Day 6 of clearing customs
He was now fairly certain of the rumors that Batman wasn't human.
Adrian calmly opened the [Batman] card—
Name: Batman (??)
Race: Human
Gender: Male
character:? ?
speed:? ?
strength:? ?
Wealth: ?
(Insufficient permissions, please add more story interactions)
...
Okay, so Batman is human, and we should be wary of him, right?!
Adrian fell silent again at the game's anti-player mechanism. What was this? The game could have given him no hints at all, yet it still let him know that Batman was a human.
Don't be too absurd.
For a moment, Adrian had the urge to quit the game, but curiosity overcame his impulse. Adrian was particularly interested in the faction war content; being one player short was always tantalizing, and he had already unlocked (?) two key characters, so he had to fill the remaining spot.
Ten minutes later, Adrian excitedly climbed to the bridgehead. Even from a distance, he could see the green smiling face on the big screen. He took out a newspaper to compare, and with the correct purple suit, he realized that the game was now complete.
Wildflowers by the roadside are captivating, and encountering an acquaintance among a group of NPCs is like a splash of ink on a blank sheet of paper, especially since this acquaintance has a huge question mark above her head, which means she is asking for help.
There were no problems during their first meeting, and he thought the issue must have arisen in the few hours that followed.
As the figure sped up and was about to disappear from Adrian's sight, he decided whether to proceed with the original plan to contact the key figure or to follow the new side quest. He turned around and followed the child. The key figure couldn't escape, but an 'acquaintance' would be even more surprising; he was a player who was always happy to help others.
Those struggling to survive in the mire only seek to stay alive, and only by being blind, deaf, or mute can one live a long life in the Lower East Side. Elena walked quickly; she knew she should, as her sisters had taught her, ignore ugliness, be cautious in her words and actions, think before she speaks, and, when necessary, be ruthless in pursuing her interests.
—The redhead leaned against the wall, a cheap, pungent cigarette between her slender, beautiful fingers. Her lips were brightly colored, and her lake-green eyes were fixed on the broken bottle at her feet. She spoke to Elena, but also to herself, "The last time. Once we finish this last time, we'll be free."
“But Sister Liz, do we really have to believe them? You said not to trust anyone. I’m so afraid something will happen to you. I’m afraid you will…” Elena stammered, she had so many fears. The last person she had any illusions about was probably in some sewer now.
Liz stopped Elena from continuing to persuade her, not caring at all. "How bad can it get? It's all about the big fish eating the small shrimp. The weak, ha."
She took a low drag on her cigarette, her expression one of almost cruel helplessness.
"Don't ask, Eileen. You know I won't tell you. You... never mind, the more you know, the more dangerous it is. If I don't come back..."
Alice was silent for a moment, as if she had foreseen her hopeless future. Her rosy cheeks turned ashen in an instant, but Alice had no better solution. "You can't come back. You should leave Gotham immediately, wherever you want."
Elena didn't heed her sister Liz's warning. Where could Elena run off to? The gang was all-powerful, and neither the Penguin nor Black Mask could stand against them.
How sad, Sister Alice.
Elena followed her memory and made her way to the chemical plant in the dark. Counting the time, the transaction should take place tonight. The Joker on the TV station had attracted most people's attention, and Batman was too busy to deal with a small smuggling case.
Elena chuckled. It was great that the Gothamites were teaming up with outsiders; a powerful alliance.
Adrian followed the route given by the system to track the child in need, but why was he getting further and further away from the main city? Adrian paused for a moment; if he continued, he would leave the main city area.
I doubt I'll be able to come back tonight. Should I deviate from the main quest for a side quest?
The question was answered the moment it was asked.
What could it be?
Let's make it more interesting.
The moonlight lingered on the earth, and waist-high weeds grew wildly in the fields.
Adrian moved slowly through the grass, his heart pounding with every movement. His cheeks stung from the cuts of the weeds. He had never done anything wrong or suffered any hardship, but he was certainly excited.
He stopped and used the blind spot to approach the factory, where he could clearly see the gate guards through the obstacles.
The factory in sight looked like a gigantic monster from a fairy tale, designed to steal children. Some children would go home after dawn, while others would remain there forever.
Adrian frowned as he thought of the information he had received from Elena; this place was a one-way street, with no one coming out.
Ten minutes earlier, Adrian pulled Elena out of the bushes just before she disappeared into them. “Hello, beautiful Miss Elena, you must be in trouble for not going home to sleep tonight.”
Seeing the terrified look in the child's eyes, Adrian frowned. Still a minor, he took pity on her and said in a high-pitched voice, "Beautiful Miss Elena, is there anything I can help you with?" He then flashed a kind and friendly smile.
He was so genuinely friendly. Adrian looked on expectantly, hoping to trigger the keyword to fast forward to the next stage. He glanced at the system's rating of 60 charm and didn't take it seriously. The game system should have maxed out his friendliness, not just given him a passing grade.
"Move on with the plot," Adrian urged silently.
Players perceive NPCs as two-dimensional characters, not belonging to their own kind, and therefore deprived of equal dialogue. However, the local residents see them as outsiders.
—In terms of attributes, it is naturally human.
So it's understandable that they were frightened.
"What are you doing here!" Elena covered her mouth to prevent her voice from being too shrill and attracting the guard's attention. Startled, Elena recognized the person who had startled her the moment she looked at him. She shuddered as she stared at the twisted and strange smile of the psychopath from earlier that day. Could he have been following her all along? The only connection she had with him was the extra banknotes in her pocket after she left, but she hadn't stolen them.
By the Knights of Arkham, she is telling the truth.
"Don't worry, I'm not chasing money. I just received a request for help from someone who needs it. I'll be wherever there's a need for help."
Do you need help?
"No need. Who knows if you're genuinely helping or just trying to trick people? If I end up as a broken person, who will I cry to? Besides, who's afraid of being all alone in the middle of the night?"
"No, you do need it, and I'm really trying to help you. I won't turn you into multiple parts. Just think of me as a little fairy who came to fulfill your wish, doing whatever you want."
Elena wanted to slap herself. How could she have blurted out her true feelings? But the harsh reality required her to solve the current problem. She didn't believe what Adrian said; anyone who believed him was a fool.
To avoid a tragedy, Elena reluctantly complied with Adrian, fawning over the psychopath, "Could you ask who needs help? Maybe I can help."
Elena just wanted to get rid of the irrelevant people as quickly as possible. These lunatics come out looking for fun in the middle of the night without even a decent excuse.
A wish-granting fairy? Perhaps it's more accurate to call him Aladdin.
Is she really that easy to fool?!
In Adrian's eyes, Elena's refusal to cooperate was like setting a test for him; what was wrong with the NPC?
“Elena Marjane, who is Lisma Marjane to you?” Adrian ignored Elena’s suddenly changed expression and continued reading the help prompts: “...Whatever your plans are, do not act rashly. Death will come before failure.”
"Death is buy one get one free. You don't want to see the consequences of refusing me. Answer me now, and answer seriously."
His gray, unrecognizable pupils resembled those of a demon from hell, tempting people to fall into his trap and revealing all his secrets.
Elena got goosebumps from the stare. "Sister Liz can't be in any danger. Investigate me!"
How did he know?
How did he know!
What else does he know?!
Her heart pounded wildly, as if it would burst from her chest. Elena bit her lower lip, her whole body trembling.
Adrian patted her shoulder, trying to calm the girl down, "Relax, I'm not going to eat you, I just want to help you."
After saying that, he shook his head. Adrian sighed that he had become more patient, but it seemed that the effect was going in the opposite direction. It also showed that NPCs respond better to force than gentleness.
"I counted down for ten seconds: ten, nine, eight, seven..."
Adrian just wanted to urge Elena to tell him the information, but Elena interpreted it as him saying that if she didn't confess in ten seconds, he would eat her alive.
Elena was horrified that he was some kind of pica monster. Based on past experience, dishonesty would have dire consequences, and lying during the day had already proven to be pointless.
Why didn't he get his comeuppance from Batman?!
"three."
"I'll talk, I'll talk."
Elena wisely spilled all the information she knew before the deadline, saying everything that was useful and not. She hoped they would fight like dogs and both suffer heavy losses, only to be met with the iron fist of the Arkham Knight and the justice of Batman.
Adrian pointed at Elena, urging her to hurry up, "If it takes too long, I can't guarantee the outcome. To make a long story short, here's the time, place, people, and main content."
Elena: "...Okay."
"That was the beginning of everything. It all started with the appearance of the Red Hood..."
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