Worthy of You, Batman

Sitting in the tent, Lin Xiao watched the scene unfold and nearly laughed out loud.

Worthy of Batman. His ability to act was simply off the charts.

And thanks to the group leader's privileges, Lin Xiao had not only earned the listing points for Batman's transaction for free, but also collected a handling fee.

He looked at the massive total of over 10,000 points on his panel.

What did 10,000 points mean now? It meant he was absolutely loaded!

[Ding! Group member "The Underdog Who Wants to Be Hokage" uploaded an item: Ichiraku Ramen. System-assessed value: 1 point.]

[The Underdog Who Wants to Be Hokage]: "This is the best ramen in our village! I'm treating everyone!"

"Good kid, that's just what I needed!"

Lin Xiao's stomach was growling with hunger, so he decisively spent 1 point to buy the steaming bowl of ramen.

After downing a bowl of hot soup, Lin Xiao let out a satisfied sigh.

He was full now, but where he should go next had become a major problem. He couldn't possibly keep sleeping in this lousy tent every day, could he?

Just as Lin Xiao was considering whether to find an underpass to make do for a few days, a private message from Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly popped up in the group chat.

[Snow Queen of the Service Club]: "Mr. Lin Xiao, are you... still in Chiba Prefecture?"

[He Is Simply God]: "I just got back. What is it?"

[Snow Queen of the Service Club]: "It's nothing. I just suddenly remembered that you mentioned in the group yesterday that your apartment collapsed during Golza's rampage."

[Snow Queen of the Service Club]: "Sakura's bureaucratic efficiency has always been worrying, especially when dealing with an unprecedented monster disaster like this. I just checked Chiba Prefecture's announcement. Applications for housing resettlement funds and temporary accommodation for disaster victims have to go through at least a dozen approval procedures. By the time the funds are released, it will probably be a month from now."

Looking at the long string of messages Yukino had sent, Lin Xiao could not help rolling his eyes.

[He Is Simply God]: "I know the feeling. Those politicians can do nothing but bow and apologize. Their paperwork moves slower than a snail. I'm considering whether to find a bigger underpass to sleep under tonight."

Seeing that red giant who seemed like a God actually considering which underpass to sleep beneath in the real world, Yukino Yukinoshita's lips twitched slightly.

[Snow Queen of the Service Club]: "It would be far too pitiful if someone who saved the world had to sleep under an underpass."

[Snow Queen of the Service Club]: "If you don't mind, I happen to have an unoccupied house in an upscale residential area in Chiba Prefecture. A cleaner comes by regularly, and it has water and electricity... You can stay there temporarily."

After sending that message, Yukino's cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

Though it was an empty house, actively inviting a boy to stay in her private property was still an unprecedented first for the "Snow Queen," who had always kept others at arm's length.

Looking at the address and passcode on the screen, Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow.

Of course, he knew Yukino's background. The Yukinoshita family was considered a minor financial conglomerate in Chiba Prefecture. An upscale apartment was indeed nothing much to her.

[He Is Simply God]: "That helps a lot. Once the resettlement money comes through, I'll treat you to a meal. This country's efficiency is truly hopeless. Our classmate Yukino is still the reliable one."

On the other side of the group chat, seeing the words "our classmate Yukino," Yukino's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and she hurriedly closed the chat group.

And in the real world—

Lin Xiao brushed the dust off himself and walked out of the shabby camping tent without the slightest reluctance.

Following the navigation address Yukino had sent, he soon arrived at an upscale residential complex in downtown Chiba Prefecture.

He entered the passcode and pushed open the door.

A spacious, brightly lit living room, a full set of high-tech smart appliances, and an extremely soft-looking genuine leather bed in the bedroom.

"No wonder this is an heiress's unused property. It's ten thousand times more comfortable than sleeping under an underpass or in a tent."

Lin Xiao took a long, refreshing hot shower, washing away all the fatigue from his cross-dimensional battle, then collapsed directly onto the soft bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

Sobu High School, Class 2-F.

Morning sunlight streamed through the glass windows into the classroom, signaling the start of another ordinary yet noisy day at school.

"Why didn't Golza just destroy the school back then? I'd gladly trade my little place for it," Lin Xiao silently grumbled, propping his chin up with one hand.

The big bed in the upscale apartment had truly relieved his exhaustion, leaving him completely refreshed.

As for why he was attending school here, this was what the principal, who had once been dragged into the forest by a yokai, had said:

"This friend, I can see that you are handsome and extraordinary... Please, you must come to our school."

After that, he had gotten in through the back door.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

A series of light, rhythmic footsteps echoed down the hallway.

The previously noisy classroom instantly quieted down considerably. Many of the boys unconsciously straightened their backs and secretly glanced toward the door.

The newcomer had long black hair as smooth as a waterfall, exquisitely flawless features, and an icy aura that seemed to keep people a thousand miles away.

The unattainable flower of Sobu High School, Yukino Yukinoshita.

Holding several literature books in her arms, she walked down the corridor like a proud swan. The surrounding students admired her, yet none dared approach and speak to her.

As she passed Lin Xiao's window, their gazes met through the glass by chance.

After looking at each other for several seconds, they both withdrew their gazes. Bored out of his mind, Lin Xiao opened the Myriad Worlds Chat Group to see what the others were doing.

He had not expected much, but the moment he saw the chat log, Lin Xiao nearly lost it.

[Dark Knight of Gotham]: "So, Naruto. Konoha's economic lifeline mainly relies on funding from the daimyo and mission rewards to maintain operations? Then are your military defense mechanisms and high-level decisions constrained by the daimyo's political funding?"

[The Underdog Who Wants to Be Hokage]: "Huh? What are you talking about, mister? That's so complicated! Anyway, if I run into bad guys, I'll just use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to beat them flying!"

[Dark Knight of Gotham]: "Shadow Clone? A tangible duplicate constructed from energy?... Then regarding the Nine-Tails inside you, what is the threshold for its chakra rampage? Have you made detailed records regarding potential energy loss of control?"

[The Underdog Who Wants to Be Hokage]: "I dunno. In the documents, whenever I get emotional, that red chakra comes out! But it doesn't matter. We'll make up in the end anyway."

[Dark Knight of Gotham]: "Emotion-triggered energy rampage? Understood. Then Miss Shinobu Kocho, your Demon Slayer Corps' Breathing Styles temporarily enhance physical capabilities by altering blood oxygen levels, correct? Do you have data on the aftereffects of this body-straining technique?"

[Smile Under the Wisteria Flowers]: "My, Mr. Bruce is certainly meticulous. I've never calculated the exact figures, but Demon Slayers who develop marks do not live past twenty-five. That is probably the price."

[Dark Knight of Gotham]: "Then..."

Looking at the several hundred chat messages, Lin Xiao's face darkened with black lines.

"...This Batman really was worthy of himself."

His paranoia and obsession with gathering intelligence were simply carved into his bones!

Over the course of half the night, Batman had taken advantage of Naruto's willingness to answer every question and practically stripped the foolish kid bare! Not only that, he had also probed out most of the Demon Slayer Corps' organizational structure and combat system through indirect questioning.

Of course, Lin Xiao knew what Bruce was doing.

By frantically collecting data on the other group members, he was trying to establish a "threat assessment model" for the chat group.

As the group leader, Lin Xiao felt it was necessary to cure Batman of his "fear of insufficient firepower."

Since you wanted to know, then I'd show you something truly shocking.

[Ding! Group leader "He Is Simply God" uploaded a group file: Ultra Universe: Basic Settings of Ultraman Gaia!]

[He Is Simply God]: "@Dark Knight of Gotham, Bruce. If you want to understand me, just read this. That way, you won't have to stay up every night building a countermeasure file on me. (Smile.)"