Marvel: The Sole Player

Although Batman’s stats are said to be at the peak of human potential, many of his feats have already moved beyond the realm of ordinary humans.

Just like Captain America, Steve Rogers, whom Darian knew, he also carried the title of human peak, yet could fall from a height of dozens of meters without taking a scratch and could trade blows with anyone, his upper limit unknown.

But at least Steve had been injected with a few doses of Super Soldier Serum, making him a technological soldier.

Batman was different.

Purely natural, no additives, not a single drop of technology or ’special additives’ in his body—it was quite ridiculous.

At this moment, Batman had just dodged Darian’s straight punch. As his body spun to the side, a row of matte blades popped out from the gauntlet on his right forearm, and he slashed back across Darian’s ribs.

Creeeeeak—!

The blades scraped against the surface of the suit, sending out a shower of sparks. The sound was like a fork being dragged across a ceramic plate with full force, making one’s teeth feel sour just hearing it.

His gauntlet blades were made of a special alloy, easily capable of cutting through ordinary metal, but this strike against Darian’s Spider-Man suit only left a faint white mark.

Batman’s brow furrowed slightly.

He had seen it long ago: Darian was wearing a high-tech suit with an astonishingly high level of technological sophistication, definitely far exceeding the technology of this era.

Batman was no stranger to this kind of opponent.

He had encountered many high-tech criminals; usually, as long as you destroyed the equipment they relied on, their combat power would drop off a cliff.

Having made up his mind, Batman didn’t retreat further but instead actively pressed forward.

The number of fighting systems Batman had mastered was frighteningly high, even including Eastern martial arts. They weren’t just for show but were genuine, practical combat skills; a single punch from him carried at least twenty years of mastery.

But right now, he was still being suppressed by Darian.

Although Darian intentionally held back, not wanting to reveal all his abilities in front of Batman at once to avoid losing out on future fun,

Even without using his own powers, just relying on the features of the Spider-Man suit and his near-precognitive Spider-Sense, he could easily track Batman’s attack lines and dodge them all with ease.

After blocking one of Batman’s heavy punches, Darian countered with a short punch, aiming not anywhere else but at Batman’s chin—the only exposed part of his entire body.

Batman quickly raised his hand to block. He was sent flying backward by the force of the punch, but fortunately, his reaction was fast enough that his fine set of teeth was saved; he wouldn’t need dentures for the rest of his life.

Darian asked curiously, "I’ve had a doubt for a long time. Why does your suit protect your whole body but leave your most vulnerable chin exposed? Are you worried that since you’re all in black, you need to show your chin so people see you’re a white person, to avoid the police emptying their clips the moment they see you?"

Batman:"...."

In his mind, he silently updated Darian’s file, adding a piece of intel: the subject is a suspected racist.

Batman didn’t respond. He pulled out his grapnel gun and fired upward. The steel cable snapped taut instantly, pulling him up onto a high crossbeam.

Just as Darian was wondering why Batman had suddenly fled, his Spider-Sense suddenly flared with a warning.

He looked down and saw that at some point, four miniature bombs had been attached to his chest and waist. The red indicator lights were flashing rapidly, already in the final countdown to detonation.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four explosions rang out in succession, and the flames instantly swallowed Darian’s figure.

Batman crouched on the beam, expressionlessly retracting his grapnel, his gaze fixed on the area below.

As the fire dissipated, Darian walked out slowly. He hadn’t taken any damage, though there were a few more scuff marks on the suit’s surface.

He glanced at the wrecked hallway and said with a click of his tongue, "Let’s get this straight: this was all your doing, Batman. It has nothing to do with me, Spider-Man. If Bruce Wayne asks for compensation, don’t put it on my tab."

"He will understand me."

Batman replied in a low voice, his fingertips inconspicuously reaching for his left gauntlet.

The next second, two beams of harsh white light suddenly lit up outside the hallway window, instantly piercing the night and illuminating the entire corridor as bright as day.

It was a Batwing.

The streamlined black fuselage almost blended into the night. The multi-barreled cannons beneath the nose were spinning at high speed, their muzzles firmly locked onto Darian, who had his back to the window.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!

A dense hail of bullets instantly shattered the window and poured in. Glass exploded into countless shards as the barrage swept toward Darian’s back.

But as the bullets hit the Spider-Man suit, they only produced a series of metallic clangs and small sparks, failing to cause any substantial damage.

Seeing this, Batman didn’t hesitate for a second and immediately pressed another button on his gauntlet.

In an instant, a streak of fire erupted from the Batwing’s weapons bay. A miniature missile, trailing a tail of flame, charged straight toward Darian in the hallway.

Boom—!

The violent explosion blew out half a wall. The shockwave swept through the entire corridor, turning the expensive furniture and paintings along the way into debris.

By a conservative estimate, this single strike caused at least seven figures in damages.

Batman didn’t care at all, his eyes fixed on the center of the explosion.

Thwip! Thwip!

Two strands of webbing suddenly shot out from the thick smoke, accurately sticking to the beam below Batman.

Darian burst through the smoke, pulling himself through the air with the webbing and aiming a direct kick at Batman.

"Spider Kick!"

Batman used his max-level evasion skills again, barely tilting his body to avoid it before firing a grapnel in return.

The steel cable whipped through the air, wrapping around Darian’s arms and torso, binding him tightly in the blink of an eye. It continued to tighten, and a sizzling sound came from the contact points, like the sound of strong acid corroding metal.

This insidious Batman really had an endless stream of tricks.

Darian decided to stop pretending. Four gold-and-red mechanical spider-legs suddenly extended from his back, snapping the tough steel cable instantly and thrusting toward Batman.

Batman’s pupils shrank.

This insidious Spider-Man really had an endless stream of tricks.

His brain and body reacted simultaneously, attempting to dodge backward in an instant.

But no matter how legendary his evasion skills were, at this face-to-face distance and against four mechanical claws striking from different angles simultaneously, his room for maneuver was practically zero.

The four gold-and-red tips instantly blocked all paths of retreat, their sharp points pressing against his vital spots.

"Bat-boy, you lose."

Darian chuckled, his laughter full of mischief.

Batman was an information-based fighter.

His combat style was built on one core habit: first collect enough information, then build a complete model of the opponent, and finally develop a series of progressive countermeasures targeting the model’s flaws.

Because of this, even if Batman lost the first encounter, he would often be able to crush the opponent in the second.

But the information-based style had one fatal flaw: it was vulnerable to being caught off-guard in a first encounter.

Facing a completely unknown and overpowered opponent, Batman’s effectiveness was greatly diminished.

"What do you want?"

Even in this desperate situation, Batman didn’t have the slightest thought of giving up.

While he spoke to distract Darian, his right hand was moving toward his Utility Belt with an almost imperceptible motion.

Slash!

A cold glint flashed by.

A spider-leg directly cut the buckle of the Utility Belt, sending it and all the equipment attached to it flying into the distance.

Darian praised him sincerely, "As expected of Batman, even like this you’re still thinking of a comeback."

To ensure nothing went wrong, he commanded the spider-legs to begin stripping Batman of all his armaments.

Soon, the Batsuit was peeled off, and a small exhibition of high-tech equipment was piled on the floor.

By a rough estimate, it weighed at least dozens of pounds.

At this moment, Batman had been stripped clean of his gear, leaving only his cowl with the pointed ears and a black undersuit that clung to his muscular frame, barely preserving the last bit of dignity for Gotham’s Dark Knight.

Darian looked at the weaponry on the floor and said in surprise, "You really know how to hide things. Is there anything else hidden in even more secret places that I haven’t found?"

As he spoke, he looked at Batman’s black undersuit, looking eager to try.

Batman spoke expressionlessly, "I have pre-planted tons of explosives here that can be triggered at any time. Once detonated, I guarantee neither of us will leave this house."

Darian’s hand froze halfway. He transitioned into patting Batman’s shoulder and said jovially, "What are you thinking? I’m not that kind of person. I’m a superhero; how could I do something like that?"

Batman replied instantly, "I believe you’re a superhero. So, can you give me my equipment back?"

Darian nodded with a smile, "No."

Batman: "...."

Darian suddenly understood how the Joker felt.

Finding ways to make a serious guy like Batman lose his cool was indeed a very entertaining thing.

Just then, the system’s notification sound rang in Darian’s mind.

[Beginning formal distribution of dungeon mission]

[Mission: Rise of a Hero]

[Objective: Become a superhero, a bane of evil, and resolve three major crises (0/3)]

[Reward: Will be determined based on the player’s contribution]

Darian had just finished saying he was a superhero, and the dungeon mission actually turned out to be a superhero mission.

But the problem was, he had just beaten up the most popular superhero, Batman.

As the mastermind behind the future Justice League and the external brain for all members including Superman, Batman’s word carried terrifying weight in the superhero circle. Basically, whatever he said, other superheroes would believe blindly.

Now that he’d offended Batman, if the guy decided to make things difficult for him later and let other uninformed superheroes misunderstand him as a villain, how was his path to being a superhero supposed to continue?

Darian was silent for two seconds before looking at Batman. "If I said that just now was all a misunderstanding and I’m really a superhero, would you believe me?"

"I believe you."

Batman nodded heavily without a moment’s hesitation.

Right, this guy definitely didn’t believe him.

Darian saw through Batman’s thoughts. The man had clearly marked him as a high-risk target and now just wanted to stabilize the situation and gather intel, so he could pick an auspicious day to lure him out and defeat him in one go. Perhaps a bed at Arkham Asylum had already been reserved for him.

Whatever, if he doesn’t believe, he doesn’t believe.

Whether I’m a superhero or not, is that for a Bat-boy like you to decide?

Darian thought this way and suddenly felt open-minded again.

He looked at Batman’s unchanging expression and said jovially, "Don’t be so serious. Think of something happy. For example, Thanksgiving is coming up soon—a day to reunite with your parents and eat turkey. Are you happy?"

"..."

Batman was silent for a few seconds before saying calmly, "Execute Final Protocol."

In an instant, the entire house flashed with dangerous red lights. The piercing alarm and the frantic warnings from his Spider-Sense went off simultaneously.

Darian realized he might have pushed it too far and gave a dry laugh. "Well, I’ve got things to do. I’m leaving. Let’s grab tea sometime."

With that, he shot a web and burst out through the hole from the explosion. He then tried to fire another web to swing high, only to find that the outside was all low shrubs and lawn; there was nowhere for the webbing to latch onto.

What crappy terrain.

Darian had no choice but to land on the ground and make his escape on foot.

Batman watched the figure disappearing into the trees and said calmly, "Deactivate protocol."

As the words fell, the red lights in the house instantly went out.

In truth, the red lights were purely for theatrical flair. If Batman really wanted to execute a Final Protocol, it would have been completed in milliseconds.

Of course, if Darian had stayed any longer, he wouldn’t have ruled out the possibility of actually executing it.

"Master Bruce, are you alright?"

A concerned voice suddenly came into Batman’s ear.

It was his butler and the person he trusted most, Alfred Pennyworth.

Long before Darian and Selina had even stepped into Wayne Manor, the monitors placed several kilometers outside the estate had already identified their arrival.

To ensure Alfred’s safety, Batman had immediately had him retreat into the most secure area, the Batcave.

"I’m fine."

Batman looked around. "It’s just that the house took some serious damage."

"I will handle it as quickly as possible."

Alfred’s tone was calm and unruffled, which was strangely reassuring.

"Mm."

Batman nodded.

He never doubted Alfred’s capabilities. Perhaps by the time he woke up, the house would already be back to its original state.

"It seems Gotham has a new variable."

Batman said in a deep voice, "I need stronger equipment. The Batsuit needs an upgrade. I’ve gathered many new ideas from this battle. Also, help me buy all the Spider-Man related comics."

Alfred was quite pleased. "Master Bruce, I am glad to see you still have such moments of childlike innocence."

Batman: "..."

After leaving Wayne Manor, Darian found a quiet spot to change out of the Spider-Man suit and teleported away.

He was very satisfied with this trip.

The achievement of defeating Batman was enough for him to brag about for a long time.

When he got home, he happened to run into Selina counting the treasures she had swiped from the manor, smiling like an idiot.

Without a word, Darian went up and snatched them all away.

Ignoring Selina’s wails, he returned to his room and took out the DC comics, movies, animations, and related materials he had bought from the Marvel server from his game inventory to begin researching which major crises would be suitable to participate in.

A few hours later, a voice cursing and swearing came from the room.

"Holy crap, how did it reboot again!"

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