novelonline Chapter 3829 Batman's New York Trip (Part 2)
Chapter 3829 Batman's New York Trip (Part 2)
Chapter 3829 Batman's New York Trip (Part 2)
They entered the sanatorium and toured the building, but there wasn't much to see. Most patients behaved normally when not having flare-ups. The doctors and nurses were also very efficient. It looked like a very ordinary sanatorium.
So they went to Schiller's office. They were mainly there to ask about the reverberation of spiritual energy. Before coming, they had already learned from Stark about some changes happening in the universe. But seeing it with their own eyes was still astonishing.
“It’s just as you see it,” Schiller said, twirling his pen. “Humans in our universe are close to magical ascension. Their lifespan and physical abilities have been greatly enhanced, and they are also able to use magic. Recently, some magical ingredients have been selling very well, and I’ve even made a little money from them.”
“Yes. But I’d like to know how you did it.” The main universe’s Batman stared intently into his eyes.
Schiller smiled and said, "Everything has a price. We have only sacrificed the main forces of the three great empires in exchange for the prosperity and wealth of mankind for generations to come."
"how did you do that?"
"It wasn't me. My contribution was really insignificant. It was ordinary people and superheroes who joined forces to accomplish this miraculous feat."
The main universe's Batman remained silent, deep in thought. He could tell Schiller wasn't lying, but he still felt things weren't that simple.
"If you want to do the same, there are two key points. One is a converter that can devour other things and convert them into energy to upgrade the energy of the Earth. We call this the World Tree. The other is enough nutrients. Any matter in the universe can be broken down into energy, as long as there is enough of it, quality is not a problem."
Schiller clearly saw the main universe Batman's Adam's apple move slightly. This meant he already had someone in mind.
"Who do you want to eat?" Schiller pressed on relentlessly. "Apokolips? Or the Lantern Cluster? How about both? And the New Founding Star too. If you can eat them all, you can have that kind of wealth and glory too."
The main universe's Batman's Adam's apple bobbed again. He looked at Schiller and said, "You should sit in Mephisto's seat."
“I have no interest in that,” Schiller scoffed. “This isn’t over yet. Humanity is a little stronger than before, but still very weak. If we could make use of all the waste in the multiverse, that would be true wealth and prosperity.”
The main universe's Batman twitched his fingertips slightly.
Looking at his expression, Schiller knew what he was thinking. His place wasn't the first stop for the Batmen's tour of New York. They had probably already visited important institutions like S.H.I.E.L.D., learned about many officially released data points, and even witnessed firsthand how powerful evolved humans are.
Indeed. While ordinary humans have become stronger, they still cannot compare to most races in the universe. But the key is not the current situation, but that this is a path to heaven.
It is possible to break through the limits of human lifespan and physical capabilities by consuming the armies of the three great empires. This would allow them to consume even more, evolve further, and eventually become Kryptonians or a race stronger and more perfect than Kryptonians.
Endless striving for advancement is never a good thing. But you can't have your cake and eat it too. In the dark forest surrounded by wolves, humanity is already weak enough. To not become stronger is to die; to become stronger at least offers room to struggle. Anyone would choose this path.
The cosmic war in the main universe has been raging for some time. Apokolips and the Light Brigade are locked in fierce combat. All members of the Justice League capable of adapting to cosmic warfare have joined the fray. Batman from the main universe is also actively working in the Battlegrounds, constantly striving to secure better technology and resources for his own universe.
But when will this war end? And in what way? And what will Earth gain from it?
What gives those powerful races that wage wars with impunity in the universe and treat races as weak as humans as nothing?
The main universe's Batman struggled to suppress the dangerous thoughts churning within him. In his view, greed and the devil were indistinguishable. The best way to avoid being tempted was to leave as soon as possible.
He left, but Arkham Batman didn't. Arkham Batman poured himself a cup of coffee by the coffee machine and slowly sat down. Looking at Schiller, whom even the main universe Batman avoided like the plague, he said, "I need to ask you about someone."
Schiller held up two fingers: "Two million."
“No problem.” Arkham Batman said, his arms outstretched on the armrests, one leg crossed over the other. “Our dear female agent, Mrs. Natasha Romanoff.”
"What do you want to hear?"
"Who is she?"
"Curiosity is the first step to falling in love."
“Wrong. We’re already on step 99 and I only just remembered my curiosity,” said Batman Arkham. “I admit I was a little blinded by lust, but it’s not too late to realize it now.”
“A former Soviet citizen, the Black Widow of the Red House,” Schiller said after a moment’s thought. “You can think of her as the most elite agent trained by the Soviet Union.”
“No wonder,” Arkham Batman said with a forced smile. “She stabbed me in the back when I said I was the President of the United States. Their training is really successful.”
“I guess it’s not because of that, otherwise she wouldn’t have just stabbed you,” Schiller said. “Have you considered that this might just be a little bit of fun?”
"A little quirk that almost ripped my heart out?"
"Yes. Compared to shooting me in the heart, nearly strangling her first love, and driving her colleague off a bridge into the sea, this is really just a minor inconvenience."
“You?” Arkham Batman was good at grasping the key points. He raised an eyebrow and looked Schiller up and down.
“Not in bed,” Schiller said, taking a sip of coffee. “It’s complicated to explain. But she did kill me once. If I hadn’t had a pretty good relationship with death, you probably wouldn’t be seeing me now.”
"So, she actually showed me some mercy?"
"Do you really think it was your acknowledgment of your presidential status that angered her?"
"if not?"
She said you invited her to a banquet.
"Yes, what's the problem?"
"She's a secret agent. She wouldn't show her face in public without a reason."
"It wasn't without reason."
“I know. You mean that even if you two aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend, you’re at least lovers, or at the very least bed partners. But in her view, no physical relationship can be used as leverage for you to make demands of her.”
"So she slapped me. Wasn't that enough?"
"You stopped her when she was about to slap you a second time. The movement was a bit rough, and she may have had a stress reaction."
"You just said this was flirting."
“Yes. Grabbing the knife might have been a reaction, but by the time he stabbed you, he should have realized what was happening.” Schiller was very impatient. He said, “I’m not interested in the details of what happened between you two. I just want to tell you that you’d better treat this as flirting. Otherwise, what else do you want to do, stab her too?”
"Can't you?"
"If you can seize the opportunity, it's not impossible. But the trouble is that you're not the only one who wants to catch her. There's an endless stream of old scandals involving female agents, and the queue will stretch into next year."
Batman from Arkham lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, seemingly hesitating about whether to seek revenge. At that moment, Schiller laughed again and said, "I have a suggestion. The female agent still has some feelings for her first love; you could stab Bucky Barnes in the back."
Arkham Batman narrowed his eyes.
“...as long as you don’t think his best friend Captain America is a problem,” Schiller said with a smile.
"Then you'll see me fighting with the superheroes, laughing all the while." Arkham Batman saw right through Schiller's plan.
"Yes. That is indeed my plan. If you don't want this to happen, tell me exactly how much military funding you've requested."
Arkham Batman glanced at Schiller, whose face clearly said, "If you don't tell me, I'll give you something to do." He paused, dipped his finger in the coffee droplet, and scribbled it on the table.
Schiller paused for a second when he saw the long trail of marks. He looked at Arkham Batman in disbelief and said, "You're going to attack Apokolips?"
“I don’t have that plan for now,” Arkham Batman said, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table. “However, after a very in-depth study of magic, I have a new idea—we can still talk about increasing military spending.”
"Are you serious?"
"Speaking of which, I might need your help. There's some big stuff going on in my universe soon, and my actions might not be approved by some members of the Justice League. Can you help me appease them?"
Schiller also drew a few lines on the table.
"Battle Realm Points?"
Schiller nodded.
“Okay,” said Arkham Batman, “come back with me from New York. It won’t take you long.”
After both Batmen left, Schiller sat alone in his office, deep in thought. The Batman recruitment program had gone relatively smoothly this time. Aside from giving Night Owl a major setback, most of the Batmen had begun to make their moves.
Even if they didn't experience the allure of magic at the magic school, after visiting New York, they should all be tempted.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Even the Dark Knight, Batman, won't last more than a century. After his death, what will become of the citizens of Gotham and ordinary humanity?
Improving the lifespan and physical health of humanity as a whole won't eliminate crime, but it can raise the bar for the poorest and most suffering. Gotham City has no shortage of people like that.
The powerful figures in DC who wield magical abilities are not to be trifled with. The rules of Heaven and Hell have been in place for thousands of years, and no one can shake them. The Upside-Downs, as the source of magic, are even more dangerous. Barbatos, from the Dark Universe, is far too corrupting, and the Goddess of Creation is a topic that cannot be touched.
However, besides these dangerous entities at the cosmic level, there are indeed some mysterious beings who are easy to bully. Schiller sensed that some people in the Arkham Batman universe might be in for a rough time.
If Batman makes a move in Arkham, those Batmen who can learn of it through the Battle Realm will inevitably be tempted and will sharpen their knives at their nearest easy targets. Batman can win every well-prepared and meticulously planned war. They will gain a huge amount of power.
What will they do with this energy?
Robbing money to buy guns, then using those guns to rob even more money. But the prerequisite is to first protect your home base. Many Batmen will undoubtedly choose to build a magical defense network around Earth. Wouldn't that be a successful marketing ploy?
However, that world is more complex. Even if establishing a magical defense network would be good for Earth, there will definitely be people who try to stop it, possibly even members of the Justice League.
When Batman had control, they inevitably discussed philosophical questions like, "What if Batman loses control or someone else takes it over?" This eventually led to discussions about "developing an absolutely safe way to control this thing and forming a democratic decision-making council." The debate over who should be chosen lasted three days and three nights, with Robin splitting into two factions and the Justice League splitting into eight parts. There were supporters, opponents, neutrals, and those who didn't care. This sparked a massive superhero melee, ultimately ruining the whole thing.
Schiller certainly didn't want this to happen. But not every Batman has the guts of Arkham Batman, choosing to pay someone to suppress the Justice League. So how could the installation of the magic defense network proceed smoothly?
As the saying goes, most philosophical thinking stems from having too much free time. Keeping the superheroes who might object busy should buy Batman enough time, right?
Keeping the superheroes busy is easy; just find something to infiltrate. Schiller thought for a moment and quickly came up with someone.