Batman was quickly walking up the hospital stairs, pondering the new rule he had just discovered about Shiller.
He rembered that Shiller used to target people with their backs to him and wouldn’t switch targets until that person was killed. But just now, this rule was overturned because Joker wasn’t dead, yet Shiller gave up chasing him and instead went straight for Laughing Bat.
Batman had actually noticed that the current Shiller was sowhat different from the one he had encountered before: his deanor seed more normal. Although he still followed so of the previous rules, there had been changes. This was giving Batman a headache.
The original "back view targeting chanism" was difficult enough to deal with, and now the chanism had changed. Fortunately, the rule "the more seriously injured he is, the stronger he becos" hadn’t changed... wait, shouldn’t it have been better if it did change?
Batman followed the trail of blood and arrived at the ward where Joker and Jason were. It was a surgical operating room. Jason had already passed out from excessive blood loss, and Joker, dressed in surgical scrubs, was eager to give Jason an arm reattachnt surgery.
"You go wait outside," Batman said, "Don’t touch him, I’ll perform the surgery."
"Are you kidding ? That madman is chasing ! And you’re kicking out to do surgery on an adopted kid who doesn’t even know you?"
Joker had a look on his face that said, "You’ve changed, you’re not the Holy Mother Batman I know."
As Batman’s greatest rival, Joker knew very well: Batman wouldn’t abandon anyone. If he’s going to save, he saves everyone, even if it’s Joker. Batman would go all out, otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed behind to cover.
Joker was touched by Batman’s actions for a second, but then Batman was about to break character, which Joker couldn’t tolerate.
"He shouldn’t be chasing you anymore," Batman said, "I don’t know where the problem is, but he’s changed his target to Laughing Bat."
"That guy really is here." Joker twirled the scalpel in his hand and said, "He kidnapped that idiot called Elliot, probably to find out where the real Batman is. Do you think he’ll succeed?"
"I lean more towards him trying to fabricate a Batman." Batman began preparing for surgery and said, "That’s always been his way: when facing difficulties, he chooses to give up, gets unwilling, and starts fabricating. It ends in failure, he gets furious and plans revenge, but it doesn’t succeed. Finally, he opts for a ntal victory."
"You really understand him." Joker pouted and said.
"Because he’s easy to understand." Batman no longer paid attention to Joker and focused on reattaching Jason’s arm. Although Joker didn’t leave the operating room, he didn’t interfere either.
"What’s up with that guy?" Joker asked again.
"Your evil is chaos within order. Its strength cos from order within chaos." Batman said, "Your actions always jump out of certain fraworks, and that makes things unpredictable. Nobody knows what you’ll do next, so people naturally think you’re crazy."
"But Shiller is the exact opposite of you. He follows certain rules compulsively, like using the back view to lock onto enemies, seldom changing targets easily, and the more injured he is, the stronger he becos. There’s an inherent pattern to his madness."
"Which do you prefer?"
"From an artistic creation standpoint, breaking the rules at will and pursuing the best result within constraints each have their own beauty. But if it cos to two madn, I’d rather choose you."
Joker was a bit unhappy again and said, "What do you an by ’rather’? Are you saying he’s a bigger threat than ?"
"I’m just talking about two kinds of patterns," Batman said. "You need to co up with surprises because you’re not that strong. Without finding another way, things might go wrong. If you could beat head-on, you wouldn’t have to resort to those tricks. So, dealing with you just requires unveiling your sches."
"As for Shiller, because he’s strong enough, he’s naturally restricted by so limitations—otherwise, there wouldn’t be many people left alive in this world. Dealing with him ans we must tread carefully, not just racking our brains but also facing physical oppression, which is exhausting even for ."
"And what about Laughing Bat? Which kind do you think he belongs to?"
"He doesn’t belong to any type. Because he lacks both formidable strength and fresh ideas. If I had to give an evaluation, I’d say he’s the kind of ’I would send him to Gotham Police Departnt instead of Arkham Asylum’ criminal."
"Then where would you send Shiller?"
"Mars."
When Laughing Bat saw Shiller at the hospital entrance, it was like seeing a ghost. And upon realizing Shiller turned his head and focused on him, he felt it was better to see a ghost than this guy.
Laughing Bat quickly turned his eyes and stepped back, making way for Elliot, who was walking up the stairs. It was evident he intended to use this man as a scapegoat. However, Shiller wasn’t so easily swayed. In an instant, he crossed over the obstructing Elliot, charging directly toward Laughing Bat.
"So why did Morbid change the target?" Greed, with his arms crossed, asked in the High Tower theater, "It doesn’t seem like a Hunting style. Did sothing else disrupt him?"
"Why do you think there’s Hunting involved in this chase?" Arrogant suddenly spoke, "In this Illusion-filled vision, whether or not he looks at the back seems to make no difference, right?"
Everyone was stunned for a mont, but quickly ca to their senses.
The targeting chanism of hunting is essentially sacrificing the range of illusionary vision while retaining precision and target locking ti.
Shiller’s illusionary vision doesn’t always exist; without external stimuli, it can’t stay active for long. Although morbid ntal states are more sensitive than normal ones, most can’t keep it on continuously. Even when concentrating to the extre, it can only last a short while.
Hunting aims to kill the enemy, naturally needing to lock onto the enemy first. But since the illusionary vision cannot stay on continuously, once it turns off, the target would be lost.
To avoid losing the target, he targets enemies through their back view, first activates the illusionary vision, locks the target, and then keeps it partially on so that only the hallucination lines brought by the prey’s spirit can be seen, while others cannot.
This is equivalent to concentrating all energy on one point, allowing for prolonged hunting.
But now, due to the substantial stimulant from Mad Laugh and the few bullets hit into the body, as well as various injuries, the illusionary vision is practically in full map perspective. At least before the drug effect wears off, there is no need to sacrifice any aspect. That ans the "back view targeting" chanism no longer exists and Shiller can kill whoever he wants.
"Didn’t it already show earlier?" Arrogant continued, "The morbid state could have killed Mad Laugh but spared him. This proves he doesn’t need to lock onto targets. During the previous fight, he kept an eye on the Joker just to make Batman think this chanism was still useful."
"But then he switched targets right in front of Batman, isn’t that like telling Batman this line isn’t useful anymore?"
"No. Batman probably wouldn’t realize Shiller is now unrestricted due to thought inertia. He would only think the pattern still exists, just altered. Batman is likely pondering what the new pattern is now."
"Haha, Batman must be racking his brains."
Batman was indeed deep in thought because when Mad Laugh appeared, he saw the wound on Mad Laugh’s chest.
Although the Joker had been slashed several tis, his self-healing power is extraordinary. Hiding behind Batman for a while, those cuts had almost healed. Despite Jason missing an arm, it’s not like a heart or brain, which are vital areas. Dick and Batman’s injuries were even lighter. This ans the one most severely injured on site is Mad Laugh.
Could it be that Shiller now attacks the person most severely injured?
This is not good news. Because if it was "back view," avoidance could be done by not turning around; but if it’s based on the severity of injuries, then it’s a bit troubleso.
If the most injured person is pursued, they would only get more injured and be hunted down to death, right?
Batman sighed in his heart. While he was contemplating, Jason slowly woke up and looked at him with a terrified expression.
"I’ve reattached your arm, it’s being fixed now, don’t move around, otherwise I can’t guarantee a perfect recovery." With patience toward this Jason from another cosmos, Batman explained.
"What the hell is going on?" Jason cursed, "Who exactly is that madman wielding the knife and slashing around? What is he after? Where did Elliot go?"
"I’m evidently more curious about your doubts than you are about mine." Batman said, "Your headset’s control system connects to over 600 drones, intelligent defense weapons, and an exoskeleton’s manipulation system, alongside many hacker programs. What are you using them for?"
"What does that have to do with you?" Jason slowly sat upright from the bed. His arm still felt numb, but he couldn’t care less and said, "I need to bring Elliot back, ’Red Line’ can’t afford losing such a big client."
"Very enterprising." Batman comnted, "But you need to tell why the Wayne Enterprises’ leader is surnad Elliot?"
Jason looked at him in shock and said, "It’s because all the Waynes are dead."
"Bruce Wayne is dead?"
"After being in the psychiatric hospital for so long, it’s as good as dead, isn’t it?" Jason said disdainfully, "The Elliot couple being his guardians, it’s quite normal for them to inherit Wayne Enterprises. Unfortunately, they also died too soon, so it just naturally went to Thomas Elliot."
Batman sensed conspiracy from this, while the Joker bluntly said, "First kill Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, then send their only son to the psychiatric hospital, and then eliminate his own parents — wouldn’t you beco the richest man?"
But Jason seed rather shocked, saying, "You an Elliot did all this? How is that possible? When Bruce Wayne was diagnosed as a psychiatric patient, he was just a child."
"You were just a child when I drove you to madness too," Joker said, "What nonsense analogy am I making? Never mind, as long as you understand my point."
Then he secretly glanced at Batman to see if his hellish joke made him fu. Unfortunately, Batman remained expressionless.
"Looks like everything can be answered in Arkham Asylum." Batman said, "I must go there and investigate."
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