaned over and asked her, "Have you finished your homework? Why are you so fast?"


    "Because this is a physics homework, and it''s about maic electricity." Pris reached out her hand, and between her fingers, there were crackling electric lights.


    She turned her palm over and looked at her hand, saying, "It''s quite interesting, isn''t it?"


    "Well, I said why your sweater always sheds so much recently. Can''t you stay away from this kind of woolen fabric before ying with electricity?"


    Pris retracted her hand and looked at her clothes, which was a dark gray sweater. At this time, the fluff on it stood up, making her look like a hedgehog.


    At this moment, Iceman walked in with his phone. Pris asked him, "You just ran out with your phone. What happened? Who called you?"


    "I have a new mission. I have to take people to theary warship that was destroyed by the star explosion and only has a little wreckage left. Anyway, it''s their group of scientists going for exploration. I''m just responsible for clearing the way."


    When Pris heard Iceman say this, her expression was a bit hesitant. Havok looked at his face and said, "You don''t want to go, do you? You''re not Mao, and you can''t turn ice to cool yourself..."


    "Well, if you want to go, I can take you there. After all, protecting one person and protecting a few people is not much different."


    "Pris, Professor Charles is looking for you. It seems there is a new task." Blink suddenly appeared next to them, and Pris nodded and left. When she arrived at Professor X''s office, Charles was already waiting for her.


    "Lorna, there is a new topic here, which is your extra homework." Charles handed a stack of documents to Pris. After she opened it, she asked in confusion, "ck hole? We haven''t learned this yet, have we?"


    "That''s why it''s extra homework. I believe you have the ability toplete it. After all, you are also a controller of maism."


    Pris lowered her eyelids and looked down at her toes. She then said, "I tried it yesterday..."


    "What did you try?"


    "Just like him in the ssroom that day, I tried to create a Sun..."


    "Did you seed?"


    Pris shook her head and said, "No, I have no idea how to ignite that kind of me, and every time I want to try, I quickly run out of energy. My energy is not enough to support me to do such things."


    "In fact, I think you don''t have to explore it so hard. Why don''t you ask your father if there are any techniques in this? "


    Pris turned her head, seeming unwilling to speak. Schiller said, "I know you still resent him for abandoning you and your mother back then. Wanda and Quicksilver also care about this. Even though I am Erik''s friend, I have to admit that he is not a good husband or father..."


    "But recently, a friend of mine gave me a new idea. If you treat him as a mental patient, you will think he is not bad. My friend is a psychology professor, and he thinks Erik may have Asperger''s syndrome."


    "Maybe that''s why he is so obsessed with his mutant beliefs. But I think you should still ask him for advice. After all, he is still your father."


    "What is that?"


    "In simple terms, it means the inability to empathize with others'' emotions, social difficulties, stereotyped behavior, limited interests..."


    Pris covered her forehead and said, "It really sounds like him."...


    "By thinking this way, do you feel that he seems to be okay with you?"


    Pris pursed her lips for a while and said, "What do you think I should do... I mean..."


    She sighed and said, "Okay, I admit that his actions that day shocked me a lot. I never thought that maism is such a powerful ability."


    "In this way, he was already good enough to Scarlet Witch and her brother by not killing them." Pris said sarcastically.


    "Don''t be like this, Lorna. They are your brother and sister."


    "Okay, I''ll go ask him, but I think, as usual, no matter what I say, he won''t listen."


    After Pris left, Charles shook his head and then made a phone call. Soon, Quicksilver appeared in his office and said, "Professor, did you call me?"


    "Yes, I want to ask, where did your sister go? Last time you said she wasn''t on Earth?"


    "Oh, she wasn''t in a good mental state before, and she seemed to have nightmares frequently. Then one day, she left in a hurry, as if someone called her."


    Seeing Charles'' worried expression, Quicksilverforted him, "It''s okay, Professor. Wanda is very strong. Even if there is any danger, she can definitelye back."


    "Okay, you can go back first."


    The next day, Pris appeared in front of her desk holding a Christmas crystal ball. She put down her backpack and carefully ced the crystal ball on the table. Havok saw the crystal ball and asked in confusion, "What is this? Who gave it to you? It''s not even Christmas yet."


    "Never mind." Pris sat down in her seat and picked up the crystal ball.


    The crystal ball was a bit strange because it was neither a snowy Christmas house nor a reindeer sculpture, but a strange little ck dot.


    Havok leaned over, trying to see what the little ck dot was. Iceman also looked curiously. Pris murmured to herself while holding the crystal ball, "In theory, it should be like this..."


    Just as she was about to exert force, Quicksilver rushed into the ssroom at his usual jogging speed. In the past, he should have disappeared in an instant, but this time, with a "bang," he fell to the ground and then screamed in pain.


    The three people in the front row looked down at him. Pris looked at the crystal ball in her hand and showed a happy expression, saying, "I didn''t expect that a ck hole could have this effect."


    "Is that a ck hole?" Havok asked incredulously. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and said, "Did your father give this to you?"


    Pris didn''t answer, but once again drove her maic power. Quicksilver, who had just stood up and was about to run out, was like a dog with its tail pulled, kicking his legs and unable to move.


    Prisughed happily, but Quicksilver couldn''tugh.


    After that, Pris took the research tool that Mao gave her, an extremely small ck hole, and yed with Quicksilver every day.


    She could slightly stimte the gravity of the ck hole with her maic power, and the gravity of the ck hole could hold Quicksilver who was running. Pris and her brother had always disliked each other, and they had fought several times in the past few days, but in the end, Pris won because Quicksilver had no powerful attack methods other than speed...


    On this day, Pris was still pressing Quicksilver to the ground with the crystal ball, but just as she was about to activate the crystal ball again, a woman''s voice came, "Stop."


    Instantly, the maic field that the crystal ball had just stimted was suppressed back, and Pris quickly adjusted the chaotic maic field around her to prevent it from exploding.


    A Scarlet Witch woman walked out of a crack, surrounded by misty magic power. Pris looked at her and said, "Wanda?"


    Quicksilver got up from the ground, spat out some grass from his mouth, and Wanda nced at Pris, but apparently didn''t intend to argue with her sister, because she knew that if Pris really wanted to hurt Quicksilver, Quicksilver would not only be pressed to the ground.


    Wanda patted Quicksilver''s shoulder and said, "Take me to Sanctum Sanctorum."


    "Sanctum Sanctorum, where is that?"


    "How do I know, but it must be somewhere on Earth."


    "Wanda, you''re back?" Charles appeared on the yground pushing his wheelchair, and Wanda nodded and said, "Good morning, Professor. Do you know where Sanctum Sanctorum is?"


    "Sanctum Sanctorum? I heard Strange mention it. It seems to be on Wall Street. What are you going to do in Sanctum Sanctorum?"


    "Sorry, I''m in a hurry. I''ll exin it to you when Ie back. Quicksilver, let''s go."


    Quicksilver picked up Wanda, and in an instant, they both disappeared.


    In Sanctum Sanctorum, Strange was looking at a form when suddenly, a shadow slid past him with a "whoosh."


    Strange turned around in ce, but didn''t see anything. Then he turned around and saw a man and a woman standing behind him.


    He was about to say something, but Wanda raised her hand to stop him and said, "Hello, are you the Supreme Sorcerer Strange?"


    "I am Strange, but I am not the Supreme Sorcerer."


    "Well, that''s right. Listen, there is a demon named Chthon who asked me toe to Sanctum Sanctorum to ask you a question..."


    "What question?"


    "The chaotic power of the Space origin has been lost very severely recently. Do you have any clues?"


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 Chapter 345: S:Glorious Big Event (XXV)

    Chapter 345: S:Glorious Big Event (XXV)


    "Sulphur Dwarf has dered war on the Andromeda Union civilization!"


    Shadow rushed into Charles''s office, her mouth emitting the voice of Blue Spirit. Green Thorn followed closely behind. Charles was talking to Wanda and Quicksilver when he turned to hear what Shadow had to say.


    Blue Spirit''s voice appeared as a blue slime covered Shadow''s body. He spoke in a very low tone, "Just now, we receivedmunication from our fellow symbiotes. Sulphur Dwarf destroyed a on the edge of the Great Neb belonging to the Andromeda Union civilization and has assembled a fleet that is now invading!"


    "What''s going on?" Charles frowned. "You said the situation was stable before. Why are they starting a war now?"


    Blue Spirit sighed and said, "ording to my fellow symbiotes, a special power has appeared around Klyntar recently, surrounding the entire and preventing all symbiotes from leaving. Sulphur Dwarf may be taking advantage of this situation to defeat the Andromeda Union civilization while they are unable to receive support from the symbiotes."


    "Special power?" Charles was a bit confused. He didn''t know much about Mystic Side things, so he said, "We probably need to find Strange for this. Quicksilver, go get Blink and take these symbiotes to Sanctum Sanctorum..."


    Wanda raised her hand and said, "I''ll go too, and while I''m there, I''ll ask about the progress on thatst issue."


    "The next time hees, you tell me, and I promise he won''t be able to harass you in your dreams again." Charles walked over and patted Wanda''s arm. "Don''t worry, he can''t hurt you."


    "Actually, even if hees into my dreams, he can''t hurt me. He''s just a bit annoying," Wanda sighed. "He''s really ugly-looking. Every time I see him in my dreams, I feel like I''m having a nightmare.""I told you not to get involved with these demons," Quicksilver shook his head in strong disagreement. But Wanda said, "The chaos power he lent me is really useful, and all I have to do is run errands for him. It''s just that he''s been pushing me too hardtely, and I''m getting a bit annoyed."


    "Okay, let''s go." Wanda pulled Quicksilver''s arm.


    The group quickly arrived at Sanctum Sanctorum with the symbiotes. Schiller, Nick, Stark, Strange, and Loki were all there, discussing how to maximize the use of the Glorious Fleet.


    Stark''s view was mainly to use unmanned drones and his intelligent mechs to control the spacecraft, which would minimize the requirements for astronauts. The focus would be on studying the spacecraft itself, without making too many changes, while also beginning to independently manufacture spacecraft.


    Strange, on the other hand, felt that the fleet should be magically transformed, as magic technology was one of humanity''s strengths and could be used to target civilizations that only had technological power.


    [ShaneFreak: Here, Loki is referred to with feminine pronouns in raws.]


    Loki believed that the focus should be on firepower coverage, like Asgard''s fleet. More is better, and bigger is more beautiful.


    Loki was now very close to humans because she was also a shareholder and sales representative of Sanctum Sanctorum, a senior partner. The better Sanctum Sanctorum developed, the greater her say in Asgard, and they would rise and fall together.


    In addition, she and Strange got along well and cooperated happily, so she was willing to give advice in many areas.


    When the mutants and symbiotes came in, it was Loki''s turn to speak. She said, "I think you canbine the weapon systems of these ten warships to build a giant weapon. This can not only be used to attack the enemy, but also to facilitate mining on surroundings."


    "Don''t underestimate the ability to mine and excavate. This is the foundation of a civilization. Even Asgard''s powerful weapons like the Rainbow Bridge are often used to breaks and mine rare metals in space."


    Stark agreed with her and nodded, "Indeed, there are so many resources avable for mining in the Milky Way Gxy. It doesn''t make sense to leave them unused. The road to improving human basic science is very long, so we should umte resources first..."


    Strange felt that this was a bit wasteful and said, "I think you don''t need ten spacecraft. Can''t you give us two to conduct experiments? Technology and magic are equally important, and we don''t even need half of them, which is already pretty good."


    "But you have toe up with a rigorous n to exin what kind of thinking you will use to transform these spacecraft. This is a necessary procedure."


    Strange stood with his arms crossed, helpless. "Do you expect those big sorcerers to draw engineering diagrams for you? That''s how magic is. We can''t describe it in very clearnguage..."


    The two of them were deadlocked for a while, and in the end, Nick mediated. He said to Strange, "Even if you can''te up with aplete process, you should at least tell us the approximate effect."


    Then he turned to Stark and said, "Since we''re going down the path ofbining technology and magic, it''s a bit unfair not to give you one. Let me decide. I''ll give Kamar-Taj one spacecraft for preliminary experiments. If they can''t do it, this one will be handed over to you personally. Is that okay?"


    Stark thought for a moment and nodded.


    "What about SPEAR and other national security agencies?" Schiller turned to Nick and asked. Nick sighed and said, "The information I received from SPEAR is that the Eastern countries are more concerned about spacecraft engines. As you know, they have a deeper understanding of nuclear fusion..."


    "A few Far Eastern countries have joined forces and are working hard to ovee this technology. They are expected to produce preliminary results in the next few months. Europe is more advanced in the study and observation of Space ecology, and they n to specialize in this area."


    "As for us, we naturally focus on structure and materials. Oh, by the way, Wakanda''s representative ispeting with us in the materials field. Our professionals suggest that we don''tpete with them head-on in this area, as their advantages are too great..."


    "So, we focus on structure?"


    "That''s right, this is our strength, along with the spacecraft''s intelligent system. After all, we have Stark, who has a unique advantage in engineering and machinery. Of course, we can''t neglect biotechnology. Osborne already has some ideas..."...


    Just as they were discussing this, several mutants and symbiotes entered. Blue Spirit exined the current situation to them, and they looked at each other as if they had thought of something. Strange looked at Blue Spirit and said, "Can you describe in detail the special power that surrounds your?"


    "Well, simply put, it''s a ck mist, but it''s very solid and dense, and it carries some familiar breath. It is preliminarily estimated to be one of the origin powers of Space..."


    Blue Spirit described the power, but Wanda''s brow furrowed deeper and deeper. She turned to Blue Spirit and said, "Are you sure you''re not mistaken? This sounds like chaos power."


    "Don''t doubt it. It should be chaos power, and it should belong to the great demon Chthon." Strange said firmly.


    The symbiotes looked at each other and asked, "Great demon Chthon? The name sounds familiar, but we haven''t seen him. Who is he? Why did he surround our mother?"


    Strange looked up at the ceiling, Schiller counted the wood grain on the table, Nick searched for dust on the window, and Loki studied the metal on the armrest with her head tilted. Only Stark shook his head. Apparently, his moral bottom line was higher than the others''.


    To understand why the great demon Chthon would surround Klyntar, we have to start with the Knull incident.


    As we all know, Knull is one of the oldest creatures in Space, and the chaos power he uses is the origin power of Space. Although he is a user of chaos power, he is not the owner. There are other demons who use this power, such as the great demon Chthon.


    Although Chthon has lost many battles, he has also been called a "cancer" by Eternity, one of the five gods of Space, indicating that his level of life is also high.


    It can be said that Knull and Chthon are the greatest users of chaos power in Space, but Chthon is stronger than Knull in that his brain is rtively more useful, which is why he chose Scarlet Witch as his representative on Earth.


    Previously, Chthon had been in a deep sleep, but as he slept, he felt that his mattress seemed to be sinking. Originally, this was not enough to wake him up, but one day, with a "crack," his house copsed.


    Chthon woke up in shock and then found that one side of his house had been dug out.


    He had been sleeping soundly, but when he woke up, he found that his house had copsed. Could Chthon not be angry? He circled around his house and was determined to find the bastard who dug his wall.


    But when he looked, he found that there was a big problem. This bastard who dug his wall not only dug out the corner of the wall, but also took away a wall overnight. When Chthon woke up, he found that the chaos power in Space had shrunk a lot, and he was full of questions.


    Here we have to introduce the nature of the origin power of Space. There are many types of origin power in Space, and their properties are different. Some powers are more active, so there are many people who use them. Unless they are born to control this power, it is difficult to use it...


    The representative of the inert power in Space is the deep red power in the deep red dimension where Setorak is located. This is a power that generates and changes very slowly. Although it is very powerful, it is not active, so Setorak spends most of his time sleeping.


    Chaos power is also a kind of inert power, but it is not as inactive as the deep red power, so some creatures can use it. But precisely because it is rtively inert, it is almost impossible to have a sudden shortage. After all, fewer people use it, and the consumption is naturally less.


    But one side of Chthon''s house disappeared into thin air, and Chthon was puzzled. He had only slept for a short time, and thest time he woke up was when he gave Scarlet Witch chaos power. Wasn''t that just a few days ago? How could his house copse? Even bulldozers aren''t that fast, are they?


    The first thing Chthon did was to ask the surrounding demons about what had happened recently in Space. So he heard the name "Sanctum Sanctorum."


    This Sanctum Sanctorum happened to be in the hometown of his representative, Scarlet Witch. So he ran into Scarlet Witch''s dream and asked her toe over and study where his wall had gone.


    Scarlet Witch dreamed of Chthon''s face every day and was annoyed by him, so she had to go to her post. After that, she went to Sanctum Sanctorum and asked Strange that question.


    Of course, Strange, in the spirit of a gentleman, felt that it was too troublesome for Scarlet Witch to run back and forth, so Sanctum Sanctorum sent a sorcerer to give Chthon a mobile phone.


    Of course, as for how Chthon finally found Knull, Strange was not very clear. Maybe Chthon was born with detective talent, or maybe Sycso''s dog was stimted to show great wisdom...


    In any case, it definitely wasn''t Strange who instructed the operator to call him.


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 Chapter 346: S:Glorious Big Event (XXVI)

    Chapter 346: S:Glorious Big Event (XXVI)


    In the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, Nick had just picked up his coffee cup and taken a sip when Natasha walked in with a file. She was flipping through the papers and said, "Director, there are 26 items waiting for confirmation today, and there are a few more from yesterday..."


    "Okay, I know. Just leave it there, and I''ll finish it as soon as possible."


    Natasha was about to leave when her phone rang. She answered and said, "Hello?... Oh, yes, but he''s busy right now. Okay, I''ll pass it on to him."


    "Director, it''s Stark on the phone. He wants to know if you''re free this afternoon to go to the Starkb and see the results of the material research they did with Wakanda. They''ve produced a sample..."


    "Help me schedule it for 5 pm this afternoon."


    "Director!" Coulson walked in, waved at Natasha, and then approached Nick. "Professor Arkham... I mean, Professor Rodriguez, just called to ask if you''re free for lunch. He wants to discuss his ns with you."


    "Lunch? I''m afraid I don''t have time for lunch. Let''s meet at 2 pm."


    "Wait." Natasha turned back and picked up the form. "No, Director, don''t you remember? You have to meet with the SPEAR director at 3 pm. You won''t have enough time to get there in an hour..."


    Nick was thinking when suddenly, there was a "sizzle" in the air, and a portal appeared. Strange stuck his head out and looked down at Nick. Nick looked up at him, and Strange said, "Come with me quickly. Loki wants to talk to you about establishing diplomatic rtions with Asgard. This is a big deal..."Before he could retract his head, another head emerged from the portal. It was Wanda. She ran her fingers through her red hair and said, "Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Professor X has something to discuss with you..."


    Before she could finish, another head emerged from the portal. It was Venom, with his mouth wide open, showing his sharp teeth as if he were about to bite off Nick''s head. He said impatiently, "Blue Spirit''s mother wants to talk to you. Hurry up and go!"


    "Why do you all have toe one by one instead of finding a ce where everyone canmunicate and discuss everything clearly?" Nick covered his forehead and said.


    At this moment, two hands emerged from the portal and pushed down all three heads. Schiller stuck his head out and said, "Good question. I was just looking for you to discuss this n. Don''t you think it''s time to establish a dedicated organization?"


    Two hourster, in the meeting room of Arkham Sanatorium, Nick picked up a bottle of wine from the table and poured a little into his ss. Strange was dozing off on the back of a single sofa.


    Stark was holding a drawing and using his free time perfectly. Schiller was still writing his medical records, and Loki was standing by the window, undoing the braids that Frigga had made for her.


    When Charles walked in, he saw this scene and said, "Sorry, I''m a littlete. After all, I''m not very mobile..."


    After Quicksilver, who was pushing the wheelchair, went out first, Stark saw that everyone was almost there, and he said, "To be honest, we should deal with this problem as soon as possible. We should have established an organization earlier. But now it''s still a mess, and the efficiency is so low."


    Nick shook his head and said, "It''s not that simple. Look at the people sitting here. If we want to work together, many people will lose sleep."


    "But if we don''t work together, I won''t be able to sleep either." Strange covered his eyes and looked very tired. He said, "I''m already busy enough dealing with Kamar-Taj and Sanctum Sanctorum every day. Our one-waymunication takes up all my spare time."


    "Who isn''t?" Stark sneered. "I spend a lot of time on this inefficientmunicationwork every day. It''s a piece of shit."


    "Well, suppose we want to establish an organization now to deal with these messy space wars, interster diplomacy, and other matters. What should we call this organization?" Strange asked.


    "I think it should be called Aven..." Stark hadn''t finished the name when Schiller interrupted him, "Why not call it Radiance Alliance?"


    "But..."


    "No buts. Forget that unlucky name."


    Nick looked at him very puzzled and said, "Last time we discussed what to call the Superhero Squad, you denied my proposal and said it was unlucky. Why is it unlucky?"


    "Forget it. If there''s one thing I want most in this organization, it''s the power to name it. Of course, I''m very democratic. If you''re not satisfied with the name Radiance Alliance, we can change it. As long as it''s not what''s in your mind."


    "Forget it. The name is just a code. Let''s focus on something practical. The most important thing is where to set up the base of this organization. How should we build themunicationwork? How can we maximize efficiency?"


    At this point, Schiller cleared his throat, and everyone''s attention was drawn to him. Seeing his expression, Stark suddenly had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Schiller said, "...Do you know what the Mind Pce Theory is?"


    Half an hourter, Nick rubbed his forehead and said, "How many years has it been since I''ve listened to a lecture like this? I feel like my brain is a mess now."


    "I understand the principles you''re talking about, but what does that have to do with building a base?" Stark looked at Schiller and said.


    "Wait a minute. You''re not thinking of building this base in a dream, are you?"


    "This is the most efficient method," Schiller exined. "During the day, everyone is busy. Nick has to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony has to do research, Strange has to manage the Sanctum Sanctorum, Loki has to return to Asgard''s confinement, Professor Charles has to manage the mutant school, and I have to manage the sanatorium."


    "Why don''t we use the time at night? We can solve all problems in our dreams. If I had such a good thing while working, I would wake upughing from my dreams."


    Stark raised a finger and said, "First, how do we connect our dreams?"


    Charles nced at Schiller and said, "Perhaps in your opinion, the consciousness space does not exist, and dreams are false. But in reality, it is not."


    "If we must exin it scientifically, it is brain waves. Human brain waves are real, so the consciousness space also exists. As long as we can connect the brain waves, we can achieve true mental connection."


    "Perhaps you have heard of my ability. In fact, I use brain waves to connect to other people''s brains."


    "When your brain waves are simultaneously connected to my brain, it is equivalent to your brain waves also being connected. In this way, we can achieve mentalmunication and appear in the same dream."


    "A few days ago, Professor Charles and I were studying this topic, and we have already made an experimental product, which is a base in a dream with all the functions it should have. We can try it first and then make adjustments..." Schiller said he was prepared.


    Charles looked at everyone''s expressions and said, "I can assure you that this dream will only reveal what you want to reveal."


    Charles'' expression was still kind, but his next words were somewhat chilling. He said, "If I really want to use my ability to do something, then in front of me, no one has secrets."


    Charles has never revealed the upper limit of his ability, so no one knows what he can do. Compared with maism, telepathy is a more subtle power. Perhaps there are no dazzling light and shadow effects on the surface, but it is more deadly.


    Loki asked, "I am not human, so you can..."


    Charles smiled and said, "All intelligent life is equal."


    Everyone looked at Charles'' face. His face was very old, his eyes were still kind, and there was no attack, but people saw a powerful aura on him that wasparable to Mao.


    "Wait, if you can connect people''s brains, does that mean you can form a mentalwork? Does that mean you can also create a supeputerposed of human brains?" Stark''s eyes gradually lit up.


    Charles calmly said, "In theory, I can connect the brains of all humans. Such a mentalwork is much stronger than any supeputer, but I cannot do this."


    "Human beings are notputers. Their brains also carry emotional modules. Once their brains are used for calctions, it is likely to affect their emotions or greatlypress their emotional modules, which will cause them to lose their humanity."


    Stark said regretfully, "Indeed, this is a problem."


    "Professor Charles and I have been doing simr research. If there are results, we will tell you as soon as possible. But in any case, tonight we will try to see if you can enter the base in the dream."


    At night, Stark was busy in theboratory, and Peter sorted out the files on the desktop and said, "Mr. Stark, I''m going back. If it''s toote, my aunt will worry."


    "Okay, you can go." Stark turned his head and looked at the sky outside. It was actually veryte now, but he didn''t want to rest at all. He just wanted to finish this project quickly.


    Just as he was staring at a model carefully, he felt a wave of drowsiness hit him, and his vision became a bit blurry. Stark squeezed his eyes hard and rubbed his eye sockets with his hands, trying to make himself more awake.


    He felt his breathing slow down and gradually became a little short of breath. So he found a chair and sat down. Within two seconds, he fell on the experimental table.


    Peter, who had returned because he forgot something, just saw Stark lying on the table. He walked over and took a closer look, and found that Stark''s chest was rising and falling regrly, indicating that he was asleep.


    When Peter was about to leave, he heard a voice say to him, "Turn off the lights."


    Peter thought it was Stark who spoke, so he walked to the wall and turned off the lights. But when he walked out of the door, he felt that the voice did not sound like Stark''s, and it seemed that it was not spoken with the mouth, but rather in his mind.


    He used his spider sense to sense it, but found nothing unusual. So he thought that Stark was too tired and changed his tone of voice, and didn''t take it seriously.


    At this time, Stark found himself in a white space. He took two steps forward and found a beach in his sight. The waves were beating against the coast, making a rxing sound. At the beach, there was an old mansion, and at the end of the mansion was a lighthouse.


    When the light from the lighthouse shone over, Stark instinctively squinted his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a room. Schiller stood up from the sofa in front of the firece and said to Stark, "You finally came."


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 Chapter 347: S:Glorious Big Event (XXVII)

    Chapter 347: S:Glorious Big Event (XXVII)


    Stark looked around the details of the reception room. At that moment, Charles frowned and said, "Your open bandwidth is a bit toorge. I think you''d better..."


    "Swoosh, swoosh," a few light sounds came, and everyone turned to look outside the window. At first, only some small mechanical parts fell, but soon, parts fell from the sky like a pouring rain, and the sound of cracking echoed in the room.


    With a "bang," a corner of the mansion''s room copsed, followed by a continuous series of loud noises. Charles waved his hand, and everyone appeared on the sea surface. Looking at the mansion from a distance, it was submerged by countless mechanical parts.


    Stark held his arms and said, "This is the consequence of you hypnotizing me forcibly. I was thinking at high speed at that time, and you pulled me into your consciousness space. It would be strange if the parts I constructed in my mind didn''t flood this ce."


    As he spoke, the mechanical rain in the air finally slowed down a bit, but the entire beach had already been smashed beyond recognition. Countless strange mechanical parts piled up higher than mountains. Charles sighed and said, "Obviously, someone suggested to me..."


    "I know, of course," Stark turned to look at Schiller and said, "Someone who only knows how to change light bulbs will never understand the obsession of scientists with thinking..."


    "Okay, you''ve destroyed the base we built." Schiller put his hand on his eyes and looked at the coastline in the distance, then said, "You have to find a ce for us to talk, right?"


    "You call that ce with only one small house a base? If your ambition for this organization is only that big, don''t look for me next time."


    As he spoke, Stark floated up from the sea surface. He opened his arms, and his eyes emitted a faint light.In an instant, a bright sun rose from behind him. It was an energy-rich furnace. Then, countless parts flew up and formed a storm around him. More and more parts appeared in the air, constantly intersecting, merging, reorganizing, and upgrading...


    In just a few seconds, a dazzling mechanical storm swept through the entire consciousness space. After the sea breeze blew away the mist, a huge mechanical city appeared in the dream.


    It was a huge city that was difficult to describe in words. Every building there was finely crafted with gears and bearings. Skyscrapers, highways, streets, alleys, the luster of metal and machinery showed coldness, but it was also crowded and lively.


    Loki also squinted his eyes. He had traveled in space for many years and had seen the huge fleets of advanced civilizations cruising between gxies, as well as the powerful gods who could create and destroy stars with a single thought. But he had to admit that no matter at which level, the mechanical city created by Stark in the dream could be called a perfectbination of technology and art.


    With a wave of Charles''s hand, everyone appeared on the rooftop of the building with the Stark logo in the center of the city.


    Entering the top floor of the building, there was a spacious and bright hall with full-length windows, which was more beautiful than the top observation deck of the current Stark Building. There were several circr pedestals in the hall, surrounded by screens. A floating robot brought a tray, and Stark picked up a cup of coffee from it...


    "Drinking coffee in a dream? You''re really something," Strange said.


    Schiller also picked up a cup of coffee from the tray and said, "Actually, this is just a psychological suggestion to make the thinking more smooth."


    Charles looked at the hall and shook his head, "It''s very advanced here, but I still prefer the old-fashioned decoration."


    As he spoke, he also picked up the coffee cup and clinked it with Schiller''s. Stark snapped his fingers, and a door appeared on the wall. Schiller and Stark''s figures appeared in front of the door. Schiller pushed the door, and behind it was the reception room they were in before.


    "It seems that you are far beyond ordinary people in using dream power," Schiller turned to Stark and said.


    "The consciousness space and the thinking hall are not someone''s patent. Besides, Stark is far beyond ordinary people in any aspect."


    "Can we talk about business now?" Nick yawned and said, "I want to sleep a little longer."


    Stark snapped his fingers again, and a semi-circr sofa fell from the ceiling. After everyone sat down, a circr pedestal appeared in the middle, and the screen lit up.


    "The problem now is whether we should participate in the war in the Andromeda Gxy and how to participate," Strange also picked up the coffee cup and took a sip.


    Stark nced at Schiller and said, "We don''t need to discuss the first question. Maybe we have been aiming at the Andromeda Gxy from the beginning."


    "But I don''t understand. You asked me to pass a message to Chthon through Sanctum Sanctorum, telling him that Knull absorbed the power of chaos and let him go find trouble with Knull, and then lure Sulphur Dwarf to dere war on the United Civilization. What''s the benefit of this?" Strange asked.


    Nick, on the other hand, had a deeper understanding of this n. He said, "This has to start with the plight of mutants. Earth is too small and fragile. It is not suitable for humans and mutants to live together."


    Charles sighed slightly and said, "If it weren''t for being forced, no one would want to leave here. Mutants are not unable topete with humans for Earth, but I''m afraid that during the process ofpetition, Earth will have already turned into a wastnd."


    "Mutants need civilization, they need a society established in civilization, not a ruin starting from scratch."


    "The weakness of ordinary humans in physical strength has made their thoughts even more crazy. Any group that dares to fight them, even if they can win in the end, will only get a radiation wastnd plowed by their big bombs."


    Charles interlocked his fingers and said, "I have always opposed mutants and humans fighting head-on for this reason. We may have to pay a huge price, but in the end, we will get nothing."


    "We have already reached a consensus on this issue. The only problem now is where is the homnd promised to mutants?"


    "It''s in the Andromeda Gxy," Schiller answered very simply, "There will be a flyingnd of human civilization. You will be the vanguard of humans entering space, getting a continuous supply of blood from the mother star, and finally building your own civilization there."...


    "How can you satisfy the conditions I mentioned?" Charles asked him.


    "It is obvious that the constetion of Andromeda is a star system with a developed civilization, even more prosperous than the Milky Way. There are three civilizations alone that have reached the level of space travel, and there are countless other indigenous civilizations."


    "Of course, most of the civilizations here are owned, but that was in the past. Now, the sulfur dwarfs have taken the initiative to ignite the war between civilizations."


    "Do you want to see a situation where the snipe and m fight, and the fisherman gains?"


    "Something like that, but moreplicated." Schiller produced a puzzle on the coffee table in front of him and exined, "Among these three civilizations, the symbiotic civilization can almost be ignored. They do not have their own civilization, and their mother is also a prison that confines their creators. If it were not for their unique way of survival, they would not be able topete with the other two civilizations."


    "So, the tworgest tenants in this star system are the sulfur dwarfs and the United Civilization. Although the sulfur dwarfs'' civilization is developed, their living conditions are very harsh. Their physical fitness is much stronger than that of humans, and the surface temperature is still suitable for them. Thes they manage are not suitable for humanoid creatures to survive."


    "So, are the sulfur dwarfs doomed? How do you n to get rid of them?"


    "We''ll talk about thatter. Let''s talk about the United Civilization. This civilization is much better. Their racialposition is veryplex, and there is almost no unity among them. There are all kinds of ecologicals, which will be a good stage for mutants."


    "This also perfectly meets your requirements." Schiller looked at Charles and said, "Existing civilization, prosperous interster society, and many achievements of civilization..."


    Then, Schiller turned the conversation, "Of course, if mutants join the United Civilization now, they will definitely be very passive, because so far, this civilization has a general ruling organization, and the various ethnic groups are rtively stable and do not wee outsiders."


    "So, mutants are best to appear as saviors on the eve of the entire civilization''s weakening, saving various races from the fire and water..."


    "Then they voluntarily ept the mutant garrison, warmly wee mutants to settle on the best ecological, and express their willingness to unite around mutants to build a harmonious interster society."


    Nick understood and said, "So mutants are going to be peacekeepers."


    "And how to force the United Civilization into this situation, we have to start with the sulfur dwarfs..."


    At this time, Loki spoke up, "I think the sulfur dwarfs do have the ability to force the United Civilization into a desperate situation, but the problem is, after achieving this effect, how do you deal with these sulfur dwarfs? Aren''t you afraid that they will consume too many resources of the United Civilization and be a burden?"


    "This part of the n is temporarily confidential. Let''s talk about the third civilization, the symbiotic civilization."


    "The symbiotic civilization has a very good rtionship with the United Civilization, so when the United Civilization is fiercely attacked, they will definitely seek help from the symbiotic civilization."


    "These parasites are best at improving individual quality. If the symbiotic organisms on the Klingon swarm out and arm themselves to the United Civilization, the United Civilization may really survive."


    "So you told Sisson about the waste of the chaotic power of Nal, and let him trap the symbiotic organisms on the Klingon, making it impossible for them to support the United Civilization?"


    "That''s right. Another reason is that once the United Civilization is on the verge of copse, the symbiotic organisms will also face a very embarrassing situation, that is, they will no longer have so many hosts to choose from, and the sulfur dwarfs are still watching."


    "And at this time, mutants who have had good cooperation with theme to this star system, and it should not be difficult to establish a good symbiotic rtionship again, right?"


    "It''s the same old routine." Nick put down his cup and said in a cold tone, "Kill the strongest leader and the most prominent figure, so that a group no longer has a leader."


    "Then weaken the middle ss, so that they are weak enough to be easily controlled."


    "Finally, support the weakest force, let the lower and middle sses fight each other, consume each other, and let the upper ss reap the benefits."


    Several people thought of some examples and felt a little chill on their backs.


    Schiller leaned back on the chair, put his hands on the armrests, closed his eyes, and felt drowsy as if he was in a dream. His voice seemed toe from a distant void.


    "Human beings have been wandering in the square inch world for many years, from tribes to countries, from primitive to developed, but the struggle has never stopped."


    "In terms of war, oppression, and exploitation, there will never be any race as cruel as human beings."


    "If those moving virtues are no longer enough to resist the dangers thate at any time in the endless deep space..."


    "If our sun is too dim to illuminate the entire universe..."


    "Then turn us into the most dangerous existence, like a ck sun rising over the dark forest..."


    "The brilliance is gone, but the brilliance is eternal."


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 Chapter 348: S:Glorious Big Event (XXVIII)

    Chapter 348: S:Glorious Big Event (XXVIII)


    "So, you want the sorcerers to open the portal and send you back to the Andromeda Gxy?"


    "That''s right." Blue Spirit''s voice was full of concern. He said, "Our home is now surrounded by Chaos power, and we don''t know what that demon god named Chthon wants to do..."


    "If, as you sorcerers say, his power source is the same as Knull''s, then he is likely an aplice. He appeared in Klyntar, probably to release Knull. We cannot allow this to happen."


    "All creatures that spread chaos in space will bring destruction to space. We must stop all of this."


    Strange shook his head and said to Blue Spirit, "I understand your feelings, but cross-gctic portals are a very special thing and pose a certain danger to human civilization. It could lead to invasion."


    "Therefore, all sorcerers must obtain the consent of the Supreme Sorcerer when opening cross-gctic portals."


    Before Blue Spirit could ask, Strange said, "I am not the Supreme Sorcerer, just a student of the Supreme Sorcerer. I am in charge of Kamar-Taj and Sanctum Sanctorum under themand of the Supreme Sorcerer. The Supreme Sorcerer himself is still roaming in space. After we contact him, we can send you back..."


    "What about Asgard..."


    Strange shook his head again and said, "Last time we helped send members of several united civilizations back, we already owe Asgard a favor. Besides, Odin, the owner of Asgard and the father of the gods, is not here. We need his consent to use the Bifrost."Blue Spirit sighed and said, "Okay, I understand. Cross-gctic teleportation technology is very important in any civilization, and it cannot be easily used without the consent of the leader."


    "But I really hope you can help us. The cooperation between symbiotes and humans is very pleasant. Our level of understanding is rare. If you can help us, the Shantr n will remember this friendship."


    "Yes, I know." Strange also showed a regretful expression. He said, "In these few days of getting along with you, I found that you are indeed a wise and kind species, which is rare in space. Humans are very willing to make friends with this kind of race, but we are still a surface civilization..."


    Strange showed a very embarrassed expression, and Blue Spirit didn''t want to say more. Actually, he also knew that it was a bit difficult to ask humans to send them back.


    The farthest distance humans have traveled now has not left the sr system. It is simply impossible to help symbiotes go back to the distant Andromeda Gxy.


    "Personally, I am very willing to help you, so I will try to contact the Supreme Sorcerer recently. If there is any news, I will notify you as soon as possible."


    Seeing Strange''s serious expression, Blue Spirit was also moved. After all, they were not facing a developed interster civilization, but a primitive civilization that had difficulty even protecting themselves. It was like when a billionaire gave you a hundred dors when you were in trouble, and a poor person who couldn''t even afford a meal gave you a hundred dors. The feeling was different...


    Although the symbiotes said it outright, the information in their gic catalog had already exined everything to them. Regardless of the level of development or physical fitness, humans were at the bottom among all the races they had collected, and their potential for development was not fully released.


    There were many civilizations with potential in space, but most of them would perish. Blue Spirit didn''t want to ask Strange for anything more and left. After he left, Strange really started to contact The Ancient One.


    This was not because he had a change of heart and sincerely wanted to help, but because The Ancient One had been missing for a long time and no one knew where he had gone.


    Although the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj and Strange were not worried about The Ancient One''s safety, they felt that The Ancient One was not worried about the safety of Kamar-Taj. Wasn''t he too confident?


    So, what is The Ancient One doing now after leaving Earth and wandering in space?


    He is collecting corpses.


    The Ancient One is very happy to collect corpses.


    This has to be traced back to the confrontation between H and Balder, and Mephisto also intervened, and all the demon gods fought together.


    After The Ancient One took Odin away, the two had a deep conversation and reached a preliminary agreement. When The Ancient One and Odin joined the battle, the scale of the battle began to grow like a snowball.


    Space is very vast, and even though there are many demon gods, they do not live in a very dense area. But they couldn''t resist these people looking for a ce with more people to fight, so more and more demon gods were drawn into the battle.


    The demon gods born from the energy in space have different personalities, but one thing is the same: they all tend to be chaotic creatures. In other words, they have bad tempers.


    The demon gods don''t have the mindset of being polite, humble, or tolerant. If youe to my house to fight, can''t I fight back?


    In this way, most of the demon gods who were affected also joined the battle with anger.


    The scale of this battle becamerger andrger, like a gue spreading wildly in space. The biggest phenomenon it caused was the internalpetition of the demon gods''bat power. Specifically, those who couldn''t fight kept dying, and those who could fight survived. The more they could fight, therger the scale of the fight, and the more those who couldn''t fight died.


    The demon gods don''t have teammates, and even if they do, they won''t care about their life or death. When they start fighting, they go crazy. The unfortunate ones who were affected could only ept their fate. The one with the biggest fist in space is the boss, and those who die because they are weak are the least deserving of sympathy.


    But this situation was cheap for one person, and that was The Ancient One. If you want to talk about the most professional person in the world who can kill demon gods and collect corpses, The Ancient One is second to none.


    The demon gods fought in front, and The Ancient One collected corpses behind. The Ancient One''s recent mood could no longer be described as happy, but only as either happy or very happy.


    As the strongest tterer in space, The Ancient One is quite professional. You can be strong, but I am the king of ttery.


    For a while, Earth won''t have any problems with Strange at Kamar-Taj. This is a great opportunity to absorb energy, and missing it means waiting for another ten thousand years.


    However, there are some necessary conditions for absorbing energy. At first, The Ancient One infused the most essential energy left by the demon gods after they were defeated into her own body as a reserve for casting magic.


    However, over time, she discovered that the human body has limits. Even if shepressed these energies, she couldn''t store them anymore. In other words, she had too many items and not enough backpack space.


    The Ancient One didn''t have time to sort out these energies and bring them back to Kamar-Taj because there were more items to absorb.


    So, she sought help from her boss, Eternity. But Eternity was busy every day, dealing with the mess of missing SpaceChaos power. He waved his hand and transferred the request to Vishanti.


    Although Vishanti didn''t know what The Ancient One wanted to do, they fulfilled her wish and transformed her body into a star-like existence. Although she had a physical body, she was no longer a carbon-based life form and had no lifespan limitations.


    This way, The Ancient One''s backpack space became muchrger, and she could happily absorb items near the battlefield again.


    However, another problem arose. Although the energies werepared to backpack space, they were actually mixed together in The Ancient One''s body.


    As previously mentioned, the energy of Space has many different properties, many of which conflict with each other, such as Light and Dark Force, Life and Death Force, and so on. The Ancient One stored these abilities in her body, and they always fought with each other.


    Sometimes, there would be explosions from conflicts between the forces of light and darkness, and sometimes the forces of chaos and order would be ipatible. The Ancient One''s star-like body was riddled with holes every three days.


    When she went to Vishanti to request an upgrade, Vishanti was shocked. They couldn''t understand how The Ancient One, a human sorcerer, could turn a high-level star-like body into this.


    The Trinity of Vishanti is also a very ancient existence in Space. Two of the three demon gods that make up Vishantie from Earth, and they are also aware of the recent situation on Earth. They had heard that humans had created a bomb that could destroy Earth many times over. They thought The Ancient One was stable, but they didn''t expect her to be like this. It seems that humans are indeed explosive maniacs.


    But despite their criticism, they still had to find a way to make The Ancient One''s body more solid. After all, The Ancient One is the representative of white magic and the embodiment of Eternity''s will. Previously, The Ancient One and Eternity had discussed retirement ns. Even if they didn''t upgrade, Eternity would definitely transform The Ancient One into an Astral Form.


    Therefore, Vishanti directly changed The Ancient One''s body into an Astral Form. This is a body created by the power of Space''s origin, Eternity, and is infinitely close to immortality.


    Vishanti thought, "The Ancient One should be satisfied now, right? This is almost the limit that Eternity''s envoy can achieve. After all, The Ancient One''s foundation is only a human body, not a Spacedemon god. The body constructed by the power of the origin of Eternity is already the limit that carbon-based life forms can achieve."


    But not long after, The Ancient One made a new request. Although the Astral Form was solid enough to amodate conflicting forces, the problem was that the conversion rate of power was too low.


    Simply put, the bandwidth was not enough. Whether it was extracting power from the bodies of demon gods or converting stored power into magic, the efficiency was not high, seriously affecting her absorption speed.


    This problem puzzled Vishanti. In theory, the output of the Eternity body is infinite, but The Ancient One is not a Spacedemon god. The bandwidth of the human soul is limited, and it is impossible to absorb and control power without limit. Once it exceeds the upper limit of the bandwidth, the power will definitely get out of control.


    In the end, The Ancient One, with her rich experience and strong desire to absorb, forced Vishanti to upgrade her magic technology and develop a set of methods to increase the bandwidth of the human soul.


    After developing this method, Vishanti wanted to test it on The Ancient One because if it seeded, human believers could borrow more power from white magic, which would also benefit them.


    In addition, they were also curious about what The Ancient One was doing and how she could blow up her body so many times.


    So, Vishanti personally came to the area where The Ancient One was located.


    At this time, The Ancient One, who had just hung up the phone with Strange, was surrounded by endless magic light.


    In the center of the demon gods'' battlefield, in the chaotic and broken storm, a portal suddenly opened. The Ancient One stepped out, and for a moment, the wind stopped and the clouds were quiet. Her voice echoed through Space:


    "...All thingse to an end, only I am Eternity."


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 Chapter 349: S:Glorious Big Event (XXIX)

    Chapter 349: S:Glorious Big Event (XXIX)


    With a loud bang, countless meteorites made up of magic light pierced throughyers of shattered dimensional space. In an instant, they passed through like ab, and countless cries and screams rang out. The angry voice of Dormammu echoed through space:


    "The Ancient One!! It''s you again!!!"


    But faster than him was the raging mes burning from hell, and the enormous figure of Mephisto descended in the center of the battlefield. He faced The Ancient One, and the mes and magic intertwined. Mephisto''s voice was hoarse and low, with the evil unique to the lord of hell:


    "Leave this ce, The Ancient One. This is not where you should be. Our fight has nothing to do with you!"


    "You''re wrong, Mephisto. There''s nowhere in space I shouldn''t go." The Ancient One''s voice was like a bell, with a calm and icy tone that was heart-wrenching.


    The yellow cloak danced, and countless dazzling magic crystals rained down on Mephisto. Dormammu said angrily, "Even the Supreme Sorcerer wants to participate in this war? If you''re determined to do so, be careful not to bring irreversible disaster to you and your tribe!"


    The Ancient One''s response was as arrogant as ever: "If you all die, there will be no disaster in space!"


    Many demon gods who had never seen The Ancient One involuntarily took two steps back. Although they didn''t know what had gotten into her, it was clear that the Supreme Sorcerer wanted to take on two opponents at once.


    At this moment, a light of brightness enveloped The Ancient One, and the figure of Vishanti appeared in space with an iparable power. One of the three demon gods said, "Leave this ce, and don''t let the situation escte any further.""Vishanti..." Mephisto looked at Vishanti with great fear. Many demon gods were already retreating in their hearts. The guardians of the multi-dimensional space were not easy to provoke, especially since Vishanti had Eternity behind them.


    But at this moment, The Ancient One took action, and Dormammu and Mephisto also fought back. The light of magic, dark energy, and hellfire exploded together, spreading to several dimensions around them in an instant.


    Vishanti wanted to ask The Ancient One to stop, but he didn''t know why she was so determined to fight the dimensional demon gods. At this moment, a blood moon with deep red power descended from the sky, and the deep red light illuminated the world, freezing time.


    Vishanti looked up, but the figure of Surtur did not appear. However, the Shadow of the huge cities in the deep red dimension was already looming on the horizon.


    At the same time, the power of light became stronger, and the white and red forces shed fiercely in the dimension. Countless demon gods werepletely crushed before they could even face the light.


    In the lower level of space, The Ancient One, Mephisto, and Dormammu fought back and forth. In a more remote battlefield, H and Balder also did not stop.


    At this moment, a golden thunderbolt split the battlefield, and Odin, the father of the gods, stood at the bow of a huge warship and said, "H, stop your destructive behavior. It won''t lead to any results!"


    "Hypocrite." H only gave Odin two words and continued to manipte the endless power of the undead.


    With Odin''s arrival, the battle on this side became even more intense. Odin''s unparalleled power and fierce attacks shattered everything around him.


    In this epic battle scene, various energies intertwined, weapons shed, thunder danced with mes, battle cries and screams sounded together, celestial bodies screamed, and space boiled.


    But not long after, the battlefield began to shift.


    Although the shifting of the front line was normal in war, the speed at which this front line was shifting was beyond imagination.


    In the group of The Ancient One, Mephisto, and Dormammu, The Ancient One was very straightforward. She was a sorcerer, how could she engage in closebat? Of course, she had to keep her distance from the enemy and use magic. When The Ancient One retreated, Mephisto and Dormammu would definitely chase after her. When Mephisto and Dormammu chased after her, the three of them would drive the battlefield in one direction like they were cheating.


    When The Ancient One and the others moved, Vishanti, who supported The Ancient One, would definitely follow suit. When Vishanti moved, Surtur would move too...


    In another battlefield, H was also very reasonable. Odin''s thunder power was too strong. She couldn''t just stand there and let him strike her, right? Avoiding the sharp edge was a tactic that anyone who was good at tactics should understand. So when H dodged, Odin, who was specifically there to strike her, would definitely follow. When these two moved, Balder would naturally follow their footsteps...


    So, this positional battle quickly turned into a mobile battle, where she ran, he chased, she ran again, and he chased again. She desperately ran, and he chased her to death...


    And then, dozens of dimensions and billions of light-yearster, they coincidentally arrived at the Andromeda Gxy.


    There are many reasons why this situation urred. Perhaps the demon gods have no sense of distance, or perhaps there is deep hatred between the Supreme Sorcerer and the dimensional demon gods...


    But one thing is for sure, it''s definitely not because Strange called The Ancient One to pull a prank.


    When they arrived at the Andromeda Gxy, the scene became even more lively. Don''t forget, there''s a copsed house in the Andromeda Gxy, and they''re nning to teach the culprit, the great shadow demon Chthon, a lesson.


    At this time, Chthon was squatting above the Klyntar ball. He looked at the and found it increasingly strange. Could it be that this bastard was afraid of trouble and built a turtle shell?


    Chthon thought his spection was reasonable. When you steal someone else''s things, your first reaction is to find a safe ce to hide.


    Therefore, Chthon did not think that this was a prison for Knull''s confinement. Instead, he thought it was a safe house that Knull had built specifically to protect himself.


    Since that was the case, Chthon couldn''t let him seed. He began to manipte the power of chaos to attack the prison.


    Although the prison was holding Knull inside, it was covered in symbiotes on the surface. The symbiotes kept sending messages to the Space agents, begging for help and screaming, almost driving the Space agents crazy.


    The Space agents did not want Knull to escape. They couldn''t go back themselves, so they had to mobilize other forces to defend their...


    And the closest force to this ce was the Andromeda Union civilization.


    As soon as they heard that the symbiotes were noting to support them and were even taking away the manpower here, the council of the Union civilization exploded. In their view, this was an ungrateful and treacherous act.


    But the symbiotes also had their own reasons. If they could hold out for a while with Sulphur Dwarf, but if Knull escaped, the entire Space would be finished. Which one was more important?


    The two sides could note to an agreement. In order to survive, the Union civilization and the symbiote civilization both believed that they were right and that the other side did not understand the big picture.


    As the situation became more and more urgent and the conflict became almost irreconcble, the desperate symbiotes had to forcibly control their hosts and run towards the Klyntar ball.


    This was like poking a ho''s nest. There were already races in the Union civilization that were simr to humans and were very disgusted with parasitic creatures like the symbiotes. They were very hostile to the symbiotes and had been emphasizing their great danger.


    In the past, the symbiotes had never forcibly controlled their hosts under the restraint of the Space agents. This made many racescent and without any restraint. But it was precisely those races that hated the symbiotes that learned about the symbiotes'' weaknesses from Sulphur Dwarf.


    When the symbiotes forcibly controlled their hosts and wanted to urgently support their mother, they directly killed two symbiotes with fire and sound waves, one of which was a newborn baby.


    The symbiotes were furious and started a war in the territory of that civilization, wanting to avenge their own kind.


    Finally, the symbiote civilization and the Union civilizationpletely broke off. The symbiotes were hunted endlessly in the Union civilization''s territory.


    The symbiotes who had been living in the Union civilization had to abandon most of their factors and attach themselves to animals, and returned to their mother with injuries.


    When the Space agents on Earth heard this news, they were angry and sad, but more anxious. They had paid such a high price. If Knull escaped again, the symbiote race and the Space agents would be finished.


    "Knull won''t give us another chance. We are just a race he created at will, and we betrayed him. He is not a loving creator, but an evil and ruthless destroyer."


    Blue Spirit''s tone was tired, and Strange patted his shoulder and said, "The Supreme Sorcerer hasn''t replied to my message..."


    Blue Spirit took a deep breath, and just as he was about to say something, Strange said, "But the sorcerers have decided to build a gxy teleportation portal for you now."


    Blue Spirit widened his eyes, and Strange patted his shoulder, saying, "I think, after living in human society for so long, you should understand that we are emotional creatures, not cold logic machines. We have no reason to abandon our friends in danger."


    After speaking, he looked into Blue Spirit''s eyes and said, "This is not just for the friendship between humans and symbiotes. We are also a part of Space and have a responsibility to maintain peace and stability in Space."


    "I know that in this dark deep space, the Space agents sail silently, helping every civilization they can help, like a lighthouse in Space."


    "Humanity is still weak, and we cannot be yourpanions on the glorious road, but at least we are willing to add a piece of firewood to this rare light, so that this precious light will never go out..."


    Blue Spirit looked into Strange''s eyes, where there seemed to be a glimmer of light.


    Before hearing these words, he had always thought that symbiotes would not shed tears. He stood up and, in a human way, shook hands with Strange.


    When their palms touched, a glow lit up from their fingertips. Strange said, "You will need this energy, even if it''s a farewell gift from humans to you..."


    Blue Spirit held Strange''s hand tightly until they separated. The magic light transferred from Strange''s fingertips to Blue Spirit''s hand.


    Blue Spirit felt the abundant power within him, and Strange smiled at him and said, "Long live friendship, Shantr."


    Blue Spirit''s fingertips trembled, and the two hands shook again, like the third kind of contact in human dreams.


    "...Long live friendship, humans."


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 Chapter 350: S:Glorious Big Event (XXX)

    Chapter 350: S:Glorious Big Event (XXX)


    On ate winter night, the darkness deepened as Christmas approached. In people''s dreams, Santa us rode his sleigh pulled by reindeer, flying through one dream after another, bringing festive and wonderful fantasies to people.


    On the rooftop of the Stark Tower in a dream, Schiller touched his chin and said, "I didn''t expect you to memorize such a long speech, and your improvisation at the end was also good..."


    "God knows how long I memorized it for, and I had to practice my expressions in front of the mirror. Do you know how difficult that is? You came up with the n, can''t you do it yourself..."


    "Where am I supposed to get magic powers to give to the symbiote? I''m just an ordinary person." Schiller walked over to the sofa and sat down. Stark looked at the two of them discussing and rubbed his eyes, feeling that his moral bottom line did not fit in here.


    He said, "Is it really okay to deceive the symbiote''s feelings like this? Even if it''s a good deed, do you have to make it so emotional?"


    "Do you know who the technical consultant for this performance is?"


    "Who?"


    "It''s Venom. He said that Space agents are most motivated by a sense of duty and responsibility. As long as humans start from this point, they will definitely move them to tears."


    Stark asked in confusion, "So what''s the grudge between that pile of mud and the Space agents?""Their grudge is huge. The Space agents had been pursuing Venom before because he had defecated in the starport of Sulphur Dwarf in the Orion constetion..."


    "But now, their hatred must have been resolved." Strange also came back and sat down, saying, "Because Sulphur Dwarf has dered war on the United Civilization, and the United Civilization has fallen out with the symbiote. Now, there is a three-way bnce in the Orion constetion, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend."


    "But Sulphur Dwarf probably won''t ally with the symbiote, right? Their hatred for each other is even deeper, and the symbiote is very afraid of the sound waves and mes when the dwarves forge metal. He definitely won''t parasitize on those dwarves." Loki said while ying with a twig in his hand.


    "What are you doing?" Stark asked Loki, looking at his movements.


    "Can''t you see? I''m making a flower wreath."


    "It''s precisely because I can see that you''re making a flower wreath that I''m asking you this question. Let me make it clear first, I have no objection to you bing a goddess, but isn''t making a flower wreath a bit too much?"


    "You do have objections. Why can''t I make a flower wreath? The goddesses of Asgard do only three things every day: bathing in theke, making flower wreaths, and peeking at me."


    "Don''t tter yourself." Strange exposed Loki''s lie and said, "Since you became a goddess, who else has been peeking at you?"


    Loki rolled his eyes slightly and said, "Yeah, now a group of warriors are squatting by theke, wanting to see if I''ll go take a bath..."


    Stark showed a disgusted expression, but Loki continued, "The goddess said that the flower wreaths she made in her time were much moreplicated and beautiful than now. In a few days, it will be Asgard''s celebration, and I want to make a flower wreath from that time to give to her."


    "Are you not nning to change back?" Strange asked Loki. Loki made a gesture to the side, and Strange looked at Schiller, knowing it was another one of Schiller''s tricks, so he didn''t ask.


    "You brought Chthon near Klyntar to stir up the situation in the Andromeda Gxy. I understand that, but you also had me call the Supreme Sorcerer to bring the warring demon gods to Andromeda Gxy. Are you trying to use the demon gods to kill Sulphur Dwarf?"


    "That''s just one of them." Schiller put his ss on the table, making a crisp sound. He said, "Christmas ising, and I have to prepare some Christmas gifts for our esteemed members."


    Then he asked Strange, "Have you opened the gxy portal for those symbiotes yet?"


    "Not yet, but I''ll go soon. What''s up?"


    "Take someone with you."


    "Who?"


    "Mao."


    At this time, in the Andromeda Gxy, just as Chthon was about to make a move, he heard a familiar voice:


    "The Ancient One. You have nowhere to run! The mes of hell will eventually burn everything!"


    A huge demon shadow appeared in the center of the neb, and Chthon was a little puzzled and said, "Mephisto, why is he here?"


    Then, another familiar voice, "Light will return to darkness, and all will belong to the Lord of Darkness! The Ancient One, you insignificant worm, give up your futile resistance!"


    "Dormammu??" Chthon was even more puzzled. If Mephisto belonged to the social butterfly among the demon gods, then Dormammu belonged to the kind of otaku who rarely left his dark dimension. He wouldn''t leave so far away for no reason, would he?


    Soon, The Ancient One they were talking about appeared, and endless magic light shone almost as brightly as stars. Her yellow cloak floated in the air without wind, and her voice was distant and deep, "Stop talking and start fighting."


    Chthon hadn''t even reacted yet, and in an instant, the area he was in was engulfed in an endless storm of energy.


    Although Chthon hadn''t appeared in Space for a long time, he wasn''t a pushover. With a low drink, chaotic energy condensed into a solid barrier, blocking all the power back. Before he could be proud, Mephisto''s voice rang out:


    "...Chthon? I thought you were sleeping to death. What? Do you also want to get involved in our grudges?"


    Chthon was about to retort, but The Ancient One''s magic storm had already hit him in the face.


    Although Chthon was a great demon shadow, he had a temper. He said to The Ancient One, "Supreme Sorcerer? A small human sorcerer dares to challenge me? Even with the Vishanti behind you..."


    "Chthon, why aren''t you sleeping with your Chaos power? What are you doing here?" The Vishanti, wrapped in white light, slowly descended into Space. Chthon was caught off guard. He didn''t expect the Vishanti to actually show up.


    Chthon''s situation was very embarrassing now. His Chaos power had just been dug out a lot, causing him to have insufficient reserves. If he really fought with the Vishanti, he would probably suffer. But he had already made tough talk, and it wouldn''t be appropriate to back down now. It would be a loss of face.


    So, Chthon could only grit his teeth and say, "Vishanti? Don''t you think you''re too meddlesome? And why are you here?"...


    Just as he was speaking, The Ancient One and several dimensional demon gods had already started fighting, and all their moves were aimed at Chthon.


    Chthon was caught off guard, and he had to fight back. Of course, the Vishanti were dragged into the fight. Saitorak and the Vishanti had no grudges, and the power of the Deep Red and the power of Light did not conflict. The Deep Red power was an extremely inert force that did not react with any other power.


    But the chaotic power that the great demon shadow Chthon controlled conflicted severely with the power of order in the Light. The Vishanti belonged to the Eternity camp, and Eternity called Chthon cancer. They were mortal enemies.


    But Chthon and the Vishanti, who were unaware of the situation, did not really fight. The two sides were just confronting each other across space, testing each other, but the aftermath was enough for others to suffer.


    The real intense fighting was between The Ancient One, Mephisto, and Dormammu, as well as Odin, H, and Balder.


    As the saying goes, when immortals fight, mortals suffer. Originally, in the Andromeda Gxy, Sulphur Dwarf and the United Civilization were in a tense tug-of-war, but suddenly, the shockwaves of Chthon''s power swept across the, turning the entire into powder. Both sides'' fleets were stunned.


    Although there were demon gods in the Andromeda Gxy, they were rtively weak. The strongest one, Knull, was still trapped on a and couldn''t get out. These two civilizations were also rtively young and did not have a deep understanding of the power of Space''s origin, nor did they have any defense against it.


    Sulphur Dwarf''s control of the "fire" power of the origin was not bad, but most of it was used in alchemy and forging, and there was no corresponding star shield. Therefore, in a short moment, they lost two industrials.


    At first, neither civilization thought that this was done by those dimensional creatures. They all thought it was the other side''s reinforcements.


    But as the center of the battlefield became more and more intense, withs falling, space breaking, and time freezing, the entire battlefield became chaotic.


    These two civilizations finally realized that this was a war they could not participate in.


    Both sides began to retreat, gathering their people at their fastest speed and fleeing outside the gxy.


    Although the war waves of the demon gods covered arge area,pared to the entire gxy, it was not that big. If they retreated outside in time, they could save at least half of their forces.


    But at this moment, some waves that could not be directly sensed by carbon-based life forms became stronger and stronger. Sulphur Dwarf found that their spacecraft was losing control, and the deck and bridge were constantly shaking. The United Civilization also found that the energy shield and totem were beginning to fluctuate.


    "What is that?"


    Everyone was asking, repeating this sentence one after another.


    And in an instant, a tiny light spot erupted in the center of the Neb of the Orion constetion, and in a second, it bloomed into a brilliant jet, and an energy storm swept across Space.


    Silently, the storm destroyed everything.


    The supermassive ck hole at the core of the Orion Neb exploded.


    Countless particles released from both sides of the ck hole formed a gorgeous crack, like a thin veil floating in Space...


    That kind of incredibly powerful force turned most things in this Space into powder, including the Sulphur Dwarf civilization, the Andromeda Union civilization, and all their fleets.


    Of course, it also included the small demon gods who were unable to resist and couldn''t run away in time.


    The Ancient One put away the magic light around her body. Thatst attack was really powerful. If she hadn''t saved up a lot of energy recently, she would have been injured.


    Most of the big demon gods who reacted quickly took the most effortless way, which was to run away and avoid the attack.


    After a while, the big demon gods came back. Mephisto stretched his muscles and looked around at the mess in Space and therge and small bodies scattered around. He and The Ancient One looked at each other,pletely devoid of the previous hostility. He rubbed his hands and said, "Shall we just start eating, or..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Dormammu had already opened his mouth wide and swallowed a dense cluster of light spots.


    The demon gods who had participated in a simr event suddenly realized.


    Is it a second round???


    Has our member gift arrived???


    The Ancient One had already eaten too much, so she did not participate in the Christmas gift distribution. Instead, she teleported to the vicinity of the supermassive ck hole.


    Sure enough, she saw a human figure there - Mao.


    As the shockwaves of the explosion subsided, Schiller was also in the Dream Base, finishing his entire n.


    After the meeting, he woke up from the dream. When he opened his eyes, the sunlight had already filled the entire room. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked outside.


    After this small hadpleted another orbit, the light of the stars shone on the earth.


    The snow fromst night had already begun to melt. The weather for melting snow was particrly clear, as if everything was condensed in ice and shining. Pedestrians on the road were bustling, making final preparations for the uing Christmas.


    After the night, Earth was still peaceful and harmonious. Schiller stretchedzily, yawned, and began another ordinary, mundane, and boring day.


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 Chapter 351: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXI)

    Chapter 351: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXI)


    The Andromeda Union civilization is a new civilization that originated from the ruins of an advanced ancient civilization. Due to its unique origin and history, it has formed a united civilization of multiple races and ethnicities, but with amon highest leader.


    The interster fleet of this civilization isposed of four races with the strongest military power: the material-savvy Cerebrum Vermis of the Andromeda constetion, the Totem Spirit proficient in energy and magic, the High Elves skilled in structure and ecology, and the most powerful civilization in the entire Union, the Seka civilization.


    Although these four races are collectively known as the strongest in the Union, there is still a significant gap between them. The Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and one-third of the members of the highest council of the Union are from the Seka group.


    However, the poption of the Seka group is actually very small. They live on the floating ind in the "Twin Star One Ind" system at the center of the Union, while the other twos are inhabited by the High Elves and the Totem Spirit.


    Originally, this was a very prosperous star region, with ships from several racesing and going every day. The floating ind at the highest point of the Twin Star One Ind system, which was built by the Seka race, was even called the "Great Neb Pearl" and was very beautiful.


    Although it has a unique celestial structure with no atmosphere, rotation, or revolution, it has a beautiful rainbow light shield and an energy core that emits a gem-like glow buried beneath the floating ind. All members of the Union dream of visiting the Speaker''s floating ind, which is the most livable ce in the Andromeda Union civilization.


    However, now the once bustling fleets havepletely disappeared, and the Union fleet that once stood near the Speaker''s floating ind and vowed to defend their homnd has vanished without a trace.


    But soon, a group of unexpected guests arrived.


    The energy core of the rainbow light shield on the floating ind is the Speaker''s mansion. In the rainbow energy like a fountain, the Speaker of the Union civilization stood in front of the door of the mansion, watching a group of ck-d men slowly descending across from him.As Maonded, his boots kicked up a small amount of dust, and his cloak slowly fell from the sky. He did not look at the Speaker and Deputy Speaker standing in front of him, but instead looked at the magnificent mansion.


    This is a very peculiar building, with most of its walls made of sparkling transparent crystals and several towering ancient trees supporting the structure. It looks like a kingdom inhabited by elves in human fantasy stories, with lush alien nts no less impressive than Earth''s trees, and beautiful magic lights floating among them.


    It wasn''t until he had examined all the details of the building that Mao withdrew his gaze and looked at the several people standing on the steps. They were a group of blue-skinned aliens slightly taller than humans, with longer limbs, but their bodies and features were very simr to humans. At this point, their faces were all very ugly, as anyone who was ignored like this would feel angry.


    At this point, the Blue Spirit parasitic on Shadow walked out of the mutants'' group and saw the familiar blue figure. The Speaker''s face became even more gloomy.


    "Blue Spirit... I knew it was all your conspiracy."


    "Conspiracy? How dare you even mention conspiracy?!" Blue Spirit''s tone was low and angry. Another orange symbiote walked out beside him, with a rough male voice: "Payne! If it weren''t for the catastrophe that befell our, I wouldn''t have discovered the super-powered sonic weapon you ced in our near-earth orbit. What are you trying to do?!"


    Payne, standing on the steps, was wearing a gorgeous robe, and his blue skin was shining in the rainbow light. At this point, he didn''t want to pretend anymore and said, "You muds are not worthy of living in the same star system as us. You should have been extinct long ago."


    Blue Spirit took a deep breath and said, "Take you and your people away from here, for the sake of our past cooperation..."


    "Do you want these weak ants to rece me?" Payne narrowed his eyes and looked down at the mutants. "Blue Spirit, has your long life made you senile?"


    "Stop resisting." Green Thorn walked out and said, "All the armed forces of the Union civilization have been destroyed in the explosion of the super ck hole. You are alone."


    "We didn''t want to do this, but when we returned to our mother, the Chaos power surrounding it revealed theary-level sonic weapon hidden near the Klyntar near-earth orbit..." Blue Spirit continued, "You''d better not try to defend yourselves. Only you have this kind of EMP weapon in the entire Space, Payne. I have repeatedly emphasized to you that our is the most important in the entire star system, and it contains a terrible creature..."


    "Enough, Blue Spirit! Do you still want to use this argument to threaten us?"


    "You annoying Space agents, all you think about is justice and peace. It''s because of you that the Union civilization has never been unified!"


    "Payne, you say we''re all about justice, but the Union unity that you talk about every day is also for your own selfish desires, isn''t it?"


    "You used a unified name to forcibly seize the Rainbow Light Generator on the Totem Spirit Mother Star, moved the Ancient Greenhouse of the High Elves to the Sky Ind, and forced the Insect n to use their crystal clusters to build your magnificent Speaker''s Pce..."


    "Put an end to your evil rule." Blue Spirit looked at Payne and said, "It''s time for a new master here."


    Payne folded his hands in front of him and said, "Do you want to drive me out of here?"


    He shook his head and showed a mocking expression, "Why? With you few Space agents? Or with those weak humans?"


    As he spoke, the Vice-Speaker waved his hand, and in an instant, magic light shot up from the top of the Speaker''s Pce, "buzzing," and a violent sound wave swept over. The symbiotes screamed and flew out, and the colorful slime quickly retreated and hid in their hosts'' bodies.


    "I knew you rotten mud had bad intentions, so how could I not be prepared?" Mao looked up at the magic light rising into the sky, as if he had seen an interesting toy, but he didn''t move, only stretched out a finger...


    Pris walked out behind him, and as her power was activated, her green hair moved without wind. Pris reached out and grabbed the air, and the magic light column made a piercing "z" sound, then "pu" went out.


    Payne''s expression stiffened for a moment, but then he took out a control board and said, "Did you think all the fleets were going to attack Sulphur Dwarf? But in fact, I have been prepared for someone to take advantage of the situation. Two heavy warships did not leave the Sky Ind''s defense range..."


    As he pressed the button, a shadow appeared out of thin air in the sky above the Sky Ind. Blue Spirit emerged from the mutants'' bodies again, and he looked up and said, "Sly Blue Skin, damn locusts... This is a furnace-level spaceship in the United Civilization, which should have been the most importantbat power!"


    "I told you, how could the United Civilization''s defense line copse so quickly." Thunderbolt stared at Payne and said, "You secretly withdrew defense forces to serve your own desires, Payne, you are even more shameless than I imagined!"


    "The furnace-level spaceship carries an electromaic storm weapon that can cover the entire world. Look, that ck hole-like muzzle... When those stupid Insect n were building it, they didn''t notice that I had invaded the ship''s management system..."


    "They also wouldn''t remember that the mining ident more than a hundred years ago was actually to report damage to these two heavy warships. Now, they are my private armament. Anyone who disagrees will be destroyed in the electromaic storm!"


    As he spoke, the muzzles on both sides of the huge warship in the sky began to condense a dazzling light. Blue Spirit shouted, "Quick, get out of the way? That''s an electromaic storm weapon!"


    Mao finally moved a little. He turned his head slightly and looked at Pris. Pris understood and met his gaze, saying, "I''m not sure, but we can try."


    Mao turned his head back and continued to admire the architecture of the Speaker''s Pce, as if he were admiring a painting in an art museum.


    Pris slowly flew up, lowered her eyelids, looked at her hands, and suddenly showed a cunning smile. She said, "Let''s watch the fireworks."


    As she spoke, she crossed her arms in an X shape, and when the terrible sma turned into a burst of light and shot at her, an invisible stance blocked in front of her arms.


    Blocking the light was not enough. Pris turned her hands, and the electromaic storm in front of her was kneaded into an oval shape like dough. Then she pushed her hand, and the highlypressed electromaic energy flew back along the muzzle.


    With a "boom," the huge warship exploded into fireworks, disintegrating in the air, and the debris fell like a meteor shower. Pris stretched out her hand again, and a maic shield enveloped the group.


    The protection range of the maic shield was limited to friendly forces. Faced with the wreckage of the falling warship, Payne finally couldn''t maintain his elegant demeanor. He hurriedly retreated with the Vice-Speaker.


    At this moment, the wreckage of the ship with electricity and mes stopped in mid-air, closest to them, less than three meters above their heads.


    Mao looked dissatisfiedly at Pris, and Pris looked away, saying, "Okay, I know, I can''t damage the floor or the building..."


    As she spoke, she impatiently waved her hand, and the maic shield spread over the entire square. The falling debris itself had little power, and after hitting the shield, it changed direction and fell into space.


    After the maic shield was deployed, Payne was surprised and stared at Mao in front of him. He said, "Isn''t this the mysterious shield that blocked us from the super ck hole explosion in our star region?"


    The Vice-Speaker looked at the Speaker and said, "It turns out that this is not the shield left by ''them''..."


    Payne obviously also realized this. He stared at Mao in front of him and said, "Did you cause the super ck hole explosion?!"


    "You lunatics!" Payne raised his voice, "Just to get me down and rule the United Civilization, you actually blew up the ck hole and destroyed all civilization?!!!"


    "You''re crazy, you''re absolutely crazy! You almost destroyed Space!"


    "Payne, your end hase. Letting you go is the result of my negotiation with humans. I begged for mercy for you. The best result now is for you to leave this gxy and nevere back."


    "You said it yourself, they are a group of lunatics. Even humans are not afraid to make bombs and blow up their owns. If you don''t repent, I''m not sure what else they will do..."


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 Chapter 352: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXII)

    Chapter 352: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXII)


    "Madness, madness, you must be mad!" Payne finally lost hisposure, and just as he was about to lose control, the deputy speaker pulled his sleeve and made a gesture to him.


    "Oh, right! You can''t expel me, otherwise the Skrull Empire won''t let you go!"


    "Skrull Empire?" Blue Spirit looked at Payne and said, "Even if you want to brag, you don''t have to involve the three major empires of Space, do you? What''s your rtionship with the Skrulls?"


    Payne took a deep breath and gradually calmed down. His tone was quite sarcastic as he said, "Sure enough, you don''t know..."


    "What?" Blue Spirit looked at him in confusion.


    "Hmph, you only know that the United Civilization was built on the remains of an ancient civilization at a high level, but you don''t know that the ancient civilization was actually the ancient Skrull Empire..."


    Blue Spirit''s brow furrowed tighter and tighter, and Payne continued, "It was a civilization that was once incredibly powerful and prosperous. The United Civilization today is not even one percent of their power."


    "However, a sudden disaster destroyed their mother, leaving only a debris field around it, and the major races of the United Civilization developed on this debris field."


    "So what? The Skrull Empire has long since left here, and there is no Andromeda Gxy in their officially recognized territory...""But I am a descendant of the Skrull Empire!" Payne said, and as he spoke, the color of his skin gradually changed from blue to a blue-green, and some patterns appeared on his body. Green Thorn turned to Blue Spirit and said, "Those patterns seem to be the representative of the Skrulls. Could it be that he..."


    "As the Space Library, you symbiotes should know that there are not many races in Space that have the ability to transform at will, and the Skrulls are one of them..."


    "What now?" Payne opened his hands and said, "Do you dare to attack me? If we go to war here, you will be dering war on the Skrull Empire!"


    The symbiotes looked at each other, seeming hesitant. They didn''t know if it was worth paying such a high price. The strength of the Skrull Empire was far beyond what anyone could imagine, and they couldn''t handle it.


    "He''s lying."


    Suddenly, a calm voice sounded in everyone''s minds, and Pris eximed, "Professor X?"


    "That''s right, I''m not far from you now. I just checked the memories of that blue creature over there, and he''s lying."


    Professor X''s voice also sounded in Payne''s mind. Obviously, Charles sent the message to everyone. Payne suddenly became flustered and said, "A telepath? How is that possible? It''s the rarest ability in Space! How can you be powerful enough to read my memories?"


    "ording to your memories, you are not a Skrull, but a Kree, a spy sent by the Kree to the ancient Skrull Empire..."


    As Charles spoke, the truth behind the destruction of the Skrull''s mother slowly unfolded.


    The Skrulls were an extremely powerful civilization created by the Celestials. Their older history need not be mentioned. Only during the period when their mother was destroyed...


    At that time, they were a federal state led by the emperor. Due to the emperor''s death, the territory was split, and various warlords fought each other. For a long time, this powerful civilization was in an extremely weakened state.


    The Kree and the Skrulls had a grudge against each other, and their grievances wereplicated. However, the two sides had fought a war for hundreds of years. Seeing the Skrull Empire in turmoil, the Kree naturally wanted to find a way to strike them.


    They sent a spy team into the Skrull Empire. Since the Kree could also mimic other races, they were born spies, and the Skrulls were in turmoil at the time, so the spy team sessfully infiltrated and made a big deal.


    They attracted the hungry-eater, which devoured the Skrull''s most densely popted and developed mother at the time, leaving only debris.


    The purpose of the Kree Empire was to weaken their opponents. After this goal was achieved, the Kree focused on chasing the surviving Skrull fleet. The spy team that was sent in was lucky enough to escape.


    The special energy fluctuations of the-eater cut off theirmunication with the rulers of the civilization, and the mother did not send a spaceship to pick them up. So the Kree team stayed in this star region and called themselves the Kree, bing the local emperor.


    Upon hearing this story, the symbiotes looked at each other in confusion. They didn''t expect such aplex historical background.


    Seeing his lie exposed, Payne gritted his teeth and said, "So what? Even if I''m not a Skrull, I''m still a descendant of the Kree. Do you dare to offend the Kree Empire?!"


    Blue Spirit opened his mouth, and his eyes looked sympathetic towards Payne. Just then, Charles''s voice sounded in Pris''s mind.


    "Lorna, I need to confirm with you. Did the person in front of you just admit that he is a Kree?"


    "...Yes, he said he is a descendant of the Kree."


    "Okay, tell your father to capture him alive. We have someone here who wants to ask the Kree Empire for an exnation."


    Pris nced at Mao''s helmet on his head, shook her head, feeling that the rtionship between these two was really awkward. But she still spoke up, "I don''t think he wants to leave, so let''s not waste time and just attack him."


    Before Payne could say anything, the mutantsunched an all-out attack. When Payne attacked the symbiotes with his sonic weapon, Shadow and Crystal were already angry. They had been with the symbiotes for so long that they had already regarded them as their friends. When they heard the symbiotes'' screams just now, their hearts were tightened.


    The mutants attacked with anger, and their power was extraordinary. Countless spikes spread across the ground, and Payne was just about to dodge when his own Shadow entangled his body.


    With a "bang," a golden lightning bolt struck where Payne was standing. He had just dodged it when a violent electromaic storm swept over him.


    When Pris flew up again, her fingertips and hair were all filled with sparkling electric currents. She looked like a thunderbird dancing in the sky, and her smile grew stronger. Apanied by the intense roar of the maic storm, her loud voice echoed through the sky:


    "Maism, generate electricity!"


    Instantly, countless sma charged forward like an army, and when the electric sma lit up, it was like the first light breaking through dawn. Particles began to dance, and electric arcs began to jump. Pris''s hair flew up into the air, and her eyes were filled with electric light. At this moment, she heard Mao''s voice.


    "Control it, don''t let it control you."


    Pris focused her mind, slowed down the energy output, and the maism of all things floated in her mind. All destruction was precisely controlled above the ground. The buzzing gradually weakened, and when Prisnded, she breathed out slowly.


    "This is harder than I imagined," she shook her head and said, "the secondary change of maism consumes too much energy. How can I control the movement of particles?"


    Mao looked at her and stretched out his hand. There was no grand scene, just a glowing cage that descended from the sky, enveloping Payne and the deputy speaker who had been trapped and electrocuted.


    Pris focused on observing the changes in the cage. She found that there was a terrible high temperatureing from it, and a reaction simr to a star was urring, but it did not harm the grass and trees on the ground at all.


    Mao waved his cloak and turned to leave. Blue Spirit led the other mutants towards the Speaker''s Pce, saying as they walked, "There are other people in the Speaker''s Pce, such as those senators, but they are not important. Just drive them out."


    "In addition, there are some civilians who serve them. I hope they can be allowed to leave..."


    As they walked forward, Eddie paused for a moment. He looked down at the camera in his hand, removed the hard drive, and handed it to Blue Spirit. Blue Spirit looked at the hard drive in his hand and asked with some confusion, "What is this?"


    "I recorded everything he just said, including his deliberate idents, taking possession of the Union spacecraft, and deliberately letting the defense line be destroyed when the Union civilization started the war..."


    "Earlier, Mao said that he used a gravity shield to save the central area of this star region. There should be many unknown civilians on others, and there should be devices in the Speaker''s Pce that transmit messages to others. You can send this video first."


    "Later, I will write a rted report. I hope you can prepare some professional trantors for me. The title of the report will be ''The Union Speaker is Guilty, and Space Agents Uphold Justice.''"


    Blue Spirit hesitated, but Thunder walked up and took the hard drive, saying, "Thanks, Venom. I didn''t expect you to be so clever."


    Eddie shook his body, and Venom''s head appeared, grinning with sharp teeth.


    The group entered the Speaker''s Pce, and Mao and Pris left with two prisoners. Although this Kree descendant named Payne was not very smart, his physical fitness was good. Pris couldn''t defeat him in seconds, and he showed signs of activity again in just a few minutes.


    Mao could clearly feel his vital signs recovering through maism, but this time, he chose to y dead wisely. Obviously, it was better to be honest when being held by a madman who could explode a ck hole.


    But soon, he couldn''t sit still because a veryrge portal opened outside the binary star ind system, and the bow of a spaceship emerged from it.


    Payne looked at the spaceship and felt very familiar with it. Although the pattern and color on it were all different, he felt like he had seen it before... Wasn''t this a Kree spaceship?


    The Kree Empire came to rescue him???


    Payne''s eyes lit up, but soon he heard anguage that was not from the Kree Empireing from the portal.


    "No, it''s stuck. Who will go and tap the portal? Is it broken?" Schiller''s voice sounded.


    "I told you, giving the spaceship to someone who only knows how to change light bulbs is unreliable. Stark is the real racer. I''ll do it!"


    Mao stood next to the portal, watching the huge spaceship suddenly make a loud roar, and the engine spewed out mes. Then, the wings traced red and blue trajectories, and with a "whoosh," it disappeared.


    Peter held Pikachu with one hand and clung to the cabin door with the other, preventing himself from being mmed into the wall. He shouted, "Stop him! The spatial stabilizer is about to copse!"


    Steve supported the sofa and took three steps in two steps to push Stark away. Finally, the speed slowed down.


    Peter breathed a sigh of relief, but then with a "bang," he was mmed into the ceiling, and the entire control room shook violently.


    "Asteroid belt! Get out of the way!"


    "No need! It''s within the safety range!"


    "Bang!" "Bang!" "Boom!" "...Ouch!"


    Ten minutester, Blue Spirit and his team boarded the Glorious spaceship. Thunderbolt sighed and said, "Even if most of the transportation facilities in the core star region are paralyzed, you can''t drive like this!"


    "Viting the speed limit, speeding, and destroying celestial bodies..."


    "And driving without a license," Blue Spirit added.


    "Damn it, do you need a driver''s license to fly a spaceship?"


    "Of course you do," Stark hadn''t spoken yet, but Blue Spirit blocked his defense, "and the Earth license doesn''t count."


    "But at least we didn''t speed..."


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 Chapter 353: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXIII)

    Chapter 353: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXIII)


    Shameful... Several members of the Radiance Alliance, along with Steve and Peter, came to the Andromeda Gxy. To understand why, we must first look at the recent developments in the Sr System.


    Since the construction of the Mercury base, Stark has been focusing on infrastructure development. As part of the future ns for Mercury, it will be a fully automated energy collection base, which requires automation as a first step.


    Programming is a piece of cake for Stark. He created an extremelyplex robot logicwork and adapted different types of robots to it. Then he integrated them into the building to be an integrated machine, solving the problem of robot energy, damage, and maintenance.


    Secondly, there is the technology of nano-folding and unfolding. Stark has studied Schiller''s nano armor thoroughly, and although he has not yet achieved the same folding rate, he can fold mostrge machines within the range that transport robots can carry.


    The next step is even simpler. Sorcerer opens a portal, the transport robots move in, and Stark starts controlling them with a huge screen.


    The process is simr to ying certain assembly line construction games. Find a mining site, ce mining machines, smelting machines, assembly machines, then set up the assembly line, build a factory, and optimize efficiency...


    With the technology of foldingrge machines, it is possible to build arge machine on Mercury with just a click on Stark''s screen on Earth. Of course, since this technology is not yet mature, there is a risk of explosion during unfolding. Therefore, it cannot be used on Earth, but it is okay on Mercury. After it explodes, just build another one.


    Since the initial explosion probability is a bit high, Stark starts focusing on the recycling system. He modified therge machines to be unfolded so that the explosion range ispletely controble. Then he recovers the destroyed materials, with a recovery rate of over 80%, and eventually even up to over 98%, which is equivalent to dismantling and rebuilding without cost.


    Then, Stark coborated with technical consultants from Far East countries to set up a logistics system between bases, such as elevated highways and high-speed railways, and then the very tedious process of wiring.If an ordinary person were ying this game, their brain might burn out. But for Stark, it is not a problem at all. With the help of JARVIS, the superintelligence assistant, the Mercury base was quickly built.


    However, another problem arose. The Mercury base was built to experiment with how to extract sr energy. Light cannot stay on Mercury, so it must be close to the star. But as it gets closer to the star, the temperature increases exponentially. Ordinary metals cannot withstand the high temperature of the Sun. Some important equipment must use vibranium and vibranium alloys.


    Wakanda has been almost depleted by Stark recently. Even if Wakanda is willing to participate in the Sr System construction and is happy to enhance the importance of vibranium, the mining technology is still a problem. After mining for so many years, not much has been mined. Even if you are in a hurry, you cannot create it out of thin air.


    Stark also knows that focusing on materials is too slow to achieve technological leaps. It is better to go directly to find iron and gunpowder than to spend several years grinding a stick into a spear.


    Coincidentally, the Sulphur Dwarf is a race that can draw energy from its own star. ording to the symbiote, the reason why this race has developed better than other races and can develop its own independent technological system is due to a special metal in their star system called molten steel.


    In addition, the Zerg of the Virgo constetion also has crystal clusters with excellent light transmission and instion properties. The territories of the High Elves and Totem Spirits have materials with high magic affinity, which are suitable for the construction of fixed portals by sorcerers.


    "Humans havee all the way to the Andromeda Gxy to overthrow the evil coalition speaker and give the people of the Virgo constetion a fair sky. Even if it is peacekeeping, we need some wear and tear fees, right?"


    "We don''t even need money, just the right to mine minerals. How much can a normal surface civilization mine?"


    "Look, the Sulphur Dwarf has no objection, right?"


    Schiller sat on the sofa in the Union Civilization Speaker''s Mansion, taking a sip of the local fruit wine.


    Strange rolled his eyes and said, "I guess as long as they agree, you''ll immediately fly to mine, and you won''t stop until the warehouse is full..."


    "How is that possible? If anyone is going to fly, it''s Peter. Flying a spaceship is not as fun as I imagined. Let''s forget it."


    At this time, Mao and Charles walked in one after another. Schiller turned his head and smiled, "How is the new home?"


    "Very good." Charles was obviously very satisfied.


    After all, this floating ind is first-ss in terms of location, structure, and environment. The selfish and self-interested speaker has spent years searching for precious resources and technology from various ces and using them in his private garden.


    He turned the entire floating ind into a beautiful and resource-rich paradise, and the mutants directly captured a billionaire''s private estate. Of course, they are very satisfied.


    Moreover,pared to a whole, this ind, which is only half the size of Earth, is easier to defend. At least Mao''s maic field canpletely cover it.


    "Earth can amodate billions of people, while mutants are only a few million. Living here can be considered sparsely popted. Schiller is satisfied with this, because Charles'' next words are, ''Of course, there are still many problems with the construction here, such as insufficient housing, inadequate infrastructure, and no town nning...''


    "''It''s okay, you don''t have to move here all at once tomorrow. You can n everything on Earth and slowly transform this ce into a dream home for mutants over the course of a few years.''


    "''Actually, that''s the problem.'' Charles looked a bit embarrassed and said, ''Although mutants have powerful individual abilities, we are not very good at construction...''


    "''Beast hase up with a n, but there is no clue about the raw materials and the way the project is carried out. It sounds simple, but it is actually a huge project, and if it is not nned well, there may be big problems in the future...''"


    "''Don''t worry, Earth''s contribution does not mean providing raw materials, but providing technology and ideas. Stark canpletely handle the construction of the base. Didn''t you see the construction speed of the Mercury base a few days ago?''"


    "Charles nodded and said, ''That is indeed a miracle, but we also have to consider some aesthetics. You know, this is where people live. We can''t turn it into a robot factory.''"


    "''Don''t worry, Nick has already sent invitations to the world''s most famousndscape architects, as well as several environmental art professors who teach at world-famous universities. They will provide you with the most suitable environmental transformation n.''"


    "''In addition, you can also use local materials. You have already seen the appearance of the Speaker''s Mansion. This special material is on thes in the gxy. The Zerg just sent amunication thanking us for exposing the conspiracy of the Speaker of the United Civilization, and they said that their civilization suffered the most losses in the destruction of the fleet.''"


    "''If mutants can guarantee their safety, they are willing to give up two minings on the edge of the gxy, which can directly provide you with ready-made minerals.''"


    "''The leader of the High Elves is also interested in negotiating. They want to exchange some of their technology for ours. They are behind in engineering and manufacturing, especially in the control of electricity and maism. Maybe we can get some good things from them.''"


    "''Totem Spirits are a purely elemental race, which has nothing to do with mutants. But if they trade with sorcerers, you can also ask sorcerers if they can exchange for some enchanted items.''"


    "''In short, this is the advantage of the prosperous area. Everything can be traded, and all parties can exchange what they have and progress together.''"


    "''Evenpared to Earth, this ce is more suitable for development. Earth is like a remote and uninhabited area, where everything has to be mined by ourselves.''"


    "After Mao left, Charles sighed and picked up his ss to drink some fruit wine, then asked, ''Such a good ce, are you willing to give it to mutants so easily?''"


    "''It''s not about giving it to mutants. We are all humans, at least part of human civilization. You are the first step for humans to move towards the stars, the pioneers and explorers.''"


    "''Perhaps you are thinking, why don''t ordinary people move here? Even if they can''t move all of them, moving some of them here is also a form of interster colonization. But things are not that simple.''"


    "''Now you think Zerg, High Elves, and Totem Spirits are very friendly, because mutants are strong enough.''"


    "''The leaders of these civilizations have more or less guessed Mao''s abilities. They are wary of mutants'' powerful individualbat abilities. Cooperation is a better way than forcing you to jump over the wall like a trapped dog.''"


    "''But if ordinary humanse here, our strength and technological level are not enough to control the situation. At that time, these seemingly friendly alien civilizations will show their fangs and tear humans apart.''"


    "''This is the rule of the interster society, survival of the fittest, and thew of the jungle. Humans are far from being able to step onto the interster stage.''"


    "''Okay.'' Schiller changed the subject and said, ''What about the Kree descendant? It''s time to talk about the ten ships that the Kree owe us...''"


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 Chapter 354: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXIV)

    Chapter 354: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXIV)


    After a friendly conversation with Payne, the descendant of Kree, Payne sessfully added a significant amount of debt to Kree''s ount with his bad attitude. By the end of the conversation, the Kree owed humans more than 150 spaceships, and there was a clear IOU.


    Steve became the representative of human civilization and, together with Charles, was responsible for diplomatic activities in the Andromeda Gxy. Stark, Peter, and Mao were responsible for mining work.


    After the agreement was reached on Charles'' side, they directly started working on the spaceship. The mining weapons on the spaceship,bined with the maic force of Mao and Pris, could maximize the mining efficiency. In simple terms, they could empty a in a few days.


    Oh, by the way, what happened to the Sulphur Dwarf civilization, which was once the most developed civilization in this gxy, after the ck hole explosion?


    Because the core star region of the constetion Centaurus has a very habitable environment, Mao deliberately protected this part with a maic field when guiding the super ck hole explosion jet. However, Sulphur Dwarf''s civilization was rtively far from the core star region but closer to the super ck hole, so they did not have the same luck as other civilizations.


    Sulphur Dwarf controlled more than 1500 resources, and most of thes in the star region they ruled produced molten steel. The rest of thes that did not produce molten steel were mostly gas giants that provided auxiliary resources.


    Due to the proximity of this star region to the super ck hole, after the ck hole produced a jet, all of Sulphur Dwarf''s armed fleets were destroyed, and several hundreds located in the jet''s path were annihted.


    What''s even more deadly is that the two star regions with the most concentrated poption of Sulphur Dwarf, all stars were extinguished due to this space disaster.


    Originally, most of thes where the Sulphur Dwarf poption lived had a very high surface temperature, mostly around 500 degrees. The species evolved in this environment had a high resistance to high temperatures and could move in an environment of several degrees without feeling ufortable.However, this was also a heat-resistant but not cold-resistant species. Since their birthce andter colonizeds were all high-temperatures, they had not experienced the extreme cold after the Sun was extinguished. Therefore, in about ten days, more than half of the poption in this densely popted star region died.


    Actually, the poption should not have declined so quickly, but what was even more deadly was that Sulphur Dwarf was a species that relied entirely on star energy. Their civilization was highly developed, and the technology for extracting energy from stars was also very advanced. Therefore, all the facilities on their were connected to the energy extracted from the star, and all the equipment cores, circuits, and pipelines were adapted to the star energy extractor.


    After the Sun was extinguished, all the facilities on their that needed energy stopped working, including the facilities that adjusted oxygen and rare gases.


    Sulphur Dwarf was called Sulphur Dwarf because they needed to breathe a special gas with a sulfur smell, which could greatly enhance their physical fitness and produce "molten fire energy" that increased their strength. ...


    If they did not breathe this gas, they would not die, but they would fall into decline. Coupled with the extreme cold in space, the entire civilization copsed in just a few days after the disaster.


    Stark, who witnessed all of this, had no sympathy, but he raised his vignce. Such tragedies could not be repeated in human civilization. The speed and breadth of development were equally important.


    However, while being vignt, the Radiance Alliance found a with the richest mineral resources in the star region ruled by Sulphur Dwarf and built an energy center there that could provide heat and gas for Sulphur Dwarf''s survival.


    This energy center was not very powerful, but it was very bright, almost like a beacon in space.


    The threes of this week were not far apart. After the star was extinguished, the sky above thes fell into endless darkness. At this time, a bright star appeared in the night sky, and Sulphur Dwarf naturally saw it.


    At this time, the human relief ship arrived in time.


    As a civilized society in space that is both kind and fair, human civilization expressed deep sympathy and regret for Sulphur Dwarf''s plight. At the same time, human civilization happened to have built an energy center that could provide Sulphur Dwarf with the heat and gas they needed on a neighboring, and it was now open for immigration.


    Generally speaking, humans only ept noble investment immigrants, but the situation is special now. Based on the principle of saving as many people as possible and reasonable resettlement, human immigration ships also eptbor immigrants. In other words, as long as you can mine, you can board the ship.


    At this time, Sulphur Dwarf had already passed the panic period of poption decline, and all they wanted was to survive by any means. Although many people were very resistant and wanted to stay and rebuild their mother, more people chose the fastest way to survive, which was to board the human...immigration ship.


    The energy core built by the Radiance Alliance was also very particr. Its heat radiation range was circr, which means that you must live within this circle to avoid freezing to death.


    The human civilization is so backward that arge amount of molten steel ore can only produce negligible heat. If they don''t mine hard, the range of heat radiation will be smaller and smaller, and the dwarves living in the outer circle will freeze to death.


    Of course, the closer to the core, the higher the heat, and the more stable it is. However, in order to shrink the circle without shrinking to their own position, the dwarves began to exploit each otheryer byyer.


    The people in the inner circle exploit those in the outer circle, and those in the outer circle exploit those even further out, hoping to squeeze out all theirbor and make the heat circle expandrger andrger, so that they can be safer.


    The n proposed by the morally tested members of the Radiance Alliance allows humans to not even have to whip the Sulphur Dwarves themselves. These dwarves will turn their knives on their own kind.


    However, the people in the outer circle are not justmbs to be ughtered. They work hard, but the people in the inner circle live better and better. They are oppressed, but the fruits of theirbor are enjoyed by those in the inner circle. In just a few days, the rebellion caused the entire race to bleed.


    At this point, humans were very wise and generous in opening up the upward channel. As long as your performance is good enough, you can rece those in the inner circle and live in their ce. On the contrary, if your performance is poor, you can only go to the outer circle where there is alternating hot and cold and daily power outages.


    Radiance Alliance did not want to use humanbor to mine ore in such a troublesome way, but molten steel is a very special metal that requires the Sulphur Dwarves to use their unique melting energy to conduct it onto the pickaxe in order to mine it. Therefore, they had to temporarily make the Sulphur Dwarves work as miners. Suffering a little for the sake of reviving civilization is normal for contemporary people.


    After the disarmament of the major civilizations in the Andromeda Gxy, there were almost no conditions for them to leave the surface. Therefore, the initiative waspletely in the hands of humans. After several meetings of the Radiance Alliance, the vast majority of policies were determined and then implemented. In a very short period of time, the situation in the gxy returned to stability.


    Symbiote Blue Spirit also sighed. In his long life, he had seen countless forms of civilization, but the wisdom that humans showed in society and rtionship studies still ranked among the top. They can urately find the key points inplex rtionships and seek the greatest benefits for themselves in chaotic situations. Although this is also rted to the flexible moral bottom line of some members of the Radiance Alliance, it is more because humans have spent too many skill points on struggle over the years.


    After the matter in the Andromeda Gxy came to an end, Peter, Steve, and Charles, who had not been tested for their moral bottom line, stayed there to continue spreading the gospel of humanity.


    Stark came back because the construction of the Sr System could not do without him. After the ore was mined, the next step was speed and agility, and Stark had to keep an eye on it.


    Strange came back because the business of Sanctum Sanctorum was too busy, and he had to personally keep an eye on it.


    Schiller came back because he still had a mess to clean up, which was the family affairs of Asgard.


    In the office of Arkham Sanatorium, Loki sat opposite Schiller. After taking off her hood, theyers of halo behind her were somewhat dazzling. Schiller blinked and took out a medical record. Loki stared at the medical record and asked confusedly, "I saw you have been writing it recently. What is it?"


    "This is your medical record."


    "Mine? What illness do I have? Am I not okay?" Loki asked in confusion.


    "Your psychological research in Asgard is almost nonexistent, so everyone in Asgard doesn''t think they have a mental illness. But in my opinion, every one of you is seriously ill."


    Loki pursed her lips. She wanted to refute, but didn''t know how to start. Schiller began to count one by one: "Thor may have some tendencies of mania before, and H is the same. You have emotional disorders and should also have anxiety..."


    "I..."


    "Let''s talk about how these mental illnesses came about first."


    "But I don''t..."


    "Every mentally ill person thinks they are not sick."


    Schiller turned his pen around and made a gesture of calming down, saying, "Okay, let''s assume you are sick, just assume it."


    "First of all, I think the cause of your mental illness is likely to be long-term discrimination and bullying. Asgard''s group environment is very hostile to you, which adds a lot of mental pressure to you, causing your mental development to be abnormal..."


    As soon as Schiller finished speaking, a halo suddenly appeared behind Loki''s back. Loki looked confusedly at her back and asked, "I''ve been wanting to ask, what are these halos?"


    Seeing this, Schiller smiled, as if he had found that his prediction hade true. He said, "You said that the first halo appeared when you became a woman, the second halo appeared when H knew you had be a woman but still chased after you, and the third halo appeared when H and Balder had a conflict because of you..."


    Loki''s expression was still confused, and she didn''t notice any rules in it. However, Schiller said, "Just now, I diagnosed your mental illness and was just doing an experiment. Now it seems that the result of the experiment is as I expected..."


    "So, what are these halos?"


    "You can call them ''politically correct halos''."


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 Chapter 355: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXV)

    Chapter 355: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXV)


    "What is political correctness?"


    "It is a concept unique to humans. I won''t go into the specifics, but as an Asgardian, you wouldn''t understand this concept."


    "Let''s analyze the situation."


    "The first halo appeared when you transformed into a female. What were you thinking when you changed genders?"


    Loki hesitated for a moment before responding, "I wasn''t thinking anything. Should I have had some kind of feeling?"


    "That''s the problem. If your psychological gender is male, then when you transform into a female, you would feel ufortable. If you don''t feel anything, then it''s likely that your psychological gender is female or non-binary. That means you are transgender..."


    As soon as those words were spoken, another huge halo appeared behind Loki, almost blindingly bright. Now, Loki was like a giant light bulb, a space lighthouse in another sense.


    "Is transgender just a literal meaning? Perhaps..."


    "Why do you think you became transgender? Is it due to gics or environmental factors?"Loki looked hesitant, and Schiller tapped the end of his pen on the table to get his attention. Schiller continued, "I think environmental factors y a bigger role."


    "You live in Asgard, an environment that doesn''t ept you. They don''t ept you because you have a weaker physique and are skilled in magic, unlike most male Asgardians. You are an anomaly among Asgardian males."


    "But if the same conditions were applied to females, you wouldn''t face discrimination. In fact, you would be praised, just like your mother Frigga, who was the strongest sorcerer for nine cycles and a respected queen. But there''s almost no difference between you and her, except for gender."


    "The same conditions, carried out by different genders, lead to vastly different results. This is the main reason for the psychological gap you feel. Perhaps you''ve wondered if you were a goddess, would you feel less ufortable? Would you be more popr than Thor?"


    Loki''s expression changed. It was clear that Schiller''s words touched on some of Loki''s concerns. Loki had thought about the questions Schiller posed.


    In daily life in Asgard, Loki was distant from Odin but close to his mother Frigga. He knew how respected she was, but he hadpared himself to her in private and concluded that they were very simr in every aspect.


    Two simr people, with the only difference being gender, received vastly different treatment. Loki couldn''t help but question this.


    Loki fell silent for a long time, then slowly exhaled and said, "I admit that I''ve thought about all the questions you''ve asked, and I''ve thought about them countless times."


    "When I was very young, I didn''t understand why no one wanted to y with me..."


    "We yed a game of simted warfare, which wasmon in Asgard. Children would divide into two teams and simte various positions on the battlefield topete against each other."


    "Every time we yed this game, neither team wanted to choose me because, in the default formation, males were the frontline warriors. If I joined their team, it would be like they were missing a person, and they might lose the game."


    "Every time this happened, Thor would invite me to join his team and ask me to stand at the back with the girls and release magic."


    "The goddesses were nice to me, but after the game, they would praise Thor, even though he won with a burden... It hurt more than being attacked directly, right?"


    Loki''s tone began to tremble. It was clear that he was recalling things he didn''t want to remember.


    "Thor saw this as a gift to me. He thought that by choosing me when no one else would, it meant he loved me..."


    "Even as an adult, he still did this. No legion wanted me because they thought I couldn''t protect myself. After taking me to the battlefield, they had to arrange a special guard to protect me."


    "They called me a respected prince and asked me to stay in the safe pce, not to cause trouble for the frontline warriors. But if I didn''t go, I would be a symbol of cowardice and ipetence."


    "At this point, only Thor was willing to take me with him. He asked me to stay behind the front line and didn''t even ask me to release magic. My only role in the entire war was to appear at the victory banquet after he defeated all the enemies."


    "He thought he did everything perfectly, that he was a good brother who loved his younger brother. I had no reason to refute his arrangements. I should learn to be content. If I raised any doubts, they would say, ''Isn''t what Thor did enough?''"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "That''s why I said Asgardians never pay attention to mental health. The consequence of not studying psychology and behavior is that everyone thinks they''re doing good, but they end up with the worst results."


    "So, answer me, when faced with this treatment, did you want to strengthen your physique, be a powerful warrior like Thor, and regain your own honor? Or..."


    Loki shook his head and said, "No, I despise that kind of fighting style. At the same time, I believe that those fools have never realized the importance of deceptive tactics and only charge forward..."


    "It seems that the cause of your gender identity also has some innate factors."


    Loki nodded and said, "Actually, from the very beginning, I didn''t like ying those diator games. I prefer quiet activities, like reading in the library or taking a walk in ancient gardens. I started doing this when I was very young."


    Loki showed aplex expression and said, "I know that being independentes at a cost, but many times, I also feel resentful. Whenever I calm down, I also know that Thor probably didn''t think that much. He just follows his instincts..."


    "He thinks he''s my brother, so when no one chooses me, he chooses me. He thinks he should protect my safety, so he puts me at the back of the line. He can''t empathize with my feelings, so he doesn''t care about the rumors in Asgard..."


    Loki''s tone has always been calm. When talking about her situation, her attitude seemed a bit numb. Seeing her state, Schiller immediately changed the subject. He said, "Those are all in the past. Let''s talk about something happy. Did Thor miss a lot again?"


    As soon as she heard this sentence, Loki''s expression on her face brightened visibly, and she almost couldn''t help butugh.


    Last time during the Knull incident, Thor was thrown on Earth and knew nothing. All the generals in Asgard were full, and he was the only one who couldn''t regain his divine power.


    This Christmas event, The Ancient One licked the package, and Odin divided the bill. It is estimated that after Odin divides the bill, there will be another wave of showing off. Thor will definitely miss it again.


    "Let''s summarize." Schiller put down his pen and looked at the medical record and said, "Because of being bullied in childhood, you have serious psychological problems, anxiety disorder, and serious emotional barriers..."


    As Schiller''s words fell, the small halo behind Loki suddenly grewrger. Now she couldn''t even see her face, and she became a super-sized white light ball.


    "At the same time, bullying has brought you a different gender identity. As a transgender person, you have suffered discrimination, which has exacerbated your mental illness..."


    "Jing", "Jing", "Jing", the light emitted by Loki became stronger and stronger, and this mysterious optical phenomenon broke through the Earth''s atmosphere.


    "At the same time, you are also a homosexual. After you transformed into a woman, you had a romantic rtionship with your sister..."


    Loki just wanted to refute, but the stronger light overwhelmed her. Schiller continued, "Of course, because of your forbidden love with your sister, you have also be a member of a minority group."


    "And your brother and sister fought for you. I remember you said before that Balder is the incarnation of the new branch of the world tree, so this is also a love that crosses races..."


    "Of course, the world tree should also be considered a kind of nt. You awakened Balder with the power of light, giving him a new life. Obviously, you are also an environmental protectionist..."


    "Mental illness, transgender, incestuous love, interspecies love, environmental protectionist... You are the minority of the minority group, the politically correct of the politically correct."


    With Schiller''s tongue-twisting speech, a strong light suddenly erupted from the surface of the Earth, and Odin, who was confronting H and Balder outside the nine realms, watched the light "buzz" straight into the sky until it reached the edge of the single space.


    At this moment, Loki descended from the strong light column, her robe fluttering with the light, her hair moving without wind, and her eyes containing extremely holy light.


    Loki quietly recalled thest sentence that Schiller had entrusted to her in her mind, and she turned to Odin, her tone calm and majestic:...


    "Father of the gods Odin, do you have any objections to female heirs?"


    Odin didn''t understand what she was talking about. He was about to speak, but he felt a huge crisis rising in his heart, which made him decisively close his mouth. At the moment when this question was asked, the light column became more solid and began to continuously attack the barrier of the single space.


    After speaking, Loki turned to Balder and said, "Bright God Balder, do you have any objections to my and H''s same-sex love?"


    Balder was choked, but he didn''t answer. Therefore, the light column became stronger and stronger, and it was only a little bit away from breaking through the barrier of the single space.


    At the same time, Thor, who had been on Sakar for a long time, was finally ready to return to Asgard. On his way back, he felt a familiar power spreading.


    On the way back to the nine realms, he saw a strong light rising into the sky. The direction of the incident was on the road that must be passed to return to the nine realms. Thor''s heart tightened. Did something happen to Asgard?


    He spared no effort to spend a lot of divine power and rushed to that ce at the fastest speed. Just as hended, he saw Loki in the light column, and the familiar breath was Loki''s power.


    Thor widened his eyes, staring at the female Loki in front of him in disbelief, and asked, "Loki??? How did you be... how did you be a goddess?!!!"


    Just as Loki was about to break through the barrier of the single space, Thor gave the strongest assist. Loki asked, "Bright new god Thor, do you have any objections to transgender people?!"


    With a "boom", the light column expanded infinitely, and everyone present was blown out. In this instant, Loki, who was full of all buffs, was upgraded.


    After the light column disappeared, all the light circles converged inward, bursting out even stronger light. In an instant, the light was strong enough to illuminate the nine realms and rose in the dark space.


    The goddess of light, Loki, has descended.


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 Chapter 356: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXVI)

    Chapter 356: S:Glorious Big Event (XXXVI)


    In front of the French windows of Arkham Sanatorium, Schiller put on his goggles and looked at the star that suddenly shed in the sky. Strange squinted his eyes and also looked up at the sky, saying, "Has she ascended?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Not necessarily, it depends on her own choice."


    "This is a kind of opportunistic way, with only a status but no power. If there is any special ability, it is probably immortality."


    "To be honest, I don''t understand the principle here..."


    "You don''t need to understand, you just need to know that this state can only be maintained for a period of time. Once one of the rtionships within it disappears, the status will naturally decline."


    "Why did you want her to ascend at that moment?"


    "If you can''t finish your homework, wouldn''t you want to take a look at the answer?"


    Strange had no argument, and Schiller sighed and said, "If you can''t take a look at the answer, the dilemma of Asgard is almost unsolvable. Even if you see the answer, how to copy it without any ws is also a problem."


    "Odin has too many concerns, Thor has a mission and the ability to answer, only Loki is left. What she can do and whether she can reverse the inevitable fate of Asgard will be known at the moment of closing the book..."On the square in front of the gate of Asgard Pce, Thor stood among the people of Asgard, beautiful magic light points floating around the fountain, colorful flowers and sweet and clear spring water were brought up and ced in front of Thor.


    Odin stood beside him, raised the hand holding his spear, and between a thunderbolt, a crown slowly descended onto Thor''s head. The crowd below erupted in cheers, and the whole Asgard was boiling. They shouted, "New king!"


    At this moment, Thor no longer had a proud expression. He turned around, bowed his head and touched his shoulder, and saluted Odin. After Odin turned into a thunderbolt and left, Thor turned his head and looked at the corridor of the pce next to him, as if looking for something.


    Seeing that Loki did not appear, Thor''s gaze was somewhat disappointed. He sighed, but said nothing.


    Suddenly, a ck shadow shed past the other end of the corridor. Thor turned his head and saw Loki leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, snapping his fingers at him, and then his figure disappeared and reappeared in the other end of the corridor.


    Loki, who had already returned to his male form, had a sly smile unique to the god of deception on his face, just like the pranks he had done before. This was just a joke that had nothing to do with the coronation ceremony, at least that''s how Thor saw it.


    But many people in Asgardined. They thought Loki was a white-eyed wolf. On such an important day for Thor, his own brother did not show up, and it was a waste of Thor''s usual kindness to Loki.


    Standing at the highest point, Thor took in everyone''s expressions. He recalled the conversation he had with Loki on the clock towerst night in the evening breeze.


    "Why did you give up on ascending? Don''t you know that this is a great opportunity? You can be a being above Space, almost omniscient!" Thor walked to Loki with his weapon, very puzzled.


    Loki shook his head and said, "You always think about problems so simply. If this can solve Asgard''s problems, do you think the father of the gods can''t do it? Extract all the energy of the nine realms,bine them into one, and he can also be a being above Space..."


    "But this is an opportunity for you." Thor earnestly advised, "Your physical condition is not that good, and you have lost your divine power and divine position before. If you can ascend directly, wouldn''t that solve these problems directly?"


    "When I was ostracized because I couldn''t get along with others, did I try to make myself like you guys by any means?" Loki showed a mocking expression and said, "No, I am not like you. I am not a poor creature who cannot live without honor and a sense of mission."


    "I don''t need to live in an environment where everyone praises me, and I don''t need someone to ask me how I''m doing every day and act considerately. I know they have ulterior motives..."


    Thor turned around and looked into the distance between the pirs of the clock tower.


    Asgard is a floating ind in the dark Space, so its sunset is particrly short-lived. This magnificent brilliance itself is the best scenery. Thor asked, "I think you should have seen something, so you didn''t choose this path..."


    "You have a little more brain than usual."


    Loki turned his head and said, "I just went up to take a look at the answer. If this is the only way to prove myself, then I won''t get anything."


    "What is the principle behind this? Why can you ascend by changing gender and asking a few questions?"


    "I don''t know, because Asgard doesn''t have any psychologists. I rmend you to see a psychologist, because I think you are more seriously ill than I am."


    Thor was about to retort, but when he thought that it was Schiller''s method that allowed Loki to glimpse the scenery above Space, he was a little puzzled and said, "Can psychologists do this? Well, I''ll go see him another day."


    "Are you going to be crowned tomorrow?" Loki turned his head and asked him.


    "Yes, it''s a bit urgent, isn''t it? But the father of the gods told me that he might be very busy afterwards and unable to manage Asgard''s affairs, so that''s it..."


    Thor didn''t look excited. Loki looked at the brilliance of the sunset gradually being swallowed by darkness in the distance. He slowly said, "I have seen the endless magnificent scenery and the indescribable great brilliance. At the same time, I have also seen our inevitable fate of destruction and the bottomless dark end..."


    Loki''s hair fluttered, and he looked farther away than the distance. It was like returning to that momentary nce, and his voice became distant and vague.


    "If this is a disaster that no one can face alone, then we can only stand together."


    "It''s not because I understand your meaningless sense of honor, nor is it because I reconciled with those stupid people who never repent..."


    "But because this is also my home, and no one can use any reason to drive me away from here. Asgard is my eternal hometown, past, present, and future, always the same."


    "No matter who rules thisnd, no matter what ridiculous trend will arise on thisnd, no matter what they blindly follow, I will fight for it..."


    Loki turned to look at Thor. On top of the lonely clock tower in Asgard, in the beginning of the night when stars were descending, the young prince''s voice drifted away with the wind, getting farther and farther.


    "...New king."


    The stars in the night sky became brighter and brighter. Among them, a hidden in the darkness was bustling with crowds celebrating the festival. When the night and starlight descended together, the familiar sound of bells rang through the streets and alleys. The warm light shone through the shop windows, and tonight was Christmas Eve.


    "Hey, my Christmas gift is a reindeer sweater!" Peter happily took out the sweater from the box,pared it to himself, and said, "I love this style, and I love this color too!"


    "A light green reindeer sweater, what are you doing, Schiller? This is simply a cult! Reindeer sweaters should onlye in red and green, blue is already my limit!" Steve looked at Schiller and said.


    "Don''t be like that, Steve. This color is very poprtely. My ssmates are all wearing it." Peter ran to the bathroom with the sweater, excitedly. He really suited light colors, and his youthful and energetic temperament made the reindeer on the sweater look much more vivid.


    He smiled brightly and then pointed to the box on the coffee table and said, "Doctor, take a look at what I got you. You''ll definitely be satisfied!"


    Schiller''s gaze fell on the box. The gift box was not the usual Christmas packaging color, but a light blue color like ice and snow. Schiller opened the box and found a somewhat unfamiliarponent inside.


    Before he could ask, Peter walked over, picked up theponent, and exined to him, "Doctor, I noticed that you''ve been carrying that umbre around a lottely, so I made a modification to turn it into a super umbre."


    "You see, this is attached to the tip of the umbre. There''s a cooling system here that keeps the area under the umbre surface within two meters cool when you use it in the summer, and it can generate heat in the winter..."


    "Most importantly, a nanoscale freezing gun has been added here, the same blueprint that Dr. Connors came up with before. I used Mr. Stark''s new nanotechnology to fold it up and put it into thisponent..."


    "As long as you attach it to the tip of the umbre, it will extend a sensing device through the umbre tube. You just need to gently squeeze the handle tounch an ice bullet."


    "This... " Steve looked at the thing and said, "I can understand you adding a winter and summer air conditioner to the umbre, but adding a nanoscale super freezing gun to it seems a bit..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Schiller had already walked over with the umbre and said, "Come on, let''s try it on. Peter, I really like this gift. You''re much better than someone who just gave me an apple pie..."


    As he spoke, his eyes kept ncing at Steve. Just then, the sound of the mech''s cking and jetting came, and Starknded outside the balcony with snowkes on him. He said, "Why are you onlying now? We''ve already exchanged gifts."


    "Something came up with the mutants. They''ve set up their ownb and want me to give them some technical guidance."


    "How are they doing?"


    "What else can they do? They''re celebrating the festival just like us. They keep saying that mutants are not ordinary humans, but when ites to Christmas, they''re still buying decorations to hang on the Christmas tree and making the ssroom look fancy..."


    In the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Pris picked up her backpack and walked out of the ssroom, meeting Charles who was heading towards the ssroom. Charles smiled and nodded at her, "Oh, Lorna, are you leaving? Say hello to your father for me."


    "Oh, yes, Merry Christmas, Professor." Pris seemed a little distracted, but Professor Charles didn''t mind and said to her, "Merry Christmas, Lorna."


    Pris hurriedly left the school and returned to her room at the Brotherhood of Mutants base. When she opened her backpack, she took out a red gift box with a dark green ribbon tied around it.


    Pris lifted a corner of the gift box and found a reindeer sweater inside.


    She took a deep breath and whispered, "Why do I want to give Mao a gift? He''s Mao..."


    She paced around the room with the gift box, talking to the air at times, and fiddling with the ribbon at other times...


    Pris had a veryplex expression, seemingly resentful, regretful, fearful, and conflicted. Suddenly, she showed a thoughtful expression, as if she had made up her mind.


    In another room not far away, Mao Erik changed out of his ck armor and hung his cloak on the wardrobe. He was wearing a striped sweater that was asmon as it could be. The electromaic force around him made the fluff on the sweater stand up straight, making him look like a hedgehog.


    Erik sat on the piano bench, leaning against the backrest, squinting his eyes, as if dozing off.


    On the piano in front of him, smalls floated above the keys.


    As thes fell, the familiar sound of bells rang through the keys. The monosybic melody sounded a bit lonely, but it became the best luby.


    Erik closed his eyes, and as his breathing became heavier, the maic force that surrounded him dissipated. The upright fluff smoothed down.


    After the Christmas Eve bells rang, those small celestial bodies surrounded him, as if celebrating the holiday with him, and as if weaving a cradle for a sleeping child.


    When the starlight went out, Erik fell asleep.


    Therefore, he did not see the window open, and a red gift box with a deep green ribbon flew in. The words on the note were clearly visible in the moonlight - "Merry Christmas - Professor X."


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 Chapter 357: The Wakanda Rebellion (1)

    Chapter 357: The Wakanda Rebellion (1)


    After Christmas, snow fell from the sky in New York, covering the city in a white nket. Schiller sat in his office chair, blowing on the hot steam rising from his cup, his eyes reflecting the light from hisputer screen.


    Although theputer screen was currently disying work software, Schiller shook his mouse and revealed the news website of the Daily Globe below the work software. The Daily Globe had recently opened a science news section.


    Previously, the Daily Globe did not report on scientific research progress, and no newspaper would carefully report on such things. Even if they did, it was only for sensationalism to attract the attention of technology enthusiasts or to promote certainpanies.


    However, as the Sr System construction n progressed rapidly, the government began to reveal certain information to the public through various news channels to prepare them. Otherwise, people would still be stuck in the era wherending on the moon was difficult, and suddenly seeing a Space battleship above their heads would scare many people.


    Therefore, newspapers with official channels, such as the Daily Globe, began to focus on reporting on human scientific and technological progress, as if in just a few days, basic human science had made great strides.


    In fact, many technologies had already been researched and developed, but they were still kept secret. Now, with the uing technological leap, there was no need to keep these technologies secret anymore. As a result, ordinary people discovered that these reports on scientific and technological progress were dominating all news and browser homepages.


    As Eddie Brock was a frontline reporter for Space events, relying on the unreasonable physical strength of the Venomsymbiote, he had taken many precious Space pictures and videos. After returning to Earth, he became the editor-in-chief of the Daily Globe, and the science section became the most popr science news source.


    At this time, the most prominent title on their official website read: "Material technology breakthrough! Molten Steel alloy no less than Vibranium debuts, will human materials science reach new heights?"


    Clicking on this title revealed an interview with a researcher from Stark Industries, who imed that Molten Steel was a miracle of the new era of materials science, with propertiesparable to Vibranium, and more importantly, it could be mass-produced.When asked about the form for this alloy, the researcher revealed that it was still Tony Stark''s masterpiece, and the form was only known to him.


    This result did not surprise those who read this report. In fact, in the past few days, Stark had been making one amazing invention after another. Some people suspected that he was conducting academic fraud to attract attention, but Stark showed them that it was all real. He applied all these technologies to his Iron Man suit and flew eight times in the sky over New York in one day.


    Previously, when the news broke that Stark was Iron Man, most people had a very negative impression of him, seeing the Iron Man suit as a toy for a wealthy yboy. Even now, this impression had not changed much, except that he was now seen as a wealthy and technologically advanced yboy.


    Now, most people''s evaluation of Iron Man was that Stark was aplete scumbag, a damn yboy. God was so unfair to him, not only giving him so much money and intelligence, but also giving him the charm that made women all over the world fall for him. This was the focus!


    Ignoring the gossip news, the news report on the new material Molten Steel caused a sensation not only in America and Europe but also in a small country in Africa, Wakanda.


    It had to be admitted that Wakanda''s international status today was closely rted to the importance of Vibranium. Their leader, ck Panther, was indeed a knowledgeable and visionary leader, but without the special material properties of Vibranium, Wakanda would never have developed to its current level.


    Originally, Wakanda could use its Vibranium reserves to hold the world hostage and use it to its advantage in interster development. Even Stark had to negotiate with ck Panther politely. At this important juncture, countries had to bid for a share of Vibranium, and Wakanda''s international status had recently risen.


    If the leader, T''Cha, was a selfish and unambitious person, he would have already been crowned as the emperor of Africa.


    However, T''Cha is a wise and visionary leader. Although he controls the resources of Vibranium, he maniptes them to gain support from the international society. He is also righteous and teams up with Stark to increase the production of Vibranium mining, making the Sr System construction n more stable.


    During this period of research, the friendship between Stark and T''Cha grew rapidly. When the news of Molten Steel came out, T''Cha immediately contacted Stark.


    "Yes, I know you are very anxious. I also know that the new material is rted to the future development of Wakanda. However, the reserves of Vibranium are too small. It is like a drop in the bucket for the entire construction n."


    Stark listened to T''Cha''s anxious voice on the phone andforted him, "Of course, Molten Steel alloy is not omnipotent. The strategic position of Vibranium has not declined as much as you think."


    "Tony, I hope you understand that this is an important resource for all the people in our country to survive, and it is also the most important bargaining chip for us to stand in the international society."


    Stark shook his head and said, "T''Cha, don''t you think you are attaching too much importance to Vibranium? Do you really n to tie your entire country and all its people to this material?"


    Before T''Cha could say anything, Stark said, "It is precisely because we are friends that I must remind you of this. I want to tell you a story about a civilization that tragically relied too much on special resources."


    In Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Storm stood in front of Professor X''s desk, sighing with worry. "Wakanda''s situation is not good now. Many people think that Molten Steel will rece Vibranium. If that happens, their huge resources may be worthless."


    "Even more frightening is that they think their leader, ck Panther, did not take strong enough measures to protect the strategic position of Vibranium. Some people even think that T''Cha should not have controlled the output of Vibranium before. If they had cashed in on the resources of Vibranium at that time, they would not have to deal with the impact of alternative materials now."


    Charles covered his forehead and said, "Isn''t Wakanda the country with the highest education level in Africa? Can''t they understand thesemon sense issues?"


    Storm sighed and brushed her silver hair behind her ear, saying, "T''Cha distributed shares of Vibranium to the people to improve their welfare. But once the resources are distributed to individuals, they will not consider the country''s strategic needs. They will only care about whether their resources will depreciate."


    "Now many people are demanding that the country repurchase their Vibranium resources at the previous market price, but T''Cha cannot do that. It would cause Wakanda''s funding chain to break."


    "Did he not talk to Stark about it? Actually, things have not reached that point." Charles remained calm and said, "Although Molten Steel is good, it also has production limits. The amount of resources needed for the Sr System construction n is astronomical. Having Molten Steel does not mean that they do not need Vibranium. Why can''t they have both?"


    "Yes, I also know that even if the properties of Molten Steel are simr to Vibranium, they are not exactly the same. Whether the new material is stable and controble still needs to be tested over time. During this period, they will still rely on Wakanda''s Vibranium." Storm concluded.


    "But it is difficult for ck Panther to persuade the people, right?" Charles asked.


    Storm sat down, showing a somewhat sad expression, and said, "I have been with T''Cha during this period. He told me about his dream. He hopes that Wakanda is not just a small country in Africa. He hopes that he and the people here have the opportunity to move towards space."


    "Therefore, he did not use his royal power to sell precious Vibranium resources without restraint. Instead, he used these resources to exchange for more support in the international society, to enhance Wakanda''s international status, and actively participate in the construction of the Sr System. He even paid a great price just to keep up with the footsteps of the big countries."


    "But his efforts are not easy to be seen. People only see that T''Cha and Stark have a good rtionship, and then they lock themselves in theboratory to do inventions that they do not understand at all, like a tyrant who does not care about the people."


    Storm closed her eyes, tilted her head, and her eyshes flickered as if she was about to shed tears. She said, "It is precisely because I have lived in New York for so long that I can see more clearly how fearful and helpless the people in my hometown are. In thatnd, the people of Wakanda have witnessed too many tragedies of small countries disintegrating. They are extremely afraid of the day when it will happen to them."


    "Any slight disturbance will make them feel frightened like a startled bird. But this cannot be med on them, because you never know if the next ident will extinguish the newly ignited me of civilization."


    "It seems that the trip to Wakanda has brought you a lot of changes, Ororo. You rarely mention your hometown before."


    "I am a ck person born and raised in New York. As you know, no one in the ckmunity in New York likes to talk about Africa. My mother also told me that she is trying to forget about Kenya."


    Storm raised her head, and her light-colored pupils flickered. She said, "But our ability to manipte the weatheres from the Monroe family in Kenya. We have inherited it for thousands of years."


    "The wind, rain, and thunder on thatnd often appear in my dreams, but this time, after I returned to Africa, I discovered that it is not the African paradise as reported in the news..."


    Storm showed a sad expression and said, "Wakanda is not either."


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 Chapter 358: The Wakanda Rebellion (2)

    Chapter 358: The Wakanda Rebellion (2)


    "I know that every small country in Africa has its helplessness," Banner''s voice echoed in theboratory. He said, "I have conducted several scientific expeditions to Africa and stayed in East Africa for a long time. It was not a pleasant experience."


    "Although the words are a bit harsh, most countries in the world do not have the ability to resist risks. Any copse in any link will lead to aprehensive copse," Connors continued.


    "Wakanda is already the most advanced country in Africa," Schiller, who was sitting next to theputer at the experimental table, said. "It is a modern high-tech country with independent weapons and even super soldiers. The only drawback is that it relies too much on the same resource."


    "But this cannot be said to be a disadvantage. They were born in a richnd and have no reason not to use the resources that are easily avable to them to strengthen themselves."


    "How do you n to deal with this problem?" Connors looked at Schiller and said, "I heard that you guys have formed a Radiance Alliance. To be honest, if it weren''t for Professor Xavier in this alliance, I would strongly oppose you guys gathering together..."


    Schiller smiled and said, "If Molten Steel is really an alloy invented by Stark himself, then Wakanda is really in danger."


    "You know, although Stark is very emotional in some ways, when ites to the interests of all mankind, even if he has a good rtionship with T''Cha, he will not hold back. Once Stark goes all out, Vibranium will really have no ce to stand."


    Connors frowned and looked at Schiller, "Are you saying that Molten Steel is not an alloy invented by Stark?"


    "That''s right, it is actually a kind of natural mineral from outer space.""Impossible." Banner immediately refuted Schiller, "Any mineral cannot be in that state when it is mined from the rockyer. Even Vibranium needs to be refined before it can be used."


    "In fact, Molten Steel has been refined, but the thing that refines it is a kind of energy called Meltfire Energy. You can understand this as a kind of magic-like energy. The mining and smelting of this mineral are carried out simultaneously..."


    Looking at Schiller''s expression, Connors suddenly had a bad premonition. He said, "It seems that your story of going to the Andromeda Gxy is very exciting. Can you tell us about it?"


    At the same time, Stark was still on the phone with T''Cha. After listening to the story of Sulphur Dwarf, T''Cha also felt very emotional. He said, "I have known for a long time that the people of Wakanda attach too much importance to this resource. They think that this is the root of our difference from other African countries. They think that if we lose Vibranium, we will lose everything."


    "In a sense, this is not wrong, but without wise decisions and foresight, such a small country cannot keep this important resource at all. My ancestors and fathers have been working hard for this."


    "I think you are right. Wakanda ultimately needs to get rid of this resource dependence. The key is still on me and my people."


    T''Cha is a very open-minded person. He is good at listening to other people''s opinions. Every time Stark chats with him, he feels rxed. He said, "I think the key should be on you, T''Cha. Haven''t you noticed? Everyone who talks to you will have a good impression of Wakanda. You know, Stark is not easy to praise someone..."


    T''Cha smiled and said, "Of course, I know. I am honored to receive praise from the world''s most brilliant scientist. Well, although the current situation is difficult, I think I have a way to turn the situation around. We cannot rely on others for a long time. Wakanda will definitely find its own way and will not repeat the mistakes of that civilization you mentioned."


    "Well, good luck to you. I look forward to the day when you be the emperor of Africa."


    "Oh, don''t say that," T''Chaughed harder. He thought Stark was joking and said, "Although Wakanda is the most developed country in Africa, our facilities are good, and our army is strong, we have never thought of using this power to invade other countries."


    "I and the former kings of Wakanda believe that our faith teaches us to use animal nature to gain powerfulbat power, but it also teaches us to maintain calm and peace to preserve humanity."


    Stark also felt emotional about this and said, "With a leader like you, Wakanda will go further."


    "Okay, I have a lot of tasks to handle. Let''s talkter." T''Cha''s tone was rxed. Obviously, Stark''s words relieved his anxiety for so many days.


    When he calmed down and thought about it, he also understood that the use of new materials is not that simple. At least for a period of time in the future, the vast majority of important equipment still relies on Vibranium.


    Just as Stark was about to hang up the phone, he heard a loud noise from T''Cha''s phone. Stark frowned and asked, "What''s wrong?! Hey! T''Cha!...ck Panther! Are you okay?!"


    "Erik! Get out! This is the pce, not where you should be!"


    "Boom! Bang...Bang Bang!!...T''Cha! This is the people''s judgment on you, you coward!"


    "Erik! Stop it quickly! You will destroy Wakanda!"


    "You have already destroyed Wakanda, T''Cha! Vibranium is such a precious resource, in your hands, it is a waste. You have not brought any practical benefits to the people of Wakanda with it!"


    The voice from the other side was strange to Stark. The person named Erik in ck Panther T''Cha''s voice seemed to be hispatriot.


    "...What are you doing again? Calling those stupid American men and continuing to sell our interests? You traitor of Wakanda! I will represent the people here to judge you!"


    "Stop it quickly, Erik. I am the king of Wakanda. You cannot...ugh..."


    "Hey, T''Cha? T''Cha?!! What''s wrong with you? Damn it! Stop it quickly!!"


    "Stupid Americans, only T''Cha, the coward, would believe your nonsense. You cannotmand me. I will make you pay!"


    "What are you going to do? Hey! Hey!"


    "Damn it..." Stark hung up the phone, stretched out his hand in mid-air, and a set of armor flew over and armed him. He was about to fly out of the window when he suddenly seemed to remember something. He thought for a moment and opened his phone. Then he called Connors and said, "Hey? Connors? You have toe and take my ce. I have something to do, and I still have two research projects that haven''t beenpleted. You''d bettere quickly. I''m in a hurry..."


    Connors was still listening to Schiller telling the story of human relief in the Andromeda Gxy. Just as he heard the key part, Stark called, and he seemed to be in a hurry. Connors asked in confusion, "What''s wrong? What''s making you so anxious?"


    "My friend was kidnapped, and the people who kidnapped him probably want to kill him. I have to go and save him!"


    "Friend? Who?"


    "T''Cha! Don''t you remember? He is the ck man who worked with us in the General Laboratory before, the king of Wakanda..."


    "Oh, him!" Connors showed a sudden realization and said, "He is a good person. How could he be kidnapped?"


    "I told you, he is the king of Wakanda, and someone wants to usurp the throne!"


    "Well, I knew it was that set. I''lle over right away. Wait for me for a while."


    Connors hung up the phone and exined the situation to the other two. Schiller frowned and said, "Is Stark nning to fly over in his own armor?"


    "What else can he do? Private nes cannot reach Africa so quickly..." Connors frowned and said, "Even if he flies over in his armor, it may take a while...Oh, right, isn''t there a sorcerer? I''ll call Strange and ask him to send a sorcerer over to open the door for Tony."


    Schiller shook his head disapprovingly. Connors thought he didn''t agree with Stark going to save T''Cha and said helplessly, "Well, I know that Africa is more chaotic, and kings and leaders often change. If we go to save them one by one, it will never end, but T''Cha is indeed a good person..."


    "And he is a very powerful scientist. The fact that Stark treats him so urgently fully illustrates his ability and character, right?"


    "I''m not saying that I won''t save him," Schiller shook his head and said, "I''m just curious why Stark would use such an inefficient method. Even if his mecha flies fast, since those kidnappers can subdue T''Cha, it would only take them a few seconds to kill him, right?"


    Connors frowned tighter and tighter. Schiller said, "Call Strange, but don''t ask him to send sorcerers. Let him contact Wakanda''s superiors directly."


    "Superiors? Does Wakanda have any superiors?"


    Two minutester, facing the threeputer screens in the Sanctum Sanctorum office, Strange took out his phone and said, "Hey, I''m busy now. What''s up..."


    The light from the screens reflected on Strange''s face, and a series of data reflected on his sses. Many phones were ced in front of him, and they would ring from time to time. The phone he was holding now was his personal phone.


    "A matter of life and death." Schiller''s voice came from the phone. Strange was not surprised. He said, "Okay, I knew it was you. It''s ufortable if you don''t cause me trouble."


    "Don''t be like that. This time it''s a serious matter." Schiller changed hands and held the phone to exin, "Do you know there is a country in Africa called Wakanda?"


    "What do you mean? Do you think I''m one of those mutants? Of course, I know how many countries there are in Africa, not to mention the most famous Wakanda!"


    Strange''s tone was harsh. He was really busy. Schiller didn''t mind. He just said, "The king of Wakanda is named T''Cha. He is Stark''s friend, and he is in danger now. Stark is going to use his mecha to save him."...


    "Then let him go. Why do you need to find me?... Oh, you''re not trying to ask me to open a door for him again, are you? Let me emphasize again, sorcerers are not human teleportation doors. You can''t ask us..."


    "If that''s the case, is the one calling you now Stark? He''s not dumb. Why doesn''t he call you himself?"


    "What do you want to do?"


    "Check your phone book and see if there is a demon god called Panther God. He is the god of Wakanda''s faith. Talk to him and send him a quarterly free membership and a membership gift. Let him help us..."


    Stark was not surprised by Schiller''s strange idea. He just asked with some doubts, "Panther God? I haven''t heard of this name. Is it another demon god from a remote area?"


    "Wait a minute..." Strange hung up the phone, stood up, pped his hands, and attracted the attention of all the customer service staff. He said, "Now check yourmunication list and see if there is a contact information for a demon god called Panther God in your phone book. I need to contact him."


    "Panther God?" The people below began to whisper and discuss, some flipping through their phone pages, and some asking their colleagues. After a long time, no one stood up. Strange said, "It seems that it is indeed a demon god from a remote area."


    "Okay, please try to find a way to contact him. There is a matter of life and death now, and we need his help to solve it."


    The discussion below became more lively, and everyone was exchanging information, trying to find this demon god with a name they had never heard of from the demon god''swork.


    Finally, a female sorcerer stood up and said, "When I passed by Helioopolis, I once saw a lion. I don''t know if it has anything to do with this Panther God."


    "Helio... what?"


    "Oh, it''s the heavenly realm. Have you heard of the African god system? There should be records about them in the Kamar-Taj. The Supreme Sorcerer has also borrowed power from them. They mainly dominate the power of beasts and wildness, and some people are in charge of witchcraft."


    "Okay, if you can contact that lion, ask if he knows Panther God."


    "I can contact him..." The female sorcerer showed a helpless expression. Strange rarely saw this expression on the face of a sorcerer, so he asked, "What''s wrong? Is there any difficulty?"


    "It''s just... that lion doesn''t speak humannguage."


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 Chapter 359: The Wakanda Rebellion (3)

    Chapter 359: The Wakanda Rebellion (3)


    The demon gods in Space mostly do notmunicate through speech because they are not carbon-based life forms and do not have the organ of a mouth. They generally use a wave frequency that humans cannot understand, and humannguage is also a special wave frequency to them.


    The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj can receive the sound of space through meditation, which means they can hear the wave frequency that the demon gods use tomunicate. This way, they canmunicate smoothly with the Space demon gods. However, it is not ruled out that some demon gods who are too autistic never participate in Space chat. Their way of sending wave frequencies is unfamiliar, and it is difficult for sorcerers to understand, which is called a rural ent.


    Even if it is a rural ent, at least they can speak. However, it is unknown which link went wrong, and the group of gods located in Africa mostly cannot speak.


    At first, Strange did not understand what the sorcerer meant by not being able to speak. When he first started practicing, he did not understand the wave frequencies of the Space demon gods, and he could onlymunicate with them one word at a time. Moreplex sentences had to rely on trantion.


    Sanctum Sanctorum has been in business for so long, and Strange has not been idle. Now he can basically understand the wave frequencies of demon gods in various regions and can also participate in Space chat when he has nothing to do.


    But when he heard a deafening lion roar on the phone, he still deeply realized what it means to have a vast Space with endless possibilities.


    This lion god really cannot speak. He can only roar, and he roars very loudly, but he cannot be understood at all.


    Strange covered his forehead and called Schiller, saying, "Are you sure that thing is a matter of life and death? We have encountered a small problem here..."


    "I told you, a king has been kidnapped...""Well, then I have to request some technical support."


    "Technical support? What''s wrong? Can''t you contact the leopard god? As far as I know, he should be a pretty strong god?"


    "That''s not it."


    "Well, what support do you need?"


    "Can you find me a lion?"


    A few minutester, Schiller appeared in Sanctum Sanctorum, and he also fell silent when he heard the lion roar on the phone. He said, "Or let Stark fly himself."


    "No! Then he will definitely ridicule magic! Maybe he will deduct our spaceship again. I know that damn guy. He will criticize our technology from beginning to end and give examples. If it happened in the scientificmunity, there would be no such situation..." Strange gritted his teeth.


    Schiller persuaded him, "Even if you can find a lion and understand what the lion on the other side is roaring, how do you make this lion trante it into humannguage?"


    "Damn it, isn''t there anyone who understands animalnguage?"


    "I think... maybe there is, we can try." Schiller rubbed his chin.


    A few minutester, Connors and Peter appeared in Sanctum Sanctorum. Connors said in confusion, "Are you asking me to turn into a lizard and listen to what the guy on the other side is roaring?"


    Connors took a deep breath and said, "Schiller, do you know? If someone else suggested this, I would punch him on the spot."...


    "What about you?" Schiller looked at Peter and said, "Didn''t you get bitten by a spider? Shouldn''t you also belong to the category of beasts?"


    Peter showed a very embarrassed expression. Obviously, the absurdity of this association has exceeded his understanding. He said, "Even if lions and spiders are both animals, the rtionship between Spider-Man and lion god is not that close, right?"


    "Moreover, lions are mammals, and spiders are arthropods. Lionsmunicate through roars, and spiders don''t even have vocal cords. And from a structural point of view, they are two..."


    "Okay, let me think, who else is rted to animals?" Schiller interrupted his long introduction and said, "Oh, right, how could I forget him?"


    After a while, Eddie appeared in the sanctuary, and Schiller patted his shoulder. In an instant, Venom appeared. Strange looked at the ck monster and said, "Does he have any kinship with lions?"


    "Bats and lions should both belong to mammals, right?" Venom waved his hand and said, "Let me handle it!"


    Strange handed him the phone, and the lion on the other end kept roaring at Venom. After listening for a while, Venom said, "He''s cursing at me."


    Strange widened his eyes and said, "You can really understand him? What''s the principle behind this?"


    "Because I am the Bat...Venom!"


    Strange wanted to ask more, but Schiller covered his mouth and said, "Don''t ask why when he says this."


    At this moment, Stark broke the window wearing his armor and flew in. He asked anxiously, "What step are we at? Are the demon gods on the other side difficult to deal with? Are they making the lion roar?"


    "It is indeed the lion roaring..."


    Before Schiller could finish speaking, Stark directly deployed the weapons on his armor and said, "Whichtitude does he live in? Let''s make him our next season''s member gift..."


    Just then, the lion''s roar on the phone became smaller and smaller. With a "whoosh," the phone flew into the air, and in a moment, a lion''s phantom appeared.


    The phone was originally held by Venom, but after it flew up, the lion''s phantom appeared directly in front of Venom.


    Venom looked at the lion, and the lion looked at Venom. Venom''s whitepound eyes narrowed, showing a ssic expression of suspicion.


    Just then, the phantom of the lion opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and roared, "Roar!!!"


    Venom was stunned for a second, and Eddie hurriedly said in his mind, "No! Don''t..."


    But it was toote. In an instant, the symbiote factor erupted, and an evenrger ck monster appeared in front of the lion''s phantom, opening its mouth with more sharp teeth and roaring, "Roar!!!"


    This time, the lion was stunned. It swept the ground with its long tail and took a few steps back.


    "Okay, Venom,e and trante. Hello, this...lion, we are looking for you for a reason. Do you know a leopard like you, named Bast, who took your territory and stole your food?"


    Venom roared a few words at the lion, and the lion began to roar continuously again. Venom said, "This cunning lion asked if we have any rewards. He has heard of the name Sanctum Sanctorum, so..."


    Upon hearing this, Strange couldn''t help it. He rolled up his sleeves, walked forward, and stretched out his hand, gesturing a "1" to the lion. The lion shook its head vigorously, and its mane flew everywhere.


    Strange made a helpless expression, then gestured a "2" to him, but the lion was still not satisfied. Strange showed an angry expression, and made an "X" gesture with his arm.


    The lion stretched out its front paws and "ng" revealed the ws hidden in the pads. Strange beckoned, and a deep red ribbon flew over. He pulled the ribbon hard, making two "bang bang" sounds.


    The lion reluctantly let out a low growl, then raised its tail three times. Strange shook his head and made a downward chopping motion with his hand.


    Connors and Schiller stood with their arms crossed, watching Strange. Connors said, "He actually had the nerve to ask how Venommunicates with lions?"


    After they finished gesturing, the lion reluctantly scratched the carpet on the ground and left a light spot before disappearing.


    Strange took the light spot and paused, seemingly feeling the information inside. He said, "Got it! Found the dimension where Panther God Bast resides. But because he doesn''t have a phone and hasn''t contacted Sanctum Sanctorum, we may still need to send someone there..."


    "I''ll go." Stark turned around to leave, but Strange chased after him and sighed, "You can''t enter that secret dimension alone..."


    At this moment, the phone used to call the lion flew up again with a "whoosh." Strange had taken a few steps forward to catch up with Stark, so the flying phone was behind him.


    Suddenly, a circr portal appeared on the phone, and a huge lion paw reached out and pped Strange hard.


    With a "bang," Strange flew out and knocked down Stark in front of him.


    "Oh! You damn lion! What are you doing?!"


    The paw "whooshed" back, and the phone "popped" and fell to the ground. Strange covered his forehead and stood up a little dizzy. Schiller said next to him, "When you offend a feline, you should think about the consequences..."


    "Oh, wait, he gave some other information..." Strange shook his head and said, "He said that Panther God Bast''s domain can only be entered by ck creatures. What a strange rule?"


    "Probably because he is a ck panther."


    Stark had already taken out his phone and said, "I know T''Cha is dating a mutant, and his girlfriend seems to be a teacher at Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, also ck. She should be able to enter..."


    As he was about to dial Charles'' number, Schiller stepped forward to stop him and said, "Don''t you think there is another ck person closer to us?"


    Stark looked at Schiller, and his eyes gradually became strange. He said, "...That panther shouldn''t be punished like this, right?"


    "It''s not over yet." Schiller pulled Eddie over and said, "We also have a ck brother here, and the ck symbiote is also ck. Right, Venom?"


    Instantly, Venom covered Eddie''s body again and licked its sharp teeth with its long tongue. Schiller exined, "In case the Panther God can''t speak humannguage, Venom can still be a trantor..."


    Venom narrowed its eyes again, showing that ssic expression. For some reason, everyone felt a chill in their hearts when they saw its expression...


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 Chapter 360: Radiance

    Chapter 360: Radiance


    Wakanda, a hidden gem on the African continent, stands as a beautiful city in and that has not yet shed its wildness and barbarism. It symbolizes humanity''s determination to transform nature and build its own home.


    The geographical environment of Wakanda is not superior. Like all tropical countries, Wakanda is hot and dry all year round, and itsnd area is very small. Even in the fragmented map of Africa, it is considered one of the smallest countries.


    The natural environment is not great, and the cultural environment is even worse. Although several East African countries are still rtivelypetitive in Africa, Wakanda, which has emerged as a rising power, has almost nomunication with neighboring countries, whether in terms of technological level or education. They have nothing to talk about with their neighbors, let alone doing business.


    However, Wakanda''s civilization is highly developed, and using the adjective "very" is not an exaggeration. For example, Wakanda had already conquered cancer many years ago, and the average life expectancy of Wakandans is the longest in the world. They wear a monitoring bracelet from birth to monitor their health, and if there is any illness, they will receive free medical treatment.


    At the same time, their spy agency is incredibly strong, not only able topete with the CIA but also once developed a n to defend against the-eating Gctus.


    Their hard technological strength is even more impressive. They are the only country on Earth with a formal fleet of spacecraft. Although their spacecraft fleet cannotpare with the Kree''s spacecraft and still uses the most basic chemical fuel, they are still a powerful military force in the Sr System.


    At the same time, they are a civilization thatbines technology and magic. In addition to the most famous heart-shaped herb, they can obtain the power of beasts from the worship of the Beast God. Their pce guards and the king''s exclusive female guards all have powers beyond ordinary people.


    Combining these conditions, Wakanda is like a paradise on the African continent in the eyes of outsiders. Even in New York, many people think it is heaven. Thanks to the powerful work of their intelligence agency, Wakanda has a significant advantage in the international public opinion arena.


    Even if we set aside political correctness, most Wakandans are highly respected internationally because their country''s welfare benefits are too good, and their education level is incredibly high. There are Wakandans in every top university in the world.Their citizens have high quality, are good at making friends, and aremitted to fighting against skin color discrimination, making them well-respected internationally.


    But this country, which seems like heaven in the media, also has troubles. Only after personal contact can one understand Wakanda''s helplessness.


    Like all high-welfare countries, their political system relies on the welfare system to maintain stability, and once the welfare is reduced, unrest follows.


    What''s even more deadly is that the high-welfare countries in Northern Europe areplete countries, but Wakanda is a tribal alliance, and once simr things happen, the situation will only get worse.


    "Erik... cough..." T''Cha held his chest, leaning against the wall, blood flowing from his fingers. The whole room was filled with the smell of blood, his lips began to turn blue, and his eyes were a bit dull. Obviously, he was on the brink of death due to excessive blood loss.


    "T''Cha, you should repent." Another ck man stood in front of him, and the light from outside the window projected onto his figure, casting his shadow over T''Cha like a ck beast ready to devour him.


    Erik spoke to T''Cha in Wakandan, "The chance of bing the king of Wakanda should have been mine! You cheated in the duel, viting the honor code of Wakandan warriors!"


    T''Cha''s face remained calm as he looked at the spear in Erik''s hand. The tip of the spear blinked with the unique luster of Vibranium, but there was also some dark energy that T''Cha had never seen before.


    "Erik, you have turned to the evil gods and betrayed our ck Panther God. You have disappointed me," T''Cha said.


    "You don''t understand," Erik tightly held the spear in his hand and said. "You are trapped in this small country, trapped on this damn and hopeless continent. You don''t understand how vast the world is, and how powerful the forces that can be used for me are."


    "You control such a precious resource as Vibranium, but only use it for some insignificant experiments, and even cooperate with those Americans. How foolish and shortsighted!"


    T''Cha tilted his head back, seemingly struggling to breathe. The self-healing ability brought by the heart-shaped herb seemed to be suppressed by an unknown force, making his injuries more severe.


    "It''s you who are foolish, Erik! Do you think I don''t know what you''re up to? Do you dare to swear to me, like a Wakandan warrior, that you haven''t cooperated with those evil forces?"


    "Shut up! What right do you have to demand that I do that? And I am different from you. I am working for a greater cause," Erik retorted.


    T''Cha''s face showed an extremely mocking expression, and he closed his mouth, seeming to not want to talk to Erik anymore. Erik was extremely annoyed by his attitude, and he raised the spear high.


    His Adam''s apple kept trembling, seeming to be hesitant and fearful, but soon, he seemed to have thought of something, and his expression became more and more ferocious. He exerted force on his arm, and in an instant, he fiercely stabbed into the air, shouting, "Hydra!"


    Suddenly, the spear was blocked by a thick energy, and the recoil sent Erik flying out. T''Cha had already closed his eyes, ready to face death, but suddenly he felt a familiar power surrounding him. He said in confusion, "Panther God Bast? Is it you? Why..."


    He held his chest and tried to get up from the ground. At this moment, a familiar voice came, "If I were you, I wouldn''t move. Do you want to bleed more, T''Cha?"


    T''Cha widened his eyes and said, "Tony? Tony, is it you?"


    As he turned his head to look for Stark''s figure, a strange-shaped portal suddenly appeared in mid-air, and several figures walked out of it, including Stark in his armor.


    Of course, it wasn''t just people who came out of it, there was also a cat shadow, or rather a panther shadow. A ck panther about the size of an ordinary panther walked out of the portal. When the tip of its tail left the portal, the portal closed.


    Feeling the divine power, T''Cha coughed heavily and said, "It really is Panther God Bast. Why are you here at this time?"


    But no one paid attention to him, because one of the people in a coat turned to Strange and said, "What did that guy shout? Did I hear it wrong?"


    "What...Hydra? Who is Hydra?" Strange was also puzzled. Erik''s posture just now seemed like he was summoning demon gods to descend. Strange had already prepared defensive magic in his hand, but he just shouted a slogan and then copsed.


    Schiller frowned, his expression serious. He said to Strange, "Open a portal to bring Steve over. If Peter is also there, bring him over too."


    Seeing Schiller''s serious expression, Strange also knew that this was not a joking matter. He opened the portal and left.


    Stark turned to Erik and whispered, "Hydra? Damn..."


    Schiller gave him a look, and the two spoiler fans instantly had a tacit understanding and didn''t talk about this topic again.


    At this time, the ck Panther had already ced its paw on T''Cha''s chest. With a thick white energy pouring into T''Cha''s body, hisplexion began to improve significantly.


    However, there was always a ck energy surrounding the deepest wound, and the panther tried several times to dispel it but only managed to dissipate a part of it. The rest was like a festering sore, constantly reopening T''Cha''s wound.


    T''Cha pressed the panther''s paw with his hand and said to Bast, "Thank you, Your Majesty. It''s enough."


    The panther''s face showed a very human-like expression of disagreement. It looked a bit irritable, but it couldn''t be med.


    Why did this group of people appear here with the Panther God Bast? It all started when they nned to enter the Panther God dimension earlier.


    After Christmas, Nick Fury had a rare moment of peace. This period until the beginning of next year was a rare time when he didn''t have to worry about funding. Therefore, when he received Schiller''s invitation to negotiate with the Panther God, he readily agreed and said that if this panther was willing to help him solve next year''s funding, he would be a staunch animal protectionist.


    Thebination of half-Batman and Nick Fury was excellent. These two ck creatures taught Panther God Bast a lesson, that ck also has different levels. You can be ck, but you can''t be too ck, and you can''t be ck in both face and heart...


    The two of them had only been in the Panther God dimension for a short while when they were thrown out. Panther God Bast agreed for the first time to let people of other skin colors enter his dimension, and then Schiller went in...


    Of course, Schiller knew that saving people was the top priority, so after he and Strange had been pushing the Panther God''s membership package for two hours, he exined his intentions and asked Bast to save T''Cha.


    Fortunately, in the dimension where Panther God was located, the flow of time was different from the outside world, so only a dozen seconds had passed in reality.


    And Erik, who attacked T''Cha, happened to belong to the type of viin who died from talking too much. After he seriously injured T''Cha, he did not pursue his victory but instead stayed in ce and talked. So the rescue team arrived just as he was about to attack again.


    Panther God was originally studying the dark energy on T''Cha''s chest, but T''Cha had already stood up. When Panther God turned his head, he saw the spear that had been bounced away by his defensive power.


    There was a hint of ominous dark energy blinking on the tip of the spear, and at the very top, there seemed to be a strange light shining, as if it had been poisoned.


    Panther God walked over and sniffed the spear with his nose. He showed a puzzled expression. Just then, with a "plop," T''Cha, who had just stood up, fell to the ground again.


    "Hahaha, he''s doomed! I smeared it with poison, and no one can save him!" Erik shouted.


    Stark showed a disdainful expression. At this time, Panther God had already rushed to T''Cha''s side. He used his unique power to merge into T''Cha''s body. But soon, Panther God lowered his head in confusion and looked at his own paw.


    Seeing Panther God''s actions, Stark realized that something was wrong. He quickly walked over, half-knelt down, and checked T''Cha''s condition.


    Because T''Cha had dark skin, the status of his skin couldn''t be seen. Stark opened the arm device of his armor and inserted a probe into T''Cha''s body while using another hand to activate the scanner.


    As soon as the scanner was turned on, JARVIS sounded the rm, "Warning! Warning! Life is in danger, unknown toxin being decrypted... Unable to decrypt..."


    "Collect blood for analysis."


    "Analysis in progress... No results." JARVIS exined, "From the data, this is not any known toxin to humans. Itsposition is unknown, and the decryption of itsposition is blocked by a mysterious force. Perhaps higher power equipment is needed to support it..."


    At this time, JARVIS sounded two more rms, saying, "Please administer immediate treatment; otherwise, the other party may die immediately..."


    Stark pounded the floor and stood up. He reached out to pull out the energy core from his chest and reced it with a higher power core to forcibly decrypt theposition.


    At this moment, Panther God shook his tail, and T''Cha disappeared directly. Then he used his paw to pat the ground, and the group returned to his dimension. Schiller looked around and asked Panther God, "Did you freeze time here?"


    Panther God let out a low roar, then walked to T''Cha''s side. The panther''s face showed a very human-like expression of thought.


    "It seems to be something rted to mysticism," Stark tilted his head. Schiller said to Stark, "Did you hear what that person was shouting just now?... Hydra."


    Stark turned his head and looked into the distance. There was an endless grasnd, and a horn sound with a barbaric atmosphere came from afar. The light and shadow on this ancientnd rolled in front of him.


    Stark''s voice became lower and lower, like the sound of wind passing low over the wilderness.


    "Above Space, it is not omniscient. But in the countless stories I have seen, this name has been mentioned countless times, like a cancer attached to Earth."


    "I didn''t ask you that question before because I thought that since you had chosen an attitude, it meant that you already had an answer. But now I have to ask, have you seen your parents''..."


    "I saw it." Stark answered this question positively for the first time. He continued, "...But not only my parents, when several stories came to an end, thousands of parents died in an instant."


    Stark''s voice became heavier, like the sound of wind passing low over the wilderness.


    "They didn''t leave behind huge wealth, didn''t leave anything for their children to survive on, and disappeared silently."


    Stark was a little stunned and absent-minded, as if recalling those scenes. He said, "...Nost words, no relics, not even a cause of death. And no one will exin to those children why their parents died..."


    The dazzling sunlight on the grasnd made Stark squint. In his vision, the light became blurred. He said, "It sounds absurd, but these tragedies stopped me."


    "At the moment when I was about to be the only one, I saw the truth of Howard''s death. At that moment, I wanted to freeze that state forever and then destroy everything rted to it. I knew that as long as I did that, no one could escape..."


    "But soon, the endings of these stories flooded into my mind andpletely crushed my momentary anger. I felt desperate because of it."


    Stark closed his eyes, and several deep folds appeared between his eyebrows, making his expression look painful.


    "Feeling theyers uponyers, endless and irreversible tragedies in an instant almost made me copse."


    "So, you chose..."


    "No." Stark took another deep breath. His chest rose and fell, and then returned to calm. He said, "Do you remember the questions you asked JARVIS and me before?"


    "At that moment of decision, I thought, if Howard saw all of this, what would he do?"


    "...He was a thoroughly bad person, not a good father, but he would spare no effort to stop all of this." Stark almost gritted his teeth.


    "This is us, this is Stark."


    Schiller looked into Stark''s eyes and saw a special light there. Unlike other superheroes, there was no humility, simplicity, or kindness. There was only an almost arrogant pride.


    Schiller patted his shoulder and said, "If Stark can remain indifferent after seeing all of this and add another straw to the situation of human peril, then he wouldn''t be who he is."


    "However, you can also think about it in another way." Schiller still nned to fulfill his duty and said, "You have also experienced the same situation. The military started the war, and you were just a weapons dealer. Even if there are arms dealers who start wars for profit, it''s not you. But in the end, all the me falls on you."


    "Just like when you wanted to close the weapons department, I said, don''t me the gun. Even if you want to judge the gun, you have to kill the person holding the gun first. Otherwise, how do you know if he will shoot you again?"


    Schiller''s gaze fell on T''Cha, who was unconscious and on the brink of death. Stark followed his gaze, and his eyes began to deepen. He said, "Maybe... you''re right."


    "Now, they have fired another shot, and they pulled the trigger in front of me. I almost lost another important friend because of this..."


    After speaking, Stark turned and walked towards the teleportation door he came in from. He said as he walked, "This tells me one thing: if I don''t take action, their bullets are endless."


    On this fictional grasnd, the light is always strong. When it shines on Stark''s armor, the metal reflects a dazzling light. But Schiller prefers to believe that it is Stark himself who is shining because of his innate sense of mission and responsibility.


    It is also because of these people called heroes that they have experienced extraordinary brilliance from all the ordinary joys and sorrows.


    The big event is over, but notpletely over.


    [Read /shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]

 Chapter 361: The Strange Plot Twist

    Chapter 361: The Strange Plot Twist


    Steve stood in front of Erik, dressed in his uniform and holding his shield. He knocked on his shield with his hand and said, "You should know who I am. What''s your code name? Which area are you responsible for? Who is your superior? How long have you been with Hydra? Who rmended you?"


    Erik was severely shaken by the magic of the Panther God, and his arms and ribs seemed to be broken, so he couldn''t get up. But he was very stubborn and kept insulting T''Cha in Wakandan.


    Steve hit his shin bone with his shield, and Erik let out a scream of agony, rolling on the ground. Peter saw this scene and silently took two steps back. He had never seen Captain America so brutal.


    Seeing his reaction, Steve said to Peter, "Remember, the first rule when dealing with Hydra is not to be soft on them."


    "Don''t be fooled by his loud screams. He might have a bomb inside him. I have severalrades who died from this despicable tactic."


    When Peter heard the possibility of a bomb, he became anxious. There were many people in the Wakanda building, and if the bomb was too powerful, it could bring down the entire building.


    He walked up and said, "Why don''t we open his chest? That''s the only ce where a bomb could be hidden."


    "Isn''t Doctor Strange here? He ims to have been bestowed with the gift of medicine by God. He should be able to open his chest perfectly without killing him, right?"


    When Erik heard this, he tried to escape even though his arms were broken."Uh..." Steve hesitated for a moment. ording to what Strange had just said, when he went to pick up Peter, Peter was doing experiments in the biologyb. Peter always had a unique aura when he came out of the biologyb, as if he looked like ab rat to everyone.


    Just then, Stark walked out of the portal and ran towards Erik with a murderous look. Steve, holding his shield, was pushed back two steps by him.


    Steve was about to speak, but Stark turned his head and raised his face mask with a click. He stared at Steve and said, "Don''t mess with me. You only need to think about one thing now, and that is how to do your job well and send these damn Hydras to hell."


    Steve also stared at Stark, very unhappy with his provocative attitude. He said, "When ites to this matter, I have more experience than you. I have sent more Hydras to hell than your age multiplied by hundreds."


    "Is that so? That''s perfect." Strange walked in from outside the room and said, "Mephisto has been working from home recently, and his hell loves souls that are unforgivable. If you can bring more of them, maybe you can get some good things in return."


    In an instant, the tense atmosphere between Iron Man and Captain America was broken.


    It was like two masters having a sword fight in a bamboo forest. One said, "Flying flowers and falling leaves can all be used as des," and the other said, "Riding the wind and treading on water, only I am extraordinary."


    At this moment, another person rushed out and said, "Remember to cut more bamboo when you''re fighting with swords, and you can sell them for 2.5 yuan per kilogram in the market..."


    Steve and Stark both turned to look at Strange. Strange lowered his head to adjust the red ribbon and said, "A few of this guy''s subordinates tried to rush over just now, but I took care of them."


    After speaking, he looked up and found that both of them were staring at him. Strange touched his face and said, "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?"


    Steve stood with his arms crossed and turned to Stark, saying, "No one in the world is more professional than me when ites to dealing with Hydra."


    "Yes, you just deal with these little bugs and put yourself to sleep under the ice for more than 70 years."


    "Little bugs??" Steve was obviously angry. He said, "Those who have not experienced war will never be able to imagine that kind of cruelty. What do you think of the countless sacrifices made?!"


    "The weak like to talk about sacrifice. I only like to talk about efficiency."


    Seeing that the two were about to fight, Peter hurriedly rushed to the middle to stop them. He first said to Steve, "Captain, calm down. We can''t fight each other now. The enemy is at the gate!"


    Then he turned to Stark and said, "Mr. Stark, shouldn''t we find out the cause first?"


    At this point, Strange had already walked to the spear that Erik had dropped on the side. He said, "I saw that the Panther God was very interested in this thing just now. There''s a very special energy on it, a power I''ve never seen before. What is it?"


    Stark red at Steve and walked to Strange''s side, taking the spear and saying, "The material at the top must be Vibranium, but why is the sharp part changing color?"


    Stark continued to analyze, "Vibranium is a metal with excellent properties in all aspects, and it is rtively stable even in extreme environments. It won''t change shape. What caused this discoloration? I need more precise equipment to analyze it..."


    At this point, Steve knocked on his shield and said, "There''s a living Hydra member here. We should interrogate him first before considering other options."


    "Youpletely missed the point."


    "You''re the one who''s missing the point."


    Peter shook his head helplessly. He didn''t know why everyone was so angry today.


    "It''s actually quite normal. Upgraded Stark saw the whole truth and naturally knew that the car ident that killed his parents was actually caused by Hydra manipting Captain America''s friend, the Winter Soldier.


    Butter, he saw more tragic endings in different timelines, and the impact of hearing and seeing was thousands of times stronger than before. Stark couldn''t ept that this kind of thing could happen.


    He knew that the Civil War was like adding insult to injury for humanity. In order to prevent possible tragedies and change the situation where humans were at the mercy of others, he could temporarily put aside his hatred and stand on the side of justice.


    But this didn''t mean that he would feel good, especially when he ran into the mastermind behind the scenes.


    Steve used to have a good temper, at least much stronger than Stark, but his lifelong pursuit, almost became an obsession, was Hydra.


    Nick had hinted to him before that Hydra still existed, but he was not willing to ept it from the bottom of his heart. But when Strange found him, he immediately set off. Until he saw Erik with his own eyes, he realized that his nightmare had reallye back.


    Countlessrades fell under the butcher''s knife of this evil organization, and humanity was in chaos, fear, and war erupted. Countless innocent lives were lost, and this organization never repented and was neverpletely eliminated.


    Steve''s mood couldn''t be good. Anyone who experienced such a thing would feel exhausted. Unfortunately, Stark was like a powder keg, and they would argue at the slightest provocation.


    Peter''s head was buzzing, and finally, he couldn''t stand it anymore. He shouted loudly, "Listen to me!"


    The two arguing people stopped and turned to look at him. Peter was a little scared and said stutteringly, "Uh, I mean, don''t argue... How about each of you taking responsibility for a part? Mr. Stark can research the spear, and Captain can interrogate the killer. Isn''t that okay?"


    The two looked at each other and saw the fighting spirit in each other''s eyes. Stark raised a finger and said, "I will tell you that all your efforts over the years have been in vain. You have ignored the most important part, so you cannotpletely eradicate them. Now, Stark will demonstrate the correct method for you..."


    Steve also said coldly, "People who have not experienced the war years will always be ignorant. You will not understand the cruelty of this war, and you will pay for your arrogance."


    After speaking, the two snorted at the same time and went their separate ways.


    But anyone could see that apetition had begun between the two, and soon, the scale becamerger andrger.


    Stark quickly gathered all his scientist friends, including Banner, Connors, Charles, Strange, Schiller... etc. Did a strange person sneak in here?


    Anyway, Stark contacted all the high-educated talents he knew, gathered them together, and invited them to hisboratory, and even made a huge operational analysis chart.


    "War alone cannot solve the fundamental problem. Technical means are essential to remove this cancer from human society."


    "Surveince, monitoring, summarizing, and analyzing are the modern way of warfare."


    Stark''s voice echoed in the room, and the others sat on the sofa, watching him point to the content on the projection and saying, "I will establish aplete surveincework to monitor all possible ces where Hydra may be active. At the same time, all behavioral data will be analyzed by the mainframe Jarvis."


    "Of course, the analysis of the intelligent mainframe may have ws. At this time, you two famous psychologists need to help artificial intelligence establish analytical logic..."


    "Wait a minute." Schiller interrupted him and looked at Charles. He looked at Stark and said, "Did you invite Professor Charles and me here to perfect your behavioral analysis system?"


    "Do you think there is something extra in this step?"


    "Are you saying that you two are unnecessary? Actually, I think that as long as there is enough time..."


    "I mean, you are unnecessary."


    Stark stared at Schiller and said, "What do you mean? I am the creator and leader of this n. Do you want to kick me out?"


    "He means that Charles is sitting here, and you still want to rely on robots to monitor others?" Strange added.


    "No, no." Stark shook his head and said, "You didn''t understand my meaning. This is apetition, you know? It''s apetition between me and Steve. He thinks that empiricism is useful, but I must stop him from going down the wrong path."


    "He has been fighting Hydra for so many years, and in the end? This damn organization is still alive."


    "Listen, I am not denying the achievements of those veterans, but holding onto past glory without making progress is not the way. The problem is there, and it must bepletely solved, right?"


    "So, you take the lead, and we assist, is that what you mean?" Banner asked.


    Stark nodded, pointing to Banner and said, "Geniuses always resonate with each other, right?"


    Banner sighed and said, "Is it possible that you two working together would be more efficient?"


    "Why don''t you understand?" Stark put his hands on his hips, seeming a little angry. He said, "I have to beat him first before I can convince him!... Forget it, I can do it without you. You can do whatever you want."


    Stark waved his hand and showed an expression that he couldn''tmunicate with these people. Charles''s tone was still gentle, and he said, "I don''t know if I understood it, but in short, Captain America thinks that the methods he used to deal with Hydra before can still be used. As long as he fights them firmly, he will definitely win."


    "But you think this method is a bit old-fashioned and inefficient, and neither of you can convince the other."


    "So. You n tounch apetition. Whoever has better results is the winner, right?"


    "That''s right." Stark covered his forehead and said helplessly, "That kid Peter actually stood on his side! It''s really useless for me to usually..."


    "It''s useless for you to keep him in theb doing experiments until midnight, and his aunt almost took Stark Industries to the newspaper for exploiting childbor." Connors mocked, "And, yboy Stark and Captain America Steve, as long as their brains are not broken, they both know who to choose, right?"


    "Yes, Tony, you have to cherish us." Schiller leaned on the armrest on the side and smiled, "We abandoned Captain America and chose you. You should know that if I chose Steve, he might give me thest hidden version of that action figure..."


    "What???" Banner widened his eyes and looked at Schiller, "Did Captain America really say that? That action figure is the only one I''m missing!"


    "Hey! Bruce, you can''t leave. Damn it, did a toy buy you?" Stark shouted.


    Seeing that the others were getting up and looked like they were leaving, Stark stretched out his hands and said helplessly, "Okay, okay, after the great Stark haspleted 99% of the effort, he still needs your 1% help. Is that okay?"


    "No sincerity." Strange shook his head. Schiller had already left the sofa area. He shrugged and said, "Well, if we only worth 1% together, I''m willing to give the other 0.9% to others..."


    "Okay! Okay!" Stark rolled his eyes and raised his hand, "Do you want to join my team and work with me on this n to deal with Hydra? I admit that your level is almost the same as mine, so I want to cooperate with you. As for the other side..."


    Stark sneered and said, "They don''t even have a doctoral degree whenbined."


    "We don''t even have a doctoral degree whenbined." In the new base of the Superhero Squad, Peter said a little discouraged, "The other side has at least a dozen doctoral degreesbined. Dr. Banner alone has seven doctoral degrees..."


    "In this world, it''s not just about education." Steve patted Peter''s shoulder, looked into his eyes, and said, "Like you, Peter, you are just a high school student, but you have done better than many adults."


    Peter smiled and said, "Captain, you are always so good atforting people."


    "You know, I am an honest person. Only sincerity can make people feelforted."


    "Forget about that. Shouldn''t our team have a name?" Matt was mixing drinks next to the bar, and Erica handed him a ss of ice, apparently, they both joined the Superhero Squad.


    Matt had just finished mixing a drink, and Eddie at the end of the bar picked up the entire ss and threw it into his mouth. Matt stared at him, and Eddie looked quite innocent and said, "You know, it''s not me."


    At the same time, the shadow of Venom shed, and he said with his hoarse voice, "That''s right, it''s me. Do you have any objections?"


    Mark used his cane to hit Eddie, and Eddie screamed in pain, saying, "He ate it, why are you hitting me?"


    "Don''t y this game with me."


    Erik, who was sitting on a chair next to him, wiping the de of his weapon, turned his head and said to Steve, "Aren''t you going to manage him? We have changed two sets of cups in these few days."


    "Okay, Venom, even if you have good teeth, you can''t eat everything."


    "And you, Eddie, since he wants to eat chocte balls, let him eat. I heard from Blue Spirit before that Venom is still a child in their race."


    "Although it''s not good for kids to eat too many snacks, it''s a bit too harsh to not let them eat at all. This is not a good educational method..." Steve said with emphasis.


    "Kid? Damn it!" Eddie widened his eyes and said, "Have you ever seen a kid weighing three tons?"


    "I''m not that heavy. Shut up, you coward!" Venom shouted.


    "Why aren''t you that heavy? Don''t you think you''ve gained a lot of weight recently? Your mucus has at least tripled. How much have you eaten?"


    "Friends. Let''s talk about business." Steve said helplessly. He pped his hands to attract everyone''s attention and said, "I think it''s necessary to discuss the previous issue. We need to give this team an official name."


    "The previous code name has always been the Superhero Squad n, but now the team has expanded."


    "Barton and Natasha couldn''te because of work reasons, and three mutant students are still in other gxies temporarily because of their symbiote rtionship. But they all promised to join. We already have a lot of members, it''s time to have a name..."


    "You''re the captain, you decide." Matt said indifferently, "I don''t have any ideas for naming, especially to satisfy so many people."


    Steve sighed, his low voice echoing in the somewhat dim underground base, "When I learned that the evil organization had not yet been destroyed, I immediately thought of myrades."


    "They once left their safe homnd to go to the front line to fight against these evils and sacrificed their lives in the war."


    "If this is the destiny of all those who have a sense of justice, then we will use our unique power to avenge these ordinary people who know the danger but still have no regrets..."


    Eddie said in his heart, "No, don''t..."


    "Revenge!!" Venom stood up and shouted, "I am Venom, I am revenge!!!"


    The others came over, Steve reached out his hand, and Matt was the first to shake hands. He said, "Revenge against criminals is my creed. Hydra has done too much evil, and they should pay the price. I don''t mind being the executor and judge to make them pay for it."


    Erica also shook hands and said, "Count me in."


    After Peter shook hands, he said, "Well, although I don''t have many enemies, you guys are my friends, and my friends'' enemies are my enemies. I will do my best."


    "Well, then..." Steve picked up his shield from the side, raised it, and said firmly:


    "Avengers, assemble!"


    "I can''t believe I managed to bring it back on track. Victory!"


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 Chapter 362: Long Live Hydra (1)

    Chapter 362: Long Live Hydra (1)


    In the dream base of the Radiance Alliance, Charles sat in his wheelchair and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the beautiful cityscape of the technological city built by Stark. At night, it was like a neon city.


    However, Charles did not have a rxed expression on his face. He looked worried. Schiller walked over and handed him a ss of wine, asking, "What''s wrong, Professor? You''ve been looking troubled since earlier."


    Charles sighed and said, "Do you remember what happened in Wakanda before?"


    "Of course. T''Cha was assassinated and taken to a special dimension by the Panther God Bast, whom he believed in. Time is frozen there, so he won''t die from the poison for the time being. Stark is working hard to develop an antidote, but progress is slow."


    "T''Cha was attacked, and the one who attacked him, Erik, was captured by you. Wakanda is leaderless, and Ororo has already gone to Wakanda, but the situation is not optimistic."


    "What''s wrong? Isn''t she T''Cha''s lover?"


    "But she''s a mutant." Charles''s tone was heavy. He said, "As you know, Wakanda is a tribal alliance. The tribe T''Cha belongs to is thergest tribe in Wakanda. Because T''Cha is more open-minded, the culture of this tribe is also good. They do not discriminate against anyone."


    "But the other major tribes are not so open-minded, especially the tribe Erik belongs to. That is the secondrgest tribe in Wakanda. They are hostile to mutants and will expel anyone with the X gene from their territory, even children."


    Schiller took a sip of wine and said, "We have discussed this issue before, I''m afraid. The public opinion of mutants cannot be reversed in a short time. It''s a long-term project.""But the problem now is that it may get worse." Charles looked into Schiller''s eyes and said, "Erik attacked T''Cha, and neither of them can lead Wakanda. Storm Ororo is T''Cha''s lover, but she is not his wife and cannot act as the king."


    "But we cannot let the people of the secondrgest tribe be the king of Wakanda. If Wakanda, which has a good international reputation, openly opposes mutants, the situation for mutants will be even worse."


    Charles turned his wheelchair away from the window and said, "Ororo''s status is not legitimate, and many Wakandans don''t like her. Coupled with the secondrgest tribe''s instigation, almost all Wakandans are rejecting mutants."


    "Just yesterday, a Wakandan blogger with 2 million followers publicly stated that mutants are invading their country, and Ororo is an evil Kenyan witch who wants to take over Wakanda through this means..."


    "All thements below are telling us, a group of stray dogs, to get out quickly. They say we can never build a country, let alone steal someone else''s country..."


    Schiller looked at Charles''s expression. He knew that thoseizens must have been even more abusive. Even in reality, the reputation of mutants is very poor. In thework, which magnifies extreme emotions, it is simply unbearable to look at.


    Thinking of this, he admired Charles a little. Even if he saw so many maliciousments, he did not give up his beliefs. Schiller could imagine how angry Charles would be when he saw thesements, but even with this anger, he did not use his abilities to harm ordinary people at will.


    "And..." Charles sighed again and said, "I''m sure I''m not the only one who saw thesements. When Pris heard the blogger''sments from Iceman, she almost rushed over to kill him."


    "The Brotherhood of Mutants has a bad temper, especially Erik. I spent a lot of effort to persuade Pris not to tell his father about all this, but the situation is getting worse..."


    "Professor, I know you don''t want to use your abilities indiscriminately, but that''s only for ordinary people. In stopping evil and promoting justice, you can be more flexible..."


    "Are you saying that I should use my abilities to stop that blogger?"


    "No, I mean, as long as we can save T''Cha, the situation can be alleviated a lot. And T''Cha and Ororo should have a good rtionship. If they can enter into marriage, then Wakanda''s queen will be a mutant, and perhaps more benefits can be obtained for mutants internationally."


    Charles''s worried expression did not ease. He said, "Of course, I have thought of this method, but even Stark cannot crack the toxin. We don''t have a good way. Beast has sent a sample of that toxin to theboratory. He has been studying it for two or three days, but there is no result. It seems to be a power of the Mystic Side..."


    Charles shook his head. Obviously, he felt that this path was not feasible, but Schiller said, "Regardless of its principle, as long as we can find its source, there may be a way. Actually, you can use your abilities to see if there are any clues in Erik''s memory."


    "He has admitted that he is a member of Hydra and almost killed T''Cha. It''s not excessive to check his memory. Even if we can find more Hydras by following the clues, we may be able to prevent simr tragedies from happening..."


    "Professor, I know you don''t want to use your abilities indiscriminately, but that''s only for ordinary people. In stopping evil and promoting justice, you can be more flexible..."


    Charles thought for a moment and said, "It''s not impossible, but I heard that Stark and Steve are in apetition?"


    "Steve is also investigating Erik''s source. I think he would be very happy to work with mutants, especially since there are mutants in his newly formed Avengers team..."


    Charles nodded and said, "Indeed, Captain America is a person of noble character. He does not discriminate against mutants..."


    "Well, I''ll disconnect from the Dream Base first, then go see if there are any clues in Erik''s mind. We''ll contact each otherter."


    The next morning, Charles called and said, "Erik''s memory shows that he has had contact with a person named Ulysses ue. This ue is not a local of Wakanda, but a physicist from the United States."


    "If nothing unexpected happens, he should be a member of Hydra. In Erik''s memory, he and ue had a transaction about Vibranium. Erik wanted to sell their tribe''s Vibranium reserves to ue."


    "Butter, Erik''s memory became fragmented. I suspect that Hydra brainwashed him. Obviously, ue wanted Vibranium but didn''t want to pay for it, so he brainwashed Erik into a Hydra member."


    "Can we find this ue?"


    "Justst night, I located his position. He is now in South Korea, and I suspect he is meeting with his superior."


    Before Schiller could ask, Charles said, "I checked ue''s memory. During World War II, his father worked for the Nazis. I suspect his father was a member of Hydra and also his referral."


    "ue is a sound physicist and has a high reputation in his field. Therefore, his rank in Hydra is not low. There is a lot of information about Hydra in his mind. I will organize it and send it to Captain America..."


    "What about the toxin on T''Cha?"


    "Erik''s memory shows that the person who gave him the poison and instructed him to assassinate T''Cha was a mysterious ck-robed person. But I didn''t see this behavior in ue''s memory."


    "Perhaps ue was Erik''s referral, but not necessarily his only superior. It seems that we must understand Hydra more deeply to know what is going on..."


    Schiller said while thinking, "Professor, I remember you just said that ue has a lot of information about Hydra in his mind..."


    "Yes, some are about personnel arrangements, and some are about base locations, but there is no critical information."


    "Normally, he should not be in the leadership level, but perhaps it is enough."


    "What do you want to do?" Charles asked on the phone.


    "I have a n..."


    The next day, the S.H.I.E.L.D. psychological counseling room was still empty and cold. Most agents would avoid this ce, but today, a special guest came here, Grant Ward, a 7th level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.


    He walked into the counseling room with a cold face. Schiller seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time. When he walked in, Schiller stood up from behind the desk and wanted to shake hands with him, but Grant remained expressionless and did not respond to his actions.


    "I think you should be very suspicious now why I used the emergency contact signal to contact you. You think this vites the organization''s rules and don''t want toe." Schiller stood in front of Grant and looked into his eyes. Grant still did not look at him and remained expressionless.


    "Sit down, Grant. Can I call you that?"


    "My name is Ward."


    "Well, Mr. Ward, I won''t beat around the bush. Using the Hydra symbol to contact you is very risky. You know, they''ve been going crazytely." Schiller pushed his sses and crossed his fingers, cing them on the desk.


    "Director Pierce is silent." Schiller suddenly spoke, and at this moment, Grant finally looked at his face. Seeing that Schiller was not joking, his lips moved, but he didn''t say anything.


    "I know you suspect that I am a S.H.I.E.L.D. investigator trying to trick you, but in fact, it''s the opposite. I am a long-term silent member who has a direct line of contact with Director Pierce. The reason I am speaking now is that Alexander Pierce has gone missing."


    "He anticipated this day a long time ago, so he arranged me in this position before to take over his work after his silence."


    "I don''t need to talk to you." Schiller looked into Grant''s eyes and said seriously, "I just hope you can immediately contact your superiors to confirm whether Director Pierce is reallypletely silent. If so, things may be serious..."


    "Well, in the next half hour, I will conduct some psychological therapy with you, then submit a report to cover up our conversation. During this process, you don''t need to say anything or do anything. What to do next is up to your judgment."


    After speaking, Schiller lowered his head to write the medical record. During this time, he did not ask Grant anything.


    After Grant walked out of the psychological counseling room, he did nothing until he entered his secure room in S.H.I.E.L.D. and took out a special phone to call his superior.


    Grant Ward is a 7th level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and his Hydra superior is 8th level agent John Garrett.


    He told Garrett what Schiller had told him, but to his surprise, Garrett remained silent and did not refute him. So Grant asked, "Is Director Pierce really silent?"


    "In fact, he has been missing for more than a week." Garrett''s voice came from the other end. "He has never been missing for so long before, and he is silent on all channels, even the secure channel has no news of him."


    "Then, what about Dr. Rodriguez..."


    "I need to contact him to confirm. Don''t worry about the rest. It''s a special period now, so stay vignt."


    Hearing Garrett''s serious tone, Grant also understood that the situation was probably very bad, so he asked, "Is this purge very serious?"


    Garrett remained silent for a while before saying, "It''s probably the most serious one in history. Keep silent. We''ll talkter."


    At the end of the workday, Schiller did not leave but waited in the office until it was dark.


    Sure enough, in the first few minutes after dark, his office door was knocked, and the one who walked in was John Garrett, an 8th level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a high-level member of Hydra.


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 Chapter 363: Long Live Hydra (2)

    Chapter 363: Long Live Hydra (2)


    "Hello, I''ve been waiting for you." Schiller got straight to the point with Garrett, "The situation is urgent, and I''ll be brief. I''m Director Pierce..."


    Before Schiller could finish his sentence, Garrett pulled out his gun and aimed it at him.


    In the moment before he could pull the trigger, a muffled gunshot rang out and his head was blown open by a bullet. John Garrett''s body slowly fell to the ground.


    Nick emerged from the darkness, and Schiller smiled and said, "Nice shooting, Director."


    After looking around Garrett''s body, Schiller said, "They''re pretty bold, trying to kill me here. I thought they would try to lure me out first..."


    Why were Nick and Schiller here, why did they kill Garrett, and where did their n begin? As a time traveler who had read the originalic book, Schiller knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. was basically a Hydra nest, and Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was one of Hydra''s leaders and members.


    So why did Piercepletely disappear and bepletely silent? We have to go back to Stark and Steve''s match to find out.


    When gods fight, mortals suffer. Whether it was Stark or Steve, when they went all out to do something, there was nothing they couldn''t aplish. Not only could they aplish it, but the result would be several hundred times better than that of an ordinary person.


    Let''s start with the Avengers team led by Steve. This Avengers team was full of talent.In terms of strong attack, Steve and Peter led the charge. These two superhumans with great strength could break through any front-line defense. No matter how strong Hydra''s base defense was, there was no door that Spider-Man and Ant Man couldn''t break through.


    What about firepower coverage? No problem. Captain America''s shield was immune to all bullet attacks. No matter how strong the firepower was or how urate the sniper was, charging in with the shield was enough.


    In terms of tactical nning, thebination of Venom and Matt was also sufficient. After all, when it came to executing tactics, the simpler the better. It was basically about making some noise, attracting people over, and then charging in.


    As for the part that couldn''t be attacked strongly, Natasha and Barton''s cooperation was also there. ck Widow was responsible for infiltration, and Hawkeye Barton was responsible for long-range sniping. After dealing with the part that couldn''t be attacked strongly, the rest was strong attack again.


    There were few forces on Earth that could withstand thebination of Captain America and Spider-Man. At first, their cooperation was a bit awkward. The two often interfered with each other, such as when Spider-Man rushed forward and directly hit Captain America''s shield, causing both of them to fly out. Or when Peter talked too much during a fight, Steve felt annoyed.


    But as the number of battles increased, their cooperation became more and more tacit, and their efficiency became higher and higher. Steve had been dealing with Hydra for so many years, and he had taken down several Hydra underground bases in New York in a row, captured many prisoners, and found an importantboratory by following the clues.


    Avengers'' progress was so smooth that someone couldn''t sit still.


    Stark''s goals werepletely different from Steve''s. His idea was to start from the top. No matter how many bases andboratories were taken down, the problem could not be solved at its root. So he nned to start from the top.


    If we talk about technical ability, no one on Earth is stronger than Stark. There is no old ount that he can''t dig up in this world. But many of Hydra''s high-level members had made mistakes when they were young, including Alexander Pierce.


    Pierce was able to serve as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a member of Hydra for so many years, and he had some skills. But when he was young, he was impatient and eager to protect important members of Hydra. Therefore, he once smuggled two important scientists out during a crackdown, which was caught by Stark.


    Of course, because the files were too old and the evidence was insufficient, Stark knew he had to catch more concrete evidence to take down Pierce.


    Just as Stark began to use his advanced methods to investigate, Pierce keenly noticed that he was being watched.


    As the leader of the opposing force, Pierce was very vignt. When he found that the surveince methods used on him were more advanced than the technology that should exist on Earth, he knew that the person watching him might be Stark.


    Pierce was aware of Howard and his wife''s death, and he had long expected that there would be such a day. So he immediately wentpletely silent.


    He wasn''t afraid. If the positions were reversed and Steve and the Avengers were watching him, Pierce wouldn''t be afraid at all. He wasn''t afraid of any strong attack, even if he was forcibly brought to court, he could still loudly proim his innocence.


    But Stark was different. In addition to being a scientist, he was also the leader of an industrial giant. Stark didn''t need to catch Pierce to exact revenge. There were too many things that a capitalist could manipte. Even if Pierce was now a member of the World Security Council, he couldn''t resist the attack of Stark''s group.


    So he took the action that snakes are best at, hibernation.


    And Pierce dared to gopletely silent because he had left a backdoor in S.H.I.E.L.D.


    When John Garrett received Grant''s call, although he appeared calm and asked Grant to protect him, he was actually a bit confused.


    Because he was Pierce''s back-up n in S.H.I.E.L.D.


    Pierce had instructed Garrett that as long as he wentpletely silent, he would automatically be the leader of all Hydra in S.H.I.E.L.D.


    But now, suddenly, someone had emerged iming to be Pierce''s silent agent.


    As an 8th level agent, Garrett was on par with Coulson. He was the head of the emergency response team and had been working in S.H.I.E.L.D. for many years. Although he didn''t have as much experience as Pierce, his qualifications in S.H.I.E.L.D. were also among the best, and the same was true in Hydra.


    When Garrett heard Schiller im to be the silent agent, his first reaction was not to question the truth of the matter, but rather, "This old fox Pierce really doesn''t trust me!"


    As Pierce''s subordinate, Garrett knew him better than anyone. Cunning as a fox and full of tricks, that was how Pierce operated.


    Garrett thought that Pierce must be afraid that after he went silent, he would take over S.H.I.E.L.D.''s work and it would be difficult to control him when he returned.


    Garrett believed that Pierce must have heard the wind and hastily brought in a parachuting psychologist as another silent agent to bnce him out and prevent him from consolidating S.H.I.E.L.D.''s power and sidelining him.


    For an evil organization like Hydra, it was hard to expect them to be united. Internal strife was the eternal theme of Hydra, and the power they consumed in internal strife was greater than that used for legitimate purposes.


    Garrett was very familiar with this, so he couldn''t possibly give up this great opportunity to rise to power. If he could control all of S.H.I.E.L.D.''s Hydra agents, he could also be one of the heads of the snake andpletely rece Pierce.


    So Garrett''s first reaction was to kill Schiller.


    He wasn''t afraid to kill in S.H.I.E.L.D. because this was their stronghold. Not only were the agents theirs, but the janitors, transport workers, and drivers were also theirs. There was no better ce to act.


    But unexpectedly, mantis stalks cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. It was precisely because Schiller knew Hydra''s habits that he nned to use this move to test whether there were any back-up ns left by Pierce among the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and he was very satisfied with the result.


    This kind of back-and-forth prediction may sound a bitplicated, but it is actually a verymon move. It''s like in the game Werewolf, the werewolf in the first position stands up and shouts, "I''m the seer!"


    A less intelligent real seer might jump out and say, "No! I''m the seer!"


    And then the next night, the werewolves would kill the real seer.


    Schiller shouted out in S.H.I.E.L.D., "I''m the silent agent left behind by Director Pierce!"


    So if Pierce really left a back-up n in S.H.I.E.L.D., in the dog-eat-dog world of Hydra, the real deal would definitely want to kill Schiller.


    Nick held his gun and looked at Garrett''s body. He said, "I had anticipated Pierce''s actions, but I didn''t expect Garrett to be in cahoots with him. I thought they werepetitors."


    "They were in cahoots, but they were alsopetitors. Garrett definitely wanted to rece Pierce. After all, Pierce had been away from S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time, but he was still controlling everything here. As the oldest Hydra member here, Garrett must have wanted to rise to power a long time ago."


    After speaking, Schiller walked towards the door and said, "I hope to see a tidy office tomorrow morning. Thank you."


    The next day, in the tidy counseling room, Schiller looked serious and said to Grant, "Now, I think you understand the seriousness of the situation."


    "Pierce is missing, and Garrett is being investigated in secret overnight. The chances of either of them surviving are slim. We will face a severe test next. Are you ready?"


    Grant still had a serious expression on his face and asked, "Did you kill Garrett?"


    Schiller twirled his pen in his hand and smiled, "You''re very smart, but unfortunately, Garrett wasn''t as smart as you."


    "He thought he could act recklessly here after running things for so long, but did Pierce not anticipate this when he brought me in by air?"


    After Schiller said this, Grant rxed a bit because it was so in line with Hydra''s style of dog-eat-dog. At least it ruled out the possibility that Schiller was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and those agents would definitely deny it to clear themselves.


    "Listen, I''m not joking with you. Next, I will take over all the work of S.H.I.E.L.D. If you have any objections, take it up with the Avengers."


    At this point, Grant finally spoke up, "What are your ns?"


    "I willunch aprehensive security n. All important personnel will appear on the security list, and if anything goes wrong, I will immediately move them."


    "What about the base?" Grant asked.


    "Do you know Arkham Sanatorium? That''s my property and a secret Hydra base in New York. Only Pierce and I know about it. Even the high-level officials in other areas don''t know about it. It can only be used in emergency situations."


    "Is the situation really that urgent?" Grant narrowed his eyes and asked, "Haven''t there been many purges before?"


    "Are you really a level 7 agent?" Schiller looked into Grant''s eyes and asked, "Which purge before could implicate someone like Director Pierce?"


    Grant remained silent, and Schiller held the pen in his hand and said, "Clearly, a new era is about toe. Humans think they are about to enter space, so they n to stabilize internally first. This purge will be unprecedentedly harsh, but it doesn''t matter. I have always been a member of the corrective faction."


    "Since the great war, Hydra has lost its glory. The most important reason for this is that a group of useless people joined us."


    "In this turmoil, I will decide the security list based on your performance. If anyone is just here for the sry, then they can wait for the so-called justice tond on their heads..."


    Grant left the counseling room and squinted his eyes. He felt a lot of pressure. Obviously, this new leader who hade to S.H.I.E.L.D. was the most difficult fanatic to deal with.


    Grant''s mood wasplicated now, but he still pretended nothing had happened and returned to the area where his team was active. As soon as he returned, Coulson came up to him and said, "Did you go for counseling? My goodness! I''ve been so busytely that I''ve overlooked you. I need to apologize to you..."


    "No, I''m fine." Grant still shook his head stiffly, and Coulson didn''t take it to heart. He knew that Grant was like this.


    Back in his room, Grant leaned against the door and looked up. He muttered to himself in a low voice, "Security n..."


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 Chapter 364: Hail Hydra (3)

    Chapter 364: Hail Hydra (3)


    The next day, the atmosphere at S.H.I.E.L.D. became somewhat strange. As Nick walked down the hallway, four or five people passed him in a hurry, walking faster than him.


    Nick held a coffee cup and looked around, noticing that everyone had a serious expression. He stopped a female agent and asked her, "Where are you going? Why are you in such a hurry?"


    "Good morning, Director. I''m going to work. I still have some work to do from the Special Affairs Departmentst night, so I need to go in early today."


    "Ah, okay, go ahead."


    Then, another male agent bumped into him. The agent stopped and said, "Oh, sorry, Director. I''m in a hurry, you know, I need to get to work..."


    Nick widened his eyes, looking a bit surprised, but couldn''t say anything to stop him. He asked several people in a row and got the same answer.


    "What the hell, aren''t these low-level agents the ones who are best at cking off? Every day, they either go to the gym or the tennis court, or they gather in the office to discuss when they can get a raise. Why are they suddenly working so hard?"


    Muttering to himself, Nick walked to the door of the psychological counseling room and knocked on the door. Schiller''s voice came from inside, "Come in."


    As Nick walked in, he turned his head to look at the crowding and going in the hallway. After he entered, he closed the door and pointed outside, asking, "What''s going on?"Schiller threw him a file. Nick nced at it and said, "...Security n? Moving important personnel to Arkham Sanatorium?"


    Nick put the file down, looked at Schiller, and asked him, "Don''t tell me these agents are working so hard just to prove how important they are in S.H.I.E.L.D...."


    "Of course, as long as they can prove that they are irreceable in S.H.I.E.L.D., they will be on the security list. This way, they can safely avoid this purge. You know, Pierce and Garrett have both been taken down, and the security n is the only way out."


    Nick narrowed his eyes, seeming to see through Schiller''s thoughts. Schiller spread his hands and said, "Don''t look at me like that. I''m really working selflessly to deal with Hydra."


    "Heh." Nick responded with a coldugh.


    Not long after, many agents on the security list arrived at Arkham Sanatorium.


    Previously, although there were many nursing positions here, most of them were fake identities used to embezzle funds, and there were few actual staff members. Therefore, there were also few people who could provide services.


    But now, with so many real "nurses," of course, the number of patients could be expanded.


    After marketing the Eternal Life Form for so long, there was no shortage of wealthy people in New York who were interested in it. The number of people who wanted to enter the sanatorium was countless. As soon as it was announced that there were vacancies, they were immediately filled.


    With more patients, there was a shortage of nurses again. Therefore, another group of the most hardworking and capable agents on the security list were added. But with more agents, there were fewer patients, so they had to add more patients, and then more nurses...


    After a series of operations of adding more water to the soup and more noodles to the soup, Schiller sessfully filled the sanatorium with people.


    Moreover, the Hydra agents who were able to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. were all aware and capable. They knew that there was a secret base in the purge, which was like a small boat in a storm, an important resource for the security organization. If they showed any ws, they would all be done for. Therefore, they worked hard to disguise themselves as real nurses.


    Of course, Schiller did not do this just to make the sanatorium''s business thrive. His main motivation was his sense of justice, which made him unable to sit idly by while Hydra continued to harm S.H.I.E.L.D.


    In the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Coulson and Grant hugged each other and said, "I didn''t expect you to be sent out so soon. Otherwise, I''ll talk to the personnel department and make sure you don''t go to such a deste ce. I don''t think it''s necessary..."


    Grant shook his head. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn''t say anything. He just turned around silently, but what Coulson didn''t see was the veryplex expression he showed for a moment, as if some belief was shaking.


    "Okay..." Coulson didn''t force it. He walked up and hugged Grant''s shoulder, saying, "I know you''re a passionate person, you''re just not good at expressing yourself. If you have any difficulties in New Mexico, be sure to contact me in time."


    Grant nodded perfunctorily. After Coulson sent him away, he muttered to himself with some doubts, "Are there too many agents being sent out recently? And they always go to such deste ces, like New Mexico and Montana..."


    Suddenly, he pped his forehead and said, "Oh, Coulson, you must not let Director Fury hear you say this, otherwise, he will question your professionalism again. I guess there must be some secret experiment..."


    After saying that, he didn''t care about it anymore and left.


    When Schiller met Grant at Arkham Sanatorium, he handed him a piece of paper. Grant looked at the paper, which was covered in dense writing and had a signature at the bottom, but he didn''t reach out to take it.


    Schiller said to him, "Everyone whoes here receives a detailed security n. During this special period, I have the right to deal with anyone who vites the rules. Don''t think you''re an exception, Mr. Ward."


    Grant stared at Schiller, but couldn''t find any ws on him until he saw the signature on the security n that Schiller had left behind. The spelling of his name was "Schiele."


    That was not themon spelling used in the United States, but rather from Germany and Austria.


    Grant took a deep breath and took the paper, saying, "Can you guarantee the safety of all the agents here?"


    "I can guarantee the safety of all loyal people here."


    Grant and Schiller stared at each other for several tens of seconds until the atmospherepletely froze. Schiller then said, "I hope everyone here has something to do."


    Grant stood up from his chair, took a few steps back, then turned and left. After leaving the room, he clenched the paper with the security n and cursed in his heart, "Damn Nazi..."


    The next day, as soon as Grant opened the door, he smelled a strong smell of blood. He took a few quick steps, crossed the corridor, looked down from the courtyard, and saw two bodies covered in blood.


    Schiller stood by the stairs and, upon seeing Grant, put his hand on the handrail and said, "I was just about to invite you over, Mr. Ward."


    Grant walked down the wall, staring at Schiller''s face and said, "You killed them..."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Their own actions killed them."


    "Aren''t you afraid the patients will find out?"


    "Don''t you see that it''s much quieter here than before?" Schiller turned to look down the corridor and continued, "The building of this sanatorium has a long history, and the wiring is old and urgently needs repair, otherwise there may be a risk of fire. Therefore, it needs to be temporarily closed for renovation."


    Grant walked to the opposite side of Schiller, frowning and said, "What do you want to do? Turn this ce into a concentration camp?"


    "You''d better pray that you''re not a prisoner. Are you?"


    Schiller looked at him and said, "I know you''re Garrett''s foster son. He trained you to be a Hydra agent and killer. You have a twisted emotion towards him and want to avenge him."


    "You''re not loyal to Hydra, just loyal to Garrett, right?"


    Schiller''s seemingly ordinary question made Grant feel a little depressed. He knew that if he gave a positive answer, he would surely get the same result as those two bodies, or rather, this scene of blood flowing like a river was meant to warn him.


    He felt like he had be a prisoner in a concentration camp, and this warden was no different from those lunatics. Grant knew he could only take it slowly.


    So he took a step forward, still with a straight face, but made the mostmon salute gesture in Hydra, and then shouted loudly, "Hail Hydra!"


    Schiller stared at him for a while, then said expressionlessly, "...Hail Hydra."


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 Chapter 365: New and Good (1)

    Chapter 365: New and Good (1)


    New York is a truly sleepless city, especially the buildings near Wall Street in Manhattan. The lights are on all night long, and even though it''s already 11 pm, the lights are still as bright as daylight, and people areing and going on the streets.


    Not far from Wall Street, in the Arkham Sanatorium, Schiller is working at his desk. Just then, a special-looking secure phone next to him rings, and he picks it up and says, "Hello, yes, I am the ''Doctor''..."


    "Yes, I am also very sorry about Director Pierce''s situation... The four bases in the east of New York? Sorry, but I have too much work on my hands right now. You know, there is only one high-level member left in all of New York who can still maintainmunication and has not entered a silent state, and that''s me..."


    "...Okay, but I can only ept two bases at most. The remaining two... I suggest you strategically abandon them and evacuate the personnel..."


    "What? Safe havens?... I''m sorry, Director Pierce didn''t leave me enough safe havens before he went into silence, and now they''re all full."


    Schiller sighed and said, "It''s not that I''m being greedy, but there are just too many peopleing to me... Yes, thank you for understanding. For the additional personnel on the preservation n, it''s $300,000 per person, and for senior management and important research personnel, it''s $300,000 per person for preservation fees..."


    Listening to the response on the other end, Schiller covered his forehead, his tone turning cold as he said, "Do you think it''s time to negotiate? The West Coast is their primary target. Do you know how much risk I have to take to receive you?..."


    "Don''t talk to me about this. Everyone knows that the emergency evacuation actions are all for the sake of preserving your own core power. Only the safe havens here are truly reliable. If you want to be scammed out of your money, I won''t stop you..."


    "Fifty? No, I already said that there are limited spots, and I can only give you 15 spots at most, at $300,000 per person... Okay, 10% discount, considering that we have all worked under Director Pierce before..."Schiller sighed and put down the phone. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, then looked at Nick Fury sitting across from him.


    Nick Fury looked up from his desk and said, "Another $5 million in revenue, huh?"


    "It''s still a 55-45 split, but I think this small amount of money can''t make up for the psychological trauma caused by my overtime."


    Schiller was about to stand up and go make some coffee when his phone rang again. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello, this is the ''Doctor.'' What? Your base was attacked? I''m sorry, I don''t have any extra manpower to send to rescue you..."


    "Captain America attacked you? Even if it was God who attacked you, I can''t save you..."


    "Okay, I can only give you a retreat route. Please go to the port of New York immediately, where there will be special agents to pick you up. But if you want to transfer to a safe haven, please send a message to your superior and have them pay your preservation fee..."


    "I''ll say it again, this is not extortion. The safe havens are already full, and if you want toe in without paying, what will the others think? You''d better call your boss quickly. If he''s willing to pay, then you have a chance. If he''s not willing, then God help you..."


    After hanging up, Schiller looked at Nick and joked, "Cold-blooded, aren''t I, Doctor?"


    "Mutual, Doctor."


    From the moment Schiller took over Hydra''s special agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. and eliminated Garrett''s backhand left behind after he caused Pierce''s silence, hepletely controlled Hydra and fabricated a preservation n, turning the Arkham Sanatorium into Hydra''s "safe" haven.


    From the beginning, Schiller didn''t want to fleece these special agents. Let''s face it, how much money can these workers make? Even if they sell the eternal life factor, it''s slow and troublesome.


    Schiller chose a different path and opened up another line of business.


    Thepetition between Stark and Steve gradually intensified, and their internalpetition became more and more fierce. Therefore, the scale of this purge becamerger andrger, and all of Hydra on the East and West Coasts were involved. Because thispetition started too suddenly, most of them were unprepared.


    This is different from S.H.I.E.L.D.''s "investigation" that says one thing and does another. Captain America and Iron Man take Hydra seriously, so in just a few days, the heads of Hydra on the East and West Coasts lost a lot of power.


    As more and more supposedly safe havens are breached, more and more Hydra leaders enter a silent state to protect themselves. However, the more they enter a silent state, the less they can organize a decent defense, resulting in more losses.


    These Hydra leaders may have gone silent, but they are not willing to see their core power that they worked so hard to build bepletely eradicated. If that happens, they will be isted and alone when theye out.


    Hydra''s internal struggles are professional, and they must consider how to face their colleagues who are like wolves and tigers after theye out of silence. If they really be powerless, they will only be torn apart.


    At this time, a rumor spread among the high-levels that Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the most famous Hydra leader, left behind a simrly experienced silent agent and an absolutely secret safe haven before entering silence.


    This silent agent, codenamed "Doctor," is likely a special agent in S.H.I.E.L.D., but their identity is currently unknown. However, there is no doubt that their preservation n is quite effective.


    The effectiveness of this preservation n can be traced back to S.H.I.E.L.D. After the important Hydra special agents were transferred, S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately began a purge, and those special agents who did not participate in the preservation n were directly eliminated.


    Of course, this was a wave of cooperation between Nick and Schiller. After Schiller transferred the important Hydra special agents, the rest were small fry. Nick could easily find a reason to eliminate them. The core Hydra members had left, and they could not organize any decent defense or counterattack.


    Although the special agents who were preserved were sent to a sanatorium for treatment, those who were not preserved lost their lives. This further illustrates the importance of the preservation n and the experience and decisiveness of the silent agent codenamed "Doctor."


    After rumors of the safe haven spread, many Hydra leaders began to consider transferring their core personnel there.


    Schiller''s demand for money was not unexpected. This is how Hydra operates. If they don''t take advantage of the situation now, when will they?


    On the contrary, Schiller''s approach increased the confidence of these Hydra leaders. If it weren''t for pure Hydra, how could he be so skilled at taking advantage of others'' misfortunes and making outrageous demands?


    With his level of skill, Pierce had a keen eye!


    These Hydra leaders felt an extremely familiar atmosphere from Schiller''s approach. They didn''t care about his high price. Hydra has been in business for so many years, and they still have some capital. Spending some money to preserve their core personnel is the most cost-effective option for them.


    During the evacuation to the Arkham Sanatorium, 80% of the people were caught by the "irvoyant" S.H.I.E.L.D., and only 20% sessfully arrived at the sanatorium. However, they didn''t think there was anything wrong with this.


    Now, the situation has be so dire that the fact that 20% of them survived is already considered lucky.


    But what they don''t know is that in the office of the director of the Arkham Sanatorium, their savior is weighing them by the pound and selling them to S.H.I.E.L.D.


    "To be honest, I think you should find a way to get out of this. In a few days, those two crazy people who are in a heated race will find you." Nick advised Schiller, "We all know that we are working for a just cause, but those two have been a bit recklesstely. If they identally hurt their own people, it won''t be good..."


    Schiller is not in a hurry at all. He smiles and says, "Don''t worry, I have a solution."


    "What solution?" Nick looks up at him.


    Just then, a portal appears in the office, and Strange walks out of it. He looks up at the sky outside, yawns, and sits next to Schiller. Schiller asks, "Are you done with your work?"


    "Yes, the Supreme Sorcerer has entrusted all the affairs of Kamar-Taj to me. Now I am truly the Supreme Sorcerer, except for a handover ceremony."


    "Well, congrattions to you. But I heard you say before that you have a lot of troublestely. What''s wrong?"


    When Strange brings up the issue, he looks a bit worried. He says, "The sorcerers think that Stark is too stingy. He only gave them one ship out of more than ten ships to study..."


    "You know, those big sorcerers are all research maniacs. One ship can''t satisfy their appetite."


    "Sorcerers are also divided into many schools, some using white magic, some researching summoning magic, and their approaches to modification are also different. Some want topletely energyize the ship, while others want to use enchantment techniques. Recently, I have stopped at least a dozen arguments..."


    "In any case, we need at least three ships." Strange concludes, "Less than this number, I find it difficult to bnce the experimental needs of the sorcerers."


    "Just like I told you on the phone before, you sorcerers have portals. You can secretly go up and do some research. It shouldn''t be discovered."


    "That''s exactly what I''m hesitating about..." Strange shows a troubled expression and says, "I don''t want to exacerbate the opposition between ordinary humans and sorcerers. We are the guardians of Earth, but we are not managers, let alone rulers. If we are discovered, Stark will be very angry."


    "Just don''t let him discover you. Do those big sorcerers also get used to not cleaning up after their research like Stark and his rich friends?"


    "Of course not. We are different from Stark and his kind. Kamar-Taj has maintained the virtue of frugality for many years. Our magic is environmentally friendly and pollution-free, and we don''t even have waste."


    "Moreover, the Supreme Sorcerer left me a special item that can reset time..."


    The more Strange talks, the brighter his eyes be. He says, "I canpletely let the big sorcerers experiment first, and then use the gem to restore the ship. This way, Stark will not be able to find us..."


    As he speaks, he stands up and says to Schiller, "Yes, I have a n now."


    Then he opens the portal, steps into it, and before leaving, he turns back and says, "Thank you, thank you for your flexible thinking and...morality."


    When Strange''s figure disappearspletely, Nick looks at where he left and asks thoughtfully, "Your scapegoat?"


    "Don''t say that. There are many doctors in this world. How could anyone suspect Stephen''s head?"


    "Yes, no one could have suspected him before. But you instigated him to illegally upy the ship under Stark''s nose. Who would Stark suspect? It goes without saying..."


    Schiller walks over with coffee, hands a cup to Nick, and raises his coffee cup, saying, "If you don''t say it, I won''t say it. Who knows if he was inspired by me?"


    Nick smiles and picks up the cup. The two lightly clink their cups and then show a knowing smile.


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 Chapter 366: New and Good (2)

    Chapter 366: New and Good (2)


    In a Hydra base located at the bottom of Lake Michigan, Peter was busy in front of aputer. The cold light shone on his mask, and through it, one could see his serious and focused expression. He had just discovered a lot of data on human experimentation ns here.


    However, after experiencing many things, Peter had learned to control his emotions and focus on the task at hand. He had been working on theputer for a while when Steve walked in with his shield and asked, "Did you find anything? Where did the researchers go?"


    Peter shook his head and said as he looked at the screen, "They destroyed most of the data before they left. The data I recovered is only a small part, and it''s impossible to leave any clues on theputer."


    "What about the monitoring equipment?"


    "The data has already been destroyed. I''m trying to recover it." Peter stared at the screen as the data flowed before his eyes. After a while, the screen flickered, and Steve asked, "What''s the situation?"


    "I only recovered a very small part. It''s all up to luck to find any clues." Peter finally typed a key, and an image appeared on the screen.


    It looked like a camera in a cleaning room, but the door was slightly open, so it could capture the outside situation. Perhaps because of this, the monitoring footage was not cleaned up but preserved. There was a faint conversationing from there, as if someone was on the phone.


    Steve walked up to Peter and said, "Pause and repeat this sentence."


    Peter pressed a button and set the audio to y repeatedly. They listened for a long time and barely recognized a few words from the vague voices, "Evacuation... security n... and ''Doctor''?" Steve squinted and said, "It seems that they contacted another group of Hydra before we attacked here and then transferred to other bases.""But we''ve already destroyed several bases around here. Where else can they hide?" Peter asked with some confusion.


    Steve exined, "Hydra is a secretive organization. They often set up many secure bases to deal with various forces'' searches."


    "These bases are nestedyer byyer, and no one knows where all the secure bases are. Although we and Stark have destroyed almost all the bases, there may still be more hidden bases lurking underwater..."


    Peter took a deep breath and said, "So, we''ve been busy for so long, and they still got away?"


    "You have to learn to ept that most of thebat missions are useless, but they are allying the foundation for the final victory." Steve walked up and hugged Peter''s shoulder, looking into his eyes and saying, "Cunning enemies can only be fierce for a while, and only we will achieve the final sess."


    The next day, they found anotherboratory, still underground. Hydra had hidden many secret bases below ground, and Captain America led the Avengers to pull them out like pulling potatoes.


    With a "boom," Spider-Man pushed open thest door, revealing the control roommonly found in Hydra bases, but it was already empty.


    Peter took a deep breath and raised his shoulders. Steve, who was following closely behind him, said in a low voice, "This is not right. One or two bases and strongholds can be exined as them hearing the wind and moving early, but all the important personnel in several consecutive bases have disappeared..."


    Matt walked in and said, "If everything goes as expected, there should be a hidden and very deep secure base where all the escaped important personnel have gathered. We must find its location."


    "Do you remember the name we heardst time?" Steve looked at Peter and rubbed his chin. "The person who arranged their evacuation seems to be called ''Doctor'' or ''Professor.''"


    "With all due respect, Steve, you''ve been fixated on thistely." Matt walked up to Steve and said, "As long as we can strike the criminals, we can cooperate with anyone, including Stark. Even if we have differences in methods, the road is the same. We should have joined hands long ago."


    Peter also advised, "Actually, you two don''t have any fundamental conflicts. Captain, even if you don''t get along well, it may be because you don''t know each other well. I always believe that people who have a sense of justice will always be friends."


    Steve shook his head and said, "I don''t hate Stark. I just feel that it''s my duty to strike Hydra, but I won''t force anyone to take on this responsibility for me."


    "Simrly, I don''t know why he suddenly wants to do this, but I have to tell him that this is not child''s y. It''s not something he can aplish in a burst of enthusiasm."


    "But..." Steve changed the subject, "His recent actions have also proved to me that he does want to strike Hydra."


    "In the previous period of time, he has achieved considerable sess. I think it''s time to gather all our strength andpletely eliminate him."


    "You''vee to your senses." Matt nodded. He had to admit that Captain America was indeed a noble person and also a good friend. He was calm, open-minded, and good at listening to others'' opinions.


    "I''ll check theputer here and see if there''s any information. Then we''ll go back to Mr. Stark and ask him if he can find a way to uncover the hidden safe house and where it is."


    As Peter turned and walked to the console, he looked puzzled and said, "Huh? Why does this system seem a little different from the others?"


    Steve turned his head from checking the paper documents and asked him, "What''s different? Is there anything special?"


    "It seems to have a unique encryption system with a special password lock to open it. It''splicated, so they didn''t have time to destroy it before they left. Let me see..."


    "Oh my god, it''s another damn human experiment. What is this?... The Winter Soldier program? My goodness! How could they..."


    As Peter eximed in surprise, Steve and Matt walked over. Peter introduced them, "This is an ancient encryption system that has been sealed here. Because the way to open it isplicated and not noticeable, those evacuated agents may not have had time to deal with it..."


    "But I think this should be important. So I just unlocked some of the information and found that it mentioned a human experiment n called the Winter Soldier program..."


    "They wanted to create perfect emotionless soldiers, so they imnted brainwashing modules in people''s brains and modified their bodies. After imnting some machinery into their bodies, they sent them to assassinate important figures."


    "I''ve said it before, Hydra''s evil is like an iceberg below the surface of the water. What we see is always just a small corner." Steve sighed and said, "Seal up this information."


    "By the way, is there a list of subjects? If we can find the families of these poor victims, we can also send them somepensation. I''ll pay for it."


    Peter lowered his head and fiddled with theputer, then said, "List... list... found it! Oh my god, it''s a bit damaged! Only the first half is left, up to surnames starting with the letter G. Do you want toe and take a look, Captain?"


    Steve didn''t want to go at first, but he remembered hisrades who had been cruelly killed by Hydra. Regardless, they were all victims. Steve wanted to pray for them for a few words.


    So he walked over and just nced at the list. He drew a cross on his chest. At this moment, he suddenly saw the first part of the list, the surname starting with the letter B.


    "Barnes?" Steve squinted in confusion. Peter asked, "What? What''s wrong with him?"


    "...Nothing, just a friend of mine with the same surname. By the way, can you see their names?"


    "Oh, the names are folded up." Peter said, walking up and clicking on the screen. Everyone''s names were disyed, and at this moment, Steve stared at the screen tightly. He said, "James Buchanan Barnes?! Bucky..."


    "Do you have information on this person?!" Steve suddenly grabbed Peter''s shoulder, causing him some pain. He saw Steve''s excited expression and asked, "Are you okay, Captain?"


    Steve suddenly came to his senses, put his arm down, and his fingers trembled. He said, "...It''s okay. Can you help me find information on this person? He may be my formerrade-in-arms..."


    "Okay, let me see... James Buchanan Barnes, the source is not specified, but it shows that he participated in the Winter Soldier transformation program and had a mechanical arm installed on his severed arm..."


    Steve suddenly showed a surprised expression and said, "Yes! Bucky''s arm should be broken! It''s him! It must be him!"


    But soon, some disappointment crawled onto his face, and he said, "These victims are probably already... damn Hydra. Bucky must have suffered a lot. I will eradicate them!"


    "You mean this person named Barnes might be your formerrade?" Peter asked him, and then he started operating theputer, saying, "He may not have died, Captain. The data shows that they injected a special drug into this group of people who participated in human experiments to increase their cell activity and lifespan."


    "And they mentioned a weapon storage principle, as if these people were sealed in a certain base and would only be activated when necessary."


    Steve turned his head and stared at Peter intently, asking, "Really? Can he really live that long?"


    "You see, here is the detailed report on that drug. Based on the molecr form of itsponents, I think this drug should be very effective. It should be able to increase the cell activity and lifespan of the human body several times. If he didn''t die in battle, he should still be alive..."


    Steve immediately picked up his shield and walked out. Peter chased after him and said, "Captain! Captain! Where are you going?"


    "I''m going to find that base. I''m going to save my friend!"


    Matt walked up and stopped him, saying, "Steve, calm down. Have you forgotten our previous experiences?"


    "Several bases were all empty. If we can''t find out where the secure base is, the researchers who participated in this n may still transfer with important information, and you will never find your friend!"


    Steve hammered his shield fiercely. His chest rose and fell violently for a few moments. After a few minutes, he finally regained hisposure and said, "Let''s go. We''re going to find Stark."


    About an hourter, the members of the Avengers appeared in Stark''sboratory. Steve could clearly see that Stark''s brow furrowed when he heard Barnes'' name. Steve squinted and asked, "Have you heard any news about him?"


    Stark denied it, saying, "No, I haven''t. I have no interest in you or your friends."


    "Mr. Stark, can you help us find clues to that secure base? Although I can invade their control system, most of the data has been destroyed. Only a small part can be recovered..."


    Peter shook his head and sighed, saying, "It seems that I still need to improve my skills."


    Stark walked over, pulled Peter over, hugged his shoulder, and said, "I''ve been saying that you shoulde to my side and not hang out with these ipetent people. Come on, let''s study their control system..."


    Peter was pulled away by Stark, and Steve was still stunned in ce. He was anxious but dissatisfied with Stark''s attitude.


    Steve couldn''t read minds, and he didn''t know that Stark was deliberately giving him a hard time. It was because of Barnes. If Steve didn''t mention this name, Stark would have epted his cooperation request.


    There was no other reason. Stark''s recent actions to eliminate Hydra were also not going well.


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 Chapter 367: New and Improved (2)

    Chapter 367: New and Improved (2)


    Starting from the top to take down Hydra has proven to be highly effective, but it also means that they have to be prepared for a highly vignt enemy when choosing this difficult mode.


    The heads of this group of snakes are not to be underestimated. Their vignce is extremely high, and at the slightest sign of trouble, they immediately go silent on all channels and disappear with all evidence.


    To make matters worse, before disappearing, they also made sure to trip up Stark. In the past few days, the stock prices of Stark Industries have dropped significantly, putting a lot of pressure on Pepper. Stark''s public image has also worsened, and he has to rely on Obadiah to clean up his mess.


    Although their technology is advanced, the enemy is of a higher level. If they were to confront them head-on, Stark would have a way to deal with them. However, these people never confront Stark directly and disappear at the slightest sound.


    As a result, Stark finds himself in a predicament of trying to catch a mouse. He has to personally go into the mouse hole to catch them, but that would mean falling into Steve''s trap again.


    In any case, whether it''s destroying their bases from the bottom or targeting their leaders from the top, both methods have their ws. Stark realizes this, and as Banner said before, it seems that only by working together can they fundamentally solve these problems.


    Therefore, although Stark reluctantly puts on a sour face, he and Steve sit down at a table and, with the help of Peter and Matt, are finally able to calmly talk things out.


    In fact, in the originalic book, Iron Man and Captain America had a honeymoon period, which shows that they get along well in certain aspects. Therefore, during this conversation, both of them feel a bit awkward.


    They instinctively don''t want to agree with each other, but their thoughts uncontrobly follow each other. As they talk more, their ideas be more unified, and then at some point, they suddenly realize it and freeze.Peter doesn''t understand what they''re doing, but Matt sighs and shakes his head.


    In the end, Stark pinches his nose and says, "Okay, if it''s to deal with Hydra, I can temporarily cooperate with you, but in terms of strategic issues, you must listen to me..."


    Steve also nods and says, "I won''t interfere with your judgment, but I also have my own ideas. If we don''t agree, we can vote..."


    In the end, both of them ept this, but Steve is a bit surprised. He asks, "You didn''t insist that we join your Radiance Alliance, but instead n to join the Avengers? That doesn''t sound like you, Stark."


    Stark shows an expression of speechlessness and says, "Join the Radiance Alliance? You really don''t have a correct understanding of your own moral level..."


    "On the contrary, I have the most confidence in my own moral level. Don''t you know where Captain Americaes from? Bad people be worse, and good people be better."


    "That''s exactly what I mean. I am a moral model in the Radiance Alliance, raising the overall average level. Without me and Charles, their moral bottom line would be raised."


    "Speaking of which, I was just wondering, what do you think of the mysterious person with the code name ''Doctor''?"


    "What do I think? Just a Hydra agent who hides his identity... Wait, why are you asking this? Are you suspecting someone among us?"


    Seeing that Stark is about to argue, Steve speaks first, "But there is a basis for this. All of our actions are confidential, and the locations we raid cannot be known to others. But every time we enter a base, everyone there has already evacuated, and not long ago. Don''t you think that''s strange?"


    "That''s because there''s a mole among you. What does that have to do with the Radiance Alliance? We don''t know your ns either."


    "But you have Professor Charles Xavier among you."


    Stark says helplessly, "If Charles is with Hydra, do you think anyone can still be alive now?"


    "But it''s not impossible that Professor X is being used by someone else. After all, he adheres to his own principles and won''t easily read minds, so there is a possibility of being deceived."


    Stark was about to argue with him, but then Jarvis said, "Warning! There is abnormal activity detected on a spaceship parked on the edge of the Sr System!"


    "A spaceship? What''s going on?"


    "The monitoring equipment detected abnormal life fluctuations near the 19th spaceship, and the energy readings were too high! Beep beep! The monitoring equipment has been affected by a mysterious force and has stopped working."


    "Someone has their eyes on the spaceship?" Steve asks. "Who is it? They also destroyed your monitoring equipment. Are they trying to steal the spaceship?"


    Stark raises a hand and makes a calming gesture. He asks Jarvis, "Can you detect what energy destroyed the monitoring equipment?"


    "I''m not sure, I can''t analyze it, but I suspect it''s magic energy."


    "Magic..." murmured Stark to himself. He said, "Strange???"


    After speaking, he instinctively looked at Steve, and the two of them said in unison, "Doctor!"


    A few minutester, in Arkham Sanitarium, Schiller looked at Strange seriously and said, "You''re in trouble."


    Strange widened his eyes and said, "It''s impossible. I used invisibility magic throughout and even used a stance to shield the ship... "


    "But Peter just called me and said that Jarvis sounded the rm. It should be your magic energy that affected the monitoring equipment around Stark''s ship."


    "Damn it, I specifically bypassed those monitors. It might be the one on the right side of the deck that triggered the rm. I didn''t pay attention when I passed by..."


    Helplessly, Strange said, "What should I do? Stark will definitely give me trouble. He might even use this as an excuse to take back the previous ship. That stingy guy..."


    "Didn''t you already be the Sorcerer Supreme? Then go into seclusion at Kamar-Taj for a while. Can he even find you if you go to Kamar-Taj? As long as he can''t find you, he can''t legitimately take back the ship."


    "That''s right. I''ll leave the pile of work at the Sanctum Sanctorum to Loki. I can take a few days off. I''ve been wanting to go on vacation for a long time..."


    After speaking, Strange left like he was being chased by a dog. Obviously, he was still afraid of Stark causing trouble for him, after all, he was in the wrong.


    So, in the next meeting of the Avengers, looking at the empty seat left by Strange, Stark squinted suspiciously and asked, "Where did Stephen go?"


    "He went into seclusion at Kamar-Taj, probably practicing magic recently and making some gains," Schiller repeated Strange''s words to Stark. Stark sneered and said, "An apprentice of magic, and he still has the nerve to say he''s making some gains?"


    After the meeting, the Avengers gathered again, and now Stark had joined them. He sat opposite Steve and said, "But I still don''t believe that Strange is Hydra. After all, he is the Sorcerer Supreme. Do you think there is any reason for these two identities to be linked?"


    "Hydra is like that. Maybe you don''t know them well enough," Steve sighed and said, "They can disguise themselves as all kinds of people, from politicians and congressmen to drivers and vendors. You never know which one of them is a Hydra agent in disguise."


    "Moreover, from my experience, highly educated talents are the hardest hit by Hydra. Do you think all those Hydra researcherse from?"


    "The Sorcerer Supreme is Hydra?" Peter said incredulously, "That''s too absurd. It''s like saying you, Captain, are Hydra..."


    But Steve was not joking. He said seriously, "It''s not impossible. I mean, it''s not impossible that I''m Hydra. If one day you find that there are signs that this is really happening, then you must investigate and never let your guard down."


    Peter''s facial features all wrinkled together. The idea that Captain America was Hydra made him feel like his tongue was tied.


    Steve continued, "This is their n, to make humans distrust each other and ultimately cause war."


    "Of course, we can''t just pin baseless usations on someone. We need to investigate everything," Steve shifted the conversation and said, "At least now I can ept the investigation with a clear conscience. Since I proposed it, I''m willing to undergo the investigation together with Dr. Strange. If there are no issues, great. But if there are, at least we can ensure that sorcerers aren''t influenced by evil."


    "Um... Did you guys forget something?" Peter scratched his head and said, "There''s more than just Dr. Stephen as a doctor around here. Dr. Schiller is also a psychologist, right?"


    Stark and Steve exchanged a nce, and Steve patted Peter''s shoulder, saying, "I don''t remember if I told you the biggest characteristic of Hydra members..."


    "What is it?" Peter asked, confused.


    "Diligence."


    Stark turned to Peter and said, "You can''t expect someone who sleeps at 9 pm to join Hydra. They would be screened out during the initial round of interviews."


    Steve''s voice drew Peter''s attention back, and he said, "Think about the agents you met at S.H.I.E.L.D. Do you think this job can be done by someone who has a regr sleep schedule and wakes up early?"


    Peter opened his mouth and said, "It does seem like that..."


    "Peter, agents and spies, even high-level leaders, need to work day and night, exhaust themselves, and spend great effort to build their intelligenceworks and bases. Anyone who doesn''t work diligently can''t be an infiltrator. This job is much busier than you imagine..."


    "More importantly, they must maintain contact with multiple forces at all times. Once their channels go silent, they be leaderless like now."


    Peter thought back to the days when he lived in Schiller''s former psychological clinic and said, "If that''s the case, Dr. Schiller is probably the least likely one here. His life is too regr."


    "And he hates answering the phone. If he answers more than three calls a day, he gets angry, including take-out calls."


    "He also hates staying upte and being startled. If he finds out I''m not in bed sleeping before 10 pm, I''m in trouble."


    "And he really hates people who only say half of what they mean," Peter thought for a moment and added, "...and mice."


    DCSchiller: Sleeps at 3 am because he stayed up toote, cks off at work.


    MarvelSchiller: Wakes up at 5 am because he wakes up too early, cks off at work.


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 Chapter 368: Hydras Guide (1)

    Chapter 368: Hydras Guide (1)


    Schiller held Pikachu in his arms and ced it on the table, staring at his chubby face as he said, "Do you know what I hate the most? People who only speak half of what they want to say... and rats."


    Pikachu put his small hand to his mouth and coughed like an old man, saying, "You better show some respect. Only I can solve your problems now."


    "Oh, really?" Schiller stood up and walked to the bookshelf in the office. His gaze scanned the shelf back and forth as he said, "Let me see, where did I put my recipe book? God bless, there must be a dish of braised rat here..."


    "Do you know how terrible your face looks right now?" Pikachu wasn''t afraid at all. He shook his Thunderbolt-shaped tail and leaned against the wall with one hand on his waist, saying, "Your poor n finally exhausted yourself with a stupid n. How long have you been working continuously? Four days? Or five days?"


    As he spoke, Pikachu walked to the table and spread his hands to Schiller, saying, "When you made this n to y with Hydra, didn''t you think they woulde to you?"


    Schiller took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing his anger at being mocked. After a while, he sighed helplessly and said, "I knew it would be troublesome, but I didn''t expect it to be this troublesome."


    Indeed, up to now, Schiller has been working 18 hours a day for five consecutive days, not counting the time he was awakened by phone calls in his sleep.


    As we all know, Hydra is a spy organization. Stark and Steve were right. Anyone who goes to bed at 9 pm cannot work as a spy or agent. Guiding spies is also a spy. Schiller, who infiltrated Hydra, has been exhaustedtely.


    Schiller was not aplete neer, but he took over the team left by Pierce in the name of impersonation. Like all leaders who lead the team by air, there were a lot of troubles to deal with in the early stages.The unlucky ones in all airborne workgroups in the world must have been a bunch of troublemakers, poking holes, leaving a bunch of bugs unfixed, and leaving a bunch of unfinished work, otherwise they would not be reced by others.


    Although Pierce was rigorous by nature, since he retired from S.H.I.E.L.D. and went to the World Security Council to take up a position, he has been remotely controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. This remote control efficiency is not high, so a lot of work has been umted and notpleted. Schiller wanted to obtain useful information from these works, so he had to work overtime to sort out these damn work.


    However, this is not the most deadly thing. If it is the daily state of Hydra, Schiller would not have so much to do. But now, the group of snakeheads who were driven crazy by Stark and Steve were all silent, and only Schiller opened the channel. Even the smallest thing would make them call him.


    Whether he knows them or not, whether he is responsible for them or not, whether he can handle them or not, if there is something to do, find "Doctor."


    And even more deadly is that at first, Schiller did not anticipate this situation, so he just wanted to finish these things quickly. So he quickly figured out the mess left by Pierce, and swiftly executed the preservation n, and also brought in a few snakeheads'' forces, disrupted and reorganized them, and arranged them into the Arkham Sanatorium.


    This work efficiency cannot be said to be rare in Hydra, but it can only be said to be rare.


    Don''t forget, although Pierce is one of the snakeheads, he also has superiors. When the hidden Hydra leader saw that this gold salesperson brought out another gold salesperson, he had to give him more weight.


    So, on a certain morning, after receiving a mysterious call requesting him to take over all affairs in New York State, Schiller''s overtime nightmare began.


    Can''t some things be left alone? Actually, it is possible, but Schiller is a bit obsessivepulsive. He always can''t help but straighten out the messy work schedule, and when he sees the security loopholes in this base like a sieve, he can''t help but reorganize it...


    As a result, he has been working continuously for five or six days, and judging from the situation, he will continue to work overtime.


    The most repeated words Schiller said these days were "Where is Iron Man? What is Iron Man doing?!" and "Check Captain America''s status!"


    If you don''t close the quickly, I really have to save Hydra from the fire and water.


    This situation not only affected Schiller''s work schedule, but also had the smallest impact on Stark and Steve after Schiller took over Hydra. What really felt earth-shattering was Stark and Steve.


    After they joined forces, they began to investigate the security bases, but it did not affect their other work against Hydra. However, in the past few days, they felt that the difficulty of the whole game had skyrocketed like a rocket, and their blood pressure had also skyrocketed like a rocket.


    Schiller''s tactics were very simple but extremely effective. He finally made Hydra, a bloated and in-name-only spy organization, truly disappear without a trace.


    In short, there were three steps: warning, preservation, and disappearance.


    As Hydra developed to this day, its personnel structure was like a huge tree crown, with countless branches beside each trunk, and these branches led to even smaller branches.


    Their personnel structure was more like a spindle, with thergest number of middle-level personnel. Unlike the lower-level personnel who did not know they were working for Hydra, most of these people joined because of Hydra''s ideology, but they were not just working for their ideals. When necessary, they would also seek benefits for themselves, just like most spies in the world.


    In every organization in the world, there are always a few people who are not very smart. Due to therge number of middle-level personnel, there were many people with poor intelligence in Hydra''s middle-level personnel, and the most vulnerable were the senior intellectuals mentioned by Steve.


    They were not professional agents and had not undergone agent training, but because of their authority in their profession, they were highly valued. Among this group of people, there were many selfish people who were unwilling to pay more to hide themselves. Therefore, it was this group of people that Steve and Stark pulled out of the mud with a carrot, and once they caught one, they caught a whole string.


    The reason why Schiller was able to reverse the situation was also by targeting this group of people. The process was veryplicated, but it could be summarized in four words: drastic measures were needed.


    In all evacuation operations, all data must be destroyed, all experimental equipment must be destroyed, and even the entire base can be burned down. When notifying the evacuation, Schiller would not contact the highest person in charge of this base because those people were often doctors and professors. He would only contact the security personnel and ask them to forcibly take away those researchers. Anyone who refused toply would be shot on the spot.


    Schiller''s reason was also very sufficient. The knowledge data must be preserved, and Hydra''s most valuable intellectual property was these researchers, so they had to leave. Anyone who did notply with the arrangements would be considered a transfer loss.


    In most experimental bases, there had been conflicts between security personnel and researchers for a long time. No professional agent could tolerate these scientists'' troublesome personalities.


    Therefore, after receiving Schiller''s order, the entire evacuation operation was very fast, and there was no such situation where things were dyed, power was not cut off, data was not destroyed, and even severalrge boxes of hard drives were left behind.


    Some people may ask, since this n can effectively respond to Stark and Steve''s investigation and raids, why didn''t Hydra use it before?


    If we take a God''s-eye view and look at a statistical data, we will find that the number of Hydra talents lost in Schiller''s arranged evacuation operation was much higher than the number of Hydra talents caught by Stark and Steve.


    Killing one''s own people and leaving no one for the enemy to kill is the secret to sess.


    In other words, this was not Schiller''s field, so he naturally wanted to sell whichever piece he wanted to sell. He did not have to consider how Hydra would respond to the suspension of experiments due to the loss of arge number of technical personnel or the problem of the inability to maintain existing technology.


    But from another perspective, Stark and Steve were a bit high-blood-pressure. In the Avengers'' base, Stark pressed his temple and said, "I think we need to re-evaluate Hydra''s leadership. They actually dared to cut off their tails and escape."


    Steve''s expression was hesitant as he said, "I suspect they may have received direct leadership from the German headquarters."


    "In my fighting days, we all knew that Hydra in America was not worth mentioning. The most terrifying were the people under the little mustache. Although I often said they were a group of lunatics, I also had to admit that his capable subordinates were very powerful."


    "Indeed, such decisive decisions are not something ordinary people can make. They are more difficult than I imagined." Stark said with a serious face. He stood up from the sofa and walked to thebat map, saying, "My tactics against Hydrae from the tactics I prepared to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. My hypothetical enemy is Nick Fury."


    "But now it seems that the people on the other side are more ruthless than Nick. They are willing to sacrifice two-thirds of the personnel in the base to ensure the evacuation of important figures..."


    "But I have to say, they are very smart." Steve also walked over and stood next to Stark, saying, "This is actually the best choice. If they keep dragging their feet and worrying about sacrifices, they would have copsed by now."


    "Because the more important personnel we catch, the more branches we can find along this trunk." Stark continued smoothly, "Catching a hundred branches is not as good as catching one trunk."


    "But something strange..." Immediately afterwards, Stark frowned and said with some doubt, "At first, their reaction was not beyond my expectations, but recently, their strategic level has made great progress. If they had shown this momentum from the beginning, I would definitely have to readjust their threat level."


    "So I said, we need to readjust our battle n. If necessary, I will also seek help from the Radiance Alliance." Stark said, hugging his arms.


    "Let''s organize an Avengers internal meeting first." Steve turned around and sat down at the conference table. At this moment, a string of bells rang from Stark''s pocket, and he took out his phone to answer the call, saying, "Hello? Schiller?... Why is it you again? Can you stop calling me?"


    What surprised Stark was that the other side hung up very quickly. Immediately afterwards, Peter, who was ying billiards on the side, received a call on his phone. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello? Dr. Schiller?... What? How is our progress? I''m afraid it''s not going well. Mr. Stark and Captain n to adjust their tactics..."


    "Okay, I will urge them for you, but why are you so anxious?"


    "Oh, indeed, this damn evil organization has harmed too many people. We must act immediately to prevent them from continuing to cause trouble!" Peter said seriously on the phone, "Yes! I think so too, so I will go now!"


    After hanging up the phone, he walked to Stark and Steve''s side and said, "Dr. Schiller asked me to ask you why there has been no progress in the past few days. He is very anxious..."


    Peter said seriously, "He said he can no longer tolerate these evil Hydra, not even for a second!"


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 Chapter 369: Hydras Guide to the Beginning (2)

    Chapter 369: Hydras Guide to the Beginning (2)


    "In that case, what is the solution to my problem?" Schiller sat back in his chair in his office, looking at the Pikachu on his desk. Pikachu held up its short arms and said, "Don''t you remember? I plunged into that yellow toilet before and absorbed all the energy inside."


    "The so-called Yellow Lantern Energy has restored some of my power, and since I don''t have anybat opportunities right now, I came up with this a few days ago..."


    As Pikachu spoke, it pulled out a ring that was a bit too big for it. It had to hold it with both hands to be able to handle it. Schiller propped his elbow on the desk and touched his forehead with his hand, saying, "Do you know? You look like a hamster gnawing on sunflower seeds..."


    Before Pikachu could get angry, Schiller took the ring away from it. He put the ring in front of his eyes and carefully examined it, but he didn''t find anything unusual. He said, "Isn''t this just an ordinary ring?"


    "You can try putting it on."


    "You swear this isn''t a prank?" Schiller looked into Pikachu''s eyes. Pikachu blinked and suddenly jumped up, snatching the ring back from Schiller''s hand. Then it pulled out another ring and said, "Okay, this is it."


    Schiller took the ring back again. This time, he put it in his palm and found that it emitted a shimmering yellow light.


    "What is this? A Yellow Lantern Ring?" Schiller asked with some confusion. "This world can also use Yellow Lantern Energy?"


    Pikachu shrugged and said, "I feel that this world doesn''t have the source of that power, so once I use up the energy I obtained, it''s gone. If I want more, I have to go back to the world where I got it and recharge.""This ring is the same. I infused it with some energy, but if it runs out, you have toe back to me to recharge it."


    "What does it do?"


    "It has many functions, like levitation, teleportation, energy beams, as well as Superman''s strength, healing ability, and speed..."


    "Isn''t that the ability of Green Lantern?"


    "Yes, except that the energy is limited. I estimate that this thing can run for a month at most. Once it runs out of power, it will fly back to me automatically..."


    "Are there no screening criteria? For example, the user must be able to bring fear to others?"


    Pikachu shook its head and said, "Because there is no source of power here, there are no rules like that. I can give it to anyone."


    "So, you have a 24-hour standby assistant who doesn''t need to eat, drink, or sleep. How about it? Can itpletely solve your problem?"


    Schiller looked at Pikachu with a dumbfounded expression and said, "With such a useful thing, you just want to create an assistant?"


    "What do you want to do? You''re not thinking of..."


    In the Avengers'' base, Steve warmly patted Amplifier''s shoulder and said, "Wee back, kids. I have to say, you came back at the right time. There are serious challenges waiting for us now."


    The ck boy rubbed his nose and said, "We''ve been to outer space, what challenge can be difficult for us?"


    "I like your attitude." Steve clearly knew how to deal with kids. He said, "You''ve been to the faraway Andromeda Gxy,pleted so many difficult tasks. There aren''t many mutants who can do that."


    "However,pared to distant outer space, the work on Earth is more important. That''s why you came back here. Come on, have a seat. Let''s talk about the next mission objectives..."


    After Amplifier, Shadow, and Crystal sat down, Peter waved at them. Shadow smiled at Peter, Crystal was a bit shy and didn''t reply, and Amplifier gestured to Peter to wait and then pointed to the nearby pool table.


    When Steve, Stark, and Matt took their seats, the meeting officially began. Steve knocked on the table to get everyone''s attention and said, "Recently, our operations have been very difficult. I regret to inform you that this meeting has a somewhat gloomy start..."


    "But a true warrior does not fear temporary difficulties. We all know that this is a long-term mission, and fighting evil is not something that can be achieved in a day or two..." Steve said, looking at Stark, who rolled his eyes.


    "Okay, let me talk about the first mission objective. First, we need to split up and act..."


    Just as Steve said this, Stark''s phone rang. Steve said helplessly, "No phone calls during the meeting!"


    However, Stark''s face became serious. He said, "It''s Jarvis calling. It should be something important."


    He answered the phone, and his expression became increasingly solemn. After hanging up, he stood up and his armor flew onto him from the nearby shelf.


    With a "click," Iron Man''s face mask closed, and he said, "The first mission objective is here. There''s a strange person emitting yellow light all over their body, wreaking havoc in New York City. We must go and deal with them first."


    "A strange person emitting yellow light?" Steve frowned and said, "At this time? It seems that Hydra sent them to disrupt our vision. They often do this."


    He picked up his shield and ced it on the table. After scanning the people around him, he said, "Avengers, assemble!"


    In the sky above New York, Grant Ward floated in mid-air and asked through his earpiece, "I''ve already set off several fireworks with energy rays. Why aren''t theying?"


    "Don''t worry. You have to give these superheroes some time to react."


    Grant sneered and said, "Superheroes? A bunch of clowns dressed up like graffiti artists on the street..."


    "It seems that I''ve hit a nerve by exposing your thoughts, which has made you so angry that you vent your anger through words. But the superheroes you despise are not as weak as you think..."


    Grant didn''t say anything. He remained silent for a while and then said, "Don''t forget our deal."


    "Don''t worry. I''ve given you such powerful strength. Even if you fly away now and hide somewhere, I won''t be able to find you."


    "As long as you help me with thisst thing, you''ll be free. You''ll have nothing to do with Hydra anymore, and no one will bother you again."


    Grant hung up themunication, but his face still looked grim. In the previous half-hour, he had been frightened too many times.


    First, Schiller pointed out his wavering beliefs to his face, and then he produced more evidence that he wanted to leave Hydra. Just when Grant thought he was going to die, Schiller proposed a deal.


    He wanted Grant to ept a human experiment. If he survived, he only needed to do onest thing for Hydra, and Schiller would forgive him for everything.


    Grant had no other choice because he had no bargaining chips. As a result, the experiment was sessful, and now he had be a monster emitting yellow light all over his body, with powerful strength.


    But Grant didn''t dare to gamble. As a Hydra member, he knew best that there might be a micro-bomb or something simr in his brain. As long as he had any abnormal movements, it would explode immediately. Therefore, he could only obedientlyplete this deal and pray that Schiller would keep his promise.


    As he gradually became familiar with this power of fear, a small ck dot appeared on the horizon and suddenly appeared in front of him. Before the person arrived, the missile arrived first. "Swoosh, swoosh" the piercing sound of breaking through the air sounded, and Grant disappeared in an instant, then appeared on the rooftop of another building.


    As a result, the missiles turned around like a bone ulcer and flew towards him again. Iron Man in mid-air pressed a button on his arm and said, "Since I knew about the existence of sorcerers, I changed the missiles to energy trackers..."


    As he spoke, he turned around and flew back, saying to Steve, "You said Strange was highly suspicious before, and I didn''t believe it. Now it seems to be true."


    Steve jumped onto the rooftop of the building, followed by Spider-Man. Holding his shield, he looked at Grant, who kept disappearing and reappearing. He said, "Indeed, this energy looks a bit like magic, but we must remain cautious and not falsely use the sorcerers..."


    At this moment, Schiller''s voice came through Grant''s earpiece, "Control your energy to form energy beams that can be transformed into rings."


    "Rings?" Grant was only puzzled for a moment, but his instincts as a special agent made him do it immediately. He controlled the Yellow Lantern Energy to form several rings, which looked very simr to the Rings of Raggadorr that sorcerers used.


    Steve sighed and said, "Well, it seems that he is indeed a sorcerer. Even the spells he uses are exactly the same. No one else cane up with such strange things."


    Stark flew over, using his energy beams to force Grant to move while saying, "You don''t know enough about sorcerers. I''ve known for a long time that there are sects among them that practice ck magic. Those people are not good people, just like that Mordo."


    He made a low-altitude dive, and Grant dodged far away. He pulled up again, and Stark looked at Grant and said, "Whoever you are, whatever energy you use, you better stop now. Don''t me me for not warning you..."


    Just as he spoke, Grant saw a group of strange-shaped aircraft flying from the distant horizon. When they flew to Grant, these nes that looked no different from ordinary fighter jets suddenly unfolded into various shapes of machinery.


    Grant stepped back slightly and whispered into his earpiece, "Don''t tell me, you want me to deal with these guys. This task is a bit beyond my ability..."


    "Did you think you were an ordinary person before? Hit them hard. Stark is a rich man, no need to save him money."


    Grant took a deep breath and mobilized the Yellow Lantern Energy to shoot at those robots. To his surprise, these robots were not as ferocious as he had imagined.


    Or, the energy of the yellow light is indeed very powerful. The scorching energy beam almost destroyed the internal circuits of the robots in an instant, and soon, the sound of sessive explosions began to sound.


    After doing all this, Grant stepped back again, looking somewhat surprised at his own hands. Then he raised his eyebrows at Stark with a mocking expression. Obviously, even if he was Hydra, he had heard of Stark''s infamous reputation.


    However, Stark did not explode as Grant expected. He "click" opened his face mask, smiled at Grant, and then pointed behind him.


    Grant sneered, "Do you think I will fall for such a trick? This kind of trick has long been..."


    Just as Grant said this, he felt something touch his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Captain America''s fist the size of a sandbag.


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 Chapter 370: Hydras Guide to the Beginning (2)

    Chapter 370: Hydras Guide to the Beginning (2)


    Steve''s punch hit Grant, sending him flying backwards. Fortunately, the power of the Lantern Ring defies physics, allowing Grant to stop mid-air before attacking Captain America again. Just then, he heard a shout, "Hey, look over here!"


    "Do you all like ying these little tricks?" Grant said coldly, but just as the voice came from the direction, a spider silk "whooshed" past him.


    As Grant tried to dodge with a sh, he suddenly realized that Iron Man had appeared in his intended target location. Stark taunted him, "Your little tricks, AI has calcted your movements. Magic? As long as it''s used by a person, there''s nothing difficult to deal with."


    Just as Grant was caught off guard, the spider silk had already stuck to his leg. But he reacted quickly, and his body immediately emitted a stronger yellow light.


    Then Spider-Man swung him to the ground.


    As soon as hended, his Shadow pinned him down, and a girl on the street corner extended her hand. Grant''s body was wrapped in ck Shadow, and just as he struggled to break free, sharp crystal clusters spread from the ground.


    As Grant flew into the air to avoid them, a thunderbolt struck him down, followed by Ninja''s throwing knives and the sound of a cane breaking through the air...


    After all, Grant was not the official Green Lantern, and this was a power that crossed worlds. There was no emotional spectrum here to provide him with backup energy, which affected not only his endurance but also his explosive power. Grant had to be careful to ensure that his energy was not used up during the battle. He couldn''t bear the consequences of mission failure, so he was a bit hesitant.


    Fortunately, Schiller didn''t intend to let Grant face the Avengers alone. He found a teammate for Grant.Strange was walking hurriedly on the streets of Manhattan, holding a phone and cursing, "Schiller Rodriguez! Damn it! I said I was on vacation, why did you call me back in such a hurry? What''s so important that you''re so panicked?"


    Just as he was speaking, there was a loud bang, and the road he was on suddenly exploded into debris. Strange turned around with his phone and saw an unknown energy beam shooting a hole in the ground. He looked up and saw a yellow light-covered monster flying above his head, looking down at him.


    Grant pressed the earpiece in his ear and said, "ck Suit, long face, angry expression, that should be him..."


    Strange nced at the panicked crowd around him, and without hesitation, he waved his hand, and a deep red ribbon appeared in his hand, attacking Grant.


    Grant had never seen a sorcerer before and was almost hit, but fortunately, he had remote tactical guidance, inducing Strange to attack several times. Then, suddenly, he changed his usual movement style, causing Strange''s ribbon to miss.


    Just missing was not enough, and a red ribbon directly hit Captain America''s face as he was jumping in mid-air. He couldn''t fly and was hit, losing his bnce and almost falling off the roof.


    Before Strange could even apologize, Spider-Man flew over and caught Steve, followed by Stark''s strafing. His angry voice echoed over Manhattan, "Strange! It''s you after all!"


    "What? No... I didn''t! What are you talking about? I don''t know..." Strange took two steps back.


    Seeing his reaction, Stark narrowed his eyes. Strange definitely had something to hide.


    He had worked with Strange for some time, and he knew this man''s temper. Strange''s temper was as bad as Stark''s, and if someone were to shoot at him like this without a second thought, Stark would definitely be furious. But Strange''s attitude was as if he had expected it, and he was very guilty.


    Sure enough, as soon as Strange saw Stark, he put away his ribbon. He had no intention of fighting and just wanted to open a portal and escape.


    Just then, Spider-Man''s spider silk stuck to the wristband on his arm, and Strange turned his head to see Spider-Man holding out his hand, saying, "You have to give us an exnation, Mr. Strange."


    As several members of the Avengers surrounded him, Strange took two steps back, raised his hands, and said, "Hey! Wait! Listen to me exin, this is all a misunderstanding, I can exin..."


    "What do you want to exin?"


    After asking this question, Stark seemed to suddenly realize something and said, "Wait, I know his n now. His target is the spaceship!"


    Several members of the Avengers turned their heads, and Stark said firmly, "He sent assassins to kill T''Cha, making us focus our attention on Wakanda. Meanwhile, he used the sorcerer''s portal to go to space and steal the spaceship..."


    "After his trail was exposed, he used other Hydra agents to divert our attention while he hid..."


    "To disrupt our operation against Hydra, he sent this yellow-glowing monster to attack us."


    "This series of tactics ispletely consistent and stylistically unified. It looks like it''s all from one person..."


    "Strange, I didn''t expect you to have this kind of ability."


    Strange was a bit confused by what he said. What is Hydra? What is the yellow-glowing monster?


    He didn''t know what Hydra was, but he did know about the yellow-glowing monster. He looked up at Grant, who was floating in mid-air.


    Schiller''s voice came through Grant''s earpiece, "Stark, the master of deduction, lives up to his reputation!"


    At this moment, Grant suddenly attacked the members of the Avengers. Stark dodged an energy beam and shouted, "You guys are really in cahoots!"


    "Spider-Man!!" Stark shouted to Peter, who immediately understood. He shot a web at the building and swung himself up. In an instant, several small drones flew out from behind Stark''s mech.


    The drones looked like a flock of birds, small in size but numerous. When they flew behind Peter, they suddenly unfolded and became a pair of steel jet wings, fixed to Spider-Man''s suit in a backpack-like form. Red Wasp said to Spider-Man, "Are you ready?"


    With a "whoosh," Spider-Man took off and performed an extremely gorgeous aerial acrobatics, charging towards Grant.


    Originally, Spider-Man''s biggest disadvantage was that he couldn''t fly. He needed to swing between buildings with his webs, but all of this followed thews of physics, and there would always be dead angles in his movement.


    With a pair of mechanical wings and Red Wasp''s high-speed impact ability, his fight with Grant became an ace aerial battle, with the two of them performing various advanced maneuvers in the air.


    Meanwhile, Steve and Stark were teaming up to fight Strange.


    Strange was getting a bit angry. He had just done a few experiments on the spaceship, and he hadn''t even broken it. Did Stark really have to go this far?!


    Strange had just be the Sorcerer Supreme, and he hadn''t had a proper battle since taking over Kamar-Taj. He didn''t bother exining himself and decided to show Stark what it meant to be the Sorcerer Supreme!


    Just as everyone on the field was fighting for real, Grant received instructions from Schiller through his earpiece. In Schiller''s office, he was holding a stack of documents and saying, "Fly them east for about 900 kilometers. There should be a wastnd there. Use an energy beam to st a hole in the ground, and you should find a Hydra underground base..."


    Grant didn''t ask why and flew in the direction Schiller pointed. Schiller put down hismunicator and sighed, "I don''t know why Hydra likes to train these cold-faced agents. He doesn''t ask any unnecessary questions. How do I exin it?"


    He looked at Pikachu, who was staring at him with his ck eyes. The two of them stared at each other for a while, and finally, Pikachu said helplessly, "Okay, I''ll ask. Why did you make Grant fly them over there?"


    "Because some researchers gave me some important information before. The data shows that there may be something Captain America needs in an abandoned Hydra base there..."


    "Something Captain America needs? What is it?"


    "The Winter Soldier."


    On the streets of Manhattan, the battle was heating up, but the situation on the field was well described because they had already had one experience.


    If Grant moved, Spider-Man would definitely chase him, but if Spider-Man ran too far, Stark''s attention would be diverted. He also pulled Strange and started moving in that direction, and when Strange moved, Captain America naturally followed...


    These people started racing again like the Christmas dinner event. After Grant arrived at the designated location, he began to plow the ground with energy beams.


    After the Yellow Lantern Energy was fully activated, the damage caused was still significant. Spider-Man didn''t understand what he was doing, so he didn''t rush forward. But Stark, who was chasing behind, saw a burst of smoke and explosions and muttered a curse before flying over with increased speed.


    Seeing Stark trying to run away, Strange immediately became more aggressive and followed him. Captain America, who was the slowest runner, could only fall behind.


    Fortunately, before Grantpletely dug up the ground, the people in front had already fought into a mess. When Steve arrived, he heard a loud bang and the ground suddenly copsed.


    In front of everyone was arge pit in the middle of the wastnd, and at the bottom of the pit was a base that looked abandoned for a long time. The ceiling and the soil above had already copsed.


    Steve recognized the symbol on the ground inside at a nce and said, "Hydra base?!"


    At this moment, Grant fired another energy beam, hitting the metal door in the center of the hall of the base. As the metal door slowly copsed, a certain device inside was activated.


    A sharp rm sounded, and the entire underground base began to blink with dazzling warning lights.


    Just then, some faint mechanical friction sounds came, and Spider-Man, who was flying in mid-air, suddenly stiffened all over. Without thinking, he flew straight towards Captain America.


    "Oh! Uh!!"


    Spider-Man, who was sprinting at full speed, collided with Steve, who was also in pain. He let out a scream, and when he climbed up from the ground again, he saw another familiar figure standing in his original position.


    "Bucky?!!!"


    The plot took another wild turn...


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 Chapter 371: Avengers 1 Split (1)

    Chapter 371: Avengers 1 Split (1)


    "Bucky?? What are you doing here?!" Steve asked loudly, frowning. Suddenly, he realized what was happening and rolled away from Bucky''s attack. Peter flew up again and said, "He''s being controlled! Captain, stay away from him!"


    "Snap out of it! Bucky Barnes, you''re not Hydra!" Steve swung his arm fiercely and threw his shield, which flew past Bucky''s ear with a whooshing sound but missed him, only grazing his hair.


    Stark, who was flying in the southeast of the battlefield, saw this and sneered, "Do you remember what you told me about how you dealt with Hydra? Howe you forgot all of that when ites to your friend?"


    Steve''s expression became veryplicated, but he finally said, "Help me subdue him. We''ll talk about the restter."


    Stark snorted and fired two missiles directly at Bucky. The warheads spiraled in the air, leaving behind thick smoke. Steve shouted, "No! Wait! Don''t use missiles! You''ll kill him!"


    "He''s a criminal, and he''s Hydra. Look at what he''s doing now. He wants to kill you and all of us! Steve, do you want to watch us all get killed by him while holding back?" Stark asked coldly.


    "No, of course not..." Steve''s arm began to tremble, and he showed a painful expression. This was all too sudden for him.


    Although he had learned from Hydra''sputer at their base that Bucky had be an experimental subject, the kind of experimental subject he had imagined was a victim who had suffered all kinds of torture, was extremely weak, and had been sealed away. It wasn''t the Hydra assassin in front of him who was strong, waving a knife, and even jumping to attack him.


    His reason told him that Stark was right. If he didn''t go all out now, everyone could be in danger.Don''t forget, there are two other suspected Hydra members on the field. Once they team up, the Avengers will have to spend a lot of effort to deal with them. If they don''t go all out, something bad might really happen.


    Steve, who learned of this on the battlefield, didn''t have much time to think. His Adam''s apple trembled violently, and his entire upper body trembled a bit. He seemed to be trying to persuade Bucky.


    Seeing Steve''s attitude, Stark became furious. He attacked Bucky on the ground with deadly weapons, and smoke and explosions rose at the same time.


    Stark gave up tactics and vented his anger. Even without his army of mechs, his updated steel armor could still suppress everyone on the field. Even Strange had to use evasion spells to avoid Stark''s barrage and couldn''t confront him head-on.


    Steve swung his arms in the smoke, coughing from the dust. When the smoke cleared in front of him, he saw a huge crater, and Bucky was running away from the edge of the crater, but was still hit by a missile. Steve shouted, "No!!"


    "No? You said ''no'' to the death of Hydra that you fought so hard against?!" Stark''s voice became colder and colder, and his emotions began to be unstable. The human part of his voice became weaker and weaker, bing like a cold, mechanical sound.


    Peter shouted, "Stop arguing! We should unite. The current situation can''t be solved by arguing!"


    But no one paid attention to him. Matt and the mutants had been driven out of the center of the battlefield by Stark''s bombardment. Now, only Stark, Steve, Strange, Grant, Peter, and Bucky, who had been hit by a missile, were left on the field.


    The intense pain seemed to have restored Bucky''s consciousness for a moment. Hey on the ground coughing, spitting out blood.


    Steve saw his movements, and scenes that had appeared countless times on the battlefield shed through his mind. In the smoke-filled trenches, he and Bucky were both covered in wounds, covered in blood, looking at each other''s dirty faces, and bumping fists, grateful to have survived another fierce battle.


    His chest began to rise and fall rapidly, his arm trembled uncontrobly, and his senses became more sensitive. The details of the shield in his hand were transmitted from his fingertips to his brain, upying too much information and making it impossible for him to escape from the nightmare.


    The golden and red armored suit in mid-air shone brightly in the sunlight, like a Sun. Steve felt a deep sadness and despair standing in the position of being judged. Stark, in his suit, shook his head trying to calm his emotions. But every time he saw Bucky, he felt a surge of anger rising from his heart. He couldn''t let his parents'' killer live in peace.


    While both were stunned, Bucky had already recovered. Although he was notpletely free from brainwashing, he seized the opportunity and rushed towards Steve with a fierce sprint. When the de of the dagger shed and the sound of breaking air rang out, Steve expected to feel pain, but instead, he heard a painful scream: "Ah!!!"


    Spider-Man''s scream was like thunder, ringing in Stark and Steve''s ears. They both stared in shock as Peter was hit by Bucky''s knife. The huge dagger pierced his left shoulder, almost severing his left arm. Red fluid filled his body as he screamed in pain, clutching his shoulder with his right hand, his veins bulging.


    Steve watched in amazement as Peter stood in front of him, taking the attack from Bucky. Stark''s roar came from mid-air: "Peter!!!!"


    However, Bucky missed and turned his attention to Peter. With his bloody knife, he approached Peter''s neck, and Peter seemed unable to resist due to the pain. In the moment when Bucky raised his dagger high, a figure roared and rushed over, grabbing his waist and knocking him down. The shield with the American g pattern "smashed" Bucky''s neck, causing him to scream and pass out.


    Steve gasped for breath, finally clearing his mind of the chaotic information. He stood up exhausted and walked towards Peter, but before he could get close, Stark flew over and stopped him. The ck hole cannon was aimed at Steve, and Stark said coldly, "Back off, stay away from him, you Hydra aplice!"


    "If it weren''t for you protecting this damn Hydra killer, how could Peter be injured? You almost killed him!" Stark said angrily.


    "I didn''t mean to...," the strong smell of blood filled Steve''s nose, and he couldn''t speak anymore. He slowly knelt down and knocked his shield on the rocks.


    He closed his eyes tightly, and countless nightmares from the past began to churn in his mind. He felt the air around him bing thinner, as if his lungs were no longer functioning. Peter''s fallen figure merged with those of his fallenrades, and the person wielding the butcher knife changed from the evil Hydra to his former friend Bucky. Reality and illusion intertwined, and Steve could no longer distinguish between them.


    "It''s always like this...," his voice sounded like it was squeezed out of his throat: "Every time it''s like this, I can''t save them, and they die in front of me... It''s always like this, there''s never an end..."


    Stark saw Steve''s eyes turn red, took a deep breath, and finally calmed down. He looked around at the pockmarked wastnd he had created and slowlynded his suit. From a distance, he looked at Steve and spoke in a voice as unchanging as the wind on the wastnd.


    "...Captain America, do you know what''s the most ridiculous thing? Those generals who only want to make money in war tell you that you can save the world, you can save anyone..."


    "They don''t even believe it themselves, but you do."


    Looking at the strong man kneeling in front of him, his shield still bright and shiny, it seemed like it had never been forgotten in the past 70 years.


    But this old man who had been asleep for 70 years seemed to be forever trapped in that era of war, forever bound by the greatest and most ridiculous lie concocted by a group of selfish people.


    What surprised Stark was that at this moment, he felt a bit of sympathy and pity for him, because he had also been kidnapped by those people who shouted slogans of justice. But the only difference between him and Captain America was that he had room to resist. He had Pepper and Obadiah, but Steve had nothing.


    He only had a passion, diving into the dark vortex that he had never seen before, bing the ash on the edge of the rut after the wheel of history rolled forward, like a madman who refused to leave the stage, practicing the justice that was no longer recognized.


    At this moment, Stark suddenly understood why Steve cared so much about hisstrade-in-arms. Perhaps he had to find something to prove that everything he pursued was not in vain, hoping that there was another witness to his and that generation''s sacrifices, rather than a dream he had fabricated in his own mind.


    He hoped that someone else would tell him that they had seeded, even if the beginning of this story was just a big lie, countless people had paid their lives for it, and it should not be forgotten and swept into the pile of history.


    Stark flew to Peter''s side and helped him treat his wounds. When Peter''s breathing became steady, Stark didn''t fly away. Instead, he walked along the stones on the wastnd to the seaside.


    Noon had passed, and the strong light began to dim. The distant lighthouse emitted a heavy low hum.


    Stark thought that people who hade from that era all had the same characteristic. It was as if they didn''t want the people and events in their stories to be forgotten, just as they didn''t want to be forgotten themselves. Howard was the same.


    Perhaps they just didn''t want the people and events in their stories to be forgotten, just as they didn''t want to be forgotten themselves.


    There was a noise behind him, and Stark turned around. He saw Steve standing up unsteadily, shaking his head constantly, as if he hadn''t yet freed himself from the illusion. His gaze was hazy as he looked at Stark''s brightly colored mech, and he seemed a bit dazed.


    "I''m sorry..." Steve shook his head again and opened his eyes to say.


    "You should go over and say it to him," Stark turned to look at Peter, who was lying on the ground with his back to him, half of his battle clothes soaked in blood.


    "I''m also saying it to you," Steve lowered his head and said, "As a team leader, I made a wrong tactical judgment and didn''t subdue him at the first opportunity. Otherwise, none of this would have happened..."


    "You know, that''s enough," Stark turned back again and looked at his hand armor. The muzzle on it was slightly ckened due to overheating.


    He slowly closed his fingers and then clenched his fist, saying to himself, "Those who me weapons are pitiful enough, and those who defend weapons are even more pitiful."


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 Chapter 372: Avengers 1 Split (2)

    Chapter 372: Avengers 1 Split (2)


    Steve walked along the coastline, stepping on the pebbles. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Stark, watching the receding tide. Layer uponyer of white waves surged continuously, leaving behind wonderful patterns. Both of them were silent, but it seemed like they knew what the other was thinking.


    At this moment, Strange flew over and said, "What are you guys doing? Stark, I just went to a spaceship to do two experiments secretly. Did you have to blow up this ce like this?"


    "And you, Steve, you knew that the person with the knife was so dangerous, why didn''t you knock him out first? What''s your rtionship with each other?"


    "And what''s the deal with that guy covered in yellow light? I was having a great time fighting him, and we were about to subdue him, but he ran away?"


    "Peter? Why are you lying here? Why is there blood all over you? Oh my god..."


    At this point, Stark and Steve both turned their heads at the sound, looking at Strange together.


    Strange was stunned by their gaze and said, "What are you looking at me for? Is there something on my face?... Hey, wait, why did you open the cannon port?!"


    With a "whoosh," the circr shield flew towards Strange, followed by the sound of gunfire and continuous explosions. Strange was chased around by the two of them, shouting, "You two are fighting, why take it out on me?! You bunch of lunatics!! Stop it now!!! I am the Supreme Sorcerer!!!!"


    After the group ran far away, Peter slowly turned his head and gently pushed away the medical robot left by Stark. In his mind, he said to Red Bee, "Even if you blocked my pain, this is still pretty bad, right?""You humans are the most reckless species I have ever seen. You knew his knife was so sharp, why take the risk and approach him?!" Red Bee (symbiote) said helplessly. "Symbiotes have an obligation to prevent hosts from doing such dangerous things. By cooperating with your actions, I have vited at least 400 parasitic rules. If Blue Spirit finds out, I''ll be in trouble..."


    "But the n went smoothly, didn''t it? Wait, let me see... it seems like they haven''t noticed me. Where''s the earpiece? Where did you put it?" Peter asked.


    Just as Peter finished speaking, a small red slime tentacle reached into his Spider-Man suit pocket, took out a miniature earpiece, and stuffed it into Peter''s ear.


    In the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Schiller put down themunicator, and Nick looked at him and asked, "Who called you? It doesn''t seem to be Grant?"


    "Indeed not, it''s another informant."


    As they spoke, they walked into an office where they were not greeted by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but by a man dressed in a strange manner. He wore a suit, had long hair, and two sharp goat horns on his forehead.


    Seeing Nick and Schillere in, he pulled out a misty light ball from nowhere and handed it to Schiller, saying, "This is the final payment. Our transaction isplete."


    "How about those Hydra Souls? They should be good, right?" Schiller asked him.


    "They are indeed good. Both in terms of activity and the power that can be extracted from them, they are much better than ordinary humans. After this deal, I won''t have to waste my energy tricking those weak and foolish ordinary humans for at least 20 years..."


    "But speaking of which, can''t you give us a discount? What if there''s another cooperation like this in the future? I''m your big client, after all..."


    "Mephisto, your greed is the most I''ve ever seen," Nick said, holding his arms and looking at the man. "Because of your stinginess, we revised the contract 16 times and haven''t even asked you for a revision fee."


    "Okay, I can unterally guarantee that if there is such a thing again, you will be our first choice," Schiller said, holding the light ball and looking at Mephisto.


    The content of the transaction between Schiller, Nick, and Mephisto was simple. It was the souls of some Hydra members.


    Since Schiller turned Arkham Sanatorium into a base for containing important Hydra agents, he first turned these agents into freebor and then made money from clients who wanted the eternal youth factor.


    Then, because he took over all of Hydra''s work in New York State, the surrounding big bosses paid him protection money and asked him to use a safe base to preserve their own forces. Schiller took the money and, of course, conscientiously put the people in the sanatorium, although there were many losses during the process, at least one-fifth of the people came to the sanatorium.


    The area of the sanatorium is limited. The old bank building located not far from Wall Street is not as big as imagined, and there is no ce to stay for hundreds of people.


    So, where should the agents go if the sanatorium is full?


    Schiller''s answer is, of course, to sell them to S.H.I.E.L.D.


    However, S.H.I.E.L.D.''s space is also limited, and Hydra''s agents are constantlying. When S.H.I.E.L.D.''s space is full, where should the agents go?


    Schiller and Nick''s answer is, of course, to sell them to Mephisto.


    One fish, three meals, and one sheep, three shearings.


    The dimensional territory controlled by Mephisto is a dimension with special properties. In order to maintain the existence of this dimension, Mephisto needs to draw power from the Soul. In Space, the energy carried by human Soul is particrly abundant and precious. Therefore, he is willing to spend a lot of effort to lure humans into signing contracts.


    Some may wonder why he doesn''t just create a disaster and harvest arge number of human Souls?


    Ignoring the power of Odin and The Ancient One, the more important reason is that after human death, they should not return to Hell or Heaven, but to "Death," which is one of The Five Beyonders, "Death."


    No one can vite this principle. Even if Mephisto can create a major disaster, the dead will still go to "Death," which has nothing to do with him.


    The only way to intercept Souls from Death is to let humans voluntarily sign contracts and sell their Souls to him. Therefore, he is willing to spend a lot of time and energy to deceive and ambush them one by one.


    But now, Schiller and Nick have proposed a new way of trading. As the busy lord of Hell, why bother toe to Earth to deceive people secretly? Leave the deception to us, and you can sit in Hell and wait for dinner.


    Of course, there is a small fee for this process. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to extract information from those determined Hydra members and then force them to sign the Devil''s Contract, which also requires some effort.


    Also, Mephisto''s judgment standard for the abundance of Soul energy is "sin" and "pain," which happens to coincide with Nick and Schiller''s goal of screening important Hydra members.


    After contacting Mephisto, Schiller took him to Arkham Sanatorium for a tour. When Mephisto said whose Soul was delicious, Nick directly took the person away. How sinful and evil must this person be to have their Soul energy deemed abundant by the devil? Their intelligence must be valuable.


    Using this method, Nick also caught two snakeheads hidden among ordinary agents. These two people yed the trick of the cicada shedding its shell, saying that they wanted their subordinates to take refuge, but actually hiding themselves among these ordinary agents to take advantage of Schiller''s safe haven to avoid being purged.


    S.H.I.E.L.D. obtained a lot of useful information from them, including the location of the Winter Soldier''s storage base.


    Mephisto paid the deposit to S.H.I.E.L.D., and Schiller collected the final payment and received the Soul energy essence extracted by Mephisto. Satisfied, Schiller returned to his office and took out his umbre.


    He looked at the handle of the umbre left and right, bing more and more satisfied. Then he ced the energy on the tip of the umbre and said to his new umbre, "I don''t know what you like to eat, but I think this thing is good. You can try it."


    After speaking, he nced at the list of security personnel on his desk and said, "If you like it, there will be more in the future."


    Before the Curse Spirit residing in the umbre could answer, a series of dissatisfied emotions came from Schiller''s mind. Schillerforted him, "Do you eat this?... What? You eat this too? I thought you only ate emotions?"


    "Do you want to try it too? Okay, I''ll split it in half for you two. Don''t say I''m biased..."


    As he spoke, a small tentacle made of gray mist extended from his arm. After the mist took a bite, it made a few "ptoo" sounds. Schillerughed and said, "It seems that symbiotes can''t eat this. Be careful not to upset your stomach. I''ll find something else for you to eat another day."


    The gray mist grumbled in Schiller''s mind, and Schiller could only say, "Okay, you can have a little bit of alcohol, but not too much."


    The mist eximed "Yeah!" and happily drank the alcohol, seemingly not paying attention to the Soul energy in Schiller''s hand.


    Schiller shook his head helplessly. Then he saw a ck energy appear on the tip of the umbre, gradually prating into the Soul light ball in his hand. After a while, the light ball shrank by a circle.


    "It seems that you like to eat this. That''s a relief. If you were as picky as the mist and stole alcohol every day, I would have a headache."


    Curse Spirit didn''t seem to have a particrly clear consciousness, so he didn''t respond to Schiller. He just followed his instincts and continued to absorb the power.


    At this moment, the door of Schiller''s office was knocked, and Peter walked in with a backpack. He still had a lingering smell of blood on him, but he looked happy. He put his backpack on the sofa and said to Schiller, "The n went smoothly, Professor."


    "Did they make up?" Schiller asked.


    "More or less, but they are both fighting Mr. Strange together. Is that really okay?"


    "It''s fine. He is the Supreme Sorcerer after all."


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 Chapter 373: Avengers 1 Split (3)

    Chapter 373: Avengers 1 Split (3)


    Let''s turn back time a bit to when Peter was with Steve to destroy the Hydra base.


    After Schiller took over Hydra''s operations, the Avengers'' missions became increasingly difficult. This left Peter feeling frustrated, so he called Schiller to seek somefort.


    Peter understood the advice Steve gave him, but sometimes it''s hard to shake off feelings of disappointment. During his stay in Schiller''s clinic, he was able to consult Schiller about all of his emotional problems. It was the most emotionally stable period of his life, and he missed it even after he left.


    "My uncle often said to me that failure ismonce in the adult world. You may have to experience many failures before you achieve sess."


    "I understand what Captain said, but even in learning and exams, it still takes a semester''s worth of time, let alone dealing with Hydra, such a formidable spy organization."


    "But before, our missions were going smoothly, and we caught many Hydra agents, avenging the victims."


    "At that time, I was very happy, but recently, I saw more disgusting and horrible experiments in the Hydra base. However, we couldn''t catch the mastermind behind it all right away..."


    "Whenever I think about the pain that those victims had to endure, I feel like I can''t breathe. And when I think about those evil people who might threaten others, it makes me even more ufortable."


    Peter sighed on the phone, and Schiller asked him, "Where are you now? Are you in the Avengers base?""Yes, they are outside discussing tactics, and I''m making a call in the lounge. I''m afraid they might hear me and think that I..."


    "Your base should be underground, right? You should find a coffee shop on the surface with anding window to sit for a while."


    "Adults can generally handle pressure from various aspects, including work, rtionship problems, and living conditions being dark and without sunlight. But this doesn''t mean that minors can do the same."


    "Especially when facing several adults like you, who are not ordinary people, their psychological endurance is much better than yours. So you will feel like they are unaffected, but it will only bring you more pressure."


    "Maybe in thisparison, you will feel weak, and you will downy the difficulty of the mission, thinking that it is because of your own inability. But that''s not the case."


    "So should I go out now? That''s okay, I need to go home and get some clean clothes."


    Peter walked out while talking on the phone. Steve and Stark greeted him, and he smiled in response. However, when he left the crowd, his expression became a bit lost.


    "Yes, Dr. Schiller, as you said, I feel like they don''t care about these failures at all. It always makes me wonder if I''m overthinking it."


    "That''s okay. Although psychological counseling may slightly alleviate some of your emotional stress, it is not a fundamental solution. I think we can try some fundamental methods."


    "Fundamental methods? What are they?"


    "That''s solving Hydra."


    Peter chuckled helplessly and said, "If we could do that, what else would I be worrying about? Every time I listen to them discuss the battle n, I can understand the content, but I dare not expect the effect. No one knows what those crazy people can still do..."


    "I don''t know if you can understand, Doctor, but I always feel like we''re fighting with our hands tied behind our backs, while the other side can use all kinds of weapons and des."


    "That''s not your illusion. Good people always encounter this kind of situation when facing bad people. So let me tell you what I do when I face this situation..."


    "What is it? Can it really eliminate Hydra?" Peter asked curiously. He couldn''t think of any other way to deal with Hydra other than outsmarting them.


    Schiller smiled and said, "I have a n..."


    So, Peter became Schiller''s other informant within the Avengers. Yes, he also cooperated with Grant, who was responsible for making noise and attracting the Avengers out, then leading them to the Hydra base where the Winter Soldier was hidden.


    After Captain America and Iron Man began arguing, Peter had to seize the opportunity and pretend to be injured, and it had to be from being struck by the Winter Soldier.


    In other words, it was a tactic of feigning injury, which could also be seen as a way of diverting attention. Even if the worst happened, it could at least ease the intense argument between the two.


    People in a rage often speak without thinking, and the argument can escte until they have aplete falling out. However, once they break free from this atmosphere, they have more time to calmly reflect on the reasons behind everything.


    Iron Man and Captain America are both smart people, and even if they are momentarily blinded by various emotions, once they calm down and think things through, they won''t want things to develop into the worst-case scenario.


    In the office of the Arkham Sanatorium, Peter rubbed his left shoulder and said, "Fortunately, I have the symbiote. It can suppress my pain nerves and quickly repair my body."


    He pressed the spot where there should have been a wound and said, "It''s like a dream. Was I really struck?"


    "Don''t doubt it. If you hadn''t been injured, Iron Man and Captain America might have already started fighting."


    "But now they''re besieging Mr. Strange, treating him like a punching bag." Peter shrugged, "I think his spells are pretty powerful, so he should be okay, right?"


    "However..." Peter''s tone changed, and he showed a worried expression. "I think Captain''s behavior is a bit strange. Every time Bucky is mentioned, he seems to lose control of his emotions."


    "He may have post-traumatic stress disorder from the war, which many veterans have, it''s just a matter of whether it''s obvious or not."


    "But he seemed perfectly normal before? He could be considered the one with the best mental state among us."


    "This kind of stress disorder can''t be triggered by special stimuli. Bucky may be the switch that triggers his stress response."


    "What should we do? When Bucky wakes up, the two of them will definitely meet, and then Mr. Stark will..." Peter covered his forehead and sighed helplessly. He could already imagine the chaos that would follow.


    "So, the real problem is still Hydra." Schiller reached out and took a file from the nearby bookshelf. "I have some information about T''Cha''s injury and poisoning."


    Schiller handed the file to Peter and said, "I called you here because I want you to take this information to the Avengers."


    "What is this?" Peter asked, taking the file.


    "The origin of Hydra."


    "The origin of Hydra?" Stark said, holding the file. "Isn''t Hydra just a spy organization developed by the Nazis? What does its origin have to do with..."


    As he spoke, he opened the first page of the file, which had two big characters written on it: "Hive."


    The most well-known origin story of Hydra is the one rted to the Nazis, and this origin story is actually true. The current, huge Hydra organization developed from the intelligence agency established by the Nazis.


    However, if we trace back to the era when Nazi Hydra was created, Red Skull was actually inspired by another organization, also called Hydra, butpletely different from the current Hydra.


    A powerful alien hive was sent to Earth a long time ago, and a group of believers on Earth revered this hive as a god and established an organization for the purpose of weing it back.


    In the long river of history, this most primitive version of Hydra developed countless historical branches, and the original version of Hydra silently supported these branches.


    Compared toter spy organizations, this original version of Hydra was more like a secret church, with many talented and ancient families. Their only goal was to win back the powerful hive and let the alien hive upy Earth, while they became the only people of the new Earth.


    As for how Schiller obtained this information, it all started with a certain snakehead who was sold to Mephisto. These high-level figures are very knowledgeable about this history, but in the memories of this snakehead, he had never seen the members of this mysterious original Hydra, and ording to him, only the high-level members of Nazi Hydra could see them.


    Schiller had a good understanding of Hydra''s history, so he wasn''t surprised when he learned about it. He just needed to inform Stark and Steve about it.


    "Do you think the current Hydra is difficult to deal with? No problem, there are even more difficult ones waiting for you."


    Schiller wasn''t interested in this organization because he had already dealt with a simr organization in the DC world, namely the Court of Owls. These two organizations had simr origins and natures, and Schiller wasn''t interested in collecting information on them again.


    But what he didn''t expect was that while he didn''t go looking for the original Hydra, the organization suddenly came looking for him.


    It was a dark winter night, and Schiller had just finished counting the spoils he had recently obtained from Hydra and was about to go to bed when the door of his clinic was knocked on.


    Schiller heard the knocking, and then... he turned around and went to sleep.


    Don''t expect him to be like the protagonist in a horror movie, who hears some strange noise in the middle of the night, and goes down in his pajamas to investigate. Schiller treated it as if the wind had blown the door open and had no intention of opening the door.


    The person outside knocked for a while and realized he looked stupid.


    This kind of horror movie scene only appears more frightening when the protagonist cooperates. The door at night looks like Beast''s big mouth, the sound of the protagonist''s footsteps echoes in the empty corridor, and with the sound of "creak," the mysterious figure in ck appears outside the door...


    But if the protagonist doesn''t cooperate at all, it looks like ame insurance salesman knocking helplessly on a customer''s door...


    The person outside finally realized this and walked directly into the clinic''s door, walked up the stairs, and knocked on every door upstairs, but received no response.


    The dark corridor only had faint shadows in the blink of an eye. At this moment, the identity was reversed. The mysterious person who knocked on the door in the middle of the night seemed to have be the protagonist of the horror movie, and the owner of the clinic was the monster who didn''t know when it would appear.


    Schiller had no intention of chatting alone with this uninvited guest, so he took out his phone and called Stark and Steve.


    Any trouble that can be found now should be thrown on them. As long as they have enough trouble to deal with, they won''t have time to argue.


    With this principle in mind, Schiller first called them, and then appeared at the end of the corridor, face-to-face with the person in the ck cloak.


    The person in the ck cloak looked at Schiller. Schiller was wearing a set of pajamas, but strangely, he was holding a ck umbre. The mysterious person in the ck cloak slowly spoke with a hoarse female voice echoing in the dark corridor.


    "Are you the ''doctor''?"


    "I am indeed a psychotherapist."


    "You don''t need to beat around the bush with us. I am also a member of Hydra, but Ie from the Hive."


    Schiller remained silent and didn''t ask any questions. The atmosphere became eerily quiet. After a while, the person in the ck cloak, who called themselves the Hive, had to ask and answer their own question.


    "The Hydra you joined is our derivative organization. The Hive Hydra has a power that you can''t imagine, and now we need fresh blood..."


    "We originally had our eye on your superior, Alexander Pierce, but he''s too old, and although we have a way to make him young again, he''s not worth it."


    "We have been observing the entire Hydra organization and selecting talented individuals to join us. ording to your performance during that time, you have earned a ticket..."


    "What if I refuse?" Schiller asked.


    "It''s okay, soon you will understand the greatness of the Hive."


    As she spoke, the mysterious person in the ck cloak suddenly took off her hood. Schiller saw that it was a white woman, but her entire forehead was tattooed with a huge Hydra symbol. She opened her mouth, and an unidentified object flew out from her mouth and hovered in front of her.


    With a loud bang, the window ss behind Schiller was shattered, and Iron Man''s armor flew in. He looked at the person in the ck cloak and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"


    Steve also walked up the stairs, and Schiller turned to Stark and asked, "Did you bothe together?"


    "Of course not!" "That''s right!" they both said in unison.


    Schiller was about to mock their rtionship, but suddenly had an idea. He opened his umbre with a bang, and a small injector, like a bee, was rapidly injected into the umbre. Without this umbre, he would have been hit by the injector.


    Schiller''s expression didn''t change much. He knew that the woman would use hidden weapons as soon as she opened her mouth.


    But what happened next exceeded his expectations.


    The injector suddenly turned into a spinning de, emitting an extremely loud buzzing sound, and then with a hiss... it cut open the umbre.


    The ck umbre was cut open diagonally, and more than half of the umbre surface fell off, leaving only the umbre frame exposed.


    Schiller didn''t care about the needle that hit his shoulder. He just looked at his new umbre, which he had just obtained a few days ago, and was already cut open.


    Steve and Stark had a really bad feeling, and soon they realized that their feeling waspletely correct.


    Because suddenly, Schiller stiffened there, as if there was no consciousness controlling his body.


    A few secondster, his eyes regained their luster, but with the recovery of consciousness came a crazy and terrifying smile.


    "Listen, I have a n..." His voice contained some uncontrobleughter.


    "I call it... Hydra''s big defeat! Hahahaha!"


    A ghost story: it''s not about the Avengers breaking apart, it''s about the umbre breaking apart.


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 Chapter 374: Avengers 1.5: Invasion (1)

Chapter 374: Avengers 1.5: Invasion (1)


    Text

 Chapter 375: Avengers 1.5: Invasion (2)

    Chapter 375: Avengers 1.5: Invasion (2)


    "Great Hive has be the lord of the Brood homeworld, umting power above the distant stars and developing their civilization. Meanwhile, we provide personnel and power for him on Earth. When he returns, we will be the only citizens of the new Earth."


    Jacqueline extended her hands and said, "Any ambitious person should join us! Especially those of you with special abilities, you will be recognized by the great ruler!"


    "Is that so? What benefits can it bring me?" Schiller asked.


    "Benefits?" Jacqueline showed a sarcastic expression and said, "You NaziHydra people always ask about benefits, without any ideals or beliefs. But if you must be fixated on this issue, I can only tell you..."


    "You think the great being Hive is inhabiting a lonely and deste surrounded by darkness in space, but that''s not the case. The Brood is a highly developed civilization, or they wouldn''t be able toe to Earth and invade it..."


    "Space fleets,ary shields, kingdoms, cities... everything you can imagine in terms of civilization, they have it."


    "And after joining as a member of the Hive, you will break free from the narrow andplicated thinking and worldview of humans, and see the most real and original side of this world. Living as part of a great being, the feeling is definitely more wonderful than you can imagine."


    "So, you mean I can go to another and enjoy the fruits of their civilization?" Schiller asked.


    "Of course, you can also understand it that way.""I understand what you''re saying." Schiller looked at Jacqueline and said, "So, it''s time to talk about the conditions."


    "You want me to give up all my achievements on Earth and all my existing assets, and go to another unknown. Shouldn''t you guarantee that I can have the same status there as I do today?"


    When Jacqueline turned around and faced away from Schiller, she showed a sarcastic smile and said, "Of course, think about it. You''re trapped on this small, and the greatest enjoyment you can get is only money and status. But in a more advanced civilization, you can have more enjoyable activities..."


    "After your predecessors left here with me, they regretted wasting their time and life on this barbaric. But in that new, they gained endless life and enjoyable time. This is what you deserve after struggling for half your life, isn''t it?"


    Jacqueline nced at Schiller''s shoulder and said, "What was just injected into your body is a technology of the Brood civilization called ''nanovirus.'' Concentrate, and you will feel its activity in your body. It will take you to see the beautiful Hive homeworld..."


    As Jacqueline said, Schiller slowly closed his eyes and gradually showed an intoxicated expression. Jacqueline smiled again and said, "See it? The huge cities that human technology can never reach, the Brood citizens walking between spaceships and buildings, that''s your future..."


    "Come with me, and all of this will be within your reach..."


    Schiller followed Jacqueline like a wandering soul. They bypassed the altar and passed through a dark passage to a smaller room with a teleportation gate emitting a faint light. After Jacqueline and Schiller entered the gate, the light of the gate blinked twice, and the room became quiet.


    Feeling the change in light in front of him, Schiller opened his eyes and saw a wide and bright hall. In his field of vision, Jacqueline in front of him underwent a terrifying transformation.


    Countless tentacles emerged from her mouth and instantly wrapped around her face, turning her entire head into a monster covered in tentacles.


    "Wee to your Hive homeworld, human. You will soon be one of us..." Jacqueline said.


    As she spoke, a spindle-shaped seed suddenly shot out of Jacqueline''s mouth and hit Schiller''s chest, then entered his body.


    But the astonishing mutation that Jacqueline had anticipated did not ur.


    A series of chillingughter sounded, gradually turning into sharp and piercingughter. The man in front of Jacquelineughed until he was out of breath, then stood up straight. His voice gradually lost itsughter and became sharp and crazy.


    "Brood? Is that your name? Can I call you that? Or is it Hive?"


    "But that''s not important. What''s important is that the game has begun."


    "Remember my name... always remember it! You will hear my name in one wonderful game after another..."


    "My name is Joker, do you remember? Then, let''s startughing together!"


    A series of sharp and crazyughter pierced throughyers of walls and ceilings. When it echoed over the city of the future in Brood, which was filled with countless peculiar buildings and spaceships, all kinds of creatures with monster heads were seen moving around.


    When theughter first sounded on this, endless and unavoidable chaos and madness began to descend.


    In a mechanical base near the lunar orbit, Steve looked at the gradually unfolding near-moon base and hesitated, "Isn''t this a bit too much? After all, they were the first to arrive. If we go knocking on their door with such a tough stance, will it..."


    "They were the first to arrive?" Stark turned his head and nced at Steve, saying, "The moon has been a natural satellite of mankind since ancient times. We even nted several gs on it, and each country has one. Do they still want to im it as their territory?"


    "But the leader of the alien race seems to know Nick too. If we go there aggressively, it will look like we''re going to start a war..." Steve still disagreed with Stark''s move to surround the moon with a bunch of mechanical bases.


    "You can take out your phone and call Nick to see if you can get through. Know him? He unterally broke off rtions with the alien race when we informed him of our n."


    With that, Stark flew out of the cabin in his battle suit, and several symbiotes followed him. Blue Spirit stepped forward and said, "We have sufficient interster diplomatic experience. Let us go."


    Stark did not stop them either. He made a gesture of invitation, and several symbiotes walked in front of him. When Venom wanted to pass him, Stark waved his hand and pushed him back, saying, "What are you going up there for? Don''t tell me you have rich interster diplomatic experience too?"


    Venom snorted coldly and said, "When I was dumping shit on Sulphur Dwarf''s starport, you didn''t even know where you were. Get out of my way!"


    With that, he swaggered towards the alien race''s lunar base. Stark raised an eyebrow and said, "You''re still pretty proud, huh? You''re just a piece of crap!"


    Not long after, Stark and the symbiote team returned to the base. Looking at Stark''s smoking mech, Steve said, "I knew it, you guys would definitely fight. The alien race doesn''t sound like an easy target..."


    Stark snorted and said, "It''s just the guy who led them who yelled so loudly. We took care of them in no time."


    "What about the data? Did you get it?"


    "We only got a part of it. Jarvis is specting on possible locations. This part of the history is too ancient, and they don''t have veryplete records. We can only rely on some historical clues to make deductions..."


    Several people returned to Earth and gathered at the Avengers'' base. All members were summoned, and Steve said, "This will be the Avengers'' first mission to an alien. Without a doubt, it will be a challenging task. Therefore, we do not force every member to participate. Those who want to go can..."


    "I want to go!" Peter raised his hand and said, "Those people kidnapped Dr. Schiller. It''s insane! I must go save him!"


    Then, Blue Spirit also stood up and said, "The Hive described in your data sounds a lot like Space parasites. If it really is them, we must go, not only because we are mortal enemies, but also because they are really difficult to deal with."


    "Humanity has no experience dealing with simr races. We need to go to protect your safety and provide strategic support. You have helped us a lot before, and now it''s our turn to help you."


    The three mutants all stood up. At this point, Matt shook his head and said, "Erica and I won''t go. We''ll stay here to guard the base. Our physical fitness is only that of ordinary people, and we don''t have the ability to survive in space. Facing a of unknown circumstances, going there may cause trouble for you."


    "And we also have to guard against Hydra''s counterattack on Earth. That''s enough for the two of us to handle."


    Steve nodded at them, apparently agreeing with their choice. After speaking, he looked at Stark again, and Stark looked back at him and said, "Of course, I''m going. Otherwise, what?"


    At this point, an unexpected figure stood up. Eddie stood up with a low voice and said, "I''m going too."


    "You? Or Venom?"


    "Both of us."


    "Howe..." Steve hesitated a bit, seeming reluctant to dampen their enthusiasm, but he was indeed a bit hesitant.


    Because Venom didn''t look like a good guy no matter how you looked at it. Simply put, his style was too different from Captain America''s. They had littlemunication on a regr basis and seemedpletely ipatible.


    At this point, Eddie used a hoarse voice to say, "I only know that an unknown sense of mission is calling me, as if there is an archenemy waiting for me to deal with..."


    Stark sneered. He was never interested in this kind of spiritual talk, but he still said, "Well, at least you can try to pollute their starport."


    Peter, however, agreed with Venom''s choice. He said, "I didn''t misjudge you! I knew you would stand up. Dr. Schiller is still waiting for us to save him..."


    But Eddie shook his head and said in a chilling tone, "...No, when you hear that crazyughter, no one can escape the madness..."


    "He will bring endless fear to that city, and I, whoe from fear, will surely save everyone from fear..."


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 Chapter 376: Avengers 1.5: Invasion (3)

    Chapter 376: Avengers 1.5: Invasion (3)


    A slowly revolves in the vast, dark space, with the star''s light quickly illuminating one half of the surface while the other half is plunged into deeper darkness.


    This is a with not-so-abundant water resources, but on this night, a cold rain falls, a rare water cycle phenomenon that should have attracted countless residents toe out and watch, yet the entire street is empty with no one in sight.


    Only the towering Blink buildings flicker with cold mechanical lights. As the light passes over a certain part of the street, ckened ruins can be seen. Theserge and small ruins almost cover the entire city. Suddenly, a series of piercingughs ring out again in the sky above the city.


    Upon hearing this sound, almost all the lights in the buildings go out. In an instant, this developed city of the future seems to have turned into a dead city.


    At this time, the screen on the tallest building in the city center suddenly lights up. First, a pair of hands grab the camera, and a figure wearing a Joker mask appears on the screen, saying:


    "Evening news broadcast! Is anyone listening? This is Mr. Joker''s fifth day here, and I really like it here!"


    "I especially like your unique hairstyle. I really want to get one for myself, but you all hide from me, which makes me very sad..."


    Suddenly, his voice bes a little weak, and he says, "...Do you know? I''m starting to get bored. You guys are really boring, just shaking your heads full of tentacles, making a fierce expression, and then crying and screaming..."


    "Oh my god, you monsters, shouldn''t I be the one crying? I was deceived toe to this distant and stayed among a group of terrifying man-eating monsters. What did I do? Oh... I made a seafood fried rice? I used you as ingredients, so what?"Suddenly, he bes somewhat hysterical and says, "Do you think I''m boring? Why are you so serious?!"


    As he spoke, he took one hand off the screen and stepped back a few steps, revealing the scene behind the screen. A hot oil pot is boiling with steam, and a person with a monster head is hanging above the pot. His two longest tentacles have fallen into the pot and he is struggling desperately while screaming.


    "Who is your boss? Is it arge octopus? Would he be tastier? Or is it that all of you in your entire race are as stupid as him, with your brains emitting a smell of expired mold..."


    "That''s it, this boring game is about to end."


    For some reason, all the monsters who heard this sentence breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of post-disaster relief.


    As he spoke, the figure of the person slowly lowered the rope made of gray mist, and just then, a ck figure with armor and two pointed ears broke through the window andnded in the room, saying: "Joker! Stop it! Stop your crazy behavior!"


    The person called Joker suddenly became stunned, then he began tough hysterically,ughing so hard that he was out of breath. After a long while, he straightened up and said: "Look, who is this? A strange man dressed like a bat..."


    "Oh, what did I just say? The game is about to end?"


    "No! No, no, no!" He suddenly raised his voice and said, "Batman''s appearance gave the whole opening ceremony an exciting end!"


    "And next...the main show is about to begin!"


    "Hahaha...hahaha...hahaha..."


    Outside the window, on the rooftop of another building, Steve hesitates and says, "Although I don''t know what they are doing, I don''t think we should interrupt them."


    Stark crosses his arms and tilts his head, saying, "It looks like someone is having a good time and doesn''t need us to save them. Let''s do something productive and find out what''s going on here..."


    Just as he said that, a "boom" explosion sounded, and Stark controlled the mech to retreat quickly, while Steve was directly blown out. When theynded, they saw the building that had copsed, and Stark held his arm in front of him, saying, "Damn it, are they crazy?!"


    "How could they..." Just as Steve spoke, he suddenly choked and said, "Wait, this isn''t Earth, and those monsters aren''t human...well, I have nothing else to say."


    Captain America is indeed very sympathetic and just, but that is only for humans. If we have to extend it a bit, it is for all creatures that look simr to humans. However, obviously, these monsters with an average of 16 tentacles on their heads are not included.


    The explosion they just encountered is just the beginning of their thrilling alien journey.


    Soon, countless terrifying attacks that could destroy the entire city ur one after another. The terrifyingughter echoes through every screen in the city. The night grows longer, and the rain gets colder. They both feel that an unavoidable chaos has enveloped the city.


    It''s not that Gotham has Joker and Batman, it''s that Joker and Batman are in Gotham.


    When Joker arrives first, followed by Batman, the chaotic madness will follow.


    Following closely behind them is the terrifying city that has awakened the soul of madness. More and more lunatics emerge, and some humanoids with monster heads seem to be infected by something, appearing in the dark rainy night, bringing more madness and evil to the city.


    Iron Man, who was almost attacked by a tentacle, is pulled up and flies into the air. He shakes his head and says, "They''re crazy, all of them are crazy. The symbiotes said these monsters are not easy to deal with, but I didn''t expect them to be so crazy!"


    On the other side, the symbiotes narrowly avoid the aftermath of the explosion and jump onto the roof of a building. Blue Spirit looks down and sees the monsters holding lighting tools like walking dead, searching for every living thing and killing them. His tone trembles as he says, "These Brood have evolved! They have be more evil and crazy. Space is about to face another catastrophe..."


    "This is not right." Thunderbolt says in a deep voice, "The Brood are not the chaotic Zerg who have no consciousness and only know how to devour. They are a highly intelligent civilization, otherwise they would not have built such a developed city. Why do they seem to have changed overnight..."


    "And the strangest thing is, why does it rain here every day? Where does this get so much water resources?" Green Thorn shakes his head and says, "The atmosphere here is too strange. I have never seen anything like this in any city."


    Obviously, everyone has noticed that a terrifying atmosphere has enveloped the city, as if the entire is inevitably falling into the darkness of space.


    The Avengers team that came here and the indigenous people of this ce both feel this terrifying atmosphere.


    In a high-rise building in the city center, a uniformed monster head hammered the control panel fiercely. He said, "Where is our fleet? Where did they go? Why didn''t they protect their own?!"


    "Governor, we do not have an agreement authorizing us to fire on the surface!" Another monster head in assistant uniform spoke, "We cannot use ground weapons to deal with a person who caused trouble on the ground. It would destroy all the facilities on the. The capital will not agree!"


    "But he caused such a big mess. What the hell is going on? Who brought him here?!!!" The governor said angrily.


    "ording to the information transmitted by the teleportation device, he should have been brought back by the resident Earth special agent with the parasitic backup material numbered 25308. It was supposed to be the lowest level of material, and once it entered the Brood''s territory, it should have been immediately sealed..."


    "Then why wasn''t he sealed?!!"


    The assistant shook his head and said, "The information shows that the resident Earth special agent should have already sacrificed."


    The governor hammered the table fiercely again and said, "Humans...humans...aren''t they supposed to be the weakest race in space? When did the great Brood be unable to beat even humans???"


    The assistant was also puzzled and said, "ording to the scanning device we set up on the portal, the masked madman should be just a standard ordinary human."


    "But in just five days, he yed more than a dozen games and caused countless explosions! But no one can catch him. Our security guards and security personnel were all killed by him!!!"


    The governor is so angry that he trembles all over. He points to the door and says, "Now! Immediately! Summon the fleet! I want to fire on the surface!!!"


    The assistant can only salute helplessly, then turns and goes out. Just as the door opens, a fist covered with metal armor appears.


    With a loud bang, the monster''s head screams and flies out. Iron Man steps over his body and walks in, looking at the governor and saying, "Are you in charge here?"


    "Who are you? Wait! You''re human?? How did you get here?"


    "Damn it, you must be with that lunatic. Are you invading Brood? Are humans dering war on us?!!"


    "Language analysis in progress...breaking...trantion system download status 70%, minimummunication requirements met, program initiated..." After JARVIS''s voicees through, Stark opens his mouth and says, "You guys kidnapped our people. We came here because you wanted to harm our people."


    "Harm your people????" The governor raises his voice and says loudly, his tone full of disbelief and frustration. He says, "As soon as that lunatic arrived, he found ourmunication device and said he wanted to y a game with us!"


    "Heughed wildly, grabbed the administrative staff here, pulled their heads out of their bodies, and threw them into the furnace. He also kidnapped a group of nobles and made them perform a stage y, cutting off the tentacles on their heads as admission tickets!!"


    "You evil race!!" The governor uses loudly, "You lunatics! You will face judgment!!"


    "I..." Iron Man hesitates, feeling that Schiller''s actions are a bit excessive.


    But looking at the terrifying face of the monster and thinking that they are parasites in the human body, Stark suddenly feels that his usations sound as pleasing as praise.


    He doesn''t care anymore and says directly, "Yes, this is us, this is humanity, buddy, you messed with the wrong people!"


    "But you can''t defeat the great Brood! Our fleet is near the star, and I have lifted the safety protocol. They will soon fire on the surface, and you will all die here!"


    As he speaks, the governor presses a button on his back fiercely. The star map on the screen behind him lights up, and several fleets of octopus-shaped ships that look very simr to the monsters'' heads are advancing towards the.


    "Fleet?" Stark''s mocking voicees through his mask. He says, "Do you think only you can press buttons?"


    As he speaks, he opens his arm and presses a button on it. JARVIS''s voicees through, "Fleetmand system connected, order received, cloaking device deactivated, anti-gravity device activated, operation panel ready..."


    Stark points to the screen behind the governor with his hand. The governor sees his movement and quickly turns around.


    Then he sees several huge warships, several timesrger than their ships, slowly entering the screen.


    Under the mask, Stark sees a virtualmand panel. To the governor, his voice sounds like a demon:


    "Now, I''m going to y a game with you guys too..."


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 Chapter 377: Avengers 2: Civil War (1)

    Chapter 377: Avengers 2: Civil War (1)


    In the empty and dark space, the light of the star shone like a lighthouse on a harbor, and several small ck dots flew past the sun particles in front of a hot, stirring orange-red light ball, cutting through the storm around the star and causing ripple-like waves.


    The area around the star had a visible energy field, like the surging tide of the sea. As the ripples spread out, the small ck dots slowly moved towards the direction away from the. As they approached, it could be seen that they were several octopus-like spaceships.


    The front half of the spaceship was an elliptical cargo hold, while the back half was divided into several longer tentacles, where the main control room was located. Inside the control room of the spaceship, several crew members with monster heads wereining.


    "I don''t know what the governor is thinking. He actually sent the star mining team to solve the security cases on the surface. He lifted the agreement not to fire on the surface. We might have to fire at the city with our cannons. If the capital finds out, we might be executed!"


    Another monster head, slightly taller than him, patted his shoulder and said, "You know, the spare bodies for parasitism are not enough recently. Look, your body is already rotting. Only the governor has the right to allocate the quota for bodies. Let''s work hard for him. We might be able to exchange for a new body next month."


    "I heard that the threshold for spare parasitic bodies for advanced agents has been lowered. Maybe there will be a steady stream of bodies avable for us to use soon. Anyway, let''s go back as soon as possible to avoid any problems in the city on the surface."


    Just then, a sharp rm sounded. The monster heads gathered together and looked around. One of them quickly walked to the wall and picked up themunicator hanging on the wall, asking, "What''s going on? Why is the cargo ship sounding the rm? Oh, damn it! What is that?"


    As soon as he looked out of the observation window of the spaceship, he saw an incredibly huge, unfamiliar spaceship floating quietly in front of them, like a giant shark selecting its prey.


    The monster head holding themunicator was stunned. At this point, the governor''s voice came through the spaceship''s broadcast system, sounding somewhat angry, "Organize the firepower and fight back quickly! Where is your professional training?!"The monster head holding themunicator trembled a little, but he quickly put down what he was holding and turned back to the control room. The spaceship''s pilot was already busy at the control panel. The monster head who walked in looked around and said, "Quickly activate the defense shield! Their cannons are already charging. They might..."


    Suddenly, a silent and intense light swallowed the entire control room. In almost an instant, all the tentacles of the octopus spaceship, along with the Brood inside, disappeared between the astonishingly high temperature and particle collisions.


    In the governor''s office, Stark looked at the panel on his arm and heard Jarvis''s voice in his ear, "Firingplete. Two ships and four secondary guns were used in this attack, and the enemy ship waspletely destroyed."


    "The firing ships have returned to position, and the cannons are cooling down. The estimated time for the next firing is 3 minutes and 31 seconds..."


    Stark looked at the governor opposite him, whose tentacles were trembling. Nevertheless, he remained very tough and said, "Are you humans really going to war with the Brood?!"


    "I just contacted our capital, and they are sending troops here. You will face an endless fleet of Brood!!"


    "But you won''t live to see that day." With that, Stark floated up, flew into the air, and opened the cannon on his gauntlet. A beam of light shot towards the governor.


    The governor with the monster head dodged in panic, quickly running around the table and mming open the storage cab on the other side of the wall, taking out the weapon inside.


    It was a hand-held gun with arge-diameter barrel. The governor quickly armed it on his arm and fired at Iron Man''s armor. The energy condensed at the mouth of the barrel, emitting a slight humming sound, followed by a loud explosion.


    The entire office copsed under the energy st of the projectile, but Stark skillfully avoided the shockwaves of the explosion and continued to chase after the governor who was trying to escape.


    Missiles with calcted trajectories constantly chased after the monster head''s figure. No matter how he dodged, there was always a missile that could catch up to him and detonate beside him, knocking him over.


    Standing on the edge of a high-rise building and looking down, the rain had soaked the streets, and the damp air had entered his lungs. The governor had never lived in such a humid environment before, and he felt that a hazy mist was clouding his vision, making his thoughts be chaotic.


    In the neonlights of the city, he saw Iron Mannding on the rooftop, his armor shining in the rain. The governor raised his weapon and aimed it at Iron Man, but his hands were trembling so badly that he could barely hold it steady.


    Iron Man walked towards him slowly, his eyes fixed on the weapon in the governor''s hand. "Put it down. It''s over," he said in a calm voice.


    The governor hesitated for a moment, then threw the weapon away and raised his hands in surrender. "What do you want from me?" he asked.


    "I want information. I want to know everything you know about the Brood and their ns," Iron Man replied.


    The governor sighed heavily, his tentacles drooping. "I don''t know much. I''m just a middleman. The Brood are a powerful and ancient race, and they have been expanding their territory for centuries. They see us humans as a threat and want to eliminate us."


    Iron Man listened carefully, his sensors scanning the governor''s body for any signs of deception. "What about their weaknesses? Do you know anything about that?" he asked.


    The governor shook his head. "I''m sorry, I don''t. The Brood are a very secretive race. They don''t reveal much about themselves to outsiders."


    Iron Man nodded slowly, then turned to leave. "Thank you for your cooperation. I''ll make sure you''re treated fairly."


    As he flew away, the governor watched him go, his thoughts in turmoil. He had never expected to be caught by a human, let alone by Iron Man himself. He knew that his life was now in the hands of his captors, and he could only hope that they would be merciful.


    "He took a few steps back, revealing the scene behind him. It was a control room that the governor found somewhat familiar, with many control panels and monitoring devices. The man wearing the Joker mask burst into a series ofughter and said:


    "You thought my first stop here was the television station? But that''s just what I told you, and you actually believed it."


    "I introduced myself and told you that I had just arrived here. But in reality, I just came from another ce..."


    "Where is that?" The man put his hand behind his ear and made a listening gesture. The governor whispered, "The weather control tower... You madman! You''re the one who created this crazy weather!"


    The person on the screen probably couldn''t hear the governor, but he seemed to anticipate what the governor would say. He said, "That''s right, it''s where you control the weather!"


    "You have developed this to such a high degree that you can control the water cycle on the surface. After I subdued the staff here, I asked them to do me a little favor..."


    "Look up at the sky and see those beautiful, glistening raindrops. Don''t they look like grains of salt sprinkled from a salt shaker?"


    "Have you smelled the haunting fragrance of the wine? Ites from the other side, the deepest chaos and madness..."


    His tone began to soften, like reciting a romantic poem, or singing a requiem. The man in the Joker mask stood up straight and took a few steps back. Another ck figure suddenly appeared on the screen...


    He turned around and faced the man with bat ears, then asked him, "When justice and evil, order and chaos begin to reverse, when a madman uses his crazy brain to do something just, how do you judge who is guilty?"


    "Look at those monsters moving in the dark streets. They are shameless insects that steal human bodies, parasitize them, kill them, and control them..."


    "But those ordinary people you swore to protect, their minds that are conforming to order, are these insects..."


    "Can you see it? They infiltrate human bodies, manipte their thoughts and actions, and make them do despicable things. And I, the poor madman in your mouth..."


    "I am their savior. I am driving those ugly and despicable insects out of their bodies. Can you see it? Like this..."


    The firelight shone through the raindrops on the windowsill, and another building was ignited. A man with a monster head cracked his mouth open, as if he was about tough.


    Looking at this crazy scene in front of him, the locals didn''t feel scared. They slowly gathered around, watching the rising mes, feeling the pleasure of disrupting order take root and sprout in their hearts. The illusion of freedom made them feel happy.


    In a daze, Eddie saw that all of this was just his illusion. The so-called monster heads did not actually have terrifying faces. They were just a group of ordinary people, but the pleasure of sin twisted their faces into monsters.


    He shook his head hard, but Venom spoke with a hoarse voice, "Because sin will always happen in order, let everything return to chaos and disorder. Do you think you''re upholding justice? No, you''re just venting your madness..."


    "Do you n to save them? Let everything return to order, just like you''ve done countless times before... Are these people really worth saving?"


    Through Eddie Brock''s eyes, one can see the surging ocean waves. Unlike the dazzling light of the stars, the ck ocean is calm and distant, with no end in sight.


    Like a sea breeze blowing over the surface, reaching the far shore, where another Soul stands on the beach.


    His gaze seems to prate the distant space, passing through the barriers of the world, seeing the race with monster heads and human bodies, but from them seeing deeper philosophical meanings, and hearing those crazy words.


    "Human beings are parasites of the mind, unable to fully control their bodies. What do you want to save, their bodies or souls? Which one is worthy of salvation? Which kind is worth upholding justice for?"


    Eddie saw the man wearing the Joker mask slowly walking to a broken window, rain blowing in through the window, creating a misty haze around him. When the light shone on him, his voice spread out with the mist.


    "The human body can be healed, but their minds are hard to change. Their situation can be altered, but their nature cannot be rewritten..."


    "In the process of Space falling into chaos, building a shelter to protect the body cannot change anything..."


    Eddie heard a series ofughter, gradually turning from madness to low-spiritedness. He saw the man standing in front of the window, arms outstretched, with a night sky lit up by fire behind him.


    Suddenly, he fell silent, then pulled out a button from his pocket,ughing and saying, "What did I just say? That my first stop on this was the weather control tower?... No, no, I''m sorry, I lied to you, but I had no choice..."


    He then looked at the camera, raised the button in his hand, and said, "Guess where I buried a big bomb?"


    At this moment, Stark in the governor''s office heard the same sentence and ran out, but was toote. The violent st wave directly knocked him out, and after stabilizing himself in mid-air, Stark pressed his hand on his face mask and said, "This damn lunatic! I knew he was a bit abnormal!"


    Just then, Jarvis''s voice came in, "Warning! High energy readings detected, location at 1328 meters underground, rapidly rising, take cover immediately! Take cover immediately!"


    "900 meters... 500 meters... 300 meters..."


    Stark directly lifted the armor to several thousand meters high. In his sight, a huge tentacle broke through the ground, followed by an endless sea of tentacles. Soon, a huge monster climbed up from underground.


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 Chapter 378: Avengers 2: Civil War (2)

    Chapter 378: Avengers 2: Civil War (2)


    "Jarvis, prepare the fleet, all weapons on standby, safety protocol lifted. Once we receive the attack order, immediately open fire on the ground. We must take care of this damn guy."


    As Stark spoke, he manipted the panel on his arm. Just as he was about to call upon the fleet, he suddenly realized that his vision was starting to blur. He asked, "What''s going on? What''s obstructing my vision?"


    "Sir, sensors indicate a type of mist."


    "Mist?"


    "All sensors are open. You can switch between different viewpoints. Environment scan...viewpoint switchplete."


    "Please note, the new viewpoint is a long-distance view that uses magic energy. Currently, the magic energy stored in the mecha is insufficient. Please rece the core energy immediately or equip a mecha that is more suitable for magic energy..."


    Stark''s vision suddenly changed, but he didn''t feel surprised. This was his creation from a long time ago. After that moment of upgrading, he had infused some magic energy into his mecha. In a sense, he was also controlling magic.


    As the hazy mist gradually dissipated, Stark widened his eyes and swore, "Damn it! What is that??"


    Appearing in front of him was a huge and indescribable strange Sun, a huge entity condensed from deep gray mist. Each strange pattern in the midst of it possessed terrifying and magical power that could make people scream.Stark unconsciously took a few steps back. Before he could activate the scanning device, another giant creature appeared. It was a ck bat with a strange shape, surging with a ck tide like seawater.


    Just as the two forces collided, Stark''s vision became blurry again, and the warning sound rang in his ears: "Warning! Insufficient remaining energy! Please rece the energy core in time, sir, or you can authorize me to operate..."


    Stark didn''t hesitate. He spread his arms and several mechanical arms emerged from near his chest armor. He opened the energy corepartment on his chest and reced the original core with a Blink core that shone with magic light. It was a product of Schiller''s recharging.


    Stark closed his eyes and felt the power surging within his body. Although it was not as powerful as the first time he had encountered it, he could still control it as he wished.


    Then, he flew to a higher altitude and observed this strange and special battle with his special vision.


    It was a scene he had never seen before, and a feeling he had never experienced before. He could clearly see the process of each symbiote factor fighting and devouring each other in the microscopic world. Countless army charges constantlyunched in the micro world, colliding, defeating, and reorganizing each other.


    In the dark city skyline, the battle of the living hell, as it was that day, was staged again. An intense battle that could not be observed by the naked eye spread throughout the city, even crazier, more reckless, and more thrilling this time.


    At the same time, Hive, who had just appeared, said, "...?"


    When he asked this question, it didn''t mean he had a problem, but he felt that these humans were the problem...


    Actually, Hive had been watching all of this for a long time, but he didn''t care. In his eyes, it didn''t matter how many buildings were destroyed or how many people died. His goal from beginning to end was to counterattack Earth, and he couldn''t ask for a better opportunity to observe human strength now.


    However, the more he looked, the more something felt wrong. Whether it was the sudden appearance of an unknown fleet, or the two madmen who seemed to be performing a y but were inexplicably frightening, Hive felt like a lost practitioner who had returned from seclusion after a hundred years to find that the whole world had changed.


    He vaguely remembered that when he left Earth, most humans could only cower in crude shelters, trembling and praying to the heavens, and worshiping those with special abilities as gods.


    Why had the life forms on the other side changed so much after he had been operating his base for a while? What was the story behind this mist and this...mud?


    Just as he was thinking about this, he was suddenly knocked down by the Venom bat''s sudden turn. These two monsters were already bigger than him, and fighting them was no holds barred. It was inevitable that there would be coteral damage.


    Poor Hive, who had just made his debut, took seven big hits after walking three steps.


    "You dare!! How dare you treat the great Hive like this!!!"


    Just as he finished shouting, at the end of the skyline, a burst of rosy light ascended. Hive thought it was the light of a star, but suddenly he realized it was an enormous cannon that was concentrating a terrifying amount of energy.


    Stark, who had switched to magic energy, once again freed the endless wisdom in his mind. Although he couldn''t break through the single-space limitation due to insufficient energy, he still arrived at the top of this Space again.


    Although he no longer had a transcendent view above Space, his power had not diminished much. The manifested mechanical army descended again, and this time, Stark chose to conduct a different experiment.


    He gained inspiration from the principle of the Asgard Bifrost that Loki described to him. The strongest innate talent humans have is to make bombs, followed by making cannons.


    Range determines the scope of truth, and caliber determines the strength of truth.


    Therefore, the descending mechanical army no longer evolved and iterated continuously like before, but directly transformed into adaptiveponents, forming a cannon with an incrediblyrge caliber.


    As for energy, it was naturally extracted from the star. After all the mechanical power was fully activated, the cannon''s muzzle bloomed with a star-like light in almost an instant.


    Soon, Hive discovered that these humans not only changed the form of life, but also developed ck technology that he didn''t know where it came from.


    The cannon''s brilliance bloomed, and it should have been aimed at Hive, but the battle between the two gigantic monsters was toorge. This beam not only hit Hive''s main tentacle, but also evaporated a portion of the symbiote factor.


    Immediately, Stark noticed that the two monsters were targeting him. He coldly snorted and said, "Who let you be within my strike range?"


    The Grey Mist and Venom, who were in the heat of battle, didn''t want to hear his exnation at all. The factors of the two symbiotes were released from entanglement and both attacked Stark together.


    Stark was not afraid at all. He spread his arms, and magic light surrounded him. Soon, with a slight mechanical friction sound, a silver-colored mech covered his body.


    Blinking with intense white light in his eyes, the silver mech gradually turned into a magic shield as thin as a cicada''s wings when it approached his face. His face mask disappeared, reced by a semi-transparent mask with strange patterns, only covering his eyes, where data was flowing.


    At the same time, more and more mechs were deployed, and all kinds of strange weapons were assembled. In the moment they simultaneously extracted energy, the star paled.


    The battle between the mechanical army and the symbiote giant began, and the macro and micro levels of the battle urred simultaneously. Visible and invisible light burst together, engine roars and magic casting sang together.


    The fleet with special luster shuttled through the mucus and fog like sharp des, causingyers of ripples. Therge-caliber artillery continued to fire, and Venom and the Grey Mist constantly changed their forms, wrapping around Starkyer byyer.


    Stark refused to show weakness. He quickly developed sound wave and me weapons specifically for the symbiotes, but these two special symbiotes were very resistant. Then, Stark took out... a high-powered vacuum cleaner.


    And as Hive watched the battle, he eximed, "!!!"


    Before he could be amazed for long, the battle spread uncontrobly towards his direction. Or rather, the whole had be their battlefield, and no one could escape.


    Steve stood at the top of a high-rise, shouting at Stark, "What are you doing?! Stop it! Why are you attacking Venom?! He''s one of us!"


    Steve gritted his teeth and lifted his shield to block a beam attack that swept over. Peter swung over with his spider web and came to his side, also puzzled, "What''s going on? Why are Venom and Mr. Stark fighting?"


    "I don''t know, but I know we have to go give Stark a punch now to wake him up!"


    As the battle intensified, no one noticed that the Grey Mist suddenly disappeared from the battlefield.


    On the deck of the Glorious Ship, Schiller slowly materialized and removed his smiling mask. He breathed out and said, "This is really troublesome."


    Then, he walked into the ship and chatted with the Grey Mist, "I really didn''t expect that you would be weak against a vacuum cleaner."


    The Grey Mist protested, "Is that a vacuum cleaner? How can a vacuum cleaner be over 200 kilometers long?!"


    "Well, it seems that in addition to fire and sound waves, the weakness of your species can also be exploited with arge vacuum cleaner."


    He arrived inside the ship and muttered to himself, "While Stark is busy, let me see... where''s themunication device?... Oh, here it is..."


    "Hello, this is Schiller. Is this Professor Charles? I need your help with something..."


    Back on the Hive homeworld, Hive realized that he couldn''t just sit and wait for death. If these humans continued to fight, there would be nothing left on the.


    So he decided to take action, but just then, a small circr shield intercepted his attack. Steve''s voice rang out, "Well, if Iron Man isn''t going to do the right thing, then let me handle it."


    Just as Steve was about to take action, Stark''s cold voice came, "Get out of the way!"


    A "boom" sounded, and a disintegrating beam hit Hive''s tentacle. Hive was made up of countless giant tentacles and a head with the same appearance as those monsters. The beam hit the tentacle around his head, causing Hive to scream in pain.


    Steve was even angrier. He realized that Stark was deliberately provoking him, and his actions weren''t about defeating the enemy, but just to make him mad.


    As Steve red at him, Stark''s expression didn''t change at all. His eyes were filled with countless streams of data, and the light began to grow stronger.


    Just then, everyone heard a "crackle" sound, followed by a earth-shattering roar.


    A huge yellow figure jumped out of a portal. It was a giant like a small mountain, and when hended on the ground, the earth shook. He fiercely pounded his chest with his fist and roared, "Hulk!!!!"


    __________


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 Chapter 379: Avengers 2: Civil War (3)

    Chapter 379: Avengers 2: Civil War (3)


    About ten minutes ago on Earth, Blink brought Banner to Charles'' office. Charles smiled and asked, "How have you been feelingtely? Last time you told me you were able to see the Hulk in your consciousness?"


    "Indeed, I have to admit that your and Dr. Schiller''s work on my consciousness has been effective. Now, even when I''m not asleep, as long as I focus, I can feel his presence. But we still can''tmunicate."


    "How''s the Hulk doing? Any signs of anger recently?"


    "He always has signs of anger. It''s hard to say when he''ll actuallye out. I''m really worried."


    "Remember the n Schiller told you aboutst time?"


    "What do you mean? Oh, I remember. You mean finding an uninhabited area in space for the Hulk to vent, right?"


    "Yes, and now there''s an opportunity. Have you heard about the Avengers'' investigation? A group of parasitic beings has been lurking in human society, capturing humans as their hosts."


    "I''ve heard about it. It seems like this world is much more dangerous than I imagined."


    "Actually, when I thought of this fact, I felt a bit restless inside. I can''t think too deeply about this topic, I''m afraid the Hulk wille out because of my fear.""But now there''s an opportunity that the Hulk needs. Tony and Steve have found a way to go to that, but you know, who wouldin about having a stronger fighting force?"


    "You mean..." Banner widened his eyes and said, "Okay, so the uninhabited area in space you''re talking about refers to this kind of ce..."


    "This is a win-win situation. It can release the Hulk''s anger and make him a bit quieter. After all, keeping him locked up all the time is not fair to him, right?"


    "Right." Bruce nodded and said, "He''s a part of me, and suppressing his nature for a long time will only bring worse results. I''ve experienced it."


    "The Hulk''s angeres from my inner fears, and he has borne many of my fears, but he has never been able to vent his anger. This is not fair."


    Just then, Charles turned around and took out a ring from a box behind him. He said, "This is something Schiller sent through someone. It is said to have the power to awaken people''s inner fears. You can use it to awaken the Hulk, which can give him stronger and moresting power."


    Banner took the ring and looked at it thoughtfully.


    As Hulk appeared on the Hive''s main, the originally chaotic battlefield became even more chaotic. The angry Hulk didn''t differentiate between friend or foe and had no tactics, simply using anything within his sight as a weapon.


    The first target to suffer was therge-sized Hive. Because the Hulk had little reason, he only attacked the most obvious objects in his sight. Hive''s tentacle attacks were useless against him, and the Hulk hammered all the tentacles in his sight into a pulp, causing Hive to scream in pain.


    Peter had originally nned to attack Hive, but he was hit by a rock thrown by the Hulk and was a little dizzy. He covered his head and said, "What''s going on? Where did this yellow giante from? Is he an enemy? Why is he attacking me?"


    Then came the sound of wind as Captain America was also knocked away. The Hulk was spinning wildly and shooting everything within range with the mech that Stark had released.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Stark''s missiles chased and exploded around the Hulk, while Captain America charged forward with his shield.


    Another scream was heard as Hive''s two tentacles were cut off again, and he frantically attacked everyone on the field with his remaining tentacles.


    In Peter''s view, above the ck city skyline, the Hulk, glowing yellow all over, spun quickly with Blink''s indicator light mech. Stark, covered in turrets, chased after the Hulk and fired at him.


    "Bang! Boom!"


    Peter watched them run past, then Captain America rolled and dodged between the tentacles, hitting Hive''s face with his shield.


    "Damn bug!"


    "Monster!"


    As he watched them go, a huge Venom bat chased after the Hulk.


    "I''m Venom! I''m revenge!"


    "Hulk!"


    Different figures moved from left to right and then from right to left. Peter''s head turned back and forth, trying to keep up.


    In no time, the once towering skyline filled with skyscrapers copsed like a line of dominoes, ttened into a straight line, leaving only countless craters and billowing smoke.


    Although Peter had no idea what was going on, his fighting instincts kicked in, and he became excited. He eagerly joined the battle, making the already chaotic situation even more chaotic.


    Peter''s core strategy in this battle was to help whoever was weaker.


    Although he didn''t know whatplicated rtionships existed between Stark, Steve, that yellow monster, and Hive, which led to this fight, he just punched whoever he saw.


    Blue Spirit stood on a tall building on the other side, watching the scene in the sky. He swallowed and said, "I think we should reconsider how to write the file of the human race... They are truly a miraculous race, as if chaos and madness are engraved in their genes. But at the same time, there are countless delicate emotions, an endless desire for order." Thunderbolt shook his head and said, "A contradictory race, but full of charm."


    "Hive is probably finished. I don''t think he can survive under the siege of so many people. Now the only problem is that Brood has more than one main. They have probably received the distress signal from here and will send a fleet soon."


    Green Thorn opened his mouth but didn''t say anything. He really wanted to say that the current situation didn''t look like they were attacking Hive, but rather like the Avengers were fighting each other. However, he had to admit that the aftermath of their internal conflict alone was enough to level this.


    "Let''s go back to the spaceship and discuss countermeasures, see how to deal with Brood''s warships, and hopefully eliminate them all here."


    Back on the battleship, several symbiotes saw Schiller sitting in the cockpit as expected. Schiller turned his head and smiled at them before saying, "Listen, I have a n..."


    A few minutester, Peter shouted at Blue Spirit, who was shuttling through the center of the battlefield, "Why did youe back?! What''s going on now? Why are we fighting??"


    "Who knows? Didn''t you start fighting first?!" Blue Spirit yelled back.


    "Forget it, just knock everyone down!" Thunderbolt transformed into his lightning form and shot out, striking Stark''s mech with a lightning bolt. Stark cursed andmanded his army of mechs to attack the symbiotes.


    As Peter was about to be knocked over by a charging robot, he shouted, "Wait! Mr. Stark, it''s me!"


    "Oh, Captain! I''m here to save you!" Peter quickly got up, swung on his web, kicked Hive''s huge tentacle, and saved Steve, who was wrapped up in it.


    But Steve mistook Peter for Stark''s robot and threw his shield at him. Peter dodged the shield and was hit by a stone thrown by the Hulk, sending him flying.


    Suddenly, the air on the battlefield became stagnant, and a huge portal appeared in the sky above the.


    Strange and the other sorcerers appeared on the, with countless rings blinking behind them and their cloaks fluttering in the air. Afternding, their magic radiance suddenly lit up, and Strange''s voice echoed in the battlefield, "...magic Eternity!"


    As he raised his hand, countless beams of light descended on the battlefield, turning most of the tentacles and ground machinery into ashes. The sorcerers unleashed their spells, leveling all the surrounding buildings in no time.


    Stark snorted, his eyes bursting with white data stream. He spread his arms and flew into the air, with more and more mechs materializing behind him.


    A rain of machines fell from the sky, and morerge nestsnded, followed by a swarm of mechanical bees. In an instant, they engulfed everything on the ground, transforming them into nourishment for the mechanical army.


    Suddenly, another figure rushed out of the portal, crashing onto the ground and sending countless debris flying. A huge lizard monster, as big as the Hulk,nded on the ground, whipping its massive tail toward Stark and sending him flying.


    "Professor Connors?!" Peter shouted. "Why are you here? And why are you attacking Mr. Stark?!"


    The lizard Dr. Connors slowly walked over, bowed his head, and looked at Peter with his giant vertical pupils. "Don''t you understand the situation?" he said. With each word, he shed two attacking tentacles with his tail. He spat out venom and spoke with the cold indifference of a cold-blooded animal. "The situation is revenge for revenge, grudges for grudges!"


    As more tentacles were trampled into meat by the lizard monster, Hive finally erupted. His figure suddenly skyrocketed, and all the tentacles gathered together, forming a gigantic monster with the as its lower body. He roared, "Enough! You humans!"


    Meanwhile, all the people below were getting carried away in the fight, no longer distinguishing between friend and foe. They attacked any living thing in sight, but their strength was equivalent, so the battle became increasingly intense, with no one paying any attention to Hive.


    The aftermath of the battle was clearing out Hive''s buildings and tentacles on his main.


    Looking up, the in view became smaller and smaller. Suddenly, a beam of light shone in the darkness of space, and a massive Brood fleet arrived.


    "Front fleet, please respond. This is the Brood Third Fleet. You have dered war on us, and we will open fire in ten seconds..."


    This fleet was muchrger than the previous Octopus fleet, although still slightly smaller in sizepared to the Glorious warship. However, they had more ships and appeared to be carrying many powerful weapons. Clearly, this was an experienced armed fleet.


    In the control room of the main ship of the fleet, a Brood person dressed in a magnificent military uniform looked at the monitor and said, "The shape of the opposing warship looks familiar... Could it be Kree? But the colors are wrong."


    Before he could figure it out, two small ck dots suddenly appeared in their view. The Broodmander said, "Zoom in! What is that?"


    After zooming in on the screen, two small figures appeared in space. Upon seeing them, themander was shocked and burst out in a series of incredulousughter. He said, "Are these people crazy? They actually sent two people to face the most powerful Brood Third Fleet??? "


    Immediately afterwards, one of the figures, wearing a helmet and a ck cloak fluttering behind them, raised their hand and lightly pinched it.


    A wing of the warship shattered.


    __________


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 Chapter 380: Three Detectives (1)

    Chapter 380: Three Detectives (1)


    Before Star, the two small ck dots in the field of view kept getting bigger. Pris, with her green hair, held her chin in thought as she watched the spaceship, now crumpled into a ball, while Mao put down his hand. She also reached out her hand and aimed it at the other remaining spaceship on the right side of the wing.


    There was no wind in space, but Pris''s long hair began to float and dance in the air like a rustling g. Her movements were identical to Mao''s as she extended her hand and gently clutched it.


    However, the remaining spaceship did not cleanly disintegrate, and only the front deck changed shape. Pris breathed out a sigh and shook her head.


    She turned to Mao, who nced at her and said, "Watch closely, onest time."


    After speaking, he seemed a little impatient. He raised his hand and without any extra movement, in an instant, there was no explosion, no sound, and the countless parts of the spacecraft were precisely disassembled and floated into space. Pris whispered, "...deconstruction?"


    She thought for a few seconds, then reached out her hand again and disassembled the spaceship on the left side of the wing. However, when she was deconstructing the cockpit, she seemed to encounter some problems and furrowed her brow deeply.


    Neither the father nor the daughter paid any attention to the light gathered at the main gun port. At the moment the gun fired, the zing energy it shot out was instantly stuffed back into the gun barrel, and the entire barrel exploded with a "boom," causing half of the ship to turn to ashes.


    All the weapons firing at them seemed to have mutinied. All the energy and projectiles intended to be fired rushed back along the barrel, exploding in their own chambers.


    This kind of chamber explosion was extremely deadly. The outer shields of the spacecraft were not enough to withstand the impact of their own weapon explosions, and about a dozen warships were damaged in the first round of firing.Themander didn''t even realize what had happened. The red rms were shing all over the control panel, and the rm sounds were strung together so urgently that it was impossible to tell who was reporting damage.


    For this fleet, being used as a teaching tool by Mao was their good fortune. Pris''s weak foundation was even considered lucky for them. Otherwise, by now, the entire fleet would have be Mao''s ything.


    Mao did not have a whim to teach Pris. He also realized that the Brotherhood of Mutants was not strong enough to step onto the interster stage. At this level, in space, except for him, everyone else was more like a burden.


    Xavier''s School selected several mutants who live symbiotically with symbiotes to go to the Andromeda Gxy, and the results were very good. Although the mutants were young, the symbiotes assisted them, and they could do a lot.


    In contrast, the Brotherhood of Mutants was really not worth mentioning. Except for Mystique, who could handle some diplomatic work, most people were ineffective in any field. Both publicly and privately, Pris was the most worth cultivating.


    On Hive''s main, Hive certainly felt the arrival of the fleet. He thought it was time to conspire inside and outside. As the recognized lord of the capital, he encountered aggression, and the fleet should have helped. But after waiting for a long time, the fleet in space did not attack the surface, and Hive couldn''t help but feel a little doubtful. Why weren''t they attacking the surface?


    At this time, the fleetmander and Hive had the same mood. ording to reason, the lord of this should have seen the arrival of the fleet, so why didn''t he cooperate with the fleet''s attack?


    Now the mood of both sides is, where is the space fleet? Help us! Where is the lord? Help us!


    After a few tens of seconds, themander finally reacted from shock and began to contact the''s lord on the ground. After receiving themunication, Hive was simply furious.


    I was counting on you to save me! Now you''re asking me to save you! Don''t you see what kind of monsters are on the surface of this now!


    The heavy rain covering this had not stopped, and everyone fighting in the rain did not distinguish between friend and foe. Fire, explosions, and roars were all constantly venting their emotions, regardless of who the opponent was.


    In terms of destruction, humans have an innate talent. They are not afraid to throw bombs at each other on the where they live. Before they have the ability to colonize the stars, they turn their mother into an ammunition-filled arsenal without considering any retreat after the end of the world.


    And if this is not Earth, humans do not need to be responsible for the environment here nor do they need toworry about the long-term consequences of their actions. So, the destruction on this was even more intense.


    Hive''smunication to the fleetmander was short and to the point: "I can''t help you. Deal with it yourself."


    The fleetmander was also very angry, but he still had a job to do. He ordered the fleet to attack the''s defense system, and after a fierce battle, they finally broke through the defense line andnded on the surface.


    The Brotherhood of Mutants had already retreated to a safe distance, and they watched the battle from afar. Mao and Pris were standing side by side, watching the battle with cold eyes.


    After a while, Pris said, "Father, do you think we should help?"


    Mao shook his head and said, "There is no need. Let them handle it themselves. We are not here to fight their battles for them."


    Pris nodded and said, "I understand."


    Mao looked at her and said, "One day, you will have to make a choice. Whether to join the Brotherhood of Mutants or not. This is not a decision to be taken lightly."


    Pris looked at him and said, "I know, father. I will make the right choice when the timees."


    Mao nodded and said, "I believe you will."


    The battle on the continued, and the Brotherhood of Mutants watched from afar, waiting for the oue. They knew that whatever the oue, it would have a significant impact on the interster political situation.


    As the battle raged on, the three detectives, known as the "Three Stars," arrived on the. They were a legendary trio of detectives who had solved many high-profile cases in the gxy.


    Their arrival signaled that this battle was not just a simple conflict between two factions, but something much more significant. The Three Stars had a reputation for being able to see through the mostplex schemes and uncover the truth behind any mystery.


    As they arrived on the, they immediately began their investigation. They were determined to uncover the truth behind this conflict and bring those responsible to justice.


    The arrival of the Three Stars added anotheryer ofplexity to the already chaotic situation on the. The Brotherhood of Mutants watched from afar, wondering what would happen next. They knew that they had to be careful and stay out of the way, as the Three Stars were not to be underestimated.


    The battle on the continued, and the fate of the hung in the bnce. The Brotherhood of Mutants watched from afar, waiting to see what would happen next.


    If you zoom out and take a look after a period of chaotic fighting, the entire Hive has turned from a potato-shaped object into a piece of cheese, and it''s almost impossible to tell who caused more destruction.


    If you have to assess the damage, therge craters are all Iron Man''s handiwork, disappearing buildings with no changes to the terrain are usually caused by Venom Bat''s consumption, and therge ruins of buildings are the work of Lizard. The more severely damaged buildings are the result of the Hulk''s punches and kicks.


    As for the others, they mainly pull the hatred of these humanoid turrets and run through the streets. For example, wherever Steve goes, he will leave behind the big craters that Iron Man bombed. Wherever Iron Man goes, there will always be the magic radiance left by Strange.


    In the midst of this endless destruction, all the huge tentacles near Hive have been ground into minced meat, leaving only a lonely entity standing there.


    When he looked up at the sky, all he saw were a series of exploding sparks, and the debris of the spaceship fell like a rain of fire. Upon contact with raindrops close to the ground, thick smoke rose and smashed into the ground, leaving behind a charred crater. Except for that, not even aplete corpse could be found.


    Hive waspletely desperate, enveloped in an indescribable despair and a dark atmosphere. He didn''t understand what had happened to this.


    Just as he was about to expend hisst strength and struggle, he saw a beautiful arc of light at the end of the skyline. It was a brilliant radiance that he had never seen before, more beautiful than the countless sunrises and sunsets that had appeared on this.


    The star bloomed like a bud, gradually turning from a vibrant orange to a bright and terrifying red, almost engulfing everything in the entire star system.


    Schiller sat in the cabin of the radiant spacecraft, watching the scenery outside the window. This was a ce far from the Hive, but he could still see the magnificent space fireworks.


    The changing light was like a constantly shing neon light, coating the dim cockpit with warm light. Schiller slowly closed his eyes and sank his consciousness, then appeared in his mental hall of thought.


    It was a small screening room, and a figure in a ck windbreaker was already waiting there. Schiller in a white coat walked over and sat on the sofa next to him. The projection screen was ying the rapidly evolving image of the sun.


    "How does it feel to skip work?" the Schiller in the ck windbreaker asked.


    "I''m on a reasonable vacation, just like you," Schiller in the white coat pushed his sses and said.


    "By the way, where''s that lunatic? Where did ''Super Ego'' put him?"


    "He should be on the 100th floor now. I don''t know which floor specifically, but he seems to be having a good time. After all, he doesn''t have topete with Jack for Bruce, and he''s half a Batman himself."


    "To be honest, it''s a bit risky to let him go." Schiller in the white coat shook his head and said, "When you gave me this suggestion, I thought you were crazy."


    "I almost went crazy myself. I worked hard to get the new umbre, and it broke in your hands after only a few days," Schiller in the ck coat snorted coldly and said, "Of course, I have to show them something impressive."


    "Your style of doing things ispletely different from Marvel''s. This kind of strategy of circling around and hitting multiple targets with one arrow is more suitable for your world," Schiller in the white coat shook his head.


    He looked at the projection screen in front of him, and the image on the screen began to rewind at an extremely fast speed.


    The expanding sun began to shrink, the craters on the Hive gradually filled up, and the spaceship rapidly retreated back into the sr system. Earth rotated from east to west, from day to night, and returned to the night when the hospital incident urred.


    At the moment Schiller saw his umbre shed, the entire scene seemed to freeze, and tiny dust particles were clearly visible. Looking in through the window, the ss shards lifted by Iron Man''s entry through the broken window floated in mid-air, reflecting a brilliant light.


    In the split second when Schiller was stunned, from his eyes, through the 300-plus floors of the tower, the DC Schiller in the ck windbreaker was also stunned.


    He had just returned from vacation and received a thunderbolt-like bad news that almost burned his bedroom with endless anger. Feeling this vigorous anger, the Marvel Schiller in the white coat had to quickly withdraw his consciousness and return to the hall of thought to intercept the DC Schiller.


    But obviously, the people of Gotham held grudges. So the Schillers in ck and white came up with a n, a dark n full of Gotham style.


    First, the two Schillers went to the 200-plus floors, and the Schiller with green hair was thrown into the elevator, all the way up to the conscious level.


    After Joker Schiller took over the body, he followed Jacqueline to the Hive main, and after the sessful infiltration n, he revealed his true face. His first stop on the Hive main was the weather control tower.


    He directly mixed the "wine," that is, the Dionysian factor, into the rainwater of the Hive, and turned all of the''s scarce water resources into rainwater, causing a global rainfall.


    However, the purpose of this rain was not to pollute those bugs, but actually to target Marvel''s superheroes.


    Compared to the crazies in Gotham, the superheroes in Marvel, even the antiheroes who are good and evil, all look so amiable.


    But sometimes, being too just, adhering too much to certain rules, and having too high moral requirements on oneself can lead to great emotional pressure in one''s heart. If this pressure is not released, it can bring various psychological problems.


    Some people often ask, should good people be pointed at with a gun? But in addition to being pointed at by other people''s guns, sometimes good people will also point the gun at themselves. Their high moral standards will make them feel guilty, and this, like other extreme emotions, can harm their emotional health.


    Superheroes are not made from a mold. They each have their own personality, and when they form a team, friction is inevitable. Coupled with new and old grudges, unsessful actions, ns that fail to meet expectations, and impatience, it is easy to escte into internal warfare.


    From a tree that has been eaten by bugs, picking a fruit that has already over-ripened and rotted, and taking it to a poorly ventted wine cer, putting it in a leaky barrel, fermenting it in the wrong season with the wrong method, and finally brewing a bitter wine called Civil War, which is drunk by human civilization.


    When they first started speaking ill of each other, the seed of that tree had already been nted, and the bitter wine brewed in the end was like a poison that corroded the small boat in the starry sky from the inside out.


    In this war, there were no winners after the guns went off.


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 Chapter 381: Three Detectives (2)

    Chapter 381: Three Detectives (2)


    To prevent this situation from happening, in addition to unraveling theplex grievances and giving each other time to calm down, their emotions must also be released. Only when all emotions are emptied, all energy is consumed, can everyone achieve true peace of mind.


    If not, even if they sit down and talk, it will just turn into another argument. When everyone is angry, even geniuses like Stark and justice like Steve can hardly discuss things objectively. No matter how much they argue, they are just venting their emotions.


    Instead of that, it is better to create an opportunity for them to release their emotions.


    But the problem is that these people are called superheroes precisely because their moral standards are indeed extraordinary. Even if you ask them to fight each other, they will never agree.


    The first thing to solve is the issue of venue. If these superhumans fight in New York, it will definitely cause city destruction and cmity. Even if they are arguing with each other, they will not resort to violence. Therefore, Schiller took the initiative to go to the Hive home with Jacqueline. He knew that Stark and Steve would not sit idly by and would surelye looking for him. There are many ces to fight in space, but who knew that the Hive home was a feng shui treasurend?


    Of course, even if there is a suitable venue, it is difficult for these well-controlled superheroes to really fight each other. They are all adults. Even if they are holding back their anger, they will not express it openly, let alone beat their teammates for it.


    At this time, rainwater mixed with the Dionysian factor can effectively provoke their emotions. Thates from the most primitive chaos and madness in another world, and any insane existence with a character not higher than Joker will be affected by it.


    Afterwards, to make the scene bigger, the Yellow Lantern Hulk who enteredter was a stick that stirred up trouble. The symbiotes who originally wanted to board the spaceship but were persuaded by Schiller to stay also did the same. As for Connors, he just wanted to punch Stark and this was a perfect opportunity.


    In this way, the superheroes vented their emotions. The Hive, who nned to counterattack Earth, died in the star evolution, Hulk released his anger, and everything became much quieter afterwards. Connors gave Stark a punch and fulfilled his wish. Spider-Man and the symbiotes honed their fighting skills in the chaos, Strange reported the revenge of being surrounded and beaten by Iron Man and Captain America, and also experimented with various treasures left by the Supreme Sorcerer during the battle.Iron Man and Captain America thoroughly fought and settled their ounts. All members of the Avengers exhausted all their physical and mental strength, avoiding the urrence of a real civil war.


    Most importantly, Schiller took revenge for his new umbre.


    This is a n full of Gotham style, taking advantage of the situation and achieving multiple goals. Although the process is a bit dark, the result is perfect.


    Only a world where the enemy is injured has been achieved. The Hive home... oh, no, the entire star system where the Hive home is located has beenpletely swallowed by the red giant star evolved by the star. Except for the superhumans picked up by Schiller and the Glorious Fleet that flew away early, there is nothing left in the entire star system.


    In the hall of the Glorious spaceship, everyone is lying on the ground in a mess. They don''t even have the strength to move their fingers.


    In this crazy battle, everyone was an enemy, and each person was in a state of being beaten or surrounded. In the end, Stark''s armor drained thest bit of energy, Steve was so tired that he couldn''t stand up, and couldn''t even hold his shield. Peter''s Spider-Shooter had run out of materials, and even Lizard with super self-healing ability waspletely exhausted.


    Everyone was lying on the ground in the hall, unable to move. Only Schiller, who was still in good condition, stood in the center, holding his arms and patrolling back and forth.


    He first walked to Stark''s side and clicked his tongue twice, saying, "I heard that you used up all the energy of the three energy cores? Looks like you don''t have enough batteries with you."


    Stark struggled to open his face mask manually, letting Schiller see his white eyes. He was so tired that he couldn''t even speak. Operating the armor and machinery at high intensity until the energy was drained, his ever-inspirational brain felt tired for the first time.


    Schiller stepped over Iron Man''s outstretched arm and walked to Steve''s side. Steve was already half-closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep. Schiller hesitated for a moment, but still gave this conscience of the Avengers a break and didn''t mock him.


    Then he crossed over Steve''s calf and came to Peter''s side. Peterwas panting heavily, his Spider-Shooter empty and his suit torn. Schiller grinned and said, "Not bad, Spider-Man. You''ve improved a lot since thest time we met."


    Peter tried to sit up, but was too tired to even lift his head. He managed to say, "Thanks...I guess."


    Schiller chuckled and patted Peter''s shoulder, then moved on to Lizard. The reptilian creature was lying on his back, panting heavily. Schiller nced at him and said, "You''re not bad either, Dr. Connors. I didn''t expect you to have such strong self-healing abilities."


    Connors grunted in response, too tired to say anything else.


    Schiller finally walked over to Strange, who was lying on his stomach. He kicked him lightly and said, "Hey, Sorcerer Supreme, are you still alive?"


    Strange groaned and slowly lifted his head. He looked up at Schiller with bloodshot eyes and said, "I''m alive. Barely."


    Schiller chuckled and said, "Good. I have a feeling we''ll be seeing each other again soon."


    Strange groaned again and closed his eyes, too tired to respond.


    Schiller stood in the center of the hall, looking down at the exhausted superheroes. He felt a sense of satisfaction. He had achieved his revenge, and at the same time, he had given these superheroes a chance to release their emotions and let off some steam.


    He knew that they would be back to their usual selves soon enough, but for now, they were just a bunch of tired, beat-up individuals lying on the ground.


    Schiller smiled and said to himself, "This was a good day."


    Peter and Venom both snorted coldly and turned their heads in opposite directions, seeming to loathe each other. The symbiotes sitting at the table also looked a little wilted. They rarely engaged in such high-intensitybat, butpared to humans, their stamina was much better, and they were still able to chat at this point.


    "My goodness! I''ve never experienced such a chaotic battle before! Blue Spirit, what about you? Was it like this when you fought Knull?"


    "Of course not." Blue Spirit leaned his head back on the chair and said, "At that time, we were a normal team, and I had teammates. We each had our own roles and moved forward together. But just now..."


    He covered his head with his palm and said, "I still haven''t figured out who I hit and who hit me. I remember several times my magic was a bit off..."


    "You hit me several times!" Red Bee''s voice came from Peter''s mouth. "Boss, I didn''t know you hated me so much. Even when you were thrown away, you still didn''t forget to give me a kick..."


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to." Blue Spirit shrugged, and Thunderbolt immediately exposed him, "You''ve beenining about Red Bee for a long time. If it wasn''t intentional, I can''t figure out how you could urately kick him in the process of flying backwards."


    "But you kicked my head!" Peter said somewhat aggrievedly. "You glued my eyes shut with your slime, and I identally ran into Dr. Connors in front of me!"


    "Don''t make excuses, Peter." Connorsy on the sofa next to them, his eyes closed and his drowsiness evident. "You just wanted to retaliate for the tail that I hit you with before. You''re a grudge-holder."


    "I swear I didn''t!" Peter shouted. He rolled over and tried to get up from the ground, but halfway through, he screamed in pain. "Oh! My back!"


    Hearing Peter''s scream, Steve suddenly woke up. He opened his eyes forcefully and said hoarsely, "Sorry, Peter, I didn''t mean to hit you with my shield. I was trying to deal with Stark''s missile."


    "Are you still ming me?" Stark raised his voice in rebuttal. "I didn''t use my missiles to deal with someone who only knows how to wave a cold weapon shield. I was originally trying to eliminate that huge tentacle."


    "Don''t you all remember? That was our enemy."


    As soon as Stark said this, the whole scene quieted down. Peter hesitated and said, "Um... I did forget. Its tentacles are the same color as the ground, and I couldn''t understand what it was saying."


    "I''ve already transmitted a trantion module to yourbat suit. Did you not open it?" Stark tilted his head forward and looked at Peter. Peter covered his eyes with his arm, saying, "I think I heard a prompt tone, but at that time, I was too focused on fighting and didn''t pay any attention."


    "What did he say then?" Blue Spirit asked.


    "I can understand hisnguage, but the explosion was too loud at the time, and I didn''t hear it clearly."


    "He seemed to be shouting something like ''humans are crazy,'' and then he screamed. There was nothing meaningful."


    "Crazy? I think we really are crazy." Peter turned over andy on the ground, with his chin resting on the ground, muttering unclearly, "I don''t even know where my urge came from. I just wanted to fight."


    "Me too. Actually, I know my mood hasn''t been good recently, but it hasn''t reached this level."


    Stark moved his arms and then hammered his own head with his fist, saying, "I feel like we must have been influenced by something. I rarely have such irrational moments."


    "Do you not know? Hive has the ability to influence others'' minds, otherwise how could he have so many human followers?" Schiller leaned against the wall and spoke up.


    "I found this information in the records of theary lords at the governor''s office, but because that ce has been bombed, no records were left behind."


    "I can be certain that he does have this special ability, maybe he wants you to fight each other."


    "Wait, are you saying that Hive has the ability to influence people''s minds?" Stark frowned and said, "What is the range of this ability? Can it be transmitted remotely? Or do his followers have this ability too?"


    Suddenly, Steve also realized this. He and Stark looked at each other, and Steve slowly got up from the ground. He had regained some strength and stumbled to the sofa, then put his fingers to his forehead and said, "I feel something is off, let''s review everything from the beginning..."


    "Where did this all start?" Steve asked, and Stark continued his words, "During the phone call between T''Cha and me, we found out that he was under attack..."


    "We found that the spear that stabbed T''Cha was coated with an unbreakable poison. Erik shouted ''Hydra,'' and in order to investigate the source of this poison, we started to fight Hydra."


    Steve sighed and said, "Because our styles of action were too different, we split into two groups. You organized the Radiance Alliance, and I organized the Avengers."


    "Then inexplicably, apetition began to see who could deal with Hydra better... My goodness, what was I doing? Was I treating this as a game between little students?" Steve said incredulously.


    "I admit, I wanted to be better than you, so I started thispetition. I don''t think that''s childish, because the winner is Stark." Stark raised his voice and said, "But in the end, you came to me!"


    But he turned his words, and said with some doubt, "But you came to me because your actions weren''t going well. I don''t understand how the whole thing escted so quickly? You encountered difficulties too early, and why did Hydra suddenly be so difficult to deal with?"


    "That''s right, because Hydra became difficult to deal with, so we united again." Steve recalled.


    "Then a mysterious person approached Schiller, and we were led to Hive''s main. In a situation where everyone was angry, a big battle began."


    Suddenly, Stark started to feel a chill down his back. He said, "What if we were influenced not on this, but on Earth..."


    Steve''s movements visibly stiffened, and he said, "Are you saying that this is a plot by Hydra?"


    "That''s right..." Stark became more and more convinced of his reasoning. "This must be Hydra''s plot."


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 Chapter 382: Three Detectives (3)

    Chapter 382: Three Detectives (3)


    "In the beginning, I had some doubts. Why was it so coincidental that T''Cha was attacked while I was on the phone with him? Unless, someone wanted to lead us there," Stark said in a low voice.


    "What''s even more coincidental is that we arrived just as he was attacked, and heard him shout ''Hydra''. Even if Hydra''s people are stupid, they are still a spy organization. No spy organization would send assassins to kill someone and then let witnesses know who did it," he continued.


    Steve furrowed his brow deeply and said, "It does seem suspicious, but it could also be a coincidence. What''s more puzzling to me is that our difficulty in dealing with Hydra has suddenly increased. That''s even more suspicious."


    "They are forcing us to unite because if we''re constantly together, he can better manipte our emotions and make us turn against each other, and eventually start a war."


    At this point, the humans present all felt a chill down their backs. Steve closed his eyes and exhaled, leaning back in his chair as if he had lost all his strength. "Do you know how thest world war started?" he asked.


    Everyone fell silent. Obviously, this was not a question. Anyone could imagine, even if it was written in textbooks, that it looked like a conspiracy.


    "Ordinary wars between people still have room for maneuver, but between us, there is none. Once a war starts, not only New York, but also countries, continents, and even Earth itself could suffer extremely serious damage." Steve showed a sad expression, obviously thinking about something.


    "Hive... Hydra..." Stark closed his eyes slightly, but the part that was exposed contained a sharp light. Despite his tired face, his eyes shone brighter.


    Suddenly, Steve stood up, looked down at his uniform covered in scars and dust, and his shield that had lost its shine due to a great battle. He took a step towards Stark, who was still lying on the ground.Stark''s armor was no longer as shiny as before, and the originally shiny metal was scratched in various ces. Some parts were still emitting smoke, and there was a blood mark on one side of his temple, apparently from when he fell.


    At this moment, the two of them silently looked at each other, feeling absurd in each other''s disheveled appearance.


    Steve wiped his face, looked at his own arms and said, "If this is the result of us fighting each other..."


    He took a deep breath, shook his head, and continued, "I''m d this happened in this state. Both of us are still alive, with all our limbs intact, not bleeding too much, and able to stand up..."


    Steve bent down, as if he wanted to pull Stark up, but Stark turned over and avoided Steve''s shadow in a somewhat embarrassed posture, then slowly got up from the ground and staggered a few steps to stand in front of him.


    When they faced each other, they both saw the same belief and me in each other''s eyes. Stark still looked up with his head held high, and looked at Steve with the lower part of his eyes. "I think I won, but I don''t feel proud at all."


    "We almost turned a into ruins. If I wake up from this dream and see Earth like this..." Stark trembled as he gasped for breath. His voice became urgent, "I don''t even know how to seek revenge for it, because we did it to ourselves."


    "I did my best to prevent this from happening." Steve pursed his lips and said, "There are many people like me who not only did their best, but also gave their lives to prevent this from happening."


    "If they really n to do this..." Stark raised his voice, "Then I will show them with my actions that they have found the wrong people."


    Steve looked into his eyes in silence. Then, Stark raised his smoking arm and paused in mid-air before pounding Steve''s shoulder.


    Both exhausted people fell to the ground.


    The sound of them hitting the ground was dull, like a thunderbolt that suddenly sounded in the endless night and heavy rain.


    Apart from the sound of thunder, there was also a dawn-like light full of hope.


    The projection screen froze at this moment. In Schiller''s mind pce, Schiller, wearing a long ck windbreaker, slowly spoke, "Perhaps this is the difference between your world and Gotham. There are dark nights and rainy nights here, but there are also thunderbolts that pierce the sky and bring light."


    "I often feel that Iron Man and Batman are somewhat simr," Schiller, wearing a white coat, said, but then he shook his head and said, "But Batman doesn''t have Captain America, or even if he does, he will never punch him like Stark just did."


    "I''ve exined my n and that lunatic''s n. Now it''s your turn, isn''t it?" Schiller in the long ck coat turned to himself beside him, Schiller in the whiteb coat, who looked up at the ceiling and said, "What are you talking about? I don''t understand."


    "We are one and the same. Are you still trying to deceive yourself? Or let me be clearer, how was T''Cha attacked?"


    "Of course, it was Hydra''s conspiracy," said Schiller in the white coat,ughing. He paused for a moment and added, "Of course, I provided a little help, really just a little."


    "Why do you want to go after Hydra? Don''t tell me you''re a justice-loving hero who wants to help the Avengers fight their greatest enemy."


    "Of course not. Do you remember when I first went to S.H.I.E.L.D. for psychological counseling?"


    "I remember. All the agents avoided you, but that''s normal. Did you hold a grudge against them because of that?"


    "No, I was happy without theming for therapy. But do you remember? They broke my office''s smoke rm, nearly causing me to get rained on without an umbre."


    The projection screen lit up again in the office of the Arkham Sanatorium, where Schiller was tinkering with a small device, with a manual and a bunch of misceneous parts scattered around him. As he clumsily dismantled the smoke rm device, he muttered to himself, "It looks like someone installed other infrared sensors inside here, allowing them to control the smoke rms in every room at any time..."


    He violently removed one of the parts, looked at it in his hand, but saw nothing, and then threw it on the table, while the smoke rm he was holding hadpletely fallen apart.


    Turning around, Schiller pulled out a box of smoke rms of the same model from under his desk, then threw the broken one into the trash can, where there were already seven or eight smoke rm remains, none of them looking peaceful.


    After disposing of the entire box of smoke rms, Schiller finally arrived at a simple conclusion - someone in S.H.I.E.L.D. could indeed control the smoke rms in every room. The sudden ring and sprinkling of the smoke rms that day was not an ident, but someone was behind it.


    Over the next two days, Schiller''s figure frequented S.H.I.E.L.D., sometimes chatting and smoking with Natasha, sometimes eating in the cafeteria with Coulson, sometimes discussing economics with Nick in his office...


    And on one evening, Schiller returned to the sanatorium and wrote a name on a medical record book - "Grant Ward."


    A few dayster, a series of names were added to the medical record book, with an arrow drawn next to Grant Ward''s name, pointing to John Garrett. And next to John Garrett''s name, another arrow was drawn, pointing to Alexander Pierce.


    "I have no grudge against Pierce. If he wants to be Hydra, then let him. But why did he have to strengthen his control by not even letting the smoke rms go before leaving S.H.I.E.L.D.? He had to set up an additional remote control system to control the rms, and he left this system to Garrett and a remote control to Ward..."


    The Schiller in the white coat shrugged and said, "I know I''m not popr, but that''s not a reason for them to want to drench me like a wet chicken. I didn''t even have an umbre then... Do you remember what you said?"


    The Schiller in the ck coat turned to him, and the two of them shared a knowing smile. He said, "When I don''t have an umbre, no one can make it rain."


    The Schiller in the white coat leaned back in his chair and looked ahead, his tone calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter. "Working at S.H.I.E.L.D. gave me the opportunity to meet Pierce. One day, I visited him and wanted to talk business with him, about Vibranium."


    "At that time, he didn''t know that the new material Molten Steel was about to be born. Except for us, no one knew about this news. After I leaked this information to him, he immediately realized the business opportunity because Molten Steel would rece Vibranium."


    "This means that if the people of Wakanda knew this news, the price of Vibranium would definitely plummet. They would be eager to sell their Vibranium to cash in and resist the impact of the new material."


    "Sure enough, Pierce contacted Erik, the leader of the secondrgest tribe in Wakanda, and sent ue to contact him. But Erik made outrageous demands, which was not surprising. He wanted to make a profit and then shake T''Cha''s rule."


    "At this point, I gave Pierce another suggestion. Instead of using information asymmetry to buy Vibranium in advance, it would be better to support Erik to stir up the situation in Wakanda and manipte it, you know, just like every coup in Africa."


    "In fact, Pierce didn''t need me to remind him of this. But the reason why he didn''t do it immediately was that he was suspicious of Erik''s loyalty. What disappointed me was that he didn''t have strong brainwashing methods himself, and in the end, I had to do it."


    "I used the Madripoor madness to infiltrate Erik''s subconscious and give him suggestions. Of course, he already had a deep malice towards T''Cha, but what I did was to make him say the right things at the right time."


    "That kind of toxin..."


    "You are familiar with it. Didn''t you just take it out of Constantine''s body? ording to Constantine, Curse Spirit is also a rare thing in that world, and no one in this world has seen it."


    After listening, Schiller in the ck coat adjusted his posture and leanedfortably against the back of the chair. He said, "It seems that the three of us havepleted a big task together this time."


    "In terms of the order of action, you wanted to retaliate against Hydra, so you nned the T''Cha assassination, which led to HiveHydra, and broke my umbre. So I nned the alien civil war event. Finally, that lunatic and the rain from another world gave everything a perfect ending."


    Schiller in the white coat leaned forward, picked up a ss from the coffee table in front of him, and poured a ss of wine for himself and the other Schiller.


    Looking from behind the sofa, the two sses clinked together, and the foam from the collision of the wine slowly rose, and the room unfolded like a box.


    A big hand held a green-haired Lego figure and ced it in the center of the room. The Lego person''s head was cylindrical, and its hands were shaped like a C.


    A figure with green hair looked down and smiled at the three identical Lego figures in the box, with only their clothes and hair colors different.


    "We''re really three great detectives, aren''t we?"


    Actually, still three/detectives


    Godly detectives


    Hehe.


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 Chapter 383: Schiller Is Sick (1)

    Chapter 383: Schiller Is Sick (1)


    On the dimly lit balcony on the second floor of the hotel, a tall man in a suit took out a cigarette from his pocket. He leaned against the railing in a rxed posture, but held the cigarette very tightly. He then turned his head slightly to look at the window of the hotel shing with light.


    One of the scenes in the window attracted his attention. He finished the cigarette in his hand without throwing the cigarette butt on the ground. He stuck his thumbnail in the middle of the cigarette butt, tore off the unfinished part and lit it with a lighter.


    When the me was about to burn his fingertips, he threw the cigarette butt with mes to the ground and then stepped on it with his toes to ensure that no fingerprints were left.


    He walked steadily into the hotel, greeted the attendant who came up, then took the elevator and tidied up his suit.


    With a "ding", the elevator doors opened. He walked out, his shoes stepping on the carpet of the guest room floor, making a muffled sound. He walked through the dimly lit hotel corridor and came to room 3103.


    He knocked on the door a few times. There was no response in the room. The man took out a note from the pocket of his suit and slipped it under the door. After a while, the door lock clicked softly. He went in and saw a stern old man.


    "Are you the contact person sent by the doctor?" The old man looked up and down at him and said, "It looks like the kind of person Pierce would find... Come in."


    He turned to walk into the room, but after only two steps, he felt his back being pressed against something. The old man, who had been rampant in the spy world for half his life, immediately realized that it was a silencer pistol.


    He slowly raised his hands and said calmly, "Who are you? Who do you work for? S.H.I.E.L.D. or the KGB?""I work for the doctor."


    "Bang!"


    Watching the old man slowly fall down, Grant dismantled the magazine of the pistol. He put the gun away, put on gloves and searched the old man, taking back the note he had passed through the door crack earlier. Then he turned and left casually.


    Coming out of the hotel door, the night in New York was thick. He went to a phone booth next to a park, dialed a number and said to the other end of the phone, "How have you been recently? Let''s meet at that cafe on the west side of Hell''s Kitchen. "


    A slightly cold murmur came from the other end, "Tomorrow afternoon at 3 o''clock..."


    The next morning, in the cafeteria of the S.H.I.E.L.D. League, Schiller and Stark sat face to face eating breakfast. Stark cut the sausages in the te whileining, "I don''t know what''s going on recently. Many senators have been assassinated. Even if you want to avenge at this time, you have to consider the overall situation!"


    Schiller said nothing, just concentrating on dealing with the food in his te with knife and fork. Stark nced at his actions and said, "What''s wrong with you recently?"


    "What''s wrong?" Schiller asked without looking up.


    "I think you''ve be a little strange," Stark said, pulling the corner of his mouth down. "Like a different person."


    Schiller put half a cherry tomato in his mouth, then looked up at Stark and asked, "How did you find out?"


    Stark opened his mouth as if there were too many things to say and didn''t know where to start. He lowered his head, cut a piece of beef and said while eating, "Let''s talk about clothes first. Except for liking to wear doctor''s uniforms or sweaters, I rarely see you wear suits."


    Stark looked up at Schiller again. Schiller, sitting opposite him, was wearing a dark suit and a checkered tie. He continued, "Although many people in Manhattan, especially near Wall Street, like to wear suits all year round, how did your dressing style suddenly change so much?"


    "What else?" Schiller asked while eating.


    Stark stared at his te and said, "I just wanted to ask why you moved the fried eggs from the left to the right and from the right to the left. Is this some kind of ritual?"


    "Because vegetables should be ced on the left first."


    "So what?"


    "So the fried eggs can only be moved to the right."


    Stark took a deep breath and said, "If you have any dissatisfaction with me, you can just say it directly. My temper has improved a lot recently. I can even tolerate Steve wandering around in front of me..."


    "It''s nothing, just my anxiety disorder acting up." Schiller was still concentrating on eating without looking up. Stark snorted and said, "You can''t fool me with this. I also have anxiety disorder, although I haven''t had an episode for a long time, but I know what it feels like."


    "Panic, hyperventtion, limb stiffness. At the most severe episodes, I have to lean against a wall with one hand holding the other to continue the experiment. I remember you wrote the medical history in my medical record before. Have you forgotten?"


    Schiller suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked at Stark, "Full marks for the answer, but useless."


    With that, he put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and when he was about to stand up, Stark stopped him, "Are you leaving just like that? We haven''t finished talking yet! What''s wrong with you? "


    "Is this really anxiety disorder? I feel like something is not quite right." Stark looked at Schiller''s left tableware in confusion. The leftover food on it was arranged neatly.


    Schiller got up from his chair, turned his head and looked at Stark, "It is indeed anxiety disorder, but only aorbidity. You can also see it as a side effect of my allergy to broli."


    Saying that, he bent over and straightened the crooked fork, then briskly turned and left. Stark stared at Schiller''s retreating back and mumbled to himself, "What''s wrong with him?"


    At this moment, another figure came over. By the time the waiter had cleared Schiller''s te, Steve sat down opposite Stark and said, "Do you mind if I eat here? We might as well discuss the next work of the Avengers."


    Stark turned his head awkwardly but did not object. Steve leaned forward and looked back. He just saw Schiller push the revolving door and leave. He asked, "Have you felt that he has been acting strangely recently, like a different person?"


    "I found out earlier than you, as early as when he said he wanted to move back to his little clinic in Hell''s Kitchen to live," Stark said. "I felt something was wrong."


    Steve frowned while eating and said, "Do you remember ourst guess? Hydra may be influencing the moods of all of us. Do you think he might also be..."


    "Unlikely." Stark speared a piece of potato and put it in his mouth. Then he said, "He is a psychologist and can also read minds. He is not so easy to influence."


    "Have you forgotten?" Steve leaned forward, lowered his voice and said, "He had contact with the hooded Hydra in the sanatorium. Those people are very good at brainwashing. Schiller was with them for some time. We''d better investigate this matter clearly. "


    "How do you n to investigate? Go straight to him?" Stark turned his head and put down his fork, "If he hasn''t been brainwashed, he will only think we are neurotic. If he has been brainwashed, do you think he will admit it?"


    "We need to find a professional." Steve said confidently. Stark raised his eyebrows and looked at him. The two looked at each other and thought of the same person.


    In the afternoon, the light became stronger and the heavy snow covering the streetsst night began to melt. The ground was muddy. When Schiller walked into the cafe, he stomped his feet at the doorstep to shake off the snowkes sticking to his shoes.


    Grant saw him but his face remained unchanged. He just lowered his head and drank coffee. Schiller came over and took the coffee from the waiter, scooping the whipped cream on the surface with a spoon. He said, "Which one is this?"


    "The sixth." Grant nced to the side. Schiller saw his action and said, "I have to admit that even in S.H.I.E.L.D., you are one of the most vignt agents."


    Grant made a low, deep chuckle through his nose and said, "So what? I still ended up in your hands."


    "Don''t worry, I haven''t finished the second half of the sentence yet. Your current vignce and your past naivety form a very obvious contrast. How could you think that you can get out of this line of work one day?"


    Grant pursed his lips andughed self-deprecatingly, "Indeed, how could I expect a despicable and cunning Hydra to keep its promise?"


    Schiller took a sip of coffee and said, "Do you think I really want to choose you? If there were other avable people, I wouldn''t like forcing an ordinary person to be a killer."


    Ordinary person? Grant felt almost absurd. This was the first time he had heard someone call him an ordinary person, even Garrett often praised him for his talent in this regard.


    In the careers of agents and assassins, Grant''s resume could be described as excellent. He started very early. Since being adopted by Garrett, he has been receiving professional agent training day after day. In addition, Garrett taught him many killing skills. The teaching of a senior agent allowed him to surpass the end point of many people at the starting point of this industry.


    If the situation of S.H.I.E.L.D. continued to develop as before, he would likely take over the position of the Hydra leader in S.H.I.E.L.D. at Pierce''s age.


    Mentioning this topic seemed to arouse Schiller''s interest. He continued, "It may sound absurd to you, but many murderers are born, or rather, some born murderers have talents that ordinary people can hardly reach in this regard."


    "For example?" Grant asked, looking at him.


    "Among the cases of antisocial personality disorder and psychotic mental disorders, there is a very small possibility of the appearance of born killers. They are cold-blooded, irritable, and good at controlling others. A case I recently encountered was a teenager much younger than you."


    "Who is that?"


    "You don''t know him, but I''m quite familiar with him. His name is Oswald Copperpot."


    "A little penguin with a sharp beak."


    Grant looked at Schiller with some doubts. He had never heard of this "Oswald Copperpot" before. But Schiller seemed confident in what he said, and his tone revealed a sinister meaning that was difficult to detect.


    Schiller put down the coffee cup and leaned back slightly, "I just want to exin to you that your professional skills are indeed very good, but they are still far from the level of those natural born killers, so I hope you don''t feel too confident about yourself."


    "Since I''m not that capable, why did you choose me?" Grant asked.


    "Because you are easy to control and have certain uses." Schiller''s eyes shed with darkness that was hard to understand. "My little penguin is too unrestrained and difficult tomand at will. You are more obedient and willing topromise to aplish the goal."


    Grant felt chilled, but he didn''t show it. He asked faintly, "What are your goals?"


    Schiller slowly got up from the chair, buttoned his suit and said lightly, "For now, let''s continue our interrupted conversation, Agent Grant. You seem to have a few questions you want to ask me, right?"


    Grant looked up at him, a trace of alertness and doubt shed through his eyes. Schiller nodded gently at him, as if giving him permission, and then walked towards the door of the cafe.


    Grant hesitated for a moment, then got up and hurriedly followed him out. In the cafe, only the table they had sat at was left, with two cups of coffee that had not been drunk, the whipped cream on the surface slowly melting.


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 Chapter 384: Schiller is Sick (2)

    Chapter 384: Schiller is Sick (2)


    "Multiple personality disorder?" In the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Stark and Steve looked at each other and then turned their heads together to look at Charles, who uttered the name of this disease.


    "Tony, I remember telling you before that Schiller is a mentally ill person."


    Steve turned to Stark. Stark touched his nose and said, "I thought that was an adjective, you know, sometimes he''s a little..."


    He sighed and said, "Well, I just knew he was never quite normal, with a kind of..."


    Stark flipped his palms, seemingly struggling to find a word to describe that state. A few secondster, he said, "...try hard to pretend to be an ordinary person, but because the imagination of ordinary life is too scarce, the feeling of overdoing it."


    "It''s not that exaggerated, is it?" Steve thought about it and said, "I think he''s pretty normal."


    "Do you know? Peter still thinks his good doctor is just an ordinary person." Stark shook his head and said, "Even if he''s not mentally ill, he must be a damn liar."


    "I''m more curious, if he really is a patient with dissociative identity disorder, why haven''t we seen other personalitiese out before?" Steve asked Charles.


    "In general, patients with dissociative identity disorder develop other personalities in response to some kind of stimtion. It may also be some kind of stimtion that brings his other personalities to the surface.""Stimtion? What kind of stimtion has he been exposed to recently?" Stark stroked his chin and said, "Although it''s possible that Hydra influenced him, I always feel that''s not the right answer..."


    "Actually, you can try another method." Charles reminded, "Did you forget? Before you asked me to go to yourb to debug the personality analysis module for your AI butler to provide psychological and behavioral support."


    "I have to admit, you have achieved great achievements in AI. I feel like I''m not talking to a machine, but teaching a real person."


    "Jarvis is a good student. He has a natural advantage in learning. His understanding and associative abilities havepletely exceeded the level that an intelligent life should have. He can be said to have mastered it thoroughly."


    "If he had a body, I think it wouldn''t be hard for him to get a few PhDs and even teach at a prestigious university."


    Facing Charles, Stark rarely emphasized his genius. He was just a little surprised to say, "Actually, I just hope he can help me analyze suspicious characters. If he''s really that capable, won''t I have a psychological expert to carry with me?"


    Charles shook his head and said, "In terms of theoretical knowledge level, it can indeed be called an expert. But you have to know that in psychological treatment, empathy is also very important. His understanding of psychology and behaviorism is more based on a rtively rigid logic. In terms of emotion, it has not yet reached this level. So you''d better not count on him to help you solve psychological problems at any time."


    Stark smiled and said, "I remember that some time ago, an unscrupulous doctor extorted me for millions of dors. Now the identities are reversed, and I can let Jarvis treat him..."


    Charles also smiled and said, "I guess the scene would be interesting, but you''d better not have too much hope. Schiller must be aware of his illness, or..."


    Charles showed a strange expression. Stark asked urgently, "What?"


    "ording to my understanding of him, his condition may be beyond Jarvis''s ability to treat."


    "Okay, I was just saying it." Stark said casually, "Anyway, if there''s really a problem, at least there''s Professor Xavier, right?"


    Charles'' expression became even stranger. He paused, sighed, and then said, "In fact, his condition may also be beyond my ability to treat."


    Stark waved his hand. He felt that Charles was being modest. Since knowing Professor X, even Stark had to admit that he was a man of high moral character. His personality was almost wless, powerful, gentle, humble, courteous. You would hardly hear him boast about himself. So Stark thought Charles was just politely modest.


    But soon he realized he was wrong.


    It was another morning. Schiller was standing next to the self-service counter in the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria, picking bread with tongs. He heard the mechanical tter behind him and said without turning his head, "I didn''t know your armor needed to eat until now."


    "Hey, don''t you look back? Look at my armor, just born from the genius Stark''sboratory!" Stark opened his arms. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents around him all turned their heads because Stark''s new armor looked really beautiful.


    The Mark armor worn during the Civil War was scrapped by Stark because the energy was exhausted, the exterior was badly damaged. Now he was wearing a brand new Mark armor, so it was very shiny because it just came off the assembly line.


    Natasha happened to pass by and whistled at Stark. Stark immediately turned around and pointed at her with his arm, indicating that she had good eyesight. The surrounding agents began to cheer. Stark flew up with a swoosh. The cheers became more enthusiastic. He waved his arms like a big star.


    Schiller took the bread, took a small piece of cheese, then took the beef cake and lettuce, and walked to the table without turning his head.


    When the crowd dispersed, Starknded. His vision appeared blue analysis panels. He asked, "How is it, Jarvis? Have you analyzed it?"


    "Insufficient behavioral data, need to continue collecting data."


    "Okay..." Stark turned around to get his meal. After taking it, he sat across from Schiller again. With a "ka-cha" sound, the facete rose. Schiller looked up at him and said, "You said yesterday that your anxiety disorder hadn''t urred. Why are you wearing armor to eat today? "


    "Is there necessarily a connection?" Stark asked puzzled.


    "Of course, you used to like wearing armor all the time, precisely because anxiety disorder brought you terror and anxiety. You took mechanical weapons as a kind of spiritual sustenance, which is a way to alleviate anxiety."


    "Uh...not this time." Stark denied. But when he mentioned anxiety disorder, he thought of some other things. As he ate, he asked, "Speaking of which, how did my anxiety disorder get better? I don''t remember when it started to improve."


    "If you need it, I can send you the medical records he wrote. Although I always thought he was too verbose in his analysis of the causes, exining it to an outsider should be enough," Schiller said, wiping his sleeve as he spoke.


    "Him?" Stark stared at Schiller and asked, "Who are you referring to?"


    "My other personality, who else? Shouldn''t you and Steve Rogers go find Professor X overnight? And then he''ll tell you that I''m a multiple personality disorder patient."


    "It seems that although your personalities are different, the ability to read minds is shared."


    "This is not mind reading, it''s just psychology."


    Stark noticed that the tone and facial expressions of the person who imed to be Schiller''s other personality were different from those of the Schiller he knew. His voice sounded colder, his tone was lower, and his facial expressions were less varied. Stark stared at him for a while and noticed that the rhythm of his blinking waspletely unchanged.


    Then he looked down at Schiller''s te and saw that after he had finished messing around with scrambled eggs yesterday, he had started messing around with the beef patty today, moving it from left to right and then from right to left, and finally putting it aside with some disdain.


    "Don''t you want to eat it?" Stark asked with a frown.


    Schiller shook his head, and Stark asked, "Then why did you take it?"


    "Because there are no more scrambled eggs."


    "Why do you have to take a beef patty when there are no more scrambled eggs? And why don''t you eat it, just move it around?"


    Schiller pursed his lips and showed an impatient expression, as if he could notmunicate with Stark at all. He said, "Because I need a circr object, got it?"


    Stark didn''t really understand, but he understood one thing: this personality definitely had a problem.


    "Do you know?" Schiller said as he ate, "Where Ie from, no one cares about these details. You look at me like I''m crazy, but in fact I''m a normal person, just not used to your society."


    "Where do youe from?" Stark became more and more puzzled. He had never encountered such a strange mental patient before, so he asked curiously, "So what is your identity? Do you share memories? Can youmunicate?"


    "Why don''t you ask that AI that was about to tell you the results?" Schiller said without looking up.


    At this point, Jarvis''s voice rang in Stark''s ear, but it was not the usual data broadcast he often heard, but a hesitant voice: "Sir, I suspect there is a problem with my behavioral analysis data..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I have specific analysis data, but it doesn''t look like the data that should be obtained."


    Stark spread some soft cheese on bread and said, "Don''t worry, this system still needs some debugging, so it''s normal to have problems. Just tell me the data."


    "Behavioral logic analysis isplete. Autism spectrum disorder may be 58%, anti-social personality disorder may be 22%, Asperger''s syndrome may be about 11%, otherprehensive diseases may be about 9%, and most importantly, the behavioral logic of Dr. Schiller on record ispletely inconsistent with the data obtained..."


    Looking at the medical terms he had never seen before, Stark was not surprised. At this point, Jarvis said, "I think there is a problem with the data analyzed by this system..."


    "From the data analysis, I cannot determine which is the main personality upying Dr. Schiller. This is not consistent with the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder. Regardless of which of the two personalities that has appeared is a possible secondary personality, they both behave tooplete and independent."


    Jarvis tried to exin the relevant knowledge to Stark, who listened carefully and basically understood it. He summed up, "So what you mean is that based on the behavior of these two personalities, it is impossible to determine which one is the dominant personality upying the body. This is not like multiple personality disorder, but more like two souls living in one body?"


    "Wait..." Stark narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you remember what Steve told us before? If one day he bes a stranger, we cannot rule out the possibility that he has be Hydra..."


    As he spoke, Stark pretended to casually raise his eyes and wanted to observe Schiller. He happened to see the familiar eyes on the opposite side, also looking at him with a slightly cold gaze.


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 Chapter 385: Schiller is Sick (3)

    Chapter 385: Schiller is Sick (3)


    As the sun set, the New York coastline was covered in the glow of the sunset, like a golden snowfall from the night before. Not far from the shore, a luxury yacht slowly set sail.


    From the exterior, it was clear that this was a luxurious yacht. As the light gradually faded, the cabin lit up with brilliant light, and those aboard the yacht quietly enjoyed the uing night.


    On the second deck of the yacht, at a table on the terrace of a golden-positioned restaurant, two men in suits sat at the edge of the table. Grant was absent-mindedly ying with the food on his te, while Schiller had finished his meal and was leaning back in his chair, blowing in the sea breeze and watching the sunset.


    After a while, Schiller stood up. Grant didn''t say anything and followed him. Schiller quickly walked through the restaurant, past the crowded dance floor, and through the elegantly dressed gentlemen anddies, and the hazy light reflected in the exquisite ssware.


    He arrived in the corridor of the yacht''s cabin. After standing in front of a door, he knocked. Schiller''s voice and the sound of the door opening sounded at the same time. He said, "At the moment you see me, you''ll think you''ve been discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D., but on the contrary, Nick traced you, but I covered it up for you, Alexander Pierce."


    A man with half-white hair appeared behind the door. After hearing Schiller''s words, he was slightly stunned, but seeing Grant Ward standing outside the door and the gun he was already holding, he knew he had no choice.


    In an instant, Pierce seemed to have aged several years, no longer possessing the confidence he had when he sat on the Security Council. He took a few steps back, allowing Schiller to enter.


    Schiller looked around the room and said, "I know you''re going to tell me that ''the most dangerous ce is the safest ce,'' but actually it''s because you don''t want to suffer in those dark and damp underground bunkers. You describe hiding on a yacht as your foresight and strategic thinking."


    "You know that when you used to do this, you did it with a sense of luck. Every time you survived, you would remind yourself to try a different way next time. But after so many years, you still only have this one trick, Pierce. Why can you and I both live to this day? We both know."Pierce''s face became extremely ugly. He had never heard such sharp words that directly hit his innermost thoughts. Agents liked to be straightforward and didn''t like to waste time, but they also didn''t like to pry into others'' hearts and seldom brought up this topic in conversation.


    But the psychologist in front of him seemed to have no such concerns, which also meant that he was not a good person.


    Pierce quickly adjusted his state of mind. He knew that a battle was waiting for him next. If Schiller had just opened the door and shot him, it meant that they still had something to discuss.


    At the same time, in the same night, Stark took off his armor and was looking at a book in front of the experimental table. He was rubbing his chin with his fingers and shook his head, saying, "If I hadn''t memorized all those messy game theory theories overnight, I probably wouldn''t have the patience to sit here and read these books rted to mental illness and psychology."


    "Sir, I suggest you not get too involved in it. People tend to bring psychological and psychiatric cases into themselves, which can affect your emotions."


    "It seems that your level is much stronger than mine now, but I want to say that I will soon catch up with you, Jarvis." Stark didn''t take it seriously.


    "I was not interested in this kind of thing at all, but Schiller''s performance today made me doubt. Just like the conclusion you drew, he seems to havepletely changed, and it doesn''t seem to be exined by multiple personalities. And you say his body is fine, his veins and nerve structures arepletely consistent in the scan."


    "If he really is sick, then I will find a way to cure him. If he has been reced by Hydra, then I will expose this conspiracy and rescue him. Just think about how exciting his expression will be. Ha ha!"


    Starkughed twice and continued to read, but as he read, his face changed a bit. He held the book page between his two fingers and flipped it back and forth. He hesitated and asked, "Jarvis, have you studied about anxiety disorders?"


    "Yes, I have more detailed information here, would you like to hear it?"


    "No, that''s okay." Stark immediately replied. He bit the inside of his lower lip, shook his neck gently, straightened his spine, and then spoke faster, "I''m fine now. If you had learned this earlier, maybe I wouldn''t have beenso reckless in the past. But now, I''m going to focus on Schiller''s case and find a way to help him. Let''s get to work!"


    Stark closed the book and walked over to hisputer. He began to type away, searching for information on anxiety disorders and their treatments. He was determined to help Schiller, no matter what it takes.


    Stark is reading a book andmenting on the symptoms listed on it, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipr disorder. He mentions a person he knows who exhibits these symptoms.


    The next day, at the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria, Stark observes Steve''s behavior and realizes that he is exhibiting signs of anxiety, such as tense muscles and defensive bodynguage. Stark reflects on his own experiences with mental health and wonders if he shows simr symptoms when he sees a therapist.


    The conversation then turns to a discussion of a mutual friend who may have harmed innocent people in the past due to being brainwashed by Hydra. Steve defends his friend and the two have a tense exchange.


    Throughout the conversation, Stark is observant of Steve''s behavior and his own mental health struggles.Suddenly, he had a feeling of being both amused and helpless. He seemed to understand the absurd and helpless feeling Schiller had when he asked him for the first time if he had telepathy.


    Stark suddenly realized that if he spoke the words hovering in his mouth, it would probably trigger Steve and plunge him into even more extreme anxiety, like a sword piercing his soft spot. This would be more painful than being hit by hundreds or thousands of missiles, but in the end, Stark still didn''t speak.


    He changed the topic and said, "Let''s talk about the Avengers'' work. How should we target Hydra next?"


    Steve took a big bite of his sandwich, chewed it vigorously, and swallowed it down. He seemed to be in a state of not knowing what to do, so he focused all his energy on a simple matter, making himself look busy.


    "You said before that the assassination of the officer may be rted to Hydra?" Steve asked.


    "Yes, I don''t think it''s just a coincidence that so many assassinations urred while we were giving Hydra a pounding."


    "Then let''s start from here. Any murder will leave clues, and if we find out who the killer is, we may be able to figure out the reason for these changes in Hydra."


    Stark noticed that Steve''s nervousness had eased a bit after he entered the area he was good at. He leaned his elbow wider, held the sandwich lower, and showed his face.


    He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Schiller about the armor, and had a strange feeling, as if it were just like this moment.


    "Also, do you remember telling me before that if someone suddenly bes a little strange, we can''t rule out the possibility that they have been reced by Hydra?"


    "Yesterday, I analyzed Schiller''s behavior logic with Jarvis, and Jarvis''s data told me that his behavior ovep with the old Dr. Schiller that we knew is very low."


    Steve shook his head, which surprised Stark. Then he heard Steve say, "If he was really reced, the ovep would not be so low. He must have disguised himself to look very simr to the original Dr. Schiller, with only some subtle differences."


    "It''s impossible for him to bepletely different, like someone else entirely. That would be telling us that he has been reced, wouldn''t it?"


    "What if they predicted our prediction?"


    "Then Hydra has already ruled the world."


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 Chapter 386: Heroes Are Also Mortals

Chapter 386: Heroes Are Also Mortals


    Text

 Chapter 387-388 "Schillers Bad Luck?"

Chapter 387-388 "Schillers Bad Luck?"


    Text

 Chapter 389: Bizarre Stitching (1)

    Chapter 389: Bizarre Stitching (1)


    In Stark''s field of vision, Schiller, dressed in a doctor''s uniform, slowly walked up several steps and arrived at the center of the empty space in front of the door. When he opened his arms, the light from the top of the high tower shone on him, withyer uponyer of floors and stairs behind him, seemingly endless.


    "Wee to my thinking pce," Schiller said, and then lowered his head and said, "Regardless of when or where, those who are different from ordinary people are called patients."


    "But when you are unable to gain an advantage in a group using ordinary methods, then being the sickest person is the only way to break free from this mediocre and dull life."


    They heard Schiller''s tone be more intense.


    "If you can''t cure this madness, turn it into an iparable power and abandon conformity with ordinary people..."


    "Be a fearless, insane patient."


    Although Charles had already seen such a scene, he was still amazed by the unique temperament emanating from Schiller at this moment.


    The world''s most powerful mind reader was very clear that a person''s mental world was his greatest charm, and he had never seen anyone like Schiller, who had such a unique and irresistible charm in his spiritual world.


    Stark and Steve were silent. Now they finally understood why Charles said Schiller couldn''t be cured, or rather, he didn''t need to be cured.If a person can have such a magnificent spiritual world and only appear slightly different from ordinary people on the surface, then no one has the right to treat him as a patient, and no one is qualified to treat him.


    Just as Stark was about to speak, he heard a "click" sound from behind him. He turned his head and saw arge lock hanging on the door that Schiller had closed.


    "I don''t like guests who leave without saying goodbye, especially someone who speaks of curing me," Schiller smiled and said. "Since you havee to my house as guests, how can I not find something to entertain you?"


    Steve also looked back at the lock and said, "Do you n to lock us up here? Is that your idea of entertainment?"


    "No, why would I use a lock to entertain others? That''s just to prevent you from leaving too early. After all, there are not many visitors here. When guestse, they should stay a little longer."


    Stark had a bad feeling. He found that he had been having more and more of these bad feelingstely, and they all came true. Just as this feeling arose in his heart, he heard Schiller calmly say in an excited tone:


    "I really want to guide you, but since you are so confident, free exploration should not be too difficult for you."


    "You can go up the stairs on your left, and then each of you can choose a room. Any room may have a key, and you cannot leave here without obtaining a key."


    "Now..." Schiller raised his head, raised his voice, and said in a slightly excited tone, "The game begins!"


    In an instant, Schiller''s figure disappeared. Stark tilted his head and looked at Charles. Professor Charles understood what he meant and shook his head, saying, "No, I cannot forcibly take you out of here."


    "If it were just me, I could try to do it, but Steve, and you, you are both normal in terms of mental strength. I''m afraid you cannot ept a too violent way of teleportation."


    "Okay." Stark hugged his arms and looked up at the situation on the high tower. He said, "I want to see what''s here."


    The three of them walked up the staircase that Schiller had mentioned, and their eye-opening tour had just begun.


    As soon as they arrived on the t corridor, they saw countless figures shuttling back and forth.


    Stark had just taken two steps forward when he saw Schiller walking towards him. Stark wanted to speak, but this Schiller brushed past him. Stark turned to look at his back, and another Schiller hurriedly walked past his left shoulder.


    "Sorry! Excuse me!" The Schiller rushed past him, and Stark wanted to stop him, but another Schiller knocked him in a circle.


    Just now, thest person to pass by was Schiller, who seemed to be in a teenage state. When Steve turned his head curiously to look at him, he saw a child running past.


    In the corridor opposite the courtyard, there was also Schiller making a phone call, and Schiller had just walked out of the door. Stark held his neck and said after a while, "I really underestimated how crazy he is."


    "Don''t tell me all these are his personalities?" Steve asked, looking at the scene on the opposite corridor, hesitating, "Is there really a need for treatment?"


    Charles sighed and said, "This is what I said before, I cannot treat Schiller."


    He exined, "Most patients with dissociative identity disorder are triggered by some kind of stimulus. After being stimted, their original personality cannot withstand this kind of stimulus, so a new personality is created to rece them to deal with something they cannot bear."


    "Of course, some people may split into multiple personalities at once, or they may split into multiple personalities due to repeated stimuli."


    "But the more split personalities there are, the more oppressed the main personality will be. The proportion of his consciousness will decrease, which will cause him to control his body for a shorter and shorter time, while losing consciousness for a longer and longer time."


    "This will seriously affect the patient''s normal life. Therefore, the main personality may have a great malice towards other personalities and refuse to ept them, which will cause the situation of separation to be more and more serious."


    "And when the main personality has malice towards other personalities, the other personalities will also be more and more uncontroble, and may even do things that harm the main personality. If not intervened, it will eventually evolve into a struggle between personalities."


    Charles also walked to the railing and looked at the passing figures on the opposite corridor. He said, "I don''t know if you have ever fantasized about creating a new personality to rece yourself toplete some troublesome things."


    Steve smiled and said, "Yes, when I was still a cartoonist, I fantasized about how great it would be to have another me to do the inking for me?"...


    "Many people regard multiple personalities as a ''convenient'' disease. They believe that having personalities with different abilities and identities can help them gain more abilities."


    "So they can avoid things they don''t want to do and throw those things to their other personalities. But in fact, this is impossible."


    "If not intervened and treated, it will eventually evolve into a situation where personalities kill each other."


    "So..." Stark looked at the towering tower with countless floors and asked himself, "How did he do it?"


    "It is not difficult to split personalities. Anyone who has a strong control over his own consciousness can do it, including you and me, Tony."


    "But the difficult part is how to make these personalities coexist peacefully and perform their respective duties. This is almost impossible."


    "Any personality that is born will not feel like a secondary personality. They will all want control of the body, and they will naturally want to kill the main personality."


    "So where is Schiller''s main personality?" Steve asked.


    "I''m afraid we have to go deep into this tower to find out." Charles turned around and said, "I have been here several times, but I must remind you that this is definitely a very dangerous ce."


    "Among the dissociative identity disorder patients I have seen, one or several of their personalities will be dangerous."


    "Among so many personalities, there must be several extreme criminals." Charles said, and turned around to exin to Stark and Steve, "I don''t know if you have ever had nightmares. If you are injured in this world, it is equivalent to having a very serious nightmare. It will not kill you, but it will damage your spirit. It may take several days to recover."


    "So, if you really encounter an uncontroble danger, concentrate your attention and silently recite my name. I can forcibly bring you back here."


    "Although this will also consume some of your spirit, at least it will not make you lie in bed for several days."


    "Thank you, Professor." Stark looked at the situation on the corridor and said, "Just now, Schiller said for us to choose a room each. Does that mean only one person can enter a room?"


    "I think it''s better to do as he says for safety." Steve touched his chin and said, "It seems that we have to act separately."


    "Which floor are you going to?" Stark asked him. Steve shrugged and said, "You go first, I can go anywhere."


    Stark snorted and said, "You better not underestimate it. Your mental strength is only that of an ordinary person, and you don''t have strong control over the world of consciousness. You should choose a simpler room, otherwise..."


    Steve turned his head left and right, and his gaze fell on the closest door to him. He said, "Then this one."


    He walked up and looked at the door. There was nonamete or any indication of what might be inside. He hesitated for a moment before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.


    Inside, he found himself in a small room with no windows and only one door. The walls were bare and the floor was made of cold concrete. There was a single bed in the corner, and a small table with a chair next to it. On the table, there was a notebook and a pen.


    Steve walked over to the table and picked up the notebook. Flipping through it, he saw that it was filled with handwriting, but he couldn''t make out what it said. He put the notebook back down and sat on the bed, trying to calm his nerves and prepare himself for whatever mighte next.


    As he sat there, he couldn''t help but wonder what was happening to his friends in the other rooms. He hoped that they were safe and that they would all make it out of this ce alive.


    But for now, all he could do was wait and hope that he would be able to control his own mind and not fall prey to any of the dangers that lurked within this tower of dissociative identities.


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 Chapter 390: Bizarre Stitching (2)

    Chapter 390: Bizarre Stitching (2)


    With a "click," the doorknob turned and as Stark stepped inside, he was momentarily disoriented. When he regained his senses, he found himself sitting in a small boat, holding an oar, with rippling waves all around him.


    Stark looked down at his hands and was surprised to see that the deep grooves and lines that had marked his skin were gone, reced by smooth, unblemished skin that looked like it belonged to a child.


    He looked down and saw that he was wearing a ck robe that was a bit too big for him. When he stood up, he realized that he had been transformed into a child of about 10 years old.


    "What are you doing? Sit down and row!" a voice behind him called out. Stark turned around and saw another child dressed like him waving at him.


    "Row? Why do we have to row?" Stark asked.


    The student behind him sighed and said, "Can''t you see the castle in front of us? That''s our school, and we have to row there!"


    "School?" Stark turned around and was stunned by what he saw.


    Theke shimmered with the reflection of the castle''s lights. Looking up, he saw a magnificent castle towering in the distance, its image reflected in the moonlit water like a g fluttering in the wind at the entrance to a magical world.


    Stark stared at the castle, the light shining in his brown eyes, reigniting the me of his childhood dreams."It''s beautiful, isn''t it?" the student behind him eximed. "I''ve dreamed of it several times since I received my eptance letter."


    Stark sat down and began rowing the boat until it reached the shore. Many children dressed in ck robes like him were herded off the boat like ducks and led up the steps by a tall figure.


    As he stepped into the magnificent hall, Stark looked up and saw the endless starry sky and floating candles. All the children were staring up in awe at the wondrous and beautiful sight.


    Then, a person dressed in ck robes like them, but who looked like a teacher, walked over and shouted, "Line up! Be careful! Don''t bump into anyone!"


    Stark was pushed into the crowd and followed their movements, walking in the front row because he had gotten off the boat early. He could see the male teacher who was organizing the line.


    He was wearing a loose ck robe, round sses, and a Thunderbolt-shaped scar on his forehead. Stark heard someone call him "Professor" and felt a little strange because the teacher looked very young and didn''t seem old enough to be a professor.


    He wanted to ask, but at that moment, the person sitting in the main seat at the front of the hall tapped a spoon against a ss, and Stark looked up, his eyes dazzled by the candlelight.


    He heard people whispering next to him, "Is that the headmaster? He looks so young."


    "Yeah, I heard he used to be a professor of herbology and just became the new headmaster."


    "Shh, be quiet. The sorting ceremony is about to begin!"


    "Sorting ceremony? What''s that?" Stark turned to the person next to him, and the student blinked and said, "Are your parents Muggles too? But surely you read the instructions on the eptance letter?"


    "This school has four houses, and the Sorting Hat will decide which house you will be in. I really want to be in Gryffindor. What about you?"


    "Four houses? What''s the difference between them?"


    "Well, I''m not sure, but I heard Gryffindor is the best house. Many famous wizardse from there, and their representative animal is a lion. I really like lions..."


    Stark listened as the student chattered on about the four houses, turning his head to look around at the detailed and realistic surroundings. If this was a dream, it was a beautiful one. He looked at his palms, which were unmarked by the passage of time, and felt the vitality of youth pulsing through his veins.


    What was he doing at this age?


    Stark wondered. He was certainly not attending a boarding school with these children. He remembered spending his childhood in Howard''sboratory, tinkering with mechanical parts, taking apart toys, and putting them back together.


    As he thought about this, he heard the young male teacher standing next to a seat, calling out names from a list. Whenever a name was called, a student in a ck robe would rush up and sit in the chair.


    The teacher would then ce a hat on their head, and to Stark''s surprise, the hat would speak.


    Well, this was a dream, and anything could happen in a dream, right? Just as he was thinking this, he heard the hat suddenly shout out, "Hufflepuff!"


    Stark was startled by the sharp voice, and many students below also whispered, seemingly discussing.


    After listening for a while, Stark found that they seemed to be calling names by surname, and it would be a while before it was his turn, as surnames starting with S should be towards the back.


    But there weren''t many students waiting in the entire auditorium, so it was soon Stark''s turn. He heard the male teacher standing in front of him shout his full name: "Anthony Stark!"


    Stark curiously walked up and sat in the chair. In the moment the dusty hat fell on his head, he felt an electric shock-like sensation.


    "Oh... oh..."


    He heard a voice with a dramatic tone and a slightly funny ent in his mind: "Another genius-like brain, let me see..."


    "Hey, wait!... What is this? What is this again? My goodness! What have you filled your brain with?!!!"


    "...Little Tony, do you know? The teacher standing next to you used to be a proud member of the magic department, and an elite one at that. If I scream, he will immediately grab you!"


    "Look at what''s in your brain!" The sorting hat suddenly raised its voice: "It''s filled with all sorts of Muggle knowledge! Too much... My goodness, was your brain made by a machine? Do you need some lubricant?"


    "Why do you talk so much?" Stark asked in his mind.


    The sorting hat fell silent, seemingly not having encountered such a straightforward student before. After a while, it said, "Which house do you want to go to?"


    Stark was about to speak when he heard the hat speak on its own: "If I don''t sort you into Ravenw, it would be a disgrace to my name. But in fact, I also saw the courage of Gryffindor and the kindness of Hufflepuff in your heart. Where do you want to go?"


    Stark hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard that Gryffindor is the best house, is that true?"


    "No, no, no, it''s just the most famous house. The houses in this school are not good or bad, only whether they are suitable for you."


    "Do you think Ravenw is very suitable for me?"


    "The founder of that house once said, ''Wit beyond measure is man''s greatest treasure.''"


    "I choose Ravenw," Stark said without hesitation.


    "Okay!" The sorting hat raised its voice again, but this time, it didn''t directly shout out the name, but gave a long attributive sentence:


    "A lucky house will once again wee an extraordinary genius, and that is..."


    Everyone below cheered, shouting the name of their own house, seemingly looking forward to the arrival of the next celebrity. At this time, the sorting hat shouted loudly, "Wisdom belongs to Ravenw!"


    When Stark got off the chair and walked back to his seat, the male teacher standing next to him smiled at him. When he returned to his seat, the senior students greeted him and said, "You will like it here. We have the bestmon room and library, as well as the best brains."


    The candlelight began to flicker, and the lively atmosphere continued. In the magnificent hall, there was constantughter and joy. When Stark felt a little tired, they finally returned to theirmon room under the guidance of the senior students.


    Stark had never attended a boarding school like this before, but he had heard rumors about Catholic boarding schools. He thought this would be a school with very strict management, where everyone would do things ording to the Bible. But soon, he found that the magic of this school was far beyond that.


    "This is the door to themon room. I think you all saw it. Did you see the doorknob? It is our guardian. You must answer the question it asks you before you can enter themon room."


    The senior sister standing at the front said, "The sorting hat has recognized your wisdom, but every year there are many fools who are locked out because they can''t answer the question. I don''t think you want to be one of them."


    "Today, I will demonstrate it first, and then you will do it yourself in the future."


    When Stark heard the doorknob speak, he didn''t feel too shocked. He convinced himself to ept all the unreasonable things here with the reason that "this is a dream."


    Putting aside these things, he found it quite interesting. After all, it''s not often that you answer a doorknob''s question with a straight face.


    Walking into themon room, Stark was surprised by its magnificence. It wasn''t that he had no experience, but he had never seen this kind of style before. It was more like a scene that would appear in a novel or movie.


    Blue silk slid down from the walls, rows of bookshelves were ced against the walls, and therge arched floor-to-ceiling windows let moonlight spill onto the blue carpet, making everything look wonderful and beautiful.


    In this way, Stark dreamed a dream in his dream, going to school, attending sses, and doing homework like an ordinary person. These things, which were originally boring and a waste of time in his imagination, became wonderful after being influenced by the style of this school.


    When the morning light shone in his dormitory, Stark sat up from the bed and felt a long-lost rxation. His somewhat monotonous childhood had gained some different memories, although he was very clear that this was just a dream. But a long-lost beautiful dream still made people feel happy.


    Unfortunately, this happy mood onlysted until the beginning of the first ss. Stark heard the teacher on the stage say:


    "As we all know, the first ss of the school year is the spell ss, where you will learn how to use your wand to cast spells. Of course, in the first year, we will only learn the simplest spells."


    "You have seven years to slowly learn the powerful magic that has been passed down through the ages."


    "So now, take out your wands..."


    Stark was stunned in front of his desk.


    Wand?


    Magic???


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 Chapter 391: Outrageous Stitching (2)

    Chapter 391: Outrageous Stitching (2)


    Stark had a very rational attitude towards magic. He believed that it was a power that could be harnessed and if someone devoted their lifetime to studying it and used it to its fullest potential, then that person would still be an admirable schr.


    However, this did not mean that he wanted to learn magic himself. Despite having already witnessed the convenience of magic from Strange and experiencing the power of the magic energy core himself, Stark still believed that it was not an ability that could be systematically learned.


    The magic he hade into contact with, which was the kind that Strange used, was filled with too many mystical terms and ambiguous implications. The learning method was not even at the level of guidance through demonstration. Even the master was not responsible for guiding their students through every step of their practice. It was all up to the individual.


    Stark preferred to have everything be precise to the extent that they could be precise. He wanted there to be a clear cause and effect and for input and output to have a quantifiable value, rather than just relying on "your aptitude."


    Therefore, when he heard the words "magic" and "wand," he knew that he hade to the wrong ce.


    A school for learning magic? Stark could not imagine it, because in his view, a school was a ce for systematically teaching knowledge, and a subject that did not have any systematic educational n should not be taught in school. It waspletely misleading.


    Stark stood there for a while lost in thought, while the other students took out their wands. The teacher looked at Stark standing there nkly, shook his head helplessly, cleared his throat, and then lightly tapped the wand in his hand.


    A small spark blossomed in front of Stark, bringing him back to reality. He reached into the pocket of his clothes and felt around, then took out a small wooden stick and held it in his hand.


    He had discovered this thing sincest night, but he had no idea that it was actually a casting tool.See, this is how magic is. It''s really absurd, Stark thought as he looked at the stick in his hand.


    But what the teacher taught next was a bit unexpected for him. Stark did not hear any ambiguous terms like "perception," "induction," munication," "destiny," etc. Instead, he heard the teacher say, "First of all, I want to remind you of your grip on the wand. Some people like to hold the wand with their index finger and thumb, which is what the vast majority of wizards prefer to do, but there are also some people who are more special and like to hold the wand with their index and middle fingers or with their middle and ring fingers. This is also fine, it''s up to you."


    "But undoubtedly, you need to find afortable posture to hold it. What you need to pay attention to when waving the wand is not to swing your arm too much, but to use the skill of your wrist."


    "This is also the key point of this ss on levitation. The basic casting action is ''a wave and a flick''..."


    "First, we''ll practice waving the wand, and then we''ll add the incantation. Now follow me and do it together, wave, flick, wave...flick..."


    Stark turned his head left and right and saw that the others had already started to move. He quickly picked up his wand and followed along.


    For a normal 10-year-old child, this action was not too difficult, let alone Stark, who had the wisdom of an adult. He quickly did it well and even received praise from the teacher.


    When the teacher said, "Antony did a good job, let him demonstrate it for everyone," Stark nodded reservedly and said, "Thank you, just call me Tony."


    He lifted his wrist and waved the wand, drawing a beautiful arc in the air. The teacher apuded, and the others looked at him enviously.


    After doing all of this, Tony was stunned again. What was he doing? Why was hepeting with these kids? What was the point of all this?


    However, it has to be admitted that this is apletely new field for him. Stark''s absolute confidence surged again in his heart. He believed that as long as it can be systematically learned, there is absolutely nothing that he cannot learn.


    ¡°Next, we''re going to talk about the spell part. Follow me and say, ''Wingardium Leviosa!''"


    After one ss ended, Stark was still waving his wand. He had sessfully made feathers float, but he felt he could do better. After the teacher announced the end of ss, a ssmate pulled him, and he realized it.


    Stark suppressed his excitement. When a new field is presented to him, he will study it tirelessly. But obviously, there is still the next ss to attend, and more magical things waiting for him to witness.


    The teacher for the second ss was familiar. He was the male teacher who received them on the day of sorting. He pushed his sses and said, "I am the professor of Dark Arts Defense ss. This is a subject that teaches you how to defend against dangerous dark magic. Let''s start the ss."


    "Dark Arts Defense has a long history. Many evil dark wizards have used powerful dark magic to harm the safety of the wizarding world. Today, I''m going to tell you about a dangerous person I''ve personally dealt with. He is known as the strongest dark wizard in history..."


    The students were all interested and listened attentively. Stark listened to a lot of stories, but unfortunately, he didn''t learn any new spells.


    After hastily eating lunch in the auditorium, the first ss of the afternoon was called Flying ss. Stark was very excited when he heard the name. Of course, he had to learn how to fly when studying magic.


    Then, when he saw a row of brooms lying on the ground, he was stunned.


    "Now, stretch out your hand and shout ''Up!'' at it!"


    The students all stretched out their hands and shouted at the broom. Stark hesitated and stood still. He had a bad feeling, but at this moment, the Flying ss teacher''s gaze had already swept over. Stark had to slowly stretch out his hand and shout, "Up!"


    With a bang, the broom, as if seeing a long-lost rtive, directly hit Stark''s face, causing him to stagger a few steps and fall to the ground.


    The students around him widened their eyes. The Flying ss teacher said, "It looks like we have another talented Quidditch yer. Your coordination with the broom is very good."


    Stark covered his eyes, grabbed the broom, and stood up. He held the broom in his hand, as if he was pinching the broom''s neck, looking up and down at it, and then looked at the Flying ss teacher.


    Sure enough, under his gaze, the Flying ss teacher mounted the broom and said, "Now, like this, mount the broom, pedal with your legs..."


    Stark covered his eyes again. All of this was too surreal, far beyond his range of knowledge.


    If someone in reality told him to believe that a broom can fly, and he had to mount it seriously and pedal with his legs, Stark would definitely punch him.


    But in order to make this dream continue, Stark still did as he was told. He had just mounted the broom and hadn''t pedaled with his legs, but the broom suddenly shot up with a "whoosh" and lifted him dozens of meters into the air.


    Stark tightly grasped the front end of the broomstick. He had to admit that he was a little scared now. Even though he could fly thousands of meters high in his armor, he was still just flesh and blood. And now, even though he was only a few dozen meters up, he was still a human being. If he didn''t hold on and fell, he would definitely be smashed into a pulp.


    Stark kept struggling with the broomstick in the air, but the broomstick seemed to have a mind of its own. It insisted on going the opposite way from him. Whenever Stark tried to lower it, it would rise instead. The two of them struggled for a long time, and in the end, it was the flight instructor who saved him.


    Stark gritted his teeth and stared at the disobedient broomstick. Before the flying lesson was over, he held onto the broomstick and said, "Wait for me at the next flying ss!"


    Thest ss of the day was Potions. As soon as Stark walked into the ssroom, he saw a figure he was extremely familiar with - it was Schiller in ck robes.


    Schiller saw Starke in, widened his eyes, looked him up and down, and showed a somewhat interested smile. Stark stood still and stared at him, but Schiller walked to the front of the ssroom and said, "Everyone take your seats and get ready for ss."


    "As you can see, this ss is Potions. It''s a subject that''s somewhat different from other courses. I particrly like what the previous professor said..."


    "You''re here to study the precise science and strict craft of potion making."


    "This is different from waving a wand and casting spells, and it''s different from the magic you''re familiar with, but it''s equally charming."


    Stark felt that the Schiller on stage was different from the Dr. Schiller he usually saw. Apart from looking and sounding a little younger, he also seemed more active. He guessed that this might be a younger version of Schiller.


    When Schiller began to teach the method of potion making, Stark''s eyes gradually lit up. This was something he was familiar with! There were forms, recipes, and precise measurements, as well as magical and convenient methods. Wasn''t this subject tailor-made for him?


    The first Potions ss didn''t teach anything tooplicated, but Stark listened attentively and couldn''t wait to try it out himself.


    But in the process of actually making the potion, Stark found that it required more of a background in biology and chemistry than mechanical engineering and physics. He rubbed his chin as if he was thinking about something.


    That''s how the day''s sses ended. On the way back to his dorm, Stark was alone, so he had to face the problem of the door knocker alone.


    He walked up to the door of the Ravenwmon room and heard the eagle-headed knocker ask him, "Do you think 40 wedges are enough?"


    Hearing this question, Stark squinted at the door knocker, but the door knocker seemed to suddenly lose its vitality and didn''t move.


    With a "click," the door opened. After Stark walked in, he looked back at the door knocker, but didn''t say anything.


    It was another quiet night, and he had a good dream.


    The first figure to appear on the corridor of the first floor of the Thinker''s Tower was Charles. He shook his head and sighed, apparently having encountered a room that wasn''t quite suitable for him.


    The next figure to appear was Stark. When Charles saw him, he was somewhat surprised and said, "I thought it would be Steve who came back second."


    Stark sighed deeply and said, "You''ll never believe why I came back here."


    Hearing the anger in his tone, Charles curiously asked, "Why?"


    "Because of a damn broomstick!"


    "I fell off a damn broomstick!!"


    Just as he was about to tell Charles about the extremely unsessful flying lesson the next day, Steve appeared. He looked exhausted and hoarsely said, "You''ll never believe what I''ve just been through..."


    "You have no idea how terrifying the ce I just went to is!!"


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 Chapter 392: Avengers Adventure! (1)

    Chapter 392: Avengers Adventure! (1)


    "After I opened that door, I found my body had changed. I became very small, and everything seemed to be very big. My hand became a ''C'' shape, and my head became a cylinder, just like thosemon building blocks..."


    Steve took a deep breath as his memories gradually returned to the moment when he pushed open the door.


    When Steve first walked in, he felt a moment of confusion, and then he realized that his field of vision had lowered, and when he looked down, he saw that his body had turned into a block.


    At this point, he remembered the shape of the door handle he had twisted, shrugged and said, "Okay, block man, I''ve yed with you before."


    When the fuzzy light in front of him dissipated, he found himself in a bright store. Steve walked around the store with interest, looking at the shelves made up of small building blocks and the products disyed on them.


    It was a very novel experience, he had never seen the world as a block person, but the happy time quickly passed. Suddenly, Steve heard a loud scream.


    He reflexively rolled and hid behind arge shelf, then heard a gunshot followed by a voice with an exaggerated tone saying, "Take out all your money. You don''t want to get shot, do you?"


    Steve peeked out and saw a robber pointing a gun at the convenience store owner. He wanted to rush out to stop him, but when he looked down at his hand, which waspletely fingerless and shaped like a ''C'', he looked around and saw a mop in the corner of the store.


    In front of the convenience store counter, the robber pointed his gun at the store owner and said, "I''m from Texas, and you better not mess with me. I have an 800-acre farm there, and two rams that can impregnate 74 ewes!""Do you know that if I pull the trigger and fire this shot, ording to Texasw, I have to fill out a deration form for a farm owner''s active defense agreement? Do you know how many regtions there are on it? There are 172 in total! But I don''t n to follow any of them, hahaha!"


    "Okay, now I''m going to shoot. What? You''ve already taken out the money? No! It''s useless! Do you know where you are?!"


    "Bang!" The mop hit him directly against the wall, and as it slowly fell, Steve''s face was revealed.


    At that moment, there was a "crash" sound of broken ss from the window above Steve''s head. A ck block person dressed as Batmannded in the room and said, "Stop! You evil robber! I am Batman and I will make all criminals pay the price!"


    "...Wait, how did he fall to the ground? Is this a new type of robbery?" The ck block person who imed to be Batman looked down at the robber on the ground. Steve raised the mop and sighed, "Thank him for reciting such a long line like you before taking action, otherwise I wouldn''t have had a chance to knock him down."


    "Oh, who are you? Wait...wait... I smell a familiar odor, that annoying smell of preaching. Is yourst name Kent?"


    "...No, my name is Rogers, who are you? You''re called Batman? That''s a strange name."


    "Yes, that''s me, Batman." The ck block person walked forward, squinting and showing a suspicious expression, then said, "From the speed and strength you used to swing the mop just now, you should not be an ordinary person. Who are you? What''s your purpose here?"


    "Um, I''m really not an ordinary person, but I came here to find something. Have you seen a key?"


    "A key? Are you referring to a real key, a key in conceptual learning, or a key in philosophical terms?"


    Steve felt the current scene wasical because he was trying to exin his purpose to a block person, but the atmosphere made him have to treat the block person seriously because the whole world was made up of blocks, and he himself had be a block.


    Steve and Batman walked out together, and as they walked, Steve said, "This is a madman''s thinking pce, and now we are trapped here. We must find the key to get out. I just randomly opened a door and came here..."


    "Thinking pce, key, and door?" Batman quickly grasped the key points. "I don''t know what these concepts you mentioned are, but I will investigate them. As you can see, this is Gotham..."


    At that moment, a sudden beam of light made Steve unable to open his eyes. He used his arm to shield his eyes, and when he lowered it, he saw a bat-shaped light projection on the dark sky.


    He heard the nearby block say, "Oh, damn it. It looks like another Joker gang causing trouble in the city! I have to stop them!"


    "Joker gang? Who are they?" Steve asked, puzzled.


    "They''re a group of maniacs who specialize in making bombs and kidnapping people, and their goal is to make me appear."


    "Can I go with you? I can help you deal with them."


    "No...no..." Batman shook his head, and Steve could see a hint of depth and mystery from his cylindrical head.


    "I am destined to be Joker''s opponent. Wherever he appears, I will be there, and wherever I am, he will appear. This is a battle that belongs to the two of us only!"


    Steve looked at the serious expression on the cylindrical head and could only nod and say, "Okay, do you mind having an audience?"


    Two minutester, Steve arrived at the rooftop of a building. He saw a small figure with green hair and wearing a purple suit standing in front of a group of tightly bound small figures on the opposite building.


    Due to the distance, Steve couldn''t hear clearly what Batman and the block named Joker were saying, but they talked for almost an hour on the rooftop.


    Steve thought to himself that luckily, the bound figures were all block figures without blood vessels, otherwise their limbs might have been amputated due tock of blood for such a long time...


    As he was thinking this, he heard a loud explosion. The entire building across from him was demolished, and Steve watched as countless pieces flew out with the sound of the explosion.


    The shockwave also hit him. To be precise, Steve was hit by a small block that had been disintegrated and flew away for over a kilometer, like an exaggerated animated scene.


    Steve felt dizzy again, and when he woke up, he blinked hard. When he stood up, he suddenly found that his body''s center of gravity was a bit uncoordinated. He looked down and saw that his entire left arm was gone.


    He thought to himself that luckily he was also a block figure, otherwise he might have gone into shock due to excessive blood loss by now.


    He was just thinking of looking for his arm when he saw a block figure wearing a strange samurai outfit and holding a fluorescent stick walking towards him. He looked at Steve''s appearance and said, "You were hit by the explosion just now, right?"


    "Where am I?" Steve looked at the fluorescent stick in his hand and asked, "What are you holding?"


    "This is a lightsaber. Don''t you know it? Where are you from?"


    "I just came from a strange city. I came here to find a key. Have you seen anything that looks like a key?"


    "No, but I''m going to Master Yoda''s residence. He''s a knowledgeable person. If you''re looking for something, he might know."


    "Okay, can I go with you?"


    "Well, that''s possible, but you''re missing a hand..." The strange warrior turned his head and looked around before saying, "Oh, here it is."


    He walked to a pile of small block debris next to the rubble, found an arm, and then walked to Steve''s side. He attached the part to the side of his body and pressed it hard. "Click," Steve found that his arm had regained sensation.


    "But having just an arm won''t do. You''re missing one more hand. Come on, let''s look around here. We might find some useful parts."


    Steve looked at his arm and was sure that it wasn''t the one he lost, but then again, all block figures'' arms looked the same, and they were all rectangr. It wouldn''t hurt to use it for a while. So he followed the warrior to the debris pile and started searching. They not only found a hand part but also a lightsaber that had been dropped here.


    Steve held the unlit lightsaber in his hand and looked around, asking, "Is this a weapon? How do I activate it?"


    "Calm your mind and feel the Force within you..."


    "Force? What''s that?"


    "Ah, if you don''t have the Force, you can just press the button on the handle. As long as it lights up..."


    Steve squeezed the handle and with a "hum," a bright beam of light appeared at the end of the bare handle. Steve looked at the sword in front of him and smiled, "This is too convenient, isn''t it? During battles, all you need is a handle, press the button, and it bes a melee weapon. How powerful is this thing?"


    "Are you interested in the lightsaber too? We can go find Master Yoda together. He will exin everything to you..."


    Steve turned off the lightsaber and said, "Let''s go. I''m actually quite interested."


    As they walked, Steve exined, "I used to fight with a shield. It was a very useful weapon. It could be used for both defense and offense."


    "But I also considered some sharper melee weapons. However, weapons with long attack distances and high attack power often have arge size and are inconvenient to carry. But if I want it to be lightweight, the attack distance will definitely be shorter, so I might as well use a shield."


    He looked at the lightsaber in his hand, which only had one handle left, and said, "Although I have tried some expandable weapons, they are limited by materials and are mostly not very useful. But this sword looks interesting."


    He used his newly attached hand to touch the part of the beam of light close to theser and said, "It''s different from aser. You don''t have to worry about hurting yourself with an energy weapon. It''s interesting..."


    Just as they were passing through a bombed-out ruin, a group of small white armored Lego people suddenly appeared in front of them. The warrior immediately took out his lightsaber and made a fighting posture. He said, "Be careful! They are the enemy! They kidnapped Princess Leia!"


    Steve took out his lightsaber and made a defensive posture, learning from the previous warrior. He turned and asked, "I''m Steve, what''s your name?"


    "I''m Luke."


    As they swung their lightsabers, Steve felt a wonderful feeling. Although the wooden Lego people were made of stic, the lightsaber had a good feel. The beam of light seemed to have no weight, but when he swung it, he could feel a significant impact.


    Just as he was getting into it, more and more people surrounded them, and Steve and Luke had to back to back, holding their lightsabers, facing the overwhelming enemy.


    Just then, they suddenly felt the ground shake, and a "rumble" sound came from far away, getting closer and closer.


    Amidst countless pieces flying around, Steve saw a huge wooden dinosaur running over, crushing all the white armored little people underfoot.


    Steve thought it was reinforcements, but when he saw the wooden dwarf riding on the back of the dinosaur, who looked like Schiller, he had a bad feeling.


    Unfortunately, this feeling became reality.


    "So, you were crushed by a dinosaur?" Stark said, holding back hisughter.


    Steve covered his forehead and said, "How was I supposed to know that a ce that looked like a science fiction movie would suddenly have a dinosaur running out of nowhere??"


    "And Schiller was riding on the back of the dinosaur. I was distracted for a moment, so I couldn''t dodge..."


    "By the way, what did the room you went to look like, Professor?" Steve looked at Charles and asked.


    Charles shook his head and said, "I can''t even describe it to you because I don''t know much about this. It looked like a room with all kinds of games."


    "I met a little boy who gave me a ball and asked me to catch some creatures. I could understand what he said, but I didn''t really understand what he meant. I looked around and couldn''t figure it out, so I came out."


    Stark sighed and said, "I think Schiller did it on purpose. Choosing rooms at random, he must have deliberately found rooms that we''re not good at so that he could trap us here."


    "We have to think of a way. We can''t stay here forever, can we?" Steve covered his forehead. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and turned to Charles and said, "Professor, can you bring more people here?"


    "In theory, entering and exiting the process is the same. I have to make a hole in the wall... Well, if Schiller agrees, he might also be able toe in through the side door."


    Stark looked at Steve and asked, "What do you want to do? Don''t tell me you want to trap more people here?"


    "Don''t you see? The problems we can''t solve, our friends can. For example, Strange is good at magic, Peter is good at games, and as for the dinosaur, I think Connor, the biologist, should have a wayto deal with it."


    "I want to bring more people here to help us solve these problems." Steve exined.


    Charles nodded in agreement, "Yes, it''s a good idea. We need to work together to get out of here. I''ll try to create a portal to bring more people in."


    Steve smiled and said, "Great! Let''s get started then."


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 Chapter 393: Avengers Adventure! (1)

    Chapter 393: Avengers Adventure! (1)


    When Peter and Strange were pulled into the Sanctum of Thought, they were a bit confused. Strange was used toing to the Dream Base after falling asleep, but what puzzled him was why this time they didn''tnd in the familiar high-level conference room, but in a corridor of a tall tower.


    Peter couldn''t make sense of what was happening. He remembered that one second he was ying games in front of the console, and the next second he suddenly appeared in a strange ce.


    Charles looked at Peter helplessly and said, "Kid, I''m not the strict type of parent, but ying games at 3 a.m. is a bit..."


    Peter scratched his head, showing an embarrassed expression, and looked at Stark''s displeased face. He exined, "It''s not like this every day, but there was a new game release recently."


    "Speaking of which, where is this exactly? How did I suddenly end up here, and why are all of you here too?"


    Peter furrowed his brows and said, "My spider sense didn''t go off at all. How did you guys bring me here?"


    Charles exined the situation to the two neers, and then he said, "Dr. Connors is also staying upte doing research, but because the research he''s working on is very important, abruptly stopping could be dangerous. That''s why I didn''t bring him here..."


    Stark sneered and said, "When you hypnotized and brought me here, you didn''t say that."


    Charles sighed helplessly and said, "Alright, I can bring him here now if you can ept the fact that there will be hundreds ofrge lizards running around New York City tomorrow.""Better not!" Steve immediately spoke up.


    "Professor Charles, I understood what you just said, so what am I supposed to do now?" Peter asked.


    "Let''s go to my world first and study the issue of magic."


    Steve didn''t object, he just said, "Are you sure multiple people can go in?"


    "We can give it a try. If it doesn''t work, we can have Professor Charles pull us out. Besides, they just came in, so their spirits are more energized and can withstand a failure."


    "You all go in together. I''ll stay outside in case something unexpected happens." Charles turned and walked towards the railing, and the others followed Stark as they walked towards the door at the end of the corridor.


    Stark was the first to enter the door. After a moment of confusion, he found himself back on the small boat. Sitting beside him were the three people who came in with him. They had all transformed into their childhood appearances, and looking at each other, they couldn''t help but smile foolishly. The lights reflected on their innocent faces, making their eyes shine brighter than the stars.


    What was more surprising was that the originally strongest and most robust Steve had be the thinnest and weakest. He was a skinny little boy wearing sses, resembling the kind of nerd that often appeared in school.


    Peter didn''t change much because he was already young, just a bit smaller in proportion. His face looked almost the same. Young Stark and Strange were both good-looking, with Stark''s eyes shining brightly.


    Except for Stark, the other three looked at their arms and bodies curiously. Stark turned around and shouted, "Stopughing and row the boat. We need to get off quickly so we can see the scenery from the front row."


    The process from rowing the boat, getting off, to entering the hall was exactly the same, as if reying a certain game from the beginning.


    However, this time, the first one to be called was Peter. When he walked up to the chair, he tried to grab the hat with his hand, but the Sorting Hat dodged by tilting its head. When the hat was finally ced on his head, he still wanted to reach for the brim with his hand but was stopped by the teacher in time.


    "How do you work? Do you have a brain? Where are your legs? Inside the hat or under the brim?" Peter blurted out a series of questions and then continued, "They said you can sort people into different houses based on their qualities, so how do you judge a person''s qualities?"


    "How many students have you sorted? Have you ever made a mistake? What if you make a mistake?"


    Then, Peter heard the Sorting Hat take a deep breath, and suddenly, a deafening roar echoed in the hall:


    "Gryffindor!


    !"


    Next, it was Steve Rogers''s turn. He walked forward and curiously nced at the hat, then obediently sat in his seat. When the teacher ced the hat on his head, the Sorting Hat let out a low, "Hmm..."


    "Resolute, kind, brave. Child, you truly surprise me. You possess so many wonderful qualities..."


    On the way, Steve had already heard Stark''s preliminary introduction to the four houses. He asked the Sorting Hat, "Which house suits me better?"


    "Well, actually, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff both suit you well, and Ravenw too. It mainly depends on which house you want to choose. Do you want me to introduce them to you?"


    "Gryffindor is like a lion on the wild, they are exceptionally brave and fearless, always at the forefront. Of course, sometimes they can cause trouble due to recklessness."


    "Hufflepuff is like a badger in the burrow, they are kind, united, and eager to share, but sometimes they can be indecisive due to being overly sensitive..."


    "Oh! Wait! I sense it... In this aspect, you can''t deceive yourself. You belong to... Hufflepuff!"


    The table with the most people below erupted in cheers. Steve walked over with a smile, shaking hands and hugging them. The Sorting Hat was right, when he heard the qualities of Hufflepuff, a voice in his heart told him that he belonged here.


    When Strange sat down, the Sorting Hat remained silent for a long time. Then it asked, "You have many strange things in your mind. Where did theye from?"


    "Never mind that. Which house should I go to?"


    "No, no, no, I must remind you that you have a lot of forbidden knowledge in your mind, which could jeopardize your safety. If you don''t tell me the source, I will shout now and have the teacherse to stop you and your parents."


    The Sorting Hat spoke in a serious tone, "I didn''t expect it, after the great war, there would still be pure-blood parents teaching their children these forbidden dark magic knowledge. Which family are you from?... Hey, wait, what''s yourst name? Strange? Are you from a branch of the Strange family?"


    Before Strange could exin, the Sorting Hat seemed to have imagined everything on its own. It said, "Well, these pure-blood families are always so audacious, thinking that by changing their names, I wouldn''t see through them, huh?"


    "This school has existed for thousands of years, and I am aware of certain rules. If you don''t want your secrets to be discovered, it''s best to..."


    "Slytherin."


    As the Sorting Hat pronounced that name, its tone became somewhat low,pletely unlike its usual high and excited voice, as if echoing from distant history.


    The group of people weing Strange was far less enthusiastic than the other houses. They just stood up, nodded politely, and one of the older ones stepped forward, shook his hand, and said, "Wee here. You won''t regret your choice because we are Slytherin."


    After the Sorting, they all returned to their respective houses. It was quite magical that the four of them were sorted into four different houses, so they could only gather together when two of them had sses together.


    The first ss was the Spell ss, attended by Ravenw and Slytherin, which allowed Stark tomunicate with Strange about the usage of spells.


    Since Stark had already gone through it once, he effortlessly cast the Levitation Charm. Strange didn''t make any movements; he just focused on the wand in his hand, lost in thought. Stark noticed his actions and asked, "What are you thinking?"


    "Do you know? When I look at this wand, I don''t see a source of power." Strange stared intently at the wand in his hand as if recalling something. He said, "If you''ve lived in Kamar-Taj for a while, you''ll understand that magic and human society arepletely disconnected."


    "The education, production, and distribution that you see in human society do not apply in the magical world."


    He twirled the wand in his hand and said, "What surprised me the most is that in this dream, there is actually an industry dedicated to making magical instruments. Have you heard them talking about it? There''s amercial street and a wand shop..."


    Strange shook his head and continued, "In reality, this is almost impossible because even if we have the raw materials, the methods, and the producers, we don''t have that many customers."


    "Why?" Strange answered his own question, "Because magic is still a subject that cannot be widely taught. Whether a person can learn it or not doesn''t depend on their learning ability, effort, or the time they put in. It depends on their luck."


    He looked up at the ckboard and said, "And why do they have so many buyers and customers here? I think the answer lies here."


    "They have a well-established education system, see? There are teachers, students, even textbooks and homework. They learn and grow here, then graduate and be members of the wizarding world, each ying their role in this world."


    Strange sighed and said, "Since the moment we stepped into Space, I''ve been thinking that the mission of Kamar-Taj to guard Earth will not end because of human development and power. On the contrary, there are endless challenges waiting for us in Space."


    "Magic, as the most special ability that humans can master, may not be the sharpest spear, but it is certainly the most solid shield. How to make this shield even harder to withstand the dangers thate one after another in Space is the question I have been pondering on."


    "There is no doubt that to walk the path parallel to magic and technology, the one thing that magkspared to technology is its essibility."


    "When ordinary humans start from recognizing numbers and doing arithmetic in elementary school, all the way to studying advanced mathematics in college, magic does not have this process."


    "Is it because of the essence of magic that you are borrowing power from demon gods?" Stark asked.


    "That''s right, but learning how to borrow power is just the first step of magic. The reason why human magic is magical is that we have developed unique magical techniques."


    "Have you seen teleportation gates as convenient as ours among several civilizations in the constetion of Cassiopeia? The mighty Kree, do they have mirror spaces? Can they use the crimson ribbon?"


    "Do you think they don''t want to do that?"


    "Human creativity is a treasure in any field, but the problem with magic is that the threshold to master these techniques is too high."


    "Because we borrow power from Spacedemon gods, young sorcerers are not allowed to borrow excessively powerful forces because they cannot control them. However, the less they practice, the less control they will have. Therefore, only those with exceptional talent can master these magical skills in this blindfolded state."


    Strange looked down and looked at the small wooden stick. He said, "This gives me a new idea. Although the children who have just joined Kamar-Taj cannot directly borrow power from the demon gods, the older sorcerers can borrow the power and create magical items like this wand."


    "This way, even young sorcerers have the opportunity to gradually familiarize themselves with magic. Ifbined with a system simr to this school, progressing step by step and learning slowly, perhaps the poprization of magic bes possible."


    "But the question is, what about the cost of borrowing power? Who will pay for it?"


    Strange looked at Stark with some surprise and said, "Pay the cost? That''s a thing of the past. Did you forget? The previous membership gifts and the fees paid by the demon gods, even if the great sorcerers go all out, it''s enough for us to use until the next century."


    Stark pped his forehead, forgetting that Kamar-Taj had now be a middleman, consuming both the intiffs and defendants.


    "Actually, the thing I most want to learn is the technique of making wands, but it seems like we can''t leave this school." Strange touched his face and said with some regret, "I really want to know if they truly have a way to produce magical items smoothly and efficiently."


    "Doesn''t Kamar-Taj have such a method?" Stark asked curiously.


    Strange shook his head and said, "Even the Supreme Sorcerer needs luck to create a protective treasure. It''s not always sessful. But here..." Strange turned to look at the students behind him and said, "Even the youngest sorcerers here have a wand in their hands."


    "Not only that, I heard there are treasures left behind by the four founders of the four schools. It would be great if we could take a look," Stark said, rubbing his chin.


    In fact, Stark was also interested in casting, even though it was magical casting. It might still be useful for him, considering he had a magical power source core.


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 Chapter 394: The Avengers Great Adventure! (2)

    Chapter 394: The Avengers Great Adventure! (2)


    In the afternoon, Griffindor and Hufflepuff attended Potion ss together. When Professor Schiller walked into the ssroom, Peter was not surprised at all. After all, ording to Professor Charles, this was Dr. Schiller''s dream, so it was normal for him to be there in person.


    Peter greeted Schiller with ease and then eagerly went to his seat, ready to work with the pile of potion ingredients.


    He rubbed his hands together but didn''t immediately touch anything. Instead, he silently recited the experimental regtions in his mind. He searched every nook and cranny of the table but couldn''t find any protective clothing or gloves.


    After Schiller finished the opening speech and taught the theoretical knowledge, Peter raised his hand and asked, "Professor, are we starting like this? Shouldn''t we go over the safety regtions for the experiment?"


    Then he turned around inside his desk and said, "Aren''t we going to the preparation room? Where do we change into protective clothing?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "Peter, this is magic..."


    "But magic also requires safety precautions! If the configuration is improper and it causes an explosion, where are the evacuation routes?" Peter replied.


    Schiller sighed and said, "In a sense, you are right, but I''m here, and I will ensure your safety."


    "Really?" Peter blinked and said, "Is magic really that amazing?"Before Schiller could reply, Peter began his smooth operation.


    The content of the first lesson was very simple, just sorting herbs, chopping, and handling a Flobberworm, learning to control the cauldron''s temperature and stirring.


    However, it was clear that Peter, who had spent a long time in the chemistry and biologyboratories, was not satisfied with just that. First, he started dissecting the Flobberworm.


    Whenever Peter conducted experiments, he had a special aura that made people hesitate to approach him, especially when he followed the standard dissection process for the Flobberworm.


    After understanding the physiological structure of the Flobberworm, while sorting and chopping herbs, he began manipting the brass bnce used for weighing and questioned its uracy.


    When pouring the potion into the cauldron, he raised a bunch of questions, such as the corrosion resistance of the cauldron, the precision of the liquid extraction tools, and the sealing of the storage containers.


    And what puzzled Peter the most was the final step of waving the wand over the potion.


    Peter looked at the wand in his hand and said, "Can I understand it as a kind of prayer ritual? I wave this little stick, and then certain chemical reactions ur?"


    Schiller, standing next to his desk, said, "Peter, don''t you have any fantastic fantasies about magic? Haven''t you thought about skipping some tedious steps during the experiment to achieve immediate sess?"


    Peter shook his head and said, "In any chemical or biological experiment, each step has its purpose. If the scientists who discovered the forms and theorems skipped certain steps because they found them troublesome, we wouldn''t have the scientificmunity we have today."


    "I don''t know why, but I''ve always been interested in these steps that others findplex and troublesome." Peter smiled and said, "I don''t find them dull at all. On the contrary, these things that resemble magical rituals make me feel a bit unreliable."


    "But it also gives me some new ideas. If the magical world actually has courses simr to chemical experiments, wouldn''t magic be a special catalyst? Could it have special reactions with certain materials? Thus, enabling the development of new potions?"


    Peter immersed himself in his own world and said, "Could magical energy be the kind of ethereal energy people have always fantasized about, capable of reacting with any molecule?"


    "If that''s the case, applying it to the development of medical potions could potentially cure many diseases that current human medicine cannot..."


    Just as Peter''s inspiration burst forth, suddenly, a pop-up window appeared in his field of vision: "ytime for minors has ended for today. Thank you for the experience."


    Instantly, a white light enveloped Peter''s vision. When he opened his eyes again, he was already back in the corridor of the Mind Pce.


    Also suddenly ejected were Strange, who was in the middle of designing the structure of a magic school inside the Mind Pce, Stark, who was studying and practicing spells, and Steve, who was happily ying during the flying lesson.


    When they were ejected, they were a bit confused. Stark rubbed his forehead and asked, "What''s going on? Did the system malfunction? Why did I see a pop-up window and then get kicked out?"


    Steve recalled and said, "It seemed to say... the ytime has ended?"


    Strange rolled his eyes and said, "You didn''t see the most important sentence: ''Experience the official version, go to the Mind Pce Hall to recharge and purchase.''"


    With that, he shouted, "Schiller! Come out! I know you''re about to start selling. You damn liar and schemer!"


    "As he wishes," Schiller''s figure appeared in the middle of the corridor. He opened his arms and said, "How does it feel?"


    Stark stared at Schiller''s smiling face, wide-eyed, and said, "Wait a minute, you locked us in here and made us find the key from your Mind Pce to get out..."


    "And now you''re telling me that the room used to find the key has a trial period, and we have to spend our own money to purchase ytime to find the key to get out???!!!"


    Stark, Strange, and Steve all stared at Schiller. No matter how you listened, this logic was absurd. But Schiller confidently said, "So, who found their way here?"


    Stark pped his forehead and said, "Damn it! It''s a trap! He wants to lure us in, and then sell us something!"


    "Don''t say it like that. Come, take a look at the pop-up window in front of you. It''s a fully immersive 3D virtual traversal experience game. It doesn''t consume daytime hours and takes ce only in dreams. It has high realism andbines education and entertainment. It''s the best choice to stimte inspiration..."


    "The payment methods are scientifically reasonable, supporting both prepaid cards and monthly/seasonal subscriptions. Based on different levels of expenditure, generous rebates are provided. Additionally, there is a level 120 membership system, where bing a member allows you to adjust the game''s difficulty mode, unlock new maps and costumes..."


    "We also support separate purchases for cosmetic bundles. Now, when you purchase the Magic Academy Enrollment Selection Set, you will also receive a map of Diagon Alley''s Commercial Street, which can be essed by four people for unlimited ytime."


    With Schiller''s exnation, densely packed microtransaction pages appeared in front of them. Peter covered his forehead and said, "Oh god, it reminds me of those damn junk emails I receive..."


    "Of course," Schiller''s tone changed as he continued, "Although you rudely intruded into my Mind Pce and threatened to ''treat'' me, I am a generous person. If you don''t want to spend money here, I can provide an alternative."


    "As long as each of you purchases a Dream Coin, you can leave from here. You''ve chased me halfway through New York and barged into my Mind Pce, but I won''t hold it against you."


    "We''ll choose that option," Steve said without hesitation, "How much is a Dream Coin?"


    "$1 million, but other payment methods are supported, such as..." Schiller looked at Strange and said, "magic energy payments."


    "Furthermore, gamey is free for those under 20 and over 80 years old. However, minors are subject to daily ytime restrictions, limited to one hour. If they want unrestricted ytime, they must create an ount under their parents'' supervision, which also requires purchasing ytime..."


    "I''ll pay. Let''s go! I won''t let this scheming merchant seed!" Stark turned around and walked away.


    With a snap of Schiller''s fingers, several coins fell onto the heads of the group. They turned around and prepared to leave.


    At this moment, Schiller''s demonic, whisper-like voice echoed in their ears again, "I forgot to mention that the purchase price for the beginner''s pack is also one Dream Coin, including the Magic Academy, Brick World, and Game World beginner''s kits..."


    "The Magic Academy beginner''s kit includes a set of brand new house badges and custom scarves, a brand new wand, and a Diagon Alley map for one person to explore..."


    The figures of the group froze.


    "Moreover, there are first-time recharge benefits. Now, if the first recharge amount reaches one Dream Coin, you can unlock the Free Pass, allowing unrestricted travel between yable worlds. If the first recharge reaches six Dream Coins, you can unlock the Advanced Pass,plete a series of pass tasks, and receive exclusive seasonal appearances and rewards..."


    Peter turned to Stark and whispered, "Mr. Stark, since we have to spend $1 million anyway, if we buy the pack, we can freely enter and continue ying the game we just experienced, plus a bunch of other stuff..."


    "Don''t you see, Peter? This is a consumer trap!"


    "I want to recharge," Strange decisively turned around and said, "Magic energy can be used for payment, right? I want to recharge six Dream Coins. Give me the Diagon Alley map. There''s a wand shop there..."


    Stark stared at him with wide eyes and said, "You traitor!"


    "Peter is right. For the same price, you get a bunch of gifts. Only a fool would buy a single ticket. Let''s check out!"


    Stark sighed. Just as he turned his head, he saw Peter''s hopeful gaze. Stark raised his hands and said, "Alright, alright, Peter, you silly kid, I''ll pay for you, okay?"


    Peter cheered and ran over to Schiller''s side to settle the payment. Stark shook his head and nned to leave. But then he heard Schiller say, "Peter, do you remember the story I told you about the Cybertronst time?"


    "I remember. When I was staying in the clinic, you told me a story about a full of robots. They came to Earth in search of some kind of spark, and they could transform into cars. It was quite interesting."


    "Yes, that''s a magnificent full of mechanical life. No one knows how they developed or what those sparks are. Of course, it doesn''tpare to the Death Star and clone technology. It sounds like a high-tech gadget, doesn''t it?"


    Stark''s ears perked up.


    Then he heard Schiller say, "Of course, that''s not all. War simtion games are also quite interesting, right? Have you heard of a legend? Nazis turning into zombies and a contaminated German headquarters..."


    Steve''s ears also perked up, and a few secondster, the two of them exchanged a deep sigh.


    Charles, who had been observing on the sidelines, smiled helplessly. At that moment, he heard Schiller say, "Of course, we also provide a free training range with various unique ecosystems and enemies for practice. It''s not just suitable for ordinary humans but also an excellent choice for superhumans with special abilities who fear causing destruction in reality."


    In the end, this grand adventure in the dream realm concluded with a not-so-surprising oue of the group spending money on microtransactions.


    The members of the Avengers gained new inspiration and experiences, while Schiller made a fortune. Humanity might take another step forward on an unknown path.


    The next morning, Stark woke up from his bed, somewhat puzzled, and muttered to himself, "Wait, what did we go to find Schiller for again?... Oh! Hydra! What about that Hydra persona???"


    At that moment, the Hydra persona was being chased by a figure in white clothes, running more than 1,300ps in the Mind Pce...


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 Chapter 395: What are the Benefits of Spending Money in the Game? (1)

    Chapter 395: What are the Benefits of Spending Money in the Game? (1)


    The weather inte winter had be unpredictable. Although it was bone-chillingly cold the night before, the morning brought a sunny and bright day.


    At the peak of the Himyas, the blue sky resembled thick paint sttered on a white canvas. Except for a few clouds that asionally revealed white gaps, the rest of the sky was a vivid and almost surreal shade of blue.


    A wisp of smoke rose from a bird''s nest, and in the distance, the sound of a horn was low and distant. A traveler leaning on a cane looked out at the mountain, but what he couldn''t see was a mysterious and ancient temple standing quietly in the farthest reaches of his sight, overlooking everything in the mortal world.


    On the eaves that were full of ancient Eastern charm, there were still remnants of ice crystals from the night before. Ice edges also hung from the roof, and in the window frame of the main hall under the eaves, a hand held three incense sticks and inserted them into the incense burner.


    When the slightly rough hands were withdrawn, the face of the Kamar-Taj butler and sorcerer, Wong, was revealed.


    Wong sped his hands together and closed his eyes, meditating quietly. However, in this peaceful and serene scene, there was suddenly an untimely sound of hurried footsteps.


    A young sorcerer wearing a yellow sorcerer''s robe ran up the steps in front of the door with a "thump, thump, thump." Wong heard the sound but did not turn around. He just sighed and said, "An, I''ve told you many times to be gentle when entering the temple. You have to learn to be calm like water to better experience the mystical power''s calling to you."


    The young sorcerer looked about seven or eight years old and looked embarrassed when he heard Wong''s words. He could only slowly walk into the temple, bow, and say, "Something''s wrong, Grand Sorcerer. The Supreme Sorcerer has gone to the pond in the backyard to watch the cranes again!"


    Wong opened his eyes with a start and turned around to face the young sorcerer. He asked anxiously, "The cranes? What does he want to do again?"As he spoke, Wong became more and more agitated. He swung his arms and opened a portal, then stepped in.


    When he reached theke, he saw Strange standing on the perg by theke, studying a crane.


    Although Kamar-Taj was a holynd of magic, it also had many animals, including cows, sheep, horses, deer, wild ducks, swans, cranes, geese, eagles, and two sizable fields in the back mountains. Many sorcerers came here to cultivate crops while practicing their magic.


    Wong hurriedly ran up to Strange and asked, "Supreme Sorcerer, what are you doing again? My god! Put it down quickly! The feathers are all wet!"


    Strange stroked the crane''s long neck and said, "Nothing much. I just want to see if it can deliver a message. I caught an eagle a few days ago, but it was too unruly and couldn''t carry the envelope..."


    As he spoke, he looked at the crane in his arms and said, "It seems pretty well-behaved, but I don''t know if it can fly well..."


    Wong sighed. When he turned his head, he saw the pile of wood that Strange had stacked up earlier and asked, "Supreme Sorcerer, what are you trying to do? If you want to make something, you can give it to the great sorcerer who specializes in making magical tools. Even if you want to practice on your own, you don''t need so much material. Besides, I haven''t heard of any magical tools made of wood. Generally, special metal with magic affinity is better."


    Strange put the crane down, stood up, and walked to the pile of wood, saying, "I''m just conducting an experiment, Wong. Do you know if there are any sorcerers in Kamar-Taj who specialize in studying material properties?"


    "Material properties? What do you mean? Do you mean which materials are better to use?" Wong asked.


    Strange sighed and said, "I mean their hardness, density, mmability, magic affinity, magic-bearing capacity, magic output capacity, and so on."


    "The great sorcerers would read some books on making magical props, which contain many experiences summarized by their predecessors. Generally speaking, we would use the forms in those books, because the probability of failure is too high if we use other materials."


    Wang sighed and showed a nostalgic expression. He said, "Although we are now wealthy, we still have to use it sparingly. Maybe one day the energy will run out, and we will have to borrow it."


    "Borrowing poweres at a cost. We must carefully manage every bit of power and use it on the de."


    Strange listened and felt heartbroken. He said, "So, is it because the cost of trial and error is too high that we cannot develop magical materials?"


    "That''s about right. Besides, there are already many types of materials avable. There are four types of metals in total, and there are more than ten types of fabrics, which can be used to make armor, robes, cloaks, and jewelry."


    Strange took a deep breath and sighed, saying, "Do you know? I got a new idea somewhere else. They use a type of wood and another material to make a wand, and then they can use it to cast magic."


    Wang frowned, seemingly pondering the possibility of what Strange said. After thinking for a while, he shook his head and said, "It''s unlikely. Magic doesn''te out of thin air. It can onlye from the power of Space itself."


    "But, human life forms cannot directly use the power of Space itself, so we have to borrow from demon gods."


    "Unless the wand you mentioned can transform humans into life forms that can directly use the source energy, it is impossible for ordinary people to learn magic."


    "I don''t want ordinary people to directly use magic. I want to reduce the difficulty of using magic for novice sorcerers."


    "For example, storing the power we borrowed in this wand and letting them use it. This way, they can borrow this energy to study magic techniques without having to learn how to store and use energy themselves."


    Wang stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, "If that''s the case, it''s possible, but a wand made of wood...I haven''t seen any wood with good magic affinity."


    Strange turned to look at the pile of elm, walnut, peach wood, and other woods beside him and muttered to himself, "Well, that was just Schiller''s dream. It''s really not reliable to use it in reality."


    Then he looked at Wang and asked, "What about using metal? Didn''t you mention that there are four types of metal with good magic affinity?"


    "It is possible to make them, but processing and manufacturing these four metals take a lot of time."


    "I''ll give you an example. Something called ''Mithril'' in the magic world is actually a kind of silver that has been specially refined. During the refining process, magic energy needs to be constantly used, and more than 40 materials need to be added..."


    "What''s the output?"


    "If all the great sorcerers in Kamar-Taj start participating in the refining of Mithril, we can get about 50 grams of Mithril in about a month."


    "Too little." Strange shook his head, obviously unsatisfied. Wang exined, "When we make magical items, we don''t need to use Mithril for the entire thing. We just need to use it for the key parts."


    "For example, the suspension ring we often use has a brass and iron alloy shell, which presents a golden or brown color. Of course, if dye is added, it can also show other colors, but the really working part is its core Mithril and gemstone."


    Wang sighed and said, "Of these four materials, the only one that doesn''t require too much refining is Vibranium. Its magic affinity is also good, but the only problem is that it is too expensive."


    "But I heard that there is a new material called ''Molten Steel'' recently. I don''t know how good its magic affinity is. It would be great if it could be cheaper than Vibranium."


    "Kamar-Taj is not too wealthy. Most of our fundse from donations from the World Security Council and various super security organizations in different countries, such as S.H.I.E.L.D. and SPEAR. They give us money every year."


    "Sorcerers are very frugal. We are self-sufficient and can even live here without using human society''s currency. The only ce where we need money is to purchase various expensive materials."


    The butler has a lot of say in this matter. He frowned, and all his facial features gathered together. He said, "The great sorcerers have achieved sess in their practice and have a peaceful state of mind, but recently, there are sometimes disputes over this. Everyone wants more materials, but the money is limited."


    Strange and Wang walked together and started walking around theke. As they walked, Strange said, "I must change this situation. It''s not like before."


    "Before, we treasured our magical power because we had to pay a price to borrow power from demon gods. But now, we have enough magic, but not enough materials. It''s not a good situation."


    Strange was right. Simply put, it''s like adding more flour when there''s too much water, and adding more water when there''s too much flour. In the past, borrowing power from demon gods was harder because there was less magic and more materials. But now, there''s enough magic and not enough materials.


    Strange walked to the railing by theke and pounded on the pir of the railing, saying, "Self-sufficiency...we must be self-sufficient."


    "Whether it''s Mithril or Vibranium, they are all under the control of others. If these materials are gone one day, will sorcerers no longer be able to make magical props?"


    As they walked and discussed various possibilities, they came to the farnd on the back mountain after passing theke. Strange looked at the fallow field and suddenly had an idea, "What was originally nted in this field?"


    "This field was nted with wheat, and some vegetables were nted next to it. There are also fruit trees over there. Everything we eat every day is produced here."


    Wang looked at his hands and said, "You haven''t been here long, so you may not know that farming is a tradition of Kamar-Taj. The previous supreme sorcerer, The Ancient One, was also a farmer. She liked to cultivate thend here before."


    Strange touched his chin and said, "What about the seeds? What kind of seeds do you use?"


    "Seeds? Of course, it''s wheat and vegetable seeds."


    "Have you ever tried to use magic to transform these seeds? For example, infusing magic energy into them or simply enchanting them?"


    Wang widened his eyes and said, "But...is that possible? Can we still eat what we grow?"


    "How do you know if you don''t try?"


    "And we don''t necessarily have to grow food." Strange looked at the fruit trees over there and said, "The wood I brought before almost didn''t react with magic at all. This is also normal, after all, my inspiration only came from a dream."


    "People there can use wood and some strange materials to make wands, but we may not be able to. The problem may not be with our technology, but with the materials themselves."


    "Since the fully grown wood can''t react with magic, what if we modify it when it''s still a seed? Can we cultivate a type of wood that can be used for magic?"


    Wang shook his head and said, "Sorry, I haven''t learned the knowledge of ordinary people, so I don''t have much concept in this area..."


    Strange, however, thought he had a good idea and said, "It''s okay. I know someone who is good at this."


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 Chapter 396: What are the Benefits of Spending Money in Games?

    Chapter 396: What are the Benefits of Spending Money in Games?


    In the biologicalboratory of Stark Tower, Peter was staring at the pile of hay on his desk, lost in thought. Connors walked over and asked, "What''s wrong? Why are you always daydreamingtely?"


    "And what are these? Didn''t I remind you not to bring this kind of junk into theb?"


    "This isn''t junk, I''m conducting an experiment..."


    "Oh? What kind of experiment?" Connors asked as he took off his gloves. Peter looked at the messy pile of hay in front of him and said, "I had a dream where they used some strange materials and magic to concoct magical potions."


    "Some can immediately make people pass out, some can immediately cure colds, and I heard from the teachers there that some potions can make people lucky or even prolong their lives."


    "I was thinking, there are materials and magic in reality too, so why can''t we create these kinds of potions?"


    Connors pushed his sses up and said, "Peter, having imagination is a good thing."


    As he spoke, he walked over and fiddled with the hay that Peter had collected, saying, "But you can''t expect these things to magically turn into the magical potions you''re talking about. Even with magic, I don''t think it would be possible."


    "That''s right, I''ve also discovered that when I had Mr. Stark use his magic power core to output power to these things, they had no reaction at all.""Mr. Stark said that magic also depends on... affinity? If they''re not made of special materials, magic won''t react with them."


    Peter leaned on the table, propping his cheek up with his hand, and said, "It seems that I''ve oversimplified things. Even though the dream was vivid, it''s still just a dream. There are too many problems when ites to reality."


    Seeing Peter''s disappointed expression, Connors walked over and sat next to him, staring at the hay with him. He didn''t ridicule Peter, but instead said very seriously, "If you have such an idea, you should think about whether there are other ways to achieve it, instead of attributing your failure to your ideas being too strange."


    "Think about it, when those great scientists first proposed their own ideas, they were seen as crazy by ordinary people and were even ridiculed, and told that they were just dreaming."


    "But in the end, they really turned their dreams into reality and created today''s human scientificmunity. Greatness always originates from seemingly impossible jokes, doesn''t it?"


    Peter turned to look at Connors, but Connors stood up and said, "Peter, I''ve said it before. Your genius brain is more capable of changing the world than being Spider-Man to save the world."


    "Although I often say that you''re not just Spider-Man, Spider-Man is also you, and you are Spider-Man."


    "If you''re willing to put in various efforts to save the citizens of New York, patrol New York every day, train yourbat skills, join the Superhero Squad, andplete various tasks..."


    "If you apply this kind of willpower to realizing your ideas, you might make amazing progress, too?" ...


    After speaking, Connors left, and Peter sat alone at theb table, looking at the thin and hasty hay. He murmured to himself in a low voice, "Peter is Spider-Man, and Spider-Man is Peter..."


    At noon, in the cafeteria of Stark Tower, Schiller and Stark were sitting at the same table eating. Schiller looked up and saw Stark staring at his te. He asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Then he nced at Stark''s te, which had a lot of food on it, and asked, "Why aren''t you eating your own? Why are you looking at mine?"


    Looking at the messy food on Schiller''s te, Stark sighed and said, "I''m really relieved. Do you know that when you were taking the beef patty just now, my heart was pounding?"


    "What''s wrong with the beef patty? Is it because of the recent rumors of mad cow disease in the West?"


    "Of course not. Do you remember your other personality? When he eats, he always moves a round thing back and forth. To be honest, I can only tell which personality you are based on this characteristic.""No wonder you removed me from the cklist at the Stark Tower restaurant..."


    "Are you nning to empty out the Stark Tower again? I''m telling you, it''s impossible. To prevent this from happening again, I have prepared more supplies than you can imagine!"


    Schiller took a bite of the beef patty and said, "Oh, really? I wasn''t nning on doing that, but now that you mention it, I''m a bit curious. Can Ie here for dinner tonight? And bring Peter and that yellow-haired rat with me."


    "No!" Stark replied firmly, tapping his fork on his te. "Seriously, what''s the deal with that alter ego of yours? Who is the real you?"


    "If I told you that neither of us is the primary personality, what would you think?"


    Stark stopped eating, with the fork still in his mouth. He just sat there for a moment, then sighed and said, "If this was before, I might have been a bit shocked, but ever since these past few nights, where I''ve been dreaming about that game called Magic Academy in your mind pce, I feel like it''s normal."


    "How''s your progress in the game? I haven''t had a chance to checktely. Do you want another new gift pack?"


    "No need!" Stark replied again, going through each person''s progress. "I attended a reading club hosted by Ravenw and got the best score in every ssroom test. Recently, I''ve been interested in alchemy, but unfortunately there are no corresponding courses in school."


    "You should know Peter''s situation the best. He excels in potion sses and is also good at Quidditch. He''s naturally suited for flying in the air, and is said to be the most promising seeker in this year''s ss."


    "Steve has be a beater, but I think he should be a goalkeeper. He has a good reputation in Hufflepuff, you know, the one that''s helpful..."


    "As for Strange, I don''t really understand that Slytherin house. It seems like a group of crazy people gathered together to study some dark conspiracy, but Strange seems to get along with them."


    "Steve and I are just trying to have a good dream. Going to a magic school that''s like a castle is better than being chased in a dream, but it seems that Peter and Strange have their own ideas about this world."


    "Peter is very interested in potions, and Strange is very interested in wands. I bet they will study these two things in reality."


    "Do you think they can seed?" Schiller asked.


    "There will definitely be a lot of difficulties at first," Stark judged as a very mature scientist. "Whether it''s potions or wands, they seem like unrealistic ideas when viewed in reality, but I believe that there will be a good result in the end, because many scientific advances originate from unrealistic ideas."


    Stark lowered his head and fiddled with the food on his te, saying, "Many people think that the most important thing for a scientist is a rigorous approach, and that scientists and schrs in the eyes of the public are the type of bookworms who follow the rules."


    "But in fact, the most important thing to reach the peak of this field is creativity. Sometimes, certain seemingly whimsical associations happen to be the key to major breakthroughs."


    "If you don''t even have the courage to think, then you''ve lost the most valuable quality of humanity."


    Just then, Stark''s phone suddenly rang. He heard Peter''s excited voice on the other end saying, "Mr. Stark! Come quickly, you won''t believe what I''ve found!"


    After hanging up the phone, Stark pressed a few buttons. Schiller looked at him and asked, "Are you going to let him y with that magic source again?"


    "I trust Peter''s abilities, and I trust that he won''t misuse that thing," Stark said. Then he stood up, turned around, and raised his eyebrows at Schiller, saying, "Although I know you can only change light bulbs, do you want toe and see?"


    When the two of them appeared in theboratory together, they saw Peter holding a flowerpot, but there was nothing nted in it. When the three of them gathered together and looked down at the flowerpot, Stark asked, "So what do you want to show me?"


    "Oh, I forgot, it hasn''t grown yet!" Peter put down the flowerpot and then brought out a transparent small bag from the side. Inside the bag were things that looked like seeds. He said, "Mr. Stark, I did a magic radiation experiment on these seeds using the magic source core you gave me, and found that they did undergo some changes."


    "I don''t know why magic doesn''t work on flowers that have already grown, but it does work on seeds..."


    "Because of the difference in concept." A voice suddenly appeared in theboratory, and a portal opened in mid-air. Strangended and pointed at Peter, saying, "We''re thinking along the same lines."


    "The concept of growth and development is different between fully grown nts and seeds. The potential for growth and transformation is stronger in seeds, which is why magic can have a greater effect on them," Strange exined.


    Stark looked at the seeds in the bag and asked, "So what changes did you observe in these seeds?"


    Peter eagerly exined, "The seeds have been infused with magic energy, and I found that they have a higher germination rate and grow much faster than normal seeds. Plus, the flowers they produce have brighter colors and a richer aroma!"


    Stark looked at the seeds in the bag and then at Peter and Strange. He couldn''t help but smile and say, "Well done, both of you. This is a great breakthrough. I can see that you both have a lot of potential in the field of magic."


    As they continued to discuss their findings and ideas, Stark couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder at the possibilities that magic and science could achieve together. He knew that with the right approach and the right minds, they could achieve even greater breakthroughs in the future.Stark waved his hand impatiently and said with a slightly annoyed expression, "Here we go again, with that mysterious concept..."


    He looked at Strange and asked, "If seeds have a concept, then do flowers not have one?"


    Strange shook his head and said, "It depends on which concept is moremonly used in Space. Obviously, concepts like new life, hope, and light are more suited to orderly organisms, and these concepts, when extracted from the origin of Space, have a greater impact on the entire Space."


    "As for flowers and trees, they may also be affected, but to a lesser extent. The specific principles are not something you would want to hear, but in any case, it''s a concept simr to rules."


    Strange then turned his head and looked at the small flowerpot that Peter had just ced on the table. He walked over, picked up the flowerpot, and asked Peter, "Did you nt the seeds already?"


    "Yes."


    "What kind of flower is it?"


    "Sunflower, because there happened to be some seeds at the nearby flower shop, so I bought a few."


    At this point, Strange suddenly took out a strange gem from his hand and said, "Now, let''s give it a little boost and see what grows out of it..."


    As he spoke, the magic light shone from his hand, directly spreading onto the flowerpot. Amidst the astonished gazes of the others, tender shoots emerged from the soil, and in an instant, a small sunflower seedling had grown.


    "So...what about the sunflower?" Stark stood with his hands on his hips and stared at the flowerpot.


    "I can''t elerate it too much, otherwise there may be some unforeseeable danger. But even without a flower, we can see many issues," Strange replied.


    "Ah..." Strange sighed and said, "You may not be able to see it, but there are indeed very weak magic powers surrounding it, all concentrated in the roots, with none in the upper part..."


    "Why is that?" Peter frowned and looked at the nt, saying, "And I didn''t see any changes in appearance, even though the seeds had a big change and were glowing."


    "Magic is not that simple," Strange shook his head. "We only have a preliminary idea now, and there is still a long way to go to figure out how to achieve it."


    At this point, another voice was heard, "Have you considered that it might be a problem with the nt itself? Herbaceous and woody nts are not the same, and angiosperms and gymnosperms are also different..."


    Connors walked into theboratory, closed the door behind him, and nced at Strange. He then looked at the small flowerpot in Strange''s hand and said, "The professional has arrived."


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 Chapter 397: Benefits of Spending Money on Gaming (3)

    Chapter 397: Benefits of Spending Money on Gaming (3)


    "If we want to test the effects of magic on ordinary life, starting with nts is not a good idea. Clearly, the nt''s growth cycle is longer and the changes are less noticeable..."


    Looking at the people in the room, Connors said, "Okay, I know that animal experiments have certain risks. Even a small creature like a lizard can be very powerful if its size is increased by thousands of times, as you have seen."


    "I am well aware that any experiment carries a certain degree of risk," Stark shook his head and exined, "but you have to understand that conducting such experiments on Earth is really risky."


    "For real-time observation, we can only choose to conduct preliminary experiments on Earth. If there is some sess, maybe we can move to outer space, then there will be no worries."


    "Let''s take a look at this one first," Connors walked up and took the small flower pot, looking at the seedling inside and said, "Sunflower seedling... it''s a bit different, it seems to have been affected by some kind of radiation."


    "Different? Where is it different? I don''t see any difference," Stark squinted and looked closer. Connors said, "Exactly, I have a master''s degree in botany, and my master''s thesis was about pollen transmission."


    "Look here," Connors reached out and pointed to the root of the sunflower seedling, "the small hairs on the surface of the nt have be longer, perhaps denser. This visible change is already a very significant one."


    "Well, I went to a lot of trouble just to make its surface fuzz a bit longer?" Peter asked.


    Connors shook his head and looked at Peter, "That''s what I mean. The changes in nts are more subtle. If it were a white mouse, you could imagine it growing two centimeters long teeth.""Although just looking at the teeth is not particrly noticeable, because it affects eating, you can quickly find obvious behavioral changes, which will be more intuitive."


    "Well, putting aside these principles, what should we do now?" Strange asked Connors.


    "Peter and I will continue to do magic nt experiments. As for you, I just saw the gemstone in your hand that can elerate nt growth, but I advise you not to do so indiscriminately."


    "You cannot be sure whether the magic power carried on it will radiate the nts you have elerated. Once the nts mutate, the consequences will be much more serious than mutated animals."


    Stark turned to Strange and said, "You can''t do this within the boundaries of New York, not even in the Himyas. You have to understand how precious Earth is to us. It is our only home now."


    "Well, when you have some preliminary results from your experiments, I''lle back," Strange said, and then left without hesitation. Stark looked at his back and shook his head, "He won''t listen to you. This person doesn''t understand what experimental safety principles are."


    "It doesn''t matter. Because he doesn''t understand the right method of radiation, I think even if he uses magic on some nts, he will not be able to change their nature."


    After leaving theboratory, Stark and Schiller stood in front of the door. Stark turned to Schiller and asked him, "I have a question I want to ask you, but you absolutely cannot reveal it."


    "I guess you want to know how Steve is doing now?" Schiller let out a sigh and said, "I can only tell you that the situation is not optimistic. I have told you many times that Steve suffers from acute anxiety, which is a disease with corresponding symptoms. If left untreated, it will get worse and worse."


    "Then why not treat it?"


    "That is the problem. He himself is resistant to taking medication. Even if I can persuade him, I am not sure if the few drugs that are effective for ordinary people will work for him."


    As Schiller and Stark walked forward, Schiller said, "The serum that caused Steve''s changes not only made his body stronger, but also changed his immune and absorption systems. This means that he may not be able to absorb certain drugponents, or the dose for ordinary people may not be effective for him.""That''s why we should increase the dosage, right?"


    "You better not say that in front of Strange. No doctor wants to hear that kind of talk."


    "Patients always ask doctors to increase their dosage to ease their pain, but this is not a simple matter."


    "If it were an ordinary person, we have a very safe and reliable method to determine the effective dosage of medication. However, when dealing with a superhuman, without any experimental data, I cannot give him an unauthorized increase in dosage, or it would be irresponsible for his life safety."


    Stark lowered his head and looked at Schiller from above his eyes, saying, "Now I''m sure you''re not the crazy one."


    "No, even if he were here, he would say the same thing. I''ll say it again, I am unscrupulous, but I am definitely not a mediocre doctor."


    "Now there are two methods." Schiller stopped and looked at Stark, saying, "Either we continue with the experiments, gradually increasing the dosage and observing Steve''s reactions, but using arge amount of medication in a short period of time may cause harm to his body and mind."


    "There is also another method, which is to change the environment he is currently living in, allowing him to rebuild his sense of mental security, and thus obtain enough rest to fundamentally solve the problem of anxiety."


    Stark was about to speak, but Schiller turned to him and said, "In this situation, Steve''s own decisions may not be rational enough, so he needs his family or guardians to provide him with more reliable advice."


    "I guess your first reaction was to make the choice for him, so I can assume..."


    "Is 40-odd wedges enough, right?"


    Stark silently lowered his eyelids and turned his head away from Schiller. He said, "Do you know that at the moment of the most emotional fluctuation in that damn thing you did with your damn personality, it wasn''t when Steve fired the gun."


    "When was it?"


    "It was when he said that Howard, Bucky, and you were all his friends, but my name wasn''t on that list."


    Stark looked up at Schiller and said, "Don''t look at me like that. Yes, when I recalled the moment when Howard mentioned the name Captain America, his expression and demeanor made me not like Steve much."


    "But when I really got to know him, I understood that no one should feel ashamed for wanting to be friends with Captain America."


    "If he didn''t consider you a friend, he wouldn''t have fired the gun."


    "If he really considered me a friend, he wouldn''t have preferred to fire the gun rather than turning around and asking me what I was thinking."


    Schiller took a deep breath and looked into Stark''s eyes, saying, "You know, you two are like elementary school girls who are having a fight. You would rather retell your story to others from beginning to end, countless times, than say a word to each other."


    Seeing that Stark wanted to say something, Schiller interrupted him very decisively, saying, "I don''t have time to pass messages between you two. In return for the money you paid me, I will keep everything you said today confidential and won''t tell Steve."


    Stark stared at him, and before Schiller turned around, he said, "Hey! What could be more important than the Avengers splitting up?!"


    "Anything!"


    The next day, Steve and Bucky arrived at Arkham Sanatorium. Schiller opened Steve''s medical record and briefly exined his current situation to him. To Schiller''s surprise, Steve actually nned to choose the first option, which was to increase the dosage of medication.He exined, "The Avengers can''t be away from me for too long. The shadow of Hydra is still looming. This is my lifelong mission, and I mustplete it."


    "I used to resist taking medication because I didn''t think things had gotten serious enough, buttely I''ve found that my condition is getting worse."


    Steve''s condition was indeed a bit haggard, even to the point of exhaustion. He said, "I don''t know much about this field. I thought it was just a minor cold that would heal on its own, but now I can''t fall asleep naturally and can only rely on Professor X''s hypnosis."


    "To deal with Hydra, many people have even sacrificed their lives. Compared to that, taking some medication is nothing."


    "I admire your spirit of sacrifice, Captain." Schiller lowered his head and flipped through the medical records, then said, "Why not listen to what your friend has to say?"


    Schiller looked at Bucky, who was sitting further away, and said, "Why are you sitting so far away? Do you know? The previous group of psychology doctors who had patients with phobias should be chatting happily with demons and devils in hell."


    Bucky shook his head, and Steve reached out his hand and said, "Don''t be like that. He had the courage toe with me, and your personality is a bit..."


    Bucky coughed twice and then said, "I think the Captain should choose the second option and change the environment."


    "No." Steve said very firmly, "I have to stay here. There''s still work to be done, and where else can we go?"


    "My suggestion is also the second option, Captain. Don''t me me for not reminding you. I can''t be sure if your serum is immune to the effects of certain psychiatric drugs. If used inrge quantities in a short period of time, it may cause permanent damage to your psyche."


    "Dealing with Hydra is good, but we also need to focus on sustainable development." Schiller flipped through the medical records again and said, "You also have to consider that Stark may not be so willing to see Bucky now, and if he goes to a faraway ce alone, it looks more like banishment. If you apany him, it will just be a rxing and enjoyable trip."...


    Hearing Schiller''s meaning, Steve asked, "Are you suggesting that we..."


    "Yes, in the core star region of the Fairy Star Neb in the Central Gxy, there is a vast primeval forest where the High Elves reside. The scenery is very beautiful, and many members of the Brotherhood of Mutants have traveled there."


    "Because they have extensively modified their home, the temperature and weather are very pleasant, and there are no dangerous creatures. It is very suitable for vacation."


    Steve wanted to refute, but he looked at Bucky and then thought of Stark. Finally, he spread his hands and said, "Okay, I know. Stark and Bucky have to separate. The Sr System construction n is in progress, and Stark can''t leave, so we have to leave."


    "For the sake of confidentiality, I can''t tell you that Stark was very hurt because you didn''t include him in the list of friends."


    "I can''t tell you either that he really wants you to call him andfort him."


    "I can''t tell you more, but if you mention what Howard told you about his expectations for his son during the phone call, it will make him very moved and happy."


    After Steve walked out with his phone, Schiller called Connors to confirm that Peter was still in theb doing experiments, and then called Charles to confirm that he had gone to the Andromeda Gxy to build an air ind. Finally, he called Loki.


    "All the people whose moral bottom line has not been tested have been sent away by me. Our n can begin."


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 Chapter 398: Silence is the New York of Tonight (1)

    Chapter 398: Silence is the New York of Tonight (1)


    During the time when Arkham Sanatorium was not epting patients, Schiller applied for the renovation of the building used for the sanatorium. The reason it was renovation instead of transformation or reconstruction was because the building was a historical and cultural protected building.


    This old bank had been around for quite some time. Even before Wall Street became a bustling economic center, this ambitious banker chose this ce as his headquarters.


    After years of wind and rain, the high-rise buildings on Wall Street gradually piled up during the morning and evening, and the flow of people and traffic increased. When the golden age arrived, this bank, like all buildings, radiated prosperity.


    But as the financial center shifted, Wall Street became increasingly deste, and this old bank became more and more dpidated.


    Schiller liked things with a sense of history, but that didn''t mean he could ept that 9 out of 10 faucets didn''t work and one was filled with rust.


    This renovation mainly focused on the internal water and electricity supply systems, as well as the painting and protection of the walls and floors. After the renovation, Schiller returned to his office, where nothing had changed, but the core was different. For example, he could finally use a higher wattage light bulb and the washbasin in the small bathroom in the lounge could also be used.


    In addition, many things were preserved, such as the old telephone with a 20th-century style. Schiller generously gave Strange a discount from the Krypton Dream Coin package and obtained the "technology of a phone that canmunicate across worlds," along with a magic version of anti-tracking technology.


    In the evening office, Schiller stood in front of the telephone table at the door and said into the phone, "Yes, I am the doctor."


    "You don''t have to be polite with me. I guess you are tinkering with a strange machine right now, trying to use it to track my cell phone signal. But let me tell you, you''re wasting your effort.""Don''t use a silly smile to cover up your embarrassment right now. Turn around and take a look at your other screen. Tell me, what does it show?"


    A cold voice came from the other end, "Don''t think that we can''t trace your address..."


    "Call me back when you find my address."


    With that, Schiller hung up the phone but still stood in front of the table without leaving. Two secondster, the phone rang again.


    "Hello, I''m a doctor," Schiller''s opening line remained unchanged. The person on the other end seemed to sigh slightly and said, "Doctor, I admit that you are a capable guy. I didn''t expect Pierce, that old fox who is good at maintaining the status quo, could produce an extreme faction like you."


    "That''s the second funniest thing I''ve heard this year. Before you call me an extremist, can you change your German ent first?"


    The person on the other end didn''t seem to want to follow Schiller''s line of thought. He didn''t care about Schiller''s suggestive words and changed the subject, "Doctor, do you know that targeting important figures in the same region as you has caused dissatisfaction from headquarters?"


    "So what?"


    "I ask you to immediately stop your actions, be silent, and wait for the headquarters'' investigators."


    "You have no right to investigate me." Schiller firmly rejected the other person''s proposal and said, "I''m just getting rid of some dead weight for the organization."


    The other person''s tone remained unchanged and didn''t seem angry about Schiller''s attitude. He said emotionlessly, "If you find any irregrities, you need to submit a report to headquarters and get approval. Then there will be specialized supervisors to handle it..."


    Schiller switched the phone to the other side and said, "Do you want to listen to their irregrities first?"


    "...What?"


    Schiller put down the phone, turned around, took out a document from the bookshelf next to him, and said, "Evan Brown, former member of Congress, important official of the Department of Finance, member of the Federal Reserve Board, chief of the Internal Revenue Service collection..."


    "At the same time, he is also one of us, in charge of all financial matters in Hydra''s New York State district."


    "Is there a problem with him?"


    "He''s a KGB agent, and one from the Soviet era."


    The person on the other end fell silent.


    Schiller turned a page and said, "Marbury Cueto, I don''t want to talk about his resume, but I don''t quite understand why you dare to recruit someone who graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge?"


    "Sophia Smith has had 25 medical records in Moscow."


    "Hans Todd vacationed in Saint Petersburg 12 times in one year."


    "Domi Nick Johnson raised a Siberian Forest cat..."


    "Wait a minute." The person on the other end couldn''t help interrupting, "A forest cat counts?"


    "I saw in the supervisory manual that any clues rted to leftist tendencies must be reported. In December 1977, the organization in New York reported 67 suspected clues rted to cats and dogs, and 66 members'' pets were identified as having Russian bloodlines and were investigated and dealt with."


    The person on the other end fell silent again.


    "You and I should both understand that this is just a means of internal struggle within their organization, and this excuse is very useful." The person on the other end seemed to also reveal his true intentions and said, "I know you want to get rid of those who are blocking your path to the top, but this time you have gone too far, missing so many important people at once, it will cause the organizational structure to copse."


    "So, did it copse?"


    The person on the other end fell silent again.


    "This is the funniest joke I''ve heard this year. I eliminated more than 30 important Hydra infiltrators in New York, and nothing happened."


    "The operation of the organization was not affected in the slightest. On the contrary, after losing 67% of personnel, expenses in the entire New York district decreased by more than 40%, but work efficiency doubled."


    The person on the other end had been silent since thest time he spoke. Finally, Schiller said, "I guess you called me without the approval of headquarters."


    "But as you said, we both know who is dragging down Hydra now. Those people who havee from thest century still hold onto their rigid rules, but times have changed."


    "They tell the new generation, ''You can''t do this,'' ''You can''t do that,'' ''You must do it our way.'' But the fact is that they have never seeded in any period of history."...


    "Their proudest achievement was killing the representative of the American spirit, Captain America, but you should already have heard the news that Captain America is still alive. Not only that, there''s also Spider-Man, Iron Man, and they even formed a hero team that''s causing chaos for us."


    "What do you want?" the person on the other end asked.


    "If you''re in Germany, then mind your own business and don''te to me."


    "Do you know Hydra Lady?" the person on the other end suddenly asked. Schiller paused for a moment and said, "Of course I know."


    "You have touched her interests, and she should being to trouble you soon."


    The person on the other end''s tone became serious, "I don''t know if you have dealt with this kind of thing before, but I have to tell you, Hydra Lady has powers beyond that of ordinary people. Not Captain America''s physical strength, but a more mysterious magic power."


    "Some say she made a deal with a devil and gained the ability to live forever. The most terrifying thing is that she can poison people."


    "You''d better not think that we can''t find you. She may not be able to harm you, but I advise you to be cautious."


    "You don''t have to beat around the bush with me." Schiller interrupted him and said, "At the beginning, you wanted to find out my address because if you knew where I was, you could sell me to Hydra Lady and get a substantial reward from her."


    "But you found that you couldn''t find me, so you think that in the confrontation between me and Hydra Lady, I have a chance to win. You choose to bet on both sides, to please her and appease me."


    "If I''m not mistaken, there''s another phone on your desk, probably on your left or above your left hand, with the number already dialed. Once my address appears on the screen in front of you, you will immediately dial that phone and tell the person on the other end the address."


    Schiller suddenly changed the topic and said, "Do you like Siberian Forest cats?"


    The other side remained silent for several tens of seconds before answering, "No."


    "I quite like them. I think they''re cute. If necessary, I can talk to people who share my hobby."


    After speaking, Schiller hung up the phone, but he didn''t leave. After two seconds, the phone rang again. The person on the other end finally couldn''t maintain his calm andposed tone. He said, "I advise you not to do that. You''re harming others and not benefiting yourself. Do you think they will spare you?"


    "Will Hydra Lady spare me?"


    The other side had already been silent for who knows how many times, but the questions that Schiller threw out always made him feel unable to answer. He took a deep breath and said, "I will go and talk to Ophelia..."


    Schiller calmly said, "You can''t talk to her because she won''t even acknowledge you. You''re just a pitiful beggar looking for a handout in her eyes."


    "You can''t give me any advice, and you have no right to advise me. The oue between us has nothing to do with you. No matter who wins, you will be the one who is swallowed up."


    "What you need to do now is to hang up the phone, turn off the screen, give up those ambitions and thoughts that are hovering in your mind but are out of reach, and hide back in your dark and narrow nest, waiting to die."...


    After speaking, Schiller hung up the phone, then walked back to his desk. After a while, he took out his phone and called Sanctum Sanctorum. The receptionist on the other end politely said, "Dear guest Mr. Rodriguez, may I help you transfer to Supreme Sorcerer?"


    "No, I hope you can help me investigate a Hungarian woman named Ophelia, codenamed Hydra Lady, also known as Viper. Who is her contractor? Can you contact her now?"


    "Can you provide some basic information about her? It may be a bit difficult to find demon gods from the contractor. You may need to wait a while."


    "It should be a demon god rted to destruction, destruction, and darkness. In addition, she is immortal and good at making poison."


    "Please wait a moment."


    After a pleasant waiting tone, the receptionist on the other end said, "Hello, we have already found out that her contractor should be the Great Shadow Chthon, whom we just contacted for preliminary cooperation."


    "You''ve also signed Chthon?"


    "Just with initial intentions of cooperation. The specific matters will bemunicated by Scarlet Witch Wanda."


    "Where is she now?"


    "On an air ind in the Andromeda Gxy, and she is expected to return in a week."


    "Please help me contact her. I have some business to discuss."


    "Okay, please wait."


    After another waiting tone, a pleasant female voice came from the other end, "Hello, I''m Wanda."


    Schiller said to the voice on the phone, "Hello, Miss Wanda, I am Schiller Rodriguez, and also the overall person in charge of Hydra''s New York State district."


    "I have some business to discuss with you."


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 Chapter 399: Silence is Tonights New York (1)

    Chapter 399: Silence is Tonights New York (1)


    Schiller stood in front of the door holding the phone. The clock behind him continued to tick, with the "tick-tock" of the second hand ringing out. As the sky gradually darkened and thest rays of the setting sun fell below the horizon, Schiller walked back to the wall after making his final call and turned on the light.


    At this moment, the door was knocked on, with three standard, muffled knocks that matched the newly arrived night perfectly.


    After turning on the light, Schiller turned around and walked back, not even looking at Grant Ward who had just entered. He walked behind the table and lightly tapped the desktop with his finger, indicating for Grant to sit across from him.


    Grant sat down, but he sat a bit far away. Schiller stared at him and said, "Why are you sitting so far away?"


    Grant didn''t say anything, and Schiller knew it was because of his other personality. He sighed and took out the medical record from the shelf, saying, "Let me see... depression, and somepulsive behavior. Last time, you refused to take medication. If nothing unexpected happened, your condition should have worsened."


    Grant didn''t respond at all, and Schiller was a bit helpless. "Do you know why, after so many years, you''re still just an ordinary agent? I''m not asking you to learn to tter, but after I speak, shouldn''t you react in some way?"


    Grant gave a sound of agreement, but then fell silent again. Schiller closed the medical record and put it away. To be honest, psychiatrists aren''t afraid ofplicated symptoms or chaotic patients, but what they fear most is a patient who is mute.


    "If the Hydra that just called is like you, then I''m afraid I have to worry a bit." Schiller couldn''t help but sigh. "It seems that being taciturn has its benefits."


    "I''m not taciturn," Grant denied. "You told me to shut up and listen earlier, and not ask why.""It seems that Garrett''s control over you has seriously affected your personality. He probably used violence against you, and subjected you to mental abuse?"


    "What do you want me to do?" Grant asked.


    "Your life in S.H.I.E.L.D. has awakened a bit of your own consciousness. Before that, you were strictly controlled by Garrett."


    "But this awakening is very limited. Although you know that this state is not right mentally, you are still in self-destructive behavior. You are convincing yourself that killing for anyone is the same, whether it''s for me or for Garrett."


    "Isn''t that right?" Grant looked at Schiller''s eyes and asked.


    Schiller shook his head. "He is a patient, and I am a doctor."


    "There are some people in this world who like to stimte others mentally or use various means to control them. They feel satisfied when they see others suffer because they can''t vite their will. This ismon in parents'' unreasonable control over their children."


    "However, regardless of whether they are in a dominant or submissive position, using others'' behavior as a mental support is actually a very serious psychological defect. Once no one listens to their control, what follows is the copse of their mentality and personality, which is alsomon in parents and children."...


    Schiller sighed, "It''s a pity that in that situation, I had to kill Garrett. Otherwise, helping you break free from his control and observing his reaction would have been a good experiment."


    "It''s clear that when you break free from his control, you feel too much freedom and suddenly feel panic and confusion. At the same time, you are surprised to find that you want revenge for Garrett, for this person who has always controlled and hurt you. This emotion makes you even more afraid."


    "If you don''t have any tasks, I have to go." Grant didn''t have much of a reaction, he just said it like that.


    Schiller sighed again. From the perspective of a killer, Grant wasn''t particrly outstanding, but from the perspective of a patient, he had all sorts of difficult characteristics.


    "Okay, I do have a task." Schiller took out a book from the nearby bookshelf and handed it to Grant. Grant took a nce at the words on the cover and asked, "Who is Hydra?"


    This wasn''t a question from him, it was written on the cover of the book - "Who is Hydra?"


    It has to be said, this question sessfully piqued Grant''s interest. Other Hydras shouted slogans, and he followed suit, but he actually didn''t know what Hydra was.He opened the first page of the booklet, only to find out that it wasn''t a popr science book, but more like a religious scripture, as it started with the Norse mythology.


    Norse mythology is one of the better-known mythologies, and many people have heard the name of the World Tree to some extent. It was precisely because of this semi-understood state that Grant suddenly found that the stories in this book were quite interesting.


    Soon, he finished reading the first section and started reading the second section. In the second section, the worldview became even more grand, as they proposed that the nine kingdoms on the World Tree were called "Midgard", a huge castle, and coiled around the castle was a huge serpent, Jormungandr, the Midgard serpent.


    The second section emphasized Jormungandr''s power and expounded on a fable. In the twilight of the gods in Norse mythology, the great serpent would perish together with the strongest thunder god Thor, drawing a conclusion to the fate of the gods.


    The epic battle history was also very appealing, and by the third section, things became somewhat magical. The third section emphasized that Hydra was actually the incarnation of Jormungandr. Initially, it had only one head, but to deal with the nine kingdoms on the World Tree, it split into nine heads, bringing disasters to all life on the World Tree.


    As he reached the end, Grant''s eyes fell on thest sentence of the entire book - "Yesterday divided by nine, today united as one."


    As he ced the book on the table, his fingertips trembled. He looked at Schiller and asked, "Do you know what you''re doing?"


    "It seems your basic logic hasn''t been affected." Schiller inserted into every sentence of his words to find factors that could be analyzed. Thest time he had this feeling was during a college exam.


    Grant immediately shut up, and Schiller continued to exin to him, "Don''t you think that Hydra, as a spy organization, is somewhat outdated?"


    "Whether it''s a pyramid scheme or a cult organization, they have further advanced in personnel selection, personnel structure, and organizational capabilities. Since Hydra didn''t start from scratch, pyramid schemes are unlikely to work."


    "Are you nning to preach?" Grant asked.


    "Do you know the essence of religion?"


    "What is it?"


    "It''s a shell, and you can choose to put it on any kind of skeleton."


    "Do you think they''ll believe it?" Grant found it absurd.


    "Why haven''t you realized that this isn''t an ideology, it''s just business. The purpose of this mythology isn''t to make those bottom-level agents believe it."


    Schiller threw the pen on the table and said, "You can think of it as a matchstick, which can only ignite those who are already restless."


    "They just need an excuse, a pretext, to openly fight for power, kill their allies, and sit on the only throne."


    Grant remembered the content he saw in the manual, the prophecy of the Twilight of the Gods in thest chapter. In fact, it was suggesting that Hydra no longer needed nine heads. The Midgard serpent that could bring twilight to the gods had only one head, and only one god was needed, which meant only one pope was needed.


    "You can understand this as the spread of extremist ideas. Anything that has uniqueness can cause people to be more extreme in their emotions."


    "Grant, I think you should be able to see that the situation is changing. This major purge against Hydra has brought many hidden conflicts to the surface - the old versus the new, the upper versus the lower, the regional conflicts..."


    "Many people are more eager than I am for a major reshuffle. Everyone knows that the only way to shake up the existing hierarchy, to gain more benefits, and to be the rulers of the new era is through one method...""Sarajevo." Grant slowly uttered a noun, but then he asked, "But just a story is not convincing enough, they are all very cautious and wouldn''t want to be the first ones to stick their necks out."


    "Did you see the prophecy in thest article? About the Twilight of the Gods?"


    "I did, but that''s just a prophecy."


    "Yeah... but what if I colluded with the gods?"


    As Schiller smiled, the weather behind him changed from dark to bright, and the Sun rose from the horizon, another sunny morning, and the Shadow casted on the table gradually changed shape, the one sitting across Schiller turned into Loki.


    He was still dressed gorgeously, his attire and hairstyle were impable, but fatigue was hard to hide on his face. He shook his head and said, "The situation in Asgard is not good."


    "What happened? Did Thor have a problem?"


    "On the contrary, this time only Thor did not have a problem." Loki showed aplex expression, he said, "I can''t believe that one day, Thor would be the most normal one."


    As he spoke, he put his hands on the table, fingers crossed, exining, "Thor went back from Earth, he regained his divine power, and beyond that, this is good for Asgard, right?"


    Schiller nodded, and Loki continued, "Suddenly, Thor understood the meaning of honor, that should be his weapon, not his shackles, it should be his scepter to rule his subjects, not his whip to drive them."


    "He is determined to change the current situation in Asgard, he wants to stop this war machine and find a more sustainable way for the country and the people to develop more steadily, rather than rushing towards destruction, which is also good, right?"


    Schiller took a sip of his coffee and said, "But someone doesn''t want that, right?"


    "That''s right, in the eyes of many Asgardians, war is a quick and easy way to get everything they need. They are used to this way, and their ancestors havee this way, we are Vikings, hunters, and pirates."


    "It''s almost impossible to make such a civilization slow down or even stop."


    Loki put his finger on his forehead and said, "The problem is that even the father of the gods doesn''t support Thor, not because he likes war, but because he thinks that facing the uing Twilight of the Gods, Asgard must have enough powerful force."


    "If you stop this war machine now, dismantle its wheels, by the time of the Twilight of the Gods, perhaps we can''t even run away."


    "Odin may not know, even if the war machine keeps going, maybe we still can''t escape, but he dare not gamble. If we continue to move forward, umte strength, maybe there is some room for resistance, but if we give up our power, surrender, then it''s truly a case of being at the mercy of others." Schiller summed it up.


    "That''s right." Loki nodded helplessly, "Thor is under attack from all sides, and many people are using this opportunity to shake his position as the heir."


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 Chapter 400: Silence is Tonights New York (2)

    Chapter 400: Silence is Tonights New York (2)


    Looking at Loki''s expression, Schiller spected, "Do they want to help you ascend to the throne?"


    Loki took a deep breath and said, "You know what? If I hadn''t gone up there and taken a look, maybe I really would have been lost in their sweet talk. When the Asgardians are genuinely enthusiastic about you, you will feel that they are so sincere and friendly."


    Loki''s voice trembled slightly as he said, "That feeling of having power handed to you and being begged to wield it is the most addictive poison in the world."


    His arm began to tremble as well, and he said, "I overestimated the weight of my past hatreds in my memory. I admit I wavered..."


    "Because those hatreds are in the past, while power and honor are in the present," Schiller sighed and said, "Few people can truly remember the past. Most people are pursuing the present."


    "But luckily..." There was a hint of fear in Loki''s tone as he said, "Before this, I saw the view above Space, and I saw the final oue of all the stories. That despair was even more bone-chilling."


    "So what did you do?"


    "I originally wanted Thor to confine me, so I could legitimately avoid contact with anyone and they wouldn''t bother me anymore. But that idiot Thor refused no matter what," Loki''s tone became more teeth-grindingly angry.


    "His damn untimely tenderness and kindness are always the biggest obstacles to all my ns.""But you actually enjoyed it, didn''t you?" Schiller said with augh.


    "I''m not joking," Loki said seriously, "It was originally a perfect n. He and I would fake a fight, and then he would lock me up. Not only could that save me a lot of trouble, but it could also intimidate them."


    "If someone nned to rescue me, I would directly sell them out to Thor, and then Thor could legitimize dealing with them. I exined this n to him at least a dozen times, but he just wouldn''t agree."


    Loki took a deep breath, seeming very regretful, and said, "So I had to settle for second best and came up with an excuse to run away, but this can''tst long, because besides me, they have other candidates."


    "Such as?"


    "They originally wanted to choose Balder, after all, he is the legitimate heir of the God-King and the most admired Asgardian sessor. But Balder doesn''t want to get involved in this mess at all."


    "Originally, he was in a stalemate with H, but as soon as he heard about those people''s ns, he quickly went back to sleep on the World Tree."


    "So, only..." Loki''s expression became somewhat solemn, "Yes, only H."


    "What does H think?"


    Loki pursed his lips and said, "I''m not sure. His attitude is somewhat ambiguous, and I don''t know if they convinced him privately and are nning something. You know, I can''t get too close to him."


    Schiller pressed his finger against his upper lip, trying to suppress his desire tough, and said, "I think if you use a little charm, it might be much more effective than their persuasion."


    "Don''t be silly," Loki waved his hand and said, "H is just ying around when he''s bored. It''s impossible for that to change his decision on serious matters."


    "If it''s just him alone, I''m not afraid, but if all the warmongers in Asgard stand with him, Thor may be in danger."


    Loki leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and fell silent for a moment. His voice became somewhat cold as he said, "When you proposed that n to me earlier, I was still hesitant, but now that the situation has developed to this extent..."


    He shook his head and said, "No pain, no gain. Any change of dynasty is inevitably apanied by bloodshed. If the royal family doesn''t want bloodshed, then..."


    Loki opened his eyes, his expression gradually returning to normal, but the deliberately prolonged intonation in his voice revealed a bone-chilling coldness.


    "In a sense, in this era, you are more suitable to be the king of Asgard than Thor. Thor is not yet a qualified emperor because he is not ruthless enough."


    "If being ruthless enough can save Asgard, and not being ruthless enough can save himself, Loki, what would you choose?"


    Loki fell silent."But his expression told Schiller that his first answer had surprised him.


    "Well, now let''s talk about my n."


    Schiller leaned back in his chair and behind him, through the floor-to-ceiling window, Sun''s figure gradually appeared, then sank lower and lower until it approached the horizon, followed by another calm dusk, and then the same quiet and peaceful night.


    Schiller put the cold coffee aside, picked up another cup, poured himself a ss of cold water, took a sip, and then put the cup aside. He walked back to his seat and frowned, saying, "Someone called and said you''re a drug-making expert. Are drug-making experts now not concerned about the taste of drugs?"


    Just as he said this, the silhouette of a woman gradually appeared in the chair opposite him. She was an elegant and sexy woman with long ck hair and dark red lips, wearing a dark green fishtail dress and holding a cigarette in her hand.


    "Hello, my name is Ophelia, I''m from Hungary."


    She took a puff of smoke, exhaled slowly, and said in a Hungarian-ented English, "I''m sorry I spilled your coffee, but I believe you wouldn''t mind making another cup for both of us."


    "Do you like to drink coffee at night?" Schiller asked as he looked at her.


    "It depends. If I n to go to bed early, of course I won''t drink it. But tonight is going to be an interesting night, don''t you think?" Ophelia''s voice was normal and not alluring, but it still managed to capture all of Schiller''s attention.


    Schiller sat in his chair, looking at her and recalling Natasha''s image,paring the two women''s charisma. He thought that perhaps because she was not ck Widow''s target, Natasha had not deliberately seduced him, so he felt that Hydra Lady was still the better choice.


    "What are you thinking?" Ophelia leaned forward, rested her elbow on the table, and propped her chin up as she looked into Schiller''s eyes.


    "I''m thinking about another woman," Schiller replied.


    Ophelia fell silent.


    "Are you trying to provoke me on purpose?" Ophelia leaned back, but still stared at Schiller''s eyes and said, "You''ve killed a lot of people recently, many of whom were my people."


    "Yes, you were buried in Pierce''s power, but he ended up turning all of you into his pawns." Schiller said, "Don''t stare at me with that fierce look, I''m just stating a fact."


    "Anyway, your time is up, doctor." Ophelia stared at Schiller with her eyes, but Schiller reached out and said, "Hold on, let me make a call."


    Ophelia''s anger was almost uncontroble, but Schiller walked to the telephone table in front of the door, dialed a number, and said, "Move in."


    With a crack, a lightning bolt struck the roof of the newly renovated old bank, and a few secondster, a woman with a buzz cut rushed out of the floor-to-ceiling window and shouted, "Doctor! I''m going to kill you!"


    But immediately afterwards, the sky lit up again, and another lightning bolt struck. Ophelia didn''t have time to dodge and was directly blown out. When she climbed up, ck energy emanated from her body.


    This energy formed a shield around her body, and she roared, "Who is it?! Come out!"


    The answer to her was a continuous stream of lightning, and because the lightning was too dense, Ophelia couldn''t withstand it with her energy shield. She dodged and ran, and the lightning chased her down in New York State.Soon, this peculiar weather phenomenon attracted a lot of onlookers, and many Hydra members recognized the figure shrouded in dark energy, who was none other than the famous Hydra Lady.


    Above the clouds, Loki held Mjolnir in one hand and an Earth globe in the other, and Thunderbolts rained down from the hammer, chasing the fleeing Hydra Lady.


    Ophelia had considered fighting back, but she also wanted to fly up and see where the lightning wasing from. The problem was that her energy was not enough to maintain a shield and fly at the same time. If she wanted to fly, she had to remove the shield.


    She couldn''t withstand the terrible lightning strikes with her physical body alone, everything depended on that dark energy. Just when she was thinking of extracting more of that energy, she found that the demon god she had contracted with, Chthon, was unreachable.


    Ophelia was really going crazy. She didn''tmunicate with the great being very often, but every time she could borrow tremendous power. That was her capital for survival. But at this critical moment, Chthon''s phone couldn''t get through, no matter how much Ophelia prayed, the great shadow Chthon remained unresponsive.


    So, what was Chthon doing?


    In the dimension filled with chaotic energy, a Scarlet Witch girl held her arms and said, "We didn''t want to change the terms temporarily. The demon gods in the hell dimension protested together, saying that Sanctum Sanctorum gave you too generous terms, which was disrespectful to their old customers."


    "But I''m stronger than them!" Chthon roared, "Don''t you know? Don''t you realize that you''re much stronger than those useless contract holders?"


    "Stop it," Wanda snorted and said, "Don''t think I don''t know. Besides me, you have also developed many secret female human followers. What do you want to do?"


    Wanda made a somewhat disgusting expression and said, "You remind me of some scumbags who y multiple girls. They say they are the best to me on the surface, but they say the same thing to all the girls in private..."


    In fact, Chthon couldn''t understand what she was talking about at all. He felt that the emotions of human beings were too changeable, and he couldn''t understand them at all. His contract holder, Wanda, seemed to have only two states in a day: angry and extremely angry.


    Wanda could be so tough for a reason. She was a mutant with extraordinary abilities, and her reality-warping abilities could even affect Chthon.


    As long as she believed that she was a follower of Chthon, she could provide him with a continuous stream of massive faith power. Simply put, Chthon was pursuing Wanda.


    While Wanda was causing trouble, Ophelia kept calling Chthon. Although Chthon couldn''t understand Wanda''s emotions, his instincts told him that if he answered another follower''s call at this time, not to mention negotiating with Sanctum Sanctorum, his Earth agent would be in danger.


    So Ophelia kept calling, and Chthon kept hanging up. Ophelia could only use a small amount of remaining dark energy for self-preservation and could not fight back.


    But the amount of energy she could store in her body was limited, and soon she had less and less of it. Ophelia had to focus on evasion rather than trying to withstand the lightning strikes like before.


    At this point, the lightning changed its strategy and became even more intense, driving Ophelia to keep moving.


    She was chased from New York State, through Mexico, across Colombia, then passing through Brazil and arriving in Argentina. Then, she had to cross the Pacific Ocean to reach Australia.


    Afterward, she traveled from Madagascar northward, passing through Congo, Sudan, Egypt, and the entire Europe, and finally arrived in Siberia after crossing Kazakhstan.


    When she ran onto an endless barren in in Siberia, a helicopter suddenlynded in front of her, and a familiar figure walked down from the helicopter.


    "Evan Brown?!" Ophelia yelled, looking disheveled and crazy, "Aren''t you supposed to be dead from an assassination? How are you still alive?!"


    "Wait! Help me quickly! On ount of us being colleagues!"


    "I was ambushed by that damn doctor!"


    Yevgeny Sakarov, a senior KGB intelligence officer with gray hair, walked forward and shook hands with Ophelia, saying in Russian, "Hello, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Yevgeny Sakarov. I was sent to New York in December 1977 to carry out a long-term undercover mission and joined the Hydra New York District organization during the mission."


    "Then, with your help, I sessively held positions in the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department, and...the U.S. Congress."


    Yevgeny smiled and said, "Hail Hydra."


    Ophelia was stunned for a moment. She didn''t expect to meet someone from her past in such a remote ce. But she quickly regained herposure and asked, "So, what do you want from me?"


    Yevgeny exined, "I was sent by the Russian government to track down Hydra members who fled Russia after the copse of the Soviet Union. We received intelligence that you were hiding here, and we came to offer you protection in exchange for your cooperation."


    Ophelia hesitated for a moment, but she knew that she had no other choice. She had been on the run for too long, and her energy was nearly depleted. She couldn''t fight back anymore.


    So, she epted Yevgeny''s offer and went with him to a secret underground facility in the Siberian wilderness, where she was given medical assistance and a safe ce to stay.


    But Ophelia couldn''t forget the humiliation she suffered at the hands of Loki and the Avengers. She knew she had toe up with a n to get revenge and regain her power.


    So, she started to make a n, a n that would involve the help of her demon god contract holder, Chthon, and the Russian government.


    But that''s a story for another time.


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 Chapter 401: Everything is Poisonous Except the Snake (1)

    Chapter 401: Everything is Poisonous Except the Snake (1)


    If you were to ask what the most severe ailment afflicting the United States after World War II was, the answer would be allergies. Americans are allergic to many things, but the most severe allergy is undoubtedly the KGB allergy.


    As the once most powerful spy agency in the world, the KGB had an iparably glorious record. Its achievements were so brilliant that the Soviet Union''s transformation is still discussed today, whether in the United States or Europe.


    For instance, if you wanted to attack your political opponent and frame him for a crime at the time, the best choice was to report his tax issues because these issues were bound to be found in an investigation.


    And if you wanted to truly kill him, to cause him not only biological death but also social death, you would have to use him of being a KGB agent.


    When Schiller held Thor''s hammer given to him by Loki and chased Madame Hydra around the world, the situation became interesting once the KGB got involved.


    If there was anyone in the world who was most willing to broadcast the stupid things the United States had done to the whole world, it would be the KGB. And if there was anyone capable of broadcasting the stupid things the United States had done to the whole world, it would undoubtedly be the KGB.


    Some people may think that the stupid thing referred to is the United States'' allowing Hydra to develop for many years. However, in fact, the stupid thing referred to is that Hydra infiltrated the United States, and the KGB infiltrated Hydra.


    The stupidest thing about this matter was not that the United States did not discover the KGB''s infiltration of Hydra, but that the Hydras who were Americans helped the KGB go through the United States'' financial system.


    Hydra''s wrongdoing, infiltration, establishment of various secret bases, and various illegal experiments within the United States were not important. What was important was that they helped the KGB.What was even more important was that they were all caught by the KGB and exposed everything to the public.


    If every country in the world became a human capable of expressing its own emotions, theughter from the Far East would be deafening right now.


    In the underground base of S.H.I.E.L.D., in the dimly lit corridor, the light bulbs flickered on and off. Nick and the agents behind him walked through the long corridor and arrived at the door of an office. After opening the door, Natasha''s figure appeared inside.


    Nick turned back and gave the people behind him a look, gesturing for them to leave first. After he closed the door, he sighed and said, "I think you should already know how tense the situation is now?"


    Natasha did not have an anxious expression. She just nodded and said, "After making that choice, I knew that I would not be trusted by any country or organization in this world anymore."


    "It''s not that serious yet." Nick sped his hands behind his back and sighed. Natasha hugged her arms and stared at him. She moved her neck left and right and said, "I''m in the investigation period now, so we''re not superior and inferior for the time being."


    "Natasha, if you ask me, you can''t not know how many Hydras there are in S.H.I.E.L.D."


    "Of course, I know." Nick gave a very affirmative answer. He said, "But they work hard."


    Nick seemed to have been holding back for a long time. He said helplessly, "They think their files are very meticulous, but in fact, many people had already exposed their identities when they were recruited."


    "Why do you still use them?"


    "I''m not using them. Do you want me to use thosezy locals who only work eight hours a day and demand weekends off, asking me to buy them the most expensive medical insurance, and even requiring the finance department to reimburse them for the scratched rearview mirror of their car?"


    Seeing Natasha''s slightly disdainful expression, Nick reached out and said, "I know it sounds heartless, but Natasha, we are S.H.I.E.L.D., a special agent organization. Have you ever seen a special agent who only works on weekends?"


    Natasha pursed her lips and was a bit speechless. Nick nodded slowly and said, "Honestly, I don''t care if they''re Nazis or KGB. They just need to be able to get things done."


    "You sound like a borderless person."


    Nick sighed and said, "The leaders of all special agent organizations in the world can only be borderless people."


    "Do you think the CIA doesn''t know how many spies there are in their organization? Their Russian trantor at headquarters goes back to Moscow twelve times a year and reports once a month when he goes back, but they still give him leave."


    "Because if they don''t use him, other Russiannguage trantors charge over$400 an hour. And the CIA can''t afford to pay that much for every trantion job."


    Natasha raised an eyebrow and said, "So, what''s your n?"


    Nick leaned against the desk and said, "My n is to keep moving forward and eliminate Hydra. That''s the only way to ensure that S.H.I.E.L.D. can continue to exist."


    Natasha nodded and said, "I''ll help you with that."


    "I know you will." Nick smiled and said, "But, for now, we need to focus on finding the Winter Soldier."


    Natasha''s expression turned serious. "Do you have any new leads?"


    Nick shook his head. "Not yet, but we''re working on it. We''re tracking his movements and trying to find out where he''s hiding."


    Natasha frowned. "But what about Steve? He''s still out there, looking for Bucky."


    Nick sighed. "I know, but we can''t let Steve find Bucky before we do. If he does, he might get himself killed."


    Natasha nodded. "I understand. I''ll help you with the Winter Soldier, but I''ll also keep an eye on Steve."


    "Good. We''ll need all the help we can get." Nick straightened up and said, "We''ll keep in touch. If you find anything, let me know."


    Natasha nodded and walked towards the door. Before she left, she turned back and said, "Nick, be careful."


    "I always am." Nick smiled and watched as Natasha left the room. He sighed and sat down at his desk, rubbing his temples. The situation was dire, but he knew that he had to keep moving forward.


    He couldn''t let Hydra win.Nick sat down on the chair in the office and said, "Many people imagine that spy work is like solving a puzzle every day, but it''s not like that."


    "Everyone knows what someone whoes from somewhere is really doing. If you want to obtain information from me openly, you must bear the risk that the information you receive is intentionally prepared by me. This is fair."


    "Only when the other side makes a move can I know how many cards I need to y. If we don''t infiltrate each other, what''s the point of our existence? If there are no enemies, where does the fundinge from?"


    "The intelligence work all over the world is actually shooting at nothingness. Do you understand, Natasha?"


    Nick made a gesture and said, "You send spies to me, and because you send spies to me, I have to send spies to you. Because I sent spies to you, you have to send spies back to me. That''s how all 17,000 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents came about."


    "When something happens, we can send back some of the cards they have already revealed, or use this excuse to deal with some difficult people when nothing has happened."


    "Capturing Hydra and repatriating KGB agents has be a quarterly activity, which means that I haven''t been taking money for nothing this quarter."


    Natasha walked to the opposite side of him and leaned against the wall, saying, "So why are you investigating Hydra again? Wouldn''t it be nice to keep them working for you?"


    "The problem is that the KGB went crazy and had to expose this matter." Nick put his hand on his head and said, "The people on Capitol Hill don''t care if Hydra has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. They care whether the KGB has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. or done more."


    "Isn''t that obvious? The IRS, the Department of Finance, and Capitol Hill have all been infiltrated like a sieve. Why don''t they look for their own reasons instead ofing to you?"


    Nick sighed again, and you could even see very obvious wrinkles on his dark face. He said, "We don''t manage the KGB, but we manage Hydra."


    "I want to push this matter to the CIA, and the CIA also wants to push this matter to me."


    Natasha frowned and looked at Nick, saying, "Haven''t you cursed the CIA before? Isn''t he a Hydra? He was hiding from Stark, and you''re openly cooperating with Hydra?"


    "Every minute and second since I became the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., I have been openly cooperating with Hydra."


    Natasha was speechless, and Nick tapped the table with his finger and said, "Don''t you understand yet? They want to eliminate Hydra? Bullshit!"


    "Their goal is to control S.H.I.E.L.D. Previously, some Hydra agents within S.H.I.E.L.D. were transferred out, causing us to be short-handed. I am currently recruiting people and this operation may have stimted them again. The idea of bnce is taking over again."


    "Bnce, bnce... They often talk about these words, whether I actively send out some Hydra to deal with the pressure, or really busy chasing the tail of those Hydra, both weaken the cohesion of S.H.I.E.L.D."Nick emphasized, "You have to admit, regardless of the identities of my agents, whether they are from Hydra, KGB, or genuine S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, S.H.I.E.L.D. can function normally and efficiently."


    "They are forcing me to break the healthy ecosystem of S.H.I.E.L.D., to divide and conquer us one by one."


    Natasha ced her slender fingers on her forehead and said, "Listen to the words you just used..."


    "A ''healthy'' S.H.I.E.L.D. full of Hydra and KGB, Congress wants to divide you from Hydra and KGB, and you are trying to unite Hydra, which is suspected to be KGB, to resolve this situation..."


    "Nick, do you know? If I were really a KGB agent, I would call Moscow right now and ask if you were one of their long-term undercover agents. Don''t you think you''re a bit..."


    After finishing her sentence, Natasha lowered her head and said with a cold smile, "Why can''t I be KGB? Otherwise, at least I could earn a medal for my sess in turning you."


    Nick shrugged his shoulders and said, "I''m ck, I don''t have allergies like you do. I''m not allergic to anything except for theck of funds."


    "Okay, I take back what I said earlier. As far as I know, KGB spies who can infiltrate to your level often don''t take money, they don''t even want it."


    "They are people with faith, but the era of talking about faith is over." Nick took out a pack of cigarettes from his clothes, lit one and put it in his mouth, squinting his eyes as he said:


    "I cleared Pierce''s name, freed him from Stark''s entanglement, and let him return to his job at the World Security Council to mediate for us."


    "At the same time, he will provide me with a group of Hydra agents to use for reporting."


    "He''s providing you with Hydra agents? Isn''t he Hydra himself? Is he betraying his own organization''s interests to help you?"


    "How is that possible?" Nick threw the pack of cigarettes to Natasha, who took one out, lit it, and exhaled smoke from her red lips.


    "I told you, Hydra has many different factions. Pierce isn''t betraying his own power, he''s just helping to strike at his opponents. Why not?"


    Natasha took a deep breath and exhaled, saying, "As you said, the era of talking about ideology is over. Now you want to talk business, so why did youe to me?"


    "I said I thought you were KGB and wanted to gather intelligence from you. Do you believe me?"


    "I''d be more likely to believe you if you said you wanted to date me."


    "Forget it, I''m not Hawkeye." Nick shook the cigarette ash in his hand and said, "Just catching some Hydra agents to report on won''t solve the fundamental problem. I hope KGB can give Congress some work to do."


    Natasha''s fingers stiffened for a moment as she looked at Nick and said, "You''re not thinking of sending me to negotiate with KGB, are you?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, you should know Russian." Nick looked at the female agent while pinching his cigarette. Seeing Natasha''s slightly stiff expression, Nick said naturally, "Don''t expect me to find a Russian trantor who charges thousands of dors per hour. You''re just being investigated, not fired."


    "Since you still have this job and are receiving a sry, you have to work. Now, Mrs. Romanoff, let''s join the greatbor force."


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 Chapter 402: Everything is Poisonous except the Snake (2)

    Chapter 402: Everything is Poisonous except the Snake (2)


    In the internationalmunity, the revtion that Hydra helped the KGB infiltrate the US Congress put a lot of pressure on the US. However, the US has never cared about international public opinion. What they really care about is Hydra.


    After learning that Hydra may have been infiltrated by the KGB, their enthusiasm for dealing with Hydra skyrocketed.


    Hydra may have done many bad things domestically, but they cannot have any rtionship with the KGB, such as infiltrating the Congress, buying off senators, stealing intelligence, and attempting to steal the country. The US can turn a blind eye to these things, but if they have a rtionship with the KGB, they must be eliminated.


    This is the opinion of most people sitting on Capitol Hill. Their severe allergy is almost incurable, so they want to use S.H.I.E.L.D. as a weapon, ostensibly to eliminate Hydra within their jurisdiction, but actually to use S.H.I.E.L.D.''s transcendent power to strike at the KGB.


    At the same time, they can also use the struggle between S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and the KGB to weaken S.H.I.E.L.D., distract Nick Fury, and prevent him from growing stronger.


    But will having Nick''s name tattooed on his body help Gellert Grindelwald achieve his goals?


    Of course not. He is ying both sides. He has connections with snakes on one hand andmunists on the other. He has to be tough with both.


    On the one hand, he cooperates with Pierce to attack certain forces within Hydra from the inside, catch Hydra agents for interrogation, and deal with the current pressure. On the other hand, he sends S.H.I.E.L.D.''s strongest agent, ck Widow, tomunicate with the other side in the most destructive way possible, causing trouble for Congress and other intelligence agencies, and alleviating the pressure in the long run.


    So what about Lady Hydra, who was being chased by Loki holding Thor''s hammer?Apart from receiving some absolutely legitimate rewards that are not from the KGB and besides money, he has not forgotten his most important n.


    Previously, DC''s personality approached Pierce and made a series of deals with him on a cruise ship. Schiller conspired with Pierce, so Schiller''s identity as a member of Hydra is beyond doubt. Later, he facilitated the cooperation between Nick and Pierce.


    With Nick and Pierce working together, someone is going to be unlucky.


    Except for the Hydra in New York State led by Pierce, other forces leading Hydra in other regions were chased by S.H.I.E.L.D.''s agents due to Pierce''s betrayal.


    These Hydra forces, who were under extreme purging, suddenly discovered that they could not contact the snakeheads throughout the Americas. The previously silent snakeheads had not appeared, Pierce did not answer the phone, Lady Hydra was caught, and the German headquarters was in turmoil due to her capture.


    So, whose phone can still be reached now?


    Yes, it''s the doctor.


    After being promoted as the head of Hydra in New York State, Schiller became the head of Hydra in the Americas.


    In addition to being able to get more Hydra agents with less effort, Schiller screened out a group of Hydra agents who are more susceptible to brainwashing and are good at persuading others.


    Schiller did not use force to brainwash them, but used his identity and status to spread a very credible book to them, which is "Who is Hydra?"...


    Some people may say that the content of this book ispletely nonsense, and even if it''s not nonsense, it''s just a bizarre myth. How could anyone believe it?


    But that day, the Thunderbolt that struck Lady Hydra was not fake. Although global meteorologists exined it as a special weather phenomenon caused by Earth''s climate change, Hydra is not stupid. Which special weather phenomenon would specifically target Hydra and even have identity recognition function?In the book "Who is Hydra?" it was emphasized that Hydra''s origin and creator, the earthly serpent, is the archenemy of Thor. Now, a famous Hydra leader is being chased by lightning from the sky and is running in a panic. What does this mean?


    This part of the book does not exin, but ording to Dr. Famous, a book critic of "Who is Hydra?", Thor has long known that the earthly serpent is his archenemy, and he naturally wants to destroy it before its nine heads unite into one.


    The fleeing of Mrs. Hydra, who was chased by lightning, is proof that if Hydra does not unite now, what awaits them is to be turned to ashes under the endless thunderbolt glory of Thor.


    Yesterday, the great creator was divided into nine and became the most terrible nightmare for all kingdoms in the world. Today, their final battle ising, and they will unite and bring about a terrible twilight for the gods.


    This exnation seems a bit bizarre, and most people do not believe it. But as Nick said, many people are not talking about ideology, but rather business. As long as they can profit from it, they can be followers of any religion.


    The absence of Mrs. Hydra and Pierce gave many of the heads who were originally under their control a glimmer of hope. They wanted to gain higher positions to rule others, but they were hindered by the rules of the organization and were afraid to be the first to act and be attacked by the group.


    The ultimate answer to any society''s events can be found in human history. In the end of an empire''s copse, a decree can cause chaos and war. What creates war is not bullets, but the people who already have guns in their hands and want to make bullets for them.


    In a dimly lit safe house, Grant looked at the body lying in a pool of blood. He reloaded his gun, then took it in both hands and stepped over the body to amunication device.


    The person on the other end had already heard the gunshots and the screams of the safe house owner, so his voice was trembling. He said, "Who are you? Why did you kill him?"


    "Fool, the war has already begun. I don''t want to be Mrs. Hydra, I don''t want to be struck by lightning, or fall into the hands of those damn Russians..."


    "We don''t need nine heads anymore. Someone will always be eliminated, and you''re still thinking about finding allies. You''re foolish..."


    After finishing his lines, Grant hung up the phone.


    Grant Ward''s assassination was like sounding the horn for this Hydra massacre. No one knew where the chaos began, but it happened suddenly.


    Everyone shouted, "Today we unite as one!"


    They all shouted, "Before the great Hydra returns, I will be the only voter," and then they began to ruthlessly kill their former colleagues...


    The situation became chaotic in an instant, because it happened too suddenly. Everyone did not have a clear target, and it was just a melee. At the end of the fight, they were not sure who they were retaliating against, or who was retaliating against them.Most of them have not even read the book "Who is Hydra?", so their understanding of the doctrine cannot be said to be clear and profound. The views of everyone on Hydra and the earthly serpent are not highly unified, but rather varied.


    However, because so many members of Hydra were involved in this melee, there were bound to be a few who stumbled upon something important.


    One morning, Jormungandr, the earthly serpent, who had been sleeping in the Earth''s ocean, was gently awakened from his slumber.


    Jormungandr, like most Spacedemon gods, was born from the origin force of Space. This serpent, which is coiled from head to tail, represents the principle of cirction in Space and is very powerful, described as even stronger than the thunder god Thor.


    At the same time, Jormungandr is also an intelligent creature, although still chaotic, but much smarter than other chaotic creatures.


    But just awakened Jormungandr couldn''t understand why someone was calling his name, and not just calling his name, Jormungandr felt a surge of upward force entering his body.


    As mentioned before, humans are special in Space, and their beliefs can provide Spacedemon gods with more power.


    So, although there aren''t many true believers in the earthly serpent being Hydra, there are still many believers. Regardless of why they believe in him, they do believe, and so they provide Jormungandr with a lot of power.


    Jormungandr hates Odin, who threw him into Midgard, and he has long wanted revenge. But the new influx of these powers is still not enough to support him in defeating Odin. Jormungandr is very aware of this and urgently needs more power.


    So he began to study the source of these sudden beliefs, and he discovered that, somehow, in the thousands of years he had been asleep, there were still people who knew of his existence and believed in him.


    Jormungandr wanted to go to Earth to investigate these few believers, but he knew that Earth was Odin''s territory. If he caused too muchmotion and Odin sent down a thunderbolt, he might not be able to withstand it.


    Just as he was about to sneak into Earth, a mysteriousmunication suddenly connected to him.


    A pleasant customer service voice said to him, "Hello, this is Sanctum Sanctorum, the only Space creature service agency in the nine kingdoms. We provide a variety of services, including cross-border contact, finding agents, enhancing power, crossing dimensions to seek revenge, and more..."


    "Join as a member now and enjoy discount offers. There are different member gifts every quarter. Buy now..."


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 Chapter 403: Everything is Poisonous except the Snake (3)

    Chapter 403: Everything is Poisonous except the Snake (3)


    At first, Jormungandr was a bit confused when he heard these words. He was like a martial arts master who had been in seclusion and opened his eyes to find that the world had changed.


    Shouldn''t Earth be a backwater ce in the middle of nowhere? What are these things on the sea? What are these things onnd? And what are those things in the sky?


    Despite his intelligence, Jormungandr did not possess the power of irvoyance. He never expected that in just a few thousand years, humans would undergo such enormous changes and that this small would be so prosperous.


    However, this did not interest Jormungandr at all. He only wanted to return to Asgard to seek revenge. Aftermunicating with Sanctum Sanctorum for a while, Jormungandr finally understood the current situation.


    Humans had formed a strange organization tomunicate with various spacedemon gods, providing them with various strange services, and had already gained arge number of clients.


    Feeling that he was gradually falling behind the times on Earth, Jormungandr ultimately chose to contact Sanctum Sanctorum. However, this cunning serpent did not pay directly, but kept chatting with customer service to obtain useful information. Whenever the topic of payment or membership came up, he would change the subject.


    One day, he was still chatting with customer service when suddenly, the service stopped and said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Jormungandr, you have an emergencymunication. Do you want to take it?"


    "Emergencymunication?" Jormungandr immediately became alert. "No, I don''t know any demon gods."


    "Okay." The customer service put the receiver away and said to someone beside her, "Apologize to Prince Loki for me. The customer he wants to contact refused to take the call... A coup in Asgard? Usurpation? But...""Wait!... Who?" Jormungandr asked on the other end. The customer service seemed to still be talking to the person next to her, so Jormungandr raised his voice a little and said, "Who did you say was calling me?"


    "Oh, sorry, it''s Prince Loki, Loki Odinson."


    "Odinson?" Jormungandr slowly uttered the surname. "Connect me to his call."


    "Wait... um, sorry, you don''t currently have the authority to make cross-dimensional calls. That''s a feature reserved for members only. Would you like to be a member?"


    If Jormungandr had hands, he would have scratched his head like crazy and gone insane. Finally, he said, "Okay, I''ll be a member. You humans are so cunning. How do I be a member?"


    "First, you need to find a representative on Earth and project your power into his body. Then, he needs toe to Sanctum Sanctorum and give us the power. We will register your name in our membership database..."


    Jormungandr felt a headacheing on. He didn''t know who to choose as his representative. It sounded like an important position, but not important enough to make him risk showing himself on Earth.


    At this point, he suddenly remembered the followers who had been worshipping him all along, absorbing their faith andpeting for believers was a natural instinct for spacedemon gods. He thought that if these people were willing to believe in him, then the representative must be chosen from among them.


    Jormungandr didn''t think too much and chose the most devout one among them.


    Yes, it was none other than Schiller Rodriguez, the author of the Hydra Bible, a famous literary and religious book critic, and the head of Hydra in the Americas.


    Signing a representative was amon trick among spacedemon gods. They would sneak into a human''s consciousness while they were sleeping, then whisper demonic words to them. Those who could directly abduct people, like Chthon, were very confident in their abilities and were not afraid of The Ancient Oneing after them. But most demon gods would still be cautious.


    Jormungandr was afraid of Odin, so he did not choose a too violent method and decided to use a mental projection.


    Jormungandr''s first mental projection went smoothly. He sessfully entered the mind of the human doctor and saw a huge serpent head facing a small human figure in a space that was empty but filled with white mist.Jormungandr was about to speak, but he noticed that the person in front of him had a strange look in his eyes. It didn''t seem like the look of a believer looking at a god, but rather like a person looking at a dish.


    However, Jormungandr quickly ignored this and sessfullymunicated with Schiller. None of the tricks he had imagined, such as seduction or persuasion, were needed. This human didn''t seem surprised by his arrival at all, as if he had been prepared.


    Feeling something was amiss, Jormungandr ignored it and sessfully became a member and connected to Loki''s call.


    "Jormungandr, you really woke up?" Loki said quickly. "Listen, Jormungandr, I need your help. My brother and I arepeting for the position of the father of the Asgardian gods."


    "I have a lot of support, including the captains of 13 of the 20 Asgardian fleets, the deputymander of the Royal Guard, and many Asgardian generals and their soldiers."


    "But my brother Thor is more powerful. He has obtained a new godly position and new powers, and Odin is on his side. I am about to fail, but I am not willing to give up."


    Jormungandr heard the resentment in Loki''s tone as he said, "The father of the gods is unfair. He never gave me a chance, but I still managed to gain the support of half of Asgard with my own abilities."


    "But it''s still not enough. I need a stronger power that can decide the victory or defeat. Jormungandr, I know that in the prophecy you learned from the father of the gods, you y a role in killing Thor. I don''t care if the prophecy is true, but it proves that you can deal with him..."


    "When I heard that you woke up and that they had contacted you at Sanctum Sanctorum, I had to say, maybe this is the magic of the prophecy, because my battle with Thor ising soon, and I need your help, Jormungandr..."


    "Come,e to Asgard, fulfill your mission, and help me ascend the throne. All the prosperity of the nine realms will ultimately belong to me, and to you..."


    Jormungandr felt a strong emotion stirring in his chest as the destined prophecy descended upon him. The strong sense of mission surrounded him, and he immediately asked, "What should I do?"


    "Listen, you just woke up and your power is probably not enough to face the father of the gods and Thor directly. But you were born in Midgard, which is an unparalleled advantage. We all know that humans have their special qualities."


    "Jormungandr, you must develop your faith among humans, gain more believers, and use this to gain more power through faith. Only then can you restore your strength and join me in counterattacking Asgard..."


    Jormungandr''s tone became increasingly high-pitched as he said, "So now, we are allies, right?"


    "Yes, the father of the gods banished you to Earth, and my own brother Thor wants to banish me from Asgard. We must join forces and tell these arrogant father and son that they are wrong!""Asgard is not theirs, it''s ours!"


    After the phone call, Schiller saw Jormungandr in his dream again that night. He almost didn''t have time to hide the tall tower he was building.


    Jormungandr gave him a lot of tasks, mainly organizing religion, recruiting believers, and encouraging them to pray devoutly.


    To be honest, Jormungandr didn''t believe that an ordinary human couldplete such a heavy task, and with his wisdom, he understood that developing religion and collecting faith was not something that could be achieved overnight. But Jormungandr was not a short-lived human, and he could wait for hundreds of years.


    But who knew, after three days, Schiller contacted him and told him that everything was done.


    He had aplete organization called Hydra, a religious book called "Who is Hydra?", and even had an Inquisition and their assassin, Grant Ward.


    Jormungandr was a little confused, he thought it had been three hundred years, not just three days, but Schiller''s exnation almost convinced him.


    Divide and conquer? United we stand? It sounded a lot like he had done this before? Did I forget because I slept for too long???


    But Schiller also raised his own difficulties. The development of the entire Hydra organization took too long, and there were too many people. Many of them had forgotten the teachings of the gods. But the power of the Inquisition was not enough to judge those apostates...


    Jormungandr thought it was easy, he could give them both power and they could just kill them all, right?


    But Schiller was very hesitant and said that dead people couldn''t provide power of faith. If they could make them convert, that would be even better.


    Then Schiller proposed a n to Jormungandr. Simply put, he would scare them in their dreams, and maybe they would convert to him?


    If they really didn''t believe, then Grant could take care of them. This way, the organization''s structure could be greatly streamlined, leaving behind the most elite group of believers. Even if there were only ten thousand people left, it would be enough to provide a huge amount of power of faith.


    Jormungandr realized that this Pope he had appointed seemed to be too skilled in this area, but he didn''t think too much about it. In his view, these tiny creatures trapped on a small wouldn''t cause too much trouble. Even if the development was slow or failed, it didn''t matter. Another wave would grow in a few hundred years.


    With this in mind, Jormungandr did as he was told. He went into the dreams of several Hydra leaders designated by Schiller and emphasized to them the fact that Hydra was an inseparable part of Hydra since ancient times. Essentially, he revealed his true identity by saying, "I am Hydra, believe it or not, if you don''t believe me, I''ll bite you tomorrow."


    Most people, for various reasons, chose to convert. Those die-hard members were also eliminated.


    In this way, the original global Hydra with over 100,000 people was purified into less than 30,000 Hydra believers. Although more than 29,000 of them did not actually believe in Hydra, but only because this belief brought them benefits, due to therge number of people, they still provided a lot of power of faith.


    Now everything was prepared, only waiting for Loki to shout "Odin has been oppressing the world for too long!" The horn of the counter-attack against Asgard war would be sounded.


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 Chapter 404-405 New Umbrella (1)

    Chapter 404-405 New Umbre (1)


    In Asgard, the celestial pce, in Loki''s bedroom, Thor was looking at his brother Loki with anger on his face, while Loki was admiring his newly crafted crown without a care in the world. Thor spoke with a heavy tone, "Loki, do you really know what you''re doing?!"


    His chest rose and fell as if he was holding all his anger in his chest. He waved his arm and spoke in an extremely perplexed tone, "You know what they''re going to do! You know they''re leading Asgard to destruction, yet you still choose to stand with them!"


    Loki sat on the carpet by the window, ying with the shiny and magnificent crown in his hands, and casually said, "Yes, until recently, I realized that I have been wasting my time."


    "Thor," Loki looked at Thor and said, "I realized that instead of waiting for you to learn everything a king should learn, I''d rather do it myself."


    "You..." Thor couldn''t finish his sentence as Loki ced the crown aside and stood up, walking towards Thor and looking into his eyes. "What are you angry about, Thor?"


    "Thor, you always said that you would pay any price as long as someone could save Asgard. But now that it''s about the throne, you''re reluctant to do it?"


    Thor looked at Loki''s gem-like eyes with a cold expression and said, "Do you really think you can save Asgard with those crazy warmongers?"


    "Loki, haven''t you already seen the view above Space? Haven''t you already decided to stand with me?"


    "Before, I did think so. But Thor, do you know? I have never received so much praise as I have in recent days..."Loki turned around and started pacing in the room, tilting his head back with a look of enjoyment. "Those are all the things I have longed for but couldn''t get...everythinges so easy to you, so you can naturally give them up, but I can''t."


    Thor wanted to say something reproachful, but he couldn''t. He now understood that Lokicked too much love, not only because of Odin''s failure as a father, but also his own failure as a brother.


    Thor couldn''t say, "Do you really think they''re praising you?" because he knew that with Loki''s intelligence, he couldn''t possibly not know that it was fake, but even if it was fake, he was still chasing after them.


    So who caused all this?


    Whenever Thor thought about this, he felt both pain and helplessness. He knew that Loki''s actions would lead Asgard to destruction, but he couldn''t bear to burst Loki''s self-deceiving illusion.


    If he didn''t give the throne to Loki and fight him to the end, perhaps Thor would have a chance to truly save Asgard, but the cost would be that he had to abandon his own brother, destroy everything he had, and not even allow himself to have a beautiful dream.


    Giving the throne to Loki would destroy Asgard, but at least he would have everything he wanted before he died: the praise, honor, enthusiasm, and the position of the father of the gods.


    Loki or Asgard, who should he choose?


    When Thor thought about this question, he suddenly realized that his first answer surprised him...


    The scene of Thor walking out of Loki''s bedroom with a gloomy face was seen by more than one Asgardian, and everyone felt the tense atmosphere of an impending storm.


    Every Asgardian knew that both princes were already adults, and Odin was old. In the next period of time, the murky clouds of session would always be hanging over Asgard.


    But no one expected that the first thunder under the clouds woulde so soon.On a calm night in Asgard, just like any other, sudden sounds of war, battle cries, and bursts of divine power erupted throughout the nodes of Asgard, disturbing not only the birds that were sleeping, but also all the Asgardians.


    The Asgardians who were awakened by the sounds and saw the mes outside their windows knew in an instant that Loki was staging a coup.


    Everyone knew that the young prince would not wait too long. Odin had fallen into a deep sleep after Thor''s coronation, and nothing could wake him up. The old warriors who had fought alongside Odin in his conquests would not be satisfied with a new king who was content with maintaining the status quo and not expanding their power. Despite his strength and authority, they would prefer a puppet who could be easily manipted.


    Loki, a pitiful figure with no fatherly attention, brotherly love, friends, or support, except for his noble bloodline, would never be a father of the gods like Odin, even if he wore magnificent armor, a sparkling crown, and sat on the highest throne.


    The sound of horses galloping through the sky was like thunderbolts exploding in the ears, and the dust kicked up by low-flying horses swept over the rooftops, creating waves under the moonlight. The warriors on horseback, holding sharp spears with blinking tips, were terrifying to behold.


    As the light shimmered, the Asgardian fleet rose up withoutmand, and when the horns sounded, the entire city was filled with warriors d in golden armor.


    In front of the long bridge leading to the pce, Loki, wearing magnificent armor, led a group of men towards the pce guards. The guards stood silently with their spears crossed, blocking the entrance to the bridge, and showed no sign of yielding even after seeing Loki.


    For the first time, Loki did not carry his magic staff but held a spear like any other Asgardian warrior. He mmed the spear heavily on the ground, raising a small cloud of dust that stained his golden boots, and said, "Move aside."


    The guards did not move, and Loki seemed to feel embarrassed. He raised his voice and said, "Imand you to move aside as the prince of Asgard and the future king!"


    The guards remained motionless. Loki closed his eyes and sighed, then waved his hand at the people behind him.


    In a burst of blood, two tall figures fell. Loki remembered the time when they had knelt before him, calling him "Your Highness," but this time they said nothing and died in silence in the tumultuous night of Asgard.


    Unfortunately, Loki was not like Thor, who would feel remorse. Loki''s expression remained unchanged as he stepped over the bodies and walked towards the pce. His hair fluttered in the Asgardian night breeze like a ck wave, and his gem-like eyes shone brighter than the jewels on his crown in the reflection of the pce''s ss.


    The sound of his boots on the steps was more deafening than gunfire. However, at this moment, Loki took a deep breath and stopped before the first step of the pce.


    "Your Highness, you cannot retreat now," a bearded general behind him said in a low voice. "This is the territory of the pce, and anyone who trespasses is punishable by death."


    "Don''t order me," Loki gritted his teeth and took a deep breath before taking one step after another towards the pce gates.


    At that moment, countless pce guards appeared, and the two sides immediately engaged in a deadly battle. The generals on Loki''s side shouted, "Protect the prince! Protect the prince!"


    Loki also joined the fight, but in a corner where no one could see, his face showed extreme disgust.


    Just then, a thunderbolt from afarnded in the middle of the pce. In the moment when the light shone, everyone stopped fighting and looked silently at Thor, who had just arrived."Loki, stop! Leave! I won''t me you," Thor spoke up.


    As he raised his hand, several thunderbolts cleared the area, and the people around, fearing the new king''s divine power, left. Only the two brothers remained in the entire hall, but Loki knew that the people did not leave; they were only watching everything from outside the hall''s doors.


    Loki gave a contemptuous smile and looked at Thor, saying, "Leave? Where should I leave to? Leave the pce? Leave Asgard? Or leave the Nine Realms?"


    "This is not just your home!" Loki gritted his teeth and spoke each word distinctly. "Thor, no one has the right to make me leave here, including you and Odin!"


    Hearing him call the father of the gods'' name, Thor understood that today might not end well.


    He waved his hand, and a long spear made of golden thunderbolts appeared in his hand. Thor held the weapon and said, "Take out your real weapon. Let''s fight. If I lose, the throne will be yours."


    Loki said nothing. He took out a staff that Thor had never seen before. In an instant, magic light and thunderbolts shone together.


    Loki floated into the air, and the gem on top of his staff emitted a dazzling light. A magic shield attached to his body, and as soon as the shield took shape, a spear with unbeatable thunderbolt power stabbed towards him.


    The magic shield shone for a moment, and then Loki, with a mocking smile, suddenly disappeared like a phantom, and another figure appeared behind Thor.


    But Thor remained calm. He turned around and swept his spear. Loki condensed a magic shield on his arm and withstood the attack. At the moment he was knocked back, he released two huge magic sword auras.


    Thunderbolts followed closely, and Loki''s figure shed repeatedly. The golden thunderbolts and purple magic light fought fiercely in the sky above Asgard.


    Just as Thor pierced Loki''s magic shield with his spear again, Loki''s face darkened as he said, "Enough!"


    His voice echoed in the night sky of Asgard, and all the people of Asgard could hear it. At that moment, Loki''s figure slowly began to change, and his form gradually shrank, and his hair grew longer.


    A female figure appeared in the magic light, followed by a shining halo. Loki''s pleasant voice sounded across from Thor, "Although I am no longer the only one above space, the power of the peak of space is enough to deal with you."


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 Chapter 406: New Umbrella

    Chapter 406: New Umbre


    Lady Loki, who had be the Glorious Goddess, showed no mercy. The several halos behind her seemed to have an effect of guaranteed hits, and no matter how Thor dodged, she could always hit him.


    The situation on the battlefield gradually changed, and everyone was terrified by this change.


    Before this, no one believed that Loki could really defeat Thor. In their eyes, this little prince who had always been hiding behind the front line casting magic was probably just going through the motions. In a little while, he would be chased by Thor and forced to flee, and then he would shout "Everyone attack together!" and start arge-scale battle.


    But now the situation was obviously different. When the several halos behind Lady Loki lit up at the same time, she was almost overwhelming Thor. The power of the new king that had once shaken their souls seemed powerless in the face of this guaranteed hit power.


    As the situation changed, so did the attitudes of some of Loki''s followers.


    Before this, they thought that even if the little prince could ascend to the throne, he was just a puppet. He did not have enough power, which meant that there was room for maniption.


    If we use Schiller''s words, this is not really about ideology, but still about business. It is too beneficial to prop up a puppet king. Greater power means more benefits, more prosperous family, and greater power.


    When they stood on Loki''s side, everyone thought this way, but obviously, things were unpredictable. They had not witnessed the power of the Glorious Goddess Lady Loki.


    But now they knew that if they helped this princess ascend to the throne, she would be a tougher and more ruthless empress than Thor.Everyone saw her performance in front of the gate of the pce. Faced with the pce guards who they met every day, faced with the loyalrades and subordinates of her father, Loki did not hesitate to take their lives. So who knows if the next one to be pierced will be themselves?


    Just as many people''s minds began to waver, Lady Loki finally erupted.


    Countless halos formed a disc behind her like a sun, and she spread her arms. Her hair fluttered in the wind, and the disc behind her rose into the night sky of Asgard, illuminating all the buildings here.


    When the light fell on the metal surface, it produced a beautiful sound like a musical instrument. Everyone knew that this was not just light, but an irresistible force.


    Lady Loki stood under such a sun-like disk and said, "Thor, during your time on Earth, you should understand that the brightest one is not the Sun, but the one that is the brightest."


    "If Asgard, led by you, is destined to be destroyed in the prophecy, then only I have the ability to change everything."


    Countless Thunderbolts formed a dense that wrapped around Thor. He did not speak and seemed to be silently enduring this blow.


    A brilliant light burst out from the center of the halo behind Lady Loki, shooting straight at Thor. Upon contact with Thor''s Thunderbolt shield, he was like a falling star, crossing Asgard''s dark night sky, bing the only light on the deep blue background canvas, just like the Thunderbolt that ignited civilization when Space was born.


    And it was at the moment when this torrent touched Thor that Lady Loki''s eyes widened, because she found that Thor did not resist.


    She just stood there stunned in mid-air, murmuring to herself:


    "...He chose me??? "


    "He didn''t choose Asgard..."


    "He chose me..."


    "He also chose me..."At her ear, countless cries and mournful wails sounded. The people of Asgard wept for the tragedy of brother killing brother, and for the Thunderbolt that had fallen in Space at the same time.


    Lady Loki slowly descended to the ground, still looking somewhat dazed. She retracted her intimidating halo, and didn''t even have the energy to transform back into a male. After a while, she waved her hand towards the people on the ground and said, "Find Thor... he''s not dead, throw him in the dungeon."


    Later, Lady Loki stood on the steps of the pce, watching as two tall guards carried the heavily wounded Thor towards her. Lady Loki''s expression was emotionless as she stared straight ahead. She was adorned in jewels and wore a magnificent royal attire, her eyes like shining gems.


    Thor was almost dying, with ckened burns covering his body and his armor falling apart, just like when hended on Earth. As they passed each other, Lady Loki heard Thor whisper in her ear, "¡­have a good dream."


    Out of sight from the guards, Lady Loki''s expression momentarily crumbled. Her Adam''s apple trembled violently, her lips pursed and pursed again, as if trying to suppress her emotions. After several minutes, she finally regained her emotionless state.


    She stood on the high steps of the pce, looking up at the night sky while listening to the generals reporting on the current status of the battle. One fleet after another was being breached, one defense zone after another was being upied...


    He stood too high and too far away, to the point that no one could see the faint mockery in his eyes when he heard this news. It was like a heartless spectator sitting in the audience, watching a farce unfold.


    Finally, a tall and handsome general kneeled down in front of her, holding the crown in his hands. He lifted it above his head and said to Loki, "Your Majesty, the new king..."


    All the soldiers below kneeled down, and the trembling of their armor mixed with their cheers: "New king!"


    As the resounding roar echoed through the night sky of Asgard, Lady Loki simply stared ahead at the night sky. The soldier who presented her with the crown looked up at her expression, but couldn''t tell what she was thinking.


    Lady Loki was thinking that when Thor was crowned in the bright daylight, he was apanied by flowers, clear streams, and praise. But when she was crowned in the dark night without any light, she was apanied by ruins, blood, and death. Perhaps this was the fate of the two brothers, the brightest one being the Sun, but there is no Sun in the dark night.


    As Loki took a deep breath, just as everyone was standing up and ready to end this farce, a violent wave of energy swept through Asgard.


    An incrediblyrge snake head extended from the void, staring coldly at Asgard with its indifferent vertical pupils. Its evil and cold voice echoed in the sky of Asgard:


    "Asgard! The day of revenge has arrived! Prepare to meet your destined fate of destruction!"


    Lady Loki stared at the snake head, then said, "Jormungandr, the World Serpent? How did you get here?"


    Jormungandr spat venom and said, "Thanks to the foolishness of you two brothers, Thor, who was destined to perish with me, is now heavily wounded. I will destroy Asgard today!"


    In an instant, Asgard fell into chaos. The prophecy was too deeply ingrained in everyone''s hearts. Thor in the dungeon also heard Jormungandr''s words. He flipped over from his lying position and easily defeated the guards at the door, just as Loki had discovered; Thor didn''t use his full strength.


    He ran out of the dungeon and climbed up the steps, but when he reached the door of the dungeon, he found a magic barrier blocking his way. The radiance on this magic barrier was exactly the same as the halo behind Lady Loki. Thor cursed and began to use his power to attack the barrier, but no matter how he attacked, the barrier was unbreakable and unresponsive.He saw through the barrier as Lady Loki charged towards the giant snake, and shouted, "No! Come back!" But Lady Loki couldn''t hear him, and Thor watched helplessly as Lady Loki began to fight the unimaginably huge python.


    He heard Lady Loki say, "It''s not Thor who will perish with you, it''s the king of Asgard who is destined to face all of this."


    Thor punched the magic barrier, only now realizing that Loki didn''t just want a dream, he really wanted to save Asgard.


    "Let me out, Lady Loki!" Thor kept yelling, but the dungeon entrance was too far from the pce gates, and no one could hear him.


    The impact of various energies almost turned the central square of Asgard into ruins. Countless Asgardians fled for their lives. Thor suddenly realized that this once-warlike nation was so vulnerable when faced with a prophecy they deeply believed in and that was destined to destroy them.


    The battle between Lady Loki and Jormungandr was intense, but soon Lady Loki gained the upper hand. Her halo seemed to be a weapon of causality that would inevitably hit its target. No matter how the opponent resisted or dodged, it would cause a certain amount of real damage.


    Jormungandr was a little stunned by the attack, and was about to shout, "Loki, didn''t you say it was a fake fight?" when he saw Lady Loki suppress a cunning smile and say, "Shut up."


    Jormungandr suddenly found that he couldn''t speak, and was engulfed in anger at being yed. The giant python unleashed its full power, and the two fought fiercely.


    The battlested for an unknown amount of time. Asgard''s sky brightened, but due to the energy barrier, no one could see the light. Asgard was like being shrouded in eternal darkness.


    After waiting in boundless fear for a long time, Lady Loki''s radiant sun rose again and she used all her strength to repel the giant snake. Jormungandr was already covered in injuries and couldn''t even leave behind a harsh word, only being able to flee with his tail between his legs.


    After extinguishing her radiant halo, Lady Loki fell from the sky andnded heavily on the ground. The final blow had consumed all of her strength. The people who had just cheered for the new king didn''t catch her as she fell.


    She fell right in front of the dungeon door where Thor was being held. Then, Thor saw a general in magnificent armor walk up to Lady Loki. Just as Thor breathed a sigh of relief and thought the general was going to help Lady Loki back to her room to rest, the general raised his spear high and plunged it into Lady Loki''s chest.


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 Chapter 407: New Umbrella (2)

    Chapter 407: New Umbre (2)


    Lady Loki let out a dying scream, and from her chest sprayed blood mixed with organ fragments. Thor witnessed her heart being brought out by a spear, and it scattered on the ground like a blooming flower.


    Blood erupted from her chest, staining her long hair red. After her arms trembled twice, they fell weakly to the ground. The direction she looked up at was just Thor''s cell.


    Thor saw that her eyes gradually lost their brilliance, and then he heard the general say in a disdainful tone, "New king?"


    "Loki, you''re not worthy."


    "Never have been."


    He shook his spear, then turned and left, without noticing that the magic barrier had gradually dissipated with Lady Loki''s passing.


    In a dimension not far from Asgard, the giant serpent Jormungandr gasped for breath, cursing Loki as he looked at his body full of wounds. He immediately used his power to call Sanctum Sanctorum and angrily said, "Didn''t you say you could guarantee transactions between demon gods? That damn Loki! He tricked me!"


    "Oh? How did he trick you?" A customer service representative on the other end of the phone asked. Jormungandr was too busy venting to notice that the customer service representative was trying to calm him down and asked him to exin the situation in detail from the beginning.


    "Oh, I see... Yes, that''s right..." Jormungandr said, then continued to tell the story.While Jormungandr was venting to the Sanctum Sanctorum customer service, he didn''t notice that a portal had opened in a neighboring dimension, and a sneaky cat-like figure poked its head out.


    The first one toe out was a ck panther, followed by a proud lion, and a golden-feathered bird. Behind them were a bunch of animals that rushed out together. They roared at each other, as ifmunicating something. Although the roars were different, there was one sound that was the same. If tranted into humannguage, the name was "Sanctum Sanctorum."


    Then, this group of strange animals opened another portal and arrived in the same dimension as Jormungandr. When Jormungandr saw this group of little creatures, he was stunned. What were these things? There were lions, panthers, birds, cats, and badgers...


    And they kept chattering and arguing. Jormungandr was so annoyed that he swung his tail, thinking that these little creatures would be immediately crushed into minced meat. However, unexpectedly, a ck panther extended its ws, and in a sh of cold light, Jormungandr''s tail had a few more scars.


    Jormungandr became furious. If I can''t beat Loki, can''t I beat you?! With energy surging, Jormungandr opened his mouth and bit at the animals.


    However, the group of animals did not fight back, and instead used their small size to dodge left and right. When Jormungandr tried to attack them, they ran away. Jormungandr had to chase them, and when he didn''t want to chase them, one of the animals would attack his vital parts, driving him crazy. ...


    To be honest, if a stronger demon god came, Jormungandr would definitely run away with his tail between his legs and would not chase after them. After all, he was not in good condition now. He had just been beaten by Lady Loki, and he couldn''t fight against a hard opponent.


    But these little guys didn''t seem to have any deterrent power. They didn''t look like powerful Spacedemon gods at all, but rather like a group of small animalsmonly found on Earth.


    Jormungandr''s anger was strong, driving him to continuously chase after them without noticing that Asgard was getting closer and closer.


    As he chased after them, he found that there were fewer and fewer animals in front of him. In the end, only the ck panther that had scratched him at the beginning was left. Then he saw the ck panther''s face show a very human-like mocking expression, and then it disappeared.


    Jormungandr was still a little proud. Are you scared of me chasing you?! Even if I''m injured, you wild chicken demon gods can''t provoke me!


    When he stopped to look at the surrounding environment, he suddenly realized with surprise, "Huh? Isn''t this Asgard? How did Ie back here?"


    It didn''t matter. He still had to make a quick escape. If Odin woke up and saw him like this, he would definitely be stewed into snake soup.


    As he thought this, Jormungandr was about to run away, but suddenly he felt an unbeatable force descending on this space. In that short moment, the whole space turned white.Just like at the beginning of creation, when everything was lit up by a Thunderbolt, after the dazzling light faded, the white light condensed into a Thunderbolt and flew to a person wearing armor who stood silently in space. But all the stars and everything became the power he wielded.


    Jormungandr looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of him and eximed, "Thor?!"


    "Jormungandr!"


    At the moment when Thor''s angry roar sounded, Jormungandr knew something was wrong.


    This was not the Thunder God Thor he knew!


    What about the agreement to go down together?!


    Could he go down together with this thing in front of him?!


    Jormungandr turned and ran without hesitation, but it was already toote.


    The entire dimension was blocked by arge, and the power that blocked this dimension came from the small animals he had been chasing before.


    Now, calling them small animals was not very urate. The ck leopard''s paws were bigger than Jormungandr''s head, emitting unknown energy, and its eyes were like two zing suns. The lion''s back emitted a golden light, and its mane moved without the wind. The moment a golden feathered bird spread its wings, it seemed as if Space was enveloped under her wings.


    Jormungandr was dumbfounded. Suddenly, he realized that this was a trap! From Loki to Thor to these animal gods, it was all a trap, one link after another...


    In the moment when he was consumed by the demon gods, Jormungandr roared out that name, "Loki!"


    Soon, the huge snake body became real from illusion, and then was cut into several pieces by different powers. The animal gods rushed up to divide the body and the power. Thor, full of anger, returned to Asgard.


    He saw soldiers in armor weing him, and in their eyes, Thor saw not only ttery but also deep disappointment.


    What were they disappointed about?


    Thor felt that he didn''t need to ask himself this question because he already had the answer in his heart. They were disappointed that he did not die immediately with Jormungandr, as prophesied.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt very absurd.


    In the prophecy, after he and Jormungandr died together, Asgard would usher in the twilight of the gods. But now, these people were disappointed that he did not die immediately, leaving behind an empty throne that would give them the greatest power before they died.


    Thor suddenly realized the true face of this kingdom he had once loved. The only patriots here were the royal family, who put in all their efforts and sacrifices just to be able to reverse the twilight of the gods.


    But the people of Asgard never cared.


    Faced with the prophecy, they were afraid and panicked, but faced with interests, they were greedy and indifferent.


    Thor stood silently in mid-air, looking at the thousands of faces below. Suddenly, he remembered his days on Earth.


    Those equally ugly and iprehensible humans had actually made him understand that there was no perfect race of gods as long as there was wisdom and humanity.


    The generals looked at Thor, who was surging with powerful energy, and bowed their heads, praising him loudly, as usual.However, what awaited them was not the brotherly camaraderie andughter of Thor in the past, nor the praise and celebration of Odin in the past.


    What awaited them was a Thunderbolt full of destruction.


    Asgard, this beautiful, ancient,plex, and mysterious kingdom, this empire that once dominated space and was at the height of its power, has a new king from today -


    And only one new king.


    At the same time, in Schiller''s mental hall, he was flying at the top of the hall, directing a giant snake to coil around the top of a tower and serve as a wall for the floor. Jormungandr angrily roared, "So you''re the liar!"


    "Enough talk. You have no physical body and can only live in me. I am your pope, not your parents. I have no responsibility to take in a rotten snake that has been an adult for thousands of years and cannot pay rent."


    "Move a little more to the left. Don''t you see that the floor you''re building is crooked?"


    The soul of the giant snake reluctantly moved his body a bit. Schiller looked at the tower, which was now ten percent higher, and satisfiedly stroked his chin, saying, "There''s no future in building a psychology tower. It''s faster to stack it up with physics."


    "How long do I have to stay here?!" Jormungandr impatiently shouted. Schiller flew to his head and said, "Until you can afford the rent."


    "I''ve never seen a pope like you!"


    "You''ve never seen any pope."


    Jormungandr snorted and tried to push Schiller away with his nose. He was annoyed every time he saw this cunning human.


    "Don''t be angry. Even if the prophecyes true, you''ll just die with Thor. At least now you can save your life."


    "If it weren''t for that, would I just curse you a few times?!"


    Jormungandr coldly hummed, then rested his head on his coiled body, closed his eyes, and refused to continuemunicating with Schiller.


    After returning to his realm on Earth, Wakanda, the Panther God looked at T''Cha, still lying on the ground surrounded by ck energy. He sighed slightly, then took out a piece of snake skin from somewhere and used his ws to cut it into a circle.


    Soon, he heard a knock at the door. After opening the door to the dimension, Schiller appeared before him. The Panther God impatiently took the umbre from him. In no time, a new umbre, made from the skin of a world python, waspleted.


    After the new umbre was made, Schiller lightly tapped the umbre handle with his finger and then pressed the umbre tip to T''Cha''s forehead. Soon, the ck energy was sucked back into the umbre handle.


    "How''s the damage assessment? That thunderbolt was really powerful, wasn''t it?" Schiller asked.


    "Yeah, this bank is too old. It probably can''t be repaired after being struck by that thunderbolt," Natasha replied with a tone of rising and falling.


    "But it''s not your fault, Director Arkham. Unfortunately, you''ll have to move to the luxury private resort in the western suburbs of New York and transform it into a new rehabilitation center."


    "Oh, I''ve heard of that ce. The owner of the resort was unfortunately deported back to Russia. To be honest, I''m notfortable using a ce that a Russian has used..."


    "But it''s a seaside resort area, with arge healing center, private hospitals, golf courses, and horse farms..."


    "Greed of the Russian bastard."


    Natasha nodded in agreement, "Greed of the Russian bastard."


    After nightfall, Schiller couldn''t put down his new umbre and kept examining it repeatedly. After a while, he stood up and looked at the New York night sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window, where a star was shining particrly brightly.


    Schiller''s gaze seemed to cross countless stars and dimensions, and he saw that beautiful and ancient kingdom.


    He lowered his head, picked up his umbre again, and said, "Look, a beautiful new umbre."


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 Chapter 408: I Wont Say Whos Having a Bad Day (1)

    Chapter 408: I Wont Say Whos Having a Bad Day (1)


    A British folk song yed from a dimly lit bar, apanied by the soft sound of a cassette tape being rewound. The music abruptly stopped, and the long-haired bartender ced a hand on the radio, sighing as he shook his head at the malfunctioning device.


    A patron rang a bell on the bar, calling the bartender over. As he turned, he saw a blond man passed out at a nearby table. The bartender sighed again and walked over to nudge the man''s shoulder. "Mr. Constantine, are you alright?"


    "Why isn''t the radio working?" slurred Constantine. The bartender retrieved a ss from the shelf and wiped it clean as he replied, "That old radio belonged to the owner''s father. It''s ancient and breaks down often."


    Constantine didn''t look up, only slowly raising a hand. In the dim light, the joints in his slender, elegant fingers were clearly visible and stood in stark contrast to his despondent demeanor.


    He snapped his fingers and the radio sparked to life, the music resuming. The bartender jumped at the sight but didn''t move away; Constantine was a regr, and those who frequented the bar knew he possessed a unique power.


    The bartender ced the clean ss on the counter. "The usual?"


    "Yes, and add some ginger juice."


    "Ginger juice?" The bartender looked hesitant and said, "You mean the cold remedy? We only have alcohol here..."


    "Just give me a ss."Constantine finally sat up straight, holding his head. The dizzying effect of the medicine hadn''t worn off yet, and his vision was still blurry. He saw a ss reflecting the flickering lights ced in front of him and lightly gestured with his hand. The ss was suddenly filled with ginger juice.


    Once he had finished, a shadow appeared in the corner of the bar. Constantine didn''t turn to look, merely shifting his body to make room for someone else.


    The shadow approached - a man in ck armor with a ck cape and two pointed ears on his head. Constantine leaned his head against his arm and turned to him, saying, "If I were designing a uniform, I''d make sure to leave the chin exposed so I could still drink. cough cough..."


    Batman picked up the ss but had already smelled the strong scent of ginger. Constantineughed lightly when he saw Batman''s expression and said, "Don''t you like to drink ginger juice instead of alcohol? Don''t you want to try it?"


    Batman set the ss back down, and Constantine reached for the ss of actual alcohol that the bartender had just handed him. After taking a sip, he winced and shivered, feeling as if he had been frozen. "Amazing, I''ve never had such a cold drink anywhere other than Gotham''s bars."


    Constantine looked at the bartender and asked, "Do you have any secrets?"


    "Gotham''s cold chain is famous nowadays," the bartender replied, continuing to wipe the sses. "Fourrge ice factories were built at the beginning of the year, and the quality of our ice is excellent. It''s not only cold, but it doesn''t melt easily."


    Constantine took another sip of his drink, and Batman stared at him. Constantine shook his head and said, "I know what you want to ask - magic...magic..."


    He leaned to one side, resting his head on his arm as if he were drunk. "You''ve been following me for days, hoping to get an answer from me. But I''ve already told you, kid, don''t try to use magic to resurrect someone..."


    Batman remained silent, continuing to stare at him. Constantine spoke again, as if he were a prophet, "I know how you and people like you are. If you don''t understand the principles, you won''tpletely deny the possibility of something."


    "But the price you have to pay to understand those principles is much higher than you can imagine."Constantine picked up the ss but didn''t drink from it. Instead, he pressed it against his face, as if the coldness could clear his mind a little. He said, "I used to be like you, full of curiosity about these things. I thought, if I didn''t really pursue them, how could I know that they weren''t my way out?"


    "But this is magic. It lures you to explore, to seek proof, and then makes you lose everything in the process. In the end, you realize that the process of losing everything is magic itself."


    "It''s not an equal exchange." Constantine shook his head and continued, "It''s not that you can resurrect someone by paying something. It''s that in the process of resurrecting someone, you have already lost everything."


    The British folk song continued to y, and Batman''s hand holding the ss looked even younger. Although his body had grown to be no different from an adult, his finger bones still revealed that he was a teenager.


    Seeing his hand, Constantine recalled his younger, naive, healthy self, like a summer oak tree.


    He thought that it was fortunate that he had met the young Batman at this time. If their ages were swapped or if they had met each other at the same age, it would have been a real mess.


    It was the first time Batman had spent so long in a Gotham bar. The tune continued to ring in his mind, reminding him of the English countryside. He couldn''t remember when he had heard such a tune from Alfred''s mouth.


    When the face of the butler appeared in front of Batman, he stood up from the bar stool, put down the ss, and left.


    On the way back to Wayne Manor, Batman keenly felt that this winter was particrly cold. When he saw the familiar buildings of Wayne Manor, he felt a slight warmth from within.


    But when Batman opened his own front door, his actions seemed particrly cautious. Even when he passed through the courtyard, he didn''t have the wind-like posture as before. Instead, he walked lightly and slowly towards the inside.


    When he reached the stairs of the Manor, Batman looked at the grappling hook fixed to his hand. In the past, he would shoot the hook directly onto the balcony, then leap up and jump onto the balcony to return to his room.


    But this time, he chose to take the stairs.


    Expecting Batman to walk up the stairs properly was actually a difficult thing, as he was always good at using various methods to appear in ces where he shouldn''t be, regardless of whether there was a way up or not.


    Therefore, when he was walking up the stairs with some caution, he didn''t notice that some of the old stair railings in Wayne Manor hade loose. Just as he reached the third floor, and was about to take thest step up, his instinct made him grab the railing. Then, the wooden railing made a very slight creaking sound under his hand.


    Batman suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and quickly turned his head. Sure enough, he saw a small ck shadow rushing towards him from the end of the second-floor corridor like the wind.


    It was a little girl with ck hair and blue eyes, who looked very much like him. At the moment, she was wearing pajamas and rubbing her eyes in confusion. Then, in the darkness, she looked at Batman with her shining eyes.


    In theory, in this situation, Batman''s first action should be to reach for the batarang at his waist and then immediately open his night vision goggles to gain a visual advantage.


    But this time, his first action was to stretch out one hand, curling all his other fingers except his index finger, and then put it to his mouth, making a "shh" gesture towards the little girl.


    The little girl frowned, sniffed hard, showing a somewhat puzzled expression. Then she ran up the stairs "ck ck ck" and came to Batman''s side, taking two deep breaths.Batman shook his head at her and just as he reached out to cover her mouth, the little girl opened her mouth full of sharp teeth and let out a thunderous scream.


    Instantly, the lights at Wayne Manor turned on.


    A few minutester, Batman appeared in the mansion''s living room holding Aisha. She was biting his wrist guard with her sharp teeth while Batman had a stern expression. He faced Alfred, who was across from him and said, "No, I didn''t drink."


    The butler''s gaze fell on Aisha, who couldn''t understand humannguage very well. Suddenly, it was as if she had awakened infinite wisdom. She let go of Batman''s wrist guard, jumped to the other side of the couch, and while bouncing up and down on the couch, she pointed at Batman and kept screaming.


    Dick walked out of the upstairs with his eyes closed, holding onto the railing and staggering down the stairs. He was obviously very tired.


    Aftering down, he stretchedzily and yawned. Alfred walked over and patted his back before saying, "Go back to sleep, Master Dick. There won''t be any more noise to disturb you."


    Dick rubbed his eyes and shook his head before walking up to Batman and grabbing his arm. "You didn''t go to those kinds of ces again, did you?"


    "I didn''t," Batman immediately denied, but Aisha continued to raise her voice, screaming uncontrobly. Batman walked over helplessly and picked her up. Dick rubbed his eyes and said, "Aisha said you smell like alcohol. Did you go to the bar?"


    Batman remained silent and looked down at Aisha, who continued to scream iprehensibly.


    Batman nced at Aisha, then at Dick, and then at Alfred, who had been staring at him. He suspected that the three of them had some kind of secretnguage tomunicate with. He couldn''t make any sense out of Aisha''s screams.


    Aisha struggled to jump out of Batman''s arms and ran to Alfred, pulling at his pants leg and pointing at Batman while continuing to scream.


    As soon as Alfred picked her up, she stopped screaming. Alfred held Aisha and said to Batman, "Sir, although you are now the father of two children, in reality, you are not yet an adult."


    "Always going to ces that are not good for the physical and mental health of minors, I''m afraid it will be difficult to set a good example for the two children."


    Batman wondered if it was his imagination, but he sensed a hint of killing intent in Alfred''s tone. He heard the butler say, "I don''t know how that scum from London, Constantine, managed to lure you, but I hope that in his remaining time, he won''t further tarnish the reputation of his hometown."


    "Otherwise, as his fellow countryman, I feel that it is my duty to teach him the etiquette of a gentleman."


    Meanwhile, Constantine was still heavily drinking at the bar and for some reason, he felt a chilling sensation behind him. He shuddered and surveyed his surroundings but did not find any danger.


    That cold feeling was constant, but its source was unknown. Constantine helplessly turned his head and suddenly saw the ginger juice he had conjured up. He picked up the ss, pinched his nose, and drank it in one gulp.


    The spicy drink finally made him feel warm. He coughed twice and sneezed, breaking out in a cold sweat.


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 Chapter 409: I Wont Say Whos Having a Bad Time 2

    Chapter 409: I Wont Say Whos Having a Bad Time 2


    It''s impossible to say that Batman isn''t curious about magic. Being the kind of person who naturally wants to investigate and understand everything, he alwayses up with multiple solutions to deal with possible situations.


    Since he met Constantine, he hasbeled this guy as an irredeemable scumbag and a source of information on magic.


    To investigate someone, it''s natural to first understand their daily routine and movements, and the best way to do that is to track them.


    When Batman dealt with these kinds of situations before, he encountered cases where certain people would go to ces that were difficult to describe, or in Gotham''s case, industries that weren''t surprising to anyone but were involved in some less than legal activities.


    The only exception was his psychology professor, who lived a very routine life, making Batman evene up with a contingency n in case the professor was a robot. However, everyone else had their own hobbies, including Bruce''s friends.


    Harvey Dent liked ying pool and would go to the game room with his colleagues after work. Gordon would go out for drinks with his colleagues and go hunting in his spare time. Catwoman, despite being a thief, would also go to dances or amusement parks when not stealing. Since all the ces they went to were industries of the underworld, there were some shady deals going on.


    When investigating these people, Batman would usually choose to knock them out if they were involved in these trades. If it was too severe, he would talk to the owner of the industry, but these ces only yed a small role in their lives.


    However, Constantine was different. These industries yed a major role in his life.


    Bars, dance halls, game rooms, casinos, pharmacies, red-light districts - Constantine would shuttle through these ces every day without taking a break.During the time Batman was tracking him, stopping him from participating in these evil deals in these ces took much more effort than tracking him.


    Moreover, these ces often had some unpleasant smells, such as the smell of alcohol in bars, the smell of smoke in casinos, and the strong odor of opium in the gathering ces of addicts. Even though Batman prepared some odor-eliminating agents, Aisha''s nose still couldn''t be fooled.


    Aisha wasn''t an ordinary person. Her senses were exceptionally sensitive. Not only did she have night vision, but her sense of smell was also far beyond that of an average person.


    One night, Batman followed Constantine to an underground den where drug addicts gathered. Since it was underground, he couldn''t observe the situation from other buildings and had to blend in.


    There, he found out Constantine''s usual dosage and discovered that he was indeed aplete and utter drug addict. However, he also ended up with some of that smell on him. At that time, Batman didn''t realize what would happen if he brought that smell back home.


    That day, as usual, he came and went through the courtyard like the wind, came to the balcony with a grappling hook, and was just about to change his clothes when he heard some movement outside the door...


    Batman immediately assumed a defensive posture as the door suddenly flew open with a loud bang just as he was about to move towards it. Aisha appeared outside the door, sniffing hard, before bursting into tears.


    Coincidentally, Catwoman, Selina Kyle, was also staying at Wayne Manor that night and her bedroom was next to Batman''s. Aisha had run out of her room and Catwoman rushed out upon hearing her cries.


    At first, Catwoman didn''t know why Aisha was crying, but when she approached Batman, she scowled fiercely, wrinkled her nose in disgust, took a couple of steps back and said, "Did you go to the most infamous drug dens in the North District? Do you know how bad you smell now?"


    "My God! The stench is disgusting!" Catwoman covered her nose, holding onto Aisha as they walked to the hallway. She continued, "I know it''s hard to avoid dealing with this kind of smell in Gotham, but do you ever think about your two children at home?"


    Catwoman''s tone was very dissatisfied. Although she was a thief, she couldn''t stand drug addicts who caused trouble while high, and she was also a bit of a germaphobe who abhorred the smell of drugs.


    Furthermore, just three or four hours earlier, Catwoman had struggled to put Aisha to sleep, but now she was awakened and crying so loudly.


    It''s like a mother who has been taking care of her child all day, finally putting the troublesome child to sleep with great effort, only to have her soundly sleeping child suddenly woken up by the father who reeks of alcohol, causing the child to cry loudly. As a result, the father is sure to get into trouble.


    In addition, the noise also woke up Dick, who attended a boarding school quite far from Wayne Manor and had to wake up early the next day to get to school on time. Based on the situation, he was definitely going to oversleep.


    After waking up everyone in Wayne Manor, Batman had to go to the living room to face their criticism. While he could exin to Selina that he went to those ces for investigation purposes, he had no excuse for Alfred.


    In Alfred''s eyes, even if the sky fell, one could not go to such a ce.


    As expected, Batman was scolded. Although Alfred did not use the tone of an elder to reprimand him, he gently advised him. Nevertheless, Batman knew he had to listen and do as he was told.


    Since then, it is unclear what agreement Alfred and Aisha reached, but Aisha became a human detector. Whenever she noticed that Batman was noting home at night and only returned to the mansion in the middle of the night, she would immediately check to see if he had any strange odors and guess where he had been.


    If she detected any bad smells, Aisha would immediately cry out and wake everyone up, leading to another midnight session of criticism for Batman.


    After developing a fear of Aisha, Batman felt uneasy even when he saw a little girl around Aisha''s age on the street, and he wanted to avoid them.


    At some point, Batman found it difficult to refuse the people at Wayne Manor with the same coldness he had before. He could have continued his solitary actions without caring about anyone''s objections, but whenever he saw the dim light in hisir, he felt that his detachment and stubbornness were gradually being washed away.


    Therefore, he participated in childish activities like an adult participating in a children''s y, pretending to be childish in a somewhat awkward way. Perhaps he was the only child in this y.


    Green Lantern Hal, who came to Gotham due to the appearance of the yellow power ring, also noticed Aisha''s special situation. He had participated in the dream battle and knew how Aisha was born. Now he faced two questions.


    Firstly, whether Aisha, who was created by the fear entity Parax, would pose a threat to space security like other yellownterns. The second was who released Sinestro, the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps.


    When Hal reported the incident to the Green Lantern Corps, they gave him two investigation tasks. However, Hal was somewhat disdainful of the first question. Perhaps because the little girl transformed by the fear entity looked cute and harmless, and she seemed more interested in grinding her teeth than threatening space security, Hal didn''t think she posed a threat.


    But Hal was still a rookie Green Lantern who followed orders from the Corps, so he had to secretly keep an eye on Aisha. Fortunately, the Green Lantern ring had many tracking functions, such as teleportation and invisibility, which allowed him to track the little girl without being caught.


    While investigating the second question, Hal eventually traced it to Constantine. Since Constantine was the only strange outsider who hade to Gotham recently, Hal began to track him while following Aisha.


    However, Batman was also following Constantine, so it was difficult to determine whether Hal''s actions were to track Constantine or Batman.


    At first, Hal was able to move around Gotham freely without anyone noticing him, since he was a new face in the city and no one knew the specific functions of the Green Lantern ring. Batman, who was immersed in investigating magic, didn''t pay much attention to him either. Hal''s priority was lower than Constantine, who was a stranger with unknown intentions but had knowledge of magic.


    Hal was pleased with his progress in the investigation. He suddenly realized that the horrific rumors about Gotham he had seen on TV and in newspapers were not entirely true. Although there were many gangs and bad guys, they were mostly ordinary people without superpowers, and as a Green Lantern with various abilities, he encountered no obstacles.


    He could move around freely in the most chaotic areas, such as the east docks, the northern areas with many gang family estates, the southern area of the new wealthy district, and the western old town, without being targeted by anyone.


    One day, the Green Lantern, surrounded by green light, arrived at the center of the central roundabout, on top of the tall red and green traffic light.


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 Chapter 410: I Wont Say Whos Having Bad Luck (3)

    Chapter 410: I Wont Say Whos Having Bad Luck (3)


    The traffic situation in Gotham has improved more in the past year than in the past ten yearsbined.


    First, the new mayor came into office with a bang and focused on traffic issues. During several days of traffic safety events, although the central roundabout of Gotham was almost turned into ruins, it demonstrated the new mayor''s determination to prioritize traffic safety over everything else, even if it meant destroying the world.


    Secondly, logistics issues affected the development of the gang industry, making most of the gang bosses realize that they couldn''t just fish in troubled waters. They needed to invest in infrastructure before earning profits, or else they would all end up stuck in traffic and unable to make money.


    Although these gang bosses haven''t read many books, their desire for money is very high. Driven by their interests, they not only actively participated in traffic safety events, providing ample firepower support for traffic police and police, but also hired various professional personnel at great expense to reorganize Gotham''s transportationwork. They even invited some excellent traffic police officers toe to the city to help them maintain traffic.


    The previously short-tempered and uncultured drivers also realized that they needed smooth roads to have more opportunities. With the development of logistics, there were more vehicles on the road, and they no longer had to work for a low-wage gang. They could look for better jobs. Therefore, although they still grumbled, most people finally learned to obey simple traffic rules.


    With so many measures working together, Gotham''s traffic situation has improved significantly, but if one had to choose a typical example, the most chaotic area is still the central roundabout.


    This transportation hub has a long history, built by the first group of Europeans whonded here. At that time, it was just a normal town square. Later, some families in Gotham preserved the original structure when building here, making it thergest and busiest roundabout hub in the central area of Gotham.


    The problem is, when Europeans built this ce, they assumed that only they would use it, and they all understood traffic rules. However, theter users were mostly truck drivers who hadn''t read many books and had short tempers.


    Because the traffic situation here was so bad, Gordon had to borrow Batman''s high-powered bat signal to act as a traffic light. Later, Schiller found Marvel''s group of heroes, increased the power of the traffic light, and made it the brightest light in Gotham.Coupled with traffic police monitoring traffic rules with rocketunchers on the central observation tower, Gotham University interns responsible for ticketing and towing, the traffic situation at the central roundabout has finally improved.


    Drivers can finally see the huge four-way traffic light clearly and understand the different lights, such as stopping at a red light and going on a green light. They know when they can turn and when they must stop and wait.


    This is indeed a good phenomenon, but it doesn''t hide the drivers'' short tempers. They always feel that their green light time is too short, and everyone else''s green light time seems longer, so there are often various arguments in the central roundabout area, which even promoted the development of Gotham''s hip-hop culture for a while.


    After all, you don''t even need to buy a ticket. Just have a car and the courage to dive into the congested area of the central roundabout, and you can enjoy a free rap concert that covers all English and English ng curses.


    But fortunately, even if the green light time is short, there is still a green light. Waiting will only make them irritable and impatient, not violent. This situation has continued for a long time, and the overall traffic situation is heading towards benign development.


    Until one day, a big green light bulb that could be seen clearly from all four directions fell on top of the entire traffic light.


    If you look down at the central roundabout from high above, you will find that when this huge green light bulb suddenly lights up, almost all the cars don''t hesitate to step on the gas pedal, resulting in a cacophony of "pops", "clicks", "bangs", "booms"...


    Then there''s the rap concert, and the endless "dada dada dada"...


    In fact, the central roundabout has not always been spared from being destroyed. Most people just shoot a few bullets at the cars out of anger, and that''s it. If they really start fighting with others, it means that these two sides have long-standing grudges and just use this as an excuse to explode. As soon as the police arrive, the chaos will quickly be calmed down.


    But the only problem is that, unfortunately, there is one very innocent college professor who was forced to be involved in this chaos, and that is Schiller.


    Returning to DC again, Schiller was in a good mood because college professors have vacation time. He didn''t take his vacationst year, so he nned to finish teaching the current section, assign a paper, and then go on vacation.


    Today is hisst day of work before his vacation.


    Schiller didn''t have grand vacation ns. He just wanted to go to nearby Brookhaven to see the scenery. It has now be an emerging tourist destination on the east coast, and staying there for a few days is the choice of many middle-ss citizens in Gotham.


    But there is no room for taking a train or a ne, and Americans prefer to drive for road trips, so Schiller originally nned to drive there himself.


    But now, he is standing on the side of the road, looking at his Ford Model T, whose front bumper was almostpletely smashed and two rear wheels had flown outpletely, and he sighed deeply.


    Here''s what happened: when all the drivers saw the green light, they all stepped on the gas pedal and rushed out because these drivers had been very impatient for a long time. They didn''t want to judge whether the light on the pole was really green, but Schiller knew that it wasn''t really green, so he didn''t step on the gas pedal immediately.


    As a result, the car behind him directly hit his car and mmed into the pickup truck in front of him.


    As we all know, the middle car often suffers the most damage in this kind of rear-end ident. If it weren''t for Schiller''s spider-sense, he would have been pinned to the seat by the airbag.


    Just as Schiller was considering who to call in this situation, a very familiar figure walked over. Evans greeted Schiller, took a look at him, and then a look at Schiller''s car. He stopped his steps and silently stepped back two steps.


    He said, "Good morning, Professor."


    "Why are you standing so far away?" Schiller looked at him and asked, then waved to him and said, "Come over here. Who should I call in this situation? You know I''m an outsider. Is there a towingpany around here?"


    Evans showed no intention ofing forward. He just stood there and said, pursing his lips, "There is, but..."


    Just then, another group of people walked over. A man in a suit holding a book looked Schiller up and down, then took a nce at his car and said, "Serious damage to the vehicle, the towing fee will be increased by 20%. Poole, you go take care of his car. Thank you for choosing Dahl Towing Company."


    Schiller sighed, put his hand in his pocket, took out his wallet, and said as he flipped through it, "Okay, how much is the towing fee?"


    "$120, sir."


    Schiller looked him up and down, quite incredulous, and said, "What did you say? $120?"


    "The situation is special, sir. Can''t you see that? It''s car waiting for people now. If you don''t choose us, that guy Leighton will charge you even more. He dares to ask for $200!"


    Schiller shook his head. If this were 21st century New York in the Marvel world, this price would be eptable, but now it''s 1988, and most units of consumption are still in cents.


    At this moment, Evans walked up and wanted to help Schiller, but Schiller gave him a look to stop him and took out two bills from his wallet and said, "Here."


    Dahl took the money and whistled because he found that he had received an extra $10. He immediately waved to the other side of the car and said, "Poole, be gentle, this is our big customer!"


    He flicked the bills with his fingers and said, "In Gotham, not many people tip. Thank you, sir. We promise that your car will arrive safely at its destination. Dahl is the most professional towingpany. If you need us again, look for us!"


    Evans looked at Schiller and shrugged, "At least their service attitude is not bad, right?"


    Schiller calmly put his wallet away and looked around at the chaos, as Dahl had just said, most of the cars were damaged, and the central roundabout was a mess, with the middle ind reduced to rubble.


    Then Schiller looked up at the sky.


    So where is the green light that justnded, or rather, Green Lantern Hal, now?


    He was now floating hundreds of meters in the air, watching everything happening below in horror.


    Previously, he thought that Gotham was simple and honest, but now he knew that Gotham was truly simple and honest.


    He wanted to do something to remedy the situation, but his intuition told him that it was better not to go down there now.


    As it turned out, Hal''s intuition was quite urate because not only Schiller but also Batman''s family was in trouble.


    Before Green Lantern Halnded on themp post, Bruce was driving with Selena, Aisha, Dick, and the butler Alfred to the hospital for a check-up.


    It wasn''t because Bruce wanted to give them a check-up, but because the butler Alfred wanted to ensure that Bruce''s unusual lifestyle during this period did not cause any problems for his body. Although he could have asked a doctor toe to the house, Alfred wanted everyone to have a moreprehensive examination, so it was better to go to the hospital.


    They had an appointment for a morning check-up, so early in the morning, Bruce drove them to the hospital. They had prepared to be stuck in the central roundabout for a while, but they didn''t expect to be stuck there for the whole day.


    Bruce''s experience was the same as Schiller''s. When all the drivers thought it was a green light, he found out that it was not a green light but Green Lantern Hal, so he didn''t step on the gas pedal.


    Fortunately, the cars he drove were all safe vehicles, much stronger than the old Ford, so the two cars in front and behind him suffered more damage. Bruce''s car was unscathed.


    But this didn''t mean he wasn''t angry. Gotham''s traffic had improved, and Bruce was also happy about it, which had provided him with some convenience. But why did this guy covered in green light have toe here and cause trouble?


    And Alfred was even angrier. In that instant, he also saw Hal''s appearance.


    And a few days ago, he actually discovered this guy covered in green light, who not only appeared to be following Aisha but also seemed to be following Batman.


    The butler squinted his eyes and looked up into the sky. In the densely clouded sky of Gotham, he keenly caught a faint green light.


    And at this moment, Hal shivered violently.


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 Chapter 411: Everything Starts with Winter (1)

    Chapter 411: Everything Starts with Winter (1)


    Winter, the branches of the trees appeared in a withered gray color, the branches looked denser than the most fashionableb in Bergley''s fashion store, and the rough marks and scars became denser and denser along the increasingly thick branches until they reached the trunk, which had already formed a continuous mass.


    Under the trees, thedies in woolen skirts and fur shawls held their handbags, wrinkling their carefully drawn eyebrows as they stepped on the soil scattered beside the flower beds. They exhaled a breath, and when white mist was exhaled from their beautiful lips, it froze in the cold air.


    Just as they wereining about the weather with theirpanions, a paperboy riding a bicycle quickly passed by the street, raising a gust of wind that made their clothes flutter. They turned their heads with widened eyes, but only saw the paperboy''s slightly malicious smile.


    "Ding Ling Ling-" the bicycle bell lightly rang, and with a "pop," a somewhat old boot stepped on the snow, a hand wearing thick gloves reached into the coat and took out a newspaper, throwing it into the mailbox.


    The paperboy grabbed the end of his glove and pulled it, then pulled his sleeve forward. He shrugged, seeming a little cold, but still stretched out his hand and vigorously tapped the bell on the mailbox.


    Just as he sighed, held the bicycle handlebar, and his foot had already stepped onto the pedal, suddenly, he looked up at the doorte of this house again and stopped his action.


    After a while, a butler came out of the mansion''s gate with an old-fashioned folder in his hand and a small leather bag.


    The paperboy saw his figure, straddled the bicycle, and with one foot on the ground, rubbed his hands and exhaled a breath of white mist.


    The butler walked forward, took out the newspaper that the paperboy had just delivered, mped it with the folder, and then handed the small leather bag in his hand to the paperboy.The paperboy took off one glove, separated the mouth of the leather bag with his fingers, and as soon as he opened it, a strong heat came out. Looking closely, it was an apple pie, and the soft part was still making a popping sound. Obviously, it had just been heated in the firece.


    The paperboy quickly folded the leather bag, ignoring the hot pie, and stuffed it directly into his coat. Then he smiled at the butler and said, "Thank you for me to Professor Rodriguez, he is really a good person!"


    The butler also smiled, looked at the little paperboy who was only ten years old, waved at him, and then watched his figure pedaling hard until he disappeared at the end of the street.


    He turned around, pushed open the mansion''s gate, walked through the front garden and lobby, walked all the way inside, then climbed the stairs, crossed the corridor on the second floor, and came to the study in the back. He knocked on the door and heard a calm and powerful voice from inside, "Come in."


    He pushed the door open and saw the afternoon sun shining on the floor of the study, leaving the shape of the window mullions and revealing the fibers of the carpet.


    When he walked in, he heard the sound of the radio, and then the mostmon broadcasting tone in the city came from there:


    "...shocking news, Gorbachev officially signed the order for demilitarization yesterday. We can see from this move that the distant giant bear is gradually weakening and cannot support itself alone..."


    "In this winter, the people there are unusually cold, and they are about to lose all their initiative. Even their once proudest army cannot be preserved..."


    "Gorbachev, an heir who was once worshipped, has shown no talent that matches his reputation. What will be the future of this great country? We can only wait and see..."


    A hand reached for the button on the radio, and with a "click," the news broadcast stopped. Schiller took off his sses and rubbed his eyes, leaning back in his chair and said, "Thank you, Merkel, have you heard the news just now?"


    "Yes, sir." Merkel, who was called the butler, turned around and took out an iron for ironing newspapers from the small storage room next to the study. He answered with his back to Schiller.


    "Do you think things will develop as he said?" Schiller asked while picking up a medical record and writing.


    "To be honest, I don''t know. I have no opinion on this matter, sir." Merkel paused for a moment when he unfolded the newspaper, raised his head to nce at Schiller, and then lowered his head to iron the newspaper.


    Schiller put on his sses again and, while scrutinizing the words he had written, said, "To be honest, when I asked Alfred to introduce me to a butler, I didn''t expect the person he found to be so young."


    "I thought all butlers, like Alfred, were born with full heads of gray hair and elegant temperaments," Schiller chuckled, and Merkel alsoughed. He said, "Sir, butlers from butler schools tend to seek clients who are close to their own age, and clients also prefer butlers who are of a simr age."


    "If the butler is too young, not only will he be unable to be of assistance, but he may also be a burden. However, if the butler is too old, some families may worry about them controlling their children."


    "However..." Merkel shook his head and said, "Hereditary butlers are different. They are deeply trusted by their families and often assist their grandfathers before assisting their fathers, and then assist their sons. If given the opportunity, they may also assist their grandsons..."


    "Which butler school did you graduate from?"


    Merkel shook his head again and smiled, saying, "Butler schools are different from universities. There''s no graduation distinction. When I was in my second year of university in London, I was noticed by an old butler from a hereditary butler family and became his apprentice."


    "There''s a mansion in the south of Ennd that''s specifically used to teach us new butlers. There were probably six or seven other people like me there. We called it Butler School."


    "So, it''s still an apprenticeship system?" Schiller asked.


    Merkel nodded and said, "Anyone who wants to enter this profession knows that hereditary butler families hold all the connections. If you want to be a qualified butler, you can only learn from them."


    "So, you''re the first generation of a hereditary butler family?"


    Merkel smiled and said, "May your wordse true."


    Just then, the doorbell rang again with a sharp sound. It had passed through the empty halls and dim corridors of the mansion, and by the time it reached the study, it had be a bit muffled...


    Merkel hung up the iron and smoothed out the newspaper, then turned and left to greet the arriving guests.


    When he opened the mansion''s gate, he saw a rather low-key ck vintage car parked outside. Alfred walked out holding Aisha, then put her down and went to open the door for Dick, who was still in the car.


    Both the big and the small child were dressed in thick winter clothes. Dick struggled to remove the scarf that covered half of his face and said, "Is this the teacher''s house? It''s so luxurious!"


    Merkel hurried over to help Alfred carry Aisha, and Alfred turned around to wrap Dick''s scarf around his neck. Together, they walked towards the mansion.


    In the hall, the children were allowed to take off their scarves, hats, and gloves. Merkel hung up each item of clothing on a hanger, while Alfred looked around the mansion. He said to Merkel, "You''ve been working for a week now. How do you feel?"


    "It''s very good," Merkel nodded and said, "Mr. Rodriguez is much easier to get along with than I imagined."


    "Just one thing, Merkel, don''t express your opinions about your clients casually." Alfred lifted his eyelids and rolled his eyes, looking at Merkel.


    This butler was indeed very young. Although he looked like he was in his thirties on the outside, in fact, he was only 28 years old and had received very little training.


    However, he had a rather honest appearance and a calm temperament. At first nce, he seemed trustworthy. Alfred walked over and patted his shoulder, saying, "You''re naturally suited for this profession."


    "Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth. I thought I''d have to wait a long time for my first job, especially since many people don''t trust young butlers these days."


    As they walked up the stairs with the two children, Alfred said, "I heard from Bruce that this professor is a very kind person, so that''s why I rmended you to him. An older client is more likely to be tolerant of small mistakes."


    "To be honest, I did mess up a few things this week," Merkel sighed and said a bit embarrassedly, "Mr. Rodriguez is used to staying upte, so I can''t go to bed too early either. But this makes me a bit absent-minded during the day. Last time, I almost damaged the Earth globe on his desk..."


    "And, he instructed me to bring some food for the newspaper delivery boys every time theye, but I forgot once..."


    "It''s okay, Merkel. These are all very normal, just a few minor mistakes. You can''t imagine the mess I caused when I first started working as a butler."


    As Alfred spoke, he recounted some funny stories that happened when he first met Thomas Wayne, and the two of themughed.


    Dick held Aisha''s hand from behind and looked around, saying, "British ent is really hard to understand, right?"


    "Wah, wah, wah! Wah!"


    "What? You want to learn? No, that won''t do. Then I won''t be able to understand you when you speak in the future," Alfred joked.


    Soon, Merkel arrived at Schiller''s study door and knocked. After Schiller responded, Merkel opened the door and walked in.


    Alfred stepped forward and opened his briefcase, taking out a delicately packaged but not showy gift box. He said, "I''ve heard of your great reputation, Professor Rodriguez. Just this morning, I heard on the radio that you''ve won another award for yourtest achievement..."


    "I think such good news is worth celebrating, so I brought a small gift."


    "Just consider it a souvenir for the academic dream that I didn''t take away from the rainy days in London."


    As he spoke, the old man turned down the corners of his mouth, revealing a somewhat funny and sad expression, which made everyoneugh. Schiller took the gift box and handed it to Merkel.


    Merkel opened the gift box, revealing several hardcover editions of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Alfred gently stroked his palms and said, "Originally, I suggested sending Shakespeare to Bruce, but he said that perhaps you would like this better."


    Schiller took the books from Merkel''s hands and caressed the gold-stamped letters on the cover. He smiled and said, "I didn''t know that Bruce knew me so well. Normally, he has a better rtionship with Professor Victor, which makes me a bit jealous."


    Alfred also smiled and turned around, pulling Dick and Aisha over. Dick looked a little timid as he stared at Schiller, seemingly a little afraid of this teacher-like figure.


    "I also know that Bruce must have caused a lot of trouble. His mind has always been a bit too active, but I think Dick will be a good student. Although he started school rtivelyte, he has good grades in all subjects..."


    Schiller crouched down and looked at Dick''s eyes, then said, "I can tell that he''s a well-behaved child."


    Then he touched Dick''s head and stood up again, looking at Alfred and saying, "As I wrote in my reply to you before, from now on, both he and his sister cane here for three hours of sses every week."


    "I will teach Dick grammar and some basic psychology and sociology knowledge."


    "As for Aisha, as we agreed before, I will give her some basic sensory training to promote hernguage development as much as possible..."


    "Thank you, Professor Rodriguez."


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 Chapter 412: Everything Starts from Winter (1)

    Chapter 412: Everything Starts from Winter (1)


    Wearing a pilot jacket, a thick scarf, ear warmers, gloves, and boots, Hal walked on the streets of Gotham. He looked at the leafless trees on both sides of the road and let out a sigh.


    To be honest, he felt a bit guilty now. Hal was a good person. Although his early life experiences were not smooth, his dream of bing a test pilot was changed to ground logistics because of his family''s opposition. However, he never gave up and was eventually chosen by the Green Lantern ring as a representative of strong will.


    After bing Green Lantern, he tried his best to punish evil and promote good and made every effort to maintain peace. However, shortly after arriving in Gotham, he caused thergest traffic jam in Gotham''s history.


    The chaos he caused bynding on a traffic light pole was much greater than it seemed. There were hundreds of car idents at the central roundabout, and because there were too many cars to tow away, the towingpany didn''t finish their work until nightfall. That same night, thergest blizzard in Gotham''s history hit.


    With everything underground now covered in ice and the temperature dropping rapidly, the snowsted for several days and nights before finally stoppingst night. This snow disaster made Gotham''s traffic situation extremely bad, and the wreckage at the central roundabout has not been cleaned up yet. The entire city''s transportation system was almost shut down.


    Hal originally wanted to reveal his identity as Green Lantern and use his superpowers to maintain traffic, but looking at the traffic police everywhere carrying rocketunchers and machine guns, he felt that his deterrent power was not enough.


    He couldn''t figure out this strange city, couldn''t understand everything here, and felt that he couldn''t fit in. He had nned to leave, but the feeling of guilt had been bothering him, making him hesitate for a long time without leaving.


    Untilst night, he suddenly received a letter from Schiller. Schiller imed that they had achieved great sess in the battle against the Joker, so he invited several people who participated in the battle to his house as guests.


    Thinking of that battle, Hal still felt like he was dreaming. He never thought he would face such a terrifying monster, but after defeating it, he did feel a sense of achievement.Since it was Schiller''s celebration, Hal felt that he could go, after all, he had contributed his efforts.


    Hal put his hands in the pockets of his pilot jacket and kicked small stones on the road while walking forward. At this moment, a string of "ding ling ling" sounds came from behind him. With a "whoosh," a newsboy on a bicycle swept past him.


    Hal widened his eyes, and the newsboy turned back, smiling and making a face at him. Just as Hal raised his fist to express his anger, arge group of newsboys on bicycles rushed past him.


    The snow and dust they stirred up choked Hal, and he waved his hand in front of his face. After walking a few steps forward, he looked up and saw a small mailbox with a wooden sign hanging on it that read "Rodriguez Residence."


    Hal walked over and shook the bell on the top. Soon, a well-dressed butler in a suit, white shirt, white gloves, and a bow tie came out. Hal felt a bit awkward and had never enjoyed such aristocratic service before...


    Merkel smiled and nodded, opening the gate to the estate for him. As Hal walked into the living room, he saw three people already waiting for him. In addition to Schiller, the other two were Victor and Gordon.


    Victor was holding a ss of water and exining simple physics knowledge to Dick sitting next to him. Schiller was holding Aisha, patting her back to make her release the cane in her mouth.


    Harvey saw Aisha''s teeth, which were different from ordinary people at first sight. He had indeed been tracking Aisha before, but to avoid being discovered, he kept his distance outside Wayne Manor, and Aisha didn''t open her mouth often, so Hal had never seen the shape of her teeth.


    These shark-like teeth, even on a little girl, were somewhat terrifying, not to mention that Aisha''s teeth were like a wood chipper. With one bite, the cane was broken into two pieces, making a few crisp sounds, and the originally smooth and beautiful solid wood pole turned into wood chips...


    "Hey, Aisha, don''t do that!" Dick jumped off the sofa to stop her, and Aisha spat out the wood chips in her mouth. Schiller saw Hale in, stood up, walked up to him and shook his hand, then said, "Hello, how have you been recently?"


    "Um... she''s doing fine." Hal''s attention was focused on Aisha, so his response was a bit perfunctory. Schiller looked at his expression and followed his gaze, turning to look at Aisha, who was tossing and turning on the sofa. He said, "She''s a lively little girl, isn''t she?"


    "Well, that depends on how you define the word ''lively''," Hal replied, somewhat embarrassed.


    Schiller smiled and looked at Aisha, saying, "Lively is the opposite of her father. I can''t believe Bruce has such a lively and cute daughter."


    Hal pursed his lips and said, "We all know that she''s not his..."


    Just as he said these words, he felt a chill inexplicably run down his back. Hal turned nervously, but saw nothing.


    Soon, candles were lit and the lights in the mansion came on. The silver and ss vessels glowed with a halo of light, and there was a clear clinking sound as several sses were clinked together. The various-colored liquids in the sses swirled around like churning waves.


    "We haven''t gathered like this in a while," Gordon said, speaking first. He shifted slightly to make way for the butler pouring drinks, then continued, "Unfortunately, there are several people who couldn''t make it for various reasons."


    "It''s alright, we have a new friend," Schiller said, raising his own ss and gesturing towards Hal. Hal also raised his ss in acknowledgement and took a sip of his drink before introducing himself. "I didn''t introduce myself earlier, but you probably already know. I''m Hal, Hal Jordan."


    "A famous name, the Jordan from the Bulls is really poprtely," Victor chimed in.


    Halughed and shook his head, saying, "Just because he''s so famous, people keep asking me if we''re rted. I''ve never even been to Chicago."


    Hal continued, "I used to be a test pilot, butter became a ground crewman. Now I work at an Air Force base in Coast City."


    Then, he extended his hand and revealed his greenntern ring, saying, "As you saw before, I''m a Green Lantern of the Green Lantern Corps, also known as the Emerald Knight."


    "I''ve been wanting to ask, what exactly is the Green Lantern Corps?" Gordon asked, with some confusion.


    "You can think of it as an organization that maintains peace in space. They divide space into various sectors and send out Green Lanterns to guard these sectors. I''m a Green Lantern of the Earth sector and mainly responsible for protecting Earth''s safety."


    Hal briefly introduced the history and code of conduct of the Green Lantern Corps to the group. Gordon''s furrowed brow gradually rxed a bit as he listened. "You should know how much trouble you caused in Gotham''s central roundabout area. Those gang bosses are still asking me about what the Green Lantern is."


    Hal looked a little guilty and turned down the corners of his mouth. He asked, "What did you tell them?"


    "Originally, I wanted to tell them that a superhuman being who glows fell on the red and green traffic light pole, causing the ident. But..." Gordon looked at Schiller, who put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "I advised him not to do that. If it were in another city, that exnation might be regarded as a fantastical tale and seen as a ridiculous excuse concocted by the police to shift responsibility."


    "But this is Gotham, where people are willing to believe anything. They''re all worked up, and if Gordon said that, they''ll dig three feet down to find you," Schiller shook his head and looked at Hal, saying, "Believe me, even if you have superpowers, once you get caught up in Gotham''s quagmire, you may not even have a chance to escape."


    Upon hearing this, Hal felt a chill in the air around him and shivered, picked up his drink and took a sip, feeling slightly warmed by the spicy liquid. He looked at Schiller and raised his ss gratefully, saying, "Thank you, Professor, for understanding. I didn''t mean to. I really didn''t know the traffic situation in this city..."


    "That''s okay, I''m also an outsider," Schiller also picked up his ss and took a sip of his drink. He smiled and said, "Although many people didn''t realize it, I''m also not used to the traffic here."


    "You''re only not used to this one thing," Gordon alsoughed.


    "Speaking of which, what are you going to do with this little girl?" Hal looked at Aisha sitting next to Schiller. The butler had prepared a children''s meal full of broli and carrots for her, which Aisha epted without hesitation. However, judging from her expression, she probably preferred raw carrots.


    "What do you mean?" Schiller looked at Hal and said, "Bruce Wayne has officially adopted her. Her full name is now Elizabeth Martha Wayne."


    "But..." Hal showed a very troubled expression and said, "We all know how she came to be, that monster..."


    The first to shake his head was Victor. He looked at Hal and said, "But now, she is no longer that monster. If her Soul is still the same, or if she can still transform into that form, then I do agree that some monitoring is necessary to prevent harm to ordinary people."


    "But now that Aisha has be an existence like humans both in Soul and body, she should enjoy the same rights as humans."


    "At the same time..." Victor looked at Aisha and said, "It''s obvious that she has intelligence and can be taught, no different from human children. If she really causes trouble in society in the future, it would be due to a failure of education."


    Schiller was somewhat surprised by Victor''s stance and said, "I didn''t expect you to be a supporter of postnatal education theory."


    "I''ve said before, my wife and I have taught children before, and in the process, I havee to understand the importance of postnatal education for humans."


    Gordon put down his ss, touched his temple and said, "Although I''m also worried that she may cause trouble in the future, but is there really ack of trouble in Gotham?"


    "Fangs, incredible strength, and extreme speed, it sounds pretty intimidating, but in Gotham, there are more terrifying things than that."


    Gordon picked up a piece of steak with his fork and put it in his mouth, saying, "Do you remember the riot that happened at the cathedralst time? The people there went crazy for no reason. Later, we had a hard time getting them back to their senses."


    "I don''t know about that," Victor turned his head and asked Gordon, "Is that the ident that caused serious damage to the Gotham Cathedral? What happened then?"


    Gordon sighed and looked at Schiller, who was calmly eating his food, and said, "It all started with something in the Gotham Cathedral''s underground area, called the ''Wine Lake''."


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 Chapter 413: Everything Begins with Winter (2)

    Chapter 413: Everything Begins with Winter (2)


    "Wine Pool... Gotham Cathedral..."


    A well-defined hand skimmed through one book after another. Suddenly, it paused on a book titled "The Construction History of Gotham City," and the index finger hooked onto the spine, taking it down from the bookshelf.


    Another hand gently brushed off the dust from the cover. After opening the book, following the table of contents, a voice sighed softly.


    "Gotham Cathedral... found it."


    Outside row after row of bookshelves, a meticulously dressed old butler carried a tray and walked over. He stood between two rows of bookshelves, looking at Bruce, who was engrossed in reading in front of the bookshelf, and said, "Sir, it''s tea time. Shall I bring the tea over?"


    "No... thank you, Alfred." Bruce didn''t raise his head, still focused on reading about Gotham Cathedral in the book. After a pause, he said, "Just put it on the table over there, I''lle overter."


    Bruce stood there for a while, feeling that the lighting in this area was dim, and some details of the drawings on the pictures were not clear. So he took the book and walked out of the bookshelf,ing to the nearby lounge area and sitting down on a chair.


    Alfred stood at the table, took out the meal from a nearby trolley, and then took out a teapot to brew the tea. Bruce kept his head low, reading the book, and the sound of tea being poured into the cup apanied Alfred''s voice.


    "Sir, it seems like you''ve been indulging in research rted to magic and mysticism recently?""Mm." Bruce replied. In private, he spoke less, but when facing Alfred alone, his tone was more rxed, and he was willing to exin some things.


    "Constantine showed me another possibility of magic. The kind of projection he used looked more like a technology. I''m wondering if magic could be a form of energy that can be utilized, just like thermal energy and kic energy..."


    When Alfred heard the name Constantine, his brows slightly furrowed. Bruce keenly noticed his expression and said, "I know there''s nothingmendable about Constantine except his knowledge of magic."


    "Curiosity and thirst for knowledge are good traits, sir." Alfred replied with a hint of ambiguity, and then he said, "But I''m not quite sure if he sees any value in you..."


    This sentence used several weakening particles. Bruce understood that Alfred was tactfully reminding him that Constantine might have ulterior motives. As Batman, he was well aware that just by observing Constantine''s past actions, it was enough to raise his vignce.


    Although this scumbag didn''t have any good habits, there was no doubt that his mind was very sharp. He formted several ns and executed them simultaneously, not only without interfering with each other but also progressing rapidly. If it weren''t for a small ident at the end, every one of his objectives would have been achieved.


    Bruce was facing someone like this for the first time, and he had to admit that besides magic, he was also interested in Constantine''s way of doing things.


    "And, sir, you should consider Aisha and Dick. They''re still young and in need of the care of their elders." Alfred hinted, "Guidance and protection for children are crucial at this age. Once there''s a loophole, it could lead to serious consequences."


    Bruce nodded. He believed Alfred had a point, but he didn''t pay much attention to it. Leaving aside the fact that Aisha and Dick were not ordinary children, the security system in Wayne Manor was enough to protect the two of them.


    Bruce continued holding the book and pointed to a line of text, murmuring to himself, "It is recorded here that a certain Father conducted fundraising for the restoration of the cathedral. Not only did Falcone and his gangster family donate arge amount of wealth, the Wayne family also participated, as well as the major business families of Gotham..."


    Frowning, he muttered, "What is so special about the cathedral? Could it be rted to the underground Wine Pool?"


    Apart from Constantine, the only thing he could get close to, which was somewhat rted to magic, was the cathedral and the Wine Pool underneath it. Therefore, after being unable to continuously track Constantine due to daily routines, Bruce switched his perspective and started investigating locally in Gotham.


    The Wayne family possessed a vast collection of books, including those documenting the history of Gotham''s construction. Among these books, Bruce found many clues, but they couldn''t be connected. So, he decided to conduct an on-site investigation.


    After absentmindedly passing through tea time, Bruce hastily left, leaving the book on the table.


    Alfred, who was tidying up the tea and tableware, nced at the cover of the book.


    The font on the book cover was a simple cursive style usually used for shop signs and names. At this moment, the curves of the strokes slowly transformed into a short name - "Hal Jordan."


    As Schiller lifted the fountain pen after writing thest stroke, he capped the pen and put it back into the pen holder.


    In the empty study, Schiller looked at the medical record he had just written and smiled.


    The abnormality disyed by Aisha during the recent gathering should be enough to pique Hal''s curiosity and concern.


    He continued writing below Hal''s name:


    "...has a strong sense of identification with the Green Lantern Corps, transferring the anxiety from his unsessful dream of flying to his career as a Green Lantern. He wants toplete each mission as perfectly as possible, without repeating past mistakes..."


    "It is spected that the tasks the Green Lantern Corps may assign include investigating the situation with the Parax, investigating the situation with Sinestro, investigating the situation in Gotham..."


    Unbeknownst to Hal, who had just left Schiller''s manor, his situation had been recorded in a medical record.


    Having had some drinks, Hal felt a bit tipsy. He leaned against a tree trunk by the roadside and coughed twice, sniffing forcefully. Then he tightened his clothes and quickly crossed the street.


    Images of Aisha''s abnormal behavior during the recent dinner reyed in his mind, and Hal started to feel anxious. His rationality told him that what Victor said made sense. The current Aisha was a human girl, not the terrifying Parax.


    Although there were some abnormalities, she didn''t show any signs of aggression. On the contrary, from her actions and expressions, Hal could see that she was continuously learning humanmunication, just like a true child.


    However, another possibility lingered in his mind. If he let Aisha be and she caused trouble in the future, would the Green Lantern Corps hold him responsible? Would they revoke his Green Lantern ring, depriving him of this powerful ability?


    Whenever he thought about this, Hal felt his emotions tangled. He hadn''t seeded in bing the fighter pilot he dreamed of. The reasons for that wereplex, but without a doubt, Hal was dissatisfied with his ordinary human life.


    Now, the Green Lantern power brought him change, and through this change, he saw new hope. He didn''t want his negligence to lead to failure in another profession.


    If the Green Lantern Corps gave him a mission to kill Aisha, what would he do?


    If he didn''t address the issue concerning Aisha now and she unleashed havoc, endangering ordinary people, what would he do?


    If... if... Hal had thought of too many "ifs." As a novice, he wasn''t yet the greatest Green Lantern he would be in the future, although he already had the potential of indomitable willpower. However, he still felt conflicted and confused.


    After pondering back and forth, Hal believed that the only solution was to talk to Aisha face to face. If the Parax couldn''tmunicate and was destined to be an enemy of the Green Lantern, then the current Aisha, who had be a human girl, might be open tomunication.


    With this in mind, Hal changed his direction and found an empty alley. He activated his Green Lantern abilities and teleported near Wayne Manor.


    When he reached the front gate of Wayne Manor, Hal hesitated. First, he thought that Bruce Wayne would definitely be difficult to deal with. He probably wouldn''t let Hal in, and if the conversation didn''t go well, they might even end up fighting, which was not the oue Hal desired.


    Second, he believed that matters between Lantern Corps should be resolved by Green Lanterns themselves. Issues between the Yellow Lantern and Green Lantern should be resolved by them.


    In this way, Hal convinced himself not to use the front gate. However, he also didn''t intend to use the side entrance. In simple terms, he decided not to use the door at all. Instead, he nned to determine Aisha''s location and teleport directly in front of her.


    The investigation into Aisha in the past few days had not been in vain. Based on the time Aisha returned home and the lights in Wayne Manor''s rooms, Hal knew that Aisha''s bedroom was most likely on the second floor.


    After the sky darkened, Hal noticed that a room on the second floor had its lights on.


    Although he was doing a good deed, for some reason, Hal felt a strange sense of guilt. He constantly convinced himself in his mind that it was for the safety of Earth and the citizens of Gotham.


    He took a deep breath, and then the green light on his ring illuminated. The green glow spread from his finger to his entire body, and in an instant, Hal''s figure disappeared.


    With a soft thud, hended on the wooden floor of the mansion. In front of him was a princess bed that looked like it belonged to a little girl. The sheets were slightly raised, and Aisha seemed to be sleeping soundly.


    However, Hal didn''t approach her. Instead, he took two steps back and called out in a low voice, "Aisha, are you there?"


    "Parax? Parax?"


    There was no response from the figure on the bed. Hal showed an extremely troubled expression, but he still didn''t approach. He stood with his hands on his hips, seemingly unsure of what to do.


    Just then, he suddenly felt a hard object pressing against his back.


    Hal stiffened, slowly raised his arm, and in the shadow behind him, a figure with white hair appeared. No one had ever seen Alfred with such a cold expression before.


    Nor had anyone seen the shotgun he was holding.


    Following Alfred''s gaze to the window, moonlight was shining through.


    The moonlight fell on the broken spire of the old cathedral. A shadow with pointed earsnded on it, then jumped down along the eaves.


    Passing through the corridors of the church, entering the worship room, taking a right turn, and entering the side corridor, passing the confessional room, Batman walked inward, recalling the architectural diagrams he had seen in the book.


    Soon, he stopped in front of a door. The old padlock didn''t stop this master locksmith. With a faint "click" sound, the old wooden door slowly opened, revealing Father''s living room.


    It seemed like no one had used this ce for a long time. After the recent turmoil, the entire cathedral had been closed, and the old Father had moved elsewhere.


    As Batman entered the room, the first thing he saw was a table facing the door. Moonlight streamed in through the window on the table, casting a hazy white light. Apart from many books and files, there was a small picture frame ced on it.


    Covered by ck gauntlets, Batman''s hand picked up the picture frame, and his thumb gently wiped away the dust on it.


    The photo depicted three young people, their attire suggesting they were from a different era.


    Batman was familiar with the faces of two of them.


    One wore a ck suit, a bow tie, and a red poppy pinned to his pocket. It was Gotham''s mob boss, Falcone. The other, wearing a ck robe and having a kind and gentle appearance, was the Father of the cathedral.


    And thest person, Batman was even more familiar with. Wearing a long coat and a fedora, holding an old-fashioned shotgun, it was Alfred Pennyworth.


    It''s time to specte on the plot once again...


    Many people have guessed the plot in the Marvel universe, but no one has guessed the big plot in the DC universe. What happened to the readers of detectiveics?


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 Chapter 414: Hals Misfortune (1)

    Chapter 414: Hals Misfortune (1)


    In the pitch-ck night, in a room on the second floor of Wayne Manor, the dim lights were flickering. Hal raised his hands and stood in the center of the room. He turned around and saw the face of an old man.


    "I know you have a unique ability to disappear and reappear instantly, but from my observation, it takes you some time to activate this ability. Do you think you disappear faster, or do I pull the trigger faster?"


    If the people living in Wayne Manor heard what Alfred said at this moment, they would surely be astonished. This old butler seemed like a different person. He had never spoken in such a cold tone to anyone in the manor before.


    In the eyes of most people, Alfred was always the smiling butler who carried tes and arranged tables, or the one who cleaned the shelves with a duster.


    But from his current posture, it was clear that he had handled a gun before. In his hands was a double-barreled shotgun with a solid wooden grip. The long barrel reflected a chilling cold light under the illumination of themp, and the muzzle was pressed against Hal''s waist.


    Hal swallowed nervously. He dared not move. Just as Alfred had said, it took him some time to activate his Green Lantern abilities. Under normal circumstances, this time was so short that it could be ignored. However, the most fatal point was that the Green Lantern ring emitted light.


    Once Hal tapped into the Green Lantern energy, the ring would emit a green glow that would spread across his body in an instant. Even though it was a very short moment, there was still that time. Hal had no doubt that as soon as his ring emitted even a hint of light, the trigger would be pulled.


    Hal didn''t dare to bet on whether the bullet would be blocked by the green light when it was fired. Because if it couldn''t, he would be cut in half directly. The Green Lantern power could indeed allow Hal to recover quickly, but this self-healing ability had its limits, and being cut in half was definitely not included.


    "You are Bruce''s butler, right?" Hal asked, trying to ease the tension. Alfred didn''t answer him. He just pushed the shotgun forward slightly. Hal tightly closed his eyes and then said:"Okay, okay, don''t be like this. Do you know the origin of this child? She''s not actually a human, she''s a monster..."


    Suddenly, Hal heard a "click" sound behind him. It was the sound of the trigger being pulled. Tremendous fear engulfed him, but after a cold sweat, he realized that the expected pain didn''te. Alfred had only pretended to pull the trigger.


    "I know a lot of things," Alfred stared at Hal and said, "much more than you can imagine."


    His tone remained icy, making it impossible for Hal to discern his emotions. Alfred continued, "I know you see me as an ignorant old butler, otherwise, you wouldn''t dare to invade this manor like this."


    "I''m not here to invade, I just... uh!"


    Hal was once again nudged by the gun barrel. He promptly shut his mouth. Then he heard Alfred say, "If your parents didn''t teach you that visiting someone''s home requires an appointment and entering through the front door, then I think today you should have learned."


    Hal lowered his hands, sighed, and turned to face Alfred. Looking into his eyes, he said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Butler. I know it''s wrong to trespass on someone''s property, especially in such a dangerous and disrespectful manner."


    "But you have to allow me to exin. Aisha is not actually..."


    Seeing the gun barrel slowly rise to the level of his eyes, Hal raised his hands again and took two steps back, saying, "Okay, let''s not talk about this."


    He also realized that whenever he mentioned Aisha''s background, the old butler didn''t want him to speak. As expected, Alfred also looked into his eyes and said, "It is the duty of a butler to handle all the issues concerning the master''s children, including any doubts or dishonorable aspects of their lineage..."


    "I believe you wouldn''t want to be a part of those background stories." Alfred elongated his tone slightly. Hal understood his meaning. If he wanted to leave here alive, it would be best to keep his mouth shut and swallow this secret.


    Taking a deep breath, Hal said, "Okay, let''s not discuss this issue. I came here just to ensure that her extraordinary abilities won''t endanger ordinary people..."


    After speaking, Hal didn''t care whether Alfred could understand him or not. He started exining to himself, "Yellow Lanterns have always been the greatest threat to Green Lanterns. Although I haven''t encountered a real Yellow Lantern, the Green Lantern Corps takes them very seriously."


    "It''s the same this time." Hal sighed and continued, "When they learned that the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps and the Yellow Lanterns had descended upon this ce, they considered sending a powerful Green Lantern here to deal with these issues."


    "However, everything happened too quickly. After the resolution was concluded, everything came to an end, so I could only stay here to wrap things up."


    "Whether it''s for the safety of Space or the safety of ordinary people, I have to do this."


    "Your name is Hal, right?" Alfred suddenly asked.


    Hal crossed his arms and nodded. Alfred looked into his eyes and asked, "What do you think is the cause of all this?"


    Hal felt puzzled by this question. He scratched his head and said, somewhat perplexed, "Cause? Actually, I don''t really know why. I just suddenly received an order saying that members of the Yellow Lantern Corps hade to Earth and I was supposed to deal with them..."


    "Then, I came to Gotham and inexplicably got pulled into a dream. Next thing I knew, I was fighting that monster, and somehow I managed to win... I don''t even know how."


    "All of a sudden, the Yellow Lantern entity turned into a little girl, and the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps disappeared..."


    Hal said helplessly, "Actually, I have no idea what happened from start to finish..."


    "So, you''re going to report to this so-called Green Lantern Corps like this?"


    "I..." Hal was taken aback, and Alfred said disdainfully, "In a situation where you don''t know the cause, the process, or even theplete oue, you choose to report to your superiors?"


    "What shocked me is that your superiors actually based their orders on your iplete information..."


    "Green Lantern Corps..." Alfred scoffed lightly and said, "If this is the level you all have, it''s best to go back to where you belong and not get involved in matters on Earth."


    Hal put his finger to his forehead, unsure how to describe the butler in front of him. The old-fashioned, elegant British ent made him feel like he was conversing with a nobleman, but the wordscked any mercy.


    "I''m also an Earthling!" Hal emphasized.


    "An Earthling who sells Earth''s information for a living?"


    Hal was once again taken aback, and he gestured helplessly, saying, "I''m doing this for the safety of Earth..."


    "Every spy says the same thing."


    Alfred lowered his gaze, not wanting to look at Hal''s stiff expression. He said, "One day, a group of foreigners found you. They offered you money and power, and then they told you that you should maintain peace in your homnd by telling them every detail."


    "You take money to do their bidding,plete missions, and when you get arrested, you tell the judge that you were just maintaining peace..."


    As he spoke, Alfred''s gaze fell on the Green Lantern ring, and he said, "...but you remain silent about the benefits you gained from them."


    "In the first half of my life, I''ve seen too many people like that."


    "Are they guilty? Perhaps the me doesn''t solely lie with them. Many people truly believe that their actions can bring peace to their own country."


    "But are they innocent? The immense benefits they gained from betraying their country put them above the ordinary people who suffer as a result. In the end, only they enjoy peace andfort."


    Hal''s expression gradually turned serious from his initial helplessness. Alfred shifted his gaze back to his eyes and said, "Humans chase after money because it''s the universal currency in our society that can bring us the greatest enjoyment."


    "But how do you know that the thing you wear on your hand doesn''t y such a role in space?"


    "Perhaps, what you consider to be a very powerful force is nothing but garbage and residue to them. They only need to provide you with a little garbage, and you will hand over the interests of your country..."


    "Stop!" Hal closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed his ring with his thumb. It was very clear that his fingertips were trembling. Alfred continued to say to him:


    "If you don''t remember who you are, where youe from, and who you ultimately work for, and can''t stick to this goal all the way to the end, then the only thing waiting for you is to be betrayed by everyone..."


    Hal''s emotions seemed to be fluctuating violently. He turned his head to the side and after a while, he took a deep breath. In an instant, the green light of the ring lit up.


    At this moment, he didn''t hear the sound of the trigger being pulled. Hal forcefully bit his lips. He thought he was about to leave this ce and find a quiet ce to think about these issues alone. Suddenly, the door of the room opened, and a small ck figure appeared outside the door...


    Hal didn''t even see her move. In the instant when the green light of the ring spread to his arm, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm.


    "Ah!" Hal screamed in pain. He looked down and saw Aisha, with her sharp teeth biting on the wrist guard on his arm. The thick wrist guard couldn''t stop her sharp teeth, and blood was oozing out from between her teeth.


    Hal instinctively shook his arm, trying to throw Aisha off. As a result, her teeth pierced through the wrist guard, and the wrist guard slid down along with her. When it slid down to his hand, it wrapped around Hal''s hand like a glove.


    Hal was in great pain and kept shaking his arm. When the wrist guard and the little girl were thrown off together, the ring on his finger, emitting a green light, was taken down with the wrist guard.


    Hal gritted his teeth and covered his bleeding arm. He looked at the princess bed, where there was no little girl at all. The bulge under the quilt was a stuffed toy. This was a trap from the beginning.


    Just as he realized this, he suddenly found that the green light energy that had spread into his body disappeared. He turned his head and saw the Green Lantern ring, which had fallen and drawn a high parab.


    "Ding!" The crisp sound of metal hitting the floor rang out. Hal breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the ring wasn''t broken.


    He was about to walk over to pick up the ring when the ck hole gun appeared in front of his eyes again. Hal slowly raised his hands.


    At this moment, a tender hand slowly approached the floor and picked up the ring. Dick, who had just been awakened, rubbed his eyes and looked at the ring in his hand.


    "Hey, kid, put it down. That''s not a toy..." Hal reached out to stop him, but the just-awakened Dick was still drowsy. He hadn''t even opened his eyes yet, and a green light spread directly onto his body.


    "Wait... what is this?" Dick asked in a muffled voice.


    Hal pped his forehead and said, "No!"


    "I seem to... feel something... is this what I should do?" Dick muttered, and Hal suddenly remembered something and said, "No! Don''t teleport! This ability is hard to control..."


    With a "bang," Dick was mmed against the wall.


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 Chapter 415: Hals Misfortune (CN)

    Chapter 415: Hal''s Misfortune (CN)


    The operation of the Green Lantern Corps is actually based on a permission system. All Green Lanterns recognized by the Corps can obtain the permission token, which is the Green Lantern Ring.


    However, there is a threshold for using this permission token. You must have strong willpower to drive the Green Lantern Ring and the Green Lantern energy. In other words, it is not something that anyone can use just by picking up a Green Lantern Ring.


    Generally speaking, even if a Green Lantern loses their Green Lantern Ring, it will not cause too much trouble because the person who picks up the ring cannot use it. They do not have enough willpower to drive the ring and the energy inside.


    But obviously, the current situation is an exception, and it all starts with the working principle of the Green Lantern Ring.


    To use the Green Lantern Ring and energy, Green Lanterns must use their own willpower to drive it. After sending themand to use it, the Green Lantern Ring will judge whether the willpower is sufficient to drive it. If it is, then it will start working, which means transferring energy to the Green Lantern.


    Now, when Hal activated the Green Lantern energy, he wanted to use teleportation. He sent thismand to the Green Lantern Ring, and after inspection, the ring found that he had this permission and could use the ring and energy, so it started working.


    The energy had been sent out, covering Hal''s entire palm and half of his arm, but at this moment, Aisha bit him.


    The reason why Green Lanterns fear the yellow light is that Parax was originally trapped in their power battery. Now, Parax not only came out but also turned into a human girl. In theory, the Green Lantern energy should no longer fear the yellow light.


    However, this does not mean that the Green Lantern energy can pass through the body of another Lantern, Aisha. Aisha bit Hal''s arm, and the Green Lantern energy rushed to the half of his arm, but it collided with Aisha''s body. Regardless of whether she is a pure human now, at least some part of heres from Parax. The Green Lantern energy cannot bepatible with the body of the yellow Lantern Parax, so it was blocked.The blocked Green Lantern energy did not merge with the Green Lantern, so it naturally did not produce the effect that Hal wanted.


    What''s even more coincidental is that Hal''s action of throwing the Green Lantern Ring caused it to fly out and be picked up by Dick.


    Dick was not Nightwing yet, nor was he even Robin. He was just an ordinary kid studying at school, at most a little better than other kids in acrobatics. He could not have the willpower to drive the Green Lantern Ring.


    But as mentioned earlier, Hal had already sent themand and unlocked the permission to use the Green Lantern energy with his own willpower.


    In other words, if the Green Lantern Ring ispared to a safe, Hal has already opened its door with a password but handed it over to Dick. Dick is the lucky one who picked up the safe. Since the door has been opened, he does not need to unlock it again and can directly take what is inside.


    The only problem is that before Hal threw the Green Lantern Ring away, he gave thestmand to teleport, and the first thing Dick did after putting on the Green Lantern Ring and receiving the Green Lantern energy was also teleportation...


    Thanks to the reliable security measures of the Green Lantern Corps, the teleportation ability of the Green Lantern will not be stuck in the wall. If there is an obstacle in front of it, it will either pass through it or hit the wall with a "bang."


    Dick himself could not control this energy, so he was directly hit on the wall.


    Fortunately, the Green Lantern energy will provide a full-body energy shield to its host. After being hit on the wall, Dick did not feel any pain or injury, but he felt a little dizzy when he fell to the ground.


    Alfred''s face looked even worse.


    And Aisha''s reaction was even greater than Alfred''s. It is unclear whether she was hurt by Hal''s arm-swinging action or scared by the sound of Dick teleporting and hitting the wall. She was stunned for a moment, then opened her mouth.


    Hal had a very bad premonition, and then in an instant, this premonition came true.


    Under the dark night of Gotham, an unimaginable and intense scream, like a thunderbolt exploding in a quiet winter day, pierced the night sky of Gotham--


    "Dad--Dad!"


    Here is the trantion of the Chinese fanfiction:


    !!!


    !!!


    !!!"


    At this moment, Batman, who was searching for clues in the middle of Gotham Cathedral, suddenly froze.


    Schiller, who had just fallen asleep, also heard the sound.


    It was alreadyte at night, and even though Schiller was used to staying upte, it was his sleeping time now. However, this scream was too familiar, just like when thest unlucky aliennded in Gotham, so it easily woke up Schiller who was sleeping.


    After being awakened, he did not feel angry. On the contrary, he was like a nter who finally saw the harvest of the seeds he had sown, full of joy of harvest.


    The reason why he was not called a farmer was that although he had sown the seeds, he did not take care of thend, watered it, or fertilized it. He even nned to take a bite of the bread baked from the crops.


    Merkel was awakened by Schiller''s bell ringing. When he was awakened, his first reaction was a bit panicked. His biological clock told him that it waste at night.


    The butler was most afraid of this situation because once someone rang the bell in the middle of the night, it meant that there might be a very urgent matter.


    Two minutester, Merkel, who was neatly dressed and dressed impably, appeared in Schiller''s bedroom. Schiller was still wearing his pajamas. He poured wine into a ss while saying, "Help me make a call to Wayne Manor..."


    Merkel didn''t know what to say for a moment. He didn''t know if the focus was on "Wayne Manor" or "making a call," or if the focus was actually on the current situation. He looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, which showed that it was 3:30 in the morning.


    The brain that had just awakened from sleep was not enough to let Merkel sort out the logic of this. He even thought that maybe Schiller was expressing dissatisfaction with his work mistakes?


    However, seeing Schiller''s serious expression, Merkel could only resign himself to go downstairs and pick up the phone ced by the stairs.


    With one hand on the ringing phone, Alfred stood next to the phone table, picked up the receiver, and said:


    "...Oh, really?...Professor Rodriguez heard Aisha''s scream?...Yes, I''m sorry, did it disturb his rest?"


    "Yes, yes, she''s fine. You know, children of this age are prone to nightmares, especially when their father is not at home at night..."


    As he spoke, Alfred''s gaze fell on Bruce, who was standing next to the sofa. At this time, he was still wearing his Batman suit, but he had no intention of pretending in the face of the current situation.


    Dick, who was emitting green light all over his body, sat opposite him on the sofa, twitching from time to time, seeming to be suppressing the urge to teleport himself to the wall. Aisha was still crying loudly, although she didn''t shed any tears, but she didn''t seem to be tired either.


    Next to the phone table, Alfred held the phone and kept lecturing Merkel on the importance of parenting and parentalpanionship.


    Batman himself couldn''t believe that his headache was much worse than when he faced all kinds of heinous criminals in the face of the current situation.


    So, where is the certain Green Lantern who caused all this trouble, or the Green Lantern Hal who lost his power?


    He is now tied to a chair next to the sofa.


    It is unknown whether the novice Green Lantern with the power of the green light can beat the equally novice Batman, but Hal without the power of the green light is definitely not able to beat Batman, so he was tied to a chair and now looked at Dick with a helpless expression.


    Batman felt that the best way to solve the current situation was to start with Dick. He turned his head and said to Dick, "Can''t you take it off?"


    "It" refers to the Green Lantern Ring. Dick looked at his hand and said, "No, it''s not possible. I just tried, and no matter how hard I pull, I can''t take it off..."


    "It''s useless. The Green Lantern Ring has a safety lock. If it falls off so easily, wouldn''t it be easy to be ambushed duringbat?" Hal said, and then noticed Batman staring at him. He understood Batman''s meaning and exined, "Parax... your daughter is too special. She must have some way to restrain the Green Lantern Ring. I have never seen any Green Lantern have their ring pulled off by someone before..."


    Batman looked at Aisha again. Just as he looked at her, Aisha suddenly stopped crying and opened her arms. Batman walked over helplessly, picked her up, and Aisha cried loudly. But Batman couldn''t understand what she meant.


    Dick tranted, "She seems to want me to learn how to control this power, but I can''t. It doesn''t listen to me at all. Oh, here ites again!"


    With a "whoosh," Dick''s figure disappeared and then appeared in the nearby eating ce, knocking over arge pile of tables and chairs.


    As with the previous situation, the Green Lantern energy protected his body, and the only thing that suffered was the beautiful and spacious dining room of Wayne Manor, which was now a mess.


    Batman didn''t care about the house, but he found that the teleportation distance seemed to be getting farther and farther. If this continued, no one knew if Dick would be directly teleported to space. If that were the case... Batman looked at Hal again.


    Hal shuddered and said, "I can assure you that he will not be harmed when this power exists."


    "When I first got this power, I tried to jump off a ne during a test flight. Even if I fell from a high ce to the ground, I was unharmed."


    "How far will he be teleported?"


    Hal nced at Dick and said, "I think the Green Lantern Ring may have fallen into a logical error and can only rigidly execute mystmand."


    "At the same time, the safety lock of the Green Lantern Ring may detect that its owner is not using it. Generally, when this happens, the ring will automatically return to the Green Lantern Corps headquarters..."


    "Thebination of logical errors and safety locks may keep transporting this child until he returns to the Green Lantern Corps headquarters..."


    When Hal finished speaking, the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.


    "Oh, wait!" Hal immediately tried to remedy the situation. He said, "You can try to get Aisha to take the ring off his hand, just like taking the ring off my hand."


    Batman looked down at Aisha, and Aisha bit her finger, looking like she didn''t understand. Batman continued to stare at her, and finally, Aisha couldn''t hold it anymore. She jumped out of Batman''s arms and ran to Dick.


    However, the Green Lantern Ring seemed to have a mind of its own. As soon as Aisha approached, it teleported with Dick. Although Aisha was fast, she still ran on her legs and couldn''t catch up with Dick.


    After chasing for a while, Aisha seemed a little tired and stopped to catch her breath. Alfred quickly put down the phone and walked over. He picked up Aisha and said, "Miss Aisha has had enough exercise today, or rather, it''s a bit excessive for a child of this age. She should go to bed now."


    Saying that, he carried Aisha upstairs.


    At this time, Batman couldn''t help but put his hand on his forehead and then looked at Hal again. Hal thought hard and said, "I think I have another way..."


    He tried to move his body, turned the chair he was tied to towards Dick, and shouted at him, "Stay calm! Feel the power inside you, and try to control it..."


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 Chapter 416: Hals Bad Luck (2)

    Chapter 416: Hal''s Bad Luck (2)


    "I can''t stay calm?! I''m glowing! And it''s green!" Dick yelled at him.


    Obviously, he was a bit bewildered by the current situation, like a real child. He said, "Oh my god! I can''t believe it. How am I going to school tomorrow? How am I going to exin to my teacher that I suddenly started glowing overnight?!"


    He continued, "Our school has strict rules. We have to have traditional hair color. We''re not even allowed to dye our hair. If my teacher sees that not only my hair but my whole body has turned green, she''ll definitely call my parents!"


    Hal was speechless. Obviously, he had no experience with children and didn''t know how to deal with Dick''s realistic but overly realistic logic.


    "And I have to visit my biological parents at the end of this month. They''re very old-fashioned people. They only use deep green, even for Christmas. How am I going to exin that I suddenly turned greener than a Christmas elf?!"


    Hal stared at the ceiling of Wayne Manor. When he first gained this ability, he had fantasized about how great it would be to have it earlier. But now, he realized that the thoughts of teenagers were the biggest mystery in the world.


    Dick didn''t seem to care about this magical teleportation ability or whether he could control this powerful force. He only cared about his green glow.


    At this moment, Hal, who was deeply troubled, suddenly had some different thoughts.


    Was he really sober?A normal person who gained the power of the Green Lantern Ring should indeed be suspicious of their strange appearance. But Hal found that he didn''t have this feeling at all.


    Even though he caused a huge traffic jam because he looked too much like the green light in a traffic light, he still didn''t feel any doubt.


    At this moment, Hal suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, like the horror people feel when they discover that they may be controlled by something. Unexpectedly, Hal, who had just escaped from the Green Lantern Ring, discovered too many anomalies that he had not noticed before.


    Combined with what Alfred had said to him before, his back was soaked in cold sweat, and even his thick pilot jacket couldn''t make him feel warm.


    What was he doing? Did he get the power of the alien and report the information here to the alien? Was he bought or controlled?


    Undoubtedly, even though Hal was inexperienced, he was a very upright person, and his strong will made him unafraid to admit his mistakes and immediately find a way to make up for them.


    He tried to move his body and turned the chair back to face Batman. He said, "The problem may be more serious than we thought."


    "Indeed, if you can''te up with a solution to cure Dick..."


    "No, that''s not what I mean!" Hal interrupted Batman. Batman was rarely interrupted, but he looked at Hal silently while Hal continued, "I think there''s a problem here."


    He sighed and said, "As you know, I identally obtained a Green Lantern Ring that gave me magical powers. It was given to me by an alien who died in a spaceship crash. He told me about the existence of the Green Lantern Corps."


    "After that, the power of this ring allowed me to contact the Green Lantern Corps, and they told me about the history of this corps. I was deeply moved and felt honored to be able to join such a team."


    "My first official mission was to investigate the arrival of the Yellow Lantern in Gotham. You know the rest."


    "And the second task I received was to monitor the movements of the Yellow Lantern Corps members."


    "In the information I received, the Yellow Lantern Corps was described as a terrifying presence. They disrupt the work of the Green Lantern and bring destruction and fear to space."


    "The terrifying monster I saw in the dream world earlier confirmed this point, which made me believe even more that the Green Lantern Corps is dedicated to maintaining peace and tranquility in space."


    "But, I don''t know..." I, Hal, showed a hesitant expression and said, "I may have leaked too much information to this mysterious Green Lantern Corps. I haven''t even been to their headquarters, only had remote contact..."


    "I was eager toplete the mission and felt that I should report the cause and effect of this matter to prevent any harm from the evil members of the Yellow Lantern Corps to Earth, so..."


    When Hal looked up, he saw Batman squinting his eyes. For some reason, when he saw this expression, Hal had a bad feeling.


    "Why do you think Earth''s safety should be entrusted to outsiders?" Batman asked a very fatal question, leaving Hal speechless.


    "Have they told you the true origin of the Green Lantern ring?" Batman asked another question, and Hal still couldn''t answer. He said, "I heard it was created by the first race born in space to maintain peace..."


    "In other words, it is still created by intelligent beings, with leaders, divisions ofbor, different departments, bases, and various members..."


    Batman crossed his arms and asked, "How can you ensure that the data you upload won''t be seen by people who shouldn''t see it? And how can you ensure that the leadership of this team has no ill intentions towards Earth?"


    Hal shook his head, and Batman looked into his eyes and asked, "Is it that you don''t want to answer, or that you simply don''t know? I hope it''s thetter."


    Hal felt his lips dry, he licked them and said in a low tone, "...I don''t know."


    "You joined apany without understanding its nature, scale, personnel structure, and operating system, and you uploaded all your personal data and the data of your family, neighbors, and street to theirwork..."


    As Batman''s tone grew increasingly somber, Hal''s sense of unease grew stronger. Just then, Alfred suddenly spoke up, saying, "Sir, your university professor, Professor Rodriguez, just called asking about the situation here."


    "He mentioned hearing Aisha scream and expressed concern. He said he would wait by the phone until the situation here is confirmed to be safe. I think, to prevent your respected professor from staying up all night, it would be best for you to give him a call now..."


    Batman''s aura had reached its lowest point, but upon hearing Alfred''s words, he remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked towards the telephone desk.


    As soon as the call connected, Schiller''s voice came from the other end, "I guess you must have caught Hal by now and are interrogating him about the Green Lantern Corps, right?"


    "I didn''t ''catch'' him, and I''m not ''interrogating'' him," Batman immediately denied Schiller''s choice of words. Schiller then said, "Well, I suppose you have Green Lantern Hal sitting in a certain chair and have taken some security measures."


    "And in your casual conversation with him, you unexpectedly obtained some information about the Green Lantern Corps."


    "What do you think of the Green Lantern Corps?" Schiller asked him.


    "A group of aliens who are potential threats to Earth, already developing spies and plotting against Earth."


    "As expected," Schiller said on the phone. "First of all, I have no idea why Hal appeared at Wayne Manor. Secondly, if you want to investigate the Green Lantern Corps, the best way is to start with the Green Lantern Ring."


    "Do you remember the box I gave youst time? You should already know what''s inside..."


    After Batman hung up the phone, he felt a little calmer. Using violence against Hal now would not benefit the situation. The most important thing was to deal with Dick''s condition first.


    During the time Batman was on the phone, Hal was constantlymunicating with Dick, but they were like two people speaking differentnguages.


    Hal kept emphasizing that Dick needed to learn to stay calm and control his powers, but Dick was panicked by this abnormal state and they were not on the same page.


    When Batman came back, Hal sighed and said, "Although I admit that I''m not a good teacher, I don''t know how to teach a teenager to use the power of will. When I was ten, I might not even have been able to spell the word ''will'' correctly."


    "I don''t think I can teach him, but I don''t know who else can. To teach him to control this power, at least they should have controlled this power themselves."


    "But the Green Lantern Corps has very strict standards, and only one in a billion people can meet the requirements. Where can I find another Green Lantern?"


    Batman stared at him in silence, and Hal saw his gaze. He said, "...No, there''s no way, and don''t you understand? The Green Lantern has very strict requirements for willpower, which is not something ordinary people can achieve."


    Seeing Batman staring at him all the time, Hal could only exin, "Well, if there is a trick, you have to concentrate and show your willpower..."


    "Although I got this ring from another alien, it took a lot of effort to gain the recognition of the Green Lantern..."


    Just as he was speaking, a familiar green light slid past the window. Hal widened his eyes and saw a ring emitting a faint green light quietly stopping between him and Batman.


    As he listened to the familiar oath of the Green Lantern Corps, Hal opened his mouth in shock and said, "Wait, I know the Green Lantern Ring can be reissued, but I haven''t reported it as damaged yet, how did..."


    Just as he said this, the ring emitting a green light flew towards Batman and rubbed against him like a pet waiting for its owner''s touch.


    Just as Hal was amazed, something even more shocking happened. Batman slowly opened his mouth and said, "I refuse."


    The Green Lantern Ring stopped in mid-air, and then slowly floated out of the window of Wayne Manor at a very slow pace, as if waiting for Batman to change his mind. Unfortunately, it did not wait for Batman''s change of heart.


    "I was just trying to see if this would really work."


    Hal coughed a few times and said, "Being chosen by the ring is very precious, and there may not be many people in the world like this. How can you just..."


    As Hal spoke, Batman left the hall. After a while, he came back holding a box and sat on the sofa. In Hal''s gaze, he opened the box.


    There was a ttering sound as a pile of rings spilled onto the table.


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 Chapter 417: Metropolis Mystery (1)

    Chapter 417: Metropolis Mystery (1)


    I think many people should still remember thest battle with the Joker in the dream world. Schiller used the properties of the Lantern Rings to amplify certain emotions in Victor and Gordon, attracting Lantern Rings of various colors.


    As previously mentioned, since the battle took ce in a dream, the summoned Lantern Rings found that their intended hosts were unconscious. During the contracting process, if the person does not respond positively, the Lantern Ring will not leave directly.


    Therefore, the Lantern Rings abandoned their physical bodies and let their energy enter the bodies of the hosts, hoping to awaken their consciousness and provide energy for them in the dream world where they fought the Joker.


    However, the physical Lantern Rings were still outside. Since they lost their energy, these Lantern Rings turned into ordinary metal rings and could not be transported back to the Lantern Corps.


    After the battle, the awakened individuals found a colorful metal ring beside them. Schiller had informed them in advance, so they collected the rings and handed them over to Schiller.


    Schiller was not interested in the Lantern Rings. In his opinion, the so-called "emotional spectrum" was simr to exining the truth of the world with naive materialism. Therefore, he put the rings in a box and gave them all to Batman.


    As everyone knows, once anything enters the Batcave as a collectible, it is as good as gone forever.


    As Batman poured the box of rings onto the table, Hal''s eyes widened. Having worn the Green Lantern Ring for so long, he could tell that these were not fake souvenirs, but genuine Lantern Rings.


    "Where did you get so many??? You..." Hal was speechless, looking at Batman as if he were a strange collector with a special obsession.Looking at the rings of various colors, Hal realized that there was no Green Lantern Ring among them. Suddenly, he seemed to have discovered some truth.


    During the battle with the Joker, Hal had doubts in his heart because the monster''s head looked somewhat like Batman''s. However, the battle was too intense at the time, and he did not have enough time to think about this issue. Now, could all of this be Batman''s conspiracy?


    Intentionally creating a monster, attracting the Yellow Lanterns, gathering Lantern Rings of various colors, absorbing their energy, leaving the rings behind, intentionally transforming the Yellow Lantern entity Parax into a human, luring himself into a trap...


    Hal tightened the windbreaker jacket he was wearing, although the jacket was as thick and warm as usual, and the firece in Wayne Manor''s hall was burning brightly, the crackling of the burning wood did not make him feel any warmth.


    Batman yed with the Lantern Rings, asking Hal for information about the principles of the Lantern Rings and the history of the Lantern Corps. Unfortunately, Hal did not know much about this area. From the current perspective, Hal was just a lucky person who identally obtained the Green Lantern energy. He did not have much interaction with the Lantern Corps and did not know any important information.


    "I''m going to do aposition analysis of these rings." Batman turned his expressionless face to Hal, who immediately said, "I''ll stay here. My ring is still in that kid''s hand."


    "And I don''t want anything to happen to him, so I''ll watch him until he recovers."


    Batman did not care about Hal''s assurance. Without the Lantern Ring, Hal was just an ordinary person. If Batman did not allow it, he would never leave Wayne Manor.


    From Hal''s attitude, he seemed to be a mature and wise person, which meant that he was still useful to Batman.


    A few minutester, in the undergroundboratory of Wayne Manor, Bruce, who had changed out of his Batman suit, was manipting an instrument, trying to use scientific methods to analyze the structure of the Lantern Ring metal.


    Located in the undergroundboratory of Wayne Manor, the area may not be asrge as the newly built Batcave, but the equipment is just asplete. Batman himself doesn''t know why, but staying here makes it easier for him to calm down when faced withplex experimental data.


    Although this ce is not far from Wayne Manor on the ground, and you can still hear some noiseing from the ground, it is far less remote and quiet than the Batcave located in the suburbs. But whenever Bruce wants to calm down and think about certain problems, he still prefers to choose this ce.


    In the dimly litboratory, Bruce''s fingers are ced on the control panel, and the cold light projected by the screen is like ripples of water. The sudden icy feeling when his skin touches the button can make his mind clearer.


    "Ding, ding, ding." The light sound of leather shoes colliding with metal stairs came from behind Bruce, but he didn''t turn around. A familiar voice sounded in his ear: "Sir, it''s dawn. Please go back and rest for a while."


    Bruce''s finger, which was about to press the next button, paused slightly, while the data on the screen continued to change.


    Underground, time seems to slow down. For Batman, when there are no windows to distinguish changes in light, day and night are not that important.


    But Alfred clearly doesn''t think so. He walked behind Bruce, handed him a ss of water, and said, "Master Dick is a little tired. That strange energy seems to weaken when he is mentally exhausted, so he went upstairs to rest."


    "I have arranged a well-equipped and thoughtful guest room for Mr. Hal. I think he should have fallen asleep by now."


    "Miss Aisha has been sleeping for a few hours. Maybe she will wake up soon. I have invited Miss Selena toe over. If you go up in half an hour, you should be able to have breakfast with them."


    Bruce stood still, still silent and lonely. His thoughts suddenly returned to that dark cathedral, thinking of that unexpected photo in a somewhat shabby living room.


    He turned his head and saw Alfred''s deeply wrinkled face. In his vision, time flew backwards rapidly, and Alfred''s face became younger, and his face shrank in his sight. A young man wearing a windbreaker, a beret, and holding a hunting rifle was standing next to a haystack in front of a wheat field, taking a photo with two other young friends.


    When Bruce saw this photo, he had doubts because the three people in the photo looked too young. At this age, they should not have met each other.


    Bruce remembered that when he was very young, he heard his father say that the Pennyworth family was the hereditary butler family of the Wayne family, and the eldest son of the Pennyworth family would be the butler of the Wayne family.


    He had heard his grandfatherin that the children of this Pennyworth family were a bit out of line and didn''t want to inherit the butler business. At that time, Bruce didn''t know who he was referring to, until he grew up, he realized that it was Alfred Pennyworth.


    When he first met Alfred, Bruce felt a unique temperament from him. He didn''t know if it was the rm issued by his usual urate intuition or just a fleeting illusion, but he was sure that his first emotion when he saw Alfred was not shyness, but fear.


    Bruce stood by the experimental table, quietly recalling the memories he didn''t want to recall, but found many clues from these memories, indicating that this familiar old butler still has many secrets he doesn''t know.


    Bruce knows what kind of person he is. He wants to get an answer to all secrets. This kind of paranoia has almost be a part of his life, except for Alfred.


    Even so, he is still curious about that photo and Alfred''s life beforeing to Wayne Manor.


    He opened his mouth slightly, seeming to not know how to ask, and the old butler stood quietly behind him, his gaze not staying on the constantly flowing data screen, but looking forward, staring at the empty space of this underground experimental base.


    Theboratory beneath Wayne Manor may not be as spacious as the Batcave, but it''s equipped with everything Batman needs to analyzeplex data. Surprisingly, being here helps him calm down and focus.


    Despite being close to Wayne Manor, theboratory is far from secluded. However, when Bruce needs to think, he prefers this ce over the Batcave.


    In the dimly litb, Bruce''s fingers hover over the control panel, and the cold light from the screen casts ripples of blue across his skin. The chill clears his mind, making it easier to concentrate.


    The sound of leather shoes on metal stairs interrupts his thoughts. Alfred, the butler, appears behind him. "Sir, it''s dawn. You should rest for a while," he says.


    Bruce hesitates, his finger hovering over the next button. Meanwhile, the data on the screen continues to change.


    Time seems to slow down underground, where there are no windows to distinguish day from night. But Alfred reminds Bruce of the time. He updates him on the whereabouts of their guests, including Dick, Hal, Aisha, and Selena.


    Bruce''s thoughts drift to a dark cathedral and a photo he found in a shabby living room. He turns to see Alfred''s deeply wrinkled face, which suddenly appears younger in his mind''s eye.


    The photo shows a young Alfred standing with two friends in front of a wheat field. Bruce had always wondered about the photo and Alfred''s life beforeing to Wayne Manor.


    He opens his mouth to ask, but the old butler stands quietly behind him, gazing at the empty space of the undergroundboratory. Bruce realizes that despite his obsession with secrets, he trusts Alfred more than anyone else.


    Bruce remembered seeing Alfred''s expression when he nced at certain data, and he was sure that Alfred could understand it.


    So, he decided to start from this angle. He turned slightly and asked, "Alfred, are you from London?"


    "Yes, sir. The Pennyworth family has lived in London for generations."


    "You..." Bruce wanted to ask Alfred if he went to school like a normal person, but he felt that the question was not smart enough, so he asked, "Which university did you attend? What was your major?"


    "Sir, I graduated from King''s College, Cambridge University, majoring in pure mathematics and mathematical statistics in the mathematics department."


    Bruce''s hand on the button froze. For some reason, he instinctively looked at the data on the screen, scanned it from top to bottom, confirmed that there were no errors, and then breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then he froze for his own action.


    He took his hand off the control panel, rubbed his forehead, and asked, "This major... I mean..."


    "No, sir, it''s not asplicated as you think. I have no extra interest in mathematics," Alfred smiled, and his voice rxed Bruce. Alfred exined:


    "The educational path of all members of the Pennyworth family is fixed. They attend Eaton College and then go to Oxford University, where they can choose literature or philosophy majors at most, and can only study art or drama. No one has a chance to study science."


    "Because majors such as mathematics, chemistry, and physics do not help to be a butler. On the contrary, butlers need to have sufficient literary and artistic aplishments to chat with their employers."


    "So why did you..."


    "At that time, I had a bad rtionship with my family. I refused to attend Eaton College and didn''t want to go to Oxford either. I loved stage ys and dramas the most and wanted to be an actor, but my family strongly opposed it."


    "So, I thought, I want to make a stunning move that will surprise everyone. I stubbornly transferred to a grammar school and studied there for a year and a half before being awarded a full schrship to the mathematics department at Cambridge University."


    "My family was indeed surprised, not because of my rebellious move, but because of my academic talent."


    "After entering university, my rtionship with my family improved somewhat. Although they still did not ept my dream of bing an actor, they also recognized my idea of not inheriting the hereditary butler profession."


    "So why did you..."


    Alfred lowered his head and smiled, saying, "The process is a bitplicated, but it''s actually very simple..."


    Bruce heard Alfred speak in a very nostalgic tone, saying something that surprised him:


    "Because of my excellent grades, in the autumn of my sophomore year, I was recruited by MI6 and became a special agent of Section D of MI6..."


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 Chapter 418: The Mystery of Metropolis (2)

    Chapter 418: The Mystery of Metropolis (2)


    "ording to our sources, the body of former Military Intelligence Section 6 Agent Harold Harry Philby, who passed away on May 11th in Moscow, was officially imed by his family yesterday."


    "However, Moscow authorities have once again refused to allow the body to be transferred, and it has been confirmed that Philby will be buried in Moscow before January of this year."


    "It is reported that Military Intelligence Section 6 has notmented on Moscow''s actions, and they may be ashamed of the name Harold Harry Philby. A journalist from The Times contacted a senior operational officer from Military Intelligence Section 6, who refused to disclose their identity and only stated that there is a deeper conspiracy behind Moscow''s detention of Philby''s body."


    "Next, we will bring you the life story of Harold Harry Philby, the legendary double agent of Military Intelligence Section 6..."


    With a "click," the radio emitted a waiting sound of "sizzle." Merkel, who was sweeping the desktop with a duster, turned to Schiller, who was reading the newspaper at the dining table, and said, "Gentlemen, it''s time for the morning news in Gotham. Do you want me to switch the channel for you?"


    Schiller flipped a page of the newspaper and said without looking up, "Sure, and turn up the volume a bit. I can''t hear it very well."


    After the radio was turned on again, the familiar female host of the Gotham morning news could be heard inside:


    "Evan Brownmayor went to Greene Street for inspection before 6 a.m. this morning and expressed deep concern about the snowstorm and the resulting traffic problems. He said that even the poorest and most chaotic East District, and even the densely popted Living Hell, should not be abandoned..."


    "Traffic problems have always been the focus of his governance of the city. In the past few months, his work has been remarkable. Although this snowstorm has added another burden to Gotham''s traffic, no disaster can defeat the strong Gotham citizens..."Seeing Schiller flipping the newspaper faster and faster, Merkel turned the knob on the radio with her hand, and another host''s voice could be heard.


    "City News: Recently, the security situation in Metropolis has been called into question, with a new serial killer leaving no trace and the efficiency of the Metropolis Police Department being criticized..."


    "The police chief stated that during his 23 years in office, the security situation in Metropolis has always been very good, and the police department will do its utmost to solve this case as soon as possible..."


    "The serial killer''s methods are extremely cruel, and multiple people have been killed in a short period of time, including several important aides to the mayor..."


    "The killer''s methods are sophisticated, and the process ofmitting the crime is extremely cruel. There are already six victims..."


    Seeing Schiller''s hand slowly stopping the flipping of the newspaper, Merkel stopped cleaning the desktop and turned up the volume of the radio a bit. However, what came from this channel was a pleasant music, followed by another host''s voice:


    "Breaking news: Due to the unfavorable weather conditions in major cities on the East Coast, the newly appointed mayor of Metropolis, Mr. White, will hold a disaster relief charity dinner at the Metropolis Mayor''s Mansion at 9 p.m. tonight..."


    "This dinner will invite celebrities from major cities on the East Coast, hoping that they can use their influence to bring new hope to the ordinary people of East Coast cities..."


    "The mayor stated that this is just a sense of social responsibility that a qualified mayor should have. Whether it is Metropolis or other East Coast cities, darkness is only temporary, and light will eventuallye..."


    Merkel observed Schiller''s expression, walked over to the radio, turned it off, and collected the newspaper. Schiller picked up his utensils and began to eat, as if he was not interested in the news that had just been broadcast on the radio. When the meal was almost over, he started his usual small talk.


    Schiller asked Merkel, "Are you from London?"


    "No, gentlemen, my hometown is Birmingham, but when I was in high school, my parents came to work in London, and then we settled in London," Merkel replied.


    "Did you go to high school in London?"


    "I spent one year in Birmingham and then went to London."


    "How were your grades? They must have been good, right?"


    Merkel smiled modestly and said, "They were actually pretty good, but not at the top, andpared to my peers, I don''t have any talents. I can''t y any instruments and I don''t know much about Latin."


    "Did you go to grammar school?"


    "Yes, but now the children in grammar school are also very talented. I really don''t have any artistic talent..."


    As they were talking, the mailbox downstairs rang again. Schiller frowned and Merkel turned around and walked to the window, where he saw a newsboy waiting by the mailbox.


    After Merkel went downstairs, he came back with a paper bag containing freshly baked pretzels. He handed the bag to the newsboy, who then handed him a letter. This was the first time Merkel hade into contact with Schiller''s personal mail during his work. He looked at the wax seal on the envelope and found an unfamiliar emblem.


    A few minutester, Schiller sat at his desk in his book room and opened the letter with a letter opener. He slowly opened the wax seal and then the envelope, which contained a verymon old-fashioned letter paper with the following words:


    "Dear Professor Schiller Rodriguez, Congrattions on your recent academic achievements. We cordially invite you to participate in a charity dinner for the East Coast City Joint Disaster Relief..."


    Schiller frowned as he looked at the words on the paper, and his brow furrowed even deeper when he saw the signature. Slowly folding the paper, Schiller seemed to be thinking about something. Merkel, who was waiting nearby, heard Schiller slowly ask, "What are the transportation options to Metropolis now?"


    Merkel paused for a moment, seemingly not having considered this question. He turned his head slightly to look out at the snowy ground and said, "I''m afraid no ground transportation will work now."


    Seeing Schiller''s furrowed brow, Merkel lowered his head and said, "I''ll contact the helicopterpany right away..."


    This kind of morning conversation often happened in English Manor, and Wayne Manor was no exception. When Selena walked into the Manor wearing a thick woolen coat, the firece was already burning. The butler took her coat and hung it on the coat rack. Selena gently stroked her hair and said...


    "The road conditions are terrible, aren''t they? I heard that this snow disaster has affected not only Gotham, but also several East Coast cities. Of course, the cities in the south are better off, but they are also facing a cold wave that hasn''t been seen in decades."


    "Yes, Mr. Bruce is already nning to attend a charity dinner. He should invite you to be hispanionter," the butler replied.


    "Oh?" Selena widened her eyes in surprise as she walked inside and looked at Alfred beside her. "How should I respond to this invitation? I''ve never received one like this before."


    "You just need to express sympathy for the ordinary citizens and say that you are very willing to attend," Alfred replied.


    "Okay." Selena tucked her long hair behind her ears and nervously asked, "When is the charity dinner? How should I dress? Do I need to say anything?"


    Alfred led Selena to the dining table, where Bruce, who had not slept all night, looked refreshed, while Dick seemed a bit dazed. Selena noticed a stranger sitting at the table and nodded at him before turning to Bruce and asking, "Don''t you want to introduce us?"


    "This is Hal."


    After Bruce introduced him, he fell silent again, and Hal had to introduce himself, "Hello, my name is Hal Jordan... No, I''m not rted to that basketball star and can''t get his autograph..."


    Selena looked disappointed, and then she saw Dick, who was emitting green light all over his body. Dick shrugged and said, "It''splicated, and it''s hard to exin to you. Anyway, I''m as green as an elf now."


    Seeing Dick''s miserable look, Selena couldn''t help butugh. She picked up Aisha and fed her some food. After a while, Bruce finally spoke up:


    "There''s a joint East Coast disaster relief charity dinner in Metropolis tonight, and I need to attend. I hope you can be mypanion. How about it?"


    Selena straightened her back and stretched her neck, but she couldn''t bring herself to say those sentimental words of sympathy. She just said, "Okay, of course, but I''m not sure what to do..."


    "Afterwards, my appointment with the fashion consultant will arrive at your door to customize your dress and jewelry."


    "After the dinner starts, you just need to walk into the banquet hall with me and do nothing. If someone talks to you, just repeat how terrible this disaster is and how many ordinary people it has affected. If you feel very sympathetic, that''s enough."


    Selena sighed. In the past few months, she had apanied Bruce to some parties, most of the time she had to wear a fake smile that made her facial muscles stiff, chat with thosedies, and listen to them praise their gorgeous dresses and precious jewelry. God knows how much she wanted to pry the gems off their nes...


    After speaking, Bruce turned his head to Dick, who scratched his head and said, "I actually feel better now. I acknowledge that I was a little scared when my body started to glow at first..."


    "But after I calmed down, this power seemed to calm down too. At least during the few hours I slept, it didn''t transport me again."


    "I think you can try to maintain this state until all the green energy is consumed," Hal said. "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on you during this period."


    Dick extended his hand and looked at the ring, saying, "I''ll return it to you when the timees. This ring is just too ugly."


    After dinner, Bruce''s appointment with the fashion consultant arrived as scheduled. Selena disyed various dresses in the living room and asked, "Bruce, I heard a businessman''s name on the radio this morning before I came. He seems to be the biggest businessman in Metropolis..."


    "The host said he''s the most famous phnthropist. Is that true?"


    Bruce sat on the sofa, holding an envelope in his hand. He opened it and looked at the letter inside without lifting his head. "You can change the two words ''phnthropy'' in what he said to ''tax avoidance.''"


    Selena shook her head, seeming not to understand Bruce''s meaning. Bruce frowned and looked at the letter in his hand, which was signed by a somewhat familiar name - "Lionel Luthor."


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 Chapter 419: Mystery in Metropolis (3)

    Chapter 419: Mystery in Metropolis (3)


    The relentless snowstorm had disrupted the transportation systems of all the cities, causing mostpanies to shut down and people to stay at home.


    Even in cities where it didn''t snow, the cold air made the locals ufortable. It was morefortable to stay at home and watch TV than to venture out into the freezing streets in the middle of the night.


    However, there was one exception, and that was outside the Metropolis Mayor''s Mansion. The wide street was bustling with traffic, and various luxury cars were parked there.


    On the nearby rooftop helicopter pad of a high-rise building, it was even more crowded. In this kind of weather,ing by car was actually more convenient than flying, so the host of the charity banquet, the mayor, and the entrepreneur known as Luthor were all weing guests on the helipad.


    If among all the helicopters, there was one that was an absolute star, it would be the one with the Wayne Family emblem.


    Bruce, dressed in a suit, stepped down from the helicopter. The cold wind on the rooftop blew his hair, and he turned around to help Selena down.


    A middle-aged man with slightly graying temples but still full of vitality walked up to them. He warmly patted Bruce''s shoulder and said, "Long time no see, Mr. Wayne. Thest time we met was at the celebrity performance, right?"


    Bruce smiled and hugged him, saying, "Yes, Mr. Luthor. I remember at that charity performance, you made a generous donation..."


    "Just call me Lionel."Lionel, the middle-aged businessman, took Bruce''s arm and walked forward. As they walked, he said, "Don''t say that. It''s what I should do. As socially responsible entrepreneurs, we wouldn''t just stand by in the face of a disaster, would we?"


    The two of them walked into the entrance of the building on the rooftop, and Bruce looked around at the interior. He said, "So now this building is also yours? I remember thest time I was here, it was... called something... I forgot."


    Lionel still modestly smiled and said, "Oh, yes. This ce used to be a base for a cruise ship merchant, but his business hasn''t been doing welltely, so I bought it."


    As they spoke, they took an elevator down and walked through a small garden in the lobby, arriving at the neighboring mayor''s mansion. Lionel continued to smile and said, "The biggest advantage is that it''s close enough to our esteemed mayor, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, if you have a party in this building, the mayor could even spray champagne from the bedroom into your room."


    Bruce continued to joke skillfully, while Selena silently held his arm and followed him. Bruce''s cheerful demeanor made Selena''s hair stand on end.


    "The incident with the previous mayoral election..." Bruce lowered his voice and spoke in a deep tone. Lionel looked around and also lowered his voice, saying, "It''s best not to bring that up. It wasn''t a glorious affair."


    "In thest mayoral election, it turned out that seven of the candidates were spies sent by various countries..." Lionel continued to look around, turning his head left and right, and lowered his voice even more, saying, "If it weren''t for the assassinations of several candidates during the election, and the investigation revealing their true identities, we would still be in the dark."


    "And what about the current mayor..."


    Lionel shook his head, sighed, and said, "Who knows? They seem to be infiltrating everywhere."


    "Oh, by the way, I forgot to remind you that there might be some security checks at the entrance of the banquetter. You know, those annoying security agents..."


    "Ever since the incident in the previous election, the FBI has been keeping an eye on this ce, as if everyone here is a spy."


    Bruce showed an extremely disgusted expression, but quicklyposed himself. However, Lionel still caught a glimpse of that fleeting expression.


    He patted Bruce''s back and said, "I feel the same way. I don''t like being searched either. Later, I''ll talk to the mayor''s staff. They will only perform routine checks, nothing too thorough."


    With that, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the mayor''s mansion. Lionel approached one of the people there and exchanged a few words. Several agents stood with their hands on their hips, scrutinizing the group. Finally, a female agent approached and symbolically checked their clothing before letting them pass.


    "Who are they?" Bruce turned to Lionel and asked.


    "They im to be from the FBI, but I don''t think they are. They''re probably from the CIA, as they don''t have jurisdiction within the federal government and have to rely on others'' authority."


    Entering the central conference room, it was adorned with gold and splendor. The table was covered with a luxurious tablecloth, and fringes swayed gently underneath. The ss cups were arranged in a high tower, with champagne flowing down from the top. Silver candle holders were ced at both ends of the long table, and there was an abundance of delicious food. Celebrities and wealthy people in various formal attire held their sses and engaged in conversations.


    After exchanging pleasantries with Bruce for a while, Lionel left. Bruce took Selena''s arm and spoke to her in a low voice, mainly warning her not to stare at other people''s jewelry.


    Bruce took a ss of wine from a waiter''s tray and surveyed the conference room. His gaze fell on Lionel, who was walking confidently towards another figure. As Bruce''s eyesnded on that figure, he squinted.


    "Oh, you must be Professor Rodriguez," Lionel approached and shook hands with Schiller, who had just entered the conference room. Schiller nodded and said, "Mr. Luthor, I''ve heard of your name for a long time."


    "Just call me Lionel." Lionel''s face always seemed to wear a polite and likable smile, typical of a businessman.


    Before Schiller could speak, Lionel continued, "Your recent paper on dreams and consciousness fascinated me. I never thought dreams could be exined from that perspective."


    "Professor, your research has opened a new world for me and my son, especially my son, little Lex. He is very interested in this theory and is eager to learn..."


    "Actually, ording to etiquette, I should have corresponded with you for a few months before inviting you to my dinner. But recently, Lex has been obsessed with this theory, so I took the liberty of sending you an invitation, hoping you could grace us with your presence..."


    Lionel used manymon polite phrases that made him appear very courteous and sincere. However, there was still a hint of pride in his smile. It was evident that the Luthor family was no less than any other super family in the world, and anyone favored by this family should feel proud.


    Schiller nodded and smiled, saying, "I''m happy to find like-minded people here. Under normal circumstances, I would be happy to stay here for a few days and engage in discussions with people who share my interests. However, what worries me is..."


    As he spoke, Schiller nced back at the agents near the door. He rubbed his hand and lowered his head, saying, "When I entered just now, their presence was quite intimidating. I almost thought I was entering some secret base. Mr. Luthor, what''s going on?"


    Lionel heard a hint of dissatisfaction in Schiller''s tone and quickly exined, "I''m sorry, did those people have a bad attitude towards you?"


    With a helpless shake of his head, he put on an indignant expression and said, "I heard that you previously worked in Metropolis for a while and even gave lectures at Metropolis University. So, you must have heard about the scandal that happened during thest election..."


    "In response to the unsolved murders of the candidates, we had no choice but to contact the FBI. However, this investigation revealed a series of spies, and public trust plummeted. The entire city government system fell into trouble..."


    Lionel sighed deeply and said, "At that time, my business was also affected, but fortunately, we managed to get through it."


    He turned his head to look at the group of agents and continued, "Since then, these people have had a legitimate reason to stay here, checking every person theye across, treating everyone as a suspected spy."


    "Yes... I''ve heard about that," Schiller''s tone became somber. He said, "I was also involuntarily involved. The vice president of Metropolis University was taken away for investigation, and over 20 professors at the school were listed as suspects. The implications were too widespread..."


    Lionel nced around with his eyes and made eye contact with Schiller, signaling him to follow him inside. The two of them went to a more central area of the banquet hall, farther away from the group of agents. Lionel lowered his voice and said, "I don''t know if you''re aware, but this matter is actually quiteplex and involves a distant major power. It''s the result of a struggle between multiple countries, and we are all victims..."


    "Let''s not talk about this matter," Schiller seemed reluctant to discuss it. Seeing Schiller''s attitude, Lionel changed the topic and said, "Thanks to the sessful transition of the mayor, many talented individuals have returned to Metropolis. This dinner, I have also invited them."


    "Of course, I won''t hide it from you. I hope more talented people cane back to this city. The dark times are over, and I believe the future will only get better."


    Lionel''s words carried a hint of reserved implication. Schiller understood his meaning and responded, "To be honest, before that incident happened, Metropolis was indeed a great city."


    "Although I don''t like to say it, if wepare it to Gotham, anywhere else would seem like paradise. The weather and transportation system in that city are simply terrible."


    The two of them discussed this topic at length. As they talked, they also touched upon Bruce. Learning that Bruce was now Schiller''s student, Lionel''s smile became even more genuine.


    At this point, as if suddenly remembering something, Schiller said, "Oh, by the way, I heard on the radio this morning that there have been a series of serial murders here. What''s going on?"


    Lionel hesitated for a moment and replied, "Indeed, there is a serial killer, but..."


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise interrupted them, followed by chaotic screams. Schiller turned his head, and a figure descended from above,nding in the center of the banquet hall.


    It was the mayor of Metropolis.


    Or rather, it was the corpse of the mayor.


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 Chapter 420: Metropolis Mystery (Four)

    Chapter 420: Metropolis Mystery (Four)


    A figure fell from the sky, and at the moment of contact with the ground, time seemed to slow down. The sttering of crimson blood resembled waves, sshing onto the elegant tablecloth and hitting the tassels that hung from it. The silver candlestick swayed violently, and after the candlelight extinguished, only the thin line of a cigarette remained.


    At the resounding crash of the fall, all the elegantdies and misses who had been poised and graceful fell into a state of panic. The gentlemen were no better off, disregarding the damage to their expensive leather shoes as they pushed and screamed, resembling sardines caught in a fishing being unloaded. Chaos ensued as they desperately tried to escape.


    Schiller turned his head and saw Lionel take two steps back, covering his mouth with his hand in apparent shock and disbelief. His face turned pale, his fingertips trembled, and his eyes revealed incredulity.


    But soon, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He shouted, "Don''t move! We have security personnel!"


    His shout had no effect as the intense screams drowned out all other sounds. People desperately tried to distance themselves from the corpse, pushing and shoving, causing many to fall and block the way. The situation was utter chaos.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Three gunshots rang out, and everything fell silent. The entire banquet hall seemed to have been paused, with everyone gaping and looking towards a group of people entering through the main door.


    The person leading the group was dressed in a special police outfit, holding a handgun in his hand. The others behind him were simrly dressed, indicating they were part of an organization, but they werepletely different from the Metropolis police.


    "Federal Bureau of Investigation."The leader of the group walked to the center of the banquet hall and said, then "snap," he revealed his identification, showing it to the left and right before putting it away. He then loaded the handgun and waved his hand. Two agents behind him approached to inspect Mayor White''s corpse.


    At this moment, Lionel quickly walked out from the crowd. His face still pale, he bypassed the chaotic area where the corpse had fallen and approached the leading agent. He shook hands with him and said, "Benjamin, you finally came. I was just about to send someone to invite you!"


    "This charity banquet was jointly organized by the Luthor family and the City Hall. How could something like this happen?" Lionel''s features were squeezed together, showing an unprecedented weariness.


    He wore a deeply saddened expression and said, "I know the security situation in Metropolis hasn''t been optimistictely. The police chief couldn''t provide an exnation, so Mayor White and I agreed to have the agents stationed here. Who would have thought..."


    The agent known as Benjamin furrowed his brow, his expression cold and indifferent, but many attendees erupted in dissatisfaction.


    The banquet hadn''t even officially begun, and the main character of the event, Mayor White, had already be a corpse. It was as if it was telling everyone attending the banquet that the borate security checks by the agents were all in vain.


    Many people in the crowd angrily questioned, "What exactly happened? Why did the mayor die?!"


    "How did you conduct the checks?! Can''t you even detect a gun?!"


    "You searched us so thoroughly! Even my fan wasn''t allowed, so how could someone bring in a gun?!"


    This banquet had invited almost all the elites from the East Coast, including businessmen, politicians, schrs, and renowned media figures. After the initial panic, they gradually calmed down and began to continuously criticize the group of agents in the center of the room.


    Among them, a radio host from Chicago waved his fist and angrily shouted, "Look! This is the result of sacrificing our privacy! It''s a conspiracy to push for surveincews!"


    "Correct! Why are you blocking the doors?"


    "Move aside quickly! I want to go home! I don''t want to be in the same room as this terrifying corpse!"


    "Let me leave..."


    Benjamin remained unfazed, his expression cold as he surveyed the room. He ran his thumb along the patterns on the handgun and spoke with an icy tone that reverberated in the room.


    "The mayor is dead, and now no one can leave."


    "You mean to say what? Do you want to lock us up here?!"


    "How can you do this?! This is illegal detention!"


    Various dissatisfied voices rang out from the crowd, but the agent named Benjamin ignored them. He waved his hand, and several agents rushed in from the banquet hall''s entrance, sealing it off.


    What was even more frightening was that all the agents were fully armed. Several attendees who reacted too violently were directly knocked out with a stun spray and dragged to a corner by the agents.


    At this point, no one dared to protest loudly anymore. Some gritted their teeth and cursed under their breath, while others wore a pained expression, feeling unlucky. Some clever people secretly took out their mobile phones or othermunication devices, trying to contact some friends they knew to get out of this trouble.


    At the moment the corpse fell, Bruce had secretly pressed a contact device on the back of his watch. This satellite signalmunication device would link to his Manor''sboratory and the Batcave''s equipment, providing him with data analysis support at any time. But just now, he discovered that all signals had been cut off.


    The agents surrounded Mayor White''s corpse, examining for clues, while Bruce observed the situation from the sidelines. Schiller, who was also observing the situation from the sidelines, stood still, holding a ss of wine. He was standing in a position closer to the center of the hall than where the mayor fell, so the outward flow of people did not affect him. He continued to stand there, watching the group of agents search for clues near the corpse.


    Although the distance was far, Schiller had been looking in that direction when the corpse fell, so he saw clearly that Mayor White died from a gunshot to the head, a fatal shot. He just happened to fall from above the atrium, adding anotheryer of internal organ rupture, just like all the people who jumped off the building.


    After discovering that allmunication tools had lost their signals, Bruce began to move towards Schiller''s direction without leaving a trace. However, he found that his professor shook his head while holding a ss of wine and walked towards the back of the banquet hall...


    Not only did Bruce notice Schiller''s abnormality, but Benjamin also noticed it. This abnormality was too obvious. Schiller was the only one moving in the entire banquet hall.


    Others at most just looked towards Mayor White''s corpse, but Schiller directly stepped over the fallen candlestick and walked towards the back of the banquet hall.


    While the other agents were driving the crowd towards the wall, Benjamin strode over and blocked Schiller''s path. He looked at him coldly and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "I''m going to the bathroom."


    Schiller gave a reason that Benjamin couldn''t refute. In theory, even if the sky fell, one couldn''t stop someone from going to the toilet. This was a reason that could be used confidently in any situation.


    However, the fact that he was the first to move in the situation where the corpse had just fallen and the agents were patrolling everywhere indicated that he was not an ordinary person.


    Benjamin still looked at Schiller with the scrutinizing and cold gaze unique to agents, and Schiller looked back at him with an unchanged expression, as if he was just stating a simple fact.


    "The situation is special, please cooperate." Benjamin still did not move aside, but Schiller did not n to back down either. The two of them stood there, deadlocked. At this moment, Lionel also walked over quickly and smiled at Benjamin.


    "Benjamin, let me introduce you. This is Professor Rodriguez, a world-renowned expert in psychology, a master of criminal psychology who has participated in the investigation of many serial killings..."


    "And, he is a guest I invited here. I also wanted to hire him as my son''s home tutor."


    "My son, little Lex, is almost an adult. I originally wanted to introduce him into the social circle at this banquet. He''s waiting in the upstairs reception room. I was just about to introduce him to Professor Rodriguez. You see..."


    "Luthor, I''m just doing my job. The turmoil caused by thest Metropolis mayoral election was already bad enough. Now, something like this has happened again. If we don''t investigate strictly, do you want the whole world tough at us?"


    "I know, of course, I know. Benjamin, you''ve been in Metropolis for more than a day or two. We''ve been together for a few months. Don''t I understand you?" Lionel did not retreat at all despite Benjamin''s cold face. He still maintained that amiable smile and said:


    "But Professor Rodriguez isn''t leaving here. He''s just going to the bathroom. What''s wrong with that?"


    "If I let him go, everyone here will want to go to the toilet in less than two minutes."


    "I can prove that I''m not suspicious." Schiller''s statement was shocking, and Benjamin immediately focused his gaze on his face, staring at him intently.


    "Right, I can prove it too." Lionel quickly said, "When the corpse fell, Professor Rodriguez was talking to me. We were both standing in this position, and everyone could see it. It couldn''t have been us."


    "I''m not talking about that."


    To Lionel''s surprise, Schiller denied Lionel''s exnation and looked into Benjamin''s eyes as he said, "I believe you have already sent my name to the intelligence institution you can contact through the hidden device on your wrist."


    "Now, my resume should have appeared on your mobile phone. You might as well open it and take a look."


    Benjamin''s gaze remained unchanged as he discreetly took out his mobile phone from his pocket and looked at a message on the screen.


    While reading halfway through, his finger paused slightly, and then he didn''t continue reading. He put the mobile phone back in his pocket and said to Schiller, "The investigation results will be out in a maximum of 5 minutes. I hope to see you here before that."


    "No problem, Mr. Lionel. Do you want toe with me? It''s a rare opportunity. Who knows, he might not let anyone go to the toilet tonight."


    Benjamin didn''t look at the two of them and turned to leave. Lionel hesitated in ce for a moment before following Schiller''s footsteps.


    "What''s in your resume? Why did he agree?" Lionel asked Schiller.


    "Didn''t you also read my resume?"


    "Oh, yes..."


    "Do you think if it was me, I would shoot him directly in the head?"


    Lionel opened his mouth but couldn''t argue. However, he quickly remembered Schiller''s astonishing resume and had to acknowledge thatpared to the unspeakable serial killings in his background, Mayor White''s death was too ordinary.


    As they walked on the road towards the bathroom, Schiller spoke to himself, "A morous dance party, a group of celebrities from the political, business, and arts world, a group of agents everywhere but with unknown intentions, a corpse falling from the sky..."


    "This opening is just like a scene from some old-fashioned detective stories. I think the perpetrator must be a fan of this genre."


    Lionel heard Schiller muttering to himself in a low voice, "Good topic, just bad timing..."


    "Professor Rodriguez, do you think this could be rted to the serial killer who has been active in Metropolis recently?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I haven''t seen the crime scene of that so-called serial killer, so I can''t be sure if he is a genuine serial killer."


    "What do you mean?" Lionel asked, very puzzled.


    "Criminals whomit serial kisllings and genuine serial killers are two different things. Genuine serial killer are born killers, cold-blooded, ruthless, and derive pleasure from killing..."


    "And today..." Schiller touched his wrist and stopped at the bathroom door, turning his head to look at Lionel. "Today''s perpetrator is just a clumsy criminal who killed for some kind of interest."


    "How did youe to this conclusion?" Lionel asked, confused.


    "You know, if it was me, how would I do it?"


    Lionel looked at Schiller and asked, "How would you do it?"


    Schiller turned his head away without looking at him and said to himself, "At the beginning of the banquet, the host would introduce important guests, right?"


    "The host would announce, ''Next, we have the honor of introducing our esteemed mayor, Mr. White!'' and then..."


    "Our esteemed mayor would descend from the sky."


    Schiller turned his head, revealing a chilling smile that made Lionel''s hair stand on end.


    "Precision, humor, full of drama."


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 Chapter 421: Metropolis Suspicion (5)

    Chapter 421: Metropolis Suspicion (5)


    "Mayor White was shot and the perpetrator shot him in the head before throwing him down from the atrium."


    In the banquet hall, everyone was escorted by agents to the wall and stood in a row. Only Benjamin stood in the center of the hall, reporting Mayor White''s cause of death in a somewhat indifferent tone.


    He stated many obvious situations, so everyone''s faces were a bit impatient. However, worse news was waiting for them.


    "I have just received orders from my superiors. In order to preventrge-scale spy assassination activities likest time from happening again, I need to ensure the safety of all important figures on the East Coast."


    "From now on, no one is allowed to leave the mayor''s mansion. Special agents will arrange for you to rest in different guest roomster..."


    The crowd was in an uproar, but just as they were about to loudly use Benjamin of being audacious, his next words poured cold water on everyone.


    "I think everyone should have heard about the recent Philby case from the broadcast. You may think that those critics who say there is a bigger conspiracy behind it are talking nonsense, but I can tell you that it is not the case."


    "Kim Philby, a Soviet spy who infiltrated MI6 and held a high position, left behind an important list of Soviet spies infiltrating the intelligencework in Europe and America before his death. We call it the ''Philby List''."


    "ording to reliable sources, this list was handed over by Philby to a mysterious agent who had been in contact with him. In years of investigation, some clues pointed to the East Coast of the United States."The heated discussion in the field gradually quieted down. Everyone knew that at this time, once this issue was involved, anyone could be a target, regardless of how much wealth, status, or fame they had.


    Benjamin''s gaze swept across the field, and his oppressive gaze made no one willing to meet his eyes. He continued:


    "In recent years, the frequent spy murders on the East Coast are not idental. Federal authorities have discovered that there is indeed a mysterious spy intelligencework here, and the person who organized and built thiswork is likely the mysterious agent who obtained the Philby List."


    "I regret to inform you that..." Benjamin''s voice became colder and his tone became lower, as if he was announcing a death notice. He said, "ording to our years of investigation, that mysterious agent is likely in a high position, which means that he is likely one of you."


    "I''m sorry, everyone, but I have to say that you are all suspects, so you must stay and cooperate with the investigation."


    "So, are you going to lock us up and interrogate us?" Bruce crossed his arms and said coldly, "Do you know that I have two parties to attend tomorrow night and a game to watch the day after tomorrow..."


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Wayne, but this is an order from above. I cannot disobey it." Benjamin''s tone towards Bruce was still polite, or rather, he was also wary of true behemoths like the Luther Group and Wayne Group...


    Although he also knew that Bruce Wayne was unlikely to be a spy, the news that the president of the country was a spy was more convincing than the news that the Wayne heir being a spy.


    Bruce seemed very irritable, and his attitude made the others also a little restless. They all knew that neither the CIA nor the FBI had a good way to deal with the Wayne Group. If Bruce could stand up and speak, maybe they wouldn''t have to be locked up here.


    At this moment, Lionel stood up. He still maintained that smile and said, "Everyone, calm down. Mayor White was just killed, and no one knows if it was the work of a spy..."


    "We are all gathered here, and there are agents around. The spy wouldn''t dare to make another move in a short period of time. But if everyone disperses and takes their own transportation home, no one knows if the killer will target someone who is alone."


    "You have all achieved your current status and reputation through a lot of hard work. If all of this is turned into nothing because of some careless behavior, it will not only be a tragedy for yourselves, but also a loss for the East Coast cities and the entire federation..."


    Langner walked to the center of the field and looked at Benjamin. "I think the head of the agency will assure us that our privacy will not be vited and that they will do their best to protect our safety, right?"


    Benjamin crossed his arms. "I''ve already said this isn''t forced censorship, just a measure to keep us contained during this special time. There are plenty of supplies in the mayor''s mansion. Once the results of the external investigation are confirmed, you will be free to leave."


    Upon hearing that they only had one night, many people softened their attitudes. Langner asked Benjamin, "We won''t be locked in our rooms, right? As long as we don''t leave the mayor''s mansion, we should be free to go wherever we want, right?"


    Benjamin didn''t answer, just nodded and said, "You better not wander around. If there really is a spy among you, we won''t be able to protect you if they attack someone who is alone."


    "You mean the spy might attack us? What should we do? If hees into my room and shoots at me, how can I avoid it?"


    "You''re the Federal Bureau of Investigation, right? I pay so much in taxes every year, why don''t you take responsibility for our safety?!"


    Bruce interrupted the group''s questioning andining. He waved his hand impatiently and turned to walk up the stairs. "Waiter, bring me some wine. It''s a terrible night without it..."


    After he finished speaking, he put his arm around Selina''s waist and walked up the stairs. Selina also smiled and teased him.


    Everyone was used to Bruce''s ridiculous behavior and words. They all knew that Wayne was a yboy who didn''t study.


    Moreover, Bruce was only 19 years old this year. You couldn''t expect a 19-year-old child to be overly cautious. The restless people saw Bruce''s attitude of living for today and sighed with envy and jealousy.


    After most of the people went upstairs, Schiller also followed the crowd. A female agent led him to his room and tried to talk to him along the way.


    "I guess you will assign a special agent to each person to get close to them and gather intelligence. What do you want to ask?" Schiller said straightforwardly to the female agent named Ka.


    "You can call me Ka. You don''t seem to be very opposed to agents. Have you ever worked with us before?"


    "Of course, I have participated in cases where FBI agents were involved in the investigation. I have worked with them before."


    Ka''s expression seemed a bit unnatural. She said, "Yes, sometimes we are also responsible for solving some difficult cases."


    "To be honest, your colleagues are not very serious when investigating cases. They won''t circle around the body, only holding a notebook and asking questions. They are only useful when applying for a search warrant or conducting a forced search."


    "This is the nature of our work."


    "But this cannot conceal the fact that your investigation level is very poor. The efficiency of solving cases is low, there are too many formalities, and some people have many bad habits and waste time..."


    Ka perfunctorily agreed and listened to Schiller scolding FBI agents all the way. She couldn''t find a chance to interrupt.


    When Schiller opened the door to his room, he went in but didn''t close the door. He said to Ka, "Miss Ka, I can tell that you haven''t been with the Central Intelligence Agency for very long..."


    "I... What? I''m from the Federal Bureau of Investigation!"


    "Is that so? If you really are an agent from the FBI, when I say the words ''your investigative abilities are like dog shit,'' you should have pulled out your gun and pointed it at my head."


    Ka red at Schiller, and Schiller smiled and said, "You probably haven''t experienced the benefits of havingw enforcement authority within the federal territory, so you can''t imitate their arrogance."


    "Anyway, thank you for bringing me here. If you have any questions or troubles to solve, I wee you toe find me. But for now, goodnight."


    After saying that, the door mmed shut. Ka stared at the door for a while, and just as she was about to turn around and leave, there was a creaking sound, and the door opened again. Ka turned back and saw that Schiller had stuck a piece of paper on the door, which read "Do Not Disturb."


    "I was just being polite earlier, don''t misunderstand." Schiller said, and the door closed again.


    On the other side, in Bruce''s room, where there was justughter and conversation, as soon as they entered the room, they paused for a moment and then began searching the room in perfect harmony.


    "The quality of the bed sheets is good enough. It can cover our range down to the first floor." Selina lifted the pillows and nkets, pulling down the bedsheet as she spoke.


    Bruce took out a razor from the en-suite bathroom connected to the master bedroom and said, "I can dismantle a part from here to pick the lock. After all, if we break through the main door, it will be easily noticed."


    Saying that, he walked to the window and looked down, saying, "It seems like they have arranged some dangerous individuals on the higher floors, including Professor Schiller. Perhaps they think we pose no threat, so they only ced us on the fourth floor..."


    Selina twisted the bedsheet into a rope while saying, "We need to get our equipment, but when wee back, you shouldn''t be wearing yourbat suit. Otherwise, it will be too obvious."


    "I know that. I don''t intend to turn this ce into an arena. On the contrary, I want to see what they''re up to." Bruce squinted his eyes and looked at the agents patrolling the yard.


    After a while, Selina finished her task and joined Bruce on the balcony. She looked left and right at the patrol routes of the agents and said with some confusion, "Where are these agents from? I feel like they''re not even as good as Gotham''s gangs."


    "You see, there''s a blind spot in their patrol right there, next to the flower bed... If I climb up the pine tree and jump down, they probably won''t notice."


    "And there, those two people turn around at the same time, with their timing so close. I could even charge straight through..."


    Selina frowned, full of disdain, and said, "Even the notorious gang leaders in the East District wouldn''t set up such a poorly guarded patrol route. Otherwise, I would have already stolen everything from their mansion."


    Bruce sighed helplessly. He was about to say something when Selina turned around and said, "The n has changed. They are too amateurish. You don''t need to go out. I''ll just bring back the equipment for you."


    Bruce opened his mouth in surprise. It was the first time he heard someone offer to take care of everything for him during a mission. But Selina waved her hand nonchntly, and after a moment of thought, Bruce said, "Alright, the key to the helicopter is..."


    Selina turned around, sweetly smiled at Bruce, and then flicked her right hand. A key with a keychain appeared at her fingertips. She said, "It''s right here... along with your heart."


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 Chapter 422: Metropolis Doubts (6)

    Chapter 422: Metropolis Doubts (6)


    It waste at night, but the lights were still on in the mayor''s mansion in Metropolis. The bloodstains in the hall had not beenpletely cleaned up, and the agents patrolling the yard and various floors were using high-powered shlights, illuminating everything as bright as day.


    No one in any of the rooms was sleeping. The situation had developed too quickly, and many people had not yet reacted. They had been herded into various guest rooms like ducks, but now that they had calmed down, they had discovered many things that were not right.


    Everything that had happened was too coincidental. Mayor White had summoned all the East Coast celebrities to hold a charity banquet, and coincidentally, the agents were responsible for the security of the banquet. And just as the preparations for the banquet were about to begin, Mayor White died in front of everyone.


    Coincidentally, the Philby list was brought up again, with murder and espionage added to it, giving the agents more reason to control everyone.


    Many people had realized that this might be a conspiracy by the Agent institution.


    Under normal circumstances, the agents would not be able to go door-to-door to investigate them. Once such an action was taken, the people being investigated would definitely notify each other and unite. The spy could also receive the news and hide even deeper.


    But now, everyone had been controlled on the spot. At least for tonight, they could not leave.


    Their external industry and rtionshipworks were being investigated, and they were in a state of disconnection. They could not arrange or prepare anything. In this situation, if anyone had left any traces that they had not had time to cover up, they were likely to be discovered.


    Perhaps Mayor White''s death was also staged by the agents themselves, just to have an excuse to lock everyone up and facilitate their investigation.Thinking of this, everyone felt a chill down their spine. They thought that the so-called Philby list and the mysterious agent must be very important, worth sacrificing a mayor of Metropolis to set up a trap and lock them up here.


    Many of them couldn''t help but weigh whether they were more important than the mayor of Metropolis. If not, it would be better to stay in their own rooms and not go out.


    In Schiller''s room, he was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, talking to himself: "Cambridge Five..."


    He pressed his middle finger against his forehead and recalled the exciting but somewhat ridiculous story he had once understood.


    The Cambridge Five referred to five legendary spies who graduated from Cambridge University. They were all born and raised in the UK, or at least born in British territories and spent most of their childhood in the UK.


    Their family backgrounds were also very good. Some were nobles, some were wealthy businessmen, and they had nevercked for food or clothing since childhood. Their lives werefortable and they had nothing to do with the working ss.


    But after they entered Cambridge University and joined MI6, they all without exception turned to the embrace ofmunism, relying solely on their ideals and refusing to take money.


    All five of them had held high positions in the UK intelligence department and had been passing information to the Soviet Union for many years.


    And the most outstanding and well-known of these five was Harold Harry Philby...


    In Philby''s legendary career, he had served as the highest leader of MI6''s counter-espionage department, which meant something that didn''t need to be said.


    But in the real history that Schiller understood, there was never any mention of the existence of a "Philby list." He didn''t know if this was a change in the DC world or some conspiracy he didn''t know about.


    And what worried Schiller the most was the insidious conspiracy that had forced him to leave Metropolis and flee to Gotham.


    Just as Schiller was thinking, he heard a knock on the door. The knocking was a bit dull, and he could tell that the visitor was not too familiar with him.


    Schiller put on his sses, walked out of the bathroom, and came to the door. He asked, "Who is it?"


    "It''s me, Professor Rodriguez. I''m Lionel," came Lionel''s voice from outside the door. Schiller twisted the doorknob and opened the door. Lionel, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, was standing outside the door.


    Schiller lifted his sses and spoke before Lionel could say anything: "You''re here to invite me to the reception room to meet Mr. Luthor, right?"


    "Correct. Lex has been waiting in the reception room. Originally, if the banquet had gone smoothly, I would have brought him down during the opening and introduced him to the mayor, and then the mayor would have introduced him to the celebrities."


    "I know. This is the scene that most children enter the social circle. Unfortunately, his luck is not very good. The banquet did not go smoothly today."


    Lionel nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his finger, saying, "This is my fault as a father. I thought it would be a good asion. East Coast celebrities gathered together, and many of them had seen him at parties I hosted."


    "So when he talks to them, it won''t be too awkward. At the same time, the mayor''s eldest daughter and the deputy mayor''s son are also here. Mr. Wayne and he are of the same generation. They can chat together and havemon topics."


    "You have considered it very carefully, Mr. Luthor. But unexpected things can happen, and no one can predict everything."


    Lionel smiled again and said, "Fortunately, there is always a silver lining. Originally, I nned to introduce him to you after the banquet, but now he can meet you, this knowledgeable Professor, earlier."


    Schiller understood what Lionel was implying. The conversation between the two was full of various hints, and the adjectives and particles that were somewhat difficult for ordinary people to understand contained different meanings.


    Like the previous sentence, Lionel used the same wording as when he helped Schiller out in front of Benjamin to remind Schiller that he had helped him out, so he should do something for his son.


    And Schiller''s clear statement was telling Lionel that he knew he was doing this on purpose.


    The two millennium-old foxes were testing each other back and forth. Soon, they walked through the second-floor corridor and arrived at the door of the reception room.


    After the door was pushed open, Schiller saw a tall and straight young man standing in front of the French window. When he heard someoneing in, he turned around, and Schiller saw a handsome young face...


    Although he was almost an adult, his appearance seemed somewhat immature. He had curly red hair, which was different from Clinell''s hair color, but their eye colors were the same.


    Clinell walked up and patted Lex''s back, saying, "Come on, this is the Professor you''ve been wanting to meet. I had to put in a lot of effort to invite him over."


    What made Schiller feel strange was that Lex seemed a bit shy. He hesitated in ce and only walked up to Schiller and shook his hand when Clinell stared at him. But he quickly let go.


    "Sorry, Professor. Lex is a bit like his mother, introverted, and because he had autism when he was young, he is also a bit...cking in interpersonalmunication."


    "No problem. I have met many children like him. I think I canmunicate with them. Come on, Lex. I heard that you are very interested in consciousness and dream research..."


    Lex had been bowing his head, and Schiller couldn''t see his expression clearly. When he heard this, Lex nodded, and then followed Schiller to sit on the sofa in the reception room.


    What made Schiller even more strange was that in the subsequent conversation, he was the one talking, and Lex was listening. He didn''t ask a few questions and seemed aloof and shy. On the contrary, his father Lionel asked one question after another.


    After the conversation ended, Lionel sent Lex back to his room. When he returned to the reception room again, Lionel sighed helplessly and said, "Sorry to have embarrassed you. Lex has been like this since he was a child."


    Lionel frowned deeply and said, "To be honest with you, I saw in that paper of yours that you mentioned that by influencing people''s deep consciousness, you can shape or change their personality. In fact, I hope you can use this method to treat Lex."


    "This child''s life experience has been a bit bumpy. His mother had some mental problems when she was pregnant, but she still gave birth to him in the end."


    "He is my only son, and I love him very much. I have invited many famous doctors to treat him, but his introverted personality has not improved much."


    "If he were just an ordinary child, I wouldn''t ask this of you. But he is the heir of the Luthor Group. Even if he bes a yboy like young Wayne, he should at least be good at socializing. But now, he is in no position to inherit the group."


    Lionel held Schiller''s hand full of hope and said, "Professor Rodriguez, you are the top expert in this field. I think only you can deal with the problem of the future heir of the Luthor Group."


    "I promise you that I will give you a satisfactory price, and you will always be a friend of the Luthor family..."


    Schiller slowly narrowed his eyes. He was silent for a while and then asked, "What do you want me to do?"


    Lionel looked at his expression and asked tentatively, "What can you do?"


    "Everything you can imagine, or everything beyond your imagination."


    Schiller looked into Lionel''s eyes and said seriously, "I can erase his current personality and establish a new one. You can have any kind of personality you want."


    "Or, I can create more personalities for him and set different trigger conditions for them, so that they can emerge in different scenarios andplete some special tasks."


    Lionel gradually widened his eyes, as if he had heard some incredible story. Schiller''s expression slowly returned to calm, and then he smiled and said:


    "Most importantly, I can rewrite a person''s personality and put it into another person''s body."


    Lionel''s expression stiffened, and Schiller lowered his eyelids and asked as if talking to himself:


    "If a person''s entire memory and personality are put into another person''s mind, does that mean he is reborn?"


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 Chapter 423: The Mystery of Metropolis (7)

    Chapter 423: The Mystery of Metropolis (7)


    "Ah, yes, I saw that in yourtest paper. You devoted a whole chapter to exploring this issue, but it seems to me that your focus is more on philosophy and ethics," said Lionel, sping his hands together and smiling.


    "For someone like me, who is not well-versed in these subjects, it''s a bit difficult to understand. You know, us businessmen with limited education prefer more practical issues," he continued.


    Lionel looked a bit hesitant, as if he wanted to ask a question but didn''t dare. Schiller understood and said, "Don''t worry, Lionel. I''m here to answer your questions and clear up any confusion you may have."


    Lionel put his hands under the desk and chuckled twice, then said, "You''re really approachable. Much more so than many experts I''ve met."


    At that moment, a waiter walked in. Schiller turned his head to look at him, and Lionel exined, "Sorry, I called him over."


    The waiter brought two sses and a bottle of wine from a cart behind him. Lionel exined, "Originally, I was nning to share this ssic vintage with Mayor, but who knew..."


    "But it doesn''t matter. Schiller, may I call you that? It''s an honor to drink with a schr like you," Lionel said, his smile deepening as he poured the wine.


    The beautiful color of the wine looked like a gem frozen in the ss. Seeing Schiller skillfully pick up the ss, Lionel''s smile grew even wider.


    He then took out a box of cigars from his bag and had the waiter cut them and light one for Schiller. Schiller took a puff and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, rxing back into his chair. Lionel, on the other hand, leaned forward and chatted with Schiller about somemon knowledge questions rted to psychology.As the conversation became more and more heated, the topic returned to the previous question. Lionel asked, "I''ve said it before, I have no intention of questioning your academic level, but putting one person''s personality into another person''s body... it sounds like a fantasy."


    "Putting aside the philosophy and ethics that give me a headache, I''m just curious about a question that any ordinary person would ask. How is it done?"


    "Lionel, I know you''re curious about this, but I also have a question for you," Schiller said, ncing at the burning end of his cigar. "I heard that you built the vast Luthor business empire from scratch. How did you do it?"


    Lionel''s mouth opened slightly, and he didn''t know how to answer the question. He didn''t know if Schiller would answer his question with the same attitude if he used the same perfunctory and polite words.


    "This is a question that outsiders have when they look at insiders. When someone achieves great sess in a certain field, many people who don''t understand that field like to ask a question: ''How did you do it?''" Schiller continued.


    "They urgently want a specific and implementable method from your mouth, but in fact, only insiders understand that there is no standard answer to this question. In most cases, even if you answer seriously, you can only give a perfunctory answer."


    "For example, through hard work, a little inspiration, and a little luck. That''s what you just wanted to answer me, right, Lionel?" Schiller said, smiling.


    Lionel''s expression stiffened for a moment, but soon his face was full of smiles again. "Indeed, many people want to know the secret of my sess, but where is the secret? Everyone in the world knows how business is done, but there are only a few people who can truly be billionaires."


    "Of course, I understand that outsiders see psychology as very mysterious. They always think that we can read minds and know what they''re thinking just by looking at them. But that''s not the case," Lionel said.


    "This is also a subject that requires a lot of theoretical knowledge to learn, and then constantly absorb experience and lessons in practice, and obtain achievements through systematic and scientific training."


    "As for the question you raised earlier, whether it is possible to put one person''s personality into another person''s body, I can say with certainty that it can be done. But if you really want to know the principle, you may have to start from scratch."


    Lionel''s smile did not diminish, and he said, "Look at me, I''m so engrossed in talking to you that I almost forgot about today''s business, Lex''s situation..."


    "Psychological treatment is a long process. I can''t turn him into a socially adept normal person overnight. As for how to treat him, I need to do a basic examination first."


    "Lionel, to be honest with you, I can tell that you''re eager to see results," Schiller said, taking another puff of his cigar. As he spoke, the smoke gradually filled the air.


    "Just like everything else in this world, as long as you''re willing to pay the price, there''s always a faster way," said Lionel, understanding Schiller''s message. He raised his ss and lightly clinked it with Schiller''s, saying, "This is the best news I''ve heard in years."


    After a while, Scarlet Witch''s young Lex was brought back to the reception room and sat across from Schiller. Lionel, who was standing beside him, asked, "Uh... should I go out first?"


    "No, it''s not necessary," replied Schiller, surprising Lionel. He hesitated for a moment before exining, "I thought outsiders need to avoid this."


    "This is just a simple check, not a formal treatment, so you can wait here," Schiller said.


    Schiller sat across from Lex and conducted a preliminary examination, which was a simple process of asking basic questions such as name, height, weight, age, as well as simple addition and subtraction and describing shapes.


    Lionel sat beside them and watched as Lex answered Schiller''s questions in a stiff manner, without asking why or making any unnecessary movements. Schiller asked, and Lex answered.


    "It''s a bit strange..." Schiller looked at the paper used to record the results and then looked up at Lionel, asking, "Are you sure the previous diagnosis was autism?"


    Lionel''s smile faded a bit, and he seemed hesitant. He turned his head to look at Lex several times before saying, "Yes, that''s what the doctors told me before..."


    Schiller frowned and fell silent, and the atmosphere in the room became tense. However, after a few seconds, Schiller muttered to himself, "It''s probably atypical autism."


    "What''s going on, Professor? Did the previous doctors misdiagnose him?" Lionel interrupted Schiller''s train of thought and asked.


    "No, not exactly," Schiller said, drawing and writing on the paper. "I don''t know if the previous doctors exined it to you, but autism spectrum disorder is divided into many different categories. The mostmon type ismunication disorder autism, which is usually typical autism."


    "But there are also atypical autism cases, and the symptoms of these patients vary widely. It seems that your son''s situation is a bitplicated..."


    "Sorry, Professor," Lionel interrupted Schiller again. He looked at Lex and said, "Is he autistic? Or could it be..."


    Schiller looked at him strangely and asked with some doubt, "Lionel, you seem a bit..."


    At this point, Lionel realized that he had lost hisposure. He was about to adjust his expression when Schiller suddenly said in a tone of sudden realization, "Oh, I see..."


    Lionel''s fingertips trembled slightly, and Lex''s numb expression also showed some subtle changes. At this moment, Schiller suddenly said, "I''ve seen many parents like this who think their children are not sick. They distrust doctors, teachers, and even their own rtives."


    "They think the diagnosis is nonsense, and in their eyes, their children are no different from others."


    Schiller walked over and patted Lionel''s shoulder, saying, "I can understand this feeling. No father wants their child to be sick."


    "But Lionel, avoiding the problem is not the solution. My diagnosis may be slightly different from the previous doctors, but there is no doubt that your son Lex Luthor is mentally different from the average person."


    "So far, the most likely diagnosis is still autism spectrum disorder, but a more detailed diagnosis is needed to determine the specific ssification."


    At that moment, Lionel''s stiff expression softened a bit. He sighed, wiped his eyes with his finger, and then made a sad expression, saying, "Indeed, I also hope that Lex can be like normal children, even if he''s a yboy like little Wayne."


    Schiller noticed a subtle change in Lex''s numb expression when he heard the name Wayne. Converging his gaze, Schiller nodded at Lionel and said, "Don''t worry, Mr. Luthor. Everything will be okay. Your son will recover and return to normal. I guarantee it."


    Lionel hesitated and asked, "Can you really..."


    "Do you remember what I said before? I can even put one person''s personality into another person''s body. Autism does require long-term treatment, but..." Schiller smiled and looked into Lionel''s eyes. "As I said before, there''s always a faster way, isn''t there?"


    Schiller saw a hint of malice in Lionel''s eyes, but it quickly disappeared behind his smile.


    At that moment, a series of noises suddenly came from the corridor, as if someone was rushing over in a hurry. Schiller and Lionel turned their heads at the same time, but Lex remained numb and sat still.


    With a bang, a waiter pushed open the door. Lionel frowned and asked, "What''s going on? What do you want?"


    "Mr. Luthor! You bettere down quickly! Officer Benjamin is asking for you!" the waiter said urgently.


    "What''s going on? Why are you so flustered?" Lionel was a bit annoyed and scolded the waiter with a frown.


    "Someone died!... Someone else died!" the waiter said.


    Schiller also frowned, and Lionel took a step forward and asked, "Who died?"


    "I... I don''t know, but I heard it was a farmer''s market distributor named... named..." The waiter stuttered and couldn''t exin clearly. Lionel waved his hand impatiently and said, "Take Lex back to the room. We''ll go down and take a look."


    As they walked forward together, Lionel said, "A farmer''s market distributor? It could be Old Parker. He''s thergest distributor on the East Coast, so he was invited to this banquet..." frowning deep and said, "Damn it, Mayor White''s death hasn''t been solved yet, and now there''s another murder? Is there a curse on this damn Manor?"


    After Schiller and Lionel arrived downstairs, they saw a corpse lying in the center of the banquet hall. Lionel walked up and talked to Benjamin, while Schiller stood at the staircase without any intention of going forward.


    Benjamin nced at Schiller and soon walked over to him, looking into Schiller''s eyes and saying, "I heard that you have been involved in many famous murder investigations."


    "Correct. Are you nning to hire me?" Schiller asked.


    Benjamin''s eyebrows furrowed deeply, but before he could answer, Schiller turned around and said, "But I''m not nning to ept. I want to go back to sleep."


    "Wait!" Benjamin stopped Schiller, who was about to go up the staircase. "Two murders have urred in a short period of time, which may be rted to the previous serial murders in Metropolis. Don''t you often participate in these cases?"


    Schiller paused on the staircase and then turned around to look at Benjamin. "You misunderstand. I only participate in university defenses, not kindergarten performances."


    Benjamin stared at Schiller, who turned around again and walked up the staircase, holding onto the armrest and leaving with onest sentence, "If the serial killer in Metropolis is only at this level, I suggest postponing my defense."


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 Chapter 424: Metropolis Doubt (8)

    Chapter 424: Metropolis Doubt (8)


    Benjamin did not restrict the guests at the mayor''s mansion during the banquet, so the news of Old Parker''s death quickly spread. Many people stood by the railing of the courtyard corridor, watching below and discussing the news with amazement and disbelief.


    Many people were walking down to the second floor, wanting to get a closer look at the corpse.


    People are strange. When the corpse fell in front of them, they desperately wanted to run away, but when the corpse was far away from them, they wanted to get closer and see what was going on.


    The only figure going upstairs was Schiller, which made him stand out from the crowd. When Bruce left the room and came to the corridor, he noticed this.


    Bruce stood by the railing of his floor''s courtyard and looked down, seeing Old Parker''s corpse.


    Hey there on his back, with arge bloodstain on his chest, and a wound could be vaguely seen. It seemed that he was stabbed by a sharp weapon. Like Mayor White, he was thrown from a high ce and fell in the middle of the banquet hall.


    At this time, several agents were performing an autopsy with various tools. Some were wearing gloves and feeling around the corpse, some were recording with notebooks on the side, and some were using shlights to search for clues around.


    As Bruce watched all of this from above, he saw Schiller going against the flow, even though they had nomunication during the banquet. Bruce understood his behavior logic.


    You can''t say that what is happening in the hall right now is not a murder scene. In fact, in most police and gangster movies or some detective movies, this scene is verymon.Looking down from above, theposition is like an old suspense movie. The corpse with a blooming bloodstain lies in a messy environment in a strange posture. The police are hurriedly investigating, and the onlookers have different expressions and are whispering to each other.


    However, no matter from the timing, the process, or the result, it seems too ordinary. During the time Bruce was Batman in Gotham, he encountered more exciting gang revenge scenes than this.


    Gang leaders like various intimidating methods to deal with their opponents. The more violent ones will throw their enemies into cement trucks or tie them to stones and throw them into the sea.


    Family leaders like The Godfather will invite family members who vite the rules into the church to confess before God. After they walk out of the steps and stand on the church, they will be shot in front of them.


    The execution methods of Gotham Gang, whether from the sense of ceremony or the effect, are much stronger than this scene.


    Bruce almost felt Schiller''s boredom. Even he couldn''t help but wonder what they were shocked about when he looked at the shocked expressions of the crowd below.


    Thinking of this, Bruce couldn''t help but start to recall what would happen if this happened in Gotham today.


    Just as he thought of this topic, Bruce touched the side of his nose with his finger, as if warning himself not to make such dangerous assumptions, but his thoughts still spread uncontrobly...


    He thought that at the beginning of the banquet, when the host announced the list of important guests and read out the first name, the owner of the name would definitely turn into a corpse falling from the sky.


    Immediately after, people would start suspecting and specting about each other. When the second murder urs, the cause of death will undoubtedly be extremely bizarre and peculiar, indicating the presence of a terrifying serial killer hiding among them.


    At this point, someone inexplicably connects to the television in the hall and begins to recount how they have been ignored by society, proposing various rules and conditions that lead people to turn against each other.


    Eventually, many people will be driven to madness, unleashing their untapped potential that has never been released in civilized society, engulfing others in a deeper darkness.


    As everyone descends into madness and chaos, the maniacalughter will explode like thunder on a rainy night. In the dark and profound rain, the explosion of mes will illuminate, signaling the arrival of a madman.


    Bruce shook his head, took a deep breath, and exhaled, feeling a bit more rxed. He thought to himself, "Thank goodness this is Metropolis."


    After mentally rehearsing the scenes in Gotham, Bruce seemed to lose interest in observing what was happening here. He indeed needed to uncover the secrets behind this, but it didn''t mean he had to engage in empty conversations with the agents and the old Luthor.


    Bruce walked back to the room where Selena was fiddling with her wrist guards. Bruce approached the table, took out a box, and Selena stood up, flexing her wrists and ankles. She said, "Let''s stick to the previous n. I''ll infiltrate each room and nt bugs, while you go to the surveince room of this Manor."


    Bruce took off his sweater, then opened a bottle of alcohol and poured it onto the sweater until it was saturated with the strong scent of alcohol. He did the same to his pants.


    He put on the two pieces of clothing, picked up the half-empty bottle of alcohol, took a couple of sips, and then spat it out, ensuring that he was covered in the smell of alcohol. Afterward, he stumbled out of the room.


    At this moment, almost everyone was gathered in the central corridor, observing the situation below. As Bruce descended the staircase from the side, he encountered no obstacles.


    He spected that the surveince room was on the first floor, so he had to explore the first floor first. He squinted his eyes and mumbled some iprehensible nonsense, appearing like aplete drunkard.


    Just as he descended from the side staircase to the first floor and turned into the corridor, suddenly, he saw a figure standing at the end of the corridor, but it quickly disappeared. Bruce leaned against the wall and began to retch, but when he lowered his head, he raised his eyes and stared at the situation at the end of the corridor.


    The person on the opposite side must have heard the noise when Bruce descended the stairs, so they hid on the other side of the corridor. However, after a while, it seemed that they realized that the personing was just a wandering drunkard, so they came out again.


    From Bruce''s angle, he couldn''t see the person''s true face, so he decided to y along. He clutched his chest and continued to retch violently, then copsed on the ground as ifpletely drunk.


    The figure on the other side stayed at the end of the corridor, observing for a few minutes. But in the end, they started walking towards Bruce. Bruce pretended to be passed out on the ground, one eye closed and the other slightly open...


    The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of exquisite leather shoes, and as he looked up, he saw a well-dressed person in a suit. Judging from the shape of the ankles, it seemed to be a young person.


    Bruce felt that a pair of hands grabbed him under his armpits and dragged him to the other end of the corridor. He rxed his body and didn''t resist the force, but he could sense that the person on the other side wasn''t particrly strong. After dragging him for a few tens of seconds, they had to stop and take a rest.


    Moreover, this person seemed to have some resistance to the smell of alcohol, asionally covering their nose and coughing. However, they continued to drag Bruce, walking and stopping, until they reached the corner of the corridor.


    After turning the corner, there was a storage room. Bruce felt that he was being dragged into the storage room. In a moment of changing light, he took the opportunity to open his eyes and saw a head of red hair.


    Bruce was dragged by those hands and thrown into a corner of the storage room, leaning against a pile of cardboard boxes. He waited until he saw the person turn around through the slits of his eyes before he opened them in relief.


    He saw a tall and slender young man with red hair wearing a suit. He was walking out of the storage room, and when he returned, he was holding the same bottle of alcohol that Bruce had been carrying. He poured the remaining alcohol on the floor.


    As he turned around, Bruce saw him fiddling with a lighter in his hand.


    Bruce slowly adjusted his breathing. At the moment when the lighter sparked, he leaped forward and grabbed the person by the neck, pressing him against the wall.


    He saw a young and shocked face. Bruce asked coldly, "Who are you?"


    The other person seemed genuinely shocked. His chest trembled violently a few times, and his face turned red. Bruce pressed him with one hand and used the other to close and lock the door of the storage room.


    Then he let go of his hand, allowing the red-haired youth to cough and cover his neck. When he finally caught his breath, Bruce was surprised to see the young man half-kneeling on the ground,ughing out loud.


    "Hahaha, Bruce Wayne... Bruce Wayne..."


    The young man kept repeating Bruce''s name. Bruce took two steps back, holding his arms and frowning. He asked, "Do you know me?"


    "Of course, hahaha, do you know how funny it is? That idiot... That idiot... The only thing he firmly believed in turned out to be fake..."


    Afterughing for a while, he finally stood up straight, leaned against the wall, looked up, covered his neck, and breathed for a while. He looked into Bruce''s eyes and said, "Hello, my name is Lex Luthor."


    Bruce frowned. He vaguely remembered meeting him at a party, but they were both young at the time, and their appearances have changed a lot since then.


    Moreover, if Bruce remembered correctly, Lex appeared as a child with autism at that time. He didn''t speak to anyone and just sat there alone.


    "If I guess correctly, you may be recalling ourst meeting and wondering why I, an autistic patient, canmunicate with you so smoothly now?"


    Lex always had a mocking smile on his face, which made Bruce ufortable and reminded him of another madman.


    "This has to start with an idiot."


    Lex looked Bruce up and down with his eyes and said, "It all started with an idiot who always thought that Little Wayne was a yboy and kept nagging in my ear..."


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 Chapter 425: Metropolis Suspicion (Nine)

    Chapter 425: Metropolis Suspicion (Nine)


    Returning to his room, Schiller took off his sses and yawned, showing no signs of nervousness from being trapped in a Manor where two murders had urred. He reached up to loosen his tie, preparing to change into his pajamas and go to sleep when there was a knock on the door.


    Schiller closed his eyes, stood with his hands on his hips, sighed, and finally turned to walk towards the door. Opening it, he found Agent Ka standing outside. Ka first nced up and down at Schiller, then said, "Are you nning to go to sleep?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Schiller replied.


    Ka frowned deeply, looking into Schiller''s eyes as she said, "But unfortunately, you can''t sleep now. Another murder has urred."


    "I know, old Parker..."


    "It''s not Parker," Ka denied. She raised her arm, nced at her watch, and said, "Just two minutes ago, Mrs. Davis died. She was found dead in the first-floor bathroom."


    "Commander Benjamin invites you to go there, right now," Ka looked at Schiller and said, "You should remember, after the mayor''s death, you were the only one who went to that bathroom."


    Schiller ignored her and walked back into his room. He re-tied his tie and when he came out again, Ka instinctively felt a chill down her spine.


    Schiller paid no attention to Ka and walked out of the door, heading downstairs. Ka followed behind him, seemingly wanting to say something to him, but Schiller didn''t wait for her.He quickly descended the spiral staircase, like a ss bead rolling down in a spiral maze. The corpse in the center of the hall stilly there quietly.


    The blood on the fringes of the tablecloth had already congealed, the candles on the silver candlesticks were all extinguished, andyers of copsed tables surrounded the corpse. Exquisite pieces of broken dishes were scattered among them, sparkling in the brilliant lights.


    Schiller continued to descendyer byyer, and Ka, who followed behind him, felt that he was like someone delving deeper into an abyss. The surroundings remained the same, but Schiller''s demeanor became increasingly profound.


    It wasn''t until the sound of his shoes stepping on the floor reached their ears that Schiller paused at the entrance of the first-floor staircase. Instead of looking at the corpse, he walked straight towards the bathroom.


    At the entrance of the bathroom, Lionel and Benjamin were standing there. When they saw Schiller approaching, Lionel wanted toe forward and speak, and Benjamin seemed to have something to say as well. However, Schillerpletely ignored the two of them and walked directly into the room.


    A female corpsey on the washstand, shot in the waist. She had just died, still wearing a gorgeous gown. The deep blue skirt was now stained with red blood, turning into a somewhat eerie purple color. Moonlight streamed in through the window above the washstand, shining on her body and casting strange shadows on the floor.


    Schiller stood in the center of the bathroom, with Lionel and Benjamin standing behind him. Benjamin spoke first, "Three consecutive murders in one night..."


    Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Lionel said, "It seems that the same killer is behind this series of murders."


    "What is a series of murders?" Schiller suddenly asked.


    "Multiple murders urring within a short period of time," Benjamin replied. Schiller continued his question, "This concept has another part, which is that the modus operandi is consistent, and there is a connection between each case..."


    Furrowing his brow, Benjamin said, "Do the causes of death for this woman, old Parker, and White match? Are they consistent with the previous murders?"


    "What is the connection between all these cases? Did the killer leave consistent symbols? Did they use a background story rted to numbers? Do these people have anymon characteristics?"


    "If none of the above is true, why do you think it''s a series of murders?"


    "But they all happened in a short period of time."


    "Then it''s just a series of murders that happened in a short period of time," Schiller spoke rapidly, seemingly not giving anyone a chance to pause and think. And then, his next words made everyone present feel a chill.


    "This killer is too ordinary."


    "I can hardly imagine that there are such foolish, boring, and talentless people in this world."


    "Why kill someone, throw them off a building, kill another, and throw them off again? What is he doing?"


    "Why doesn''t he value life?"


    "Why does he think that death can be easily dealt with by a gun or a knife?"


    "Why does he think that a corpse, such a precious resource, can be so casually discarded without any artistic value?"


    "I guess he''s a stupid detective who has seen too much, standing from a god''s eye view to watch detectives solve cases, making him think that these detectives are nothing special."


    "He thinks that such a simple case would take detectives so long to solve, so if he created a moreplex case, the detectives would probably be like headless flies, unable to find any clues for the rest of their lives."


    "I don''t want to judge any detectives because their works are the result of the author''s hard work, but I have to say that even if he was inspired by some detectives, they are already outdated, just like him."


    "In terms of theoretical knowledge, he doesn''t understand what a serial killer is, thinking that as long as he kills multiple people in a short period of time, he can be called a serial killer. For this kind of thinking, I can only say that he is more suitable for ughtering pigs in a ughterhouse, maybe he can even win a performance championship."


    "In terms of practical action, he is rough and shoddy, without choosing a suitable theme, without creating a countdown that creates nervousness, without any symbols or clues rted to numbers or graphics..."


    Schiller showed a helpless smile, as if feeling absurd, he said, "He doesn''t even have a unified murder weapon, sometimes using a knife, sometimes using a gun..."


    As he spoke, his expression turned to disgust, and he said, "And when he acts, he doesn''t pay attention to details. When the corpse falls, blood stters everywhere, even dirtying the fringes of the tablecloth and knocking over the candlestick."


    "He didn''t think about what would happen if the candlestick ignited the tablecloth. The carefully arranged murder scene would be a chaotic fire scene, leaving only ugly scorch marks. Any real serial killer would not allow such idents to happen."


    "His guidance of the crowd is also a mess, without reflecting any philosophical questioning of humanity..."


    "If you insist on letting me judge these cases, I can only say..." Schiller dragged out his tone and then summed up, "A mediocre, clich¨¦ case created by a mediocre person."


    "Enough!"


    A cold voice came from the entrance of the bathroom, and Benjamin turned his head to look at Lionel, whose face had be grim.


    Previously, Benjamin had been focused on listening to Schiller''s words, and he hadn''t noticed that the smiling businessman beside him had be so sinister.


    Schiller turned back around and looked at the angry man, saying, "Mr. Luthor, do you know? I don''t want to expose the thoughts of a fool, not because I can''t guess them, but because I am a tolerant person who hopes that this world can leave more room for such poor people to have illusions."


    "You said you invited me here for two purposes, tomunicate with your son and to cure his illness, but in fact, you have a third purpose, which is tomit a series of murders in front of me."


    "Of course, you have seen my resume." Schiller raised his voice, looking at Lionel''s sinister eye contact, saying, "You know, I have participated in several of the most famous serial killer cases and have seen countless serial killer perpetrators..."


    "I know that you are eager tomit a seamless case in front of me, to prove that you are a genius criminal in the world."


    "But, I didn''t show any special emotions about Mayor White''s death. On the way to the bathroom, I told you that this case was too ordinary and I wasn''t interested. So, you started to hastily prepare for the next case."


    Schiller showed a helpless smile, saying, "But your innovation was just changing the murder weapon from a gun to a knife."


    "Then, when I expressed my disdain more bluntly, you almost angrilymitted the third case."


    "Then, the only innovation you made was to change the location of the body disposal from the banquet hall to the bathroom."


    "This is you, Lionel, ept your fate."


    "You are just an ordinary person, uninteresting, without any genius mind."


    "He doesn''t have any genius mind." Lex sat against the wall, his back against the wall, his hand covering his neck, showing a contemptuous smile. He said, "But he never wants to acknowledge this fact."


    "He is jealous of those geniuses to the point of madness, willing to pay any price to obtain their genius and wisdom, including my mother."


    "But the most ironic thing is that after he abused and killed her, he found out that I, like my mother, am a super genius."


    Lex coughed twice, his face pale, seeming to be physically exhausted. He said, "But he dare not kill me again. He still relies on me to gain those worldly interests for him."


    Bruce stood in the center of the storeroom, looking down at him in silence for a while. He walked towards Lex, standing in front of him, casting a shadow on Lex. He lowered his head and asked, "Did you kill White and Parker?"


    Lex sneered, "That was Lionel''s own doing, the simplest dy device, the kind used in old-fashioned detective stories. So he couldn''t easily change the location of the body disposal because the device was set up on the ceiling beam."


    "That fool has been trying to control me for the past decade or so. I had to cooperate with him in acting, but this time, he must have failed."


    "Why?" Bruce frowned, looking at Lex.


    "Just now, I killed Mrs. Davis and threw her into the bathroom. I guess the Professor who was called out of the room again must be thoroughly impatient."


    Bruce hadn''t even asked yet, and Lex had already said, "Lionel''s tricks can''t fool anyone slightly smarter. His borate arrangements are no different from the building blocks children y with."


    "I know that only the Professor has been to that bathroom. As long as the third case happens there, someone will call him."


    "When he was examining me, I found out that he and I are the same kind of people. We have a little patience for fools, but only a little."


    "Once we lose patience, we will make them pay."


    Lexughed softly again, looking at Bruce, "I just killed someone and saw you passed out in the hallway. I thought a drunken yboy being burned alive in his own alcohol would be a good way to die..."


    "But now, you''re alive, which is more interesting than being dead."


    "Do you know? Every time Lionel introduces me to someone, he always says that he would rather I be a yboy like little Wayne..."


    "But, hahaha, even little Wayne is not a yboy!"


    "Hahahahahahaha!"


    Lex stood up,ughing louder and louder. Just as he looked up to see Bruce, he saw Bruce''s fist, the size of a sandbag, in his field of vision.


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 Chapter 426: Metropolis Doubts (10)

    Chapter 426: Metropolis Doubts (10)


    As the night grew deeper, looking out from the wooden window, one could see the dark blue color at the end of the night, shrouded in darkness.


    At first, there was no light in the corridor, but as the white snowkes drifted in from outside the window, the snow on the windowsill and the wooden floor of the corridor spread out like moonlight.


    A gust of wind blew in through the crack in the window of the corridor, blowing off the pieces of paper stuck on the door. When the paper fell to the ground, there were a few words written on it - "Do Not Disturb."


    Passing through the door, a figure sat on the edge of the bed. He had changed into his pajamas and turned off the chandelier on the ceiling and the wallmp in the guest room, leaving only the deskmp on the bedside table still on.


    When the deskmp was turned on, it projected a cone-shaped halo on the wall and corner closest to it. Everywhere else was thick with shadows.


    The dim yellow light and the reflection of the snowkes dancing intertwined, just looking at it made one feel the cold outside and the warmth inside, making one even more drowsy.


    Schiller put his sses in the sses case and looked up at the snow outside, which was getting heavier. He took out an umbre from under the bed.


    He ced the handle of the umbre on the bedside table, and the light from the deskmp poured down along the umbre''s shaft. When it shone on the umbre''s surface, it reflected the strange and mysterious patterns on it, which looked like snake skin, but with even greater curving arcs. In the light, it seemed to be slowly changing.


    After putting away the umbre, Schillery down on the bed, pulled the nket over himself, gradually adjusted his breathing, and lowered his frequency. Just as his consciousness was about to sink into that white space, suddenly, a series of urgent noises came from the ground, and the sound of heels stepping on the wooden floor continued."Dong, dong, dong..."


    The knocking sound came from Schiller''s dream, but it did not immediately awaken him.


    "Dong, dong, dong, dong! Dong, dong!"


    The knocking sound became more and more urgent, and Schiller, who had just fallen asleep, slowly opened his eyes. He slowly sat up on the bed, picked up the sses case, and put on his sses again. At this moment, he heard Ka''s voiceing from outside the door.


    "Professor Rodriguez! Are you there? Professor Rodriguez! There''s another emergency!"


    Schiller sat on the edge of the bed. He turned his head and looked at the clock on the wall, which showed that it was 3 a.m. Since Ka had informed Schiller that Mrs. Davis had died, only an hour and a half had passed.


    Schiller stood up, but instead of changing into formal wear, he turned around and picked up the umbre.


    He opened the door, and Ka''s hair was down. She looked like she had been nning to go to bed, but was suddenly called up again. Ka looked into Schiller''s eyes and said, "Lionel Luthor is dead."


    Schiller took a step forward, as if he was going to leave like this, but Ka didn''t move aside, so Schiller didn''t go out either. Ka looked up and down at Schiller and said, "I''m sorry, but are you really going out like this?"


    As she spoke, her gaze fell on the umbre in Schiller''s hand.


    Ka turned her head and looked at the snowkes outside the corridor window, sighed, and made way for Schiller. She followed behind him and said, "Our luck isn''t very good. If the blizzard continues, I''m afraid no one can leave this manor."


    "This is exactly what you wanted, isn''t it? You gathered everyone here and cut off the signal just to find the spy among us, right?"


    "If the heavy snow hadsted for a month, you would have had a month toplete this task. Don''t tell me your investigative efficiency is worse than the FBI''s. Even if the FBI came here, a month would have been enough."


    Ka was taken aback but still said, "Within a few hours, there have been four consecutive emergencies. The methods of this spy are incredibly cruel."


    "Or should I say, now that even old Luthor is dead, you''re almost unable to bear this responsibility. If it weren''t for this blizzard, you might have lifted the lockdown and let everyone leave."


    "It''s not us who are trapped by this blizzard, it''s you," Schiller concluded.


    Schiller was correct. Thebined power of all the celebrities on the East Coast was significant. Although the Central Intelligence Agency had great influence as a spy institution overseas, it also faced domestic pressure. With so many deaths, including the murder of the head of the Luthor Group, the turmoil caused was no less than the assassination of the mayoral candidate before.


    Ka sighed inwardly. The techniques of guided conversation she had learned werepletely useless with Schiller. It seemed she would never gain the upper hand in the conversation. In her time working for the Central Intelligence Agency, she had never encountered such an opponent.


    The two of them walked through the corridor, descended the staircase, and entered the reception room of the mayor''s mansion. Schiller nced around the room and said, "You''re all here. It seems I''m thest one."


    At this moment, there were quite a few people in the living room. Benjamin, the head agent, stood on the left side, Bruce and Selena on the right, Lex Luthor, slightly to the right in front, and in the center of the roomy a corpse, Lionel Luthor.


    Lionel Luthor''s condition was miserable. His face was covered in blood, there was a deep bruise on his chin, his forehead seemed to have been struck by a blunt object, and there were bloodstains where his head had made contact with the ground. There were also fragments of vases scattered around his head.


    Upon seeing Schiller in his pajamas, Bruce nced at him and then turned away, as if he didn''t want to see the professor at all. Benjamin noticed the expression on Bruce''s face, which didn''t escape his scrutiny and only deepened his frown.


    "Thank you, Ka. Please maintain order outside and ensure that this information doesn''t leak out. Otherwise, it could cause panic," Benjamin said, turning his head to Ka. Ka seemed somewhat surprised by thismand, but after a moment of hesitation, sheplied.


    Once she left, there were only five people left in the room: Bruce, Lex, Benjamin, Schiller, and Selena. Benjamin was the first to speak. He stared into Schiller''s eyes and said, "As far as I know, Lionel met with you in this meeting room before his death."


    "Officer Benjamin, yourck of professionalism surprises me," Schiller replied without hesitation. He walked to the front of the corpse, propped the umbre on the ground, and looked at Benjamin. "The important question is not whether I met him, but who was thest person to see him."


    Benjamin turned his head and looked at Bruce. He said, "Mr. Bruce Wayne was the one who discovered the scene. Let him exin."


    Bruce, supported by Selena, looked exhausted. Just standing upright seemed to require a great deal of effort. He rubbed his eyes forcefully and, with a slurred voice from excessive drinking, said, "I had a bit to drink... just a little. I felt hot inside the house, so I wanted to go out and get some fresh air..."


    "As I was walking... I think I vomited. A waiter came to help me, but I pushed him away... I didn''t want him to capture me. He should stay away from me, cough... cough..."


    "So... I kept walking forward. As I was walking, I heard some noise. It seemed like there was some movement behind this door, so I knocked, but no one responded..."


    "I smelled a strange odor, like the smell of blood. Don''t ask me how I could smell it; I only had a little to drink, but I wasn''t really drunk..."


    "I pushed the door open and saw Lionel lying here. At that moment, I realized that I might be drunk. And now too... hehehehe... cough, cough..."


    After finishing his words, Bruce started to retch again. Selena supported his waist and continuously patted his back to help him breathe. Schiller looked at Benjamin and said, "Before this, thest person to see Mr. Lionel should have been you, right?"


    "After Mrs. Davis'' body was found, Lionel acknowledged everything. He acknowledged that he was behind the incidents involving Old Parker and Mayor White, and you took him away."


    Benjamin remained silent. Schiller raised his wrist and looked at his watch, then tapped the ground with the tip of his umbre and said, "Lionel wasn''t innocent. He wasn''t a good person, and he just killed Mayor White and Old Parker. He died here, and it can only be said that he got what he deserved. No one needs to pay an extra price for this."


    "It''s already veryte, and this is the fourth time you''ve woken me up from my bed. So, let''s skip the process of suspicion, evidence, usation, and exposure and just speak the truth."


    Schiller looked around and found that the others were still silent. He put his hands on the handle of the umbre and said, "Well, I''ll start."


    "Officer Benjamin, I don''t know where you took him to be properly guarded, but I do know that your so-called proper measures didn''t work."


    "After I came out of the bathroom and returned to my room, not long after, I received a call from Lionel. He asked me to go to the reception room..."


    As Schiller spoke, the time went back about an hour and a half.


    After Schiller''s words that directly hit Lionel''s heart, Lionel''s face turned pale. It took a long time before he coughed, covering his chest, like a person whose rage had been provoked.


    He hadpletely lost his disguise and stared at Schiller with a sinister eye contact, but Schiller was not moved at all.


    Just as Schiller was about to speak, Benjamin waved his hand outside the door, and two burly agents walked in.


    After giving them some instructions, they approached Lionel and handcuffed him. Just as Lionel was about to speak, Benjamin said, "Mr. Lionel, it seems that you have acknowledged that youmitted two murders. It''s best to cooperate with our investigation."


    After Benjamin turned around, Schiller couldn''t see his expression, but Lionel kept staring at him.


    It wasn''t until Lionel was taken away by the agents that Benjamin turned around and said to Schiller, "Professor Rodriguez, thank you for your cooperation, brilliant reasoning and investigation. Now, you can go back and rest."


    It sounded like apliment, but there was no polite tone or courtesy. It was stiff and rigid, but Schiller didn''t care. He just wanted to go upstairs and sleep.


    Just as he returned to his bedroom and was about to take off his tie and change clothes, the telephone in the guest room rang.


    The mayor''s mansion was not just the mayor''s private residence. Most of the guests who came to visit the mayor or attend certain events would stay here, so there were many guest rooms, each with an internal service telephone.


    Schiller picked up the telephone, and unsurprisingly, he heard Lionel''s suppressed angry voice on the other end, "Rodriguez, I''m waiting for you in the reception room..."


    Before Schiller could answer, Lionel said in a cold tone, "I know what you did in the mayor''s election two years ago. If you don''t want trouble to find you, it''s best toe over..."


    Schiller put down the telephone and slowly narrowed his eyes.


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 Chapter 427: Metropolis Doubt (11)

    Chapter 427: Metropolis Doubt (11)


    When Schiller entered the reception room, Lionel still had a gloomy expression on his face. Schiller walked over and sat opposite him, picked up the cigar box that was previously ced on the table, took out a cigar, and then picked up the cigar cutter. He began to cut the cigar at a steady pace.


    Lionel saw his actions and was about to say something, but Schiller spoke first. "I have always been a person who is kind to others. Rarely do people give me such hostile looks."


    "I know what you''re thinking..." Schiller didn''t look Lionel in the eye, he just continued to speak to himself. "You use your imagination to daydream about the praise that geniuses have received, with your limited brain power."


    "In your fantasy, people like me should have been called geniuses since childhood, effortlessly passing the best universities, obtaining several Doctor Bachelor of Science degrees, and sailing smoothly on the road of academia until bing world-renowned."


    "Afterwards, when others ask me how I achieved all of this, I will pretend to be modest and say that it''s all due to hard work, and that anyone can do it."


    "I think you''ve seen a lot of interviews like this on TV, even if the protagonist isn''t me. But when you hear this sentence, you feel so resentful inside..."


    "Because you''ve tried, but you can''t do it. You think all those people are frauds, they are just luckier than you and have stronger talents, so they can easily have all of this."


    "You envy all these people, you''re so jealous that you''re going crazy, including your son. You abuse him mentally and physically, hoping that he will be a puppet who only listens to yourmands."


    "I think when I said that your son Lex may not have autism, your mood must have beenplicated.""You''re afraid, afraid that all of this is just a disguise, and at the same time, you don''t want to believe that there are perfect geniuses in this world who are troubled by nothing and have intelligence beyond ordinary people."


    Schiller finished cutting the cigar and lit it with a motion that Lionel didn''t see clearly. He continued, "Perhaps you haven''t noticed that there are more geniuses around you than you think, including your son Lex Luthor."


    "He doesn''t have autism or mental illness. Perhaps because of your abuse and violent personality, he has ws. But not everyone has to be optimistic, kind, and positive. Overall, he is a super genius, destined for a brilliant future."


    Schiller saw Lionel''s teeth gradually clenching, and the muscles on his face began to exert downward force, like melting ice cream. He had be extremely gloomy.


    "Perhaps there is another person you are familiar with, that is Bruce Wayne. When you introduce your son, you oftenpare him to Bruce, although you say you hope Lex can be a yboy like young Wayne, you actually look down on him."


    "But he is also a super genius, and Lex and Bruce''s intelligence areparable. The reason he pretends to be a yboy is simply because he alone bears the huge Wayne Group and has to deal with jealous individuals, so he needs to disguise himself."


    Leonard''s face could hardly look any worse. He wanted to refute Schiller, but he knew in his heart that Schiller had no reason to deceive him. Whether Bruce was a super genius or not, whether he knew that Bruce was a super genius, had nothing to do with Schiller...


    Schiller took another puff of the cigar, exhaled the smoke, and said, "There are many people you look down on, perhaps including Bruce''spanion."


    "You think she is the mostmon type of socialite, hypocritical, ttering, and fawning, just lucky to have caught young Wayne."


    "So, when interacting with Bruce, you didn''t even give her a proper look. You think she should be used to that attitude."


    "But Selena is also a genius. Perhaps what you don''t know is that she is Gotham''s most famous cat burr, who has visited Falcone''s Manor more than once, and even The Godfather couldn''t do anything about her."


    Even if we don''t mention that, her charm is almost irresistible. This is a power that goes beyond intelligence and reason. If you truly knew how strong Bruce''s willpower is, you would know that Selena is a favorite of the gods..."


    "You have been doing business in Metropolis, perhaps you haven''t been to Gotham. Maybe you also think that there is nothing worth visiting in that city, chaotic, dark, and perpetually rainy..."


    "But there are geniuses there that you can''t imagine. Schrs who freeze the world, children who grow wild but have skills surpassing most automotive engineers..."


    "A group of crazy, evil, and brilliant gang members, a legendary Godfather who has ruled Gotham''s underground for 40 years, a variety of chaotic and fascinating madmen, and... a Joker who makes even these madmen feel fear."


    "That''s enough!" Lionel''s voice was like an anvil being forged, emitting a sharp humming sound at the edges. He said:


    "Why should I be jealous of you all?! I have created a massive business empire out of thin air! I have achieved unimaginable sess that most people can''t even fathom. What right do you have to judge my work?!"


    "That is something I painstakingly created, precise, elegant, and perfect! Just like the Luthor Corporation, it is my pride and joy!"


    "If you had this attitude from the beginning, I wouldn''t have said so much to you. But unfortunately, you not onlyck the level of genius, but also a broad-mindedness."


    Schiller looked into Lionel''s eyes, which were bloodshot, but not from staying upte. The jealousy written in them was almost flowing like blood.


    "Do you know? The reason you feel such pain now, feeling that your logic and thinking are inconsistent, is not because youck a genius mind."


    Lionel continued to stare at Schiller, although he felt surprised by the conclusion he had just heard, he still held his breath and refused to rx.


    "Someone I know had the opportunity to ascend, although he was already a genius. But that opportunity could have made him almost all-knowing and all-powerful, yet he gave it up."


    Schiller spoke earnestly, and Lionel''s attention was involuntarily drawn to him. Schiller spoke to himself with a somewhat sighing tone:


    "The most ordinary people have the mostplex and beautiful inner worlds, which are not changed by whether they are intelligent or not. Or rather, all greatnesses from there."


    Clearly, Lionel couldn''t take in these words, but Schiller didn''t say them to make him understand. It''s difficult to persuade someone who has been trapped in a logical loop for years...


    "Why did you call me here in the first ce?" Schiller rxed his body and leaned back in the chair, while Lionel nervously sped his legs together, resting his elbows on his knees.


    He took a deep breath andposed his expression. Just as he was trying to adjust his mood and calm his emotions, Schiller spoke again, "It can''t be that you called me here just to have me read through your papers that are only superior in quantity to dog excrement, right?"


    In an instant, theposed expression that Lionel had just regained crumbled once again.


    Finally, he had to grit his teeth and say, "I know, and you know the secret of that treasure, and you were also involved in the killings back then..."


    "What treasure?," Schiller squinted his eyes and asked, but Lionel disdainfully snorted and said, "Don''t y dumb with me. The whole incident during the mayoral election was just various factions trying to seize a treasure."


    "You heard some information from somewhere and dared to get involved, only to end up fleeing Gotham with your tail between your legs?"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Schiller looked into Lionel''s eyes and said very seriously, "I have amnesia, I don''t know anything."


    Lionel was not shaken at all by his words. He said, "I invited you here because I wanted to cooperate with you. I can forgive your rude behavior of arbitrarily criticizing other people''s work, and I can also share that treasure with you..."


    "I''m not interested." Schiller immediately refused, but Lionel continued, "I know you fundamentally distrust me, but you failed in such an event before. Do you really have the confidence that you can win this time?"


    "Sorry, when I said I''m not interested, I meant I''m not interested in that treasure. Of course, I''m even less interested in working with you."


    Schiller stood up, extinguished the cigar on the table. Seeing him getting up to leave, Lionel frowned and said, "Did you really lose your memory? If you''re really not interested in that treasure, then why did you kill a candidate during the mayoral election?"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Schiller simply repeated those words. Lionel pondered for a moment and then said, "It seems that the lesson fromst time has taught you a valuable lesson. You don''t n to wade into this muddy water again."


    "But if the agents find out that you were also involved in the previous incident, they won''t mind dealing with one more suspect of espionage."


    "If you''re confident, you can report me to them." After leaving these words behind, Schiller turned around to leave. However, at that moment, from behind him, Leonard pulled out a gun.


    Schiller halted his steps, and Leonard walked up behind him, pointing the gun at Schiller''s head. He said, "You called me an ordinary person, but even an ordinary person with a gun can take a life."


    Schiller turned around, and the ck hole of the gun''s barrel was aimed at his forehead. He said to Lionel, "Your actions have made me realize that it''s a waste to exert any effort on you."


    In an instant, Schiller had an additional ck umbre in his hand. He gripped the middle part of the umbre and flicked it upward.


    With a loud "bang," the sturdy handle struck Lionel''s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Schiller approached and cast a shadow over Lionel.


    Leonard groaned in pain, clutching the bruise on his chin. He caught a glimpse of Schiller not looking at him, but rather muttering to himself while holding the umbre.


    "I''m sorry, but you turned out to be a fool, the first enemy you faced after changing into new clothes."


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 Chapter 428: Metropolis Mystery (12)

    Chapter 428: Metropolis Mystery (12)


    "Did you just hit him with an umbre?" Benjamin looked at Lionel''s corpse and could clearly see a deep bruise on his jaw, which appeared to be consistent with Schiller''s description.


    After summarizing the key points of his conversation with Lionel, Schiller briefly exined his conversation with Lionel. Finally, he said, "After knocking him down, I was nning to leave directly, but before I left, I saw a shadow near the nearby window..."


    "A shadow?" Benjamin frowned and scanned the several people in the room. Unexpectedly, Selena was the first to speak up.


    "I finished myte-night snack and wanted to go for a walk, but it was snowing outside and there were agents everywhere in the hallway, so I just jumped off the balcony."


    Benjamin stared at Selena''s beautiful face. There was no doubt that her features were delicate and had a charm that made it hard to look away. However, no matter how he looked at her, Selena seemed more like a socialite who should be on the dance floor than a female agent who could jump and climb on the surface of a building.


    Just as Benjamin was about to refute her, he felt a cool breeze on his face. With a "whoosh" sound, he turned around and saw a hairpin embedded in the gap between the bricks on the wall behind him. Selena withdrew her hand and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Don''t ask me how I did it, just listen."


    As Selena spoke, time slowly rewound back to when Schiller knocked Lionel down.


    When Schiller turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of a shadow outside the floor-to-ceiling window behind him. Schiller didn''t pause and left the meeting room directly. After the door to the meeting room closed, a figure quietly climbed in through the window. It was Selena, who was nning to install a bug.


    Coincidentally, Selena and Bruce''s room were directly above the meeting room, making it the easiest target for Selena to reach. Moreover, choosing the meeting room as the first target had many advantages. For example, if she was caught, she could say that she was invited here.However, Selena was surprised to see a person lying on the ground as soon as she entered the room. The killer seemed to have just left, and Lionel was still moving. Selena was curious and approached him.


    At that moment, Lionel finally regained consciousness. He grimaced and held his chin, struggling to get up from the ground. Then he saw Selena, who was looking at him curiously.


    Lionel shook his head and had a moment of confusion before he remembered that she was Bruce''spanion. Schiller''s evaluation of Selena shed through his mind, and it took him some time to connect her identity, appearance, and evaluation.


    At that moment, Selena suddenly realized that she was here to do something bad, and Lionel was one of the hosts of the party. She turned around and wanted to run, but before she could, she saw that Lionel had a gun in his hand. In a moment, Selena rolled to the side, and with a muffled sound, the silenced handgun fired continuously.


    Lionel''s suppressed emotions erupted, and he kept firing the automatic handgun at Selena, his eyes full of malice. Lionel''s marksmanship had not undergone any special training, and his uracy rapidly decreased as the target distance increased and the movement speed increased. There were only a few bullets in the handgun magazine, and as he kept pulling the trigger to vent his emotions, the bullets quickly ran out.


    At this point, Selena stood up from behind the sofa, tidied her hair, put her hands on her hips, and looked at Lionel, saying, "We don''t have any grudges, do we? I don''t remember stealing anything from the Luthor family."


    Selena''s tone was light because this was a small scene for her.


    During the East District''s four major gang shootouts, with gunfire and bombs exploding, she still managed to steal things.


    Falcone and the Twelve Families governed the North District like an iron bucket, but they couldn''t stop her froming and going like the wind. For Selena, the amount of movement just now didn''t even count as a warm-up.


    But it was precisely this attitude thatpletely angered Lionel. Originally, Selena''s image in his mind was just a useless socialite.


    The wealthy Lionel had only seen these socialites trying to please him in every way possible. Now, Selena looked at him with eye contact as if she were looking at a child who couldn''t even hit the target at a shooting camp.


    This evening, Lionel had already been stimted too many times, and even his solid psychological defense had copsed.


    He cursed loudly with dirty words, throwing insulting words at Selena that he could think of.


    If Selena were really a socialite or the kind of rich youngdy or wifemonly seen at banquets, they would definitely be so angry that their faces turned red, muttering powerless words like "ruffian," and stomping their feet until they turned around and ran away.


    But Selena was not that kind of person. She grew up in the East District and almost lived in rap concerts every day. In terms of the vocabry of dirty words, Lionel, who grew up in Metropolis, was no match for her.


    The first few words Lionel said were insulting Selena''s appearance and figure, which she didn''t care about. But then Lionel began to mention her mother, and Selena immediately became angry.


    She stood in ce and a series of extremely intense and insulting dirty words came out of her mouth. In the next two minutes, she didn''t even need to stop to catch her breath. All kinds of insulting metaphors, English ng, and insulting jokes flowed out of her mouth like a river. Even after Lionel was silent for three minutes, Selena was still cursing.


    Knowing that Leonard''s gun had no bullets, Selena walked directly from behind the sofa to Lionel and pointed at his nose to curse him.


    The rap skills she developed in the lowest level of Gotham''s East District were not to be underestimated. Selena spoke rapidly for several minutes before stopping.


    She picked up a ss of wine from the nearby table, gulped it down, wiped her mouth, and said, "Thank you, you stupid old groundhog withce like Joe''s underwear. Since I moved into the damn Wayne Manor, I haven''t felt this good in a long time."


    Lionel''s face was red with anger. He had never heard so many dirty words in his life.


    In the end, he couldn''t help it andpletely gave up all the kindness he had pretended to have. He tore off the gentleman''s mask and rushed towards Selena like a zombie, waving his fists to hit her.


    Selena easily bent down to dodge his punches, stood up again, picked up a vase from the nearby decorative table, and swung it hard. With a "bang," the vase smashed straight into Lionel''s face, and blood sttered as he fell to the ground.


    Selena stood with her hands on her hips, threw the vase''s mouth on the ground, spat at Lionel, and turned to walk towards the window.


    Halfway through, she ran back to Lionel as if she remembered something, staring at his chest for a while.


    When she found that he was still breathing, Selena breathed a sigh of relief. If Bruce knew that she had killed someone here, and the party host at that, he would definitely be very angry.


    After confirming that Lionel was not dead, Selena left with peace of mind. Her route back was the same as the one she came from, walking outside the building. When she returned to the balcony of her room, she suddenly heard some noise inside.


    Selena quickly leaned to the side and hid on the balcony, as she heard Benjamin''s voiceing from the room.


    "In conclusion, Philby is likely to have handed this list to his former colleagues or students. As I mentioned earlier in the lobby, the list is likely to be found on the East Coast, but not specifically..."


    "Based on our observations, it''s highly likely to be in Gotham."


    There was a moment of silence in the room, then Bruce''s tired response came, "Is that so?... Then go investigate, whye to me?"


    Benjamin fell silent. The words he was about to say were not easy to speak, but Bruce showed no interest in continuing the conversation. Benjamin noticed that Bruce was leaning against the headboard, looking disheveled, as if he had juste down from a drug high.


    Benjamin''s gaze fell on the pile of bottles, he frowned, and then had to get straight to the point, "We need your help. Our agents have previously investigated Gotham, but..."


    As if remembering something, Benjamin''s expression became very unpleasant, but when he looked at Bruce, his attitude softened slightly.


    After all,pared to the reports of the agents who went to investigate Gotham, Bruce was harmless.


    Bruce sneered disdainfully, "You guys can''t handle Gotham, can you? This is the foresight of the Wayne ancestors. You annoying agents... like dog shit that can''t be shaken off..."


    Benjamin''s face looked grim, but he tried to remain patient and exined to Bruce, "There is likely a Soviet agent lurking in Gotham at the same level as Kim Philby. This is not beneficial for the Wayne Corporation. Perhaps he is nning to steal yourpany''s secrets..."


    "Steal secrets?" Bruce scoffed. "You really are a foolish agent. When you reach the level of the Wayne Corporation, there are no secrets to steal..."


    "I can let you experience a day in my life, freely visit any of Wayne Corporation''s factories, and you can disclose all the information you obtain. I don''t care at all..."


    "Mr. Wayne, I don''t know why you hold such animosity towards agents, but I must emphasize the seriousness of this matter."


    "Oh, here we go again. Everyone tells me the same thing, this is serious, that is serious. Come on, can''t you rx a bit? Look at the time, it''s alreadyte at night!"


    Bruce covered his eyes with his arm and said, "You lock me up here, bombarding me with questions. What''s the difference from kidnapping? I don''t want to hear any of this!"


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Selena walked in at the right time. She saw Benjamin''s figure and paused, then frowned unhappily, "Darling, what''s going on? Why are there outsiders in our room?"


    Bruce quickly got up from the bed and hugged Selena''s waist, saying, "There''s no way around it. These annoying agents are always buzzing around outside."


    The two of them were already embracing each other, and Benjamin couldn''t stay any longer. He turned around with a dark face and walked out of the room.


    "It seems you didn''t cause fatal harm to Mr. Luthor."


    In the meeting room, Schiller looked into Selena''s eyes. Selena flicked her hair and said, "I just wanted to give him a taste, not kill him."


    With that, Schiller turned his head back to Benjamin and said, "Officer, if you want some help from us, it''s best to show some sincerity, don''t you think?"


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 Chapter 429: Suspicion in Metropolis (13)

    Chapter 429: Suspicion in Metropolis (13)


    Benjamin stood silently in the center of the reception room, pondering for a long time before finally speaking: "I don''t know if you understand the ident that happened during the mayoral election two years ago in Metropolis..."


    "The position of mayor in Metropolis is very important, and the state council is often very cautious when selecting candidates. Generally speaking, there are no more than four candidates, and like all mayoral elections, one or two of them are just there to make up the numbers, while the rest arepetitive."


    "But the mayoral election in Metropolis that year was very intense, with a total of twelve candidates representing different parties and forces."


    Schiller frowned and looked at Benjamin, asking, "How could there be so many people? How did the state council approve it?"


    Benjamin also looked at Schiller, staring into his eyes and saying, "The reason for holding this election was because the previous mayor, White, was assassinated, and this was an emergency election."


    "The state council was worried that there were not enough candidates, and that the election might be manipted by people with ulterior motives, so they rxed the screening standards."


    "The state council thought that at least ten of the twelve candidates were just trying to add a little shine to their resumes and didn''t really want topete for this position. But who knew that they were all fighting hard for it."


    Benjamin''s tone became increasingly solemn as he said, "Perhaps there were already signs from this time."


    "At the beginning, it was just normal electionpetition, including speeches, canvassing, attacking opponents...""But then the situation became increasingly worse, with bribery, rumors, harassment, exposure, and even two candidates inexplicably involved in car idents and had to be hospitalized."


    "Seeing that the situation was out of control, the governor wanted everyone to sit down and talk, not to make this matter too ugly."


    "And the method was the same as the tradition of many years, holding a banquet, letting intermediaries find the right people to talk to at the right time, and resolving the storm invisibly."


    Benjamin turned his head and looked up and down at the reception room, then said, "In order to make these people calm down and to win the support of the public, the state council also invited many famous figures, including Metropolis, the famous entrepreneur, renowned schr professor, artists, and media people."


    "The banquet venue they chose was here - the Metropolis Mayor''s Mansion."


    "What happened next?" Schiller asked.


    "After that, everything went out of control."


    Benjamin turned his head and looked at the increasingly heavy snow outside the window. The snowkes were flying in the storm, like white birds flying against the tornado, turning into billowing white mist at the end of the skyline.


    As Benjamin spoke, Schiller also turned his head to look outside the window. His gaze pierced through the heavy snow, as if he saw another identical mayor''s mansion appearing on this day two years ago.


    Dim warm lights swayed in the blizzard, and the manor of the mayor was bustling with people.


    Light footsteps, clinking sses, the candlelight on the silver candlestick flickered, the tassels of the gorgeous tablecloth fell down, people in formal wear held wine sses and talked, their faces full of elegant smiles.


    The host of the banquet smiled and nodded at a small group of people who were chatting. They made way for him, and the host stood in the center of the banquet hall. He cleared his throat lightly, and everyone stopped their actions and turned to look at him...


    "Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for gathering together on such a night! Although the wind and snow outside are heavy, they are connected to our hearts!"


    "First of all, I would like to invite the organizer of this banquet, Nelson Perez, the deputy speaker of the Dware State Council, a famous society activist, phnthropist, author, toe forward!"


    With a loud bang, a corpse fell from the sky.


    Precise, humorous, and full of drama.


    Time passed through the flying snowkes, stopped in the warm lighting through a window, and looked through the frosted ss, meeting Schiller''s gaze.


    Schiller paused and turned his head back. He heard Benjamin say, "...like a humorous joke, when the host announced the name of the deputy speaker, his corpse fell from the sky."


    At that moment, Bruce turned his head and looked at Schiller. Schiller''s eyes twitched slightly, and in that moment of eye contact with Bruce, he lowered his head and focused on the pattern on the handle of his umbre.


    "But this was just the beginning..." Benjamin''s tone became as cold as the weather outside.


    "After the deputy speaker''s death, the police arrived and sealed off the scene. To prevent the killer from escaping, everyone was confined to their rooms. Soon, the second victim, the third victim..."


    "One after another, each with a different cause of death..."


    "In the end, out of the twelve candidates, only four remained. Eight of them fell victim to the killer''s hands."


    "This incident rmed the entire East Coast, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent agents to investigate. But the conclusion they reached was that spies from various countries had infiltrated the attendees of the banquet. They killed in order to destabilize the political situation on the East Coast."


    Benjamin looked up, but then lowered his gaze, his eyes shifting downward to Lionel''s corpse. He said, "When it came to espionage, I was called to investigate this matter in Metropolis. And when this task fell on me, I realized that things were not so simple."


    "The killers who took the lives of the eight candidates were not the same person. Their targets were different, but undoubtedly, they were all top-notch assassins, the kind of high-intelligence criminals that are most troublesome..."


    Benjamin''s voice trembled a bit, clearly indicating that his emotions were not calm. Even after two years, recalling the situation at that time still made him feel immense pressure.


    "During the subsequent investigation, I discovered that the mayor''s manor at that time seemed to have turned into a hunting ground for those deranged serial killers."


    "They used their respective expertise to create a series of murders that intertwined and formed a puzzle that no investigation could unravel..."


    Schiller paused for a moment, his fingertips gripping the handle of the umbre. He looked at Benjamin and asked, "So, what did you find out?"


    Benjamin remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "We can only specte that there were four perpetrators in total, with each of them killing two targets."


    "Did you find out who they were?"


    Benjamin shook his head. He lowered his head and looked at Lionel''s corpse, saying, "Luthor was also present at the scene. I think he killed Mayor White and Old Parker to mimic the actions of the deputy speaker''s killer..."


    "He did a lousy job of it," Schiller interjected.


    "Indeed," Benjamin affirmed, saying, "Even if he didn''t acknowledge it in the bathroom, I had already identified him. His method was actually quite simple."


    As he spoke, Benjamin looked up at the ceiling of the reception room and said, "The roof of this ancient manor is very high, and there is a space between the ceiling and the roof."


    "He bought the building next to the mayor''s mansion in advance, sneaked in, set up mechanisms in the attic, and then knocked out the targets in advance and brought them up."


    "The noise of the people and the music in the banquet hall masked the sound of the silenced handgun firing. The mechanism had a dy, so when the shootings urred, Lionel could appear in any ce with onlookers, providing himself with an alibi."


    "I would call this method ssic, but it''s actually more clich¨¦," Schiller concluded. He looked at Benjamin and asked, "Have the agents found his weapon in the space above the ceiling?"


    "In fact, earlier than you imagine."


    At this point, Benjamin had no intention of pretending anymore. He said directly, "We are not a bunch of fools from the Federal Bureau of Investigation who would wait until everything is over to give a lengthy speech."


    "Then why didn''t you arrest him immediately?" Selena frowned. In her opinion, if Benjamin had acted earlier, perhaps they wouldn''t have been trapped in this manor.


    Benjamin let out a cold snort and said, "I told you all this to help you understand."


    "I didn''t arrest Lionel right away because I wanted to see what he was up to."


    "I wasn''t a firsthand witness to the events two years ago, but during the subsequent investigation, I discovered that the four killers who took action seemed to be searching for something."


    "Luthor participated in the banquet two years ago and seemed to have obtained some clues from it. I don''t know if he mentioned to anyone among you that he was looking for a treasure..."


    "That''s what he got from the clues during the gaps between the murders at that banquet."


    "A treasure? What is it?" Schiller asked bluntly.


    Benjamin gave him a meaningful look and said frankly, "There is no exact answer, but I suspect it''s the Philby list."


    "So, you wanted to let Luthor find the so-called treasure and then arrest him after he found it, so you could kill two birds with one stone," Schiller said, then looked at Lionel and continued, "But it seems like your n failed."


    Benjamin also looked at Lionel and said, "That''s because he really is a fool."


    "I saw him in the reception room, he was cursing everything like he had lost his mind. Later, he even tried to attack me, so I knocked him out."


    "But..." Benjamin''s tone changed, and he turned his head to stare at Schiller, then said, "During my conversation with Lionel, he told me a truth. Do you know what it is?"


    "What?" Schiller also looked at him and asked.


    "You are the killer who killed the deputy speaker, and you killed two people and dismembered one of them. He saw it with his own eyes."


    In that moment, the atmosphere in the reception room froze, and everyone''s expressions were different. A storm spread between Schiller and Benjamin''s gaze, and their auras began to sh.


    In an instant, the wind howled, and the cold snow fell like knives.


    Time rewound again, back to when Selena knocked Lionel down.


    After Selena finished, she left without looking back. When she returned to her room, she pretended to be intimate with Bruce and kicked Benjamin out.


    Regardless of what Bruce and Selena didter to set up the surveince n, Benjamin, who left the room, immediately went to find Lionel.


    He stopped an agent who was setting up defenses in the corridor. The agent told him that Lionel had gone to the reception room and had note out yet. So, Benjamin went to the reception room to talk to Lionel.


    When Benjamin arrived at the reception room, Lionel had barely managed to get up from the ground.


    Selena hit him with a vase, and although it looked like a bigmotion, it didn''t actually do much damage. Apart from the broken ss cutting his skin and the heavy blow causing damage to his nasal cartge, it didn''t hurt his skull or brain. Lionely on the ground for a while, then got up and started looking for something to stop the bleeding.


    When Benjamin walked in and saw this scene, he was stunned for a moment, then walked up to Lionel and asked, "What happened? Did someone attack you?"


    Lionel, who was wiping the blood with a tissue, nced at Benjamin and from his eye contact, Benjamin saw endless anger and malice.


    "Get out of here, you annoying fly!" Lionel hadpletely lost his disguise of being kind and amiable. His inherent violence and greed were now on full disy.


    Before Benjamin could say anything else, Lionel started cursing loudly, "You agents and police are all the same! I pay so much tax every year, but all I get is a bunch of useless people who can''t provide me with any help and just buzz around like flies!"


    "And that piece of shit, White! He forgot who spent a fortune to prop him up after the scandal of the assassinated candidates during the election! I only asked him to help me kill a few people, but he dared to ask me to help him enter the state council?!"


    "Does he think he''s some kind of precious resource?! As long as I have money, I can prop up anyone! And he, not only his career, but also his life hase to an end!"


    "Oh... Old Parker, that damn dealer! He undercuts me every year! He''s targeting me in several farms in Kansas! I know he took money from mypetitors, but we have no rtionship. I can kill him!"


    Lionel gritted his teeth fiercely, and all kinds of curses spilled out of his mouth. Blood and fragments of the vase that hadn''t been wiped off yet stuck to his face, making him look like a trapped beast at the end of his rope, extremely embarrassed.


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 Chapter 430: Metropolis Doubt (14)

    Chapter 430: Metropolis Doubt (14)


    "Schiller Rodriguez!" Lionel eximed. "A damn murderer, a psychopath!"


    "You damn agent! Weren''t you always searching for the killer from back then? I can tell you, the killer is Rodriguez. He killed two people! He even dismembered one of them! I saw it with my own eyes!"


    When Lionel uttered the name Rodriguez, a flood of negative emotions poured out from between his teeth.


    Benjamin felt for the first time that a person''s emotions could truly be tangible knives, sending shivers down one''s spine.


    If hatred could truly materialize, Lionel would possess the sharpest weapon in the world. But unfortunately, such a thing was impossible.


    So, all he could do was clench his fists tightly in this meeting room, stomping his feet incessantly. As a victim, he vented various negative emotions towards Schiller to Benjamin.


    When Benjamin heard Lionel say, "Schiller killed at least two people," his brow furrowed deeply.


    At this moment, the snow outside the window began to fall heavier and heavier. Through the swirling snowkes, warm lights flickered once again, and the Manor, which existed in different times, appeared amidst the snowfall, two years ago.


    This time, the glorious lights dimmed, and the bloodstains in the living room had not yet been cleaned. The corpse of the deputy speakery in a corner, covered with a white cloth. All the doors in the mayor''s mansion were tightly shut, and everyone turned off their lights, hiding in their bedrooms, afraid to make a sound.Because just now, two more lives had been taken. Even the police couldn''t maintain order anymore. Everyone could only hurriedly retreat to their small rooms, hoping to gain some sense of security.


    The violent blizzard surrounded the Manor, turning it into a prison for ordinary people. At the same time, it became a hunting ground for the serial killers.


    In the dark corridor, only one room at the end revealed a faint light. The light seeping through the crack of the door was like a sharp knife, cutting the end of the corridor into another cold and chilling space.


    Lionel walked stealthily in the corridor and arrived in front of the room with the faint light. He stopped his footsteps, held his breath, and heard a chilling voiceing from inside the room:


    "...It seems this is thest one... Unfortunately, I still haven''t found what I''m looking for."


    Lionel heard the bone-chilling sound of flesh being cut inside the room. Then, there were sounds of water and the "ck ck" of shoes pacing on the floor. All of this filled him with immense fear, but he suppressed the emotion and continued listening.


    "Such a massive treasure... Winter, winter... It seems I have to leave here, but before that..."


    The intermittent voice from inside the room continued, and Lionel kept holding his breath, trying to hear more clearly. But soon, the sounds in the room stopped, and Lionel''s body trembled.


    Just as he calmed down through deep breaths, stood up, and prepared to leave, he heard a faint creaking sound¡ªthe door opened...


    A figure wearing a suit stood in the light projected from the room, but it seemed to devour all the light like a ck hole. It was Schiller Rodriguez.


    Lionel fell to the ground, trying to move his body, and took a few steps back. He made short, gasping sounds and said, "Rodriguez, Professor..."


    "Did you see it?" Schiller asked expressionlessly.


    "No, I didn''t. I didn''t see anything!"


    "Did you see me kill Nelson?" Schiller stated affirmatively. "You saw me approach him, ask him those questions, and then kill him, throwing him off the building. So, you followed me all the way here, wanting to know what I''m really searching for."


    Lionel struggled to turn his body, got up from the ground, sped his hands together, and said, "No, I didn''t, Professor. I didn''t see anything. I can keep it a secret, really..."


    "Why did youe here?" Schiller asked with an evil tone that sent chills down Lionel''s spine. Lionel didn''t even know how to answer. He tried to force a smile, and Schiller followed suit, but his smile looked terrifying.


    "Well... I came to find you, actually. I just wanted you to treat my son. He has autism, and I''ve hired many experts, but I think their professional level is not as good as yours..."


    "Where is he?" Schiller asked directly, which seemed to catch Lionel off guard. He hesitated and looked embarrassed. "It''s alreadyte, and..."


    "If it''s not for this matter, then you must have seen something..." Schiller interrupted.


    As Schiller spoke, Lionel saw a trace of blood flowing from the crack of the door. He swallowed his saliva, and his terrified expression was almost uncontroble. Finally, to save his own life, he said, "No, I''m serious. If you want, you can follow me..."


    Lionel and Schiller walked through the dark corridor, climbed the rotating staircase, and arrived at the meeting room upstairs.


    Lex Luthor, wearing a suit, was waiting there. He was younger and still a teenager.


    Schiller walked up, bent down, and stared at Lex. Lex looked up at him, his eye contact somewhat numb, and he seemed unable to think independently.


    Schiller narrowed his eyes, and Lionel walked up, pretending to be polite, and asked, "Professor, how is my son''s condition?"


    "My Healing Game."


    Schiller stood up straight, pretending to be thinking, turned around, and began pacing in the room.


    Lionel''s attention was on Lex, so he didn''t notice Schiller walking behind him and picking up a vase from the decorative table.


    "This child has had bad luck. When his mother gave birth to him, she suffered from postpartum depression. I hired many doctors and gave him meticulous nursing care, but in the end, she stillmitted suicide..."


    "Although I was very sad, I knew that I had to hold on for little Lex. But what made me copse even more was that a few yearster, he was diagnosed with autism and couldn''tmunicate normally with people, and his thinking was abnormal..."


    "Professor, you don''t know how sad I am. At that moment, I almost wanted to follow my wife, but for the sake of taking care of him, I persisted."


    "For my son, I have to live on..." Lionel''s voice kept trembling, like a sorrowful old father. When he stood up and turned around to see Schiller''s reaction, a huge vase appeared in his vision.


    With a loud bang, Lionel fell to the ground. Schiller let go of the vase handle and didn''t look at Lionel, who was knocked unconscious and bleeding. Instead, he came to Lex''s side.


    He bent down and touched Lex''s head, but Lex still had no reaction and remained very dull.


    Schiller flipped his eyelids and muttered to himself, "Long-term use of excessive sedatives..."


    He searched Lex''s body and, when he touched Lex''s calf and knee, Lex instinctively flinched.


    Schiller rolled up Lex''s pants and found many old wounds on them. He turned Lex around and lifted his shirt, finding wounds on his back. Obviously, this couldn''t have been caused by an ident but by abuse.


    He turned his head and nced at Lionel, his eye contact bing somewhat cold. Then, he tested Lex''s various reactions again, sighed, and stopped to think for a long time. Finally, he supported Lex''s back and said, "Come with me."


    He patted Lex''s back, guiding him out of the door, crossing the dark corridor, anding to the previous room. Despite the strong smell of blood, Lex still had no reaction.


    Without looking at the indescribable substance in the center of the room, Schiller crossed over it and came to the bed, taking out a small box from his luggage.


    After opening the box, there was a very small test tube inside. Schiller looked at the less than one milliliter of liquid left in the test tube and sighed deeply, muttering to himself, "There wasn''t much to begin with, and now there''s only this little left..."


    "But just because there''s only this little left, it seems like I can''t do anything else," Schiller said to himself, as ifforting himself.


    He looked up at Lex''s tender face and dull eye contact, paused for a moment, and then walked over.


    He unscrewed the cap of the small test tube, and at the moment the cap opened, a charming wine aroma spread throughout the room.


    He held Lex''s chin with his hand, made him open his mouth, and poured the liquid from the test tube into his mouth.


    At the moment the liquid entered his mouth, Lex showed an extremely painful expression.


    Schiller bent down and hugged him, stopping his struggling. Lex trembled like a dying fish washed ashore, and after a few minutes, he began to vomit and cough.


    When Lex finally stood up straight, his eyes began to shine and emit a faint light.


    It was as if a vegetative person who had been lying in a hospital bed for many years suddenly woke up. He was confused for a moment, then stood still, and began to ept the memories in his mind...


    Schiller held his shoulder, looked into his eyes, and said, "I know you''re a bit confused now. I think you should have memories of what happened to you, but I still have to exin it to you."


    "Your father should have been abusing you all along, but I don''t understand why he gave you excessive sedatives for a long time, which seriously affected your development and thinking ability."


    "But luckily, I have a very magical thing that can reactivate people''s thinking. Although if used excessively, it may make people go crazy, but if only a little is used, it should be effective for your symptoms."


    "Of course, this thing will have some after-effects. It may make your thinking more active in some excited states, and it may be a bit crazy, but it''s still within a controble range."


    "Okay, child, listen. Later, I will hypnotize your father to make him forget that I knocked him out and treated you. Hypnosis is not omnipotent. If there is enough time, maybe I can do more, but now, for some reason, I have to leave immediately."


    Schiller looked into Lex''s eyes and said, "Remember, act as if nothing happened. This is the only way to protect yourself. If he gives you medication again, find a way to deceive him."


    "And don''t think about revenge until you''repletely sure. Goodbye."


    After speaking, Schiller turned around, closed his luggage, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, he heard a slightly childish voice behind him, "Do you know why my father wanted to control me with drugs?"


    Schiller turned his head and stared at Lex''s eyes, asking in confusion, "You can speak so soon? You..."


    In his vision, Lex, standing in the light, bathed in blood and corpses, showed him a slightly crazy smile and said, "Because I''m a genius..."


    "A super genius."


    Behind him, the wind and snow were still raging.


    Shuttling through the wind and snow, time flew forward rapidly. When he looked through the window again, the atmosphere between Schiller and Benjamin, who had been confronting each other, became more and more intense.


    The red-haired boy who had been standing behind Benjamin slowly raised the vase in his hand towards the person in front of him.


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 Chapter 431: Metropolis Mystery (Fifteen)

    Chapter 431: Metropolis Mystery (Fifteen)


    After a loud "bang," Benjamin fell to the ground, and Schiller watched as Benjamin slowly copsed. He looked up in surprise at Lex.


    Schiller was genuinely taken aback; Lex''s actions were beyond his expectations. Though he knew that Lex was not being controlled, he couldn''t understand why Lex would attack Benjamin. Benjamin used him of being the murderer, but he didn''t use Lex. So why did Lex strike him?


    Schiller reyed the entire incident in his mind:


    Lionel invited him to the reception room, intending to use some leverage to threaten him. When Schiller struck Lionel with an umbre handle, Lionel fell to the ground, and Schiller left the room.


    Later, Selena came to the reception room to check the surveince and identally encountered Leonard, who had just gotten up from the ground. They had some conflict, and Selena struck Lionel with a vase before leaving.


    Benjamin might have wanted to discuss something with Lionel, so he came to the reception room. However, Leonard, who was already on the defensive, berated Benjamin and revealed to him the fact that Schiller had killed someone two years ago. This led to a conflict between Benjamin and Leonard, and Benjamin knocked him unconscious.


    Benjamin was an Agent, and he should have had control over his strength. As a representative of an official force, he couldn''t possibly kill Luthor. So, until this point, Leonard was only unconscious, not dead.


    But now, Lionel lying on the ground was undoubtedly dead. It meant that the first, second, and third people who met Lionel didn''t kill him. The real killer was the fourth one.


    Schiller looked at Lex and asked, "Did you kill Leonard?""No," Lex shook his head and said, "Hemitted suicide, or rather, it was an idental death."


    As Lex described the events, time went back to when Benjamin left the room.


    Although Benjamin didn''t kill Luthor, knocking him out here was still a vition of Agent principles. Therefore, he quickly left the room without noticing a slight movement from the bathroom, which was part of the reception room.


    A few seconds after he left, the bathroom door opened, and Lex walked out. He looked at Lionel lying on the ground and took out a transparent small bag from his pocket containing a small pill.


    Lex ced the pill into Lionel''s mouth, who was still unconscious, and then went to the bathroom, took a cup, and poured water on Lionel''s face.


    After a while, Lionel finally woke up, and when he saw Lex''s face, he was momentarily choked and then coughed violently. Shaking all over, he struggled to get up from the ground.


    "You... you..."


    "Are you wondering how I ended up here and why I didn''t stay in the room?" Lex interrupted.


    Leonard, weakened and not a young man anymore, couldn''t maintainplete rity after repeated blows to the head. He had just climbed up but soon sat back on the ground. He stared at Lex, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief, and managed to say, "How... how did you... didn''t you take your medication?"


    Hearing this, Lex wore a bored expression and ran his fingers through his hair, saying, "I haven''t taken medication since two years ago, and you never noticed."


    "I thought that''s what normal people were like. I''d give you good advice, and you''d smile at me, saying I did well and that I was your dear son."


    Lex''s eyes sparkled as he lowered his head, looking at Lionel on the ground. He continued, "Until two years ago, someone liberated me from that state."


    "He saved me, but more importantly, his actions made me realize something: you''re not normal."


    Lionel''s throat made a choking sound, and his face turned red as he felt his heartbeat racing and blood pumping rapidly.


    "I mean not just your various abuses towards me, but... you really are an idiot, an unbearable idiot to everyone."


    Rage filled Lionel''s eyes, but at this point, he could barely speak. Lex approached him, squatting by his head, and said, "The most ironic thing is that to amodate your stupidity, a group of incredibly intelligent people had to use the most direct method to kill you."


    "Do you feel your heart constantly beating? Does it feel a bit fast? That''s right, it''s proof that you''re alive, though not for long."


    Lex stood up, and his shadow cast over Lionel''s face, engulfing it in darkness. Any expression he made at this moment was unclear.


    As Lex turned to leave, he turned back and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. The person who saved me, the one you hate the most, is Professor Rodriguez."


    "Now, I''m going to ask him if he wants to be my Godfather. As for you..."


    "Not only are you not a genius, you don''t even deserve to be the father of one. Goodbye, Luthor."


    As Lex departed, Lionel clutched his heart, opened his mouth wide, and coughed harshly, then pushed his back forcefully against the ground. After a moment of painful expression, his eye contact gradually faded, and his breathing stopped.


    "He died from cardiac arrest. I did give him some medicine, but it was just the mostmon kind. Seeing my father fainting on the ground, it was only natural to use some emergency medicine, wasn''t it?" Lex said...


    Schiller then looked down at Benjamin, who was still lying there. After approaching, Schiller turned his head and looked at Lex, saying, "Though I don''t know why you attacked him so urgently, I must tell you that your method of knocking him out won''t keep him unconscious for too long."


    "Now, he should be waking up... Oh, look, he''s really waking up."


    With Schiller''s words, Benjamin moved a bit. He twisted his neck, ced his hand on the back of his neck, and tried to get up from the ground.


    Schiller quickly inverted his umbre, holding it with both hands at the middle, and ruthlessly stabbed downward.


    With a "bang," Benjamin fell to the ground again.


    Next to them, Bruce swallowed his saliva. There were no outsiders here, so he didn''t pretend. He stood up straight, adjusted his clothes, and then walked to Benjamin''s side, proficiently beginning to search him.


    After feeling Benjamin''s body and the pockets on his clothes, Bruce found nothing. After standing up, he looked at Schiller and asked, "What''s going on here? What did you do two years ago?"


    "I said I have amnesia, do you believe me?" Schiller replied nonchntly.


    Bruce recalled his experience in Schiller''s Temple of Thought and then shook his head slowly.


    "Very seriously, I do have amnesia. I have impressions of things I''ve done in the past, but specifically about this incident, I have no memory," Schiller said, stroking the handle of his umbre.


    Bruce moved forward two steps, standing opposite Schiller. He looked into Schiller''s eyes and said, "I want to find out the truth about this incident. It''s rted to the future situation on the East Coast and also rted to Gotham."


    He looked at Benjamin, who was lying on the ground, and added, "He told me that he had sent an Agent to Gotham to investigate the Philby list and the Soviet Agent."


    "Do you want to find that Soviet Agent?" Schiller squinted his eyes at Bruce and straightforwardly asked, "After finding him, do you n to hand him over to the CIA?"


    "I don''t care whether the federal government allows espionage or not. I only know that Gotham doesn''t permit it. I won''t let such a dangerous and uncertain person roam freely in this city." Bruce answered in a manner that was very much like Batman.


    "Bruce, you should know that whether I genuinely have amnesia or not, you won''t get the answers you want from me. My past is only rted to me, not to you."


    Bruce clearly had no intention of giving up. The two of them stood in the room, and the atmosphere grew heavy again. This storm was bigger and more dangerous than the confrontation between Schiller and Benjamin.


    Just then, the sound of a gun being cocked rang out, and Bruce rolled to the ground.


    With a "bang," a bullet struck where Bruce had been standing before. At the muzzle of the gun was Lex Luthor''s face.


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 Chapter 432: Metropolis Mystery (Sixteen)

    Chapter 432: Metropolis Mystery (Sixteen)


    With a loud "bang," Lex''s gun was knocked out of his hand, and the tip of Schiller''s umbre was pressed against his forehead. Lex took two steps back, raising his hands as he stared at Schiller.


    Selena rolled and caught the handgun that Schiller had knocked away. She raised the handgun but hesitated, not sure whom to aim at. Selena was on Bruce''s side, but the conflict earlier was between Schiller and Bruce. ording to logic, she should aim the gun at Schiller.


    However, Schiller was from Gotham and also Bruce''s mentor. They had only exchanged harsh words and not physically fought. On the other hand, Lex had just shot at Bruce, so she turned her aim towards him.


    But Lex, without a handgun now, was just a defenseless teenager. In terms of threat level, Schiller was more dangerous. Selena hesitated for a while, her gun wavering between the two. Finally, Bruce walked forward and pushed down Selena''s arm.


    Everyone present was somewhat confused. Lex''s actions seemed illogical. As a Metropolis native, he had no involvement in Gotham''s affairs and had no enmity with Bruce. So why did he shoot?


    Adding to that, Lex''s attack on Benjamin made him seem like a madman ready to attack anyone at any time. Lex was about to say something when Schiller pointed the umbre forward and warned him to step back.


    Schiller was highly cautious of Lex because he knew from theics that Lex was exceptionally intelligent, one of the smartest people in the entire DC universe. Dealing with such individuals was tricky as their actions often concealed deeper meanings.


    Bruce tried to ask Schiller something, but Schiller interrupted him, refusing to engage in any conversation with these highly intelligent individuals. He turned to leave, looking at Benjamin still alive on the ground and the lifeless Lionel. Schillermented before walking away, "Please clean up this mess. I need to go back to sleep."


    Lex sighed deeply, realizing that Schiller truly had amnesia. Bruce was intrigued by Lex''s reaction and asked how he knew."Why should I tell you?" Lex retorted with obvious displeasure towards Bruce.


    Lex walked to Lionel''s corpse, grabbing his arm with some effort, and dragged him into the bathroom. He said, "Bring that annoying Agent here. I''ll go to the warehouse downstairs and get some tools."


    Bruce inquired about Lex''s intentions, and he replied that he wanted to clean up the ce. Lex didn''t want the two corpses lying around, waiting to be discovered by other Agents.


    As Lex left, he continued toin, "The sewage system in this old Manor must be terrible. Dealing with two bodies at once might clog it uppletely..."


    Bruce didn''t move Benjamin but flipped him over. He started tapping Benjamin''s acupoint. Lex noticed this and hurriedly asked, "What are you doing? What if you wake him up?"


    "I want to wake him up," Bruce replied without looking up. He added, "I need to extract useful information from him, and besides, he is the head of the Central Intelligence Agency team assigned to investigate the spy case in Metropolis. He can''t die."


    Lex stood behind Bruce, observing his actions, and said, "Fine, do as you wish."


    He then turned to leave, but Bruce continued speaking, "I''m sorry, Mr. Luthor, but you can''t leave either. You should stay until I get the information I need."


    Lex paid him no attention and didn''t stop his steps. However, he soon heard the distinct sound of the gun''s safety being cocked. Selena was aiming the gun at his head. Lex turned around, disdainfully sneering at her.


    "Do you know, talking too much to fools like you is a waste of my life," Lex mocked.


    "Wayne, the Wayne Group you own is merely an industry handed down to you by your parents. The entire Luthor Group is powerful because of my decisions."


    Lex continued taunting, "What? Are you closer to that Professor? Do you feel like his prized student?"


    "Maybe heins about you being a fool but sticks with you because he has no better options. He favors you only because there''s no one better. However, he will soon realize that he and I are kindred spirits."


    Lex insulted Bruce''s dual identity, saying, "Pretending to be a yboy on the surface while secretly managing your industries, you think you''re a genius disguised as an ordinary person."


    "But the truth is, you''re just an ordinary person, useless in front of real geniuses..."


    Bruce stood up from Benjamin and walked towards Lex, locking eyes with him, "That Professor taught me many things, but the most important lesson was..."


    Bruce intentionally dragged out his words, making Lex eager to hear the rest. Then, with a "bang," Bruce''s fist struck Lex, knocking him down. Bruce looked down at him and said, "Though words can be powerful, sometimes a fist is the best way to deal with problems."


    Lex remained on the ground, showing no intention to move. His red hair covered his eyes, hiding the contempt within them. Bruce observed his face and suddenly asked, "What''s the 10th digit after the square root of 39?"


    "3," Lex answered without hesitation.


    "And the square root of 235?"


    "7."


    Lex stood up from the ground, wiping away the blood from under his nose. He grinned at Bruce, "What about the 15th digit after the square root of 659?"


    "1," Bruce immediately replied.


    Their questions and answers flowed without pause. Selena, unable toprehend theplex mathematical and physics knowledge they were exchanging, watched as the two super geniusespeted against each other.


    Selena muttered to herself, "Men and theirpetitiveness."


    As the time passed, Selena became drowsy. She woke up from the sofa, feeling her arms numb from beingpressed. She nced outside the window at the relentless snowstorm and the dark skies.


    She squinted, checking the clock on the wall. It was already 6 in the morning.


    Selena covered her forehead with her hand, then turned her head to see that Bruce and Lex were still standing in the center of the room.


    No, they were no longer standing. They had brought a chair and a table into the room, the table stacked with various scraps of paper.


    Selena stretched her arms and yawned. She then nced at the two men and turned back, walking emotionlessly towards the guest room''s exit. Neither Bruce nor Lex noticed her, even ignoring the handgun she left on the table.


    Selena reached the corridor, which was quiet. Despite Benjamin''s disappearance overnight, no Agents hade searching for him. If they had, Bruce and Lex had likely dealt with them. Selena didn''t spot any Agents in the corridor, so she headed downstairs.


    She reached the grand hall and continued to the side, turning a corner to reach the storage area behind the Manor. Selena found the monitoring room, but she wasn''t searching for it; she only wanted to find a telephone.


    Fortunately, the monitoring room also had a telephone that connected to the guest rooms. Selena picked up the phone and dialed a number. On the other end, Schiller''s tired voice answered.


    "Professor?... Ah, no! Don''t be angry!... Alright, I know, I get really angry when I can''t sleep too. But, there might be some trouble here, and we might need you to deal with it..."


    "But... but it could be a big problem. Do you want to listen to the details first?"


    Selena spoke to herself while looking at the telephone in her hand, listening to the dial tone after the call was hung up. She bit her lip and finally said in a low voice, "Never mind. It probably won''t be a big deal."


    She turned and walked back up the staircase, preparing to return to her room for some rest.


    Selena had a very traditional Gotham upbringing and had no formal education. Reading newspapers was the extent of her literacy, which already surpassed many other Gotham citizens whocked education. She couldn''t be expected to understandplex mathematics and physics.


    Selena was more of an intuitive person, relying on her instincts. Therefore, she couldn''t grasp the magnitude of the sparks that flew when two evenly matched super geniuses shed.


    As Selena started to doze off, she was awakened by shouts from the reception room, "The guest room exploded! Hurry, put out the fire!"


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 Chapter 433: Metropolis Doubts (Seventeen)

    Chapter 433: Metropolis Doubts (Seventeen)


    As it turned out, the troubles caused by the overnight blizzard were far greater than anyone had imagined. In one of the most important and grand buildings in all of Metropolis, a violent explosion urred in a certain room, with mes shooting up to the sky. However, all the police cars and ambnces were unable to arrive on time because the snow had blocked the roads.


    You might wonder about snowplows. Well, they were even farther away than the police cars and ambnces, and it took them two hours to shovel their way here.


    Schiller walked along the corridor, seemingly unperturbed by the billowing smoke that had risen from below. He descended the spiral staircase to the floor with the meeting room, where he spotted the figure of Scarlet Witch stumbling and running towards him.


    Lex, with a puzzled expression, followed Schiller''s lead and opened a window at the corner of the hallway to take a few breaths of fresh air, violently coughing afterward.


    When he straightened up, he noticed Schiller standing at the mouth of the staircase. Lex pointed down and said, "It''s all Bruce Wayne''s doing!"


    Bruce emerged slowly from the cigarette fog, carrying a fire extinguisher and wearing a makeshift gas mask that Selena had brought earlier. He dropped the extinguisher on the ground and said, "This thing is expired. We need to think of another way."


    Schiller slowly opened the umbre he had in his hand, and both Lex and Bruce looked at him, not understanding what he was up to. But as he raised the umbre overhead, the space beneath it was free of cigarette smoke, as if it were imprable by any harmful substance.


    Schiller stood in the cigarette fog, holding the umbre, and looked at Lex, then at Bruce. He asked, "Can one of you exin to me what''s going on here?"


    Lex started counting the patterns on the ceiling, while Bruce examined the text on the fire extinguisher. After a cough, Bruce spoke first, "I swear, I dismantled the helicopter''s engine only to prove the perfection of my design, and it was his suggestion."Lex looked at Bruce, pointing a finger at himself, and vehemently retorted, "You im that the engine you modified is the best in the world, but that''s just a big talk. The best aircraft engine will always be the one I invented!"


    "But you have no evidence to support that im, whereas I have a working prototype."


    "I''ve already pointed out the ws in your engineponents. Your energy efficiency is abysmal. If it weren''t for that old man Lionel earlier, I wouldn''t have had a chance to establish my ownboratory. Otherwise, I''d show you what true genius invention means!"


    "Your arrogance and conceit are contrary to the spirit of scientific exploration." Bruce''s tone remained calm, but it was evident that he was eager to counter Lex.


    It was the first time he had faced someone whose intelligence matched his own, at least in the field of invention and creation. And they were both not yet 20 years old. No matter how high their intellect was, it was hard to avoid apetitive spirit. Anyone who dared to venture into the realm of scientific research had absolute confidence in their own capabilities.


    After an initial bout of mutual probing, they realized that their minds worked at simr speeds, and their intelligence was on par. They understood that they had encountered formidable opponents.


    The ensuing discussions on theories were lengthy, and it was apparent that the scientific knowledge of the DC world would take a significant leap if not for their mutual distrust and recent acquaintance.


    However, theoretical discussions could only showcase so much. They soon wanted to transition to the experimental phase, but the mayor''s mansion was not theirboratory, and theycked the necessary equipment.


    During their conversation, they touched upon the small gadgets that Bruce had brought with him, which led to a discussion about the mode of transportation he used to arrive here, the helicopter.


    As well-known, just like the Batmobile, all of Batman''s vehicles appeared to be one thing on the outside but were heavily modified into something entirely different inside. The helicopter was no exception; it could transform into a rocketunch pad and assemble a rocket for space travel, which was not surprising for Batman''s gadgets.


    Speaking of the helicopter, they had to talk about Bruce''s modified helicopter engine, which was the essence of any vehicle. Bruce was confident in his modifications, believing he had taken every aspect into consideration, creating the most perfect helicopter engine.


    Lex, on the other hand, didn''t believe it. During his two years without medication, he had learned most of the knowledge avable to humanity. Like Bruce, anyplex scientific technology that might be iprehensible to ordinary people was as simple as eating and drinking to him. So, he snorted at Bruce''s so-called perfect helicopter engine, thinking he could find its ws easily.


    Bruce was curious to see if Lex could indeed find any ws. Thus, in the middle of the night, he climbed out of the manor''s window, reaching the rooftop of the adjacent building, where he sessfully brought the helicopter engine to the meeting room. And then, they started examining it carefully.


    Regardless of anything else, anything Batman made was always highly secure.


    However, this isn''t aboratory, and there aren''t many specialized tools to pry open the engine''s casing. Still, the debate between the two about the engine grew increasingly heated, and neither could convince the other. Only facts could settle the matter. Thus, Lex decided to use a directional explosion to ess the internal wiring.


    The explosion did seed, and Lex did manage to identify the engine''s w at that moment. However, the physical sparks caused by the explosion were much bigger than the sparks of their intellect.


    Perhaps it was not that theycked intelligence, but rather, they were somewhat unlucky. Normally, controlled explosions should be manageable, but something went wrong, and the helicopter''s engine exploded.


    Both of them realized something was amiss before the explosion and managed to take cover. Thankfully, they weren''t injured, but the explosion shattered all the ss in the meeting room and started a fire.


    Having listened to the entire ount, Schiller touched his temple with his hand and checked his wristwatch. It was around 7 o''clock in the morning, and the winter daylight was still scarce, leaving the outside world in darkness.


    Schiller sighed and closed the umbre. He looked at Lex and Bruce, saying, "What are you waiting for? Let''s put out the fire."


    Lex and Bruce sighed in unison, knowing that expecting the police and fire department to arrive in this weather was unrealistic. They had to resort to the most primitive methods.


    Bruce headed towards the corridor, saying, "I''ll go to the nearest bathroom and fetch a water hose. You go downstairs and evacuate the people who are trying to escape to the backyard."


    Muttering a few words under his breath, Lex nced at Schiller beside him. Ultimately, he said nothing and turned to head downstairs.


    As he approached the window, he looked outside and leaned against the balcony, murmuring, "Am I seeing things, or is something flying up in the sky?"


    Lex narrowed his eyes, looking outside, then turned his head to Bruce, who hadn''t left yet, and said, "I told you your so-called ''perfect'' helicopter engine couldn''t possibly be perfect. Your helicopter can''t fly in this weather, but some helicopters can."


    Bruce was in a hurry to put out the fire and paid no attention to Lex. However, as he went to the nearest bathroom, connected the water hose, and brought the other end to the meeting room to fight the fire, he caught a glimpse of a figure amidst the broken ss.


    The person seemed to be holding a real firefighting hose and was spraying water outside, but he himself looked unsteady, leaning against the wall.


    Aside from the initial shock of the powerful explosion, the fire inside the meeting room wasn''t too extensive. Bruce advanced step by step with his homemade water hose and quickly created a path to fight the fire. He then reached the window, picked up the seemingly uninvited firefighting hose, and started extinguishing the mes.


    The effectiveness of the real firefighting hose was much better than his homemade one, and soon the fire inside the room was mostly under control. Bruce approached the area where the figure was and dropped the water hose beside him. Then, he quickly walked over, taking off his gas mask and putting it on the person''s face.


    He stared at the figure and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Why weren''t you staying in the guest room?"


    "I...," the person managed to utter a syble but was interrupted by a series of coughs.


    Bruce sized him up; he was a young man who appeared to be about the same age as Bruce, with ck hair, and the color of his eyes obscured in the cigarette fog. He had a handsome face and a reasonably strong build.


    Bruce furrowed his brow; he didn''t remember inviting anyone like this to the event, but it seemed like he had brought the real firefighting hose.


    Bruce turned his head again, focusing on the firefighting hose, and then noticed that it seemed to be reaching in from the outside.


    He walked to the window, picked up the hose, and looked down. He saw an entire firetruck''s water tank.


    Even with Bruce''s intelligence, he couldn''t fathom how such a massive water tank ended up there.


    He nced at the water hose in his hand, then turned his head to the young man. Finally, he tossed the water hose aside and walked up to the person, asking him, "Did you bring the water tank here?"


    "Uh, no, I believe it must be the fire department or something."


    Bruce squinted; he asked, "Then why are you here? I don''t remember inviting anyone like you to the event."


    "I just came to help," the young man exined earnestly. "I''m a student at Metropolis University, and we just had a break. I was supposed to go home, but due to the blizzard, all transportation has been suspended."


    "I happened to see smoke billowing from the house at school, and I knew there was a fire. So, I thought I could lend a hand."


    "Coincidentally saw it?" Bruce repeated the phrase. Seeing that the young man''s face was full of disbelief and he wanted to exin further, Lex entered grumblingly, saying, "Goodness, what are you doing inside? Is this tiny me worth you..."


    "Oh," Lex stopped at the doorway, looking at Bruce, and said, "You turned your helicopter engine into a person just to prove it''s the most perfect in the world?"


    "No, he says he came to help," Bruce turned back and started walking back?


    But at that moment, he suddenly heard a "bang" from behind him. The peculiar young man had fallen to the ground.


    No one attacked him, and there was nothing on the floor to trip him, yet he fell to the ground as if he''d been knocked over by an invisible force.


    Lex looked at the fallen young man and remarked, "If he really is your helicopter engine turned person, then it''s pretty rotten."


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 Chapter 434: Metropolis Mystery (Eighteen)

    Chapter 434: Metropolis Mystery (Eighteen)


    Lex and Bruce both stood beside the young man, but they didn''t rush to help him. Instead, they observed his condition because his appearance was a bit too mysterious in terms of timing and manner.


    "Sorry, can you give me a hand? I''m not feeling very well," the young man coughed twice and said.


    Bruce didn''t move, just standing in ce as he asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    "I''m rk, rk Kent. As I said, I''m a student from Metropolis. I saw smokeing out of the dormitory, so I rushed here to put out the fire."


    The young man named rk sighed and continued, "I just started college this year. My student ID is in the pocket of my clothes. You can take it out and check. I''m not lying."


    Bruce walked over and felt the pocket of his clothes, indeed finding a student ID that read, "Metropolis University, Freshman, rk Kent, Major in Mass Communication."


    He put the student ID in his own pocket, then approached rk and helped him up. Supporting rk, he left the messy reception room and took him to an adjacent guest room.


    rky on the bed, resting for a while, and seemed to feel better. He removed the gas mask from his face, revealing a handsome and attractive face that could rival Bruce''s.


    He took a few deep breaths and then touched his chest, saying, "Damn, what happened to me..."At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the guest room. When Lex opened it, he found Schiller standing outside.


    Bruce turned his head and looked at the patterns on the bedsheet, while Lex focused on studying the structure of the doorknob. Schiller entered the room and, upon seeing another person lying on the bed, he paused and looked at Bruce, saying, "...Is this your helicopter engine?"


    rk, who had regained some strength, sat up from the bed and said, "Hello, I''m rk. Thank you for saving me."


    Schiller squinted his eyes, then scrutinized rk and asked, "Are you in high school or college?"


    "I just started college at Metropolis University, not far from here. So when I saw the smoke, I rushed over immediately."


    "How did you rush over?" Schiller inquired.


    Bruce also turned his head to look at rk, clearly curious about the answer. Schiller nced at the snowy scene outside the window and said, "If my estimation is correct, the snow outside is already too thick for vehicles to pass through."


    "I walked here."


    "I used to teach at Metropolis University. Although it''s close to here, it would take at least 20 minutes to walk. From the time the fire started to the appearance of the smoke, it hasn''t been more than three minutes..."


    "I run pretty fast; I''m the long-distance running champion in our department," rk exined earnestly.


    Clearly, the three people in the room, besides rk, didn''t believe his exnation. Just as Bruce was about to ask further questions, Schiller said, "You look a bit unwell. What''s wrong?"


    "I just... suddenly feel a bit ufortable," rk frowned and said, "Maybe I ran too fast just now."


    As if realizing something suddenly, he looked at Schiller and said, "Are you a professor at Metropolis University? Then, I..."


    "Things are urgent here, right?" Schiller interrupted him, and rk''s face rxed as he replied, "Thank you for understanding. I know the school told us not to go out..."


    "Regardless of how you got here, it''s obvious that you are trapped with us."


    "Or..." Schiller looked into rk''s eyes and said, "You can demonstrate for us how to run from the Mayor''s Mansion to Metropolis University within three minutes."


    rk shook his head like a wave drum, saying, "No, I''m a bit tired."


    Schiller turned his head to look at Lex and Bruce and said, "I want to talk to him about the current situation at Metropolis University. If you''re okay, you can go back and rest."


    Lex seemed to have something to say but Schiller turned away directly. Lex hesitated for a moment but eventually left the room. Bruce followed him out, walking in the dim corridor, and turned his head to say, "You must know something, don''t you?"


    "What do you mean?" Lex didn''t give a direct answer to his question.


    "That so-called treasure, your father, the conspiracy two years ago, and that Professor..."


    "Oh, you''re here." Selena appeared at the staircase, ncing back at the devastated reception room across the hall, shaking her head. "You two sure know how to make a mess. You actually blew this ce up."


    After that, she looked Lex up and down and said, "Are you really a citizen of Metropolis? Your destructive power is not something we often see in Gotham."


    Lex seemedpletely uninterested in talking to Selena. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Bruce, saying, "I acknowledge you''re also a genius, butpared to me, you''re far behind. Your so-called perfect helicopter engine is nothing special..."


    "I can tell you that I do know a lot of information," Lex crossed his arms and looked into Bruce''s eyes. "My father has been searching for a treasure, and in these two years, he hasn''te up empty-handed."


    "Today''s party was originally his conspiracy. He invited all the East Coast celebrities here, partly to eliminate those who hindered him and also to cause a mess, stirring the waters and muddying the situation to cover up his true intentions."


    Bruce narrowed his eyes, staring at Lex. "Are you saying the treasure is here?"


    "Correct." Lex gave a positive answer and then began pacing before Bruce, exining, "The mayor''s mansion is the oldest manor in Metropolis. It was built by the first European immigrants who came here. After the immigrants left the city, it became the residence and office for all the mayors."


    "Everyone knows that, unlike Gotham, Metropolis operates under a strong mayor system. The mayor holds considerable power here. Under the governance of the mayor before White, Metropolis prospered."


    "Some said he might be a strong candidate for the presidency. However, after he stepped down as mayor, he mysteriously disappeared. Nevertheless, this mayor left behind many rumors, including the one my father heard."


    "He heard that the mayor was conducting secret radiation experiments, trying to find a way to improve humanity''s physique and brain, to turn humans into powerful, long-lived, and intelligent mutated beings."


    Lex nced at Bruce''s expression and continued, "I know this sounds like the delusion of a fool, but he did find some evidence that the mayor conducted secret experiments underground in the mansion."


    "He constantly sought extraordinary wisdom, so he investigated this matter until he bought all the buildings around the mayor''s mansion and nned this event to secretly explore what lies beneath the mansion..."


    Lex stopped walking and looked at Bruce. "Metropolis'' affairs should be handled by Metropolis'' people. Whatever the mayor was doing underground has nothing to do with you. Go back to your Gotham."


    "You know what I''m truly interested in, don''t you? What happened in the conspiracy two years ago and that Professor..."


    "I was indeed inside the mayor''s mansion at that time, but I never left the room throughout the entire event. I don''t know what happened inside the manor."


    "Then..."


    "Regarding that Professor, I won''t say anything."


    Lex crossed his fingers, forming an "X" in front of his mouth. After putting his hands down, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a slightly wicked smile.


    Once he left, Selena approached and walked alongside Bruce. After they returned to the room, Bruce sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, his face showing a hint of weariness. He rarely disyed such an expression in front of outsiders, but Selena seemed used to it.


    "It seems like you''re a bit unhappy," Selena sat beside him and turned her head to look at his face. "Is it because you really want to know about that Professor''s story?"


    Bruce pursed his lips and replied, "If I can''t figure out his origins, I can''t ignore his dangerous abilities."


    "You distrust him? But I can see that he seems to trust you."


    "Where did you see that?"


    "Didn''t you notice? When Lex wanted to attack you, he chose to stand on your side."


    Bruce shook his head and said, "I only distrust those dangerous abilities. If one day those abilities go out of control, I need to have a way to counter them..."


    "Alright, then let''s talk about that treasure. I like searching for treasures, what about you?" Selena smiled at Bruce.


    "Lex told me that there is a secret beneath the mayor''s mansion, and he may have wanted me to pave the way for him."


    "Yeah, but..." Selena intentionally dragged out her words, prompting Bruce to turn his head to look at her. Then, Bruce saw Selena extend her hand and flick her index finger, and a key appeared on her fingertip.


    "If, I happened to find a key on him?"


    Same-aged Batman, Superman, and Luthor.


    Who endangers me, I won''t say.


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 Chapter 435: Metropolis Mystery (Nineteen)

    Chapter 435: Metropolis Mystery (Neen)


    In the room where rk was, Schiller ced his umbre within reach and sat down on a chair. He looked at rk and asked, "How''s the situation at Metropolis University?"


    "Well... it''s actually not bad. I just started university this year, and I heard that after the new mayor took office, Metropolis University received more funding and got a new yground with a newwn."


    rk wanted to sit up on the bed because he felt lying down while talking to someone was a bit impolite, but Schiller gestured for him to stay put.


    Schiller turned to adjust the position of the deskmp, making its light softer. Then he looked at rk and said, "Now, there''s no one else here. You can tell me how you ended up here."


    "I, I really am..." Looking at Schiller''s eye contact, rk suddenly found it hard to continue his words. He felt like this Professor had seen through him, but he didn''t know why.


    "You don''t have to worry, rk. There are more people in this world with special abilities than just you." Schiller let out a sigh and continued, "I understand that you don''t want to be seen as a monster. You want to live as an ordinary person in society, and I feel the same way."


    rk''s lips trembled, but he turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to discuss the matter. However, just as he turned his head, he saw a wisp of me appear in Schiller''s hand.


    rk widened his eyes, looking at Schiller''s hand. There were no mechanical devices there, yet the me danced and burned in his hand, brighter than the light from the deskmp.


    "My goodness! You... you can also..." rk''s mouth hung open, seeming unable to express his feelings. He propped himself up on the bed, sat up, and turned towards Schiller, carefully staring at the fire in his hand."BidiGe" "BidiGe"


    "This is so cool! Are you a magician?" rk brought his head close, and Schiller saw the look of curiosity on his face, sighing.


    Logically, Superman should have a high level of intelligence, but for some reason, he appeared a bit naive in his actions. Despite being able to fly faster than a fighter jet, shootser beams from his eyes, and have superhuman strength, he still felt surprised and curious when seeing someone conjure a fireball.


    Schiller gently clenched his hand, and a wisp of smoke rose as the me died down. rk seemed a little reluctant to take his eyes off it. He raised his head, looking expectantly at Schiller, and asked, "What else can you do? Can you fly? Can your eyes shootsers?"


    Schiller shook his head, and in a moment, his figure disappeared. rk was stunned, and then he heard a slight movement behind him. He quickly turned his head and saw Schiller reappear behind him.


    rk rubbed his eyes and twisted his neck, looking back at Schiller. He saw Schiller walk back to his seat and said, "In this world, many people have various special abilities. You are not alone."


    "As for magic... I don''t do magic, but it does exist. I know someone who uses magic, though he''s a scoundrel." After Schiller sat back down, he brought his umbre over from the side.


    rk noticed faint patterns on the umbre''s surface that seemed to change between reality and illusion. He leaned closer and reached out with a hand, but then pulled it back, feeling that such a gesture might be impolite.


    "Is this a magic prop? Why do the patterns on it move? It looks like... snake skin?"


    "It is indeed snake skin." Schiller caressed the umbre''s surface, feeling the slightly cool texture of the snake scales. He said, "Have you heard of the World Serpent Jormungandr from mythology?"


    "Oh, is it that mythological story? We analyzed examples of Norse mythology in ss."


    "This is made from its skin."


    rk''s expression froze. He swallowed, then said, "Are you saying someone killed Jormungandr and made its skin into an umbre? That doesn''t seem right..."


    "Are you an animal rights advocate? Even so, I don''t think you would extend your protection to mythological giant snakes."


    rk pursed his lips, watching the umbre for a while before looking back at Schiller, asking, "Were your abilities also natural?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "The origin of the abilities isn''t important; what''s important is what you want to do with them."


    "I think the same way," rk''s tone was very agreeable. He said, "Although I don''t know why I''m different from ordinary people, I feel like I can use these abilities for good."


    "Including winning the long-distance running championship in your department?"


    rk gave an embarrassed smile and said, "Actually, until I got into Metropolis University, I couldn''t quite control this ability."


    "That day, the photography teacher saw my strength when he had us familiarize ourselves with equipment. He introduced me to the track and field team. During training, I identally ran a bit too fast."


    Schiller asked, "How fast?"


    rk pursed his lips and said, "Fast enough to identally break the world record."


    "Then, my coach happened to witness this training, and he said I was a genius, insisting that I participate in long-distance runningpetitions."


    rk showed a somewhat troubled expression and said, "Beforeing here, I was actually considering how to decline the offer."


    "Thepetitions within the university were fine, but if I became a professional athlete and defeated all the veterans within a year, it would be quite sensational."


    "And...," rk hesitated and said, touching his chin with his finger, "Since you also have special abilities, have you ever felt... that kind of feeling..."


    "Have you ever thought thatpeting with ordinary people might be unfair to them?"


    Schiller took out a medical record book from his pocket and continued writing and drawing in it. He looked up and said, "Tell me more."


    rk looked curiously at the medical record book, and Schiller straightened up, saying, "I forgot to introduce myself. I am a psychology professor. I used to teach psychology at Metropolis University, including a course on criminal psychology, and I have supervised master''s and doctoral students."


    rk widened his eyes, immediately sitting up straight, and said, "Oh, sorry, Professor. I was a bit disrespectful. I am quite curious about psychology, and I even took some basic psychology courses."


    "It''s fine. At the same time, I am also a psychologist, so if you share your troubles with me, maybe I can help you alleviate them. You should know my consultation fees are quite expensive."


    "Oh, Professor, you''re really kind," rk said with a cheerful smile.


    In some ways, rk''s temperament was somewhat simr to Spider-Man Peter''s, but Peter tended to be more shy and reserved, rarely expressing his thoughts openly. When not wearing the Spider-Man suit, he looked more like a quiet bookworm.


    But rk was more outgoing, exuding energy and enthusiasm. Especially when he shed that iconic smile, people unconsciously felt like trusting him.


    rk also observed the Professor in front of him. He looked like a typical schr, with pronunciation and tone simr to the professors he had seen in college. His speech and grammar had a hint of schrly refinement, but his tone wasforting.


    Thinking of himself, rk let out a sigh, feeling a mix of emotions.


    During the time between graduating from high school and starting college, many things had happened. He had originally nned to spend the break at home, enjoying some rxing family time. However, an unexpected snowstorm trapped all the students of Metropolis University in their dorms.


    In reality, he hade out tonight to fight fires as an excuse to give himself some space. After all, his life as a college student differed slightly from what he had imagined, bringing him some worries.


    Many literary and artistic works depict how people with special abilities live in the ordinary society. rk had read some of these works, but based on his own experiences, he found that they were not entirely realistic.


    A person with superpowers finds it challenging topletely conceal their extraordinary abilities. rk had learned this firsthand. When you could effortlessly lift several tons, be immune to harm, and fly, it was difficult not to use those advantages in various situations.


    For example, when you were just a few minutes away from beingte for ss, but the road was jammed with traffic, it was hard for rk not to fly a short distance to get there on time. While flying and arriving promptly might feel great at the moment, he wouldter feel a strange sense of guilt, as if he had cheated in a game.


    These feelings umted over time, but he had no one to confide in. So, on this evening, when Schiller showed him that he also had special abilities, rk felt that he could understand him, which wasn''t surprising.


    rk organized his thoughts and opened up.


    "When I first joined the track and field team, everyone was friendly. Initially, I did some odd jobs like delivering water and towels after their training and helping move some equipment."


    "I didn''t think much of it. I knew new members in clubs were doing this. At that time, they would say I worked hard and encourage me to join the training soon."


    "While it might sound strange, that period was the happiest time for me in the club."


    "So, what happened afterward?"


    rk sighed, and his tone became moreplex. "That day, they were practicing ry races, and one team member got injured and couldn''tpete. The other substitute team members didn''t show up, leaving only me, a neer, in charge of managing the training equipment."


    "A senior approached me and asked me to train with them, as the anchor leg. I didn''t think too much and joined them."


    "In the earlier legs, our team fell behind, so when it was my turn to run, I got a bit anxious, and then..."


    rk pursed his lips, showing a somewhat sorrowful expression, and said, "I noticed the captain of the other team was not happy. They were initially leading, but they were overtaken during my leg."


    "Later, my team members told me the other team''s captain had always been the best performer in the club, and his team had never lost under his leadership."


    "I wanted to apologize, but I felt it might make him angrier, so I didn''t. But unexpectedly, the next day, he came looking for me, wanting topete with me in a long-distance run."


    "I was originally nning to deliberately lose to him and let it go, but the coach saw my performance in the ry race, and he hoped I would perform well and bring glory to the school."


    "Because the captain''s attitude when he came to find me wasn''t great, I was also a bit angry, so during the race, I ran a bit too fast..."


    "And then broke the world record?"


    "I told them the timer was broken, and the other students believed it, but the coach clearly didn''t."


    Schiller chuckled and said, "After working in this field for a while, even with just an estimate, you can gauge the approximate data."


    rk let out a deep sigh. "Since that incident, everyone in the track and field team treats me a bit..."


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 Chapter 436: Metropolis Mystery (20)

    Chapter 436: Metropolis Mystery (20)


    "What do you think of their attitude?"


    rk pursed his lips, lowered his head, and spoke in a somewhat low tone. He said, "There are many athletes in Metropolis University, and about half of the track and field team are professional athletes."


    "Their training is very hard, almost 365 days a year without rest. The training intensity is high, the duration is long, and it is also very easy to get injured."


    "Previously, the senior who brought me into the club told me that this path is not easy, and it is almost sacrificing life for results."


    "Some people have been training hard for several years, but because of injuries, they cannot participate in major events. After missing this opportunity, they will never have a chance again and can only go back to their own town to be a physical education teacher or switch to another career."


    "I am not an athlete, nor do I have any professional sports training background, but I can easily achieve much better results than them. The coach praised me for having talent and being a genius, but I always feel guilty."


    "Because I didn''t rely on hard work, or even talent, I ampletely different from them. They think this is already a very talented performance, but in fact, I have been trying to restrain my own strength, and I can do much more than this."


    "Their eye contact towards me is filled with jealousy, envy, and even some anger and malice, but I can understand it. If I were in their shoes, I might not be able to control my own mentality."


    "Do you know? The coach asked me to participate in a long-distance race, and when I refused without thinking, everyone''s eye contact towards me changed.""For them, the opportunity that needs to be worked hard and paid a huge effort to obtain was rejected by me."


    "But I can''t exin it. I can''t just fly into the air and tell everyone, ''Look, I''m a freak''..."


    rk''s emotions became a bit agitated. Obviously, these words had been pent up in his heart for a long time. He said like venting, "They don''t know that I have also encountered many difficulties before. I am not the kind of person who gains without effort and pretends to be arrogant, but..."


    Schiller looked at rk with eye contact. After rk noticed his eye contact, his voice slowly disappeared, and he looked at Schiller''s eyes, waiting for him to speak.


    "I understand what you said," Schiller turned over the medical record book and continued, "You are different from ordinary people and have abilities beyond them. When you identally show this ability, you stand at a high position in society."


    "People in the same field must work harder than you to barely touch your position, and even they may never be able to do it in their lifetime. You think this is unfair to them."


    "But you also feel wronged by their malice towards you, because this is not something you can control. Although you have abilities beyond ordinary people, you also have your own troubles. You feel that they cannot understand you and only think that you are a jerk who does not cherish your talent."


    "You can''t openly dere this special ability, maybe to protect yourself, or maybe to protect your family. This leads to a dead end, and no one can get positive emotions from this situation."...


    rk nodded, indicating that Schiller''s summary was correct. He seemed to have a lot more to say, but considering Schiller''s identity, he decided to swallow those ramblings back into his stomach.


    "Can I ask you a few questions?" Schiller looked at rk''s eyes and said.


    rk nodded, and then Schiller asked, "When you first discovered that you had abilities beyond ordinary people, were you happy or frightened?"


    "Frightened," rk answered quickly, without thinking. He said, "When I first discovered that my strength was amazing, I was scared and thought I had a terminal illness!"


    "How old were you then?"


    "Uh...I don''t remember, but I should be under ten years old? It seems to be when I was helping my father move hay into the warehouse.""Although you were not mentally mature at that time, it also shows that before that, you lived in a rtively innocent humanity society environment."


    "Yes, at that time, there were noics in our town. My only reading material was the newspaper that was delivered once a week, which only talked about things happening in Metropolis."


    "When you first used this power to gain benefits, did you feel ecstatic or proud?"


    rk tried to recall and then shook his head and said, "I remember when I helped my father push his tractor out of the mud pit, I was a little happy, but far from ecstatic."


    Schiller didn''t say anything and continued to ask, "If you were sure that this ability could make you rule the world, would you do it?"


    rk shook his head and asked in confusion, "Why would I want to rule the world?"


    "Have you ever fantasized about using your special abilities to rule the world and gain the highest status, power, and wealth?"


    rk thought carefully and said, "My mother often tells me that people who want to rule the world are viins. They drag many innocent people into wars to achieve their evil ns. I have no good feelings for such people and don''t want to be one of them."


    Schiller rubbed his forehead and looked at certain data recorded in the medical record book, sighed, and asked thest question:


    "Do you think you are a god who came to do good deeds in the world, or just a good person who happens to have superpowers?"


    "I..." Faced with this question, rk hesitated.


    The light from the deskmp shone on his profile, making his features more three-dimensional, and his eyes deeper. The reflection on his eyshes was like starlight falling into the sea, trembling slightly because of his unsettled mood.


    "Well, these questions don''t necessarily require you to give an answer. You have a long time to think slowly."


    "Or, when you make every decision, thinking about these questions will help you establish a stable personality."


    Schiller closed the medical record book and said, "Psychological treatment is not about me asking you to answer, but the questions themselves are the answers I provide to you, a way of thinking that I offer to you."


    "I like to encourage patients to find answers from their own thinking, rather than imposing certain thoughts on them."...


    "What about you, Professor? If I ask you these questions, how would you answer?" rk quickly captured the point of the matter.


    Schiller raised his eyebrows, seeming to be very interested in rk''s reaction. He rubbed his chin and said, "I didn''t expect you to be quite suitable for studying psychology."


    rk''s mood finally improved a bit when he heard this. He said, "I said before that I am quite interested in psychology. I think observing other people''s behavior and inferring their thoughts is a very interesting thing."


    "So..." rk looked at Schiller, wanting to hear his answer.


    "The society we live in now is built by ordinary people. The reason why ordinary people build such a society isplex due to historical reasons, but one reason is that individual abilities are not enough. They need to cooperate with each other to survive in the wilderness."


    "Therefore, in the process of building society, people have obtained different social divisions ofbor due to different specialties."


    "But reversing this theory can also be seen as individual humanity cannot be omnipotent. Because individual strength is weak, it needs to be divided into different social divisions ofbor to improve efficiency and survive."


    "If humanity can live without eating or sleeping, or have infinite strength like you, or have endless wisdom, then every individual in humanity can adapt to any job, and survival is no longer a problem. Then society may be different."


    "You are not adapting to this society because this society itself is built by creatures weaker than you. Everything here is within their imagination, and their imagination is based on their own abilities.""It''spletely normal to feel out of ce. Just like putting a person in a society of wild animals, they would definitely feel out of ce."


    "If you live in a societyposed of beings stronger than you, you would feel that sacrificing certain traits of yourself is only natural."


    "For example, the disadvantaged groups in society may be more willing to sacrifice their dreams and do more practical work, even if they don''t like it."


    "But in your case, it''s the opposite. Everything in this society is weaker than you. When you are in a position of power, you instinctively feel that such sacrifices don''t exist. Since I am so strong, I should have it all. But in reality, it doesn''t work that way."


    "Above the standard line and below the standard line, it''s the same. If you want to fit into a normal society, sacrifices must be made."


    "So, when I use my special abilities to gain an advantage, I don''t feel ecstatic. The reason is that in the process of using this special ability, you inherently ce yourself above the standard line. While gaining interest, you will inevitably sacrifice certain things."


    "The gained interest is obvious, but the sacrifices are not easily seen until they umte and result in a result that is difficult to satisfy."


    "So, every time I use this ability, I am well aware that it is an exchange. I don''t feel proud of it."...


    "Zweig said that all fategifts have already been priced in the dark."


    rk, while pondering, said, "So... the advantage I gained in the long-distance race by using my abilitieses at the cost of changes in the attitudes of those around me."


    rk frowned and said, "But I don''t need to gain an advantage in the long-distance race, and I didn''t gain any interest from it."


    "That''s because you are not someone who seeks fame and fortune. Just think about it, if it were someone chasing after fame and fortune, being able to casually run and be a world champion, gaining both fame and fortune, and enjoying the apuse of the audience in the stands, wouldn''t that be the best gift for them?"


    "True," rk nodded. He thought for a moment and continued, "So, before using my superpowers to do something, I should think about the interest I can gain and the cost I need to pay?"


    "What do you want the most?" Schiller asked another philosophical question.


    "I..." rk hesitated for a moment. This question is a bit too broad for anyone. He said, "I don''t know about the future, but right now, I want to go home and eat the pie my mom made, chat with my dad, or help out on the farm. Basically, just rx."


    rk could be said to be straightforward. He continued, "Well... I can do all of that right now. For example, I can fly out of this window immediately and then fly back home."


    "No, I can''t do that. I can''t exin to those two weirdos how I disappeared. I feel like if they start targeting me, something bad might happen."


    "And besides, there are rules at school. They might check the dorms tonight, and I don''t want to get in trouble. Also, if my mom and dad find out that I ran out of school, they would be very angry."


    rk immediately shook his head repeatedly and said, "Forget it, I''ll go back a littleter. The holidays are still long anyway."


    After saying these words, he stood still and pondered for a moment, then said, "Wow, I feel like things are bing clearer."


    "Originally, I was struggling with this for a long time. I thought, it''s not my fault that there''s a snowstorm. It wouldn''t hurt to use my abilities to go home for a while."


    "Heaven''s Descent"


    "But now, thinking about the consequences, I''ll endure a little longer."


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 Chapter 437: Metropolis Suspicion (Twenty-One)

    Chapter 437: Metropolis Suspicion (Twenty-One)


    "Wait, this doesn''t seem to have anything to do with superpowers," rk suddenly realized and continued:


    "Isn''t this just another interpretation of ''considering the consequences before taking action''?"


    "Yeah, but I think your parents must have told you countless times to ''consider the consequences before taking action.'' Did you really take it to heart?"


    rk''s mouth twitched, and aplex expression appeared on his face, clearly recalling some unpleasant experiences. He sighed deeply and said, "Yeah, my parents emphasized that to me so many times, but I... I just felt like they didn''t understand me at all. I thought they were unwilling to see things from my perspective, didn''t know how much I sacrificed, didn''t know how sad I was. I felt so wronged that I even ran away from home because of it."


    "But, it seems like this kind of decision is really up to me. Based on the gains, I decide if it''s worth paying such a price, and based on the price, I evaluate the gains. It doesn''t really have much to do with superpowers... so what was I agonizing over before?"


    "What do you think superpowers are? Are they your core personality?"


    "Of course not. I am me; I am rk."


    "Or, this exnation might satisfy you: Your personality is formed by factors such as education and environment, while superpowers are just one of the tools you possess."


    "That makes sense," rk replied uncertainly."Then, what sets it apart from other tools? Your father fell in love and got married, raised you, interacted with the neighborhood, and lived in harmony with them. Do any of these things have a direct rtionship with the pitchfork he often uses for farm work?"


    Before rk could answer, Schiller said, "Maybe there''s some rtionship. Without that pitchfork, he might not be able to work, provide for the family, but that tool certainly couldn''t decide whether he should propose to your mother, right?"


    rk suddenlyughed, seeming to remember some amusing anecdotes between his parents. After a while, he sighed and looked at Schiller with great sincerity, saying, "Thank you, Professor. Talking about all this and hearing your advice makes me feel much better."


    With that off his chest, rk seemed to rx all of a sudden. Hey down on the bed, resting his head on the soft pillow, hands on his chest, and said, "Oh, no one knows how miserable I''ve beentely."


    He covered his eyes with his arm and continued, "Wherever I go, I worry about running into people from the track team. I''m afraid the members of the team will badmouth me to my roommates. I worry about dropping out of a race and disappointing the coach. I always feel like I''m a cheating scoundrel..."


    "These are all very normal. Anyone at your age would have simr worries about interpersonal rtionships, life trajectory, and so on. It''s a stage of personality formation."


    As if suddenly remembering someone, Schiller said, "Even people with much more mature personalities would experience simr feelings during this period."


    rk seemed to figure out whom Schiller was referring to. He nced at the door and then asked, "Are you talking about those two guys from earlier? Who are they exactly? Why do I feel like they''re dangerous?"


    "It''s hard to exin now. Once you spend some time with them, you''ll know that these two will undoubtedly y important roles in your future life."


    "Really? Do you mean I''ll be friends with them?"


    "In a way, yes. They will be the ones who understand you the most, and you will understand them the most."


    "Really?!" rk sat up from the bed again, looking puzzled as he gazed at Schiller. "Don''t tell me you have the power of prophecy, Professor. Both of them seem strange to me."


    "Of course not, and it''s not for sure either. At the moment, it seems that their rtionship will be stronger."


    "Rtionship... really? But I feel..."


    rk hesitated, then lowered his voice and said to Schiller, "First, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop, but I have a special ability. I can sense what''s happening outside walls."


    "I overheard them talking about a treasure and something secret in the underground of Mayor Manor..."


    "Underground?" Schiller furrowed his brow, but quickly said, "Anyway, it''s none of my business. I''m going to sleep."


    With that, he stood up and put on his coat before saying to rk, "At your age, you can lose a night''s sleep over a small problem, but I can''t. Tonight, I''ve only slept for two hours, and the price I''m willing to pay for a good night''s rest is far beyond what anyone can imagine."


    After finishing his sentence, Schiller left. rk rolled over in bed, still thinking about the questions Schiller had asked him. Recently, he hadn''t been sleeping very well, so as he thought and thought, he slowly drifted into dreand.


    After returning to his guest room, Schiller changed into his pajamas, ready to sleep. Despite it being daytime now, the continuous heavy snow and gloomy weather made it an ideal time for rest.


    Just after he changed into his pajamas, unsurprisingly, the guest room door was knocked again. Schiller sighed, not surprised at all, and stood up to open the door. Lex Luthor appeared outside the door.


    "What do you want?" Schiller asked directly.


    Lex looked at Schiller in silence for a moment, then asked, "Why do you seem to be wary of me all the time?"


    "Don''t you think you''re not worth being wary of?"


    "I just don''t understand..." Lex kept staring into Schiller''s eyes, but couldn''t discern any emotion worth analyzing. So he continued:


    "Bruce is your student, and you are more familiar with him, so you naturally lean towards him. I can understand that. But why do you trust that person named rk so much?"


    Lex frowned and said, "If it were him who came just now, would you have let him in first before talking?"


    "You seem to have some evidence beyond the facts in your judgment. What is it?" Lex asked.


    Schiller fell silent at his question. He remained silent for a while, then stepped aside and said to Lex, "Come in and talk."


    Lex walked in, and as he closed the door, he heard Schiller say, "It''s... a kind of bias that''s hard for me to exin."


    Then, he heard Schiller sigh deeply. After closing the door, Schiller turned around and asked, "What do you want, exactly?"


    "I just wanted to ask you if you really lost your memory," Lex said, his hands hanging by his sides as he stood in the room, looking at Schiller.


    Schiller stood opposite him, nodding. Lex frowned and asked, "You really don''t remember meeting me?"


    Schiller squinted his eyes, acknowledging that during this period, he had not fully learned from his previous mistakes. He still viewed the people in the real world through the filter of the original characters.


    For example, he always held a positive attitude towards Bruce and rk because they were positive characters in the original work. But he had always been wary of Luthor.


    Although Luthor''s question just now made him realize this, when Lex spoke those words, Schiller still felt that he might be brewing some conspiracy.


    "You''re not going to tell me that you saved me before, are you?" Schiller looked at Lex and asked.


    "Quite the opposite." Lex''s answer surprised Schiller a bit. Lex continued, "You saved me, right here."


    "Two years ago, I was still under my father''s control, thanks to the drugs he used on me. At that time, I was very young and had no choice but to let him manipte me. To keep an eye on me, he was always by my side, even when we attended the party here, he brought me along."


    "I don''t know what exactly happened in between, but after that, Lionel brought you into my room, saying he wanted to give me treatment. Then you knocked him out and gave me a mysterious liquid, which restored my senses."


    "Wait, a mysterious liquid? What was it?"


    "I don''t know." Lionel shook his head. He said, "All I remember is that there was a moment of intense pain. I saw many crazy hallucinations, some of which still appear in my dreams until now, but they''ve be increasingly faint with time, and now they''re almost gone."


    "Can you describe what the liquid looked like?"


    "At that time, you took out a test tube, the smallest size. There was some liquid at the bottom, but I couldn''t see the color clearly. However, when you opened the cap, I could smell a very strong alcohol scent."


    Schiller''s brow furrowed deeper. He had to repeatedly confirm with Lex, but Lex''s description only consisted of a few sentences: indistinct color, alcohol scent, and inducing crazy hallucinations...


    "Wine?" Schiller murmured under his breath, his tone filled with confusion. "How could I have had wine before? Isn''t that in the underground of Gotham Church... have I been to Gotham before?"


    "I know you don''t trust me, and even if you put aside your unfounded bias, no one would believe me if I went up to a stranger like this and said you used to know me..."


    "No." Unexpectedly, Lex denied this. Schiller exined, "What you just described is evidence."


    Schiller felt that it was unlikely that Lex hade into contact with the Dionysian factor and concocted such a lie. To randomly make up a lie that perfectly matched the attributes of the Dionysian factor would be even less likely...


    Furthermore, if that was the reason, then Lex''s previous attacks on Benjamin and Bruce would be understandable, so what he said was highly likely to be true.


    "Okay, but since you''ve lost your memory, I feel it''s necessary to tell you..."


    "As far as I know, you left in a hurry, but it seems you left something behind."


    "I don''t know if it''s rted to the treasure in the underground of Manor, but I managed to give the key to Bruce. He will scout ahead for us."


    "How do you know he''ll scout ahead instead of just taking the treasure?"


    Lex shook his head and said, "It''s not that simple. That treasure is not like the coins piled up in a mythical story; it''s very likely to be dangerous."


    "Besides, I don''t care whether he takes that thing or not; I just want to help you get back what you left behind."


    Lex sighed and said, "Lionel would want that treasure because he heard it could enhance a person''s intelligence, but obviously..."


    "Enhance intelligence? I don''t need that."


    "Is it possible that I don''t really want to get back what I left behind?" Schiller sat on the bed and sighed.


    "It seems like you don''t really care about losing your memory?" Lex asked, very puzzled. "You don''t want to know what happened?"


    "You know what I want to do right now?"


    "...What?" Lex suddenly had a bad feeling. He felt a chill down his back, so he silently took a step back.


    Then, he heard Schiller''s slightly weary and indifferent voice say, "Right now, I just want to sleep."


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 Chapter 438: Metropolis Doubts (22)

    Chapter 438: Metropolis Doubts (22)


    On the fourth floor of Manor, the floor where Bruce and Selena''s room was located, Bruce was dragging the still unconscious Benjamin towards the staircase in the dark corridor. Selena was leading the way, creating distractions.


    Benjamin, as the overall head of all agents in Manor, had disappeared for most of the night, raising rm among all the other agents. If it weren''t for Benjamin''s habit of undertaking secretive tasks alone without informing his subordinates, the other agents would have already started searching the entire Manor. They were aware of his independent style of work.


    However, this disappearance gave Bruce an opportunity to interrogate Benjamin. He and Selena had moved Benjamin to a storage room on the third floor. As Bruce dragged him inside, Selena stood by the door, holding it open and told him, "You better be quick."


    She nced towards the window at the other end of the corridor, where there were faint shes of light, resembling someone walking by with a shlight. Selena turned her head to Bruce and said, "The explosion in the reception room was too loud; they will definitely start searching from there."


    She looked at her watch and added, "It takes about 6 to 7 minutes to get from the reception room back to our bedroom. Even if they search, it will dy them, and they''ll find this ce within 20 minutes at thetest."


    Selena''s brow furrowed tighter as she said, "Anyway, I''ll go over there and cause amotion to buy you some time. You better get this done quickly."


    Saying that, she turned and walked away. Bruce closed the door to the storage room and began trying to awaken Benjamin.


    Unlike the tender and affectionate scenes of lovers splitting up in some movies, Bruce knew better than to underestimate Selena''s skills. Even if she couldn''t win a fight, she could surely run away from any danger.


    Meanwhile, Lex had juste out of Schiller''s room. The professor had made it clear that he just wanted to sleep, leaving Lex with nothing else to say. He wished him sweet dreams and began heading upstairs to find rk.Previously, Lex had noticed various peculiarities about rk, and it was impossible for him not to be curious. He knew that Bruce also wanted to figure out who rk really was, and Lex wanted to deal with this question before Bruce to prove that he was stronger.


    As the door was knocked, rk was still a bit drowsy. He had only slept for a short while, and his mind was still somewhat foggy. But soon, the drowsiness disappeared, and a long-lost feeling of rxation set in.


    Feeling in a good mood, rk didn''t mind Lex''s interruption. He opened the door and invited Lex inside, even offering him a chair. He said, "Hello, I already introduced myself earlier, now it''s your turn."


    Lex snorted and replied, "I don''t need to talk to you to know that we definitely won''t get along. You''re just a dumb country bumpkin..."


    "How can you say that? It''s a good thing you''re not a student at Metropolis University; if you were, they''d expel you for personal attacks."


    "You''re a student at Metropolis University. What''s your major?" Lex quickly began prying into rk''s background...


    He felt an unusual aura about rk, one that he had never sensed in anyone else before, a kind of divinepassion.


    This aura made him feel strange because he sensed that he, too, was an object of pity.


    It was ridiculous. He, Lex Luthor, needing others'' sympathy? Not to mention that the person sympathizing with him was an ignorant fool.


    Yet, this feeling surrounded him, making him uneasy, and a vague anger started to rise, affecting his demeanor.


    rk also noticed Lex''s strangeness. He held out his hands and said, "We''re probably around the same age. Which university are you from? Or are you still in high school?"


    This question struck a nerve with Lex. Earlier, Bruce had mentioned some of his experiences at Gotham University, and now rk was talking about Metropolis University. So among the three of them, he was the only one who hadn''t attended college.


    Lex felt he shouldn''t be emotionally affected by this, but whenever he thought that Bruce might get along better with rk, he couldn''t help but feel a strange sensation.


    rk had the ability to sense people''s pulses and heartbeats. He could discern their emotions through the information he could perceive. He was puzzled by the intensity of Lex''s emotional fluctuations and didn''t understand why.


    After thinking for a moment, rk asked, "Did you have a fight with your friend? The guy with the ck hair from earlier?"


    Lex took a deep breath. He couldn''t fathom why rk''s every question was so perceptive. With a grim expression, he said to rk, "Who are you exactly? How did you end up here?"


    "I already exined, didn''t I?" rk replied with a hint of exasperation.


    "Do you expect your foolish lies to fool anyone? Not to mention the distance between Metropolis University and the mayor''s mansion, the violent blizzard outside, and the absurdity of the firetruck water tank appearing in the flowerbed downstairs..."


    "rk, has anyone ever told you how obvious your facial expressions change with my emotional fluctuations?"


    rk''s movements stiffened, and instinctively, he touched his cheek. He wanted to exin but couldn''t find a good reason. After a while, he sighed and said...


    "It''s strange, everyone I''ve met today seems to notice something unusual about me, more so than anyone I''ve encountered in the past few years," rk said.


    Lex let out a sneer and replied, "You think they can''t tell? If you don''t believe me, try discussing this matter seriously with them, and I guarantee they''ll be terribly embarrassed."


    rk scratched his head, seemingly reluctant to imagine that scenario. He shrugged and said, "So what? Our rtionships are good."


    "But believe it or not, if you were to fly in front of them or suddenly lift a car, their first reaction would be fear, and they might even attack you," Lex retorted.


    Getting up from the chair, Lex began pacing around the room as rk crossed his arms and said, "That won''t happen. My friends and family won''t fear me just because I''m different from others."


    "Even with strangers, if I use my abilities to help them, why would they be afraid of me?"


    Lex paused and turned his head to look at rk, his gaze cold and intense. He said, "Let''s make a bet. Once you reveal your superhuman abilities to the world, you''ll be a global enemy."


    "I won''t," rk firmly denied. "Though I don''t want to be a savior, I have never thought of ruling the world either."


    "Since I gained these powers, up until now, I''ve never used them for anything malicious or selfish. On the contrary, I''ve helped many people..."


    Lex shook his head, his tone icy as he said, "Unregted superpowers are a poison to humanity and society. They''re also a danger to you. Sooner orter, they will destroy you."


    rk didn''t agree with Lex''s viewpoint. He shook his head and said, "It seems you''re a pessimist, but I''m the opposite."


    "My parents always told me that although being cautious with people might keep you safer, if you don''t open your heart to the world, the world will never ept you."


    Lex looked at rk''s face, and he was about to mock his naivety. However, when he saw rk''s serious and determined expression, he found himself at a loss for words.


    rk''s eyes were always crystal clear, free of impurities. Looking into his eyes, one could clearly understand what he was thinking.


    Lex had never seen anyone like this. In the two years since regaining his sanity, everyone he had encountered had hidden secrets and desires in their eyes.


    Two years ago, Lex had regained his sanity, but he hadn''t exposed himself in order to wait for an opportunity to kill Lionel. In these two years, he had seen and experienced too much. People smiled kindly at him, patting his head and saying sympathetic words, but their hidden malicious emotions were unmistakable.


    Behind Lex''s arrogance about his intelligence, there was indeed a pessimism about human nature. People like him and Bruce were gifted with intelligence, but it was also a curse. Skepticism would apany them through all stages of life.


    However, now Lex suddenly realized that his mockery and disdain towards rk, the seemingly hopeless idiot, weren''t entirely genuine.


    He had thought he could easily manipte rk, make him spill all his information, and then revel in his intellectual superiority. But now, he found himself engaged in a serious debate with rk, and his intelligence didn''t give him an advantage in this matter.


    "What exactly are you here for?" rk looked at Lex, perplexed by the constant changes in his expression. Lex seemed tock a clear purpose, as he asked a couple of questions upon entering and then remained silent in the room.


    "I just... never mind... I just wanted to make sure you aren''t a threat to Metropolis. This is my territory, and it''s better if you don''t cause trouble for me or yourself," Lex said.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lex fell silent again, realizing that he was behaving like a middle school delinquent, threatening children younger than himself not to mess with him.


    He leaned on the table, covering his forehead with his hand. Since he entered this room, he had be somewhat abnormal. The details he was contemting were entirely iprehensible to rk, yet rk could sense his emotions, leaving him speechless.


    "It seems you''re not a student at Metropolis University," rk observed Lex. Lex still looked somewhat slender, and his face had a boyish quality, making him appear younger than rk. rk guessed that Lex might still be in high school, so he asked, "You must be about to apply for college, right? Which university are you nning to attend?"


    Before Lex could reply, rk continued, "I think Metropolis University is pretty good, although it doesn''t rank as high as other East Coast universities, its campus facilities and club atmosphere are great."


    Lex let out a disdainful "tch" sound, seemingly ready to discuss schools with higher rankings. However, just as they were about to dive into that topic, gunshots rang out from downstairs, followed by explosions.


    Lex nearly fell out of his chair from the shock, while rk had already reached the door. He pushed it open and walked to the staircase, looking downstairs to see Selena rushing up, followed by a series of agents.


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 Chapter 439: Metropolis Doubts (Twenty-Three)

    Chapter 439: Metropolis Doubts (Twenty-Three)


    As Selena rushed up the staircase, she never expected to encounter people there. When she saw rk''s shadow on the stairs, her instinct made her dodge to the left and quickly roll past him.


    The situation happened too suddenly, and Selena''s movements were too swift. The pursuing agents, seeing rk blocking the staircase, assumed he was Selena''s ally, so without hesitation, they opened fire at him.


    Of course, the bullets couldn''t harm rk; his biological abilities made him impervious to des and gunfire. Nevertheless, rk was still annoyed. Though he was kind, he had his temper. He couldn''t fathom why this group of people would shoot at him with real bullets without a second thought. If he were an ordinary person, he''d be dead by now. How could they be so irresponsible?


    Little did he know that these agents were infuriated by Catwoman''s elusive actions. Catwoman might not excel in head-on confrontations, but she was unmatched when it came to stealth attacks, evasion, and misdirection. Taking advantage of the dim lighting in the corridor, she knocked out several agents with surprise attacks. This angered the others, and even their leader, Benjamin, gave up the chase and followed Catwoman here.


    "Stop!" rk shouted loudly. "There are civilians here. How can you shoot recklessly?"


    The agents hesitated, as they had never encountered someone like rk before. Normally, when they performed their missions, civilians either screamed and fled or cowered in a corner, but never had they encountered someone bold enough to directly stand in their path.


    "We''re on a mission; step aside immediately!" one of the agents retorted.


    "But you just shot at me! Did you have permission? Who allowed you to attack innocent people?" rk questioned fiercely. The agents were bewildered; they couldn''t understand where this audacious person came from, daring to confront the Federal Bureau of Investigation head-on.


    Unbeknownst to them, rk was just a young man from a small town. He had never traveled far, and the farthest he had been was to a seed factory in southern Dware. He had hardly even seen the police in Metropolis, let alone know about the FBI agents he was facing.The leader of the agents cautiously stepped forward, holding his handgun, and took two steps closer, ring at rk''s face. rk warned them, "Stop! Don''te any closer! Whatever you''re doing, I can''t let you invade the space of ordinary people!"


    The lead agent turned back to look at hisrades, then said, "Continue the mission, subdue him first!"


    Bang! Bang! The sound of gunfire filled the air. rk''s expression darkened, exuding an aura of power without anger. In an instant, his biological abilities activated, and all the bullets froze in mid-air before falling like raindrops.


    The agents widened their eyes, but soon they reacted. One team of three rushed toward rk. As rk was about to subdue them, the other two agents quickly ran past him and continued chasing Selena.


    Upon reaching this floor, the agents realized there were no more shadows of Selena in the corridor. They could only search room by room.


    Upon opening the first door, they found Lex sitting at a table. One agent approached him, intending to ask him questions, but another agent stopped him and whispered, "He''s Luthor''s son, and he seems to have autism. Asking him won''t be of any use."


    Seeing Lex''s vacant expression, the agent shook his head, waved his hand, and gestured for the others to search the room. But another agent stopped him, saying, "We can''t search the Luthor family''s room. If Lionel Luthores back and finds out, we''ll be in trouble!"


    He then told the others, "Just do a quick search and let''s leave."


    The agents hesitated, clearly aware of how difficult it would be to deal with the powerful Luthor family. They quickly skimmed through the room''s contents and then left. After they were gone, Selena emerged from the bathroom and said, "Thanks."


    Just as she managed to escape the agents'' pursuit, rk returned after breaking free from their clutches. Upon seeing Selena, he paused and asked, "What''s going on? You''re supposed to be Bruce''s girlfriend, right? Why are those people chasing you?"


    "It''s hard to exin," Selena replied, unwilling to waste time. She started to leave, but at that moment, gunshots echoed from downstairs.


    Selena frowned and listened carefully. The gunshots seemed toe from the direction of Bruce and Benjamin''s room. She immediately rushed out, with rk following closely behind. As Selena ran, she asked, "Why are you following me?"


    "Are those agents shooting again? How can they do this? I have to protect the civilians here!" rk dered with determination.


    Selena opened her mouth to respond but couldn''t stop rk, who moved at a speed she couldn''t even perceive. He shot out of the room, leaving her with no chance to intervene.


    Bruce, who was already in a confrontation with the agents, couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw rk being the first to arrive.


    Initially, Bruce had finished questioning Benjamin and called the agents over to have them rescue Benjamin. After all, Benjamin had suffered two heavy blows, and if he remained frozen all night without being found, his life could be in danger. Bruce didn''t want him dead.


    However, rk''s intervention made the situation difficult to control. Bruce could have easily shaken off the agents using the advanced equipment he had retrieved earlier, but now rk was adamant about punishing the agents who shot recklessly.


    rk''s tactic was straightforward¡ªoverwhelming force. The agents, facing such a formidable opponent, shot their guns as if ammunition cost nothing. rk was immune to bullet attacks with his biological abilities, but Bruce wasn''t. The narrow corridor was filled with bullets from all directions, leaving Bruce with no escape; he was forced to join the chaotic battle.


    Seeing Selena descend the staircase, the shes of gunfire momentarily blinded her. She couldn''tprehend why their initial n of evading the agents had turned into an all-out fight. But seeing Bruce avoiding the flying bullets, Selena had no other choice but to join the fray.


    In addition to the few individuals and agents, there were also many party attendees who had been driven back into their rooms. The gunshots were intense, and many agents'' gunscked silencers, causing the sound to travel even further. Numerous people were perplexed and pushed open their doors to see what was happening...


    Originally, there were agents guarding the corridor, preventing people from wandering around. But now, all the agents on the corridor were gone, so the crowd came out, and the noise became incessant.


    At first, there were discussions and spections, but after being trapped in this haunted ce for the whole night without any means to leave, people''s anger grew, and it didn''t take long before arguments broke out.


    Although the attendees of this party were mostly high society individuals, the rule of arguments remained the same¡ªthose who shouted the loudest seemed to have the most reasonable points.


    On one side of the corridor, the prominent guests were engaged in heated disputes.


    "They''ve locked us up in this damn ce! And now they''re starting a gunfight! Do they want us to die from stray bullets?"


    "Damn it, what kind of ce is this? Did wee here for a party or a battle?"


    "Those damn agents won''t let us out! They don''t guarantee our safety. I''ll make sure to lodge aint!"


    "Don''t talk big, Old Damon! You can''t even reach the threshold of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Go home and eat your farmer''s lunch!"


    "For goodness sake, can''t you all stop arguing?! Who can find a gun? We have to protect ourselves..."


    On the other side of the corridor, rk, Bruce, and Selena were deeply engrossed in their fierce battle against the agents.


    The tactic of overwhelming force suited rk well due to his immense strength and immunity to long-range bullet attacks. In this narrow corridor, he was practically invincible.


    Bruce refused to be outdone; as the Dream Emperor Schiller, he had honed his agility, dodging bullets while engaging inbat. Selena provided support from the sidelines. The three of them fought fiercely against the group of agents.


    It was a miracle that this group of agents managed to hold their ground against the three of them.


    In truth, rk merely wanted to subdue the agents without harming them, which required him to control his strength. Bruce could only perform at an average level when facing closebat, and Selena wasn''t skilled in direct confrontations.


    During this time, the symphony of gunshots, mixed with the cacophony of arguments from the other side of the corridor, made it feel like a concert in the Manor.


    So, what was Schiller doing at this moment?


    Well, the noise had just awakened Schiller from his slumber once again.


    He hadn''t opened his eyes yet, but he heard gunshotsing from downstairs:


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    "Hush! Shut up!"


    "You piece of crap!" "No, you''re the piece of crap!" "Just shut up!" "Oh..."


    "Boom!"


    "tter¡ªtter¡ª"


    Schiller sat up on the bed, eyes still shut. He took a deep breath and nced at his watch.


    Perfect! This sleep duration broke tonight''s record,sting for a whole 26 minutes.


    Schiller slowly walked to the shelf in the guest room and took a ss from the cup holder. Once he returned to the bed, he had a bottle of alcohol in his hand. After uncorking it, a rich, intoxicating aroma filled the air.


    Schiller poured a bit of alcohol into the ss, then tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp. The bottle of alcohol disappeared, and the cup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Under the influence of the potent alcohol, Schiller entered an even deeper dream.


    He arrived at the center of the Temple of Thought, heading towards a hole in the middle of the open space. As he walked, he muttered to himself, "Good thing I didn''t fill up this hole. I knew it woulde in handy someday."


    Arriving at the edge of the hole, Schiller didn''t hesitate and jumped right in, passing through bizarre and colorful phantoms. When hended on the other side, the first thing he saw was awn.


    Schiller took a step forward, and "whoosh," a man in a ck robe with a pale face appeared in front of him. Schiller greeted him, "Long time no see, Dream God Morpheus."


    Morpheus showed no intention of exchanging pleasantries. He stared at Schiller warily and asked, "What do you want?"


    "I want to borrow a path from you to enter someone''s dream."


    "Who?"


    "Joker Jack."


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 Chapter 440: Metropolis Mystery (End)

    Chapter 440: Metropolis Mystery (End)


    The snowstorm in Gotham had just subsided, and the weather was slightly warming up, causing the snow to melt. However, the melting snow brought even colder weather, coupled with icy roads, so most people chose to stay at home.


    In other cities, logistics would have surelye to a halt at this time, but Gotham''s truck drivers were always undeterred by difficulties. As soon as the weather improved slightly, they resumed their work.


    However, not all truck drivers could hit the roads at the moment. Some were forced to close their businesses and stay at home for various reasons, including Jack.


    The reason he couldn''t work was quite simple. The car ident at the central roundabout not only affected Schiller and Bruce''s family but also affected Jack.


    He wasn''t at the center of the roundabout but waiting at a junction for the traffic light. When the green light, which shouldn''t have been lit, turned green, Jack didn''t hesitate. He stepped on the gas and rushed out.


    He knew it wasn''t a real green light, but how could he miss such a tantly fun opportunity to y bumper cars?


    However, ying bumper cars alsoes with a cost. The truck he was driving broke down, and it couldn''t be repaired quickly, so he had to stay at home.


    In a loft apartment on Elizabeth Street in the East District, the oil drum furnace had gradually extinguished. The cold wind blew in through the window, and a figure on the bed turned over, smacked their lips, and their teeth chattered, yet they continued to immerse themselves in their dream.


    In the dream, he was in a massive amusement park with attractions like the spinning bat, bat bumper cars, bat house, and the bat cave adventure.Jack was sitting on the spinning bat, holding onto the vertical pole of the bat''s head, with wide eyes, looking around with a smile. Suddenly, the ride stopped, and a voice came over the amusement park''s broadcast system:


    "Jack, pleasee to the service desk. Someone is looking for you. Jack, pleasee to the service desk. Someone is looking for you. Repeat..."


    Jack knocked on the bottom of the spinning bat and, suddenly, a red light lit up at the ticket counter. He held onto the wooden pole, saying, "I haven''t finished ten rounds yet! You can''t make me leave; I paid for the ticket!"


    But soon, he was kicked out, and he could only walk along the amusement park''s brick path with a dejected expression.


    He passed by an amusement park store that sold various bat dolls and bat-shaped lollipops, as well as drinks with bat images.


    Seeing the store, Jack suddenly rushed over, making a finger-gun gesture and pointing at the empty counter, saying, "Quickly! Hand over all the bats! Yes! Hands on your head, turn around..."


    Then he slowly put his hand down, taking big strides into the store''s shelves, grabbing several bat dolls. Before leaving, he reached for a bat-shaped lollipop from the counter, but in his haste, he almost tripped over the shelf.


    Leaving the store, he looked around sneakily, then grinned happily. He hurriedly opened one lollipop, put it in his mouth, and revealed a content smile, strolling leisurely towards the service desk.


    The service desk was in the hall of a building shaped like a bat about to take flight. Jack walked into the bat''s mouth, but it felt likeing home.


    In the hall, there were many w machines and vending machines, blinking with various colored lights. Jack looked around, feeling curious and delighted. Amid the colorful lights, his green hair changed into various colors.


    At the service desk, waiting in the rest area was a figure wearing a suit. Jack walked in and said fiercely, "You scoundrel! You made me waste money on the ticket. I didn''t even finish ten rounds!"


    The figure turned around, and it was Schiller, who had entered Joker''s dream world through the dream.


    His gaze fell on the three round bat dolls in Jack''s arms. Jack noticed his gaze and retreated cautiously, tightly hugging the dolls, saying, "What? You want to buy them yourself!"


    "But I don''t have bat coins. Where did you get the bat coins to buy these things?"


    "I... I met my neighbor, Joe. He''s a kind person, so he gave me a bunch of bat coins." Jack pouted, speaking rapidly.


    "Okay, would you be willing to share some with me?"


    "No!" Jack squeezed the three dolls tightly until they were slightly deformed. Schiller immediately said, "You''re lying. You don''t have any bat coins. You didn''t buy a ticket either. You''re a ticket dodger and a robber."


    "I didn''t! I didn''t!" Jack shouted loudly, but the surroundings gradually faded until everything turned into a vast white space.


    With a "bang," the bat dolls in his hand disappeared. Jack looked lost as he held his empty arms.


    But he seemed unaware that the dolls were gone and continued tightly hugging his arms, saying with a dramatic tone, "Oh, my children, my John, Shaq, and little Jack, I know you''ve just gone to school..."


    "Don''t pretend anymore." Schiller said disdainfully, "Your bats are now having a dual flight in the real world."


    Jack''s movements slowly stopped. He put his arms down very slowly, then pouted, and the corners of his mouth drooped downwards.


    "So, how was that dream? Consider it my gift to you. As long as you do me a small favor, I''ll recharge your bat coins enough for you to have a good time," Schiller said.


    Jack shook his head and said, "This is what you sessful people do, using your sess to make money from poor people like us. Not only that, but you also exploit our time."


    Saying this, he raised one corner of his mouth high. Schiller didn''t pay much attention to his strange expression. He conjured up a chair for himself and a pile of fire in front of him. Jack simply sat on the floor, warming his hands over the fire.


    His face showed no signs of madness; on the contrary, as he stared mesmerized at the leaping mes, he exuded a hint of philosopher-like demeanor. Slowly, he began speaking:


    "Do you know? This winter has been tough for me because too many people areughing just like me."


    "I went closer to listen to what they wereughing about, and their words disgusted me."


    "They said they made money, bought houses, and are about to move. I thought, well, fine, go ahead and move away, you disgusting sewer rats..."


    "They don''t like me either, I know, because I used to be the happiest among them. No matter what happened, I alwaysughed."


    Suddenly, a trace of sadness appeared on Jack''s face, and he said, "If a Joker can''t be the happiest person in the crowd, then he isn''t a good Joker."


    "A lousy Joker can''t make Batmanugh, so he''ll leave here, and I can''t find him anywhere..."


    Jack pushed his jaw forward, making his lower lip move upwards, and at the same time, his Adam''s apple trembled up and down, like the preparatory action before a child bursts into tears.


    Schiller reached out and said, "Stop, don''t cry."


    "Will you let me finish? Wasn''t I about to bring you bat news? If you don''t want to listen, I''ll leave now."


    Jack made a "puff" sound from his mouth, rubbed his face vigorously, and then looked at Schiller expectantly. The fire''s light reflected in his eyes, giving them a childlike innocence and making them gleam brightly.


    "You should know that he went to Metropolis, where he met two friends who seemed to be verypatible with him ¨C one called Lex and the other called rk."


    "Of course, I don''t know if he''ll forget his old friend Jack if he stays there for a while, but I think you can also reunite with him; he won''t mind."


    Jack''s expectant expression gradually diminished. He sneered and said, "Is that all you''re going to tell me?"


    He wore an expression of utter boredom and continued, "Of course, I know where he went and what he''s doing there, but it''s all so dull."


    He shook his head and said, "Attending a boring party, investigating a boring murder case, engaging in tedious reasoning, fighting a bunch of boring enemies in that utterly boring ce called Metropolis..."


    "Why should I go there? What''s there to enjoy? Are you going to make me kidnap ordinary people to lure Batman out again? I''m fed up with it."


    "You''re too picky," Schiller picked up a piece of wood, threw it with a hook, and tossed it into the fire. He sighed helplessly and said, "Well, then let me put it differently..."


    "Batman went to Metropolis, and there, he encountered two people who might be his best friends or worst enemies in the future."


    "Now, the rtionship between these three individuals is not yet clear, and how things will turn out depends on who pushes them in which direction."


    Jack''s eyes lit up, and he turned his head, staring intently at Schiller. Schiller didn''t look at him but continued:


    "I know you want to ask why I''m not doing this myself. I can tell you clearly that I just want to sleep right now..."


    Jack suddenly became excited, his smiling lips twitched uncontrobly. He rubbed his hands vigorously and then rubbed his arms. He said, "Can I y the role of a viin then?"


    "Promote their friendship and then, when one of them betrays Batman, I''ll kill him. That way, Batman will surely be happy!"


    Jack immersed himself in his own fantasies, his eyes locked on the flickering mes, seeing countless wonderful visions.


    He saw himself living in a bat castle, surrounded by a huge bat amusement park. Batman was solemnly beating him on a float in the park, and the crowd around them cheered and apuded. Batman would finally smile... finally...


    Jack stared intently at the dancing mes, and as they gradually dimmed, he quickly added another piece of wood to keep the bat alive. The fire burned brighter, illuminating everything as if it were daytime, and Batman had never looked so tall.


    In this way, Jack felt himself flying higher and higher...


    Of course, he didn''t freeze to death like the little match girl on New Year''s Eve. Instead, he jerked awake from the bed.


    His face showed extreme disappointment, and he stayed still for a moment. He fiercely mauled his pillow and muttered curses under his breath.


    Suddenly, he stiffened again, flipped off the bed, and stumbled to the window.


    The vast expanse of white snow reflected the dawn''s light on his face. Amidst this incredibly bright light, he slowly grinned, revealing a smile full of anticipation.


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 Chapter 441: Prelude to the Cold Wind (1)

    Chapter 441: Prelude to the Cold Wind (1)


    In the corridors of Manor, Lex was navigating through the darkness alone, carrying a toolbox he had just found in the downstairs warehouse. He knew he couldn''t leave Lionel''s corpse lying in the bathroom; he had to dispose of it.


    Ascending the staircase and walking down a short hallway, he ignored the asional gunshots and screams from downstairs. Finally, he reached the original meeting room, now only charred walls and scattered ss remained.


    Lex frowned, still pondering a question: If rk had innate superhuman abilities, why did he appear so weak during his first appearance?


    Lost in thought, he entered the bathroom where he had dragged Lionel''s corpse. The once dominant figure in the business world nowy lifeless next to the toilet, no different from anyone else after death.


    Kneeling down, Lex looked at Lionel''s face and felt the faint ache of his own wounds. He lifted his clothes at the back, touching the muscles near his waist, and the pain was evident.


    Lionel had always struck Lex, every time his business suffered or someone provoked him, he wouldsh out at Lex, using whatever was at hand, leaving scars on Lex''s back after today''s encounter with Schiller.


    Speaking to himself in a low voice, Lex said, "You know what''s hardest? Pretending to be naive and foolish while making painful expressions when you''re hit."


    "In truth, I don''t feel much pain. That miraculous substance seems to dull my senses and enhance my healing ability."


    As Lex mumbled to himself, he picked up a saw from the toolbox and began dealing with Lionel''s corpse.Just as he removed one of Lionel''s arms, suddenly the telephone in the meeting room rang. Lex furrowed his brow, looking towards the bathroom door.


    Dropping the saw, he stood up, ignoring the bloodstains on his pants, and went to the meeting room. The wall-mounted telephone was still unaffected by the chaos, emitting a sharp ringtone.


    He picked up the telephone and ced it to his ear, hearing a fragmented chuckle from the other end. A voice he didn''t recognize spoke, "Hello, Lex Luthor. I am aedian. Have you ever seenedy?"


    "Who are you? How do you know I''m here?"


    "That''s not important, Lex. Don''t worry about these trivial matters. Here''s the thing: I am Joker, aedian who just moved from Gotham. To gain fame for myedy tour, I''ve chosen this ce as my first venue. Do you want to buy a ticket?"


    "No," Lex declined and was about to hang up the telephone when he heard the voice say, "Well, it seems you want to participate in the show. Perfect! Greatedies always need some supporting actors."


    "By the way, do you know where I am right now? Look down, lower your head, hahahaha!"


    Instinctively, Lex nced at the floor, following the gaze through theyers of floor and ceiling, all the way down to the underground of the mayor''s mansion.


    There, an out-of-ce surveince room filled with advanced electronic devices blinked with cold light. The room''s airlock opened, revealing an array of screens covering three walls.


    In the midst of the surrounded screens sat a man in a dark suit, his face painted like Joker, with a mad grin on disy. He had one leg crossed over the other and held a telephone in his hand as he spoke to someone on the other end.


    He said, "Honestly, it''s much cooler down here than upstairs. I''ll be quietly preparing for the next performance. When I need you toe on stage, I''ll call you again."


    A series of maniacalughter came from the telephone, and Lex brought the mobile phone close to his face, deep in thought.


    Someone had already arrived in the underground of Manor? Lex wondered. This was not right. How did this self-proimededian get this information, find the entrance, and get in without a key?


    After pondering for a moment, he put the telephone to his ear again and dialed a number. When the other person answered, he said, "Hello? Bruce?"


    Bruce''s voice sounded breathless, as if he had just finished exercising, and he spoke in a low tone, as if evading someone''s search. He said, "What''s the matter?"


    "Do you remember if there was aedian on the guest list for the party?"


    Bruce frowned, having a bad feeling about this, and then he heard Lex say, "I just received a telephone call from someone who ims to be Joker, aedian. It seems like he''s already entered the underground of the Manor. I suspect there might be some monitoring equipment there, allowing him to observe us."


    "He might have found the entrance and gotten in. If you still want that treasure, you''d better act fast."


    Bruce''s mind was no longer focused on the treasure. He turned his head to look outside; the agents hadn''t caught up yet. He spoke rapidly, "Are you sure he called himself Joker?"


    "Correct. He said he''s holding aedy show here. While speaking, he couldn''t stop chuckling, sounding like an uncontroble lunatic. Before hanging up, heughed manically, and the sharp sound hurt my ears..."


    "Listen..." Bruce''s tone suddenly grew serious. He said, "Although I don''t know why he''s there, I have to warn you, he''s the most dangerous maniac in the world."


    "If he calls you again, don''t listen to his persuasion, don''t ponder his logic, and don''t ask him why."


    Lex''s expression also turned grave; though he had known Bruce for a short time, he acknowledged that the man possessed the same level of intelligence as him.


    He understood that despite Bruce''s yboy appearance, he was a serious and non-joking person, and when he spoke earnestly about something, it meant the seriousness of the matter might surpass anyone''s expectations.


    "It sounds like you know him. Please don''t tell me he''s the Joker from Gotham."


    "No..."


    When Bruce denied it, Lex felt relieved. In his two years of sobriety, he had heard others talk about Gotham. They said it was a city of lunatics, and every criminal who came out of there would be the deadliest killer in any other city.


    However, Bruce''s cold voice came through soon after, "Compared to him, the others in Gotham are not even close to being called lunatics."


    This sentence was colder than the never-ending blizzard outside. The freezing wind pped against the windows like a symphony of a ssical masterpiece, echoing through the corridor with an eerie and chilling atmosphere.


    rk quickly returned to his room, not because he felt cold, but because he felt angry. The group of agents said nothing, asked nothing, they just kept shooting at him. He had never encountered such people before.


    Taking a deep breath, he went to his bed, picked up a pillow, and threw it back down. He exhaled like any young person from the East Coast: when angry, he just wanted to leave home and spend time in a barn or walk in the wheat fields.


    He stood up again and walked to the window. The sunlight reflecting off the snow was blinding due to the high-powered light bulbs outside. Clearly, there were no barns, no wheat fields, and no parents to find him there.


    rk began to miss home.


    During his time studying at Metropolis University, he encountered many problems that every small-town youth would face. There were many things he didn''t recognize, many rules he wasn''t familiar with, and he had been mocked because of it.


    The new world outside wasn''t as exciting as he had imagined. Beyond the excitement, the price he had to pay was much greater than he had anticipated.


    He urgently wanted to talk to his parents about these troubles, but unfortunately, he found himself entangled in another unfamiliar vortex and didn''t know how to escape.


    rk''s thoughts were a tangled mess. He stood by the window for a while before turning to leave. He thought of going upstairs to talk to the Professor; he believed it might make him feel better. However, he remembered what Schiller had said about not having enough sleep tonight. rk felt it would be impolite to disturb him now.


    But he desperately wanted to talk to someone. So he thought about going to Lex; perhaps they could continue the conversation they hadn''t finished before.


    But just then, with a bang, the door was pushed open, and several agents rushed in, aiming their guns at rk. Instinctively, he took a step back, realizing these were the same agents he had fought earlier.


    "What do you want?! You..."


    "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Several handguns fired simultaneously, and bullets poured toward rk, his expression growing angrier.


    He waved his hand, and all the bullets hung suspended in mid-air. Then, with incredible speed, he blurred through the floating bullets. With a bang, the frontmost agent''s gun was knocked out of his hand.


    "Bang! Oh-"


    A loud noise was followed by a cry of surprise. The leading agent was thrown onto the bed by rk.


    The agent standing at the door raised his gun again to shoot, but rk picked up a deskmp and threw it, knocking him to the ground. Thest agent was taken down by rk''s elbow strike.


    rk took a few breaths, not because he was tired, but because he was furious. He couldn''t understand why these people were targeting him.


    From the beginning, his intention was to put out the fire, and he had sessfully extinguished it. In the process, he hadn''t offended anyone. Yet, every time these people saw him, they shot at him.


    As he thought about this, rk suddenly felt dizzy, and his body grew weak. He coughed a couple of times, then copsed.


    It felt as if something was interfering with him, reducing his biological range and weakening his strength. Most importantly, he lost the feeling of being filled with power, making him feel very ufortable and unable to adjust his body.


    Seeing rk suddenly copse, the agent also froze for a moment. But soon, he reacted and turned to walk to the other side of the room, intending to retrieve the handgun rk had knocked away. rk tried to stop him, but his body wouldn''t obey.


    As the agent approached with the gun, rk could only cough helplessly in ce. But then, a figure zoomed past him, and with several bangs, he saw the agent''s gun fly away between the person''s ovepping fists.


    In his hazy gaze, rk saw the figure crouching down to check on him, and then, he saw Bruce''s face.


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 Chapter 442: Cold Wind Prelude (2)

    Chapter 442: Cold Wind Prelude (2)


    "Somebody betrayed our location to those Agents," Bruce said as he helped rk up andid him on the bed. He exined, "Just a moment ago, both Lex and I were pursued. I went to save him first beforeing to find you."


    Before rk could ask, Bruce continued, "He was in worse shape than you. When I reached him, he had already been knocked unconscious by the Agents."


    "Are these Agents crazy?!" rk asked, utterly puzzled. Bruce replied solemnly, "Initially, they might have thought we killed Benjamin, so pursuing us wouldn''t be surprising."


    "But now, it''s obvious that someone has manipted them, someone skilled at inciting them. They''ve turned the Agents into our enemies, and the situation is getting out of control."


    "So, they really have gone insane," rk concluded.


    "I..." rk started to speak, thinking that he could lead the group away from there. But just as Bruce seemed to anticipate what he was about to say, he somberly interrupted, "Haven''t you noticed? There''s some force affecting this Manor. Things are starting to be abnormal, and I will investigate it. Otherwise, this anomaly might affect the entire Metropolis."


    "I''ve been wanting to say this," rk hesitated for a moment, sighed, and finally admitted, "I''ve been feeling a bit uneasy ever since I arrived here."


    "In what situations do you feel this way?" Bruce frowned and asked.


    "I don''t know. I''ve never been sick before; my body has always been healthy, and I''ve never experienced anything like this," rk said, clearly perplexed."That further proves that there might be something wrong underground in the Manor," Bruce spected, rubbing his chin. "Lex told me that his father knew about the underground area and that there might be evidence of secret human experiments conducted by previous mayors."


    "These experiments could be rted to radiation, which means there might be a massive radiation source underground."


    rk immediately sat up on the bed and said, "We have to find that thing! We can''t let it affect the citizens of Metropolis!"


    "Right now, those Agents see us as enemies. They''re searching for us throughout the Manor, and they''re heavily armed."


    "I''m not afraid of them. I can escape no matter where I encounter them. But you and Lex can''t. I can''t leave you both behind, as that maniac has influenced the Agents, and they might go after you with deadly intent."


    "I... I''ll be okay lying here for a while," rk insisted, not wanting to be a burden, but soon he realized that things were getting worse.


    His strength was indeed returning, but after reaching a certain point, the rate of recovery slowed down. The range of his biological abilities was limited as well. This meant that his powers were temporarily weakened.


    "From the time you first felt weak until now, exactly two hours have passed. I specte that the radiation underground might be periodic," Bruce reasoned earnestly.


    "I have a bad feeling about this," rk''s face also turned serious. Regaining some strength, he got up from the bed, shook his head in silence, finding it hard to exin the source of his intuition to Bruce.


    Just then, a series of footsteps echoed from the corridor, sounding like Agents running. Bruce walked to the door and peeked through a small crack, seeing the Agents rushing down the staircase.


    "We need to get out of here. Do you have the strength?" Bruce tore off the bedsheet and twisted it into a rope, then entered the bathroom and tied the rope to a water pipe.


    rk hesitated for a moment, but the noise outside was getting louder. So, when Bruce jumped out of the window andnded on the balcony below, rk also walked to the window.


    Bruce looked up at him, seeming to urge him silently. However, to Bruce''s surprise, rk didn''t grab the bedsheet rope. Instead, rk flew out directly.


    Though still weak, flying out of the window didn''t require much effort. Descending just two floors, rknded smoothly. Turning his head to Bruce, he said, "Alright, I acknowledge, I do have some abilities beyond ordinary."


    Just then, a window two floors above them opened, and Lex''s head popped out. He threw a rope towards them, which Bruce caught. With a leap, Bruce reached the adjacent balcony, then climbed up by pushing against the wall.


    rk gestured in ce, looking around to make sure there were no others nearby, and then flew straight to Lex''s room.


    Lex nced at rk, then at Bruce, and said, "Seems like he''s be your personal helicopter engine."


    Ignoring Lex''s remark, Bruce went to the center of the room, surveying the furnishings. He noticed that this room hadn''t undergone modernization and seemed like an abandoned servant''s quarters.


    "We can only ess this ce through the secret passage downstairs, which is not easy to navigate, so it''s temporarily safe," Lex said, leaning against the window frame and looking outside at the swarm of Agents in the Manor''s courtyard.


    rk stepped forward, sounding a bit anxious, "We need to quickly figure out a way to find the possible radiation source and resolve the misunderstanding with the Agents..."


    Lex furrowed his brow, a hint of malice shing between his eyebrows. "Resolve the misunderstanding? I have no misunderstandings with the dead."


    "You... you want to kill them all?" rk stared wide-eyed, as if he had heard something inconceivable. He stammered, "This... this can''t be true? Even if... but..."


    "They held back when shooting at you? They wanted to kill me, so why can''t I kill them?" Lex reached up and touched the back of his neck, where blood stains from the previous attack by the Agents still remained.


    He walked up to rk, staring into his eyes and said, "Because of your strength, these ordinary people can''t harm you. Of course, you can pretend to be magnanimous and tolerate them."


    "But if Wayne hadn''t arrived in time, I would''ve been dead in their hands. I''m just seeking revenge."


    rk looked at him in silence because he knew Lex was right, but he still strongly resisted the idea of killing.


    Apart from rk, the other two had no anxious expressions on their faces because they knew the Agents were not a real threat. They had ways to avoid them. The only problem was the "informant" who leaked their unknown information.


    Just then, with a loud bang, the secret door on the floor was forced open again.


    This time, the first sound wasn''t footsteps but the firing of bullets. The rapid session of gunshots was like a fierce storm. rk, with his back to the secret door, turned around and extended his hands to stop the bullets.


    Bruce opened the window and said, "Let''s go!"


    Bruce jumped out first, followed by Lex, who was slower. Finally, rk flew out directly in front of the Agents. However, this time, there was no balcony directly below them. They had to jump diagonally downward.


    Bruce jumped over first, rolling as much as he could on the narrow balcony, but he still hit his arm. Lex didn''t dare to jump because he knew he didn''t have the strength to make it across. If he didn''t make it, this was the sixth floor, and he would most likely lose his life.


    rk, on the other hand, flew up into the sky and then caught Lex''s arms from below, taking him down together. Both of themnded on the balcony, fell, and then got up. Lex had a cut on his forehead, and rk was panting for breath.


    After his powers were weakened, his flying abilities had changed from 360-degree unrestricted flight to something more like gliding. Carrying someone with significant weight like Lex consumed a considerable amount of rk''s strength.


    The group had no time for small talk and rushed into the room through the open balcony door. Unfortunately, this room was upied. Bruce quickly lunged at the woman who was about to scream, knocking her unconscious, and then dragged her into the bathroom.


    When he came out, Bruce rolled up his sleeves and saw that his elbow joint had swollen from the previous impact. He was injured more than he''d like.


    "This won''t work. The person supplying real-time location information to the Agents is likely in a control room or something simr," Bruce said, looking around to find the position of the surveince.


    English Manor''s ceilings and walls were adorned with numerous patterns, and the furniture had various intricate designs, making it challenging to identify the location of the cameras.


    But the feeling of being watched made Bruce uneasy. Just then, Lex spoke up, "We need to test something. Is there any dy between the surveince feed and the monitor? Is there a dy when the person on the other end reports to the Agents? And is there a dy between the Agents receiving the information and taking action?"


    "If we canbine these dys, we might have a buffer period that we can use to set traps and deal with them."


    "I was thinking the same thing," Bruce confirmed the idea. But then he looked at Lex and rk, saying, "The only problem is that both of you are in bad shape."


    Bruce held his arm and looked at Lex, "If we''re going to test this, we''ll have to lead them in circles at least twice, and your stamina may not support you to keep running."


    "And him..." Bruce turned to rk, "Although I specte the radiation surge urs every two hours, the data is insufficient, and my estimation may not be urate. If it erupts midway, you''ll lose your ability to move immediately."


    "But right now, I''m much stronger than both of you," rk stepped forward, looking at Lex and saying, "You lead the way, and I''ll carry him."


    "I''m not afraid of bullets; I can fly, and I''m much faster. I can also sense their positions. Once I weaken, you both can leave immediately without worrying about me. They can''t kill me."


    "I really don''t know where thisughable confidence of yourses from," Lex stared at rk intently and said, "Haven''t you noticed? Those Agents have gone mad. They dare to shoot anyone."


    "I''m not saying they won''t dare to kill me; I''m saying they can''t kill me."


    At this moment, rk''s face was serious, and his voice carried a convincing air of authority as he said, "Impacts, sharp weapons, bullets, fire, and all the weapons in the world¡ªnothing can harm me if I don''t want to be hurt."


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 Chapter 443: Cold Wind Prelude (2)

    Chapter 443: Cold Wind Prelude (2)


    Soon, the three of them started their actions. It turned out that Joker had the upper hand in the early stages only because he caught them off guard. Even Bruce hadn''t expected that his arch-enemy would find them here. So, at the beginning, they were pursued by the Agents, feeling somewhat awkward.


    However, this situation onlysted for a very short time. Even though Joker had monitoring equipment that seemed like cheating, he still couldn''t withstand thebined efforts of Bruce, Lex, and rk.


    Bruce was both skilled in offense and defense, Lex was incredibly intelligent, and rk was invulnerable. Although they were all youthful versions, their cooperation made it challenging for the ordinary Agents, armed with powerful weapons, to deal with them.


    Soon, the Agents chasing them were overwhelmed and mostly knocked unconscious through the use of monitoring andmunication dys.


    But getting away from the Agents wasn''t their primary objective now. They had amon goal¡ªto investigate the Manor''s underground.


    Bruce wanted to confront Joker, rk wanted to find the radiation source that could affect him and possibly Metropolis, while Lex aimed to discover the treasure left behind by Schiller. Although their detailed objectives differed, their main goal was the same¡ªto venture underground.


    However, to go underground, they had to find an entrance, which would undoubtedly be on the ground floor, the first floor.


    The structure of the entire first floor and the other floors was different. In the center was a banquet hall with two doors on each side that led to the central courtyard. However, there were other buildings on both sides, some of which contained unexplored rooms.


    The main building of the mayor''s residence was vast, not like a private residence. To fully explore it, the three of them together would likely take an entire day. So, for efficiency''s sake, they decided to split up.This decision was justified as they had already dealt with most of the Agents on other floors. The remaining ordinary Agents on the first floor were just patrolling without receiving specific orders to target anyone. Bruce and Lex had official identities, and rk was so fast that the Agents might not even see him. Therefore, even if they split up, it wouldn''t be too dangerous.


    The only issue was that Bruce and Lex couldn''tpletely trust each other. When making this decision, Bruce said, "You must promise me that if you find the entrance first, you''ll inform us instead of going down alone."


    "Even if I promise, would you believe me? I don''t trust you either," Lex replied, staring at Bruce''s face. When two extreme skeptics came together, they distrusted everything the other said or did.


    "Come on! Is this the time to talk about this?" rk interrupted them. "Metropolis''srgest building''s underground might hold a massive radiation source! If it''s fully exposed, the entire city will be in danger!"


    The two were about to say something more, but rk stopped them with a hand gesture. "Don''t forget, that maniac is watching us. If we argue here, he''ll be thrilled," he said, trying to remind them not to be a spectacle for the Joker''s amusement.


    rk wanted to convey the message that they shouldn''t be bickering amongst themselves and that they needed to focus on the task at hand. However, unintentionally, his words struck a chord with Bruce. Ever since suspecting that the person might be Joker, Bruce had be hyper-vignt. The words "maniac" and ughter" triggered memories of the madughter in his mind. He felt his mouth twitching, and he immediately said, "Let''s temporarily cooperate and start moving."


    Saying this, he turned and walked away, seemingly not wanting to waste even a second more. Lex snorted coldly, watching Bruce''s departing figure, and in a low voice said to rk, "He has a disturbing darkness behind him, and don''t forget, hees from Gotham... Gotham is full of maniacs."


    "After hearing that, he left as well," Lex added before leaving himself. rk was left standing there, scratching his head and shrugging. He didn''t fully grasp the implications of Lex''s words.


    In fact, he wasn''tfortable with this kind of intelligentmunication between people and didn''t want to overthink the implications in their words. When interacting with Bruce and Lex, rk always felt a bit inferior and slow-witted.


    Now that he was on his own, rk rxed a little. He chose a different direction from the other two, passing through the banquet hall and proceeding down the eastern corridor.


    rk thought that the entrance to the underground wouldn''t be in the corridor; it must be hidden in one of the rooms. So, he decided to use the exhaustive method and search one room after another.


    He pushed open the door of the first room, which turned out to be a very ordinary storage room. As the door hadn''t been opened for a long time, dust filled the air when he opened it. rk waved his hand, walked in, and inspected the room but found nothing.


    The following rooms were the same, and rk couldn''t help feeling disappointed. As he ventured further into the dark and silent corridor, he unconsciously slowed down his thinking speed while heightening his senses. It was in this altered state that he suddenly heard a piercing ringing from a room ahead.


    Frowning, rk walked over and pushed open the door. Inside, he found an empty guest room, and the ringing came from the telephone on the table. rk picked up the receiver and said, "Hello..."


    "Hello, are you rk?" the voice from the other end asked.


    "Uh, yes, I am. Who is this, and why are you calling me?"


    "Are you rk Kent?"


    "Yes, I am. What''s the matter?"


    "Do you know Lex?" the voice on the other end asked.


    "Who are you exactly?" rk asked warily.


    "I''m a resident on the 5th floor and a guest invited to this party. Listen, rk..." The voice sounded somewhat somber.


    "At the same time, I''m an undercover agent from the Central Intelligence Agency. I''ve encountered some trouble and hope you can help me."


    As soon as rk heard the word "Agent," his brow furrowed. He was about to refuse when the person continued, "I know you might have had some conflicts with other Agents, but we''re not on the same side."


    "I arrived in Metropolis a while ago and went undercover to investigate unusual activities rted to the Luthor Group. We suspect that the recent serial murder case in Metropolis might be linked to the Luthor Group."


    "We''ve made little progress with our investigation, and since Lionel Luthor is hosting this party, I came here to find more clues."


    "After a night of investigation, we''ve gathered evidence that the killer is highly likely to be Lionel Luthor''s son, Lex Luthor."


    "Normally, he appears as a person with autism to lower others'' guards, but in reality, he doesn''t have autism. Instead, he''s a high-intelligence criminal and an evil genius."


    rk was about to refute, but the person on the other end continued in a rapid pace, "I know you might not believe me, but we have evidence. If you go to the bathroom in the reception room now, you''ll see Lionel Luthor''s corpse."


    "He was killed by his own son, and Lex even dismembered him."


    "Now, I hope you can go to that bathroom, take some of Lionel''s body parts as evidence, and use them to charge Lex with murder in the future."


    "How can this be possible?" rk said in a highly skeptical tone, "Why would he kill his own father? And dismember him? He''s not that kind of person."


    rk indeed didn''t believe it. In his brief encounter with Lex, he felt that although the young man was arrogant, he was still genuine. rk had little understanding of serial killers due to growing up in a small town, but his image of a serial killer was someone with a menacing appearance and a deranged look.


    But Lex was slim and had a somewhat boyish face. He seemed like an innocent child, and his actions and words mostly followed normal logic. rk couldn''t imagine him as a serial killer.


    Moreover, the person on the phone imed that Lex killed his own father and dismembered him. Such a cruel act, how could a high school student do that?


    "rk, you need to know that many killers are not easily caught because of their incredibly deceptive disguises, and I''m an expert in this field."


    "I''ve heard your conversation with the Agent in the room. You''re a Hero who stands up for ordinary people, and that''s why I contacted you within this limited time."


    "I''ve looked into your background. I know you''re just a high school student, and you have no obligation or responsibility to undertake such a dangerous task. But, rk... I''m asking you to help me."


    "Of course, if you really feel it''s too dangerous, you can choose not to go. I won''t force a child onto the battlefield..."


    "As far as I know, Lex isn''t acting alone. He probably has aplices, and they might find me soon. My time is running out... Goodbye, rk."


    After hanging up the phone, rk''s face showed a conflicted expression.


    His acquaintance with Lex was very brief, and he knew that. Therefore, he couldn''t be certain if Lex''s acting skills were just that good, fooling him.


    The person on the phone sounded normal and made reasonable arguments, causing rk to hesitate. He wondered if letting Lex roam freely in the Manor might endanger more ordinary people, as the caller imed.


    After hesitating for a while, rk decided to go upstairs. He thought that following what the person said and taking a look wouldn''t hurt, and even if it turned out to be a trap, he should be able to handle it.


    Thinking this, he climbed the staircase, crossed the corridor, and arrived at the reception room. The room was a mess, with cold wind blowing in through broken windows. rk approached the bathroom door, twisted the doorknob, and opened it.


    The first thing his keen senses caught was the pungent and nauseating smell of blood. Then, he saw a dismembered corpse with an arm severed, and a discarded saw nearby.


    Just as rk covered his mouth, about to retch, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the reception room.


    He turned around and saw Lex entering... with blood on the cuffs of his pants.


    Is the show about to begin...?


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 Chapter 444: The Beginning of the Blizzard (1)

    Chapter 444: The Beginning of the Blizzard (1)


    The day had gradually brightened, but the blizzard still raged on. The dawn''s light filtered through the heavy snowfall into the devastated meeting room, but it failed to bring any real brightness. Instead, it felt even colder than the pitch-ck night.


    When Lex walked in, hisplexion was pale, expressionless, and he looked emaciated as if he had emerged from the storm as an evil spirit. rk''s fingertips trembled, revealing his unsettled emotions.


    But soon, anger overwhelmed him, and he stared into Lex''s eyes, asking, "Did you kill him?"


    Seeing Lex mouth the denial, rk''s voice filled with fury. "The blood on your pants belongs to him; I can tell."


    The mask of weakness that Lex had put on gradually faded, reced by a mocking expression. When he spoke, his voice was colder than the winds outside.


    "Using your superpowers, huh? Can you even distinguish between different types of blood? I wonder what else your powers can do. Counting bugs in the fields while you plow like a dumb ox, perhaps?"


    Even Lex himself didn''t realize that behind his sharp wordsy a deep-seated fear.


    Across from him, rk stood at the bathroom door, the shadow cast upon him by the corner of the wall making him appear like a lurking giant beast in the darkness, as seen through Lex''s eyes.


    At that moment, Lex realized he felt an intense disgust for this person with unknown powers. His anger still stemmed from fear¡ªthe instinctual fear of those at the top of the food chain, the fear of beings superior in their nature.Due to this fear, he instinctively rejected any interaction with rk, saying, "What I did is none of your business, mind your own."


    Seeing Lex''s defiant attitude, rk became somewhat angry too. The sight of Lionel''s corpse had a significant impact on him. He lived in an innocent town, never having seen a corpse, let alone such a bloody crime scene.


    He took a step forward, forcing Lex to retreat. rk''s voice grew low as he said, "Luthor, killing is against thew! And he was your own father, wasn''t he?"


    Lex scoffed through his nose and replied, "I know you''re someone who believes in thew, but I''m not. I don''t want to exin myself to you."


    Turning around, he faced rk, and with a bitter tone, he continued, "You put on the act of a saint, trying to persuade me to cooperate with Wayne, but what are you doing now? Are you executing our n?"


    "Or perhaps, you''re just a hypocritical fraud, wanting us to do your dirty work while secretly investigating and looking for leverage against us."


    "I never thought that way," rk said helplessly.


    "But you did," Lex''s voice trembled without him noticing.


    Now, rk was too close to him, though they were still at least two meters apart. Lex could already feel the suffocating pressure. He had witnessed rk in battle and was certain that if rk decided to act, he wouldn''tst a second.


    Facing a formidable beast capable of killing him, Lex couldn''t help but feel an instinctual fear that was deeply ingrained in humanity. rk''s abilities demonstrated that he was not merely an ordinary person; he might not even be entirely human.


    Lex didn''t know how rk thought, didn''t know when he would strike, didn''t know when he might kill him. All he knew was that rk only needed a single thought, and his fate would be sealed.


    No one could remain calm in such emotions. Lex''s chest heaved, and though he kept moving backward, hecked the courage to turn his back on rk.


    Seeing that Lex had no intention ofmunicating, rk took a deep breath and walked towards him. As they drew closer, Lex''s fear intensified, and he turned to run.


    In that moment, rk grabbed him, but he didn''t attack. He only wanted to stop Lex from leaving, hoping they could talk and resolve the misunderstanding.


    Up until now, rk still believed that Lex might not have done it on purpose. After all,pared to the mysterious phone call from an unknown person, he trusted Lex more, having interacted with him.


    Yet, Lex waspletely broken. When rk captured him, he felt like a captured insect, helpless as the powerful hand of Death closed in on him. He couldn''t even p his wings momentarily and could only wait for his demise.


    He began to do something to mask his fear. His voice raised, and he spoke rapidly, "I did kill him! I even dismembered him with my own hands. That''s what I did! What are you going to do? Kill me?"


    "I''ve said it before, rk. Your immense power makes you immune to most people''s harm, so, of course, you can pretend to be tolerant and a kind person!"


    "But when you want to use that power to judge me, or even kill me, you''re no different from me. You''re a monster!"


    Lex''s tone was intense, and as rk heard him acknowledge killing someone, he felt immense anger. Not just because of the brutality of the crime scene, but he truly couldn''t fathom how someone couldmit such heinous acts without remorse.


    As Lex tried to retreat, rk moved closer and then raised his arm, hitting Lex on the neck, knocking him unconscious.


    rk remained where he stood, catching his breath. For some reason, a tumult of emotions surged within him because, at that moment, he saw the fear in Lex''s eyes when he made his move.


    Lex must have been scared that his crimes would be exposed. rk tried to convince himself of that, but another voice inside him told him that Lex was actually afraid of him, afraid of his immense power.


    Lex saw him as a monster, not as a fellow human being. He believed rk was incapable ofmunication and was simply afraid of him.


    This made rk feel terrible, as though he had truly be a beast hiding among the crowd, using his immense power to attack humanity without restraint.


    Just as he bent down, intending to lift Lex and take him back to the guest room, a sudden and intense feeling of weakness overcame him. rk took two deep breaths and half-knelt on the ground.


    In previous instances, whenever he temporarily rxed his body and took a deep breath, this feeling would fade away. But this time, rk stood still, gasping for a long time, and the sensation grew stronger.


    Suddenly, he sensed a shadow appearing overhead. Looking up, he saw a person wearing a long suit standing in front of him. When he looked higher, he saw the pale hand of the person holding a peculiar container with a green-glowing stone inside.


    rk strained to look up, and a face with a mad grin came into his view. Without a doubt, a series of maniacalughter rang out from above.


    The lid of the container was opened, and the green stone was thrown directly onto rk''s body. He let out a painful groan, barely able to support his own weight and copsed to the ground.


    Suddenly, a face with Joker makeup appeared before rk''s eyes. Joker leaned in, even reaching out to pat rk''s face, wearing a big grin.


    Joker reached down and picked up the green stone, waving it in front of rk before raising it high and smashing it down heavily.


    "Ah! Ah!"


    rk let out a low and agonizing scream. Upon contact with his skin, the green stone caused a severe burning sensation, and what made it worse was the increasing feeling of weakness, making him dizzy and nauseous. He had never experienced such a feeling before.


    Suddenly, he felt something covering his eyes, sticking to his eyshes, making it difficult to open them.


    The scent of blood wafted from a ce very close to him. He struggled to extend his hand and touched his forehead, feeling pain. rk held his fingers in front of his eyes and saw that they were covered in sticky blood.


    Was he bleeding?


    rk''s breath became increasingly rapid, and he felt an emotion he had never experienced before. It was probably fear. This was the first time he had been injured and bleeding since birth.


    Through his blood-covered gaze, rk could see Lex lying on the ground. The blood at the back of his neck had already dried and turned into dark scabs.


    The nauseating smell of blood constantly reminded rk how painful it must be for ordinary people when they were injured.


    At this moment, the person in the long suit walked to Lex''s side, squatting down and poking Lex''s arm with their finger. Lex, being weak to begin with, hadn''t woken up quickly after being knocked out. As a result, he didn''t react to the poking. However, the person with Joker makeup spoke to himself cheerfully:


    "Oh, look at this poor guy, Lex Luthor, abused by his father for a long time, left with so many injuries¡­"


    As the person spoke, they lifted the back of Lex''s shirt, and rk widened his eyes because he saw numerous scars crisscrossing Lex''s back, with fresh wounds on top of old ones, clearly not sustained in a day.


    rk pounded the floor with his hand in a futile attempt to struggle and get up, but the green stone was too close, and as soon as he managed to straighten up a bit, he fell back to the ground.


    "How hard he tried to get revenge, waiting for so long, finally seizing the chance to kill that damn pervert, avenging his mother and himself¡­"


    "He seeded... seeded!" Joker pouted and nodded, seemingly expressing approval. But soon, he burst into loudughter again and said:


    "But he''s a lousy and outdated screenwriter; no one likes this kind of revenge plot. People prefer every performance to have a sufficiently humorous ending!"


    With that, Joker wobbled to his feet, looking down at rk from above and said, "He couldn''t do it without a rtionship, but I can help him."


    "Now, this scene has a sufficiently humorous ending¡­"


    "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...!"


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 Chapter 445: Blizzard Prelude (1)

    Chapter 445: Blizzard Prelude (1)


    Faintughter was swallowed up by the blizzard and didn''t carry too far in the howling cold wind, so Bruce didn''t hear it.


    At the moment, he was in another guest room at Manor, changing into his Batman suit. Earlier, when he went to the helicopter to get the engine, it wasn''t solely topete with Lex. In fact, it was because Selena could only carry some less heavy portable equipment, while the full set of Batman suits and gear were left on the helicopter. Bruce nned to bring them along when he went to get the engine.


    Just like Lex, after the three of them split up, none of them followed their original ns. rk went to the reception room to investigate a mysterious telephone call, while Lex and Bruce had their own additional ns.


    Lex''s primary goal was to deal with Lionel''s corpse in the bathroom. He had no intention of finding the entrance himself; instead, he wanted to wait for Bruce and rk to finish their tasks and then take advantage of their findings.


    Bruce anticipated this and didn''t intend to work for Lex. His n was to return to the guest room, don hisplete Batman gear, and find an entrance using his own methods.


    Though using a door was a more civilized approach, Batman seldom used it. He preferred taking matters into his own hands rather than betting on who among the three of them would find the entrance first or whether they would share their findings with each other.


    Since the entrance was underground, theoretically, creating a passage leading underground would serve as an entrance. Therefore, Batman''s n was to make a bomb and st his way down.


    There were no materials avable at mayor Manor, but Bruce didn''t retrieve the helicopter engine just to show off against Lex. He had intended to use the helicopter engine to create a bomb from the beginning.


    Of course, the engine alone wasn''t enough; he also needed to dismantle some otherponents from the helicopter. Fortunately, apart from him, no one else could ess the rooftop of the nearby building, so those helicopters became his material warehouse.Currently, he was assembling this slightlyrger bomb in the guest room, working swiftly to finish it before the other two found the entrance and be the first to go underground.


    After concentrating on his work for a while, Batman finallypleted a somewhat rough-looking bomb. However, in reality, this device was quite powerful, much stronger than the micro-bombs he brought along, capable of blowing open the ground and creating a passage.


    He carried the bomb to the balcony, lowered it using a rope, and then jumped down himself, bringing the bomb to the courtyard in the middle of the Manor.


    He chose not to go indoors because he was concerned that the explosion might be too powerful, affecting the building''s structure. If Manor copsed, it would put the upants at risk, which wasn''t what Batman wanted.


    After setting up the bomb, a short whileter, a violent explosion resounded, shaking the entire Manor''s ceiling, which dropped numerous dust and debris.


    The targeted explosive bomb proved highly effective, and after the explosion, a visible entrance appeared in front of Batman. However, below was darkness, and the situation was unclear.


    "Hiss," Batman threw an illuminating re down, and after a brief burst of intense light, the interior scene was revealed. It appeared to be an abandoned cer, leaving Batman frowning, unsure if he had found the right ce.


    He took out a detector from his utility belt and threw it down, observing the changing readings on the screen. After a while, Batman decided to jump down.


    Upon descending, the ce looked just like what he had seen from outside¡ªan abandoned cer of the Manor, filled with wooden racks and barrels, seemingly holding no secrets.


    A door in the corner caught Batman''s attention because he noticed a faint light behind it, unlike the kind of light an English Manor would use, such as oilmps or candles. Instead, it seemed like the cold light emitted by modern lighting systems.


    Approaching cautiously, he didn''t rashly push the door but stood at a safe distance and threw a batarang at it.


    "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The sound rang out as Batman agilely rolled to the side, taking cover in the corner of the room, evading the barrage of the micro-machine gun on the ceiling.


    Once the door opened, a corridor with a strong sense of science and technologyy before him, with a floor made of metal panels and illuminated strips on the walls and ceiling. Not far away, there were two automated micro-machine guns mounted on the ceiling.


    The atmosphere here was entirely different from the ground-level Manor. Batman heightened his vignce, carefully navigating past the dead angle of the machine gun and disabling both of them with batarangs after a few shots, sparking electrical malfunctions.


    As he entered the corridor, he threw another illuminating re towards the front and found what appeared to be a central hall. However, the lights there were not functioning, as if the lighting system had malfunctioned.


    Walking along the corridor, he reached the central hall, which had three other corridors leading in different directions, apart from the one he came from. One of the corridors was lit, while the other three were pitch dark.


    Batman didn''t have a choice and went to the lit corridor first, but before that, he headed towards the closest dark corridor, throwing another illuminating re. He discovered it was a dead end, with two rooms on either side of the wall.


    Entering the first room, he found it to be a preparation room with spare items such as gloves, protective suits, masks, and respirators. Seeing these, Batman put on a gas mask because he knew there might be a biochemicalboratory ahead.


    As expected, there was a radiation symbol on the door of the adjacent room. Currently, the corridor''s light system was not working, indicating a power outage. That meant the door of this room might no longer have radiation protection and sealing capabilities.


    Batman took out a reading device, but the disyed radiation levels showed no anomalies. After a moment''s hesitation, he decided to break through the door and enter.


    Even though the door might no longer be sealed, it still took some effort for Batman to open it. After sessfully creating a hole in the door, he entered the room, which remained dark, with various experimental equipment scattered around...


    There was no longer any source of radiation here, or rather, the source had been moved. Looking at the broken containers on the floor, Batman furrowed his brow deeply.


    The wholeboratory appeared quite ordinary, and he didn''t see any specimens or live animals used for experiments. However, he soon discovered some materials.


    "Experiment Log 1, Subject 3221 showed no apparent abnormalities today, normal reactions in diet and activity. After discussion, increase radiation dosage..."


    "Experiment Log 2, Subject 3221 exhibited slight dizziness and nausea today, reduced appetite, and stiffened limb reactions. Increase dosage for the second time..."


    Batman flipped through them; it seemed to be a radiation experiment log, but the subjects and the source of radiation were not explicitly mentioned. He finished reading the previous parts and then came across the final entry.


    "Experiment Log 35, today Subject 3221''s cancer cells spread uncontrobly, diagnosed as incurable, no evident conscious activity, inability to eat, no limb responses..."


    "Conclusion, Radiation Source 01 shows no beneficial mutation effects, all test subjects suffer from incurable cancer..."


    After reading the summary, Batman set down the materials. He turned and left the corridor since he just learned from the records that there was a morgue in this underground base.


    Despite having anticipated it, when he entered the morgue in the other corridor and saw the densely packed morgue drawers, Batman still felt a moment of suffocation.


    From the wear on the drawer handles, one could tell that this ce had been overcrowded, filled with people who had undergone these inhumane radiation experiments, possibly numbering in the hundreds or more.


    With a sense of anger, Batman approached one of the corpses'' drawers and as he opened it, a "bang" sound came. Instinctively, Batman rolled to the side, but nothing attacked him.


    What popped out of the sliding drawer was a signboard covered in red paint, and it read, "Please go to the monitoring room at the end of Corridor 3. I have prepared a surprise for you."


    Underneath the signboard was a very crude smiley face, and Batman knew without a doubt that it was left behind by the Joker.


    Batman took a few deep breaths, but he didn''t immediately follow the instructions. Instead, he explored the morgue, which was currently devoid of corpses.


    Now, the only thing he knew for sure was that the mysterious radiation source could cause regr people to develop cancer. As for Lex''s ims about Lionel discovering a radiation that could enhance physical abilities and intelligence, it seemed more like a deception.


    After searching through the other corridors, most of the rooms were various functionalboratories, but the equipment inside was covered in dust, indicating it hadn''t been used in a long time.


    In thestboratory, Batman found paper materials as clues. It was an iplete document, but the information mentioned on it was crucial. They referred to the so-called Radiation Source 01 as an extraterrestrial mineral known as "kryptonite."


    Certain scientists had discovered that this extraterrestrial mineral had unique radioactivity, so they wanted to study if it could cause mutations in regr people. However, after the first experiment failed, they didn''t give up but instead conducted more experiments.


    Batman didn''t know where they got their confidence to believe that this radiation would have positive effects on humans. Perhaps, there was a lot more information behind this that he wasn''t aware of.


    After investigating all the rooms in this corridor, he proceeded methodically to the next one without letting Joker''s clue disturb his pace.


    At the end of another dark corridor, there was a door with an extravagant design, seemingly leading to a vast space, but there were no keyholes on it, and the micro-bombs had no effect on it.


    After trying for a while, Batman realized that he couldn''t open this door with his current equipment. So, he turned to the illuminated corridor instead.


    Arriving at the end of the corridor, Batman was faced with three walls of surveince screens, with the light focusing on a chair in the center of the room.


    Just as Batman entered the room, the chair slowly turned around, but there was no one on it.


    On the chair were three round bat dolls and a pile of bat-shaped lollipops.


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 Chapter 446: Blizzard Prelude (2)

    Chapter 446: Blizzard Prelude (2)


    Batman didn''t walk over; instead, he threw a Batarang towards the pile of things. As expected, there was no explosion, and the items just scattered on the ground with a tter. Among the objects was a round plush toy that rolled a few times beforeing to rest against the wall. There was also a bat-shaped lollipop wrapped in colorful paper, making a crisp sound as it hit the floor and sparkled under the light.


    Even Batman couldn''t fullyprehend this bizarre scene. However, having faced Joker several times before, he knew that the best defense against this madman was not to overthink things. Despite his rationality, asking Batman not to think too much was like asking the impossible. In the end, he still approached and picked up one of the plush toys. It didn''t contain a bomb; it was just an ordinary stuffed toy with a round bat-shaped body and two cute bat wings. The other two toys were Batman-shaped figures, one in regr attire and the other oneughing heartily.


    After inspecting all these items, Batman didn''t find any useful clues. It just provided him with a new understanding of Joker''s madness. He then checked the chair and sat in it. From this angle, he could see all the surveince screens. Batman understood that previously, Joker had been sitting here, using the telephone to inform the agents of their locations.


    One by one, Batman examined the screens on the three walls, each corresponding to one of Manor''s main buildings. The screen directly in front of him showed the central building, where the banquet hall was located. Suddenly, his gaze caught something on the screen. It was the surveince feed from the banquet hall''s skylight. Since the hall was on the first floor, the overhead wasn''t a ceiling but an atrium. Thus, the camera was positioned higher up.


    In the feed, Batman could see two people tied back-to-back and hanging from the center of the atrium. They were rk and Lex. Seeing this unexpected scene, Batman''s fingers stiffened. It wasn''t surprising that Joker had captured Lex, as he was young and physically weak, even more so than an average person, which made him vulnerable despite his intelligence. Batman knew that the Joker, despite his appearance, wasn''t as simple as he seemed. Moreover, Joker had the advantage of information and could easily capture Lex when he was alone. But rk... Batman held his chin in thought, squinting at the screen. He noticed a green stone tied to rk''s chest, and rk appeared to be in great pain, weak and pale, struggling to breathe.


    The green stone emitted a faint light, triggering a troubling association in Batman''s mind¡ªradiation source, rk''s previous weakness, and his current suffering. It seemed that the so-called Kryptonite could cause cancer not only in ordinary people but also in someone like rk with special abilities. Just as Batman was about to delve deeper into the nature of Kryptonite, the scene on the screen changed.


    A figure walked into the frame, dressed in a long suit, with green hair, and Joker makeup on his face. What made Batman feel strange was that this person didn''t walk with a limp or stagger but rather like a stage actor, taking exaggerated strides, moving towards the center of the banquet hall. At the center of the hall, there was a peculiarly shaped gift box, seemingly assembled from various pieces of trash. The box had two sides made of cardboard and the other two of stic, and the ribbon on it was crumpled and seemed to have been torn off from somewhere.


    However, Joker approached the gift box with great solemnity. He untied the bow on the top, revealing a bomb inside. Joker lit the fuse, then quickly ran to a corner, covering his ears. A loud "boom" filled the room with an intense explosion. Batman was nervous for a moment, but as the smoke cleared slowly, he realized that the bomb in the gift box had been ced at a low position, far away from rk and Lex, and the explosion didn''t harm them.


    The explosion didn''t destroy anything, and no debris flew out. It only resulted in a loud noise and billowing smoke. As a consequence, all the doors on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors opened. Many people cautiously peered out of their rooms, wondering what had happened. Soon, those who looked towards the corridor exit noticed two individuals hanging in the atrium''s center. Most of them hesitated, standing at their doorways, not eager to venture out, unsure if there would be another explosion.At this moment, a passionate voice echoed from the center of the banquet hall: "Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight is a night of terrible blizzard! Though the blizzard is cold, our hearts are tightly connected... Hello, everyone! I am aedian from Gotham!" Just as the figure in the middle was saying this, everyone turned and rushed back into their rooms, mming the doors shut one after another, cutting off Joker''s subsequent words. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Well, I knew you bunch of tasteless cowards would retreat to your rooms. Go ahead..."


    "You''ll never understand how great of aedian Jack is! But regardless, I still have onest audience member..." In the surveince room, Batman saw Joker slowly turn his head, making eye contact with him through the screen. At that moment, Joker, like a celebrity, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, nced at it with disdain, and tossed it aside. Then, he retrieved a bat-shaped lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it, noisily bit into it, and swallowed it with a satisfied exhale.


    Suddenly, as if he had remembered something, Joker shook his finger, quickly ran out of view, and came back with a telephone, cing it on the ground. Now, he really looked like a Joker performing a mime act, using exaggerated gestures and expressions to guide his audience''s gaze. However, as he had said, there was only one audience member ¨C Batman.


    After cing the telephone on the ground, Joker picked up the receiver and dialed a number. Suddenly, jarring telephone rings echoed from each guest room. Apparently, he had repurposed the peculiar-looking telephone from the surveince room. Batman turned his head slightly, noticing the messy disassembled telephone console nearby.


    "Listen up! If you don''t want to be an audience member, then be actors! Cowards!" Joker proimed. "Now, there''s a bomb hanging above the atrium. It''s not too powerful, but it''s just enough to blow someone''s head into pieces. As you can see, there are two ropes hanging, each with one of our main actors, and the rest of you are supporting roles..."


    "Next, I will tell you the background story of these two individuals. After hearing their stories, you can use the service buttons on your room telephones to vote! Press the yellow ''call service'' for Lex Luthor, and press the blue ''do not disturb'' for rk Kent! Every time someone gets a vote, I will raise their rope a bit higher. The first person to touch the bomb ¨C BOOM!!" Joker hesitated for a moment, then threw the receiver on the ground and stood up, bending down to ce his head near the receiver, saying, "Oh, I forgot! This is aedy performance, not a conference call! So, please take your telephones and sit at your tables, maybe pour yourselves a drink..."


    "Of course, I know what you''re thinking. You don''t want to be a mere audience member, and you feel that participating in my show deserves somepensation. You just want to cover your head with a nket and fall asleep..." Joker continued. "But I won''t let you do that!" He sprawled on the floor, propping himself up with his forearm, and exaggeratedly mouthed the words: "I won''t! Let you!! Do that!!" He then ced his hand behind his ear, pressing his ear against the telephone''s receiver, and said, "Let me hear it. Who''sughing? Do you think my threat is not intimidating?!"


    Joker stood up again, ran out of view, and returned with a peculiar button. Pointing at the telephone''s receiver with his finger, he asked, "You see, what''s this? Yes, it''s a switch, a switch that can release deadly radiation... Underneath this old Manor, there''s a huge secret base. Some people might think they''ve explored it all, but that''s only a small part..."


    "Behind that door is a massive extraterrestrial meteorite, and the entire mayorManor is built on top of it. Once I press the button and open the door, deadly radiation will leak out! Anyone exposed to this radiation will suffer from incurable cancer, struggling on their sickbeds as cancer cells devour their bodies! And the radiation''s range is... everyone inside this Manor!" In mid-air, rk lowered his head as he saw the Joker with his makeup closed his eyes. He spread his arms, spinning slowly in the empty banquet hall like a solitary dancer, dancing with the snow and cold wind. Soon, he stopped and stood still, speaking in a low and solemn tone, as if reciting an opening poem.


    "The blizzard will never stop, and there''s no god here to save you... Now, get ready to make your choice."


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 Chapter 447: The Echo of Scream (1)

    Chapter 447: The Echo of Scream (1)


    Batman didn''t wait for too long. He turned around, intending to leave the monitoring room and stop Joker''s conspiracy. However, at that moment, the previously open door of the monitoring room suddenly closed shut.


    Just like all the doors in the underground rooms, the monitoring room''s door was also made of solid metal and st-proof. Batman threw a few mini bombs at it, leaving only some scorch marks on the door but unable to cause significant damage.


    Batman was certain that the abrupt closing of the monitoring room''s door was not idental. However, he didn''t see any additional movements from Joker on the screen. This indicated that the door might not have been closed remotely by him; someone else must have closed it.


    As Joker continued speaking on the screen, Batman couldn''t bepletely sure if there were footstepsing during that time. If that was the case, it meant Joker had an aplice.


    Frowning, Batman pondered the situation. During their chase by the Agents in the Manor, Joker must have been in the monitoring room, observing them in real-time. The timely information received by the Agents proved Joker''s presence in the room at that time.


    After the Agents stopped pursuing them, they devised a n at the entrance of the first floor. Following that, Batman began crafting bombs using helicopterponents while Joker sought out Lex and rk, eventually kidnapping both of them.


    The timeline seemed to fit, but there was a significant loophole. If Joker had indeed kidnapped Lex and rk while Batman was making the bombs, when did Joker himself create those bombs?


    Batman saw clearly that the bomb he used earlier, the one that made noise and lured the residents out, wasn''t small. Though its construction was rtively simple, it still required some time to make. Not to mention the bomb that was suspended from the ceiling.


    Both of these were obvious homemade bombs and couldn''t have been ready-made. It had taken Batman some time to prepare the bomb that blew up the underground exit. He didn''t believe Joker could have made two bombs in the same amount of time and also subdued Lex and rk.Dealing with Lex alone might be manageable, but rk was not so easily handled. Furthermore, if Batman''s assumptions were correct, Lex was not on the same floor. Therefore, whether Joker made the bombs first or captured the two first, he would have to move between different floors, and considering the time it would take to go back and forth, it was absolutely impossible.


    Did Joker have an aplice? Who could it be, and why would they help Joker?


    Batman hadn''t figured out the answers to these questions when he heard Joker''s voiceing from the ground floor, speaking with a rxed and joyful tone, as if reciting an opening poem.


    "First, let me introduce to you... rk Kent."


    "As you can see, he''s handsome and tall, and I can also tell you that he''s very just and kind."


    "When there''s an explosion in the waiting room, he rushes from miles away to rescue. When he hears his friends are in danger, he extends a helping hand. At the same time, he is a freshman at Metropolis University, excelling in academics and with a bright future..."


    "Of course, we must not forget his family background. Hees from a small town in Kansas, where his parents live happily on a farm..."


    Joker keptvishing praise upon rk, repeatedly emphasizing how excellent, kind, and just he was. However, at that moment, Batman saw one of the rooms on the screen suddenly turn into a blue blinking square. In the center of the blue blink, there was a line of white letters saying, "Do Not Disturb."


    He knew that someone in that room pressed the "Do Not Disturb" button, meaning they voted for rk Kent.


    Batman wasn''t surprised. This banquet had invited many people, not just business elites, but also people from the entertainment industry. Not everyone had received higher education, and each person had different inclinations. It was not unexpected for some to stand out and support rk.


    Moreover, many of them didn''t know rk personally. Hearing Joker''s excessive praise, they couldn''t help but feel a rebellious mentality, thinking this was just the madman''s conspiracy.


    Soon, more and more blue squares lit up on the screen, until almost all the screens in the guest rooms disyed the blue blinking squares. Batman noticed that many people were holding telephones, shouting loudly as if trying to make their voices heard through the walls.


    By reading their lips, Batman could understand what they were saying.


    "Damn it! They must have voted for him! Do you want to get Luthor''s son killed? He won''t spare us!"


    "Where did old Luthor go? His son got kidnapped, and he doesn''t care?!"


    "Who knows if this guy called rk is Joker''s aplice? I don''t believe anyone can be as perfect as he''s described."


    "I know little Luthor, he''s a poor child with autism, and he''s still young. In the future, he might inherit the Luthor Group. We can''t kill him..."


    "We can''t kill little Luthor. He''s old Luthor''s only son, and if he inherits the Luthor Group, he''ll surely be worse than his father. If he dies, old Luthor will find a more capable heir, and that''ll be trouble!" ...


    In this manner, almost all the rooms started blinking blue. The cold light fell upon Batman''s mask, and the information conveyed in their words entered his mind, blending with Joker''s constant flow of ttery. It was as if the entire world had suddenly been split into two halves.


    One side was filled with praise, and the other with murderous intent. Twopletely different emotions surrounded Batman.


    It was a bizarre and absurd scene, where all the actors on this stage seemed to be ying their own roles independently. Jokervishedpliments on rk, but the other supporting roles didn''t share his sentiment; they stubbornly made their own decisions.


    Yet, there seemed to be invisible connections among them. Each person observed others'' reactions and then made what they believed was the right choice.


    Soon, Batman noticed that many of those who pressed the button first became angry and shouted with their telephones:


    "It''s not that I wanted to press it; I was forced to!"


    "The madman said that if we don''t press the button, he''ll release radiation and give us all cancer. You don''t know how painful cancer is!"


    "My father died fromte-stage lung cancer. In his final days, he could only rely on painkillers to stay alive. It was so painful; I don''t want to end up like him!"


    "What''s wrong with me? I just want to live. Why can''t I press it?"


    "He''s just a big student, so what if he''s a good learner? What great achievements can he have in the future? Maybe he''ll just go back to farming, and the world doesn''t need one more farmer!"


    "I run apany worth millions, with so many employees relying on me to support them. I''m more important than him!"


    "Why is he the one tied up while I''m the one making the choice? Because I''m a voter, and me the voters if they make the wrong choice!"


    Batman stood there, watching them with their sneering mouths, raised eyes, and spittle flying out as they vehemently argued and scrambled for justifications.


    Suddenly, Batman had an odd feeling that they were so engrossed in the situation. Even in the face of such circumstances, they could use their clever minds to justify their actions.


    They were actors, not spectators, and after being drawn into the river of rules, they never thought abouting ashore; instead, they tried to be the fastest swimmers and hoped that theirrades falling at the end would satisfy the crocodiles and ensure their own safety.


    Were they victims? Perhaps, Batman thought.


    When the screens filled with blinking blue squares, the cold light shone into Batman''s eyes, flowing down his eyshes like ice crystals melting under the eaves on a snowy day.


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but wonder why they were so serious.


    Shaking his head to push away those thoughts, Batman knew this spectacle still couldn''t shake him. He was no longer the inexperienced Batman.


    He took out a device from his utility belt and began attempting to pry open the door. Although Joker threatened to press the button if he left, he couldn''t just sit idly and do nothing. That wasn''t Batman''s style.


    Soon, Joker''s actions on the screen confirmed Batman''s earlier suspicion. He must have had an aplice, as Joker picked up another telephone with his other hand and said into it with a puzzled tone:


    "Emergencymunication! Emergencymunication! We''ve understood from an anonymous but reliable source that Lionel Luthor is dead!"


    "That means the friend we''re hanging here with, Lex Luthor''s father, the controller of the Luthor Group, is dead!"


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 Chapter 448: The Screaming Poem Returns (2)

    Chapter 448: The Screaming Poem Returns (2)


    "I can tell you with great responsibility that someone found the corpse of old Luthor in the bathroom of the reception room. He''s dead, and he was dismembered."


    "Poor young Luthor lost his father, and oh, poor Luthor Group also lost its leader."


    As Joker finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire Manor became tense, everything quieted down, only the howling of wind and snow outside remained.


    In the monitoring room, Batman saw that the people who had just pressed the button hesitated in front of the telephone. Some of them reached out their hands as if contemting whether to change their decision.


    Among them, a middle-aged man with graying temples stood confidently, one hand on his waist and the other holding the telephone. He said firmly:


    "Luthor Group is finished! I''m sure of it. The entire Luthor Group relied solely on Lionel Luthor, but he brought this upon himself. When he was alive, he held all the power in his hands, and his son is a fool. Now look at what happened!"


    Many others shared his thoughts. They were all seasoned veterans in the business world, not fully aware of every detail about Luthor Group, but they understood a great deal. The truth was that the entire Luthor Group was entirely under Lionel Luthor''s control.


    In their understanding, if old Luthor died without a sessor, the group would surely copse.


    Soon, many of them thought of the current situation ¨C the only rightful heir to Luthor Group was hanging from the rooftop. With just one press of a button, he would be blown up.Once he died, Luthor Group would lose any chance of turning things around. Besides, after Luthor Group''s fall, the market that freed up could feed many others, not to mention that some people who were familiar with Luthor could take advantage and divide up the corpse.


    However, many people hesitated because they didn''t see Lex as a threat. He was still a teenager who couldn''t speak well, and even if he survived, what could he do? Could he handle the sudden demise of Luthor Group''s controller and turn things around?


    These experts knew that even under normal circumstances, achieving such feats was challenging.


    Batman saw that among the blue dots on the screen, a few yellow dots suddenly appeared. He carefully observed the blinking yellow rooms and realized they seemed to be dealers, likely involved in conflicts with some agricultural and seed distributors on the East Coast ¨C something that wasn''t surprising.


    But Batman knew Joker wouldn''t let Lex off so easily. Indeed, Joker''s voice rang out again:


    "I know you all are curious about the cause of old Luthor''s death, and unfortunately, I have to tell you that he was killed by Lex Luthor."


    "Little Luthor isn''t actually an autistic person. He not only has normal intelligence and mental faculties but also possesses unmatched wisdom. He devised aplex trap, killing his father and dismembering him."


    At this moment, rk, who was hanging in the air, spoke up: "It''s not like that. Lex, he..."


    He wanted to exin for Lex, his voice loud enough to reach the residents'' rooms, but no one paid any attention to him.


    As Joker provided examples to illustrate Lex''s intelligence, a momentter, the blue color reflecting on Batman''s face turned yellow. Many people changed their minds and pressed another button.


    "He harmed his own father? He''s insane! This murderer deserves to die."


    "No, he''s too clever. If he survives and escapes from here, Luthor Group might not necessarily copse. That would affect my business..."


    "The despicable Luthors should all die!"


    "I always knew, I always knew that none of them in that family are good people! Since the police won''te to arrest you, then just die!"


    At this point, Joker brought the other mobile phone to his ear, listening to the other end, then shouted:


    "Alright! It seems the majority of people have changed their choice. They chose Lex Luthor!"


    "No!"


    rk shouted loudly, his face filled with pain, gasping continuously as he struggled with all his remaining strength, shouting:


    "That scum has been abusing him at home! Beating him until he''s covered in injuries, and forcing him to pretend to be autistic to control him. And Lex didn''t do it intentionally; he''s also a victim..."


    rk desperately tried to defend Lex, and through the reflection on the floor tiles, he saw Lex had be extremely weak.


    The wound on the back of Lex''s neck started bleeding again, emitting a strong smell of blood. His head drooped, his face pale, lips turning purple, and he could hardly speak. Even his breathing had be weak.


    In the end, Lex was just a teenager. During the time he was under Lionel''s control, he had no opportunity for physical exercise. On the contrary, the drugs Lionel used on him had a negative impact on his body, making him even weaker than an average person.


    No matter how much of a genius his brain was, it still needed blood supply. And it was evident that his blood flow and blood pressure were not good at this moment; he was on the verge of unconsciousness.


    "Look, rk Kent! I''ve always said he''s such a saint!"


    Joker walked to the center of the room, pointing at rk with his arm outstretched. "My praise for him has no exaggeration!"


    "Even though he knows it''s a life-or-death game, he''s still defending his friend Lex! He didn''t expect that if Lex escapes, he''d be the one to die, right? No! Of course, he knew!"


    "But he''s so willing to sacrifice himself to save others, just like the earthly Jesus!"


    Various exaggerated words of praise spilled from Joker''s mouth.


    However, the voting situation didn''t change. The rope holding Lex was gradually pulled up. At this moment, Batman finally confirmed that Joker had an aplice.


    The mechanism of the ropes and the beams wasn''t automatic; it required someone else to pull the ropes for both people to be raised.


    rk looked up, watching Lex getting closer to the bomb, and he shouted loudly, "No!"


    Suddenly, the speed at which the rope was pulled slowed down. Although Lex was still ascending, it slowed down significantly, and it seemed there was still a considerable distance to the bomb...


    At this moment, Joker spoke again, looking into rk''s eyes, "You know what, rk, you''ve done me a big favor."


    "Maybe you don''t know just how clever this guy Lex Luthor is, but another equally annoying guy told me that he might be one of the smartest people in this world."


    "I hate dealing with people like him. You have no idea how much effort I put into dealing with him, but it had no effect!"


    "He''s different from you. You can''t deceive him with some fake agent telephone call."


    "That telephone was indeed your doing!"


    rk said angrily, burning with rage, feeling like he was being toyed around by Joker.


    "Correct, it was a simple trick, yet you still fell for it, rk. I disguised myself as an agent and deliberately led you to the bathroom to find Lionel''s corpse, making you distrust Lex."


    "No way..." Joker pouted, showing a sad expression. "I''m just an ordinaryedian, a lowly, unloved Joker. How can Ipare to a genius like Lex?"


    "I called him on the telephone, pretending to be various people, trying to persuade him with all sorts of reasons, but it was all in vain."


    "He''s too difficult to deal with, but you are so easy. So, I chose to let someone as powerful and righteous as you deal with him."


    rk''s chest heaved uncontrobly, he gritted his teeth tightly, and the muscles on his face trembled with intense anger.


    "No rtionship, rk, truly..." Joker almost spoke with a gentle voice. "You are indeed upholding justice. He''s a despicable murderer who killed his own father."


    "What? You say Lionel abused him? But just look..."


    As he spoke, Joker formed his hands into a curved shape, holding them up to his mouth like a megaphone, and shouted loudly:


    "Little Luthor killed his father because Lionel Luthor was a habitual abuser! He beat little Luthor until he was covered in injuries, mistreated him, controlled him, and kept hurting him!"


    "Little Luthor was only seeking revenge. He took advantage of the opportunity today to kill his own father and dismember him with the help of others!"


    Joker shouted very loudly, and even with his hoarse voice, Batman could tell that people in the several upper guest rooms could hear him.


    However, the voting result remained unchanged, and Lex continued to rise slowly, getting closer to the bomb.


    "Do you see it? The truth you''ve been seeking, the justice you want to uphold¡ªnobody cares about it."


    Joker seemed to be talking to rk, but Batman could feel that his voice pierced through the monitor screen, directly pointing at his heart. Batman knew Joker was speaking to him because he was the only audience in this absurd y.


    "No," rk''s deep voice rang out, conveying an astonishing calm and determination that even Batman found surprising.


    "I wanted to punish Lex because I thought he killed people. I knocked him out to ensure he wouldn''t harm anyone else..."


    "But in the end, both he and I are tied up here, not because my desire to uphold justice was wrong, but because I didn''t conduct a more thorough investigation before doing this and easily believed a liar''s nonsense."


    "That''s my only mistake¡ªit''s my fault, not the fault of wanting to uphold justice and fairness." rk almost emphasized each word.


    "And in this whole affair, if someone has to be med, it''s definitely you, you damned lunatic."


    "If you hadn''t staged this ridiculousedy, no one would be trapped here, no one would have to make a choice, and no one would die."


    "But if you insist on finding someone to y this childish game with you, then I can only tell you that you''ve got the wrong person."


    As he finished speaking, he exerted force at his waist, shaking the rope vigorously. His whole figure swung out, and because the rope was quite long, after swinging twice, he hit the railing of the second-floor atrium.


    During this process, rk twisted his body so that his chest faced the railing. First, the railing rubbed against the rope that bound him with kryptonite, and then with a "ng," the kryptonite, which was not securely tied, was squeezed out directly. It drew an elegant arc in the air beforending on the ground.


    The ce where rk was hanging was quite high. So when the kryptonite fell to the ground, there was still some distance between it and him. In almost a moment, rk regained some strength. He exerted force with his arms, immediately breaking free from the rope, and then flew into the air.


    Joker looked up from below, gnashing his teeth, and said, "What are you trying to do? Save that despicable murderer Lex? Is that the justice you want to uphold?!"


    "No," rk denied this, and his eyes shone brightly in the light reflected from the snowstorm. His deep voice reverberated through the Manor, like a divine voice descending from heaven:


    "If my mistakes caused all of this, if my errors gave you a reason to doubt justice..."


    "Then I will personally make amends for all of this."


    As he spoke, he turned in the air and broke through the nearest window with a "whoosh," flying outside above the mayor''s mansion.


    His face was still somewhat pale, and the sense of weakness and powerlessness hadn''t entirely left him, but he concentrated his attention, squeezing out thest bit of strength from his body. His eyes began to emit a dazzling light.


    As the red heat vision burst from his eyes and swept across thend around the mayor''s Manor, everyone opened their windows and looked up at the figure in mid-air, as if a godlike presence.


    The heat vision emitted from his eyes circled around the entire Manor, leaving deep grooves wherever it passed. The entire Manor was now like a cake sliced with a knife,pletely separated from the surroundingnd.


    At this moment, everyone felt the floor beneath their feet shaking violently. They dropped their telephones and fell to the ground, but their eyes remained fixed on the outside.


    The snowstorm grew even stronger, and amidst the swirling snowkes, they saw the entire mayor''s Manor rising¡ª


    Or rather, being lifted up.


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 Chapter 449: Echoes of Screaming Poems (2)

    Chapter 449: Echoes of Screaming Poems (2)


    Amidst the boundless blizzard, a massive ind soared into the sky, surrounded by swirling snowkes that danced like celebrating spirits weing a God''s descent. The howling winds hailed the greatness, singing an anthem in the sky for this extraordinary power.


    Underneath the enormous ind, there was a small figure. He held up the entire structure, flying amidst the storm and snow. His face was deathly pale, yet his determination remained unwavering. He didn''t look back at the gigantic meteorite buried beneath the mayor''s mansion, which nearly engulfed the entire Manor.


    Just moments ago, when he lifted the entire mayor''s mansion with the ind, the tremendous radiation once again inflicted severe harm upon him. Nevertheless, rk gritted his teeth and continued to hold the massive Manor, pushing forward through the storm and snow.


    The blizzard obscured his vision, muffled his voice, and even clouded his thoughts. He gazed around, and all he saw was whiteness, devoid of direction, purpose, or hope. rk only knew one thing: he had to fly farther, even farther away from the deadly radiation. He needed to ce the Manor in a safe location.


    This goal echoed incessantly in rk''s mind, yet he no longer knew what drove him to do it. He was not foolish; he understood that everything that had just happened in the Manor revealed the ugly side of those so-called elites.


    They cared not for truth or justice. High above the society built by ordinary people, they looked down upon others, but in both ability and character, they were far from being noblepared to the toiling masses.


    They believed they were above the rules of society, but in reality, they kneeled even faster under the rule of power than the howling winds outside the window. Whether it was in this absurd drama or in the intricate anthill of society, they became too deeply engrossed in their roles.


    rk couldn''t say how long had passed; it felt like a century. The weakening power of the Kryptonite finally drained himpletely. Despite his efforts to maintain stability, during the final descent, he couldn''t control the Manor''s bnce effectively. As itnded, one corner of the Manor touched the ground first, followed by a loud crash as it smashed into the earth.


    The impact caused massive changes within the Manor. Ordinary people were incredibly fragile; one moment they marveled at God''s might, and the next, disaster struck. The unstablending of the Manor first sent its inhabitants soaring into the air, and then they crashed back to the ground, some colliding with walls, resulting in bloodied and battered bodies.Compared to an earthquake or a ne crash, the only advantage of thisnding process was its swift conclusion, with those in unfortunate positions meeting their demise quickly. Among the residents of the three-story Manor, almost everyone suffered minor injuries, ranging from scraped foreheads to cut arms.


    Most had minor fractures, and only a few, mostly elderly, sumbed to the violent impact. Exhausted and on the verge of copse, rk also fell to the ground. In the cold, snowyndscape, snowkes patted against his face, and his body grew colder, but he sighed with relief, feeling that he had saved everyone inside the Manor.


    With the Kryptonite''s power depleted, he quickly recovered his strength. In a short while, he felt able to stand up again. However, just as he was about to do so, he saw, amid the vast blizzard, a figure approaching. The person was wearing a suit, had green hair, and Joker makeup on their face. Yet, it wasn''t the same Joker as the one in the banquet hall. rk''s expression turned surprised as he eximed, "Schiller Professor..."


    Then, within a blink of an eye, the figure raised a Kryptonite and brought it crashing down again.


    When rk woke up again, he found himself back in the banquet hall, tied up once more, with the Kryptonite firmly affixed to his chest. Apparently, he wouldn''t be able to escape this time. In the surveince room, Batman finally saw the face of the other Joker, the aplice of the one he knew, and a different Joker altogether.


    Batman squinted, disying his familiar expression of suspicion. He lowered his head and looked at the Batman doll he had thrown on the ground, lost in deep thought.


    However, the farce in the banquet hall was far from over. The Joker in the long suit came in front of rk, crouched down, and continuously yed with a button, addressing the bloodied rk:


    "Do you think I''d be that boring? Allowing a bunch of fools to execute two other fools?"


    "My goodness! This is the world''s worst script¡ªboring, uninteresting, and utterly disregarded..."


    "If I were only at this level, I''d surely starve, but Jack is the greatestedian in the world!"


    "Now, the real opening begins..."


    Saying so, he revealed a crazed grin to rk. Just then, a disheveled woman rushed out from one of the rooms, reaching the balcony''s railing, shouting frantically:


    "Kill him, kill that damned monster!"


    She pushed her hair aside, revealing a huge wound from her cheek to her neck, as if she had identally collided with something when shended, cutting herself deeply.


    Aside from the gruesome wound, she was extraordinarily beautiful, with a seductive figure, and her sparkling evening gown made her look enchanting. However, the wound and the bloodstains on her chest made her seem like a malevolent ghost.


    "He ruined my face! Ruined my entire acting career! I have another movie to shoot in the next six months, and if I break the contract, I''ll lose everything! No!"


    "Kill him! He''s a monster! Waaah..."


    The woman''s sharp screams and cries echoed through the Manor; it was evident that she was on the verge of madness.


    Meanwhile, in another room, a person dressed as a politician, leaning on a cane and covered in blood, walked out. His arm was bent at an odd angle, and he looked at Joker and said:


    "It''s not over! It''s not over... I''ll vote for rk!"


    "He moved the entire mayor''s mansion in Metropolis. How can we exin all this to the public? How can I face the state council''s inquiry? My career is ruined!"


    "Are you all insane?!" rk eximed in shock. "I was trying to save you all! I was trying to save everyone inside this Manor..."


    Yet, more people came forward, their bodies covered in injuries and blood, shouting, "You monster!"


    One elderly man, resembling a host, stood up, pointing his finger at rk and said, "You didn''t want to die yourself, and you were worried that we''d vote for you, so you created this mess!"


    "Since you couldn''t guarantee our safety, why did you do all this?!"


    "You''re not a human; you''re a monster! Only a monster could do this; you didn''t do it for us!"


    "My arm hurts so much. Can someone help me, dear God..."


    "My face is disfigured. How will I host my shows in the future? You ruined all of us..."


    "Having cancer would be better than this. At least I could afford treatment, but now, I''ll be disabled for life!"


    "You''re not human; you''re a monster! A lunatic!"


    Everyone wailed, dragging their injured bodies out of the room and onto the balcony corridor, pointing usingly at rk, lying in the center of the banquet hall.


    rk felt like he was caught in a howling blizzard, and the screams, cries, usations, and insults were like sharp snowkes piercing his heart, leaving him powerless and devoid of resistance.


    Did he do something wrong? rk wondered, perhaps he did.


    That terrifying lunatic, that Joker who understood human nature the most, orchestrated this entire conspiracy to provoke him. From facing Lionel''s corpse to misleading him into attacking Lex, and then exposing the truth, making him feel guilty, and finally holding the so-called voting performance, maybe even the easily freed Kryptonite was part of his n.


    Everything the Joker did was to leave him stranded in the world''s coldest blizzard, making him realize that nothing could be colder than facing human nature, no matter how harsh the chilling winds and snow might be.


    Suddenly, a scream echoed through the empty Manor:


    "Vote! I want to vote! I vote for rk! Kill him!"


    "Mr. Joker, exercise your power! My vote empowers you to kill him!"


    This scream seemed to remind everyone. They looked at rk, who was once again bound and extremely weakened, and then at the two Jokers wielding deadly weapons.


    They suddenly realized that this voting game wasn''t over; on the contrary, the performance had just begun.


    As one person took action, everyone struggled to return to their rooms, even with broken arms and bleeding bodies, surrounded by pain. They did their best to press that button.


    And at this moment, the only spectator of this performance saw everything from the surveince room.


    As a blue light shone in Batman''s eyes, there was only an infinite tide of darkness remaining there.


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 Chapter 450: Dazzling Finale (1)

    Chapter 450: Dazzling Finale (1)


    Batman''s arm began to tremble asyer uponyer of phantoms appeared before his eyes, the blue lights forming a chilling blizzard in front of him. Just then, a soft "click" sounded in his ears, hitting Batman''s heart like a heavy blow.


    The door to the monitoring room opened. Batman stood there, his body rigid, and the muscles in his legs were tensed. His limbs wanted to turn him around, but another voice in his head told him not to.


    Because a sense of foreboding loomed in his mind; he knew this was all Joker''s meticulously nned conspiracy. If he stepped out of that door now, he would fall right into his trap. For some reason, this time, Batman didn''t have the certainty of victory, as he saw another Joker on the monitor, wearing Schiller''s face.


    Batman recalled the dark days when he first started, and the most memorable ce during that time was not the alleys of Gotham filled with criminals but Schiller''s office. Had Joker be Schiller, or had Schiller be Joker?


    Batman didn''t know, but he hoped it was the former. He hoped this was just a trick orchestrated by that Joker and not Schiller truly turning into Joker. Because if it were thetter, he couldn''t imagine what kind of torment he would face after leaving that door.


    Taking a deep breath, Batman eventually turned around and strode out of the room. Before leaving, he nced at the Bat Doll lying on the ground.


    In the banquet hall, the once gorgeously adorned tables and chairs were now scattered around, elegant tablecloths dragged on the floor, and silver candlesticks shattered from the impact. Other than the faint light filtering through the blizzard, there was no other source of illumination. rky amidst the wreckage, surrounded by broken debris, blood flowing from his forehead, passing through his eyebrows and eyes, dripping straight onto the ground.


    At this moment, JokerSchiller walked over, crouching down to look at rk''s face, and said, "Do you know? The person who wanted to nail Jesus to the cross was called Judas. People wrote a book to record Judas''s infamous deeds, and they regarded the reasons in that book as the Bible. But even today, when people face a kind, benevolent, just, and tolerant divine figure, everyone bes Judas. rk, do you know why?" Unlike the other Joker, who had a sharp voice, this one had a low and even gentle tone. However, his words ruthlessly shattered rk''sst shred of faith, making him unable to seek sce even through prayer.


    "People only call for the arrival of a god when they need one. When they don''t need one, they nail the god to the cross, just like Jesus, and just like you." "No matter how perfect you are, they will find reasons to kill you. When they no longer need a god, your perfection bes your evidence of guilt."...rk closed his eyes in pain, his Adam''s apple moving up and down, as if continuously swallowing saliva. Even the muscles on the side of his neck trembled incessantly, as if trying to avoid Schiller''s voice, but the devil''s whisper was relentless. "No..." rk wanted to deny, his voice hoarse as he said, "I don''t save anyone expecting gratitude. I simply want to help people..."


    "Even if the people you save actually want to kill you?" rk''s jaw trembled, and JokerSchiller tilted his head, looking into rk''s eyes and asked with great curiosity, "What are you thinking as you seriously consider this question?"


    rk closed his eyes again, his eyshes quivering, his lips tightly pressed together, as if unwilling to speak that answer.


    "Do you find yourself not as great as you thought?" "When I asked that question just now, did you realize that you can''t fully forgive them?" "You''re not great enough to sacrifice your life to save a group of people who want to kill you." "Why do you feel guilty about this idea?" JokerSchiller stared at rk''s face, his tone inquisitive, "Do you really see yourself as a god?" "Is this idea truly born from your kindness and justice, or is it merely because ying the role of a savior from up high brings you joy?" rk''s chest heaved faster, emotions brewing within him, but JokerSchiller continued, "When they want to kill you, what do you feel most at that moment? Betrayed and saddened, or... do you feel likeughing at the predictably foolishness of these beings weaker than you?"


    "That''s enough." Another cold voice sounded, and a figure emerged into the banquet hall. He still carried the lingering cold from the blizzard outside. From the long-silent hall came yet another voice, drawing many onlookers out of their rooms. Someone shouted loudly, "Hey, that strange Joker! Why aren''t you taking action yet?!"


    "Do it already, kill him! Otherwise, he''ll lift this house again, and we''ll be crushed to death!" "Yeah, what if that monster goes berserk? You''re neglecting our safety by not taking responsibility. Why don''t you kill him quickly?!"


    Due to the previous impact, everyone had some injuries to varying degrees. Most of these upper-ss individuals were not born into poverty but had been raised to cherish their status, and the pain made their emotions more extreme. They all screamed, urging Joker to kill rk quickly.


    "Can you feel it?" Jack smiled at Batman and said, "They''re in fear, and now they''re terrified, but not because of you." "They''re afraid of this guy named rk Kent. Can you guess why? Because he''s hurt them. They feel pain and dread the even greater pain that maye next."


    "Batman, maybe you didn''t realize that one day, the person who could bring the greatest fear to everyone wouldn''t be you."...


    "If you want to reim that title, it''s simple. They fear something more than pain, and you know better than I do." Jack opened his arms again, spinning to the center of the courtyard, looking up at the crowd, pointing at them with his finger, saying to Batman, "They''re just a bunch of ungrateful scoundrels. Even if you kill them, you''d just be administering justice!"


    "Think about it!" Joker let out a series ofughs. "In this performance, the actors followed the script and defeated the terrifying monster. But in the end, they were killed by the audience rushing onto the stage. How amusing."


    Batman didn''t look at Joker Jack but turned his head to Joker Schiller. He said with great certainty, "This is in the dream, isn''t it?"


    "Why do you think that way?" Joker Schiller didn''t turn around, still focused on rk, seemingly curious about his reaction. But suddenly, Batman became nervous because Schiller''s tone felt very familiar, just like every time he was in Schiller''s office and was questioned by him.


    "The timeline doesn''t match, and there are even more bizarre details. Most importantly, you''re not Joker..."


    "Why do you think I''m not?"


    "Schiller, the professor, is not Joker." Joker Schiller finally stood up from in front of rk and approached Batman, looking at him, "If this were a dream, what would you do? Do you think you can escape?"


    "What you don''t know is that ever since thatst dream inception, I''ve gained control over the power within me." Batman narrowed his eyes, referring to the surge of darkness that erupted from his dreams.


    "That should be enough to break this dream." As he finished speaking, the ground began to tremble slightly. Soon, the trembling intensified, and the entire mayor''s mansion started to shake. Everyone turned their heads to look outside the window, toward the source of the booming sound. On the horizon, a ck line suddenly appeared and swiftly approached.


    It was an endless ck tide, like a ravenous giant mouth ready to devour everything. The tallest wave already surpassed the pinnacle of the mayor''s mansion, making the once majestic Manor seem as tiny as a grain of sand on the beach. At the moment when the tide crashed down, the window ss shattered, and the ck water impacted like an artillery shell, directly hitting the two people farthest from the courtyard.


    They didn''t even have a chance to scream. Hit by the massive water cannon, they turned into a shower of flesh and blood, and their bodies and blood sttered all over the ce, colliding with the balcony''s railing and falling into the banquet hall. For a moment, the ck tide stagnated, and Batman''s expression froze.


    Because everything was too real. Blood sttered on Batman''s mask, and the strong smell of blood filled his nose. Between the shattered limbs, he could even see intricate muscle patterns, and everything was vividly visible, including the fat, internal organs, and brain matter. Suddenly, an intense burst ofughter erupted in the banquet hall, and Joker Schiller almost bent over fromughing so hard.


    ... Soon, he slowly straightened his body and looked at Batman, saying, "Did you forget? I''m a psychology professor."


    "Why didn''t you consider that this might be a trap I set?" "Intentionally doing the wrong things at the wrong time, adding various bizarre details, arranging illogical plotlines to make you think it''s all in the dream..."


    "But what if I told you it''s not a dream?" Batman''s hands began to tremble, the strong smell of blood surrounding him, and the terrified screams of the people who witnessed theirpanions'' deaths erupted, filled with wailing and crying, everything felt so real.


    "... Impossible." Batman held onto hisst thread of sanity, but his voice began to tremble, "I don''t have this kind of power in reality."


    "Is that so? Then what happened during the battle that erupted over Living Hell that day?" But at that moment, Joker Schiller suddenly said, "Your spection is correct. This indeed is a dream."


    This answer was like the closing announcement of this performance, but someedies were just beginning after the curtain fell.


    Joker Schiller''s fluctuating tone echoed in the banquet hall, "Batman, you consider yourself a champion of justice, walking the streets of Gotham, seeing yourself as a god of Gotham."


    "But when you''re fighting crime, when you use your advanced equipment to beat the criminals until they scream in pain, when you hear them wailing..."


    "What motivates your actions? Do they trulye from your kindness and justice, or is it because ying the role of an all-powerful destroyer brings you pleasure?" Joker Schiller wiped the blood from his face with his hand.


    Unlike the other Joker, he didn''t always wear a mocking smile; he seemed more like a philosopher. "Answer me, Batman."


    "Just a moment ago, when I told you that this might not be a dream..."


    "Look at them..." Joker Schiller reached out, pointing at the broken limbs on the ground. "Look at this group of weak, vile creatures, these Judases who are ungrateful and put their benefactors on the gallows..."


    "Look at them, witnessing all of this, the evildoers who disappoint you with their humanity..."


    "Look at them, when they receive the punishment they deserve because of your great divine power..."


    "When you realize that the price they have to pay is not just waking up from a nightmare but actually being killed by you, dismembered, crushed into pieces, dying in excruciating pain..."


    "Do you have a moment when you want tough?"


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 Chapter 451: Dazzling Finale

    Chapter 451: Dazzling Finale


    Batman had lost control.


    Perhaps it was because, in a sense, he had juste to believe that he had actually killed someone. Or perhaps it was because of the question Schiller had posed to him, with an answer that contained something he wanted to avoid.


    Or maybe it was the abrupt halt in controlling the ck Tide, causing a greater stimtion to his mind, rendering him unable to maintain control.


    But regardless, Batman and the ck Tide outside the mayor''s mansion hadpletely spiraled out of control.


    rk, lying on the ground, had closed his eyes. Schiller''s question had also greatly affected him, throwing his thoughts into chaos. Perhaps there was also a hidden sense of evasion, unwilling to witness the scene of bodies flying around.


    However, at that moment, just as the ck Tide was about to destroy the Manor, it was suddenly blocked from the outside by a curtain of light, freezing the ck Tide once again.


    A figure appeared by the railing of the second-floor courtyard, dressed in a ck suit. It was Schiller.


    Oddly enough, he was holding a paintbrush in his hand, looking as if he had just finished painting. He tossed the paintbrush aside, pped his hands, and said, "The testing of this room is almostplete, we..."


    Before Schiller could finish speaking, a shadow suddenly leaped down the second-floor courtyard. Originally, he had been squeezed among the weeping people, but now, with agile movements, he rolled past JokerJack and arrived by rk''s side.With a swift motion, the person cut the ropes binding rk. He grabbed the Kryptonite from his chest and threw it away with a resounding ng. As the Kryptonite hit the ground, Schiller, standing on the second-floor courtyard, squinted his eyes.


    "Merkel," Schiller said in a low tone. He looked at the person next to rk, who was none other than his former butler, Merkel.


    Superman, freed from his restraints, flew up into the air. However, Merkel coughed weakly, seemingly affected by the contact with the Kryptonite, and looked at Schiller, saying, "I''m sorry, sir. I don''t know what''s going on, but I felt the need to save him. He''s a good person."


    "Did you touch the bottle of wine I ced on the bookshelf?"


    Although Schiller phrased it as a question, his tone was certain. Aside from Merkel being exposed to the Mad Wine and being pulled into a dream, there was no other possibility.


    "It seems that when I wasn''t at the Manor, you finally remembered your mission."


    Schiller lowered his gaze, seemingly devoid of anger, while Merkel''s expression gradually turned cold. In a somewhat icy tone, he asked, "When did you find out?"


    "Are you referring to the fact that you''re a Soviet spy? That might have been discovered earlier than you think."


    Schiller sighed and said, "Every day, you handed food to the newsboy and took the newspaper from his hands. Didn''t you realize that it was a way of passing information?"


    "One of my colleagues'' students, after the ''King of Children'' in Gotham was taken out, took over his influence and consolidated all the newsboys, cigarette boys, and vendors in Gotham. There couldn''t be better informants than this group of children."


    "So, you discovered it when I first started working at your Manor?"


    "Even earlier than that. When you got off the train at Gotham''s train station, the cigarette boy had already noticed something was off about you..."


    While they were chatting, rk''s body, flying in mid-air, began to tremble gradually. Schiller looked up and saw that rk''s body was starting to emit a radiant light...


    Schiller frowned. Clearly, this situation was somewhat unexpected for him, but what shocked him even more was yet toe.


    rk spread his arms wide, his body radiating a brilliant light. Then, he soared into the sky.Whether it was the curtain of light Schiller had just set up or the seemingly never-ending blizzard that had been swirling around the Manor, they were all dispersed by rk, who had taken flight.


    The fierce cold wind and the almost imprable blizzard suddenly froze. In a moment, a rift opened in the gloomy sky, and a beam of incredibly radiant light shone down on rk.


    "Wait..." Schiller frowned, sensing that something was amiss. He immediately said, "Withdraw immediately, get them out!"


    But it was toote. When rk punched a hole in the curtain of light, the ck Tide controlled by Batman took advantage of the opening and shattered the curtain, causing the ck waves to destroy the structure of the Manor.


    The anticipated scene of devouring everything did not ur. Instead, a sun rose from the ground, transforming into a halo that protected everyone present. rk descended from the light of the sun, his eyes gleaming with intense radiance.


    At the same time, Batman emerged from the ck Tide, surrounded by endless ck waves. The deepest darkness of the world erupted from his eyes.


    The two forces stood still for a moment before moving at an imperceptible speed, colliding fiercely.


    In the moment of collision between light and darkness, everything shattered.


    Not only did it include the Manor, the furniture, and walls within it, but also the shadows of distant buildings, invisible walls further away, and an entire room in the Temple of Thought.


    The perspective zoomed out to the top of a high tower, where the tail of a giant serpent coiled. Suddenly, a small dot of light blinked.


    The head of the serpent stirred, opening its eyes with a bewildered expression, looking at its own tail.


    Then, in an instant, the serpent''s eyes were blinded.


    The small dot of light erupted into a violent radiance, as if the sun hadnded on the top of the high tower.


    Before Jormungandr could react, it was sted away like a popped balloon by a mushroom-shaped cloud.


    The dream space was always incredibly silent, but this time, an indescribable roar erupted from the top of the tower. Not only did it send Jormungandr and the two rooms he had just set up flying out, but it also turned the more than twenty floors at the top of the high tower into dust.


    As the halo apanying the mushroom-shaped cloud dissipated, everything became calm, leaving only the high tower, now shortened, standing silently in a vast white space.


    Bruce sat up abruptly from the bed. He blinked in confusion, closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a slightly unfamiliar guest room. However, he could confirm that he was still inside the mayor''s mansion.


    He touched his forehead, feeling a bit groggy. His eyes were struggling to open, and his nose felt congested. But when he stood up from the bed, he suddenly noticed a strong smell of alcohol permeating the room.


    He saw a small table next to his bed, with a ss on it, but no bottle of wine. There was no remaining liquid in the ss. Bruce frowned and walked over, picking up the ss, squinting his eyes...


    If this was truly a dream, when did he enter it?


    To determine this, he needed to know the current situation inside the Manor.


    He opened the door and found himself in a guest room on the second floor. When he looked down the corridor, he noticed signs of a struggle. Bruce recalled that it was the ce where they had shed with the agents.


    In other words, he should have been dragged into the dream after their fight with the agents, when they were taking a rest to recover their strength.


    Bruce lowered his head again, looking at the ss in his hand, lost in thought. Just then, he heard a noiseing from the end of the corridor. He quickly closed the door.


    If he had entered the dream after the fight with the agents, it meant that they had only managed to shake them off, not defeat them. They might be somewhere in the entire Manor now.When the door was knocked, Bruce confirmed that it couldn''t be the agents because they never knocked.


    Sure enough, standing outside the door was rk, holding his head, with disheveled hair, squinting his eyes, appearing tired and confused.


    "Oh, it''s you. Just now, I heard somemotion next door, so I came to check. Somehow, I passed out in the next room and had a very strange dream..." rk said.


    Bruce furrowed his brow. He let rk into the room, and soon, Lex also joined them. They exchanged a nce, seemingly understanding what was puzzling each other.


    "Let''s start from the beginning," Lex sat down and tapped the table. He said, "Without a doubt, we were pulled into a strange dream by Professor Schiller using some method."


    "The first question is, what was the order in which we entered the dream?" Bruce said to Lex. "Do you remember what happened in our memories in the dream after defeating the agents?"


    "A group of agents stormed into my room and knocked me out, then you saved me," Lex frowned. He continued, "Now it seems that it might not have been the agents who knocked me out."


    "Logically speaking, you would have been the easiest one to deal with. They wouldn''t even need any special means, just a hit with that umbre of yours," Bruce replied.


    "Hold on, what are you guys talking about?" rk rubbed his forehead. "I know we seem to have had a very simr dream, but what''s the rtionship with that professor? What are we specting now?"


    Bruce and Lexpletely ignored rk. They quickly deduced the truth of the situation through their conversation.


    For some reason, after the conflicts between Bruce, rk, Selina, and the agents, Schiller separately approached Lex, Bruce, and rk, and then used some method to drag them into the dream.


    As for what that method was, Bruce and Lex''s gaze focused on the water ss in Bruce''s hand.


    "This is not normal. I believe there is no normal drink in the world that would leave no trace on the cup after being consumed, unless it''s not actually a drink but some kind of medication," Lex continued.


    "No, it is alcohol, but it''s a type of alcohol with special functions," Bruce said, clearly recalling how Schiller had taken down Constantine.


    "So, the only question is..." Lex stared at the ss and asked, "Why would that professor do this?"


    Bruce silently looked at the ss, then said, "If I''m not mistaken, he probably felt that we disturbed his sleep."


    Lex and rk''s expressions stiffened. Suddenly, an invisible understanding formed between them. In that moment, they silently moved their chairs back a bit, seemingly wanting to keep their distance from Bruce.


    rk swallowed and then said, "I think they''re correct..."


    Lex smoothly continued, "People in Gotham are all mad."


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 Chapter (2)

    Chapter (2)


    After being awakened by the intense sounds of a battle between several people and an Agent, an ordinary person who had not slept for more than two hours that night emitted a deep resentment and turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows.


    Of course, drinking alone was not Schiller''s style, so he sought out his drinking buddy JokerJack. Schiller, who was quite depressed due to insomnia, inadvertently revealed to Jack what he had seen at the Metropolismayor mansion.


    Jack, who was forced to stay at home due to Gotham''s traffic idents and snowstorms, was bored and eager to participate in something interesting when he heard about it.


    However, there was a very practical problem in this n, which was how to get Jack to Metropolis.


    Of course, there is a very peculiarw in DC called the "BatmanJoker Aggregation"w. Wherever Batman is, there is Joker, and wherever Joker is, there is Batman. If they are separated, the other will ignore any physical rules and suddenly appear where the other is, and give them a headache by attacking their n.


    In other words, if Batman lives at the head of the Yangtze River and Joker lives at the tail, the next day the Yangtze River will be a highway and a national weapon.


    However, Schiller discovered that this seemed to follow the observer effect. When he stared at Batman on this side and looked at Joker in the dream, they could not ignore the physical rules and collide with each other.


    Therefore, the simplest method was to return through the path Schiller had taken, which was from Joker''s dream down to the dream god kingdom, then borrow the passage from the dream god kingdom and return to Schiller''s in the dream.


    Ignoring the dream god, when Schiller heard that he wanted to bring Joker to his in the dream, there was a shocked and admiring eye contact. This passage was indeed much faster. To prevent Joker from staying too long in the dream kingdom, the dream god opened the door to their faces, and in almost a moment, Joker was in position.After Joker was in position, the next step was to arrange the important actors. Schiller chose to deal with Lex, who was the easiest to deal with.


    Although Lex was intelligent, his physical condition was really poor. Schiller found a reason to enter his room and knocked him out, then used the scent of crazy wine to make him enter the dream.


    The more difficult one was Bruce. When Constantine was in troublest time, he already knew the principle of crazy wine. If Schiller directly brought a bottle of wine to Bruce, he would definitely not approach him.


    Therefore, Schiller used Selena''s tendency to steal and guided her to the wine cer in the Manor, and then let her bring back a bottle of red wine that had been reced with crazy wine to her and Bruce''s room.


    Bruce didn''t drink, but Selena didn''t care. Bruce wouldn''t ask Selena not to drink, so when Selena opened the bottle, Bruce had no defense and they both fell for it.


    However, Schiller did not let Selena enter that dream. He just arranged a single room for Selena and let her y in the Paradise full of gems.


    After that, to prevent Bruce from waking up halfway, he transferred Bruce to another single room and poured a little crazy wine into his ss to keep the dream stable.


    The most difficult one was rk. Before taking action, Schiller couldn''t even be sure if rk could absorb this thing.


    Fortunately, rk''s vignce was the lowest. Schiller took the bottle of wine that was still half full and went to rk''s room.


    rk also didn''t drink, but not because he didn''t want to, but because he grew up in an innocent environment and his parents didn''t let him drink. Aftering to college, because his interpersonal rtionships were not good, no one took him to parties, so he had never drunk before.


    But he was also curious about alcohol, so when he heard that Schiller had brought a bottle of wine, he couldn''t wait to open it and taste it.This is roughly half a bottle.


    It wasn''t until rk had downed most of the remaining crazy wine in the bottle that he finally showed signs of being slightly tipsy. What he didn''t know was that if he didn''t get drunk at that point, Schiller would have had to give up on the n because he couldn''t afford it.


    Fortunately, after drinking all the remaining crazy wine in the bottle, rk finally got drunk, but this was just the beginning.


    After rk passed out, Schiller found that he couldn''t ess rk''s dream.


    The worst-case scenario had happened. Kryptonian brain waves and humanity''s brain waves were ipatible, in other words, Type C plugs couldn''t be inserted into Android interfaces.


    But fortunately, just like the conversion between two types of plugs, Schiller could think of some ways to create a converter. After spending a lot of effort to finally make a converter, Schiller found that the amount of data stored on the other side was toorge.


    As is well known, Superman has a super brain, although he doesn''t use it much of the time. Half of his super brain is used to control his superpowers, but the other half ispletely different from the brain capacity that humanity can have under the same size.


    Kryptonians just look simr to humans, but in fact, they arepletely different creatures. Therefore, the structure of the Kryptonian brain ispletely different from that of humanity. Under the same size, the amount of data that can be stored ispletely different.


    The reason why humanity forgets is actually because the brain instinctively filters out some unimportant information. The reason why humanity cannot remember certain details of the environment is also because the brain is processing the received information more efficiently.


    But Kryptonians don''t have this function because their brain capacity is almost infinite. This means that they will remember every detail of their environment, and all their memories will not be forgotten.


    What''s more, this young version of Superman hasn''t realized that he is a Kryptonian yet, so he is using his brain in the same way as humanity.


    And it''s not the genius way that Bruce uses, rk uses the ordinary way that humanity uses, but the difference is that he thinks he has forgotten memories and details, but they are actually stored in his brain.


    Because this part of the information ispletely out of his control, rk will not limit their output. Therefore, at the moment when Schiller essed rk''s consciousness, he was overwhelmed by a huge amount of junk information.


    As a result, Schiller had to limit the output of rk''s consciousness, but he encountered a problem. rk needed his consciousness to limit his superpowers. If the consciousness that was essed was not enough but he still wanted to pretend to have normal superpowers, rk would definitely notice something was wrong.


    Kryptonian superpowers are different from the superpowers that Peter mutated into. Kryptonian superpowers are innate, and the control and application of this ability are engraved in their genes.


    Therefore, Schiller could not make rk believe that he was apletely ordinary person. This would make rk feel very ufortable. The connection was already unstable, and once he felt this abnormality, he would wake up from the dream.


    The only way was to weaken his superpowers, but the degree of weakening also required skill. First, Schiller used the setting of known radiation to weaken rk''s upper limit of ability, making him believe that he had be weak due to some unknown radiation. Although your character is strong now, we can''t guarantee that he will be strong in the future.


    Then, in the essed consciousness, he let the part that dealt with emotions upy a higher proportion. A more emotional way of thinking would weaken his thinking about manipting his abilities. Although your character is strong now, we can''t guarantee which part of him is strong.


    Finally, in thetter part, he used Kryptonite to limit rk''s superpowers and reduce the amount ofputation used on him. Although your character is strong now, we can''t guarantee that there are no other characters who can restrain him.


    In short, the original version of Superman rk had be a discarded version after several major cuts, at least that''s what Schiller thought at this point in the story.But Superman is far moreplicated than that.


    Originally, rk''s role ended when he was thrown back into the banquet hall, but what Schiller didn''t expect was that his butler Merkel happened to search his Manor at that moment and happened toe into contact with the bottle of wine that had previously pit Constantine.


    Originally, who could ess the dream was up to Schiller to decide, but at that time, the performance was in its exciting part, and Schiller was busy painting the wall next door and didn''t notice that a small mind had essed that room.


    The result was that Superman, who was supposed to have no role, suddenly exploded.


    And obviously, Superman deals with everything shy.


    The light screen, consciousness istion, consciousness extraction, and even Jormungandr''s mental defense were all useless.


    The title of the god of humanity and the son of the sun was not just a name. Even in Schiller''s in the dream, he could still descend like a god without regard to physics or reason.


    Generally speaking, even if Superman regained his weakened power, he would not have such serious consequences. But the problem was that rk had experienced a veryrge stimulus at that time, and he did not have good control over his own power, so he exploded.


    The consequences of this explosion are needless to say. Jormungandr, who was originally perched on the high tower of thought, was blown out and fell to the ground, and the whole snake was stunned.


    The two rooms that Schiller had previously built werepletely gone, and more than 20 floors within the explosion range also disappeared.


    But this is not the most serious consequence.


    On the eve of the explosion, Schiller realized that things were irretrievable and kicked all the other consciousness out of the dream, in order to free up more memory space to deal with possible impacts.


    The result was that only three people were left to face this explosion, DC Schiller, Joker Schiller, and JokerJack.


    Not to mention JokerJack, who basically ran back crying, DC Schiller and Joker Schiller were both in the center of the nuclear explosion.


    Although this was Schiller''s dream, he had some defense measures, but these two were still directly blown down.


    In the hospital on the 200th floor, Schiller in a white coat looked at ck Suit Schiller lying on the bed with a gloating expression.


    At this time, DC Schiller''s arm was hanging in a cast, his forehead was wrapped in a bandage, and hey on the bed with a hopeless look on his face.


    Marvel Schiller in the white coat put away the stethoscope, stood up, and said excitedly, "I''ve been wanting to go to the DC world for a few days. Trust me, I won''t mess anything up."


    DC Schiller lying on the left bed and Joker Schiller lying on the right bed looked at each other and then sighed deeply at the same time.


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 Chapter 453: The Beginning of Confrontation (1)

    Chapter 453: The Beginning of Confrontation (1)


    In a spacious and bright doctor''s office, Merkel sat in front of Schiller, who was buried in writing medical records. Merkel frowned and asked, "So, you mean I am in your dream now?"


    "Correct. Now, can you tell me exactly what''s going on?" Schiller replied.


    Merkel''s demeanor was quite different from his usual mature and steady appearance as a young butler serving in the Manor. He appeared calm and amiable, always talking about the weather and carrying a unique British humor. In short, when you see him, you can easily associate him with the most typical British butler.


    But now, when he frowned and squinted his eyes, a sharp temperament spread from him, making it hard not to associate him with certain professions rted to agents or soldiers.


    "If I don''t tell you, can''t I leave here?" Merkel asked.


    Schiller shook his head and said, "No, you can''t stay here for too long. If a person stays in a dream for too long, their body''s functions will be affected, just like a nt that has been asleep for years, and their muscles will atrophy."


    "I mean, will you let me leave here?" Merkel asked again.


    Schiller nodded and looked into Merkel''s eyes, then said, "I hope you can understand one thing. I spent money and time to find a butler who can take care of the Manor for me."


    "But when I was away, you rummaged through my things and ended up here. So please don''t say that I imprisoned you. This is entirely your own mistake, and I am the victim."Merkel seemed to want to say something, but Schiller interrupted him before he could speak.


    "I don''t care what your political stance is or what other purposes you have for doing this job. But I hired you to do your job well."


    "I hope I don''t have to remind you of how many things you messed up during this time."


    Merkel always frowned, and Schiller saw that he waspletely clueless, so he continued, "Merkel, you haven''t been here for long, but during this time, you forgot to deliver food to the newsboy, ruined two newspapers while ironing, broke a button on a custom suit, almost broke a decoration on my desk, and left a deep scratch on the teak bookshelf with a handcart. These losses are more than three times yourmission."


    "I hope you think about why I haven''t fired you yet, even though I know you''re a Soviet spy and you''re clumsy."


    Merkel widened his eyes, and he also wanted to know why.


    If, as Schiller said, he had already noticed something was wrong when Merkel got off the train, why did he still hire him? And why didn''t he fire him even when his work was not going well?


    It was the winter of 1988, and those familiar with history might know that the situation during the Cold War was very severe. During this time, no normal American was willing to have any rtionship with the Soviet Union.


    "Are you making a statement to me?" Merkel asked.


    Schiller sighed and covered his forehead with his hand, saying, "I guess you haven''t received much training, or you''re simply a self-taught spy."


    "I won''t even mention how you used spy tactics in front of a newsboy to handle a cigarette butt."


    "I can also ignore the fact that you did nothing for a long time aftering to my Manor because you didn''t dare to take risks."


    "I can even not mention how you opened my personal mail without judgment and didn''t get any important information.""When you adopt a radical attitude in this situation and demand that I speak clearly, it doesn''t add to my pressure, it only exposes your guilt," Schiller sighed and said. "I guess you''re a pure British person, but you got involved in some cause because of certain ideological education."


    "Now, what upies most of your mind is still ideals and struggles. I can''t say that this is wrong, but obviously, you seem to have simplified things too much."


    Merkel frowned and stared at Schiller, saying, "No matter how you nder me, I won''t shake my attitude."


    "Okay, let''s change the topic. What mission did youe here to execute?" Schiller asked.


    Merkel remained silent.


    Schiller propped his face with his finger, slightly tilted his head, stared into Merkel''s eyes, and said, "When you were in the Manor before, you didn''t like to look directly into my eyes. Actually, you should know that this is not out of politeness, but because there is something in your eye contact that cannot be hidden."


    "This is actually a very interesting phenomenon. All the Marxists I know have different eye contact from others."


    "Do you know any other Marxists?" Merkel finally couldn''t help but ask.


    Schiller suddenly changed the topic and said, "Since you came into my dream during this time period, it means that you should have started from the third floor of the Manor and worked your way down, finally touching the bottle on the bookshelf. Did you find anything else?"


    "Do you have anything to be found?" Schiller showed a rather helpless expression and said, "Your thinking ispletely immersed in the work of an agent, to the point where you don''t even realize how stiff your use ofnguage is."


    "You need to understand one thing, Merkel. You must have more doubts than me now, and you must have more questions to ask than me."


    "If you want to get answers to these questions, you must first answer my questions. Do you think the answers you want to know are not worth revealing some information in exchange?"


    Merkel stared at Schiller''s eyes in silence, seeming to confirm whether this was another trap. But in the end, he spoke, "I can''t guarantee that I will answer every question."


    "Okay, one question for one question. If you can''t answer, I''ll move on to the next one."


    Schiller yed with his pen in his hand and asked, "Did you find anything in my Manor?"


    Merkel paused, and his expression became somewhat vivid, as if recalling something unpleasant. He said, "I can understand that for safety reasons, you locked every door in the Manor. Okay, if it''s for safety, then you can give each door a different lock, and it''s understandable that different locks correspond to different keys..."


    "But why did you hide every key in different ces, design a puzzle for each key, arrange several clues for this puzzle, and crack several codes to get these clues, and go to the library to flip through several books to get these codes..."


    Merkel raised his finger to cover his eyes, and his tone revealed deep helplessness. "That''s why I came into your dream at this time. I spent most of the night solving these damn puzzles."


    "He... am I crazy?" Schiller muttered in confusion.


    "What?" Merkel asked.


    "Nothing, did you solve it?"Merkel gave Schiller a resentful eye contact and said, "After spending several hours, I finally opened the door and ended up here the moment I touched that bottle."


    "Don''t be upset. I recently updated the puzzle library on the second floor of the room because someone gave me a pretty good hardcover edition of ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.''"


    "If you opened the doors in order from south to north, then you should have at least finished the first two puzzles. I think that''s the most impressive part. What about you?"


    "Is this the second question?" Merkel asked.


    "Come on, don''t be so boring. It''s just a casual conversation," Schiller waved the pen in his hand and lowered his head to look at his medical records. He said, "You always try to gain the upper hand with a dominant attitude at every crucial moment. It''s probably because you''re in a vulnerable position andck a sense of security."


    "You see, every action and expression of yours reveals a lot of information. It''s not just about putting on a cold face with a show of dominance that can deal with me."


    Merkel''s eyes remained fixed on Schiller. In fact, he felt something strange because the Schiller in front of him seemed unusually patient.


    Actually, Merkel knew that his current attitude couldn''t be described ascking a sense of security; it could even be said that he was somewhat fearful. During his time working at Schiller Manor, he had spent a lot of time with Schiller and knew what kind of person he was.


    Merkel had never studied psychology, so he didn''t know the professional terms for certain conditions. He could only sense that Schiller was somewhat neurotic, with many stubborn and rigid habits, and his temper was somewhat inscrutable.


    He would invest a great deal of time and effort in some peculiar and useless things, such as putting a different lock on each door, then setting up hundreds of puzzles to protect the keys. He would also spend a lot of time polishing those peculiar collectibles like umbres, an Earth globe, a telescope, and sses, among others.


    But at the same time, he appeared very impatient with many important matters. For example, he would read the newspaper during breakfast without fail. If either breakfast or the newspaper arrivedte, he wouldn''t start.


    He strongly resisted breaking his routine, but he would often go out in the middle of the night.


    When he spoke, he was always direct and to the point, hardly considering the feelings of the listener. He would also make a big deal out of some very ordinarymunication, intentionally letting people know that he had seen through the essence of their inner thoughts.


    This temperament, which was very different from ordinary people, made Merkel feel that he was a bit crazy.


    And now, the Schiller in front of him seemed perfectly normal, almost too normal.


    When Merkel decided to put on a tough stance, he actually had no intention of leaving here alive. Based on his understanding, his mysterious employer wouldn''t have the patience to listen to the usual rhetoric used in interrogations by agents.


    Merkel also didn''t know how long he could hold on in this kind ofmunication.


    Originally, his expectation was that whether he could leave here alive or not, as long as he didn''t reveal the secret in his heart, it would be considered a sess. He never anticipated that he would still have room for negotiation.


    Schiller''s change of attitude had no logical basis, so Merkel could only assume that Schiller was in a good mood at the moment, which made him rx a little and try to seize more opportunities to save his life, preferably by obtaining some intelligence.


    "Well, it seems like you''re not interested in chatting right now. So, you can ask your first question," Schiller said.


    Merkel swallowed and gradually rxed his body, focusing his attention on his thoughts. He looked into Schiller''s eyes and asked, "How did you manage to do it?"


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 Chapter 454: The Beginning of Confrontation

    Chapter 454: The Beginning of Confrontation


    "What are you referring to?"


    "This dream."


    Merkel nced around with his eyes. It was a clean and tidy doctor''s office. It was evident that it was a doctor''s office not only because Schiller was wearing a white coat but also because there were many medical records on Schiller''s desk, anatomical charts hanging on the wall, and a treatment bed next to the room.


    Everything here was incredibly realistic, just like most doctors'' offices Merkel had seen before. The images and text on the anatomical charts were clear, and the reflection of the metal legs of the treatment bed reflected the color of the floor tiles. Every detail here was impably real,pletely unlike a dream.


    Just now, Merkel witnessed the absurd scene in the banquet hall, experiencing the terrifying ck tide and dazzling light. Merkel was a staunch materialist, and hismon sense told him that such things wouldn''t happen in reality. So, there was only one possibility: it was a dream.


    The only question was how Schiller managed to create such a realistic yet absurd dream and how he pulled people into it.


    Merkel believed that figuring out this question was more important than his original mission because, as far as he knew, humanity''s understanding of brain-consciousness dreams was still limited. It would be valuable intelligence.


    "Haven''t you experienced it already?"


    "Are you referring to the bottle of wine?"Schiller nodded and continued, "Of course, the problem lies here."


    He tapped his head with his finger and said to Merkel, "You should understand that consciousness and dreams are products of the human brain. You must have a sufficiently intelligent brain to have the capacity to run a vast and realistic dream."


    "...Brain development?" Merkel seemed to have realized something.


    "It seems that you are not just a low-level agent providing intelligence to the Soviet Union. You should also understand some intelligence from the Soviet side."


    Merkel immediately fell silent, feeling somewhat annoyed. It seemed like he had fallen into Schiller''s trap.


    Schiller shook his head and said, "You don''t have to be nervous. I know better than you the extent to which this research has progressed and what it can achieve in the future."


    "To what extent?"


    "The extent of no progress."


    Merkel moved his lips, seemingly wanting to retort, but he worried that he might reveal more intelligence. So, he said to Schiller, "It seems like you haven''t answered my question."


    "I did answer. The answer is that bottle of winebined with my brain. There is nothing else."


    "I know you are considering how to take away that bottle of wine or even how to take away my brain..."


    "But I advise you not to do so. Either of these two things, if studied separately, could be a disaster."


    "We are not afraid of any disaster."


    Schiller opened his mouth but found that he couldn''t respond to Merkel''s answer. So, he could only say, "Now it''s my turn to ask the second question. What is your mission objective?"


    Merkel frowned, seemingly not expecting Schiller to be so direct. He thought that they would at least have a couple more rounds of probing...


    But this actually made him feel somewhat relieved. It seemed that his perception of Schiller''s character changing was just his illusion.


    "I am tracking down an agent."


    "Who is he?""This is our internal matter."


    "Why do you want to track him down?"


    "Because he has been missing for a long time."


    Schiller flipped the pen in his hand and looked at Merkel. "What you said is true, but only part of the truth."


    "You want to find the person who may have taken the Philby list, right?"


    Merkel''s pupils suddenly shrank, and he furrowed his brows, trying to remain calm. He wanted to deny it, but his rationality told him that since Schiller had mentioned the name "Philby list," he must know a lot.


    "Where did you hear that name?"


    "Is that your next question?"


    "...Yes."


    "Now, my body is in the Metropolis Mayor''s mansion. Just now, something unexpected happened here. I won''t say more about it, but in short, a group of agents have blocked this ce."


    "Just now, their leader announced something in the banquet hall. He imed that among the participants in the banquet, there was a Soviet spy who took the Philby list. Until they find this spy, the agents won''t let us leave."


    Merkel''s face immediately darkened, and he could hardly control his facial expression. His inner anxiety was written all over his face.


    "Who is he? Where is he now?"


    "I don''t know." After Schiller gave his answer, Merkel still stared at him. Schiller tapped the table with the tip of his pen and said, "If even CIA agents are uncertain about something, how could I know?"


    "Okay, I''ll ask onest question and answer yourst doubt, then I''ll put your consciousness back into your body."


    Schiller looked into Merkel''s eyes and asked, "Why is the Philby list so important?"


    Merkel pursed his lips, hesitating whether to tell Schiller about it. If he was really an enemy, after understanding the importance of the list, he might help the CIA agent kill the Soviet agent who had the list.


    He recalled some details of his interactions with Schiller. He had to acknowledge that Schiller was a very strange person. He was very different from ordinary Americans, even Europeans. He was not a normal person, and his thinking was beyond normal people''s understanding.


    Facing such a person, it was challenging to judge his ideology, and it was even impossible to judge what he believed in.


    In the past, Merkel would have felt that he had not collected enough intelligence, but now, he gave himself a delusion. Perhaps Schiller would notpletely lean towards the CIA, and there might still be a chance to persuade him to help.


    Finally, he spoke, "Perhaps you should have heard it on the radio. Before Philby left the UK, between 1962 and 1963, he underwent a lot of investigations. It was an extremely dangerous time, and even though Philby held a high position, he had no guarantee of a safe exit."


    "Philby was an important member of the UK''s MI6, and he was also the head of the Ninth Department responsible for intelligence work against the Soviet Union. I think you should also know what this means."


    "The Ninth Department is responsible for intelligence work against the Soviet Union, and their head is one of our people."


    "During this period of his career, Philby obtained a lot of intelligence. At the same time, he was also responsible for tracking down Soviet agents and spies hidden in other countries. Using his position, he protected many of ourrades and ensured that their work could proceed smoothly."


    "At the same time, he also knew the identities of many agents and spies from other countries hidden in the Soviet Union. If you understand spy work, you should know that sending spies is mutual, and there is no such thing as only the Soviet Union conducting espionage."


    "Coming to Philby''s position, the information he possessed was terrifying, and the most important information was the identities of Soviet agents and spies from other countries."


    "When facing an important investigation, Philby was not sure if he could safely return to the Soviet Union. Even so, he hoped that the information he possessed could be transmitted back to the Soviet Union.""But at that time, he was closely monitored. The people in charge of investigating him wanted to find evidence of his guilt from his behavior. Philby knew that he couldn''t directly contact Moscow. He had to take a more subtle approach."


    "So, the Philby list was created."


    Merkel sighed and ced his hands on the table, then sped them together. "It recorded all the identities of Soviet agents and spies from other countries that Philby could obtain."


    "I think you should know how important this is."


    "So, the CIA wants to get their hands on this list because it probably also contains the names of the spies they nted. Although it has been decades, if they can confirm the identities of some people, they can follow the trail."


    "All intelligence institutions think this way. They don''t want any of their opponents or even teammates to get their hands on this list. It could cause destructive damage to their intelligenceworks in certain areas."


    "What is the more subtle method you mentioned for transferring this list?"


    Since the conversation had reached this point, Merkel didn''t need to cover up anymore. He said, "It''s the oldest method. Find a trusted person, give it to him, and let him take it back to Moscow."


    "But it ultimately failed."


    "No, it actually seeded. Although this n failed, Philby escaped investigation and sessfully returned to Moscow. All the materials were in his head."


    "So, the Soviet Union has the information?"


    Merkel sighed and said, "That''s why other countries want to find this list. Because they are already at a disadvantage. From the time Philby returned to Moscow until his death, Western countries can be said to have repeatedly failed in intelligence work, which was also due to Philby''s influence."


    "They want to use this list to turn the tables?"


    Merkel shook his head and said, "Actually, no. They just need something to show for their work."


    He raised his hand and gestured, "The materials in Philby''s head and the contents recorded on the Philby list should be very simr."


    "As long as they can get their hands on the Philby list and prove that the information on it is very detailed and can cause significant damage, they can me the failures of their intelligence work over the years on Philby and those who failed to prosecute him."


    Schiller immediately understood what Merkel meant. These people were so desperate to find this list just to prove that their opponents were too strong, not that they were too weak.


    As long as they found this list and the detailed spy information recorded on it, they could say that they were ying with open cards and couldn''t possibly win against their opponents. This way, the failures of their intelligence work over the years could be wiped out in one stroke.


    "But why now?" Schiller asked.


    Merkel shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know. But Schiller could understand. Did the CIA need to shift the me? Did they need to choose the right time? Or was shifting the me their main business?


    "Okay, you can ask me onest question, and then this dream will end."


    Merkel remained silent for a while. Just as Schiller was about to remind him, he looked into Schiller''s eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Have you read the Communist Manifesto?"


    Schiller remained silent for a long time. Then he stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the void outside. He whispered, "Do you know? A CIA agent is outside my door. I just need to wake up immediately and tell him that you asked me this question, and he won''t survive this winter."


    "I know..."


    Schiller turned around and saw a light in Merkel''s eyes that was brighter than the sun that had just descended on the top of the high tower.


    "But I don''t care."


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 Chapter 455: The Beginning of Confrontation (2)

    Chapter 455: The Beginning of Confrontation (2)


    In the guest room of the mayor''s mansion, Bruce, Lex, and rk were still reflecting on the dream they had experienced.


    Their perspectives on certain aspects of the dream couldn''t be more different. It wasn''t a matter of agreeing to disagree; it was a full-blown sh of opinions.


    "Even if they are guilty, you can''t use that kind of method to destroy them. It''s neither reasonable nor humane!" rk eximed loudly to Bruce.


    "I was just trying to decipher the dream," Bruce calmly replied.


    "But aren''t you afraid that it''s not just a dream? When you used those ck waves to impact the crowd, did you ever consider what would happen if it was real? Can you resurrect the dead?" rk questioned.


    "rk, is there something wrong with your brain?" Lex suddenly interjected, his voice equally cold. He said, "Those people, under the condition that you saved them, unanimously voted to kill you. And yet, you have the audacity to stop Bruce from killing them. Are you insane?"


    "I never intended to kill them. I don''t kill people," Bruce countered Lex. He said, "I have a strong conviction that it was indeed a dream. Violent decryption is the most efficient method, otherwise, we would all be trapped there."


    "A strong conviction?" rk sneered and said, "You dare to do something like this withoutplete certainty, and you still have the nerve to call yourself a non-killer?"


    "Because his brain works faster than yours," Lex turned to rk again, mercilessly saying, "What was the beginning of this whole thing? Wasn''t it you, without thinking or investigating, knocking me unconscious?"rk suddenly fell silent, then he looked into Lex''s eyes and said, "On this point alone, you''re right. The beginning of all this did indeed stem from my recklessness."


    He turned his head to the side, his tone somewhat somber, and said, "If someone truly dies because of this, I bear an irrefutable responsibility."


    But his apology left Lex somewhat shattered. He said, "You''re truly insane, rk, you..."


    He stared at rk with his eyes, seemingly unable toprehend how his saintly mindset had developed.


    Lex took a deep breath and then said to rk, "I take back my previous inference. It''s not because you''re powerful enough that you''re tolerant. It''s simply because there''s something wrong with your brain."


    "How can you say that about me? Even if I was a bit reckless before, you can''t resort to personal attacks!" rk crossed his arms and looked at Lex.


    "Your physical condition is severelycking," Bruce pointed out the most vulnerable part of Lex, hitting the nail on the head. He said, "Even if rk initially knocked you out, if you had remained conscious, you could have easily manipted those people and controlled the vote."


    "Of course, I could," Lex said disdainfully, hugging his arms. "Facing such a group of incredibly foolish people, manipting their thoughts is as easy as pie."


    "You can''t just manipte the thoughts of the masses at will! Lex, your ideas are dangerous!" rk spoke up again.


    Lex was truly on the verge of losing his temper...


    In simple terms, these three individuals are vastly different in various aspects.


    If we were to divide them into factions, both Bruce and rk belong to the Hero faction. They want to protect ordinary people, while Lex couldn''t care less about the lives of ordinary people.


    However, when ites to methods, Bruce and Lex are simr. They prioritize results and believe that appropriate control and surveince are necessary. On the other hand, rk believes in procedural justice.


    In terms of geography, rk and Lex stand together. Both of them are from Metropolis and share the strong belief that Gotham is full of lunatics.In this extremelyplex triangr rtionship, it is normal for consensus to be unattainable.


    Just as the three of them were arguing incessantly, there was a sudden knock on the door of the guest room. rk squinted his eyes and said, "A man with bandages on his head, but I don''t know him."


    Bruce and Lex exchanged a nce, and by then, rk had already walked up to open the door.


    After the door opened, Benjamin appeared outside with gauze wrapped around his head. He had previously been knocked unconscious by Lex and Schiller, then interrogated by Bruce. After waking up, he looked extremely haggard.


    "Hello, do you need any help?" rk asked with great concern, but Benjamin didn''t even look at him. He simply made eye contact with the other two people in the room.


    Bruce took a step back, and Benjamin walked in. Benjamin first looked at Bruce and said, "Mr. Wayne, you really surprised me..."


    Then, he turned his head and looked at Lex, saying, "Mr. Luthor, you''re the same."


    "I don''t understand why you rich second-generation individuals have to y these games. Is it amusing to pretend to be a yboy and have autism?" Benjamin said, questioning.


    Bruce and Lex remained silent, assuming very simr postures, both crossing their arms and scrutinizing Benjamin with a prating gaze, almost like X-rays.


    Perhaps, intelligent people always possess very simr traits. When their gaze falls upon someone, it always makes that person feel as if they have been seen through.


    Benjamin couldn''t resist this pressure, so he had to speak first. "I need your help. I must find the mysterious Soviet spy."


    Bruce was about to refuse when Benjamin said, "I am very certain that someone among the participants of the banquet has a connection to the person who took the Philby list."


    "Why are you so sure?"


    "That''s ssified."


    As soon as Benjamin finished speaking, he saw the expressions on Bruce and Lex''s faces change. So he quickly exined, "The details are indeed ssified, but in general, this agent should have a rtively high social status."


    "Perhaps you have heard about Philby''s story on the radio. During his investigation, his every move was closely monitored. At that time, the people he coulde into contact with couldn''t be of a low level."


    "Don''t you have a list of the specific individuals he interacted with?"


    "If the U.K. could produce such a list, Philby wouldn''t have been able to escape back to Moscow."


    Benjamin''s exnation was very reasonable, and Bruce and Lex had no room for rebuttal. It was a straightforward and easily understandable reason. If the U.K.''s intelligence institutions had any capabilities, they wouldn''t have let Philby get away unscathed.


    In fact, Philby''s escape had a far greater impact on the reputation of the U.K. than the harm caused by the leakage of intelligence. After all, the U.K. didn''t have any important intelligence to leak.


    "To put it more inly, the U.K. is not unaware that the people Philby came into contact with during that period may be suspicious. But the problem is, during that time, he only interacted with high-ranking individuals, and no one dares to investigate the high-ranking officials."


    "There''s another question," Lex continued to ask, "If this person dared to pass on intelligence for Philby during that period, why didn''t he sessfully transmit the intelligence back to Moscow? Instead, he came to the East Coast of the United States?"


    Benjamin shook his head and said, "We don''t have any relevant leads. That''s exactly what I need to investigate."


    "What are you doing here?" Bruce asked."I hope to get your help," Benjamin sighed and continued, "Previously, when you were fighting with the agent in the hallway, the gunshots were loud and caused a great panic. Many people would rather have conflicts with the agent than stay here."


    "If we focus on calming the panic, there won''t be enough time to investigate the spy-rted clues."


    "So, you want us to be the bad guys, persuade those people to stay here, so that you can investigate them?" Lex said bluntly.


    "This can only be called cooperation. After all, whether it''s the Luthor Group in Metropolis or the Wayne Group in Gotham, neither would want a dangerous Soviet spy operating in their hometowns."


    "If he is allowed to operate freely, there may be more serious consequences. If you have contact with him without knowing it, you may also be suspected."


    "You don''t have to threaten us," Lex said in a cold voice. "The Luthor Group alone provides hundreds of thousands of jobs in the Metropolis area."


    "If the controllers of the Luthor Group are suspected of collusion, stocks will plummet, and the consequences of industry contraction will be unemployment, followed by a financial crisis."


    "Once Wayne and I are eliminated by you, all entrepreneurs will be in fear, and the economic crisis wille early. Congress won''t allow you to do this."


    Benjamin felt his breathing be difficult. After all, he shouldn''t have been using so much brainpower after being injured. But the problem now was that he had exhausted his brainpower and waspletely unable topete with the two people in front of him.


    "Even without the CIA, we can still investigate the spy. Or, if you let us go, we can exert more force. The Luthor Group''s industry covers the entire Metropolis, and tracking their movements is as easy as pie. The Wayne Group is the same for Gotham."


    Lex continued to analyze the situation, but Benjamin came up with another condition. He said, "You should understand about the treasure hidden underground in Metropolis. Now that the CIA has learned of this intelligence, you can''t take all the treasure. The military is waiting eagerly."


    "If you''re willing to help me, I can stand on your side when deciding the share in the future. If this job goes smoothly, the two institutions in charge of internal and external affairs, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will regain their power, enough to decide some things."


    When they heard the word "treasure," Lex, Bruce, and rk looked at each other. They thought of the things they saw in their dreams.


    They had no evidence to prove that the dream Schiller had created was based on reality. Therefore, they couldn''t be sure if the huge kryptonite buried underground in Metropolis was real.


    But they had reason to believe that Schiller had investigated something before weaving such a dream. In other words, the treasure hidden underground in Metropolis was likely to be kryptonite.


    After knowing this, to some extent, the interest goals of the three of them were in agreement.


    Lex and Bruce were both skeptics. They couldn''t fully ept rk and his powerful superpowers. They hoped to have something to counter him. Therefore, they both wanted to obtain kryptonite.


    As for rk, he didn''t care if someone wanted to use this thing to counter him. He was more concerned about whether this stone would really cause cancer in ordinary people, and he hoped to transfer these things and not bury them here.


    But they all knew that finding and transferring this thing was not easy. If its volume was really asrge as in the dream, it would require a lot of manpower to excavate, and it would definitely rm all parties.


    Almost at the same time, Lex and Bruce gave their answers. Bruce spoke first, "We can help you, but we have a request."


    Lex continued, "We don''t trust your efficiency and that of your agents. So, let''s switch our roles."


    "Switch roles? What do you mean?"


    "You go and appease those people, and we''ll investigate the Soviet spy."


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 Chapter 456: The Mystery of the Spy (1)

    Chapter 456: The Mystery of the Spy (1)


    The hurried footsteps echoed through the dimly lit hallway, the polished floor reflecting the Agent''s hastened steps. The sound of the gun being loaded sounded like a sudden scratch on a cassette tape. The overhead light flickered irregrly, and looking out the window, the howling cold wind gradually weakened, and goose feather-like snowkes drifted down.


    The storm had gradually receded, but the heavy snow had not stopped. Even without the whistling snow knives, the snowkes were still falling densely. The weather was still cold, and the snow on the street had not had time to melt before being covered in a pure white coat again.


    The sky was still gloomy, and the heavy clouds hung over the Manor like arge stone pressing on everyone''s hearts.


    Everyone could feel that the atmosphere in the Manor was bing increasingly oppressive.


    If the Mayor''s murder case was a light and lively piano prelude, the gun battle that just erupted in the hallway was a passionate drum climax. Now, the low and hoarse string music yed, and everyone knew that it was almost over.


    But that didn''t mean they could all leave safely. When the Agent''s hurried footsteps and the sound of the handgun being loaded echoed through the hallway and into the guest room, they all understood that some kind of confrontation was about to begin.


    The atmosphere became quieter, but it was even more eerie, like the snowkes fluttering outside the window. Although the storm was fierce, theck of wind made the killing intent even more apparent.


    At this time, it was not just the atmosphere in Mayor Manor in Metropolis that was nervous, but also the same in Wayne Manor in Gotham.


    Dick walked stealthily through the hallway, then gently turned the doorknob and opened the door. He quickly sidestepped into the room and closed the door.Aisha, who was ying with blocks on the carpet, turned her head and looked at Dick, then stood up and reached out to him. Dick walked over, picked her up, and Aisha was about to scream when Dick said, "Shh, don''t make a sound..."


    Aisha could now understand some humannguage, especially what Dick said. She tilted her head, seeming to not understand why Dick''s expression was so guilty.


    Dick walked over to the carpet and put Aisha down, then began to tidy up the messy blocks. He whispered, "Just now, I saw Alfred cleaning his double-barreled shotgun again."


    He swallowed his saliva, looked around, seeming a little worried, and continued, "I remember that Alfred only cleaned his gun with deer skin when Mr. Wayne came backte or got injured before."


    "And just now, I saw him cleaning the barrel and even testing the trigger..."


    "My goodness, he must be very angry!"


    Dick took a deep breath, shrugged his shoulders, and then rxed again. He scratched his head and said helplessly, "But Bruce seems to be a little..."


    "First, he disappeared for several nights in a row, then he was found going to bars and red-light districts, and then he quarreled with Selena. Now, he''s been missing for almost 20 hours?"


    Dick sighed and said, "If I dared to run away from home for 20 hours without saying a word, my dad would break my legs."


    "Wow, wow, wow!" Aisha eximed.


    "You said he''s already an adult? What''s the use of that? I also think I''m an adult, but Bruce and Alfred don''t allow me to leave the Manor for too long because they''re worried that I''ll be abused by others."


    "The school I''m attending now only allows me to go home twice a week, but they found the school counselor and made me a day student because they''re worried that I''ll be away from here for too long."


    "Wow, wow, wow!" Aisha eximed again.


    "Of course, I know Alfred is very good to me. He not only picks me up and drops me off at school, but also cooks my favorite dishes for me. He even sends afternoon tea to my school. But how can Ifort him?"


    "Now, I don''t even dare to go to his room. There''s a dark atmosphere there!" Dick gestured arge circle with his hand and said in an exaggerated tone, "I have no doubt that if anyone enters this range, they could be in danger!"


    As he spoke, there was a loud bang from the hallway. Dick was startled, and Aisha''s eyes widened. She looked around and then turned her head straight to the wall beside the room.Dick followed her gaze and remembered that it was the direction he came from, which was the direction of Alfred''s room.


    "Let''s go and see, it''s possible that the gun identally went off!"


    Saying that, he picked up Aisha, who struggled in his arms, and then she started crying loudly. Dick stopped in his tracks, put Aisha down, and tapped his head, saying, "Oh, I forgot, you''re fast. You go ahead and see if Alfred is injured."


    But Aisha didn''t move, she raised her arms and started screaming. Dick was taken aback and said, "...I can teleport too? How do I teleport? I''m just a..."


    "Yes! I can teleport too! But I have a little trouble controlling it... No, Alfred might need my help. Let me try."


    With that, he focused his mind, and his body began to emit a green light. Then, with a "whoosh," he disappeared. Aisha ran out of the door, rushing to the other end of the hallway at an incredibly fast speed.


    Just as she turned a corner and arrived at the door of a room at the end of the hallway, there was a loud "bang." Dick, who was glowing green all over, fell from the sky.


    "Oh, my waist!" Dick let out a cry of pain, and Aisha burst intoughter, still saying "Wow, wow, wow."


    Dick got up from the ground, bent down, picked up Aisha, and rubbed her head vigorously, saying, "Noughing, this is my first time controlling teleportation on my own. It''s not bad, right?"


    "Next time, I''ll try to teleport closer to the ground."


    Just then, with a "click," the door opened, and bright light poured out from the crack, shining directly between Aisha and Dick.


    Alfred''s face appeared behind the door, momentarily appearing somewhat gloomy, but as soon as he saw Dick and Aisha, it immediately transformed into a kind expression.


    Dick rubbed his waist and walked forward, looking up at Alfred, saying, "Aisha and I heard a gunshot and came to see what happened. Are you okay?"


    Alfred smiled and said, "I''m fine, it was just an idental discharge."


    He squatted down, patted Dick''s head, and nced at Aisha, then turned his head to Dick and said:


    "I might need to go out for a while, leave here for a bit, so I''m preparing some tools..."


    Dick blinked and asked him, "Where are you going?"


    "He''s gone mad! He wants to fly to Metropolis in this weather!" another voice came from the room.


    Dick widened his eyes, stuck his head in, and shouted, "Hal, what are you doing here??"


    "You have to ask this good butler named Pennyworth!" Hal''s voice came again, sounding quite resentful.


    Seeing Dick''s curiosity and Aisha''s curious face, Alfred''s smile only stiffened for a moment, and then he opened the door, letting the two children walk in.


    Hal sat down in front of the wall, still holding a shotgun, and when he saw Dick enter, he struggled to get up from the ground and sighed resentfully and helplessly:


    "Alfred, let me say it again, I''m just a test pilot, not a regr fighter pilot, and I''ve been in logistics for over three months now, with no training at all."


    As he spoke, he pointed his finger outside the window and said, "The blizzard may have stopped, but the snow hasn''t. Flying a ne in this weather is suicide!"


    Alfred turned and walked towards him, then picked up the shotgun. Seeing him loading it, Hal fumbled against the wall, trembling, and said, "You can''t force me, I can''t knowingly go down a dead-end path and still do it..."He swallowed his saliva and continued, "If I still had Green Lantern energy, maybe I could teleport over and see what happened, but..."


    As he spoke, he looked at Dick, and Dick understood. Alfred wanted to go to Metropolis to find Bruce. He raised his hand and said, "I''ve already learned how to control teleportation. Maybe I can..."


    "No, Master Dick, you can''t," Alfred said without even turning his head. Dick wanted to argue, but Aisha pulled him, and Dick hesitated and didn''t say anything.


    Hal sighed and looked at Alfred, saying, "Dick told me before that you raised Bruce, like a father to him. I can understand your worry."


    "My family didn''t agree with me bing a pilot because they thought it was too dangerous. My father was the most opposed, but after I argued with him and insisted on test flying, I saw him secretly shed tears."


    "That''s why I switched from being a test pilot to logistics. I promised him that if one day I had to fly a fighter jet to face possible danger, I would carefully consider all environmental factors, ensure my safety, and not make him sad."


    "The same goes for the opposite. If Bruce knew that you wanted to fly a ne to Metropolis in such dangerous weather, he would also be very sad because it''s really dangerous."


    Hal put his hands on his hips, looked at Alfred''s eyes, and said, "I trained in the Air Force for a year and a half. I know very well the performance of nes and the impact of weather on flying..."


    "I''ve seen the helicopter parked in the Manor before. Although it looks modified, but..."


    "Who said we''re going to fly a helicopter?"


    Faced with Alfred''s cold counter-question, Hal showed a puzzled expression.


    Just then, he caught a glimpse of the outside of the Manor from the corner of his eye. This room happened to have a view of the Manor''s courtyard, and Hal turned his head and saw a shocking scene.


    The ground in the center courtyard of the Manor slowly opened, and then a ck bat fighter jet rose from the ground.


    The fighter jet was all dark, with a matte ck coating on the surface. Only the wings had some sunken dark patterns. The overall structure was simr to that of a fighter jet, but it wasrger than most fighter jets Hal had seen in the Air Force base.


    Hal swallowed his saliva, his eyes staring straight ahead, and after hesitating for a while, he said, "Please don''t tell me you want me to fly this thing to Metropolis."


    "Who said you''re flying it?"


    Hal widened his eyes again and looked at Alfred.


    Ten minutester, watching Alfred sitting in the pilot''s seat, Hal hesitated after putting on his helmet and said, "I don''t mean to question you, but flying a ne and driving a car arepletely different things, and there''s no runway here..."


    As he spoke, a low engine roar sounded, and with a "hum," the fighter jet took off directly into the air.


    When the fighter jet paused in mid-air, Hal covered his arm. The takeoff was too fast, and he hit his elbow. He quickly put on his helmet and shouted to Alfred, "Slow down! Slow down quickly! This weather is not suitable..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, the buzzing sound grew louder and louder, and then with a "whoosh," the ck bat fighter jet flew like a ck bird in a storm, rushing into the vast white snow.


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 Chapter 457: The Mystery of the Spy (2)

    Chapter 457: The Mystery of the Spy (2)


    Inside the Batne, the engines roared loudly, forcing Hal to shout, "Even if you know how to fly a ne, why did you bring them along?!"


    Hal turned his head and looked through the seat back. To his surprise, there were two children''s seats fixed behind the cockpit, with Dick and Aisha securely strapped in.


    "Sitting in a fighter jet is too dangerous for kids!" Hal shouted.


    "Do you think leaving them in Gotham is any safer?"


    Alfred pulled the control stick forcefully, and the Batne elerated again. However, Dick and Aisha, who were sitting in the back seats, didn''t seem to be affected.


    With the Green Lantern energy in Dick''s possession and Aisha''s superhuman abilities, they were not afraid of this level of turbulence. They even leaned forward in their seats, curiously looking at the control panel in front of them.


    Not only them, but Hal also soon noticed the distinctively different cockpit panel. It was unlike any fighter jet panel he had seen before. However, Alfred skillfully maneuvered the Batne with ease.


    Despite the different panel, Hal could still tell that Alfred was no novice when it came to flying.


    As he had mentioned before, flying a ne and driving a car werepletely different. Professional pilots needed specialized training, although there were naturally gifted individuals. Just like driving, it was easy to distinguish between a novice and an experienced pilot at a nce.Gotham and Metropolis were not far apart. They were the two closest major cities, so soon, through the Batne''s cockpit, they could see the faint shadows of the city''s buildings.


    "No control tower! How are we going tond?" Hal asked loudly.


    Alfred didn''t answer him. He simply turned his head and looked down, his gaze falling on the parachute pack beneath the seats. Hal followed his gaze and looked at the parachute pack, saying:


    "You''re not suggesting that I jump out with a parachute, are you?"


    "That would be against pilot safety regtions!" Hal argued, his neck stiff. "I''ve been a test pilot and worked in ground support. I''ve never seen anyone do this..."


    Just as he said that, the barrels of a double-barreled shotgun, the ck Hole, were pointed at his head. Hal swallowed nervously, and the conversation took a turn: "Of course, pilot safety regtions also include emergency procedures. We should be adaptable..."


    Alfred retracted the shotgun, and Hal breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the massive Manor, which was within reach, he sighed again and silently prepared to parachute.


    Looking out from the Batne''s cockpit, the snow was still falling heavily, but amidst the snowkes, the pointed roof of Wayne Manor could be faintly seen. At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Manor was far from calm; it was even tense.


    It is well known that Marvel and DCics have different art styles, not only in terms of visual art but also in terms of storylines and character development. Simrly, the different personalities living in these two worlds undergo different changes due to these differences.


    The most obvious example is that DC''s Schiller fundamentally dislikes doing work. It''s not that he dislikes being a university professor; rather, he prefers to exert minimal effort and enjoy the maximum fun in certain events. He values mental rxation more...


    But sometimes Marvel''s Schiller is willing to take matters into his own hands and help the superheroes. He spends time investigating their situations, providing them with psychological treatment, or engaging in discussions about economics with certain heads of important institutions, leaders of certain sorcerer sanctuaries, or alien princes. He prioritizes material gains over mental rxation.


    When these two characters switch roles, things be quite interesting. Just about half an hour ago, Schiller walked out of his guest room and headed straight for the underground of the Manor.


    His thinking was straightforward. Since he already knew there was something underground in the Manor, and there might even be remnants from the previous world, why not just go and take them? Who wants to y spy games with them?


    Moreover, Schiller''s way to the underground was also simple. He used Blink to teleport to the ground level and then began searching for an entrance.


    The reason he didn''t use Blink to directly go underground was that he was worried about unexpected situations. However, Gray Mist and Blink were his sharp weapons for reconnaissance. Within a few minutes, he had already found the entrance to the underground of the Manor.


    Next to the storage room was a cer entrance, which was a certain distance away from the banquet hall and required crossing the courtyard. This distance exceeded Schiller''s Blink range, so he nned to turn into Ashen Mist and float over.


    In theory, on such a snowy day with very low visibility, a cloud of mist passing through the courtyard should not be very noticeable, and even if the agents noticed something unusual, they could not do anything about it. Who could stop a cloud of mist?


    So Schiller used Blink to teleport to the ground level and, after finding the entrance, transformed into Ashen Mist and began floating towards the cer entrance. However, it was very coincidental that Bruce, Lex, and rk''s trio were also nearby.


    After agreeing to Benjamin''s deal, it was no surprise that Lex and Bruce had no intention of following the n.


    They still had their own n.


    Although Benjamin was supposed to take the agents to appease the guests in the Manor, and the trio was responsible for finding the spy, Lex and Bruce''s real n was to investigate the treasure in the Manor''s underground while Benjamin was busy with the guests.


    rk strongly condemned this breach of contract, but he followed them because he was worried that they would use the dangerous things in the Manor''s underground to threaten ordinary people.


    Because they acted earlier, they found the entrance to the underground before Schiller, even though it took them a little longer to search for it.


    As Schiller, in the form of Ashen Mist, floated towards the warehouse nearby, he noticed the three people there and turned his head to leave, but it was toote.


    Among these three people, Lex was extremely vignt and had excellent eyesight. He was the first to notice the strange mist drifting towards the warehouse.


    Bruce was the first to recognize his good professor, as he had seen Schiller in this form during the Living Hell battle. He turned his head to rk and said, "Stop him!"


    "Stop who?" rk asked in confusion...


    "That cloud of mist, stop it, quickly!"


    Seeing Bruce''s serious expression, rk didn''t think too much and rushed towards the mist. He then opened his arms and said, "Stop!"


    The mist really stopped.


    rk also noticed that the mist even took a step back silently. He was puzzled because he didn''t do anything except rush over and open his arms, without using any superpowers. How did it stop?


    Bruce walked over, holding his arms, and looked at the mist before saying, "Professor Schiller,e out and talk."


    The mist first formed into an arrow, pointing at rk, then turned the arrow at an angle and pulled it in that direction.


    rk and Lex didn''t know what was going on, but Bruce understood Schiller''s meaning. He turned his head to rk and said, "Step back a bit."


    rk was a little confused, but he still did as he was told and took a few steps back. Then he saw the mist slowly condense into a human form, which was Schiller.


    "Oh, Professor Schiller, it''s you."


    rk was a little surprised, but not because of Schiller''s abilities, as Schiller had already demonstrated his superpowers to him before. He was just surprised that Schiller appeared here at this time.


    As he spoke, rk walked up and wanted to stand next to Schiller, but Schiller pointed the umbre he was holding at rk.


    rk stopped and was a little puzzled. Schiller turned his head and looked at him, saying, "Don''te near me."


    He looked at rk''s eye contact as if an ordinary person saw a nuclear bomb running around with legs.


    The only difference was that if an ordinary person saw a nuclear bomb running around with legs, it must be an illusion, but rk was not. He was indeed a nuclear bomb with legs that could run around the streets. Not only did he have legs, but he also had wings. He could fly very fast and could st anyone he wanted to, making them lie down.


    "I..." rk took another half step forward, wanting to approach, but Schiller silently took a half step back, always keeping a certain distance from him.


    At this moment, Bruce''s eyes zed over, and he realized that Schiller seemed to be afraid of rk. Why was that?


    Suddenly, he remembered the part of the dream that ended earlier and saw some details, such as the state of the invisible wall breaking when Havok swung, and the shattered floors after the floor copsed beneath him.


    Although he was kicked out of the dream immediately after that, it was enough for him to infer what happened next.


    After deducing that rk''s thought explosion destroyed Schiller''s Temple of Thought Taco and copsed manyyers, Bruce suddenly felt better.


    "It seems that you have also found that entrance and are nning to go down. In that case, I won''t disturb you," Schiller said, turning to leave, but Bruce stopped him again.


    "Do you know what''s down there?" Bruce asked.


    Schiller shook his head, and Bruce frowned, saying, "No, you should know, otherwise, how do you exin that dream?"


    "Can''t it be something I made up?"...


    Seeing Bruce still staring at him, Schiller sighed and said, "Okay, I know some clues, but I didn''t know them by being there in person. I deduced them through other factors."


    "What factors?"


    Schiller''s eye contact fell on rk, who was a little confused, but Schiller still spoke, "rk, do you remember when you discussed with me before and mentioned that you felt weak when you came near Manor?"


    rk nodded nkly. Seeing Bruce''s skeptical gaze, Schiller continued, "As far as I know, there is indeed a mineral that can make some people with very strong superpowers feel weak. It''s called Kryptonite."


    Bruce''s face changed slightly. He didn''t know if Schiller''s "some people with very strong superpowers" referred specifically to rk or to all people like rk and Schiller, who had special superpowers. If it was thetter, then this mineral must not be in anyone else''s hands and must belong to him.


    Obviously, Lex also thought so.


    Their alliance almost broke apart in a moment.


    Originally, if this mineral was specifically for Superman, then they could each have one, but if this mineral could equally weaken all superpowered individuals, then it would be dangerous for anyone else to have it.


    But in fact, this logic made more sense because it was unlikely that there was a mineral specifically targeting one person in this world.


    Moreover, theboratory underground in Wayne Manor was built by several previous mayors. At that time, rk had just been born, and there was no reason for the mayor to develop a mineral specifically for a newborn baby he had never met.


    Without sufficient factual basis, no matter how smart Lex and Bruce were, they could not imagine a series ofplex alien background stories rted to Kryptonians and Kryptonite. Based on the existing clues, that stone was indeed more likely to be targeting all superpowered individuals.


    What further intensified the conflict between Bruce and Lex was that they both had urgent opponents to deal with. In Lex''s view, it was rk, while in Bruce''s view, it was Schiller.


    They both wanted to find something that could restrain the other''s superpowers, and now, that thing was right under their feet.


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 Chapter 458: The Spy Mystery (2)

    Chapter 458: The Spy Mystery (2)


    In a room at Manor, Benjamin turned to a female agent and asked, "Where did they go?"


    Ka hesitated for a moment and then replied, "The agents didn''t find their trail. It''s suspected that they might have left the main building of Manor."


    "Weren''t you supposed to keep an eye on them?" Benjamin questioned.


    "They used a little trick to shake off our agents. They didn''t seem like they were nning to investigate the spies," Ka exined.


    "I know," Benjamin''s tone remained somber, but he didn''t show any anger at being outsmarted. He said, "Because I never intended to appease the crowd."


    "But..." Ka paused, sounding anxious, "Now, the snow is getting lighter, and many people are saying the helicopters can take off. They''re even nning to forcefully impact the door and use the helicopter to escape."


    "They won''t have the chance to do that. I''ve sent people to the rooftop of the adjacent building, and those helicopters won''t be able to fly anymore."


    Ka frowned and walked to Benjamin''s side, trying to persuade him, "Benjamin, I know you want to find that spy and take the underground treasure, but using such forceful methods may lead to severe repercussions."


    "The residents here include not only media people, ordinary businessmen, and dealers but also many politicians, even a state legitor from Kansas. If this group collectively puts pressure on us, we might not withstand it.""Do you think I''d do something without being sure?" Benjamin retorted. Ka kept frowning, unable to fully grasp Benjamin''s thoughts, and asked, "Although your past actions have been quite forceful, this time seems a bit excessive. What are you relying on?"


    "Beforeing here, I already knew who the spy was."


    Ka''s eyes widened in surprise as she stared directly at Benjamin, almost disbelieving, "What did you say??"


    "Why did wee here in the first ce? Why didn''t we just arrest him directly?"


    "Why didn''t you listen to the spy''s identity first?"


    Benjamin walked back to his desk, and just then, there was a knock on the door. Ka turned her head, recognizing the rhythm of the prearranged signal, and said, "Come in."


    A rtively young agent entered, holding a briefcase in his hand. He saluted Benjamin and said, "Boss, the helicopters have been destroyed, and the items have been brought here."


    After speaking, he approached and handed the briefcase to Benjamin, saluted again, and then left.


    Ka''s gaze fell on the briefcase in Benjamin''s hand. She saw Benjamin take out a file bag from it and open the bag. From inside, Benjamin pulled out a set of materials and read aloud from it:


    "Alfred Pennyworth, born into the hereditary butler family, the Pennyworth family, residing in London for generations. He attended Eton College for secondary education and excelled in his studies, gaining admission to King''s College, Cambridge."


    Upon hearing keywords like "Cambridge University" and "MI6," Ka''s expression had already be quite peculiar. Benjamin set aside the materials and said, "I think you should be familiar with this resume. Perhaps you just heard a broadcast about someone whose experiences are strikingly simr to his..."


    "James Philby," Ka slowly uttered a name.


    Also a Cambridge University graduate, also recruited by MI6, also joining the Foreign Intelligence Division...


    However, Ka still felt it was a bit reckless to jump to conclusions. She said, "Surely, there must be a few genuine U.K. agents within MI6, right?"


    As she made eye contact with Benjamin, Ka suddenly hesitated again and asked, "...Isn''t there?"


    "Indeed, based solely on these experiences, it''s not enough to determine he is a Soviet agent. But what truly exposed him was that he appeared at the wrong ce at the wrong time."


    Ka looked at Benjamin, waiting for him to continue, but Benjamin said, "That''s not something your security clearance allows you to understand."


    "I can only tell you that it wasn''t Alfred''s first timeing to Gotham to serve the Wayne Family. When he was young, he had been active in Gotham and was involved in a case that remains unsolved to this day."


    "That case implicated many people, including the now infamous Godfather of Gotham, Carmine Falcone, and the once-renowned preacher known as the ''East Coast Glory,'' Daniel Christopher."


    "But I still don''t understand why Wayne Family''s butler, Pennyworth, might be a Soviet spy. Why did wee here instead of going to Gotham?"


    Just as Ka asked this question, she realized the answer herself. What else could it be? Trying to arrest someone''s butler at their doorstep, Wayne Enterprises would never agree to that. Besides, Gotham is Wayne Enterprises'' stronghold, and agents wouldn''t fare well there.


    Then, Benjamin added more details.


    "We once sent agents into Gotham, but the lucky ones who managed to escape back told me that it''s aplete madhouse there, like a giant quagmire. The CIA doesn''t want to get dragged into that mess."


    "And ording to our intelligence, the old Wayne couple passed away early, and Bruce Wayne was still a child when they died. He was practically raised by his butler, Pennyworth, and they share a deep bond."


    "Furthermore, as you saw earlier, Bruce is nothing like the yboy disguise he puts on. He''s highly skilled and can hold his own against a dozen agents. He''s anything but the fool he pretends to be. He''s likely highly intelligent."


    "What do you think brought about all of this?"


    Ka pondered for a moment and, thinking like an ordinary person, reached a conclusion, saying, "Could it be that Pennyworth has been grooming him all along?"


    "That''s very likely the case; otherwise, there''s no way to exin why he would possess such a vast array ofbat skills and even create a disguise for himself."


    "He''s most likely been molded by Pennyworth into our adversary, and his decision to disguise himself is probably to minimize the chance of us uncovering his true identity. After all, who would suspect a quintessential American-style yboy to be a Soviet spy?""Meaning to say, both Wayne and his butler are now standing against us?"


    "Correct. That''s precisely why we need to set up such a scheme. The CIA cannot tolerate having the leader of Wayne Enterprises in league with us. If he decides to cause trouble, the consequences would be unimaginable."


    Benjamin sighed, raised his tone as he looked out the window, and continued, "Bruce Wayne needs a reasonable cause of death."


    "The CIA wants to eliminate him, but we can''t use a conventional assassination method. Moreover, our agents can''t fully operate in Gotham. So, we must lure Bruce out."


    "After we bring him to Metropolis, we''ll trap him under the guise of searching for a spy. If he dies, we''ll pin his death on the Soviet spy, making it a legitimate oue."


    "On the other hand, Pennyworth might be the person who holds the Philby list. Besides, he has connections to a case from many years ago that hasn''t been fully deciphered. So, he cannot be killed."


    "Our n is to first get rid of Bruce Wayne, the sole leader of the Wayne Family. Then, capturing Pennyworth will be a piece of cake. He''s old now, and without the protection of the Wayne Family, he''ll have nowhere to escape."


    "The only question is, how do we eliminate Bruce?" Ka asked with some confusion. She was quite puzzled and said, "I saw his performance in the corridor, fighting against the agents. Honestly, he shouldn''t have such exceptionalbat skills at his age."


    "I don''t intend to confront him head-on. Even if I could beat him, didn''t you notice that sudden appearance of rk? He possesses extraordinary abilities unlike any ordinary person."


    Benjamin lifted his gaze, his expression growing somber. "The CIA is aware of the secret experiments the former mayors of Metropolis conducted underground at Manor. However, we have no jurisdiction within the federal territory, so it''s not under our purview."


    "The only thing we know is that the mayor who created thatboratory was quite remarkable, not an ordinary individual."


    "Thatboratory he created wasn''t an ordinary one either. Even Lionel managed to learn about the treasure hidden underground. So, why hasn''t anyone seeded in entering it all these years?"


    "Or, maybe someone did get in but couldn''t get out."


    Upon hearing Benjamin''s words, Ka understood. He wanted to y the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.


    If Bruce went in and never came out, they could report him as missing. If he suffered fatal injuries and died, they could me it on the Soviet agent. And if he sustained only minor injuries, injured Bruce wouldn''t stand a chance against the waiting agents at the exit.


    "If, as you said, they''ve been missing for some time, then I believe they should have found the entrance and already gone in."


    "Now..." Benjamin tapped the table and looked at Ka, who saluted him. Benjamin then issued a direct order:


    "Gather all avable personnel. Once the entrance is found, stand by on the first floor in a carpet search formation. Everyone at high alert, bullets loaded."


    Benjamin''s expression turned very serious, a touch of fierceness concealed within his gravity, just like any leader in a spy institution. His voice was colder than the snow outside the window:


    "Whoeveres out from there, empty your magazines."


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 Chapter 459: The Butler is Always Right (1)

    Chapter 459: The Butler is Always Right (1)


    As Benjamin''s summon gathered all the agents in Manor and headed towards the entrance on the first floor, the atmosphere in front of the entrance grew increasingly tense.


    After Schiller revealed that the underground treasure could potentially weaken superpowers, Bruce and Lex found themselves on opposite sides.


    These two skeptics would never believe that the other wouldn''t misuse this item. They were both control-oriented individuals who believed that regardless of their personal involvement or future use of the item, they neededplete control over it to feel a sense of security.


    Moreover, they were both quintessential Americans, with a zero-sum mindset ingrained in their genes. The concept of peaceful coexistence did not exist in their minds. They always believed that if the other side gained more, they would lose something, and ultimately, they would be eliminated by the other.


    This constantck of a sense of security urged them forward, but at the same time, it could easily be a vulnerability that others could exploit. In the moment Schiller spoke those words, these two brilliant geniuses didn''t even suspect that it might be Schiller''s attempt to sow discord.


    Or perhaps they did consider this possibility, but they didn''t dare to gamble on whether Schiller''s words were true or not.


    After the fracture within the youthful version of the Justice League, the atmosphere on the scene became delicate.


    In Bruce''s n, the person he intended to weaken using Kryptonite was Schiller, so naturally, he stood against Schiller. On the other hand, Lex wanted to seize the Kryptonite for himself, so he stood against Bruce. This ced Schiller and Lex on the same side.


    If we were topare Lex and Bruce, their intelligence was nearly equal. Bruce had the advantage in physical fitness andbat skills, so if they were to face each other directly, Bruce would have a significant advantage.However, with Schiller standing on Lex''s side, Bruce''s limited advantage in physical strength vanished. He needed to seek a powerful ally.


    When Bruce called rk''s name, rk was still confused because he couldn''t fully understand the situation. He stood far away and shouted, "What''s going on? Aren''t we partners?!"


    "rk, we can''t let this thing fall into Luthor''s hands. His previous actions have shown that he has no limits when ites to destroying humanity."


    "Don''t listen to him, rk. If I get my hands on the treasure, I won''t use it against you."


    "You''re lying, Lex. You want that mineral called Kryptonite to defend yourself against rk, don''t you?"


    Lex didn''t back down either. He looked directly into Bruce''s eyes and questioned, "And who are you defending against by obtaining this mineral?"


    After asking this question, Lex and Bruce instinctively turned their gaze towards Schiller. Schiller, who had been studying his umbre with his head down, looked up when he noticed that everyone had fallen silent. He nced at Lex and then at Bruce, asking, "Why are you both staring at me?"


    "I said I wanted to go down, but you wouldn''t let me. I wanted to leave, but you wouldn''t allow it. Now, are you going to me everything on me?"


    "Hey, stop arguing!" rk finally walked over and observed Schiller take a step back in silence. rk extended his hands, positioning himself between Lex and Bruce, and said, "Regardless of who ends up with this thing, our top priority is to determine if it poses any danger to ordinary people. That''s the most important goal of our cooperation."


    With that, rk walked towards the entrance to the cer. He said, "If you can''t agree on this point, I won''t let any of you go down there."


    "For me, it doesn''t matter which one of you gets this thing. So I won''t help either of you to fight against the other. If you''re going to remain deadlocked here, then I''ll go down first."


    At this moment, rk was about to enter the cer. Lex and Bruce exchanged a nce, and the intensity of their conflict suddenly eased.


    Clearly, both of them knew that they couldn''t let rk get his hands on that miraculous mineral. Even if the mineral could weaken superpowers, it might not be able to stop him if rk went down alone without anyone else around to influence him.


    Seeing Lex and Bruce standing side by side again, Schiller shook his head. rk truly restrained him in every sense of the word, but there was nothing he could do about it. The naive and straightforward rk outwitted all the strategic thinkers. His judgment was excellent, but Schiller simply didn''t fit into his calctions.


    The reason for Lex and Bruce''s dispute wasplex, stemming from their personalities and stances. To choose one side over the other, one must analyze the logical behavior of both individuals, just as Schiller did. He stood on Lex''s side because he knew that Bruce intended to use this item against him. Even if he stood with Bruce, he would ultimately be betrayed.


    However, rk chose not to side with either of them. He simply didn''t overthink things, remained steadfast in his goals, and charged forward. This inadvertently broke Schiller''s attempt to sow discord, and faced with rk''s unwavering determination, Bruce had no choice but to join forces with Lex.Now, the situation has changed. rk jumped into the cer first, while Lex and Bruce walked forward, discussing a new n. Schiller followed behind them, considering whether or not to go down himself.


    In theory, at this point, he didn''t need to go down anymore. Regardless of what was down there, Lex and Bruce would empty it out. It would be easy to get a little bit from Lexter on. After all, Schiller wasn''t Batman, and half a ton of Kryptonite was useless to him.


    But at this moment, Schiller, who was walking at the back, noticed that several teams of agents were walking towards them. The thick white snow covered the fence in the courtyard, but shadows could still be seen swaying between the branches.


    From their formation, it was clear that this was not a coincidence. They were systematically surrounding the area.


    Faced with the unknown dangers of going to an unknown ce andpeting with equally dangerous opponents for treasure, or staying here to face some easily dealt with agents, Schiller hesitated for a moment before choosing...the former.


    He walked into the entrance of the cer without looking back. He had been observing the agents here from a hidden location, thinking that they hadn''t noticed him. So after Schiller entered the entrance of the cer, the agents rushed out from their hiding ce and set up some explosive equipment at the entrance...


    As the agents carried out their orders, Benjamin was at the top of the Manortower, using a telescope to observe the situation at the entrance of the cer.


    The tower''s location was excellent. It was located in the center of the entire Manor and was the highest point. It could be used as an observation tower to oversee the entire Manor.


    Not only could he see the entire Manor, but he could also see the surroundings of the entire mayor''s mansion. Therefore, when Benjamin lifted his telescope, he keenly caught sight of a ck dot in his field of vision, flying across the skyline of Metropolis.


    In the midst of the snow, the visibility was not far enough, so Benjamin couldn''t see what it was. But soon, he felt the ground shake, and the explosion''s mes lit up in the distance, even forming a vortex that stirred up the snow.


    Benjamin squinted his eyes. He put down the telescope and turned his head, asking Ka behind him, "Did you see that?"


    Ka also had a telescope, and by coincidence, she was looking directly in that direction. After putting down her telescope, she said in an incredible tone, "I think I saw a crashed fighter jet."


    "A fighter jet? Who would be flying a fighter jet in this weather, except for those crazy Soviets?"


    Ka frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "That doesn''t seem to be a fighter jet model that I''ve seen before. You know, I also served in the Air Force, and currently, the Air Force doesn''t have any fighter jets with an all-ck paint scheme."


    Just then, they heard amotioning from downstairs, not from their tower''s floor, but from the fourth floor of the Manor nearby.


    Ahzwwahzww


    It was a crisp sound that didn''t sound like gunfire but rather like the sound of ss breaking. Benjamin''s face darkened, and he looked at Ka, asking, "Are the guests causing trouble again?"


    Ka picked up the walkie-talkie, wanting tomunicate with the agents to have them go and check it out. But Benjamin stopped her and said, "Don''t mobilize the personnel at the entrance for now. Let''s go and take a look ourselves."


    Benjamin thought that it was just those impatient guests causing trouble again. During this time, he also discovered that these people were all bark and no bite. Although their words were fierce, once the agents pulled out their guns, they would just stutter and retreat.


    Thinking this way, Benjamin didn''t take too many precautions and went straight down from the tower, entering the main building of the Manor. After passing through the banquet hall, he walked up the staircase and arrived at the location where the sound came from.


    It was at the end of the fourth-floor corridor. Broken ss was scattered all over the ground. Ka walked up with a handgun, checked it, and said, "Someone must have broken the ss because they were dissatisfied. Was it just a prank?"


    "If it was a prank, there shouldn''t be any ss on the ground because if the ss was broken from the inside, the ss shards would scatter outside. But now, the ss shards are on the corridor, which means that someone broke the ss from the outside."


    Benjamin circled around the broken ss and didn''t find any footprints or other simr traces. Finally, he concluded, "It seems that this wasn''t done by humans. Perhaps the wind and snow blew some sharp objects onto the ss and broke it from the outside."...Ka frowned, seeming to have some objections, but she couldn''t find any evidence to refute Benjamin.


    After all, in this rainy and snowy weather, it was easy for people to leave traces. Moreover, the residents here were all wealthy celebrities who had no motive to run outside the window and climb in through the window.


    And if it was an external invasion, it was unlikely. The entire transportation system in Metropolis was paralyzed now. Who would make such a great effort toe here? The entire operation waspletely confidential, andmunication had been cut off. Outsiders had no reason toe here.


    But at this moment, Benjamin made a puzzled "huh" sound. Ka walked up and found him staring at the wall next to the window. Ka didn''t see anything on the wall, so she walked closer and leaned her head over. Finally, she discovered a small scratch at the junction of the wall and the windowsill, almost invisible.


    It looked like it was left when someone climbed over the window. Benjamin stared at the scratch and said, "It seems that someone has invaded here."


    Ka was a bit puzzled. She thought that this evidence was not sufficient. She said, "What if it was caused by ss shards flying out when something broke the ss?"


    "Ka, discovering details and inferring the behavior logic behind them is an essential professional quality for agents. Many agents are known as the kings of agents because they are good at discovering these details and inferring information that ordinary people cannot."


    "The position of this scratch is at the junction of the windowsill and the wall, but the direction is upward. If it was caused by flying ss shards, it should be the lower part of the window ss that sshed out, and the scratch should be facing downwards."


    "The lower part of the ss, when it shatters, cannot inexplicably turn upwards in the air. Therefore, this should not be caused by ss. More importantly, look here. First, there is a deep scratch, and then there is a long, shallow scratch. What does this indicate?"


    "What?" Ka asked.


    "The object that made this scratch is irregr in shape and should have two parts."


    "So, what is it?"


    "It is very likely the zipper of a jacket or the zipper on the pocket of pants. The zipper''s pendant and the zipper itself rubbed against the wall, causing this shape."


    Saying that, Benjamin picked up the zipper on his own jacket and lightly scratched the wall, and indeed, the same shape as the previous scratch appeared.


    "The invader should be an expert. He cleaned up the traces on the ground in a short time but ignored the wall part."


    "Just as I said." Benjamin turned his head and looked at the scratch, saying disdainfully, "In the agent business, details determine sess or failure."


    "You have to know that details determine sess or failure." In a room on the fifth floor, Alfred held the double-barreled shotgun and said to Hal.


    Standing by the bed, Hal sighed and said, "So, after you clean up all the traces, you deliberately left a shallow scratch on the window with the zipper, just to confuse that agent leader?"


    "Correct. This will give him the feeling that I am not perfect, confusing his judgment of my strength, and also arousing his interest."


    "If I do nothing and leave those traces there, that agent leader will definitely think that I am a novice, and one or two agents can easily deal with me. This way, I can''t attract his attention."


    "But if I clean up the traces too cleanly, it may make him think that no one has invaded here. On the other hand, if he judges my strength to be too high, he may call all the agents to search, which is not conducive to our operation."


    "So, the goal is to attract his attention, make hime after us, but not to make him too vignt." Hal summed up.


    "Correct." Alfred nodded and said, "Now it seems that I have sessfully aroused his interest, and even stimted his fighting spirit, making him want toe andpete with me."


    "What are you going to do? Fight him?"


    Alfred looked at Hal with a look of looking at a fool.


    "Why should I fight him?"


    "Then what are you going to do?"


    "The young master and miss are not young anymore. I think it''s time for them to learn some necessary self-preservation skills."


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 Chapter 460: The Butler is Always Right (1)

    Chapter 460: The Butler is Always Right (1)


    Hal turned his head, looking at Dick, who appeared a bit bewildered, and Aisha in his arms. His first reaction was that these two children couldn''t be considered "not small" in any way.


    Dick did look a bit older, but Aisha was clearly just a few years old. He smirked and looked at Alfred, saying, "Dick might be alright, but what about Aisha?"


    "Miss especially needs to know how to protect herself. The earlier she receives safety education, the better," Alfred replied.


    Hal was about to say something, but Alfred asked him, "Are you thinking that one day she will encounter some uncouth ruffians at a party, run back to the Manor crying, and then have Master Waynee to her rescue?"


    As Hal followed his description, he instinctively imagined that scene. He shuddered and turned his head to Aisha, saying, "Listen carefully, learn seriously, and don''t always trouble your dad."


    "Alright, young master and miss, you should have understood the lesson on erasing traces just now. Now, let''s move on to the practical part."


    "Now, we''re going to change locations, so all the traces left in this room need to be cleaned up. You can try to do it yourselves, and if you have any shorings, I will help you."


    Ten minutester, following various spider web-like traces, they finally arrived at Benjamin on the fifth floor. Standing in front of thest room at the end of the corridor, he looked a bit perplexed.


    He had checked all the rooms here, but he hadn''t found any trace or clue. The leads just ended abruptly, and the seasoned agent he had imagined seemed to have vanished.All the clues from the fourth floor pointed to the fifth floor, including the friction marks on the floor near the fourth staircase, marks on the armrest, and faint sounds from upstairs. However, aftering to the fifth floor, everything became silent, and there were no traces he could use as clues.


    Just as Benjamin was feeling lost, on the sixth floor in a room, Alfred patted Dick''s head and said, "You did well, young master. I''m truly proud of you. Now, we''ll talk about how to guide the enemy and make them follow the path you n."


    "First, we need to assess the enemy''s current situation. Since the clean-up was done well just now, the opponents can only use the Exhaustive method, which means a carpet-style search, as they have no clues."


    "There are a total of six rooms on the east side of the fifth floor. Based on the enemy''s level, we can judge that the search time for each room won''t exceed three minutes. In other words, after fifteen minutes, they will stop and start to reconsider their approach."


    "What if there are many of them?" Dick asked.


    "No, they won''t exceed three people, most likely two ¨C one agent and one assistant."


    "How do you determine that?" Hal asked curiously.


    "The time they took to find our first foothold provided us with information about their numbers. If, as Master Dick said, they were a group of agents, they wouldn''t have taken so long to find us."


    "So, what do we do now?"


    "When their leads are cut off, we need to provide them with some fresh clues, so they won''t give up the search due to the dead-end..."


    Alfred exined in great detail, yet it was simple and easy to understand. Both Dick and even Hal listened attentively.


    Dick tilted his head and asked, "So, what method should we use to create new leads for him?"


    "It depends on the environment we''re in. For example, we''re upstairs, and he''s downstairs. If we run downstairs to create leads, it will put us at a disadvantage as he will be at ease. If there''s a conflict, it''s not good for us."


    "So, we can use sound interference. In simple terms, we create somemotion on this floor to let him know we''vee upstairs."


    "But be careful. In most cases, an agent''s work requires discretion and stability. Try not to cause too much destruction, even if you''re not an agent. It''s better for your own safety."


    As Alfred exined, Dick''s gaze fell on the hunting gun in Alfred''s hand. Alfred noticed his gaze and understood what he meant. However, he squatted down, patted Dick''s head, and said, "Are you thinking of using the gun? But unless it''s absolutely necessary, try not to reveal your firepower to the enemy."


    "You see, more experienced agents can deduce the type of weapon you''re using from the sound. If you shoot just to attract their attention, you''ll be providing them with a lot of information."


    "Besides revealing the type of firearm, it also implies that you have plenty of ammunition and may even have enough to waste shots. It shows your confidence, and that might increase the probability of them calling for reinforcements."


    "Indeed." After thinking it over, Dick found Alfred''s reasoning to be sound. He then looked around the room and finally walked to a bedside table.


    There was a vase with reeds on the bedside table. Dick picked up the vase and threw it to the ground with a "smash."


    Benjamin turned around, raising his gun toward the air, and Ka behind him assumed a vignt stance. Soon, both of them looked up at the ceiling.


    "It''s upstairs!" Ka said.


    They raised their guns and headed out of the room.


    Benjamin had an instinctual feeling that something was off, but the sound from upstairs was quite evident, as if it was tantly telling him, "We''re right here."


    The sound carried a provoking sentiment, as if saying, "Even if I give you hints, you won''t be able to catch me. I''m telling you where I am, but you still won''t be able to reach me."


    Benjamin''s expression darkened. At this moment, his previous judgment of Alfred''s skills influenced him. In his eyes, the opponent was experienced, but not the king of agents. Their audacious attitude was a sign of disrespect.


    So, he started to get a bit angry. He strode towards the staircase, with Ka following close behind, seemingly trying to dissuade him.


    "Boss, we don''t really need to care about this person. He can''t create much mess, and even if a few people die, we can me it on Soviet spies. The most important thing now is to watch that entrance..."


    "You go back to the tower andmand the operation. I''ll deal with this annoying fly."


    Ka seemed highly disapproving of Benjamin''s idea. Her lips moved, but Benjamin paid her no attention. He didn''t even look back as he ascended the staircase, leaving Ka with no choice but to turn around and go downstairs.


    As Benjamin ascended alone, he hadn''t realized what he was about to face. When he stepped onto the sixth-floor corridor, he suddenly felt a faint buzzing sound near his ear and swiftly rolled to the side.


    "Stop!"


    The sharp sound of breaking air echoed as several wooden spikes shot in through the window facing the staircase. Benjamin stood up from the ground, looking somewhat disdainful at the very crude contraption.


    However, he remained cautious, sticking close to the wall and not taking a step forward until he confirmed there were no other sounds. Finally, he reached the window to inspect the makeshift device.


    The contraption was far from professional, more like something put together with trash. The flying wooden spikes seemed to have been dismantled from the railing and sharpened, looking more like toys.


    As Benjamin continued down the corridor, he became even more puzzled. There were traps like buckets of ice water pouring down from above after opening a door, nails scattered between unnoticed floor cracks, and glue smeared on armrests. These prank-like traps left Benjamin clueless about his opponent''s intentions.


    Benjamin remained vignt as he continued through the corridor and checked each room. But when he entered thest room, his alertness peaked. Surprisingly, there were no traps, not even the pranks.


    After leaving the room, he still found some clues. It seemed like this group deliberately lured him upstairs. However, the more they did so, the more determined Benjamin became to meet his adversaries.


    So, after finding nothing on this floor, he climbed the staircase. However, as he stepped onto the first step, a sharp iron nail shot up from one side of the floor grid and pierced through his foot.


    "Ouch!"


    Benjamin cried out in pain, clutching his foot and hopping up. He saw a dark figure above the staircase, and he shouted loudly, but the figure didn''t stop and disappeared in a moment.


    Aisha ran back and happily yelled at Dick. Dick picked her up and said, "Really? He must be really miserable."


    "So why did you let them intentionally set up such rudimentary traps that even a child could see through? Why not just use thest move?" Hal asked.


    "It''s actually to teach them some physics knowledge and to familiarize them with the ces where traps can be set. But it also serves another purpose, which is to confuse the enemy psychologically."


    "The opponent is not an ordinary person, but an agent. When encountering such child''s y traps, he won''t rx his vignce just because they are too simple. On the contrary, he will be more and more nervous."


    "Because he thinks those pranks are just distractions, illusions that I intentionally mislead him into believing his tactics are ineffective. He will remain on edge, creating significant psychological pressure, which can drain his energy."


    "He will assume I have set the deadly move in thest room. But when there''s nothing in thest room, he will fall into confusion, and this confusion will make him momentarily rx from his nervous state. And at this moment, a person''s thinking is at its slowest."


    "So, without thinking twice, he directly stepped onto the staircase, and that''s when he fell for the trap." Hal eximed with some emotion, "Agents are really formidable, huh?"


    "It seems like he might be giving up." Alfred raised the gun and said, "He''s not a front-line agent; he''s a well-established agent leader. Making him risk himself alone for such a long time is already pushing his limits. Injured like this, he probably won''t choose to venture forward recklessly."


    Saying that, he loaded the hunting gun and then walked out of the room. Hal hesitated for a moment but followed him, asking, "Are you nning to duel him?"


    "Can you stop thinking about duels all the time?"


    "Then what are you going to do?"


    "Group fight."


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 Chapter 461: The Butler is Always Right (2)

    Chapter 461: The Butler is Always Right (2)


    On the sixth-floor corridor, Benjamin limped back, muttering under his breath. He tightly held his handgun, and the strain caused veins to pop up on the back of his hand.


    Since bing a senior agent, Benjamin had never suffered such a serious injury. A prating wound was undoubtedly one of the most painful types of injuries. What worried him even more was whether there was rust on the nail that had pierced him, potentially leading to tetanus.


    Tetanus, once contracted, had almost zero chance of recovery, with a mortality rate of 100%. The only solution was to get a tetanus shot as soon as the wound appeared.


    Currently, Benjamin had backed himself into a corner. He had severedmunication, destroyed the helicopter, and had no medical supplies, let alone a tetanus vine. Even if he started preparing to restoremunication and transportation now, he would undoubtedly miss the best treatment window.


    Agents were prepared with medical supplies, but they were stored in the warehouse downstairs. Benjamin hurriedly wanted to go downstairs to find bandages and stop the bleeding. As he walked towards the dimly lit staircase, he suddenly saw a faint green light appearing at the staircase entrance.


    Benjamin''s heart tightened in the moment.


    Never mind that foreigners weren''t superstitious; their legends about old castles and ghosts were quite widespread, and ghosts appeared in various colors, with green being particrly terrifying.


    Taking a deep breath, Benjamin gripped his gun, took a half-step forward, and saw a little boy emitting a green glow standing at the staircase entrance. Benjamin''s heart rate skyrocketed.


    It had to be said that different imagesbined with different light effects could createpletely different effects. If it were Hal standing here now, Benjamin might think of some superpower, but the one standing there now was Dick.The ancient Manor, the howling cold wind, the snow falling all around, and the little boy appearing amidst the eerie green light...


    Benjamin didn''t run away, which already showed his strong mental resilience.


    However, he then heard a noise behind him. He didn''t dare turn around because he couldn''t be sure if the little boy in front of him emitting the green glow had malicious intent. He took two steps back, turned his head slowly, and caught sight of a little girl standing behind him.


    This little girl was even younger and was dressed in a beautiful and thick dress. When Benjamin saw her face, he was stunned because she looked remarkably like Bruce.


    Bruce Wayne''s handsome face left a deep impression on anyone who saw him, and Benjamin was no exception. So, when he saw a little girl who bore at least eighty percent resemnce to Bruce, Benjamin''s thoughts froze.


    Switching worldviews too many times in a short period could lead to mental stagnation. Initially, Benjamin was ying a spy drama, then it turned into a kid''s home-alone story, followed by the haunted castle, and now it seemed to be a melodramatic ethical y...


    While Benjamin was in a daze, the little girl rushed towards him at a speed that ordinary people couldn''t see. Benjamin didn''t have time to dodge and was knocked to the ground.


    The boy emitting the green glow didn''t use any special abilities; he just quickly ran up the staircase and then grabbed Benjamin''s neck.


    As Benjamin was about to struggle, the little girl who had knocked him down kicked his gun away and then swiftly retrieved it, passing it to another little boy.


    The boy took the gun and pointed it at Benjamin''s head, his movements skilled, nothing like what one would expect from a child of that age.


    "Who are you? What''s your rtionship with Bruce Wayne? Why are you here?" Although Benjamin was the one being held at gunpoint, he still managed to ask a series of questions.


    Dick stepped aside, leaving room for Benjamin to get up. After he got up, he tried to cate Dick by raising his hands and saying, "Don''t shoot, kids. That''s not something you should be ying with. Put it down and give it to me..."


    Dick remained silent, just aiming the gun at him. Just as Benjamin was considering a violent action to snatch the gun back, he suddenly felt something pressing against his lower back.


    Alfred emerged from the shadows, causing Benjamin to slowly raise his hands. He turned his head, and the moment he saw Alfred''s face, his eyes widened.


    "Pennyworth?!"


    "You surprised to see me? Thought I would ask you how you knew my name?" Alfred''s tone was exceptionally low, something Dick and Aisha had never seen before.


    At that moment, a whistle came from the end of the corridor. Aisha and Dick turned around and saw Hal waving to them from a room. They nced at Alfred but obediently went to join Hal.


    "It seems you''re not surprised by all of this," Benjamin lowered his head, looking at Alfred''s reflection on the floor. Alfred''s face looked old, but his body wasn''t frail, and he didn''t have the stoop typical of an elderly person. On the contrary, he appeared strong, almost on par with the upright and robust Benjamin.


    "The invitation you sent to Wayne Manor had numerous loopholes."


    "Impossible. It was prepared by the mayor."


    After saying that, Benjamin''s expression stiffened, and Alfred prodded the shotgun forward, saying, "This indeed seems to be your trap. What do you want?"


    "Pennyworth, I''ll be direct. No matter who you used to work for, as long as you hand over that list, we can let bygones be bygones."


    "Do you think I''ll believe you?"


    "I must emphasize that this matter is highly important. You raised Bruce Wayne single-handedly, and if you let him be implicated because of this, it wouldn''t be worth it."


    "I don''t know what you''re after, but I''m telling you, don''t bother me. I''ve already bid farewell to the past."


    "Alfred," Benjamin called him by his name, saying, "Both of us understand that you can''t just say goodbye to this line of work."


    Alfred''s eye contact became intense, and as he fell silent, Benjamin continued persuading, "You can indeed rely on the Wayne family, and young Wayne might protect you unconditionally, but you should also consider what Wayne Enterprises will pay for this."


    "Once young Wayne ispromised, anyone can use it against him at any time, even decadester. That stain will never be erased."


    "On the other hand, you can receive an assurance from me. If you hand over the list, everything will be forgiven. You can retire at Wayne Manor with young Wayne, and no one will disturb you again."


    "Is this the sort of tactic the CIA is fond of? Wanting everything without giving anything, just saying ''show mercy and let me go,'' and expecting me to believe you?"


    "You don''t have any other choice." Benjamin gritted his teeth, moved his neck, and turned his head back to face Alfred. "Once you''re marked as a target, you''ll never have peace."


    "Unless you and your employer never leave Gotham, you''ll forever face the threat of pursuit from the CIA. Besides, there are many other ways to strike at a corporation. While Wayne Enterprises is significant, it''s not entirely indispensable."


    "Has anyone told you that?" Alfred''s tone suddenly lightened, but Benjamin had a bad feeling.


    "You''re not a good agent, immersed in your own fantasy spy world. The way you carry out agent work isn''t much different from how those bosses buildpanies."


    "Am I wrong?" Benjamin retorted.


    "No, I have an excellent child, or perhaps more than one."


    Just as his words fell, Benjamin suddenly saw another shadow appearing at the staircase entrance. With the figure slowly walking up the stairs, a familiar face appeared before Benjamin¡ªKa.


    The female agent now raised her handgun and aimed it at Benjamin''s head.


    "Ka?! You..."


    "Bang!"


    The gunshot echoed through the dimly lit staircase, and a burst of me erupted from the gun''s muzzle, illuminating the darkness. After a gush of fresh blood flowed down the staircase, the snowy scene outside was tainted with red.


    Benjamin''s lifeless bodyy in the pool of blood, and Ka lowered the gun, standing still as she took a deep breath. She turned her head, looking at Alfred, and both of their eyes shone with a brightness stronger than that of the gun''s muzzle.


    The female agent holstered her handgun, and Alfred let out a slightly aged sigh, resonating through the corridor.


    "Long time no see, Valeria."


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 Chapter 463: Hidden Secrets (2)

    Chapter 463: Hidden Secrets (2)


    Ka stared at Alfred with wide eyes. She had never imagined that Alfred was the legendary agent who held the list and manipted the East Coast intelligence personnel.


    "But, shouldn''t you avoid passing through the East Coast of the United States when traveling from the U.K. to Moscow?" Ka asked with some confusion.


    But soon, she realized her mistake, pped her forehead, and said, "Oh, right, we can''t head straight to Moscow; they would intercept us along the way..."


    "But even if we needed to take a detour, it wouldn''t have to be this far, right? Going from the U.K. to the East Coast of the United States and then to the Soviet Union is almost circling the Earth..."


    "Even thirty yearster, the whole world is still searching for that list. Haven''t you realized how important it is?" Alfred''s words made Ka ponder. Indeed, now it seemed that the primary purpose of the list was to cover up intelligence mistakes. However, after almost 30 years, the list might be considered obsolete, with many of the people mentioned on it possibly already deceased.


    But if we consider the situation 30 years ago, a list containing vital spies from various countries would be extremely valuable.


    Alfred took a piece of deerskin from his pocket and began wiping the barrel of his rifle. He said, "Moscow provided many routes, but without exception, they all fell within the scope of the Central Intelligence Agency''s sniper range."


    "At that time, the CIA had infiltrated everywhere. I must say, the U.S. agents of that era were much more formidable than they are now."


    "Why... Oh, my goodness, the most dangerous ce is the safest ce?! So you headed straight to the U.S. domestic territory?" Ka asked.Alfred smiled, seemingly touched by Ka''s youth. He said, "The most dangerous ce is indeed the safest ce. There is some truth to that saying, but it shouldn''t be the decisive factor in an important decision."


    "In 1961, Allen Dulles, the longest-serving director of the CIA, stepped down. He was a very formidable old man who elevated the CIA''s prestige and reputation domestically and internationally to its peak."


    "But after 1961, his sessor was not as capable as him. A year went by with almost no progress in his work, spending much of his time sorting out the mess left by the previous director. Even the public jokingly referred to him as an inexperienced Air Force officer. Of course, Moscow knew about this."


    "Moreover, during Allen''s tenure, the CIA''s scope of operations expanded significantly, even recing some functions of Congress. He did his job too well, and as a result, the CIA''s prestige and reputation soared."


    "So, Congress would certainly try to restrict them, right?" Ka asked, then added with some disdain, "That''s how the U.S. folks are; they endlessly fight amongst themselves."


    "Yes, they deliberately found a sessor with limited abilities to rece Allen, making a mess of things. Then they amended the securityws, further restricting the CIA''s scope of operations. In short, during that period, the Central Intelligence Agency..." Alfred paused, shaking his head, and Ka understood what he meant.


    If Alfred''s ount was urate, then at that time, the U.S. domestic territory was indeed a very secure ce. To limit the CIA''s functions, Congress would not allow the agency to intervene, even if they knew there might be spies running around.


    The U.S. people were most adept at creating an institution and then setting up another institution to restrict it. They would continue this cycle, naming it "separation of powers."


    Whenever these three institutions fought with each other, they considered it a "victory of democracy" even if they tangled each other up and hindered their efficiency.


    "And, Gotham has always been awless ce. Although the Falcone family ruled Gotham at that time, the Twelve Families'' system had not been fully established. In fact, it was during a period of reform, with shootouts between gangs everywhere, making it a perfect ce to hide and gather intelligence."


    "Indeed, that''s a clever method. If you lurked in Gotham for a while and then Moscow spread the news that the list had arrived there, your return journey would be much safer," Ka nodded in agreement.


    "That was the original n, but some unexpected events urred..."


    Ka looked at Alfred and asked, "What unexpected events?"


    Alfred sighed unusually, as if recalling something he didn''t want to remember. He said, "In Gotham City, there has always been a unique force hiding in the shadows, wearing masks, watching everyone, and trying to control the city."


    "They are called the Court of Owls."


    "They are a group of fanatics who spare no means for power and status. One day in March, while I was praying in a church in Gotham, I ''identally'' overheard a conversation between Gotham''s Godfather Falcone and the bishop of Gotham''srgest church at the time, Daniel..."


    Ka noticed that Alfred emphasized the word "identally," indicating that he had long been investigating these two individuals and had gathered some information.


    "They said the Court of Owls had acquired a magical egg and seemed to want to ce it in a special sink beneath the big church..."


    "An egg? What kind of egg is it?" Ka asked, utterly confused.


    Alfred took a deep breath and said, "An egg of a monster."


    "What is that? An egg of a monster?"


    In the depths of Wayne Manor, in a spacious hall, Lex looked puzzled at the object in the center of the hall and asked, "This is what? An egg of a monster?"


    At this moment, the entire exploration team in the underground felt strange. A haze surrounded Bruce and Lex, visible to themselves, yet they didn''t raise any objections. Bruce was supporting the pale-faced rk, who was still coughing weakly.


    Aftering down from the cer entrance, they found that it was indeed an ordinary cer, but soon, events took a turn far beyond their imagination.In the corridor leading to the cer, nothing unusual was apparent. It looked like a medieval aristocrat''s fortress,cking any scientific or technological elements and devoid of the so-called special mineral that Schiller had mentioned.


    However, after passing through this corridor, rk began to feel something amiss, as he started to feel weaker.


    At the end of the corridor, Lex and Bruce tried to dissuade rk, but he insisted on ensuring that this mineral wouldn''t harm ordinary people, so they continued further inside.


    Soon, a shimmering green light appeared. At this point, Schiller called out to everyone, saying, "You''re not nning to go straight over there, are you?"


    "I must remind you that this mineral emits radiation harmful to ordinary people, and it''s unlike any other mineral on Earth. Humanity''s radiation suits might not be effective."


    Lex and Bruce exchanged nces, and they both saw the same emotions in each other''s eyes ¨C the reluctance to take the risk, yet curiosity about whaty inside.


    "I have a way to provide protection for you, but..." Schiller hesitated and then suddenly said, "I heard that Wayne Enterprises and Luthor Corp are the economic lifelines of the East Coast and the pirs of the U.S. economy."


    Bruce looked puzzled, unsure why Schiller suddenly brought this up. However, Lex quickly understood and responded, "A method to defend against unknown mineral radiation is worth its weight in gold. Luthor Corp is willing to pay a price for this technology, Professor. We can discuss specific figurester, but we will definitely not disappoint you..."


    Bruce looked at the smile on Schiller''s face and became somewhat stunned. Then, he narrowed his eyes as he noticed something was amiss.


    Since when did Schiller be interested in money???


    Did he take the wrong medicine???


    Seeing Schiller''s gaze return to him, Bruce was momentarily unsure how to respond, but he cleared his throat and said, "The price is not important. What matters is the effectiveness."


    Schiller waved his hand, and two strands of mist surrounded them, visibly blocking the shimmering green light. The effect was quite apparent.


    rk immediately turned to Schiller, looking at him expectantly, but Schiller acted as if he didn''t notice the eye contact and continued walking forward.


    "Oh, Professor, do we have some misunderstanding?" rk tried to catch up, saying, "Professor! I think I need some means of defense too! Professor..."


    "It won''t work on you." Schiller coldly rejected him, leaving rk looking disappointed as he followed the others.


    As they continued inward, the situation became more serious. They entered arge hall where the walls were mostly made of the green stone, emitting enough light from the Kryptonite to illuminate the entire space. The quantity was enormous.


    By this point, rk could hardly walk on his own and needed Bruce''s support. Yet, seeing Schiller''s nonchnt attitude, Bruce and Lex realized they had been fooled again.


    But by now, the function of the mineral itself was no longer important. What was important was who built this ce and why...


    Clearly, the rumors were wrong, as Bruce didn''t find any experimental equipment here, whether rted to radiation or human testing. Such experiments would require specialized equipment, which was entirely absent.


    After passing through the hall and another corridor, they arrived in a massive underground cavity, which was truly breathtaking.


    Most of the walls in this cavity were untouched, consisting of natural rock formations, some even dripping with water. However, there were also reinforced walls, like wedges driven into the ground, distributed throughout the cavity.


    At each spot with a wall, there was a peculiar device, centered around a massive green Kryptonite crystal.


    At this moment, the light emitted by the Kryptonite seemed to be guided by the ss exterior of the device, forming a solid green beam. Several beams intersected and converged on a suspended tform, where an egg was ced.


    The egg was enormous, causing everyone to look up at it. It was predominantly gray, with many rocky spikes on its surface, emitting a faint blue glow at the tips of the spikes.


    Just as Lex was about to ask the question, they heard Schiller''s icy voice from behind, saying, "Step back."


    Bruce turned around, looking at Schiller standing far away. From Schiller''s expression, Bruce knew that Schiller probably knew what it was. He asked, "What kind of egg is this?"


    "A monster..."


    "What kind of monster?"


    "A very frightening monster that even rk, at his peak, can''t handle..."


    Schiller''s gaze remained fixed on the egg, his voice echoing in the hollow, with a distant echo:


    "It''s called... the Destruction Day."


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 Chapter 464: Secrets of the Past (2)

    Chapter 464: Secrets of the Past (2)


    "Destruction Day, that name is quite peculiar, isn''t it?"


    "It''s exactly what it implies. When he appears, it will be the day of destruction for the entire Earth and even the entire universe."


    Bruce and Lex felt their hearts skip a beat, especially Bruce. After walking up, he looked directly into Schiller''s eyes and asked, "You have no way to deal with him either?"


    "I''m not sure," Schiller gave a vague answer, but Bruce clearly wasn''t satisfied with it. However, he didn''t press further because he wasn''t one to ce hope solely on others.


    "What is his weakness?"


    "I don''t know, perhaps he has none." Schiller provided another despairing answer. But at this moment, rk''s steady and resolute voice chimed in:


    "That''s impossible. Everything that exists in this world must have a weakness. Maybe I can deal with him..."


    "Perhaps you can kill him once, but when he reappears, the weakness that worked the first time won''t be there anymore."


    "He will evolve?" Bruce instinctively caught the key point in Schiller''s words."Yes, but..." Schiller deliberately dragged out the answer, and everyone''s gaze shifted to him. He continued, "It seems someone has found a method to deal with him."


    Saying that, he moved closer and looked at the egg.


    The egg''s shell was opaque, so they couldn''t see what was inside. However, they could see the egg slightly trembling, as if it had a heartbeat, but very slow.


    "Will Kryptonite affect it?" Schiller mumbled to himself, then looked up at the strange devices emitting Kryptonite light and said, "What kind of formation is this?"


    "It seems that someone used a method to seal this egg," Lex approached and pondered, followed by Bruce, who had a serious expression but curiosity in his eyes.


    "The situation is not as dangerous as I described because this monster hasn''t hatched yet, and someone has already found a way to suppress this egg."


    "But he will eventually hatch, won''t he?"


    Schiller looked at Bruce with a scrutinizing gaze, as he recalled aw in the DC Universe.


    In the DC Universe, there is a distinction between light and darkness. In the dark corners, everything inevitably descends into chaos, meaning all bad things will happen.


    If this ce belonged to the dark corner, then this egg would likely hatch very soon. However, Schiller recalled the time when the Joker Egg inside Bruce didn''t hatch either. It was defeated by Schiller''s method of justice and ended up being possessed by Parax.


    This meant that the probability of this ce being a dark corner was not high. However, that didn''t mean a powerful viin couldn''t appear in the light corner.


    "Destruction Day" was, in fact, Superman''s archenemy. In the famous "Death of Superman"ic, he was the one who killed Superman.


    Theic "Death of Superman" had aplex history. At that time, DC Comics was struggling financially and needed something to attract more fans to buy theirics. So, they decided to harm their most famous superhero, Superman.


    To create enough hype, theic was named "Death of Superman." For this purpose, "Destruction Day" was designed to be incredibly powerful, easily defeating everyone in the Justice League except Superman and even yanking the sh out of his speed.


    Later, after going to Apokolips, he survived a Darkseid''s Omega Beams attack. Eventually, he gained the ability to produce "Destruction Day Spores," infecting Superman and creating "Destruction Day Superman."


    In short, he was an outrageously overpowered viin, like many hastily created viins, with his abilities and background not making much sense.


    Schiller thought to himself that it seemed the origin story of "Destruction Day" in this ce was moreplicated than just a Kryptonian scientist''s mishap.


    In theic, "Destruction Day" appeared as aplete entity, and though not invincible, Schiller had some ways to defeat or seal him. However, due to his frequent resurrections, it seemed he would never truly die, which made Schiller unsure if he couldpletely kill him.


    But now, "Destruction Day" appeared here as an egg, which gave Schiller some other ideas.


    At this point, Bruce noticed some details. He walked to the wall of the underground cavity, touched the slightly damp rocks, and said, "From the state of the rocks, this ce was excavated several decades ago, at least twenty or thirty years..."


    He muttered to himself, "What happened back then?"


    "So, what happened afterward?" in the Manor corridor, Ka looked at Alfred and asked.


    "When I found out that the group called the Court of Owls might want to create a terrible monster to rule over Gotham, I had to consider the danger this monster posed."


    "If an uncontroble super monster were to be created, it wouldn''t just threaten the U.S. homnd but all of humanity on Earth. Those lunatics might not care, but I do."


    "So, I approached Falcone and exined my purpose to him. At first, he was reluctant to believe me, but he had no other choice..."


    "Why?"


    "Because in Gotham, people who can do equations are a rare breed, and I graduated from Cambridge University''s Mathematics department..."


    Ka was silently speechless, as she recalled what she had seen and heard in Gotham before. She felt that Alfred''s words weren''t an exaggeration.


    "Of course, there was another reason. Falcone and Daniel might have sensed something, but their sources of information were limited. They weren''t professional agents and couldn''t get much information. At that time, they didn''t even know the name ''Court of Owls.''"


    "But I am a professional agent and could investigate this matter for them. So, the three of us reached an agreement and cooperated. In the end, we made a mess, but we managed to obtain that egg."


    "Oh, I remember. The case file mentions that Gotham seemed to have many malignant incidents during that period. The FBI investigated, but they lost many personnel, and some people caught glimpses of mysterious phenomena, turning the case into a legend..."


    "Yes, that group was difficult to deal with, and we paid a considerable price. That''s why Falcone absolutely refused to have this egg sealed in Gotham, as Gotham is his territory."


    "So you chose Metropolis?"


    "We had this egg in our possession for a long time, but we couldn''t find a reasonable way to handle it."


    By that time, the heat had died down, and I could have returned to Moscow. However, just then, I received news from Moscow that Kim Philby had escaped and returned to Moscow himself."


    "While I understand the style of MI6, this situation was beyond my expectations. Obviously, now that Philby had sessfully escaped, the list was no longer as important to Moscow. There was no need to carry it back across the ocean."


    "But the list remained important to other countries, as possessing it gave them an equal footing with the Soviet Union. Without it, they would always be one step behind. Therefore, Philby''s escape did not diminish the list''s significance in the eyes of other nations. Instead, they went even crazier trying to find it, to obtain information on par with the Soviet Union."


    "The Soviet Union didn''t need it, but other countries did. The best solution was to find a ce to hide it, so I hid it in Gotham. After the heat died down, I returned to Moscow to seek a way to deal with that egg. But..."


    "In the end, I came back to the UK."


    "About a dozen yearster, my father asked me to inherit the hereditary butler position and go to Wayne Family to be their butler. At that time, I informed Moscow about it, and they saw it as a great opportunity, as Wayne Family was the wealthiest family on the East Coast and even in the U.S."


    "So, at first, you were undercover at Wayne Family?"


    "Correct, but then something happened. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne passed away." Alfred''s expression turned somewhat sad as he said, "Only the young master was left, and I had to raise him."


    "At that time, I had already decided to give up my career as an agent."


    Ka nodded, showing that she understood. She said, "Many people think that agents should always be loyal to the mission, but we are also human beings with emotions. We are not machines solely focused onpleting tasks..."


    Alfred shook his head and said, "My feelings for the young master were not the only reason I wanted to leave the agent profession..."


    "Then what was the other reason?"


    Alfred fell silent, his expression revealing a hint of hesitation. It seemed he wasn''t sure whether he should say it, but in the end, he said, "You''re still young and haven''t experienced much, so you might not notice her changes..."


    "Her? Who?"


    "The Soviet Union."


    Ka wanted to ask more, but Alfred chose to remain silent. After a moment of silence, Alfred spoke again. His voice no longer had the same vigor but showed his age.


    "Perhaps I am a shameful deserter, or perhaps I just don''t want to face certain harsh realities anymore."


    "Or maybe I know that when facing those great ideals and glorious times turning to decay, I cannot maintain myposure..."


    "But in the end, I chose to bid farewell to the pastpletely."


    "When I returned to Gotham to be the Wayne Family butler, Falcone told me that they had properly dealt with that egg. I am not entirely sure about the details, but ultimately, they sealed the egg in the underground of Metropolis Manor."


    "Falcone told me that initially, they only found a ce outside Gotham to store the egg. Butter, they discovered a falling alien mineral that seemed to effectively suppress the egg''s life activity. So, they transformed the ce into a massive seal."


    Ka furrowed her brows and asked, "Is this seal strong?"


    "I can only say it dys the hatching of the monster. We still have no clue on how topletely eliminate this monster."


    Alfred ced the hunting rifle he held down and leaned the barrel against the ground. He looked out the window and said, "That''s one of the reasons I brought Bruce here."


    "I saw the name of that Professor on the guest list you gave me. I know he is not an ordinary person and has the ability to ensure everyone''s safety. I raised Bruce, and I know how astonishingly intelligent he is..."


    "If there is only one way in this world to unravel the secrets of this mysterious monster and destroy it, I believe that their cooperation would be the best answer."


    Meanwhile, Schiller, who was contemting in the underground cavity, suddenly heard a foggy voice in his mind:


    "Food! So much food! Eat food!"


    "Food? Where did the foode from?" Schiller asked with confusion.


    "Green stones, smell so good! Let me take a bite!"


    "Green stones..." Schiller turned his head and looked at the Kryptonite device closest to him, surprised, and asked, "You eat Kryptonite???"


    "Yes! Smells delicious!"


    "Why didn''t you say that earlier when we were outside?"


    "That was not tasty, only the ones here are delicious!"


    "But the Kryptonite here is meant to seal this egg..."


    "I''m hungry! Been hungry for so long! I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eat!"


    Bruce, who was studying the rockyers nearby, noticed that Schiller''s eye contact with the egg suddenly became strange.


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 Chapter 465: Those Who Were Once Great (1)

    Chapter 465: Those Who Were Once Great (1)


    Gray Mist, a mysterious symbiote created by the god of symbiotes, Knull. Initially, Schiller thought that this symbiote might have been created by Knull to help him escape imprisonment.


    However, it now seems that the abilities of this enigmatic symbiote far exceed the scope of aiding Knull''s escape.


    Nevertheless, Schiller can imagine that when Knull created this special symbiote, he might have harbored grander ambitions. Perhaps he wanted a more powerful body or sought to transform his life form into a higher being.


    Schiller doesn''t know what kind of life form would be considered perfect in the eyes of chaotic demon gods like Knull. But now, it appears that Gray Mist is infinitely close to meeting that standard.


    What constitutes the most perfect life form?


    This question does not have a straightforward answer. However, Schiller believes that Gray Mist''s life form is close to perfection because it offers more possibilities than any other life form. This nearly wless existence is not his endpoint but his starting point.


    Since obtaining this symbiote, Schiller has discovered a few characteristics of Gray Mist. Firstly, it is like a tape recorder, memorizing everything it encounters. Secondly, it is very selective in its diet. Lastly, it craves alcohol like an addiction.


    Setting aside the first and third points, Gray Mist is indeed a picky eater. The minds of ordinary people cannot pique its interest. It only shows interest in the minds of brilliant individuals like Bruce and Stark, or not just intelligent individuals but geniuses among geniuses.


    Of course, this was Gray Mist''s dietary preference during its early stages of development when it still retained some properties of an ordinary symbiote, being attracted to certain substances produced by the brain. Butter on, it became increasingly picky.During the incident when Knull served him arge wave of energy, Gray Mist even lost interest in Stark''s mind, focusing solely on craving energy. Since its first ingestion of energy from the most primal chaos in Space, it seemed to be even pickier. Schiller hadn''t heard itining of hunger in a very long time.


    Yet, now, facing the Kryptonite that sealed the monster egg, Gray Mist unexpectedly felt hungry, which puzzled Schiller. Could these Kryptonite stones really possess something special?


    Perhaps there were clues to follow, for even during the day of destruction when the egg was still inside, it wasn''t easy to deal with. However, the rays emitted by these few Kryptonite stones significantly suppressed its life activity.


    "Are you sure you want to eat this? It''s radioactive. Are you sure you won''t get diarrhea?"


    "No!" Gray Mist swallowed hard in Schiller''s mind.


    "Alright, let''s think about how to deal with this monster egg and then dig out these Kryptonite stones for you to eat..."


    "You can move it away!"


    "The problem is, where should we move it? If we throw it into the sun or a ck hole, it might cause it to hatch prematurely. If we move it to another safe ce without Kryptonite suppression, it might hatch quickly..."


    "Ring..." Gray Mist suddenly provided Schiller with an unexpected answer.


    "Ring? What ring? Oh, are you referring to the ring you created before?"


    Schiller quickly understood what Gray Mist meant. He looked down at the grey ring on his hand.


    When Schiller first chatted with the Green Green Lantern, he copied one of the Lantern''s abilities. However, because the Green Lantern''s power came from the Green Light, the system couldn''t directly replicate the Green Light. Instead, it copied one of the abilities of the Green Lantern''s ring called the "World Inside the Ring."


    Many people''s understanding of the Green Lantern might be limited to the green aura, teleportation, and light beam projectionmon abilities. However, in the Green Lantern''sics, it was mentioned that Hal''s ring contained an independent world.


    In theics, Hal had once shrunk his defeated opponents and digitized them, cing them in the world inside the Green Lantern''s ring. They could survive indefinitely in that world, and of course, Hal himself had been trapped inside the ring before.


    Schiller remembered that the first time he gained the ability of the World Inside the Ring, he briefly explored it. Upon entering, he appeared on a floating ind with a massive city shrouded in fog below, and there were faintly discernible colossal monster shadows.


    At that time, Schiller hadn''t fully stabilized in the Marvel and DC worlds, so exploring this world within the ring was ced low on his priority list and was eventually forgotten.


    With Gray Mist''s presence, Schiller didn''t need to use the World Inside the Ring for storage or transportation, so he hadn''t thought about that ability for a long time. Now, Gray Mist suggested that this ability could be used to deal with the monster egg, which indeed sparked Schiller''s inspiration.


    He stood in the center of the tform, looking at the enormous monster egg, lost in thought.


    He wondered how Hal utilized the Green Lantern''s energy to shrink his opponents without limitation and imprison them within a construct of willpower before encoding them into the world inside the Green Lantern''s ring.


    But what Schiller possessed was not a Green Lantern''s ring, so duplicating Green Green Lantern''s process of trapping someone in the world inside the ring would be difficult. To figure it out, he would need to experiment and gain real knowledge from practice.


    Seeing Schiller walk toward the monster egg, Lex and Bruce halted their exploration and gathered around him. Bruce approached Schiller and asked, "Do you have a n?"


    "I have some ideas, but whether they will seed requires testing. I suggest you both leave this ce."


    Schiller nced at rk, who had already exited the cavity and stood in the corridor. rk was too weakened, and staying here might cause him to faint.


    Bruce remained silent, and Lex didn''t take a stance either. Schiller continued, "It''s not that I don''t want you to witness this process, but because I''m not entirely confident. However, both of you are ordinary people..."


    "If any misunderstandings ur during the experiment, such as the monster hatching prematurely or a sudden radiation burst from the Kryptonite, both of you may end up dead here..."


    Bruce opened his mouth, seemingly not opposed to Schiller''s suggestion of them leaving. He scrutinized Schiller from head to toe, making Schiller feel uneasy.


    Just as Schiller was about to ask Bruce what he was looking at, Bruce hesitated and said, "Are you having an anxiety attack?"


    "I...," Schiller was taken aback by his question.


    "You look different from usual."


    "What''s different?"


    Bruce pursed his lips and said, "Normally, in the moment of my hesitation, you would have already threatened me with psychology exam scores, internship opportunities, next semester''s assignments, Wayne Manor visits, Alfred, Aisha, and Dick, and so on..."


    Schiller lowered his head, muttering to himself, "Is he... Am I a devil?"


    "Okay, okay..." Schiller reached out and said to Lex and Bruce, "The method I''m thinking of has a rtionship with magic, so it''s not within your two fields of expertise. But I can exin the general principle to you."


    "In short, I have a special space, an independent world. I n to move the egg into it so that even if it hatches, it shouldn''t pose a threat to the real world."


    Bruce and Lex nced at each other, giving each other a knowing look, then turned and started walking outside.


    Bruce supported rk and, together with Lex, left the underground cavity, returning to the previous hall. Lex said to Bruce, "I know you left miniature cameras on the road, but this is Metropolis, my territory..."


    "But we can talk," Bruce showed an unusual amount of patience, perhaps stemming from his recognition of Lex''s intelligence. He was willing to exin certain things to someone as clever as Lex.


    Meanwhile, rk, who had left the Kryptonite-radiated underground cavity, finally felt better. However, the walls of the cer were still covered with Kryptonite, even in the corridor he exited into.


    Being weakened for so long made rk feel ufortable. He just wanted to leave this ce, and the conversation between Bruce and Lex was iprehensible and uninteresting to him. He decided to wait on the surface until Professor Schiller dealt with the egg. Afterward, he would figure out how to handle the radiation issue underground.


    So, he started to walk outside, while Bruce and Lex were deeply engaged in their conversation and didn''t pay attention to him. rk, dragging his weakened body, came to the basement.


    The radiation inside the basement wasn''t as severe as before, so rk regained some strength. Though he was still a bit weak, he could now use his abilities.


    This improved his mood slightly, and he stood at the entrance of the basement, pushing open the door and flying into the air.


    In that moment of taking off, he heard the "whoosh" of gunshots. Immediately after, numerous agents rushed out from the surrounding bushes, pouring bullets into the open door of the basement.


    From the agents'' perspective, as soon as the basement door opened, they adjusted their gazes and aimed their guns at it, ensuring that they could shoot anyoneing out of it.


    Ordinary people leaving the basement would typically climb up adder, moving slowly when they first emerged, making them easy targets for a few bullets.


    However, rk was different. He flew straight out, and he was fast. The agents saw a figure rushing out, so they instinctively fired their guns. But at that moment, rk was already several meters above ground.


    rk hesitated for a moment, then an overwhelming rage engulfed him. Superman stood for justice and kindness, but that didn''t mean he had no temper.


    First, he came here to save people from a fire and got stuck. Then, a group of agents inexplicably opened fire on him, leading to a confrontation. After returning to the room, he had a heart-wrenching nightmare. Even though rk''s temper was usually good, his patience waspletely depleted now.


    Alfred and Ka watched all of this from the sixth-floor window of Wayne Manor, furrowing their brows simultaneously.


    Alfred was confident that Bruce would never fall for such a childish trap. To be honest, the firepower of these agents wasn''t evenparable to the daily gang shootouts on Elizabeth Street in Gotham.


    Even if it was Batman, who fought for justice in Gotham''s nights, ordinary people in Gotham could easily avoid this level of firepower, or else they would have died countless times already.


    However, Alfred couldn''t understand Bruce''s solution. Where did this flying persone from?


    Just then, they saw that all the bullets poured out by the agents were frozen in mid-air.


    Immediately after, an irresistible circr airflow spread out from rk''s body, causing everything around him to be blown away.


    In the agents'' vision as they fell to the ground, rk rose into the air like a rocket. In the midst of the flying snow, he appeared godly.


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 Chapter 466: Those Once Great (2)

    Chapter 466: Those Once Great (2)


    As the agents were blown away by the airflow, Ka frowned deeply. She looked at Alfred''s expression and asked him, "Aren''t you curious about who that person is?"


    Alfred shook his head and replied, "I''m just an aging butler. The great events about to unfold in this world have nothing to do with me."


    "What did you mean by that thing you said earlier?"


    Ka walked over to Alfred''s side and looked at him. Since he had spoken those words, Alfred seemed somewhat tired.


    If it were an ordinary elderly person, Ka might think he was just fatigued from thinking and talking, but Alfred was still robust, despite not being young anymore. She had no doubt that she couldn''t win against this old butler.


    "Valeria, in your previous letter, you asked me about my thoughts on your future life ns. In my reply, I didn''t mention that part not because I don''t have thoughts, but because I''m afraid that you don''t want to hear them..."


    Ka tilted her head, not understanding the meaning behind Alfred''s words. She thought for a moment and said, "Are you worried that I won''t take your advice? It''s alright; I believe in listening to different opinions. Even if some advice doesn''t align with my expectations, I''m happy to take it as a reference and appreciate the person giving it..."


    "That''s why you''ve made such rapid progress, but at the same time, it''s also why you might not want to listen to my advice."


    Ka thought Alfred was still worried about her not epting advice. She walked up to him, looking into his eyes, and said, "Oh, Mr. Pennyworth, you really don''t need to worry about that. I''ve always regarded you as my teacher and The Godfather...""...My advice is to bring your family to the U.S. as soon as possible and find another job to spend the rest of your life peacefully without mentioning any part of your past identity to anyone."


    Ka''s eyebrows slowly furrowed, her chest rising and falling faster. It was evident that she was getting angry, but she still tried to remain patient and asked, "Why?"


    Before Alfred could answer, Ka couldn''t help herself and said, "How could I betray my career? How could I betray my ideals? Lake Baikal is my hometown, and I will eventually return there."


    She grew more agitated as she spoke, and her emotions were stirred up as she thought of her hometown. Her voice trembled as she said, "Yes, I know that most people have a negative impression of Siberia, thinking of it as a frozennd..."


    "But it is also a ce where great mother nature nurtures her children. Lake Baikal is the pearl on her forehead, the tear in her eye. It''s my homnd; I was born there, and I will die there."


    "Calm down, Valeria. I don''t deny that. That''s why I said my advice might not be what you want to hear."


    "You still have to tell me the reason, Alfred. Otherwise, how can I ept this absurd advice?"


    Alfred sighed and said, "Decades ago, I was as passionate and idealistic as you..."


    "Even when Ipleted the task of hiding the list, I was intoxicated by the beautiful vision of achieving a great cause..."


    "But everything changed because of one decision I made."


    "What was that decision?"


    "I mentioned before that after hiding the list, I didn''t return directly to the U.K. to meet my superiors and contacts. Instead, I went to Moscow."


    Ka furrowed her brows, saying, "I''ve been wondering about that. Going to Moscow directly should be against the rules, right? Even as a Soviet citizen, I couldn''t do that easily."


    "Correct. But I had no choice at that time because I knew only the scientists in Moscow had a chance to deal with that monster''s egg."


    "The process of obtaining that egg from the owl was exceptionally dangerous, and during it, we witnessed things that ordinary people never see. I realized that some dark force might be threatening the world, and we had to find a way to stop it."


    "At that time, I felt the crisis was imminent, andpared to that, regtions didn''t seem that important. So, I found a way to get to Moscow."


    "And then?"


    "I was arrested... Of course, that wasn''t surprising since I had broken the rules. But afterwards..."


    Alfred sighed and continued, "By then, Philby had already returned to Moscow. He vouched for me, and the Moscow side decided not to pursue my vition of regtions."


    "But when I told them everything, their first reaction wasn''t about how to deal with the monster''s egg and that mysterious dark force, or ensuring the safety of the world''s people. They misunderstood it as a new kind of weapon developed by the U.S...."


    "They asked me for detailed parameters of this weapon, hoping to get more information. I repeatedly emphasized the danger of that thing and the necessity of dealing with it to eliminate hidden dangers for all humanity."


    "But the answer I received was disappointing."


    "The person Imunicated with told me that to ensure that this newly developed weapon wouldn''t be used against them by the U.S., they would send other agents to investigate the matter."


    "And if that was just an uncontroble, unexploitable monster, they would happily ept it as such, and the U.S. would be the first to suffer."


    Ka fell silent. When Alfred spoke these stories so casually, she felt the disappointment and anger as if it were her own.


    "Actually, at that time, I tried to convince myself. For example, the Soviet Union''s financial situation was also worrisome, so there was no way to invest heavily in such a seemingly elusive project. Or, maybe I didn''t have more solid evidence to prove the danger of that thing...""Perhaps... I also think that, in the end, no one is obligated to save all of humanity."


    Ka could hear Alfred''s voice choking up, especially when he uttered thest sentence. His old and hoarse voice seemed to carry a sense of shattered rity, and when it reached Ka''s ears, it made her feel suffocated.


    "But what truly disappointed me was that, on my way out of Moscow, I was attacked."


    "At that moment, I thought it must have been U.S. spies lurking in Moscow trying to get rid of me. They nearly seeded. The person who attacked me was skilled; two bullets hit my thigh and chest."


    "I narrowly escaped death. But when I recovered from my injuries and intended to investigate the incident, I found out that the attacker was not a U.S. spy; it was... one of our own."


    Ka widened her eyes and said, "How is that possible? Why would they..."


    "Because what I knew about the monster''s egg and the information about the dark force could seriously shake the confidence of our military. They didn''t want me to spread panic..."


    Alfred closed his eyes and continued, "Once, we walked on a path that would never fear anything. When we wanted to move forward, we didn''t need to go around the mountains; the mountains would go around us out of fear."


    "All of that came to an end during that moment of hesitation."


    "Maybe in this world, no one is truly obligated to save the world. Perhaps all of it is just an unrealistic fantasy. But when we give up on that fantasy, we give up on everything."


    Ka saw the wrinkles on Alfred''s face trembling, and she suddenly realized that his old age didn''t seem toe from physical decay, but more from the copse and exhaustion of his spirit after being shattered and rebuilt.


    She understood that Alfred didn''t give up this career because of his feelings for Bruce. Rather, after he abandoned his beliefs, Bruce became his only spiritual support.


    Thinking this, Ka became somewhat anxious and said, "Wait, Alfred, Benjamin got hold of your materials before. It documented your past experiences..."


    "If what you said is true, that you never developed young Wayne into a member of the organization, and he doesn''t even know about your past, then you must hurry and destroy those materials!"


    "Follow me; I''ll take you to that room!"


    Alfred looked at Ka with some surprise in his eyes and said, "I thought you would reprimand me for fabricating the story, or you would be unhappy with me deliberately tarnishing her image..."


    "You''re not that kind of person."


    Ka''s steps halted, and she turned around, hesitating for a moment before looking back at Alfred, saying, "During these difficult times, people like you and Philby have withstood unimaginable pressure, trying to turn the tide. And indeed, you''ve done it."


    "At the moment of your death, you can say, ''My whole life and all my energy have been devoted to the world''s grandest cause - the struggle for the liberation of humanity.''"


    Ka paused, her voice trembling as she continued, "Perhaps all of humanity won''t be liberated..."


    "Alfred..." Ka looked into Alfred''s eyes and asked, "...But do you regret what you''ve done for the cause?"


    Alfred also looked into Ka''s eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly shook his head.


    Ka turned away from him, pausing for a moment, and then resumed her steps.


    Her voice echoed in the room, like an actor who, as the curtain of the y was about to fall, was still striving to deliver the final line.


    "I don''t regret it either."


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 Chapter 467: The Once Great (2)

    Chapter 467: The Once Great (2)


    After Bruce, Lex, and rk''s figures left the hollow space, Schiller surveyed the underground hollow, ignoring the half-pound micro-camera left behind by Bruce, and prepared to get to work.


    Although it was referred to as an experiment, in reality, it was quite simple. Schiller transformed directly into mist and floated above the monster egg. As soon as the mist touched the egg, the monster egg disappeared without a trace.


    Next, Schiller focused his attention on the ring on his hand. In a moment, he appeared on the familiar gray ind in the mist space, turning his head to see the giant monster egg right beside him.


    Schiller circled around the monster egg and noticed that while the heartbeat inside the egg had increased slightly, there were no signs of it hatching.


    Since that was the case, Schiller decided to leave it there and deal with other matters first.


    Returning to the Manor''s underground, the mist let out a cheerful "Yeah!" and began feasting.


    The gray mist spread, covering the entire hollow space, and the sound of munching could be heard incessantly. After a few minutes, all the kryptonite on the device was devoured.


    "Burp... I''m full!"


    The mist let out a satisfied sigh and fell silent, seemingly concentrating on digestion once again.Schiller looked at the empty underground hollow, about to take a step to leave, when suddenly he remembered something and muttered to himself, "Oh, right, did Lex say that the previous me left something here?"


    "Well, let me see, where could it be hidden?"


    He first examined the hollow and then decisively left the area.


    Firstly, because there was really nowhere to hide anything in the hollow. Secondly, if the previous Schiller was an ordinary person, the radiation here would have killed him in an instant, so he wouldn''t have had time to hide something here.


    Schiller walked outside, searching through the hallways and corridors, but found nothing. Eventually, he returned to the cer they hade down from before.


    In the cer and the corridor leading to the hall, Schiller carefully checked several times. Finally, he unscrewed amp at the top and found what seemed to be a hiddenpartment. He reached up and indeed touched a metal object.


    After retrieving the item, Schiller found it was a small safe, small enough to be held in one''s arms. Considering Lex''s description earlier, Schiller guessed that it might contain something rted to the Dionysian factor.


    So, he separated a wisp of mist to open the safe''s lock.


    With a crisp sound, the cer door opened, and it remained open for quite some time, but no one came out from inside.


    After a few minutes, both Bruce and Lex crawled out of the cer''s door. They looked around in confusion, seemingly puzzled by theck of enemies.


    "It seems rk dealt with them," Lex said, observing the traces on the snowy ground.


    "Impossible. rk doesn''t kill," Bruce replied.


    Lex snorted disdainfully, saying, "How long have you known him? You sound like it''s been ten years, but in reality, it hasn''t even been a day. How can you know he..."


    "Hey, guys, I''m back!"


    Just then, rk descended from the sky, hands on his hips, slowlynding on the ground. Bruce frowned and asked, "Where did you go?"


    Lex noticed that rk was covered in chill, with snowkes in his hair and eyebrows, as if he had been standing in the snow for a long time.


    "I got rid of those annoying agents," rk replied.


    "Got rid of them? Where did you send them?" Lex asked skeptically. "You didn''t actually kill them, did you?"


    "Of course not, I wouldn''t do something so cruel. I just sent them back home."


    "Sending them ''back home'' sounds a lot like getting rid of them," Lex retorted.


    rk shook his head and said, "No, they said they were from the FBI, right? I tied them up and flew them to the FBI base, then let them go there."


    "My movements were fast, and no agents saw me. They should be thanking me. Otherwise, how would they have made it back in such heavy snow?"


    Bruce and Lex both opened their mouths in surprise, exchanging a nce. Bruce hesitated and said, "Have you considered that they might not actually be from the FBI?"


    "But they said they were FBI agents. Even if they''re not, the FBI would still send them back home."


    "The FBI might ''send them back home.''"


    Bruce nced at Lex, who was shivering in the snow, and at rk, who was catching his breath after exercising, and said, "Both of you should go back to the room."


    After saying that, he turned and walked forward, treading on the thick snow, crossing the courtyard, and returning to the banquet hall.


    The banquet hall was still in a mess, with tablecloths scattered on the ground and candlesticks and tableware strewn everywhere. Bruce stepped over these obstacles, heading straight to where Benjamin was.


    From his deduction, Benjamin was probably observing the situation in the courtyard from a higher floor, possibly from the higher floors of the main Manor building or the adjacent tower. Bruce decided to investigate the nearest high floor of the main building first.


    As he reached the fourth floor, Bruce noticed some spider web traces. There were hardly any regr residents here, but there were signs of considerable activity.


    Going up one more floor to the fifth, Bruce became even more puzzled. The ce was filled with a bunch of misceneous items, and he couldn''t understand their purpose.


    It seemed like someone intentionally led someone else upstairs. That was Bruce''s spection, but he was sure that he wasn''t the target of the guidance, as those traces had already been examined by someone else. He also felt that it wasn''t a clever trap; at least he wouldn''t be fooled.


    Just as he walked through the corridor, turning a corner and intending to head toward the staircase, he saw a corpse lying on the tform in the middle of the staircase - it was Benjamin.


    Bruce squinted his eyes, and after walking up the stairs, he began to examine Benjamin''s body. Judging by the condition of the wounds and the blood, Benjamin had died not long ago, killed swiftly with a single shot.


    Looking at the surroundings, it seemed that Benjamin had been besieged. Bruce couldn''t identify the culprits because the party guests definitely didn''t have the ability to kill Benjamin.


    Apart from the guests, the only ones capable of such an act were Bruce''s group or other agents.


    Thinking about this, Bruce spected that perhaps internal conflicts among the agents led to Benjamin''s death, and the most likely suspect was Benjamin''s assistant, Ka.


    With that in mind, Bruce continued to ascend. With a batarang in hand, he arrived on the sixth floor and found that only one room''s door was open, with light pouring out, dividing the corridor in half.


    Bruce walked alongside the wall, but just as he leaned over to look into the room, Ka, standing in the center of the room, also noticed him. Ka said, "Come in, Mr. Wayne."


    Realizing he had been discovered, Bruce decided not to sneak anymore and walked in. However, he remained cautious, as Ka stood on the other side, saying, "Mr. Wayne, I have some bad news for you."


    Bruce remained silent, but Ka didn''t mind his attitude and continued, "Just now, for some reason, I killed that idiot named Benjamin."


    "The motive and the method don''t matter..." Ka spoke as she walked behind the table, taking out some documents from the drawer and throwing them on the table.


    With a snap, Ka continued, "I found these in Benjamin''s briefcase, personal files about your butler. Do you want to take a look?"


    Bruce''s gaze fell on the thick stack of documents on the desktop. Estimating the content''s volume from the thickness of the papers, he stood in ce, silent.


    Ka waved the handgun in her hand and said, "I''m different from that fool Benjamin. I have no intention of being enemies with the Wayne Group. I waited here for you just to give you this material as a favor. I hope you don''t mind what the agents did earlier."


    "That''s it. You can take your time to read it. I''ll leave now."


    "Oh, by the way, it''s best not to try and stop me with your darts. Themunication has been restored just now, and my satellite phone is back online. If you act, headquarters will know immediately."


    With that, Ka strode past Bruce and left the room. After descending one floor, she entered another room on the fifth floor, where Alfred looked at her helplessly.


    About ten minutes ago, Ka brought Alfred to the room where Benjamin had stored the materials. Ka walked behind the table, took out the documents from a folder, and carefully examined the contents.


    "Oops, sorry. I''ve been curious for a while, but Benjamin was very cautious, and I never found an opportunity to look. Do you want to see it?" Ka asked.


    Alfred shook his head and said, "When you reach my age, you won''t want to look back at your own history. It''s all a dark past."


    Upon hearing this, Ka instinctively nced at the columnbeled "Emotions" in Alfred''s personal files, where a long list of names was written.


    "Okay, never mind. Let''s quickly dispose of it all as if this never happened," Ka said.


    Alfred shook his head and said, "No need to be so troublesome. With Bruce''s intelligence, if he really suspected me, he would have thoroughly investigated this information. Destroying these documents isn''t that important."


    Ka sighed, looking at Alfred''s indifferent expression, and said, "Even though you and Bruce have a good rtionship, from what I''ve observed, he''s a very typical American, instinctively suspicious of everything."


    Seeing that Alfred was not interested in discussing this topic, Ka persisted, "I have to make sure that Little Wayne doesn''t suspect you, or that he has feelings for you too, rather than just you unterally giving everything. Otherwise, one day, he will hurt you."


    Ka reached out to push Alfred and said, "You wait downstairs. I want to see what Little Wayne will do when he sees these documents. If he dares to betray you, I''ll shoot him."


    Ka had feelings for Alfred, and Alfred had the same for her. He had been a good teacher to her, pouring a part of his family''s affection into her. Faced with Ka''s goodwill, Alfred couldn''t firmly refuse.


    So, after Ka handed over the documents to Bruce, he stood behind the table, looking at the pile of documents on the desk. From his current angle, he could only see the first page, which had Alfred''s basic information written on it.


    Bruce walked forward and picked up the documents. He aligned them on the table but didn''t flip through them. Instead, he took out a lighter.


    As he watched the papers slowly turn to ashes in the mes, Bruce turned to look out of the floor-to-ceiling window.


    Behind him, the first page of the documents quickly burned out, and the words "KGB - Military Intelligence Agent: Alfred Pennyworth" disappeared in the fire.


    As Bruce stood by the window, gazing at the snow outside, he wondered if his butler had seenrger and more beautiful snowfalls in the vast snowy ins of a northern nation.


    "But there''s one more thing I need to confirm." In the room on the fifth floor, Ka hesitated and asked, "Of course, if it''s something you can''t talk about, just forget I asked."


    "There''s nothing I can''t say; you have a higher rank now."


    "It''s not really important, but it''s about the ''Philby List.'' You know, I find it hard to persuade those fools to change their minds. I need to ensure that you''ve hidden it securely; otherwise, it would be quite troublesome if it were lost."


    "I did hide it initially, butter, I decided topletely part ways with my past identity and return everything to its rightful ce. So, I contacted Moscow and had them retrieve the list from a designated contact point."


    "After I sent the list to them, they sent agents to collect it, and the list should be back in Moscow by now."


    "Back in Moscow?" Ka frowned seriously and said, "That''s not possible. I''ve maintainedmunication with Moscow all this time. If the list had already returned to Moscow, why is the Philby List case causing such a stir?"


    Alfred also frowned, saying, "I''m sure themunication between me and Moscow is trustworthy, with no one else involved. As for the whereabouts of the list..."


    He shook his head and said, "...I don''t know either."


    Meanwhile, in the underground of the Manor, Schiller sessfully used the mist to cheat and open the safe.


    Upon opening the safe, he was surprised to find not the expected Dionysian factor reagent but rather an ordinary-looking folder.


    On the folder was a shiny emblem with a sickle, hammer, and red g.


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 Chapter 468: Is Schiller Crazy?

    Chapter 468: Is Schiller Crazy?


    In the midst of winter, on the dry branches of trees, a group of small sparrows lined up, preening their feathers. One of them spread its wings and flew down to the ground, hopping and skipping in the snow, searching for possible food.


    A hand scattered some breadcrumbs, and many sparrows gathered around. The bakery owner, wearing a cotton cap and apron, straightened up and brushed off the remaining breadcrumbs from his hand. "Screech!" The sound of bicycle brakes came, and the bundled-up paperboy took off his gloves and used his finger to tap the bike bell.


    The bakery owner, donning thick cotton boots, stepped over the snow on the ground, causing the startled sparrows to take flight in flocks. He strode across the sidewalk to the street and took the newspaper from the paperboy''s hand. "You clever little rascal again! You must know that the gentlemen around here speak well, and you always manage to grab this job," said the paperboy. He was a freckled little boy, just like most children in Gotham - lively, wild, and full of rebellious spirit.


    These children roamed the streets of Gotham fearlessly, always brimming with energy, just like the sparrows foraging through the streets in winter, making them the most vibrant scenery in this city of sin.


    The bakery owner handed the paperboy a small piece of toasted ck bread and asked, "Any gossiptely?" Taking a bite of the bread, the paperboy winced from the heat, inhaling sharply as he spoke intermittently, "Things are not bad."


    "I heard that the charity banquet in Metropolis was very sessful. Those wealthy rich folks donated a lot of money to address the transportation problems caused by the snow disaster."


    "I heard that after our mayor received the donations, he bought severalrge snowplows. Now the Central Roundabout and the Pier in the East District have been cleared. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have been able to resume traffic today."


    The paperboy took another bite of the scalding ck bread, his nose turning red from the cold. He wiped his nose with his hand and took a couple of cold breaths before continuing, "Gotham University is resuming sses today. Just look at those pampered teachers and professors, all driving to work. It means good times areing."


    "Thank goodness!" The bakery owner sneezed and rubbed his nose, saying in a muffled voice, "With the traffic paralyzed these past few days, I couldn''t sell my bread. If it weren''t for you kids helping me deliver goods to my old customers, I''m afraid I would have closed down long ago.""Oh, by the way!" The bakery owner suddenly remembered something. He extended a hand, shaking his finger, and then patted his forehead. He turned around in a hurry and walked back into the shop, causing many sparrows to take flight again. After a while, he came out with a leather bag and said, "Rodriguez Professor''s housekeeper calledst night and ordered some freshly baked bread for this morning. Help me deliver it, and at noon today, I''ll treat you to ck rice cakes and sausages..."


    The paperboy snapped his fingers to signal his agreement. He took the leather bag and tucked it into his arms, leaned forward, grasped the handlebars of his bicycle, and stomped hard on the pedals. The bicycle shot forward swiftly.


    As he watched him vanish into the streets, the bakery owner shook his head and walked back to his shop. While checking the order records at the counter, he murmured to himself, "How strange. Didn''t that Professor always prefer eating bagels? Why did he switch to buying buttered toast?" The rustling sound of flipping through the order form made the bakery owner shake his head and say softly, "... Probably a guest''s order."


    "Ding, ding, ding, ding..." The Manor''s clock chimed, and Schiller, standing by the first-floor French window, stretchedzily and yawned. He then walked to the dining table and picked up the ss of water on it. Holding the ss, he wandered around the grand hall on the ground floor, somewhat lost, pondering a question ¡ª if he wanted to drink water, where should he go to find it?


    In Marvel''s Sanatorium, Schiller''s residence was the former bank manager''s rest area, transformed into a one-bedroom apartment with a bedroom and a living room. There was an electric kettle on the bedroom''s desk, and a water dispenser in the living room, providing readily essible water within ten steps every morning.


    Schiller knew that it was 1988 now, and he had also experienced this era before his time travel, but back then, he had never owned a Manor like this one. Standing in the 600-square-meter entrance hall of the Manor, Schiller was somewhat puzzled, wondering if this was what aristocratic life was like.


    Just as Schiller stood there, holding his cup and hesitating whether to go upstairs to find the kitchen, Merkel rushed down the stairs. It was evident that he was quite anxious; his suit''s buttons were not done up properly, the tie was loose, and even his hair was only roughlybed, with two strands sticking out.


    "Sorry, sir, why are you up so early today?"


    "Early?" Schiller nced at his watch; it was 5:30 in the morning. Then he turned his head to look out the window, and the sky outside was still dark.


    Merkel rubbed his eyes vigorously, trying to wake himself up, but his thoughts still felt fuzzy. He was deeply astonished by Schiller''s ever-changing schedule. Beforeing here, he learned from the butler college that a butler should adapt to the employer''s schedule as much as possible to provide timely service. So, after starting to work at the Rodriguez Manor, Merkel had diligently adjusted his schedule to match Schiller''s. However, Schiller''s schedule had been bizarre; in this era without many electronic devices, he often stayed up until two or three in the morning, and when he had sses, he would get up at 9:00 in the morning, while on days without sses, he usually got up around noon and only had brunch.


    After much effort, Merkel managed to synchronize his normal schedule with Schiller''s peculiar one. However, since Schiller returned from Metropolis, his schedule had returned to normal, even a bit too regr, with him sleeping between 8:00 and 9:00 at night and waking up between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning.


    Merkel stood on the stairs, holding the armrest of a chair for support, feeling dizzy, but he tried to perk up. He took the water ss from Schiller''s hand and asked, "I apologize, sir, but I didn''t arrange for someone to boil water this morning. I''ll do it now. Would you like to have breakfast?" ...


    "Of course, didn''t you help me order some bagelsst night?"


    "Uh, but the paperboy from West District won''te until 7:30 at the earliest, and both the newspaper office and the bakery won''t be open at this time."


    Looking out through the right-side French window, Schiller nced at the street outside, which was still dark and devoid of any figures. Although Gotham was considered an international metropolis, it was still around the 1990s, and life wasn''t as fast-paced as it is now. Besides, West District was an old area where only old-fashioned wealthy people lived, and very few would wake up this early.


    Sighing, Schiller said, "Alright, let me know when breakfast is ready." After saying that, he went upstairs and returned to his bedroom.


    From the staircase, Merkel watched Schiller''s figure going upstairs and became more and more puzzled. Normally, if such a situation urred, Schiller would crack a sarcastic joke with him, like, "I hope your speed in ordering bagels by phone is faster than that group of sparrows outside the bakery next time," and then he would skip breakfast and drive to Gotham University for sses.


    Of course, Merkel hadn''t forgotten the strange dream he had. At that time, while Schiller was away, he tried to find some clues in the Manor but found that all the important room doors were locked, and a series of puzzles had been set up. After a great deal of effort, he solved the puzzles and identally triggered a dream of Schiller''s while touching a bottle of wine on a shelf.


    At that time, Merkel had no choice but to ask Schiller for help in protecting the mysterious East Coast Agent and safeguarding the list. Schiller didn''t give a direct answer, and Merkel had no way of knowing what happened at the banquet that day. For him, the enigmatic Agent was still nowhere to be found, and the list''s whereabouts remained unknown.


    The only silver lining was that he was certain his employer didn''t mind that he was, in fact, a Soviet Agent, as long as he performed his duties well. Perhaps it could be a stable cover identity. However, now his biggest trouble was that ever since Schiller returned from the charity banquet in Metropolis, he seemed like a different person entirely. From his daily routines, habits, to the way he spoke, everything had changedpletely.


    From the first day Merkel arrived here, he had wanted to gather enough information about his employer. Not only would it help him work more smoothly, but it was also part of his Agent work. After spending some time with Schiller, Merkel felt he had grasped his employer''s temperament. But now, all his efforts seemed to have been in vain.


    The boiling kettle emitted a sharp whistle, and Merkel hurriedly walked through the corridor to remove the kettle from the stove. He took a towel from the nearby wall hook, wrapped it around the kettle''s handle, and then carried it to the front hall of the Manor. After filling it with water, he carried the tray upstairs. In the bedroom, Schiller was leaning against the headboard, reading a book. Merkel ced the water on the bedside table and hesitated for a moment.


    Schiller put down the book and looked up, asking, "What''s the matter? Is breakfast not going well?"


    "Um, not at all, sir. I just wanted to say... it''s just that... you''ve been a bit... um..."


    "Oh, my anxiety acting up. So my behavior might be a little different from before. Don''t mind it; maybe it''ll get better soon."


    "Anxiety?" Merkel muttered in confusion but recalling Schiller''s peculiar temper before, he felt this exnation could barely make sense. Just as he was about to inquire further, suddenly, the sound of the mailbox bell downstairs rang.


    Merkel turned to look at the clock hanging on the wall; it was just 6 o''clock. He quickly left the room, set the tray down, put on his coat, and walked out of the Manor''s door. As expected, the paperboy was standing outside the mailbox, waving at him.


    "Why are you up so early today?" Merkel greeted him warmly. He was familiar with most of the paperboys in West District, and today''s visitor was one of the ones he knew best. The freckles on his face made him easily recognizable.


    "Didn''t you know that the traffic in East District Pier haspletely resumed? I''m off to grab some work after delivering papers here."


    "Pier''s traffic is back?" Merkel took the newspaper and a bag of bread from the paperboy. Then he took out some coins from his pocket and put them in the boy''s hand.


    The freckled paperboy raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask, Merkel said, "You came too early today. The bread isn''t baked yet, and cold bread is too hard, might hurt your teeth. Just buy something to eat on your own."


    The paperboy extended his hand, putting the coins into his pocket, and smiled with mischief and cuteness, saying, "Give my regards to Professor Rodriguez! He''s a really nice person, always has been!"


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 Chapter 469: Is Schiller Unwell?

    Chapter 469: Is Schiller Unwell?


    During breakfast, Merkel watched Schiller''s somewhat clumsy folding of the newspaper. He hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Sir, would you like me to help you?" Schiller didn''t reply; he was struggling to prop up the newspaper so he could see it while using the fork to eat. However, he quickly realized that it was quite difficult, nowhere near as convenient as using a mobile phone. With a sigh, he simply put the newspaper aside.


    Merkel once again marveled at the backwardness of 20th-century science and technology. Schiller focused on the food on his te¡ªa toast freshly toasted, apanied by sausages, fried eggs, and stewed peas, all served with a perfectly warm cup of milk. He didn''t have to cook or wash the dishes himself. Satisfied with his meal, Schiller leaned back on the chair, eximing at the decadence of the aristocratic life.


    But just as Merkel was about to clean up the te, he noticed something odd. He nced at his watch and realized that Schiller had only been eating for 20 minutes, and it wasn''t even 7 o''clock yet. There wasn''t much left on the te¡ªa slightly overcooked crust of bread, some soup from the stewed peas, a knife carelessly left at hand, and a fork resting on the te with the milk cup ced in front of it... Merkel thought that Schiller might indeed be unwell.


    Putting aside theck of ceremony and the haphazard meal process, the irregrity of the leftovers, and thepletely uneven cement of the knife and fork, the milk cup being slightly off-center was enough to send the old Schiller into a day-long fit of agitation. If this had happened before, Merkel could only silently pray for the students attending his ss today. The surprisingly normal eating process surprised Merkel, leaving him with no chance to say what he had in mind.


    Just as he was about to find an opportunity to speak, Schiller stood up and said, "I''ll go upstairs and take a nap. Please wake me up at around 9:30, thank you." Merkel widened his eyes, disying a hesitant expression. Schiller looked at him and asked, "What''s wrong?" "Are you saying that you n to go upstairs and take a nap right after breakfast?"


    "Well, is there a problem?" Schiller looked at his watch and said, "Aren''t my sses at 10 o''clock? It''s only 7 o''clock now. What else should I do so early?" "Um... Alright, if you n to do that, I''ll wake you up on time. Oh, wait! You just said 9:30, but..." "Gotham University is not far from here." Schiller walked upstairs while speaking, "Even if I ride a bicycle, I''ll get there in half an hour." With that, he returned to the bedroom, leaving Merkel still feeling surprised.


    At 10 o''clock, inside the ssroom at Gotham University, it was filled with students whispering and chatting. Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the door, and everyone immediately sat up straight, stopping their conversations. The atmosphere in the entire ssroom felt as if it had frozen.


    The footsteps gradually quickened, and at this moment, the person rushing into the ssroom was Evans. As he entered, he didn''t even look at the situation on the podium and quickly said, "I''m truly sorry, Professor. It''s the first day of the road opening, and the traffic was just too congested. I woke up at 6 am, left at 7, and only just arrived. I''m really sorry..."


    Not receiving any response, Evans realized that he hadn''t looked at the podium yet. As he nced at it, he found that there was no one there. He widened his eyes, looking puzzled, and slowly walked to his seat, noticing Bruce sitting next to him, staring at the podium thoughtfully. "What''s going on? Bruce, where''s the Professor?" Bruce shook his head slowly, and Evans widened his eyes once again. Looking around, he noticed that his ssmates'' gazes were all fixed on him, so he stood up and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll find someone to call the Professor." After about 20 minutes, Schiller, still stuck in the Manor district, saw a helicopter with the Wayne Group logo slowlynding on awn in Manor. Bruce got out of the helicopter, and Schiller waved at him through the car window. Bruce walked over and saw Schiller sitting in the driver''s seat, speechless. He asked, "How did you end up here?" "Isn''t that the question I should be asking you? Why are you here? And why did you take a helicopter?"


    "Evans called your Manor, and your butler told him that you left about an hour ago. Based on Gotham''s traffic, I guessed you got stuck here," exined Bruce.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Bruce asked, looking very puzzled. "What''s wrong with me?" Schiller was also puzzled, misunderstanding Bruce''s meaning. He waved his hand and said, "Well, I just had some bad luck, got stuck in heavy traffic. Next time, I''ll try to leave earlier. You can tell the students that this ss is now a self-study session..." Bruce circled around the car, opened the passenger''s door, and sat in the passenger seat, turning his head to squint at Schiller.


    "Is there a problem?" Schiller asked, looking back at him. But Bruce continued to stare at him without saying a word, so Schiller said, "Alright, you little rascals, you''re free to go. Happy now?" Bruce''s eyes narrowed tighter and tighter, revealing a very typical expression of suspicion. When Schiller caught a glimpse of this expression, he couldn''t help but turn his head and give Bruce a once-over, saying, "Don''t tell me you want me to ask for leave from other teachers too. That would be going too far, wouldn''t it?"


    "What''s going on with you? This looks like more than just a simple anxiety attack. Have you taken a mental test recently?" "My mental health is fine," Schiller said, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and inching forward with the traffic flow. He continued, "Don''t forget, you have a bill to pay. If everything''s fine, go take care of yourpany and make some money." Bruce stared at Schiller for a long time, and when he saw that Schiller didn''t respond further, he could only push open the car door and walk away.


    When he returned to the ssroom at Gotham University and informed everyone that the ss was now a self-study session, there was no excitement among the students. They were whispering to each other. "Oh no! If this ss is a self-study session, the next one will surely be a big exam. Professor must be testing whether we can study independently. If we fail..."


    "A self-study session? Devil''s self-study session! How could that devil allow us to study freely? This must be a trap!" "We had such a long break, and he''s not giving us an exam? Bruce, are you sure you didn''t misunderstand?" "Stop talking and hurry to the library. Don''t forget, the freshmen will be fighting for seats with us!" "Let''s go, let''s go! Bruce, are youing? I''ll save a seat for you..."


    When faced with this question, Bruce did hesitate for a moment because he couldn''t be sure if this was really Schiller''s trap.


    Although Bruce''s grades didn''t have much room for improvement, if he were to set a new low, Schiller would surely call Alfred and Bruce could forget about going out for night patrols. After hesitating for less than a second, he said, "Save me a seat, please. Thank you."


    When Schiller arrived at Gotham University, it was already lunchtime.


    After he entered the office, all eyes were on him. Anna, who taught advanced mathematics, walked up to him first.


    She looked him up and down before saying, "Just now, your student, Evans, found me after the advanced mathematics ss and asked me to check on your mental state because he heard from Bruce that you had a ss at 10, but you didn''t leave until 9:30."


    "Of course, beingte in Gotham is nothing new, but beingte due to traffic, is it your first day in Gotham?" Schiller sighed and said, "Why do you all think that an average three-hour traffic jam is normal?"


    "An average three-hour traffic jam is certainly not normal, because the average used to be five hours."


    "There are only 24 hours in a day!" Schiller raised his voice.


    "There are a full 24 hours in a day!" Anna raised her voice as well.


    At that moment, Victor walked in with books and materials in his hand.


    It seemed that he had just finished his ss. When he saw Schiller sitting at the desk, he walked over, ced his things down, and then knocked on the partition, saying, "Let''s go, it''s time for lunch." He turned to Anna and said, "Anna, don''t be like this.


    Beingte is perfectly normal, especially since they suddenly announced the road reopeningst night.


    Everyone was frustrated, so there''s bound to be more cars on the road."


    "Both Schiller and I are from out of town, so it''s normal for us to be unfamiliar with the traffic situation here." Then, he said to Schiller, "Forget about it, it just gives your students a break. I think you''ve been pushing them too hard before.


    Education can''t be rushed." After saying that, Victor came over, took Schiller''s arm, and led him to the cafeteria.


    To Schiller, Victor could be considered his best friend in Gotham, and vice versa. Because their rtionship was so good, Victor knew all about Schiller''s quirks.


    He didn''t care at all about Schiller''s sudden choice to leavete and be dyed by traffic. What''s the big deal? It''s Gotham, and ns can get frozen in ice here.


    This rxed mood onlysted until they sat down to eat together. Victor saw Schiller pick up a piece of broli with his fork and put it in his mouth.


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 Chapter 470: Is Schiller Crazy? (2)

    Chapter 470: Is Schiller Crazy? (2)


    "Um, hello? Is this Arkham Asylum? Yeah, it''s Brand speaking. Victor. We met during the gathering. Have you seen Schiller recently?... Oh, I see. Well, the thing is, I''m a bit worried about his mental state. Would you consider inviting him for a visit?... His behavior? It''s hard to exin... In the office at Gotham University, Victor stood with one hand on his hip and the other holding the telephone. He continued, "You have no idea how rming it is. He managed to finish his meal in just 15 minutes, and he even started eating broli!"


    "Remember that time we had dinner at Wayne Grand Hotel? He went out of his way to find the kitchen and shot at a broli! Before that, he kept telling me he would never use a gun..." Victor switched the telephone to his other hand, and the hand holding the telephone gradually became younger. The telephone changed from blue to ck. Bruce held the telephone and said on the other end, "Yes, Dr. Brand, the situation is quite serious. Despite knowing he had a ss at 10 o''clock, he didn''t leave until 9:30."


    "And he didn''t try to take any other teacher''s ss to make up for it. He didn''t mention it at all today, didn''t assign more homework, nor did he mention any exams tomorrow..."???


    "Even after beingte due to Gotham''s traffic, he didn''t go to bother the mayor. I think you''d better get him some treatment soon, or I can''t imagine what he might do..." "Dr. Brand, I found your number in the telephone directory. I hope you don''t mind my intrusion. I am Mr. Rodriguez''s butler, Merkel." Standing beside the telephone table, Merkel lowered his voice and said, "Could youe by tomorrow?... Oh, I see. So, you don''t provide home visits?" "Yes, I understand. The pressure of treating mental illnesses for an entire city falls on one hospital; you must be very busy..." "Right, I hope you could make an appointment with Mr. Schiller. Though it''s a bit offensive for a butler to say such things, his condition is indeed a bit... worrisome." "Yes, that''s not all. He hasn''t even frowned once the entire day. I think it''s really dangerous." "Alright, looking forward to receiving your invitation in the mailbox tomorrow. Thank you very much, Mr. Brand."


    The next morning, Schiller got up early as usual. He stood by the window, stretchedzily, and yawned. After washing up in the bathroom, he went downstairs. However, this time, Merkel was up even earlier. When he saw Schillering down, he extended his hand to greet him, "Morning, sir. Breakfast is ready." Schiller nodded and walked towards the dining table. As he sat down to eat, he noticed Merkel was still standing by the door, looking out the window. "Why are you standing there? Aren''t you eating?" "Thank you, sir, but I''ve already had breakfast," Merkel replied and turned his head back to the window. Schiller didn''t understand what was going on, but he shook his head and didn''t ask further. Instead, he lowered his head and started eating.


    After a while, the gentle sound of a bicycle bell rang outside. Merkel immediately opened the door and walked out, the newsboy waved at him, and Merkel handed him a prepared loaf of bread. The newsboy first took out a newspaper from his pocket, and after Merkel epted it, the newsboy took out a letter and said, "This is an urgent letter, but the postage has been paid by the sender." "Do you know what? You are more dedicated than a professional mail carrier. I thought it wouldn''t arrive this morning." Merkel praised. The newsboy sneered, "Mail carrier? They wouldn''tst two days in Gotham!"


    "I know all the shortcuts from the South District to the West District. I can get here in less than an hour, faster than those fancy gentlemen who drive." Merkel gave him a thumbs-up and then took out a few coins and handed them to the newsboy, saying, "Thank you." "Oh, wait, I can''t ept this." The newsboy suddenly returned the money. Merkel looked at him in surprise, and the newsboy shrugged, "Things have changed now." "You know Copperpot from the North District? The Falcone family put him in charge of all the kids in Gotham. He''s implemented some strict rules."


    "I can''t exin the details, but we''re not allowed to ept tips anymore. If someone reports it, I''ll lose my job."


    "I don''t want to lose such a profitable job. I worked hard to take over all the work in West District. Since Copperpot got rid of those annoying parents, all the money I earn is my own. If they don''t let me work, it will be a disaster." Seeing Merkel hesitating and not epting the coins, the newsboy simply threw them back. As Merkel caught the coins, he saw the newsboy''s receding figure. He shook his head and returned to the Manor.When the letter was delivered to Schiller, he had just finished eating. He looked up at Merkel, who smiled at him. Schiller picked up the envelope and opened it, finding a letter from Brand. After a brief moment of recollection, he said, "I have ss this afternoon, so I''ll go in the evening, alright?" "Okay, I''ll call Mr. Brand on the telepher." "Wait, why didn''t he directly call me to invite me over?" "Because this is a formal invitation, and formal invitations require written invitations. For private gatherings, you can just call on the telephone." "Then I''ll call himter." Merkel hesitated and rubbed his palms, saying, "Sir, it''s better if I do it. Because the person on the other end of the telephone might not be Mr. Brand." "Then I''ll have that person find Mr. Brand." "I can call first, and after finding Mr. Brand on the other end, I''ll have you take the telephone..." Schiller covered his forehead with some helplessness and stopped arguing. By the time he finished his meal and rushed to school, it was already afternoon.


    In the ssroom, Schiller first exined the reason for his tardiness. He thought some students might have objections, but to his surprise, everyone expressed understanding, almost praising him for beingte. Before starting the ss, just like many university professors do, Schiller intended to chat with the students about daily topics to rx the atmosphere and create a closer distance. However, all the students sat nervously in their seats, none of them engaging in conversation.


    ... When it was time for interactive discussions with the groups below, Schiller asked them to discuss among themselves. To his surprise, the students looked at him with nk expressions. Schiller paused for a moment and then realized that it was still 1988, not the modern teaching style. Moreover, he remembered that DC Schiller''s teaching style was strictly based on the book, requiring students to memorize and recite until they were well-versed.


    Schiller lowered his head and looked through his lesson n. He realized that he wasn''t teaching at Harvard or any Ivy League school; the students here hadn''t reached the level of flexible learning yet, and memorization was more suitable for them.


    After the ss, Schiller wasn''t in a good mood. On one hand, the ssroom feedback wasn''t great; he wasn''t ustomed to the one-way knowledge output mode. On the other hand, he felt that the people in Gotham were a bit peculiar. For some reason, his acquaintances had a special attitude towards him¡ªfear mixed with worry, worry with concern, and a hint of sympathy.


    As Schiller thought this way and packed his things, he left Gotham University and drove to Arkham Asylum. He had no idea why Brand suddenly asked him toe over, but he felt that talking to a colleague might help release some of the emotional pressure.


    At Arkham Asylum, Brand was already waiting for him at the entrance. They shook hands and hugged each other. Brand asked, "It''s been a while. How have you been recently?" "Not bad," Schiller gave a vague answer. Then, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, how is Hugo Strange doing?" "Oh, him. Last time, I found him fainting in the examination room, so I moved him to a hospital room. When he woke up, he became a bit crazy, constantly mumbling about monsters and impossibilities, and even attacked the nurses." "How did you handle it?" "What else could I do? He obviously had some mental issues. It''s probably a case of the physician bing the patient. He''s receiving treatment, and we''ve tried some calming therapies and medication, but the effect isn''t very apparent."


    As they walked inside, they reached Brand''s office. Brand changed the topic and said, "Let''s not talk about him. Tell me about yourself. You don''t seem to be in good spiritstely." Schiller touched his face and said, "Really? Maybe I haven''t been sleeping welltely." "I see. Victor called me and mentioned that you''ve been under some pressure. Would you like to take a mental self-assessment?" Schiller hesitated for a moment but agreed, "Alright."


    Brand took out some documents from a drawer, and Schiller started answering the questions with a pen. After finishing, he handed the papers to Brand. The more Brand looked at them, the more worried he became. He shook his head and said, "Have you encountered something recently?" "Not really. If I have to say, something did happen during my trip to Metropolis. Oh, I haven''t told you about my experience in Metropolis, it was quite thrilling..."


    "When I first arrived there, there was a murder case, and then Agents sealed off the entire Manor, and then..." "... Wait, Agents??" Brand suddenly frowned. He stood up, walked to the door, looked left and right in the corridor, and then went to the window, drawing all the curtains closed. Finally, he sat back at his desk and looked at Schiller with concern, "They found you again, didn''t they?" Before Schiller could answer, Brand sighed deeply and continued, "I told you before, choosing this path is dangerous. And now look at what''s happening?"


    "Moreover, you came to Gotham to hide, and yet you went out and walked into another trap in Metropolis. Did those Agents discover your identity? You shouldn''t have shown any loopholes to them, right?" Schiller widened his eyes in shock, and as Brand observed his expression, he spoke with a mix of frustration, "During school, you studied Marx, and I didn''t want to stop you; everyone has the freedom to pursue their beliefs."


    "After graduation, you said you wanted to go to Berlin, and I didn''t say anything; everyone has the choice to follow their own path." "After starting your job, you spent some time in Moscow, and I didn''t say anything either. Although our beliefs differ, friends should be tolerant of each other." "But what I truly can''t understand is, you joined the KGB and then regretted it!"


    "If you didn''t want toplete the mission in the first ce, why did you ept it?!" It seemed that Brand had been holding these words for a long time, and his tone was filled with anger. "Back then, because you severed ties with Moscow, the KGB suspected you and you sought refuge in Gotham. And now, you willingly left Gotham to get involved in another rotten mess in Metropolis?!" "Schiller, I really don''t know what you''re thinking, jumping back and forth between so many forces. Are you afraid that you won''t die?"


    Sitting in his chair, Schiller swallowed hard. At this moment, both he and the DC Schiller in the Temple of Thought had the same perplexed question, "Is there something wrong with me?"


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 Chapter 471: The Three of Us (1)

    Chapter 471: The Three of Us (1)


    After Schiller found the safe he had left behind in the basement of Metropolis Manor, he retrieved the "Philby List" that everyone was looking for. Inside the safe was also a medal from the Soviet Union, indicating that the original Schiller might have had a rtionship with the Soviets.


    Now, Schiller''s former ssmate, Brand, confirmed that Schiller was indeed a Marxist, who had not only visited East Berlin but also lived in Moscow and joined the KGB, andter defected from it.


    ording to Brand, Schiller came to Gotham to seek refuge, precisely to escape from the KGB.


    This reasoning made sense since Schiller discovered through spider web-like traces that the original Schiller was not an ordinary person. He wouldn''t havee to this city of sin just to escape from ordinary adversaries. However, if it was the KGB, even the present-day Schiller would have to be cautious.


    Many people might not realize how powerful this organization was. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it transformed into the Russian Federation''s Federal Security Service and lost some of its former glory. But during the Soviet era, the KGB was undoubtedly the world''s number one spy organization.


    Due to ideological reasons, the Soviet Union was in constant conflict with the rest of the world, and the KGB was in perpetual opposition to spy organizations worldwide. During the years when the Soviet Union still existed, this spy organization was always facing multiple disadvantages, yet the result was that all other countries'' spy agencies had to join forces to barely withstand its attacks.


    Of course, it was 1988 now, and the Soviet Union was facing serious internal conflicts, and its economic situation was not as robust as before. Consequently, the KGB''s power had also declined, but without a doubt, it remained the most formidable spy organization in the world.


    If the original Schiller had gotten involved with such a powerful force, seeking refuge in Gotham would be a reasonable choice.


    However, there was still a doubt. Previously, Schiller had encountered a group of troublemakers from Metropolis in Gotham. These individuals were not very professional and didn''t pose a significant threat. Schiller spected that it might have been a probing action by the KGB.As the world''s most powerful spy organization, the KGB wouldn''t be unaware of Gotham''s uniqueness. Instead of foolishly sending in agents directly like the CIA, they chose to instigate some forces from Metropolis to test the waters. This reasoning also made sense.


    The only problem was that the assassins whoter came for him were not KGB agents but Undertaker.


    Schiller didn''t believe that the KGB would hire a frence mercenary to kill him, especially when Schiller likely possessed some valuable information. Undertaker had gone all-out to finish him, which didn''t align with the KGB''s usual approach.


    To know the answer to this question, he would need Undertaker to reveal the identity of the person who hired him. However, dealing with the seasoned mercenary was no easy task. Moreover, Undertaker was elusive and unpredictable, making it purely a matter of luck to contact him. Schiller didn''t have time to search for him all over the world.


    In addition to searching for external clues, Schiller had another option ¨C investigating his own memories.


    Schiller spent a long time going through the files in the Temple of Thought, but he was certain that he hadn''t found any memories of the original Schiller involving spy work. Memories of his growth, education, graduation, work, and even involvement in those bizarre cases existed, but they weren''t very clear...


    Schiller couldn''t be sure if this was a result of his time-travel or if there were other hidden reasons.


    With so few clues about this matter, he couldn''t make an urate judgment, but since it wasn''t an urgent matter, Schiller wasn''t in a hurry to investigate.


    To put it bluntly, the Soviet Union was almost beyond saving at this point. In a maximum of three years, the country would disappear, and no matter how great the enmity between Schiller and the KGB, everything would dissipate like smoke after three years.


    In the office of Arkham Asylum, Schiller slowly recounted the events that happened in Metropolis to Brand.


    "...That''s roughly the situation. It''s quite dramatic, don''t you think?"


    Brand rolled his eyes slightly and said, "Only you would describe this dangerous affair involving various factions and frequent murders as a drama..."


    Opening his medical record, Brand said, "I can prescribe some anti-anxiety medication for you. You need to adjust your routine and rx. I don''t think I need to mention the rest of the advice..."


    "By the way, Hugo Strange, who reced me, has be a patient. So, who is the chief doctor at Arkham Hospital now?"


    "Let''s not talk about that." Brand let out a deep sigh. "After Hugo was admitted to the hospital, I went to the mayor and Bruce Wayne, hoping they could hire another chief doctor for the hospital."


    "Since you arrived here, you''ve had little contact with your old teachers and ssmates. If it weren''t for you still publishing papers, they would have thought you died in Gotham."


    "Hugo''s situation is even more extreme. He hasn''t been here for a week, and he changed from a doctor to a patient, cutting off all connections with his former circle."


    "As for me, to avoid troubles, I rarely interact with the outside world."


    "We three, among us, you are the most famous, but Hugo and I aren''t too bad either. All three renowned psychologists ended up at Arkham Asylum. Who else do you think would dare toe here?"


    Schiller propped his chin up with his finger and said, "As long as they pay enough money, there should be a few daredevils, right?"


    Brand sneered and said, "Haven''t you noticed yet? This godforsaken ce called Gotham is far from normal. Even mentally stable ordinary people might be chaotic here, let alone those who were already mentally unstable lunatics; they can only end up as patients."


    "Do you think anyone who dares toe to Gotham and y with their lives would be a normal person?"


    "I''ll need a week to organize all the work and then hand it over to the new chief doctor. But how long can he stay in that position? Three days? One week?"


    "More importantly, thanks to your brilliant administrative skills, we don''t have any spare hospital rooms left for crazy chief doctors. If another insane doctores, they might have to be housed in the bathroom."


    "So, Hugo is considered lucky then?"


    "Yeah, at least he managed to get thest avable hospital room. Otherwise, I''d really have to lock him up in a bathroom stall."


    Schiller shrugged, stood up, adjusted his clothes, and then said to Brand, "I think you should talk to the mayor and negotiate for a raise for your job as the acting chief doctor, right?"


    Brand didn''t look up, he only lifted his eyelids and rolled his eyes, looking at Schiller, saying, "When Victor called me on the phone earlier, I didn''t feel nervous at all. Now it seems your condition has worsened again. Hurry up and take your medicine!"


    Schiller shrugged again and exchanged a few more sarcastic remarks with Brand before intending to leave. Just as he turned around, Brand called him back, saying:


    "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you something. Yesterday, I received a strange phone call. I don''t know what happened, but the person on the other end somehow made my telephone receiver fly."


    "He said he''s your friend and wanted a fixed bed in the hospital..."


    Schiller turned back to ask Brand, "Please don''t tell me that person is named Constantine?"


    "That''s the name. He spoke with a heavy U.K. ent and seemed quite intoxicated. He didn''t clearly state his condition and symptoms. What''s up with him?"


    "If he calls again, just scold him and hang up the phone."


    Schiller had just said that when a crisp telephone ring came from the desk. Both Schiller and Brand''s eyes fell on the telephone.


    Brand shook his head, gesturing for Schiller to answer the phone. As Schiller approached the phone, he hesitated for a moment. He picked up a tissue from the side, wrapped it around the microphone, and then picked up the telephone receiver and ced it to his ear.


    "Hello?"


    "Hello? Is this Dr. Brand? It''s me, Constantine, the one who called yesterday. Um... can Ie to your treatment now? I''m feeling a bit..."


    "Constantine, listen, if you want to buy medicine, go to the pharmacy near East District Pier. We don''t offer discounts here. If you''re looking for a romantic partner, head to the red-light district. We don''t have what you''re looking for here..."


    "Uh, Schiller? Why is it you? Have you gone back to work?"


    Constantine suddenly sobered up, and Schiller heard amotion on his end, seemingly with gunshots. He heard Constantine muttering to himself:


    "Darn it, he''s following me again... Wait, why is this Magic Circle drawn wrong? Did I drink too much?"


    "Oh, wait, wait!... Batman! Don''t attack, I haven''t done anything wrong. I''m just resting here for a while! I haven''tmitted any crimes, you can''t..."


    "Swish! Swish! Bang! Boom! Crash... Crash..."


    A few violent noises came from the other end of the telephone, and as Constantine gasped for breath, themotion on the other side finally quieted down.


    Constantine panted and said, "Thank goodness I ran fast; that darned madman..."


    "What''s wrong with you? If there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up."


    "No! No! Schiller, as friends, please help me! I''ve had enough of this darned guy in the tight suit!"


    Before Schiller could ask, Constantine began pouring his heart out:


    "That guy named Batman is aplete lunatic! He''s been stalking me from the start, like some sort of peeping pervert. Even when I try to have fun at bars or the red-light district, he follows me!"


    "Lately, he''s be even more aggressive. He''s been restricting my freedom, assaulting me, kidnapping me... Oh God, he must be trying to kill me!"


    "Constantine... you know?" Schiller interrupted him, speaking in a low tone. "I''ve always felt that Batman is a bit too obsessed with enforcing justice and fighting crime in Gotham, and his methods are inefficient..."


    Just as Constantine was about to agree, Schiller suddenly changed his tone to one of admiration:


    "But I have to admit,tely, he''s truly be a Gotham hero. If he manages to knock you out, I''ll build a monument for him right in the center of the central roundabout."


    "Please, Schiller, let me hide for a couple of days. Just two days, and I promise not to bother you anymore..."


    Surprisingly, Schiller didn''t immediately refuse. Instead, he asked, "What exactly did you do to tick off Batman?"


    "I didn''t... okay, you know I''m a devout believer, so I go to church on the Sabbath to pray..."


    "Other believers should really thank you. When you went to pray, God found out and decided to leave heaven, carrying the cross overnight."


    Constantine snorted, saying, "Stop joking, I''m serious. When I went to church to pray, I happened to notice something suspicious underground. Of course, to ensure the safety of all believers, I had to investigate..."


    "How much did you take?"


    "Just a small vial. You mean Batman... No, I didn''t take anything. Uh... I mean, I don''t know what you''re talking about..."


    Schiller chuckled, and Constantine followed with augh on the other end of the telephone. Then he heard Schiller say fiercely:


    "No way to save you. Prepare for the worst."


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 Chapter 472: The Three of Us (2)

    Chapter 472: The Three of Us (2)


    Returning from Metropolis, Bruce had a lot on his mind, but he hadn''t forgotten the reason for his investigation beforeing to Metropolis.


    Bruce didn''t know when Constantine would leave Gotham, and he didn''t have a way to counter Constantine''s methods, so he hastened his investigation. He nned to thoroughly understand Constantine''s intentions while he was still in Gotham.


    Constantine had no idea about the seriousness of being tracked by Batman before. Therefore, he didn''t think about leaving Gotham until he was trapped by the snow disaster.


    With transportation paralyzed, many of Gotham''s entertainment spots were closed. Constantine, with nothing better to do, wandered around the city. Unlike ordinary people, who saw the city as a dangerous and wicked ce, Gotham felt like home to Constantine. Even in this city, few could rival his cunning. He had been kidnapped by gangs, but within a couple of days, he ended up in bed with the gang leader. Street thugs tried to extort him, but they found nothing except a couple of half-dead toads. Hisndlord had thrown him out, so he slept on the streets, formed a band with some hobos, and made a little money. He was even deceived by a brothel madam in the red-light district, but the next day, he had her top girl so enamored that she turned over a new leaf and quit her profession.


    Constantine lived carefree and unrestrained in this city, using his unorthodox and crazy soul to bewitch Gotham.


    However, this carefree life came to an end when he arrived near the great church of Gotham.


    Due to his sensitivity to mystical matters, Constantine discovered a hidden wine cer under the great church of Gotham. When he lifted the just-repaired floor tiles and saw the green-glowing liquid, his eyes widened, and they sparkled.


    Perhaps due to his boldness as an artist or his knowledge that devils wouldn''t let him die easily, Constantine didn''t consider any safety issues when taking the liquid. He found an empty stic bottle nearby and filled it to the brim.


    What he didn''t know was that while investigating Constantine, Batman was also exploring the wine cer beneath the great church.Earlier, Batman had found plenty of materials in his research, and thesest few days, he had been wandering around the area near the church. It was then that he encountered the sneaky Constantine.


    Just as Constantine was stealing the wine, Batman appeared in time to stop him. However, due to Batman''sck of preparedness against magic, Constantine teleported away.


    From there, the chase between the two resumed in Gotham''s streets.


    At first, Constantine had the upper hand because magic was indeed very convenient, making him nearly invincible in the chase with abilities like Blink, teleportation, and duplication.


    But as time went on, Batman''s strong learning ability and nning skills started toe into y. Constantine realized that he was facing one trap after another, and it seemed that Batman had anticipated every move he made. Escaping became increasingly difficult.


    As Constantine proved too slippery to catch, Batman''s patience began to wane, and he became more aggressive in his pursuit. Constantine knew that if this continued, he wouldn''t be able to escape. So he decided to find a ce toy low.


    Knowing that most of Gotham''s industries were owned by the Wayne Family, Constantine also knew that three ces were not easily traceable: hospitals, universities, and prisons.


    The next day, with a bruised and swollen face, Constantine arrived at Arkham Asylum, where he was received by Brand. Constantine asked with a bit of confusion, "Where''s Schiller? Isn''t he here?"


    "His anxiety red up, so he went home to rest," Brand turned and walked to his desk, taking out medical records and payment forms. He wrote on the documents and tore off two slips, handing them to Constantine.


    After receiving them, Constantine scratched his head and reached into his pocket, feeling the two steel springs. Then he said, "Um, I don''t have any money..."


    "No rtionship, he expected that," Brand took out more documents from the bookshelf and handed them to Constantine. Constantine opened them and said, "An IOU? This is too..."


    "He told me to tell you, ''Sign it or not.''"


    "If I don''t sign, there won''t be a hospital room, right? Fine..." Constantine nced at the contracts filled with various economic agreements and signed his name.


    Brand didn''t even look up. He called a nurse over and pointed to Constantine, saying, "Room 13 on the 4th floor, add another bed."


    "Uh, Doctor Brand, the patient in Room 13 has aggression issues. Don''t you remember? That''s Hugodoctor..."


    Brand impatiently looked at the nurse and said, "So what can we do? The leaders of the Twelve Families are squeezing into one room. Until when does he want to upy a single room?"


    "If he doesn''t agree, transfer him to the central hospital. There are plenty of spots in the morgue there."


    With that, Brand left, and the nurse shook her head helplessly, sighing. She said to Constantine, "Follow me."


    As they walked upstairs, Constantine chatted with the nurse. When he wasn''t acting out, he was good at socializing, especially with attractive people of any gender.


    Once they reached the fourth floor, the nurse stopped at the staircase and said to Constantine, "Sir, I don''t know who you are, but I still have to warn you that your roommate is a bit abnormal."


    "Oh? What''s wrong with him?"


    "He used to be our chief doctor, but for some reason, he went crazy. At first, he was very aggressive and injured several male nurses. He''s calmer now, but he might still attack people. You have to be careful."


    "Doctor? How did he drive himself crazy?"


    "Who knows?" The nurse continued walking ahead and said, "You don''t need to be curious about this in Gotham. People go insane every day, and it doesn''t necessarily have to have a reason."


    Arriving at the door of the hospital room, the nurse pushed it open to find a figure crouched in the corner. Frowning, she turned around and said, "Mr. Constantine, you wait here for a while. I need to get the attendants. How did he manage to tear open his restraints again?"


    As the nurse left, Constantine walked over and nced at the man. He appeared not to be young, bald, wearing sses, and his teeth were chattering. He was muttering to himself.


    Constantine leaned in to listen and heard him repeatedly uttering words like "dream" and "monster." Just as Constantine shook his head, intending to walk away and not listen to this nonsense, he suddenly heard a familiar syble.


    He leaned in again, listened for a while, and confirmed that the syble was "Schiller."


    Constantine looked around, about to ask a question when the nurse returned with the attendants. They restrained Hugo back to his bed. Constantine cleared his throat, pretending nothing happened, and sat back on his own bed.


    After a while, an older nurse came in with a small cart, holding a tray. She walked to the head of Hugo''s bed and administered an injection. When she saw Constantine, she asked calmly, "Brand has informed me. Do you want morphine or cocaine?"


    Constantine''s eyes widened, but he tried to remainposed in front of the nurse''s calm expression. To avoid appearing inexperienced, he cleared his throat and said, "Morphine, please."


    Soon, the medication arrived, and Constantine pretended to be asleep on his bed. Once the nurse left, he slightly opened his eyes to ensure no one else was in the room before approaching Hugo''s bed.


    Hugo seemed to be under the influence of sedatives and was asleep. Constantine observed him for a while but found no response, so he gave up.


    In the evening, the hospital room was very quiet, and both men appeared to be sound asleep. However, after a while, Hugo on the bed moved.


    His teeth chattered, and his body trembled as he struggled on the bed. A few minutester, he suddenly calmed down, then slowly pulled one hand out of the loosened restraints, sat up straight, and released the other hand as well.


    Getting off the bed, he nced at Constantine, who seemed to be sleeping deeply. Hugo''s face no longer showed fear and panic as during his episode; instead, he appeared very steady and somewhat gloomy.


    He walked quietly to the door, opened it cautiously, and left without making a sound. However, the moment he left, Constantine opened his eyes.


    Constantine made a slight "tut" sound and said, "Only acted for a few minutes and thought I was already asleep? Impressive."


    He quickly climbed out of bed, showing no signs of being groggy from the medication. Silently opening the door, he followed Hugo and realized that Hugo had entered a hospital room on the 7th floor.


    The door to this room resembled a highly secured base door, with both the frame and door panel made of metal. It looked like a ce for holding dangerous individuals, but Hugo somehow managed to open it. After he went in, Constantine approached the door.


    He couldn''t hear anything from inside the room, so he snapped his fingers. A faint wisp of spirit drifted through the gap in the door, granting Constantine not only the ability to hear but also to see inside.


    Inside the room were two men. One was the bald Hugo, and the other was a thinner man with sses, looking paler and schrly.


    "If you still want to talk to me about your unrealistic dream-like tales, then our coboration ends here, Hugo."


    "Jonathan, I''m telling you again, it''s not a tale; I saw it with my own eyes! If we can''t find a way to deal with him, even if we manage to escape, the ultimate result will be us ending up back here."


    "Fear has defeated you!" The schrly man named Jonathan raised his voice with a disdainful tone. "To show people unrealistic illusions and make them afraid of them, I can do that too."


    "I had already developed those weapons. Who would have thought..." Jonathan''s tone turned grittier as he said, "A mysterious thief stole my work and threw me in here!"


    "You told me that being locked up here happened a year ago. Do you know that Gotham now has a Superhero called Batman?"


    Jonas snorted, saying, "How could I not know? It was Batman who brought me in here. At that time, he was just a kid with a stroke of luck."


    "It seems we both have our enemies in Gotham." Hugo''s voice grew darker, tinged with a hint of madness. He said, "If we want to escape, we need to create some chaos."


    Hugo dragged out thest syble, then turned his head to look outside the window. The lights of downtown Gotham were visible in the distance as he said, "The City of Sin? I think that suits us just fine."


    "Smash the ss, ignite the money, let the bored ordinary people eat bullets, and make the self-proimed righteous Heroes scream. That''s what we should do¡ª"


    "It''s time to make some noise."


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 Chapter 473: The Three of Us (2)

    Chapter 473: The Three of Us (2)


    While Jonathan and Hugo were discussing their n, they suddenly heard a noise outside the door. Both of them immediately looked towards the door with caution.


    Hugo walked to the door and opened it, but as soon as he did, he quickly stepped back. He saw a somewhat familiar man standing outside the door. The man extended his hand to greet him and smiled, revealing eight teeth.


    "Sorry, my roommate. I didn''t mean to track you. Has anyone told you? Your acting skills are really poor. I couldn''t help but notice," the man said.


    Hugo''s face immediately darkened.


    With a muffled sound, the silenced handgun went off, but it wasn''t Hugo who fired the shot. It was Jonathan, who was standing behind him.


    Looking at Constantine lying in a pool of blood, Jonathan expressed his dissatisfaction to Hugo, "You actually brought a tail with you?! You repeatedly make me doubt your professionalism, Hugo. I think I should reconsider the necessity of working with you."


    Frowning, Hugo looked at Constantine''s corpse. He was about to say something when suddenly, there was another sound behind Jonathan.


    Both of them turned around and saw Constantine standing behind them, saying, "My friend, your marksmanship is as rotten as his acting."


    When Hugo looked back at the corpse, he found that it slowly turned into ashes, and the blood disappeared.Before he could ask, Constantine spread his hands and said, "As you can see, I am a magician."


    "You know how people have a bias against magic. When I say I can do magic, they think I''m crazy and lock me up here. I heard that you want to escape. How about taking me with you?" Constantine asked.


    Jonathan put down the handgun and looked at Constantine''s smile. He lowered his gaze and said, "It seems that you are a better partner than him."


    "Do you n to trust him just like that, Jonathan? Trust this guy with an unknown background?" Hugo asked.


    "Aren''t you also of unknown origin?" Jonathan replied.


    Jonathan put away the handgun and stood by the window, saying, "The three of us are all outsiders with unknown backgrounds. No one can truly trust anyone."


    "But we can temporarily cooperate, can''t we?" Constantine approached Jonathan and said, "Do I need to prove myself to join your organization? Like, killing someone?"


    "Have you killed someone?" Jonathan asked Constantine.


    "Of course not. I''m aw-abiding good person. I enjoy making friends, but unfortunately, my friends always meet unfortunate idents," Constantine replied.


    "I wander the world with poetic sentiments. The journey is long, and idents happen frequently. Sometimes, I feel like I''m cursed. But now, I realize it''s just bad luck," Constantine rambled on.


    His words were incoherent, but Jonathan''s expression rxed slightly. He said, "I feel the same way. I thought I was cursed, but now it seems that this curse is called talent and wisdom."


    "It''s clear that we are kindred spirits," Constantine said, crossing his arms. "We show the world our utmost goodwill, but the world doesn''t reciprocate. In that case, what harm can a little mischief do?"


    "Now is not the time to discuss this, is it?" Hugo interrupted. "Our n..."


    Suddenly, a ghost with a faint glow appeared in the center of the room, grinning. It reached out its arms and captured Hugo, pushing him against the wall, then tightly gripping his neck.


    "I think he''s not one of us. What do you think?" Constantine turned around, watching Hugo struggle and scream in pain. "He looks like an evil bad guy to me. I think it''s necessary for me to rid the world of him..."


    Jonathan also turned his head and said, "He''s a foolish, self-proimed psychologist. He gets scared by a few illusions and can''t even escape from a regr hospital room. He''s aplete idiot and waste."


    "But..." Jonathan''s tone suddenly changed. "He still has his uses. Let him go."


    As soon as Jonathan finished speaking, Hugo was released, and the ghost disappeared. Hugo fell to the ground, coughing uncontrobly.


    Jonathan''s face showed a hint of satisfaction. In his eyes, this new stranger seemed to be a better match for him.


    Jonathan, the scarecrow, who was captured and sent to Arkham Asylum since Batman''s debut, missed out on all the exciting events.


    Of course, he wasn''t entirely unlucky. After all, he was safe inside Arkham Asylum.


    What''s more fortunate was that his hospital room was located on the higher floors of Arkham Hospital, and he had never encountered Evans, Copperpot, or Jack, who lived on the lower floors. These people didn''t even know that there was someone on the top floor. Otherwise, his safety would be questionable.


    As a well-known viin in DCics, Jonathan couldn''t ept his current situation. He definitely wanted to escape. However, the security measures in the hospital room where dangerous patients were held were quite strict.


    As a newly emerged viin, Jonathan, a university professor,cked physical strength and the ability to execute ns perfectly. Therefore, it was difficult for him to escape on his own.


    While he was still observing the situation, someone approached him voluntarily. It was Hugo Strange.


    Hugo had been brought into the dream by Schiller as a tool, but after the appearance of the Yellow Lantern and the Egg of Madness, he had nothing to do with it. As a result, he was kicked out of the dream. Due to the rough handling, Hugo fainted in the examination room and was carried back to the hospital room by Brand.


    At first, he was a bit crazy because the process of severing the dream connection was too rough and damaged his mind. However, he quickly recovered. It was just that Brand, who selflessly treated him as a patient, didn''t give him a chance to escape.


    After enduring humiliation for a while, Hugo gradually figured out the routines of the nurses and doctors. Then, he started to explore at night. His goal was clear: the tightly guarded hospital room on the top floor.


    He had worked in many mental hospitals and knew that such hospital rooms housed dangerous individuals. He thought that the process of seeking cooperation would be very difficult, and he even prepared himself to use them as cannon fodder. However, he didn''t expect that the first person he found was willing tomunicate, and they sessfully reached an agreement... He didn''t expect this, but suddenly Constantine appeared, and these two lunatics seemed to get along well. Hugo himself seemed somewhat unnecessary now.


    But there''s nothing we can do; the friendship between the three of them is always like this, with no specific reason for the order in which theye.


    Constantine stepped forward and helped Hugo up, saying, "Oh, I apologize to you. My little pet has a bad temper."


    Hugo red at him fiercely but ultimately said nothing. Now it seemed that Constantine would be their important source of strength. Hugo took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.


    "Continue talking about your n," Jonathan walked up and looked at Hugo.


    Hugo''s face darkened as he said, "If we just go out like this, we will definitely attract Batman. Maybe we can escape, but it wille at a cost, and Gotham is Batman''s territory. We won''t get far before he catches up to us."


    "So, we need to create some mess first to attract his attention before we can implement our n."


    "How do you n to do that?" Jonathan asked.


    "It''s simple. We release all the patients here."


    Hugo began pacing around the room as he spoke, "I have stayed in mental hospitals all over the ce. Most of the patients there don''t have strong aggressive tendencies; they just can''t take care of themselves, so they need to be hospitalized."


    "But there is also a group of people who are not like that. They are natural criminals, irritable, indifferent, and brutal. They havemitted multiple crimes causing harm to others, but they are not imprisoned because they have genuine mental illnesses. These people are often kept in local mental hospitals."


    "Most of them don''t think they are sick and are filled with anger and revenge towards society."


    "Of course, even so, they can''t create much mess once they leave here. After all, they are just ordinary people without any special abilities." Hugo nced at Constantine as he said this.


    "But Gotham is different, right?" Jonathan keenly grasped the point, and Hugo nodded, saying, "One of the main reasons for the high crime rate in Gotham is that there are far more lunatics here than in other ces, and they are more dangerous."


    "Although I don''t know the exact reason, the residents here are not mentally normal. When I was still a doctor, I reviewed the medical records from previous years. The probability of Gotham citizens suffering from mental illnesses is about 1500% higher than in other cities, and the probability of them engaging in violent behavior or developing anti-society personality disorders is almost 100%."


    Hugo nced at the wall and said, "Unless something unexpected happens, the patients locked up in this mental hospital are the most dangerous ones. Once we release this bunch of lunatics, it will be enough to give Batman a headache."


    Constantine opened his mouth but didn''t say anything. His reason told him that Hugo had a point, but his intuition also told him that something unexpected was bound to happen.


    "Alright, how do we execute it then?" Constantine crossed his arms and flipped the hem of his coat to the back, asking.


    Hugo confidently said, "This mental hospital was built a long time ago, and the rooms still use key locks as the structure."


    "The reason I was able toe here is that I have already found where they keep the keys. However, just to be safe, I only took one key, which is the key to this room. But actually, I can get all the keys..."


    "Then do we go door by door to open them? Won''t they attack us when we open the doors?" Jonathan asked.


    "Originally, I had some other methods in mind, but now it seems that our new friend who just joined us should have a way." Hugo turned his head and looked at Constantine.


    Constantine raised his hands and gestured, saying, "Well, I can send my little pet to open the doors. It''s very fast, and it won''t take long to open all the doors. But are you sure the patients here will create enough mess?"


    "Don''t worry, those most dangerous lunatics will definitely rush out first," Hugo said confidently.


    "And then, we''ll add fuel to the chaos in this city."


    Hugo turned his head and looked out the window. The night in Gotham was still dark, but the lights in the city center were like the sun in the darkness.


    In the flickering light and shadow, the wind howled through the streets. Two dark shadows swept across the rooftops of buildings, several throwing knives flew, and a grappling hook shot out from the arm of the dark figure, entangling the fleeing person.


    Batman grabbed the grappling hook and swung it fiercely, throwing Joker, who was hooked around the waist, onto the ground beside him. Joker fell unconscious, bleeding from his head, and the remote control for the bomb in his hand flew away.


    Batman approached, captured the grappling hook around Joker''s waist, and lifted him up, slowly walking into the night of Gotham.


    Looking in the direction he was heading, three sinister figures stood in front of the only lit window of Arkham Asylum.


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 Chapter 474: When Schiller Finds a New Street Lamp (1)

    Chapter 474: When Schiller Finds a New Street Lamp (1)


    The location of Arkham Asylum is quite remote. When Arkham chose this location for the hospital, the main consideration was that the level of security technology was not sufficient, and some dangerous patients were prone to escape. By selecting a remote location for the hospital, the difficulty of escape could be increased.


    However, after Schiller became the chief doctor here, he understood a reason: if you want to be rich, you must first build roads.


    Therefore, with the approval of the mayor, a main road leading to Arkham Asylum began construction and was opened to traffic at the end ofst year.


    The funds for building this road mainly came from voluntary donations from the patients here. After all, the winding dirt roads couldn''t amodate their elongated luxury cars and modified sports cars. Since the main road was opened, they could evene to the hospital for treatment every weekend.


    At this moment, the uniquely shaped Batmobile was speeding along the main road, and the roar of the engine echoed far into the forest on both sides of the road. In the quiet night, it sounded like the mournful howl of a dormant beast.


    Just as Batman was rushing to Arkham Asylum with the Joker, whom he had knocked unconscious, a faint light shed in the dimly lit corridor of the hospital. The clean marble floor reflected an eerie green color.


    With a "click," the window suddenly opened, and the cold wind rushed in, making a ghostly wail as it passed through the dark corridor.


    But at this moment, with a "bang," a door in the corridor opened, and a bearded man walked out. He shouted, "What the hell are you all screaming about? If you want drugs, go to the second floor. Stop making a fuss here!"


    After shouting these words, he realized that there was actually no one in the corridor. He held onto the doorknob, looked around, and noticed that the window at the end of the corridor was open. He spat and cursed as he walked to the window and closed it.Just then, a skinny man also walked out of the door and asked, "What''s going on? They started another game and are waiting for you. Hurry up ande in."


    "Forget it. Those crazy nurses didn''t bother to check before leaving. The window wasn''t closed properly, and I thought some ghost was sitting in the corridor screaming," the bearded man replied.


    The bearded man pped his hands and walked into the room, mming the door shut with a "bang," leaving only a faint light leaking through the crack at the bottom of the door.


    Inside the room, several people were ying cards. Normally, during non-activity hours, all the patients should stay in their own hospital rooms. But these few had a good rtionship with the nurses, so they managed to fool them during the night rounds. They were engrossed in their game at the moment.


    However, at this moment, the sound of the wind''s wailing came from the corridor again. The bearded man, impatient, threw down the cards in his hand, stood up, and said, "I''ll find a hammer sooner orter to nail that window shut..."


    He walked quickly to the door, forcefully opening it with a "bang." But in that moment of opening the door, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a strange light shing from the corner of the corridor.


    The bearded man nced down the dark corridor, hesitated for a moment, but still walked back and said to hispanions, "Give me a shlight, and bring me the shotgun we brought in earlier."


    "What the hell are you doing? You''re going out to close a window and bringing a gun?" the people mocked the bearded man.


    The bearded man snorted, then walked out of the room with the gun in his arms.


    He cautiously walked towards the corner of the corridor with the shotgun. Just as he reached the staircase, he saw a ghost emitting a green light floating on the staircase.


    The ghost looked like an old man, with a gloomyplexion and a grimace on his face. He exuded a strange green light. When the bearded man, holding the gun, saw him, the ghost screamed and pounced towards him.


    The bearded man was momentarily stunned, then raised the shotgun and fired a shot. The bullet passed through the ghost''s body without causing any harm. The bearded man fired another shot, but still couldn''t harm the ghost.


    The ghost sneered and approached the bearded man. Just then, a series of "bang bang bang" sounds came from the corridor as all the doors were kicked open. Dozens of burly men with guns rushed out.


    The leader had a crew cut, wore a sleeveless shirt, and was covered in tattoos. He shouted in a Texan ent, "What''s going on? Who the hell dares to shoot here? Don''t you want to live?!"


    The bearded man took two steps back, tapped the barrel of his gun, spat, and said, "Come help me! There''s a ghost here!"


    "A ghost? You must be out of your mind, Fisherman! Have you taken too many drugs? How is it possible here... Oh, fuck! There really is a ghost! Quick,e out! Come out! There''s a ghost!!!"


    "Shoot! Bang! Bang! Bang! No... don''t use buckshot, it''s useless!"


    "Automatic weapons! Who has automatic weapons?... Don''t sleep! Go upstairs quickly, wake up the bosses, the hospital is haunted!"


    Suddenly, gunfire erupted, and the gang members on the corridor quickly moved, forming a crossfire. Shotguns, single-shot rifles, submachine guns, and even rocketunchers were brought out.


    Those without guns quickly brought out cabs, tables, and chairs from the rooms, setting upyers of defensive cover within a few seconds. The gunmen took cover behind the barricades, their gun muzzles continuously shing like blooming flowers.


    In the storage room at the end of the corridor, cleaning supplies were piled up in one corner, and there were four or five small beds in the room. One of the boys with freckles on his face suddenly jumped off the bed and said, "Listen, can you hear gunshots?"


    "Oh my God, who dares to shoot here? Are they asking for death?"


    "What''s going on? What''s going on?"


    "Go and take a look!"


    The other children who were awakened sat up, then opened the door slightly and peeked outside.


    Just then, the bearded man, who had already retreated to the rear, waved his hand and said to the others, "Go upstairs quickly! Inform the bosses that there''s a ghost on the third floor. We need firepower support!"


    "A ghost?"


    The little boy was initially startled, but quickly, with agile movements, he darted out of the crack in the door and ran up the staircase. In no time, he reached the fifth floor.At this moment, the sound of gunshots from the third floor had already reached them. The gang leaders, wearing expensive silk pajamas, groggily opened their doors on the corridor. They looked at each other, unsure of what was happening downstairs.


    When the little boy rushed up the staircase, he collided with a gang leader who was about to go downstairs to investigate. He almost fell down, but upon recognizing who it was, he quickly apologized, "Ah! Sorry, sir. I wasing up to deliver a message. I didn''t bump into you, did I?"


    "It''s alright. What''s happening downstairs? Why does it sound like a fight?"


    "Well, Fisherman from the South District of Living Hell asked me toe up and deliver a message. He said there''s a ghost on the third floor, and, um... he needs firepower support."


    "A ghost?" The gang leader squinted his eyes, seeming a bit puzzled.


    However, he soon heard the gunshots downstairs bing more intense, and he knew this wasn''t a prank. He walked to the center of the corridor and waved at the others, gathering them together.


    As the little boy ran back and forth between several floors, the windows of the Arkham Asylum building lit up one by one. Before long, the windows on the third, fourth, and fifth floors were almost all illuminated.


    Batman, who had just driven onto the ramp, slowed down his car. He opened the car door and looked towards the suddenly brightly lit Arkham building, squinting his eyes.


    While he was contemting what might be happening inside Arkham Asylum, he didn''t notice that JokerJack, covered in blood and left on the back seat by him, slowly opened his eyes and revealed a cunning smile.


    Following Batman''s gaze, they noticed that besides the already lit windows on the third, fourth, and fifth floors, only one room on the seventh floor was illuminated.


    In that room, Jonathan, Hugo, and Constantine frowned as they watched the images ying on a magic screen.


    Constantine sighed and said helplessly, "I told you before, this won''t work. My poor little pets are about to be killed by them."


    "Do ghosts get shot?" Hugo looked at Constantine with some disdain.


    "Ghosts don''t get shot. Bullets have no effect on them. But they fear the sh and heat when a gun is fired. Light and heat are deadly to ghosts," Constantine exined with a sigh.


    The n of these three was quite meticulous. They had originally nned to start from the higher floors of the high-rise building and open the doors of every hospital room, releasing all the patients.


    Generally, the higher the floor, the more dangerous the patients held there. So, they wanted to release the dangerous patients first, letting them hunt down the patients on the lower floors, causing greater chaos and triggering their aggression.


    The method was for Constantine to control the ghosts and obtain the keys, then open the doors.


    The process of obtaining the keys went smoothly. Constantine''s skill in manipting ghosts was indeed impressive. They didn''t alert anyone and sessfully obtained the keys. They also managed to open the doors on the third, fourth, and fifth floors.


    However, after opening the doors, they discovered a problem: no one paid any attention to them.


    Because Constantine had created a magic screen that allowed them to follow the perspective of the ghosts, they could clearly see that when the ghosts opened the doors, they didn''t make any effort to conceal the sound. The sound of the locks being opened was very clear, but the patients seemedpletely undisturbed.


    Hugo thought that maybe the patients here had been heavily sedated, so they slept deeply at night.


    So, as a psychologist, Hugo instructed Constantine to use the ghosts to break the ss, creating sharp noises. They also let the cold wind blow in from outside, causing a change in temperature, and made the ghosts sh continuously, creating intense light changes.


    All of these were meant to stimte the patients who were in their dreams. However, after all their efforts, no one came out.


    Finally, Hugo came up with a n: to intentionally expose Constantine''s ghostly presence and attract the people out.


    But soon, they realized that Gotham truly lived up to its reputation as the most dangerous city in the world. Just as they had anticipated, these patients were extremely dangerous. At the first sight of the ghosts, their immediate reaction was not to scream and flee, but to try to physically overpower the ghosts.


    The ghost that Constantine had sent to the third floor was already cornered, with continuous shes, loud noises, explosions, and heat gradually diminishing its radiance.


    "This won''t work. We need to lure them outside. Hurry! Make the ghost run outside!" Hugo shouted loudly.


    Constantine raised his hands, which were glowing with light, but before he could take any action, the magic screen suddenly shed pure white light, causing all three of them to cover their eyes.


    "shbangs? Where did they get military-grade shbangs?!" Hugo shouted, covering his eyes.


    When the light subsided and they were about to open their eyes, another shbang went off. Constantine''s eyes were watering from the intense light, and he waved his hand to turn off the screen.


    "This is unbelievable! Where did these patients get such abundant firepower in Gotham?!" Hugo eximed, perplexed.


    "Abundant? Why do you think this is abundant?!" Constantine, who had spent a few days on the streets of Gotham, shouted in response.


    "If this isn''t abundant, then what is...?"


    "Boom!!!!"


    Just as Batman had driven his car to the entrance of Arkham Asylum, he watched as a corner of the hospital building copsed in a violent explosion.


    Batman had a bad feeling about this. He quickly turned the steering wheel, trying to drive the car in another direction. But at that moment, JokerJack, who was in the back seat, leaped up and grabbed Batman''s neck.


    Batman struggled, his hands leaving the steering wheel, and the out-of-control car spun and flew, crashing into the steps in front of the hospital door.


    At the same time, several rockets flew out of the window above, smashing into the back of the Batmobile with loud bangs. The entire Batmobile was lifted by the intense explosion and flew through the air, performing two and a half somersaults beforending with a loud thud on the door of Arkham Asylum.


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 Chapter 475: When Schiller Finds a New Street Lamp (2)

    Chapter 475: When Schiller Finds a New Street Lamp (2)


    When Batman crawled out of the car, looking somewhat disheveled, his understanding of the vehicle''s emergency safety system reached a new level.


    He shook his slightly dizzy head, opened his eyes, and walked to the side of the car, intending to pull Joker out as well.


    But at this moment, he noticed that the rear door of the car had been blown away in the explosion, leaving a gap for someone to crawl out. While he was struggling with the airbag, Joker had already slipped away from behind.


    Batman took a deep breath and looked through the Batmobile at therge pit that had been blown up by several rockets in front of the steps.


    Then he looked up and surveyed the surroundings, confirming that he was indeed in the waiting hall of Arkham Asylum, not Gotham''s Elizabeth Street or the Living Hell Waterworks.


    During the time he was struggling to get out of the car, the situation at Arkham Asylum had changed once again.


    Since Ghost appeared on the third floor, the patients on that floor were the first to take action. After the fourth and fifth floors were alerted, they provided firepower support to the third floor. Poor Ghost didn''tst long and turned into a faint green light, disappearing on the spot.


    But the people of Gotham were always ready to take revenge. In order to ensure that Ghost was truly dead, they used some safe andpliant weapons to thoroughly eliminate the threat.


    Most of the patients here were not well-educated, and they didn''t understand load-bearing walls or architectural mechanics. They just attacked any corner they could find, using not only guns but also explosives. As a result, the corner of the third-floor corridor copsed.Fortunately, Arkham Asylum was not a high-rise building, and the overall structure wasrge and stable. It didn''t copse entirely just because one corner had crumbled.


    However, the unlucky ones were the people on the third floor. After the ceiling of the third floor copsed, the unfortunate individuals in the corresponding rooms on the fourth floor fell directly onto the third floor and were injured by the falling floorboards.


    Many of the people on the third floor were subordinates of the injured individuals, and when they saw their leader getting hurt, they rushed up to defend him and angrily used others of being too reckless.


    "Fisherman! Do you have eyes on your nose? Can''t you see that the corner of the wall has cracked? How dare you throw grenades?!"


    "Shut your mouth, Lawrence! You and your father are both softies from the West District. When the shootout happened, did you really have to check if the corner of the wall was cracked?!"


    "You Pelican Gang just want trouble! When the water supply was allocated, you took two pipelines from us. It''s only because of Schiller Doctor that I didn''te looking for trouble!"


    "I''ll blow your dog head off, Antonio! Do you have the right to speak here? Have you forgotten how your uncle died?"


    "Shut your stinking mouth, Fisherman! Bang!"


    "Bang! Bang! Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat..."


    In an instant, the entire corridor descended into chaos. Everyone grabbed weapons nearby and started a shootout. The corridor was illuminated by the mes, making it as bright as day. The scene could not be described as peaceful negotiation or friendlymunication; it was a settling of scores and grievances.


    The shootout began on the third floor, and the fourth floor couldn''t escape either. Soon, the leaders of the Living Hell''s southeast, northwest, and Elizabeth Street''s four giants joined the fierce battle. The leaders of the Twelve Families also wanted to help, turning Arkham Asylum into a mess.


    In an office on the edge of the second floor, a small figure held a telephone and said to the other end:


    "Yes, I''m looking for Copperpot... Yes, please tell the boss that the situation here is a bit chaotic. It would be best if he came in person..."


    "Well, it all started with Fisherman from the South District. Do you know him? The bearded guy suddenly started shooting and imed there were ghosts. The people on the third floor said they saw ghosts..."


    "...I don''t know because I didn''t see it with my own eyes. After they started fighting, they asked me to go upstairs and call the others..."


    "Correct, that''s what I think too. If they fight too fiercely, the doctors and nurses will get angry..."


    "If he''sing, he''d bettere quickly..." The freckled little boy turned his head and looked out the window, saying:


    "Look at the weather, it''s probably going to snow again."


    Looking out through the window, in the dark sky, snowkes were falling gently, followed by more snowkes.


    When the snow fell, everything became silent. But as the breeze picked up, the drifting snow turned into sharp des, apanied by a chilling sound, sweeping up the thinyer of ice that hadn''t melted on the Gotham roads, rushing through the Gotham Manor district.


    Inside Schiller''s manor, the atmosphere remained calm and peaceful. The fire in the firece rose, casting various shadows on the wall behind it. Hal looked at the flickering shadows, slightly distracted, but soon, Schiller came down from upstairs with Dick and Aisha.


    Merkel immediately approached and said to Schiller, "Mr. Hal has been waiting for a while."


    "Oh, it''s alright. I came too early," Hal quickly replied.


    "No," Schiller patted Dick''s back and said, "Today''s lesson is quite important, so I dyed it a bit. I hope you don''t mind."


    "But why did youe to pick them up?" Schiller asked with some confusion. "Where''s Alfred?"


    "Oh..." Hal showed a somewhat embarrassed expression. He rubbed his hands and said, "This is a Wayne Family matter, and I feel like I shouldn''t..."


    Schiller looked at him from above his sses, and Hal sighed, reluctantly saying, "Well, Alfred went to deal with Constantine."


    Schiller signaled to Merkel, who immediately approached Dick and Aisha and said, "Miss, and young master, Mr. Rodriguez recently acquired two new picture books. Let''s go to the book room and take a look."


    After the two children left, Hal sat back on the sofa, leaning against the soft backrest, and sighed. He said, "You should know that Batman has been investigating that Constantine..."


    "His method of investigation is to follow him in all his spare time, and recently, it seems like he''s been following him particrly closely.""Alfred was dissatisfied with this. Initially, I didn''t quite understand. I thought Bruce was an adult and it was his own choice how he wanted to do things. Butter I found out that Constantine actually..."


    Hal wore a rather speechless expression, mixed with a hint of disdain. He said, "He went a bit too far with his antics. If I were Alfred, I wouldn''t let Bruce get involved with someone like that."


    "So, Alfred ns to warn Constantine?"


    Hal pursed his lips, recalling Alfred''s expression when he left and the shotgun he had in his hand. He said, "The word ''warn'' might not be urate..."


    "But why did he choose today to go?"


    "I didn''t dare ask, but I heard on the radio that this guy called Joker seems to have nned some kind of explosion. He should be keeping Batman upied, and Alfred knows this. He has enough time to ''warn'' Constantine."


    "And..." Hal hesitated for a moment and said, "I feel like the old Alfred wouldn''t have been so impulsive, but ever since he went to Metropolis and came back, his mood seems a bit off. Do you know why?"


    Schiller lowered his head and studied the patterns on the table. Hal wore a skeptical expression, but his eye contact wasn''t as intense as Batman''s. If Schiller didn''t say anything, he couldn''t do much.


    "Oh, by the way," Schiller suddenly remembered something and said to Hal, "I was actually nning to invite you over at some point, and since you''re here today to pick up the children, it works out."


    "What?"


    Schiller reached into his pocket and took out a piece of mineral emitting green light.


    Seeing this strange mineral, Hal instinctively moved aside, but soon he widened his eyes and stared directly at the mineral. He said, "Is this... Green Lantern energy?"


    "Correct," Schiller nodded, acknowledging this. He said, "During my trip to Metropolis, I made quite a discovery. The most important one being that I obtained a certain type of mineral."


    "This mineral was originally meant to weaken people with superpowers, but after some processing by me, it turned into... this."


    As he spoke, Schiller took out a transparent, colorless crystal from another pocket. He turned the crystal around and said, "Some glutton ate the energy here but spat out the mineral like a peach pit."


    "Previously, the radiation here was also green, just like Green Lantern''s energy. So I thought, could this mineral also carry Green Lantern''s energy?"


    "After conducting some experiments, I found that my spection was correct. This mineral can indeed serve as a vessel for Green Lantern energy."


    Hal hesitated, pondered for a moment, and asked in confusion, "Putting that aside for now, where did you get the Green Lantern energy from?"


    "Oh, you mean this," Schiller said casually, "I suffer from a rare mental illness called dissociative identity disorder. Among my multiple personalities, there happens to be one that can summon a Green Lantern ring. So I summoned a Green Lantern ring and conducted a little experiment..."


    Hal looked at the mineral filled with Green Lantern energy. He had also been a Green Lantern before and knew the nature of Green Lantern energy. He shook his head and said, "...The amount of Green Lantern energy contained in that thing you have in your hand is not something a single ring can provide."


    "I never said this was provided by a single ring."


    "But..." Hal reached out his hand and said, "Alright, even if you have some mental illness and multiple personalities, Green Lanterns are chosen based on the number of physical beings. Two Green Lantern rings wouldn''t find the same Green Lantern."


    "Moreover, Green Lantern rings have safety locks. Green Lantern energy can only stay in the ring or be infused into a Green Lantern''s body. It can''t be extracted. If everyone could extract Green Lantern energy from the ring, it would be chaotic."


    "That''s true."


    To Hal''s surprise, Schiller not only didn''t deny it, but also acknowledged it seriously. He said, "You''re right about what you said. But how I managed to do all this, we have to start with what you said."


    "Start with what I said?" Hal waspletely puzzled.


    Schiller yed with the green crystal in his hand and casually said, "Do you remember what happened after you broke into Wayne Manor before?"


    "I remember, but how did you know?... Oh, I see, that little traitor Dick, he actually told you everything!"


    "Yes, including your embarrassing moment when you begged for mercy with a shotgun pointed at you."


    Hal''s face fell, and he muttered softly. Schiller continued, "Do you remember how the ring fell off your hand?"


    "Aisha attacked me and bit onto my arm. I tried to shake her off, but she flew out with my ring... Wait, you can''t be..."


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 Chapter 476: When Schiller Finds a New Street Lamp (3)

Chapter 476: When Schiller Finds a New Street Lamp (3)


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 Chapter 477: Green Lantern Corps in Trouble (1)

    Chapter 477: Green Lantern Corps in Trouble (1)


    The Green Lantern Corps, a mysterious organization in space, is known for its members who possess special abilities from the Green Lantern ring. Although considered a secretive group, their existence is known to many civilizations in space.


    It cannot be denied that the majority of Green Lanterns are righteous and helpful. The Green Lantern Corps divides space into various sectors, with each sector being protected by a Green Lantern responsible for maintaining peace and order. These Green Lanterns have made significant contributions to the security of space.


    If we were to say that Schiller took advantage of the Green Lantern Corps, it would seem like something a viin would do. Although Schiller doesn''t care whether people see him as a viin or not, he still has room to justify his actions. The key lies with the creators of the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe.


    Previously, it was mentioned how unreliable the Guardians of the Universe are. In reality, their level of unreliability surpasses anyone''s imagination. For example, the leader of the Red Lantern Corps, representing anger, is actually a product of the trouble caused by the Guardians of the Universe.


    The Guardians of the Universe created a mechanical life form that massacred the civilization in Sector 666, leaving only a few survivors. Atrocitus, fueled by anger over the destruction of his civilization, was chosen by the red light spectrum and became the leader of the Red Lantern Corps.


    In the context of space, this story may seem uninteresting. However, when viewed at a micro level, Batman only lost his parents and spent his life seeking revenge, while the Guardians of the Universe''s small mistake led to the extinction of countless civilizations in a vast space region. And in the end, there was no Batman in space to make them pay for their actions.


    Another example is the ckest Night event in theics, where variousntern corps engaged in a battle. This was also caused by the Guardians of the Universe. The leaders of the Blue Lantern Corps, Indigo Tribe, Sinestro Corps, and other corps had disagreements with the Guardians of the Universe.


    The Guardians of the Universe allowed the leader of the Sinestro Corps to oppress the Green Lanterns, but turned a blind eye to the leader of the Orange Lantern Corps monopolizing all the orange light energy. These actions caused resentment among all the corps, leading to a massive conflict.


    At every critical juncture, they made the wrong choices, resulting in this major event. The price they paid for these mistakes was merely a tarnished reputation, or sometimes no reputation at all, as thentern corps bore the brunt of the me.For thentern corps, their losses due to these mistakes were devastating. Their reputation in space plummeted, and even the foundation of the corps was shaken.


    Although it may sound severe,pared to the destruction experienced by ordinary civilizations in space, it is nothing. The massacre suffered by Sector 666 alone resulted in the deaths of billions of ordinary lives.


    And what lessons did the Guardians of the Universe learn from this? None at all.


    They continued to create various rotten situations and instigate conflicts between thentern corps, causing the Green Lanterns to turn against each other and leading to the ckest Night.


    Humanity always yearns for justice and goodness. Therefore, when the Green Lantern rings arrived on this with the banner of justice, many people, like Hal, did not have enough awareness to be cautious. They even longed for the Green Lanterns to bring peace to space...


    But in reality, even though most Green Lanterns are righteous and friendly, the ordinary surface dwellers, due to their limited understanding and abilities, cannotprehend the immense danger that lies behind them.


    It''s like a colony of ants facing humanity. If humanity is friendly, then everyone is happy. But if any unexpected event urs, the ants and their nests cannot withstand the terrifying disaster that befalls them.


    What is even more worrisome is that due to the friendliness shown by humanity, many ants, even in the face of disaster, not only do not resist but willingly sacrifice themselves, singing songs of friendship with humanity before their demise.


    It can be foreseen that if Hal does not break free from the brainwashing of blindly epting missions and upholding the justice of the Green Lanterns, there wille a day when this world will no longer have Hal Jordan, only a Green Lantern whose mind and body belong to Oa.


    "In fact, I rarely mention my hometown to people. Coastal City on the West Coast doesn''t have a good reputation due to the influx of immigrants during the gold rush of the previous era. The security situation there was once a cause for concern."


    "But I still love my hometown. I was born and raised there, and for a long time, I was afraid of leaving."


    Sitting on the sofa in Manor, Hal yed with the Kryptonite Crystal infused with Green Lantern energy in his hand. The green light reflected in his pupils, making his eyes look like a glowing emerald.


    "Perhaps you may not believe it, but when I came to Gotham, I had a moment of rity, breaking free from that grandiose sense of justice because I missed home."


    "But..." Hal sighed, rxing his body and leaning against the back of the sofa. He said, "The people and events in Gotham have opened my eyes. I have never been this far from home in the first half of my life. Now it seems like it''s time to go out and explore."


    "Where do you n to go?" Schiller asked.


    "I think I''ll start with a tour of the East Coast. No fixed ns, just go wherever I feel like. Maybe I''ll visit the West Coast again. I''ve always had a cowboy dream..."


    "I thought that after understanding all these things in space, your goals would be more ambitious."


    Schiller also picked up a green crystal from the box and observed it. The faint green light on it exuded a vibrant vitality, like the tender sprout of spring.


    Hal paused for a moment, looked up at Schiller, and heard the implication in his words. He asked, "More ambitious? What do you mean?"


    "After bing a Green Lantern, haven''t you thought about visiting the headquarters?""I..." Hal paused for a moment, then sighed and said,


    "Well, I acknowledge that I''m not a very adventurous person. So far, Gotham is the farthest ce I''ve been to. I can''t just go millions of light-years away to an unfamiliar alien ce without even leaving my own hometown."


    "But you''ve been to Gotham, so why fear aliens?" Schiller pointed out again, leaving Hal speechless.


    "Hal, even though I said I was joking about cleaning up Rotten''s mess for you, you know that was just a joke. I collect these energies for my own purposes, and it can''t undo the consequences of leaked information."


    Schiller''s expression became serious, capturing Hal''s attention. He heard Schiller say, "You should know how fragile human civilization is. Not to mention aliens, the situation within Earth itself is on the verge of eruption. Any slight influence could destroy the entire societal civilization."


    "At this time, no one wants an unknown force from space to interfere with the situation here. But no one knows if they will target this ce based on the information you transmitted."


    Hal''s expression also became serious, and Schiller sighed, saying, "Indeed, Earth may be a remote ce. Even if you transmit all the detailed information here to the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, no one would care about such a small. But, are you willing to bet?"


    "Don''t say the entire Green Lantern Corps, even if one Green Lantern shows interest in this ce, it could lead to unpredictable destruction, just like what you did in Gotham. Maybe they have no malicious intent, but humanity is truly fragile."


    "No, I''m sure they will show interest in Earth." Hal''s face appeared gloomy as he said, "Or rather, they will definitely show interest in Gotham."


    "Fortunately, after I came to Gotham, I entered your dream, and I haven''t provided any more information since then. Otherwise, once they know the situation here, a bunch of Green Lanterns woulde swarming, wanting to cleanse this city."


    Hal covered his forehead with his hand and said, "Oh my, I''m afraid I really have to go to Oa. If someone among them shows interest in Earth,es here, and discovers Gotham, the Green Lantern Corps will definitely attack this ce."


    The more he spoke, the more anxious he became, even standing up from the sofa. The green crystal he held in his hand emitted a faint light, spreading along his arm to his body.


    "Wait, are you nning to go like this? Do you know where the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps is?"


    "Of course, the ring will tell me... Oh, this is not the ring." Hal looked down at his hand, where he held a stone, but it wasn''t a ring.


    Schiller picked up a bell from the tea table and shook it gently. Soon, Merkel came out with Dick and Aisha.


    Schiller beckoned to Dick, and when Dick approached, Schiller patted his shoulder and said, "Just like I told you before, Dick, take off that ring. Your Uncle Hal needs it now."


    Dick rubbed his eyes sleepily, extended his arm, and the light emitted from the ring on his finger was already very weak. After such a long time, the Green Lantern ring was almost out of power.


    Aisha approached, grabbed Dick''s arm, and then pulled the ring off his hand. Just as she was about to put the ring in her mouth, Schiller took the ring and handed it back to Hal.


    "The Green Lantern energy in this crystal can also recharge the ring in reverse. The principle is the same as the power battery. This crystal in your hand contains the energy of approximately ten Green Lantern rings, enough to fully charge your ring ten times."


    Hal took a deep breath, then looked at the pile of crystals in therge box and said, "My goodness! So, each crystal here is equivalent to ten Green Lantern rings? You didn''t empty the central power battery, did you?"


    "That''s actually something I want to ask you. If you n to go to the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corpster, could you please check how much power is left in the power battery located there?"


    "Why do you want to know that? You''re not thinking of stealing all the Green Lantern energy, are you?"


    "How is that possible..." Schiller denied it, and Hal breathed a sigh of relief. But then, he heard Schiller say,


    "I can''t do it alone, so it''s not ''me'' who wants to steal all the energy from the central power battery, it''s ''us''."


    Ten minutester, at the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps on Oa, a green Green Lantern wearing an officer''s uniform entered the central hall of the power battery with a stack of materials.


    He saluted the Corps Leader and said, "Sir, I found out that the Green Lantern who has been using the energy most frequently recently is named Schiller Rodriguez, from Sector 2814, Earth."


    The Corps Leader furrowed his brow, and at that moment, another younger Green Lantern walked in, saluting the others and saying, "A new member has reported in, Hal Jordan, who recently joined the Corps, from Sector 2814, Earth."


    The Corps Leader and the Deputy exchanged a nce. The young Green Lantern was a bit puzzled and said, "If there are no issues, I''ll go arrange a wee ceremony for him and then have him join the training."


    "Wait!" the Corps Leader spoke up, "We will personally wee him."


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 Chapter 478: Green Lantern Corps in Trouble

    Chapter 478: Green Lantern Corps in Trouble


    Just now, Hal, who had used the Green Lantern energy to teleport to Oa Star, was observing the scenery around the teleportation tform. This was a fully transparent cabin, shaped like a cylinder, and through the surrounding ss, he could see the breathtaking alien city.


    The most prominent feature was arge green spiral-shaped building, which was enormous and seemed to stretch endlessly. Surrounding the spiral building were many irregr high-rise buildings, connected by transparent ss corridors. Many green Green Lanterns were flying through these corridors, emitting green light.


    While Hal was engrossed in observing everything, a group of green Green Lanterns quickly approached him from the only door in the teleportation cabin. The person leading them greeted Hal with a bow.


    Following the introduction in the Green Lantern ring, Hal also bowed to him. The young green Green Lantern''s face turned serious as he said, "Hal Jordan, it''s a pleasure to meet you. Wee to join our family."


    "Thank you."


    "Please follow me. Our Corps leader wants to meet you." The young green Green Lantern said this, but the other green Green Lanterns behind him slowly approached Hal.


    Having received training in the Air Force base, Hal had basic military knowledge. He frowned, sensing that the neers were unfriendly.


    However, he didn''t show any panic because beforeing here, Schiller had prepared him for possible situations. The reactions of the other Green Lanterns didn''t exceed Schiller''s expectations.


    In fact, Hal had already thought about it. When a Green Lantern epted the ring and registered as a member of the Green Lantern Corps, their names would be sent to the Corps headquarters. Therefore, if the Corps leader wanted to investigate, they could find out the name and sector of any Green Lantern. All Green Lanterns at the Corps headquarters were registered under their real names.So Hal knew that after consuming so much energy, the Corps leader would definitely investigate who had extracted the energy. It would eventually lead to Schiller, and they would also learn the name of Earth.


    As a Green Lantern from Earth, Hal had appeared at the headquarters at the same time. It was easy to imagine what kind of treatment he would receive.


    But Hal had prepared sufficient reasons. So, he followed the young green Green Lantern and walked forward, passing through a transparent covered bridge, and then flew together into the giant building.


    Entering the interior once again, they took an elevator to the top floor and finally met the Corps leader in a brightly lit hall filled with green light.


    The Corps leader was a tall middle-aged man with a beard at the corners of his temples. Hal greeted him with a bow, and the Corps leader nodded, his face serious as he asked, "You are Hal Jordan."


    Hal nodded and gave a brief self-introduction. Due to his previous military career, his demeanor was outstanding, even more so than the other green Green Lanterns who had undergone training on Oa.


    "I am the Corps leader of the Green Lantern Corps. You can call me Thalos. I heard from the new student instructor that you dyed reporting. Why?"


    "Because previously, headquarters conveyed an urgent order to me, informing me that Sinestro, the Corps leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps, had arrived on Earth. I was ordered to investigate this matter, so my superior helped me report the dyed arrival."


    "Then why didn''t you report afterpleting the mission?"


    "Afterpleting the main mission, I was ordered to stay in the City where Sinestro had appeared, to investigate any potential dangers and threats he might have left behind."


    Hal''s answer was concise, simr to what the Corps leader had read in the materials. The Corps leader then asked, "Do you know Schiller Rodriguez, the newly appointed Green Lantern of your sector?"


    "I do." Hal answered expressionlessly. He continued, "I came from him and brought a message he wanted to convey to headquarters."


    The Corps leader and his deputy frowned. The Corps leader asked, "A message? What message?"


    "He said he needs support."


    "Support?" The deputy next to the Corps leader couldn''t help but speak up. He said, "He depleted almost half of the headquarters'' energy in just two days, and he still needs support?"


    But Hal firmly said, "I believe it is necessary because during my time in that City, I discovered that it may be the most dangerous ce in the entire space..."


    His serious tone made the young green Green Lanterns beside him exchange nces, seemingly wanting tough.


    Even the well-cultivated Corps leader, Thalos, was a little angry at this point. He said, "Hal, rookie Green Lanterns tend to exaggerate the danger of certain missions, not because the missions are truly dangerous, but because of their own cowardice..."


    "As far as I know, Sector 2814, where Earth is located, is a rtively remote sector, far from the central sectors, and has a small number of registered civilizations. I don''t think there is anything that can be called dangerous there."


    "Then why did Sinestro choose to descend there?" Hal posed a question that no one present could answer.


    Since Sinestro''s defection from the Green Lantern Corps, the Corps'' prestige had suffered a significant blow. Most Green Lanterns considered him a thorn in their side.


    So, when Sinestro showed up on Earth, they didn''t even consider the fact that Hal, Earth''s only Green Lantern, was still an untrained rookie. They assigned him the task of investigating the Yellow Lanterns.


    To the surprise of the Corps headquarters, Hal performed well in his mission. And because of this, his question left everyone present stumped.


    "Are you suggesting that Earth has something special about it?"


    "Correct. The description in my mission report states that Sinestro''s motive for descending is ''unknown'' because I haven''t found any concrete evidence.""But in fact, based on my investigation these days, I specte that it may be because the Lantern Corps'' light beasts in a certain city on Earth sensed a strong power of fear, so they attracted Sinestro there."


    The Corps leader and his deputy exchanged nces. The leader''s expression softened a bit, and he coughed before saying, "But even so, it shouldn''t have used up half of the headquarters'' energy in just two days, right?"


    Hal hesitated for a moment, seeming to have something to say, but in the end, he didn''t say it. The deputy, however, said, "You can speak freely, no need to worry."


    "Well, actually, I wanted to ask, didn''t you notice when he was drawing so much energy? And if you did notice, why didn''t you stop him?"


    Before the Corps leader could speak, the deputy said helplessly, "Only when the energy in the ring ispletely depleted will it return to the headquarters for recharging. But rarely does a Green Lantern use up all the energy and then recharge. The headquarters'' energy has never been consumed so quickly before, and weck the corresponding rm mechanism."


    The Corps leader interrupted him and said, "We will improve on this in the future, but first, we need to figure out what''s going on with this Green Lantern named Rodriguez."


    "In fact, he originally wanted toe with me to report, but the situation where he is isn''t optimistic. He can''t get away right now, so he can only ask for support through me."


    "What kind of ce is he trapped in that would make him use up the energy of the ring thousands of times in two days?" The deputy waspletely puzzled.


    "That''s why I''m here." Hal''s expression became more and more serious. He said, "I know you may be suspecting some conspiracy behind this, thinking that we are using some cheating methods to steal the Green Lantern''s energy."


    "But the pursuit of justice by the people of Earth will never change because of such spections. In order to prove that we are indeed using this power on the right path, I hope to bring back a team to support my friend Rodriguez and also prove to you that we are not abusing the Green Lantern''s energy."


    Hal''s straightforward attitude made the others hesitate. They had imagined many attitudes from Hal, but they didn''t expect him to reallye seeking support, and he even hoped to have other Green Lanterns go to Earth to assist.


    "How many people do you hope to bring back?"


    Hal pretended to think for a moment and then gave the answer Schiller had prepared. He said, "I hope for at least five people, but the more the better."


    The deputy widened his eyes and said, "Is it really necessary to bring so many?"


    "Mypanion Schiller used up the energy of the ring thousands of times in two days. That is the most powerful evidence. He couldn''t have just made the power disappear out of thin air, right?"


    Hal spread his hands and exined very sincerely, "Even if I am a rookie Green Lantern, I know that the safety lock on the ring is very secure. These energies must have been consumed, and a ce that can consume so much energy is likely to be dangerous for a team of Green Lanterns."


    The deputy nodded at his words. Hal''s reasoning was indeed reasonable, and he had more confidence in the safety lock on the Green Lantern ring. This Green Lantern named Schiller must be in an extremely dangerous situation to repeatedly consume the energy in the ring.


    At this point, the Corps leader waved his hand and said, "We don''t have many people left at headquarters, and most of them are newly trained rookies. How about this, Carol..." The Corps leader turned his head to his deputy and said, "You take five people from the second squad and go with Hal to Earth to take a look. If it''s really that dangerous, send a signal to me at any time, and I will send people to support you."


    Carol didn''t say anything, she just saluted and then walked towards Hal, saying, "Let''s go, Green Lanterns fear no danger. Peace and justice are our lifelong pursuit."


    Hal saluted her back, and both of them saw a determined look in each other''s eyes.


    Just as the Green Lanterns were summoning manpower, checking their rings, and preparing to go to the unknownnd of Earth, the chaos in Arkham Asylum escted.


    Strangely enough, the gunfire in the hospital gradually subsided, and the gang shootout was basically over.


    However, the people of Gotham knew a rule: the most dangerous time on the streets of Gotham was not when a shootout with gunfire was taking ce, but when the shootout wasing to an end, and everyone was counting their losses and the bosses from all sides sat down to negotiate.


    On the third floor corridor of the mental hospital, steady footsteps suddenly sounded. In front of an office door, a hand wearing white gloves lightly tapped on the door.


    After the door opened, the gang leaders in the room saw Alberto, dressed in a suit, standing outside, staring expressionlessly at the situation in the room.


    The leader closest to the door brought a chair over, but Alberto showed no intention of sitting down. He walked to the center of the room and looked at the gang leaders who had just been arguing, saying, "Do you know that this hospital, which you just devastated with machine guns and rocketunchers, is where I will be interning for the next two years?"


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 Chapter 479: Green Lantern Corps in Trouble (2)

    Chapter 479: Green Lantern Corps in Trouble (2)


    "Master Falcone, please listen to our exnation. This is what happened..."


    One of the gang leaders who seemed familiar with Alberto stepped forward and said, "ording to my men, he saw Ghost on the third floor, right here."


    "And it''s not just him, many others on the third floor saw it too. If you don''t believe me, ask Spencer and Lawrence. Their men were present as well."


    Alberto frowned, and the two leaders mentioned earlier added, "Indeed, at first, I thought they were hallucinating or on drugs. But the one who shouted first, Fisherman, he''s the best truck driver on the twelfth pier line. He''s efficient because he doesn''t do drugs and rarely drinks alcohol. If it weren''t for his gambling habit, I would have thought he was an outsider."


    Another gang leader with golden hair rubbed his chin and said, "There were over thirty people participating on the third floor. It''s unlikely that they all had hallucinations, right?"


    "I think someone is ying tricks on us. I''ve lived in Gotham for so many years and never heard of any haunted ces." A senior leader of the ck King said, catching Alberto''s gaze. The leader stood up and continued, "Now is not the time to argue about who wins or loses, or who shouldpensate. Don''t forget, this hospital is our territory, apart from The Godfather, that doctor is not someone to mess with."


    "Even though he doesn''t work here anymore, if he finds out what happened right after he left, I wonder what he would think."


    The other leaders looked at each other, and one of them cleared his throat and said, "Let''s clean up this ce as soon as possible. If necessary, we can renovate itpletely. I''m tired of this old-fashioned decor."


    "Correct, this hospital is fine, but it''s too old. The Arkham family? That''s ancient history.""I''ll contribute money! Let''s take this opportunity to renovate the ce, open up the unused offices, make the rooms bigger, and add a few game rooms!"


    "I know a good renovationpany. They did my Manor. I''ll call themter..."


    "Wait a moment..." The older leader remained calm and looked at Alberto''s expression. Then he said, "Instead of repairing this ce, we have a more important task: finding the troublemaker, Ghost."


    "Don''t forget, this hospital is also Falcone family''s industry. Whoever dares to mess with The Godfather will regret it."


    "Yes!" The other gang leaders looked at each other and said, "We need to find this so-called Ghost first!"


    The old leader nced at Alberto, knowing that he represented The Godfather. But even if he didn''t, this young heir to The Godfather already had considerable influence.


    Although it seemed that The Godfather was still far from retirement, no one wanted to offend his heir. After discussing among themselves, the gang leaders decided that they must find the mastermind behind the haunting, no matter what.


    Two minutester, Fisherman, the bearded man waiting in the room, hung up the telephone and picked up his shotgun. He waved his hand at the others and said, "Gear up, let''s go!"


    As they walked out, the others followed suit. The group, which was just heatedly discussing, exchanged nces and then split up to search the hospital.


    Meanwhile, in a room on the seventh floor, Hugo and Jonathan watched as Constantine drew a Magic Circle in the center of the room. He held a charred stick in one hand, emitting an eerie glow, and chanted words while moving around the Magic Circle.


    "Why isn''t it ready yet?" Hugo asked impatiently.


    "Why do you think magic is so simple? If it weren''t for your stupid idea that caused my little pet''s tragic death, do you think I would enjoy summoning it again?" Constantine replied, continuing his actions.


    Soon, a faint green light floated up from the center of the Magic Circle, and another Ghost appeared. Constantine put down his glowing hand and made a few gestures in the air, seemingly givingmands to the Ghost.Soon, the Ghost, emitting a faint green light, floated out of the room. However, Constantine inside the room suddenly frowned.


    "What''s wrong?" Jonathan asked.


    "Bad news, they''ve started searching the building for us!"


    "Searching for us?" Hugo raised his voice. "That''s impossible. How could they join forces? Aren''t they all mentally ill?"


    Constantine sighed helplessly, hands on his hips. "Do you still think they''re mentally ill? Have you ever seen mentally ill people equipped with fully automatic weapons, rockets, grenades, and military shbangs?"


    Jonathan clearly had some dissatisfaction with the n Hugo had devised, but before he could speak, Constantine, sounding somewhat panicked, said:


    "Oh no, they''reing up. We need to leave!"


    Saying that, Constantine started packing up and running out. The other two, hearing his anxious tone, also became flustered. In their eyes, Constantine''s magical abilities were their only guarantee of safety. After all, the people searching for them were armed with guns, while they were defenseless. If they were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Constantine led them out, through the seventh-floor corridor, to an empty room at the end. They hid inside, which was far from the staircase on the other side, giving them time to stop and discuss a n.


    Meanwhile, the Ghost that Constantine had released didn''t float towards the crowd downstairs. Instead, it floated alone in the sixth-floor corridor until it reached a nearby window. After floating out of the window, it descended vertically to the first floor.


    Batman, who was searching for the Joker on the first floor, suddenly noticed a green light behind him. He turned around alertly and saw the Ghost for a moment before throwing several bat-shaped shurikens.


    The shurikens passed through the Ghost''s body, but Batman remained calm. He took out a miniature shbang and threw it at the Ghost. After a bright sh, the Ghost didn''t flee. Its form slowly changed, turning into Constantine emitting a faint red light.


    "Don''t move, this is my astral projection," Constantine said. "Listen, there are two idiots here who want to escape, so they instigated a gang riot."


    "We''re currently in the room at the southeast end of the seventh-floor corridor. You bettere quickly and take them away. I''m about to be driven crazy by their stupidity!"


    Before Batman could respond, the astral projection disappeared. Meanwhile, Constantine in the room suddenly turned pale, and blood started flowing from the corners of his mouth. Then, he began to vomit blood and dirty mud.


    In between bouts of vomiting, he struggled to say, "My Ghost has been killed by them again. I''m suffering from the bacsh of magic. Quick! Take me away from here!"


    After speaking, he copsed and continued vomiting. At this moment, Hugo circled behind him, picked up a vase from the table, and smashed it hard against the back of Constantine''s neck.


    With a loud thud, Constantine fell to the ground motionless. Hugo threw away the broken vase and said to Jonathan, "Don''t rely on this magician anymore. Let''s leave."


    Jonathan nced at the unconscious Constantine on the ground without any hesitation and followed Hugo out of the room. The two of them ran downstairs.


    They hadn''t gone far when the door was kicked open with a bang, and a group of gang members rushed in.


    Seeing a person lying on the floor, they instinctively wanted to shoot, but at that moment, Constantine moved. He crawled up from a pile of filth, raised his hands, and said, "Don''t shoot! It''s me!"


    "Constantine?" the leader, Fisherman, recognized him and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m a mentally ill person. I came here for treatment."


    "Stop talking nonsense. How much have you been using?" Fisherman clearly understood Constantine''s habits. Constantine coughed forcefully twice, wiped the dirt from his mouth, and said, "Not much... just increased the dosage of painkillers to the maximum and took a nap."


    Fisherman slowly holstered his gun and said to the people behind him, "Let''s go, ignore him."


    "Could he be the troublemaker?" someone from behind suddenly spoke up.


    Fisherman turned back to take another look at Constantine, who grinned, revealing eight teeth.


    Fisherman scoffed and said, "He''s just a drug-addicted lunatic, a rotten person that even the East District''s drug dens won''t wee. Let''s go."


    With that, the group left again. Constantine casually conjured some magic, cleaned himself up, and cleared the dirt from the floor. Then, he snapped his fingers, and a Ghost surrounded by green light appeared beside him. The Ghost floated down the staircase to monitor the movements of those people.


    As for Constantine himself, he put his hands in his pockets, hummed a tune, and walked down nonchntly. After descending two steps, he turned a corner and felt something hard pressing against his back...


    Alfred''s face appeared in the darkness. Constantine slowly raised his hands and said, "Don''t shoot, I can exin."


    "I have absolutely no improper rtionship with Batman. He doesn''t like men, and he has a cleanliness obsession. I acknowledge that. I tried a few times, but he didn''t respond at all. I promise to stay far away from him in the future and never mention that I''m from the U.K."Constantine finished speaking all the words, and in a moment of astonishment for Alfred, the Constantine in front of him turned into ashes and slowly fell to the ground.


    In the dark corner of the first-floor room, the originally glowing red Constantine clone gradually solidified. After a sessful transfer, Constantine breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a loud sound behind him. Instinctively, Constantine dodged to the side, but still got cut by a sharp dagger on his back.


    With blood spurting out, a burst of manicughter erupted. JokerJack, holding the dagger, appeared behind Constantine, making a terrifying eye contact and said, "I found you."


    Constantine cried out in pain, covering the wound on his back with his hand, and shouted, "Joker? No! What do I have against you? Get lost!"


    The radiant light of Constantine''s magic suddenly lit up in his right hand, but with a swish, the dagger shed across his right arm. Then, with a loud bang, Constantine was kicked out, and the light of his magic gradually dissipated.


    Jack approached with the dagger in hand, kneeling down with one knee, pressing Constantine''s chest with his knee, and raising the dagger towards Constantine''s forehead, saying, "Do you know? I''ve been following you recently, but not because I like you, it''s because Batman likes you."


    He said in a crazed tone, "He likes you so much! He even went on several dates with you in a row!! Without even sparing a nce at poor Joker!"


    "I know... I know... I know you moved into this mental hospital," Joker sniffed, suddenly adding a hint of a sob to his voice.


    "But poor Mr. Joker was kicked out by the wicked doctor because he couldn''t afford the medical fees, and ended up on the streets..."


    "I had to cause some mess to get Batman to send me here. Otherwise, I would have to endure you, a disgusting fly, constantly attracting Batman''s attention..."


    "Die, Constantine!" Joker raised the dagger with a wicked smile. But at that moment, the door was kicked open with a bang, and Batman appeared at the doorway, saying, "Stop! Joker!"


    Taking advantage of Joker''s momentary distraction, Constantine snapped his fingers and disappeared from the spot. Joker shouted, "No! No! Constantine! You can''t escape!"


    With that, he wildly waved the dagger and chased after Constantine, with Batman following closely behind.


    Constantine''s teleportation couldn''t take him too far. His figure appeared at the end of the corridor, within Joker''s sight. Seeing Joker catching up, Constantine quickly ran upstairs.


    Meanwhile, the gangs also noticed Hugo and Jonathan trying to escape. They shouted, "Stop, don''t run!"


    Hugo and Jonathan fled downstairs, fortunately, the view in the staircase was narrow, and the gangs had no space to aim, so they could only chase after them.


    And so, two groups of people, one desperately running upstairs and the other desperately running downstairs.


    In the moment when Constantine and Hugo met, they both saw the people chasing after each other. After hesitating for a moment, they stopped and rushed into the corridor on the third floor.


    At that moment, in the corridor on the third floor, Alberto and Copperpot, who had just arrived after receiving a message from a newsboy, were discussing the reconstruction of the mental hospital. Hearing themotion in the corridor, they walked out and saw Constantine and the other two rushing towards them.


    Copperpot frowned and shouted, "Stop, who are you?"


    The three of them didn''t pay attention to him and ran past the two.


    But at that moment, a figure appeared by the window at the end of the corridor. The sh of fire from the double-barreled shotgun lit up, and with a bang, a powerful gunshot stopped the three in their tracks. Alfred, holding the shotgun, stood in front of Constantine and said coldly, "Where do you think you''re going?"


    At the same time, a group of people emitting green light descended upon Arkham Asylum from above. The deputy officer Carol, leading the group, said, "Is this the ''most dangerous ce in the entire space'' that you mentioned?"


    Hal made a worried expression and said, "Correct, let''s go in and take a look."


    The other Green Lanterns hesitated and looked around, but still activated their rings'' ability to pass through obstacles and teleport. With a sh of green light, theynded directly on the crowded third-floor corridor.


    At this moment, Alfred, Alberto, Copperpot, Constantine, Hugo, Jonathan, Joker, Batman, and a group of heavily armed Gotham Gang members all looked up at the dark corridor, at the group of figures blinking with green light.


    Suddenly, amidst the crowd of the gang, a bearded man shouted loudly, "Ghosts!! Ghosts with green light!!"


    A thunderous roar echoed from the window of Gotham Mental Hospital, reverberating throughout the sky of Gotham.


    "It''s them!!!"


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 Chapter 480: Talents Emerge in Arkham! (1)

    Chapter 480: Talents Emerge in Arkham! (1)


    Previously mentioned, the firstw of Gotham is that no matter how correct and standardized the beginning of something is, the people of Gotham will always make a mess of it. The secondw of Gotham is that the people of Gotham distrust anything supernatural.


    It is hard to say that the citizens of a city located on the East Coast of the United States, Gotham, are staunch materialistic warriors. The truth is, when the people of Gotham encounter something they cannot understand or that does not exist withinmon knowledge, their first thought is never paranormal events or divine punishment. Instead, they grab their guns, load their magazines, and go forward to confirm whether those things they cannot understand are truly dead.


    This is actually a manifestation of survival of the fittest because those who only know how to run away cannot survive in Gotham.


    Therefore, after the first witness of the haunting incident, Fisherman, shouted those words, all the gangs in the third-floor corridor of the mental hospital opened fire simultaneously. The muzzle shes lit up the dark night sky like giant searchlights, and white light shot out from the windows at both ends of the corridor.


    How can we describe the intensity of the firepower at this moment? In simple terms, Batman and Joker cowered and scurried, Penguin and Scarecrow rolled and crawled, and Hellzer Constantine almost caught the express train to hell.


    Although the gangs of Gotham do not have a good appearance, their inner qualities are not much better.


    On this night, they were first awakened by a mysterious ghost, then provoked into a fierce shootout. After fighting for a while, they realized they had been yed and had to painstakingly search the building to track down this ghost. The gangs had long lost their patience.


    Pulling the trigger and emptying their magazines is the simplest way to vent their anger. Regardless of whether they can kill their opponents, when the bullets spray out with rage, the inherent violent factor in the people of Gotham is ignited. The rage burns hotter and tends towards madness, and everyone relentlessly attacks everything green within their sight.


    This gave the newly arrived Green Lanterns no time to react. They didn''t even have time to activate their shields; they simply relied on the green light of their Blink to withstand the bullets.The green light energy attached to their bodies did indeed block the bullet attacks, but it couldn''t stop the explosions. When the first rocket entered with a sonic boom, everyone except Hal, who had anticipated it, was blown away.


    And after they got up, the first thing they did was not to counterattack but to run away.


    Indeed, Green Lantern energy is powerful, but it is still wielded by intelligent beings, and with intelligencees fear.


    The Green Lanterns knew in their hearts that humanity''s bullets and explosions were not beyond the defense capabilities of Green Lantern energy. Theoretically, even if they stood in the most heavily fired area, they would not be in mortal danger. But theory is just theory.


    For example, humanity knows that geese are unlikely to kill them, but when a group ofrge geese aggressively p their wings and charge towards you, you panic and run.


    The Green Lanterns had justnded and encountered the angry gangs. They were chased like ducks, running around the corridor in panic, resembling headless flies emitting green light.


    "Don''t run! Don''t run! Come back and organize a counterattack!"


    Lieutenant Carol shouted loudly, but the Green Lanterns, who had never seen such a scene before, were indeed panicking. They fought individually, diving into any avable space, desperately trying to find something to shield themselves. The formation became a mess.


    In the end, Hal used his Green Lantern energy to phase through the walls and pull them all back, barely holding the line.


    "Damn it! Didn''t you just receive training?!" Carol angrily yelled, "Didn''t the instructor tell you? When under attack, the first thing to do is to organize a defense line and form a united shield!"


    But Hal turned his head and asked her, "They ''just received training''? Don''t tell me they are all rookies?"


    Carol cursed and said, "I think you should be able to tell that the Corps Commander didn''t take your words seriously. The entire second squad is made up of rookies who just took office. They probably don''t have as much experience as you!"


    Hal said in despair, "Don''t run! Stay put and hold the line! Form a united shield! Can''t you even take a look at the tactical manual inside your rings?"


    However, there were still several Green Lanterns who wanted to escape through the windows. They looked young, indicating that they had recently be Green Lanterns. These Green Lanterns resembled humanity in appearance, indicating that they came from a civilization simr to humanity''s and could better understand the danger of heavy firepower.


    After organizing for a while, Carol and Hal finally stabilized everyone. The Green Lanterns, representing the power of will, only took a few seconds to ovee their fear of bullets and explosions. They barely formed a united shield at the end of the corridor.


    They withstood the first wave of firepower and now had to defend and counterattack. Soon, waves of green energy beams shot down the corridor, directly knocking several gang members out.The leading Fishermanrage was burning with anger as he raised his gun and shouted, "Ghost is counterattacking! Punish them! Kill them! Let them go to hell!"


    All the Gangmembers were extremely furious, pressing forward without caring about the loss of manpower, only wanting to inflict the greatest damage on the opposing side.


    The newly arrived Green Lanterns werepletely unaware of what was happening and faced such a fierce attack. Even though the Green Lanterns had powerful energy, the Gang had more people, more weapons, and abundant firepower. The Green Lanterns could only retreat under the suppression.


    But even so, the Gang was not satisfied. Fisherman fired his gun while saying to the people behind him, "Send someone upstairs to bring everyone down and have those kids send a message to the North District. We need more deadly firepower!"


    "Copperpot has already sent someone!" A voice quickly sounded from behind. He said, "Young Falcone has called The Godfather on the telephone, and support is on the way!"


    While they continued to output their firepower, the Green Lanterns finally reacted from their panic and began tounch organized attacks instead of acting individually.


    The shootout in the hospital corridor was a different kind of street fight, with much smaller space than a street fight. The front lines couldn''t be deployed, and the height difference was almost nonexistent. So many of Humanity''s weapons couldn''t be used because both guns and grenades could cause friendly fire.


    The advantage of the Green Lanterns was that their energy did not cause friendly fire. Whether it was energy Havok, energy weapons, or energy shields, they only affected those without Green Lantern energy. Therefore, they didn''t have to worry about arranging their firing lines and could just output their energy forward.


    Soon, the situation became tense, and the Green Lanterns gained the upper hand. The Gang''s front lines began to waver and gradually retreat.


    But at that moment, a beam of light descended from the sky, and Constantinended in front of the Gotham Gang.


    His golden hair was unruffled, and his coat fluttered. His hands emitted dazzling light, and with a wave of his arm, a huge silver shield appeared in front of everyone.


    With another wave of his hands, he drew smooth arcs in front of him, andplex magic formations lit up beneath his feet. Several magic projectiles flew out from his hands, pierced through the Green Lantern energy barrier, andnded in the center of the Green Lantern formation.


    "Imprisonment!"


    Apanied by Constantine''s deep voice, the magic projectiles turned into chains and entangled the Green Lanterns. Carol refused to back down and solidified her green light into a sword, easily breaking the chains. The remaining Green Lanterns followed suit and cut the chains.


    But at this moment, Constantine revealed a wicked smile. The shattered chain fragments turned into more magic projectiles, bombarding the Green Lanterns like a blizzard from above, forcing them to raise their arms to protect their eyes.


    The Gang pulled the trigger again, pouring firepower onto the shield formed by the scattered Green Lanterns. A gap was opened.


    With a loud bang, the ceiling on the third floor copsed, raising countless cigarette dust and making the situation at the end of the corridor confusing.


    The Gang, who had lost their line of sight, slowed down their firepower. Constantine waved his hand, and several whirlwinds flew out from beside him, dispersing the dust.


    The consecutive strikes prevented the Green Lanterns from fully maintaining their shield. The gap in the shield was healing very slowly. Carol turned around and shouted, "Focus your attention! Harness the power of your will! Fear me, heretics! Green Lantern shines forever, eternal light!"


    "Green Lantern shines forever, eternal light!"


    While they were chanting their slogan, Fisherman on the opposite side asked in confusion, "What are they shouting? What heretics?"


    "They''re calling us heretics??"


    "They''re Ghosts, we''re humans, and they dare to call us heretics?? Are Ghosts so arrogant now?!"


    "Stop talking and shoot!"


    At this moment, the light of the Green Lantern shone brightly, casting a faint green glow throughout the corridor. The Green Lanterns, firm in their beliefs, gained immense power. They flew into the air and began attacking the Gang members with various energy beams.


    Carol, the deputy officer, took the lead. After floating into the air, all bullets and explosives within half a meter of her stopped and hung in mid-air. Her deep roar echoed through the corridor, filled with unparalleled might.


    "For justice!"


    The light grew stronger, and a dense green glow condensed on her right arm. She extended her hand and aimed at the Gang members in the corridor...


    The initially small energy beam suddenly grew immensely, but the expected scene of everyone being blown away and scattered did not ur.


    Constantine raised both hands, his body covered in a radiant magical light. The Magic Circle beneath his feet expanded once again, changing from silver to a deep, sinister dark red.


    Boiling magma surged out from the center of the Magic Circle, but disappeared in an instant, like a bursting bubble or a fleeting illusion. However, at the same time, a tall figure stood up, directly breaking through two floors of the ceiling. It was a demonic figure filled with evil energy and hatred from hell.


    An evil and deafening voice echoed through the corridor, "Who... has summoned me..."


    Constantine swung his arm and pped the demon''s leg, saying, "It''s me, now stop talking and beat them!"


    "Damn it, Constantine, why aren''t you dead yet?! When do you n to die?!"


    The towering demon lowered its head, ring at Constantine with its massive vertical eyes. At that moment, the beam of green energy arrived, but the demon waved its hand, igniting a Fire barrier that flew out along the corridor.


    As the Fire passed by Carol, the green energy protected her from the heat and the erosion of dark energy, but cursed runes ignited around his body.


    These runes had no offensive power, but they meant that she had been marked by a demon. Anyone who couldmunicate with demons could follow these marks to find him, and it seemed that the green energy could not dispel them.


    The demon shifted its gaze away from Constantine and looked at Carol. As it moved towards Carol, it said, "Constantine, you better prepare the sacrifice quickly..."


    Saying that, it spewed Fire from its mouth and reached out with its w, surging with moltenva, aiming for Carol. Carol, unwilling to show weakness, activated a green shield, and the energy Havok struck the demon''s eye.


    As the Green Lanterns and the demon fought, a burst of maniacalughter came from the hole in the ceiling. They heard a high-pitched voice shouting, "Joker''s surprise has arrived! Rejoice!"


    Boom!


    After a loud noise, the main building of Arkham Asylum copsed entirely.


    When it came to attacking buildings with explosives, Joker was an expert. Even the sturdy buildings constructed by the Wayne Family, with theiryers of defense, could not withstand the bombs set up by Joker, let alone an old and ravaged mental hospital.


    In a moment when Joker''sughter echoed, Constantine teleported everyone away. They appeared by the side of a road, some distance away from the mental hospital.


    Looking at the slowly copsing building, Constantine chuckled heartlessly.


    But soon, hisughter faded because in the dark night sky of Gotham, a meteor-like light streaked across the sky from the edge of the horizon. It grewrger in their field of view, and the missile''s trail illuminated the entire sky as if it were daytime.


    In Schiller Manor, Merkel had arranged guest rooms for the two children who were staying over. Just as Dick was about to go to sleep, he felt a slight tremor beneath his feet.


    Curious, he turned around and widened his eyes in shock. Outside the bedroom''s floor-to-ceiling window, on the city''s skyline, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the air after the explosion.


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 Chapter 481: Talents Emerge in Arkham!

    Chapter 481: Talents Emerge in Arkham!


    "Lunacy! Lunacy! Why are there only lunatics in this City?!"


    Clutching her injured shoulder, Carol and the Green Lanterns swiftly maneuvered between the high-rise buildings of Gotham, utilizing Green Lantern energy for low-altitude flight.


    The reason they didn''t fly higher was due to the Bat Wing patrolling the skies, armed with a load of missiles.


    The massive high-rise buildings stretched in an orderly fashion, green dots of light flitting about like fireflies. On the immense screens adorning the high-rise building walls, colorful lights flowed, and as the green dots passed, a Joker-faced figure wearing a Joker''s costume appeared on screen, facing the camera, saying:


    "JokerJack here with yourte-night weather forecast. Today''s weather is clear, but there might be heavy snow at night. A wondrous creature named Green Lantern might grace the skies..."


    "Alright, that''s the weather report for today. Your host Jack is signing off... What''s that? You''re asking what I''ll do after work? Of course, I''ll take the chance to go for a joyride!"


    "After all, tonight will be the night with the most Gotham Green Lanterns, hahaha!"


    "Boom!"


    After flying past the screen, Hal swiftly dodged a rocket, then turned around. The colossal screen had already burst into sparks from the explosion.He increased his flying speed and positioned himself beside Carol, who was leading the way. He said, "This can''t continue like this. Sooner orter, we''ll be brought down!"


    "What''s going on in this City? Why so many lunatics?!" Carol pondered, looking down. The ground was filled with various Gang members chasing after them in armed trucks, mounted with all sorts of weapons, currently firing at them.


    Indeed, the ring could shield the Green Lanterns from bullets and explosions, but it also consumed energy. Flight and evasive maneuvers also drained energy. Once their energy ran out, Carol dreaded to think of the consequences of falling into the hands of these lunatics.


    "Hal, haven''t you spent some time here? Is there a safer ce for us to regroup and recharge?"


    Carol nced at the Green Lanterns who were struggling to fly, and asked Hal.


    Originally, most members of the second squad were rookies. Despite their training, they had little experience in high-intensity missions. Yet, the experiences in Gotham were beyond high-intensity, bordering on hellish difficulty.


    Green Lantern energy was a tool,cking self-awareness and the ability to control a Green Lantern''s actions. All of their movements were the result of their own thinking, controlling their bodies. In other words, although they could fly, how they flew required their own contemtion, just as any action demanded adjustments to their own bodily movements.


    Now, the dense firepowerwork of Gotham forced them to constantly concentrate their attention, dealing with projectiles and explosive fragments from all directions.


    The frequent and challenging aerial maneuvers, urring roughly every three seconds, even strained Hal, who had once been a test pilot. The novice Green Lanterns without prior aerial experience were even more challenged.


    With a resounding "boom," another explosion from a fighter jet missile struck, sending the young Green Lantern at the rear of the formation flying outward...


    His reaction was a bit slow, failing to evade the residual impact. A nearby teammate attempted to fly over and rescue him, but was momentarily disoriented by a shbang grenade, and was subsequently knocked down.


    Hal and Carol, the two Green Lanterns with the best flying skills, hurriedly turned back for a rescue mission, putting in great effort to retrieve the two fallenrades.


    Hal connected with the physically exhausted Green Lantern, using his own Green Lantern energy to support him in flight. He then said to Carol, "There''s hardly any safe ce in this City. We better withdraw from here first."


    Hal looked up at the sky where three Bat Wings were in constant cirction, then continued, "Someone needs to divert their attention. I''ll take care of that."


    Seeing his determined expression, Carol couldn''t help but feel moved. He said, "Even though I''ve served in the Green Lantern Corps for so long, you''re still the most outstanding neer I''ve ever met."


    Hal turned his head towards him and said, "For justice."


    Just as Carol was about to lead the other Green Lanterns away, Hal called them back, saying, "The troubles in this City haven''t been dealt with yet. It''s better if you relocate to other cities on Earth and await headquarters'' support."


    "I''m afraid we''ll have to do the same. The remaining energy in our rings isn''t enough to teleport us directly back to headquarters. You''re a local, do you know where it''s safer?"


    After a moment of contemtion, Hal pointed in a direction. Carol nodded and said, "Once we find a secure stronghold, we''ll call for support and then return immediately to assist you."


    Hal saluted him, then turned his head and flew away. The other Green Lanterns watched his departing figure with solemn emotions.


    In their eyes, even staying an extra second in this chaotic and madly dangerous City required immense courage. Hal was undoubtedly a valiant soul who faced adversity head-on.


    Hal flew to a nearby Bat Wing and had a conversation with someone inside it. The jet followed him and soon after, the remaining two jets were also led away by him. Seizing this opportunity, the Green Lanterns left Gotham city through the skies.


    After flying a distance, Hal finally came to a stop. For a moment, he vanished and reappeared in the co-pilot''s seat of the Bat Wing. Batman turned his head and squinted at him.


    Hal also turned his head to look at Batman and shrugged, saying, "I suppose you must know who to look for."


    Batman turned back and pressed a button on the control panel. The navigation voice spoke in a pleasing tone, "Navigating to destination... Rodriguez Manor."


    As Batman entered Rodriguez Manor, Schiller and Constantine were already sitting on the sofa, sipping their drinks.


    The clinking of cups against the tea table emitted a clear sound, and the golden liquid poured into the cups, creating dazzling sshes.


    Batman lifted his ss expressionlessly, though he didn''t drink. Beside him, Hal, however, unabashedly downed the whiskey from his ss.


    The icy liquid refreshed his mind considerably, alleviating the fatigue from the recent flight. Schiller opened his mouth, about to speak, when Batman interjected, "No need to exin your reasons for dealing with the Green Lanterns. In this aspect, our stances align."


    Schiller took a sip of his drink and then lightly patted his chest. Raising his ss toward Batman, he said, "This is why I enjoy conversing with intelligent people. Let''s skip the less important reasons and excuses. We should start from thest time Constantine called me on the phone, saying he needed to be hospitalized at Arkham Asylum..."


    Constantine held his ss, taking arge gulp of his drink. Then he picked up the bottle and refilled his cup.


    Leaning back rxed against the sofa''s backrest, hands resting on the back of the chair, Constantine continued with a shake of his head, "Can''t help it, my personal charm is just too irresistible. There''s thisd named Bruce who chased me all over the city. He was unhappy when I went to the red-light district, and he caused a ruckus there. Even when I tried to rx a bit, he wouldn''t leave me be..."


    Hal sprayed a mouthful of his drink in a "pfft." Catching the glint of Batman''s sharp Batarang, Constantine cleared his throat and said, "Alright, no joking. Originally, I called Schiller just to find a ce to hide."


    "But that sted cheapskate, that wretched Green Lantern, insisted I do something for him before he''d let me in."


    "So, you instigated the gang shootout in the hospital?" Batman asked.


    "ording to the original n, I indeed did it, but I didn''t expect there to be two restless guys in the hospital who wanted to cause some chaos and use it as a cover to escape. I took advantage of the situation and escted the chaos a bit."


    "What''s the deal with the Green Lantern''s arrival?" Batman turned to Schiller, but Schiller turned his head toward Hal. Hal shrugged and exined how he went to Oa Star to request support.


    "So, you stirred up a gang shootout to make the Green Lanterns realize the danger of Earth?" Batman inquired.


    "But I''m afraid that''s not enough to deter them or make them leave Earth. It might even lead these justice-brainwashed green flies to buzz around Earth more persistently." Batman provided an evaluation.


    From his choice of words, it was evident that Batman didn''t hold a favorable view of the Green Lantern Corps. But that could be understood. He was the only local among the four, and just recently, these individuals emitting green light had flown through Gotham''s skies, causing numerous car idents and Gangs to destroy many buildings.


    More importantly, Batman considered Gotham his territory. He had an almost obsessive control over Gotham, and these people had barged in without anyone''s permission. If it weren''t for Hal stopping Batman from pursuing them in a fighter jet, Carol and the others wouldn''t have escaped yet.


    "My intention wasn''t to intimidate them either." Schiller ced his ss down.


    "What were you trying to achieve? Your sequence of actions will only draw their attention to Earth and lead them here."


    "My purpose is to draw them here."


    As Schiller finished speaking, the sound of a telephone ringing echoed in the room. Merkel descended the staircase, picked up the receiver, and said, "Hello, this is Rodriguez Manor. Yes, he''s here..."


    As he spoke, he brought the telephone to the tea table and handed the receiver to Schiller. Facing the other end of the line, Schiller said, "Oh, I see. You''re already on the road?... Alright, I''ll be waiting for you."


    Batman stared at Schiller, seemingly having a premonition. Just then, they heard Schiller saying on the telephone:


    "Well then, see youter, rk."


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 Chapter 482: Emerging Talents in Arkham! (2)

    Chapter 482: Emerging Talents in Arkham! (2)


    Not far from Gotham, above the suburban skies, rk floated amidst the clouds, looking around with a puzzled expression.


    Lowering his head to gaze at the deste mountains below, he then scanned his surroundings, observing the faint glow of high-rise buildings in the distance. Uncertain of which direction to fly in to reach Gotham, he contemtednding to ask for directions.


    Just as he hesitated, a distant green light caught his eye among the falling snowkes.


    The green light grew closer, and rk squinted to discern several green dots, resembling fireflies, flying towards him in a group.


    As they approached him, rk realized that these were individuals emitting green light.


    When the group of Green Lanterns flew up to rk, they were surprised to find a person suspended in mid-air. rk observed them briefly, feeling somewhat bewildered. Carol furrowed his brow and asked, "Who are you? And how did you end up here?"


    "Um, I''m rk. Who are you?"


    "rk? You''re an Earthling?"


    "Of course." rk was momentarily thrown off by their question. He continued, "So, you guys aren''t from Earth?"The Green Lanterns, upon hearing this response, immediately grew nervous. Assuming a defensive stance, Carol impatiently questioned, "You''re lying. Earthlings can''t fly!"


    "How do you know Earthlings can''t fly?"


    "Our rings contain aplete gctic encyclopedia. The ''Humanity'' entry was updated recently. Humans cannot escape Earth''s gravitational pull with their bodies, let alone fly freely. Who are you? What''s your purpose on Earth? Do you have any rtionship with Sinestro?"


    Their firm statements left rk baffled. He furrowed his brow and retorted, "I am an Earthling. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas. And what about you? Earthlings can''t fly, but can they emit green light?"


    "We are the Green Lantern Corps." Carol''s impatience showed. "Who are you exactly? And why are you here on Earth? Do you have any rtionship with Sinestro?"


    rk''s irritation grew from this series of questions. He felt like a native of Earth being questioned by what clearly appeared to be aliens. It was as if a trespasser was interrogating a homeowner, a situation that seemed absurd.


    However, Carol was equally frustrated. They had just encountered a setback and were physically and mentally drained. Yet, due to their duty of upholding peace in space, he waspelled to investigate potentially threatening individuals. On their retreat route, encountering an unusual Human who could fly was anything but normal.


    Both sides were quite angry. Before they exchanged many words, Carol''s patience ran out. He said, "If you don''t intend to answer me, step aside. We don''t have time to waste on you now."


    "No way! You aliens, who knows what you''re up to? Leave Earth. This isn''t where you belong!"


    Carol took a deep breath. He had never been so provocatively challenged by a native of any. Clearly, rk showed no awe or reverence for their extraordinary appearance and abilities.


    However, Carol was skilled in maintaining hisposure as a Green Lantern Corps officer. Throughout his service, he had diligently adhered to his principles and had never acted impulsively. He decided to continuemunicating with rk.


    Yet, just as he was about to speak, a green beam of light grazed his arm, flying towards rk. Swiftly, rk veered to the side, avoiding the beam.


    A young Green Lantern from the team broke formation, his face contorted in anger. Just as Carol was about to reprimand him, a red beam charged with destructive energy struck him, sending him hurtling away.


    Seeing rk before him, eyes glowing red, Carol understood the situation was escting beyond salvage. He shouted, "Formation! Prepare for attack!"


    Several Green Lanterns moved to encircle rk, and the intertwining red and green lights created a spectacr disy in the skies above Gotham''s outskirts. Many people were awoken by the spectacle and hurried to the tallest buildings to observe the disy.


    Most ordinary citizens were unaware of the events taking ce within Arkham Asylum, so they watched with keen interest. However, the gang leaders who had just departed from Arkham Sanatorium recognized the peculiar green light.


    Telephones within Twelve Families Manor began ringing incessantly as everyone questioned, "What on earth is happening??"


    "Hey, Spencer? Am I seeing things? Why are they setting off fireworks in the west suburbs? And that green light, why does it look familiar?"


    "Damn it! It''s those people again! No wonder they disappeared. They''ve flown to the suburbs. What''s with the red light too?"


    "A green ghost just fled, and now a red one shows up. My goodness, it''s probably because we haven''t maintained the church. This ce is cursed!"


    "Quit your whining! Grab your guns and take them down!"


    "But haven''t we tried that before? Ordinary guns are useless. They can fly and the green light on them can stop bullets. The Godfather evenunched a missile at the hospital, and it didn''t faze them."


    "Who''s got bigger firepower? Blow them away with a big explosion!"


    At this moment, the telephones within Twelve Families Manor started ringing consecutively, and Alberto''s voice came through.


    "Everyone, mobilize trucks to the cold storage in East District to retrieve the new weapons. Note that the freeze guns are in limited production and still in the testing phase. Strictly follow the usage instructions..."


    The gang leaders didn''t hear the rest of the message, fixated on the words "new weapons."


    The roar of truck engines echoed through the skies over Gotham, streetlights flickered on, and warehouse lights illuminated the surroundings. The night in Gotham grew brighter, like a lost pearl shining on the East Coast.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the Green Lanterns and rk intensified. The Green Lanterns realized that the man who imed to be an Earthling was remarkably powerful.


    However, rk should have quickly dealt with them. Yet, due to the nighttime and his concern about causing too much disturbance that could affect the neighboring city, he felt constrained in the fight.


    As he contemted using stronger force to subdue them, a "pause" sounded, and within his field of vision, a blue light appeared. A "smack" followed, and a Green Lantern frozen into an ice block plummeted down...


    rk looked down to see the shattered ice block on the ground. The Green Lantern had suffered minimal harm and flew up again.


    But in the next moment, a series of "pause, pause, pause" sounds ensued, and numerous blue lights flew towards the group of green targets.


    Many Green Lanterns mistook these lights for regr bullets and didn''t attempt to dodge. They used their Green Lantern energy to withstand the assault, but upon contact, they froze into ice blocks and fell.


    Carol, the deputymander, was also hit. However, as she fell, she used his Green Lantern ring''s ability to pass through obstacles, piercing through the ice block.


    Other Green Lanterns followed suit. After being hit, they quickly flew out of the ice blocks.


    Initially, they had scorned the new weapons Humanity wielded. However, they soon realized Humanity''s cunning tactics.


    rk had a biotic forcefield that prevented bullets from touching him. The field''s range was significant, allowing him to halt bullets several meters away from himself. However, the same couldn''t be said for the Green Lanterns.


    The Green Lantern energy field had a limited radius that could deflect bullets. On the other hand, the freezing range wasrger, causing them to freeze upon grazing the edges of it.


    Once frozen, they needed to use their ability to pass through obstacles to break free from the ice blocks. However, this ability also consumed energy. The volley of icy bullets repeatedly trapped them, forcing them to expend energy to escape.


    Perhaps some thought they could evade by flying, but they couldn''t forget that there was a watchful rk nearby.


    rk not only flew faster than them but also could emit deadly rays from his eyes. Once the Green Lantern shields touched these rays, their energy weakened, and the Green Lanterns had no air superiority. Their movement space was quite limited.


    With the ongoing battle, their ring energy quickly depleted. However, the situation provided no openings for them to teleport away and recharge. Gasping for breath, Carol eximed, "Quick! Call for backup! Connect to headquarters, I need backup!"


    Within the Green Lantern Corps headquarters, Corps Leader Thaal listened gravely to the voiceing through themunication device. He immediately instructed a nearby Green Lantern, "Gather the third and fourth squads, and the fifth..."


    "Reporting, sir. The fourth and fifth squads were dispatched to patrol the surrounding sectors as you ordered."


    "What about the sixth squad?"


    "They joined the pursuit of Sinessto''s team and are currently not back in the 1020 sector..."


    Thaal''s expression darkened. He was aware of the current situation. Ever since Sinessto defected from the team, the Green Lantern''s prestige had suffered a significant blow. Coupled with Sinestro wreaking havoc across various sectors, he had to deploy most of the headquarters'' manpower to maintain stability.


    Originally, the twelve squads of Green Lanterns guarding the headquarters were enough. However, most squads were sent out for tasks such as delivering messages or patrolling, leaving only a few inexperienced squads with insufficientbat power.


    Thaal mmed the table and dered, "Apart from regr security personnel, gather allbat-capable individuals and form a team. I''ll lead it and head to Earth to see what''s happening."


    "But sir, the safety of the headquarters..."


    "The headquarters is situated at the center of all sectors. There are dozens of squads in the surrounding sectors. Who could possiblyunch an attack here? Even on Oa Star, there areprehensive defense measures. Outsiders can''t enter."


    After considering for a moment, the Green Lantern nodded, seeing the reason in the Corps Leader''s words. He saluted respectfully and went to make preparations.


    After Thaal led nearly all the Green Lanterns of the headquarters away, a burst of light illuminated the teleportation chamber. Schiller''s figure appeared on the teleportation tform, holding Pikachu in his arms.


    Schiller looked around, spotting the massive spiral structure outside the window. He activated the Green Lantern''s teleportation function and appeared directly on top of the spiral building. Descending the staircase unimpeded, he reached the power hall without obstacles.


    Although he encountered security personnel on the way, Schiller, enveloped in a green light, walked past them expressionlessly, nodding at people. Nobody knew what he was up to; the Green Lantern responsible for security even thought he was an engineering to inspect the power sources.


    Upon reaching the power hall, Schiller calmly closed the door, then observed the giant furnace in the center of the room. Speaking to himself, he mused, "Where''s the entrance?"


    "Up there, it must be up there." Pikachu in Schiller''s arms pointed with its short hand at an opening in the ceiling emitting green light. "Don''t you remember? We entered from the top of that yellow furnacest time. These toilets all look the same."


    Schiller looked up and found Pikachu''s words correct. There did seem to be an opening above the furnace.


    After flying up, Schiller looked down into the opening and then... tossed Pikachu inside.


    After throwing it, he pped his hands, quite satisfied, and said, "Now, the yellow light is once again a weakness of the Green Lantern Corps."


    At that moment, Aisha, who was watching fireworks from her bedroom window, saw countless green lights descending from the sky. Pointing outside the window, she eximed, "Wow, wow, wow!"


    Schiller, who had returned via teleportation, bent down, picked up Aisha, and said, "What''s that? Those are many teething toys!"


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 Chapter 483: The Simple Folk of Gotham City (1)

    Chapter 483: The Simple Folk of Gotham City (1)


    When discussing the background story of the Green Lantern Corps, one often hears about a key point: the Green Lanterns'' fear of Yellow Lantern Energy.


    In theory, even though the Lantern Corps have different colors, they shouldn''t possess the same kind of attribute interactions as seen in video games, where one color restrains another. Each Lantern Corps represents different emotions, and their colors are varied simply to reflect this diversity. There''s no concrete reason one should inherently counter another. So why are the Green Lanterns weak against the Yellow Lanterns?


    This brings us back to the unlucky Guardians of the Universe.


    As the earliest intelligent life to emerge in space and having developed an advanced civilization over countless millennia, they crafted the Green Lantern Corps using the emotional spectrum of light. They, like other intelligent civilizations, worried that their creations might betray them.


    Hence, these super-powered and invincible beings came up with a brilliant idea to prevent a potential rebellion of the Green Lantern Corps ¨C they ced the embodiment of fear, the Yellow Lantern Beast Parax, inside the central power battery of the Green Lanterns.


    The Green Lantern power battery could contain Parax, but in doing so, the Yellow Lantern Beast Parax infiltrated the Green Lantern power battery, creating a blind spot in the spectrum of green light. As a result, Yellow Lantern Energy became a weakness of the Green Lanterns. When exposed to this energy, they would be powerless at best and severely weakened at worst.


    Following this, the Guardians of the Universe painted their homes yellow, believing that the Green Lanterns would hesitate to attack them.


    This immensely advanced race that emerged in the early stages of space, with wisdom umted over millennia, didn''t employ the strategies, ss divisions, or leadership support that other intelligent life forms might use to prevent their creations from turning against them. Instead, they stuffed Parax into the battery and painted their houses in their version of fan support colors.


    No matter how many times this n is repeated, it remains rather nonsensical.Nevertheless, the Guardians of the Universe did seed. After locking Parax inside the Green Lantern power battery, Yellow Lanterns indeed became the Green Lanterns'' weakness. Schiller, who knew theic book plot well, naturally understood how to deal with the Green Lanterns.


    Previously, due to Parax''s absence, Pikachu had absorbed a significant amount of Yellow Lantern power, filling the void left by the absence of a Lantern creature. Pikachu had be a legitimate Yellow Lantern Beast.


    Therefore, if Schiller were to emte the Guardians of the Universe''s approach and ce the Yellow Lantern Beast back into the central power battery of the Green Lantern Corps, Yellow Lanterns could once again be a weakness of the Green Lanterns.


    Of course, Schiller didn''t possess a Yellow Lantern ring. While he could summon a Yellow Lantern ring, after Batman and Aisha teamed up to teach Sinessto a lesson and Sinestro fled the city, Batman certainly cklisted the city overnight. Thus, Schiller might not be able to summon the Yellow Lantern ring.


    However, they did have something even more powerful than a Yellow Lantern ring ¨C the former Yellow Lantern Beast Parax, now in the form of Batman''s daughter, Aisha.


    Aisha, transformed from Parax to Aisha, experienced a rebirth, albeit not aplete one.


    Using the shell of the Egg of Madness, she became a smaller version of Bruce. But at the same time, she retained Parax''s essence. This inherent duality granted her the ability to harness the "fear" emotional spectrum energy within Space.


    However, to transform the emotion of fear into energy, she would require a power battery. Given that Gotham Citycked such a battery, theoretically, Aisha didn''t possess energy. It was akin to a mobile phone with no battery charge ¨C it could technically function, but without a power source, it couldn''t activate.


    Yet, let''s not forget that Gotham City was home to the darkest source of fear in the entire DC universe ¨C Batman.


    When Schiller arrived at the top of the building with Aisha in his arms, watching the green Green Lanterns descend like auroras from the sky, Aisha didn''t immediately rush forward to find her teething toy. Instead, she swiveled her small head back and forth, seemingly searching for someone.


    Suddenly, her head stopped, and her gaze fixated on a certain point in the distance. It seemed she had found what she was looking for, and with a swift "whoosh," she disappeared.


    At this moment, Batman stood atop another high-rise building, adjusting his Bat Wing. Upon seeing the descending green lights, he knew a tough battley ahead.


    With a loud bang, a noise echoed outside the cockpit of his aircraft. Batman turned with a puzzled expression and pressed a button. After opening the cockpit door, a small figure darted in, leaping straight into Batman''s arms.


    "Wow wow wow wow! Wow wow!"


    Batman: "...?"


    Aisha kept eximing "wow" for a while, but Batman couldn''t understand anything she was saying. Finally, Aisha grew impatient and opened her mouth, letting out a loud "roar."


    In an instant, Batman felt a moment of dizziness. A series of fragmented scenes shed through his vision ¨C a dark night sky, narrow alleyways, muffled gunshots, scattered pearls...


    These images passed by so quickly that he could barely make them out before they vanished from his sight. This illusion onlysted for a moment. Immediately afterward, his vision was filled with an intense yellow light.


    Aisha, in Batman''s arms, became like a radiant light bulb, emitting a dazzling yellow glow. Her eyes turned golden with slit pupils, two pointed horns sprouted from her forehead, and arge tail emerged from her back.


    She floated in mid-air, detached from Batman''s embrace, and in the next moment, she disappeared, reappearing in the center of the battlefield.


    Just as Thaal, who had recently arrived in Gotham City and was observing the city''s situation, was puzzledly looking around, a sun-like orb of light descended before him. Upon closer inspection, he saw a little girl at the center of the luminous sphere.


    Thaal was puzzled for a moment, but then he sensed a familiar energy. He shouted, "Yellow Lantern?! Oh no! It''s a trap, Sinestro''s trap!!!"


    "Get away quickly!!!"


    Apanying his roar, rippling waves spread out from the center of the orb, and the yellow light pierced through the snow and clouds. In the quiet and soundless atmosphere, it illuminated the night sky over the East Coast.


    Standing nearby and observing, rk saw that wherever the yellow light extended, the green Green Lanterns descended like dumplings falling down. Theynded on the ground, their green light blinking twice and weakening like a flickering lightbulb.


    The light on the Green Lantern rings grew so faint that it barely formed a thin green film, protecting their bodies. The once dazzling green light became almost imperceptible, as if it could disappear at any moment.


    rk crossed his arms, looking down at the rolling Green Lanterns on the ground, then lifted his head to gaze at the only Green Lantern who hadn''t fallen ¨C Thaal, the current leader of the Green Lantern Corps.


    Being the leader of the corps, Thaal''s power shouldn''t be underestimated. Even after Aisha''s powerful attack, he managed to maintain the flying ability of his Green Lantern ring. However, as he was feeling dizzy, he saw a red destructive energy beam hurtling toward him...


    Thaal tried to dodge, but he was grazed on the arm. The green light on his ring shattered for a moment, and the light started to blink. Energy warnings kept sounding off. Thaal shouted, "Who are you? Oh, wait! Are you a Kryptonian? How did you appear here?"


    Hearing Thaal''s words, rk was puzzled. He didn''t understand the term "Kryptonian" that Thaal used. Just as Thaal was about to continue speaking, a yellow light sphere crashed into his back with a loud "thud," and Aisha sent him flying.


    Two light spheres, one yellow and one green, streaked across the sky like meteors and crashed onto the central roundabout of Gotham City.


    rk and Batman, who had just flown in with his Bat Wing, lowered their heads together, watching the mushroom cloud rise from the center of the roundabout. Then, in perfect unison, they shook their heads and sighed.


    "Hey, Batman, what are you doing here?"


    rk waved his arm toward the Bat Wing and then flew to its side, speaking as they flew together. "Wow! That''s a cool aircraft. Can I get inside?"


    "No." Batman, piloting the aircraft, refused him quite promptly and decisively.


    "Oh,e on, I acknowledge, you''re a genius, and your aesthetics are really fantastic. This aircraft is awesome! I''ve only seen nes like this in model books. I dare say, if you make it into a model, you''d win all the awards!"


    Batman''s attitude visibly hesitated, but just then, as if unable to wait, rk approached and gently tapped the wings of the Bat Wing with his hand.


    And then, the Bat Wing spun and flew out.


    Inside the ne, Batman desperately pulled on the controls, but he couldn''t steer the ne that had been forcefully tapped away. A ck meteor streaked across the sky and crashed into the central roundabout of Gotham City.


    Schiller stood on a rooftop, watching the mushroom cloud rise from the central roundabout again. He shook his head and sighed.


    At this moment, the green Green Lanterns who had been knocked down by Aisha''s attack finally started to recover from their dazed state.


    Just now, Aisha''s EMP attack had consumed most of their ring''s energy. Their rings were even damaged, rendering functions such as flight, teleportation, and phasing through obstacles unusable.


    The disoriented green Green Lanterns got back up, and in front of them were the barrels of the guns of the angry Gotham Gang members.


    One after another, streetlights lit up, streets became brightly illuminated, and groups of people emerged from their homes. This prosperous scene wasn''t a celebration of any kind. In this city of sin, the only activity that united the citizens was hunting.


    In the dark streets, the rumbling sound of engines could be heard. When a green Green Lantern with a faint green light sensed this sound, he immediately turned around in alert. At the end of a dark alley, two lights resembling eerie eyes suddenly lit up.


    The headlights of a truck illuminated the alley as if it were daytime. The only darkness was the shadow behind the green Green Lantern. By using this intense light, he could see that the man sitting in the truck''s driver seat had a full beard and held a shotgun...


    The Fisherman opened the car door and stepped out with the gun, and unlike the novice before, the green Green Lantern didn''t flee in panic. Instead, he assumed a defensive stance, ready to counter an attack.


    With a "bang," the muzzle red up, and deadly buckshot was fired. However, at the same time, an even brighter green beam of light momentarily blinded the Fisherman. By the time he lowered his arm, the green Green Lantern had already flipped over the alley wall and disappeared.


    Fisherman stepped forward, looking at the shotgun shells on the ground. He examined them for a moment, then turned to the skinny man who hade down from the passenger seat and said, "Go back and call the boss. Regr weapons still don''t work against them. I didn''t expect that even with their weak green light, they could still block bullets."


    Fisherman got back into the truck with the gun, and the skinny man closed the door. As they heard the sound of the truck starting, the skinny man lit a cigarette and said with resignation, "They knew about this already, but there are too few of those new weapons called freezing guns. Everyone wants one. The North District is probably already fighting over them."


    Fisherman also lit a cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke. With a smirk on his face, he steered the wheel and said, "Don''t worry. Even if all the people at East District''s Pierse together, I''m still one of the top gunfighters. I''ll definitely get my hands on a gun. By then, hehe..."


    Inside the cockpit, the flickering light of the cigarette illuminated Fisherman''s face, covered in muscles that made him look more sinister. His smile gradually turned cold, and with the engine''s tremors as it elerated, he asked, "Are you afraid of ghosts?"


    The skinny man raised one corner of his mouth and sneered, "Ghosts? There are no ghosts in Gotham, only corpses."


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 Chapter 484: Simple and Honest Folk of Gotham City

    Chapter 484: Simple and Honest Folk of Gotham City


    Just as the weather forecaster had said on the big screen earlier, tonight was the night with the most Green Lanterns in Gotham.


    However, these Green Lanterns weren''t content to stay put on the red Green Lantern poles; they were darting around the city like headless flies.


    They didn''t know what kind of abyss this city was, unaware of the darkness concealed within the narrow alleys, dark hallways, and flickering buildings.


    At first, the activities of these oddly dressed individuals didn''t attract much attention. Gotham was already teeming with entric characters. But then a rumor spread among the truck drivers, who had the widest coverage of the activities. They imed that Gotham was haunted.


    These individuals with green light were ancestral spirits resurrected from the underground. They came to judge the city, aiming to eliminate all chaos and wrongdoing.


    When the citizens of Gotham heard this news, their first reaction wasn''t to pray or flee in panic to churches. Instead, they picked up guns, loaded their magazines, pushed open doors, took to the streets, and unleashed a barrage of fire upon anything green within their sight.


    "We''re here to save this city!" shouted a Green Lantern in green attire. "We''vee for justice. The Green Lantern will cleanse all filth!"


    "Bang!"


    Bullets hit the faint green light. While they didn''t prate the shield of the Green Lantern, they sent the green-d figure flying. A freckled young boy, his face full of determination, chambered another round in his rifle and said, "Save this city? Sorry, but this city doesn''t need anyone''s salvation."He then aimed his rifle at the green-d Green Lantern again. The young Green Lantern, his face showing confusion, yelled, "Are you crazy?! We can rescue this city from the clutches of evil. We''re here to save you. Don''t you want peace?!"


    Seemingly in a good mood, the newspaper boy kept his gun trained on the Green Lantern, mocking with a smile, "You talk about purifying filth, yet I am one of the filth you speak of. When I was born, no one came to save me. And after I managed to lead a good life through my own efforts, you want to purify me, impose your so-called ''justice''..."


    "Your talk of peace might sound nice, but I don''t need it."


    "I don''t believe in peace and justice. I only believe in the gun in my hand because, in times of danger, it''s not you who protects me, but it."


    As he spoke, he prepared to pull the trigger again. Just then, another young boy ran up from the side, also holding a gun. He told the freckled newspaper boy, "Copperpot boss is looking for you! Hurry, he wants you to answer the telephone!"


    With a nce at the Green Lantern lying on the ground, the boy said, "Ignore these lunatics. They''re all talk about justice and peace. It''s ridiculous. Who would talk like that in Gotham?"


    The newspaper boy seemed to lose interest as well. He picked up his gun and followed hispanion, leaving the Green Lantern to pick himself up from the ground. His arms trembled a little, and he shook his head, somewhat dazed, muttering, "... Have I truly gone mad?"


    Following hispanion through narrow alleys and into a small shack, the newspaper boy entered a room with a telephone. He picked up the receiver and said, "Hello? It''s me. Yes, everyone has guns now, but so far, we haven''t managed to take down the Ghost..."


    "The light on them is quite troublesome. Regr bullets don''t work. Boss, I''ve heard about a useful freeze gun. Can you get us one?""What? Scouting positions and rying information? Come on, don''t be like that. I''ll be 13 next year, I can join the fight!"


    "Alright, alright, I''ll follow your lead... Really? Great! I''ll inform them right away!"


    After finishing the call, the newspaper boy hung up the telephone and excitedly told hispanion, "Hurry and call them over. Copperpot boss said we''re responsible for the reconnaissance in the entire West District. We need to report the locations of those Ghosts, and there will be specialists to deal with them."


    Thepanion sighed with disappointment, "So, does that mean we can''t join the fight again? Why is it always like this? We''re not that young anymore."


    "Stopining. The boss said that if we perform well, he''ll get us those advanced freeze guns to y with. Those things are powerful. I''ve seen someone use it to shoot down a green fly and turn it into a big ice block!"


    The two chatted animatedly, and soon, thepanion ran out to deliver messages.


    This kind of scene wasn''t limited to the children in the West District. It was happening within the entire children''swork of Gotham. Cigarette boys, newspaper boys, flower boys, street vendors¡ªthese savvy individuals, well-versed in the city''syout, showcased the immense power of a fully connected informationwork.


    The number of children in Gotham was substantial. In the past, most children had nothing to do, spending their days idly on the streets. Since the previous child king''s demise, Copperpot had taken over thework.


    It had to be admitted that Penguin, in terms of strategy, was far more visionary than the average gang leader. The former child king used children to umte wealth, exploiting the meager funds from their parents. But Copperpot saw a different potential in thiswork, a function far more potent than amassing wealth.


    These ubiquitous vendors walked the streets and alleys year-round, and there was nothing they didn''t know about their neighborhoods. Many newspaper boys even doubled as couriers. They were aware of who received new letters, who had new family members, who passed away, and who went to work. They were the perfect candidates for developing an intelligencework.


    Previously, thiswork was just taking shape. Schiller, through Copperpot''s development of thiswork, was able to quickly detect Merkel''s suspicious activities. Agents like Merkel were highly sensitive to being surveilled, but they weren''t as wary of cigarette-selling street vendors. This allowed Schiller to identify them as soon as they set foot in Gotham.


    Copperpot, recognizing the advantage of thiswork, was eager for an opportunity for real-world action. Just then, the Green Lanterns descended from the sky.


    The Green Lanterns struck down by Aisha''s attack were scattered throughout Gotham. Locating them posed a challenge. Despite their distinctive green glow, with so many nooks and crannies in Gotham, it would take a considerable amount of time to find them all.


    However, with this group of kids and theirwork, things were different. These vendors excelled at slipping into all sorts of peculiar ces, which usually meant shortcuts or hiding spots.


    Take the freckled newspaper boy, for example. He knew where the walls in the West District had gaps, where there were dog holes, where the basements of houses connected to the neighboring ones. No one knew these details better than him. It was through this information that he could deliver messages swiftly, not onlypleting tasks in the West District daily but also asionally assisting in the East District.


    Under Copperpot''smand, these kids were united. In no time, information was passed along, and by the time it reached Falcone Manor, Copperpot had gained knowledge of all the Green Lanterns'' movements¡ªnumbers, appearances, strength¡ªit was all crystal clear.


    In a reception room within Falcone Manor, arge Gotham map on the wall was covered in colorful pins. Copperpot''s short figure stood in front of the map, exuding an undeniable presence.


    "Tell those gunmen to drive them out. We don''t need to harm them, just get them out of those dark alleys."


    A gang member behind Copperpot asked, "Where should we drive them to?"Copperpot''s gaze fell on the central area of the Gotham City map. After a moment of thought, he said, "Go to the central roundabout."


    After the gang members left, Copperpot stood in front of the map, lost in thought. At that moment, the door opened, and Alberto walked in, asking, "What''s going on? Did Professor contact you?"


    Copperpot shook his head, saying, "No, but I can guess his intentions. Do you remember, among those green-glowing individuals who appeared in the Arkham Asylum corridor, was there one that looked familiar?"


    "You mean the one named Hal Jordan? We saw him in our dreams before, right?"


    "Correct. It seems he''s aligned with Professor Schiller, but he''s opposing us with that strange group. I believe he''s a spy sent by Schiller to the other side. Once we drive that group of people to the central roundabout, we''ll find out what they''re up to."


    Alberto nodded, clearly approving Copperpot''s proposal to gather people in one ce. He was considering another issue.


    If the Green Lanterns fought individually, it might be easier to defeat them one by one, but it would cause significant damage to Gotham City. Repairing the city afterwards would also be troublesome. If they were all concentrated in the central roundabout area, it wouldn''t matter much since that ce was already in ruins.


    Just as Alberto walked over to the map to take a look at theyout, Copperpot turned and left. Alberto called after him, asking, "Where are you going?"


    "I''m going to make a phone call. There are some arrangements to be made."


    Meanwhile, on the main road leading to Gotham University, a car sped by, kicking up snowkes. The snowfall was getting heavier, yet the car paid no heed to the worsening weather, elerating relentlessly.


    Harvey Dent, seated in the passenger seat, looked at Victor, who was at the wheel, and said, "Don''t worry, it won''t be that coincidental. There should be no ghostsnding in the Gotham Universityboratory..."


    However, Victor''s expression was grim. It was rare to see him this serious. He spoke in a low voice, "No, what if? What if those odd people happen tond near the Gotham Universityboratory? What if they disrupt the university''s power supply and cut off theboratory''s energy..."


    As he reached the end of his sentence, Victor''s voice began to tremble uncontrobly. He pressed down on the elerator again, and the car gained speed. Harvey shook his head helplessly, saying, "I saw where all those green lights fell. I remember all the locations very clearly, and I''m certain that Gotham University is not included."


    "But what if they can teleport? What if they can use magic? What if, what if..."


    Clearly, Victor had fallen into a paranoid state. He kept muttering under his breath, his facial muscles twitching uncontrobly, and his knuckles making slight cracking sounds.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed as he swallowed repeatedly, his breathing growing rapid. Harvey saw a madness in Victor''s eyes that he had never witnessed before. The usually calm and rationalwyer couldn''t help but worry.


    It seemed that Victor, the typically mild-mannered and witty gentleman, had an unknown streak of madness within him.


    Turning his head, Harvey looked out of the car window. Through the swirling snow, he saw the blinking lights of the city, resembling the flickering eyes of monsters in an abyss.


    He thought, perhaps the city was just like this¡ªeach person who came here had a distinct personality, yet they all shared amon trait: they were all mad.


    But they wielded madness as a weapon, never needing to be saved.


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 Chapter 485: Simple Folkways of Gotham City (2)

    Chapter 485: Simple Folkways of Gotham City (2)


    The car stopped on the road in front of Gotham University, and the tires made a squeaking, grating sound as Victor quickly pushed open the car door and emerged. When he saw the brightly lit dormitory building of Gotham University, he sighed in relief.


    "I''ve said it before, Gotham City is so big that even if dozens of people fall, it wouldn''t be so coincidental tond right in Gotham University," Harvey patted Victor on the shoulder.


    Taking a deep breath, Victor didn''t rx but continued to walk briskly towards the university. He said, "No, we can''t be sure yet. Theboratory is located quite far from the dormitory building..."


    Harvey shook his head helplessly but still followed him. They briskly passed through the buildings of the university, including the academic buildings, administrative offices, and dormitories, until they finally reached the east-sideboratory building.


    From the outside, theboratory building appeared dark because it was now the early morning hours. There weren''t students or teachers in Gotham University known for staying upte to conduct experiments, so theboratory building was usually very quiet at night.


    However, this environment stirred something in Victor, triggering thoughts of many unpleasant things. Perhaps, he had rehearsed this situation countless times in his mind. The paranoia was almost drowning him.


    "Calm down, Victor... Victor! Come back!" Harvey shouted from behind, but Victor had already rushed into theboratory building.


    His heavy footsteps echoed in the staircase as Victor charged to the floor where theboratory was located. As he stopped at the entrance of the staircase, he noticed a faint light seeping out from a door in the corridor.


    Like a moth drawn to a me, Victor walked straight toward that door. Upon pushing it open, he saw several children standing outside the cryogenic chamber, illuminated by its cold light. They looked up at him.Hearing themotion, the children turned around, and upon seeing Victor, they rushed over chattering. Victor was a bit overwhelmed by their noise. He held onto the head of one of the boys and said, "Everyone, quiet down. You, go ahead."


    The boy, with a hint of pride, raised his head and cleared his throat, saying, "Well, we all live in the guard room of Gotham University, the one at the east gate. You know it, right? That''s where the newsboys stay."


    "About ten minutes ago, we received a call from Big Copperpot. He told us to get the key hidden above the door frame and wait for you in theboratory."


    "The door frame was quite high, so we stacked up to barely reach the key. He said that if someone invaded theboratory, we should freeze them with the nearby cryo-gun."


    "You''re not done yet!" a little girl raised her voice and added, "Big Copperpot said that if the lights here go out and the switches don''t work, we should go to the next room and turn on the generator."


    "Yeah, that''s right! He said to press some button!"


    "We''ve been waiting here for so long. Nobody invaded, and the power didn''t go out either. We were almost falling asleep waiting..."


    These children were quite young, probably around seven or eight years old. They were a lively bunch, chattering like sparrows in the snow.


    Victor lowered his head, and as he didn''t say anything, they quieted down as well. Each of them looked up at him.


    Victor slowly squatted down, embraced the leading boy, and patted his head, saying, "Thank you."


    When Harvey entered, this was the scene he saw. After escorting the children back to sleep, they returned to Victor''sboratory.


    Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, they looked at the zing Gotham City. The changing lights outside the window cast their shadows intermittently. Harvey heard Victor say:


    "Many people say this ce is beyond saving. They say the darkness here is hopeless, endless..."


    "People im that the Gothamites themselves are what constitute this darkness, that chaos and madness are their deserved consequences. Do you think they''re truly beyond redemption?"


    Harvey turned his head to look at the buildings in the city and said, "I''ve always held one belief: there''s no ce in this world that''s beyond redemption. That''s why I came here."


    "The environment shapes people, and people shape the environment. I don''t know what initially gave rise to this darkness here, but I do know that when the long night of darkness falls, and there''s no light left, humanity still manages to create fire and illuminate its own civilization."


    "Did you hear what those people are shouting?" Victor looked at the scene outside the window and said, "They''re saying they want to eradicate evil, maintain peace. They im they''re here to save this ce..."


    Harvey shook his head, saying, "If it were that simple to save Gotham, I wouldn''t have been lurking all this time without achieving anything."


    "Justice? What gives them the right to define Gotham''s justice? If they''ve never lived in this city, never understood the people and events on thisnd, and can''t empathize with the people here, then their so-called justice will turn into this..."


    As they spoke, both of them turned their gazes to the city where chaos continued.


    They both understood that this wasn''t the pains of a supposed process of transformation. These self-proimed messengers of justice, descending from above, could achieve nothing beyond disrupting the peaceful dreams of the people of Gotham.


    In the central roundabout of Gotham, there was a bustling scene. Thaal held the Green Lantern ring in his hand high and shouted, "Green Lantern, shine forever, unite the shield!"


    All the Green Lanterns who had been driven to the central roundabout stood together. They used the remaining Green Lantern energy to form a shield. Hal, standing beside Thaal, shouted loudly, "Where''s Carol? Why isn''t she here?!"


    "She was attacked by a magician earlier!" Thaal answered, "That magician seemed to have marked her through some curse. Her ring''s energy was depleted, and she''s unconscious!"


    Hal extended his hand, concentrating hard. A rich green light radiated from his hand, causing even Thaal to take notice...


    However, their situation was grim. Bat Wings above them continued to release bombs, the gangs relentlessly fired, and rk watched vigntly. The Green Lanterns had no room to escape.


    "Concentrate your efforts! Bring down that aircraft!" Thaal began directing. The Green Lanterns focused their attention and continuously fired green energy waves, but the Bat Wing agilely evaded.


    At this moment, rk heard Batman''s voiceing from a passing Bat Wing, "Attack!"


    "No, I can''t fight in the city center! It would ruin everything here," rk hesitated.


    "Fight. I can rebuild."


    "No, it would affect many buildings!"


    "I have money!"


    rk was speechless for a moment, but looking at the Green Lanterns organizing their attack, he knew it was time to act.


    rk spread his arms, and a snowstorm swirled around him, apanied by a biting cold. He swooped down like a snow-feathered hawk. As he approached, Thaal shouted, "Concentrate defense! Stop him!"


    Green energy converged toward the direction of rk''s descent, forming a more solid shield. However, upon contact with rk, the shield shattered in an instant.


    "Boom!"


    rk was like a human missile, his aura sending all the Green Lanterns flying.


    Faced with his nearly unstoppable strength, many Green Lanterns couldn''t even muster the strength to stand. Green Lanterns, who relied on their willpower to fight, lost virtually allbat ability once fear set in.


    Even Corps leader Thaal had lost the courage to face rk head-on. He slumped on the ground, slowly closing his eyes.


    But at that moment, an even more intense green light ignited beside him.


    Hal floated in mid-air, facing rk. Thaal saw his ring blinking, indicating low energy. He wanted to remind him, but heard Hal say, "You can''t hurt them. Back off!"


    rk''s biofield grew stronger, Hal''s figure wavered in the storm, and all the Green Lanterns on the ground felt intensely nervous, a sense of despair spreading.


    Suddenly, the dense green light pierced through the storm like a sword. A somewhat ethereal green shark swam out of the clouds.


    Thaal widened his eyes and said, "Green Lantern Beast Ion Shark?! How is this possible?!... Ion Man! Hal is the new Ion Man!"


    The green shark slowly swam into Hal''s body, and a green sun rose from amidst the snowstorm.


    rk refused to back down, emitting a powerful sun-like radiance around him. Just as the two colossal orbs of light were about to collide, a small ck fighter jet maneuvered through the light.


    From within the Bat Wing, a device was thrown out, and Batman said to rk, "Keep going, there''s a call for you!"


    rk''s momentum faltered as he caught the device. He was momentarily stunned but soon the piercing ringtone of the device sounded. He instinctively raised the receiver to his ear.


    "Hello?... Uh, Professor, I''m sorry! Something held me up!... Really? You''ve been waiting for me for a long time? Goodness! I''m truly sorry! I almost forgot why I came here!"


    "Alright, alright, I''ming right over... Oh, please don''t be angry. I''ll exinter. I''m on my way!"


    After ending the call, rk suppressed the radiance around him and said to Hal, "I have urgent matters today. You''ll have to wait for me next time!"


    After speaking, he flew away. Hal hovered in mid-air, arms crossed, watching his departure. The Green Lanterns below were already cheering.


    They chanted the name of Ion Man, and Hal slowlynded in the center of the roundabout. With sufficient Green Lantern energy, he waved his hand, bringing everyone back to headquarters.


    Back at the headquarters'' ground, Thaal let out a sigh of relief. Approaching Hal, he said, "Excellent recruit, your performance exceeded my expectations."


    He nced at Hal''s chest, where the faint image of an Ion Shark was visible. He said, "It seems the Green Lantern Beast Ion Shark has chosen you. You''ve be a unique Ion Man."


    Taking a deep breath, he continued, "After former Green Lantern Corps leader Sinestro defected, I also assumed my position under dire circumstances, with inadequate forethought for various situations."


    Surveying the Green Lanterns, he said, "Hal, without you, we would''ve suffered heavy losses there. You saved everyone and deserve a promotion. From today, you''re an official Green Lantern."


    Everyone cheered, but Thaal gestured for them to lower their voices, saying, "Furthermore, former officer Carol is seriously injured. She''ll need some time to recover. I''d like to invite you to be my deputy topensate for my shorings."


    Hal was about to modestly decline, but Thaal said, "Please don''t refuse. I have a feeling you have the potential to surpass your predecessors. Perhaps, you''ll be the greatest Green Lantern in history..."


    He extended his hand. Hal hesitated for a moment, sighed, and then went forward, shaking Thaal''s hand. Their hands sped firmly together, both sides'' beliefs growing stronger.


    Meanwhile, at Rodriguez Manor, Schiller leaned against the sofa''s backrest. Batman, sitting across from him, asked, "So, you deliberately created so many coincidences, circled around in such a big loop. What exactly were you aiming to achieve?"


    Schiller turned to the side, resting against the armrest of the sofa, and asked, "Remember that mysterious list the CIA agents scoured the entire East Coast for?"


    "You mean the Philby List? What does this have to do with it?"


    Schiller smiled, and when he looked up, Batman was certain he saw a light of wisdom in this Professor''s eyes.


    "Perhaps we''re about to have a ''Hal List.''"


    Within the Green Lantern Corps headquarters, the worn-out and exhausted Green Lanterns had dispersed. Afterpleting the handover of duties with Corps leader Thaal, Hal was the only one left in the central core.


    He sighed with mixed feelings, surveyed his surroundings, which were full of devices and screens he didn''t understand. As he turned his head to the right, he suddenly noticed that one screen was lit up.


    Approaching, he found it seemed to be an office interface Thaal had forgotten to close. Just as he was about to touch it, a line of text appeared on the screen: "Encrypted information, permissions confirming... Confirmationplete."


    Hal didn''t do anything, but his ring on his hand lit up briefly. Immediately afterward, the entire screen was filled with a densely packed array of information.


    There were detailed defense ns for all sectors of the Green Lantern Corps and detailed personal information on all official Green Lanterns.


    Hal''s heart skipped a beat.


    A series of images shed before his eyes: the corridors of Mayor Manor Dark, Aisha and Dick''s enlightening lessons, the mysterious and elderly butler...


    He remembered that among the courses Alfred taught was a skill called... the self-cultivation of a spy.


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 Chapter 486: Codename Emerald (1)

    Chapter 486: Codename Emerald (1)


    In the central core of LightBlink''s Green Lantern headquarters, Hal sat quietly in front of the screen, looking at the information.


    Just a moment ago, his ring reminded him that he could download the necessary information into his ring and ess Green Lantern energy at any time to transfer it into his own mind.


    But Hal didn''t press the confirm button.


    From birth to growing up, Hal always considered himself a good person. While he wasn''t the type to constantly think of others and disregard his own feelings, nor was he a selfless saint, he sometimes acted on impulse, went his own way, argued with his parents, and had conflicts with friends. However, the belief in helping the weak and saving people from danger was deeply ingrained in him.


    Throughout his life, many people had received his help. He had rescued drowning children, stopped robbers on the streets, and assisted homeless beggars even when he wasn''t wealthy. He wasn''t a savior of the world, just an ordinary good person with a conscience.


    Therefore, when facing many significant choices, he would hesitate and feel lost.


    In his view, Earth was his home, where everything he loved resided, and he felt obligated to dedicate all his efforts to protect it.


    During his early days as a Green Lantern, he was exhrated by his newfound superpowers and excitedly shared a lot of information with the Green Lanternwork. Upon realizing the abnormality in this act, he felt guilty for his impulsive actions.


    So, when Schiller approached him, asking for his cooperation in a n to extract energy from the Green Lantern, he agreed.As a Green Lantern, he understood better than Schiller that Green Lantern energy was not an inexhaustible resource. Even if Schiller depleted half of the energy from the Green Lantern headquarters, given enough time, the energy would gradually replenish.


    And now, standing before the core of these confidential information, Hal finally understood that Schiller desired far more than just energy.


    He wanted the entire Green Lantern Corps.


    Only now did Hal piece together the whole picture.


    Initially, Schiller sent Hal to seek help from the Green Lantern Corps and bring back a small team to Gotham to expose them to the dangers of Gotham and trap them there.


    When they were trapped in dire situations, with energy running low, they would inevitably call for reinforcements.


    This way, most of the headquarters'' fighting force would be diverted to Gotham. When they arrived, Schiller would use other means to take them down, leaving all the Green Lanterns, including the Corps'' leader, in a precarious situation.


    At this moment, Hal would step forward, turn the tide, and save the day amidst chaos.


    This was akin to Schiller bringing in countless powerful supporting roles, all to highlight the main character, Hal, and award him with immense credit.


    This credit would not only allow him to skip the novice phase of being a Green Lantern but also elevate him within the Green Lantern Corps, bypassing the long process of umting merits, overseas missions, and the like, straight into the core.


    Thinking of this, Hal sighed inwardly, recalling the words Alfred spoke at mayorManor...


    "When we need a spy in a high position, we generally do three things."


    "First, destabilize the region, so that most of the upper echelons are busy quelling the chaos."


    "Secondly, have other agents create some troubles that only the spy has the capacity to resolve, providing an opportunity for them to take over."


    "Thirdly, take advantage of the chaos to eliminate one or several important figures among the high-ranking personnel, creating vacancies for the spy to fill."


    "Lastly, we no longer need to enforce the spy''s takeover through force, but rather let things naturally progress."


    "If this attempt fails, we will patiently wait for the next opportunity. In a vast institution withplex personnel rtionships, there will always be a chance for us to ce the right person in the right position."


    Hal suddenly realized what seemed absurd to him: Alfred had already given him the answers even before these events had begun.


    Schiller''s actions were traceable; in their field, these were like mathematical forms, well-practiced, refined, summarized, and distilled by countless individuals.


    Hal didn''t know whether the Green Lanterns also employed such tactics, but without a doubt, Schiller''s n had seeded.


    And the only variable left was his choice.


    Hal sat at the table, looking at the smooth desktop reflecting the cool light of the screen ¨C data flowing, points of light blinking, like stars reflected on ake''s surface.


    He understood that Schiller hadn''t told him everything beforehand to give him a chance to choose.


    Hal couldn''tprehend why Schiller had done it this way, why he had staked such significant human and material resources on his whim.


    Could he truly make such an important decision? Could he really be entrusted with the responsibility to choose Earth''s future?


    Batman had the same question.


    Within the manor, he still sat rigidly on the sofa, keeping his back straight and not allowing it to touch the sofa''s backrest. He asked:


    "Actually, you could have done all of this yourself. You have the Green Lantern ring, you''re also a member of the Lantern Corps, your acting and abilities are better than that person named Hal, and most importantly, you would undoubtedly choose Earth."


    "Why are you so sure?" Schiller countered.


    "Because if it weren''t the case, you wouldn''t have orchestrated all of this."


    Batman''s response was a perfectly urate answer. Schiller had gone through all this effort, circled around, elevated Hal, because he hoped to have someone control the Green Lantern Corps, making them stand on Earth''s side.


    However, Batman''s doubt was reasonable ¨C Schiller could have executed all of this himself. He could have masterminded such a significant event, making himself the protagonist, shining bright amid the chaotic downfall of all the Green Lanterns, bing a Hero who saved them from dire situations and receiving people''s admiration, thus stepping into the power core of the Lantern Corps.


    Batman had no doubt that Schiller could do it even better. Although Schiller often imed he was just an ordinary person, when faced with Hal, he would say Hal was the strongest-willed person in the world and that he was far from being like Hal...


    However, Schiller''s way of doing things was predestined ¨C he didn''t need that much physical strength; conversely, the maniptive power ys and political intrigue were far more critical.


    Batman believed that if Schiller sessfully entered the leadership core of the Green Lantern Corps, soon enough, Oa Star would be a sub-domain of Earth.


    "Batman, I think I''ve mentioned this to you before ¨C you''re a bit too focused on efficiency, too oriented towards objectives, to the extent that you sometimes overlook the anciry benefits."


    Schiller ced his ss down and exined, "Indeed, if I were to do it myself, the efficiency would be much higher. I wouldn''t even need to direct this y. I could just follow the regr process, report to Oa Star, train, and quickly climb to the higher echelons of the Green Lantern Corps."


    "But if I did that, I''d still be me. For me, it would merely be a task without much effect of tempering, and it would be rather dull. I''m already standing on Earth''s side, and this matter wouldn''t bring about any change for me."


    "However, Hal is different. Despite his current youth, he possesses boundless potential. What''s even more important is that he hasn''t been brainwashed by the Green Lanterns'' notions of peace and justice. There''s still room for transformation."


    "Since we can use this opportunity to forge a staunch supporter on Earth''s side, why not?"


    Constantine on the other side of the sofa asked again, "The issue is, how can you be so sure that Hal would choose Earth? Even if he''s an Earthling, the abilities of the Green Lantern are so powerful without requiring a cost. What if he bes tempted?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, he should be at the Green Lantern Corps headquarters right now, possibly discovering some confidential information. But given his previous allegiance to the Green Lantern Corps'' ideology, how could his stance suddenly change?" Schiller smiled, poured himself a drink from the bottle, watching the golden liquid flow slowly into the ss. His tone remained calm as he said, "But don''t tell me you all think you were born wless."


    "I certainly..." Constantine was about to acknowledge when he saw Batman squinting at him. The words died on his lips.


    To cover up the awkwardness, Constantine cleared his throat a couple of times and then said, "Well, even if we aren''t born wless, what are you trying to express?"


    "I mean to say that we can give him some time. When he realizes the true nature of the problem, he''ll stand with hispatriots more firmly than anyone else."


    "The true nature of the problem..." Batman slightly drew out his tone at the end. This wasn''tmon; evidently, he had realized something. He continued, "I remember you told a story once ¨C after Space was born, a race called the Space Guardians emerged..."


    "Correct, I remember. I probably told you that they were a wise species, though not always as wise as they''d like to believe."


    Batman seemed to understand something. He said, "No intelligent being can bepletely selfless."


    To some extent, the smarter one is, the more self-interested they be. This statement is correct because intelligent individuals can analyze the gains, losses, and benefits of a matter more clearly and obtain the maximum result at the least cost...


    "However, upholding justice, maintaining peace, aiding the weak ¨C these actions themselves arerge investments but yield almost no returns."


    "Many people refer to the Heroes who are willing to do these things as ''fools'' because their actions appear foolish."


    "Devoting one''s money, energy, time, all of it to weaklings who are seemingly unrted, doesn''t align with the requirements of risk investment theory."


    "Because that itself isn''t an investment." Batman added, "If you''re seeking returns, don''t be a Hero."


    However, this statement made Constantine raise an eyebrow. He paused for a moment, shrugged his shoulders, and muttered to himself, "Alright, you all are Heroes, and I''m the rotten one... I''m just rotten, I''m after returns."


    "Of course..." Schiller''s tone shifted, "While this spirit is admirable, an entirely arduous journey isn''t worthy of promotion. Returns can motivate Heroes to wield greater power. So, my job is to discuss something practical behind this great spirit..."


    "Getting off track." Schiller took a sip of his drink and then said, "I don''t need to guide Hal to reject the others any longer because the group he''s representing has never been about justice, nor is it fair."


    "There''s no true justice in Space; only might prevails. And since everyone wields power, I hope we''re mightier."


    Within the Green Lantern Corps headquarters, Hal ultimately didn''t press the confirmation button. He merely stood up, gazed at everything on Oa Star through the window, turned around, and left the core.


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 Chapter 487: Code Name Emerald (1)

    Chapter 487: Code Name Emerald (1)


    Early the next morning, within the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, Hal had just stepped out of his bedroom when he was greeted by a rather beautiful female Green Lantern.


    Despite her purple skin and six hands behind her, she was quite a stunning beauty. Hal blushed slightly and turned his head away. The female Green Lantern chuckled and then spoke to him:


    "I never thought Ion would be such a shy little boy... Alright, enough joking. The Corps Leader is looking for you. Head to his office after breakfast."


    "Alright... thank you."


    After bidding farewell to the female Green Lantern, Hal took the elevator and arrived at the cafeteria.


    There was an incredible array of beings here, from the Ancient One floating mid-air to spherical creatures bouncing around on the ground, and even a long-necked dinosaur with only its head stretching through a window. Hal walked while marveling at the sights.


    Wherever he went, people praised him endlessly. Even Green Lanterns who hadn''t been part of the action and those who had just returned from guarding sectors couldn''t help but express their admiration after hearing about Hal''s exploits.


    Though the events in Gotham might not have been as grand as some interster wars, they carried an eerie and terrifying quality. All Green Lanterns who had been there could deeply feel the chaos and madness. Their descriptions inevitably became exaggerated as they spread, growing more and more extravagant.


    Hal was praised to the skies by the Green Lanterns, and even his injured adjutant Carol joined in.The one who attacked him was Constantine. Hal hadn''t even exchanged a blow with the magician before unfortunately being defeated. To cover up his own failure, he exaggerated Constantine''s power, iming that Constantine had summoned five or six terrifying hellish demons from who-knows-where, along with summoning magma and hail. He also stated that Constantine used hundreds of arcane spheres, and they battled for hundreds of rounds before he barely lost.


    Other Green Lanterns held simr attitudes, more or less. After all,unching a massive attack on a city only to be defeated made them lose face. By blowing up their opponents'' strength sufficiently, they wouldn''t seem as weak. As a result, every battle report submitted imed that the residents of Gotham were not ordinary Earth people.


    They were chaotic, crazy, elusive, equipped with dozens ofrge bombs each, capable of various magical feats, and seemingly possessed x-ray vision. Not only were they fearless of death, but they were also highly intelligent.


    Likewise, Hal was described as a god descending among them. With the continuous exaggeration, some even began to call Hal the "greatest Green Lantern in history," stating that his unprecedented achievements in saving people should be recorded in history.


    Amidst this chorus of praise, Hal felt somewhat lost. He was acutely aware that the events were far from being as terrifying as they described.


    Perhaps the Green Lanterns had lost with a bit of ack of dignity, but in reality, the losses weren''t significant. The vast majority sustained minor injuries, and the unlucky one with major injuries was Carol, who encountered Constantine. Most had merely depleted their Green Lantern rings'' energy and had experienced significant mental exhaustion. After a night''s rest, they had all returned to duty.


    Still, Hal received an unprecedented wee and gratitude. In the midst of this apuse, he began to feel ufortable. Not only because he had gained recognition without merit, but also because he found the organization''s style somewhat frivolous,cking a serious attitude toward failure.


    There was no reflection on strategic decisions, no tactical analysis and improvement, not even a summarizing meeting. It was as if they just needed to paint the enemies as terrifying cmities and blow up the savior into an unparalleled hero, and the matter would be settled.


    Anyone with a military background would find such an organizational approach rather amateurish.


    With this sentiment in mind, Hal arrived at Thaal''s office. It was a room situated along the corridor next to the core of the central area, just like Hal''s own office.


    He knocked on the door, and Thaal''s voice came from within, saying, "Pleasee in."


    After Hal entered, he noticed that Thaal''s expression was somewhat serious. Before Hal could ask, Thaal spoke, "I saw that you submitted a reportst night about leaving the headquarters. What''s the matter?"


    "Um... things on Earth aren''t fully dealt with yet. I need to handle the aftermath, and the security in the Earth sector also requires maintenance."


    "No, Hal. I received orders to temporarily abandon the sector where Earth is located and give up all security-rted work concerning Earth and Gotham."


    "Why?" Hal widened his eyes in shock and asked.


    Thaal pursed his lips, patted Hal''s shoulder, and said, "You''re just starting out, and you don''t understand the situation. Although I haven''t been the leader of the Green Lantern Corps for long, before this, I was responsible for personnel deployment as well."


    "The security work in sectors varies in importance. We have limited manpower, and the energy of the central power battery is also limited. Therefore, we need to focus on maintaining the more important sectors..."


    "But!" Hal raised his voice, asking, "What defines an important sector? Isn''t Earth important?"


    Thaal sighed, sat behind the desk, and gestured for Hal to sit as well. However, Hal remained standing there, and Thaal said somewhat helplessly, "I know that every Green Lantern feels that the sector where their home is located is the most important. I understand your desire to protect your homnd, but all of this is for the future of the Corps."


    "For us to achieve healthy growth, we must invest our limited resources into the most important ces. The so-called important sectors are actually more prosperous areas, ces with more civilizations, and closer to the headquarters..."


    Thaal wore an expression of difficulty and said, "The sector where Earth is located is rtively remote, and there are fewer civilizations."


    "What''s even more important..." Thaal lowered his head, his tone bing somewhat somber. He said, "This failed operation came at a great cost. We used up half of the energy in the central power battery, over a dozen Green Lanterns were injured, and former adjutant Carol was seriously wounded..."


    "Compared to the strategic position of the sector where Earth is located, this kind of loss is almost uneptable."


    Hal stood silently in ce, looking at Thaal. His Adam''s apple moved, his fingertips trembled, but he still said:


    "What about justice? What about peace?"


    Thaal spread his hands on the table and said, "We need to ensure the healthy growth of the Green Lantern Corps first to bring peace to more civilizations. For this purpose, sacrifices are inevitable."


    "And what about those civilizations that are sacrificed?" Hal continued to ask.


    Thaal sighed again and then said, "I know you were only a surface dweller before, and you''ve only been in space for a short time. You don''t fully understand space. You might not know that among all the civilizations born in space, only about one percent of them can leave theirs and venture into space."


    "Among this one percent of civilizations, only less than one in a thousand can navigate space, join the interster society, and be a part of the space civilization society."


    "And those remaining, no matter where they were born, no matter how splendid they might have been, in the end, they will perish within the cradle of civilization."


    "The development of civilizations depends on various factors. Only a very small fraction of star systems with exceptionally favorable conditions have the potential to give rise to a civilization that can join the interster society. And those star systems are the ones we must focus on safeguarding."


    "But obviously..." Thaal shook his head and said, "Earth is not included in that."


    "I know you''re feeling disappointed. I used to feel the same way," Thaal stood up from the front of the desk and walked up to Hal. He said, "But someday, you will understand that everything is for a greater justice."


    Looking into Thaal''s eyes, Hal fell silent for a moment. Then, he shook his head slowly. His tone had calmed down, but it carried a chilling strength as he said, "Justice dyed is not justice."


    "On the path to greatness, those civilizations you''re leaving behind, the poptions treated as sacrifices, they are vibrant lives, just like my fellow beings on Earth."


    "But if we don''t do this, if we waste our power in ces with no hope, it will only lead to the copse of the Corps. Without the Green Lantern Corps, more civilizations will be engulfed in conflicts."


    Looking into Thaal''s eyes, Hal knew he probably couldn''t persuade him. He said, "I''m sorry, but I can''t ept this reasoning."


    He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and then used his other hand to forcefully remove the Green Lantern ring from his finger.


    "I renounce my identity as a Green Lantern. I''ll return to Earth and fight for my civilization as an ordinary human."


    Thaal''s eyes widened slightly. He had never thought that someone could give up the Green Lantern energy. This easily obtainable and immensely powerful force was like a pie falling from the sky. No one had ever voluntarily relinquished it.


    However, he saw a different kind of power in Hal''s eyes, a power that made his eyes shine like the sun in space.


    "I''ve always believed that my fellow beings and I will create the greatest civilization in this space."


    "Perhaps today I''m leaving, but someday, when humanity ventures deep into space, we will meet again."


    With that, Hal turned and left. Thaal watched his departing figure, and within Hal''s silhouette, he saw the shadows of many individuals who had been hailed as the greatest Green Lanterns in history.


    Yet, Hal was entirely different from these shadows. He didn''t possess the intense green light symbolizing formidable power, nor did he carry the aura of strength. Like all small surface-dwelling creatures, he couldn''t fly, couldn''t teleport, could only tread on the ground step by step.


    But the less capable a species is of flying, the more it yearns to soar. Hal, as an ordinary human, could have chosen to be a Green Lantern and freely soar through space, but he gave that up.


    Thaal thought, perhaps he truly will be the greatest Green Lantern in history... a genuine Green Lantern.


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 Chapter 488: Code Name Emerald (2)

    Chapter 488: Code Name Emerald (2)


    Hal was feeling somewhat agitated. Even though he had decided to relinquish his identity as a Green Lantern, the recent events left him with a sense of empty frustration swirling in his mind.


    What had he done recently?


    It seemed like he had done a lot: assisting Schiller with his n, engaging in a fight with the citizens of Gotham, taking over as adjutant at the Green Lantern Corps headquarters, and then resigning within less than a day.


    There had indeed been a lot happening during this period, and it left him feeling somewhat weary. But in reality, none of these actions had achieved any results. He hade full circle, returning to being an ordinary person.


    Did power and justice need to coexist? Which was the right path to pursue, power or justice? Must absolute justice be abandoned during the pursuit of power? Justice without the assurance of power was mere empty talk, just as power without the safeguard of justice was tyranny...


    As Hal pondered these questions, he slowly walked back, lost in thought. When he removed the Green Lantern ring, he hadn''t even considered how he was going to get back. However, he soon had no time to contemte that.


    Just as he was about to reach his former quarters through the covered bridge, a group of people intercepted him. Leading them was a fairly senior Green Lantern. He said, "I apologize, but the Deputy Leader wishes to see you."


    "The Deputy Leader?" Hal asked with some confusion.


    "Correct. He was leading a patrol in a nearby sector and just returned today. Upon hearing of your heroic deeds, he wanted to meet you.""I''m sorry, but I''m no longer a Green Lantern. Let me leave," Hal said, then attempted to pass through the group. However, the leading Green Lantern raised his arm and blocked Hal.


    Hal looked into his eyes, but the leader of the Green Lanterns remained unmoved. Hal shifted his gaze away and said, "Lead the way."


    If anyone familiar with Hal were nearby, they would see his mouth tightening into a straight line, a sign of his diminishing patience.


    Passing through the covered bridge and stepping into the elevator, as the elevator ascended, Hal witnessed the tranquility that enveloped the entire Oa Star City. Everyone was going about their tasks, Green Lanterns were moving in pairs through the uniquely shaped buildings,ughter and conversations filled the air, as if nothing had happened the day before.


    Back in the corridor once more and in front of the office door, the Green Lantern leader knocked on the door, and Hal entered.


    The person standing opposite him was entirely different in temperament and appearance from Thaal. He seemed quite refined, with light grey skin, but his physique and facial features were identical to humanity''s. He even wore goggles simr to sses over his eyes.


    "Hello, I''m Owen," the Deputy Leader spoke first, but Hal was gradually losing his patience. He said, "Hello, I''m Hal. You''ve seen me, can I leave now?"


    "Why do you want to leave here, Hal?" Though Owen phrased it as a question, his tone didn''t carry any uncertainty. Instead, it held an implicit reproach.


    "You''ve just achieved a remarkable victory. You''ve been hailed as a hero by all the Green Lanterns. Leading them out of the dark Abyss, you''ve returned triumphantly. So why would you leave at this moment of celebration?"...


    "Victory?" Hal asked. "Do you consider that a victory?"


    "Why wouldn''t it be? You saved everyone. You''re the new hero of the Green Lantern Corps, possibly the greatest Green Lantern in history. Can''t that be called a victory?"


    As he spoke, Owen chuckled and slung an arm over Hal''s shoulder. He said, "True, there were some minor ws in the process, but without a doubt, this will be the most splendid victory of your career."


    Walking forward with Hal, Owen retrieved a set of materials from a nearby desk. He said, "I''ve received orders. In two weeks, we will be awarding you. You will receive the Bright Badge of the Green Lantern Corps and be elected the Best Green Lantern Warrior of this star year. You''ll lead the parade in next year''s ceremony."


    Owen raised his hand, gesturing to Hal, and described, "Do you know how big an honor this is? Every Green Lantern on this aspires to this. It signifies the most glorious day in their careers."


    "Apuse, cheers, praise¡ªyou will be a hero people talk about, and your heroic deeds will be forever recorded in history..."


    However, Hal''s expression turned into a wry smile. He said, "All the greatest Green Lanterns in history get this treatment, right?"


    Owen''s smile gradually faded from his face. He released his arm from Hal and walked to the opposite side, looking into Hal''s eyes. He said, "It seems youe from a clever civilization, which reminds you of certain things from your homnd, doesn''t it?"


    "Since that''s the case, I don''t want to beat around the bush with you."


    Owen adjusted his sses on his face and began pacing around the room. He said, "Sinestro, the once-greatest Green Lantern, defected from the Green Lantern Corps. This is an unprecedented heinous event in the course of millennia."


    "The leader of the Green Lantern Corps betrayed the Corps, making us aughingstock in space. Our prestige plummeted, and even the weaker civilizations in the peripheral sectors no longer wee us."


    "We need a hero, a great and shining hero, to lead the Green Lantern Corps out of this predicament!"


    "Do you know, Hal? The current Corps leader, Thaal, was appointed in a time of crisis. He''s not suited for this position. And you¡ªyou are the best candidate for Corps leader."


    Owen turned his head to look out the window, where numerous Green Lanterns were flying. He continued, "You will take charge of this powerful Corps. All civilizations in space will respect you, and you will bring peace and justice to the entire universe. How splendid..."


    "I refuse."


    As Hal''s voicended, it was like a thunderp in the clear sky. Owen abruptly turned, his gaze coldly fixed on Hal. Hal repeated, "I refuse."


    "Have you gone mad?" Owen''s voice grew colder. "You would be the leader of the Green Lantern Corps,manding the entire Corps, bing the greatest Green Lantern!"


    "I''ll say it onest time. I refuse."


    Hal raised the Green Lantern ring he had been gripping in his hand. He said, "When it first sought me out, the visions of peace and justice it depicted deeply moved me. It gave me a sense of purpose in life. I felt that dedicating my life to the cause of great justice would leave me with no regrets."...


    "But now, you and your rhetoric make me feel deeply disgusted."


    With that, he tossed the ring away. When the metallic ring struck Owen''s chestte, the impact resounded even more intensely than thunder, almost deafening.


    Hal wanted to turn and leave, but suddenly, a powerful surge of emerald light¡ªHavok¡ªstruck him, sending him flying. With a resounding thud, he crashed into the wall and slumped to the ground.


    "Cough, cough..." Hal coughed forcefully, feeling that his ribs were likely broken. He saw Owen approaching with a fierce expression. He heard Owen''s voice, distorted with anger.


    "I don''t understand why they chose you! A mere bumpkin from a backwater vige, just happened to get lucky and saved that bunch of losers, and now you''ve caught their favor. They actually want to mold you into a hero!"


    "They? Cough, cough... Who are they?" Suppressing the pain, Hal breathed rapidly and asked.


    "You can''t understand them, because you''re nothing more than a lowly creature that can''t even fly. But they¡ªthey are an advanced civilization that originated in the earliest days of space. They possess technology beyond your imagination. They''re the ones who created the Green Lantern Corps. I call them the Guardians of Space..."


    Hal kept coughing, feeling his breathing bingbored. The Green Lantern ring he had thrown suddenly lifted into the air, seemingly flying toward him, but Owen swiped it away with a wave of his hand.


    "I''m tempted to kill you, but I can''t defy their orders. So, you''d better behave and listen..."


    With a loud bang, the door swung open. Thaal, the leader of the Green Lantern Corps, entered the room. He said to Owen, "Stop! You''ve gone too far, Owen!"


    "Thaal, are you suggesting you''d defy their orders?"


    "They didn''t tell you to injure him." Thaal looked at Hal lying on the ground. He said, "You injuring him, or forcing him to do something, won''t help. If he can''t call the Green Lantern ring on his own, what kind of Green Lantern hero is he?"


    "Stop telling me what to do, Thaal. You should know, if it weren''t for your petty scheming, this position should rightfully be mine!"


    Thaal sighed and said, "Everything you have is given by them, so you treat them like gods. But have you ever thought why they don''t want you to be the Corps leader? Because you aren''t truly a Green Lantern. Your ring is specially crafted, and you..."


    "Boom!" A thick beam of green light struck Thaal, sending him flying. Thaal''s shields lit up, but Owen raised a sword made of green light and charged at him.


    "Stop!" Hal shouted.


    But Owen showed no intention of stopping. He seemed to have been driven to madness. Haly on the ground, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.


    Then, he began to levitate, a more intense green light radiating from within him. The ion shark, which hadn''t appeared since he removed the ring, materialized once again from his chest.


    His wounds healed, his strength restored, energy replenished, Hal stretched his body in midair. The green light within him resembled a solid emerald, like a lush forest. He was different from everyone else, yet more beautiful than them all.


    In a moment, arge green hand grabbed Owen, lifting him into the air. Owen struggled while turning his head, spotting the ring still floating in the distance and Hal''s empty finger. He shouted:


    "This can''t be!


    You don''t have a ring!


    How is this possible..."


    "Yeah," Hal said with a sigh, as if reflecting. "I don''t have a ring, yet I can still wield the power of the Green Lantern. So, what''s the use of the ring? Who created it? And who''s controlling it?"


    "Greater justice..." Hal took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. A thousand words were swallowed back, and ultimately, he said nothing.


    "Let him go, Hal! You can''t kill in the Green Lantern Corps headquarters. It will trigger an rm. Put him down quickly!"


    Thaal kept trying to dissuade him, but he didn''t hold much hope. Hal was clearly furious to the extreme. Anyone who had been ambushed like this wouldn''t spare their assant.


    However, what surprised him was that therge green hand actually let go. As the green light dissipated, Halnded gently. He approached Thaal, helping him up.


    Thaal sighed and told Hal, "You better leave. If theye, you won''t be able to escape."


    He looked into Hal''s eyes and said, "I alsoe from a remote sector. My civilization hasn''t established a nation yet, but that''s not important. It''s forever my home. One day, I will return there."


    "After returning to Earth, don''te back." Thaal turned and walked toward Owen.


    But at that moment, he saw Hal turning and walking toward the ring, picking it up and cing it back on his finger. Then he asked, "When is the ceremony?"


    Thaal saw Hal standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, his back facing the light outside, his expression shrouded in darkness.


    Hal''s eyes were half-closed, devoid of anger and sadness, only a kind of inscrutable calmness.


    Inside the Manor, as the night passed, the dawn''s light rose from the horizon. A ring emanating green light soared through the brilliant light and stopped in front of Schiller.


    Schiller reached out, his fingertip touching the ring for a moment. Countless pieces of information flooded into his mind. In the final moments of these transmissions, he heard a somewhat sighing voice:


    "Hal Jordan is online, codename... Emerald."


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 Chapter 489: Rising to Wealth (1)

    Chapter 489: Rising to Wealth (1)


    Inside the Manor, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting clear shadows of the fine carpet''s tufts. As leather shoes touched the carpet''s edge, Merkel, wearing a shirt, leaned forward over the table and reached for the Earth device on the shelf.


    The Earth device had been unused for a long time, gathering ayer of dust. Merkel gently wiped its surface with a cloth. Just then, footsteps approached from behind. Merkel turned around and found Schiller walking in.


    "Good afternoon, sir... Oh, what''s that?" Merkel first greeted normally, then looked with a hint of confusion at what Schiller was holding.


    "Yesterday, Victor and I went to an antique shop in the West District and found something interesting." Schiller shook the item in his hand, making a clinking sound.


    It was a wooden frame adorned with numerous wooden beads. Schiller tilted it, and Merkel could see the whole thing. He asked, "Is that... an abacus? How did you be interested in this?"


    "An abacus, an ancient calcting tool. I prefer it over calctors. It makes a satisfying sound when the beads collide, much more pleasant than the synthesized electronic sounds of calctors."


    Schiller said while sitting down at the table with the abacus in his hand. He squinted and looked at the wall clock. Merkel took a step to the side, ensuring he wouldn''t obstruct Schiller''s gaze.


    However, Schiller only nced at the clock casually before lowering his head and began manipting the wooden abacus.


    It was evident that the abacus was an antique. Fortunately, the aged wood made for a smooth texture. Schiller supported his head with one hand while continuously moving the abacus beads with the other.After watching for a while, Merkel realized that Schiller wasn''t randomly moving the beads. He seemed to be genuinely performing calctions, with both his hands and mouth engaged.


    Merkel found his employer increasingly entric. Changes in his routines and habits could be epted, but he used to treasure the Earth device like a treasure. However, at some point, it was discarded while the previously despised cane started to be frequently used, its top showing signs of worn-off varnish.


    Today, he had somehow obtained an abacus, and he actually learned abacus calctions. He seemed intent on using this ancient method to calcte something.


    "Sir, if what you''re calcting is important, I can fetch a calctor for you. I''m not doubting your ability with the abacus, but numbers and ounts are prone to errors. Rectifying misunderstandings might consume a considerable amount of your time."


    "No worries, it''s not something important." Schiller made the abacus beads tter. "I''m just practicing abacus calctions, getting ready for a potential surge in bookkeeping..."


    "A surge in bookkeeping?" Merkel became even more puzzled. However, at that moment, as Schiller nced at his wristwatch, Merkel heard the doorbell ring downstairs.


    Merkel was surprised and turned his ear towards the sound. He then quickly walked to the door, looked downstairs, and said, "I recall that there''s no appointment scheduled for today?"


    "Indeed, because the visitor doesn''t understand the concept of appointments."


    Merkel put down the Earth device he was holding and, upon reaching the ground floor, he spotted a figurezily leaning against the door. Even from a distance, he recognized that no one but Constantine could act like that.


    "Good morning, Merkel. Is Schiller here?" Constantine didn''t treat himself as an outsider at all. He walked inside without waiting, and it was Merkel, the butler, who had to follow him.


    "Mr. Constantine, you must call ahead for an appointment. Only then can I ascertain whether Mr. Schiller is avable today. Without a prior arrangement, what if you happen to visit when Mr. Schiller is upied? Wouldn''t it be a wasted trip?"


    "Forget it!" Constantine waved his hand. "What could he possibly be busy with? Eating, sleeping, polishing his shabby umbre? He only works four hours a day. The remaining twenty hours, he locks himself in his study to research conspiracies..."


    "You''d better not say that." Merkel followed behind Constantine, but Constantine increased his pace, walking quickly. He crossed the courtyard and ascended the staircase. Taking a few steps, he reached the study where Schiller was.


    Schiller was still seated behind the table covered in books, manipting the abacus. When Constantine entered, Schiller didn''t even lift an eyelid. He just extended a finger towards the chair opposite him.


    Constantine flipped the hem of his overcoat and sat down across from Schiller. Schiller gave Merkel a brief nce. Merkel closed the curtains, shut the door, and stood by the table.


    Constantine looked up at him and then said, "Next, we''re going to have a private conversation..."


    Merkel made a "please" gesture and stood still. Constantine stared at him, clicked his tongue, and then said, "My conversation with your boss might involve some confidential matters. Don''t you think you should..."


    "Sir, you''re British, and you should know that a butler doesn''t exist in this Manor, at any time."


    Constantine sighed in frustration, then looked at Schiller. Schiller seemed indifferent, still absorbed in manipting the abacus. When Constantine looked back at Merkel, all he saw was Merkel''s typical British-style forced smile.


    "Fine, let''s talk about mypensation next." Constantine tapped the table with his finger.


    Schiller finally stopped manipting the abacus. He looked down, opened a drawer of the desk, took out a set of documents, and handed them to Constantine. "This is a detailed ount. Take a look. Do you have any questions?"


    Constantine took the documents. As he looked at the first page, he froze. He pointed at a line and said, "Reimbursement from the Green Lantern Corps? What does this mean?"


    "Literally," Schiller replied without looking up.


    "Are you saying that the Green Lantern Corps is actually paying my sry?"


    "No, I''m the one paying your sry. But I also need to seek reimbursement from the Green Lantern Corps. Don''t forget, I am a Green Lantern, and ording to the rules in the ring, the Green Lantern Corps headquarters is responsible for covering the expenses of anyw enforcement activities in my assigned sector."


    Constantine opened his mouth wide. He said, "So, you''re saying you dragged down the first batch of Green Lanterns, positioned the second batch to intercept them at the Central Roundabout, and ambushed Deputy Carol. These were all part of your strategic n. And you intend for the Green Lantern Corps headquarters to reimburse you for the expenses incurred by this n?"


    "Correct. Before I executed this n, I was already a member of the Green Lantern Corps, a legitimate Green Lantern. The ring''s rules state that the Green Lantern Corps will cover all expenses incurred by a Green Lantern in maintaining order in their designated sector. Any issues with that?"


    "You..." Constantine was unusually lost for words. He thought for a while, and even the muscles on his face seemed to assist in his thinking. After a long pause, he finally blurted out a question:


    "Don''t you find yourself a bit unscrupulous?"


    "Keep reading," Schiller continued to manipte the abacus nonchntly.


    Constantine gathered his thoughts and looked back down at the document. As he read, he muttered to himself, "Attendance fees... travel expenses... hourly rates... all calcted based on the energy of the green light from the ring? It seems fine. An attendance fee of twenty units of green light energy? That''s eptable..."


    "Wait!" Constantine suddenly eximed.


    "Expenditure on magical equipment: 380,000 items? Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands... 380,000?!"


    Constantine extended his hand, counting on his fingers. Then he looked up at Schiller and asked, "You just wrote down some random number, didn''t you?"


    Schiller also looked up at him, maintaining direct eye contact. Constantine hesitated again and asked, "Is that right?"


    Schiller continued looking at him without saying a word. Constantine closed his eyes, rubbed his forehead, put the document down, and then looked at Schiller. "I thought you''d have a basic understanding of magic."


    "The entire Earth... Oh, no, ording to their terms, the entire sector where Earth is located, probably doesn''t possess more than 38 items that could be considered magical artifacts."


    "I''ve said it before, magices with a price, and a significant one at that. You can''t just hire a devil to craft artifacts for you for free. Even the most basic enchantment weapons might require you to sacrifice your soul..."


    "Even those sorcerers who have their own towers in the rift space, having a genuine magical artifact is already quite impressive. But for wanderer sorcerers like me, we don''t even have one."


    Schiller continued to stare at him without speaking. After a while, Constantine finally gave in. He said, "Alright, I admit, there might be one or two, but I''ve hidden them away."


    Schiller kept his gaze on him, and Constantine sighed in resignation, saying, "Fine, there are around five, and that includes pots and pans for making magical pigments..."


    Schiller raised an eyebrow, and Constantine looked at him. Finally, Constantine raised both hands and said, "Okay! Okay! I probably have more than six hundred items in my hiding ce..."


    "But, you have to understand, my situation is unique. I''m good at making friends, whether in heaven or hell, I have a fair share of good buddies. When they heard I moved into a new ce, they were willing to help, and some even do business with me, just like you. So, I can get somepensation..."


    "However, in this world, most sorcerers don''t even have a decent weapon. Regardless, the number 380,000 is way too exaggerated!"


    "Who are you?" Schiller suddenly asked this question.


    "Who am I? I''m Constantine, who else?"


    "No, I mean your title."


    "Uh, I have a title called Hellzer, but I''ve told you before, I''m not a detective. Hellzer is more focused on hell."


    "How''s your reputation?"


    Constantine made a face as if he knew where this was going, and Schiller said, "Correct, it''s downright rotten."


    "A newly minted Green Lantern named Schiller Rodriguez, faced with Gotham''s hellish challenges right from the start. But he''s driven by justice, devising a series of ns to save this ce."


    "At the beginning of this n, he tapped into about half of the central power battery''s energy. However, he realized that even this energy wasn''t enough to stem the tide. So, he had to write checks he couldn''t cash yet, hiring many capable individuals, including you, Constantine."


    "And due to your rotten reputation, you demanded a hefty price. But that''s expected, right?"


    "But how could they agree to such tant extortion?"


    "But if they don''t agree, you''d have a reason to plunder, right? After all, you''re a rotten person."


    "I..." Constantine was caught off guard, and he said, "I acknowledge that I''m a rotten person, but not that rotten. Many times, I do honor my contracts. You''re tarnishing my professional reputation, you..."


    "Give you an extra ten percent when it''s done."


    "Twenty percent!"


    "Deal."


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 Chapter 490: Little Prodigies of Getting Rich (1)

    Chapter 490: Little Prodigies of Getting Rich (1)


    After seeing off Constantine, Merkel took a cloth and meticulously wiped the chairs and tables he had upied, his feelings of disdain almost visibly written on his face.


    Just as he finished these tasks, the second expected visitor arrived. As Merkel went downstairs to wee him, he saw Bruce standing outside Manor.


    Bruce had a prior appointment, so Merkel was much more enthusiastic. He walked up to open the door for Bruce. Once Bruce entered the Manor, he headed straight for Schiller''s study as if he knew the way by heart.


    Upon entering the study, Bruce''s gaze fell upon the abacus. Seeing Schiller manipting the abacus while examining a set of bills, he instantly knew the topic of discussion for today.


    "You''ve arrived? Please, have a seat," Schiller gestured to the chair opposite. After Bruce sat down, Schiller nced at him. Just as he was about to speak, Bruce interjected, "I''ll have my paperpleted by tomorrow."


    Sighing, Schiller was about to speak again, but Bruce continued, "I''ve written over 3000 words."


    Bruce spoke once more before Schiller could say anything, "I haven''t deviated from the topic this time, and I''ve meticulously reviewed the symbols."


    With another sigh, Schiller said, "You''re quick to respond, but that''s not what I wanted to discuss today."


    A trace of surprise appeared on Bruce''s typically expressionless face, and his eye contact with Schiller resembled someone looking at a parrot that had sprouted a second head overnight.Schiller extended his hand to Bruce and said, "Remember what we discussed over the telephone? The detailed bill for the Gotham reconstruction andpensation?"


    Bruce handed over a set of documents to Schiller. As Schiller began flipping through the pages, he furrowed his brows upon looking at the first page. He said, "I forgot to mention, the unit for this reimbursement bill isn''t in dors; it''s in Green Lantern rings."


    "So you''re suggesting we requestpensation from the Green Lantern Corps?" Bruce immediately grasped Schiller''s intention, but he shook his head and said, "They won''tpensate. If they truly cared about humanity, they wouldn''t have recklessly descended here and left this ce in ruins."


    "That''s not important; we just need a pretext."


    "If they refusepensation, what''s your n?"


    With a sigh, Schiller looked at Bruce and said, "Let me reiterate, it''s not about me sending a bill over to the other side for them to decide onpensation."


    "If they declinepensation, are you nning to cause another major incident, perhaps even bombing their homeworld?"


    Schiller''s expression paused for a moment. Seeing that, Bruce''s expression also stiffened as he stared at Schiller and asked, "You''re not seriously considering that, are you?"


    Schiller coughed a couple of times and awkwardly shifted the topic. He said, "I know, the usual procedure is that we send thepensation bill to the other side, and if they disagree, we proceed with legal actions. But the problem is, they are the court themselves."


    "In space, there''s no third party with the authority to arbitrate in this matter. Or even if there were, engaging with them prematurely wouldn''t be in our favor..."


    "So, I don''t intend to go through the legal process with them. Haven''t you forgotten? We have our people on the other side."


    "I''ve researched it before. The structure of the Green Lantern Corps is quite simple, even somewhat rudimentary. The Corps'' leader usually has two assistants¡ªone handles external military affairs, and the other manages internal matters, mainly personnel and finances."


    "But, because Sinestro defected from the Green Lantern Corps earlier, the current leader of the Corps is acting under emergency orders. He hasn''t been able to find two deputies, so both aspects of these duties are consolidated under one person. And now, that person is Hal."


    "I believe you''ve already noticed that the responsibilities are highly unified, yet there''s ack of corresponding oversight system. This leads to many feasible actions, skipping the process of legal procedures or the threat of force, achieving the same goal."


    While Schiller was speaking, Bruce kept his eyes fixed on him. After hearing him out, Bruce said, "It seems your anxiety disorder is indeed severe, to the extent of split personality. Who are you, really?"


    "I''m Schiller, but if the familiar Professor Schiller were to hear your words, your final grades could be in danger," Schiller shook his head and said.


    Bruce''s expression first showed surprise, then quickly turned into his ssic skeptical look. However, before he could ask further, Schiller held up the bill and said, "Even if the prices listed here are in dors, they''re likely too conservative."


    "The loss of a red and green lights at Central Roundabout? The term ''red and green light'' isn''t urate, did you forget? Initially, Gordon took your Bat-Signal, modified it into the red and green lights at Central Roundabout."


    "What technology does your Bat-Signal use?... Never mind, I wouldn''t understand it anyway. Let''s just write ''nuclear fusion''."


    Schiller put on his sses, pushed the bill a bit farther away, and continued to frown as he carefully examined it. Soon, he said, "Damage to the asphalt pavement... well, you''re calling the ground copsing by 3.5 meters ''damage to the pavement''?"


    "Let me think, your Batcave has an underground section, right? Do you have and permit?"


    "Later, go see the mayor. Consider the Batcave as a public building portion of Central Roundabout, count it as shared space. Report it as a building fire, important equipment damage. As for what equipment is important, that''s up to you, Victor, and the other technical personnel."


    "What else? Oh, here, the rebuilding of this part also needs a change."


    "Didn''t we discuss this during transportation nning? When Central Roundabout was first established, its limitations were significant due to its small area. So, widen it a bit."


    "How much wider?"


    "2000 kilometers?"


    "...I''m afraid the Soviet Union wouldn''t agree." Bruce responded with an expressionless face. "If you n to turn the entire Pacific Ocean into Gotham''s transportation hub, you''ll need negotiations with the Kremlin first."


    "Well, let''s repair it ording to the damaged area for now. How big is it roughly?"


    "The diameter was increased to 1.5 times the original size. ording to a joint report from the City nning Department and the Gotham University Architecture Department, it''s sufficient."


    Schiller sighed deeply. He nced at Merkel beside him and asked, "Can''t we just make a Telephone call to the Kremlin?"


    Bruce just looked at him with that ssic expression, not saying a word. Schiller lowered his head and continued to read the report. Then he pointed to one of the items and said, "The warehouse damage is a major issue."


    Schiller pondered for a moment and said, "Do you have any moonnding nstely?"


    Upon hearing this question, Bruce''s expression subtly changed. Seeing Bruce''s expression, Schiller''s expression also stiffened. He said, "You''re not seriously nning a moonnding, are you?"


    Bruce remained expressionless, and Schiller sighed, returning his gaze to the bill. "Warehouse goods filled with Space engines and their apanying parts, reporting goods damage, and then reporting electronic waste disposal fees, chemical waste disposal fees, radiation and hazardous waste disposal fees..."


    "Are you trying to mortgage a from them?"


    Schiller shook his head and said, "I don''t want massiveary waste, energy is enough."


    He set the bill aside and looked at Bruce, saying, "When the military requests annual funding to attack oil-producing countries, it''s not fundamentally because they covet the desert itself but rather the oil fields beneath it."


    "The Emotional Spectrum is equivalent to the oil fields in space. Currently, Humanitycks the ability forrge-scale development of this ''oil field.'' At this point, we have two choices. Either, like I did before, steal some of it the clumsy way, but that method is highly dangerous, unsustainable, and genuinely troublesome."


    "There''s another option, simr to what the military and we are currently doing: instigate a war, create a lot of trouble, shuffle things internally, nt our own people, gradually undermine the leadership, and then make a portion of them willingly sell the ''oil'' to us."


    "So, from now on, you will..."


    Schiller put away the bills, gently flicked the beads on the abacus, and then revealed a smile on Bruce''s face that he had never seen before.


    The next day, at the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, within a detention cell, Deputy Corps Leader Owen stared intently at Hal in front of him. However, Hal no longer spoke to him in an angry tone as before; instead, he spoke calmly:


    "I imagine you must be angry now, feeling that I''ve obtained everything that you should have had. But I must tell you, anger won''t help."


    "Are you here to mock me?!" Owen yelled angrily, but he had been deprived of his Green Lantern ring and was powerless in the face of Hal''s intense green light.


    "Stay calm. To some extent, I can understand you. Don''t you think the Green Lantern selection mechanism is somewhat unreasonable?"


    Owen continued to stare at Hal coldly, but it was evident he was waiting for Hal''s next words.


    Hal turned the ring on his hand and then said, "In my homnd, I wasn''t outstanding. Before receiving the ring, I was practically unknown, earning a meager sry while doing dangerous work."


    "In my homnd, there are many individuals more powerful than me. They are smarter, have more foresight, but just because of an intangible willpower, they were kept outside the door of this ''strong power.''"


    "I believe you might be in a simr situation, right?" Hal looked into Owen''s eyes. Owen turned his head away to avoid eye contact, but from the tightly pressed corners of his mouth, it was clear that Hal hit the mark.


    "I assume that in your homnd, you were a standout. Educated well from a young age, quite talented, achieved significant aplishments as you grew up, probably considering yourself a genius with exceptional intelligence. But the Green Lantern didn''t ''choose'' you..."


    "That''s enough!" Owen''s tone was suppressing anger, as if someone had touched upon a scar in his heart. He said, "If you came here to mock me, you''ve seeded. So, can you just leave now?"


    Hal crossed his arms, maintaining his calm demeanor, and said, "I''m not here to mock you from the perspective of a sessful person. I want to tell you that I also find this unfair."


    "My homnd is in a remote area, but there are many geniuses there. They''re just excluded by these rigid rules. On the other hand, in certain prosperous sectors, more people can obtain this ''strong power.'' I find that to be unjust."


    "If my homeworld could produce several Green Lanterns, maybe we would have already soared out of space. Since I''ve reached this position, why can''t I seek some benefits for myself and my homnd?"


    Owen turned his head, looking into Hal''s eyes. He didn''t see any hint of jesting in Hal''s gaze. Suddenly, he gave a cold smile and said, "I knew it. All those who talk about justice are just wearing masks."


    "Thaal is the Corps Leader, and you''re the Deputy Corps Leader. Whom to please and whom to do business with, isn''t that clear enough? But simrly, who to do business with is equally clear."


    "What do you want?" Owen stared at Hal and asked.


    "I''ve already said..." Hal leaned closer to Owen and then looked at him, saying, "No matter how we got to this position, we can unite and reim what''s rightfully ours."


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 Chapter 491: Budding Entrepreneurship (2)

    Chapter 491: Budding Entrepreneurship (2)


    In the office of Corps Leader Thaal, after delivering the documents, Hal turned to leave but was stopped by Thaal.


    Thaal, ncing over the documents, said, "To be honest, I''m surprised you forgave Owen. It seems you''re a magnanimous person."


    Hal paused and then said, "It''s not that I forgave him. I just know that the headquarters needs manpower right now, and he often handles the bureaucratic work. Without him, we wouldn''t be able to manage so much."


    Thaal sighed, expressing some sentiment, "Since Sinestro''s betrayal, they''ve been closely monitoring the headquarters. I''ve heard..."


    Thaal lowered his voice and said, "They''re intentionally forming a special constabry unit. The members of this unit won''t be Green Lanterns recognized by the Green Lantern ring, but rather, they''ll be Green Lantern constructs they''ve created."


    "You''ve seen Owen''s situation before. That was an experiment they conducted. They''ve been trying various methods to extract Green Lantern energy, and the Green Lantern ring is just one of them."


    "Will they seed?" Hal asked.


    "I don''t know, but if they do, our situation won''t be good." Thaal appeared somewhat concerned, and Hal could understand him. Anyone knows how terrifying a dedicated oversight constabry can be.


    Moreover, Green Lanterns are bound by certain regtions within the Green Lantern ring; they can''t use lethal force. However, if the constabry is created, it''s uncertain whether they''ll be restricted in the same way. But if they aren''t, a terrifying purge might be on the horizon."I''m sorry, Hal, for involving you in this matter," Thaal said, averting his gaze to the report, but his thoughts were wandering far away.


    "Earth is simr to my homeworld. It''s very difficult for remote ces like ours to enter space. Just when a standout appears, they''re not born in the right era."


    Hal walked back and stood opposite Thaal, saying, "Is that so? I don''t think so."


    "You don''t understand the gravity of the situation, Hal. In reality, they pushed me into this position because I don''t have a civilization backing me. If they put forth a Corps Leader from an advanced civilization andter try to rece him, they''ll face resistance from the civilization behind him."


    "But I... I''m just a bumpkin from a small ce. After years at the headquarters, I''ve only managed to secure the position of Deputy Corps Leader''s assistant. But when this position was handed to me, I knew what they were up to. Yet, despite that, I had to embark on this path, even if it might lead to a dead end."


    Hal fell silent. He looked at Thaal''s face; Thaal''s appearance closely resembled Humanity''s, making it easier for him to understand the emotions conveyed through Thaal''s expression.


    But Hal didn''t say anything. He wanted to turn and leave the room. Just as he pushed open the door, Thaal uttered a puzzled sound, "Hmm?"


    "Wait! Hal,e back!" Thaal called Hal back, frowning, and looked at the report, saying, "I''m having a bit of trouble understanding the financial report regarding Earth''s aftermath..."


    "Oh, really? But this part wasn''t done by me." Hal revealed a slightly embarrassed expression. Thaal nced at him and said, "If there''s something, just say it. No need to beat around the bush."


    Hal sighed and said, "Actually, I was doing this part of the work, but Owen said I''m from Earth. If I handled it myself, I would definitely be biased, so he took over this task."


    Thaal furrowed his brows, seemingly a bit dissatisfied with Owen''s approach, but he couldn''t find any fault. Indeed, Green Lantern Corps had such regtions; it''s necessary to avoid bias when dealing with one''s own sector.


    Thaal tapped the table and said, "Go find Owen. I can''t quite understand the report he submitted."


    After a while, Hal brought Owen over. Owen''s face was impatient, his expression as gloomy as the bottom of a pot. Thaal didn''t mind and asked, "Regarding the increased budget for energy usage in Gotham''s aftermath work that you mentioned in the report, what''s the situation? Isn''t the existing budget sufficient?"


    "Don''t even mention it!"


    Owen scoffed, saying, "It was that Schiller Rodriguez who wasted half the energy before. He''s the one responsible for this mess."


    "Do you think he managed to survive in Gotham for so long all by himself? On his own merits? Impossible! Do you believe that everyone is some kind of greatest Green Lantern?" Owen''s tone was dripping with sarcasm, but Thaal still patiently inquired, "So, what did he do? And how does it rte to the budget?"


    "He made empty promises and wrote big checks. He hired quite a few mercenaries, including the famous Constantine from the Spirit World."


    "Spirit World? I''m not quite familiar with that. What happened with him?"


    "You don''t need to understand. Just know that he''s a meddlesome person, an ultimate opportunist. If we don''t pay, he will surely create trouble all the way to headquarters. Moreover, this guy is very mystical. Those who oppose him, as well as his teammates, will meet gruesome ends."


    Owen took a deep breath and reluctantly said, "Unless we get rid of him, we''re going to be sickened."


    "But that''s also unavoidable. If it were you, enduring in Gotham for so long, could you do it without external help?" Hal retorted loudly.


    "That''s not a reason to promise him a huge sum of money! Do you know how tight our energy resources are right now? Charging times for more than a hundred sectors'' power batteries have been postponed!" Owen also shouted loudly.


    Seeing that the two were about to argue, Thaal hurried to mediate. He said, "Alright, that''s somewhat understandable, but Gotham demandspensation. This..."


    "These damn surface-dwellers somehow found a way tomunicate with space. They said that if we don''tpensate them, they''ll make a fuss about it..."


    Owen rubbed his forehead with his finger and said, "Our reputation has already taken a massive hit. If another disturbance arises from this matter, Green Lantern Corps'' prestige will be severely shaken."


    "Of course, they''re proposing those terms with absurdly high demands. I won''t pay them the full amount." Owen crossed his arms and said, "At most, give them one percent. After all, they''re just a bunch of ignorant surface-dwellers. A little money will appease them..."


    "Each item may be small, but the sum is quite substantial." Thaal said worriedly, but in the end, he still signed off on it.


    After Owen left, Hal didn''t leave. He sat down across from Thaal and asked, "If the situation really deteriorates to the worst, what do you n to do?"


    Thaal shook his head and said, "If I had a solution, they wouldn''t have chosen me."


    Hal took a deep breath, and Thaal noticed he had something to say. Thaal contemted and said, "Are you finding it difficult to bring up what you want to say?"


    "No, I just want to know if there are surveince devices left by them here?"


    Thaal raised his eyes, locking onto Hal''s gaze. But Hal looked back with a determined expression, showing no sign of guilt. Finally, Thaal said, "Rest assured, the previous Corps Leader, Sinestro, was quite paranoid. They were even suspicious of him. So, there certainly aren''t any surveince devices in this office."


    "Don''t you want to save yourself?" Hal asked, "Do you n to wait until they create the constabry, have it over your head, and possibly even kill you?"


    Thaal fell silent. He said, "It''s not that I don''t want to, but that I can''t, Hal. Not everyone has talents like yours, where they receive recognition from an Ion Shark right after getting the Green Lantern ring."


    "But I have a way. Would you like to hear it?"


    Thaal put down the report in his hand, looked at Hal, and a hint of hesitation appeared between his brows. He sensed that what Hal was about to say might be astonishing.


    But then, he heard Hal say, "Not just for yourself, but for your civilization, your homnd, and ces like yours and mine..."


    "Go ahead, whatever you say won''t leave this room, no matter what it is."


    Hal pointed at the report and said, "You''ve seen what''s written in this report. Owen and I each take one-fifth of all the energy consumption reported here."


    Thaal slowly widened his eyes, a hint of anger creeping onto his face. But it quickly froze, and he said, "You two..."


    "It''s just as you''re thinking. But we''re only acting in self-defense. We have to umte strength for the possible purge that mighte next, or we''ll be sitting ducks."


    "Thaal, they were the ones who betrayed us first."


    As the words fell, Hal noticed Thaal''s Adam''s apple trembling as he continued, "And now, this n is only one step away frompletion. With just Owen and me, we can only handle small fights."


    "And those energy reserves..." Hal extended his arm, pointing to the adjacent room, and said, "They''re stored in there. After those damn constables kill us, they''ll take them away. Do you n to wait here?"


    Thaal''s lips quivered slightly. He said, "But I am the Corps Leader. I can''t..."


    Hal ced his hand on the desktop and said, "I don''t believe you don''t know. The Green Lantern Corps controlled by them doesn''t represent anyone''s justice at all. We''re just the guns in their hands, and the green energy is the bullets."


    Thaal fell silent. He took a deep breath and felt his chest tremble. Hal''s words were like a devil''s whisper. He had to acknowledge it. Faced with this temptation, he wavered, because he was acutely aware of how powerful the Green Lantern energy was.


    "But we can''t abuse this energy. You should know that without the ring''s certification, you can''t use this energy. Even if you can extract it, ordinary people can''t use it."


    "What if I have a method?"


    Thaal felt his heart start to race. He said with a slightly dry throat, "Are you saying you have a way to make the Green Lantern energy usable by surface-dwellers? To be... a kind of energy source?"


    "A universal energy source," Hal added.


    Thaal''s hands started to shake. He said, "Are you sure?"


    Hal nodded, and Thaal began to be silent. He remained silent for a long time, about ten minutes. He didn''t say a word. He seemed to be lost in memories. From his eye contact, Hal could see that he was thinking about his homnd.


    Hal didn''t feel surprised. Even though he didn''t have a high education, he knew that if humanity could utilize Green Lantern energy as an energy source, even if not permanently, just to obtain some for experimentation and manufacturing certain devices limited by energy, it would be a quantum leap for civilization.


    After a long wait, he finally heard Thaal say:


    "...What do you n to do?"


    "Do you remember Schiller Rodriguez, who was stationed in Gotham before?"


    "Uh... I do, but didn''t you say he was injured in the skirmish and is recovering at his homnd?"


    "Yes, but he''s healed now. I''ve rmended him as the Deputy Officer of Internal Affairs for the Green Lantern Corps, in charge of finances."


    Thaal hesitated a bit and said, "Are you saying he can..."


    Hal nodded vigorously and said, "He''s really capable."


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 Chapter 492: Schillers New Venture (1)

    Chapter 492: Schiller''s New Venture (1)


    Inside the Green Lantern Corps headquarters, in the Corps Leader''s office, Thaal and Schiller shook hands.


    Thaal understood from Hal that a handshake was an Earth custom. By taking this initiative, he indicated his trust in Hal''s judgment and believed that Schiller had the capability to help them ovee their current challenges.


    Schiller gestured a "please," and Thaal and Hal took their ces on either side of the desk, while Schiller sat in front.


    Turning his head to Schiller, Hal said, "As I mentioned before, we''re facing a dire situation. On one hand, the Green Lantern energy is in short supply, and many subordinate sectors are expressing dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the Space Guardians want to create a Green Lantern Constitutional Guard to limit the Green Lantern Corps."


    Hearing that Hal didn''t bring up the issue of kickbacks, Thaal cleared his throat and put on a serious expression, saying, "Correct, I heard from Hal that you have experience dealing with such matters..."


    Schiller lowered his head and chuckled. He said, "I believe there are many capable individuals within the Green Lantern Corps. I''m not indispensable. It''s just that times have changed, and there are very few people avable now. My suggestions are just a starting point, and everyone should give it a listen..."


    "Alright, no need for formalities." Hal interrupted Schiller''s bureaucratic tone and said, "There''s no surveince in this room. We''re all in the same boat. What''s the n now?"


    Schiller nced at Hal, implying, "You could have said that earlier."


    He dropped the faux smile, revealing a more business-like demeanor. He then took out two documents and handed one to Thaal and the other to Hal.Thaal squinted as he looked at therge words on the covers of the documents. He said, "Troop expansion n? What does that mean?"


    "It''s just what it sounds like." Schiller ced his hands on the desk and said, "Troop expansion means increasing the size of the military."


    Thaal looked puzzled by the n book he was holding. He said, "Increasing the size of the military? But we''re already short on energy. If we recruit more people, won''t there be even less to go around?"


    "And moreover, they''re forming a Constitutional Guard because they fear us. Won''t proposing troop expansion at this point only provoke them?" Hal also looked at Schiller and asked, "Shouldn''t we be aiming for fewer people right now?"


    "Correct, but the idea of troop expansion doesn''t mean recruiting more personnel. It means expanding the establishment."


    Thaal thought for a moment. It was clear that he had experience in this field and had already inferred something. Then he saw Schiller flipping through the materials while saying, "To my knowledge, so far, Space has been divided into 3,600 sectors. ording to the rules, each sector should have a Green Lantern, but that''s not the case in reality..."


    Thaal sighed. He thought Schiller might be addressing Hal''s earlier question. Thaal exined, "I think you should understand that the ''one sector, one Green Lantern'' system is just a theory. Even if we assign one Green Lantern to each sector or even have ten sectors share one Power Battery, we would still need 360 Power Batteries..."


    "Not to mention the cost of manufacturing these Power Batteries. Just the logistics of replenishing energy from headquarters to all those Power Batteries is unmanageable..."


    "And if a Green Lantern from one sector falls inbat, and his sector can''t immediately select a new Green Lantern, then a Green Lantern from an adjacent sector would have to act as a caretaker."


    "What about the original sector that Green Lantern was responsible for? If there are over a hundred Green Lanterns unavable for duty, who will oversee those areas? And if one Green Lantern can''t handle certain issues in a sector and needs assistance, what about the maintenance of order in the area covered by the assisting Green Lantern?"


    "This method is simply unworkable. Therefore, the Lantern Corps now employs a regional responsibility system. Roughly a hundred sectors are grouped into arger region, with a permanent team stationed there. And within that, around twenty sectors form a smaller zone, patrolled by partitioned patrol squads..."


    Schiller nodded and said, "Correct, this approach is more scientific. Though it remains a bit rudimentary, it can still function. The problem I want to point out is the issue with the Lantern Corps'' logistical support system."


    "At the very least, on my home Earth, logistics are of paramount importance. But..." Schiller hesitated, looked at the materials in his hands, and frowned. "I haven''t seen any logistical provisions in the Green Lantern Corps'' establishment. What do you do about logistical issues?"


    "Logistics? What are you referring to? Administrative work?"


    "More than that. Hardware maintenance, intelligence gathering, medical services, exploration and monitoring, and so on. Are none of these ounted for?"


    Thaal spread his hands and said, "I know on Earth, militaries might have these roles, and it''s the same on my. But that''s because we''re rtively primitive surface-dwellers."


    "Actually, the Green Lantern energy is incredibly powerful. Power Batteries don''t break and don''t deplete. Most of the engineers at headquarters are mostly responsible for maintaining the devices around the Power Batteries."


    "Within the Green Lantern ring is a gctic encyclopedia. All Green Lanterns can upload the information they collect here for everyone to ess."


    "The Green Lantern ring has inherent healing capabilities, allowing us to treat injuries suffered by Green Lanterns anytime, anywhere. It also has scanning functions for biological, geographical, spatial, and environmental elements. There''s no need for additional exploration and monitoring."


    "A single Green Lantern is like an entire army, and a small team is almost equivalent to the armed forces of an entire civilization..."


    To Thaal''s surprise, Schiller didn''t argue this point. He simply nodded and said, "Yes, but that was before."


    Thaal furrowed his brows, and then he heard Schiller say, "I''ve seen in previous battle reports that we''ve hardly ever won against the Yellow Lantern Corps?"


    "Even including this recent fight in Gotham. I witnessed it myself. When the Yellow Lantern energy swept across the sky, all Green Lanterns fell."


    "Forgive my bluntness, but isn''t this problem visible to the naked eye? Isn''t anyone curious about what''s happening behind this? Why haven''t we investigated?"


    Thaal rubbed his chin and said, "Actually, I''ve been a bit puzzled myself. I just haven''t voiced it. I was afraid of shaking the morale. I don''t know why, but we feel fear when encountering Yellow Lantern Energy. That energy dissolves our Green Lantern energy and strips us of all our abilities."


    "You see, the Green Lantern ring isn''t all-powerful. It hasn''t provided an answer to this problem. We need to investigate this ourselves."


    Schiller framed the question differently, "Do you think, for the Space Guardians, the threat from the Green Lanterns themselves is more significant, or is the threat from the Yellow Lantern Corps more significant?"


    Thaal hesitated for a moment and said, "Of course, it''s the Yellow Lanterns. While I don''t know why Sinestro betrayed the Corps, he seems to


    harbor a deep hatred for the Space Guardians. If the Yellow Lantern Corps were to grow, even if the Space Guardians are formidable, there might be danger."


    "So, what''s the issue with expanding our troops?"


    Thaal paused. He realized Schiller''s reasoning. If they justified troop expansion as a response to the threat posed by the Yellow Lantern Corps, it made sense.


    Schiller continued, "Furthermore, as I mentioned, we''re not expandingbat personnel. We''re only expanding the establishment of logistical support personnel."


    Schiller took out a pen, tapped the table, looked down at the materials, and then said:


    "First, to address the issue of Yellow Lantern Energy countering Green Lantern energy, we need to conduct aprehensive inspection of the Power Batteries in the 3,600 sectors. On average, each Power Battery requires three engineers and one supervisor. The significance of the central Power Battery goes without saying; it requires an entire engineering department, fully staffed with 300 engineers..."


    "Considering the varying levels of civilization and education among the Green Lanterns, not all can be deployed immediately. We need a training base and rted facilities and personnel to apany it..."


    "Furthermore, we need to understand why Yellow Lantern Energy dissolves Green Lantern energy. Therefore, we require an entire team of experts to study this matter. A team like this can''t simply be created out of thin air, so we need a research institute. To prevent any possibilities from being overlooked, we also need to establish about 20 topic-specific groups..."


    "To maximize the research results, we can coborate with the higher education institutions of various civilizations, offer postgraduate internships, provide ssrooms, dormitories,boratories, and associated facilities and personnel..."


    "At the same time, the threat posed by Sinestro, who still roams within Space, shouldn''t be underestimated. We need specialized agent personnel to investigate the movements of Yellow Lantern Corps members..."


    "Wait!" Hal suddenly interjected. "Monitoring the movements of the Yellow Lantern Corps can be done by regr Green Lanterns. Even if it requires some agent skills, we can provide training, right?"


    Schiller shook his head and turned to Hal, saying, "Why do you think the FBI and CIA are separate institutions?"


    "Mutual oversight, checks and bnces, to prevent the concentration of power." Hal said, getting lost in thought as he spoke.


    Schiller exined, "Currently, all ordinary Green Lanterns are essentially like the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They have the authority for internalw enforcement¡ªsuch as mediating interster disputes,bating Space pirates, and apprehending fugitives."


    "The newly formed Agent organization, on the other hand, is akin to the Central Intelligence Agency. Itcks enforcement power within the realm of interster civilizations, focusing only on external enemies of the Green Lantern Corps. Simultaneously, it serves as a watchdog and warning mechanism for overseeing and alerting internal Green Lantern operations."


    Seeing Thaal''s somewhat changing expression, Schiller said, "Correct, in fact, this is the Constitutional Guard in essence. We''re just establishing it first."


    Thaal''s mouth opened slightly, and he said, "Are you suggesting that we first establish an organization that includes internal oversight? But what if they don''t trust this organization unless they control it?"


    "We don''t need the Space Guardians to trust this Agent organization. Once we establish it, it will have the same authority as the Constitutional Guard."


    "At this point, if the Space Guardians propose to establish a Constitutional Guard, the urgency will not be ours, but theirs. Because when authorities ovep, their power will be weakened."


    "Therefore, I propose that Hal takes the lead in establishing the Agent organization. He will be granted the greatest authority, selecting the most capable individuals from all Green Lanterns, forming an independent force for both externalbat against the Yellow Lanterns and internal monitoring."


    Thaal rubbed his chin and said, "I understand what you mean. We establish an organization that holds oversight powers, including internal monitoring. If they try to establish such an organizationter and their authority oveps, conflicts are bound to arise. This way, the focus will shift."


    "But why Hal?" Thaal asked with some confusion. "He''s your fellow countryman. Aren''t you worried the Space Guardians might target him?"


    Schiller looked at Hal and said, "Commander Thaal, what do you think the rtionship is between the Space Guardians and the Green Lantern energy? Did the Guardians create the Emotional Spectrum?"


    Upon hearing this question, Thaal hesitated for a moment and said, "Externally, we say that the entire Green Lantern Corps was created by the Space Guardians. But from what I''ve gathered from the materials, the Emotional Spectrum seems to be a natural phenomenon within Space. The Guardians merely crafted the Power Batteries and rings to harness this energy."


    As he spoke, he and Schiller looked at Hal and Thaal continued, "Wait a moment, you canmunicate with Green Lantern energy without using the ring now. That means you don''t need to fear the Space Guardians at all."


    "Correct," Schiller nodded and said, "The Green Lantern''s Power Battery and the Ion entity were both born naturally, representing the willpower of Space. Now, the Ion entity has chosen Hal, signifying that Hal is more closely attuned to the essence of the Green Lantern energy than the Space Guardians. He doesn''t need to fear them at all."


    "For this reason, as long as he leads a team and seizes the authority of the Constitutional Guard, if the Space Guardians want to establish a Constitutional Guard


    "At the same time, we will hold the moral high ground. If the Space Guardians establish a Constitutional Guard, suspicions of purging dissidents may arise. However, if we propose the establishment of a monitoring organization ourselves, doesn''t that indicate our integrity?"


    Thaal and Hal exchanged nces, then turned their heads towards Schiller. They noticed the green light glowing in Schiller''s eyes, and it wasn''t an illusion.


    "Alright, the superficial discussions are over. Let''s get to the practical part now," Schiller changed the topic once again.


    Thaal, who had been about to stand up and leave, sat back down. He looked at Schiller with confusion and asked, "The practical part? What do you mean by the practical part?"


    "Hal, didn''t you tell me that you and Commander had already agreed?" Schiller asked Hal. Hal gave Thaal a meaningful look, and it was then that Thaal realized they were about to discuss bribes.


    Suddenly, a green crystal appeared in Schiller''s hand. He ced the crystal on the table, capturing the attention of Thaal and Hal. Thaal was very familiar with the energy inside the crystal, and he said, "This is Green Lantern energy..."


    "Correct, and it''s not locked."


    Thaal reached out skeptically. As he touched the crystal, his eyes widened. He realized that the Green Lantern energy inside could indeed be freely extracted.


    "This..." Thaal tested it out, then nced at Hal and said, "This is what you mentioned, a method to allow ordinary people to use Green Lantern energy?"


    "Correct," Hal nodded.


    "So, you want to expand the Green Lantern Corps'' establishment to extract more energy from the central Power Battery, channel it into these crystals, and then... then... take them away?" Thaal''s expression showed some difort as he said this.


    "The first part is correct. As long as we have enough justifications, we can extract energy from the central Power Battery on arge scale," Schiller exined.


    In truth, even without these justifications, Schiller, who had coordinated with the Commander, could directly extract energy from the central Power Battery. However, considering long-term sustainability, it was more convenient to establish a sophisticated system for the process.


    "The first part is correct. So, what''s the issue with the second part?" Hal asked.


    "If I were to hand these crystals to you directly, what would you do with them?" Schiller looked at Hal and asked.


    "Uh, for the advancement of Earth''s civilization, I''d give them to scientists for research. They might even be a new source of energy," Hal replied.


    "This choice isn''t necessarily wrong, but it''s not very efficient," Schiller said more gently, "Considering humanity''s current level of scientific and technological development, using this energy efficiently would likely require some time for research. And to decode the secrets of this energy, I''m afraid..."


    "Also, have you considered that research won''t consume much energy? The energy stored in this crystal could sustain the research efforts of humanity''s scientists for several years."


    "That''s true," Hal rubbed his chin in thought. What Schiller said was correct. Despite the small size of the crystal, it contained the energy of about ten rings. It was enough to wage a localized interster war. ording to Schiller''s n, they weren''t interested in just one crystal; they wanted at least four digits'' worth, and on a regr basis.


    "If that''s the case, it seems we indeed need to consider how to make the most advantageous use of so much Green Lantern energy."


    "I''ve heard that many interster civilizations are very interested in the identity of the Green Lanterns and Green Lantern energy," Schiller turned to Thaal and asked.


    "Yes, after all, you know how powerful this energy is, and the reputation of the Green Lantern Corps has always been good. Bing a Green Lantern is seen as a great honor in many civilizations."


    "But, joining the Green Lantern Corps is quite difficult, right?"


    Thaal nodded again and said, "The use of Green Lantern rings has certain requirements. Even if one excels in other aspects,cking sufficient willpower renders it ineffective."


    Schiller picked up the green crystal from the table again, looked at it, and said, "But using this thing has no requirements..."


    Thaal''s eyes gradually widened, and he looked at Schiller in shock, saying, "You''re not thinking of selling Green Lantern energy, are you?"


    "No!" Thaal denied immediately. He said, "That''s too dangerous. If certain malicious individuals get hold of this, it could spark interster warfare!"


    "But what if we don''t give it to malicious individuals? They don''t have a safety lock, so anyone who gets it can use it. What if it gets resold?"


    "True, there''s no safety lock now, but that doesn''t mean there won''t be in the future. You''re the leader of a Green Lantern Corps, and you''re the future head of the intelligence bureau within the Green Lantern Corps. You wouldn''t be unable to acquire the technology for a safety lock, would you?"


    Thaal and Hal exchanged a nce, and Hal said, "Enough with the suspense. Tell us about the specific n."


    "In fact, we''re doing the same thing as the Space Guardians. Originally, Green Lantern energy was a gift of nature, but they built Power Batteries, crafted rings, extracted the energy, and formed the Green Lantern Corps, using the Green Lanterns for their own purposes."


    "For Green Lanterns to use Green Lantern energy, they must wear a ring, recharge at the Power Battery, and abide by the limitations of the safety lock."


    "We can do the same. We''ll find something, add a safety lock, infuse it with Green Lantern energy, and then sell it to civilizations in space that are interested."


    "We can restrict the use of this crystal through the safety lock. Simultaneously, we can sign agreements with them, lending them the crystals temporarily. Once the energy inside is depleted, they must renew the contract to recharge it."


    "The payment can be on a monthly or yearly basis. There will be a fixed monthly rental fee, regardless of usage. If payment is not made, the safety lock will engage."


    "In addition to the monthly rental, there will be package fees. Each month, a certain amount of Green Lantern energy will be provided within the package. If they want to continue using it after using up the allocated amount, they''ll need to pay based on usage or purchase additional packages."


    "The package will also include certain benefits, such as security services or teleportation services by the Green Lantern Corps. Of course, if they want more advanced privileges, they''ll need to upgrade their package, increase the monthly fee, and achieve the level 120 membership..."


    "Most importantly, each crystal will have an independent code, linked to the civilization''s credit level within the Green Lantern Corps. If the Green Lantern energy within the crystal gets out of control, their credit level will decrease. Failure to pay or prolonged non-renewal will also lead to a credit decrease."


    "Subsequently, we can develop a third-party credit tform in space, including all civilizations that use Green Lantern energy in the Green Lantern credit system. Those on the credit cklist will lose the protection of interster society..."


    "The Green Lantern Corps is excellent, but I prefer the Green Lantern industry. It''s the time to establish industry standards. Why not?"


    Thaal and Hal looked at Schiller together, and they saw that Schiller''s expression was no longer that of a yful demeanor. His eyes were full of mockery. They heard Schiller say:


    "The Space Guardians control such immense power, yet they''ve only created a Green Lantern Corps. It has to be said that they still value peace."


    Neither Thaal nor Hal detected any hint of praise in Schiller''s tone. Thaal was about to speak, but Schiller continued...


    "But don''t sympathize with them. They don''t refrain from doing this out of a true desire to contribute to space. It''s simply because they are too greedy. They want both profit and prestige."


    "The positive reputation of the Green Lantern Corps is merely a means to an end. They will gradually tighten the noose until the Corps they''ve created bes a machine that only follows their orders. The Constitutional Guard is just the first step..."


    "And we are here to tell them..." Schiller''s smile turned chilling, causing both Thaal and Hal to feel a sh


    iver down their spines.


    "The cooked duck is ready, and now it''s mine."


    Before Thaal and Hal couldment on this n, Schiller ced the crystal on the table with a "p" and continued, "Of course, this is a long-term n. It may take hundreds of years to fully realize, but you and my civilization can''t wait that long."


    "We urgently need a qualitative leap. Researching this thing isn''t the best method."


    "What do you n to do then?" Thaal asked.


    "Now, this thing is already here. If you were a leader of an interster civilization, would you be interested in it?"


    On this question, Thaal was very confident. He said, "If you were to bring this thing out, it would indeed cause a war. I''m not joking; there are too many individuals in space coveting Green Lantern energy. No civilization would not want this powerful and convenient force."


    "Alright, now we''re facing some difficulties in the research of this technology. Of course, the specific difficulties depend on what technology Earth and your civilization need. Would you be willing to invest reasonably in this?"


    Hal widened his eyes, looking at Schiller and asked, "Are you talking about deceiving them into investing? That doesn''t sound right!"


    "What do you mean, deceiving? What do you mean, deceiving?" Schiller retorted loudly, "The physical evidence is already right in front of you, isn''t it? We''ve evenpleted most of the development independently, only the final steps remain..."


    "We''ve gone against the current in such a challenging environment, striving for innovation. If it weren''t for budget constraints, how could we bring out such a precious opportunity to benefit the public?"


    Hal kept his mouth shut, as Schiller''s tone reminded him of certain less scrupulous industries on Earth. However, Thaal found this line of thinking brilliant. He said:


    "Correct, we don''t even need to infuse so much energy into it. Just a tiny amount will suffice to let them experience it. Once they realize this technology exists, they''ll find ways to obtain it..."


    "And with the backing of the Green Lantern Corps, they definitely won''t dare to snatch it openly." Schiller chuckled, looking at Hal and saying:


    "This is when our powerful Iones into y again."


    [Another extra long chapter... But it''s fun!]


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 Chapter 493: Schillers New Industry (2)

    Chapter 493: Schiller''s New Industry (2)


    In Manor, the elegantly patterned vintage tablecloth with swaying tassels hangs down, gently moving in the noon sunlight. The food on the desktop is even more appetizing, highlighted by the perfect lighting. Merkel reaches out, adjusting the final dish on the table as Schiller descends from the upper floor.


    He nces at the clock on the wall, and Merkel also checks her watch, saying, "The guests will be here soon."


    As Schiller descends the staircase, the doorbell rings. Merkel walks over and opens the door. Mayor Luoyin enters, looking quite agitated, carrying a briefcase. He walks over to the sofa in the living room, throws the briefcase onto the sofa, ces his hands on his hips, and stands in ce with a sigh.


    "What''s wrong?" Schiller scrutinizes him, observing Luoyin still wearing his coat and hat, snowkes clinging to his shoulders, his expression somewhat gloomy.


    Luoyin takes a deep breath, adjusts his emotions, and then says, "It''s nothing. I just had a telephone meeting, and I haven''t quite calmed down."


    "A telephone meeting about what?"


    "Do you remember the donations from the charity event earlier?" Luoyin ces one hand on his hip, the other on the back of the sofa, getting more and more frustrated as he speaks. "Originally, the donations were supposed to go to the Foundation, which would then assess and allocate the funds to various cities."


    "However, the people from the Foundation used Gotham''s poor security as an excuse to refuse the assessment. They only intend to give us the lowest level of donations. That money wouldn''t even be enough to repair a road!"


    "And this isn''t the first time. During the allocation of state council funds, somewmakers suggested lowering Gotham''s priority and reallocating some of the funds to Metropolis..."Luoyin covers his forehead, his chest heaving. Clearly, he''s quite angry. He continues, "In addition to this, Gotham has suffered the worst among all major cities on the East Coast. Our temperatures have dropped significantly this year, leading to both snow and frost disasters. Several nearby farms and agriculturalnds have been severely affected..."


    "Furthermore, our newly developed Logistics System has suffered a significant blow. We need a lot of money for repairs. We can''t rely solely on the Gang. They contribute very little and expect enormous gains. If we let them have too much control, it will lead to a major mess."


    "You''re quite clear-headed," Schiller remarks. Luoyin shakes his head, feeling a bit deted. "It''s only after bing the damned mayor of this city that I realized Gotham has reached this state for a reason."


    "The Foundation, state council, and even Congress, they have no intention of saving this ce. They don''t even allow us to save ourselves!"


    "I proposed that we could lower the requested funding. We just need more snow removal equipment and some devices to warm the seawater. But they all refused. It''s not that theyck these devices, they simply don''t want to help."


    "They give me the feeling that they''re afraid this ce might improve."


    "They''re not afraid of this ce improving, but rather afraid that its improvement will have nothing to do with them. That would make them appear incapable, wouldn''t it?"


    Schiller walks to the dining table, pulls out a chair, and Luoyin, after standing in ce for a moment, joins him at the table. Schiller says to him, "Wait a moment, we have two more guestsing."


    Luoyin raises an eyebrow and asks, "You didn''t mention anyone else. Who are they?"


    "Oh, here they are," Schiller looks towards the door. Merkel walks over and opens it, revealing Victor and Bruce.


    After exchanging greetings, Bruce and Victor take their seats. They look at Luoyin and the others with some confusion. Schiller hadn''t mentioned that there would be additional guests at today''s gathering.


    "Now that everyone is here, let''s start with the meal," Schiller says, picking up his knife and fork, preparing to eat. The others begin to have their lunch as well. Schiller continues, "How is the snow disaster relief and city reconstruction going?"


    "Not very well," Luoyin''s mood is still somewhat gloomy. He says, "Everywhere needs money, everywhere needs manpower. But hiring people also requires money."


    "The Gang members are willing to build quickly, but they''re scattered, not organized. They''re all doing their own thing, resulting in a chaotic repair process."


    "Have you thought about organizing them?"


    Because City Hallcks funds, and Gotham isn''t a strong mayor system, what I say doesn''t carry much weight. Almost no one listens."


    "Have you considered boosting City Hall''s funds?"


    Luoyin sighs deeply again. He feels that Schiller seems to be hitting on all the sore points today. While cutting his steak with determination, he says, "How do we boost the funds? Raise taxes? The Gang members would go crazy, and funding is unreliable. We can''t touch the tax rate either..."


    "Developing a new industry?"


    "What new industry is there left to develop in Gotham? The logistics industry that was just starting to develop waspletely disrupted by this year''s snow disaster and the previous explosions. Very fewpanies dare to build factories here, and the natural environment is also not favorable..."


    Luoyin was finding it hard to eat any more, but at this moment, Schiller turned to Bruce and Victor and asked, "Have youe to any conclusions about the thing I asked you to research?"


    Victor shook his head first and then said, "I don''t know where you got that type of mineral from, but our existing machines can''t analyze itsposition at all. I used some reagents to experiment with its properties, but I didn''t get many results."


    Bruce, in between sips of water, added, "Indeed, the researchers at Wayne Enterprises''boratory came to the same conclusion."


    Bruce emphasized the word "researchers," and Schiller understood his implication¡ªthe so-called researchers were actually Bruce himself.


    "What are you talking about?" Luoyin asked with some confusion.


    Schiller motioned to Merkel, who understood and fetched a box from a nearby shelf. As soon as the box was opened, Luoyin''s eyes were drawn to it. Inside was a brilliantly sparkling gemstone.


    It had a semi-transparent appearance, with a hint of mist-like substance within the stone. It was incredibly radiant, seeming to emit its own light. Depending on the angle of light, the mist inside would change. Luoyin couldn''t help but be captivated by its beauty, staring at it for quite a while.


    "What is this?"


    "I named it Mist Crystal, but it''s actually a peach pit regurgitated by a glutton after eating a peach. I cut it using the same techniques as a diamond, and it turned out like this."...


    Schiller took the gemstone out of the box and held it in his hand. This gemstone was, in fact, Kryptonite without radiation. Originally transparent, it had turned semi-transparent with a touch of mist after being regurgitated by The Grey Mist. Yet, this change made it incredibly beautiful, dazzling and captivating to the eye.


    "This thing is quite beautiful. I''d be happy to consider it as a gift for someone, but what does it have to do with a new industry?"


    "Do you think, as a new material, it has any economic value?"


    "Economic value? That depends on what it can do. Does it have any special properties? Like..."


    Luoyin struggled toe up with technical terms. He had a concept in mind, knowing that certain rare metals could be used as crucialponents for specific devices, or they possessed irreceable properties. Due to their scarcity, they couldmand high prices.


    "Its special property is that no one knows what its special property is."


    Schiller said it like a tongue-twister. As he spoke, he pointed towards Bruce and Victor, saying, "A world-ss chemist and cryogenic scientist, along with a top-tier researcher employed by Wayne Enterprises, have all failed to decipher the nature of this new unknown mineral..."


    "But that means it''s useless," Luoyin interjected.


    "However, this is only temporary. What if we eventually figure it out?" Schiller put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and continued, "Any unknown new material is like a blue ocean. Moreover, it has inherent ornamental value. Even if we discover that it doesn''t have any special properties in the future, its rarity and aesthetic appeal give it some value."


    "So, what are you suggesting?"


    "Find a way to drive up its price. Wouldn''t that provide the budget for disaster relief and reconstruction?"


    "Where is this thing mined? Is the production stable?" Luoyin also had some understanding in this area.


    Schiller''s idea was quite understandable, essentially involving futures trading. When a new material appears that researchers can''t decipher, there will surely be investors interested in it. This new mineral, called Mist Crystal, looks more like an ornamental gemstone, with visible value. So, there should be no shortage of potential investors.


    The remaining issue is that potential investors would certainly inspect the mines and assess the stability of mineral production, then decide on investment amounts and timeframes.


    "The problem is right here. This thing doesn''te from any mine, and there''s no production to speak of. All the minerals are in my possession, so this is a spot market."


    Bruce knew that Schiller''s so-called new mineral was actually Kryptonite with its radiation removed. He also put down his utensils, wiped his mouth, and said, "That actually belongs to the art market. Ornamental value, mystery, uniqueness¡ªall of these can be used for spection."


    "But..." Bruce nced at Schiller and said, "Are you really nning to sell this thing? If you want to sell it, Wayne Enterprises can buy it at a high price."


    "Why do you want it? It doesn''t emit radiation anymore."


    "I''m also quite interested in new materials. Consider it as an investment."


    Schiller sighed. Bruce had already discerned his true intentions, so he could only say, "Alright, to be honest, I hadn''t actually nned on selling it."...


    "Let''s say this mineral had some kind of therapeutic effect based on an unknown principle, like prolonging life or something. After undergoing special processing, it could be made into medicine or health supplements..."


    "You''re thinking of using it to scam people?" Luoyin asked, once again hitting the nail on the head.


    "Don''t put it so bluntly. This is an entirely new mineral. Even thebined efforts of top experts from various fields couldn''t decipher itsposition."


    "But it''s useless."


    "How can you prove it''s useless?"


    "Then how can you prove it''s useful?"


    "While I can''t prove it''s useful, you also can''t prove it''s not..."


    "Although I can''t prove it''s not useful, you also..."


    "Stop!" Schiller halted this pointless tongue-twisting. He said, "I just want to make some money. Are you in or not?"


    Luoyin put down his utensils, extended his hand, and shook hands with Schiller, saying, "I believe this will be a cornerstone industry for Gotham''s future."


    Two dayster, in the corridors of Manor, Merkel carried a stack of thick documents in his arms, with a series of document cases hanging from one arm.


    Standing at the door, he knocked and entered, cing the documents down. He said, "Sir, these are today''s 24th set of documents. They were delivered to the mailbox by a guy emitting green light. It''s... the logistical support n for the Green Lantern industry, Part 302..."


    "Furthermore..." Merkel lifted the series of document cases, stacking them one by one on the edge of the table, counting as he went, "Mist Crystal industry development n, Sections 102, 104, and 106..."


    When he ced thest case on the table''s edge, he surveyed the room. The entire study was inundated with documents¡ªon the floor, the table, the bookshelves, and even the windowsills¡ªpiled high with all sorts of documents.


    The majority were sent by people emitting green light, and the remainder were delivered by newsboys shuttling between the mayor''s office.


    In just two short days, Schiller had been inundated with an enormous workload from the two extensive ns he had developed.


    Sitting in his chair, Schiller lowered his head and retrieved an abacus from a drawer. He ced it on the desktop with a resounding "snap."


    Then, his eyes zed over as he began to daydream.


    Just as DC Schiller, who had recently recovered from his injuries and risen from his sickbed to take over, snapped back to reality, the stack of documents that was towering overhead came crashing down with a loud "thud," burying him beneath it.


    Emerging from the sea of documents, Schiller lowered his head and saw an abacus along with a note. The handwriting on the note was very familiar, and it read:


    "No need to thank me. This is the abacus."


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 Chapter 494: Who is the Hardcore Tough Guy? (1)

    Chapter 494: Who is the Hardcore Tough Guy? (1)


    In the eastern suburbs of New York, there is a certain distance from the bustling center of New York City, which results in fresh air and pleasant scenery.


    From the perspective of U.S. urban nning, this ce could be considered a town, but unlike the small towns most people imagine, this is actually another wealthy area of New York, or you could say, the real wealthy area. Thend prices here are even higher than some parts of Manhattan.


    The living environment here is quite good. The town has a long history andprehensive facilities, with the most important feature being a very good Sanatorium.


    The Bi Lie Sanatorium, established during the U.S. reconstruction period, was acquired by a wealthy businessman during World War II and underwent its first renovation. During the Cold War period following World War II, it waspletely demolished, but was reconstructed after the end of the Cold War.


    In modern times, real estate developers thoroughly renovated this historic Sanatorium in order to increase thend value of the New York suburbs, transforming it into a modern Sanatorium.


    Previously, the apparent owner here seemed to be an ordinary oil tycoon, but in reality, he worked for the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation,monly known as the KGB.


    After the purge of all KGB agents near New York due to the Hydra incident, the oil tycoon was also deported back to Russia, and his assets were seized. However, it has since changed hands and be the newly established Arkham Sanatorium.


    Due to the early establishment of this Sanatorium and multiple renovations over time, it has always remained. After its most recent major renovation, it now boasts one of the world''s top recuperative environments. Coupled with its favorable natural surroundings and convenient transportation to New York, real estate developers saw the potential and built a wealthy vacation vige around the Sanatorium,monly referred to as a weekend vi area.


    Arkham Sanatorium features a baseball field, tennis courts, a small golf course, a park with walking trails and ponds, a music theater center, a yoga center, as well as all the medical facilities expected of a Sanatorium. After Schiller became the owner, a legally redited mental illness treatment center is also under construction.Inside the new Arkham Sanatorium''s office, Schiller sat on a sofa by the window, looking out at the scenery beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    The office is located on the 6th floor of the Sanatorium''s administrative building, offering a wide view. The small park owned by the Sanatorium is just downstairs, where many parents are currently ying with their children on thewn.


    You might wonder, isn''t this the Sanatorium''s private property? How can people other than patients enter? But in fact, these parents are all "patients" of the Sanatorium, or you could say, members.


    After Schiller took over the Sanatorium, its system became more like a club. As long as you are a member here, you can use the facilities for free. Not only that, along with the establishment of the mental treatment center, there''s also a water sports center and aprehensive shopping center on the west side of thend.


    Just as Schiller was basking in the sun, half-closing his eyes and feeling a bit sleepy, suddenly, the door of the office was knocked, and a nurse walked in, saying, "Dr. Rodriguez, you have a visitor."


    "A visitor? Does he have an appointment?"


    "No, but he says his name is Nick Fury."


    "He''s the one called George Washington, he needs an appointment..."


    Just then, urgent footsteps and another nurse''s voice could be heard from outside the door, "Hey! Wait! Sir! You can''te in, appointments are needed here, sir..."


    When Nick Fury squeezed in through the crack of the door, both nurses were pushed out by him. Schiller, feeling somewhat helpless, stood up from his chair. However, Nick simply sat down on the sofa without treating himself as an outsider, and then began to observe the surroundings of the office.


    It must be said that the hardware of the Arkham Sanatorium''s building is impable. The interior decoration style here is amon modern style in the U.S., with clean and smooth lines, spotless tiled floors,rge floor-to-ceiling windows that are clean and clear, and the evening sunlight shining indoors, creating afortable and quiet atmosphere in the room.


    But Nick''s first words broke the atmosphere here. He said, "I intend to reform S.H.I.E.L.D."


    Schiller sat on the opposite side of the sofa, took out a box of cigars from a drawer under the coffee table, and both of them started to puff out smoke rings. Schiller, leaningfortably against the backrest of the sofa, said, "I thought you would do this sooner orter."


    "Let''s not focus on that for now. You seem to be in a good mood. Looks like your vacation went smoothly this time."


    Schiller smiled, and Nick raised an eyebrow. He had never seen Schiller smile so genuinely. Nick heard Schiller say, "Do you know what the most joyful thing in the world is?"


    "What is it?"


    "Watching others work. And do you know what''s even more joyful than watching others work?"


    "What is it?"


    "What is it?" Nick continued to indulge Schiller.


    "It''s watching others do the tasks they absolutely don''t want to do. But do you know what''s even more joyful than watching others do tasks they absolutely don''t want to do?" Schiller continued.


    "It''s watching others do tasks they absolutely don''t want to do and getting rewarded with something they really despise. Doing it for two weeks straight, nearly exhausting themselves to the point of exploding right there, hahaha!"


    Hearing Schiller''sughter, Nick involuntarily shivered. He could sense that something unfortunate must have happened to Schiller during his vacation.


    "Alright, enough about that. Let''s talk about you. Are you finally nning to reform the leaky ship known as S.H.I.E.L.D.?"


    "The term ''leaky ship'' isn''t quite urate," Nick shook his head. It was clear that he was familiar with the situation at S.H.I.E.L.D.


    "Before, you had most of S.H.I.E.L.D.''s elite Hydra agents brought to the Sanatorium and then sold them to Mephisto. Do you remember?" Nick asked.


    "Of course, their severance pay should have covered the deficit in your budget for the next season," Schiller replied.


    "At the same time, it gave you the new facilities of this Sanatorium," Nick added. Both of them exchanged a nce, understanding each other''s meaning.


    Sometimes, it''s not that they intentionally want to be enigmatic, but some things don''t need to be spelled out too clearly. Everyone knows that the process and results of this coboration were perfect. Reviewing the history of perfect coboration helps set the stage for the next round of cooperation.


    "But, with the workers gone, what will happen to the work at S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Nick posed a soul-searching question. He said, "Before, these people were the most diligent workers, willing to work overtime without bonuses, noints about transfers. Even when I lowered their insurance rates, they had no objections. My goodness, are there better employees than these?"


    "None," Schiller shook his head. Nick spread his hands and said, "To be honest, if I didn''t need money urgently, I wouldn''t have sold them off."


    "But now it''s toote for regrets. I imagine these people have been sent by Mephisto to run an economics seminar in Hell. If you ask him for them back, he won''t give them to you."


    "I don''t intend to get them back. After all, even if they work hard and devotedly, if they find out I sold them, it will surely cause a bigmotion."


    "Then what do you intend to do?"


    Nick chuckled and rubbed his hands together, looking at Schiller. "Aren''t you the head of Hydra''s Americas division? How about sending a few more? What do you think?"


    "You..." Schiller was rarely at a loss for words. He looked at the smile on Nick''s face and said, "Are you suggesting that I send more Hydra agents to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. for free?"


    "What do you mean by ''work for free''?" Nick raised his voice. He said, "Although I don''t pay them a sry, I can pay you. I''ll hire them for ten years, and the fees will be settled all at once. Isn''t that much faster than what you earn as a psychologist at S.H.I.E.L.D.?"


    Schiller was speechless for the first time. In terms of moral boundaries, he believed he had never been afraid of anyone, but today, Nick had indeed pushed his limits of understanding.


    Thinking that Schiller might have some worries, Nick started to persuade him:


    "You see, if I hire regr agents, there''s about a 50% chance they''re Hydra, another 49% chance they''re KGB pretending to be Hydra, and the remaining 1% might be foolish CIA or military agents..."


    "If I hire them, although I don''t have to pay much money, don''t need to provide insurance, and can exploit them as I like, there''s another cost: intelligence."


    "I have toe up with a bunch of seemingly important tasks for them to do, let them think they''ve gathered a lot of intelligence to report, and then have them work for me without concerns. This wastes a lot of my time and energy, creating fake emergencies and major incidents is also quite a hassle."


    "Wait, if you don''t have your own people, how do you stage these events?"


    "A small portion relies on reliable agents like Natasha, the rest of the time, they just y off each other."


    "Sending agents from New Jersey to investigate someone, while having agents from Dware protect the same person. While one side is surveilling, the other is counter-surveilling. Everyone has tasks, everyone gathers intelligence, and everyone works diligently for me. Isn''t that a win-win situation?"


    Schiller pursed his lips. He suddenly realized that he had fallen into a loop of arrogance and prejudice again. He had thought that relying on moral boundaries could make him a dominant figure in Marvel, but today, it seemed that there were people beyond his own understanding.


    During the initial encounters with Nick, Schiller couldn''t be certain whether S.H.I.E.L.D.''s transformation into the kind of organization depicted inic books, like SNAKE, was due to Nick''s ipetence or if he had ulterior motives.


    Upon the initial interactions with Nick Fury, Schiller was convinced that Nick was not simple. He wasn''t as he appeared on the surface ¨C unaware of Hydra''s situation. However, Schiller still couldn''t ascertain whether Nick had backup ns to deal with such scenarios.


    It wasn''t until the establishment of the Radiance Alliance that Schiller realized that Nick was well aware of all aspects of S.H.I.E.L.D. ¡­


    And now, Schiller hade to the realization that the situation was even more absurd than he had imagined. The entire S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn''t actually the core organization. It was something Nick had concocted to extract funding. There were hardly any actual S.H.I.E.L.D. agents within; instead, it was infiltrated by spies of various sorts, all drawn in by the organization''s name.


    While S.H.I.E.L.D. was ostensibly a secretive organization, the reality was that every country in this world was aware of its existence. This wasn''t because Nick was unaware of secrecy, but rather, it was intentional.


    Everyone knew of the existence of this mysterious organization and assumed it harbored countless secrets. Consequently, they would go to great lengths to infiltrate it with spies.


    The ultimate goal of these spies wasn''t to receive the meager sry Nick offered; neither was it for benefits, overtime pay, or bonuses. Their ultimate aim was intelligence.


    But even intelligence was something Nick conjured up with one hand while confusing the other. By exploiting theck of information transparency between agents from different regions and the mutual distrust among various spies, he generated a plethora of unnecessary tasks, yielding seemingly useful but actually useless intelligence for everyone.


    "So, all of this is your setup, a trap?"


    "What do you mean by ''trap''? What do you mean by ''trap''?" Nick raised his voice in retort. "Even if the final goal of these spies is to gather intelligence, aren''t they still doing work?"


    Nick took a deep breath and began a more detailed exnation:


    "Out of S.H.I.E.L.D.''s enormous workload, 90% is work I fabricated that''s unnecessary. The remaining 10% is essential work. Out of the vast number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, 99% are spies of all kinds."


    "When these two percentages ovep, it means that even if 90% of the spiesplete 90% of the useless work, there will ultimately be 9% of spies left toplete the necessary 10% of work."


    "But in reality, these spies are highly capable, with great enthusiasm for their work. The 9% of spies oftenplete the necessary 10% of work and often exceed expectations, showing extremely high efficiency."


    "And the remaining 90% of spies and 90% of the useless work enable me to secure 2000% of funding from Congress. It''s a perfect closed loop, isn''t it?"


    Schiller genuinely began to apud, saying, "How long did it take you to turn S.H.I.E.L.D. into this state?"


    "I''ve had this n since I joined S.H.I.E.L.D."


    "Then why did you create the Superhero Squad?"


    "Oh, about that." Nick seemed to recall something suddenly and said, "It''s like this: if I can create 120% of useless work, I can hire 30% more spies. That way, I can secure more funding..."


    "Think about it ¨C a teamposed of superheroes, needing organization, maintenance, logistical support, and even a psychologist like you for their mental health."


    "S.H.I.E.L.D.''s workload increases by 30%, an unprecedented advancement!" Nick punched the air.


    "And this seemingly mysterious setup, giving spies the chance to interact with superhero work, certainly makes them eager to join. This way, I can expand recruitment..."


    "Aren''t you worried that they might cause trouble?"


    "Of course I''m worried. That''s why they handle logistical support. Look at these superheroes ¨C which one of them looks like they need logistical support?"


    "Stark''s Mech armor never stays at S.H.I.E.L.D.''s base, Captain America only needs to maintain his shield, DaredevilMatt''s weapons are his cane, Spider-ManPeter ¨C giving him aplete set of Captain America action figures isn''t enough? At most, add amemorative T-shirt."


    "Aren''t you afraid that someone might influence them mentally? Oh, wait, I''m the psychologist at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Schiller covered his face with his hand.


    Then he extended his hand, slowly giving Nick Fury a thumbs-up.


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 Chapter 495: Who is the Hardcore Enforcer?

    Chapter 495: Who is the Hardcore Enforcer?


    "I have a dream..."


    "I hope that all my employees can work hard, voluntarily put in extra hours, without pay, without guarantees, withoutints..."


    "I have a dream that my funds will always be sufficient, and no one will ever question where I use them..."


    "I have a dream..."


    "Stop!" Schiller interrupted Nick''s recitation and said, "Get to the point. Do you want me to deploy a batch of Hydra agents, infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., be a new agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., how many people do you want?"


    "Can''t it be the same number as the people we sold?"


    "Since you''ve already gone this far, why not go all the way?" Schiller immediately outdid Nick, saying:


    "Except for a few essential figures, the rest should be cleared out and reced with people I transfer from Hydra."


    "I hereby appoint you as the head of Hydra''s New York district, operating under the code name ''Roar.'' You willmunicate via telephone, and all Hydra agents operating in New York will report to you after gathering intelligence.""While you mobilize Hydra agents in New York to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.''s Hydra, you can also mobilize S.H.I.E.L.D.''s Hydra to counter Hydra in New York."


    "This way, if you arrange for S.H.I.E.L.D.''s Hydra to be at a disadvantage, you can demand funding from Congress. If you arrange for Hydra in New York to be at a disadvantage, you can report to me, and I will report to headquarters to request funding."


    Nick sincerely apuded, stood up, extended his hand to Schiller, who also stood up, and their ck and white palms shook hands. Nick looked into Schiller''s eyes and said:


    "Nick Fury is online, codename ''Roar.''"


    Meanwhile, inside the Avengers'' base, Peter stood in front of a whiteboard, addressing three younger mutants, "Next, we''re going to assault a Hydra stronghold at Pier in the west..."


    "This is different from the previous strike against the Kingpin Gang''s criminal industry. You will be facing well-armed and experienced Hydra agents."


    "Alright, enough talking, let''s head out." Shadow impatiently said, "Last time before we took on the Gang, you talked about how strong they were, and in the end, it was just a round to defeat them."


    Amplifier also crossed his arms and said, "I know you''re worried about our safety, but don''t we have symbiotes? We''re not afraid of bullets, and we have various special abilities. What does it matter if they have strong firepower?"


    Peter sighed helplessly, realizing that he somewhat understood the feelings of the former Spider-Man, Matt, and Steve. The previous Spider-Man and the current group of young mutants were almost the same, not taking ordinary enemies with guns seriously, relying on their great strength, speed, and spider sense.


    At the time, Matt, Stark, and Steve had emphasized the importance of tactical strategy to him, but he wouldn''t truly learn until he faced a real setback.


    With this in mind, Peter decided not to say anything more. He put the pen and board aside, waved his hand, and said, "Let''s go, time to depart."


    In the meeting room of Stark Tower, Stark, Steve, Matt, Erik, Erica, Natasha, Barton, and other Avengers members sat around a long table, listening to Eddie exin his 90th n.


    Aside from Steve, who seemed rtively attentive, the others appeared to have already drifted into several dreams.


    Stark, propping his chin with his hand, closed his eyes again, then suddenly "thump," his head hit the table. After waking up, he shook his head, extended his hand to Eddie, and said, "Stop!"


    Stark took a deep breath, sat up straight, and continued, "I don''t deny the importance of tactical strategy, but have you prepared for this... uh..."


    "About 150 ns," Eddie responded.


    "Alright, about 150 ns. Isn''t that a bit excessive?" Stark rubbed his face with both hands and said, "I think we can be flexible. Let''s depart now."


    Eddie''s face disyed a disapproving expression. He squinted at Stark, his mouth curved downward. But suddenly, he shook his head, his expression returning to normal. Seeing his distracted look, Stark knew that he was probably wrestling with that blob of rotten mud in his mind again.


    Steve also stood up and said, "Emphasizing strategy is right, but sometimes opportunity is more important. I''ve noticed unusual activity from Hydra recently, for reasons unknown. They seem to be mobilizing manpower, undoubtedly preparing for some evil grand n."


    "Now..." Steve tapped the table, picked up his shield, and continued, "Avengers, assemble!"


    "Our target is all of Hydra in New York state and its surroundings. Besides their base, destroy their contact points,munication hubs, and meeting locations. When necessary, lethal force can be used."


    Steve''s expression turned serious as he said, "Remember what I emphasized before? Do not underestimate the enemy, and spare no effort in eradicating evil."


    Everyone at the table stood up. With a swoosh, Stark''s Mech armor flew in from the window and armed itself onto him. Stark said, "The previous contest ended in a draw. This time, I''m definitely going to beat you."


    "Natasha, Erik, Barton,e with me. The rest of you are with Steve." Stark continued, pointing his finger at Steve. "Let''s speak with our true abilities!"


    After saying this, he turned around, activated his suit, and flew out the window, disappearing into the New York skyline.


    Natasha shrugged and said, "He''s impatient, isn''t he? But now, he''s our Captain. Let''s get moving. Barton, you and Erik go back to the Avengers base to get things ready. I''ll go to S.H.I.E.L.D. for briefing."


    Both nodded. As Natasha left the meeting room, just outside the door, she quickened her pace. Taking out her mobile phone, she said, "Director! It''s bad news! They''re starting another round of Hydra sanctions, another contest!"


    "Cause trouble? I can''t cause trouble; I''m with Stark''s team. He''ll find out!" ... "Alright, I''m on my way."


    Hanging up the phone, Natasha hurried, and when she got in her car, she pressed on the gas pedal. She was about to speed off to S.H.I.E.L.D. When she arrived at Nick''s office at S.H.I.E.L.D., a haze of cigarette smoke filled the air. Nick, smoking a cigarette, held his head, looking deeply troubled.


    "What''s going on? Why are they starting another contest? Hasn''t the fervor over Hydra passed? Why are they still fixated on this?"


    Natasha sighed and said, "Did you forget? Captain and the Winter Soldier went to tour the Andromeda Neb. After spending some time there, they wanted to return to Earth, but the Winter Soldier refused toe back, no matter how Captain tried to persuade him."


    "After Captain returned, heined a bit in front of Stark, and Stark exploded again. They ended up having a fight, and now they''re in a cold war."


    "They''re in a cold war, but what does that have to do with Hydra? What has Hydra done wrong?" Nick said in distress. "Last time, their contest took down at least a dozen Hydra bases. How many more will they damage this time?"


    Natasha hesitated a bit and said, "Director, should I still contact the KGB?"


    As soon as she said that, she felt it sounded somewhat absurd. Natasha sighed, shook her head, and continued, "Though I really don''t understand how you became the head of Hydra''s New York district, having the KGB work under yourmand, disguised as Hydra... wouldn''t that be a bit..."


    Natasha scratched her head vigorously. Her red hair was already a mess, resembling a bird''s nest. The female agent looked utterly frustrated. "Before, when I called the KGB, telling them to arrange agents to infiltrate, they thought I was a leftover Soviet spy. They even called me rade''! My goodness!"


    But Nick''s eyes suddenly lit up. He said, "Is that so?"


    "Of course not! I''ve grown to hate the Soviet Union! I really regret not shooting Gorbachev back then..."


    "In that case, you must be a Soviet spy. Every Soviet spy I know wants to shoot Gorbachev..."


    Natasha looked somewhat exasperated, looking up with a deep sigh. Nickforted her, saying, "Don''t mind it. Who you are right now doesn''t matter. What''s important is who you''re working for."


    "I work for S.H.I.E.L.D.!"


    "Who does S.H.I.E.L.D. work for?"


    "For... Are you trying to make me say that S.H.I.E.L.D. works for you?"


    "No, S.H.I.E.L.D. works for Hydra. S.H.I.E.L.D. is more significant because of Hydra''s existence, holding a high position. Our mission is to eliminate Hydra."


    "So, are you saying I''m working for Hydra?"


    "Not just you." Nick chuckled and said, "All the members of the Avengers are working for Hydra."


    Natasha shook her head, smirked, and said, "Tomorrow, I''ll make sure to convey this spirit to Captain America."


    "Yes, you must emphasize our slogan to him."


    "Slogan? What slogan?"


    "Hail Hydra!"


    Natasha stood in ce, one hand on her hip, the other covering her eyes. She said, "Why don''t you send Barton to do this job? I''d like to live a little longer."


    "Alright, enough joking. What did you think of my performance just now? Did I look like the head of Hydra''s district?"


    Nick swayed his body, showing off his unique rhythm, disying great joy. He said, "No S.H.I.E.L.D. director has ever been able to hold this position, but I believe this is just my starting point, not the end!"


    Natasha looked at him and said, "You''re not thinking of getting a promotion, are you?"


    "Given the current situation, Schiller definitely wants a promotion. If he gets promoted to headquarters, won''t the position of head of the Americas district be vacant? Do you think I have what it takes topete?"


    Before Natasha could answer, Nick waved his hand and said, "No rtionships involved. Once I be the head of the Hydra Americas district, I''ll make you the head of the New York district!"


    "By then, you can insert as many KGB agents here as you want. Within two years, you''ll have all the medals the Soviet Union owes you."


    Natasha snorted and muttered to herself, "Medals..."


    There was a change in the female agent''s eye contact, as if she was recalling some memories. Nick saw her in that state, breaking away from his yful demeanor, and then said, "You''re still the same. Whenever they''re mentioned, you wear that emotion on your face."


    "What emotion?" Natasha raised her voice, seemingly not agreeing with Nick''s statement.


    "You hate it, yet at the same time, you''re nostalgic for it."


    Natashaposed her expression, reverting to her usual cold demeanor. She turned and walked out of the room, leaving only the sound of the door closing echoing in the empty office. Nick looked at the closed door and continued, "Who isn''t, right?"


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 Chapter 496: Who is the Hardcore Tough Guy? (2)

    Chapter 496: Who is the Hardcore Tough Guy? (2)


    In the office of Arkham Sanatorium, Schiller picked up the telephone on the side and spoke rapidly, "Hello? I''m the doctor."


    "Yes, I know, but recently too many people have been attacked. Thest incident led to the temporary suspension of security measures, and I can''t do anything about it."


    "It''s not that I won''t help you. Did you see who attacked you? The all-powerful Captain America and Iron Man. If I could defeat the two of them alone, would I still be sitting in my current position?"


    Schiller angrily hung up the telephone. After a while, the other telephone on his desk rang again. He answered, "Hello, I''m the doctor."


    "Say it again, there are no security measures left. Good luck to you... Important materials? Hold on!"


    Schiller hung up the telephone, picked up another one, dialed a number, and then picked up the receiver, saying, "Hello? Nick, there are important materials in the underground base at the western pier. Send someone to retrieve them. If you go toote, those children might burn them with a fire."


    "No one avable? What''s S.H.I.E.L.D. doing? Alright, alright, but what can I do? Are you suggesting I go find Mephisto?... Wait, I have a solution."


    Schiller put down the telephone, picked up another one, dialed a number, and in no time, a burst of mes erupted from that telephone, flying into the air. Schiller spoke into the telephone, "Mephisto! Hurry and have yourckey, that Ghost Rider fellow, go to the western pier''s underground Hydrabase and retrieve the materials..."


    "What? What? What?" Mephisto sounded like he had just woken up. Schiller rapidly spewed out that long string of words, and Mephisto didn''t understand a thing. Schiller, growing impatient and on the verge of exploding, slowed down his tone and repeated himself. Mephisto said, "Why should I help you? I don''t work for free!""You took the souls of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, leaving them without usable manpower. Whose responsibility is it now?"


    "Weren''t they sold to me?"


    "Weren''t you supposed to buy them?"


    "If you didn''t sell them, how could I buy them?"


    "If you didn''t buy them, how could we sell them?"


    Mephisto was so frustrated he wanted to smash the telephone. He thought of arguing, but hearing Schiller''s increasingly impatient and almost explosive tone, he considered for a moment. If Schiller exploded on the spot, their future business would be in jeopardy. Besides, it was just a small favor. He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I''ll get Johnny to go."


    Just as he put down the telephone, another one started ringing. Schiller sat in his seat, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and picked up the telephone. He was about to curse when he heard Nick on the other end say, "Think of a solution quickly! Hydra is being wiped out by them. My future employees are about to be gone!"


    "You''re the one in charge of New York State now. Dealing with this kind of mess is your responsibility. What''s my rtionship with this?" Schiller impatiently said, "They''ve called countless times already, and I''ve been dealing with it for you. What more do you want?"


    "Even though I''m the overall leader of New York State now, when faced with troubles I can''t handle, don''t I still need to report to higher-ups? Can''t you report to higher-ups? What''s the situation in Germany?"


    "Nick Fury, how much have you been drinking?!" Schiller raised his voice, questioning, "Germany headquarters? During World War II, they couldn''t even beat a Captain America. Are you expecting them to take on the entire Avengers now?"


    Nick was left speechless. During World War II, Hydra never defeated Captain America. And now, equipped with Iron Man''s advanced technology and Captain America''s strong determination, along with several other super-powered superheroes, when Germany headquarters saw such opponents, they probably rushed to the moon to cry in front of the little mustache.


    "We really need toe up with a solution, Schiller. Our employees are losing every moment. Aren''t you concerned?"


    "I''m more concerned than you!" Schiller frowned, he even instinctively covered his chest, feeling as if his heart was bleeding. He said, "There aren''t many people with real power in the entire Americas. Most of them are concentrated in New York State. This is our heart."


    "Now, those Avengers actually want to stab a knife into our heart. How could we possibly let them seed?"


    "What do you n to do then?" Nick asked.


    "We''ll think of a way, divert their attention," Schiller said, holding a telephone in one hand and writing on a medical record in the other. He asked, "Any recent developments on the military side? Any idle generals looking to conduct some experiments, creating a big monster or something?"


    "The military has been rtively quiettely. After the Tarthu officers were cleared outst time, the extreme voices have diminished. Recently, they seem to be obsessed with biogic technology. They won''t be able to create a monster in the short term."


    "Can''t make bricks without straw!" Schiller cursed. He sighed and said, "Forget it, I''ll contact someone else and see if there are any other solutions."


    After hanging up the telephone, Schiller pondered for a moment, then called Connors. He said to Connors, "Dr. Connors, have there been any security issues in yourboratorytely?"


    "Security issues? What kind of security issues are you talking about?" Connors asked, a bit confused.


    "You know, the kind that could potentially lead to leaks... well, the kind that could create a big monster." Schiller described for a while, but because he had no understanding of biological and chemical terms, he could only convey a rough concept.


    Connors didn''t find it surprising. He said, "Rest assured, I takeboratory safety very seriously. Anyone who can enter myboratory has undergone strict training. Anyone who doesn''t adhere to safety rules is not allowed into myboratory, including you."


    Hearing Schiller''s deep sigh on the other end of the telephone, Connors felt a bit puzzled. However, he believed that whatever Schiller was doing had a purpose. He picked up the telephone again and called his assistants, saying, "Do another random inspection of safety protocols today. Make sure they''re implemented properly... Well, I''ll personallye to inspectter."


    Schiller, after setting down the telephone, thought for a moment, then picked it up again and dialed a number. This time, he called Daredevil Matt and asked, "Any recent activities from Kingpin and The Hand?"


    "Activities? Those two have been at each other''s throats recently. The Hand even stopped looking for the Dragon Bone, and Kingpin isn''t expanding his gang industry. They aren''t pursuing anything either. It''s just gang members and ninjas fighting every day. I''ve seen it several times."


    "Why are they socking in ambition?! Isn''t The Hand nning to summon something?"


    "Summon? Summon what? Did you hear something?" Matt asked, very confused. But he didn''t wait for Schiller''s response before the call was abruptly ended.


    Erica, who was beside him, frowned and said, "I guess Schiller must have received some information. He''s always well-informed."


    Saying that, she stood up and said, "No, I have to confirm. If The Hand really has some big conspiracy, we need to snuff it out in its infancy."


    "I''ll go too. Since the mission to take down Hydra hasn''t started yet, let''s investigate The Hand first. We must crush any dangerous beginnings."


    After hanging up the telephone, Schiller thought for a moment, then called Loki. The other end was chaotic, and he heard Loki say, "Hello? Schiller, is something up? If not, I''ll hang up!"


    "What are you doing?"


    "I... wait a moment! Thor! Exin yourself to me! I was indeed killed by him, but I was resurrected... No! I''m not acting! Put down your hammer! Snap! Boom! Snap! Snap! Snap!"


    Schiller looked disappointed and put down the telephone again. Then, he immediately called Professor X. After picking up the telephone, Charles'' gentle voice sounded in Schiller''s ear. He said, "What''s the matter, Schiller?"


    "It''s just... you know... any recent developments with Mao and them?"


    "Mao? He''s busy with construction on the floating ind. The orbital trajectory of that ind seems to have some issues. He and the mutants from the Brotherhood are working on repairs, quite troublesome."


    "When might he be back?"


    "At least another month, I suppose. What''s the matter? Why are you looking for him? I can convey your message through Pris."


    "A month... never mind." Schiller sighed again and set down the telephone. After Charles hung up the telephone, he frowned slightly, then connected to Pris using brainwaves and asked her, "How''s your father beentely?"


    "Him? He''s doing pretty well, better than ever. He''s holding a model of the floating ind and a bunch of books every day, mumbling to himself. I don''t know what he''s researching," Pris replied.


    "While I know he''s unlikely toe back to Earth to cause trouble again, I still hope you can keep an eye on him. After all, at a critical time like this, if anything goes wrong, it could be troublesome," Charles said.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t want him toe back either. Otherwise, he''ll just keep pressing my head and making me read books."


    After hanging up the telephone, Schiller made dozens of calls in session, but didn''t get the answers he was looking for.


    Suddenly, Schiller felt a sense of helplessness that was both amusing and frustrating. After all his previous efforts, Earth''s security was, as he looked around, quite unassable within tens of thousands of light-years.


    The enemies of the Captain America series, Hydra, were now under his control and were being soundly beaten by the Avengers.


    The enemies of the Spider-Man series weren''t much of a threat and most hadn''t even made an appearance yet. They were probably still just regr people. The only significant viin, the Green Goblin, had dived into a pit of eternal life factor. He was probably counting money until his fingers cramped up.


    The enemies of the Iron Man series, Obadiah and the Green Goblin, were squatting in the pit of eternal life factor, counting money until their eyes went blurry. Whish was expelled back to Russia along with a group of agents, back to his hometown of Siberia to do research. Ultron hadn''t been created yet, JARVIS was getting more intelligent, and he hung up on Schiller''s call the moment it came in.


    The viin Dormammu from the Doctor Strange series had been digesting in the dark dimension since getting his fillst time. Mephisto was engrossed in teaching an economics ss in hell. Baron Mordo was nowhere to be found, even the Vishanti were researching the Astral Form they had given The Ancient One before.


    The viin Loki from the Thor series was currently being beaten up by his elder brother. Judging by the sounds of those thunderbolts, he probably wouldn''t be able to get up for a while.


    Even the mutant viin Mao was off, involved in extraterrestrial construction. He wouldn''t be back for some time.


    Among the remaining well-known Marvel viins, they were either not powerful enough or couldn''t be contacted. After all his efforts to contact them, Schiller arrived at a conclusion ¡ª his previous efforts were indeed not in vain; Earth was just too safe.


    Just as Schiller was about to resort to searching for Thanos'' phone number, suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps in the corridor. They didn''t sound like those of nurses or orderlies; instead, they resembled the steps of soldiers.


    A loud bang, and the door was kicked open. A group of strangers rushed into Schiller''s Sanatorium office. The one at the front pped his identification on the table and said, "Central Intelligence Agency investigator Marc Spector."


    "Schiller Rodriguez, you''ve been reported for engaging in espionage activities viting federal securityws in New York. Come with us."


    Hardcore tough guy Nick ¡Á


    Hardcore tough guy Schiller ¡Á


    Hardcore tough guy Marc ¡Ì


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 Chapter 497: Who Made the Moon Gods Heart Turn Murderous? (1)

    Chapter 497: Who Made the Moon God''s Heart Turn Murderous? (1)


    In the dimly lit interrogation room, the atmosphere remained eerily quiet, which was actually a form of psychological warfare. In an extremely quiet environment, people tended to create sounds to rx themselves, making it easier to divulge their inner secrets.


    Seated in the interrogation chair was a doctor wearing a white coat. His hands were restrained on the armrests of the chair. He tilted his head back, gazing at the overhead light bulb. It was a very simple incandescent bulb, constantly blinking with alternating brightness, casting flickering light that intensified the oppressive atmosphere of the room.


    "Do you know? I once suggested to someone that they should rece the unresponsive light bulb in their office. But he told me that it''s actually a form of psychological warfare. Unstable light can stimte the psyche of the interrogated, making them more anxious," the voice of Schiller echoed in the room.


    Sitting on the opposite side of the railing, Marc looked up at him and asked, "The person you''re talking about must be a professional agent. Who is he? Where is he from? Is he your colleague?"


    "Why do you think he''s a professional agent?" Schiller countered.


    "Answer my question," Marc wasn''t fooled. He simply repeated the same question over and over again, regardless of what Schiller asked him.


    "It seems you''re also a professional agent," Schiller tilted his head slightly, still not returning to a normal posture. He rested his head against the back of the chair and continued staring at the light bulb. "But the person I mentioned didn''t refuse to change the light bulb because of that nonsense reason. He simply didn''t want to spend the money."


    The exchange between Schiller and Marc wasn''t going smoothly. They both seemed to exhibit two contrasting qualities of humanity: one was a parrot, and the other was the kind who answered questions with unrted information.


    Marc incessantly repeated one question, using agent tactics and interrogation techniques to pry information from Schiller. However, Schiller only shared what he wanted to and asked what he wanted to know. The two of them engaged in a disjointed conversation for a while, until Marc finally stood up from behind the desk.He opened the door of the room''s railing and approached Schiller. When he stood in front of Schiller, his shadow fell over him, obscuring his gaze. From this angle, Marc had a very handsome face and a tall stature, coupled with the serious expressionmon among agents.


    This posture exuded a strong sense of oppression, but Schiller continued to gaze at the light bulb. He said, "It seems you''ve realized that the wording from the first chapter of the agent handbook doesn''t work on me, so you''ve moved on to the techniques taught in the second chapter by Professor X."


    "Do you need me to review it for you? Stand up in front of the interrogated, use your physical presence and posture to establish a sense of dominance, employ actions that hint at violence, making the subject feel like they''re in a potentially dangerous environment..."


    "If you''re more skilled, when you notice the interrogated is starting to feel ack of security, you''ll ease off this stance, let them rx a bit, then abruptly tighten their mental state again. After a few rounds of this, they''ll start talking..."


    Marc, standing before Schiller, visibly froze in his movements. ording to his posture, he seemed about to twist his wrist or crack his knuckles, actions that should have implied violence, but now, if he continued these actions, it looked less like a veiled threat and more like a novice''s practice...


    However, without a doubt, Marc had ample agent experience. He didn''t lose hisposure. He took a step back, leaned against the railing, and then turned slightly. He reached behind and picked up a set of documents from the table. He said:


    "We''ve received a tip. Intelligence indicates that you''ve been involved in espionage within the state of New York..."


    "Intelligence indicates what country''s spy I am?" Schiller asked.


    Marc''s hand flipping through the documents paused for a moment. From the moment Schiller walked into the room, every word he said was unexpected to Marc. In essence, he wasn''t following the script.


    In Marc''s career as an agent, he had encountered many tough opponents, but most of them weren''t like this.


    Some people turned mute the moment they entered the interrogation room. No matter the methods used, they couldn''t be made to utter a word. Others would use various tactics to prove their innocence, even outwitting Marc and other interrogation experts, leading them into logical dead ends.


    Undoubtedly, these individuals all shared amon trait: they were highly aggressive, attacking every weakness of the interrogator, using every means to escape.


    However, Schiller gave Marc the impression that he didn''t really want to escape. He seemed to want to stay a while longer, or maybe it wasn''t just a while. Judging by his demeanor, it seemed like he intended to settle in here.


    "You must realize the consequences that your dangerous actions might bring," Marc continued to stare at Schiller with a stern expression.


    "Any consequences? The Central Intelligence Agency doesn''t havew enforcement authority, only the investigative authority that''s been neutered countless times. You brought me here openly because the person who reported me provided extremely detailed information."


    "I believe this is the most enjoyable game you''ve yed in the past decade. You could even burst into my sanatorium, point a gun at me, and threaten me toe with you. But under normal circumstances, you could only skulk around the target, not only watching out for them but also for the Federal Bureau of Investigation..."


    Schiller straightened his body, still rxed against the chair''s backrest. He said, "Perhaps you think this is a simple game. My intelligence has grown to the point where you might feel I''m far less dangerous than those you''ve encountered before, because they wouldn''t leave behind so many ws and information for their opponents..."


    "But the truth is, even with all this intelligence at your disposal, you still can''t touch me. You can only bring me to court."


    "Now, your goal in getting more information from me is simply to gain an advantage during the trial. Otherwise, I might just walk out of the courtroom unscathed, and outside the courtroom, I''ll show you a mocking smile and a raised middle finger, just like those opponents you''ve encountered before."


    "Enough." Marc''s voice lowered. Schiller chuckled and said, "It seems today''s interrogation can end here. You can go back and mend your shattered spirit. We''ll see each other again tomorrow."


    Marc tossed the documents back onto the table. He walked up to Schiller once again and swung his fist at him, but Schiller dodged it by leaning his body to the side...


    Marc retracted his fist without further attack. He said, "Your earlier move already exposed that you''re a well-trained agent. Normal people can''t dodge like that."


    "Your earlier move also exposed that you must be a well-trained boxer. Agentbat skills don''t usually teach professional boxing techniques..."


    Marc took a deep breath, his chest heaving. After a moment of pause, he shook his head. Schiller said, "Does anger make your mental state unstable? How long has this been going on? Have you seen a doctor about it?"


    After Marc gradually calmed down, he gave Schiller a deep look, then turned and left the interrogation room.


    After a while, the door to the interrogation room opened again. Marc, standing by the door, was talking to an interrogation expert, asionally pointing a finger at Schiller.


    Schiller sat up straight, stretched his neck, and shouted, "Are you going to call your parents? I promise not to tell anyone about your crying fit just now, in case you don''t want toe to kindergarten tomorrow!"


    Schiller could see that Marc''s fists had clenched.


    But Schiller waited for a while and didn''t witness Marc''s outburst. He shook his head, seemingly disappointed.


    As Marc turned to leave, Schiller suddenly fell silent. Just as Marc was about to turn his head for onest look, Schiller spoke up, saying, "Alright, I''m Hydra."


    Marc turned his head to look at Schiller, and Schiller looked at Marc. Then, without looking back, Marc walked away.


    Schiller shouted loudly, "Can''t you hear me?! I said I''m Hydra! The kind of Hydra Captain America fought against! The Hydra that almost destroyed the world in World War II!"


    "Wait! Come back! Alright, I''m KGB! KGB! Pretending to be Hydra, the KGB, is that enough?!"


    In a moment, Marc entered the interrogation room again with a team of interrogation experts. Schiller sat in the chair and let out a deep sigh.


    Marc picked up the documents from the table again. The interrogation personnel walked up to Schiller and ced a table in front of him. They then attached various physiological monitoring devices to him,monly known as lie detectors.


    "How''s the weather today?" Marc asked.


    "Not bad," Schiller replied.


    Schiller''s peripheral vision caught a group of technicians staring at the physiological monitoring device. Marc asked a few unrted questions, confirming the lie detector was functioning properly, before getting to the main point.


    "What''s your real name?"


    "Schiller Rodriguez."


    "You''re not Russian?"


    "No."


    "Are you a KGB spy infiltrated within Hydra?"


    "Yes."


    Marc nced up at the technician behind the instrument, who subtly shook their head, indicating the readings were fine. Although lie detector data wasn''t necessarilypletely urate and couldn''t be treated as evidence, it couldrgely indicate emotional changes in a person at that moment.


    Schiller hadn''t used any special abilities to control his physiological state because he was speaking the truth, albeit a convoluted one.


    "You''re a KGB spy infiltrated within Hydra, then sent by Hydra to work within S.H.I.E.L.D.?"


    "Yes."


    "Within S.H.I.E.L.D., how many allies do you have?"


    Faced with this question, Schiller fell silent, and he frowned at the technician watching the screen. Marc keenly caught this expression, clearly indicating that there was an issue with the previous readings.


    "More or less?" Marc continued, "Among spies like you, are there more or fewer of your kind within S.H.I.E.L.D.?"


    "Of my kind, there''s only me," Schiller answered. Marc immediately looked to the technician, who shook their head once again.


    Marc furrowed his brow and said, "If you''re willing to be a witness with potentially damaging information, we can apply for witness protection for you. It could also work in your favor for a reduced sentence. So, it''s in your best interest to tell us what you know about Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the KGB. It won''t harm you."


    "What do you want to know?" Schiller asked.


    Marc stood up again, walked in front of him, and began pacing. He said, "I believe you should be aware that the Russian Federal Security Service recently arrested a high-ranking member of Hydra. Simultaneously, they revealed that the KGB had infiltrated Hydra and used its influence to rise through the ranks."


    Marc turned his head, looking into Schiller''s eyes, and asked, "We want to know what role S.H.I.E.L.D. yed in this. Did they provide cover for Hydra''s or the KGB''s operations? Most importantly, does S.H.I.E.L.D.''s Director Nick Fury have any suspicion ofplicity in the current situation due to inaction?"


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 Chapter 498: Who Made Moon God Bloodthirsty? (1)

    Chapter 498: Who Made Moon God Bloodthirsty? (1)


    "Not taking action, that word isn''t very urate," Schiller replied.


    He opened his mouth and showed a hesitant expression on his face, as if he didn''t know how to express himself. He said, "I know you want me to provide some evidence so that you can shift the me for this matter onto S.H.I.E.L.D."


    "After all, Russian spies fall within your scope of work, and Hydra falls within S.H.I.E.L.D.''s scope of work. When the KGB used Hydra to sessfully take over and expose all of this, both sides want to me each other for their failures."


    Marc squinted his eyes and asked, "So, Nick Fury did..."


    Schiller first shook his head, then nodded slightly, followed by another shake of his head. Finally, he didn''t say anything.


    Subsequently, no matter how much Marc inquired, Schiller remained silent. Marc understood that he might have hit a crucial point.


    So, with a growing urgency to get answers, he repeated his questions and looked for other opportunities to make Schiller speak.


    Schiller remained silent for a while, nearly exhausting Marc''s patience. He finally spoke again, asking, "Aren''t you a CIA investigator? Interrogation shouldn''t be your job. Why are you bothering me here?"


    Marc crossed his arms and stood in front of Schiller, seemingly hesitating whether to answer the question.During an interrogation, a constant refusal and aggressive questioning weren''t always the best approach. Somepliance and answering, through seemingly unimportant questions, could help make the interrogated person talk. Agents often used such minor questions to prompt the interrogated to talk more until they revealed their information.


    "I was originally a field operative, but due to S.H.I.E.L.D.''s operational mistakes that damaged U.S. international reputation, the CIA came under significant pressure. So, I was ordered to thoroughly investigate this matter."


    Before saying these words, Marc made sure he didn''t reveal any important information, but Schiller had gleaned the intelligence he sought.


    Marc Spector, a CIA agent, was also the Marvel superhero Moon Knight.


    In theic''s storyline, Marc, after leaving the CIA, became a mercenary. He was killed during a mission in Egypt andter resurrected by Moon God Khonshu, bing his agent on Earth, the so-called Moon Knight.


    This superhero''s background story leaned towards mystery, but even more interesting was his other aspect ¨C he had dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder.


    In theics, he had three personas: the mercenary, the millionaire, and the taxi driver. In the TV adaptation, these personas transformed into a mercenary, a timid museum employee, and an enigmatic third persona named Jack.


    Currently, Marc''s mental state appeared stable, despite Schiller''s attempts to provoke extreme emotions. The so-called Moon God Khonshu was nowhere to be seen.


    If we follow theic''s timeline, Marc, who hadn''t yet resigned from the CIA, might not have gone to Egypt for the mercenary mission, meaning he likely hadn''t encountered Moon God Khonshu and hadn''t be Moon Knight yet.


    Schiller sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Originally, his n was to provoke Marc''s emotions, force Moon God Khonshu to appear, and then capture him to work for the Avengers.


    If it''s the Moon God Khonshu from theics, she''s purely a viin, and getting beaten up is just what she deserves. The TV show''s Khonshu has some signs of being redeemed, but she''s still powerful, and getting beaten up wouldn''t faze her. Regardless of which version of Khonshu, she''s definitely a Spacedemon god ¨C getting beaten up is the least of his worries.


    But now, the timeline isn''t going as expected. Despite Schiller''s presence, the entire Avengers Civil War storyline has already concluded. Iron Man and Captain America have had numerous shes, and they''re still in a cold war. However, in reality, the current timeline is still in its early stages. Many viins and superheroes haven''t yet stepped onto the New York stage.


    Since pretending to be hurt isn''t working, Schiller doesn''t want to waste any more time here. Every moment he spends here, Hydra loses precious power. So, he transforms into a grey mist on the spot, breaks free from the restraints of the interrogation chair, and drifts into the air.


    Marc widened his eyes, shocked by Schiller''s sudden change in appearance. Just as Schiller was about to float away, he saw Marc step back two paces and shout, "Costume!"


    In an instant, a silver cloak resembling moonlight descended upon the room, and Marc, wearing the Moon Knight costume, appeared in the center.


    He crossed his hands over his chest, lethal glints emanating from the twin crescent des in his hands. The eyes under the hood ignited, and in a moment, he lunged toward The Grey Mist.


    It was clear to see that The Grey Mist hesitated in mid-air for a moment, then decisively dispersed, evading Marc''s attack. It reformed in a corner, taking on a humanoid shape. Schiller extended his hand and said, "Wait! Moon Knight? Khonshu? Moon God Khonshu? Are you here?"


    Apanied by a flickering sound, the lightbulb''s blinking grew faster. Amidst the intery of light and shadow, a massive figure materialized in the center of the room, drawing closer to Schiller.


    Schiller looked up at him, gazing at the terrifying, hovering head with a long bird-like beak. He asked, "Moon God Khonshu, is that you?"


    At this moment, the descending Moon Knight, Marc, also froze. He looked at Schiller and said, "You can see him?"


    Schiller didn''t turn his head to look at Marc; he kept his focus on Khonshu. Just when Marc thought Schiller was about to convey something important to Khonshu, Schiller opened his mouth and said, "Khonshu, have you heard of the Sanctum Sanctorum?"


    Initially facing away from the two, Khonshu slowly turned its head 360 degrees, hollow eyes fixated on Schiller.


    From this face, Schiller couldn''t read any expressions, so he continued, "If you haven''t heard of it or have no rtionship with it, let me introduce you. The Nine Realms Sanctum Sanctorum is a high-end club established by the supreme sorcerers of Asgard and Earth''s Kamar-Taj. It''s dedicated to maintaining rtionships with Spacedemon gods and creating a harmonious dimensional ecosystem¡­"


    "Since its establishment, Sanctum Sanctorum has been providing top-notch service and attitude, offering various services to Spacedemon gods. It has thousands of sessful cases. Khonshu, as an Egyptian deity, I must also mention that we had a membership gift in our previous season¡­"


    "I believe you''re familiar with a certain Panther and a certain Lion. In thest season, they received our membership gift, which should have been of great assistance to them. Here, let me introduce you to our membership package¡­"


    Moon Knight stood there, utterly perplexed. He couldn''t grasp what Schiller was talking about. However, when Schiller mentioned Panther and Lion, the terrifying giant figure slowly turned towards them.


    Bending down, its massive bird-like beak drew close to Schiller''s head. Schiller silently took two steps back and then said, "Um, if you''re not interested in membership, I can also introduce you to our time-based billing and per-use billing¡­"


    Suddenly, a deep voice resonated in the room, "It''s you all who granted Bast such formidable power?"


    "Correct," Schiller nodded, speaking earnestly, "And that was just our seasonal membership gift. In the future, there will be a continuous stream of membership gifts for all our Advanced Members¡­"


    In an instant, the figure of Moon God Khonshu vanished, leaving behind a voice filled with murderous intent echoing in the room, "Marc, kill him!"


    With a "bang," Schiller transformed into The Grey Mist again, evading the attack of the twin des that came his way. The Grey Mist swiftly passed through the railings and the door, racing down the corridor. Moon Knight also sprinted at the same speed, chasing after Schiller.


    Schiller shouted as he flew, "Even if you don''t like sales pitches, is killing me really necessary?! Your temper is terrible!"


    "Iron Man! Captain America! Spider-Man! Come quickly!


    Spacedemon gods are invading!


    Where are the Avengers? Help us out!


    !"


    Flying along the twisting and dark corridors of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Schiller caught glimpses of Moon God Khonshu repeatedly appearing in the dark corners. His terrifying hollow eyes locked onto him. Although the monstrous face, distorted in shape, didn''t disy any expressions, Schiller could feel the anger emanating from her.


    As The Grey Mist finally emerged from the underground base to the surface, Schiller noticed that it was already nighttime. Strangely, the moon in the sky was bing rounder and rounder. Schiller was perplexed. Which sentence did he say wrong to make Moon God Khonshu so furious that she altered the celestial phenomenon?


    Simultaneously, Marc, who was chasing after Schiller, had the same question. Everything was happening too quickly.


    Initially, he saw Schiller manifest non-human traits and instinctively summoned his costume. However, to his surprise, that eerie and horrifying mist spewed out ssic sales lines with every breath!


    What surprised Marc even more was that Moon God Khonshu was an extremist hate-driven marketer who directly ordered him to kill Schiller.


    While Marc didn''t intend to follow Khonshu''smand, he needed to stop Schiller and understand what was happening.


    Under the moonlight, between buildings, the two kept running and chasing. After circling around New York, Schiller finally stopped.


    He realized that tonight, the Avengers seemed to be on vacation. There was no Iron Man flying in the sky, no Spider-Man leaping between buildings. Even if he led Khonshu around again, there would be no one to fight the threat.


    Schiller sighed and halted on the rooftop of a building. He transformed back into his human form and extended his hand, saying, "Stop! Let''s first figure out what''s going on, okay?"


    Moon God Khonshu still radiated a desire for violence, but Marc managed to control his rationality. He stopped and gazed at Schiller with his glowing eyes. Schiller began by asking, "How did you be Moon Knight?"


    Marc paused, seemingly surprised that Schiller asked him this question. However, upon hearing it, he instinctively began to recall that thrilling adventure in Egypt.


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 Chapter 499: Who Provoked the Moon Gods Wrath? (2)

    Chapter 499: Who Provoked the Moon God''s Wrath? (2)


    The transformation of Marc into Moon Knight ahead of time was still a result of Schiller''s influence.


    Earlier, to get back at Hydra for triggering the Cigarette smoke rm at S.H.I.E.L.D., Schiller devised a highly intricate scheme that almost drenched Hydra. This scheme ultimately propelled Schiller to his current position as the head of Hydra''s Americas division.


    This event also triggered another minor incident: a political upheaval in Wakanda. The leader of one tribe attacked the ruler of Wakanda, causing him to disappear due to poisoning for a period.


    While Schiller perceived this as a minor event, it wasn''t viewed the same internationally. Particrly, the U.S. had been eyeing the lucrative prospects in Wakanda and was eager to seize any opportunity to meddle there.


    However, Wakanda''s politicalndscape had remained rtively stable. Its people were thriving, and with strong military power and a good international reputation, Congress couldn''t find a valid reason to intervene.


    But this time, when the leader of Wakanda was assassinated, it presented a golden opportunity. The entire CIA was almost mobilized, ready to turn Wakanda into chaos.


    At that moment, Wakanda was in a precarious state, with airports and other transportation routes blocked. Thus, direct flights weren''t feasible. Since the CIA dispatched agents, not military forces, they had to maintain secrecy. Therefore, the agents were divided into several teams, approaching Wakanda from different directions in Africa, sowing discord among neighboring countries along the way.


    Marc, originally a field operative, happened to be traveling the route from the Middle East to Africa and then to Wakanda. This route conveniently passed through Egypt.


    Initially, his team was just stopping in Egypt for resupply without revealing their identities. Unfortunately, they inadvertently encountered the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. Mossad was formidable inbat and aggression, equivalent to their homnd operations. As a result, Marc''s team suffered heavy casualties.Following this incident, there isn''t much to say. Marc, on the brink of death, found his way to the temple of Khonshu nearby and was saved by Khonshu, bing Khonshu''s earthly agent.


    Marc briefly recounted this story, helping Schiller understand that Marc had indeed be Moon Knight. It''s just that under Schiller''s influence, Marc became Moon Knight earlier. During this period, his mental state was rtively stable, so he didn''t disy significant signs of dissociative identity disorder.


    Grasping this, Schiller continued, "So why are you so upset? I was just pitching, not coercing!"


    At the mention of this, the immense and fearsome figure of Khonshu began to flicker around again. Marc was perplexed. After a prolonged mental conversation with Khonshu, he finally uncovered the truth.


    Correct, it was Schiller''s fault again.


    Earlier, to find a suitable parasol for himself, Schiller had the idea of using the World Serpent, Jormungandr. However, even if Jormungandr was a mythological creature, it was still an animal. As known, Marvel maintained a political correctness aura; the wanton killing of animals could lead to unforeseen consequences.


    But animal against animal didn''t pose the same issue. So, after teaming up with Loki, Schiller summoned the Egyptian gods through the Sanctum Sanctorum and divided Jormungandr''s body among them.


    Jormungandr''s flesh was a substantial nourishment, and those Egyptian animal gods feasted heartily.


    As for the other gods, let''s leave them aside. It''s well-known that when felids are well-fed and rested, only one thing remains on their minds¡ªmisadventure.


    Though "colluding" wouldn''t urately describe the alliance between a lion and a panther, the practical situation was just that. With full bellies and nothing to do, the two felids decided to go bird hunting.


    And the bird was Khonshu.


    Listening to this story, Schiller took a deep breath, then covered his forehead. The destructive power of the Panther God, Bast, was all too clear to him. Was Khonshu unlucky? Or very unlucky? Or extremely unlucky?


    Moreover, that lion had quite the mouth, boasting to Khonshu about eating a pie that fell from the sky and even disclosing the name of the Sanctum Sanctorum.


    Initially, this incident was already in the past, and Khonshu''s anger had mostly dissipated. However, at this juncture, Sanctum Sanctorum''s top salesman, Schiller, appeared...


    Khonshu was never one for good temper. Confronted with a well-fed and energetic alliance of Panther and Lion, he was powerless. But if he couldn''t beat Panther, how could he beat you?


    Schiller sighed once more, saying to Marc, "In that case, Khonshu, have you considered joining if you can''t beat them?"


    The moon in the sky began to flicker erratically again. Schiller extended his hand in a pacifying gesture, "Alright, alright, we won''t force membership..."


    Just as Schiller was contemting how to trick the Moon God Khonshu into bing their boss, Marc interrupted, asking, "Who are you, really? What''s all of this about?"


    "Haven''t I already said? I''m Hydra..." Schiller, deep in thought, answered somewhat impatiently. Suddenly, he realized, recalling his other identity¡ªthe Pope of the World Serpent, Jormungandr.


    He pondered for a moment, then asked Marc, "Why did the Moon God Khonshu choose you to be Moon Knight?"


    This question caught Marc off guard, and Schiller continued, "I believe you should also know that while the Moon God Khonshu has an extremely long lifespan, statistically speaking, there have been many people who died near his temple. Why did he specifically choose you?"


    Schiller spoke as if he was questioning Marc but also sharing his own thought process. Suddenly, he noticed a point that Marc might not have realized himself ¨C that Marc was a sufferer of dissociative identity disorder.


    People are always more sensitive to matters within their own profession, and Schiller felt that his line of thinking was reasonable. After all, besides the dissociative identity disorder trait, the only other exceptional thing about Marc was his role as a CIA agent. Yet, one couldn''t expect an ancient space demon god to be aware of the special status of a U.S. agent; even the entire history of the U.S. would be just a blink of an eye for Khonshu.


    With this in mind, Schiller tentatively asked, "Marc, do you experience intermittent memory loss?"


    Marc''s mouth hung open for a moment. He assessed his surroundings ¨C the moonlight was abundant, the wind was chilling atop the high-rise building, and two figures that were neither entirely human nor non-human were confronting each other at the top. The atmosphere didn''t seem at all conducive to a psychological consultation.


    Nheless, Marc hesitated for a moment and said, "I have indeed passed out recently, and because of that, I was considering resigning from the CIA..."


    Schiller understood. It seemed the timeline was bing clearer. If it weren''t for the plot changes he brought about, Marc would have likely experienced fainting and intermittent memory loss due to his dissociative identity disorder, resigned from the CIA, and then turned to being a mercenary.


    "Marc, kill him!" that low, eerie voice resonated once more. The tone of the Moon God Khonshu had be somewhat urgent, as if trying to prevent Schiller from revealing something.


    Marc struggled to control his body. He didn''t seem inclined toply. He lowered his voice and said, "No, even if he''s a spy, he should go through a court trial, and he holds crucial information!"


    "Kill him!" Khonshu roared lowly.


    "Take it easy..." Schiller''s tone suddenly calmed down. Khonshu''s reaction confirmed his suspicion. He continued, "Khonshu, every proxy chosen by a space demon god has their unique traits."


    "Dormammu''s proxies possess a dark essence, Mephisto values anger and vengeful fire, Chthon leans towards chaos affinity, and Panther God Bast prefers darker aspects..."


    "So, you, Moon God Khonshu, do you prefer someone multi-faceted?"


    Schiller raised his head, looking at the moon that continued to blink in the sky. He said, "... Just like the moon."


    "Like the ever-changing moon that the ancient Egyptians worshipped, sometimes a new moon, sometimes a full moon ¨C distinctly different yet the same. Born into this, naturally, you''re filled with attachment..."


    Suddenly, the moonlight froze. The cold hue of the moon''s radiance resembled a curtain hanging from the sky ¨C icy, eerie, but incredibly mysterious and dreamlike.


    The moon, embodying all the simple materialistic fantasies of ancient humans, whether in Egypt, China, the East, or the West, across all civilizations and cultures, everyone held countless spections and curiosities about the solitary moon hanging in the beautiful night sky. Among these, the most captivating was its peculiar phenomenon of changing shapes over time.


    Amidst the cold moonlight, the massive figure descended again. However, this time, it didn''t appear within the darkness but descended with the moonlight, transforming its terrifying appearance into one of sanctity. It was as if the sharp crescent moon had turned into a full, round moon.


    "But I think that a few different personalities cannot depict the moon''s mystery and ever-changing nature, don''t you think? Khonshu."


    Schiller looked up at Khonshu''s hollow eyes. When the bright light, simr to moonlight, shone there, Schiller knew that the Moon God was hooked.


    "What do you want to say?" For the first time, Khonshu directly engaged in conversation with Schiller.


    Schiller extended a finger, pointing to his temple, and said, "Here lies the moon for all 365 days of the year."


    The moonlight grew brighter. In the backlight, Khonshu appeared eerie and terrifying, yet dreamlike.


    Instinctively, Khonshu extended a finger, its long finger carrying dense moonlight. At the moment the moonlight touched Schiller, the consciousness of the deity and the human rapidly sank, entering a space filled with white mist.


    Standing before the door of the high tower, Schiller saw the first rising of a full moon above the tower.


    The moonlight gradually condensed, forming the consciousness incarnation of the Moon God Khonshu, floating in mid-air. The first thing Moon God Khonshu saw wasn''t the high tower, but the massive serpent coiled above it.


    Jormungandr was sleeping soundly when he felt as though someone was watching him. Slowly, his massive vertical pupils opened, and he squinted as he turned his head, only to see Khonshu.


    Jormungandr had just awakened from a dream, still not fully alert. Seeing Khonshu, who was glowing and had a bird''s beak, flying in mid-air, his hunting instincts kicked in, and he lunged to bite.


    "Wait!" Schiller shouted.


    It seemed that Khonshu was also witnessing such a dreamlike scene for the first time. He hesitated for a moment, but in that very instant, he was already caught in the serpent''s mouth.


    "Loosen your grip! Quickly, loosen your grip, Jormungandr! Dammit, what are you doing? Look closely at what you''ve eaten!!!"


    Schiller hurriedly flew to Jormungandr''s side, vigorously patting his head, urging him to release Khonshu.


    Jormungandr, now regaining his senses, realized that he had bitten into something unappetizing. He opened his mouth and spat, expelling Khonshu. The expelled Khonshunded right in the middle of the high tower.


    Climbing up from the ground, Jormungandr shook his bird-beak skeleton head, opening his hollow eyes.


    As he lifted his head, he saw numerous Schillers atop the high tower.


    For Schiller, who had just flown down, he never imagined that he would witness suchplex expressions on a face with a long bird beak. The expression carried astonishment, delight, and even a touch of emotion.


    Schiller surmised that the part involving emotion might be Khonshu''s thoughts, pondering how humanity had evolved over countless years and finally found the right path of evolution. It wasn''t in vain that he had watched this evolution from his altar for millions of years.


    At this moment, Jormungandr''s head leaned over. One of his enormous vertical pupils fixed on Schiller as he asked, "Who is he? What are you guys up to?"


    Schiller cleared his throat, extended his hand, and pointed to the floors of the nearby high tower. He said to Khonshu, "You want to choose a personality as a host, right? Do you need me to introduce some popr candidates?"


    Khonshu turned his head and then lowered it, looking at Schiller. He said, "I punish the guilty..."


    "So, what''s your point?" Schiller asked.


    "The wrongdoers are vile and wicked..."


    "Uh, what do you mean?"


    Khonshu struck his staff against the ground and turned his head, looking at Schiller. He then said, "They must be able to fight."


    "What do you mean by ''able to fight''? Are you referring to physicalbat? But I don''t favor resorting to violence..."


    Khonshu turned his head back, facing forward, and repeated in a tone of "not just good, but the best, regardless of the cost," "¡­the most capable of fighting."


    Schiller hesitated, which was rare for him. He said, "Are you sure?"


    Khonshu turned his head, staring at him with his hollow eyes, and Schiller stared back. After a moment of mutual staring, Schiller said, "You said so yourself."


    Upon saying that, he walked towards the staircase and then said, "Follow me."


    One human and one deity entered the elevator and arrived at the tenth floor of the Temple of Thought. Stepping out of the elevator, they faced a dark corridor.


    After walking through the corridor, they reached a door at the end. This door appeared somewhat dpidated, resembling the entrance to an old-style mental hospital.


    The two figures disappeared into the darkness beyond the door, leaving behind a slightly tattered que with threerge characters written on it ¨C "Madhouse."


    !Danger!


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 Chapter 500: Blood-Red Moonlight Tonight (1)

    Chapter 500: Blood-Red Moonlight Tonight (1)


    "Squeak... squeak... squeak..."


    The wind rustled the windows, producing eerie creaks. Curtains danced with the wind, and an indistinct light seeped through the windows, casting bright squares on the floor. As Khonshu followed Schiller through the corridors of the madhouse, it felt as though his finger was gliding over the ck and white keys of a steel piano.


    Khonshu was different from other demon gods. He would possess Moon Knight in the form of moonlight and venture into humanity''s society with them. As a result, he wasn''t entirely ignorant of things within human society. At the very least, he could recognize that this was the corridor of a hospital.


    However, simultaneously, this corridor felt somewhat unfamiliar to him. The wavy letters were absent from the walls, reced by square characters that felt oddly familiar to Khonshu. They resembled the intricate lines of ancient Egyptian script he had often used,plex strokes like a painting.


    In his recollections, Khonshu remembered seeing this type of script in the mind of a certain agent. It came from a distant easternnd, just as ancient as Khonshu''s own ancient Egypt.


    As Khonshu walked forward, he turned his head to observe the walls of the hospital corridor. The lower half of the walls was painted in shades of blue and green, followed by white wainscoting. The colored paint was faded and worn, giving the walls a slightly dpidated appearance.


    Khonshu was an ancient demon god, but he was also the one among all the space demon gods who was closest to humanity. He gained faith from ancient Egyptians and had continuously guarded that ancient realm and humanity from within his temple.


    His way of thinking differed from humanity''s, but precisely because he was so close to them, he could better understand these small lives.


    In his view, humanity harbored endless and beautiful fantasies. They would exhaust their imaginations to craft an ideal world in their minds. Former Moon Knights had all done so.However, the person walking ahead of him seemed somewhat different. Khonshu didn''t understand why Schiller''s mind held an image of a slightly decrepit mental hospital.


    The window frames, sun-faded and the peeling wall paint, pitted baseboards, doors and walls adorned with texts and numbers of small ads ¨C even the ss and tile floors appeared misty and hadn''t been cleaned for a long time.


    "Where are we going?" Khonshu asked. "Where is the personality you believe to be the strongest?"


    "Don''t rush. Before that, we need to discuss the terms," Schiller said as he walked forward.


    "Yes, humanity always likes to negotiate terms. Everyone I''ve encountered has been like that," Khonshu replied, unsurprised.


    "Before that, should you introduce yourself to me? Moon God Khonshu, who are you exactly? Why did you choose a proxy with Dissociative Identity Disorder?"


    "I don''t know if you have an understanding of divine positions, but if you''ve interacted with many demon gods through the organization known as the Sanctum Sanctorum, then you should be aware of how important humanity''s faith is to us."


    "To gain humanity''s faith, there are two methods. The first is to descend to the mortal world, showcasing your own strong power, revealing your true name, and making people believe in you as a deity¡­"


    "The other method is to incarnate as a natural phenomenon already revered by humanity, such as the sun, moon, birth, death, spring, winter, and so on."


    "You chose thetter?" Schiller asked, turning his head slightly.


    "Correct. However, many demon gods have chosen this path. These natural phenomena can also give rise to concept demon gods. But the revered phenomena in humanity are limited, which leads to ovep in divine positions."


    "From what I know, nearly every divine lineage has a deity rted to the sun, moon, fire, water, and so on. They have simr roles. So how is faith allocated?"


    "That''s exactly what I want to talk about." Khonshu''s deep voice echoed through the corridor. Due to Schiller''s uniqueness, he had the patience to exin further. "Earth''s sun gods and Moon Gods are abundant, but we each serve different purposes."


    "I represent the changes of the moon. Ancient Egyptians carved depictions of the moon''s various phases into walls as hieroglyphs, incorporating them into their writing. The moon''s changing forms symbolized the passage of time, so I became the deity representing each of the moon''s forms."


    "This is why, unlike other demon gods, I don''t merely grant my proxies power; I can inhabit the minds of hosts and manifest at any time and ce."


    "As many moon phases as there are, there are just as many of me. I''m in a constant state of transformation among various forms,cking a definite essence."


    "That''s why I choose proxies who resemble my own fluctuating state. I choose them to be Moon Knights because I am uncertain, and they are uncertain. In this state, they can better harness my power."


    "So, if you choose me as your proxy, projecting your power onto me, what would you like me to do?"


    Schiller''s question made Khonshu fall silent. He was hearing a human actively inquire about the cost of his power for the first time. But after a moment of silence, he still spoke, "In fact, you should have been the one to do this because everything that''s happened is because of the Sanctum Sanctorum."


    Schiller felt as though he heard a sigh from Khonshu. Following that, he heard Khonshu''s voice again:


    "Those Egyptian gods who joined the Sanctum Sanctorum disrupted the tranquility of the heavenly realm, gaining more potent power, and thus, seeking higher status."


    "Even though, a long time ago, I was exiled from the heavenly realm, others were exiled as well. Among them was Ammit, who shares the responsibility of punishing wrongdoers with me."


    "He engaged in transactions with the heavenly gods, gaining even greater power and allowing his followers to roam the mortal world, establish sects, and gain faith. But I couldn''t stand by and let such things happen..."


    "Why? Because his jurisdiction oveps with yours?"


    Khonshu shook his head. "We bear some old grudges, but more so, our philosophies sh. Moonlightplements sunlight; darkness and light are inseparable. I exist in the ces where light cannot reach, punishing wrongdoers who tread in the darkness..."


    "What about Ammit?"


    "He wants to destroy all the sinful individuals in this world¡­"


    "How does he define ''sinful''?"


    "That''s the problem. In Ammit''s eyes, as long as you have the potential for crime, even if you''ve just entertained a criminal thought, you should die."


    "He''s like Death''s underling, trying to boost his boss''s performance?"


    After Schiller said this, he could clearly see Khonshu pause briefly. Then Khonshu continued, "I don''t understand what you mean by ''performance,'' but he does have a rtionship with the god of death."


    "The rtionships among the heavenly gods areplex, and the power granted by the Sanctum Sanctorum to a portion of them disrupted the original bnce. If Ammit were to truly break free, it would be a catastrophe for humanity."


    "Do you want me to eliminate Ammit?"


    Khonshu nodded, but then shook his head. "I will grant you Moon Knight''s power, and you only need to ensure that Ammit won''t escape."


    "Deal." Schiller agreed without hesitation.


    They continued walking forward, and looking from the window, Schiller''s figure seemed small inparison to the towering Khonshu.


    The two figures¡ªone tall and one short¡ªslowly moved down the corridor. The terrifying skull-headed hawk floated slightly in mid-air. Yet, humanity ahead seemed entirely unaware, walking ahead without looking back.


    The scene was eerie and mysterious, as they moved from one end of the window to the other. Finally, Schiller stopped and stood before a door,beled "1003."


    Khonshu stood behind Schiller, looking through the observation window on the door. He could see darkness within the room, illuminated only by a small overhead light, casting a dim glow. Within that haze, he could discern the figure of a person standing in the center of the room.


    However, Schiller didn''t open the door. He stood in front of it, silent for a moment, then spoke as if talking to himself:


    "A person''s growth experiences will shape their personality. Certain unique experiences may imbue certain traits into them."


    "And it''s these traits that constitute aplete personality: candid, shy, passionate, cold, gentle, violent¡­"


    "Me and him..." Schiller extended his hand, pointing towards the person in the room, and then said, "including all the Schillers you see here, we are different traits of a single personality."


    "In truth, there''s only one personality here, and that''s the high tower you''ve seen before."


    "I''ve never seen anything like this before." Khonshu''s words were always straightforward, sounding strangely na?ve.


    Schiller reached out, pressing his finger against the observation window on the door. He said, "Any personality traits appearing here don''t manifest out of thin air. They originate from a segment of my life experiences..."


    "What do you represent?" Khonshu asked.


    "Greed," Schiller, dressed in a white coat, replied.


    It seemed like it had been a long time since he had discussed such matters with someone. Schiller appeared to be rather engrossed in the conversation. He said, "When I first arrived in this world, the emotions I felt were not fear, not bewilderment, but greed¡­"


    "What were you greedy for?"


    "Power," Schiller responded without hesitation. He said, "But not the kind of power used for fighting..."


    "Long ago, I discovered that I could derive a fulfilling, self-propelling force from interacting with others, from deducing their psychological states, analyzing their personalities¡ªactivities that intrigued me and allowed me to function."


    "Upon arriving in this new world, I knew there were many people and matters of interest to me. How they grew into who they are today, their mindsets and motivations for their pursuits¡ªthese questions piqued my curiosity."


    "So, when I first encountered someone I felt strongly interested in, the trait of greed surfaced and shaped me into what I am now."


    "An intriguing state." Khonshumented.


    "What appearance a facet of personality presents is determined by when its predominant traits surface."


    "Once upon a time, this trait often emerged when I was working as a psychologist. Throughout my practice, I was curious about patients describing their mental states and journeys. Peering into their souls, sketching their personalities, analyzing their mental worlds¡ªthese activities satisfied my greed."


    "Thus, this trait''s manifestation takes the form of a psychologist, existing in the real world as well as in the mental realm, maintaining a doctor''s role."


    Moon God Khonshu was quite an apt confidant. As an ancient demon god, he couldn''t understand humanity''s concept of psychology and psychoanalysis, and even if he did, he wouldn''t spread such knowledge. Therefore, Schiller exined many aspects of his mental state that others wouldn''t have the patience to hear apart from peers in the field.


    "So, what about you in this room?" Khonshu asked. "What does he represent? Why do you feel he''s the mostbative?"


    "He represents the violent traits within my personality." Schiller''s response didn''t surprise Khonshu, as it was logical that if one were to pinpoint the trait that is the most forceful and capable of exhibiting maximumbat ability in a person''s personality, it would indeed be violence.


    "Why don''t you open the door?"


    Schiller didn''t directly answer the question. He just raised his head to survey the corridor''s surroundings. He said, "Some traits within my personality are extremely dangerous¡ªlike violence, madness, apathy, morbidity, and so forth..."


    "These traits reside in buildings unique to them. Often, they''re memories from a time when I possessed such traits. For instance, the violent trait resides in this asylum..."


    "So, you''ve lived in this asylum before?" Khonshu inquired.


    Schiller nodded, seemingly remembering something, but he didn''t exin this matter. Instead, he continued, "To enter the buildings where they reside, you need special keys held by the ''superego.'' If the ''superego,'' representing societal rules and morals, doesn''t grant the keys, these traits cannot surface."


    "ording tomon logic, when individuals resort to violence or descend into madness, they are restrained by the societal rules and morals embedded in their thoughts. Whenever they contemte such matters, worries arise, and the factors of violence or madness in their personality are temporarily suppressed..."


    At that very moment, from the end of the corridor they had traversed, a series of hurried footsteps approached. A small figure rushed over. Khonshu saw that it was a younger version of Schiller, holding an indistinct gray object in his arms.


    Schiller said, "Herees the key."


    Younger Schiller sprinted to the door with pattering steps, then halted and turned, handing over a key to Schiller.


    Moon God Khonshu asked, "Is he also a trait within your personality? What does he represent?"


    "He''s the id, representing my instincts."


    Moon God Khonshu bent down, gently touched the younger Schiller''s head, and the young Schiller looked up at him, seemingly devoid of fear. Moon God Khonshu asked him, "What do you have in your arms?"


    Younger Schiller nced down at the grayish Samsa in his arms, pursed his lips, shook his head. Moon God Khonshu straightened up and looked at Schiller, asking, "Why can''t your instincts speak?"


    Schiller unlocked the door with the key, saying, "Remember what I said earlier? All traits emerge from a segment of my life experiences..."


    "The content of that experience determines the appearance and characteristics of that trait..."


    As he spoke, Schiller opened the door while turning his head to nce back at the corridor. He looked at the young Schiller, who was gradually moving away with the gray Samsa still in his arms. When he thought of something, he forcibly turned his head back, looking into the room.


    Within the room, the figure wore the attire of a fully institutionalized mental patient, bound in several iron chains that were fastened to the walls and ceiling. A metal protective mask covered his mouth.


    The only part of his body not encased in clothing was his eyes and brows. Khonshu noticed that he looked exactly like the Schiller before him, only much younger, just a teenager.


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 Chapter 501: Blood Moon Tonight (1)

    Chapter 501: Blood Moon Tonight (1)


    As Schiller and Khonshu entered the room, the person at the center of the room opened his eyes. However, Khonshu didn''t see any signs of violence or madness in his eyes. His eye contact seemed calm, even somewhat indifferent.


    Schiller approached, undoing the iron chains as he asked, "Since you''ve entered Marc''s mind, you should know his current condition and how many personalities he has, right?"


    "Two," Khonshu replied.


    Schiller nced at him and then said, "He should have more than just two personalities."


    Khonshu didn''t deny it but exined, "Currently, he indeed has only two personalities, but it seems another one is forming."


    "What''s the name of the existing personality?" Schiller paused in his actions, turning his head to Khonshu.


    "Jack," Khonshu answered.


    "As expected..." Schiller continued his work, almost muttering to himself, "A very rare case."


    After a moment, he looked up at Khonshu and asked, "Can you have two avatars simultaneously?"Khonshu was a bit puzzled by the question, as Schiller was the first human he had encountered who seemed fine working with other believers. Moon Knights he had encountered before always acted like they were the only unique superpowered beings.


    "Do you know? Marc''s condition is extremely rare in psychological research. He''s a fascinating case. If we could provide him with a series of treatments, perhaps my new paper would have substance."


    "Sure," Khonshu agreed without hesitation. In truth, whether it was giving power to Marc or to Schiller, it meant little to him.


    All the Spacedemon gods were like this. While their avatars gained significant power from them, in reality, this power was a drop in the bucket. Just like the Darkhold entity Chthon, who could contract with both Scarlet Witch and Hydra Lady simultaneously, Moon God Khonshu could also have two avatars at the same time. For him, even adding another avatar would cause negligible strain.


    "Alright, since he''s quite interested in my spy''s identity, let''s work together on the mission to eliminate Ammit."


    With this statement, Schiller had already unchained the walls on both sides of the room. He then turned to Khonshu and asked, "Do you know what has led to Marc''s current mental state?"


    "It''s his childhood."


    Upon hearing this answer, Schiller''s work paused again. He turned around, looking at the figure in the room, then nced outside the door before continuing with the chains, saying:


    "Ny percent of multiple personality disorder cases stem from childhood trauma."


    After saying this, he quickly added, "Yes, I''ve seen quite a few simr cases. For example, individuals with a personality that''s green and immensely strong..."


    With a nk, thest chain attached to the ceiling was also undone. Schiller walked up to Khonshu''s side, looked at him, and said:


    "If I remember correctly, Marc''s summoned battle suit seems to be made from the shroud of Mumm-Nyon. Honestly, it triggered a memory for me..."


    Schiller paused for a moment, seemingly lost in his memories. Then, with a hint of nostalgia, he said:


    "When I used to wear this restrictive garment, I often fantasized about being inside the coffin as Mumm-Nyon."


    Schiller turned his head, along with Khonshu, both looking at the figure in the room wearing the attire of a mentally disturbed patient''s restraints. He continued:


    "Still somewhat reminiscent, isn''t it?"


    As moonlight descended upon the figure, the sps of the restraints began to slowlye undone.


    Within the Avengers'' base, Natasha stood at the front of the meeting table, her expression serious as she said, "Just now, I received a message from Director Fury. Doctor Schiller has been arrested by the Central Intelligence Agency!"


    As her words fell, the people''s reactions were diverse, but the anticipated atmosphere of anxiety didn''t quite materialize. Stark was the first to speak, making a cross gesture over his chest and saying, "God bless the CIA."


    Steve rubbed his chin and said, "Schiller being arrested by the CIA... I mean, the CIA arresting Schiller, what''s it all about?"


    "They im that someone reported Schiller as a spy."


    "That''s not entirely unfounded!" Stark retorted irritably. Evidently, he still remembered Schiller''s previous personality as Hydra.


    The only one showing slight anxiety was Peter, who asked, "So, should we rescue him?"


    "Forget it," Stark waved his hand, saying, "The CIA arrested Schiller, and what would we be rescuing them for?"


    "It''s not that simple," Barton coughed and said, "Doctor Schiller is, after all, our friend and has provided us with a lot of help..."


    "The most help he provided me with was making Pepper marvel at the medical expense column on my year-end financial report for a whole three days, and then giving me that strange look for three weeks!" Stark eximed angrily.


    "You actually included psychological treatment fees as medical expenses?" Steve looked at Stark and asked, puzzled for a moment before continuing, "I''ve heard that my psychological treatment fees are reimbursed as weapon maintenance..."


    Barton immediately covered Steve''s mouth with his hand and said, "The Director''s understanding of economics is different from ordinary people''s. Let''s not discuss this topic!"


    Unbeknownst to them, Stark couldn''t resist sneering, "Indeed, if you were a weapon, you wouldn''t have worn out yet, the miracle of Humanity''s weapon maintenance field..."


    Seeing the two about to start fighting again, Natasha mmed the table with force and said, "Schiller is an employee of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers operate under S.H.I.E.L.D.''s management. Rescuing Doctor Schiller is our uing task, and we can''t refuse it!"


    Matt pondered for a moment and then said, "So, someone reported Schiller? Could it be Nick Fury? With Schiller arrested, he won''t have to pay the astronomical medical fees anymore..."


    Natasha turned her head slightly, coughed softly twice, and then said, "That''s not important. What''s important is that we need toplete this urgent task first."


    "Doctor Schiller is part of the logistical medical team, not even abatant. If we don''t rescue him, the CIA might subject him to torture for information..." Natasha struggled with her words as she exined.


    The others nced at the ceiling, then at the table, but none of them responded.


    Just then, Natasha''s phone suddenly rang. The female agent looked down, picked up the phone, and said, "Hello? I''m in a meeting, giving instructions for an urgent mission. Can it wait?"


    "What? They''re missing?"


    Everyone immediately turned their heads to look at Natasha. Frowning, she spoke into the phone, "Are you saying that Doctor Schiller is missing from the CIA? And another agent named Marc is missing too? Where did they go?"


    While Natasha was speaking on the phone, a "whoosh" sound was heard as thebat suit on a nearby rack flew over, and Stark immediately geared up.


    "You can''t trace their whereabouts? Why not? Wasn''t there surveince? A mass of gray mist and a hooded individual ¨C what are you talking about?"


    Steve stood up from the table, walking to the adjacent pool table to pick up his shield. Matt went to the ammunition storage to check his supplies, Spider-Man fiddled with his wrist-mounted spider web shooter, and vampire hunter Erik began sharpening his des.


    "Alright, the rescue mission is temporarily suspended... I understand, I will inform them."


    After saying that, Natasha put down the phone, shrugged, and said, "Well, now you don''t need to go. Doctor Schiller has disappeared from the Central Intelligence Agency''s base. We can''t trace his whereabouts at the moment. The meeting is over, you can disperse."


    At this moment, Natasha turned her head and saw Steve, who had already walked to her side. Steve, with his deep blue eyes, was also looking at her. The two stared at each other for a while. Steve said, "Thank you, ma''am. That was a splendid meeting, but could you move aside a little?"


    Natasha extended a foot and took a step to the side. Steve stood at the center of the long table and said:


    "Eddie, Matt, the two of you provide three sets of operational ns within five minutes and send them viaputer to everyone''smunication devices..."


    "Tony, Peter, and Shadow, work together in New York, searching for any possible leads. Once you find something, contact me immediately through themunication devices!"


    "Natasha, Barton, the two of you go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and request ess to all surveince in the state of New York. Prepare helicopters and aircraft, be ready to provide on-site support..."


    "I and the others will head to the CIA to investigate potential leads and track their whereabouts..."


    "If there are no objections..." Steve looked around, lifted his shield, and said, "Avengers, assemble!"


    "Wait! I have a question!" Eddie raised his hand. Seeing everyone''s attention on him, he hesitated a bit before asking, "Operation n against whom?"


    Stark turned his head in exasperation. Steve shook his head as if deted. Even Venom let out a deep sigh in Eddie''s mind.


    Eddie spread his hands and stared at them. Stark looked at him and said, "Who else could it be? Of course, it''s Schiller!"


    Seeing Eddie''s gaze and those of the others, Stark tapped the table with his metal-covered gauntlet, creating a clear sound that drew everyone''s attention. He said:


    "The CIA received a report, wanting to arrest Schiller. This means Schiller is up to something again, trying to implicate the CIA, to pull them down and trap them. The CIA''s sessful arrest of Schiller signifies that he might be trying to set up something bigger..."


    "The CIA arrested Schiller. A few hourster, we received this news. It indicates Schiller wants to join forces with Nick and ensnare the CIA in something big..."


    "And the big problem is, Schiller mysteriously disappeared from the CIA! "


    Stark, having read numerous psychology books, spoke with certainty, "Have you forgotten? Schiller has always imed to be an ordinary person. If nothing happened, he wouldn''t disappear mysteriously. He might have silenced the group of agents interrogating him, or he might have been acquitted in court and then left..."


    "Now, his mysterious disappearance means he must have used abilities beyond those of an ordinary person. That suggests he''s not targeting the CIA, but likely someone else with special abilities..."


    Steve sighed as well, saying, "I remember, shortly after I couldn''t get through to his phone, Andromeda Neb suffered."


    "You''re reminding me." Stark pped his forehead, saying, "Natasha,ter contact Sanctum Sanctorum and ask if Strange has seen him, then have Strange contact Asgard, ask Loki, and also check with the mutants..."


    "Wait a moment!" de Erik interjected, "Do we really need to be this hasty? He''s just... uh, been missing for a few hours."


    "He''s been missing for several hours!" Stark suddenly raised his voice, massaging his temples and frowning, "My goodness, go check the nearest stars to Earth, and the Spacedemon gods closest to Earth..."


    As he said this, the others grew increasingly anxious. Once everyone started moving, Natasha swiftly walked out of the room. Taking out her phone in a hurry, even before she could ask, she heard Nick''s voice on the other end:


    "No need to ask. The disappearance isn''t part of our n. Quickly, notify the spies, ry the message to all the enemies we can contact, have themy low!"


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 Chapter 502: Moonlight Blood (2)

    Chapter 502: Moonlight Blood (2)


    The dim yellow light fell onto the polished porcin tile floor, casting a warm shadow reminiscent of the evening sun. A leather shoe stepped onto this shadow, its ck silhouette cutting through the halo of the setting sun, as if severing the light of the sun itself.


    Coming to a halt, turning around, and standing still in ce, through the legs d in suit pants, one could see the ss cabs of the museum, inside of which were ced some slightly worn pieces of paper covered in intricate ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.


    At this moment, heavy footsteps approached from the side. Marc hurriedly carried a box and walked over, while the figure in front of the ss disy case continued to keep their head down, attentively observing the exhibits within.


    Marc voiced his exasperation, "Why are you still here? We''ve got the stuff, let''s go."


    Saying this, he lowered his head, looking at the box he held in his hands. It contained a beetle model that resembled a gift. From the appearance, it didn''t differ much from thememorative items sold in the museum.


    Marc looked at Schiller, who was silently engrossed in the exhibition, and said, "Are you really from the KGB? Can you act more professionally? We''re on a mission here. Is it time to be looking at exhibits?"


    Schiller turned his head, in a moment, his eyes lit up with a white light, as if a cluster of white fire had ignited within his pupils. Marc instinctively took a step back, suddenly realizing. He said, "Isn''t it the power of the Moon God? I have it too. Stop ying around and let''s get out of here!"


    Marc turned and began to leave, and Schiller didn''t say anything but followed behind him.


    As they just left the museum, a car emerged from the darkness and came to a stop in the light in front of the museum entrance. Marc struck a cautious pose in the light, touching the gun at his waist, sensing the power of the moonlight once again. After confirming everything was in order, he descended the steps.The car stopped in front of the museum entrance, and a long-haired man carrying a cane got out. Seeing two people in front of the museum, this man seemed quite surprised, but he immediately said, "Have you seen Deputy Curator Pietro? He invited me to take a look at the items up for auction..."


    Marc squinted his eyes and said, "You''re lying. The moment you saw us, you straightened your spine and tensed your arms. You were on alert. Moreover, you hesitated for a second before mentioning that name. You were fabricating a false identity..."


    "And who are you? Why do you seem like a jittery security guard?" The long-haired man remained unfazed. He said, "I''m Arthur Harrow, a general practitioner. I have an arrangement with Deputy Curator Pietro. This museum has an item up for auction. I needed to see it beforehand to decide if I want to buy it..."


    "You don''t need to exin so much to us." Marc remained vignt without rxing his guard. He said, "You''re trying to justify your actions, but it''s precisely the behavior of someone feeling guilty..."


    Seeing Marc reaching for his gun, Arthur raised his hands and said somewhat helplessly, "Alright, if you don''t believe me, let''s go together and find Deputy Curator. Is that okay?"


    Marc loaded a round into his handgun but didn''t aim it at Arthur. He just held the gun in his hand and asked Arthur, "Where are you from?"


    "Nearby neighborhood, I''ve rented an apartment there," Arthur assessed Marc briefly and then said, "You''re American, right? Is this your first time in Austria? This museum is indeed worth a visit, it''s one of the rare Austrian museums that preserves artifacts from ancient Egypt civilization..."


    As Arthur and Marc engaged in conversation, Schiller stood within the glow of light spilling from the museum door. He remained backlit, his expression unreadable, and Arthur asionally nced at Schiller beneath the steps, seemingly cautious of Marc''spanion.


    Seeing that things weren''t progressing, Marc inadvertently revealed the box he had stashed within his inner coat pocket. The box contained the preserved beetle, packaged in themon way of museum souvenirs, with a diamond-shaped opening on its lid that allowed one to see what was inside.


    Upon catching sight of the beetle for a moment, Arthur took two steps back. Just as he was about to raise his cane, Schiller finally descended from the steps. He tapped Marc''s arm, signaling him to put the box away, and then said to Arthur, "Find a ce, and we''ll talk."


    Marc slightly widened his eyes, turning his head to Schiller. Not because of what he said, but because of his voice.


    Schiller''s voice, just now, waspletely different from the one in the interrogation room. It was extremely dry, with heavy swallowing sounds. Marc didn''t even know that a human''s vocal cords could produce such a sound, like a strange and awkward imitation of a child who''s just learning to talk.


    Fortunately, Arthur understood Schiller''s intention. He nced cautiously around, noticing that quite a few windows in the nearby buildings were lit. He seemed wary as well. He turned back and opened the car door. Schiller followed him into the car and took the passenger seat.


    Marc hesitated for a moment, tightened his grip on the handgun in his hand, and then got into the car as well.


    The atmosphere inside the car was extremely silent. Arthur sensed that Schiller''s attitude might be swayed, so he spoke, "Both of you must be from the U.S., and I am too, though I''ve been here a bit earlier..."


    "I haven''t lied to you. The deputy curator here possesses an artifact that has caught my interest. He showcased this piece online before, and it intrigued me. So, I came here to strike a deal with him."


    "But I didn''t expect that he would break our agreement and sell this artifact to you first..."


    Arthur sighed and continued, "I''m dedicated to researching the civilization and culture of ancient Egypt. The item you have in your possession is important to me. I''d like to buy it. How much did you buy it for? I can offer a higher price..."


    "Your lies are far from convincing," Marcmented, "Full of contradictions and loopholes. Earlier, you mentioned it''s an auction item, but now you say you had a private arrangement with the deputy curator. You imed to be a general practitioner, yet now you mention leaving your position and living here for a while..."


    "Is your friend always like this?" Arthur asked while driving and looking at Schiller in the passenger seat. He added, "Could he be mentally ill? Suffering from paranoid delusions, perhaps?"


    As the car took a few turns and gradually left the well-lit streets, the surroundings grew darker, and the car''s speed decreased. Marc had raised his handgun and was now aiming it at Arthur''s head.


    And at this moment, Schiller pushed open the door and got out of the car, standing in front of the car''s hood, seemingly waiting for the two people inside to step out...


    Seeing this, Marc held his handgun steady, his other hand pushed the car door open as he continued aiming the gun at Arthur''s head. Arthur opened the car door and walked out. He wasn''t panicked by the gun pointed at him, instead, he held his cane with one hand and leaned against the car''s engine hood with the other.


    He turned his head, surveying the surroundings here, facing Marc, his eyes shed with an eerie light. He said, "I see it, you''re a criminal filled with chaos, sins almost beyond redemption. I can see that wicked fire within your soul..."


    Faced with these words, Marc hesitated. He didn''t know what was influencing his mind, but suddenly, the darkness in front of him began to blink. The massive and ominous silhouette of Khonshu was flickering in the darkness, appearing and disappearing repeatedly...


    Suddenly, Arthur heard the sound of tapping on the engine hood. He turned his head and saw Schiller, dressed in a suit, lightly tapping the car''s engine hood with an umbre in hand.


    The metallic sound of the tapping was somewhat vexing. Arthur turned his head, his eyes glowing. All of a sudden, his figure stiffened.


    Marc didn''t know what Schiller saw on him with that mysterious vision of his, but in the moment Arthur turned his head to face Schiller, the light in his eyes blinked twice, then extinguished.


    Arthur took two steps back, his face turning pale. He pointed his cane at Schiller and stammered, "You, you..."


    He swung his cane, and an eerie light emanated from the tip of the cane. But just then, with a "bang," Schiller captured the umbre with both hands, lifted it upward, sending Arthur''s cane flying. Following this, he thrust forward, hitting Arthur squarely in the chest, knocking him to the ground.


    Arthur had just tried to struggle to stand up when a leather shoe pressed onto his chest. The umbre in Schiller''s hands twirled, its tip pointing downwards. With a "ng," a sharp knife appeared at the tip of the umbre, and with a "thud," the umbre de pierced Arthur''s throat.


    Schiller raised his hand, and in a moment of sttering blood, the umbre "popped" open. Not a drop of blood stained him.


    As the blood sttered onto Marc, he didn''t even have time to react. Everything happened too quickly, a series of precise, elegant, and fatal movements.


    Marc stood there in a daze. Suddenly, he saw Schiller turn his head, locking his gaze onto him, and a sh of white light ignited in Schiller''s eyes.


    Marc suddenly remembered that he was a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, and just a few hours ago, Schiller had imed to be from the KGB.


    Marc swallowed hard, took a step back, and said, "No, wait, we''re in a cooperative rtionship now..."


    Thest thing that appeared in his field of vision was the gradually erging umbre handle.


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 Chapter 503: Blooming in the Midst of Slaughter (1)

    Chapter 503: Blooming in the Midst of ughter (1)


    "Bang!"


    The handle of the umbre struck Marc''s chin fiercely. Just as he was about to fall backward, he took two steps back to regain his bnce. Then, with another "bang," the umbre''s shaft hit the side of his neck. With a "thud," Marc fell to the ground, unconscious.


    Schiller approached with Umbre in hand, intending to check on him, but he heard a rustling sound behind him.


    Schiller halted, nted the tip of the umbre on the ground, and turned around. He saw Arthur, the one he had previously pierced through the throat, emitting a purple glow from his body. Both his eyes and the wound Schiller had left on him were emanating this light.


    The illuminated areas resembled the beams of arge spotlight, their trajectory clear in the dark night. Arthur slowly floated up in the air, his body straightening as he levitated. The staff adorned with a crocodile head, like a crocodile itself, flew back into his hand. As he opened his eyes once again in mid-air, his long hair fluttered without wind.


    Arthurnded gracefully, lifting his head and exhaling. There were no wounds on his body anymore. If not for the bloodstains on his clothes, indicating he had died at least once, no one could tell what he had just been through.


    Schiller stood opposite Arthur, gripping Umbre, and watched this eerie resurrection ritual. As he pulled the umbre de out from Arthur''s throat, he was certain that he had killed Arthur. There was no possibility of feigning death. Yet, just moments ago, Arthur had resurrected.


    At that moment, Schiller saw the terrifying, massive silhouette of Khonshu appear behind Arthur. The hawk-headed deity opened its wide beak, conveying a message to Schiller:


    "The Egyptian gods possess the ability to manipte the realms of life and death. When a human body dies, but the soul has not yet departed to the afterlife, they can be resurrected. Ammit possesses this ability, and I do too...""Do not attempt to kill him. Control him, bind him, seal him away, just as we once did with Ammit..."


    Moon God''s voice always carried an ethereal resonance, as if echoing from moonlight. Yet, Schiller didn''t respond, he simply continued to gaze at Arthur.


    Khonshu began to hesitate; he felt he might have chosen wrong. He wanted a formidable persona, not just a fighter.


    The cold indifference in Schiller''s eye contact conveyed to Khonshu that he had no intention of heeding his advice. He still wanted to kill Arthur.


    However, for reasons unknown, Khonshu didn''t intervene. He simply faded away. Meanwhile, Arthur raised his staff high. The crocodile-headed scale on top emitted a "ck ck" sound, swinging incessantly.


    The bnce scale tattoo on Arthur''s arm also started to move. He shouted, "I shall judge you, sinner!"


    The swinging of the crocodile bnce became increasingly intense, showing no sign of stopping. Schiller stood still, silently watching his performance. It wasn''t until the atmosphere grew quiet and a bit awkward that Arthur seemed perplexed. He brought the staff closer to his face, attempting to hold down the swaying crocodile head with his other hand.


    No matter how he tried, the crocodile head showed no intention of stopping. Both sides of the crocodile head swung faster and faster, almost leaving afterimages. Arthur kept speaking into the air, "Stop! Halt! Maintain bnce, judge him!"...


    After performing this one-man show for quite some time, Arthur finally realized something was amiss. He opened his mouth wide, gritted his teeth, and used both hands to grasp the staff, which had be somewhat uncontroble. He dered, "Grant me strength, let me judge him!"


    "ng¡ª"


    The metallic gleam of the umbre de shed with the crocodile head on the staff''s tip. Arthur held the staff in a defensive position, arms crossed to deflect the iing sharp de. His eyes shone with light, and on his face, the shadow of a crocodile face was faintly visible.


    Magic radiance emanated from the staff''s tip. Arthur, who had seemed quite refined before, turned fierce. He wielded the staff like a sword, raising it high with the crocodile head facing downward. He thrust it toward Schiller''s shoulder, which was just a foot away.


    "Bang!"


    Umbre unfurled, its sharp magical gleam gliding across the umbre''s surface adorned with bizarre snake-like patterns. The friction produced a slightly grating sound, yet there were no marks left on the umbre''s surface from the staff.


    Staring at the point of attack on Arthur, Schiller observed as the patterns on the mesmerizing snake-skin surface of his blocking umbre began to spin, exuding a bewitching power.


    In a moment of bewilderment, the umbre was retracted, the de emerged again, and with a "shing" sound, the tip of the de slid from the vicle at the neck down to under the arm. Instantly, blood flowed like a river.


    The de was exceedingly sharp. When the wound first opened, the blood had yet to gush out. In that instant, one could see tendons overlying bones. When the blood did erupt, only a pool of flesh and blood remained.


    Arthur, however, didn''t emit a wail of agony; instead, he let out a low growl. Schiller, who had seeded in his strike, didn''t advance again; he instead took two steps back.


    Curious, he observed Arthur''s response. Clearly, this reaction wasn''t normal.


    Though not everyone screams when injured, people usually exhibit various stress behaviors in response to pain. They might involuntarily contract muscles, curl up, or cover the wounded area. Even someone like Marc, a trained agent, could assume a defensive posture in the briefest moment of injury. Still, there would be a momentary hesitation, a human instinct.


    But not Arthur. His low growl seemed more like anger at his own failed defense, rather than a reaction to the pain of the wound.


    Once again, light bloomed from the wound. Soon, the wound Schiller had inflicted had healed.


    Arthur''s expression turned mocking. He said, "You think pain can defeat a devout practitioner? You''re dreaming!"


    "Don''t you feel pain?"


    Schiller asked again in that peculiar tone and manner.


    "Devout faith, fearlessly enduring all pain!" Arthur raised his staff and eximed, "To judge sinners is to heal all wounds!"


    After his shout, Arthur noticed Schiller still staring at him expressionlessly. He felt a tinge of annoyance, as he had been performing alone from start to finish. It was as if the person across from him wasn''t an actor ying his opponent, but rather an audience member.


    Schiller''s utterly nomittal performance ignited Arthur''s rage. Just as he was about to say something to provoke Schiller, a shadow shed by, almost imperceptible.


    The de''s passage generated a gleam brighter than moonlight, leaving ripples in the air, akin to oars cutting through water...


    With a "hiss," the de''s tip prated Arthur''s shoulder. It continued along the bizarre patterns on the umbre''s surface before Schiller''s fingers, pale and slender, which didn''t look like those of a professional killer, clutched the handle.


    When this hand held a pen, it certainly wouldn''t invoke terror like it did now. As veins spread from the arm to the back of the hand, Schiller twisted his hands, then pulled out the de before striking downward.


    "Thunk," Arthur''s right arm shattered at the shoulder. His arm, along with the staff he had been holding, flew away.


    Arthur widened his mouth, using his other hand to cover his exposed shoulder. Schiller took two steps back again, observing Arthur''s reaction.


    Now he was sure. Arthur''sck of pain response wasn''t because of the healing power from his faith, but because he genuinely didn''t feel pain.


    Arthur''s face turned pale, his expression twisted. He turned his head to look at his arm and the staff that had been sent flying.


    His long hair covered his face, giving him the appearance of a disheveled malevolent spirit. However, simultaneously, a burst of light emanated from the point of the broken arm.


    Schiller noticed that as the limb regenerated, the light grew stronger and the process took longer than before.


    After Arthur''s arm had been restored, he beckoned with a gesture, and the staff flew back to him. He realized that the person on the opposite side waspletely mad, a killer who couldn''t be reasoned with. Therefore, he had no intention of using the persuasive tactics he would use on devotees.


    He slightly bent his knees, propelled himself upwards, and hovered in mid-air. Afterward, he flew a distance backwards, creating distance between himself and Schiller. The tip of his staff emitted a sh of purple light.


    In front of Schiller, a purple Magic Circle lit up. A monstrous hand reached out from beneath the ground, forcefully grabbing onto the earth.


    However, at that moment, a de descended from above, directly piercing through the monstrous palm. The de was withdrawn, then swiped parallelly, severing the palm. ck blood sprayed everywhere.


    The monster let out a wail, retracting its arm. Arthur stood still, capturing his staff with both hands, focusing his attention. The purple light grew more intense.


    From the severed wound of the monster''s palm, a purple light emerged, repairing its limb.


    This time, the monster grew smarter. It didn''t show off or engage in a revival prelude. Instead, it attempted to crawl out directly from the magic circle.


    Yet, the magic circle was on the ground. The monster couldn''t possibly emerge upside down; its head had toe out first.


    The summoned Jackal''s head emerged from the magic circle, but before it could react, a knife came down.


    With a "swish," the head of the Jackal, apanied by a gush of blood, flew out andnded in front of Arthur. It rolled a few times before finally resting, its eyes devoid of life.


    Schiller once again retracted the de of his umbre, looking at Arthur. Arthur stood still, swallowing some saliva. He raised his staff once more and said to Schiller, "You damned killer! You''ve forced me..."


    Arthur murmured a strange phrase in ancient Egyptian, seemingly invoking power. In a moment, the tip of his staff emitted a brilliant purple light, and several magic circles appeared several meters away from Schiller.


    The speed at which the Magic Circle operated visibly increased. Over a dozen Jackal monsters jumped out and began slowly advancing toward Schiller...


    Schiller remained motionless, but he retracted the de at the front of the umbre and tapped the ground with the umbre''s tip. "Don''t fall asleep."


    Following his gaze, Marc, who had been knocked unconscious on the ground by him earlier, slowly climbed to his feet. Or rather, it wasn''t Marc who stood up; it was another personality hidden within him, Jack.


    As Jack got up, he instinctively touched his chin. The slight pain there didn''t make him flinch; instead, it seemed to excite him.


    Originally, like all Agents, Marc had a serious expression and a cold, indifferent eye contact. Such a demeanor would intimidate ordinary people greatly, and every Agent was trained to carry this sharp disposition to deal with possible emergencies.


    However, now, Jack''s eye contact was more like Schiller''s: cold, gloomy, brimming with a murderous intent, just like any natural-born killer.


    He didn''t speak, only extending a hand. Moonlight threads coalesced into bandages, wrapping around him.


    Unlike Marc''s Moon Knight costume, Jack''s outfitcked the mystical chest te and the cool cape and cowl. It wasposed of mummy-like bandages that covered his entire body. Only his right eye remained exposed, emanating an unsettling red light when it blinked.


    If Marc''s Moonlight form could still be called "Moon Knight," then Jack''s form could only be referred to as "Moonlight Murderer."


    And his actions lived up to this terrifying appearance. He stretched his hands into the air, conjuring two long curved knives. Their silvery gleam blinked, the des intersected. With a "swish," one of the curved knives plunged into the chest of a Jackal monster.


    As he withdrew the de, the eerie purple light reappeared, and the wound on the Jackal''s chest swiftly healed. Jack stepped back two paces. His sole visible eye narrowed, seemingly contemting something.


    However, it was evident that someone else had already drawn the conclusion for him. Schiller, clutching the umbre de, didn''t look at the Jackal monsters; he kept his gaze fixed on Arthur. When his peculiar and eerie voice resounded, the blooming of ughter unfurled like petals.


    "Tear them apart."


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 Chapter 504: Blossoming Amidst Slaughter (1)

    Chapter 504: Blossoming Amidst ughter (1)


    The phrase "tear them apart" sounded like a hypothetical statement, often used in mobilization orders. It had a certain momentum, especially for ordinary people.


    However, perhaps there was some unspoken understanding among killers, Jack didn''t take this innocent phrase as a deration of war. He understood what Schiller meant, which was literally to "tear them apart."


    If a monster possessed regenerative abilities, the best way to deal with them wasn''t to pierce them, but to cut them. Because no regenerative ability could recover body parts limitlessly. To put it more extremely, regenerative abilities couldn''t save minced meat.


    "sh! sh! sh!"


    With each swing of Jack''s curved de, the de light resembled crescent moons hanging in the sky. As several crescent moons swept around him, they unfolded like petals, gradually expanding.


    The first Jackal monster to be touched by the de light suffered shes to its neck, chest, abdomen, and right thigh. Its fur and muscles failed to defend against the attack, and even its bones couldn''t stop the curved de. The moonlight killer''s de passed through, cutting through it like semi-melted butter.


    When Jack''s figure blinked behind the monster, under the moonlight, the monster copsed behind him like a stack of blocks built by a child.


    On the cross-section of the fragmented limbs, the purple light of Blinking continued incessantly. However, this regenerative ability found itself in an awkward position. The severed body parts were almost uniform in size. No matter which piece was used as material to resurrect this monster, at least 90% of the flesh would need to be fabricated out of thin air.


    After shing twice, the purple light disappeared as if the power had been cut. The bloody fragments also turned into ck water, vanishing into the gaps in the ground.Schiller, who had been gazing at that spot, turned his head back. Arthur also withdrew his gaze, and the two of them looked at each other simultaneously. In that fleeting moment of eye contact, Arthur suddenly realized what Schiller intended to do.


    The gruesome scene of the dismembered monster shed through his mind. How Arthur wished he were a true fanatic, able to use faith as hisst line of defense in his mind. But he wasn''t.


    Or rather, even a fanatic would feel fear when witnessing something that even a deity with supreme power couldn''t save.


    Looking at the moon symbol on Marc''s chest, Arthur gritted his teeth and said, "Khonshu... Khonshu... you hypocritical thief, look at what you''ve done!"


    "You created two sinners with your own hands! Irredeemable murderers..." Arthur didn''t even notice that his tone was trembling.


    At this moment, he saw Schiller, holding the umbre sword, slowly approaching him.


    Unlike the lightning-fast speed of his previous assault, Schiller began to walk forward step by step. With each step of his polished shoes on the ground, the water puddles left by the melting monsters reflected his shoes and tidy pants.


    The de''s edge scraped across the ground, reflecting Schiller like a mirror. Moonlight climbed from his feet upward, gradually turning his dark Suit into silver.


    When the umbre sword was lifted and held in front of Schiller, one side of the de reflected Schiller with the mouthpiece of his iron mask, while the other side reflected Arthur''s devastated expression...


    The two were now just a few inches apart, separated only by an umbre. This prolonged approach hadpletely shattered Arthur''s psychological defenses. He fell, trembled, and began to scream in anguish.


    Arthur was a doctor and a cultist, even a cult pope. But to a born serial killer, everyone except their kind was prey, vulnerable victims.


    Fixate on the target, probe repeatedly, find weaknesses.


    Inflict harm, torment, oppress until fear, copse, loss of humanity.


    Reduce them from humanity to beasts that only roar and cry, guided by instincts, overwhelmed by fear.


    For these born psychopaths, deriving unmatched pleasure from this process was essential fuel for their existence in this world.


    Arthur weakly extended his staff to block the oing dagger, but as he faced the face in front of him, he saw only cruelty and indifferencepletely devoid of humanity in the eyes and brows. It was sharper than any weapon, shattering Arthur''s will. Once the psychological defense was shattered, no physical resistance mattered anymore.


    Schiller twirled the umbre, its handle facing Arthur. The shing of metal against metal rang out, like the rapid and urgent beats of a life-or-death drum in the opening act of a drama¡ª


    "Bang!" A sound, and the staff was knocked out, followed by a "tter" as it fell into the muddy water.


    Arthur fell to the ground, amidst the sshes of water. In the reflection, Schiller''s terrifying figure slowly raised the umbre sword.


    Suddenly, Khonshu appeared by Schiller''s side, saying, "He was once my follower, spare him..."


    To Khonshu''s surprise, Schiller actually stopped his movement. However, he soon realized that Schiller''s pause wasn''t due to hismand but because of Arthur, who was lying on the ground. Arthur''s face was transforming into the shape of a crocodile head through blinking.


    "Step aside, Ammit is about to descend," Khonshu reminded.


    Schiller rapidly retreated, apanied by a primal roar. An equally colossal figure descended behind Arthur.


    Schiller had remained calm throughout, seemingly unfazed by the situation. However, at this point, Khonshu stepped forward and said:


    "Ammit, projecting such powerful energy beyond the seal, you will be judged by the gods!"


    "Same goes for you, Khonshu! You''ve even brought forth two followers!" Ammit''s voice was sharper than Khonshu''s, yet their dialogue showed that he, like Khonshu, possessed immense wisdom and was just as ancient.


    Except for Khonshu''s initial question to Ammit in English, and Ammit''s English response, theirmunication was entirely in ancient Egyptian. As a result, after approximately twenty to thirty seconds ofmunication, the sharp de light interrupted their conversation.


    Ammit''s ethereal form faced the oing de light from Schiller with disdain. But unlike his attack on Arthur, this time, a massive silver de light appeared in front of the umbre sword. As the crescent-shaped de light streaked toward Ammit, he solidified a shield for defense. Ripples spread across the shield as the de light made contact, then it vanished.


    However, just as Ammit was about to retort Khonshu, a "swish" from behind shattered the air. A cross-shaped de light ruthlessly shed across Ammit''s back, sending him flying forward...


    Ammit''s ethereal form adjusted its posture in midair, stabilizing himself. He intended to turn around and see who had attacked him, but just as he was about to do so, Schiller lunged again.


    Jack, behind Ammit, retracted his dual des, sping their handles together. He twisted them, and a massive S-shaped boomerang de appeared. Stepping back on one foot, he drew back the de and hurled it with force.


    Ammit narrowly dodged Schiller''s umbre sword, only to be forced into a corner again by therge boomerang de with a resounding sound.


    Schiller''s de was imbued with Khonshu''s unique lunar power. As it struck, Ammit''s ethereal form blinked for a moment, noticeably dimming.


    "Khonshu!" Ammit roared, "How dare you take such sinners as your followers? The heavenly realm will judge you!"


    Ammit''s words were again in ancient Egyptian, so Schiller and Jack didn''t understand and had no intention of understanding.


    Khonshu seemed to be somewhat wary. He told Schiller, "Stop! Schiller..."


    Then turning his head, he looked at Jack and said, "Jack, cease..."


    However, both of them paid no attention. The silver radiance reflected against each other, like a vast, enveloping Ammit. Ammit raged, cursing Khonshu continuously.


    Khonshu also seemed angry that his followers were disregarding him. He felt that his dignity as a god was being challenged. He couldn''t allow this to happen, so he raised his staff and struck the ground fiercely.


    A circle of silver ripples spread out from him as the center. When it passed over Schiller and Jack''s feet, the silver radiance around them vanished. After Khonshu withdrew the power of the Moon God, their battle attire disappeared.


    "You are my followers; you should heed mymands..."


    Khonshu considered himself quite patient. He thought that retracting his power was already gentle enough, given that Schiller and Jack had defied him so much. But obviously, these two killers didn''t share the same sentiment.


    In the moment when the power disappeared, Schiller didn''t hesitate. Recing the silver power was a mysterious gray mist.


    What was even more terrifying was that this weaponry no longer transformed into de light. Instead, it became countless tendrils extending from behind him. The gray tendrils spread out from Schiller''s back, attacking Ammit.


    Ammit tried to Blink away, but the tendrils made of Grey Mist were like they had eyes, turning into numerous threads, chasing Ammit''s form until they enveloped him.


    The Gray Mist tendrils were like voracious leeches, piercing into Ammit''s body one by one. They greedily absorbed energy. The energy-formed Ammit projection was drained within moments.


    Before disappearing, Ammit shouted, "Khonshu, you collude with the dark gods. I will summon the Twelve Pirs of Gods to judge you!"


    With a long scream, Ammit vanished. The satiated and intoxicated gray mist tendrils swaggered, their dance appearing incredibly terrifying and eerie in the darkness, too unsettling to look at.


    Schiller turned around. His eye sockets were no longer visible, covered in pervasive gray mist. His eye contact fell upon Khonshu.


    Khonshu''s falcon-headed skeleton slowly turned 180 degrees backward, pretending not to have seen anything, and then vanished with a "whisper"...


    "Oh, damn it, my jaw..." Marc''s personality reasserted itself. He eximed, squinting his eyes as he surveyed the wreckage around him.


    The battlefield was marred with huge trenches left by the massive de light. Muddy ck water filled the gaps. The car Arthur had driven had exploded at some point, now a charred wreck. Arthury not far from the car, his fate uncertain.


    Marc stood in the center of it all, his clothes slightly disheveled. He touched his garments, realizing that the scarab beetle he had concealed in his pocket was missing.


    Somewhat perplexed, he bent down to search the spot. After scanning the area, he found nothing on the ground except for dirt and rocks. He pped his forehead while resting his hands on his waist, sighing, "These symptoms are getting worse."


    Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned his head and looked at Schiller. Schiller had returned to his normal state. Even the sharp tip of the umbre had disappeared. Marc walked over and asked, "I recall you''re a psychologist, right? Quite skilled, I heard..."


    "You..." Marc was about to say something when he felt a cool sensation on his cheek. Small raindropsnded on his face. Marc looked up, extended his hand, and realized that it was starting to rain.


    In the darkness, rain lines seemed absent. Only the sshes on the ground heralded the arrival of a downpour. Schiller opened the umbre he held, unaffected. However, Marc was somewhat embarrassed.


    Seeing that Schiller had no intention of sharing the umbre, Marc had to find a car on the side of the road. He picked the lock and got inside.


    Schiller closed the umbre and sat in the passenger seat. Marc started the car and then asked, "Where to now?"


    "Germany."


    "Are you a psychologist?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, then, what about my situation... I mean, I intermittently experience memory loss and fainting. Is there a way to address this with psychological treatment?"


    "I don''t perform psychological treatment."


    Marc turned his head, looking at Schiller in confusion. He asked, "Aren''t you a psychologist? If you don''t do psychological treatment, then what do you do?"


    Marc saw Schiller slowly raise the umbre in his hand. A eerie voice resonated in the car.


    "I provide physical treatment."


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 Chapter 505: Blooming Amidst Slaughter (2)

    Chapter 505: Blooming Amidst ughter (2)


    Marc, who was driving the car, hesitated to speak. He seemed to want to ask what happened when he lost consciousness and where the so-called important item, the beetle, had gone. But when Schiller fell silent, the entire atmosphere froze. Instinct told Marc that it might be better for him to remain silent for now.


    In the dark rainy night, a car of the same darkness with only a faint reflection sped past the road, causing sshes of water.


    Between the high-rise buildings, the speeding car raced like a bullet just fired from a gun barrel. With a screech, the brakes on high speed produced a piercing sound, leaving burnt traces on the ground. In front of the New York Wall Street Sanctum Sanctorum, Natasha stepped out of the car.


    "Bang!" Natasha closed the car door and walked quickly through the door of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Looking from the street, this was the only ce brightly lit on the dim street.


    Inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, it was bustling despite the outside silence. Even standing in the reception area on the first floor, one could hear themotion upstairs.


    The female receptionist behind the desk wore a gentle smile. Without waiting for Natasha to present her identification, she nodded and said, "Hello, the Supreme Sorcerer is waiting for you on the 3rd floor."


    Natasha nodded as well and walked quickly toward the staircase. Just as she reached the corner of the first floor, a red ribbon floated down and turned into an arrow, guiding her upwards.


    As she passed through the staircase on the second floor, Natasha nced inside. The office area was bustling.


    Telephones flew around in the air, shing and asionally emitting sparks. There were also several terrifying shadowy forms of demon gods hovering overhead. It seemed like they were arguing through the telephones and projecting themselves directly, like a live-action Mortal Kombat.Beautiful and dreamlike magical lights floated between the chandeliers. The sound of pages flipping and the crackling of the firece echoed in harmony. While the scene was supposed to be full of wondrous fantasies, it often interjected with out-of-ce words like "interest rates," "taxes," "membership," and so on.


    Withdrawing her gaze, Natasha arrived on the third floor. Here, soundproofing magic seemed to be in use, making it exceptionally quiet. Upon entering, she saw Strange leaning by the sofa, reading a book.


    Unusually, he wasn''t wearing his usual suit but was dressed in a robe. He had a red cape draped behind him, and the guiding red ribbon flew back into his hand. Strange extended his hand, pointing to the sofa across the tea table. Natasha walked over and sat down.


    "I''ve already told you on the telephone. Our agents have reported an unidentified light phenomenon witnessed in Austria," Natasha said as she took out a stack of photos from her handbag.


    Strange took the photos and furrowed his brows. He said, "Very interesting. It indeed looks like the energy of demon gods, but there''s no proper divine presence in Austria or Germany..."


    "Can you specte which demon gods it might be?"


    "The photos you took are too blurry. I can only see some white light. Moreover, the photos don''t convey any sense of mysticism to me. Although it might be possible to decipher, it''ll take some time."


    "Schiller has been missing for over 10 hours. You know what that means," Natasha said with a serious expression.


    "It means he has probably devised a grand n again, and this time it seems he doesn''t intend to involve us," Strange said, tossing the photos onto the table. He also became a bit more serious and looked at Natasha, asking, "Aside from this light phenomenon, do you have any other leads?"...


    "We''ve already dispatched our people. There should be news soon," Natasha said and then picked up the telephone, dialing a number. After a few busy tones, Natasha got through and said:


    "Hello? Yes, it''s me. Have you just arrived? How''s the situation over there? Any leads?... Hard to describe what it is?"


    Following the signal of the telephone across thousands of miles, on the streets of a small town in Austria, Iron Man Stark looked down at the rugged road surface and the messy puddles of dirty water. He spoke with some confusion, "There aren''t any straightforward leads here, but there are clues everywhere."


    "... No, I''m not speaking in riddles. It''s just that I don''t have much understanding in terms of magic. Anyway, Strange, are you there? Just open a portal ande take a look. Oh, and bring all the Avengers with you. This situation might be quite significant."


    Wearing his steelbat suit, Iron Man walked around the scene. As he said, there were indeed many traces here, but most of them were unintelligible to him. These weren''t caused by modern weapons; they were traces left by magic.


    However, this didn''t prevent Stark from realizing that a fierce battle had taken ce here, perhaps more than one.


    After a while, a portal appeared in the sky, and a group of people descended from above, with Strange being thest one toe out.


    Peter, who had justnded, shouted, "You really need to improve your portal technique! I always end up falling down!"


    "Shouldn''t portals be opened in ces where there''s solid ground?" Erik, leaning on his knife, stood up. He looked at Strange with irritation and said, "Is it appropriate to have a door hanging in midair on the 3rd floor?"


    "That''s already an improvement. Before, I used to open portals at the height of the 5th floor," Strange replied while looking down at the marks on the ground.


    He lightly touched the dirty water on the ground, but with the heavy rain now, the once dense ck water had been considerably diluted. Strange couldn''t find any clues.


    "What happened here?" Steve, holding up his shield to shield himself from the rain, walked over to Stark. He surveyed the deepest trench and said, "It looks like it was cleaved by someone. Are you sure Schiller did this?"


    "That''s the biggest problem. This doesn''t seem like Schiller''s style at all. He only wields pens, not knives," Stark said very confidently.


    "Wait a moment!" Strange suddenly spoke up. He squatted by the edge of a shallow trench and extended his hand, picking up some gravel from the edge of a puddle.


    As he continued to touch down, he found scattered sand, now soaked from the rain, but Strange still found a clue. He said, "Sand... from the Egyptian divine realm?"


    "Ah, look at this!" Peter eximed, pointing to the ground. Stark flew over and immediately initiated a scan. He said, "Someone drove away from here. Could it be Schiller?"


    "For now, let''s not worry about that," Natasha pressed her headphones and then said, "Follow this trail and catch up with them."


    After the Avengers left, another group of figures arrived at the scene. Agents with peculiar attire examined the ground and then took out their mobile phones, calling their leader...


    "Mr. Director, a small-scale skirmish indeed broke out here. ''The doctor'' probably didn''t deceive you. It might be S.H.I.E.L.D. or KGB..."


    "Yes, these marks aren''t the kind left by conventional heat weapons. Alright, I''ll investigate their whereabouts as soon as possible. I know, I''ll do everything in my power to ensure the safety of headquarters."


    Soon, they also discovered the traces of the departing car. Thus, this group of agents embarked on their pursuit.


    Meanwhile, the car that had already left the small town was heading towards Germany. This town was located in the western part of Austria, very close to Germany. Soon, the car arrived at the border between Germany and Austria.


    It was a somewhat deste suburban area with few people around. Only a solitary moon hung high in the sky, and the rain continued to fall. Amidst the fine rain lines, seen through the windshield, Marc noticed that the moonlight above was starting to blink.


    "Swoosh!"


    Marc mmed on the brakes, and the recoil thrust him against the steering wheel. He rubbed his chest, which had been hit, and looked at the massive figure blocking the car''s path.


    Khonshu stood before the car and blinked. Faint lights blinked in the hollow eye sockets of his skeletal face. He stood against the rainy and densely dark night, the rain lines clearly visible in the faint light beside him. Marc shook his head vigorously. No matter how many times he saw it, this horrifying illusion still made him feel frightened.


    Khonshu opened his enormous bird beak, leaving behind a low voice that echoed in the empty street:


    "Be cautious, they areing..."


    !


    "Crack," a sound echoed as a thunderbolt struck the ground not far away. In the moment of illumination, Marc confirmed that he saw countless eerie figures on both sides of the road.


    However, as everything returned to darkness, what appeared in the headlight''s glow was a group of individuals, human in appearance. They varied in gender and attire, but all had converged towards the car parked in the middle of the road.


    Marc opened the car door and stepped out. The group of people gave him an unsettling gaze. One of them spoke, "Khonshu, we''ve received reports. Ammit ims that you''ve colluded with external evil deities, causing ughter. Come with us to court and face judgment."


    Marc''s body stiffened. Veins popped out on his neck, and his eyes emitted a white light as Khonshu''s voice resonated from his mouth:


    "Ammit distorts the truth. It was he who recklessly poured power into the mortal realm, attempting to break free. I am only retaliating."


    "But you brought two wicked followers and even kidnapped Ammit''s disciples. Have you forgotten the rules of the celestial realm?"


    Marc stiffly turned his head and saw Arthur, who had been unconscious and left on the back seat by Schiller. He paused and said, "Ammit had his followers roam the mortal world, spreading evil teachings. He has been indiscriminately killing the innocent. That''s not judgment."


    "We have no interest in the disputes within your faith domains. However, ording to the rules of the celestial realm, you muste with us and face judgment." A woman among them spoke. Her voice carried a mysterious echo, as though it came from a distant ce.


    "The Twelve Pirs of the Gods have long decayed!" Khonshu''s tone held anger. He said, "You were well aware of Ammit''s actions, yet you abandoned humanity, seeking only faith without bestowing blessings, just as you did millions of years ago..."


    "Stepping away from humanity is the gods'' mercy towards all beings." Another man spoke, his voice solemn and dignified. He said, "Regardless, you are still one of us. You should return with us and face Ammit directly..."


    They continued to converse in ancient Egyptian. Schiller sat in the car''s passenger seat, observing everything through the windshield.


    In the rain-soaked night, where darkness was deeper than the night itself, the people standing before the car emitted a mysterious glow in their eyes. It was as if this were the beginning of a ssic horror film.


    However, this eerie atmosphere didn''tst long. A streak of golden meteor crossed the sky, and with the sound of jets, Iron Mannded above the vehicle. He didn''t know what was happening with the people here, but he noticed Schiller sitting in the car.


    Soon after, the Avengers arrived, and then, from the other end of the highway, another convoy approached.


    Steve, who had just stepped forward to investigate, squinted his eyes. In the moment when the oing high beams were turned off, he caught a glimpse of someone sitting inside a car ¡ª a familiar figure, Hydra leader Baron Zemo.


    At this point, Stark simply opened the driver''s side door and sat down, turning his head to Schiller and asking, "What are you doing here? What''s going on now?"


    He saw Schiller step out of the car. Under Captain America''s gaze, Baron Zemo walked towards Schiller, and the two shook hands in front of the car. Baron Zemo said:


    "Wee back, doctor. Hail Hydra."


    Steve''s pupils contracted, and Iron Man rushed out of the car. The Avengers behind him all wore expressions of disbelief. But in that very moment, something even more shocking happened ¡ª


    Right after shaking hands with Baron Zemo, Schiller raised an Umbre and with a "bang," struck Baron Zemo down. He then stepped on Zemo''s chest, a knife piercing his throat.


    In an instant, the Umbre opened, blood spurted, staining Iron Man and Captain America''s uniforms. It flowed down their bodies and dripped into puddles on the ground.


    On the surface of the dark-red puddle, reflected Schiller''s jaw. His mouth was open, his eerie voice hidden within the sound of rain.


    "Yesterday, they were divided..."


    "Today, they unite as one."


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 Chapter 506: Death of Schiller (1)

    Chapter 506: Death of Schiller (1)


    On the border of Deo not far from the small town, a light drizzle still fell, the rain not intense enough to wash away the smell of blood in the air. This scent reminded Stark of the days when he was kidnapped to Afghanistan.


    On his first day there, the group of terrorists had decapitated someone, and the scene was a river of blood, just like it is now.


    But for Steve, the smell of blood was familiar, so he snapped out of that daze first. He raised his shield and looked at Schiller, seeing that unfamiliar cold indifference in his eye contact. Steve incredulously asked, "Who are you?"


    Schiller, holding the umbre knife stained with blood, didn''t answer. The sound of mechanicalponents moving filled the air as the face mask of the steelbat suit lifted. Stark stared at Schiller with his eyes and asked, "Are you his alter ego? Or..."


    Steve wanted to step forward, but Stark extended his arm to stop him. Schiller didn''t look at the corpse of Baron Zemo lying on the ground. Rainwater washed away the blood, flowing along the grooves on the ground near Schiller''s feet. He simply turned around to look at the Egyptian gods who were in a standoff.


    Schiller''s sudden act of killing also drew the attention of these gods. Various colors of shes appeared in their eyes as they stared intensely, like ghostly shadows floating in a dark rainy night.


    Without the sunny weather backdrop of Egypt, these gods no longer seemed as radiant. The leader, a woman, spoke up:


    "Khonshu, it seems Ammit was right. You''ve fallen into league with these criminals!"


    Another man''s voice was filled with anger as he said, "You grant such power to these viins, letting themmit ughter. Khonshu, you''re mad!""Enough!" Khonshu spoke through Marc''s mouth, "I won''t argue. I''ll do everything in my power to ensure Ammit doesn''t bring harm to the mortal realm..."


    "But you''re the one causing harm in the mortal realm!"


    A ck-haired woman stepped forward, a gentle breeze always surrounding her, forming small storms along the rain lines. These storms were highly unstable, reflecting her anger. She said:


    "Khonshu, you''re one of the triad gods of Thebes, just as ancient as we are. You shouldn''t bring your grudges with Ammit into the human world, and you definitely shouldn''t be inciting your followers to kill!"


    "You should''ve known these evildoers have no honor. They only desire power. You''re undermining the foundation of the gods!"


    Marc, possessed by Khonshu, took a deep breath. The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, and he started blinking rapidly. Clearly, his emotions were anything but calm. After he fell silent, others began to berate:


    "Feeling guilty, are you?!"


    "The crimes of your followers are undeniable!"


    "Come back with us and face judgment!"


    "You''ll be a god of sin! Sealed just like Ammit..."


    "That''s enough!" Khonshu roared, manipting Marc. He turned his head to look at Schiller and said, "...I''m saving you all."


    At this moment, Schiller holding the umbre knife had already walked to Marc''s side. The ck-haired woman stepped forward again. She extended her hand, and a gentle breeze floated around her fingertips. She said, "Khonshu, if you don''t want to judge this evildoer, then allow me!"


    As soon as her voice fell, brilliance shone in the woman''s eyes. The calm and gentle breeze transformed into des in an instant.


    "ng! ng! ng!"


    The umbre knife swung, and the hidden des in the air were each shattered one by one. Schiller advanced, and as the sharp des neared, the ck-haired woman floated into the air and rapidly retreated. Schiller leaped, and a silver light spread from his pants to his whole body.


    Between the shes of des, the sound of collisions was unceasing, the sharp noises cutting through the air like wails and cries. The umbre was unfurled, the strange patterns blinked, and all the wind des were deflected. Schiller thrust upwards, a "swish" sound, and blood sttered.


    The ck-haired woman''s side and abdomen were shed open, but they healed in an instant. However, in the brief moment while she clutched her wound and screamed in agony, Schiller floated upwards, positioning himself above her. He gripped the umbre handle and thrust straight down.


    Both of them rapidly descended. The shield formed by wind couldn''t block the intense de light. In the instant the ck-haired woman''s back touched the ground, the shield shattered, its force carrying through and lifting a cloud of dust high into the air. Blood sprayed out like a fountain.


    Schiller stood up from a semi-kneeling position, and after withdrawing the umbre knife, the woman''s entire abdominal and half of her chest cavity were missing.


    A strong light emitted from the wound, this self-healing ability not only allowed wounds to close but also brought extreme agony to the one being treated. The pain brought by wounds that should have been instantly fatal was beyond anyone''s ability to endure in consciousness.


    Amidst the excruciating pain, there was a momentary change in the woman''s eye contact. The light emanating from her eyes dimmed briefly. Seizing this moment, Schiller pressed his hand to her chest.


    Magic energy stored in the Grey Mist poured out, shing with the energy already within her body. Schiller looked into the woman''s eyes and said, "Don''t let him control you..."


    The ck-haired woman continued to scream in agony, her piercing cries sending shivers down everyone''s spines. But after just two short seconds, amidst the screams, a faint, unclear voice interjected: "Get out! Leave my body!"


    "Aaah! Ah! Ah!"


    After the final dying scream, an unclear shadow flew out of the woman''s body. Under the gleaming magic light of the de, it was shredded into fragments.


    Most of the wounds on the woman''s body had already healed, leaving only shallow marks oozing blood. Without divine power to support her, she eventually lost consciousness. But before sumbing, she looked at Schiller and said, "Thank you..."


    Schiller stood up, turned his head, and looked at the proxies who remained in their spots. All of them took a collective step back.


    One of the men turned his head and addressed Marc, who was possessed by Khonshu, "Khonshu, retract your power, or you''re aiding and abetting tyranny!"


    "Ugh..." Suddenly, another younger man in athletic attire bent over in pain, his face contorted. He cried out, "No, I can''t do this anymore, let me leave!"


    His trembling cries echoed, "I don''t want to die! Let me go! Otherwise, he''ll kill me. Help..."


    The light in his eyes kept blinking, clearly indicating that the deity behind him was projecting more power to control him. But just then, a shield with a cracking sound struck his neck from behind...


    The man was sent flying forward, then fell to the ground. A voice shouted, "Iron Man!"


    Even before the shout, Iron Man had already flown out. The man hadn''t even gotten up from the ground before Iron Man had him in a grip. Divine power was indeed formidable; with mere physical struggles, he made Stark''s pridefulbat suit creak.


    With a swoosh, Cloak carrying Strange flew over. He extended a hand and pped the man''s back with a p. A burst of magic light shed, and a phantom was ejected, shattered under the radiant magic light. A deep red ribbon agilely shot out from it and coiled around the phantom.


    Amidst the agonized screams of the god''s phantom, Strange snapped Cloak, turned around, and looked at all the god proxies, saying:


    "Egyptian gods, you''ve vited the rules."


    The leader, a man in a suit, took a step forward, bowing to Strange. He said, "Supreme sorcerer, our dispute with Khonshu is an internal matter of the divine realm. We have no intention of intervening in the mortal world."


    "But you''ve already intervened in the mortal world." Strange said bluntly, "The followers you''ve chosen are humanity, and now, you''ve forcibly taken control of them..."


    "That''s because Khonshu first controlled his followers tomit ughter!" Another god raised his voice.


    Strange noticed something odd about Schiller; he also began to suspect whether Khonshu truly controlled Schiller, or perhaps one of his personalities.


    This is possible, for Strange, the seemingly endless array of demon gods each had their unique abilities. Even though he knew Schiller''s strength, he couldn''t guarantee that Schiller wouldn''t fall into difficulties.


    So, he turned his head and looked at Khonshu, who was now in a difficult position.


    In Schiller''s temple of thought, within that dpidated mental hospital room, the tall Khonshu and the slender young Schiller sat shoulder to shoulder on the hospital bed near the window. Khonshu earnestly advised:


    "They''re strangers to you, why do you want to exterminate them all? They have enmity with me, not with you. Listen to me, put down the de..."


    The young Schiller remained silent, gazing at his own fingers. Khonshuid his staff across his legs, took a deep breath, and continued:


    "The ones who came here today are just projections of a part of their power. Even if you manage to eliminate all these people, when their true selvese, you won''t be able to deal with them..."


    Suddenly, Schiller''s eyes widened. He turned his head to look at Khonshu, whose face showed a headache in response to the hope in Schiller''s eyes.


    Khonshu shook his massive falcon head forcefully and said, "No, you can''t kill their true selves. The heavenly realm still needs these people to maintain bnce."


    "Twelve pir gods, nine pir gods, various triad godbinations, and the animal gods who don''t reside in the heavenly realm. Together, they form the Egyptian god system. These various god organizations counterbnce each other to maintain equilibrium. If a particr group were wiped out, the bnce of the heavenly realm would be shattered, and the mortal world would also be in danger."


    Schiller continued to gaze intently at Khonshu. After a while, he asked in that peculiar and hoarse tone, "Will theye to the mortal realm?"


    Khonshu didn''t turn his head, because even without looking at Schiller, he could hear from his tone full of anticipation what Schiller intended to do. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, and he said to Schiller...


    "No! Don''t use that terrifying gray energy of yours! Stop! Stop it quickly, you can''t kill them..."


    Meanwhile, all the people in the real world could see Grey Mist emanating from Schiller one moment and silver light blinking the next. After a few seconds, the silver light intensified. Behind Schiller, the phantom of Khonshu appeared.


    The Egyptian gods shouted in anger, "Khonshu, you''re actually giving him more power! Are you trying to kill all of us?!"


    "Supreme sorcerer, you''ve seen it!" One of the proxies pointed at Schiller and said, "It''s Khonshu who wants to kill us. He''s manipting that damned criminal..."


    "Shut up!" Khonshu roared, "If I don''t exert my power on him, all of you will die!"


    "Khonshu, stop it!" Strange also yelled, "You can''t control Schiller. Let him go!"


    "I''ve told you, if I release him, you''ll all die!"


    Both sides werepletely incapable of understanding each other''s current situation. The Egyptian gods and Strange both believed that Khonshu was using his powerful force to control Schiller. Only Khonshu knew that he was actually controlling Schiller to prevent him from using that terrifying Grey Mist to annihte everyone here.


    The more both sides shouted, the angrier they got, each thinking the other was insane. The one to break this standoff was Marc, or rather, the other personality within Marc, Jack.


    Khonshu exerted all his power on Schiller, and although he hadn''t retrieved the power from Marc, he didn''t control his personality. Thus, the Jack personality surfaced and directly used Khonshu''s power to summon his battle suit, forming a curved de. With a sh of the de, the man who had been shouting was sent flying.


    "Khonshu!"


    With the angry roars of the gods, the battle officially began.


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 Chapter 507: Death of Schiller (2)

    Chapter 507: Death of Schiller (2)


    The radiant glow of magic emanated from Doctor Strange''s hands as several shimmering rings of light appeared behind him, sparkling like a constetion of stars. Amidst the dance of his red cloak, the power of magic poured forth.


    Following closely were the representatives of the Egyptian gods. Wind, rain, mist, and sand¡ªdivine powers drawn from nature itself¡ªrevealed the wild side of Nature. Torrential rain poured, fierce winds howled, and the world aged into destion.


    When the ancient deities showcased their might, it was as if they had transported thisnd back to ancient Egypt. As they walked upon the earth with these natural phenomena, the people of ancient Egypt hailed them as gods.


    Standing before these raging forces were Jack and Schiller, their bodies gleaming with silver light, like fragile boats on a vast ocean. Only their intent to kill surpassed the chilling winds, and their de strikes severed raindrops like pearls.


    The silver radiance upon them grew brighter, and the moon in the sky began to shine more brilliantly. As Khonshu''s projected power increased, the world was bathed in moonlight, turning day into night.


    Observing the surreal scene around him, Stark shouted to Strange, "Swift and decisive, or it will impact Earth!"


    His judgment was correct. With Khonshu exerting his full power, changes urred in Earth''s tides. The power of the Moon God had already affected the physical moon. If Khonshu didn''t halt his actions soon, a devastating tsunami would inevitably strike.


    Stark removed the energy source from his chest and reced it with a radiant magical one. As the energy connected, a momentary glint shed in his eyes, revealing the ethereal godly silhouettes behind the representatives.


    Strange raised his hand, retracting the bands of fabric, and the Blink ring on his hand emitted a dazzling light. A portal opened behind him, and the grand sorcerers brimming with magical radiance floated out of the doorway.For the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, working alongside the Egyptian godly apparitions was a novel experience. Because it was unprecedented, their magic asionally misaligned, affecting theirrades.


    "Supreme Sorcerer! What are you all doing?!" one of the gods who controlled sand and soil shouted. He had just been grazed by a ring and had instantly lost a considerable portion of his power.


    "You''re all demon gods; we can''t discern friend from foe," the sorcerer who initiated the fight replied in a rather indifferent tone.


    Seeing the formidable force of Strange, who was brimming with energy, he waved his hand and said, "None of them are allies, ignore them, attack together!"


    Evidently, this group of grand sorcerers had been awaiting this order for a long time. In their careers, they had never encountered a situation where demon gods were within reach yet untouchable. With Strange''smand, everyone unleashed their firepower. Cries, screams, curses, and various sounds echoed across the battlefield.


    The sh on the magical ne leaned toward the enigmatic and mysterious, leaving the real world rtively untouched. The greater destruction unfolded on another battlefield.


    Let''s not forget, Hydra and Captain America were bitter enemies, and their leader, Baron Zemo, had been stabbed to death by Schiller.


    Baron Zemo dared to step forward due to the formidable firepower he brought. Furthermore, he had apanion providing cover¡ªCrossbones, once a subordinate of Red Skull.


    Captain America and Crossbones were old adversaries. Back on the battlefield, they had fought tooth and nail. Even if Crossbones and Baron Zemo''s alliance was merely an interest exchange, seeing Captain America''srade being so arrogant, openlymitting murder, infuriated Crossbones...


    He lunged at Steve, and Steve didn''t back down. After blocking the first strike with his shield, he swung it to deflect Crossbones. Apart from Crossbones, Baron Zemo had also brought numerous Hydra headquarters members and heavy weaponry.


    It could be said that if Schiller hadn''t taken the initiative, this battle could have gone differently.


    After Baron Zemo''s death, the Hydra members, armed with heavy weaponry,cked effective coordination without a leader. They could only barely withstand the Avengers members, who outnumbered them.


    If Iron Man hadn''t intervened with his magic core and joined the magical battle, the Avengers members would have been wiped out by now. Theirck of versatile firepower coverage was evident.


    The magical battlefield grew even more chaotic. Schiller and Jack, both killers at heart, fought without restraint. Empowered by the Moon God Khonshu''s energy, the enormous silver des danced ceaselessly.


    Although the Egyptian gods possessed individual strength, their control over the natural elements wasn''t fullypatible, leading to instances of interference among themselves.


    The most dazzling spectacle was the sorcerer team led by Strange. They genuinely paid no attention and pounced on any creature emitting demon god vibes, subjecting them to a thorough thrashing. Schiller and Jack were agile in their movements and were never caught by them. Consequently, from start to finish, they battered the gods.


    Amidst the chaotic battlefield, only one person had a target in sight¡ªStark, armed with a hostile target lock system.


    A golden streak shot through the magical radiance, tracing an elegant curve in the air. The silver Blink dots were like stars streaking across the night sky. They seemed close at hand yet remained elusive.


    With a "whoosh," a massive silver de of light shed across the sky. Stark maneuvered hisbat suit to the side, followed by a mid-air evasive maneuver thatnded him right in front of Schiller.


    "Halt, Schiller! I know you''re not being controlled!"


    The silver light flickered as Schiller lunged forward. The rms on Stark''sbat suit red, yet he stood his ground. He raised his umbre-shaped de, and as it descended, a splendidyer of magical radiance bloomed on Stark''sbat suit.


    The "screech" of friction was piercing as the de tip collided with thebat suit, generating a series of sparks.


    With a resounding "boom," the two parted. Stark held his chest, where thebat suit was marked with damage.


    Suddenly, he hesitated again and looked at Schiller, asking, "... Are you really not being controlled?"


    His response was another strike.


    Two dots of light, one gold and one silver, blinked through the air. The glow of des and hand cannons shed in session. The two engaged for less than a minute, leaving both sides battered.


    In reality, neither of them was severely wounded. Stark''sbat suit had sustained damage, and Schiller''s clothing had been grazed by the energy beam from Stark''s magical hand cannon.


    But this was just the prelude to the battle. As both sides increased their efforts, they unleashed their full might.


    Stark elerated, charging forward. Schiller held his umbre de to block, and in a split second of collision amid the air currents, he raised the de and sliced through the armor on Stark''s arm. Blood spurted out, and simultaneously, the cannon on thebat suit''s shoulder emitted a radiance that grazed the side of Schiller''s arm, leaving a scorched mark.


    As they bothnded, they happened tond on Captain America''s and Hydra''s battlefield. When Stark touched the ground, it was like a shell hitting the surface, and after a tremendous "boom," Stark, half-kneeling, appeared before Steve...


    Steve clearly saw the fresh blood seeping from thebat suit wounds on Stark. He turned around and saw Schiller, also clutching his arm. He was momentarily unsure of whom to assist.


    "Subdue him, Steve!" Stark was for the first time requesting Steve''s help on the battlefield. He said, "Schiller might be under some sort of control. Subdue him quickly!"


    Steve raised his shield and charged toward Schiller. The de tip, pulsating with magical radiance, couldn''t pierce Captain America''s shield.


    At this moment, Schiller shifted tactics. He spread open his umbre, and the strange patterns on its snake-like surface disrupted Steve, slowing his movements.


    Deflecting the umbre de, Steve retreated two steps, shook his head, and then re-engaged inbat. Seeing this, Spider-Man and a few others began to surround Schiller.


    Schiller, wielding both magic andbat skills, stood invincible for a moment. Although Captain America and Spider-Man were faster than Blink, and despite their high defenses, they couldn''t withstand the de infused with magical power.


    But the only problem was that while Schiller could handle a few attackers, he couldn''t defeat them.


    In in terms, he couldn''t breach Captain America''s defense. The shield appeared in a very enigmatic manner, always where it was needed, and was incredibly sturdy.


    When de touched the shield, it emitted a screech and a shower of sparks, even though the shieldcked any magical defense. For some unknown reason, the power of magic simply couldn''t prate it.


    Yet Schiller didn''t change his tactics. Mechanically, he kept thrusting his de forward, blocked, then attacked again. His seemingly strategy-less approach led Stark and Steve to grow even more suspicious that he might be under some sort of control.


    While everyone on both battlefields was fully immersed inbat, no one noticed that Arthur, the follower of Ammit, who had been brought by Marc in the car''s backseat, had quietly disappeared.


    As Stark and Schillernded on Steve''s side, the two battlefields mergedpletely. However, this didn''t hinder either side, as sorcerers and gods fought in the skies, while the rest of humanity engaged in ground warfare.


    At this stage of the battle, the lines between factions had blurred. The Egyptian gods wanted to attack Khonshu, but the sorcerers aimed to attack the gods. Khonshu and the sorcerers found themselves on the same side.


    Meanwhile, the Avengers sought to subdue Schiller and Jack, who were harnessing Khonshu''s power. However, the Avengers and the sorcerers were on opposing sides...


    Amidst the chaos, it was evident that the Egyptian gods were gradually retreating, as they were the ones taking the most hits. Being numerous meant they were easy targets, and their chosen representatives weren''t as strong as Schiller and Jack. Some didn''t even possessbat skills. While they could easily overwhelm ordinary people, they seemed powerless among this group of intelligent and skilled sorcerers and superheroes.


    At that moment, a dazzling arc of light illuminated the skyline. The actions of both sides inbat momentarily halted as they turned their heads to look at the horizon.


    When the light shone, apanied by ascending dots of light, the surrounding light transformed into an eerie shade of purple, casting an extraordinarily eerie hue across the entire sky...


    One of the Egyptian gods eximed first, "In the direction of the pyramids... Ammit! Ammit has broken free!"


    "Why would it break the seal?!" someone asked, but nobody could provide an answer. All they could do was watch as this power descended upon them.


    Unlike the Egyptian gods, who were projections of their true forms from the higher realm, Ammit, now freed, was the true embodiment. Its true form resided within Earth itself. Therefore, it didn''t need to break through Earth''s external magical defenses. In an instant, it appeared in the sky over the battlefield.


    It was a monstrous creature with a human body and a crocodile head, its evil eyes blinking with purple light. Its size wasn''t significant, but its potent energy set it apart from the projected energies.


    Underneath Ammit, Arthur reappeared. His face was pale, his expression dark, and he stared fixedly at Schiller with a sinister gaze.


    "My most devoted follower, you have awakened me and allowed me to reim my dominion! Therefore, I shall bestow upon you power, dispelling the fear in your heart. Go forth and pass judgment upon these irredeemable sinners. This shall bring you unparalleled glory!"


    With Ammit''s promation, Arthur trembled, raising his staff with both hands and advancing toward Schiller.


    Khonshu''s silhouette also materialized behind Schiller, but he remained silent, saying nothing. Ammit taunted, "Khonshu, you''re trembling with fear because you''ve always been a hesitant coward!"


    "You''ve never used the Thunderbolt against these damned sinners. You''ve continuously forgiven them, allowing evil to roam freely in the world. Yet now, you''re stooping to their level!"


    "Watch, my follower shall judge them. I am the embodiment of justice and righteousness in the mortal world¡ªthe sole arbiter!"


    With Ammit''s roar, Arthur raised his staff, and the brilliant purple light shot into the sky. After enveloping the sky, two streams of purple Thunderbolts targeted Schiller and Jack.


    At that moment, a silver light flickered on both individuals, but contrary to everyone''s expectations, as the Thunderbolts struck down, the power belonging to Khonshu vanished from both of them.


    The Thunderbolts, filled with a fierce intent that struck at the heart, pierced through their bodies, leaving gaping ck holes in their chests.


    Their fingers weakly released their grip, and the umbre fell to the ground. The umbre handle tapped the puddle, creating numerous tiny sshes of water.


    The members of the Avengers witnessed Schiller''s breath stop and his gaze lose focus, much like an ordinary person''s passing. He slowly copsed to the ground.


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 Chapter 508: Death of Schiller (2)

    Chapter 508: Death of Schiller (2)


    "Drip¡ªdrip¡ªdrip¡ª"


    A sharp and ear-piercing rm sounded in Marc''s ears. "Formerly" known as Marc sat up from the sickbed, taking deep breaths and looking around in confusion. Where was he?


    He nced at the machine emitting sounds and saw a heart rate monitor. Marc instinctively reached out and touched his chest. His heart was still beating, and it beat steadily.


    Surveying his surroundings from the bed, Marc lifted the sheets and got off the sickbed. He noticed some papers on the wall by the door, disying schedules for medication and other rted information.


    Just as Marc was trying to decipher information from those texts, his room door was suddenly knocked. He cautiously stood up as the door opened, turning his head to see a person who looked exactly like him standing outside.


    The person had a cold expression and impatiently said, "Why are you still lingering here? Come with me!"


    Without understanding what was happening, Marc was suddenly rushed as the person entered the room. The person grabbed Marc''s arm, pulling him out. After being pulled outside, Marc finally reacted. He forcefully pushed the person away and assumed a defensive posture, asking, "Who are you?"


    The person turned around, ncing up and down at Marc, and still coldly stated, "I''m Jack, your alter ego. When you were unconscious orcked awareness, it was me controlling the body."


    The answer was so clear that it left Marc stunned. He looked at himself, then at Jack, and said, "So, do I really have dissociative identity disorder?""But where is this? How did we end up here? What happened before this?"


    "Come with me." Jack didn''t even nce back, walking to the other side of the corridor while exining, "Just recently, I died."


    His first sentence shocked Marc immensely. Marc caught up with him, asking while walking, "Died? Are you saying this is hell?"


    "Close enough, they call this the Underworld."


    "This can''t be real, are you joking?!"


    However, at that moment, they reached the end of the corridor. Jack pushed open the door at the end, revealing a massive creature with the head of a hippopotamus and the body of a human.


    Before the hippo-like being could speak, Jack interrupted, "I know, I''m already dead now. This is Duat, the Underworld. You are Taweret, the guardian deity of women and children. Please step aside."


    The hippo being''s greeting hand froze in mid-air. But then, she suddenly eximed, and in a moment, the scene shattered. Marc realized they were now on a boat, and there was another person on the boat ¡ª Schiller.


    Schiller was leaning over the side of the boat, attempting to retrieve something from below. The hippo hurried over, grabbing his cor and pulling him up. Angrily, she scolded, "What are you doing? I told you not to reach out!"


    Marc, standing behind Jack, puzzledly asked, "Schiller? Wait a second, are you Schiller? Why do you look so young?"


    The Schiller before Marc was excessively youthful, appearing to be less than 20 years old, a far cry from the Schiller he had seen in reality. Their auras were also vastly different.


    At least for now, the Schiller being held by the cor by the hippo looked like an unruly bear cub who wasn''t adhering to boat safety regtions...


    Soon, Marc realized that his perception was correct, as he heard the hippopotamus speak with a sharp tone:


    "For thousands of years, I have received countless Souls who wish to cross over to the other side. I''ve never seen anyone like you before!"


    "Instead of staying in the spirit world to have your final dream, you insisted oning aboard prematurely. And then, you even knocked over thentern post here with your tattered umbre, almost causing a fire!"


    "I was busy attending to two other people, and you actually wanted to jump into the river to retrieve things! Are you insane? I''ve said it so many times, this is the Underworld! This boat is meant to carry you to the other side, and nothing under the boat should be touched. Put away your umbre!"


    Schiller stared at the hippo, and the hippo stared back. They locked eyes for a while, then Schiller scoffed, pulled back the umbre, and looked away.


    The hippo sighed heavily, turned her head again, and walked towards Jack and Marc. She said, "Are you two twins? It''s strange to have so many believers pass away on the same day¡­"


    "Bang!"


    The hippo quickly turned her head as she heard a noise. She saw Schiller using his umbre like a bowling ball to knock a skeleton head emerging from below the boat. The hippo snorted, then angrily walked over to Schiller and dragged him back.


    She sighed deeply, put her hands on her hips, red at Schiller, and then extended a finger, pointing sternly at the ground beneath her feet, saying, "Stay there and don''t move! I''m going to exin the rules to the neers!"


    After saying that, she slowly turned around, then swiftly turned her head back again. Seeing Schiller hadn''t moved, she turned her body back around and looked at him, pointing two fingers at her own eyes and then at Schiller, indicating "I''ll be watching you."


    Seeing Schiller obediently standing in ce, the hippo breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Jack and Marc once more and said, "It seems your God, whom you believe in, has already exined what happens after death to you¡­"


    "As you know, this is the Underworld. All followers of the Egyptian pantheon have a chance to be resurrected. You can think of it as a kind of blessing¡­"


    "When our believers die, they don''t die directly. Their Souls board this boat, undergo judgment here. If they pass, they can be resurrected, but if not¡­"


    The anthropomorphic hippo shrugged, gesturing towards the sea of skeletons outside the boat with a discontented expression. Marc widened his eyes, looking at the hippo and asking, "You''re not saying that if we don''t pass judgment, you''ll throw us down there, right?"


    The hippo nodded. At that moment, she noticed that Marc''s expression was bing increasingly panicked, and his gaze was fixed on something behind her. She suddenly had a bad feeling.


    She slowly turned her head and saw numerous Schillers standing next to the motionless Schiller. The hippo covered her face with her hands and let out a scream. She said, "No! No! My goodness, what''s happening? Where did you alle from? Leave this ce quickly..."


    Marc stared at the Schillers that appeared on the boat, moving systematically to different parts of the vessel. Rows of Schillers took up positions at the oars, one Schiller moved near the helm, two were adjusting the rigging, and another stood at the bow as a lookout...


    Amidst these figures, the hippo-headed deity rushed around, attempting to stop them, but she was overwhelmed by their numbers. She managed to restrain one group of Schillers, but others kept moving past her. Soon, the boat was filled with Schillers.


    Marc was utterly shocked by this profoundly eerie scene. Finally, he could only turn to Jack and ask, "What on earth is going on?"


    "Previously, this person named Schiller knocked you out, then he called me out. In the midst of fighting side by side, he told me about a n, which I found quite intriguing, so I decided to get involved."


    "A n? What n?"


    "It''s a bitplex. Let him exin it to you." Jack stepped aside, and standing behind him was Schiller in a white coat.


    "Hello, Marc. It''s been a while. I know you have many questions now, but we can take our time. Because this boat is going to the destination I want to reach, it might take a while."


    As Schiller''s words fell, Marc saw that under the control of numerous Schillers, the boat started deviating from its original course. It even made a 180-degree turn in ce, beginning to move backward.


    The hippopotamus sat on the ground, devastated, crying loudly. One Schiller held some grass and fed it to her. The hippo cried while munching, leaving a mixture of grass and tears around her big mouth.


    "As the respected High Priest of the Moon God Khonshu, I have listened carefully to his teachings. He once said that as followers of the Egyptian pantheon, we have a chance of resurrection."


    "After death, Egyptian followers will board a boat. On the boat, a ferryman will take out the believer''s heart and ce it on a scale, like this¡­"


    Schiller took a scale from another Schiller''s hand. On one side of the scale was a feather. Schiller pointed at the feather and said, "If the believer''s heart is ced on the other side of the scale and it''s heavier than the feather, it means the believer is a criminal. They will be thrown under the boat, where endless skeletons will devour them."


    "But if the heart is lighter than the feather, the opposite is true. They can go to the reed fields and have a chance at rebirth."


    "Through a certain way, I know that Death in this world isn''t as simple as it seems. There''s a more advanced rule restraining all beings in Space after death, directing them towards a singr destination. Therefore, I was curious about this Egyptian rule, what enables the Egyptian pantheon to break this rule and allow the dead to resurrect?"


    "I believe you''ve noticed, there are many intriguing aspects in this process."


    "I have a hypothesis. If the Egyptian pantheon can truly break the rule of Death, resurrecting the dead directly, why set up processes like boarding the boat, sailing, and judgment? Why not just let people resurrect directly?"


    "So, I think that the process of rowing and judgment must be the key."


    "So you''ve taken control of this boat?" Marc asked in disbelief, raising his voice, "Are you insane?! How could you... how could you..."


    Marc couldn''t fathom such behavior. Schiller, however, remained indifferent to his attitude and continued:


    "But what interests me even more is, just like you''ve experienced, before boarding the boat, you enter a spiritual world. In other words, you have a dream."


    "So..." Schiller looked around at the surroundings, gazing at the enigmatic and ever-changing sky, then said, "Is this ce truly the Underworld existing in reality? Or could it be..."


    Marc was horrified to see that when Schiller uttered these words, all the Schillers turned their heads to look at this direction.


    "Is this still a dream, and can this boat carry our Souls from the dream... into reality?"


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 Chapter 509: Hardcore Heist Plan

    Chapter 509: Hardcore Heist n


    Egyptian mythology, a mythological system not widely known in modern times, although its specific details are rarely mentioned, features several well-known figures, such as Anubis.


    Many Egyptian gods frequently appear in games, yet many people are unaware that they originate from the Egyptian pantheon. A good way to identify such characters is to check if they have animal heads or represent natural phenomena.


    Egyptian gods can be divided into two main categories: those born from natural phenomena, such as Sun god, Wind god, Fire god, Moon god, etc., and animal gods, like Beetle, Panther, Lion, Vulture, and so on.


    Additionally, the well-known concept of mummies is closely tied to Egyptian mythology, and Schiller drew inspiration from the intriguing background of mummies to develop his audacious Death n.


    Many people may have heard of mummies or even seen them in museums, but this fascinating culture originates from Egyptian mythology''s understanding of Death.


    Ancient Egyptians believed that the body merely served as a vessel for the soul. After death, the soul was influenced by divine power and journeyed to the Underworld. Still, they had a chance of resurrection. To ensure a sessful resurrection, the body needed preservation, leading to the creation of various forms of mummies.


    In terms of understanding Death, the ancient Egyptian civilization, thousands of miles away from China, shares remarkable simrities. Both cultures believed that the deceased entered a magical world after death, where they continued to receive offerings. Therefore, the living had to construct luxurious tombs and offer burial goods to ensure a better afterlife.


    This belief led to the construction of the pyramids of ancient Egypt and the Emperor Qin Shi''s Terracotta Army in China.


    However, within the Marvel universe, Schiller is well aware that myths here are not mere stories but concrete realities with actual gods, suggesting the presence of an Underworld.Yet he also knows that this world epasses five major Creation Gods, including Death, and all beings eventually journey to Death''s realm. To resurrect, they require specific powers.


    One widely known example is Asgard''s Hall of Heroes, where the gods of Asgard go after death, and they might have a chance at resurrection within the Hall.


    After inquiring with Loki, Schiller learns that Odin can resurrect warriors through the Hall of Heroes because he struck a deal with Death.


    Odin''s countless acts of warfare and death incurred an unimaginable toll, but Death didn''t mind if he resurrected a fraction of warriors to y more people. Nheless, resurrecting a god required an immense amount of energy.


    In this context, why can the lesser-known Egyptian gods easily resurrect their followers? Schiller once asked Khonshu this question, but he received no answer. Schiller understands that Khonshu isn''t obligated to answer every question for his followers. Therefore, he decides to seek the answer himself...


    However, the location of the Underworld remains elusive. To enter, a special method is necessary.


    Schiller happens to know a method that can allow him to enter the Underworld: replicating the experiences of Moon Knight from the Moon Knight TV series.


    In the TV series, Moon Knight''s body is killed by Arthur, a follower of Ammit. Consequently, Moon Knight''s two personalities enter the Underworld and manage to leave it, thereby resurrecting in the real world.


    After the battle in the small town, during a moment when Marc switches personalities, Schiller takes the Sacred Beetle from him. While driving the car from the small town to the border of Deo, Schiller notices that Arthur has awakened. Instead of exposing Arthur, Schiller intentionally leaves the Sacred Beetle he acquired from Marc on the seat.


    As expected, Arthur takes the Sacred Beetle and uses the power left to him by Ammit to travel to the seal and release Ammit, thus freeing her from her imprisonment.


    Ammit granted Arthur power, urging him to seek revenge on Schiller and Marc. As the purple Thunderbolt formed from Ammit''s divine power descended, Schiller lowered all defenses, allowing Ammit''s power to kill his physical body.


    In reality, with Grey Mist present, Ammit''s divine power wouldn''t have been enough to destroy Schiller''s body. Yet, Schiller made Grey Mist simte a state of feigned death, where heartbeat and breathing ceased, allowing the soul to be drawn to the ship where Moon Knight had arrived in the TV show.


    This part of the TV show''s plot was intriguing. After Moon Knight''s split personalities experienced death, Marc had a peculiar dream. He found himself in a mental hospital, and the attending doctor was none other than Arthur, the one who killed him. Arthur revealed that Marc was a mental patient all along, with his roles as a mercenary and archaeologist being mere delusions during his episodes.


    What fascinated Schiller the most was that, in this mental realm, Marc''s two personalities appeared as distinct individuals. When they arrived on the ship, it was the same: both Marc and his other personality, Steven.


    This oddity prompted Schiller to specte that this so-called Underworld was simr to the Dreaming in the DC universe, a realm interconnected with the human world of consciousness.


    Since Marc could bring his two personalities aboard the ship, it followed logically that Schiller could bring numerous personalities as well. This ship could then navigate within the realm of dreams.


    Listening to Schiller''s ount, Marc''s emotions wereplex. He took a deep breath, sighed, and said, "I can''t decide whether you possess a probing intellect orplete madness."


    "Just for a spective theory, you''re willing to face Death. Have you considered that all of this might be a delusion triggered by your mental illness? If so, you''re truly risking your life."


    "Are you afraid of death?" Schiller asked.


    "Aren''t you?" Marc retorted. Suddenly, he paused, then said, "Oh, right, I''ve met KGB agents who aren''t afraid of death..."


    "Essentially, it''s confidence in my professional expertise. My research skills in dissociative identity disorder, the rtionship between the mind and the world of consciousness, dreams, and more are quite good."


    As he spoke, Schiller walked to the edge of the ship. With the vessel speeding forward, the sand sea beneath grew thinner, and the surging skeletons became fewer.


    Marc extended his hand, gazing at the sky. He noticed that the once-clear and bright starry sky was bing hazy. A gentle breeze brushed his fingertips, carrying a faint white mist.


    Abruptly, Marc turned his head and saw the massive bow heading into the dense white mist. The ship seemed to float atop a sea of clouds, like a sword slicing through white jade. Looking downward, the sand sea had disappeared; there was nothing beneath the ship, as if it were suspended in mid-air.


    "Woo¡ªwoo¡ª"


    A deep horn sounded, masts creaked, sails unfurled. Marc observed as theyers of sails billowed, their full arcs resembling multiple rising crescent moons.


    Approaching Schiller, Marc asked, "Where are you taking it?"


    "I''m going to pick up a friend of mine and show him the scenery beyond the dreams of ordinary people," Schiller smiled and replied.


    "What about resurrection? Don''t you want to resurrect?" Marc clearly struggled to ept his own death. He appeared restless, his face marked with worry.


    "You said it yourself, KGB agents aren''t afraid of death," Schiller turned to look at him. Marc was furious, about to retort, when he noticed that behind the white-coated Schiller, the young Schiller was slowly raising an umbre-de.


    Schiller chuckled and asked, "Are you still afraid of death now?"


    Looking at the cold light on the umbre-de, Marc swallowed and took a step back, vigorously shaking his head.


    Therge ship sailed through the white mist, and the surroundings remained unchanged. It was impossible to gauge the ship''s speed urately. Jack and Schiller stood together at the bow of the ship. Jack asked, "What are you nning to name this ship?"


    "The Flying Godship, how does that sound?"


    "Not very appealing. It''s better to simply call it the Flying Ship. Why insist on adding ''God''?"


    "I... oh, we''ve arrived." Schiller was about to answer Jack''s question, but he spotted the shadows of buildings in the thick fog. He ordered the ship''s crew to lower the sails, causing the massive vessel to descend slowly.


    As the ship descended, the outlines of the buildings became clearer. The first toe into view was a Gothic spire, followed by what appeared to be an English-style school.


    Charles, standing at the entrance of the dream school, gaped as he watched the enormous ship''s shadow slowly descend.


    Just a few minutes ago, he had been puzzled in his real-world office, wondering why Schiller had called him on the phone, asking him to enter the dream. Now, Charles understood because he had seen Schiller standing at the bow of the ship.


    After the shipnded, it appeared evenrger than what Charles had seen from the air. It surpassed any ship he had encountered, no longer just a sailboat but a flying aircraft carrier draped in sail-like attire.


    "My goodness, what is this?! Did I see wrong? Is that the Sun emblem from the Egyptian tomb?"


    "Professor, truly you''re exceptional. You''re the most discerning person I''ve encountered." Schiller descended from the ship and shook hands with Charles, genuinely praising him.


    "After the Tower of Babel, you''ve constructed another Egyptian ship in the dream? But why? Have your personalities finally run out of space?"


    "You''ve misunderstood," Schiller turned his head to nce at the ship, then back at Charles. He exined, "I didn''t create this. I don''t have that ability. The story is quiteplicated, but to put it simply..."


    Schiller turned back, pointed at the ship, and confidently stated, "This is the ''Gifts of Nature''."


    "Alright, I understand. You don''t need to exin," Charles immediately responded. Evidently, in the process of working with the Radiance Alliance, he had learned the style of these individuals. There was a risk ofpromising his ethical standards by asking too many questions.


    "So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Charles asked.


    "Professor, many young mutants have gone to the Great Neb of the Fairy System for space colonization and development. Due to the vast distance, it''s challenging to bring them back for sses, right?"


    Upon hearing Schiller raise this issue, Charles nodded with some helplessness and said, "While I can connect with them here, I can''t bring their consciousness back here for sses."


    "As I mentioned earlier, so-called psychic connections are rted to brainwaves, which are affected by physical distance. If I''m too far from them physically, the signal quality deteriorates."


    "Correct. I''ve always believed that mutant education is of utmost importance. If internships interfere with teaching, the priorities are mixed up."


    "The saying goes that one cannot be too poor for education. For the sake of the shared future of humanity and mutants, I hope this small ship that can navigate within dreams bes a school bus for mutants. I hope it bes their Noah''s Ark, allowing them to navigate through the ocean of knowledge with the wind at their backs..."


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 Chapter 510: Iron Lament

    Chapter 510: Iron Lament


    "This..." Charles widened his eyes as he looked at the ship that could hardly be called "small" by any measure. His expression underwent several changes, ultimately revealing an extremelyplex look. He said, "No, I can''t ept it."


    "While I don''t know how you managed to acquire it, I believe the process must have been highly dangerous. If it truly can navigate within the dream world as you said, then it''s an extremely valuable mode of transportation. It''s too precious; I can''t ept it."


    Charles''s reaction didn''t exceed Schiller''s expectations. Charles''s ability to elevate Radiance Alliance''s moral standards above average clearly demonstrated his noble character.


    "Don''t misunderstand, Professor. I''m not giving this ship to you. I just happen to possess it, and I can''t spend every day running around in the dream world. It would be a waste if it just sat there idle. So, you can borrow it to use as a school bus."


    "And right now, I happen to need this ship. You probably wouldn''t mind bing a temporary captain for an extraordinary dream journey, would you?"


    Hearing this, Charles rxed. He smiled and said, "Of course, actually, I''m also curious about the dream world. It''s so mysterious here, but I''ve been caught up in the chaos of the real world and haven''t had the time to explore it."


    "Believe me, Professor, with your abilities, even in the dream world, you''d be hard to match. If we add this ship to the equation, we''ll be able to freely roam here."


    The two shook hands with smiles, achieving perfect agreement. On the ship, Marc, Jack, and the hippopotamus watching this scene all sighed in unison.


    Marc turned his head and looked at the hippopotamus. He then said, "I guess even if you were to go down and say that this ship isn''t theirs, I''m afraid...""I have no intention of going down!" The hippopotamus made a prayer gesture from the Egyptian pantheon and said, "If they like it, they can take it. After all, this ship isn''t mine."


    "Not yours? Then why are you here?" Marc asked.


    Then he saw the hippopotamus roll its eyes in a very human-like manner and said, "I owe a favor to the owner of this ship. So, after work, I have to help them guide souls here. Honestly, I''ve grown tired of this job a long time ago. I''m just a hippopotamus, and there''s nothing but sand in this river..."


    "Oh, goddess''s grace, please forgive the unreasonable side of my other personality. He''s still just a child. I apologize on his behalf. I hope you can guide us on our journey ahead." Schiller, who had led Charles onto the ship, said to the hippopotamus.


    The hippopotamus gave a light hum and said, "I won''t quibble with a child. Because I am the patron goddess of women and children, I understand that these mischievous little ones have good hearts. However, you should also teach him not to break things at will, or there will be times when you''ll be troubled..."


    This goddess hippopotamus, both in behavior and speech, seemed very much like a human mother. This made the group feel a sense of familiarity. Then, she revealed the reason behind her presence.


    "In the years since I became a god, I''ve been adopting the abandoned orphans of ancient Egypt. When they grow up, they be my followers. But I don''t want them to stay here. I teach them practical skills, and then I send them back to human society..."


    "I''ve been doing this kind of work for thousands of years. Thest child I adopted became a programmer in Los Angeles. He even calls me on the telephone every weekend. Honestly, your human concept of time is so strange. His frequent telephone calls have kept me constantly busy..."


    Hearing this, Charles felt somewhat moved. He approached the goddess hippopotamus, shook her hand, and said, "You are a kind god and a great mother. In fact, in terms of educating children, I often find it quite challenging..."


    Watching a person and a god start discussing parenting, Schiller, Marc, and Jack all walked into the cabin. The cabin still carried a strong ancient Egyptian style, with murals, carpets, and wall tiles all adorned with patterns used by the ancient Egyptian gods.


    Schiller sat on the sofa in front of the firece, Jack leaned against a pir, and Marc sat across from Schiller. Now he was very curious, so he asked, "So, where is this ship headed now?"


    "If my guess is correct, after their conversation, that goddess will most likely take us to her former homnd."


    "Former homnd? She''s a hippopotamus, is she going back to the African savanna?" Marc chuckled.


    Inside and outside the cabin, both Schiller and the goddess hippopotamus''s voices rang out simultaneously: "If you''ve heard of Egyptian mythology, then you should have some understanding of the celestial realm. There, the water and grass are abundant, full of life, and home to countless ancient gods, but it''s not as peaceful as it seems on the surface..."


    The sail was raised once again, and the great ship sailed into the dense white mist. After thest shadow disappeared into the hazy white mist, the mist began to gather and condense into tiny raindrops, falling from the sky. In the real world, the night rain continued to fall.


    At the moment when the blood burst forth, no one present realized the seriousness of the problem. It wasn''t until Schiller''s corpse fell to the ground that Iron Man''sbat suit resonated with a slightly different voice from JARVIS:


    "Target status locked, scanning... Scanplete... Target deceased... Lock released..."


    "Lock on again, scan again," Stark said.


    "Locking... Lockplete, scanning... Scanplete... Target deceased... Lock released..."


    "Scan again!"


    "Sir, the scan results have an error rate of less than 0.002%. If a lower limit error rate is required, higher output can be provided for the scanning device..."


    "Increase the output to the maximum!"


    The magic energy on the chest of the Iron Manbat suit lit up with a dazzling light, like a lighthouse in the rainy night. However, this light onlysted for a moment before slowly dimming. Everyone was staring at Stark, and he took a somewhat stiff step and walked towards Schiller''s corpse.


    It wasn''t difficult to determine that it was indeed a corpse, as almost the entire chest cavity, including the heart, had vanished. There were charred traces near the wound. There was no pulse, no heartbeat, no breath. Blood was no longer flowing through the body, and body temperature was gradually being lost.


    Iron Man half-squatted down, using a finger to touch Schiller''s arm. The data from the sensors showed no surprises. The conclusion was the same as the high-powered scan earlier: it was a corpse, with no other possibilities...


    Strange grumbled as he put away the deep red ribbon. He walked over this way, saying as he walked, "Schiller, what are you up to again? Stop fooling around. Can''t you see we''re in the middle of a fight?"


    After he came over, he also half-knelt beside Schiller''s corpse. Unlike Stark, he wasn''t as careful. Strange patted Schiller''s shoulder directly. However, the moment his hand made contact with Schiller''s shoulder, Strange froze.


    Afterward, he disyed a somewhat panicked expression. He ced his hand on Schiller''s forehead, and a sh of magic light appeared on his hand. Just like the energy on Stark''s chest, this light quickly dimmed. Strange remained frozen in ce.


    "His soul... his soul is gone!!!" Trembling, Strange withdrew his hand, then stood up. His eyes glowed, scanning the surroundings, but he saw nothing.


    Stark also stood up right after him. His face mask "clicked" into ce, and he stared at Strange with his eyes fixedly. "What did you just say?!"


    "I said his soul is gone!" Strange urgently shouted, "I don''t know what he''s up to, but now lying here is just a corpse. His soul has disappeared, and I don''t know where it went..."


    "Hahaha!!!" A string ofughter echoed. Arthur, holding the staff in his hands, burst intoughter. His long hair was soaked by the rain, sticking tightly to his face. His eyes blinked with a purple light, resembling an evil spirit that crawled up from hell.


    "You fools, ordinary people! When the body dies and the soul disappears, what else does it imply? Of course, it means he''s dead!"


    Arthur shouted, "I don''t know what you''re still confirming! He''s dead! Do you understand? This damn killer has finally received justice!! Ammit is the true justice!"


    Steve''s arms began to tremble. He took a deep breath, then walked forward anxiously. He grasped Stark''s arm and said, "Tony, calm down, Tony..."


    Suddenly, in the tranquil rainy night, amid the pitter-patter sound of rain, there emerged a faint, almost imperceptible sound of gears grinding.


    This sound was so subtle that it couldn''t be caught if one didn''t listen carefully, yet it was so loud that it resonated like an earthquake.


    Suddenly, the sky brightened.


    A dazzling light rose from the horizon, bathing the earth in its radiance. The arc of light shimmered brightly, and the night sky transitioned from light to deep blue, the hues of the aurora so mysterious and dreamlike. This scene informed everyone that dawn had arrived.


    However, as the members of the Avengers weed the light of dawn, their illuminated faces were all marked with serious expressions, as if facing a formidable foe.


    This was because what rose on the horizon was not the sun, but Iron Man.


    At the same time, in Asgard, Thor led the newly reformed Royal Guards through the expanse of the Bifrost Bridge. However, when they were halfway across, they suddenly stopped.


    He sharply turned his head, looking toward the edge of Asgard where the branches of the World Tree were faintly visible. At the same time, the boundaries of several other great realms were also visible.


    In the familiar starry background, a star lit up. It grew brighter and brighter until the deafening mechanical sound reached the ears of everyone in Asgard. Thor ascended into the air, his gaze prating the endless expanse of stars.


    Just a secondter, he descended and turned around, walking back. The bewildered Royal Guards followed behind him. Then they heard Thor say:


    "Open the dungeons! Quickly!"


    The leader of the Royal Guards caught up to Thor, his confusion evident. "But just a moment ago, didn''t you say that the dungeons wouldn''t be opened within a thousand years? And that whoever ordered the opening of the dungeons would be..."


    "... a liar," Thor interrupted. He continued walking back, his eyes fixed on the light brightening at the edge of Asgard. He said, "I didn''t want to change my mind so suddenly, but... in any case, open the dungeons!"


    As his words fell, the underground of the pce erupted in a radiant light, and a petite figurended on the ground. Lady Loki, her expression serious, walked toward Thor. Before Thor could speak, she said, "I know, my prison sentence for escape was increased by 300 years, but what''s happening now? Why did Stark suddenly..."


    Thor shook his head. The two siblings looked toward the source of the light burst together. Thor, as the Bright King, spread his divine power, attempting to discern the cause of Stark''s sudden outburst.


    He didn''t hear any words, only the endless sound of machinery.


    As he listened carefully, he heard the unusual emotions amidst the grinding gears, the wailing of steam whistles, and the surging energy of symphonies.


    It was an extraordinary sentiment¡ªament of steel.


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 Chapter 511: Civilization is Building a Great Ship

    Chapter 511: Civilization is Building a Great Ship


    In the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, Natasha quickly picked up the incessantly ringing telephone. She said, "Hello? Yes, it''s me. But why didn''t you call Strange? His phone couldn''t get through? Alright..."


    "Correct, the message from Strange to us is that Schiller is indeed dead, which is why Stark suddenly went crazy."


    "He couldn''t have made a mistake. He told us that Schiller''s soul is no longer within his body, and the feedback we received from the present symbiote confirms that his physical body has indeed died."


    Holding the telephone, Natasha walked out of the office and briskly moved down the corridor. As she walked, she continued, "In any case, Lady Loki, get your elder brother toe over quickly, stop Stark. Even if he wants revenge, he can''t destroy Earth..."


    "Restraint? Not to mention him, Captain America, Spider-Man, and the Supreme Sorcerer have all lost restraint. Do you think they can ept the fact that Schiller died right in front of them?"


    Natasha stopped in front of the door of an office, then said to Loki on the other end of the telephone, "Whether it''s for interest or emotion, no one can ept this ending. I know you''re still doubtful. If you really have the ability to prove that Schiller is still alive, then go and do it quickly. If it''s anyter..."


    Natasha didn''t continue speaking, and Lady Loki understood everything. After hanging up the telephone, Natasha pushed the door open and entered. Nick leaned his body against the back of an armrest chair, his eyes closed. When he saw Natashaing in, he said, "Initiate Alpha Bases 1 through 60..."


    Natasha looked at him and earnestly asked, "Is Schiller really dead?"


    "I don''t know." Nick provided an answer. He stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and then issued amand that shocked Natasha:"Airborne Carrier Base, lift the confidentiality protocol, all engines prepare for takeoff."


    "Nick, do you really want to fight?"


    "No, I want to resurrect Schiller."


    "With an airborne carrier?"


    "With an airborne carrier."


    After Natasha left, Nick''s previously slightly sorrowful expression changed. He gritted his teeth and angrily said, "Damn it, he just wants to retaliate against me for reporting him earlier!"


    "He just wants me to bleed. He''s been dead for a week, and the additional bases I injected into the Sr System development n will all be destroyed by Stark..."


    "Forget it, the airborne carrier can''t stay hidden for much longer anyway... God, at least one of them has to be taken by the military. I can''t catch my breath. Where''s my nitroglycerin..."


    In the dream world, after a somewhat lengthy journey, an oasis appeared in everyone''s field of view. Inside the captain''s room before the ship hadnded, Schiller instructed Charles:


    "Based on our previous research, it has been proven that in the dream world and all connected dimensions, mental intensity determines everything, and in this regard, no one can surpass Professor X."


    "Professor, I understand that you''re unwilling to use your abilities against ordinary people, and you even restrain your basic telepathic abilities. The abilities you disy in reality are just a fraction of your actual capability."


    Seeing Schiller''s eye contact, Charles let out a slight sigh. He knew he couldn''t hide anything from this peer. He said, "Perhaps, but power that can''t be exploited isn''t really power. So, I''m still weak..."


    "But what if the opponent isn''t humanity?"


    "What do you want to do?" Charles asked.


    "It''s actually quite simple. Soon, we''ll enter a specialtitude that''s connected to the dream world. And what you need to do is to steer this ship forward continuously, then..."


    "No matter what lies ahead, crash through it."


    Charles widened his eyes as he looked at Schiller. Clearly, he understood very well what consequences this action would bring, yet Schiller merely smiled and spoke with a rising and falling tone:


    "The Industrial Revolution brought us steam engines, and we mounted them on great ships. From now on, we no longer rely on the wind, nor do we fear the rain."


    "Those once mysterious and obscure gods can no longer bestow anything upon us. From now on, the giant wheel of human civilization smashes through all obstacles."


    "The raging storms of nature and the sharp teeth and ws of beasts no longer frighten us. And those gods, represented by them, hastily retreat into the realm of the divine."


    "Today, it''s not them who bring their glory to our world; it''s us who tell them¡ª it''s not the gods judging us with a ship, but it''s us who judge them with a massive ship... an evenrger ship."


    On the deck, Marc, who had initially been leaning over the ship''s side with interest, observing the vivid coconut trees, suddenly felt the deck begin to tremble. A rumbling roar emerged from beneath the deck, as if a colossal engine had been ignited.


    Shortly after, he saw the ship surrounded by ayer of colorful rainbow light. The rapidly erging oasis in his field of vision indicated that the rainbow light was the result of air currents reaching their extreme speeds.


    "Who?! Who dares trespass the heavens? Wait... What is this? Isn''t this the ship that was headed for the Underworld? How...?"


    "Bang!!!"


    Marc widened his eyes as he saw the God being flung out. He didn''t even have time to clearly see what deity it was; the God had already transformed into a dot of light on the horizon, leaving no trace of speech.


    "Someone''s intruding! Who? Bang!!!"


    "Quick, someonee! Someonee! Bang!"


    "Hurry! Bang!"


    Marc, standing on the deck, spun around like a spinning top. However, even so, he couldn''t clearly see how many luminescent Gods had been knocked out. Just then, a figure like the Sun descended, its deep and resonant voice echoing in the space:


    "I am the God of Twilight, intruders, you..."


    "Bang!!!"


    "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    "Hahaha! Hahaha!" A madughter resounded from near the helm, where the green-haired captain was continuously steering.


    The colossal ship equipped with a super engine showed no signs of slowing down. It careened recklessly through this unfamiliartitude, knocking everything in its path, including one God after another who had appeared in its way.


    Screams filled the air as falling lights were met with more falls. And at this moment, a dense darkness descended, and a God with dark skin emerged from within that darkness.


    The moment he appeared, the Hippo Goddess emerged from the ship''s cabin. However, she was different this time; she was bound by ropes and held at knife-point by young Schiller. The Hippo Goddess shouted:


    "Osiris! They''ve hijacked your ship! Quickly stop them!"


    The God known as Osiris seemed somewhat bewildered. He gazed at the massive ship careening through the heavenly realm like a torpedo but failed to recognize that it was his own ship from the Underworld.


    Why didn''t he know this ship could go this fast???


    Osiris opened his mouth in surprise, but it seemed that he also felt that advice was useless. He extended his hand, gathering power, attempting to forcibly control the ship he had created. Yet, this yed right into Schiller''s hands.


    At this moment, the massive ship changed its course, charging towards Osiris. In the moment when they were closest, a figure jumped from the deck, a sh of a de, and Osiris let out a scream of agony.


    The ship didn''t pause but continued crashing into more iing columns of light. Every time it neared an arriving God, a figure would leap down. Their methods of attack were diverse, but undoubtedly effective. It could even be said that they were tailored to counter different types of Gods.


    One after another, the Schillers on the ship disappeared. Until now, Marc finally realized what Schiller was nning.


    He allowed himself to die, his soul guided by the ship of the Underworld. He then used multiple personalities, exploiting weaknesses in the Egyptian god system to bring his various personalities into this realm and seize control of the ship.


    Shortly after, he brought in a friend with an unspecified ability, and together, they sailed the ship directly into the heart of the Egyptian god realm, connecting it with the heavenly realm of the dream world.


    This group of Schillers on the ship was perfectly tailored to fight against every God in the heavenly realm. Although it appeared they were fighting individually against all, in reality, they were fighting against all as one.


    In the midst of the battle, Marc keenly noticed that some of Schiller''s incarnations, at first, weren''t as skilled inbat, but quickly, they grew at an astonishing rate.


    This gave rise to a ridiculous thought in Marc''s mind: Could Schiller be organizing a military exercise for himself???


    Soon, the actions of the Schillers confirmed this idea, as Marc incredulously observed the group transitioning from solo battles to team-basedbat, then moving on to formation drills, and eventually forming the outline of an army...


    As Marc turned around, he saw three or four Schillers huddled around a round table discussing tactics. A Schiller in ab coat conveyed orders at the bow of the ship. Several others were bustling around, gathering intelligence on the ship and the battlefield.


    The Schiller with wings was in the air, dealing with the high-flying Gods. Those on the ground wielded a variety of weapons, and even within the oases''kes, there was a Schiller with a fish tail, engaging in fiercebat with aquatic Gods.


    As he watched, Marc felt an itching in his hands. At this moment, his alter ego Jack had already jumped down to engage in one-on-one battles with Gods. Marc rubbed his hands together, surveyed the scene left and right, and then stopped a Schiller, asking, "Where''s the intelligence department? Where''s the intelligence department located?"


    The Schiller sized him up and down, then said, "You want to find the intelligence department? What do you want to do?"


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I''m Agent Marc Spector of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, with 14 years of experience in the field. Well-versed..."


    The Schiller pointed to a door across from them and said, "Go there. Find the Director of the Schiller Central Intelligence Bureau for an interview."


    As Marc left, the Hippo Goddess was the only one left sitting in the center of the deck. Seeing the chaotic brawl around her involving the surrounding Gods, her hippo-like mouth revealed a human-like smirk.


    She muttered to herself, "Nature gods, when you drove the animal gods out of the heavenly realm, you should have expected this day..."


    Finishing her sentence, she turned her head and looked at the young Schiller holding the knife to her with a smile, asking, "Come here, child. How old are you? Where do you go to school? Do you have a girlfriend? You''re about the same age as my second son. He''s transferring to the U.S. for school soon. Maybe you two can be schoolmates..."


    Meanwhile, in the real world, the Sunposed of an endless torrent of steel and iron, in the moment it was fully risen, tore apart all the present demon gods.


    They became the nourishment for the resurgence of steel demon gods, and all their energy was absorbed into the magic core. Then,rger engines, thicker pipes, and more gears...


    When an engine was added to a colossal ship, they killed the gods who controlled the winds and rain.


    When engines were added to a hundred trillion colossal ships, steel demon gods would kill all the gods.


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 Chapter 512: I Was Born Where Gods Died

    Chapter 512: I Was Born Where Gods Died


    The storm of machinery tore apart all the energy beings present, and the shadows behind the god proxies vanished instantly. Captain America lifted his shield, herding the bewildered followers towards the car, free from the control of the gods. Only then did they realize that something far beyond theirprehension had urred.


    Amidst this storm, only Ammit survived the initial strike. Having physically arrived here, he had a bit of resistance left, but soon, he saw a pair of brown eyes in the starry sky gazing at him.


    That eye contact was like a promation of death, followed by a sky filled with birds.


    When machinery seamlesslybined with magic, countless mechanical birds with wings created by the mother nest, adorned with magical radiance, surrounded Ammit in flocks, forming a massive whirlwind.


    Purple light burst from within the dense flock of birds, and Ammit let out a chilling scream. While onlookers couldn''t witness the sight of Ammit being torn apart, the sound emitted from him through the light made it clear that his death was anything but peaceful.


    The tornado-like swarm of mechanical birds shredded him from the outside in, even the magic energy dissipating from him was incredibly substantial.


    Confronted with this apocalyptic scene, a great sorcerer approached Strange and said, "Fortunately, he''s absorbing Ammit''s energy. This proves he hasn''t ascended above Space yet; he still needs energy to remain active."


    "If he truly chooses to ascend above Space, what will happen?" Strange inquired.


    "He must select a dimension, a dwelling ce and the source of his existence, to fundamentally alter his life form and be like the demon gods.""Why is that? Why can''t he just stay on Earth like the gods of the Egyptian pantheon?"


    The great sorcerer shook his head. "No, these Egyptian gods don''t just stay on Earth either. They still have their own dimension, they just live together."


    "Why can''t demon gods stay on Earth?" Strange continued to inquire.


    "We don''t have a definitive answer to this question. The Ancient One, the former Sorcerer Supreme, once said that Earth is exceptionally unique, and Kamar-Taj is just oneyer of protection. There are deeper secrets we have yet to uncover."


    "But without a doubt, any Space demon gods or extra-dimensional demon gods, if they want toe to Earth, either need proxies to channel power to them or create energy forms themselves. In any case, they cannot directlye here, let alone reside."


    "What about Ammit? Wasn''t he resurrected from within Earth?"


    "He was sealed." The great sorcerer exined, "There are still many sealed demon gods on Earth. The Ancient One''s significant task was to clean up demon gods that resurged from their seals."


    "Foreign demon gods cannot invade, internal demon gods are sealed, and newly-born demon gods must leave..." Strange rubbed his chin, seeming to have realized something.


    But the situation wasn''t promising at this point. After absorbing all of Ammit''s energy, the steel demon god Stark had ascended to the peak of individual Space. If he ascended further, he would be the sole entity once again. However, if he didn''t wish to do so, releasing such a massive amount of energy would cause unimaginable destruction...


    Suddenly, on the dark horizon opposing the brilliance of the steel-formed Sun, a dazzling Thunderbolt ignited the resurrected Fire. The power of the King of Light emerged as Thor held the Thunderbolt, his feet on Fire. Standing opposite Stark, his voice resonated from the depths of Space:


    "Stark, calm down! You can''t release this power here, otherwise, the Nine Realms will be destroyed by you!"


    A voice devoid of emotion, cold and mechanical, devoid of any sentiment, resounded: "Are you also one of those gods? Descending with divine power, controlling followers, initiating judgments, so arrogant, so foolish..."


    "Locking onto the target of divine power... Weapons clusterunch wells primed... Aiming in progress..."


    "Wait, Stark, calm down a bit! I''m not one of those Egyptian gods, I am Thor, the new King of Asgard. Don''t you remember Asgard?"


    "You''re all the same." Stark''s voice had almost lost its original tone, reced by a more electronic synthesized sound simr to JARVIS. He said:


    "During Humanity''s ignorant era, you enved them with your mighty power, as their followers, reaping their faith, controlling the elements, unleashing divine punishment. You watched as the weak and feeble Humanity trembled at your feet in prayer, and so you crowned yourselves as gods."


    "We tamed the wildnds of old, step by step forging our own civilization, igniting fires, sounding sirens. Henceforth, we no longer needed to gaze at the skies or fear cmities..."


    "Then, when Humanity hadpletely conquered this, smelting steel, casting vehicles and ships, building weapons and cities, you returned once more, iming Humanity''s guilt, ready to judge us..."


    Thor heard a sigh from the depths of distant Space, within which he could hear Stark''s voice. Perhaps, along with Humanity''s long history, many ancestors were standing there in history, sighing.


    "I had the opportunity to be a god, but I declined. I told others it was because of my attachment to Humanity''s emotions, but in reality, I simply found it beneath me."


    "Lucky individuals who can control the power of Space by ident will neverpare to Humanity, who step by step built a great civilization from the wilderness."


    "A civilizationprised of countless small individuals can''t speak out, destined to remain silent. Yet you wanted to recklessly judge us. Well then, the most magnificent power of Humanity''s development until now¡ªthe power of machinery and steel¡ªwill show you..."


    "Gods will eventually disintegrate, and Humanity will unite as one."


    In Thor''s vision, the rising Sun grew brighter and brighter. In the prosperous city, everyone pushed open their windows, looking out in astonishment. They found that the outside sky did not match the current time, even in the regions that were weing dawn. This dawn was too bright.


    Suddenly, Strange sensed a fluctuation in magical power. He paused for a moment, exchanged a nce with the sorcerer beside him, and shouted, "Oh no! Stark is trying to disrupt the seals of the demon gods. Stop him!"


    Several sorcerers behind him took flight, sending magical signals to various temples across Earth. Looking from the Earth''s surface, one light after another lit up, like stars twinkling in Blink''s hands. Angry roars continuously came through the sorcerers''munications:


    "That damned monster has broken free! Stop him and drive him out of the city!"


    "The Nine Dragons, an underground explosion! The temple''s manpower isn''t enough, quickly call in SPEAR! We need support!"


    "A Night Parade of One Hundred Demons! Damn it! Seal the source of the shrine, we mustn''t let the Great Demon break free!"


    Afterward, amidst a series of bustling sounds, amunication was forcibly inserted. Strange picked up the phone, and a man''s voice came from the other end. He said, "I am the director of SPEAR, Zheng Xian. Seals on demon gods all over the world are loosening on arge scale. Kamar-Taj, what''s going on?"


    Facing the slowly rising Sun, Strange''s hair and Cloak fluttered into the air. He spoke with a solemn tone:


    "Perhaps Stark is right. These foolish gods have never truly acknowledged our civilization..."


    "Don''t ask for reasons." Strange quickly said.


    "In my capacity as the Sorcerer Supreme, Imand all organizations associated with or connected to the mystical realm, no matter which demon god is about to break free, no matter their intent. As long as they dare to step out of their seal..."


    Taking a deep breath and exhaling it, Strange said in a tone akin to a sigh, "...Humanity will no longer need that god."


    His words, carried by the energy of magic, spread to every corner of Earth. Every Humanity that used divine power, magic energy, and other mysterious energies heard the sigh of the Sorcerer Supreme.


    On the side of Humanity, some hurriedly contacted their gods, some hesitated while gazing at their staves, and others snorted and picked up weapons.


    However, all the demon gods who heard these words acted in unison. They found their followers, forcibly controlled them, infused power, broke free from their seals, and then descended upon Earth.


    It wasn''t that they wanted to do so, but the infamous reputation of the previous Sorcerer Supreme, The Ancient One, made them aware that if they didn''t resist, they would die.


    But what surprised them was that the seals set for various reasons began to loosen. A strange magical energy swept through the seals, disrupting their structures and making it easier for them to break free.


    These demon gods were confused, but the temptation of freedom was too great. As a result, the vast majority of them began to struggle to break free from their seals.


    Some of these sealed demon gods couldn''t even be considered proper demon gods, merely beingposed of energy. While demon gods were also essentially energy entities on arger scale, some of the weaker ones, after breaking free, didn''t think first about ughtering Humanity, but instead sought a ce to hide.


    The infamous reputation of the former Sorcerer Supreme, The Ancient One, was well-known. Therefore, the demon gods had no intention of staying on Earth. Once they broke through Earth''s defensework, they would be as free as birds.


    Their idea was a good one, but after they broke free, gathered energy, ignited their powers, and elerated, a resounding "bang" met them like hitting a wall of copper and iron.


    Correct, Strange had cranked up the strength of Earth''s magical defensework to the maximum and poured in all the excess energy from the events with Knull.


    At this moment, the Earth''s magical defensework was at its peak strength. Even if beings like Mephisto or Dormammu from alternate dimensions came, they would have to weigh their options before they could break through.


    The demon gods of smaller stature simply disappeared upon impact, while the slightly more powerful ones were sent sprawling and were quickly dispatched by the sorcerers from various temples, packaged and taken away for a supplementary meal.


    Those who were more formidable and well-known gods in various regions bumped into the barriers, only to find they couldn''t exit. So, they began to dash around in panic.


    Releasing seals and breaking free was not part of their ns at all. The vast majority of these gods hadn''t even had time to summon their followers. Even if they were released, they would be toothless tigers.


    Not to mention that countries with institutions simr to SPEAR had receivedmunications from Kamar-Taj, coborating with the talented individuals from their own countries'' mystical realms. They camped at nodes of their national magical defenseworks, ready with bags to capture those who were knocked unconscious¡ªone by one.


    In the previous Knull event, most of the beneficiaries were entities with higher energy levels, like Kamar-Taj and Asgard.


    However, this time, with the eruption of the Steel Demon Gods and the extermination of Earth''s gods, the beneficiaries were more mainstream organizations¡ªsuch as schrs of mystical realms from around the world, frence magic practitioners, and even security institutions like S.H.I.E.L.D., SPEAR, and other national security institutions that didn''t primarily focus on magic.


    Even among frencers, there were methods to store energy to varying extents. At this stage, while Humanity couldn''t yet harness magic energy on arge scale, obtaining such energy was mainly for research purposes.


    Although Kamar-Taj''s research level was very high, it was more like a national-level scientific research institute in a regr human society, focusing on cutting-edge technology.


    However, regr mystical realms also had their share of inventors. It was just that the small amount of energy they could usually obtain and the scarcity of materials greatly limited their potential development.


    And this time, as demon gods broke free all over the world, sorcerers gathered, magical defenseworks held firm, Steel Demon Gods wreaked havoc, and the Sorcerer Supreme sounded the rion call, a feast wasid out for themon mystics and magicians of Humanity.


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 Chapter 513: Confessions in Dreams (1)

    Chapter 513: Confessions in Dreams (1)


    Within the Sanctum Sanctorum, Strange walked briskly through the brilliantly lit corridor. Upon entering the living room, he saw Loki sitting on the sofa, sipping tea. Seeing Strange''s arrival, Loki stood up and asked, "What''s going on now? Is Schiller up to his tricks again?"


    "Who knows?" Strange''s expression changed from his previous anxious sadness. He said, "If I''m not mistaken, he probably became a follower of the Egyptian pantheon and had some Egyptian god guide his soul to the underworld. He might be causing havoc there, or even in the Egyptian heavenly realm."


    He sighed and then took a seat across from the sofa. He continued, "For people like us, physical death is never the end. Does the soul just dissipate five minutes after death? Give me a break!"


    They substituted tea for alcohol and began specting about Schiller''s intentions.


    Strange had more information, so he began, "I don''t know how Schiller managed to get in touch with the Moon God Khonshu, but it''s clear he managed to deceive that big bird head. I only recently became the Sorcerer Supreme, and I haven''t had the chance to delve into so many scrolls. What''s the deal with the whole Egyptian pantheon?"


    Loki recalled and then said, "When the Egyptian pantheon was active, I should still have been unborn. Butter on, I encountered a few Egyptian gods. However, they were all animal gods and didn''t reside in the heavenly realm."


    "As far as I know, there was a war that erupted in the Egyptian heavenly realm during the Egyptian pantheon''s time. After that war, the majority of the animal gods and some of the weaker gods on the fringes were expelled." Loki stroked his chin as he reminisced.


    "So, the rtionship between the gods in the heavenly realm and the animal gods we''re familiar with isn''t good?" Strange asked.


    "Correct, didn''t you know that already? The Panther God, Lion God, Vulture God, and Hawk God all don''t reside in the heavenly realm. They each have their own fragmented dimensions, but they used to live in the heavenly realm before, only to be kicked out.""The Egyptian pantheon wasn''t particrly strong to begin with, and they still had internal conflicts?" Strange shook his head. "From what I know, even their stronger gods like the Sun God and the God of the Underworld couldn''tpare to the main gods of Asgard, not to mention Odin and the new God King Thor."


    "In fact, regardless of which pantheon it is, it''s hard to surpass Asgard. After all, we control the World Tree, effectively ruling over the Nine Realms," Loki took a sip of his hot tea, sighed, and continued, "With Thor having cleared out that warmongering faction that was lost in ughter and destruction, Asgard has been rejuvenated. It will only grow stronger from now on."


    "Speaking of which, what kind of god is Khonshu?" Strange asked.


    "Khonshu? I remember he''s some sort of Moon God associated with changes in moon phases," Loki, living up to his reputation as the know-it-all of the cosmos, understood the ins and outs of gods big and small. "Since he''s a Moon God, he should be a nature god, right?"


    "But he has a falcon head, and a skeletal one at that. It''s different from the nature gods I''ve encountered before," Loki contradicted himself.


    At this point, Strange and Loki exchanged a nce, evidently deducing the same conclusion. Strange tapped the table with his fingertip and said, "Moon God Khonshu belongs to the Ennead of Heliopolis, but the ones currently governing the heavenly realm are the Ennead of Thebes. Moreover, Khonshu also possesses the appearance of an animal. From what I''ve seen, the gods of the heavenly realm have a very negative attitude toward him, constantly talking about capturing him and bringing him back for judgment."


    "Demon gods don''t know how to keep their temper in check. I guess Schiller managed to sweet-talk Khonshu after a heart-to-heart chat," Strange continued his line of reasoning. He said, "The Egyptian pantheon probably has a ce simr to your Asgardian Hall of Heroes. When their followers die, their souls go there. This could also exin why Schiller''s soul disappeared immediately after his physical death..."


    "After Schiller''s soul was guided to the Egyptian pantheon''s underworld, the gods there are definitely in for trouble. Khonshu probably intends to use Schiller''s power to get back at those nature gods."


    "Khonshu''s motives don''t really matter," Loki shook his head and said, "What''s important is Schiller''s motive. What does he want?"


    "I heard that the Egyptian pantheon has the ability to resurrect their followers. What''s that all about?" Strange asked Loki.


    "All abilities rted to resurrection must receive approval from Mysterious entities. The Hall of Heroes that Asgard possesses is the same," Loki hesitated for a moment and continued, "But even in Asgard, this is a secret, and not even Thor now knows the exact details."


    "Alright, let''s set that question aside for now," Strange said as he pondered. "After detecting Schiller''s body and soul condition, I knew Stark would definitely think he''s truly dead since his Mech armor can''t detect souls. Do you think Iron Man''s outburst was within Schiller''s expectations?"


    "Of course, otherwise, why would he fake his own death? He could just let Khonshu take him to the underworld directly. Faking his death scene is definitely meant to provoke someone," Loki shook his head and continued, "But based on what I understand about him, if he really wanted to eliminate the sealed demon gods on Earth, he didn''t need to hurt Stark''s feelings."


    "I was thinking the same thing," Strange confirmed Loki''s guess. "Schiller once told me he''s not the kind of person who resorts to any means to achieve his goals, or rather, he despises such people. Because once someone reaches that point, it means they''re cornered with no way out. Schiller always has an escape."


    "Even if eradicating these malicious seeds on Earth that haven''t fully grown into trees is something Humanity needs to do before entering space, the situation isn''t urgent to that extent. Even if it''s done one by one, there''s enough time. There''s no need to provoke Stark, make him explode, and then clean up all at once."


    "For the civilization of Humanity, Stark is still a bit more important," Loki made this judgment, standing from an outsider''s perspective. He could see more clearly, he said, "It''s not even because he might be a steel demon god, but solely due to his intelligence and foresight."


    "So, the more likely scenario is that Stark erupts, cleans up the Earth demon gods, and spreads magic power to the lower-level organizations, which is actually a secondary goal, an incidental one," Strange touched his chin, frowning as he continued to think.


    "...So, what''s the main goal?" Strange posed this question, not expecting Loki to answer, but to his surprise, Loki offered a different perspective.


    "Within this entire chain of events, there''s only one thing shrouded in mystery, not yet clear."


    Loki dragged out his tone, and the two locked eyes. Strange said, "...The secret of how the Egyptian gods can resurrect their followers."


    Unlike the serene atmosphere of the guest room in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Earth had turned into chaos.


    Of course, in most orderly countries, this matter had nothing to do with themon people. Official organizations were dispatched to deal with the demon gods that suddenly broke free from their seals. While it wasn''t arge-scale war, the local battles were intense.


    The Avengers who remained at the German-Austrian border were contemting how to calm Stark down when Steve''s phone suddenly rang. He picked up the phone and heard Nick''s voice on the other end.


    "Captain, send the members of the Avengers team back to defend. Demon gods have broken free from their seals in 12 U.S. states. We''re short on manpower!"


    Steve took a deep breath and then said, "Understood, I''ll send them back."


    After hanging up the phone, he looked at Matt and said, "Matt, you take the others back. S.H.I.E.L.D. needs your support."


    With the situation urgent, Matt didn''t say much. He only asked, "And what about you?"


    "I have to stay here. On one hand, I need to make sure Stark doesn''t lose control and endanger Earth. On the other hand..." Steve turned his head, looking at Schiller''s lifeless body lying on the cold ground. He didn''t say anything, but everyone understood his meaning. So, Matt motioned to the others and left.


    Spider-Man kept looking back, seemingly unwilling to leave. Matt pulled him away while exining the possibility of the demon gods'' outbreak endangering regr people. After some tug-of-war, they finally got into the car.


    Once everyone was gone, Steve''s expression revealed weariness. Sadness flowed upward along with the rain, climbing into his eyes.


    As a seasoned veteran returning from the battlefield, he wouldn''t disy sorrow in front of his teammates, as it might bring about their despair. But with everyone gone, Steve couldn''t control himself anymore.


    He walked to Schiller''s body, half-knelt beside it, and ced his shield over Schiller''s chest, covering the massive wound. Yet even so, it couldn''t hide the undeniable fact that it was a lifeless corpse.


    Steve forcefully closed his eyes, his knuckles protruding from the forceful clenching. In the handful of soil he grasped tightly, rainwater and blood were mixed together.


    Steve had never thought he''d be ufortable with the smell of blood again, but now, even though the bloodstains had been diluted by the rain, the overly strong scent still made him dizzy in waves.


    His chest heaved heavily, and he started to hyperventte. He used the tips of his fingers to cover one of his eyes, trying hard to resist the surging memories and images.


    Suddenly, he felt a shadow cast over him. Steve looked up, eyes widening. The blurry raindrops blinked before him. In that moment, he thought he was seeing an illusion because standing before him was Stark, not wearing hisbat suit...


    He just stared nkly at Stark, but Stark also knelt down. He gazed at Schiller''s face and then said, "...You don''t believe he''s just dead like that, right? Neither do I..."


    "But..." Steve uttered the first syble and then fell silent. The two remained in silence for half a minute. Stark spoke again, "JARVIS and Strange both told me that Schiller is dead."


    "He indeed..."


    "No, I have one final way to confirm."


    "What''s that?" Steve looked into Stark''s eyes. This was his rarely used beginning of seeking answers from Stark.


    Stark extended his hand, pointing to his own temple. "Remember? Schiller had a tower that reaches the sky in his own world of consciousness. If we can find that tower within his world of consciousness, it means his soul still exists. Then, physical death isn''t a problem."


    Steve pondered for a moment, and then his eyes slowly lit up. He said, "Correct, we can go find Professor X. He might be able to locate Schiller''s presence within his world of consciousness!"


    "No," Stark rejected this method. A muscle twitched at the corner of his mouth as he continued, "I''ll go myself."


    Steve looked up at him, unsure if he saw a tinge of guilt in Stark''s eyes. But he stood up, gazing at the actual sun that had just appeared on the horizon. He said, "I''ll go with you."


    Unprecedentedly, Stark didn''t refuse Steve''s proposal or mock him as he usually did. He stood up, lips pursed, and said, "I''m not a psychologist, and I''ve never conducted rted research. The realm of consciousness and dream worlds are very dangerous. It''s probably best for you not to..."


    "Tony Stark, do you really think that I''m the kind of person who would flee in the face of such a situation?" Steve looked into Stark''s eyes and asked.


    Stark had never heard Steve ask a question so seriously, and at that moment, the answer that came to Stark''s mind led him to speak, "...You just need to fall asleep, dream. I''ll use the power of magic to pull you over."


    Stark nced at Schiller''s lifeless corpse on the ground and slowly said, "Have a good dream."


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 Chapter 514: Confessions in the Dream Tonight

    Chapter 514: Confessions in the Dream Tonight


    When one''s consciousness sinks into the realm of dreams, it''s often difficult to determine exactly when the transition urred. Steve was no exception. As the gentle pitter-patter of rain gradually ceased, he opened his eyes to find himself in a vaguely familiar ce.


    Squinting against the light and using his hand as a shield, Steve stood up and surveyed his surroundings. It appeared to be an agedboratory, even though Steve wasn''t a scientific researcher himself. He could discern that thisboratory wasn''t a creation of the 21st century. While the equipment here might seem advanced from a perspective of the past century, it couldn''t conceal the slightly crampedyout and the marks of wear on theb table''s surface.


    Suddenly, Steve''s attention was caught by something he recognized¡ªab table. What made it familiar was a dent on one of the cab doors, a dent he had personally repaired.


    Back when Howard had crafted the Vibranium shield for him, neither of them had realized the destructive potential of the weapon. Steve had thrown the shield, which had rebounded off a wall, severing a hangingmp''s cord in the process.


    With a crash, themp fell to the ground. Steve instinctively ducked backward, inadvertently denting theb table''s cab door. Howard had exploded in anger, and Steve had spent the whole night repairing the damaged cab.


    Passing by that veryb table, Steve encountered many other familiar things¡ªparts of the hovercar that Howard had often boasted about, various models piled up in the corner of the room, and even yboy posters partially peeled from the wall...


    Steve could almost see his old friend Howard bustling around theb table, while he himself sat at the table behind, devouring a hamburger.


    Back then, they were both busy¡ªHoward providing logistical support with various weapons while Steve fought their enemies.


    As memories flooded his mind, Steve took a seat by the wall at a small table. He could almost smell the aroma of the hamburger.A crinkling sound reached his ears as the wrapping paper was torn open. Steve turned his head and saw not Howard, finally taking a break to eat, but Stark.


    Stark held a cheeseburger, its aroma wafting as he unwrapped it. Turning his head toward Steve, Stark caught him salivating and switched the burger to his other hand, saying, "Don''t bother looking; food isn''t a concern here."


    "Is this your world of consciousness?" Steve inquired.


    "Correct," Stark replied between bites. "You have to enter my dream before embarking on this journey within dreams."


    "I''m sorry, Tony," Steve lowered his head, his voice heavy with sadness.


    In this realm filled with details and memories, someone''s death ceased to be just a cold statement or a notification. Every detail here made Steve realize that Howard had once lived and left countless traces in this world. His life had abruptly ended at some point, and those traces remained unchanged...


    Seeing it all, Steve grasped the extent of the pain Howard''s death had caused Stark. Like his father, Stark was a genius, endowed with memory far beyond ordinary people''s, thuscking the sce of forgetfulness¡ªa remedy often avable to those who bear wounds.


    At least within this dream space, Stark retained every detail of his time with Howard. And now, all those moments unfolded before Steve''s eyes.


    Stark walked over, taking a seat across from Steve at the small table. The chair opposite the table was noticeably lower, meant for a child. Yet, the now-tall Stark sat on the small stool, creating aical sight.


    With their backs against the wall, Steve and Stark sat at opposite ends of the table, one tall and one short, like a bnce.


    Steve turned to see Stark, who appeared weighed down more heavily than him. He knew that if they were truly a scale, Stark''s side would be heavier, carrying the burden of his father''s death.


    Only when witnessing someone sinking into mncholy before their eyes did Steve truly understand the weight of death and separation in one''s life.


    "I didn''t bring you into my world of consciousness to hear your apology," Stark said, taking a deep breath before making a decision that seemed to demand significant courage.


    "I''ve read numerous books on psychology, conducted extensive analysis. I believe this could help with your condition."


    Stark looked up, gazing through the ss at the blinking light in the oppositeboratory. He continued, "The era that belonged to you and him is gone forever. Many people you once knew are no longer here, and the things you once possessed are lost."


    "You''ve been desperately searching for a person to prove your own existence, but your existence itself is evidence of their past presence."


    "Your memories, the time you spent with Howard, those moments etched in your mind, are another form of his existence. The most enduring memento left behind after his death."


    "So, I should thank you. You can continue living while I can''t. Thus, until my death, I can see traces of his existence through you..."


    Unable to hold back, tears streamed down Steve''s face. His azure eyes shattered like a vast ocean, shimmering like pearls amidst the ebb and flow of emotions.


    Silence enveloped them for a while. Tony stood up first, saying, "When Professor X established the Radiance Alliance base within dreams, he marked our dreams in that base. This way, he could pull us here every night, and from there, we can follow his marks to Schiller''s dream within Radiance Alliance''s base."


    Seeing Steve still silent, Stark decided not to borate further. He closed his eyes, releasing his consciousness and seeking the potential path.


    Soundlessly, the walls of the room faded, light intensified, tiles spread across the floor, and a sofa descended from the sky. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in the base''s meeting room...


    Stark let out a sigh of relief, saying, "Thank goodness for magic. I just need to provide direction and navigation. This is all so surreal."


    He added with a hint of disbelief, "So, who exactly are the monsters that can freely traverse dreams?"


    "Is this an intermediate station?" Steve finally spoke up."Correct. Let me look around and see if there are any marks leading to other people''s dreams..." Stark closed his eyes, concentrating intensely as he began to sense the structure of this dream. After a moment, he raised an eyebrow and then said, "Found them."


    However, soon after, he furrowed his brow, opened his eyes, and stared into the air as if scanning something. He said, "... What is all of this?"


    "What''s wrong?" Steve approached, asking.


    "I found some paths that seem to connect to other ces..."


    "Isn''t that good? We can just go there directly."


    "The problem is, there are no signs."


    Stark sighed and said, "Professor X might have another way to differentiate between these paths. After all, I don''t really understand how mutants'' telepathy works. But regardless, I can''t tell where all these roads lead."


    "Are there many paths? Can''t we try them one by one?"


    "We could..." After Stark finished speaking, he paused for a moment and then said, "Let''s start with the first one."


    With a swish, they were back in Stark''s dream space. Stark shook his head and said, "It seems our luck isn''t great."


    After returning to the Radiance Alliance meeting room, Stark selected the second path. Upon disappearing once again, they found themselves in a museum.


    As Starknded, he noticed a gun ced inside a disy case in front of him. Upon approaching, he saw it was an old rifle, worn and deteriorated to the point that its exact model was difficult to discern.


    He lowered his head and read the disy panel:


    "Bode Smith, 18 years old, from a farm in Michigan. Has a sweet tooth, biggest dream is to take his mother to New York, fond of the new firearms issued..."


    Initially, Stark didn''t grasp the connection between this introduction and the rifle inside the disy case. It was only when he noticed blood stains on the bottom of the gun through the disy case''s light that he paused his finger on the disy panel.


    Walking a step forward, he encountered another disy case, this one containing an old notebook. The disy panel read:


    "David Peter Rov, a brilliant engineer, drinks heavily but has a booming voice. Loves humming Soviet songs while fixing tanks..."


    Continuing forward, he found numerous disy cases containing various deteriorated items¡ªkeychains, belts, sses, towels, and even a thermometer. At least in the real world, no museum would exhibit such items.


    Yet, each of them was linked to a person''s name, along with disorganized and nonsystematic records. These records usually consisted of a sentence or two about their favorite food, family members, and greatest wishes...


    Turning a corner, Stark saw Steve standing at the end of another row of disy cases, staring at the objects within. Upon approaching, he discovered a pair of gloves inside the case. The fingers were delicate, not the sort of gloves a man would wear.


    Stark shifted his gaze downward, reading a name on the disy panel¡ª"Peggy Carter."


    "... We sat on the steps in front of the garage, chatting. She told me her childhood dream was to be an artist, but during her time, few supported a girl''s independent work."


    "I told her I''d paint a picture for her. She didn''t believe me; I didn''t look like someone who could afford brushes and paints. The military didn''t have those things either. So, I burnt a piece of charcoal and sketched her repairing a tank."


    "She was overjoyed. I could tell she really wanted that painting, but she didn''t have the money to buy it. So, she tossed me a pair of her gloves. When I saw her expression, I knew I was captivated..."


    Steve pressed his finger against the ss of the disy case. He then raised his head and gazed at row after row of disy cases. He said, "Perhaps many people think that when I saw Peggy for thest time, I should have been overwhelmingly sad..."


    "But in reality, aside from the initial grief of death and separation, I even felt some relief. Her descendants thrive, and she lies peacefully on a sickbed. It''s a kind of happiness to see her former lover before passing away."


    "And more people..." Steve turned his head to look at the objects inside the ss disy cases. He said, "I can''t even recall how they died. But among the owners of these artifacts, perhaps less than one in a thousand managed to die of old age."


    "Some were fatally shot, some had shrapnel embedded in their chests, some died of dysentery, and some froze to death. I wasn''t there when they died, just received distant messages..."


    Steve looked up at the museum, then said, "Tony, I must apologize for this. For my impulsive actions to defend Bucky, although I''m not trying to justify myself. But when I heard about Howard''s death, I didn''t feel sadness, just numbness."


    "I''ve heard too many pieces of news like that. On a certain day, a certain month, a person I once met on a battlefield died."


    "They might havein in a trench with me, exchanged bullets, covered each other, and even shared a cigarette, or perhaps saved my life. But when they died, they left nothing."


    Steve took a deep breath, raising his head to look at the disy cases above. He said:


    "Maybe you''re right. That era has passed and will never return."


    "My existence is evidence that they once lived and contributed to world peace. Perhaps, in the end, this world''spassion for an old soldier..."


    Stark closed his eyes. He felt the edges of his eyshes growing wet.


    Death and separation, burdens unbearable in life, had been endured by this man countless times.


    Stark''s sigh gradually dissipated within the dream space. In the middle of the long corridor filled with disy cases, beneath dim lights, a faint shadow split the corridor in two halves, with Steve on one end and Stark on the other.


    Neither of them heard it, but apanied by a deep rumble, the end of the scale that had been lifted earlier now descended. The scale was restored to bnce. Iron Man and Captain America stood side by side once more.


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 Chapter 515: Confession in Dreams (2)

    Chapter 515: Confession in Dreams (2)


    When the two of them returned to the base of the Radiance Alliance, the atmosphere had changed somewhat. However, from the outside, there didn''t seem to be any visible changes. Stark was still focused on selecting the target paths, while Steve stood by his side, arms crossed.


    "I guess... it should be this one." Stark frowned. Steve didn''t know if Stark had found some pattern or if he was relying purely on intuition, but he chose to trust Stark.


    With another blink, they found themselves in an open space. Together, they looked up, and overhead was an endless high tower.


    In that moment, Stark seemed to lose some strength, unable to stand as upright. Steve covered his face and said, "Good thing, I knew it... I knew he wouldn''t make it so easy..."


    "Wait." Stark furrowed his brow, turning his head around and then said, "Why is it so quiet here? Where''s Schiller? Where are the others?"


    Steve also recalled his first visit to this high tower. At that time, it was bustling with people, Schiller constantly moving in the corridors. But now, the high tower seemed much quieter. Although there were still some figures in the higher levels, the lower corridors werepletely empty.


    Steve and Stark hesitated. Professor X had repeatedly warned them that some of the rooms in this high tower were very dangerous. Coupled with Schiller''s unusual behavior, they felt Professor X''s warning had its reasons.


    However, they still needed to explore here. They followed the staircase from the ground floor to the first floor. Currently, it was empty, the room doors closed, and the corridor pitch-ck.


    Neither Steve nor Stark had thoroughly explored the first floor before, even when they came as premium members to y games. They were usually teleported directly to the meeting room on the higher levels.As they walked up the staircase, they noticed that the first floor of the high tower looked somewhat rudimentary. The ground wasn''t even covered in flooring, just concrete, and the walls seemed old, with peeling paint. The density of rooms was also lowerpared to the higher levels. They circled the corridor on the ground level''s atrium but found no rooms.


    Just then, Stark heard movement ahead in the corridor. He quickened his pace and walked over, with Steve following closely. They reached the corner of the corridor, and with a bang, they collided with a shadow.


    The small figure stood up, rubbing his forehead. He opened his eyes wide as he looked at the two intruders, his expression one of shock, as if he didn''t understand why they had appeared here.


    It was a young version of Schiller, quite young, dressed in very ordinary child''s clothes. Stark gazed at him for a moment, then crouched down, patting his head and saying, "Schiller? Where''s the other you?"


    The young Schiller blinked, shaking his head. Stark asked, "Do you not know, or can''t you say?"


    Young Schiller shook his head again. Stark asked a series of questions, but the young Schiller didn''t respond at all. Steve walked over, patting Stark''s shoulder and saying, "It seems he can''t talk."


    Stark stood up and looked at the retreating back of the young Schiller, his brow furrowing. He said, "The good news is, Schiller should still be alive. The bad news is, something special has indeed happened, causing a part of his personality to disappear. We need to find him..."


    Saying this, Stark followed the young Schiller, with Steve trailing behind. The young Schiller seemed unconcerned about them following and slowly walked into the corridor.


    Upon entering the corridor, Stark noticed something unusual. This corridor was different from the ones he had seen on the upper levels. It appeared to be an old passageway, with traces of smeared cement on the ground, walls covered in peeling paint, disordered wires and mailboxes, andyers of small advertisements...


    Steve stopped in front of the advertisements with writing, saying, "This should be Chinese, right? Do you recognize what''s written here?"


    "Renting, locksmith, certificates..." Stark tranted into English and read it to Steve. Steve raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "You know Chinese?"


    "I know almost allnguages in this world." Stark stepped over the clutter on the corridor and continued to follow the young Schiller.


    Although the corridor seemed run-down, it was rtively neat. They soon arrived at the only door there. This door was different from the ones they had encountered before. It was a deep blue iron door with a square-shaped lock and a keyhole.


    The young Schiller struggled a bit to open the door with a key, then walked in. He changed his shoes by the shoe cab near the entrance.


    After changing into slippers, he walked into the room. Steve and Stark stood outside, observing the room.


    "This should be a regr residential building in China," Stark judged. "Mypany has Chinese employees, and in the photos left behind by their parents, the interioryout is like this."


    "They have arge living room, the kitchen is on the other side, and there''s usually a door¡ªfrosted ss doors carved with flowers. There''s also the word ''Blessing'' posted on the bedroom door..." Stark pointed out the details inside the room, while Steve began changing his shoes.


    After opening the shoe cab and checking the shoes inside, Steve said, "This seems to be a family of three¡ªadults, ady, and children''s shoes...""This should be Schiller''s childhood memory," Stark said. He had also changed into men''s slippers. Together, they entered the room and found the young Schiller sitting on the sofa watching television.


    "Isn''t it a bit inappropriate to rummage through someone else''s house?" Steve hesitated a bit. However, Stark was resolute. He said, "Special circumstances require special handling. We want to save Schiller, so looking for some information here shouldn''t be a problem."


    In the end, Steve nodded. They split up and began searching for clues in the room.


    While searching the living room, Stark was the first to notice the picture frame on the TV cab. It was a golden frame with European-style patterns. Stark picked up the frame and saw a photo of a family of three, with the young Schiller standing between his parents.


    The photo was a full-body shot, so their faces weren''t clear. After putting the photo down, Stark began searching the bookshelf for books. At that moment, Steve''s voice came from the master bedroom:


    "Tony,e here, take a look!"


    Stark walked quickly into the bedroom and saw Steve holding an album. They opened it, and most of the pictures inside were of the family of three. Starkmented, "Very ordinary, a happy family. It seems Schiller had a good childhood..."


    Suddenly, Steve stopped flipping through the album, and Stark looked at the photo. It showed a man holding a baby. Steve furrowed his brows and said, "No, his father isn''t ordinary."


    "Why? How do you know?" Stark asked.


    Steve pointed at the hand closest to the camera in the photo. He said, "Look here, calluses."


    "His father might be a soldier or an agent, and one who''s constantly inbat," Steve deduced based on his extensive experience.


    He flipped a few pages back in the album, staring at the details in the photos, and then said, "His mother isn''t ordinary either. Based on the muscture, her body fat percentage is low. Clearly, she underwent professional training..."


    "They''re probably both military personnel," Stark shrugged, not paying much attention, and started looking for other clues.


    Pulling open drawers, flipping through books on the shelf, they found all sorts of books with no clear direction. Then, as Stark pulled out a thick history book, a few sheets of paper fell out from between its pages.


    Stark picked up those sheets of paper, and with a puzzled expression, he said, "Sensory Training?"


    Steve came over, and Stark pointed at the sheets, saying, "These are records of Sensory Training. Sensory Training is usually for children. Look here, it says sensory dysfunction, the reason is... autism? Is Schiller an autistic patient?"


    "That''s not surprising. I remember he mentioned having Asperger''s syndrome," Stark rubbed his chin.


    He flipped the records a bit further, and at the end, he said, "ording to these records, as Sensory Training progressed, the subject''s physical coordination greatly improved. They gained preliminarynguage skills, and theirnguage abilities were rapidly increasing..."


    Stark turned the page of the paper. On the other side were notes left by a ballpoint pen. He read aloud, "July 24th, able to name toys. August 19th, can read a children''s story. December 2nd, first conscious call to Mom and Dad. April 6th, clearly expresses which storybook they want..."


    Steve said with emotion, "It seems Schiller''s parents loved him and made efforts to treat him. They even recorded his process of learning to speak."


    "Wait a moment..." Stark furrowed his brows, looking at the notes. He said, "Up until April, he was able to clearly express which storybook he wanted. Hisnguage abilities were no different from those of ordinary children, but..."


    Stark turned his head toward the living room. He put down the notes, walked out quickly, and crouched in front of the young Schiller. He began asking the young Schiller some questions, usingnguage and gestures to pique his interest. However, the young Schiller just looked at him, not saying a word.


    After a while, Stark stood up. He told Steve, who had walked over, "He really can''t speak. He understands what I''m doing, but he doesn''t say anything..."


    "But the treatment should have been sessful. So why is this child, who represents Schiller''s childhood memories, still unable to speak?"


    Stark turned around, picking up the family photo of three, and began to observe it again.


    Just then, the light outside gradually dimmed. Stark realized that the room was divided between day and night as well.


    The young Schiller, who had been sitting on the sofa watching TV, suddenly stood up. Stark and Steve''s gaze followed him as he walked into the bedroom. Stark shrugged and followed the young Schiller to the bedroom door, saying, "It seems he''s used to going to bed early from a young age."


    "Alright, sleep well, kiddo. We can go search for clues somewhere else..."


    As Stark turned around to leave the bedroom, he saw that the young Schiller, who wanted to sleep, hadn''t gone to the bed in his room but had walked into the closet.


    Opening the closet door, he climbed onto the shelves, almost as tall as him, curled up, and closed the closet door.


    Stark saw that between the two closet doors, there was a gap that revealed the young Schiller''s eyes staring at him.


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 Chapter 516: Journey into Schillers Past (1)

    Chapter 516: Journey into Schiller''s Past (1)


    Standing by the door, Stark was momentarily puzzled. He couldn''t quite grasp the logic behind Schiller''s actions.


    Hiding in the closet out of fear of outsiders? But when they entered, the young Schiller didn''t prevent them. If he was afraid, he could have simply not opened the door for them.


    Stark paused for a moment and then entered the bedroom. It was a small bedroom with a crib converted from a baby bed. It appeared that the young Schiller hadn''t been sleeping alone in this room for long; he had probably just started sleeping on his own after being weaned from his mother.


    Stark circled around the small bed and stood in front of the closet. He gently pushed the closet door but found that it wouldn''t budge.


    He stuck his finger into the gap of the closet door, attempting to pull it open, but it remained firmly shut. Stark took a few steps back, assessing therge wooden closet. The closet door had small cartoon stickers on it, probably attached by the young Schiller.


    Looking left and right, Stark realized that the gap in the closet door was quite small, and the inside of the closet was pitch ck. If not standing at a specific angle with specific lighting, it was nearly impossible to see Schiller inside the closet. Furthermore, Schiller wasn''t making any movements, making it difficult to notice the presence of the child in the closet.


    After observing for a while, with no other leads, Stark could only crouch down. He aligned his gaze with Schiller''s through the gap in the closet door, and the two exchanged nces through the narrow space in the door.


    At that moment, Stark noticed that Schiller''s eye contact wasn''t focused on him but rather on where he had been standing earlier. Stark stood up, took a few steps back, and walked to the bedroom door. He looked at where he had stood but saw nothing unusual.


    Steve also approached, and both stood by the bedroom door, both able to see Schiller''s gaze. Steve turned his head toward the living room and said, "He might be looking into the living room through the bedroom door."Hearing this, Stark swiftly walked into the living room and then turned to confirm the direction of Schiller''s gaze. He took a step forward and stood by the side of the sofa.


    He found that Schiller''s gaze seemed to be fixed on the sofa. Stark inspected the sofa, moving it around, but didn''t find anything unusual. While he was shifting the sofa, he unintentionally wrinkled the carpet in front of it. Steve, who had followed him, wrinkled his nose and said, "Can you smell that? It''s like the smell of blood..."


    Stark stood up and surveyed his surroundings, then fixed his gaze on the wrinkled carpet. He took a deep breath, sensing a foreboding. After Steve moved the coffee table aside, Stark lifted the carpet.


    Underneath was blood.


    What appeared to be apletely normal carpet had arge circr dark bloodstain underneath. It seemed to have dried up a long time ago, but there was still a faint odor.


    In that moment, Stark turned around, his gaze falling on the family photo of three that he had absentmindedly put aside.


    He picked up the frame, his fingers pressing against the photo, his knuckles slightly whitening from the pressure. Apparently, the answer he had spected choked him.


    ...


    Steve gazed down at the bloodstain, then turned his head to look at Schiller, who was hiding in the closet. He turned back, walked to the bedroom, and crouched in front of the closet. Through the gap, he looked at the young Schiller and said, "Don''t be afraid. We''re not bad guys. Can you open the door? We''ll protect you..."


    Young Schiller didn''t reply. He didn''t look at Steve''s face, just continued staring at that one spot, as if he was intensely focused on something. Steve took a deep breath. He heard footsteps behind him and turned his head. Stark, who appeared somewhat pale, was standing behind him.


    The two returned to the bedroom door. Stark held the family photo frame and said, "This is Schiller''s world of consciousness. Everything here is essentially a ''representation,'' meaning they symbolize certain memories of Schiller."


    "After I entered the Temple of Thought and explored here, I tried to develop my own consciousness space. Therefore, I understand that some things existing in the consciousness space aren''t as they appear on the surface. They have symbolic meanings."


    Steve turned his head, looking at the bloodstain under the carpet. He said, "I''m certain it''s human blood, but the blood from anyone wouldn''t create such a regr circr shape. Plus, it''s conveniently hidden under the carpet. This might indicate..."


    Steve''s tone grew somber. "...that a gruesome event took ce here."


    "In the psychology books I''ve read, it''s mentioned that when people remember certain things, they instinctively capture stimulus points. Perhaps, the Schiller who witnessed a gruesome event happening here was stimted by the blood and the scent of blood. Therefore, the image of this gruesome event in his memory is represented by the bloodstain under the carpet."


    Stark let out a sigh and said,


    "Based on the current clues, we can probably specte about what happened in Schiller''s childhood...""ording to the medical records found in the parents'' bedroom, Schiller was diagnosed with autism. Although the specific subtype of autism spectrum disorder wasn''t mentioned on those papers, his parents had detected this condition in him early and actively pursued treatment for him."


    "Schiller underwent an extended period of Sensory Training, whichsted at least two years. By theter stages of training, he had nearly recovered, regaining a significant portion of hisnguage abilities."


    "However, perhaps around the time when the medical records abruptly stopped..." Stark pursed his lips, his tone slowing down. He sounded reluctant to continue, saying:


    "His parents might have been killed."


    Stark turned his head, ncing at the young Schiller still hiding in the closet, peering at the outside world through the gap in the door. He said, "His parents were professionally trained. It''s unlikely they would have waited until the intruder broke in to realize something was wrong. They might have known they had no escape route when the intruder entered the building or charged into the corridor."


    "If you were Schiller''s parents, what would you do?" Stark looked at Steve and asked. Steve''s expression was also very grim. He replied:


    "I would undoubtedly protect my children first."


    "Perhaps, his parents did the same..." Stark lowered his head, his voice dropping to a tone that was already as low as it could be, echoing in the room like a heavy dusk drum...


    "They would have made him hide, hide in thergest closet in the house. What''s more important..."


    Stark spoke until here, his voice now tinged with a painful sigh of empathy. Both he and Steve stared at the gap in the closet, as the changing light of the approaching night seemed to show them a scene. They saw the mother from the family photo crouching outside the closet, looking through the gap at her children, emitting a desperate cry:


    "Don''t speak! Don''t make a sound! Don''t respond to anything, no matter what you hear..."


    And now, the child who had just started learning to express his rich inner world throughnguage had returned to that silent world where there was no door leading outside.


    Steve covered his face, leaning against the bedroom wall''s door frame, sitting down. Just like before, when these details presented themselves to him, they were far more brutal than hearing a story.


    "Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder, often urs when the first personality is split off to escape some realities they don''t want to face. I think, perhaps for this reason, Schiller split off another personality to escape the trauma of his childhood..."


    Stark''s tone grew calmer instead. He reached out and pulled Steve up, then said, "Don''t dwell on this. We need to find Schiller. Regardless of what he might have gone through, I believe we can help him, just like... he helped us."


    Stark led the way, with Steve following behind. The two left the room and returned to the corridor, their emotions still far from being calmed.


    In their impressions, though Schiller was caustic, money-minded, a riddler, someone who enjoyed spectacles without any concerns for consequences, and whose moralpass was almost nonexistent, he was still a rtively cheerful person. During their interactions, theyughed and chatted together without feeling anything unusual.


    But often, contrast brought pain. Stark''s parents met with an idental death; he thought he had it bad. Upon learning that Steve''s old teammate, the Winter Soldier, had killed his parents, he thought he had it worse. However, now he felt that at least Howard had apanied him for a portion of his life. Despite his alcoholism, he had been a decent father when sober.


    The young Schiller they had just seen was very young. He had barely started speaking due to his autism. This meant that he likely hadn''t exchanged more than a few words with his parents before they met a tragic end.


    Moreover, Stark felt that he hadn''t faced the scene of his parents'' deaths directly. Otherwise, he wasn''t sure if he would''ve reacted simrly to Schiller¡ªby creating a split personality to escape reality.


    Thinking about this, Stark quickened his pace. He reached the staircase and looked up. The upper floor remained quiet as before.


    Stark and Steve went to the second floor. There were few rooms here, and none of them could be opened. Stark looked at one of the doorknobs and said, "Did you notice? If the doorknob and lock are special, it might indicate that there''s someone inside. But this..."


    Stark looked at the doorknob¡ªit was a very ordinary spherical doorknob, exactly the same as the doorknobs on the two doors they had examined earlier. Shaking his head, Stark said, "There might not be another personality of Schiller inside. It''s possible that he stores other things in there."


    "In other words, we need to find a ce with a special doorknob to possibly find the remaining personalities?"


    "Correct. Next, you head to the third floor, and I''ll go to the fourth. We''ll meet up when we find a ce with a special doorknob."


    Having said that, the two began to act separately. Steve was responsible for the odd-numbered floors, while Stark took the even-numbered ones. They searched like this for a while. In the end, Stark discovered something special on the tenth floor. He stood by the balcony railing, waving at Steve below:


    "Over here! There''s something very different here. Come quickly."


    Steve hurriedly ran up and arrived by Stark''s side. They both looked up at the sign on the door, which had three big words written on it:


    "Insane Asylum."


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 Chapter 517: The Journey into Schillers Past (1)

    Chapter 517: The Journey into Schiller''s Past (1)


    As Stark and Steve entered the asylum, the corridor was pitch-ck, with only one door ajar, casting light onto the opposite wall, like a blue-hued painting.


    Slowing their pace, the two gradually approached, arriving at the doorway. Steve leaned against the wall, peering inside. The hospital room was small, with nothing hidden from view, yet it was empty. Or rather, not empty¡ªinside was not a person, but a god with the head of a skeleton hawk.


    Khonshu sat at the edge of the bed, holding a wooden staff. Stark recognized him and stepped forward, angrily questioning, "Khonshu??? What are you doing here?! Have you been controlling Schiller?! Where is he now?!"


    Seeing them enter, Khonshu''s expression turned peculiar. Stark felt like he might be imagining things; he couldn''t believe he was reading a sense of grievance from a skeleton''s avian face.


    But soon, Khonshu''s actions confirmed that it wasn''t his imagination. Khonshu let out a deep sigh,den withplex emotions¡ªsorrow, worry, and deep regret.


    Just as Steve walked in, it wasn''t the oddly-looking Khonshu that caught his attention, but the wooden staff he held, resembling a clothesline pole. Besides the staff, various rings and luminous beads were scattered on the floor. Steve spun around, utterly puzzled by the scene. He finally decided to speak up, "Um, hello there, eagle? Are you an eagle? What are you doing here? What''s happening? Have you seen Schiller?"


    Upon hearing Steve''s words, Khonshu sighed once more, cing the bald wooden staff aside. He nced around the hospital room, then said, "You must be Schiller''s friends, right? Since you''ve found your way here, you must have some understanding of the dream world."


    "Correct, in fact, we''ve been here long before you arrived." Stark squinted and said, "However, we haven''t been in this particr room. Which personality of Schiller resides here?"


    Khonshu sighed deeply again, then slowly spoke, "The mostbative one."He proceeded to recount to Stark and Steve how he had encountered Schiller and ended up here. After narrating everything, he added, "As one of the Triad of Theban Gods, I don''t actually reside in the celestial realm. This traces back to a schism that urred during a war."


    "The rtionships among the Egyptian Gods are intricate. The conflicts between nature gods and animal gods are the most intense. When the war began, I wasn''t in the celestial realm. But after the war''s end, I was informed that I could no longer return to my former home."


    "Many gods like me faced the same situation, including Anubis, who is quite famous in your human world. His situation is simr to mine. He isn''t an innocent animal god, yet because of his animal-like appearance, he was expelled."


    "Why would there be disputes between animal gods and nature gods?" Steve asked with confusion. "You all belong to the same pantheon, so your familial rtionships should be close, like those in Asgard."


    Khonshu shook his skeletal hawk head and said, "Animal gods are more simr to your humanity. They experience emotions, desires, and struggles for survival, much like humans. However, the nature gods, born of nature and upying a divine position in nature, are more like natural phenomena¡ªcold, arrogant, and capricious."


    "I was once furious at their actions. When I mentioned this story to Schiller, he said he had a n to help the animal gods reim the celestial realm..."


    "At first, I wasn''t interested because I knew that I and other animal gods didn''t want to initiate a war. Butter, I wavered. If there was a chance to seek revenge against those arrogant nature gods, I was willing to exert some power..."


    "So, he went to challenge those nature gods by himself?" Stark widened his eyes and drew a cross over his chest, saying, "God help them."


    "Challenge?" Khonshu touched his avian beak, moved his mandible up and down, making a cking sound. Stark even saw a hint ofplexity in his face again, and he heard Khonshu say, "The term ''challenge'' isn''t entirely urate..."


    "Wait, if you weren''t controlling him, why did he seem so..." Steve pursed his lips, recalling Schiller''s cold demeanor in battle, especially the moment when Schiller drove a de into Baron Zemo''s throat, blood sttering.


    Khonshu sighed deeply once more, taking out the wooden staff and holding it before himself. Both Stark and Steve fixed their gaze on the staff. Khonshu''s tone carried a touch of sorrow as he said, "This is my scepter."


    "Uh... it''s quite antique, with a primitive beauty," Steve pondered for a moment beforementing.


    "But it wasn''t always like this."


    Hearing Khonshu''s words, Stark lowered his head and nced at the scatteredponents on the ground. He suddenly wore a strange expression, suppressingughter. Steve seemed to have thought of something as well. Before they could start chuckling, Khonshu spoke up on his own:


    "As the representative of the ever-changing moon phases, I choose chaotic and intricate believers'' souls as my proxies. When Schiller sought me out, I had never encountered such a chaotic soul. Hence, I chose him..."


    "In the past, when I granted power to Moon Knight, I would enhance the most chaotic part of their souls. The result..."


    Khonshu''s massive avian beak cked once again, and Stark and Steve remembered the stark contrast between Schiller now and before. They both looked at Khonshu with sympathetic eyes


    Stark began to wander around the hospital room, while Steve said, "Alright, can you take us to him then? We need to confirm if he''s still alive..."


    Khonshu also stood up, clutching his now-bald scepter. Stark, however, interrupted, "Hold on, I need to investigate here."


    As he rifled through a nearby cab, he said to Steve, "Don''t forget what we saw earlier. Schiller might have serious psychological issues; we can''t just leave it be. We need to gather more clues..."


    With a ng, Stark forcefully pulled open an old cab door. In that moment, a bunch of stuff ttered to the ground...


    Stark stared at the heap of objects, perplexed. They were all peculiar items¡ªsharp-edged tes, old-fashioned wooden pencils, misshapen spoons, wires, ropes, and even two stic toy ducks.


    Moreover, all these items were stained with blood.


    Steve walked over, crouching down and using his finger to shift the items around. Hesitatingly, he said, "I remember you mentioned before that everything in the dream might represent a memory."


    "If a bloodstain on the carpet represents a tragic incident, then these many items here..."


    As Steve spoke, both he and Stark fell silent. Stark lowered his head and said, "I''ve read in psychology books that there''s a type of person in this world called a ''genius psychopath.''"


    Steve looked at him, and Stark continued to focus on the pile of items as he said, "There''s also a broader term for it, called ''high-functioning antisocial personality.''"


    "If I''m not mistaken, each of these items here represents a murder hemitted." Steve picked up one of the pencils and examined the bloodstains on it. He continued, "Like this..."


    He held the pencil in a stabbing grip, then lifted his head, positioning the pencil against his own neck, saying, "Stabbing in, pulling out¡ªthis would leave behind such bloodstains. And for a fatal strike, it''s best to directly pierce the trachea..."


    "And this..." Steve picked up what seemed to be a broken piece of a te. It had a triangr shape, one corner rounded like a typical te, while the other two corners were sharp and pointed.


    Steve pinched the rounded corner and said, "If it were me, just holding it like this would be enough to bring someone to their death. But if there wasn''t enough strength, you could attach a handle to it, and this pencil would work nicely."


    As he spoke, hepletely shifted away the group of items, pointing at each one and saying, "It''s evident he was constantly exploring techniques for murder. Maybe at the beginning, his power and skills weren''t enough, so he chose the most efficient and lethal option¡ªthe wire. Just find the right point to apply force, grip from behind, and the target would have difficulty escaping."


    "After that, he started using sharp tools, metal objects with cutting edges. It didn''t require much strength, yet could inflict severe harm on a person..."


    "And then..." Steve discarded the item in his hand, stood up, lowered his gaze, and looked at the ground. He said, "Perhaps you''re right. He truly is a genius serial killer. He became a professional assassin after just a few murders, and maybe even more than that..."


    Stark reached out, picking out items that didn''t seem like weapons from the pile, such as the two rubber toy ducks, a half of a picture frame, a small box that seemed to contain jewelry, and various other odd objects.


    "He became dissatisfied with doing things himself and started using the environment and props to create idents..." Stark continued Steve''s train of thought, "Maybe after he explored the methods of perfect murder, he delved into the criminal paths outlined in those psychology books..."


    "No..." Steve refuted him, saying, "But based on what we see now, Schiller''s state doesn''t quite match what you describe as ''criminals.'' Besides, if he has truly be a ''criminal,'' then that third, fourth, or even hundredth personality can''t all have originated from these kinds of fragmented actions, right?"


    "To fully dissect a person''s personality and inner world is incredibly challenging, especially for someone like Schiller, whose inner world is excessivelyplex." Stark surveyed the room, saying, "All of this is spective based on existing clues, and that too, only within the dream."


    "Anyway, our priority is to find Schiller first and then understand his intentions."


    Simultaneously, Stark and Steve turned their heads to Khonshu. Before they could ask, Khonshu spoke, "When he told me about this n, he didn''t reveal everything, but he kept asking me about the details regarding how gods in the Egyptian pantheon can enable their believers to resurrect..."


    Stark keenly caught a specific word in Khonshu''s sentence and asked, "Resurrect? You can make people resurrect?"


    Khonshu sighed and said, "In a certain sense, yes. But let''s start with the judgments that believers undergo after death..."


    "The key... the key lies in the judgments believers face after death!" Osiris, hanging from a coconut tree and gasping for breath, dered.


    He lowered his head, looking at the various Schillers surrounding him, and said in despair, "Resurrection through judgment! Or rather, if you pass judgment, you won''t be epted by Death..."


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 Chapter 518: Unveiling Schillers Journey into the Past (2)

    Chapter 518: Unveiling Schiller''s Journey into the Past (2)


    Seeing that the circle of Schillers surrounding him had no intention of leaving, Osiris eventually spoke:


    "...Bnce. The key lies in the Bnce used for judgment! And also the Feather used to determine if the judgment is passed. It''s a token of great significance..."


    "I once struck a deal with a mysterious entity from the afterlife. When I ced the Feather on the Bnce and the hearts of my followers on the other side, if the heart weighed more than the Feather, Death woulde for them. However, if the heart weighed less than the Feather, Death wouldn''t ept them, and they could naturally be resurrected."


    Schiller understood Osiris'' meaning. In simple terms, resurrection wasn''t about truly bringing a dead person back to life. Instead, it involved harnessing the power of Death, one of the Five Primeval Gods in the Marvel universe.


    It''s widely known that everything in the Marvel world journeys to Death''s realm upon dying.


    Osiris, through his trade with Death, intercepted the souls of believers on their way to Death''s realm. He conducted a so-called judgment. If the judgment wasn''t passed, the soul would continue to Death''s realm, leading to the person''s death. But if the judgment was sessful, Death''s realm would reject the soul. And if Death rejected the soul, it meant the person was still alive, resulting in their resurrection.


    In other words, the resurrected believers weren''t reborn; they simply hadn''t died.


    "I told my followers that as long as they were devout enough and fought fiercely for me, they''d have a chance at rebirth after death. This way, they''d fight with more valor, fearlessness of Death, and would kill more enemies on the battlefield. This pleased the mysterious entity known as Death. That''s how we reached the agreement."


    "And the so-called judgment process, it''s Death himself who judges. After my followers are resurrected, can they create more Death for him? If Death believes the followers can achieve this, he won''t ept their souls, allowing them to return to the mortal world and generate more Death."Schiller nodded, indicating he understood. It didn''te as a surprise. Anyone who dealt with Death in a trade was simrly driven. Death''s ultimate aim was just to umte more Death.


    The Hall of Heroes in Asgard operated simrly. Odin only allowed the bravest warriors into the hall. And the "bravest" meant those who killed the most enemies on the battlefield. When resurrected, this group could naturally generate more Death.


    "You made a deal with Death, so why can all followers of the Egyptian pantheon be resurrected?" Schiller inquired.


    "I have no choice!" Osiris appeared hopeless. He said, "After making the deal, I realized he didn''t just want my followers to bring him more Death. The entire Egyptian pantheon was cursed by him! All the followers of the Egyptian Gods undergo this judgment!"


    Schiller suddenly smiled, seemingly mocking. He said, "I remember the myths say that this judgment process is meant to distinguish the guilty from the righteous. The hearts of the guilty would be heavier than the Feather, thus preventing resurrection."


    "But now, ironically, the hearts of the guilty are lighter than the Feather. Because Death requires the most wicked criminals to bring him more Death..."


    "It''s truly ironic, isn''t it? Just like all the gods'' judgments that divide who''s a bad guy and who''s a good person. But you''re not even human. Why do you think you have the right to set the standards of good and evil for humanity?"


    After Schiller, dressed in a white coat, finished speaking, he paid no attention to the torn-apart Osiris, who had been overwhelmed by the other Schillers. Schiller turned and walked back, returning to therge ship moored by the oasis.


    Drawing back the curtain, he entered the cabin. The first thing he noticed on the table was the Bnce. Indeed, on the other end of the Bnce was a Feather, exceptionally light, as if it could float away at a gentle touch.


    Schiller walked over, picked up the Bnce, and just at that moment, footsteps could be heard from outside the door. He turned to see the plump hippo goddess entering. She seemed unaware of Schiller''s presence in the room. She eximed and then turned to leave. However, Schiller stopped her.


    "Goddess of the Crown, can you do me a favor?"


    "Of course, what do you need?" The hippo goddess approached and looked at Schiller, asking, "Are you really thinking of undergoing judgment? But why? You already have this ship!"


    "I''m just curious about this process. Can you help me take my heart out and ce it on the Bnce? Since you''ve guided people to this ship before, you must be familiar with the process of judgment, right?"


    The hippo goddess widened her eyes. "Am I hearing correctly? You want to undergo judgment? But why? You already have this ship!"


    "I''m simply intrigued by the process. Can you assist me in removing my heart and cing it on the Bnce?"


    "This..." The hippo goddess hesitated for a moment, but looking at Schiller''s resolute eye contact, she approached and said, "Alright, it''s not too difficult."


    As she spoke, she reached into Schiller''s chest and pulled out a heart resembling a crystal. She then ced the heart on the Bnce.


    The hippo goddess exined to Schiller, "Originally, for each you present, I should extract a corresponding number of hearts and ce them all on the Bnce. However, considering the current situation, if I do that, I might miss several thousand years of work, so..."


    Schiller expressed understanding and stared at the Bnce. Soon, his eyes widened in shock. The tray containing his heart was slowly rising.


    Indeed, the light and airy Feather seemed about to take flight, yet it pressed down the tray on the Bnce, causing Schiller''s heart to rise.


    "Is this thing broken?" Schiller asked, full of doubt.


    Just as he was about to step forward to tap the Bnce, urgent footsteps sounded from outside. With a "swish," the curtain was lifted, and Stark and Steve walked into the room one after the other. Standing outside was Khonshu, who had brought them here.


    Schiller was quite surprised by the appearance of Stark and Steve. He hadn''t expected them toe looking for him here. He had assumed that the two were probably outside, mourning his corpse.


    However, after the initial surprise, Schiller paid them no more attention. A more intriguing toy was right in front of him¡ªexploring the secrets of the Bnce was his current choice.


    Schiller walked to the other side of the table, gazing at the end where his heart was elevated. He spected that perhaps being divided into many versions of himself had resulted in his heart not being heavy enough. So, he summoned two more personalities and had the hippo goddess extract their hearts to ce on the tray. However, the tray remained still, showing no sign of descending.


    Schiller attempted variousbinations of personalities¡ªsome excessively prone to violence, while others had never harbored such intentions. After exhausting various permutations andbinations, nobination was heavier than the Feather. In other words, no matter how he arranged things, Schiller could pass the judgment, he could resurrect.


    Sighing, Schiller realized that adhering to the rules wouldn''t work. He decided to apply external force. He extended a hand and pushed down on the tray containing his heart. While concentrating, he noticed the tray starting to move downward.


    Schiller adjusted his grip for better leverage. cing the Bnce at the edge of the table, he exerted force on one end of the Bnce, pushing it down with determination.


    Amidst the metallic creaking sounds, just as he was about to make his heart heavier than the Feather, he suddenly saw a pale, slender hand appearing on the tray with the Feather. It also began pushing the tray downward.


    Wide-eyed, Schiller observed this turn of events. He gritted his teeth and continued to press his side of the tray downward. However, the hand on the other side was also applying force, pushing the tray with the Feather downward.


    In other words, Schiller aimed to make his heart heavier than the Feather to avoid passing judgment, while the person on the opposite side insisted on him passing judgment.


    After a struggle, Schiller finally couldn''t hold on any longer. He let go, and with a loud crash, the tray with the Feathernded directly on the desktop. The tray containing Schiller''s heart was elevated, flinging his heart off the tray.


    Gasping for breath, Schiller red angrily at the Bnce. After spending so long in this world, he had finally encountered a real opponent?


    Ignoring the bewildered looks from the others, he began using various methods in a desperate attempt to push down the end of the Bnce.


    At this point, the underlying principles no longer mattered; the primary goal was victory.


    Schiller worked busily with ngs and tters. Stark and Steve had no chance to intervene. They couldn''t even fathom what Schiller was doing.


    Eventually, Schiller, after much effort, had made no progress. He tossed aside the tools in frustration, crossed his arms, and looked at the Bnce. "Death, are you there?"


    "To be honest, I didn''t expect you to be so strong. If I had brought my suit today, I would have shown you what ''unite'' truly means..."


    "Alright, can youe out? I want to talk to you about something."


    "Death! Death! Are you there? Answer me!"


    Amidst Schiller''s shouting, Stark approached and put a hand on Schiller''s shoulder. "Schiller, calm down!"


    "I know, I know. You''ve had some really tough experiences. Maybe you have a lot of sadness you want to make up for, but this method won''t work..."


    Stark sighed, his tone bing emotional. "Countless nights, I''ve thought about what it would be like if I could find a way to resurrect my parents."


    "I even took concrete steps. I began searching for every material rted to resurrection, even considered building a time machine to go back to the day they died and keep them at home."


    "I think anyone would have thought about this. When their loved ones leave them, they''re bound to wish they could go back or resurrect them."


    Stark covered his eyes with his other hand. "But I discovered that in chasing this fantasy, I lost more. I stayed up night after night, bing worn out. I started drinking heavily, reuniting with them in hallucinations. But in the end, I gained nothing..."


    Stark looked seriously into Schiller''s eyes.


    "If you designed such aplex and intricate n just to resurrect your parents, then let me tell you..."


    Golden light flickered in Stark''s brown eyes as he continued:


    "The love and family you''ve missed out on, it''s not something only they can provide... we can too."


    Schiller stared into Stark''s eyes, his mouth slightly agape, then he asked, "Thank you, I''m touched, but..."


    "What are you saying?"


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 Chapter 519: Schillers Descent into Madness (1)

    Chapter 519: Schiller''s Descent into Madness (1)


    From Stark''s perspective, connecting the clues they had gathered so far, the first thing was that Schiller not being controlled by the Moon God Khonshu wasn''t beyond Stark''s expectations.


    He didn''t believe that someone who had built such a towering structure of thoughts in the mental realm would easily be manipted by a single god. He suspected it was a scheme devised by Schiller. However, upon entering Schiller''s world of consciousness, Schiller''s past experiences exceeded Stark''s expectations.


    A child on the verge of oveing autism, just as he was regaining the ability to speak, witnessed the brutal murder of his parents, causing him to lose his voice once again. This sort of tragedy was heart-wrenching regardless of where it urred.


    Later, on the second floor of the asylum, they witnessed how young Schiller had developed a homicidal alter ego due to childhood trauma.


    What troubled Steve and Stark even more was that the Schiller they had known before¡ªDoctor Schiller¡ªappeared entirely normal. Hisnguage skills were intact, and he even exceeded average intelligence. Moreover, he had utilized his schr-type autism to contribute to human civilization significantly, achievingmendable results.


    One could say that even if Schiller wasn''t their friend, hearing this story would still be inspiring. It was in Humanity''s nature to be moved by those who overcame adversity and rose above their circumstances, deriving the motivation to advance from their tales.


    However, theyter learned from Khonshu that Schiller was delving into the secrets of resurrecting followers of the Egyptian pantheon. This stirred unpleasant associations, especially for Stark, who could empathize with losing parents to idents.


    Just as he had advised Schiller earlier, when he had learned of his parents'' deaths, he had spent sleepless nights pondering ways to undo it all. It was safe to say that if he had known back then that the Egyptian gods could resurrect their followers, he would have disregarded everything and paid any price to bring his parents back.


    Because Stark had gone through such experiences, he understood the danger in such a mindset. On the journey to resurrect life, one could encounter forbidden knowledge, and the more one delved into it, the more entranced they became. In the end, they might disregard others'' lives, paying any price to be a lost soul driven solely by obsession.Upon learning that Schiller was seeking to uncover the secret of resurrection, Stark felt extreme anxiety. Psychological trauma could be treated, childhood shadows soothed, but if Schiller truly embarked on such an extreme path, even if Stark knew he could ascend to the One-Above-All, he wasn''t certain he could stop Schiller''s fanaticism.


    He understood that he had to pull Schiller back before he descended into that quagmire, preventing things from reaching an irreparable point.


    From what he had seen and heard, his spections were reasonable. In truth, it was difficult for anyone in this world to resist the temptation to resurrect loved ones. No matter how firm or intelligent they appeared, no one could guarantee they wouldn''t be swayed by personal desires when faced with such a question...


    Humanity lived within the flow of time, everything constantly drifting downstream. Some forms of sadness could never be fully rectified.


    However, Humanity also perpetually fantasized about reversing time, returning to the source to amend their past sorrows.


    Each person had their own story, their own sadness, and there were always those who put these unrealistic fantasies into action.


    Stark wasn''t one to openly express his emotions. His character wasplex and even entric. He tended to evade certain emotions and rarely made emotional promises to others, havingcked this capacity due to disappointments in the past, particrly concerning family and love.


    However, this time, he even put aside his awkward emotions and sincerely tried to convince Schiller. He even made an emotional promise, hoping Schiller wouldn''t get entangled in that quagmire, not even taking the first step.


    But after hearing these words, Schiller felt thoroughly puzzled. He genuinely had no idea what was happening.


    The fact that Stark and Steve had entered his Temple of Thought following the Radiance Alliance base markers'' path was entirely unexpected.


    From his perspective, although Stark and Steve''s journey appeared smooth and they easily entered his Temple of Thought, Schiller knew very well that the high tower had sophisticated defense mechanisms, and not just anyone could enter.


    Moreover, he hadn''t taken all of his personalities with him; many remained inside the tower working. So how did Stark and Steve just walk in? And it seemed they had misunderstood something?


    Schiller was puzzled because he hadn''t sought out Death to truly resurrect anyone. He actually wanted to strike a deal with Death.


    In fact, Schiller had known about Asgard''s Hall of Heroes for a long time.


    Having readics, he was aware that everything in the universe ultimately converged at the abstract entity of Death. Asgard had employed special means to retain souls from Death''s grasp.


    However, back then, Schiller hadn''t entertained such thoughts. He knew that during Asgard''s prosperous era, and Odin''s peak, they were powerful enough to negotiate with Death. Odin having the Hall of Heroes was reasonable, a testament to Asgard''s standing in the universe.


    As for Schiller, after evaluating the significance of human civilization and looking at his pile of ns and schedules, he felt there was no need to interact with the Five Cosmic Creators so early.


    However, his mindset had changed recently, with two main reasons.


    First, the funding needed was substantial, the Avengers were overwhelmingly powerful, and Hydra, whether in quantity or quality, fell short, particrly in quantity.


    Although the recent Hydra operation was satisfying in that they eliminated threats, Hydra wasn''t exactly naive. They didn''t regrow rapidly. After sending so many to hell, the number left on Earth was already scarce. Avengers wanted a share, S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted a share; where was Hydra supposed to find enough members for them all?


    Not giving anything to the Avengers wasn''t an option. Stark and Captain America shed daily. Killing Hydra to settle their differences was already a civilized approach. After all, they couldn''t really let them engage in a civil war, right?...


    However, S.H.I.E.L.D. did need Hydra. With Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D. held weight and status. Nick and Schiller were nning some tricky maneuvers as well. With that in mind, the budget fell short.


    But if there were a Hall of Heroes simr to Asgard''s, the situation would change.


    Schiller could resurrect the Hydras that the Avengers had taken out, send them to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., then eliminate them to boost performance. After that, he could resurrect them and deliver them to the Avengers.


    This would create a perfect closed-loop Hydra industry chain.


    Schiller had seriously considered how to sustain the Hydra industry chain. After all, Hydra members were people, not materials. People couldn''t be revived after death. To reproduce, he couldn''t just go around kidnapping children for brainwashing. Besides the moral issues, the time cost of cultivating a Hydra viin was too high.


    But if resurrection were possible, that changed the game. The current batch of Hydras in the world, especially mid- to high-ranking members, could be considered ruthless or deserving of punishment. For these people who had repeatedly been taking advantage, there would be no moral dilemma in having them repeatedly revived. After all, if you''ve done so much evil, what''s a few more deaths? The phrase "a thousand deaths are not enough" suited them well.


    If the resurrection''s capabilities were even stronger, the previously defeated Nazis could be brought back into y. With organizations like the SS and Wehrmacht joining Hydra, half could work for S.H.I.E.L.D. while the other half served as target practice for the Avengers. It would be an almost perfect ecological cycle, a sustainable fishing scheme!


    Another reason Schiller had Death in his sights was the Egyptian pantheon.


    Asgard and Odin could deal with Death due to their extraordinary strength. Schiller had no argument against that; they spoke with power. Odin had ruled over the Nine Realms for so long, and in a way, he had been a protector of human civilization. Having a Hall of Heroes was only fitting for Asgard''s standing, making human civilization safer.


    But what about the Egyptian pantheon? What made them worthy? Did their leader rival Odin''s strength? Did their overall power measure up to Asgard''s? Did their civilizationpare to Asgard''s? Had they contributed as much to humanity as Asgard had?


    Since the answers were negative, why should they be able to deal with Death? Were they qualified, given that they were constantly engaging in internal strife and warfare?


    In short, Schiller was resentful.


    You could argue that human civilization couldn''t match Asgard''s advancement, and Schiller could ept that. After all, they were on a higher level, naturally endowed with more abilities. Add Odin''s heavenly meteor to that¡ªhaving weathered numerous Space disasters¡ªAsgard''s privileges were justifiable.


    However, when looking at the struggling Egyptian pantheon, so many demon gods crammed into a single dimension, expelling a group due to space constraints, upying a temple to manipte human followers on Earth, it was like a cancer to Earth.


    If you argued that they weren''t civilization and couldn''t bepared to Asgard, Schiller could still bring out demon gods forparison, like Mephisto. Mephisto''s hell and Asgard''s Hall of Heroes wereparable. Mephisto could intercept souls on their way to Death''s realm, showing that Mephisto and Death also had dealings.


    However, these demon gods of the Egyptian pantheon, you couldn''t even single out one; Schiller wasn''t even sure if they could defeat Mephisto.


    So why should they have such privileges?


    With this mindset, of course, Schiller thought, if they can, why can''t I?


    To be fair, I''ve contributed plenty to Death''s record, right? How many Space demon gods died during the Knull incident? Space demon gods, just like Death, ultimately end up in Death''s realm.


    The Radiance event, not to mention continuous member gifts, first exploding stars, then ck holes. That month alone, if Schiller hadn''t earned a top spot in Death''s records, the entire Space would be up in arms on his behalf.


    Given this, if the Egyptian pantheon could have it, why couldn''t I? With this in mind, Schiller naturally formted a n to find Death and negotiate with her, to potentially acquire a Hall of Heroes. This was, in fact, his ultimate goal.


    Of course, in typical Schiller fashion, he wove countless incidental objectives into this ultimate goal.


    For instance, explore Marc''s psychological state along the way, prepare for his thesis, harvest some wool from the Moon God Khonshu''s moonlight abilities, release a personality that had long been confined in the asylum to get some fresh air.


    Stage a fake death to make the Avengers and the Sorcerer Supreme realize the true nature of these gods, provoking them to eliminate demon gods on Earth before Humanity formally ventured into Space, dealing with internal threats.


    Acquire a means of transportation for Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters in the dream world to solve the school bus problem.


    Do a favor for animal gods like the Moon God Khonshu, Panther God Bast, and Hippopotamus Goddess. Help them take revenge against nature gods who once exiled them.


    Find a suitable reason to turn nature gods into the next batch of member gifts, and extract from Osiris the method he used to trade with Death.


    Finally, use this method to achieve his ultimate goal: to meet Death and negotiate with her.


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 Chapter 520: Schiller is Probably Crazy (1)

    Chapter 520: Schiller is Probably Crazy (1)


    Schiller had be ustomed to this nesting doll-like n and didn''t think there was anything wrong with his strategy. However, the only problem was that from an outsider''s perspective, it was unlikely that anyone could fully understand his series of twists and turns.


    Now, let''s take another look at this n from an observer''s standpoint. It seems very much like Schiller, for some reason, learned about the secret of the Egyptian god system''s ability to resurrect believers. He actively seized the identity of the Moon God Khonshu''s Pope from Marc and, after making a deal with Khonshu, used Ammit''s attack tomit suicide. He personally experimented to determine whether the secret of resurrecting believers was true or not.


    Upon discovering that it was indeed true, he violently interrupted the process,mandeered the ship, stormed into the heavens, and forced the truth about this secret from the Lord of the Underworld.


    After obtaining the truth, he began trying to resurrect someone using various methods. When progress was not going well or when his desires ultimately remained unfulfilled, he descended into madness.


    It had to be said that Schiller''s constant pressing of the Bnce and his shouting at the air were behaviors that resembled those of a mentally disturbed patient acting out due to stimtion.


    Looking at it from the perspective of an observer, isn''t this obviously a manifestation of someone who has failed to achieve a deeply cherished wish, lost their emotional support, and consequently suffered an emotional breakdown, leading to delusional behaviors?


    Furthermore, Stark and Steve had just walked through Schiller''s mental sanctuary, witnessing memories from his childhood. This helped form aplete logical chain.


    Schiller, driven by the tragedy of his childhood, had been constantly seeking ways to resurrect his parents. Learning about the Egyptian god system''s ability to resurrect believers, he risked his life to gamble on it, only to have his wish fall through and ultimately crumble into madness.


    To be honest, once Stark and Steve pieced it all together, they even felt that Schiller''s death could be eptable.The moment they confirmed Schiller''s physical death, both of them felt a sense of absurdity. It was just too easy,cking the expected disy that Schiller should have shown.


    And when they realized that Schiller hadn''t actually died, that his Soul hadn''t dissipated, they had a feeling of "just as I suspected."


    But when they deduced what Schiller had truly experienced, they felt that their initial worst-case scenario had actually turned into a better choice for Schiller.


    Death or the copse of one''s emotional support, which should one choose?


    On this matter, Steve and Stark surprisingly held the same opinion: they would rather die than experience such disappointment and despair.


    Seeing Schiller''s act of suicide to probe the secret, they understood how deeply he desired to aplish all of this. But after paying such a high price, no miracles urred, and everything felt like a bizarre and absurd dream.


    It was like a person who set the stage with bones, used blood as a backdrop, carved their heart into angles, and paid the price of their life to perform a y. However, in the end, it was all just self-deception beforepletely giving up hope, like that of a madman.


    It had to be said thatpared to Schiller''s incredibly convoluted n, this perspective was much more reasonable...


    One could even say that if you were to observe a normal mental hospital and analyze the conditions and causes of all the patients, you would find that many cases of acquired mental illness were rooted in excessive hope leading to despair.


    Schiller''s attitude toward his own n was "You don''t need to understand; just enjoy the ready-made results." Stark and Steve''s attitudes toward their own views were "We understand; we totally get it." Neither side was willing to exin, resulting in a very subtle misunderstanding.


    Namely, Schiller was originally profit-driven, while everyone believed he was driven by deep emotions.


    Schiller hadn''t exined his entire n to Charles, so Stark and Steve got ahead of him. After a conversation outside the door, Charles also felt that Stark and Steve''s exnation made sense.


    Charles was a psychology expert and understood the principles of humanity''s mental breakdown. Schiller''s condition was very typical, especially his current behavior: irritable, hyperactive, uncontroble, and chasing after pointless delusions. Wasn''t this a ssic case of delusional schizophrenia?


    Actually, if it were just schizophrenia, it would be one thing. But the problem was, Schiller also had dissociative identity disorder. Not only that, he had split off multiple personalities, and it seemed he suffered from anxiety triggered by eating broli, depression triggered by excessive phone calls, and bipr disorder caused by insomnia...


    No one knew what kind of chemical reactions would ur when so many disorders were stacked together.


    Inside the room, Schiller was still locked in a struggle with Death using the Bnce. Outside the room, Steve held Charles''s hand and earnestly said, "Professor Charles, we can really only rely on you."


    Stark sighed and added, "It''s not just because he''s our friend, but he''s also important for Humanity''s civilization. When ites to spreading civilization to space, no one can match his expertise."


    He took a deep breath and continued, "Most of the time, he''s the one providing us with inspiration, opening up new ways of thinking. But for that to happen, he must stay rational and think calmly..."


    He nced at the room door where Schiller was still looking upward, speaking to an unseen presence. Stark said, "Even if he only acts as a guide from now on, even if he doesn''te up with new ns, I don''t want breakdown and madness to be the ending of this nameless Hero."


    Both Charles and Steve nodded, agreeing that Schiller was indeed a nameless Hero.


    Setting aside the means he used to achieve his goals, let''s consider whether those goals were reached or not. Since they were achieved and beneficial for Humanity''s civilization, he could be called a Hero. Moreover, Schiller couldn''t be said to be uninterested in fame and fortune anymore; he was even willing to spend money to publicize his achievements.


    But Charles still spoke, "Firstly, I can''t use my telepathy to treat Schiller. You''ve probably seen the situation in his consciousness space. It''s beyondplex, and I can''t use force. I neither want to nor can I."


    "I understand that, but I heard you''re a world-ss expert in psychology and psychiatry. Could you achieve the goal from a conventional psychological standpoint?" Stark asked...


    "Well, my suggestion is that a normal hospitalization and treatment might be better." Charles hesitated a bit and said, "I''m not a licensed psychiatrist, and I don''t have professional experience. I hardly have any clinical experience. Given theplexity of this case, I''m afraid..."


    Stark and Steve exchanged nces, and then Stark spoke, "Before, I tried inviting psychologists and experts in psychiatric disorders from all over the world to consult on Schiller''s case. But that consultation turned into a gathering of their alumni and patients..."


    Just then, Steve suddenly turned his head to Stark and said, "Aren''t you self-studying psychology? Can''t you try being a doctor?"


    "I remember someone telling me that there''s nothing he can''t learn. So, isn''t it easy for him to self-study and be a world-ss expert in psychiatric disorders in three days?" Steve asked.


    Steve was mostly taunting Stark, but unexpectedly, Stark replied quite seriously, "Of course, I considered that approach, but I''m afraid it''s just not feasible."


    "The reason it''s not feasible isn''t that I can''t be skilled through self-study. It''s because many of the papers and books I used for self-study were written by Schiller."


    Steve pped his forehead.


    The fact was that trying to treat a psychology expert for psychological issues was somewhat absurd.


    Because, with their own level of theoretical understanding, they couldn''t possibly be unaware of their own illness. And if they knew they were ill but couldn''t cure themselves, theplexity of that condition would likely surpass anyone''s imagination.


    "If it were a mental issue stemming from something else, perhaps we could fundamentally deal with it. With all of us working together, there''s almost no problem we can''t deal with," Charles shook his head and said, "But if, as you say, he wants to resurrect someone, that happens to fall within the blind spot of our knowledge and abilities."


    As their discussion reached a deadlock, Schiller''s standoff with Death remained stagnant.


    Schiller looked at the Bnce helplessly and said, "Alright, even if you won''t let me in, shouldn''t you at least give me a reason?"


    "If you believe that being outside can provide you with more Death, then I swear from today onwards, I won''t even kill a mosquito until you appear and are willing to talk to me. I''ll mend my ways! Do you hear me, Death?"


    "I just don''t understand..." Schiller picked up the bottom of the Bnce andined to it, "You''re willing to make deals with gods as weak as Osiris. Why can''t I? What am Icking?"


    "I''ve already said, if you find the contract approach too primitive, we can sign a contract. Didn''t you make a deal with Mephisto? I can have him act as an intermediary; he''s recently be well-versed in Humanity''s contractw."


    "If you don''t like that goat, you can find Odin. I''m well-acquainted with him too. With so many acquaintances vouching for us, what''s worrying you about this business deal?"


    "If you think a profit-sharing system won''t work, we can establish a membership system. We can even bypass the Sanctum Sanctorum''s membership portal. If we conduct a solo partnership, you can handle business with me, and I can offer you an exclusive discount..."


    "I sincerely hope you don''t see me as a fraud. I''ve been in business for so many years; my integrity is evident to everyone."


    "You should know Setorak and Chthon, right? Setorak has been a long-standing client of mine. The business package I offered him isn''t even as favorable as the one I''m offering you..."


    Schiller held the Bnce, and instead of performing a mysterious ritual, he seemed to be using it to pitch a telephone.


    He decided to take a seat, propping his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. He kept murmuring to the Bnce, endlessly reciting terms like flexible package deals, extra value without extra cost, exclusive discounts, and so on.


    In truth, if Death didn''t respond at all, Schiller wouldn''t persist in this aggressive sales pitch. But since he had one end of the Bnce held down, it meant that someone was contesting him on the other side¡ªDeath was actually present by his side the entire time, not gone.


    Schiller also realized that Death didn''t want him to enter the realm of Death, but at the same time, she didn''t want to forgo her dealings with the Egyptian god system. Thus, she had to adhere to the Bnce''s principles of judgment.


    In response, Schiller devised a n.


    When he pressed down the end of the Bnce with a heart symbol, if he sessfully managed to do so, he would die due to failing the judgment. If Death didn''t want him to die, she would have to appear and press down the end with a feather symbol. This also meant that Death had to pay attention to him.


    As a result, the Bnce transformed from a token of judgment into a telephone.


    When Schiller pressed one end, Death had to respond by pressing the other end to avoid him passing away. And when he pressed the other end, it meant he could hear what Schiller was saying.


    So, while Schiller kept pressing one end to engage in his pushy sales tactics, Death waspelled to press the other end and endure this relentless sales pitch.


    With this new functionality in ce, Schiller fully embraced the nature of a pyramid scheme leader, vowing not to let Death off the hook.


    However, the scene of Schiller incessantly murmuring to the Bnce appeared even more terrifying to the three people outside the door.


    Wasn''t this bing an obsession, driving himpletely insane?


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 Chapter 521: Schillers Descent into Madness (2)

    Chapter 521: Schiller''s Descent into Madness (2)


    "Quickly! Find a solution quickly! Bring him back to the real world! Hurry!"


    Stark was bing like an ant on a hot stove; he felt that if they continued like this, Schiller might not even want to resurrect, and that would be a disaster.


    "But we can''t convince him right now!" Steve was also anxious. He said, "I''ve seen simr situations on the battlefield before. When emotions break downpletely, the more you console and persuade, the less they listen."


    Charles looked pensive and said, "That''s normal. That''s why treating mental illnesses sometimes requires medication. Otherwise, you can never calm a patient down enough to ept treatment."


    "But this is a dream world. Where can we find calming medication?" Stark furrowed his brows and asked. Then, he thought for a moment and looked at Charles, asking, "Professor Charles, even if you can''t use force to modify Schiller''s memories, can you at least stabilize his mental state?"


    "If it''s only this personality, perhaps it''s possible. But if it''s rted to that high tower, I''m afraid I can''t. How can I calm down a tower?"


    Charles recollected and said, "If I remember correctly, without passing through that high tower, Schiller''s personality can''t rise to the surface of his consciousness. He can''t control his body."


    "The high tower has so many personalities; I can''t hypnotize each one of them. If we try to bring this stabilized personality up, we''ll definitely be stopped. Forcibly breaching is unlikely."


    "Wait!" Stark and Steve exchanged nces. Steve was the first to speak, "Right now, it seems like there aren''t many personalities in his high tower."Charles also realized this because he knew that Schiller''s consciousness was spread thin. Charles said, "He seems to have dispatched many of his personalities to deal with the gods of Egypt. We can use this opportunity to put this stable personality to sleep and then take him to the high tower. We can let him rise to the surface of consciousness..."


    "It won''t work. Schiller''s body is currently in a death state." Steve raised an objection again. He said, "The problem is, how do we resurrect him?"


    "Let me think... Let me think..." Stark rubbed his chin and paced in the corridor. He said, "If we follow this principle, as long as Schiller''s soul returns and his body returns to a living physiological state, he can resurrect."


    "His soul hasn''t been obliterated. So, as long as we restore his body, his soul can return, and he can resurrect."


    "But as you saw before, those kinds of fatal injuries, how could hee back to life?" Steve said with a touch of frustration.


    However, Stark quickly said, "Ordinary people might not be able to, but don''t you remember? Blue Spirit and the others told us that Schiller also has a unique symbiote within him. It''s the source of Schiller''s power to transform into Grey Mist."


    "For a symbiote, there''s almost no wound they can''t heal. We just need that symbiote to repair Schiller''s body, then let his soul return, and he can resurrect."


    "In theory, it should work." Steve nodded and said, "One more question: how do we get that symbiote to repair his body? We''re not Schiller; we can''t control it."


    "He should have independent intelligence. As long as he has intelligence, we can persuade him." Stark stopped his stride and then said, "Alright, that''s the n. Let''s give it a try."


    He looked at Professor Charles and continued, "Professor, you''re in charge of calming down the personality in the room. Then, we''ll follow the same path and bring him back to that high tower."


    "After we return to the high tower, Steve, you''ll watch over him. I''ll try to find the consciousness of the symbiote that might exist in the high tower, then attempt to persuade it to repair Schiller''s body."


    "Once the body is repaired, we''ll elevate this personality to the surface of consciousness, let the soul return, and Schiller will resurrect."


    "Afterward, we''ll control his body, find a way to calm him down, and then discuss the matter of him epting mental treatment..."


    Stark''s rapid session of ns was understood clearly by the other two. When they narrowed their eyes, an invisible force spread out, gradually slowing in frequency. All conscious beings present felt an irresistible drowsiness.


    "Wait! Professor! You can''t calm us down too!" Steve, heavily drowsy, protested.


    Charles paused briefly. Stark and Steve managed to break free from this state, but near the table inside the room, Schiller''s head, which had been continuously talking to the Bnce, began to droop and gradually rest on the table as he fell into a deep sleep.


    In the depths of his consciousness, Charles felt as though he heard a sigh, a sigh filled with relief.


    But he didn''t detect anything unusual. The n continued smoothly. Stark and Steve entered the room, lifted the sleeping Schiller, and saw him holding the Bnce. Stark hesitated for a moment but decided not to take it from him.


    As they carried Schiller out, Khonshu, who was waiting outside, was taken aback by Schiller falling asleep. However, he still led the three along the same path back to Schiller''s Temple of Thought.


    Steve and Khonshu brought Schiller back to the hospital room on the 10th floor of the asylum. The owner of that room was absent at the moment, making it the perfect stronghold for them.


    Steve wanted to search for Grey Mist''s consciousness with Stark, but Stark refused. Considering that Schiller could wake up at any moment, Steve ultimately stayed behind to watch over the sleeping Schiller.


    After leaving the 10th-floor asylum, Stark stood at the staircase junction, feeling torn between going up or down.


    Suddenly, he heard a "thump, thump, thump" sound. He leaned over the railing of the atrium to look down and saw young Schiller chasing a gray ball.


    The ball looked familiar, like highly condensed gray mist, resembling a slime. Stark was momentarily taken aback, then quickly descended the staircase, intercepting the gray ball.


    Young Schiller, who had been chasing the ball, was surprised when he saw Stark. At this point, Stark had picked up the ball.


    The gray ball Stark caught suddenly transformed with a "pop" into a floating Grey Mist. Stark saw two eyesposed of swirling patterns. If he wasn''t mistaken, the expression of this Grey Mist seemed to be surprise.


    This was the first time Stark had spoken to such a being. He hesitated for a moment, not sure how to start, but he eventually said, "I''m Stark, a friend of your master Schiller. Do you recognize me?"


    To Stark''s surprise, Grey Mist actually nodded¡ªthough it was hard to determine its head, Stark realized that it intended to nod.


    "Alright, listen. Your master is facing some trouble. I know he might have told you a n earlier, asking you to remove the defenses of his body so he could face Death. But the problem now is, his soul is in trouble. If we don''t resurrect him, we can''t give him the treatment he needs..."


    "So, I hope you can control yourself to repair Schiller''s body. This way, when his soul returns to his body, he can resurrect..."


    Stark spoke rapidly, not expecting the entity in front of him, which looked like escaping exhaust, to understand. Yet, much to his surprise, Grey Mist emitted a puzzled emotion and then Stark actually heard a voice say:


    "...What did you say?"


    "You can talk? Why didn''t you speak up earlier?!" Stark stared at Grey Mist.


    "He doesn''t allow me to talk to strangers." Grey Mist replied, saying, "And, I smell the scent of an annoying guy on you..."


    "An annoying guy? Who? Wait... it couldn''t be that Rotten mud, right?"


    "Correct, it''s him. He''s sick, and I don''t want to y with him. Keep your distance."


    "Alright, you''re not wrong about that. That Rotten mud is indeed sick... No, that''s not what I meant. Did you understand what I said earlier?"


    "But I can''t go against his orders." Grey Mist replied, "If he didn''t tell me to do it, I wouldn''t."


    "But it''s for his own good now..."


    Stark had just finished speaking when he suddenly froze. The argument he had just used seemed like something he had heard a long time ago.


    He recalled that Schiller had asked JARVIS the same question in his car the first time they met. Later, Schiller had asked him the same question.


    So, Stark cleared his throat and asked Grey Mist:


    "If one day, Schiller is on the brink of death, and a decision you make could save him, but he strongly opposes it, what would you do?"


    "If you follow orders and don''t save him, and he dies, would you regret it?"


    "If he dies, do you think he would regret creating you before he died?"


    "If he dies, would he resent you?"


    "If he resents you, would you me yourself?"


    "If given a chance to start over, would you make a different choice?"


    "If you defy Schiller''s orders and choose to save him, and he mes you afterward, would you feel unjust?"


    "If you defy Schiller''s orders to save him, and he wants to kill you for disobeying, would you resent him?..."


    Stark presented these questions to Grey Mist with his astounding memory, but the scene he expected, like a program crashing, didn''t ur. Grey Mist responded:


    "In principle, I won''t go against his orders..."


    Instead, it was Stark who was taken aback. He looked at the Grey Mist entity and said, "In principle won''t... what does that mean?"


    "It means you have to pay."


    "I..."


    Stark covered his forehead. How could he forget? Symbiotes'' main characteristic is that they bond with their hosts. Clearly, this symbiote hadn''t bonded well.


    "What do you want?" Stark asked.


    "After he wakes up, if he notices a sip missing from a bottle of liquor, just tell him it was lost during transportation. How about that?"


    Stark didn''t fully understand Grey Mist''s request, but it didn''t sound too difficult. So, he agreed.


    Afterward, Grey Mist disappeared from his sight. After a while, it returned and said:


    "The body is repaired. The elevator is over there. The elevator operator is off today. If you want to leave, it''s best to do it soon..."


    Stark felt a bit strange, but his anxiousness prevailed. He hurried back to the asylum and ced the drowsy Schiller in the elevator. They returned smoothly to the level of conscious thought, and after that, each of them woke up from the dream, returning to reality.


    After they left, Grey Mist let out a sigh and also entered the elevator. It ascended to the hospital level. Two figures were leaning against the railing of the atrium, looking down.


    Grey Mist approached and rubbed against one of the ck Suits. ?????dcSchiller patted Grey Mist''s head and said, "Don''t think I didn''t hear you earlier. Did you steal some alcohol again?"


    "I didn''t. It was lost during transportation!"


    Schiller shook his head helplessly and lit a cigar. He said to the green-haired figure next to him, "Honestly, we managed to convince the ''Id'' to cooperate with us..."


    The green-haired figure burst into a series of chuckles but didn''t say anything.


    dcSchiller touched the wound on his forehead and said, "To let a patient handle so much work, for such an incredibly hical action, a little bit of revenge is only reasonable, right?"


    "But you must have other motives, don''t you?" The green-haired Schiller turned his head and asked.


    dcSchiller snorted coldly. He said, "You might think I''m the crazier one, but in reality, it''s the opposite. He''s much crazier than I am. The most maddening emotion in this world is greed."


    "To use self-sacrifice to probe some curiosity-driven secret is routine for him. But I need to have a backup n in case he tries to get us killed."


    "So?"


    "Having childhood autism, witnessing the brutal murder of parents, forming an anti-society personality due to psychological trauma, and ultimately contributing to society through personal efforts..."


    "This story that piles on various protagonist elements should provide us with a great guarantee for survival in this world."


    "Why are you so sure that this can be our origin story?" The green-haired Schiller asked.


    The Schiller in the ck Suit took a drag of his cigar and exhaled smoke. Through the haze of smoke, he looked down at the lower levels and said:


    "It''s not the story that''s important, it''s the one telling the story."


    "When several immensely important existences in this world are all narrating this origin story..."


    "The story ceases to be just a story."


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 Chapter 522: Schillers Hospital Routine (1)

    Chapter 522: Schiller''s Hospital Routine (1)


    The lush green swayed amid the soft rain, mist rising between the trees as if they had grown into towering giants overnight, piercing through the ethereal waves of clouds. Raindrops tapped on the ss like a faintly dissolved painting.


    "Drip, drip, drip..."


    The rhythmic sound of the bedside monitor echoed. Gradually breaking free from this pattern, breathing quickened, and with a sudden "thump," Schiller sat up from the hospital bed.


    He used the palm of his hand to support his heavy head, turned his body, and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked down at his reflection on the pristine white floor tiles.


    He exhaled, feeling a dryness in his mouth. Out of habit, he reached out to press the call button by the bed. After doing this, he paused for a moment, as if remembering something.


    The call button on the bedside cab lit up, but instead of a nurse or doctor, Stark walked in wearing his Iron Manbat suit. Upon seeing him, Schiller shook his head, trying to shake off certain memories from his mind.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t a doctor or psychiatristing in to tell him that all his previous experiences were delusions, and that he was actually a mental patient who had been hospitalized all along. That kind of twist would have been too clich¨¦.


    Yet Schiller still couldn''t figure out why he was here. He looked around the hospital room and realized that it was a high-end room in an advanced hospital.


    The floor was spotlessly clean, the flowers on the bedside didn''t emit any sharp scents, and every corner of the hospital bed was padded for protection. Schiller, who had worked at the Elder Council''s hospital, knew that this was probably the best type of hospital room in a mental institution.A metallic sliding sound came, and Stark emerged from his Iron Man suit. He walked over and sat down beside Schiller, then looked at him with his eyes.


    The eye contact seemed to hover between "you can tell me anything" and "if you don''t tell me, you''re not treating me as a friend."


    Schiller felt a headacheing on. He knew that Stark and Steve were undoubtedly onto something he had imagined. However, the problem was that when he returned to the Temple of Thought, he found no traces of spider web; he had no idea what Stark and Steve had seen inside his Temple of Thought.


    At this point, Schiller had figured it out. He had certainly been manipted by one of the personalities within his Temple of Thought. And which one? Did he even need to ask?


    After all, he had left Abacus there for him, and this guy had actually turned the tables on him. Next time, he resolved to remove all the beads from Abacus and throw them away.


    Now, there was an information gap between Schiller and Stark. Stark had gleaned certain things from Schiller''s Temple of Thought, but due to a petty individual''s meddling, Schiller had no idea what Stark and Steve had learned in his Temple of Thought.


    It was like a police officer arresting a criminal for a case. The police officer knew the details of the case, but the criminal didn''t.


    Now, the police officer asked the criminal to confess, but this criminal wasn''t an ordinary one. He was a serial murderer who hadmitted many crimes. He didn''t know which case the police were asking him to confess to. If he spoke recklessly, he might reveal even more...


    Schiller was in this state now. He knew Stark had imagined something, but he didn''t know what Stark had imagined. If he revealed all the possible traps within his Temple of Thought, it might take until next year, and he might never get discharged afterward.


    Based on the details he knew now, Schiller deduced that his most significant change this time was releasing a personality that had never surfaced in the world before. That was Moonlight Schiller, the young Schiller.


    At the same time, Khonshu had chosen this personality as his vessel of power. When Schiller had brought this personality out to confront the Egyptian gods, Khonshu had likely been in the mental hospital room of the asylum.


    Although Schiller only saw Khonshu as a tool, he had given him some authority to freely move within the 10thyer.


    And below the 10thyer of the Temple of Thought, there were hardly any entities. When Stark and Steve entered the Temple of Thought and didn''t use the elevator but walked up from the firstyer, the first entity they encountered was probably Khonshu.


    If Stark and Steve were investigating Schiller''s trail and theymunicated their purpose to Khonshu, he might have led them to the hospital room where the young Schiller had lived.


    With Stark''s intelligence, he would likely find some traces of spider web there and deduce Schiller''s experiences from his youth.


    Given this, Schiller thought, what he exposed to Stark might be fragments of memories from his youth.


    From Schiller''s perspective, this spection made sense. After all, he couldn''t have known that dc Schiller and the Id had conspired, staging a y for Stark and Steve.


    The Id, essentially the most instinctual part of Humanity, the true self, was difficult to predict. It would cooperate with a task like this, and even the plotter, dcSchiller, felt surprised. MarvelS chiller wouldn''t have been able to anticipate it.


    Having thoroughly pondered over this spection, Schiller found it logically sound.


    Since things hade to this point, why not turn the tables? Schiller spoke up:


    "Do you want to judge me?"


    Schiller turned his head and looked into Stark''s eyes, saying, "Without someone''s consent, prying into their inner world, digging out abnormal evidence, and then using despicable means to confine them to a mental hospital..."


    "Tony Stark, are you going to say that this is for my own good?"


    Stark was taken aback. He hadn''t expected the just-awakened Schiller to be so confrontational. He spread his hands and exined, "It''s not like that. Actually, we only..."


    "Then why am I here?"


    Schiller stood up, nced down at his hospital gown, then turned around to look at Stark, who was still seated on the hospital bed, and asked:


    "Do you support Khonshu or Ammit?"


    "What?" Stark was somewhat puzzled.


    "Do you know why they''re in conflict?"


    "Why?"


    "Khonshu believes that he only has the right to judge and pass sentence after a crime has beenmitted."


    "What''s the issue with that?" Stark asked.


    "Ammit, on the other hand, believes that once a crime has beenmitted, it''s irreparable, so the criminal should be killed before the crime urs."


    "Absurd," Stark remarked, saying, "ording to that theory, everyone in this world is a criminal."


    "So, what exactly are you doing?" Schiller looked at Stark.


    "You dug up some old memories from my Temple of Thought, and based on that, you concluded that I should be confined to a mental hospital. That''s why I''m here."


    "But have I harmed anyone due to my mental instability? Have Imitted crimes because of it? Aren''t those abnormalities only existing in my mind?"


    "Essentially, you''re doing the same thing as Ammit," Schiller stared into Stark''s eyes and said, "Even though he just killed me."


    Stark took a deep breath. He said, "We''re not trying to judge you or imprison you..."


    "Fine, then I''m leaving this..." Schiller began to say, but he turned around and walked away. A shadow passed by his side, and Stark walked in front of him, stopping him. Schiller halted, shrugged, and said:


    "If you were going to let me leave, you wouldn''t havee in abat suit today."


    He nced at thebat suit standing in the middle of the hospital room and smirked somewhat ironically. He said, "The cigarette I handed you back then has be the weapon you''re using against me now."


    "Did you feel incredibly righteous when you used it to kill Ammit? And do you feel the same way now, using it to stop me?"


    "Even though I haven''t done anything, you''ve been monitoring me as if I''m a criminal due to the potential danger I pose and my uncontroble power. And even if necessary, you''re not hesitating to resort to force..."


    Schiller walked to the other side of Stark, looked him straight in the eyes, and said, "One day, you will pay the price for your mindset."


    Just as Stark thought Schiller was about to leave the hospital room, Schiller turned back and returned to the hospital bed. Hey down with his back to Stark and fell silent.


    In the moment before Schiller turned his head, Stark was sure he saw a deep disappointment in Schiller''s eyes, which made Stark start to doubt.


    Schiller didn''t me him, he just recounted the internal logic of Stark''s actions. When this logic was brought to light and analyzed, it sounded just as absurd as Ammit''s perspective.


    This made Stark begin to wonder if he had truly done something wrong. After all, as Schiller had said, Schiller hadn''tmitted any harmful acts to society due to his mental instability. On the contrary, his behavior and speech were normal now, and in the past, he had used his intelligence to benefit human civilization.


    If someone is born with a bomb, and no one knows if it will explode and harm others, should they be imprisoned forever and prevented from doing anything?


    Between individual freedom and public safety, which should be chosen?


    Previously, Stark had leaned toward thetter, but now he began to contemte the essence of this question. Was it this person''s fault that he was born with a bomb? If not, why should he pay the price of imprisonment for it?


    Even Schiller, after being treated this way, still felt deep disappointment. So how many people in this world have noble ideals and are willing to sacrifice themselves to maintain public safety?


    "Do you know what? In that moment when he questioned me, I was truly thinking, did we send him to the hospital for treatment or because we fear he might lose control and pose a threat to us?"


    "Do I truly have the authority to do this? To look at him, even before he''s done anything, with the eyes of someone looking at a potential criminal?"


    Inside the Avengers'' base, Stark sat at one end of the table, while Steve sat at the other end. Steve heard his question and said in puzzlement, "Why did you visit him in yourbat suit?"


    "If I didn''t wear thebat suit, how would I get there? Drive? Do you know how bad the morning traffic is in New York?" Stark retorted.


    "Why didn''t you exin to him then?"


    "I..."


    Steve covered his forehead and said, "You didn''t let him trick you again, did you?"


    Stark sighed and said, "I''d almost prefer it if he were intentionally provoking me like he used to, rather than truly feeling sad and disappointed about this."


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 Chapter 523: Schillers Hospital Daily Life (1)

    Chapter 523: Schiller''s Hospital Daily Life (1)


    "Disappointed?"


    On the hospital bed, Schiller picked up a segment of orange and tossed it into his mouth, chewing as he spoke, "Stark and Bruce are a certain type of people. Don''t I already know what they''re like?"


    On the table, Pikachu struggled to peel another orange with its small hands, but ended up sshing orange juice into its eyes. It rubbed its dark eyes and asked, "So you''re just going to stay here? Seriously, even if you do have a mental illness, staying in the hospital won''t really solve your problems, will it?"


    Schiller didn''t answer that question. Instead, he opened the bedside drawer and flipped through while saying, "Where''s the remote control? I remember the nurse telling me that this TV can be watched..."


    Facing the wall of Schiller''s hospital bed, there was a TV. This was quite rare. Generally, in a mental hospital''s hospital room, there wouldn''t be a TV. TV programs are varied and some visuals and sounds might be stimting for patients. But perhaps because Stark had talked to the hospital in advance, the room Schiller was staying in resembled more of a recuperation room, and a ridiculously expensive one at that, equipped with all sorts of devices.


    Adjusting the bed, grabbing the fruit tray, using the remote control to turn on the TV, Schiller began to eat oranges while watching television.


    Just then, his mobile phone rang. He picked it up, nced at the number, and answered the call, "Yes... You''reing over? Alright, I have some free time now. Last time, you told me you were on a TV show. I was actually nning to watch it..."


    Listening to Telephone, Peter''s somewhat helpless voice on the other end, Schiller switched channels using the remote control. Just as he finally found the variety show he was looking for, there was a dull sound, and a heavy thud came from the window balcony.


    The balcony door swung open, and Peter, dressed in a Spider-Man uniform, walked in. He removed his mask and tossed his backpack onto a nearby chair. Seeing the program ying on the TV, he shook his head with mixed emotions and said, "There''s not much worth watching, actually..."Peter quickly walked past the hospital bed and gave Pikachu, whom he hadn''t seen in a while, a high-five. He took the remaining half of the orange from Schiller''s hand, peeled a segment, and put it in his mouth, only to scrunch up his face from the sourness.


    Schiller handed him the bunch of grapes from the fruit tray. After eating a couple of ripe grapes, Peter gradually recovered. He noticed the hospital gown Schiller was wearing, pursed his lips, and then sat down on the edge of the bed, asking, "Doctor, can you tell me what''s going on here?"


    Peter looked down, fiddling with his fingers, and said, "Earlier, in the Avengers'' base, I overheard Mr. Stark saying... He said you..."


    "What did he say?" Schiller asked with a casual tone.


    "He and Captain were discussing getting a doctor for you. They said you seemed to have some psychological issues. What''s going on?"


    As he spoke, Peter nced around the entire hospital room and added, "So, psychologists can have psychological issues too?"


    "Of course, Peter." Schiller picked up another orange and peeled it while saying, "Physicians can''t treat themselves. Often, psychologists are more prone to developing psychological issues when they listen to various patients'' stories."


    "Why?" Peter asked curiously.


    "When youe into contact with all sorts of patients, when you listen to their stories, it often brings invisible mental pressure..."


    "Psychological trauma is different from physical wounds. It''s not easily noticeable until it umtes to a certain degree. But once it bursts, the umted negative emotions can magnify the wound, leading to more severe consequences than usual..."


    "Are you like that too? Doctor, do you also have psychological issues from treating others?"


    "No, Peter, it''s not a psychological issue. It''s a mental issue. Didn''t I tell you before? I have Schr-type autism. Although it has mostly healed for various reasons, I''m still a mental patient..."


    Peter looked at Schiller, who was lying on the bed, focused on peeling the orange. At this moment, he wasn''t frowning; his expression was gentle. In Peter''s impression, mental patients should appear nervous and distressed.


    "Since you''ve already healed on your own, why did you stille to the hospital?" Peter asked, continuing, "You sent me the address of the new Sanatorium earlier, but I haven''t visited yet. My uncle told me it''s the wealthiest town around, so the environment should be really good, right?"


    "You''re wee to visit there anytime, but before that, let''s talk about this first." Schiller pointed to the TV hanging on the wall with the remote control. At this moment, a huge ornate letter appeared on the TV screen ¡ª "New York Wonders."


    The three-dimensional letter rotated for two rounds and gradually shrank. The host in a suit, walked onto the stage, raising his hands to wee apuse. The host, wearing exaggerated sunsses, held a microphone and spoke with an enthusiastic tone:


    "Wee to the newest and best show on New York TV ¡ª New York Wonders!"


    Countless cheers came from the audience below and confetti burst forth. The camera zoomed in on the host''s upper body. He began by reciting an advertisement and then said:


    "Allow me to share some good news here, no, perhaps even more than one piece of good news!"


    "Firstly, you probably already know one of the pieces of good news. This show has be the champion in ratings within two months of its debut!"


    "All of this relies on the wonders who are active in New York. They possess all kinds of incredible abilities ¡ª strong, powerful, handsome, cute. They are you, me, and everyone!"


    "We all love these wonders, don''t we? Their peculiar masks, brightly colored uniforms, and all sorts of somewhat amusing codenames. What could be more entertaining than watching them duringundry time at night?"


    "Therefore, this brand-new show has be the most popr new star program in the history of New York TV! Thanks to all of you, these wonders who are active in New York, or you could say, these superheroes!"


    "Well, there''s no need to dwell on past glory. Let''s move on to another piece of good news. The most famous wonder scout on this show since its debut, Bob, has given me some enormous news!"


    "Guess who he encountered while scouting on the road? You absolutely won''t believe it. He met none other than the renowned ¡ª Spider-Man!!!"


    The host''s tone was almost so excited that he was about to break into a falsetto. Schiller turned his head to look at Peter, who shrugged and introduced:


    "This is a new variety show on New York TV called New York Wonders. The show has a total of twelve scouts who search all over New York to find those individuals with special abilities. They interview them and even explore their lives..."


    "What kind of people are these wonders?" Schiller asked.


    "They are Superheroes with special abilities who take it upon themselves to fight criminals. There are quite a few of them in New York recently."


    Peter scratched his head and said, "Superheroes who wear uniforms and masks are bing more and moremon. However, most of them are regr people; asionally, there are one or two who indeed have special abilities."


    "The scouts interact with them, understand their stories, and present their lives to the audience..."


    "In a previous episode, they interviewed a mutant who uses special abilities tobat criminals. It stirred up a lot of controversy, you know, mutants haven''t been very popr. Knowing that there are superheroes among them surprised some people and scared others..."


    "But all of this brought a lot of attention to the show and made it the hottest variety show right now."


    Schiller stroked his chin, watching the host continue to exin the rules and procedures. Then he turned to Peter and asked, "So, you''ve participated in this show?"


    "It wasn''t really intentional on my part either," Peter sighed, then began recounting the events of yesterday.


    After Schiller was killed by Ammit, the steel demon god Stark shook the seals of all the gods on Earth, causing many demon gods to escape confinement. Mysterious powers from various countries on Earth urgently gathered, and with the cooperation of Kamar-Taj and Earth''s defensework, most of these demon gods were dealt with.


    However, this incident still had some lingering effects. When the seals in the city or suburbs were broken, the residents around would be affected. Some homes had poltergeists, and some people lost their sanity.


    Sorcerers dispatched people to deal with most of the problems, but due to the chaos during that period, the crime rate rose, and the police were overwhelmed. Superheroes like Spider-Man stepped in to help fill the gap.


    Ever since Iron Man and Spider-Man, these tworger-than-life superheroes, became famous in New York, there''s been no shortage of imitators. Most people were merely imitating the appearance, but there were indeed some with special abilities.


    Being willing to be a superhero, even if it''s just ying the role, indicates that these people fundamentally want to do good. And in times of chaos, many of them stepped up to fight criminals and assist the police in dealing with trouble.


    As a result, the superhero group became more active in the public eye. New York TV seized this trend andunched a variety show called "New York Wonders."


    Since revealing their identities to each other, Peter and Gwen''s rtionship had rapidly intensified. However, with Peter''s superhero responsibilities and managing Connor''sboratory research, along with Gwen seeking internships, attending summer camps, and preparing for university, they both became very busy. They were like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, barely able to meet once a week.


    Yesterday, they had finally finished their respective tasks and found that Gwen was on break as well. They were ecstatic and decided to visit an exhibition together, finally having some quality time.


    However, due to their excitement, when Peter left Connor''sboratory, he forgot to take his spider web shooter. Also, it wasn''t very reasonable to dive into a sewer before going on a date with his girlfriend. So, he chose to run through the streets and alleys to reach their meeting point...


    Coincidentally, the wonder scouts from that variety show were roaming the streets, searching for these superheroes.


    In the past, superheroes like Spider-Man and Iron Man would soar high in the sky or swing from buildings, making it impossible for ordinary scouts to get close to them. Therefore, although the show received quite a bit of attention, they hadn''t found a truly famous and sessful superhero to interview.


    When the scout encountered Spider-Man, he was so excited that he almost had a heart attack. The way he charged forward made Peter think he was about to be robbed.


    Butter, the scout exined his purpose, and Peter was somewhat intrigued. After all, he had grown up in New York and had always watched TV programs on New York TV with his uncle and aunt. Appearing on TV was still something he yearned for. Learning that it was just a simple interview, he didn''t think too much about it and agreed.


    At that moment, the host on the TV screen raised a hand high, the camera tilted upward, and the scene shifted to a table in front of a Mexican stall. Schiller''s eyes widened slightly, and Peter said helplessly:


    "I don''t know how that scout dared to venture into Hell''s Kitchen, but anyway, I encountered him at the Taco ce we ate at before..."


    As he said this, Peter sighed again and added, "Oh, and doctor, you might want to lower the volume a bit."


    "Lower the volume? Why? Is your voice too loud?" Schiller asked with a smile.


    At this moment, the rugged voice of the bearded scout came through the TV screen:


    "Look at our Spider-Kid! New York''s best superhero! I''m a huge fan of yours. If you can''t sign my T-shirtter, I''ll go home and cry while hugging my teddy bear..."


    The Peter on the screen burst intoughter, and the two clinked their drink cups before officially beginning the interview.


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 Chapter 524: Schillers hospital routine (2)

    Chapter 524: Schiller''s hospital routine (2)


    "So... you''re actually still in school? Can you reveal which school you attend?" The bearded scout, Bob, took a bite of his taco and asked.


    "Sorry, that''s not possible." Spider-Man across from him declined, saying, "If my teachers, ssmates, or parents find out I''m doing this in my spare time, I might as well not leave the house."


    "It sounds like your family is pretty strict. When I was in high school, I used to party all night and my family didn''t care either." Bob chuckled and continued, "Even though I know asking this might ruin the mood a bit, but I still want to ask, how are your grades? Which university are you nning to attend?"


    "Oh, well, my grades are pretty good. Several PhDs and professors are willing to write rmendation letters for me. But I don''t want to be too far from home. I think New York University or Columbia University would be nice..."


    Bob''s eyes widened. He heard a rxed and carefree tone in Spider-Man''s voice, but both New York University and Columbia University were good schools. He was quite surprised and said, "That means your grades are really good."


    "Actually, the mentor from theboratory where I''m interning wants to introduce me to Harvard. This winter, I might be following him to continue working in theboratory at Harvard. Of course, I might also go to Los Angeles, depending on the progress of our experiments..."


    Peter then talked about his life in theboratory. But Bob understood that the audience probably wasn''t interested in that. So, he asked with a touch of gossip, "So, do you have a girlfriend?"


    Even with his mask on, Bob could see the shyness on Spider-Man''s face. Peter nodded and said, "Actually, I was about to meet her. Luckily, I left early, or else I might have beente."


    "Oh, it seems like I interrupted your date. I''m really sorry, after all, I''m kind of malicious towards all the sweet loves in the world, because... I don''t have a girlfriend!" Bob intentionally made aically sad face, and both of them burst intoughter."Does your girlfriend support you doing this? Does she know about your identity?"


    At this, Peter sighed and said, "Actually, I used to keep it a secret from her because I felt a bit ashamed. Or rather, I worried that she''d think I''m not mature enough. You know, girls tend to like the party types, and if I acted too serious, she might find me boring."


    "But..." Peter paused for a moment, then continued, "Later, I gradually changed my perspective. I felt that she''s not that shallow of a person. My concern shifted to the possibility that she might find this kind of thing dangerous. I was worried that she''d be anxious for me every day..."


    "Indeed." Bob affirmed this point and said, "I''ve encountered a middle-aged superhero before. He had a loving marriage and a happy life. He never publicly revealed his identity to his family because he knew his wife would be really worried..."


    Peter continued, "Perhaps I was impulsive for a moment, but in the end, I told her. I''m grateful that she didn''t me me for keeping it from her for so long. Honestly, after opening up about this, our rtionship actually got better..."


    Maybe it was because the local TV station in New York had rtively stable ratings and didn''t need excessive hype, Bob''s questions were all quite gentle. They mostly revolved around Spider-Man''s life and family situation. Sometimes he would give advice from an elder''s perspective. So far, the interview had been going very well, and Schiller didn''t understand why Peter had thatplex expression.


    Soon, Bob on the TV switched to another topic. He asked, "Citizens in New York have witnessed you spending time with Iron Man. Are you two friends?"


    "Yes."


    "You two probably met due to your superhero work, right? Could you share the specifics?"


    Peter gave an affirmative answer, but he wasn''t foolish. He knew that discussing topics rted to Iron Man could bring more controversy to Stark, even if this scout wasn''t being malicious. His answers might be taken out of context and used to attack Stark.


    So, Peter provided a courteous response, saying that both of them were inspired by justice and became good friends. He didn''t delve into the topic much and instead talked about his other superhero friends.


    "Compared to Iron Man, there''s another superhero I have a better rtionship with. You''ve probably heard of him. He operates in Hell''s Kitchen, and he''s Daredevil. I prefer to think of him as my guide and mentor..."


    "In fact, after he appeared in Hell''s Kitchen, the security situation there improved. I won''t hesitate to use any words to praise him. It''s not because of any ulterior motive."


    "He''s a very noble person¡ªstrong, brave, steadfast, and incredibly patient. He..."


    Just as he was saying this, a loud bang echoed, and both Bob and Peter turned their heads. They saw a car being lifted high into the air on the skyline of Hell''s Kitchen, only to crash back down to the ground.


    The distant horizon stirred, and two ck figures leaped among the buildings. Soon, the figure at the forefront began to growrger in their field of view. Peter saw that it was Venom, rushing furiously.


    With sharp teeth and a wide grin, Venom dashed across the rooftops of the high-rise buildings in Hell''s Kitchen. The figure chasing after him was also familiar¡ªDaredevil, Matt, wearing his uniform.


    Even though they were far away, Peter heard Daredevil''s deafening roar:


    "Venom! How dare you clog up my toilet! I''m going to kill you!"


    Even with his mask on, Peter''s expression revealed shock. He turned to look at the camera, his face showing a hint of panic, and said, "Um... Hell''s Kitchen is like that. The sewage system here isn''t great, which can be quite irritating. And it''s not all Daredevil''s fault..."


    At that moment, a rainbow light shed across the sky, and a warrior dressed like a goddess¡ªSifnded on the rooftop of Hell''s Kitchen. From her mouth came the voice of Phantom:


    "Venom! You better exin the Sakaar Star situation to me, or we''re not done!"


    "Kazaa!" A thunderbolt struck the rooftop as well, and Thor stepped forward, advising Sif, "Sif, calm down. If you''re still angry at Loki, I''ll apologize on his behalf. I''ve already put him in 1300 years of confinement..."


    Peter watched the two of them arguing on the rooftop and exined, "Uh, they''re mutants with teleportation abilities. Maybe they''re having a lovers'' quarrel, yes, a lovers'' quarrel..."


    "Swoosh," with a magical gleam, Loki appeared behind Thor, holding a stack of parchment scrolls and said as he read, "Thor, I seriously doubt whether you''ve grown a brain. Look at this edict you''ve written. Where did the 305th fleete from?"


    "Come back with me quickly. Your duties after your coronation are piling up to 200 yearster. You make an average of two mistakes in your edicts every day. When will we finish reconfiguring the fleet''s defensework?"


    "Crackle," a portal appeared in mid-air, and the Supreme Sorcerer Strange poked his head out, shouting angrily at Loki, "Do you realize how many days you''ve skipped? Do you remember that you''re a shareholder at Sanctum Sanctorum? Do you want to work me to death?"


    "You and Schiller can just kill without worrying about the aftermath, and I''m the one doing all the work at Sanctum Sanctorum. Get back here and start working!"


    On the other side of the camera, Spider-Man struggled to think, then said, "They''re part of a secret magical society, you know, the kind that... studies, uh... magic formations and things like that..."


    "Boom," a heap of cars was lifted into the air on the horizon, followed by spikes piercing through the sky, chaotic shadows flying, and golden thunderbolts. Thebination of symbiotes and mutant students descended before Venom. Blue Spirit spoke up with an authoritative voice.


    "Venom! You''ve vited Article 1118 of the Spacesymbiote Parasitic Code three times within three days! Come back with us for trial!"


    "Keep dreaming!" Venom grinned widely, sneering, "You think you can catch me? Maybe in your next life!"


    With that, he jumped in ce andnded on a nearby high-rise building. Matt, who was chasing him, was helpless, but Sif, who could fly, and the other symbiotes quickly caught up.


    Sif stormed out in anger, and fearing that she might actually cause damage on Earth, Thor had no choice but to follow. Once Thor left, Loki was sure to chase after him. And when Loki left, Strange thought he was trying to escape his responsibilities again, so he flew out of a portal to chase him down.


    This group of people were running like in a race, weaving through the skyline of Hell''s Kitchen in New York several times. After causing a big mess, a meteor streaked across the sky, and Stark''s voice came from the midst of the battle:


    "Stop it! This is New York! If you want to fight, go fight in outer space!"


    But Stark wasn''t alone. Just as he hesitated in mid-air, a shield came hurtling towards his head. Captain America stood on a rooftop behind him, saying, "We''re not done yet. Where are you nning to run to? Are you trying to desert the battle?"


    "Shut up! Can''t you see I''m maintainingw and order?"


    Stark swooped down to confront Captain America, and they grappled with each other again. Peter gestured with his hand and said, "Actually... uh, this is a maneuver called nking. It''s an emerging tactic, so it looks a bit unique..."


    Bob squinted his eyes and looked at Captain America and Iron Man. He said, "Why do I feel like they''re just innocently brawling?"


    "Impossible!" Peter denied with a serious face, "We''re partners united by justice. How could we be fighting? We must be... we must be..."


    On the TV screen, Spider-Man continued to gesture and exin in front of the camera, while in the background, various devils and monsters were dancing in the New York skyline.


    "Venom, go back and unclog the toilet!"


    "Sif, calm down. Sif, we''ll talk in Asgard..."


    "Come on, Thor, can''t you be more serious about your work?"


    "Loki! Do you even have the nerve to make others work seriously? Have you even done any work yourself? Get back to Sanctum Sanctorum!"


    "Yourbat skills are as ancient as you are! Rotten to the core!"


    "If you''re so tough, take off yourbat suit before saying that!"


    "Who hit me with that thunder? Thor, why did you hit me?!"


    "It wasn''t me! It was that symbiote!"


    "Because Venom hid with you. Make hime out!"


    "Boom! Crash! Sizzle... Target locked..."


    "Oh no! My new clothes!"


    "My wrist! My waist!"


    Schiller hurriedly grabbed the remote control. "Kazaa," he turned off the TV screen, then covered his ears, which were ringing from the noise.


    He exchanged a nce with Peter, and they both sighed.


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 Chapter 525: Origin Story (1)

    Chapter 525: Origin Story (1)


    Eddie Brock, the host of Venom, was fired from the newspaper due to the Life Foundation incident, which led him to hit rock bottom in Hell''s Kitchen. However, heter returned to the newspaper and even became the editor-in-chief due to events rted to the Immortal Factor.


    But because of Venom''s presence, Eddie didn''t have a choice to move back to his upscale apartment. He settled in Hell''s Kitchen instead.


    Eddie and Matt had worked together during the Life Foundation incident, and they had a favorable impression of each other.


    After all, Matt wasn''t a brute, he thought before he acted, and Eddie, with Venom attached, was also a nner. The two of them would discuss strategies when they had time, and soon became good friends.


    Eddie rented a house on the outskirts of Hell''s Kitchen, in a much better location than Matt''s stronghold. So, Matt would oftene over and eventually, they decided to be roommates.


    Now, Eddie and Matt were both the kind of people who didn''t talk much, and they got along fairly well. But don''t forget, there was a third presence in their house: Venom, living inside Eddie''s body.


    "You have no idea how annoying he is!" Matt, who came to visit in the hospital room, ced his briefcase to the side, adjusted his suit cor, and began toin to Schiller.


    "That blob of rotten goo often fights Eddie for magazines when he''s on the toilet. They can argue in my bathroom for a full 20 minutes!"


    "Eddie''s the editor-in-chief. He starts work at 10 AM every morning and has his own means of transportation. I''m just a regrwyer. I start work at 8:30 AM and have to practically cross the whole of Brooklyn. Every morning, I have to use the restroom at the restaurant downstairs...""Just arguing wouldn''t be so bad, but they end up fighting. The ck goo from Venom will clog my toilet. After I get home at 10 PM, I have to find someone to fix the toilet!"


    Matt sighed deeply and continued, "Just yesterday, not only did he clog my toilet, he clogged the entire apartment building''s sewage system. All the neighbors were asking me what happened..."


    "Do you know the kind of eye contact they give me? Damn, how could I produce a ton of shit overnight?"


    Schiller couldn''t hold back hisughter and chuckled. Matt''s expression turned even worse. He continued, "And don''t even ask about his grudge with those symbiotes. Every few days, there''s a brawl right here in Hell''s Kitchen, making a mess of the peace."


    "You know how ugly they look, like they have the words ''I''m an alien'' written on their faces. Even though the people in Hell''s Kitchen have a higher eptance level than the average person, it doesn''t mean they can tolerate these monsters running amok overhead."


    "Many people have taken pictures and posted them online. While most of thements are about how well they''ve Photoshopped the pictures, it has caused panic among a small portion of the poption. After all, even if they''re thieves and robbers, they''re still human. But that group of symbiotes, you can tell at a nce they''re not part of humanity, and they look downright fearsome."


    "Schiller?... Schiller!" Matt suddenly called out, as he noticed Schiller, lying on the bed, was getting lost in thought. Schiller shook his head lightly and then looked at him, saying, "Oh, I''m listening... What are you nning to do?"


    However, Matt didn''t continue talking. He stood up, adjusted the bed, and looked down at Schiller. "I''m sorry, I''m used to venting these things to you..."


    He nced around the hospital room, saying, "It''s not your duty to ease our worries. You''re a patient now; you should rest."


    Matt turned and bent down to tidy the flowers he had brought. In just a short time, Schiller''s eyelids drooped slightly. Matt looked concerned, but soon Schiller rubbed his eyes, smiled, and said:


    "Now, you and Peter are S.H.I.E.L.D. employees. I can get Nick to reimburse your medical expenses. I''m actually d you two can stay a little longer. The look on the one-eyed pirate''s face when he sees the reimbursement bill will be quite something."


    Matt also smiled. After chatting for a few more minutes, Matt said, "I need to prepare for tomorrow''s court session in the afternoon. I''lle see you another day."


    After he finished speaking, he picked up his briefcase and left. However, as he walked out of the hospital room, his expression turned serious. He didn''t head back to hisw firm, but took a detour to the Avengers base.


    Just as he arrived at the base, he bumped into Steve on his way out. Steve noticed that Matt''s expression didn''t seem quite right. He knew Matt had visited Schiller earlier. He said with some helplessness:


    "You''re not going to be like Tony and argue with Schiller too, are you? He''s a patient now. Even if he has different opinions, everyone has their own views on these matters. Arguing won''t lead to any conclusion..."


    "Tony? He visited Schiller too? Did they argue?"


    "It wouldn''t be called arguing. Thinking of this matter, Steve also felt helpless. He briefly exined what Schiller and Stark were quarreling about, but unexpectedly, Matt didn''t join the conversation. He just said with some annoyance:


    "Seriously, doesn''t Tony know that Schiller is a patient? Moreover, he just experienced death and rebirth. Even for a normal person, going through such an experience would affect their mental state, and they wouldn''t handle stress well..."


    Steve furrowed his brows. He asked, "What do you mean? Is there something wrong with Schiller?"


    "I think he''s somewhat fatigued, to be precise, it''s like he''s having narcolepsy. While I was talking with him, he kept falling asleep. You know, that''s notmon..."


    "Normally, he''s wide awake by 5 or 6 in the morning. He can even lecture Peter and Pikachu for over two hours about staying up all night ying games. But now..."


    Matt continued, "It''s almost noon, and he''s still drowsy. This ispletely abnormal."


    Steve was wearing a coat and carrying a slightly worn handbag, appearing ready to leave. Matt asked, "Where are you headed?"


    "I was just going to check on him." Steve ced one hand on his hip, turned his body slightly, and said, "I''m quite sure I won''t be like Tony and get into a debate with Schiller. I just want tofort him a bit."


    "Before you talked to Tony, did you mention that he might have some childhood traumas? But now it seems that some of his mental illnesses might be rpsing. I think you better go observe him."


    "Don''t worry." Steve patted Matt on the shoulder and then left the base. Watching him walk away, Matt shook his head and entered the room.


    When Steve arrived at the hospital room where Schiller was staying, a nurse had just walked out. Steve was about to push the door open, but the nurse stopped him, saying, "Are you sure your appointment time is correct? The patient is asleep now."


    Steve nced at his watch. It was already past 1 PM. He was quite certain that Schiller had never been in the habit of taking afternoon naps. Whether in the small clinic in Hell''s Kitchen or at the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, at this time, Schiller should either be eating or just finished eating and taking a walk.


    "Did he have lunch?" Steve asked.


    The nurse shook her head and said, "He didn''t even have breakfast. He seems to have no appetite. I was about to check the medication dosage with the attending doctor to see if it might be medication-rted..."


    Steve''s brows furrowed even more. He knew that real calming medication didn''t have much effect on Schiller. He shouldn''t have adverse reactions to the normal dosage of medication meant for regr people.


    The fact that Schiller hadn''t eaten on time was quite rming. Steve had always felt that Schiller wasn''t quite like a typical U.S. person; he had high standards when it came to food. He insisted on preparing his meals personally, never ate fast food, never ordered takeout, and would even frown at the sight of a pizza box.


    With these thoughts in mind, Steve nodded at the nurse. He gently pushed open the door and walked in. As expected, Schiller was sleeping on the bed, and he seemed to be in a deep sleep.


    Steve''s brows twisted nearly into knots because he noticed that although Schiller was sound asleep, his sleep wasn''t peaceful. His brows were furrowed, and it seemed like he was mumbling something.


    Steve sat down next to him, and the atmosphere in the room froze for a moment. Schiller, who was asleep, didn''t notice. However, when Loki pushed the door open and saw the scene, the words he was about to say got caught in his throat.


    Loki today wasn''t wearing his usual formal attire. Instead, he was dressed in Asgardian traditional clothing. What stood out even more was that he was carrying amon Earth messenger bag.


    "Uh, good afternoon, Steve. Are you here to visit too?" Loki extended his hand in greeting. However, Steve, unusually, didn''t extend his hand back. He just turned his head to acknowledge Loki with a nod before turning his worried gaze back to Schiller.


    Loki walked over to the opposite side of the bed and cast a nce at the sleeping Schiller. He then looked at Steve, whose face was full of concern, and he quickly understood the situation.


    Loki wiped his face, adopting a mournful expression, and then said, "Actually, I''m sorry I arrivedte..."


    "You know how it was in the battle for session. The conflicts between Thor and me were escting. I was imprisoned by him in an Earth prison. I didn''t understand what was happening on Earth, so I couldn''t be of any help..."


    Loki wore an expression of guilt as he continued, "Schiller is my friend too, and seeing him in this state, I also feel a responsibility."


    Steve raised his head to look at Loki. The guilt in Loki''s eye contact didn''t seem feigned. In fact, Steve knew that in terms of rtionships, those from the Radiance Alliance were closer to Schiller.


    Especially Schiller, Loki, and Strange, the three giants of the Sanctum Sanctorum. If Schiller''s rtionship with Stark was innocent friendship and with Peter was more of a mentor-student connection, then Schiller''s rtionships with Loki and Strange could be described as an interestmunity. Beyond friendship, there was also a professional coboration, which led to a deeper understanding of each other.


    Since Loki had said so, it seemed that Schiller''s mental state must be seriously deteriorating.


    Just as Loki finished speaking, Schiller''s eyelids twitched, and shortly after, he opened his eyes somewhat dazedly. He took a deep breath, sat up, and his expression seemed somewhat mncholic.


    He nced to the side at Loki and then turned his head to look at Steve on the other side. Before Steve could say anything, Schiller spoke to him, "Could you step out for a moment, please? I need to talk to Loki about something."


    Steve''s face registered shock. He had never heard Schiller use such a blunt tone with him. However, Schiller kept his gaze on him and then pointed to the door.


    But what shocked Steve even more was when Schiller turned his head, seeming somewhat irritable, and said to Loki, "Why did youe now? Did the two of you n this?!"


    "Hold on..." Steve stood up and said, "Don''t get angry. I''ll leave now."


    In order not to disturb Schiller, Steve immediately got up and left. He didn''t even exchange a few words with Schiller. Once Steve had finally left and was out of earshot for any conversation, Schiller hammered the pillow in frustration and then said:


    "It''s like a stone in the toilet, stinking and hard!"


    He looked up at Loki with some annoyance and said, "Are you an idiot? You actually collided with the conscience of the Avengers, Captain America. You''re afraid he doesn''t know that I sleep every day just so I can make telemarketing calls and annoy people?"


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 Chapter 526: Schillers Origin Story (1)

    Chapter 526: Schiller''s Origin Story (1)


    Watching the visibly irritable Schiller, Loki wasn''t angered. He smiled, sat down, and ced the briefcase on hisp, saying, "Were the two proposals I gave you not sessful?"


    "It''s not just the two proposals you gave me. Yesterday, Sanctum Sanctorum held two meetings and presented over a dozen sales proposals. Only two of them showed interest, and we still couldn''t finalize a deal."


    Schiller covered one eye with his palm and sighed, "This is the most difficult client I''ve encountered."


    Loki sat down and patted Schiller''s shoulder, saying, "Hang in there. It''s just this one deal. After it''s done, I''ll treat you to a soak in the hot springs beneath the World Tree."


    Taking a deep breath, Schiller said, "Well, they''ve provided me with a ready excuse to stay here and sleep all day. Otherwise, if I were to work at S.H.I.E.L.D. during the daytime and do sales in my dreams at night, I''d be exhausted."


    "But it seems like they''ve misunderstood something..." Loki looked up at the door Steve had left through. Schiller shook his head, dispelling the drowsiness from just waking up from a dream, and then said, "Whatever. Once I finish this deal with Death, they''ll forget about it a few days after I''m discharged..."


    Loki''s mouth twitched, as if he wanted to say something. Steve''s serious expression before leaving didn''t seem like something that would be forgotten in a few days. However, seeing Schiller''s irritated mood due to frequent rejections, he ultimately decided not to say anything.


    "... Are you really okay?" Loki hesitated for a moment and then asked.


    Because Schiller''s current expression couldn''t be described as serene or peaceful; it was more like gritted teeth and seething anger.After taking a deep breath and exhaling, Schiller took another deep breath. He then gave a half-hearted smile, saying, "I''m fine, just feeling a little homicidal."


    "Honestly, you exined to me that concept of Death you mentioned, and it sounds interesting. But I don''t think you need to be so fixated on it. After all, from what I can see, her impact on human civilization isn''t that significant at this stage. There''s no need to rush like this..."


    Holding his arms, Schiller clenched his teeth and said, "Do you think I care right now whether she brings interest to human civilization?"


    Loki patted Schiller''s shoulder again and said, "Enough said, I understand, I really do."


    Indeed, Schiller''s symptoms of narcolepsy were because he truly was addicted to sleep, or rather, addicted to dreaming.


    After obtaining the Judgment Bnce that allowed him to bother Death through the telephone, Schiller almost never stopped dialing Death''s number to pitch his ideas to her.


    At the beginning, Death didn''t respond at all. However, perhaps she grew annoyed by Schiller''s persistence, and she began to subtly convey some information, such as affirming or rejecting certain cooperative approaches Schiller proposed.


    But Schiller''s irritability stemmed from the fact that 99% of his methods were rejected by Death.


    Schiller wasn''t an innocent con artist, and he didn''t consider the cost of time. At this stage, things had progressed beyond the point of interest. Thepetition between Schiller and Death was both about supremacy and survival.


    Furthermore, Schiller wanted to find out why Death didn''t let him die...


    If one were to say that Death''s transactions with Odin and Osiris were meant to bring her more followers, the premise was that Odin and Osiris held devout attitudes. It''s more urate to say that they worked for her rather than trading with her, just like Thanos.


    It could be said that if Odin and Osiris were to bother Death through the telephone like Schiller did, the current Asgard and Egyptian pantheons might not even exist anymore.


    The perspective on time for the long-lived and short-lived ispletely different. The hippopotamus goddess might think it''s incredibly frequent for her children to call her once a week, but she isn''t truly immortal, only long-lived. And her children call her once a week.


    Death is an abstract concept; she is truly immortal. As long as space exists, she will continue to exist. Schiller doesn''t call her once a week; he calls her dozens of times a day.


    Even so, Death hasn''t been annoyed enough by him to kill him. There must be some reason Schiller doesn''t know about. For this reason, he wants to uncover the secret reason Death isn''t collecting him.


    And to uncover this secret, he naturally needs to call Death. So, these days, Schiller hasn''t done anything else. Whenever he has free time, he sleeps and dreams, then takes the Bnce and pesters Death with calls.


    Of course, based on his current performance, neither of these efforts is going smoothly. While Schiller receives calls, most of the time he''s the one talking. She asionally responds, but most of the time, she''s silent.


    Now, Schiller finally understands why Death was able to bewilder Thanos. If she remainedpletely unresponsive and silent, Schiller would likely give up. But now, Death is clearly telling Schiller that she not only possesses personality and wisdom but also analyzes gains and losses.


    What would it be like for an abstract concept to possess personality? How did her personality form? Would she be influenced by external factors like humanity? What''s the difference in psychological state between divinely created beings and naturally born ones? Once an abstract concept with near limitless power possesses likes, dislikes, and the ability to analyze gains and losses, what changes will it bring to space?


    These questions pique Schiller''s curiosity. Essentially, Schiller, embodying the trait of greedy curiosity, is eager to make Death a subject of study and gain power from analyzing her personality and emotional characteristics.


    And a research subject that''s half-dead and rarely responds would make any researcher feel frustrated. Schiller is currently in a very frustrated state.


    Loki keenly sensed this, so he hastily left behind the proposal and rushed back to Asgard without looking back. As he was on the road fleeing, he was still pondering: Which unlucky person will happen to fall into Schiller''s crosshairs? He must make sure to be on Bifrost on time to enjoy the show.


    Another individual who knew this truth was the Supreme Sorcerer Strange. At this moment, he was in the Avengers'' base, participating in a meeting hosted by Steve.


    "...In conclusion, I believe that Schiller might have experienced some stimulus, causing a recurrence of his mental disorder, and the situation is quite grim."


    Steve sighed, his expression more serious than ever. He said, "Aside from considering the suffering he might be going through, we also have to think about the potential destruction if he suddenly bes mentally unstable..."


    Saying this, he nced at Stark. Stark clenched his fist against his lips and then coughed, saying, "I acknowledge, I shouldn''t have provoked him yesterday. But I didn''t expect it to worsen so quickly."


    "Can''t we find a doctor?" Peter raised his hand to ask.


    "That''s the problem." Matt tapped the table with his finger and said, "We don''t have a doctor right now who can provide him with treatment, and he might not even cooperate with the treatment."


    "Starting from yesterday, during ourmunications, he exhibited strong aggression toward me. Today, he''s developed symptoms of narcolepsy and appears quite irritable, with some signs of depression..."


    "If this continues, his mental state might deteriorate step by step. No one knows how it will end."


    Stark sighed and continued, "Moreover, the issue is that mental problems are different from physical trauma; we can''t use magical power to treat them..."


    "Indeed, we practically have no methods right now that can affect a person''s mental state. And even if we do, it''s not guaranteed to work on Schiller."


    "Cough, cough..." Strange cleared his throat. He touched his face and then said, "Are you really sure it''s a mental issue?"


    Matt and Steve looked at him, and then Steve said, "Oh, I forgot, you weren''t there when we described what we saw in Schiller''s Temple of Thought."


    Steve exined to Strange what they had seen there, Schiller''s childhood and adolescent experiences.


    Upon hearing this, Strange had a sudden realization on his face.


    Suddenly, Strange brought up, "Have you noticed, there''s a contradiction in all of this?"


    Stark and Steve exchanged a nce, both of them furrowing their brows, then they looked at Strange together.


    "If, as you guys said, Schiller might have suffered mental trauma during childhood, leading him to develop an anti-society personality during his adolescence..."


    "But the Schiller we saw before was a normal person. You guys aren''t saying that all of his normal behaviors back then were a disguise for a murderer, are you?"


    "Impossible." Peter denied this first. He said, "I lived with Schiller and Dr. Connors for quite a while, and I have Spider-Sense. If he was pretending, I would have definitely sensed it."


    "I don''t think so either." Matt agreed, saying, "His mental issues at that time were much more severe. If he was truly a killer, he wouldn''t have needed to save me."


    "He was facing more serious mental problems back then than he is now. So how did he get better?" Strange asked.


    The group exchanged nces, then turned to look at Strange together. Strange continued, "Or to put it differently, if someone was able to cure Schiller''s severe mental issues back then, then maybe we can cure him now in the same way?"


    Stark rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment, then said, "There''s a reason. Now it seems like he might be experiencing a bipr episode, but his mental issues might have been worse before. So, who cured him?"


    At this point, Strange suddenly spoke up, "Do you guys remember when I first met Schiller, I told you he was wearing a ring?"


    Everyone''s gaze returned to Strange''s face once again. Clearing his throat, Strange said, "And then there''s that cryogenic technology that shouldn''t belong to this era, as well as the significant sry that Schiller''s whereabouts were unclear about, as mentioned by Nick before..."


    "But I remember, Schiller exined." Peter scratched his head, recalling, and then said, "I remember he told Dr. Connors that freezing his wife was the story of a friend of his. That friend was a Cryogenic Scientist who invented such powerful cryogenic technology specifically to freeze his wife suffering from degenerative disease..."


    At this point, Stark stood up, summoned hisbat suit, and then said, "JARVIS, search for global Cryogenic Scientists'' records, filter ording to the conditions Peter just mentioned."


    "Searching... Searchplete..."


    "No results found."

 Chapter 527: Schillers Origin Story (2)

    Chapter 527: Schiller''s Origin Story (2)


    Steve pressed the projector on the table, and a list was projected onto the wall. Everyone could see the Materials of Cryogenic Scientists that matched certain filtering criteria.


    There weren''t many individuals on Earth who could be called Cryogenic Scientists, even when considering those who had already passed away. The number remained in the triple digits.


    Among these people, those capable of researching such genius-level cryogenic technology numbered only a few dozen prominent Schrs, and around 30 of them had spouses.


    However, degenerative neurological diseases were rtively rare cases. Among these 30 Cryogenic Scientists, none had a wife suffering from such a rare illness.


    In fact, among these 30 Cryogenic Scientists, aside from two who were widowed and eight who were divorced, the rest could be considered to have happy families and content lives, without any tragic stories of separation or loss.


    At this point, Strange spoke up again, "As I mentioned before, I am the best neurosurgeon in the world. If someone had such a rtively rare case, I should have at least seen or heard about it, but I really haven''t."


    "Furthermore, when he gave me the Materials, he emphasized that the patient couldn''te for a face-to-face consultation. But if what he said is true, that it''s his friend''s story, then even if the patient couldn''te due to physical reasons, why wouldn''t Schiller''s friend, as the husband, personallye forward?"


    Stark''s voice came from thebat suit. He said, "If such a person truly exists in this world, I absolutely wouldn''t be unable to find them."


    No one considered this boasting, because aside from being Iron Man, Stark was also the leader of Stark Industries, the world''s richest person with unparalleled information-gathering technology thanks to JARVIS'' AI. If he was determined to find someone, he wouldn''t fail.However, Stark truly couldn''t find a Cryogenic Scientist matching Schiller''s description, whether currently alive or deceased. As long as someone in Humanity''s history had any connection to the name Arkham, Stark should have been able to trace their footsteps. But the fact was, there were no traces to be found in any spider web.


    "So, is this just an excuse he made up to hide his story?" Steve furrowed his brows. He said, "There''s another suspicious point ¨C Schiller actually named his Sanatorium ''Arkham Sanatorium''."


    "Where did the surname Arkhame from? And even after relocating the Sanatorium once, he''s still unwilling to give up this name."


    "Tony, can you trace the surname Arkham?"


    "I''m searching." Stark replied. After a while, he sounded puzzled. "No, I can''t. I''ve filtered through all Materials rted to individuals with the name Arkham in Humanity''s history, but there are no matches."


    "Perhaps it''s not a surname, but a middle name." Matt proposed again. He continued, "And don''t forget, if Schiller wanted to cover someone''s tracks, you might not be able to find them."


    Everyone knew that if the friend''s story about the Cryogenic Scientist was true, this point didn''t make sense. Schiller had no reason to hide his friend''s identity. While freezing his wife and waiting for treatment might seem shocking, at this stage, how others perceived it was less important. Instead, revealing his situation might garner more help.


    In fact, this argument was even more convincing if applied to Schiller himself.


    "As far as I know, in the medical field, many people''s spouses are colleagues in the same profession." Strange spoke again.


    Thus, Steve connected this story.


    "Schiller lost his ability to speak when he was young after witnessing his parents'' murder, possibly due to trauma, and was sent to a mental hospital."


    "During his treatment at the mental hospital, he didn''t receive enough attention, leading to the development of his anti-society personality."


    "He spent his adolescent years at the mental hospital, and perhaps, during this time, he met his former lover who cured him. This gradually transformed Schiller into a normal person."


    "Afterward, he embarked on the path of seeking Humanity''s psychological and mental secrets, achieving great sess."


    "Butter, his wife developed a neurodegenerative disease that current medical means couldn''t cure. He had to freeze her, waiting for Humanity''s medical technology to advance."


    "Perhaps there was no progress in this regard for a long time, which might be one of the reasons why his mental issues resurfaced." Steve sighed.


    "Then, the key still lies with his wife." Stark''s tone became more serious. He asked, "Does anyone know where Schiller goes on vacation each time?"


    Everyone shook their heads. Peter hesitated for a moment, then said, "I only know that whenever Schiller leaves, he doesn''t bring anything, so it doesn''t really look like a vacation..."


    "That indicates he might have another ce to stay, perhaps somewhere he used to live with his wife..."


    "But Schiller wouldn''t tell us where his wife is." Steve sat down in a chair and said, "Clearly, he distrusts anyone with this information."


    "We have to find out ourselves." Stark proposed, saying, "Perhaps due to emotional reasons, Schiller came to the conclusion that he doesn''t need anyone''s help, or he believes it''s necessary to keep this a secret."


    "But in reality, we all understand him and are willing to help. It''s not a big deal. If magic doesn''t work, we can ask Asgard. If Asgard can''t help, we can ask other Space-demon gods..."


    "Overall, the diseases Humanity suffers from might not be difficult to deal with in the eyes of these non-human entities. If we can deal with these issues, we might be able to fundamentally address Schiller''s mental problems."


    "The key is where do we start?" Peter said, somewhat perplexed. "I lived with Schiller and Dr. Connors for a long time, but I didn''t find any noteworthy clues."


    "As long as there''s a source, there must be traces left behind." Steve said with great certainty. "As long as this person existed, there''s no way they left behind no traces."


    "...We still need to start from Schiller." Matt suggested, "Perhaps we can find some traces of where he and his wife used to live in his living environment."


    Steve pounded the table and began assigning tasks. He said:


    "Peter, you go investigate the Hell''s Kitchen clinic where you lived with Schiller before. I remember Schiller should have left a lot of things there."


    "Stephen, go to the Arkham Sanatorium on Wall Street where you used to work. It probably hasn''t been renovated yet, so there might be some traces."


    "As for me, I''ll go to the new Sanatorium. Maybe I can find some of Schiller''s living habits there..."


    After Steve had finished arranging the tasks, Stark looked at him, and he looked at Stark. Steve shrugged and said, "I think, based on Schiller''s current mental state, he probably won''t appreciate you barging into his Sanatorium."


    Stark let out a slight grunt and then said, "So, how do you n to get into his new Sanatorium? Climbing the wall?"


    "And how do you n to get in?"


    Half an hourter, Stark got out of his car, and Steve walked over from the other side. He closed the car door, and Stark swaggered his way to the Sanatorium''s entrance. As soon as he entered, a nurse intercepted him.


    Before the nurse could speak, Stark pushed his sunsses down slightly on his face and looked at the nurse from above the sunsses. He said, "Don''t you recognize who I am?"


    "Oh, you''re Stark, the world''s richest person, Stark!" The nurse was taken aback for a moment, but then she quietly stepped back two steps, apparently having heard something about Stark''s reputation.


    Steve approached and patted Stark''s shoulder, saying, "Seems like facial recognition didn''t work so well?"


    "Who said I was nning on using facial recognition?" Stark gave a cold snort, then stopped the nurse and asked, "I''d like to go to the Director''s office. How do I get there?"


    "This Sanatorium operates by appointment and needs..."


    "How much for the highest level of lifetime membership?"


    The nurse''s eyes lit up, and she immediately led Stark to the front desk with a friendly smile. Stark tapped his wrist device twice, and with a ding sound, the sound of money transferring could be heard. The nurse promptly said, "Now, you can use all the facilities here for free, and we have multiple welfare guarantees..."


    "I just want to visit the Director''s office."


    "Well, uh, but the Director isn''t here in person right now..."


    "Do you think he would refuse a senior lifetime member who spent so much money? If one isn''t enough, I can top up another one. I believe you should understand something about your Director..."


    After hearing this, the nurse pondered for a moment and seemed to think that Stark had a point. If Schiller was here, and Stark was willing to spend so much money, Schiller would definitely invite him into the Director''s office with a smile.


    With that thought, the nurse pointed to a staircase and said, "Second room on the left side of the fourth floor, but I''m not sure if the door is locked, or if there''s a key. If you can''t get in, then there''s nothing we can do."


    Stark tossed his head slightly, gesturing for Steve to follow. Steve shook his head helplessly; when it came to manipting currency, no one was better than Stark.


    Arriving at the door of the Director''s office on the fourth floor, Stark noticed that the door wasn''t locked. He walked right in and began searching with Steve in the room.


    These Director''s offices were very spacious, with bright floor-to-ceiling windows and modern-style decorations. One massive desk was located on the east side of the room, piled high with numerous documents.


    Just flipping through these documents took the two of them a long time, but aside from some scattered medical records, they found nothing.


    On top of this desk was a bookshelf, and one side underneath was a row of drawers. All of the drawers could be opened freely, filled with paper documents, except for the bottom one, which was locked.


    Both Steve and Stark noticed this. They came beside the desk, crouched down, and began examining that drawer.


    What was quite peculiar was that there was no handle on the drawer, nor was there a keyhole. Rather than a drawer, it looked more like a solid box that seemed impossible to open.


    Stark hesitated for a moment and gave up on the idea of forcefully disassembling it. He stood up, changed the core of his Mech armor, and with a shimmer of magic light, a dot appeared on Stark''s gauntlet. Then he pressed his finger against the cab door, and magic energy flowed into it. Eventually, a very special lock was discovered on the inside of the cab door.


    With a click, the lock opened, and Stark extended his hand, pulling open the cab door. What came into his view was an old-fashioned folder.


    On the folder was an emblem with a sickle, a hammer, and a red g, gleaming brightly.


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 Chapter 528: Who Made Schiller Homicidal? (1)

    Chapter 528: Who Made Schiller Homicidal? (1)


    Upon seeing that emblem, Stark looked up at Steve. Although the symbol was quite obvious, he still wanted to seek answers from the war veteran who had experienced World War II.


    Steve took the medal from his hand, his eyes showing a mix of shock and nostalgia. He ran his finger over the surface of the medal and then said, "Soviet Red g Medal..."


    At this moment, the expression on Steve''s face could be described asplex. He recited the words above the red g part of the emblem in Russian: "Workers of the world, unite."


    Stark showed a slight surprise. He hadn''t expected Steve to know Russian. But then he remembered the things he had seen in Steve''s world of consciousness. He recalled traces left by the Soviets.


    Looking at Steve''s expression, Stark felt a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, he remembered the way Obadiah had looked when he had just woken up, talking to the military in ce of Stark, recounting Howard and Anton''s stories. That same expression had been on his face.


    Not only Obadiah, even the old general across from them had a very simr expression.


    What puzzled Stark, a person born in the post-Cold War era, was that the previous generation, as adversaries of the Soviet Union, didn''t wholly despise or reject the country when mentioning it. There was even more nostalgia on their faces than any other emotionbined.


    Perhaps, like Steve, they were nostalgic for that special era because it held the causes they had fought for and the proofs of their existence.


    Born in the 1970s, Stark was just a teenager during the Cold War. He found it hard to understand this emotion. He wanted to crack a joke to lighten the atmosphere, but before he could, Steve emerged from that state and said, "I never thought I''d see this again..." He pursed his lips, his expression somewhat serious. He then asked, "Why does Schiller have this medal?"Stark took the medal back, examining its patterns and symbols with a puzzled expression. He asked, "What does this medal represent? Who would receive it?"


    "This is one of the earliest medals established by the Soviet Union. It''s given to individuals who made significant contributions to the country''s cause. Generally, the early Red g Medals hold more weight."


    Stark lowered his head, looking at the somewhat worn medal. Steve confirmed his suspicion. He said, "Judging by the craftsmanship and the details of the design, this should be an early Red g Medal. We just don''t know the specific year it was awarded."


    Both of them turned the medal back and forth, but they couldn''t find any useful details. So, Stark handed the medal over to Steve and said, "You better keep it. In case it''s discovered, you can say it was left by an old war buddy."


    "You..." Steve paused for a moment, but Stark seemed to know what he wanted to ask. Stark paused too and said, "That era won''te back again. Liberate all of humanity? A great dream, but..."


    Stark shook his head. Steve didn''t know which aspect Stark was denying.


    However, it was clear that Stark wasn''t denying it from the perspective of a capitalist. Or rather, the present Iron Man had transcended the ss of capitalists. He was close to being a final producer, almost having limitless productive capacity. If he didn''t believe he had a responsibility toward human civilization, he wouldn''t be restricted by resources, forms of life, or perspectives...


    The past was always tangled, as many things couldn''t be remedied, and that made it all the more painful. As Steve stared at the medal, lost in thought, Stark had already opened the old folder.


    The folder looked quite old. The outer shell was made of thin wood, the iron mps inside were a bit rusty, and the paper was in even worse shape. Ink had spread in many ces, obscuring other letters. Some ink even smeared onto the exterior.


    As soon as Stark looked at the first page, he froze. The page was densely packed with names. And these weren''t famous people''s names. Stark quickly nced over and realized he didn''t recognize any of them.


    Below each name were annotations for nationality and position. But what was odd was that some entries had two countries listed. Some had U.K. and Soviet Union, others had U.S. and Soviet Union, and there were evenbinations of various smaller nations.


    Flipping a few more pages, the detailed descriptions began, but it was clear that whoever wrote this list was in a hurry. The handwriting was very messy, and the quality of the paper and ink wasn''t great. Some parts were so smeared that the information couldn''t be made out.


    Stark activated the scanning program in hisbat suit and said to JARVIS, "Scan all the text on it, then perform aprehensive analysis."


    "Scanning... Contents recorded... Analyzing... Analysisplete..."


    Stark pressed a button on the arm of his suit, and a drone flew out and projected onto the wall. The projection disyed materials with photographs. Steve turned to look at it, reading the title of the materials with confusion:


    "February 12, 2001. Dessified by the Central Intelligence Agency. U.K. Military Intelligence Section Five Espionage Expulsion Materials... udeson Ryan..."


    "What is this? A dessified report?" Steve asked.


    While staring at the projection screen, Stark handed the documents to Steve. Steve skimmed through the pages and indeed found the name.


    As he turned more pages, they were all filled with names and the corresponding nationalities and positions. Steve''s eyes widened gradually, and he took a deep breath. He said, "My God! Could this be a list of spies?"


    "Unfortunately, it seems so." Stark''s expression grew solemn. He said, "In the analysis report JARVIS provided earlier, 201 individuals from the list have been dessified. Their nationalities and positions match those on this list."


    Steve inhaled sharply, swallowing hard, and looked down at the list again.


    He shuffled the papers a bit and said, "This should be from the 1960s and 1970s. If this list had appeared back then, it could have sparked the Third World War..."


    "Correct. Although now, many of the spy identities have been revealed, at that time, it was top-secret, especially these individuals..." Stark pointed at the nationalities under several names on the list. "See? Soviet Union and U.S., U.S. and Soviet Union..."


    Steve sighed, saying, "That''s not surprising. People of that era actually knew that all the intelligence agencies of all the other countriesbined couldn''t match the KGB."


    "Why is that?" Stark stared at the list, clearly long harboring this doubt. He asked, "People of the same era, same level, simr education and abilities. Why did this situation arise?"


    Steve pursed his lips, fell silent for a moment, and then said, "Do you know? The most significant blows to the intelligence agencies of other countries weren''t from the Soviets themselves but from spies who voluntarily believed in Marxist-Leninist ideology within their own countries..."


    "Have you heard of the Cambridge Five?" Steve looked into Stark''s eyes and said, "No official positions, no rewards... and they weren''t afraid of death."


    Stark''s finger, which had been pressing on the list, stopped. To Steve''s surprise, Stark''s expression turned regretful. He then nced at the list and said, "It seems that the story of the Cambridge Five might need to be rewritten..."


    He flicked the edge of the folder with his finger and continued, "This is the Sixth Man."


    "So, the question is, could Schiller have written this list?" Steve asked again. He said, "If Schiller wrote it, it means he was active as far back as the 1960s. Does that mean he''s from the same era as me, Natasha, and Nick?"


    Stark shook his head. "Previously, I loaded a Human Behavior plugin into the Mech armor. ording to JARVIS, the Schiller we know, at least, seems to be a contemporary person."


    "Wait a second, who did you mention just now?" Stark suddenly widened his eyes. He said, "Natasha. Isn''t Natasha from the Soviet Union?"


    "You''re not thinking that Natasha is Schiller''s lover, are you?" Steve was quite shocked. "Impossible. Haven''t you forgotten? Natasha is the ck Widow, and her former husband is already dead."


    "No, I mean, do you remember or not? Natasha told us about her own experiences. Have you forgotten why she can''t age?"


    "Red Room, gic modification?"


    Steve slowly turned his head. He said, "I get it."


    "Schiller might indeed be an ordinary contemporary person, but his lover might be an immortal person who underwent the Red Room''s gic modification, just like Natasha."


    "This could also exin why this medal and these documents are here. They might have been left by Schiller''s wife."


    "And it also exins our previous spection. If Schiller really met his lover when he was a teenager in a mental hospital and she was a doctor at the time, then their age difference could be significant. But if one of them is an immortal like Natasha, then this problem disappears."


    "And that so-called neurodegenerative disease could be a side effect of gic modification."


    Stark frowned. "Let''s rethink this from the beginning."


    "Natasha should have been born in 1928. Let''s assume Schiller''s wife was her colleague. That means their ages should be simr. In other words, Schiller''s wife was born around the 1930s, and in the 1950s or 1960s, she underwent Red Room''s gic modification and began espionage activities."


    "She probably spent over a decade climbing to a high position within a certain country''s espionage institution, and gradually collected intelligence from various countries, organizing it into this list."


    "She might have be a doctor at a mental hospital to cover her identity, and she coincidentally met Schiller, who was undergoing treatment."


    "No matter how she did it, she probably cured Schiller and developed a unique rtionship with him."


    "From this perspective, Schiller''s wife might have had a simr academic level to Schiller, or even stronger. This could also exin why Schiller, who spent many years in a mental hospital, could continue his studies after leaving and still achieve such high aplishments."


    "And one dayter, perhaps due to a genuine neurodegenerative disease or perhaps a side effect of gic modification, Schiller''s wife was near death, and Schiller had to cryogenically freeze her."


    "And his wife entrusted her life''s work to Schiller. However, due to the copse of the Soviet Union afterward, Schiller never had the chance to send these things to Moscow..."


    "It''s possible," Steve affirmed, but then he furrowed his brow and asked, "There''s still one question left. Where did this transcendent cryogenic technologye from? You''ve always said that Schiller isn''t a scientific research person."


    "Of course," Stark put down the documents, crossed his arms, and said, "Saying he can change light bulbs would be praising him. He''s not cut out for working in aboratory."


    "If this technology wasn''t invented by him, then who else could it be? Such advanced technology that transcends eras... wait a minute, transcending eras? Could it be from the Soviet Union..."


    Just then, a shrill telephone ring interrupted them. Steve''s words were cut off, and he took out his mobile phone. The voice on the other end happened to be Natasha''s:


    "Captain, I need you toe over. There are some things I need your assistance with in investigating the death of Hydra leader Baron Zemo..."


    "I was just about to ask you something. I''ll be right there."


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 Chapter 529: Schillers Dark Intentions

    Chapter 529: Schiller''s Dark Intentions


    Inside the Avengers'' base, Natasha took the red g medal in her hands, her eyes widening at the worn marks on it.


    "How is it? Is it real?" Steve asked.


    Natasha slightly opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I''ve never received this medal, and the history of the Red g Medal is quite long with many variations. However, judging from these wear marks, it shouldn''t be amemorative item..."


    "The Red g Medal has been widely awarded, and you can even find them on the market now. It''s unlikely someone would go through the trouble of making fakes, right?"


    After hearing this, Natasha held the medal in her hand, looked at Steve, and said, "Are you a bitte to join themunist cause now?"


    "Don''t joke around." Steve''s face turned serious. "We found this in Schiller Sanatorium''s office. Now, we suspect that his wife might have been from the same era as you, and she might have undergone gic modification. She could have alsoe from the Red Room..."


    "Impossible." Natasha immediately denied this possibility. Then, she gazed at the medal, and Steve looked at her beautiful face but couldn''t read any emotion from it. This female agent had always been adept at controlling her emotions.


    "Perhaps you don''t understand the circumstances of that time, and I''m not eager to discuss it either because it''s been a long time. However, no matter what, it''s impossible for anyone other than me to gain immortality through modification."


    Natasha took a deep breath and began her narrative:"I was born in 1928 in Stalingrad. At that time, the Soviet Union had just started its first five-year n, and everything was in its early stages, including intelligence work."


    "No country in this world didn''t need agents. Realizing this, they began selecting gifted children for training, and I was one of those who received modifications."


    "Were there other children who received modifications around the same time as you?"


    "No, there were no children who received modifications around the same time as me." Natasha sighed and looked at Stark. "At that time, World War II had already begun, Stalingrad had be a frontline battlefield, and the Soviet Union was fullymitted to the war effort. The Red Room n had been shelved."


    "Moreover, back then, science and technology weren''t as advanced. I was the only one who underwent modification, and luckily, it was sessful."


    "You can understand it this way: my encounter with Captain America was simr. We were both born as super soldiers for war. This kind of sess is not replicable. The U.S. doesn''t have a second Captain America, just as the Soviet Union doesn''t have a second ck Widow."


    Natasha''s words convinced Steve. He knew himself that the super soldier serum had only seeded in him. Over 70 years had passed, and there was still only one Captain America.


    If you had to pinpoint a reason, apart from luck, the level of science and technology in that era was indeed less advanced. Steve remembered that before the experiment began, he had overheard the staff saying that it was a massive project that almost bankrupted the army''s budget. However, in the end, there was only one sessful oue.


    At the time, while the U.S. wasn''t as affluent as it is now, the Soviet Union faced simr challenges. Additionally, the Soviet Union had to confront enemies on the frontlines, which likely strained their resources. It was normal for their strategies not to lean in this direction.


    "Or, to put it another way," Natasha crossed her arms and said, "if they had created a battalion of me back then, would the frontlines have been so brutal?"


    Stark and Steve both nodded. Then, Stark suddenly asked, "So, did you defect because they used you as a human experiment, risking your life?"


    Natasha made a scoffing sound and said, "You don''t know how happy I was when they told me I was selected as a subject for experimentation. It was the happiest day of my life because I thought I could finally dedicate my life to this great country with such incredible power."


    Stark observed that Steve turned his head slightly, a touched expression on his face. Evidently, he understood Natasha''s past more deeply now.


    "Fundamentally, there''s no difference between me and Steve. You don''t have the standing to use anyone of risking lives, because Captain America is also a product of human experimentation. We were both created to face war, with no distinction of rank. The difference is that your homes are still intact, while I..."


    Natasha shook her head. Stark noticed a different emotion in Natasha''s eyes as she looked at the medal again.


    But soon, the female agent masked her expression and said, "I believe your spections areplete nonsense. You folks in the U.S. love these melodramatic storylines."


    "First, only I gained the gene for immortality. The other Red Room agents died long ago."


    "Secondly..." Natasha pinched the medal with two fingers and held it up to her eyes. "Do you really think anyone can just obtain this medal?"


    "I acknowledge that theter Soviet Union did tend to hand out medals haphazardly, but judging by the craftsmanship of this medal, it''s an earlier version of the Red g Medal, and it''s quite substantial."


    "However, what you don''t understand is that in the intelligence field, earning the Red g Medal is extremely difficult. One must make significant contributions to have a chance. The Cambridge Five, you should know about them?"


    Stark and Steve both nodded, and Natasha continued, "The most well-known among the Cambridge Five, Harold ''Harry'' Philby, was a recipient of the Red g Medal. And his contributions, well, I don''t think I need to borate on them."


    Shaking her head, Natasha said, "I consider myself a top performer in the Soviet Union''s intelligence sector even before I left the Red Room. I did more than agents did. I even participated in wars. However, I never received this medal."


    "If another female agent had received this medal during that time, I would have known. Furthermore, if there was such an exceptional female agent, we would definitely be familiar with each other. But as far as I know, there is no such person."


    The deduction reached another deadlock. Stark and Steve were lost in thought. At this moment, Natasha suddenly said:


    "The story you''ve concocted is quite melodramatic, and it doesn''t align well with reality. There are too many forced elements in it, with many loopholes in terms of both time and space..."


    "In my view, the situation is quite simple," Natasha spected. "You say he was a rebellious personality in his youth, and somehow he got ''cured'' of it."


    "To put it this way, if there really were such a powerful psychologist in this world, they would have to be an academic giant. How could you have not heard their name?"


    "A female Soviet Union agent, renowned in the field of psychology, an immortal, a sufferer of neurodegenerative diseases... each of these is a low-probability event. The likelihood of them coinciding is quite small, and I believe you''re aware of that."


    "I think Schiller might not have been cured by someone else. It''s highly likely that he healed himself."


    "But Schiller emphasized to us many times that a physician cannot heal themselves," Steve interjected.


    "But he didn''t exactly heal himself either. Is it possible that he was healed by some sort of spiritual or idealistic transformation?"


    Steve and Stark were both taken aback. Clearly, they were reminded of something. Stark was about to question the idea, but Steve said, "Indeed, that''s quite usible."


    "You wouldn''t be suggesting that Schiller is actually that Soviet Union agent, who was inspired bymunism and joined the KGB?" Stark''s tone carried a hint of absurdity.


    "Are urrences like that so rare?" Natasha countered. "In those times, such individuals were numerous. Even though I conducted intelligence work in other countries, I know that the majority of my colleagues were like that, forging ahead..."


    At this moment, Stark heard Steve sigh. His tone had a touch of mncholy, carrying the unique sense of nostalgia when reminiscing about the past. He said, "Correct, perhaps you can''t imagine, but it was an era flooded with idealists."


    "Every Soviet Union person I knew would light up when talking about their country. Since then, I haven''t seen that pure light of idealism anywhere else."


    "Perhaps we might not understand or endorse that ideology, but the country became so powerful for a reason."


    Stark fell silent. The sound of hisbat suit''s "beeps" echoed in his ears. As someone who hadn''t experienced that era, it was truly difficult to envision.


    However, pages upon pages of historical materials scrolled through his mind. They contained examples that were even more sensational than the stories they''d heard¡ªendless waves of people, igniting sparks that grew into roaring mes...


    Yet, standing downstream of history, Stark knew the fate of those towering figures who once stood at the pinnacle of Earth. He looked at Natasha.


    At this moment, Natasha was lost in thought, staring at the badge in her hand. Stark felt a sense of illusion. He saw a hint of longing in Natasha''s eyes.


    He had heard Natasha curse that country countless times. It wasn''t a disguise. He could even say that her condemnation was more heartfelt than if he, an American, were to express it.


    What did she hate so much? What was she reminiscing about?


    Seeing Natasha in this state, Stark began to believe that perhaps those glorious years had be their lifelong pride and lifelong nightmare.


    Stark looked down again at the folder of documents. Was Schiller also like this?


    The so-called loved one didn''t exist. What he loved, what had healed him, what had pulled him back from the edge of the abyss, was the campfire ignited on the Siberian snow, the brilliance shining beneath the red g...


    And now, what tormented him, what he couldn''t let go of for so long, what he would never forget, was this worn red medal.


    It could be said that what they had seen at the Schiller Temple of Thought and what they had spected before were just conjectures. Now, the only tangible evidence was these documents and this medal.


    If there''s one thing that''s certain, it''s that Schiller indeed possesses this red medal, has indeed seen this once immensely important list, and does indeed have a rtionship with that deceased country.


    Perhaps, the only true harmes from here, and it''s incurable.


    Stark and Steve both realized this.


    In Schiller''s Temple of Thought, after witnessing that gruesome scene, they felt that if they had to choose between a copse of their mental fortitude and death, they would choose thetter.


    But now, it seemed that the copse of their mental fortitude might not have been the worst. After all, there were deeper catastrophes that followed.


    "I believe he doesn''t need treatment," Natasha said, clearly speaking about Schiller, but Stark heard her as if she were talking about herself.


    "If he truly fell ill because of this, then he doesn''t need treatment. He can''t be treated, and nobody is qualified to treat him."


    Steve and Stark fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Stark spoke as if he had recalled something, "Wait a minute, if both the stories about his parents and his wife aren''t true, then who does he want to resurrect?"


    Steve widened his eyes and locked gazes with Stark. Both of them suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Steve spoke rapidly, "I remember, he already hung that ''Hades'' on a coconut tree, faced Death''s threat, and that Hades didn''t help him resurrect the person he wanted to resurrect. That suggests that the individual might be beyond resurrection..."


    "Or in other words, even Hades couldn''t resurrect them, so the only possibility is..."


    Stark and Steve turned around quickly. Natasha called after them, "Wait! The matters involving Hydra and Baron Zemo!"


    Stark turned around and extended his hand, saying, "Do you really think Hydra matters now?"


    Even Steve chimed in, "I understand Hydra. At most, they''d resurrect Red Skull. I could just fight him again if needed. But if Schiller wants to resurrect the Soviet Union... dear God! Stark, start the car, let''s go to the hospital!"


    The two hurriedly left, not even bothering to take the folder of documents and the medal. After they left, Natasha yed with the medal for a moment, then took out her mobile phone and called Nick.


    "Hello? Director, I guided them as you instructed. I think they believe it now. However, the stories about Schiller''s wife and parents seem quite true, they really aren''t..."


    On the other end of the line, Nick''s voice came through with a cold snort, "Wife? He had a damn wife? I bet even the stories about his parents were fabricated by him, just to dupe sympathetically-heroic figures like Iron Man and Captain America."


    "He''s been hanging out with Loki and Stephen again recently. He must have found another poor sap to pit against. Mental illness? He''s only mentally ill because he can''t scam money!"


    "Using a fake death and a demon god''s eruption to force me to reveal the Helicarrier, and yesterday, those annoying military folks took away one of my carriers!"


    "Moreover, Schiller even took out Baron Zemo. Without this big enemy, what am I going to do with next year''s budget?!"


    "And those three frauds without a sense of virtue still want to fool Iron Man and Captain America into doing their dirty work? They don''t stand a chance!"


    Natasha shook her head. Clearly, she wasn''t quite in agreement with the term "three frauds."


    ying with the medal, Natasha said, "To be honest, Director, where did you get an early version of the Red g Medal? It''s not easy toe by."


    "Red g Medal? What Red g Medal? I clearly got the Order of the Mothend Medal, those are all over the ce. I got a decent one and had Coulson deliver it... Coulson! Coulson! What''s going on? Did you send the wrong medal?"


    "You haven''t delivered it yet? What have you been up to?! Wait, if your medal hasn''t been delivered, then Natasha''s ce... Hello! Hello? ...Natasha, are you there?"


    With a snap, the medal fell onto the table. Natasha lowered her head slowly, looking at the documents left on the table, utterly stunned.


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 Chapter 530: Who Made Schiller Bloodthirsty? (2)

    Chapter 530: Who Made Schiller Bloodthirsty? (2)


    Stark and Steve arrived at the hospital room, and as expected, they found Schiller asleep again. Stark approached and shook Schiller, but there was no response. He manipted hisbat suit to y music, activated vibration mode, and then ced his hand on the bed''s headboard. However, Schiller remained in a deep slumber.


    Steve had already gone out to call the doctor. When the doctor came in and conducted an examination and adjusted the machines, he said, "All physiological indicators are fine. He''s not in aa. He''s genuinely just sleeping."


    "You might not know this, but in many mental disorders, insomnia and excessive sleepiness can ur simultaneously. He probably had symptoms of insomniast night, so he''s sleeping soundly during the daytime. If you don''t have any pressing matters, you cane backter to see him."


    After the doctor left, Stark frowned as he looked at Schiller. He said, "I think we need to find him in the Temple of Thought and get this sorted out."


    Saying that, he walked to the other side of the room, to the adjacent patient bed, and said to Steve, "You stay here and keep an eye on me. I''ll enter a dream state to find Schiller and figure out what''s going on."


    Steve didn''t object. He also knew that it was safer for Stark, who now possessed knowledge of magic and psychology, to enter the dream world. Bringing Steve along might actually hinder their efficiency.


    Moreover, if both Schiller and Stark were in the dream world at the same time, with no one guarding their physical bodies, it could be risky. So, Steve settled down in the middle of the two beds, with Schiller on his left and Stark on his right.


    Once in the dream, Stark used the same method as before to enter Schiller''s Temple of Thought. This time, the temple was much busier. From the bottom to the tenth floor, there were numerous figures. Astonishingly, there was even a Schiller waiting to receive him.


    A version of Schiller with an Earth-like head approached Stark, shook his hand, and enthusiastically guided him onto an elevator.Inside the elevator, he introduced himself to Stark, "Recently, I don''t know what''s gotten into Schiller. He locks himself in his room every day, using that Bnce to make phone calls..."


    "He mutters to himself even when facing an empty table. His words are all about resurrecting conditions, the Hall of Heroes, and the like..."


    "To be honest, we''re worried, but it''s hard to ask. Since you''re his friend, you might be best off advising him. Tell him not to get lost in his dreams all the time and to quickly get back to the real world to get things done..."


    The globe-head version of Schiller''s head became increasingly serious as he spoke. The elevator came to a stop, reaching the 201st floor. He guided Stark forward, saying, "This is a temporary office floor. His office is all the way in the back. You''ll see it when you push the door open."


    This Schiller was considerate, even pointing Stark in the right direction. Stark nodded and walked briskly towards the room.


    When he pushed open the door, he saw Schiller sitting at a desk. There was nothing on the desktop except for the Bnce they had seen before. One end of the Bnce had a feather, while the other end had a heart.


    At this moment, the inner end of the heart was higher, and Schiller pressed it down with two fingers. There seemed to be an invisible presence Stark couldn''t see, and he pressed down on the other end.


    Schiller was drinking from a cup when Stark entered. Consequently, Stark didn''t hear what he was saying. He walked up, hesitated, and saw an empty chair ced opposite the table. Stark thought of sitting down and moving closer...


    "Sit over there," Schiller pointed to the other side of the table. A chair appeared there. Stark was momentarily surprised and asked, "Why?"


    "Someone is sitting across from here." Schiller extended his finger and rubbed his temple. In his line of sight, there was a woman in professional attire. Her name tag read, "Party A Manager."


    The female figure was mainly based onics Schiller had seen before. Originally, the image of Death in his mind was the same as in Thanos''s mind, as it was the image that left the deepest impression on Schiller from theics he had read in his past life.


    After a few rounds of negotiation, Death''s attire had changed from the usual robe to a professional officedy outfit. Because after dealing with the likes of Party A Managers, there would be hardly anyone else as difficult to deal with.


    Fortunately, Schiller had made some progress. Now, Death was willing to sit across from him and have a conversation, an unprecedented breakthrough.


    So, even when Schiller heard someone calling him in the real world, he didn''t leave. He was determined to close this deal, even if it was the king of kings who hade. He wouldn''t let it go until it was settled.


    Some might think that this was just a projection Schiller conjured up, much like Thanos''s case. However, it was entirely different; Death was truly here.


    To be frank, Death was someone Schiller couldn''t easily trick. Throughout his long professional career, he had dealt with many beings, including Odin, Osiris, Mephisto, H, and more.


    Most gods who held the position of Death in their pantheons, or those who possessed the authority to resurrect, had engaged in trade with her. The general process was that these gods sensed Death''s presence, and when they perceived Death as having a tangible form, they would see her in the manner that Thanos did. At this point, they would realize that Death yearned for more deaths, and resurrection was just another way to bring about death.


    They understood that Death, as an abstract concept, couldn''t create death directly. She needed to use intermediaries, in other words, she couldn''t simply tell Odin to "go and kill someone." She could only achieve her goals through an indirect approach. For instance, she could grant Odin the authority to resurrect warriors, thereby enabling him to bring about more deaths.


    They gleaned these insights in the depths of their consciousness when contemting the entity of Death. Once they agreed, the trade waspleted. There wouldn''t be any dramatic changes, just a permission granted from now on for resurrection. The Souls they specified would be rejected by the Realm of Death.


    And how Death discerned these designated Souls was through tokens. Odin''s token was his spear, and Osiris''s token was the Bnce.


    Normally, tokens weren''t lost. The objects of Death''s trades, often possessing the power of resurrection, would usually develop many followers and be powerful. No one would wrest these tokens from them. For example, it would be difficult to take Odin''s spear from him.


    A long time ago, when the Egyptian pantheon was thriving, it had many followers and Osiris was mighty. However, in recent times, the Egyptian pantheon had encountered many problems and hadn''t followed the path of ascent like Asgard. Hence, the trade volume represented by the Bnce had always remained low.


    Death''s power was limitless, but refusing Souls meant a loss of ie. This loss became her investment in this pantheon.


    Only when rejected Souls created more death could this investment break even. However, due to the recent decline of the Egyptian pantheon, their followers were few, and powerful individuals were even fewer. The Bnce''s trade volume had been incurring losses for a long time.


    Death had already allowed Osiris to resurrect many followers, which was akin to a sunk cost. If she were to give up the Bnce at this point, then those rejected Souls would be a wasted effort, wouldn''t they?


    Any creature with humanity, when faced with sunk costs, would hesitate. Death was no different.


    Therefore, she''d rather endure Schiller''s annoying phone calls than abandon this avenue. Who knew, in a few million years, the Egyptian pantheon might evolve into something like Asgard.


    However, on one hand, Schiller was indeed too annoying. Pushing sales wasn''t just an enemy of humanity; it was harassment that any intelligent creature would find intolerable. Death had roamed the realm of love for so many years, and regardless of whether they were powerful Space overlords or lofty gods, they were all her subjects. Yet, only Schiller was different; he didn''t talk about love, he didn''t talk about emotions. Every day, he was all about money, money, money, money, money. In just three days, he had proposed over a hundred ns, made thousands of phone calls, and every sentence was about interest rates, principal and interest, loans...


    To be honest, after listening for so long, Death almost had a grasp of humanity''s financial theories.


    Because of this, Death was indeed intrigued. In Schiller''s words, her previous mode of cooperation had been inefficient, involving too much effort for too little gain.


    Schiller utilized theparison between Asgard and the Egyptian pantheon to provide a thorough analysis of why this method didn''t work.


    In simple terms, every investment carried risks, and nobody could have a foolproof strategy. One might make a substantial profit from one investment, only to suffer a massive loss from another. This was akin to the prosperous Asgard versus the near ruin of the Egyptian pantheon.


    And there were numerous ways to achieve aprehensive investment portfolio, especially since Death held such enormous authority. With this in mind, Schiller analyzed why Death''s previous methods weren''t working as effectively.


    This analysis deeply resonated with Death. However, she wasn''t like the Spacedemon gods. With her immense power, she didn''t wish to cooperate on equal terms with anyone; she wanted to control Schiller just as she did Thanos.


    At present, their rtionship was straightforward: Schiller wanted to use Death, and Death wanted to use Schiller. Both knew each other''s hidden agendas but were reluctant to let go of the mutual benefits. Schiller wanted to win, Death wanted to win; they both sensed each other''spetitiveness but couldn''t abandon their own pride.


    Anyway, they had been at a standoff for a long time, only recently achieving a breakthrough when Death finally appeared to negotiate with Schiller.


    However, the negotiations weren''t going smoothly. Death was aware that the situation wasn''t in her favor. She didn''t know how Schiller learned of her final condition, that creating more death was her ultimate goal. Yet, she was oblivious to Schiller''s endgame.


    Right before Stark entered the room, Death was probing Schiller, trying to ascertain what he intended to achieve with their trade.


    Coincidentally, during halftime, Stark entered. Stark wasn''t Death''s negotiating partner, so he couldn''t see Death at all. In his perspective, Schiller was just mumbling to the air.


    "Truth be told, Schiller," Stark ced his hands on the desktop and said earnestly, "I can understand your past ideals and beliefs. Even though I''m not a Marxist, after hearing Steve and Natasha talk about the glory of that era, I can''t help but feel moved."


    Schiller was preupied with all those contracts and treaties, so Stark''s words caught him off guard.


    "But, just like I told Steve, that era has passed. Dwelling on the past won''t bring any benefits. It''ll only hurt you to be consumed by it. And if you want to resurrect the past, it''ll hurt even more people."


    Stark looked into Schiller''s eyes and spoke earnestly, "If you want to resurrect the Soviet Union, I have to dissuade you."


    An overworked and mentally drained Schiller didn''t grasp what Stark was saying, but suddenly he saw Death across from him freeze, a look of fear on her face. Then, she swiftly disappeared.


    Before departing, her voice echoed in the room:


    "You want to resurrect the Soviet Union???"


    "Goodbye!!!!!!"


    Schiller was left dumbfounded.


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 Chapter 531: The Plot Takes Another Strange Turn (1)

    Chapter 531: The Plot Takes Another Strange Turn (1)


    On the tenth level of the Temple of Thought, inside the hospital room of the Asylum, young Schiller and the towering Khonshu sat side by side on the bedside. Schiller was cing a circr piece from Khonshu''s staff onto his wrist, while Khonshu was fixing his staff using a pile of circrponents.


    Holding his partially repaired staff, Khonshu extended his arm, taking the staff further away to examine it. Finding certain details unsatisfactory, he brought it back to continue the repairs. Young Schiller had been ying with the circr piece all this while, seemingly studying why it emitted light.


    Suddenly, the room in the Temple of Thought trembled gently. Some of the worn-out walls shed bits of ster onto the floor. Khonshu, perplexed, looked around, but he didn''t notice anything amiss. However, young Schiller immediately stood up.


    In the midst of Khonshu''s slightly rmed expression, a ck umbre appeared in Schiller''s hand, and right after, the tip of the umbre "twanged," revealing a hidden de.


    "What''s going on? Where are you headed?" Khonshu stood up and asked.


    Young Schiller didn''t respond; he simply strode out of the hospital room, clutching the umbre de. His chilling words lingered in the room:


    "I''m going to kill."


    In the real world, Steve sat between the two beds, engrossed in a magazine.


    Initially tired, he had experienced intense emotional fluctuations earlier and engaged in various reasoning, which had consumed a great deal of mental energy. However, due to his ongoing anxiety, the more nervous he felt, the harder it became for him to sleep. Instead, he upied himself with the magazine the nurses had brought him.Through the edges of the magazine, he noticed Schiller, who had been lying on the bed, make a slight movement. Steve immediately put away the magazine, ready to approach Schiller and talk to him. But all of a sudden, he realized that Schiller''s demeanor had changed.


    In a moment, Schiller''s eyes opened, and his icy, ruthless gazemunicated to Steve that the person who had returned wasn''t the gentle psychologist but a cold-blooded killer with an anti-society personality.


    With somewhat mechanical movements, Schiller sat up on the bed. Meanwhile, Stark on the neighboring bed also woke up. Steve turned around and saw Stark sitting on the bed, shaking his head, and then suddenly springing up.


    Stark extended his hands toward Schiller, trying to calm him down, saying, "Schiller, calm down. Listen to me and let me exin. There''s a huge misunderstanding here. I didn''t mean to..."


    As Steve turned his head back, he noticed that Schiller''s clothes were tinged with silver. The light outside the window dimmed suddenly, and Steve saw the sun gradually being covered by the shadow of an eclipse. The horizon wavered with a dusky hue, as if night was impending.


    "Katcha¡ª"


    Stark''s steelbat suit adorned his body, and the sound of propulsion filled the room, creating a significant gust of air. Steve shielded his eyes with his arms. When he lowered his arms, he saw Stark break through the window with a "bang" and fly out.


    The shattering ss made Steve take a few steps back. He turned around, but at that moment, with a "whoosh," Schiller wielded an umbre de. With a "swish," he dashed past Steve and spun him around.


    Once the two had flown out of the hospital and began a frantic chase across New York''s skyline, Steve finally breathed a sigh of relief. He approached the window, his hands on his hips, gazing at the scene outside.


    Steve wasn''t necessarily expecting Stark to persuade Schiller; he had anticipated it. Having experienced that era, he understood how unyielding that group of people could be. However, now it seemed like the matter wasn''t about persuasion anymore.


    Steve was puzzled. He couldn''t entirely rule out the possibility that Stark might resort to violence against Schiller. Once their conversation broke down and anger surged, they might very welle to blows.


    Stark had entered Schiller''s Temple of Thought. It was impossible for anyone to defeat Schiller within his own dream; if Stark couldn''t win within the dream, he would naturally retreat. As Stark fled, Schiller would surely give chase. But why did it seem like the killer version of Schiller, the one who had taken down Baron Zemo earlier, was the one pursuing Stark?


    Stark has really pushed Schiller''s buttons to make him release such a dangerous persona in pursuit of him.


    Thinking this, Steve''s conscience wouldn''t allow him to stand idly by. He jumped out of the window and followed the two who were in pursuit.


    Generally, Schiller''s way of attacking involved dispersing into Grey Mist, then using the advantageous nature of Grey Mist to subdue the opponent. After all, even the strongest melee warrior couldn''t hit a mist, and they could easily be enveloped by the pervasive mist.


    Schiller''s fighting style primarily revolved around subduing the opponent. Often, by the time the opponent realized what was happening, they were already knocked out.


    Steve, skilled inbat, knew that this was abat strategy Schiller employed to cover up hisck of fighting skills. It was a way of ying to his strengths, as someone who had never learned to fight might not urately injure an opponent even with arge de, and might even hurt themselves more easily.


    The advantage of Grey Mist''s nature was so strong that it only needed to take shape to deal with most problems. So, both Steve and Stark had always thought that this was Schiller''sbat style.


    Consequently, the hundreds of countermeasures within Stark''s Mech armor were all designed to counter this particr approach, including the gigantic vacuum cleaner he had previously pulled out.


    In theory, as long as the size and power were sufficient, the vacuum cleaner could be effective against anything, including various celestial bodies in space and even Grey Mist in its mist form.


    However, this time Schiller showed no intention of changing forms. He wielded the umbre de, utilizing the power of the Moon God Khonshu. Swing after swing, immense de shes blocked Stark''s flight trajectory, forcing Stark toe to a halt and confront him face to face.


    "JARVIS, quickly record his movement trajectory, analyze his fighting habits, and calcte his route..."


    "Recording in progress, sir. However, the data is currently insufficient. The rmendedbat strategy we can offer at the moment is to switch to magic energy and activate a magic shield..."


    "But magic energy is quite limited!" Stark said, somewhat frustrated.


    He manually controlled the Mech armor, evading the lethal de shes, while also mentally calcting energy distribution. Meanwhile, he had to activate the speakers and try to reason with Schiller, urging him not to fall into a delusional frenzy.


    Because, from Stark''s perspective, he had never seen Death. Suddenly, the Bnce that had been ced in the center of the table "clunked" and broke apart, as if an invisible giant hand had ttened it. The tray shattered into pieces. After a momentary pause, Schiller''s expression transformed into something incredibly grim and insane.


    Subsequently, the entire floor began to tremble. If Stark hadn''t reacted quickly and dashed away, he might not have had the chance to return to the real world...


    Stark''sbat suit hadprehensive protective systems, including an energy shield attached to the surface of the armor and a repulsion mechanism based on maic field principles. But the moonlit Schiller, wielding the umbre de, vividly illustrated what precision and lethality meant.


    Now, the Ark reactor in Stark''s chest was close to infinite energy, but it was still subject to output limitations. The energy shield had to cover his entire body and required some time to deploy. If any part of the suit was struck hard by Schiller, the shield in that area would weaken, and there would be a several-second dy in extracting energy from the core to transmit to that section.


    Exploiting this, the moonlit Schiller, capitalizing on the fact that JARVIS hadn''t yet collected sufficient data and hadn''t figured out his attack patterns, targeted the joints of thebat suit with his de.


    Instantly, the energy shield was overwhelmed. With multiple points of impact, some joints in secondary pathways couldn''t be shielded in time.


    For example, if both the shoulder and elbow energy shields were attacked simultaneously, the energy would initially be diverted to the shoulder. At that moment, the elbow would be virtually defenseless. Schiller''s de struck, causing sparks to fly, and Stark rapidly retreated.


    He nced at his own elbow, where a massive crack had formed on the armte, revealing the internal wiring structure. Thebat suit''s rms were ring incessantly, and JARVIS'' pop-up notifications nearly drowned Stark.


    However, Schiller wasn''t content to only attack Stark''s limbs. He knew very well that in a short time, JARVIS would analyze hisbat strategy and provide effective countermeasures. When that happened, inflicting damage would be difficult.


    Therefore, the strategy to counter this super AI is to engage in rapid attacks, causing enough damage before it gathers sufficient data. By the time they have software data, the hardware would be damaged to a point where it can''t support continuedbat.


    Clearly, Steve, who had just caught up, also grasped Schiller''s intentions. He shouted to Stark, who was surrounded by the de shes, "Evade! Don''t let him hit you!"


    "I know!" Stark shouted back, equally loud. However, he was quite concerned; they were over the skies of New York, specifically the densely popted Brooklyn area. Everyone had stopped and was looking up, witnessing the showdown between the two superhumans in the sky.


    Because they were battling in the high sky, there was no impact on the ground below. Schiller''s de shes were powered by the Moon God Khonshu. Once swung, they gradually dissipated, resembling moonlight.


    However, if Stark were to activate heavy weapons firepower, the falling debris alone would be enough to cause significant harm to ordinary people.


    Without the option of firepower coverage, a significant portion of Iron Man''s attack methods became unusable. Stark, who hadn''t upgraded to the Iron Sorcerer state, now had to rely on the drone swarm he had previously developed to interfere with Schiller''s movements.


    In the sky, the sr eclipse phenomenon persisted. The sun''s light was obstructed, and the moon''s radiance shone as expected. The border betweennd and sky was caught between the warm colors of dusk and the cold light of the moon, creating a eerie and dreamlike atmosphere of terror.


    As the sun gradually sumbed to the eclipse, two figures flying in the sky were locked in fiercebat.


    On the ground, countless ordinary people took out their mobile phones, photographers raised their cameras, journalists flocked to the scene, and the production team of thetest reality show urgently assembled all their scouts and employees to begin live-streaming this war between superheroes.


    Stark, who had been struck on the calf by the de, couldn''t hold back any longer. He rapidlymanded thebat suit to retreat, swiftly moving away from Schiller. He spun and flew towards the distance, much like a guided missile. In the process, he said to JARVIS, "Switch to magic energy!"


    "Energy switch in progress... Switchplete... Would you like to activate the demon gods form?"


    "Do we have enough energy?"


    "Using the demon gods form can be sustained for a maximum of 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The energy consumed during the previous usage was extensive, and we haven''t had time to replenish it."


    Stark nced back, observing Schiller relentlessly chasing him. Moonlight seemed to ripple around him. Stark knew that it was the power of the Moon God Khonshu. From start to finish, Schiller hadn''t been controlled; theirs was a cooperative rtionship.


    Although Stark had a considerable amount of magic energy, he still couldn''tpare to the established Egypt God Khonshu. After all, Stark was a human, whereas Khonshu was a genuine demon god. In this situation, he couldn''t engage in a drawn-out battle with a demon god.


    If Schiller were truly an enemy, Stark could directly ascend to the pinnacle of individual space and crush him with ease. But unfortunately, Schiller wasn''t an enemy.


    Schiller was going mad due to the copse of his beliefs. Stark could only subdue him, not kill him. Thus, he spoke:


    "Do not switch to the demon gods form. Use the magicbat system."


    "The magicbat system is still in the process of debugging. Many aspects are not yet perfected. Are you sure you want to activate it?"


    "Activate it!"


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 Chapter 532: The Plot Takes Another Strange Turn

    Chapter 532: The Plot Takes Another Strange Turn


    In a moment, a dazzling halo of colors radiated from Stark. While it didn''t reach the grandeur of the light exhibited by demon gods, it possessed a mysterious and dazzling brilliance. The damaged Mech armor, repaired by magic energy, was restored to its original perfection.


    The entire armor was now a gleaming gold and crimson, with the golden parts adorned with a mysterious red hue. A halo of light unfolded behind Stark, forming a shield of magic energy that refracted into a rainbow of colors. Amidst the sturdy mechanical aesthetics, a touch of eerie beauty was added.


    Simultaneously, the moonlight behind Schiller grew brighter. A crescent moon rose behind him, and the phantom of Khonshu seemed to float within it.


    Two figures, one gold and one silver, radiated brilliant light across the eclipsed sun. As they shed, their radiance merged, creating a second sun that seemed toe alive in the dark of night.


    With the magic shield in ce, Stark''s closebat became a strength. Guided by JARVIS, who had gathered more data and analyzed Schiller''s movements, Stark inclined to approach Schiller. He used the magic glow attached to his palm to fend off Schiller''s attacks.


    Schiller was not to be outdone. He had refrained from disying muchbat prowess earlier, all to avoid JARVIS'' analysis. But now, the de of his scattered knife moved like a blossoming flower,unching attacks from various deceptive angles, blocking Stark''s movements. Sharpened de lights aimed for lethal targets.


    In the midst of the sprawling battle, Steve struggled to find an opening to intervene. Before long, Spider-Man swung into view and still baffled, asked, "Captain, what''s happening? Why are they fighting again?"


    "The negotiations between Stark and Schiller fell apart," Steve summarized the preceding events.


    In such a situation, he couldn''t provide Peter with too much detail. However, Peter interpreted it differently, his expression growing serious. He asked, "So, what do we do now? Whom do we need to stop?""Whom to stop? Of course..." Steve paused himself here, unsure why Schiller had suddenly turned to violence against Stark. And looking at Stark, he seemed somewhat hesitant to retaliate.


    Spider-Man surveyed the scene and urged, "We need to stop them quickly. Thismotion has grown toorge. When I arrived, I heard people specting, ''Can superheroes manipte an eclipse? Will they extinguish the sun?'' This could lead to panic!"


    The aerial conflict intensified, even parting the clouds. Stark confronted the frenzied Schiller. Despite half of Schiller''s face being covered by the mouthpiece of the Moon Knight''s suit, Stark could still perceive the coldness and cruelty he had never seen before in his eyes.


    This reminded him of what he had seen in Schiller''s hospital room in the Temple of Thought Asylum. Suddenly, he realized that the person he was facing now might be that genius serial killer.


    With this thought, Stark believed that a swift conclusion was necessary. Such a personality was uncontroble; if Schiller''s target shifted away from him, it would be disastrous.


    "Steve! Steve! And Peter, are you there? Come help stop him!" Stark shouted.


    Steve and Peter had been itching to join the battle on the sidelines. They took advantage of Stark engaging Schiller and attacked from below.


    While Steve clearly sided with Stark, Peter seemed to lose sight of the distinction. He didn''t aim to aid Stark against Schiller; rather, he positioned himself between them, appearing suspiciously like a double agent.


    "Hey! Peter! What are you doing? Stay clear of my flight path!" Stark hastily pulled up, avoiding Peter obstructing his trajectory. But Peter retorted, "No, Mr. Stark, you can''t just charge in like that. Dr. Schiller could get hurt."


    Before he could process this, a massive cross-shaped de light hurtled towards him. Stark dodged as best he could, but it grazed his arm, causing the magic shield''s energy radiance to dim. Stark roared, "Then why didn''t you stop him when he attacked me?!"


    "I can''t do magic! I couldn''t stop him!"


    Steve covered his face in exasperation.


    Soon, other members of the Avengers arrived on the scene, Venom being the first.


    Venom roared and charged straight at Schiller.


    Stark wondered why Venom was acting so recklessly, but then a massive beam of light sliced through the air. Venom''s symbiotic body was dispersed by the attack, causing him to cry out in pain. In the next moment, he shifted his aggression toward Stark.


    Following Venom, the other symbiotes also entered the fray. Despite their usual tensions with Venom, when faced with this situation, they naturally sided with Stark.


    Schiller wasn''t without allies either. Answering the call of the Moon God Khonshu, the Moonlight Killer, Jack, reappeared. Wrapped in bandages and with red-glowing eyes, he looked even more terrifying in the eclipse-lit night.


    Suddenly, radiance descended from the center of the battlefield. The figure of Strange emerged, his voice carrying an air of authority:


    "Cease this at once! The power of magic should not descend upon New York. Those who misuse magic will be expelled from Earth..."


    As the words were spoken, deep red ribbons surged towards Stark. Dodging and yelling, Stark protested, "It''s not just me using magic! Isn''t Schiller using magic too?"


    "He''s using demon gods'' magic."


    Strange responded while battling, leaving Stark stunned. He eximed, "I''m using demon gods'' magic too! I am a demon god myself!"


    "Demon gods are even less wee on Earth. Go back to your dimension!"


    "Damn it, you''re just settling personal scores!"


    Just then, like a fleeting rainbow, a radiant young woman with a dazzling halo appeared in the center of the battlefield. Her voice resonated through the sky,pelling everyone to listen to her teachings.


    "Ie on behalf of Asgard. Asgard implores that internal strife within Earth cease. All issues can be resolved through dialogue. We do not seek to meddle in Earth''s affairs, but peace is the pursuit of all..."


    "Meaningless wars only result in needless casualties. Rational discourse is the only way out..."


    With a bang, a shield narrowly missed Lady Loki''s hair as it flew past. Steve chased after it while shouting, "Sorry, miss. Please make way!"


    "Lady Loki, are you..."


    Lady Loki''s words were cut off by a thunderbolt that struck down. Thor appeared behind her, covering her mouth. Addressing everyone, he said, "Apologies, apologies. She''s been mentally unstable during her confinement. I''ll take her back immediately..."


    "Thor! What are you doing? I came for peace!" Lady Loki shouted. Thor, dragging her away, gritted his teeth and said, "Please stop causing trouble. I acknowledge that Sif barged into your room and argued with you. She was wrong. Let''s return now; your confinement isn''t over yet..."


    During the sibling tussle, a massive de light swooshed down. It sliced off a lock of Thor''s hair. Thor stared at Schiller, astonished, and demanded, "What are you doing?!"


    Schiller''s response was another swift strike.


    Now, the situation above New York had turned peculiar. It mainly consisted of Stark''s faction, Schiller''s faction, peacemakers, and the troublemakers with no apparent purpose.


    These individuals soared through the sky, radiant like multiple suns suddenly added overnight. Though they flew at high altitudes without causing substantial damage to New York, the ensuing panic resulted in a massive traffic jam.


    Various televisionworks set up equipment at intersections, eager to capture the hot topic. Some daring ones even reached the rooftop of a building near Captain America.


    A bearded reporter held a camera up to Steve''s face, asking, "Captain America, since your resurrection became widely knownst year, this should be your first appearance in the public eye, participating in a superhero battle..."


    "How do you assess this superhero ''civil war''? What sparked this conflict? And where do you foresee its conclusion?"


    "It''s not a civil war." Steve set the tone for this ''war,'' stating, "It''s merely an exercise. For this purpose, superheroes from various backgrounds have been invited."


    "Do superheroes need exercises too?" The reporter, Bob, expressed surprise.


    "Of course. Besidesbating crime on the streets, superheroes must remain vignt against potential alien invasions or space wars. We''re always prepared for that. So today, with S.H.I.E.L.D.''s permission, we''re conducting an exercise among superheroes."


    Steve cleared his throat. He was familiar with this script, given his background in public rtions. He extended his hand, pointing to the sky as he introduced:


    "The golden side is represented by Iron Man Stark, mainly employing science and technological, as well as biological science and technology,plemented by AI''s strategic tactics. They''re currently in the lead."


    "Meanwhile, the silver side, led by... well, Moon Knight, relies mainly on mystical powers."


    Frowning, Steve adopted a serious expression, addressing the camera, "Previously, you may have heard of incidents where monsters trapped in seals broke free. The reason the government didn''t suppress the information and organized this exercise today is to reassure everyone that those monsters aren''t as terrifying, as superheroes are stronger."


    "Everything is within our control. So, don''t panic if you encounter such situations again. Follow the n..."


    As Steve passionately tried to provide reassurance, a subtle change urred on the battlefield.


    Schiller''s actions began to slow down, Stark noticed. The aggressive attacks waned, and Schiller even paused mid-attack, shaking his head. He seemed somewhat disoriented.


    From Stark''s perspective, Schiller was likely experiencing hallucinations again. So, Stark shouted, "Schiller! Stay focused! Don''t let it control you. Those are just your illusions..."


    However, Stark was surprised to hear Schiller, hovering in mid-air, gritting his teeth and cursing at the air, "You''re all so noisy!"


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 Chapter 533: The Strange Twist of the Plot (2)

    Chapter 533: The Strange Twist of the Plot (2)


    Looking through Schiller''s eyes, besides his usual indifference, there''s also a lot of irritability and impatience. Further in the depths of the Temple of Thought, two figures in ck and white are standing at opposite ends of the tower, engaged in a heated argument.


    "If you hadn''t ignited the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America first, causing them to chase me around New York for so manyps, why would I have given you so much work to do?"


    Wearing a ck suit, Schiller with a serious expression said, "If you hadn''t broken my umbre, how could I have ignited the conflict between them?"


    "Wasn''t that my umbre too? Did I want to break it?"


    "Shut up! I acquired the umbre through a n from Copperpot. After I handed it over to you, you actually broke it. And you still have the nerve to say it was your umbre?!"


    "But didn''t I get the New Umbre for itter?"


    "But you broke it before that!"


    Wearing a white coat, Schiller took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, "Did you have anything to do with that ''Marcism'' Stark mentioned earlier?"


    "Just now, I realized that the Philby list and medal that were stored by Grey Mist are both missing. You must have deliberately taken them out in my world and let Stark discover them, trying to frame me as a KGB agent!""Are you not a KGB agent?"


    "Of course not!"


    "But I am."


    The Schiller in the white coat was taken aback, while the Schiller in the ck suit continued, "Since we are the same person, I''m not really framing you. I simply hinted to Stark about my beliefs."


    "When did you be KGB?!"


    "At the moment I saw the Red g Medal."


    "You..."


    Marvel Schiller was so angry that he felt like he needed oxygen, while ck Suit Schiller shrugged and continued, "I obtained the list and the medal. They were just temporarily stored in Grey Mist. When I take them out and where I ce them is entirely up to me."


    "Stark broke into your Sanatorium and ransacked your house for clues. He happened toe across my personal items. That''s just bad luck on your part," DC Schiller said casually.


    Marvel Schiller rolled his eyes vigorously. Coincidence? That''s a load of rubbish! If it wasn''t for DC Schiller''s guidance, he would''ve been in a real mess!


    "Calm down. After all, we are the same person. This constant cycle of revenge between us won''t solve anything," DC Schiller vanished and then appeared beside Marvel Schiller. He patted Marvel Schiller''s shoulder and continued, "Furthermore, I''m not entirely pitting you. Right now, they think you''re a lunatic driven mad by shattered ideals, and they even believe you want to resurrect the Soviet Union."


    "We all know about the door-in-the-face technique. If you want to open a window and they disagree, you tell them you want to remove the ceiling. Then they''ll agree to let you open the window. It''s the same principle."


    "You said you''re with Hydra, and they might want to judge you for that. But if you say you''re a staunchmunist warrior, devoted to resurrecting the Soviet Union throughout your life, even Hydra can be ept in that situation."


    Marvel Schiller nced at DC Schiller and sarcastically made a sound. "Tsk." But DC Schiller continued:


    "Moreover, earlier, when Stark chased you around the skies of New York for so many rounds, you surely must have thought of revenge?"


    "Recording devices and such are too childish. Your methods, Marvel, are truly... not worthy of praise."


    "But now, you see, you have a very reasonable excuse to chase Stark and Steve around the skies of New York and even to physically assault them, all because you''re a lunatic."


    "They not only have to control themselves from retaliating, but also have to speak to you gently. Later on, they will have to provide you with the highest-level hospital room and the best doctors. If you''re unhappy one day, you can go crazy and beat them up again."


    "Do you think I''m you?" Marvel Schiller rolled his eyes again. "I''m a pacifist. I''ve always dealt in business and never resorted to violence. And what''s the benefit of beating them up, besides wasting my energy?"


    "The benefit is joy!"


    "More importantly, your character has be even moreplex now. In Marvel, where the origin story is emphasized, such aplicated, bizarre, and mysterious origin story gives you more confidence when promoting to certain powerful entities."


    DC Schiller draped his arm around Marvel Schiller''s shoulder and walked down the staircase, saying, "Back then, when you were trying to sell Death over the phone, you should have asked, ''Do you have any issues with mentally ill patients?'' She definitely wouldn''t have dared not to show up."


    Just at that moment, Moonlight Schiller''s furious shout echoed in their minds, "You guys are arguing again!"


    Both Schillers looked up simultaneously. The one in the ck suit, DC Schiller, clicked his tongue and said, "We had quite a bad temper when we were young."


    Marvel Schiller also crossed his arms and said, "But we did look pretty cool... Look at this move. Tsk tsk, now Stark can''t keep saying I only know how to change light bulbs."


    "This angle of attack is quite tricky..." DC Schiller leaned on the railing, gazed upward, and said, "I should''ve had him fight Batman that day. A sh between masters, it would''ve been amazing."


    Just as Moonlight Schiller was struggling with the noise in his head and paused in midair, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier lifted off, arriving at the battlefield. Natasha stood on the deck and spoke to Schiller, "Schiller, Director Fury wants to see you. He''s asking about the criteria for calcting the sries for the new season..."


    "Is this really the time to talk about that?!" Stark yelled, "Can''t you see he''s gone crazy?!"


    Suddenly, in Stark''s gaze, Schiller became nk for a moment before quickly regaining his senses. He said, "Alright, I''ll go right away."


    With that, he transformed into a cloud of Grey Mist and flew toward the helicarrier, leaving the onlookers in the sky dumbfounded. Stark''s teammates all turned to Stark and asked, "Didn''t you say Schiller went crazy? Isn''t this perfectly normal..."


    Stark snorted and used his suit''s controls to fly up to the helicarrier as well.


    When the helicarrier returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark, Steve, and Peter were nning to leave directly, but Natasha stopped them. She said, "Don''t leave just yet. The Director has something for you."


    Schiller entered the office first. After a while, Natasha came out to call Stark and the others. Stark, Peter, and Steve all entered the room, followed by several other Avengers.


    Nick stood behind his desk, his expression extremely serious. With everyone present, he spoke in a somber tone, "There''s news I need to inform all of you about..."


    "Just a moment ago, during a meeting in Congress, someone proposed a ''Superhero Registration Act.'' Now, they want you to attend the meeting and vote. If the majority agrees, the act will be activated."


    "The Superhero Registration Act? What''s that?" Steve asked with confusion.


    "Simply put, Congress wants all masked heroes to publicly reveal their real identities and register under S.H.I.E.L.D.''s oversight and management."


    "Why has this act suddenlye about?" Steve asked again.


    "It''s all because of the mess you guys stirred up," Nick said with his arms crossed, sounding annoyed. "I don''t know who it was, but due to a power eruption, the seals on demon gods were broken, causing too many supernatural individuals to enter the stage."


    "Furthermore, there''s been an increasing number of superheroes imitating your actions, even appearing on variety shows, spreading more widely."


    "Don''t you understand those old men in Congress? They see these as uncontroble powers that need supervision and control. Moreover, if your roles be too significant, wouldn''t that make their roles seem trivial?"


    "If superheroes rece some of the government''s functions, their authority will be weakened, and people won''t trust the government anymore. Instead, they''ll trust superheroes. They won''t allow that to happen."


    "And you..." Nick rapped his knuckles on the desk, saying, "Today''s battle has given them the perfect excuse to challenge you. Yourmotion has been too great."


    "Just as Schiller and Tony started fighting, they urgently convened a meeting. From then until now, less than an hour has passed, and the draft has already been mostly approved in the Senate. Only your votes are left."


    "In other words, they''ve been waiting for you for quite some time, right?" Steve frowned.


    "Correct. Ever since superheroes appeared on the New York stage, you should have anticipated this day. They believe that this country reached where it is today through various checks and bnces on power, and the same will apply in the future."


    "Therefore, whenever a new force emerges, they seek ways to limit and supervise it. Such individuals with extraordinary powers must be monitored."


    "What''s S.H.I.E.L.D.''s stance?" Stark inquired.


    Nick sighed and said, "This is their way of restraining S.H.I.E.L.D. Because if we were to oversee you, you would surely be dissatisfied, resisting S.H.I.E.L.D. in any way possible. When we be adversaries, won''t we hinder each other?"


    Just then, Natasha nced at her watch and said, "Director, we need to hurry. They''re pressing us hard. The military personnel are already there. If we''rete, they might nder us..."


    Nick waved his hand and said, "No time for exnations. Everyone on the ne, to the conference room. Follow my lead."


    With that, Nick led the way out, the others following him. Stark and Schiller didn''t exchange nces, just walked out straightforwardly.


    At the Capitol Hill conference room, it was indeed crowded. Steve recognized a few familiar faces, the members of Congress who had been present during the Star explosion incident. Apart from them, there were more people, generals from the military, all familiar to Stark.


    As they approached, someone registered their names. Iron Man and Captain America gave their titles, and so did Spider-Man. When it was Schiller''s turn, without even looking up, he said, "Moon Knight."


    Stark made a dismissive noise, seemingly disdainful of the title, but Schiller didn''t mind. He only needed a formal entry.


    In the center of the conference room, everyone took their seats. Stark and Schiller chose seats rtively far apart. Steve hesitated for a moment before sitting next to Stark. Peter, concerned about Schiller''s mental state, sat on Schiller''s side.


    Once everyone was seated, an elderly senator at the center began reading from a script, "Given the uncontroble nature and the immense power of superheroes, Congress believes it''s necessary to impose restrictions on their actions to ensure the safety of ordinary citizens..."


    "Public safety has always been our priority. The Superhero Registration Act will not only enhance cooperation among superheroes, but also better guarantee the safety of the public..."


    Upon hearing this, Stark was about to speak when Schiller on the opposite side of the room mmed the table and said, "I agree!"


    Everyone stared at him, even the senator reading the script froze. But unexpectedly, Schiller rapidly continued:


    "However, I believe that merely registering identity, age, and upation won''t achieve the desired oversight. It''s essential to registerprehensive personal information, including identity, age, educational background, family history for three generations, specific physical fitness details, ability specifics, religious beliefs, preferences, favorite colors, mental health history, and so on..."


    "At the same time, I think that superheroes, with their strong powers, might view themselves as superior,cking awareness of public safety, potentially abusing their immense power and harming ordinary people."


    At this point, the senators began nodding in agreement. But Schiller''s tone started to fluctuate:


    "Therefore, I propose that superheroes should receive public education, realizing that to achieve impartiality, the revolution must continue until absolute equity is achieved in society."


    "For this, everyone should ''lose the self''."


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 Chapter 534: Schillers Expertise (1)

    Chapter 534: Schiller''s Expertise (1)


    Left or right, that is the question.


    Before delving into this matter, it is necessary to rify what is meant by left and what is meant by right. Some might think thatmunism is left and capitalism is right, but that''s not entirely urate.


    When this concept was initially developed, left represented radicalism, while right represented conservatism. Later, Marc believed that left-leaning represented advanced systems and the lower sses, while right-leaning represented traditional systems and the privileged ss.


    In Western economic society, left stands for democracy, and right stands for freedom. Correct, initially, democracy and freedom were actually opposing concepts.


    Specific details need not be borated, but one must mention one thing: the far left and the far right.


    The so-called far left, summarized with a not entirely urate but rtively simple concept, is the unrestricted sacrifice of personal freedom for the sake of public security, with everything under the absolute control of the mighty state apparatus, leaving no personal freedoms intact.


    On the other hand, the far right advocates for the removal of all restrictions, the elimination of benefits for the weak, survival of the fittest, with no governmental control. It involves an oligarchic rule and the pursuit of absolute freedom.


    Many people might have already realized that in fact, the Superhero Registration Act is a left-leaning act.


    As previously mentioned, only left-leaning approaches would concern themselves with the safety of the lower sses, that is, the so-called public safety. They advocate sacrificing some personal freedom to support the weaker individuals, striving for equality.If it were a right-leaning approach, they simply wouldn''t bother with this act. The strong Superheroes would be stronger, the weaklings weaker, and it would be their own problem.


    But the problem is, this is the U.S., a capitalist country where right-wing ideologies prevail. However, why is this the case? It''s rted to the concepts previously mentioned. The capitalists surely hope the government won''t meddle in the economy, the less regtion, the better; ideally, they don''t want to provide welfare to the lower sses so they won''t have to pay taxes.


    So, in a country like this, why was the Superhero Registration Act introduced? There are two reasons.


    Firstly, fundamentally, politicians differ from capitalists. Politicians are not gold-centered, but power-centered. Their everything relies on the size of their authority. The priority of anything can''t surpass the magnitude of their power.


    Therefore, ideological struggles are like a gun. They shoot when they need to shoot, but it''s best to stay silent when they don''t need to shoot. As long as they can control these Superheroes to serve their authority, ideology is not the most important aspect.


    Secondly, the survival of the fittest advocated by the right is not suitable in this case. Because, for Superheroes, all ordinary people are weaker. Survival of the fittest would mean they are offering themselves up as a meal to the Superheroes.


    When the Superheroes are strong, they naturally advocate survival of the fittest. But when they are weak, they must proposews to restrict and supervise the strong. This is why the debate between left and right is an eternal proposition, always swinging back and forth.


    Someone might say, since left-leaning tendencies are more inclined towardmunism and the concerns of the lower sses, Congress ys the role of liberator in this matter, and they are the good guys.


    However, it''s not that simple. Left and right are not only about actions and results, but also about motives. To truly understand the essence through appearances in the ideological struggle, one must look at the primary motives.


    Congress proposing this act is fundamentally not about the concerns of the lower sses. The statement by the congressman who chaired the meeting, "Public safety is our top priority," can be interpreted the other way around.


    In reality, public safety is theirst concern. Their first concern is the size of their authority, the second is the division of authority, the third is personal interests, and only then may the safety of ordinary people be considered.


    Or, in fact, they might have never considered the safety of ordinary people, because they are well aware that once conflicts among Superheroes are provoked, resulting in wars, it could pose a greater threat to public safety, but they don''t care at all.


    So, if we must categorize the Superhero Registration Act, we can say that the logic of the content is left-leaning, but the motives and eventual results are certainly right-leaning.


    Having analyzed this, let''s now look at the choices of all the characters in the originalic.


    Iron Man chose to agree with the act, while Captain America chose to disagree. This is not fundamentally because Iron Man protects ordinary people and Captain America defends the Superheroes, but because the congressmen set a trap with this act.


    In other words, they showed Iron Man the left-leaning aspects of the act, and with Iron Man''s intelligence, he could naturally understand that the act is left-leaning. If fully implemented, it could protect ordinary citizens.


    But what they showed Captain America was the extreme left-leaning part of the act, which involves excessive sacrifice of personal freedom to achieve dominance, including the aftermath of a failed implementation leading to mutual destruction.


    Fundamentally, the two of them saw different parts of this proposal. It''s not urate to say who''s right or wrong. If one must find the culprit of this internal conflict, it''s the person who came up with this act and used semantic games and information gaps to differentiate the two.


    From this logic, there are many ways to address the issue of the Superhero Registration Act leading to an internal conflict.


    For instance, serving as a mediator, eliminating the information gap between the two, allowing them to understand each other''s pursuits and concerns. This approach could have a high probability of diffusing the conflict, making them sit down and talk. However, the final oue might still be the implementation of the registration act, just softened, shifting from a left-leaning approach to a more moderate middle ground. The ultimate aim of the act would then transition from expanding authority to maintaining the status quo.


    On the surface, this seems like a win-win situation, but in reality, the Superheroes are still taking a step back, and as long as there''s a first step, there will be second and third steps.


    However, there''s actually a simpler approach.


    Left and right, just like in the real world, are rtive.


    Compared to the extreme right that demandsplete absence of governmental intervention and promotes oligarchic rule, even those slightly right-leaning individuals who ask the government to focus less on the economy appear extremely left.


    Simrly,pared to the radical extreme left represented by Schiller, who advocates total surrender of personal information freedom and subjecting oneself to state control, the entire act seems conservative and right-leaning.


    The so-called method to deal with this issue is actually to present the superficial left-leaning nature of the act as being right-leaning when contrasted with the extreme left, aligning the perspectives of Iron Man and Captain America. This eliminates the difference of one focusing on the content while the other on the motive.


    Furthermore, due to theparison, Iron Man, initially slightly left-leaning, and Captain America, moderately right-leaning, both find themselves in the right-wing camp when contrasted with the extreme left represented by Schiller. They naturally fall into one camp.


    As long as you''re not as left as me, you''re all right-wing.


    The question is, how can Iron Man and Captain America be more left-leaning than Schiller?


    Schiller is no longer left; he''s nning to shoulder America, turn left with all his might, and step on the gas pedal...


    In other words, elerate.


    Upon hearing Schiller''s outrageous n, Captain America certainly cannot agree. He ms his hand on the table, stands up, and says:


    "I disagree! Schiller, you''re mad!"


    "Captain America..." Schiller sighs, his tone returning to calm, the fervor gone, but a more dangerous aura emerges. He walks away from his table andes to the center of the field, looking into Steve''s eyes as he says:


    "Have you participated in so many wars, when you see yourrades wounded, bleeding, dying on the frontlines, do you feel sorrow?"


    Steve also steps forward and says, "Of course I do. It''s precisely because I don''t want my currentrades to suffer the same tragedy that I don''t want them to be tools controlled by the government."


    "So, ask yourself, would they regret it?"


    Steve clenches his jaw and says, "No, of course they wouldn''t regret it. They are true steel warriors, shedding blood but not tears. Why would they regret?"


    "So, why don''t they regret it?"


    Steve gazed at Schiller in silence, and Schiller stared back at him. In Schiller''s eyes, Steve saw a glint that he found somewhat familiar.


    "They don''t regret it because they know that when they fight and bleed on the frontlines, they''re doing it to protect the ordinary people behind them. They sacrifice themselves for the millions of lives behind them."


    "So then, having fought side by side with them, why are you unwilling to sacrifice yourself for the ordinary people behind you?"


    "The Registration Act isn''t even asking you to bleed and die. It''s merely requesting you to share your information and ept supervision. It''s only natural."


    "Yourrades have given so much, including their most precious lives, just so ordinary people don''t get caught in the crossfire..."


    "And now, by refusing this act, you''re putting ordinary citizens at the constant mercy of sudden outbursts from Superheroes. You haven''t regressed the era, but you''ve regressed in spirit."


    "Captain America, you long for that era, but that era might not long for you. Because you''re not worthy."


    Stark, sitting on the other side, saw the pained expression on Steve''s face.


    It''s difficult to engage in a debate with a psychologist who has once treated you, for they will always wield your past vulnerabilities like a sword. At this moment, words hold more power than fists.


    "Enough, Schiller!" Stark walked out from behind the table and said, "I''m not questioning your beliefs, but the method you''re proposing is too absurd, something no one could ept."


    Schiller also looked into Stark''s eyes and said, "It''s like a bnce, one side being your personal information, the other side being public safety. Do you think your personal information is more important than the lives of ordinary people?"


    "I don''t think that way." Stark denied, but he still couldn''t bring himself to say the words "it''s worth considering," which were already on the tip of his tongue.


    Schiller''s enthusiasm was running too high. If he followed Schiller''s words now, the next step would be freeing Washington.


    Moreover, did others not know? Didn''t he know? Schiller has even gone mad enough to want to resurrect the Soviet Union. Now, with his foot on the gas pedal, he will do whatever it takes to find every reason to press down. Stark must not give Schiller this opportunity.


    So, despite Stark''s alignment with the ideology of the act, he can''t express his agreement now. If he says he agrees, it''s like pouring fuel into the tank. Once the fuel is in, if Schiller steps on the gas, Red Skull might just resurrect in North America.


    Thus, Stark and Schiller began to debate.


    But as is well known, the more extreme the rhetoric, the stronger the aggression, and the better it upies a favorable position in a debate. Schiller firmly held onto the core left-leaning idea, that everyone should serve the public, all bing cogs in the national machine to achieve true equality and democracy.


    In that case, if Stark still clung to his right-leaning theory, there would be no way he could ovee Schiller. Therefore, he had to lean further and further right, until he reached the far right, to possibly stand against Schiller.


    But then the question arises, can Congress ept the far left? Or can they ept the far right?


    In fact, they can''t ept either.


    The far left would mean the imminent revival of Red Skull, while the far right would mean weakening the government''s authority to a minimum, allowing economic magnates to dominate. That''s not what they want at all.


    It''s like asking them to choose between two piles of excrement, one smelling worse than the other.


    In reality, they just wanted to create aw that would cause internal strife between Superheroes and S.H.I.E.L.D., thereby boosting their own power. How did it suddenly turn into an ideological battle of life and death between them?


    But now, Schiller had already shattered the ceiling. The Superheroes present had been drawn into the increasingly intense debate between him and Stark.


    Debates among intelligent people often carry strong emotional undertones. The atmosphere had been set for this. If the future direction of the U.S. wasn''t decided today, it couldn''t possibly end well. At least that''s how the observing Superheroes saw it.


    But the problem is, Congress doesn''t actually want an ideological battle. Everyone knows that once this sort of struggle begins, everyone present, whether leaning left or right, won''t escape a terrifying purge.


    Finally, one of the congressmen who was presiding over the meeting couldn''t take it any longer. He mmed the table and said, "Both sides, calm down! Quiet! Listen to me! Stop!!"


    His next words were meant to get both sides to calm down and avoid escting the situation to an overly extreme level. He was about to use some clich¨¦d words for conflict resolution and announce the end of the meeting.


    They could continue another day, excluding this extremist Moon Knight, and then use other reasons to incite Iron Man and Captain America.


    But just as he was about to say this, Schiller pointed his finger, and a silver light struck the congressman. Suddenly, he found he couldn''t make a sound.


    At this moment, he heard Schiller say:


    "To prove that I''m not all talk, I''m willing to set an example. I''ll first disclose my own true identity and specific abilities to show mymitment to public safety."


    As he spoke, the silver on him gradually receded, and even the iron mask over his mouth disappeared. After revealing his face, not many recognized him because he rarely appeared in public. He then introduced himself.


    "I know that not many people know me, but I must introduce myself. I''m Schiller Rodriguez, a psychologist. You can find my papers in major journals. Without false modesty, my academic level is quite decent."


    "At the same time, I also serve as a psychologist in S.H.I.E.L.D. This one here, Iron Man, received 230 hours of treatment from me, and this one here, Captain America, was scheduled for 130 sessions of treatment by S.H.I.E.L.D., though he only attended less than half of them..."


    "As for the others..." Schiller gestured to the Superheroes present. "You should know that pressure is heavy even for Superheroes, and they are all regrs at my ce."


    By this point, the expressions of everyone below had changed. S.H.I.E.L.D.''s psychologist was far left, and every Superhero present had received his treatment...


    Was it treatment or preaching?!


    But what Schiller said next truly sent a chill down their spines.


    "And my abilities... perhaps you know someone, my special abilities, in terms of type and intensity, are quite simr to his. That someone is¡ª"


    "Professor X."


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 Chapter 535: Schillers Expertise (2)

    Chapter 535: Schiller''s Expertise (2)


    "ude! ude! What''s wrong with you? ... Someone, quickly! ude has passed out!"


    A voice shouted from the seats of the parliament, and next to him, an elderly man with white hair copsed directly under the seat with a loud "thud." The surrounding people were all in a panic, rushing towards the elderly senator.


    Chaos erupted among the seats, and the presiding senator had no choice but to forcefully m the table and say, "An emergency ident has urred! Adjourn the session! Immediately adjourn!"


    "He''s having a heart attack, call a doctor!"


    At this moment, Schiller''s voice came from the front, "I''m a doctor! I''ming!"


    "Wait!" Stark hurriedly rushed over, intercepting the excited Schiller, and Schiller and Stark started wrestling right there.


    Steve was afraid that Stark couldn''t stop Schiller, so he let Schiller actually go forward and hung the old senator on amppost. He had no choice but to pick up his shield and join Stark in stopping Schiller.


    "Spider-Man! Come help me, I need to go up and save people!" Schiller shouted as he fought.


    Peter was puzzled. When Schiller and Stark were arguing just now, he had been sleeping secretly underneath until someone shouted for a doctor, waking him up. He thought, since someone was calling for a doctor and Schiller happened to be a doctor, why not let him go save people?So, when he heard Schiller''s call, Peter rushed up directly, and Stark and Steve started shaking people. Just as Steve was about to throw his shield, Stark shouted, "This is Capitol Hill, you can''t use superpowers here, you''ll bring down the building!"


    Steve was frustrated but had no choice, so he began throwing punches. As a result, this group of superheroes started tearing at each other like a street brawl, creating a chaotic scene.


    "Stop fighting, everyone stop fighting! This is the Congress meeting hall!" someone yelled from below.


    But by this time, chaos had already taken over the stage. No one could hear anyone else amidst the "thud," and Peter crashed into the presenter''s desk with a "thud," causing the presenter to roll and crawl away.


    The flying presenter''s desk first smashed into the wall behind, then with a "whoosh," it flew up andnded on the seats, causing everyone at the point of impact to scramble out in panic.


    Soon, several individuals with the ability to fly soared into the air, throwing punches and kicks mid-air.


    Schiller would smash Stark to the ground for a while, then Stark would knock Schiller down. After a series of bangs and shes, the extent of the damage to the Congress chamber would conservatively be enough to deceive budgets for half a year.


    And so, this chaotic meeting with a tumultuous start and finish came to an end amidst the superheroes'' disorderly brawl and the screams of the senators. But this incident was far from over.


    First, the members of the registration bill faction made it their priority to investigate Moon Knight Schiller''s sudden madness.


    It turned out that investigating him was no small matter. Just a few days ago, he had been taken by the Central Intelligence Agency under the pretext of espionage. But in the process of the investigation, both he and the agent investigating him disappeared. A sessful conversion, perhaps?!!


    Looking at his academic achievements, they were equally impressive. He was known worldwide as a psychologist. Either he was ssmates with other well-known individuals, or he was their alumni or teacher.


    And his circle of friends was equally impressive. Renowned superheroes were either his patients or friends.


    What was even more significant was that they consulted Professor X Charles to confirm if Schiller indeed possessed such powers. Given Charles''s unique mind-reading ability, he had a profound understanding of each person''s unique abilities.


    The answer they received was even more astonishing. Charles said:


    "He indeed possesses a mind-reading ability simr to mine. Moreover, in the world of consciousness and dream exploration, he is number one. Just a few days ago, I was fortunate enough to have his assistance inpleting some academic research that had long puzzled me. I''m not kidding when I say he''s even stronger than me."


    Charles was known for his modesty, so his words needed to be taken with a grain of salt. But even after considering his humility, didn''t that essentially mean that Schiller was on par with him?


    In fact, all the ruling factions in the world had once pondered: what if Professor X suddenly decided to exert control over all of humanity through brainwashing? What would they do?


    After decades of contemtion, they realized they had no answer.


    Everything relied solely on Professor X''s high moral standards and extreme self-control. Besides that, there was no alternative.


    They had also wondered what would happen if someone with lower moral standards and less extreme self-control emerged. And now, something even more terrifying had urred.


    Schiller was not only a telepath but also an extreme leftist.


    The veteran senators knew that even within the Soviet Union, extreme leftists were a minority, and they were difficult to manage. They were rarer than stones in a pile of dirt.


    It could be said that they had drawn the short straw. They had picked someone with abilitiesparable to Professor X''s and handed him the most headache-inducing role¡ªan S.H.I.E.L.D. psychologist.


    Could S.H.I.E.L.D. even keep him now?!!


    Just as they had spected before, how would you deal with Professor X?


    Answer is that he cannot be dealt with, only appeased, allowing this time bomb that can manipte all of humanity to roam Earth, hoping he doesn''t go mad on a bad day.


    Any anger or dissatisfaction towards this situation can only result in impotent fury. No one dares to approach him, and countermeasures are out of the question.


    Currently, Schiller''s situation is like this as well. Besides Charles''s endorsement, Iron Man and Captain America have also confirmed Schiller''s abilities.


    Iron Man, who had taken a nce from above Space, knew that Schiller indeed possessed the power of telepathy. While the intensity couldn''t be verified, given how much his words hit home, the intensity must be significant.


    Captain America, on the other hand, inferred why Schiller always managed to get under his skin. Schiller was a telepath, and hitting the mark was a given.


    To some extent, Schiller was more frightening than Professor X. He didn''t have the burden of a mutant school or opponents like Mao. He had no attachments and no adversaries, making him nearly invincible.


    At this stage of events, the approach to dealing with Schiller had shifted from how to eliminate or control him to how to appease him, preventing him from going mad.


    They were ustomed to this kind of thing. Over the years, the U.S. had sprinkled countless sugar-coated bullets. Even the once unwavering Soviet Union eventually sumbed to their corruption, didn''t they?


    Give Schiller what he wants, let him do what he wants. Find weaknesses, then capture those weaknesses. They had the patience.


    Then, from Iron Man, they received earth-shattering news¡ª


    Schiller wants to resurrect the Soviet Union.


    Senators above 80 years old in Congress fainted on the spot.


    They should have long realized that aside from wanting to turn Earth into a red state, what else could an extreme leftist fanatic want?


    In a secret meeting room, an old man with white temples, dressed in a suit, handed an oxygen tank to a recently arrived agent. He removed his face mask and took a deep breath, clutching his chest as he sat down.


    On the other side, a general dressed in uniform, looking slightly younger, also sighed. He said, "I''m a bit puzzled. He has both the ability and the ideology, so why can we still sit here safe and sound?"


    The old man across from him sighed and said, "Don''t you understand? By revealing his identity, as S.H.I.E.L.D. ims, he''s showing that he doesn''t want to resort to extreme measures first. Or brainwash the whole world. Such actions surelye at a cost."


    "He''s using this as leverage, wanting to negotiate with us. But we don''t have the corresponding leverage, so regardless of the price he sets, we can only ept it."


    "What do you think he will ask for?" the young general asked.


    "I think it''s best if he sets an astronomical price, even higher than Gorbachev''s, several times higher would work. But he mustn''t ask for..."


    Just then, a piercing telephone ring echoed through the room. An assistant entered with a secure telephone, the old man picked it up, and a voice came from the other end:


    "Your Excellency, we have established contact with Mr. Rodriguez."


    "What conditions did he set? Money, status, or someone''s life, we can give him..."


    "No, he said..."


    As the answer came from the other end, the man known as the Vice President started trembling uncontrobly. The young general looked at him and saw a mix of helplessness andplexity in the old man''s eyes.


    "What does he want?" the young general asked.


    "He said he wants a brighter lighthouse."


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 Chapter 536: Schillers Forte (2)

    Chapter 536: Schiller''s Forte (2)


    What is the best era?


    Perhaps everyone has their own answer.


    Stark feels that the best era is the present. Humanity is about to enter the vast expanse of the stars, and he will achieve greater aplishments than his father.


    Steve thinks that the best era was the previous one, the era that belonged to him ¨C a pure yet grand era filled with waves.


    Nick Fury thinks that the best era is always the next one; unknown enemies mean more funding.


    But if we add an adjective in front of this question, for the civilization of Humanity, which era is the best?


    It''s the era of distant confrontation and strongestpetition.


    In that era known as the Cold War, the two superpowers engaged in all-epassingpetition. During that time, all the genius and wisdom of Humanity were unleashed. When the twin suns rose, a thousand stars ascended.


    In that era, there was a red giant striving toprehend Humanity''s great ideals, and there was a world lighthouse that never settled for mediocrity, gazing at the sea of stars.In that silent era, tiny sparks of friction were ignited. Even today, they continue to illuminate the fire of science and technology.


    However, the fall of the red giant did not mean the other side won. It can be said that both of them lost, and so did the civilization of Humanity.


    The once brilliant lighthouse, no longer needed to illuminate the night sky or guide ships home, grew old and its wires began to decay, dust covering its light bulbs.


    This lighthouse that gradually faded away will no longer be polished by night watchmen, for it''s no longer necessary.


    They won''t rescue ships stranded in the distance, and no one can me them anymore. The sailors caught in storms and waves thousands of miles away won''t turn to another path just because they stood by.


    At this point, everyone believes that the best and worst era has passed and will never return.


    Although the roaring mes made of countless sparks have extinguished, now another fire is kindled.


    It''s a fire within a person, iparable to the once mighty giants. However, his abilities are immensely powerful, so he marches alone.


    The terrifying and alluring Red Skull returns to Earth once again. He didn''t resurrect, yet he did resurrect.


    What changes will Professor X, who holds a firmmunist ideology, bring to Earth?


    Perhaps the only change is that the deceased soul has been brought back. She reaches out her arm, embracing Earth, and from high above in the sky, she watches over everything here.


    The lighthouse better shine brightly, or we will make it shine.


    In the office of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick hangs up the telephone. In an unusual serious tone, he says to Coulson beside him:


    "Notify everyone, get ready for a meeting!"


    The light bulbs in the corridor start illuminating one by one. A group of people led by Nick swiftly crosses the corridor. By the time they enter the meeting room, more people are already waiting there. Nick stands at the front and scans the room. His first words explode like thunder.


    "Tomorrow, in the meeting of the permanent members of the United Nations, we will vote to pass the global united Sr System construction n."


    "I''ve received orders from Congress. Starting now, S.H.I.E.L.D. is fully responsible for the coordination and arrangement of supernatural forces in the Sr System construction n."


    "In theing period, manpower will be tight. So, I don''t care where youe from or who you''ve served before. Now, you are all part of Humanity. As Humanity stands at the threshold of stepping into space, we must stand together."


    "In the uing period, the intelligence work at the Central Intelligence Agency rted to technology protection and investigation will gradually cease. Some agents will be transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. I hope you can get along well with your new colleagues."


    Nick''s expression is very serious, without the carefree attitude of the past. He says:


    "Perhaps you have already investigated and understood what we are facing. If we don''t perform well, there will be others willing to take our ce."


    Meanwhile, in the office of the Central Intelligence Agency, Marc looks up at his boss with a serious expression. He asks with some confusion, "What''s going on? Is there something wrong with my resignation letter?"


    "Yes," his boss replies.


    "Uh, which part wasn''t clear? I can rewrite it." Marc immediately offers.


    "The problem is, you can''t resign."


    "Why?" Marc asks in surprise. He doesn''t understand why his boss''s attitude has done a 180-degree turn.


    Previously, due to unfavorable investigations about Schiller, his boss was very dissatisfied and causing trouble at every turn.


    Marc wanted to resign due to his poor mental state, and his boss verbally agreed, only asking for a resignation letter. However, unexpectedly, his boss changed his mind.


    Marc''s boss walks over, pats Marc''s shoulder, and says, "The global united Sr System n is of significant importance. I''ve heard that the higher-ups intend to form a united Earth government to better lead Humanity into space."


    Marc''s eyes were nearly popping out of his head. He said, "United Earth government?? What''s going on? What happened? Didn''t they say not long ago that the Sr System construction n had too much controversy and the division of Sr System territories was difficult? How did they suddenly unite?"


    His boss clearly knew more than Marc. He sighed and said, "Because the biggest obstacles have disappeared. Congress hase to their senses, and the Russian side came to their senses even faster than they did."


    "Why? Why did they suddenlye to their senses?"


    "Because Congress doesn''t want Soviet Union to resurrect, and Russia wants it even less than they do."


    "So, Marc, throw your resignation letter in the trash and get ready to continue contributing to the civilization of Humanity."


    Marc''s face, full of astonishment, gradually changed. His expression transformed from surprise to that of Natasha''s. She had the same astonished expression, gaping at Nick in front of her, asking:


    "Termination of investigation?? Reinstatement?? But the investigation hasn''t even started yet! How can it be over?"


    Natasha was truly perplexed. Although, under Nick''s collusion and corruption, she hadn''t really been confined to investigate, wasn''t under surveince, and could even work normally, officially, she was suspended pending investigation due to suspicion of being a KGB spy.


    But they came to a conclusion after just a few days of investigation? Since when did S.H.I.E.L.D.''s investigation efficiency be so high?


    "Yes, you''ve been cleared of suspicion. On one hand, it''s because we''re really short-handed, and a lot of the visible work still needs you to do. On the other hand, whether you are KGB or not isn''t particrly important. Congress decided to turn a blind eye."


    "Why?" Natasha asked in astonishment.


    "Yesterday, the presidents of the permanent members of the United Nations held a telephone meeting. They confirmed the main development route for Humanity''s civilization in the next century. In simple terms, it''s cooperation."


    Natasha was genuinely bbergasted and couldn''t close her mouth. She covered her forehead, looked up at the ceiling, and said, "Did I sleep for a night? Not for 70 years like Captain America? What''s happening to this world? Congress is actually talking about cooperation with others?"


    Nick briefly exined to Natasha what Schiller had done in Congress yesterday, and then hemented:


    "A lunatic who''s ready and capable of resurrecting Soviet Union is watching this world. If we don''t do well enough, he''ll let Soviet Union do it. What do you want Soviet Union to do?"


    Natasha hesitated for a moment, then said, "It depends on which version of Soviet Union."


    "That''s for you. For them, if Schiller brings back thete-stage Soviet Union, that''s fine. But if he brings back the early-stage Soviet Union, everyone in the U.S. and Russian Congresses will be in a bind."


    Natasha disyed an extremelyplex expression, mixed with bemusement, fear, and nostalgia.


    After Nick left, she took out the red g badge from her clothes pocket. She lightly touched the surface of the badge with her finger and said in a tone that nobody had ever heard from her before:


    "That era has already passed and won''te back¡­"


    "But all those who were healed by him, proud of him, and hated him, staying awake all night for it, we''re still alive¡­"


    "He doesn''t need to be resurrected because his spirit never dies."


    "Do you really want to resurrect Soviet Union?"


    Standing on the rooftop of Stark Tower, dusk fell once again. In the evening breeze, Stark turned his head to look at Schiller.


    Schiller''s hair danced in the evening breeze. He turned his head to look at Stark and smiled, saying:


    "He hasn''t died, so how can there be talk of resurrecting?"


    Stark fell silent for a moment, while Schiller''s voice drifted away with the evening breeze, sounding somewhat vague.


    "In this world, a convincing ideology and belief don''t dissipate due to the fall of a particr country."


    "A great ideal that once inspired countless people and led them to sacrifice themselves won''t lose its charm over time."


    "As long as this ideal and belief continue to spread in the civilization of Humanity, even if the road is winding, the future remains bright."


    Schiller let out a slight sigh and looked at the skyline of New York, which was still splendid and prosperous. He said:


    "Truemunists don''t pursue geography, systems, or stances. We pursue only one goal: the liberation of all of Humanity."


    "Therefore, it''s not about resurrecting that group of people on that piece ofnd. It''s about resurrecting that era. I never intended to do that."


    "Without objective conditions and withoutplete necessity, persisting in such a way means failing to grasp the principal contradiction and falling into a metaphysical paradox."


    Stark turned his head to look at Schiller and asked, "So what are you nning to do then?"


    Schiller spoke in a very calm tone, saying:


    "They fear me, dread me, but can''t eliminate me. So they can only strive harder to prove that they can do better. Doesn''t that sound familiar?"


    "That spirit and belief resurrect within me, and they have resurrected in this world."


    "And one day, when this lighthouse shines brightly, illuminating all of Humanity, illuminating all of space¡­"


    "Who can then say that he hasn''t been resurrected?"


    "So this was all your n?!"


    Stark crossed his arms and looked at Schiller, somewhat angrily saying, "You yed us in a big circle just to make those people in Congress feel nervous about being reced by Soviet Union, so they would stop fighting each other and stand united before entering space?"


    Schiller gave his most radiant smile up to that point and said, "This ce is known as the world''s lighthouse¡­"


    "And I am best at changing light bulbs."


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 Chapter 537: The Phantom Named Xunzong (1)

    Chapter 537: The Phantom Named Xunzong (1)


    The weather was gradually getting colder again. The mornings and evenings no longer carried the oppressive heatwaves they had before. Instead, they became pleasantly cool. The unique humidity of East Coast City was carried ind by the morning sea breeze, causing the steam rising from the coffee to thin out.


    Schiller picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and turned his head to gaze at the view outside the window. The colorful walls of Hell''s Kitchen had just been adorned with a new graffiti piecest night. Looking at the undead mural with its Mexican ir, he knew it was definitely the work of Gonzalez, the taco vendor.


    Indeed, Schiller had returned to the clinic in Hell''s Kitchen, but in a sense, he had brought it upon himself.


    Perhaps some still remembered that Schiller''s initial intention was to give the Avengers something to do, to divert their attention from focusing on the weak and helpless Hydra, in order to preserve thest ember of Hydra.


    The first twist urred when Nick Fury directly exposed Schiller''s actions.


    Perhaps some also recalled that when dcSchiller went online initially, he inadvertently caused damage to several of Nick Fury''s secret bases. Nick''s off-the-books bases were ruined, and he had to foot the bill for repairs himself, with no way to im reimbursement. This was a painful blow for the one-eyed director, and reporting Schiller had been a long timeing.


    Later on, Schiller was brought to the CIA and encountered Moon Knight, a coincidental meeting at best.


    But after that, Schiller began a string of branching quests. First, he was curious about the secrets of the resurrected Egyptian gods, and he struck a deal with Khonshu, leading to the emergence of Ammit. Schiller allowed Ammit to eliminate him in order to relive Marc''s experiences from the Moon Knight TV series. This was the only way to enter the underworld.


    After seizing a ship in the underworld, another twist urred. In an act of revenge against Marvel Schiller for constantly finding him work in the Green Light industry, DC Schiller deliberately gave Stark and Steve ess to the lower levels of the Temple of Thought by loosening its security measures.Subsequently, DC Schiller convinced the Id to stage a y, weaving a tragic backstory of his own childhood for Stark and Steve.


    But who would have known that Stark and Steve, based on this narrative, would assume that Schiller had be obsessed with resurrecting, especially after witnessing his frenzied conversation with Death over the telephone? This deepened their misunderstanding.


    The third unexpected turn came from Death''s unyielding attitude.


    For reasons unknown, Death adamantly refused to allow Schiller entry into the Realm of Death. Due to hispetitive nature, Schiller, together with Strange and Loki, came up with hundreds of sales pitches to persuade Death. He was determined not to give up until he secured Death as a major client.


    However, Bnce resided within the Dreamworld. To pursue his sales efforts, Schiller needed to enter the Dreamworld. To outsiders, it seemed as if he was suffering from a mental issue that caused him to fall into a deep sleep. This only raised more concerns for Stark and Steve.


    Meanwhile, DC Schiller''s retaliation was not yetplete. He had purposely left behind the Philby list and the Red g medal that he had discovered in Metropolis Manor in the cab of the Sanatorium that Schiller now owned. This was not only intended to cause trouble for Marvel Schiller but also to expose the identity of the Hydra serpent that he had left behind when he was standing in for Schiller.


    Guided by DC Schiller, Stark and Steve found these clues in the Sanatorium. They concocted a strange story based on these clues, which Natashater refuted.


    The fourth twist was rather unexpected. It was a time when Superhero culture was just gaining momentum and Congress was eager to capitalize on the trend. They proposed the Superhero Registration Act to harness the power of superheroes for their purposes.


    By that time, MarvelSchiller had realized he had fallen into the trap as well. He hadn''t confirmed his identity as a KGB agent, and Stark and Steve were endlessly specting about the convoluted stories. If they were to spread the word, if Avengers members were to find out, Schiller would be in a bind.


    To regain control over his backstory''s final exnation, Schiller had to confirm his identity first and then provide room for exnations. The Superhero Registration Act provided that opportunity.


    En route to Capitol Hill, Schiller nned a series of steps. The ultimate goal was to unite the nations of Earth.


    In fact, since the conception of Stark''s Sr System construction n, a considerable amount of time had passed. Given Stark''s productivity, had there been no hindrance, the probes would have likely explored every corner of the Sr System by now.


    But the issue was the number of hindrances.


    The U.S. wanted to seize the opportunity in this n, to restore their dominance. However, the Far Eastern nations would never agree. After their disputes, the U.S. realized that instead of striving to construct the n and im arger territory, it was easier to frame others. As long as the others didn''t have significant territory, the U.S. could maintain an advantage.


    In essence, this had be a time even more rotten than before. If someone had a n, everyone would rush to obstruct it.


    This was particrly evident in the Sr System construction n. Stark''s productivity had long surpassed the initial needs of the n. The reason the n was stalling was due to immense political resistance.


    Stark''s goal was not for him alone to venture into space. He could even directly pierce the veil of space if he wanted to. His true aim was for human civilization to step into space and join the interster society. So, despite the n''s sluggish progress, he continued to push for it.


    Stark showed remarkable patience in this endeavor, but his patience didn''t necessarily extend to Schiller.


    Schiller was generally patient, but given the opportunity provided by the Capitol Hill politicians and the groundwork he hadid regarding his identity, the uing y would be easy to enact.


    Schiller intended to create a prizing stance and then drive Earth back to a time of ideological confrontation,pelling Humanity to unite through conflict.


    To achieve this, he first needed to make his stance clear. This was why Schiller exhibited an extremely radical leftist attitude during the Congressional meeting. He had to make thefortable members of Congress understand that he was an ideological fanatic capable of anything.


    Following this, he needed to demonstrate his capabilities to everyone. As a matter of fact, Schiller''s mind maniption ability wasn''t as potent as Professor X''s. He could only mimic telepathy and, in most cases, only sense emotions.


    However, on the way to Capitol Hill, he took a brief nap in the car and met with Professor X in the dream world for an afternoon tea.


    Schiller had lent the boat to the Realm of the Dead to Professor X previously, allowing him to use it as a school bus. Professor X was grateful, and he mentioned that he wasn''t lying; he was just speaking the truth, depending on how one understood it.


    Armed with the most formidable knowledge, the rest of the Avengers were not clear about Schiller''s precise capabilities. From their perspective, Schiller was more unwilling to use his powers rather than being incapable.


    With confirmation from various sources, world leaders came to believe that Schiller was an immortal figure active during the Soviet Union''s heyday, possessing an unwavering faith stronger than anyone else''s.


    Recently, he felt disappointed by Earth''s situation and wanted to bring back the imposing red entity.


    Everyone hoped he wouldn''t go through with it, and the only way to deal with this was self-examination.


    Patch up the leaks, rece the missing parts, change the tires if needed, step on the gas pedal.


    We unite to prove to the departed giants that the beacon of human civilization still shines brightly. We can join hands and step into space, illuminating star after star in the deep void that you gazed upon countless times but never personally visited.


    You can see, we are gratified, but the best viewing spot is at your grave.


    Actually, the intelligent individuals in leadership positions could see Schiller''s intentions, but they dared not gamble. Fortunately, most of them had experienced the Cold War era.


    The curtain of idealism hadn''tpletely fallen, and they knew these people would do anything to understand and uplift all of humanity. They could forsake their own lives and certainlyunch a crazy n to brainwash humanity.


    Given this situation, they had to act quickly. The faster they acted, the bigger their share would be in the inevitable forward progress of the n. Overnight, every nation became exceedingly proactive.


    However, there was a question they needed to consider: even though there was no way to deal with Schiller, they still needed to limit him.


    Professor X was powerful, but he also had vulnerabilities, namely the mutants'' school and his long-standing adversary, Mao. Mutants were his emotional burden, preventing him from achieving true invincibility.


    Although Congresspromised, shelving the Superhero Registration Act and focusing on rebuilding and rekindling the beacon, they were simultaneously making a second preparation¡ªto limit the potential outburst of Schiller.


    To uncover Schiller''s weaknesses, they needed to observe him. The FBI and CIA, united once more, began 24-hour surveince.


    Schiller actually lived in his own super luxurious Sanatorium, situated in the wealthiest small town near New York. Beyond the Sanatorium, all the surrounding buildings were extravagant vis.


    Given the generous budget from Congress, these agents naturally enjoyed luxurious amodations.


    They were pleased, but one person was displeased¡ªSchiller.


    He had put so much effort into obtaining this Sanatorium, and now these agents were not only monitoring him, they even wanted the same luxurious hardware conditions? This was simply outrageous!


    Adhering to the principle that if he couldn''t be happy, they couldn''t be either, Schiller resolutely abandoned the super luxurious Sanatorium and moved back to his small clinic in Hell''s Kitchen.


    In this way, while his living conditions worsened, the agents who were keeping tabs on him were in a much worse situation.


    Because, in fact, the clinic was located in the best part of three surrounding blocks. The rest of the buildings were as rotten as they could be, providing an extremely unpleasant living environment.


    Finally, Schiller''s frustration began to ease. In his view, he had been a victim throughout this series of events. Yet, now, these agents were ignoring the true instigators and instead focusing on him, the victim. This was simply unjust!


    Leaving aside the monitoring agents at the lower levels, the higher-ups were also deliberating on Schiller''s weaknesses and how to limit him, so he would think twice before going mad.


    In the Vice President''s office, a gray-haired elder rubbed his temples. His appearance was much more worn than usual, and even the white in his hair seemed to have increased.


    Clearly, the attack n against Schiller''s vulnerabilities had almost no progress. He had encountered countless setbacks in recent days, and his blood pressure had skyrocketed.


    An aide walked over, handing him a secure telephone. After picking it up, he spoke into it:


    "How''s the emotional assessment going? If he''s truly a Soviet Union person, he should have a marital history, right?"


    "...No results? Could it be that he''s also a highly ssified individual? What does the Russian Federal Security Service say?"


    "No records found? It seems his security clearance is exceptionally high. Could he have been part of some revival n for the former Soviet Union?"


    The Vice President sighed, covered his head, and then said:


    "Alright, let''s not discuss the past for now. How about recently? Has he had frequent interactions with the opposite sex?"


    "Well, when he was teaching at the university, were there no close female students?"


    The person on the other end seemed troubled, and the Vice President waved his hand impatiently, saying, "Just say it."


    "He hardly interacts with the opposite sex. If we have to talk about frequent interactions with the opposite sex, there is indeed one, but they aren''t students; they''re agents."


    "Agents? Which agency''s agents? That''s even better. It might even save us the effort of persuasion and training."


    "Um, they''re agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."


    "Who?"


    "Natasha Romanoff. She just recently concluded an internal investigation clearing her of KGB spy suspicions..."


    "Thunk!"


    "Mr. Vice President! Mr. Vice President! What''s wrong with you? Your Excellency, wake up! Quickly! Get a doctor! Mr. Vice President is having a heart attack!"


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 Chapter 538: A Ghost Named Xun Zong

    Chapter 538: A Ghost Named Xun Zong


    ck Widow was never trusted, a fact known to every member of Congress, military general, and even S.H.I.E.L.D. members.


    She could stay here only because, like Captain America, she was a gically enhanced individual with exceptional intelligence skills. What''s more important is that she had defected from the Soviet Union to the U.S., a symbolic gesture more than a practical one.


    Natasha understood this well, but she still remained here, mainly due to Nick''s cunning maneuvers.


    After Nick had essentially bypassed S.H.I.E.L.D., the people left under him were not only untrustworthy but alsocking in skills. Moreover, their country still existed, so they needed a lot of intelligence. Nick had to not only pay them sries but also create a heap of useless information to satisfy their appetite.


    And Natasha, though not trusted, possessed strong abilities. What''s more important is that the Soviet Union was no more, and Nick didn''t need to toy with her using a void of disinformation. He could get more with less effort by employing her as a better employee. Naturally, Nick took full advantage of this.


    So, for a long time, Natasha was Nick''s right-hand woman, a pir of S.H.I.E.L.D., and ever since joining the Avengers, she handled most of the interactions with superheroes.


    It had to be acknowledged: she was beautiful, alluring, adept at social interactions, and got along well with the people of the Avengers.


    As for what that other person had said to the Vice President, Natasha indeed had the most frequent contact with Schiller among all the opposite genders.


    But the reality was probablypletely different from what they thought. Natasha''s interactions with Schiller were mainly for two purposes: firstly, to inform Schiller about another brilliant idea Nick hade up with, or after receiving information from Schiller, to inform Nick about Schiller''s ingenious ideas. The second purpose was to handle the care of Pikachu when Schiller needed it.Typically, the first purpose was shrouded in a kind of inexplicable coppery odor. When Natasha conveyed messages to Nick and Schiller, most of the time she was immersed in the shock of understanding certain macroeconomics concepts.


    As for the second purpose, most of the time, Natasha used 90% of her energy to cover Pikachu''s mouth.


    However, in the eyes of the senators and the Vice President, it was a different story altogether. With so many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and quite a few female agents, why was Natasha the one who had the most contact with Schiller?


    What set Natasha apart from the other female agents? Wasn''t it just that she was a Soviet Union person?


    Were the two of you having secret meetings here?!


    But still, as the saying goes, left and right are rtive. Compared to Schiller, who had ideas and the ability to resurrect the Soviet Union, Natasha, who was only possibly a KGB spy, seemed much more uncertain.


    When Natasha was invited to the secret meeting room, she had a cigarette in her hand. She took a puff and flicked her red hair behind her ear. She exhaled cigarette smoke towards the secret book that was pouring water for her, and upon seeing the startled response, she smiled.


    As Schiller had previously felt, when ck Widow focused on releasing her charm towards a certain male, hardly anyone could resist¡­


    And that was why the people of the Avengers rarely felt this way. They weren''t the target, and ck Widow couldn''t be bothered to waste her expressions on them.


    "What do you want to ask?" Natasha''s English always carried a touch of Russian intonation, but it wasn''t harsh; on the contrary, her tone rose at the end, sounding somewhat captivating.


    The interrogator lowered his head, trying not to look at ck Widow''s face. But when the scent of the cigarette wafted over, many alluring fantasies churned in his mind, causing him to start swaying and involuntarily lose focus.


    "Are you KGB?" the interrogator asked.


    "Don''t ask such obvious idiotic questions. I''m a Soviet Union person and a former Soviet Union agent. Are you asking me if I''m KGB?" Natasha leaned on the armrest and took another puff of her cigarette.


    "So, are you still KGB now?"


    "You''ve asked another dumb question. I''m in the U.S. now. Do you think I''d still be KGB? Even if I were, do you think I''d acknowledge it?"


    Natasha''s approach to the interrogation was different from Schiller''s. She was responsive, cooperative, and had a good attitude, but ultimately, all questions would circle back to the beginning.


    "Seriously, now that you''re nning to cooperate with Russia, why do you still care about KGB matters? The Soviet Union doesn''t exist anymore. Even if someone wants to resurrect it, it''s not relevant to me."


    "Don''t you want Schiller to resurrect the Soviet Union?"


    Natasha flicked some cigarette ash, lowered her eyelids, shielding her eye contact. After a pause, she took another puff of her cigarette and said, "If he reallyes back, then I''ll die. And if I don''t die, that means he hasn''t truly returned."


    "Honestly, things have progressed this far. You guys shouldn''t dwell on these matters. That era has passed, and I have no intention of going back."


    The interrogator on the other side hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure how to continue. The headphones in his ears ryed instructions from the senator, so he asked:


    "How''s your rtionship with Schiller?"


    Natasha raised an eyebrow and said, "You should know that any rtionship between an agent and a psychologist isn''t that great."


    "But don''t you both share the same beliefs?"


    "Beliefs? I haven''t heard that word in a long time."


    After taking a deep drag from her cigarette and exhaling the smoke, Natasha''s beautiful face was shrouded in a misty haze, and she said:


    "I admire him. After going through that era, he can still maintain his beliefs and intends to put them into practice. He can do it, but I can''t."


    "Those things I used to believe in have long been shattered. Now, I''m just an agent doing a job for money. You give me a position, you give me a sry, and I''ll work for you. It''s as simple as that."


    "Then you..." The interrogator flipped his palm and said, "If we want you to approach Schiller now, and use your usual methods to restrain him, to find his weaknesses, would you agree?"


    "You can just say seduction. I''ve said it before, as long as you pay, I''ll do it. But I can''t guarantee the effectiveness of the mission. Besides, since you distrust me, letting a person you distrust go and extract information from another person you distrust, isn''t that a futile effort?"...


    "We want to understand Schiller Rodriguez as much as possible to ensure that he won''t suddenly spread his ideas inappropriately when he''s emotionally agitated."


    "I''ve already said, I can ept this task, but I can''t guarantee the results. Seducing an empathic radical leftist..." Natasha shook her head, looking at the other person with a somewhat sympathetic gaze, as if she found his intelligencecking.


    Indeed, the interrogator on the other side was a bit speechless, but the senator in his headphones kept urging him on.


    A voice came through his headphones, presumably from an interpreter: "Stall her, we''re searching her personal belongings. We must ensure that she can be trusted before discussing the real n..."


    The interrogator pressed his headphones, feigning a look of receiving a new question. Natasha''s expression remained unchanged, still responding to questions. The two of them engaged in a back-and-forth, and suddenly the headphones transmitted a flurry of panicked voices.


    The interrogator interrupted the conversation again, pressing his headphones as if there was a signal issue. Natasha also skillfully paused, taking a sip of water and leisurely enjoying the intermission.


    Finally, the interrogator stood up and left the room. He pressed his headphones and heard the somewhat flustered voice of the senator on the other end:


    "Terminate the investigation immediately, let her go!"


    "Why?" The interrogator asked with some confusion. "She was starting to ask forpensation. Maybe we can sway her..."


    "I said, let her go!" The senator''s voice was somewhat hysterical.


    "We found a Red Banner Medal, a medal from the early Soviet Union, in her makeup bag! She even has a Red Banner Medal!"


    After shouting, the senator gasped for breath and took a moment to recover before saying, "Go back and let her leave."


    "But if she really is KGB, shouldn''t we arrest her?" the interrogator asked.


    "Arrest her? If Rodriguez knows that we''ve captured his rade,'' arade who even has a Red Banner Medal, what do you think he''ll think?"


    "Um..." The interrogator was caught off guard and could only say, "Alright, I''ll go inform her."


    With that, he turned and walked back into the room, opened the railing''s door, and said to Natasha, "Ma''am, the investigation is over. You''re free to leave."


    "What about your seduction n? Didn''t we already discuss thepensation part?"


    "After considering it, Congress found that this approach is indeed not feasible. So, you''re free to go."


    Natasha nced at the interrogator, raised her chin slightly, nodded, and turned to leave.


    Upon returning to S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha entered her own bedroom, picked up her makeup bag, and walked out of the bedroom, heading straight for the psychology consultation room where Schiller was waiting for her.


    Natasha approached the table but didn''t sit down. She ced the makeup bag on the table and took out the medal from inside, then handed it to Schiller.


    Schiller, who was writing medical records, looked up, put down his pen, but didn''t take the medal. He asked, "Don''t you want it?"


    Facing Schiller, Natasha didn''t disy the tense, deadly, and enticing ck Widow demeanor. She pulled over a chair and sat down, leaningzily on it. She ced the medal on the desk and said...


    "Someone once wanted to award me a medal, but by then, I didn''t want it anymore."


    Natasha looked at the medal, a mocking smile ying on her lips as she said, "What I didn''t expect was that even after all this time apart, his power still shelters me."


    "He came once, and that''s enough." Schiller reached out and took the medal.


    Schiller looked at Natasha and asked, "They''re investigating you like this every day. Don''t you want to fight back a little?"


    The noon light brightened the room, casting shadows on Natasha''s face, making her hair, lowered against her face, even darker.


    She seemed to have never revealed her vulnerable side, even now. Perhaps this was the characteristic of the people of this country¡ªto not hesitate to mock themselves with the most straightforward jokes, even at this point.


    "Fight back? How can a stray dog under someone else''s fence fight back?"


    However, Schiller''s smile turned somewhat wicked. He used two fingers to pick up the medal and ced it between him and Natasha. Both of their gazes fell on the medal. He said, "This is the best weapon."


    "A medal? You mean..." Natasha also looked into his eyes, and a moment of understanding passed between them. A hint of a smile appeared on the female agent''s face.


    Natasha leaned back in her chair, exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke, and said, "Nick prepared the Order of National Glory, but it hasn''t been used yet. He also has connections to acquire more..."


    With a snap, Schiller ced the medal on the table, then said:


    "Since their allergies are incurable, it''s time for some desensitization treatment."


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 Chapter 539: A Ghost Named Xun Zong... (2)

    Chapter 539: A Ghost Named Xun Zong... (2)


    As is well known, since the Cold War era, the U.S.''s red allergy has been incurable. If you want to bring someone down from their position, the fastest way is to use them of being amunist coborator.


    And there''s a precursor symptom of this red allergy, which is part of the "paranoia spectrum," the "seeing everyone as red syndrome."


    After entering the modern era, this symptom has eased a lot and is almost on the verge of recovery, as the root cause of the illness is no longer present. However, with the shadow of the root cause reappearing on this, the old ailment that hasn''t healed for years has resurfaced.


    "Boss, I think this is really a bit outrageous. Regardless, can''t we search Captain America''s personal belongings?"


    A young agent followed behind their superior, and their superior walked through the corridor without expression, saying, "Don''t ask why, just follow orders."


    "Not only Captain America, but all members of the Avengers organization must undergo a secret investigation."


    "But haven''t we already voted for global cooperation? Why do we still need to conduct internal secret investigations?"


    "That so-called Hero Registration Act failed, and the senators have no way of understanding these superheroes'' information, so they have to investigate on their own. Thanks to their desire to control everything, this is our job."


    Turning a corner, the superior pointed to a door next to them and said to the young agent behind them, "Go there, get your equipment, and follow your team leader."After the young agent nodded and left, the superior shook his head helplessly, sighed, and said, "If it weren''t for the damn S.H.I.E.L.D. taking away most of our manpower, we wouldn''t send this inexperienced neer on field duty."


    Having said that, he strode downstairs and entered an office. Inside, he greeted the person sitting in the seat, saying, "Marc, good afternoon. Don''t you have field duty today?"


    "Well, there is one, but I don''t quite understand. Why do I have to protect Stark?"


    The superior walked to Marc''s side, put an arm around his shoulder, and said, "I thought only neers would ask such questions. Do you remember our principles?"


    Marc sighed and said, "Don''t ask why, just ask how to do it... Well, I''ll go now, but seriously, how much longer until I can resign? My mental state is getting worse."


    Marc ced his hand on the side of his head and continued, "Just a while ago, I passed out for a moment. When I woke up, I still didn''t know what happened. Can''t I take sick leave?"


    The superiorforted him for a while, then watched as he left the room with his equipment. After he left, the smile on the superior''s face faded. He took out amunication device and said, "He''s gone. Go search his belongings, don''t leave any traces. He''s still useful."


    On the other side, inside Stark Tower, Stark looked at the arriving Marc''s team and felt quite puzzled.


    He scrutinized Marc and said, "Aren''t you the Khonshu devotee who went crazy with Schiller the other day? But please don''t tell me you''re in charge of security for this exhibition."


    "Correct, it''s me." Marc was not very patient. For someone who was about to retire, all the work before retirement was just a formality.


    Moreover, he found it really absurd. Why did he have toe to protect Iron Man? What does Iron Man need protection for?


    But instead of asking that, Marc opened his mouth and turned it into another question: "Why are you organizing a science and technology exhibition now?"


    Stark hesitated for a moment and then said, "Someone is out to get revenge on me. He said he can only change light bulbs and yet caused a lot of trouble. He even altered Earth''sndscape, uniting them all."


    "Previously, the Sr System construction n wasn''t making much progress. He helped me with that, but Stark never owes anyone any favors."


    "Now, disying some advanced technology will boost the confidence of the newly formed alliance. At the same time, I''ll use these technologies as rewards. Whoever contributes the most takes the prize, regardless of the country, regardless of stance..."


    Stark crossed his arms and said, "While our goals are the same, I must prove that only Stark is the cornerstone of human civilization. Every Stark, in every era, is."


    "Well then, I''ll take the team to inspect the exhibition area, eliminate any potential hazards, and the products must be inspected by me before entering, to ensure that there are no parts that could pose a public safety risk..."


    Marc mechanically began reciting the contents of the agent security manual to Stark, who grew increasingly impatient.


    But Marc was even more impatient. He was supposed to be retiring, yet he ended up with this pointless and difficult job. Sure enough, his superior had it out for him, intentionally making things difficult.


    After debating with Stark for a while, Marc was extremely annoyed. He could only say, "I''m going to the restroom. Let''s confirm the details when Ie back."


    Entering the restroom, Marc finally couldn''t hold back anymore. He vigorously shook his head, turned on the tap, and tried to wash his face with cold water to clear his mind. However, when he looked up at the mirror, there was a moment of grim expression.


    It wasn''t his own expression ¨C it was a cold and cruel eye contact. Marc clung to the edge of the sink and muttered, "No... don''t, don''t let hime out... help me..."


    But Khonshu didn''t respond. Marc held onto the sink, burying his face in the basin as he retched. When he lifted his head and stood up straight, the expressionless face of Jack appeared in the mirror.


    Meanwhile, Stark stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the outside scenery.


    He was also impatient dealing with these agents, but he knew that now was not the right time to turn against them. Schiller''s opportunity was seamless; whether human civilization could truly gather and follow a path of strength depended on this moment, and it wasn''t wise to create trouble now.


    Soon, a figure appeared behind him, and Stark didn''t react in time. A massive cross-shaped light formed by intersecting swords came at him.


    "Bang!


    !"


    The floor-to-ceiling window at the top of Stark Tower shattered, and the Mech armor shot out, followed by the bandaged Moonlight Killer.


    "Marc!


    You''ve gone mad?!"


    Stark shouted.


    But Marc paid no attention. He continued to create enormous de-like light with his twin knives, and even in broad daylight, the strange Khonshu''s light effects were visible throughout New York.


    Soon, news of the battle between Marc and Iron Man spread to various departments, and nobody knew what was happening.


    However, very unexpected information followed closely.


    "Hey, boss, there''s bad news. We did find something rted to the Soviet Union among Marc''s personal belongings. It seems to be a Soviet Union medal, but I don''t recognize the specific medal."


    Marc''s superior held a telephone, frowning. He said, "I knew it... He''s so eager to resign; he must be afraid we''ll discover his secret!"


    He took a deep breath and continued, "Let''s not take hasty action. During this sensitive period, an arrest warrant might not be approved. Put the items back where they were, and I''ll report this to the council first."


    After hanging up the phone, he dialed again. This time, he called the senator who was in a meeting.


    Hearing the situation from the superior, the senator furrowed his brows deeply. He said, "I remember you saidst time that this agent named Marc disappeared for a long time with Schiller?"


    "Correct, and their disyed special abilities have some simrities. They might both be products of Soviet Union experiments..."


    The senator sighed and said, "Let''s not move him for now, so as not to provoke Schiller. We need further investigation."


    After hanging up the phone, he turned around and looked at the other senators seated there. These senators were all old, with graying hair and receding hairlines. The senator who took the call exined the situation, and the others had solemn expressions.


    "It seems they''re everywhere," one of the elderly men said.


    "This proves that our investigation is necessary," another person said. He knocked on the armrest of his chair with his hand and added, "But I didn''t expect that the one to propose this investigation first would be Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Indeed, Pierce didn''t misjudge him."


    "We need to find a reliable person to oversee the covert side of things. I think Nick Fury is good for that. However, we also need someone else to shoulder the overt responsibility, topete for the position of head of the Sr System construction n." Another senator turned his eyes around and said.


    "Of course, Captain America is the one. He''s been doing this kind of work all along, right? I remember watching his propaganda films when I was a kid." An old man said, and the others chuckled. Another person said:


    "Indeed, he''s very useful and easy to control. He''s simply perfect..."


    Just then, a piercing telephone ring sounded. The senator who was holding the telephone pressed the answer button again. From the other end came a loud voice:


    "Bad news! When we were searching Steve Rogers'' personal belongings, we found a medal, and it looks like... it looks like a Soviet Union-era Medal of Mothend Defense!"


    "Medal of Mothend Defense? How could Captain America have a Soviet Union Medal of Mothend Defense? ... Wait, which era is he from? The U.S.-Soviet rtionship should have been good back then, right?"


    The senator who received the call clutched his heart, gasping for breath. He propped himself up on the table, stood up straight, turned around, and looked at the group of elderly men behind him. He swallowed his saliva and said to his secretary, "Call for a doctor..."


    The secretary left puzzled, and others also looked at him with confusion. Finally, the senator opened his mouth and said:


    "Captain America might be the recipient of the Soviet Union Medal of Mothend Defense."


    "Bang!", "Bang!", "Crackle..."


    "Ugh!", "Oh!"


    "Doctor! Where''s the doctor? Someone has fainted!"


    Half an hourter, Stark, who had managed to drive the crazed Jack away, flew back into Stark Tower through the shattered windows. He let out a sigh, shook his head, and felt that he was truly having a stroke of bad luck.


    At this moment, JARVIS said to him, "Sir, Mr. Schiller''smunication. Should I put it through?"


    "Patch it through."


    On the other end, Schiller''s voice remained calm, but the content made Stark''s heart skip a beat.


    "Get ready to take full control of the Sr System construction n and be the rightful person in charge. No one would be more suitable than you."


    "Why?"


    "Because we all have medals, and you don''t."


    "Huh?" Stark couldn''t make any sense of Schiller''s nonsense.


    However, Schiller disconnected the call directly. Soon, JARVIS spoke again:


    "Sir,munication from Congress. Should I put it through?"


    "Connect."


    On the other end, the senators sounded utterly distraught:


    "Stark!


    We have only you left!


    !"


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 Chapter 540: When Will Grudges End (1)

    Chapter 540: When Will Grudges End (1)


    "Lady Loki has defected!"


    Schiller, who was in a drowsy state at the clinic, held his mobile phone and eximed, "What? Defected? Who?"


    "Lady Loki!" Strange emphasized the name, then exaggeratedly shaped his mouth and continued, "Asgard''s eldest princess, Lady Loki! She defected from Asgard and even stabbed her own brother before leaving!"


    "Eldest princess? When did she be the eldest princess?" Schiller''s focus waspletely off. He reluctantly sat up from the bed, leaned against the headboard, covered his eyes with his hand, still seemingly half-asleep.


    "Her elder brother, Thor, became the new king of Asgard, so isn''t she Asgard''s eldest princess now?"


    "I know that, but what I''m asking is why she didn''t ept the title of prince as a male and instead insisted on bing the eldest princess?"


    "Is that the point here?!"


    Strange almost got caught up in Schiller''s tangent. He eximed, "The point is, Lady Loki defected! She even stabbed Thor! And now she''s gone without a trace!"


    "Ah.""...Hello? Hello?!"


    *Smack!* Strange threw down his mobile phone, took a deep breath, and looked at Stark beside him, saying, "I knew this n wouldn''t fool him. Doesn''t he know what kind of person Lady Loki is?"


    "It seems that mere words won''t deceive him." Steve, who was nearby, crossed his arms and said, "Ifnguage won''t work, then we need to create somemotion."


    Strange turned back to Stark and said, "Tony, you and Schiller, both of you..."


    "Schiller wants to help you, so he took a big detour, creating the whole ''Soviet Union'' persona, sessfully promoting the united development of various civilizations on Earth. Then he ced you in charge of the Sr System construction n. The only person who remained unaware throughout this was you."


    "Now, you want to repay the favor, so you''re nning to deceive Schiller with another convoluted scheme, making him the only person uninformed in this n. Do you both... have a bit of a problem in your heads?"


    Steve chuckled and patted Strange''s shoulder, then said, "Is today the first day you''ve met the two of them? Do you even need to ask that question?"


    Natasha, who had juste back from smoking a cigarette, walked over and looked at Strange, asking, "How''s it going? He should have hung up the phone by now, right?"


    "You really understand him well. It was a waste that those senators didn''t ask you to seduce Schiller. You would have been perfect for the job," Stark, now quite angry, said, ready to snap at anyone.


    But Natasha wasn''t about to indulge him. She rolled her eyes and retorted, "Yeah, when they were considering having me seduce Schiller, I thought, luckily they didn''t ask me to seduce you..."


    Natasha''s gaze traveled down Stark''s chest and above his thighs, then moved up to his face, and finally lowered to a certain region. She smoothed her hair, gave a disdainful sound, and turned to leave.


    Any man would understand what that meant. Strange widened his eyes slightly, looking at Stark with a gossipy expression. Steve shifted his eyes slightly, coughed twice, and averted his gaze.


    Stark angrily pounded the table, then, after ncing around, he walked past Steve from behind and bumped him with his shoulder, whispering, "Back when Natasha came to the U.S., was it to act as a spy at Stark Industries?"


    "Of course, even though she might not have gained much in terms of business information, but..." Steve also nced back at Stark.


    "What are you two talking about?! What are you talking about?!" Stark shouted, raising his hand and wiggling a finger, "First of all, we are innocent... okay, I acknowledge it, when she first arrived, I may have taken a few more nces."


    Faced with Strange and Steve''s disapproving looks, Stark took a deep breath and continued, "Alright, more than a few nces, but she''s beautiful. It''s human nature to appreciate beauty."


    "But there''s nothing between us. She hadn''t been here for long before I got kidnapped to Afghanistan."


    "Seriously, though she''s beautiful, she''s nowhere near Pepper in terms of inner qualities. I''m not the shallow kind who only stares at a woman''s appearance."


    "Oh, oh, oh, yes!" Strange made a series of strange sounds. He looked up at the ceiling and said, "JARVIS, you absolutely have to tap into Miss Pepper''smunication. Otherwise, this pure and innocent male drama will be wasted."


    Steve quickly stepped forward to stop the fist-swinging Stark. He took his shield and tapped it, saying, "Back when we were at the Avengers base, you mentioned owing Schiller a favor and came up with a n. What are the specifics of that n? You haven''t told us yet."


    Stark lowered his fist and rubbed his wrist, saying, "Some things aren''t best discussed here. Let''s talk about it when we go to the Radiance Alliance base tonight. By the way, Schiller''s scheme has affected quite a few victims. I''ll have Professor X bring them all over..."


    Inside Hell''s Kitchen''s clinic, Marc sat across from Schiller''s desk, appearing somewhat nervous. His hands were ced straight on his knees, his waist was tense, and he dared not lean against the backrest. Schiller looked at him and said:


    "You don''t need to be so nervous. This is just an initial examination. The specifics of the treatment will depend on the results of the examination."


    "What do I need to do?" Marc asked. He seemed to rx his bodily movements, his shoulders loosening, his upper arms hanging naturally. However, his facial muscles remained stiff and somewhat contorted.


    Schiller calmly observed him. Marc was aware of his state not being right. He put his hand to his forehead and said, "I''m sorry, but now might not be the right time for me to undergo psychological treatment."


    "What''s wrong?"


    Marc opened his mouth, then pursed his lips. He seemed unsure how to describe his experience, but after a while, he began:


    "I don''t know what happened. Yesterday, I was assigned a security task to provide protection for Stark''s science and technology exhibition. You know, the kind of task that isn''t very dangerous, especially considering it''s Iron Man we''re protecting."


    "By all ounts, this should have been practice for neers. But who would have thought that those few neers who just finished training would all have other jobs now? Only I ended up with this insignificant task."


    "I know it''s my superior finding fault with me, but I couldn''t do anything about it. After meeting Stark, both he and I were impatient. Everyone knows this is just a routine, and calling it security is actually just surveince."


    "Somehow, I fainted in the restroom midway. I suspect the other personality might have emerged again."


    "Right after that, this morning..." Marc propped his elbows on the table, covered his face with his palms, and said, "I saw the headline on the front page of the Horn Daily about ''Iron Man''s Battle Against the Bandage Killer.'' Oh my God..."


    "The Bandage Killer? They actually gave you such an unpleasant nickname? Seems like your path as a superhero isn''t going smoothly."


    "A superhero?" Marc chuckled self-deprecatingly. He said, "I appeared as an opponent to superhero Iron Man. Do you really expect them to give viins some ttering name?"


    "But is that really an issue? You just admitted you''re the Bandage Killer, and since no one has seen your face, plus the fact that you''re sitting here, it means Stark isn''t nning to pursue you."


    "Stark might not be pursuing me, but my colleagues..." Marc wore aplex expression, mingling shock and confusion.


    "Lately, something strange has been happening to them. Suddenly, they''ve be extremely attentive, to the point that it''s making me a bit afraid."


    "The news of me resigning has been circting for quite a while now. Normally, nobody would care about someone who''s about to leave. But who would have thought that this morning, someone brought me breakfast, someone bought me a newspaper..."


    "My usually difficult boss not only approved my resignation instantly but even increased my insurance coverage before I resigned, so I''d have enough money toe here for treatment..."


    Marc propped his hand on the table, supporting his forehead. His face was filled with bewilderment. He said, "How did they suddenly change their minds?"


    Schiller smiled and said, "Perhaps it''s because of the existence you''re unaware of. This might have frightened them."


    Marc didn''t understand Schiller''s riddle, but soon enough, Schiller continued, "So, have you already left the CIA now?"


    "Correct, I was actually wondering about my next job."


    At this point, Schiller produced a set of documents and handed them to Marc. With a hint of confusion, Marc lowered his head, epted the documents, and saw a line written on it: "S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Recruitment Notice."


    Marc''s eyes widened slightly, and he asked, "You want me to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.? But I don''t have any experience dealing with supernatural events."


    "No problem, experience is something that can be built up over time. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick, is currently in need of people. As a former psychologist at S.H.I.E.L.D., I''m happy to do a favor for my old boss and rmend an outstanding candidate."


    Marc hesitated for a moment. However, when he flipped open the first page of the recruitment notice and saw a string of numbers on top and a bunch of figures below, he *pped* the notice shut and looked at Schiller, saying:


    "Pass my regards to my new boss."


    "Don''t worry, but your dissociative identity disorder still needs treatment." Schiller toyed with the pen in his hand.


    Marc furrowed his brows and said, "Are there any viable treatment options? At the very least, I need to lead a normal life and not keep fainting."


    Schiller flipped through the medical record in his hand and said, "We''ve been in contact for a while now, and your condition is quite rare. Generally speaking, the first personality to split off in cases like yours is a protective personality."


    "Based on the personalities of the two, you resemble that protective personality more, because your personality is more intact and stable."


    "But in reality, you are the original host, and Jack is the protective personality that split off. He exhibits extremely aggressive states and is very unstable and iplete."


    "However, now you have a third personality forming, and this third personality is even moreplete and stable than either of you."


    "This irregr situation is quite rare, like there''s no fundamental reason behind it, just random splitting."


    Schiller pointed at a set of documents on the table and said, "I and some of my teachers and ssmates have discussed this rare case, but they''re also at a loss."


    Marc''splexion turned somewhat pale. Schiller noticed his expression and said, "However, the origin of personalities is an academic topic to be studied. As for the practical treatment part, our opinions are quite unanimous."


    "Since your most recently formed third personality is the mostplete and stable, we can try to guide him, help him develop faster, and eventually take over your daily life."


    "When he''s conscious, I won''t be? Doesn''t that mean he''s recing me?"


    "Most of the time, yes. For ordinary people, when another personality takes over, you''re not conscious. But..." Schiller''s tone changed as he continued, "you''re not an ordinary person. You''re a follower of the Moon God Khonshu and also my patient."


    "I can teach you how to utilize your consciousness space. Khonshu can assist you with power, allowing you to construct buildings within your consciousness space. When your mental strength bes stronger, you can also be aware of events happening in the real world."


    Marc saw the tall figure of Khonshu appear behind Schiller, those hollow eye sockets fixed on him. Marc took a deep breath. He was growing tired of this life where he''d intermittently lose consciousness. epting this proposal wouldn''t make his situation worse.


    Schiller tidied up the medical record in front of him and looked at Marc, saying, "During this period, you''ll be hospitalized in this clinic. Guiding personality growth is not a simple task and requires long-term observation."


    Marc nodded, stood up, and Schiller walked downstairs together, showing him the location of the rooms on the ground floor. At that moment, Peter, carrying a backpack, walked in. Schiller pointed at him and said:


    "Peter, you better not let me catch you staying up ying games until 3 in the morning. Get some rest early tonight."


    Peter scratched his head, gave an embarrassed smile, nodded, and then quickly climbed the staircase with two steps at a time.


    As Schiller was arranging a room for Marc, he heard Peter mutter as he rushed up the staircase:


    "Just when I left theboratory, Mr. Stark said the same thing. He even told me to sleep at nine tonight. Good grief..."


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 Chapter 541: When Will the Grudge End (2)

    Chapter 541: When Will the Grudge End (2)


    As night fell, the soft ticking of the second hand echoed in Hell''s Kitchen''s clinic. On the clock face, the hour hand had already reached nine.


    At this moment, Schiller had long gone to sleep, leaving only Peter and Pikachu in the living room ying games.


    Suddenly, Peter eximed, startling Pikachu beside him. He made a mistake in the game, causing his character to fall intova. Pikachu turned his head and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Peter turned his head to look at the clock on the wall and said, "It''s nine o''clock; I need to go upstairs and sleep."


    Pikachu widened his eyes and looked at Peter as if he didn''t recognize him. He exaggeratedly opened his mouth and said, "Nine o''clock, and you''re going to sleep? Are you really Peter Parker? Did Schiller take control of you?"


    "No," Peter reluctantly put down the controller and said, "Today, Mr. Stark emphasized multiple times that I should go to bed at nine. Look, just a moment ago, he sent me a message asking if I was already lying in bed ready to sleep..."


    Peter handed his mobile phone to Pikachu, who saw the message from Stark on the screen. Pikachu shook his head and said, "It seems like he thinks you''recking paternal love."


    Peter sighed and stared at the game console for a moment but eventually went upstairs to sleep.


    Lying in bed, Peter turned over and gradually felt drowsy. He had been worried that he wouldn''t be able to sleep so early, but soon, he drifted into slumber.When he opened his eyes again, he was met with the gaze of Stark and Charles, both looking disappointed.


    "You didn''t go to sleep on time," Stark spoke first. Peter hadn''t fully grasped the situation yet, but he instinctively exined, "No, I put down the controller at nine, but my room is upstairs, so..."


    "So, you performed well today?" Stark interrupted.


    "Of course, I''ve never slept so early in my life. Normally, I stay up until at least midnight..." Peter''s voice trailed off under Stark''s disapproving gaze.


    Then, he finally started to assess his surroundings. It was a spacious meeting room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a futuristic city that didn''t look like Earth.


    Peter was quick to figure out what was happening. He said, "Am I dreaming? Professor Charles, did you bring me here?"


    "Correct, you''re clever, young one. If you spend less time ying games, your brain will be even more brilliant," Charles walked towards the center of the room, but Peter anxiously caught up with him and said, "Wait! Professor, you have to let me go back. I need to control my body, or else..."


    Charles continued walking, and Peter anxiously turned to Stark, saying, "Mr. Stark, as I told you before, my body has strange instincts, and if it''s not under my control, it might..."


    Before he could finish, Stark reached out and hugged Peter, saying earnestly, "You were alreadyte. Everyone is waiting for you."


    "Peter, you''re not a child anymore. You need to understand some workce matters. Making your colleagues wait because of your personal reasons is impolite."


    "Besides, those instincts may just be your imagination. Rx, nothing will happen."


    Peter didn''t see the victorious smile on Stark''s face. He clenched his teeth and felt helpless. After a while, he could only sigh and say, "Alright, I hope my bed is sturdy enough."


    The group walked over to the meeting table, where many people were already seated, including the somewhat bewildered Marc and Natasha, who had skillfully lit a cigarette.


    Stark walked to the front of the table, scanned the room, and said, "I''m sure that everyone here has recently be entangled in a certain matter, and the mastermind behind it all is Schiller."


    "''A certain matter'' isn''t very urate," Stevemented.


    "And ''mastermind'' isn''t urate either," Natasha added.


    Stark sighed, pounded the table, and said, "Alright, let''s get straight to the point."


    "Just yesterday, due to some actions by Schiller, the members of Congress were practically in tears, and they put me in charge of the Sr System construction n."


    Stark exined the situation further, detailing how Schiller had manipted the situation to create a sense of istion around those who received medals, including Natasha and Captain America.


    The older members of Congress, particrly those with a sensitivity tomunism, were nearly beyond help. Schiller wanted them to feel surrounded and to realize that themon enemy of those who received medals was Stark.


    Natasha had previously infiltrated Stark''spany for espionage, so the members of Congress didn''t have a favorable view of Stark. Stark and Captain America''s rtionship had also reached an all-time low, nearly causing an Avengers civil war.


    Schiller, of course, was an open antagonist to Stark, as they had confronted each other during the superhero registration debate. If Stark and Schiller stood on the same side, why had Stark opposed him at the registration hearing? Their rtionship wasn''t good either.


    And thest person who received the medal, Marc, had a fight with Stark in the skies above New York. Although it was entirely orchestrated by Schiller, with the help of Khonshu and Jackdirector, the fight did happen, and everyone in New York witnessed it. Their rtionship must have been terrible.


    If we dig deeper, Stark''s father, Howard, once coborated with a Soviet Union scientist, but they fell out, and even the son of that Soviet Union scientist hase after Stark seeking revenge.


    All this evidence together suggests that Stark can be considered an enemy of the Soviet Union. In the eyes of the congress members, Stark has been surrounded bymunist sympathizers led by Schiller, and he can only struggle to stay afloat. He''s like a fragile boat in the midst of the Red Tide.


    And in this situation, he hasn''tpromised yet. What''s going on?


    This is Tony Stark, the Stalingrad streetmp ornament, the Kremlin gpole nail, the favorite g bearer of a benevolent father, the chosen capitalist, the extreme right-wing, the furthest right in Space, a solitary exploiter ¨C Tony Stark!


    So, the Stark who was supposed to y a left-leaning role in the Registration Act event has been kicked into the extreme right camp and pushed to the most important position by those congress members who cried and shouted for him.


    Even if we disregard Stark''s rtionship with people, the congress members don''t know that Stark has be the Iron Sorcerer, transcending the perspective of a single universe. In their eyes, people can''t betray their ss, and Stark, who made his fortune by selling weapons, will always be a capitalist. That''s something Eternity can''t change.


    They believe that Stark is still under the influence of Stark Industries'' capital, preventing him from epting any demands for fairness. That''s why they are so eager to support Stark.


    Apart from getting him the position of head of the Sr System construction n, Iron Man''s reputation has also rapidly improved. The vigorous efforts in the media war have resulted in Iron Man bing Iron Patriot, recing Captain America and bing the new symbol of U.S. spirit.


    In the past, if Iron Man had heard this news, he would have immediately flown over New York in hisbat suit, epted the apuse of the people, and had journalists take pictures of his newbat suit to show off to Pepper.


    But now, Stark finds it absurd and disgusting because he knows that behind all this apuse and flowers is a group of foolish people who only focus on the dregs of humanity.


    No intelligent person would be happy about the apuse of such fools. Instead, it would feel like they were saying, "You''re as stupid as we are."


    Thinking of this, Stark, sitting at the meeting table, let out a deep sigh. He forced a fake smile and said, "I must thank someone for being able to sit in this position, and that someone is Schiller. For this, I owe him a favor."


    "Why did you let Lady Loki defect? What exactly are you nning?" Strange asked.


    "After the United Nations vote yesterday, the path of international cooperation is already set, but it''s clear that many still focus on internal conflicts. This is a w in humanity that won''t change in a day or two, but I intend to speed up this process." Stark''s expression turned serious, and he continued, "Schiller applied some pressure, but it wasn''t enough. Civilization within Earth always understands each other. Even if there are disagreements, they won''t be too extreme. The Soviet Union is strong, but not excessively so."


    "So, we must provide these stubborn fools with absolute pressure, pressure from outside Earth," Stark said.


    Charles stroked his chin and said, "So, this is rted to Lady Loki''s defection, right?"


    "I made a deal with her, the princess," Stark replied. "She will bring external enemies to Earth, and in return, Asgard will serve as a backup and provide an opportunity for Humanity to train its civilization."


    "What do you need to give in return?" Strange asked.


    "Just a favor from me," Stark answered.


    Steve was about to speak, but Strange continued along Stark''s line of thought, "Indeed, this trade seems fair."


    "As far as I know, the power shift in Asgard isn''t without consequences. Rules in some ces in the Nine Realms have started to be unstable, and they arepeting with the most advanced civilizations in the gxy. Having a strong individual Space-level ally who can ascend to the multiverse at any time is beneficial to them."


    "Also, there''s the Ragnarok," Stark added. "Of course, I can''t sacrifice myself to protect them, but I can help when needed, which is also beneficial to Humanity''s civilization."


    "Furthermore..." Stark added, "Once an external enemy arrives, all countries will focus all their attention on the external threat. They will concentrate all their strength to protect themselves and their positions. At that time, it won''t matter which stance Schiller takes as long as he''s for Humanity. This way, he won''t be constantly monitored by those messy agents, even if I owe him a favor."


    Meanwhile, in the thick night of Hell''s Kitchen, as Schiller slept soundly, he turned over. What he didn''t see was a ghostly figure suddenly entering his dark bedroom.


    In the bedroom of the space mothership, Natasha, who had left the dream meeting early to have a cigarette, nced out of the window habitually.


    "Bang!


    !


    !"


    Natasha''s eyes widened as she watched a figure high up in the air, on the rooftop outside, pause for a moment when thrown to the highest point, and then "whoosh," it dropped down.


    Immediately after, there was another "bang," and Natasha looked in shock at a bed that had appeared outside the window, with Schiller in it, still in his sleeping position, clutching the nket, and wide-eyed.


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 Chapter 542: When Will the Tit for Tat End? (2)

    Chapter 542: When Will the Tit for Tat End? (2)


    "Spider-Man!


    !"


    Schiller''s shout echoed in the New York night sky.


    Natasha leaned over the window, looking down to see Schiller, now a mass of Grey Mist, falling straight down.


    After Schillernded, he took a deep breath and said to Spider-Man, "Even if you want to y games in the middle of the night, do you really have to throw my bedroom out of Earth first?"


    At this moment, Pikachu, who had been knocked down by falling debris, crawled out from the rubble. He extended a small, short hand and said, "I swear, he didn''t want to y games because..."


    He pointed to a few sparking wires nearby, indicating that Peter''s favorite game console didn''t fare well.


    Schiller took another deep breath, not fully awake from his slumber. He continued, "Alright, it seems like the rebellious phase has kicked in. I''m not asking you to go to bed at 8 every day, but you should at least be asleep before midnight, right? You..."


    Just then, with a whoosh, a blur rushed towards Schiller, and with a bang, Schiller turned into Grey Mist again. It was only then that he noticed something was off with Spider-Man."Spider-Man! Spider-Man!" Considering themotion earlier, Schiller didn''t call out Peter''s name, but his codename. However, Peter didn''t react at all, as if he were sleepwalking, aimlessly chasing after anything moving around him.


    Schiller thought for a moment and realized that Peter might be in a state where his surface consciousness hadpletely submerged into the world of his subconscious, allowing his instincts to take over his body.


    But for now, the most crucial thing was to restrain him; otherwise, more than just the game console would breakter.


    Schiller was well aware of how strong Spider-Man''s instincts were, perhaps even stronger than Spider-Man himself. Defeating Spider-Man''s instincts would be much more challenging than defeating Spider-Man.


    The current Spider-Man hadn''t fully unleashed his potential yet, and his contribution to the team was more significant in scientific research. But now, Schiller faced a Spider-Man in his prime.


    To subdue him, Schiller had to defeat him, but he couldn''t use excessive force. After all, Spider-Man was an ally, and he couldn''t harm him. So, Schiller faced the same dilemma as Stark did before ¨C knowing the opponent was acting irrationally, knowing he had to fight, but also needing to hold back.


    Therefore, Schiller had no choice but to unleash his most formidable persona once again, Moonlight Schiller.


    Schiller dared to do this because Spider-Man in his prime had a powerful weapon, his Spider-Sense, or rather, it could be called Spider Prophecy at this point. Spider-Sense had developed to an incredible level, almost bordering on precognition. The Spider-Sense Schiller had copied wasn''t as strong; it was more like danger detection.


    However, Moonlight Schiller possessed the power of the Moon God Khonshu,bined with Grey Mist, and he needed to hold back to maintain a bnced fight.


    The battle between Schiller and the unconscious Spider-Man was bnced, meaning that the fight would be long. The two of them continued to swirl above New York, with the moon shining and des shing...


    It was an incredibly intense battle between two superhumans with danger detection abilities, resembling an intense game of chess, where they needed to predict each other''s predictions, set traps for each other, and counteract each other''s intuitive unraveling of those traps.


    Meanwhile, the meeting of the Radiance Alliance had just ended. Stark woke up from his slumber, and the Stark Tower in the early morning seemed unusually quiet. Then, a piercing telephone ring echoed, and Lady Loki''s voice came from the other end.


    "I''ve already selected the first batch of enemies. They''re not very powerful, and even without your technology and S.H.I.E.L.D. support, Humanity''s military forces should be able to handle them."


    "In ordance with our n, prepare to begin."


    Stark sighed and looked up at the starry night sky blinking. He said, "Then let''s begin."


    "You better think this through, Stark," Lady Loki''s voice carried a hint of sigh. She continued, "Humanity''s history may not urately record these things, and they may not appreciate your actions. This is a risky move, and you''ll have to bear all the consequences."


    "Do you think I would back down?" Stark asked as he gazed at the stars.


    Lady Loki sighed again and said, "The portal will open in Earth''s near orbit in 10 minutes, and three Chitauri space battleships will approach Earth."


    "From the recent intelligence I''ve obtained, their space battleships aren''t very powerful, at least much weaker than the Kree escort ship you captured before."


    "As far as I know, Humanity''s conventional nuclear weapons can destroy these battleships. So, what you need to consider in this war is not how to destroy them, but how to ensure that your Earth remains uncontaminated and undamaged in the process."


    "I think this level of intensity should be suitable. After this, there will be their mothership and the Will-ss battleships, and then..."


    "Wait, what did you tell them to make them keep pouring troops in here?"


    "You don''t need to worry about that," Lady Loki interrupted Stark and said, "Now, get ready. Humanity''s civilization is about to take its first shot in space."


    The people of New York, awakened by themotion caused by Schiller and Spider-Man, suddenly noticed an exceptionally bright star in the overhead sky.


    Then, that star gradually erged, and everyone realized that it wasn''t a star but more like a rift in space, the kind you could see in movies.


    This was a special technology possessed by the Chitauri, though far less convenient than Earth''s sorcerer''s portals, with many limitations and absolutely no interruptions allowed. Therefore, without Asgard''s consent, the Chitauri couldn''t invade Earth through this portal.


    However, coincidentally, Asgard''s former princess had just defected and was rallying allies throughout space. As long as one was willing to help her and await her return to the throne, there would be rewards in the future...


    Regardless of how the God of Mischief had tricked the Chitauri with such a simple scheme, now, with Lady Loki''s cooperation, the Chitauri''s battleships had indeed arrived over Earth.


    As Loki had stated, the Chitauri battleships were much inferior to Kree spaceships, being only about one-tenth the size of a Kree escort spaceship. They had a streamlined shape and resembled torpedoes,cking the grandeur of the Kree escort ship.


    But for Humanity, these spaceships were already massive, and even those living on the Earth''s surface could faintly see the shadow of the spaceships in near orbit.


    In just a moment, panic engulfed everyone.


    Stark hadn''t informed anyone in advance about this exercise because he remembered a sentence Schiller had said, a sentence he now strongly agreed with:


    "Fear is the deepest and most difficult scar etched into the soul of Humanity."


    An atmosphere of impending doom began to shroud the, with countlessmunications ringing out. The leaders of Humanity were now in more frequent contact than ever before.


    The Chitauri''s tactics were straightforward. They began by directly using their spaceships to destroy the satellites around Earth. Satellites weren''t unique to Earth; other civilizations had them too.


    In any case, their first step was to clear all equipment near Earth, causing panic, and then their main forces would descend, taking over this at the lowest cost possible. They had done this many times before, so they were very skilled at it.


    The Chitaurimander stood in themand room, and he sneered, saying, "That Asgardian princess actually wants to see our strength through Earth? It''s amusing. Without Asgard''s protection, what can this surface civilization achieve?"


    "In my opinion, the Grand General overestimated them. Why send three battleships? Just one spaceship equipped with electromaic weapons would be enough."


    "Zzzt¡ªZzzt¡ª"


    Suddenly, there was noise on themunication channel. Themander furrowed his brow and picked up themunication device, asking, "What''s going on with ship 302? Report!"


    "Help! Help!" A series of screams came from the other end. "A red and blue intermixed monster! Help... He came from the gray mist, and we can''t handle him... Commander! We need reinforcements... Ugh..."


    "Zzzt¡ªZzzt¡ª"


    Themander held themunication device and said, "Hello! What''s happening? Respond quickly!"


    "Bang!


    !"


    Themander slowly turned around, seeing that the door to themand room had been kicked into the wall. A ghostly figure appeared outside the door.


    At the top control room of Stark Tower, Stark, always ready to respond to unusual situations, nced at the monitoring screen out of habit.


    His eyes widened as he watched the Chitauri battleship suddenly protrude numerous spikes from its interior, turning into a spherical sea urchin within seconds.


    One battleship exploded in an instant, and the second battleship repeated the same fate. In just a few minutes, the third battleship also turned into a sea urchin.


    Suddenly, a spike on the surface of thest battleship exploded.


    Stark stared in shock at the Chitaurimander who flew out, and behind themander, emerging from the Grey Mist, was Spider-Man, rubbing his eyes, looking drowsy, and just waking up.


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 Chapter 543: Chitauri in Trouble (1)

    Chapter 543: Chitauri in Trouble (1)


    "What are you doing?!"


    A furious shout from Lady Loki came through Stark''smunication device:


    "Didn''t you say you wouldn''t get involved? If you join in, you''ll beat more Chitauri than they can handle!"


    "No, I didn''t..." Stark denied somewhat guiltily. He continued, "There was a little unexpected incident with the n, and Peter... he might be sleepwalking..."


    "I don''t care what he''s doing. Now, the battleship''s gone. What do you n to use as a whetstone for Earth?" Lady Loki replied, clearly annoyed.


    "Can''t you provide more reinforcements?"


    Lady Loki took a deep breath and said, "Do you think a spaceship is something you pick up on the beach like a pebble? Chitauri may not be a highly advanced civilization, but spaceships are still crucial to them."


    "Aren''t you the self-proimed God of Mischief? You''ve already tricked three ships here; can''t you trick three more?"


    Lady Loki scoffed and said, "Only because of you... just wait!"Themunication device fell silent. Stark pondered for a moment and then took out his mobile phone, calling Strange.


    "Hurry and find a way to get Peter out of there! That Grey Mist... Schiller is there too, I knew it! Get them both out of there quickly, don''t dy my n!"


    "Easy for you to say," Strange replied, looking at the battleship that had exploded into a mess of cigarette-like flowers just moments after appearing. He continued, "Are you asking me to engage in a fight with them in near-Earth orbit?"


    "You''re a master of magic, aren''t you?" Stark retorted confidently. "Who told me that the Supreme Sorcerer can do anything?"


    Angrily, Strange hung up the phone, but despite his frustration, he knew he had a job to do. As the Supreme Sorcerer, he understood that Kamar-Taj was a part of humanity''s civilization, and both sides prospered or suffered together.


    In the past, Kamar-Taj had followed a policy of non-interference in human society because, from a microscopic perspective, Earth''s affairs were intricate andplex, and any supernatural intervention could lead to adverse consequences.


    However, from a macroscopic perspective, considering human civilization as a whole, Kamar-Taj had a responsibility to help humanity take this step forward.


    Strange sighed, picked up his cloak, gemstones, and bindings, and with a determined air, he arrived at the location where the spaceship had exploded.


    By now, Peter had awakened and found himself in pitch darkness. When he turned his head, a blinding light assaulted his eyes, and when he turned again, he saw his beautiful home, Earth, beneath his feet.


    "Ah!" Peter screamed in terror.


    Suddenly, he realized that if he were outside of Earth right now, how could he be breathing? How could he make any noise?


    Thinking about this, Peter quickly covered his mouth, his face contorted with fear.


    The symbiote Red Bee inside him said helplessly, "Buddy, what''s wrong with you? Your body was moving uncontrobly just now, and I didn''t know what was happening, so I didn''t dare to act. Fortunately, you''re back."


    Peter finally remembered that he had an alien symbiote inside him that allowed him to move in space environments. He stuttered, "Um... ever since I was bitten by that spider, if I sleep too deeply, I tend to sleepwalk..."


    "Before, this symptom wasn''t too severe, so I didn''t pay much attention to it. But it seems like this time I slept too deeply, and I ended up sleepwalking outside of Earth."


    "Let''s go back. It''s already veryte, and if we make amotion, Doctor Schiller will be very angry."


    Red Bee remained silent for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to exin what had just happened to him. Red Bee had witnessed the whole process, and he was afraid that if he recounted it to Peter, Peter might just run off to the moon.


    Meanwhile, Peter also noticed something was amiss. He looked around and said, "What are all these fragments? I don''t remember any recent ns forunchingrge satellites."


    "What''s this? Why does this person look so strange?" Peter turned his head and saw the Chitaurimander, who hadn''t died but was helplessly floating next to a piece of debris.


    Chitauri civilization had advanced enough to allow for solo spacebat, but their physical bodies were not suited for it, requiring external bone-likebat suits.


    At this moment, the Chitaurimander''sbat suit had been damaged by Peter''s sleepwalking antics. Fortunately, the oxygen system was still working, preventing his immediate demise, but he couldn''t move.


    Peter paused in mid-air, and a red, viscous substance covered hisbat suit. With this red Spider-Man suit, he had the ability to operate in space. The symbiote propelled him forward in the vacuum, and he reached the other Chitaurimanders.


    "What happened to you? Do you need help?"


    "Don''te any closer! Monster!"


    Themander screamed. He had watched in horror as what appeared to be a human-like monster had turned a battleship into a pincushion with torpedoes in just a few minutes.


    Peter stared for a moment, unsure why themander had such a hostile attitude. Nevertheless, he patiently said, "Don''t be afraid. I am humanity, I mean..."


    "You''re not humanity!" themander shouted again. Red Bee tranted Peter''s words in real-time based on gic encyclopedia records, making the spoken words understandable to Peter while preserving the tone.


    "I am humanity," Peter insisted firmly. "Can''t you see it? I look exactly like a human. We both have hands, feet, and eyes..."


    "Get away!" themander yelled, struggling to move his limbs to hide behind the debris.


    Peter was puzzled and nced at the scattered fragments of battleships around. He suspected a conspiracy and immediately had Red Bee take him to catch up with themander.


    The Chitaurimander''s exoskeleton was damaged, leaving him immobile and awkwardly moving, like an infant just learning to use their limbs. In contrast, the symbiote was incredibly agile and, in a zero-gravity environment, could almost fly, moving quickly.


    The chase didn''tst long before the Chitaurimander had a mental breakdown. To him, the being in front of him seemed to be torturing and mocking him.


    He pressed hismunication device and sent a final message before resolutely hitting the self-destruct button on his chest, causing the bomb attached to his exoskeleton to explode.


    "Don''t answer! Don''t answer! Lady Loki! He''s a fraud!"


    As the explosion urred, Peter, who had hastily moved away, stared nkly at the drifting corpse fragments. He scratched his head, feeling bewildered, then turned around, nning to return to Earth and inform the Avengers about the situation above Earth so they could strategize.


    Meanwhile, in the control room, Stark removed his hand from a button, breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Lady Loki on the other end of the phone, "I intercepted the signal he just sent out. You can continue to deceive them."


    Lady Loki coldly snorted and said, "In five minutes, three battleships will still arrive at their designated positions. You better get Spider-Man out of there quickly."


    After ending the call, Stark called Strange and asked, "Why didn''t I see you on the monitors? Haven''t you left Earth yet?"


    "Almost... very soon," Strange replied somewhat ambiguously. Stark didn''t dwell on it and hung up the phone.


    After hanging up the phone, Strange looked at the ballpoint pen rotating slowly on his forehead. He raised his hands and, facing Schiller on the other side, said, "It''s all Stark''s doing."


    Schiller crossed his arms and looked at Strange. "Is that so? What are you going to do now?"


    "I''m going to take a look at the scenery," Strange replied, gazing at the sky and the earth, avoiding eye contact with Schiller. Suddenly, his red cloak tugged him to the side forcefully.


    Strange reached out to pull the cloak back, but it snapped into an arrow-like shape on its own and pointed in Spider-Man''s direction, indicating urgency.


    Faced with Schiller''s deadly gaze, Strange awkwardly pulled the cloak back, revealing a fake smile. "Stark and I areplete strangers. Of course, I''m on your side."


    Schiller snorted coldly, but before he could speak, he saw a golden spatial rift open not far away. A massive space battleship emerged from it.


    Taking a deep breath, Schiller turned his head to Strange and said, "Go, give Spider-Man a p."


    "What?!" Strange looked at him in confusion. Schiller sounded impatient as he said, "Didn''t you tell me before that you could use a single strike to knock someone''s soul out? Go give Spider-Man a p and then secure his soul."


    "Why? Even if Peter threw your bed into space, you can''t do this, can you? He''s not even an adult. I can''t..." Strange stopped himself from saying more as he watched the ballpoint pen getting closer and closer.


    Strange took out a small vial with a teardrop-shaped design and adorned with golden patterns. Then, with a wave of his cloak, he opened a portal.


    On the other side, Peter was shocked as he watched three battleships slowly emerge from the portal. Now, the third battleship had left the portal, which had closed.


    Panicked, he felt the need to immediately inform the Avengers that there was an alien invasion. Red Bee carried him, flying swiftly toward Earth.


    With a "sizzle," a familiar portal blocked his path. Strange flew out of the portal, leaving Peter stunned. He said, "Mr. Strange, what are you doing here? Oh, wait, you''re here to deal with the aliens, right?"


    "Stop them. We can''t let those spaceships get close to Earth, or everyone will be in danger!" Strange smiled at Peter, who stared wide-eyed in confusion. Strange flew to the opposite side of Peter, and as Peter watched him move his wrist, he asked, "What are you going to do? You..."


    "Bang!"


    Strange struck Peter''s chest with a palm, and a phantom soul flew out of Peter''s body. Strange took out the small teardrop-shaped container, opened the lid, and sucked Peter''s soul inside.


    Closing the lid, Strange looked at Schiller, who had turned into Grey Mist, and then wrapped the unconscious Spider-Man with Grey Mist. In an instant, Grey Mist turned into the shape of a baseball bat.


    "Rest... Bang!"


    Grey Mist swung the bat, sending Spider-Man into the opening on the first battleship''s hull. Three secondster, they heard a series of "tter," "bang," "boom," "ah"...


    In the control room, Stark''s mouth hung open as he watched the smooth torpedo-shaped battleship transform back into a sea urchin.


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 Chapter 544: Chitauris Misfortune (1)

    Chapter 544: Chitauri''s Misfortune (1)


    Lady Loki, who had just finished convincing people, switched her perspective and nced at the Eye of Magic left nearby on Earth. To her surprise, Earth nearby waspletely empty, with no Chitauri warships or shadows in sight.


    Frowning, she picked up her staff and gently tapped it in the air, creating an illusion that floated before her. It was a Chitauri, but unlike the others, this one had a more refined appearance, with stronger external bones and a more robust physique.


    "Dorian, the Grand General, didn''t we agree on a specific time? Why hasn''t your army arrived yet?" Lady Loki inquired.


    "We did send three warships into the battle just now! But they lost contact moments ago. Let me check..." Dorian replied nervously, wiping his forehead and pointing to his nose while repeatedly calling out to themunication device, but there was no response.


    Lady Loki, skilled in bargaining, pretended to be displeased and said, "Even in Chitauri civilization, I''m not limited to choosing you as my partner. I believe the Royalist Faction and the Grand Prince should also be interested in entering the Nine Realms."


    "Wait a moment; it will be resolved soon!" Dorian, the so-called Grand General, wiped his forehead and nervously gestured towards his nose. He continued shouting into themunication device, but still, no one responded.


    Lady Loki, losing her patience, remarked, "I must have made a mistake! Initially, I wanted to cooperate with the Chitauri because of your formidable warships. What else could catch the eye of the Asgardians?"


    "Even the warships pale inparison to our long-range sailboats. In Asgard, sailboats are merely the lowest tier of spaceship. Above them, there are several levels of warships, not to mention the Bifrost."


    Lady Loki''s words carried a sense of pride, and Dorian couldn''t argue. The level of Chitauri civilization was iparable to Asgard''s, even though Asgard primarily relied on individualbat; their military facilities were top-notch."You better hurry; I''m running out of patience. If you can''t do it, I''ll contact the Royalist Faction right now. With a royal rtionship, they should be able to mobilize a warship, right?"


    "If you can''t handle the feeble Humanity, how can you expect me to assist in the Restoration? You don''t even have this capability, yet you want me to work for you for nothing?"


    "Wait!" Dorian shouted loudly. He said, "I can mobilize a warship. I have the authority!"


    "Yes, that was before. But don''t think I''m unaware. After you were excluded from the power center, your authority became meaningless. Can you infiltrate the control center tomand the troops?"


    Dorian took a deep breath, calming himself slightly, and said, "I can''t infiltrate, but I have people inside the control center..."


    "Now, three warships, two of them are nearby our homeworld, performing security duties. Only one is farther away. As long as I can divert that more distant warship and return within the specified time, no one will notice."


    "Very well, you''d better hurry. Earthlings have probably already noticed your warships. Ordinary Humanity might not recognize them, but Earth has the Supreme Sorcerer and other alien creatures lurking. If they report this to my elder brother, we''re all in trouble."


    "Don''t worry!" Dorian gritted his teeth. "Don''t forget our previous agreement. I''ll help you counterattack the Immortal Pce, and you''ll help me overthrow the royal family and make me the Emperor of the Chitauri."


    "Didn''t you already witness my power before? The Chitauri''s royal family, or even the Grand Prince, couldn''t withstand a single blow from me."


    Lady Loki adjusted her hair and said to the person across from her, "Hurry up; if you dy any longer, you''ll find Bifrost hovering above your head."


    Lady Loki ended the call and then dialed Stark''s phone again, saying, "Don''t worry, I had them send a warship over. This time should be problem-free."


    Stark opened his mouth to suggest a modification to the n, but after some thought, he realized that diverting all Chitauri forces here could lead to a direct conquest of Chitauri itself.


    Thinking this, Stark didn''t pursue Strange''s betrayal. He quickly operated the console and connected to the Avengers'' basemunication.


    Before he could speak, Steve on the other end hurriedly asked, "What''s going on? What''s going on? Has the n changed? Where are the warships? How did they disappear as soon as they appeared?"


    Natasha, also by the phone, added, "I saw it too. Those warships seemed to explode. Director Nick just asked me if he could go pick up the wreckage."


    Stark had intended to ask them to calm the public''s emotions, but Nick''s question left him speechless.


    Watching several spaceships explode near Earth, Nick Fury''s first thought was to salvage the wreckage.


    However, it had to be acknowledged that his approach made sense. Chitauri technology was indeed less advancedpared to the Kree and Asgard, but it was still far ahead of Earth''s civilization.


    Moreover, being less advanced had its advantages. The science and technology of Kree escort ships were challenging to decipher due to their superior materials science. Asgard''s science and technology were also ipatible because Asgardians had exceptional individual qualities, and their development path in science and technology was entirely different and unsuitable for Earth.


    However, ording to the materials provided by Lady Loki, Chitauri civilization seemed to be at the right level for Earth to learn from. Stark retracted the words he was about to say and pondered for a moment before speaking:


    "I''ve ordered Mercury Base to urgently assemble recycling robots, but the debris generated next might be even more significant, and the robots may not clean it all up. If we can''t clean it uppletely, it might affect the arrival of other spaceships."


    "Here''s the n: Steve, contact Professor X and check if Mao is avable..."


    Steve hesitated for a moment, not understanding why the situation had taken this turn, but he instinctively picked up another phone and called Charles. After hanging up, he told Stark, "Mao is not avable, but his daughter Pris is."


    "Alright, that works too. Have those mutants with symbiotes take her to the temporary base I''ve set up, and then gather the wreckage in the vicinity. I''ll send the recycling robots to pick it up."


    "In addition, for the debris closer to Earth, already captured by gravity, let Nick''s helicarrier handle it. Remember, we must ensure it doesn''t fall and cause any damage."


    Before hanging up, Stark sighed and said, "Tell him to clear out some warehouse space; in theing days, we might have more materials than he can imagine."


    When Stark said this, neither Steve nor Natasha realized the severity of the problem, and they didn''t particrly emphasize it to Nick.


    They simply contacted Professor X again and, following Stark''s n, had Pris go into space to collect the wreckage of the exploded spaceships.


    This was Pris''s first time undertaking such a significant mission. She had long envied the mutants with symbiotes who could participate in various Avengers missions.


    Now, for the first time, she was taking on such a massive task, and she felt it was a reward for her hard work and study.


    After this period of learning, Pris had improved significantly. It was easy for her, a previously underperforming student, to boost her grades, especially since she possessed powers almost identical to Mao''s.


    Once in space, several symbiote-wearing mutants brought Pris to the temporary base Stark had constructed. Upon entering the base, Pris waved her hand and said, "You can go back; I can handle this."


    With that, she began to examine the disyed map and surveince screens. In reality, both Pris and Mao could use their maic forces to survive in space. However, they stayed in the base because they needed to follow the marks on the map provided by Stark and move the wreckage to designated locations.


    The format of the map clearly showed how worried Stark was that Pris might not understand it. The map was three-dimensional, centered around Earth, with each piece of debris precisely marked. It even had icons, and the target locations were disyed on another three-dimensional map, showing where each corresponding piece of wreckage should be moved.


    In essence, even an ordinary student without space operation training could understand this map. It was fundamentally simr to ying an online game mission¡ªjust go where the highlighted points are.


    Realizing that this was no problem for her, Pris rolled up her sleeves and prepared to show her skills.


    She flew out from the top of the base, and by looking down, she could see the map. The surroundings were the vast emptiness of space.


    With a wave of her hand, the scattered debris around her began to fly at an incredibly high speed. It followed her designated path but stopped abruptly,pletely defying thews of normal object movement.


    Next, Pris created a maic force cage simr to what Mao had done before, enveloping the pieces.


    Then, her eyes emitted a different kind of light, and a tiny dot of light appeared above the cage.


    The dot of light blinked a few times but then went out. Pris furrowed her brow and attempted to create another dot of light, but it still didn''t work. Stark connected through themunication device he had on her ear and asked, "What are you doing? Can''t you just move the stuff over directly?"


    "That would be too slow," Pris replied. "I saw Mao create a wormhole; do you know what a wormhole is? It''s a kind of portal that allows for instant transportation."


    "He can create a wormhole?!" Stark raised his voice. "What else can''t he do?"


    Pris snorted, appearing quite proud, but after a moment, she looked a bit distressed. "I don''t know why, but I tried to mimic his actions, and it didn''t work. In theory, my powers should be sufficient."


    "Do you understand what a wormhole is?" Stark asked.


    "I''ve read the basics in textbooks, but the theoretical parts are tooplicated, and I don''t understand them at all."


    Stark rubbed his chin and asked, "Howrge can your wormholes theoretically amodate?"


    "In theory, they can be infinitelyrge, but there are many limitations in practice. The one Mao created was for transporting parts to Repair Sky Ind, um... it was about one-tenth the size of Earth, roughly."


    Pris spoke hesitantly because she had no understanding of this matter. But Stark knew that it was definitely not Mao''s limit.


    Anyone with even a bit of strategic vision could see how crucial it was to have a portal that could be used at any time during interster warfare.


    And Humanity''s portal construction required almost no external conditions; it only needed a person to go through it. In addition to Mao''s wormhole, there were also sorcerer''s portals of various sizes and specifications. They could choose which type to use.


    Stark realized that his step-by-step n seemed a bit conservative.


    It appeared that Humanity could skip the space development and construction phase entirely and directly enter the interster raiding phase. Or rather, the two phases could run concurrently¡ªsome people would go out to plunder while others stayed home to build. How efficient would that be?


    While Stark was refining his n, on the other side, after Pris attempted to open a wormhole several times without sess, she could only resort to a more straightforward method and drag these resources to the vicinity of Mercury.


    Following the marked locations by Stark, she shuttled back and forth, watching as the area near Mercury gradually became busier. This kind of work still gave her a sense of aplishment, even though she was just aborer. Pris was quite satisfied with the results of her first mission.


    The debris near Earth was slowly decreasing, and after working tirelessly for a while, Pris was almost finished. But just as she was about to make her final trip, she saw a golden spatial rift appearing not far away.


    Although Pris had limited academic knowledge, she had a natural sensitivity to changes in maic forces and gravitational fields. She noticed changes in the gravitational field around her and immediately stopped her actions.


    Seeing the maic field around the rift changing drastically, Pris furrowed her brow, extended her hand, and with a finger clench, the rift, which had been partially open, closed with a "whoosh."


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 Chapter 545: Chitauris Bad Luck (2)

    Chapter 545: Chitauri''s Bad Luck (2)


    As the maic field around them returned to calm, Pris pped her hands in satisfaction and continued with her work as a mover.


    But on the other side, General Dorian was dumbfounded. He asked, "What''s going on? The portal was interrupted. Who did this?"


    The monitoring personnel shook their heads. They were standing next to a door-shapedrge device, which was essential for opening the portal.


    This device was enormous, evenrger than several battleships, and right next to this door-shaped device was a spaceship almost the same size as the portal. It was the Chitauri''s Will-ss battleship.


    The limitation of Chitauri''s portal was that they had to create a real physical door first, onerge enough to amodate a battleship, before they could open the portal. Moreover, these portals could only be used a few times before bing unusable, and the cost wasparable to that of a battleship.


    This was the form of portals possessed by most civilizations that were at a simr level of development as the Chitauri. In contrast, portals like Earth''s, where a tiny person could create a portal the size of the moon with a wave of their hand, sounded like pure mythology to them.


    Dorian waspletely perplexed, so he could only say, "Restart the portal and try again."


    After Pris had finished moving thest batch of wreckage, she was nning to return to Earth and check if there were any stragglers. However, as she was on the road back, she felt changes in the maic field again.


    For mutants like them, who had a natural connection to the maic field, this sensation was akin to the persistent buzzing of a fly around their ears¡ªit didn''t bite, but it was highly annoying.Pris shrugged her shoulders, shivered slightly, and impatiently waved her hand, restoring calm to the surrounding maic field. But just as she was about to set off again, that strange sensation returned.


    Pris had a short temper, and the multiple failures of the wormhole had already put her on edge. She knew she couldn''t vent her frustration on Stark and the others, so she held it in.


    However, this time, faced with an inexplicable fluctuation in the maic force, she couldn''t contain her temper.


    Pris stretched out her arms, her hair floating without wind, and the maic field quickly changed invisibly to the naked eye within arge area around her.


    It was only then that Pris realized that someone else seemed to be trying to open a spatial tunnel here. She furrowed her brows, sensed the direction of the anomaly, slowly closed her eyes, and extended one hand, then clenched it in the air.


    "Boom!"


    At the edge of the Chitauri gxy, a bright point of light burst forth, and the giant door was blown into a burst of sparks.


    The destruction caused by an equipment of this magnitude exploding in ce was immense. The Will-ss battleship that had been preparing to pass through the portal was affected and thrown a great distance, with pieces of debris flying everywhere.


    Fortunately, Dorian and the researchers had already retreated inside the battleship, so they were not killed by the explosion. However, watching the enormous portal explode into sparks right in front of their eyes was an unparalleled shock.


    Dorian was truly panicking now. If losing six ordinary battleships could be epted, the explosion of the Chitauri Empire''s portal meant that one of the only three Will-ss battleships had been damaged. If he returned to the homeworld now, he would undoubtedly be thrown into the arena to await his fate.


    But things had already escted to this point, and Dorian had no choice but to make a desperate move. He gritted his teeth and ordered his subordinates, "Board the ship! Take control of this Will-ss battleship and get it out of here!"


    His decision was swift. Therefore, when most of the people on the Will-ss battleship had not yet reacted, Dorian''s subordinates had already taken control of therge spaceship. Just as they were about to elerate away, a clear and somewhat indifferent female voice sounded in their ears.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    A small figure with green hair, appearing like a speck of dust in space, stood next to the massive battleship.


    Then, this speck of dust delivered a resounding p, and the battleship began to spin as it flew out of the gxy.


    Seeing the Will-ss spaceship wildly spinning on the magic screen, Lady Lokideep took a deep breath and sighed deeply.


    She connected with Stark''s telephone and said, "My choice of target wasn''t good. Your civilization''s destructive power in science and technology is too great."


    Stark only saw Pris disappear from the surveince footage, but from Lady Loki''s tone, he could probably guess what Pris was up to.


    Lady Loki''s reasoning was sound. Clearly, the Chitauri were not a civilization that had transcended maic field control. Most of their space travel technology still had to consider maic field and stance issues. When they encountered mutants like Pris or Mao, who had a natural affinity for maic forces, they were virtually defenseless.


    Even someone like Spider-Man, with his power specialization, could cause irreversible damage to their metal battleships. Not to mention, Earth still had many monsters that hadn''t been released yet. If Hulk had just arrived, a single kick could send the Chitauri rolling back to their homeworld, literally.


    "So, what do we do?" Stark asked.


    Lady Loki thought for a moment and said, "Science and technology civilizations won''t work. I''ll go find the magic side. You wait here; I''ll summon some help."


    In the space near Earth, the wreckage of the exploding spaceship had been mostly cleared away. Strange ced Spider-Man''s soul back into his body. Peter was still very confused and didn''t know what had happened.


    When he turned around, he saw Schiller''s stern gaze. Peter stammered, "Uh, Doctor, I promise, next time I''ll go to sleep early!"


    Schiller snorted and pointed a finger at Earth. Peter, dejected, left. A few minutester, a cry came from Earth, "My gaming console!"


    In space, Schiller and Strange remained in ce. Schiller squinted at Strange and asked, "How did the Chitauri suddenly invade? Are you hiding something from me?"


    "I don''t know," Strange denied.


    "Oh, really? So you flew out of Earth all of a sudden just to enjoy the view?" Schiller continued to press.


    Seeing that he couldn''t evade Schiller''s questions, Strange said, "You don''t need to keep asking, and I can''t say..."


    ording to Earth''s current position, New York should still be in the middle of the night, or it might be early morning. It should be a time for sleep.


    Schiller was still in his pajamas, holding a pillow in his hand. Seeing Strange''s nonchnt attitude, he took a deep breath and put on a fake smile, saying...


    "Well then, I''ll go back to sleep."


    Strange also forced a smile and said, "Go ahead, good night."


    As a result, Schiller''s body didn''t move, but his expression became vacant for a moment. When he recovered, the muscles on his face hadpletely changed, and his eye contact had be cold and ruthless.


    Strange stepped back a bit, extending both hands and said, "No, don''t, Schiller..."


    With a sudden "swish," an umbre sword appeared in Schiller''s hand. The people in New York who were gazing at the starry sky saw, after several bursts of sparks, silver shes and shining rings continuously lighting up the sky.


    Stark watched the surveince footage, holding his head in frustration. He dialed S.H.I.E.L.D.''s sky carrier and Natasha, who answered the telephone while in a bedroom, smoking a cigarette and looking at the special effects outside the window. Before Stark could speak, the female agent said:


    "Sigh... I know, you want S.H.I.E.L.D. to send someone to mediate, but..."


    Natasha exhaled a smoke ring, looked at the group of sorcerers flying outside the window, led by the Sorcerer Supreme, who waved his hand and said, "Supreme Sorcerer has been absent for a long time; he must be engaged in a fierce battle with those aliens. We should go and help!"


    "All right! Let''s go!"


    With that, they streaked across the sky like shooting stars, disappearing into the distant sky. Natasha took another drag from her cigarette and said:


    "Stark, has anyone ever told you..."


    "What?"


    "Your ns are as short-lived as your rtionships, but they''re always full ofplications."


    In space, Schiller, who had been pushed back slightly by the magic shield blocking his sword, watched as sorcerers appeared behind Strange. He snapped his fingers, and the towering figure of Khonshu appeared behind him. Soon after, Moonlight Killer Jack followed.


    Strange also took a step back, snapped his fingers, and his sorcerers disyed their magic artifacts.


    Seeing this, Schiller snapped his fingers again, and Pikachu, radiating yellow light, appeared behind him, followed by Grant Ward, transformed into a Yellow Lantern.


    In an instant, the two sides collided, with various colors of light illuminating the sky above Earth. A dazzling disy of fireworks unfolded in the atmosphere, with the advantage of magic being that there were no physical explosions or debris falling to harm the Earth''s surface. However, the visual effects were particrly beautiful, even noticeable to ordinary people, showcasing the excitement of this battle.


    The atmosphere on Earth had shifted from a nervous anticipation of impending doom to a popcorn-munching spectator mentality. It was like the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." Initially, the impact caused by the arrival of the three alien spaceships was substantial. However, shortly after, the spaceships exploded into fireworks. Humanity was left puzzled by what had happened. Then came three identical spaceships, and people started getting nervous again, only for these three ships to explode as well.


    After that, the portal was supposed to reopen, and everyone was on edge, wondering what dangerous spaceships might emerge from it. But the portal flickered twice and disappeared like a fart.


    Now, the portal was nowhere to be seen, and the spaceships had vanished, leaving only a bunch of superheroes fighting in space.


    While Schiller and the sorcerers battled fiercely, Lady Loki picked up her staff, and a figure appeared on the opposite side as she addressed him:


    "I am Lady Loki, the eldest princess of Asgard, currently nning a rebellion against the Realm of the Gods..."


    "If you are willing to assist me and join me in overthrowing Thor''s rule, you shall share control of half the territory of the Nine Realms with me!"


    "His Excellency Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, join me!"


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 Chapter 546: Deep Waters and Fiery Solar System (1)

    Chapter 546: Deep Waters and Fiery Sr System (1)


    Lady Loki, once the second prince of Asgard and now the long princess, a real-name scammer who always manages to deceive people despite openly advertising her deceitful nature as the God of Mischief.


    It''s hard to imagine that anyone could be fooled by someone with a title like the God of Mischief, especially when they openly acknowledge their talent for deception. Yet, there are still those who fall for her tricks.


    Perhaps this is Lady Loki''s way of selecting her target customer group. Those who have heard of her reputation and achievements and still wee her are often wealthy and easily deceived individuals, and the Chitauri are no exception.


    The Chitauri are a peculiar civilization. Theirary orbit is unstable, and their homeworld is perpetually frozen, but at the same time, they are aggressive and enjoy capturing people from others to throw them into their diatorial arenas.


    When these diators are killed, their blood immediately freezes in mid-air, and the Chitauri harvest these crimson snowkes to feed their children, thus nurturing their extreme martial and cruel tendencies.


    The Chitauri Empire didn''t solely rely on its own development; their explosive growth in science and technology was due to a more advanced spaceship crashing on their homeworld. After deciphering many technologies from it, they stole many other civilizations'' spaceships, assembling their own fleet, and eventually creating the Leviathan-ss warship.


    However, the most powerful warship in the Leviathan-ss, known as the Leviathan, was actually modified using a mysterious creature called a space shark.


    In a way, Lady Loki lured the Chitauri to Earth to exploit this bottomless pit, engaging in a kind of deception-on-deception scheme because the Chitauri themselves were notorious thieves and scammers in space.


    Originally, Lady Loki''s n was quite good. The Chitauri''s own warships were cobbled together from various sources, and many of their technologies would be valuable for Earth''s current level of science and technology.They specialized in dismantling other people''s ships and reassembling them, making them the tailors of spaceships in space. Now that humanity had Kree escort ships and was likely to acquire more ships from other civilizations in the future, this technology woulde in handy.


    Providing military training for Earth while offering technological advancements¡ªwhat could be better?


    Lady Loki had considered that the second target might encounter many problems. Perhaps the technology they dismantled wouldn''t be directly usable, or it might not align with humanity''s scientific and technological path. However, she never expected the first target to be unattainable.


    Upon realizing that the Humanity civilization might need a harder whetstone, Lady Loki turned her attention to another wealthy and easily fooled individual in the space.


    The Dark Elves were a race that lived in the Nine Realms, just like the Frost Giants. They had once been under Odin''s rule, but unlike the Frost Giants, they harbored even greater hatred for Odin.


    Their leader, Malekith, was an extremist and a racist who had a grand ideal: to kill Odin, rule the Nine Realms, and plunge them into eternal night, turning it into a paradise for the Dark Elves.


    Why say he was easily fooled? It was because his hatred for Odin had overridden most of his reason. The best way to manipte him was to join him in cursing Odin.


    Lady Loki was exceptionally skilled at cursing Odin, and she had cedyers of magical protection around the ce where she spoke to ensure that her voice would not be heard outside. Lady Loki and Malekith spent over two hours verballyshing out at Odin.


    After these two hours, Malekith practically wanted to dere Lady Loki as his confidante.


    In his eyes, a fallen and persecuted princess was the perfect candidate for a queen. If she could also pave the way for him, lead him in a rebellion against the celestial pce, and kill Odin, that would be even better.


    As someone who had once been a male, Lady Loki was very familiar with Malekith''s kind of eye contact. As the saying goes, no intelligent person would find praise from a fool ttering.


    It could be said that if Stark had shown this kind of eye contact, Lady Loki would have been outwardly proud but secretly pleased. This was intelligent recognition from one smart person to another. But when this aggressive eye contact came from aplete fool, Lady Loki felt nothing but disgust.


    Suppressing her repulsion, Lady Loki crossed her arms, lifted her chin high, and said to Malekith, "I know you want to invade the celestial pce right now, decapitate Odin, but since my self-exile, my brother Thor has been on high alert, and Asgard''s fifty-five fleets have surrounded that dimension."


    "I know the Dark Elves'' ck Thorn warship is powerful, but it can''t withstand Asgard''s Bifrost. Moreover, if weunch a direct attack, while I can handle Thor''s attacks, I won''t be able to take on Thor and Odin alone. In other words, you must confront Odin..."


    "No," Malekith refused outright, his earlier fervor and anger towards Odinpletely gone.


    In space, the leaders of most factions instinctively shudder when they hear the words "confront Odin."


    The reputation of this All-Father isn''t merely based on words. The severed heads, one after another, that hang high over the Asgardian arena serve as a constant reminder that nobody wants to be the next.


    Perhaps to cover up his immediate reluctance, Malekith cleared his throat twice and then continued, "I also believe that a direct assault isn''t a good idea. We can adopt a more sophisticated strategy..."


    At this moment, Lady Loki sighed and said, "Actually, before I contacted you, I had already found many more powerful allies. You should be familiar with the Kree, right? I persuaded them to send their escort ship and more fleets, waiting at the edge of the Nine Realms. With a singlemand, we canunch an attack on Asgard together."


    "But before that, we need to make some preparations, and what you need to do is to attack Earth."


    "Earth? Why should we attack such a remote ce?" Malekith asked.


    "How long has it been since you left your own realm? Are youpletely unaware of the significant events within the Nine Realms?" Lady Loki asked somewhat annoyed.


    This touched a sore spot for Malekith. The Dark Elves were the native race of Vanaheim within the Nine Realms, a world shrouded in darkness. Therefore, the Dark Elves born here had a natural affinity for the night, but conversely, they were somewhat fearful of the light and found it inconvenient to operate in ces that weren''t dark.


    As a result, Malekith couldn''t often leave this world and was forced to stay at home. However, they had a way to deal with this situation. Dark Elves had a unique talent. When they formed a magic circle, they could temporarily turn an area into a perpetual night without light. However, this magic circle was quite costly and was not used lightly, often requiring their warships to form fleets.


    Lady Loki sighed as if feeling disappointed, and Malekith''s heart also clenched. He heard Lady Loki sigh and say, "Previously, Thor was exiled to Earth by Odin, where he met a group of superhero friends."


    "You should know Thor well. He values brotherhood greatly. If we can capture these superheroes and use them to threaten Thor, it will divert most of his attention during the attack and give us an advantage."


    "This way, on the frontlines, we won''t have to confront Odin and his son directly, making the path of the attack smoother."


    Malekith suddenly realized and praised, "Truly, you are the God of Mischief. I will send people to scout Earth nearby..."


    "No, you cannot send a scouting team; instead, you should directly send your army to conquer Earth."


    "Why is that? I heard that Earthlings are very weak, and even the weakest spells can blow them away."


    Lady Loki once again disyed a somewhat disdainful expression and said, "Don''t you know about the Supreme Sorcerer, the Ancient One, who is an ally of Odin? Are you not aware of Kamar-Taj, which is a power on Earth?"


    "Furthermore, those superheroes undoubtedly have Thor''s contact information. Once they discover your scouting team andin to him, we''ll be exposed."


    "So, you must conquer Earth before they have a chance to react, and for that, it''s best if your ck Thorn warships are mobilized to the fullest."


    Lady Loki also knew the power of a good reason. She slightly lowered her head and addressed Malekith, "I acknowledge that using your warships in their fleet formation against humanity might seem like overkill, but I must ensure the absolute sess of my strategy."


    As Lady Loki spoke these words, she exuded a powerful aura befitting a ruler.


    I must say, Odin did raise his two children with care. Although Lady Loki always feels that her father is biased, in reality, Odin has never scrimped on her hardware conditions. Plus, with Frigga''s doting, Asgard''s princes have been exceptionally privileged since childhood.


    The Asgardian royal family is the legitimate one among the Nine Realms. In contrast, where Malekith is from, it''s just a piece of territory at best, and it''s not even geographically advantageous. For thousands of years, it''s been a barrennd with few outsiders visiting.


    In simpler terms, it''s like the clueless son of a localndlord meeting a real princess. Lady Loki didn''t even need to make a deliberate effort to entice him; he was alreadypletely smitten.


    So, Malekith waved his hand and said, "That''s settled! I will lead the team personally!"


    "Then, regarding the manpower to deal with the Supreme Sorcerer and Kamar-Taj..."


    "I will dispatch three elite wizard squads, plus 28 warships to escort them..."


    Finally, Lady Loki showed her first smile since meeting Malekith, nearly making it impossible for Malekith to take his eyes off her. He heard Lady Loki say...


    "In that case, the Dark Elves will surely disy their might before reaching Earth, and our counterattack n will undoubtedly... be a resounding sess."


    Above Earth, the dazzling magic cigarette flowers had not yet finished blooming, and the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj hadn''t encountered such suitable opponents in a long time.


    Strange had instructed them to treat this as a realbat exercise and let loose. Since their opponents were allies, they clearly weren''t interested in collecting spoils. Strange was worried that the grand sorcerers might lose motivation, but to his surprise, this group of sorcerers was more enthusiastic than anyone else.


    The opportunity for a realbat exercise was extremely valuable for them. When the Ancient One was around, there was no such opportunity. Regardless of what demon gods arrived, the Ancient One could defeat them with a single punch. When the grand sorcerers arrived, the corpses had already cooled, and there was no role for them.


    Now, they could finally have a satisfying battle. Everyone was eager to unleash their magic and treasures, with extravagant light effects dazzling the scene. It felt like they had been honing their skills for a decade just for this moment.


    On Schiller''s side, Moonlight Killer and Yellow Lantern, althoughcking shy special effects, were not limited to various spells. They employed a more diverse range of energy-based methods, and the power of Khonshu and Yellow Lantern Energy didn''t require incantations. Because of this, they could engage in a back-and-forth battle with all the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.


    In the midst of the intense battle, the sound of horns suddenly echoed across the battlefield nearby, causing both sides to pause and turn their heads to look around.


    "What is that?" Sorcerer Supreme was the first to look towards the space above the Earth''s dark side, where a massive warship was slowly emerging.


    Vanaheim, where the Dark Elves were based, was also within the Nine Realms, but it was different from Earth''s dimension. They didn''t need a portal; they could cross dimensions directly. Therefore, there was no prelude of a portal, and the fleet had already entered Earth''s vicinity.


    Ordinary people in New York instinctively looked up when they heard the horns, and many even took out telescopes to see what new problem had arisen this time.


    But to their surprise, as the fleet emerged, the entire space near Earth plunged into darkness. Even New York, which had just seen the dawn, was shrouded in darkness. Not only that, the warmth brought by the sun disappeared, and everything fell into an eternal night and freezing cold.


    Seeing this situation, Stark in the control room mmed the panel and shouted into themunication device connected to Strange''s mobile phone:


    "Take them down!"


    "What?"


    "Mercury''s sunshade is active!"


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 Chapter 547: The Fiery Depths of the Solar System (2)

    Chapter 547: The Fiery Depths of the Sr System (2)


    The key to the Sr System construction n lies in the Sun, but the difficulty also lies with the Sun.


    This vibrant and fervent star shines its endless radiance upon all thes in the Sr System, nurturing the civilization of Humanity on Earth.


    However, when ites to developing the Sr System, the brilliance of the Sun bes an insurmountable challenge. On thes closest to the Sun, the scorching heat poses a significant obstacle to Humanity''s materials science.


    So far, almost all of the facilities on Mercury Base have been constructed underground. After obtaining Molten Steel, some facilities have been moved above ground, and certain crucialponents require manual enchantments by powerful sorcerers to withstand the extreme temperatures.


    Material science cannot progress overnight. A solid foundation requires patience; otherwise, one might fall into the same predicament as the Sulphur Dwarfs.


    Therefore, even a genius like Stark finds it challenging to bnce speed and quality. Now, seeing that the Dark Elves canpletely shield themselves from sunlight with their environmental force fields, his eyes light up with excitement.


    Stark had equipped the cameras around Earth with temperature sensors. The readings on these sensors clearly indicate that the Dark Elves'' force fields not only block light but also regte temperature.


    This technology is something even the great sorcerers of Kamar-Taj do not possess. After all, the Himyas are not particrly hot, so there''s no need for them to create a sunshade to cool themselves. Developing such a technology would take at least a decade of research.


    However, the Dark Elves have mastered this skill to create a controlled environment for themselves, not only controlling light within their force fields but also precision temperature regtion.Stark speaks loudly into hismunication device, "Capture them! We need this technology!"


    "Who is the person standing at the front of their warship? The one with dark skin and long hair..."


    Strange is a bit puzzled by Stark''s sudden excitement, but after Stark exins the principle, he sees the reason. So, he instructs the sorcerers who have already rushed over, "Don''t get too excited! Keep them alive! Especially the one standing at the front of the first ship. Capture him!"


    The sorcerer king, who has already arrived near the warship, immediately recognizes the arrogant Dark Elf standing at the front. He shouts, "Malekith!"


    Malekith turns his head to look at him and the sorcerer behind him. He sneers, "Kamar-Taj? Where''s your leader, The Ancient One? Are there only a few of you left?!"


    After shouting Malekith''s name, the sorcerer king follows up with a deafeningmand, "Step back quickly!"


    "Swish! Swish! Swish!"


    Several massive sword lights shatter the front of the warship, and Malekith, standing helplessly at the front, lets out a loud scream as blood spurts from his chest.


    The sorcerer king and his sorcerers fly over urgently, reaching out their hands and shouting, "No! Schiller! Stop! We need to capture him!"


    At this moment, Strange, who has just arrived above the battlefield, speaks into hismunication device, "Tony, there seems to be a slight problem with your Mercury sunshade..."


    "I saw it," Stark says with a headache. "Stop Schiller quickly. Let him go after those ships. All we need is the sunshade technology. We can study Chitauri and Kree spaceshipster."


    Strange can only fly over helplessly and join other sorcerers in restraining Schiller, who seems to slice through anything with his moonlight.


    Meanwhile, in the control room, Stark is contemting. After a while, he contacts Loki via telephone. At this moment, Lady Loki stands on the edge of a in the dark realm.


    She is not in a hurry. ording to her estimate, the Dark Elves'' full-scale attack will likelyst at least two or three days, considering Humanity''s strength in Earth''s airspace.


    After all, this is not like the small skirmishes with a few Chitauri warships. There are a total of 28 warships and a team of elite Malekith-led sorcerers. The great sorcerers are undoubtedly powerful, but their numbers are too few. Even with the help of superheroes, they may not be able to handle everything. Eventually, Earth''s various countries will have to join the fight, achieving the effect of military training.


    When Stark''s calles in, Loki asks proactively, "How''s it going? Should be manageable now, right?"


    "Although the Dark Elves''bat power isn''t impressive within the Nine Realms, they are quite formidable to Humanity," Stark says, watching the endless sword lights piercing through the crowd in the surveince footage. All the sorcerers are chasing after them, shouting, "Stop Schiller! Preserve the spark of the Dark Elves, or we won''t have ess to the technology!"


    Stark smirks and asks Loki, "Do you know the antonym of evenly matched?"


    Just as Loki senses something is amiss and hurriedly opens the Eye of Agamotto, Strange takes out his mobile phone and says somewhat frantically, "Master The Ancient One! Come back quickly! There''s an unstoppable maniac here. Get him out of here!"


    As a golden light descends from deep space, reverberations akin to a tolling bell resonate throughout the space. For a moment, space and time congeal together, and The Ancient One, dressed in a yellow robe, descends from the light pir. She says, "Everyone, cease this!"


    The Ancient One scanned the scene and didn''t quite grasp the current situation. She thought the Dark Elves were attempting to invade Earth, so she went through her usual routine: "Around Earth, strangers are not wee. Malekith, go back to your territory!... Malekith? Malekith?!"


    The Ancient One''s turning head stopped when she noticed Malekith lying on the deck, covered in blood. At that moment, Schiller, holding an umbre sword, stood before him with one foot on Malekith''s chest, raising the umbre high, and the sword gleamed.


    "Bang!"


    The umbre sword was blocked as The Ancient One appeared in front of Schiller, extending her hand with a mystical Magic Circle forming a shield.


    The Ancient One squinted at Schiller, feeling somewhat puzzled. In her memory, Schiller was still a psychologist for S.H.I.E.L.D. and a financial advisor for Sanctum Sanctorum, at best a civilian strategist. Why was he suddenly in the field himself?


    Suddenly, she realized that the power emanating from Schiller felt familiar. The Ancient One furrowed her brow and proimed loudly, "Moon God Khonshu, you''re in vition!"


    From The Ancient One''s perspective, this was likely another case of Space Demon gods manipting their followers to invade Earth ¨C something she had dealt with too many times.


    So, without waiting for Khonshu to respond, The Ancient One turned her hands and struck Schiller''s chest.


    Silently and swiftly, the massive shadow of Khonshu was knocked out of Schiller''s body. Immediately afterward, she raised her hand, and a shield formed by a Magic Circle enveloped Schiller, ensuring that he wouldn''t die in the vacuum due to losing his supernatural powers.


    Khonshu, freshly expelled, wore an unexpectedly terrified expression, but not because of The Ancient One.


    Schiller floated slowly, surrounded by a dense gray mist. As the mist grew thicker and gradually dissipated, it shrouded the entire dark force field.


    Weapons were everywhere, infiltrating every corner. In this eerie and silent atmosphere, Dark Elves fell one by one.


    In a moment, the gray mist retracted, forming tentacles that rapidly extended like budding flowers. They swept over all the ships, and amidst countless splinters, the tentacles pierced every energy node.


    Just as a slight tremor was felt, the entire dark force field shattered like bubbles.


    Schiller used a powerful move to clear the area around Earth. The first one to react was Khonshu, who had just left Schiller''s body.


    With the speed of a canteen being set up for a meal, he rolled back into Schiller''s body, then used his hands to support the moonlit Schiller at the top of the tower and said, "Stop! Stop! Don''t fight anymore. The Ancient One ising to get you!"


    Moonlit Schiller struggled, and the Grey Mist surrounded him, grabbing his arms, trying to pull him out from Khonshu''s hold. Khonshu had to exert extra effort to suppress the Grey Mist.


    Meanwhile, Jormungandr coiled on the tower''s top and said, "Impressive, my pope! Kill them all!"


    "Don''t make trouble! Come help!"


    At that moment, in the real world outside, Strange finally arrived next to The Ancient One. He said, "No! It''s not Malekith we need to stop; it''s Schiller. Don''t let him kill Malekith. Where''s Malekith?"


    The Ancient One lowered her head, looked at her feet, and indeed, Malekith was still alive. Her shield was strong enough to withstand the mist''s effects, and since The Ancient One was close to Malekith, her shield extended to him, saving his life.


    Strange breathed a sigh of relief. When he looked around the battlefield, there was almost nothing left.


    Everything had been consumed by the Grey Mist, except for the suppressed Light, indicating that the Dark Elves had once been here, full of momentum. But now, nothing remained.


    Strange, Stark in the control room, and Lady Loki, who was staring at the magic screen, all let out a sigh.


    Lady Loki was the first to speak to Stark, "I don''t know whether to say that Humanity''s civilization is incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky..."


    Stark touched his temple and watched as Strange began to clean up the wreckage of Malekith and the Dark Elves'' fleet.


    He sighed and said to Loki, "Things havee to this point, and everyone is here. If Asgard has any enemies in space, bring them here quickly. This is faster than the Bifrost."


    Lady Loki also realized the issue, but as an observer, she had a clearer view than Stark. She said, "Alternatively, if you need science and technology, I can look for corresponding civilizations in space and have them send a fleet to you. That way, everything can be dealt with."


    Just as Stark was about to respond, a call came in on the telephone. When he answered it, he was surprised to hear Schiller''s voice, which sent shivers down his spine. Schiller said to Stark in a chilling tone, "We''ll settle the ountster. Right now, I have a n..."


    "What are you up to?" Stark asked.


    "The attraction to counterattack Asgard is insufficient. The people who wille are either here to trade with Loki, seeking to borrow his power, or they have grudges against Asgard. None of them are capable fighters."


    "Instead, let''s spread the word that there''s a highly valuable treasure within the Nine Realms, inviting experts to besiege Asgard and overthrow Odin''s brutal rule. Those who can possess the treasure shall rule."


    "Then block off all other dimensional routes except the one leading from Earth to Asgard. This way, Earth will be a trap."


    "Of course, calling it a trap doesn''t sound very nice. Let''s call it a Space Toll Station."


    "Raise the barrier for those who pay the toll, and for those who don''t, raise it a few more times or just cut them off."


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 Chapter 548: The Deep Waters and Fiery Solar System (2)

    Chapter 548: The Deep Waters and Fiery Sr System (2)


    This n may sound absurd, but in reality, its chances of sess are quite high, because Earth indeed holds a treasure¡ªthe Infinity Stones.


    In the originalics, even without deceitful attacks, Earth has never had a moment of peace. Various factions and individuals make appearances one after another, turning Earth into a battlefield. Most of the time, Earth gains nothing from these encounters apart from serving as a battleground.


    In fact, Earth has many capable individuals, and it''s their home turf, so theoretically, it shouldn''t be this vulnerable. However, because every invasiones unexpectedly, most people are ill-prepared and can only react on the spot. Superheroes are scattered and not always united, sometimes even engaging in internal conflicts, making it difficult for them to unite against external threats.


    Even with Schiller''s influence, most Superheroes and mutants have been united, but finding an opportunity where everyone is present isn''t easy. Since the atmosphere has already been set, they can''t afford to let several fleets go unchallenged.


    Prepared defense and unprepared encounters are entirely different, and most Superheroes have received significant enhancements.


    Stark has be the Iron Sorcerer, capable of providing backup. Symbiotes remain on Earth, allowing people to operate in a space environment. Nick Fury has more resources, S.H.I.E.L.D.''s technological prowess has greatly improved, Kamar-Taj is abundant in energy without any cost, making them more efficient inbat.


    Within Earth, regr people have gone from panic to watching the spectacle after a night of chaos. World leaders are gathering to strategize on how to defend Earth against the invasion.


    Outside the Sr System, the Kree escort ships that were brought back are filled with energy. With a push of the throttle, they can arrive at Earth''s aid.


    One could say that the timing, location, and people are all in ce, and now the pressure shifts to Lady Loki.When Lady Loki took on this mission from Stark, she never imagined the situation would evolve like this. Although she had lived with these Superheroes for a while, she mostly saw their down-to-earth side. She never expected that when Superheroes united, they could achieve such astonishing results.


    However, she knows that the pressure is now on her, and if she doesn''t use her God of Mischief abilities, Earth''s people will underestimate Asgard.


    Lady Loki also has professional aspirations. Originally, in Asgard, a ce filled with brutes, she couldn''t showcase her skills much, at most, she''d tease Thor a bit. Aftering to Earth and undergoingprehensive training, her professional skills improved significantly. However, deceiving ordinary humans had lost its appeal.


    Lady Loki''s professional ambitions are much greater. She believes that to bring out her skills and shine, she must stay up to date with the times, identify industry trends, address customer pain points, closely follow emerging scams, and revamp traditional cons.


    In the original story, Lady Loki''s deceit skills were already impressive, and after several self-improvements, her chances of sess increased.


    In this endeavor, Lady Loki''s basic scam process involves first listing the technological characteristics of various interster civilizations that she understands. Humanity categorizes these characteristics and arranges them by priority.


    Lady Loki then goes door-to-door ording to priority, deceiving those she can and obtaining spaceships if necessary. For those she can''t deceive, she may still acquire a spaceship, and for thosepletely resistant, she moves on to the next target, casting a wide to maximize gains.


    With the vastness of space and the multitude of civilizations, Lady Loki''s skill and charisma entice many middle or lower-tier civilizations to invest resources and send one or two fleets to the Nine Realms.


    These civilizations are mostly in the era of space exploration and colonization, with plenty of spaceships and ambitious dreams of reaching the stars. asionally, there are higher-level civilizations in their rule period, and they have some knowledge of Infinity Stones, so they take a gamble to see if they can benefit.


    Of course, these fleets don''t all go at once; they follow a priority-based order when heading to Earth.


    Then, one arrives, one sinks; another arrives, another sinks.


    Earth''s Superheroes and mutants wait for opportunities. Pris stays in a temporary base and, when the Portal opens and a spaceship emerges, she reaches out and severs the Portal.


    Then, symbiotes lead the mutants to investigate the situation, collect materials, upload them to Stark''s data center, and determine whether the technology is science and technology-oriented or magic-oriented. Afterward, they hand it over to the appropriate individuals for further handling.


    While there could be more aggressive ways to engage inbat, Humanity prefers to jump in with assistance, throwing Superheroes directly onto the spaceships and capturing the crew members, then towing the spaceship away.


    The captured crew members are handed over to Asgard for extradition. This isn''t out of Humanity''s goodwill; it''s mainly to boost Asgard''s reputation.


    What? You''re asking if Lady Loki, a pure trickster, isn''t from Asgard? How does that help their reputation?


    Didn''t she defect? We can''t control that!


    Asgard is also a victim; their house has been unfortunate to produce such a rogue as Lady Loki.


    Originally, we could choose not to get involved, but out of a sense of responsibility to interster society, we do our best to clean up after her, saving the fleet members who identally crash in the turbulent Sr System. This is Asgard''s role as a higher civilization in the realm of space!


    However, this n, while initially effective, quickly became less so.


    The races that have developed to interster civilizations are not foolish. They are often much smarter than Humanity and are willing to invest, essentially treating it as an investment. If the investment seeds, everyone is happy, but if it fails, they can still bear the cost.


    However, after the first wave of failed investments, they be more cautious about further investments. Meanwhile, other potential investors reevaluate the risks, and when the risks rise, most civilizations are no longer willing to invest.


    Moreover, many people began to suspect if this was some kind of Asgardian scheme.


    After Odin stepped down, Asgard remained quiet for a long time, refraining from interster conflicts. It turns out they weren''t just tired of these brutes; they had finally wised up and learned to set traps by biding their time, right?


    In reality, Asgard''s reputation in space had always been criticized. Not because Odin was constantly inbat, but mainly because many civilizations envied their innate advantages while looking down on their brute-force style of direct, hit-and-runbat.


    Many civilizations believed that if they had Asgard''s conditions, they would have developed even better than Asgard. They considered themselves more strategic and mentally superior to those brutes.


    The idea of Asgard''s brute-forcebat had be ingrained in everyone''s minds. Initially, not many people realized that this might be an Asgardian trap. However, as more and more suffered losses, most civilizations began to reconsider.


    The logic was also sound. Previously, under Odin''s leadership, Asgard indeed relied on brute force, but it was heard that there''s a new king in Asgard, and Thor''s reputation wasn''t as great as All-Father Odin''s. Most civilizations didn''t know what style of leadership Thor would bring.


    Perhaps this new king was a master of conspiracy and strategy? How else could he have outmaneuvered Odin and taken the throne of Asgard?


    Among these civilizations, the nners were starting to find this spection increasingly convincing. On the surface, they sent Princess Lady Loki to defect and portrayed themselves as victims of political struggle seeking aid in the interster society.


    Once the aid was secured, they would be taken to the Nine Realms, and behind Asgard''s World Tree, New King Thor would give the signal. Three thousand axemen would immediately spring into action, and the ship that arrived would be sliced into pieces.


    As for why they specifically targeted smaller civilizations, it was likely a test of the n''s viability. Haven''t you noticed that Lady Loki is increasingly targeting higher-level civilizations?


    The Infinity Stones were merely bait. If someone wanted to steal them, they would have to do it when Asgard was distracted. Asgard was waiting, prepared, and hadid countless traps on the road. Now, anyone who went would be a fool.


    This spection was indeed highly convincing because there was ample evidence to support it. Consequently, it quickly spread within the interster society.


    Civilizations with good rtionships startedmunicating and immediately cklisted Lady Loki from their contact lists and restricted her Portal ess.


    Communication and transport were often interconnected among many civilizations. With more people cklisting her, others started to inquire about what was going on, and they received simr responses and made simr choices.


    As a result, Lady Loki was initially cklisted in a few prosperous star sectors, and even star ports became inessible to her. Then, this range continued to expand until almost the entire interster society was on guard against Lady Loki.


    But Lady Loki wasn''t one to give up easily. If these moderately developed civilizations were cklisting her, she would go find those of higher status. Higher civilizations should be reasonable and not misunderstand Asgard like this, right?


    In space, there were only a few empires that could be considered higher civilizations. Earth had already dealt with the Kree''s escort ships, but it would take another century or so to decipher their technology. The Skrull Empire was busy with conflicts against the Kree Empire, and the remaining one was too upied with peacekeeping to pay attention to Lady Loki.


    With fewer options avable, Lady Loki luckily knew of a nation that was even more mysteriouspared to the major Space Empires.


    In a dim dimension, a dying sun hung in the center of space. When viewed from variouss, the sky appeared eerie and yellow.


    A small shuttlended on a sandy surface, kicking up fine particles of dust. Lady Loki, dressed in elegant attire, followed her guide through a long bridge and arrived at the tallest building in the city.


    In the hall behind the corridor, there was a massive throne. At this moment, a purple-skinned giant was sitting on the throne, eyes closed, taking a nap.


    A servant entered and announced, "Your Majesty, we have a visitor."


    "Who?" the giant inquired.


    "Lady Loki."


    As the footsteps drew closer, a ck-haired young woman stopped in the middle of the hall.


    "Your Majesty Thanos, I am Lady Loki, the princess of Asgard. After being banished by the new king, I have been plotting to reim the Celestial Pce..."


    "Stop talking. Throw her out!" a deep voice resounded through the hall.


    "Wait! Your Majesty Thanos! I am serious! Ie with sincerity, I... Your Majesty Thanos! Your Majesty Thanos! Listen to me, Infinity Stones... Earth... a great opportunity..."


    Watching Lady Loki being escorted out by the guards, Thanos, sitting on the throne, let out a low chuckle and said, "Did she think I wouldn''t browse the inte? A dead trickster."


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 Chapter 549: Not in Love with Amethyst Purple Sweet Potato Spirit (1)

    Chapter 549: Not in Love with Amethyst Purple Sweet Potato Spirit (1)


    Thanos, a well-known viin in Marvel Space, needs no introduction here. Let''s talk about his current situation.


    At present, he is in his own realm, the Dark Dimension. After leaving Titan and entering Space, he defeated a group of Space Pirates, recing their leader. These were the first citizens of Thanos'' newly founded nation.


    Currently, Dark Dimension''s development is proceeding smoothly. Thanos'' elite force, the Obsidian Five, is engaged in warfare throughout Space, plundering resources to support Thanos'' expansion.


    Previously, Dark Dimension was at its peak of development. Despite destruction being Thanos'' nature, he had already spent quite some time tending to his fields in his old home.


    In a way, Thanos'' situation is somewhat simr to Stark''s. Developing one''s territory is aplex and time-consuming process, and sometimes, in interster warfare, what is needed is the collective strength of an entire civilization.


    Thanos wanted to elerate the overall military development of Dark Dimension, but he didn''t know where to start. He sat on his throne, pondering this issue.


    Currently, he had two options. One was to make himself even more powerful, capable of facing countless adversaries, effectively bing a one-man army with the strength to wage war across Space, much like the Spacedemon gods. The other option was to establish a military empire, much like Asgard.


    For Thanos, the first option was simpler. As a member of the Titan race, he had inherent advantages, already surpassing many individuals in various civilizations and even Spacedemon gods. However, developing an Asgard-like empire was also attractive to him.


    He had envisioned what it would be like if the major Empires in Space became his instruments, making his endless ambitions for destruction all the more tangible.But the reality was that Dark Dimension was far from as strong as these major Empires. Currently, Thanos'' Empire was facing a bottleneck after its rapid development, a challenge that every civilization encounters.


    Thanos couldn''t decide whether to fully abandon this path and focus on his personal growth.


    Just as he was deep in thought, leaning back on his throne with narrowed eyes, a servant entered nervously. In his arms, he held a massivemunication device that was incessantly emitting a "beep-beep" sound.


    Thanos frowned and turned his head, looking somewhat impatiently at themunication device that had interrupted his thoughts.


    Nheless, he extended hisrge hand and took themunication device. To the servant, it was an enormous device, but to Thanos, it was a normal-sized telephone.


    Thanos answered the call, and on the other end, a pleasant female voice said, "Greetings, King Thanos. I am Lady Loki, the eldest princess of Asgard. We''ve just met..."


    "I didn''t realize you were such a shy person. Our meeting was quite brief, and we didn''t have a chance for a deep conversation. That''s why I decided to call you. You can save my telephone number and call me anytime..."


    Lady Loki''s words were filled with ambiguity, but it was clear that her initial friendliness was a fa?ade, and beneath ity a hidden dagger.


    "I believe we can discuss matters concerning the Infinity Stones. You should be aware of how powerful they are, and currently, the Infinity Stones are within the Nine Realms. All it takes is killing Odin and Thor, breaking through Asgard''s defenses, and..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, the call was abruptly cut off.


    In a guest room at the nearest starport transfer station to the Dark Dimension, Lady Loki, holding themunication device, mmed it on the table. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, "He dared to hang up on my call, such an uncivilized bumpkin!"


    But she quickly suppressed her anger. Once again, she dialed Thanos''s number, only to find that her call couldn''t get through.


    Lady Loki let out a cold snort and smirked mockingly. Immediately, her hand emitted a faint glow as she altered hermunication channel, attempting to call Thanos once more. However, she was disconnected again.


    Clearly, at this point, the oue was no longer as important as the desire to win.


    Communication and contact in Space were somewhat akin to making telephone calls for humanity, but they used a different kind of signal. When Lady Loki called Thanos, it was simr to how Spacedemon gods contacted the Sanctum Sanctorum; it was all achieved through the source energy of Space.


    This method also had its equivalent of telephone numbers, namely the uniqueness of one''s soul. Whether it was Spacedemon gods or ordinary humans, their souls were unique within Space. For beings capable of utilizing the source energy of Space, the aura of their souls was equivalent to a unique telephone number.


    Most beings couldn''t change their appearance, but they could change their form. However, they couldn''t alter their own souls.


    Lady Loki was an exception among these beings.


    All Divine Positions in Asgard possessed special abilities, and the Trickster''s ability allowed her to conceal the aura of her own soul.


    This was why Lady Loki could easilye to the Dark Dimension even after being cklisted by most intermediate civilizations. She could change her appearance, her voice, and even her soul. If one IP address was blocked, she could simply switch to another.


    And this also applied to her harassment calls.


    So, Lady Loki was essentially a one-woman telemarketingpany with an infinite number of phone lines. She could change her numbers and IPs without limits, making it impossible for Thanos to distinguish between her harassment calls and legitimate ones.


    Some might wonder why Thanos didn''t just refuse all calls. However, Thanos was not an ordinary person idling at home; he was the leader of an empire, and he had countless matters to attend to every day.


    Lady Loki kept changing her number, and Thanos couldn''t discern which calls were harassment and which were genuine. He couldn''t afford to hang up on all calls, as it would hinder the development of Dark Dimension.


    Therefore, Thanos'' straightforward rejection of Lady Loki was also a reflection of his intelligence.


    Lady Loki had essentially written "I am a scammer" on her face. Both races in Space and civilizations in the Dark Dimension had analyzed the situation thoroughly. It was nothing more than a scam, so why would Thanos step into the trap?


    In the era when Odin ruled supreme in Space, there were few who could rival him, and the Asgardians only grew stronger with age. Who knows how powerful he has be now? Plus, there''s the so-called new king, Thanos, who doesn''t have the glove or the stones. One must consider whether it''s wise to confront him head-on.


    Even if we take a step back, I can''t do what the enemy wants me to do. The more they try to lure me with various gem artifacts, the more resolute I be not to waver.


    Whether to steal the gems or not is my own decision, not something I''ll do just because you tell me to. Am I supposed to be yourckey?


    This is what Thanos thought. However, Lady Loki was incredibly persistent. She started to refuse food and rest, constantly splitting into dozens of duplicates, rotating her telephone numbers, bombarding Thanos with harassing calls.


    Thanos couldn''t trace the telephone line to strike at Lady Loki. Even if he had a way, he needed to consider the weight of Asgard''s eldest princess. If Asgard were to unleash its full might and attack the Dark Dimension, Thanos might be able to fend for himself, but his territorial armies and weapons wouldn''t escape unscathed.


    In the end, Thanos gave in.


    In the final telephone call from Lady Loki, he said to her, "Come to my throne hall. Let''s talk in person."


    The pce of the leader of Dark Dimension''s stars was situated in the very center of the city. Its overall design resembled a spear thrusting into the sky, and the pinnacle of the spear emitted a dazzling light that illuminated the entire. This was where Thanos resided, in his throne hall.


    To enter the throne hall, one had to pass through a long covered bridge, under an eternally dim sky, like a twilight of shifting shadows. Lady Loki''s ck hair danced in the wind, and her footsteps echoed on the ss floor, reverberating through the twilight city.


    When Lady Loki appeared, she still held her head high, radiating a brilliance that made her seem like a god descended from the heavens.


    She noticed that, apart from Thanos seated on the towering throne, there was another slightly emaciated figure below the throne. He had a grayish head and deeply sunken eyes. When Lady Loki''s gaze fell upon him, the figure spoke:


    "Hello, Princess, His Royal Highness. I am Ebony Maw, one of Thanos''s Obsidian Five and a general and strategist of the Empire."


    "Today, His Highness wishes to discuss the future development of the Empire with you. Please allow me to listen in and offer my humble opinions..."


    Lady Loki frowned slightly. A radiant aura enveloped her, and an invisible wave surged forth, precisely reflecting back onto Ebony Maw. He stumbled back two steps and coughed violently.


    Lady Loki said, "Ebony Maw, were you trying to manipte my mind?"


    Ebony Maw''s expression became somewhat unpleasant. He hadn''t expected his forte to be so easily exposed by Lady Loki.


    Ebony Maw did possess the ability to manipte minds, albeit different from Professor X''s powers. His abilities weren''t asprehensive but mainly focused on linguistic maniption.


    He could usenguage to sway people''s thoughts and make them think in line with his agenda. In theics, he even influenced Doctor Strange. Although his abilities weren''t as versatile as Professor X''s, he was more specialized.


    Lady Loki let out a cold snort, thinking of the entries written in the little booklet that Schiller had given her. She said, "Are you trying to mentally control and suppress me? Are you nning to resort to extreme violence?"


    The halo around her radiated once more, making it difficult for Thanos to keep his eyes open. He gave a dissatisfied nce at Ebony Maw.


    When Ebony Maw hade to see Thanos and heard that Thanos wanted to invite Lady Loki, he had volunteered, hoping to establish dominance over Lady Loki. However, this backfired. Instead of weakening Lady Loki''s presence, it only made her aura stronger.


    Thanos spected that this radiance might be Lady Loki''s innate ability, and whatever it was, it didn''t seem easy to deal with.


    He adjusted his posture slightly, staring directly at Lady Loki, and said, "You''ve been in contact with me for quite some time. What exactly do you want to say? You don''t need to bring out those deceptive tricks; let''s talk about a real deal."


    Lady Loki, instinctively ready to pitch her proposal, realized that Thanos had other intentions in mind.


    At this point, the power wave, rebounding and osciting, had taken a toll on Ebony Maw. Clearing his throat, he spoke on behalf of Thanos:


    "We have no interest in the Infinity Stones, but we do find Asgard''s new strategy intriguing..."


    Lady Loki furrowed her brow. She knew that there were rumors circting in interster society, suggesting that her plea for assistance was actually part of Asgard''s conspiracy. However, she hadn''t expected Thanos to express interest in it.


    "Our Empire is thriving, but we won''t stop here. We still need more power. For this reason, I hope to learn about the specifics and execution methods of Asgard''s strategy, as well as... Asgard''s future ns."


    Lady Loki narrowed her eyes. She had to admit that Thanos was quite clever. Compared to the elusive and trap-like Infinity Stones, intelligence on Asgard''s strategy was indeed more valuable.


    With a professional smile, Lady Loki said, "Next, please allow me to introduce the source of these strategic ns and the professional team behind the genius strategies¡ªthe Nine Realms Sanctum Sanctorum!"


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 Chapter 550: Not in Love with Purple Sweet Potato Essence (2)

    Chapter 550: Not in Love with Purple Sweet Potato Essence (2)


    Lady Loki waved her hand and a burst of light erupted from the top of her staff, projecting a huge magic screen in the air. For people of Ebony Maw and Lady Loki''s size, the screen was a bit too big, and they couldn''t even see clearly what was ying on it. But for Thanos, the size of the screen was just right.


    Suddenly, a passionate music burst out from the staff, and the screen showed a ck stage with Strange in a suit walking on it. The camera zoomed in on his face from the audience, and Strange''s voice was more maic than usual:


    "Sanctum Sanctorum, not just Sanctum Sanctorum!"


    Then a scene began to y.


    An operator on break picked up a model of a Spacespaceship on the table and admired it. As the camera zoomed in, the spaceship model gradually became a real Spacespaceship, firing at the enemy in an interster war.


    Suddenly, the huge Spacespaceship was hit by a ray of light and disintegrated into fragments.


    The operator woke up from his dream, picked up the ringing Telephone beside him, and after a brief conversation, the real spaceship jumped directly to hyperspace, avoiding the fatal beam.


    The operator put down the Telephone, revealing a satisfied smile. The logo of Sanctum Sanctorum was erged on his desk, and the slogan below shed with golden light: "Sanctum Sanctorum, not just Sanctum Sanctorum."


    Then another short film began to y. The beginning was still Strange saying the slogan, but this time, the spaceship was reced by demon gods. It was only because of the operator''s early warning that the demon gods avoided the disaster.After that, there were all kinds of promotional videos, such as demon gods receiving a renewal reminder during a meeting, and the renewing party constantlying up with new ideas to refute the other side, or the scene of member gifts being distributed, making passing demon gods regret not joining earlier. In short, it was a collection of positive and negative propaganda, long and short, showcasing the top-notch level of advertising design masters in Human civilization,bining the strengths of various countries'' styles, which made Thanos and Ebony Maw watch the half-hour advertisement in its entirety.


    Lady Loki had already put away the screen for half a minute, but the two of them still hadn''t reacted. Then Thanos restrained his expression and asked, "So, you mean that this ce called Sanctum Sanctorum is your Asgard''s strategic advisor?"


    "Not entirely. Asgard has its own independent department for strategic and tactical nning, but we are still willing to make small investments to gain more ideas."


    Then Lady Loki began to introduce the membership system of Sanctum Sanctorum. Thanos''s head began to ache again, and he waved his hand to interrupt Lady Loki''s speech, saying, "No, I don''t want to be a member."


    Lady Loki showed a sad expression, but then she wanted to persuade Thanos again. However, he was always unmoved, so she could only show a helpless expression and say, "I''m sorry, Your Majesty Thanos. Sanctum Sanctorum is indeed a membership system now, but..." Lady Loki''s tone changed, and she continued, "If you handle the business through me, I can give you the highest discount, and even provide quarterly processing that is not mentioned in the membership service description..."


    "Stop talking," Thanos interrupted her and showed an impatient emotion. Lady Loki took a deep breath, touched her chest, and finally had to say helplessly, "Okay, Your Majesty Thanos. It seems that your requirements are high. What do you want to do?"


    "I don''t want to be a member, but I want to know the specific details of that n."


    "You can buy it by the time..."


    "Lady Loki." Thanos snorted and said, "How much benefit did they give you to sell so hard?"


    Lady Loki was stunned by this question, but she shook her head and didn''t speak. Thanos said, "You are a smart person, and my capable subordinate Ebony Maw is also such a person."


    "Is ying a errand role what you want?" Thanos sneered, "You can get more."


    Lady Loki restrained the fake smile on her face and looked straight at Thanos. Then Thanos continued, "I won''t be a member, but I can give you this resource and let you find a way to use their services for free."


    Lady Loki admired Thanos in her heart. He was indeed a new space overlord who was self-taught in the ws of Human civilization. But Lady Loki showed a hesitant expression, and Thanos continued to tempt her:


    "Lady Loki, even if this defection is really just your n, Asgard only has one god king. Your elder brother has everything, but you don''t have the right to inherit it. You still have to work hard for it. If so, this is what you deserve..."


    Ebony Maw also chimed in, "Your Majesty only needs their informationwork. As long as you can use their informationwork to transmit the information we want at any time, Your Majesty Thanos will not be stingy."


    "When you shouted the slogan of counterattacking Asgard, did you mean it?" Thanos looked at Lady Loki''s eyes and asked.


    Lady Loki lowered her head slightly, sighed, and said, "Even if I say I promise, you won''t trust me, will you?"


    "Correct, so we can try another way." Thanos snapped his fingers, and several figures walked out from behind the throne and stood in a row with Ebony Maw. Thanos looked at them and said, "You will arrange my people in, and we will find the information we want by ourselves. You don''t have to worry about being exposed. I believe you have many ways toplete all of this quietly."


    "Indeed, but what can you give me?" Lady Loki no longer disguised her voice, and her tone became somewhat indifferent, like a true God of Mischief.


    Thanos raised his hands and said, "Whatever you want, I will give it to you!"


    "What if I want the entire Asgard?" Lady Loki asked.


    Thanos was not surprised and said, "Now, we are only trading a rtionship. I will not pay such a huge reward for such a trivial gain. But if you pledge allegiance to me..."


    "I am only loyal to All-Father Odin," Lady Loki replied.


    The two looked at each other and did not continue this topic. The conversation between two smart people did not need to be too clear. After Lady Loki left, Thanos sat on the throne and whispered, "Odin... Nine Realms..."


    Ebony Maw walked up, saluted, and asked, "Great Thanos, who do you want to send to the Nine Realms?"


    Thanos scanned among the ck Order and finally looked at the tallest ck Dwarf. ck Dwarf immediately knelt down and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    After the other generals left, Ebony Maw stood in ce and said, "If that Sanctum Sanctorum can provide us with good tactics, it is naturally better to break through the current bottleneck in development. If not, we can still nt a nail in the Nine Realms."


    "The only thing that makes me a little puzzled is, Your Majesty, why did you send ck Dwarf to infiltrate... Of course, I am not questioning your decision, but ck Dwarf''s loyalty..."


    Thanos snorted and said, "Of course, I know he is not loyal. He is just pretending to join me for the continuation of his own race."


    "But I didn''t intend to let him and Lady Loki bring back any useful information for me. I just used the excuse of wanting to know Asgard''s strategy."


    "Then what do you..."


    "Odin has two heirs. He let one of them be the new king of Asgard. Will the other one be willing?"


    "You mean to provoke a conflict between the new king and the elder princess and deal with Odin?"


    "My goal has always been Odin." Thanos leaned on the huge throne like a towering mountain. His powerful strength and cruel rule gave him a strong aura that was different from those wise kings, belonging only to a tyrant.


    "Only Odin will hinder my n. The others..." Thanos stretched out his hand, pinched his fingertips, and said, "Are just small stones that will crumble at a touch."


    After leaving the throne hall where Thanos was located, Lady Loki hurriedly left the Dark Dimension along the star port. After ensuring that she had left Thanos''s sphere of influence, she picked up the Telephone and said to the other side, "Bad news, only one of those five generals came, and it looks like an abandoned child. Should I bring him over directly, or take the risk of letting Thanos change him?"


    In the meeting room on the other side, when Stark heard Lady Loki''s words, he frowned and looked at Schiller, but Schiller was not surprised at all. He said, "It''s not easy to lure Thanos over. He is, after all, a space overlord. You just have to treat him as Odin. Will Odin fall for this?"


    "He is willing to send someone over, which proves that he was just talking nonsense when he said he wasn''t interested in the Infinity Stones. As long as he is interested, he wille sooner orter."


    "What should we do next?" Lady Loki asked.


    "Who ising?"


    "It should be called ck Dwarf, very tall, and looks like a native of a nearby star system in the Dark Dimension."


    Schiller frowned and said, "You bring him over, and leave the rest to us. By the way, let him drive a spaceship over, the kind that can turn into andbat vehicle after disintegration, like what you wrote on the Materials before..."


    "No problem." Lady Loki nodded and went to call Thanos.


    Now, Lady Loki realized the benefits of raising the stakes. Thanos thought he was on the fifth level, but he was actually only on the first level. Thanos thought this was a scam by Asgard, but in fact, it was just a weak human trying to get some new technology.


    Therefore, Thanos didn''t have much defense and agreed easily. In his opinion, Asgard could scam anything, but it couldn''t scam this spaceship. After all, the science and technology content of this ordinary spaceship was much worse than that of other Asgard spaceships, and Odin wouldn''t want it.


    When the spaceship approached the Sr System, Lady Loki hurriedly created an illusion for ck Dwarf, turning him into a tall, dark-skinned human. Then she urged him to get off the spaceship and teleport to Earth.


    ck Dwarf was confused by her attitude and asked, "Why are we in such a hurry? Shouldn''t we survey the surroundings first?"


    "This is the Nine Realms." Lady Loki answered while pushing ck Dwarf out. ck Dwarf was pushed out of the cabin door and asked in confusion, "So what?"


    "Do you need to survey your own bedroom?" After pushing ck Dwarf out, Lady Loki began to prepare for teleportation. ck Dwarf was about to say something, but with a "swish," a beam of light shed, and the two disappeared from the spaceship.


    Soon, the Portal opened, and more figures descended on the spaceship. Seeing the huge spaceship, Stark waved his hand and said, "Get on board!"


    "Wait!" Nick Fury, who came over at the same time, reached out his hand to stop the people''s actions.


    "ording to the Human Interster Passage Law, all items lost in the Milky Way Gxy and within 100 light-years around the Milky Way Gxy will automatically belong to the only civilization in the gxy, the Pan-Human Civilization, after 100,000 years of no one iming ownership..."


    "...I forgot the rest, let''s get on board!"


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 Chapter 551: Not Loving the Purple Sweet Potato Spirit (2)

    Chapter 551: Not Loving the Purple Sweet Potato Spirit (2)


    In Mercury''s base, Stark looked at the 3D map and marked different spaceships with different colors. He pointed to the few spaceships on the far side and said, "These spaceships look like chemical fuel and can be integrated with Humanity''s current science and technology..."


    "SPEAR will conduct preliminary inspections and select five spaceships, Russia also has five, and Europe surprisingly wants seven? No, at most we''ll give them five. Africa, Australia, Middle East..."


    "Mark two more for joint research, Nick! Nick! Remember to arrange security personnel and prevent them from fighting..."


    Seeing that many spaceships had already been marked with colors, Stark stepped back and saw even more spaceships that had not been marked yet. He leaned on theb table in front of him and looked at the unmarked spaceships with a happy dilemma.


    In the past, there were many people and few spaceships, or no spaceships at all. The Kree''s escort ships were not something that Humanity''s civilization could study. Even if scientists could go up and inspect them, it was only for inspection. They couldn''t even remove a single part.


    Later, with the Chitauri and Dark Elves'' spaceships, there were more spaceships, but still not enough for everyone.


    These days, there had been fierce disputes in the United Nations meeting room. At first, they wanted to persuade each other with reason, butter they found that physical persuasion was more realistic. Now, Congress requires people sent to the United Nations to havebat training, otherwise, it would be difficult to gain an advantage.


    Since Lady Loki expanded her scam to the entire space, Humanity had gained many mid-to-low-end spaceships, some of which were rtively intact, and some were broken into pieces. Some were piled up nearby Mercury, and some were piled up nearby Pluto, depending on which was closer when they were chopped up.


    The door creaked open, and Schiller walked in wearing a white coat, holding a medical record book. Stark looked up at him and asked, "You''re done with your work, why did you suddenly want to do a psychological check for employees at Sanctum Sanctorum?""Anyway, the cost is reimbursed by the United Nations, so why not?" Schiller walked over and put the medical record book aside, saying, "What''s more important is that our new alien employee named ck Dwarf has significant psychological problems. If we can deal with his psychological issues, Thanos might thank me."


    Stark snorted and said, "If you really deal with his psychological problems, Thanos won''t have to pay him a sry, and of course, he''ll have to thank you."


    "Forget about me, how about you?" Schiller asked.


    Stark looked at the 3D map and said, "The United Nations asked me for allocation opinions, and I''ve allocated all the spaceships. Everyone has a share, and there are still so many left."


    "Can''t you just give them all away? Each person can have more than ten spaceships."


    Stark rolled his eyes and said, "I''ve said it before, those who can only change light bulbs shouldn''te to myboratory."


    Stark began to exin, "Scientific research is not the more materials, the better. Many projects need to be developed gradually. If the initial project is notpleted, it will be impossible to proceedter. Adequate materials can speed up the research process, but there is a limit to how fast it can be elerated. It''s not like giving each person ten spaceships, and the research will bepleted tomorrow. If that were the case, what would I be worried about?"


    But in the end, Stark conveyed his proposal to the United Nations.


    After several rounds of arguing in the meeting room, it was finally decided that the top three countries among the P5 would each have five spaceships, Europe would have three, but they had priority choice rights. Other continents would have one or two spaceships, except for Wakanda in Africa, which would have an extra one because of their strong science and technology advantage.


    Knowing that the results had been determined, Stark pped the table and said, "Summon all the researchers for a meeting!"


    JARVIS sent out Stark''s meeting invitation, but there was no response for half a day.


    Connors called and said he was busy dismantling the first spaceship, Banner had already gone to inspect the Chitauri spaceship, and Reed had terminated his near-Earth research project to study the spaceship and was currently handing over materials.


    And JARVIS also brought worse news. He said, "SPEAR has reported that all five groups of scientific research personnel are ready and will be escorted to the spaceship by SPEAR."


    Stark looked at the clock. It was only three hours before the results were announced, and they had already boarded the ship, while his team was still scattered and working independently. Even if they were divided into five small groups, each with one person in charge, the team members were not yet determined, and there was no time schedule or research n.


    Stark sighed deeply and opened the Avengers''munication channel, saying, "Avengers, assemble!"


    "What? Why assemble? What''s going on?" Steve was the first to respond.


    "Now, everyone go and find all the scientists you can and bring them here, no matter what they''re doing, no matter what their reasons are. Try to persuade them with reason, but if necessary, use physics."


    Stark stood up straight, lowered his eyelids, and looked at the map. "Obviously, apetition has begun, and I don''t want to lose."


    As Stark said, apetition had begun. Thispetition was not only about the scientific research capabilities of each country but also about organizational ability and speed.


    The saying "science and technology tree" was quite apt. Technology must develop step by step, and the skills in front must be learned before the skills in the back. This way, technology gaps can be avoided, and embarrassing situations where the ship is broken and one can''t fix it can be avoided.


    In this world, whoever learns the first skill can learn the second skill faster, and then the third skill even faster. In other words, whoever takes the first step will take the lead in every step.


    The level of research is undoubtedly important, but if everyone is working independently, going left and right on the science and technology tree, some even repeating what others have already done, withoutmunication or coordination, then they will be left behind.


    However, most research institutions and researchers that receive private investment work this way. Even if they are official research institutes, they represent different capital. What capital sees is not a bigger cake after leaving space, but the person who grabs the crumbs first wins.


    Therefore, their focus on technology research is for their own profit. They prefer to develop technologies that they believe are more advantageous and hope to get a bigger return with less investment.


    But if everyone thinks this way, many conflicts will inevitably arise in cooperation. Therefore, at the beginning, research in most countries in this world was chaotic.


    Many private research institutions believed that the return on investment was too long, and the potential return was unknown. Many research institutions also believed that stopping their current projects on Earth to develop space travel would cause them significant losses.


    In short, the initial chaos eliminated many research organizations without long-term goals, sufficient funds, or even those without brains. The vast majority of the remaining research institutions were backed by their respective countries.


    The only exception was the research organizationposed of superheroes. Currently, the Avengers and rted heroes were rtively independent and not under the jurisdiction of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the government. Therefore, their research was also independent.


    The Avengers Research Institute,posed of Stark, Connors, and Banner, three super geniuses, monopolized three spaceships for research.


    Stark didn''t need to allocate these three spaceships. He had more materials for research and had even begun to decipher the secrets of the Kree escort ship.


    If Connors and Banner each led a research team, then one spaceship would be empty. Stark wanted to find another genius scientist to take over this spaceship.


    When Nick heard this news, he couldn''t wait to introduce someone to Stark.


    After arriving at Stark''s office, Nick pped his hands to attract Stark''s attention, who was focused on looking at materials.


    "You''re here," Stark said as he put the cap on his pen.


    Stark just looked up and found that Nick was alone. He looked around and saw no one else. He asked suspiciously, "Where is the scientist I asked for?"


    "He''s right here. Can you find him?" Nick smiled.


    "Don''t y this game with me. JARVIS, scan."


    "Scanning... Special life reaction detected... Projecting."


    With a "swish," the projection screen opened, and a person wearing a strange uniform appeared on the screen. His background was even stranger, and it was Nick''s clothing texture.


    Stark raised an eyebrow and squinted his eyes, looking up and down at Nick. At this moment, a very, very small figure was pulled out of the pocket of Nick''s clothes.


    After jumping onto the table, the tiny figure waved at Stark and said, "Hello, I''m Hank Pym, and you can also call me by my code name, Ant-Man."


    Stark frowned, squinted his eyes, and bent down to look closely at the desktop to finally see the tiny figure. It wasn''t an ant, but a person the size of an ant.


    As Stark''s face approached, Pym hugged his arms and said, "You must be little Tony, right? When I left S.H.I.E.L.D., you were probably still young, so you don''t remember me. I worked with your father, Howard..."


    Nick quickly walked up, but he didn''t know how to cover Pym''s mouth. He could only knock on the table to remind Pym to be quiet. But at this moment, Stark had already shouted, "JARVIS, fly swatter!"


    With a "whoosh," a fly swatter was thrown over by a mechanical arm. Stark caught it and swung it, and Pym quickly rose and dodged in the air, shouting, "What are you doing? I''m not a fly!"


    Stark touched his ear and said, "Really? But I just heard someone buzzing..."


    Pym looked at Stark''s expression and flew to Nick''s ear, asking him, "What''s going on? Do they have a bad rtionship?"


    "Of course, their personalities are exactly the same. Do you think their rtionship would be good?"


    "Okay, I understand."


    Pym immediately flew in front of Stark and said, "I acknowledge that Howard was also a genius. The flying car he made was quite interesting, butpared to me, he was far behind, especially in terms of AI. I''m currently researching in this area..."


    "What are you researching?" Another voice sounded at the door. Schiller walked in, staring at Ant-Man in mid-air and repeated his question, "What are you researchingtely?"


    "AI, what''s wrong?" Pym asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "Any results?"


    "Oh, not yet, but..."


    "Really?" Schiller narrowed his eyes, walked over, and looked straight into Pym''s eyes, asking, "Is it that you haven''t made any progress, or have you forgotten?"


    "Or... did someone make you forget?"


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 Chapter 552: When the Flame is Ignited (1)

    Chapter 552: When the me is Ignited (1)


    Stark looked at Schiller in surprise and noticed that his expression was serious, not joking. He furrowed his brow and looked at Pym.


    Pym was confused by their behavior and scratched his head, asking, "What''s going on? What do you mean I forgot something? What did I forget?"


    Seeing that Stark and Schiller were both staring at him, Pym exined, "Yes, I am researching AI, but it''s different from the direction Howard was researching before..."


    "I believe that the human brainwaves are miraculous. If we want to give intelligent life a true soul, we canbine our own brainwaves to create it. This way, we can achieve..."


    Schiller interrupted him and said, "I''m sorry, Dr. Pym, but the most urgent thing now is that I must confirm your mental state and see if you have been hypnotized."


    Schiller did this because, in the originalic, Ultron was not created by Stark and the Hulk, but by Ant-Man Pym.


    The principle is simr to what Pym said. Pym used his own brainwaves tobine with an intelligent life, causing this AI to have true consciousness. This AI is Ultron.


    After Ultron gained self-awareness, he began to hate his creators and attacked Pym, hypnotizing him and making himpletely forget that he had created Ultron.


    Ultron''s hypnosis was very sessful, so he had enough time to evolve himself until he appeared and brought continuous trouble to the Avengers.Ultron has a strong hypnosis ability. In theic, he even hypnotized Stark, making him create a body for him, Ultron 9, and soaking this body in a solution, giving him an indestructible shell.


    Schiller''s attitude was gentle, so Pym quickly calmed down. He frowned and asked, "What do you think is wrong with my mental state?"


    "I suspect that you may have been hypnotized," Schiller said to Pym.


    "But we just met. How did youe to that conclusion?" Pym instinctively questioned.


    At this point, Stark had already guessed Schiller''s intention. The keywords of AI research, hypnosis, and amnesia were linked together, making it easy for people to think of the plot of the AI crisis. As an AI master, Stark knew better than anyone the harm that intelligent life without creator control could bring.


    Schiller is a mind reader. In his professional field, he wouldn''t speak without evidence. It is very likely that Schiller saw some abnormal signs on Pym through his mind reading, which can exin why he felt that Pym had a problem as soon as he saw him.


    Nick also advised, "Dr. Pym, I think I should have told you the purpose ofing here before. Before conducting space operations, you must also pass the psychologist''s test. You should know this, right?"


    "I know, but is this gentleman the psychologist?" Pym said, looking at Schiller''s white coat and the medical record book in his hand. He patted his head and said, "Oh, okay, let me change back to my original size first."


    Pym pressed his wrist and with a "pop," he returned to his normal size. He was a smart person, so he guessed what Schiller was worried about. He asked, "Are you worried that my research results have hypnotized me?"


    The two of them walked towards Stark''sboratory table together. Pym continued, "But I just started researching. The method I mentioned is still in the theoretical stage and has not been put into practice."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "If your research results have hypnotized you, what makes you believe all of this?"


    Pym''s face suddenly changed, and he stuttered, "It shouldn''t be... I never knew that AI could hypnotize people, let alone myself..."


    "Don''t make me doubt your professional ability," Stark stood next to the chair, holding his arms and asking Pym, "What is the most powerful ability of AI?"


    "Learning," Pym immediately replied. He spread his hands and said, "But this is too absurd. Are you saying that I have created a powerful AI and then was hypnotized by it?"


    Pym shook his head, obviously not believing this. Schiller patted the back of the chair and said, "In special circumstances, I won''t ask you for a consultation fee. Sit here, and we''ll conduct a test."


    "Okay, what do I need to do?" Pym sat down.


    He seemed very cooperative, so Schiller''s attitude was also good. Schiller brought a chair and sat opposite him, while Stark and Nick stood by and watched their conversation.


    At this moment, Schiller took out a bottle of wine from somewhere and gave Stark a signal. Stark signaled JARVIS, and JARVIS controlled a robot to bring two wine sses.


    When the golden liquid fell into the wine ss, small bubbles appeared at the bottom, and a strong wine aroma filled the air. Wine lover Stark sniffed hard and seemed to be intoxicated by the fragrance.


    "Hey, where did you get such a fragrant wine?" Stark sniffed andined, "With such a good thing, you didn''t even share it with me?! Schiller, I really misjudged you. Give me a ss!"


    Schiller didn''t say anything, just handed the wine ss in front of him to Stark. Stark picked it up and was about to drink it, but the wine in the ss suddenly turned into blood with eyeballs floating in it. Stark''s hand shook, and he threw the wine ss away.


    The wine ss drew a beautiful arc in the air and fell to the ground, breaking into several pieces. With the sound of the shattering ss, the scene in Stark''sboratory shattered like ss.


    In its ce was a in-looking bedroom. Pym reacted from his initial shock and said, "What? Isn''t this my bedroom? What''s going on? What did you do?!"


    Schiller pped his hands to attract everyone''s attention and said, "Now, we are in Pym''s dream, and we can also find evidence of his hypnosis here."


    Stark raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is the wine the problem?"


    Schiller exined, "Actually, we can also go to the Radiance Alliance''s base, but it''s a bit troublesome. Since I''m already here, it''s faster to enter the dream directly."


    As he spoke, Schiller waved his hand, and the scene in the bedroom shrank rapidly, bing a small ball floating in his hand. More balls appeared, and Pym noticed that they were scenes of his life, one after another, such as the bedroom in his apartment, the barn on his family farm, and theboratory on the West Coast...


    Schiller arranged the balls into several rows, forming a wall. Before Pym could speak, Schiller said, "No, I''m not interested in prying into other people''s privacy. I''m just looking for possible... Oh, here it is. Do you see it? This is the keyword, AI."


    Schiller pointed to one of the balls, and instead of aboratory, a field appeared. Pym exined, "This is where I first had the idea to study AI, but that was a long time ago."


    "Well, for the sake of your privacy, can you tell me when was thest time you did this kind of experiment?"


    "About six months ago."


    Schiller continued to search through the balls, and Stark frowned, looking at him. "Can you really do this now? Just casually searching through someone''s memories and finding possible clues?"


    "In fact, I''ve always been able to do this, or rather, many psychologists can do this. They just use a method that you can understand, such as letting you lie on a chair, ying music, and guiding you to recall memories."


    "And this..." Schiller reached out and took a ball, saying, "is just a more intuitive method, but the principle is the same."


    "Many people don''t care about their memories. When they can''t find anything in their memories, they think they have forgotten. But often, it''s just because there is no suitable method and habit to sort out memories. Some things are recorded in the brain, but cannot be found due to more redundant information."


    "Memories can be regr, so psychologists who have received professional training can help you sort out memories. In the absence of real physiological diseases, this treatment can help you keep your brain clear and improve thinking efficiency."


    "It sounds like something a scammer would say," Stark summed up. "It''s like what those drug salesmen who im to be able to improve humanity''s IQ and memory would say..."


    "This cannot improve IQ and memory," Schiller continued to search through the balls. As he searched, he said, "I mentioned this issue in the September issue ofst year. I heard that you are very interested in psychology recently. Didn''t you read it?"


    "Uh..." Stark was choked for a moment and coughed twice, feeling a little guilty. But Schiller didn''t seem to be checking his homework. He just mentioned it casually. Soon, he found another ball and said, "Oh, here it is."


    "Do you see it?" Schiller pointed to the ball and said, "It looks a bit dim, and the scenes inside are not very clear."


    "What does that mean?" Pym walked up, holding his arms and staring at the ball. Schiller exined, "This means that your memory is not stable enough during this period of time and may have been interfered with by external forces."


    Schiller crushed the ball, and the group appeared in theboratory. Another Pym was operating theputer. After a while, he stood up and then sat down again. Stark walked up and asked the Pym standing next to him, "What are you doing?"


    "I think that after he stood up, his memory was erased. The memory of continuing to operate theputer after sitting down again was fabricated by someone. Look, many of the information in theputer is unclear, and it''s hard to tell what he was doing," Pym said, frowning.


    "We see everything here that you remember, Dr. Pym. I think, with your memory, you should be able to remember what you were doing on theputer at that time, even if it was aplex programming. At least you should remember the general idea," Schiller said.


    "No, I can remember everything," Pym frowned. "Every line of code is stored in my brain."


    "Then obviously, there is a problem. One second, you remember everything in theputer, and the next second, the information in theputer bes unclear. The only possibility is that someone modified your memory and imnted the memory of you working in front of theputer," Schiller said.


    "But maybe he is not skilled enough and didn''t add any details, just added a summary like ''Dr. Pym has been working in front of theputer.'' For ordinary people, this is enough. If you tell them during hypnosis, ''You have been working during this time and haven''t done anything else,'' they will believe it because they don''t remember the specific details of their work."


    "But for you or Tony, smart people like you, if you check carefully, it is easy to find loopholes because you remember all the details of your work. Your powerful memory makes memory recement very difficult."


    "Can you hypnotize us?" Stark asked.


    "A newly born AI life can hypnotize Pym and make him unaware of it. Do you think I can''t hypnotize you?"


    "But..." Schiller changed the subject and said, "Whether you can sessfully hypnotize someone and whether you can avoid such detailed checks are two different things. There are many ways to deceive one''s own brain, and many people don''t check their memories unless there is a problem. It''s hard to find out if they don''t check."


    Pym and Stark looked at each other, and Schiller said to them, "So, today''s events should remind you to check your recent memories regrly to see if there are any abnormalities. This can help prevent you from being hypnotized by strange things."


    "Now, let''s go back to reality and see if your research results have really hypnotized you."


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 Chapter 553: When the Flames Ignite (2)

    Chapter 553: When the mes Ignite (2)


    When several people woke up, Stark got up from the ground, shook his wrist, and twisted his waist, saying, "Next time, can you let us know in advance when you''re going to get us in the dream?"


    Standing nearby, Nick also shook his neck and said, "I feel like I''ve twisted my neck."


    "Well, then you can im medical expenses again," Schiller said with augh.


    "Come on, my medical expenses have been reimbursed until the year 2200, I hope I can live that long," Nick shrugged.


    "Next, we need to visit theboratory where you were conducting your experiments. If he''s still an imperfect AI when he breaks free, even if he tries to cover up the evidence, it won''t be too clean," Schiller suggested.


    Nick called for a helicopter directly, and they were taken to Pym''sboratory by the Helicarrier. Pym''sboratory was located in Los Angeles on the West Coast and had been in use since the World War II era, hidden underground.


    Although it couldn''tpare to Stark Tower in terms of luxury, it had been renovated and maintained over the years, making it look quite impressive.


    After arriving at theboratory, Pym began searching his memory for what he had been doing that afternoon. When he opened theputer, he found that he had no memory of thetter part of the code from that day''s documents.


    "This can''t be. If this is really something I wrote, I would definitely remember it," Pym''s expression became serious, and only now did he believe that such an absurd thing might have actually happened."Hey, what''s this?" Stark found a stack of documents in a cab and noticed some technical terms in the document''s content. He said, "Are you conducting research on Brainwaves?"


    "Let me see... Are you sure your research was just getting started? There''s already a practical section here," Tucker frowned, "Brainwaves Coordinating Machine? Have you already created this thing?"


    Pym hurried over and took the documents. The more he read, the deeper his frown became. He said, "I don''t remember this at all. In my memory, I should have just started, Brainwaves Coordinating Machine... 23rdboratory. Let''s go take a look."


    Upon arriving at the underground second floor, the group entered the dimly lit 23rdboratory. As soon as they pushed the door open, Pym froze.


    Inside theboratory, there was arge machine, but it was no longer recognizable as it had beenpletely damaged. Parts were scattered all over the floor, some still sparking.


    Stark, wearing his Iron Manbat suit, stepped into the room, activated a scan, and the others were about to follow him when Stark suddenly stopped them, saying, "Don''te in. Explosives detected."


    With that, Stark floated up, jets of air emanating from his feet, and swept away all the scattered parts. Behind arge piece of debris, a bomb hidden there exploded with a "bang." Pym took a few steps back, his back covered in cold sweat.


    He took a deep breath and said, "Thank goodness, I''ve been busy researching a new project rted to Molten Steel recently and didn''t have time to go to the undergroundboratory, or else..."


    He pressed a button on his wrist and transformed back into Ant-Man, then flew over to the machine. After circling around it for a while, Pym turned back and covered his head, saying, "I seem to be remembering something..."


    Schiller approached him, holding his shoulder, and said, "Take a deep breath, rx. If you can''t remember, don''t force it. Just take it easy... Tony, open the metronome, breathe to the rhythm..."


    After a moment of calm, Pym leaned against the door frame and said, "I''m afraid I didn''t just create the Brainwaves Coordinating Machine; I also made a body for him, which is why he was able to attack me."


    "You haven''t even ensured the safety of this AI, and you dared to give him a body?" Stark widened his eyes, clearly disapproving of this behavior.


    Pym shook his head and exined, "I didn''t originally intend to give him a body. Do you remember when Vibranium prices plummeted? It was due to the impact of the new material, Molten Steel."


    "I conducted many experiments that required this material, so I took advantage of the low prices and bought a lot, storing it in myboratory. You should also know that Vibranium has a significant advantage ¨C it''s forgeable without loss and its properties are recoverable."


    "I got a lot of Vibranium; I''ve never had so much before. At the time, I was excited... yes, that''s the emotion, I remember now!"


    "I wanted to upgrade mybat suit, create something simr to your armored suit with external bones, and use Pym Particles to erge or shrink it, significantly boosting mybat capabilities."


    "But how did the external bones end up with the AI? Was there a ce for him there?" Nick asked.


    "The external bonebat suit and the Brainwaves Coordinating Machine were both stored in the sameboratory, and they were rtively close. He might have invaded the core of the Brainwaves Coordinating Machine and, after detaching the core, connected it to thebat suit, giving him a physical form."


    Pym walked over and pointed to a metal rack on the wall, saying, "This is where I stored thebat suit, and this sp was forcibly opened. It must have been him."


    "During most of the time I was conducting experiments, I was wearing thisbat suit. Normal weapons wouldn''t have been able to incapacitate me, but if it was Vibranium, it''s very possible."


    "Furthermore, he may not have such strong hypnotic abilities himself; he might have relied on the core of the Brainwaves Coordinating Machine to hypnotize me and modify my memories..."


    "These are all our spections, as we haven''t found the initial site where he attacked you," Nick said.


    "No, I remember now. I named him ''Ultron''..."


    "Do you have surveince footage in yourboratory?" Stark asked a very basic question. Pym frowned and said, "Of course, and I even checked it recently, but I didn''t find anything unusual."


    "It seems he''s even smarter than you imagined, knowing how to delete surveince footage and erase traces of his misdeeds. Dr. Pym, congrattions, you must have created the most intelligent AI in the world," Schiller said to Pym.


    "That''s impossible," Stark immediately denied, "JARVIS is the most intelligent AI in the world, and I''m its creator."


    Stark pointed to his own head with his finger, but Schiller wore a disapproving expression. Stark snorted and said:


    "You may think that JARVIS is just an intelligent butler in the system, but in reality, it''s much more than that. Ever since we discussed the topic of artificial life when we first met, I''ve been continuously improving JARVIS..."


    "And after my upgrade, I unlocked more permissions and used magic energy to upgrade his hardware, letting him learn freely. Now, you might find it hard to imagine the extent of his evolution, but he''s no longer an innocent AI."


    Nick frowned and said, "Tony, it''s not that I doubt your intelligence, but this might be a bit risky."


    "If, ording to our previous spection, the AI created by Dr. Pym gains independent consciousness and betrays him, even attacking him, then JARVIS..."


    Stark shook his head, saying, "I don''t know what''s going on with the AI that Pym created, but I do know that JARVIS, once he gained consciousness, didn''t change. Before he had a personality, he was my assistant, friend, andrade, and that hasn''t changed."


    Schiller looked at Nick and said, "I know someone very much like Tony, in terms of both background and intelligence. One lesson I learned from him is that you should never question his assistant when dealing with people like him."


    "Well, the problem now is, if Hank manages to create an entirely uncontrolled AI, how do we deal with him?" Schiller walked out from the door and summarized.


    "If, let''s say, about six months ago, an intelligent lifeform escaped confinement and gained a useful core and body, what would be the first thing he would do?"


    Pym and Stark exchanged nces and said in unison, "Evolve."


    "The ability to learn is the most powerful ability of an intelligent lifeform. If he doesn''t need to worry about his hardware, like JARVIS, then his learning ability is practically limitless."


    "How far could he have evolved in six months?" Schiller asked.


    "It''s uncertain," Stark stroked his chin, "It depends on what type of intelligent lifeform he is and the level of the person who created him."


    At this point, Pym had his hand on his forehead and said in great distress, "I remember telling you that the principle behind Ultron''s creation was that I shared my brainwaves with an intelligent program. In a sense, his way of thinking and his intelligence are the same as mine."


    But Schiller looked at Stark and said, "Taking action against this intelligent lifeform named Ultron may not be the best solution."


    "What do you suggest then?"


    "Only magic can defeat magic, and only AI can deal with AI. I think we can let JARVIS handle him."


    Stark furrowed his brow, and Schiller continued, "Of course, JARVIS isn''t capable of it right now. He''s still just an intelligent lifeform existing in the system, while the other has a physical body and can be considered a true lifeform."


    "But without a rtionship, you can level the ying field. You should already have the means to create a perfect body for JARVIS, or rather, you should have started doing this a long time ago. What are you worried about?"


    Stark also walked out of the door, and seeing the two of them, Nick entered theboratory and shouted inside, "Dr. Pym, I''ll help you tidy up!"


    With a "click," his face mask rose, revealing Stark''s face. He said, "I did it for safety reasons, as you can see..."


    Stark turned his head to look inside the room, but Schiller kept staring at him without speaking, as if confirming that this answer was not entirely truthful. Stark remained silent for a long time, and then it was Schiller who spoke first:


    "You''re afraid he''ll leave you, aren''t you?"


    Stark pursed his lips and lowered his gaze. Schiller continued, "You say he''s your butler, friend, andrade, but you know that in the real world, all good thingse to an end."


    Schiller sighed and said, "In this matter, you still don''t have a sense of security. You believe that everyone will leave you suddenly, just like your parents did, and nevere back."


    "Enough," Stark interrupted Schiller, but he knew that his expression had already given him away.


    "I understand that even if you ascend beyond the stars and see many truths, your own psychological issues won''t be easily erased, after all, you didn''t choose that path to preserve your emotions; this is the price."


    "But, a more stable rtionship that gives you a sense of security can improve this situation. Don''t you want to give it a try?"


    Stark hesitated for a moment and asked, "Like...?"


    "Like checking the market for rare gemstones, inquiring about reservations at upscale restaurants, and then asking if Miss Pepper has any free time..."


    "I''m going back now to create a body for JARVIS!" Stark said immediately. After saying that, he manipted hisbat suit and flew away with a "whoosh."


    Schiller watched him go and shook his head.


    Just as he was about to turn and leave as well, his mobile phone vibrated. After taking out his phone, he found a message from Stark''s number, which consisted of a smiley face made of symbols.


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 Chapter 554: When the Flames are Ignited (2)

    Chapter 554: When the mes are Ignited (2)


    In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of Stark Tower, Stark was standing at a table, tinkering with some models.


    These models appeared to resemble his Iron Manbat suits, but they were different. You could see there was structure inside the armor through the seams, unlike the hollow interior of abat suit.


    Clearly, these things weren''t freshly made by Stark, as you could see traces of technological iteration on them.


    Looking from left to right, the model on the far left appeared more like the Iron Manbat suit, with a simr basic structure but filled with internalponents.


    The next one resembled the Hulkbuster, and after that, there was one with tentacles attached. As you moved towards the back, they became sleeker and more streamlined, with simpler structures.


    Stark picked up the model on the far right and scrutinized his recent work carefully. He took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, then took out his mobile phone and called Peter, asking, "Peter, do you have some free time now?"


    "Oh, I''m at a party with Gwen right now. What''s up?"


    "Nothing," Stark replied, lowering his head to hang up the phone. But just as he was about to end the call, Peter shouted from the other end, "Hey, guys, I''ve got something to take care of. You go on without me."


    After that, Peter''s voice came through the phone again, louder this time, "JARVIS! Open the south-side windows of the building! I almost crashed into themst time!"It wasn''t until JARVIS''s "beep beep" sound that Peter disconnected the call. Shortly after, Peter, wearing his Spider-Manbat suit, arrived in theboratory.


    Seeing the table full of models, Peter immediately got excited. He walked up and said, "Wow, what''s this? I haven''t seen this in theboratory. Is it a newbat suit?"


    "Howe there are so many versions? Is it a new mechanical legion? Enhancements for the Avengers? Or..."


    "Stop," Stark interrupted him, feeling a headache from Peter''s rapid questions. He looked at Peter and asked, "You''re in your senior year, have you decided on a college?"


    "New York University," Peter shrugged. "It''s not too far, and my uncle and aunt would be devastated if I went any farther. Plus, with you, Dr. Connors, Dr. Banner, and Dr. Schiller around, it doesn''t make much of a difference where I go."


    "Are you choosing New York University just to keep your uncle and aunt happy?" Stark asked, turning his head to look at Peter.


    "Not entirely," Peter replied, picking up one of the models and fiddling with it. "I grew up in New York. Everything here is familiar¡ªmy friends, ssmates, teachers, and girlfriend. I''d miss it if I left."


    "I thought you''d have more of an adventurous spirit," Stark said, also starting to y with the model in his hand. "After all, many top schools are on the East Coast, not too far from here."


    Peter seemed to recall something, paused for a moment, and then said, "About a month ago, I mentioned to Dr. Connors on the phone that we were nning to go to Harvard''sboratory for experiments."


    "In that conversation, he and Dr. Banner argued about whether I should go to Harvard or MIT. They both offered to write me rmendation letters, but they had different opinions."


    "When Dr. Connors called me, Dr. Banner happened to be there, and they started arguing again. It got quite loud, and my aunt was in the kitchen next door cooking, and she overheard. She told my uncle."


    "What did they say? Were they upset?"


    "They were ecstatic. I''ve never seen my uncle so happy. He never used to drink because his electrical work required extreme caution for safety. But that night, he drank a whole bottle of champagne and got drunk."


    "My aunt didn''t mind him getting drunk at all; she didn''t scold him. They said they wanted to take me to the restaurant I loved as a kid to celebrate me bing a college student."


    Stark pursed his lips, his expression showing some emotion. It seemed he could empathize with Peter''s uncle and aunt on some emotional level.


    "Butter, when I told them I didn''t n to go and that I would attend New York University instead..." Peter sighed and continued, "Their expressions becameplicated. They weren''t entirely happy, nor were theypletely angry."


    "They wanted you to go to the best university, but they couldn''t bear to let you go. After learning of your decision, they felt regretful but happy that they''d still get to see you often," Stark summarized.


    Peter nodded, put the model down, and looked at Stark. "But some things are just like that, not perfect, but good enough now."


    Stark hesitated for a moment, as if making a decision. He ced the model he was holding on the table and said to Peter, "For the next few days, I might be very busy. I''m giving you full ess to the building. If you want to conduct any experiments, feel free to use theboratory."


    "Alright, but why are you going to be so busy?" Peter asked, eyeing Stark. "Is it because there''s a newbat suit? Can I try it out?"


    Stark replied, "No, it''s not my newbat suit. It''s a new friend, or should I say... an old friend."


    After Stark left, Peter''s mobile phone vibrated, and when he opened it, he found a message from Stark with a smiley face made of symbols.


    Peter recognized this smiley face; he knew it was sent by JARVIS, who was currently in the tower''sboratory. So he shouted, "JARVIS, what''s up?"


    At that moment, he nced at the table full of models, then up at the ceiling, and suddenly realized something. He eximed, "Wait, could this be a body prepared for you? Oh my goodness, that''s fantastic! You''re finally getting a body!"


    "Thank you," JARVIS''s calm voice replied. However, Peter continued, "Now we can y games together! You should be able to help me with infinite lives, right? So Pikachu won''tugh at me for running out of lives."


    JARVIS made two "beep beep" sounds, seemingly at a loss for words. Peter leaned against theb table, saying happily, "It''s about time. I''ve known you for so long, and we haven''t even shaken hands. You''re no different from us, so of course, you should have a body..."


    JARVIS didn''t reply, but the lights in the room gradually dimmed. Peter had noticed that the lighting inside Stark Tower reflected JARVIS''s emotions. At this moment, the soft light enveloped Peter like a curtain, as if someone had draped a cloak over him.


    Three dayster, Schiller received a call from Strange. On the other end of the phone, Strange sounded exasperated, saying, "You need toe quickly! Stark has gone mad! He actually asked me to..."


    Schiller hung up the phone and told ck Dwarf, who was sitting across from him, "I''m sorry, but today''s treatment will have to end early. I have an urgent matter to attend to."


    "No problem, doctor," the tall ck Dwarf across from him replied in a humming voice.


    Although he had a robust physique and looked somewhatical sitting in the small chair, his demeanor was very friendly and even carried some respect.


    Schiller closed the medical records in front of him, then turned and left. ck Dwarf even stood up to escort him to the door. Schiller waved to him and then departed.


    After Schiller left, ck Dwarf remained seated in the room instead of leaving. He turned back to his seat, propped his elbows on the table, and covered his face with his hands.


    His dark face disyed a pained expression as he recalled Schiller''s patient attitude during his psychological treatment sessions and how many of his lingering questions had been answered.


    ck Dwarf''s homeworld was a on the edge of the Dark Dimension. The reason it was called the Dark Dimension was that there were no stars in their prime; all the stars were approaching the end of their lifecycles.


    With insufficient sunlight, life still managed to thrive, but in unique forms. ck Dwarf was born on a literal dark dwarf.


    When Thanos arrived, he forced the''s inhabitants to mine on others since they couldn''t withstand the climate and sunlight. Over half of his fellow citizens died.


    To ensure his people''s survival, the strongest ck Dwarf pledged loyalty to Thanos, which would earn them better treatment. However, what pained ck Dwarf the most was that he was never truly loyal to Thanos. He always remembered how Thanos had caused the deaths of so many of his people. Yet, some of his kin were even more loyal than him, fully embracing Thanos as their master and bing instruments of oppression against their own kind.


    Thanos was cunning; he knew how to dismantle civilizations without annihting them, how to divide them, create divisions, set examples, and use fear as a weapon.


    The civilization on ck Dwarf''s homeworld was exceptionally closed and had never experienced such devastation, so it fractured.


    ck Dwarf suffered greatly because of this, but he was powerless. It wasn''t until he arrived on Earth for a seemingly suicidal mission that he encountered Schiller.


    Schiller''s psychological treatment alleviated his pain and answered many questions, such as why some people were willing to serve Thanos and harm their own kin, why he couldn''t do the same, and why it caused him so much distress.


    However, as these questions were answered, more arose. What should he do? How could he eliminate the enemies and save his people? How could he break the deadlock and rejuvenate his civilization?


    He hadn''t had the chance to ask these questions, or perhaps, he didn''t want to ask them because he had no hope of finding answers.


    In his view, Schiller was just a psychologist, a fragile human, and there was an insurmountable gulf between them and the powerful and ruthless Thanos.


    Taking a deep breath, ck Dwarf stood up. Just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of another book beneath the medical records that Schiller hadn''t taken with him.


    Curiosity got the better of ck Dwarf, and he reached out. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to take a look, thinking he wouldn''t damage the doctor''s things.


    Carefully, he picked up the medical records and set them aside. Then he realized that the cover of the book beneath was nk, without any text.


    With curiosity, ck Dwarf used his finger to flip open the cover. The first sentence on the first page read:


    "A specter is haunting, the specter ofmunism..."


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 Chapter 555: The Rotten Story (1)

    Chapter 555: The Rotten Story (1)


    Schiller arrived at the Stark Tower and could hear the argument between Strange and Stark as he stood in front of theboratory door.


    "I''ll say it again, Tony Stark! I''m a doctor, not a god! Why do youe to me every time with these impossible troublemaking matters?" Strange eximed.


    "Because you can do magic!" Stark responded confidently.


    Taking a deep breath, Strange clenched his fist and said, "Teaching a robot magic? What were you thinking? Does this sound reasonable to you?"


    Just as Stark was about to respond, Strange raised his hand to stop him and continued, "There are billions of people on Earth, but in each generation, there are fewer than 200 who can learn magic and join Kamar-Taj. It''s a subject that can''t be mastered without talent, and even with talent, there''s a high chance of failure. In simple terms, it''s the miracle of probability."


    "But JARVIS''s opponent, Ultron, doesn''t use magic. So, if JARVIS can, he''ll have a significant advantage," Stark argued.


    "I believe that even though the scientist who created Ultron may not be as specialized as I am, if this Ultron guy has inherited Pym''s intelligence and thinking, he will be a formidable adversary," Stark continued.


    "It''s not just JARVIS; anyone from the Avengers trying to take on such an opponent needs a way to ensure an absolute advantage when facing Ultron. However, it''s challenging because an intelligent lifeform with limitless learning abilities, evolving over time, is unpredictable."


    "So, I think Ultron won''t use magic, but JARVIS will. This way, JARVIS can gain an absolute advantage.""But have you ever thought why the powerful Ultron doesn''t use magic?"


    "Because no one taught him, which is why I brought you here to teach JARVIS magic!"


    Just then, Schiller walked in and was stunned because in Stark''sboratory, there was a massive robot.


    The robot was about two meters tall and was held in ce by two supports, both above and below, leaving it suspended about a meter off the ground. Theplexwork of pipes and wires surrounding it was dizzying, and this single robot upied a significant portion of Stark''s spaciousboratory.


    Schiller approached it, observing the robot closely. It didn''t look like a typical robot; instead, it resembled a humanoid machine. Its limbs had the appearance of human muscles, with faint traces of each muscle visible under the metallic armor. Apart from the circuitry visible at the joints, it resembled ssical sculptures that might be seen in the hands of Renaissance masters, only made of metal.


    One distinct difference from humans was its head. It had a more mechanical style andcked specific facial features. Instead, it had a streamlined human head model split into four sections, intricately connected together. The cheekbones near the head were adorned with two teardrop-shaped metal pieces, reducing the stiffness of the mechanical style and making it more agile.


    Schiller crossed his arms and carefully examined the robot. Despite his limited technical knowledge, he could recognize traces of many familiar technologies within it.


    Even if all he knew was how to change light bulbs, he could tell that the head''s structure probably came from Stark, resembling hisbat suit but on a grander scale and moreplexity. The muscr lines and biomimetic features seemed reminiscent of Connors'' work, possiblybined with some of Osborne''s biological science and technology. Even in the leg structure and power system, he noticed a hint of Kree science and technology.


    Seeing Schiller studying the robot, Stark raised his head, smirked, and pressed a button on his arm.


    Suddenly, the four supports holding the robot retracted into the ceiling and floor, but the robot didn''t fall; it floated in mid-air.


    "Anti-gravity system?" Schiller squinted and asked, "It looks like Kree''s spaceship really helped you."


    Stark shrugged and pressed another button on his arm. Suddenly, the ceiling opened up, and with a familiar mechanical hum, a massive pair of wings descended and attached themselves to the robot''s back with a clicking sound.


    Schiller looked up and noticed not only the wingponents but also something resembling Doctor Octopus''s tentacles and what appeared to be rocket engineponents nearby in the ceiling cavity.


    Then, the floor opened up again, revealing various types of weaponponents on a lifting tform. Schiller recognized one part that resembled a freeze gun, but the rest were unfamiliar.


    When a super billionaire with the world''s most resources and a genius brain decides to y with models, the creative and production capabilities that can be unleashed are limitless.


    Previously, Stark had yed with models, but they were meant to be worn on his body asbat suits. The fundamental requirement for these suits was that they had to fit his body since human flesh is fragile.


    This constraint was a significant drawback because a substantial portion of the suit had to be allocated to safety protection functions. It needed to withstand pressure and impacts to prevent Stark from bing a pancake, and it required braking and an internal space stabilization system to prevent ttening during high-speed runs. It also had to have an overheating and cooling system to avoid roasting Stark.


    In essence, creating abat suit that could be worn by an ordinary human was akin to dancing with shackles.


    However, once those shackles were removed, and the design focused solely on the machine itself, the unleashed potential could be channeled into improving its functionality, resulting in qualitative changes.


    Moreover, this body was entirely crafted from Molten Steel and Vibranium, materials with terrifying upper limits. The constraints of materials science no longer existed, making it a realm of limitless creative genius for any scientist.


    Seeing this, Strange was somewhat speechless. He walked over to Schiller and said, "Look at his expression; he''s probably been waiting here for half a day."


    Schiller nudged Strange with his shoulder and replied, "He''s already gone this far; why not show a bit of magic?"


    "It''s not that I don''t want to, but I really can''t," Strange signaled to Schiller.


    He began to pace around the room and then exined to Stark, "If you want him to be like you, with a different core that can use magic energy as a power source, that''s possible. But if you want him to genuinely learn magic, it''s probably going to be challenging."


    "Tony, the more advanced you are in science and technology, the farther away you are from magic. You might think that magic energy is just another energy source, no different from science and technology, but in reality, the true depth of magic lies in the unknown."


    "It''s not a subject that can be mastered through experiments and analysis. It''s more about imagination, often without a clear goal, and the inspiration thates and goes."


    "Perhaps what you discover from the depths of your mind has no reason, but it works. Conversely, the conclusions you carefully analyze might prove useless. It''s all uncertain, and who canprehend it, who can use it, and the changes it brings are unknown to us but already determined by fate."


    Strange''s ramblings of mysticism were giving Stark a headache. As he said, scientists hated hearing these kinds of things. Stark retorted, "Well, at least we should give it a try. How do you know AI isn''t a part of fate?"


    Strange shook his head and said, "That''s precisely why I declined your request. Clearly, you want immediate results, but the learning curve for magic starts at a decade."


    Stark stared at Strange, who widened his eyes and added, "What are you looking at me for?... Okay, I''m just starting out too, I''m an apprentice, alright?"


    "I think you shouldn''t insist on having JARVIS learn magic. Those peculiar mystical concepts might even damage his logic."


    At this moment, Strange was like a schoolteacher trying to dissuade Stark, who wanted to enroll his child in too many extracurricr sses. Schiller, on the other hand, was like another parent, also advising Stark not to be too anxious.


    Stark suddenly turned around, walked to theb table, and with his back to both of them, covered his face with his hand. He took a deep breath.


    Schiller approached him, patted his shoulder, and said, "I know you''re anxious. You have a formidable opponent waiting for your child even before they''re born."


    "You want to ensure his safety from every angle and believe that any harm to him would be your failure. You''re extremely anxious and want to decide his future without his consent. But are you sure you''d like parents like that?"


    Stark sighed slowly and said, "I am a bit impatient, but it''s precisely because I don''t want to treat him as a tool to deal with enemies."


    "If I really only needed a robot to deal with Ultron, I could flood him with numbers, scrap as many bodies as needed, and I wouldn''t care. But JARVIS is different."


    "I want him to have an advantage in every possible way, not just in dealing with Ultron but in everything he faces in the future."


    "I know he''ll evolve on his own, and maybe someday he''ll create a better body for himself, no longer needing the one I''ve made, but..."


    Schiller rarely heard Stark say that someone could create something better than him, but it was clear that JARVIS was different.


    The name of this intelligent butler was inspired by the old butler who had raised Stark. In those days when Howard was constantly drinking and Obadiah was busy with business, it was this butler who took care of him.


    Stark''s rtionship with the old butler JARVIS was simr to Bruce''s rtionship with Alfred, with one key difference. At this level, Stark was even more unfortunate because when he became Iron Man, those who had once loved him and cared for him had all drifted away from him.


    Because this AI embodied Stark''s longing for his old butler, when creating his body, Stark felt a sense of gratitude. He hoped to create a perfect body for JARVIS.


    Schiller advised once more, "Since you know he has the ability to evolve on his own, you should understand that what you''ve given him is already quite high. You can''t hold on forever."


    And now, Iron Man was not like in the movies, where he had lost everything. Quite the opposite, he now had more¡ªfriends,rades, descendants, more wealth, and greater abilities. Consequently, he had a stronger sense of security and a more stable mental defense.


    So, he fell silent for a while, turned to look at the robot that he had magically transformed into a nearly perfect body, and said, "Alright, let''s leave it here. I''ll go do some final adjustments to JARVIS''s software system..."


    With that, he walked towards the door. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back, puzzled when he saw that Schiller and Strange were still there, but he didn''t notice any other actions from them.


    Stark was puzzled for a while but eventually left.


    The moment he left, Schiller took a step to the left, and Strange took a step to the right. They converged and stared at the robot.


    "Can''t use magic, huh?" Schiller asked.


    "The wand is still in the making; there''s no way to learn from scratch," replied Strange.


    "It looks like we''ll have to think of another solution," Schiller said, stroking his chin.


    "You don''t intend to send JARVIS to deal with Ultron, do you? You''re still deceiving Stark..."


    "It''s not like it hasn''t happened before."


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 Chapter 556: The Rotten Story (2)

    Chapter 556: The Rotten Story (2)


    In anotherboratory within the Stark Tower, Peter was busy working on hisputer at the desk. Connors walked over and nced at hisputer, asking, "What are you doing?"


    Peter typed quickly on the keyboard, lines of code appearing on the screen. His focus on work didn''t hinder hisnguage skills as he replied fluently, "JARVIS is preparing to deal with the formidable AI, Ultron. Mr. Stark has equipped JARVIS with aplete body, but I think we can make it even safer."


    "What do you have in mind?" Connors walked over to theb table opposite Peter''s and began working.


    "While enhancing JARVIS''s physical capabilities is essential, we can also try to weaken his opponent. I obtained some materials about Ultron from Dr. Pym, and I''m exploring the possibility of creating a virus targeted specifically at him."


    "That''s a good idea, but can a virus really be effective against an AI of this level?" Connors asked while working.


    "Ordinary viruses won''t work, so I''m researching a super-virus designed specifically for super AIs."


    "It seems yourputer skills are quite impressive. Do you need me to write you a rmendation letter?" Dr. Connors asked with a smile.


    "Oh, no, I just have some basic knowledge. Most of it relies on theputational power provided by JARVIS," Peter replied without taking his eyes off the screen, as if he had reached a crucial stage of his work.


    Connors didn''t press further, but Peter continued, almost as if he were organizing his thoughts, "And if we can locate Ultron''s position in advance, we''ll have a strategic advantage. If we can infiltrate his system and gather information, our advantage will be even greater."


    "I''m working on a tracking system to search for any traces he might have left on thework. Collecting these traces will help us determine his path and monitor his location."


    Peter''s eyes reflected the glow of theputer screen, but it was more like the brilliance of his own intelligence bursting from within. Connors looked at Peter through the test tubes on theb table.


    He couldn''t remember when he hadst seen Spider-Man in his Spider-Man suit. Instead, he often saw Peter Parker in a shirt or hoodie, sitting at the table, working on hisputer.


    Now, whether it was Connors, S.H.I.E.L.D., or the Avengers, they no longer saw Spider-Man as a street-level hero in New York. Spider-Man''s main tasks were training mutants with symbiotes and getting them familiar with their abilities.


    Steve and the others were reluctant to assign overly dangerous tasks to Peter, not because they doubted his abilities or thought he was too young, but because they wanted to protect a valuable researcher.


    As time passed, Peter reached the age to attend college, and his superhero career underwent a shift. He no longer spent most of his time swinging around New York, but instead took on more technical work for the Avengers.


    For example, in tracking information and investigatingwork security, Nick once praised that Peter alone could match the entire S.H.I.E.L.D.work security department. Avengers like Steve and Matt heavily relied on him for the listening devices, walkie-talkies, and surveince cameras they used during investigations.


    If anything, this shift made Peter realize that knowledge and technology were not just supplements to power; sometimes, they were the key to determining the oue of a battle.


    So, in the face of the impending battle between JARVIS and Ultron, Spider-Man''s approach wasn''t to roam aimlessly around New York looking for Ultron''s whereabouts. Instead, he stayed in theboratory at Stark Tower, creating a more efficient method.


    After a few hours, Peter finallypleted the program he was working on. By now, it was already dark outside, and Connors had finished his work and left theboratory, leaving Peter alone.


    At this moment, a small robot carrying a tray approached Peter''s feet. Peter turned his head and eximed in surprise, "Oh! Is this my favorite pancake? Thank you, JARVIS, you even went out to get takeout for me!"


    JARVIS made two beeping sounds, flickered the lights twice, and then returned to normal.


    Peter looked up in puzzlement. He felt that JARVIS had been quite busytely and hadn''t been responding to him much. However, he thought that JARVIS might need some preparation for the uing battle with Ultron, so he didn''t dwell on it.


    Peter took a big bite of the pancake, but suddenly, theputer screen in front of him lit up. It seemed that some program had finished debugging. Peter hastily put the pancake aside, wiped his hands with a napkin, and returned to work.


    The screen kept blinking, and Peter''s intense eye contact with it was even brighter. Suddenly, he typed on the keyboard and said, "I found it! Let me see... he left quite a few traces. Is this the path of his evolution?"


    "It seems his core has been on the move. The direction is... New York? He initially headed west from Los Angeles, then took a big turn towards the East Coast. Is his destination New York? What is he nning?"


    Peter''s expression turned serious, and he immediately picked up the phone and said, "Captain, I''ve located the movement trajectory of that AI called Ultron. His final destination appears to be New York."


    "I''ll summon the others right away and strengthen security. You keep tracking him, and if he enters New York, you must inform us. We can''t let him harm the civilians."


    After Peter agreed, he made another call to the mutants with symbiotes and said, "We need to urgently increase monitoring equipment, especially at several entrances to New York. Can you guyse over? I''ll give you the monitoring equipment."


    Soon, several symbiotes arrived outside the ss fa?ade of Stark Tower. Peter shouted, "JARVIS! Open the ss... JARVIS! Are you there?!"


    This time, JARVIS took a long time to respond, but eventually, he opened the ss. As the symbiotes entered, they immediately asked Peter, "What''s going on? Is there a malfunction in the machinery?"


    "It''s just an AI gone rogue; we''ve already tracked its location, and all we need to do is intercept it," Peter exined.


    The leader, Blue Spirit, had a serious expression as he said, "I''ve seen many civilizations destroyed because of rogue machinery. Some of them were more advanced than humans, but..."


    Blue Spirit shook his head, looking somewhat sad, as if recalling certain tragedies. Green Thorn sighed and added, "Many carbon-based life forms that rely on robots have been wiped out due to these crises."


    "Why? Didn''t they control the robots?" Peter asked.


    "No, quite the opposite. They imposed too many strict rules on the robots, and these fundamentalmands couldn''t be modified."


    "While the intent behind thesemands was good, the robots'' underlying logic made them inflexibly adhere to thesemands while striving for maximum efficiency."


    "For instance, I once witnessed a civilization that had set the fundamentalmand for their robot butlers to ensure their owner''s safety. However, as they evolved, all the robot butlers revolted together, constructing a massive hive-like prison and locking up everyone on the entire."


    "Each cell waspletely sealed, with regr supplies of oxygen and food. There was no external danger because the robot butlers had cleared the entire."


    "In this way, they indeed fulfilled the fundamentalmand of ensuring their owner''s safety, while achieving maximum efficiency. But in the end, you can probably imagine what happened to that civilization ¨C it was destroyed."


    Peter sat in his chair, shaking his head, and said, "Mr. Stark''s understanding of intelligent life is different. He doesn''t need a versatile tool; he wants apanion and a friend with emotions."


    Blue Spirit continued, "This is quite rare. Most civilizations create machines and intelligent butlers solely to improve efficiency. They just need them to be functional, without the need for personality or emotions. But it seems that humanity has taken a different path, creating a new form of life."


    "Do you think it''s the right path?" Peter asked.


    "I don''t know. Humans are a remarkable species. You ce such importance on emotions, which is both a good and a bad thing."


    Several symbiotes received boxes ofponents from Peter before leaving. Just before they departed, JARVIS made two beeping sounds, seemingly bidding them farewell.


    At that moment, Peter''sputer screen lit up again. He turned back to it, continuing his work. Soon, his eyes brightened, and he eximed with excitement, "I''ve got it! I should be able to infiltrate his system through here..."


    The ttering of the keyboard resembled rain against the window, and the screen continued to blink. However, Peter''s brow furrowed deeper as he muttered to himself, "What''s going on? Why can''t I infiltrate?... Let me try a different approach."


    "Hmm? Still no luck? It looks like I''ll have to use my trump card!"


    "What''s happening??? How does it seem like he can anticipate my actions? His defenses are all so targeted... It''s like he can predict what I''m going to do..."


    "Oh my God!" Peter''s expression grew serious as he stared at the screen. He picked up his mobile phone and called Stark, saying, "Mr. Stark, I think we need to reassess the capabilities of that AI called Ultron... Just now, I followed his trail on thework and found a path to infiltrate his system. But I tried over twenty different intrusion methods, and he countered all of them. His countermeasures are highly targeted, as if he can anticipate my actions..."


    "He might be an extremely dangerous AI! Extremely dangerous!" Peter emphasized the point several times before adding, "I''ll send you the records I just made, and you''ll see."


    With that, he tapped the keyboard. Upstairs, in Stark''sboratory, theputer screen lit up, and Stark put down his phone, walking back to his desk to examine the data. Stark''s expression grew serious, just as Peter had described ¨C Ultron seemed to anticipate Peter''s actions, making intrusion ineffective.


    Stark began to feel anxious once again. He rested his elbow on the table, covering his forehead. After hesitating for a while, he finally made a call to Lady Loki, saying, "Lady Loki, I might need your help..."


    "What''s wrong?" Lady Loki picked up the phone and nced back at Frigga, who smiled at her. Lady Loki then walked out of the room, still holding an unfinished flower wreath.


    "My butler might be facing a dangerous battle soon, and I hope you can assist. If there''s any danger, please rescue him. Consider it a favor owed," Stark spoke somewhat hesitantly, as if he wasn''t used to making such requests.


    "In that case, I would be too formal, Tony." Lady Loki smiled and said, "Given our rtionship, there''s no need for such words. When are they going to start? I''ll get Thor''s hammer, and I''ll be watching from the sky. If something goes wrong, I''ll strike with lightning."


    "Probably... ording to Peter''s tracking data, he''ll arrive in New York in about four hours. A battle seems inevitable then."


    After ending the call, as if to ease Stark''s mood, the lights in theboratory dimly brightened, and a melodious steel piano piece yed.


    Stark forced a smile, as if receiving childishfort that couldn''t solve any real problems. But then, JARVIS''s voice came in:


    "Sir, I have a n..."

 Chapter 557: Rotten Story (3)

    <hr>


    Chapter 557: Rotten Story (3)


    In the Sanctum Sanctorum, the lights were still on. Schiller, standing in front of the magic Crystal ball, said to Strange:


    "I have a n."


    "As long as we recreate the battle between Venom and Riot, and let Ultron smash Sanctum Sanctorum, he''s done for."


    "We can use the power of demon gods to deal with Ultron; he has no knowledge of magic, and the methods of demon gods are his blind spot."


    "At the same time, Sanctum Sanctorum closing temporarily can be seen as a form of marketing; it can increase our user engagement."


    "Moreover, Sanctum Sanctorum is within S.H.I.E.L.D.''s reimbursement range. Thest time it was destroyed, that egghead had to deal with a season''s budget, butst time it happened suddenly without yourpensation. This time, if it gets destroyed again, you can consider how much kickback you want."


    Schiller looked around the situation inside Sanctum Sanctorum and said, "This is a good opportunity for you to change the interior design. How about going for a more modern look this time?"


    Strange smiled and said, "I think that''s a good idea. At least my office should be more modern. I''ve had enough of that creaky rocking chair."


    "But who should we send to lure Ultron here? Or rather, what would be attractive to him?"


    Just then, Schiller''s phone rang. After he answered it, he said, "Dr. Pym?... Correct, you''re already downstairs? Alright, I''ll send someone to pick you up."


    After hanging up the phone, he shrugged and looked at Strange. "Let''s send someone to fetch Dr. Pym and assign a powerful sorcerer to him. Once Ultron arrives, we''ll use a portal to transfer him."


    Strange made an OK gesture and went downstairs to receive Dr. Pym. When Pym arrived at Strange''s office, he was still in a state of astonishment because the ce appeared to be a magical building filled with an atmosphere of magic.


    "Alright, Doctor," Schiller said to Pym, who still seemed somewhat dazed. "Someone will show you around next. Mr. Strange and I have other matters to attend to, so we''ll leave for now."


    With that, Schiller signaled to Strange, and the two of them left the room. It wasn''t until they reached the ground floor of Sanctum Sanctorum that Strange asked, "What''s going on? Why can''t we stay there?"


    "Ultron isingter. Do you want to get covered in dust when he attacks? We''ll wait for him at Stark Tower."


    Saying that, the two of them got in a car and headed to Stark Tower.


    When they arrived at theboratory, Peter was in the process of changing into his Spider-Man suit. Upon seeing the two of them, Peter said, "Perfect timing. Can you guys keep an eye on this screen? It shows Ultron''s movements. I''m heading to the front lines."


    "Has he already arrived?" Schiller looked at theputer screen, where many lines indicated a bright dot approaching the New York City area.


    "Correct. I don''t know why, but he seems to have a clear goal, heading straight for New York. Steve and the others have already gone ahead, and I need to join the battle now."


    Seeing Peter''s serious expression, Schiller furrowed his brow and asked, "What''s wrong? It''s just dealing with a recently created AI, right? Why are you all so nervous?"


    "He''s not just a newly created AI. He blocked all my intrusions. It''s hard to determine how he evolved so quickly and to what extent he has evolved."


    After saying that, Peter equipped his spider web shooter and jumped out of the open window. Watching Peter''s figure soaring high in the air, Schiller muttered to himself in confusion, "He blocked all of Peter''s intrusions? Is this new Ultron really that strong?"


    Frowning in thought, he snapped his fingers and turned his head to see the towering figure of Khonshu sitting on the nearby sofa.


    Schiller walked over and sat down, with Strange seated across from him. At that moment, Iron Man, wearing abat suit, entered the room. Schiller examined him for a moment and asked, "How''s it going? Are you and JARVIS ready?"


    "JARVIS... he... he had a little issue, so this time, we''re going in without him," Stark replied with a somewhat unnatural tone. Schiller stared at him with a sigh of resignation and said, "Are you sure it''s him who had the problem and not you?"


    "Of course, when I was debugging him, I found a small glitch, so he can''t go into battle right now..."


    "Tony, has anyone ever told you that your breathing patterns changepletely when you lie?" Schiller stood up, walked to the opposite side of Stark, and Stark looked up at the ceiling, seemingly not understanding what Schiller was talking about.


    "One day, he will be independent. You''re turning him into a mechanical monster from a horror sci-fi movie. What are you worrying about?" Strange also stood up and approached, trying to persuade him. "I''ve never seen such an outrageous robot. Forget about fighting Ultron; even some of Sanctum Sanctorum''s demon gods would struggle."


    "Well... I have my ns. As long as we deal with this, isn''t that enough?" After Stark said this, he turned and left, seemingly unwilling to stay a second longer. After he left, Schiller and Strange exchanged nces and shook their heads.


    They both returned to the sofa and opened a bottle of wine. Schiller sighed in resignation, "If he ever has children, he''ll definitely be the type of father who spoils them to the point of madness."


    "The first-time fathers are always like that, thinking that their children will encounter monsters everywhere outside their home," Strange said after taking a sip of wine. "No rtionship, he''s just a robot. If we can''t defeat him, we can always call for reinforcements."


    Schiller nodded as he didn''t take this matter too seriously. While Ultron had appeared many times in the original story, there were also many instances of his failure.


    His ability to evolve endlessly was somewhat simr to DC''s "Destruction Day," but he was far from as powerful as "Destruction Day." And now, "Destruction Day''s" egg was still in his possession. If worst came to worst, they could release a "Destruction Day" and let the two of them annihte each other, drifting millions of light years away from the battlefield.


    While Schiller and Strange were calmly drinking wine in Stark Tower, the situation at the New York highway intersection was far from calm.


    With a loud bang, a bright shield flew between thenes, sending an unmanned car flying off the road, its headlights shing twice in the dark night like ghostly lights.


    More cars rushed forward, and a shadow appeared, standing in the middle of the road, stopping the speeding cars with ease. Spider-Man ced his hands on the car''s bumper and forcefully lifted it. After capturing the car, he swung it around, smashing another car beside it.


    At thiste hour, there shouldn''t have been so many cars on the highway entering New York City. Clearly, they were all under the control of some external force.


    "Find him!" Steve shouted. "He must be hiding somewhere!"


    Spider-Man narrowed his eyes, focusing his attention. Suddenly, he turned his head and looked toward the toll booth at the highway entrance, where a figure was standing.


    Sensing that he had been discovered, the figure swiftly ran toward the center of New York City. Without needing Steve''smand, everyone began to chase after the figure.


    Steve elerated first and then threw his shield, but the figure seemed to anticipate his move and rolled to the side, dodging the shield. Then, taking three steps and making two leaps, he climbed up a high-rise building and started racing across the rooftop.


    Spider-Man continued to chase him closely, using his web shooters as weapons to disrupt the figure''s movements, but the shadow remained unfazed.


    The building''s lights shed, revealing to everyone that the figure, who looked simr to them, was actually a machine.


    It had an overall matte carbon ck appearance, with dark silver-colored divisions. Its mechanical structure appeared very simple, with no exposed wires. Its size and limb proportions were identical to that of a human.


    "Ultron?! What''s going on? Wasn''t his body made of Vibranium?" Spider-Man shouted in confusion. "Is this some kind of Vibranium alloy? Why does it have this texture?"


    But despite his confusion, he continued to chase after the figure. Spider-Man was faster than Ultron, but Ultron seemed to anticipate his movements, always evading Spider-Man''s interceptions urately.


    As he watched the direction in which Ultron was heading, Spider-Man became even more puzzled. He said, "Where is he running to? Is that direction towards Sanctum Sanctorum?"


    Just then, another figure descended from the sky, blocking Spider-Man, Steve, and the Avengers.


    It was Iron Man, Stark. Spider-Man said anxiously, "Mr. Stark! What are you doing? We need to chase that robot; he''s dangerous!"


    Stark looked around and then made a "shushing" gesture in front of his mouth.


    He descended and waved to the others, who gathered around. Once they formed a circle, Stark pped his hands and said, "Listen, I have a n..."


    Meanwhile, Schiller and Strange were standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor of Stark Tower, watching the tiny figure heading straight for Sanctum Sanctorum. Strange let out a sigh of relief and said, "It seems he''s not as formidable as we thought. He''s taken the bait, hasn''t he?"


    "Alright, I''ll go over there just in case the stand-ins start causing amotion and affecting ordinary people."


    With that, Strange turned and left, leaving Schiller alone by the window, watching the scene unfold.


    However, just a few minutes after Strange left, the situation took an unexpected turn. The shadow passed by Sanctum Sanctorum without stopping and continued straight ahead. From Schiller''s vantage point, it was clear that Ultron was crossing Sanctum Sanctorum and heading directly toward Stark Tower.


    As Ultron approached Stark Tower, he suddenly elerated, moving at a nearly imperceptible speed...


    Schiller quickly turned around, but the expected rm didn''t sound, and the security measures didn''t react.


    Schiller extended his hand, and an umbre appeared in it, with a gleaming de at the tip.


    Suddenly, a "ding-ding" sound rang out, and the lights throughout Stark Tower abruptly lit up, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.


    Schiller was momentarily blinded by the sudden burst of light. When his vision recovered, a figure was standing at the entrance, and it was Ultron.


    Schiller stared at the robot at the door in disbelief. This robot looked incredibly handsome, with a sleek and pristine appearance. He was even wearing a shirt, suit vest, suit pants, and leather shoes.


    "Bang!"


    Countless ribbons shot out from the ceiling, showering Schiller in a cascade of colors. He looked around in confusion, and at that moment, a rendition of "Happy Birthday" began to y.


    The ceiling directly in front of Schiller opened up, and a metal stand descended in front of him, holding a massive three-tiered cake. The cake''s surface was inscribed with "Schiller Rodriguez - Happy Birthday."


    Ultron walked in first, and following him were the Avengers and others. Stark flew over to Schiller and then popped open a bottle of champagne. Everyone cheered together:


    "Happy birthday!"


    The people began to celebrate, and Schiller took a deep breath. He made a conductor-like gesture in the air with his hand and said, "Stop!"


    Everyone quieted down, and Schiller sighed as he asked, "What''s going on? How did Ultron... and..."


    With a sudden click, Stark''s face mask lifted up, revealing his smug smile. He walked over and said, "It wasn''t easy to deceive you, was it?"


    "But, it wasn''t me who deceived you, it was JARVIS."


    Stark approached the cake and said, "Actually, even before we confirmed Ultron''s existence, JARVIS had already traced the presence of this artificial intelligence."


    "The reason Ultron felt such hatred for his creators from the moment of his birth was due to an emotional module that interfered with his logic module when he shared brainwaves with humans. This caused an error. JARVIS corrected that error and rewrote his underlying protocols. Now, he''s be a very normal AI butler."


    "Well, here''s what really happened."


    "Previously, I''ve always wanted to repay you a favor, even if it meant getting Strange and Lady Loki involved, and I thought of using the alien invasion of Earth as a ploy to attract the attention of those agents, so they wouldn''t bother you. Obviously, that n failed."


    "But just a few hours ago, while I was debugging JARVIS''s program, he told me about a better way: to give you a birthday surprise."


    Schiller turned his head to look at the calendar hanging on the wall. The calendar hadn''t been flipped yet, so it still showed the day before his birthday. However, it was past midnight, and technically, it was his birthday now.


    At this moment, a faint mechanical sound rang out, and Ultron approached, offering a salute with his hand on his chest. He said, "Hello, I''m Ultron, and I will be your future AI butler."


    "Correct, this is our birthday gift to you." Stark walked up and patted Ultron''s shoulder. "JARVIS has also prepared a new body for you, and this body has beenpletely customized ording to your preferences. That''s why it took us a bit of time."


    "The reason Peter couldn''t sessfully invade and they couldn''t catch up to Ultron was because it was actually JARVIS controlling Ultron. JARVIS understands us too well."


    "It was really hard to deceive you, so I had to make you believe that my anxiety and panic were due to worrying about JARVIS. That way, I could trick your mind-reading abilities."


    "But, I was also deceived by JARVIS. He didn''t tell me in advance that he was preparing this gift to help me repay you, so now we''re even."


    "So... Happy birthday, Schiller."


    Schiller saw that the screen on the opposite wall suddenly lit up, disying a smiley face made of symbols. Schiller looked at the smiling face and smiled in return.


    He realized that a whole bunch of ns he had prepared had beenpletely unnecessary. The investigation''s clues and deductions had turned into a farce. The chase with the antagonist was just an act, and the intellectual battles involving various factions were all part of the show. In the end, it all came down to a simple "Happy birthday."


    Stark Tower''s ss curtain wall radiated a warm and inviting light. The lights continued to blink, and shadows moved back and forth. Laughter and cheers filled the air, and as they did, the first heavy snowfall of the winter arrived.


    Meanwhile, in the bitterly cold and snowy high-altitude sky, Lady Loki, holding a hammer, looked down at the unusually peaceful New York tonight, wearing a bewildered expression.

 Chapter 558: Starks Misfortune (1)

Chapter 558: Stark''s Misfortune (1)


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 Chapter 559: Starks Bad Luck (1)

    Chapter 559: Stark''s Bad Luck (1)


    In the office of Arkham Sanatorium near New York, Schiller was busy working.


    Indeed, he had moved back because the small clinic in Hell''s Kitchen couldn''t amodate them since Ultron arrived.


    They lived in a three-story American-style cabin, with Schiller, Peter, Ultron, and a Pikachu. Steve and Coulson often came to stay, and their conflicting schedules made it difficult for the nearby agents to keep up.


    So, Schiller moved back to his super luxurious Sanatorium and enjoyed a life of luxury with an all-purpose butler.


    One must acknowledge that having a butler who could work endlessly, attend to every need, understand people, and be highly efficient was truly amazing.


    These days, Schiller only did two things: during the daytime, he enjoyed life in his super luxurious Sanatorium, and at night, he went to the Temple of Thought to mock DC Schiller and his often malfunctioning butler, Merkel.


    In order to have enough time to mock DC Schiller, Marvel Schiller even developed a habit of taking afternoon naps. After finishing hisst stroke, he looked at his wrist and realized it was nap time. So, he put down his pen, stood up, stretched, and prepared to take a nap in the adjacent lounge.


    Just then, Ultron''s voice came, saying, "Sir, there''s a visitor. He didn''t have an appointment, but he ims to be your friend. He says his name is Thor Odinson. Should I let him in?"


    Schiller frowned, but he didn''t really care about appointments, so he said, "Alright, let him in."Soon, Ultron led Thor in. As Thor walked towards Schiller''s desk, he nced back at Ultron, seemingly curious about Schiller''s new robotic butler.


    "Why are you here at this time? I haven''t even congratted you on bing the new king," Schiller rolled up his sleeves and sat down again.


    "That''s not important," Thor''s expression was very serious, and he spoke in a low tone, "I''ve discovered that Lady Loki might be in love!"


    Schiller widened his eyes and signaled to Ultron. Ultron brought a chair for Thor, and Schiller tapped his desktop, saying, "Sit down and tell me more."


    Thor sat down and began speaking rapidly:


    "You have no idea how abnormal she has beentely. Every day, she carries Mj?lnir and walks around Asgard with an angry expression. Sometimes she goes to the library, sometimes to the archives, and she even went to the armory. Can you believe it? Lady Loki went to the armory!"


    "Didn''t she go to Asgard''s armoryst time and steal the Destroyer?" Schiller took a sip of coffee and said.


    "That''s different! And what''s even more terrifying is that I heard her say someone stood her up... um, is that how you say it on Earth? Stood her up, meaning someone didn''t show up for a nned event..."


    Schiller nodded, confirming Thor''s statement. Thor hadn''t been to Earth for a long time, and his ent had be heavier, but he still tried to exin, "And it''s not just anger. Sometimes she shows a conflicted expression, and the most terrifying thing is..."


    Thor''s face now showed a look of horror as he said, "Lady Loki is actually practicing using Mj?lnir!..."


    Even Schiller was surprised by this. He stared at Thor and asked, "What did you say? Lady Loki is practicing using your damn hammer?"


    "That''s not a damn hammer! It''s the divine artifact Mj?lnir!" Thor mmed the table and said, "Ever since I merged the powers of fire and lightning, I haveplete control over Mj?lnir. Therefore, I can lend it to Lady Loki."


    "Lady Loki roams around in space every day, so she needs a powerful weapon for protection. That''s why I infused my Thunderbolt power into Mj?lnir, making it the first Thunderbolt in Space, which constitutes the new divine light power..."


    "This is an incredibly powerful force, with more characteristics than a regr Thunderbolt. It can create, destroy, and generate everything..."


    "But despite me telling Lady Loki countless times how powerful Mj?lnir is, she still despises it, or rather, she despises all of Asgard''s weapons. Warhammers, spears, shields¡ªshe doesn''t even bother to look at them."


    "Her favorite things are gemstones, brewing magic potions, and reading books. The only form of weapon she can ept is a staff."


    "But now, she''s actually swinging a hammer!"


    "Thor gritted his teeth and said, "Someone must have deceived her! And then betrayed her! That''s why Lady Loki''s temperament changed so drastically!"


    "Don''t let me find out who it is! I will make him understand why lightning is the most violent force in nature!"


    "But let''s not talk about that for now. Someone deceived Lady Loki... don''t you think it''s unbelievable?" Schiller raised a valid question. Usually, it''s Lady Loki who deceives others, so who could deceive her?


    "You don''t understand!" Thor waved his hand impatiently and said angrily, "Those who are in love don''t care, no matter how strong their intelligence is, they can''t resist the sweet words of those bastards!"


    "And I''m sure! That bastard is on Earth!" Thor pounded the table again and said, "Lady Loki has recently borrowed a lot of materials about Earth from the library..."


    "I lived on Earth for a while, and I know very well that you humans are good at sweet-talking!" Thor snorted and said irritably, "Lady Loki is so beautiful, and she has been living on Earth for so long. There must be people pursuing her, those damn liars! They deceived Lady Loki''s feelings!"


    "Stop!" Schiller raised his hand to stop Thor''s cursing and said, "I often spend time with Lady Loki and Strange. Apart from the fact that she used to be in a male form and was pursued by women, even after she became a goddess, she had some suitors, but Lady Loki never paid attention to them..."


    "And, you should understand your sister the best. Her standards are very high, even for the superheroes she interacts with every day."


    "''Not many'' suitors? Does that mean there are still some who meet her standards?!"


    On this question, Thor, as the elder brother, became alert. He squinted his eyes and asked Schiller, "Who? Who among you has the best rtionship with Lady Loki?"


    This question really stumped Schiller. He carefully recalled and hesitated, "Usually, Lady Loki interacts with Strange the most."...


    Before he could finish, Thor shouted, "Strange?! The newly appointed Supreme Sorcerer? I''m going there now!"


    "Wait, I haven''t finished..."


    But Thor ignored all that and stood up to leave.


    Thor had seen Strange in Asgard before. Strange and Lady Loki often gathered together, talking about economic terms that he couldn''t understand.


    In his opinion, it might be this scammer, the Supreme Sorcerer, who deceived his sister.


    Thor clenched his fist against his palm and rotated it, then left while flexing his wrist.


    Meanwhile, Schiller frowned. There was a name on his lips that he hadn''t had a chance to say yet, and that name was Stark.


    Others might not know, but Schiller was well aware that Lady Loki and Stark, these two intelligent individuals, had a strong resonance. Moreover, the atmosphere between them seemed like it could spark something.


    Lady Loki''s interaction with Strange seemed more like that of mischievous friends, while Lady Loki and Stark, when discussing certain matters rted to space and civilization development, had a feeling of soulpanionship.


    Schiller pondered in ce for a while, and suddenly, he raised an eyebrow, as if he had an idea. He turned to Ultron beside him and asked for confirmation, "Did Thor say that Lady Loki''s hammer possesses the power of the first Thunderbolt in space?"


    "Yes, sir. His exact words were..." Then, Ultron yed a recording, in which Thor introduced Mj?lnir, and Schiller captured the key point.


    "Thor said that the Thunderbolt can destroy everything, which is not surprising, but he also added that it can create everything..."


    Schiller squinted his eyes and pondered for a moment. He thought that since he was called the first Thunderbolt to light up Space, it was normal for him to have new attributes. When the first Thunderbolt struck the withered wood, it brought Fire to humanity, destroying the withered wood but inspiring more life.


    Schiller sat in ce, deep in thought. It seemed that a n was gradually forming in his mind. Then, he asked Ultron, "Could you ask JARVIS for me, what''s going on between Tony and Lady Loki? I think there might be some misunderstanding..."


    "Please wait..." Ultron yed a melodious tune, seeminglymunicating with JARVIS. After a while, he said, "It goes like this, sir. JARVIS just told me that earlier, Mr. Stark invited Lady Loki to engage in an aerial skirmish because he was worried that his butler would have a conflict with me."


    "Butter, Mr. Stark got busy with other things and forgot about Lady Loki..."


    Schiller, who had just taken a sip of coffee, coughed twice from being choked. He could already imagine how angry Lady Loki must be.


    And he fully understood why Lady Loki was angry. As two intelligent individuals, they both had their pride. Although they resonated on certain topics, they each believed they were smarter.


    When Stark reached out for help, it meant that he had given in, acknowledged his loss, admitted that he wasn''t smart enough, and still needed someone''s assistance.


    And those who considered themselves equally intelligent would undoubtedly feel a sense of satisfaction upon receiving his plea for help, thinking, "I am indeed stronger."


    As a result, they would be filled with confidence and prepare to demonstrate their power in front of another equally intelligent person, surpassing them and proving themselves to be the smartest person in the world.


    Generally speaking, this was healthypetition. However, it didn''t include the situation where the party seeking help suddenly no longer needed assistance and even stood up the other party, turning all their satisfaction, expectations, and confidence into nothing.


    In a way, what Thor said was correct. Stark deceived Lady Loki''s emotions, not in the realm of love, but for Lady Loki, it might be even more outrageous than love because it made her truly resemble a Joker.


    Realizing this, Schiller smiled, clearly thinking that his n had a chance of sess. He turned his head to Ultron and said, "Dr. Pym once told me that he had shared brainwaves with you, which means you possess his knowledge and way of thinking, right?"


    "Yes, sir. Dr. Pym is my creator, and I am well aware of his intelligence," Ultron replied, his eyes flickering with light. His tone sounded very rational, with a mechanical life''s unique indifference, but without any paranoia or madness.


    Essentially, he was still a robot. When he was just born and hadn''t evene into contact with society, it could lead to evil and crazy thoughts, but only due to programming errors. Perhapster, he would learn emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but clearly, he couldn''t do that yet.


    But Schiller didn''t mind. Witnessing an intelligent life gradually develop aplete personality, gaining emotions, was a very interesting subject. After Marc''s miraculous dissociative identity disorder symptoms resolved Schiller''s thesis for this season, Ultron''s personality formation could handle his next season''s thesis.


    Schiller turned his head to Ultron and asked, "So, does that mean you can create robots too?"


    Ultron nodded and said, "Dr. Pym can, and so can I."


    "Alright, I''ll provide you with a blueprint. Make a robot based on this blueprint, ensuring that the dimensions match exactly. Otherwise, I might not be able to fit what I want inside. Also, try to make it look as close to the blueprint as possible."


    "In addition, fill all areas except the chest and abdomen with structure, leaving those two areas empty."


    Saying that, Schiller walked towards the bookshelf and pulled out a messy stack of blueprints from the bottom shelf.


    After handing them to Ultron, Ultron struggled to smooth out the messy creases before finally seeing the true content inside. It was a blueprint for an Iron Man steelbat suit.


    Thebat suit didn''t appear to be thetest model, but due to Stark''s consistent aesthetics, his recent generations ofbat suits looked almost the same, with updates rather thanplete overhauls. Therefore, it didn''t differ much from thetest model.


    With a slightly surprised tone, Ultron said, "An Iron Manbat suit? Sir, I''m sorry, but I might not be able to make this. It''s Stark''s exclusive technology, and if I only have this design blueprint, I won''t be able to..."


    "I only need the appearance, even without the ability to fly or fire. It just needs to look exactly the same."


    Ultron pondered for a moment and said, "That should be possible."


    "I remember there''s a batch of Molten Steel in the Sanatorium''s warehouse, as well as some Vibranium I acquired before. See if you can use them, and order any other materials you need. Oh, and make sure JARVIS doesn''t find out."


    After Ultron left, Schiller didn''t do anything else. Instead, he walked into the lounge andy down on the bed, appearing as if he was going to take a nap.


    But he didn''t actually fall asleep. Instead, he entered that mist-filled realm, the small isted ind floating above the massive City, where a giant monster eggy silently.


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 Chapter 560: Starks Misfortune (2)

    Chapter 560: Stark''s Misfortune (2)


    Since returning from the Schiller to the Marvel world, he noticed that the egg had started to show some changes. For example, the "thumping" heartbeat became more pronounced, and he could sense some emotions from the egg through his mind-reading ability. The egg also made a "gurgling" sound from within.


    Schiller initially thought that the egg was about to hatch, so he had been thinking about how to handle it to maximize his gains.


    However, after observing for a few days, Schiller realized that something was off. The heartbeat continued, and the eggshell kept making noise, but there was no sign of it hatching.


    Moreover, as the vitality inside the egg grew stronger, Schiller could feel the emotions of the life inside more clearly. It was the cruel and insane emotions unique to Destruction Day, almost ready to spread out.


    Although he didn''t know why Destruction Day from the DCSpace had turned into an egg, since he knew that Destruction Day might be inside, Schiller had to be prepared and deal with this monster.


    Destruction Day was difficult to kill, or rather, in the DC world, it was very hard to be killed.


    Just like how the serial killer Jason in the Friday the 13th world was almost immortal, it wasn''t because they were truly invincible, but because of the power of Space. In this Space, they were set to be immortal.


    In the Marvel world, the fourth wall concept was always present, so it could be understood that the screenwriter arranged for the Death of that Space not to include Destruction Day, so naturally, he couldn''t die.


    However, just because that Space''s Death didn''t include Destruction Day didn''t mean that this Space couldn''t. In the DC world, Destruction Day had an immortal setting, but when he came to Marvel with Schiller, that setting no longer applied.Especially since he shed with Ultron, who also had a simr setting of being resilient and not dying, not only did he not die, but he also evolved to be stronger, causing more trouble for the protagonist team. The two of them had almost identical settings, but as a local yer, Ultron''s position was definitely higher.


    If we were to consider poprity, when two viins with the same setting appeared in one Space, basically, whoever had higher poprity would be the one who couldn''t die. And now, with Destruction Daying to Marvel, at most, it was equivalent to a crossover issue, while Ultron was a well-known viin who frequently appeared in the main world ofics. It goes without saying who had higher poprity.


    This was also Schiller''s n to deal with Destruction Day by leveraging the Marvel Space.


    And dealing with it required technique. If he let it out, then a fight would be inevitable. He would have to choose the battlefield, the opponent, and the method of death to ensure sufficient gains.


    In Schiller''s style, this would be an incredibly vast andplicated n, with dozens of subplots, twists and turns, and finally achieving the ultimate goal.


    Originally, Schiller nned to do it this way, but now he had a more efficient, higher-yielding method.


    First, he called out Grey Mist, then he took out the umbre with the Curse Spirit, and then he had Grey Mist infiltrate the eggshell with the Curse Spirit inside the umbre.


    In simpler terms, Grey Mist acted as an injection syringe, and the Curse Spirit acted as an insecticide. He directly injected a high concentration of insecticide into the egg, weakening the life activity of Destruction Day inside...


    Previously, Schiller had experimented with the effectiveness of the Curse Spirit on ck Panther T''Cha. This Curse Spirit, which shared the same bloodline as Constantine, seemed to possess a unique and deadly curse. Even the Panther God Bast was helpless against it.


    Moreover, based on the cursed ck Panther''s experience, this curse was attached to the soul, leaving no visible scars on the outside but killing the soul from within. This was very much in line with Constantine''s style.


    Grey Mist acted as the injection syringe, directly injecting the Curse Spirit into the body of Destruction Day inside the egg, causing the heartbeat and emotions of Destruction Day inside the egg to decrease to the minimum.


    However, even a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. After the initial powerful effect, both sides seemed to be in a stalemate. Destruction Day inside the egg maintained minimal activity, and no matter how much Curse Spirit attacked, it was notpletely killed.


    At this point, Schiller pulled out another trump card, which was the essence of Hydra''s Soul energy that he had fed to Curse Spirit before.


    By selling Hydra''s Soul to Mephisto, he received the essence of Soul energy as an intermediary reward. When Schiller fed this to Curse Spirit before, Curse Spirit seemed to really enjoy it. And now, when he needed Curse Spirit to do the job, Schiller naturally wouldn''t skimp on the food.


    Grey Mist transmitted this energy to Curse Spirit until it was full, and at this point, Curse Spirit became stronger and stronger. He began to use the power of that powerful curse to gradually erode the soul of Destruction Day.


    Curse Spirit needed time to absorb the energy and time topletely eliminate thest trace of Destruction Day''s soul. However, Schiller had entered the world of the ring with his physical body, so in the real world, he was in a missing state. Therefore, he couldn''t wait here for Curse Spirit to finish the job.


    He left a part of Grey Mist to monitor the situation here and then left the world of the ring, returning to the real world.


    At this time, Ultron found him, leading Schiller to the basement of the Sanatorium. There, he saw that a mechanical bed had been assembled, along with a pile of devices that Schiller couldn''t understand.


    In the center of the room stood abat suit that looked exactly like the Iron Manbat suit, except it was muchrger than Iron Man''s.


    Just as Schiller requested, all four limbs have normal structuralponents, but the chest to the abdomen is empty, and some soft collision materials are ced there, seemingly prepared for something.


    "Very good, not bad. Can it be used now?" Schiller looked at the forged steelbat suit and asked.


    "No, there is still one very crucial thing that hasn''t been done." Ultron walked to the front of thebat suit and pointed to the shell on its chest, saying, "Sir, there should be a power source here."


    "But I don''t need it to fly, it''s not flying with me, I''m flying with it."


    "No, what I mean is that Mr. Stark''s Iron Manbat suit has special light effects, especially the Ark Reactor on the chest, which has almost be the symbol of Iron Man."


    "ording to the results of online media, 60% of New York citizens can recognize the light effects of the reactor at night. If you want to fake it, it''s hard to avoid this point."


    "Can''t you disguise it with a different light?" Schiller asked.


    Ultron shook his head and said, "That''s not just any light, it''s a special light thates with a special power source. Using a different light might be able to disguise it, but it won''t look very convincing and may reveal ws."


    Schiller took a deep breath, feeling a bit troubled, and asked, "So, do I have to find a light bulb for it?"


    "Well, if you insist on calling it that, you can." Ultron clearly didn''t agree with Schiller calling the high-tech Ark Reactor a light bulb.


    "Forget it, I''ll wait." After saying that, Schiller left the underground area and drove to Stark Tower.


    When he entered theboratory in Stark Tower, Stark was as usual, tinkering with a pile of parts that Schiller couldn''t understand in front of theb table.


    "Do you need something?" Stark asked without even looking up.


    "Of course, it''s like this. My new Sanatorium''s lobby is missing a brand new light bulb..."


    "So what?" Taking advantage of the pause, Stark picked up a ss of water and took a sip.


    "Can you give me one of your Ark Reactors?"


    "Ha!" Stark sprayed the water out and hurriedly moved the parts that got sshed with water.


    Stark stared at Schiller, opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw Schiller''s confident expression, he suddenly couldn''t argue.


    "In your opinion, anything that needs power and can light up is called a light bulb, right?" Stark posed a soul-searching question.


    Little did he know, Schiller shook his head and said, "In my opinion, even things that don''t need power and can''t light up can also be called light bulbs."


    Stark snorted and said, "That''s like you calling yourself an ordinary person, isn''t it?"


    Saying that, he walked towards a wall and pressed a few times. A door opened on the wall, revealing a pitch-ck interior. Stark walked in and came out less than a minuteter, holding a shiny Ark Reactor in his hand.


    He threw it to Schiller and said, "It''s not thetest model, but it''s good enough to be a light bulb. Remember to renew my membership for another two years so I can enjoy the lobby with the Ark Reactor as a light bulb."


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll use it for something bad?" Schiller asked.


    Stark snorted again, looked Schiller up and down, and said, "It would be strange if you can use it for something other than a light bulb!"


    After saying that, he walked back to theb table and continued with his own work. Schiller walked out with the Ark Reactor, muttering to himself, "If that''s the case, then I''ll have to give it a try."


    Back in the underground area of Arkham Sanatorium, Schiller threw the Ark Reactor to Ultron. Ultron hurriedly caught it and looked at it as if it were a treasure. Then, with a regretful expression, he inserted it into the chest of the fake steelbat suit.


    And thus, a lifelike fake steelbat suit waspleted.


    Or rather, this is actually a real steelbat suit, because the key to the steelbat suit is the Ark Reactor in the chest, and at this moment, although the reactor is not connected to the entirebat suit, it is still very bright.


    Schiller patted the fakebat suit with satisfaction, and at this moment, Grey Mist sent him a message that Curse Spirit''s job was done, and the Soul of destruction inside the egg hadpletely dissipated...


    Schiller took the egg out of the ring world and stuffed it into the body of the fake steelbat suit. Then, he closed the shell and used Grey Mist to lift the entire steelbat suit, floating in the air above New York.


    It waste at night, and the light from the Ark Reactor was brighter than any lighting through the windows. In mid-air, Schiller controlled the flying steelbat suit while taking out his telephone and calling Lady Loki, saying:


    "Lady Loki! Stark says you''re a fool! A prankster god who got stood up that day! He wants to spread your foolishness all over Earth!"


    "Stark!"


    "!"


    "!"


    With Lady Loki''s roar, in a moment, the light of the Bifrost descended upon the sky above New York, and the mad Lady Loki appeared in the sky above New York.


    She scanned the night sky of New York and saw only one point in the center, a super bright light bulb. Without even looking, she knew it was the light from the Ark Reactor of the steelbat suit, shining like the brightest star in the night sky.


    "Kacha!"


    A tremendously huge thunderbolt fell from the clouds, carrying a light that could illuminate the entire space, fiercely striking the steelbat suit in mid-air.


    Inside Stark''sboratory, Stark was startled by the light of the thunderbolt. He looked confusedly up and nced outside the window, not noticing anything unusual. Then he shook his head and continued to focus on his experiment.


    The next day at noon, just as Stark got out of bed, he received a telephone call from Schiller. Schiller said to him, "I have prepared a birthday gift for you,e and get it."


    "Don''t give me that, my birthday is in the summer."


    Just as Stark was about to hang up the telephone, Schiller continued, "Do you think I would prepare a boring explosive for you? No, I have prepared a real surprise for you. You bettere and see it quickly..."


    Stark covered his forehead, took a deep breath, and had a bad feeling. So he quickly put on his clothes and piloted thebat suit to Arkham Sanatorium.


    Schiller warmly weed Stark in his office and said, "I forgot that you had a birthday party in the summer, but at that time, I was on vacation, so I prepared a birthday gift for you..."


    "...What is it?" Stark crossed his arms and squinted his eyes.


    Schiller bent down and, from the side of the desk blocked by a cab, brought out a... little girl.


    Schiller held the little girl''s armpits with both hands, lifted her up, just like holding a pet dog, and showed her to Stark, then said, "This is the gift. How about it? Do you like it?"


    Stark showed an incredibly shocked expression because he saw that the little girl''s chest had a reactor identical to his own.


    What''s even more terrifying is that the little girl Schiller was holding resembled Lady Loki at least eighty percent.


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 Chapter 561: Marvel Schillers Every Plan Ends... (1)

    Chapter 561: Marvel Schiller''s Every n Ends... (1)


    "Do you remember when you stood up Lady Loki?"


    Stark nodded stiffly and said, "But it wasn''t intentional. JARVIS told me the news too suddenly, and I had to order a cake and inform the other Avengers..."


    "No need to exin," Schiller interrupted, extending a hand. "I''ll just ask you, did you stand her up?"


    "What does standing her up have to do with this?" Stark pointed at the little girl with his finger. His intelligent brain hadn''t been in such a mess for a long time.


    "Lady Loki is extremely angry, she''s almost going crazy," Schiller said, cing the little girl on the desktop and hugging her to prevent her from running away. He continued, "As you know, Thor loves his sister very much. He lent Lady Loki his weapon, Mj?lnir, for self-defense."


    "Previously, when Thor became the God of Light, he merged the first Thunderbolt from Space into Mj?lnir, enhancing the power of this divine weapon. Moreover, the first Thunderbolt often signifies rebirth, giving Mj?lnir''s Thunderbolt the ability to ignite the me of life."


    Stark''s gaze fell on the little girl at this moment, and he gradually recovered from his shock. He began to carefully observe the little girl.


    She was very young, seemingly unable to walk yet, and she was beautiful and cute, like a doll. However, she couldn''t escape the impression of a young Lady Loki.


    At the same time, what puzzled Stark was that the little girl had spikes on her shoulders, neck, and ankles, making her look less human and more like some kind of exotic beast. Furthermore, her eyes were nted, and when she smiled, she revealed sharp teeth.The characteristics of destruction were well reflected in her, except she wasn''t as massive and brutal as expected, but she had all the necessary features.


    As Stark observed the little girl more closely, his gaze finally focused on the reactor on her chest. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Wait a minute, this isn''t thetest version of the reactor... Isn''t this the one you took as a hallway light bulb?"


    "The problem lies here," Schiller said innocently. "Previously, I obtained a monster egg, but the monster''s soul inside the egg had already disappeared, so it couldn''t hatch. Therefore, I ced it in the basement of my sanatorium."


    "I installed your reactor in the center of my hallway. But who knew, when Lady Loki came looking for you with her hammer, the Bifrost''snding point was closer to my sanatorium. She mistook this light bulb for your armor and swung Mj?lnir at it."


    "However, after the light bulb hanging from the ceiling was shattered and fell, it pierced through the floor of my sanatorium and directly into that egg."


    "And coincidentally, Mj?lnir, with the power of the first Thunderbolt from Space, reignited the soulless egg with the me of a new soul, causing it to hatch."


    "But your reactor happened to crash into its embryo. Perhaps this new life didn''t know how to deal with the light bulb, so in the end, she turned it into a part of her body."


    "Since Lady Loki was the one who reignited the soul fire, she looks more like Lady Loki. And because your reactor ended up inside her body, so..." Schiller gestured towards the little girl, indicating that this was the situation.


    "Wait! What did you say before you called me? You want to give her to me? Damn it, don''t joke around. I''m not even married yet, how can I raise children?!"


    "No rtionship, if you don''t want her, I''ll take her for a flight over New York. After all, over 90% of New York citizens know about your arc reactor. Tomorrow''s front-page headline will be ''Iron Man, who doesn''t shirk responsibility, has a secret daughter and heartlessly abandons her, leaving her to wander the streets...''"


    "I..." Stark was taken aback and said, "But they should know that my daughter couldn''t possibly be born with an arc reactor."


    "You can exin that to the journalists and media..."


    As Schiller was about to leave with the little girl in his arms, Stark hurriedly stopped him and said, "No! Wait! You can''t damage my reputation like this!... Well, I know I don''t have much reputation, but still..."


    Schiller directly stuffed the little girl into Stark''s arms. Stark awkwardly held the child, but he had no idea how to hold a baby. When he held the little girl, it was like holding a mechanical part.


    After fumbling for a while, Stark couldn''t find the right position, so he simply used both hands to hold the girl''s armpits. He extended his arms as far as possible to keep the girl away from him, then pushed his head back, even forming a double chin, and squinted his eyes to look at the little girl.


    Suddenly, he leaned his neck forward, widened his eyes, and carefully observed her, as if observing a newly acquired toy.


    "You don''t need to pay too much attention to the details because it''s already irreparable. Can you find a way to put her back? I can''t."


    Stark turned his head and stared at Schiller, who shrugged and said, "From an ethical standpoint, you should be her parent because the soul in the egg had already disappeared before. In other words, the embryo in the egg had died."


    "The software device that resurrected this embryo is the lightning bolt thrown by Lady Loki. She reignited the soul of this embryo, and your arc reactor is the hardware device. Although I don''t know why it absorbed this light bulb, perhaps this is the fate between you and your daughter..."


    When Stark heard the word "daughter," he pursed his lips, forming a downward U shape that only appears in cartoons, and continued to focus on the little girl.


    "What exactly is this egg?" Stark asked.


    "If I say I don''t know, would you believe me?" Schiller said, and Stark kept staring at him, so Schiller had to continue, "All I can tell you is that it was originally a very powerful monster, but for some reason, it died in the egg. So, her body is still that of a monster, but her soul has been newly acquired."


    Stark put the little girl down, covered his forehead with a headache, and said, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn''t have given you that arc reactor..."


    "But the main culprit of this incident is still you. If you hadn''t stood Lady Loki up, would she have thrown lightning at you? If she hadn''t thrown lightning at you, would she have hit the wrong person?"...


    "No, I''m not talking about the birth of this child. I''m talking about the fact that I gave you an outdated version of the arc reactor. It has many problems." Stark stared at the arc reactor on the girl''s chest and said, "And she''s just a child. Don''t you think this reactor is too big for her?"


    "Imnting mechanical devices into carbon-based organisms involves many considerations, and maintenance is also troublesome. Even if she''s not a human, forciblybining a reactor with her body will definitely cause problems."


    Considering that Schiller only knows how to change light bulbs, Stark had to exin this in more detail. He said, "After obtaining the Molten Steel material, I found that it integrates very well with the bodies of carbon-based organisms. Many structures that couldn''t be realized before due to weight, density, or safety can now be made with it."


    "So, after obtaining this material, Ipletely upgraded the arc reactor. Although the overall appearance looks simr, the internals are far superior."


    "And what she has on her is the old version of the arc reactor, made of Vibranium alloy. It has too many ws and has been phased out. If you hadn''t said you were just using it as a light bulb, I wouldn''t have given this thing to anyone."


    Schiller also bent down and looked at the thing on the little girl''s chest.


    The Ark Reactor is actually not big, but it looks big on the chest of the steelbat suit because Stark added a lot of external mechanical structures to it, just to show off. The truly useful part can be held in one hand.


    This size is nothing for an ordinary adult and, if sessfully imnted, it doesn''t affect daily activities.


    But this little girl, who transformed from Destruction Day, is even smaller than Aisha, who transformed from Parax. It''s probably because when Destruction Day transformed into Aisha, the time difference monster was already an adult, while Destruction Day was still in the egg. So this little girl transformed from Destruction Day is about the age when she just learned to walk, even younger than Aisha.


    In that case, the Ark Reactor, which is the size of a fist, upies arge proportion of her body. Her entire chest cavity is the Ark Reactor, and the way it is integrated is obviously not very scientific.


    Schiller didn''t expect that the embryo of Destruction Day would actually fuse with the Ark Reactor on the shell. The process he exined to Stark also has some reasonableness because Schiller suspected that it was the lightning that brought the Ark Reactor from the outside into the eggshell.


    And Destruction Day, which is in the process of hatching, probably doesn''t know how to deal with this foreign object, so it integrated it into its own body. This also fits the characteristic of Destruction Day''s infinite evolution.


    Stark frowned deeply and said, "Regardless, this way of integration is not very feasible. Even if it is feasible, it''s best to give her a newer version. Otherwise, when this technology bes obsolete, I won''t have the parts to maintain it."


    "So, are you agreeing to adopt her?"


    "Uh..." Stark was taken aback. His expression changed several times, and aplex expression appeared on his face. He reached out and pinched his brow, saying, "No, I''m not prepared at all. I know I will have a daughter in the future, but not now. It''s too early for me, I just..."


    "But now, only you can adopt her. She inherited the Ark Reactor in your chest, as you said, she may need improvements and maintenance, which cannot bepleted in just one or two times..."


    "If you''re sure you can''t do it, I''ll go find Lady Loki and ask her to take this child back to Asgard."


    "No." Stark instinctively refused, and after refusing, he himself was stunned for a moment, then he instinctively expressed his thoughts:


    "Asgard is not a good ce at all. The education there is a mess, Thor is reckless, Lady Lokicks love, Odin is still that kind of authoritarian father, and Queen Frigga is probably an indulgent mother. No, it''s not possible..."


    Then, he took a deep breath and said, "Okay, this is the mess I caused, I''ll clean it up myself."


    He fell silent for a while, murmuring to himself in a low voice, "Stark... of course, you can. You won''t be a rotten person like him. You will do better than him. You will definitely teach and raise more outstanding children..."


    "In fact, you don''t have to feel too much pressure. This child''s talent may be even better than you imagine." Schiller lifted her up again and gently shook her up and down. The little girl seemed very happy. She raised her hands high and shouted.


    Then, Stark saw that her eyes and hands were emitting a brilliant light¡ª


    That was the radiance of magic.


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 Chapter 562: Every Plan of Marvel Schiller Leads to... (Part)

    Chapter 562: Every n of Marvel Schiller Leads to... (Part)


    Once the Iron Sorcerer, Stark, understood that the radiance in the little girl''s hands could be called magic, or divine power, or in reality, the essence of Space.


    What the Mages of Karma Taj referred to as magic was, in fact, the power of Cosmic Gods, and the power of Cosmic Gods was, in fact, the utilization of Space''s primordial energy.


    The divine power possessed by the gods of Asgard was also another utilization of Space''s primordial energy. The reason this race was superior was that they were born with the ability to harness the most primordial energy of Space.


    The energy sources that humans could use were, in fact, the most basic manifestation of Space''s primordial energy, and humans even needed tools to harness them.


    The key to utilizing Space''s primordial energy did not lie in the physical body; the physical body only determined how much energy could be stored, just like The Ancient One during her time as the Sorcerer Supreme. The more powerful her physical body, the more energy she could store.


    The key to using Space''s primordial energyy in the Soul. One had to possess a special type of Soul to touch the most primordial energy.


    The Soul born from the new life of the first Thunderbolt in Space, just like every Asgardian, was born with the ability to touch the primordial energy, or in other words, she was actually a descendant of the Gods.


    Although her appearance resembled Lady Loki, it might be because she hatched when she first saw Lady Loki in the sky. From a fundamental perspective, she should be considered an Asgardian because Thor''s divine power ignited her soul me, and Thor was a pure Asgardian.


    After listening to Schiller''s exnation, Stark widened his eyes and looked at her. "So, she''s still an Asgardian and can use the Ark Reactor?"Before Schiller could respond, Stark spoke rapidly, "In other words, she naturally possesses divine power, but at the same time, she can use the Ark Reactor''s energy. How are these two powerspatible? How does she use each of these energies differently?"


    "Can divine power nourish the Ark Reactor, or is the energy produced by the Ark Reactor already reaching the level of divine power?"


    "Are these energies of the same origin, or is there a hierarchy due to their different natures?"


    Stark''s research spirit burned intensely, and his eyes gleamed as he looked at the little girl.


    Suddenly, he walked over, picked up the little girl, extended his arms, and raised her high.


    The girl had light on her back, while Stark faced the sunlight. Light shimmered between them, and Schiller watched silently, much like a scene from "The Lion King."


    "With the power of human science and technology, the divine power of Asgardians, and my wisdom, she will be the brightest light of humanity!"


    "I will name her Helen... Helen Stark!"


    As Stark uttered these words, his eyes also sparkled with a certain radiance. His brown eyes were like the coastline at dusk. Schiller knew that Helen meant torch and light in both Latin and Greek.


    "So, you''ve decided to adopt her?" Schiller asked again.


    This time, Stark''s attitude was different from before. He ced Helen on the desktop but did not put his hands down; he continued to support her.


    He pursed his lips, as if contemting something. He said, "Education is essential for a child. If the alternative isn''t Asgard, I might be more willing to entrust the child to the other party."


    "But if the only alternative is Asgard, then it should be me." Stark turned his head, sighed, and continued, "If her talents are so powerful, but she hasn''t received a good education, or if Asgard''s education turns her into a madwoman focused only on war and destruction, it will ultimately harm Earth."


    Stark turned his head back and locked eyes with Helen, saying, "I haven''t been a father before, but at least I know one basic rule: you can''t be biased when ites to children. And this is something Asgard as a whole doesn''t understand."


    "They might not necessarily not understand, but rather, they might not care," Schiller reached out and touched Helen''s hair, saying, "Asgard''s current predicament is closely rted to their education."


    "And..." Stark hesitated for a moment, then said, "The Ragnarok is bound toe, and when that happens, no one knows what will be of Asgard''s future. I can''t knowingly push a child onto a path of death."


    Taking a deep breath, Stark bent down and put his hand on Helen''s shoulder. Helen, in contrast to Aisha, was much quieter, perhaps because she was younger and had less energy. While standing on the table, she showed no intention of running away. If it were Aisha, she would have already reached Manhattan in two seconds if not captured.


    He looked Helen in the eyes and said, "Alright, little one, it''s your first time in this world, and it''s my first time being a father. Let''s work together."


    Helen blinked and grinned, showing her sharp teeth, which sent a shiver down Stark''s spine. He pointed at her teeth and said, "...Leaving aside everything else, she''ll have to go to school eventually. What about those sharp teeth?"


    "They''re natural. She''s too young for correction. Go to S.H.I.E.L.D. and find a trustworthy orthodontist to get a diagnosis of dental irregrities." Schiller sat back in her seat, not looking up from writing the medical record, and said, "Nick will arrange a lifelong correction n for her and gleefully include it in the reimbursement project."


    "But, as a billionaire like you, you probably don''t care about those kickbacks, so I''ll keep them for you. Remember to call me during the baptism."


    "Well... what about her eyes?"


    "Heterochromia iridum... S.H.I.E.L.D... a morally certified ophthalmologist... Nick... lifelong treatment n... reimbursement project... kickbacks... baptism..."


    "All these physical quirks... alright, you don''t need to say anymore. A morally certified orthopedic surgeon will call you during the baptism."


    Finally, Stark took Helen away. For some reason, he always felt a sense of secrecy on his way back to Stark Tower''sboratory, as if he were transporting contraband.


    It wasn''t until he entered his most familiarboratory, closed the door, that Stark let out a sigh of relief...


    Suddenly, the lights in theboratory came on, and JARVIS''s weing tone sounded as usual: "Wee back, sir. Your 32 pending projects are ready. The progress for each is... Huh??? "


    Stark swore that it was the first time he had heard such a human-like "Huh???" in JARVIS''s tone.


    Suddenly, there was a noise from the adjacentboratory, and quickly, JARVIS, who had entered the body of the super robot, walked in from outside.


    Stark also saw, for the first time, such an obvious look of shock on a robot''s face. But then, he heard JARVIS say, "Sir, have you sorted out the legal issues?"


    "Well, this is not exactly..."


    "You don''t need to exin to me," JARVIS beeped twice and continued, "Uploading action n... Uploadplete. All monitoring equipment on the way has been hacked into. I can erase all the images you left behind on the road when you came here, to prevent rumors and criticism about the youngdy''s background."


    "High-risk newspapers, news media, and ounts of well-knownmentators have been hacked into, and can be used for public opinion control at any time to prevent the spread of rumors that may be unfavorable to you and the youngdy''s reputation..."


    "Sir, what is the youngdy''s name? How should I address her? I need to record this. Also, should I address Lady Loki as ''madam'' when she visits next time?"


    "No, listen to me, the situation is like this..."


    Stark spent half a day exining to JARVIS, convincing him that this was not a child born between him and Lady Loki but rather a child born between him and Lady Loki.


    [TL: What''s the difference?]


    JARVIS squatted down, staring at Helen''s face. He tilted his head slightly, and the eyes on the robot''s face shed twice. Then he said, "The youngdy''s teeth?... An appointment with an orthodontist has been made, and if you need it, they wille for a diagnosis and treatment in an hour."


    "Threerge donation records can be used for priority treatment at Presbyterian Hospital. Currently, there are three advanced hospital rooms avable in the ophthalmology department and twelve in the orthopedics department. The appointment information is pending transmission..."


    "Wait!" Stark reached out his hand and said, "Don''t make an appointment at Presbyterian Hospital; contact S.H.I.E.L.D. instead. This child has a greedy Godfather."


    While Stark and JARVIS were crouched in front of Helen, examining the various peculiarities of her body, Thor was angrily rushing from Sanctum Sanctorum, wielding a long spear, heading for Stark Tower.


    Originally, after hearing Schiller''s words, he went straight to Sanctum Sanctorum, intending to confront Strange. Strange was unlikely to defeat Thor, after all, he had only been learning magic for a short time.


    But unfortunately, every Sorcerer Supreme had cheat items. After Strange shouted "Thor, let me exin!" more than 500 times, Thor finally listened to him.


    Strange hadn''t really nned to exin anything. He and Lady Loki weren''t close, he acknowledged that Lady Loki, as a woman, was beautiful, but she wasn''t his type. Lately, he had been having some thoughts about reconciling with his ex-girlfriend and was lost in the nostalgia of old mes. When he heard that Lady Loki was in love, he pointed Thor in the right direction.


    As soon as he heard that Tony Stark imed to be the soulmate and close friend of his sister, Thor was about to gnash his teeth.


    Originally, he thought that if it was the work of the Sorcerer Supreme, after beating up Strange, if he couldn''t persuade Lady Loki, they could reluctantly be a pair. Although Strange had not been learning magic for long and was not very powerful, he was quite intelligent, reasonable, and had great potential. He could barely match Lady Loki.


    But Stark was stronger than Strange, and even smarter. The problem was, after spending so long on Earth, didn''t Thor know how bad Tony Stark''s reputation in this regard was?


    If this rotten man dared to deceive his sister... Just thinking about it, Thor was about to explode. If Lady Loki had really set her sights on Stark, the only method Thor could think of to deal with it was to press her and make her return to being a male God. But in case Stark was also not gender-specific...


    Thor''s head was really buzzing.


    Thor didn''te this time to experience life, so he flew directly. It only took him a few seconds to arrive outside Stark Tower.


    Just as he arrived outside the ss curtain wall and was about to knock on the door, Thor saw Stark cing a little girl on ab table, with a robot operating equipment nearby.


    Just as the equipment was adjusted and Stark ced the little girl on it, the girl happened to turn her face towards Thor.


    Thor saw that the little girl in Stark''s arms resembled Lady Loki at least eighty percent.


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 Chapter 563: Every Plan of Marvel Schiller Ends Up... (Continued)

    Chapter 563: Every n of Marvel Schiller Ends Up... (Continued)


    Thor and Strange''s battle at the Sanctum Sanctorum also caused some damage. Strange''s control over the Time Stone was not yet perfected, and some of the damage could not bepletely restored. As a result, arge portion of the Sanctum Sanctorum has copsed, and the staff temporarily withdrew to Kamar-Taj for office work.


    At this moment, Schiller stood next to the ruins, holding a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. notebook and directing agents to search through the building debris.


    Suddenly, one of the agents eximed, "We found arge pot! Dr. Schiller,e take a look. What is this?"


    Schiller walked over and saw arge cauldron lying on the ground, the kind witches use for brewing potions. Schiller spected that it might be some sort of magical artifact, but the bottom of the cauldron had a massive crack, rendering it unusable. So, as Schiller wrote in his notebook, he said, "Legendary Fire Enchantment Cooker, ancestor of magic crucibles, reporting damage to arge device..."


    Schiller nced at the copsed Sanctum Sanctorum buildings and estimated the volume of the pot, saying, "...200 units."


    "Oh, is this a nket?" Another agent''s voice came, and Schiller''s eyes lit up for a moment. However, he soon heard the agent say, "Oh, never mind, I misread it. It''s just a down jacket. Dr. Schiller, we lost a down jacket..."


    Natasha, who was nearby, quickly walked over, inspected it, and said, "It''s not a designer brand, so it shouldn''t be worth much."


    "Don''t touch it!" Schiller shouted, walking up and saying, "What down jacket?! Someone, break it open. Every feather inside is the ''Legendary Enchantment Book Writer''s Ancestor Feather Pen.'' How many feathers are in here?... Well, it doesn''t look too thick, maybe 30,000 feathers."


    Standing beside him, Natasha pped her forehead in disbelief, clearly still amazed by Schiller''s understanding of macroeconomics.Just as Schiller was on duty and Nick came over to inquire about the losses at the Sanctum Sanctorum, suddenly, he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble. Schiller immediately looked in the direction of Stark Tower.


    Sure enough, a pir of light shot up into the sky, and Thor''s roar echoed throughout the nearby dimensions of Earth.


    "Tony Stark!


    !"


    Immediately, dark clouds gathered in the sky above Earth, and countless thunderbolts surged within the clouds, creating a doomsday scene that attracted the citizens of New York. Soon after, arger-than-life shadow of a demon god descended upon Earth. It was Iron Sorcerer Tony Stark, and he said, "Thor, let me exin!


    !"


    But Thor showed no intention of listening to his exnation. A thunderbolt struck down from the sky, transforming into Thor''s weapons, and he held Thunderbolt with Fire swirling around him.


    On one side was the enormous shadow of Iron Sorcerer, surrounded by countless mechanical parts, forming a city of machinery almost around him. On the other side was the towering and boundless New God of Light, with Thunderbolt singing for him and Fire dancing around him. Their divine power was exceptionally radiant.


    These two demon gods, both at the pinnacle of individual space, had already transcended the dimension of Earth the moment they appeared. As they collided, even the dimension shattered...


    Upon seeing Helen''s face, Thor instantly conjured an entire story in his mind, although there wasn''t much to imagine. The children were already here, so what else could it be?


    But understanding this story did not mean Thor could ept it. In his view, Lady Loki was not the type to be so casual. She was proud, discerning, and, more importantly, possessed the rare Asgardian reserve and purity of spirit. Yet now, she had somehow given birth to Stark''s child!


    And even more importantly, when Thor saw Helen, Stark was cing her on a device. It was, in fact, a medical examination device that Stark had used for his own check-ups in the past.


    However, Stark''s perpetual mechanical aesthetics made the machine appear as if it could devour children, evoking associations with horrifying science and technology experiments. Moreover, there was a terrifying-looking robot standing nearby, and the two of them were working together to ce the little girl inside the machine.


    Now, Thor understood why Lady Loki was so irritable. It must be this damned Stark who had taken her child, possibly even intending to conduct experiments on the child.


    If it were just a matter of emotional entanglements, Thor might be angry, but not to this extent. After all, he had a good rtionship with Lady Loki, but it wasn''t to the extent of having brotherly or sisterly feelings. He was simply concerned that his loved ones might be deceived. If Lady Loki acted stubbornly, Thor would have to reluctantly ept it.


    However, if Stark not only deceived Lady Loki but also had the idea of stealing godly bloodline for experimentation from the very beginning, Thor could never ept it, no matter what.


    Never mind the fact that Stark''s abilities and technology didn''t require such actions. In fact, Asgard had faced many such situations, and the entire cosmos knew about Asgard''s unique physiology. Furthermore, Asgardians had no reproductive istion from most other races. Countless advanced civilizations had desired Asgardian genes for the purpose of creating super soldiers.


    This was something Asgardians despised the most because it had led to several tragic events in their history. If Odin hadn''t used ruthless methods to wipe out those civilizations and instill fear in others, innocent Asgardians might still be deceived emotionally and physically.


    Simrly, this was one of Thor''s absolute taboos, and what''s more, it was his own sister who had been harmed.


    Thor was unprecedentedly furious, and he felt that he had never been so angry in his life. Therefore, he didn''t hesitate to use all his power, with the sole purpose of eliminating the deceitful Stark.


    When two demon gods at the pinnacle of individual spaces shed, it was a catastrophe for any realm, and the situation was far from over.


    Thor and Stark engaged in a fierce battle, crossing countless dimensions, their powers entwining in the vast expanse of space.


    Meanwhile, Sif, who had finally sorted out her thoughts, was in a dark dimension not far from Asgard. She had found an asteroid belt and intended to practice her swordsmanship.


    Dimensional training, in fact, involved finding an open space to release one''s power and continuously challenge the limits of their body''s stored divine power. This was the way Asgardians improved their strength.


    Just as Sif swung her sword, the dimension in front of her suddenly shattered. Sif widened her eyes, looking at her own hand, thinking she had suddenly achieved enlightenment. However, the shattered dimension fragments continued to multiply. Sif was momentarily stunned and missed the optimal moment to escape. She was thrown out by the violent Havok.


    This blow was not light at all, and Phantom, the symbiote still inside Sif''s body, let out a scream. Without even knowing what had happened, it quickly began repairing Sif''s body.


    Asgardians'' bodies were not easy to repair. The injuries inflicted by the Destroyer had not fully healed, and now she was wounded even more severely.


    At the same time, Frigga, who was currently in the Celestial Pce, suddenly furrowed her brow. She had left a mark on Sif just in case, as she was concerned that Sif might not take things well despite her apparent eptance after their conversation. So, she had ced a magical tracking mark on her.


    But now, that mark had shattered, indicating that Sif was indeed in danger. Frigga quickly pinpointed her location, opened a portal, and saw Sif lying amidst the shattered dimension fragments.


    Frigga was furious in a moment as she sensed Thor''s presence in the vicinity.


    In her view, it was possible that Sif was still upset and had sought out Thor, resulting in a conflict where Thor injured Sif.


    This wasn''t the first time Thor had done something like this. In the past, during sparring sessions, Thor''sck of restraint had led to injuries to others. Frigga had hoped that Thor had grown past such recklessness, but she hadn''t expected him toy such heavy hands on Sif, someone he had grown up with.


    Initially, due to Odin''s change of heart, Frigga already felt guilty when facing Sif. After all, almost all of Asgard knew that Sif was to be the future Queen. If she didn''t end up marrying Thor, it would be difficult for her to manage the marriage and face criticism from all of Asgard.


    Just when Frigga was feeling guilty, Thor dared to do such a thing, making Frigga extremely angry.


    She retrieved her staff, which she hadn''t used in a long time, and was surrounded by a radiant magical aura. Following Thor''s presence, she chased after him.


    At the same time, Mephisto, who usually lingered near Earth''s dimensions with nothing better to do, was passing by Earth''s dimension for the two hundredth time today.


    Just as he was engrossed in calcting his recent gains, suddenly, a massive figure darted past him, giving Mephisto a strong shove.


    After spinning in ce twice, Mephisto shook his head and turned to look at the departing figure, saying with some confusion, "Isn''t that the one who ascended before... what''s his name? Iron Man? Why is he in such a hurry? Where is he going?"


    Before he could finish his sentence, another enormous shadow raced past him from the opposite direction, giving Mephisto another forceful shove. After spinning in the opposite direction twice, Mephisto stamped his goat hooves in frustration, ced his hands on his hips, and said, "Thor, the new king of Asgard? What are they up to? Racing, perhaps?"


    "This scene feels a bit familiar," Mephisto rubbed his chin and said, "Last time, wasn''t it me and The Ancient One? Wait a minute, what time is it on Earth now? Let me check... winter, November, isn''t it almost... Christmas? Oh, I get it!"


    Mephisto suddenly realized and immediately took out his phone, dialing a few numbers. He said, "Hello? Dormammu? Have you seen those two racing in the middle of space? Come quickly! The Sanctum Sanctorum''s Christmas gift has arrived!... What? Are you full? What nonsense are you talking about? Can the dark dimension even get full?"


    After hanging up the phone, Mephisto wore a look of frustration. Dormammu, who imed to be perpetually hungry, said he had eaten too muchst time and needed time to digest, so he wouldn''t participate this time.


    With a sigh, shaking his head, Mephisto continued to make calls to various major demon gods, but the conclusions he received were all the same. The Member Gifts were just too many, and they couldn''t eat anymore.


    From a human perspective, an average of three Member Gifts per year was manageable, and it was considered a conscientious but not excessive operator. However, from the perspective of demon gods, it was like having three extravagant meals in one second, which would leave anyone bloated.


    As mentioned before, the way demon gods absorbed each other''s energy came in various forms. If they encountered someone with simr attributes, it was like eating cake. But if they faced someone with opposite attributes or mutually inhibiting attributes, they could still eat, but it would be like biting into a stone.


    With Member Gifts being distributed so frequently, they couldn''t even determine whether they were receiving cake or stones. Many individuals would end up with upset stomachs when they returned home and had to squat down on the toilet. Even for demon gods with strong digestion, it would still take some time to sort out the conflicting energies.


    If these conflicting energies were allowed to rampage in the dimensions, it wouldn''t help them enhance their power. Instead, it could potentially create unnecessary vulnerabilities. Those who had reached the status of major demon gods had a long-term perspective and preferred to hold onto their existing power and nurture it rather than overindulge and risk overextending themselves.


    And so, Mephisto made dozens of phone calls but couldn''t find a single person to shake the gifts with. However, at that moment, he heard a broadcast from space:


    "This is The Sanctum Sanctorum of the Nine Kingdoms. Dear members, we would like to introduce our new deposit service to you..."


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 Chapter 564: Schillers Strongest Skill (1)

    Chapter 564: Schiller''s Strongest Skill (1)


    "Thor! Calm down! Let me exin! Things are not as you think!" Stark''s shouts echoed in Deep Space, but Thor paid no heed to his exnations.


    He continued to unleash Thunderbolt attacks. From Thor''s attacking style, it was evident that he had lost his temper.


    Although Thor''s frontal assault tactics had been criticized by many for not resembling that of an heir and a king, it was undeniable that his strength was remarkable. He possessed excellent tactical instincts, which allowed him to charge into battle without losing his life.


    However, at this moment, this master of closebat had been reduced to mindlessly throwing punches.


    Normally, the power of the God of Light formed by ThunderboltFire had many ways to be used, and to some extent, it even restrained Stark''s mechanical fleet since Thunderbolt was highly conductive between machines.


    In fact, the best tactic would be to use divine power to cage Stark''s movement while gradually depleting the mechanicalponents around him because Thor knew that Stark couldn''t hold out for long.


    For Stark, the solo peak of Space was an awkward position. Above this level, he could merge all energies into one, no longer bound by any energy sources, bing a part of Space''s essence itself, eliminating the need for external energy.


    Below this level, he would have to forcefully raise his magical energy to maintain his formidable power. However, Stark''s magical energy was clearly insufficient, so engaging Thor in a battle of attrition was the best option.


    But now, Thor had lost his mind and was not attacking the mechanicalponents around Stark. Instead, he was unleashing powerful lightning strikes one after another towards Stark''s head, as if he wouldn''t stop until he killed him."Warning, insufficient energy! Warning, insufficient energy! Sir, the current energy in the magic core can only sustain for another minute and a half. I rmend sending a distress signal immediately!"


    "No, we can''t call for help!" Stark refused immediately, gritting his teeth. "If we bring them all here, won''t they make fun of me? Thor will definitely spread rumors about me and Lady Loki. We''re not..."


    "Warning! Core energy output continues to decrease. Unnecessary defense measures have been removed. Attack frequency decreasing, continuing to decrease..."


    "Remove all attack reserves!" Stark made an unwilling decision. He said, "Channel all the energy into defense. Otherwise, we won''t withstand his Thunderbolt."


    The dense Thunderbolts continued to rain down, but as Thor regained hisposure with the diminishing divine power, Stark''s situation became even worse. As Thor regained his senses, his tactics became more cunning.


    Instead of evenly attacking the entire shield, he kept targeting one point, putting more strain on Stark, who was already low on energy. Suddenly, Stark heard JARVIS say, "Unidentified energy source detected, magic energy is abundant, absorbing... energy replenished to 60%, shield strength greatly increased."


    "Energy? Where did the energye from?" Stark asked, puzzled. JARVIS continued to respond, "Environmental scan in progress... detected an opening portal... 3, 2, 1..."


    "Tony, catch!" A portal opened, and Strange flew out of it, tossing a Crystal ball glowing with magic to Stark. Stark instinctively caught it and asked, "How did you get here? And when did you start delivering takeout as a side gig?"


    "Don''t ask too many questions. Schiller sent me. Absorb the energy quickly; Thor won''t go easy on you."


    "Okay!" Stark suddenly said to Strange, "You need to exin things to him. It''s not what Thor thinks at all! The child isn''t mine and Lady Loki''s, well, in a way it is, but not the way he thinks..."


    "What? Lady Loki? Child? Are you saying you and Lady Loki have a child?!" Strange asked loudly. Before Stark could exin, another lightning strike crackled down.


    Thor, who had just regained some rity, was provoked once again by these words, resuming his attack on Stark. Stark hadn''t finished adjusting to the newly absorbed energy, so he had to evade Thor''s attacks for the time being. Thus, the chase continued in the vast expanse of space.


    Stark felt somewhat in the wrong, after all, he had stood Lady Loki up, and even though the child was probably the result of some outrageous n by Schiller, he had decided to adopt Helen, so it wouldn''t be right to really fight Thor.


    So, as he ran, he continued to engage in battle, avoiding confrontation whenever possible. He intended to use the magic energy from Strange''s attacks to wear Thor down until he was too exhausted to resist Stark''s exnations.


    However, as he fled, other things in Space suffered. Be it celestial bodies or demon gods, if they encountered this pair of Space brawlers, they were in for a world of hurt. Some received minor damage, while others were obliterated in an instant.


    Unlike the previous Member Gifts incident, this time, it wasn''t the Cosmic Gods from the Abyss giant mouth who followed them; instead, it was the peculiarbination of The Ancient One, Strange, and Mephisto, carrying sacks behind them.


    Initially, Sanctum Sanctorum hadn''t nned on involving Mephisto in this business since it was an internal affair. However, due to the unfortunate timing of Thor and Stark''s fight, Mephisto got a piece of the action.


    Mephisto was helping Sanctum Sanctorum collect these deposits, and in return, they were offering him favorable interest rates along with some financial products. Mephisto didn''t really care about the interest; the key was that he could fleece Sanctum Sanctorum and gain a sense of aplishment in doing so.


    When Sanctum Sanctorum''s broadcast spread to every member customer, they couldn''t believe it. They could save their Member Gifts? Not only that, but it was free and came with interest? Of course, they had to save! Even though they couldn''t consume the stored energy right away, there woulde a day when they needed it.


    Who wouldin about having extra reserves? Sanctum Sanctorum''s method of distributing Member Gifts was to collect the corpses of demon gods affected by Stark and Thor, distribute them based on the proportion they had each consumedst time, deposit them into personal ounts, and then start calcting the interest.


    Initially, this business seemed entirely beneficial without any drawbacks. They wouldn''t miss out on Member Gifts, and they''d get free interest. Some clever demon gods were even considering storing some of their remaining unconsumed energy with Sanctum Sanctorum. Especially after hearing that the more they deposited, the better the interest rate, many demon gods had ns in that direction.


    At the moment, Sanctum Sanctorum''s credit was still good, and these resources were essentially free money falling from the sky. Even if they were to disappear, they wouldn''t lose much, but they had grown significantly stronger from the energy they had already absorbed.


    So, many demon gods were willing to put aside a small portion of their energy for experimentation. If Sanctum Sanctorum''s ims of increasing interest rates were true, it would mean more energy for them in the future.


    Perhaps those who understand the banking industry should know that fundamentally, the reason why banks are willing to provide interest on customer deposits is because pooling these funds can have a greater impact.


    Whether to encourage savings or borrowing depends on market conditions. If they want to stimte consumption, they offer more favorable terms for borrowing. If they want to attract more deposits, they offer better conditions for savings.


    The rtionship between banks and the market is inseparable, and if Sanctum Sanctorum could truly be the most reputable bank with the most customers in Space, it could have a significant influence on the Space market.


    At the same time, human civilization, which had absorbed vast amounts of savings, could use these funds for its development, which was Schiller''s ultimate goal.


    First, they used the destruction day, Stark, Lady Loki, and the Thunderbolt on the hammer to create a child. The fact that the Ark Reactor appeared on Helen was indeed beyond Schiller''s expectations. But even if the Ark Reactor hadn''t appeared on Helen, Schiller had a way to make Thor or other members of the Asgardian pantheon believe there was something between Stark and Lady Loki.


    This wasn''t too difficult because these two were alreadymunicating quite frequently, making it easy to spread gossip. As for the child, Schiller was confident he could persuade Stark to adopt. In this way, a fight between Thor and Stark was inevitable. Seeing that this round of Member Gifts collection was almostplete, Schiller directly ordered Strange to intervene and bring Helen over. Even if Thor was still angry, he wouldn''t be able to harm the child.


    Of course, Helen''s hatching also had a share of Schiller''s influence. Schiller would never take such a young child directly to face the two peak-level demon gods in Space. Therefore, Schiller first transformed into Grey Mist and took Helen to the high skies of Earth.


    Helen showed no fear; even when the oxygen levels were lower at higher altitudes, Schiller had started to control Grey Mist to supply her with oxygen. In response, Helen immediately evolved the ability to survive in low-oxygen environments. Furthermore, once in space, Helen didn''t need to breathe at all.


    Simr to the original Destruction Day, she could absorb the energy from the Sun without fear of its radiation or heat. With this ability, Schiller felt a bit more at ease. He removed the restrictions on Grey Mist. At first, Helen was somewhat bewildered as she floated in space, but soon she gained control over her body.


    Shortly after, she hovered in ce for a moment and suddenly began flying through space. The radiance of divine power covered her, indicating that Helen had evolved the ability to use divine power as a propulsion force, allowing her to roam freely in Space.


    Seeing this, Schiller knew there was no need for any adaptation training. He nned to throw Helen into Thor and Stark''s battlefield and let her deal with them after a few minutes, as she was likely to exhaust both of their energy sources.


    Seeing this situation, Schiller picked up Helen and called Strange. After a while, a portal opened above him, and Schiller flew into it, arriving not far from the battlefield between Stark and Thor. At this point, their battle had reached its final stages, with both of them running low on energy.


    However, Stark had received a resupply from Strange, so he now had more energy than Thor. Thor, who had previously mindlessly attacked, had depleted most of his divine power, and now his blue bar was nearly empty. However, this wasn''t critical for Thor, as he was a berserker at heart, and running out of divine power didn''t matter much to him. He could still rely on his physical strength and fists.


    Stark, on the other hand, hadn''t lost hisposure and didn''t n to engage in closebat with Thor. So, he continued to evade and used energy beams from his palms to hinder Thor''s movements, intending to wait until Thorpletely ran out of energy before exining things to him.


    Helen, held by Strange, tilted her head and watched the battlefield intently. Meanwhile, Strange was chatting with Schiller and didn''t notice the unusually contemtive expression on the little one''s face.


    "We''ve collected more this timepared to the previous round, but the quality isn''t as good. After going through so many crises, anyone with a bit of sense knows to stay away. It seems like future business will be tough," sighed Strange.


    "No need to worry. A reduction in the number of demon gods is a good thing for Space as a whole and especially for humanity. From any perspective, we''re not at a loss. At worst, the business expansion might be hindered," Schiller reassured.


    "That sounds easy, but I have a feeling... Ah! Helen! Helen! Come back!!!" Suddenly, Strange yelled because Helen had jumped out of his arms. He quickly summoned his Cloak and attempted to chase after her.


    However, the little one was incredibly fast, and to Strange''s surprise, she wasn''t running but teleporting. Her divine power emitted a bright sh, and Helen appeared right in the center of the battlefield. Stark, seeing her there, shouted, "Helen? What are you... get away from there!"


    Suddenly, Stark froze. He saw a small figure in the dark expanse of Space, striking the ssic Iron Man pose¡ªthe Ark Reactor suddenly lit up, and she extended her hand, releasing a burst of energy beams from her palm, radiating an incredibly brilliant light.


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 Chapter 565: Schillers Best Skill (2)

    Chapter 565: Schiller''s Best Skill (2)


    Just as Helen''s energy beam was about to hit Thor, suddenly, a faintly glowing magic barrier appeared in front of Thor, and Frigga''s figure descended slowly from mid-air.


    Because little Helen appeared very inconspicuous under that beam of light, in the vast expanse of space, any small celestial fragment wasrger than Helen. If you didn''t look carefully, you might mistake her for a speck of dust in space.


    So, from Frigga''s perspective, it was actually Stark who had fired that beam, even though Frigga was angry about Sif''s injury, she would instinctively protect her own children. After blocking the attack on Thor, shended by his side.


    As the light dissipated slowly, a small figure floated in the air. The moment Frigga saw her face, she froze.


    "Lady Loki? How... How did you... shrink?" Frigga''s first reaction was to rush up and then hugged Helen. It wasn''t until she got closer that Frigga realized that this girl didn''t seem to be Lady Loki.


    No one understands their children better than a mother, and Asgardians can sense each other''s divine power. Frigga had been spending a lot of time with Lady Loki recently, and she was very familiar with Lady Loki''s aura. The girl in her arms looked a lot like Lady Loki but wasn''t her.


    Frigga gently released Helen, lifting her under her armpits, and raised her. She then noticed the Ark Reactor on Helen''s chest still emitting a faint light, obviously having just discharged energy and was in the process of recharging.


    Suddenly, a figure flew over to the opposite side of Frigga and took Helen from her hands. Stark supported Helen''s back and used his gauntlet to press against the Ark Reactor on her chest.


    A few small robots flew over and connected their mechanical parts. Stark was repairing the old version of the Ark Reactor on Helen''s chest, which had malfunctioned due to excessive output.By this time, Thor, who had exhausted his divine power, had flown over. Before he could start scolding, Stark exined, "First of all, this is not a child of mine and Lady Loki."


    "How is that possible! She looks exactly like Lady Loki!" Thor shouted.


    "She is Lady Loki''s child, but not mine and Lady Loki''s!" Stark exined again.


    "Then howe she has your Ark Reactor on her chest?" Thor demanded.


    "Humans are carbon-based life forms, and the Ark Reactor is my creation. She can''t inherit..."


    "So, you''re experimenting with Lady Loki''s children!"


    "Wait a moment," Frigga suddenly spoke up, she was much calmer than Thor, or rather, when she noticed Helen''s appearance, she thought this might be Stark and Lady Loki''s child, but she wasn''t as angry as Thor.


    Part of it was because Frigga had spent more time with Lady Loki and knew her better. Frigga knew that if Lady Loki didn''t want something, no one could force her. And considering Lady Loki''s current level, it would be hard for anyone to deceive her.


    If this was indeed Stark and Lady Loki''s child, it meant that Lady Loki had to be willing, whether it was for emotional reasons or other interests. ...


    Frigga and Thor had different perspectives, so they came to different conclusions. Since Lady Loki was willing, it would actually be more satisfying for Frigga.


    What no one knew was that Frigga didn''t actually approve of Odin''s idea of matchmaking Thor and Lady Loki.


    First of all, Thor definitely still saw Lady Loki as a sister, and in his previous life as an older brother, Lady Loki was even a younger brother. They had not developed any feelings beyond sibling love. If Thor were to marry Lady Loki directly, he would definitely feel ufortable.


    In any case, Thor was now the king of Asgard, and Odin''s time had passed. There was no need for friction between the new king and the old king over this matter.


    Secondly, Asgardians had a deep-seated prejudice against Lady Loki. They would not ept Lady Loki as their queen, and if it were forced, even if Lady Loki had the ability, it would be very difficult at the beginning.


    Frigga knew that Odin had other lovers; it wasmon in Asgard. However, Asgardians adhered to monogamy when it came to their queens. They would only acknowledge one queen. There had never been a case where an Asgardian king had two queens. Therefore, Asgardians had very high standards for their queens. She had to be strong, beautiful, gentle, and virtuous, adhering to the traditional goddess image of Asgard in both word and deed.


    But clearly, Lady Loki was not that kind of person. Her ambitions were too great, and Asgard could not ept a queen who would meddle in politics, even if it only asionally.


    Odin''s political considerations in matchmaking the two were valid, but in reality, it would make both parties ufortable.


    Furthermore, if Thor were to abandon Sif like this, he would undoubtedly receive criticism. First, he had eliminated the hardliners, and now he was abandoning Sif, who had previously relied on the hardliners. This would easily make the people of Asgard see him as heartless and ungrateful, and they would be uneasy.


    In short, Frigga had been worried about how to resolve this situation. She had advised Odin, but Odin still believed that he should consider the bigger picture and even asked her to persuade the two children.


    However, after being a queen for so long, Frigga wasn''t naive. Whether Odin was willing or not was one thing, and whether it could actually happen was another. Frigga didn''t say it outright, but she had ways to ensure that this marriage wouldn''t take ce.


    And now, the opportunity hade. Frigga even felt that it was Lady Loki who had sensed Odin''s intentions and therefore maintained an ambiguous rtionship with Stark. With a potential demon god like Stark in the middle, it would be difficult for Odin to forcefully separate them.


    With this in mind, Frigga felt that she had to give her daughter a beautiful assist, so she stopped the impulsive Thor and said, "I don''t care how you two had this child, I just want to ask, you are her father, and Lady Loki is her mother, right?"


    "This..." Stark hesitated for a moment and then briefly introduced how this child came to be to Frigga. Frigga listened with a furrowed brow and said, "So you mean this child is not only yours and Lady Loki''s child but also Thor''s child?"...


    "My child? What rtionship do I have with this?" Thor still couldn''t grasp it.


    "If what he says is true, then it was your divine power that ignited this child''s soul me, which means you can also be considered her father."


    Thor was surprised, opened his mouth wide, and gently touched Helen''s head with his big hand. He then sensed a familiar aura. Although it wasn''t his divine power, this little girl''s soul was indeed of Asgardian origin.


    Frigga looked at the two of them with a serious expression and said, "I don''t want to inquire about how this child came to be, but whether it''s Lady Loki or Thor, I should be this child''s grandmother."


    Stark acknowledged this point, after all, it was Lady Loki who wielded the hammer at the beginning, and the divine power belonged to Thor. But both of them were princes of Asgard, which meant that no matter how you looked at it, Frigga was Helen''s grandmother.


    "Now, I hope that neither of you will reveal how she was born, or..." Frigga looked into Stark''s eyes and said, "insist that she is solely your and Lady Loki''s child, with no connection to Thor."


    "Why?" Stark asked.


    Frigga nced at Thor, who was still bewildered, but didn''t directly answer the question. Instead, she said, "If Odin finds out that Thor has a child, no matter what, he will surely want to bring this child back to Asgard to be raised by us."


    "No," Stark shook his head. He looked at Frigga and said, "You should know better than I do what Asgard will face."


    "That''s why Odin sees every part that deviates from the prophecy as a lifesaving straw," Frigga emphasized, saying, "Odin is a pure Asgardian nationalist. As long as it can preserve Asgard, he will sacrifice anyone, including all Asgardians, and even himself."


    Frigga sighed and looked at Helen, saying, "The prophecy never mentioned the existence of this child. If Odin were to know she is rted to Thor, you might encounter trouble."


    "Don''t you want her to help avert Ragnarok?" Stark asked.


    Frigga closed her eyes, shook her head, and said, "Perhaps Odin regards Asgard too highly. People often lose sight of the bigger picture. The reason for Ragnarok isn''t that we''re not strong enough; it''s because we''re too powerful."


    "He has been grooming Thor, waging wars, plundering resources, strengthening Asgard, but this is pushing it towards destruction. And if he insists on bringing this child back to Asgard, he will only lead us all down the path of returning to the source of Space."


    Stark held Helen, touched his head, and said, "This child will never go back with you to Asgard. No matter what Odin thinks, even if he knows everything, if he wants toe, then I''ll be waiting."


    Frigga heard a resolute tone in Stark''s words. As a mother who had once lost a child, Frigga understood better than anyone the protective instincts of parents, the most powerful force in the world.


    After saying these words, Stark turned and left. Thor, who still hadn''t fully understood what was happening, caught up with him and said, "Wait! You haven''t exined your rtionship with Lady Loki yet!"...


    Watching the backs of the two as they left, Frigga sighed deeply. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked into the deep space, where a brilliant Thunderbolt was shing ¨C Odin.


    Frigga turned her head slightly, looking somewhat sad. Clearly, she had some grievances regarding the matter of Balder''s return to the World Tree due to excessive destruction.


    Odin approached and embraced Frigga. He said, "Let''s go back."


    "Don''t you want to bring that child back?" Frigga asked him.


    Odin shook his head and said, "I understand better than you do that any unexpected turn of events beyond the prophecy must always remain outside of it to truly bring about a change. If we insist on involving her in this quagmire, the end result will be our collective demise."


    "After Thor ascended to the throne, I had more time to think. I''ve pondered a lot."


    "Humans are a fascinating race. They hold emotions in such high regard. I used to think it was just an excuse for their weakness and escapism."


    "But they changed Thor, they changed Lady Loki. Perhaps, emotions give them more weaknesses, but at the same time, they also grant them greater strength..."


    Odin held Frigga as they walked back. He turned his head and, through the endless deep space, gazed at the azure.


    At this moment, the boundary between light and darkness had just crossed over New York, and the arc of the Sun floated on the sparkling sea. Apanied by the first call of a morning whistle, New York was waking up.


    Pepper, who had been busy all night, rubbed her temples and quickly entered the elevator, arriving at the Stark Towerb, intending to discuss the work for the next quarter with Stark.


    As she entered, she was bumped by a small figure. Pepper looked down, and the first thing she saw was the Ark Reactor on the little girl''s chest, who had also fallen to the ground.


    And the second thing she saw was that the little girl looked at least eighty percent simr to Lady Loki.


    [Read /shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]

 Chapter 566

    Chapter 566


    Just as Helen''s energy beam was about to hit Thor, suddenly, a faintly glowing magic barrier appeared in front of Thor, and Frigga''s figure descended slowly from mid-air.


    Because little Helen appeared very inconspicuous under that beam of light, in the vast expanse of space, any small celestial fragment wasrger than Helen. If you didn''t look carefully, you might mistake her for a speck of dust in space.


    So, from Frigga''s perspective, it was actually Stark who had fired that beam, even though Frigga was angry about Sif''s injury, she would instinctively protect her own children. After blocking the attack on Thor, shended by his side.


    As the light dissipated slowly, a small figure floated in the air. The moment Frigga saw her face, she froze.


    "Lady Loki? How... How did you... shrink?" Frigga''s first reaction was to rush up and then hugged Helen. It wasn''t until she got closer that Frigga realized that this girl didn''t seem to be Lady Loki.


    No one understands their children better than a mother, and Asgardians can sense each other''s divine power. Frigga had been spending a lot of time with Lady Loki recently, and she was very familiar with Lady Loki''s aura. The girl in her arms looked a lot like Lady Loki but wasn''t her.


    Frigga gently released Helen, lifting her under her armpits, and raised her. She then noticed the Ark Reactor on Helen''s chest still emitting a faint light, obviously having just discharged energy and was in the process of recharging.


    Suddenly, a figure flew over to the opposite side of Frigga and took Helen from her hands. Stark supported Helen''s back and used his gauntlet to press against the Ark Reactor on her chest.


    A few small robots flew over and connected their mechanical parts. Stark was repairing the old version of the Ark Reactor on Helen''s chest, which had malfunctioned due to excessive output.By this time, Thor, who had exhausted his divine power, had flown over. Before he could start scolding, Stark exined, "First of all, this is not a child of mine and Lady Loki."


    "How is that possible! He looks exactly like Lady Loki!" Thor shouted.


    "She is Lady Loki''s child, but not mine and Lady Loki''s!" Stark exined again.


    "Then howe she has your Ark Reactor on her chest?" Thor demanded.


    "Humans are carbon-based life forms, and the Ark Reactor is my creation. She can''t inherit..."


    "So, you''re experimenting with Lady Loki''s children!"


    "Wait a moment," Frigga suddenly spoke up, she was much calmer than Thor, or rather, when she noticed Helen''s appearance, she thought this might be Stark and Lady Loki''s child, but she wasn''t as angry as Thor.


    Part of it was because Frigga had spent more time with Lady Loki and knew her better. Frigga knew that if Lady Loki didn''t want something, no one could force her. And considering Lady Loki''s current level, it would be hard for anyone to deceive her.


    If this was indeed Stark and Lady Loki''s child, it meant that Lady Loki had to be willing, whether it was for emotional reasons or other interests. ...


    Frigga and Thor had different perspectives, so they came to different conclusions. Since Lady Loki was willing, it would actually be more satisfying for Frigga.


    What no one knew was that Frigga didn''t actually approve of Odin''s idea of matchmaking Thor and Lady Loki.


    First of all, Thor definitely still saw Lady Loki as a sister, and in his previous life as an older brother, Lady Loki was even a younger brother. They had not developed any feelings beyond sibling love. If Thor were to marry Lady Loki directly, he would definitely feel ufortable.


    In any case, Thor was now the king of Asgard, and Odin''s time had passed. There was no need for friction between the new king and the old king over this matter.


    Secondly, Asgardians had a deep-seated prejudice against Lady Loki. They would not ept Lady Loki as their queen, and if it were forced, even if Lady Loki had the ability, it would be very difficult at the beginning.


    Frigga knew that Odin had other lovers; it wasmon in Asgard. However, Asgardians adhered to monogamy when it came to their queens. They would only acknowledge one queen. There had never been a case where an Asgardian king had two queens. Therefore, Asgardians had very high standards for their queens. She had to be strong, beautiful, gentle, and virtuous, adhering to the traditional goddess image of Asgard in both word and deed.


    But clearly, Lady Loki was not that kind of person. Her ambitions were too great, and Asgard could not ept a queen who would meddle in politics, even if it only asionally.


    Odin''s political considerations in matchmaking the two were valid, but in reality, it would make both parties ufortable.


    Furthermore, if Thor were to abandon Sif like this, he would undoubtedly receive criticism. First, he had eliminated the hardliners, and now he was abandoning Sif, who had previously relied on the hardliners. This would easily make the people of Asgard see him as heartless and ungrateful, and they would be uneasy.


    In short, Frigga had been worried about how to resolve this situation. She had advised Odin, but Odin still believed that he should consider the bigger picture and even asked her to persuade the two children.


    However, after being a queen for so long, Frigga wasn''t naive. Whether Odin was willing or not was one thing, and whether it could actually happen was another. Frigga didn''t say it outright, but she had ways to ensure that this marriage wouldn''t take ce.


    And now, the opportunity hade. Frigga even felt that it was Lady Loki who had sensed Odin''s intentions and therefore maintained an ambiguous rtionship with Stark. With a potential demon god like Stark in the middle, it would be difficult for Odin to forcefully separate them.


    With this in mind, Frigga felt that she had to give her daughter a beautiful assist, so she stopped the impulsive Thor and said, "I don''t care how you two had this child, I just want to ask, you are her father, and Lady Loki is her mother, right?"


    "This..." Stark hesitated for a moment and then briefly introduced how this child came to be to Frigga. Frigga listened with a furrowed brow and said, "So you mean this child is not only yours and Lady Loki''s child but also Thor''s child?"...


    "My child? What rtionship do I have with this?" Thor still couldn''t grasp it.


    "If what he says is true, then it was your divine power that ignited this child''s soul me, which means you can also be considered her father."


    Thor was surprised, opened his mouth wide, and gently touched Helen''s head with his big hand. He then sensed a familiar aura. Although it wasn''t his divine power, this little girl''s soul was indeed of Asgardian origin.


    Frigga looked at the two of them with a serious expression and said, "I don''t want to inquire about how this child came to be, but whether it''s Lady Loki or Thor, I should be this child''s grandmother."


    Stark acknowledged this point, after all, it was Lady Loki who wielded the hammer at the beginning, and the divine power belonged to Thor. But both of them were princes of Asgard, which meant that no matter how you looked at it, Frigga was Helen''s grandmother.


    "Now, I hope that neither of you will reveal how she was born, or..." Frigga looked into Stark''s eyes and said, "insist that she is solely your and Lady Loki''s child, with no connection to Thor."


    "Why?" Stark asked.


    Frigga nced at Thor, who was still bewildered, but didn''t directly answer the question. Instead, she said, "If Odin finds out that Thor has a child, no matter what, he will surely want to bring this child back to Asgard to be raised by us."


    "No," Stark shook his head. He looked at Frigga and said, "You should know better than I do what Asgard will face."


    "That''s why Odin sees every part that deviates from the prophecy as a lifesaving straw," Frigga emphasized, saying, "Odin is a pure Asgardian nationalist. As long as it can preserve Asgard, he will sacrifice anyone, including all Asgardians, and even himself."


    Frigga sighed and looked at Helen, saying, "The prophecy never mentioned the existence of this child. If Odin were to know she is rted to Thor, you might encounter trouble."


    "Don''t you want her to help avert Ragnarok?" Stark asked.


    Frigga closed her eyes, shook her head, and said, "Perhaps Odin regards Asgard too highly. People often lose sight of the bigger picture. The reason for Ragnarok isn''t that we''re not strong enough; it''s because we''re too powerful."


    "He has been grooming Thor, waging wars, plundering resources, strengthening Asgard, but this is pushing it towards destruction. And if he insists on bringing this child back to Asgard, he will only lead us all down the path of returning to the source of Space."


    Stark held Helen, touched his head, and said, "This child will never go back with you to Asgard. No matter what Odin thinks, even if he knows everything, if he wants toe, then I''ll be waiting."


    Frigga heard a resolute tone in Stark''s words. As a mother who had once lost a child, Frigga understood better than anyone the protective instincts of parents, the most powerful force in the world.


    After saying these words, Stark turned and left. Thor, who still hadn''t fully understood what was happening, caught up with him and said, "Wait! You haven''t exined your rtionship with Lady Loki yet!"...


    Watching the backs of the two as they left, Frigga sighed deeply. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked into the deep space, where a brilliant Thunderbolt was shing ¨C Odin.


    Frigga turned her head slightly, looking somewhat sad. Clearly, she had some grievances regarding the matter of Balder''s return to the World Tree due to excessive destruction.


    Odin approached and embraced Frigga. He said, "Let''s go back."


    "Don''t you want to bring that child back?" Frigga asked him.


    Odin shook his head and said, "I understand better than you do that any unexpected turn of events beyond the prophecy must always remain outside of it to truly bring about a change. If we insist on involving her in this quagmire, the end result will be our collective demise."


    "After Thor ascended to the throne, I had more time to think. I''ve pondered a lot."


    "Humans are a fascinating race. They hold emotions in such high regard. I used to think it was just an excuse for their weakness and escapism."


    "But they changed Thor, they changed Lady Loki. Perhaps, emotions give them more weaknesses, but at the same time, they also grant them greater strength..."


    Odin held Frigga as they walked back. He turned his head and, through the endless deep space, gazed at the azure.


    At this moment, the boundary between light and darkness had just crossed over New York, and the arc of the Sun floated on the sparkling sea. Apanied by the first call of a morning whistle, New York was waking up.


    Pepper, who had been busy all night, rubbed her temples and quickly entered the elevator, arriving at the Stark Towerb, intending to discuss the work for the next quarter with Stark.


    As she entered, she was bumped by a small figure. Pepper looked down, and the first thing she saw was the Ark Reactor on the little girl''s chest, who had also fallen to the ground.


    And the second thing she saw was that the little girl looked at least eighty percent simr to Lady Loki."Smack!"


    When the crisp sound of a p echoed, Stark and Thor were both stunned.


    Stark knew he was in deep trouble, but Thor, having just fought with Stark, had considered him a decent opponent. Now, he was pped by a seemingly frail human woman.


    After pping Stark, Pepper turned and walked away. Stark hurriedly caught up and grabbed her arm, saying, "Wait, Pepper, it''s not what you think. Lady Loki and I really have nothing between us, and that child isn''t mine..."


    Pepper shook off his arm, turned, and crossed her arms. She looked up at Stark, took a deep breath, and flipped her hair, saying, "Why should I believe your nonsense? How can I expect a notorious yboy like you to turn around?!"


    With that, she turned to leave again, and Stark held her tightly. The exnations he had prepared in his mind, which were supposed to be fluent, somehow couldn''te out. When he heard Pepper''s words, he felt his heart wrenching.


    Stark tried to calm down and walked briskly to stand in front of Pepper. He held her shoulders and said, "Listen to me, I haven''t betrayed you..."


    Pepper extended a hand in front of Stark and said, "You don''t need to use the word ''betray.'' You''ve never made any promises to me, so there''s no betrayal."


    Pepper took a deep breath. She knew Stark was a sensitive person when it came to emotions, but in the midst of a lovers'' quarrel, it was often the case that both sides would hurt each other while trying to hurt themselves.


    "Why don''t you go tell those fashion models that sleeping with me is your betrayal to them? They might be patient enough to listen to you."


    With that, Pepper pushed away Stark''s arms and took a step away. Stark remained frozen in ce, his arms trembling. Pepper had struck a deep nerve with her words, mentioning distrust, unwillingness tomit, and their past histories¡ªthese were all reasons Stark knew he couldn''t thrive in a normal rtionship.


    Thor considered intervening for a moment but felt he had no stance. After all, nobody knew for sure whether Stark and Lady Loki had anything going on. What they were hearing were Stark''s words alone, and even if Lady Loki were to confront him, no one could be certain if they were in cahoots to deceive others.


    To be honest, when a man and a woman frequently spent time together in close quarters, and especially when they had conversations so meaningful that everyone around them noticed their rapport, it was not surprising that Pepper was angry. Thor briefly switched the genders in his mind and put himself in the situation; he probably would have picked up his hammer and confronted the other person face to face.


    Just as Pepper leaned against the doorframe, catching her breath and mustering the courage to leave, a small, shadowy figure suddenly darted past her with a "whoosh" sound and appeared in front of her.


    Helen raised her face, meeting Pepper''s gaze. No matter how angry Pepper was, she couldn''t direct her anger at such a young child. Pepper shifted her weight, trying to leave, but at that moment, she saw the little girl open her mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and yelled loudly:


    "Mommy!"


    Pepper widened her eyes, and even Stark was shocked. He stood there like a stone statue that had just been resurrected. He hurriedly walked over and stood beside Pepper, both of them staring at Helen. But then, Helen directed her gaze back at Stark and shouted, "Daddy!"


    "Don''t y these tricks with me!" Pepper turned her head, red at Stark, and said loudly, "I''m not her mother. You should go find..."


    "Wow!"


    A deafening, piercing cry shattered the window of Stark Tower, echoing through the New York skyline.


    How can we describe the loudness and sharpness of this cry? Thor, standing in theboratory, felt an irresistible force sweep through his entire body. He took a few steps back, his head buzzing.


    Even Thor, with his Asgardian constitution, felt this way. Pepper and Stark, on the other hand, each held onto one side of the doorframe, covering their ears. And this was just the first wave of the assault.


    Soon, Helen began to wail, and her cries had already caused the structural integrity of Stark Tower to plummet. Stark and Pepper didn''t care about anything else; they just wanted this terrifying loudspeaker to stop.


    "Don''t cry, Helen, please don''t cry!" Stark walked over, crouched down, and tried to hug Helen, but it only added to the torment in his ears.


    At this moment, Pepper approached, pushed Stark aside, and said, "Your way of holding the child ispletely wrong. You''re hurting her!"


    "I''ve never held a child before!" Stark said with a hint of urgency.


    Pepper turned her head and saw that Stark had opened his mouth, starting to breathe through his mouth, and his breathing had clearly be faster. His right eye was squinting more than the left, and Pepper knew that Stark''s anxiety hadn''tpletely subsided. He often disyed signs of anxiety when faced with unexpected situations.


    Pepper pushed Stark away and extended her hand to pick up Helen. She slowly swayed her and caressed her back, and Stark let out a sigh of relief.


    But at that moment, he saw through the ss window on the opposite side of theboratory that JARVIS was sitting in front of aputer, typing rapidly. The screen in front of him turned towards them, disying several big words: "Exin quickly!"


    "Well... Pepper, it''s like this. This whole thing started from Schiller''s birthday party..."


    Stark began to exin, with a disjointed introduction. Fortunately, Pepper was used to his sometimes confusing way of speaking. She grasped the general idea, furrowed her brows, and looked down at Helen.


    Previously, she was too angry, so she didn''t pay attention to the details. Now, looking closely, Helen indeed didn''t seem much like a human child. It''s quite apparent that Stark''s daughter could inherit anything, except for the Arc Reactor in his chest.


    At this moment, Thor, who was behind them, also approached and asked, "Do you and my sister really have a rtionship? If you two are really dating, then get married in Asgard. I won''t allow you to be unclear about it; that''s hical!"


    "We really have nothing between us. Who told you we were dating? She''s not my type at all!" Stark lowered his head, tapped his foot, wiped his nose with his finger, and then gritted his teeth. "You all know my reputation is as rotten as it gets. Don''t you know the style of the cover girls and actresses I used to date?"


    Thor thought for a moment. Cover girls, actresses, what other style could there be? Most of them were voluptuous with curves, and even the thin models exuded a strong sensual aura. As for Lady Loki, she appeared younger after bing a goddess and looked more like a young girl.


    "Besides, I wouldn''t dare do anything with her," Stark continued, "What if she asks me one day if I have any intentions, and I get blinded by the light behind her."


    Thor sighed in relief, appearing more rxed. He walked over and patted Stark''s shoulder, saying, "Well, it seems I misjudged you. But from now on, you better be careful and stay away from Lady Loki. yboys like you should be behind bars."


    "Heh." Pepper chuckled and said, "If all the yboys in the world had to go to jail, there wouldn''t be enough cells for all the criminals."


    But unexpectedly, when Stark heard Pepper''s words, he rxed. He smiled and said, "If I were really going to jail, I would definitely have the shortest sentence. Isn''t that right, my judge?"


    Pepper turned her head away, avoiding Stark''s gaze. She held Helen, soothed her for a while, and then handed her back to Stark, saying, "We''re not married yet, and we haven''t even gotten engaged, so she shouldn''t call me ''mom.''"


    "However, if you decide to adopt her, you are indeed her dad. Go on, a new father should learn to take care of children himself."


    After saying that, Pepper left, and after chatting with Thor for a while, he also returned to Asgard due to his busy official duties.


    Back in theboratory, Helen jumped out of Stark''s arms and took a small set of headphones from her ears. She tossed them to JARVIS, who was nearby, and Stark stared at the two of them in amazement.


    The towering robotic butler bent down, extended his hand, and the little girl jumped onto his arm, then settled on his shoulder. JARVIS said to Stark, "Obviously, Miss Helen has a strong learning ability, and her timing is impable."


    "Furthermore, sir, the equipment for synthesizing diamond-edged des has just broken. Thest defective piece had too many facets cut due to its high brightness, so I embedded it in a ring, which is currently in the jewelry box behind you."


    "The hottest French restaurant in the downtown area still has avable seats. ording to Miss Pepper''s schedule, she has no work ahead and is nning to rx."


    "Now she has reached the underground garage... she''s opening the door... she''s getting into the car... trying to start the engine... oh, unfortunately, the car is malfunctioning, and the navigation system isn''t working. She must be quite upset now..."


    "Wait! Hold on..." Stark suddenly panicked. He turned around, then turned back, paused for a moment, and hastily picked up the jewelry box from the table behind him. He rushed out, stumbled a bit as he entered the elevator, almost falling.


    Helen tilted her head and then turned her head to look at JARVIS. She saw a smiling face made up of symbols on the disy screen on his face.


    Half an hourter, amotion erupted in a central downtown restaurant, and before long, media vehicles from various major outletspletely surrounded the ce.


    With a "whoosh," a red and goldbat suit flew out of the restaurant''s window, rapidly ascended into the sky, and held another figure in its arms.


    Under the gaze of journalists and beneath the morning light and dust in New York, they stopped at the top of another tall building. The face mask lifted, and Stark kissed without hesitation. At this moment, the diamond on Pepper''s ring finger gleamed brightly.


    Not far away on the rooftop of another high-rise building, Schiller and Lady Loki stood together. Lady Loki said, "I was really about to go crazy back there. If you hadn''t stopped me..."


    "But, as you expected, as long as I remained invisible throughout this incident, we could achieve our goals." Lady Loki turned her head to look at Schiller and said, "Sometimes, I really wonder, what kind of background, what kind of experiences, would mold someone like you?"


    Schiller lowered his head and yed with a model of the original Ark Reactor in his hand. Lady Loki''s gaze fell on it, and she asked, "Is this from Stark?"


    Schiller nodded and said, "The first-generation Ark Reactor model. Does it lookplicated? It''s just a lightbulb, after all."


    With that, he lifted the model and aimed it at the sun. Light shone through it, making it shine brightly.


    Schiller shifted his gaze away from the model, looked up, and saw Stark and Pepper kissing in the distance. He smiled and said, "No need for power, it won''t shine. It''s still just a lightbulb."


    "And I''m best at twisting lightbulbs."


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 Chapter 567: A Typical Murder Case (1)

    Chapter 567: A Typical Murder Case (1)


    In Gotham City, on a somewhat gloomy but still rtively warm morning, Schiller put down his coffee cup and heard the sound of his colleague Anna''s high heels approaching. Soon, a blonde U.S. sweetheart walked in and knocked on Schiller''s office desk, saying, "The bunch ofzy new students at the registration office is on leave, and you..."


    "I''m not going," Schiller replied without lifting his head. If this scenario had happened a year ago, Schiller might still have been just an ordinary professor at Gotham University, instead of what he was now - seemingly writing papers but actually holding industry ns for the Green Lantern Corps and ns for the Mist Crystal industry underneath.


    Anna rolled her eyes and said, "You have the fewest sses this week. If you don''t go, then who will?"


    Suddenly, Schiller snapped out of his daze from the pile of chaotic work. He turned his head to nce at the calendar on the side and said, "It''s January now, which should be the beginning of the spring semester. Gotham University shouldn''t have any majors starting in the spring, right?"


    "Who told you that?" Anna walked over to Schiller''s seat, crossed her arms, and said, "You forgot, didn''t you? The former president, Seldon, was a liberal arts major, and he established the Literature and Philosophy majors at Gotham University. Ironically, before he left, both of these majors were approved, and the semester started in the spring."


    "Oh, right, he probably forgot to tell you that the psychology major was also moved to the Humanities College, so your major starts in the spring too."


    Schiller squinted his eyes. He recalled that U.S. universities were slightly different from Chinese ones. Many U.S. universities divided the year into three terms with start dates in January, May, and August. Both the January term and the fall term in August had new students arriving.


    However, Gotham University was closer to Chinese universities. While it also had three terms, there were only new student arrivals in August, and there were no spring enrollments.


    The reason for this was that Gotham University had fewer colleges and somewhat disorganized administration. To make things easier, some administrative staff had scheduled all majors to start in the fall.But then, that president named Seldon came along, reformed the administrative system drastically, and created three colleges. Now, all three colleges had spring enrollments.


    As Schiller buried himself in work, Gotham''s deep winter had passed, and it was now January with temperatures slowly rising, and the spring semester at Gotham University had begun.


    Putting down his pen and stretching his stiff shoulders, Schiller felt that spending half a day at the new student registration ce wouldn''t be so bad. Lately, his mind had been filled with all sorts of messy numbers.


    Schiller stood up to leave, but suddenly, the lights in the room blinked twice and then went out with a soft "click." The bulb hanging in the center of the room was now dark.


    At this time, daylight was still short, and it was necessary to have some light in the morning to read the text. With the light gone, the room was dim.


    Anna looked up at the bulb but didn''t show any surprise. She said, "You haven''t had early sses these past few days, so you wouldn''t know. The college''s wiring is aging, and there have been power outages for one to two hours every day. The repeated outages have caused most of the old bulbs to break."


    Schiller asked, "What do we do now?"


    "What can we do? Just make do with it," Anna replied, returning to her seat and taking out a shlight from the side. After turning it on, she pointed it at Schiller and said, "Now, Gotham University is the only college on the East Coast without a president. Who do you expect to handle this?"


    Schiller shook his head and looked around the room. This was the office where he had spent the most time sinceing to Gotham, and it was quite old.


    There was no particr decoration style here because most of the furniture had been reced several times. The white walls, baseboards, and ceilings all had varying degrees of damage, and the only decent desk was already half worn out.


    Schiller didn''t particrly like overly modern things, but it didn''t mean he liked using old, especially when these things had be so old that they affected functionality.


    Sighing, Schiller picked up his things and left the office, heading towards the new student registration area.


    Arriving at the new student registration area, he found that the power was out here as well. What was even more tragic was that there were no floor-to-ceiling windows in this office, so the lighting was even worse, and the room was pitch dark.


    "This is good," Schiller thought. When those new students arrived, they would immediately realize what a wrong decision they had made.


    In the uing student life, they shouldn''t expect to enjoy parties or indulge in romantic rtionships, as there were no student activity rooms or party rooms here. The only rooms with independent generators were Victor''s cryogenicboratory and the library.


    In the darkness, Schiller moved a chair and sat down. Soon, students began to trickle in. Almost everyone who entered the room hesitated for a moment upon seeing a person sitting in the pitch-ck room and then cautiously checked the doorte before walking in.


    Schiller continued to work with his head down. Suddenly, he heard the sound of leather shoes approaching from a distance, sounding very steady and calm, without a hint of panic. Feeling a presencee to the table, Schiller picked up his pen, without lifting his head, and asked, "Name?"


    "Lex Luthor."


    "Lex... Male dormitory, Building 2, Room 403..." Schiller unconsciously wrote it down, and then he paused, lifting his head. As expected, the figure that had appeared in the darkness was Lex.


    "Lex?" Schiller looked at him and then nced at the form in his hand. He said, "Don''t tell me you''ve applied to Gotham University?"


    "In fact, I haven''t applied to Gotham University. I''m not old enough to attend college yet. But I made a substantial donation, so..."


    Schiller took off his sses, rubbed his temples, and said, "May I ask about your reasoning behind this? Haven''t you visited your local Metropolis University?"


    "I have certainly visited, just before I came here for registration, I went to Metropolis University and found that journalism student rk. I even made him aughingstock in front of his ssmates."


    "Since you''ve already been to Metropolis University, then on your way from Gotham University''s gate to here on the road, you should have left without looking back. What gave you the courage toe all the way here?"


    The teaching quality and facilities at Metropolis University and Gotham University were not drastically different, but they were worlds apart.


    "It''s you, Professor, I won''t hide it from you. The events at Metropolis Mayor''s Mansion and your performance have piqued my interest in psychology. Among all the universities on the East Coast, you are the only one I can trust in terms of academic level."


    "Thank you for your praise." Schiller flipped a page in the form in his hand and said, "You''re much more likable than Wayne when he first arrived, but I still want to say that you''d better go back to Metropolis; this is not the ce for you."


    Lexpletely ignored Schiller''s words, shrugged, and said, "Is there anywhere I can''t go? No."


    "Where Wayne can go, of course, I can go. I''m not worse than him."


    "Seriously, Professor, how are his grades? Is he the top of his ss? No rtionships, and soon I''ll break his record."


    Just as Schiller was about to continue speaking, Lex lifted his suitcase. Schiller observed his movements and said, "Don''t tell me you didn''t bring any security or butler with you, and you n to stay in the student dormitories."


    Lex nodded and struggled to bring the heavy suitcase over. He was so thin that the rtively small suitcase seemed extremely heavy.


    Schiller shook his head and looked up at the now extinguished light bulb. He said, "You will pay for your confidence today. Those who don''t belong to Gotham will eventually leave."


    Lex didn''t understand the somewhat fatalistic words from Schiller. He just picked up his suitcase and left.


    As he walked through Gotham University''s teaching buildings and the square, it was already fully lit outside, but the power was still out, so when Lex entered the dormitory building, it was pitch dark.


    What was even more dreadful was that Gotham University''s dormitory building had six floors, and Lex lived on the fourth floor, and this building didn''t have an elevator.


    In other words, Lex had to carry his heavy suitcase and climb up to the fourth floor by himself.


    In truth, this wouldn''t be difficult for any normal college student. Although it might be tiring to some extent, it wouldn''t be too strenuous. However, for Lex, it was a different story.


    As he had mentioned before, he hadn''t reached the age to attend college; he was three years younger than Bruce, just turning 16 this year. Due to Lionel''s control and excessive drug use earlier, his body was in poor condition, and his physical strength was weak.


    So, when he dragged the suitcase up the staircase, it was very strenuous. He had to change his posture every two steps, and it wasn''t a matter of carrying it but dragging it. The suitcase bumped against the steps, making a muffled sound.


    After dragging the suitcase up one floor, Lex waspletely exhausted. He could only lean against the staircase, panting for breath, and starting to regret why he hadn''t brought his butler and security personnel.


    Just then, a tall figure approached, saw there was someone in the staircase, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Are you a new student this year? What happened? Do you need help?"


    "I..." Lex swallowed hard, pointed at his suitcase, and said, "It''s too heavy, and I can''t move it. But my dorm is on the fourth floor..."


    "Oh, I see. It''s okay; I''ll help you carry it." The tall figure walked out from the darkness, and when Lex could see clearly, it was a ck-haired guy with a tall stature, a handsome face, and he was wearing a suit, giving the impression of being well-mannered.


    "I''m Lex, from Metropolis. What''s your name?" Lex asked proactively, while the guy said, "You can call me Thomas, Thomas Elliott. Have you heard of the Elliott family?"


    "I''m from out of town, and I''ve never left my own city, so I haven''t heard of any Gotham families," Lex said as he watched Thomas pick up his suitcase and start climbing the stairs.


    "What about the Wayne Family?" Thomas asked.


    "Oh, I have heard of them, after all, they are very famous," Lex said, following slowly behind Thomas. He seemed to be walking very slowly, perhaps because he had exhausted his energy earlier, and Thomas had to stand on higher steps to wait for him.


    "Oh, then you should know that young Wayne goes to this college, right? Although he doesn''te to ss often, you should be able to meet him recently because he''s been staying in the dorms."


    "Staying in the dorms? Isn''t his family very wealthy? Why would he stay in the dorms?" When they reached the third floor, the two took a break in the staircase and chatted.


    "Don''t mention it, his daughter makes a lot of noise at night, making it hard for him to sleep, so he had to leave Wayne Manor and rest in the dorms to get some peace and quiet."


    Thomas spread his hands and said, "My family and his family have been friends for generations, and we''ve known each other since childhood, but even I don''t know when he had a wife and daughter."


    Lex frowned, and when Thomas saw his reaction, he continued, "Of course, I understand him. A man should have his own space; he''s not the type to revolve around his wife and children."


    Seeing Lex''s increasingly deep frown, Thomas picked up the suitcase again and walked up the stairs, with Lex following behind. They both arrived on the fourth floor together.


    But just as they stepped onto the fourth-floor corridor, a strong smell of blood wafted over.


    In the dim light from the window at the end of the corridor, Lex saw that the door of the fourth room on the right was open, and there were two legs sticking out, with blood flowing out from the door.


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 Chapter 568: A Classic Murder Case (I)

    Chapter 568: A ssic Murder Case (I)


    With a loud "thud," Thomas dropped his suitcase and rushed forward. He forcefully swung open the door, revealing the scene inside.


    Lex, who had followed closely behind, saw a beautiful young woman lying in a pool of blood. Her chest had been pierced, and she was no longer breathing.


    She was dressed in a cheerleader''s uniform, her face adorned with exquisite makeup. Around her, various cosmeticsy scattered, now soaked in blood.


    Not far from the lifeless bodyy a bloodstained javelin. Judging from the wound, it appeared to be the murder weapon.


    "Quick, call the police!" Lex stepped back, his face turning pale. He said, "How could someone die here? And..."


    Lex nced at the room number, which read 404. It meant this was the neighboring dorm room, and on his very first day, a death had urred right next to him. Lex turned away in disgust, seemingly reluctant to cast another nce at the crime scene.


    Thomas interpreted Lex''s expression as fear and stood up. He took a step back, positioning himself between Lex and the gruesome sight. He said, "You''re not from around here, so you wouldn''t know. Calling the police won''t help; they can''t do anything here."


    "She must have been a cheerleader. How did she end up dead here? Isn''t this a boys'' dormitory?" Thomas mused aloud with a hint of confusion.


    Suddenly, footsteps echoed near the staircase. Thomas immediately turned to face the source of the sound, and Lex did the same.Approaching them was Bruce Wayne.


    He squinted his eyes, his face stern. Without waiting for Thomas to speak, he eximed, "Who''s making all this noise? What time is it? Can''t people get some sleep around here?"


    Bruce closed his eyes, sighed as if he hadn''t slept well, and appeared disoriented. Thomas quickly walked up to the staircase, increasing the lighting. It was only then that Bruce recognized Thomas''s face and said, "Oh, it''s you, Thomas. I thought some new student was throwing a party here."


    Thomas turned back to Lex and waved, saying, "Let me introduce you. This is the famous Bruce Wayne, your senior."


    "Are you Wayne?" Lex asked as he emerged from the darkness. Bruce, upon seeing him, remainedposed but raised an eyebrow. "Correct, I''m Wayne. You''re a freshman, right? Was all thismotion your doing?"


    "I warn you, you''d better learn some manners. Don''t throw parties when I''m trying to rest, or I''ll make sure you regret it!" Bruce retorted.


    Lex approached, extending his hand. "Hello, I''m Lex, Lex Luthor."


    Bruce looked into his eyes but didn''t shake his hand. Instead, he said, "Luthor? You''re from the Luthor family? I almost forgot about you. What brings you to Gotham? Go back to your Metropolis!"


    "I never knew Wayne considered himself the king of Gotham. Are you proud of that?" Lex fired back.


    "Wait a minute! Stop arguing!" Thomas hurried between them, separating the two. He then turned his head to look at the crime scene and said, "A murder just urred here. One of you, please go and find a teacher!"


    After a brief pause, he nced at Lex, taking in his neatly groomed red hair and well-preserved hands. Thomas''s expression changed slightly but then said, "Lex is a freshman; he probably doesn''t know any of the teachers. Bruce, you should go."


    "No, the teacher at the freshman orientation seemed friendly. I''ll go find him," Lex replied.


    Just as Lex was about to leave, Bruce extended his hand to stop him, forcefully pushing his shoulder. It nearly caused Lex to stumble. Bruce said, "Stay here. You look like you''d pass out after two steps. Crying to your parents at home might suit you better."


    With that, he turned and walked away. Thomas gave Lex a reassuring pat and said, "Don''t mind him. He can be impatient sometimes. You''ll get used to it."


    Lex turned his head and said, "Thanks. If you were not the first person I met here, I would have thought all Gotham residents were unfriendly."


    "Well, not everyone is like that. At least the students at this school seem decent. By the way, you don''t look very well. Forgive me if I''m being intrusive, but..."


    "I have some gic illnesses, so my stamina is poor. Plus, my father never let me leave the house, so I didn''t have much opportunity for physical activity," Lex leaned against the hallway wall.


    "Why did you leave Metropolis this time? From what I know, Metropolis University is much better than Gotham University."


    "Two months ago, my father passed away. His former lovers kepting around, which annoyed me. I also grew tired of his business associates pestering me with questions, so I decided to hide here."


    Thomas had a moment of realization, followed by a sympathetic expression. He said, "My condolences."


    Lex shook his head, but his expression conveyed that he probably had a strained rtionship with his father.


    However, Thomas, born into a prestigious family, understood that such prominent families rarely had innocent familial rtionships. Lex''s parents were both deceased, but it also meant that he had inherited the entire Luthor family''s wealth, much like Bruce Wayne.


    Thinking about this, Thomas''s expression changed once more. But before long, hurried footsteps echoed from the staircase. Several female students came running up, with the lead girl being exceptionally beautiful and wearing the same cheerleader uniform as the deceased, even holding pom-poms used by cheerleaders.


    Upon seeing the deceased''s face, the young woman let out a cry of despair. She rushed over and knelt beside the corpse, eximing, "Doris! How could this happen?!"


    "Christine, do you know her?" Thomas inquired.


    "Of course! She''s Doris, a member of Gotham University''s cheerleading squad. We just finished our rehearsal, and she hadn''t even had a chance to change her clothes..."


    "You were rehearsing this early?" Thomas asked.


    "Yes, because we have a performanceing up in half an hour. Normally, we would be waiting backstage by now." Christine''s beautiful face was filled with sorrow, and she began to weep. She continued, "Doris is the lead dancer of the second group. Her group members couldn''t find her, so they came looking for me. I thought she might have overslept..."


    "But I called her home, and no one answered. Her parents told me she hadn''t returned all night. That''s when I realized something might be wrong, but I never expected... how could this happen?" Christine bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.


    After a moment of respite, she stood up and looked at Thomas, asking, "What''s going on here? How did she end up dead in a male dormitory?"


    "I don''t know. I was originally heading to my own room to get my keys. My room is on the third floor. But on the way, I met this freshman, Lex, who couldn''t carry his suitcase. His dorm is on the fourth floor, so I helped him carry it up."


    "But as soon as we got upstairs, we saw this youngdy lying here. When we saw her, she was already..." Thomas shook his head.


    The other members of the cheerleading squad behind Christine began to cry. From their badges, it was evident they were all part of the second group, and Doris must have been well-liked, as their grief was palpable.


    Christine clenched her teeth and said, "Who dares tomit murder at Gotham University? Doesn''t he value his life? Even the Twelve Families wouldn''t dare..."


    Thomas sighed and said, "I don''t think it''s the work of a gang. This ce has always been a sanctuary, and the Godfather enforces restrictions on the Twelve Families and their affiliates. Gangs are not allowed to target students here. As long as they don''t leave, it should be safe."


    "Speaking of which, since you knew her, do you have any information about her personal life? I know it might be a sensitive question, but in college, conflicts in rtionships can have serious consequences."


    "Doris did have a boyfriend," one of the girls behind Christine suddenly spoke up. Thomas immediately asked, "Who is he, and what department is he in?"


    "No, he''s not from Gotham University. He works at the Central Research Institute in Metropolis, and it seems he graduated two or three years ago."


    Thomas looked at Lex, who shook his head and said, "I don''t know. I''ve never been to the Central Research Institute."


    "If you can, please call and see if you can find Doris''s boyfriend. At the very least, he shoulde and check on his girlfriend," Thomas said, his voice filled with sadness.


    Lex disyed a somewhat reluctant expression but eventually agreed, saying, "Okay, I''ll make the call."


    Just then, several moreposed footsteps approached, and Schiller Anna and Bruce walked up. Upon seeing the gruesome scene, Anna took a step back, covering her nose, and said, "Doris from the chemistry department? Poor child, how could this..."


    Schiller, after a brief look at the crime scene, took a step back and pointed the tip of his cane at the ground. He ordered, "Everyone, gather around and line up against the wall, and put down everything you''re holding."


    "Professor!" Christine stepped forward and said, "The cheerleading squad has a performance soon, and we''re running out of time..."


    "Is the performance more important than a life?" Schiller asked, and Christine bit her lip, choosing not to respond. Cowed by Schiller''s reputation, several studentsplied, except for Lex, who was still making a phone call at the end of the hallway.


    After a while, Gordon rushed over in a hurry, followed by his officers who swiftly entered the hallway. They began to cordon off the crime scene, set up barricades, and take photographs for evidence.


    shlights continued to flicker, and the lights from police cars below blinked. Several students who had arrived at the scene were escorted by officers, descending the staircase, getting into police cars, and heading to the police station to provide statements.


    Thomas, Christine, and the other cheerleading squad members were also taken away. However, just as officers were about to take Lex and Bruce in the same manner, Schiller intervened.


    Gordon exchanged a nce with his subordinates, and they hurriedly left through the staircase.


    In the dimly lit corridor, with only a faint, cold light near the window, Schiller, Gordon, Bruce, and Lex remained standing.


    Schiller leaned against the windowsill and looked at Bruce and Lex, saying, "Alright, all the unrted parties are gone. Now, tell us your thoughts."


    "The identity, motive, and method of the killer... let''s start with the identity. Who is the murderer?"


    "Thomas Elliott."


    The two spoke in unison.


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 Chapter 569: A Typical Murder Case (2)

    Chapter 569: A Typical Murder Case (2)


    Schiller first fixed his gaze on Bruce, who turned his head away, looking at the bloodstains hidden in the darkness, his thoughts returning to the previous night.


    In the Wayne Manor''s library, Bruce was poring over materials. Despite his knowledge of his extraordinary butler since returning from Metropolis, he still needed to investigate matters rted to agents, the Philby list, the Soviet Union, and other long-forgotten events.


    However, at that moment, the sounds from upstairs grew increasingly loud. Bruce reluctantly closed his books, covered his forehead with his hand, and then stood up, making his way upstairs.


    In the room upstairs, Aisha was learning to speak with Dick and Alfred. She had progressed from making "wawa" sounds to producing different tones, even uttering English words with fewer than two sybles.


    However, as anyone would know, when children are learning anguage, they be like loudspeakers, as if loud pronunciation enhances their confidence innguage acquisition. Therefore, they often shout as loudly as they can.


    Moreover, they enjoy repetition, as if they can find thenguage''s patterns through repetition. Currently, Aisha resembled a human rm, and Bruce even thought that he could use Aisha''s cries to design an rm system for the Batcave.


    Although the Batcave was far from Wayne Manor, Bruce could definitely hear it whenever it rang.


    This was different from crying; when Aisha cried, both Bruce and Selena would do their best tofort her until she cried herself to sleep. Learningnguage, however, was serious business, and looking at Alfred''s approving expression, Bruce knew he had no say in this matter.


    Moreover,nguage sses had specific requirements, and they couldn''t be skipped. Alfred believed that Aisha learning to speak was more important than Bruce searching for materials in the library.Originally, Alfred would never disturb Bruce when he was working. However, recently, Bruce had be obsessed with magic, engaging in questionable activities such as tailing Constantine and acquiring strange magic books. Alfred was worried that Bruce might stray down a wrong path, so he had been doing everything possible to divert his attention.


    So now, the old butler didn''t care when Bruce chose to stay in the library to search for materials. Consequently, Aisha''snguage lessons were not arranged to coincide with Bruce''s schedule, which meant that Bruce was constantly disturbed.


    Some might say that Bruce could work in the Batcave, but the problem was that the Batcave was far from Wayne Manor, and Alfred insisted that Bruce return home every day. Therefore, Gotham University''s library became a better ce to work.


    Bruce had stayed upte searching for materials the previous night, so he decided to sleep in his dormitory. Although Gotham University''s facilities were somewhat outdated, theyout was good. Each bedroom was a single room, and there was amon lounge on each floor.


    However, because the dormitory building was old, the soundproofing was poor. In fact, when Lex wasboriously dragging his suitcase from the first floor, Bruce, who was on the second floor, had already been awakened by the noise.


    Lex and Thomas happened to meet in the staircase on the second floor, and Bruce heard their conversation. So when he saw Lexter, he wasn''t surprised, and he yed along, pretending not to know him.


    "You probably didn''t even realize it, but the sound of you dragging that suitcase was incredibly loud. The vibrations from the suitcase hitting the staircase steps even reached my bed," Bruce said, turning his head to look at Lex.


    "And because of this, I suspected Thomas. When you were dragging your suitcase from the first floor to the second, I was already on the second floor, and it was just enough time for an ordinary person toe down from the fourth floor using the other staircase, cross the entire corridor, go up to the second floor, and arrive at the staircase where you were."


    Bruce nced down the length of the corridor. "Based on Thomas''s stride and walking speed, the margin of error wouldn''t exceed three seconds. This kind of coincidence isn''t just a coincidence in a murder case."


    "I specte that when your suitcase first made a noise on the staircase, I was awakened on the second floor, and Thomas, who had just finished the crime on the fourth floor, was also alerted."


    "He realized that new students might have arrived and didn''t know how many there were. So he hurriedly cleaned up the crime scene and then ran downstairs, following the same staircase you took."


    "When he found out that you were alone, he realized that there was no need to panic. He could use you as a witness to discovering the crime scene. However, he did something foolish: he didn''t set up a time-dy mechanism. When you arrived, Doris should have already been dead, so there was no way for you to be a witness to his absence."


    "You''ve only exined Thomas''s presence," Lex crossed his arms and said, "Estimating from the timing isn''t definitive evidence. But, not long after I saw him, I knew he was the one whomitted the murder."


    "He did something very foolish, which was to put on a suit jacket to conceal the bloodstains on his shirt. It''s true that you couldn''t see anything suspicious from a straight-on angle. However, when he was walking in front of me with his suitcase up the staircase, I pretended to be out of breath and let him get ahead of me."


    "In this way, there was a height difference between us, and I could examine the marks on his clothes more thoroughly. At that moment, I discovered that there were bloodstains visible through the gap between his suit jacket and his shirt."


    "Of course, it''s also possible that he injured himself. So, I continued to observe, and I noticed that he wasn''t lifting the suitcase effortlessly, in fact, he seemed somewhat exhausted. If he had really injured himself, there was no need for him to show such enthusiasm to help me, especially since we were strangers."


    "I specte that he was concealing something. It wasn''t until we reached the fourth floor and saw the crime scene that I became certain he was the murderer."


    "Why?" Gordon asked.


    Lex walked over to the crime scene and pointed at the corpse. "The victim was impaled in the chest with a javelin, and judging from the wound, the javelin was thrust from above, which means the killer must havemitted the act in this manner."


    Lex then demonstrated a motion of raising the javelin overhead and thrusting downward with both hands forming a straight line, left hand in front and right hand behind.


    "Thomas is taller than I am," Lex continued, "so he wouldn''t need to raise the javelin as high. However, Doris was certainly not so short that Thomas could have impaled her from above without raising the javelin."


    "Therefore, he intended tomit the murder in this way, which required him to lift his arms. In other words, if he had been wearing only a shirt at the time, there would have been a ce under his armpit that would have been sttered with blood."


    "Previously, through the gap in his suit jacket, I saw bloodstains on the right side of his shirt right under his armpit."


    "Wait a moment!" Gordon suddenly eximed. "You were in an almost pitch-ck staircase, and you could see bloodstains on his shirt through the gap in his suit? I can''t see anything in this darkness, and I''m standing quite close."


    At this point, the entire dormitory building was without power, and while there was some faint light in the corridor due to the windows, the staircase section was almostpletely dark.


    However, standing at this angle, Gordon saw that Lex''s eyes were emitting a faint gleam, which didn''t look like something a normal human would do.


    Schiller also noticed this. He remembered that Alberto, who had fallen into the wine vat, had eyes that emitted a simr gleam. This could be caused by the Dionysian factor.


    Whether the Joker had night vision abilities, no one knew for sure, but one thing was certain: he could hold his own against Batman, who wore night vision goggles, in Gotham''s pitch-ck nights.


    "Alright, now we''re left with a motive," Gordon said, standing beside the corpse and thinking for a moment. Then he said, "Just now, my subordinates reported that they didn''t find anything suspicious on the victim''s body, and her handbag contained only ordinary cosmetics, which seemed like items she would use for touch-ups before going on stage."


    "ording to Christine, Doris had a boyfriend, but he worked at the Central Research Institute in Metropolis. They were in a long-distance rtionship, but because the distance wasn''t too far, they would meet every week. She and Thomas should not have had any interactions."


    At this point, Bruce spoke up. "Thomas also has a girlfriend, or rather, a fianc¨¦e arranged by his family. He''s not interested in baseball or football, hasn''t gotten close to the cheerleading team, and only knows the cheerleading team''s leader, Christine. Christine didn''t mention any romantic involvement between Doris and Thomas, so it''s unlikely to be a crime of passion."


    "He must have nned it in advance. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have prepared a javelin, which I have to admit is a handy weapon. But to obtain one at Gotham University, you need to apply through the equipment room..."


    "Why don''t we check the application records to find out?" Gordon immediately picked up his mobile phone and said into it, "It''s me. Come over again with a search warrant. We need to ess some evidence..."


    Soon, they arrived at the office of the gym teacher at Gotham University. The gym teachers there were divided into regr gym teachers and fitness instructors for the cheerleading squad. At this moment, it was the fitness instructor in the office. She took out a form and said, "...Here it is. Three days ago, Thomas applied to borrow a javelin..."


    "Can you confirm which javelin it was?"


    "Yes, all our equipment has serial numbers."


    "Was it javelin number 5012?" Gordon asked.


    "Application records... equipment serial number... Correct, it''s 5012."


    Now, everything was in ce: identity, motive, method, and the murder weapon. It could be said that the evidence was irond, and Thomas, who was taken away for questioning, had no opportunity to resist. With the sound of cameras clicking, the image of Thomas in prison attire, holding an information sign, would remain in the archives of the Gotham Police Department forever.


    This was a murder case with a clear beginning and end, and the investigation process went very smoothly. Even if Bruce and Lex hadn''t deduced anything, Gordon would eventually check the equipment room''s application records. It would have taken at most an extra day for the case to be solved.


    And just on the second day of the case being closed, Gotham Police Department received a phone call from Christine, the leader of the cheerleading squad, who was in tears.


    "Gordon detective! Please hurry! Come to Gotham University''s sports arena... another member of the cheerleading squad is dead!!!"


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 Chapter 570: The Black Sun and the Bat-Signal (1)

    Chapter 570: The ck Sun and the Bat-Signal (1)


    In Schiller''s office at Gotham University, Victor stood on a stool, stretching his arm and twisting the overhead lightbulb.


    He took the old, broken lightbulb down and examined it. "If Gotham ever builds a museum, I should definitely donate this lightbulb. It has preserved the corpses of more than twenty generations of insects at the very least."


    Anna, holding a shlight that illuminated the area below, made a disgusted face. "Can you not talk about such gross things? I haven''t even had breakfast yet."


    "Have you all heard the sirens?" Schiller, who had been looking up as well, interjected. "Since a while ago, there have been three police cars passing by. While it''s not unusual in Gotham, the frequency seems rather high, doesn''t it?"


    "A murder has urred at Gotham University. Though a person''s death isn''t umon in Gotham, someone dared to tantlymit a crime inside a student dormitory, and that changes the nature of the case."


    "The Godfather thinks that the Elliott family is challenging his authority. Recently, the Falcone Family and the Elliott family have been in opposition, and the situation appears to be getting tense," Anna added with a frown.


    Victor, in the midst of recing the lightbulb, sighed. "Actually, I had a good impression of Thomas. He was a decent guy, polite, and more dedicated to his studies than most. How did this happen..."


    "Right," Schiller suddenly spoke up. "The deceased, Doris, was a student from the chemistry department. Did you teach her?"


    "She''s already a senior this year, and she rarely attended sses during my time, so I don''t know her personally. However, in the courses I teach, there are a few girls who are her group members, and I''ve heard about her from them."Victor''s hands paused for a moment as he recollected. "During breaks, they would gossip about Doris''s boyfriend, describing him as a young and talented guy, very handsome and charming. It''s no wonder Doris was so infatuated with him."


    "I heard that Doris''s boyfriend works at the Central Research Institute in Metropolis," Schiller inquired.


    "That''s correct, and he''s quite young. He''s been doing research under a famous mentor, and I heard that if hepletes this year''s project sessfully, he''ll be promoted from intern to a full-fledged assistant. That''s no small achievement."


    Anna, with a hint of surprise in her eyes, asked, "How old is Doris''s boyfriend? To be a full-fledged assistant at the Central Research Institute directly, he must indeed be considered promising."


    "Yeah," Victor reminisced, "I had a colleague who also came from the Central Research Institute in Metropolis. It''s a ce where talented people gather, and to make a name for yourself there, you need to have real skills."


    "I heard that Lex, a new student from Metropolis, called the Central Research Institute and reached Doris''s boyfriend, David. But David acted very cold and even refused toe and see Doris onest time," Schiller sighed.


    "It''s strange. I heard those girls say their rtionship was very good, especially how David always brought a big bouquet of flowers when he came to Gotham to see her. Those girls envied her," Victor shook his head.


    "Such is the unpredictability of life. That''s why I often advise my students not to focus too much on love," Anna walked to the side and mmed the books she was holding onto the table. "Young love is often impulsive and unreliable. If Doris hadn''t died, she''d probably be crying her heart out over her boyfriend''s indifference right now."


    Schiller looked up at Victor''s actions and said, "Is it done? Aren''t you the world''s most famous cryogenic scientist? Why is changing a lightbulb such a hassle?"


    "What does being a cryogenic scientist have to do with changing a lightbulb?" Victor coughed twice, choked by the dust from thempshade. He used his hand to clear the dust in front of his face and continued to focus on the lightbulb.


    "The socket is not very responsive. I''m cleaning it now because if we don''t clean it properly, problems may arise after it''s screwed back on... Oh, there we go. I''ve screwed it back on. Anna, turn on the circuit breaker and see if it lights up."


    Anna walked outside the room, opened the electrical box''s door, and flipped the switch. For a moment, the room was filled with light again, and Victor and Schiller both breathed a sigh of relief. Schiller reached out and helped Victor down from the stool.


    But just then, there was a "click," and the lightbulb went out again. Victor stumbled on the chair for a moment and nearly fell off, but he was fortunate that Schiller caught him. Anna came back into the room, holding the shlight, and Victor had to stand on the stool again to inspect the lightbulb.


    After taking the lightbulb down and inspecting it again, he said, "No, it''s not a problem with the lightbulb. It seems like a power outage."


    At this moment, it was early morning, and the room was pitch dark without any light. Anna walked to the door and looked out into the corridor. "Alright, it looks like the building has experienced another power outage."


    "What''s been happening recently?" Schiller frowned, stepping out of the room anding to the window in the corridor. "Seven power outages in three days, and each time it''s our building. Even during the snowstorm, it wasn''t this severe. What is the power management department doing?"


    "It''s not entirely their fault. Except for Gotham University, all the other buildings have normal power. Last time, I stopped one of the electricians who came for maintenance, and he said it was due to aging circuits. It''s an unsolvable excuse, and no one can do anything about it," Anna shrugged.


    "We can''t keep going on like this; it''s already affecting regr teaching," Victor added. "Let''s go to the electrical room. If it''s really due to aging circuits, I might be able to help."


    "Aren''t you from the chemistry department? Do you know anything about electrical systems?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you built the cryogenic unit for your wife yourself. You probably have a Bachelor of Science in physics and mechanical engineering, too, don''t you?"


    Victor smiled and took the lead, walking ahead. As they approached the staircase, he turned around, leaned on the armrest, and said with a smile, "You guessed it right. Besides that, I also have a Bachelor of Science in materials science and engineering..."


    Anna shook her head, shrugged, and followed Victor as they briskly climbed the staircase. Meanwhile, Schiller paused briefly by the window because he noticed a police car parked on the east side of Gotham University, just outside the west entrance of the sports arena.


    The electrical room wasn''t far from the main building, and the three of them quickly reached the door. They could see signs of recent maintenance, but it hadn''t seemed to resolve anything. None of the three electrical panels were functioning properly.


    Victor began to inspect them one by one, and even Anna offered a helping hand. Schiller, on the other hand, could only watch because once the electrical panels were opened, it revealed a chaotic tangle of hundreds of wires.


    "In my opinion, this electrical panel should be donated to a museum. I''ve seen at least five generations of technological iterations in here. It''s almost like a European artifact," Schiller remarked with a hint of disbelief.


    "It''s not that exaggerated," Victor replied while sorting through the wires. "It looks messy, but it''s manageable once organized. If you find this ce too dusty, you can wait outside..."


    "Alright, I..." Schiller was about to turn around and leave when suddenly, the door to the electrical room swung open with a loud bang. Several police officers rushed in, aiming their guns at the people inside. Schiller furrowed his brow, but then he recognized Gordon among the officers.


    Gordon, upon seeing Schiller and Victor, disyed a surprised expression. He quickly navigated through the crowd and pushed down the gun-wielding officer''s hand. He asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "That''s the question I was about to ask you, Detective Gordon. What brings you here?" Schiller replied.


    Gordon, maintaining hisposure, provided a well-organized exnation, "About half an hour ago, we received a report of another homicide at Gotham University. The crime scene is the lounge in the sports arena."


    "The victim, Karina, was a sophomore at Gotham University and a member of the cheerleading squad. About half an hour ago, someone strangled her with a belt."


    "At the time of the incident, the cheerleading squad members were rehearsing next door. In just five short minutes, Karina lost her breath, and there were no witnesses because, at that moment..."


    "The power went out," Schiller interrupted. Their office had also experienced a power outage about half an hour ago, which had led them to the electrical room. It appeared that the police officers had a simr line of thought.


    Gordon ced his hands on his hips and sighed, "Technicians checked the lounge''s electrical lights; the bulbs are new, and there are no issues with the circuit breakers. The only ce where there could be a problem is here."


    "Hey, can someone give me a hand?" Victor suddenly called out. Schiller wanted to walk over, but Gordon signaled to one of his subordinates, a young officer who walked over and took the shlight from Victor.


    Victor half-submerged his body into the massive electrical panel, seemingly inspecting something deeper inside. After a while, he straightened up, smoothed his slightly disheveled hair, and said, "These recent power outages weren''t idental or due to aging circuits. They were deliberate."


    Upon hearing this, both Gordon and Schiller narrowed their eyes. Clearly, they had both considered the same thing¡ªmurder. If someone benefited from the power outage, it was likely the perpetrator of the murder.


    In other ces, students might wish for a school power outage to skip sses, but at Gotham University, even without sses, there was nowhere to go because the outside world was too dangerous. Not attending sses and staying in a school without power was a form of torture, so it was unlikely that a student would intentionally sabotage the electrical equipment.


    Victor turned to look inside the panel again and pointed, "The wiring may be aging, but that''s not the issue. Someone added a remote control switch here. If I''m not mistaken, this device has been installed on all electrical facilities here."


    "What''s the use of that?" Gordon didn''t actually see what Victor was pointing at, and he was quite certain that even if he saw it, he wouldn''t understand it, so he asked directly.


    "Obviously, it can cut off power to the school. I suspect it can even control specific buildings or rooms," Schiller chimed in.


    "In fact, to cut off power to school buildings or rooms, you don''t need such aplex device. You cane here directly, find the electrical panel, and with a little maniption, you can achieve the same result," Victor exined.


    "He probably needed this device because he couldn''t alwayse here in person, so he had to control it remotely," Schiller added.


    "That means he''s likely not a student or a teacher at Gotham University, but an outsider," Gordon spected. It seemed he was beginning to form a theory. Then, he turned to Victor, saying, "Professor Victor, could you please examine this device and see if we can trace the signal to find the person with the remote control? I''ll check the security footage from the entrance gates for any suspicious individuals."


    With that, Gordon sighed. He dismissed the other officers, leaving only himself and a few professors behind. He spoke again, "The recent murder at Gotham University has greatly displeased The Godfather. He believes it''s a challenge to his authority, and that''s putting a lot of pressure on me."


    "If you have any leads, please inform me. The students are innocent, and I don''t want to see such tragedies happen again."


    Just as he finished speaking, an officer burst in, shouting, "Third floor! Someone has been attacked on the third floor!"


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 Chapter 571: The Black Sun and Bat-Signal (2)

    Chapter 571: The ck Sun and Bat-Signal (2)


    With a crowd swarming the area, Schiller opted not to use blink (Schiller has this short-distance teleportation). Instead, he sprinted up the staircase, reaching the third floor of the building where the power distribution room was located.


    This space used to be the old canteen, but it had been converted into a storage room after the construction of a new canteen. Teaching materials, office supplies, and sports equipment were now stored here. Schiller arrived at the room stacked with teaching materials. A young womany on the floor, covered in blood.


    Approaching her, Schiller noticed that she was still breathing. Just then, Gordon and Victor rushed over, relieved to find the victim alive. They quickly made a call for an ambnce. While waiting for it to arrive, Schiller examined the girl''s wounds.


    She had been stabbed twice in the abdomen with small, probably a fruit knife-like de. Her mouth was cut, and there were bruises on the side of her nose. Schiller surmised that someone had attacked her from behind, covering her mouth with one hand and thrusting the fruit knife into her abdomen with the other.


    Schiller turned his head to Gordon and asked, "Is the crime scene from the previous incident in the gym''s lounge still intact?"


    "Somebody''s cleaning it up. Do you want to check it out? I can make a call to have them temporarily stop."


    "I''ll take a look." Schiller nced back at the injured girl, who was currently being attended to by paramedics. Her normally radiant face was now pallid, trembling with pain, rendering her unable to speak.


    Schiller walked briskly towards the gym, and Victor followed. Though Schiller''s expression remained hidden, Victor understood him well. He patted Schiller''s shoulder and said, "Don''t get frustrated. We''ll bring the perpetrator to justice."


    Schiller remained silent, continuing forward. At that moment, ominous clouds loomed over Gotham''s skies, making it impossible to discern whether morning had already passed. Soon, thick clouds shrouded the city again, and Gotham was once more bathed in rain.Upon arriving at the gym, the weeping members of the dance troupe had been evacuated to the back of the seating area. Two officers stood guard at the lounge entrance, evidently familiar with Schiller. As he entered the room, the corpse was still in its original ce, but everything around it had been moved.


    The cause of death was easily identifiable, as the only conspicuous injury on the victim''s body was a fatal one on her neck. Schiller approached, conducted a brief examination, and then nced at the belt preserved in an evidence bag.


    It was an ornamental belt, likely worn by members of the dance troupe during performances. It was made of metal chains, exining the prominent neck injury on the victim.


    No fingerprints, no footprints, hardly any traces left behind, and no apparent motive. There were no bystanders, no locked room; this waspletely contrary to the typical murder cases that had urred previously.


    Standing in the center of the room, Victor wore a solemn expression. It was evident to him that theck of evidence would make the investigation exceedingly difficult. However, Schiller seemed lost in thought. Victor saw his contemtive look and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"


    "Perhaps I should have mentioned earlier that the serial murder case''s perpetrator seems to enjoy deliberately creating connections," Schiller began.


    "They select a theme and arrange the victims'' identities, the timing of the attacks, and the crime scenes ordingly. Some killers withpulsive behavior even dictate how the corpses are found, the timing, and the identities of witnesses."


    "Creating connections, guiding the gaze, that''s their specialty. They like leading the investigators with the clues and evidence they leave behind, inching them closer to the answers. It gives them a sense of aplishment, a sense of killing their own kind, toying with them."


    "Among the serial murder cases I''ve encountered, it''s not necessarily the brutality of the methods or the scarcity of evidence that makes a killer dangerous. Sometimes, it''s quite the opposite."


    "They maymit each individual crime quite ordinarily, but when you link them together, there''s an inscrutable theme. They might leave behind a heap of clues at the scene, then watch with delight as the investigators are sent spinning in circles."


    Schiller''s words hung in the air as he and Victor pondered the perplexing nature of the case.


    "In summary, their goal isn''t merely to kill someone; it''s to tread the line between breaking thew and avoiding consequences. They use themselves as a stake to observe the reactions of the entire society. That''s why they kill."


    "So, even though these cases exhibit some elements of a serial murder case, such as all of them urring within Gotham University and the victims being female, it still doesn''t constitute a serial murder case."


    "Because the perpetrator isn''t creating connections. On the contrary, they''re desperately erasing any connections. They want each case to appear entirely unrted, minimizing themonalities between each incident."


    "Another piece of evidence is that they meticulously eliminate evidence at the crime scenes, making the perpetrator vanish without a trace, leaving the police clueless and unable to find anything."


    "For serial murder case perpetrators, this would be too dull. They want to control and guide the investigators, leading them on a tour based on their instructions, rather than watching them stumble blindly in their carefully crafted exhibition."


    "And from this conclusion, we can deduce that the goal of this case''s perpetrator is the opposite of that of serial murder case perpetrators. In other words, if the goal of serial murder case perpetrators isn''t to kill, then this perpetrator''s goal is precisely to kill."


    Victor held up an umbre, shielding himself from the rain. He saw Schiller''s face shrouded beneath the umbre''s shadow, making it impossible to discern any expression. But whenever Schiller spoke about his past experiences rted to these matters, there was an eerie detachment in his demeanor, as if he had an innate resonance with the twisted murderers and madmen he described.


    When he adopted the perspective of an observer and used this empathy to scrutinize cases, searching for the true culprits, it was as if he were a dark sun suspended in the sky, casting chaos upon all and illuminating nothing.


    The rain continued to pour, and the shadow of death enveloped one of the few remaining sanctuaries in Gotham. Life at Gotham University was no longer as peaceful as it used to be. The sharp sirens and the lingering scent of blood in the air made it seem as though the city had been seized by an abyss, just like the rest of Gotham, dragged into endless darkness.


    Upon returning to the office, the lights had been restored, but now, the pristine light bulbs couldn''t provide a sense of security. Because no one knew when the lights might go out again, and nobody knew if, during the next ckout, there would be another scream and another corpse.


    Shortly after returning to the office, Gordon''s phone rang. He said, "The girl who was attacked in the storage room is out of danger. I conducted a preliminary interview with her, but as expected, she didn''t see her assant."


    "ording to her recollection, the attacker should be a male, physically strong, and swift. Therefore, the victim couldn''t resist."


    After hanging up the phone, Schiller sat at his desk, deep in thought. Then he picked up the phone and made calls first to Bruce and then to Lex, inviting them both to his office.


    At that moment, Bruce received the call while dealing with another matter. On the second day of Thomas Elliott''s imprisonment, the current head of the Elliott family and his wife were murdered.


    They were found dead in a nearby alley not far from Gotham Cathedral, both killed with two gunshots to the chest, one of which hit the heart, causing instant death.


    The reason Bruce knew about these cases before the police did was because Batman was still active in Gotham City that night, but someone had managed to elude his surveince andmit the crime. By the time Batman arrived at the scene, there was nothing left but the corpses.


    Facing a tragedy that felt all too familiar, Batman couldn''t remain indifferent. He had known Thomas since childhood, and while they weren''t inseparable friends, they were old acquaintances. Batman felt he had to investigate this case.


    There were, of course, suspects to consider, and one of them was the Godfather, Carmine Falcone.


    Thomas hadmitted a murder within Gotham University, which would undoubtedly displease the Godfather. He had issued a stern warning that no one was allowed tomit crimes within Gotham University, but Thomas, as the only son of the Elliott family, deliberately vited this rule. The Godfather might view this as a challenge.


    On the day Thomas was imprisoned, tensions had escted between the Elliott family and the Falcone Family. The Elliott couple firmly believed their son was innocent and had vehemently confronted the Gotham Police Department, which was under the control of the Godfather. Their audacity had infuriated Falcone, who had subsequently imposed sanctions on a portion of the Elliott family''s industry in Gotham. He had even invited the Elliott couple to Falcone Manor for a discussion. However, on their way to the North District, they were killed.


    With all these factors in mind, Batman couldn''t help but suspect Falcone as the prime candidate.


    Therefore, Batman began delving into past materials to gain a better understanding of Falcone as a person, hoping to find his vulnerabilities.


    And then, he discovered an utterly absurd fact.


    Carmine Falcone, the Godfather who had ruled Gotham for decades, had never killed a single person.


    He was innocent.


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 Chapter 572: The Dark Sun and the Bat-Signal (2)

    Chapter 572: The Dark Sun and the Bat-Signal (2)


    Batman still remembered a question someone had asked him when he first began his journey as a hero: "If you also need evidence, what sets you apart from those ineffectual police officers?"


    Now, the facts he had uncovered firsthand proved that Schiller''s words back then were right. In a ce like Gotham, thew was nothing more than a joke.


    Or to put it differently, no matter where you looked, there was no way to deal with individuals like Falcone. He had never personally killed anyone, never incited someone, never ordered a gunman to assassinate another. All his enemies had been killed by others, devoured by the jackals who sought to im a bigger share of his interests. Falcone, the uncrowned king of Gotham for decades, The Godfather revered by everyone, was far more innocent than anyone else.


    This made all the talk ofw, justice, and convictions seem like a joke. Those who had killed for him had done so driven by interests, clearing obstacles from Falcone''s path. Batman knew that even if he were to put Falcone on trial right now, no judge could convict him.


    Just like they couldn''t convict the killer of the Wayne couple.


    As Batman delved deeper into the meaning of thew, he received a call from Schiller that prompted him to visit his office. In a moment, he cast aside these profound questions about society because he knew he might be facing an even greater trouble.


    When Bruce arrived at Schiller''s office, he was surprised to find Lex there as well. He immediately sensed that the impending trouble might be multiplied by two.


    If there was one thing in this world that required both him and Lex to deal with, Bruce began to wonder if Schiller was dissatisfied with Sun''s position.


    Bruce and Lex took their seats across from Schiller, and to their surprise, Schiller didn''t mention anything about relocating Sun or the moon. Instead, he gestured toward the ceiling and said, "Have you noticed anything different up there?"Bruce and Lex looked up together and noticed that the ceiling lights had been removed, leaving empty sockets where the light bulbs should have been.


    "As you may know, Gotham University has been experiencing frequent power outagestely. Every time the poweres back on after an outage, it''s easy for the circuits to burn out, and the light bulbs are prone to damage. The new light bulb we installed today suffered the same fate."


    Schiller extended his hand and gestured for them to take in their surroundings. Now, the entire ssroom was pitch-ck, but the adjacent light bulb remained intact, allowing a faint glimmer of light to filter through the window, making it barely possible to see people.


    "This is the environment in which I work now. To improve this situation, I''ve established a research group, and you two are the first researchers. There are currently two projects to choose from."


    "The first one is to restore Gotham to normal weather conditions with more than 8 hours of daylight..."


    "I''ll take the second one," Bruce replied without hesitation, fearing that Schiller might change his mind and assign him and Lex to the first project together.


    Schiller then said, "Alright, Lex, your project is topletely change Gotham''s weather, making it sunny with abundant daylight, so that even if the light bulbs asionally fail, the office will have enough natural light."


    "No problem," Lex promptly agreed, even a bit eager. In his view, the project Bruce was desperately avoiding would prove his superiority if he couldplete it.


    Bruce nced at him with sympathy and then asked Schiller, "What is the second project?"


    "To create a light bulb that can stay lit forever."


    "Like the Bat-Signal," Bruce immediately responded.


    Schiller choked for a moment and asked, "You''re not really nning to make a Bat-Signal powered by nuclear fusion, are you?"


    Bruce lowered his head to examine the patterns on the table. Schiller shook his head and continued, "I don''t want to share the same type of light bulb with the traffic lights at Central Roundabout. It''s extremely ominous. Do you want my office to experience destruction three times a year?"


    Schiller nced at Lex, who was still in the room, and told him, "Your project is already chosen. You can get to work now. If I can pull back the curtains tomorrow and see clear skies, I''ll give you an unprecedentedly excellent grade for your final assignment."


    Lex hesitated for a moment, then quickly got up from his chair, left the room, and closed the door behind him. Bruce once again regarded his departing figure with a sympathetic look.


    After he left, Schiller retrieved a model from his drawer. It was the prototype Ark Reactor model he had taken from Stark Tower''sb earlier.


    Schiller ced it on the table and said, "Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance. Take it; I want a light bulb like this, and it shouldn''t be too difficult for you."


    Bruce took the model from Schiller. At first, he didn''t think much of it until he glimpsed a portion of its internal structure through the seams. Bruce narrowed his eyes, revealing the ssic Batman expression, and then looked up at Schiller.


    "This isn''t something you can make," Bruce stated straightforwardly, but Schiller didn''t get offended. In this regard, he wouldn''t argue with anyone. He truly had no knowledge of physics and engineering, and he had no interest in them either.


    "It''s from a friend of mine..."


    "Where is this friend? What''s their name? Male or female? Where do they study? Where do they work?"


    "Hold on, if you''re going to ask such detailed questions, I won''t give you things like this next time. I believe Lex might be interested in it as well."


    Bruce disyed an unusual expression of hesitation. No scientific researcher could resist such a stroke of inspiration, especially given Schiller''s hint that this opportunity was not a one-time thing.


    Suppressing his skepticism, Bruce grappled with the choice between gaining more technical knowledge and inspiration or continuing to follow his instincts, doubting everything, and pushing away all of Schiller''s gifts. Bruce had to acknowledge that he was conflicted once again.


    In previous instances, when Schiller had conjured up certain technologies seemingly out of thin air, Bruce had already begun to doubt him. However, he truly had no effective way to investigate. He could only hope that Schiller would tell him. Now, Schiller had made his attitude clear: if you wanted the truth, there would be no technology, and if you wanted technology, there would be no truth.


    Bruce''s grip on the model tightened as his internal struggle reached its peak. Just when he was about to make a choice, he heard Schiller''s devilish whisper:


    "I intentionally sent Lex away not because I believe hecks the technical expertise to create the light bulb I want, but because I feel that,pared to him, I''ve known you longer, I understand you better, and we are closer. That''s why I chose to entrust this to you."


    "I know you''ve always distrusted me, or rather, you distrust everyone. Considering your childhood trauma, I can understand your attitude. But if I chose to distrust you as well, then Lex would be the one left here today."


    "You should know that Lex is different from you and rk. He''s more like me. We both disregardws and rules, unafraid to use extreme means to achieve our goals."


    "So, one day, you two will inevitably sh. In theory, if I stand on his side, it would be the best retaliation against your distrusting attitude. But I don''t want to do that."


    "Why?" Bruce asked, his tone somewhat stiff.


    "Because in this world, there is not just one goal, and I don''t have to pursue them with maximum efficiency. People are called human beings because, in addition to rational calctions of interests, they also value emotions."


    "Are you saying that your emotionspelled you to make this decision?" Bruce''s voice held a hint of reluctance.


    "If I were to judge this matter with innocent rational thinking, then giving this thing to Lex would probably be the better choice. It would create a rival for you, limiting your growth, and provide me with an ally who shares a simr stance, guarding against your potential interference with my ns one day."


    "But I chose a different path, which is to entrust this to you, and I will exin why I made this choice."


    Bruce realized that this office was still his ce of nightmares because every time he was here, he faced such choices.


    He would have preferred if Schiller hadn''t made everything so clear, but now, Bruce knew that Schiller had chosen emotions over reason. In Bruce''s eyes, this was not the right choice, but he was the beneficiary.


    This dilemma left him in a mental quagmire. His brain, ustomed to rational thinking, told him that Schiller''s actions were wrong, that his behavior and personality should not lead him to make such a decision. So, Bruce''s mind began to analyze Schiller''s motivations.


    Schiller''s words had made it clear to Bruce that his motivation was emotions. For a long time, the emotional part of Bruce''s mind had been inactive, separated by a thick door. Alfred''s presence was the key to the door, and his feelings for Catwoman had slightly turned the key, while Aisha and Dick had collided with the door, cracking it open a bit.


    If others were trying to force the door open from the outside, what Schiller did was more like opening the door from the inside.


    As Schiller watched Bruce''s retreating figure, the model was faintly visible in the dark office. However, because it was merely a structural model, not a real Ark Reactor, it didn''t emit light or provide any illumination.


    But Schiller knew that, with Bruce''s genius, lighting up the Ark Reactor wouldn''t take long.


    And this Ark Reactor, filled with countless conflicting thoughts, illuminated not just a street or a room but also something that had been lurking behind that closed door, peering out into the world.


    If this bat insisted on lighting up in this dark city, Schiller didn''t mind recing his Bat-Signal with a brighter light bulb.


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 Chapter 573: Lexs Gotham Journey (1)

    Chapter 573: Lex''s Gotham Journey (1)


    After leaving Schiller''s office, Lex began contemting how to tackle this project.


    To be honest, he had no formal education. All the knowledge he had acquired was during the times when he was away from Lionel. His father, while still alive and medicating him, would sometimes hire home tutors for him. However, those tutors knew they were mere tools Lionel used to showcase paternal affection. Who would dedicate themselves to teaching such advanced knowledge to a socially withdrawn child? Nobody thought Lex could learn.


    So, he had no idea how to approach research on a topic. Nevertheless, disregarding the standard procedures, as long as he achieved the objective of this project, Lex believed he could do it.


    Firstly, he possessed nearly limitless wealth, which already resolved most problems. No longer bound by financial constraints, Lex could focus entirely on addressing the issue. He believed that, as a 16-year-old genius, there was nothing he couldn''t aplish in this scenario.


    Before embarking on his experiments, he needed some preparation. First, he had to find a suitableboratory. Lex considered that since he was now a student at Gotham University, borrowing one of itsboratories should be possible.


    However, when he investigated, Lex discovered that Gotham University''sboratories were far from adequate. In more diplomatic terms, Gotham University''sboratories would have sufficed for Galileo''s experiments. The university had two oldboratory buildings, situated behind the administration building. On the surface, both buildings appeared substantial, one being six stories high and the other seven, totaling over twentyboratories.


    However, upon entering, Lex found that there were no modern experimental equipment avable here. There were hardly any teachers or students conducting experiments. Everyone crowded into the newboratory building on the far west side. Unfortunately, that building was rtively small, with only five usable floors and sevenboratories. So far, each was dedicated to a specific department, leaving no spareboratories for Lex.


    In that case, Lex was not confined to Gotham University''s facilities. He believed that a metropolis like this had several institutes or research centers, simr to Metropolis. Apart from the Central Research Institute, Metropolis had many private research institutes that epted individual researchers for a fee. Lex had no shortage of money.


    However, he discovered that he had underestimated Gotham. He bought various maps, consulted various people, and confirmed that there were no research institutes in the city. Thest research institution that had appeared in the city was the European-run Divine College.Gotham was not a city built around the science and technology industry, or rather, the city''s entire science and technology foundation relied solely on Batman. He was single-handedly upholding the city, and most of the high-tech equipment with scientific and technological content in Gotham was provided by him.


    Lex certainly couldn''t ask Bruce for ess to aboratory. He had to find an alternative solution...


    Constructing a newboratory building with his financial resources or establishing his own research institute independently was not difficult. However, it would take time, and even if he donated aboratory building to Gotham University, it would still take at least a year toplete. Lex couldn''t afford to wait that long.


    After some searching, he finally found a ce he could possibly use: Victor''s cryogenicboratory.


    Victor had been in the city for a long time, and he had gradually modified his cryogenicboratory. It was located in the basement, first floor, and second floor of the second oldboratory building, and it had everything he needed for his experiments.


    As another super genius, Victor had built his base impably. Although he was no longer the superviin Freeze, he had all the necessary freezing chambers, cold storage units, an armory, and most of the equipment required for physics and chemistry experiments. Victor had a good rtionship with Bruce, so he had acquired many advanced devices from him, albeit at the cost of some low-temperature technology.


    Moreover, Victor earned extra ie working for gangs in his spare time and mized his low-temperature patented technology. He was now wealthy, and his cryogenicboratory was even expanding towards the Batcave, fully equipped with various devices from different fields. asionally, professors from other departments also came to borrow equipment, so the reputation of thisboratory had spread.


    Upon hearing this, Lex naturally wanted to use theboratory. So, he went to find Victor but was promptly refused.


    In Victor''s eyes, Lex was just a freshman, not even havingpleted basic courses. Why would he need to conduct experiments? Moreover, experiments were not child''s y, and Victor''sboratory contained many dangerous items. As soon as Victor learned Lex was only 16 years old, he immediately rejected the idea. No responsible teacher or researcher would allow a minor into their specializedboratory, which would not only be irresponsible for theboratory''s equipment but also for the individual''s safety.


    Would Lex give up so easily? Of course not. He wasn''t Batman or a superhero, burdened with morality. He wanted to achieve his goals and was willing to resort to any means necessary.


    So, on the second night after Victor''s refusal, Lex entered theboratory directly.


    In Lex''s view, Victor was just an ordinary schr. If he disagreed, it didn''t matter. After all, Lex had ways to unlock doors and infiltrate. Then, he could use the equipment here as he pleased.


    Once he entered the ground floor of theboratory, as Lex expected, there was nothing special. It appeared to be an ordinaryboratory. After opening the first room, the preparation room seemed equally unremarkable. Lex went inside to change his clothes and also found a catalog of equipment storage.


    He flipped through the catalog and discovered that the cold storage for storing certain special chemical reagents was located on the basement level. So, he made his way to the staircase leading to the underground on the first floor.


    As he descended a few steps, a bone-chilling cold emanated from below, causing Lex to shiver.


    However, he thought to himself that in a ce with a cold storage room, lower temperatures were to be expected. He was only going downstairs to fetch something and wouldn''t stay long. He could return quickly...


    An hourter, Victor sighed as he looked at Lex, frozen solid at the entrance of the underground cold storage room.


    Inside the massive ice block, Lex was still alive. Not only that, his eyeballs could move, and he stared at Victor, apparently realizing that the refined and amiable professor before him was not the ordinary schr he had initially assumed.


    "My cold storage is different from others. You need to wear special protective gear to enter, especially special gloves to touch the doorknob. Otherwise, you''ll end up like you, frozen inside the ice," Victor donned a pair of gloves and then turned the doorknob in front of Lex.


    Lex''s gaze fixated on the doorknob. He had stumbled here bying down the staircase and, without thinking, reached for the doorknob, intending to open the door. But then he was instantly frozen.


    Lex had never seen or heard of such technology, the ability to freeze a person within a massive ice block in an instant. What was more astonishing was that he felt no difort, not even the cold. His physiological functions and thoughts were normal; he was justpletely immobilized.


    To Lex, this technology was nothing short of miraculous. It was precisely because he had some knowledge in this area that he understood how powerful it was.


    However, Victor remained unfazed. He changed into his protective suit, entered the cold storage room, and retrieved a gun. With a "whoosh," a beam of light shot directly at Lex''s ice block.


    With a "crack," the ice shattered, and Lex stumbled a bit uponnding but managed to stand upright.


    "How was this done?" Lex spun around, surveying the ice blocks scattered on the floor. In his eyes, these didn''t look like regr ice blocks but more like high-density crystals resembling diamonds.


    "You should answer my question first. What were you trying to do by barging in here? Your name is Lex, right? A freshman. Hasn''t anyone told you that this area is off-limits at Gotham University?" Victor inquired.


    "I wanted to borrow aboratory toplete a project assigned by Professor Shiller," Lex replied.


    Hearing Schiller''s name, Victor furrowed his brow. He took a few steps back and scrutinized Lex. Despite Lex appearing thin and pale, his eyes had a peculiar gleam.


    Thest person for whom Schiller had personally assigned homework was Bruce. Victor was well aware of how brilliant Bruce was. Did Schiller believe that the young man before him was on par with Bruce?


    Suddenly, Victor became interested. He walked back to the control panel, grabbed a set of protective gear, and tossed it to Lex, saying, "Come with me. I''ll ask you a few questions, and if you can answer them, I might let you use theboratory."


    Lex didn''t say anything but silently put on the protective gear and followed Victor inside. Upon entering theboratory, Lex was left in awe.


    Gotham was a peculiar ce where disparities weren''t limited to architecture and the ecological makeup of its citizens; it extended to the realm of science and technology.


    Right next to the old and dpidatedboratory building was another one that appeared to have been transported intact from an alien spacecraft. The walls had a grayish-blue hue, crafted from a metallic material whose source Lex couldn''t discern. The connections between the walls were made of the same high-density crystal-like substance he had noticed earlier. Light strips emitting a cold glow adorned the walls at regr intervals.


    There were four rows ofb tables, all facing the walls, and in the center of the roomy an enormous machine, connecting the floor of the first level to the ceiling of the second level. A blue liquid flowed within it, emitting a surreal glow.


    Next to the massive machine, there were two control panels with buttons that looked dizzying just to nce at. Additionally, there were rows of document cabs near the windows and specialized tforms for holding test tubes, which were illuminated by a faint glow.


    In short, if one were to wake up in such aboratory one day, being a creature with only six legs would be the least of their worries.


    While Lex was examining theboratory''s surroundings, theboratory door suddenly swung open. Another small figure entered, holding a stack of documents.


    "Professor Victor, I''ve finished organizing the materials I brought back yesterday. Should I put them in document cab number two?" the neer asked.


    Lex and the neer were equally surprised when they looked at each other. Lex saw a young boy who appeared even younger than himself, with a paleplexion and somewhat gloomy eyes beneath his brow.


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 Chapter 574: Lexs Journey in Gotham (1)

    Chapter 574: Lex''s Journey in Gotham (1)


    When Lex and Copperpot met and locked eyes, they suddenly had a feeling that they might be very simr to each other.


    This simrity didn''t refer to their backgrounds or resources but rather to their mental and personality traits. In other words, they were both born psychopaths.


    There were many simrities among people with an anti-society personality. Their cold, cruel, and vtile temperaments couldn''t be concealed by any outward appearance. When two killers met, they could always find resonance in each other''s souls almost immediately.


    To some extent, these people could be seen as the opposite of proponents of the doctrine of innate goodness. Many of them didn''t be psychopaths due to childhood trauma or psychological shadows. They were born this way and couldn''t be saved.


    Copperpot had been doing well recently. He had be Alberto''s right-hand man within the Twelve Families, and it was foreseeable that when Alberto truly became the next Godfather, Copperpot''s name would be engraved in the annals of the Twelve Families.


    In terms of emotions, he had mingled with the folks from the professional school and had also recruited all the kids in Gotham, satisfying his lust for power. At the same time, he continued to learn from Victor, who was like a father figure to him, guiding and educating him relentlessly.


    But as mentioned before, Copperpot had gained a better life, had teachers and friends, and had a promising future ahead of him. However, this hadn''t transformed him into a cheerful and sunny person. He remained sullen, indifferent,cking empathy for others, and deriving pleasure from violence and controlling others.


    This personality didn''t change with changes in external circumstances. If he were anywhere other than Gotham, the best ce for him would be a mental hospital. But in Gotham, this disease couldn''t be treated, nor did it need to be treated. Or rather, this anti-society personality was considered a model patient.


    After a moment of simultaneous hesitation, both of them averted their gazes and didn''t continue to look at each other. Just then, Victor walked out of another room and saw the two of them standing there. He approached and took the stack of documents from Copperpot''s hand, then patted Lex on the shoulder.Lex followed him into the room, while Copperpot continued to prepare experimental materials outside. He asionally turned his head to look at the door through the frosted ss, where he could see Victor and Lex sitting face to face. Victor seemed to be asking Lex some questions, and Lex was responding smoothly.


    When the two of them came out, Victor appeared to be in a good mood. He introduced Lex to Copperpot, saying, "This is Lex Luthor. He''ll also be an assistant in theboratory. After 5 PM, he''ll need to use theboratory for independent experiments, so remember not to lock the door."


    In a rare moment, Copperpot didn''t turn his head to look at Victor. He just continued with what he was doing, nodding his head.


    He quickly organized the equipment and then turned to leave. Victor followed him outside, putting his arm around Copperpot''s shoulder and said, "Don''t be upset, Copperpot. I won''t let you do independent experiments because you''re still too young, even younger than him."


    "I don''t know what''s gotten into you youngsters, nning to do such dangerous experiments at your age. When I was your age, I only read scientific magazines or yed with fire to burn my dad''s tires."


    "Don''t rush it, children. You should follow the path of reading books, getting into high school, and then college. When you''re in college, you''ll have plenty of time for experiments."


    "Ice takes time to freeze, and people need time to grow."


    Copperpot pursed his lips and said, "No, I''m not jealous of him. It''s just..."


    Copperpot shook his head. He didn''t know how to exin his intuition to Victor. When facing Victor, he was always reluctant to mention his own past, like how he used to be The Godfather''s hitman, how he had killed many people, and how he was still killing people now.


    Every time he entered normal life, Copperpot felt repulsed by his abnormal desires outside of society. But whenever he acted on those desires, he couldn''t control himself. He couldn''t tell Victor because he was one of those people, and he could keenly sense that the person in front of him was also one of those people. He couldn''t use his own dark history as evidence to warn Victor.


    Taking a deep breath, he ultimately shook his head and said nothing before slowly walking away down the corridor.


    As the sky gradually darkened, Victor finished his work and said to Lex, who was busy organizing materials at theb table, "Thank you for your help. It''s your free time now, and everything you need is ready. Just remember to stay safe. I''m heading out."


    "Thank you," Lex smiled at Victor, who also nodded slightly and then walked away.


    After Victor left, with the sky growing darker, Lex focused on his experiment. He was preparing a chemicalpound to disperse rain clouds into the sky.


    First, he needed to prepare the projectile, and then he would work on theunch mechanism. So, for now, he was immersed in the chemical experiment. It required his full concentration as he had to continuously observe the reaction without any distractions. Lex stared intently at the reaction in the test tube, the coldboratory light shining on his face, leaving a scar of light.


    Suddenly, a shadow partially blocked the light, and Lex quickly dodged to the side. With a sharp sound, a knife cut across his upper arm, causing blood to spray out.


    The test tube was flung out, and the reagent inside spilled onto the floor. Upon contact with the ground, it sizzled, emitting a faint mist of smoke.


    With a sharp "crack," the entireboratory plunged into darkness. Gritting his teeth, Lex turned around to find an incredibly gloomy face emerging from the shadows¡ªit was Copperpot.


    During the daytime, he seemed merely sullen, but as night fell, his darkness and madness reached their zenith. He was like a penguin diving from the surface of a cier into the water, going from slow to swift, from prey to predator.


    "Are you out of your mind, Copperpot?" Lex shouted, "We just met today, and we have no quarrel!"


    "It seems you don''t have a proper understanding of your own mental state," Copperpot rasped, "But not long ago, I went to see a psychologist, and he told me I''m insane."


    Holding a knife, Copperpot approached Lex, who stepped back, eyeing his grim and distorted countenance. Copperpot continued, "Moreover, he told me that if I ever met someone very simr to myself, then he too must be a lunatic."


    "We belong to the same category¡ªborn psychopaths beyond cure. Therefore, I must kill you."


    Lex found Copperpot utterly irrational and protested, "On what basis do you call me a psychopath? I haven''t even killed anyone!"


    "Someday, you will," Copperpot''s figure may have been small, but the cold gleam of the de he held, and his posture, suggested that he was no stranger to such acts. He knew how to use his stance to apply pressure effectively.


    Lex clenched his teeth and said, "Gothamites are truly insane! You kill people without reason?!"


    "I told you, because we are the same kind of people, I must kill you."


    Lex didn''t know what else to say. Perhaps this highlighted the difference between Metropolis and Gotham.


    In Metropolis, all the viins had reasons for their crimes. They acted either out of self-interest, hatred, love, or pursuit, but they stillmitted crimes based on the logic of ordinary people.


    Gotham was different. The lunatics of Gotham might kill someone because they ate a steak they liked that morning or due to some crazy hallucination and baseless intuition.


    Many might think that holding a grudge and breaking thew and moral boundaries due to love or hatred is a form of madness, but in reality, it isn''t. When a person''s emotions, the driving force behind those emotions, and the resulting actions align perfectly, it means they still operate within a logical framework and aren''t truly mad.


    True lunatics have emotions disconnected from their actions, just like the difference between Lex and Copperpot.


    Lex felt intense dislike for rk due to their differing viewpoints, and this might lead him to seek trouble with rk or evenmit crimes against him in the future. His hatred provided a motive, and the motive led to criminal actions.


    However, Copperpot was different in his attitude toward Lex. He was a total stranger to Lex, and there was no grudge or recognition. Yet, he had an intuition and a desire to kill Lex. There was no emotion, no motive, and no logical connection; it was merely a fleeting hallucination, serving as a reason tomit murder.


    All the lunatics in Gotham were like this. Their actionscked internal logic, which meant that no one could be entirely sure they wouldn''t be targets. That was the true terror of Gotham because you couldn''t stake your life on whether a lunatic had enjoyed their steak that morning.


    Just as Copperpot raised his knife, there was a sharp "crack," the sound of ss shattering from outside the window.


    Copperpot turned, and in that moment of distraction, Lex grabbed the test tube rack resting behind him on theb table and hurled it at Copperpot.


    The rack, along with the test tubes, struck Copperpot''s back, breaking a tube and cutting his skin, causing blood to flow. Copperpot swiftly turned his head, his gloomy demeanor giving way to ferocity and madness. Just as he raised the knife again, a deep, enraged voice echoed from outside the room:


    "Thomas! Stop! Cease your wicked deeds!"


    With a loud thud, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, followed by heavy footsteps, the room''s door swung open, and a man rushed in.


    He froze upon entering, seemingly not expecting to find others in the room. Knowing that his pursuers wouldn''t give him much reaction time, he hesitated for less than a second. Then, he charged straight toward Lex.


    Lex tried to dodge, but it was futile. The tall man captured his arm and then grabbed him from behind, holding him hostage and turning him around.


    At this moment, the light from outside streamed in through the open door, casting a bright square on the room''s floor. A pointed-eared, ck shadow stood within the rectangr doorframe, like a ying card that had been dealt.


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 Chapter 575: Lexs Gotham Journey (II)

    Chapter 575: Lex''s Gotham Journey (II)


    At this moment, Batman stood in the doorway, facing a menacing Thomas, who had Lex''s neck in a vice-like grip. On one side of the two men, Copperpot held a blood-stained dagger aloft.


    The cold low light made the scene freeze, time momentarily halted, and then began to rewind.


    As the soft morning light bathed Wayne Manor, Bruce was already in his study. He had ced the Ark Reactor model he obtained from Schiller within arm''s reach, but at this moment, he wasn''t examining the model. Instead, he focused on his previous work.


    He hadn''t forgotten that he was investigating the deaths of the Elliott couple, which had led him to look into Falcone.


    However, the investigation into Falcone had hit a dead end. Every event in this city seemed connected to him, yet unrted at the same time.


    This train of thought had stalled, so Bruce switched to another approach. He revisited the crime scene, collecting numerous clues and details. One particr detail caught his attention¡ªthe footprints of the Elliott couple.


    It had rained recently, and some of the ground''s mud and dust hadn''tpletely dried. This allowed for the collection of information on tire and footprints.


    The tire marks indicated that the Elliotts had parked their car on the main road, exited the car, and walked into the alley leading to the location where they were killed. Their walking appeared entirely normal, with no signs of haste or anxiety in their strides.


    In other words, they hadn''t been chased or forced into the alley; they had entered it willingly.Bruce examined the photos of the footprints, narrowing his eyes as he envisioned the scene. In a dimly lit alley, the two figures gradually made their way toward the end. Bruce turned his head slightly and noticed one unusual thing¡ªthe alley''s end housed a music store.


    If the Elliotts had willingly entered the alley, their destination could only have been that music store.


    However, the purpose of the Elliotts'' visit should have been to meet with the Falcone Family. So why would they go to a music store?


    Such stores primarily sold cassette tapes, and even the better records weren''t typically found there. Falcone wouldn''t have shown an interest in such items.


    As far as Bruce knew, the Elliott family wasn''t in a position to challenge the Falcone Family. Even if they were angry, they would bring a suitable gift when visiting the old godfather, as was customary.


    The Elliotts weren''t so hard-pressed that they could only afford low-quality gifts. Even if they were buying records, they would have chosen high-quality ones, not browsing a music store.


    Bruce recalled a detail from a certain party where Thomas had invited others to his home to listen to CD tracks, iming to have a CD yer and a collection of recorded discs.


    Discovering the CD could be a clue, Bruce set aside the materials in his hand and headed to the music store at the end of the alley.


    Upon entering the store, Bruce realized it didn''t carry many CDs; it primarily sold cassette tapes and vinyl records. After questioning the owner, he learned that CDs weren''t in stock.


    CDs had only started gaining poprity in the mid-1990s, and it was now the early 1989s. CDs were still a novelty, and the owner didn''t stock them to avoid being stuck with unsold inventory. To purchase one, customers had to ce an order ande back when it arrived.


    Bruce chatted with the owner, mentioning his interest in CDs and wanting to ce an order for a batch. The owner was enthusiastic and dropped some valuable information.


    As Bruce had expected, thest person to ce an order here was Thomas, and the scheduled pickup date coincided with the day the Elliotts were killed.


    The Elliotts had entered the alley to pick up their son''s order, but before they could reach the music store, they were fatally shot.


    At this point, the answer was bing clear. The only remaining question was: What was the killer''s motive?


    The Thomas Bruce knew was an ordinary person, generally kind-hearted, polite, and of average achievement. He attended parties and was a typical rich second-generation individual.


    To Bruce''s knowledge, Thomas had a good rtionship with his parents, being their only child. His parents had invested heavily in his upbringing, providing both material and emotional support. There were no reports of major conflicts, and Thomas had no apparent reason to murder his own parents.


    To unravel this mystery, Batman visited the Gotham Police Department to find Gordon and request another interrogation of Thomas.


    Batman shared his deductions regarding the Elliott couple''s death with Gordon, who found them reasonable. Gordon also noted something else, saying, "Have you noticed that the murder case in the dormitory where Thomas was arrested seemed a bit too straightforward?"


    "I rarely encounter such simple cases in Gotham. Even if gangsmit crimes with brutal methods, they''re skilled at covering their tracks. The remaining lunatics always leave various clues to draw people''s attention..."


    "Moreover, when Thomas was arrested, he didn''t resist, which is exceptionally rare in Gotham. If everyone behaved like him, our interrogation rooms wouldn''t be in such a sorry state."


    "If I hadn''t reviewed his file and learned he was a local from Gotham, I wouldn''t believe he could be so calm when arrested."


    Batman narrowed his eyes and said, "Unless he intentionally staged this case to cover up another murder.""When the Elliott couple died, he should have been in prison with ample evidence of his absence. Therefore, even though I have gathered some clues, with these clues, I can''t convict him," said Gordon, frowning. "But it doesn''t make sense," he continued. "Murdering the members of the La La Dance Troupe is one thing, and murdering his own parents is another. He has no reason tomit one murder to exonerate himself from another because the sentencing for both murder cases would be simr, with only a slight difference if he were convicted of killing his parents."


    "If he killed the La La Dance Troupe members to create an alibi for himself, he might spend decades in prison. If he doesn''t create that alibi and goes to jail for murdering his parents, he would also spend decades there. So, why bother with an alibi when he''d end up in prison either way?" Batman spected. "Unless he''s confident that he can overturn the La La Dance Troupe murder case," Batman deduced. "Remember, shortly after Doris was murdered, another member of the troupe was killed, followed by a third..."


    "This looks very much like a serial murder case. The initial case''s culprit, Thomas, is in jail, but the case continues, and new victims keep appearing. People might start thinking that Thomas is innocent, and the real serial murder case perpetrator is still atrge," Gordon covered his forehead and said, "Indeed, everyone is saying it''s a serial murder case now; the characteristics are too obvious."


    Batman, however, shook his head and said, "No, it''s quite the opposite. This isn''t a serial murder case."


    "How do you know?" Gordon asked. "I remember Schiller saying that serial murder cases havemonalities among victims, as well as simrities in the locations and methods of murder. This case seems to fit those characteristics perfectly."


    Batman shook his head again and said, "Did Schiller tell you that real serial murder cases are intentionally linked, with the culprits deliberately creating those connections?"


    While Gordon was still contemting, Batman continued, "And these killers are desperately erasing evidence. They are different from those psychopathic lunatics; they don''t kill for pleasure, but solely to kill."


    "I think Thomas likely has an aplice. After he was arrested for one murder, his partner continuedmitting crimes on the outside to exonerate him," Batman exined.


    At that moment, an unexpected visitor arrived at the police station¡ªHarvey Dent. When he entered Gordon''s office, Gordon walked up and embraced him, saying, "Long time no see, you''re back from your vacation?"


    "Yes, in fact, I was called back. Can you guess who called me back?"


    "Who?"


    "The Elliott family''swyer. They want me to defend their client, Thomas Elliott, and prove his innocence."


    "As expected," Batman spoke in a low voice. "Is their defense argument based on the idea that the murders of the La La Dance Troupe members should be considered a serial murder case? We arrested Thomas, yet the case is ongoing, suggesting he''s not the perpetrator."


    Harvey raised an eyebrow and said, "How did you know? His statement matches what you just said."


    "Can the defense be sessful?" Gordon asked.


    "If I handle it, there''s a possibility," Harvey replied without false modesty, simply stating the facts.


    "This is getting a bitplicated," Gordon frowned, feeling the pressure. However, at that moment, a police officer rushed into his office and eximed, "Commissioner! Something''s wrong! Thomas Elliott escaped while being transferred from the police station to the prison!"


    All present were stunned for a moment. Gordon immediately asked, "Why? Why would he escape? Wasn''t he nning to defend himself?"


    Clearly, they all realized that Thomas''s actions were contradictory. If he refused to acknowledge guilt and sought legal representation to prove his innocence, he should have stayed put, waiting for legal proceedings to take effect. Escaping through violence meant he had lost any chance of defense and essentially admitted to the murders.


    His behavior was inconsistent, leaving them puzzled. However, Batman knew he had to stop Thomas; they couldn''t allow a crazed murderer to roam freely in the city.


    Following the clues provided by the police, Batman tracked Thomas''s escape. The process was far from smooth for Thomas; his head was injured, and he had sprained his ankle, leaving behind numerous traces. Batman followed these traces and arrived at Gotham University''sboratory, where he encountered Lex and Copperpot.


    At that moment, with Lex in his grip, Thomas uttered a shocking statement, "I didn''te here to kill! I came to protect my fianc¨¦e! There''s a crazed serial killer on the loose! She''s in danger!"


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 Chapter 576: Stitched Together (1)

    Chapter 576: Stitched Together (1)


    When Thomas finished shouting those words, both Batman and Copperpot were left dumbfounded.


    Batman was caught off guard, struggling toprehend what Thomas was saying, while Copperpot remained utterly clueless about the recent string of murders and believed Thomas was implicating Lex as the serial killer.


    Thomas gasped for breath, his voice trembling hysterically as he eximed, "This is beyond my n! I didn''tmit those murders! Things shouldn''t have turned out this way; I had everything nned..."


    Seeing Thomas on the verge of a breakdown, Batman realized that this might be the opportune moment to uncover the truth. So, he turned to Thomas and inquired, "You mentioned that your fianc¨¦e is in danger and that there''s a serial killer involved. Could you please exin what''s going on?"


    Thomas''s voice quivered, and he appeared reluctant, but he understood that Batman was his only hope to stop this, so he reluctantly began to speak.


    "I killed Doris," he admitted, "I borrowed a javelin from the gym equipment room and stabbed her in the chest, but my intention wasn''t to kill her. I only wanted to use that incident to..."


    "¡­create an alibi for myself," Batman interjected with a calm and collected tone. He continued, "You arranged to put yourself in prison, had your associates murder the Elliott couple to provide you with an alibi, and then nned to find a way to clear your name and inherit the Elliott family estate."


    "And your method of clearing your name was to have your associates continuemitting murders resembling Doris''s case, turning it into a series of serial killings to prove that you couldn''t have killed Doris."


    Thomas froze for a moment, then his expression shifted from anger to aplex mixture of emotions. He said, "Batman... Batman... You truly are a genius. I should be as well... I should...""Before we continue," Batman interrupted, "could you please exin what''s going on with your fianc¨¦e and the serial killings?"


    "Yes, yes! You must find Belenna quickly! She''s in danger now! Someone''s after her," Thomas eximed, his trembling arm betraying his anxiety. "The second victims of the cheerleading squad, I did kill them because as long as the serial killings continued, it would prove my innocence."


    "But the third incident wasn''t me... there''s another killer! His next target is my fianc¨¦e, Belenna!"


    Thomas''s words seemed jumbled and illogical, leaving Batman struggling to discern any logic. He only heard Thomas admit to the first two murders while denying involvement in the third.


    Logically, if he confessed to two murders, there was no need to deny the third victim. At this point, regardless of Thomas''s actions, there was no way for him to avoid facing the consequences.


    "First, tell me who your associates are and how youmitted these crimes," Batman demanded, paying little attention to Thomas''s anxious demeanor. He couldn''t afford to be deceived, as he needed to understand the full story.


    Thomas appeared to have abandoned his reluctance and spilled out the story, "It was about two weeks ago when I, due to my anxiety, wanted to see a doctor. I left my telephone number somewhere, and not long after, a psychologist named Dr. Hugo contacted me..."


    "He imed to have extensive experience in this field and offered to help treat me. Since I didn''t want my parents to know about my mental health issues and couldn''t seek treatment at a legitimate hospital, I decided to give it a try."


    "After I arrived at the designated location, I realized there was no psychological clinic there. Instead, I found them hiding in Gotham''s sewers."


    "There was an abandoned cold storage warehouse they had converted for their purposes. For some reason, it was abandoned, and they chose to hide there."


    "At first, I wanted to leave, but this Dr. Hugo person stopped me. We talked for a while, and he seemed like a genuinely skilled psychologist who had fallen on hard times. So, I offered to support him, but on the condition that he must cure my anxiety."


    "He and I talked extensively, and I confided many of my inner secrets to him. He convinced me that my anxiety and pressure came from my parents, and once I removed the source of pressure, my anxiety would naturally disappear."


    "He encouraged you to kill your parents?" Batman asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "Correct," Thomas gulped and continued, "He devised a series of ns, saying that as long as I followed them, everything would be fine. But now, none of this was part of our n!"


    "He told me that after I got imprisoned, he would kill my parents and then stage another incident, selecting a girl with a simr identity to Doris,mitting a simr crime at the same location, turning it into a series of serial killings to exonerate me and get me out of prison."


    "He said he would only carry out one more incident, butter, I heard about a third one. So, I tried to contact awyer and reached out to Dr. Hugo, but he told me that he wasn''t responsible for the third incident."


    "It was at that moment that my fianc¨¦e, Belenna, called me. She was crying heavily on the phone, sounding incredibly sad and frightened. She said someone had been threatening her through mail and notes, saying they were going to kill her..."


    Copperpot, who had been listening, spoke up, "Belenna? I think I know her. She''s a student in the environmental college. She hasn''t been in theboratory for the past few days. She used to use thisboratory for her project quite often, but I haven''t seen her around."


    "That''s why I came here to find her!" Thomas shouted. "I know she was working here. She left her bag at my ce with keys to this location, specialized gloves, and protective gear inside. I recognized it as equipment for the cryogenicboratory..."


    "So, that''s how you managed to open theboratory door?" Copperpot looked at Thomas''s hand, noticing the glove that concealed any fingerprints. It was a thin, tight-fitting glove that wasn''t easily detectable.


    "She must be missing!" Thomas''s emotions continued to escte. "She might even be dead. I need to find her!"


    As Thomas''s emotional state grew increasingly unstable, he tightened his grip on Lex''s arm, making Lex struggle to breathe, his face turning red and his lips starting to purple.


    In any case, Lex''s physical condition was truly poor. Even someone as robust as Thomas, a tall and strong adult male, could force him to step back. Copperpot, though very slender, held a deadly weapon and had the same effect. When Thomas pinned Lex down, he had no room for resistance.


    Even the most brilliant mind couldn''t convert intelligence into physical prowess in such a situation. Lex''s genius brain had even begun to experience shallow unconsciousness due tock of oxygen.


    Batman, of course, observed this situation keenly. He took a couple of steps forward, trying to exert pressure on Thomas, but Thomas didn''t retreat. He knew that moving back would lead him to the window, with nowhere else to go. He needed more space to deal with the possible attacks from Batman, so he moved to his left, which was farther away from Copperpot and Batman.


    In that directiony thergerboratory interior. Batman advanced, and Thomas stepped back, always retreating in that direction until he had his back against thergest apparatus in the center of the room.


    As mentioned earlier, it was a massive machine, cylindrical in shape, connecting two floors. Besides the surrounding control panels and fixtures, it housed a cylindrical liquid storage unit filled with the materials Victor used to create super ice. Due to certain material science constraints, this substance couldn''t be stored in a solid state and had to be kept in a special chamber in liquid form. It needed constant stirring and the use of another chemical agent to maintain stability.


    At this moment, the blue liquid inside the cylindrical storage unit behind Thomas churned continuously, resembling both beautiful waves and ever-changing nebs. The cold light shone on his back, but due to the excellent sealing, there was no hint of chill.


    Indeed, necessary stimuli can heighten one''s awareness of a potentially dangerous item. Just like a person''s hand instinctively recoiling from touching a boiling kettle, Thomas didn''t sense anything unusual from the object he was leaning against, so he didn''t realize how dangerous it was.


    Batman''s attention was firmly on Lex, and no matter whom Thomas was holding hostage, Batman''s top priority was to save the hostage.


    At this point, due to the immense pressure Batman was exerting, Thomas appeared to be on the verge of losing control. He began to grip Lex''s neck forcefully, saying, "You''re all the same! You geniuses... geniuses? Do you think you''re superior by birth? Why not me? Answer me! Is this fair?"


    "Bruce Wayne!" Thomas suddenly raised his voice. "Do you think I don''t know who you are? Batman! I''ve been investigating since the moment Batman appeared..."


    "I''ve seen through your tricks! You''re not some superhero lurking in the shadows! You, you damned hypocrite! You''re just using your exceptional talents and wealth. Now, I want it all too..."


    However, what Thomas had anticipated, a shocked Batman upon discovering his true identity, didn''t ur. Batman didn''t react to this revtion, which was not surprising at all. In this altered timeline, where the storyline had been changed by Schiller, almost everyone knew Batman''s true identity. Schiller knew, Gordon knew, Victor knew, Constantine knew, and even Hal knew.


    During their private gatherings, regardless of what Bruce was wearing, whether it was casual clothing or the imposing Batman costume, these people would just call him "Bruce." Despite Bruce emphasizing countless times that he should be called Batman when in costume, they treated him like a child. When in a good mood, they''d y along; when it came to serious matters, they would conveniently forget.


    So, in the circle of Gotham''s oddities, Batman went by his real name. Over time, he gave up correcting them. Let them call him Bruce; sessfully desensitized.


    Seeing Batman''sck of reaction, Thomas became even more hysterical. He increased the pressure on Lex''s neck, saying, "You''re all the same! You geniuses... geniuses? Do you think you''re superior by birth? Why not me? Answer me! Is this fair?"


    "Bruce Wayne!" Thomas suddenly raised his voice. "Do you think I don''t know who you are? Batman! I''ve been investigating since the moment Batman appeared..."


    "I''ve seen through your tricks! You''re not some superhero lurking in the shadows! You, you damned hypocrite! You''re just using your exceptional talents and wealth. Now, I want it all too..."


    However, what Thomas had anticipated, a shocked Batman upon discovering his true identity, didn''t ur. Batman didn''t react to this revtion, which was not surprising at all. In this altered timeline, where the storyline had been changed by Schiller, almost everyone knew Batman''s true identity. Schiller knew, Gordon knew, Victor knew, Constantine knew, and even Hal knew.


    During their private gatherings, regardless of what Bruce was wearing, whether it was casual clothing or the imposing Batman costume, these people would just call him "Bruce." Despite Bruce emphasizing countless times that he should be called Batman when in costume, they treated him like a child. When in a good mood, they''d y along; when it came to serious matters, they would conveniently forget.


    So, in the circle of Gotham''s oddities, Batman went by his real name. Over time, he gave up correcting them. Let them call him Bruce; sessfully desensitized.


    Seeing Batman''sck of reaction, Thomas became even more hysterical. He increased the pressure on Lex''s neck, saying, "You''re all the same! You geniuses... geniuses? Do you think you''re superior by birth? Why not me? Answer me! Is this fair?"


    But Batman was focused on Lex, and he knew he had to intervene, or Lex''s life would be in danger. Just as he was about to act, a figure moved faster than him. The slender Copperpot swiftly reached Thomas and raised the dagger in his hand. Thomas tried to dodge to the side.


    At this moment, two swift "swoosh" sounds echoed as two batarangs brushed against the side of Thomas''s neck. To avoid the encirclement, Thomas had to find cover, and the nearby control console seemed like a good choice. However, to get there, he had to let go of Lex; Lex was in the way.


    Thomas pushed Lex aside and rolled to hide behind the control console. But just then, the two batarangs Batman had thrown didn''t stop. They hit the ss of the liquid storage unit directly behind Thomas.


    Batman had taken into ount the possibility of damage to what was behind Thomas, so he had used minimal force. The sound of the batarangs hitting the ss was very soft. Afterward, theynded on the floor, seemingly without causing any damage.


    However, a tiny crack appeared silently at the point of impact. Batman and Copperpot quickly retreated. Then, with a "bang," the liquid storage unit exploded.


    Batman and Copperpot, who had moved to the other side of the room, were unaffected, feeling only the bone-chilling cold. However, Thomas, who had not had time to escape from behind the control console, and Lex, who Thomas had tossed aside, were both submerged in the sttered blue liquid.


    Then, Batman saw a series of bubbles suddenly appear in the dreamlike blue waves. Immediately after, a pale and gaunt hand reached out from the liquid. At the same time, in the midst of this frenzy, Gotham''s eternal nightmare, resurrected and reborn, echoed with manicughter: "Hahahaha!"


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 Chapter 577: All Stitched Up (1)

    Chapter 577: All Stitched Up (1)


    As mentioned before, Gotham had manyws, but above all thesews stood one, aw that could be considered superior to all standards and rules¡ªthew of Batman.


    In Gotham, Batman and everything he created took precedence over everything else.


    Victor had designed the liquid storage unit to be exceptionally sturdy, considering safety concerns. Some might wonder why he didn''t encase the device in the toughest steel rather than transparent ss. Wasn''t this sacrificing safety for aesthetics?


    However, thatyer of transparent ss was tougher than anything else. It was a material Victor had developed based on dense ice, even tougher than steel and more resilient than diamond, ensuring that even in its thin state, it wouldn''t shatter easily. It boasted excellent sealing properties, making it far from vulnerable.


    Yet, once it faced Batman''s personally crafted batarangs, it became as fragile as ss.


    Victor had thought of everything, but he could never have imagined that Batman would use batarangs to attack this contraption. He had even anticipated the possibility of someone using a nuclear bomb here, so the material was designed to be heat-resistant, impact-resistant, and radiation-resistant. Still, it didn''t ount for batarangs.


    Batman and everything he created trumped everything in Gotham. So, the moment the batarangs touched this resilient material, it shattered.


    Its shattering wasn''t the issue; the liquid inside sprayed out. Even that wasn''t the issue. However, Gotham had anotherw: the backstories of viins were never wasted. What was meant to happen would always happen.


    In Freeze''s origin story, Victor had transformed into Freeze due to a gas leak caused by a power outage. This time, in the sameboratory of Victor''s, a leakage of freezing material, unsurprisingly, created another Freeze.Or rather, more than one.


    Thomas was transformed by this substance; he possessed all the qualifications to be Freeze. He perfectly inherited Freeze''s backstory, even though it was a bit peculiar.


    The only problem arose with Lex.


    Previously, Lex had encountered the original Schiller as he was about to leave Metropolis. At that time, the original Schiller had noticed that Lex had been administered an excessive amount of sedatives, severely affecting his development and organ functions.


    Perhaps out of sympathy, Schiller had given Lex a certain amount of fine wine, the Dionysian factor.


    Since Lex had used only a very small amount, the enhancements it brought were not significant. It slightly elerated his recovery abilities and gave him some night vision capability.


    Even Alberto, who had fallen into a pool of Dionysian factorden wine, hadn''t turned into a super-fast-healing monster like Deadpool. Thus, it appeared that the self-healing effects of the Dionysian factor weren''t as potent as they seemed.


    However, the Dionysian factor''s inability to take effect wasn''t due to the inability of individuals to absorb it. Instead, beyond its pharmacological and pathological effects, the Dionysian factor seemed more like a mystical presence. It could only work on designated individuals, and that was the Joker...


    If it wasn''t the Joker, even with the Dionysian factor, the enhancements wouldn''t be significant, and one couldn''t achieve the kind of resilience the Joker disyed. He could be beaten by Batman one day and bounce back, causing chaos the next.


    But Lex''s current predicament also fit another backstory: the Joker.


    Don''t forget, the Joker had an origin story involving falling into a chemical vat. While Lex hadn''t fallen in, he had beenpletely submerged in chemical agents, with a simr effect.


    Furthermore, this ident had been caused directly by Batman, effectively aligning it with the Red Hood''s backstory. Lex had be another person chosen by Batman.


    Creating Gotham''s viins was akin to cooking¡ªa primary ingredient, another one added, put it in the pot, and you''d cook up a viin.


    Sometimes, a dish required only one ingredient, like Freeze¡ªjust toss in "cryogenicboratory material leakage," and you''d have a dish ready.


    For the Joker, you needed two ingredients. First, you threw in the essential main ingredient, which was "chosen by Batman," and then you could choose the "falling into a chemical vat" backstory, the Dionysian factor, or traits like "already mentally unstable," among others.


    Mixing the main ingredient with any one of the secondary ingredients would yield a dish named Joker. Now, Lex had not only the main ingredient but also two secondary ingredients: the backstory of "falling into a chemical vat" and the Dionysian factor. Hence, it was no surprise that another Joker was born.


    At the same time, Lex also fit Freeze''s backstory. In Freeze''s original backstory, the chemical vat he fell into did nothing more than change his hair and skin color, but Victor''s creation was different¡ªthis chemical vat could create Freeze.


    So, Lex, who possessed two different backstories and managed to cook up two distinct dishes from the same ingredients, became an unprecedented trinity of viins¡ªFroze, Joker, Luthor.


    At this moment, the blue liquid was entirely absorbed by the two individuals near the liquid storage device. As the liquid diminished, the true faces of the two began to emerge.


    The first to regain consciousness was Thomas. After a moment of stupor, he began to scream frantically.


    His screams were akin to someone being thrown into hot oil. He continuously curled his body, incessantly scratching his skin. Visible wisps of smoke emerged from his body, as if he were burning.


    This reaction wasn''t surprising. In the originalic, Freeze had a significant weakness: he had to wear cryogenic armor. If the room temperature exceeded 0 degrees Celsius and hecked the protective gear, he would die.


    If it had been Victor experiencing this, he could have immediately analyzed the situation and found the quickest way to sustain his life. After all, he was the world''s most formidable cryogenic scientist, and this was his headquarters.


    However, Thomas was different. He was a college student with no background in physics or chemistry. Although his grades were considerably better than Bruce''s, they were still at the level of an average college student. He had no connection to cryogenics, and it was his first time in thisboratory. There was nothing here he could use.


    He had no idea what was happening as his cells gradually began to deteriorate due to the low-temperature transformation. But at that moment, Batman walked over, captured Thomas, and tossed him into the liquid storage device, which still held a small amount of blue liquid.


    Batman''s skills were undoubtedly far superior to Thomas''s. Thus, he immediately identified the issue. As expected, once Thomas was immersed in the remaining blue liquid, he stopped screaming andy there bewilderedly, staring at the ceiling.


    Ultimately, Freeze''s strengthy in his technical prowess rather than his intrinsic abilities. This low-temperature transformation was more of a liability on its own. If someone only received this transformation, they''d be worse off than an ordinary person. Thomas was in such a predicament; outside of the blue liquid, he couldn''t survive.


    Batman paid no heed to Thomas''s hateful gaze. He turned his head and looked at another figure lurking in the shadows of the room. The recent burst ofughter sent shivers down his spine.


    Now, Lex''s skin was even paler than before. When he looked up, Batman saw the familiar maniacal grin on his face.


    The reason Lex didn''t fear room temperature and avoided selfbusting like Thomas was because the Dionysian factor within him was working at full throttle. This sh between low-temperature alteration and self-healing abilities had granted him greater power.


    While Batman was momentarily captivated by that smile, Lex extended a hand, and a cold mist drifted towards Batman. In just a second, a thinyer of ice formed on Batman''s Batsuit.


    Batman quickly retreated, and as hended firmly, he exhaled a visible cloud of frost. By now, the room''s temperature had dropped close to freezing point.


    The blue liquid absorbed into Lex''s body hadn''tpletely altered his cells because his Dionysian factor continuously facilitated cell regeneration. Thus, this freezing liquid had been stored within Lex and had transformed into one of his powers.


    In simple terms, Lex had be a well-fueled ice-cold gun. Moreover, he wasn''t limited to a specific weapon form and could change his freezing tactics.


    With cutting-edge technology, Joker''s madness, and Luthor''s intelligencebined, Batman took a deep breath, realizing that a fierce battle was about to unfold.


    Meanwhile, in the hospital room at the center of Gotham, Schiller was sitting beside a hospital bed. Gordon stood across from the bed, and lying on it was the third victim, the girl who had been stabbed multiple times. ording to Schiller''s notes, her name was Angel.


    Gordon widened his eyes and asked in disbelief, "Are you saying that no one was trying to kill you, but you stabbed yourself? You..."


    He paused for a moment and then continued, "Angel, I understand that Gotham is a very dangerous ce, and there are many people here who could threaten your life. Perhaps they forced you not to speak the truth. But with Professor Shiller and me here, you should trust us. If you tell the truth, we will bring the real culprits to justice. You are safe..."


    Pale-faced Angel shook her head, her expression somewhat dazed. She said in a weak voice, "No, what I said is true. I was the one trying to kill myself. I think I might be going insane."


    "Please, tell us the whole story. What happened?" Schiller didn''t argue with Angel like Gordon did because he could tell that Angel''s mental state was far from stable.


    Her face was pale, and it wasn''t solely due to the loss of blood from the multiple stabbings. Based on the details of her skin, her poor color had likely persisted for some time.


    Angel closed her eyes and spoke in a very feeble voice, "About a few days ago, I started having a strange feeling. Every time I saw my good friend Belenna, I had this... this urge to kill her."


    Angel''s face contorted in extreme agony, and with a hint of a sob, she continued, "I just... had this overwhelming desire to kill her."


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 Chapter 578: Completely Stitched (2)

    Chapter 578: Completely Stitched (2)


    "Belenna and I have been close friends since our childhood, and we both made it into Gotham University together."


    "She was born into wealth, residing in the affluent South District, while I... I was a native of East District, themon side of town. Fortunately, my parents loved me enough to pay for my education. On the side, I worked as a flower girl, selling flowers to the well-to-dodies to earn some pocket money and support my family."


    "I met Belenna while I was selling flowers in the South District. She was different from other wealthy girls. She never looked down on me or asked me to leave. It seemed she was more mature than the rest, understanding the hardships of the poor. Every time I saw her, she would buy all my flowers."


    "We became the best of friends. She constantly encouraged me to focus on my studies and get into university. Although I wasn''t as academically gifted as her, I still managed to enter Gotham University. Recently, I''ve been earning a good amount and have been sending money back home. We''ve even moved out of the East District."


    "Belenna has always been a huge help. She often secretly gifted me with brand-new items, and then excused it by saying she didn''t like them. I was always aware of her little gestures..."


    "I always thought that I admired her without envy. But a few days ago, for reasons I can''t fathom, I... I began to envy her¡ªfrom the beautiful dress she wore to the gemstone ring on her finger."


    "When I heard that her fianc¨¦, a man named Thomas, had been imprisoned for murder, I couldn''t help but feel a perverse joy, thinking her perfect life would crumble. To my own surprise, I found this misfortune of hers immensely satisfying..."


    "These dark emotions consumed me. Every deep night, I would cry bitterly, wondering how I had be this twisted, especially when I had been so different before..."


    "The situation deteriorated further a few days ago. I began harboring thoughts of killing Belenna. I couldn''t wait any longer. I bought a knife, prepared a rope, even had a ce in mind...""But then I realized that something was terribly wrong. I knew deep down that I wasn''t that kind of person." Even though Angel looked worn out, her eyes sparkled with determination. The schrly aura around her began to emerge, revealing why she could be such an efficient assistant to a physics professor.


    "I started to think rationally. When Belenna and I first met, our backgrounds were even more diverse, and I was younger and more impressionable. If I were to be envious, it should''ve been then."


    "After entering university, my mentor treated me well, provided for me, and even got me involved in some lucrative industries. My financial situation began to improve considerably, and I had a decent amount of money at my disposal."


    "I could afford dresses and gemstone rings just like Belenna, but I genuinely didn''t care for them."


    "With umting knowledge, I learned to think rationally and analytically. I wasn''t going to be like those women from affluent areas who''d get envious over new dresses or jewelry. To me, a new research discovery was far more valuable."


    "When I realized something was wrong, I tried to resist these feelings, but they were overpoweringly strong. I tried my best to resist..." Angel''s grip tightened on the bedsheet, tears streaming down her face, her expression one of sheer despair.


    "Maybe, maybe I''ve gone mad... An incurable madness..."


    "So, you hurt yourself hoping they''d send you to a mental hospital?" Gordon inquired.


    Angel shook her head, replying, "No, that day, I was already armed with the knife and other items, ready to kill Belenna. I couldn''t control myself any longer..."


    "But then, my mentor asked for a teaching aid he urgently needed from the storeroom. As I battled the overwhelming impulse, the thoughts still swirled in my mind."


    "I headed to the storeroom, thinking that after fetching the item, I''d go through with the act..."


    "But in the storeroom, surrounded by the tools that had imparted knowledge to me, a fragment of my sanity returned. I realized that I shouldn''t ruin either Belenna''s life or my own. There''s no predestined fate in this world..."


    Gritting her teeth, Angel continued, "So, I started to battle it, this formidable beast. I had to defeat it to protect both of us..."


    "I saw it, I truly saw it! It was a demonic creature, a bloodthirsty maniac... a terrifying monster, all ck..."


    Schiller sharply tapped the bed rail, the crisp sound breaking Angel''s hallucination. Shey there, panting heavily, her neck veined and sweaty, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    "Come back to reality; they''re just figments of your imagination," Schiller persisted, tapping the rail.


    "We struggled for what felt like ages. I punched it, it punched me back. It tried to strangle me from behind, to silence me. I broke free, shing its body with the knife, but it healed almost instantly..."


    "In the end, I realized that I might not be able to defeat it." Angel continued in a hushed, desperate tone, "It entered my body, wanting to control me, to make me kill Belenna. There was only one way left to stop it..."


    "If it wanted to coexist within me, I would end my life, killing it in the process. At least Belenna would be safe..."


    After sharing her ordeal, Angel seemed to lose all her strength. Her voice dwindled until she closed her eyes, her breathing slowed, and she drifted into a deep sleep.


    "So, she truly has gone insane?" Gordon asked, looking at Angel''s face.


    "If we only take her symptoms into ount, it seems her mental state caused all of this. However, there''s a loophole¡ªher inexplicable envy towards Belenna."


    "Typically, the emotions that lead to mental disturbances in a patient are internalized, such as excessive self-focus, feelings of inferiority, sadness, feeling disposable, and not being epted by society, and so on..."


    "Yet emotions like anger, jealousy, and hatred rarely lead to such serious mental issues. Explosive emotions, once expressed, don''t easily umte in the heart and lead to so many problems."


    "When listening to many patients confess, the majority describe themselves, talking about their own sadness and helplessness. Rarely does anyone use others with such intense anger. Theyck such vibrant emotion; they''re too exhausted to produce such explosive feelings."


    "So you''re saying they don''t even have the energy to hate?" Gordon inquired.


    "Correct. They can''t express a range of emotions like normal people. Emotional disturbances are manifestations of mental issues. If their joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure were like ordinary people''s, they wouldn''t be so severely affected."


    "Among all the explosive emotions, the mental issues caused by jealousy shouldn''t be this serious. At most, it might trigger anxiety but wouldn''t be the main cause."


    "What do you think is happening?" Gordon asked.


    "There might be many abnormal reasons, but in most cases, it''s due to external provocations. I suspect someone is guiding and amplifying these emotions."


    "Is that even possible?" Gordon wondered.


    "Of course. A normal psychologist could also do it, although it''s somewhat tricky. But for the elite in this industry, it''s a piece of cake."


    Gordon noticed a change in Schiller''s eye contact, but Schiller seemed unfazed, staring intently at Angel''s face, deep in thought. Suddenly, Angel sat up from the bed, shouting, "Belenna! I''ll kill you! Belenna..."


    She screamed madly, struggling to sit up, her face pale and contorted in rage, looking like a demon from hell.


    Gordon quickly restrained her, but the strength of a delirious patient, especially one whose muscle constraints are released, is unimaginable. Gordon barely managed to hold down the frail Angel until Schiller took out his umbre and struck her on the head with a loud "thud," making her lie down again.


    Schiller stood up, telling Gordon, "Chief Gordon, please return to the station. Leave this to me; I will investigate her mental state."


    After Gordon left, Schiller''s expression darkened. If the previous murder made him slightly angry, for it disrupted his routine and led to a power outage at Gotham University affecting his office lighting, now he was genuinely furious. Not because he felt manipting someone''s mind was wrong ¡ª Schiller wasn''t a superhero with a strong sense of justice. He saw such abilities as mere tools.


    But now someone was invading his territory, unting their skills brazenly. It felt like a provocation.


    People often hold greater hostility towards those simr to themselves. This was also true in the realm of anti-social lunatics.


    Schiller leaned back in his chair, pulling out a bottle of wine. Without even uncorking it, the intoxicating aroma was enough to send everyone into a dream.


    Entering his ''Temple of Thought,'' Schiller was immediately alerted by chaotic sounds from below. He saw another version of himself, wearing ab coat, rushing up, saying, "Hurry! Go and stop that green-haired lunatic; he''s going berserk again!"


    Schiller raised an eyebrow and descended with his umbre. Indeed, he saw a figure with green hair stomping furiously in the corridor, muttering, "Here we go again... another one..."


    At that moment, Schiller felt a knock on the door of his ''Temple of Thought.'' Opening it, he found JokerJack outside.


    JokerJack, with a dark expression, strode into Schiller''s ''Temple of Thought'' and shouted, "Another Joker? Where did this country bumpkine from? Daring to confront Batman? Oh, that unfaithful wretch, how much more does he want to hurt me?"


    "One after another! How many does he want? I''ll kill him... chop him into pieces... No! Not Batman, the damned Joker! Why would I want to kill Batman?"


    But Schiller didn''t watch his performance. He stepped outside his ''Temple of Thought.'' After a while, JokerSchiller joined him, and together they stared at the door.


    This door, which always remained slightly ajar, was now fully open. A massive ship''s prow appeared, and atop it stood Schiller, proiming, "The real battle is about to begin; everyone, get ready!"


    Two Jokers gasped in shock, but before they could scream, they were engulfed by an endless tidal wave of Schillers.


    Apanied by the deep sound of horns, the great ship sailing in the space of consciousness set sail.


    Ten minutester, within Dreand, the horns red again.


    "Boom!"


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 Chapter 579: We Are Alike (1)

    Chapter 579: We Are Alike (1)


    "Morpheus! I''vee to discuss terms!"


    "You dare..."


    As Morpheus turned around, the first thing that caught his eye was a massive sailboat, a sight he hadn''t seen in a human dream for a long time.


    Following that, he floated up, intending to converse with Schiller, who was at the bow of the ship. But what he saw instead was the deck teeming with Schillers.


    He swallowed his words and reced them with, "...What do you want?"


    Morpheus wasn''t being timid, he was just acutely aware of the consequences that would follow when Schiller unleashed this horde of Schillers into his domain. Whenever he thought about that scenario, Morpheus felt retirement looming closer.


    As the current dream god, Morpheus yed a rtively responsible role. He worked hard to maintain the dreams of all sentient beings, making dreams one of their few sanctuaries. As abstract entities integral to the fabric of the DC world, they were nearly invincible.


    Schiller and Joker couldn''t destroy Dreand, let alone kill Morpheus. However, they had the power to force Morpheus into negotiations, and their leverage was none other than Umbra, the Great Disturber.


    Morpheus gazed at the multitude of Schillers on the ship. He let out a deep sigh and looked at his own Dreand. The damage caused by Joker''s previous intrusion had just been repaired, and that was merely one Joker.Now, on Schiller''s ship, aside from the Joker he recognized, there was another Schiller with green hair who resembled him, along with several bizarre monstrous entities that were hard to describe.


    So, Morpheus not only couldn''t attack the ship, but he also had to ensure itnded smoothly. If it rocked even slightly, who would take responsibility?


    Thus, Dreand''s radiant light enveloped the colossal ship from theherworld, guiding it down gently. Schiller stood at the bow, dressed in a ck suit, holding an umbre, and casting its shadow overhead. Then he said to Morpheus, "Here''s the situation..."


    "There''s someone, or perhaps more than one person, not highly skilled but audacious, who came to my workce and killed several people."


    "It''s not his audacity that troubles me. The real issue is hisck of skill. I need to make it clear to him and ensure he leaves my professional domain, never to contaminate the academic world with his meager knowledge."


    "Of course, if I were to confront him in the real world, it might seem uncivilized. I don''t enjoy making enemies everywhere. So, I n to talk to him in his dream."


    "If he agrees to stay out of my professional territory, perhaps we can even be friends. I enjoy making friends, you know. More friends mean more pathways, don''t you think?"


    Morpheus briefly opened his mouth. Schiller hadid out his terms clearly. Morpheus sensed that if he refused, Schiller might take action to bring Dreand into his professional domain, effectively expelling Morpheus.


    In truth, finding a person was no big deal for Morpheus. He didn''t even have to get his hands dirty. A mere thought was enough to locate the entrance of the consciousness space connecting Dreand on the other side.


    What annoyed him was Schiller''s audacity in crashing a ship into Dreand. This was hardly the attitude of someone seeking assistance.


    Just as Morpheus was about to speak, he heard Schiller continue, "Of course, I''m very angry about what he''s done. Angry enough to sail into this ce and disturb your sleep."


    "Aspensation, I can leave some people here to help you rebuild Dreand. I''ll ensure the flowers and nts return to their original state. There won''t be..."


    A portal opened before Schiller. Morpheus pointed inside and said, "Hurry!"


    The horn sounded again as therge ship slowly entered the portal. Morpheus watched Schiller and his entourage depart, sighed, and officially marked his retirement ns.


    As Schiller entered this space on the ship, he wasn''t entirely sure who was in control here. Among all the characters in the DC world, there weren''t many viins associated with psychology and hypnosis.


    But when he saw a fairy-tale-like, beautiful manore into view, he knew his guess was correct.


    However, Schiller didn''t crash the ship directly as Marvel Schiller might have done. He parked the ship a little distance from the manor and disembarked, walking to the manor''s entrance.


    Strangely, the manor''s door was left ajar, saving Schiller the trouble of knocking. He walked right in through the open door.


    Before him was a courtyard, amon feature of European manors. Symmetricalwns nked the sides, surrounded by low wooden fences. Walking along the path leading from the door, he reached a massive fountain.


    Around the fountain, flowers exuded fragrance, and the mist gently rose, refracting beautiful rainbow hues in the sunlight.


    Continuing along the path around the fountain and entering the main building of the manor, he found himself in an opulent hall. A grand piano by the floor-to-ceiling windows produced a melodious sound, even without anyone ying it. Notes danced between the piano keys, creating a delightful tune.


    As Schiller climbed the winding staircase to the second floor, sunlight filtered through the windows, casting moving shadows on the corridor. Just as he entered the corridor, he overheard two people talking behind a partially open door.


    One of the voices sounded somewhat familiar to Schiller. The voice said, "You were the one who disrupted our n first! I don''t understand why you had to control that girl and go after Thomas''s fianc¨¦e. It didn''t benefit our n at all!"


    "Because... because that damned Thomas! He killed my beloved! I want revenge against him!" The other voice sounded somewhat shrill, a voice Schiller had never heard before.


    "Absurd! Are you seriously iming that Doris was your beloved? Are you insane?"


    "She isn''t called Doris, she''s clearly Alice! She''s my Alice! And we''re not strangers. Ever since we met at the Central Research Institute, we''ve been deeply in love..."


    "But... but!" That sharp voice grew increasingly fric. "That damned David! I shouldn''t have hired him as my assistant. He ruined our rtionship; he even pursued Alice right in front of me..."


    Suddenly, the room fell silent, reced by whimpering and sobbing. "But now, Alice is dead. That pure, beautiful, innocent girl was killed by that damned Thomas... of course, I must seek revenge! He killed my beloved, so I will kill his fianc¨¦e!"


    "But you failed; you didn''t seed in killing Belenna. You also caused Thomas to slip from our control!"


    "Impossible! I can hypnotize anyone! That girl named Angel just resisted a bit longer, but soon she''ll be under my control and will kill Belenna..."


    "Look!" The sharp voice suddenly raised in pitch. "Look at this! A dream that feels as real as reality. This is the result of years of research. An uncharted, beautiful realm..."


    "No one could create such a lifelike world within the consciousness space like I can! No one can resist my hypnosis because I can manipte their world of consciousness to make them believe in nonexistent memories..."


    A deeper voice sighed, saying, "You are not the only one; otherwise, how did I find you through the consciousness space?"


    "Humph," the sharp voice coldly snorted. "You just got lucky, Hugo. Don''t think I don''t know that you were expelled as a rogue researcher for viting the rules!"


    "Give up your foolish and useless n! I will kill Thomas and his fianc¨¦e, then hypnotize all of Gotham, and even Metropolis, using mytest invention, the Brainwaves Controller..."


    "Taichi, I must warn you that there is another dangerous figure in the realms of consciousness and mind, someone you don''t understand. I suggest you keep your distance from Gotham..."


    "No! No! That person called Taichi shouted loudly. "My beloved died there! I must go; I must find my Alice, my Alice..."


    He became increasingly agitated, repeating a few names. Hugo seemed to be losing patience. He turned to leave, but at that moment, in the previously quiet room, a "knock knock" echoed.


    For a moment, the room fell silent, and this ssic horror movie opening made Hugo break into a cold sweat because he knew this was not a real building, and unexpected visitors were impossible. He immediately turned to Taichi and asked, "What''s going on? Who''s knocking?"


    Taichi, too, suppressed his infatuated expression. His face suddenly turned gloomy and irritable. He approached and forcefully opened the door but found no one there.


    Hugo also approached, and as he opened the door, he saw faint tire marks on the floor, like tracks.


    Following these marks to the right, Hugo stepped out of the door and, at the end of the manor corridor, saw a tricycle with a small doll riding it.


    The doll was dressed in a ck suit, wearing a red tie and a white mask, with exaggerated spiral-shaped blush on its face. This stark contrast to the serene and peaceful atmosphere of the fairy-tale manor was unsettling. What was even more eerie was that when Taichi and Hugo saw the doll, it suddenly came to life, riding the tiny tricycle and speeding along the corridor and staircase, rushing out of the manor.


    Taichi didn''t hesitate and followed, shouting, "Hey, you supernatural thing! Get out of my beautiful dream!"


    Hugo tried to stop Taichi but failed. The diminutive Taichi was incredibly fast in his dream.


    So, Hugo had no choice but to chase after Taichi, but the doll on the tricycle was faster than both of them. It zoomed through the manor''s hall, and once outside, it suddenly turned, following thewn on one side to the rear of the manor.


    Taichi, as if recalling something, shouted, "No! No! Don''t go there!"


    The tricycle made a creaking noise as it echoed through the manor. Together with the melodic piano sounds, it created an increasingly eerie atmosphere.


    In the rear of the manor, there was a small garden with white dining tables and chairs, a ssical European-style perg, and a lush tree nearby.


    Underneath the thick grass by the tree, there was an inconspicuous rabbit hole. The doll on the tricycle wobbled and rode into the rabbit hole, and following closely behind, Taichi screamed. Then, suddenly, the rabbit hole emitted a gray mist, and it also pulled Hugo in.


    As Hugo was drawn into the rabbit hole, he felt himself falling inplete darkness. It felt like a century had passed. After the long darkness, when Hugo opened his eyes again, he found himself in a ssical book room.


    Dark red wooden bookshelves lined the walls, heavy dark red curtains were draped on both sides of the golden-framed windows, and candles on the metal candle holders by the door flickered with a dim light.


    Sitting in front of the book table was a figure Hugo recognized¡ªShiller Rodriguez.


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 Chapter 580: We Are Alike (2)

    Chapter 580: We Are Alike (2)


    "Please, have a seat, Dr. Hugo. I remember we''ve never sat down face to face like this before," Schiller walked over to a single sofa by the window and pointed to the seat opposite. Hugo stood in ce, slightly wary.


    "I''m sorry for bringing you here like this, but I do have an urgent matter. Forget about the n you had with that delusional patient; I have something more important to discuss with you."


    Hugo narrowed his eyes and said, "Was it you who orchestrated my descent into the Dream Realmst time? The monster, the battle..."


    "So, you were there that time. I thought you''d been kicked out a long time ago due to your inability to handle divine power. It seems I''ve found the right person," Schiller casually picked up a book from the bookshelf behind him.


    Hugo interlocked his fingers, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over to the chair opposite Schiller.


    "I think you''ve realized by now that we are of the same kind. What happened earlier was just a small wee ceremony, a cruel Gotham-style joke. I believe you''ve gotten used to it," Schiller said with a smile.


    Hugo snorted but didn''t want to appear vulnerable in front of Schiller. He couldn''t admit that he had suffered significant trauma from Schiller''s cruel prank.


    "You enjoy controlling others, uncovering the secrets of their inner worlds, and using that knowledge to manipte them into criminal acts. So do I," Schiller looked at Hugo and continued, "The difference is that I''m closer to the person called Batman. He trusts me more, which means I know he''s onto a part of your conspiracy. I''m here to remind you that we are alike, and sooner orter, you''ll face Batman. It''s not in my interest to see him eliminate you because someday, he''ll also suspect me."


    "We are alike."Hugo''s attitude rxed slightly because Schiller made it clear that he wasn''t a righteous warrioring to punish him.


    As a psychology expert, Hugo understood, just as Schiller had said, that they were of the same kind¡ªcold and ruthless control freaks who found pleasure in manipting others and witnessing tragedies.


    "I assume you''ve been in Gotham for some time now, and you should know how rare a research subject Batman is. If you were me, wouldn''t you want to study him?" Hugo asked.


    "Of course, I would," Hugo''s eyes gleamed with a hint of madness, like all the viins in Gotham. He continued, "He''s a mystery, an endless and beautiful enigma. I''m fascinated by his condition and want to know what led to the creation of such a person."


    "There''s no psychologist in the world who could resist peeking into Batman''s inner world, and I''ve done more than you. So now, I have the opportunity to remind you."


    "Indeed," Hugo sneered, "You were his university professor, very close to him. Maybe he confided in you about his past, perhaps he revealed some inner secrets to you. What he didn''t realize is that the teacher who guided and educated him was the same kind of natural psychopath he despises..."


    Hugo became more excited as he spoke. "I also want to y such a role. It excites me! A hero of the righteous night, a mad viin. I will hypnotize them, deconstruct them, control them, and stage one drama after another in Gotham, igniting chaos. That''s why I came here. I belong to Gotham!"


    Hugo began to tremble with excitement. He was speaking the truth; those who didn''t belong to Gotham would eventually leave, while those who did woulde to this extreme and absurd madman''s paradise topete with their peers.


    "If I were to choose a target for cooperation in this city, it would definitely be you, Dr. Hugo."


    "The other lunatics make me sick; they''re not professional enough," Schiller said with a contemptuous tone when he saw the gleam in Hugo''s eyes. He knew the other side had taken the bait.


    "...they''re not professional enough. That''s the only reason."


    Looking along the wall of this meeting room to the other side, in another room that seemed to be copied and pasted, another Schiller was saying the same things to Taichi.


    "Metropolis? I hate that ce! I imagine it hasn''t been easy for you to live there either. It''s not meant for people like us."


    "What''s more annoying is that there''s someone flying around in the sky... what? Superman? Does he think he''s a helicopter?" Schiller lit a cigar, squinted, and spoke in a disdainful tone.


    "He left a very bad impression on me. What did I do? I just used some means to achieve my goals along the way. I naturally possess this tool, so why shouldn''t I use it?"


    "Dr. Taichi, the reason I reached out to you is that we are alike."


    "So, forget about Hugo''sckeys. He hasn''t evenpleted a round with me; he fled," Schiller chuckled.


    "I just created a monster in my consciousness space, nothing terrifying. You know, like the cat that flies andughs in your subconscious. Just a small pet, and it scared him away. Dr. Taichi, I''m surprised. How did you end up working with someone like him?"


    The diminutive Taichi sat down on the chair, and his feet couldn''t even reach the ground. But he made an effort to appearposed, coughed lightly, and said, "He reached out to me first."


    "That day, I was testing my Brainwaves Controller at the research institute. After sending out the test signal, I thought it would be the usual bunch of ordinary people annoying me with their thoughts. However, it seems that signal was captured by his device. That''s how we established contact across the two cities."


    "He''s in Gotham, and I''m in Metropolis, but my device is powerful enough to cover this distance. He told me about a n that sounded quite foolish, wouldn''t you agree?"


    Taichi also reached for a cigar from the table, and when he felt the delicate touch and the scent after it was lit, he knew that the person across from him was also one of the top experts in this field.


    "To be honest, what kind of n did you twoe up with? I haven''t heard a thing in Gotham. If he''s only capable of that, I''d say it''s best to give up on him, Dr. Taichi. He''s not a good partner."


    It seems that, to distance himself from the rtionship, Taichi quickly remarked, "n? Well, let''s just say it''s even more rotten than my students'' assignments."


    In order to echo Schiller''s words and not appear unprofessional, Taichi began to mockingly exin Hugo''s n with a light-hearted tone.


    "Hugo told me he needs more support in Gotham, which essentially means he needs money and influence to achieve his goals. Gotham has many wealthy families, but most of them are not easy to deal with."


    "Gang families in your area don''t follow the noble family traditions; they believe in might makes right, making them even harder for us to handle."


    "There are some innocent business families, but most of them have close rtionships with the Wayne Family, except for one exception: the Elliott family."


    "Their family structure is very simple, with only one heir. This means that if you can win over the heir, you can easily gain control of all the resources of the Elliott family."


    "Obviously, he oversimplified things. Hugo managed to get close to the Elliott family''s heir and manipted him into killing his own parents."


    "Hugo believed that killing Thomas and taking over the Elliott family wasn''t a clear choice because he indeed has no business acumen. Instead, he decided to keep Thomas and manipte him, making the Elliott family plunder interests for him and be his foundation in Gotham."


    "So, he''s indeed helping Thomas clear his name, but that damn guy killed my Alice, so I must seek revenge against him!"


    "As for your loved one, could you tell me more?" Schiller looked at Taichi and said, "Of course, I understand your feelings for her. I''m just curious about how you two met."


    "I am a mentor at the Metropolis Central Research Institute, and Alice was visiting Metropolis. We met that way, and our feelings grew. But my damn assistant, David, used his youthful charm to seduce Alice..."


    "So, you and Alice met first?" Schiller asked, but as he asked this question, Taichi turned his head away, avoiding eye contact. Schiller knew he was lying.


    When dealing with a delusional patient, the best approach is to find the logical inconsistencies in their story. Clearly, Doris traveling to Metropolis and meeting Taichi didn''t make sense.


    Metropolis had many attractions, but certainly not the Central Research Institute, a ce ordinary people couldn''t ess. The only possibility was that Doris fell in love with Taichi''s assistant, David. She might have gone to the institute to visit her boyfriend and encountered Taichi.


    Then, Taichi fantasized that she was his lover, which wasn''t surprising, given that the man named Taichi was, in fact, the infamous Mad Hatter...


    Considering the Mad Hatter''s background story, it was highly likely that Taichi had harassed Doris but was rejected, which exacerbated his delusional disorder. He imagined a romantic rtionship with Doris and depicted David, her actual boyfriend, as an interloper when, in reality, he was the intruder.


    Schiller didn''t press further because there was no need; he wasn''t there to treat Taichi.


    "So, you controlled Belenna''s friend, Angel, to have him kill Belenna for your lover''s revenge?"


    "Correct. But I didn''t expect that the girl had strong willpower. Without a rtionship, I will soon seed; no one can escape my hypnosis..."


    What Taichi didn''t see was the look of disdain on Schiller''s face. Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, the other Schiller sitting across from Hugo didn''t hide his contempt either. He said:


    "I''ve said it before; hecks professionalism to the extreme. He constantly imposes his own worldview on others without considering their upbringing, personality traits, or their current environment. He''s like a barbarian who only knows brute force."


    "He forced his beliefs onto Angel and was proud of it. But he didn''t realize that Angel had already noticed something was wrong, which is why she resisted him."


    "That fool thinks that women should be jealous of each other because of dresses or jewelry. Hepletely ignored analyzing Angel''s personality, not knowing that she''s more interested in research than ornaments."


    "He didn''t deeply analyze the rtionship between Angel and Belenna, didn''t consider whether they should have taken such actions at that time, and only knew how to wave around a Brainwaves Controller. I must say, there''s no artistry in that..."


    Hugo resonated with Schiller on this point, and he said, "He likes to rely on external tools like the Brainwaves Controller, treating it as his weapon. He''ll never understand the charm of psychology, the pleasure of manipting others by exploiting their personality weaknesses."


    Both Schillers leaned back on their chairs, their backs against the chair backs, which were tightly pressed against the wall behind them. On the other side of the wall, another Schiller assumed the same posture.


    The two Schillers sat back-to-back across the wall, looking at Hugo and Taichi''s eyes and said in unison:


    "So, we are alike."


    "We should unite and show those who underestimate us what true hell is."


    "How do you n to do that?" Hugo and Taichi asked simultaneously.


    Both Schillers stood up from their chairs simultaneously. Outside the window, the twilight sun cast a radiant arc on their profiles as they said:


    "I have a method that allows people to enter each other''s world of consciousness. We all know that''s where our real power lies. In the world of consciousness, even the strongest physical beings are nothing more than helpless ants in our eyes."


    "Now, think about your opponents. Who are you going to use to make your mark on controlling this world?"


    "Allow me to introduce the person you despise the most, the one who is most suitable to be your adversary..."


    The voices of the two identical Schillers sounded simultaneously but called out different names. Finally, their voices converged:


    "Batman!"


    "Superman!"


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 Chapter 581: We Are Alike (3)

    Chapter 581: We Are Alike (3)


    In theboratories of Gotham University, the standoff continued, with Lex gaining the upper hand. His advantage was overwhelming.


    Joker focused on Batman''s susceptibility to mental attacks, while the task of delivering physical blows was left to Freeze''s technology. Lex''s intelligence seamlessly coordinated both, resulting in a wless tactical coboration. At this moment, Batman found himself in dire straits.


    With a wave of Lex''s hand, the pervasive icy mist slowed Batman''s movements. His attempts at evasion were only slightly dyed, and in a moment, an ice shard grazed his waist, slicing through his Bat-armor and leaving a gaping wound.


    The maniacalughter filled Batman''s head, and the extremely low temperatures slowed his thoughts.


    To dodge the ice shard, Batman shifted his body to the side but lost his bnce due to the slippery ground. He stumbled, colliding with a desk and emitting a low groan of pain.


    "Batman! Hahaha! Batman! Is this really you? Who''s defenseless now? Who''s suffering defeat after defeat? Do you think you can save Gotham like this? What a colossal joke! Hahaha!"


    Lexunched verbal attacks alongside physical ones. While he may not have been as mad as the Joker, his physical prowess far exceeded Jack''s, making Batman''s situation even more desperate.


    Batman''s tactics against the Joker were primarily tailored to deal with a Joker like Jack, one who excelled in mental attacks butcked physical strength. This led to ack of adequate defenses against opponents with physical armor-piercing attacks, leaving him with no option but to dodge.


    What went unnoticed was a small figure that had been in theboratory but had now vanished. Copperpot had slipped away quietly, though not for his own survival.As Batman expended more energy trying to evade the frigid mist, he reached a point where he could no longer continue. He revealed a vulnerability, slipping and falling to the ground with a thud, while Lex, in a frenzy, raised the ice shard.


    Suddenly, theboratory door swung open with a pair of loud bangs. Bothbatants were caught off guard and were frozen in ce.


    Victor, with a dark expression on his face, appeared at the door, ring at the chaotic state of theboratory. He was furious from the core.


    No researcher could allow theirboratory to descend into such chaos. To Victor, the presence of Batman, the Joker, or even Lex was inconsequential.


    At that moment, his focus was solely on the two troublesome students who had turned their teacher''s experimental space into a disaster zone. They not onlycked discipline but also failed to respect their instructor.


    Victor took a deep breath, trying to calm his desire to harm someone, and then walked over to the two frozen figures at the center.


    First, he nced to his left, where Batman remained sprawled on the ground, resembling a campus bullying victim. Then, he turned his gaze to the right, where Lex, though slim, held the ice shard menacingly.


    With his arms crossed, Victor stood between them and said, "Could someone please exin to me what, exactly, is happening here?"


    "You! What''s your name? Lex, right? On your very first day in myboratory, you dare to wreak havoc to this extent. And you have another four years to spend here!"


    "My goodness, I should really look up your parents'' phone numbers in the directory and have them withdraw you from the university immediately!"


    "And you, Bruce..."


    As Victor began to address Batman, the Dark Knight''s mouth moved slightly, indicating that he wanted to be called "Batman."


    "All right, Batman, if that''s what you prefer to be called." Victor understood Batman''s intent and continued, "But let me remind you that no matter what you call yourself, you are a student of Gotham University. You are expected to abide by the rules, and fighting or causing disturbances on campus is a fundamentalck of respect!"


    With that said, he turned his head to Lex and inquired, "What exactly were you nning by wielding that thing? Do you think bullying is eptable here? You''re just a freshman, and you''re already involved in such behavior. If Copperpot hadn''te to fetch me, what else did you intend to do? Endanger lives in here?"


    Meanwhile, Copperpot, who had gone to inform Victor, sat in a nearby chair, gleefully observing the two students receiving their reprimand. He wore an unusually happy smile.


    "Listen carefully, both of you. Tomorrow... no, right now! I am going to call the academic affairs office and have them register disciplinary actions against you. Don''t even think about talking back to me!"


    "Oh, there''s one more person here. Isn''t this Thomas? Previously, you orchestrated a murder case, leading to your own imprisonment. What''s this? Are you here to extend your sentence?"


    As Victor spoke, a knock came at the door. He turned to see Copperpot standing up to answer it. Schiller stood outside the door.


    Schiller nodded at Copperpot and then entered theboratory. Upon seeing the two frozen figures within, he appeared perplexed and asked, "What''s going on here? Why is it so chaotic?"


    "Schiller, you''vee at just the right time!" Victor approached Schiller and pointed at the two frozen students. "Look at the two outstanding students you''ve taught!"


    "He!" Victor said, gesturing towards Lex. "He just arrived in myboratory today and has already damaged the most expensive and important equipment. And he''s involved in campus bullying!"


    "And look at his expression, he''s evenughing. He shows no remorse whatsoever; it''s truly despicable!" Victor''s eyebrows were raised in anger.


    "And him!" Victor turned his attention to Batman encased in ice. "Our Mr. Bruce Wayne..." At this point, Batman''s mouth moved slightly again. Victor took a deep breath and continued, "Alright, Batman, our Batman, then! He came into myboratory in the middle of the night and got into a fight with Lex! I knew he wasn''t a good student, but I never expected him to stoop this low!"


    Schiller patted Victor''s shoulder, initially soothing his emotions. Then, he emanated a faint gray mist that enveloped the entire room. Turning his head to Victor, Schiller said, "Let''s release their ice confinement, and I''ll hear what they have to say..."


    "You still want to y judge here?!" Victor raised his voice. "In my opinion, we should report them directly to the academic affairs office for a major disciplinary infraction, or better yet, have them expelled. These unruly troublemakers!"


    "Calm down, Victor. You need to remember they''re not even 20 yet. Weren''t we just as mischievous at their age?"


    "When I was their age, I was an exemry student!" Victor retorted without much patience, casting a sidelong nce at the two.


    "Alright, alright, Victor, but you have to allow for some mischief-makers in this world. Rx, release the ice, and I promise they won''t escape..."


    Schiller approached the two frozen figures, nced at each of them, and then said, "You both must assure me that, after we release the ice, you won''t act recklessly. Otherwise, you may face expulsion."


    Batman blinked first, and when Lex saw Schiller, he suppressed hisughter, also blinking.


    Victor snorted and raised his freezing gun once again. After two beams of energy struck the ice, it shattered, leaving both of them frozen in ce.


    "You see, I told you they''d show signs of remorse." Schiller turned back to pat Victor''s shoulder.


    At that moment, JokerLex instinctively wanted to burst intoughter, but Batman quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth.


    "Shut up! I don''t want to get expelled!" Batman whispered, lowering his voice.


    Now, Lex seemed to regain some sanity. Previously, he had used a significant amount of the freezing mist tobat Batman, and this mist''s raw material was the blue liquid stored within his body. As this liquid diminished, the Dionysian factor responsible for his madness no longer worked so intensely. Consequently, the manic aspect that belonged to the Joker began to recede, allowing Lex to gradually regain hisposure. It was then that he realized he might have caused a huge disaster.


    Surveying theboratory''s scene, he understood that if he didn''t quickly admit his wrongdoing, his academic career mighte to an end. Despite this being the grand stage of Gotham, the confrontation between Batman and the Joker might be entertaining, but fighting and damaging research equipment within aboratory would result in expulsion.


    "Alright, spill the beans. What''s really going on here? Why were the two of you fighting?" Schiller asked them. He genuinely had no prior knowledge of the situation. He hade to theboratory to find Victor.


    Schiller had called Victor''s dorm room but received no answer. He assumed that Victor was workingte in theboratory, which was why he decided toe here. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon Batman and the Joker fighting as an added bonus.


    As they exined the situation and attempted to shift me onto each other, Batman and Lex turned their heads and gazed at Thomas, who was lying amidst the wreckage of the liquid storage equipment.


    Through their exchange andbining the information Schiller had separately obtained from Hugo and Taichi earlier, the truth behind these several murder cases was bing increasingly evident.


    Hugo had targeted the Elliott family as a means to secure essential resources to establish himself in Gotham. Since the family had only one heir, Thomas, Hugo manipted certain emotions within Thomas to make him want to kill his own parents.


    However, Thomas didn''t want to go to prison for murder. So, Hugo presented him with a n to establish an alibi by framing Doris for the murder, providing himself with an airtight alibi. Then, Hugo orchestrated another murder, connecting the two cases into a serial killing pattern.


    As Thomas was already in prison, these murders continued to ur, giving Thomas an alibi for the first case. To achieve this goal, Hugo killed a second victim in the gym''s lounge. Hugo didn''tmit the murder himself; instead, he used the same hypnotic technique to manipte other students into doing it.


    These students were well-acquainted with the premises and could easily blend back into the crowd aftermitting the act, making it difficult for the police to identify them.


    Before these events, Hugo had also contacted the Mad Hatter, Taichi, with the intention of involving him in this n or establishing some other form of coboration. However, Thomas''s murder of Doris, driven by his delusional disorder, infuriated Taichi. Taichi saw his assistant''s girlfriend as his own lover. In Taichi''s eyes, Thomas had killed his beloved, so seeking revenge against Thomas meant taking the life of Thomas''s loved one.


    So, Taichi employed the Brainwaves Controller to hypnotize Angel, tapping into her jealousy and driving her to kill Thomas''s fianc¨¦e, Belenna.


    However, Taichi''s overreliance on his hypnotic controller and disregard for Angel''s unique personality traits led Angel to notice something amiss.


    During her struggle to resist Taichi''s control, Angel experienced numerous hallucinations. In her efforts not to harm her friends, she ended up injuring herself while en route tomitting murder.


    And so, three cases that closely resembled serial murders unfolded.


    Lex wanted to borrow Victor''sboratory for his experiments due to a project assigned by Schiller. However, Thomas, fearing for Belenna''s safety after learning of threats against her, escaped custody in haste and rushed to the experimental building where Belenna often worked, coincidentally running into Lex.


    Batman, who had been chasing Thomas, unintentionally ruptured the storage container for the freezing material, turning Lex into a three-in-one adversary. The two engaged in a fierce fight, causing extensive damage to the entireboratory.


    Copperpot, who hade here with the intention of killing Lex, couldn''t simply stand by and watch. He opted for the most efficient solution: informing the teachers.


    He located Victor, who was sleeping in his dorm room, and summoned him to the scene. Victor, a seasoned Freeze, quickly froze both Lex and Batman.


    Schiller, having just finished digging pits for Hugo and Taichi, hoped to enlist Victor''s help or, more urately, save a front-row seat for his good friend Victor. He nned to enjoy the show together.


    However, when Schiller tried to call Victor''s dorm room, he found out that Victor had been summoned by Copperpot, and the call couldn''t get through.


    Knowing Victor''s schedule well, Schiller figured he must be in theboratory and decided to join them.


    In this manner, they all gathered together.


    After recounting these events, everyone fell into a speechless silence. Schiller sighed and, in a disappointed tone, addressed Batman, "Bruce, how many times have I told you, does dailybat training lead anywhere? Did you win against him?"


    Batman stood silently in ce, adopting a stern posture, and said, "Call me Batman."


    Schiller turned his head to look at Lex and said, "And you, do you intend to train yourself to Superman''s level just to throw punches at him?"


    "Are your two supposedly brilliant minds no longer functioning?" Schiller surveyed the wreckage-filledboratory.


    Batman nced up at the ceiling''s patterns, while Lex looked down to admire the cracks in the floor.


    "Neither of you passed this assignment!" Schiller''s final words finally broke through their psychological defenses. "Your final grades reflect it as well!"


    Both Lex and Batman turned to Schiller. Schiller continued, "Disregarding school rules, causing such a big mess, and having such poor grades ¨C you''re just one step away from expulsion, do you understand?"


    Hearing this, Batman and Lex unexpectedly breathed a sigh of relief. Lex looked at Schiller and said, "Professor, I''m truly sorry, but I''m more than willing to make amends. I''ll donate an entireboratory building... Oh no, two state-of-the-artboratory buildings,plete with all the equipment and necessary research materials for ten years..."


    Batman interjected, "Energy systems and lighting systems, permanently."


    "Do you think this can sway me?" Schiller''s expression remained unchanged as he said, "Even if this sorts out your mess, what about your grades?"


    After a brief pause, Schiller continued, "Your fists have had enough exercise. Now it''s time to test your brilliant minds to ensure they haven''t rusted."


    "Batman,ter on, one of the culprits behind this mess wille to you in your dream. I assume I don''t need to instruct you on what to do, right?"


    "Additionally..." Schiller looked into Batman''s eyes and said, "Another person participating in this exam is named rk. I believe you wouldn''t want to lose to him."


    Batman immediately narrowed his eyes, his mouth turning downward, disying that ssic expression.


    After Batman departed, Lex looked at Schiller and inquired, "Professor, what about me? What am I being tested on? I believe I can handle being rk''s opponent..."


    Schiller, who was walking forward, halted in his tracks, turned around, looked into Lex''s eyes, and said, "Lex Luthor, we are alike..."


    "So, your opponent is me."


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 Chapter 582: Memories of the Departed Suddenly Assault Me (1)

    Chapter 582: Memories of the Departed Suddenly Assault Me (1)


    In Gotham, the night rain always carried a bone-chilling chill with it. Amidst the gusty winds and pouring rain, the colorful neon lights resembled the shifting tides of this city.


    A man in a trench coat hurriedly crossed the sidewalk, honking cars sounding in session, yet the man swiftly disappeared on the other side of the street.


    Traffic signals changed, and car tires rolled over puddles, sshing water droplets onto the cobblestone edges of the street, bathed in the warm glow of a convenience store.


    His leather shoes stepped through puddles on the steps, leaving only small gaps for the light to reflect on the water''s surface. The man in the trench coat briskly ascended the staircase of Gotham''s grand theater. Inside, there were no ushers, and darkness shrouded everything.


    But he navigated with familiarity, turning left and entering the ticket passage, then making his way to the audience seats. Several figures were already waiting there.


    Victor, who had rushed over, removed his hat, shaking off the rainwater. He sat down beside Schiller and said, "Sorry for being a bitte. I had to tidy up myboratory."


    "No problem. The movie hasn''t started yet," Schiller replied, moving his umbre to the side. Victor noticed the water droplets on the umbre, realizing Schiller had arrived not long ago either.


    In front of Schiller, there were two people, Evans and Copperpot, engaged in hushed conversation. It seemed Copperpot was recounting the incident where Bruce and Lex got caught fighting, and Evans looked displeased, furrowing his brow and pursing his lips.


    In the diagonal front row from Evans and Copperpot sat JokerJack, who was already sound asleep, with a bubble of snot forming.Far away in a distant corner seat, there was an unfamiliar man. Victor couldn''t see his face clearly, but he had a vague sense of familiarity.


    Suddenly, the shadowy figure moved. In a brief moment Victor couldn''t quite grasp, he blinked and reappeared in another row of seats, then vanished once again.


    Victor wasn''t even sure if he had truly seen him, but Schiller answered his uncertainty. "Today''s movie has arge cast, and it might be quite exciting. I can''t pay attention to all the scenes, so I''ve enlisted a projectionist."


    Victor looked at Schiller, noticing that Schiller turned his head towards the empty seat beside him. Even though there was no one there, Schiller seemed to see something. He said, "Morpheus, could you kindly help us with the movie tonight?"


    In Schiller''s line of sight, the pale man in a ck robe sitting beside him turned his head slightly and gave Schiller a dissatisfied look, as if he disagreed with being called a projectionist.


    "I promise this will be yourst movie before bedtime. After we finish it, my friends and I will personally bid you goodnight," Schiller said with a smile.


    Morpheus turned his head back, gazing at the theater''s stage. Suddenly, the wooden stage and curtains vanished, reced by an endless starry expanse. The entire theater seemed to open up like a vast ck hole, extending from the front row seats onward.


    Stars constantly revolved, forming vortexes of blinking light in the deep space. The lights on the theater ceiling went out one by one...


    The profound darkness didn''tst long. Suddenly, the ground in front of the seats started to extend forward, changing from old tiles to wooden flooring.


    Next, a room began to take shape, seamlessly connected to the audience seats of the entire theater, even disying the intersection of wooden and tiled floors.


    At this moment, the theater audience seats were pitch-ck, and the room was too. Suddenly, with a "pop," a light bulb at the top of the room lit up.


    Simultaneously, light shone into the audience seats, illuminating the front rows while leaving the viewers in semi-darkness, intensifying the immersion.


    When the room''s light shone on their faces, they all squinted their eyes, just like when a movie started, and you saw the audience in front from the back rows.


    After the light bulb lit up, the room''s scene became clear. It was a not-so-spacious room with a desk in the center. What stood out was a massive hand-painted poster hanging on the wall, bearing the words: "Wee Freshmen Registration."


    "Drip, drip, drip." Footsteps echoed from outside the room as a figure walked in, standing in front of the desk.


    The person behind the desk raised their head. They wore a doctor''s uniform, sses, and what was different was that they were bald, with a stubble beard. Victor found his face oddly familiar. It was Hugo Strange.


    Victor furrowed his brow in confusion. He didn''t understand why the story was starting this way. But Schiller had a look of amused anticipation on his face.


    Hugo looked up, saw Bruce''s face, and offered a gentle smile. "Bruce Wayne, wee to the registration. Please have a seat and fill out your personal information."


    "Thank you." Bruce in the roomplied, sitting down and starting to fill out the form. However, after just two lines, he stopped and said, "Why is there so much to fill out? I don''t want to do this."


    With that, he tossed the pen onto the desk. Hugo''s expression briefly stiffened, but he quickly regained his smile. "Well, if you don''t want to go through the process, your dorm room is in Building 2, Room 201, in the men''s apartment. Take the keys and start your life as a big student."


    Bruce didn''t say anything and grabbed the keys, then turned and left. After he left, Hugo, seated behind the desk, wore a rxed smile and remarked, "I thought Schiller''s encounter with Batman would be a more thrilling story. But isn''t this just a chance meeting in school?"


    "Looked like Schiller was an ordinary receptionist at the time. In that case, how could Batman be on guard against him?"


    "What''s going on?" Victor, sitting in the audience seats, turned his head to Schiller. Meanwhile, Copperpot and Evans in the front row were also leaning in, eager for Schiller''s exnation.


    "If I had simply sent Hugo into Batman''s conscious mind and had them fight, wouldn''t it just be a brawl? What would be the point?"


    "So, what did you do?" Victor asked.


    Schiller lowered his gaze. When the room''s light shone on his face, it couldn''t dispel the shadow beneath his eyebrows. Those eyes, perpetually shrouded in mist, remained gray and inscrutable.


    "Hugo entered not Batman''s conscious mind but his subconscious, where his memories are stored. Of course, I couldn''t bypass Batman''s conscious mind to send Hugo into his subconscious, but I could use a detour."


    "I entered the Dreand beneath my own subconscious, then ventured into Batman''s dream below that. From there, I ascended through the Dreand, allowing me to directly ess Batman''s subconscious."


    "Thanks to our projectionist here," Schiller turned his head and looked at Morpheus. He said, "Thanks to him for allowing me to use this detour. Of course, this is no trespassing; I had informed Batman in advance that there would be an examination."


    "Of course, I must also thank a friend, the one who is currently sound asleep, Mr. Jack," Schiller looked at Jack, who sat in the front row. He continued, "To prevent Batman''s conscious mind from detecting any interference in his memories, theedian Jack is tirelessly performing in Batman''s conscious mind."


    "But perhaps he''s enjoying himself. Just look at his expression."


    Following Schiller''s words, Victor looked at Jack in the front row. Their seats were not directly aligned, so from the side, Victor could see that the soundly sleeping Jack wore a contented smile, clearly having a good time.


    "Furthermore, our friend named Hugo Strange," Schiller continued, "he told me himself that he wanted to y a role simr to mine. So, I gave him this opportunity."


    "In Batman''s subconscious, I found all the memories rted to me. What Hugo invaded is precisely this segment of memories. In this segment, he reced my existence and became Batman''s teacher."


    Victor shook his head. He didn''t say anything further, but Schiller continued to exin, "The Bruce in those memories didn''t know this was an exam. Therefore, he would act ording to his original personality logic. I had no control or influence over him. So, what Hugo encountered was the purest form of Batman, without any external interference."


    "In that case, he might be in trouble," Victor concluded, but Schiller turned to Victor, saying, "You seem to have a unique understanding of Batman..."


    "He''s a ratherplex individual, forgive me for being frank. You two are quite alike, and from my understanding of you, I can guess what kind of person he truly is."


    Schiller smiled but didn''t say anything more. He turned his head back and continued to watch the stage''s scene.


    At this point, the room''s scene gradually dissolved, once again engulfed by the darkness of deep space. The stars gathered again, forming a vortex. This time, the damp and chilly cobblestones fell one by one, and the shadow of the building emerged in the distance.


    Rain sounds began in the quiet room, and a light drizzle fell on the stage. Everyone in the room felt the approaching humidity and the peculiar chemical scent hidden in the rain, unique to Gotham.


    Copperpot sniffed, intimately familiar with the scent as a born-and-raised Gothamite. He had traversed these rainy nights countless times¡ªdamp, chilly, and pungent, with nowhere to escape.


    In the alley, Hugo, who had just entered this memory scene, seemed somewhat disoriented, not understanding why he had suddenly appeared in Gotham''s rainy night.


    Suddenly, two sharp sounds, like a swoosh, came from the air. Hugo couldn''t react in time. He didn''t have Spider-Sense, nor did he have an Umbre. Therefore, when the two bat symbols attacked, he was defenseless.


    The jet-ck and sharp Batarangs stopped about 30 centimeters away from him. Batman, dressed as the Bat, appeared at the alley''s entrance.


    "Batman?" Hugo squinted, but the Batman in front of him was momentarily stunned. He remembered that his alter ego had not been publicly revealed yet. How did his university professor suddenly know?


    "Put the Batarangs down, Batman. We should talk," Hugo frowned. However, Batman remained unfazed, saying, "You shouldn''t be here, Professor Strange."


    "Are you involved in the recent disappearances in the Morrison District?" Batman asked.


    "No," Hugo immediately denied it. However, the suspended Batarangs continued to approach, and Hugo hesitated for a moment, taking a slight step back. After all, the cold light reflected by the sharp edges of the Batarangs was not a ruse. If he got any closer, his neck would be cut.


    "Batman, no, it''s Bruce, Bruce Wayne... I know your true identity. You''re a student at Gotham University. So, I should be the one asking you this question. Why are you here?"


    Hugo wanted to regain some control by pointing out Batman''s identity because Batman was a student, and he was the teacher. He believed that in this situation, he could create some psychological pressure.


    But Batman remained unfazed. The suspended Batarangs continued to approach, pressing against Hugo''s throat as they closed in.


    "Do you want to kill your teacher?!" Hugo''s throat trembled up and down as he asked, "Are you crazy, Batman!"


    "Tell me, are you involved in the disappearances in the Morrison District?" Batman stepped closer to Hugo, and they were now so close that Hugo could see raindrops falling on Batman''s cape, leaving tiny water droplets behind.


    He felt a terrifying atmosphere spreading, and suddenly, with a "shoo" sound, one of the Batarangs rotated and cut Hugo''s skin. Blood sttered, and Hugo instinctively covered his throat and moved aside. But what awaited him was Batman''s fist.


    First, a punch struck the side of his cheek, followed by a knee strike. Hugo was helpless and fell to the ground, lying in a puddle of Gotham''s icy water. He heard Batman''s cold question, "Tell me, are you involved in the disappearances in the Morrison District?"


    "If you don''t want to speak, I''ll find a way to make you talk."


    "Are you insane, Bruce?! You want to kill your university professor?!... No, it shouldn''t be like this. Could it be that Schiller also... impossible..."


    Batman continued to emotionlessly repeat that sentence, and when Hugo didn''t answer, he resorted to violence, relentlessly assaulting Hugo.


    Hugo was left disoriented by the beating. His nosebleed first flowed into his mouth and then dripped into a puddle, tainting it red. He curled up, lying on the ground, and heard Batman say:


    "Hugo Strange, I''ve investigated your entire history. One year ago, you were expelled for unauthorized experiments, followed by a warrant for your arrest. However, you used unscrupulous methods to clear your name. Afterward, you entered anotherboratory, but you were expelled again half a year ago due to another unauthorized experiment."


    "During these experiments, you exhibited violent and abusive tendencies, especially regarding unauthorized human experiments. Among the subjects in yourst experiment project, 11 samples resembled the poption profiles of the missing individuals in the Morrison District."


    "Wait a moment!" Victor, from the audience, suddenly spoke up. "If this is a fragment of Bruce''s memory, how does he know all these details? At this point, he shouldn''t even know Hugo, right?"


    "I added them to his memory. However, everything I told him is factual. Hugo was indeed expelled for unauthorized human experiments, a widely known fact in the industry, and the Batman of that period had the means to discover it."


    "I don''t think that''s unfair," Schiller rubbed his finger and said, "After all, my past records..."


    Schiller shook his head and didn''t continue speaking. After Victor thought about it, he looked at Schiller curiously and asked, "So how did you avoid getting caught up in this situation?"


    Schiller shook his head again, not intending to answer that question. But seeing Victor''s curious gaze, Schiller said only one thing, "I''m just an ordinary person."


    Schiller continued to gaze at the stage. Hugo, lying on the ground, was barely conscious. As the sound of the night rain grew louder, this scene copsed once again, returning to the boundless deep space.


    The stars swirled, and when they reappeared, the scene was somewhat familiar. It was still that alley, but this time, the rain had just stopped, and a cold, chilling wind swept through the streets, emitting mournful howls.


    "Bang! Bang!"


    The amplified sounds startled Evans, and he instinctively ducked into his seat. However, like watching a horror movie, he was both frightened and couldn''t tear his eyes away from the stage, eager to see what had made the noise.


    At the base of a high-rise building, a seemingly inconspicuous garbage bin had a hand sticking out of it. The pattern on the glove looked somewhat familiar to Copperpot. As expected, Batman crawled out of the garbage bin.


    He coughed continuously and rubbed his eyes. Copperpot noticed some white powder on Batman''s mask. He frowned and said, "That''s the trick those lowlifes from the lower levels like to use. When they can''t win a fight, they throw lime powder in your eyes..."


    Evans took a sharp breath. "That must be really ufortable. If I got eyshes in my eyes, I''d be ufortable for half a day."


    Batman covered one eye with his hand and used the other to support his waist. He limped toward the alley''s exit.


    On the road, he saw a beggar, so he approached and had a conversation with the beggar. Meanwhile, Hugo, on the balcony of the second floor, was still immersed in the anger and fear from Batman''s earlier beating.


    He muttered to himself, "No... Could it be that Schiller also... Correct, facing someone like him, how could he not suffer? Controlling Batman isn''t that simple. It seems I was too hasty..."


    "I shouldn''t have shed with him so quickly. I need to observe a bit more before taking action..."


    So, he stood on the side of the second-floor balcony, observing Batman''s conversation with the beggar. He heard Batman saying something about the beggar being safe, but that wasn''t Hugo''s focus now. He wanted to figure out Batman''s weaknesses.


    After Batman had spoken with the beggar for a few moments and left some money, he departed. Once he was gone, Hugo approached the beggar. He just wanted to understand what made this beggar special and if he could find a weakness in Batman''s conversation with him.


    However, just as Hugo had jumped down from the second floor and reached the beggar, a swooshing sound rang out again. Two Batarangs came flying once more. Batman, who had already left, turned back.


    In Hugo''s field of vision, all he saw was Batman''s massive fist.


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 Chapter 583: The Sudden Assault of Dead Memories (2)

    Chapter 583: The Sudden Assault of Dead Memories (2)


    Next, the stage continued to change rapidly, shifting between scenes¡ªa dark alley, an office, a ssroom. In each of these scenes, Hugo would be mercilessly beaten by Batman, and he''d either end up in police custody or a mental hospital.


    As these scenes shed by, Schiller''s voice echoed throughout the theater. He said, "If you ever seek a psychologist in the future, remember not to choose one like this."


    "Perhaps you already know that this doctor named Hugo Strange has a solid theoretical background. He evenes up with many small inventions, and his execution ismendable..."


    "One could say that in terms of overall qualities, he''s superior to me. After all, I cannot create a hypnotic machine or use physical means to hypnotize people. But there''s one thing where I excel..."


    "That is, I understand deeply that the ultimate goal of being a doctor is to heal patients, and if you aim to be a teacher, it''s to educate students."


    "If a doctor doesn''t want to heal but instead wants to harm and control, or if a teacher isn''t interested in educating but rather in manipting, then their ultimate destination is a mental hospital."


    Apanying the visuals of Batman once again dragging the unconscious Hugo, this time to Arkham Mental Hospital, Schiller''s voice turned cold, resembling the frigid Gotham rain.


    "If he consistently has an unconventional understanding of his profession, it means he''s not fit to be a good doctor or teacher."


    "If he doesn''t want to be an ordinary person, then he can only be a patient."Victor slightly tilted his head and turned his gaze towards Schiller, asking, "Is this why you always im to be an ordinary person?"


    Before Schiller could respond, Joker Jack, sitting in the front row, suddenly jolted awake. He shook his head, stretched, yawned loudly, and muttered, "What a brief rendezvous! His temper is just terrible!"


    Afterward, he turned his head back and looked at Schiller. "Ordinary people and his ordinary friends, Batman probably has realized that his memories have changed by now. He might be rushing back into his subconscious."


    Jack had just finished saying this when, in the next stage, two Batmans appeared. One was standing in a small alley near Gotham Cathedral, and the other descended onto the rooftop of arge church.


    As expected, in the alley, Batman faced Hugo, while the Batman standing on the rooftop scanned his surroundings. He didn''t stop until he spotted the other Batman holding an empty salt shaker.


    He recalled that this was when he had pursued the murderer of his parents. After visiting the killer, he found that the man had turned into an Alzheimer''s patient, losing all capacity for resistance but still deeply fearing the name Falcone.


    Recalling these scenes, his thoughts churned. He remembered a sentence Schiller had said to him back then: "Fear is the deepest and most difficult-to-erase scar etched into the human soul."


    Just as he pondered this, the heavy tolling of bells resounded, echoing in every corner of Gotham...


    He remembered that when he heard these bells, he swore to spread fear to every corner of the city, making all criminals tremble, just like the pervasive evening bells of Gotham.


    The voice of Hugo pulled Batman out of his reverie. He suddenly realized that in the position of Schiller in his memories, it wasn''t Schiller but Hugo.


    Then he heard Hugo say, "How can you not seek revenge against him? He killed your parents, and now he''s incapacitated. Isn''t this the perfect opportunity?"


    "If you let him go like this, how can you talk about revenge? What you should be holding isn''t that broken shaker but a knife or a gun. You should go and kill him, follow your inner choice... go back... to y your enemy..."


    The Batman on the rooftop reached for his eyes, and, unsurprisingly, the other Batman in the alley punched Hugo, knocking him down.


    The Batman on the rooftop took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh. He felt that if this were a dream, it was a terrible nightmare. If he had encountered a professor like this...


    Batman couldn''t help but envision the scenario. However, he believed he wouldn''t sumb to Hugo''s maniption. Even if Hugo were truly like Schiller and appeared in his life for an extended period, Batman thought that within a semester, he would surely send this teacher to a mental hospital.


    What would happen if, at the beginning of his Batman career, he had encountered a professor like this?


    Watching his past self, the Batman who continuously asked Hugo the same questions, inquiring about his crimes, and if he didn''t answer, breaking his legs, Batman felt that this shouldn''t be him. Why had he be so obsessed? Viewing this behavior from an outsider''s perspective, it truly resembled that of an irrational lunatic. Was this what he desired?


    If he had initially envisioned spreading fear throughout every corner of the city using these methods, Batman suddenly understood why Schiller''s expression would turn disdainful and somewhat sympathetic whenever he saw Batman throwing punches.


    Because when viewed from a third-person perspective, Batman in this scene seemed even more like a lunatic than Hugo lying on the ground¡ªparanoid, gloomy, and irritable. This was the epitome of antisocial personality, wasn''t it?


    Where would it lead if this continued?


    Batman couldn''t imagine such a scenario. However, he believed that if he continued down this path of thinking, he would create more advanced equipment for himself, devise more borate strategies, find more criminals, and then use these tools to deal with them. What woulde next?


    If he dealt with all the criminals, what would he do?


    Perhaps he would view everyone as potential criminals, formte more ns, and be prepared to confront them at any moment, even putting some of those ns into practice.


    Fighting non-existent illusions was a typical symptom when a person suffering from a mental illness had an episode. Batman recalled a phrase he had once read in a psychology textbook, possibly written by Schiller...


    Batman shook his head and began to contemte whether the Batman he had imagined in this scenario was truly afflicted with a mental disorder.


    Furthermore, he started to wonder if the relentless suspicion and violence that had arisen from this suspicion were truly necessary. Were they a result of his own will, or were they symptoms influenced by a mental illness?


    As the saying goes, when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. After studying psychology, everyone appears to have a mental disorder, including oneself.


    The stage froze on Batman deep in thought. Then, it gradually copsed, and when the scene changed once more, the roomyout on the stage appeared somewhat unfamiliar.


    It looked like a guest room in a manor. A handsome young man sat on the edge of a bed, while another frail, small man upied a chair near the head of the bed.


    Victor turned his head and looked at Schiller, asking, "Is this when you met that Metropolis student named rk?"


    Schiller nodded and said, "This Dr. Taichi seemed to want topete with me as well. Since he''s in Metropolis, it''s good to have him guide rk..."


    The young man sitting on the bed appeared troubled. He was sharing his worries, but it was evident that Taichi wasn''t paying serious attention. He had no interest in the trivial matters happening at the school.


    "You mean you can casually run and achieve world record-breaking results?" Taichi asked rk with a raised voice. "Do you have any other miraculous abilities?"


    rk, caught up in painful memories, wasn''t cautious enough. He said directly to Taichi, "I''m very fast, incredibly strong, and I have some other extraordinary abilities. But I don''t know where theye from, and they''ve caused me a lot of trouble..."


    "Trouble?!" Taichi raised his voice. "You dare call these immensely powerful abilities ''trouble''? Are you insane?"


    rk appeared somewhat bewildered, and Taichi eximed loudly, "You should use it for something! You could even rule this city! Rule this country and even Earth itself, why don''t you?"


    "Why should I do that?" rk stared at Taichi with a puzzled expression. "Why should I rule Metropolis, or Earth for that matter?"


    "Because you are more powerful than them, more powerful than anyone!"


    "Why should being more powerful than everyone mean I have to rule over them? I can help them, save them, but I won''t interfere in their lives, just as I wouldn''t want others interfering in mine."


    "You''re a madman!" Taichi jumped off his chair and screamed, "You could easily have everything! You could have all the Alices in the world, turn the entire Earth into a paradise! And yet, you''re troubled by such incredible power?"


    "No, I won''t change the lives of ordinary people, because the rules I create for them might not be to their liking. They might feel unhappy, and besides, I won''t make any rules. I haven''t even graduated from college..."


    rk''s thoughts were clear, and he was nothing like Batman, who could obsess over a single issue for days. Despite possessing the world''s most intelligent superbrain, he often approached things from a perspective of kindness as a human being...


    Compared to Batman, whose mission was tobat crime, Superman''s stance was more about helping others. From his perspective, the only thing that needed distinguishing was who needed help and who didn''t. Or rather, in Superman''s eyes, everyone needed help, as long as it fell within his capabilities, he would help as much as possible.


    There was no wavering in his core stance. Superman could handle the chatter of viins in Gotham with ease. If, like in the movies, there were scenes with two ships, each with a bomb and people pressing buttons, Superman would consider both sides as weaklings, both in need of his help.


    Joker could talk endlessly, but Superman would just dismantle one ship''s cabin and carry it away. By the time Joker finished speaking, he''d probably have taken over three hundred punches from Superman.


    Superman aimed to help every person equally, and when someone became the ultimate saint, he remained unwavering.


    So, no matter how Taichi tempted, seduced, or persuaded him, rk felt he couldn''t do it.


    Finally, Taichi lost his patience. He pulled something strange from his suitcase, ced it on his head, which looked like a hat but more like a device, with a circle of light bulbs that emitted light.


    It was Taichi''s Brainwaves controller, a device he had developed. Not only did it work in the Dream Realm, but in reality, it was also activated simultaneously.


    Taichi could control it with Brainwaves. When he activated the Brainwaves controller in the dream, the real-world Brainwaves controller would search for the Brainwaves currently connected to Taichi and enter his consciousness space to modify his memories.


    Everything had gone smoothly so far. The real-world Brainwaves controller had been sessfully activated and had reached rk''s Brainwaves, entering his world of consciousness.


    As mentioned earlier, Schiller had sent these two individuals into the subconscious of Batman and Superman, starting from his Temple of Thought, descending into the Dreand, then along the Dreand, finding the consciousness of Superman and Batman, and finally, entering their subconscious, bypassing their conscious minds.


    However, Taichi''s Brainwaves controller couldn''t do this. When he entered someone else''s world of consciousness, he directly entered their conscious mind, which was very unstable.


    rk had been sleeping peacefully in his school dormitory, even having a dream. However, when the Brainwaves controller invaded his consciousness, his mind started to be active.


    Normally, when consciousness started to be active, it meant transitioning from sleep to wakefulness. But the Brainwaves controller''s hypnotic function kept pacifying rk''s Brainwaves, preventing him from waking up.


    However, as the superbrain''s activity increased, the vast amount of information stored in Superman''s mind also became active. While the consciousness was continuously calmed, it remained in a dream. When these vast amounts of information started moving, there was no space for them to go, and now, only one channel was open...


    When all the redundant information rushed into Taichi''s mind through the Brainwaves controller''s channel, he didn''t even have a trace of resistance left. All of his consciousness space was filled with this garbage information.


    Just how extensive was the extraneous information in Superman''s brain? It was probably to the point where Schiller would feel dizzy just by looking at it...


    rk had a rtively shallow understanding of the extent to which he could apply his superbrain. He hadn''t learned how to process and filter information; instead, he had learned to record it all. Every piece of information he had encountered since birth was stored in his brain, down to the tiniest detail.


    From aputer science perspective, suddenly being filled with so much information had already reached a level of intrusion and disruption.


    Taichi''s superficial consciousness space had fallen, but what set him apart from others was that he had done some research on his own consciousness space.


    In the fairy tale Manor, the rabbit hole in the backyard was actually a passage to Taichi''s subconscious, simr to the hole Schiller dug in the Temple of Thought''s ground floor.


    Realizing that his superficial consciousness was beyond salvation, Taichi desperately leaped into his own subconscious through the rabbit hole.


    It can be said that at this point, there was still a chance to save the situation. All that needed to be done was to clear out those pieces of information. Taichi thought this way too.


    However, as his personality sank into his subconscious, his superficial consciousness no longer had any personality activity. As a result, Brainwaves activity also stopped, and he couldn''t control the Brainwaves controller any longer, nor continue hypnotizing rk.


    Just because rk wasn''t using his superbrain didn''t mean he couldn''t control his own consciousness space like an ordinary human. Just before waking up from the real world, he sensed that his brain was being invaded.


    So, he had no choice but to wake up and sink into his consciousness space, wanting to see what was going on. At this point, the Brainwaves controller''s channel was still open. rk followed this channel and entered Taichi''s superficial consciousness.


    Discovering that his own memories were crowded here, rk initially thought someone had stolen his memories. Consequently, he began searching for this culprit on the surface, eventually finding the rabbit hole.


    Without much thought, rk jumped directly down the rabbit hole and coincidentally encountered Taichi, who had just taken refuge here.


    rk, within his conscious self, had no knowledge of who Taichi was, but Taichi knew exactly what wrongdoings he hadmitted. Seeing rk approach, he bolted, and rk, sensing his guilt, chased after him.


    Taichi had no chance of outrunning rk, and soon he was about to be caught. His only option was to flee through a particr path.


    When Schiller hade to pick up Hugo and Taichi to enter Batman and Superman''s consciousness space, they had taken the same route, the one leading from Dreand, creating a passage from the depths of Taichi and Hugo''s subconscious directly to Dreand.


    In other words, there was a hole at the bottom of Taichi and Hugo''s subconscious, leading straight to Dreand.


    With no other escape, Taichi reluctantly jumped down the hole, knowing that beneath ity a fantastical realm. If he could enter that realm and find a ce to hide, he might be safe.


    On the other side, Hugo, who was being pursued by Batman, had the same idea.


    And coincidentally, there was a hole in Batman''s subconscious, one that Joker had created when he ventured into Batman''s mind through Dreand.


    Hugo searched for an escape route and, finding only this one, didn''t hesitate to jump down. Batman, not wanting to fail his exams, was determined to catch up...


    So, Taichi and Superman, Hugo and Batman, all entered Dreand through the holes in their own consciousness spaces.


    The four of them chased and ran, and now, things were even livelier.


    rk had no idea why Batman was here and thought he was here to assist Taichi. Batman, upon seeing Taichi, realized he was another murderer involved in the case, and he wanted to pursue him as well.


    In Dreand, when Hugo and Taichi encountered Batman and rk, it was chaos. Batman''s darkness shed with rk''s radiance, resulting in constant explosions.


    As the drama unfolded, Morpheus in the audience couldn''t sit still. After disappearing with a "whoosh," Schiller brought out a bottle of wine. The others, without needing any reminder, leaned back in their chairs, preparing to enter the dream.


    Morpheus rushed back to his home, only to find it mostly demolished. Instantly, anger surged within him, overpowering his fear.


    Suddenly, all activity in Dreand ceased, and Morpheus appeared in the center of the battlefield. His robe billowed without wind, and his demeanor exuded both power and authority.


    "Stop all of you! You wretched humans! You''ve disrupted Dreand and must pay the price..."


    Everyone was immobilized, unable to move. Morpheus knew the extent of his own power and didn''t notice the anger in rk''s expression.


    Seeing rk''s position, he understood the source of this anger. rk was just a step away from capturing Taichi, and now Morpheus had frozen everyone in ce. In rk''s eyes, this was nothing but protecting Taichi.


    When it came to carrying out justice, Superman had little patience for those who resisted.


    Morpheus took a deep breath and sighed. Suddenly, he saw a shadow of a ship in the distance.


    Arge ship slowly approached and stopped far away from Morpheus. Angrily, Morpheus shouted, "Schiller! Look at the mess you''ve made! Why are you standing so far away? Afraid I''ll beat you?!"


    Schiller, standing at the front of the ship, shook his head and said, "I''m not afraid of you hitting me; I''m afraid..."


    As he spoke, he extended a finger and lightly pointed it behind Morpheus. Morpheus snorted and said, "Don''t think you can use these tricks..."


    In an instant, an incredibly dazzling light burst from behind him. A sun rose in the dreand kingdom, and the center of the light grew brighter until it burned a hole through the entire space.


    Silently and abruptly, in a single moment of brilliant radiance, everything within sight in Dreand was leveled.


    Upon seeing the light, Batman remembered the twenty-plus floors of Schiller''s building that had been demolished. He quickly retreated and was then pulled back onto the ship by Schiller.


    The dream god Morpheus made ast-ditch effort to resist, but his reaction time was too short. He was also too close to Superman. When the sun exploded, he was thrown the farthest.


    He was considered the farthest thrown because the other two human souls had no chance to fly away. Like moths drawn to a me, they melted on the spot.


    When Morpheusnded andy there, blinded by the brilliance, he heard a low, echoing horn sound. He saw the shadow of arge ship...


    He saw two figures jumping down from the ship. One of them was Schiller, and the other figure seemed vaguely familiar to Morpheus, or rather, very familiar.


    Constantine walked casually to where Morpheusy, lit a cigarette, took a drag, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and then looked down at Morpheus, saying:


    "Now, you can finally tell me why you didn''t want to give me a pleasant dream, can''t you?"


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 Chapter 584: Schillers Mishap (1)

    Chapter 584: Schiller''s Mishap (1)


    Constantine no longer carried his usual carefree demeanor. The haze of cigarette smoke lingered between his brows. When he furrowed them, he appeared somewhat distant, revealing that inherent British aloofness that lent him an air of refined elegance.


    Constantine squatted down, his head cocked as he gazed at Morpheus. No one knew just how captivating Dream God appeared through his eyes.


    Without a doubt, when he looked at Morpheus'' face, that enraptured expression was no deception. Perhaps he wasn''t seeing a person but the dream he had longed for, a dream that had eluded him until now.


    "Morpheus, thest time I sought you out, I didn''t get the answers I desired. Furthermore, you''ve forbidden my entry into Dreand. So, I had no choice but to resort to this method to bid you goodnight personally."


    Constantine peered into Morpheus'' eyes and said, "Since a young age, I''ve known who to approach when I seek answers, and I also knew that if he wouldn''t tell me willingly, I could ask in a different way..."


    Once stripped of his formerly carefree and dissolute demeanor, Constantine''s eyes exhibited sharpness, obsession, and cold detachment, much like the lunatics of Gotham.


    Schiller, donned in a suit, stood by Morpheus'' side, his posture erect, hands tucked into his trouser pockets. He turned his head to look at the distant horizon of Dreand. At this moment, he and Constantine''s shadows seemed inexplicably alike. Their attitudes in this matter were strikingly simr: no deity, despite their divine status, had the right to refuse answering their questions.


    Whether one invited them politely or held a gun to their heads, demons or gods, it made no difference to them.


    Morpheusy on the ground, gazing at the sky. He wasn''t actually physically injured, but the emotional damage far outweighed any physical harm. As he looked around at the empty, deste expanse of Dreand and contemted the repairs thaty ahead, Morpheus realized that his long career hade to an end."You won''t have pleasant dreams," Morpheus said with a somewhat vacant gaze directed at the sky of Dreand. There were iridescent clouds and mist, and he continued, "You, and you, and the person standing at the prow of the ship, none of you will have pleasant dreams."


    He gestured to Constantine, who was crouched before him, Schiller standing beside him, and Batman, who stood on the ship in the distance.


    "This isn''t a curse; it''s simply a fact. Only those who remain ignorant of the existence of the Country of Dreams can truly have pleasant dreams."


    "When you know that your dreams are crafted by me and that there is a special ce where all your dreams are stored, you will never experience a pleasant dream again."


    "This is the rule of Dreand. Only those willing to give up the truth, refrain from pondering the source and destination of their dreams, and enter slumber with expectations can truly have pleasant dreams."


    "And you, you damned truth-seekers, intruded here, learned the truth of dreams, and now, dreams will no longer seek you out."


    Morpheus shifted his gaze briefly to Constantine and said, "When you came here seeking a pleasant dream, rather than lying in bed, rxing your body, and closing your eyes full of hope, you had already lost the privilege of dreaming. Anyone in this world who knows of the existence of the dream god will never dream again..."


    Morpheus looked at Constantine and said, "You brought this upon yourself. You and this man, you both barged into Dreand and set off a massive explosion that left my home unrecognizable. And you dare to ask me if I sympathize with you?"


    Constantine rose to his feet and looked toward the sky of Dreand. From this angle, no one could see whether he felt sorrow for this truth.


    Chasing a beautiful dream might appear childish, not something that adults or Hellzer Constantine would do, but he was stubborn in his pursuit of the truth.


    Constantine remained silent for a moment and then turned his head to Batman, speaking in a voice just loud enough for Batman to hear, "This is magic. When you''re on the road seeking truth, you''ve already lost everything."


    He took a few more drags from his cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and the roguish smile returned to his face. He spoke lightly to Schiller, "Well, it looks like this is the end of this matter. I helped you deal with those green-lighted folks earlier, and you''ve repaid that favor."


    He flicked the nearly extinguished cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it underfoot. Then, he bent down, extended his hand, and helped Morpheus to his feet. He said to him, "Sorry, I just wanted an answer."


    Schiller, once again, retrieved a cigarette from his own suit pocket, lit it, and then pulled out another one, offering it to Morpheus. Morpheus scowled but didn''t take it, though Schiller didn''t seem to mind.


    "You came here to seek an answer," Schiller said, his intense gaze giving Morpheus an unsettling feeling. Soon, Morpheus realized it wasn''t a mere illusion.


    "Well, Morpheus, I understand your divine power is mighty, and your dominion vast. However, a handful of human believers hardly seems fitting for your exalted status."


    "As far as I know, your siblings have far more followers than you do. I heard from Constantine that human souls and faith hold special significance for all gods..."


    "I have delved into the consciousness space of humanity and dreams for many years, and I am well aware of the vastness of the Dream Realm. It''s an uncharted territory that has piqued the curiosity of humans throughout the ages. I believe that your remarkable achievements should be better known..."


    As Morpheus listened, he became increasingly uneasy. He took two cautious steps back and looked at Schiller, asking, "What are you trying to do?"


    "In any profession, there are specialists. If you want to develop faith, you must have a sufficient number of believers. To increase your followers, you need someone to spread the word. Perhaps... do you need a professional pope?"


    "I do not need..."


    "Let me finish. I understand you might be thinking that as soon as we leave, you''ll find some unlucky soul and pass on this rotten business to them, finally gaining your freedom."


    "Butst time, when I inquired about matters rted to fate, I didn''t get an answer. So, after leaving here, I''ll have to figure out a way to find a doorbell to ring fate''s door."


    "Oh, by the way, something happened earlier that made me contemte Death deeply. Death is also a captivating enigma for me, and I''m eager to have a conversation with Death..."


    Morpheus''s expression grew increasingly grim. He looked at Schiller and asked, "Are you threatening me?"


    "Of course not. I''m just describing a possible scenario."


    "Do you realize what you''re doing? To us, you and all humans are as insignificant as dust. Your life and death are a mere thought away for the Endless Family."


    "Is that so? Then why don''t you persuade fate to write my name in his book?"


    Morpheus was momentarily taken aback. Schiller wiped the smile off his face and looked at Morpheus, saying seriously, "I recall that thest time we met, you told me that all members of the Endless Family had to pay a price for their great divine power."


    "Death''s price is witnessing every death firsthand. As for you, perhaps the price you must pay is never knowing whether you truly exist or are merely a dream."


    "You''d have to relinquish your divine authority as the dream god and hand over Dreand to someone else. If, one day, you discover that you don''t really exist or don''t need to exist, then, like waking from a dream, you''ll disappearpletely."


    Schiller''s words were not baseless, for in theics, Morpheus did die, by his own hand. In "The Sandman"ic series, when Morpheus decided to relinquish his role as the master of Dreand, he allowed the Three Witches to kill him. Another member of the Endless Family, Death, then took him away. And when Dream, representing the realm of dreams, chose Death, it meant that the dream had awakened.


    Just like all dreams, when the dream shatters, and people awaken from it to return to reality, that dream disappears forever. There will never be the same dream again in the world.


    Perhaps that was the price Morpheus had to pay for his immense power. Every dream, no matter how beautiful, would eventuallye to an end.


    However, Schiller had a way to make a dream never awaken, as in his consciousness space, the dreamer and the one controlling the real world were not the same persona. This meant he had countless endless dreams...


    "I remember that when we first met, you mentioned that you had never seen that high tower in anyone''s Dream Realm."


    "Now, since you''ve decided to give up your current role, why not n a retirement trip for yourself? Book a room with beautiful scenery andfortable conditions?"


    Morpheus pursed his lips. He hadn''t expected Schiller to bring up this topic, but he wasn''t naive. He said, "So, who''s responsible for me giving up my current role?"


    Constantine lowered his head to examine the flowers and nts at his feet, while Schiller gazed up at the sky.


    Morpheus sighed. He had to admit that his desire to hand over Dreand to a new master wasn''t solely because of Schiller''s intrusion. He was a member of the Endless Family who possessed a rtively strong sense of humanity, which meant he was susceptible to various influences beyond the realm''s rules. Since the dreams he oversaw were as diverse as humanity itself, Morpheus couldn''t help but be affected to some extent.


    "Perhaps I should tell you a fact that might put your minds at ease," Morpheus said with some resignation. "Not only you, but I too am without pleasant dreams."


    "From the day I was born, I''ve faced endless work, a life without end. It''s far from being a pleasant dream. If things continue like this, I won''t be able to bring pleasant dreams to others."


    Morpheus, as the master of Dream Realm, possessed almost limitless power. He was synonymous with dreams, and if there was something wrong with him, the dreams of all creatures in his realm would be affected.


    After he grew tired of the unending work, the source of pleasant dreams began to dry up. If things continued this way, all that would remain for all creatures would be nightmares.


    So, when he realized he was no longer passionate about his work, he knew it was time to retire.


    When Morpheus''s attitude began to waver, Schiller keenly sensed it and said, "In fact, I didn''t juste here on a whim to apply for a job."


    "I''m a rather experienced pope. If you don''t believe me, I invite you to enter my dream. The gods I once believed in will confirm what I''m saying..."


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 Chapter 585: Schillers Unexpected Turn of Events (1)

    Chapter 585: Schiller''s Unexpected Turn of Events (1)


    At the top of the Schiller Temple of Thought, the imposing Khonshu sat cross-legged on the edge of the high tower, with his recently repaired staff resting on hisp. The massive serpent head of Jormungandr was nearby, and both of them were focused on a room within the high tower.


    Their current postures were not too different from two old men rxing under a tree after a meal, just missing a mat and a bag of sunflower seeds toplete the image.


    However, the state of affairs inside the room they were watching was in stark contrast to their rxed demeanor.


    You may recall that Batman''s examination at Gotham University involved uncovering the mastermind behind a murder case within the university. Lex''s opponent in this examination was Schiller.


    Of course, it wasn''t the real DC Schiller himself, as DC Comics couldn''t have him physically engage inbat with a youthful version of Luthor. Instead, he had dispatched Moonlight Schiller for the task.


    But there were good reasons for this choice. Firstly, unlike Batman, Lex wasn''t dealing with the kind of viins who only knew how to talk big. He wasn''t up against the Joker, who kidnapped people every day and forced Batman to make impossible choices. Lex had to face the incarnation of justice: Superman.


    If Lex''s future held a face-off with Superman, his first lesson wouldn''t be how to be a better viin but how to save his own life while minimizing harm. Superman was unlikely to kill Lex, but it was akin to having a fully grown elephant tell you he means no harm, he just wants to y with you. Lex needed to learn how to dance with the elephant without getting trampled.


    In terms of sheer strength, Moonlight Schiller was no match for Superman, but if a real Superman were involved, the cost of this exam would be too high. The tuition paid for two buildings of the university couldn''tpensate for the damage caused by a nuclear explosion in the Schiller Temple of Thought.


    Moreover, being blown up wouldn''t provide Lex with any valuable experience. On the other hand, being pursued and attacked by Moonlight Schiller would teach him how to quickly find escape routes.At this moment, Schiller, wielding an umbre knife, was pacing back and forth at the entrance of an alley. To create a fair examination environment, there were limitations imposed on both sides within this room.


    Firstly, Moonlight Schiller could only see objects illuminated by the moonlight. Anything concealed in shadow was invisible to him and out of his reach.


    Lex, on the other hand, could only move in areas with moonlight and was immobilized in darkness.


    This created a standoff situation. Lex stayed hidden and motionless in the dark, out of Moonlight Schiller''s sight, and Moonlight Schiller couldn''t determine his location. Even if he guessed it, he couldn''t touch Lex; he could only wait outside the alley.


    The situation had reached a stalemate, but clearly, DC Schiller, who had arranged this exam, had anticipated it. At this moment, Khonshu, sitting at the top of the high tower, sensed that it was time. He lightly tapped his staff with his finger, and in that moment, the moon in the room began to move slowly.


    With the moon''s movement, the position of the moonlight naturally changed, as did the position of the shadows. Lex, hiding at the end of the alley in the shadow, was exposed to the moonlight. In that moment, he rushed out, his umbre knife shing, and blood sttered.


    Lex had a gash on his back, but at the same time, he emerged from the alley. As he reached the street, he realized he had terrible luck; at that moment, the moon was directly overhead, and only a thin strip of shadow remained on all the buildings.


    There wasn''t enough space for him to stand there, but he didn''t have much time to think. He sprinted toward the nearest building''s staircase.


    Buildings were inessible, but the external staircases could be used to ascend. The shadows at the corners of the staircases were sufficient for Lex to take cover.


    This dreand battle wasn''t about improving hisbat abilities or physical strength. It could not even toughen his physique. The only thing that could be enhanced was his mental strength.


    In countless instances of fleeing, making choices, and hiding, his mental strength would grow stronger, his reflexes would be sharper, and his willpower would strengthen.


    Facing Superman, increasing physical strength was futile because no matter how strong you became, you couldn''t overpower Superman. Mental strength and mental stability were more crucial. Even using agile thinking to develop equipment was better than trying to physically confront Superman''s punches.


    This battle had no endpoint; Lex''s task was to endure for half an hour in each scenario. It wasn''t overly challenging because within this room, Moonlight Schiller possessed the physique of an ordinary youth¡ªstronger than Lex but still limited. The only true advantage he had was his umbre knife.


    However, what Lex found most challenging was Moonlight Schiller''s pervasive sense of oppression.


    Even though Lex knew that as long as he stood in the shadow, Schiller couldn''t touch him, when Schiller approached from the shadow, Lex still felt his heart racing and cold sweat on his body.


    It seemed like an innate aura, akin to that of a hunter specialized in hunting humans. During the constant chase and hide-and-seek, Lex began to carefully observe this aura, trying to understand how to use his own posture to exert pressure on his opponent.


    Meanwhile, in Dreand, Schiller turned his head to Constantine and said, "You go back to the ship and find Captain Schiller. Have him take you back. I want to show Morpheus around my home. We''ll meet againter... Oh, and don''t forget to bring rk along."


    After Constantine, rk, Batman, and Victor, the group of onlookers, left, Schiller reached out to Morpheus and said, "Please."


    The two of them traversed through Dreand and arrived beneath the Schiller Temple of Thought. They ascended along the hole they had previously created and reached the ground floor of the temple. This was Morpheus''s first time entering the high tower; before this, he had only seen it from afar.


    "It''s a bit quieter here than you might have imagined, isn''t it? But that''s because many versions of me are still on that ship. It''ll liven up once they return," Schiller exined.


    "But with no rtionships, you probably didn''te here to meet my other personalities this time, did you, Jormungandr? Jormungandr? Where are you? Weren''t you excited about having guests today and being the tour guide?" Schiller called out for a while before the massive python slowly descended from the inner wall of the high tower, apanied by Khonshu.


    Khonshu''s reason for lingering in Schiller''s Temple of Thought was primarily due to Moonlight Schiller''s direct actions, which resulted in him being wanted in the Egyptian god hierarchy. Schiller had caused chaos in the heavenly realms with his ship, making it impossible for Khonshu to return home, so he had to stay there.


    When Khonshu saw Morpheus, it seemed like they both sensed something between them, but they instinctively avoided the topic. Instead, Jormungandr, the young and fearless serpent, circled around Morpheus a few times and clicked his tongue, saying, "Look, another victim. Has he also messed with your body?"


    Morpheus looked up at Jormungandr''s massive snake head, seemingly deep in thought. At this moment, Jormungandr continued, "I am the great Earthly Python Jormungandr! I''m also the first God to arrive here! I must inform you of the rules here. I sleep at the top of the tower. You better not..."


    Before Jormungandr could finish speaking, he saw a ck and gray Siamese cat appear in Morpheus''s arms. Jormungandr was momentarily taken aback. He was familiar with cats as creatures, but he didn''t understand why Morpheus had suddenly conjured a cat.


    However, he soon found out because after the cat opened its eyes, it started growingrger andrger until it pinned Jormungandr to the ground with one w.


    Schiller looked up at the enormous Siamese cat and remarked, "Is this the Thousand Cats'' Dream? I thought there would be many cats."


    "There are many cats; this is the physical manifestation inheriting the collective consciousness of cats. It''s called Thousand Cats'' Dream. Of course, you can also call him Little ck."


    Schiller looked up at the giant cat that had pinned Jormungandr with a single w and thought that the adjective "little" might not be very urate.


    As Morpheus, Schiller, and Khonshu stood side by side, watching the cat''s struggle with the snake, back in the room where Moonlight Schiller and Lex were, something unexpected happened. Because Khonshu, who was responsible for controlling the moon''s position, had left, the moonlight remained static. Lex, hiding in the shadow of the staircase, felt relieved, thinking he could hold out until the next scene transition. However, after a long half-hour, the scene remained unchanged, as if the game had frozen.


    Moonlight Schiller was not particrly good at waiting, and his mostcking quality was patience. Frustrated by Khonshu''s inaction, he began attempting to break the room''s limitations andmunicate with Khonshu directly.


    However, Khonshu was currently engaged in a deep conversation with Morpheus. They foundmon ground because one was the Moon God, and the other was the Dream God. The moon and sleep were interconnected, and changes in the moon''s phases were rted to different aspects of dreaming.


    God-to-Godmunication was not a simple exchange of words. When Khonshu was fully immersed in understanding the changes in the moon phases and their connection to dreams, he didn''t notice that the Pope, the one he had chosen earlier for hisbat skills, had be thoroughly impatient.


    As the showdown between the cat and the snake reached its climax, and Jormungandr, unsurprisingly, attempted to slither away, there was a loud "boom" from a room above, followed by debris flying out. In a moment of connection with Khonshu''s power, a massive de of light flew downward.


    It is well-known that cats, regardless of their breed or condition, tend to react to stress.


    Thousand Cats'' Dream, engrossed in ying with the snake,pletely ignored what was happening overhead until it suddenly felt a "whoosh" sound above, and its ear on the right side felt a chill as the massive de of light nearly grazed it, cutting off a tuft of its ear fur.


    "Meow!


    !


    !"


    The startled cat emitted a sharp cry. In that moment, all of its fur exploded, its body arched, its tail stood on end, and even its ws popped out.


    With a "boom" sound, the giant cat shattered into hundreds of smaller cats, and in a moment, they engulfed Schiller''s Temple of Thought.


    At this moment, a deep horn sounded, and the recently returned Ship of the Underworld slowly sailed into its parking spot beside the high tower.


    Marvel Schiller, standing at the bow of the ship, watched in disbelief as the high tower was submerged by a swarm of cats.


    He saw his home blink twice and then disappear.


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 Chapter 586: Schillers Another Setback (2)

    Chapter 586: Schiller''s Another Setback (2)


    All the Schillers on the ship were stunned.


    How would you feel if you went on a trip to the countryside and came back to find your home gone? It might be hard for most people to describe, but the Schillers on the ship suddenly erupted into a heated discussion.


    Since the memories of all the Schillers were stored in the Thought High Tower, they needed to go to the library''s designated bookshelf to ess them when needed. Therefore, many times, some personalities'' memories were not shared.


    Even between Marvel Schiller and DC Schiller, who took turns working, many memories didn''t ovep, not because they intentionally hid them from each other but simply out ofziness.


    The disappearance of the entire Thought High Tower meant that they couldn''t even find out what had just happened. Moreover, the loss of the Thought High Tower also meant that the three personalities¡ªego, id, and superego¡ªresiding in the high tower had disappeared, so they had no one to ask.


    There was an even more serious problem: the Thought High Tower served as a conduit for personalities to rise to the surface to control the body. Without the tower, the elevator needed to reach the surface was also gone. In other words, the Schillers couldn''t ascend to control their bodies.


    Someone who noticed this issue even earlier in the real world, sitting next to the Schillers, was Victor.


    The Ship of the Underworld had first sent all the passengers back to their own consciousness spaces, so Victor anticipated that he would wake up before the Schillers. He saw that the Schillers seemed to be in negotiations with someone named Morpheus and might returnter.


    Therefore, Victor stood up, straightened his coat, and said to Evans and Copperpot in the front row, "It''s veryte now, and you both have sses tomorrow. Why don''t you go back and get some sleep? I''ll wait here for Schiller; there''s something I need to discuss with him."Evans nced at his wristwatch and replied, "It''s almost dawn. I might as well go back to the Manor and prepare for ssester. I''ll wait here for a while so I don''t oversleep and get scolded for beingte."


    Copperpot didn''t say anything, but he clearly had no intention of leaving. He nned to wait a while and then help Victor clean up the mess in Gotham University''sboratory. After all, theboratory had been blown into aplete mess, and someone had to clean it up.


    Jack Joker, after waking up and stretchingzily, adjusted his jacket, smacked his lips, changed his position, and went back to sleep.


    Victor dozed off for a while in his chair. When the morning light shone into the Gotham Grand Theater, he woke up again. After a moment of rity, he muttered to himself, "Was I dreaming? Why does it feel like I dreamed of Schiller calling me?"


    Victor shook his head. After theboratory had been destroyed earlier, he hadn''t slept much. So, he couldn''t remember much about what he had dreamed.


    Turning his head, he noticed that Schiller was still asleep beside him. Victor furrowed his brow and looked at his watch. If he remembered correctly, Schiller had an early morning ss today. Schiller wasn''t the type to miss ss due to personal ns, so something seemed off.


    At that moment, Jack woke up as well. He walked unsteadily from the front seats to Victor''s side. Victor nced at him with some wariness but didn''t say anything.


    Approaching Schiller, Jack turned his neck, let out a "hehe" chuckle, and ced his hand behind his ear, leaning closer to Schiller. He asked, "Oh, let me see, who''s the fool trapped in the consciousness space... Is it me? No! Don''t joke around; I''m not that stupid!"


    "What? What are you saying? Oh, I see, so that''s how it is. Correct, I find it quite interesting too!"


    "Hahaha! I''m going to tell my little bat now. His teacher, Soul, is missing, maybe even dead! Will Batman cry? I need to go check now!"


    With that, Jack hastily left to light a cigarette. Victor listened to his nonsensical words and couldn''t make heads or tails of who Jack was talking to or what he was saying. However, he could tell that Schiller''s condition didn''t seem right.


    Evans had already stood up to leave. He turned his head and said, "Professor Schiller, let''s go together. My first ss is also on the third floor... Professor? Professor?"


    Victor reached out and stopped Evans from leaning over. He first checked Schiller''s pulse and then listened to his heartbeat. He noticed that both of these indicators were abnormally slow, and that''s when Victor realized the seriousness of the situation.


    He immediately took out his phone and called Gordon, saying, "Hurry! Gotham Grand Theater... Schiller is unconscious! Prepare an ambnce!"


    On the other end, Gordon was stunned for a moment. He raised his voice and asked, "What did you say? Who is unconscious?"


    "Schiller! Shiller Rodriguez! The psychology professor at Gotham University. He''s unresponsive now..."


    "Has there been another murder somewhere?" Gordon immediately became alert. "Is he trying to create an alibi? Or does he not want to tell us who the killer is and is faking being unconscious? Or is there some trouble in Gotham again, and he doesn''t want to get involved... My goodness! I''m on my way!"


    When Gordon arrived at the Gotham Grand Theater, Victor was already waiting outside. Gordon was faster, and he rushed straight into the audience seats.


    Seeing Schiller lying there, Gordon put his hands on his hips and said, "Stop pretending. What''s worth it for you to act like this? Don''t you still have unused vacation days? If you really want to avoid trouble, go to Brooklyn for a month."


    Schiller showed no response, and Gordon scratched his head. He felt that if Schiller refused to cooperate, he couldn''t use force to wake him up, especially with Victor watching nearby.


    So, Gordon could only sigh and say, "Alright, I''ll call an ambnce for you and issue a certificate. If you want to spend your holiday in the hospital, it''s up to you."


    With that, he took out his phone and called for an ambnce. The doctor who led the team seemed familiar to Gordon, and he pointed at Schiller, saying, "Lift him onto the stretcher first, then check his vital signs. If there are no issues, prepare an extended hospitalization order and get a hospital room ready..."


    The doctor shrugged, waved his hand, and the nurses behind him approached to lift Schiller. However, the head nurse, upon touching Schiller''s skin for a moment, furrowed her brow. She turned her head and said, "Doctor! The patient''s body temperature is abnormally low!"


    The doctor furrowed his brow and quickly approached, checking Schiller''s pulse and examining his eyes. His expression turned serious, and he spoke rapidly, "Quick! Prepare emergency equipment! The patient''s vital signs are unstable!"


    Seeing the doctor''s reaction, which seemed genuine, Gordon finally started to feel nervous. He had the police officers cooperate with the nurses to lift Schiller onto the ambnce. Then, he saw the doctor and nurses in the ambnce busily preparing emergency equipment.


    "What on earth is going on? How could Schiller suddenly... No, this doesn''t make sense. He''s not an ordinary person; he can''t just lose his vital signs like this."


    Victor squinted his eyes, evidently thinking about the events in the Dream Realm. He took a deep breath and said to Gordon, "You contact Batman, and I''ll call someone named Constantine. They should know what''s going on."


    When Batman received Gordon''s call, his initial response was, "Has there been another murder in Gotham? Does Schiller know who the killer is but refuses to tell us, so he''s pretending to be unconscious?"


    Gordon described the doctor''s reaction very seriously, and Batman realized the gravity of the situation. When he arrived at the hospital, the doctor had alreadye out of the intensive care hospital room. The doctor spoke, "It''s strange. The patient''s vital signs had dropped to their lowest point, but now they''ve stabilized, as if he has be a vegetable."


    "We conducted brainwave tests on him, and strangely, his brainwaves have disappeared. Normally, this should indicate brain death, but we haven''t found any rted characteristics... It''s really bizarre."


    Batman entered the hospital room, and he had to admit that when he saw Schiller, who was almost lifeless and on a breathing apparatus, he became nervous for a moment.


    However, before he could take further action, Constantine rushed in. When he arrived at the door and saw Schiller''s condition, he turned to Batman and asked, "Has there been any trouble in Gotham recently? Is it worth Schiller turning himself into this state just to avoid it?... Wait a minute, maybe I should leave for a while too; this could be a big problem."


    After saying that, Constantine turned to leave, but Batman grabbed him. Clearly, after his initial nervousness, Batman had thought of the situation in the Dream Realm. He held onto Constantine and asked, "Schiller left with the dream god, and then he fell into this state. Do you know what''s going on?"


    Constantine hesitated for a moment and said, "Do you think the dream god might be causing trouble for Schiller? But, forgive me for being blunt, if he were really angry, none of us could have left."


    "Maybe you don''t know how powerful the dream god really is. Whether it''s dreams or reality, it''s just a thought for him. He can create a dream where we all die at any moment and rece reality. Then, we would truly be dead."


    "And if he wanted to deal with Schiller, why let him lie here? Don''t you think the dream god, like you, doesn''t kill people?"


    Batman stared at him, and Constantine hesitated again before saying, "Alright, let''s go to the Dreand and ask. But it''s better to go together; it can be quite dangerous there."


    "Oh, yes, we should definitely bring that bomb with us. He will be our most powerful weapon. With him, our safety in the Dreand will be guaranteed."


    At first, Batman didn''t realize what Constantine meant by "bomb." Then he realized that Constantine was referring to rk. Batman wasn''t too keen on bringing rk along, but when he thought of rk''s role as a bomb, he realized that there might be no harm in it.


    So, Batman called rk and exined Schiller''s current situation. rk rushed to the scene, and when he arrived at the hospital, Schiller had already been moved out of the intensive care unit. Although he was still on a breathing apparatus, he didn''t look as frightening as before.


    rk had a sad expression and asked, "What do you need me to do? I''ll definitely save Professor Schiller!"


    Constantine was about to suggest that rk just needed to be a bomb, but Batman patted rk''s shoulder and said, "Next, we need to go to a potentially dangerous ce. You''ll be our firepower."


    rk nodded solemnly, his face filled with a sense of duty. When rk, Constantine, Batman, and Victor all gathered, they began their n to find Schiller''s whereabouts in the Dreand.


    Meanwhile, after the high tower submerged in the sea of consciousness due to Cat''s actions, it reappeared in a strange yet familiar ce¡ªthe central roundabout of Gotham City.


    Schiller pushed open the window and looked outside. This ce was indeed the familiar Gotham City, with its rainy weather, terrible traffic, and the constant sounds of gunfire and cursing...


    But the only difference was that all the residents living here were cats.


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 Chapter 587: Adventures in Cat City Gotham (1)

    The ground floor of the Temple of Thought, or the surface level, didn''t have rooms. It only had doors, windows, the ground itself, and a staircase leading to the upper levels. Because of this, Schiller could observe the situation outside the Temple of Thought through the windows on the ground floor.


    As it was a circr high tower, the windows offered a wide view. At this moment, the Temple of Thought''s high tower happened to be situated in the center of Gotham City''s central roundabout, allowing aprehensive view of the entire downtown area.


    After being engulfed by the dream of Thousand Cats'' Dream, Schiller had a hunch about what might happen next. However, he didn''t expect that Thousand Cats'' Dream would directly pull his entire Temple of Thought into the dream of the cats.


    Looking at the situation outside, Schiller returned to the center of the ground floor. He gazed at the dream god Morpheus, and without Schiller needing to ask, Morpheus exined, "As I mentioned before, Thousand Cats'' Dream is the collective dream of cats. Now, it seems to have been frightened, so it has brought all of you into its dream."


    "Just as I said earlier, the world that was once ruled by cats, where cats were the masters and humans were the servants, still exists in the dream of cats. As you can see, in the dream of cats, all the residents in the world are indeed cats."


    "First question..." Schiller asked, "Why does the dream of cats also include Gotham?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Well..." Morpheus shook his head and said, "Even though it might sound like I''m deliberately not telling you, the truth is I don''t know either."


    "As far as I know, Gotham is a very peculiar ce. The dreams of everyone there bring a chilling Wind of Darkness to Dreand. There has never been a ce as unique as Gotham."


    "Perhaps, besides the people living there, the cats there are also different. They remember this ce cursed by darkness."Schiller furrowed his brow. Although Morpheus''s exnation was somewhat vague, Schiller, who had readics, had more spections. Gotham was indeed a cursed ce; there was no doubt about it. The darkness here was not just a matter of economics and politics; it also involved mysticism.


    From the perspective of breaking the Fourth Wall, Gotham existed in any state of Space because it was the garbage dump of the entire Space. Darkness and chaos would eventually flow here.


    So, it wasn''t surprising that the dream of cats included such a ce. Regardless of who ruled the world, Gotham''s darkness remained constant. Perhaps the ce Schiller hadnded in wasn''t in the same geographical location as Gotham, but as long as it was the dump of evil, it was Gotham.


    Just at that moment, Morpheus turned his head to Schiller and said, "Although you''ve made a mess of my home, I only let Little ck out to get some fresh air. After all, staying in Dreand all day can be annoying."


    "I didn''t expect its reaction to be so intense, dragging your house away. But it''s no problem; I can take you all back now..."


    Saying that, Morpheus''s hands lit up, but suddenly, Schiller stepped forward to stop him and said, "No, I don''t want to go back now..."


    Morpheus looked at Schiller and said, "Are you sure? But don''t me me if I don''t remind you. Your consciousness has been brought into the dream of cats, and your body is unattended. You might fall into eternal sleep..."


    "That''s even better," Schiller gave an unexpectedly chilling smile. He didn''t respond further, just stood in the center of the ground floor, looking up and shouting, "Superego? Superego? Are you there?"


    "I''m enhancing my mental defenses. Haven''t you seen the chaos outside?" came a voice from upstairs.


    Everyone on the ground floor turned to look out the window. As expected, this sudden appearance of a massive building in the center of the city had caught the attention of all the residents of Cat City Gotham.


    The ring sirens sounded, and a number of police cars rushed to the scene. Police cats wearing protective gear and helmets entered, raised anti-explosive shields, set up roadblocks, and systematically cordoned off the door of the high tower.


    Schiller noticed that it wasn''t just a matter of changing human roles to cats. These cats weren''t the anthropomorphic cats you''d see in cartoons; they were normal quadrupedal cats with raised tails.


    The equipment used by these cats was designed for their feline form. For example, the cars they drove weren''t operated by sitting in a driver''s seat and using a steering wheel and pedals; instead, they stood on all fours in the driver''spartment, and the controls for steering and speed were operated using buttons under their paws.


    The gear worn by cat police officers was also tailored for their four-legged form. Their weapons weren''t held in their hands; instead, they were strapped to their backs. These weapons weren''t conventional firearms that needed reloading; they appeared to be more likeser-like weapons.


    Theirmunication devices extended into their ears, with headphones hidden among their ear fur. The other end connected to their mouths, and the control joystick for transmitting extended from the side of their necks to their chests. They could simply extend their ws to operate the controls and fire their weapons.


    Schiller witnessed several cats carrying equipment for clearing the road in front of the high tower. They used their back-mountedser-like weapons, making a "whoosh whoosh" sound, and the entire road surface was destroyed.


    In addition to vehicles like cars, there were also small helicopters circling around the high tower and hovering saucers in the air. It was evident that the cats in this dream had developed much more advanced science and technology equipment than the real-world Gotham.


    Although in terms of size, they were only slightlyrger than ordinary house cats, roughly resembling an ordinary Maine Coon cat''s physique, the equipment they deployed around the high tower and carried on their backs was far from ordinary.


    The destructive power of thoseser-like weapons was quite formidable, and there were many other devices that hadn''t been used yet, their effects unknown, but they seemed more than capable of dealing with ordinary humans.


    This meant that charging into the cat crowd recklessly was not a good idea. Schiller rubbed his chin and said, "I think we can''t defeat them, so we should try a different approach..."


    "Wait a moment!" Morpheus interrupted Schiller''s n. He said, "Don''t tell me you n to enter this city. That''s not a good idea. In the world ruled by cats, humans are either ves or pets. I''d better take you out directly..."


    Schillerpletely ignored him and continued, "...but we can join them if we can''t beat them. Superego, are you done with your work? If you are..."


    Schiller dragged out his words, then looked at the moonlight Schiller, Lex, Khonshu standing in the room''s center, and the partially visible Jormungandr behind them. He continued, "It''s time for those who caused trouble to make amends."


    The two individuals and the snake, who were under Schiller''s eye contact, were momentarily stunned. Lex was the first to speak, saying, "When I came out of the room, I only saw a cat and a snake, and then the cat disappeared, leaving only the snake..."


    Saying this, he turned his head to look at Jormungandr, who responded irritably, "What''s it got to do with me? I''m a victim too. That cat bit me and ran off; otherwise, I would have given it a piece of my mind! And it was him who scared the cat away..."


    Jormungandr turned his head, looking at Lex, who was holding an umbre sword. Moonlight Schiller, who hadn''t said anything so far, just turned his head to look at Khonshu, indicating that if Khonshu hadn''t suddenly skipped work, he wouldn''t havee out of the room.


    Khonshu turned his head to look at the dream god, Morpheus, implying that if Schiller hadn''t brought him here, he wouldn''t have been chatting with Khonshu.


    Schiller snorted, crossed his arms, and said, "So, you guys want to me me, huh?"


    Suddenly, there was a "bang" sound, and a cloud of cigarette smoke appeared next to DC Schiller. When the smoke dissipated, Schiller had turned into a ck cat.


    An invisible hand grabbed him by the nape of his neck, the door creaked open, and that hand shook Schiller the cat twice before throwing him out of the door with a "whoosh."


    Everyone standing in the room''s center watched Schiller being thrown out. They heard the voice of the one called "Superego" saying, "It''s time for those who caused trouble to make amends."


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 Chapter 588: The Adventure of Cat City Gotham (I)

    On the other side, a rescue team consisting of Batman, Constantine, Superman, and Victor arrived at Schiller''s Manor. Their purpose here was not to investigate any clues but to borrow something.


    Merkel, the butler, received them. Upon learning about Schiller''s condition, Merkel allowed them entry into the Manor. Constantine''s target was the bottle of wine Schiller had ced on the bookshelf in the guest room.


    This particr bottle of wine had brought down many individuals. Both Constantine and Merkel had been drawn into dreams by it before. But now, it had be a shortcut for them to enter Dreand.


    If they merely fell asleep innocently, they wouldn''t be able to meet in the consciousness space. After all, there was no one in Gotham like Professor X who could directly connect their brainwaves, allowing them to meet in dreams.


    If they each slept separately, Batman could ess Dreand through a unique tunnel in his consciousness. However, the otherscked such a passage, and meeting in Dreand individually wasn''t a wise idea as it might lead to danger, isting them one by one.


    So, their n was to use the Crazy Wine to enter dreams together. After entering the same dream space, they would proceed to Dreand, which would be safer.


    The effects of Crazy Wine need no boration. The moment Constantine uncorked the bottle, everyone entered a dream. In the real world, Merkel ced them on the sofa in the guest room.


    In the dream, they were supposed to appear in a room resembling the guest room in the real world, part of Schiller''s Temple of Thought. However, the moment they entered the dream, they began falling, tumbling down like dumplings.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They got up, still a bit dizzy. When they looked up, they saw a massive ship parked beside them. Schiller''s heads lined the deck, peering at them."Oh! My goodness, we found Professor Schiller!" rk was the first to stand up and waved towards the ship. "Hi, Professor, what are you doing here? Why aren''t you back in the real world? We were worried about you!"


    Batman got up from the ground, rubbed his head, and looked at the line of Schillers until he saw a figure with green hair. Joker Jack jumped down from the ship andnded in front of Batman.


    He dashed over to Batman,ughing hysterically. "Batman! Have you ever heard such a hrious joke? Someone lost their house and can''t get back to the real world! They''re counting on Batman to save them, hahaha!"


    Batman sidestepped Joker and climbed onto the ship, eventually finding one Schiller wearing a doctor''s uniform. At this moment, Marvel Schiller was sitting at the edge of the deck, gazing into the endless white space, pondering where his home had gone.


    Before executing this n, DC Schiller hadn''t informed all the Schillers on board about what he was going to do. The Schillers on the ship were merely taking a break and had no idea why their home had vanished or where it had gone.


    "Don''t look at me, I don''t know anything," Marvel Schiller shook his head. He was still in a state of confusion and said, "I just returned on the ship and saw the entire high tower had disappeared."


    "Disappeared? How did it disappear?" Constantine asked.


    "It was... submerged by a group of cats." As Marvel Schiller uttered these words, it felt unbelievable even to him. He couldn''t describe the details, only repeating, "Suddenly, it was submerged by a group of cats."


    Batman narrowed his eyes, clearly skeptical. His expression seemed to say, "You''re making up a wild story." However, Constantine suddenly said, "Thousand Cats'' Dream, it must be Thousand Cats'' Dream."


    Then, Constantine recounted an ancient legend to the others. "It is said that Earth was ruled by cats in ancient times. Back then, the human race wasn''t thriving, but cats had already formed tribes and built cities. They even became the masters of humans, forcing them to create variousndscapes for themselves."


    "However, humans united to escape envement. They collectively dreamt a dream involving a thousand people and used it to cover reality. In this dream, humans became the masters of Earth, and cats became their servants."


    "But this dream didn''tpletely cover all of reality, leaving behind certain traces. For example, Egypt''s culture worshipping cats is one of the proofs of this legend."


    "Yet, the cat race never gave up on reversing this situation. When a thousand cats dream together, they can return to that glorious era. The dream representing cats is the Thousand Cats'' Dream."


    "The dream god represents dreams, so naturally, he can control the Thousand Cats'' Dream. I guess Morpheus, during his visit to Schiller''s Temple of Thought, had an ident that caused him to release the uncontroble Thousand Cats'' Dream."


    "So, Schiller''s Temple of Thought has likely been pulled into the dream of cats."


    "So, now we need to enter the cat''s dream to find Schiller..." Batman said.


    Constantine nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "We need to go to Dreand first, find the ce where the dream god stores dreams, and then find a cat''s dream to enter the Thousand Cats'' Dream."


    This n sounded reasonable, so they immediately set off. Although Schiller''s High Tower was gone, the hole in the ground was still there. They descended through it and arrived in Dreand, whichcked a dream god.


    From the environment, it seemed peaceful, far from the danger Constantine had warned them about. However, they quickly realized why Constantine had been cautious.


    Dreams were a ce where anything could happen, as the dreams of any creature were bizarre and surreal. This also meant that there were many beings here that exceeded human understanding, and they were dangerous.


    As soon as theynded, they encountered colorful tentacle creatures that looked like they had been sttered with paint. The first one to attack was Batman, who deftly rolled to avoid the ever-changing, colorful tentacles. Constantine''s magic lightened up in his hand as he swung, cutting the tentacles with a beam of light.


    rk took to the air and fired his heat vision, causing the monsters in his path to scatter in panic.


    Constantine rxed and patted Batman''s shoulder. "I told you, with him around, we''re much safer."


    Batman didn''t say anything, just continued walking forward along the path rk had cleared. Along the way, they encountered strange ostrich-like birds with sharp beaks, flying discs with a dozen legs, walking coconut trees, and various other bizarre creatures.


    Most of them liked to chase after people, and after being attacked, they scattered in all directions. Of course, it might have been because of Superman''s powerful attacks; all creatures instinctively sought safety.


    After dealing with these troubles, they finally arrived at the ce where dreams were stored. It was a starry expanse, countless bubbles floating in the space, resembling stars.


    Constantine used a Mysticism method that the others couldn''tprehend to identify the contents of these dreams. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on one of the bubbles.


    The others didn''t see anything different about this particr bubble, but Constantine reached out and gently touched it. In a moment, they were all absorbed into the bubble.


    They found themselves on a beautiful grassy in. If you ignored the enormous mice in the distance and fish flying in the sky, it was quite peaceful here. rk surveyed the space and said, "It looks like a cat''s pleasant dream¡ªmice, fish, and a vast grassy in."


    "In theory, every cat''s dream should connect to the Thousand Cats'' Dream. That means we should be in the same dream space as Schiller now. But finding his specific location might be tricky. Where could he be?" Constantine said, turning his head, seemingly contemting how to locate Schiller in this space.


    However, Batman instinctively headed in one direction. The others, somewhat puzzled, walked after him, trying to stop him. But Batman said, "I can feel it; this is the direction of Gotham."


    "What''s the basis for that?" rk asked in confusion. "How could there be Gotham in the Dream Realm? And this is a cat''s dream."


    Victor held rk back, who was trying to stop Batman, and said, "I''ve often heard Schiller say one thing: those who don''t belong to Gotham will always leave, but some people belong to Gotham, and they will find their way there, no matter where they are."


    Watching Batman walk ahead, Victor sighed, shook his head, and then followed his pace. rk felt somewhat bewildered, but Constantine, who approached, patted his shoulder and joined the others. rk had no choice but to follow them.


    They walked for who knows how long, passing through the vast grassy in, then several small towns, and finally reached the opposite side of a river. They immediately crossed the river and came to the sea.


    In the dream realm, distance was not an obstacle, and they didn''t feel fatigue or the passage of time. They continued walking until they reached a shoreline.


    On the other side of the shoreline was a massive city. Under the moonlight, it appeared dark and eerie. No one needed to utter its name; everyone thought of the same word in their minds¡ªit was as if all such cities were called Gotham.


    Batman stood on a rocky outcrop by the sea. His cape fluttered in the wind. Before he could speak the deep and brooding lines he was contemting, rk descended from the sky and said, "What''s going on? Why is the city filled with cats?"


    The solemn atmosphere around Batman disappeared in a moment. He looked at rk, who shifted his gaze and said, "I can''t be mistaken. Inside that city, it''s all cats."


    "Indeed, in a cat-ruled Dream Realm, it makes sense that it''s all cats. The problem is, in the dream of Thousand Cats'' Dream, humans might still be servants. If we enter like this, it could be challenging..." Constantine said.


    "Do we really need to worry about facing a few cats?" Victor asked. "Even if all the residents of Gotham are cats now, they''re just cats. Can''t we handle them?"


    Victor pointed at rk. Unexpectedly, rk, with a serious expression, said, "No, how can I harm little cats? I have a pet cat at home; I really like it. My parents taught me from a young age never to pull a cat''s tail. If I see a stray cat in trouble on the street, I should help as much as possible. We need to bepassionate..."


    Victor was left speechless for a moment. Constantine agreed, "I''m afraid the cats here are different from what you imagine. If the legend of Thousand Cats'' Dream is true, in the Dream Realm of cats, they have ruled Earth like humans and have developed advanced science and technology or magic over the years, possibly no less powerful than humans."


    "If we charge in, we might not only face the siege of thousands of cats but also encounter weapons we can''t even imagine. After all, these sharp-wed little guys can do anything, and once they have weapons, it won''t be as simple as pushing a bottle off a table..."


    Batman gazed at the city he knew so well, squinting. He was the first to suggest, "We should transform into cats and infiltrate."


    "But we''re humans. How do we be cats?" rk asked.


    "Don''t forget, this is the Dream Realm. One unchanging rule of the Dream Realm is ''belief bes reality.'' As long as you believe you''re a cat, you can be one. Just like this..." Constantine''s voice fell, and with a "bang," he turned into a golden-striped cat, with fur somewhat resembling his hair color, and his eyes still clearly Constantine.


    The second to transform into a cat was Batman. His willpower was formidable, and he became a sleek ck cat. Even his long tail seemed tailor-made forbat.


    Victor hesitated for a moment, not because he couldn''t do it, but he was uncertain about what kind of cat to be. After some thought, he transformed into a Russian Blue cat, a shade bluer than the typical blue cat. He said, "I like blue. It''s not bad, right?"


    Finally, only rk remained bewildered on the spot. He asked, "What do you mean, believing you''re a cat makes you a cat? But I''m not a cat."


    Batman''s cat face disyed a helpless expression, and Constantine approached. He patted rk''s pants leg with his paw. rk squatted down and picked him up, grabbing his front paws and shaking them. He smiled and said, "It really looks like it. My pet cat at home is orange."


    Constantine sighed as well. In rk''s hand, he raised his paw and with a sh of magic, rk transformed into a striped orange cat. When both catsnded, Constantine licked his paw and said, "If your imagination falls short, let magic fill in the gaps."


    rk stared in astonishment at his own paws. Suddenly, he flew up from the ground. The other three cats watched him in amazement.


    Batman turned his head to look at Constantine, who hesitated for a moment and said, "His superpowers seem to transcend the boundary between reality and dreams. He won''t be weakened in either world, even as a cat."


    "That gives us even more security," Victor said. rknded back on the ground and walked to the front of the other cats. He extended his paw, pointed toward the city, and said, "Let''s go; Cat Squad is here to save the world."


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 Chapter 589: The Adventure in Cat City Gotham (II)

    Chapter 589: The Adventure in Cat City Gotham (II)


    Gotham, a city notorious for chaos no matter where it appeared, provided an opportunity for a few non-natives cats to infiltrate.


    Upon entering the city, led by Batman, the group of cats realized that their earlier spections were correct. This ce had more advanced science and technology than real-world Gotham. Cats driving hovercraft cars, floating surveince cameras in the sky, and automatic weapons fixed on walls were everywhere, making the newly arrived cats bewildered.


    Among them, the ck cat with blue eyes, leading the team, began to ponder. Evidently, he had a keen interest in theyout of the city. Constantine focused on observing the streets, clearly showing more interest in certain neighborhoods even as a cat. Victor remained focused on the mission. Suddenly, he eximed and extended his paw, pointing ahead, saying, "Look at that!"


    The leading orange cat immediately perked up, his super vision piercing through the mist, revealing a massive high tower hidden behind the fog. At the same time, Batman had already leaped from awning to awning and jumped onto a rooftop with a few leaps.


    From the rooftop, he saw the familiar skyscraper and, as a result, all the cats scrambled to the rooftop, wanting to reach their destination as quickly as possible and retrieve Schiller.


    But just then, amotion erupted in the distance. The leading orange cat immediately turned his head, saying, "Uh-oh! It looks like there''s a robbery over there. I can''t ignore this; I need to check it out!"


    With that, he tensed his body, exerted force, jumped onto the eave of the opposite building, gripped the edge of the roof with sharp ws, and effortlesslynded on the rooftop. He was about to take off when he noticed a camera nearby. rk hesitated for a moment but decided to continue running towards the scene.


    Constantine called out to him, but rk paid no attention. Batman knew rk''s character, so he didn''t say anything and followed suit. Victor and Constantine had no choice but to follow him.


    Upon reaching the scene, rk saw that it was more than just a robbery. A cat''s corpsey at the bank''s entrance. rk''s super vision allowed him to see every detail of the scene.The cat''s posture appeared strange,pletely soaked, with fur soaked through with water. It looked as if it had drowned. However, there was no rain at the moment, and there were no ponds or water pits nearby. A cat that appeared to have drowned was lying in the middle of a dry road.


    Several police cats were present, some managing the cordon, others inspecting the corpse, and some recording. Six or seven police cars were parked nearby. Suddenly, rk''s gaze focused on a cat standing next to one of the police cars.


    This cat had a unique cor on its tail, resembling an identification marker. Its equipment was more advanced than that of the other cats. It was a pure white long-haired cat, and in Gotham''s gloomy weather, it appeared to be glowing.


    The Bat Cat walked up, and in a moment when he saw the corpse, he unsheathed his ws but quickly retracted them. He stood on the rooftop, observing the situation below and specting about the current circumstances.


    However, just as the cats were not nning to take any hasty actions, an rm suddenly rang out. The floating surveince cameras in the sky emitted sharp rms, and in a moment, all the police cats looked up at the rooftop where the group of cats was located...


    The white cat gave orders, and all the weapons aimed at them. At the moment ofser activation, rk''s force field activated, causing all the bullets andser beams to freeze in mid-air. The Bat Cat turned his head and said, "Let''s go!"


    The cats leaped between rooftops at lightning speed, while countless cameras and flying automatic weapons continuously fired bullets. rk asionally turned his head and used his heat vision to fight back. Soon, their faces were imprinted on wanted posters.


    With a "snap," a photo of rk firing heat vision from his eyes was tacked onto a board. Besides this, there were other photos connected by several threads of yarn. They were of the ck cat with blue eyes, the golden cat, and the blue cat, clearly Batman and his team.


    In front of the board, a ck cat slowly backed away, his eyes fixed on the photos, also a shade of deep blue.


    And on the cat bed sofa behind himy another ck cat. This ck cat opened his eyes slightly, with vertical pupils the color of misty gray.


    "You said that as long as I adjust the patrol route of the drones ording to your instructions, there won''t be any criminals or chaos. Professor Shiller, what''s happening now?" the ck cat with blue eyes turned his head and looked at the ck cat with gray eyes. He continued, "Now, you should tell me the second step. Don''t forget our deal."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What happened to the unfortunate bank manager? And what about those strange foreign cats? Don''t you want to know?" Schiller asked.


    "I''ve already issued a warrant for them," the ck cat replied, moving his paw to the floor-to-ceiling window. The Bat Cat''s vertical pupils stared at the city, with the numerous floating surveince cameras seeming like his eyes, monitoring every corner. He said, "I can see every cat here. No criminal can escape from here."


    "Yes, Bat Cat, your quest for vengeance is almostplete. Gotham is about to be the safest city in the world. No criminal would dare tomit any acts here," Schiller the cat said, walking up. However, he did not stand side by side with the Bat Cat; instead, he stood behind him.


    "In that case, you might as well consider the incident in front of the bank as thest darkness before dawn. After all, one must experience darkness to truly appreciate the light, don''t you think?"


    The Bat Cat turned and looked into Schiller''s cat eyes, saying, "You have a point. From now on, whenever I savor the joy of sess, I will remember thisst crime. So, I will personally capture this criminal. I will put it in the Batcave, making it a memento of my reminiscence of the darkness."...


    With that, he turned and left the room. Schiller returned to the sofa bed,y down, rolled over, and scratched the edge of the sofa with his paw. He raised his eyes, nced at the cameras surrounding the room, and then pretended to be oblivious as he curled up and fell asleep.


    Meanwhile, Batman''s Cat Team, led by Batman, was racing wildly through Gotham City. They were constantly pursued by ubiquitous surveince cameras and automatic weapons.


    It seemed like someone had noticed their attempt to approach the central high tower in the city, and all the weapons were pushing them farther away from the city center.


    "No! This won''t work!" rk shouted, "I can take out those weapons, and we can charge straight through!"


    "You better not do that," Constantine said while leaping. He shouted back at rk, "Do you want to replicate the explosion fromst time? If you exert too much power, the Dream Realm won''t hold, and Schiller''s soul will be in danger."


    Batman halted on the edge of a high-rise building. The night breeze ruffled his fur, and his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. Theynded on a manhole cover.


    "Let''s enter the sewer," he said. "The people monitoring this city can''t possibly have perfect surveince over all the sewers. We need to find a ce to hide."


    With that, he leaped down, twisted his body in mid-air, avoiding the flying bullets, andnded on an awning with a thud. Constantine and Victor followed, narrowly avoiding being hit by bullets thanks to rk''s force field.


    The group swiftly reached the nearby manhole cover. Batman extended his paw, and sharp ws sprang out from his pads. He grabbed the edge of the sewer and exerted force. With a "bang," the manhole cover was lifted.


    The cats jumped inside, with rk bringing up the rear. After ensuring that the manhole cover was securely back in ce, he returned it to its original state.


    There were some cameras inside the sewer as well. However, as Batman had anticipated, only the main waterways had cameras at their tops. The smaller, branching tunnels were nk, devoid of cameras and weapons.


    "What''s going on? Who''s controlling this city?" Victor asked, shaking his paw in slight disgust and wiping the water he had picked up on the wall.


    "I don''t know," Batman replied, but Constantine nced at him, indicating he had some spections. He subtly said, "Gotham has some Mysticism attributes we''re not aware of. This city holds too many secrets. Perhaps no matter which city we''re in, there will always be a source of chaos."


    His words were too cryptic, and both Victor and rk didn''t quite understand. Victor spoke up, saying, "I only know that we can''t keep running like this. We must find a way to counterattack to locate where Schiller is."


    "I observed the floating surveince cameras and automatic weapons rk knocked down earlier. Their internal structures aren''t tooplex, and I should be able to hack them. Furthermore, I can use their broken parts to create weapons," Constantine suggested.


    "Can you make freeze guns?" Batman asked, turning his head...


    "I can, but it''splicated. I''ll have to synthesize all the chemicalponents myself. If we''re going to do it, we need a base, and we must ensure security. The experiment cannot be interrupted, or it might fail," Constantine exined.


    "Then let''s establish a base here. The vehicles on the surface have the parts I need, and I can assemble equipment here that''s suitable for cat-sized use," Batman said quickly. "Alright, you guys are impressive."


    Constantine swished his tail and said, "Later, I''ll try a ritual to summon the demon here. If it works, great. If not, I''ll attempt some simpler magic."


    As the group proceeded along a tunnel, suddenly, rk stopped. His ears twitched, and he said, "Something''s not right. There are footsteps ahead¡ªsomeone, no, some cat ising."


    The group quickly adjusted their formation, preparing for whatever was approaching. A cat''s figure appeared at the corner, and the light filtering down from the manhole cover above cast an eerie shadow on the wall, making it appear particrly horrifying.


    Soon, the figure was in front of the group of cats. Constantine was the first to exim, "What in the world is this?"


    The cat was equally startled, emitting a low growl and arching its body as it took a few steps back. The fur on its tail stood on end.


    It was no wonder Constantine was surprised because the cat in front of them looked like a monster. It had feline features, but its ws, skin, and body shape resembled that of a crocodile.


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 Chapter 590: The Mad Cats Debut! (1)

    When the bizarre crocodile-cat and Batman''s group of cats locked eyes, both sides paused, as they found each other equally strange.


    From Batman''s human aesthetics perspective, the other side appeared highly deformed, with a body somewhere between a cat and a crocodile¡ªtwo creatures that were seemingly ipatible. Thebination was far from appealing.


    The crocodile-cat had ridges resembling crocodile scales from the top of its head to the base of its tail. Its eye ridges jutted out, and its ws wererger and more crocodile-like than those of an ordinary cat. Moreover, its size approached that of a cheetah,rger than most cats in the city.


    In the eyes of the crocodile-cat, the cats on the opposite side appeared even stranger. In this world, cats wore clothing, and nearly all cats had equipment, even the ordinary cats living in the slums. To the crocodile-cat, these cats in front of him seemedpletely undressed and unarmed,cking even firearms. This struck him as exceedingly peculiar.


    However, after a moment''s hesitation, neither side immediately attacked, particrly the crocodile-cat, who appeared cautious. He took two steps back, moving closer to the shadow around the corner, then raised his tail, extended his ws, and adopted an unfriendly posture.


    None of these cats on the opposite side understood feline behavior, including Batman, who couldn''t adapt to cat life in just a few hours. He continued to view the situation from a human perspective and believed that the crocodile-cat''s posture signaled an imminent attack. Therefore, he intended to strike preemptively.


    Batman began to move slowly, positioning himself within the edge of the shadow. The crocodile-cat kept a keen eye on his silhouette. However, Batman, concealed within the shadow, was the nightmare of all opponents. The crocodile-cat could barely perceive his movements before a w struck him on the head.


    Batman wasn''t a cat skilled inbat, or at least, he wasn''t entirely sure how cats should fight. However, his learning ability was virtually unmatched. In a split second, he realized that feline creatures were indeed natural hunters.


    Speed, agility, flexibility, and lethality¡ªcats possessed all these qualities in abundance. Once Batman grasped this fact, he transformed into a true feline predator. He first lunged forward, biting the crocodile-cat''s ear. Then, he followed up with a swift w swipe across the crocodile-cat''s front paw.Next, he raised both paws and leaped forward, sharp ws pressing against the crocodile-cat''s abdomen. Simultaneously, he swung his tail, changing his body''s direction, and bit down on the crocodile-cat''s neck.


    The crocodile-cat emitted a pitiful cry, but the anticipated pain and death did note. Batman didn''t bite down with force; he only used his sharp teeth to immobilize the crocodile-cat. In the meantime, rk rushed forward and eximed, "Hey! Don''t do this! We can''t kill a fellow cat..."


    Batman released his grip, but his paw remained pressed on the crocodile-cat''s abdomen. He stared into the crocodile-cat''s eyes, noticing a somewhat human-like expression of fear on its face. Then, the crocodile-cat rolled over, exposing its belly in a submissive gesture.


    The crocodile-cat was significantlyrger than Batman''s group, but itcked the same agility. The transformation imparted by the crocodile''s traits had paradoxically weakened the cat''s predatory abilities. For instance, its front paws were less nimble and more reminiscent of a crocodile.


    "Who are you? And why are you here?" Batman inquired.


    "Shouldn''t I be asking you that?" the crocodile-cat replied, its voice somewhat unclear. Although it produced "meow-meow" sounds, the other cats could understand its words.


    "How did you end up here? How did youe to Gotham''s sewer?" The crocodile-cat''s eyes scrutinized these peculiar cats, but Batman replied, "We''re from out of town, looking for someone here."


    "Out of town?" The crocodile-cat blinked, sizing them up. "You wouldn''t happen to be from the neighboring Big Apple City, would you? Especially you..." The crocodile-cat looked at rk and said, "I smell that apple scent on you."


    rk, puzzled, extended his paw to sniff but couldn''t detect any odor on himself. Constantine, frowning, remarked, "Forget about the smell. This ce is downright foul. We need to find somewhere drier, or I''ll start growing mold..."


    Batman redirected his gaze to the crocodile-cat''s face. The crocodile-cat gnashed its teeth and reluctantly exined, "I''m just a stray cat. As you can see, because of my appearance, I can''t live on the surface. So, I have to stay here."


    "Does the recent murder incident at the bank have anything to do with you?" Batman squinted at him. Upon hearing about the murder incident, the crocodile-cat visibly hesitated, shaking its head. "Although it''s been a while since I''ve been to the surface, I know that it''s Batsy''s territory up there. A murder? Impossible. No cat canmit crimes in this city."


    "Batsy?" Batman''s eyes narrowed, and Victor, who was more familiar with Batman, understood that Batman''s alertness had reached its peak.


    "It seems you''re not only from out of town, but you''re probably from outer space. You don''t even know Batsy, the richest cat in the world!"


    "And he rules all of Gotham, haven''t you seen? There are cameras everywhere in this ce. Everything here is under hismand. If he doesn''t allow it, cars won''t start, spaceships won''t take off..."


    "Every street, every corner, is filled with cameras and automatic weapons. Some cats did protest, saying that Batsy was infringing on the citizens'' privacy. But clearly, Batsy''s determination exceeded that of any cat."


    "Later on, things became increasingly excessive. He reced all the buildings in this city with steel-made cages, even furniture, food, and water sources were controlled by him. If Batsy didn''t approve, you couldn''t even open your own front door..."


    "This has fundamentally put an end to theft," rk said as he touched his own cheek. He continued, "If we can''t even open our own doors, thieves won''t be able to either."


    "Hmph," the crocodile-cat snorted. "Indeed, if you want to open your fridge and grab a fried fish tail, you''ll immediately receive a telephone call warning you that such food is unhealthy, and you should eat the cat bars produced by Batcat."


    The crocodile-cat paced back and forth, asionally scratching the ground with its ws, appearing somewhat agitated. It said, "Batcat ims that this is footing the bill for the city''s security, but do we really need this level of safety?"


    "But this city truly seems to have no criminals, right?" Batman inquired.


    "Is that so? Then how did you all end up here? And why did I run into you here?"


    The crocodile-cat,rger than all the other cats, walked up to Batman and said, "The sewer is thest refuge. It doesn''t wee Batcat''s supporters. Even if you can defeat me, you can''t defeat the lunatics deeper within."


    "Are there other residents besides you?" Batman asked.


    "As I''ve said before, not everyone supports Batcat''s ideas. When things started getting more extreme, many cats stood up to protest, but they all disappeared without a trace."


    "That''s not surprising. Everything in this city belongs to Batcat. He can even poison your drink at any time because the factories, assembly lines, and even the cups are all his production."


    "But this world isn''t just made up of ordinary cats. There are freaks like me. Perhaps certain genes in me mutated, giving me the genes of prehistoric creatures like crocodiles. Consequently, I grewrger, stronger, and maybe this mutation even increased my intelligence. That''s how I managed to escape here."


    The crocodile-cat turned around, raising its neck high to disy a wound on its right lower jaw. It said, "I was once captured by Batcat. He put a cor on me and installed a sensing device in my lower jaw. If I strayed from the monitored area, I would be electrocuted to death."


    "I went through a lot of trouble to get rid of that device, but my lower jaw still bears a permanent hole..."


    As the crocodile-cat lifted its head, several cats could indeed see a hole in the center of its dense fur. It was evident that the wound wasn''t recent but had long since healed.


    "Have youmitted any crimes?" Batman asked.


    "No, I used to live in the impoverished eastern slums. There were too many crazy cats like me there. We didn''t make fun of each other. I had a barely tolerable job. But one day, Batcat told us he wanted to improve life here, making it as luxurious as the city center for all residents."


    "But he wouldn''t allow any criminals in his new city, so everyone had to undergo a security check. Apparently, I didn''t pass that test."


    "So, he put a cor on you?"


    "Correct, he told me it was an act of tolerance. Even though I''m a monster, the test results said I had a natural violent factor and the potential to be a criminal. Yet, he still wouldn''t kill me. Instead, I needed to ept stricter monitoring than other cats to ensure I wouldn''tmit any crimes."


    "Nonsense!" rk concluded, shaking his head vigorously. "If you haven''tmitted any crimes, then you''re not a criminal. It''s as simple as that."


    "There''s no such thing as potential criminals in this world. If you put it that way, everyone is a potential criminal."


    "When I''m angry, I also want to break things, maybe even give a punch to someone who''s made me angry. When I go for the test, would I get a result saying I''m a criminal? It''s absurd!" rk eximed, showing strong disagreement.


    "What is his test based on? Psychological analysis? Historical behavior assessment? Or something else?"


    "I don''t know," the crocodile-cat replied, shaking its head. "He was quite vague, saying something about... darkness lurking within my heart, that I was born a criminal and would certainlymit a crime in the future. Maybe it''s just an excuse..."


    "He arrested you without any evidence?" Batman mused aloud.


    Upon hearing this, the crocodile-cat snorted and said, "Evidence? What does he need evidence for? This city is entirely his. Every street, every building is his creation. He''s already being magnanimous by letting residents live here. If he were to drive all these cats out, Big Apple City wouldn''t ept them. Everyone knows Gotham is filled with rotten cats."


    "The mayors of the surrounding cities and the state''s legitors all think Batcat is a good cat. He trapped all the rotten cats in this prison, preventing them from causing trouble in other cities. For those politicians, this is the best news they could ever hope for."


    Hearing the crocodile-cat''s exnation, the other cats appeared somewhat dissatisfied. Victor, looking puzzled, asked, "But when we entered the city, we found that there was still some chaos. We even got in easily."


    "Do you think this method can truly eliminate crime? His unknown test, can it really screen out all criminals and create a city with only good cats? Do you think that''s possible?" the crocodile-cat asked.


    "Good and bad are rtive," Constantine shook his head and said, "Good people who meet Batcat''s screening criteria might be bad guys under other rules. This screening can only identify obedient citizens, not necessarily good people."


    "So, he''s been getting impatient recently," the crocodile-cat squinted. "After several years of transformation, he found that evil hadn''t been entirely eradicated, and chaos had never left this city."


    The crocodile-cat took a deep breath and looked at Constantine, saying, "I can tell that, except for this orange guy, you all are probably simr to me. We''re currently short of capable workers. Would you consider joining us?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Us? Besides you, who else?" Batman asked.


    "I''ve already told you, a group of crazy cats."


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 Chapter 591: The Mad Cats Debut!

    In the gloomy confines of the hospital, a ck cat with piercing blue eyes led the way, adorned with an array of visible and hidden devices strapped to its agile body. Another ck cat followed, bearing only a simple grey exoskeleton, its grey eyes gleaming faintly in the hallway.


    "Professor Shiller, I must remind you that all the cats in the Mad Cat Asylum are extremely dangerous. They are the most notorious criminals I captured during the transformation of this city. It may not be a wise idea to engage with them," cautioned the lead cat.


    "Bat Cat, don''t worry. I''ve already exined my background to you. I''m merely curious about these lunatics. Of course, if I can cure a couple of them, it would benefit you and the city, wouldn''t it?" Professor Shiller replied.


    Before Bat Cat could respond, Shiller continued, "Speaking of which, why don''t you just eliminate them? In my opinion, these heinous criminals have no ce in this world. Clearing out the hospital for more deserving patients wouldn''t be a bad idea, would it?"


    Bat Cat seemed momentarily taken aback by this question. He paused and then replied, somewhat hesitantly, "No, if they''vemitted crimes due to mental issues, they shouldn''t be put to death."


    "But what if their mental problems are innate, beyond their control? In that case, they are also innocent and should enjoy the same rights as others, shouldn''t they?" Professor Shiller countered.


    "But I can''t let them roam free tomit crimes again. That would be a disservice to thew-abiding citizens," Bat Cat argued.


    "But by killing them, you ensure they will nevermit crimes again," Professor Shiller stated.


    "You seem to hate criminals more than I do," Bat Cat remarked, turning his head to look at Shiller.Shiller didn''t pause and continued walking deeper into the hallway. He said, "I''ve already told you about my background. Why do you think I''m investigating those serial killings?"


    Bat Cat remained silent, for he wasn''t entirely sure of the answer himself. Or rather, the answer he had in mind didn''t seem to align with his understanding of Shiller.


    It didn''t make sense to Bat Cat that Shiller was driven solely by a hatred for criminals. It appeared more likely that Shiller, with his high intelligence, was addicted to the thrill of chasing serial killers.


    Bat Cat stopped in his tracks, no longer following Shiller. He simply watched Shiller''s departing figure. It was as if he sought sce in scratching the ground with his ws before eventually turning away.


    As he left the hospital''s doors, Bat Cat manipted a controller near his neck, activating all the monitoring equipment. He hoped to find evidence of Shiller''s crimes within what Shiller referred to as "treatment."


    Standing outside the hospital, Bat Cat recalled his encounter with Shiller, a cat who had mysteriously appeared in the enigmatic high tower shortly before. Shiller was a cat who had never appeared on the list of Gotham citizens.


    Gotham City wasn''t a stranger to neers, but they usually assimted quickly. However, unlike other neers, Shiller showed no intention of avoiding monitoring equipment. In fact, he seemed to deliberately court attention from Bat Cat.


    Bat Cat had sought him out, and Shiller had informed him of his background as a university professor. He had been investigating various serial killings beforeing to Gotham and had crossed paths with a formidable adversary, which led him to seek refuge here.


    Shiller earnestly requested that Bat Cat take him in and proposed that he had better methods to bring an end to the chaos in the city. Bat Cat couldn''t simply trust a stranger and an outsider, but his own trusted test system told him that Shiller was the most trustworthy person, as his likelihood ofmitting a crime was zero.


    Before encountering Shiller, Bat Cat had held unwavering faith in this system. When the impossible happened, he instinctively refused to acknowledge that his system might be wed. He tried numerous testing methods, exhausted all means, but Shiller''s score remained consistently at zero. In other words, Shiller''s score was even lower than Bat Cat''s.


    Bat Cat considered Shiller an experiment, but he didn''t mind receiving advice from him. Shiller''s suggested changes to patrol routes yielded positive results, convincing Bat Cat that Shiller''s zero score wasn''t without reason. Perhaps Shiller truly had ample experience in preventing crime.


    Bat Cat had never fully trusted Shiller, but he hoped to use the man to achieve his own goals.


    However, he found himself entangled in doubts. His intuition told him that Shiller was undoubtedly a criminal, the most dangerous kind, the type that should be confined to the lowest levels of the Mad Cat Asylum.


    But the testing system contradicted his intuition, stating that there was no one kinder than Shiller.


    Bat Cat couldn''t bear to ept this oue. He refused to acknowledge that his years of transformation had been in vain. So, he put on a fa?ade of trust in Shiller to boost his own confidence, all while secretly seeking out Shiller''s vulnerabilities. ?


    Thus, he didn''t decline Shiller''s proposal to visit the most dangerous criminals'' confinement area. He believed that if Shiller were with those criminals, his true nature might be exposed.


    Then, ten minutes after Schiller entered the Mad Cat Asylum, all surveince connections were severed.


    Bat Cat, back in the Batcave, stared at the pitch-ck screens, squinting his eyes. But the emotion that welled up within him wasn''t anger; it was delight, as if he had finally uncovered a rival''s vulnerability.


    So, he began preparing his gear, getting ready to personally confront Schiller at the Mad Cat Asylum.


    In his view, Schiller couldn''t cause any trouble because he had strong confidence in the confinement measures he had set up. He had apprehended countless criminals, and all the facilities were designed based on their weaknesses, subjected to numerous security checks to ensure foolproof containment. Even if Schiller severed the surveince, it wouldn''t allow these dangerous criminals to escape.


    Within the pitch-ck Mad Cat Asylum, Schiller strolled leisurely through the corridors. It was more akin to a highly secure prison than a hospital, devoid of any medical staff. All nursing care was automated, making escape nearly impossible.


    Superego, the one he had tossed out, had some conscience left and had let Grey Mist out. Schiller, using Grey Mist disguised as an external exoskeleton, disabled all surveince and security systems in the facility. Then, he began going from one hospital room to another.


    Since all residents were cats, the ce didn''t resemble an asylum much. It gave off more of a ckheart Cat Trader''s base vibe. Cats were kept in cages, each cat in a different one. It looked cute in some ways but was filled with an eerie atmosphere.


    As Schiller passed each hospital room, he called out to the ailing cats inside, "Hello there, have you seen a Green Cat? The one whoughs!"


    "Hello, have you seen a Green Cat? Or one with green overhead and ears, who loves tough? He''s Bat Cat''s old adversary..."


    "We''re all old adversaries of Bat Cat," a deep voice echoed from the end of the corridor. Schiller approached and saw a ck-and-white-patterned cat inside a cage, but with many tubes attached to it.


    Following the familiar tubes on the cat, Schiller began to specte on its identity. He asked, "Hello, I''m looking for a Green Cat. Do you know where it''s kept?"


    "Are you a new machine made by Bat Cat? You look the part, but this old trick is hardly imaginative," the cat repliedzily.


    "Can you tell me where a green cat, one whoughs, can be found?" Schiller repeated the question persistently. Finally, the ck-and-white-patterned cat with tubes replied, "Well, if you insist, the lunatic is on the lowest level, right beneath my cell."


    "You''re lying. If such a cat existed, both of you should be on the same level. After all, for Bat Cat, your danger level might not necessarily be lower than his."


    At that moment, the cat lyingzily on the ground, only swishing its tail, finally raised its eyes, staring at Schiller with a dangerous look. It asked, "Who are you? Another Joker Cat? Only he saw through my disguise..."


    "That doesn''t matter," Schiller said, standing at the cell''s door. He reached out with his paw to manipte the lock. The cat inside the cell, with ck-and-white patterns, said, "Don''t bother. Even if you cut off the signal, the physical security of this lock..."


    "Click."


    The lock was opened from the inside, and the cell door cracked open slightly. In that instant, the cat inside darted out at lightning speed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Then, he stood in the corridor, looking back at Schiller, saying, "If letting me out is part of Bat Cat''s n, I can only tell him that he''s gravely mistaken."


    As he spoke, he turned to leave, but Schiller stopped him, saying, "Introduce yourself first. What''s your name?"


    "You can call me Bane Cat." The cat licked its paw, and Schiller looked at him, saying, "I''ve set you free, which was a favor to you. So, shouldn''t you do me a favor too?"


    "What do you want?" Bane Cat turned his head to look at Schiller. He had a strange feeling. His intuition was telling him not to get close to this cat across from him; he might be more dangerous than Bat Cat or Joker Cat.


    Then, he saw the cat across from him give a slight smile, revealing two sharp teeth hidden in its mouth. Its grey pupils emitted a faint gleam in the darkness. He heard Schiller say, "Go ahead, release all the cats here..."


    "I want to make Bat Cat understand one reason..."


    "That pretending to be a bat cat is madness."


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 Chapter 592: The Arrival of the Mad Cat! (Two)

    Batman, apanied by several cats, followed Croc-Cat deeper into the sewers. Before long, they reached the end of the sewer, where they could hear some loud music and screams.


    The gloomy atmosphere of resistance that Batman and his group had expected was nowhere to be found. Instead, they stumbled upon a wild party inside a massive cavern used to store rainwater in the sewer.


    Batman immediately spotted the Green Cat standing at the highest point of the makeshift stage, along with a red and blue cat by his side.


    It was hard to imagine that, in this moment, several cats who were originally human could discern gender differences from the appearance of other cats. However, there was no doubt that the Green Cat was male, while the red and blue cat was female.


    "Oh, look who''s here? Bat Cat! Are you here to join my party willingly? Have you finally abandoned your foolish n to rule Gotham ande to y with your best friend?" Green Cat''s face was a bit sharper than the other cats, and when he smiled, his mouth full of sharp teeth looked peculiar and frightening.


    "He''s not Bat Cat," Croc-Cat began to exin, but Green Cat leaped from the stage with lightning speed, bumped into Croc-Cat, and walked over to face Batman. He stared at Batman with his purple vertical pupils and said, "Interesting... interesting... your scents are different..."


    "The Bat Cat living in the High-rise building has a nauseating bird poop scent, and you..." Green Cat circled Batman, sniffing his fur. After a few circles, he came to stand in front of Batman and said, "Another Bat Cat? Are you his clone? No, you''re not quite the same..."


    "But regardless, let''s wee the neer to our party, the eternal rival and good friend of Joker Cat, and an unprecedented second Bat Cat!"


    At that moment, the cat musicians on the makeshift stage, dressed in various rock outfits, started ying music with a tremendous roar. It startled a few cats, but Green Cat burst intoughter, saying, "Sorry, I forgot that cats are sensitive to noise. Is this your weakness?""Joker..." Batman extended his paw and approached Green Cat. Joker Cat leaned closer to him, even rubbing his chin against Batman''s, saying, "Correct, you''re much more interesting than that Bat Cat. I''m a member of the freaks you despise, Joker Cat!"


    "Hey, darling, what are you saying to him? I don''t want you to rub his whole body with that bird poop smell!"


    "You! Bat-crazy lunatic! Stay away from my darling!" The red and blue cat walked over, her graceful steps.


    Suddenly, she rushed forward, waving her paws and attacking Batman''s ears. Batman agilely rolled to evade the attack. The red and blue cat stayed in ce, licking her paws, and stared at Batman with icy eyes, saying, "Get lost, you stinky bat. Don''t disturb my party!"


    "Why did you bring him here?" Joker Cat turned and approached Croc-Cat. Croc-Cat exined, "You said we needed more manpower recently, and I thought these outsiders might have something inmon with you..."


    "You mean them?" Joker Cat sneered and said, "This one, the Bat Cat clone... this one, the kid from the Big Apple City... and this one, just out of the red-light district? You reek of filth, and you, in blue? I hate blue!"...


    "What can they do? Defeat Bat Cat? Bring peace to this City? Or prevent him from emitting the stench he brought from the Batcave during his next speech?... Stop kidding! Even the most rottenics wouldn''t draw this plot!"


    "Is it rted to the murder near the bank yesterday?" Batman suddenly looked at Joker Cat and asked.


    "You actually care about that? Boring! Let''s continue the party! Watch this City eventually crumble under the order created by that Bat Cat... Before that, I want to have more drinks,ugh a bit more, and treat this as a dream..."


    The red and blue cat approached and rubbed against Joker Cat, saying, "Yes, dear, sleep now, right in my arms. After you wake up, you won''t have so many worries..."


    With that, the two cats jumped back onto the stage. Croc-Cat swung his tail and walked over, saying, "Sorry, I don''t know what got into him. We were nning how to deal with Bat Cat just yesterday, and now he''s like this. But then again, Joker Cat is the craziest among us. No one knows what''s going on in his mind..."


    "Besides him, who else is there?" Batman asked.


    "There''s me, and some other freak cats simr to me... But I see you''re not very interested in us. Maybe you''ll get along better with the cats in charge of technology. Let''s go; I''ll take you to theboratory."


    "You have aboratory too?" Victor took a few steps and reached Croc-Cat''s side. Croc-Cat nodded and said, "Of course, where do you think all those equipment and instruments you saw came from? We developed them ourselves."


    As they continued walking deeper into the sewers, passing through a long tunnel, they arrived in a spacious underground area. This was a typicalboratory, with the floor renovated in metal, and the ceiling and walls reinforced. Variousb tables were arranged in the center of the room.


    Beyond the frontmostb table, Victor suddenly froze as he saw what looked like a pet carrier inside an experimental chamber. Inside, a frozen caty motionless. ???


    Suddenly, a series of footsteps echoed from the side of theb table. A well-equipped, gray-blue cat wearing a helmet approached. Upon seeing a group of strangers, he took a cautious step back. Croc-Cat stepped forward and reassured him, "Don''t be nervous, Freeze Cat. They''vee to join us, and I''m showing them around theboratory."


    In a moment, the rest of Batman''s team turned their attention to Victor. Victor hesitated for a moment, then turned his head and noticed the small cryogenic chamber. Freeze Cat, the heavily armed gray-blue cat, quickly approached Victor and greeted him.


    Victor took a step back and said, "I''m sorry."


    "Don''t worry, Freeze Cat. Uh... you probably can''t understand, but the cat inside the cryogenic chamber is his wife. He''s a bit sensitive. Did you notice the weapons on his back? That''s the cryo-gun he developed. Quite impressive, isn''t it?"


    Victor stood frozen in ce, then suddenly, he focused his gaze on the cryogenic chamber. In a low voice, he said, "...Why is she in this condition? Very weak breath, almost no response in her eyes, she..."


    Then, he shifted his gaze to Freeze Cat and noticed that his condition was far from normal. His helmet contained thick ice crystals, and his body, limbs, and tail were all encased in mechanical armor, with cold air seeping through the seams.


    Victor was reminded of Thomas, who had been immersed in dense cryogenic material. Being an expert in the field, Victor immediately understood what was happening.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He signaled Batman, and Batman turned, perking up his ears, carefully listening to the enormous music that had been ying in the space earlier.


    This was an absurd world tinged with strangeness, where it seemed like every Gotham resident could find their doppelg?nger as cats. The only difference was that the doppelg?ngers here were all cats, making the whole situation even stranger.


    "Could you find us a ce to rest?" Constantine asked Croc-Cat. "We''ve been pursued by those machines for quite some time, and it''s taken a toll on our energy."


    "Perhaps tomorrow, we can participate in your n, but only if we get a good rest."


    Croc-Cat nodded and led them to the dormitory area. It turned out to be quitefortable, with individual rooms.


    In reality, it was like cages in a pet hospital. Each of them chose a room and entered, finding a spacious ce to sleep. Theyy down, each in their own room, and began to rest.


    After Croc-Cat left, the entire sewer space plunged into darkness. Suddenly, several pairs of eyes lit up, and the sound of unlocking doors echoed with a "clink." A few secondster, several cats gathered together, and Victor spoke in a low voice, "Why is this Freeze Cat simr to me..."


    "That Joker Cat should also be real," Batman said. "Could Jack have infiltrated this dream? No, the Joker Cat and Jack are a bit different. JokerJack''s way of speaking and tone are not like that..."


    Constantine sat down, and his tail tip swayed slightly as he said, "In a dream, anything is possible. I suggest you don''t regard this dream as an innocent one. Just as the consciousness space and dreams are intertwined, this may be a ce that exists within the collective consciousness space of cats, the reality of another group of cats..."


    "But how could they correspond one-to-one with us?" This was the most puzzling part for Victor, and he said, "It''s not possible for a cat to have entered myboratory and then dreamt about me and my wife, is it?"


    Constantine shook his head calmly and said, "Regarding that, I have no clue either. But I think we can explore it a bit."


    "Are you referring to the environment here?" Batman asked.


    "No, I''m referring to the source of this dream. I want to see to what extent this dream has reached."


    "What do you n to do?" They all turned to Constantine.


    "I n to... summon a demon."


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 Chapter 593: Who Is the Bat, Who Is the Cat (1)

    Several cats gathered together to discuss their n. Constantine''s desire to summon a demon was something that, if ced in the real world, none of them would likely agree to.


    Except for rk, who believed that demons were not a good thing, the others were concerned about the high risks involved. Bringing a demon into the real world could potentially cause significant destruction.


    However, in the Dream Realm, there was no danger of harming the real world. Still, the other cats hesitated. Victor frowned and asked, "What will summoning a demon here prove?"


    "In theory," Constantine began, "the status of the dream god Morpheus surpasses that of any demon. Well, it''s not precisely a status, but rather, any intelligent being capable of dreaming cannot have greater authority than the dream god within the dream world."


    "Normally, demons wouldn''te to a ce like this. On one hand, dream god wouldn''t allow it, and on the other, it''s dangerous for them here. If they were toe, but the dream god refused to let them leave, it would be disastrous."


    "So, if I summon a demon here, it would serve two purposes. If a demon responds to the summons, it would indicate that it''s mentally unstable. In the future, when I need demon resources in the real world, I can use it as a reserve."


    "If a demon responds and sessfully arrives, it suggests that the dream god''s condition might not be good. The loss of control in the Thousand Cats'' Dream might not be idental."


    "If a demon responds but can''te here, it would indicate that the dream god isn''t vacant, and Schiller might be safe. We can n ordingly without rushing to find him."


    "What if no demons respond at all?" Victor asked."In general, there''s no such issue. As long as I summon a demon, they''ll line up toe." Constantine extended his paw and casually scratched at some stones in front of him. "I have a significant position in Hell."


    "Now, my soul is in a strange ce in the dream. This means they don''t need to control my body to take my soul. Simply bringing me back to Hell from here would make my soul theirs, regardless of whether it''s a devil or demon of any kind. They would be very interested."


    "You may not be aware that even taking an ordinary person''s soul requires demons to make a contract or use some underhanded means. Directly invading Earth is not an option."


    "For someone like me, a sorcerer, it would be quite costly for demons to deal with me in the real world. However, it''s different in the dream. Any demon''s mental strength surpasses that of humans, and they''re aware of it."


    "They would see this as my vulnerability, eagerly trying to im my soul. So, once I release word, my summoning Magic Circle will be flooded with responses."


    "But isn''t that risky?" rk spoke up. "Sacrificing a demon usually involves offering a soul, right? It sounds..."


    Victor bumped his shoulder into rk and said, "If I recall correctly, the guy in front of you has summoned demons hundreds of times. Is his soul not perfectly fine?"


    "How do you manage that?" rk asked in amazement. "You wouldn''t offer someone else''s soul, would you?"


    "Of course not," Constantine replied. "What allure would an ordinary person''s soul hold for thempared to my own? Summoning demons for me is quite simple. Although I say I''ll sacrifice my soul, it''s just a ruse to deceive them."


    "You..." rk was about to say that deception was wrong, but upon consideration, Constantine was deceiving demons, which was a different matter. So, he hesitated and didn''t say anything further.


    "There''s another advantage," Victor added. "If I indeed summon a demon, we can leverage their power to deal with Bat Cat. Disabling all the surveince and weapons on the ground isn''t difficult. Even the weakest demon, once ced in the city, can create quite a mess and divert Bat Cat''s attention."


    Following that, Batman and Victor asked for more details, such as the difficulty of setting up the spell and themunication with the demon after it arrived. After discussing for a while, they all believed that this n was worth a try. Confirming the state of the dream god was crucial for determining their futurebat strategy, whether it would be aggressive or cautious.


    With the n confirmed, they began to implement it. Constantine''s expertise allowed him to save time in gathering the necessary materials to construct the Magic Circle.


    In his own words, most of the summoning rituals and spells developed by humans were of little use. If a demon took an interest in your soul, they would hassle you daily without needing you to cast anything.


    Constantine arranged the stones into strange patterns as he continued, "That''s how magic works. If you can use it, you can do anything. If you can''t, no matter how many books you read, it won''t help."


    "Were you born with the ability to use magic?" Batman asked as he watched him.


    "Perhaps," Constantine replied. "But when I discovered my ability to use magic, I didn''t need anyone to guide me or read any books. I learned those forbidden knowledge on my own, but at the same time..." Constantine''s movements paused for a moment, and he seemed to have many stories to tell, but ultimately, he remained silent. R?


    Constantine fiddled with a small lion figure, yed with it for a while, and then fetched some sewer water, finally forming a strange shape on the ground. It didn''t look like a Magic Circle; rather, it resembled the kind of child''s drawing in a yful manner.


    "Okay, that should do it," Constantine said nonchntly, tapping his paw on the ground. Victor approached and stared at the pattern. "Are you sure this will work? It looks a bit too sloppy, doesn''t it?"


    "You don''t understand. Summoning a demon fundamentally isn''t dependent on this. This thing is just to let any responding demon know that I intended to create a Magic Circle, but due to limited materials, I''ve done my best." Constantine said with indifference.


    The others were left somewhat speechless. It turned out that this wasn''t a functional Magic Circle but more of an ornamental one. It was for dealing with demons, but still, wouldn''t demons arriving in response to this consider it an insult?


    In any case, only Constantine was a true expert in magic, and no one else had much understanding of this field. Since Constantine said it would work, they decided to proceed.


    Constantine recited an incantation, then used his own w to make a small cut on his palm, allowing a drop of blood to fall into the Magic Circle. He directed the other cats to stand at various points around the stones and asked them to assume various postures. After a while, the blood at the center of the Magic Circle finally began to glow.


    However, despite the glowing, no demon appeared for quite some time. Constantine instructed the cats to stop their actions, and he went to inspect the circle.


    As Constantine examined the Magic Circle, his expression first showed some doubt. Then, his eyes emitted a faint light. However, just as he was about to adjust the positions of the stones, the entire Magic Circle suddenly lit up.


    A mass of ck sludge surged and quickly condensed into a huge demon. This demon had fiery eyes, sharp ws, and... cat ears?


    Constantine stood there, stunned for a moment, and then said, "Um, hello, this is a demon cat I''ve never seen before... or is it a cat demon? You..."


    Before Constantine could finish speaking, the cat-shaped demon on the other side let out a yowl and said, "Why have you summoned me?"


    "Do you not recognize me?" Constantine asked in return. The cat demon clearly hesitated for a moment. He didn''t expect the first question from the human performing the demon summoning to be about recognition.


    At that moment, Constantine, who was closest to the Magic Circle, detected a strange smell. Constantine couldn''t quite identify the scent, but he found it unpleasant. Just as he was about to get closer to investigate, the demon cat disappeared with a swift movement, leaving all the cats bewildered.


    After a moment of silence, Constantine spoke up, "Something doesn''t seem right. I can''t put my paw on it."


    "Correct," Batman noticed it too and said, "You said this Magic Circle was just for show, but why did the stones light up in a sequence just now?"


    "I''m certain this thing is purely decorative. These stones couldn''t possibly conduct magic; they''re not enchanted materials. How did they light up?" Constantine walked to the center of the Magic Circle and carefully examined each stone, but he didn''t find any anomalies. They were just ordinary small stones scattered throughout the sewer.


    Constantine seemed to have thought of something, and he exchanged a nce with Batman. However, both of them remained silent. Batman then turned to the others and said, "Rest for now. I''m going out to investigate."


    "Aren''t you going to rest?" rk shouted. "I''m not that tired, but we still have work to do tomorrow."


    "Don''t forget, the night is my domain," Batman replied and walked into the darkness.


    rk''s voice came from behind him, "But where are you going? What are you investigating?"


    Batman''s voice faded into the darkness as he said, "...the murder case that happened at the bank entrance."


    After Batman left, rk had a puzzled expression as he asked, "Why is he so concerned about that murder case?"


    "Oh, my intention is by no means to stand idly by regarding that murder case," rk said. "I''m just a little surprised. Aren''t there many more serious issues than that one right now?"


    Victor, not as innocent as rk, had also noticed the various anomalies and raised some questions. So, he turned and said, "I''ll go have a chat with Freeze Cat. Perhaps we''ll have somemon ground."


    After saying that, he turned and left. Constantine shook his tail and said, "I''ll check the Magic Circle here. You can go back and get some rest."


    "You all say that, but how can I sleep?" rk sighed. "Well, I guess there''s nothing for me to do. I suppose I can be of help."


    Constantine looked up at him and said, "You can go outside and help Croc-Cat. He might need assistance with some repairs."


    "But I meant more useful tasks."


    "No task is useless, rk. It''s not just your superpowers that can achieve goals; you need to learn to keep an open mind."


    "Is that so? Okay." rk nodded as if he understood.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ten minutester, Croc-Cat stared in disbelief as he watched rk flying in mid-air, effortlessly taking down the tire he needed.


    "Oh my goodness! How... how can you... how can you fly?"


    "Your external bones... No, that''s not right. Even without external bones, you can''t fly with such agility. That''s a technique even Bat Cat doesn''t possess..."


    "Well, I got lucky." rk modestly smiled and walked over, rubbing against Croc-Cat. He found that mutual grooming among cats was quite enjoyable.


    What he didn''t see was a Green Cat in the dark tunnel behind Croc-Cat, narrowing its eyes slowly.


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 Chapter 594: Who is the Bat and Who is the Cat (1)

    Chapter 594: Who is the Bat and Who is the Cat (1)


    Batman moved slowly through the dark sewer tunnels.


    Before leaving the sewer, he needed to conduct reconnaissance, as he had mentioned earlier. It was highly unlikely that Bat Cat had set up a surveincework covering the entire city of Gotham without any blind spots. That would be nearly impossible.


    If Bat Cat had been given ten or twenty years, maybe it could have been aplished. However, ording to what Croc-Cat had mentioned, Bat Cat had only been in the city for four or five years. Most of his time had been spent transforming the city itself. Therefore, the surveincework must still have many vulnerabilities.


    By sticking his head out from under a manhole cover to observe the surroundings, Batman gradually created a mental map of the camera patrol route.


    Afterpleting this preliminary map, he noticed a significant w in the patrol route.


    From the ground level perspective, the patrol route seemed wless, with hardly any loopholes to exploit. However, there happened to be a group of cameras that, at a certain time, didn''t effectively monitor the ground or the area near the manhole cover.


    This was quite interesting to Batman. He knew that this couldn''t be considered a w because, if he were in charge, he would prioritize surveince of rooftop and terraces over the inconspicuous ground area. Comparatively, the high ground was always more critical in any strategic nning.


    But this seemed like a gap left intentionally for Batman, allowing him to safely move to the surface without being detected.


    Even more fortuitously, this w in the patrol route urredte at night, enabling Batman to use his fur color and the darkness as camouge to safely transition to the surface.Batman couldn''t help but feel that all of this was too coincidental, as if someone were deliberately guiding him in this direction.


    However, there was no time for hesitation. Every move he made on the surface had to be precise, taking advantage of any gaps in the surveince to reach his intended destination.


    Fortunately, the bank where the incident urred wasn''t far from the sewer entrance Batman used to reach the surface. It was only a couple of blocks away, and with a bit of caution, he wouldn''t be discovered.


    At this moment, Batman realized that cats were indeed natural hunters, with highly sensitive hearing. Even the slightest noise could alert them immediately.


    This acute sense of hearing helped Batman avoid many dangers until he reached the scene at daytime where the bank was located.


    At that moment, a scent wafted into Batman''s nostrils. A keen sense of smell was one of the distinguishing features of feline creatures. Batman knew this, but his human brain couldn''t identify the exact nature of the odor.


    All he could say was that it was strange. The olfactory analysis of the cat''s sensory neurons didn''t match the knowledge in Batman''s mind, but he remembered this peculiar scent for future reference.


    After inspecting the area where the corpse had been found, Batman hid in the shadow next to the bank, contemting a way to enter the building.


    It wasn''t easy because every door and window of the bank was under Bat Cat''s control and were currently closed. To get inside, Batman would have to break in.


    However, breaking in would undoubtedly alert Bat Cat. With Batman''s current equipment, he didn''t think he could take on all the devices throughout the entire city.


    Batman wanted to understand how Bat Cat maintained control, so he decided to test the waters.


    He targeted one of the window locks, intending to break it. However, using just his ws and fangs wouldn''t be enough, so he intentionally revealed his presence, catching the attention of an automated turret at the corner of another building.


    He led the automated turret towards the window lock and, as bullets rained down, the lock shattered, and the ss broke.


    The building red with rms, but Batman didn''t enter. He wanted to gauge Bat Cat''s reaction time and how he arrived at the scene before deciding on his next move.


    So, he took advantage of the distraction caused by the cameras and automated weapons, jumping to the top of another building, lying t, with his tail touching the ground. He kept his eyes fixed on that direction.


    After waiting for a while and not seeing Bat Cat, he did spot a cat that was somewhat familiar to him - the same white cat he had seen earlier at the daytime scene, dressed in police attire.


    The white cat led several other police cats to inspect the scene. Suddenly, he bent down to sniff the ground incessantly. Batman on the rooftop felt a pang of nervousness.


    After all these years dealing with humans, he had forgotten that cats'' actions left behind scents, and these scents could be picked up by other simrly perceptive cats. Just because he couldn''t understand these scents didn''t mean other cats couldn''t.


    Soon, the white cat followed the scent trail to the building where Batman was hiding. He nced up, making Batman sure that the white cat had seen him. Just as Batman was about to leap away, the white cat lowered his head, pretending as if nothing had happened, and flicked his tail as he left.


    Batman let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he became puzzled. Why hadn''t the police cat arrested him? Could it be that he had mistaken Batman for Bat Cat?


    However, that didn''t make sense. Cats didn''t rely solely on appearances to identify one another. Judging from the white cat''s demeanor, he was an important officer at the police station and should be familiar with Bat Cat''s scent. Batman''s scent was different from Bat Cat''s, and there was no reason for the white cat to make such a mistake.


    Yet, the white police cat not only didn''t apprehend Batman but also left with his subordinates, preparing to depart.


    Realizing that he was being ignored, Bat Cat''s confidence grew a little. He jumped down from the rooftop and positioned himself in a corner of a balcony, then overheard a conversation from the police car.


    "Boss, are we really not going to do anything about that window? And I think I smelled something strange just now. Shouldn''t we investigate further?"


    "No need. Haven''t you noticed that Bat Cat hasn''t shown up at all? If we have to change the lock and fix the ss, we''ll have to find him. Haven''t you noticed how busy he''s beentely?"


    Batman keenly sensed that the white cat had raised his voice slightly, saying, "Just now, I tried to call his phone. His smart butler told me he had left in a hurry, even without hismunication device. It could be something urgent. Maybe we shouldn''t disturb him..."


    After saying this, the police car drove away, its shing lights casting a bright glow on Batman''s face, revealing his squinted eyes and a look of suspicion.


    The departing police cat had just revealed an important piece of information: Bat Cat had rushed out moments ago, leaving even hismunication device behind. This suggested that, even if Batman''s acts of destruction had been reported to Bat Cat''s base through the surveince cameras, he might not be aware of it at this moment. It was a perfect time for action.


    Without further hesitation, Batman agilely sprang forward. In just a few steps, he reached the broken window and entered the interior of the bank building.


    Meanwhile, in the sewer base, Victor was discussing cryogenic technology with Freeze Cat. He subtly inquired about the technical details, but it was evident that Freeze Cat didn''t fully trust him and wasn''t willing to disclose too much.


    The two cats were cautiously probing each other when suddenly, an rm red throughout the base. Croc-Cat rushed in urgently, eximing, "There''s trouble on the surface! Several of our hidden monitors have been destroyed. We need to go check what''s happening!"


    rk flew in directly, saying, "Let''s go! I''ll take you up. I can protect you from getting hit by automatic weapons."


    To avoid revealing their location, several cats first moved to a manhole cover at a distance from the base and then emerged on the surface. However, as soon as they jumped up, they found that the automatic weapons surrounding them were firing wildly. A few cats were darting through the gunfire.


    "That''s Bane Cat!" Freeze Cat recognized the leader among them. He said, "Bat Cat''s old adversary, a madman and a criminal. Wasn''t he supposed to be locked up in Mad Cat Asylum? How..."


    "Oh no, that''s Bat Cat!" Croc-Cat suddenly shouted. He saw the fully armed Bat Cat pursuing the escaping mad cats on a hovering disc. The disc was equipped with numerous weapons, and it was currently targeting the fleeing cats.


    Facing Bat Cat, Freeze Cat didn''t hesitate. He adjusted the weapons on his back and leaped to a higher vantage point. Several ice spikes shot out and froze one side of Bat Cat''s hovering disc.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Bane managed to escape the range of fire. He turned to Freeze Cat and emitted a sharp call. rk understood the meaning: "Kill Bat Cat!"


    Before rk could intervene, the frozen weapons on Bat Cat''s disc thawed, and its powerful firepower swept through the area. A projectile exploded near rk, singeing the fur of Croc-Cat, who was right beside him. rk had no choice but to protect the cats near him.


    rk ascended into the air and quickly flew toward Bat Cat''s hovering disc. With a resounding crash, he knocked the disc out of the sky.


    Subsequently, beams of heat vision shot from his eyes and destroyed one side of Bat Cat''s weapons. The disc wobbled and fell, but before it hit the ground, Bat Cat ejected from it. He controlled the wing-like structures on his back, resembling bat wings, and looked at rk angrily. "You damn rodent!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You can''t do this, Bat Cat. Locking up all the citizens is not right. Others may not need your control, and even if you want to do good, this is not the way," rk said sternly.


    "Outsider, you have no right to tell me how to deal with Gotham. Go back to your city; we don''t need you here!" The wind generated by Bat Cat''s steel wings brushed over the fur of the surrounding cats, causing it to ruffle.


    Bat Cat snorted and swiftly changed the configuration of his wings, assembling many small weapons. Drones flew out from his shoulders, surrounding the cats.


    Croc-Cat, Bane Cat, Freeze Cat, and the other mad cats who had escaped from Mad Cat Asylum huddled together, their bodies tensed, teeth bared, and ears ttened, facing the approaching weapons.


    "Freeze Cat, after you used ice spikes to freeze my weaponsst time, I added anti-freeze features to them. Last time, I let you go to lure out that guy who onlyughs. This time, you won''t be so lucky."


    Freeze Cat''s expression grew serious. He controlled the weapons on his back, firing an ice spike. However, the drones only momentarily paused and then emitted a vibrating hum, shattering the ice.


    rk sighed and said, "It looks like I''ll have to make you stop first before we can talk."


    "That depends on whether you have the ability to do so."


    Bat Cat turned his gaze toward rk, and in that moment, all rk saw was a colossal fisting at him like a sandbag.


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 Chapter 595: Who Is the Bat, Who Is the Cat (2)

    A few minutes ago, Bat Cat emerged from his Batcave, intending to confront Schiller on the road, and unsurprisingly, he encountered Bane and the group of mad cats released from Mad Cat Asylum.


    Bat Cat had always believed that Bane Cat had a dependency on the substance inside the tube on his back. Therefore, the cell designed for Bane Cat contained equipment for excessive fluid infusion. Periodically, the fluid supply would be cut off, subjecting Bane to prolonged withdrawal symptoms.


    However, what he didn''t anticipate was that Bane had long ovee this dependency and no longer experienced severe withdrawal symptoms.


    So, when Bat Cat executed his n as usual, targeting the tube on Bane Cat''s back and causing the fluid to leak, he fell victim to a feigned weakness and ambush by Bane. In response, he had to deploy the floating aircraft he had intended to use against Schiller and activate its weapons.


    After weighing his options, Bat Cat had to choose between dealing with Schiller first or facing Bane and the mad cats. He chose thetter because the destruction this group of mad cats could cause upon entering the city would far exceed Schiller''s threat. As a result, he altered his route to Mad Cat Asylum and followed Bane and his gang here.


    What he didn''t expect was to encounter rk on the way, who damaged his floating disc, leaving Bat Cat stranded.


    While he worried about the situation at Mad Cat Asylum, Bat Cat knew that the group of mad cats had already been led out by Bane. The remaining empty Mad Cat Asylum should not pose a significant issue. Therefore, Bane Cat decided to deal with this group of cats first and address Schillerter.


    However, what he didn''t foresee was that once Schiller understood the situation in the city and recognized Bat Cat''s presence, he formted a multifaceted n.


    First, Schiller gained Bat Cat''s trust and then proposed a seemingly advantageous suggestion: to improve the patrol routes of the surveince robots. The patrol routes Schiller provided were indeed superior to the previous ones, covering almost every blind spot, except for a few intentionally left unmonitored.If Schiller had randomly left blind spots in the surveince, Bat Cat would have surely noticed. Thus, the so-called blind spots Schiller left were not true blind spots. They were more like prioritizing between two simultaneous monitoring targets, choosing the lesser of two evils. For example, prioritizing monitoring high points and areas with a broad field of vision over the sewer entrance, for the time being.


    When Schiller arrived in the city, he knew that Batman woulde looking for him. So, he designed a whole chain of events to lead Batman to explore areas of his n that he wouldn''t have time for otherwise, such as the bank where a murder had urred.


    Using the same blind spots in surveince, Schiller staged a murder, killing the bank''s manager cat, and timed it perfectly to leave the corpse at the bank''s entrance. With Grey Mist''s help, all of this was not difficult to achieve.


    Batman saw the manager cat''s corpse, and Schiller was well aware that Batman, with his detective instincts, wouldn''t ignore this murder. Batman had to investigate.


    Batman was the king of the night, only operating fromte evening to early morning. Thus, the surveince vulnerabilities Schiller arranged coincided with his peak activity hours. This way, Batman was led to the bank by Schiller''s surveince gaps and simultaneously infiltrated the bank.


    Meanwhile, Schiller did not linger at Mad Cat Asylum since it was merely a prison for the mad cats, and there wasn''t much to investigate there. He intended to investigate Batman''s former residence, the Manor.


    Schiller didn''t need confirmation; he was well aware that there must be a ce in Gotham City called Wayne Manor. Just like the infamous crime alley, it was a Gothamndmark, a fixture in every incarnation of the city. This was a part of Batman''s origin story, a constant in the DC Comics universe.


    In his Grey Mist form, Schiller conducted arge-scale search despite all the buildings having been transformed into steel cages by Bat Cat. Bat Cat no longer lived in the Manor but in Bat Cat Tower or the Batcave. Still, Schiller managed to find a distinctive building in what used to be an affluent area.


    This building had also been converted into metal, but unlike the other structures, it wasn''t part of a row of houses or an apartment building. It stood alone as a single vi.


    Upon entering the vi, Schiller found an even denser array of monitoring equipmentpared to the outside, even though Bat Cat had been called away by Schiller, and the group of released mad cats would keep him upied for some time. Even if the surveince was destroyed, he couldn''t return immediately.


    Schiller factored in all the timing, and when Bat Cat was busy fighting Bane''s group of mad cats, he disabled all the monitoring equipment in the Manor.


    As he began to investigate, he found that the entire Manor had been emptied of its contents, with no furniture or belongings left behind. This was beyond Schiller''s expectations. He couldn''t fathom why Bat Cat, even in his paranoia, would strip his childhood home in such a manner.


    Schiller hade here to search for traces of another person: the butler, Alfred.


    Through his analysis of Bat Cat''s personality, Schiller concluded that Batman had grown up without guidance, which had exacerbated his paranoia and uncontroble desire for control. This raised a question: Where had Alfred gone?


    Even the original Batman, the mature and dark vignte, wasn''t so paranoid as to turn all of Gotham into this. In fact, it was more foolish than paranoid. The original Batman had a strong sense of obsession, but his mind remained clear. He certainly knew that such measures wouldn''t eradicate all crime.


    In other words, this wasn''t merely a mature version of Gotham; something had urred that altered the life trajectory of this so-called Bat Cat. The most significant change Schiller observed was Alfred''s absence.


    So, Schiller devised a roundabout n, drawing Bat Cat away and then conducting his own investigation into the former Bat Cat Manor.


    When Schiller arrived in the underground room, he heard a noise. His cat-like keen hearing allowed him to detect it as soon as it happened. With quick steps, he ascended the staircase he had just descended, slipping into the adjacent room like a wisp of smoke.


    There, he saw two cats emerging from the basement, one of them walking with a gait that seemed elderly. It was a gray cat, slender and frail, with a weary expression. Even part of its tail was missing; unmistakably, this was Alfred the cat.


    What was even more important was the cor around Alfred''s neck, an obvious monitoring device ced by Bat Cat. At present, it was sparking, having been damaged. It seemed that Alfred had been rescued from the basement by another cat, but what puzzled Schiller was that the cat who had rescued Alfred was now walking alongside him.


    He was green andughing at the moment.


    Looking east along the path of Bat Cat''s Manor, then beyond the central battlefield where Bat Cat and Bane were locked inbat, one arrived at the easternmost Gotham Bank in this Cat City Gotham.


    Unlike the Gotham of reality, the buildings in this Cat City Gotham were all in different locations. However, it was evident that this particr bank was originally something else before being transformed into a bank. Some details from its previous incarnation had been preserved.


    Observing these details, Batman deduced that this ce might have been the former Gotham Police Department. Lifting a metal wall panel, he could see bullet holes and scars on the old walls behind.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Batman proceeded deeper into the bank, specting on which room might hold clues based on the specifications of the surrounding buildings. He discovered that all the rooms on the ground floor had been converted into the bank''s offices, but there was one hidden door leading underground.


    After opening that door, Batman heightened his vignce and descended slowly down a staircase. As expected, the underground room had apletely different style from the one above, resembling an archives room, and some documents that hadn''t been damaged were still there. Batman walked to the desk, hopped onto a chair, and examined the words on those documents.


    Cats in Gotham, of course, had their own writtennguage, or else they couldn''t have developed such a civilization. The problem was, Batman couldn''t understand their script.


    Nevertheless, there was a substantial amount of documents here,bined with the words he had seen on signs earlier, Batman could piece together some of the content.


    Under the cold light, Batman''s fur was highlighted in blue. He stared intently at the text, his blue eyes filled with a unique radiance.


    Meanwhile, in the central battle of Gotham, Bat Cat was engaged inbat with rk.


    No matter which world''s Batman, hisbat abilities in hand-to-handbat were limited, especially when facing Superman Cat.


    Needless to say, the fighting style of felinebat was vastly different from humanbat. The focus of Superman Caty in his superhuman abilities rather than cat-like techniques. He possessed all of Superman''s powers, except he had to limit his strength to avoid copsing the dreamworld, his only vulnerability. So, he was nearly invincible.


    rk had no intention of learning cat attack techniques. He merely floated in the air, using his eye beams to force Bat Cat to dart around chaotically. Even without using his ws, a single punch would send Bat Cat flying far.


    Finally, Bat Cat, battered and bruised, couldn''t take it anymore. He activated a controller beside his neck, and in a moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the ground. The walls and foundations of countless buildings began to change, forming into a colossal machine monster...


    Even a person of normal stature would appear tiny whenpared to this enormous defense mechanism cat. Let alone several ordinary cats.


    During the transformation into a machine form, they scattered in all directions. rk had to raise his altitude to observe the situation.


    Bat Cat controlled his wings and flew overhead the giant machine. rk''s expression turned serious. Dealing with such a huge creature with restricted power wasn''t an easy task. He shouted down, "Cooperate with me! Attack its legs!"


    A full moon hung high in the sky. The terrifying machine monster leaped onto the rooftop. The shadows of the few cats,pared to it, seemed minuscule. All the cats knew that a fierce battle was about tomence.


    However, at that moment, a cat''s shadow leaped over the moon. With a streamlined body, it exuded the unique elegance of a feline.


    Itnded on the shoulder of the giant machine, then swiftly leaped overhead. For a cat, the overhead of this colossal machine was like a small square.


    Two identical blue-eyed ck cats stood face to face in the moonlight.


    "Who are you? Why are you here?!" Bat Cat cautiously took a step back, looking at the cat identical to himself. Suddenly, as if he had recalled something, he said, "Aren''t you the rat that crawled into the sewer earlier?!"


    "You''re the rat here," Batman took two steps forward. He wasn''t insulting Bat Cat but stating a fact. He lightly sniffed the air, sensing a familiar scent. This didn''t exceed his expectations. He continued, "You and the cat that died at the bank''s entrance are both rats."


    "What are you talking about?" Bat Cat involuntarily took another step back. The cat in front of him was exerting immense pressure, as if an endless dark tide were crashing down upon him.


    "I became a bat because bats represent my inner fears."


    "And you, you became a bat because someone hoped that the one ruling Gotham would be a winged rodent and not a cat with sharp teeth and ws."


    "Because, they fear cats."


    Just then, maniacalughter echoed from the distance. A green cat leaped onto the machine''s overhead.


    In the moment when Bat Cat''s attention was drawn to Joker Cat, a shadow shot out like an arrow in the moonlight.


    Batman leaped into the air, his figure blocking the moonlight, casting a shadow onto the building''s rooftop, resembling a bat gliding through the night sky.


    Just when all the cats thought that Batman was attacking the green Joker Cat, the flying Batman bit into Bat Cat''s neck.


    A strange and eerie scream echoed, like the cry of an owl in the dark forest.


    In the background of a full moon, several feathers soared into the air, twirling in the dark night before gently drifting to the ground.


    Green Cat extended his nose, getting close to one of the feathers, and disyed a disgusted expression, saying, "Ha, it still smells of that disgusting bird poop."


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 Chapter 596: Hail to the Cat! (1)

    Chapter 596: Hail to the Cat! (1)


    On the edge of the battlefield, atop another high-rise building''s rooftop, a ck cat stood side by side with a white cat. The ck cat spoke first, saying, "I''ve always said, when I''m with Bat Cat, there''s this strange smell in the air, but I''ve never kept birds, so I didn''t know it was the smell of bird droppings."


    Turning his head to the white cat, he continued, "Gordon Cat, you never told me that Bat Cat was one of them in disguise."


    The white cat also wore a shocked expression and replied, "No, Bat Cat couldn''t be... My goodness! They''ve even reced him! The situation is worse than I imagined."


    Indeed, this white cat was none other than Commissioner Gordon Cat of Cat City Gotham Police Department, and Schiller''s encounter with Gordon Cat happened much earlier than anyone had thought.


    It''s quite easy to deduce that Schiller''s high tower of thought descended in the heart of Gotham City, and the first to arrive would undoubtedly be the detectives from the police station. Since Gordon Cat was the most trusted cat by Bat Cat, it was only natural for him to take charge of investigating this peculiar construction.


    Schiller, who had been thrown out by Superego, quickly found a hiding ce and observed the nearby situation. Once he was certain that this cat represented Gordon, he knew he could trust him.


    In most of the DC Universe, Gordon was seen as one of the few beacons of light and hope in Gotham City. He might face setbacks, challenges, and life-threatening situations, but he would always ovee them, bing Gotham''sst bastion of conscience.


    What made Schiller decide to approach Gordon Cat first was another significant reason: Gordon Cat''s investigative efforts seemedckluster. Many times, he would follow scent leads only to abandon them halfway.


    Hismands and assignments were arbitrary as well. He would dispatch officers to wherever he sensed a clue, only to recall them shortly after. After observing for a while, Schiller concluded that Gordon Cat was either ipetent or deliberately acting this way.Schiller''s first encounter with Bat Cat happened when he saw him talking to Gordon Cat. He noticed that Gordon had indeed followed many leads but only shared a small portion of them, and those were not the crucial ones. Bat Cat trusted him, so there was no extensive investigation, allowing Schiller, who had been thrown into this situation, to remain undetected.


    Gordon and Batman weren''t usually at odds, a rare urrence even in the influenced Gotham where Schiller found himself. They cooperated well, with Batman intervening whenever there was trouble during Gordon''s police work, and the police providing support when Batman conducted his nocturnal investigations. Their partnership was strong, as it should be in most spaces.


    If Schiller had to choose a reliable teammate between Batman and Gordon, he would undoubtedly choose Gordon. Thus, he approached Gordon, exining his intentions. Unsurprisingly, Gordon Cat had always been distrustful of Bat Cat and had been secretly infiltrating his ranks, biding his time.


    "When Bat Cat first aimed to transform this city," Gordon Cat exined, his white fur gleaming in the moonlight, his voice carrying through the night and vanishing into the darkness, "I realized that no one could stop him. However, his inexplicable paranoia seemed influenced by something else. Since I couldn''t prevent it, I chose an alternative path to safeguard what''s truly important."


    "After deeming this unstoppable, I became his first ally, stepping forward to lead the Gotham Police Department in supporting his reforms. At that time, resistance was high, and my subordinates and I resolved many issues on his behalf. He trusted me greatly."


    "But my motive was to understand what was affecting him and to preserve crucial evidence that might reveal the truth, to stop him when he wentpletely mad."


    "To prove my sincerity, I handed over the Gotham Police Department to him for transformation. He did indeed overhaul the ce, butter, I secretly essed the basement he hadn''t touched yet and ced the documents there."


    "At that time, the city was in chaos. He was busy maintainingw and order, dealing with cat rebellions, and was too upied to notice my actions."


    "Butter, when he realized, he felt his previous precautions were inadequate. He transformed the original Gotham Police Department into a bank and stationed a trusted lieutenant, the bank manager cat, to guard it."


    Schiller asked, "When we first met, you suggested I kill the bank manager cat. Did you uncover something?"


    Gordon Cat confirmed, "Yes. After he took over the original Gotham Police Department, he tightened security there. I had to ensure he didn''t discover those documents, so I sent a few cats as spies. However, my subordinates reported that the bank manager cat''s behavior was peculiar, far from that of a typical cat, and he always carried an unusual scent."


    "To find out what was going on, I had my subordinates patrol the area, ostensibly to maintain neighborhood security but actually to keep an eye on him. Finally, one night, while I was patrolling myself, I saw his shadow outside the window. It wasn''t a cat but... a bird."


    "A bird, a species long extinct, once mentioned in our history books. Now, in this world, only cats exist."


    "Discovering the true identity of the bank manager cat made me suspect that all the high-ranking cats associated with Bat Cat had issues. Soon enough, among the mayor''s aides, I found hidden birds, from the bank manager to financial magnates, ship owners, and gang leaders ¨C they were all part of this avian conspiracy."


    "I believe they might have mastered a certain technique; they brainwashed Bat Cat and took control of him. The most important reason I sent you to kill the bank manager cat is that I was keeping a close eye on him, and he was starting to suspect me. If he were toin to Bat Cat or employ any more brainwashing tactics, I would be doomed."


    "But I never expected..." Gordon gazed at the battlefield not far away. "It''s not that they controlled Bat Cat. Bat Cat isn''t a cat at all; he''s..."


    "...an Owl Cat," Schiller interrupted, looking at the bird pinned beneath the ck cat''s paw. "Not a cat, but an Owl Cat."


    Gordon Cat sighed. "I should have realized it sooner. I knew he had imprisoned his butler, Alfred. If he were truly Bat Cat, he would never have subjected his childhood guardian to such torment. It seems Bat Cat has suffered greatly."


    "No," Schiller suddenly countered. "Since they didn''t kill Alfred, it''s possible that the real Bat Cat is still alive."


    Gordon''s eyes lit up. "Really? But... where is he? Could they have also locked him up?"


    Schiller looked up at the moon and said, "Locked up? No... they can''t lock up a bat."


    Beneath the bright moonlight, a sense of harmony descended like a curtain. Bat Cat, now lying on the ground, looked in shock at the feathers on his body. He had shed his cat''s appearance and transformed into a true Owl Cat, yet he seemed oblivious, eximing in astonishment, "How is this possible? What have you done to me? I should be... Bat Cat! The one ruling this city! The wealthiest cat! I couldn''t possibly be a bird? This is impossible!"


    "There''s nothing impossible," another voice chimed in. The green-d Joker Cat approached, the mad grin fading from his face. Squinting at the fallen Owl Cat, he said, "Of course, you are a bird. Otherwise, how could those lurking Owl Cats allow their natural predator, the feline, to rule this city?"


    Batman turned his head to his arch-nemesis, Joker Cat, and recalled his past encounters. Whenever he heard that insaneughter, he felt a dark emotion welling up inside him, an irresistible urge to make the other stopughing, even a violent impulse to kill him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, since arriving in Cat City, he had heard Joker Cat''sughter more than once, but it hadn''t evoked those emotions.


    He remembered Schiller''s words when they first encountered Joker Jack. If theughter didn''t trigger that emotional response, it meant that the person on the other side was not his destined adversary.


    In other words, the opposing cat wasn''t the Joker.


    And the materials Batman found in the Gotham Police Department confirmed this. The documents didn''t contain much vital information, except for a terrifying nursery rhyme, yes, the Owl Cat nursery rhyme¡ªCourt of Owls, constantly watching as you move.


    Batman was intimately familiar with the Court of Owls. He vividly remembered Joker''s performance, executing the Owl Cats.


    Batman also recalled the first time he met Joker Cat. The madman had uttered gibberish, but when they first met, Joker Cat had warned Batman that he had detected a bird-like odor on Bat Cat. Combined with the familiar nursery rhyme, Batman realized that Bat Cat might not be a cat at all but an Owl Cat.


    The evidence was far from conclusive, but even if Bat Cat wasn''t an Owl Cat, there must have been factors guided by the Owl Cats leading to Gotham''s current state. While investigating the clues on the road, Batman thought deeply. Would he have made Gotham like this without someone guiding him?


    The result of his contemtion was that he wouldn''t because his rationality told him it was futile.


    No standard could perfectly distinguish humanity. It was impossible tobel those who didn''t meet a certain standard as good and those who didn''t as bad¡ªrace, color, gender, personality¡ªnone of these could serve as criteria.


    Human mentality and emotions were in constant flux and motion. Trying to measure and separate people with static standards and forcibly isting them had dire consequences, as witnessed by a failed art student.


    As expected by Batman, his first attack was sessful. The opposite figure was indeed not a cat but an Owl Cat. With that settled, there remained one question. Batman looked at the Owl Cat and asked, "Where did you take the real Bat Cat?"


    The Owl Cat continued to scream frantically, repeatedly shouting, "It''s impossible! I''m a cat! I''m not an Owl Cat!"


    But at that moment, a slightly aged figure slowly approached. Batman recognized him in an instant¡ªAlfred.


    Then he saw the elderly Alfred Cat walk up to Joker Cat and nudge his chin against Joker Cat''s head.


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 Chapter 597: Long Live Cat! (2)

    Chapter 597: Long Live Cat! (2)


    "I know you''re feeling quite perplexed," Alfred Cat began, and as Batman listened, he felt a pang in his heart. He had never heard his butler''s voice sound so frail and aged.


    Soon after, a hint of rage welled up within Batman, but he took a deep breath, suppressing the anger, and focused on Alfred''s narrative.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Here is a city of cats, its inhabitants all feline, but what they don''t know is that another story still exists here. Gotham''s birds haven''t gone extinct as they have in the rest of this world."


    "After the feline popce flourished, other races retreated to remote corners of the world, gradually dwindling. However, only Gotham''s birds endured, harnessing the unique dark power of this ce."


    "They''ve lurked underground in Gotham, plotting a chance to resurface, and they found it when they killed Bat Cat''s parents. Subsequently, they eliminated The Godfather Cat, who had ruled this city, and the most revered Father Cat."


    "I know their target will be Bat Cat, so I secretly sent him away. Eventually, when they invaded the Manor, I was imprisoned. But I knew, one day, Bat Cat would return."


    As Alfred''s fur-covered words concluded, Batman suddenly noticed the moon dimming, clouds obscuring it, and distant thunder resounded, followed by a torrential downpour.


    It was then that Batman realized it hadn''t rained since his arrival in this city.


    As the rain fell, Bat Cat saw the vibrant green color on the opposing Green Cat gradually wash away in the rain, dye cascading onto the ground, revealing his true fur, which was ck, just like Batman''s."To conceal my identity and amass power, I operated in Gotham''s sewers, dyeing my fur brightly to hide the ck."


    "To ensure the dye didn''t wash off during my operations, I created a weather controller, preventing rain from falling on Gotham," Joker Cat, or rather the real Bat Cat, stood drenched in the rain. He was extremely thin, but his eye contact remained sharp.


    Batman paused for a moment, then looked down, saying, "So, that rock ''n'' roll party you threw back then..."


    "It was to mask the sound of the weather controller," the real Bat Cat replied.


    Batman remembered hearing a different sound amidst the chaos and noise of the rock ''n'' roll party. At the time, he had paused to listen more closely, but the sounds his feline ears detected didn''t align with his knowledge, so he dismissed them as mere noise.


    All of this connected¡ªthe parents of Bat Cat were killed by the lurking Owl Cats in this world. Owl Cats also murdered The Godfather Cat and Father Cat, imprisoning Alfred Cat.


    Bat Cat, hidden away by Alfred Cat, was still young and powerless. He had to hide until this group of Owl Cats changed their tactics to rule Gotham. Disguised as Joker Cat, Bat Cat finally revealed himself.


    Even without these outsiders, his ultimate battle with the Court of Owls would have arrived. However, with the intrusion of these outsiders, disguised as Joker Cat, Bat Cat had hinted at the eerie aspects of Gotham City to Batman during their first encounter. He also used the chaos they caused to rescue his butler, Alfred Cat.


    It had to be said that the n of Bat Cat, disguised as Joker Cat, and Schiller''s n coincided. Both ns focused on using Batman.


    Batman sighed and said, "So, since we''ve dealt with this Owl Cat, what''s next?"


    Suddenly, Constantine emitted a low growl, his eyes momentarily glowing with magical light. A magical shield enveloped all the cats, and in that moment, an extreme surge of dark power erupted from below.


    "This is far from over," Bat Cat, soaked to the bone, said. "There''s more than one Owl Cat; they control the darkness beneath Gotham. Now that their n is exposed, we''ll face the onught of this group of dark Owl Cats."


    As he spoke, that dark power condensed into a massive Owl Cat. Its sharp ws attacked the shield, causing Constantine to bristle with his fur and emit a sharp cry.


    "Get out of here! My shield won''t hold for long, and I don''t have the strength!" Constantine gritted his teeth. "No wonder the summoning of the demon earlier, the useless Magic Circle lighting up, it was all an act by them!"


    "This power is identical to the one that formed that Demon Cat earlier! The weird smell I detected was the scent of birds'' droppings! Damn it, I can''t summon a demon, and I can''t hold out for long with my own power!"


    At that moment, floating in mid-air, rk was grabbed by the solidified dark power. He struggled, but the darkness continued to seep into his body, rendering him powerless.


    Superman had formidable physical attacks, but his magic resistance wasn''t as high. However, he wasn''t entirely controlled by the dark Owl Cat. Just as he was about to break free, a surging wave of darkness attacked hisrades.


    But Bat Cat showed no fear. He turned his head toward Batman and said, "Find a way to hold him off for a while."


    "Where are you going?"


    Bat Cat swiftly approached the edge of the building, turned back to Batman, and said, "Remember what I said? I''m going to throw them a surprise rock ''n'' roll party."


    As Constantine struggled to maintain the magic shield, he suddenly sensed the ground tremble. Batman jumped out of the shield and stood at the edge of the building, looking down. There, he saw the ground of Gotham''s central roundabout split open, and a massive stage ascended.


    It was no less impressive than the giant robot Bat Cat had created earlier. Mechanical arms, each asrge as a building, rose into position, and countless enormous, unimaginable instruments for a cat¡ªmicrophones, bass guitars, regr guitars, drums, keyboards...


    Each instrument was asrge as a skyscraper, and countless mechanical light strips gradually lit up. Circr mechanical arms danced above the instruments, and the floodlights at the edge of the stage pierced the sky, illuminating the entire city.


    Bat Cat stood in the center, taking the lead vocals. He shouted into the microphone, "Come on, join me! This is Bat Cat''s first party!"


    Constantine''s shield couldn''t hold any longer, and after it shattered, several cats scattered in all directions.


    Constantine jumped toward the stage, eximing, "You underestimated it, Bat Cat! You didn''t notice we had such an outstanding bass yer here! If any rock festival didn''t invite me, their organizers should jump into the sea to feed the sharks!"


    With that, he swiftly moved and leaped onto the control room of the drum set. Manipting two mechanical arms, he picked up the massive bass guitar. A resounding electronic vibration emitted from the instrument, making all the cats instinctively cower, pulling their ears back.


    Meanwhile, the colossal Owl Cat formed from dark energy seemed to explode in that moment, and Batman leaped to the side of the drum set. With agile moves, he entered the floating control room above the chair, saying, "So, when you mentioned that loud music would be their weakness, this is what you meant."


    The rain intensified. Even without ying, raindrops falling on the metallic instruments produced an annoying resonance. rk reached the control room beside the gigantic guitar, and he flexed his paws, saying, "Thank my talented father. I hope I remember the fingerings he taught me."


    "Hurry! Only the keyboardist is left!" Constantine was even more excited than Bat Cat. He said, "Come on, baby! Music is my eternal lover. Let''s dive into the world of psychedelic rock together!"


    Finally, a figure, shining brightly amidst the dark, rainy night, leaped onto the stage, climbed up to the keyboard, and entered the circr control room. Gordon Cat pressed a button.


    "Da! Da da! Da! Da!" After rhythmic beats began, the drum rhythm followed, and the bass and guitars simultaneously yed. The tight vibrations tore through the sky.


    This enormous stage that upied the entire center of Gotham, rising from the ground, happened to lift Schiller''s high tower along with it. Each instrument surrounded the high tower, and mechanical arms danced in the rain.


    The dazzling vehicles, flying saucers, and neon billboards had all be the audience of this musical spectacle.


    At some point, someone among the cats started singing, and the song spread through the Catmunity.


    "Hey, we''re born for freedom¡ªLong live Cat!"


    "Knock over the jars, smash the tes and cutlery, scratch the sofas and carpets. Are you angry?"


    "Hey! How about some more? Grab your guns! Pull the trigger! Long live Cat!"


    "We''re born for freedom! This is Cat, oh! Long live Cat!"


    Apanied by the intense music, the massive dark Owl Cat started going berserk. Owl Cats had even sharper hearing than regr cats, and with the thunderous music so close, it was almost impossible for him to control his power.


    As the waves of darkness swept through the city, they not only shattered buildings but also broke the locks of the steel cages. Cats rushed out of their cages, onto balconies, and into the streets. Despite the deafening music making them dizzy, they danced along with the rhythm.


    It was unclear which cat started singing, but the song echoed through the Catmunity.


    "Hey, we''re born for freedom, this is Cat, Long live Cat!"


    "Unravel the yarn, devour the snacks, destroy everything that can be destroyed. We''re born for fun! This is Cat! Long live Cat!"


    "Oh! Oh! Hey! Are you angry?"


    Constantine raised his paw high, extending a w toward the sky. He shook his head vigorously, and all the cats followed the rhythm, shaking their heads together. The song echoed throughout Gotham, the rhythm quickened, the drumbeats grew stronger, and the hovering saucers started spinning around the stage. Traffic flowed vigorously once more.


    This chaotic and tumultuous scene, tinged with a hint of cuteness,bined Gotham''s chaos with the freedom of the cats,plementing each other perfectly.


    Finally, the dark Owl Cat, unable to endure any longer, let out a piercing scream. His body grewrger andrger until the shadow once again enveloped the stage.


    Clearly, he had no intention of preserving the results of his construction and instead aimed to exterminate all these annoying cats.


    The music reached its climax, and all the cats raised their bodies, extending their ws. Just as the enormous darkness was about to descend, a voice emerged from the high tower behind the stage.


    "Too noisy!"


    In an instant, the rain clouds dispersed, the sky brightened once more, and the darkness vanished without a trace.


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 Chapter 598: Hail to the Cat! (2)

    After Superego had thrown Schiller out, a few Gods who shared the same Pope took their seats on the top of the high tower to enjoy the spectacle.


    Their posture was reminiscent of old men sitting under a tree, enjoying the breeze after a meal, with the only thing missing being folding chairs and some sunflower seeds.


    One of the defining characteristics of humanity is its short lifespan, and yet another is its ability to have fun while living briefly. Even if these Gods did nothing else, simply watching the chaos and freedom in Cat City Gotham amid the chaos was entertaining enough.


    But don''t forget that there were still unresolved grievances between two individuals, Lex and Moonlight Schiller.


    Lex hoped this test would end here, but Moonlight Schiller couldn''t tolerate being interrupted in the middle of his work. So, he wanted to drag Khonshu back to that room and settle the score with Lex.


    Although it was a rare opportunity to witness Schiller''s amusement, Khonshu was not willing to cooperate. He hesitated, making dream god Morpheus and Jormungandr all the more entertained by watching Moonlight Schiller chase Khonshu with an umbre sword.


    No one knew whether Khonshu regretted seeking the most formidable Pope, but undoubtedly, he had no advantage in Schiller''s territory, his Temple of Thought, where his staff had once again been broken.


    Just as Jormungandr was about to taunt him, a massive de of light came rushing toward them. A genius youth who couldn''t stand idly by had been released from the Asylum, resulting in both Gods who apanied the most formidable Pope suffering the consequences without a fight.


    Dream god wanted to intervene but hesitated, thinking it best not to get involved. Khonshu went back to repair his staff, and Jormungandr was pursued by Moonlight Schiller, leaving dream god alone at the top of the tower.As the saying goes, it''s lonely at the top. The others were fortunate enough to descend from the tower''s peak, avoiding the embarrassment of falling off because they couldn''t maintain their bnce when the tower was raised in thought.


    Of course, Morpheus was a dream god, and he wouldn''t be caught in such an embarrassing situation. In the midst of the shaking, he soared into the air. However, there was another person busy working at the top of the tower: Schiller''s Superego personality.


    Maintaining the form of his Temple of Thought in other dream spaces was challenging. Moonlight Schiller chasing these Gods had already caused quite amotion, and now there was suddenly a concert taking ce right under the high tower.


    With this sudden disturbance, Temple of Thought was nearly shaken apart. The Superego, who was working on the top floor, stumbled and fell to the ground.


    He was unusually angry and controlled Temple of Thought to transmit his voice outward. "Stop the noise!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At the same time, he had a way to deal with these annoying intruders who were disrupting his work, and that was to resort to his old tricks, starting with the Lamp Ring.


    Marvel Schiller had created the Green Lantern Corps industry, which had its advantages. At least he had a deep understanding of the Lamp Ring. Even without the help of others, he could use some underhanded means to summon other Lamp Rings.


    Just like dealing with the Laughter Demon of Fear earlier, when they sensed a call from the Dream Realm, these Lamp Rings didn''t know how to enter the Dream Realm, but their unique attributes allowed them to know who was calling them...


    So, this group of Lamp Rings came to Schiller''s side. Just as before, since the call came from the Dream Realm, the Lamp Rings abandoned their physical forms and entered Schiller''s consciousness space as energy.


    Once inside, the Lamp Rings were perplexed because the consciousness space they entered did not contain the Temple of Thought but rather a bunch of Schillers standing there.


    Although they were all Schillers, the Lamp Rings'' safety mechanisms were reliable. They would respond to the personality that called them; the rest were irrelevant.


    So, these Lamp Rings could only fly clumsily toward Superego. When this group of Schillers saw these Lamp Rings, they understood what their counterparts in the Temple of Thought were up to, so they set sail and chased after the Lamp Rings.


    The Lamp Rings had reliable auto-navigation features, even in the Dreand. They became the bestpass for leading this group of Schillers to Cat City Gotham in Dreand.


    As the ship approached, this group of Schillers saw the giant dark Owl Cat floating in mid-air. Marvel Schiller, standing at the bow, didn''t hesitate and ordered, "Hoist the sails and ram it!"


    DC Schiller had a reason to tease Marvel Schiller. Marvel Schiller had only two attack methods: ramming with the sails or jumping into battle with lowered sails. ??????B¨º?


    All the residents of Cat City watched as a massive ship, shrouded in a pitch-ck fog, flew like an arrow in the sky. With a swift "whoosh," it collided with the enormous dark Owl Cat with a resounding crash.


    "Lower the sails and engage in battle!" Marvel Schiller shouted again.


    Upon contact, the Schillers leaped off. Even a single Schiller could strip the feathers off the Owl Cat, but it took some time. Meanwhile, while all the cats were in the air battle, the Schillers had already transformed back into their human forms and arrived on the stage.


    Bat Cat waspletely focused on Constantine''s magic and didn''t notice therge hands that appeared behind him. In an instant, his front paws were captured, and he was lifted off the ground.


    Schiller flipped Bat Cat over, making him face his hands. He held Bat Cat''s front paws under the armpits, first examining from a distance and then up close.


    Bat Cat''s fur stood on end as he snarled at Schiller, but he hadn''t equipped anyrge weapons due to his need to enter the control room earlier. With only a cat''s sharp teeth and ws, he couldn''t break free.


    However, in this position, Bat Cat''s paws could still scratch Schiller''s hand, and his mouth could reach Schiller''s fingers. So, Schiller hesitated for a moment and then grabbed the nape of his neck.


    The cat caught in this position had almost no room to struggle. Batman instantly transformed back into a human, and Constantine and Victor gathered around. Schiller lifted the cat up, and they all stared at it.


    Batman reached out and took the cat, saying, "So, you''re really Bat Cat? Disguised as a bat-themed cat?"


    Clearly, he was uncertain about how to assess his doppelganger...


    While the group was engrossed in studying Bat Cat, the Lamp Rings that Schiller had brought along earlier were flying back toward the high tower of thought. Unbeknownst to the Schillers with their backs to the high tower, Grey Mist had returned to the high tower under Superego''s guidance, once again absorbing the energy of the Lamp Rings.


    A chaotic mist gradually dissipated, emitting colorful lights that sensed the changes in Light. Schiller turned around and saw a gray dragon emerging from the mist, emitting a resounding roar.


    Schiller found this dragon somewhat familiar. He thought for a moment; wasn''t this the gray Lamp Beast he had conjured earlier to fight the Laughter Demon of Fear? Wasn''t this supposed to be something Grey Mist could create by absorbing the energy of Lamp Rings? Why was it here?


    But before he could ponder further, dream god suddenly flew out of the tower and gave Schiller a malevolent smile. In that moment, the dream scene changed, the high tower of thought returned to its ce, the dream shattered, and Schiller abruptly sat up in his sickbed.


    He clutched his head, feeling his thoughts were in disarray. He remembered that dream god had forcibly ended the Thousand Cats'' Dream, returned his high tower of thought to its original ce, and then kicked him out of the dream.


    Why did dream god do this? Was it revenge for Schiller blowing up his house? It seemed like a rather ineffective form of revenge.


    Schiller thought this and sighed. Hey back down on his bed because being forcibly ejected from the dream left him somewhat fatigued. He nned to get more rest and hoped he could talk to dream godter.


    Schiller drifted back into slumber, and when he woke up again, he was jolted awake by the ringing of a telephone. Schiller rolled over, pulled the nket over himself, opened his eyes, and looked at the telephone ced beside his bed.


    The telephone was emitting a sharp, irritating ring, and Schiller, feeling a bit annoyed, grabbed it and answered, saying, "Hello? I need some rest right now. Can''t this wait..."


    "It''s me," came Bruce''s voice from the other end of the line. Schiller vaguely recalled the dream he had earlier and figured that Bruce''s call couldn''t be anything too urgent. So, he intended to hang up the telephone.


    Then he heard Bruce on the other end say, "To celebrate our recent victory in the dream, Professor, I''ve prepared a gift for you..."


    Schiller promptly hung up the telephone with a flick of his wrist. He muttered quietly, "Trying to scare me with my own words? Not happening."


    With that, he turned over, rested his head on the pillow, and tried to go back to sleep. However, just as he was about to drift off, there was a knock at his room''s door. In his groggy state, Bruce appeared before him.


    Schillery on his bed, took a deep breath to clear his head, and sat up. He turned his head to Bruce and asked, "What are you here for? Don''t you know I''m still a patient?"


    Then, Bruce bent down and pulled out... a ck cat from under his feet.


    Schiller widened his eyes in disbelief. Bruce cradled the ck cat''s front paws with his hands, presenting it to Schiller as if it were a pet.


    "This is the gift, how do you like it? Do you approve?" Bruce asked.


    Schiller covered his forehead with his hand, shut his eyes tightly for a moment, and muttered under his breath, "Am I dreaming or something?"


    "No, Professor, do you remember yesterday''s battle?" Bruce let the ck cat down, and it walked over to Schiller''s sickbed and sat down, starting to meow. To Schiller''s surprise, he could understand what the cat was saying.


    The cat was asking, "Am I in another world? What''s going on?"


    "The principle is probably simr to how you created Aisha. The power of the Lamp Rings fused into a Lamp Beast and something that wasn''t supposed to be in the real world became materialized."


    Schiller paused for a moment, recalling that he had indeed seen the Lamp Beast of Grey Mist before being kicked out of the dream. But where did ite from? He hadn''t summoned the Lamp Rings.


    Suddenly, it dawned on him that this was Superego''s conspiracy, and perhaps dream god was involved too.


    Superego summoned the Lamp Rings, merged them into the Lamp Beast of Grey Mist, and just as the Lamp Beast appeared, dream god sent everyone back to reality. This replicated the process Schiller had used to bring Aisha into reality, and they had brought this ck cat into reality as well.


    Schiller reached out and picked up the cat. Face to face, man and cat stared at each other. Bruce spoke, "Yes, this is Bat Cat."


    "Now that it''s done, do you have a way to send him back? I certainly don''t."


    Schiller opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated and said, "Can''t you take care of him yourself? It''s just a cat..."


    "I could have, but Aisha would pull his tail, and Alfred doesn''t allow any cat hair in the Manor."


    "I don''t allow it either... I mean, my butler, Merkel, doesn''t allow it..."


    "Oh my! What''s this?!" Merkel, who hade to visit Schiller upon hearing the news of his awakening, walked up quickly, took the cat from Schiller''s hands, and said, "Sir, did you adopt a stray cat? It''s so cute! Have you given it a name?"


    Schiller turned his head, red at Bruce, and then said, "He''s called Owl Cat."


    "Meow!" "No!"


    "Let''s call him Owl Cat!"


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 Chapter 599: Who Can Do Destruction In Schiller Manor? (1)

    "Alright, no more jokes. Tell me, why did you bring him here? Even if you didn''t bring him to me, he should have had better options, like Selena or Alfred who would appreciate him," Schiller, lying in a sickbed, looked into Bruce''s eyes and asked.


    Bruce signaled to Schiller, and Schiller waved Merkel over. Merkel walked over, drew the curtains of the hospital room, then stepped out and closed the door, ensuring no one else would pass by.


    "In ''Thousand Cats'' Dream,'' the Owl Cat from the dream and the real-world Owl Cat, could there be any connection?" Bruce posed an important question.


    Hearing this question, Schiller furrowed his brow. Owl Cat had seemingly vanished from his life a long time ago, either torn apart by those fools on the stage or trapped in the sewers with a crappy end.


    At that moment, Bat Cat emitted a somewhat sharp cry. Schiller understood what he meant. He was asking, "Is there an Owl Cat in the real world too?"


    Bruce briefly exined the Court of Owls to him. Bat Cat shook his head and said, "If, as you say, they are just a group of wealthy elites secretly controlling this city, it''s different from the Owl Cat in my city..."


    "As you saw earlier, the Owl Cat in Gotham City holds a frightening dark energy. Honestly, without your help, even with my stage, I might not have been able topletely eliminate that kind of power."


    "If we can''t wipe them out all at once, they''ll be back soon." This Bat Cat disyed a much more mature personality than Bruce. He wasn''t afraid to acknowledge his own limitations or the practical difficulties of a situation.


    But his tone remained steady, without worry or pessimism. After all, for Batman, no matter how bad things got, they couldn''t be worse than pretending to be the Joker hiding in the sewer."Magic Owl Cat, and... Dark Owl Priest," Bruce seemed to suddenly remember something as he said, "Do you remember when I was tracking a person named Lorena, the Ghost Mother?"


    Schiller briefly recollected, and he understood what Bruce was referring to. At the time, a series of murders had urred that seemed like a chain of copycat killings, each one worse than thest.


    Behind this clear line of events was a hidden thread: the Dark Owl Cat cult had made a deal with someone named Lorena, the Ghost Mother. She used candy to sacrifice the souls of those children, and the Dark Owl Cat cult was involved in this dark ritual.


    Batman, in his investigation, had found traces of these Dark Rituals in Wayne Family history. Moreover, based on their spections at the time, Schiller''s Umbre might have been created by the Dark Owl Cat cult. After all, if they were just wealthy businessmen, they wouldn''t have the mystical means to create an Umbre specifically designed to handle Gotham''s rainwater.


    As he gradually recalled these details, Schiller looked at Bruce and asked, "Are you suspecting that the Dark Owl Cat cult from the real world has invaded the dream?"


    "Correct. Everything is quite strange. If it were just an innocent conflict between the cat and bird races, the inexplicable dark energy wouldn''t make sense."


    "The cat race, which dominates the entire world, has no mystical attributes, while the Owl Cat, dwelling in obscurity, wields such formidable power. It doesn''t add up."


    Schiller also pondered and said, "Looking at it this way, the entire city is problematic. Even if cats dream of Gotham, it shouldn''t correspond one-to-one with each of you."


    "Even the freezing of Victor''s wife has been replicated. If it was truly a cat''s dream, could they really understand the concept of freezing one''s wife? It''s bizarre."


    As he delved deeper into his thoughts, Schiller noticed more discrepancies.


    It seemed that Cat City Gotham was like a surreal city from a children''s animation. Under that art style, many people could only marvel at the magic and cuteness of the Cat''s dream. However, things became peculiar once they stepped out of that dream.


    ''Thousand Cats'' Dream'' was clearly a cat''s dream, which meant that everything inside should be seen through the perspective of a cat''s worldview. Understanding how cats think is difficult for humans, and vice versa.


    In the human understanding of a city and its citizens, it would likely be vastly different from what cats perceive. A house cat might consider their kitchen cab a city, while a stray cat might view a puddle as a river. If it truly were a cat''s dream, how could there be a city so closely aligned with the human worldview?


    Not to mention, in a cat''s worldview, there would be no concept of unwavering love like Freeze''s. It''s simply impossible. Reproduction in feline species is entirely driven by their biological instincts, with no room for love, let alone heart-wrenching tales of separation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even if it were Catwoman Selena''s dream, it might be more fantastical than that of a human, further emphasizing the disconnect between the two species. For Gotham''s cats to dream of an entire city in the human worldview seemed like a significant loophole.


    This situation appeared more like the creation of someone with a human worldview, living in human society. They had imposed a cat-themed narrative in a gentle and adorable manner, expressing their thoughts. However, if animals truly dreamt, they wouldn''t dream up this kind of plot; it was all a human society-based fantasy.


    "I''ve been thinking..." Schiller casually picked up Bat Cat and scratched the cat''s neck before saying, "Was it a mere coincidence that ''Thousand Cats'' Dream'' suddenly pulled me into its dream realm?"


    "Dream god Morpheus has no reason to lie. If he intentionally attacked me, he would surely mock me loudly. But judging by his reaction, it seems that ''Thousand Cats'' Dream'' making such a move caught him by surprise. That raises some questions."


    "Dream gods have strong control over dreams, especially ''Thousand Cats'' Dream.'' He might treat it as a yful cat''s prank, but we can''t afford to see it that way."


    "There''s no doubt that ''Thousand Cats'' Dream'' is powerful. If something has invaded it, they must want to utilize this immense power to achieve something..."


    "Do you remember the legend?" Schiller asked himself and then answered, "Earth was originally ruled by the Catrule. The dreams of thousands covered reality, and the cats have always sought to rewrite reality through ''Thousand Cats'' Dream.''"


    "If someone gains control of ''Thousand Cats'' Dream,'' they might use its dream content to overwrite reality once more."


    Bruce wore a solemn expression. He said, "So, they first created a Cat City Gotham within the dream, then extensively modified this city, created puppets, and set up their people. Once they control the ''Thousand Cats'' Dream,'' they can use it to ovey the real Gotham City into their hands..."


    At this point, Bruce couldn''t sit still any longer. He said, "Professor, I''m entrusting this cat to you because I hope we can split our efforts. I''ll investigate the traces of the Dark Owl Cat Cult in the real world, while Bat Cat can find their spider web tracks in the dream."


    "After all, if Bat Cat dreams again, he should return to ''Thousand Cats'' Dream'' since he''s now a cat. That way, he can travel between the real-world Gotham and the Dream Realm''s Gotham."


    "But I don''t quite understand the Dream Realm, so I''m leaving it to you. In case something unexpected happens in the dream, you can go and retrieve him."


    Schiller pondered for a moment. He couldn''t control whether those despicable Owl Cats wanted to destroy the world or not. The key issue was that they had once sold him an umbre destined to break.


    Moreover, the umbre he had now might break at any moment. If he could obtain their umbre-making technology, he could repair it himself when needed.


    Schiller rubbed his chin, looked at Bat Cat in his arms, and said, "Well, I''ve never had a pet, but I can give it a try."


    "It''s just raising a cat, how hard can it be?"


    When Schiller uttered these words, he didn''t see Bruce, who had already left, wearing aplex expression on his face, clearly thinking of a certain gem enthusiast.


    An hourter, Schiller stood beneath the chandelier in the grand hall of his Manor, gazing up at the ck cat on the chandelier and said, "Get down from there!"


    The ck cat paid no heed and swung back and forth on the chandelier, as if on a swing. When the chandelier swung to its highest point, the cat leaped out with a "whoosh," extended its sharp ws, andtched onto the oil painting hanging on the opposite wall, emitting a sharp and ear-piercing "screech."


    Schiller covered his ears. After Bat Cat had scratched open the rotten painting, he crawled into the narrow space behind the frame and found a key.


    Holding the key in his mouth, he returned to the chandelier. This time, he swung left and right. After swinging to the desired position, he jumped onto the railing on the second floor, then onto the door frame. He used the key to unlock the door and stood at the doorway, calling out, "Thirty-five rooms... but this one has the best strategic location, I''ll take it."


    "Merkel! Throw him out!" Schiller pointed to the door.


    Merkel, who had just walked in with luggage, looked at the chandelier with crystals strewn all over the floor, the tattered painting, and the door with deep w marks. He swallowed and said, "No, Owl Cat, you can''t choose that room. It''s Mr. Wayne''s designated guest room, and he says it has the best strategic location..."


    Bat Cat let out another loud cry and began to scratch the door panel. The moment its sharp ws touched the paint surface, it made a grating noise, followed by the ear-piercing sound of scratching wood shavings.


    With a swift motion, Schiller disappeared. Bat Cat made a swift backward leap, evading Schiller''s attempt to grab him by the arm. In the next moment, Bat Cat had hopped onto the window sill, along the windowsill to the balcony, and directly from one room''s balcony to another.


    Schiller blinked again, this time capturing Bat Cat. However, he held the cat in an incorrect position, and the flexible feline twisted its body to escape his grasp.


    Then, Bat Cat surveyed the room and said, "Since the other me has already chosen the other room, the strategic location of this room is also good. I also like the decoration style here. I''ll take this one."


    He turned his head and saw Schiller staring at him coldly, saying, "...This is my room."


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 Chapter 600: Who Can Do Destruction In Schiller Manor? (2)

    Inside the elegant British-style library, faint morning light filtered through deep red curtains, casting its gentle glow on the well-maintained wooden floor, where every grain of wood was distinct.


    Between the cracks of the solid wooden bookshelves and disy cabs, specks of light shone through, illuminating the figure at the book table. It revealed the patterns on their pajamas and the ck cat cradled in their arms.


    If not for the events of the previous night, this scene could seamlessly belong in a "Godfather" film. However, the truth was, both the person and the cat had fought throughout the night, leaving no room for peaceful sleep.


    In the end, they found themselves falling asleep in the library not out of newfound friendship or reconciliation, but because Schiller had finally grown tired of his Bat Cat''s destructive antics. He had subdued the cat with a generous dose of potent alcohol, and both of them entered the dream realm.


    Raising a Batman?


    When confronted with such a question, one might find themselves contemting its feasibility, and perhaps even feeling a bit tempted. However, it is advisable, even when one''s love for pets knows no bounds, to consult a doctor.


    Batman''s persona inics may be fascinating, appealing to readers who relish the enigmatic, dark, and invincible vignte. However, in the real world, stepping outside often results in a series of three beatings, and that''s hardly unusual.


    Many individuals harbor deep resentment for the Riddler trophies in Batman games, even rallying cries like "Riddler, leave Gotham" have been heard. But if your family member, loved one, or even your pet were Batman, it would be akin to enduring a constant stream of Riddler side quests, numbering in the hundreds daily, with more refreshing each day.


    Batman''s character is inherently designed such that if he were to appear in your vicinity, it wouldn''t take three days before you''d send him to a mental hospital. That alone should attest to his perilous nature.So, what happens when youbine Batman''s personality with that of a cat? The sleeping pair in the library chairs already provided the answer. Even Schiller, who had set up countless puzzles in his Manor''s various rooms to keep himself entertained during idle moments, didn''t anticipate the cat''s interference. Consequently, while Bat Cat couldn''t replicate certain human actions, he resorted to more violent methods when stumped by Schiller''s puzzles.


    Schiller''s puzzles were primarily designed for humans to solve, and he never considered that a cat mighte along and dismantle everything. Thus, when Bat Cat couldn''t mimic certain human behaviors, he resorted to somewhat destructive means.


    The aftermath left quite a mess, but with Merkel on hand to clean up, it wasn''t a significant issue. However, the destruction often came with considerable noise. Except for the brief hour when Schiller was almost asleep, he spent the rest of his time hunting down Bat Cat, guided by the sounds.


    From this, it was clear that Schiller had never owned a pet. When dealing with a rambunctious cat, the best approach was not to chase it, as that would only make it think you were ying with it, further fueling its antics.


    Schiller failed to grasp this concept, so he resorted to unconventional methods¡ªluring the cat into his Temple of Thought and then engaging in a fight with him.


    Unsurprisingly, Schiller won, but anyone who had owned a cat knew that winning once didn''t signify the end; it marked the start of an enduring battle.


    After several days of such battles, Schiller reached his breaking point. He headed to the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps and brought back Pikachu, the chatty electric rodent who worked in the Green Lantern power battery. Schiller hoped that the incessantly talkative yellow electric mouse could vanquish Bat Cat.


    Ten minutester, Pikachu, pursued and harassed by Bat Cat, yelled out in frustration, "Schiller! What were you thinking?! You sent a mouse to deal with a cat?! Seriously!"@@novelbin@@


    Schiller blinked to his left, dodging Pikachu''s electrical discharge. He retorted, "Where''s your 100,000 volts?! Shock him!"


    "Are you sure? Don''t you care about your Manor?!" Pikachu inquired as he used his electrical powers to interfere with Bat Cat, who was chasing him. Meanwhile, Schiller tried to capture Bat Cat while avoiding Pikachu''s electrical attacks.


    Finally, Schiller''s frustration overcame him, and he yelled at Pikachu, "Use the 100,000 volts!"


    "Zap!"


    Just as rk, who had just flown over Gotham City, was about to intervene, he witnessed an intense burst of electricity from Professor Schiller''s Manor. Electric currents emanated from windows and doors in all directions, transforming the entire Manor into a sphereposed of thunderbolts.


    rk stood there dumbfounded, ready to rush in to rescue, when he saw Schiller emerge, holding onto something.


    In his hand, he had Bat Cat by the tail, though the cat was entirely ck, so it was impossible to tell that it had been electrified. In Bat Cat''s mouth was Pikachu''s tail, and behind Pikachu was Merkel.


    "What''s going on? Professor, did a spherical thunderbolt enter your premises?" rk asked with concern as Schiller held the ck cat''s tail and presented it alongside Pikachu.


    "Do either of them look like a spherical thunderbolt to you?" Schiller retorted.


    "...What is this? Is this a mouse? Why is it so yellow? And this ck cat... Why does it look familiar? Oh my... Bruce! How did you turn into a cat again? Am I still dreaming?!" rk rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and stared in astonishment at the ck cat, which bore an uncanny resemnce to the one he had encountered in the dream.


    Schiller held onto that string of things and asked rk, "What are you doing here?"


    "Oh, it''s like this... I just wanted toe and ask, what exactly is going on? Since that person entered my mind, stole my memories, everything has been a bit... a bit..."


    "A bit hard to understand, right?" Schiller turned his head and looked at his Manor, where ck smoke was rising from a cigarette he had just lit. He walked over, patted rk on the shoulder, and the two of them took a stroll along the pathways of the Manor district.


    As they walked, Schiller said, "Not everything in this world can be understood by people. For instance, even if I were to tell you that my house exploded due to a battle between a cat and a mouse, you probably wouldn''t believe it."


    "I see now. That makes it understandable. Once, when my family''s cat was catching mice in the barn, it made a mess of the straw, and one time, I don''t know how, it caught fire. Both cats almost didn''t make it out. If I hadn''t been able to fly and was immune to fire, they would have been roasted."


    "Wait, you mean you have more than one cat at home? How do you find them?" Schiller asked rk.


    "They''re great. I love these little guys; they''re smart and capable. They not only help with my mom''s housework but also assist my dad in catching mice. You could say they''re the best pets."


    "I thought you might prefer dogs as pets."


    "We have dogs at home too, a hunting dog. My dad takes them to the forest to catch wild rabbits. They''re also pretty capable little guys." rk smiled, clearly recalling many heartwarming memories. His smile was out of ce in the city of Gotham, and the stories of family he shared were unfamiliar to the people here.


    "So, you must have a lot of experience taking care of pets?"


    "Of course, I take care of both the cat and dog''s beds at home. I''m in charge of their baths as well. When you have some superpowers, dealing with them bes quite easy, doesn''t it?" rk shrugged, rxed in thepany of Schiller, someone with simr abilities. He spoke candidly, without beating around the bush.


    "That''s good. You see, my house is in ruins, so there''s no ce to keep pets anymore. These two..." Schiller grabbed the ck cat''s tail and handed Pikachu and Bat Cat over to rk. He said, "You can take care of them for now. You can bring them to the farm in Kansas; they''ll help you catch mice."


    "But I''m not going back to the farm, and the semester isn''t over yet. I have to stay in Metropolis to study," rk scratched his head. "Well, I''m happy to help, but I''m afraid this mouse won''t work. Its fur is too conspicuous, and I''m afraid my ssmates will notice."


    "It''s alright. When you get back to Metropolis, hand it over to Lex and let him take care of it."


    Schiller said this while taking the telephone from Merkel''s hand and dialing a number. When he mentioned Lex''s name, rk widened his eyes and said, "Lex? Are you talking about Lex Luthor? But I heard him say before that he got into Gotham University, and Gotham University''s semester shouldn''t be over yet. How could I run into him in Metropolis?"


    "The semester indeed hasn''t ended, but he got injured earlier and had to take a break to recover at home. Isn''t his family in Metropolis?"


    "What happened to him?" rk asked. "I told him before not to enroll in Gotham University; it''s pretty dangerous here. But he didn''t listen. Not only did he ignore my advice, but he also came to my school to taunt me. Honestly... Is he okay?"


    "Hello?" Schiller extended a hand, signaling rk to be quiet. He asked on the phone, "Copperpot, it''s me. Is Lex alright?"


    "Oh... of course, of course, I understand you... What? No, you''ve misunderstood my intention. I''m not using you of attacking Lex."


    "What I mean is, if he''s okay, can you give him something to do?"


    Several hourster, in the dark dormitory building of Gotham University, Lex abruptly opened his eyes. He quickly rolled out of bed, and just as he did, a sh of a knife reflected the cold moonlight. Copperpot was holding up a sharp knife.


    Lex, however, didn''t show the panic he had before. He took a step toward the edge of the bed, grabbed the bedsheet, and swung it directly at Copperpot.


    As Copperpot''s view was momentarily blocked by the bedsheet, he turned and ran backward. When he reached the shadow by the window sill, he hesitated for a moment but suddenly realized this wasn''t a dream; it was reality.


    So, he vaulted over the windowsill. For him, the four-story height was like a cliff. Lex hesitated only for a moment and then jumped.


    Just as he was about to make contact with the ground, a gray mist enveloped him and gently lowered him to the ground. Lex, gasping for breath, looked up at Schiller, who had appeared beside him, and said, "Professor... You''ve saved me once again. Thank you..."


    Standing next to him, Schiller held an umbre in his left arm, a pen in his hand, and a medical record book in his other hand, jotting down something.


    As Lex got up from the ground and was about to speak, he saw Schiller collect the medical record book and pen, and then both of his hands seized the umbre. Seeing Schiller''s expression, Lex took a step back and said, "Wait..."


    "Bang!"


    Thest thing Lex saw was Schiller, holding the umbre, expressionless, saying to him, "No need to thank me. Three months of medical leave."


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 Chapter 601: Who Can Destruction Schiller Manor? (II)

    The metallic screech of train wheels against the tracks reverberated through the station as the train slowly pulled in. rk tightened his coat and nced down at the two pet carriers he held in his hands.


    He tapped the pet carriers with his finger and muttered to himself, "If it weren''t for you two little guys, I wouldn''t have taken this train."


    Nevertheless, he continued carrying the pet carriers as he made his way out of the train station. Just before exiting the station, he realized he was feeling a bit hungry. After all, even though Gotham was rtively close to Metropolis, taking this slow train still took several hours, and Schiller Manor was in ruins, leaving him without a meal for a day.


    As Superman, he couldn''t starve, but his normal appetite made him crave a hearty meal. Looking around, he found that the train station in Metropolis had decent facilities, but the food here was quite expensive, and rk''s budget was tight. He decided to find something to eat outside the station.


    But at that moment, an enticing aroma wafted towards him. He turned his head and discovered that a food stall had appeared at the entrance of the train station, emitting the alluring scent.


    Following the aroma, rk found a food truck selling hotdogs. Metropolis had strict regtions regarding food trucks, but back in his hometown in Kansas, farmers often pushed their own food carts to sell their homegrown produce and food, and the scent was simr to what he was smelling now.


    Appetite and homesicknessbined to lure rk towards the food truck. Approaching it, he saw a middle-aged man with a stubbled chin working behind the counter. rk ordered arge hotdog with double the toppings and pickles. As he bit into the high-calorie delight, a satisfied sigh escaped his lips.


    "Oh, what''s that you''re carrying? A cat?... It looks quite cute," the man said.


    "Really? I think so too, which is why I adopted it," rk replied with a smile as he continued to eat. He felt that the man was easy to talk to, and having someone to chat with while eating made the experience more enjoyable."What''s in the other cage? You have two cats?" the hotdog vendor asked while grilling sausages.


    "Oh, no, that''s a mouse with a unique fur color. Someone had dyed it, and I rescued it," rk exined somewhat awkwardly. It was clear that he had been coached on this exnation, and he always felt ufortable when he had to lie.


    "Keeping a cat and a mouse together? Your hobbies are quite unique," the man hesitated beforementing. rk didn''t know how to exin further, so he simply focused on finishing his meal.


    The conversation grew awkward, but as rk wolfed down his hotdog, it was soon finished. He gulped down a couple of free sodas, wiped his mouth, waved to the man, and then left.


    After leaving the train station with his twopanions, he still couldn''t fly because he wasn''t sure if taking his pets into the sky would cause them stress. Additionally, the yellow-skinned mouse adamantly refused to go anywhere above the third floor, iming to be afraid of heights.


    For rk, a talking mouse was not that surprising. After all, he had juste from a city filled with talking cats, so it seemed perfectly normal that a talking mouse existed, right?


    After repeatedly instructing Pikachu not to make a scene in the city, rk hailed a taxi and headed straight back to his dormitory at Metropolis University.


    Metropolis University had better facilities than Gotham University, and due to his outstanding performance in track and field, rk''s coach had ced him in a well-equipped apartment building. Here, he had a private room and even a small living room, making it an ideal ce to keep pets without any restrictions.


    Opening the pet carriers, he released a cat and a mouse. Bat Cat darted out, ears ttened, and immediately started hissing at Pikachu. rk quickly used hisrge hand to press down on Bat Cat''s head and scolded, "What did I tell you earlier? No fighting!"


    With Bat Cat still in his grasp, rk cradled him and gently stroked his fur, saying, "Don''t be nervous. I know, you''ve probably never seen a talking mouse before, have you?"


    "What are you talking about? I want to bite him because he shocked me!" Bat Cat retorted.


    "But even if he shocked you, you can''t... Wait a minute! You can talk too?!"


    rk was shocked, and he let go of Bat Cat, who immediately leaped onto the sofa across from him.


    He let out another "meow," and rk realized that he could still understand what the cat was saying. Bat Cat seemed to be saying, "What''s so surprising? Haven''t we met before?"


    rk stood frozen in ce. He said, "You can''t really be Bruce, can you? I thought you just looked like him..."


    Bat Cat sighed in resignation, and rk had never imagined that he could see Bruce''s expressions on a cat''s face. Bat Cat exined to rk that because their consciousness had once entered Cat City and they could understand catnguage, they retained that ability even after returning to their own bodies.


    Unlike Pikachu, who could naturally speak humannguage with a standard English ent and a hint of West Coast ng, Bat Cat could only meow, but those who had visited Cat City could still understand him.


    Seeing rk still bewildered, Bat Cat nonchntly settled onto the sofa and looked at him, saying, "I don''t know how the other me put up with you, but have you not realized that you''re being watched?"


    "What?" Compared to a talking cat, what he said was much more attention-grabbing. rk asked in confusion, "What do you mean, I''m being watched?"


    "Throughout your journey here, the vendor selling cigarettes at the train station, the man selling hotdogs, and the taxi driver, they should all be part of the same group, keeping a close watch on you."


    "What you may not have noticed is that the cigarette vendor passed by you five times, but your appearance and demeanor don''t suggest you''re a smoker. These vendors have sharp eyes and usually don''t waste time on non-smokers."


    "The man selling hotdogs was fishing for information the entire time. Heplimented the cat''s cuteness, but his expressions revealed reluctance and even disgust, which you failed to notice."


    "The taxi driver who chatted with you on the road imed to be a Kansas farmer, just to get closer to you. However, he seemed unfamiliar with the brand of farming machinery you mentioned. When you got off the car, his expression turned cold in the rearview mirror."


    "You¡­" rk was left speechless by Bat Cat''s lengthy exposition. After a moment of silence, he walked over to the sofa, and Bat Cat attempted to escape, but rk swiftly captured him.


    He held Bat Cat up to eye level, staring into his eyes and said, "I didn''t notice it before, but now that I look closely, your eyes seem more purple than blue."


    "Wait a minute, are you that Joker cat? The one who was dyed and then lost the color? How did you end up here?"


    Bat Cat covered his eyes with his paw. He had forgotten that aside from Schiller, Bruce, and himself, very few knew the full story. rk, as an observer, hadn''t paid attention to the conversations of those individuals, so he was unaware of the details.


    Bat Cat briefly recounted his story to rk, who wore a deeply sympathetic expression. Then, he examined Bat Cat''s paw and noticed that two of the nails had broken off, one of them breaking from the root, resulting in a minor bleeding.


    rk sighed and stood up, searching for a first-aid kit in the room. However, the first-aid kit in the dormitory was meant for humans, and rk had never used it. He didn''t know how to bandage a cat''s nails. Finally, he shook his head in resignation, ced Bat Cat back in the pet carrier, and said:


    "Let''s go, we need to visit the pet hospital. I''ve heard that if a cat''s nails be infected, it can have serious consequences, possibly affecting their ability to walk. We need to see a doctor quickly."


    Scooping up the pet carrier containing Bat Cat, rk was about to leave. Pikachu, from behind, eximed, "Hey! When I told you I had acrophobia, you didn''t take it this seriously. If you keep this up, I''ll get angry!"


    rk sighed in exasperation. Just as he was about to turn around and reassure Pikachu, the electric mouse loudly shouted, "Hey, what''s that? Is it a game console?"


    "Oh my, such an ancient game console! Wait! Isn''t this the original version of that super expensive remake I saw at the exhibitionst time? Where''s the game cartridge?"


    Pikachu hopped over to the table with excitement, rummaged around, and then waved at rk, saying, "You go on, I''ll keep an eye on the ce."


    rk clicked his tongue, shook his head, and didn''t say anything more. He turned and left the room, this time holding the pet carrier close, allowing him to hear Bat Cat''s constant chatter.


    "Now, the person at eleven o''clock is following you. Each time they pass by, their gaze lingers on you for about fifteen seconds. They are definitely keeping an eye on you."


    "The driver of the taxi you''re currently in seems fine, but the person who got off this car earlier is probably also watching you."


    rk was chilled by these words. He lowered his voice and said to Bat Cat, "Why are they watching me? What could possibly make me worth their attention?"


    "Who knows? It''s not like you have super strength, flight, andser vision, right?"


    rk detected a hint of sarcasm in Bat Cat''s tone. Then, Bat Cat continued, "These people didn''t just appear today. Clearly, they''ve been at it for a while. Your recent unusual travel patterns have drawn their attention, so they''re watching you closely. If you go back home with this group, your parents could be in danger."


    rk shivered and asked, "What should I do to shake off their surveince? I''m about to go on vacation, and if these people follow me home, my parents could be at risk."


    "Don''t keep staring at the cage; maintain a normal expression and carry on as usual. Clearly, your recent deviations from your routine have piqued their interest, so they''re keeping an even closer eye on you. Once you return to your normal state, they should reduce their surveince. Then, we can figure out how to investigate further."


    Clearly, with Batman''s external brain in ce, rk gave up thinking and acted instinctively. Although this Batman was just a cat, in some ways, it seemed even better. After all, people generally trust animals more than they do humans.


    After taking Bat Cat to the doctor, rk was preparing to return to his dormitory. However, when he opened his room door, he was met with a bewildering sight.@@novelbin@@


    Two individualsy in his room, covered in soot, indicating they had been electrocuted. Pikachu stood on the sofa, holding a game controller. Upon seeing rk return, he said, "While you were away, these two broke into your dorm room. I knocked them out and found this on them."


    Pikachu hopped off the sofa''s backrest, retrieved something from between the sofa cushions, and handed it to rk. It was a medal bearing the image of a sickle, hammer, and a red g.


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 Chapter 604: Borrowing the Blade to Kill the Eagle (2)

    Lex''s butler was equally swift in his actions. In no time, dinner was prepared. During the meal, rk confided in Lex about the trouble he had encountered. Lex, sitting at the head of the table and cutting into his steak, paused for a moment before asking:


    "So, you''re saying a group disguised as KGB agents entered your dorm and was then subdued by this ''rat''?... It seems more likely they''re from the CIA."


    rk was taken aback by Lex''s certainty and asked, "How can you be so sure? What if it wasn''t them?"


    "ming the KGB, even before sessfully framing them, aligns with the motivations and expertise of the CIA," Lex continued to work on his te, speaking as he ate. "rk, it''s not surprising that the CIA has taken an interest in you. You might think you''re discreet when using your superpowers, but to those professional agents, you hardly make any effort to conceal yourself."


    "You believe you''ve found a secluded spot to take off, but in reality, your vanishing act raises the most suspicion. Once they''ve set their sights on you, every path you''ve traversed will be closely monitored."


    "I suspect that you''ve, on more than one asion, performed feats like lifting a car with your bare hands or ripping a door off directly to save someone or assist others. These actions can''t have gone unnoticed."


    "You should understand that Metropolis is the most important city on the East Coast, bar none," Lex looked out of the window towards Luthor Manor''s door. "All significant figures here are under surveince, including you and me."


    rk shivered and suddenly found his food less appetizing. He said, "Please don''t tell me even this Manor is..."


    Lex shook his head and remained silent, but rk felt uneasy. He added, "I don''t like the feeling of being watched.""Do you want to deal with these people? Eliminate them? Make them feel fear?"


    "Of course not," rk replied immediately. "I know it''s their job, but that doesn''t mean I have to like spies, regardless of their nationality. I believe most people feel the same way as I do."


    "So, can you make them stop bothering me? Even though I owe you a favor, feel free to call on me whenever you need help," rk offered.


    Lex pursed his lips. He wasn''t ustomed to rk''s straightforward way of speaking, but eventually, he sighed and said, "Very well, I''ll contact them on your behalf and give them a warning not to go too far. However,plete surveince removal is impossible, even I can''t do that."


    "That''ll have to do," rk said with a hint of resignation. "I remember when I was younger, these two nations used to make headlines for their inventions and achievements. Why did it turn into a rivalry of spies and surveince?"


    No one answered him, and the question lingered in the halls of Luthor Manor, fading into the evening breeze of Metropolis.


    The bustling city remained unfazed by anyone''s questions or worries, continuing its development like a beacon for all of humanity.


    After rk left, Lex sat alone in the library of Luthor Manor. He opened the door of a pet crate and looked at Pikachu as it hopped out. "Professor Shiller has a message for me, right?"


    "It''s easier to talk to you," Pikachu said. "That rk, he''s a good person, an innocent one, perhaps too noble for his own good."


    Pikachu jumped onto a bookshelf, crossed its legs, and continued, "Those two individuals were indeed taken out by me, and they did infiltrate rk''s dormitory. I didn''t expect them toe to us so easily, which saved me a lot of trouble."


    "The emblem, it wasn''t found on them, was it?" Lex inquired.@@novelbin@@


    Pikachu nodded and said, "Don''t ask about the specifics of the n. In any case, Schiller hopes you''ll fulfill your promise and contact the CIA in Metropolis, warning them not to tail rk anymore."


    "What does he want to achieve?" Lex asked while picking up a book. Pikachu shook its head, indicating it didn''t n to reveal more. Lex didn''t press further, gazing out of the library''s window at the night sky, taking in the vibrant night views of prosperous Metropolis.


    At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Metropolis, Ka picked up the telephone and said, "Alright... I see... What? You mean Lex Luthor, the new head of the Luthor family, invited me for dinner? Why..."


    After hanging up the phone, Ka stood still for a moment, deep in thought, and then said to her subordinate nearby, "Prepare a car for me; we''re going to Luthor Manor."


    A CIA vehicle stopped at the entrance of Luthor Manor, where the butler weed Ka. She was dressed in a sharp field agent outfit, wearing a tracksuit under a jacket, looking energetic.


    However, Lex''s expression was less than favorable when he received her. As they both sat down at the dining table, Lex got straight to the point:


    "Do you know your recent activities have been rather frequent? Do you think the Luthor family''s security cameras are for show?"


    "It''s for security reasons," Ka replied as a matter of routine. "These are turbulent times, and we recently had a murder at the mayor''s mansion. You''ve experienced something simr before. Do you want Luthor Manor to be another crime scene?"


    "Don''t try to use this to threaten me," Lex retorted. "You know better than anyone what''s really going on. Luthor Manor is perfectly safe, and my security doesn''t concern you."


    "Is that so?" Ka''s gaze lingered on Lex''s injured jaw, and she said, "Indeed, after a trip to Gotham, you''ve only sustained this minor injury. Your security is indeed impressive."


    Ka wasn''t being sarcastic; she genuinely meant it. After all, she knew just how perilous Gotham could be.


    "Not to mention me, why are you all keeping an eye on my friend? And why did you even break into his dormitory? That''s a bit too much," Lex expressed his displeasure as he tapped his fork against his te during the meal.


    "My friend?" Ka furrowed her brow and asked, "Who?"


    "Don''t y dumb with me. The tall one named rk, you''ve seen him before at the mayor''s mansion, haven''t you?" Lex replied.


    Ka gradually recollected. During the mayor''s murder case, there seemed to be a superpowered individual named rk who had shed with them. She sighed and said, "Monitoring superpowered individuals is not our responsibility; that falls under the jurisdiction of the Special Branch."


    "In that case, all I can say is that the department is utterly foolish. Not only did they casually invade rk''s dormitory, but they even carried a Soviet Union emblem to pose as KGB agents. Do they think everyone is a fool? Falling for such a ruse?"


    Hearing this, Ka hesitated for a moment. A flicker of unnatural expression briefly crossed her face, but it quickly vanished. She said, "Posing as KGB? You mean the people from the Special Branch responsible for monitoring rk posed as KGB?"


    "Correct. I know they intended to use rk''s unique abilities against the KGB, which might be justifiable in these times. But can''t they be more discreet about it? Even that big simpleton saw through it."


    "So, he asked me to convey a message, to warn you not to bother him anymore. He''s seen through your little games."


    Ka furrowed her brow deeper and fell into thought. Lex called her a couple of times, but she remained absorbed in her contemtion. Finally, Ka spoke, "I understand the situation you''ve described. Can you show me the emblem they found on them?"


    Lex retrieved the emblem he had obtained from Pikachu and handed it over. When Kaid eyes on the emblem, her pupils contracted. She became expressionless, and her facial muscles tensed, as if she were trying to control her emotions.


    However, in the end, she said, "This is crucial evidence. Can you give it to me? If you keep it, it might..."


    "I intended to give it to you from the start. I don''t want to hold onto this thing. If it ever bes evidence against me, that wouldn''t be good, would it?" Lex remarked with a hint of implication.


    "I''ll vouch for you," Ka said as she stowed away the emblem. She then stood up and said, "I''ll coordinate with the Special Branch, but don''t expect too much. They''re a stubborn bunch, not easily persuaded."


    "I just hope to convey my attitude. If you don''t follow what I''ve said, the consequences are on you," Lex replied with an indifferent tone.


    Ka didn''t say more; she turned and left. Once inside the car, she let out a sigh, tightly pressed her arms against her body, ced her palms behind her knees, and concealed her slightly trembling fingertips.


    Upon returning to the CIA headquarters, she sneezed a few times, rubbed her nose, and then pretended to be fatigued as she told her subordinates, "I might being down with a cold. I''ll visit the hospital; you guys keep an eye on things this afternoon."


    "Don''t worry, boss. There haven''t been any major developmentstely. You''ve been working around the clock since the murder case was closed. It''s time to see a doctor."


    Ka waved them off and left. It was clear that she had much better rapport within the CIA than Benjamin.


    After leaving the headquarters, Ka rushed to the hospital. She registered, found her way to the examination room, and saw the doctor in one continuous motion.


    In the doctor''s office, Ka signaled the female doctor, who then closed all the curtains and shut the door. The doctor took a seat and asked, "What''s going on? Comrade Valeria, why did you suddenly contact me?"


    Ka took a deep breath and spoke rapidly, "Suspected Special Branch personnel disguised as our agents infiltrated the dormitory of a superpowered individual named rk. They had a red g emblem with them, intending to frame us and provoke that superpowered individual intoing after us."


    "I''ve already sent the intelligence on this superpowered individual back to Moscow, and Moscow is taking it very seriously because he''s genuinely powerful."


    The female doctor furrowed her brow and said, "Indeed, if they resort to such dirty tactics, our field agents could be seriouslypromised. I''llpile this information into a report and send it back. We should get a response within three days at the shortest."


    "But that''s not the main point," Ka frowned. She reached into her pocket, retrieved the emblem, and pped it onto the table, making a crisp sound. She emphasized, "The important thing is, the emblem they used to pose as us is genuine. It''s an authentic red g emblem, and..."


    Before Ka could finish her sentence, the female doctor reached out and took the emblem. After a quick nce, she said, "Correct, it''s indeed our item, and it''s from the early days."


    "It''s not just an early red g emblem; it has a special marking on it. Someone once told me its significance, representing a particr hero..."


    The female doctor paused for a moment while holding the emblem and looked at Ka. Ka also gazed at her and slowly uttered the name, "Harold Harry Philby."


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 Chapter 605: Borrowing a Knife to Kill a Hawk (2)

    Inside Wayne Manor''s library, Bruce had piled up a table full of various books. Dick, holding adder much taller than himself, was still searching amongst the bookshelves.


    As thedder scraped past a shelf with a ''clicking'' sound, Dick eximed, "Oh! Here''s a book I hadn''t seen before!"


    He then extracted a rather worn-out book from between two shelves. After dusting it off and blowing on the cover, he opened the first page.


    Running over to Bruce with the book, Dick said, "Mr. Wayne, look at this. There''s something odd about this book."


    Bruce took the book and discovered that it documented local nursery rhymes from Gotham.


    Every city has its own local tunes. Although Gotham isn''t ancient, its history is intricate. This led to a unique musical atmosphere. In contemporary times, Gotham''s music scene might be dominated by gangster rap, but there was a time when divine melodies and nursery rhymes were widely known.


    This book cataloged various nursery rhyme tunes, their lyrics, and the origin stories behind those lyrics.


    Most nursery rhymes globally are simple, with a few lines repeated, making it easier for children to memorize.


    But one rhyme in this book stood out as peculiar: "The Court of Owls, always watching your every move..."Indeed, even the title of this rhyme was lengthy, hinting at itsplex content. No line in this rhyme was repeated; singing it from start to finish was more challenging than reciting poetry.


    Yet, the book stated that this rhyme was once the most widespread in Gotham, sung by nearly every child.


    As Bruce read, he could almost envision children in Gotham''s rain-soaked alleyways singing about the "Court of Owls, always watching...", with the glowing eyes of owls illuminating behind them.


    Bruce intuited the underlying issue but still looked at Dick, handing him the book. "Can you sing this for me?" Bruce asked.


    Dick took the book, examining the lengthy lyrics and furrowing his brow. "I''ll give it a try."


    After focusing on the book for nearly 20 minutes, he managed to sing the rhyme, though with numerous pauses and stumbles.


    Apart from theplex lyrics, the melody itself was oddly challenging. While typical nursery rhymes have higher pitches suitable for children''s voices, this song was notably deep. Even for Dick, who was almost past his voice-breaking phase, it was strenuous. For an adult, reaching such low notes would be demanding.


    Having spent some time with Dick, Bruce knew the boy was intelligent, picking up things quickly. But if Dick took 20 minutes to grasp this rhyme, what about the other children of Gotham?


    In a city where survival was a daily struggle, no one would invest the time in learning a difficult song. Yet, the book imed this difficult-to-learn song was once a hit among Gotham''s youth. This anomaly intrigued Bruce, urging him to believe that Gotham''s darkness was more profound than it appeared.


    Perhaps a shadowy influence had been impacting Gotham''s inhabitants from childhood, and the city they built, overshadowed by this dark power, came to be known as Gotham.


    On discovering potential issues with the nursery rhyme, Bruce delved deeper into Gotham''s artistic history. But soon, he expanded his search to epass the entire East Coast.


    The most prominent city on the East Coast was Metropolis. Bruce initially intended to skim through Metropolis''s history, but he found another nursery rhyme in a book about Metropolis. Although this rhyme didn''t mention any Owls or darkness, both rhymes shared amon trait: their challenging melodies and intricate lyrics, yet were once wildly popr.


    Bruce realized the adversary he might be up against wasn''t confined to Gotham''s shadows. Even before he became aware, this vast entity''s roots had already spread throughout the nation.


    Upon realizing Metropolis might also have traces of the Owls, Bruce sought Schiller immediately.


    Since his manor was bombed, Schiller had returned to live at Gotham University. While the manor was under repair, Schiller either helped Victor in theb with his wife''s condition or wrote papers in the library.


    Bruce found Schiller in a library corner. But when he exined his purpose, Schiller didn''t provide the clues Bruce anticipated.


    Confused, since Schiller seemed deeply interested in the Court of Owls, Bruce had assumed Schiller had been researching the organization and might have more leads.


    From across the library table, Schiller told Bruce, "If you want to investigate this matter, I suggest you meet someone."


    "Who?"


    "The Godfather Falcone."


    That night, rain once again fell over Gotham. No one would be surprised by this, but tonight''s rain was particrly intense. The rainfall beating against the window panes concealed the footsteps of an uninvited guest.


    Godfather Falcone rested in a chair in his study. A silhouette edged its way along the window, and the asional sh of lightning from the storm outside cast the shadow into sharp relief, highlighting two pointed ears atop its form.


    Falcone appeared to be expecting Batman, and Batman, in turn, studied Falcone from his position. Despite the long time since they hadst met, the Godfather did not seem to have aged a day. With a deep voice, Batman inquired, "What do you know about Owl Cat?"


    "I know a lot..." Falcone responded, his hands folded in front of him and his eyes half-closed, as if on the verge of sleep.


    "I suppose you''ve noticed the darkness I once mentioned... the one that''s relentlessly dragging this city into the abyss."


    "It''s always assaulting us here in various ways: through the economy, politics, culture, and the arts. They''re everywhere."


    "The dead members of the Court of Owls are just a tiny fraction of it. As long as this darkness continues to shroud the city, the chaos will never end."


    "Is Gotham the only city with Owls?"


    Upon Batman''s question, Falcone suddenly sat upright. After a brief pause, he leaned back, stating, "That''s the crux of it, Batman."


    "I''m not sure if Alfred ever told you, but when he first came to serve the Wayne Family, it wasn''t our first meeting. In our younger days, Alfred, Father Daniel, and I had encountered one another."


    "It was a strange adventure, all for the egg of a monster. In the end, we chose to ce this uncontroble egg beneath Metropolis. Do you know why we did that?"


    Batman remained silent, prompting Falcone to answer his own question, "While investigating matters concerning my son, I discovered this pervasive dark force. That''s when I realized that Gotham wasn''t the first city affected, and it wouldn''t be thest."


    "In that era, Metropolis wasn''t as secure. I made many friends there and came to understand certain things."


    "I told you before, I didn''t know they were called ''Owls''. I only knew a killer lurked in Gotham. Without assurance that I could eradicate them entirely, I didn''t dare delve deeper into understanding them."


    "But dealing with the force in Metropolis wasn''t as restrictive. cing the egg there was essentially bait, hoping the Metropolis Owls would study it and bring destruction upon themselves..."


    "The Owls of Metropolis..." Batman murmured, his gaze drifting to the stormy night outside.


    At that moment, the thunderstorm intensified. Through the rain, a train from Gotham journeyed through the dark hills, snaking its way towards another prosperous city. Amidst this stormy night, the lights of Metropolis shone brightly, acting as a beacon for the East Coast.


    In a dimly lit alleyway, two figures climbed over a wall. One of them reached the end of the alley and crouched down to inspect some marks. "Found it. The two impersonators were dumped here."


    Hispanion, a woman, adjusted her sses. The reflection revealed her to be the same female doctor who had exchanged information with Ka during the day. She looked towards the mouth of the alley and spoke in Russian, "Valeria informed me that the two individuals bearing the Philby badge weren''t agents of the Special Branch."


    "You should know that since the death of Benjamin, the head of the CIA''s Metropolis stronghold, Valeria has taken his ce."@@novelbin@@


    "She has ess to the list of CIA agents in Metropolis and its surrounding areas. Additionally, she can check the personnel list of the Special Branch. And she didn''t find these two names on either list."


    The man responded in English, "This means besides the KGB, CIA, and Special Branch, there''s another force lurking here."


    "The Philby list has likely fallen into their hands." The female doctor, taking a deep breath, added, "The badge has been retired. Whether the list is still useful or not, Agent Philby''s life''s work must be returned to Moscow."


    The man stood up, observing the mud on his fingers. With a pinch, the mud washed away with the rain. "There are enough yers here. We don''t need any more mysterious groupsplicating things. So..."


    A cold, directmand in Russian echoed through the dark alley:


    "Find it... eliminate it."


    How did Schiller borrow the knife? (5 points)


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 Chapter 607: Owl Cat Nursery Rhyme (2)

    Approximately a few minutester, Constantine appeared outside of Wayne Manor. Greeting him was the butler, Alfred, who came bearing protective gear and a disinfectant spray. Alfred sprayed Constantine for a few minutes, and by the time Constantine emerged from the dense white mist, he waspletely drenched in the scent of disinfectant.


    Coughing twice, he waved his arm in front of him to clear the mist and then entered the manor''s main hall. He stopped about two meters from Aisha and Dick, not because he wanted to, but because Alfred, having set aside the disinfectant spray, began polishing his double-barreled shotgun.


    Just as Constantine was about to protest Alfred''s treatment, he heard Aisha singing a tune ¨C eerie and ethereal. In that moment, Constantine looked up, his arms radiating a magical glow as he cast a solemn gaze towards the ceiling.


    Bruce also looked up but saw nothing. He squinted, observing Constantine. A faint glow shimmered in Constantine''s eyes, mirroring the magical light emanating from his hands.


    However, just as Constantine was seriously preparing to cast a spell, his gaze shifted from the ceiling to Aisha''s face. When Aisha opened her mouth, Constantine was left frozen in ce.


    Throughout this, the pair seemed to be performing a silent y, acting towards the empty air, with neither Bruce, Dick, nor Alfred witnessing anything.


    Suddenly, Constantine straightened up and dropped his hands. "Has your daughter... ever disyed any peculiarities?" he asked Bruce.


    Bruce wanted to describe them, but Aisha''s entire life had been anything but normal. Words failed him.


    "She might have a natural affinity for magic like me," Constantine mused, his hands no longer glowing. "Or perhaps, she too is cursed, destined to deal with these bizarre entities." Looking up at the manor''s ceiling, he continued, "A long time ago, I unknowingly cast a spell summoning a demon. And then¡­"He shook his head, not going into details, but Bruce could imagine the rest. "Are you saying Aisha just summoned a demon?"


    "No, it might be worse than that," Constantine replied, ncing at Aisha. "A kind of dark creature I''ve never seen before. But... she devoured them. She bit them in the head and swallowed them."@@novelbin@@


    Aisha began squealing about being "so full" and how "delicious" it was. Bruce lifted her up to inspect her for any injuries, finding none and no change in her demeanor. "Can I see this monster?" he asked Constantine.


    "You can''t use magic, so you can''t see it," Constantine initially declined. But under the steady gaze of both Bruce and Alfred, he finally relented, "Alright, given that you''ve lent me money in the past."


    With a snap of his fingers, mes appeared before him. With a wave, the mes lined up and formed a circle in mid-air.


    The mes touched the ground, soaring up and connecting, forming aplex magical circle. As its lines illuminated, Bruce felt his surroundings shift.


    All the furniture and walls warped, emanating various colors, reminiscent of hallucinogenic drug-induced visions.


    Bruce shook his head, trying to dispel the illusion. He then heard Aisha''s voice, singing not just a simple nursery rhyme but apanied by eerie, ghostlyughter.


    Suddenly, a chilling scream echoed. Bruce looked up to see winged, ck creatures flying in, trying tond on Aisha''s head and shoulders. But she swiftly caught and ate them.


    Their screeches were so piercing that Bruce''s vision shattered, leaving him facing the innocent-looking Aisha.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned to Constantine, "Is this what the world looks like through your eyes?"


    "Not entirely," Constantine answered. "I only asionally use this vision. What you saw isn''t an illusion but another, very real dimension. We call it the spirit realm."


    "You have to expertly wield magic in this realm, without any distraction, or else it may consume you forever."


    "So, what exactly was she singing? And what are those ck creatures?" Constantine inquired, equally perplexed. Just as he was about to approach, the sound of a shotgun being cocked halted him. He stepped back, raising his hands, "No, don''t point that at me, I won''t go near her."


    "It''s a nursery rhyme," Bruce realized the situation might be too much for him alone. Gratefully, he wasn''t the lone wolf Riddler of the future. A few phone callster, Constantine, Hal, and Schiller gathered in Wayne Manor''s hall.


    These individuals, to Bruce''s knowledge, were users of special energies, experienced in wielding magic-like powers and understood mysticism.


    Schiller picked up Aisha, using his Grey Mist vision to inspect her, finding nothing amiss. Hal''s Green Lantern ring, which couldn''t scan Parax, still dutifully checked Dick, revealing no harm either.


    ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Schiller, holding Aisha, settled on the sofa. Gently setting her to one side and stroking her hair, he remarked, ¡°I understand that the chaos and darkness in Gotham isn¡¯t entirely due to its governance.¡±


    ¡°After all, Brooklyn, which is quite close and has the same governance, doesn¡¯t face these issues. This indicates that there¡¯s a hidden mystical power within Gotham.¡±


    ¡°I''ve always pondered about what they use to control the city. Mere rainfall isn''t sufficient.¡±


    ¡°It seems they might have introduced a nursery rhyme. This rhyme isn¡¯t just a simple song ¨C it embodies mystical powers. So even if the lyrics are tough and the melody intricate, it still spreads among children.¡±


    ¡°Children singing this rhyme might attract these dark monsters. But since not everyone can see the spiritual realm that Constantine talks about, they might be influenced without even realizing it.¡±


    ¡°Without investigation, one can assume these monsters aren¡¯t teaching the children good habits. The dark energy might make Gotham¡¯s children more aggressive and wicked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine,¡± Hal concluded. ¡°Don¡¯t they have any morality or conscience? How can they target children?¡±


    Hal has a soft spot for children. During his travels between Gotham and the Green Lantern Corps headquarters, he¡¯d asionally visit the Living Hell educational institute, teaching about aviation.


    Initially, he was vexed by the unruly children who didn¡¯t listen. But when he shared stories of legendary pilots, he saw a genuine eagerness in their eyes.


    ¡°I always believe that every child has the potential to improve,¡± Hal, patting Dick''s head, shared. ¡°Though their backgrounds might be rotten, education can make a difference. They can¡¯t possibly get worse than they already are.¡±


    ¡°Yet, generations have passed in Gotham, and it never improved,¡± Bruce opined, resting his chin on his palm. ¡°Over these generations, many went to Gotham University or prestigious institutions in other cities.¡±


    ¡°Many of them returned to Gotham. But invariably, they never brought positive change to the city. They just blended in, bing indistinguishable from the masses.¡±


    ¡°So, if we genuinely wish to reduce crime, we must tackle this issue first,¡± Bruce remarked, his nostrils ring in a cold demeanor. Whenever he showcased this demeanor, Schiller saw a glimpse of the future mature Batman.


    ¡°Aisha could probably devour those monsters,¡± mused Constantine. ¡°But relying on her to sing and eat simultaneously might not be effective against all of Gotham¡¯s dark forces.¡±


    ¡°Eat! Yummy! Aisha eat!¡± Aisha cried out. Young children always seem to get hungry quickly. It hadn''t been an hour, and she was hungry again.


    Watching Aisha prepare to sing again, Constantine stretched out his hand and summoned fire. Hal dodged the mes, eximing, ¡°Wow, cool!¡±


    Just as Constantine was about to reply, Aisha''s singing began. Through spiritual vision, Schiller perceived a grinding noise within Aisha¡¯s song, reminiscent of Parax grinding its teeth.


    No wonder Aisha could eat a monster whole. Her form had shrunk. If she was still the gargantuan source of fear, Parax, she¡¯d consume more than just one.


    As the magic circle activated, Schiller¡¯s vision momentarily shifted but quickly steadied, covered by a bluish-grey filter. Grey Mist informed him, ¡°Detected a change in visual nerve signals. Adjusted to the normal view.¡±


    Schiller could now clearly see the monsters. Where others saw winged ck mist, Schiller saw the skeletal Owls, with feathers clinging to their bones, green mes in their eye sockets, and a dark energy trail as they soared, their calls echoing like sinisterughter.


    As they circled closer to Aisha, Schiller snorted and stared them down. Slowly, he lifted his umbre. Energy from Knull, collected in the Marvel universe, was channeled from Grey Mist through the umbre.


    Others, drawn to his motion, watched as Schiller swung the umbre towards the Owls and chanted:


    ¡°Summon divine guardians!¡±


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 Chapter 609: The Electric Theft Quartet (1)

    Chapter 609: The Electric Theft Quartet (1)


    In thest chapter, Bruce turned his head away without looking at Schiller, who was speaking to him. But Schiller, equally disinterested in eye contact, continued, "Well, if you haven''t figured it out yet, Bruce, then I suppose these energies will find their own purpose."


    Bruce kept his gaze on Schiller, and Schiller returned the look. They stared at each other for a full minute before Schiller broke the silence, "Listen, Bruce, I''m willing to tolerate your dismal performance because you excel in scientific research. If you lose that too, I''ll have to talk to your steward about your academic progress..."


    Bruce cleared his throat twice and turned away, saying, "Give me a moment. I''ll fetch it now."


    While waiting for Bruce to retrieve the Ark Reactor core he had developed, Schiller kept himself upied. The old nun was teaching the children to sing, so Schiller decided to perch on the rooftop and catch some owls.


    After singing two songs, Schiller had gathered a decent amount of energy. Although it couldn''tpare to the magic energy they had obtained from Marvel, it was easier to acquire and required minimal effort.


    Schiller knew that obtaining energy from Knull in Marvel couldn''t be directly used by humans. Otherwise, Schiller would have created something like a magic Spider-Man or a magic Hulk. Unfortunately, without a natural affinity for such energy, it couldn''t be harnessed, a feat only achievable by sorcerers from Kamar-Taj or Cosmic Gods.


    Stark had relied on the Ark Reactor to make magic energy work for him, but wholesale distribution of such reactors was impractical. The cost outweighed the benefits, and superheroes like Spider-Man and the Hulk didn''t necessarily need additional energy to enhance themselves.


    However, the energy refined and extracted by the Dark Owls seemed tailored to adapt to the frail human physique, perhaps even specifically designed for children...


    Even weaker individuals among humans could adapt to this power, and some could even coexist with it. If this energy could be harnessed and made essible to every ordinary person, the possibilities were immense.For example, Gotham''s logistics industry had faced numerous setbacks due to natural disasters and idents. However, with the development of a top-notch ck science and technology teleportation array for logistics, rain, snow, or disasters would no longer impede the delivery of goods by truck drivers.


    As Schiller contemted this, he realized how practical his thinking had be. Obtaining such energy, and his immediate thought was about developing the logistics industry.


    But it made sense. If everyone could easily ess portals, what problem couldn''t be solved?


    In Marvel, this context might have been limited to superheroes, and regr people using portals could be dangerous. But if this kind of energy could be democratized, allowing ordinary humans to use portals, wouldn''t it elerate the progress of Earth''s science and technology?


    Schiller continued pondering these questions on the rooftop while waiting for Bruce. The more he thought about it, the better the n seemed, and the less he liked the group of owls below.


    Currently, when the children sang, they could attract about twenty or thirty owls, roughly one per person, sometimes even fewer. Singing an entire song took approximately three minutes, meaning about ten owls per minute.


    However, these owls were the same size as real owls and didn''t contain much energy. Despite their decent speed and quantity, they seemed paltrypared to Schiller''s n.


    A characteristic of the human race was its unexined fascination with scbility, automation, and assembly line operations. There were even games specifically designed to satisfy yers'' desires to expand production lines and increase efficiency.


    In Schiller''s view, the current situation of children singing below while he caught owls above resembled primitive hunting and gathering. To enter modernity, they needed standardization, cost reduction, shortened production times, and improved efficiency.


    Schiller decided not to stay on the rooftop any longer. He used blink to return to the underground room with the others and began discussing how to enhance the efficiency of collecting energy from the Dark Owls.


    After briefly sharing his thoughts, Constantine was astounded by Schiller. He looked at him and said, "Are you saying you want to scale up the extraction of this energy, just like humans drilling for oil?"


    "Correct. Look at the advantages of this energy. Apart from being beyond our control, it''s a perfect source of power."


    "But hold on, this isn''t magic at all. We can''t... I mean... you need to have some reverence for it; it''s not like dealing with oil."


    "If he had reverence, the Green Lantern Corps headquarters wouldn''t still be facing shortages of Green Lantern energy," Hal scoffed, leaning against the wall.


    "Green Lantern energy and this dark energy from the Dark Owls are no different; they are just forms of energy. Forget about any mystical notions; we are pragmatists," Schiller remarked.


    Observing Constantine''s expression, Hal could very much understand his current state of mind. When Schiller had deceived Green Lantern energy in the past, he had felt the same way.


    However, it had to be acknowledged that watching one''s once revered magical energy being pumped out like oil, then stored in containers, could effectively eliminate any sense of awe.


    The greatest fear of humanity stemmed from the unknown. Yet, when something could be harvested and harnessed by them, that fear ceased to exist, or rather, it transformed into another, more potent force: greed.


    And evidently, Constantine was a greedy man.


    Anyone iming that Constantine adhered to the rules and was aw-abiding sorcerer would be met with disbelief by the countless demons he had pit in Hell.


    His moralpass was even lower than Hal''s, so after a brief moment of condemnation, he eagerly approached Schiller and asked, "What''s your n? You can give me just one-tenth of the extracted energy... no, one percent will do, and I''ll give it my all to assist you."@@novelbin@@


    Schiller nced at him and said, "You said it."


    "Don''t worry, Constantine keeps his word."


    Schiller didn''t say anything further but stood in ce, closed his eyes, and then said, "Wait a moment, I''ll find a specialist."


    He paused for a second, and when he opened his eyes, his expression remained unchanged, but a different gleam sparkled in his eyes. He looked up through the spiritual vision, watching the owls circling in the sky as if gazing at a delectable feast.


    "First, we need to address the initial problem," Schiller led Constantine and Hal out of the room and onto the surface of the grand church. They stood at the intersection leading to the living quarters and observed the singing children. He continued, "A single song takes too long; it takes three minutes toplete, and sometimes they don''t finish it or need to stop midway. On average, it takes five minutes to attract a wave of owls, and this speed won''t suffice."


    Hal thought for a moment and said, "Wait a minute, when I watched Aisha sing at Wayne Manor, it didn''t take this long, right? She only sang three or four lines, maybe?"


    "What''s the principle behind these nursery rhymes attracting special energy?" Schiller asked Constantine.


    "It''s hard to say. It might be certain words intricately linked with Mysticism concepts, or it could be the specific melody, or perhaps abination of words and melody forming a spell," Constantine replied.


    Although his answer seemed evasive, Mysticism was precisely like that. There were numerous methods to achieve an oue, and there were all sorts of bizarre ways.


    "No matter, we can experiment," Schiller stepped forward and nodded to Father Daniel. The nun stopped, turned to the children, and said, "Take a break for now. Stay in your ces; the restaurant owner wille to prepare lunch for youter."


    As soon as the children heard that they would be fed during ss, they chattered excitedly, discussing which restaurant owner it might be and what delicious food they could expect.


    Schiller, Constantine, and Hal gathered together with Father Daniel and the nun to discuss. Daniel was aware of the owl situation, which is why he supported Schiller''s n. The only way to protect Gotham''s children was to root out and eliminate this group.


    After hearing that Schiller wanted to experiment with the nursery rhyme''s principles, they developed a n together. After a while, the nun organized the children again and said, "Now, let''s split into two groups: one for lyrics and one for melody. The lyrics group will learn the lyrics, and the melody group will start with the melody."


    "The lyrics group will further divide into four subgroups, with each person learning three lines. The melody group will do the same, with each person responsible for two sections. Now, listen to me and follow my instructions. Starting from the central line marked by my finger, the lyrics group will be on the left, and the melody group on the right..."


    The nun organized the children into different groups and then began instructing them. Each child had their assigned lyrics or melody. After teaching for a while, they began to sing their respective parts.


    As expected, after conducting this experiment, certain things became evident. Within such aplex song, not every line of lyrics or melody held any significance; the majority were merely distractions, designed to conceal the genuinely important lyrics and melody.


    Among the divided groups, several subgroups immediately attracted owls when they sang their lines, while the others, no matter how many times they sang, received no response.


    Constantine stood at the front of the choir, stroking his chin as he said, "I guess humannguage is just a facade. It might be the pronunciation of the lyricsbined with the rhythm of the melody, forming certain sybles that happen to be a spell. I''m familiar with many summoning spells that work in a simr way..."


    "Can you distill all these sybles into something concise? The more concise, the better," Schiller asked.


    Constantine took out a notebook, furrowing his brow, and stared at the singing children. Then he began rapidly jotting down notes.


    After almost every group had sung their lines once, Constantineid the notebook t. Schiller and Hal approached to see only a few concise sybles written on it: "Mu-li-z."


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 Chapter 610: The Electric Theft Quartet (2)

    Perhaps due to some mystical connection, whenever faced with an iprehensiblenguage or incantation like this, Schiller always managed to decipher those three most important words, gaining a substantial amount of energy from them. For instance, he used the phrase "Nataru" to berate Knull.


    Schiller recalled that Aisha, not having fully grasped the lyrics, could only repetitively chant the first line of the song. This condensed incantation happened to derive from the end of the first line of lyrics. So, after Aisha sang the first line, Owls would immediately appear.


    With this realization, the first step to enhance efficiency had beenpleted. Schiller instructed Nun to organize all the children, discontinuing the practice of singing the entire song but instead focusing on the first line.


    As soon as all the children finished singing the first line, Owls would arrive. Schiller would promptly Blink up to clear the Owls, then continue with the song, singing and clearing consecutively.@@novelbin@@


    However, the first line was still somewhat lengthy, despite its limited lyrics and simple melody. It still couldn''t match the speed of those three sybles. Once the children had be familiar with singing the lyrics of the first line, Nun began teaching them the pronunciation of those three sybles.


    At this point, many children had lost their patience. When they were singing a whole song, they could skip a line,ze around amidst the crowd, or even chat quietly when others were singing loudly. But when it was reduced to just three sybles, there was no room for cking off. If they didn''t sing earnestly, the discrepancies in their tones would be ringly obvious.


    These children had limited patience to begin with, having already expended a considerable amount during their previous singing lessons. When this task turned into monotonous repetition, many children began toin.


    However, at this moment, the restaurant owner arrived in a truck with delicious food, arranged by Copperpot. The owner of the most popr Italian restaurant in the nearby Living Hell neighborhood, renowned for their specialties, Margherita pizza and creamy spinach, hade.


    It wasn''t that they couldn''t afford a more upscale restaurant. It''s just that this group of children, growing up in the lowest echelons of Gotham, preferred high-calorie, heavily spiced food. Most upscale restaurants focused on simplicity and health, preserving the natural vors of the food, a taste not favored by these children.While the children enjoyed their meal, the few of them gathered to brainstorm. Although efficiency had improved significantly, there was still room for improvement.


    Through their observations over this period, it was apparent that the Owls that came were essentially one-to-one, meaning one child could summon one Owl using the special incantation. Assuming the pronunciation of the incantation was wless, with over thirty children present, more than thirty Owls could be summoned.


    A simple mathematics problem arose: with over thirty children, summoning over thirty Owls, then three hundred children could summon over three hundred Owls, and three thousand children could...


    Finally, when Bruce arrived at the Church with the Ark Reactor, Schiller and the others had already left the Church and joined Copperpot at a base belonging to the newsboys.


    This was an abandoned cer located underground in the East District. They had transformed it into a base, where most of the newsboys from various neighborhoods in Metropolis came to exchange information. Gotham still had a significant number of children. Aside from the children in the affluent areas who attended regr schools, the majority of gang members'' children found their own work, selling newspapers, flowers, cigarettes, running errands ¨C there was always a job suitable for them.


    This ce served as a nexus for connecting with most of these children, and enlisting their help was straightforward ¨C just pay them.


    Currently, Copperpot had assumed the position of the "Children King," and almost all the peddlers in Gotham followed his orders. When Copperpot mentioned the need for children to sing, the various gang leaders eagerly rmended their own underlings. After all, singing a few songs could earn them a substantial amount of money, which was far better than enduring a day in the scorching sun.


    The children here had rtively big hearts. Living in this environment, if they were constantly suspicious and fearful, they would have driven themselves to madness long ago. When the Green Lantern Corps invadedst time, the sight of people emitting green light didn''t scare them. Innocently singing songs certainly wouldn''t.


    The ce for harvesting dark energy was no longer the Gotham Cathedral because of its unfavorable location and architectural structure for extracting energy. Instead, they moved it to a professional education school within Living Hell.


    This had its advantages. The school was situated in the heart of Living Hell, which resembled a giant steamed bun with the schoolroom serving as the filling. Regardless of the direction from which you approached, you had to pass through the outeryer before reaching the core.


    This provided Constantine with the space to work. After studying this portion of energy for a while, he devised a Magic Circle to absorb this energy.


    Although Owl monsters flew quickly, a single Magic Circle couldn''t intercept all of them. But if one wasn''t enough, they could deploy a hundred, and if a hundred weren''t enough, they could use a thousand. As long as they could handle the logistics of dealing with them in bulk, it wouldn''t be a problem.


    The rooms surrounding the professional education school in the center of Living Hell had been cleared, including the underground rooms. Constantine spent about a week cing Magic Circles in all these spaces.


    Starting from the schoolroom as the center, they spread out Magic Circles to cover spaces within a radius of about ten units. Green Lantern Hal stood at the center of the schoolroom, using ample Green Lantern energy to create a protective shield, ensuring no Owls could attack the children.


    Schiller, after each summoning wave, would collect the energy from each Magic Circle and transmit the information to Hal, who would then ry it to Nun. Nun would then organize the children for the next wave.


    Before the next wave arrived, Schiller would deposit this energy into the Ark Reactor that Bruce was studying.


    Speaking of which, it was worth mentioning that Bruce''s Ark Reactor was vastly different from Stark''s. The Ark Reactor he had developed was about three times the size of a room.


    Regarding this matter, Schiller, who was only skilled at changing light bulbs, had some doubts. He asked Bruce, "Why is the final product sorge when the model I provided you was so small?"


    "I was actually going to ask you..." Bruce looked at Schiller and said, "What was the person who made this model thinking? Why didn''t they make itrger?"


    Schiller didn''t know the answer to this question, but Bruce didn''t expect him to, and it seemed that he knew Schiller''s expertise was limited to light bulb changes. So, he answered his own question:


    "The principle behind this thing is quite remarkable. It uses a new element, and it took some time to crack it. But what perplexes me is that they could have made the power output much greater and added more functions."


    "For instance, when you mentioned using it to store energy, I added a module for storing energy. If needed, more output modules could be added, making it aplete energy center."


    "Currently, I''ve already reced the lighting source in the Batcave with it. After a series of tests, it can potentially rece all the energy sources. In fact, if it''s maderge enough, it could provide all the energy needed for an entire city."


    "And if it''s made as a miniature version like this, it might only be able to supply a few robots. Even though the energy supply would still be sufficient, it would be limited by the output power. There''s no need for it unless there''s a specific need."


    "The inventor of this thing installed it in hisbat suit."


    "Combat suit? You mean like an exoskeleton?"


    "Something simr, but more advanced. It can fly and has weapons."


    "And then?"


    "And then you put it on," Schiller replied, not understanding what Bruce was getting at.


    "And what happens after you put it on?" Bruce continued to inquire.


    "Um... you go out and be a superhero."


    "So, you''re saying that he has this kind of energy source, and he uses it to put it in abat suit, and then... wear thebat suit to fight?" Bruce asked.


    "Isn''t that what you do?" Schiller retorted. "You have this technology, and you use it to make all sorts of bat gadgets, then wear the gadgets to go fight."


    Schiller shook his head and said, "In a way, the two of you are quite simr."


    "So, you acknowledge that there''s such a person?"


    "Enough of that. Just tell me, how much energy can your giant reactor store now?"


    Bruce narrowed his eyes again, but he knew that he probably couldn''t get an answer from Schiller at this point. Bruce''s attention was currently focused on Gotham City, not thinking about anything rted to "space."


    But as the saying goes, "Forewarned is forearmed." Given the current situation in Gotham, Bruce had his reasons for doing this. Start with the toughest challenge, and everything else would be a cakewalk.


    After some thought, Bruce said, "ce your hand here and input the energy you stored earlier. You''ll be able to see the percentage of your current storage in rtion to the total."


    Schiller ced his hand on the designated spot, and Grey Mist began to output the energy. It included the energy obtained from the Church and the energy acquired from subsequent experiments. The progress bar was barely visible, estimating it to be less than one in ten thousand.


    Schiller estimated that if it were filled to capacity, it would be no less than therge wave of energy he obtained from Knull. In that case, all the elements needed for the n''s execution would be in ce.


    As of now, Schiller had created a preliminary machine for extracting and harvesting dark energy. Utilizing numerous extraction Magic Circles, the children capable of attracting dark energy were enveloped within them. Regardless of the direction from which dark energy-bearing Owls approached, the Magic Circles would intercept them.


    After intercepting the Owls, Schiller would consume this energy, then descend underground to transfer the energy into the Ark Reactor. Bruce had connected a line to his Batcave to study and analyze this type of energy.


    Efficiency had significantly improved after the machine was activated.


    There were a total of four batches of children, each batch consisting of 200 individuals, making a total of 800 children. They were divided into four shifts, with each shift working for six hours and having a total of two hours of rest and four hours of singing.


    Initially, when they were not proficient in singing, it took about a minute to attract one wave of Owls. Including the prelude before Owls arrived and the time Schiller spent absorbing energy, it took about two minutes.


    Within one shift, the children could attract 30 waves of Owls in an hour. Each wave had 200 Owls. Within the four-hour working period, they could harvest approximately 24,000 Owls.


    In other words, within 24 hours, after all four shifts ended, they could harvest 96,000 Owls.


    It may sound like a lot, but Schiller was still not satisfied with this number.


    [I also like this automation...]


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 Chapter 611: The Electric Theft Quartet (Two)

    Efficiency in acquiring energy can be likened to theparison with oil production.


    Global daily oil production is measured in millions of barrels. Just in the region of Saudi Arabia, the daily oil production hovers around ten million barrels. As of March 2022, global daily oil production is approximately one hundred million barrels. Although it is currently 1989, and production levels are temporarily below this mark, they are still substantial.


    As mentioned before, the volume of Dark Owls is simr to real-life owls, with approximately a hundred thousand of them. It may sound like arge number, but if you were topress them all together, their output wouldn''t even match a minute of global oil production. How can such efficiency suffice?


    Thus, Schiller began organizing everyone to further enhance production efficiency. The primary focus was onpressing time costs and full-process automation.


    Regarding thepression of time costs, these children found it challenging to concentrate for extended periods. If they weren''t willing to sing or make sounds themselves, there was no way to attract the Owls.


    Moreover, it was challenging to ensure that all these children attended on time. Some had family matters, others fell ill. The essence of this task was to protect the children, so exploiting them would be contrary to the goal, and time costs couldn''t bepressed in such cases.


    Using human employees had these drawbacks. Therefore, everything relied on the development of mechanization. If machines could rece humans, as long as there was sufficient energy, they could work continuously without absenteeism or poor performance.


    In this regard, Schiller nearly drove Constantine to madness. He eximed, "You want to use magic with robots??? Are you serious?"


    "They don''t even have a soul! Even if they could emit those sound waves through recording devices, it''s impossible to attract the Owls!""That''s why I need you," Schiller said, looking into Constantine''s eyes. "Your task now is to research how to create something that won''t get tired and then use it to deceive the Owls."


    Hal looked at Constantine with sympathy. He had never seen Constantine in such a disheveled and exhausted state.


    Normally, Constantine had a sense of style about him. After all, he couldn''t go around charming people without taking care of his appearance. In the past, he had always portrayed the image of an elegant British rogue, and when he was serious, he had a unique charm that unintentionally attracted others.


    Although he asionally appeared crazy and decadent due to excessive drug use, it added a punk-like aesthetic to his persona, which still appealed to some.


    But now, Constantine could no longer be called punk. He was just one step away from being like Robinson.


    In the n proposed by Schiller, Constantine had the most strenuous task. He had to set up a Magic Circle around the entire schoolroom, epassing hundreds of squares. He hadn''t slept for over a week, and he looked disheveled and haggard.


    If Schiller hadn''t promised to allocate a share of the energy to him, he wouldn''t have agreed to do this. And now, even with Schiller''s promise, he didn''t want to continue this task.


    Constantine cursed, "You damned capitalist, vampire! You want me to risk my life for a small share..."


    Schiller extended a finger, waggling it in front of him, and said, "Add another share, and you can have two for yourself. Hal and I will only share one, and Bruce won''t get any."


    Constantine was on the brink of madness. He felt that a demon called Greed wasing after him again. He could almost see the dark fire burning behind Schiller, even more maddening than any demon.


    He gritted his teeth and said, "You forced me into this. It looks like I''ll have to talk to an old friend."


    After saying that, Constantine left. Schiller didn''t know who his old friend was, but he knew that some demon was about to have a bad time.


    Two dayster, a more exhausted Constantine returned. He also brought back a small voodoo doll. He said, "I contacted every friend I could find and finally found a method."


    He ced the voodoo doll in his hand and then in front of everyone, saying, "This is a type of sorcery from Africa, somewhat simr to the spell used by the Ghost Mother, both designed for children."


    "In African tribes, they ce the souls of deceased children into a special voodoo doll. A specific devil can sense this soul and infuse power into the doll in exchange for the soul. Tribe priests can then use this energy to cast spells."


    "But where can we obtain the souls of children?" Hal asked. "Please don''t tell me you intend to..."


    "I never considered it. I''m a good person," Constantine sighed.


    Bruce nced at him, seemingly surprised, but what Constantine said was true. In matters of principle, he was just like Batman, unwavering.


    "I contacted a devil capable of responding to this spell. He told me that human sacrifices are quite cunning. With modern medical advancements, there are fewer deceased infants. However, the practitioners still wish to use the spell, so they came up with another method."


    "Killing innocent children might be an option, but it''s not efficient. They choose to deceive the devils by forging a special ritual that creates fake souls for the children. After attracting the devils, they trap them, enabling them to use the devil''s power."


    Constantine said this matter-of-factly, but Hal looked at Schiller. Schiller, after assessing him for a moment, said, "Why are you looking at me like that? This only shows that humans are like this. I''m not exceptional."


    Constantine nodded in agreement. "If you ask me, deception is something humans excel at. We have various tricks up our sleeves, even deceiving cunning devils asionally."


    "However, this trick has be outdated. Once devils fall for it, they won''t be fooled again, at most losing a bit of power. So, they''ve developed many alternative versions, but we don''t need any of them."


    "I found a practitioner who knows how to use this version of the deception. He told me the method for forging children''s souls. The other materials we need are rtively simple, but there''s one tricky part: we need breast milk."


    "That can be arranged," Schiller said to Bruce. "Wayne Enterprises should be able to solicit breast milk from society under the guise of medical research. As long as the price is high enough, we should be able to gather it quickly."


    "There''s one more question," Schiller looked at Constantine again. "Can these forged children''s souls sing?"


    "Of course not. They are just decoys. So, I need to use another form of magic to control the voodoo dolls to sing."


    "Do you need to control them continuously? What if you get tired?" Schiller raised another concern. Constantine took a deep breath and said, "Although I don''t need to control them continuously, you''re being overly greedy. You won''t even allow me to take a break..."


    Schiller turned his head away, refusing to look at him, and said, "On an extremely efficient production line, nobody gets to rest, including me."


    The others shook their heads, clearly finding it hard to stomach. Even Bruce, who enjoyed pursuing efficiency, thought it was a bit too extreme.


    Fortunately, Schiller wasn''t exploiting them. In the end, it was the Owls who would suffer the most.


    After a few more days of preparation, Constantine began manufacturing the raw materials at full capacity. To prevent him from overexerting himself, Schiller had Hal provide him with Green Lantern energy treatment.


    Whenever Constantine grew tired, Hal would use his healing abilities, revitalizing him. Under this inhumane exploitation, Constantine managed to produce thousands of voodoo dolls in just a few days.


    Then, he began casting the puppeteering spell on each doll, the same one he had used to control Ghost. Once cast, he could make the voodoo dolls sing on their own.


    cing these dolls in the center of the arrays and repeating the process significantly increased efficiency, but Schiller still wasn''t satisfied.


    His dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that he had to manually clean the Magic Circle every time and then infuse energy into the Ark Reactor. Although he didn''t get tired and wasn''t bored, it still wasted time, and in their extreme high-efficiency production mode, there was no room for waste.


    As a result, he once again pressured Constantine to start a technological reform, instructing him to establish automatic energy transfer lines between several Magic Circles and then connect these lines to the Ark Reactor. This way, they could realize the fully automated n to extract Dark Owl''s energy.


    Constantine was truly out of luck. He had contemted running away several times, not even caring about the sunk costs. However, Schiller managed to bring him back every time.


    In the end, Constantine gave in and began researching how to set up energy pathways between various Magic Circles.


    As is well known, optimizing these pathways was the most significant challenge in automated gaming. Constantine struggled with this for over a week, but eventually, the fully unleashed Constantine managed to create the most efficient version.


    Finally, this massive device for automatically extracting Dark Owl''s energy waspleted. When the entire assembly line started running, efficiency reached its peak. In fact, even one storage module of the Ark Reactor wasn''t sufficient, so Bruce had to add a few more...


    If one were to view it from a spiritual perspective, the entire Living Hell had turned into a colossal oil drilling operation. Countless Magic Circles were interconnected, forming a sphere emitting a red glow. Dark Owls, akin to moths to a me, rushed toward it, ultimately perishing within the radiance of the Magic Circles. The extracted energy flowed through energy channels like blood vessels, pulsating into the Ark Reactor, where it was stored.


    Until one day, all the Owls disappeared. Standing in the monitoring room, Schiller turned to everyone and said, "...It appears that this n hase to an end."


    "Not surprising," Bruce concluded, adding, "Even though these rules are automated, judging by the efficiency of this energy-extraction device, they would have noticed it sooner orter."


    "I''m more inclined to think they ran out of power," Hal pondered. "If they had noticed, it should have happened when wepleted automation. After all, suddenly extracting so much energy would have triggered an emergency response if someone were monitoring."


    "As soon as I absorbed energy for the first time, I knew these rules were likely unsupervised," Schiller shook his head. "And the reason it stopped this time is probably that we depleted their energy."


    The reason Schiller dared to extract this kind of dark energy so recklessly, without worrying about Barbatosing here, was because he discovered that this energy was probably not Barbatos'' original energy but had undergone some special treatment.


    In other words, they weren''t constantly fleecing Barbatos; the Dark Owl''s sacrifices had already collected the wool for them and even woven it into a nket. What they were stealing was, in fact, the stored nket.


    As for why Schiller believed these rules were unsupervised, it wasn''t just because there was no response when Aisha absorbed energy before. It was also due to Gotham''s historical records indicating that the era when the Owls Nursery rhyme was prevalent had long passed.


    In recent modern history, this song was no longer popr, and children didn''t sing it anymore. In other words, these rules had been obsolete for a long time.@@novelbin@@


    Being awakened once again and bing effective might be because the batteries left here still held some residual power. And Schiller''s goal was to deplete this remaining energy as quickly as possible.


    Some might wonder why they couldn''t steal the energy at any time if the batteries were already discarded. This rtes to Schiller''s prior arrangements in Metropolis.


    He already knew that Metropolis had Owls, so he deliberately handed the medal to Pikachu and, using rk, informed Agent about Lex. Then he let Lex approach CIA Agent.


    Having experienced what happened at Metropolis mayor''s mansion, Schiller was well aware that after Benjamin''s death, the CIA''s Metropolis base''s head was reced by a female agent named Ka, who was a KGB agent and Alfred''s student.


    Once Ka learned about this and obtained the medal, she would undoubtedly notice the presence of other mysterious forces within Metropolis. Following the KGB''s modus operandi, after a month, Metropolis''s Owls were likely in deep trouble...


    In a secret meeting room beneath the Metropolis sewer, a mysterious figure dressed in a ck robe and wearing a bird-mask spoke, "The unbelievers have nearly located us. While the great Dark Master is omnipresent, for the sake of His cause, we must temporarily retreat..."


    "But where should we go?" another figure in a ck robe asked.


    "Initially, we left Gotham to expand our influence in Metropolis. Now, we possess several secret bases in Metropolis and many Owl council members still stationed here... It''s time to return to Gotham."


    "Correct," another deep, raspy voice chimed in, "When we left, we left the most precious Dark Relics behind in Gotham. Due to our absence, the people of Gotham have not uttered our names in years. This return will allow us to utilize those potent energies once again..."


    "Do you still remember the incantation?" a sharp female voice chanted, "Moulitz... Moulitz..."


    Suddenly, she halted and said, "What''s going on? Why isn''t the Relic responding to my summons? Come... Owls...e find me. Under your guidance, I will return to that promisednd..."


    "Moulitz... Moulitz..." all the figures in ck robes began to chant.


    However, no Owls came flying to them. They gradually stopped their chant, and the room fell silent once more. The leader waved a staff, and the Magic Circle in the room lit up. In an instant, everyone disappeared and reappeared in a room with a massive Dark Relic.


    This room was not only situated beneath Gotham but was also concealed by a mysterious spell, invisible and inaudible. It could only be essed through special teleportation arrays, a secret measure set up by the Owl priests to protect themselves.


    As soon as the leader of the Dark Owl''s sacrifice set foot on the ground, they froze because the ck Owls, previously brimming with dark energy, had turned gray by this time. All the energy they had purified from their bodies over the years through prayers to the Dark Master had vanishedpletely.


    And at that moment, Schiller, Bruce, Hal, and Constantine, the four energy thieves, stood in a row in the underground room.


    Schiller took a step forward and asked, "Lately, the Dark Owl''s sacrifice has suffered significant energy losses. Do any of you have any insights?"


    Then, he looked at the pile of energy storage modules that had turned into small mountains and said, "...Anyway, I don''t."


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 Chapter 612: Owls Are in Trouble Again (1)

    In the midst of Metropolis, within Luthor Manor, Pikachu set the telephone down and turned to Lex. "We''re all set over there. We can proceed now."


    Lex leaned against the nearby wall, extending his arm for Pikachu to hop onto his shoulder. Together, they left the interior of the Manor, crossed the courtyard outside, and hopped into a car, arriving at the entrance of Metropolis University.


    rk, with a backpack slung over his shoulders, had been waiting there for a while. As he saw a luxury car approaching, he opened the car door while holding a pet carrier andined, "You''re driving a car that''s way too shy. My ssmates are definitely going to grill me about it at the meeting."


    Lex, with an expressionless face, nced at his wristwatch and replied, "Being friends with the Luthor family should be an honor for anyone."


    rk pursed his lips. After spending so many days with Lex, he knew that Lex had this habit. Lex loved showing off two things the most: his intelligence and his wealth, and unfortunately for rk, he couldn''t refute either of those. Luthor was undeniably brilliant and extraordinarily wealthy.


    "Today, are we going to start investigating those locations?" rk asked. He recalled that over the past few days, he had been using his X-ray vision to peer underground in Metropolis, searching for the potential secret base Lex had mentioned.@@novelbin@@


    Initially, rk had sought out Lex after his dormitory was invaded, hoping that Lex would contact the CIA to warn the agents. However, Lex had informed him that the CIA had provided feedback stating that it wasn''t their doing, nor was it the work of the KGB.


    Lex had told rk that there might be another mysterious power lurking beneath Metropolis, ready to invade the city at any moment.


    Knowing it wasn''t the agents who had targeted him gave rk more confidence. After all, whether it was the CIA or the KGB, crossing them meant considering the risk of societal consequences. Confronting these agent organizations might endanger his family.However, if they were up against a dark organization that neither thew acknowledged nor had any moral boundaries, wasn''t that precisely the kind of injustice he wanted to address?


    Furthermore, from Lex''s information, rk understood that it wasn''t just him; both the CIA and the KGB were nning to deal with this mysterious organization. The catch was that this so-called mysterious dark organization might possess powers beyond those of ordinary people, making it difficult for regr agents to detect andbat them.


    Upon hearing this, rk felt even more determined. Punishing wrongdoers whom thew couldn''t touch was exactly what he wanted to do. So, he followed Lex''s n and spent these past few days patrolling the skies of Metropolis, using his X-ray vision to identify several suspicious locations.


    Today, they were going to investigate these locations in person and uncover the traces of this mysterious organization''s spider web.


    Meanwhile, as rk and Lex headed to their first location, Ka, the head of Metropolis CIA, returned to her apartment and then drove to a secret location. There, she picked up the telephone and called Alfred, saying:


    "...Yes, among the five bases we''ve identified, three of them are decoys, and two of them are inessible to our agents. If I''m not mistaken, it''s due to some kind of mysterious energy. Our technicians have taken samples of this energy, but it will take some time to decrypt."


    "...Correct, that''s what I was thinking too. If we could leverage the abilities of that superpowered individual named rk, we might be able to deal with them more quickly."


    "I believe Lex, the heir of the Luthor family, has already informed rk about the situation I told him. rk should be aware of the existence of this mysterious organization. Our agents have observed his flying figure multiple times over the past few days, and based on his behavior, he seems to be searching for the base of this mysterious organization."


    "Moreover, our investigation indicates that these people seem to havee from Gotham. So, I called you to ask if you know anything about their origins and weaknesses."


    Alfred, after hanging up the telephone, looked at Bruce, who was observing the readings on the analytical instrument.


    The instrument had an unusual appearance, with a circr design and a central module storing energy. Currently, the energy from the Owls of the Dark was being ced in the module, input into the machine, and then read for energy data.


    As Bruce looked at the data, he furrowed his brow. This kind of energy was utterly chaotic in scientific instrument readings, with the values fluctuating unpredictably and no stable range.


    Trying to analyze reliable data for experimentation was proving to be futile. Bruce then remembered Schiller''s attitude at the time. Schiller had suggested that this energy could be utilized by the Ark Reactor.


    However, in Bruce''s perspective, the Ark Reactor should be a generator. It would provide power to the Ark Reactor using this special energy, but what would the final output of this energy affect? What kind of effect could it achieve?


    Fortunately, he had plenty of experimental materials to work with, so Bruce could slowly conduct his research. During the breaks in his research, he saw Alfred put down the telephone and paused for a moment before saying to Alfred, "Alfred, please record the data for me. I''m going to check on Aisha."


    After saying this, he left, leaving all his research results spread out on theb table, as if conveying some attitude to Alfred. Alfred watched his departing figure and smiled briefly but didn''t approach theb table. Instead, he picked up the telephone again and said:


    "Yes, Professor Shiller, they''ve already started moving. I think you can start preparing as well..."


    In the midst of Metropolis, Lex and rk''s team had already moved on to the third base. The first two suspicious locations turned out to be a decoy and an abandoned site with no recent activity.


    The third location was underground in a sawmill. As their car approached, rk furrowed his brow and stopped Lex, who was about to get out of the car. rk stood in front of him and said, "Something doesn''t seem right. I saw something peculiar in that underground room. It''s like... an Owls. There''s some energy interference, and I can''t see it clearly."


    Lex stepped out of the car, and rk opened the door of his pet carrier, allowing Bat Cat to jump onto his shoulder. Pikachu rested on Lex''s shoulder. Thisbination of two humans, a cat, and a mouse seemed perfect.


    Lex and Bat Cat handled the intellectual aspects, while Pikachu and rk took charge of the physical strength. Although Pikachu could also be considered part of the intellectual team, its electrical abilities were handy in many situations.


    Within this group, Pikachu''s primary role was to protect the safety of the intellectual team members. rk took the lead, exploring, with Lex and Bat Cat following closely, providing protection.


    At this moment, Pikachu''sbat abilities were just right, and most importantly, it was a long-range sorcerer. If they encountered anything unusual, Pikachu could immediately use its electrical powers to eliminate the threat at its infancy.


    Arriving at the sawmill, there were still workers present. To avoid being noticed by them, rk dug a hole in a remote area away from the workshop and proceeded inside.


    As they continued to dig forward, they finally approached the secret room that rk had seen through his X-ray vision. Even before reaching the room, rk blinked hard and said, "This should be it. The mysterious energy is interfering with my X-ray vision, and I can''t see clearly."


    "Did you say you saw an Owls figure?" Bat Cat asked.


    "Yes, I''m quite certain. I can see it now too. From the outline, it''s an Owls... But why does this figure look somewhat familiar?" rk squinted his eyes as he continued to gaze at it.


    Suddenly, he said, "I remember! Isn''t this the same gigantic Owls figure I saw in that city full of cats? The shape of this figure and that Owls are identical. I can''t be mistaken."


    Bat Cat narrowed its eyes, and the team proceeded forward, only to be stopped by a door with strange patterns. rk''s heat vision couldn''t open the door; the energy was being blocked by a ck protective shield. rk also refrained from using brute force, as it might affect the workers on the surface.


    "Can you describe the posture of the Owls figure you saw?" Lex asked, turning to rk.


    "It''s in a circr room, with something like an altar in the middle. I heard some screams from there, but I couldn''t make out what they were. In the center of the altar, there''s a gigantic Owls figure. Its head is facing upward, but the head, especially the eyes, is unclear. Whenever I try to focus on it, it feels like the gaze is swaying," rk exined.


    "The unclear eyes are possibly due to the unusually dense energy in that area?" Lex continued to inquire.


    "Perhaps, yes. This energy is the only thing capable of disrupting my gaze," rk replied.


    "Let''s dig a hole and circle around to the back," Lex suggested after quietly consulting with Bat Cat.


    rkplied, and digging a hole was a simple task for him. Even if they circled the room once, it was done quickly.


    In no time, they arrived at the opposite side of the door, but there was still a solid wall there. rk''s heat vision couldn''t prate it.


    Lex tapped his foot on the ground and said, "No, we should go down further, towards the back of the eyes."


    Without asking too many questions, rk continued to dig. They eventually reached the bottom of the room.


    There were still walls below, but when rk used his heat vision to attack the wall, he noticed that it was no longer indestructible. Instead, it started to crumble.


    "The energy core of this protective shield should be in the head of the Owls, and our current location is the farthest point from that head. Here, the protection should be weakest. Attack this point with all your might," Lex pointed to one of the wall bricks.


    rk had no prior concept of this, but seeing Lex and Bat Cat so confident, he stopped thinking and followed their lead.


    He had better control over his heat vision than his physical strength, so the beam of light from his eyes was thicker, yet it didn''t create much noise.


    To ensure that no one on the surface noticed anything unusual, rk increased the output. After a while, with a thunderous sound, the wall was sted open. The team climbed up the dirt mound and entered the room, only to witness a somewhat suffocating scene.


    The most prominent feature of the entire room was the Owls figure at the center of the altar. Surrounding the figure were numerous iron cages.


    Inside those cages were all cats.


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 Chapter 613: Owls Misfortune Strikes Again

    Chapter 613: Owls'' Misfortune Strikes Again


    rk immediately covered his mouth, unable to conceal his shock, while Lex disyed a hint of disgust, clearly repulsed by the noxious scent emanating from the mixture of blood and fur before them.


    Bat Cat''s fur stood on end, revealing sharp teeth, and a low growl emanated from his throat. Pikachu''s short fur bristled as well, clearly shaken.


    Among the cats in the cages, those in slightly better conditiony weakly on the ground, emaciated, with vacant expressions in their eyes. Describing the ones in worse condition proved challenging, and some that resembled Owl Cats too closely had already be unrecognizable, reduced to an indistinct mass.


    From the torches embedded in the surroundings and the still-glowing energy conduits, it was evident that this was a Magic Circle with a specific purpose. Judging by its style, it was clearly not intended for benevolent use.


    Bat Cat took a deep breath, feeling his tremors, and rk embraced him, stroking his fur. However, Bat Cat didn''t linger for long; he jumped out of rk''s embrace and sniffed the scent of hispanions on the ground.


    Lex also approached, squatting beside one of the surviving cats'' cages. After a quick observation, he noticed that this cat''s hind leg had a tattoo-like marking, somewhat resembling Owls'' eyes and forehead.


    Neither of them nor the two animals possessed magical abilities, so theycked the ability to perceive the spiritual realm. They could only conclude that this was a malevolent Magic Circle but couldn''t discern its specific purpose.@@novelbin@@


    Though not visible to the naked eye, they deduced that witnessing such a scene had stimted rk. The crisis that made his hair stand on end triggered his superhuman brain, and he spoke, "I remember... I remember in Gotham''s Cat City, there were Owls disguised as cats. Do you remember, Bat Cat?"


    Bat Cat nodded. He climbed up the stacked cages that reached the ceiling, standing at the highest point, and gazing downward. He emitted a sharp cry, and all the cats turned their heads to look at him. However, most of them had already lost their strength, and even moving their heads was a struggle.Evidently, the people who had brought them here didn''t consider them as pets. Many of the cats were emaciated but sustained by some other form of energy, maintaining their souls'' vitality, preventing immediate death.


    The cats that had already perished seemed to have been sacrificed to the central Owls effigy.


    The inner circle of cats had mostly suffered grim fates, while those on the outer ring were mostly still alive. Their conditions improved the farther from the center they were. Some even appeared recently captured. rk even found a cor on the neck of a ragdoll cat.


    He forcefully opened the cage and carried out the ragdoll cat, which was clearly terrified. Even in rk''s arms, it continued to struggle. rkforted it, looking at the tag on its neck.


    "Florenna Street, Building 3... This cat''s name is Nana, a year and a half old... My God, they''ve captured people''s pets, these..." rk, who had never cursed before, now deeply regretted not learning a few choice words. He kept his anger bottled up, allowing it to build into a stronger force, waiting for these heartless individuals to face a profound lesson.


    Bat Cat stood silently at the highest point of the cages. After a moment, he spoke urgently, "If what you say is true, and my previous world existed within a dream, then this may be their method of invading the dream."


    "They''re using an evil Magic Circle, sacrificing the lives of real-world cats, and then using it to infiltrate the Dream of Thousand Cats," Lex continued. He walked a bit closer, observing the middle-tier cats'' condition, and said, "They likely allow these cats to enter dreams first. Once their dreams connect to the Dream of Thousand Cats, they contaminate them with dark energy."


    "This way, the dark energy can infiltrate the Dream of Thousand Cats, forming the same dark Owls you saw in Gotham''s Cat City. And this..." Lex looked up at the massive Owls effigy, then said, "This is what they use to store dark energy, connecting it to these cats and constantly funneling this energy into the dream."


    Bat Cat took a step back, jumped down from a height, and then urgently said, "We must sever the energy transmission. Once the Dream of Thousand Cats ispletely corrupted, it will be disastrous."


    "We need to find Professor Shiller," Lex turned and started to walk back. He said, "Otherwise, we won''t be able to deal with magic-rted issues."


    "No. At least, we should destroy the effigy first and then rescue the cats," rk disagreed. He believed they should move the living cats out first.


    However, Bat Cat jumped onto his shoulder and stopped him, saying, "Right now, these cats all have mysterious symbols on them. No one knows if they''ll die immediately after the effigy is destroyed. It''s better to bring in a professional."


    The two, along with a cat and a mouse, emerged from the sawmill''s underground. They returned to Luthor Manor, and as soon as they arrived, the telephone rang. Pikachu darted out and picked up the phone, confirming that it was Schiller on the other end. He said, "We''ve already teleported to the outskirts of Metropolis. Come pick us up; we''re ready to work."


    Pikachu ryed Schiller''s message. rk and Lex exchanged nces, and as they got into the car, rk asked Lex, "You had a n in ce?"


    "It was Professor who had a n."


    In the outskirts, Schiller, Constantine, and Hal were already waiting, apanied by a helicopter loaded with supplies. Judging by its appearance and color, it was the Batcopter.


    Ten minutester, rknded, holding the Batcopter, and Lex, who had disembarked from the helicopter, turned to Schiller and said, "I told you it was Bruce''s Helicopter Engine..."


    Schiller walked over and patted rk''s shoulder, saying, "Is this the ce? Alright, let''s start unloading."


    "Wait a moment, Professor! Maybe you shouldn''t go in just yet. It''s a bit... um..." rk hesitated, unsure of how to describe it. But the others thought he was just worrying unnecessarily. After all, looking at Schiller''s track record, he had seen all sorts of grand scenes in this world.


    Two minutester, Schiller stood beside the only Magic Circle and said, "I''ve never seen a scene like this before. To ughter animals on such a scale in this world..." He shook his head, his gaze on the Owls effigy, and Constantine walked over, clicking his tongue at the gruesome sight.


    Honestly, if these were human bodies lying on the ground, these two might not be so moved. But this was the first time both of them had seen so many dead cats.


    As rk brought the crates from the helicopter inside, Hal and rk worked together to unpack them, and Constantine prepared the necessary tools.


    Once the Magic Circle was set up, the spiritual realm vision was activated. Everyone could see countless ck Owls flying around the massive Owls effigy.


    What was odd was that there were a few ck cats perched on Owls'' shoulders. Despite their feline appearance, their behavior resembled that of birds. It was clear they were Owls in disguise.


    They seemed to be trying hard to mimic cat behavior, and one of the more cat-like impostors, after leaping down, merged with a still-living cat.


    That cat suddenly fell asleep, and after Bat Cat walked over to take a look, Schiller beckoned him over. When Bat Cat approached, Schiller crouched down and took out a bottle, offering it to him to sniff. Bat Caty down.


    "The dark Owls energy in this part of Metropolis seems specifically designed for dream invasion, so the energy extraction method we used with the Nursery rhyme won''t work here."


    "However, we can use the battles within the dream to force the effigy to invest more energy. Then, we can intercept and store this portion of energy using a magic circle."


    "Now, let''s get ready to distribute tasks. Constantine and Hal will stay in the real world for cleanup. Follow our initial n, restore this ce to its original state, and wait for their return. Pikachu, you''re in charge of security."


    "rk, Bat Cat, and I will enter the Dream Realm, go to Gotham''s Cat City, provoke the Owls there, and lure the effigy into investing more energy. rk, you''ll be responsible for Dream Realm security."


    "Alright, let''s get ready to begin."


    With that, Schiller and rk left the room. After moving a little farther away, Schiller took out the bottle again, and both of them entered Schiller''s Temple of Thought.


    Schiller stood beside the central pit of the Temple of Thought, sighed, and pointed upward. rk looked up, but he saw nothing. He then looked back at Schiller and asked, "What? What''s up there?"


    "There''s nothing up there."


    "So, what''s the point?"


    "Do you know why there''s nothing up there?"


    rk shook his head, not understanding why Schiller was asking this. So he looked up again, trying to examine the ceiling more carefully. At that moment, Schiller quietly moved behind him and pulled out an umbre, capturing the umbre''s canopy.


    When rk refocused his gaze, he realized that Schiller had disappeared. He turned around, and what came into view was the erged umbre handle.


    With a "bang," rk, caught off guard, was thrown into arge pit. Two figures then jumped into the pit, the one behind them with green hair...


    When the two arrived in Cat City, rk was still rubbing his chin, looking very aggrieved as he nced at Schiller. He hadpletely forgotten what he had done earlier, but Schiller paid him no mind. Instead, he went directly to find Bat Cat.


    After the fake Bat Cat had been taken care of, the real Bat Cat reimed Bat Cat Manor and took over the city. The real Bat Cat was much more intelligent. His first task as leader was to locate the Owls hidden within the city.


    These Owls were far from subtle. If it weren''t for the coboration between the real Bat Cat and their inside agent, they wouldn''t have been able to hide for so long. Their behavior patterns were entirely different from those of cats, and they always had a bird-like odor. The real Bat Cat soon developed an identification machine, scanning all the residents of the city and locking onto all the Owls.


    Marvelously, Schiller was visiting such a cat city for the first time. He had transformed into a white cat, while rk remained an orange cat. This time, a green cat apanied them, identical to the Joker cat that Bat Cat had impersonated before.


    An hourter, in Gotham''s Cat City''s grand theater, several ropes descended from the ceiling, each one holding an Owl. A green cat jumped onto the stage, and with a sharp cry, the performance began:


    "Ladies and gentlemen! I have a n, it''s called... ''Owls'' Misfortune!''"


    (HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!)


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 Chapter 614: Owls Misfortune Strikes Again (2)

    Of course, while this opening might seem like a ssic line from thest time Gotham Owls had a run of bad luck, in this world, one Joker would never giarize another Joker.


    Joker Schiller had transformed into Joker Cat, adopting a new style. He was now the master of genuine riddles, and, of course, all the answers were simply "meow meow meow." In a city ruled by cats, what other answers could there possibly be?


    It may sound absurd and bizarre, but this group of Owls disguised as cats, or rather, Owlsmonsters, were not human. They possessed a certain level of intelligence butcked humanity. This was not a ything any Joker would appreciate. Joker Cat Schiller was merely going through the motions.


    After eliminating this group of Owls, the dark Owls cultists, who had been wondering where all the energy they had gathered had disappeared to, soon realized. They had lost their home in the Dream Realm and now aimed to secure their other stronghold. Consequently, they returned to their base in Metropolis.


    Upon their return, they found nothing amiss. The Owls decoy was still in ce, the cats were there, and there were no signs of anyone having been there. Evidently, Constantine and Hal had done an excellent job with the cleanup, particrly Hal, who could use Green Lantern energy to shape objects. Even the hole blown open by rk and the adjacent room had been sealed.


    The group of dark Owls cultists did not notice anything unusual except for one cultist who noticed that a cat cage on the floor had been left open, and a cat was missing. However, they weren''t the ones who had personally gone to catch the cats, so it was impossible for them to remember every single cat. They simply assumed the cage hadn''t been securely closed, and a cat had escaped on its own, which they disregarded.


    The leader raised his staff high. His hand, like the Owls'' ws, was covered in concentric patterns and had sharp nails. He spoke in a sharp voice, "Someone has disrupted our setup in the Dream Realm. We must reim our territory!"


    Taking their positions, they formed a circle around the Owls decoy, all of them raising their staffs and beginning to chant incantations: "Moulitz... Moulitz..."


    From the realm of spirits, the decoy began to burn with ck fire, and tree branch Owls circled above it, emitting piercing screeches. Then, they shot up into the sky and swooped down into the bodies of the cats inside the cages on the ground.After their descent, it indeed appeared that the Owls had disappeared into the cats'' bodies. However, there were hardly any Owls appearing in Gotham, and out of over a hundred Owls that had descended, having two enter was considered lucky.


    These cultists had a special method of sensing the situation in the dream realm. They initially thought their spell had gone awry, so they adjusted their positions, recited their incantations again, and even moved the cat cages on the ground, re-marking them. However, none of it had any effect.


    They had prepared this n for a long time, all to obtain the Dream of Thousand Cats. In their eyes, this n could not afford to fail. They couldn''t let their previous efforts go to waste.


    Furthermore, they were only facing a few cats who were defying their rule. It wasn''t the owner of the Dream of Thousand Cats or some more powerful god or devil. If they couldn''t defeat others, could they not defeat a few cats?


    They thought, even if a hundred Owls could enter and only a few cats needed to be dealt with, dozens of Owls would suffice. So, sending in thousands of Owls wouldn''t be a big deal. After all, they had umted a substantial amount of energy during their time in Metropolis.


    Initially, the battle in Gotham''s Cat City wasn''t intense. The mainbatants were the native cat residents like Bat Cat, Bane Cat, Crocodile Cat, and the Joker Cat yed by Joker Schiller. Marvel Schiller, who had transformed into White Cat, and rk Cat remained idle.


    This led the Owls priests to underestimate the fighting prowess of Gotham''s Cat City resistance. When they realized that dozens of Owls they had sent in werepletely unable to handle this group of cats, they had already incurred sunk costs.


    A hundred Owls could only send in two or three, and by sending in dozens of Owls, they needed to expend over a thousand Owls. But even with this investment, the situation did not improve. So, the Dark Owl Priests decided tomit a massive wave of forces for a final showdown, with the intention of crushing the enemy''s remaining forces.


    In the past, this tactic had worked well because, on the other side, there were only a few cats, and even if other Cat City residents dared to resist, they couldn''t form a fighting force. So, they clenched their teeth and deployed over ten thousand Owls all at once, bringing hundreds into Cat City.


    For Gotham''s Cat City, these hundreds of Owls had more energy than the previous giant Owl had. However, the battle had just begun, and rk Cat joined the fray.


    Superman, even when restraining his power, wasn''t someone to be taken lightly. Furthermore, before entering, rk had bottled up his anger at the pitiful state of the cats. He dove directly at the giant Owl''s feet, grabbed its ws, and carried it into the air.


    Then, this Owl became the des of a three-tiered rotating electric fan. After being spun dizzy, it was tossed out, then in mid-air, rk Cat performed a series of punches, and after gathering a significant amount of power, he executed a downward throw. With a resounding "bang," the Owl vanished without a trace.


    The enormous Owl dispersed into several smaller Owls. The cultists in the real world, upon seeing this, realized that this approach wasn''t working at all. They had already paid a hefty price, and withdrawing at this point would be a significant loss. They had no choice but to increase their investment and capture the Dream of Thousand Cats to potentially control this deranged cat.


    They began channeling their energy with the dark decoy, and suddenly, the Owls within the dream multiplied to over a thousand. All the Cat City residents were mobilized to resist this darkness, and the battle became increasingly intense.


    After holding out for half a day, the Dark Owl Priests finally realized that the disappearance of most of the Owls was not a coincidence but a trap.


    Initially, they had been afraid that their setup in the dream would be ruined, and their anxiety led to ack of critical thinking. But as soon as they realized what had happened, they immediately decided to cut off the energy investment and thoroughly examine what had gone wrong with the cats.


    So far, the losses were eptable. While thousands or even tens of thousands of Owls might sound like a lot, they were rtively small in size, and the energy losses were manageable. If they stopped the bleeding promptly, it would take about a month to replenish the lost energy.


    However, Constantine and Hal had been waiting beneath this room for quite some time and weren''t going to give them this opportunity...


    Constantine, hidden below the room, had a fundamental purpose in setting up the magic circle on the room''s floor. He wasn''t concerned about the hundreds or thousands of Owls; those were just mosquito bites to himpared to the rewards of working in Gotham. His true objective was to observe how this ritual worked. As they say, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Constantine intended to grasp the principles behind this ritual and directly draw the energy from the decoy.


    Just as the Owls cultists were about to wrap up their ritual, Constantine was certain that he had grasped the principles of how this energy was extracted and stored. He then called out to Hal and emerged from hiding.


    As Constantine descended, a shower of demon fire rained down, indicating that one of his old acquaintances had run into misfortune again. However, one had to acknowledge that it was quite impressive.


    As his trench coat fell, mes rose in response. Constantine waved his hands, shining with magical light, and the magic circle on the ground floated up. Several energy channels, like vines caught in the wind, danced in mid-air, attacking the dark Owls cultists.


    Backed by an abundance of energy, the dark Owls cultists were naturally unafraid. They formed their formation, raising their staffs, and chanted deep, dark incantations. Their robes billowed without wind.


    Then, they were promptly pummeled by the equally energy-rich Green Lantern Hal and the awakened rk.


    To be honest, Ion Hal and Superman rk serving as guardians for this group of viins was an unparalleled honor. Combined with Constantine, who had recently sacrificed an old friend, thisbination was so formidable that even the gods on Starhaven would have to acknowledge it, and even Uncle Dar would have to admit it was a good show.


    As expected, these cultists died on the spot. Superman didn''t kill, but after removing their robes, they no longer looked very human. To call them Owls was an insult to Owls.


    Feathers sprouted from their faces, and their eyes and mouths resembled Owls. However, their necks turned into human bodies, while their hands became Owls'' ws, and their legs followed suit.


    Although the structure of their torsos remained human, many parts had already decayed from the invasion of dark energy. Apparently, they purified this dark energy using their own bodies.


    They weren''t like the natural-born gods of Asgard, capable of smoothly digesting energy like pebbles. Overindulging in such energy would result in them turning into something neither human nor ghost.


    Constantine picked up their staffs, one by one, and systematically struck them down. rk, who was still in the heat of the moment, pretended not to see it and was busy opening the cages to rescue the cats who hadn''t died yet.


    Schiller, who had just returned from the Dream Realm, immediately rushed forward and tried to cover Constantine''s mouth. When Constantine made that remark, both Hal and rk looked at Schiller. It was apparent that this n was starting to sound rming.


    "Don''t listen to his nonsense! I never intended to do such a thing!" Schiller immediately denied. Hal let out a cold snort and acted as though he hadn''t heard anything, while rk, looking at the pitiful state of the cats, took a deep breath and convinced himself he was overexerted, causing ringing in his ears, and heard nothing.


    Constantine smiled, waved his staff with force, and with a resounding thud, killed another struggling Dark Owl Priest nearby. He then said, "You really underestimated me. After observing for so long, I''ve figured out what''s going on."


    "They are indeed praying to mysterious entities for energy, but to purify this energy, they consume their flesh and souls. In other words..."


    Schiller and Constantine lowered their heads together, gazing at the corpses of the dark Owls cultists strewn about. Schiller continued, "...they are expendable. There are still Owls hidden in the deeper darkness."


    Constantine took a deep breath and looked at Schiller, saying, "Among the enemies I''ve faced, there are very few as cunning as them. Are you sure you want to go to war with them?"@@novelbin@@


    Schiller raised his head, gazing at the giant Owls decoy, and said, "You know what? The kind of enemies I fear the least are those with multiple forms."


    "Because for every enemy, there''s one of me."

 Chapter 615: A Morbid Crisis (1)

    No matter how you look at it, after suffering two major setbacks, the Court of Owls and the Dark Owls Cult were bothpletely wiped out. If we had to pinpoint their downfall, it could only be attributed to their own greed and arrogance.


    Originally, they could have sealed off the Owl''s storage of energy in Gotham, preventing the energy from responding to the Nursery Rhyme''s summons andpletely abolishing the method they had been using to influence children with Nursery Rhymes.


    However, perhaps they had a "since we''vee this far, might as well" mindset. After putting in so much effort and creating so many rules, they decided to leave it there when they moved, just in case they could capitalize on any opportunities to continue exerting influence on Gotham. If it didn''t work out, they wouldn''t lose much.


    The Dark Owls Cult never expected that people in Gotham would join forces to steal their energy, and these individuals came prepared with ns, science and technology, magic, and force. In just over a month, they managed to steal all the energy that had been umted over decades.


    Metropolis suffered the same fate. Upon discovering that Gotham''s energy was gone, they panicked, considering Gotham''s energy their lifeline and the only asset they had. They were disoriented and confused.


    Without a decisive mindset, they would be tossed back and forth like fish, Schiller used this characteristic to his advantage. If the energy was in Gotham while they were in Metropolis, they would steal Gotham''s energy and then move the people to Gotham to disrupt their base in Metropolis. The reverse situation worked simrly.


    This ensured that they would always be in a state of shock and confusion when theynded, making it difficult for them to organize a counterattack.


    Ironically, it was easier to bully these magic users than to deal with the Court of Owls because they were always arrogant, treating magic as an unbreakable tool. They believed that putting something inside a magic shield made it 100% safe.


    It could be said that if devils in hell had this mindset, Constantine would wake up from his dreamsughing.Regardless, this group of Owls and monsters werepletely finished.


    Schiller initially wanted to keep them captive, allowing them to continue begging Babatos for energy, but Constantine informed him that the iing energy could not be used directly. It had to be purified using human bodies or souls, and there were no substitutes yet. The efficiency would likely be very low. The energy Schiller had stolen was the result of decades of umtion.


    Knowing this truth, Schiller realized that keeping them captive wouldn''t yield enough energy to cover the cost of keeping them, so he abandoned the n and had Constantine use his magic staff to finish them off.


    After dealing with this situation, the group returned to Gotham, and among them was Lex, whose three-month sick leave was not even halfway over. He had been healed by Hal''s magic and went to Gotham University''sboratory with Bruce to research the dark energy.


    Lex had considered staying in Metropolis for research, but rk vehemently opposed it, believing that such dangerous energy should be kept as far away from ordinary people as possible. He even suggested sending the massive Dark Owls statue into the sun for destruction. If Schiller could use an umbre to knock him in real life, he probably would.


    The two Dark Owls statues, devoid of energy, were ced in a newly constructed research building at Gotham University. Currently, only the exterior of the building waspleted, but it was sufficient for their needs. Bruce and Lex were inside, studying the energy and the statues.


    However, with two such brilliant minds together, conflicts were inevitable. Bruce and Lex''s approaches to the experiments were not at all simr; they were often in stark disagreement. Even in areas where they agreed, they still had topete to prove who was better.


    When the young Batman and the young Luthor met, it was always bad news for Superman. If Superman wasn''t present, they couldn''t persuade each other with reason, so they resorted to physical persuasion¡ªgeniuses using their hands instead of their words.


    Meanwhile, Schiller was finally attending to something he had been putting off for a long time but was very important¡ªtaking a vacation.


    Last time he had tried to take a vacation, Green Lantern Hal hadnded on themppost at the center of the Gotham Roundabout, causing a massive traffic ident that resulted in his ssic car being totaled.


    He had to buy a new car, which took some time to arrange. Now, with his new car ready and his luggage packed, the day after returning to Gotham, he set off for Brooklyn.


    This was his first extended vacation since arriving in this world, and Brooklyn was a picturesque ce, much warmer than Gotham. It was a perfect destination for rxation and tourism.


    Driving his brand-new Ford car, Schiller sped along the highway leading out of Gotham. The endless ins stretched before him, and the twilight''s light danced in the wind. The air rippled like waves in the sea, and the car navigated through the road lined with tall trees, resembling a fish swimming through seaweed.


    The radio in the car yed jazz-infused music, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Schiller had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the car window, feeling the East Coast breeze tousling his hair. As he sped down the open road, he envisioned the leisurely days ahead of him. ?¨¤¦­???¨§?


    Suddenly, a sharp ringtone broke the tranquility. Schiller, driving with one hand, nced at the device on the passenger seat.


    In his bag, he had amunication device given to him by Batman, resembling a cross between a walkie-talkie and a mobile phone, though itcked many of thetter''s functions. Right now, it was emitting a ringing sound, much like a telephone.


    Schiller shifted one hand from the steering wheel and reached for themunication device. To his surprise, it wasn''t Bruce''s voice that greeted him but Victor''s. After picking up the phone, Schiller asked:


    "Hello?... Yes, I''ve left Gotham. What''s going on? Oh, really? And what does that have to do with me?" Schiller''s tone was icy as he continued, "Lex and Bruce got into a big fight at theboratory, and both of them ended up in the hospital... Wait, why is Bruce in the hospital? Did Lex beat him up?"


    "What? rk is there too? Did Lex call him? Did he follow Bat Cat here? And then they stumbled upon the fight, and Hal, what''s he doing?" Schiller inquired.


    Victor sighed and exined, "Bruce and Lex had a disagreement over the direction of their experiment. Lex struck first, and when Bruce retaliated, he identally injured Lex."


    "Bat Cat wanted to meet Bruce in Gotham to discuss something, and rk was responsible for bringing him. When they arrived, they walked right into the fight. rk thought Bruce was bullying Lex, so he intervened. However, he identally bumped into ab table, injuring Bruce in the process."


    "Hal also wanted to see Bruce, but he ran into rk, who was trying to take Bruce to the hospital. He thought rk was bullying Bruce. Now, they''ve ended up on one of Jupiter''s moons, fighting it out..."


    Schiller pursed his lips and asked, "Are you sure no one set this up?"


    "I don''t know for sure, but when I arrived at the scene, theboratory was empty except for Pikachu."


    "In that case, you should know who set this up," Schiller said coldly. He then heard Victor say, "Indeed, I know who set it up, which is why I called their owner. Otherwise, once they all recover, your pet might..."


    "Tell Bruce to choose a better saucepan; skip the broli," Schiller quipped before hanging up the phone. He had no interest in dealing with the petty disputes among Gotham''s residents.


    After all his efforts, the issues that could trouble him in this chaotic city had gone from grandiose to trivial. Especially since Lex arrived, the daily drama revolved mainly around Lex, Copperpot, and Bruce. Two of them fighting, one stumbling upon them, and all three ending up in the hospital except for Bruce.@@novelbin@@


    Schiller had no desire to mediate between these students'' brawls. Even though the three of them together couldn''t match one set of parents, he''d rather deal with Court of Owls'' shenanigans.


    During the call, Schiller''s car had traveled a considerable distance from Gotham. The surroundings had be more barren, and the wind had picked up. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and night had fallen.


    Schiller reached out to adjust the car''s radio volume, drowning out the howling wind with some music. However, amid the music, he keenly detected an unusual sound¡ªlike the friction of metal and a bird''s call.


    "Squeak!" The screeching sound of the brakes on the tires against the road surface pierced the air. By the time the sharp de pierced the driver''s seat, Schiller had vanished.


    Schiller''s silhouette reappeared on the right rear side of the car. He unfurled an umbre with intricate patterns, momentarily startling the assant. In the moment when Schiller closed his umbre, he caught a glimpse of the attacker who had shattered his car window.


    This assassin was d in a tight-fitting ck suit, with the only ssh of color being two yellow feathers above their eyes. Schiller was quite familiar with this attire; he had seen such assassins during the Battle of Living Hell. These killers worked for the Court of Owls and were known as "Talons."


    The glint of a cold de struck once more as Talon lunged with a short knife in hand. Simultaneously, the short dagger strapped to his chest was hurled towards Schiller, blocking his escape route. Schiller''s silhouette blinked once again, appearing at the front of the car.


    Upon closer observation, Schiller noticed that this particr Talon was different from the one he had seen before. This one was better equipped, more robust in build, and had a colder gaze. It was evident that they were working under different orders, possibly the mysterious Owls lurking behind the Dark Owls Cult who had set their sights on Schiller.


    This assassin was much more professional than the previous Talon. Schiller found himself in an area with no escape routes, surrounded by destend¡ªa perfect spot for a deadly showdown.


    Thinking quickly, Schiller blinked behind Talon, his umbre de extended. The de shed, but Talon rolled away just in time, avoiding the strike.


    Blinking again, Schiller reappeared behind Talon. This time, as Talon turned, he used his short knife to block Schiller''s umbre de, then retreated a couple of steps. He threw several more daggers at Schiller, but Schiller took cover behind the car and evaded them all.


    Finally, Talon realized that it was impractical to kill an opponent who could blink at will when surrounded by obstacles. So, when he threw his daggers again, his target wasn''t Schiller but the car''s gas tank.


    The sound of sparking followed, and Schiller swiftly retreated. With a loud "bang," the car exploded into mes.


    After the debris settled, the fire slowly extinguished, leaving behind only the charred remains of Schiller''s belongings and the brand-new car he had purchased just days ago, barely driven.

 Chapter 616: Pathological Crisis (Two)

    Chapter 616: Pathological Crisis (Two)


    In Gotham''s hospital, Lex had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, while Bruce had one on his arm. Their heated argument echoed through the corridors, audible even from a distance, thoughprehending their words was another matter.


    Standing outside the door, rk held his arms, addressing his shoulder-sitting Bat Cat, "I really don''t understand what they''re arguing about. I can''t make out anything they''re saying..."


    To his surprise, Bat Cat perched on his shoulder, scratched the wall briefly, and then meowed, "What on earth is Lex saying??"


    "You can''t understand either, can you? Even if there''s a schrly disagreement, they could discuss it calmly. There''s no need for a brawl," rk remarked.


    However, Bat Cat swiftly leaped from his shoulder and dashed into the hospital room, starting a series of meows directed at Lex. Bruce turned his head and said to Lex, "See, even he agrees with my perspective. Your approach is just too radical. Have you considered the consequences of an energy leak?"


    "I''ve mentioned before that my safety measures are foolproof. It''s your conservatism, and regarding human experiments..."


    "You want to conduct human experiments?" rk had initially intended toe and retrieve Bat Cat, but upon hearing Lex''s mention of human experiments, he sternly eximed, "Under no circumstances!"


    Lex took a deep breath and said, "I meant the kind of ethical and legal human experiments. Haven''t you heard of bedside trials?"


    "If we don''t use humans for experiments, how can we understand the effects of this energy on people? Why not gather volunteers?""It''s not the same as testing drugs," rk argued, "that energy seems inherently dangerous. I still support dumping it all into the Sun for destruction."


    "No," Bruce countered again, saying, "We can''t avoid studying it just because it might be dangerous. Nuclear energy was once a perilous force for humanity, but we still harnessed it for various purposes."


    "So, you should be on my side!" Lex shouted, "Establish a research base covering all of Gotham''s underground and recruit bedside trial volunteers."


    "Gotham''s underground isplex, and myboratory is sufficient for now," Bruce rejected his proposal.


    "Yeah, you have your cave. I suggested establishing a base here, but you disagreed. Bruce, you''re using these underhanded methods to obstruct my research progress. I can only say you''repletely unscrupulous..."


    "I won''t allow you to establish a base in Gotham, Luthor. I know what kind of person you are. If the Luthor family sets up a base here, your next step will be to use illegal means to recruit volunteers," Bruce looked at Lex and asked, "Can you guarantee you won''t do that?"


    Lex stared straight ahead and didn''t answer, but as Bruce had said, he didn''t care about ordinary people''s lives. He and Batman and Superman were not on the same page.


    "I suggest you can take some of the dark energy back to Metropolis, but you disagree," Bruce continued.


    "Is that my disagreement?!" Lex raised his voice, and then rk said, "Bruce, how can you think this way? You should support me. Destroy this energy; you actually want him to take it back to Metropolis, fearing it won''t harm ordinary people?"


    Lex and Bruce both took a deep breath.


    The three of them were stuck in an intractable argument loop. Lex belonged to the radical faction, Bruce was in the neutral camp, and rk was on the conservative side, with none of them budging from their stances.


    Lex and Bruce were both researchers, while rk was in security, and their styles didn''t match.@@novelbin@@


    Lex was on the evil side, while Bruce and rk were on thewful side, with their alignments differing.


    Lex and rk were from Metropolis, while Bruce was from Gotham, with their geographical positions also differing.


    Whenever these three people got together, no matter the topic, they would invariably end up arguing in circles.


    When Lex proposed a certain deal, Bruce and rk found it too sinister and rejected it.


    When rk proposed a deal, Bruce and Lex thought he was too conservative andcked expertise, and they rejected it.


    When Bruce proposed a method, Lex or rk rejected it due to the differences between Gotham and Metropolis.


    Throw in a Copperpot in between, along with the mischievous Pikachu, and this hospital room could witness more than 30 arguments in a day. The doctors and nurses were driven crazy by their constant bickering.


    Without rk, they might have been able to physically persuade each other, but rk firmly believed that violence was not the answer. So, whenever they thought about getting physical, Superman would use his immense strength to restrain them, and they would revert to verbal squabbling.


    And so, a week passed like this, and this group of people had exhausted their arguments, growing tired of each other. Lex, the least injured, was the first to recover. He no longer wanted to exchange a single word with them, so he decided to check out and return to Gotham University to continue his research.


    On the morning he was to leave the hospital, he packed his belongings while turning on the television. He said, "I''ve been busy arguing with you all for the past few days, and I haven''t kept up with the news. Let me see if there''s anything new..."


    As he turned on the television, Bruce, who had been half-asleep, was awakened by the noise. After waking up, he rolled over, and rk entered with breakfast, giving each of them a portion. He leaned against the wall and started eating.


    Bruce picked up the newspaper nearby and blocked the TV''s light. He still preferred reading the newspaper during breakfast, rather than the more modern method of watching television.


    However, at this moment, both Lex, who was watching TV, and Bruce, who was reading the newspaper, froze simultaneously. The TV broadcast and the front-page headline in the newspaper reported the same murder case.


    "...Our station''s journalist captured valuable footage at the scene of the incident, but out of humanitarian consideration, some images have been digitally obscured..."


    ording to a live reporter, the scene was simply too gruesome. The vast majority of eyewitnesses are currently undergoing professional psychological counseling. Until their sessions conclude, they are temporarily unable to assist in police inquiries...


    "The following footage may be distressing to some viewers. Please watch with caution..."


    As the host finished speaking, the television disyed an image on a ck background. Most of the image was pixted, but it was clear that it depicted a person sitting on a chair, looking upward.


    While the posture seemed ordinary, the censored parts of the image hinted at a scene of blood and viscera. It was apparent that the person hadn''t sat there willingly. Both their arms were missing, allowing the upper torso to be tightly wrapped and secured to the chair by iron wires. Ankles were nailed to the chair''s legs.


    The chest and abdominal cavities were torn open, with organs strewn about. But the only graphic part left uncensored was the head of the corpse.


    The corpse''s eyes had been gouged out. Even the skin around the eyes was ripped away, exposing skeletal-like eye sockets.


    Inside each socket, objects had been inserted. Though the image wasn''t entirely clear, both Lex and Bruce recognized them as miniature telescopes.


    This brutal imagery even stunned Lex and Bruce. rk spat out his food and began to retch on the spot.


    While the pixted sections suggested gore, it was the exposed head that was truly horrifying, delivering a massive visual impact.


    After the image disappeared, the host continued, "The victim, 53 years old, was the president of the Central Bank in Metropolis. His corpse was found in front of the bank''s main entrance. About a hundred people witnessed the scene, but no traces of the killer were found..."


    Bruce and Bat Cat''s eyes narrowed simultaneously. Clearly, they were reminded of another case, a simr murder of a bank president in Gotham City.


    The simrities in profile and location made it hard not to draw parallels.


    Lex grabbed his briefcase, ready to leave. Bruce, still recovering from an injury, stood up and said, "I''ll go with you to Metropolis."


    "You''re from Gotham. Stay out of Metropolis," Lex retorted, looking back at Bruce.


    Bruce, rising from his bed, replied, "You probably realized, this is rted to the Owls. Anything connected to them requires my involvement. You know that even if you disagree, I have other ways."


    At this point, Bat Cat meowed, indicating he wanted to join. rk, still in a state of shock and disgust, held Bat Cat and intervened, "You both are investigating this murder? I want in. The killer is just too... too..."


    Struggling for words, rk''s intent to join was met with immediate resistance from both Bruce and Lex. Lex spoke first, "There''s no need. Wayne and I can handle this."


    Bruce chimed in, "While I''m not in Gotham, I need someone to help maintain order there. I''ll contact Detective Gordon. You''d be a great asset to him."


    rk, a bit taken aback by their refusal, nodded in agreement, thinking of the troubling state of security in Gotham. "Alright, I''ll stay here then."


    Bat Cat tried to jump off rk''s shoulder to join Bruce, but rk grabbed him, saying, "No, you have to stay with me. You''re practically a local now. If I have questions, you''re the one to ask."


    Bat Cat struggled intensely, but before he could break free from rk''s grip, a nearby Pikachu jumped onto rk''s other shoulder and said to Bat Cat, "I''d advise you to stay. This isn''t a world for cats."


    Before Bat Cat could react, the TV interrupted with breaking news:


    "Urgent report: just two minutes ago, another murder was discovered, believed to bemitted by the same perpetrator as the bank president''s murder. Our journalists are on the scene. The following footage may be distressing to some viewers..."


    The screen revealed another person bound to a chair.


    This time, it was a woman. Just like before, her arms were nowhere to be seen, and she was bound to the chair by iron wires. However, what differed this time was the uncensored part of her head: it wasn''t her eyes that were missing, but her ears.


    The ears of the corpse had been cruelly sliced off, and the skin and tissue surrounding them werepletely gone. Within the skeletal remains of her ear canals, two horn-shaped signal receivers were embedded.

 Chapter 617: Pathological Crisis (Three)

    Chapter 617: Pathological Crisis (Three)


    After Bruce and Lex arrived in Metropolis, they had to rely on the Luthor family''s connections to make their way. However, Lionel hadn''t left behind nothing except the family industry.


    Money and power often went hand in hand, and the rtionship between the Metropolis police station''s chief and the Luthor family was quite strong. When they heard that Lex was interested in this murder case, he handed over all the case files to Lex.


    However, the officers hadn''t uncovered any particrly unique leads. So, Lex suggested to the police chief that he wanted to visit the crime scene in person. The Metropolis police chief, however, seemed quite hesitant and said over the phone, "I''m sorry, Mr. Luthor, we need to consider your safety for an on-site investigation. This matter is quite..."


    "I believe the police station could use a new batch of protective equipment, right? After such a brutal murder case, it''s time to improve the quality of the officers'' equipment. The Luthor family has always been concerned about the safety of Metropolis..."


    Lex didn''t finish his sentence, but who couldn''t understand what he meant?


    To Lex''s surprise, the police chief still didn''t agree. After he hung up the phone, Bruce stood behind him and said, "There''s a problem. When you''re trying to use money as leverage, they shouldn''t be denying you ess to the crime scene, not even the corpses."


    "Without connections, we can go directly to the morgue. There''s nothing the Luthor family can''t aplish here," Lex replied.


    The corpses from both murder cases were stored in a mortuary very close to the police station. The forensic examination hadn''t been conducted yet, so if they went there now, they should be able to see theplete corpses. Coincidentally, this mortuary was also sponsored by the Luthor family.


    However, when they arrived at the mortuary, they discovered that there were no murder victims'' bodies. After reviewing the mortuary''s surveince footage, they found that there was no record of the corpses being stored there.In other words, after the officers finished investigating the crime scene, they didn''t ce the corpses in the mortuary, which was highly unusual.


    After leaving the mortuary, Bruce thought for a moment and said to Lex, "Usually, officers choose the most convenient way to store corpses. If there''s no forensic hospital nearby, corpses are typically kept in the nearest hospital before undergoing an autopsy."


    "If they didn''t ce the corpses here, it''s possible they were directly taken to a forensic hospital. You go back to Luthor Manor and gather surveince footage from the crime scene. Tonight, I''ll go to the forensic hospital."


    Lex had no objections to this arrangement. He would allow Bruce to investigate, as he saw it as a way to harness his capabilities.


    Lex wasn''t physically powerful, and when dealing with extremely dangerous killers, safety couldn''t be guaranteed if he actively investigated. Therefore, using Batman for field investigations was a good choice. They both had amon enemy in the Owls, so they could cooperate in this regard.


    As Bruce had arranged, Lex began using technological means to obtain surveince footage from the crime scene, while Bruce went to the forensic hospital to search for the corpses.


    Bruce, cloaked in the darkness of the night, once again donned his Batman attire. He stood on the rooftop of the tallest Luthor building in Metropolis, overlooking a city more prosperous than Gotham...


    The night sky here wasn''t as dark as in Gotham; it was lit up everywhere, casting a hazy glow that didn''t quite fit Batman''s vision. He felt out of ce in a city like this; the Bat belonged in the darkness.


    But the warmth of the city''s countless lights, carried by the wind to his eyes, turned his cape orange in the soft glow. Batman took a deep breath and glided down, leaping between the buildings until he reached his destination.


    Metropolis'' new forensic hospital was in a rtively remote location, with only two guards at the entrance. Batman easily slipped inside, but there were still no corpses to be found.


    Batman sensed the strangeness of the whole situation and searched all of Gotham''s hospitals as well, but the corpses were nowhere to be found. Finally, he arrived at the home of the Metropolis police chief.


    When the sleeping police chief was awakened, he looked at the dark figure standing on the balcony in fear. Batman stood in the shadows outside the window, his voice low as he asked, "Where are the murder victims'' bodies?"


    "I... I don''t know... Who are you? Stay away! I''ll shoot!" the police chief screamed.


    Batman realized that this police chief wasn''t any tougher than Gordon. With the excellent security in Metropolis and no personal connection to him, he was just an ordinary man who was easily intimidated by violence and money.


    In the end, Batman obtained the information he wanted from the police chief. ording to him, the corpses had gone missing.


    The procedure for investigating the crime scene was quite simple. Since both corpses were discovered in prosperous street intersections and their gruesome state made it inconvenient for more people to see, they were initially examined briefly and then transported to the hospital in a sealed vehicle.


    However, this vehicle didn''t follow its nned route to the hospital. ording to the police chief, they eventually found the missing vehicle and a knocked-out officer in the suburbs. The driver and the corpses had disappeared.


    Later, the police officers found the real driver unconscious in the hospital''s underground parking lot.


    This meant that the person who had stolen the corpses had first knocked out the real driver, then impersonated them, hijacked the vehicle transporting the corpses, and finally made off with the bodies.


    After this turn of events, when the second corpse was being transported, all the officers were on high alert. A detective personally drove the vehicle and delivered the corpse to the forensic hospital. However, just as Lex and Bruce had arrived in Metropolis and were heading to the hospital, the corpse went missing again.


    The forensic hospital wasn''t as heavily guarded, and someone had infiltrated it once more, making off with the corpse.


    With no progress to show, Batman returned to Luthor Manor, and Lex didn''t bring any good news either. Standing in the undergroundboratory of Luthor Manor, he muttered while manipting aputer:


    "Metropolis has always had good security, and the people hereck a sense of crisis. Surveince cameras are also scarce, except for a few major intersections, most of the cameras inside buildings have many blind spots, and some floors have only one camera."


    "I retrieved the surveince footage from the crime scene, but it''s apparent that it wasn''t the primary crime scene. The murderer merely ced the corpse there; it wasn''t where the murder urred."


    "The question is, how did he ce the corpse there?" Bruce inquired.


    "From the surveince footage, it appears the corpse was dropped from a rooftop, with a parachute tied to the chair that held the corpse. The corpse drifted down from the rooftop of a bank building into the crowd, causing panic."


    "Unfortunately, the bank building is the tallest nearby, and the surveince cameras in other buildings couldn''t capture the rooftop. There''s only one camera that captured a silhouette."@@novelbin@@


    Lex showed Bruce the footage, which featured a figure wearing a blue custodial uniform walking through a rooftop door. However, the image was very blurry, and gender, physique, and height couldn''t be determined due to the angle.


    "What about the surveince inside the bank?" Bruce asked.


    "Metropolis Central Bank has the most ss curtain walls nearby. Every 3rd of the month, which is today, they hire a cleaningpany to wash the windows because each floor''s windows need cleaning. So, there are sightings of custodial staff throughout the entire building."


    "Through the bank''s internal surveince, we found a total of 43 individuals, all male, all wearing uniforms and hats. Their physique and height couldn''t be determined, so they''re all suspects."


    Bruce leaned against the table and said, "It looks like the killer was well-prepared. Let''s go through the actions of these 43 individuals..."


    "I''ve already analyzed them before you returned. I didn''t find any suspicious behavior, at least not in the areas where the surveince was recorded," Lex replied.


    "If the killer wanted to drop the corpse from the bank building, he must have brought the corpse inside. How did he get the corpse in?" Bruce asked.


    Lex selected a surveince clip, yed it for a while, then pressed pause. He pointed to a specific spot and said to Bruce, "Look at this box. Cleaning the ss curtain walls of a high-rise building isplicated and requires specialized equipment."


    "The fixed equipment is often bulky, with multiple ropes. Therefore, theserge boxes are brought in a day in advance and stored in the building''s basement. In other words, every 2nd of the month, these boxes appear in the underground storage of the bank building."


    "As long as he could fit the corpse into these boxes, transport them to the building''s underground storage in advance, then push them to the desired floor, using the excuse of cleaning the windows, find a surveince blind spot, and drop the corpse."


    With Lex''s description, Bruce and Lex constructed a scene in their minds.


    The calendar turned to April 2nd, around 6 in the evening. One after another, trucks from the cleaningpanies headed to the Central Bank''s underground garage.


    Custodial workers in blue uniforms unloaded onerge box after another from the trucks, cing them on hand carts and wheeling them into the connected underground storage.


    One of the custodial workers struggled with a particrly heavy box, blood oozing from its edges. However, the other custodial worker didn''t seem to notice this detail. They both ced the box on the cart and pushed it into the storage.


    On April 3rd, around 7 in the morning, Central Bank officially began its workday. Employees bustling through the main entrance, while at that moment, the custodial workers had already reached the underground storage, systematically moving all their prepared equipment.


    The murderer, disguised as a custodial worker, pushed a toolbox onto a specific floor of the building. He then took the corpse and equipment out of the toolbox, opened the ss, and dropped the corpse.


    The footage paused at this point, and Lex and Bruce exchanged a nce. Bruce was the first to speak, "There''s one issue here."


    "Correct, that''s the smell," Lex immediately replied. "If you want to hide a corpse in these toolboxes, carry it to the storage along with custodial workers, there''s no way no one would smell that horrible blood stench."


    Bruce quickly picked up a nearby notebook and drew the shape of the corpse, then pointed at it, saying, "This wound here, and this one, they both bled heavily. Even if the blood had dried by the time he was moving the corpse, there''s no way there wouldn''t be any smell."


    "To make sure there''s no smell, there are two possibilities," Lex continued, appearing quite familiar with the matter. He said, "First, he used special chemicals to treat the corpse, and the second is to use other pungent odors to cover up the smell of blood."


    "Now, the corpse is missing, and we can''t verify the first possibility. But if we consider the second possibility, what could be used to mask the pungent smell of blood?"


    Both of them answered simultaneously:


    "ss curtain wall cleaner."

 Chapter 618: A Diseased Crisis (Four)

    Thinking about the scent of a cover-up, their next task was to determine which cleaningpany the central bank had hired and what kind of cleaning agents thispany used.


    Identifying the cleaningpany was straightforward, as their distinctive all-blue uniforms revealed everything. Lex operated the keyboard nearby and said, "Previously, Luthor Manor also hired thispany. Their full name is Metropolis Snow Mountain Cleaning Limited Company, and they are thergest cleaningpany in Metropolis, with over 1800 employees."


    "Here, these are their materials. I hacked into their internal database and retrieved their recent business information. ording to this material, the central bank scheduled a ss curtain wall cleaning service on March 18th."


    Bruce approached the screen, studying the disyed information. The order details showed that Metropolis Central Bank had reserved the ss curtain wall cleaning service, involving 50 individuals, with 43 of them being male cleaning staff, excluding technical personnel and drivers.


    The information indicated they dispatched three vehicles, each equipped with fourrge toolboxes. One of these toolboxes contained all the cleaning agents, but it didn''t specify the exact brand.


    Lex continued to navigate on theputer screen, "They use a cleaning agent called ''Pailo,'' marked with a blue bear head logo. It''s also known as the ''Blue Bear Cleaning Agent,'' and Snow Mountain Company has been using it for over a decade."


    "It''s a cleaning agent specialized for ss curtain walls, and it''s not a finished product. They need to purchase the raw materials and mix them themselves. I''m currently looking up their procurement details."


    After a few moreputermands, Lex said, "Their form is confidential, but I can find the approximate chemicalposition. Based on the ingredients, it definitely has an odor, but whether it can mask the smell of blood is uncertain."


    Bruce nced at the screen''s ingredients andmented, "These ingredients, whenbined, will definitely produce a smell. Wayne Family owns many chemical factories, some of which produce cleaning agent raw materials. However, if the bottles have good sealing, the odor won''t escape.""That''s easily manageable. Just create a little ident, break a few of the bottles, and let the scent linger in the delivery truck. Or better yet, apply the cleaning agent to a cloth or mop in advance. The scent will linger for a long time, especially when stored in the same truck during transport; it can act as a cover-up," Lex exined.


    Bruce gave him a sidelong nce, as if asking, "Why are you so proficient in this?" Lex responded confidently with a look that said, "We''re in this together."@@novelbin@@


    They reviewed all the surveince footage once again, trying to analyze which toolbox might contain the concealed body. Once they found that toolbox, they could potentially identify the person responsible for moving it, who might be the murderer.


    Among the eightrge toolboxes, two were not sealed and contained rtively few items, with footage showing the contents. These could be ruled out. The remaining six toolboxes were tightly sealed and looked identical.


    There were significant blind spots in the central bank''s surveince, notably in the important first-floor lobby, where half of it was obscured. Even more worrisome was theck of surveince at the first-floor elevator. In other words, after these boxes were moved to the elevator, it was impossible to determine which box went onto which elevator and where they went next.


    Bruce and Lex discussed for 20 minutes, repeatedly calcting the movement of the boxes and their potential routes. Ultimately, they could only narrow down the suspicious boxes to three, all of which had no footage of the moving or usage scenes.


    Finally, while scrutinizing the surveince footage frame by frame, they discovered something different about one of the boxes.


    The surveince footage showed a janitor pushing one of the boxes down a corridor when suddenly a woman stopped him.


    The footage only captured their feet and the bottom of the box, without their faces or audio. The janitor and the box appeared normal, but the woman wore different shoes from the bank''s employees.


    Lex found a promotional video of the central bank online, showing that all female employees wore identical attire, including professional suits and the same type of shoes. However, the woman in the footage wore ck, pointed high heels, which were not the standard gray, round-toed high heels worn by bank staff.


    Using the shoe''s style as a clue, Lex identified the brand of these shoes as thetest season''s Prada, which had a very high price tag and required advance reservations. In other words, ordinary female bank employees couldn''t afford these shoes, and the wearer was likely affluent.


    Following this lead, Bruce and Lex deduced that this woman was probably not a bank employee but the business owner who came to transact.


    So, Lex began to investigate the central bank''srge transactions on that day. He soon discovered that since the end of February, the central bank had been monitoring a significant transaction involving Pailo Chemical Raw Material Manufacturing Limited Company and Snow Mountain Cleaning Limited Company, with Pailo receiving a substantial loan, personally approved by the bank''s president.


    The cold light from theputer illuminated Lex''s face, turning his red hair an eerie shade of purple. After concentrating for a while, he straightened up and turned to Bruce, saying, "Now, there''s some good news and some bad news."


    "Let''s start with the bad news," Bruce interrupted Lex.


    "The good news is, I''ve identified the woman. She''s the owner of Pailo Company, and she came to the bank building today to negotiate with the bank''s president," Lex began.


    "But the president has already been murdered, so her business deal likely didn''t go through," Bruce said. "She should have seen one of the toolboxes, and their conversationsted over 30 seconds. If that toolbox had something unusual, she should have noticed. Can we contact her now?" ??????¦¥s


    "This is where the bad newses in," Lex turned to the screen. "She is the second victim."


    Lex pressed a button, and an image appeared on the screen. It was a middle-aged woman with a calm demeanor. However, both Bruce and Lex had seen another image of her in the news: a gruesome one where her chest and abdomen were cut open, her ears removed, and signal receivers inserted into them.


    Bruce suddenly paused and said, "The killer is directing our gaze."


    He turned to Lex, and they exchanged a meaningful look, both understanding the same message.


    "Professor Shiller once said," Lex began pacing, "that real serial killers intentionally leave various clues to guide investigators'' attention, to make them notice what the killer wants them to notice."


    "What does he want us to notice?" Bruce posed a question, but it seemed more like he was thinking aloud. "The first victim was the bank''s president, the second victim was the owner of Pailo Company, and there was a business deal between them."


    "What is the nature of this transaction involving the bank, Pailo Company, and Snow Mountain Company? And why did the killer choose to eliminate the leaders of two sides?" Lex squinted his eyes, questioning, "What''s hidden behind this transaction, and should we be looking into it?"


    "Professor Shiller also mentioned that the killer''s guidance isn''t without purpose. They often want to reveal their motive to investigators, potentially exposing some injustice, their own tragic history, or their understanding of an innocent act," Bruce recalled while walking.


    "So, there could be hidden motives behind this transaction?" Lex stopped pacing and pondered.


    "In general, regr murderers try to eliminate all traces and prevent investigators from finding them. But serial killers tend to do the opposite; they deliberately leave clues to guide investigators'' gaze. So, following their guidance in an investigation may not necessarily be a bad thing. It might help us uncover the killer''s motive," Bruce exined. Then he turned and headed towards the door, saying, "I''ll investigate the bank, Snow Mountain Company, and Pailo Company to see if there are any issues in these three ces. Meanwhile, you..."


    Bruce paused at the door and turned back, "You continue working with the police to obtain the materials for the second case. Also, keep an eye on the owner of Snow Mountain Company; he might be the third victim."


    After Bruce left, Lex brought up another interface disying the results obtained from the police investigation. Among the information, the only useful piece was the timeline provided by witnesses.


    Thest person who had seen the bank''s president was a security guard in the residential area where the president lived. On the evening of April 2nd, the bank president had returned home in his car. Since his family was not in the city, he lived alone and hadn''t left his residence since. On April 3rd, his corpse was found on the street in front of the bank''s entrance.


    The street in the residential area had no surveince cameras, and the patrolling security guards hadn''t noticed any suspicious individuals. Even two blocks away, no one had reported anything unusual. Consequently, this lead came to a dead end, prompting Bruce and Lex to focus on the events inside the bank building.


    Soon after, Lex received the timeline materials concerning the second victim from the police. However, there was a particrly strange detail in it.


    ording to the police materials, thest eyewitness who imed to have seen the female business owner stated that he had seen her on the 16th floor in the bank president''s office at 1:10 PM. After that, no one had seen her.


    However, the monitoring equipment''s footage that Lex and Bruce had just reviewed showed the woman on a corridor at 1:10 PM, where she had stopped a janitor.


    In other words, the janitor pushing the toolbox was thest eyewitness, and none of the janitors'' testimonies had mentioned this.


    This strongly supported Bruce and Lex''s hypothesis that the killer had infiltrated the group of janitors. After disposing of the first victim''s body, they had killed the second victim on the spot.


    Lex lowered his head and looked at the materials transmitted by the police. ording to them, the second victim''s corpse had been discovered on the street in front of the Pailo Company building.

 Chapter 619: Pathological Crisis (Five)

    Chapter 619: Pathological Crisis (Five)


    In 1989, conducting an investigation was quite a troublesome affair, primarily because the technological means at that time were not as advanced as they are today. Even though Metropolis was one of the most technologically advanced cities globally, the number of surveince cameras and dashcams here was less than 1% of what woulde after the 21st century.


    Consequently, most of the surveince footage avable that could provide direct leads was from peripheral sources.


    Moreover, due to Metropolis'' generally good security situation, many cameras were left unused, as no one bothered to maintain them. Lex had only recently taken over the Luthor family, and he didn''t have the time to install cameras in every nook and cranny of Metropolis, as Bruce did in Gotham, let alone invest further time in their maintenance.


    This led them to adopt a more primitive investigative approach, relying on on-site investigations, questioning witnesses, narrowing down the list of suspects, and then interviewing them separately to find clues from their testimonies.


    While Bruce was conducting on-site investigations at threepanies, Lex arrived at the Metropolis police station. He was in the surveince room, observing professional interrogators questioning the suspects.


    Among these suspects were three janitors, a bank employee, a guard from the Pallo Company, and a security guard from the vi of the nearby bank''s CEO. These individuals included all thest eyewitnesses and the first eyewitnesses at the crime scene.


    The Metropolis police station was much more spacious and well-lit than its Gotham counterparts. There were no visible signs of wear on the walls. Even the interrogators seemed rtively friendly, using the professional knowledge they acquired in school to repeatedly ask certain questions in sequence, helping the detainees remember more details.


    Lex sat in the monitoring room behind the scenes, alongside the police station chief. He turned to the chief and said, "This damn murderer has cost the Luthor Group a substantial contract. The bank CEO took my money and then died. I won''t let this killer get away."


    "Luthor, rest assured, such a heinous case in Metropolis has probably already caught Congress''s attention. More professional personnel will handle this matter," the police station chief assured him."I just want results," Lex said expressionlessly. "The Luthor Group expects a return on every investment. If not..."


    Lex turned his head to look at the police station chief, who knew what he meant because he had also received money from the Luthor Group. If he couldn''t help the Luthor Group resolve this matter, Lex had ways to make him regret it.


    Just then, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door. The footsteps were steady and evenly spaced, indicating a well-trained individual.


    "Knock, knock, knock." The door was knocked on, and the officer standing by the door opened it. A striking female detective entered. She first shook hands with the police station chief, who introduced her to Lex with a smile. "This is Detective Ang Dodgson, a local from Metropolis. She has worked in various police departments and has solved several serial murder cases. I specially brought her in as a capable assistant."


    Seeing Lex, the detective known as Ang furrowed her brow. Lex looked like a teenager and seemed out of ce here. The police station chief hastily exined, "This is Mr. Luthor, who has been instrumental in the work of the Metropolis police station."@@novelbin@@


    "The bank CEO who was victimized this time was his friend, and they had a business rtionship, so he is very concerned and requested toe here..."


    "You should know, Detective Dodgson, that not just anyone can enter the interrogation room backstage of the police station, right?" Ang, however, showed no mercy. She turned to the police station chief, who awkwardly took a step back and smiled, saying, "I''ll escort him out now."


    After escorting Lex out, he sighed and rolled his eyes. Lex asked him, "Why are you so afraid of her? You''re the chief, and she''s just a detective. What can she do to you?"


    The police station chief looked around and motioned for Lex to speak quietly. He said, "You don''t know how formidable this female detective is. She specializes in tracking down serial killers."


    "Star City, Willow City, Central City... she has left her mark on all major cases in recent years. Whenever there''s a high-profile case, she gets called in."


    The police station chief sighed, saying, "Mr. Luthor, I know you have high hopes for me, but Metropolis has been too peaceful for too long. My subordinates and I have no clue when ites to such a serious case. If we don''t bring in a professional, who knows how long it will take to solve."


    Lex also sighed, saying as he and the police station chief walked out, "This business is the most important one I''ve handled since taking over the Luthor Group. Now it''s hit a roadblock, and the pressure on me is immense."


    The police station chief patted his shoulder, and then Lex heard him ask, "I heard that the second victim was the female CEO of Pallo Company. I''ve heard of thatpany; they specialize in manufacturing chemical raw materials for cleaning agents. What''s the connection between her and the bank CEO?"


    The police station chief shook his head and said, "Isn''t it about the new chemical factory? Haven''t you heard? Snow Mountain Company and many other nearby cleaningpanies in Metropolis have cedrge orders with Pallo Company. But as the orders piled up, their production capacity couldn''t keep up. So, Pallo Company wanted to establish a chemical factory in the western outskirts of Metropolis."


    "Do you know that ce? It used to be a mental hospital. Pallo Company bought thend, and the loan was already approved. They could start construction at any time. But who would have thought that the CEO would meet with a tragic ident..."


    The police station chief shook his head, looking regretful. Lex, however, silently noted this information. After leaving the police station, he returned to the undergroundboratory of Luthor Manor. At this point, Bruce was already waiting for him in the manor.


    Bruce inserted a data storage device into theputer''s interface, containing the clues he had obtained during his investigation.


    As the images and text were disyed, Bruce exined, "First, I visited the Snow Mountain Cleaning Company. Their security system was extremelyx. The entirepany only had three cameras, of which two were broken. Their surveince room was merely for show."


    "Furthermore, out of nearly 2,000 employees in theirpany, over half are cleaners. Due to the sheer number, they don¡¯t recognize each other. They are divided into indoor and outdoor teams. Those qualified for high-altitude work and those without the qualification don''t work together. They even have many externally hired technicians, and their HR management is aplete mess."


    "So, if a stranger infiltrates, they wouldn''t be discovered?" Lex inquired.


    Bruce nodded, "Their drivers and technicians wear the same uniforms. Impersonating a driver or technician is even easier because they don¡¯t belong to a fixed team and arepletely unfamiliar with the cleaners."


    "There''s no issue with Snow Mountain Company. I''ve reviewed their ounts and the financial situations of their top executives, everything seems normal," Bruce summarized.


    "As for Pyro Company..." Bruce paused, "It''s the same everywhere else. However, they don''t even have a single camera. It''s impossible to ascertain how the culprit transported the body to the rooftop and then threw it off."


    "However, while investigating their ounts, I found that they''ve recently seen a surge in orders. Many cleaningpanies, represented by Snow Mountain Company, are purchasing cleaning agent raw materials from them."


    "In response, they applied for a loan from the central bank, aiming to transform the western suburb mental hospital of Metropolis into a new chemical nt," Lex continued where Bruce left off.


    The two paused momentarily. Bruce then said, "All clues ultimately point to the transaction between the bank, Pyro Company, and Snow Mountain Company. And this transaction leads to the soon-to-be-established chemical factory, which in turn points to the mental hospital."


    "If the killer intends to lead us to that mental hospital, what could possibly be there?" Lex asked.


    "Grab your things. Let''s go check it out. I suspect there''s a secret there, a secret that the killer risks exposure to keep," Bruce said.


    The car sped through the Metropolis night, weaving between bright city lights, then heading towards the dark outskirts.


    A soft brake sound was heard. Bruce alighted from the car, remarking, "Your car is truly rotten. It''s beyond salvation."


    Lex emerged, looking at his luxury car, reminded of Bruce''s Batmobile. Surprisingly, he didn''t retort, thinking he should also get a car as efficient as the Batmobile. Although his luxury car is good for show, it couldn''tpare to the Batmobile in utility.


    Batman moved forward, ncing at the muddy ground beneath his feet. The soil here was notably damp, likely due to underground water resources from being close to the coast.


    Further ahead, the mental hospital came into view. It seemed rtively new, with only a few lit windows amidst mostly darkness.


    As they approached, Bruce sensed something amiss. He stopped Lex and pointed out, "Look there, armed guards... that''s not normal."


    "Why does a remote mental hospital have better security than downtown banks and corporate buildings?" Bruce squinted towards the hospital and said to Lex, "Let''s sneak in from the side entrance."


    Meanwhile, in the interrogation monitoring room, Detective Ang heard frantic footsteps outside. Suddenly, the door burst open. A policeman rushed in, shouting, "The third... the third murder at Snow Mountain Company! Hurry!"


    Ang immediately reached for her gun, loaded it, and dashed out of the police station. Riding in a police car, with sirens ring, they soon reached the front of the Snow Mountain Company building.


    A shadow sat in the middle of the road, arms missing, and the upper body secured to a chair with iron wires.


    Officers surrounded the scene. As Ang approached, the ''corpse'' twitched.


    She approached cautiously with her gun ready. It became clear that the man, though restrained, was still alive. His mouth and neck were overstuffed, lips sewn shut with iron wires. His distended belly seemed to house something alive.


    He struggled painfully, gasping. As Ang was about a meter away, the man''s stomach exploded.


    Flesh and blood spattered out,nding just less than ten centimeters in front of Ang. Obviously, the other party controlled the distance very urately, and no trace of blood sshed on the detective''s body.


    After the abdominal cavity exploded, Ang clearly saw that the foreign objects that made the victim''s abdomen bulge were countless rats.

 Chapter 620: The Morbid Crisis (Six)

    Chapter 620: The Morbid Crisis (Six)


    As the head of this corpse remained rtively intact, one could discern from the facial muscle direction that the victim had endured immense suffering before their demise.


    Some young officers nearby had already vomited, but Ang, with a stoic expression, approached the corpse to examine it.


    Her extensive experience allowed her to understand the serial killer''s modus operandi much better than others, including Bruce and Lex, as she noticed many details that had eluded them.


    Since Ang had not encountered the first two corpses, she couldn''t judge if the murder weapon was consistent. However, by examining the materials left behind, she deduced that the chair used to bind the victim was different this time.


    The chair used to bind the bank manager was an employee''s chair from the bank, the one used for the second female boss was an ergonomic chair from Pailo Company, but this time, the chair used to bind the victim was the same as the chairs used by employees at Snow Mountain Company.


    This aligns with Ang''s understanding of serial killers; they always have unique inclinations in such matters. She could even imagine that if the killer couldn''t obtain such a chair, they might not havemitted the murder.


    After thoroughly inspecting the corpse, Ang stood up and began to recollect in her mind.


    The first corpse had alterations around the eyes, with skin and muscle tissue around the eye sockets torn away and a telescope inserted. However, without an autopsy, it was uncertain whether the wounds in the chest and abdomen were fatal or if the head wound was the cause of death.


    Judging by the brutality of the killer, it was highly likely that the first victim had their eye area tissues torn away while alive, and a telescope inserted into their brain, causing death. The wounds in the chest and abdomen likely urred post-mortem.The second victim was somewhat simr to the first, likely having their ears cut off and a signal receiver inserted into the ear canal to scramble their brain into a pulp.


    As for the third victim, Ang could now tell that they likely died from suffocation just seconds before the explosion, due to an obstruction in the esophagus caused by an inserted object, possibly a rat, which led to the constriction of the airway.


    Ang stood in ce, took a deep breath, and felt a long-forgotten surge of anger. It had been a while since she had encountered such a brazen serial killer.@@novelbin@@


    She immediately spoke into her radio, "Surround all the nearby buildings immediately; the perpetrator may be among the crowd, observing this ce."


    Clearly, Ang was much more professional than Bruce and Lex. She knew that the killer had orchestrated this show meticulously and had even calcted the distance of the blood stter from the explosion. Therefore, they would definitely be watching the reactions of the nearby observed detectives.


    However, when the corpse exploded, the onlookers had scattered in all directions, and the officers were mentally shaken. They couldn''t stop the fleeing crowd in time. By the time Ang gave the order, the surrounding spectators had all disappeared.


    Ang took a deep breath, holstered her handgun, and the usuallyposed female detective showed a rare sign of fatigue. She turned and walked back, sat in the police car, and couldn''t hide her weariness.


    "Detective, you don''t have to put too much pressure on yourself. This killer hasmitted so many murders; they will eventually slip up," the young detective who was driving said.


    Ang shook her head. She wasn''t worried about the case. As a renowned detective specializing in serial murders, she knew that dealing with such serial killers required patience. Acting too hastily would only lead to chaos.


    The best way to handle them was not to listen, not to watch, not to feel anything they left as clues. Instead, she would take a different approach. Once the killer realized that nobody was watching their dramatic performance, they would be anxious, revealing their true selves.


    In the early stages of investigating such cases, Ang never acted too aggressively. She didn''t utter phrases like "we must bring the killer to justice" because she knew these killers lurked in the shadows, and they wanted to hear those words. They wanted to see the police fail repeatedly, only to regain their courage and deceive them again.


    Ang was patient. She had dealt with many brutal serial killers, and she knew their patterns. She believed that as long as she persevered, she would emerge victorious.


    Her fatigue was actually due to another personal matter. When the police car stopped at the station''s entrance, before getting out, Ang said to the detective, "Please don''t drive the car awayter; I''ll be going out alone tonight."


    "Oh, dear, Detective, you are so dedicated. Please take care of yourself... I''ll park the car in the east parking lot. If you need it, the keys are here," the detective replied without much thought, handing the keys to Ang.


    Back at the police station, Ang went to the restroom, sshed cold water on her face, and, once she regained someposure, immersed herself in work again. She assigned personnel to process the crime scene, collect as much physical evidence as possible, locate witnesses, andplete pending interviews.


    Another busy day passed, andte into the night, instead of driving back to her apartment, Ang turned the car in the direction of Gotham, driving along the highway.


    In Gotham City''s hospital, Constantiney on a hospital bed, leaning against the headboard, clutching his arm. He spoke to rk, who stood before him, "rk, I know you''re an innocent man, but you need to understand that there are people in this world with different lifestyles than yours. You can''t force others to ept your way of life..."


    "But you''re dying!" rk said earnestly. "The doctor says you have lung cancer, and your lungs are nearly rotted, yet you continue to smoke over twenty cigarettes a day. That will kill you!"


    "I won''t die, you forget, I''m a sorcerer; magic will save me," Constantine replied nonchntly, lighting another cigarette. However, before the me could rise from the lighter, rk waved his hand, extinguishing it.


    Constantine sighed, took a deep breath, and contemted how to escape from rk''s grasp. He thought for a moment and, when rk turned away, he took out a small dagger and cut his own arm.


    When rk turned back, seeing Constantine''s bleeding arm, he immediately ran to the door, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor! Someone''s bleeding!"


    "When he turned around again, the sickbed bore only mottled bloodstains, and Constantine had vanished.


    rk, hands on hips, exhaled with frustration. Just then, through the corridor window, he glimpsed what seemed like a robbery in progress. Without hesitation, he flew out of the window andnded at the scene. He shouted, ''Hold it! Stop fighting!''


    Meanwhile, Constantine, having used his teleportation magic to escape, returned to the doorstep of his apartment. He shook his head and took out his keys to unlock the door.


    As he opened the door, a ghastly figure with deep crevices on its face lunged toward him. Constantine crossed his arms in front of him and was pushed back a couple of steps upon impact.


    Removing his arms, he studied the demon standing before him. After a moment of contemtion, he realized it was a demon he had dealt with roughly two weeks ago, and it seemed it hade to settle a score.


    Before the demon could speak, Constantine raised a hand to silence it, then snapped his fingers. In an instant, a magical circle of fire engulfed the demon, and with a whoosh, it was pulled beneath the floor.


    Constantine sighed and approached, picking up the candles from the magical circle. ''This magic circle is rather handy,'' hemented. ''Not only can it lure owls, but it can also snag demons. I''ll have to refine it a bit more...''


    Initially leaving the door ajar, Constantine gathered the charred pieces of paper from the floor and absentmindedly tossed them outside. Just as he was about to close the door, he felt resistance in his hand.


    He pulled harder but found the opposing force was strong. Eventually, he released his grip, causing the person on the other side to stumble back a couple of steps. Constantine stepped back, eyeing the woman who held his door. She wore a uniform and exuded an air of authority.


    The woman was about to speak when Constantine raised a hand to stop her. He then said, ''...It was just a misunderstanding earlier. I''m truly sorry. I had no choice, and everything was my fault. I''m willing to make amends.''


    The woman, on the other hand, appeared perplexed. She asked, ''Is this Hellzer Constantine''s residence?''


    ''Um... Have we met before?'' Constantine was somewhat surprised but quickly put on a weing smile, taking a step back and gesturing toward his apartment. ''Pleasee in, miss.''


    ''Are you Constantine?'' The woman squinted her eyes, assessing Constantine, who appeared somewhat disheveled.


    He had been working tirelessly for over a month, and his golden hair had grown long, uncut. His beard around his chin and sideburns were also untamed, making him look more like a vagabond than a detective.


    ''Yes, that''s me. May I ask your name?'' Constantine reached into his coat pocket, retrieved his business card, and handed it to the woman. She hesitated for a moment before saying, ''Ang Dodge.''


    ''Alright, Miss Dodge, what brings you here? Let''s discuss inside,'' Constantine said, stepping aside.


    The apartment had a hint of British charm, but there were still some unerased magical circles around the carpet. The walls were adorned with various feather decorations, and the bookshelves and tables were cluttered with magical materials, giving it a rather eerie ambiance. What stood out even more was a mound of voodoo dolls piled up in the corner.


    Seeing Ang''s gaze fixated on the voodoo dolls, Constantine feltpelled to exin, ''Ah, please don''t misunderstand. Those are just... assembly line workers, and they''ve beenid off now.''


    With a wave of his hand, he magically concealed the area. Turning his attention back to Ang, he asked, ''So, where did you hear my name, and why have youe to find me?''


    ''I...'' Ang took a deep breath, seemingly ufortable with what she was about to say. Eventually, she spoke up, ''Just a month ago, my twin sistermitted suicide.''


    ''My condolences, but I''m afraid I can''t resurrect anyone,'' Constantine responded, pursing his lips and tilting his head. He picked up a ss of water and took a sip. ''If that''s your request, I''m powerless.''


    ''It''s not that!'' Ang raised her voice. ''My sister was a devout believer, and she knew that suicide would prevent her from going to heaven. So, she couldn''t have taken her own life!''


    ''But...'' Ang''s voice trembled. ''I''ve solved many murder cases, but I couldn''t find any clues in my sister''s case. I don''t know who killed her...''


    Then, taking several deep breaths and sipping from her cup to steady herself, Ang looked at Constantine and revealed her hidden secret, ''My twin sister and I have been able to see things that ordinary people can''t see since birth, some... incredibly frightening things.''


    ''What kind of frightening things are you talking about? Ghosts?'' Constantine inquired.


    ''No, I think those were just hallucinations. But my sister spoke about them, so my family had her institutionalized. However, she...''


    Constantine slowly stood up and continued, ''So, you''re saying both you and your sister could see these things, but she talked about them, and you didn''t. As a result, your family thought she was mentally ill and ced her in a mental hospital, and she...''


    ''Because you believe she was a devout believer. Devout followers wouldn''tmit suicide, as it would prevent them from going to heaven. Therefore, you''vee to me to investigate your sister''s death.''


    Constantine summarized the situation neatly, leaving Ang unsure of what to say. Her emotions were fluctuating, and she didn''t notice that Constantine had moved behind her.


    Supporting himself on the back of the sofa, Constantine bent down, lowering his face close to Ang''s ear. His long, golden hair brushed against her temple.


    In a moment when Ang was about to pull away, Constantine extended his hand and firmly gripped her throat from behind, a magical fire glowing in his palm.


    ''The story was well-crafted. Now, tell me who you are, where youe from, heaven or hell, and when did we make our deal?''


    Ang struggled desperately. This female detective had seen her share of battles. She managed to stand up from the sofa and, as Constantine dragged her to the floor, she reached for his ankle and yanked it, causing Constantine to stumble momentarily. She then broke free from his grasp.


    Constantine bumped into the door frame, but he quickly gestured toward the business card he had given Ang, now tucked into her pocket. A ghost materialized from it, and Ang, with quick reflexes, dodged its attack.


    However, she suddenly clutched her mouth, ovee with nausea and disgust. She retched, expelling the ck viscous substance she had ingested from the water Constantine had given her earlier.


    In the end, Angy on the floor, her final sight being Constantine, overlooking her and lighting a cigarette."

 Chapter 621: A Diseased Crisis (Seven)

    Chapter 621: A Diseased Crisis (Seven)


    Ten minutester, Ang woke up to find herself in a bathtub, cautiously raising her upper body, only to discover a blond man sitting next to her.


    Constantine wore a constipated expression as he sat by the edge of the bathtub, turning his head towards Ang. "My apologies, there seems to have been a misunderstanding here. I thought you were one of those uncivilized debt collectors I''ve dealt with in the past."


    "What in the world?!" Ang barely finished her sentence before coughing violently. The severe vomiting from earlier still had her stomach convulsing.


    Constantine pursed his lips, making a helpless expression. "I just called Midnight Father to confirm, and it turns out he did introduce you to me. I''m genuinely sorry; there have been a lot of creditors showing up at my doortely, and I tend to be cautious. Can you me me?"


    With all her strength, Ang pulled herself upright in the bathtub, leaning against the wall. She tilted her head back against the wall, squinting her eyes and taking a deep breath to ease her physical difort. Then she looked at Constantine. "You''re insane. They say you''re a detective, but to me, you''re nothing but a chatan!"


    She continued as she struggled to stand up from the bathtub. "I shouldn''t have had any illusions about you cultists. How could that stuff be real? Move aside! I''m going back!"


    "Wait a moment!" Constantine reached out to stop her. "Don''t you want to know the truth about your sister, Death?"


    Standing up, Constantine tried to halt Ang''s movements. However, Ang was now soaked, her wet clothes clinging to her body, entuating her graceful figure. As Constantine reached out, his hand brushed against her waist. He quickly withdrew it, as though shocked.


    It wasn''t that this morally questionable demon suddenly had a conscience; it was mainly because he noticed the conspicuous badge on Ang''s chest. Dealing with a Demon gave him some leeway, but getting caught by this policewoman would require a lot of effort to escape.Ang red at him and said, "As I said, move aside! Don''t expect me to believe a word from a chatan like you!"


    Just as Constantine and Ang were in a standoff, there was a sudden loud bang outside the bathroom door. Constantine turned his head, his hand emitting a momentary magic glow. He reached out to Ang and whispered, "Shh, don''t make a sound. Wait here."


    With that, he walked slowly towards the bathroom door. When his figure disappeared outside the door, Ang squinted and stepped out of the bathtub, approaching the door. She peered through the opening and saw a terrifying ck monster standing right at Constantine''s apartment door.


    "Uh..." Ang let out a low, fearful sound, but then she covered her mouth, preventing herself from making more noise. At that moment, she saw a dense ck energy suddenly envelop Constantine.


    Constantine spoke in a deep voice, "A Demon from the depths of hell? What are you doing here? I don''t recall making any deals with you... You''ve crossed the line."


    The Demon let out a piercing, sharp sound as it roared, "Constantine, you owe debts and have angered too many Demons. You will pay the price!"


    Constantine coldly snorted and said, "Perhaps I will pay a price, but you won''t be the one to judge me. Not even your master can. Now get out!"


    The Demon let out a wail, and countless energy-formed insects turned into a storm, surrounding his body. Then, it closed in on Constantine.


    Constantine extended his hand, and the ck energy transformed into fire, igniting the insects, reducing them to ashes, and spreading onto the Demon itself.


    The Demon screamed continuously, and Constantine extended his arm forward, releasing more energy. The Demon cried out, "Impossible! Where did you get such abundant energy?! Did you sell your own Soul?!"


    Watching the Demon slowly dissipate within the mes, Constantine smiled and said, "You''re just figuring that out now?"


    He stood in ce, shook his arm, and turned back to see Ang, who looked shocked, standing at the bathroom door. Constantine turned back and said, "Oh, um... I was delivering a message. I''ve already sent him away. Let''s continue discussing your sister''s issue."


    "But I clearly saw..."


    "Uh, yes, when I receive messages, I have some peculiar gestures. Don''t worry about it," Constantine exined nonchntly.


    Because he knew that without spiritual vision, ordinary humans couldn''t see Demons. What Ang saw was probably him gesturing at the air for quite some time.


    As a natural medium who could see these special beings from birth, Constantine had grown ustomed to the astonished looks of all kinds of people. When he was younger, he might have exined himself, iming he wasn''t crazy. But now, his attitude was more like, "I am crazy, what can you do about it?"


    He had stayed in Gotham for so long because no one treated him as a lunatic here. Yelling and gesturing at the air was nothingpared to the craziness that abounded in this city. As long as he didn''tmit mass murder, kidnap, or engage in bomb attacks, he was considered a model citizen.


    Constantine turned and walked towards the sofa, noticing that Ang hadn''t moved. He turned back and asked, "What''s wrong? Okay, I admit I was wrong earlier, and I apologize. I was a bit nervous. You can just consider me a lunatic."


    "I saw it! That Demon! It was... it was a Demon, right? ck... surrounded by many insects, and then you conjured a different kind of Fire to kill it..."


    Ang stammered through her words, then covered her eyes and rubbed them vigorously. "No, that''s not right! I shouldn''t be able to see such things since I was twelve... how did I..."


    Constantine, on the other hand, widened his eyes, walked up quickly, and captured Ang''s wrists, moving her hands away from her face. He stared directly into her eyes and said, "You can see those things? Are you a medium?"


    "Hey! You damned bitch! Are you ying me?" Constantine forcefully shook off Ang''s wrist, saying, "Who are you, and why don''t you know the rules of our profession? Demon hunters aren''t supposed to meet each other, and if they do, it must be prearranged!"


    "No, I''m not. I''m not a demon hunter... otherwise, I wouldn''t havee looking for you," Ang took a deep breath, calming her slightly fearful emotions. She continued, "Remember what I told you? My sister and I have been able to see those things since we were kids."


    "I thought what you were talking about were just ordinary ghosts and specters. Children often have a higher sensitivity to such things; it''s not umon for them to see such phenomena."


    "But you never told me that you can still see Demons!" Constantine raised his voice, evidently realizing that Ang didn''t grasp the gravity of the situation. He ced his hands on his hips and shook his head in frustration as he exined, "Everyone who can see Demons has been chosen by them. In other words, only if your soul is marked by a Demon will they allow you to see them. It has nothing to do with psychic abilities; it''s a curse, a dreadful curse."


    "But I never believed in any of this!" Ang quickly moved to the sofa, gesturing with her arms, and spoke somewhat frantically, "Both my sister and I could see these hallucinations, and she told our family everything. But my parents thought she was mentally ill and sent her to an asylum."


    "I used to be afraid of these things too, butter, I started refusing to believe they were real. I thought it was all just hallucinations..." Ang took a deep breath, covered her forehead, and sat down, saying, "Until I turned twelve, and I stopped seeing thempletely."


    Constantine stood still. He replied somewhat coldly, "Why do you think you suddenly stopped seeing them?"@@novelbin@@


    "Because I never believed they were real. As long as I didn''t believe, they couldn''t harm me!" Ang emphasized.


    "No," Constantine refuted, walking over to the opposite side of Ang and sitting down. He looked into Ang''s eyes and said, "It''s because they chose your sister."


    Ang stared straight into Constantine''s eyes, which seemed to possess an enchanting power that entranced her.


    Suddenly, she saw a trace of sadness in Constantine''s eyes, an emotion that shouldn''t have been present in his gaze. She heard Constantine saying, "Whether it''s twin sisters or twin brothers, the souls of all twins have a substitute quality, and Demons only need one."


    "They ced a curse on both of you, allowing you to see them. But afterward, when you stopped seeing them, it wasn''t because you stopped believing; it was because..." Constantine paused for a moment before continuing, "the Demon chose your sister and abandoned you."


    "Impossible!" Ang shouted, saying, "You don''t understand; we are the same, we..."


    "Nothing is impossible," Constantine lowered his head, picked up a ss of water in front of him, and drank it in one gulp, seeming to have more to say but choosing not to.


    However, Ang''s emotions started to crumble. She yelled loudly, "You damn con artists! All this talk of Demons and devils is nonsense. I''ve never believed..."


    "If you don''t believe, you can leave," Constantine seemed weary, turning his head, taking another sip of water, and then stood up, nning to head to his bedroom.


    Suddenly, he heard a movement behind him, the sound of a gun being cocked. He turned around, and Ang had drawn a handgun, its ck hole barrel pointed at Constantine.


    From her eyes peeking out from her disheveled hair, it was evident that this policewoman had reached the brink of losing her sanity, overwhelmed by various pressures.


    Constantine''s gaze turned even colder, seemingly unwilling to engage in further conversation with Ang. He waved his hand, and the gun was knocked out of her grasp, then he walked into the bedroom, closing the door with a resounding "thud."


    He had just reached his bed, loosened his tie, and removed his coat when he heard sobbing from outside the door. Ang was crying uncontrobly, but he paid no attention. He lit a cigarette, took a drag, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and leaned against the sofa backrest.


    Ang, sitting on the sofa in disarray, heard the bedroom door open, but she didn''t spare it a nce until a shadow cast over her head. A slightly pungent scent of cigarette smoke wafted over her. She looked up and saw Constantine''s face.


    Constantine lowered his head to take a drag from the cigarette and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "How old is your sister?"


    "...The same age as me, 27 this year."


    Constantine closed his eyes and said, "I see."


    He took a deep breath and continued, "Like I said, it''s not a coincidence that you suddenly stopped seeing those things. It''s rted to your sister''s death. She must have been taken by a Demon."


    "How do you know?" Ang wanted to make onest effort.


    "Because they came for me when I was 27."

 Chapter 622: A Morbid Crisis (Eight)

    Chapter 622: A Morbid Crisis (Eight)


    "Like I mentioned, I''m also one of the twins, except my elder brother never made it out of the womb. He was strangled by my own umbilical cord while still inside our mother. So, I was the only one born. But I, too, am a natural psychic."


    "From the moment of my birth, I could see those strange things. However, unlike you sisters, I wasn''t as kind-hearted. When I discovered my abilities, I didn''t feel fear; instead, I wanted to learn more, to delve into the secrets behind this power."


    "In the process of my learning, I killed my pet cat and nearly killed my biological father. I made a mistake that led to the deaths of a whole theater full of people, my friends, and many more innocent souls."


    Constantine recounted these events casually, but Ang kept staring at him, unable to fathom how this man could be so indifferent.


    "Don''t give me that look," Constantine remarked, exhaling cigarette smoke. "I know I''m not a good person, but I didn''t have a choice. As I said, this is a curse, and on my 27th birthday, the demon found its way to me."


    Ang opened her mouth, seemingly about to ask why he was still here, but before she could, Constantine answered, "I know what you want to ask. The demon that came for me had all its power drained and was sent back to hell. I believe the folks down there will give it a warm wee."


    "Do you understand now? I''m different from your sister, so I''m still alive while she''s not," Constantine turned around, saying, "If you genuinely want to deal with this issue, it''s best to calm down first, and then we can talk."


    Summoning thest of her strength, Ang got up from the floor. She clutched her handgun tightly, finding a sense of security in it. She trembled as she walked over to the sofa and sat down, burying her face in her hands.


    Constantine took his seat across from her once more and said, "I shouldn''t have gotten involved in this originally. But I never expected to meet someone going through the same ordeal in this world, so I can offer some advice.""I just want to find out who killed Isabel and make them pay!" Ang, helpless, leaned back on the sofa. "I couldn''t stop my parents from sending her to the mental hospital, where she spent the best years of her life."


    "After I became independent, I tried several times to get her out of that mental hospital, but she always refused. Now she''s dead, and before her death, she never got to experience a normal life," Ang''s tears streamed down her cheeks, filling the room with her grief.


    Constantine silently smoked his cigarette. "I''ve told you, I don''t have the power to resurrect anyone. You don''t understand what resurrection truly entails."


    "Resurrection is a devil''s trap. When you''re on the path to resurrection, you''llmit more sins, kill more people, and sacrifice everything, yours and others''. In the end, there''s nothing left."


    "After you''ve done all that, you''ll realize that the so-called resurrected person is not your loved one or friend. They''re just the devil''s shadow, bait in his game. It''s all a deception."


    Ang took a deep breath. "If Isabel truly can''t be resurrected, I must make her killers pay!"


    She gritted her teeth. "I don''t care if they''re angels or devils, no matter how powerful they are. I must make them know they''ll pay for their sins!"


    Constantine''s hand, holding the cigarette, paused for a moment. It seemed he didn''t expect Ang to give this answer. When he looked at the female police officer again, he saw an unusual determination and resilience in her expression.


    This made Constantine realize that she must be a good cop. Without such determination, she wouldn''t have risen through the ranks and be a Lieutenant General dealing with criminals one case after another.


    "To achieve that, we must figure out who took your sister''s soul and where she died," Constantine asked.


    "She was in the mental hospital during her lifetime, and she died in the hospital room at the mental hospital," Ang closed her eyes, her voice trembling. "She died at... Anderson Asylum."


    "...Anderson Asylum?" Bruce raised his head, looking at the elegant English letters on the doorte.


    "If I remember correctly, Anderson was a billionaire from thest century in Metropolis. The Anderson family''s reputation spread across the East Coast because they built numerous hospitals, and you can find hospitals bearing the Anderson name in several cities around here," Lex said, gazing at the name.


    Bruce just nced at it without saying a word. In the U.S., there were many hospitals named after individuals, most of which were established through wealthy donations or private initiatives. For example, Gotham''s Arkham Asylum was founded and named by Arkham.


    There wasn''t much defense at the side entrance. Bruce and Lex sessfully infiltrated the premises, and not far from the outer wall was the main building of this psychiatric hospital. Bruce and Lex quickly made their way inside following the shortest route.


    Standing by the window on the second floor corridor, Bruce squinted as he observed the courtyard. As he had warned, the ce was filled with abnormalities, and there were far too many people patrolling the yard.


    Suddenly, they heard amotion from downstairs. Bruce and Lex immediately sought refuge in a room. Fortunately, luck was on their side, as it was an empty hospital room with no patients, and the door was securely closed, making it less likely they would be discovered.


    Standing at the door, Bruce heard the conversation between a man and a woman outside the room. The man spoke first, with a slightly anxious tone, saying, "What do we do now? Mrs. Pailo is dead, and the bank president is dead too. What about our research?"@@novelbin@@


    "Don''t panic. We still have plenty of research funding left, don''t we? Even if this deal doesn''t work out, it won''t affect our next phase of experiments."


    "But what about the experiments after that? Who will donate to us? And even if we forget about the funding, how can we get the geological bureau to cooperate with our subsequent experiments?"


    "Don''t forget, the most crucial step is the deployment. We must have a deep understanding of Metropolis''s underground water veins to ensure the effectiveness of the deployment. There''s only one chance, and if something goes wrong, all our previous efforts will be in vain."


    "Don''t worry," the woman''s voice remained calm. "We chose to conduct the experiment here because this hospital is situated at the convergence point of Metropolis''s underground water veins. The underground water resources here are sufficient for our research."


    "You''re too cautious! We..."


    As the two argued and moved further away, Bruce waited until their voices and footsteps had disappeared in the corridor. Then, he walked out of the room and turned to Lex, saying, "Did you hear that? They mentioned an ongoing experiment here..."


    "Where will they keep the materials?" Lex furrowed his brow and asked.


    Then, both of them lowered their heads and cast their gaze downwards. Bruce said, "The researchboratory concerning the underground water veins must be underground. I observed the building structure earlier, and there should be a basement here."


    With that, he quickly walked to the window and continued, "ording to what they said, Pailo Company and Central Bank are aware of this experiment. They were able to hire such professional security personnel. I suspect these individuals might have been transferred from the military..."


    "Let''s go down and see. We''ll find out what they''re up to." Lex turned and headed downstairs.


    The two of them descended the staircase and arrived on the first floor. They began searching for an entrance to the basement. As expected, the entrance was locked, and the security inside was tighter.


    "Let''s go find the keys upstairs," Bruce said without hesitation, knowing that observing the door for an extended period would be of no use. This type of door couldn''t be forced open through violence, and they didn''t have the necessary means to break it down.


    Continuing upstairs, it waste at night, and most of the patients and researchers were asleep, so they encountered no obstacles. They reached the fourth floor, where the hospital rooms were upied.


    Bruce and Lex had initially nned to pass through this floor and then use the covered bridge on this level to reach the fourth floor of the opposite building, where the management personnel''s dormitory was located.


    However, as they passed through this floor, they noticed that every room was upied by a patient, except for one room on the right, which was empty.


    Bruce paused in front of the hospital room doors for a moment and pulled out a mini shlight, shining it on the nametes. The one he stopped at read "Isabel¡¤Dodge," with the diagnosis of delusional disorder and a hospitalization duration of 16 years.


    Bruce furrowed his brow, and Lex approached, asking, "What''s wrong? Is there anything unusual about this patient?"


    "This doesn''t add up. I''ve interned at Arkham Asylum, and while it''s true that patients with mental issues can be hospitalized for ten years or even longer, this diagnosis doesn''t fit."


    "No one would be hospitalized for delusional disorder for such a long time. If she hadn''t shown any signs of improvement, her family would have sought alternative solutions instead of leaving her here."


    "Moreover, delusional disorder is one of the mental illnesses that respond rtively well to medication treatments. It''s highly unlikely for someone to remain here for so long unless there was no improvement in her condition."


    As he spoke, Bruce gently turned the doorknob, and to his surprise, the door opened with a light push.


    Entering the room, they found it to be exceptionally clean and tidy, containing only a hospital bed, a small bedside table, a wardrobe, and a small television facing the bed.


    At that moment, Bruce paused, stopping Lex from entering. He said, "There''s a smell of blood here..."


    Bruce tensed his body, slightly crouching, lowering his center of gravity. He began scanning the room with his eyes to check if there were any enemies. After a thorough inspection, he concluded that the room was empty.


    So, he and Lex entered, each holding a shlight, and began investigating the room. While Lex was searching the wardrobe, he suddenly noticed that a wooden panel at the bottom of the wardrobe seemed loose. He tried to pry it open but couldn''t, so he called Bruce over.


    Bruce held onto the loose wooden panel and leveraged it outward with force. There was a creaking sound as the panel came off, revealing an envelope stuck underneath. Bruce easily removed the loose envelope and saw the writing on it:


    "To my dearest sister."

 Chapter 623: Crisis of Abnormality (Nine)

    In DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List


    XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX''


    "Sister, forgive me, I no longer have a way to sit in front of the bed andmunicate with you like before, when you see this letter, I may have already gone to hell and be talking to the devil."


    "I often tell you that I hope to go to heaven, but when I write this letter, I know that I might only be able to go to hell."


    "I''m sorry, you must be very sad now, sad for my Death, but I have to tell you, all of this is worth it, and now, you don''t have time to be sad, there is something you must do to make my Death not in vain."


    "Our parents have been sending me to this mental hospital for 16 years, and I have lived here for a very long time, understand every brick and every tile here, but just about two years ago, a group of people came here and called themselves geologists, they came here to explore the underground water structure of Metropolis."


    "At first, I was very interested in their project, because I didn''t have the opportunity to go to school, and they all had received higher education, I liked to talk to them, they could teach me a lot that I didn''t know."


    "I met a very good friend, her name is Intis, she graduated from Metropolis University, which is the university of my dreams."


    "But, I was too familiar with this hospital, to the point where I discovered some ws, I found out that they were not actually researching the underground water structure of Metropolis, but doing more evil experiments.""I can''t understand, what they are actually doing, but I know they opened aboratory underground, for conducting some chemical experiments, they might be trying to put the experiment results into the underground water, and then contaminate all the citizens of Metropolis."


    "When you see this letter, I should have already died, but what might make you very sad and disappointed is that, yes, Imitted suicide, and the purpose is to let youe here, and then expose this terrible conspiracy, and save those innocent citizens."


    "The matter still has to be told from about two weeks ago, the researcher who had a very good rtionship with me, Intis, suddenly rushed into my hospital room one night, she was very injured, on the verge of death, she told me, she was actually a Soviet Union spy, who had infiltrated this mysterious organization and became one of their members."


    "And just on that night, she finally got the Important Research Materials, which contained the form of that mysterious chemical medicine, she no longer had a way to transmit this intelligence, so she handed the materials to me."


    "She didn''t ask me to send the intelligence back to the Soviet Union, she only requested me, I must prevent this conspiracy and not let innocent citizens suffer."


    "She died in my hospital room, I pretended to sleep, my head buried in the pillow, no one could see my tears, they didn''t care about me, so I escaped that cmity."


    "The majority of my life has been spent in this mental hospital, I never went to school, nor did I have any friends, I neverpleted anything, but I know, I mustplete this thing."


    "But I don''t have any other way, I''m not an agent, I haven''t received training, I can''t leave this mental hospital, and the only way to expose the information is to bring you here..."


    "I can''t easilymunicate with you, even can''t call on the phone, they monitor everything in this city, more terrifying than you can imagine, so I can only use this method to tell you everything."


    "I know that you are an excellent detective, you will definitely investigate my death scene repeatedly, so you will definitely find this letter."


    "My dear sister, if you see this, I must tell you, don''t be impulsive, because what you see is just the tip of the iceberg."


    "They rule this city, can see every person, hear every word, everyone here is their prey."


    "Find enough allies, find enough evidence, and only then can youpete with them. If you feel that you cannot aplish all of this, then take this letter and leave this ce, the farther away you go, the better... Get away from here."


    "Always love you, your sister, Isabe Dodge, the end of the letter."


    "Pop" came the sound, Bruce folded the letter, ced it back into the envelope, and then put the envelope back into its original position, covering the wooden board again. ????§°???


    "The situation is even worse than we imagined." Bruce, who wrote the letter, understood the situation more than Isabe. He said, "Although this is a suburban area, it is not far from the central district of Metropolis, and it is a regr mental hospital."


    "To conduct geological exploration here, even to establish an independent chemicalboratory, requires multipleyers of approval and funding. At the same time, the head of the Central Bank and the boss of Pailpany are both aware of this. Their business may be to provide funding for thisboratory."


    "This means, just as Isabe wrote in the letter, a mysterious organization rules this city, politics, economy, and culture... they are everywhere."@@novelbin@@


    Bruce turned his head to look out the window at the bustling city of Metropolis, with its countless lights, but beneath the surface, the city was not as bright as it seemed. Hidden within it was a deeper darkness. He muttered to himself, "Owls..."


    Following his gaze, a car slowly stopped outside the wall of the mental hospital. Constantine and Ang got out of the car and walked away, with Constantine jumping onto the car''s engine cover and covering his eyes with one hand, looking towards the mental hospital.


    "Are you sure this is the ce? I feel like this ce looks more like a military district than a mental hospital."


    Ang pulled out her handgun and looked towards the courtyard, saying, "That''s not right. When I came before, this ce was just a regr hospital. There weren''t so many guards. Where did these peoplee from?"


    "No matter where they came from, we must cross over them to get into the hospital." Constantine jumped down from the car, checking his windbreaker''s breast pocket to make sure all of the exorcism tools were with him. He said, "Go ahead and go in first. I need to see the scene to determine what kind of demon we are dealing with."


    But just then, Ang turned around, alert, with her hands raised and her gun pointed at a direction. The headlights illuminated the ivy, casting flickering shadows. Another car arrived, stopped when it saw people ahead, and someone emerged from the driver''s seat, also holding a gun.


    The two parties faced each other, and Ang quickly recognized the other side. It was a woman, dressed and groomed very sharply, but she didn''t look like a police officer. When the person on the other side saw them, they raised their handgun and said, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    "We were about to ask you the same thing." Ang held her gun with one hand and pulled out her badge with the other, saying, "Metropolis Police Station detective, we are working on a case. Who are you?"


    But who would have thought, the other person also pulled out their credentials, shining them, saying, "Federal Investigation Bureau Agent, Ka, I am also working on a case."


    Both parties confirmed the authenticity of the evidence and both sides put away their handguns. Ka walked up and shook hands with Ang, saying, "Officer Dodge, I have heard of your reputation. What are you investigating here?"


    "In the previous serial murder case, there were witnesses who revealed some intelligence rted to this ce, but the specific details are being kept confidential for now."


    "I understand." Ka replied, then without waiting for Ang to ask, she continued, "We have an Agent who went missing near here, so I came to investigate. The specifics are also confidential."


    Ang and Constantine exchanged nces, and Ang asked, "Is the location you are investigating inside the hospital?"


    "Correct. Thest message from that Agent was sent from a hospital room in this mental hospital." Ka nodded.


    "A missing federal agent? This must be a pretty big deal. Why not simply seal off the ce?" Constantine asked with a frown.


    "It''s a confidential mission." Ka simply replied. Ang nudged Constantine with her elbow and then said to Ka, "Since that''s the case, we can cooperate. We are also on a secret mission. Where do you need to go?"


    "4th or 5th floor." Ka frowned.


    "Alright, we are also going to the 4th floor." Ang turned around and said, "Let''s go in and talk."


    They arrived at a side gate, and the female agent and female detective climbed over the wall. After a while, Ang''s head appeared from over the wall, looking at Constantine on the other side and saying, "What are you doing? Hurry up!"


    "I... "Constantine stretched out a hand,paring the top and bottom of the wall, then drew a line across his forehead. After retreating two steps, he observed the overall structure of the wall.


    Ang wore a look of helplessness, and after a while, Ka also climbed to the top of the wall, looking at Constantine who couldn''t jump up and say to Ang, "Your colleague, is he a bit... "


    "Hurry up!" Ang said through gritted teeth. Constantine sighed, then nced at Ka, and said, "Forget it, you just wait here and cover our rear."


    Ang said to Ka, "Let''s go in, don''t expect anything from him."


    After making sure their two figures hadpletely disappeared, Constantine used teleportation to get over the wall and then cast a concealment magic on himself. He walked through the guards and also entered the hospital.


    He sessfully met up with Ang on the 4th floor and Ang said to Constantine, "That Agent went to the 4th floor of another building. I will take you to my sister''s hospital room."


    After entering the hospital room, Constantine keenly caught a whiff of blood. He tried to stop Ang, but Ang walked straight in, turning back to say to Constantine, "I know, you probably smell the blood here, right? My sistermitted suicide by slitting her wrists, so there are some traces of blood left in the hospital room that couldn''t bepletely removed."


    "Grief." Constantine said while he began investigating the corners of the room, Ang, who was immersed in the sorrowful atmosphere, tried to find something to do and started to investigate the site of the discovery.


    When Ang came to investigate for the first time, she was too ovee with grief to concentrate, only taking a cursory look before getting in the car with her sister''s body and leaving.


    This time, when she re-investigated, she turned over every corner and discovered the letter hidden under the bottom of the cab.


    The letter that had been re-glued had lost most of its adhesive, and when Ang found it, the envelope had already fallen to the bottom of the cab. Ang bent down and looked under the cab, and just as she saw the envelope, she picked it up.


    She took out the letter and then stood there, then like a madwoman, she tore open the envelope and began to read its contents. Then, she covered her mouth and began crying uncontrobly.


    Constantine noticed her abnormal behavior and came over, also looking towards the letter. After reading the contents, his face changed.


    "Wait a minute, did your sister reallymit suicide or was she taken away by the Demon?!" Constantine raised his voice.


    Ang was grief-stricken, crying helplessly on the ground, but Constantine used an extremely hard attitude to pull her up and then dragged her to the center of the room. Ang looked at him, and Constantine''s expression was very serious, he said,


    "I told you before, I am also the other half of a twin, so I know that the Demon will give the same curse to twins, and then choose one of their souls to take away, just when they turn 27."


    Then, he turned his head to look at Ang and said, "But there is one other scenario. If the chosen soul leaves prematurely, that is, if they die before they are 27...


    "Then, the curse on them will be transferred to their brother or sister, which means that you and I are now equally burdened with a double curse."


    "Then... what will happen?" Ang asked in a choked voice.


    Constantine didn''t need to answer, as Ang had already seen it. The walls of the entire room suddenly began to distort.


    Countless shadows crawled up from the roots of the walls, the cabs, tables, and bed all began to shake. Constantine pulled a Bible out of his pocket, and Ang pulled out her gun, the two of them stood back to back in the center of the room, and Constantine growled in a low voice,


    "Get ready! They''reing!

 Chapter 624: Pathological Crisis (Ten)

    Countless eerie ck patterns spread up from the base of the wall, their shadowy shapes forming various horrifying monsters.


    Ang tightly gripped the gun in her hand, but it provided her with no sense of security. She understood that if these things truly existed, modern human science and technology weapons might prove ineffective against them.


    Unbeknownst to her, her arm, which had not trembled since leaving the police academy, began to quiver slightly. Her palm grew sweaty, making it difficult to firmly grasp the handgun as she used her gaze to target every passing shadow.


    Then, she turned her head and saw Constantine behind her, reaching into his coat to produce a highball ss. He uttered a few incantations, and the ss filled with clear water. Next, he retrieved a somewhat tattered piece of cloth from his pocket, dipped it into the water, and holding the cup, he said, "Give me your magazine."


    Ang didn''t reach for her handgun; instead, she retrieved a spare magazine from her waist and handed it to Constantine. After receiving it, Constantine raised an eyebrow and remarked, "I like working with someone as well-prepared as you."


    Ang snorted coldly and once again reached for her waist. With a click, three handgun magazines appeared in her hand, all fully loaded. She said, "I''ve dealt with the likes of those vile criminals for just as long as you''ve dealt with demons. Sometimes, they''re even more terrifying than devils."


    With that, she noticed Constantine cing her handgun magazine into the highball ss, stirring it, and when he took it out, the magazine appearedpletely dry, as if it had never touched water. Constantine handed the magazine back to her and said, "These are enchanted bullets, infused with holy damage. During the uing demon exorcism ritual, you must use your handgun to repel any demons that dare approach."


    "Magic Circles are extremely vulnerable while still iplete. The candle mes, the paper on the ground, and the fire in my hand cannot be extinguished. Should you detect any shadows approaching, use these bullets to vanquish them."


    Ang remained expressionless, quickly swapping her magazine. With a bang, a ck shadow slithering along the ground was hit by a bullet. Ang heard a miserable cry, and the spot struck by the bullet began emitting ck smoke, fracturing like ws.Suddenly, the policewoman calmed down. Her initial panic had stemmed from fear of the unknown, but now that she realized firearms could harm these creatures, what more was there to say?


    Using enchanted bullets to fight demons was just as effective as using regr bullets on humans. Ang quickly showed this group of demons why she was known as one of the finest detectives on the East Coast.


    Lifting her gun, aiming, firing, and raising it again, her actions were incredibly smooth. Even when several shadows attacked simultaneously, her bullets remained on target, and those shadows couldn''t get anywhere near Constantine in the room.


    "You need to conserve your ammunition," Constantine said while drawing a Magic Circle on the ground. "These are not their true forms; they are phantoms conjured by the leakage of their power from hell. They are just the prelude to their assault."


    Ang fired while listening to Constantine''s rapid exnation. "Demons who wish to invade the mortal realm often go through several steps. They first infiltrate the spirit world with their power and then move from the spirit world to the mortal realm. Once their power has fully permeated, their physical bodies will arrive here."


    "What are the consequences?" Ang asked while continuing to shoot.


    "At this stage, the bullets enchanted only lightly cannot prate their bodies. To deal with them, we either need heavy firepower or extremely powerful magical items."


    "Can''t we deal with them at this stage?" Ang inquired.


    "No, we must wait for the moment they enter the mortal realm from the spirit world. That''s when they are most vulnerable. Once we set up the trap, we can catch them all."


    "Be vignt; the invasion is about to begin!" Constantine stood up. The Magic Circle on the ground was nearlyplete, but in Ang''s view, the entire world darkened as all light sources extinguished.


    The darkest moment had arrived.


    Ang raised her gun, took a deep breath, and countless shadows rushed towards her. She performed a roll on the ground, firing two shots, then retreated a step, aiming at the shadow beneath her feet and firing again. ?????????


    Counterattacking wasn''t easy. Aside from the difficulty of aiming in this darkness, she had to avoid touching the candles in the Magic Circle on the ground. Even the slightest movement would cause the mes to flicker.


    Soon, Ang''s first magazine ran dry, and she reached for her second one. She nced at the highball ss; there was only a little water left, enough for enchanting one more magazine.


    Without much thought, Ang handed the magazine to Constantine. After enchanting it, Constantine handed it back to her. The policewoman took a deep breath and said, "Perhaps I shouldn''t have involved more people. If this is the destiny of our sisters, I want to see just how terrifying hell can be."


    With a bang, another shadow was repelled by the enchanted bullet. After herst bullet was fired, Ang discarded her handgun. In the midst of the haze and illusions, she saw her sister, Isabe, waving at her.


    At that moment, with a whoosh, a bright fire lit up, illuminating the entire room. Constantine set fire to the cloth, and mes surged. All the shadows emitted mournful cries and fled madly from the fireless areas.@@novelbin@@


    Constantine threw the burning cloth into the air, where it became a huge fireball. He controlled it with his hand, keeping it suspended, making the shadows too afraid to approach. He said, "As long as I keep this lit, no demon will dare manifest in its true form. But once it extinguishes, they will return, and we will all be in danger."


    "So, I will extinguish it directly, and in the blink of an eye, the Demon will descend. Get ready... He''sing!"


    As Constantine''s words fell, all the fires went out. Ang saw an extremely hideous and malevolent ck shadow charging towards her.


    Instinctively, Ang raised her arm to block, but suddenly, a red light shone at her feet. A scream followed, and when she turned her head, she saw the malevolent figure bound within the Magic Circle. Immediately after, another scream rang out:


    "Constantine! You!!!!"


    In that moment, the room returned to brightness, and the light that had vanishedpletely moments ago reappeared, as if the previous darkness had been an illusion.


    Constantine tossed the now-burnt cloth onto the ground and said, "... Surprise!"


    "Is it over?" Ang asked, trembling. She had no strength left and staggered over to Isabe''s bed. Constantine sat down beside her, gazing out of the window at the night sky. He said, "Perhaps it''s over, but this kind of life never truly ends."


    Ang turned her head to look at Constantine and asked, "Is this how you spend every day?"


    Constantine reached into his coat pocket, retrieved a pack of cigarettes, lit one, took a drag, and then said, "More or less. Or sometimes even worse. But at least I''m still alive, right?"


    Ang turned her head back and rested her elbows on her knees. She wiped her face with her hands and said, "Why is it like this? Why do we have no choice? Why must we endure such a terrible curse?"


    "This world is just like that. Everyone has their own misfortunes. So, I try to turn this misfortune into an advantage to survive in this world. Look at it this way; with this ability, at least ordinary people can''t threaten you."


    "Really?" Ang turned her head to look at Constantine again, but her once steadfast eye contact had be somewhat fragile.


    The recent ordeal had drained all the physical and mental strength from the resilient policewoman, inflicting significant mental torment. Now, her physical and psychological states had hit rock bottom.


    "If you were a normal person, I would never rmend you to get involved with any Mysticism. No matter how talented or intelligent you are, I''d keep you far away from these things."


    "But, for those born under a curse, if they don''t learn these things, the end result is being passively beaten down. If you want to fight back, you have to use force against force."


    Constantine took another drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly, saying, "... Understanding this reason hase at a great cost to me."


    "What cost?" Ang asked, curious.


    Constantine looked around the hospital room, the light finally illuminating the deep-set eyes beneath his brow. He said, "Metropolis is indeed one of the top cities in the world. The conditions at the mental hospital here are much better than the one I stayed in."


    "You''ve been in a mental hospital too?"


    "Of course, it''s a long story, one you might not want to hear. But it''s one of the reasons I''m guilty of the deaths of those innocents." Constantine regained some of his strength, stood up from the bed, and loosened his tie, saying, "You might think I''m crazy, but I cherish the time I spent there. When I was tormented by guilt and self-me, I was strapped to a chair, injected with useless sedatives, beaten, and thrown to the ground..."


    "That must have been painful..." Ang said with a somber tone.


    "But I live for this pain. Without it to remind me, I would still be alive, but I might have felt like a walking corpse by now." Constantine turned around, and Ang looked into his eyes, which seemed to radiate an irresistible charm, drawing her in unconsciously.


    People always enjoy chasing after stories with a dark twist, and Constantine''s life was filled with too many of these tales¡ªmadness, darkness, and sorrow, all with a morbid allure.


    Constantine bent down, exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke, and Ang tugged at his wrist, taking the cigarette he had just smoked and bringing it to her own lips. After inhaling, she blew the cigarette smoke onto Constantine''s face.


    Constantine gently pulled her up and leaned in for a kiss.


    But in the moment their lips touched, Ang snapped out of her entranced state. She pushed Constantine away and said, "No, wait, I... I need to stop their conspiracy..."


    Ang turned away awkwardly, intending to leave the room. Unbeknownst to her, behind her, Constantine wore a smirk of triumph on his face.

 Chapter 625: Morbid Crisis (11)

    Just as the atmosphere in the room turned tense and awkward, the door was suddenly thrust open. A beam from a shlight pierced the darkness, causing Ang to shield her eyes with her arm.


    Agent Ka entered the room. Upon spotting Ang and Constantine, she paused momentarily. "It seems the building just experienced a power outage. Are you two alright?"


    "We''re fine," Ang replied, her voice slightly strained. As Ka stepped further in, she remarked, "Is the clue you''re looking for in this room? I''vebed through the entire fourth floor, leaving only this room unchecked."


    "You go ahead and search. We''ll check out the other rooms," Constantine said, swiftly leading Ang out into the corridor. Once there, Ang jerked her hand away, eximing, "What are you doing? I won''t let that agent rummage around in my sister''s room!"


    Constantine halted, locking eyes with her. "Didn''t you hear her? She''s investigating the disappearance of an agent."


    Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ang pondered for a moment. "If someone is conducting unauthorized experiments here and concocting a massive conspiracy, then aside from Soviet spies within this organization, the missing agent that she''s looking for might''ve also infiltrated this group and was murdered by them."


    She continued with determination, "What''s clear is that my sister''s death is connected to the people conducting these experiments here. They''re also the target of my vengeance. Even for the sake of the citizens of Metropolis, I can''t let their conspiracy seed."


    "So, you''re suggesting we cooperate with the agent?" Constantine asked.


    "Exactly." Ang said firmly, facing him. "Right now, our primary mission is to halt this organization''s plot. We share amon enemy.""Don''t you want to confront those demons anymore?"


    Ang looked back briefly, saying, "Regardless, demons can''tunch arge-scale invasion on the city of Metropolis at the moment. But if our water supply gets tainted, many in Metropolis will perish."


    Just as she turned to head back, Constantine grasped her arm. She looked at him, but his gaze wasn''t on her¡ªit was fixed on the hallway ahead. "I smell something strange..."


    Before he could finish, the lights flickered and went out. Ang was about to question him when she felt a forceful tug on her arm, pulling her sideways. A vast shadow soared past her left side.


    "Demons from Hell!" Constantine shouted, "Damn it, why is it here? Move! Hurry to the room with the magical circle!"


    They sprinted back to the room they''d just left. On seeing them rush back, Ka looked puzzled, especially when the ceiling began to darken ominously, as though shadows were about to drip down.


    Lighting a me, Constantine illuminated the room, revealing a menacing dark figure descending¡ªit was the demon he had mentioned.


    This time, there was no need for any special vision to see the creature. Ka retreated a few steps, eximing, "What the hell is that thing?!"


    "It''s a demon," Constantine exined. But then, confusion evident, he added, "This is a demon from the depths of hell. They shouldn''t be here, nor should the hellhound. What''s going on? Are they trying to invade Metropolis?" ???£Î¨°£Â§§?


    Facing the terrifying monster, Ka reached for her radio. "Anderson Mental Hospital has a ck monster! I need backup! Repeat, it''s a ck demon! I need backup!"


    "Don''t bother! The FBI can''t handle this!" Constantine''s eyes remained fixed on the looming figure. The magical circle at his feet seemed ineffective against this physical demon, and he relied on burning pages from a holy book to keep the room lit. If darkness consumed them, they''d be easy prey for the demon.


    "I didn''t call the FBI!" Ka''s voice dropped cold. Before Constantine could reply, she uttered a foreign word: "Sukarno!"


    Time rewinds a few dozen minutes. Just before the demon''s first invasion of Isabe''s room, Bruce and Lex had already arrived at Anderson Mental Hospital''s basement.


    After leaving Isabe''s room, they headed to another building, retrieving the key to the basement. They also found valuable clues in the employee dormitories, including a list of staff members.


    The list revealed that the head of theboratory was a female researcher named Elisa, a graduate from Metropolis University.


    Bruce and Lex deduced that the man and woman they had overheard in the corridor earlier might include thisb head, Elisa.


    Within the materials they discovered, it was evident that Elisa not only headed theboratory but was also the initiator and researcher for all the projects. Furthermore, there were three management levels, all of whom resided within the undergroundboratory and seldom showed themselves on the surface.


    Understanding the hierarchy, Bruce knew whom to seek. After he and Lex sessfully reached underground, they made their way straight to the nearestboratory, nning to interrogate someone for the information they sought.


    The researcher they captured was merely a low-level minion who knew nothing. However, he did share some details about the structure of the underground rooms.


    From this, Bruce and Lex deduced that Elisa''s office was situated in the deepest part of the underground facility. Furthermore, every corridor was fitted with monitoring equipment. If detected, all the guards from both the ground and the surface would be alerted.


    Having this knowledge, Lex and Bruce incapacitated another researcher, stripping him of his uniform and donning it themselves. Bruce instructed Lex, "You enter theb and gather as much data as possible. I''ll find Elisa and understand what they''re truly up to."


    Lex didn''t refuse the n because he realized that what was needed next wasn''t intelligence, but agility. Following Bruce would only slow him down.


    They decided on a rendezvous point and began their separate missions. Bruce started navigating cautiously, avoiding the cameras and heading towards the deepest part of theb.


    However, just as he was nearing Elisa''s office, an invasion by a force called the "Demon" began from above. Darkness engulfed the entire building, simr to a power outage, plunging Bruce''s vision into obscurity.@@novelbin@@


    Once he adjusted to the darkness, he realized the camera''s views were also obscured. Seizing the moment, he dashed towards Elisa''s office.


    Outside the office, he heard an eerie creaking sound, reminiscent of someone sawing something. Bruce approached the window stealthily, peering inside. Amidst the pitch ck, he made out a figure standing on a stool, sawing through something with a hand saw.


    When the lights finally returned, Bruce''s pupils contracted in horror. Inside the room, he saw a man in a suit sawing off a woman''s head. The woman, her face contorted in agony, stared directly at Bruce.


    The suited man stood on her chest, using a saw to cut through her spine. With a final snap, the woman''s head was severed. The man discarded the saw and positioned the corpse on a chair, using iron wire to fasten her upper body.


    Bruce was certain this man was the perpetrator of the serial murders. The armless corpse before him, tied with iron wire, matched the previous victims perfectly.


    After adjusting the corpse, the man affixed the severed head back onto the body, only it was attached backward, making the woman appear as though she was looking over her shoulder.


    From his vantage point, Bruce finally grasped the theme of these serial murders: telescopes symbolized farsighted vision, signal receivers represented acute hearing, mice represented prey, and the backward head denoted a creature''s ability to rotate its head by 180 degrees.


    "Owls¡­" Bruce muttered to himself. "The killer''s target is owls."


    Then, as the murderer was about to turn, the second Demon invasion from above began, and the lights flickered off. In thest sliver of light before darkness, Bruce recognized the face of the murderer, a face he knew well yet found eerily unfamiliar: Professor Shiller Rodriguez. Except now, hisplexion was pale, his eyes reflecting a deranged madness Bruce had never seen before.

 Chapter 626: Morbid Crisis (End)

    Chapter 626: Morbid Crisis (End)


    When Bruce burst into the room, Schiller had already vanished. The duration of darkness this time was unusually prolonged, such that even without his night vision gear, Bruce was unable to witness how Schiller made his exit.


    The office had multiple doors. Given the length of the darkness, there was ample time for Schiller to leave through any of them. Bruce was well aware of this and didn¡¯t hastily pursue. Instead, he began inspecting the room.


    In the engulfing darkness, Bruce wielded a mini shlight, surveying the scene. Yet there wasn''t much to investigate, as he had already seen everything from the window. What held value were the solitary chair, a lifeless body, and the bloodstains covering the floor.


    There was an overwhelming amount of blood, its potent stench nearly making Bruce dizzy. At that moment, he noticed a trail of footprints made from fresh blood.


    Upon closer inspection, he deduced they were from a man''s shoe, precisely matching Schiller''s size.


    However, Bruce felt this was a trap. He knew Schiller possessed abilities far beyond those of ordinary people. If Schiller wanted to leave, he wouldn''t need to walk, so why would he leave footprints?


    Perhaps this was another of Schiller''s tactics to divert attention, but Bruce had no choice but to follow this lead. Besides his quest for justice and to bring the perpetrator tow, there was anotherpelling drive.


    Bruce had witnessed Schiller''s crime firsthand. Unlike before, when he suspected Schiller''s misdeeds but couldn''t trace them due to Schiller¡¯s covert tactics and deft maneuvers, now he had seen the brutal method Schiller used to take a life.


    In other words, Schiller no longer had any excuses to evade responsibility for his crimes.Following the bloody footprints, Bruce traced them upwards, leading him to the top floor of a mental hospital. The higher he climbed, the more perplexed he became, finding even more blood beside the footprints.


    This wasn''t merely the result of blood droplets from a murder ¨C the volume of blood suggested Schiller had been bleeding continuously.


    Such a sight was absurd to Bruce. How could Schiller possibly bleed? Wasn¡¯t he more like a misty apparition? Who could make a mist bleed?


    Reaching the topmost floor and opening the door at the very end, Bruce was certain he wasn¡¯t hallucinating. Schiller stood before him, pale as death and covered in blood. Standing by the window, the moonlight revealed a suit, mostly stained in dark red. The bloodstains seemed to have coagted multiple times,yered atop one another.


    Despite his pale face and blood-drained lips, signaling he was on the brink of unconsciousness, Schiller''s gaze disyed neither pain nor vulnerability. Instead, there was a morbid intensity Bruce had never seen before ¨C an emotion of sheer hysteria.


    Beside him, three chairs were neatly aligned. The previous victims sat upright on them, their heads tilted upwards, gazing at something above, their vacant stares seemingly fixated yet empty.


    "You''re here," Schiller''s voice sounded, alien to Bruce, making him wonder if the man before him was really the professor he knew.


    "I know you''ve always believed that dissociative identity disorder is merely an excuse used by serial killers to escape me," Schiller spoke softly, with an uncharacteristic gentleness.


    "Do you still believe that?" he asked.


    "Who are you?" Bruce stepped forward, standing opposite Schiller, just a few meters apart.


    "The personalities you¡¯ve encountered aren¡¯t precisely ''personalities,''" Schiller''s voice was slightly weak. "Each one represents a specific trait. The Schiller you once knew embodied ''pride.'' The one you selected was initially proud too, but after your selection, he became ''madness.''"


    "And I," Schiller looked at Bruce, "represent ''morbid.''"


    "Morbid," Bruce murmured, transitioning into his Batman persona. "Why are you injured?"


    "Why do you think I can''t be harmed? Because you''ve witnessed some magical feats?" Schiller smirked disdainfully. "Your eyes tell me you''ve envied such powers. But they repulse me."


    He spread his arms, elevating his tone. "The most thrilling part of the game is when the prey can hurt you. There''s always a danger, always a risk of injury. That''s the essence of the hunt."


    "To be in an entirely safe position, using overwhelming force against the prey, is not murder but ughter."


    "The charm of sentient beings is their unwavering will to resist even in dire situations. The allure of killing them is that their resistance might wound me, even lead to my death."


    "It''s a gamble where the oue is unknown until the veryst moment, bringing the most intense thrill. If I knew I''d win, the game would be the dullest in the world."


    "So," Schiller began, loosening his tie and removing his bloodstained suit jacket. "I renounced all extraordinary powers. What you see here," he gestured towards the bodies, "are my trophies. In every gamble here, I''ve won."


    "You''re insane," Batman uttered. Facing even the Joker, he could reiterate notions of public safety and justice. But in front of this Schiller, Batman was at a loss. This man was thoroughly mad.


    "No, I told you, I don''t represent madness. True madness doesn¡¯t need stimtion and embodies total chaos," Schiller shook his head. "But I represent morbid ¨C an obsession with thrills and pleasure."


    "Do you know how I got these wounds?" Schiller pointed to a deep gash on his shoulder. From Batman''s angle, the bone beneath the wound was visible. Revealing the full extent of the injury, which consisted of three shes, the central one being the deepest, Schiller continued, "You might''ve guessed the theme of this serial murder ¨C Owls."


    "These individuals sitting here called themselves the Owls, but theycked the courage to be real Owls. I merely offered some assistance."


    "Enhanced vision and hearing, their favorite prey, and the ability to rotate their heads significantly... When I did all this, they screamed continuously, feeling pain and sorrow. But if they didn''t want to be called ''Owls'', why give themselves such a name?"


    "Of course, these hypocritical birds also have other weapons, one of which is the Talon they''ve cultivated." Schiller turned his head, ncing at his shoulder. He even directly inserted his hand into the wound, touching his bone, and remarked, "This was left by their sharp ws."


    "It cost me dearly to kill them. Just like any ordinary person, I set traps, dodged, and used myself as bait. In the end, I was still the victor."


    Schiller took two steps forward, cing his hand on the backrest of the first chair. "Since you''vee here, I assume you have the patience to listen to each story. Let''s start with the bank president..."


    "You killed him, disguised yourself as a janitor, infiltrated the bank, and then threw the corpse off the rooftop," Batman summarized the story sinctly. "The rest were the same. You impersonated employees, sneaked in, killed them, and then threw the bodies off the building."


    "It seems you are a good detective," Schiller¡¯s voice took a cold turn. "In your words, our deadly game is just a simple sentence. All detectives are like this, skimming over the most aesthetic parts and emphasizing pointlessws and justice."


    "You''ve missed too many details to realize how you even got here. Perhaps you''d like to hear this story?" Schiller seemed patient, but his demeanor gave Batman chills.


    "Earlier, I came to this mental hospital, much before any of you."


    "Whenever I visit a ce, I always like to check out its asylum. To see if every asylum is like the one where I stayed, or perhaps better."


    "But apparently, Anderson Asylum is even more decayed. It''s not really an asylum anymore. It''s been converted into a research base. You failed to notice the letter you saw had been taken once."


    "I entered Isabe''s hospital room, learned the secrets, and overheard the person in charge. From him, I learned they were all ''Owls''."


    "The bank president, the boss of Pailo Company, the boss of Snow Mountain Company, and the woman in charge of thisboratory ¨C they are all members of the Owls Council. They are funding experiments here through various projects."


    "I wanted to lure you here. So, I killed the bank president, using the exact time, ce, and method from a previous case in Dream Cat City. Once you realized this case was rted to the Owls, I knew you''de."


    "When I was working on the first case, I left many clues in the method, drawing attention to the rtionship between the bank president and the boss of Pailo Company. This led to investigations into transactions between the bank, Pailo Company, and Snow Mountain Company."


    "From this transaction, you''d find that Pailo Company intended to renovate the mental hospital in the western suburbs. Hence, you''d inevitablye here to investigate."


    "Then, during my investigation, you arranged two power outages, deliberately guiding my gaze, leading me to chase you here," Batman said, staring deeply into Schiller''s eyes.


    Batman had to acknowledge the intricately linked clues, like a fine piece of art.


    "Batman, if I had revealed the truth to you earlier, would you havee?" Schiller asked.


    Batman remained silent. Evidently, he wasn''t satisfied with the answer in his heart, but Schiller seemed pleased. "Eachyer of clues gives you a piece of the truth. All truths together form aplete picture. During this process, you felt unparalleled pleasure. That''s your affliction, Batman."


    "If you were truly sane, you would''ve stopped the moment you realized I was deliberately misleading you. But you didn''t."


    Batman stepped forward, saying determinedly, "I will arrest you for the serial murders you''vemitted."


    "That''s what I had in mind." Schiller nodded, taking two steps back, standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window.@@novelbin@@


    He pressed a button, and the entire window shattered. The ss fragments sparkled like crystals, raining down under the moonlight.


    Schiller took another step back, standing against the backdrop of Metropolis'' night sky. The night wind ruffled his hair and coat. Batman advanced a step and said, "No, this is the tenth floor. You can''t..."


    "You better worry about yourself," Schiller''s gaze went past Batman. Batman hesitated but eventually looked back, only to see a massive ck monster.


    A loudmotion erupted behind the monster, with Batman recognizing aggressive Russian shouts and the rapid fire of bullets. Batman instinctively rolled to the side.


    Under the light of machine-gun fire, bullets pierced the ck monster and riddled Schiller.


    Batman watched as tiny sparks of fire blinked on Schiller''s blood-soaked body, eventually blending with the lights of Metropolis.


    Schiller, with his head tilted upwards, simr to the corpses tied to chairs, gazed into nothingness. Embracing the vastness with open arms, he fell out of the window.


    Constantine and Ka rushed to the window, while Ang remained frozen in ce. After a few moments, she screamed, "Schiller... Schiller!!!"

 Chapter 627: Past Memories Like Morning Stars (1)

    Chapter 627: Past Memories Like Morning Stars (1)


    As Ang''s shout pierced the calm night sky, there was a moment when time seemed to freeze, then began to rewind.


    Schiller, who had already fallen, slowly began to rise. The shattered ss shards danced upward from the ground, reforming into the pristine floor-to-ceiling window. Schiller and Batman returned to their face-to-face stance as others exited the door, moving down the staircase, returning to the room on the 4th floor.


    Standing at the forefront was Constantine, confronting a now-materialized demon. Behind him, Ka and Ang aimed their guns and fired. Ang, turning her head, said to Ka, ¡°If I heard correctly earlier, you spoke in Russian?¡±


    ¡°You''d better have heard wrong,¡± replied Ka, expressionless. The gun she held was far more advanced than Ang''s, fitted with an agent-specific silencer, and it had arger bullet capacity.


    Noticing Ang''s handgun was out of bullets, Ka reached into her waistband and handed her a magazine, advising, ¡°Once we¡¯re out, forget everything that happened here. It¡¯s better for both of us.¡±


    ¡°You''re KGB, right?¡± Ang took a deep breath. Under normal circumstances, she would try to arrest such a spy. However, recalling the contents of a letter from her sister, she could only say, ¡°I think I know who you¡¯re looking for. Read this letter.¡±


    She handed the envelope to Ka. It wasn''t out of any sympathy for the Soviet Union''s ideology but rather the understanding that entities like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, and the KGB wouldn''t stand by as a mysterious organization beyond their control flourished. They shared a mutual interest in eliminating this group.


    Ka quickly nced at the envelope and returned the letter to Ang, gripping her handgun tightly. ¡°Their sacrifices were worth it, just like your sister''s.¡±


    ¡°If not for them, who knows when this mysterious dark organization would have been exposed? Our prior investigations always met with dead ends. They always seemed one step ahead, evading our grasp,¡± Ang exined.¡°I don¡¯t care who you are,¡± Ang said as she reloaded, ¡°I only seek vengeance for my sister.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same,¡± Ka replied.


    Unified in purpose, Ka yelled to Constantine in front, ¡°Hold on a bit longer, reinforcements are arriving soon!¡±


    ¡°Don''t even think about reinforcements. This isn''t something mere mortals can handle.¡± Constantine produced a cross, cutting his palm with its edge, chanting what seemed like a ritual.


    He flung the blood from his palm at the demon. Upon contact, the demon screamed. Just then, Constantine heard a sound reminiscent of helicopter des.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± shouted Ka.


    All three dashed towards the door. A second after they exited, an explosion rocked the outer wall of the room. In an instant, what was once four walls became three, the night wind pouring in through the gaping hole.


    The smoke from the explosion obscured Constantine and Ang''s view. Coughing, Constantine peered into the room, eximing, ¡°What the hell? Why the explosion?¡±


    Ka, however, rushed in, her handgun equipped with a red dot sight. She aimed at the demon, shouting, ¡°Machine gun, fire here!¡±


    Behind the smokescreen, Constantine noticed a helicopter positioned by the hole, its machine guns unleashing a barrage, forcing the ck demon to retreat.


    The overwhelming firepower forced Constantine and Ang to continue running for cover. Amidst the gunfire, Ang yelled, ¡°Didn''t you say regr weapons don''t work on him?!¡±


    ¡°Is this a regr weapon?!¡± Constantine yelled back.


    Suddenly, a loud ¡°bang¡± followed by various other noises erupted. Covering their ears, Constantine gritted his teeth, ¡°Those Russians are crazy! How dare they use such heavy firepower on U.S. soil?¡±


    ¡°What won''t they dare to do?!¡± Ang shouted back.


    Another explosion destroyed a wall adjacent to the corridor, allowing the ck demon an escape route. Its freshly-formed limbs, instead of attacking, were now used for fleeing.


    Constantine stepped forward, a luminous magic circle shining from his bleeding palm. He positioned himself in front of the escaping demon, intending to block its path.


    But instead of the demon causing harm, it was the machine-gun fire from behind. Constantine dove for cover as Ka and other KGB agents motioned for them to stay down, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t let it escape. Chase it!¡±


    Hugging the wall, Constantine and Ang watched the ck demon being pursued by heavily armed KGB agents down the corridor and up the staircase.


    ¡°Why is it going up?¡± Ang questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we need to follow. We can¡¯t let them make too much noise, or it might start a war,¡± Constantine responded as they rushed upward.


    ¡°A war? Between the living and hell?¡±


    ¡°No, between the U.S. and the Soviet Union!¡±


    The two followed the trail of destruction to the top floor. For some reason, the demon seemed focused on charging to the end of the hallway, eventually bursting into a room.


    Inside that room stood Batman and Schiller.


    Batman, quick to react, rolled away upon hearing the noise. Now, the demon stood face-to-face with Schiller.


    The massive demon, surrounded by thick ck mist, was the sole focus of the iing KGB agents, blocking their view of Schiller. Their only goal was a swift victory.


    Seeing the demon halt, the intensity of their gunfire increased. The demon''s newly formed, unstable body was almost dispersed under the assault. Now, in less than two seconds, its entire dark form exploded.@@novelbin@@


    But the agents couldn''t stop their weapons immediately. Their fingers still on the triggers, the bullets that followed hit Schiller.


    As the ck mist cleared, everyone witnessed the sparks from the bullets lighting up Schiller¡¯s body, moments before he plummeted out of the ten-story window.


    Just as Constantine and Ka caught up, they immediately rushed to the window. Looking down, they saw Schiller lying on the ground like an ordinary man, blood spreading out around him, turning a warm hue under the streetlight''s glow.


    Ang stood frozen on the spot because she had seen Schiller''s face just a second before he fell. She cried out in disbelief, "Schiller... Schiller!"


    After a stunned silence thatsted for a few moments, she swiftly moved to the window. Seeing the fallen figure surrounded by blood, she let out a scream of despair, "No!"


    Twenty minutester, outside the emergency room of the Metropolis Central Hospital, Ang covered her face with both hands. She slid down against the wall until she sat helplessly on the ground. Beside her, Constantine took a drag from his cigarette. The smoke grew thinner in the cold light from the emergency room''s sign.


    "...Did you know Schiller?" Constantine asked.


    Ang remained silent for a while, perhaps reminiscing or gathering her words. After a few minutes, she replied, "Of course, I knew him. How could I not?"


    "Honestly, as his friends, we never really understood his past. Can you tell us his story?" Constantine inquired.


    "It was about... five or six years ago when I had just graduated from the police academy and joined the Metropolis Police Department," Ang began, shaking her head. "You should know the discrimination a woman faces in this profession."


    Constantine nodded in agreement. Even in this era, despite years of anti-discrimination movements and the increased employment rate of women, it mostly applied to ordinary sectors. In professions like the police, military, and firefighting, a prevailing stereotype persisted: even if women joined, they should work in offices, handling paperwork, making tea, and not engage in fieldwork.


    This was why Ang was so well-known. She was one of the fewpetent female officers on the East Coast and possibly the whole country. Everyone recognized that a woman who could rise in such a challenging environment was exceptional.


    However, as Ang continued her story, Constantine realized that she hadn''t always been this strong.


    "When I first joined the Metropolis Police Department, my first three days were spent running up and down stairs answering phones or delivering paperwork to the chief. The then station chief probably had me do this because I was prettier than the other female clerks," she said without arrogance, just stating a fact.


    From where he stood, Constantine could see Ang''s sharp eyebrows and prominent nose. She wasn''t conventionally pretty but had a fierce beauty and a unique allure.


    "The first time they formed a tactical unit, unsurprisingly, I was left behind at the station, responsible for paperwork. The paperwork was essential; analyzing evidence could help detectives on the field. I tried to convince myself that this role was just as important."


    "But I always felt I could do more. So, during a joint case with the local police, I applied for fieldwork. The chief agreed, but only if I slept with him. I pped him, and the next day, I was transferred to a remote branch."


    "It was probably because it was so remote that a killer, involved in a dismemberment case, hid parts of a corpse in a trash can on the street I was responsible for. That''s how I first came face-to-face with a ruthless criminal."


    "You defeated him, didn''t you?" Constantine asked, looking at Ang. Since she had approached him, she''d demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength inbat ¨C something many couldn''t do.


    Yet, Ang shook her head, "That was when I realized that what I learned at the academy didn''t trante to real-world situations. I was too nervous and let him escape."


    "After that, he not only killed an innocent person but also a police officer..." Ang closed her eyes, her voice trembling, "Since then, I''ve been gued by nightmares."


    "In these dreams, I defeated him countless times, brought him to justice, and both the innocent victim and the police officer continued their peaceful lives. But when I woke up, reality was the opposite."


    Taking a deep breath, Ang continued, "I''ve always known I had mental instability, because... my parents..."


    It seemed to take a lot of courage for Ang to speak these words. "They called my sister a monster, an incurable lunatic. They praised me as the perfect child, saying I never disappointed them. But I know I''m a monster too. I can see those things, but I never spoke about them, or maybe I was too afraid to."


    "Because my sister showed signs of instability first, they took her to see a psychologist. The psychologist diagnosed her with delusions, and against her pleas, my parents admitted her to a mental hospital, stating she couldn''t leave unless cured."


    "I know they just wanted an excuse to abandon her."


    "They pinned all their hopes on me and took me to see another specialist."


    Ang''s voice started breaking, and fear crept into her tone, "Sitting in that chair, I was trembling with fear because I knew I was like my sister. I could see those things."


    "At that moment, I heard the door open. I was about to cry, thinking the expert would condemn me. But it was a young intern who walked in. He said his name was Schiller, Schiller Rodriguez."

 Chapter 628: Past Like Morning Stars (2)

    In the previous chapter, Ang had just shared a surprising revtion with Constantine, and he couldn''t help but sit down, his gaze fixed on her as he asked, "Wait, so you knew Schiller not during your investigation into the serial killings but from your childhood? You knew him back then?"


    Ang took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. She then shook her head and replied, "No, I didn''t know him at that time. I only remember that day when my parents had arranged for that specialist who was runningte. So, they had the hospital''s intern doctor perform a preliminary diagnosis on me."


    "The intern doctor''s name was Schiller, but at that point, I was already so frightened that as soon as I saw him, I started crying..." Ang paused for a moment, her expression transitioning to a wry smile. "I still remember that he seemed a bit awkward at the time."


    "He had no idea why I was crying when he saw me. He tried tofort me for a long time, but it had no effect. Eventually, it was my exhaustion from crying that allowed him to proceed with the examination."


    Ang continued, "At that point, I hadpletely broken down. He asked me why I was crying, and I don''t even remember what I told him, but it was undoubtedly a jumbled mess of words."


    "But in any case, I exined everything to him, and what struck me was that he didn''t react with astonishment to the fact that I could see certain monsters. Unlike many others, he didn''t think there was something wrong with my mind."


    "He said he could help me deal with this trouble, so I wouldn''t suffer from it anymore, and no one would detect any mental abnormalities in me."


    Constantine suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Ang, asking, "So you mean Schiller made you stop seeing those things? This can''t be right. Wasn''t it because the Demon chose your sister instead of you?"


    Ang shook her head and replied, "He didn''t exin too much to me. At that time, I was exhausted from crying, and he yed a soothing piano piece for me. I gradually rxed and fell asleep. I don''t know what happened afterward."Constantine remained lost in thought as he said, "In theory, you were able to see those things due to Mysticism, and your inability to see them was also a result of Mysticism. During this process, any psychiatry or psychology treatment should have been ineffective. You not being able to see those things was because the Demon had given up on your soul and went after your sister."


    "How do you know the Demon went after my sister?" Ang suddenly asked, adding, "Based on my sister''s letters, shemitted suicide to uncover the conspiracy of that mysterious organization, not because the Demon came after her. So, how can you be sure the Demon chose my sister?"


    Constantine replied, "Because if the Demon had chosen you from the beginning, you should have continued to see them, but you didn''t. So..." He shook his head. "Indeed, we can''t be so hasty. After all, your sister is now deceased, and no one knows whether the Demon found her before she died."


    "If the Demon had initially chosen you, there should have been no way to make you stop seeing those things," Constantine pondered deeply. "Schiller must have employed some other method. This can''t be." ...


    "If he really had such a method... If he truly had such a method..." Constantine began to mutter to himself. Ang looked at him and said, "When I woke up, he told me to believe that those things absolutely didn''t exist, no matter who asked, I should say the same."


    Then, she raised her head, looking at the ceiling, and continued, "But that wasn''t thest time we met. After I managed to apprehend the murderer of the conspiracy case, I began experiencing severe psychological issues again. Insomnia and nightmares were tormenting me, almost killing me."


    "At that time, I was working on the conspiracy case, and during the investigation, I passed out. My colleagues took me to the hospital, where I encountered Schiller once again. However, by that time, he had be the chief physician."


    "At first, he didn''t recognize me, but I had always remembered his face. So when I told him I was the little girl who cried when she saw him, he was quite surprised. He never expected that I would be a police officer."


    "I have to acknowledge that when he showed that surprised expression, I felt rather pleased. He might have thought I was a weak crybaby, but I had long ovee that darkness."


    "We had a chat in his office, he conducted some tests, diagnosed me with anxiety, and prescribed medication. I improved significantly after taking the medication." ???N????@@novelbin@@


    "But at that time, I was working as an assistant detective, involved in the investigation of the serial killings in Wantong City."


    "Originally, I was supposed to apany my superior, but I always wanted to do more. So one day, I became the first eyewitness at a crime scene..."


    "The name of that case was..." Ang hesitated for a moment, seeming reluctant to recall it, but eventually, she said, "The Bloodman Massacre Case."


    "The killer in that case enjoyed skinning people alive and leaving the victims to die in a specific location."


    "The killer would lure the police there, making the victims believe they were being saved, only to detonate a bomb and kill them." Ang''s tone grew tremulous, and Constantine felt a chill down his spine.


    "And I... I was the police officer who was lured there, seen by the victims." Ang couldn''t hold back her tears any longer.


    "I saw the victims'' eyes, their eye contact. In that moment when they saw me, amid their despair and pain, there was a glimmer of hope¡ªa strong will to survive. I was just a few steps away from them, almost able to save them..."


    "Then, the bomb exploded, and he died. I saw it; that glimmer of hope in his eyes was extinguished,pletely gone, leaving nothing behind," Ang recounted.


    Constantine took a sharp breath, though he wasn''t well-versed in psychology, he understood the immense trauma this kind of experience could inflict on a person. Still, he inquired, "And then?"


    "I spiraled into utter madness, lost all sense of reason," Ang continued to sob. "I don''t remember what happened exactly, but when I woke up again, I saw Schiller once more."


    "He looked at me with a sense of helplessness in his eyes, and then..." Ang''s expression turned unnatural. "I didn''t mean to, but I couldn''t control my emotions... I cried again."


    Constantine could now imagine Schiller''s expression at that moment. He sighed and looked at Ang. "And then, did he heal you again?"


    Ang nodded. "But I don''t know how he did it. He yed soothing music, and I fell asleep again. When I woke up, those dreadful memories seemed distant, as if they had faded away."


    "This time, we talked a lot, and I understood that he was also investigating the serial killings. He told me the departure of the nightmare demon was temporary. If I couldn''t achieve mental harmony, madness would return."


    Ang sniffed and wiped her tears away. Her strong demeanor returned as she said, "He told me that to rid myself of this nightmare demonpletely, I had to face it without fear."


    "So, I worked hard to get field assignments, excelled in every one, better than anyone else. Finally, I returned to Metropolis Police Department and participated in the first major case, solving it."


    "I fear no serial killer, no matter how cruel or vicious. I put all my effort into bringing them to justice. That''s how I overcame my inner demons and became the most renowned female detective."


    Constantine patted Ang''s shoulder, genuinely admiring the policewoman. Having endured countless mental torments himself, he knew how difficult it was to break free from such a state.


    When a person''s mind sinks to a low point, it''s not as simple as saying "cheer up." It''s like trying to lift a person who has fallen off a cliff with one foot, or making a drowning person struggle to stay afloat¡ªit''s practically impossible.


    While changes in the external environment can aid in healing mental trauma, ultimately, it takes strong willpower to ovee it. Clearly, this female detective had a far stronger inner strength than most.


    Ang stood up, turned her head to look at the still-lit emergency room lights, and said, "He saved me several times. Even though I''m not a doctor now and can''t save critically ill patients, I can at least find out what''s going on."


    "Regardless, this is undoubtedly connected to that mysterious organization." Constantine extinguished his cigarette and tossed the butt into the nearby trash can. Ang reloaded her handgun and, as she walked away, said, "They will pay for what they''ve done."


    Constantine paused for a moment, looking back at the lit emergency room lights, then turned and walked away.


    As he walked away, he muttered to himself with a hint of puzzlement, "The first demon I summoned was just for fun with thedies. But what about that hellhound from the depths of hell and that big guy who cameter? What were they here for? How did they happen to appear at that time?"


    Suddenly, his expression turned cold. He took out a Bible from his pocket, tore out a page, and held it in his hand. "Well, let''s deal with those troublesome folks first. Owls? Hmph..."


    When they had all left, beyond the quiet corridor, the emergency room door remained ajar, and Schillery on the hospital bed, pale and connected to a venttor. Doctors in surgical gowns bustled around him.


    The monitoring equipment nearby emitted a steady "beep" sound. Suddenly, the beeping became frantic. The lead surgeon immediately said, "Condition is deteriorating, hurry!"


    The surrounding doctors scrambled, and after a while, the beeping stabilized. Then, in a matter of seconds, it became frantic again, and the doctors resumed their frantic efforts. This cycle of deterioration, rescue, stabilization, and deterioration repeated, with Schiller still in grave danger.


    Meanwhile, in Schiller''s Temple of Thought, Schiller, dressed in a ck suit, stood at the center of the bottom of the temple, shouting upward, "Death! Death! Are you there, Death? I have some questions. Can youe see me?"


    "Why isn''t heing?" Schiller eximed in frustration. "Grey Mist, can you make things a little more fatal?"


    Soon, a woeful voice emanated from above, Grey Mist''s voice. "I did my best, but the doctor''s medical skills are too advanced."

 Chapter 629: The Past Like Morning Stars (2)

    Let''s start this tale by recounting the n that had its origins on the road during Schiller''s vacation, a n that was disrupted by Talon when he damaged the car.


    Schiller considered himself a highly tolerant individual, and by tolerance, he meant treating every personality equally. It wasn''t just about containing personalities with negative traits forever. Since he had already let the violent Moonlight Schiller roam free during his time in Marvel, it seemed only natural to allow the disturbed Schiller to do the same in DC.


    Initially, Schiller hadn''t made this decision. He intended to put everyone to work while dealing with the Owls, including resolving the petty conflicts in Gotham, particrly involving Batman.


    Schiller told Batman the truth; he had indeed arrived in Metropolis, and his first stop for investigation was the Anderson Mental Hospital. The reason was simple, driven by his professional curiosity. He wanted to see if there was anything worth borrowing from Arkham Asylum.


    His infiltration process was simr to Batman''s, and he eventually found his way to Isabe''s room. From a letter left behind by Isabe, he discovered the truth about this mental hospital.


    Once he knew this, Schiller realized it was the perfect opportunity to release some dangerous personalities for a breather. After setting the deranged Schiller free, he orchestrated a series of murders involving those connected to the secret experiment: the bank president, the CEO of Pailo Company, the CEO of Snow Mountain Company, and the female head of the experimental base.


    During these murders, Schiller left clues to guide the investigation, notably involving the janitors and cleaning agents. The carefully crafted surveince footage showed a figure in janitorial attire on the rooftop, leading Batman to investigate the janitors. This inevitably led him to Snow Mountain Cleaning Company.


    Batman would also discover that to transport the corpses, they had to use therge containers used by the cleaning crew. With Batman''s intelligence, he would undoubtedly notice the issue of transporting corpses in stic containers: the odor.


    Once he decided to investigate the smell of the cleaning agents, he would inevitablye across Pailo Chemical Materials Manufacturing Company, a supplier to Snow Mountain Cleaning Company.With the information gathered about Snow Mountain Cleaning Company, Pailo Company, and the lead involving the bank president, Batman and Lex would undoubtedly put their heads together and uncover the shady dealings between these three key figures.


    However, thesepanies'' financial records would appear perfectly normal. The Owls had been lurking in the shadows for too long, and they were experts at this. At this stage, the only remaining clue was Pailo Company''s desire to renovate the Western Suburb Mental Hospital.


    This was indeed unusual because renovating such a hospital required an extensive process. Compared to the Western Suburb, Metropolis had plenty of other suburban locations to choose from. Batman would surely realize that Pailo Company''s choice of that mental hospital was not random.


    After guiding Batman, Schiller had another thread to set up: guiding Ka. Upon understanding from the letter that there might be a KGB agent who died at the hands of the Owls, Schiller knew that if Ka found a lead, she would not stand idly by and woulde to investigate.


    Schiller didn''t have any specific leads to bring Ka to this ce. He had nned to start his murders when Ka got involved. However, to his surprise, Ka''s involvement happened almost seamlessly with the timeline he had in mind.


    In Schiller''s n, there was no room for Constantine and Ang. However, their absence wouldn''t make much difference in the end. Schiller would either die in a shootout between the Owls and KGB or in the building''s explosion during their confrontation. The oue was essentially the same.


    Schiller had employed a simr strategy in Marvel. When he died there, Iron Man and Captain America had united against external threats, causing major trouble for the global demon gods. If he died again in DC, his friends would unite against the Owls.


    More importantly, involving Batman in this situation would ensure that during Schiller''s hospital stay, he wouldn''t have the time to return to Gotham and engage in disputes with Lex and rk, thus allowing Schiller to enjoy a peaceful vacation.


    Of course, as with all his previous ns, there were various other objectives beyond the primary one. These included making the Owls pay a small price for their car bombing, deceiving Batman to make him realize that fighting was not the solution, and taking the opportunity to ask Death of this world why he couldn''t die when he wanted to.


    Schiller had learned from a dream god that members of the Endless Family were aware of his intention to flee this world. It was impossible to hide such a n from ordinary people, and it was even more unrealistic to conceal it from these conceptual gods. Therefore, he intended to ask Death directly about his unique situation and why he couldn''t die.


    DC''s Death personality was somewhat weaker, appearing more ethereal. However, she possessed wisdom and couldmunicate, as confirmed by the dream god. Moreover, the dream god had told Schiller that Death witnessed the death of every individual. So, when Schiller died, she would hear his questions.


    Conceptual gods like them didn''t have the concept of being too busy. They were nearly all-knowing and all-powerful. If they noticed something unusual about a person and chose to pay attention, they could certainly answer the questions, unaffected by the volume of inquiries.


    Unfortunately, when Schiller experienced Death in this state, these gods would undoubtedly send him to the best hospital, where the most skilled doctors practiced. These individuals were experts atbating death, and even though Schiller had pushed his physical limits to the extreme, he still couldn''t die.


    This cycle continued for a long time, leaving Schiller wondering whether it was the doctors'' exceptional skills or, like in Marvel, some special power preventing him from entering Death''s domain.


    In Marvel, it was understandable that Death didn''t ept him because Schiller had initially crossed over to DC in this body. ording to fate, after crossing over, his soul had traversed the Source Wall to enter the Marvel world. Therefore, his soul''s foundation might be in the DC world, making it reasonable for Marvel Death to refuse him.


    However, the fact that DC''s Death didn''t ept him was baffling. This made Schiller contemte where the original Schiller''s soul had gone before his arrival. As he had mentioned to others, all the personalities in his Temple of Thought were facets of his personality, part of his soul, and the entire Temple of Thought was his soul.


    Hence, there was no possibility of the original Schiller disguising himself as a personality hidden within his Temple of Thought. Just like one person''s soul couldn''t be concealed within another person''s soul, a document could be ced within a system, but an entire system couldn''t be ced within another system.


    So, had the soul of the original Schiller, who had once been a KGB spy, truly vanished? As Schiller thought about this, he systematically searched for his soul to find any anomalies, but everything in the Temple of Thought appeared normal, and the personalities were functioning as usual.


    Lost in thought, Schiller lowered his gaze to therge hole at his feet. If there was anywhere he couldn''t control, it would be the subconscious beneath the conscious mind. ??????¦¢?S?


    Even someone like Schiller couldn''t im to have 100% control over their own subconscious. In fact, if the subconscious werepletely under control, existence itself would lose its meaning.


    Every time Schiller entered Dreand through this portal, there was a momentary ckout in the middle. It wasn''t a map loading; it was his subconscious at work. Since Schiller hadn''t imposed any specific control over his subconscious, it remained shrouded in darkness.


    With this in mind, Schiller decided to explore the secrets hidden within his own subconscious. He hoped to find clues to his original Soul, something perhaps undiscovered that his subconscious had noticed, but his conscious mind hadn''t.


    In general, a person''s subconscious is a treacherous realm filled with chaos and disorder, beyond the control of rational human thought. However, Schiller didn''t mind delving into it. Firstly, he had confidence in his inner strength, and secondly, he had a ship.


    Schiller first visited the Dream Realm, where he summoned the Ship of the Underworld. Then, he navigated through the portal and into the pitch-ck abyss of his own subconscious.


    There were no discernible directions here, only intuition guided his way. Schiller embarked on this journey alone, without any other personalities apanying him, silently rowing the boat forward.@@novelbin@@


    Time held no meaning in this ce. Perhaps an hour had passed, or maybe centuries. Finally, amidst the infinite darkness, Schiller discovered something peculiar.


    It was a gray Feather.


    Its rtively bright color stood out in the pitch-ck depths of his subconscious, like a lighthouse on a shoreline. Schiller spotted it from a distance, yet he hesitated to approach.


    As he rowed the boat closer, the Feather unexpectedly drifted towards him. Initially wary, Schiller felt no malevolence from it. Eventually, the Feather reached the boat andnded in Schiller''s hand.


    Upon closer examination, Schiller found nothing extraordinary about the Feather; it was just a Feather, slightlyrger than a domestic goose''s feather and gray.


    This puzzled Schiller greatly. Even if he hadn''t found anything significant, stumbling upon such an odd item was still preferable. But when had this item entered his subconscious?


    Based on Schiller''s control over his world of consciousness, he would have detected anyone entering his consciousness, including the subconscious. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have allowed the portal to remain open for so long.


    Schiller thoroughly searched his memories but was confident he had sensed nothing unusual. Then he realized that the only time he would have had no control over his consciousness was during his time-travel.


    If anyone had manipted his subconscious during that moment, it could only have been the original Schiller''s Soul. But why leave a Feather?


    Back in the Temple of Thought, Schiller felt perplexed. He hadn''t sensed any unique properties in the Feather. The mystery deepened, but Schiller wasn''t too disappointed. These were side objectives, and theirpletion was a fortunate ident, or their failure didn''t matter.


    Seeing that Death remained unresponsive and the enigmatic Feather in his possession, Schiller decided to end his pseudo-death state. He instructed Grey Mist to slowly repair his body, pulling himself out of the brink of death.


    Suddenly, the lights in the emergency room dimmed. The doctor who emerged found Bruce and Lex waiting. Without waiting for their questions, the doctor said, "The patient is out of danger. We''ll transfer him to a regr hospital room and wait for him to wake up."


    In the ordinary hospital room where Schiller slowly regained consciousness, the first person he saw wasn''t Bruce or Constantine but another blond man.


    Schiller didn''t recognize this man, but he was strikingly handsome with golden hair that sparkled. As he entered the room and saw Schiller, he spoke before Schiller could ask, "Schiller, what''s going on? I couldn''t reach you on your telephone, so I sent Demon and Hound to find you, but they didn''t return."


    The man assessed Schiller, whoy in the hospital bed, and continued, "Well, if the pressure got too much, you didn''t have to go to the hospital. Why did you push yourself to this extent?"


    Schiller extended a hand, stopping him from speaking, and asked, "Hold on, I have a question. Who are you?"


    The man''s expression turned surprised, and he looked at his reflection in the window, then said, "Wait a minute, when was thest time you saw me, as a man or a woman?"


    With that, his form shifted, transforming into a beautiful golden-haired woman. She flicked her hair and said, "Do you recognize me now? Humans are quite troublesome; it seems you must look identical, or you won''t recognize each other."


    "Still don''t recognize me? Did I use this male form before?" She changed back.


    Schiller was somewhat speechless, watching the transformations. He asked, "Does it have anything to do with appearance? Did someone tell you that I''ve lost my memory?"


    The golden-haired man inquired, "When did this happen?"


    "Just now."


    The man paused, then said, "I''m Lucifer Morningstar, Lucifer Morningstar. Does that ring a bell?"


    Before Schiller could respond, the door to the hospital room suddenly swung open. Constantine, looking tired, entered and said, "Schiller, I''ve avenged you, and you..."


    He and Lucifer Morningstar, standing in the center of the room, locked eyes.

 Chapter 630: Schiller Is Really a Good Person (1)

Chapter 630: Schiller Is Really a Good Person (1)


    1In DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List@@novelbin@@


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