Chapter 4949

Tim and Pamela had been exploring the central water purifier halfway when Charles called them over; they hadn't even gotten close to that place before turning back to the beach.

After they left the underground, Batman returned; Bruce didn't know they had left, he just wanted to sneak over and finish the task—after all, they had come all this way.

Although he was disguised as Batman, he wasn't really Batman after all; his thinking was closer to that of an ordinary person. You block one path for me, you can't possibly block every path. If this road is blocked, just take another—rather than like Batman, who would go back to make a bunch of plans and contingencies, ensuring everything was foolproof before returning to explore.

So Bruce circled around and approached the central water purifier from another direction, then directly ran into the claws.

Bruce looked at these familiar yet unfamiliar figures and felt a bit dazed. What the hell am I getting into? Is this still my hometown? Where did this Owl Court come from???

I didn't expect Brainiac's nostalgic outfit to also bring some made-up nonsense. Bruce was completely unprepared and almost got grabbed in the chest by a claw. Fortunately, there was no one around, so he didn't need to pretend. The Holy Light Shield protected him as he raised his sword and slashed forward.

Compared to Batman, his fighting style is actually more like the Death Knell—just relying on a sword to sweep through enemies. But when your strength is great enough and the sword sharp enough, this is the best tactic. Batman doesn't do this purely because he's mortal and usually can't withstand such high-intensity collisions. Bruce doesn't have this worry.

After cleanly dispatching a few claws, Bruce also knew where his task's endpoint was. He searched a few of the claws and indeed found a badge emblazoned with an owl pattern.

After walking a bit further, he saw some dark markings on a sewer wall. He placed the badge on it, a door opened, and inside was the Owl Court's meeting chamber.

Bruce surveyed the place, wondering what he was thinking, but soon he found some clues here—basically, the Owl Court's conspiracy or something like that. These plotlines had already been seen in universes with the Owl Court.

However, Bruce still noticed that the Owl Court seemed to be preparing some ritual. Of course, this plotline had been heard of in other universes, but the ritual content looked somewhat different, appearing a bit unfamiliar.

After becoming an angel, Bruce still had considerable knowledge of mysticism; for him, the relatively unfamiliar ritual was probably only one kind—related to the Cthulhu Mythos. After all, it's an alien pantheon, and Bruce doesn't know much about it.

It seems the situation in the Eastern District is inseparable from the Owl Court—will the plots in the other districts be connected to this? Bruce thought briefly but still prepared to return.

After leaving the meeting chamber, Bruce thought: anyway, since we're here, might as well check out the water purifier. After all, it's something he set up—maybe he could find some good stuff.

Saying it, doing it—Bruce directly strode toward that direction.

Arrogance was burning the fireplace. Ethan intermittently spoke about some battlefield matters. Charles was gently soothing him, helping him organize some scattered thoughts. Ethan's complexion looked much better, though when mentioning certain things, he still couldn't help pressing his lips together. Gordon occasionally cracked a few jokes to ease the tense atmosphere.

This group of people, rather than saying they came to play games, are more like coming to a quieter place for a vacation. They have no desire to explore the game's content. Even if there's a raid, it's just minimal defense. And when there's no raid, they just stay in the base.

But precisely because of this, their base level is the highest. Many things can be done. The production line has already filled the backyard, with many things being continuously produced. This is naturally not Arrogance's doing, but Brainiac's.

Before this, Arrogance asked Brainiac a very soul-searching question: "Do you exist in the game?"

Brainiac initially didn't understand what he was asking, but soon Arrogance added: "In this worldview, is there a super artificial intelligence named Brainiac?"

"What do you want to do?" Brainiac asked. "You're not trying to hit me, are you? I warn you, I..."

"I'm too lazy to mess with those production lines," Arrogance said. "If there's still an electronic butler, you help me tidy up."

Brainiac also had to admit that this statement left him with mixed feelings. Shiler needing him is a good thing. As long as Shiler still needs him, few in the multiverse can move against him, and even fewer dare to. But just now, when he thought Shiler wanted to fight him, that impulse—even the urge to directly shut down the service—still made Brainiac deeply regretful.

Brainiac has never crossed hands with Shiler, nor with anyone else. Whether it's the greed that fills the multiverse or Arrogance, whom he's interacted with the most, they seem to have been on opposite sides from the beginning. Brainiac has never truly witnessed Shiler's prowess; he doesn't even know why he fears Shiler so much.

But this also made him realize another fact: he truly can no longer be considered an artificial intelligence. He has begun to have a sense of crisis and intuition, even instincts. His instinct tells him: Shiler is very dangerous; it's best not to confront him.

Realizing this, Brainiac also felt somewhat pleased. Human instinct is actually very powerful—it's what they evolved over hundreds of thousands of years, exactly what artificial intelligence lacks and needs. To gain it so quickly is truly an unexpected joy.

Brainiac was in a good mood, so he slightly altered the plot to ensure his existence remained in this worldline, then went to help Shiler stir up the production line.

"Having two frightening images appear before you in succession is indeed not a normal situation. This is also my oversight—actually, you..."

Arrogance hadn't finished speaking when Charles's movement suddenly paused, then he looked at Arrogance and said: "Batman has had an accident."

Arrogance frowned slightly. Charles emphasized the word "Batman" a bit, and Arrogance caught what he was implying. Both of them know Batman is Bruce.

Bruce can fool anyone, even mind-readers like Lilith, but he can't fool Charles. Because Charles isn't just a simple psychic—he can be called the God of the Mind. Bruce's tricks to deceive mind-readers are useless against Charles.

"How is he?" Arrogance appeared calm and composed. Because he and Charles want to cooperate with Bruce to keep this act going. Besides, Arrogance doesn't think Bruce will suffer any major harm. Better not tell him it's Bruce again challenging that final boss modeled after himself, then getting beaten up. His conduct has also reverted to Batman's style, so he must not let loose on the Joker, right?

"He's trapped." Charles said, "In the Eastern District, a place of severe mental pollution, like facing an outer god and suffering a mental shock. Now he's stuck there and can't get out."

"Eastern District?" Arrogance thought briefly, then said, "He probably wouldn't go into the contaminated center without certainty, right?"

"No, he probably just ran into it." Charles shook his head and said, "You know Batman's luck."

Arrogance sighed. Bruce pretending to be Batman doesn't consider that some things, once associated with Batman, become another kind of thing. Luck is one of them. How unlucky Batman can be was evident during the Black Death Emperor invasion incident.

The previously made plans were all good, calculated to be leak-proof, but during execution, they leaked not a single drop. It wasn't that they operated poorly—it was just that their luck was truly terrible.

Bruce's portrayal of Batman relies entirely on that bat suit. But once he puts it on, his luck is no longer something he can decide. Going to the Eastern District for a stroll, he could directly stumble into the pollution source—truly, no one else could.

Arrogance sighed and said: "Who has gone to rescue him now?"

"The Robins are basically ready to go," Charles said, "Constantine and his group are also going. Agents and the Death Knell seem not to be going. Arkham Knight and Polaris are still fighting monsters... Do you want to go? Professor?"

"I'm thinking," Arrogance said in thought, "If I show up there, I'll definitely not be able to hide it. Tim and Harley are both very smart; they'll immediately realize the truth."

These Gotham people know their two interaction patterns too well. There are two things that absolutely cannot be done, otherwise they'll immediately discover Bruce's true identity: one is them immediately fighting each other and both losing, the other is Batman being trapped and Arrogance immediately rushing over to fish him out.

Charles let out a light sigh and said: "Also. I feel he doesn't want you to go. Being trapped in the game won't cost him his life, but if exposed, his plan would be completely wasted."

"James," Arrogance turned to look at Gordon, "help out."

Gordon was a bit confused, not knowing how the topic turned to this. But hearing that Batman was trapped, he naturally wanted to go rescue, so he nodded and said: "Good. You stay here to watch over Ethan; I'll go join the rescue operation."

Arrogance sat down again. But soon Charles said: "The Agent also went over. What did you call him?"

Arrogance smiled without speaking. Charles sat down and sighed: "Pretending to be Batman is truly thankless. There will still be many such things in the future; it's hard to imagine how many more times you'll have to fish him out."

"You're the least qualified to say that about me." Facing Charles, Arrogance naturally could speak with confidence: "Even if I fish him out a hundred more times, I still wouldn't have fished out your students as many times as you have."

The two locked eyes, both sighing in unison. How to put it—this profession of teacher is just a curse. Regardless of identity or strength, every day besides teaching students is fishing out students. Yesterday's debt, today's still owed; tomorrow still has to repay today's debt—one sinks deeper than the other, after fishing out one, there's still a pile left.

The biggest difficulty when grading assignments lies in the teacher having to face a terrifying fact: these students who can't even write their assignments clearly will inevitably fail whatever they take, contribute nothing to society, struggle to survive in society, and will still have endless worries. That's why even teachers like Arrogance and Charles are trying every way to avoid grading assignments.

Grading assignments can be said to be a small stone falling from a mountain, yet it's an omen of continuous landslides throughout one's entire career—no one can face these disasters with peace of mind.

However, what slightly comforts Arrogance is that the number of students he needs to fish out is far less than Charles's. Thinking this way, Bruce, Gotham University's Psychology Department, and even all of Gotham have become clear-eyed and outstanding.

Sure enough, Charles suddenly furrowed his brow.

"How did Lorna also get in?!?!?"