Chapter 360: Wayne Manor (7)
God Mode Activated
Under the cover of night, a black drone silently arrived over Wayne Manor.
"Drone has arrived and is commencing search!"
"Target located."
The light projection in front of Luke's eyes rapidly changed, showing a 3D model of Wayne Manor. At the East Gate exit, Bruce Wayne, wearing the Bat-suit, and Barbara were battling multiple assailants.
One man stood out among the criminals: he wore a Falcon Mask and a black suit, lacking power armor, yet his strength and speed far surpassed his armored comrades.
"A Talon of the Court of Owls!"
"Found you."
Luke's eyes lit up, and he quickly ran toward the East Gate. Before he even reached them, the sound of clashing weapons reached his ears. The mysterious man with the Falcon Mask, wielding two black-bladed knives, was locked in combat with Batman. Both displayed extremely high levels of martial arts skill, their moves swift and powerful, aimed straight at vital points. Their exchanges were fraught with peril, making the onlookers' hearts race.
Barbara was fighting four criminals alone. Even wearing the fully operational power armor, she was at a disadvantage against the four-man siege.
"Ava, give her a hand."
"Acknowledged, Master."
As the words fell, Barbara, who was struggling to fight, suddenly found she couldn't move. Her field of vision rapidly expanded, rising point by point, as if her soul had left her body. Everything around her became crystal clear.
She felt like a player controlling a character in front of a computer, with a 360-degree, all-seeing view. She understood everything, without blind spots. The difference was that in a game, she controlled a virtual character; now, she was controlling herself.
"What is this? Spiritual-physical separation? Did I die?" Barbara exclaimed in surprise, completely stunned.
"Miss Gordon, please don't be alarmed. What you are experiencing is a virtual-reality visual technology that switches you from a first-person perspective to a third-person perspective. In this mode, you can fully comprehend the enemy's movements and respond calmly."
The girl swallowed hard, saying hoarsely, "Is this another one of Luke Shaw's inventions?"
"Yes."
Barbara took a long breath, secretly gritting her teeth. After the battle, she was definitely going to make that scoundrel give her one of these armor suits. This thing was simply too cool.
Anyone who has played games knows the fundamental difference between first-person and third-person. In first-person mode, you can only see a scene approximately 120 degrees in front of your eyes, unaware of what's beside or behind you, or your body's overall status.
Third-person mode is completely different. It allows you to anticipate every movement of your opponents and clearly understand your own position. Whether attacking or defending, all actions become nearly flawless.
Consequently, this mode is sometimes called the "Slacker Mode" or "God Mode."
The Talon's Resilience
The Barbara who activated the third-person view was like a different person. In an unbelievable display, her reverse hook punched precisely hit a criminal's head. Her body twisted like a water snake, avoiding all attacks while leaping into the air, her right leg sweeping forward.
Boom!
The criminal was struck in the chest and immediately fell to the ground.
Barbara shouted, utterly thrilled. Landing, she charged straight at another criminal. The moment he threw a punch, she dipped her shoulder. The fist flew past her head as if it had been anticipated. She circled around behind the criminal and lightly pressed her current-wrapped hand onto his back.
Screams of agony filled the air. Countless electric currents poured from the armor's seams, causing the man inside to convulse violently.
This scene not only shocked the criminals but also caused Bruce Wayne, who was paying close attention, to frown in confusion. What could have happened for that girl's combat power to increase so dramatically in just a few seconds?
The situation instantly reversed. Barbara, in "Slacker Mode," was unstoppable, single-handedly overwhelming her opponents.
Criminals fell one after another, some twitching uncontrollably, others with broken limbs, lying motionless on the ground.
"As expected of Richard Dragon's chosen student." Luke, observing from the shadows, nodded secretly. While the visual mode provided a unique sensory experience, the key to victory still lay in the user's physical condition. Like in an RPG, if your character is weak, even a professional player won't make them much better.
Barbara had strong combat talent but lacked strength and experience. "Slacker Mode" perfectly compensated for those two shortcomings, allowing her to break through her bottleneck and become a powerful fighter.
After dealing with the lesser criminals, Barbara turned her gaze to the leader.
Bruce seized the opportunity, his heavy punch breaking the Talon's defense and sending him staggering back. Barbara, charging from the side, shouted, leaped up, and delivered a kick.
Crack!
The sound of bone snapping echoed in the air. The mysterious man with the Falcon Mask cried out in pain. Two ribs on his left chest were broken by the kick, the agony making him gasp for air.
Even so, the murderous intent radiating from his eyes did not lessen; instead, the suffering deepened it, giving him a grim, desperate aura.
Barbara scoffed.
"Your men are all down. It's just you left. Surrender now while you still can."
The man remained silent, clutching his chest with his right hand and gripping his short knife with his left, his eyes darting between Bruce and Barbara.
"If you won't surrender, don't blame me."
Barbara charged forward. In third-person view, she was like a god looking down on the earth, anticipating her opponent's every move.
"Die!"
The girl launched a frenzied assault. Her current-wrapped fists aimed for vital points like the chest, neck, and head. Relying on her superior foresight, she effortlessly toyed with her opponent. In just over ten seconds, she beat the mysterious man to the ground.
"That wasn't so impressive, was it?" Barbara clapped her hands, glancing at Batman behind her, and muttered, "I thought he'd be much stronger."
Bruce was speechless.
He didn't bother to argue, instead tensing his muscles and staring at the fallen mysterious man.
Barbara shrugged.
"Don't bother looking. After that many hits, there's no way he's getting up."
Before her words finished, a strange sound came from behind her. The seemingly defeated mysterious man leaped up like a leopard, his black knife slashing through the air.
Sizzle!
The blade, made of an unknown material, actually sliced through the power armor, leaving a bloody scratch on Barbara's shoulder.
Barbara was terrified, her pupils contracting sharply. She couldn't react in time. The mysterious man showed no mercy, swinging the knife straight for the girl's throat.
Boom!
A blue energy blast flew down from above, knocking him backward.
Bruce looked up. Under the dark night sky, a faint blue light shimmered.
"A drone!"
"Luke Shaw!"
Bruce clenched his fist, his expression becoming incredibly grim. A shadow of suspicion fell over his gaze when he looked at Barbara. This was his home, Wayne Manor, a place he cherished, and that Asian man had used a drone here.
Barbara, still recovering from the shock, was oblivious to Bruce's thoughts. She clutched her shoulder, staring intently at the mysterious man who was climbing to his feet again. When she saw the exposed skin through his tattered clothes, she looked utterly stunned.
"How is that possible? Your wounds..."
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