Three-stream detection simulator

Hercule stepped out of the RV, stood in the middle of the grass, and chose to use the Mechanical Heart.

The level of inspiration actually affects its performance.

This time, Hercule felt that the black viscous liquid pouring out of his heart failed to control him immediately. His mind struggled with the more essential things represented by the black mud. In the process, he could feel that the source of them was not in the core of the mechanical heart.

The beating heart is like the pump of a water pump, squeezing out the eternal 'fuel' from the deeper and more distant bottom of the universe——

There is the deepest darkness, the oldest sin, the unconquerable obstacles, the endless emptiness, and the transcendence of immortal death... Humanity is using a dangerous power, an authority that only God can master, to fight...

"Detective?" The Riddler's slightly dry voice came from a distance, interrupting Hercule's thinking, "What are you talking about?"

Hercule woke up with a start and realized that he had been talking to himself. The fuel of the mechanical heart found that the host's mental power had improved, so it began to induce him to read the forbidden knowledge that followed the black mud. If he indulges in it, he will undoubtedly come under the control of the heart again.

The problem is that he is currently in an absolutely rational state, and this level of temptation is not enough to break through the protection of his own willpower and skills.

"Nothing." Hercule looked at the rapidly beating mechanical heart in his hand and said, "Open the 'door'."

Perhaps rather than improving inspiration and then using the skill ‘Heaven Sensing’, simply using its ability to release high energy to open passages to the world on both sides of the ‘wall’ is the correct way to use a game prop that can only run for five minutes. In this way, you will not be limited by time when moving on the other side. You can even take advantage of the overlapping characteristics of the space on both sides to enter from one 'door' and then come out from the other 'door'.

——The premise is that there are other people in the real world who are trying to use high-energy generators to open the door.

Hercule had long thought about a question: Why did his opponent need the Ark Reactor? What decisive role will Stark Industries' advanced energy facilities play?

Now there seems to be an answer. The Mechanical Heart is equivalent to a more advanced Ark Reactor. They are essentially the same, except that one uses cold nuclear reaction and the other uses special fuel that humans have not yet come into contact with in the 21st century.

The invisible wind surged in the opposite direction into another imperceptible world. The Riddler was blown by the wind and staggered two steps, opening his eyes involuntarily.

Hercule was right before. This RV originally belonged to a sweet couple. They carefully decorated the mobile home they would live in for the next two years. The interior decorations and exterior paint were all painted with great care.

But now, the car is full of bloodstains, and the light white leather outside is bulging little by little, revealing wrinkles like cracked skin.

Hercule stood four or five meters away from it, with one hand in his coat pocket and the other hand holding the mechanical heart, standing upright. The wind lifted the corners of his coat and blew his messy slightly curly gray hair. In front of him, it seemed as if two invisible hands were tearing the carriage apart, eventually pulling it out into a crack that was more than three meters wide at its widest point. .

There are tendon-like filaments in the middle of the crack, and further inside, there is a dark and unfamiliar space of deep blue.

"Did you see it?" Hercule's voice was a little hoarse, "This is my secret."

He turned and walked towards the van where the kidnappers had left him: "It's very big inside, we need a transportation vehicle."

The Riddler was a little confused. He squeezed Robin's shoulder and asked, "You want to drive the car in?"

"Yes, since you consider yourself smart, you should be able to find that walking is a stupid idea." Hercule took out the key from the kidnapper's body, "This door can only hold for five minutes. Don't hesitate, Edward, you are here Decisions should be made at critical moments.”

"Are you lecturing me?" the Riddler said curiously, "Okay, you have it. The door doesn't look safe at all. If I die today, I will always appear in your dreams, Detective. I will become Will you kill someone as part of your ugly guilt?"

Hercule replied: "I want you to leave Robin outside."

Riddler: "Don't even think about it. I don't want to do the Reichenbach Falls again."

Hercule glanced at him, handed over the car keys, and then made a move that no one expected - he took off the coat that he had rarely seen before and put it on Robin On the head.

On the way to get up, he tore off the tape on the boy's mouth and gave him a hug through his clothes. Edward didn't stop him.

"Don't look, don't listen," Hercule said breathlessly into Robin's ear.

Then he stood up and walked to the van, automatically sitting in the driver's seat. The Riddler carried Robin into the trunk and closed the door: "I'm ready."

The van started and rushed towards the gap in the middle of the RV.

Robin licked his lips nervously, feeling a strange smell lingering where the tape had been stuck. Other than that, he felt nothing. The car moved forward very smoothly without encountering any obstacles along the way.

The coat on his head blocked his view of the window, and Robin could only observe the ground beneath his feet. I don’t know since when, there have been many flying particles in the air. They look like plant spores, but they are not as dreamy as depicted in cartoons. He intuitively thought it best not to inhale the air here. If the spores enter the lungs, they may cause disease...

However, his worries were unnecessary. These particles just silently surrounded him, blocked by the hem of Hercule's long trench coat.

This reminded Robin of Batman's cape. His adoptive father would sometimes open his arms to cover him like this during night patrols, blocking the heat waves from the explosions behind him or the flying shells.

The car was still moving. Why were the Riddler and Hercule so quiet? Where did they go? How big was the door? How would he get out later?

Countless questions tortured Robin. He hadn't eaten or drunk water for almost six or seven hours. His throat was burning, and he was so hungry that black spots appeared in front of his eyes...

Wait, black spots?

The boy blinked hard. The black handwriting not only did not disappear, but became more obvious. They floated on Robin's retina, like dark gravel soaked in water.

[Hello, Robin. ]

"Hello? Who are you?"

[I am Gotham. So that's how you can talk to me because the detective gave you his coat. When he puts on his coat, it's like putting on his soul. At this moment, he loses his protection and hands this love to you. 】

"Wait, what?" Robin said anxiously, "Is this coat important to him? Should I give it back to him?"

[No, no, my child. This is not a place for humans to visit. Go and do what he says. 】

[Don't look, don't listen. 】

The handwriting disappeared, and a melodious song sounded in Robin's ears. The voice seemed to be female, but the age could not be heard, and the lyrics could not be understood. She just hummed softly, like a mother rocking her arms waiting for her child to fall asleep.

Robin then closed his eyes obediently.

The world went quiet.

**

The Riddler and Hercule faced a different scene.

After passing through the door, there was still grass around, and going further, you could see the Gotham River and the bridge above. This is the junction of the two cities. The buildings in the distance are shrouded in dim mist, and one bridge after another connects the two lands floating on the water. In the dark environment, the bridge piers standing on the ground were shadowy, and at first glance they looked like the sharp claws of insects.

The Riddler held his hat and looked up at the desolate and empty sky: "Where on earth is this place..."

Hercule pointed behind him: "That's Gotham."

He pointed forward again: "This is New York."

"We are going to the headquarters of Stark Group."

"Why?" The Riddler held a submachine gun in his hand, his expression a little anxious, "Give me a reason not to shoot you."

"I think there should be an exit there."

The car moved forward steadily, and Hercule looked forward. The high beams cast two narrow shadows, and the things on both sides of the road were not clear under the contrast brought by the light, but the nose could feel a stench of years of decay.

"The door behind us is closed, Edward, if you don't want to stay here for the rest of your life, put the gun down."

The Riddler snorted and put down the gun, refusing to admit that he was nervous. He changed the subject: "What's the name of that heart?"

"Mechanical Heart."

"So simple?"

Hercules: "I don't think it's necessary to give a tool that helps humans some exaggerated name, what do you think?"

"Yes, this is the arrogance of humans, our arrogance." The Riddler whispered, "I agree with your point of view."

After that, he looked out the window again: "But as a smart man, I still have a little say in the current situation, right? I don't know if you noticed, detective, those bridges are a little wrong... I studied the Gotham map carefully during the day. At this distance and angle, the bridge should not be what we see now."

Hercules looked at the direction described by the Riddler.

Then his breathing stagnated and he stepped on the accelerator hard: "Don't look at it, Edward!"

"What?"

The Riddler was still trying to figure out this little puzzle. He stared at the dark and tall bridge from a distance. It was a claw-like bridge, a coelenterate-like bridge, and an arthropod exoskeleton-like bridge. They devour the creatures passing through them and supply nutrients to the city mother. Without the bridge, there would be no money flowing, no communication, no development and no future...

If only the bridge was alive.

He didn't know why this thought came to his mind.

The next moment, the bridge really moved. The ground was shaking, and the shadows over the city responded to the Riddler's gaze.

**

Hercule stepped on the accelerator to the bottom.

But he was driving a van, destined not to be able to move smoothly in complex environments like the Batmobile. Several times they were on the verge of stalling, and seeing the shadows around them about to come in through the window, the Riddler fired wildly out of the window, his face full of collapse: "I find that every time I ride in your car, I become unfortunate!"

Hercule: "..."

Blame me.

The Riddler asked: "What will happen if I get caught by this thing?"

Hercule said calmly: "I don't know."

"Detective, you really..." The Riddler gritted his teeth, "Think of a way quickly! Otherwise, Robin the bird will die here too!"

Robin will not die.

Hercule thought.

Before entering the door, he subconsciously handed his coat to Robin, because he had seen other serious players' game commentary by chance before crossing. After the skill of "Heaven and Man Sensing" is high, the game character of "Third-rate Detective Simulator" can talk to the city.

Of course, the so-called will of the city does not exist, and there are no supernatural forces in that world. The effect of ‘celestial induction’ is interpreted as the process of the game protagonist analyzing himself and understanding the universe. The detective is like Newton who was hit on the head by an apple. At a certain moment, he received miraculous enlightenment, but he also became crazy because of his wisdom and inspiration far beyond ordinary people.

In any case, before traveling through time, Hercule saw that Agrarian Uia in Novice Village had indeed communicated with the protagonist of the game after the skill points were full, and the ethereal voice said to him:

[When you put on your coat, you put on my soul. 】

[Stay alert, detective. 】

【I love you. 】

However, we are no longer playing games now. Everything around us is unknown. It may be more comforting to give Robin the coat...

"There's nothing I can do," Hercule answered the Riddler. "If it comes up, you shoot."

The mechanical heart stopped running after five minutes. He didn't have enough inspiration and couldn't even use the telepathy.

The Riddler is a little desperate.

Hercule was even more abnormal than he thought.

Dark creations without a fixed shape surged behind them, and from time to time, the smoke-like tentacles that the Riddler had previously used as a 'bridge' stretched into the car. Fortunately, it seemed to have a physical body, and the bullets were barely able to deflect it.

After holding on for another twenty minutes, the van finally drove into New York. The Statue of Liberty was still blocking the sky, overlooking the tiny souls on the ground, but perhaps because of the inability to use skills, it was not as shocking and scary as last time. Magical attraction.

There is also bad news. There is no barrier between cities, and monsters are chasing after them. The Riddler has changed four magazines, and the inventory is almost empty.

Riddler: "I am invisible but tangible. Both the poor and the rich hate me. Neither money nor power can take me away. What am I?"

Hercule looked at the road intently and did not answer.

"It's death!! I'm going to die!"

The Riddler roared.

He kicked open the door of the van, raised his cane, and pointed the hollow pipe in the middle at the behemoth in the sky: "Go to hell, you idiot!"

Flames shot out from the cane and shot into the air, igniting the thick black fog. It did play a role in the beginning, but human power was so insignificant. Soon, the thick fog roared back and enveloped the Riddler.

The latter had no power to resist, and the cane with the armrest made into a question mark shape fell to the car deck.

Hercule closed his eyes. Not only did he not apply the brakes, he also moved the gear at hand forward. The van couldn't handle the high speed and began to fall apart, but its destination was almost here, and the Stark Industries headquarters was just ahead——

The vehicle crashed into the glass window and cement wall of a building next to the headquarters building. Hercule pushed open the deformed car door and took Robin out, only to find that he had fallen asleep.

Well, there is a future.

There was a paper knife in the car drawer. Hercule used the knife to cut open the restraints on Robin's hands and feet and shook him awake: "There should be an Ark reactor here. I'm not sure where it is specifically..."

"I can find it." Robin suddenly woke up and didn't waste time asking questions. He said simply, "I have Batman's equipment. Give me half a minute."

The thick black fog outside the window is still hovering. It doesn't seem to want to come in, and it covets the living human body inside.

Hercule saw a flash of green occasionally appearing among the scattered mist.

It's the color of the Riddler's suit.

Robin: "I found it! There is a high-energy reaction on the third underground floor of this building!"

At this moment, an adult put his hand on his shoulder and took away the dark coat that was even more torn and worn.

"Dick." Hercule called his nickname, "I want you to go to the third underground floor now and wait at the door until I arrive. Can you do it?"

Robin didn't say yes or no: "What about you?"

Hercule picked up the cane that the Riddler left in the car: "A superhero who has never saved a criminal is not a good detective. Go ahead, kid, give me five minutes."

He still had one hand in his pocket and the other holding his cane, walking smoothly toward the center of the fog.

In Robin's eyes, the detective's back partially overlapped with that of Batman, Superman, Iron Man, and many other emerging superheroes. His blue eyes couldn't help but become a little moist. In order not to delay, Dick sniffed, gritted his teeth without hesitation, turned around and ran towards the fire escape.

After no more than five minutes, Hercule helped the dying Riddler back to the stairs.

The magical cane that breathed fire was useless when he hooked the Riddler out of the monster's body. There were moss and blood stains on the tile floor of the building. In order to prevent his feet from slipping, the Riddler had to hold on to the wall with his other hand.

They trudged to the address marked by Robin, and when they saw the crack in the wall leading to the real world, the Riddler managed to gather his strength and said:

"...Although I think the 'Gate' and the Mechanical Heart are both traps aimed at me, no matter what, I owe you a life."

"I chose you between monsters and humans," Hercule looked at him with a very cold look without mercy, but his tone was soothing and polite, "Do you want to repay me, Edward?"

The Riddler's voice was weak: "Of course, detective...I swear to God, I keep my word."

Hercule let go. The Riddler lost his balance and slipped to the ground.

"How can I trust you?" the detective asked condescendingly. "How can you prove to me that it is worth saving you?"

"——Riddle." Edward knelt on the ground and looked up at him, "You answer my questions with a riddle, and then use more riddles to attract me. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, and I can't stand this... You will always Be the winner. Before I understood you deeply and completely, before I risked my life to save your life, I owed it to you."

"Your mental illness has become more severe," Hercule assessed matter-of-factly.

This may be the consequence of losing the SAN.

"Perhaps." The Riddler smiled and climbed up, following Hercule out of the gap. "I hope the bat is right: Arkham's psychiatrist can solve this problem. Where is he now? I can give him a ride. Take a ride back to Gotham?"

But it's still too early for everyone to go back to their respective homes.

Inside the building in the real world, the energy generator modeled after the Ark reactor at Stark Industries headquarters is running at overclocking speed. The bright blue energy beam hits the wall, and through the continuous output, it barely forms a fixed beam only a dozen centimeters wide. The passage is where the three people came out just now.

Further ahead, at the end of the corridor, is the research site where the enemies who tried to murder Hercule twice were hiding evil secrets that they did not want others to know - why insist on opening the door?