Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5683 - 4707: Desperate Escape (40)

An ancient proverb states: "The despicable shall pave the way for the despicable, and the noble shall be remembered by the noble." However, this adage typically pertains to individual circumstances. When collective organizations are involved, the situation can undergo a complete reversal.

The bedrock of unity rests upon altruism. The more unconditionally altruistic an individual is, the easier it becomes for them to integrate into a collective. Conversely, inherently selfish individuals struggle to mesh with a group. Consequently, a group comprised of selfish people finds unity elusive.

When virtuous individuals band together, it is termed an alliance; when wicked individuals congregate, it is known as a gang. An alliance inherently possesses solidity and trustworthiness, whereas a gang is often fragile, disintegrating at the slightest impact. This phenomenon occurs because evildoers fundamentally lack the requisite altruism for cohesion, perfectly illustrating the saying, "When disaster looms, each person flees in their own direction."

The assembly of avaricious designers exemplifies this very principle. One could hardly expect individuals like the Joker or Mephisto to willingly sacrifice themselves for their comrades in moments of peril. In truth, even Greed himself would not extend aid to his associates.

They represent calamities within the Multiverse; their identities are widely recognized. To suggest that their dwindling numbers contribute to a more heroic Multiverse might be an overstatement. Nevertheless, the Multiverse is undeniably improved in their absence, rendering any need for rescue moot.

The instant the portal materialized, Greed rapidly advanced, covering three steps in two, and ascended to the platform bordering the arena. Reaching out, he attempted to force open the grounded door, which emitted clanging sounds but refused to budge.

It transpired that after Bruce's entry, he had not neglected to secure the premises by trapping the instigators. Utilizing the iron rod and chain acquired from Shiller, he had fastened the door shut from within.

As the saying goes, there is always a figure more formidable than the most formidable. As an integral member of this motley crew, how could Bruce possibly be unaware of his companions' predictable inclinations? If he were to permit these villains to escape, he would hardly be branded the Multiverse's preeminent menace.

Greed struck the door panel in a fit of rage. Yet, this momentary delay provided Loki the opportunity to perceive his intent to abscond. With a sudden leap from the opposite side of the arena, Loki, on tiptoe, positioned himself behind Greed before delivering a decisive headbutt, sending him sprawling.

"Ouch!!!" Greed bellowed, crashing onto the glass panel situated above the compartment. His head impacted the ground with a resounding thud. Fortuitously, the mask, affixed as a plot device, remained stubbornly in place and could not be dislodged, though blood began to seep from his forehead.

However, no benevolent soul resided within this particular compartment. Batman, detecting movement overhead, observed Greed's descent directly upon his containment area. He promptly signaled Superman, indicating a need to kneel, while Batman, leveraging Superman's shoulder, grasped the iron rod still embedded in his clavicle and thrust it upwards along the entry point of the mechanical arm.

"Aargh!!!"

Greed's agonizing cries reverberated throughout the space. His flank was directly impaled, and blood erupted forth without delay. The primal instinct for self-preservation compelled him to execute a sharp, evasive roll, a maneuver that undoubtedly preserved his life. For as the iron rod was withdrawn, it re-entered with swiftness. Had he not dodged, the penetration would have been fatal.

Gritting his teeth, he stooped, drawing ragged breaths, yet exerting himself to maintain a kneeling posture. Applying pressure to his wounded side, he glanced back, exclaiming inwardly, 'Well done, Batman, your strikes are truly potent! What happened to your vow of no killing?!'

But by sheer fortune, no restrictions on Shiller's abilities were in effect during this particular iteration. Greed had, in essence, kept a contingency in reserve, intending to document it but ultimately failing to do so. Thus, when pierced, he was suddenly infused with a surge of power, propelling him directly upwards from his elevated position.

Upon impact, he executed several rolls, exacerbating his bleeding and causing him to gasp and groan in pain. Yet, he dared not linger; the release of these other factions would undoubtedly spell his doom. His immediate priority was to locate an employee access point for egress, presenting two options: retreat to the preceding level or advance to the next. Both levels offered additional employee passages, the doors of which were presumably unlocked.

Greed, however, had no genuine choice; he was compelled to proceed towards the closest viable exit. As he watched, Loki had already returned to operate the control panel, making preparations to release the imprisoned individuals. Regardless of which group emerged, capture would inevitably lead to his demise.

Clutching his injury, he hobbled towards the nearest door, which, by coincidence, led to the same level Bruce and Shiller had occupied previously.

The preceding level was accessible via a cage-like elevator, now suspended at the apex. Clearly, engaging the mechanism for descent would consume an exorbitant amount of time. Greed surveyed the considerable drop below, clenched his jaw, and plunged downward.

"Ugh!!!!"

This fall, he didn't get off lightly. After Bruce and Shiller cleared the level, the room was nearly devoid of water, having long since drained away, forcing him to meet the floor with considerable impact. Greed felt as though his insides were no longer under his control.

Yet, he could not halt his movements, for he detected the mechanism behind him had already been activated. The designers had not anticipated players ascending to this point, as there was no real surface to grip for climbing, and even if one managed to reach it, standing would be impossible. Consequently, the operation panel remained unlocked. Though the instructions to open the door were rather intricate, Loki grasped them swiftly. He promptly released another pair, namely Harley and Pamela.

The moment the two emerged, they witnessed Thor subduing four individuals, pummeling them. A quick exchange of glances passed between them. Harley queried, "Why only four? Did someone manage to escape?"

They were aware that the Hunter was the mole, likely already gone, implying five should have remained. However, with only four present, it signified that one had indeed fled. Could these two have allowed that?

Harley's lips parted, a thrill coursing through her. It was her turn now!

Pamela had originally intended to search for clues nearby, but after taking only a few steps, she spotted blood staining the ground. Greed, in his desperate haste to escape, had been careless, leaving a trail of bloody footprints leading directly to the door he'd fled through.

Pamela and Harley gave chase. Upon reaching the entrance of the passageway, Harley glanced up at the cage. Without bothering to lower it, she used her hands to grip the edge of the opening and then leaped down, skillfully reducing her descent's impact. After landing, she rolled to further dissipate the force. When Pamela jumped, Harley caught her, and neither sustained any injury.

However, both noticed a substantial pool of blood on the floor. Pamela grimaced, "Who did this? I didn't see Thor wielding any weapons."

"With this volume of blood, it suggests a deep, penetrating wound."

"Wouldn't an open wound typically bleed more?"

"But the blood is spurting, which isn't characteristic of a simple open wound. It seems more likely that the chest or abdominal cavity was pierced, causing blood to be expelled as he fled." Harley pondered for a moment, "It doesn't seem like Thor or Loki were responsible."

At that very instant, within the employee passage, just a wall away from their current location, Greed struggled to regulate his breathing. There's no need to ask why he wasn't running anymore; he simply could not muster the strength.

Batman's assault had been both brutal and precise, narrowly missing his kidney. Now, he was experiencing massive internal bleeding, and it was evident that his end was near. He contemplated whether to directly utilize his privileges to manifest a corpse on the spot, thereby eliminating the organizer and securing his own escape.

"I am not like that indolent Arrogant," Greed gritted his teeth. His dedication was unwavering. Since he had chosen to embrace his role, he would see it through to the very end. He would not perish so easily today!

Yet, he truly lacked the capacity to run further. Greed could only slowly remove his coat. He had to clench his jaw to suppress any sound, for as the designer of this level, he was well aware that the areas outside the game rooms were constructed with minimal soundproofing. This employee passage was not particularly soundproof; any noise he made would undoubtedly alert the two individuals outside, leading to dire consequences.

Greed wrapped his blood-soaked coat around his waist, teeth firmly clenched, and let out a muffled groan. Streaks of various colors danced before his eyes. Harley's voice echoed in his ears.

"Look up there. Why are there so many scratches on this circular disk?" Harley pointed to the disk situated above. It was not readily visible before, but after the disk was opened, the firelight from upstairs illuminated it distinctly. Harley squinted, her gaze somewhat unfocused.

Pamela lifted her again, allowing Harley a closer inspection. After descending, Harley touched her chin thoughtfully and declared, "My guess is that the player in this room found a way to jam the cage."

"Jammed it?"

"Precisely. As they ascended in the lift, they turned the disk backward. The pulley system became lodged, preventing the cage from moving upwards, which resulted in the friction marks on the disk."

"But ultimately, six groups of players arrived, which indicates that someone resolved the jammed cage situation." Harley immediately surveyed their surroundings and stated, "There are employee passages nearby, and they aren't distant; otherwise, it couldn't have gathered people so quickly."

"You're suggesting the employees arrived promptly?" Pamela inquired.

"Exactly. The room is certainly not far from where they deploy employees. If it were, reaching here and rectifying the mechanism would have taken considerable time for six groups to assemble. Yet, in reality, we didn't await long, proving its proximity."

"So, what does this imply?"

"Their employee passage design is probably just a straight line connecting two points," Harley declared, snapping her fingers. "Instead of normal buildings that interconnect numerous rooms like a labyrinth, they directly link countless endpoints to a single starting point."

"Thinking about it, it kind of resembles a sea urchin, doesn't it?"

"Precisely! Imagine the employee area as the central body of a sea urchin, with the passages acting as its numerous spikes. Each spike's end connects to a different game room."

"Why would they design it that way?"

"They're cutting corners," Harley shrugged. "Normally, we wouldn't use the employee passages. Observing the designers, it seems they likely just randomly placed them where we can't see. Although this construction method is unscientific and wasteful, it allows employees to move swiftly, thereby saving time."

"I understand now. It's not the company's intention within the plot, but rather the laziness of those Dojo Administrators. I'll make sure to give them a bad review once we escape."

"Hiss..." Greed let out a sharp intake of breath.

Pamela and Harley instantly turned their heads. Greed quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late. Both of them were incredibly sensitive, and Harley, in particular, could become quite perceptive when excited. She immediately walked towards the wall where Greed was positioned.

Harley gently pressed her ear against the wall. Greed held his breath, and the entire room fell into silence. "Did you hear anything?" Pamela inquired.

"Not yet," Harley replied. "But perhaps we can find a way to open it. Could there be a door or something similar?"

"Even if there is, I suspect only the organizer can operate it, maybe with some kind of remote control," Pamela said, shaking her head, clearly lacking any viable ideas.

Harley also found herself without any leads, so she began to explore the room, searching for any other potential clues. As she looked around, she noticed several floor tiles that seemed different from the others. The ones soaked in water had gaps that were too noticeable to ignore. Using a crowbar, she pried them open and discovered Andrew's hiding spot.

However, Harley did not immediately delve into the plot clues. Instead, she exclaimed with delight, "Fantastic, it really does pry open!"

She then seized the crowbar and strode towards the side wall, swinging it with all her might while shouting enthusiastically, "Here's Johnny!"