Chapter 991: The Battle for High Tower (25) (Patreon)

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Despite Batman's suspicion that this was yet another plan of Schiller's, he still had to rescue Schiller because General Putrescent, who had captured Schiller, would eventually have to be dealt with by him.

Moreover, Schiller's previous weakened state left a lingering doubt in his mind. He didn't know what caused Schiller's inexplicable condition later on, nor did he know if facing a powerful Demon general would affect his performance in that state.

Merkel immediately wanted to rush into the corridor and confront General Putrescent head-on, but Batman held him back. He said in a low voice, "Now is not the right time to go after him. General Putrescent is definitely not alone. If we go over, we'll just fall into a trap."

"But... but..." Merkel was somewhat anxious and stomped his foot. Through gritted teeth, he said, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't cut down that broccoli, Mr. Schiller's allergy wouldn't have been so severe!"

"Do you really think his current condition is solely because of the allergy?" Batman asked as he pulled Merkel back.

Merkel hesitated for a moment, then said, "I can't disclose the employer's privacy... well, given the circumstances now, don't you think Mr. Schiller has become a bit... um, crazier?"

Batman looked at him, and Merkel continued, "When I first met Mr. Schiller, I found him to be somewhat old-fashioned, taciturn, but reliable. I've met many gentlemen like him in the U.K."

"He's a fan of detective literature, enjoys setting various puzzles, and then solving them himself. Occasionally, he would need me to help solve them, but I always opt for brute force. I never thought he could tolerate me for so long."

"Although he appears serious, his temper isn't peculiar, and he handles interactions with everyone appropriately. But..." Merkel paused for a moment, seeming unsure if it was appropriate to speak ill of his employer behind his back, but he went on, "Haven't you noticed? Mr. Schiller's mental state has become increasingly unstable."

"The broccoli incident this time was just the tipping point. There were many signs before this." Merkel shook his head.

Batman carefully recalled and realized it was true. When he first interacted with Schiller, although Schiller was a somewhat responsible teacher, he was similar to most university professors, coming and going, hardly interacting with any students.

Batman remembered that in his first semester, he intentionally performed poorly, but Schiller didn't seem to care. In the second semester, he deliberately maxed out credits in a subject, creating an illusion of cheating, solidifying his playboy persona, yet Schiller said nothing.

However, this leniency only lasted for two years. Starting from his junior year, for some reason, Schiller began to focus heavily on grades. Not only Bruce Wayne's grades but also those of other students were tormented by him.

Normally, the freshman and sophomore years were crucial for laying foundations. There was no reason to allow students to slack off at this time. When they had almost finished their courses and were about to start internships, then it made sense to focus on grades.

By senior year, things became even more uncontrollable. Schiller had an obsessive focus on essays. During discussions with Schiller about essays, Batman found him somewhat paranoid, often spending hours editing because of punctuation, symbols, and wording issues.

At that time, Batman thought Schiller didn't want him to become a street hero, which is why he acted that way.

But later, he found out Schiller wasn't just tormenting him. He used almost all his spare time to torment every student who could write essays in this prolonged mutual torment.

It was indeed mutual torment because not only did Batman know it, but Schiller and the students themselves also knew. They couldn't pursue such a professional path; they didn't have that talent or willingness to put in more effort. There couldn't possibly be any achievements, yet Schiller still demanded exceptionally high professional standards from them, which was essentially meaningless.

While Batman couldn't be certain of his own condition, he was very sure that Schiller was ill.

Currently, it seemed more indicative of autism spectrum disorder, but occasionally accompanied by manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Has Schiller's mental illness worsened? Batman pondered this question as he walked back. Although it was said that physicians shouldn't self-diagnose, there shouldn't be any events causing Schiller's mental state to deteriorate continuously.

However, he did agree with Merkel on one point: the broccoli incident causing Schiller's weakness wasn't an accident. It was highly likely that the accumulated mental pressure, reaching a breaking point, triggered an extremely severe stress response in Schiller, leading to such serious outward manifestations.

Thinking of this, Batman quickened his pace and returned with Merkel to the fortified mine, where he briefed Alfred on what they had just seen.

Alfred nodded and said, "Indeed, we need to deal with General Putrescent as soon as possible. As long as he remains in the mine, our power cannot develop peacefully."

"Now, the overall situation in hell is changing rapidly. Belial hasn't adopted the coalition strategy we imagined. Instead, he declared war on several neighboring countries simultaneously. Not all generals agree with this decision, and the internal situation is becoming increasingly nervous."

"Only in times of chaos can one rise to power. We must seize this opportunity." Alfred looked at Batman and then said, "This may be the only chance for you to personally participate in a regular large-scale military operation. For anyone who needs to study military theory, this is an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime."

Batman nodded, obviously understanding the importance of this war. The three present were well aware that, regardless of what the Demons did, it had nothing to do with humans. Their aspirations were to liberate all humanity, not just hell or heaven.

But the reason they were getting involved in this war was twofold: to pursue their ideals and to provide Batman with an opportunity for training. Although Batman's previous thoughts seemed somewhat paranoid, after understanding the vastness of the world and the existence of mysterious magic, Batman had a premonition that one day, he would have to immerse himself in a broader world and experience epic wars firsthand.

By then, there would be no time for practice. Once such disasters befell humanity, every moment would be a matter of life and death. He needed to have the ability to make decisive decisions.

With determination, Batman was nearly unstoppable. He was responsible for strategic planning and tactical arrangements, acting as the overall commander of the mining forces, while Merkel was responsible for ideological guidance and training, akin to the political commissar of the mining forces.

Batman initially wanted Alfred to handle ideological guidance, but Alfred shook his head and gave this opportunity to Merkel, explaining, "Regardless, I am a spy. For a long time, my thinking has leaned more towards information warfare."

"It's not that I can't change my way of thinking, but I worry that there are still unfinished tasks in the real world that require my efforts. Once my thinking changes and affects a critical decision, it could lead to disastrous consequences."

"In contrast, Merkel hasn't achieved any outstanding results in espionage. He tends to favor individual combat, which ironically makes him a blank slate. If he can unite people in large-scale combat, it won't affect his current work and will lay the foundation for the future."

Batman nodded in understanding. The old butler had once been glorious, able to compete on equal footing with Philby. His espionage skills must have been perfected over half a lifetime. Doing this for so long, there would certainly be some fixed thought patterns, but this wasn't entirely a bad thing.

Years of espionage work would cultivate sharp intuition and reflexes. Sometimes, these casual intuitions could be lifesaving.

But forcibly changing one's thinking pattern in a very urgent situation could likely erode these valuable intuitions, which could be troublesome if they were needed in the future.

Although Batman didn't want Alfred to participate in those dangerous tasks anymore, he also knew he couldn't stop such a person.

Whether it was Merkel or Alfred, after understanding their ideals, Batman knew he had no chance of convincing them.

So, Alfred took charge of logistics. Although Demons didn't need to eat, drink, or rest, equipment manufacturing, trap setting, and intelligence gathering were still crucial. Alfred was quite proficient in this.

Once the basic division of labor was determined, the three worked methodically. Although Batman lacked much practical experience in strategy and tactics, his theoretical knowledge and wisdom were top-notch. Alfred handled logistics, and no one understood logistics better than Batman's butler.

The only one who seemed a bit inexperienced was Merkel. He had no practical experience in ideological guidance and was not proficient in training, but fortunately, he learned quickly.

Moreover, his skills and professional knowledge allowed him to train his own elite team, which proved to be quite effective in reconnaissance and combat, regardless of whether it was used for reconnaissance or warfare.

Although the central mine had completely collapsed, the Second Mountain, Third Mountain, and Fifth Mountain were now all connected. The Fifth Mountain was the second largest mine, with a very large cave that could be used for garrisoning and training.

With the three mountains combined, there was also a greater depth of defense. Batman's guerrilla warfare tactics, after more comprehensive coordination and practice, soon proved even more effective. The Fourth Mountain, guarded by a small number of Demon soldiers, was also captured.

However, the Sixth and Seventh Mountains were closer to General Putrescent's garrison. After the incident in the central mine, the army directly occupied the Sixth and Seventh Mountains. While the Sixth Mountain still had room for negotiation, the Seventh Mountain was the toughest nut to crack.

It was General Putrescent's stronghold and the location of the major eyeball. After Schiller was taken away by General Putrescent, the tunnels they had dug out were completely destroyed. General Putrescent had also set up magic arrays underground to defend against tunnel warfare, stationed heavy troops, and established a large defensive camp nearby.

And if they attacked the mountain from the surface, they would encounter the same situation as in the central mine. Batman stood in front of the sand table, staring at the position of the Seventh Mountain. After considering all tactics in his mind, he realized that taking the Seventh Mountain would be a tough battle ahead.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 992: The Battle for High Tower (Part Twenty-Six)