Chapter 940: Unraveling Schiller's Journey (Part 2) (Patreon)

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In less than a second of contemplation, Batman concluded that he was currently ill-equipped to deal with an out-of-control psychiatric patient, even if the individual appeared frail and was clad in a straitjacket.

His knowledge of psychiatry reminded him that many individuals suffering from mental disorders during episodes could possess surprising strength, exhibit extreme irrationality, be impervious to pain, and experience various terrifying hallucinations, which could lead to heightened aggression.

In such circumstances, confronting them head-on was unwise. Moreover, Batman had already located the key item of vulnerability. The best course of action was to find the escape route as mentioned by Zatanna, armed with this weakness, and depart from this memory.

However, the clinking of metal rings dragging on the ground persisted behind him, growing nearer. Batman turned around and saw Schiller, clad in a straitjacket, standing merely three meters away.

Due to the dim lighting, Batman couldn't discern Schiller's specific features, but what stood out prominently was the shredded straitjacket and the metal mask covering his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. Based on their eye contact, this had to be Schiller.

Batman immediately increased his pace, continuing to descend the stairs. He had already discovered a clue to the escape route from Schiller's diary.

The clinking sound echoed once more. Thanks to his prior experience dealing with psychopaths, Batman swiftly located a room, darted under the bed, and concealed himself.

From beneath the bed, Batman could observe as the door was slowly pushed open, and a shadowy figure entered. Shadows spread across the smooth floor, allowing Batman to still see the straps of the straitjacket and the dragging metal rings.

Batman watched as Schiller, in the straitjacket, circled the room. This Schiller didn't appear to possess any extraordinary vision, as he didn't detect Batman hiding under the bed. After Schiller exited the room, and the clinking of metal against the floor disappeared entirely, Batman emerged from under the bed.

Batman remembered seeing a map of the entire hospital on the wall near the staircase before descending. However, due to the dim lighting in the hallway, he couldn't make out the map's details. So, he had two tasks at hand: finding a source of illumination and reviewing the map again.

Surveying the cluttered four-person hospital room, which was messier than Schiller's, Batman decided to search for a flashlight. Upon opening a cabinet, he found an assortment of everyday items. While sifting through, he came across a stack of old-style manuscript paper.

Each sheet of paper was relatively thin, and when stacked together, they weren't particularly thick. Most importantly, at the top of the manuscript paper, there was a name written in red Chinese characters: "The Ninth Management Facility."

A horizontal line followed beneath the characters, with blank lines below for writing. As there was nothing written on the paper, Batman's attention focused on the name.

Batman certainly knew how to write the Chinese characters for "hospital." However, what puzzled him was the absence of those two characters on the manuscript paper, along with the lack of a specific location. Moreover, the term "management facility" was entirely unfamiliar to Batman.

Soon, Batman also retrieved a few dampened matches from a corner of the cabinet. He struck one against the rough wall surface, igniting the rolled-up manuscript paper, and rushed towards the map near the staircase.

On the map, he found the name he had been looking for. He descended another floor, burst into a room with a sign that read "Follow-up Room."

Here, Batman immediately noticed an open window. Beyond the window, instead of a view, he saw another point of light. Batman surmised that this might be the path to other memory spaces, but he didn't leave immediately. He spotted numerous documents in the Follow-up Room.

The clues Batman had gathered thus far were fragmentary. He realized that he was missing crucial pieces of the puzzle. According to Schiller's diary, he had visited this place multiple times for follow-up, which meant that there might be Schiller's diagnostic report here.

Why had Schiller come here? Why had he worn a straitjacket? And why was it necessary for him to disguise himself as an ordinary person to leave this place? Batman pondered that he might find answers here.

So, he glanced out of the Follow-up Room's window, seeing that Schiller had not pursued him yet. Batman then switched on the desk lamp on the office desk and began searching through the cabinets for documents.

Batman had remembered the Chinese name, but among the three large cabinets in the room, he couldn't find any documents bearing that name. Consequently, he started rifling through the drawers at the side of the desk.

Finally, in the corner, at the very bottom drawer, Batman found a set of documents contained within a blue folder. Upon opening it, Batman finally saw the familiar name.

This medical report was unlike any he had seen before. It lacked photographs, specific identifying information, and even age. However, Batman noticed that this set of documents referred to Schiller as "Patient No. 1."

Continuing to read further, Batman encountered what he had been searching for—the diagnostic records. But before the diagnostic records, there was a warning.

"Patient No. 1 exhibits an extremely severe tendency towards aggression, and has received professional training, necessitating treatment and follow-up with specialized security measures to avoid severe stimulation. In cases of violent reactions, specific measures may be taken..."

When Batman saw the words "specific measures," he suddenly widened his eyes. Specific measures? Did it refer to medication or anesthesia?

He retrieved other medical records, and they contained similar warnings, but for other patients, the warnings specified particular drugs and calming techniques. Only Schiller's medical record had the enigmatic phrase "specific measures."

The more Batman read, the more peculiar it seemed. Schiller appeared to be experiencing episodes of violence continuously, yet each time, there seemed to be no lasting harm. Additionally, the hospital had almost never applied the necessary measures. According to these records, there was hardly any mention of violent restraint or the use of tranquilizers.

Schiller's daily routine in the hospital seemed to consist of him having a violent episode, being restrained, taken to the observation room, showing no harm, and then being released, only to repeat the process during the next episode.

Normally, patients with aggressive tendencies would receive increased dosages of medication. In cases of intense aggression, sedatives might be administered, and they would typically be administered for an extended period to prevent harm to themselves or others.

If Schiller were regularly taking sedatives, how was he managing to have violent episodes every few days? Moreover, how was he breaking free from the security measures of the mental hospital each time?

Batman, who had a good understanding of pharmacology, knew that this was nearly impossible. Given Schiller's current height and weight, he should not metabolize sedative drugs quickly enough to regain the strength to break free from the mental hospital's security measures in such a short span.

Batman placed the box he had been holding onto the table and reexamined the straitjacket. He noticed that the quality of the straitjacket was high. Even if he were to wear it without resisting, it would take a considerable amount of time to break free from it. How, then, was Schiller repeatedly bypassing the security measures?

Batman's gaze returned to the earlier warning, particularly the phrase "received professional training," which gave him pause.

Earlier, he had fallen into a chemical vat, was rescued by Schiller, and subsequently taken to the hospital. Although he had been unconscious for a brief period, he had regained consciousness quite swiftly. Consequently, he had overheard the conversation between Schiller and Victor at the bedside, which shed light on Schiller's past.

In simple terms, Schiller had attempted to construct a high tower of building blocks within his own memories during his childhood. However, due to the absence of skill and reliance solely on emotions, the tower had collapsed when subjected to certain stimuli.

Because of the collapse of the tower, his thought processes and behavioral patterns became divergent from those of ordinary individuals, leading him to be institutionalized in a mental hospital. To leave the hospital, he had been compelled to reassemble the fragments of the collapsed tower, forming what was now referred to as the Temple of Thought.

From his recent exploration, Batman had observed evidence supporting this narrative, such as the diary where Schiller had attempted to disguise himself as an ordinary person, as well as design sketches of the high tower. However, it was clear that Schiller had only disclosed part of the story.

He hadn't mentioned the frequent outbursts of aggression, his so-called professional training, or the nature of the "specific measures."

Batman believed that Schiller's vulnerability might be hidden within the undisclosed aspects of the truth. At that moment, he heard the clinking sound drawing closer to the room he was in.

Without hesitation, Batman grabbed the documents, stepped onto the table, preparing to escape through the window. But just as he was about to leap, a shadow burst in through the window, knocking Batman to the ground.

Constantine tumbled and crawled, eventually colliding with the opposite wall. He let out a pained cry, holding his forehead as he stood up, gasping for breath. Then he said, "Finally... finally escaped! It's safe now! That memory space, it's just... it's just too dangerous..."

In the next moment, he turned his head and locked eyes with Schiller, who was wearing a straitjacket and a mask.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 943: The Mystery of Schiller's Past (Part 1)