The Bewildered Riddler

Chapter 27 The Bewildered Riddler

The splitting of the eight-part light wheel combined with psychic tracking is a skill-level maneuver even among the newly graduated Ultra Warriors from the Land of Light Academy. Very few in the entire class can pull off such a dazzling move.

Shen You was delighted to discover that he was still as skilled as ever, and that the Ultra Cutting Technique he had painstakingly practiced back then had not been lost to his teacher during his time travel.

Splitting the light ring into five is quite difficult, not to mention simultaneously using telekinesis to control them to chase five targets in different directions. Furthermore, in normal combat, Ultra Warriors usually lock onto massive monsters, but these five monsters are roughly humanoid in size, making the tracking and locking precision requirements even higher.

Even Shen You himself couldn't help but give himself a score of 90 out of 100.

After instantly defeating the enemy, he casually swept his gaze across the room. Ultraman's vision was stronger in his transformed state than in his human form, and with just a casual sweep, he quickly locked onto a long-abandoned haunted house in the amusement park, penetrating the walls to spot several figures inside.

Those were several children.

Locked in a cage deep inside the haunted house, the oldest of them were only eight or nine years old. They were all covered in dust and looked pitiful, with tear stains on their faces.

These demons even kidnapped a child?

Shen You quickly recalled that the bat demon that possessed Maroni had a similar history, so this low-level behavior wasn't surprising. It just goes to show that these demonic monsters truly deserved to die.

With a single punch, Ultraman's fist pierced through layers of barriers and crashed into the place where the children were being held. The children in the cage looked up at the giant outside through the hole blasted through them, their mouths agape in astonishment, their young hearts deeply shaken.

Outside the amusement park, inside a building not far away.

A strange man in a green suit and a green bowler hat sat arrogantly in a chair with his legs crossed and his back to the window. A green eye patch covered his cheekbones, and he held a strange cane with a peculiar question mark at the tip.

Edward Nigma, codenamed The Riddler. A highly intelligent supervillain obsessed with riddles, he has been outwitting rookie Batman for the past week, and is the first madman the rookie has encountered.

"Always moving forward, constantly caught in the middle. Put me back in my own territory, and I'll make it even more chaotic." The Riddler smiled and shook his cane. "Who am I?"

"We don't have time to play guessing games with you, Nigma."

The speaker was Sal Maroney, a mob boss and one of the city's de facto rulers. He was followed by several henchmen, scattered around the Riddler.

The riddle-maker glanced at them and smiled.

"Batman, is that it? You want Batman, that's why you're here."

"You're asking a question you already know the answer to," Maroni said coldly. "That bat-like lunatic has caused me huge losses over the past month. He arrested my men, destroyed my base, and intercepted my goods."

If he thinks he can get away with all these things, then he clearly doesn't understand what Gotham is.

"Yes, yes, that's why we're on the same boat. Because we both hate bats," said the Riddler.

Maroney said expressionlessly, "You said you could handle Batman tonight. But all I've seen is you sitting here showing off your boring riddles."

"That's because you were too slow to keep up. I've already taken action. Otherwise, why do you think I called you all here to meet up?"

The riddle teller laughed.

"That riddle was the clue."

Maroni frowned, clearly not understanding what that meant. He glanced at his henchmen beside him; those muscular men were obviously unlikely to guess the answer either.

"The answer is electricity, geniuses," the Riddler chuckled. "The haunted house in the amusement park. I locked all the kids I captured in there and left a clue for the Dark Knight—of course, he'll be able to decipher the riddle and find his way here, because he's very clever, almost as clever as me."

But I've studied his behavior patterns. I've installed electrical currents behind all the skylights, vents, and doors he could possibly enter through—enough high-voltage electricity to give him a real headache.

Maroni hesitated for a moment.

“My men say he’s very difficult to deal with,” Maronny said. “I’m not sure if high voltage can take him down.”

"That was just an appetizer. I've prepared more surprises for him inside. To save the child, he'll have to navigate through all the death traps I've set—traps that no human being could possibly overcome. Not even Batman; he wouldn't stand a chance."

However, the riddle-maker, with his back to the window, didn't see that just as he was excitedly making his statement, a blinding flash of white light streaked past the window, instantly illuminating the dark playground. A sacred pillar of light shot straight into the night, and a red and silver giant rose into the sky.

Maroni and his gang were stunned, their mouths agape and their heads filled with question marks.

The riddle-maker, oblivious to everything, remained engrossed in his brilliant plan: "Today is the day the Dark Knight falls. He was indeed a worthy opponent, though, and I will miss him. But this haunted house will be his final resting place."

One of the henchmen paused for a moment, then couldn't help but point out the window: "You're not talking about that haunted house, are you?"

"Hmm? Isn't that obvious? Which other city could it be?"

WTF!?

The riddle-maker, who turned around following the direction of his finger, jumped up from his chair instantly.

He stared in disbelief as the red and silver giant punched through the ceiling of the haunted house, completely ignoring all the traps he had carefully set, and snatched the hostage children out as easily as picking out chicks.

He suspected that the giant might not even have sensed the existence of the so-called "deadly" high-voltage current.

For the first time in his life, the riddle-maker was at a loss.

what is this?

Did God punish me for my many evil deeds?

Even after the giant was surrounded by white light and his figure dissipated into specks of light, the riddle-maker remained lost in deep doubt about life.

Who am I? Where am I? Whom am I supposed to do?

Is this thing really an opponent I should be facing?

"This is definitely a trap, young master."

Alfred's voice came through the Batmobile's communication system.

"A trap is no longer a trap when you know it's a trap; it becomes a head-on confrontation," Batman said coldly, flooring the accelerator.

"Have you forgotten our previous conversation? You don't have to be alone. You can leave a message for the GCPD, or if you don't trust them, you can at least contact Commissioner Gordon!"

The riddle teller has surely laid a trap for you; going to that amusement park alone is tantamount to suicide.

"I have arrived."

Batman ignored him, stopped the car, and continued speaking to himself. The sliding door of the Batmobile opened, and he jumped out.

He fearlessly walked towards the dark amusement park, his black cloak billowing in the wind, like a knight ready to die.

A minute later, Batman stopped in front of the haunted house, its roof blown open, empty, and half-collapsed.

He checked the deciphered clues again and again, making sure he hadn't come to the wrong place.

Then a look of confusion appeared in his eyes.

What about people?

(End of this chapter)