Bat Domain

Superman stepped forward first, his blue eyes full of genuine concern as his gaze swept over Shane's still blood-stained suit.

"I'll take you to the Fortress of Solitude for treatment in a medical pod; the equipment there will help you recover faster."

"Ah? There's no need to bother with minor injuries like this."

Shane hastily waved his hand.

Superman didn't continue to press the issue, but a few more solemn expectations appeared in his eyes, and his tone suddenly shifted in an unexpected direction.

"Then would you consider joining the Justice League?"

"Oh!"

Shazam immediately responded, throwing an arm around Shane's shoulder as if he had been anticipating this for a long time.

"This idea is awesome, seriously, and pal, you're truly fierce."

Diana also walked over slowly, the Vulcan Sword and divine shield in her hands already quietly put away, leaving only an unmaskable guilt and gentleness between her brows.

She looked into Shane's eyes and said softly.

"It was me who was too harsh on you before. Later I figured out that under that environment and that educational model, you simply didn't have a choice."

The Flash's complexion was still somewhat pale. In fact, initially he had been relatively more skeptical of the Justice League's records on Shane.

Yet when he recently saw the Divine Realm reduced to ruins, along with a blood-drenched Shane standing with the corpses of two gods lying at his feet, he couldn't help but believe most of it.

"I, I thought about it dozens of times in my head just now."

Barry's speaking speed remained rapid, yet it carried a clear hesitation, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Shane's un-dried bloodstains before darting away quickly.

"Today, whether it was your courage, sense of responsibility, or on-the-spot mental reactions, you were very unexpected... but in the future, regarding some criminals, we'd best stick mainly to capturing them... I welcome you on my own behalf."

As he spoke to the end, his voice grew increasingly faint, and he awkwardly pretended to be composed as he waved his hand.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not scared, it's just that my metabolism is too fast, and I get uncomfortable if I don't shake."

Green Lantern didn't speak, merely giving his Green Lantern ring a gloomy sideways glance.

"I swear I'll probably have to go on cosmic business trips frequently from now on."

Everyone's gazes fell upon Shane, carrying expectation, friendliness, and curiosity, yet Shane looked toward the black figure by the cliff edge.

Batman's black cape was whipped wildly by the mountain wind, the tactical display on his left forearm glowing with a faint blue light, dense streams of data flashing rapidly across the screen while his right fingertips tapped precisely and swiftly, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

"Batman, you say something too!"

Shazam shouted toward Batman's back.

"This is an important invitation moment right now, don't just focus on analyzing those data!"

Batman's movements paused, and he slowly turned around.

The eyes beneath the bat cowl passed over the crowd, locking straight onto Shane, his voice low and hoarse, yet the content of what he said bore no relation whatsoever to everyone's expectations.

"That ring should still have eight seconds of use left."

Shane's figure stiffened slightly, and he slowly pulled away from Shazam's arm resting on his shoulder, stepping back two paces.

His gaze swept across the Justice League members before him, and he shrugged.

"Thanks to everyone for the enthusiastic invitation, but I can't join. I said it before, I'm not suited to be a hero."

As his words fell, he didn't linger; his feet lifted slightly off the ground, and his figure instantly transformed into a black afterimage, dashing away toward the distance and quickly vanishing at the end of the skyline.

The mountain wind still howled, leaving everyone looking at one another in blank dismay, with only Batman slowly retracting his gaze, refocusing his attention on the tactical display screen as the tapping of his fingertips sounded once more.

Returning to before the departure.

On the bridge of the Watchtower, Batman quietly watched Shane, the corners of his usually tight mouth suddenly pulling into a cold and aloof smile.

As if he had finally seen through everything.

"Ever since you came into contact with that magic-using girl, some of your external emotional expressions have become more youthful."

"And you've finally revealed some of the eagerness a young person should have; you're somewhat anxious to further gain trust."

Shane's expression instantly turned complicated, and his face was full of incomprehension.

"You..."

"You don't need to disguise yourself anymore."

Batman interrupted him without hesitation.

"From the moment you stepped onto Earth, I have constantly tried to refine your psychological personality model."

"You've always been very "sincere", peeling away those bloody experiences of yours bit by bit, displaying them in categorized pieces to different people while honestly stating that you will never repent."

"Yet this instead more quickly dispelled the doubts of everyone who came into contact with you. They are all far too kind, only imagining how severe the trauma you suffered in the past was, and holding all the more imagined pity and trust for you."

"But you've always overlooked one person—the person who saved you from space that night."

Shane's expression finally showed a trace of unexpected stiffness.

Batman merely spoke quietly.

"His power is beyond every limit you can possibly imagine. From the moment you were still frozen unconscious and drifting close to the Solar System, you were already within his sensing range."

"And that night, he also told me that the very first emotion you revealed upon waking up and seeing Earth was indeed surprise, but the second one was greed-laden malice."

Shane's complexion finally underwent a noticeable change, his pupils contracting violently.

Black-suit Superman's might truly completely exceeded his expectations.

"Until you also discovered him, discovering that he was incomparably powerful, after which you completely changed."

"Humble, gentle, polite, showing incomparable sincerity toward everyone."

Batman's speaking speed began to quicken.

"You might indeed loathe Viltrum's culture and ethos, but you have always guided all your actions with the Viltrum survival principles you comprehended. That person who saved you is a new "standard"."

"You adapted to Viltrum's rules in the past and became excellent; now, you've once again flawlessly executed a plan on how to live within the "rules" of an absolute powerhouse with a distinct justice stance."

"Your mind went mad long ago, and unluckily for you, you bumped into my specialty."

Shane rubbed the bridge of his nose, let out a long sigh, and finally stripped away all disguise, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness and composure.

"Fine, Mr. Batman, since you've seen right through it, then may I ask, regarding my going alone to the Divine Realm to save Teacher Prince, you surely have a contingency plan? At least enough so I won't plunge into a desperate situation."

Hearing this, Batman raised a hand and tossed over a black ring box.

Shane instinctively caught it, his heart filled with astonishment.

The other party ought to be clear that the significance of him acquiring a Power Ring was vastly different from ordinary people obtaining one.

Batman saw through his confusion and explained calmly.

"This isn't that yellow Lantern ring you obtained that night; it's an old one I acquired in the past. The energy originally inside it can at least support a yellow Lantern for three minutes of combat. But since there is already a new ring brimming with energy, I had the leisure to research and dismantle it. Now, the residual energy inside can support ten seconds at most."

"This is also something I calculated: the limit of emotional energy required for your Viltrumite constitution to go from near-fatal injury to preliminary recovery."

Shane cautiously opened the box and took a quick look. The yellow Lantern ring inside emitted a faint glow, and then a flash of inspiration sparked in his mind as he looked up at Batman.

"Instead of using these ten seconds to heal me, it would be better to use this ring to summon the Yellow Lantern Corps to descend upon the Divine Realm, muddying the waters of Olympus. Rescuing Teacher Prince would become all the more convenient, and it could solve two problems at once. How long have those Green Lantern Corps warriors been staking out the Solar System?"

A trace of imperceptible solemnity flashed in Batman's eyes, and then he slowly shook his head.

"Triggering a war between the Fear Corps and the Olympian gods will cause countless unnecessary casualties. The Justice League will not agree to this course of action. But if you fall into a desperate situation in the Divine Realm, you may improvise based on circumstances. This is your choice, and it has nothing to do with the League."