PFC Chapter 4546 The Day of Brightest Day (5)
Chapter 4546 The Day of Brightest Day (5)
Chapter 4546 The Day of Brightest Light (Part 5)
Not every Batman is silent. Or rather, Batmen only remain silent in less important situations. Catastrophic invasions concerning the survival of the multiverse are clearly outside this category. Most Batmen discuss their battle plans with the Justice League. Of course, it's also possible that someone who seems cheerful is actually out of options.
Ideally, Batman would devise a perfect plan and then instruct them to carry it out. However, this approach is practically impossible because without explaining the plan to others, they cannot execute it effectively. Furthermore, excluding them from the planning process can lead to unexpected problems during execution.
This doesn't involve any democratic procedures; it's more like a top student explaining a problem to a struggling student. Simply giving them a result and having them work backwards is absolutely ineffective. The correct tutoring method is to meticulously guide them step-by-step, allowing them to calculate the result themselves.
It might seem like a waste of time, but that's where it comes in handy. The other members of the Justice League had all heard more or less about Batman's plan. Some were building an incredibly detailed surveillance system to prevent anyone from suddenly resurrecting; some were digging a portal to the Earth's core, ready to awaken the spirits of existence at any time; and others were researching magic and the power of the Seven Lamps more deeply, believing that only a stronger, more mysterious force could defeat the Black Emperor.
Most of the Supermen favored the final option. Passive defense wasn't a solution; they couldn't let the Black Emperor act like a sniper, picking off enemies one by one. Even if they won, the multiverse would be riddled with holes. It was better to accumulate power and take down his physical form directly.
In the main universe, Batman is the executor of the counterattack plan. He has never given up his research into the emotional spectrum and magic. However, the word "research" is largely unrelated to the rest of the Justice League. This is Batman's domain. No one knows how he researches it, or what he has discovered.
“I’ll go back and look,” the main universe Superman said, “but I know the results so far aren’t very significant. Or perhaps there’s been no progress for a long time, otherwise he wouldn’t have risked going to the universe that the Black Death is invading.”
The atmosphere grew somber, as everyone else understood the same thing. Entering that universe directly was undoubtedly a risky decision. But because they had acted so hastily, Batman hadn't explained much. So they could only see it as a desperate gamble after a long period of stagnation. This proved that the first half of the plan hadn't gone smoothly.
“Before leaving, Batman was doing something very important,” the main universe Superman said. “He was uncovering the secrets of the Light Brigade.”
These words drew everyone's attention. They knew that if the main universe's Batman didn't have a solution, then the main universe's Superman wouldn't have brought this up.
"The First Lantern," said the Superman of the main universe. "I believe everyone here has heard of it. Those blue-skinned, big-headed guardians of the universe are not the masters of the emotional spectrum at all. They are not even the discoverers or manipulators. They didn't invent the method of using the emotional spectrum either. They just occupied the method. This knowledge comes from an ancient and mysterious being—the First Lantern."
His words had barely faded when others chimed in. Clearly, it wasn't just one universe's Batman searching for this person. Every Batman who had had the opportunity to contact Oa, or even already landed on it, had turned the place upside down. But they found nothing.
“Maybe it’s just a legend,” someone said, frowning. “I really can’t believe there are people Batman can’t find.”
“But even if he can’t find it, Batman firmly believes in its existence.” The Superman from the main universe countered, “Batman is the kind of person who values evidence the most. If an existence is only a vague legend without any concrete evidence, he wouldn’t go to such great lengths to find it.”
This made such a good point that everyone else was speechless. They couldn't assume Batman was some stubborn fool who desperately sought power in mythology. That would make them look like fools themselves.
"Is there any concrete evidence?" Wonder Woman and the others, however, calmed down. She said, "We've only ever heard that he's searching. But we haven't figured out what makes him so determined to find it. I'm serious. If Genie I could figure it out, surely Batman could too?"
This sparked another heated discussion. Everyone agreed it was a good idea. Because it's obvious that Batman is unmatched in this area. He can research anything in this world. Why couldn't he include methods for utilizing the emotional spectrum?
If he could figure it out directly, he wouldn't need to contact the original inventor; this thing doesn't have a patent. Even if it did, it would have expired long ago. It can't really be just a tribute, can it?
Batman's stubborn pursuit of the truth, rather than his own investigation, proves he possesses some evidence. It suggests that certain things are unique to the original Lantern Man, things even the Guardians of the Universe haven't obtained. This is truly incredible.
If the original Lantern was truly imprisoned for many years, then they should have already obtained everything they wanted. But they didn't. Perhaps Batman also felt he couldn't have it, which is why he kept searching.
What could it be? The Supermen were completely baffled. They had even considered asking Green Lantern for help. But Green Lantern didn't know any more than they did. They were just sword wielders. They knew nothing about sword forging.
“Perhaps we can think about it the other way around,” another Superman said. “Where is there that even Batman can’t find?”
The atmosphere in the room immediately became lively again. Almost everyone started talking, and it was easy to see that each of them had imagined Batman getting his comeuppance. It was precisely because it was so difficult to come up with a logically plausible story that they had thought about it again and again. But because it was so morbidly funny, they had never been able to confide in anyone about it.
The fact that this topic could now be openly discussed was a rare opportunity for exchange. Everyone chimed in, offering every possibility they had ever considered—most of which were utterly absurd.
Mystical existence theorists believe that there are too many unknowable realms in the universe. Some are beyond human reach. No carbon-based or intelligent life form can go there. That is the best option.
The Outer Universe Faction believes that nothing within the universe can stop Batman. He must go somewhere beyond the universe. Nobody knows what's beyond the universe, but there must be such a place.
The author believes that such a place exists on Earth. It's a place Batman doesn't want to recall, nor does he easily want to set foot in. For example, his parents' graves, or some place in his memory.
The three sides were arguing fiercely, each with their own arguments. But the core of their debate was undoubtedly Batman's strength in every aspect. This was clearly one of the Justice League's daily exercises in speculating. They had so much to say.
The Superman from the main universe cleared his throat, stopping their heated discussion. He said, "I think there's a possibility. I wonder if you'd like to hear it."
Everyone looked at him, and the Superman from the main universe continued, "There's only one Genie I. I mean, only one in the entire multiverse."
"Is this possible?" another Superman asked, looking at him. "The only existence in the multiverse?"
“Yes, just like the Black Death Emperor,” another person said. “Just because he sounds more human doesn’t mean he’s fundamentally different from these mystical beings. They might not have an counterpart.”
"That makes sense. If there's only one Batman in the entire multiverse, then only one Batman is destined to find him, and everyone else is just wasting their time."
“But what we can think of, Batman can also think of. They will definitely exchange information with each other. This way, they can build a search network.”
"But the Batman in the fighting world isn't all of them," someone else said. "What if he ran off to some remote corner of the universe? There'd be no way to find him there, would there?
The atmosphere froze again. This was indeed a problem they had to face. The Battle Realm had been open for a long time. Those who could come had come; the others either couldn't come or didn't want to. No one had a good solution for these universes.
“I don’t think so,” the Superman from the main universe said again. “Although it may sound arrogant, if the main universe doesn’t have it, then no other universe can.”
A rustling sound arose from below. This statement was indeed a bit too hasty. The Superman from the main universe continued, "I'm not exaggerating. For these mysterious beings, the main universe is extremely tempting."
"Then why didn't the Black Death Emperor choose the main universe?"
"That's the main reason I came to this conclusion—he didn't come. Could it be because someone else was there?"
This really hit the nail on the head. Everyone stared intently at him. The Superman of the main universe spread his hands and said, "The mysterious beings observe this universe in a different way than we do. They can clearly see the importance of the main universe. If they have the opportunity to come, they won't refuse. The benefits of invading this universe are dozens or even hundreds of times greater than those of other universes."
"We all know how effective surprise tactics are. The universe that is attacked first will inevitably suffer the most losses. It's only beneficial for the main universe to be the first to attack. Even if it doesn't win, the chaos it causes is enough. It's not too late to stir up trouble in other universes when it retreats. There must be a reason why the Black Emperor didn't choose to do that. This aligns with Batman's eagerness to find the first Lantern. Perhaps he knows that the first Lantern is the one who truly counters the Black Lantern's power."
"So, he's in the main universe right now?"
“Very likely,” said the Superman from the main universe. “It’s just that it might not be on Oa. It might be somewhere else.”
"Then let's go look for it," someone else said. "There are so many of us, we could turn the entire universe upside down. How could we not find it?"
“No,” the Lord of Justice said. “The Black Death Emperor might be waiting for us to do just that. If that’s true, then he’s the one who most wants to kill the first Lanternman. If we find him, wouldn’t the Black Death Emperor be able to reap the benefits?”
"Looking for it doesn't work, and not looking for it doesn't work either, so what should we do?"
“We can search, but not in a high-profile manner,” Superman of the main universe decided. “Let’s focus our attention on the universe where Batman is trapped. Then send people out to search secretly. Just don’t alert anyone.”