บท 513: The Deepest Darkness and Chaos

"No, you can't do that!"

Gordon desperately pulled Arthur, urgently advising, "Listen, if you really kill him, you'll fall into his trap! You'll become the Joker he talks about!"

Arthur looked at him strangely, the curve of his smile growing bigger, playfully saying, "Maybe he's right."

"No, this isn't what you want. Look into your heart! Batman!"

Gordon's voice became erratic as if coming from a distant place. Correspondingly, the chaotic murmurs in Arthur's mind became clearer, repeatedly telling him: Kill him. You've endured for so long; do you really see yourself as Batman?

Kill him. It'll make him happy, and you too. Everyone will be happy. Kill everyone!

Arthur saw thick black smoke in front of him, emanating from his body, forming tentacles dragging him into the maddening abyss.

The balance, the rational string, was on the verge of breaking. Suddenly, he seemed to see a shadow, completely shrouded in dark fog, with the silhouette of bat ears on top and a big smiling face below, mocking him and everything in the world.

"Joker!"

Even with some Batman characteristics, Arthur recognized the figure as Joker. He knew that if he couldn't overcome this, he would be completely lost in the endless darkness, merging entirely with the black figure before him.

"No, this isn't the result I want. This is my nightmare. I don't want to be that strange and pitiful Joker again!"

Having experienced a normal life in the Quiz game, Arthur didn't want to revert to the madman. Not out of fear or dislike for his past self but because it felt pitiful and lamentable.

After observing his experiences, he felt the person in the video was too pitiful, step by step falling into the abyss without choices.

Now, he had the power to choose and a clear, rational mind. He didn't want to become the chaotic Joker. After a struggle, Arthur managed to suppress the chaotic darkness, barely maintaining balance.

The dark shadow chuckled, "Haha, it's interesting. Why do you resist yourself? I am you, and you are Joker. We'll meet again!"

As the darkness slowly dissipated, Arthur was drenched in sweat. It felt like he had been through a tough battle. He asked hoarsely, still holding Gordon, "I just..."

"You were laughing all the time, even wanted to shoot me. It's evident your mental state is bad, but fortunately, things didn't take the worst turn."

Gordon was exhausted. If Arthur hadn't maintained his sanity, he wouldn't have been able to stop him. But recalling the disappearing shadow's declaration, Arthur felt a strong sense of crisis. Though he barely balanced himself this time, it was fragile. Moreover, the darkness within him seemed to be growing. Facing a small gang leader almost made him lose control. If faced with more significant stimuli, he worried about keeping his sanity.

Suppressing these concerns, he turned to the terrified gang leader and said coldly, "You should thank your luck. But remember, luck won't favor you every time."

Having witnessed Arthur's terrifying near-loss of control, the gang leader, initially defiant, now cooperated. He spilled information, revealing that the missing police officers connected to Wayne Manor's fire were somehow related to Gotham's biggest mob boss, Carmine Falcone. Gordon's ongoing investigation is also linked to this mob boss.

Arthur remembered, wasn't Carmine Falcone associated with Ra's Al Ghul?

He vaguely felt that the conspiracy behind the fire at Wayne Manor years ago had revealed just the tip of the iceberg, and what he needed to do next was to pursue it aggressively.

In the following days, Arthur investigated Falcone while updating his equipment at the Batcave. During this time, Alfred subtly inquired whether Arthur wanted company to visit the graveyard.

Since the fire, Arthur became the sole heir of the Wayne family. He rarely visited the graveyard to see his parents and deceased brother, especially after returning from his studies. He feared that visiting the graveyard might disturb his inner balance between rationality and the chaotic darkness, which was difficult to express. Consequently, he politely declined the butler's offer, who sighed and advised him to let go of the past.

"Once I uncover the truth of that night, then I'll be qualified to visit them," Arthur spoke as if taking an oath after a moment of silence.

He was becoming more and more like the true Batman, with the only discordant note being the menacing scar on his face. Despite Wayne's family's financial ability to erase it, Arthur chose to keep the scar as a symbol, a reminder of the deep-seated hatred from that night.

There was another reason he hesitated to admit—the truth that Arthur actually liked that scar.

After updating his equipment, Batman collaborated with Gordon, launching a dynamic operation. In a coordinated effort, they cornered Falcone in an abandoned warehouse, convinced that this mafia boss held the key to the truth behind the Wayne Manor fire.

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Translator Sama: new fanfic is out, please go and read that fanfic and tell me in the comment section, do you like that or not. 🧐😁

Fanfic Name: Archvillain of the movie world