Something was off, very off.
As Primary Universe Batman muttered to himself, he walked into the Batcave and then suddenly fell silent, realizing that his constant mumbling was also highly unusual.
As soon as he entered, he saw Shiller sitting cross-legged, eating chips; it then struck him that Shiller was a psychiatrist. Had he realized something was amiss already?
Seeing Batman enter, Shiller put down his snacks and sat up straight, trying to look more like a psychiatrist. He said, "Do you feel it?"
Frowning, Batman sat opposite him and asked, "Did you notice it a while ago? Why didn't you say anything?"
"What's the point of saying it? Do you have a solution?"
Batman slowly shook his head. Tim, who came in later, did not understand what cryptic game they were playing, but he didn't ask and just quietly sat down to one side.
Batman thought to himself; he had actually noticed some anomalies before. The reason he hadn't fully realized it was because in the real world, he was also a victim of bad luck.
If Batman created so many contingency plans, his mental disorder was one reason, but his genuinely bad luck, causing his plans to often face unexpected situations, couldn't be ignored either.
Reviewing his experiences in the Prime Universe, none of his numerous elaborate plans had ever gone smoothly, always encountering some unexpected issues.
In this universe, his plans were frequently interrupted or sidetracked by unforeseen events, forcing him to deviate and take detours. He didn't think much of it, feeling just that he was particularly unlucky recently.
However, even so, the number of surprises that had come up at this stage seemed exceedingly more than he could have imagined. In fact, they had deviated completely from the original plan and now he didn't even know what they were dealing with.
Although he wasn't completely problem-free, Batman felt that perhaps the universe itself had bigger issues.
Oftentimes, the abnormalities that appeared in this universe had no logic at all; even his own actions seemed illogical.
If it were in the real world, he would definitely know that Minifigures have limited building capabilities, not suitable for complex mechanisms. He also wouldn't consider Tim and Shiller inept at assembling bricks, nor would he let newcomers handle it, let alone skip quality control and let the main character of the plan step into a shoddy project.
At first, Batman wondered whether he was being controlled by something or whether his thinking was being influenced, but up until now, he hadn't found where he was mistaken; at most, his accustomed way of thinking made him feel uncomfortable, which clearly wasn't something a brain-controlling villain could achieve.
On the contrary, he felt if he meticulously kept Tim and Shiller out of the project and earnestly conducted quality checks, considering that as a manifestation of psychosis, it would be utterly irrational.
This conflict between his actions and thoughts made him feel extremely uncomfortable, and it seemed like Shiller already knew the answer.
His behavior was also inexplicably strange. Batman thought, to his knowledge, Shiller was a person with a very strong sense of initiative. Originally, he came to collect building materials, and he had enough time to dismantle and pack the entire Earth, but oddly, he did nothing, only snacked and drank cola.
This indicated that he might have foreseen some secrets of the universe beforehand, but it wasn't surprising since Shiller always seemed to have an understanding beyond the facts.
Batman had never experienced such an awkward feeling before, making him feel immensely baffling; thus, he had no choice but to humbly seek guidance.
Luckily, Shiller was quite amenable. Without much prompting from Batman, Shiller spilled the beans.
"When you've interacted with sufficient universes, you'll discover that different universes have different styles. I can't precisely explain why these differences exist, but you can think of it like this: each universe has its own fundamental files, and these files dictate the style of the universe, which in turn determines how events in the universe will unfold."
"For example, in some universes, no matter how good things are, the outcomes rarely satisfy, while in others, no matter how bad things are, there are often many delightful aspects."
"Most of the universe styles you encounter are not particularly upbeat; a plan that should go smoothly always meets mishaps, a story that should end perfectly always has its flaws."
"But there are a few exceptions, like this cosmos and the cosmos where Tim is, where the fundamental protocol of their universes is all about warmth, happiness, and joy. This universe is even more special—it adds an element of humor and absurdity."
"This means that as long as you are in this universe, everything will have some humorous aspect. The plans you make look fine to you and everyone else in this universe, but if you step outside this universe, you'd realize just how ridiculous the plan is."
"Just like the plan we made earlier for building the Ancient City. If this were in the real world, there'd be ten thousand better ways to make Batman realize what's wrong and to change his mind about the recycling plan. But in this universe, you ironically chose the most effortful and least reliable method. That's the influence of the cosmos's style."
"Even though I've told you all this and you're prepared to not be influenced, there will definitely be all sorts of humorous mishaps interrupting your serious plans."
"That's why I never intended to do anything serious in this universe. Let things take their natural course, and who knows? Various accidental collisions might even achieve the desired effect?"
Shiller chuckled, displaying a casual demeanor. Batman finally voiced his deepest doubt since the beginning, "So, there is no actual mission for us in this replica?"
"Of course, there is; aren't we supposed to gather building materials?" Shiller said.
"Oh, I see." Shiller spoke as if he had just understood what Batman meant: "You think we should issue main and side missions like a real game to keep all participants relentlessly busy, right?"
Batman didn't speak, but it seemed that was exactly his perspective. Shiller, however, shook his head and said, "If there really were such a system, letting you travel between universes and complete various tasks, it would undoubtedly desire something from these universes, mostly to strengthen control over them."
"But Battleworld is different. Battleworld itself is a platform crafted by the union of cosmic managers, just like you wouldn't need to tighten your grip over a table and chairs you've bought home. If they wanted to change something about these universes, they wouldn't need us; a flick of their fingers would be enough."
"These people let us participate just to create a new story. Whether the story is good or bad, popular or not, they can fully accept it," he added.
Batman nodded, seeming to understand a bit more. Each universe is like a painting. If there's something dissatisfying at the start, it's up to the painter to make adjustments, not for cats and dogs with paint on their feet to stomp out random patterns.
The reason why these cats and dogs leave random footprints on it is actually a form of artistic creation, intended to produce some random patterns to enhance the painting's appeal.
This is inherently not a matter of rigorous logic, so naturally, it doesn't set any specific goals.
However, due to the rules of Battleworld, or perhaps due to human nature, every participant will set their own goals. Like now, they entered to gather building materials, thus saving their precious points and possibly gaining an edge in resource management.
Those who went to rescue Batman from what's called the most unfortunate Batman's replica did so either to satisfy their own altruism or to recruit a new ally for their team.
It's foreseeable that others going to any replica feel there's something in that replica that can aid them or their universe, so there's no need to set any specific goals for them; they will leverage their initiative to alter the story for their benefit.
Shiller continued, "Another reason not to set specific goals is what I just mentioned about the cosmos's style. In this Minifigure universe, even if you set a very serious goal, various unexpected events will interfere, and it may still end up absurd and humorous, which goes against the fundamental protocols of the universe, making it impossible to achieve."
"But tailoring tasks to each universe would be too much work. In the end, it would still turn into cosmic managers controlling the universe's story, lacking randomness, and thus no sparks could emerge."
Batman nodded, indicating he understood, but he suddenly realized another issue. He said, "If plans can't be seriously executed in this universe, then that raw material recycling plan..."
"I suspect there might be another hidden aspect to it," Shiller said. "Although it appears that Mr. and Mrs. Wayne led the previous generation of heroes to sacrifice themselves, such a somber and deep story is unlikely in a humorous universe; the truth is probably more complex than we imagine."
"So, what do we do now?" Tim asked. "I always feel like they won't be able to successfully get through the 13th floor."
"Don't worry, this universe has another characteristic. No matter how tough or filled with mishaps the process is, it will definitely have a big happy ending. So, even if we don't intervene, the protagonists can still complete their adventure."
Batman and Tim both turned their eyes to the screen, watching a group being chaotically chased by moving walls in the maze, not entirely trusting Shiller's words. This motley crew hardly seemed capable of clearing the 13 floors of the Ancient City.