pdf-ebookys Chapter 242 My Trust Level is 0
Chapter 242 My Trust Level is 0
Chapter 242 The number of people I trust is... 0
The mechanical superhero crouched atop the building's spire, silently conversing with the voices that echoed in his ears.
"Your name is Meditation Mite?"
His face, half metallic and half organic, gleamed with an intriguing expression.
"Of course, of course. Batman is our enemy, but that doesn't mean we're friends."
He said, "Don't think you can threaten me by revealing my identity to Batman. Do you think he's stupid?"
But soon, he heard what the mite said, and his expression finally changed.
"etc……"
"Are you able to open the passage without using the mother box?"
He floated up and flew.
"How can you prove it?"
……
……
……
"We...we'll discuss this when I get back, Alfred."
Chen Tao frowned.
He said something simple, and then immediately changed his itinerary, changing his direction from Lucius's laboratory to the Bat Cave.
He keenly noticed Alfred's emotions, but such an emotional outburst was not something Alfred would do.
Hey, listen up.
Perhaps Chen Tao knew that his next thought was completely unfounded and would make people think he was paranoid, or that he was suffering from neurasthenia due to various pressures and that his mind was no longer normal.
But he still thought that way:
Someone is manipulating Alfred.
Perhaps it's just a simple psychological suggestion, or perhaps it's simply guiding the other person to see what one wants to see, thereby manipulating their thoughts and guiding their behavior, and then using Alfred, the person closest to him, to try to influence him—Batman.
Chen Tao didn't believe in coincidences. At many crucial moments, Alfred's sudden and direct expression of his inner thoughts was itself suspicious.
This must have been done intentionally, perhaps just by a gesture or a glance.
This speculation is baseless, but it is an intuition, a sixth sense.
So... who could that person be?
When Chen Tao stepped into the Bat Cave, he saw Alfred sitting alone in the chair in front of the Bat Computer, like a dying mountain range undulating in the place it should have left long ago.
Alfred is browsing photos on the bat computer.
On the smooth lawn, young Bruce squatted there, his face full of innocence as he reached out to grab the green grass with his hands, which were not much bigger than walnuts.
"You've arrived, Mr. Bruce."
The old man turned his head. He forced a smile, then closed the photo.
Chen Tao walked silently to his side, carefully considering the words he wanted to use when speaking to him.
"Alfred, I'd like to know why you asked me the same question you asked me in the communications."
He ultimately used a slightly more neutral statement. This could be translated as, "How is my behavior anything but regressive?" But it could also be interpreted as, "Who exactly led you to this idea?"
Of course, Alfred automatically used the former interpretation.
He talked about recent events.
"Master Dick and the Suicide Squad have been dealing with crime in Gotham lately. The Penguin has said he has reformed and has proactively provided a lot of intelligence, which has greatly increased the success rate of Master Dick's operations."
"Mr Freeze and Lincoln March teamed up to find the remnants, or 'main body,' of the Court of Owls in Gotham. The two of them were a perfect match for dealing with such rats in the gutter of the Court of Owls."
Chen Tao stood beside him, quietly listening to the old man's rambling.
"Mr. Barry Allen's superhero career has been very stable lately. He has captured another villain called Mist and handed them all over to Iron Mountain Prison. I recently provided Iron Mountain Prison with the superpower suppression devices we use to hold prisoners in the Batcave."
"Oh, right, and Billy, Billy Batson, he's now the most famous superhero in New York! So young, but he's doing a fantastic job, though he can be a little insecure sometimes."
"Wonder Woman is entangled with her archenemies, as always."
"And then there's Supergirl. Some people call her Superwoman. You know, when Master Dick was having some trouble, it was Miss Kara Kent who flew all the way from Metropolis to Gotham to help him?"
"They are all young people with potential."
Alfred said.
"Bruce, I'm not trying to say anything stupid like you can entrust the Justice League's affairs to them. I'm also well aware that there are some things they simply can't do in your place."
Alfred's voice was sincere, with a hint of hesitation and negotiation.
"I just feel that sometimes, Mr. Bruce, why can't you try to teach them, take them under your wing, and let them face the crises you should be facing, and then..."
"Then we'll gradually train them and find a successor among them," Chen Tao continued. "Once that successor is capable of handling things independently, I can slowly step down and enjoy my retirement."
"Yes, Mr. Bruce. But it seems you don't have that thought at all right now."
Alfred said:
"You could easily summon Barry Allen the Flash or Kara Kent from thousands of miles away with a single phone call. At their speed, they could reach any corner of the earth in no more than five minutes. Or you could bring Shazam Billy Batson or Dick beforehand and have them participate in what you're doing, or even Miss Diana!"
The old man's words did not reveal any excitement or resentment, but Chen Tao knew that he was deliberately using the skills he had learned during his years as a special agent to carefully control his emotions.
He didn't want his Bruce to feel guilty because of his sadness or sorrow.
He did a great job.
"Okay, I'll do that. I was just not used to it before." Chen Tao's face showed a look of shame, which then turned somewhat serious:
"You're right, Alfred, you've enlightened me. I'm still relying on past methods to solve problems and micromanaging, fearing that others won't do a good job. I've overlooked the fact that if I continue to do everything myself, I'll only ruin my teammates and make them unable to take on my responsibilities."
He solemnly stated, "I will change my approach... In fact, when I was building the Justice League, I proactively gave the leadership position to Supergirl with a similar idea in mind, but in the end, I still ended up solving problems on my own, which effectively sidelined her, and that was definitely wrong."
Chen Tao continued chatting casually with Alfred for a couple more minutes, then abruptly asked, "Hey, Alfred, why did you think of calling me to remind me of all this?"
This is a question that seems fine at first glance, but upon closer examination, it is full of doubt.
Chen Tao was already trying his best to lower Alfred's guard. The butler, who had a background as a secret agent, was highly resistant to this kind of questioning. Once the other party sensed any distrust in him during the questioning...
That would break the old housekeeper's heart.
Chen Tao pretended not to look at the old butler, but his palms were practically sweating.
He was waiting for the other party's reply.
"First, Diana came to see you about the leopard woman, but you weren't there. She said you were so busy."
Alfred said:
"Then the Flash, Barry Allen, came over and said he felt that the Reverse-Flash, Swann, had done something big. He could sense it from afar using the Speed Force, but he didn't know exactly what it was. When he heard you weren't there, he left."
"Then there's Billy Batson... Shazam told me that his dad came back to him after many years... He said that was the happiest moment of his life."
"And then there's Master Dick... He's here to complain that the new Rogues are too mild-mannered and can't intimidate the other gangs in Gotham. He said things like, 'Can those Rogues even be called criminals?'"
"Oh, is that so?"
Chen Tao touched his chin.
"You're telling me Shazam, Billy Batson's dad, is back looking for his son?"
……
……
……
In a corner of a city, in a dark alley.
"He is the key to controlling Billy Batson, Black Adam."
The voice of the meditation mite rang out through Dr. Sivana's voice. They stood on the street corner, watching a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man walk by, smoking a cigarette.
"Once we have Billy's dad, he will be at our mercy, including handing over his power."
Dr. Sivana turned to Black Adam: "And we need your help, which is why we went to great lengths to help you resurrect."
Standing beside them was none other than Black Adam.
He should have already vanished into nothingness, disappeared amidst endless wailing, erased by the torrent of time, and turned into the dust of history. But here he is, standing perfectly fine, with a terrible complexion.
"Don't think I'll be grateful to you, Medusa. You opened the connection between the seven magical continents. Do you really understand the consequences of doing so? And you, Shivana, you're aiding and abetting evil. This is extremely dangerous. I've tolerated you for long enough. I should have decapitated you long ago..."
He said, "You told me you would guarantee the safety of our world, but I don't see that at all."
He extended his hand to Dr. Sivana:
"Do you take me for an idiot who doesn't understand magic?"
But then, a bolt of lightning pierced through Black Adam's body, causing him to let out a low scream.
"Thanks to the Meditation Mite, my power has increased unbelievably." Dr. Sivana turned around calmly, looking at Black Adam, whom he had once envied so much: "I have read every book in the Eternal Library, and I have mastered every spell."
It was only a brief separation, but the person kneeling down at this moment was Black Adam.
"You don't understand what the Meditation Mite will do to us once it reaches other magical continents."
Black Adam withdrew his hand, his face growing increasingly grim. In this brief exchange, he had realized that his opponent was no longer the same as before, and he could no longer easily control Dr. Sivana as he had before.
"Oh, but he knows, my dear friend."
Wisps of colored smoke billowed from Dr. Sivana's seven orifices, then condensed in the air to form the illusion of the meditation mite.
After realizing that Dr. Sivana could not persuade Black Adam, Mite took matters into his own hands.
"I have already told him my plan: I will free my Monster Association from their shackles and then bring the seven magical continents back under my control."
"No! What will become of my continent then?" Black Adam roared. "Your plan threatens the entire Kandak and his people!"
Black Adam lunged at Dr. Sivana once again, but he was quickly slammed against the wall by the beams shooting from the doctor's eyes.
"On the condition that you refuse to join us," Dr. Sivana said, his voice resonating with the Mite of Meditation. "We want your help, Black Adam. There is no more shrewd military mind on this planet than you, we admit."
"Hey, what's going on outside?"
A Black civilian opened the door and was astonished to see three superhumans standing in his doorway.
"No—" Before Black Adam could stop him, he saw the Mite wave its hand, or rather, its antennae.
Then, strands of decay appeared on the commoner's face; his black hair turned white, wrinkles appeared on his face, and then his whole body turned into a skeleton.
With a thud, the commoner, now reduced to a skeleton, collapsed to the ground, quickly losing his life.
The mite's voice then rang out:
"Indeed, many people will die in a war that spans the magical continent, just like this commoner, turning to ashes and vanishing into nothingness."
Black Adam's face was grim, but he remained unmoved.
"But if you stand with us, not only will Kandak survive, but I, the Mite of Meditation, will also unlock the true power of the Darklands."
"The realm of those undead charlatans?"
"The land of the dead. He will bring back your wife and children, or Elise and Osiris, if you prefer. We can get you everything you want!"
Black Adam was finally moved, but he still couldn't quite believe it.
"I've tried many times myself, and no one can bring them back to life," he said. "Resurrecting the dead is absolutely impossible."
"I understand your distrust of me, great Black Adam. First, I must ask for your forgiveness for our last conversation. Second, let me demonstrate my new abilities."
The voice of the meditation mite rang out: "I offer you the seven deadly sins."
"They will fulfill all your wishes anytime, anywhere."
Black Adam turned his head and saw seven wisps of colorful smoke appear before him: "It really is them... these monsters sealed away by the Wizarding Council—by the wizard Shazam himself... You summoned them, controlled them, how did you do that?"
"My power has increased, and so can yours," said the Meditation Mite.
"Did I tell you we have other allies?"
Ultraman Tiga: Infinite Evolution Starting with Golza
Lin Ye unexpectedly transmigrates to the world of Ultraman Tiga and finds himself transformed into the ancient monster Golza?
And this was right after they had just demolished the pyramid and were driven away by Ultraman Tiga!
What the hell do we do?
Just like in the original storyline, he finds a volcano to absorb energy to strengthen himself, and then gets killed by Ultraman Tiga?
Or should we try to seize power and evolve to the peak little by little?
(End of this chapter)