Chapter 4919

Deathstroke and the Agent hurried over. They had been having a grand time killing on their end. Going in fully equipped made all the difference; every enemy was like a clay chicken or tile dog — not a match for them at all.

And on the investigation front, they hadn't come up empty either. The Agent had done a few investigation missions, all completed perfectly. Currently, their exploration progress on the main quest was the highest among all regions; they had even taken down two zone bosses already.

Summoned in such a rush, the two felt a bit disappointed. But there was no helping it — who told the main universe's Batman to pay so much? Robin was in trouble, so they were duty-bound to help. They'd send Batman a bill for ten times the amount when they got back.

The two entered the manor and found no one. Shiler led Deathstroke downstairs. He knew there was an Ark Reactor down there; he figured the Robins were probably down there researching and manufacturing gear.

The two jumped down, reeking of blood and cold. Harley hugged her arms and said, "Was this your handiwork, Agent! You fought the boss but didn't kill him, causing us all to get ambushed!"

"Heh, how could it be me?" Shiler snorted coldly. "I'll say it again: I'm not the kind of field agent who only knows how to yell 'open the door.' My expertise is investigation and infiltration."

"Besides you, who else is this violent?" Harley clearly didn't believe him. "You forgot back when we got matched together in the Dou Realm, I said we couldn't jump the plot, but you just wouldn't listen..."

"Now's not the time to rehash old grievances." Tim interrupted them, then said, "The problem right now is how to deal with that Outer God that keeps resurrecting and can corrupt other monsters. Do you two have a way?"

"What's your plan?" Shiler was also very calm; he didn't intend to just brute-force the problem just because his team was strong.

"We plan to build a long-range strike weapon, use remote control to keep striking it down. Of course, we'll also take the opportunity to investigate; it'd be best if we can find a way to banish it completely."

Shiler directly pulled out that stone tablet engraved with the Old Seal. He said, "I'm not sure if this thing is useful, but I feel it should be the Old Seal used to banish this monster."

Tim took it, thought for a moment, and said, "Since you have this, why didn't you banish it completely?"

"I said it wasn't me." Shiler said. "I gave the Bishop a gun; it should have been just the thing to counter that monster, so he used a simple method. Didn't expect this thing would resurrect."

To be precise, they had been screwed over by Nya. Shiler thought. Nya definitely knew the monster's full details, but he wouldn't say, making Shiler go research books himself. Those books were incomplete manuscripts to begin with; what was written wasn't thorough enough. The Bishop couldn't judge from that alone that this thing was the Drowned's main body — it looked more like a servant or something. So naturally he'd think dispersing it counted as killing it.

Brainiac also bore some responsibility. After all, the mission showed as complete, so he naturally thought it was over. Who knew it could resurrect.

"There's a question." Deathstroke spoke up. "Where did you get that much explosives, and how did you precisely guide and lock onto the monster?"

"Of course there's a way." Tim snapped his fingers. "We're going offline to find outside help."

They weren't the only ones with that idea. Jack leaned out the truck window. He looked out the left window, saw Tim staring at him expectantly, then ran to the right window and looked — Gordon was also standing outside waiting for him.

Jack climbed down from the truck somewhat helplessly. "What do you two want?"

"Uncle Jack." Tim said. "I have some things I want to ask you."

"Cut it out." Jack clearly wasn't buying it. "I'm telling you, there's no way I'm helping you blow up Brainiac's armory..."

"You still want to blow up Brainiac's armory?!" Brainiac hadn't even gotten worked up yet, but Gordon got worked up first. "Are you a terrorist? Tim Drake?! Careful or I'll tell your mom!"

Tim cleared his throat. "Don't bring that up. Jack, I know you have a large stockpile of explosives. Where did you put it?"

"Oh, I get it. You two are probes Brainiac sent to sound me out, right?" Jack hugged his arms and snorted coldly. "There isn't any. Not a single pound."

"It really isn't that." Tim shook his head. "Brainiac made a simulation game. We want to get some explosives in there. Not digging into your real-world stockpile. Just tell us the location and we'll go."

"Did Brainiac agree?" Jack said. "That counts as part of Brainiac's strategic reserves. You go digging into his strategic reserve warehouse — you think he'd be happy?"

"It's just a game." Tim said. "If we knew the locations of his other strategic reserves, we'd have cleaned him out long ago. This is precisely because we don't know. Only those strategic reserves that were incorporated have their locations known by people other than Brainiac. That's why we came to ask you."

"You'd better not be thinking of digging in the real world." Jack said.

"We won't." Tim said. "What would I need that much explosives for in the real world? Besides, even if I got the materials, I don't have the tech to blow up an armory. Otherwise I wouldn't have come to find you. Rest easy."

Jack had no choice but to write him an address. After all, Brainiac hadn't made a peep the whole time — should be tacit approval. After Tim left, Gordon still hadn't left. Jack looked at him and said, "What are you up to, James. One warehouse is enough for you two. You're not still wanting another one, are you?"

"What would I want explosives for." Gordon shook his head. "Even if we got explosives, it's not like throwing them at the monster's head works. We don't have that detonation tech. I'm asking you — where is Jonathan's fear toxin reserve warehouse?"

Jack's eyes widened slightly. "What do you want fear toxin for? Run into a tough nut? Want me to go help you ask?"

He grinned, revealing a Joker-like smile. Gordon waved his hand. "I said we're playing a game. There's a monster in one place that's very hard to deal with. We need some small tricks."

"That you'll probably have to ask Jonathan." Jack said. "Ever since last time Shiler gave his fear toxin a scathing review, he moved all his warehouses in a huff — just to guard against Shiler."

"I know." Gordon emphasized. "If it weren't like that, why would I need to come find you? Just ask Shiler directly. He knows where Jonathan's fear toxin is hidden better than Jonathan himself."

"Psychology and chemistry are inseparable." Jack rubbed his nose. "Jonathan, that petty guy. He just said a couple things about him. Was it necessary to move all the warehouses?"

"How does it sound like you also..."

"Cough cough." Jack leaned against the truck with arms crossed, rolling his eyes. "Actually it's simple. Jonathan is also a psychologist. Psychology tricks don't work on him. But would mind reading work?"

"That's not right." Gordon hesitated slightly. "Brainiac wouldn't agree either. Abuse of superpowers gets you arrested."

"Then why do you think Brainiac didn't speak up to warn?" Jack sneered. "This guy only stays silent when it benefits him. Evil artificial intelligence."

Brainiac beeped twice in protest, but indeed didn't speak. Gordon thought for a moment, then said, "Jonathan's newly moved warehouses — even Brainiac doesn't know? How is that possible?"

"You didn't know, right? His newly developed fear toxin is effective against Brainiac."

"What?!!!" Gordon was utterly stunned. "How is that done? How can a chemical gas be effective against an electronic life? Brainiac fundamentally can't have hallucinations..."

"Oh, not through hallucinations." Jack said. "It's poisoning the water, then corroding the server rooms through the groundwater system..."

Gordon froze. "So the groundwater system contamination wasn't because of that monster, but Jonathan's doing?!"

"James, you're a Gothamite too. All these years, which monster born in Gotham has been able to defeat the nature that raised them?" Jack looked at him and asked.

Gordon suddenly understood. Gotham's water and soil were indeed extraordinary, nurturing many extraordinary beings. But no matter how extraordinary these beings were, they couldn't elbow-strike their way past the nature that nurtured them.

Simply put, if Joker puts blood in the water, Joker virus enters Gotham's water bodies — every step gets three big slaps. Let alone natural water bodies, even natural water plants won't work. If that trick worked, why would Joker need laughing gas bombs? Joker just lies in the water tower, and tomorrow this place could be renamed Joker City.

Gotham's people, creatures, and monsters are indeed all very extraordinary. But Gotham itself, which created all this, is even more powerful than any extraordinary thing — it won't be easily shaken.

The lake monster itself was formed because Gotham's water bodies had problems — scattered corpse pieces spliced into a moving monster. Wanting it to turn around and pollute the water is difficult on top of difficult. And this monster's attacks don't have any corrosiveness; the so-called corroding server rooms is pure nonsense.

Simply put, it was Jonathan poisoning Brainiac, and Brainiac's stereotyped impression of Shiler ran too deep, causing the investigation to go in the wrong direction from the start.

You have to know, although Jonathan plays with fear toxin skillfully, the most lethal thing in chemistry is actually corrosives. Against beings with emotions, you can use fear toxin that brings hallucinations. But against electronic life without hallucinations, naturally using corrosive liquid to directly destroy the other's chassis is most useful.

Jonathan counts as "life unceasing, troublemaking unending." He'd barely been grateful for Brainiac's care for a couple days before he couldn't hold back that death-wishing heart of his and started developing countermeasures.

Saying he could completely hide it from Brainiac is unrealistic, but the pretexts for researching corrosives are just too many. For example, using them as chemical weapons against aliens, or against the living dead Black Death Emperor brings, or simply as new waste disposal methods — Jonathan has plenty of ways to invent pretexts and smuggle in his private goods.

No wonder, hearing they wanted to steal his stockpile, Brainiac didn't make a sound. Brainiac already discovered: although Shiler isn't very normal, he won't specifically target him. The destructive power still lies with supervillain Scarecrow. If he hadn't discovered it in time, the entire East Coast's server rooms might not have been saved.

"Where could he have hidden it?" Gordon thought and said.

"Can't guess it." Jack shook his head. "He's also a psychology master. If he truly doesn't want it found, nobody can guess. If you ask me, might as well just use mind reading directly."

Gordon also hesitated a bit. But in the end he still shook his head. "No. Even if he's executed tomorrow, he has human rights today. Mind reading is still too inhumane. Besides, the mind reader participating in the game with us is from another world. If something really goes wrong, we can't enforce across universes. Too irresponsible."

Jack patted Gordon's shoulder, said nothing, and got in the truck. Gordon didn't think too much. His thinking was very simple. Jonathan hides fear toxin mainly to guard against Shiler, so he'd definitely hide it in a place Shiler wouldn't think to look.

"Brainiac." Gordon shouted. "Where are Shiler's former students' theses stored?"

"Gotham University Archives." Brainiac paused for a moment, then said, "I'll send a car for you right away."