[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-940":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2323508,4544,"Chapter 940: Exploring Shiler","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-940",940,"\u003Cp>Zatanna’s mental magic required almost no preparation—no lengthy treatment process, no medical records, no documentation, and not even the patient’s presence; the helicopter merely carried them to the Batcave’s secure room, and Zatanna said she was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman narrowed his eyes at her and said: “Shiler isn’t here—how are you going to enter his inner world?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zatanna shook her head and said: “Bruce, the occult is more extraordinary than you imagine. You think the Spirit Realm is another layer beneath the physical world, identical to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But in truth, it’s called the Spirit Realm precisely because it connects with souls; those who walk the Spirit Realm can enter a person’s inner self.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you can spy on anyone’s mind anytime?” Batman asked—but this wasn’t really a question; his tone was certain, tinged with caution. Yet Zatanna shook her head: “No. Walking the Spirit Realm demands a great price. Not everyone is Constantine, able to trick demons into paying it for them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zatanna sighed: “Even before we broke up, I’d already touched the threshold of magic. I once tried wandering the Spirit Realm in my sleep. Back then, I ignored my father’s warnings, convinced I’d mastered the most wondrous power on Earth—and could use it without restraint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trace of sorrow crossed Zatanna’s brow: “The price of magic isn’t paid all at once—it seeps into every corner of your life, dragging your existence and future toward the abyss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father’s disappearance wasn’t an accident,” Zatanna said slowly, shaking her head. “This is the price we pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped forward, lifting her gaze to Batman’s eyes. She stood close, yet felt she could no longer see through those blue depths. Zatanna spoke: “I can hear it. I can feel it—you harbor too many pointless fantasies about the occult. Promise me, Bruce, never take this step. Otherwise, you’ll never turn back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To wield power, you pay a price. To compensate for that price, you seek greater power—and pay an even greater cost… That’s magic,” Constantine said, sitting on a nearby sofa. “If you weren’t born cursed with it, stay far away. Everything I’ve done was merely to save myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since we’re ready, let’s begin,” Zatanna said, turning her head as if to avoid the topic. She stepped back two paces and told them: “Find a safe place to sit. While wandering the Spirit Realm, your body remains here—ensure its safety. I’ve heard more than one fool returned from the Spirit Realm only to find their body eaten by their pet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hissing sound echoed as the secure room’s door sealed shut. Batman, Constantine, and Zatanna sat on sofas along three walls. Zatanna murmured an arcane incantation, and soon, Batman felt a hazy white mist envelop the entire room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt his body grow light, a sudden urge to dance rising within him. He could no longer suppress the need to move, so he rose instinctively—and turned to see his own self still seated on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two were the same, but both were accustomed to it. Zatanna waved her hand: “Come on. First, we find Shiler’s soul in the Spirit Realm—then we enter his memories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constantine and Batman said nothing, letting her lead. Zatanna floated into the air; Constantine and Batman followed behind her, weaving through a fog-shrouded space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spirit Realm wasn’t empty. Batman saw the physical world still visible—but veiled in a thin mist, its colors rendered more vivid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he passed over the city, he saw countless souls glowing with varied hues. Neon lights pulsed across building surfaces; the trails of flying forms cut through the radiance, surreal and dazzling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think this is amazing, don’t you?” Constantine said as they flew. “But the Spirit Realm is far more dangerous than you imagine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems ordinary here because demons avoid Gotham. Switch cities, and you might instantly encounter a demon hunting for prey—or a native Spirit Realm monster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman frowned. Constantine continued: “The Spirit Realm has existed since ancient times, and so have its monsters. But for some reason, Gotham has no demons—and even the nameless creatures born from Spirit Realm energy have vanished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Batman tightened his lips. Then Zatanna cried: “I think we’re almost there! See that light ahead? That’s Shiler’s soul—he’s probably in Gotham University’s lab…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He should be at Gotham University,” Batman said. Zatanna hovered above a building’s roof and nodded: “That’s him. Let’s get closer… My God—is that the Green?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman landed beside Zatanna on the rooftop. Above the lab building, a colossal, sinister creature of vines loomed—its thick tendril plunged into the lecture hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Green is after Shiler—so why is it hunting me?” Constantine asked, puzzled. “Or did Shiler make some deal with the Green?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. Our target isn’t the Green,” Zatanna said. Her hands began glowing. “I’ll use mental magic to directly invade his soul—and target its weakest link: his memory’s vulnerability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone fears or hates something, right? Everyone carries bad memories where their control over their soul is weakest. We can exploit that—fabricate special memories or construct scenes favorable to us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His reactions in these scenes will influence his real-world actions. For example, we could create a memory where he’s destitute and sells his umbrella—then in reality, he’ll voluntarily hand it over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or, in an even weaker memory, we could fabricate one where he despises umbrellas so much he throws one away. That’s harder, though—it depends on the specifics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should we watch for inside the memory space?” Batman asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zatanna paused, then said: “Remember—in every memory, there’s one object or scene that triggers the strongest emotion. To strike his weakness, you must find it. The memory’s owner reacts most intensely to this object—we can use it to guide him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once found, he may react violently—triggered by the wound. Then we must find the exit immediately, or face something terrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But once we have the object, we can use it as the anchor for our fabricated memory. Our first goal: find it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where will the exit be?” Batman asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zatanna hesitated: “Usually, it’s in the place he resists most—avoids touching. Find that spot, and we can escape the memory, moving to a safer one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. Let’s go,” Zatanna said, sweeping her glowing hand through the air. A portal opened. The three stepped through—and Batman felt himself enter a tunnel bathed in hazy light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to fly; the light sphere ahead pulled him forward. Then he heard Zatanna scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my God! His memories—how chaotic are they?! Grab my hand! Hold on tight—or we’ll get separated!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her cry, Batman instinctively reached for her hand—but everything happened too fast. The light sphere split into three. A massive force yanked the three of them in three different directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman had just extended his hand when he was instantly sucked into the central light sphere—and lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might have been long—or only an instant. When he opened his eyes again, a blinding white light flashed before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the initial daze, Batman realized he lay on a hospital bed, no longer in his Batsuit—but wearing a patient’s gown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose, scanning the room. It differed from his memory of hospital wards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a double room, cluttered. The bed beside his had tipped over. The table between them lay overturned, cups and debris scattered across the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman frowned. He saw a patient information board on the side bed, walked over, and read the Chinese characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman understood Chinese—he knew nearly all major scripts. But the name and details on the board felt alien. The only clear clue: this was likely a psychiatric hospital in China.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman frowned slightly. He knew he was inside Shiler’s memory—but why had Shiler been in a Chinese psychiatric hospital?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Batman didn’t assume the side bed belonged to Shiler—the name was clearly Chinese, not an English transliteration. He glanced around, searching the room for clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was small. The two beds stood against opposite walls. Opposite each bed sat a personal storage cabinet. Between them, the overturned table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman pulled back the curtains. Outside, the view was foggy—nothing distinct visible. He guessed the memory space hadn’t extended beyond the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved to the overturned table, righted it, and picked up a cup from the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he noticed: the side of the table nearest his bed—the one he’d woken up on—was perfectly smooth. No marks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the other side bore a clear circular mark. He examined the cup in his hand, placed it on the mark—and the cup’s base fit perfectly. This cup had always rested there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman leaned closer. The circular mark was deeper on one side, shallower on the other. He paused, sat on the bed beside the table, placed the cup on the mark, and turned the handle toward himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized: if the cup were full and lifted by the handle, the opposite side of the base would scrape the table. Hence the uneven wear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This clue told Batman: the patient on this bed likely suffered from OCD. The depth of the mark suggested the same exact motion every time he drank—otherwise, such a deep impression couldn’t form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he recalled the patient’s actions, Batman suddenly froze. Another scene flashed into his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the smooth side of the bed and sat down. He watched the hospital’s peeling walls, the wooden floorboards pulled away and replaced with tiles, the table shift from round to square. Across from him, Shiler drank a cup of water handed to him by a crime lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Shiler set the cup down, the crisp clink of its base hitting the table rang loudly. Batman saw Shiler use one finger to rotate the cup’s handle—then turn it toward himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the distance from the handle to the table’s edge perfectly matched the distance from the circular mark to the table’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>",1646,"2026-06-20T16:39:22.658Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a1a53146121ea4d63b3811b256d83a0ec9e9cd85c79c9cf862ccb615fec9dfb9","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-941","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-939",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]