Chapter 949: The Thing Shiller Fears Most (Part 3)_1

But at the same time, Batman, who put himself in Shiller's shoes, understood that for people immersed in such thoughts, constantly emphasizing to them, "What you're doing is wrong," "You can't do this," "You must do it like this," was useless.

Their paranoia has advanced to a dangerous stage. Regardless of who offered them advice, they would believe that behind every word lays a trap. This was precisely what Batman once felt.

He sought advice from various people, like Gordon, Harvey, and Shiller, yet he could never fully trust the advice they gave him. Instead, after contemplating, after painstaking considerations, he analyzed their character based on the nature of their advice and prepared for non-existent traps embedded in their suggestions.

This might sound like ingratitude on Batman's part, but in that state, it resembled more an irrational compulsion. Back then, Batman couldn't control himself, couldn't stop pondering over such matters. One plan after another, one contingency after another, swirled incessantly in his mind.

Of course, Batman desired to save Zatanna. Even though they were no longer lovers, they were at least friends, and longtime ones at that. He didn't wish to see Zatanna tread on a path of self-destruction.

Like Shiller, Batman too wasn't inclined to see yet another lunatic, dressed in a straitjacket, staring at the moon from a wheelchair.

As forceful persuasion and advice proved ineffective, Batman did not have any plans to persuade Zatanna to go back like Constantine did. Instead, he told her, "If you have other options, you can give them a try, but I believe you must have figured out by now that Professor Shearer is no ordinary person."

"I and Constantine had once seen the entirety of the Tower of Thought. It is a grand construction beyond anyone's imagination. The fragments of his character traits reside within this tower. The number couldn't be approximated, but there could be hundreds or perhaps thousands."

"The Memory Space of such an individual is bound to be perilous. We encountered so many dangers even during a shallow exploration. If you still intend to venture further, you must be prepared."

Batman seldom spoke so much in one go. Generally, he wasn't much of a talker. Therefore, after he finished speaking, Zatanna took his words into thoughtful consideration. Frowning, she responded, "You have a point. Just the few Memory Fragments we've already encountered tell us that he's a madman, a criminal, a killer, with an exceptionally high level of expertise."

"But I still think it's worth a shot. We're not here to provoke him. We only want to venture deeper into the Memory Space and sneak a peek at what he fears the most. If done correctly, we won't be detected."

Upon hearing this, Batman asked doubtfully, "You're able to see what he fears the most?"

"Everyone has their fears, don't they? If we take the weakness items we've obtained so far as objects that psychologically scarred him once—for example, the straitjacket could symbolize his unhappy stay at an asylum, the butcher knife could signify his dark memories as an experimental subject, and the building blocks could represent the mental trauma he suffered in his childhood...

"These things could count as weaknesses and shadows, but they couldn't be termed as the things he fears most. When people ask themselves, 'What am I most afraid of?' they invariably have an immediate answer. That often turns out to be what they fear most."

Zatanna turned to look at the floating lights in the air. She said, "Memories aren't complete and coherent. Perhaps many people think their memories flow smoothly when they recall certain things. But that's just pieces of different scenes stitched together."

"And what helps stitch these memory fragments into a complete memory is called a memory pathway. It indicates the clue people use to recall a certain memory."

"For example, some people think chronologically—first, they recollect what they did in the morning, then what they did in the afternoon, and finally, what they did in the evening. Some people have logical memories—they think about the cause first, then the result."

"These memory pathways can serve as our channels, while each memory fragment can be our stepping stone. As long as we head in the right direction, we can find the memory scene where he asked himself 'What am I most afraid of?' through continuous shifting and leaping."

"And then, in that one instant of memory, we can find the primal answer deep within him. That would be the thing he fears most."

Batman understood Zatanna's explanation, which was nothing more than making the human thought process more tangible, offering another interpretation of human memory.

"The only question is, do you still have enough strength?" Batman looked at Zatanna, her face slightly pale. "Based on your description, continuously shifting and leaping will inevitably consume significant energy."

Zatanna pursed her lips, seemingly unwilling to show any signs of weakness. She lifted her chin slightly and said, "I am certainly not weaker than an ordinary person, am I, Bruce?"

Looking at her determined demeanor, Batman had something to say but couldn't voice it. Perhaps Zatanna's decision to carry on was her way of proving that her abrupt departure in the past was not without reason. She wanted to show Batman that she was indeed doing her best in protecting the world.