https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-281-Mantlescramble-Battle-Sixteen-/13547597/
Chapter 282: Mantlescramble Battle (Seventeen)
Chapter 282: Mantlescramble Battle (Seventeen)
Dogs are loyal and friendly, but cats are cold, independent, and unreliable.
Cats are like women—enigmatic, yet irresistibly captivating.
...
Gotham City glittered under the night sky, its countless lights like fallen stars or scattered diamonds adorning the dangerous black velvet of the city.
A graceful figure darted silently between buildings, a creature of night and shadow.
She was cold, detached, fiercely independent...
She was a cat, and she was a woman.
Many years ago, she had secretly vowed to collect those stars to warm her cold heart.
She became a thief, wagering her freedom and life on her hunts.
At eighteen, her skills reached new heights. She chose her targets more carefully, moving with greater stealth and unpredictability. She was no longer a pickpocket—she had become a phantom thief.
But later, she changed...
She became infatuated with another nocturnal being—a lone vigilante who operated outside the law, a man who hid in the shadows to uphold justice.
One night, she saw him in action. She couldn’t help but admire his sharp movements and envy his perfect disguise.
Inspired by his bat motif, she found her own inspiration.
She donned a cat’s disguise, equipping her gloves with claws.
From that day on, she targeted only criminals.
Their on-again, off-again relationship intoxicated her.
But one day, he died...
Yet she continued fighting, striving to become the person he had hoped she would be.
...
Caibupainenotafraid’s current attire resembled that of a male swordsman from RO (Ragnarok Online), blending Industrial Revolution aesthetics with magical Western fantasy elements. In this scenario, players’ appearances were not shielded by protective illusions—what she wore was exactly how her character appeared. This inevitably hindered her movements.
Earlier, to escape Seven Kill’s pursuit and assassination attempts, she had smashed through pavement, impaled a taxi with a massive cold weapon, and later wielded two restricted firearms in a frenzy. All these actions were captured by cameras at nearby intersections and shops.
Yet even now, she couldn’t change her crime-scene outfit, forced to evade eastward through the city in the same bloodstained clothes...
Eventually, she was discovered—by a hero of the Net of Gods.
This was a residential area, with rows of six- to seven-story apartment buildings. She stood on the rooftop of one such building.
“The game of hide-and-seek should end, little girl,” a woman in a black leather bodysuit blocked Caibupainenotafraid’s path, speaking coldly.
“Tch...” Caibupainenotafraid spat in irritation, turning sharply as she pulled out a Uzi submachine gun, spraying bullets toward the catwoman. “Stay away from me!”
But her firepower failed to halt her opponent. Catwoman’s agility and speed far surpassed Fearless’s. With a few acrobatic flips, she closed the distance again.
“I really don’t get what’s wrong with you criminals from the otherworld...” Selina pounced forward, her agile figure twisting mid-air as a powerful kick aimed for Fearless’s neck. “First, you recklessly kill innocent civilians in the streets... Now you’ve even targeted Robin!” Her voice dripped with fury.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Caibupainenotafraid dodged the strike, firing a few more bursts as she fled.
...
Over ten minutes earlier, the video orchestrated by Feng Bu Jue had gone viral, spreading across half of Gotham City.
Sage, watching from the Batcave, had viewed the footage immediately. He relayed Tim Drake’s “death” and the information revealed by the “mysterious figure” to the Net of Gods heroes.
Thus, the city’s police, superheroes, and even Jason Todd were now seething with rage...
As the mastermind behind it all, Feng Bu Jue watched with quiet satisfaction.
The undercover agents Feng Bu Jue had embedded within Two-Face’s network provided first-hand intelligence. He already knew about Caibupainenotafraid’s street disturbance, as well as the arrests of Seven Kill and Shiva.
The “break immersion” he and Two-Face had orchestrated was essentially using Gotham City’s justice forces to eliminate their mutual enemies. All they needed to do was stand back and watch. Even if their scheme unraveled later, Feng Bu Jue had an ace in the hole for Harvey... Tim wasn’t actually dead.
...
“You don’t need to know...” Selina hissed, “Just pay for your actions!” Her cat claws slashed like a gale.
Caibupainenotafraid couldn’t dodge in time. Four deep gashes tore across her left cheek, blood flowing freely.
“You’re pushing me too far!” Caibupainenotafraid snarled, immediately holstering her gun and summoning her main weapon—the Heavenly Thunder Mallet.
Fearless had no desire to clash with these scenario characters. In fact, aside from Feng Bu Jue, she wanted to avoid fighting anyone...
After seeing the names of the other five players, her first thought was to stay as low-key as possible. She hoped the others would weaken each other until only the strongest remained—specifically, the one at level 8, whom she felt confident she could defeat...
Unfortunately, Seven Kill had found her first. During her escape, three civilians died, setting the stage for the current chaos.
To be fair, it wasn’t entirely her fault. For a player, accidentally killing a few extras in a game—was that really a big deal?
When playing The Elder Scrolls, wasn’t attacking Npcs in a town just a common mistake from a twitchy trigger finger?
In Call of Duty, wasn’t friendly fire common due to sudden movements, dark environments, or camouflage?
In Gta, killing a prostitute for money after a car sex scene... okay, that was a bit much.
The point is... in a virtual world where life is as fragile as grass, should we really agonize over every lost soul?
We’ve all become numb. How many enemies have you killed in Contra? How many Goombas did you stomp in Super Mario? How many plants and zombies fell before you?
Killing is the eternal theme of games. We’ve grown accustomed to sitting behind screens, slaughtering everything from humans to monsters to fruit...
As long as we know not to do this in real life, isn’t that enough?
But let’s return to the story...
At that moment, Fearless’s Heavenly Thunder Mallet swung with crackling lightning toward Catwoman. The latter remained calm, her slender waist twisting as she leaned backward, her body folding nearly in half to evade the strike.
Then, using the momentum, Catwoman’s long legs straightened and lashed out, slamming her foot into Fearless’s chin.
“Ugh...” Fearless staggered backward, dazed from the blow, her balance faltering as inconsistencies in her movements emerged.
Catwoman seized the advantage, flipping forward into a split-kick attack...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
