Can I change my wish?

Chapter 51 Can I change my wish?

Gotham Harbor, abandoned warehouse.

A room that should have been forgotten, a corner that should have been deserted since the year before last, was now glowing with a faint green light.

That was the glow from the monitors. Computer cases were placed on makeshift shelves and desktops, and two layers of monitors surrounded the only chair in the room. It was completely dark all around, and the screensavers of the inactive monitors all had a uniform green background with a conspicuous "?" on them.

The riddler's stronghold.

Edward Nigma, the Riddler, was sitting between the monitors in the room.

Not long ago, after his debut, he engaged in a battle of wits with Batman for a while, but after his biggest setback not long ago—a giant, seemingly by chance, happened to pass by and casually broke through his carefully prepared trap to rescue the child he had kidnapped—the Riddler has temporarily gone into hiding.

During this time, he remained holed up in his small house, leaving no clues or riddles, staying home and not going out to cause any trouble. Therefore, Batman and the GCPD had no way to catch him and had to give up for the time being.

But of course he couldn't just give up like that.

This time, he's brewing something even bigger than before, an unprecedented mystery, and a grand stage befitting his status as a super genius.

Just then, a dark shadow slowly emerged from behind him, transforming into a distorted shape in the empty room.

"Edward Nigma."

The riddle-maker's pupils contracted, he stopped typing, frowned, and turned around.

"Who's there?"

"Me? I am the shadow conjured up in the hearts of all those who are unwilling to accept their fate; I am revenge."

The shadowy figure materialized into the form of a venomous scorpion demon, its scarlet eyes filled with cruelty.

"demon?"

As expected of one of Arkham's regular VIPs, the Riddler remained calm and composed despite the bizarre and supernatural situation.

"A demon? No." The scorpion demon sneered. "My name is the demon spirit Krezas, and I'm here to lend you a hand."

The riddle-maker pondered for a moment.

"But you just said you were seeking revenge."

The Poisonous Scorpion Demon opened his mouth, but the rest of the words he had prepared were abruptly cut off.

"That's a conceptual, abstract statement," it explained in a muffled voice. "I am indeed seeking revenge, but my name is Kreiss."

"Dude, what you guys are doing is creating way too much confusion."

The riddle-maker turned around in his swivel chair and clasped his hands together.

"I bet you don't go out to do business often, right? I guess you're not good enough to easily fool fresh souls?"

"I already said, I'm not a demon, I'm a spirit!" The Poisonous Scorpion Spirit shook its head, trying to get the conversation back on track. "In short, you have talent, and deep inside you there is a darkness that others don't have."

We recognize your talent and are willing to remove any obstacles to helping you achieve your dreams! Tell us your biggest wish, whatever it may be.

Without hesitation, the riddle teller replied, "Help me take down that 'Ultraman'."

The scorpion demon's smile vanished instantly.

A pair of scarlet eyes stared wide-eyed at the riddle-maker.

You want me dead?

After a moment of hesitation, it asked sullenly, "I thought you'd want to kill Batman. He's the one who's been ruining your plans, isn't he?"

"I'd like to, but I think I can handle it myself. After all, he's not as smart as me."

The riddle teller smiled smugly and crossed his arms.

"But that giant last time was a variable. He inexplicably ruined my plans, as if he were just passing by, and didn't play by my rules at all. I don't like that."

The Scorpion Demon pondered for a moment, then said, "I know you are a great designer, a master of riddles. Your masterpiece is impressive."

"Thank you," the riddle teller said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"But I know your ambitions go beyond that. You want to achieve something greater than ever before, to devise an unprecedented riddle, and to become a scar that this city, no, this world, will never forget. Isn't that right?"

And we possess power, extraordinary power, the power to do anything.

The demon spirit floated behind him and whispered a seductive whisper.

Embrace the darkness within you, and we will help you realize that grand vision.

The riddle-maker thought for a moment.

"Thank you, but no need. I still want to kill that Ultraman."

Demon Spirit: "."

It was already roaring inside.

We can't beat them! I've said it so many times, we just can't beat them!

Can you choose a different one?

After a moment's hesitation, the demon spirit changed its tone and its offensive strategy.

"Or I'm curious, as a master riddle maker, how do you manage to ignore the biggest riddle that comes your way?"

"What?" The riddle-maker was indeed drawn in.

"Batman," the Scorpion Demon coaxed, "aren't you curious about who's behind that mask? The one who appears and disappears unpredictably, always one step ahead of you."

The person who has solved all your riddles and can always see through the clues you leave behind.

That man, who is like a mystery to himself, aren't you curious?"

The demon's voice echoed ethereally in the darkness, growing increasingly deceptive.

For a fleeting moment, the riddle teller seemed genuinely moved.

His eyes flashed with that thirst for knowledge unique to this mad genius.

"That's right," the demon said, pressing his advantage. "Embrace the darkness within you, and we will grant you power."

"Thanks, but no thanks." The riddle-maker shook his head. "But my wish is still to destroy that Ultraman."

Demon Spirit: "."

No, you did this on purpose, didn't you?

"I'll solve Batman's problems myself. There's no point in solving a mystery if you don't do it yourself," the Riddler said.

The demon spirit, unable to bear it any longer, surged with black energy and raised its claws behind the riddle-maker, almost ready to tear the idiot apart to vent its anger.

Then the Riddler changed the subject: "However, after thinking about it, accepting your help isn't out of the question. I am indeed planning a showdown with Batman, a mystery of the century."

But you're right, he always solved my riddles before, so I might need some backup plans."

Just before he turned his head, the demon withdrew its claws, which it had almost lost control of, and pretended to be nonchalant.

"I'm glad we reached an agreement," it said with a chuckle. "Don't worry. With us here, that bat is already a dead bat."

Back at the base, the Poison Scorpion Demon Spirit breathed a sigh of relief.

"That human is mentally unstable," it mumbled incoherently. "Do we really need to cooperate with such a madman?"

"This is necessary, Kreiss."

A shadow emerged from the darkness; it was the Owl Demon.

"Edward Nigma may be a madman, but he's a madman with ideas, at least among humans. He can help us lure out that 'Batman.' After all, capturing that 'Batman' alive is the real goal."

"I don't understand this either. Isn't he just a cross-dressing psychopath?" the Poisonous Scorpion Demon wondered. "What do we need him for?"

"He possesses something that ordinary people lack. This makes him the perfect nourishment and sacrifice."

It was personally designated by "that person".

As he spoke, the owl spirit gave him a cold look.

"Do you dare question that official's opinion?"

"No, I wouldn't dare," the Poison Scorpion Demon said, bowing its head.

The owl demon sneered, "It's coming soon. The day of our descent will arrive. When that great one reigns supreme, anyone who dares to block our path will face certain death!"

(End of this chapter)