Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5770 - 4793: Battleworld’s Upheaval (Part 2)

"What is going on with this?" Shiller questioned Arkham Batman, his gaze fixed on the other man.

"See for yourself," Arkham Batman responded, retrieving a flyer from a nearby printer. It was essentially a promotional poster in paper form, yet it was packed with text.

"Manhattan Playground — a Multiverse Amusement Park! Are you tired of the monotonous dungeon mechanics found in certain games? Fed up with excessively stringent economic systems? Seeking something novel and exhilarating? Visit Manhattan Playground for an entirely new virtual gaming experience across the Multiverse!"

Shiller's eyes widened in realization. "Could those games he mentions possibly be referring to Battleworld?"

"Precisely," Arkham Batman confirmed. "They're not explicitly naming it, likely to preempt any lawsuits. However, it's clearly about Battleworld—up until now, your company was virtually the sole provider of Multiverse games."

Shiller let out a sigh, a hint of helplessness in his expression. Arkham Batman inquired, "You don't seem angry?"

"Would it surprise you if I said I anticipated the arrival of competing products sooner or later?"

"Not particularly," Arkham Batman replied. "Frankly, I always thought it was inevitable. Entities operating at the Multiverse level and beyond would undoubtedly find a way to observe Battleworld. Recognizing the immense profitability of this business model, they would naturally gravitate towards replicating it, and many possess the capability to succeed, at least partially."

"Indeed, you hold a dominant market position. However, smaller studios also possess distinct advantages. Even if they merely capitalize on the novelty and exit the market after a single lucrative phase, the profit is assured. The concept of such VR games is already established, public awareness is high, and people are eager to try them. The pioneers sow the seeds, while others reap the benefits."

Shiller released a long breath. "So, this Manhattan Playground is a Multiverse game venture established by Doctor Manhattan?"

"That is correct," Arkham Batman affirmed with a nod. "Furthermore, I must inform you: would it surprise you if I told you this wasn't the only advertisement I received?"

"Who else?" This time, Shiller was genuinely taken aback.

Arkham Batman retrieved the blue flyer from Shiller's hand and presented him with a green one. Shiller glanced at it, and there it was: "Brainiac Multiverse Creative Studio." Their tagline proclaimed, "Super AI ensures the ultimate gaming experience."

And this entity isn't solely focused on games. They also intend to launch a "Multiverse communication network application," utilizing Brainiac as its central hub, incorporating messaging, financial transactions, gaming, and other social sharing functionalities – a mere logo change away from resembling a certain avian-themed South Pole resident.

The game initiative is merely the initial phase, as the public is currently more receptive to gaming platforms. However, since Brainiac's influence is not yet paramount, the development of proprietary hardware is also necessary: specifically, a brainwave interface device and a fully immersive holographic virtual reality pod. Though currently limited to deployment in a select few universes, the offering is presented as a simple "click and receive for free" proposition.

"Have you personally tried it?" Shiller inquired.

"Let's dispense with the absurdities. Would you expect me to willingly subject myself to a device designed by a malevolent AI, essentially a virtual coffin?" Arkham Batman retorted. "I am quite content in my current position as President; I have no desire to meet my end prematurely."

Shiller considered this, acknowledging the logic. Batman would certainly not integrate his consciousness into such a system; the safety implications were considerable. Moreover, their engagement in gaming primarily served the purpose of forging Alliances and honing their skills, rather than mere recreation or relaxation. For those objectives, Battleworld proved more than adequate.

However, when it came to the broader populace, particularly the younger demographic, the situation was uncertain. Numerous individuals readily relinquished personal data and privacy in pursuit of gaming experiences, blindly accepting any terms presented by the companies, regardless of their nature. The influx of users into these new platforms was likely to be substantial.

The simultaneous emergence of two formidable competitors undoubtedly generated significant pressure. Nevertheless, Shiller, still contemplating a strategic response, shared Battleworld's planned evolution with Arkham Batman, who offered his full endorsement. He stated, "In my assessment, the true allure of this model lies not merely in the creation of more games or qualitatively superior ones, but in the utilization of the Creation Simulation System. Its immense practical value is, as you know, unparalleled."

Naturally, Shiller was fully aware of its significance. For brilliant minds such as Iron Man, Batman, or Mr. Fantastic, gaining direct administrative access to the universe's creation backend was akin to being handed the answers to an exam by the question setter. One should not be deceived by the system's portrayal as a small-scale virtual simulation; the underlying principles remain fundamentally consistent. It empowers them to uncover the fundamental patterns of cosmic truth, a discovery of far greater consequence than any other.

Take Stark from the Central Universe, for example. His earlier information-flow conversion tech was actually a stripped-down, stripped-down-again version of one tiny function of the Creation System. For a typical carbon-based lifeform, reaching that point is already incredible. But if one could use information to create matter from nothing, wouldn’t one become a true creator?

Even though getting that far is unlikely, for these people, the exploration itself is the absolute fun. Just this virtual Creation System alone is enough to keep them busy for a lifetime, not to mention all the spin-off disciplines attached to it—they’d be swimming in an ocean of knowledge, completely forgetting what heaven and earth even are.

Shiller realized this move of his really had been the right one. Compared to these small companies, Battleworld’s biggest strengths are its high rank, high technical level, plus it’s the official orthodox project personally approved by both big bosses, with guaranteed safety and stability.

Those little solo outfits are way more likely to blow up. If you enter their virtual System and it crashes on you, the person inside might be in serious danger. With so few staff, the number of dungeons they can offer won’t be huge either—at best it’s something you try once for the sheer novelty.

Even so, Shiller still planned to take a taste. He said, "Can I go in?"

"Of course. This thing is sold openly; anyone can go in. Plus, they were gunning for Battleworld from the start, so they definitely figured you’d show up and have prepared countermeasures. What are you planning to do?"

"I’m not going there to cause trouble," Shiller said. "I just want to play the games they’re releasing. Do you know what genre they are?"

"A Batman has already been to Manhattan Playground," Arkham Batman recalled. "He said it was decent. Purely in terms of art and production quality, it’s on par with Battleworld. But they probably started very early and polished it over and over, so that level is normal."

"What about the game design?"

"He was afraid of spoiling me, so he didn’t go into detail. I called you over because I’m planning to go check it out together." Arkham Batman showed a scornful expression. "Those instances in Battleworld are all too easy for me. If he can make something halfway decent, that’d be something."

Shiller rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully, "If that Batman gave good feedback, that means the basic quality is there. I just don’t know what the gameplay is. Does it allow duo queue?"

"You can queue together, but it’s not necessarily a team mode," Arkham Batman said. "I’m leaning more toward a free-for-all."

"All right. When are you free?"

"I’ve still got some work to do today, so probably tomorrow afternoon."

"How do we get there?"

"Just come to the Presidential Palace, I’ll take you over."

"Wait," Shiller suddenly said, "there’s only a week left before the new season, I’m really busy too. Can I send someone else with you?"

"Who are you switching in?"

"You’ll know when the time comes."

The next afternoon, the one Arkham Batman was waiting for turned out to be a Shiller in a black shirt. His skin looked even paler than Greed’s, like he hadn’t seen sunlight for years. The gray of his eyes was lighter too, the whole person like a sheet of paper, thin and brittle.

But Arkham Batman would never underestimate him. He knew the infamous reputation of this Shiller; he’d just never had any deep interaction with him. Greed claimed he didn’t want trouble, yet he sent this guy over—no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like he had good intentions.

Still, Arkham Batman wasn’t much of a talker, and this Shiller clearly wasn’t chatty either. The two of them didn’t say much. Arkham Batman took out that poster and stared at it for a while. Very soon, countless blue particles formed around them, and a quantum channel opened up. This was Doctor Manhattan’s signature move—he had the ability to manipulate quanta.

Following the quantum channel inside, they arrived in a deep blue space. It looked empty, but it wasn’t bare; everywhere they looked, there were futuristic-looking pieces of furniture. At the same time, because the space was vast and open, there was no sense of oppression at all—pure sci-fi vibes.

Arkham Batman gave the place a quick once-over. But soon, the blue particles rose again, and what appeared before them this time was a massive city, with Doctor Manhattan’s figure showing up on the giant ad screen of the tallest building.

"Welcome to the Manhattan Playground." His voice sounded in their ears. "The Manhattan Playground will be part of the Multiverse Manhattan City. The rest of the city is still under construction and is not yet open to the public. Please follow the arrows into the interior of the playground."

Arkham Batman instantly grasped the situation: Doctor Manhattan's aspirations clearly stretched far beyond a mere game. He intended to construct a city that spanned the Multiverse, or perhaps even something more magnificent.

Faint blue lines illuminated the ground. The two followed these markings, navigating through streets and alleys until they arrived at the entrance of a playground. It presented itself as an ordinary amusement park, but the moment they crossed the threshold, a familiar sensation enveloped them, and they found themselves transported to a grand hall.

The chamber mirrored the previous one, with seamless white walls, equally futuristic furnishings, and a legion of sleek Robots. The sole notable addition was a towering central column adorned with floating blue holographic screens, each displaying the titles of various games.

The selection was limited to just three games. However, these were meticulously categorized by difficulty: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Without hesitation, Arkham Batman inquired, "Do you offer Very Hard or Nightmare modes?"

These higher difficulties were standard options within Battleworld; Very Hard lay above Hard, and Nightmare surpassed Very Hard. The preceding "Death Escape" scenario, for instance, had been classified as a Very Hard instance. Yet, Arkham Batman felt that even Nightmare, situated above Very Hard, presented a somewhat trivial challenge for him.

"The Hard instance is player-versus-player. Its difficulty predominantly hinges on the proficiency of the participants. Should you seek a more demanding competition, I advise selecting this particular mode," the guide explained.

A closer examination by Arkham Batman revealed that these three 'games' were not distinct instances but rather different modes of engagement. The simplest was the story mode, the medium tier was PvE (Player versus Environment), and the most challenging involved players battling one another.

"Are there any restrictions on abilities?" Arkham Batman pressed, still attempting to align this system with the Battleworld framework, where modes were bifurcated into restricted and unrestricted categories.

"You will not face absolute restrictions, but modifications will be applied," Doctor Manhattan responded with an uncharacteristic level of patience. "Your attributes will be calibrated for equitable balance. Concurrently, your powers will be classified as 'Skills,' ensuring neither a complete nullification of your capabilities nor an impediment to fair competition among players across different instances."

"That actually sounds quite reasonable," Arkham Batman admitted. "I've been contemplating trying out the middle mode for a while now."

He then turned his attention to Shiller. "Let's go with this Hard mode."

"Understood," Shiller replied with a nod.