Chapter 1 Two Hours Ago, Batcave

“You're a smart man, you should be able to understand my plan.” Feng Bujue said to Joey while putting on the Batsuit.

“I understand, but… is it really necessary?” Joey was doing the same thing. “In my opinion, a Gotham without 'super villains' is chaotic enough already.”

“Ah~ that's why you're still far behind.” Feng Bujue replied, “Gotham, which has been controlled by the_Bruce's faith for so many years, will not change overnight. To get people used to the new Batman, it takes time, patience, and…” He spread his hands. “…fear.”

“Then what's the difference between your behavior… and what the_Bruce did?” Maya interjected from the side.

“There is a difference. He was putting on a show with sacrifices who had no ability to resist.” Feng Bujue replied, “And I… have released real opponents for you.”

“To succeed, you need friends.” Unexpectedly, Xiao Tan suddenly spoke up from the side, “To achieve great success, you need enemies.”

“See, even he knows.” Feng Bujue shrugged and smiled.

…………

Now…

Tap— tap— tap—

Unhurried footsteps echoed in the empty Batcastle.

A figure in a Batsuit slowly walked through the corridor, heading towards the core power room deep inside the castle.

At this moment, the huge fortress was silent – because corpses don't make any noise.

“Well… most of them were killed by firearms. Judging from the location of the bullet wounds and the shape of the wounds, more than 90% of the people died at Xiao Ling's gunpoint…” Feng Bujue didn't waste time while walking. His eyes scanned around, capturing all the information that came into his sight. “Along the way… the visible number of deaths is only 81, which is very different from the number given by Clipper. It seems that most people chose to surrender or run away directly…”

“Tsk… what's this smell?” Jue-ge smelled something at a corner. “Oh… it's the smell of internal organs flowing out…” He went around the corner and saw a corpse lying diagonally on the floor. “It should have been killed by Ruo Yu, the cuts on the bones and muscle fibers are extremely smooth, the sword qi cut in from the side of the neck, passing through the lungs, heart, stomach, and intestines…”

Feng Bujue reached such conclusions almost at the same time as he observed, he couldn't even be called "thinking."

In the eyes of the current Jue-ge, the data world of Thriller Paradise has become different from the past. It was as if… it was the world he had seen in the [Demon Descent] state.

As long as he stared at something long enough, he could vaguely see some flowing matrix code; when he walked into a messy environment, he could instantly classify every item in it in a very organized manner; when he came to a scene similar to a crime scene, just by looking at the corpse, he could quickly restore the general situation of the deceased's death in his mind. If the clues and information left at the scene were sufficient, he could even rewind the entire murder process before his eyes.

If someone were standing next to Feng Bujue at this time, they would find that… there was a streamer flashing in Jue-ge's eyes, which looked very similar to those of the derivatives.

However, the data stream floating in the eyes of the derivatives was white, while the data stream in Jue-ge's eyes was black…

“Please enter the password.”

When Feng Bujue came to the door of the castle's main laboratory, such a voice sounded on the electronic door's operation panel.

“Long live the Bat.” Jue-ge took out the [Cheating Pocket Watch] from his luggage and said in the_Bruce's voice.

“Password correct, voiceprint calibration in progress… Recognition successful, welcome, Mr. Bruce.” The electronic door opened in response.

After entering the laboratory, before Feng Bujue could speak, Ruo Yu said first: “Why are you so slow?”

“Hehe… what's wrong, do you miss me so much after a while?” Jue-ge replied with a smile.

Ruo Yu didn't answer this boring question, but said solemnly: “The system just prompted that the hidden task has been completed. If Joey has successfully killed the_Bruce while you were dawdling, then we only have a few minutes left.”

“Actually, it doesn’t matter.” Feng Bujue continued, “Even if we only bring back the resources obtained from the Batcave, our trip will be worthwhile.”

While speaking, Jue-ge had come to the crowd, and said to Clipper, who was busy at the lab table: “Doctor, how is the progress?”

“These are all formulaic procedures, I have done it many times, it's very simple.” Clipper didn't stop the work in his hands, and grinned (he had a cigarette in his mouth) and replied, “The plastic surgery process will be completed in about five minutes, as for the brain chip…” He raised his head and glanced at the electronic cabinet on his right, “This batch of goods was secretly manufactured by me, without tracking function, the knowledge and personality simulation is close to 95%, and it will permanently erase the original personality and memory, hehe…” He smiled, “I call these lovely little things ‘Devil's Souls’.”

“Very good.” Feng Bujue walked forward, stood side by side with Clipper, looked at the "Robins" lying on more than a dozen lab tables in front of him, and smiled, “You are indeed worthy of the word ‘great’, Dr. Clipper… your talent can be described as shocking the past and present.”

“Hehehe… Hehehehe… Hahahaha…” The two of them stood there, making the kind of evil laughter that villains in cartoons would use.

At this moment, lying in front of them were more than a dozen captured "Robins." But soon, these people would no longer be Robins, they would become "Joker", become "Two-Face", become "Penguin", become "Black Mask", become "Poison Ivy"...

“Jue-ge, I don’t understand…” Xiao Tan said, “We have already gotten enough benefits in the Batcave, and the hidden task has been completed… Why do we have to do these irrelevant things? Can't Joey really be Batman without these villains?”

“Heh… as for the reason…” Feng Bujue said, “You'll know when you look at it…” As he said that, he raised his hand and pointed to a display screen on one side of the room. On the screen, a death match was being broadcast live…

…………

On the other side, on the high platform of the castle.

the_Bruce's Batsuit had been completely damaged, losing its power support. And the "Bane's Blood" on Joey's body had also lost its effect.

In the light and shadow, only two men in ordinary Batsuits were left, engaging in a powerful, most primitive fight.

“The effect of those ‘super stimulants’ on your body is almost over, right…” Joey said as he punched Bruce in the face.

Bruce's cheek was hit, a tooth flew out, and a mouthful of blood spurted out, but he still insisted on not falling to the ground: “Hehe… almost…” He sneered a few times, and suddenly turned around and kicked sideways.

Joey hurriedly blocked this blow with his hand across his chest, and took a few steps back: “Your persistence is admirable…” He took a breath, “You should know that even if you win against me, you can't become a god again.”

“I know…” Bruce wiped his mask, his “mask” was bleeding, because it was not actually a mask, but his face… the_Bruce himself had also undergone Clipper's surgery many years ago. In order to keep his face young, he directly merged his face with the Batman mask.

“But you are still very motivated.” Joey continued.

“Heh…” Bruce smiled meaningfully, “I'm helping you, Joey…” He raised an arm and pointed below the high platform, “Only by showing more power can those rioters be more devout and more in awe of you.”

“I don't want their faith!” Joey took another breath and attacked upwards, “I just want to stop all this!”

He roared, and then rushed towards Bruce with an American football tackle, successfully knocking him away and pressing him on the railing at the edge of the high platform.

At this time, the_Bruce was already at the end of his strength. The side kick just now had exhausted his last strength, and he was no longer able to resist.

“Then kill me, heh… Hahahaha…” Bruce laughed. His cape had already been lost, and as long as Joey used a little force, he would fall to his death.

At this second, a ray of dawn on the horizon suddenly opened the sky. The King of Gotham, with his face covered in blood, turned his head slightly and looked at the city he loved.

“No!” Unexpectedly, Joey let go. He stood up and replied firmly, “I don't kill people! I won't kill again! Because… I am Batman.”

Of course, Joey still remembered the look the "Joker" gave him before the fight, as well as his words before and after.

“Gotham will witness… the birth of Batman.” Joey said, pulling the_Bruce up, “The Dark Knight is a guardian, not a judge, or a tyrant.”

“Bastard! Kill me!” the_Bruce suddenly became furious. He seemed to be having a last burst of energy, and a huge force surged up inexplicably. He suddenly launched a killer move, slashing at Joey's neck with the fin blade on his forearm.

And Joey… was caught off guard. He never expected that a person who had no fighting spirit in his eyes could suddenly erupt again in a second.

Squeak—

It was too late, a beam of light appeared from Joey's side and hit the_Bruce's torso.

"Uh—" A scream rang out.

In the sunlight of dawn, a puff of smoke came out of the_Bruce's head, which had been shot, and his body fell from the high platform...

“Haa… haa…” Joey, still in shock, gasped and looked back. It was Maya who shot Bruce, none other than Maya, who had landed on the castle not long ago. It was her again who saved his life.

[The game is over] The system narration sounded again at this time, [Watching the_Bruce fall from the high platform, the crowd fell into a bizarre silence.]

[This scene symbolizes the end of a dynasty, and also symbolizes… the beginning of another legend.]

[A god has fallen, and then… the rioters went crazy.]

“Bat! Bat! Bat!” The whole city shouted.

“No! I'm not a god! I'm just a person! A mortal!” Joey raised his hands high and shouted at the live camera.

He wanted to calm the prayer-like shouts, but found that he was in vain. He thought he could change these people's lives, but—just changed the object of their praise.

But this praise did not last long, because...

“Hahahaha… Hahahahaha…” Feng Bujue's (Joker's) face appeared on the big screen again. He laughed wildly and said, “Citizens of Gotham, it seems that the game has come to an end, and a new Batman has been born…” He changed the subject, “But… don't you think such an ending is a bit boring?”

Before he finished speaking, dozens of metal flying shuttles suddenly shot out from all directions of the Batcastle. These capsule-shaped cabins were like missiles, flying towards the distant sky.

“Batman.” Feng Bujue no longer called Joey by his real name, “Guess what I just sent into the city?”

Joey looked at the big screen with a complicated expression and remained silent.

“Hehehe…” Feng Bujue then raised his voice and continued in a crazy tone, “…It's these people on the screen!”

The next second, more than a dozen split screens appeared on the big screen, each with the face of a super villain printed on it (of course, the Joker's face was not added).

The civilians were shocked again, panicked again, and once again shouted the name of the Bat, hoping to receive protection and mercy.

“You know me… I'm not a hypocritical liar like the_Bruce.” Feng Bujue's face quickly returned to the screen, “My game is much more interesting than his… hehe…” He pointed to his face and grinned, “Last night, you have witnessed the resurrection of the Bat. And at this dawn, you will witness me… and their resurrection! Hehe… Hahaha… Hahahahaha…”

He ended his speech with a signature laugh, which echoed in the air, unveiling a new chapter in Gotham…