Chapter 2878

Dick and Batman sat side by side on the edge of the bed.

This was an incredibly harmonious scene. Before they had turned against each other, they rarely sat so close, because usually, if they sat together in this posture, it meant they needed to start talking heart-to-heart.

But they actually hadn't talked heart-to-heart for a long time.

Now they couldn't talk heart-to-heart either, because sitting opposite them was the culprit who had made them become like this today—Shiler.

The members of the Bat-family were all gathered outside the door, but the door wasn't opened, so they didn't know what had happened in the room yet.

"You need an explanation," Shiler said very seriously.

Dick looked up at him, his angry gaze clearly writing, "We need an explanation now, because of whom?!"

"You need to see a dentist," Shiler said with an even more serious attitude.

Dick became even angrier, his gaze turning into, "Then because of whom do I need to see a dentist?!"

Batman stood up, opened the door, and walked out. His voice soon sounded outside the door. He said, "Dick ate too many sweets. Dr. Shiler discovered his cavities and performed an initial examination. The screaming was because he misjudged the severity and didn't use anesthesia... Yes, he used to be a dentist."

The Bat-family scattered like birds and beasts.

Batman came back in. He said to Shiler, "I will take him away."

Shiler stood on the spot and said nothing, nor did he have any intention of stopping him. Just as Dick was about to say something, Shiler said to him, "You will be taken away by him, or else stay."

No Dick would choose to go with Batman in this situation, but the Dick here now knew he had no other choice. Staying wouldn't be a choice that appeared in his brain; it would only be the water that had entered his brain.

Dick left with Batman.

But the moment they left the room, Shiler's voice sounded in Batman's earpiece. He knew the source of the signal was the micro-bug he had placed on Shiler's bedside.

"Don't walk in front of him," Shiler said. "Slow down and let him go first."

Batman didn't understand, but he felt this might be Shiler's plan, so he slowed down. The moment Dick passed him, he saw Dick's movements pause significantly.

Dick looked back at him.

Batman saw disbelief and sadness in his eyes.

"He thinks you refuse to expose your back to him, thinks you are suspicious of him, but you had better not have a guilty conscience, because he is a vampire now, so no matter how you guard against him, it is completely reasonable."

"Let him walk toward the Batcave," Shiler said. "The tone had better be stiff, sounding like an unquestionable order."

At this moment, Batman still felt Shiler had other plans, so he did as he was told.

Dick stared at him and said, "You treat me like a prisoner."

"You need to see more than just a dentist," Batman repeated Shiler's words. He said, "Or do you want to see the dentist from just now?"

Dick turned around silently, his feet walking toward the Batcave with some stiffness.

Batman felt a bit puzzled. Actually, Dick really wasn't seriously injured. Except for losing two fangs, magic could still be used normally. He wasn't completely without room to resist.

"What a panicked and helpless little lamb," Shiler's voice sounded exceptionally evil in Batman's earpiece. Taking advantage of Dick's lack of preparation, Batman pressed his earpiece and said, "What do you want to do?"

"I think he is a special vampire, possibly a leader, or at least a very powerful existence. Don't you want him to stand on your side?"

"You want me to use him?"

"Love him in a different way."

Batman had no way to deal with such a conversation, because the person opposite him mastered a way of talking where everything he said made sense, or rather, mastered an absolute social suppression technique where if you refuted, you were cold and heartless. There was no hope in arguing with such a person.

"Batman, I know you have never used any control means on your children, whether physical or mental. You think this is the most evil thing in the world."

"But the Dick standing in front of you now is the result of your laissez-faire attitude. We never approve of the extreme control desire of parents, but lambs will always have a master—if not you, then some other evil person."

"Would you hope your children encounter a master like me?" Shiler's tone seemed to have the certainty of winning. He said, "Can you ensure that every forbidden fruit your children taste won't be poison that can kill you, kill the Bat-family, or even kill the entire universe?"

Batman couldn't ensure it, because the facts were already before him. A traitor had appeared in the Bat-family, and the chaos this triggered had placed his universe on the dining table for people to eat. This was something Batman absolutely could not accept.

But he also wouldn't be moved by these few words. He said, "I just didn't want to treat them like that before, but if they lose control, I will..."

"You will lock them in the Batcave's prison, stop seeing them, convince yourself that you are just locking up a criminal, and then silently endure all the pain. Batman, this is not like you at all."

"Batman is a person who uses every means to deal with criminals. Even if you don't kill them, you have plenty of ways to make them suffer the consequences. Just because he is your child, you choose the stupidest method, but this only satisfies your loving father psychology and is just moving yourself."

"It's not that you can't use those manipulative means, it's just that you refuse to use them on them. All the subsequent troubles brought by this indulgence, and the pain brought to you, are like the punishment you should endure for your children, but you know this is good for no one."

"How are you going to persuade me to mentally manipulate my child like a madman like you?" Batman remained unmoved.

"Then I will do it."

"Don't even think about it."

"I'm almost successful," Shiler's tone revealed a self-satisfied smile. He said, "Do you think you can still take that necklace back? Do you think the real reason you can't take it back now is because it once belonged to you, or because it was I who put it on him?"

Batman felt real pain. He felt a bit suffocated, feeling thousands of unclear emotions surging in his chest.

He knew very well that the fear of Shiler was occupying Dick's heart. Sooner or later, he wouldn't be willing to take off that necklace that was like a collar, not because this necklace once had any unique meaning, but just because he didn't dare.

Because the person who put this necklace on him forced him to pull out his fangs, cut off his claws, and tame the beast into a docile lamb. This was a pain that ordinary people couldn't endure. No one could demand Dick not to submit because of this.

By then it would be too late, Batman thought. He would be the second Jason, and the pain he suffered would become a nightmare that couldn't be mentioned between them and in the entire Bat-family.

Perhaps even worse.

The Joker never thought of conquering Jason; he just wanted to use Jason to make Batman suffer, so the means he adopted were mostly blatant violence, which only brought hatred to Jason.

But Shiler wasn't like that. He wanted control, so what was unacceptable yet bound to happen was that Dick would love him.

But such love would only drag him into an abyss from which he could never recover, and he wouldn't have a chance to return like Jason.

Then only one choice remained—Batman must become Dick's master to prevent someone from taking advantage of the situation.

But how could he use such despicable mental manipulation means on a child?

"It doesn't matter, Batman," Shiler's voice now sounded more terrifying to Batman than the Joker's, because the Joker always talked nonsense, but Shiler went straight to the point as soon as he opened his mouth.

"I will teach you how to do it... Of course, I know you are also a manipulation master, but I'm afraid you don't know how to use mental manipulation techniques on your closest people. You can't guarantee that you and he won't lose control."

"But I am very good at this. I can teach you. I can fully guarantee that this is the best way to make your stale little cookie full of wine aroma again."

Batman really wanted to make him shut up, just as he really wanted to make himself not tempted, but he understood that things had reached this point, and this was the only way to save Dick.

Locking Dick up to study the antidote, Shiler would inevitably take advantage of the situation. But letting him go, he would definitely hurt others as a vampire and become a hopeless monster.

This was the trap of this damn doctor, Batman thought in his heart, leaving him in a dilemma, forced to do so.

"Tell me how to do it," Batman said.

"Very simple, you did very well before," Shiler's tone already had an undisguised smile. He said, "Do exactly as I say, perhaps you still have a chance to see the other side of this poor bird."

Batman prayed in his heart that it would be better not to, because he already had a premonition of what would happen next.

Batman followed Dick unhurriedly at a distance of one meter. This was a distance that wasn't too close but could form a threat very well. Both of them knew this, so this road was walked exceptionally long.

Next, every action Batman took and every word he said came from Shiler's instructions in the earpiece.

"I think you need to walk a bit faster," Batman said.

Dick had just frowned when he heard this voice come from behind again, "My emergency healing potion can only last for five minutes. If I haven't received any treatment after five minutes, I might die from internal organ rupture."

"I've treated your wounds," Dick continued to walk forward, his speed slightly faster.

"This is the biggest reason I can still move freely now. Your magic is very magical, Dick. Can you tell me where you learned it?"

"You know this wasn't learned!"

"Then can I regard this as a gift from the accidental persecution you suffered?" Batman's footsteps also accelerated, and faster than Dick's, reaching behind him in almost a few seconds.

Dick accelerated his pace again, wanting to shake him off, but he couldn't. No one could shake off Batman in the dark night.

"Tell me, is that a gift?"

"I know what you want to ask," Dick's tone was very cold. He said, "You want to ask if I was voluntarily transformed."

"No, Dick, I want to know if the pain you suffered and the harvest you obtained are proportional, and whether you think it's all worth it."

"That's none of your business."

Batman suddenly stopped. Dick also stopped after walking a few more steps forward. Then Batman's deep voice resounded in the corridor.

"You are willing to bow your head to a stranger doctor you have only known for less than a day, just because he stuffed a cross into your mouth, made you bleed a lot, and pulled out your teeth, but you aren't willing to do this to me. Can I understand that I must take similar means to make you answer my questions properly?"

Dick looked back at him in disbelief.

Batman felt he was even more excessive than him in his heart.

This was infinitely close to a threat, and it was a violent threat, not the kind of joking threat between father and son like "if you are naughty, I will break your legs," but more like a fatal threat between monarch and subject like "how do you like this empty box."

This level of threat and intimidation didn't contain any intimate love at all, and it could completely break the fragile relationship between anyone with just this one sentence, enough to push any lover away.

And manipulation without love was just empty talk, useless except for driving people crazy.

When Shiler's deep laughter sounded in the earpiece, Batman really couldn't help but be curious about how he could still save the current situation.