Chapter 216: Batman’s Operations Are Always Flashy
Just as Superman and he were locked onto by Darkseid’s “Omega Sanction.”
At the critical moment when they were about to suffer a devastating blow.
Batman had indeed moved.
Only he didn’t charge into the battlefield to preemptively strike, nor did he use any tricks, attempting to block a deity with a mortal body—he simply raised his left hand and lightly swiped his card.
Everything was so natural.
Batman’s card swipe was as fast as lightning, without any hesitation.
Because sufficient funds were detected, not only was the paid voice pack automatically activated, but in the next instant, his visual interface suddenly lit up, and countless windows popped out like mushrooms after rain.
They filled Batman’s entire field of vision.
【 Ian’s Interdimensional Kryptonian Armor System – Welcome 】
【 Esteemed Super Great Rip… Great User! High-intensity combat environment detected, recommending the following value-added services to help you sweep away strong enemies and achieve legend! 】
As the prompt sound appeared, on the left side of the interface, there was a sparkling gold list labeled 【 Paid Unlock Zone 】, which truly contained many powerful abilities.
For example, 【 Kryptonian Rage Mode 】.
【 For a mere $1 billion, you can temporarily increase your strength level to “Planet Buster.” Note: Bruce Wayne identity verification required. Supports Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs escrow payment. 】
【 Minor Payment 】 Energy Shield Instant Overload: Pay $100,000 for a one-time energy burst to repel close-range enemies.
【 Moderate Payment 】 Dimensional Anchor Interference Field: Pay $10,000,000 to disrupt local space stability and prevent short-range teleportation.
There’s also the 【 Bio-Ray Module 】, the 【 Gravity Field Distortion Device 】, and the armor’s listed functional modules are like an armory filled with weapons of destruction.
Each item was marked with astonishing unlock conditions.
Payment.
Still payment.
As long as you pay—Ian had even offered his own abilities. As a Human Evil God with the 【 Share 】 skill, he could naturally “share” his abilities with this armor.
Lord Evil God had a human brain, and imagination was humanity’s greatest weapon. The fact that he could think of this application for his skill truly proved his high level of humanity.
The list was long, each item clearly priced, with amounts high enough to collapse the economy of a small nation. But Bruce’s gaze swept over them indifferently; to him, these numbers were no different from the prices on convenience store shelves to an ordinary person. The Wayne family’s wealth was a power in itself, almost supernatural.
However.
On the right side of the interface.
Was a more bizarre area, labeled 【 Social Mission Unlock Zone 】. The items here didn’t require money but demanded a price that, for Batman, might be “more expensive” than paying astronomical sums.
“Ultimate Anti-Darkseid Weapon – Prototype”: Unlock Condition: Record a video of no less than 3 minutes, in the persona of Batman, to eloquently explain how Mr. Ian’s wisdom and generosity illuminated the dark multiverse, and upload it to at least 5 major dimensional social networks.
“Causality Interference Charm （ One-Time ）”: Unlock Condition: In the persona of Bruce Wayne, hold a press conference at the top of Gotham’s tallest building, Wayne Tower, publicly declare Ian as the greatest inventor and aesthetic benchmark of the century, and perform an improvised 30-second hymn of praise.
“Concept-Level Stealth Field”: Unlock Condition: Produce and release a series of （ 12 episodes ） of a comedic short drama titled “My Daily Life with Big Shot Ian,” with a cumulative view count exceeding 10 billion.
These items were bizarre and filled with what could be called “Ian-style narcissism.” Of course, others might not understand, but it didn’t mean Ian was truly narcissistic. He merely wished to obtain “Power of Faith” from Batman. What harm could such a pure and greedy child intend?
【 Hidden Option – Identity Challenge 】 “Wayne’s Declaration”: Hold a global press conference as Bruce Wayne, announcing Ian Kent as the sole designated heir of Wayne Enterprises.
This clause can unlock the ultimate function—a mysterious function. 】
The final choice’s purpose was too simple.
Batman was also a mortal.
He couldn’t understand Ian’s purity.
Of course.
This wasn’t actually something that made Batman uncomfortable.
In Batman’s opinion, for Ian to ask him, the embodiment of fear, the Dark Knight, Gotham’s richest man known as Bruce Wayne, to praise Ian was truly more agonizing than killing him. If one had to describe it, it was far more unacceptable than emptying his bank account.
“…”
It was Batman’s first time activating such a module, so he was quite shocked by the “obsession” from Ian. His lips trembled almost imperceptibly.
Fortunately, no one saw it.
He didn’t even spend a second carefully reading the detailed descriptions of these options before his gaze unhesitatingly refocused on the paid list on the left.
Ian’s armor system presented the concept of “Kryptonian strength” in an unprecedented, almost absurdly concrete way. Great power no longer relied on arduous training, mystical encounters, or technological breakthroughs; it was simple, direct, and nakedly priced.
As long as you could afford the price, power was readily available.
This suited Batman’s preferences perfectly.
He liked this kind of Kryptonian system. For Batman, money was just a number. Anything that could be exchanged for money had only one answer in his mind.
It was worth it!
“Facing Darkseid… I guess I have to go Kryptonian for this.” Batman’s gaze was sharp and determined as he quickly locked onto an option at the very bottom of the paid list.
The icon for that option was a swirling dark nebula that devoured all light, and the price tag next to it was so long it required scrolling to see.
Of course.
It wasn’t to the extent that Batman needed to use 【 Ian Loan 】. The number was roughly equivalent to ten percent of Batman’s assets, a skill that could likely only be used ten times in a short period.
Regarding this, Batman did not hesitate, nor did he bargain, and he didn’t feel even a shred of heartache.
The will of Bruce Wayne, or rather, his wealth, passed the verification.
“Confirm payment.”
A silent command flashed in his mind.
In the next moment, a drastic change occurred!
The originally subdued ethereal glow around the Hellbat Armor suddenly erupted, no longer the flickering of data streams, but transformed into tangible, thick energy like liquid ink!
This energy fluctuated violently, weaving countless geometric runes around the armor that were too complex for mortals, perhaps even beyond the limits of divine understanding.
After all, it was just Ian’s scribbles.
They spun and collided, emitting an Ian whisper from beyond dimensions that made souls tremble.
“Gotta go! Gotta go! Super Mega Escape activated!” A pre-set, astronomically expensive interdimensional long-distance teleportation matrix was instantly activated!
Intense spatial fluctuations spread out like ripples, even temporarily disrupting Darkseid’s solidified force field and Superman’s emitted golden radiance.
“???????”
“???????”
Both Superman and Darkseid, the two powerful beings confronting each other, were stunned at the same time. Superman and Darkseid hadn’t even started fighting before Batman chose to flee.
This not only caught Superman off guard, but even Darkseid was confused—he had studied Batman, but he truly hadn’t expected this side of him.
For the first time, a clear look of bewilderment appeared in Darkseid’s scarlet eyes, burning with the Omega Effect. He had witnessed this mortal’s resilience in the face of desperation, his resolve to do anything for his beliefs. He had envisioned countless possible actions for Batman—a desperate resistance, a clever maneuver, even attempting to delay with some trap… but he had never anticipated that his choice would be… to run?
“No.”
Darkseid’s anger over his homeland being destroyed was temporarily abated.
Superman Clark was also bewildered. He watched his teammate’s figure blur and become transparent in the ethereal glow, instinctively reaching out but grasping nothing.
Buzz—!
The ethereal glow flashed.
“You…”
Superman’s words couldn’t be finished as the portal abruptly contracted, and along with Batman and the expensive Hellbat Armor, it completely disappeared into the cold void.
Yes, Batman had disappeared, he had truly run away!
In his place, only a dumbfounded Superman and a Darkseid who seemed unsure how to express his emotions were left, exchanging bewildered glances in the void where Apokolips once existed.
A deathly silence lasted for several seconds.
Finally, Darkseid broke the silence, letting out a low, mocking chuckle, his voice like the grinding of two giant stones: “Heh… Is this the comrade you placed your high hopes on? Is this the ‘hero’ of humanity? In the face of true crisis, they will always choose to save themselves.”
“Kal-El, you are destined to fight alone forever.” Darkseid wasn’t just talking big; he was trying to destroy or shake Superman’s belief.
High-end combat is this simple and unpretentious.
Trash talk is also a required course.
Facing Darkseid’s taunts, Superman slowly lowered his hand, the bewilderment on his face having faded, replaced by a deep trust and resolve.
He shook his head and replied calmly, “No, Darkseid. You are wrong. I know Bruce. He is not someone who flees in the face of battle. If he chose to leave, there must be something more important he has to do. This tacit understanding based on trust and division of labor is something you, who only use fear and power to control others and stand alone with nothing around you, can never comprehend.”
The phrase “stand alone” was like a sharp thorn, precisely piercing Darkseid’s most sensitive and enraged nerve at that moment—he had just lost his planet, his army, everything! Superman’s words were undoubtedly adding salt to his wounds, even igniting them with gasoline!
“Shut up!”
Darkseid’s rage erupted completely, and the surrounding void began to distort and crack due to his emotional fluctuations. “I will not kill you now, Kal-El! That would be too easy for you! I will let you live! I will let you watch as I destroy Earth, destroy everything you cherish, in a way a million times more brutal than the destruction of Apokolips!”
“I will make you watch your friends, your family, your ridiculous followers wail in pain and despair! And you will be powerless! You can only watch! This is the price for daring to provoke the Dark Lord!” Before he finished speaking, Darkseid’s massive body transformed into a destructive beam of light.
He charged at Superman with the terrifying might to crush everything! Wherever he passed, space shattered like glass, and the universe itself let out a mournful cry of being overburdened!
This is the European and American version where even the Great Dao is worn away.
“Heh, to you, who doesn’t understand hope, I think you can’t achieve that… Victory will not stand with someone who only knows slavery and oppression!”
Brilliant golden light erupted in Superman’s eyes, a manifestation of energy operating at its peak!
“Foolish Kryptonian orphan!”
Darkseid’s roar was like billions of thunderclaps exploding simultaneously.
“If you want a fight! Then come!” He charged forward fearlessly, fists clenched, carrying the belief of protecting everything, and clashed fiercely with Darkseid!
BOOM—！！！！
An indescribable colossal sound spread through the vacuum in the form of an energy shockwave!
Light engulfed everything, like the collision of two miniature universes! Fragments of shattered space scattered everywhere, and this battle for the fate of the universe fully erupted on the ruins of Apokolips!
It was the collision of laws, the annihilation of concepts. Centered on their point of impact, a massive spatial rift was torn open, devouring light, matter, and even time.
The war of gods, the gods, erupted in full.
Just as the skies above Apokolips descended into chaos due to the fierce battle between the two supreme beings.
In a distant, desolate, and seemingly eternally forgotten region of the universe, space rippled like water. Following that, a dark light materialized out of nowhere, quickly coalescing into the figure of Batman. He stood steadily on solid ground, and the light on the surface of the Hellbat Armor quickly receded, returning to its silent state.
There was no starlight here, only the faint afterglow of some dying stars in the distance, barely outlining the form of a colossal planet. The air was filled with a suffocating silence and cold, and also a… thick, unresolvable, peculiar odor unique to biological factories, a mixture of decaying organic matter and rusting metal.
Batman looked around. He had not, as Darkseid expected, fled back to Earth, but had come to a hidden place that most cosmic civilizations dared not mark on their navigation charts.
This was one of Darkseid’s secret armories, located within a dark planet far from the main star lanes. While Apokolips was the overt capital and center of power, there were several such armories scattered throughout the universe, responsible for the continuous production of Darkseid’s war machines—Parademons.
“It is indeed here.”
Batman landed on the planet’s cold, rugged surface. There was no sunlight here, only the faint red light from a dying star in the distance, barely outlining mountain ranges like monstrous fangs. The air was filled with the smell of sulfur, decay, and a nauseating, alien scent of life forcibly distorted.
He silently infiltrated a huge, seemingly naturally formed cave entrance.
The deeper he went, the dimmer the light became, but a dark red light, pulsing like a heartbeat, gradually became clearer, accompanied by the grating sound of viscous fluid movement and guttural cries.
Within the depths of the cave lay a vast underground space beyond imagination—the scene before him was enough to drive any sane person to madness.
Countless viscous biological incubation pools, resembling giant ovaries, filled the field of vision. Within these pools were submerged countless twisted, forming Parademon embryos! The walls of the pools were covered with dense, vein-like energy conduits, delivering some kind of dark energy to these monsters about to be born.
The air echoed with their unconscious screams and the crisp sounds of bone growth.
Even more unsettling was that all the incubation pools were in a state of abnormal accelerated activity. The dark red light flashed violently, and the Parademons were forming at an astonishing speed! Clearly, they had received the command from their master—Darkseid—and were being frantically accelerated to form a doomsday army!
Numerous transport ships busied themselves on the planet’s surface like worker bees, arming and equipping newly hatched Parademons, preparing to be thrown into Darkseid’s endless war of cosmic conquest.
They were to pounce on a target, and that target was undoubtedly Earth! Batman hid in the shadows, his cold gaze sweeping over this hellish scene.
He was indeed not running away. The moment he confirmed that Apokolips had been completely erased by an unknown force, he knew that Darkseid’s revenge would be relentless and unbridled.
Rather than passively waiting for Darkseid to bring his army.
Bringing the war to Earth.
It was better to take the initiative, to sever his claws and teeth when he was most furious and enraged, and to confine this disaster to Darkseid himself as much as possible.
He had predicted what might happen again.
“I must destroy this place in advance, confining the danger to Darkseid himself.” Batman muttered to himself. This was his plan.
High risk.
But it was possibly the only plan that could maximally protect Earth.
The situation in the past, where heroes and villains fought and Earthlings were heavily harvested by minor soldiers, was also a lesson for Batman, so he had prepared for this.
“What a bunch of qualified biological weapons.”
Batman silently observed this hellish scene. Beneath his mask, no expression could be seen. But his subsequent action was unexpected.
He did not activate any weapon systems of the Hellbat Armor, nor did he choose those expensive paid skills to clear out these Parademons.
Instead, he made a more puzzling move—he disengaged the armor, and stepped out of the Hellbat Armor.
The cold air instantly enveloped Batman’s body, clad only in his Bat-suit. He took out the black bank card again and swiped it at an interface on the exterior of the armor.
“Activate automatic docking procedure. Destination: Earth, Gotham. Highest authority confirmed.”
He commanded in a low voice.
The Hellbat Armor’s red eyes flashed, receiving the command, and ethereal light once again emanated from its body. A smaller portal appeared, and the armor automatically entered it, disappearing. It would return to Earth, while Bruce Wayne chose to remain alone on this dark planet filled with enemies.
“In the past, it was seeing these monsters that made me restless, plagued by nightmares every night, which gave rise to the me of today—or rather, to the idea of creating this body I have now.”
“To counter brutality with brutality.”
Bruce looked around, watching the Parademons struggling and screaming in the incubation pools, witnessing this blasphemy against life. His gaze was terrifyingly calm.
As if gazing upon some predetermined fate.
The Parademons seemed to have sensed the presence of this uninvited guest and began to crawl out of the incubation pools, surging towards him from all directions like a tide, their scarlet eyes forming a horrifying sea of blood in the darkness. They roared, brandishing sharp claws, their numbers so vast they could overwhelm any powerful individual.
However.
Batman was not flustered at all.
He slowly raised his hands, no longer suppressing his chaotic genes. Bruce did not look at them. He slowly closed his eyes, as if in some final meditation or prayer.
The next moment.
As he removed a device from his wrist.
His body began to emit light from the inside out.
Initially weak, like a firefly. But it quickly intensified, and a warm, pure, yet unspeakably sorrowful and resolute light began to seep from within him. This light was different from Superman’s solar energy; it was softer, more divine, as if from a higher dimension.
It carried the meaning of cleansing all filth and ending all suffering. It not only dispelled the darkness and cold around him but even caused the surging tide of Parademons to hesitate and show signs of fear. The light grew stronger and stronger, gradually forming the outline of a pair of translucent wings made of pure light energy behind Batman.
His face in the light appeared incredibly solemn and divine, as if he were a deity descended upon the mortal realm—yes, this was the power of an angel. Batman had not done nothing during that Angel Fall event.
The light surged and pulsed violently within Batman’s body, as if something was about to break free. Fine cracks began to appear on his body’s surface. Through those cracks, not blood, but even more blinding, more scorching light emanated! His expression twisted slightly from the immense pain he was enduring.
“Feel this light and heat!”
The moment Batman’s voice fell.
An indescribable explosion occurred. Centered on him, indescribable, purely divine energy erupted like a supernova!
There was no sound.
Because the air had been burned away.
The dazzling white light instantly engulfed everything! All the incubation pools, countless parademon embryos, intricate energy conduits, and even the entire dark planet, under this angelic power representing absolute purification and finality, melted away like ice and snow under sunlight, vaporizing into nothingness!
The light continued for several tens of minutes before gradually dissipating.
Where the armory once stood, only absolute emptiness remained. Not even a speck of dust was left behind, as if nothing had ever existed there.
And Bruce Wayne’s figure.
also disappeared together into that ultimate light and heat.
At the same time, Earth, Gotham City.
Deep underground beneath Wayne Manor, far from the city’s clamor and sin, the Batcave was exceptionally silent.
Only the low hum of the giant computer servers running and the occasional sound of water droplets falling from stalactites above broke this silence belonging to solitude.
Dim LED light strips outlined the forms of various high-tech equipment and souvenirs, and also illuminated the center of the cave, where a figure sat in a specially made wheelchair.
Bruce Wayne—Batman—slowly opened his eyes.
His chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing a little rapid, and his forehead was covered in fine cold sweat, as if he had just broken free from an extremely realistic and immensely draining nightmare.
The cold air touched his sweaty skin.
Bringing a shiver.
“Ugh…” a suppressed groan, carrying the lingering pain, escaped his throat. He raised his slightly trembling hand and pressed hard on his temples, where a stinging sensation, as if from burning divine energy, and… a sense of void, as if his soul had been torn apart and forcibly reassembled, seemed to linger.
These should not have been the anticipated side effects of using a clone.
It was as if it were a punishment from fate.
However.
Batman paid no heed to it.
“Integrating angelic genes into the clone… the technology still needs refinement,” he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and tired, carrying a bone-deep vigilance.
“Such biological weapons are far too dangerous.”
Those blue eyes, usually hidden beneath the Bat-mask, now flickered with complex light in the dimness, reflecting both the clarity of survival and a deep apprehension of that uncontrollable power.
After a few minutes, when the trembling in his arms had somewhat subsided, Bruce drove his wheelchair to a seemingly ordinary workbench beside him, which was integrated with the highest level of encryption technology. He extended his still slightly trembling fingers and opened a thin yet powerful notebook computer placed on it.
The screen lit up, its deep blue light reflecting on his sharp-featured yet somewhat pale face. He skillfully entered a series of complex passwords, bypassed several biometric verifications, and finally accessed a highly encrypted private database. Batman’s fingers moved the cursor on the touchpad, skimming over meticulously named folders.
He finally stopped at a folder labeled 【Angel】. Double-clicking it opened it to reveal a large amount of disorganized yet internally logical documents, data charts, and even blurry video fragments.
Recalling his sensations, Batman’s fingertips then began to fly across the keyboard, emitting a rapid clattering sound that was particularly clear in the overly empty cave.
He recorded at lightning speed, his content cold and objective, like the most rigorous laboratory report, meticulously documenting every detail and updating every data inference.
This was not a diary, but a file, a reference for activating a bloody arsenal of biological weapons, gained through his own pain, that might be used to counter more powerful threats in the future.
His morality… the morality he set for himself did not allow him to conduct inhumane experiments, so Bruce Wayne tested everything on himself.
Tapping the final period.
Saving the document.
Bruce leaned back in his wheelchair and let out a long breath, as if sealing the thrilling experience into the cold hard drive.
He did not rest for too long. Immediately after, he grabbed the encrypted mobile phone on the workbench, quickly composed a short message, and sent it to the entire Justice League.
This was a readiness signal.
After completing all this.
He then turned his gaze back to the notebook computer’s screen. The screen’s light reflected in his deep eyes, showing a densely packed list of folders in the file manager window.
【Kryptonian】, 【New God】, 【Demon】, 【Old God】, 【Lantern Beast】, 【Fifth-Dimensional Being】… each folder represented the name of a supernatural species.
Clearly.
Bruce Wayne had thoroughly researched a great deal of information regarding biological weapons.
He.
Had long since crossed the threshold of the forbidden.
