"I see," Batman said in his deep, resonant voice.
"Do you doubt it?"
He shook his head and continued, "Thank you for the information. I will find out. Now, regarding your question... How much money do you need?"
"Um, one million dollars, if possible," I said, rubbing my neck, slightly embarrassed.
"Okay." Bruce took out one of his cards and handed it . "There's a million on it."
"Thank you." I took the card and extended my hand for a handshake. "You don't have to worry; I'm not going to divulge your secret. I respect you, both as a rich philanthropist and as Gotham's night protector. Honestly, I like you more than most superheroes. Okay, I think I'll be going. I've probably dumped a lot of work on your shoulders with my visit."
Bruce shook my hand and offered to let stay the night. I politely declined. They had no ti for now. The first rays of the sun were already illuminating the streets. The first thing I did was head to the local bathhouse. Several layers of dirt had accumulated on , which was definitely not cool. After paying double the entrance fee, they finally let in.
After thoroughly washing and steaming myself, I felt reborn. I left the bathhouse and went to a clothing store. I wasn't sure if Batman had attached tracking devices to , but it didn't matter.
Firstly, I had nothing to hide. If he wanted to spy, so be it. And secondly, I'd soon discard these worthless clothes and get new ones.
I picked out suitable clothes: dark jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black windbreaker. Next, I headed to a hairdresser. As soon as I erged with a chic haircut, the system reminded of its presence.
[ 1 to charisma]
Oh, I didn't expect that. Increasing charisma was definitely a good thing. It represented beauty, charm, attractiveness, eloquence, and charisma all rolled into one.
For soone like , who dreams of having many admirers, this was practically the most important trait. All that's left now is to bring my skinny body back to normal. I think the system might reward with another charisma boost when that happens.
Next, I bought a phone and began searching for an apartnt to rent. After so effort, I found a decent two-room apartnt in a relatively favorable part of the city. If such a thing even exists in Gotham.
This would be my ho for the next month or two. Exhausted, I fell onto the bed and closed my eyes. The fatigue that had accumulated over ti overwheld , and I drifted into a serene sleep.
*************************
anwhile, in a dark cave where bats slept peacefully, a man dressed in black was scrutinizing computer screens. A butler descended the stairs, carrying a small tray.
"I brought you tea, Master Bruce," Alfred said.
"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce replied without taking his eyes off the monitor.
"Are you still trying to find out more about our unusual guest?" Alfred asked, setting the tray down and glancing at the screen, which displayed a recording of my conversation with Bruce.
"I can't figure him out. Who is he? Why did he co? What does he want?"
"It seems to that he already answered those questions, sir. And he answered truthfully, I believe."
"That's the problem... It seems like he was telling the truth."
"He did claim that he never lies. Of course, anyone could say that, but this young man seed very sincere. Could he be a brilliant actor? I don't think so. It feels like he simply trusts you, Master Bruce."
"That's not what I'm concerned about right now. Even if he was truthful, he deliberately withheld the source of his knowledge. According to him, he received so kind of 'enlightennt' less than a day ago. He knows where the information ca from but insists it wasn't from aliens or other higher intelligences."
"Frankly, I'm curious about the source of his knowledge as well. But I also respect his right to privacy. He's been upfront about being willing to answer most questions but refuses to disclose this particular detail. I think that's his prerogative."
"Computer, switch the video to 27 seconds. Stop! Here, look at his eyes—they show admiration. It happened twice: first, when he saw you, and second, when he saw . I can explain his admiration for ; he could be a secret Batman fan. But what caused his admiration for you? I don't understand."
[A/N: Brother is narcissist 😭]
"What do you think about his information?"
"About my son?"
"Do you believe it?"
"...I don't rule out the possibility," Bruce said, leaning back in his chair with a heavy sigh. "That night... Could I really have a son? The question is, how does he know? Could he be connected to the League of Assassins? Did Ra's al Ghul send him? No, that's too simple. I've already checked him. A holess man with an unremarkable background… until now. He doesn't seem connected to the League of Assassins. Besides, he ntioned I'd learn about my son's existence in a few years anyway."
"So his knowledge could be…"
"A gift? An ability to see the future? A prophet? It's possible. Then there's his confidence about returning my million. And the fact that he didn't blackmail or demand more money. He could've asked for far more and lived a life of luxury."
"As he said, Master Bruce, he wants to be sothing more, sothing big. I have a feeling he's a good man with a kind heart. Have you tracked him yet?" Alfred asked, picking up the tray.
"I sent the new prototype flying drone that Lucius gave . Nothing unusual so far: he cleaned himself up, bought clothes, changed his hairstyle, and rented an apartnt."
Alfred turned to the stairs leading out of the cave. "Master Bruce, don't stay up too late. And what about your possible son?"
"I'll investigate thoroughly," Bruce replied.
*************************
The next day, feeling rejuvenated, I stepped outside and began a morning jog. I needed to get my body back in shape. Thankfully, Gotham seed relatively safe in the morning.
Barely managing a couple of kiloters and 11 push-ups, I returned ho. One thing was clear: my body was in terrible shape. My physical condition was abysmal, though this was to be expected.
This body had suffered from lack of sleep and malnutrition. In general, it had been neglected. After taking a refreshing shower, I headed to a nearby café conveniently located next to my apartnt.
After finishing my al, I headed to a laptop store. I had been thinking about buying a laptop, as I needed an essential source of modern information—the Internet—to figure out the kind of world I had ended up in.
After reviewing all the available options, I decided on the most powerful one, which also happened to be the most expensive. It felt like a justified expense. Once the purchase was finalized, I arranged for delivery rather than taking the device ho myself.
I really didn't want this miracle gadget to be stolen. And don't ask why I didn't just put it in my inventory—it was simply because delivery was free. Having ordered a pizza as well, I began waiting for both the laptop and the food to arrive. By around one o'clock in the afternoon, the delivery people arrived with my laptop and pizza.
When I opened the door, there stood two delivery n—one holding the pizza boxes and the other holding a box with the laptop. I signed the receipt, took the packages, and closed the door.
I opened the pizza box first, took a bite, and then proceeded to unbox the miracle device worth a hefty five thousand dollars. After connecting it to the Internet and settling comfortably, I was ready to explore this world. Here's what I discovered. First, whether it mattered or not, it was the year 2010. I didn't recall the exact year from my past life, so this information wasn't particularly relevant to .
As I had expected, this world had both DC and Marvel superheroes. However, I didn't find any ntion of the "Justice League" or the "Avengers."
Apparently, these teams hadn't been ford yet. This led to a reasonable question: wasn't Earth overcrowded with superheroes? It turned out, no.
I discovered that this Earth was twice as large as the one I rembered from my past life. Its total population was approximately 20 billion—nearly three tis greater than in my old world. The size of countries like Arica, Russia, China, and India had also doubled compared to their counterparts in my previous world.
[A/N: Please, don't start questioning how gravitational pull or the climate might be affected. Just assu that so cosmic magic makes everything function normally.]
Following this logic, I initially assud the cities here must also be twice as large. However, I was wrong. The total area of the cities hadn't expanded; instead, the number of cities had increased. For instance, there were two New Yorks and two Los Angeleses. The funniest part? How they were distinguished! There was a "DC New York" and a "Marvel New York." Ingenious, right?
I couldn't help but wonder how they had co up with the idea to na their cities this way. Interestingly, DC heroes resided in their respective cities, while Marvel heroes did the sa. Could Marvel characters enter DC territory? As I later found out, yes. There were reports of Iron Man working alongside Superman.
So cities, like Gotham City, Star City, and Central City, existed only in singular versions. This made sense, as these cities were unique to DC's creations. Similarly, I assud Wakanda existed as a standalone location.
Having familiarized myself with the structure of this Earth, I turned my attention to studying its culture. Was it similar to what I rembered from my past life, or were there stark differences? The answer hit like a bomb—it was mind-blowing!
In this world, there wasn't a single movie, song, or book that I rembered from my past life. Not one.
The entire entertainnt industry here was completely different. I had to accept this reality quickly.
This world undoubtedly had its own remarkable films, beautiful songs, and intriguing books. I searched online for so movies deed the best by viewers and decided to watch two: one a classic and the other a modern blockbuster. Honestly, I was underwheld.
Don't get wrong, the movies were decent, but calling them classics or masterpieces felt like a stretch. I rated them as average, at best. Thinking my experience might have been an exception, I watched five more so-called "masterpieces." To my disappointnt, they nearly put to sleep.
How could these films, considered top-tier, be so diocre? To confirm they were genuinely regarded as masterpieces, I watched a film with mixed reviews—and, surprisingly, I preferred it.
It was actually better in comparison to the so-called classics. However, even this film failed to impress . In my past world, it would've been considered an outright failure, yet here it was rated just below average. Frustrated, I cald myself down and decided to give music a shot.
After half an hour, I felt as if blood was pouring out of my ears—not literally, of course, though I wasn't entirely sure.
What on Earth was that? The songs lacked impact. So were pleasant enough to stick in my mind, but I wouldn't call them extraordinary.
A few tracks did catch my attention, but such gems were rare. Giving my ears a rest, I moved on to books. I downloaded a couple of bestsellers and, as you might've guessed, my frustration hit a new peak.
I was so close to smashing my laptop in indignation, but its hefty price tag stopped . The books weren't total failures, but they were riddled with illogical plot holes and uninteresting, underdeveloped characters. Of the five books I read, only one had an engaging plot.
Puzzled, I tried to understand the reason for this diocrity. It turned out the entertainnt industry in this world was considered a loss-making venture. Film companies, singers, and authors existed, but they weren't very popular.
Apparently, the abundance of superheroes stifled creativity in the population. While there were companies dedicated to creative pursuits, they were few and far between—small enterprises dwarfed by giants like Wayne Enterprises or LexCorp.
Then, it hit . I still hadn't decided which direction to take in this new world. Competing with technological powerhouses like Wayne Enterprises or Stark Industries seed out of reach.
But the entertainnt industry? That was a different story.
First, I had virtually no competition. With the right approach, I could dominate this field.
Second, I possessed an invaluable treasure trove—my mory. Thanks to my enhanced intelligence, I could recall movies, songs, books, and gas with perfect precision. I could introduce these to this world.
Third, the larger population—three tis greater than my previous world—ant profits from entertainnt would be significantly higher. If executed correctly, I could potentially beco one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet.
.
.
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