Beatrix stood downstairs, watching Agent Cid's car disappear into the distance, unsure of what to say.
There's an old saying: working overtime at noon is hard, but having no money to spend is even harder. Some people probably hadn't even reached the end of their shift, especially those at the super commando level—they had clearly stopped caring.
Sure, infection prevention falls under the Prevention and Control Department, but investigation and cleanup of the source shouldn't be delayed. Ending the mission so early without a full night's effort seemed premature.
Still, it had its upside—Beatrix now had freedom to act.
He returned to his room, turned on his computer, and launched the game. Within moments, he became Batman in third-person view. The coordinates were still set where he had logged off the night before.
Beatrix stretched his fingers, found a comfortable position, and prepared his snacks and drinks. The night was just beginning.
He recalled the conversation between Content Anchors and Agent Cid. Beatrix had memorized the address they mentioned. He entered it into the in-game map and quickly pinpointed the gang's location.
On the surface, it looked like a casino. A dark Gothic structure, with a glowing sign that read "Freedom Outlaw." Was it just a flashy statement or some bitter satire?
Batman perched on a nearby rooftop. Beatrix paused the movement and activated Detective Vision to scan the building's structure.
Cid had said the informant was anonymous. Similar incidents might have happened repeatedly—unknown deaths every month, with no one paying attention and no consequences.
But he was wrong. Maybe not before, but now things were different.
Over the past couple of days, Beatrix had discovered another use for Detective Vision.
Like in traditional Batman games, Detective Mode marked enemies and civilians. It used cold-toned visuals to clearly show which figures were enemies, innocents, or allies.
Even without a main mission, players could use Batman to scan the city streets, find trouble, and dish out justice.
The feature also indicated which enemies would grant Hero Points upon defeat.
Last night, Beatrix had watched someone marked as a civilian switch to an enemy after attempting theft. The label shifted in real time.
He'd assumed it was a game mechanic based on Batman's internal logic. But as he brought Batman to the "Freedom Outlaw" tonight, he remembered passing this building during patrol the night before. At that time, everyone inside had been marked as civilians.
Tonight, however, scanning the same building revealed a swarm of enemies.
Was it because *he* now knew it was a criminal base?
If so—how did that knowledge affect Batman's world?
Could a game character share intel across play sessions?
At first, Beatrix dismissed the idea as fantasy. But then again, controlling a game character with this much realism was already myth-like.
After surveying the perimeter, he found a viable entrance. Batman slipped in through an open sunroof, landing silently in a looping corridor.
Beatrix, in either of his lives, had never been to a real casino. His impression came from TV dramas and the occasional news clip.
To him, a casino meant champagne, reckless gamblers, heaps of cash, and skimpily dressed entertainers.
But not today.
The ornately decorated hall was empty of gamblers or dealers. Instead, men in dark sunglasses and armed to the teeth stood scattered across the room.
Deeper into the building, muffled arguments and shouting could be heard.
Beatrix memorized the layout and positions of the guards and prepared to move.
Batman pressed against a wall and crept up behind two guards on a raised platform. These two had the best vantage points—taking them out first was essential.
He had contingency plans if spotted, but it turned out he didn't need them. The guards were too busy chatting, oblivious to their surroundings. A frontal leap might've gone unnoticed.
He eliminated them in seconds. Before that, he used enhanced auditory sensors to eavesdrop.
Their conversation was simple: the gang was scared. The casino had shut down in fear. The bosses were now inside, meeting with their butlers and debating their next move—surrender to the Security Bureau, or flee the city to escape the "curse."
One young gang member mourned his ignorance. He never meant to get involved and now swore he'd leave the gang and marry his girlfriend—if he survived.
From this, Beatrix learned that the gang's leaders were all inside. That was all he needed to know.
He wasn't here just to punish the bad guys. The thrill of cracking bones was nice, but Hero Points and experience mattered more.
The moment Detective Vision marked them as enemies, they turned from unknowns into walking XP.
And now they were falling, one by one. The hero meter surged. It felt like mowing a lawn—relentless and satisfying.
Looking back, Beatrix realized just how cautious and aware the earlier military enemies were. These gang members, in contrast, were reckless and disorganized.
Perhaps pro gamers didn't need to care about that.
It reminded him of a police department investigating a man shot seven times in the back—only to conclude it was a stroke.
If even villains had such logic, the game might as well switch to easy mode.
Despite the XP gains, there were still 22 enemies marked in the hall, all armed.
Taking them all down without being seen wasn't realistic. But taking out a few and cutting the lights could work.
As he prepared to move again, something unexpected happened.
Detective Vision showed a new heat signature at the entrance.
A cylindrical object rolled into the hall.
A grenade.
Boom!
Flames erupted. The nearby guards were obliterated, some writhing in pain on the floor.
The door flew open. On his screen, Beatrix saw Agent Cid reappear—cigar in mouth, submachine gun in hand, spraying bullets across the room.