Logging into the game, Chu Cheng entered the familiar main interface. His eyes scanned the options: aside from the prominent "Start Game" button, two smaller tabs labeled "Store" and "Settings" lay nestled below.
He clicked into the Settings menu first. As expected, it was filled with general options—adjustments for game volume, screen brightness, key mapping, and similar customization tools. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing… supernatural.
But it was the Store that caught his attention again.
Yesterday, during his first session, Chu Cheng had visited the store out of curiosity. Back then, the interface was barren—like an unfinished alley in Gotham, devoid of life, with only placeholder shadows hinting at potential.
Today, something had changed.
For starters, the "Owned Characters" section, which was previously blank, now displayed a sharply detailed avatar—Batman. When he hovered over it with the mouse, a detailed biography appeared in clean, sharp font:
> "Batman. Real identity: Bruce Wayne. Billionaire industrialist from Gotham City. Traumatized after witnessing the murder of his parents in Crime Alley, Bruce trained around the globe, mastering martial arts, criminology, escape artistry, and tactical technology. He returned to Gotham as the vigilante known as the Dark Knight, striking fear into the hearts of criminals."
Chu Cheng narrowed his eyes. The bio was too detailed for just flavor text. It felt alive—like a bat signal shimmering against low clouds before the storm.
What caught his eye next was a new tab unlocked within the Store.
> "C-Level Teleportation Array: Spend Hero Points to activate this array. Each use will summon a hero or equipment item from another world. Cost per summon: 50 Hero Points."
Chu Cheng frowned, then quickly grasped what this was: the infamous gacha system. The card-drawing mechanism that mobile games had abused with surgical precision.
In the top-right corner, his Hero Points balance hovered just above 500—the standard reward from clearing the first mission. Enough for ten draws.
Classic "novice ten-pull" behavior.
Chu Cheng smirked. It was like watching a genre evolve before your eyes. At some point, the skies had filled with mobile games launching card draws like artillery. Studios didn't need next-gen engines or cinematic storytelling. All they needed were glossy UI elements, gacha mechanics, and a steady stream of over-designed characters—most of whom wore far less than they should.
The player base screamed foul on forums, but in truth, they lined up to spend. Fast and furious, just like the Flash himself bowing to the charging wallets of the world.
Some argued it was absurd, but Chu Cheng thought otherwise.
If you're going to open a brothel, why not put a casino right next to it?
He just didn't expect Marvel and DC, the industry's sacred cows, to roll up their sleeves and deal in the same smoke and mirrors.
And just as he was musing about it—
Snap!
A white flash lit up the screen. The teleportation array roared like the Batmobile's engine, and a figure materialized—striking, sensual, and stylish. A black-purple mask framed her fierce gaze. High-heeled combat boots. A curve-hugging outfit with snow-white legs and cleavage that might rival the Mariana Trench.
Chu Cheng: "..."
He sat still. He had clearly underestimated the so-called 'upright' superhero publishers. Turns out even the morally upright wore leotards tailored by sin.
> "Hero Introduction: Huntress. Real name: Helena Bertinelli. Daughter of a Gotham mafia boss. Expert in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, and acrobatic mobility. Signature weapons include a crossbow and collapsible staff."
At first, Chu Cheng was genuinely excited. The thrill of acquiring a new character was like tasting victory at the end of a rooftop chase in Gotham.
But the emotion faded quickly—just like the mental clarity that comes after… well, post-mission calm.
He analyzed the situation with Batman-level precision.
This wasn't a turn-based RPG where you stack heroes on a team. This was still an action-adventure game, and players controlled only one hero at a time.
So pulling the Huntress, while exciting on the surface, quickly felt redundant.
She had no superpowers—like Batman. She relied on combat skills and gadgets—like Batman. She fought street crime—again, like Batman.
But she wasn't Batman.
Not the man who outwitted Superman, fought gods and monsters with no powers, and once said, "Give me a week of prep, and I can beat anyone."
In combat? Batman wins. Tech? Batman. Stealth? Batman. Resources? No contest. The Huntress, for all her curves and crossbows, was a sidekick in comparison.
The only "stat advantage" she had was... well, visually noticeable. But even there, the Bat-family had its share of femme fatales.
His eyes wandered to a stat marked Vehicle Riding.
Interesting.
Was there a range for this riding mechanic?
As a serious player, Chu Cheng naturally had no indecent thoughts. He was only academically interested in whether "vehicle riding" included an actual vehicle. Or maybe a player hitching a ride—hypothetically.
Still, novelty faded. He had nine draws left.
"Let's go," he muttered.
Click. "Thank you for participating."
Click. "Thank you for participating."
Seven more rounds followed, each echoing the same mocking tone. Chu Cheng began to suspect his luck stat was rigged, like he was born a non-chieftain. The kind of guy whose gacha pulls got dust and disappointment.
But then he remembered the old saying:
> "No amount of gacha magic saves a free player. No amount of whining changes RNG. If you're born African server, you embrace the darkness."
Then—finally—on the tenth pull, something shimmered.
Item Acquired: Arrow's Blindfold
Chu Cheng: "...What?"
The small green domino mask floated in the UI, its description barely a sentence:
> "A specialized eye-mask made of memory fiber. Conceals identity without hindering vision or agility."
Chu Cheng tilted his head.
Conceals identity?
He remembered the Green Lantern film, where Hal Jordan wore a similar mask and expected to fool everyone. The female lead roasted him on sight:
> "You think I wouldn't recognize you just because you covered your cheekbones? What are you, blind?"
Even Bruce Wayne didn't rely on a domino mask. He went full cowl, voice changer, smoke bombs, the works. Batman didn't pretend to be someone else—he became someone else.
Still, Chu Cheng's curiosity got the better of him. Maybe it had hidden game properties?
Beneath the item was a "Summon" button. With a shrug, he clicked it.
The mask vanished from the screen—and entered his in-game inventory.
At the exact same moment, his phone buzzed.
> Ding!
He picked it up. A text message from an unknown number:
> "Your package has been delivered to your door. Please check it promptly."
Chu Cheng froze.
Package? What package?
Then his eyes darted back to the green blindfold in his in-game backpack.
No way…
He dismissed the idea. It was absurd. Impossible. Irrational.
But still, he stood up, heart pounding. He walked across the living room, opened his apartment's steel-reinforced front door, and looked down at the hallway outside.
There it was.
A small, unmarked package.
Waiting.
Silently.
Just like a calling card left by Batman himself.