bookbashuk Chapter 4761 Murderous Intent on a Rainy Night (7)
Chapter 4761 Murderous Intent on a Rainy Night (7)
Chapter 4761 Murderous Intent on a Rainy Night (Part 7)
Time, Batman Arkham thought. If they wanted to complete the remaining seals simultaneously, the most difficult problem was figuring out how to act at the same time without long-distance communication.
Even if they start from the same location, the distances they need to reach their destinations will differ, and the time they take will also vary. If they act immediately upon arrival, it would likely still give Schiller time to hunt down the others. If someone falls during this time gap, the chances of completing the operation simultaneously become slim.
In other words, they need to agree on a code word. Once they arrive at the designated location, they can only take action after receiving the code word. This is the safest approach. But the biggest problem is that they are too far apart. They can't communicate, and they don't have signal flares or anything like that. So how exactly do they use the code word?
However, the moment he saw the lightning, Arkham Batman had an idea. He wasn't sure if it was Dr. Manhattan's deliberate design, but besides causing trouble for the exorcists, the lightning could also be used as a signal to take action, since it was a signal visible from the entire map.
If they agree to act simultaneously during the next lightning strike after reaching the target location, it is highly likely that the seal will be completed at the same time.
Batman from Arkham calculated the time intervals between the lightning strikes he witnessed, and they were generally no more than 20 minutes. Although the castle was large, any point could be reached within 20 minutes from the center, so there was no need to worry about the lightning striking before one arrived.
So now the biggest problem is teammates. He hasn't told Scarlet Spider yet that there might not just be one unreliable teammate, but two. Even if both of them were alive, they'd be barely usable as half a person.
To activate all three seals simultaneously, at least four people are needed, as one person needs to restrain Schiller. Arkham Batman, Black Widow, and Scarlet Spider are perfectly capable, but choosing between Constantine and Rorschach is like choosing between two piles of dog shit.
Actually, there's another way, which Arkham Batman also thought of. Since he has a skill that accelerates the sealing process, it might be possible for him to seal Schiller while he's running him around.
In other words, he would rather do two jobs himself than hand this job over to either Constantine or Rorschach, neither of whom were reliable.
But in an instant, Arkham Batman made up his mind. He said, "Forget about Number 1 and Number 5, it'll have to be the three of us. You're the most mobile, so go and find out if you can find any other seal locations, and while you're at it, look for Natasha. Meet up in half an hour under the big tree in the middle of the garden, and be careful not to get caught."
Half an hour is basically the limit. Letting Schiller wander around the castle for half an hour like this will probably get someone killed, but there's no other way. Blame it on the two unreliable teammates they were matched with.
Arkham Batman didn't complain. He circled the castle, and just as he was about to re-enter through a side door, he ran into Rorschach again, this time with the sunglasses-wearing man. Rorschach clearly wanted to say something, but the warden had probably muted him. Arkham Batman didn't have time to argue with him; Schiller was far too dangerous, and he had to keep moving. If Rorschach got involved, he'd be dead.
Batman from Arkham swiftly entered the castle. Rorschach wanted to follow him, but suddenly heard a burst of intense music. He turned around, and amidst the flashing of blades, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.
Arkham Batman, who had already entered the castle, paused. Even in the game, even though he disliked this teammate intensely, he wouldn't abandon him. Arkham Batman took a deep breath, flicked his cloak, and turned to walk back.
Rorschach was clearly unprepared and his assessment of Schiller's strength was completely wrong. He was probably just lucky before and had never faced Schiller head-on. After all, Schiller was number 5, so he was taken down in no time.
Batman from Arkham doesn't have a medkit and can't revive Rorschach, so all he can do is distract Schiller and hope his teammates can help him. Spider-Man has been scurrying along the wall and should find him soon.
Batman from Arkham barely brushed past Schiller. He knew that Schiller would wipe his blade after each strike and couldn't quickly deliver two consecutive blows, so he took advantage of that gap, circled right past him, and waited for Schiller to finish wiping his blade before stunning him with his cloak.
Schiller didn't even glance at him, just stood there staring at Rorschach. Arkham Batman's heart sank instantly; oh no, Schiller might be guarding the body.
This is the troublesome aspect of having the enemy also being the player's role. If the seals are an enhancement for Schiller, then anyone can see that the best approach is to complete the remaining three seals in a short time, and Schiller certainly understood this as well.
So now the sequence number is no longer important, nor is the sacrifice. As long as we reduce the number of exorcists who can act as much as possible, so that they cannot complete the three seals at the same time, we can eventually wear them down.
Although there are now four people left to protect Luo Xia, four is almost the maximum number needed to complete the plan. If someone were to risk their life to rescue him, and he were to kill another one, completing the plan would become extremely difficult.
Batman from Arkham was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stay or leave. He wanted to stay and warn the others who were coming to rescue him, but he didn't want to waste time, and he was also afraid that staying too long would give Schiller more points. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and left.
He hadn't taken more than a few steps when another white light suddenly emanated from Schiller. Arkham Batman was amused and exasperated. Even though another seal was gone, whoever sealed him, couldn't they at least check Schiller's condition afterward? Playing tag, but ignoring the ghosts, huh?
Batman from Arkham made a swift escape, but it was too late. Schiller appeared in front of him in a flash.
For a fleeting moment, Batman Arkham thought the game had malfunctioned, but it hadn't. Schiller simply took a step, and the next second he was teleported over 100 yards away in front of him, raising his hand to deliver a slash.
Arkham Batman reacted swiftly, casting a stun with his cloak. After interrupting the attack, Arkham Batman intended to take advantage of Schiller's moment of wiping his knife to bypass him and run into the castle, thus gaining access to the gate.
Then, with a whoosh, he was stabbed again.
Even Batman Arkham couldn't help but curse inwardly: "How come they don't even have time to wipe their blades?!"
Fortunately, although the previous medkit didn't restore him to full health, it did give him most of his health. After taking one hit, he should still have a sliver of health left. He absolutely cannot take another hit now.
Batman from Arkham braved the blow and ran towards the castle at top speed. Schiller followed closely behind, about 50% faster than before, almost as if he were in Wild Hunt mode.
Just as Arkham Batman reached the front door, Schiller caught up with him. Luckily, Black Widow was rushing out at that moment, and when she saw a ghost following Arkham Batman, she was immediately startled and turned to run without saying a word.
Schiller seemed to be weighing which of the two was the weaker party, but he did pause at the gate for a moment before chasing after Arkham Batman. Clearly, this mosquito who kept playing the Emperor's Step with him was getting too annoying, and he decided to take down Arkham Batman first.
Batman from Arkham wasn't sure if the near-death state could be triggered indefinitely, but he really didn't want to go through it again, so he rushed up the stairs at the fastest speed he'd ever been.
During this process, he could feel his heart pounding, his adrenaline fully released, and everything slowed down in front of them. He hadn't felt this excited in a long time.
Arkham Batman licked his slightly dry lips, rushed into a room on the second floor, and climbed through the window to the balcony. He still planned to use the balcony's strategic advantage of being both offensive and defensive to circle around Schiller. He crouched down, nervously watching the doorway. As soon as the black figure appeared outside, he would jump down to the first floor and then circle back.
To his surprise, the next second, a blade flashed behind him. Arkham Batman was terrified; he rolled on the spot, and ended up lying dead on the ground floor instead of the second-floor balcony.
Staring at the enormous word "Near Death," Arkham Batman couldn't help but squeeze his eyes shut. This teleportation ability could actually go through walls! Arkham Batman really wanted to yell at Doctor Manhattan and show him this piece of crap he'd created.
Even so, Batman Arkham didn't give up. Only two seals remained, and he couldn't believe Schiller wasn't anxious. The time Schiller spent guarding his body or moving him might be enough for his teammates to perform one more seal. If they could finally seal this demon away, his sacrifice would be worthwhile.
Schiller hesitated briefly, circled around Arkham Batman, and finally hoisted him up. Arkham Batman knew Black Widow had definitely seen him fall, but he figured the female agent was good at prioritizing. There were only two seals left; with luck, they could be completed in ten minutes or so. There was no need to waste time rescuing him. Since the plan to seal them simultaneously was impossible, they had no choice but to go with the flow and force it despite the pressure.
Schiller hoisted Arkham Batman onto his shoulder and headed back towards the cellar. This time, no one came to his rescue along the way. Arkham Batman was carried into the cellar, which was filled with blood-red offerings—animals and humans, some dead, some barely alive. There was a huge pile of corpses on one side. After a brief observation, Arkham Batman noticed what appeared to be a family of three: a father, mother, and daughter—presumably the Valais family from the storyline.
Arkham Batman was placed on the ground, and he felt Schiller tie his hands, then hang him from the ceiling. However, he noticed five Roman numerals on the wall directly opposite him, with the number 1 lit up, suggesting that Constantine might have already been sacrificed.