Chapter 4784

"What? You want me to play a game designed by Doctor Manhattan?" Greed looked at Arkham Batman with some shock. "Haven't you already played with Pursuit? Why do you have to drag me along?"

"As the designer of Doujie, don't you want to go see for yourself?" Arkham Batman asked.

"Our memories are shared; I can just check his memories when the time comes," Greed said. "And I'm not making excuses — the new season launches soon, I really am busy..."

"I still think you should go yourself," Arkham Batman said. "Considering many of his game designs and skills are improvised on the spot, with very rich variations, and there's a lot you could learn from. If you don't go on-site, there's really no way to understand clearly."

"Improvised on the spot?!" Greed said with some surprise. "You mean he only starts designing skills after players enter the game? How is that possible?"

"After all, he doesn't have Cosmic Administrator permissions; he can't get everyone's data that easily. Only when players enter the game and grant him permissions can he read the other's abilities — so skills can only be improvised on the spot."

Greed frowned slightly. Arkham Batman said: "Aren't you trying to transform into a platform? Such an excellent game designer would surely create many well-received works. If you don't go yourself, how will you show your sincerity?"

How could Greed not understand — Doctor Manhattan has real skill. He dares to independently develop games while Doujie dominates, and they look well-made, which proves he has unique strengths.

The current scale isn't large, probably just because he hasn't gotten enough resources. If he could secure bigger investment, he'd definitely be able to make a multiverse AAA title.

You have to know, even if Doujie transforms into a platform, it still needs first-party blockbusters to anchor it. After all, others can build platforms and sell games too; without enough first-party games to attract players, you can't compete with other platforms.

Although they could keep making games themselves, maintaining a platform also takes enormous energy — they probably can't have both. They still need to recruit excellent game producers to create first-party and exclusive titles; that's the healthier development path.

This Doctor Manhattan doesn't seem to want vicious competition either — he genuinely puts effort into game quality, otherwise he wouldn't have Arkham Batman this addicted. He's completely recruitable; give him some permissions to make games, Doujie just handles platform maintenance — wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

In that turn of thought, Greed made up his mind. He said: "Fine, I'll go. But you said this game needs six people to start — how many do we have now?"

"I found another President." Arkham Batman said.

Greed raised an eyebrow, but he quickly remembered — besides Bat-President, they also have a Super-President, namely Movie Universe Henry Cavill Superman, who's also running his universe impressively. The two Presidents should have plenty to talk about.

Of course, Injustice Superman was also President, and did a decent job, but Arkham Batman has nothing to say to him and is extremely displeased with his mind-control of Batman — he wouldn't seek him out. So it should be Henry Cavill Superman of Man of Steel.

That makes three people. Greed thought a moment, then said to him: "I think there's one more person who'd be very suitable."

"How's their level?" Arkham Batman asked. "Too weak won't do — because this time you're my opponents. If they're too weak, the game won't be fun."

Greed knew long ago that what addicted him this much had to be player-versus-player. Arkham Batman is the type who opens a game and jumps straight into ranked ladder; even single-player games he speedruns for records — but that fits his protagonist identity perfectly.

Greed hadn't had time to check memories yet, so he didn't know how this PvP works, but he assumed it was three-on-three. Since Arkham Batman came to him, it's definitely one person finding two teammates, then the two of them each leading a team against each other.

He thought about it — teammates he could bring really aren't many. Besides the Agent he'd locked in from the start, he also wanted to bring another Doujie administrator, so if Doctor Manhattan got ideas and tried to make things difficult, they'd have to think twice and wouldn't dare act rashly.

In the comics, aside from being somewhat inhuman, Doctor Manhattan isn't the irredeemably evil type. He also values Earth and cosmic safety; sometimes he resets timelines to fix them — barely qualifies as an anti-hero, not the type to pull underhanded tricks.

But the worry is — the ones behind this so-called Manhattan Playground might not just be Doctor Manhattan; there could be other figures behind the scenes. Even if they only participate in game design, giving them a comeuppance is easy — even slightly nerfing character stats would be plenty disgusting.

"The last person..." Greed feigned deliberation, then said: "I plan to bring Lucifer. What do you think?"

Arkham Batman was startled. He said: "Lucifer?"

"Yes. Before, he never played his own games. Last time he played a round and thought it was pretty good. But all Doujie game plots and programming go through his review, so every game he plays is spoiled — no fun. Going to another company for a round means no spoilers."

Arkham Batman nodded. He also guessed Greed had reservations — bringing Lucifer was to prevent the other side from pulling tricks. Though Arkham Batman didn't think Doctor Manhattan could outmatch Greed, same principle — dirty tricks on power level are still disgusting. With Lucifer there, no fear — a figure like Doctor Manhattan surely knows Lucifer's background; once he shows up, others absolutely won't dare act rashly.

So now there are five people, just one short. Seeing Greed had no intention of continuing, Arkham Batman started considering the final candidate.

He genuinely wanted an opponent with sufficient strength, but he also noticed — Batman's skills likely lean toward puzzle-solving, can't provide combat satisfaction, would drag down the Exorcist side's strength. The last person still needs to be a fighter.

Arkham Batman mentally reviewed the possible skills of these candidates, then asked: "Are there any people on your world with particularly strong perception abilities?"

Arkham Batman felt the other side lacked a scout. They lost last time because of this. Though Scarlet Spider-Man has high mobility and can crawl walls to scout, the risk is too high — literally trading life for intel. If only they had Pursuit's wall-penetrating clairvoyance.

"Pursuit isn't coming?" Greed asked.

Arkham Batman shook his head. "He's already left — looks like he doesn't want to play anymore."

Another sentence he didn't say. Pursuit's tracking skill is good, but this game's ghosts are clearly invincible — even seeing their positions in real-time, you can't attack them. Having him as an Exorcist still wouldn't be strong enough.

"Then it's Daredevil Matt," Greed said. "You should've heard of him, right?"

"I've heard of him," Arkham Batman said. "I heard he's a blind man, but not only has a law license, he fights crime — must be quite formidable."

"Indeed. But you might not know — he studied kung fu under Stick, his martial arts are excellent. He also has 'Heart's Eye' — an ultimate technique that enhances other senses while blind, letting him perceive objects like a normal person."

"How's his strength?"

"The one from my universe is very strong," Greed didn't stint on praise. "I don't know exactly how far, I only know he can precisely hit a target at extreme range with an anti-materiel sniper rifle."

Arkham Batman's eyes immediately lit up. He said: "Then it's him. Meet at the Presidential Palace entrance — I'll take you there."

After Arkham Batman left, Greed went to Clarkia. Matt and his family of three were still vacationing there.

When Greed arrived, Matt was sunbathing on the beach. In such a short time, the resort hotel was already built — the southern stretch of beach with the best sun was packed with sunbathers.

"I feel like the errand boy the boss who gives 007 trouble every day sends to ask you to come out of retirement." Greed brought a drink and set it before Matt. Matt took off his sunglasses, looked up at him — of course he couldn't see; wearing shades was just for style.

"Then you should say 'Urgent mission, James — the jet's ready.'" Matt took a sip of his drink, and the two laughed together.

"No jet, but the portal's already open," Greed said. "Here's the situation..."

Greed explained briefly. Unexpectedly, Matt was very interested too. He rolled over on the lounger, propped his head on his hand lying on his side, and said: "Me and that President Batman as teammates? That's kind of interesting. Think I could be his legal counsel?"

"You still have time to be his legal counsel? Finished the interstellar lawsuits on your plate?"

"Nothing much. Just think he might need me to help change the stars on the Stars and Stripes to bats," Matt said happily. "I'm confident I can finalize the proposal within two conventions and three drafts. What do you think my fee should be?"

Greed was a bit helpless — Matt really was going deeper into the shyster path. But hard to say — maybe Arkham Batman is interested. Though this definitely won't be that simple; otherwise Two-Face Harvey Dent would be helping him too.

"Dad, Dad!" Little Jack came running across the sand, wanting to drag Matt to see his sandcastle. Aleka came over soon after, greeted Greed, then took Little Jack off to play elsewhere.

Matt stretched, sat up from the lounger, and said: "I'll go change clothes. Let's go meet my future client."

Matt's social graces are flawless — otherwise he wouldn't have smoothly graduated law school as a blind man and landed cases. Lawyers play the game of connections and circles; American lawyers even more so. Any other field might have antisocial lone geniuses, but never law. Anyone who makes it big as a US lawyer is a silver-tongued master of eight-sided diplomacy.

Matt in a tailored suit walked up enthusiastically and shook Arkham Batman's hand. "Long admired, Mr. President. I've been busy with lawsuits commissioned by Interstellar Council legislators, but I've also heard of your glorious achievements in the Americas. You should know — even in the Central Universe, the Federal Government is a pile of messes. Anyone who can clean them up deserves the utmost respect."

A thousand layers of flattery, but flattery never wears out. Arkham Batman isn't easily flattered, but Matt's hit the mark. The Central Universe is renowned across both major worlds — everyone knows how fast and well they've developed. Yet even so, their Federal Government is barely humanoid, barely passable — its main role is spreading rot in interstellar society, no positive function at all.

But Arkham Batman genuinely reformed this nation, put it on the right path — truly a miracle. Precisely because he's gone further in the cosmos does he understand how difficult it is to reform and save such a nation.

Arkham Batman indeed warmed up a notch: "I've heard of you too, Lawyer Murdock. Heard you're undefeated in interstellar courts. Visit the mansion sometime — I'd love to hear your insights."