Chapter 35 Mutation: The Fourth Calamity - The Peak of His Career
Bruce entered the hall and found the family atmosphere unexpectedly harmonious. There were no assassinations, no under-the-table retaliatory attacks, no passionate fights, no flying knives and forks; the atmosphere was eerily calm, harmonious, and friendly. His steps faltered slightly, a hint of hesitation in his mind. Something was amiss; perhaps something big was brewing. But his keen insight proved him wrong. After careful observation, he discovered the key: the turning point lay with the Red Robin from a parallel world, whose identity was questionable.
The player's actions significantly fostered harmony and friendship among the bat family in this world; indeed, the fastest way to improve relationships is to establish a common enemy.
Barbara and Cassandra followed Bruce to their seats. The entire Bat-family dinner was complete except for Nightwing, who was locked in the Batcave. In fact, there were even more members of the Bat-family from other worlds mixed in without any sense of incongruity.
Wen Yue, Red Hood, and Damian, who were originally dressed in their distinctive uniforms, changed into their everyday clothes under the disapproving gaze of the butler, Afu. Wen Yue tugged at her collar, feeling quite awkward. Was the large, wavy lace trim on the collar too complicated? It was really uncomfortable and uncomfortable to wear.
Tim's style today is somewhat similar to Wen Yue's. Gone are the dark circles and the gloomy aura; the lingering fatigue is gone. Bathed in the bright sunlight of the lobby, he exudes a melancholic, handsome charm. His simple, casual white shirt is understated yet elegant, revealing his inner depth. Quietly enjoying coffee and electronic devices in a corner, this limited-edition Tim looks like a fashion magazine cover model.
Wen Yue reached the pinnacle of her career in the Fourth Calamity—infiltrating the Bat Family's team-building activity. Players brazenly filmed with a camera sponsored by Tim, their arrogance surpassing even that of the real Tim.
The two Jasons sitting side by side, their eyes narrowed, exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression. Dick, who had performed acrobatic moves on the stairs, smoothly took his seat. Damian pouted. Tim, who was quietly sipping his coffee, stood alone in the world. Barbara and Cassandra, who had come with Bruce, were all captured in the camera's memory.
[Savior Group] Chat in the group —
[Red Date Dafu]: No, are you taking a photoshoot? You've got your face all over my forehead.
[Duck Detective]: You might as well just stick the camera inside my clothes.
[The Fourth Calamity]: Really?
[Sweetheart Wings]: Did you capture the high-difficulty backflips and stair jumps I just did? How did they look?
[Fourth Calamity]: Don't worry, it's completely OK, very dashing and handsome. I'll send you the photos later for your opinion.
[Sweet Little Wings]: Yay!
[Duck Detective]: Me too!
[Red Date Daifuku]: +1.
[Fourth Calamity]: Don't worry, everything is there.
[The Fourth Calamity]: Batman has arrived.
[The Fourth Calamity]: Batman will now briefly say a few words.
[Duck Detective]: What's Batman called?
[The Fourth Calamity]: The cry of "Ah Fu, Ah Fu".
Bruce sat in the head seat, his gaze fixed on the sumptuous feast laid out on the table. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Alfred..."
"Pfft!" The corners of the mouths of the members who were spying on the screen in the group involuntarily turned upwards.
"?" Bruce looked up in confusion, glancing at the group of kids who were secretly chatting in the group chat, their faces contorted with suppressed laughter. His suspicious gaze fell on their phones on the table, but to avoid giving the other world's characters the impression of control freaks, he suppressed his impulse. Forget it, they're not his kids, it's none of my business.
Bruce's gaze finally fell on his own Tim, and he had already planned to investigate afterwards. Batman could pretend not to know, but he couldn't truly be unaware.
Tim's smile slowly faded as he sensed something.
"Ah, this pie?" Bruce asked, pointing to the apple pie on the table.
"It was sent by the Kent family. Although you didn't invite them, they sent this as a token of their appreciation." Alfred smiled politely, but his words carried a sarcastic undertone.
Bruce: "..." I shouldn't have said that.
Players, with expressions of utter skepticism, commented: "So sweet!"
Bruce, upon hearing Wen Yue's感慨 (sentimental remark), thought: "?"
Wen Yue touched the tip of her nose, then slapped her thigh to salvage the situation: "Kent, you're so hospitable!"
Bruce: "."
Let's forget about it and not delve into it further.
“Is that your counterpart?” Cassandra asked Tim, who was sitting next to her.
"No." Tim had lost interest in watching the show, because he realized he was the actor on stage, both the real Red Robin and the real Joker. Now, Tim just wanted to distance himself immediately; let Bruce enjoy this good fortune alone. Only the photos he was about to receive offered any solace to his wounded heart. "You'd be better off believing I'm the president than believing he's Red Robin."
"Have you heard? Tim says he's the president." Red Hood turned his head and began spreading rumors.
“It’s not impossible,” Damian retorted sarcastically, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"The current president is Tim." Cassandra nodded solemnly, making a definitive conclusion.
“I never thought I’d get to have dinner with the president.” Jason chuckled, picking up on the joke in time.
"It's our honor!" Dick replied with a bright smile, perfectly in sync.
Tim slumped in his chair, looking utterly dejected. He was truly blessed to have such a group of brothers and sisters.
Wen Yue didn't join in the fun; instead, she unusually started talking about serious business.
"How's Nightwing? How's the conversion going?" Wen Yue asked Bruce directly. Batman is known for keeping something in reserve, so she wanted to confirm with him again.
Bruce frowned and shook his head helplessly: "Not at the moment."
That's for the future, but for now, "How about we try God's healing? God is quite adept at treating cognitive problems." Wen Yue eagerly took out the halo.
In fact, Wen Yue felt that the species transformation wasn't the biggest problem; the key issue lay in the reversal of cognitive thinking. Whether it was Nightwing, Hal, or Wonder Woman, their allies were completely reversed after they became vampires. They retained all their memories but lost all their emotions and convictions; they were essentially two different people before and after the transformation.
Bruce paused, staring at the halo in Wen Yue's hand, which radiated a pure and holy aura and was entirely composed of interwoven light elements. "What is this halo?"
"Angel Halo." This was the first time Wen Yue had introduced player cheats to the outside world.
The frolicking bats were drawn to the player's cheat, curiously approaching to touch it, only to find it like a mirage, an angelic halo neither real nor illusory, untouchable by mortals—except for the player, the cheater.
Bruce also snatched the halo away, asking, "Are you an angel?"
"No, that's not it." Although Wen Yue considered herself to have a heart as beautiful as an angel, the players were definitely not angels.
Dick stared intently at the dazzling halo in the player's hand, his eyes fixed on it: "What's with this halo?" He had wanted to ask this for a long time.
"A friend gave it to me." Wen Yue said honestly. The player had come to regard the reliable and powerful World Consciousness as a loyal and dependable super friend.
Jason bent down to examine the halo closely, quite intrigued: "Your friend is God? Bruce has such connections?"
"No, that's not it." Wen Yue tried to cover up her charisma, wanting others to stop investigating the source of the player's cheat. She was successful entirely through her own efforts, constantly busy saving the world from the villainous boss—it was truly exhausting. This cheat represented God's recognition of the player's pure and beautiful heart, and the world's consciousness's recognition of the player's diligent work. She declared righteously, "Don't overthink it, it's just ordinary help between friends."
Everyone fell into a suspicious silence: I want this friend too, please give me some ordinary financial assistance!
Without warning, all the lights in Wayne Manor went out instantly, plunging everyone into complete darkness.
"Is this going to be a candlelight dinner?" Wen Yue asked cheerfully, propping her face up on the table. The player was still confused, or perhaps it was someone's birthday today?
"All personnel on alert!" Bruce reacted swiftly, his entire body tense as if facing a formidable enemy. The person who could shut down the manor's power without triggering any defense alarms or leaving a trace was not to be underestimated.
A bright light shone forth, a gentle glow that seemed to draw upon an angelic halo to illuminate the scene. Bathed in this light, Bruce's solemn expression was clearly visible.
After everyone maintained their stance against the enemy for a moment, the enemy's attack did not arrive as expected.
"No... Dick!" Bruce suddenly realized and turned on the Batcave's surveillance camera. The cell where Nightwing had been imprisoned was empty; the person inside had long since disappeared.
It is obvious that the enemy's target is not the Bat Family, but the vampire king Nightwing.
"Was it done by vampires?" Wen Yue's expression hardened. She held up her halo in front of her to protect herself and asked eagerly, "Are there still any remnants left?"
“It doesn’t seem like it…” Tim pursed his lips thoughtfully.
Having understood Tim's unspoken words, Wen Yue, the player, had already arrived at the answer: "Oh, I get it, there's a hidden mole."
The player, in a light and calm tone, revealed the truth that no one dared to explore: "It seems this werewolf game isn't over yet. There are werewolves among us, right here in the Bat Family, among the members present now." Otherwise, the timing wouldn't be so coincidental, and the alarm wouldn't have been so ineffective.
Wen Yue's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on the figure standing in the shadows, whose expression was obscured—this world's Barbara was physically healthy and not paralyzed. As far as the players knew, in the later storyline of the vampire magazine, Barbara would replace Nightwing as the new king. And Barbara's unusually quiet behavior at the gathering earlier was particularly suspicious.
"It's you, isn't it..." Wen Yue was about to give the answer when a scorching red laser beam shot in from outside the window and pierced through the player's body.
At the same time, Barbara turned and drew her knife, stabbing the unsuspecting Bruce beside her. Wen Yue had fully informed the members of the Saviors about the future of this world, up to the timeline where Batman was betrayed by Nightwing. When the player's expression changed and their gaze fixed on Batman, Tim's internal alarm bells rang. His red Robin dart flew through the air, and he, secretly on guard, managed to parry the dagger aimed at Bruce. "Barbara, why did you betray us…?"
"What is betrayal? We simply chose our own paths," Nightwing, appearing like a phantom, answered in Barbara's place.
Nightwing ambushed Cassandra from behind, his agile movements effortlessly dodging Red Hood's bullets. He then sidestepped and used his softness to block Damian's attack, before lightly pulling Barbara out of the fray.
His relaxed and effortless demeanor resembled a highly expressive performance on stage, easily handling three opponents at once. This Nightwing MVP was a godlike performance. After becoming the Vampire King, Nightwing's combat power was maxed out, leading players to reasonably suspect that he had secretly used an invincible cheat.
A soft, delicate light emanated from Wen Yue's body. The red laser formed by the contraction of energy could not penetrate her body. The high-energy beam had no effect on the cheat player who was specializing in absorbing energy. The angel halo above her head grew brighter and brighter, absorbing and charging energy while protecting against energy consumption, harmoniously constructing a perfect and coordinated energy cycle.
Wen Yue was even secretly pleased, thinking that people in this world were quite kind, giving players energy for their cheat programs every day.
Joy turned to sorrow; the player's laughter vanished the next second.
The sound of a blade mercilessly slicing through flesh rang in her ears, and a cold touch on her back brought an overwhelming, excruciating pain. Wen Yue's stiff body was caught off guard as a sharp blade pierced through her chest. The culprit who delivered this fatal blow from behind was a familiar partner. This was the most fatal wound she had ever suffered.
-----------------------
Author's note: The player really messed up this game.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
