Chapter 4934: There Is No Batman Here (Thirty-Nine)

That's right. The typical Batman appearing in the game is actually Bruce.

This is not because he got hot-headed and decided to become Batman again. Rather, after extensive exploration, thorough consideration, careful deliberation, and meticulous planning, Bruce discovered a new path. Between becoming Batman and becoming Batman's enemy, he chose— to play Batman.

Previously he was Batman and found being Batman truly difficult. Later he became Batman's "enemy" and found Batman truly troublesome.

One is enough to handle, and now there are many in the multiverse. Direct confrontation is truly unwinnable. Since both paths are blocked, he can only choose a middle ground— not being Batman, but dressing as Batman.

This perfectly solves the first two problems. Not being Batman means no trouble from being Batman— exhausting, troublesome, and constrained. Not being Batman's enemy means no need to devise ways to deal with this invincible group that cannot be dealt with.

Playing Batman brings additional benefits. He can enjoy the perks of being Batman— such as infiltrating Batman's circle, gaining intelligence from them, and hearing their opinions. He can also enjoy the perks of being Batman's enemy, because he is not Batman but can still infiltrate. Then wouldn't all these villains have to support him?

In fact, this path has been walked before— actually, people are still walking it now, for example, Night Owl. Night Owl is truly not Batman; he is an independent character, and there is more than one Night Owl in the multiverse. By rights, he should be separately categorized by the Battle Arena, but he forcibly squeezed into Batman's ranks and became a member.

But Night Owl is Thomas Wayne, not Bruce Wayne, which is why he actually cannot integrate into Batman's group.

In various comics, many have chosen to play Batman, the most famous being Silent. He wanted to become Batman so badly he went mad, trying every means to steal Bruce Wayne's life, even Batman's life. Unfortunately, his appearance came from plastic surgery, with more flaws, so his performance was not very successful.

Clayface has also done it— as a famous mimic master, becoming Batman is inevitable. He can also use his ability to perfectly replicate Batman's appearance. Unfortunately, his intelligence is slightly low; he cannot replicate wisdom, and thus he gives himself away.

It can be seen that these people all have various flaws— either identity, appearance, or ability. But ultimately, it's because those who are not Batman cannot imitate Batman.

Those who cannot become Batman fundamentally cannot perfectly imitate Batman. And those who can become Batman have all gone to be Batman, so there's no need to imitate.

Bruce is the only one who slipped through the net. He is the only one who could become Batman but chose not to, which means his imitation of Batman will be flawless.

Because he was originally Batman, he can also become Batman. How could such a person imitating Batman fail to resemble Batman?

Even, no one can say he is imitating. Because he possesses all of Batman's elements, has put on the Batman suit again, operates as Batman's identity, and in his universe, only he does this— so he is this universe's, flawless, unique genuine Batman.

So-called false made true, when true is also false, nothing to something and something still nothing. Precisely by penetrating this mystery, Bruce found a unique path— after becoming Batman and not being Batman, he chose to become a fake Batman.

This path is entirely new because, although the Batman of dark universes are strangely shaped— like whatever maniacal laughter— and look less and less like Batman, they are indeed Batman, even the maniacal laughter.

But Bruce is truly not. He is not just saying he quit; he is not needed by the world, he simply gave up. He truly does not want to be Batman anymore, and Gotham does not need him either. He even no longer has the setting of Batman's parents being dead— he is genuinely not Batman.

Precisely for this reason, even if he puts on the Batman suit again and does what Batman should do, he is indeed just pretending.

As for his motive, arrogance can roughly guess it. Saying a thousand things, ten thousand things— it's just: if you can't beat them, join them. After finding out how troublesome Batman are, he directly did a light-speed U-turn, put on the cape, and merged in.

But precisely because he knows there's no risk of Bruce returning to being Batman, arrogance is not too worried. His current biggest worry is that Bruce is going to write a paper again.

Arrogance truly regrets that Doctor Manhattan didn't punch Brainiac to death. He really is skilled at arranging base locations— Bruce's base is just in the west, meaning his final target is the one in the Psychology Department of Gotham University. And to enter the Psychology Department's teaching building, one must write a paper— he can't write it, so he has to come find me!

Since Bruce graduated, arrogance hasn't had such a blackout moment in a long time. Originally, he came to play the game to avoid homework, but who knew that after joining the game, he still had to grade homework— and it's the homework of those ancient students. Is there any justice left?

Arrogance knows this is Brainiac retaliating for him throwing things into the lake. He even suspects Brainiac took a punch from Doctor Manhattan on purpose, just to have sufficient reason to pretend to be an intellectually disabled AI to avoid my scolding. Truly evil artificial intelligence.

Arrogance sighed again. He is not performing— he is genuinely worried. The current problem is: those who can pass the exam can't beat him, and those who can beat him can't pass the exam. Brainiac is truly a genius at game design— this approach leads the industry by three hundred years. Even if you let the Battle Arena's design department take turns, they couldn't design such an abstract level. It really takes artificial intelligence.

"I think I can try." Bruce maintained his Batman state as much as possible, because exiting and re-entering the role causes delay, so he spoke as steadily as possible: "At least I've graduated."

Saying this in Batman's tone truly gave a valley effect, making arrogance feel a bit dizzy from 3D.

Arrogance opened his mouth and said: "I think this boss doesn't need Batman to step in. Other districts' Robins need more help— what do you think?"

"Impossible." Bruce shook his head and said: "The west district has the fewest people."

"Isn't it the north district?"

"The north district still has other players." Bruce said: "But the west district really only has our two groups. And I heard Brainiac say you can't get in. Gordon and Ethan probably can't either. So how are we supposed to beat this boss?"

"Tim and Harley are trying," arrogance said, "they actually have a chance to pass; if it really doesn't work, we can go find Jenna."

"Let Jenna ghostwrite for them? That's academic misconduct."

Arrogance snorted: "How did I graduate? How did you graduate?"

Bruce was speechless. Shiler definitely didn't graduate normally back then— he actually never wrote a proper thesis, relying on other means. To put it bluntly, psychology is just about managing people to graduate. The method doesn't matter, as long as you manage people, it can't really be called academic misconduct— after all, psychology is the study of people.

If Jenna could rely on empathy to ghostwrite two papers that could handle Shiler, that would not only count as graduation, but she should also be awarded an outstanding graduate, a purple star descending from heaven.

"So what are we taking?" Bruce asked, "There has to be a topic, right?"

"Personality theory." Arrogance sighed and said.

Bruce's movement paused for a moment: "You don't say, but this is actually the most likely to pass."

Arrogance looked up at him, Bruce said: "I once tried to split into different personality traits— kind, aggressive, rational-leaning— though not very successful, but it counts as some research."

"Tell me." Arrogance said. It's not that he truly agrees with Bruce's hopeful claim; purely to prepare himself psychologically for the possible nonsense he might see in Bruce's paper later.

"I once split into different versions of myself— kind, aggressive, leaning toward rational..." Bruce said, "but later found it didn't help my mental state, and I had no more insights, so I gradually stopped maintaining it."

"But after dealing with many other Batmen in the multiverse, I found that a society made of different personalities is very like a society made of different isotopes. This is like... how to say... reflection?"

"Sometimes I have an illusion: that the other Batmen are my personalities, or they are fragments of my past days, doing what I once did, doing what I might do in another world line."

"They are merely similar to me, or perhaps we are actually one person. Kind, aggressive, more rational— the more it resembles the society I built from my split personality traits, the more even the way we discuss things is the same."

"Our thinking is very similar, even our memory banks of the past are basically shared. Although personalities differ, a person naturally has many facets, right?"

"Am I them? In what way would I be them? Is it different personality traits in the same thought tower, or different screws in the same society? I originally thought there was a difference, but now it seems maybe not."

Bruce paused again and said: "When I returned as Batman, I knew some of them noticed, but they didn't care. Just like 'people don't like all of themselves, but can only strive to accept'."

"I don't know where the bottom line of tolerance brought by this peculiar sociality lies. Night Owl? Maniacal laughter?"

Unlike Bruce's slightly confused emotion, arrogance's eyes grew brighter the more he listened. Truly, after searching everywhere with no result, it came effortlessly. Why not say reading ten thousand volumes is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles— even on the job, people gain great enlightenment.

Of course, this cannot be called psychoanalysis; it can only be said that some personality theory insights come from actual experience, but it's enough to handle the paper!

Arrogance answered Bruce's doubt in one sentence: "They accept you not because they are tolerant, but because they cannot expose you. They cannot prove you are not Batman— at least not before you do something out of line."

Bruce suddenly understood: "Exactly. Batman only looks at actions— even if maniacal laughter pretends to reform, they won't act rashly, only choosing to wait for him to show a flaw."

After saying that, Bruce rolled up his sleeves: "I'll properly be Batman for a while. Gotham, your dark knight is back!"

"Don't go back to Gotham yet," arrogance stopped him, "take the exam first, then deal with that boss."

Then arrogance sighed again: "I really don't know why my other selves are so lucky— even a game-created boss doesn't have to suffer from your paper..."

"Lighten up, professor." Bruce stood up, put the Batman mask back on, "At least I avoided you being like Sisyphus, pushing an empty wheelchair uphill again."

"And you'd rather run back and forth on the mountain than sit on the wheelchair once." Arrogance also stood up, sighed for the last time today, "Hurry up, Batman."

"No, professor, there is no Batman here."

?? Look at the title, really no Batman hahaha