Chapter 3: The Power of Denying the World To be honest, Katum is very panicked now. Maybe it’s because he was a civil engineer in his previous life, so he was named Katum in this life. It sounds impressive, but it's actually just an owl. As for Katum himself, he can be described with three key words: playing badly, following his heart, and a lover of abstract ideas. But he was forcibly bound to Bruce Wayne. A superhero known for being paranoid, suspicious, and withdrawn. Faced with this situation, Katum's emotions were as complicated as if Batman had lost his parents. The rule of the binding is that every time Batman's strength increases, he can get ten times the reward. If it's tied to other superheroes, that would be great.
Their superpowers grew naturally, and Katum could reap the rewards without having to do anything. But it's Batman! This guy is good at playing with money, Katum can't get any share at all! Then can we discuss this with Batman and make progress together? Impossible! Given Batman's suspicious personality and almost pathological desire for control, working with him can only be done according to his rules. This is something Katum doesn't want to see. His best option now is to scare Bruce while he is still young and take control of the initiative. Otherwise, the menu will be served before you even get to the table. …… Young Bruce, still shaken, returns to Wayne Manor. Alfred quickly came over and asked with concern, "Master Wayne, where have you been?" "I...I didn't go anywhere..." Bruce wanted to lie again, but Alfred exposed him directly. "You went to that alley again, didn't you? It's dangerous there, not a place for a child to go!" The butler misunderstood Bruce's concealment, and Bruce wanted Alfred to make the best of the situation. So he changed the subject and asked, "How did you find out?" "Because you can't lie." Alfred squatted down and gently brushed the dust off Bruce's body. His movements were gentle and delicate, as if he was soothing a wounded heart. Bruce stepped back, his heart beating faster, afraid that Alfred would touch the pistol in his arms. The butler continued, "Master Wayne, lying is also a skill. You have never received any training in this area. How could you possibly hide it from me?" "Do I have to learn how to lie?" Little Bruce thought thoughtfully. Then he asked tentatively: "Have all the liars in this city learned how to lie?"
Alfred nodded and said, "Of course, Gotham will teach them how to lie." These words gave Bruce an unprecedented sense of crisis. He had just spoken in front of the devil Katum, brazenly saying that he wanted to change Gotham. But now he found that the criminals in Gotham were all studying, but he was doing nothing. He's already behind schedule! No. At this time, Bruce finally had the idea that he should have. He wanted to go out to study and learn how to fight against criminals. But this must be considered in the long term. After Bruce repeatedly assured Alfred that he would not go to mourn his parents alone again, he returned to his room. As soon as I opened the door, I heard a burst of mocking laughter. "You can't even lie? Huh?" The owl Katoom had arrived at Wayne Manor at some point. He stood on a high-backed chair and his laugh was sharp and piercing. "Keep your voice down!" Bruce snapped. "Alfred will hear you." Katum did not stop his mockery: "No, he can't hear. It was you who signed the contract with me. Only you can understand what I say." "Even if it's just the sound of an owl, it's annoying." Bruce put on his slippers and turned over to his bed. He said nothing, thinking about his own thoughts silently. This habit will continue unless something unexpected happens. Especially after becoming Batman, Bruce's mind can no longer tolerate the intrusion of others. But now an owl has come in. "You're feeling anxious, aren't you?" Katum saw through Bruce's mind and pointed it out, "You know what you want to do is difficult, but you are too weak now. Changing Gotham seems to be just an unattainable dream." Bruce retorted: "I will become stronger, and I have enough wealth to make me stronger." "But so what? Even if you become stronger, stronger enemies will appear endlessly." Katum finished his words and opened his wings again. This time, something strange happened. The walls of Bruce's room became bizarre and the space extended infinitely, as if the vast universe was unfolding in the room. Bruce sat on the bed, but he seemed to be drifting in the galaxy. He saw endless little worlds flying past him. Bruce was stunned.
“This is the universe.” Katoom flew to Bruce's side, "Tell me, how much influence can your wealth and power have in these universes?" Bruce couldn't answer this question; he was completely dazzled. Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Katum immediately retracted the scene in front of him, and the room returned to its original appearance. What he just demonstrated was his only extraordinary ability. As long as he was with Bruce, he could open the passage to the universe. "You may have noticed that Gotham is a very special place that constantly attracts criminals." Katum spoke into Bruce's ear, his voice like a bewitching devil. “But I’m telling you right now, Gotham doesn’t just attract criminals from your world, it attracts criminals from other worlds as well. “It’s where all evil converges. "How much wealth and power do you need to change this city?" Gotham is a criminal's paradise. A Batman can never change it, only torture each other. They were hurting each other and couldn't move. If Bruce had followed his original path, nothing would have changed. Now Katum is showing Bruce a whole new path. This was the second time Bruce heard the word "world" from Katum's mouth. The last time was when Katoom introduced himself and mentioned the DC world. "Besides my world, there is another world? All those criminals will come to Gotham?" Bruce's voice trembled. He was just a ten-year-old boy and could not accept this subversion of his worldview. Moreover, a huge feeling of powerlessness grew in his heart. If the enemies are endless, then won't evil never disappear from Gotham? Katum had successfully scared Bruce, now it was time for a shot of adrenaline. He didn't want Batman's mentality to really collapse. "So what?" Katum said, "It's not like there's no solution." "any solution?" This time, Bruce almost blurted out and asked Katum for help. Katum's answer was also simple. "Travel with me through the [world], and gain the power to negate the world from outside the world!"
(End of this chapter)
