Finding 'Superman'

"Who the hell are you!?" Professor Yefuni's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the figure that looked like death itself.

His shout rang through the corridor. Drawn by the sound, the figure slowly turned around. Its long trench coat swayed amid the flames, yet showed no sign of catching fire.

"Someone actually managed to endure the Fear Toxin and make it this far?" A hoarse voice, like grinding metal, rang out. To judge from its tone, the figure was genuinely surprised.

The old professor could no longer suppress the terror in his heart. He suddenly raised his gun and fired several shots at the black Bird-Beak Mask figure. He was fast, but the shadow opposite him was faster. The instant he raised his hand, the humanoid shadow had already moved.

The Bird-Beak Mask figure swiftly raised his umbrella before him, shielding most of his body and intercepting the bullets hurtling through the air. They struck the umbrella with dull, muffled thuds. Then, the umbrella's tip suddenly opened, and Professor Yefuni saw a sharp flash of fire burst from it.

The next moment, pain flared in the old professor's chest, and his entire body froze. He swayed as a chill spread up from the soles of his feet. Professor Yefuni found it difficult to breathe, then collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, the umbrella-wielding Bird-Beak Mask figure folded his umbrella and let out a strange, cold laugh. "It seems I truly underestimated the people here. I never expected to encounter a human with such powerful willpower in a place like this."

Professor Yefuni gasped for breath, only to discover that he had lost control of his body. Only then did he realize that he had likely been struck by the other man's weapon.

His breathing gradually weakened, and deep drowsiness washed over him. Though he desperately tried to stay awake, he could no longer hold on. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he realized that the flames around him had somehow gone out.

Or rather, they had never existed at all.

There had been no flames. The heat, the smoke, and the burning researchers had all been fake!

The other man had used a special toxin to plunge everyone here into hallucinations. Thinking about it now, there had been no zombies either. This had all been a deception. From beginning to end, everyone here had been slaughtering one another within an illusion.

Then... his student, too...

Professor Yefuni's eyes widened. He stared at the black figure and desperately opened his mouth, trying to say something. In the end, however, nothing came out—he died with his eyes open.

The old professor only gave Zhang Ye a slight surprise, but he did not dwell on it. Compared to this world, these people's deaths had no impact at all.

Batman had somehow come to stand beside Zhang Ye. He wore a specially made bat mask over his face. The moment he realized Zhang Ye had loaded the Fear Toxin into the umbrella, he had made preparations immediately.

Originally, the old bat had planned to sneak in, first investigate Superman's exact location, and then act. He had also intended to see how Zhang Ye and Pietro would handle the situation.

But what he never expected was that, the moment they entered, Pietro had raced through the entire experimental base at incredible speed. After familiarizing himself with the layout, he had casually sabotaged the surveillance room and communication equipment as well.

Zhang Ye was even more outrageous. Without the slightest hesitation, he released the Fear Toxin into the ventilation shaft, then used the umbrella's propeller to spin at high speed, causing the Fear Toxin in the vent to flow through the ducts and spread across the entire experimental base.

At the same time, the escaping toxin had reached the military fortress outside the experimental base. In the blink of an eye, everyone affected by the Fear Toxin became a madman. In their eyes, everything they saw and heard had changed.

Like the professor who saw his own student as a zombie, everyone in the military fortress grabbed whatever weapons were nearby and opened fire wildly on their fellow soldiers. Under such circumstances, no one had time to stop and think. Everyone had only one thought: kill the others and survive!

Thus, a battle royale-like slaughter began. Those with guns used guns, those with cannons fired cannons, and some even deployed tanks, all to blast the monsters in their eyes into pieces.

The entire military base descended into chaos. By the time Batman noticed, it was already too late. This war could no longer be stopped. Only by killing everyone could this horrific feast possibly be brought to an end.

To be honest, this was the most astonishing scene Batman had ever witnessed. Even Scarecrow, the creator of the Fear Toxin, had never caused destruction on such a massive scale. It left Batman somewhat dissatisfied with Zhang Ye and Pietro.

Zhang Ye noticed the expression hidden beneath Batman's mask. He turned his head and spoke, half in explanation and half to himself.

"We're committing a crime by rescuing Superman from Mao Country's military base. Besides, we don't have time to dwell on these things. If we can't rescue Superman quickly, this whole world will be destroyed. And there are too many guards here. Without this method, we would suffer casualties."

Batman said nothing. No one knew what expression lay beneath his mask. He stepped forward, walking ahead of Zhang Ye. Looking at the enormous steel cage, he spoke in a low voice. "This is where Superman is being held."

When Zhang Ye saw Batman take a device from his belt, seemingly preparing to crack the cage door's code, he quickly spoke up. "No need. Pietro will handle the code. He's fast enough to try every possible combination in a very short time."

The next moment, as if to prove Zhang Ye's words, Pietro darted forward. One hand became a blur, and before Batman could respond, the coded door turned green. The enormous, airtight steel cage slowly opened.

Seeing this, Batman silently put the device away again, then retreated into the shadows without any intention of entering. Clearly, he intended to let Zhang Ye and Pietro deal with it themselves.

Zhang Ye merely smiled. He took the lead and entered. The cage was enormous, shaped like a metal sphere, but its interior was not as spacious as imagined. It appeared to be only around ten square meters.

The cage was dark, lit only by several red emergency lights. The cramped space contained nothing but a crude iron bedframe and a folding screen. On the bed lay a red-and-blue outfit tossed carelessly aside. Through the lenses of his Bird-Beak Mask, Zhang Ye could clearly see the "S" emblem on it.

Zhang Ye picked up the outfit and handed it to Pietro, then continued inward. After going around the folding screen, a woman in a white surgical gown came into his view.

"Found him."