Ultraman—the term swept across the city overnight, becoming the hottest topic in Gotham.
Well, not that it wasn't already a hot topic. The red and silver giant's first appearance had already caused a sensation, sparking widespread theories about "divine retribution" and "punishment for sin" across the city. But, as everyone knows, the internet has a short memory. As time passed, the excitement waned. After all, while the idea of aliens was shocking, it didn't really impact the average citizen's life.
But this time, it was different.
An entire city fell asleep simultaneously, trapped in the most terrifying nightmare they had ever experienced. Then, everyone simultaneously dreamt of the same giant of light, tearing through the darkness, bringing light, transforming fear into hope, and turning the most terrifying nightmare in history into a legend of light.
The mastermind, Dr. Destiny, was captured by Batman, but the news was quickly controlled by the relevant authorities. After all, Dr. Destiny gained his abilities through Arkham's Sensory Amplification Device, and neither the controversial experiment nor the asylum's mismanagement were things the higher-ups wanted the public to know.
Additionally, the current DC universe was in a delicate phase, similar to a prelude to the "Age of Superpowers" or a "spiritual revival." The real explosion of superpowers was supposed to happen after the boy scout in the red cape officially debuted in Metropolis, after which superheroes and supervillains would start sprouting like mushrooms after the rain, akin to a DC-style spiritual revival.
But for now, it was different. In this "pre-Superman era," at least for the average person, superpowers and aliens were still distant concepts. The agencies, led by the likes of the Justice League, maintained a "block if you can" approach to handling information. So, in response to this incident, the experts provided an explanation, saying that Gotham experienced an extremely rare case of mass hallucination.
Shen You's first reaction to this explanation was that the experts were utterly useless. Their level of expertise felt akin to someone examining a victim with seven bullet wounds in the back, conducting thorough investigations and careful reasoning, and then concluding decisively that it was suicide.
But on second thought.
No, this is definitely very Gotham.
This must be Gotham's experts, spot on.
Of course, the public wasn't buying it. Whether the experts were talking nonsense or the higher-ups were covering up, these were all standard operations. The experienced citizens of Gotham were long used to it; no matter what the authorities said, it didn't stop them from believing what they wanted.
"It's real!" One child excitedly told the camera, "I really saw Ultraman!"
"My child is adamant that the nightmare was real and that the Ultraman we saw was real," a man on his way home from work said during an interview with the Gotham Gazette.
"And what do you think?" the reporter asked.
The man pondered for a moment.
It took him a good ten seconds before he spoke slowly.
"I grew up in Gotham, lived here for forty years. If Gotham has taught me anything, it's definitely not to trust easily."
"The last time I believed in a hero was GCPD Officer Elliot. That pot-bellied guy had a moment of conscience and saved a drowning child while on patrol. Looking back, it was probably the only good thing he did in his life, but all the newspapers and media in Gotham wrote him up as some kind of shining hero."
"But just a month later, my aunt was robbed in a convenience store. That 'heroic' detective was there, just behind a shelf. But he did nothing."
"I know you might cut this part out, but I just want to say it. Gotham is this kind of place. Whenever you think you see a spark—a tiny glimmer of something that could be called hope—this city swallows it up, plunges you into deeper darkness, and shows you the cold reality."
The reporter thought for a moment, "So, you mean you don't believe it?"
"...No."
The man shook his head and said.
"He appeared there, took us away from that nightmare, told us not to be afraid. I know what I saw; it wasn't a hallucination."
"For once, I want to believe."
"Your overall energy level has increased by more than 10%. Congratulations, sir."
In the underground lab, the AI PAL reported. Shen You was sitting in a machine resembling a game pod he had created, covered in wires. The monitor in front of him displayed his physical data.
This device, created by Shen You, was akin to a physical check-up for Ultraman. It could scan and assess the intensity and level of light energy within Shen You, providing a rough feedback on the changes in his power level.
This stunt in the nightmare, showing off in front of the entire city's citizens, was the biggest harvest since he landed. He could even vaguely feel a slight enhancement in his basic stats.
Originally, he had located Dr. Destiny's location, geared up and ready to take him down personally, only to be beaten to it by Batman. This made Shen You admire him even more.
After all, even as a rookie just starting out, Batman was still Batman. A mere human capable of resisting Dr. Destiny's nightmare at point-blank range—his willpower was indeed extraordinary.
But this also saved Shen You the trouble of taking action himself. After all, he had already harvested his experience in the dream, so he was in a good mood.
As he walked out of the lab, humming a tune, he felt a lot more relaxed.
Shen You noticed that Kara's gaze had changed, her big eyes filled with admiration and a bit of reverence.
"What's up?"
"Nothing..."
The girl hesitated.
"It's just... you're amazing." She said sincerely, "I didn't know you were this powerful..."
Shen You chuckled and patted her golden head. "You practice well and master the techniques I taught you. You'll be even more amazing than this."
"Really?" Kara was skeptical.
After all, in the dream, Shen You's performance was so invincible, like a god. In contrast, she looked at her fair, tender hands, her delicate skin...
Could she really become that powerful?
She wasn't sure.
"Trust me, you can't go wrong," Shen You said earnestly.
"Okay..." Kara nodded weakly.
Shen You wasn't making empty promises. After all, he was just a scientist, without the power of the Space Garrison. If he didn't work hard, Kara could catch up in no time with more sunlight baths.
Tom was back at the store early, looking excited and full of energy.
As soon as he saw Shen You, he couldn't hold back. "Boss Shen! I've got a new idea! This one's definitely going to be a hit!"
Shen You glanced at him, unimpressed.
"Is it another 'no inverted flight, and it's a win' pitch?"
Tom blushed and shook his head. "I dropped that pen name; it's bad luck. That's not the point! This idea is different; it's definitely going to work!"
He had a mysterious, proud expression.
"This time, I'm going to write about Ultraman!"
"What?"
Shen You, initially uninterested, stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow.
Writing about me? Did you pay for the copyright?
"Yes! This time it's a story about love and hope, a giant from outer space with god-like powers saving this sinful world—a story about a monk from afar with a sacred mission!"
Sounds weird...
Whatever, he's a nobody anyway; no one's going to read it. Let him play around.
Shen You shrugged, "As always, as long as you don't get locked up, it's a win."
"No way, I swear on my honor," Tom pulled out his notebook. "No one disturb me. I'm saying it now; I'm going to finish the opening here today. Not going home until it's done!"
"Alright, good luck."
"..."
An hour later.
Tom had somehow moved to the table next to a pretty girl, having only written seven words for his opening.
"Hey, beautiful," he smiled as he struck up a conversation. "Wanna know my secret identity?"
The girl glanced at him, gave an awkward but polite smile, and replied, "What, are you Batman?"
"Ha, of course not," Tom puffed up his chest, "I'm a well-known online writer."
The girl looked him up and down, gave another awkward smile, and said, "Heh."